Beware The Legacy

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Off Camera

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The tiny café huddled despondent among the huge city buildings. Washed out under the overcast Chicago skyline, it hunched in itself, fighting against the drizzle. Hundreds of people rushed by it, outside on the crowded street. The half a dozen customers glanced up as the door swung open, heralded by a blast of cold wind. Unlike the outside, the interior of the café was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colourful walls. The customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind the new entrant and the cold breeze was forgotten.

This new entrant is wearing  an overcoat, her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  She is perched atop black high high heel pumps and is wearing is a floral print black maxi skirt.  She walks to the back of the café where she spots a table that is occupied by another female figure.  The other figure is a redhead, wearing denim jeans, a red blouse, and a black leather jacket.  The bllonde clears her throat to get her attention.  The redhead looks up and a polite smile crosses her face.

“Glory...” Angelica looks at her wrist, as if to check her watch, even though she is not wearing one, and chuckles lightly to herself “you’re late, this isn’t a good start for us.”

“Oh shut up, Angelica.” Glory remarks as she sits down at the table, across from Angelica.  “Traffic was a bitch.”

“Order something alcoholic.” Angelica mock toasts Glory with her glass of red wine. “It’ll sooth the nerves.”

“Not a chance.” The waitress stops by with pen and notepad in hand. Glory looks at her and smiles pleasantly. “I’d like a glass of water please.”

“Sure thing, ma’am.” The waitress walks off to fill the order.  Angelica sighs and shakes her head.

“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“Oh I know full well what I’m missing; I’m not a teetotaler, mate.  I just don’t want any right now.”

“Fair enough.” Angelica takes a sip of her wine. “I got to admit, I was kind of surprised you agreed to meet me.”

“I was surprised you wanted to meet.  We haven’t exactly been on the best of terms, lately.  We’ve barely talked.”

“Yes, instead of talking we’re usually fighting.  At least that’s been the case for the past few months.”

The waitress returns with Glory’s glass of water.  Glory thanks the young girl and then hands her a couple of bills.  The waitress walks off and Glory takes a drink of her water.  Braddock sighs and places the glass of water back on the table.  She leans forward and stares into her cousin’s eyes.

“It goes deeper than that, Angelica.  Think about it, our match at the GCW Draft Show wasn’t the one and only time we’ve been at each other’s throats.  And I don’t just mean Resurrection one week prior.  You beat the hell out of me in an Empty Arena Match a few years earlier, which I guess you could say was a receipt for the times I kicked your ass.  Hell, we’ve been battling and been trying to kill each other since…”

“Since you debuted.”

“Yeah…” Glory’s voice trails off momentarily as she stops to think about it, then she nods her head “…yeah, you’re right.”

“I remember the night you debuted.” Angelica sips her wine and then places the glass down.  She too leans forward so that she is staring right into Glory’s eyes. “You were part of an eight person field; a tournament to crown a new GDW International Champion.  You were fresh out of the famous Braddock Wrestling School.  You were a rookie in the truest of terms.”

“True, but in fairness I did have some amateur background.”

“Yes, but a rookie is a rookie and you had a professional match in your life until that night and they tell you that you’ll be part of that tournament.  I hated them for doing that to you, Glory. You were thrilled with the prospect of potentially winning it all and being champion but I hated them for putting you in that position.  Do you know why?”

Glory shakes her head. “Because as good as you were at the time, and you were talented for a rookie, but as good as you were you knew nothing about the backstage politics of it all.  GDW didn’t put you in that match to give you an opportunity to win.  They put you in to lose.  They thought you might luck up and win your quarter final match but that might be the most you’d get out of it.  Rookie don’t have that kind of endurance.  They expected you to fold under the pressure and lose the tournament.  Your role that night was to be a loser.  That was in your script.”

“I don’t follow scripts that well.”

“Clearly.” Angelica says with a light chuckle. “You won the tournament that night; you shocked the world and became GCW International Champion on your debut night.”

“I lost the title that same night.” Glory remarks with some bitterness in her voice as she sips her water. “The twat of an owner at the time made me defend it that same night against some cockwomble they dredged up from the sewer.”

