The Mad-Sunday Winner-Takes-All Free-For-All Rumble.

Sometimes a night on the pop, bravado and poverty can lead a man to act against charecter. Sometimes this leads to a situation he can't get out of. And sometimes more drink seems to offer a solution.
For Terry, as he cracked open his third Budwiser since breakfast, this morning was one of those occasions. He sat on a dry-stone wall and watched the preperations for the Grand Mad Sunday Winner-Takes-All Rumble take shape.

The "arena" was a field on a farm near Foxdale. Although a man was dragging a heavy roller across the ploughed field to flatten the dirt, and make an even surface, Terry realised the feet of fifty fighters would soon churn it up and make maintaining a steady footing difficult.On the opposite side of the field several helpers were roping off the spectators' section; supervised by Mick the promoter.

Terry had met Mick the night before outside the Bushy's tent on the Prom. When Mick had approached him Terry was ensconced in an animated and beligerant discussion with a Brummie Biker who had accosted Tel accusing him of cutting him up on the mountain that afternoon. Terry was quite pleased at Mick's interuption because the biker was squarring up for a fight. Despite having a considerable height and weight advantage Terry didn't want to get embroiled with the Brummie - he knew if matters became violent he'd inflict some serious damage on his opponent. He still had to save face though and when Mick intervened by describing him as a "likely lad" who was ideal to compete in his free-for-all, no rules scrape, Terry paid the entrance fee without qualm. Strangely the thought of fighting a man prepared to go up against 49 other potential psychopaths caused the Brummie to reconsider the wisdom of challenging Tel. When Terry had finished speaking with Mick he found that his adversary was gone. Which of course is the reason he'd accepted Mick's offer.

Mick was right in calling Tel a 'Likely Lad' - he did cut quite a formidable figure. He stood 6ft 3" in his socks and his labouring job and nightly trips to the gym had meant that he had the physique to match. But Terry was not a fighter - he relied on his physical appearance and a quick mouth to deal with imbeciles looking to have a pop. So Terry had never had any real intention of taking part in Mick's event. He had only turned up today to get his £20 entrence fee back because his spending money had been robbed from his tent in Nobles Park and he needed the cash for petrol to get him home.

Unfortunately when he confronted the promoter, Mick refused to return the money and Terry had no option but to try and win the £1000 prize.