The World Wrestling Champion

By Keith Bennisten

“Ladies and gentlemen!
I give you, in the red corner,
a brutal, ferocious animal!
The most feared! The most fearsome!
The undefeated Champion of the World!
‘Slayer!’”

- (the roar of the crowd rises to a crescendo
as he leaps the ropes,
tears off his shirt
and parades the ring flexing and showing off his muscles.)

World Wrestling Champion!
At 21 and a bit!
(Roar! Roar! Roar!)
He’s in his element!
There’s no one like him!
(Roar! Roar! Roar!)
He’s unique!
And he’s the Champ!
(Roar! Roar! Roar!)

The opposition look on.
They can’t let him win, again.

A “Mickey Finn” did it for him.
Sapped his strength.
Brought on the flab.
And he knew nothing about it!

The arena shrinking -
now the size of his bedroom
(the crowd grows blurry in front of him)

“Slayer” is slain!
At 21 and a bit his career is over
– his dreams are ended!
“Slayer” has hit the floor!
(went out cold - he knew nothing about it)