An Offer He Can't Refuse

Eddie just stands and stares at Gotti. He casually picks up a cigar from Planner's humidor and takes a long deliberate inhale as he glides it under his nose.

"Ray, I'm not a thief. I think you've been giving me a bad name. You know I've given up that life. I'm making a real living here, crime free."

Eddie slips the cigar into Gotti's shirt pocket.

"And there is no way you can prove otherwise."

Eddie smirks and heads out the door.

The Management Planner leans back on his chair and takes a long, hard look at Ray Gotti...

Planner: "Ray, I gotta confess - I like you. You dress real smooth, you've got great motivational skills, AND you know how to make a fast buck. You and me think alike buddy."

Gotti looks at the CWF's GM and smiles inwardly.

Planner: "But don't EVER walk into my office without an appointment again, you hear? As to your current misfortune, I tell ya what I'm gonna do. I'll assign my very own wing-man, "Wild" Bill Bronson, to conduct a full-scale investigation into this. You have my word. We'll find that missing wallet. You need frontin' any cash?"

Gotti: "Actually I could do with..."

Planner: "Ha! Stupid! You think I'm gonna lend you any of my hard-earned cash? Boy, you gotta lot to learn about business. Bill?"

Bill Bronson appears from a side-door to the GM's office. It must be Tits McGhee's day off.

Planner: "Bill, I want you to go with Ray Gotti here and find out who has stolen his wallet. You have full authorisation from me to interrogate...sorry, I mean question, anyone you need to - be it CWF staff, referees or even superstars. Find Gotti's missing wallet, and I'll let you keep your job."

"Wild" Bill looks stunned - Planner keeps threatening him with the sack. What has he done wrong?

Planner: "What are you two still doing here? Get the hell outta my office! Meeting adjourned!"

Ray Gotti and "Wild" Bill Bronson quickly escape Planner's office and set out towards Gotti's office...

Ray Gotti walks toward his office next to “Wild” Bill Bronson, gesticulating wildly as he talks.

RG: “I’m tellin’ ya, it’s gotta be that Hawkins guy. That fella’s a thief, through an’ through.”

“Wild” Bill stops and turns to look at Gotti.

WB: “’That Hawkins guy’? C’mon, Ray. I’m not an idiot; I know you two have a history. You two don’t get along too well either, it seems.”

RG: “All right, all right. Eddie an’ me, we go way back. Used to be in business together until I pulled out, on account of I learned he was cheatin’ our customers. That’s not good business, capice? Anyway, he’s had it in for me ever since. I’m tellin’ ya, it’s gotta be him.”

Bronson shakes his head and starts walking again.

WB: “Look, I don’t want to be doing this, but if I’m going to, we’re going to do this right. We’ll make a thorough investigation. Let’s see … oh, the Lost and Found. We’ll start there.”

Bronson backtracks a bit and heads off down a side hall, walking with purpose. Gotti trails behind, shaking his head. They stop in front of a tattered cardboard box tucked into a small alcove; it is brimming with single gloves, tattered umbrellas, and old dingy t-shirts. One flap has “Lost + Found” written on it with a thick marker.

RG: “Well? This was your idea. Don’t just stand there, find my wallet.”

“Wild” Bill crouches down and begins pawing through the box, but despite the growing pile of detritus spilling over, it quickly becomes clear there is no wallet inside. Bronson stands again and rocks back on the heels of his boots, tipping his hat back with a knuckle.

WB: “Well, shoot. I thought for sure it’d be here. Well, I’m out of ideas. Guess it’s time to get a new wallet, Ray.”

Gotti stares flabbergasted at Bronson a moment, tugging at his trademark hair.

RG: “Fuggedaboutit! That was genuine crocodile-skin leather- that wallet’s worth more than you are! I’m tellin’ you, it was that thief Eddie Hawkins. Go get him, an’ I’ll meet you in the locker room.”

With that, Gotti turns and storms off.

Ray Gotti is seated on the bench in front of Eddie Hawkins’ locker when Bronson and Hawkins walk in, arguing.

EH: “I still don’t understand what I’m doing here.”

