Through The Shattered Glass

by Jeanie Clarke

  The pregnancy gave Steve no choice. It was now time for him to muster up the courage, and he pledged to tell Ken and Beverly about this secret relationship that he had been actively hiding.

  As we contemplated how he could break the news to his family, Steve remained steadfast in his assurance that he was still intent on getting married to me at the earliest opportunity. We both agreed that with a baby on the way, that it was best to start house-hunting to accommodate our new family. It was not long until we found the cutest little log cabin in Villa Rica, just a ten-minute drive from Douglasville, Georgia. Flanked by acres of land, the lodge was also a mere half-hour drive from WCW’s offices in downtown Atlanta, and it was the perfect property for our changing needs.

  When we got back to work, Steve and I could not wait to tell our friends and colleagues about our impending arrival, regardless of the reaction. I had been slightly anxious that we might get reprimanded from management for not divulging any plans to get pregnant, but everyone seemed delighted.

  I was relieved that the company was supportive of our pregnancy. Steve had worked so hard to establish himself as a reliable talent, and he had already expressed how he disliked having someone with him at ringside. In truth, he preferred to keep the heat of the crowd to himself. I knew that my leaving would allow him to forge his own path without any distractions. But most importantly, I realised that my maternity would give me the chance to spend much overdue time with Jade.

  Terri Runnels, former WCW wrestling manager Alexandra York: “I have such fond memories of Jeanie when she and Steve arrived at WCW. She was always so very sweet and gracious with me. She and I would eventually end up talking about our pregnancies and little girls more than wrestling or the impending show!”

  It had been an interesting few months on the road, but I felt exhausted, and I was relieved to be ending my tenure as Lady Blossom. On November 19th, I made my final appearance at the Clash of Champions XVII television special held in Savannah, Georgia, in another match between Steve and P.N. News. There was never any storyline created to explain that I was departing, and with no fanfare, my career in wrestling came to a close.

  When I remember my stint as a performer during the early days of World Championship Wrestling, my feelings are divided.

  In some ways, it was the highlight of my career as an on-screen talent within professional wrestling. Its syndicated programming gave me international exposure on worldwide television, and I had pictures and posters in globally-available magazines. Fans would wait outside the arenas and at the hotels for autographs and photos and I was really humbled by their love.

  I felt genuinely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding and creative people, both behind the camera and in front of it, many of whom went on to achieve amazing things within the industry.

  By the early nineties, American wrestling was also becoming really hot in the United Kingdom, and the ITV networks, which used to broadcast the old World of Sport shows was now transmitting episodes of WCW Pro Wrestling in most of its regions. People back home could once again see little Jeanie Clarke from Southend appearing back on British television every week, albeit under a different name and truly wicked persona.

  But as glamorous as the life of a touring performer may appear on the outside, trying to make a living by going town-to-town was anything but glitzy.

  It was an unending succession of late nights and early mornings, punctuated by gruelling travel, cheap motels and, for me, a rekindling with an abuse of substances with which I had only flirted during my early twenties.

  Most of all, being on the road reminded me that I had never really experienced a settled family life, or ever found a place that I could truly call home. It reminded me of a childhood consumed by finding temporary hideouts in which to find solace and retreat, as I lived in fear of abuse from my mum’s drunken partners. As the memories of my damaged childhood started to return, they exacerbated the agony I was feeling from being apart from Jade.

  As a child, I had been forced to accept the absence of my mother’s love, and I was afraid that my time on the road would affect Jade. I would never want her to resent me for being away, and it tore me apart knowing that I had accepted a travelling job which would prevent me from watching my daughter grow.

  Missing her intensely and, with the blooming of my maternity, I realised it was now time to say goodbye to my career in wrestling and embrace the joys of motherhood.

  I was finally off the road.

  It was a time to focus on raising my family, and create something for my children that I never truly had: a home.

  Our nanny went back to Texas, and I could once again experience the joy of looking after Jade as we settled into our beautiful new house.

