Standing there in his red-white-and-blue trunks, posing to the theme song of a discredited WWE legend, Shane Saunders seemed like a bizarre caricature of a pro wrestling "face." Of course, during
Shane's LRW introductory interview, I was too star struck to note any disingenuous vibes emanating from the stereotypically wholesome college jock.
Make no mistake about it, Shane Saunders is no longer the sweet, innocent kid who
charmed me to smithereens when he made his official UCW debut in video #387. UCW's streetwise thug, Eli Black, immediately seized upon Shane's trusting nature and played the sheltered college frat boy for a fool in that match.
Of course, Shane entered that match bruised up, since he had already wrestled a match before his "official" UCW debut. I learned first-hand from Shane what UCW wrestler was responsible for the bruising -- and it came as no surprise -- but my intensely private fellow Cancerian made me promise not to speak about the matter publicly. Shane's initiation into the motley ranks of UCW prompted the classy youth to tell federation founder Michael Bodyslam that (like several other wrestlers in the company) he would never wrestle this particular individual again, and there was a discussion concerning the exact mat tactics which had made Shane uncomfortable.
It was actually Shane who contacted me about wrestling for LRW, having read my blog and knowing that I was enamored of him. Upon his arrival, Shane admitted that he thought wrestling for LRW seemed "easy" (presumably, in comparison to what he had experienced elsewhere) and he did have quite a list of prohibitions concerning the video.
I acquiesced to all of Shane's requests, and tried my best to insure that his stay in Connecticut was a pleasant one. Shane, like every other wrestler who has worked for me, went all-out to produce a top-notch product. However, Shane's emotional baggage cast a pall of negativity on the shoot, affecting his co-star Cameron Murphy (another sensitive Cancerian) to such a degree that Cam may never again participate in another LRW video as a wrestler.
For a while, I had so many conflicting emotions concerning my interaction with Shane, that I chose not to discuss the experience. I knew since childhood that bullied kids frequently turn into bullies themselves at the first opportunity, but I was still taken aback by what occurred in this video.
I was expecting a "face vs. face" match, with the winner getting a shot at my "heel" champion. I envisioned Shane, with his wealth of experience, simply providing a wrestling clinic for his neophyte opponent. Instead, Shane improvised a "heel" persona that could make Triple F look like Mother Theresa by comparison (and Triple F's persona was originally devised to create a counterpoint to the naturally heroic Kyle O'Connor).
During LRW shoots, we deliberately blur the line between theatrics and reality. We generally stay in character, even when the cameras aren't rolling. What occurs on camera is informed by our genuine feelings toward each other. Furthermore, what transpires off camera is influenced by the action in the matches and interviews. In LRW, art imitates life and life imitates art. Therefore, with three ultra sensitive, highly perceptive Cancers collaborating, the workplace environment was volatile.
Generally speaking, I'm sad that Shane is no longer Shane (which prompted me to choose the melancholy Don Henley song, "This Is The End Of The Innocence," to set the tone for this blog entry), but I was wrong to ever take the matter personally. Although I never reviewed the video, I did purchase
Shane's latest UCW release (#427) and it's unfortunate I hadn't observed that match before Shane arrived in Connecticut; Shane was as vilely aggressive in that production as he was in my home, attacking Tyson Hammer before the opening bell. (On a side note, Michael Bodyslam remarked that he considered match #427 to be "funny" -- most likely because Tyson blatantly violated several of Shane's rather prudish videotaping prohibitions, much to the conservative young man's obvious consternation.)
Unaware of Shane's recent penchant for boorish behavior, I was very complimentary (practically fawning, actually) when I introduced him at the beginning of LRW Wrestling video #3...
...but I soon received a foreshadowing of what was to come, as Shane flipped off Cameron before the match began.
As for Cameron, he was a total gentleman during mat intros (politeness seems to be a New Hampshire trait), enthusiastically bouncing around in his camo trunks and exclaiming, "I'm pumped!" as his theme song, "I Get Wet" by Andrew W.K., played in the background (an appropriate choice for Cam since, in addition to being a former competitive swimmer, he's also an ex-navy guy).
As I mentioned in my last blog entry, refereeing this match proved to be a cumbersome burden. Early on, at the 2:25 mark, a legitimate headlock applied by Shane became a choke as soon as I was out of position. Shane denied it, and I believed him until I had a chance to review the video footage.
Verbally, Shane sounded almost like Eli Black, describing the punishment he was inflicting on Cameron ("now we'll move on to the full nelson..."), gloating over his superior skill, mocking Cam at every opportunity. Shane seemed to be taking sadistic delight in hurting Cameron...
...even covering Cameron's mouth when it seemed as though the inexperienced grappler wanted to submit.
At the 3:00 mark, Shane grabbed Cameron's wrists, forced Cameron's fists toward his own face, and ridiculed, "What's up bitch? Quit hitting yourself." Cameron's well-mannered response: "You're a little bit stronger than I anticipated."
