DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
UCC (UMMA) Managers Forum
HTML https://umma.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Rampage Sports
*****************************************************
#Post#: 195--------------------------------------------------
Surprising Steph
By: RampageSports Date: August 21, 2014, 5:52 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Yet another story posted for background only. As with "Stress
Management," this appeared previously in a press release. Also,
this one doesn't have a whole lot of significance to it.
There's some character building for my character and Stephanie
McMahon (and a little Danni by association). That's about it.
The setting for this one is shortly after the events of "Stress
Management," and it tells the story of Steph's first official
moves as the new head of fighter development for RSI.
************************************************
May 6, 2014
It's not easy being Stephanie McMahon. Though she recently
received a richly deserved and long overdue management role here
at RSI, she hasn't had much time to adjust to her new position.
We recently lost three of our most talented young prospects in
Leanna Decker, Holly Bricken and, most notably, Jamie Lynn
Spears. As head of our fledgling Fighter Development Program, it
would fall on Steph to recruit and develop new fighters to fill
those voids. I strongly suspected that process would take weeks,
if not months.
I was in my office yesterday, staring intently at my laptop
screen as I considered strategy. If I could knock that pile of
rocks loose, they would cascade down and destroy everything. I
was pretty sure I could clear this one using only one bird, if I
did it right. A small knock pulled me from my all important
mission, and I looked up to see Steph standing in the doorway.
"Got a second?" she asked. I guess those diabolical pigs were
going to have to wait.
"Sure," I said, motioning her into the office. She was carrying
a small group of folders with her. "I like the folders," I
chided. "They make you look very professional."
"They should," she said with a laugh. "Finding new stable
members is my job now, right?"
"You filled one of the slots already?" I asked with surprise.
"Actually, I think I filled all three."
I eyed her skeptically. Finding athletes who fit into the RSI
framework isn't easy. Chemistry is important, and I was sure
there was no way she could have...
"The first is Anna Kendrick," she said as she handed me the top
folder.
OK... she was off to a good start. To date, there are two
signings I highly regret missing out on. I'm not going to spill
the beans on who the first one was, in case we ever get another
shot at her. But, the second one was Anna Kendrick. She fits the
Emma Watson/Jennifer Lawrence mold in the way she's kept herself
fully grounded despite her fairly quick rise to stardom. But,
she's got a dash of Ashley Tisdale's grit, with a side of Aly
Michalka's focus to go with it. And, if nothing else, she'd be
entertaining on long flights. All she needs is a cup.
It's impossible to predict whether or not a rookie will develop
into an elite fighter. The best you can do is look for the
athlete with the best raw skills and the right character traits.
On paper, Anna is the complete package, and I was sure she was
going to be highly sought after when Ginny's Academy announced
they were folding. This signing is an absolute coup for RSI, and
a nice opening salvo from our new development coordinator. As an
added bonus, it makes me look like a genius for moving Steph
into the role.
"How did you pull that off?" I asked her.
"I have my ways," she replied coyly.
I smiled and nodded, clearly impressed. "Well done," I said. I
gestured toward the remaining folders. "What else do you have in
your little pile of goodies?"
"The next one's a true rookie," she said. "We've had pretty good
success with the fitness athletes we've brought on board in the
past, and there was someone there that caught my eye."
No doubt, Steph was right. Like all rookies, Allira Cohrs,
Brittany Tacy, Dianna Dahlgren and Marzia Prince have had their
ups and downs. But, there is no question that they are dedicated
and talented. And, of course, Jennifer Stano's recent travails
have been the stuff of legend. All in all, these women have
worked out perfectly in every possible way. I suppose that makes
sense. Coming from a competitive fitness background, these women
have proven their dedication and athletic ability before they
even walk in the door. But, that's not all it takes to succeed
in the UMMA. Outside of physical ability, one of the most
important skills a fighter needs is the ability to be
entertaining. Many in the fitness arena are, understandably,
hard-nosed and singularly focused. It's tough to find one of
these women who have the type of engaging personality it takes
to gain a following in the UMMA. There are a few who come to
mind, but the list is very short.