“Right, he did that because you bucked the system.  You won the tournament and weren’t supposed to win.  I hated GDW for setting you up like that, Glory, because I thought they were setting you up for failure.  But when you took them by storm like that and won the title?  I knew making it in this business wouldn’t be your major problem.”

“I’ve heard this story before.” Glory remarks after taking another sip of her water. “This was but the first of many instances where I one-upped the great Angelica Jones, innit?  At least, that’s what you claim led you to costing me the GCW World Championship back at Civil War.  You said that I was constantly trying to one-up you and that you needed to put me in my place.  Honestly, it sounds like you are just like that cockwomble running GDW in 2008.  You, like him, felt I needed to be put in my place.”

“You did.” Angelica answers calmly and coldly.

“Why do you think that, mate?  Is your ego so fragile that you feel threatened by me shocking the world on my debut night in 2008?  You were a ten time world champion by that point, Angelica.  You had held gold in GDW, MWA, and MCW.  You had nothing to fear from me.”

“Is that so?” Angelica takes a sip of her wine and chuckles.  She sets the glass back down and stares into Glory’s eyes with her icy cold stare.

“What’s that thing you like to say?  You tell everyone that you’re The Best in the World.  And you also like to accurately point out that to be the best you have to beat the best.” She points a finger at Glory and then back at herself. “Your arrival forced ME to up my game.  I knew from that night when you won the title that you were destined for great things.  And as much as it pains me to admit it…”

There is a long pause as Angelica sits there, waiting, not really wanting to say these next words.  But she knows she must say them.

“…I knew from that moment that you would surpass me.  I knew from that moment when you won that tournament and became GDW International Champion that with your arrival in this business that I would never be the best.”

Glory looks on in wide-eyed shock and awe.  She isn’t quite sure what to make of the words that just came out of her cousin’s mouth.  She eventually regains her composure and attempts to answer it.

“Angelica, mate, that’s bloody ridiculous…”

“No it’s not, it’s fact.  Honestly, Glory, I had no chance.  You have the natural talent, you have the pedigree and background of being Glenn Braddock’s daughter.  In a straight up wrestling match, no one can touch you.  You want to know why I went after you?  You were already better than me, and yet you constantly rubbed it in.  Consciously or subconsciously you still rubbed it in by topping everything I did.  I won thirteen world title, you won fourteen.  You did it in more companies than I did.  You’ve successfully managed careers and companies yourself.  I came back to this sport because of you.  I felt my legacy threatened by your legacy.  I wanted to protect my legacy.  I tried protecting it with more gold but that didn’t ease my mind.”

“Did beating my ass at the GCW Draft Show ease your mind, love?”

“I think you already know the answer to that question is no…” Angelica says with a half-grin.

“You’re still being bloody ridiculous and I’ll tell you why.  It isn’t just because you beat me straight up in a WRESTLING MATCH at the Draft Show, though that is the biggest piece of evidence I got for you, love.  To be the best you got to beat the best, right?  Well you beat the best in the world.  That should tell you something.  Besides, you’re absolutely right about the fact that I had the advantage of being a daughter of Glenn Braddock.  But you…” she points a finger at Angelica “…you have had every disadvantage that life could possibly throw at you.  Your mother raped and murdered while you were being  forced to watch.  Your father abandoned you.  Your sister missing.  You fought through all of that and you even fought through serious mental issues. You survived the mental issues, you put your family back together, AND you went on to become a thirteen time world champion.  You did all of that while I was being pampered like hell.”

Glory Braddock shakes her head. “No, I am not The Best in the World.  You are The Best in the World, Angelica.”

“Hold on!  I need to get to my camera so I can record you saying this!”

The two women share a laugh, which does ease the tension slightly.  Glory takes a sip of her water and Angelica sips her wine.  They set their drink glasses back down simultaneously before the conversation begins again with Angelica speaking.

“Thank you, Glory.  I do appreciate that.”

“You’re welcome, you crazy bint, but we’re not done yet.  I need to know, are you going to drop this bloody obsession you have with your legacy?”