  I was really enjoying being a full-time mum and taking a long overdue break from work as my maternity bloomed. It dawned on me that I hadn’t really had a chance to unwind for years. I had been so busy running my business in Dallas, and my life had become even more hectic as I transitioned to the role of a performer on the touring American wrestling circuit.

  It was nice to kick back and relax, but despite being pregnant I soon found myself decorating, landscaping the garden, planting flowers and riding around our land in our new four-wheeler.

  On the precious days that Steve had off we would spend most of our time having fun. Between working on the house, we filled our days antique shopping for vintage Coca-Cola signs from the fifties, hanging out at our favourite restaurants and bars and we even started playing darts at a local pub with our friends.

  As most of the WCW roster lived in Atlanta, we already had lots of friends in the area, but we were quickly making friends with our neighbours. As soon as we relocated, I was keen to foster my family with a sense of community.

  I was set on turning our new house into a home.

  Meanwhile, Steve’s original hopes for stardom without anyone by his side were not to be, despite my time as his wrestling valet coming to an end.

  His career had taken a new direction as he was paired on-screen with a new manager, Paul E. Dangerously. Dubbed the ‘Psycho Yuppie from Wall Street’, Dangerously was an obnoxious character intent on destroying WCW and was portrayed by the brilliant Paul Heyman.

  Paul E.’s evil masterplan was to enlist an elite squad of rulebreakers into his stable, The Dangerous Alliance, with a pledge to injure the company’s most beloved heroes and force them out of action.

  It was an angle that made an immediate impact with the unveiling of former WWF headliner ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude as the first member of the Alliance at the WCW Halloween Havoc ’91 pay-per-view show. Madusa had joined Dangerously in a similar valet role to the one I had been playing before my departure, proclaiming herself as ‘The First Lady of WCW’ to the annoyance of the fans who had adorned Missy Hyatt with that title. By November, the team grew to include WCW World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko, the newly-turned fan-favourite Bobby Eaton, with Steve rounding out the group as their ferocious young lion.

  As Steve was still in the midst of his lengthy reign as the WCW World Television Champion, Paul would often declare him as the ‘Best Wrestler on TV Today’ and ‘The World’s Greatest Athlete’ during their interviews in order to establish his value to a group which was largely comprised of top veteran stars.

  As the premier heels of the promotion, The Dangerous Alliance would continue to dominate WCW programming for almost a year. By joining as a member, Steve was able to become a regular fixture of its main event scene.

  By the spring of 1992, he had been embroiled in feuds with all of the top stars, from mainstay talent like Sting, The Steiner Brothers, Ron Simmons and Barry Windham, to the returning Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat and Nikita Koloff.

  Steve revelled in his work, as he was booked in a mixture of singles and tag team contests. With a new shorter haircut, he really shined when he was pitted against Barry Windham in a hot feud for the TV title, dropping the belt on April 27th an
d regaining it four weeks later in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

  Although he was excelling in the ring with the very best WCW had to offer, there was one confrontation that Steve had been avoiding for months.

  By the summer, our due date was rapidly approaching and Steve still hadn’t told his family that we were together, not to mention that we were impending parents. I felt that it was strange that he never called them, as it didn’t feel right having their grandchild without them knowing.

  I urged him that they should share our wonderful blessing, and with our baby scheduled to be born via a Caesarean section on 7th July, he finally gave in and called his mum the night before the birth.

  I was sitting next to him as he finally took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

  “Mom, I have always respected you, but I haven’t told you something. I’ve been seeing a girl and she’s pregnant,” Steve sighed as he grovelled into the receiver.

  “When’s this baby due?” his mum calmly asked.

  “Tomorrow mom,” he replied.

  There was a long pause from the other end.

  “Is this girl Jeanie?” his mum eventually enquired.

  “Yes,” he succumbed.

