Post by Peter Vaughn on Nov 5, 2022 18:10:40 GMT -5
The picture comes up on a shot of Peter Vaughn standing in mostly darkness. The only way we’re able to see his face is due to the single match he’s holding in his fingers, sending a soft glow back across his features. We hear the voice of the narrator as Vaughn continues to stare, unblinking, at the flame.
Narrator: Everyone has known for a year how bright the flame burns inside Peter Vaughn. For some, it’s a fire that’s burned too heavily, scorching many who once called him friend.
The match sparks out, causing Vaughn to disappear into the black void behind him.
Narrator: But there is a complex story behind the man formerly known as the Janitor, who now works his trade in the wrestling world as The Mechanic.
The image shifts to a shot of a rural location. The heading below states that it’s a shot of the PMV Ranch, northwest of Dallas, Texas. The camera pans across a renovated ranch house and what appears to be a guest house, before turning to the left and showing a scene of devastation. The ground is blackened, and at least one building in the distance appears to have been consumed in a fire. Clean-up workers are moving around, doing their best to begin removing the damage.
Narrator: This is the ranch that Peter Vaughn has bought, an abandoned ranch once owned by one of the more famous families in north Texas, the McCoys. He’s been working on it for the last six months, building a sanctuary outside of the wrestling business, a place he can go to get away from his troubles. But trouble always seems to find a way to follow him wherever he goes.
The video shows apparent press footage of a man with his hands cuffed behind him, being loaded into a local police car. His face has been blurred out to protect his identity. Innocent until proven guilty, after all.
Narrator: Earlier this week, Vaughn’s ranch was nearly burned to the ground due to an apparent attempt at arson. Reports indicate that Vaughn fought the fire like a living, breathing entity, racing into it with no concern for his own well being. He risked his life to help put out the fire, even rescuing this man, who police say is under suspicion of having started the fire.
The image jumps from the man being arrested to Vaughn nearby, who appears to be getting restrained by multiple officers so that he doesn’t go after the arsonist. He’s yelling about wanting more answers to his questions, but the police do their jobs, pulling him away.
Narrator: Later that day, Vaughn was back at the ranch, helping with the clean-up. To many, it’s a strange sight, seeing Vaughn care so much. But to one of his family members, it seems exceedingly clear what’s going on.
The video shows Vaughn working on chopping down a few burnt trees nearby, sweating and swearing as he takes them down with his chainsaw. We hear a voice-over from his half-brother, Thomas Hill.
Thomas Hill: I know people think that my brother doesn’t have emotional attachments anymore, and it’s a fair opinion to have. But Peter has invested a great deal of himself in this ranch. To him, I think it’s more of a symbol of his recent success, something that he wants the world to acknowledge. To have someone try and take that from him… well, that would cause a reaction in any man.
Vaughn stops as the tree comes down, staring at the dead lumber sitting in front of him. He then continues to work, sawing away, breaking down the tree to make it easier to remove… which also allows him to get out some more aggression. It’s clear he’s still dealing with some rage. As he digs in, sending splinters flying, the screen is split in two, with a picture of Vaughn as a child, smiling, on the right side.
Narrator: From most reports, Peter Vaughn was a happy child, living with his father in Dallas as he grew up. He seemed to be set to follow his dad into the family business, working in custodial services early in life. But that all changed when the wrestling business came calling.
The video switches to a few shots from the GCWA, showing a grinning Vaughn wrestling in various matches for the company, always taking the time to slap the fans’ hands on his way in. It’s hard to see the current Vaughn, looking back at these clips.
Narrator: Nowadays, Vaughn has left his days of being a self-described ‘goof-ball’ behind. He’s now an intense, unpredictable wrestler, someone who can go from peaceful to chaotic in a matter of seconds. In many ways, this has benefited his career, even if it’s left many wondering about his seeming mental instability at times, especially when he feels someone is refusing to recognize how far he’s come in the last year.
We cut to a pre-recorded video of Vaughn, likely done for a previous interview. But it fits the current situation.
Peter Vaughn: With everything I’ve done in this business, in my life, I won’t tolerate someone disrespecting me. Everything I’ve got now, I’ve earned with my own blood, sweat… and more blood. The smartest thing for anyone to do… is not underestimate me.
Vaughn glares at the camera, as the shot of him is superimposed with the shot of him as a child.
Narrator: Some might theorize that Vaughn’s own problems with his self-image surface during these moments, raging against a self-perceived injustice. We got first-hand knowledge of this when we were recording him the day after the fire.
We switch back to the current day, where we see Vaughn in a fierce argument with his half-brother. Thomas is trying to at least take the chainsaw away, yelling that Vaughn doesn’t need to take it with him. But Vaughn’s incensed, throwing the chainsaw into the back of his truck before pushing his brother away, hopping in. The truck peels out, heading towards the exit to the ranch, as the cameraman hurries to his own car, where the driver is waiting.