“It’s not an obsession, Glory, and I can’t just drop it.” She shakes her head. “I have a point to prove.”

“Who?  To whom do you have to prove a bloody thing?!  You won thirteen world titles!  You are in four halls of fame!  What else is there?!”

“You know what else…” Angelica says, her icy stare returning.

“It’s about the GCW Global Championship, and one more will tie you with me, but it isn’t about matching me any longer, is it?  This is about Jazmyn Rain herself.”

“Jazmyn has admittedly had a great deal of success in GCW.  Don’t get me wrong, I recognize her talent and greatness; but that success has blinded her, it has made her think she is better than she actually is. Jazmyn needs to be reminded as to who in the hell I am.”

“In other words she needs to be put in her place, right?” Glory asks, growing frustrated with her redheaded cousin. “Don’t you see where this is all leading to, Angelica?  This is the same damn problem you had with me, only this time it’s even more ridiculous because you legit have nothing to fear from her.  Your legacy goes beyond just GCW, Angelica.  Your legacy and her legacy can coexist.”

Glory reaches out across the table and grabs hold of her cousin’s hands and squeezes them tight.

“You and I took this rivalry farther than we should have, Angelica.  We could have ended each other’s careers and we are lucky we didn’t.  You and Jazmyn are going to have one hell of a match at Purgatory and I look forward to watching it.  You and Jazmyn is a dream match that GCW fans have been itching for.  And if you win, we’ll get treated to a second match.  Just don’t make the mistake we made.  Don’t turn this into a war.”

“I appreciate your concern, but you know damn well that I cannot make that promise.  I’ve already taken this too far.  If I lose to Jazmyn at Purgatory, I don’t get a title shot for a year.  So yes, I know I’ve already taken this fight with Jazmyn way too far, but there’s no turning back now.  I have to see this through to whatever conclusion fate has in store for me.”

“Fate?” Glory arches her brow curiously.

“Glory, I know I can beat Jazmyn Rain.  I know I have the skills necessary to beat her one on one straight up.  Having Apocalypse to back me up is just an insurance policy.  I should feel invincible.  But Jazmyn Rain has overcome worse odds than that in her GCW tenure.  That hasn’t gone unnoticed.  I am confident, but is there lingering doubt…especially with that clause about me not getting a title shot for a year if I lose…yes, there is some lingering doubt.”

Angelica stands up from her seat.  “But I have to see it through.”

“I understand.” Glory stands up as well. “Just be careful.  Don’t lose yourself to this obsession.”

“I’ll try not to.”

The ladies embrace in a tight cousinly (because they’re cousins not sisters) hug.  After breaking the embrace both women seem to have tears forming their eyes as they smile at one another.

“So no more fighting?” Angelica asks.

“No more fighting.  Unless we’re booked against each other, but I think after tonight we can have a nice, professional match, give the fans a hell of a match, and leave it at that.  What do you think?”

“Definitely.”

Angelica and Glory walk out of the café together, having finally buried the hatchet (and not in each other’s skull).

vs Antoinette

One match a career does not make.  I’ve had my ups and downs throughout my career, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but I’ve never allowed myself to quit.  I’ve never given up.  I keep going, no matter how bleak things look.

So I lost my FFW debut.  Oh I would love nothing more than a retry.  I would love to turn back the clock and see what I could do differently.  Everyone knows that hindsight is twenty-twenty, but everyone also knows that you cannot turn back time.  This isn’t some British science fiction show about a blue box.

There is no such thing as time travel.  You live with the consequences of your actions.  You do the best you can and live with the results of what you did.  Hold your head up, be proud, and move on.  No, you do not get a retry, but all is not lost.  You just press forward.  You keep going and continue to work hard.   You move on and look forward to the next challenge.

My next challenge is in the form of Antoinette Sands.

Will I win?  We’ll see.  Will you win?  We’ll see.  There’s no guarantees because, the fact is, fate is a finicky little bitch, but what I can guarantee you is that you will get the absolute best of Glory Braddock when that bell rings.  So my advice is to be prepared.  Prepare for the best of The British Bombshell.

