The Next Generation: Part 7

==========

May 22nd, 2019

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Off Camera

==========

SCW Breakdown is always busy and it doesn’t matter what city and arena are playing host; but the activity and excitement level seems to be at its peak around this time of year, because everyone on the roster knows that Rise To Greatness is just around the corner and one event can define an athlete’s SCW career and each superstar’s own individual road to Rise To Greatness.

That one career defining event is Taking Hold of the Flame.

An impressive showing in that event could propel an athlete to great things.  An impressive showing is just one thing, but to win the match itself, to outlast every other superstar in Taking Hold of the Flame propels them to the main event of Rise To Greatness to compete for the SCW World Championship.

Being World Champion is something Glory Braddock is familiar with; fourteen times in her illustrious career she has held a company’s top prized championship and has been a recognized world champion.  To this day she still has a drive to prove herself as among the best of the best and what better way to prove that point than by winning Taking Hold of the Flame?

The British Bombshell is being driven by that and other motivations, just like each and every other superstar backstage tonight at the Canadian Tire Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Everyone wants to impress as they begin the long, winding road to Rise To Greatness and the first major pitstop on that road is Taking Hold of the Flame.

While the SCW World Championship is definitely on her mind, The British Bombshell has other things on her mind as well…

“Wow!  I can hardly believe it, Ms. Braddock!” That’s the perhaps over jubilant voice of one Clyde Sutter as he is being led around backstage by Glory Braddock herself.

“Yeah, well get used to mate.” Braddock says stoically. “There’s a great deal more to this business than just going out to that ring and beating someone up, you know?”

“Sure, I know, although I think I got a little bit of that equation perfected.  Don’t you think?” Sutter winks, almost mischievously.  Braddock chuckles uneasily but secretly, she isn’t quite sure of herself.

The truth is, Sutter knows next to nothing about the backstage politics of the wrestling business.  He knows none of the unwritten rules when it comes to athletic competition of any sort.  All he knows is that his job as a wrestler is to go out to the ring, kick his opponent’s ass, and call it a day.  And Glory must admit, Clyde Sutter definitely has that part of the wrestling business perfected.

Before graduating any student from her wrestling school, Glory Braddock wants them all to have a well rounded education about what this business is all about.  That’s why she’s brought him here to this SCW Breakdown event.  He’s learned all he can learn from the tutelage of the Braddock Wrestling School.  The only thing left to learn is the unwritten rules, backstage mannerisms, and the sort.

Sophie O’Brian is the head trainer at Glory’s wrestling school and she thinks Glory is making a mistake in allowing Clyde Sutter to remain.  Braddock did witness Sutter violently beat on a fellow student during a sparring session, but Glory wants to give this kid a chance.  He has a story that makes her want to see him succeed.  But just because he has a sob story doesn’t mean he isn’t any less dangerous.

Braddock knows she’s taking a risk here with Sutter, she just hopes she is doing the right thing.

“Can I ask ya something, Ms. Braddock?”

“Sure, anything you want.” Glory responds quickly.

“You’re uh, related to a champion here in SCW.  Right?”

Braddock nods her head. “You do your homework.  Her name is Angelica Jones, she is the SCW World Tag Team Champion, and she is my cousin.”

“Can I see her?”

“Why?” Glory furrows her brow.

“Um, I want her...autograph?” His voice trails off.

“Autograph?” Glory folds her arms over her chest as she studies Clyde carefully and intensely.  The young Clyde breaks under pressure and sighs.

“Ok, also because she’s good looking.”

Braddock cannot quite believe her ears when she hears what Sutter said about her older cousin.  Granted, many agree that Angelica is attractive.  It’s still rather discouraging for Glory to hear.  The British Bombshell shakes her head.

“How about no?  At least, not right now.”

“Alright, fine.” Clyde answers, clearly looking a little disappointed but nevertheless undeterred.  “What about someone else then?”

“Who?”

“Bree?”

“Oh Lord,” Braddock shakes her head as she reaches out and places a hand on Clyde’s shoulder “look, Clyde, I think it’s time you and I have a very important talk.”

“I’m not in trouble, am I?”