"Her name is Michelle Lewin," Steph continued, eyeing me
knowingly.
That, in case you're wondering, would be the name at the very
top of said list. Michelle Lewin is a physical specimen who,
arguably, has no equal. I'll leave the detailing of her physical
features to the UMMA's male fans, but there can be no doubt that
achieving such results takes the focused, hard-nosed approach I
just mentioned. But, she's also got personality to spare. She
puts a lot of effort into connecting with her fans, often taking
to Twitter and Facebook to chat and share pics. Speaking of
which, her camera is a constant companion and she has no problem
popping a "fan service" selfie at any given moment. In fact, she
generally has an SLR camera handy, because, you know... that
low-res camera phone just can't provide the quality her fans
deserve. Her accompanying posts are always fun and flirty, but
her very appearance is a testament to her drive and dedication.
Now, I'm sure you must be wondering... if she's so damn perfect,
why haven't I signed her already? Simple. She said no. I have
approached Michelle a number of times, from every angle I could
think of. She was always polite, but also always direct. She had
no interest in MMA. Eventually, I just gave it up. Now, here was
Steph, giving me that look that said she was well aware of my
inability to convince Ms. Lewin to join us. I could only guess
that she came by that knowledge with the help of the lovely, yet
disturbingly annoying, Danneel Harris. Clearly, I had yet
another pairing on my hands that was going to give me
indigestion. But, if a little heartburn was what it took to land
talents like Anna Kendrick and Michelle Lewin, then I could live
with that.
We sat quietly for a while, the smirk never leaving Stephanie's
face. Finally, I could take no more. "OK, smartass. How'd you do
it?"
"I told you..." she began.
"Right, right," I cut in, waving dismissively. "You have your
ways." I feigned annoyance, but I don't think the big smile on
my face was very convincing. The truth is that these were big
signings for RSI. Clearly, Steph was much better at this than I
was. But that was the point, right?
"This last one's going to be something of a project," she said
as she lifted the final folder from her lap. "She's a veteran
fighter who's shown some talent, but she hasn't been able to put
it all together."
"Oh," I said teasingly. "You don't have another blockbuster to
drop on me?" I took a sip of lukewarm coffee from my Goofy mug.
With Mickey having been collateral damage in my recent, uh...
spirited discussion... with Danni, I was forced to call the
Goofster in off the bench for a little while.
"Her name is Kristen Bell."
The mug slipped from my hand as I struggled to keep the coffee
in my mouth from spewing everywhere. I re-gripped and managed to
secure it, but a healthy dose of liquid hit the floor. Careful,
I thought. If you break two in the same month, they'll kick you
out of The Club.
"Damn... that was hotter than I thought," I lied in an attempt
to cover myself. Though I have quietly indulged my little
obsession a few times in my role as head of RSI, there was no
need to just throw it out into the open if I didn't have to. I
pulled myself together and looked over to see if Steph had any
appreciation for the real impact her little announcement had on
me. Not surprisingly, the enormous "cat that ate the canary"
grin on her face told me she knew EXACTLY what she'd done. God.
Damn. That. Harris.
Alright... so maybe I have a little... fondness... for all
things Disney. I'm able to keep it under control... most of the
time. And, it's never had a negative impact on our stable.
Sure... maybe Britney's MMC connection helped persuade me to
bring her on board. But, is she not one of the most capable
fighters in the entire UMMA middleweight group? And yes... I
knew who Alyson Michalka was before I'd even heard of the UMMA.
But, in a division where simply surviving is an accomplishment,
Aly is a force to be reckoned with. And, if anything, my prior
familiarity with Ashley Tisdale gave me some insight into the
"never say die" attitude that's helped her find her footing in
her division. Oh, and the Kelly Hu signing was all business. Her
connection to Disney - and the aforementioned Ms. Tisdale - is
minor. At most, it serves as a little inside joke between the
three of us.