Narrator: Rumors had already been spreading that it was the local farmer’s union who had paid the still-unidentified man to set fire to the area around Vaughn’s ranch. The rumors were unproven and impossible to verify. This didn’t seem to matter to Peter Vaughn.
The cameraman continues to film out the window of his car as the driver desperately tries to catch up with Vaughn’s pickup. It’s not easy, as Vaughn is driving at a high rate of speed. But they persist, knowing that the film they’re getting right now is gold. As the drive continues, the split-screen happens again, showing someone you could only describe as a “stereotypical Texan”.
Narrator: One of the members of the union, a Mr. Floyd “Red-Eye” Patterson, ran his own ranch 15 minutes down the road from Vaughn’s property. Word has it he tried to purchase the land for himself, but was surprisingly beaten to the punch by Vaughn. It was clear that there was no love lost between these two men.
Vaughn’s truck fishtails as it makes the final turn into the Triple Cross ranch, heading into the parking area. The cameraman’s driver follows, taking the turn at a much safer rate of speed. As we come around, we can see from the footage that there are already two police vehicles sitting at the ranch, waiting for Vaughn as he gets out.
Narrator: There are unconfirmed reports that Mr. Patterson has a great deal of attachments in local law enforcement as well as the volunteer fire department that ‘conveniently’ was out of town on training when the fire started. When we asked for a statement from Mr. Patterson’s lawyer, we were told that he has a great deal of respect for law enforcement, but that’s as far as his connection with them goes. One could say, though, that their reaction time on this day was nothing short of spectacular.
As Vaughn hops out of the truck, two deputies step forward, ordering him to go back to his vehicle. They claim he’s trespassing, and they’ll have to arrest him if he goes any further. Behind the officers, three men can be standing, including a smirking Patterson.
Narrator: At this point, frankly, we expected the volatile Vaughn to be arrested. But once again, the man surprised us all.
Vaughn reached into the back of his pick-up, pulling out the chainsaw from earlier. Both deputies take a step back, releasing the safeties on their weapons. The smirk disappears from Patterson’s face, as he considers what Vaughn is going to do next. But Vaughn simply lays the chainsaw on the ground, pointing to it and offering it as a gift to Patterson and the ranch. He says that in the coming days, Patterson is going to need it. Then… he smiles.
Narrator: While some could see this as a threatening gesture from the Mechanic, there was nothing law enforcement could do. After all, a gift is a gift, as they say. The enigmatic Vaughn then left the scene, with our cameraman following soon after, in order to avoid his own trespassing charge.
The last shots from the video show Patterson angrily kicking at the side of the chainsaw, hurting his foot, before he orders the deputies to take away the dangerous device as ‘evidence’. The car pulls out, following Vaughn back to his ranch.
Narrator: One of the main truths to Peter Vaughn now appears to be that he loves a challenge. Perhaps this was him throwing down the gauntlet. It could have been a direct threat to the farmers and ranchers who oppose him. Or it could, conceivably, have simply been a gift. It’s impossible to know what a man like Vaughn is thinking.
The video picks up again back at Vaughn’s ranch, where he coordinates his staff to continue some of the clean-up. One of the buildings has already been knocked down, showing that Vaughn has hired construction crews to take care of it. After the orders are delivered, Vaughn walks away, heading to one of the buildings that’s still standing. He opens the large barn-style door, showing what appears to be a rural-style training gym inside.
Narrator: Even through all the chaos in his world, Vaughn has continued to put his wrestling career first and foremost in his mind. It’s amazing that someone dealing with attacks from all sides in his personal world can compartmentalize so much, but with Vaughn, it appears to be as easy as turning off a light switch.
Vaughn begins his training regiment, even as his half-brother, Thomas, watches from outside, shaking his head. We hear Thomas’ voice once again.
Thomas Hill: I’ve never met anyone who matches the intensity of my brother. No matter what happens to him, he still strives to be the best in the business. It’s like there’s a raging inferno below the surface, one that continues to power him onwards, no matter who gets in his way.
We watch as Vaughn starts upwards on a salmon ladder, strengthening his arms, as he seems to stare in the direction of the camera on the way up.
Narrator: And that inferno appears to be something that won’t be quenched anytime soon, even as Vaughn continues on his way through the World Series of Wrestling. Of course, the story doesn’t end there. The next day, it was reported that one of Mr. Patterson’s prized pecan trees, which produced a healthy product year in and year out, had been chopped down during the night. Nobody heard anything, and there was no camera footage of what happened. Yet one has to wonder about the significance of the chainsaw ‘gift’ in this light…
As Vaughn starts back downwards on the salmon ladder, a tight smile breaks through on his face.