“Not yet.”

The more she speaks with Clyde, the more uneasy she feels about him.  Maybe Sophie was right?  Maybe he is too dangerous to graduate?  Maybe he isn’t ready to be dubbed ‘the next generation’?  Yet still, his back story gets to her.  He is an orphan.  He has nothing, no chance at all at a future except through wrestling.  Glory Braddock wants to give this young kid a chance to better himself.

So she breaks…

“I think you’re seeing this game through one bright and happy lense.  I admit, that’s a little better than some who see things only through jaded lenses, but to be perfectly frank with you, mate, you need to see things through a clear and transparent lense, if you catch my drift.”

“I think I understand.” Clyde nods his head slowly.

“This game is not all fun and games.  It’s not all about the fame, the fortune, winning, and losing.  Sometimes you will be on top of the world and other times you will be feeling your lowest of the lows.”

“But that’s with life in general, Ms. Braddock.”

“I know, but it’s more than that with wrestling.  This game has the ability to corrupt people.  You may be fighting someone you deeply respect one week but the next you find yourself entangled with some fools who want to watch the world burn.” She sighs and shakes her head. “Look, this evening I was tangling with Giovanni Aries and Damian Angel.  All those wonderland wankers wanted to do was corrupt and control Konrad Raab.  All they want to do is spread their brand of chaos throughout this company.  They don’t care about winning, losing, or championships.  They just want to ruin lives and ruin this company for their own sick amusement.”

“Why is that, you think?” Clyde asks.  Braddock just shrugs her shoulders.

“I have no idea.  My point is that when you get your first wrestling contract, when you become a rookie, you are going to be blessed with the distinct honor and privilege of entering a sport of legends.  But so many rookies such as yourself enter this sport with that same golden happy feeling that you have, and unfortunately this game is not always so happy go lucky.  There are certain rules to this game, Clyde.  I know you think this game is just about you going out to that ring and beating up whoever they put across from you.  And I’ll tell you right now, when it comes to that aspect of wrestling, you are nearly perfect.  You are nearly ready for graduation.”

“Really?!” His face lights up like a Christmas tree upon hearing the prospects of graduation. “I’m gonna graduate?!”

“I said you are nearly ready.” Braddock cautions.  “You’re not quite there yet.  There are still more lessons to learn.  And that’s why I brought you here to Breakdown.  This is so you can learn those unwritten rules from firsthand experience.  Rules such as how and why you should show respect for those who came before you, even a little tart like Brasser Lancaster.”

Clyde snickers. “Brasser Lancaster, I like that!”

“But that’s not all.” Glory continues, ignoring Clyde’s laughter. “You are very advanced in your skills.  You are good; very good.  And that’s not just me speaking, Sophie has been telling me the same thing.”

“I appreciate the kind words, Ms. Braddock.” Clyde responds with a nod of his head.

“But the better you become, the more dangerous you become as well.  Clyde, you have to remember that a wrestler is, him or herself, a deadly weapon.  Use what you know wisely and with responsibility.”

“I understand.” Clyde nods his head again.

“Good.”

Braddock walks along the hall with Clyde following her closely.  The two remain in virtual silence, for this felt almost as if it were a parent lecturing a misbehaving child more so than a teacher praising a student.  But in many ways, Braddock views her students as children that need to be molded mentally and emotionally for this business, not just molded physically.  That’s why she doesn’t feel like she is capable of teaching her own daughter, Melinda Braddock, to be a professional wrestler.

Melinda and Glory used to have an excellent relationship as daughter and mother but ever since Melinda dropped the bombshell that she wanted to follow in her famous mother’s footsteps all hell has broken loose.  Melinda has been acting up from getting wasted at parties to attempted petty theft.  This definitely is not the young girl Glory Braddock remembers raising.

The British Bombshell cannot help but feel a tinge of guilt, as if she is partially responsible for driving her daughter to acting like this.  Sometimes she asks herself if Melinda would act better if she just gave in and let her train.  But there are reasons why she refuses to let her train.  Glory Braddock will hold firm and steadfast in her resolve.  She will not let her daughter train.

