5. Shared Dreams

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

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

___________________________

Hearing the name, Sandro let out an inward scream, realizing his guess was correct. The person he had bumped into was indeed the younger self of Windham Lawrence Rotunda, who would later become known to the wrestling world as Husky Harris, then Bray Wyatt, and The Fiend. Sandro never expected to encounter one of his favorite wrestlers, whose characters he had always admired.

As Sandro was fanboying internally, Windham felt a bit weird seeing Sandro's odd smile while shaking his hand and not stopping. One of Sandro's teammates, noticing the awkwardness, patted Sandro on the shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.

Realizing the situation, Sandro let out an embarrassed laugh and apologized to Windham. He quickly explained, "Sorry about that. Your last name is the same as one of the WWF wrestlers I know, IRS, who partnered with Ted DiBiase to create the tag team Money Inc. during the 90s."

Windham was surprised by Sandro's words, not expecting someone to know his father's family name, especially since his father's wrestling career with Ted DiBiase was from the early '90s.

After the surprise faded, Windham smiled and said, "IRS is in fact, my father. His legal name was Lawrence Michael Rotunda, kudos to you Sandro that you could know about my family name."

Sandro faked a perfectly surprised face and excitedly said, "Wow, really?! Let me tell you, I'm a huge fan of your father and Ted DiBiase! I've watched all the recordings of their tag team championship reign and Ted DiBiase's incredible Million Dollar Championship run."

Windham's eyes lit up, clearly pleased by Sandro's enthusiasm, and felt proud of his father's accomplishment. "That's awesome! Not many people our age know about my dad's wrestling days. It's cool to meet someone of our age who appreciates that era, Sandro."

As they continued chatting, Sandro felt a connection forming with Windham. Meeting Windham, someone who would go on to become one of the best in the wrestling business, was surreal for him as he had never interacted with his favorite wrestlers in two of his combined lives.

They talked about their training, their love for wrestling, and their goals. Windham shared some stories about his father and the wrestling world, and Sandro found himself even more inspired to realize his dream.

After a while, they wished each other luck for the tournament and parted ways. Sandro rejoined his teammates and their coach, who had been watching the interaction with curiosity.

"Who was that, Sandro?" one of Sandro's teammates asked, as they had never seen Sandro speak with such enthusiasm to anyone.

Sandro grinned and shook his head. "Just someone I think we'll be hearing a lot about in the future."

After saying so, Sandro, alongside his coach and teammates, headed to the locker room to change into their wrestling uniforms.

Once they were ready, they made their way to their designated mat for the match. As they arrived, Sandro spotted Jack and Taylor already seated in the spectator area. He waved to them, and his parents, recognizing their son in the crowd, waved back enthusiastically.

The tournament soon commenced, and Sandro and his teammates faced numerous opponents at the university level. They managed to pass several rounds together, showcasing their skill and strength.

However, as the competition intensified, Sandro's teammates were gradually eliminated, leaving Sandro as the sole competitor from UCF.

Despite his age and size suggesting he should be competing at the high school level, Sandro continued to surprise everyone by not only keeping up with but also dominating his university-level opponents. Match after match, he demonstrated his exceptional talent and determination.

After several intense matches, Sandro advanced to the finals, where he faced one of the toughest competitors he had ever encountered. Their strength and skills were evenly matched, with grappling and submission moves exchanged at a rapid pace. For two grueling minutes, the two wrestlers battled fiercely, neither willing to give an inch.

Finally, in the last moments of the match, Sandro managed to secure a decisive move, earning him the victory with a mere three-point lead over his opponent. The crowd erupted in loud cheers as Sandro was declared the winner of the state wrestling championship at the university level. He raised both hands in triumph, a bright smile lighting up his face.

His coach and teammates rushed to his side, lifting him up and down in celebration of his remarkable achievement for UCF. After being put down, Jack and Taylor joined the jubilant group, congratulating their son with tears of joy and pride in their eyes.

As the celebrations continued, Sandro noticed Windham approaching. When he arrived, the two of them congratulated each other for what they had achieved today.

"Congratulations, Sandro," Windham said with a genuine smile. "Winning the state wrestling championship at the university level is no small feat when you're opponent is much older and bigger."

"Thanks, Windham," Sandro replied, shaking his hand. "And congrats to you for winning the state wrestling championship at the high school level. I have no doubt you'll achieve even greater things in the future or maybe even succeed your father as a third generation wrestler."

After congratulating Windham, Sandro asked for his phone number so they could stay in touch. Windham, with a sheepish smile, rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have a phone of my own," he admitted. "I only have my house phone number."

"That's fine," Sandro said, pulling out his Samsung D600. He handed it to Windham, who entered his house phone number. As they exchanged contact information, Jack and Taylor approached, curious about the new friend their son had made.

"Who's your friend, Sandro?" Jack asked, looking Windham over with interest.

Sandro explained, "Dad, Mom, this is Windham Lawrence Rotunda, you can call him Windham. His dad is Lawrence Michael Rotunda, also known as IRS from WWF. You remember the IRS, right? The one who wrestled in a tag team with Ted Dibiase."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise at Sandro's explanation. "IRS? No way! I used to watch him all the time! He and Ted DiBiase were an incredible team. I was a big fan growing up watching your Father Windham, I never expected to encounter his son here today!"

Windham smiled, albeit a bit overwhelmed by Jack's enthusiasm. "It's always nice to meet fans of my dad, thank you for all of your support to him," he said modestly.

