==========
December 25th, 2019
Southampton, England
Off Camera
==========
Moss-laden bricks of grey-orange, fitting as guards
on the threshold. Behind the fool’s-ancient wrought-iron gates. Where rows upon
rows of crumbling mounds stood in various interpretations of upright, their
pores bathing in light from an ill moon, ailing. Porous trees hunched over most
of the void spared by the sickening light’s expanse, plunging the rest in
healthy shadow. The place echoed. Moss-laden marble pillars stood as
despairing guards on either side of the cemetery threshold. Behind the ancient
wrought-iron gates were rows upon rows of crumbling gravestones, their engraved
epitaphs bathed in light spilt from an ashen moon. Gnarled trees hunched over
most of the expanse, plunging the rest in shadow. The place echoed with painful
grief and the emptiness of heartfelt loss. The graveyard was so neat. Row upon
row of white marble tombstones all rising from the manicured grass. Each one
was perfect, polished and exactly the same as all of the others, except the
name it bore. They were lined up perfectly with those in front and behind, a
city block for the dead.
This is where Glory Braddock enters as the day is
about to draw to a close and night prepares to take over. Most would find
a place like this to be a difficult place to visit. For many a cemetery is creepy and spooky; a
place of death itself. The British Bombshell does not see it that way at
all. Graveyards need not be grave, yet
can be a place of new life and the reaching of blossom from tight bud. The
graveyard can be a place to bring the joy of rebirth and renewal to the spirit
and wish our loved ones well on their onward voyage. In this case, she
hopes this particular visit will bring her peace, tranquility, and maybe some
answers.
Glory Braddock is wearing a long flowing black maxi
skirt, black high heeled pumps underneath, a white silk blouse, and a matching
floral print black blazer. Gloves covered her hands on this evening. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to
shoulder length. The beautiful
self-proclaimed Best in the World seems to know precisely where she wants to
go, she seems to know exactly where she is heading as she makes a beeline past
several rows of headstones until one particular one comes into sight. The
British Bombshell approaches this headstone and stops.
The gravestone was as white as the crystalline
snow. Under the steady glow of the dim light that remained in the day it seemed
to have an aura of its own. Glory reached out,at first with cerise woollen
fingers to touch the marble and run her fingers over the black engraved
lettering, but she quickly removed the glove. Her bare fingers blanched in the
wintry wind but she didn't care. Somehow the feel of the stone on her skin
brought her some peace. It was beautiful, polished and smooth. It reads
simply, “Glenn Braddock: Loving Father”.
Funny, for someone who dedicated his entire life
being the best wrestler in the world his headstone does not mention him by his
wrestling nickname, Britain’s Best. It doesn’t even mention his wrestling
career at all. It simply refers to his
time as a father. Glory, who knew her
father better than anyone else, knows how appropriate this is. Her
father’s sole desire was to be the best wrestler in the world but a sudden,
unexpected injury put a stop to that dream coming to fruition. He vainly tried to keep his hopes and dreams
alive through the wrestling school and through his children, Glory and Julia,
but at the end of his life he realized his obsession with wrestling did cost
him a relationship with Julia, who abandoned the family name altogether, and
nearly lost his daughter Glory. Thus at the end of his life he wanted the
world to know him as a father, not as a wrestler.
Still, Glory knows that her father is a beloved
figure in English wrestling circles. She wants to preserve his memory and
maybe even his dream. So she wanted to
make sure his headstone was exquisite. It was the most expensive option
in the catalogue and she had chosen it without hesitation. Her late father
would never see it of course, he would never know, but she would. It was her
final gift to the man who gave his all to the sport of professional wrestling,
the man who taught her everything she knows about the industry.
“Hi, dad…”
Glory’s voice trails off. Normally The British Bombshell, who is all about
public appearance, would be fighting back the tears in an attempt to look
strong. She knows she is alone, though, so putting on a strong front does
not matter. Braddock chooses, instead,
to look weak and let the tears flow freely. “...damn, I miss you, dad.