WB: “I already told you: Gotti’s wallet has been stolen.”

EH: “Yeah, you said that, but I don’t understand what that has to do with me.”

WB: “Well, we checked the lost and found, and it wasn’t there. Where else could it be?”

Hawkins rolls his eyes and snorts.

EH: “Give me a break. You checked the lost and found? That’s your idea of an investigation? I’m not a thief—”

He stops short as he spots Gotti. He starts toward the seated man, but “Wild” Bill’s hand on his shoulder pulls him up short. Bronson speaks quietly.

WB: “Open the locker, Eddie.”

Silently, Eddie pushes past Gotti and grasps the padlock in his left hand, spinning the dial with his right. A few quick turns later, the lock pops open and Eddie swings the door open.

EH: “See for yourself. I didn’t take your wallet, Ray. I only go for high-class—”

The room falls silent as a crocodile-skin wallet falls to the floor.

RG: “Oh, this don’t look good for you, Eddie. It don’t look good at all.”

Eddie stares down at the wallet for a few moments while his jaw hangs open.

EH: "What the $#%!& is that? No, no, no, no, no. I-I-I-I had nothing to do with that. Look, Bill this is clearly a set up. Ray here is upset because I found him sneaking around The Management Planner's office. That has to be it."

"Wild" Bill picks up the wallet and verifies that it is Gotti's. He draws a big sigh and shakes his head slowly.

WB: "Now Eddie, I was hoping it wasn't you who did this. Gotti is right though, this don't look so good. Well, why don't we all go take this up with the Boss to sort this all out."

"Wild" Bill escorts Eddie and Gotti down to Planner's office. When he gets there, he places the wallet on Planner's desk.

WB: "Sir, this wallet definitely fell out of Eddie's locker, but he says he has been framed. Claims that Ray here had been caught sneaking into your office."

The Management Planner appraised the situation in an instant...the GM has an innate ability to sense the truth in these kind of situations.

Planner: "Good work Bill. I think it's clear what has happened here. You can get the hell outta my office!"

"Wild" Bill Bronson shuffles out of the side door, and back to the safety of his cubby-hole.

Planner: "Eddie, I am disappointed. I thought you had good business acumen - I thought you had waht it takes to succeed in the world of finance. Clearly, I was wrong.

"So, what to do? I think it's only fair that, as Ray here was the unwitting victim in your despicable scheme, that he gets to name the punishment for you. Ray - what'll it be?"

The Management Planner looks at Ray Gotti, who cannot believe his luck...

Ray Gotti shakes his head, trying to fight a smirk that keeps crawling across his face.

“Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. You disappoint me. I try to offer you a shot at the big time—a shot at stardom—and this is how you repay me? You’re breakin’ my heart, Eddie. Why didn’t you come to me first? What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? If you’re hard up for money, you can come to me. You know that, right? We’re like family, an’ I always take care of family.”

Hawkins rolls his eyes. “You’ve been watching The Godfather again, haven’t you?”

Gotti ignores the jibe and tugs on the lapels of his suit. “Without me, Eddie, you’re never gonna be much more than a two-bit jobber around here. I’m not a man to repeat myself—I’ve told you that before—but I’m gonna give you another chance to accept my offer. Come wrestle for me an’ I can make this whole thing go away. What do you say, Eddie?”

“Ray, I’ve already told you my answer. Unlike you, I really don’t repeat myself. You want to quote movies, so I’ll give you one: ‘do your worst.’”

Gotti raises his brows in surprise. “My worst, huh? Nah, I ain’t gonna give you my worst, ‘cause I like you despite how you break my heart. I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do instead: I’m gonna make you put your precious title on the line. We both know you don’t really deserve it anyway.

“Here’s how it’s gonna be, Eddie. You’re gonna wrestle La Meako for that Hardcore Title Belt. Unlike you, La Meako’s a contender. He even beat The Constrictor, though that was my fault—I didn’t take him seriously enough and had The Mayan Maniac training hard all the way through that morning. You, though? You ain’t got the stones to take him, Eddie.

“That title is good as gone.”