  Steve immediately booked his mum, Beverly, a last-minute flight to Atlanta so that she could be there for the arrival of his first born child.

  I had never felt so nervous in all my life. Not only was I giving birth but I was also going to finally meet the ‘mother-in-law’ for the very first time.

  Steve had already told me that his mum was close to his first wife, Kathy. Beverly cared for her like a daughter, and was so disappointed when that marriage did not succeed. I felt awkward and I had an intuition that she wouldn’t like me.

  But none of that mattered. There was no time for me to dwell on the uncertain, as I was quickly whisked away to the theatre. It was time to have our child delivered into the world.

  With Steve at the hospital, I gave birth to a 7 pounds and 7 ounces baby girl we called Stephanie Britt. I beamed with joy as soon as I glanced upon her.

  I only saw her for a few brief minutes before the medical staff told me they had to stitch me back together, but I vividly remember that Steve stayed next to me and held our baby in his arms as I was put to sleep.

  I faded away, but my smile remained. Our new arrival was perfect in every way.

  I could not wait to wake up to our new family.

  Baby Stephanie Britt in the hospital, 1992.

  12 IN HOLY MATRIMONY

  When I finally woke up in the hospital bed, I was alone and scared.

  Although drowsy, I was experiencing a great deal of pain from the surgery and my baby daughter was nowhere to be seen. I asked for Steve, but discovered that he had left the hospital to go out shooting with Rick Rude.

  The nurse told me my daughter was okay and was resting in the nursery, which was a huge relief, but I wanted to hold her in my arms.

  I was so thrilled when Steve returned with Jade and my neighbour Ann to bring through baby Stephanie so I could finally embrace her, surrounded by family and my closest friend.

  When we got back home, I realised that there had been a drastic regime change in Georgia which was starting to threaten the security of family life we had worked hard to create. I could sense something was unsettling Steve whenever I looked into his eyes. He was a man defeated.

  A new head of state was in charge, a bespectacled bully with a burly frame and Deep Southern accent. This abrasive character would micromanage everything, intimidating many with a coarse my-way-or-the-highway attitude.

  Given that it was the summer of 1992, many of the wrestling fans out there are going to assume I am describing ‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts, the no-nonsense alpha male who was appointed to lead WCW as its Executive Vice President of Wrestling Operations. Well, I’m not. I am trying to illustrate an accurate depiction of Steve’s mum, Beverly, who came to stay with us for a short while after Stephanie was born.

  I felt incredibly uncomfortable around Beverly, but I knew she was here to stay. I tried my utmost to appease her increasing demands.

  Initially, I was so excited about meeting Steve’s mum, and I really hoped to develop a lasting friendship with the grandmother of our child. When Steve and I first started dating, I had pushed him to allow me to meet Beverly. But when I did, it was evident from the onset that there was an animosity towards me based on her pre-conception that I was the wicked home wrecker who stole her little boy away from Kathy.

  She would never accept my word that it was Steve who pursued me and there was a lasting resentment that never truly faded.

  Beverly also had very rigid ideas on how to raise a family. She was deeply critical of every aspect of my homemaking, from the feeding of my children, to housecleaning and cooking. Even my sense of fashion was scrutinised, as she frequently made comments on my choice of clothing. She would often leave in a huff if things were not done her way, and I could not handle being the focal point within such a judgmental atmosphere. It drove me to tears and I even felt forced to leave the house and stay the night in a hotel.

  When Steve finally managed to contact the hotel, he reached out to me and pleaded that I come home. He explained that his mum could often be challenging, but I just had to find a way to deal with it. He assured me Beverly was leaving soon and our lives would be back to normal.

  I went out to clear my head but returned later that day. As soon as I got back, Beverly came over to apologise for driving me away from my own home. I could still tell she had a problem with me but, for the good of our new family, I was keen to bury the issue and so I hugged her.

  When Beverly left after three weeks, it finally gave us a chance to truly bond as a family. Steve loved being a new dad, as he would spend hours cradling Stephanie. Jade was also amazing with her, and I could tell she really enjoyed playing the big sister.