I miss you so much. Despite all the time we spent together I still feel we missed
out on so bloody much.”
The blonde chuckles. “That’s probably because we
were always wrestling. Anything and everything we did together had to do
with wrestling. And you know, I unfairly blamed you for that.”
Braddock shakes her head. “But it was partially my fault. I didn’t
want to just live up to your lofty standards, I wanted to fulfill your
dream. I wanted to become the Best in the World. So I did...at the expense of having a normal
relationship with you…”
She sighs, shakes her head, and wipes some tears
from her eyes “...what I miss the most is the advice you would give.
You always gave me the absolute best advice and now, when I need you the most,
when I am at a crossroads and need to know where to go from here, you aren’t
available to provide that advice.”
Braddock wipes some tears from her eyes. “Angelica
told me you’d always be there for me, in my heart…” she rolls her eyes “...but
I’m not getting any bloody answers from my heart.”
At this moment a vision starts to come over her.
Two figures, both of them somewhat translucent and see through, appear a few
feet away but just behind Glenn Braddock’s headstone. As the two figures
come into focus, Glory can see that one is her father and the other is herself,
back when Glory was twenty five years old. This is a flashback, a memory
that Glory recalls quite well. This is
the conversation that she had with her father on the day she graduated from his
wrestling school.
“I have been working with you for nine bloody
years, Gloria. And in those nine years it has become obvious to me and
everyone else out there in that ring busting their ass with any fucking brain
cells to rub together that you are the absolute best of this graduating
class. And I don’t say that lightly, I damn sure don’t say that because
you’re my daughter. You truly have
proven yourself better than anyone else out there.”
“Don’t say that, dad. They work just as hard
as me and…”
“They may work just as hard as you but you are
better than them. All of them. Everything
I have witnessed you do proves that. I
am about to give each and every one of them a speech similar to one you’re
about to hear, but I wanted to tell you first, because you are the best.
You are the diamond. You will be the one
to carry on my legacy and fulfill my dream.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“There is one final lesson you need to learn.
It is the final lesson each and every student who passes through this gym will
hear before graduation, because everything I have taught you and everything you
have learned from me during these past nine years are tools. They are
resources. They are very powerful tools
and very powerful resources.”
“You mean they can be used for good or bad?”
“Yes, sort of; but more like foolishly or
wisely. You, Gloria Marie Braddock, are a wrestler, and a wrestler, him
or herself, is the single most dangerous weapon. Use what you have
learned wisely. Do you understand what I
have just told you?”
“Yeah...I think so…”
With that the two figures fade away back into her memory.
A slight roar of thunder off in the distance causes The British Bombshell to
worry just a little. This whole trip appears to be a bust. Still no answers, despite the memory from her
mind just now. Maybe she should turn back and leave before it starts to
rain? It is at that moment she hears
leaves rustling. A sly grin forms upon her face. The gorgeous blonde turns around and spots a
cloaked figure approaching from the distance. Some might feel nervous or
afraid being here in a cemetery this late at night and seeing a figure like
this approaching but not Glory. As a matter of fact, she feels completely
safe. She was expecting this individual,
which is illustrated quite clearly as Glory places her hands on her hips and
stares down the cloaked figure who stops just a few feet away from her.
“Sophie, you’re late.”
The cloaked figure places the hood of her cloak
down and reveals that, indeed, this is Glory’s long time best friend and fellow
graduate of the Braddock Wrestling School; Sophie O’Brian. The black
haired Irish beauty has a frown upon her face.
She doesn’t appear too happy right now with her good friend as she uses
the thumb on her right hand to motion back behind her.
“I thought we were going to meet at the gate?
I thought we were going to come in together.”
“We were, but I changed my mind because I wanted
alone time with my dad.”
“Well, that’s different then I guess.”
Sophie says with a disappointed sigh. “I mean, I wish I could say I
understand you but truthfully I cannot. I hated my blood drunkard of a
father and I’m glad the bastard is dead.”