Glory leads Clyde to the parking lot area.  Immediately they spot Melinda Braddock standing by the rental car.  If looks could kill one or both would be dead by now.  It isn’t difficult to figure out that this is a rather awkward situation.  Clyde looks over at Glory.

“I think I forgot something inside.” He looks uneasily back at Melinda and then back at Glory. “I’ll be right back.”

“I understand.”

Clyde walks back into the arena, leaving Glory alone.  Braddock sighs as she braces herself for what might happen next between her and her daughter.  But she knows she cannot just ignore her parental responsibility.  She approaches the rental car and Melinda.

“What were you and Clyde talking about?”

“Nothing to do with you.  You’re lucky I even brought you with me tonight.”

“I deserve to be here.” Melinda retorts. “This is my legacy.  And I deserve to know what you and him were talking about.”

“You don’t deserve to know anything.”

“I bet it was to do with his career, considering he has one!” She snaps back at her mother with venom dripping from her voice.

“Of course.  And yes, he is about to graduate if you were wondering.”

“I should be graduating!  I CAN graduate!” Melinda insists, stomping her foot on the ground like the petulant child she has appeared to be lately. “But you won’t let me!”

“We’ve been through this…”

“Yes, and you still can’t explain why I can’t wrestle.”

“You really want to go through this again?” The British Bombshell sighs.  She rubs her temple. “Look, at first it was just me looking out for your own well being.  But now, in the past couple of months, you have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are reckless and immature and unable to show proper judgment.”

The elder Braddock motions with her right index finger at the entrance of the arena. “You walk through those doors each and every week and you step into a jungle.  You have to be very wise, responsible, and practical in order to survive and I don’t mean just surviving the ring.  You could easily get eaten alive by the predators backstage if you are not careful.”

“You’re exaggerating, mom.” Melinda remarks, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Am I?  Look at our great and respectable world champions,” the words ‘great’ and ‘respectable’ are dripping with sarcasm “one of them framed Kennedy Street for a crime just so she could win a world championship and the other is at least partially responsible for a marriage breaking up and she doesn’t give a damn.”

Braddock points back at Melinda. “And people like them, and worse, they are all crawling around backstage and could easily come after you, take advantage of you, and hurt you.”

“It’s my place to deal with that, not yours.”

“It should be your place but more and more I am coming to realize that you are not ready to deal with the jungle that is the backstage of any wrestling arena.”

“But I am eighteen years old!” Melinda again stomps her foot, even more angrily than before. “I should decide this!  Not you!”

“Is that so?” The British Bombshell shakes her head. “Ok, fine, this is the deal.  This is how it works. You can train, you can enter wrestling school, any wrestling school, including mine, but if you do I swear to you, Mel, I am kicking you out of my house.”

“What?!”

Glory nods her head. “That’s right, you’ll have to find a way to make bring in your own income, you have to find a way to put a roof over your head, you’ll have to grow up really damn quickly, Mel, because if you want to throw that ‘eighteen years old I’m an adult’ crap at me, then I will treat you like an adult.  Are we abundantly clear?”

Melinda Braddock begins to tear up.  Glory continues to stare at her coldly.  Melinda finally storms up to her mother and slaps her across her face.

“I hate you!”

Glory rubs her cheek, which stings, but the worst of the pain is emotional.  She watches her daughter walk over to the rental car and get inside.  Glory stares at Melinda and can’t help but wonder if she made the right decision.

==========

May 24th, 2019

London, England

Off Camera

==========

The bathroom had an earthy feel. The walls were large format tiles of white honed travertine and the floor was made of dull brown tiles. The vanities were of a dark wood and the counters were a brilliant white quartz. There was no bath but instead a huge walk in shower with two shower heads.  Standing there in the bathroom was the honey blonde haired beauty Glory Braddock.  Her form-fitting nightgown was a pristine white. It pooled around her like liquid silk. The silk caressed her skin like a cool autumn breeze.  The British Bombshell stands before one of the vanities, staring at her reflection, checking herself over again and again, making sure everything is perfect.

After all, hasn’t she made enough mistakes as it is?

