Savage Schools Tomorrow's Stars

by **krzy** Sat Apr 06, 2019 5:29 pm

CMV Online Exclusive!
A SAVAGE LESSON FOR TOMORROW’S STARS
By: Guy.

Being invited into the skybox is akin to stepping into an underground club where you need to know the secret code for that particular hour and the correct rhythm to knock on the steel door.

Luckily, all I needed was a nod of acknowledgment in my general direction courtesy of "Ice" Cole Savage to know that I was welcomed here.

At least in spirit.

But in practice, I was out of my element. Donning jeans and sneakers inside of a room where the most casual clothing item worn by its inhabitants were loafers made me stand out like a sore, under-dressed thumb. Still, when he saw me, Savage stood up and shook my hand with a smile as though he were greeting an old friend. He invited me over to the window, and the scene below wasn't an episode of CMV playing out as it used to be when the skybox became synonymous with Savage's omnipresence.

Inside of the building were several wrestling rings. A few were empty. Most were hosting a variety of action.

Savage was no longer solely focused on the present-day crop of CMV superstars like when he stood in the corner of Leo Cruz or Megan Cooper. His newly-opened school, Friends in High Places, was birthed to mold the next generation of wrestling talent.

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Limo? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Swagger? Check. You always knew when Cole Savage was in the building. (Photo Credit: Community Universe)

Fans who only casually followed CMV were caught off guard by an Instagram post by NGW's Tailcoat Val that mentioned a gift from a "friend in high places." Those words once embodied Savage's organized destruction, his mafia-esque spearheading of a talent network that spanned across CMV's five shows.

It was ambitious, awe-inspiring and a little intimidating. Most importantly, it was an undertaking the scale of which had never been attempted before and hasn't been attempted since. Not even by Savage himself.

"I've won World Titles, I've led LEO CRUZ to the main event of Implosion. I wanted more," Savage said, complete with his signature inflection of Cruz' name. "I wanted to go beyond the walls of CMV to spread my seed all over the wrestling business!"

It began with an idea.

"When I returned to UnMatched, I noticed the influx of talent with wasted potential. By the time Implosion came and went, I heard the rumblings of the approaching end of days, and decided to go forth my vision."

That vision? This very building we stood in. A place for aspiring wrestlers to be nurtured and to grow. Now and then you may even catch veterans of the business swinging by to share and discover tricks of the trade.

Savage has been in some of the most grueling matches CMV has to offer against some of the biggest names in wrestling history, and he also accepted the challenges of taking meandering careers and making them a household name. Still, Savage said, this school is the most difficult project he's tackled in quite some time.

"It's not just me or my singles career any longer," he said, motioning to a wall in the center of the room that housed his accolades including the 101% Egyptian cotton t-shirt he wore when he defeated Ryan Kent to win the Alpha Championship. "It's not about managing one or two careers at a time, either. There are at least a dozen students here at any given time looking for guidance and just a sliver of hope that they can be somebody in this business."

The unfortunate truth is that many won't make it. Whether it's lacking the drive or the athletic ability, Savage has seen many potential careers cut short in this facility.

Sometimes, those are the lucky ones.

"At least they tried, you know? A hell of a lot better than a life of 'what-ifs,' if you ask me. Even if it's just for five minutes, they got to live out what was perhaps a childhood goal, or check something off their bucket list, and now they can focus on the next chapter of their lives," Savage said. "Even if just for a pitstop, I'm honored to have experienced that journey with them."

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Henchmen-turned-trainers Marley Kassell and Miss Roxanne have been working alongside Savage for years. (Photo credit: Community Universe)

It was four in the morning by the time I arrived at Friends in High Places.

Training began at five. Sharp.

"A plane's not gonna wait for you and the show's not gonna be postponed because you can't get your life together," Savage said. "It's hard to simulate the daily grind of traveling from city to city, but at least the kids get the hang of rolling out of bed at the ass-crack of dawn."

Despite the ungodly hour, there was plenty of activity in the gymnasium as the early risers got a head start. Those who weren't doing drills in the ring were lifting weights heavier than I was or listening in on a conversation between Kassell and guest instructor Rick of R 'n' L Express fame.

"When Ice told me he was starting this place, I told him to make sure I was the first one hired," said Miss Roxanne. "I love the feeling of being part of something bigger than I am."

The trainees began with a grueling stretch session. Grueling. An adjective I never thought I'd use to describe an activity I so foolishly thought was mundane. That's probably why Bryan Sanders worked me over so easily.

"Do you think Cole Savage delivered the Ice-Cold Kick with pinpoint precision every night with tight hamstrings?" Kassell barked minute twenty into the warm-up exercises.

Today's training regimen called for learning the basics: suplexes, scoop slams and the like. The particularly proficient would even get to dabble in the world of strikes. Those hits may leave bruises, but when school ends for the day there are typically no hard feelings.

“The Justin Sane’s and Paul Divine’s of the world are gonna make it no matter how you try to collude and politic,” said trainee Rusty O’Craite. “Might as well use that energy to better yourself and get to their level while we’re here.”

He mirrored sentiments shared by his fellow students and a motto embodied by the school’s first class of graduates. Their photo was on a banner hanging from the ceiling.

You may recognize some of their faces.

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The masked traversor of portals Kurasuke is never too far away from Savage’s pet projects, the latest being the one-eyed Sage Autumn. (Photo credit: Community Universe)

“You think it’s a coincidence that Sage Autumn showed up on Fusion with my most trusted ally at his side?” asked Savage.

That ally, of course, being Kurasuke, whose ability to be everywhere and nowhere all at once has made him a dangerous weapon that Savage never shied away from using.

“No, Sage embodies what the Friends of Cole Savage was all about: giving people another shot at success,” he said. “ I’m replicating that here with Friends in High Places. This isn’t only for people starting their careers; it’s a refuge for those who lost their way and need help getting back on the right path.”

Autumn was once one of the hopefuls scheduled to take part in the “Straight to Fusion Initiative,” where a relatively unknown wrestler would be able to bypass NGW if they were able to defeat a former Rising Star Champion. Unfortunately, this occurred in the middle of Brandon Rayne’s tirade that left many hopefuls like Autumn beaten and battered, an attack often sealed with a ruthless stomp to the throat.

“I have never seen anything like it,” Savage said. “He was a sorry sight, but always remained positive despite all the scars, both literal and metaphorical.”

Autumn’s positivity in the wake of despair led to him being ironically dubbed “Misery” by Skarzemis who hasn’t been seen since Kurasuke unceremoniously shoved her into a portal.

“Unfortunately, Skar went rogue on me twice. Most recently, she snatched away two of my graduates. Let’s say she’s on timeout until she remembers that I run things. You can’t have a successful operation if the people under you don’t know their place.”

The two graduates Skarzemis snatched away found their place by the side of Tailcoat Val. We haven’t seen too much of sisters Leliana and Oraiya inside of the ring, but if they’ve been sent out into the wrestling world with Savage’s blessing, it can be assured that they’re more than capable of ascending to the top of the women’s division with Val.

And those are just the three graduates we know of.

As Savage dedicates his post-wrestling career to the future of wrestling, he’s already shared some trade secrets he’s picked up along the way. However, there’s one card he’s still keeping close to his chest.

“I’m not ready to pass on the Ice-Cold Kick just yet,” Savage said with a mischievous grin on his face. “Never know when I may need it again.”

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