Braddock lets out a light chuckle. This is typical
Sophie, she rarely holds anything back unless she is trying to manipulate
people. She only tried to manipulate Glory one time and that one time was
a magnificent failure. The Irish beauty
has since realized that any attempts to manipulate Glory are pointless.
Glory just knows Sophie all too well. The
truth is, Glory and Sophie are practically the same person. In terms of wrestling style and skill, they
are equals. The only way the differ is
in what motivates them, what drives them to do what they do. Most would
argue that Glory Braddock is a good person who fights for what is right whereas
Sophie O’Brian selfishly does what is only in her best interest. Glory definitely believes that and for a long
time Sophie even believed it but recently Sophie has changed her mind about
this. Now she does not believe that she and Glory are all that different
after all.
“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the
living...Marcus Tullius Cicero.” O’Brian
remarks, staring stoically down at the gravestone of Glenn Braddock. She
runs her hand across its smooth stone exterior and then pulls her hand
back. The raven haired beauty looks up at Glory yet again. “Why have
you brought me out here, Glory?”
“Do you remember back when we first graduated from
my dad’s wrestling school?”
“Bloody hell, of course.” Sophie
nods her head emphatically. “It was one of the greatest days of my life.”
“It was for me too.” Braddock
says with a nod of her head. “I remember dad telling me each one of us
individually, one by one, and give us the one final lesson. You remember
it, don’t you?”
It is a dumb question, Glory realizes, but she asks
it anyway. Anyone who graduates from the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School
is taught this final lesson on graduation day, just as Glory was, just as
Sophie was. Sophie, as any good former Braddock student, remembers this
lesson well and immediately nods her head.
“He told me, ‘You, Sophie O’Brian, are a wrestler,
and a wrestler, him or herself, is the single most dangerous weapon. Use
what you have learned wisely.’ That’s
what he told me.”
“That’s pretty much what he told me.”
Glory remarks quietly, gravely. Sophie, feeling a little impatient at the
time with a desire to know what the point of all of this is, rolls her eyes.
“We all know that, Glory. That’s what he told
everyone who graduated from the school.” Sophie
points a finger at Glory. “Now you’re telling all of the graduates the same
bloody thing. So what’s your point?”
“It isn’t about the words, mate, it’s about the
meaning behind the words. You know as well as I do that you and I have
differing opinions of what that statement meant. We always have had a
different opinion of what that statement truly meant.”
Braddock takes a few steps closer towards Sophie. Now she is up in the
face of her good friend but not in a threatening manner. “You always took it
as meaning victory at any cost. The skills and knowledge my father
bestowed upon us, in your mind, were tools and resources that you could use to
achieve whatever goals you had. The ends justified the means, as far as
you were concerned, Sophie. If breaking
your opponent’s neck helped you to achieve your goal then by God you would
break their bloody neck.”
The frown of impatience and agitation that had been
upon Sophie’s face changes drastically into a smug, almost arrogant smirk as
she takes in everything her good friend has just told her. Glory then points
towards herself as she continues her rant. “But me, I always took what I had
learned and used it to do what was best for professional wrestling.
Professional wrestling had given so much to me and my family that I had wanted
to give back to it.”
“Is that so, Ms. Best in the World?”
Sophie’s voice is full of sarcasm and accusation. Glory remains steadfast
and unmoving. Sophie points towards the
headstone. “Your father gave us the same speech, Glory. And you’re
right, for a time we thought that we had two very different opinions of what
that speech truly meant. Looking back at your career as well as mine, I’m
not entirely sure that our opinions are that different.”
The beautiful Irish woman pokes Glory in the chest.
“You speak of being upright and selfless but answer me this, Glory; how exactly
does winning fourteen world championships benefit anyone else in this industry
other than yourself? How does you becoming SCW World Champion benefit anyone
else but yourself? Sure, back at Rise To
Greatness it was about dethroning Syren but Alistaire Allocco won the
match. He became champion. You
should have been satisfied. But be honest with me, were you truly satisfied?”