More and more, with each passing incident, Glory Braddock questions her own parenting style when it comes to her oldest daughter, Melinda Braddock.  Young Melinda has gotten wasted at a party, engaged in petty theft, and is out and out rebellious against her own mother.  Glory can only wonder if she is partially to blame for Melinda’s behavior.  She only wanted one thing and that was her mother’s permission to train to become a wrestler; but Glory refused to grant her that permission.

For the first time in a very long time, Glory Braddock isn’t quite sure she can trust her own judgment.  And it isn’t just her questionable judgment calls with her own child that she worries about.  Ever since she did battle with Konrad Raab at Tabula Rasa she cannot help but ask herself if she has really made a difference?  Has she helped Konrad or just made things worse when it comes to him and his violent side that he calls Black Ice?  Even with that situation Braddock cannot help but wonder if she should just back off and let Konrad deal with this himself.

Then there’s the Clyde Sutter situation.  

No one can graduate from the Braddock Wrestling School without Glory giving them a passing grade.  Clyde is nearly there but the head trainer, Sophie O’Brian, thinks he is too dangerous to graduate.  Braddock now has to make another judgment call; graduate Clyde or trust Sophie.  Normally this would be an easy decision but it isn’t. Not anymore.  Glory doesn’t trust her own judgment enough to make a clear logical decision.

At least not yet.

Well, one thing she can be satisfied with is that she is ready to turn in for the evening.  She forces a smile on her face as she turns and exits the bathroom and enters the main master bedroom area.  Immediately she finds her loving husband, Kurt Logan, already lying underneath the comforter of the king sized bed.  The British Bombshell clears her throat to get his attention.  He turns and looks at her and smiles warmly.

“There’s my beautiful wife.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, love.” Glory remarks with a sly grin and a wink as she walks over to the bed.  She gently eases onto the bed and underneath the comforter. She locks lips with her husband and they begin to kiss passionately.  They keep this romanticism up for a few more seconds until suddenly Kurt jerks away, grimacing in pain.

“What’s wrong, Kurt?” Glory asks, suddenly worried for her husband.

“It’s nothing.” Kurt responds, shaking his head. “I’m just still smarting a little after that Last Man Standing Match against Randall Williams last week.”

Braddock nods her head.  Yet another unfortunate incident that she feels partially responsible for.  Does the consequences of her questionable judgment calls ever end?  Despite her best efforts to maintain a strong front, Braddock can’t help but show some signs of weakness.  Kurt takes note of it and frowns, studying his wife carefully.

“Are you ok, Glory?”

“Yes,” Glory lies as she nods her head “I’ll be fine.”

Kurt doesn’t believe his wife for one second.  He shakes his head. “No, it isn’t going to be that easy.  What’s wrong?”

“I told you, I’m fine.”

“If you’re feeling guilty about what happened between me and Randall, then you shouldn’t.  It’s over and it wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

“No, no, it isn’t that.” Glory shakes her head. “It’s an accumulation of things, really.  And yes, that is one of them.  Perhaps my bad judgment got you into that situation?”

“That’s nonsense, Glory.”

“I’m not finished.” The British Bombshell remarks. “Then there’s Konrad Raab, Black Ice, and the whole Wonderland nonsense.  Did my poor judgment escalate things there?”

“Your judgment is not poor.” Kurt reaches out and runs his hand through his wife’s long blonde hair. “If anything you are a wrestling genius.  Look at you, you are a fourteen time World Champion, you run a successful wrestling school, and you are the owner of a successful wrestling company.”

“Maybe so, but what about those other  things I mentioned?”

“Just an anomaly.” Kurt answers.

“An anomaly, is it?” Glory asks.  Kurt nods his head.  “Well if those were just anomalies, then how do you explain Melinda’s recent string of rebellious behavior if it doesn’t have something to do with my poor parenting?”

“Look, Glory, Melinda is at that age where she is going through a lot of changes.”

Braddock frowns. “Kurt, don’t you dare try to give me the birds and the bees talk about women…”

“No, no, not like that!” Kurt chuckles. “I meant more in the sense that she is going through a stage where she feels more and more independent, more and more she wants to strike out on her own and make her own decisions as opposed to relying on you or me.”