The Braddock Chronicles: Act 1

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Off Camera

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In jolly old England there is one name that everyone cannot help but think of when the topic of wrestling comes up; Glenn Braddock.  He was a man once known as “Britain’s Best” due to his amazing talents and skill when it came to Greco-Roman amateur wrestling.  He only lost twice during a career that spanned several years.  Unfortunately that second lost ended with a career ending back injury and cost him what most certainly would have been an appearance in the Olympic Games.

Fame never lasts forever.  People remember Glenn Braddock for what he did, sure, but no one would recognize him today.  And fewer and fewer of the new generation of British are remembering the grizzled veteran of ring wars.  Still, whether he is famous or not, Glenn Braddock continues to leave his mark upon the wrestling industry.  It may not be a direct impact through him competing in a ring, but he does make indirect impacts on the sport through the training of the next generation of professional athletes.

This is what the Glenn Braddock School of Wrestling is for; this is Glenn Braddock’s way to continue to influence the direction of wrestling.  Many athletes have come out through his school and entered into the world professional wrestling.  If you ask him who his prize pupil is he will automatically lie and tell you that he has no prize pupil.  But he is lying.  Glenn Braddock does have a favorite student…

…or maybe I should say, students?  For his favorite students are his daughters, Gloria and Julia Braddock.

Glory Braddock was the first.  Julia would later follow in her sister’s footsteps but Glory was the first and was also the one that many thought would be the heir to the Braddock Wrestling Legacy.  If her first night out after graduating her father’s school was any indication, then success would definitely be in her future.  Her debut was part of a one night single elimination tournament, a tournament which she won to become a title holder.  Corruption and politics caused her to lose the belt just a few minutes later but no one could argue with what she did that very night.

And she didn’t let that one minor disappointment at the end stop her.  In a way, Glory saw that moment as her defining moment.  She knew that she couldn’t let corruption stop her.  She continued to fight against corruption anywhere and everywhere she saw it.  Along the way she would win fourteen world championships.  And throughout that entire time,  Glory Braddock continued to have one constant in her life and career…

…her father, Glenn Braddock.

The grizzled veteran would serve as her trainer, preparing her for any and every challenge that came her way.  Glory credits her father for all of her championship accolades.  When she returned to a full time wrestling schedule early last year, she of course brought her father along as her trainer.  And now that she has signed a deal with FFW, Femme Fatale Wrestling, she is bringing her father along for the ride.

We are met by the grunts and groans of a female who is hard at work, sticking and moving as she pounds away at a heavy bag dangling from the ceiling at a workout facility. This particular facility just so happens to be the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School and it closed a little early today so that Glenn Braddock could work privately with his daughter.

The concrete floor is gray and the walls are painted an off-white color, at least the walls that still have paint on them, as most of the paint on the walls has begun to peel.There is a standard wrestling set up in the center, weights scattered all over the floor.  At one of the far ends of the room is a red heavy bag.  Glory Braddock, wearing a pair of purple sweatpants, white tennis shoes, and a white t-shirt with her long dark auburn hair pulled into a ponytail in the back, is lacing furiously into the bag with rights and lefts, and even a few kicks for good measure.

Glenn Braddock stands not too far away, carefully studying his daughter’s stance and style as she strikes at the bag.  He occasionally stops to check his watch.  He is on a strict timetable, after all.

“Alright, stop!” Glenn shouts somewhat nastily in a voice that would make most anyone run for cover.  For her part, Glory knows that deep down inside her drill sergeant of a father is a teddy bear, but even she knows better than to disobey an order from him.  Glenn knows best, especially when it comes to wrestling. The British Bombshell obeys the command and stops working over the bag.  She stands at attention as her father approaches her with a rigid frown on his face.

“You looked better that time.  Keep it up and you’ll be ready for Raven Knight.”

“I would hope so!” Glory says, grinning from ear to ear. “I would like to think I’m ready for anyone.  Not to sound like I’m bragging or anything but…”

“I get the feeling you’re about to brag.” Her father states pointedly as he interrupts his first born child.  Glory reacts with an arched brow.