The British Bombshell stares a hole through her
best friend Sophie. She would like to deny it but it would be a lie. Glory sighs and shakes her head. Sophie
nods approvingly. “Right, and you shouldn’t have been satisfied. You should
never have been satisfied with having to fight Abigail Lindsey, or carry Peyton
Rice against Abigail and Sutter. You shouldn’t have been satisfied with
an elimination chamber match as another world title match. You shouldn’t be satisfied with this open invitation
battle royal for the world title. Your opportunity should be one on
one. Hell, ANY championship match should
be one on one, triple threat at most.
This bloody battle royal where anyone can enter, including people from
outside Supreme Championship Wrestling, it is a joke and you know it. Yet
the people love it. The urchins lurking
in the SCW locker room love it because it is their golden opportunity to win a
title that they do not deserve being anywhere near.”
Sophie points at herself and then Glory. “You
and I know what’s best for professional wrestling because we were taught by the
man who knew professional wrestling better than anyone else.” Sophie lays a
hand upon the Glenn Braddock headstone. “That man was your father, Glenn
Braddock.”
The British Bombshell is stunned in silence.
She is stunned not because of what she has heard, because she has heard these
words from Sophie before. She is stunned because she cannot find it
within herself to argue against what she is saying. And the Irish beauty isn’t finished yet. “Wanting
to give back to professional wrestling is a noble cause, Glory, because we both
know that those in charge of wrestling today do not know what is good for it,
especially those in SCW. And there is no harm in taking a reward every
now and then for all of the sacrifices you make for this industry. You deserve it, Glory. You deserve to be SCW World Champion. Let no one tell you otherwise.”
Braddock is not sure what to say at this
point. She agrees with much of what Sophie has to say but doesn’t want to
admit it. The blonde doesn’t answer right away and instead turns and
gazes down at her father’s headstone. She stares at the grave for an
indeterminate amount of time before Sophie begins again, this time with a question.
“Would your father be pleased with the current state of professional
wrestling?”
“You already know the answer.”
Glory says quietly with a sigh. “Sophie, I was sixteen years old when I
began my training. This bloody end of the year battle royal where anyone
and everyone under God’s green earth is invited to participate and compete is
all fine and good when it’s just money and a car on the line but now, this
year, the SCW World Championship is on the line. Do you think my father
would have approved of me entering that bloody nonsensical war and, by some
stroke of luck, happen to become world champion without having had any
professional training?”
The black haired Sophie shakes her head. “No, he
wouldn’t.”
“Damn right he wouldn’t. There are a fucking
ton of people out there who could become world champion but do not deserve it
because they have not put forth the time, the effort, nor have they shown the
will to win. That isn’t professional wrestling. That’s…” she
shakes her head with disgust “...that’s a side show.”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
Sophie asks with a sinister grin forming upon her face. Glory pauses for
a moment to think about this question.
Eventually she turns and kneels down next to her father’s
headstone. Braddock lays her head upon the stone. It brings comfort, peace, as well as the
answers that she has been seeking for so long.
“Don’t worry, dad. I will make damn sure that
the hard work you have done to make this industry what it is today was not done
in vain.”
==========
December 27th, 2019
Raleigh, NC
Off Camera
==========
“Don’t let your history interfere with your
destiny.” - Steve Maraboli
Ever since her graduation from her father’s
wrestling school, Glory Braddock was convinced that she had everything figured
out. The British Bombshell was convinced that she knew what her path was
supposed to be and she knew that she was on the right path. Despite every bump in the road and any and
all mistakes that she seemingly made, Braddock knew that they were all for a
purpose. All of it was for a greater good and that she was on the right
path for greater things. All of that
changed when her father, Glenn Braddock, passed away. The passing away of the single most
influential man in her life rocked her world to its very core. Whereas before she would look at the events
going on around her with a determination and an absolute knowledge that she was
right, now she is left in doubt and confusion, unsure if she was making the
right decisions or not.