“Fair enough, but still she got drunk.  She tried to steal from a hotel.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t excuse her actions, and it does make our job as parents harder, but we do kinda have to see where she coming from.”

Glory sighs and nods her head. “Maybe…” before she can go any further, she hears her cell phone ringing.  Glory reaches over to her nightstand and picks up her iPhone.  The caller id shows it is Sophie O’Brian.  Braddock furrows her brow in confusion but quickly answers the phone.

“Yes, Sophie, what is it?”

Kurt stares at his wife.  He grows slightly concerned when Glory’s eyes grow wide in apparent shock.  Braddock nods her head again and again.

“Ok, yes, I’ll be right there.” She hangs up and immediately throws her legs over the side of the bed and stands up.  Kurt looks at his wife curiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to the school.”

“Why?”

“There’s been a robbery.”

==========

2 Hours Later

London, England

Off Camera

==========

The scene is chaotic in front of the Braddock Wrestling School.  Blue lights are flashing wildly.  Police are inside the school, looking around for clues as to what happened, and one rotund balding man in uniform stands with Sophie O’Brian and Glory Braddock just outside the school itself.  Lucky it isn’t raining but the air is quite cool, so both women are dressed similarly in dark black pants, sweaters, and matching leather jackets.

“Thanks for calling me, Sophie.” Glory whispers to her friend.

“Don’t mention it.  I hate to get you up this late for such bad news, though.”

The overweight balding officer clears his throat to get their attention.  “So which of you two ladies is the owner of this establishment?”

“That would be me.” Glory responds, raising her right hand almost as if she were about to take an oath.

“Ok, but you didn’t call us.” He looks at Sophie. “You did.  Who are you?”

“I’m Sophie O’Brian.  I am the head trainer at this wrestling school.”

“Were you the one who found this?”

“Yes.” Sophie nods her head. “I always return to check on things before I leave for home.  Call me paranoid but I have seen some terrible things in my time and I take nothing for chance.”

The officer is taking notes quickly with every word Sophie says.  “Well so far my men have found no sign of forced entry.  How did you know that there was a robbery, Ms. O’Brian?”

“Some money has been stolen.” Sophie remarks cooly.  “Nothing else.  Nothing damaged.  Just some money that has gone missing from the safe.”

The officer writes down the last few notes based on what Sophie just told him.  Then he turns his attention to Glory Braddock.

“Ms. Braddock…”

“Yes?”

“There are several things I find odd about this.  First, no sign of forced entry.  Second, nothing out of place except for the money missing from the safe.  It’s as if whoever did the deed took great care to make certain everything was fine.”

“What are you suggesting, officer?”

The balding officer sighs. “Whoever did this was either a very good thief, a real professional, or they knew how to get in already.”

“So you think the thief had access?”

“Precisely.” The officer nods his head. “Even more, I would suggest that the person who did this may be someone close to you.”

He shoots a wary eye over at Sophie before turning his attention back at Glory.  “Don’t leave, I still want to ask you a few more questions.  But in the meantime, watch your back.”

The officer walks away, into the school itself, leaving Glory and Sophie alone.  Sophie smirks.

“He thinks I did it.”

“Bloody hell, mate, you didn’t do yourself any favors when he was interrogating you.” Braddock exclaims. “You flat out told him you came back.  You had access.”

“Do you think I did it?” Sophie asks with an arched brow and a curious look on her face.

“No, not at all.” Braddock shakes her head. “This isn’t your style.  But I do agree with him in the sense that this was probably done by someone close to me who had access.”

“Interesting.” Sophie’s voice trails off slightly. “Almost as if you know who did it.”

“Let’s just say I have a suspect in mind.”

==========

Two Hours Later

London, England

Off Camera

==========

Back at Glory’s home in London, England Kurt Logan is sitting up with his stepdaughter Melinda Braddock in the living room, awaiting the return of Glory Braddock.  Melinda sits in her pajamas next to Kurt on the living room sofa, watching a comedy movie on television; just something, anything to keep the mood light as they wait.