Now, I love very one of these women, and I will protect them
with every ounce of my being... as I would any member of the RSI
family. But, I'm not such a Disney fangirl that I treat them
like superstars. They're entertainers, who have fought to make a
name for themselves in the face of long odds. That fight brought
them into the Disney family, and my love of Disney helped bring
them into the RSI family. I love having them here, and I could
not imagine RSI without them. I am not, however, starstruck by
their Disney past.
But, Kristen is different. Kristen is newly minted Disney
royalty.
The idea that every little girl dreams of being a princess has
become awkwardly dated as the years have gone by. But, I
personally think it still holds true. Certainly, characters such
as Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora, while still cherished, are
no longer the ideal for a world of fierce, independent young
women. But, as the world has changed, so has the Disney concept
of what a princess is. And, for the most part, they've gotten it
right, as each new princess has been more daring and
self-sufficient than the one that preceded her. But, the more
things change, the more they stay the same. Though Disney has
created a couple of true "princess warriors," the more
traditional princesses continued to have one thing in common
with the royalty of old. They needed a man to save them.
Then came Princess Anna. She is a traditional princess in every
way you can think of. She is sweet. She is kind. She is not a
fighter. She is not trained in ancient martial arts. But she has
no problem being exactly who she is, and she doesn't worry much
about what others think of that. And, if a problem arises, she
can handle it. End of story.
I can go on and on about the depth and appeal of Anna's
character. But, I think my Disney side has had enough fun for
one press release. The point is, as little girls grow up, maybe
the dream changes. Maybe they don't want to be a princess, any
more. But, what woman would give up the chance to MAKE a
princess? Who would pass up the opportunity to shape and define
a character that would, in all likelihood, touch the hearts of
millions of little girls around the world? Princess Anna is a
character unlike any Disney princess that came before her. She
is an instant classic. And it was Kristen Bell that made her
what she is. Beyond that, Kristen has made it quite clear in her
interviews and comments that she's going to own Anna over the
long haul... that it was more than just a job for her. She put a
little piece of herself into the character, and she's damn proud
of what she accomplished.
So, yeah... this one's going to take a little getting used to,
for me.
Back to the canary eater. While these thoughts were swirling
around in my head, I struggled mightily to keep my face
expressionless. I could tell Steph was looking for a reaction,
and I'd be damned if I was going to give her one. Once I pulled
myself together though, I did give her her due.
"You did a hell of a job with these," I said, holding the up the
folders. "I have to admit: you're a lot better at this than I
was. This is great work."
She smiled at the praise, but I caught the quick look of
disappointment in her eyes. Nice try, wiseass.
With no more folders to present, McMahon made her exit. "With
the roster refilled, I guess it's time to get to work on a
training regimen," she said as she rose to leave.
"That's been mostly Danni's area, up until now," I said. Then I
shot her a knowing look over the top of my glasses. "I get the
impression you two will have no trouble working together," I
added sarcastically.
"None at all," she said with a wry smile. And, off she went.
Alone in my office, I allowed my inner Disney geek just one more
little moment in the sun. "God damn," I said aloud. "We signed
Princess Anna."
No sooner had the words left my mouth, when Stephanie's head
angled back into the door frame.
"I heard that," she said with a satisfied smile.
"Go away, McMahon," I said, wearing a big smile of my own. "Go
far, far away."
One more thing: remember when I said I was a genius for
promoting Stephanie to this role? Forget it. A genius would have
gotten her involved back at the beginning. I, on the other hand,
am an idiot. And, because of that, we almost lost Steph for
good.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go figure out what I'm going
to wear when I meet Kristen. After all, when in the presence of
royalty, one must dress appropriately.
*****************************************************