Becoming A Wrestler

If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!

Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12

___________________________

Ettore turned to Sandro, his eyes lighting up with recognition. "Man, I know who you are. You just had that war out there tonight. That was insane."

Sandro grinned, shaking Ettore's hand. "Appreciate that, man. And I know who you are, too. Former Iowa Hawkeye, right?"

Ettore's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Wow, You follow college football?"

"Something like that," Sandro said, playing it off with a shrug. "I also know that if you stick with this, you're gonna be a problem in this business. You got all the tools."

Steve nodded in agreement. "That's what I've been telling him, Sandro. We'll see how he handles himself in the ring in his tryout."

Sandro studied Ettore for a moment before smirking. "Hey, you ever thought about tag teams?"

Ettore blinked as he shrugged. "Not really. I figured I'd just focus on making a name for myself first."

"Smart," Sandro admitted. "But trust me, somewhere down the line, you might wanna think about it. The right team, with the right chemistry… that can change everything."

Ettore seemed to take that in, nodding slowly. "I'll keep that in mind."

Steve clapped Ettore on the back. "Alright, get back to work. Sandro, good match tonight. Go get some rest."

Sandro nodded, giving Ettore one last glance before heading off. His mind was already racing.

The New Day.

If he could plant the right seeds now, maybe it wouldn't take years for them to come together. Maybe, just maybe, he could push the timeline forward and change history.

But for now, he had a title to defend.

And in this business, tomorrow was never guaranteed.

The next morning, Sandro made his way to the FCW Headquarters, eager to see Ettore Ewen's tryout. Though he already knew Ettore was destined for success, he was curious to see how the future Big E would handle himself on his first real test in the business.

Dressed in casual clothes, jeans, sneakers, and a fitted hoodie, Sandro strolled through the hallways, nodding at familiar faces. FCW had become his home, and with the Florida Heavyweight Championship now in his possession, he felt more than just another wrestler here. He was a leader, a standard-bearer. And leaders watched out for the future.

As he made his way toward the training area, he bumped into two familiar faces heading the same way, Windham and Taylor Rotunda.

"Morning, boys," Sandro greeted with a smirk.

Taylor, as the energetic one, clapped him on the shoulder. "Look who it is, the champ himself! You enjoying that belt?"

Sandro chuckled. "Oh yeah, feels pretty good carrying this thing around." He patted the title that hung over his shoulder. "What about you two? Here for training?"

Windham, the more reserved of the brothers, nodded. "Yeah. I got a big test coming up soon, my final evaluation before I can graduate from my training contract."

That piqued Sandro's interest. "That so?" He turned to Windham fully. "You gonna use that character we talked about?"

A slow, knowing smile spread across Windham's face. "Yeah. I finally finished fleshing it out. Got everything in place… well, almost everything."

Sandro arched a brow. "What's missing?"

"A name." Windham exhaled, scratching his beard. "The character's ready, but I need the perfect name and nickname to really tie it all together."

Sandro's smirk deepened. He had been waiting for this moment. Without hesitation, he leaned in slightly and said, "Bray Wyatt."

Windham's eyes flickered with something, recognition, intrigue. He rolled the name over in his mind, tasting the weight of it. Then Sandro added the final touch.

"And your nickname? Maybe the Buzzard or the Eater of Worlds."

A silence hung between them as Windham let those words sink in. He mouthed the name to himself, Bray Wyatt, then again, slower, savoring it.

A grin then crept onto his face. "That's it," he whispered. "That's the one."

Taylor, standing beside him, chuckled. "Damn, you really just handed him his whole career, huh?"

Sandro laughed. "Hey, the man had the vision. I just helped with the branding."

Windham clapped him on the shoulder. "I owe you for this, man. Seriously."

Sandro shook his head. "Nah, you don't owe me anything. Just make sure that when you step into that ring, you make people believe in it."

"Oh, I will." There was a fire in Windham's eyes now, a quiet intensity that sent a shiver down Sandro's spine. He knew, at that moment, that this wasn't just a gimmick for Windham. It was something deeper.

Then, as if reading Sandro's mind, Windham added, "I've been thinking about the faction, too. If I'm gonna be this cult like leader, I need the right people to follow me."

Sandro crossed his arms, agreeing with his statement. "Got anyone in mind then?"

Windham nodded. "Nobody here in FCW. Not even Taylor here as he already debuted first, and the fans already love him as his persona."

Taylor scoffed. "Thanks for that vote of no confidence, by the way."

Windham smirked but continued. "I've been keeping an eye on the independent scene. There are two guys who stand out to me. One's wrestling in Pro Wrestling NOAH's Dojo in Japan. He goes by Thofu Marius."

Sandro's eyebrows lifted. That name, he knew who that was. The future Erick Rowan and Wyatt's family's second son.

"The other guy's working in Chikara Wrestling in Phillie right now. He's big, rough, and has this raw energy about him. Brodie Lee."

Sandro couldn't stop the smile from forming. The Wyatt Family. Windham had found them.

"You got good instincts," Sandro said. "Those two? Perfect choices."

Windham grinned. "Yeah? You think so?"

Sandro nodded. "Trust me. If you bring them in when the time is right, you're not just forming a faction. You're making history."

Windham and Taylor exchanged a look, and for the first time, Sandro saw the Rotunda brothers truly understand what was in front of them.