Lucky for them, the wait isn’t much longer.

The door latch is heard unlocking.  Kurt picks up the remote control and turns off the television.  He and Melinda turn and watch and wait.  They hear the front door opening and then shutting behind it.  A few moments later Glory Braddock emerges from the hall into the living room.  A stoic gaze is etched upon her lovely features as she walks into the living room and over to the sofa.

“So what happened?” Kurt asks as his wife sits down in between him and Melinda.

“Yeah, is everything ok at the school mom?” Melinda chimes in, showing just as much concern.

“It’s strange, actually.” Gloy begins. “Nothing is out of place, nothing is damaged.”

“Well that’s good.” Melinda states.

“So nothing was taken?” Kurt asks curiously.

“Just some money removed from the safe.”

“Do they have any idea who did it?” Kurt asks.

“Well they think someone with inside knowledge did it.  There was no sign of forced entry, no damage, nothing out of place, all that makes them suspect it was an inside job.  Their top suspect is Sophie.”

“Really?!” Kurt exclaims in shock.

“I could believe it.” Melinda says coldly. “She is an admitted sociopath.”

“Well they won’t say it officially but that’s who they are leaning towards.”

“Do you agree with them?” Kurt asks.

“No.” Glory glares at Melinda. “I think you had something to do with it.”

“What?!” Melinda and Kurt both shout in unison.

“Don’t play games with me, Mel.  Not tonight!  You know damn well that you are fully capable of theft.  You’ve done it before.”

“I tried to rob a candy machine at a hotel!” Melinda exclaims. “That’s a far cry from robbing the safe at your school!  Hell, I don’t even know the combination to that safe!  Only you and Sophie do!”

“But you do have access.”  Glory retorts.  “And you have motivation.”

“Motivation?  Why would I want to rob my own mother?!”

“Because you’re angry with me.  You are angry that I will not let you train and you are acting out.  That’s why you began to drink underage, that’s why you became a thief.”

“I am not a thief, mom!  And I can’t…” she shakes her head vehemently with tears rolling down her cheeks “...I can’t believe you’d accuse!”

Melinda gets up off of the sofa and runs out of the living room.  She can be heard stomping up the stairs.  Braddock sighs and shakes her head.

“And I can’t believe she’d do a thing like this.” Glory remarks.

“Are you sure she did it?” Kurt asks curiously. “I mean, she makes a good point.  Going from stealing from a candy machine to stealing from a safe is a big leap.  Plus Sophie is a more logical suspect.  She knows the combination, has access, and has burned you before.”

“If you’re asking me if I trust Sophie then no, I don’t.  But I do know Sophie.  This is petty crime and Sophie is anything but petty.  If Sophie wanted to harm me in any way she would make it as big and grandiose as possible.”

“Ok, fine, but Melinda?  Really?”

“It makes perfect sense, Kurt.” Glory remarks. “She’s been rebellious lately.  She wants to pay me back.  So, she does stupid crap like this.”

Kurt shakes his head. “I just don’t know.  Melinda has been acting strange lately but I don’t see her as being the kind of person to pull a stunt like this.”

“Honestly, I hope I’m wrong.  I really do hope that I am wrong about this.  But I do know my daughter and I think that this is something she would do.”

==========

On Camera

==========

We are finally here on the road to Rise To Greatness.  That one singular career defining event.  The biggest event in the calendar year of Supreme Championship Wrestling.  And everyone on the SCW roster wants to punch their ticket to the big game.  Everyone wants to cement their legacy on the grand stage.

That’s why the locker room is full of excitement.  The athletes are buzzing over the first major pitstop on this long and winding road to Rise To Greatness and that pitstop is called Taking Hold of the Flame.

That excitement, that fire deep down within the heart and soul of every superstar, whether you are a Hellcat like my friend Regan, a pompous stuck up tart like Brasser Lancaster, or an insane reject from the funny farm like Giovanni Aries, it’s burning within them all.  But it burns for different reasons.  These athletes have different drives, different motivations.