“Uh, yeah, it would be bragging somewhat, but you got to admit, dad, I should be ready for anyone; and that goes for whether I’ve prepared or not.”

“Do you want my help, Gloria?”

“Of course.”

“Then quiet and listen.” Glenn snarls. “You would do well to remember my lessons, specifically about how anyone can be beaten on any given day.  Don’t start buying into the hype those bloody media types in FFW tried to shill on social media.”

“They weren’t wrong.” Glory says giggling slightly.

“Right or wrong is irrelevant, the fact is that their social media team hyping you to the bloody moon could give you a big head, it could cause you to overlook and underestimate Raven Knight, and what happens when you do that?”

“You lose.”

“Precisely, and that’s the last thing I want from you.” Glenn may be a bit of a monster when it comes to training but he is a father at heart and he shows that as he reaches out and strokes his daughter’s cheek. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.  I know how badly you want to succeed here.  I don’t want to see you fail.”

“And I won’t fail.” Glory remarks, shaking her head. “I know damn well that underestimating an opponent is the cardinal sin of professional wrestling.  When have you ever known me to commit said sin?”

“Point taken.” Glenn answers with a nod of his head.

“See?  Everything will be fine.  If Raven wants to beat me she’ll have to outwork me.  It won’t be because I let her win.” Glory folds her arms over her chest and smirks.“But speaking of my distinguished competition, what do you know about her, dad?”

“I’ve got some film for you to watch back at my house, assuming you’ll bother to come visit.” He snarls.

“Hey now!” Glory says laughing, though still with a somewhat shocked look on her face. “I do visit you all the time!”

“Yeah, right now and only when you’re training for a match.” Glenn Braddock turns from Glory and approaches the wrestling ring set up a few feet away.  He sits on the edge of the ring apron.  Glory tilts her head to one side and frowns as she studies her father, who looks different than he used to.  Underneath that layer of tough grit is a sense of sadness.

“Dad, you ok?”

“You should visit more often, you know?” Glenn states grimly, stoically. “And not just when you’re here on business.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re always globetrotting, Glory.  Whether you’re competing for GCW, performing your functions as General Manager of Defiance, and now competing here for FFW?  I wonder where I fit in.” Glenn looks up at his daughter. “You know I won’t be here forever.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Glory remarks as she walks over to the ring apron and hops up there, sitting down next to her father.  She wraps an arm around his shoulder and plants a kiss on his cheek. “You’re so tough that Death has refused to take you three times out of sheer respect.”

“Right,” Glenn rolls his eyes “I’m not some bloody American buffoon like Chuck Norris.”

“Chuck Norris is no buffoon!  He was once bitten by a venomous snake and after three agonizing days the snake died!”

“Harumph!  The snake wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes with me!”

“See?  Now that’s the Glenn Braddock I know!” Glory remarks with a playful shove.

“Yeah?  My point remains, Gloria.  I won’t be here with you forever.”

“I said quit that talk.” Glory’s voice is much more serious now.  She really doesn’t want to think about her father being gone. “I have a match to prepare for, so why don’t you tell me what information you have on Raven Knight?”

“Fine, let’s get to it then.”

Glenn Braddock slowly pushes himself off of the ring apron.  Glory then hops up off of the ring apron as well and stands at attention before Glenn Braddock, her famous father.  Ready to take in any advice he is ready to give.

“She’s more of a brawler than anything else.  So she’ll bring the pressure early on.”

“Yeah and I’ve been through enough brawls that I should be able to handle myself.”

“Don’t get arrogant.” Glenn remarks scolding. “Didn’t I already tell you about that?  You might be able to ‘hang’ with her but she could outdo you if you’re not careful.  Stay with what your best at, Gloria, especially because what your BEST at is one of her greatest weaknesses.”

“Oh?” Glory arches her brow out of curiosity.

“She is nowhere near the technical wrestler that you are.  You should be able to wrestle circles around her.  Stick to that, stick to what you know, don’t try and prove anything by wrestling her type of match.” Glenn taps her on her forehead. “Be smart and you should be fine.”