  Within the warm envelope of our lovely little log cabin, we suddenly had such a happy and loving lifestyle. It was the perfect environment for our young family.

  Over the next few months, I rarely got the chance to go to Steve’s matches. Instead, I stayed at home as a full-time mum and homemaker. This suited Steve too, as he preferred to keep a distance between his family and working life.

  By 1993, Steve had moved into the tag team ranks, as he started to team with ‘Flyin’’ Brian Pillman. They rapidly progressed from a makeshift duo to the number one team in the division. Steve still had a desire to be recognised as a singles star, but Brian came up with some really neat ideas for them, and they got over huge as The Hollywood Blonds. The fans loved to jeer the arrogant pair who would goad their opponents with camera-winding taunts, outrageous actions and despicable double-team cheating.

  It was not long before the Blonds would capture the gold, winning the Unified NWA and WCW Tag Team Championships from Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat and Shane Douglas at a taping held on 2nd March of that year. Steve had loved working with Steamboat in the months prior, as part of the hot feud between Sting’s Squadron and The Dangerous Alliance. This eventually led to a thrilling match for his Television Championship at the Clash of Champions XX in Atlanta, in which ‘The Dragon’ took the belt.

  Originally, Steve was demoralised when he was paired with Brian, fearing it would stall the progress of his solo career. In truth, it was the chemistry of The Hollywood Blonds that pushed him to the main event of the promotion.

  In the second week of March, most of the top talent in WCW had been sent overseas, as the company presented The Real Event tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland. As a result, the domestic circuits of house shows were built around the Blonds and their defences of the titles against the former champions. The team were on a mission to excel, and prove to the front office that they could carry any shows they headlined against their challengers.

  That week, the kids and I were faced with a huge challenge of our own back at the cabin. A destructive hurricane blizzard, dubbed by the American media as The Superstorm of 199
3, had ripped its way through a large expanse of the east. Originating from the Gulf of Mexico, it tore through to the States and even all the way to Canada and Cuba, leaving a trail of carnage and claiming over three hundred lives. Georgia was ravaged by whiteout conditions, and our family was left with no power to the cabin as the conditions worsened.

  As I clung to Jade and Stephanie to ride out the heavy winds and snow, our neighbour J.L. arrived at the door.

  J.L. said that he was not going to leave us, and he went on to tell us that he had set up a spare room at his family’s home, which was also fitted with a wood-burning stove. He pledged to cook us a really nice meal on the stove, which would also keep us cosy until the storm had passed. We were so grateful that his family immediately thought of our welfare as soon as the electricity to the street had dropped. Meanwhile, I feared for Steve’s safety as the storm gained intensity.

  Each night, I would wait with anxiety for Steve’s phone call. I needed the reassurance that he had made it to shelter unscathed as the snowstorm continued into the Carolinas, where he had been booked to perform that week.

  Shane Douglas, former WCW wrestler: “The matches that Steve, Brian, Ricky and I had in WCW are still some of my best and favourite matches. We put absolutely everything in to them. It didn’t matter if there were 2,000 people in the building, or 20 people, we would tear down the house night after night.

  Here’s an example of how we would perform no matter what. In 1993 there was this huge blizzard and we were wrestling in this small town four hours’ drive north of Atlanta, right up in the mountains. When we got there, they had been waiting three or four days for this terrible weather to hit. The whole of the Eastern seaboard had about three or four feet of snow, and I’d never seen snow like that before.

  I’m driving up to the venue and making stops for gas or food and all the stores were empty! I mean it was like it was the apocalypse and people were just getting all these provisions. I couldn’t understand it though, as I’d never known snow to hit like that in Atlanta before. As we got to the venue there wasn’t a snowflake on the ground. As the first match was taking place I went outside to call my wife and it had just started snowing, but only a regular kind of snowfall.