VERSUS
To get what you want in life, you have to be willing to fight.
Set in the world of professional Mixed Martial Arts, Versus follows the struggles of an ex-Marine as he rises through the ranks of MMA to reach the heights of stardom.
Kyle Novak is a good Marine, but a little too self-absorbed to be a good sergeant. On a mission in Afghanistan his failure to follow established procedure backfires, costing the life of one of his men. After getting patched up in Hawaii, he's discharged back into the civilian world with no real direction or purpose. But Kyle is a good fighter. An excellent fighter, in fact, and when a tough but caring MMA trainer takes Kyle under his wing, it isn't long before the ex-Marine is on the road to redemption.
But the mostly Hawaiian fighters in the gym don't want him. To them he's an outsider, a haole in their lingo, who's been handed an opportunity on a platter. So they do their best to "encourage" him to move on. Kyle, however, is determined, and it isn't long before he gains a few reluctant allies. Jessie is a female fighter in the gym who responds to his persistence -- which has the added, negative effect of bringing him right into the line of fire of her ex: the gym's top fighter.
Who also happens to be the nephew of the owner. The very guy who brought Kyle in and gave him a chance. It soon becomes difficult for Kyle to tell which part of this new world is more dangerous; the conflict outside the ring or the bruising violence of the fights themselves.
And he's headed for an even bigger showdown. A heavyweight bout in Vegas against the most dangerous man in the world ...
Whatever happens one thing is certain:
To get what you want in life, you have to be willing to fight.
|
THE SQUARED CIRCLE
The show is scripted.
Their lives are real.
Michael Maine is a championship heavyweight wrestler, on a scholarship. His primary goal is to win the championship and finish school with his degree.
But at the big championship match Mike is cheated. His opponent gets away with it and Mike is furious. Rather than appeal the match, however, Mike confronts the other wrestler in a bar and starts a brawl - earning Mike a suspension and costing him his scholarship.
His coach, William Blaise, tries to intervene. Mike is like a son to him. But Mike's mind is made up: he'll have nothing to do with a school that has rejected him. He tells Coach Blaise he's going to see his old friend, Coach Blaise's son, Bobby, who's living there and working in the world of Professional Wrestling.
In Macon he meets Bobby and is impressed by how he's grown. Bobby has been wrestling for a local alliance, the MWA, and is now one of their major draws. He's a star.
Mike gets a job and an apartment and begins sending off letters. He finds work as a doorman at a local bar Bobby and his wrestling buddies frequent. It's a sports bar that caters to the wrestlers, and Mike begins to get a taste of that world, through direct contact then through osmosis - the theme and patrons at the bar, and hanging out with Bobby and his crew. More than that, though, at the bar he meets the beautiful bartender, the owner's daughter, Lindsey Cavins.
They hit it off and soon they're dating. Even as things are looking up for Mike in that area, however, his school prospects continue to be whittled away. Rejection letter after rejection letter and he's beginning to look at other alternatives, like working outrageous hours to pay the rest of the way through, or even a stint in the Marines.
This culminates in a fight at the bar. Bobby and a few of his wrestling friends, most notably the giant Samoan, Big Maui, are in and begin getting out of hand. Mike intervenes as the doorman, trying to appeal to their better judgment - a sentiment that's all but gone in the drunken wrestlers. One thing leads to another and Mike ends up manhandling Big Maui, to the stunned amazement of the other wrestlers. The owner of the MWA sees this and insists Mike comes down and tries out for the MWA.
The MWA is an eye-opener, but Mike takes to it with the physical skill and mental presence he's always shown. He and Bobby are paired as a tag team, lighting up the MWA and setting off a few blowout matches. Their rise peaks at the MWA's biggest annual event, where they're noticed by a talent scout from one of the big national alliances, WPW Wrestling. Contracts are offered and Bobby and Mike are ecstatic with where they've arrived. But all is not well.
Beneath the veneer of success brews trouble. Even as Mike continues to grow, Bobby has demons to contend with, on the juice to stay big and falling victim more and more to the rage. More than any of that, though, is the object of his lust. Lindsey. Bobby's had his eye on her for some time, having been rebuffed in the past - before Mike came along and made her his.
Discovery leads to anger and soon, on their way to the biggest event of their lives, all will be revealed. Mike confronts Bobby, trying to do what's right. But when the air is cleared what we learn is often unexpected. At the end Mike and Bobby must dig deep to ride the wave of confession. They can do it if they're strong. All that stands between them is their friendship.
And their demons ...
|
