Yesterday, on the evening of day four, he gave me a brief "You're ready" graduation speech. I asked him for pointers on showmanship; how to work it into the new style he taught me, and if there was anything else he thought I should know. That's when he should have told me I might run into a mammoth madman and given me some tips on how to deal with the situation. Instead, the veteran merely smiled the smile of a man enjoying a private joke while he told me further study was offered only at ''the school of hard knocks." His parting words were one last reminder to "forget that amateur crap."
"So, you wanna be a wrassler?" asked a nearby voice. "Well, boy, it's now or never!" Moving to stand between Tarzan and me was another retired wrestler. His name was Jeny Meyers and he was the referee for tonight's matches. With a straight arm jammed into the chest of the menacing giant to hold him back, he added, ''Don't sweat it. The worst he can do is kill you!"
The referee removed himself from the battle lines. Grinning at me, he dropped the straight arm, stepped back and signaled for the bell. I heard a dull clank, took a deep breath and moved forward to lock up with Tamm. Aptly named, he instantly convinced me I had hold of someone strong enough to pal around with gorillas. He totally overpowered me, tying me up in such away that the only attack option left was to kick him in the shin.
That move didn't strike me as one that would make a good first impression on anyone, especially Tarz.an. To meekly allow myself to be pushed into the ropes seemed equally unimpressive as an image-builder with the fans. Even though I dug in my heels and drove mightily against the visibly slavering titan, my resistance was slowly crumbled under the in tense leverage he exerted, leaving me all too soon rope-backed.
"All right, Tamm, kiss the boy and let him go, "said the referee. ''He's in the ropes. "Glowering dreadfully, Tarnm cautiously unclasped himself from me while the official poked him in the ribs a few times. ''How's yer wife getting along?" Jeny asked in a casual voice.
In light of my foe's mental condition, falling just short of deranged, this seemed an odd time for social chitchat Figuring the referee must be talking to me, I was about to tell him we could talk about it later, when Tamm growled, "Happy as hell not to be freezing her ass off in Vancouver."