“No worries then, right?” Glory Braddock grins from ear to ear. “All because of you!”

“Eh, I wouldn’t say that.” Glenn answers with a chuckle. “You’re doing the legwork.  I’m just the old piece of crap shouting at you in this gym.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.  You’re the smartest man in wrestling.  I wouldn’t want to have anyone else but you in my corner.  Because you and I,” she winks at her father “we make a great team!”

“Yeah, and I suppose it is good to be back in the saddle again.”

“That’s the spirit!”

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Glenn Braddock

On Camera

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You’ve heard all the hype by now; the hype surrounding the arrival of my daughter Glory Braddock to FFW.  I don’t need to hype her any further because her record speaks for itself.  But what you don’t know is that my daughter is a bit humble, maybe even too humble for her own good.  But then again, that’s why she has me.  I’m willing to tell all of you victims…because that’s what you are, victims…the truth about what you can expect about the arrival of Glory Braddock.

Glory Braddock’s arrival means the imminent shake up for FFW as you know it.  Everything you knew and loved about FFW is over.  Your precious spot on the roster is soon to be taken.  Those at the top will soon be at the bottom, those at the bottom will be at the top.  The whole first shall be last bullshit, you know?  In other words, Glory Braddock is going to turn this entire roster upside down.

You can try to stop her but I’m here to tell you right now that you can’t.  It’s like fighting mother nature herself.  You just can’t bloody well win.  And if you don’t believe me, just see for yourself when you watch her take Raven Knight apart on Velocity.  And then after the match is over, you can all go to Raven and ask her if what that old piece of shit Glenn Braddock said was accurate.

She’ll tell you I was selling The British Bombshell a little short.  She’s all of that and then some.

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Glory Braddock

On Camera

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Forgive my overbearing father.  When he gets on his high horse you can’t shut him up and believe me, it is thoroughly embarrassing!  But you can’t blame him. What parent wouldn’t want to brag on their child and what trainer wouldn’t brag on their student?  I happen to be both when it comes to Glenn Braddock.

Rest assured,I’m not here to take anyone’s spot or to turn FFW on its head.  No, I’m just here to compete.  That’s what I was born and bred to do.  I am a wrestler’s wrestler; a woman who climbs into that ring each and every night because I absolutely love the thrill of competition.  I love testing myself against the best professional wrestling has to offer.

My drive, my very motivation, is finding new obstacles to overcome, to challenges to meet head on, and everywhere I have been I met those new challenges head on.  Everywhere I have been I found a way to overcome each and every obstacle that was placed before me until I ascended to the top of the mountain.

That is why I call myself Best in the World.

But I get it, I’m new to FFW and that means I’m not the best.  Not yet, anyway.  That’s why I’m here.  I’m here to once again climb a mountain and once again prove that I can hang with the best this business has to offer.  And my road to the top of the mountain begins on Velocity against Raven Knight.

I’m not here to try and impress you with my resume, mate.  Let the social media butterflies do that with their bloody twitter hype.  I don’t need twitter or any other form of social media to prove how good I am.  I let my actions in the ring do the talking and Raven, let me warn you right here and now, you are going to hear me speaking to you loud and clear on Velocity.

It may be my debut but what you and everyone else will quickly come to realize is that I wrestle every match as if it’s my last.  No match is taken for granted.  Every match is the biggest match of my career.  And that means each and every night I step into the ring the fans of FFW will get to see The British Bombshell performing at her very best, giving them a spectacular show that they will never ever forget.

And you, Raven, you won’t soon forget it, either; because you will be front row center for the greatest show on a wrestling canvas.  You will be front row to watch me at my very best.

They say that you only get one chance, one opportunity, to make a first impression.  You may have heard of me, you may not have heard of me, but the fact is that this is my first match in FFW.  This is my FFW debut match.  I only get one debut match, one first match, and this opportunity won’t come back again.  I only get one chance to show the FFW universe just what I’m made of.

And I intend to make the most of this opportunity, Raven; unfortunately for you.