"Alright," Windham said. "Now I just need to prove I deserve the opportunity to make it all happen."

Sandro patted his back. "And that starts today. Let's go see what the future of FCW looks like."

With that, the three of them headed toward the training area, where Ettore's tryout was about to begin.

The FCW training facility was buzzing with energy. Coaches stood around, watching as young hopefuls ran drills in the ring, working on fundamentals, while others shadow-wrestled on the mats nearby.

In the center of it all was Ettore Ewen. Sandro leaned against the barricade, arms folded, as he observed. Windham and Taylor stood beside him, equally interested.

Ettore was running through the basics like lockups, chain wrestling, and bumps. And while he wasn't as polished as the seasoned trainees, there was something undeniable about him. Every move he made had an impact. With every bump he took, he got up with determination.

"He's strong as hell," Windham noted.

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, but he moves well too. A lot of big guys struggle with that."

Sandro watched as Ettore ran the ropes, launching himself off them with surprising speed before flattening his opponent with a massive shoulder block.

"He's got the natural athleticism," Sandro observed. "But he's missing something."

Windham turned to him. "What's that?"

"Confidence."

They watched as Ettore moved into the next drill, running through a sequence with another trainee. When it was his turn to hit a move, he hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, before executing it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't dominant either.

"He's still thinking too much," Sandro muttered. "Doubtin in the ring will kill you in this business."

As the drill ended, one of the coaches called for a break. Ettore stepped out of the ring, wiping sweat from his brow, and grabbed a water bottle. He looked around and spotted Sandro.

A smile broke across his face. "Man, you came to watch?"

Sandro pushed off the barricade and approached. "Of course. Wanted to see if you're the real deal."

Ettore chuckled, still catching his breath. "And?"

Sandro tilted his head. "You got the tools. No question."

Ettore nodded, waiting for the 'but.'

"But," Sandro continued, "you're holding back."

Ettore frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Sandro gestured toward the ring. "You hesitated. Twice. You got all the power, all the athleticism, but if you don't believe in yourself when you step through those ropes, why should the fans?"

Ettore took a long sip of his water, considering Sandro's words.

"You ever watch yourself on tape?" Sandro asked.

"Not really."

"Start doing it," Sandro advised. "See what we see. Because of the guy I saw in there? He's good. But if you stop second guessing yourself? You'll be great."

Ettore nodded slowly. "I hear you."

Sandro smirked. "Good. 'Cause I got a feeling you're gonna be something big in this business."

Ettore smiled, shaking Sandro's hand. "Thanks, man."

Sandro smirked as he shook Ettore's hand one last time, but before he could say anything else, he heard his name being called from across the training area. He turned around to see who it was, and a grin spread across his face when he recognized the voices.

Walking toward him were two young women who were still in their training period at FCW, Alexis Kaufman and Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr, the future Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Both were beaming with excitement as they approached, clearly happy to see him.

"Sandro!" Alexis called out again, waving enthusiastically.

Ashley, with her natural confidence, smirked as she crossed her arms. "Still carrying that belt around like it weighs nothing, huh?"

Sandro chuckled, patting the Florida Heavyweight Championship that still sat comfortably on his shoulder. "You know me, gotta let everyone know who runs this place."

The two women laughed as they reached him. Sandro had helped train them in the past, and he had also played a role in getting them noticed and signed to training contracts. Seeing them grow and improve over time gave him a sense of pride, as he knew they were going to be something special and he was part of it now.

"Good to see you both," he said before gesturing to Ettore. "By the way, I don't think you've officially met yet. This is Ettore Ewen, the future powerhouse of this business."

Ettore, still catching his breath from training, wiped the sweat from his forehead and extended a hand. "Hey, nice to meet you both."

Alexis, the smaller of the two, shook his hand first, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Damn, you're huge."

Ashley, who was already tall herself, nodded in agreement. "No kidding. You look like you could bench press a truck."

Ettore laughed. "I mean, I won't say no to a challenge."

Sandro smirked. "That's why I think you three should get to know each other. You're all coming up in this business together, and having the right people around you makes a big difference. Help each other out, push each other, and who knows? Maybe you'll even end up working together down the line."

Ashley nodded, clearly considering Sandro's words. "Makes sense. I mean, you helped train us before, and look how that turned out."

Alexis grinned. "Yeah, now we're basically the best in this place."

Sandro raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh? Best in this place? That so?"

The two women exchanged a look before Alexis stuck her tongue out playfully. "Okay, maybe not the best. Yet."

Ettore chuckled. "I like the confidence."

Ashley smirked. "Confidence is everything in this business."

Sandro nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Now, since you're all feeling so confident, how about I put you all through some extra training?"

Ettore, Alexis, and Ashley all perked up at that.

"What do you mean?" Ettore asked.

"I mean," Sandro said, tossing his championship onto a nearby bench, "you three need to step it up if you want to get to the next level. And lucky for you, I just happen to have some free time."

_______________________

Name: Alessandro Zhang

Age: 19 (2009)

Birthplace: Orlando, Florida USA

Brand: FCW

Wrestling Style: Mixed Of All Style

Faction: Dragon Boom (Tag Team)

Championship History: 1x FCW Tag Team Champions & 1 FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion