Checking out the competition

While Max was in talks with AFW management about getting his first match set up on Tension, Maximus decided he couldn't sit around all this time and decided to head to the Tension gym and training center to keep his skills sharp. Entering the gym wearing black tank top, blue spandex shorts and white Nike's. Over his left shoulder he carried a black duffle back which contained his ring gear, a second pair of clothes, showering products and several bottles of water, while he finished the bottle in his hand; thowing it in the trash.

Taking a look around, Max took note of where the locker room was, the ring in the center, the weight lifting equipment on one side of the room, the cardio machines on the other, and various sparing tools in the back. Walking to the back, he set his bag in a corner so he could have access to his bottle of water before walking up to one of the heavy bag.

Before he started, he noticed several other people around him, all seemed absorbed in their routines that no one noticed him. He was not only here for a work out but to also scout potential oppents. He started on the heavy bag a bit, puasing to take note of other's routines.

(OOC: This is open to anyone who may wish to join in, my way getting Maximus to interact with people while I wait on match for him.)

Tessa wasn't exactly competition for the men of tension. Normally, she wouldn't even be in Kyoto but stay in Tokyo for her Friction matches, but she had volunteered to pose as a cross-promotion Lumberjill like she had already done at the preview of AFW Avalance to take a chance to talk to this guy and hadn't taken any time to change her ring clothes, she hadn't done something anyway besides staying beside the ring. Although he had initially been more of a by-product after some research of his soon to be Ex-wife which she constantly did to scan for people to probably make a good story with, it was him that had been on the webcast and not his wife.

It would have been too easy to insult him and poke holes in his background, call him a Swagger and a Meathead as this guy really hailed from a family of beef producers, but she was actually rather impressed by the fact that he had the guts to go for the long road of becoming a JBL, Angle or Storm. And whose idea was the total Package anyway? Hers certainly not.
"Max Feldon?"
She asked after strolling through the gym area and reaching the guy she was looking for, smiling broadly after Max would probably identify himself.
"Hi, my name is Tessa Price. I'm assigned to the Friction Roster and just making a visit to Tension, but still would like to congratulate you on your interview. Ok, it was not exactly a Letterman like stage, but an effort to get over is still an effort."

Max was into his routine, really laying into the heavy bag that he didn't notice Tessa approach. She heard her introduce herself and turned to look at her. He right away noticed her long blonde flowing hair, her rather femine figure compared to his wife's tom boyish rough and tumble frame. Isabella would sock him in the face if she knew what was thinking of Tessa, but in order to keep this charade of faux divorce, Max figured a little flirting wouldn't hurt especailly after she took her top off in front of a sold out crowd in her first match.

Max listened to her introduction and her compliments and slight teasing and decided return a bit as well. Max extended his hand out to Tessa "You're a wrestler? You have a way to pretty face to be mixing it in the ring. You look more like pretty little interviewer or one of the boys eye candy that escorts him to the ring. Max Feldon aka The American Gladitor.

"Ah, Mr. Feldon, that's so nice of you."
The Blonde took the hand of Max and shook it softly while blushing a little bit. Most of the guys in this league were mostly pale shadows of men who were virtually wax in the hands of the females, or rather had been until the management had decided to bring in some Psycho-guys like Killer King to give Sven some needed help.

"And yes, I am a wrestler. But you're still right on spot, I actually was both, Kawaii and Valet. And the girl for the refreshments, card girl, ring announcer, numbers girl..."
Tessa sighed lightly while remembering. Her father was a military officer, but they were far from rich and she hand financed her wrestling career all alone.
"But say, how does that Emperor-Gladiator thing mix up? You're going for the Maximus appearance?"
That sounded great, at least in her mind. Bur maybe he was up for another Gimmick and she had got it wrong?

Max smiled as he shook the woman's hand, noticing how she much she was blushing from his light teasing. He held onto her hand firmly as they shook, pouring on the charm as he did. He checked around, wondering if anyone else was watching them at the moment, for any rumors about him with other women would help cement this faux divorce for sure.

"Oh a Jill-of-all-trades I see. So you're someone of quite importantace around here then? To answer your inqueries. No I don't come to the ring in a skirt and helmet with a broom head sticking out the top of it. 'The American Gladitor' was nick name my high school wrestling coach gave to me after winning state my junior year. He said I was one of the feircest competetiors he's ever had, said that I could have taught the ancient Romans a thing or two. As for living up to the name Maximus. A certain some one whom I'm not mentioning by name can atest to my size being 'Maximus' "

That was a slight disappointment, but a broom on a helmet would probably look really silly, although there were many types of gladiators in ancient Rome who had nice designed armory and weapons.
"No? I was sure that you would either enter as a Gladiator, All American American or a Cowboy. But maybe the time of the colorful gimmick is really over."
The guy seemed to be a rather nice fellow, especially when he was about to get divorced. His wife was a gold digger in his own words, but he didn't look like he was total broken cause his big love had left him and only had been his wife to marry into his rich family. Although it was strange that they both wrestled, and both wrestled in Tension now. But that was none of her business anyway.

"No, not so important at all. The card ripper girl thing was on my way through the European indies. Wrestling is as popular in central Europe as, uhm, soccer in the US, and paid even less. In Friction, I have earned some spoils of hard work and will challenge for the Midcard Belt soon."
she added with a little proud bearing in her voice, smiling broadly in the try to not burst into laughter at the remark about his name. Word would surely make the street that they had this little talk here, the dirt sheets were virtually waiting to throw dirt at a wrestler.
"All the boys think they are Maximus, Mr. Feldon. It's good to hear that you have an eyewitness in case you are called out, but take a look at the boys of Tension and their accomplishments until now, not exactly what I call a story of pure success."

Max listened to Tessa as he took a drink fom one of his several bottles of water and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He noticed that no one else seemed to be watching them at the moment. Smiling he complemented her on her achievements.

"Thats great, must have impressed management enough to give you a title shot. So when is this match going to take place so I may DVR it? As for the other men around here, they maybe push overs or second thought in company like this, but I change all of that. I am not scared to put on a match with a woman, I'm not afraid to look like the bad guy. We signed up to be entertainers and competiors. I'm willing to bust my ass to put on a good match for people to enjoy"

So he was sure that he was competitive enough to defeat the Tension girls. It was not to easy for the guys, that was a fact she was easy to admit to. They were told all the time that they should not hit the women from birth on, and that was a rather hard reflex to combat, at least that was her impression.
"I don't know the date right now. As soon as the Champ, Taylor Parker, gives her ok. The Friction Midcard Belt is more like a Hardcore Belt when defended, Champ has to defend it against the rather new or the rather veteran girls who are, how to say it nice, luckless in performance. But i'll send you a tape after it's done."
She promised. And she was curious if Max could back up his claim.
"Say, what would you think of a spar then? I'm no Tension girl, but female wrestlers are female wrestlers, and I'm curious if you can fight your Texan gentleman heritage..."

Max listened to Tessa and had to agree that she had a point about how society nomrally veiws violence against women. But in place like this, shouldn't recieve too many complaints. Another thing he thought about was he never competed against women before. Sure he sparred with Elizabeth at home, but most of the time those sessions turned into hot passionate love making sessions, so he was worried about getting too turned on by competing against another woman in such fashion. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he climbed onto the ring appron, seperating the top and middle ropes, motioning for Tessa to enter first.

"After you."

And there they went straight down the road that Tessa had anticipated. As European, most people thought that citizens of the US were either ultra-hip New Yorkers, Thugs from the hood or redneck southern Gentlemen. And him holding her up the ropes seemed to put him into the third category.
"The perfect Gentleman."
She replied with a sly smile. She entered the apron of the ring and was already faced with the decision in which direction she would enter, bottoms or bust to face her opponent. Not really fair, but the only alternative would have been to jump through the ropes and roll into the ring. She went for the alternative to face Max instead of showing her bottom, although she didn't make a slow drama out of entering the ring.