Most of them just see Taking Hold of the Flame as their golden ticket to the top spot, because if you can manage outlast every other competitor in this war, then you will guarantee yourself a spot in the main event of Rise To Greatness competing for the SCW World Championship.  And I know about that burning flame deep down inside of a competitor’s heart and soul because I’ve been there before.

Fourteen times I have held a recognized World Championship.  Yes, I am a heavily decorated athlete, and as an athlete who has been to the top I can tell you that winning it once isn’t good enough.

Ask Kennedy Street, Alistaire Allocco, Selena Frost, or any of the other former World Champions who are competing in this Taking Hold of the Flame event.  If they were willing to settle then they wouldn’t be putting their bodies through the torture that Taking Hold of the Flame will be just for a shot at maybe, just maybe, winning the whole thing and getting another chance to wrestle for the title.

That drive to be the best is still there.  You want to rise to the top of the mountain because you believe you are the best and you want to prove it to the world.  That’s one reason why I continue to do this job.  I have to prove myself.

People have called me “The Best in the World” and yeah, it’s flattering.  It does help the ego at times.  But I don’t buy it.  I don’t believe it.  I have to continue to go out to that ring and prove it to myself over and over again.  It’s the competitive drive that I was born with, that was drilled into my head from birth to now, I have to compete against the best to prove to myself that I am the best.

So yes, I am in this thing for the same reason just about every other person is in this thing for; I want to win Taking Hold of the Flame, go on to the main event of Rise To Greatness, and win my fifteenth World Championship.

Yet you have to understand, different people have different motivations and that championship belt, as glorious as it may be, isn’t the only driving force.  Being the best and having the bragging rights to say that you went through everybody that there is to beat in SCW in one damn match, even that sometimes isn’t enough.

Sometimes people have other motivations.

There are those who want to topple a fake Lizard King.

Still others want to use the spotlight as an excuse to show off their bodies.

And still others just want to watch the world burn and cause as much chaos as possible.

Me?  I like to think I’m a selfless soul.  I would call myself a champion for the people but that hashtag has been taken by a few other brassers who are too damn full of themselves to know what it means to be for the people.  If you really are for the people, you’re not going gloat about it every chance you get.  So I’m not going to go there.  But I will take the time to say that this industry has given so much to me and to my family that I feel obligated to give back in some small manner.

I’ve learned over time that this isn’t just about feeding my ego.  Sometimes it’s about stopping the monsters.  Sometimes it’s about doing what is best for the company that you call home.

I haven’t had the chance to call Supreme Championship Wrestling home for very long, and I will be the first to admit that as a relative newcomer to this great place, I am no expert on its history.  But then again, it doesn’t take a bloody rocket scientist to see that SCW deserves much better than what it currently has as SCW World Champion.

They may throw barbs and insults at one another like immature children, but the truth of the matter is that The Beauty Factory, Dark Fantasy, Infamous, whatever you want to call the little tarts, all led by Sienna Swann and Syren respectively, they truly are the same disgusting creature.

Willing to ruin lives all in the name of staying at the top of the mountain.

Willing to end careers all in the name of staying at the top of the mountain.

Sasha may be running this show but whether it’s Swann or Syren, she has a despicable tyrannical bitch of a champion representing this great company.

Supreme Championship Wrestling deserves better than a tyrant as champion.

Motivation is everything, and yes, I am motivated by the gold, I won’t deny it, but that’s just a small thing in the back of my mind.  I want to be the one who ends the reign of either Sienna Swann or Syren as the champion of this great company.   I want to put an end their tyranny once and for all.  I want to be the one to do it because I know I can do it.

And that’s why I know I will win Taking Hold of the Flame.  I am not just fighting for myself, I am fighting for a cause greater than myself, and unlike those idiots in the Brasser Factory, I actually mean it when I say it!

So Sienna, Syren, you focus on one another.  Beat the hell out of each other for all I care.  But know this, whoever wins between you two, I have winner and I have the winner in the main event of Rise To Greatness; because no one else in this Taking Hold of the Flame can stop me.  No one in SCW will stop me.  I’m going to go through each and every person who gets in my way.

And then I’m coming to take the World Championship.  Sic Semper Tyrannis...