Narrator: For Splat TV, this is Bill Matthews.
The picture slowly fades out.
Narrator: Everyone has known for a year how bright the flame burns inside Peter Vaughn. For some, it’s a fire that’s burned too heavily, scorching many who once called him friend.
The match sparks out, causing Vaughn to disappear into the black void behind him.
Narrator: But there is a complex story behind the man formerly known as the Janitor, who now works his trade in the wrestling world as The Mechanic.
The image shifts to a shot of a rural location. The heading below states that it’s a shot of the PMV Ranch, northwest of Dallas, Texas. The camera pans across a renovated ranch house and what appears to be a guest house, before turning to the left and showing a scene of devastation. The ground is blackened, and at least one building in the distance appears to have been consumed in a fire. Clean-up workers are moving around, doing their best to begin removing the damage.
Narrator: This is the ranch that Peter Vaughn has bought, an abandoned ranch once owned by one of the more famous families in north Texas, the McCoys. He’s been working on it for the last six months, building a sanctuary outside of the wrestling business, a place he can go to get away from his troubles. But trouble always seems to find a way to follow him wherever he goes.
The video shows apparent press footage of a man with his hands cuffed behind him, being loaded into a local police car. His face has been blurred out to protect his identity. Innocent until proven guilty, after all.
Narrator: Earlier this week, Vaughn’s ranch was nearly burned to the ground due to an apparent attempt at arson. Reports indicate that Vaughn fought the fire like a living, breathing entity, racing into it with no concern for his own well being. He risked his life to help put out the fire, even rescuing this man, who police say is under suspicion of having started the fire.
The image jumps from the man being arrested to Vaughn nearby, who appears to be getting restrained by multiple officers so that he doesn’t go after the arsonist. He’s yelling about wanting more answers to his questions, but the police do their jobs, pulling him away.
Narrator: Later that day, Vaughn was back at the ranch, helping with the clean-up. To many, it’s a strange sight, seeing Vaughn care so much. But to one of his family members, it seems exceedingly clear what’s going on.
The video shows Vaughn working on chopping down a few burnt trees nearby, sweating and swearing as he takes them down with his chainsaw. We hear a voice-over from his half-brother, Thomas Hill.
Thomas Hill: I know people think that my brother doesn’t have emotional attachments anymore, and it’s a fair opinion to have. But Peter has invested a great deal of himself in this ranch. To him, I think it’s more of a symbol of his recent success, something that he wants the world to acknowledge. To have someone try and take that from him… well, that would cause a reaction in any man.
Vaughn stops as the tree comes down, staring at the dead lumber sitting in front of him. He then continues to work, sawing away, breaking down the tree to make it easier to remove… which also allows him to get out some more aggression. It’s clear he’s still dealing with some rage. As he digs in, sending splinters flying, the screen is split in two, with a picture of Vaughn as a child, smiling, on the right side.
Narrator: From most reports, Peter Vaughn was a happy child, living with his father in Dallas as he grew up. He seemed to be set to follow his dad into the family business, working in custodial services early in life. But that all changed when the wrestling business came calling.
The video switches to a few shots from the GCWA, showing a grinning Vaughn wrestling in various matches for the company, always taking the time to slap the fans’ hands on his way in. It’s hard to see the current Vaughn, looking back at these clips.
Narrator: Nowadays, Vaughn has left his days of being a self-described ‘goof-ball’ behind. He’s now an intense, unpredictable wrestler, someone who can go from peaceful to chaotic in a matter of seconds. In many ways, this has benefited his career, even if it’s left many wondering about his seeming mental instability at times, especially when he feels someone is refusing to recognize how far he’s come in the last year.
We cut to a pre-recorded video of Vaughn, likely done for a previous interview. But it fits the current situation.
Peter Vaughn: With everything I’ve done in this business, in my life, I won’t tolerate someone disrespecting me. Everything I’ve got now, I’ve earned with my own blood, sweat… and more blood. The smartest thing for anyone to do… is not underestimate me.
Vaughn glares at the camera, as the shot of him is superimposed with the shot of him as a child.
Narrator: Some might theorize that Vaughn’s own problems with his self-image surface during these moments, raging against a self-perceived injustice. We got first-hand knowledge of this when we were recording him the day after the fire.
We switch back to the current day, where we see Vaughn in a fierce argument with his half-brother. Thomas is trying to at least take the chainsaw away, yelling that Vaughn doesn’t need to take it with him. But Vaughn’s incensed, throwing the chainsaw into the back of his truck before pushing his brother away, hopping in. The truck peels out, heading towards the exit to the ranch, as the cameraman hurries to his own car, where the driver is waiting.