Using typically vulgar language, Shane complained that he'd hurt himself (in a delicate area) while applying a leg scissors, prompting an edit in the tape at the 5:28 mark. Shane seemed to be retaliating for the miscue, so I called for a break in the action to check on Cameron. When the action resumed, Shane continued with the rougher-than-expected tactics.
Warily scrutinizing Shane as he seemed to be breaking Cameron's neck, I was surprised when Cam cried out, "Ow! My arm!" during this maneuver:
Then Shane began slapping and punching Cam's chest -- additional pain and humiliation for the outmatched but tenacious grappler. (Yes, a closed fist. I messed up. Not even a reprimand)
Shane attempted a pin, got a two-count, and then commented to Cameron, "You're not getting off that easy. This is going to be drawn out."
"I'll choke you with your own arm," Shane threatened Cameron, in blatant disregard for the LRW rules. (Shane must have thought he was wrestling in Philadelphia.)
This time I did have the presence of mind to intervene, making it clear that choke holds aren't tolerated in LRW. Shane rolled his eyes in disgust as Cameron seemed to smile in relief.
However, Cameron's punishment immediately resumed. I've previously noted that,
in UCW, wrestlers made eye contact with the camera when their pain was becoming too intense. Such was the case in this match, when Shane trapped Cameron in a camel clutch.
This time Cameron definitely did attempt to submit, but Shane once again hand gagged Cameron, breaking the hold in the process...
...only to reapply the torturous maneuver seconds later.
"Here's a dirty move," Shane remarked, thrusting his heel into Cameron's groin and applying steady pressure. Technically, it wasn't an impact move, but it definitely fell into the category of "
potentially dangerous holds, unsportsmanlike conduct, or unnecessary roughness." I made Shane break the hold, and gave Cameron all the time he needed to recover.
After that outrage, Cameron managed a brief flurry of offense, but Shane soon countered with more severe punishment. At 11:17, Shane was able to apply another camel clutch, the move which had caused maximum pain to Cameron previously.
At 12:00, Cameron elicited some revenge on his tormentor, trapping Shane in a well-executed body scissors / armbar combo. I was anxious to see Shane submit, and I was disappointed when he didn't.
At 13:29, Shane caught Cameron with an elbow to the eye. Cameron gamely continued wrestling for a few more seconds, but deliberately threw Shane off the mat at 13:45 to force a break in the action. Shane seemed perturbed by such treatment, as Cam knelt on the mat holding his face, and I called for another edit. (The elbow was ruled inadvertent and, upon review of the footage, it was a good call.)
In keeping with the general tone of this match, its conclusion was a total mess. Although the
LRW rules clearly state, "each match will have a 15 minute time limit (including ring introductions)," I completely lost track of time due to all of the edits and general chaos (plus
Cy Coco was on vacation). The match was still continuing when, at the 15:18 minute mark, a battered and fatigued Cameron managed to audibly state, "I give up."
I made sure that Shane immediately broke the hold to prevent an injury to Cameron (and, of course, to cease Cam's pain). After that, I positioned myself between the two wrestlers to avoid any further conflicts. (All in all, the time factor was a moot point anyway. A match decided on points would still have seen the same outcome, although Cam would have been saved the embarrassment of a videotaped submission.)
A further problem with this match's conclusion involved another stipulation in the
LRW rules: "To submit to an opponent, a wrestler must say, 'I quit,' clearly and
audibly, in that exact term. Tapping the mat or using any other
phraseology will not be sufficient to stop the match." Well, Cam used the phrase, "I give up," but I decided to follow the spirit, not the letter, of the law. After all, Cam was hurting, and Shane had rendered his submissions inaudible on two previous occasions. Making Cameron search for the right words under those circumstances would have been heartless.
After the match, I regretted having to conduct yet another interview with a disappointed competitor who would have been a fine representative of LRW.
Although Cameron had quite a few misgivings about his initial LRW impressions, he always remained a class act. During the interview, Cam was much too generous and gentlemanly in his remarks, given Shane's tactics. I praised Cam for delivering what was probably the most technically proficient match LRW has produced thus far (despite his lack of wrestling experience) and promised him that he could have a role in Shane's upcoming title match against Triple F.
During Shane's interview, he justified his behavior by saying that getting a shot at the LRW Super-Star Championship title meant a lot to him.
When I pressed him on the matter, Shane responded with, "Shit happens," and continued making flippant remarks, seeming quite smug and proud of himself.
The
LRW Locker Room page has been updated to reflect the wrestlers' won-lost records following this match. For those who haven't yet seen this classic confrontation...
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Enjoy the match, people!!!
(P.S. True to my word, Shane Saunders will receive a title shot against the reigning LRW Super-Star Champion, Fratboy Francis Franklin aka "Triple F." It will be frat boy vs. frat boy, heel vs. heel, for the honor of representing my company (sigh). Stay tuned, LRW fans.)
Here's Kyle eating a fish that he'd just speared and cooked on Tofo Beach in Mozambique in May of 2016. 