Seeing Windham's discomfort, Taylor gently placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Jack, let's give the poor boy a break," she said with a smile. Then, turning to Windham, she added, "Would you like to join us for lunch, Windham? It would be lovely to get to know you better. I've never seen Sandro so enthusiastic talking to a friend."

Windham looked a bit taken aback by the offer but then nodded. "Sure, I'd love to, but let me tell my coach and my teammates first" he replied.

After saying that, Windham left for a while to have a word with his coach and teammates while Sandro and his parents also asked Sandeo's coach and teammate to join them for lunch, but they rejected the offer as Jack and Taylor already paid for their airplane tickets and doesn't want to bother them even further.

After waiting for a couple of minutes, Windham returned already changed into his daily outfits and bringing his bag along with him. Seeing that, Sandro also hurriedly changes his outfit and together heads out to the parking lot.

When Windham sees the luxurious car they are going to ride in, he is surprised as he never expected that Sandro is from a rich family, as the way he interacted wasn't like the rich kids he knew at school.

Soon they left the stadium and found a nearby high class restaurant. Seeing the outfit he was in, Windham was embarrassed as he thought he would embarrass Sandro and his parents.

Sandro could see what Windham was thinking and pat him on the shoulder, "Hey Windham no need to feel embarrassed, you're our guest here and I actually much prefer to eat at a fast food restaurant but my parents always like to come to places such as this."

"Really? I never expected that you like fast food more than fancy and expensive foods," Windham said surprised by Sandro's preference, not expecting that he would be just like any normal person at their age.

After they take their seat, they order the food and after a couple of minutes, the food arrives. Over lunch, they shared stories and laughs, with Sandro and Windham bonding over their mutual love of wrestling and WWF.

Jack and Taylor watched the interactions with a smile on their faces, feeling grateful that Sandro finally found a friend at his age who could make him so enthusiastic and excited.

"So, Windham," Taylor said as they ate, "what got you into wrestling? Was it your dad?"

Windham nodded. "Yeah, I grew up watching him and my uncles wrestle. It was always a big part of our family. I knew from a young age that I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I also have my own dreams I wanted to achieve such as becoming an all-American honors in football."

"That's wonderful to hear, Windham," Taylor said warmly. "It's clear you have decided what your oath in the future would be and already have a backup plan, if only Sandro would be just like you hah..."

Sandro hearing what his mother said, acted offended and asked what she meant by that, which aroused laughter from Windham, Jack, and Taylor. After the laughter died down, Taylor proceeded to explain what she meant by saying, "I just hope you have a backup plan, Sandro. Wrestling is a wonderful dream, but it's always good to have something else to fall back on."

Sandro let out a small smile. "I appreciate the concern, Mom, but I don't need a backup plan. I'm going to do whatever it takes to become a WWF wrestler."

Jack and Taylor sighed, knowing that Sandro's determination was unshakable. Once he set his mind on something, there was no changing it. "We know, Sandro," Jack said. "Just promise us you'll be careful and take care of yourself along the way."

"I will, Dad, don't worry! I'm the epitome of careful if there was ever an epitome for the word!" Sandro replied.

Windham, excited by the revelation that Sandro shared his dream of becoming a WWF wrestler, leaned in. "That's awesome, Sandro! I didn't expect you to have the same dream as me." Windham said those words, as whenever expected that Sandro who was from a rich family would have such a dream.

The two bonded even more as they discussed their favorite WWF matches, their favorite wrestlers, who had the best promos, and the kind of wrestling style they wanted to have when they became wrestlers.

Windham talked about his grandfather, father, and uncles, sharing stories of their wrestling careers, while Sandro shared his admiration for iconic wrestlers like The Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Triple H.

"I always loved how The Rock could electrify the crowd with his promos," Sandro said. "His charisma is unmatched and he knew how to draw in the crowd to chant alongside him."

Windham nodded. "Absolutely. And Stone Cold's intensity in the ring is something I've always admired. My dad always said it wasn't just about the moves but the storytelling and connecting with the audience."

Sandro agreed. "That's what I want to do. I want to be a wrestler who can tell a story in the ring, make people feel something, and leave them wanting more while they are also activated by the match we do."

The conversation shifted to their training routines, with Windham sharing his experiences balancing wrestling and football. "It's tough, but I love both sports. Football helps with my agility and strength, which I can use in wrestling. And wrestling helps with my discipline and endurance, which benefits my football game."

Sandro listened intently, inspired by Windham's dedication. "I've been focusing on wrestling, Aikido, and Taekwondo. Each discipline teaches me something different and helps me become a more well-rounded athlete."

As the lunch continued, the bond between Sandro and Windham grew stronger. They exchanged training tips and promised to keep each other motivated. Jack and Taylor watched with pride, glad to see their son making a new friend who shared his passion and could understand his dreams.

After lunch, the group parted ways, but not before making plans to meet up again sometime in the future. Windham thanked Jack and Taylor for their hospitality, and said his goodbye to Sandro as he left."Keep training hard, Sandro. I know we'll both make it to the WWF one day."

"You too, Windham. I believe in us," Sandro replied with a determined smile and felt a sense of excitement about their budding friendship. Back at the hotel, Sandro couldn't stop thinking about the tournament and his conversation with Windham. Never expected that he would become friends with the future Bray Wyatt, and pushed each other to achieve their dreams.

_______________________

Name: Alessandro Zhang

Age: 15 (2005)

Birthplace: Orlando, Florida USA

Brand: None

Wrestling Style: None

Faction: None

Championship History: 0