Narrator: Rumors had already been spreading that it was the local farmer’s union who had paid the still-unidentified man to set fire to the area around Vaughn’s ranch. The rumors were unproven and impossible to verify. This didn’t seem to matter to Peter Vaughn.
The cameraman continues to film out the window of his car as the driver desperately tries to catch up with Vaughn’s pickup. It’s not easy, as Vaughn is driving at a high rate of speed. But they persist, knowing that the film they’re getting right now is gold. As the drive continues, the split-screen happens again, showing someone you could only describe as a “stereotypical Texan”.
Narrator: One of the members of the union, a Mr. Floyd “Red-Eye” Patterson, ran his own ranch 15 minutes down the road from Vaughn’s property. Word has it he tried to purchase the land for himself, but was surprisingly beaten to the punch by Vaughn. It was clear that there was no love lost between these two men.
Vaughn’s truck fishtails as it makes the final turn into the Triple Cross ranch, heading into the parking area. The cameraman’s driver follows, taking the turn at a much safer rate of speed. As we come around, we can see from the footage that there are already two police vehicles sitting at the ranch, waiting for Vaughn as he gets out.
Narrator: There are unconfirmed reports that Mr. Patterson has a great deal of attachments in local law enforcement as well as the volunteer fire department that ‘conveniently’ was out of town on training when the fire started. When we asked for a statement from Mr. Patterson’s lawyer, we were told that he has a great deal of respect for law enforcement, but that’s as far as his connection with them goes. One could say, though, that their reaction time on this day was nothing short of spectacular.
As Vaughn hops out of the truck, two deputies step forward, ordering him to go back to his vehicle. They claim he’s trespassing, and they’ll have to arrest him if he goes any further. Behind the officers, three men can be standing, including a smirking Patterson.
Narrator: At this point, frankly, we expected the volatile Vaughn to be arrested. But once again, the man surprised us all.
Vaughn reached into the back of his pick-up, pulling out the chainsaw from earlier. Both deputies take a step back, releasing the safeties on their weapons. The smirk disappears from Patterson’s face, as he considers what Vaughn is going to do next. But Vaughn simply lays the chainsaw on the ground, pointing to it and offering it as a gift to Patterson and the ranch. He says that in the coming days, Patterson is going to need it. Then… he smiles.
Narrator: While some could see this as a threatening gesture from the Mechanic, there was nothing law enforcement could do. After all, a gift is a gift, as they say. The enigmatic Vaughn then left the scene, with our cameraman following soon after, in order to avoid his own trespassing charge.
The last shots from the video show Patterson angrily kicking at the side of the chainsaw, hurting his foot, before he orders the deputies to take away the dangerous device as ‘evidence’. The car pulls out, following Vaughn back to his ranch.
Narrator: One of the main truths to Peter Vaughn now appears to be that he loves a challenge. Perhaps this was him throwing down the gauntlet. It could have been a direct threat to the farmers and ranchers who oppose him. Or it could, conceivably, have simply been a gift. It’s impossible to know what a man like Vaughn is thinking.
The video picks up again back at Vaughn’s ranch, where he coordinates his staff to continue some of the clean-up. One of the buildings has already been knocked down, showing that Vaughn has hired construction crews to take care of it. After the orders are delivered, Vaughn walks away, heading to one of the buildings that’s still standing. He opens the large barn-style door, showing what appears to be a rural-style training gym inside.
Narrator: Even through all the chaos in his world, Vaughn has continued to put his wrestling career first and foremost in his mind. It’s amazing that someone dealing with attacks from all sides in his personal world can compartmentalize so much, but with Vaughn, it appears to be as easy as turning off a light switch.
Vaughn begins his training regiment, even as his half-brother, Thomas, watches from outside, shaking his head. We hear Thomas’ voice once again.
Thomas Hill: I’ve never met anyone who matches the intensity of my brother. No matter what happens to him, he still strives to be the best in the business. It’s like there’s a raging inferno below the surface, one that continues to power him onwards, no matter who gets in his way.
We watch as Vaughn starts upwards on a salmon ladder, strengthening his arms, as he seems to stare in the direction of the camera on the way up.
Narrator: And that inferno appears to be something that won’t be quenched anytime soon, even as Vaughn continues on his way through the World Series of Wrestling. Of course, the story doesn’t end there. The next day, it was reported that one of Mr. Patterson’s prized pecan trees, which produced a healthy product year in and year out, had been chopped down during the night. Nobody heard anything, and there was no camera footage of what happened. Yet one has to wonder about the significance of the chainsaw ‘gift’ in this light…
As Vaughn starts back downwards on the salmon ladder, a tight smile breaks through on his face.
Narrator: For Splat TV, this is Bill Matthews.
The picture slowly fades out.