The one thing Glory Braddock knew more than
anything else is that family is very important. Her mother, Mary Ford,
valued family above anything else. Even
her father, at his deathbed, told Glory to never ever turn away from her family
the way he did during life. It is for this reason that Glory sought out
the advice of her family and friends, including her cousin Angelica Jones and
the one woman who has been more like a sister than a best friend, Sophie
O’Brian. Now she is confident and assured of who she is and what she
needs to do. She is certain of her
destiny and she will not allow her past to define it for her.
Still, despite her certainty, there is one other
person she must see.
The law offices of James Phillips today in Raleigh,
NC; the law office that represents none other than the Board of Directors of
Glory Braddock’s own wrestling promotion, the atmosphere is so tense you could
cut it with a knife. But this thick, tense atmosphere does not bother The
British Bombshell, not one iota. She is
used to this kind of cutthroat legal and corporate drama. She learned her lessons well on how to deal
with the suits, who arguably are more ruthless and cunning than the athletes
she deals with on a regular basis in SCW, and she learned those lessons from
Aphrodite Noel, a woman she once considered like a mother figure to her.
Glenn Braddock taught Glory how to survive and be the best inside the squared
circle but Glory credits Aphrodite for her knowledge of how to be cutthroat and
ruthless outside the ring. Braddock is
prepared to utilize all of the tools she has learned to her fullest advantage
this evening.
She is sitting in a lobby just outside of the
conference room. The beautiful blonde is wearing a black pencil skirt
that flatters her curves, a matching black suit coat over a white silky
blouse. Her feet are encased in black peep-toe high heeled pumps. Her long golden locks of hair hang to just
below the shoulders. She has been
waiting her for awhile now but she can afford to wait. Braddock has been
waiting a long time for this moment. The
British Bombshell since early November has wanted to consolidate her assets,
specifically her wrestling promotion and her wrestling school, to make things
easier to manage as well as cool off some of the heat generated from the Board
of Directors at her wrestling promotion, a board that is especially upset with
her for dividing up her time and not placing a heavy enough emphasis upon running
her company. It is crazy, as far as Glory is concerned. She thought most individuals would love not
being micromanaged and yet these Board members representing her company want
more of her attention. If that is what
they want then that is what they will get in due time.
Her wait comes to an end when the conference room
door opens and a younger looking brunette steps out, smiling politely at Glory.
“They’re ready for you, Ms. Braddock.”
Glory stands up and nods in the woman's general
direction as a way of acknowledging her. “Thank you.”
The brunette steps aside and holds the door open as
Glory walks across the laminate floor, her heels clicking as she goes. The
brunette shuts the door upon Glory walking across the threshold into the
conference room. The first thing she
spots is an oval shaped brown oak desk. Sitting around this desk are a
group of nine individuals, five men and four women. Braddock scans the entire room, making sure
to make eye contact with each of the nine attorneys that make up this army of
legal expertise before her. While she is certain that things will go in
her favor, she still wants to leave nothing unchecked, no rock unturned, before
this meeting begins to officially merge all of her assets into one.
Braddock recognizes her lead attorney, Robert Odom,
is in the room at the head of the table. She nods in his direction and he
acknowledges her with a nod as well. One
of them she recognizes as James Phillips, the lead attorney representing her
Board of Directors. Six of the remaining seven she does not recognize,
and thus must be James’s associates, a part of her Board’s legal army. Then she notices a man in a dark gray suit
and tie, he has long gray hair pulled into a ponytail in the back. He
definitely does not look the part of a well groomed attorney but he is Clegg
Mabry and he never has looked the part.
Clegg Mabry is the attorney representing Glory’s biological sister,
Chastity Noel, who sits next to him at the table.
Glenn Braddock once told her that before any
wrestling match begins she should always size up her competition. She
should always evaluate who and what she was up against. It isn’t that much different in the corporate
world, Aphrodite once told her in regards to dealing with corporate suits and
dirty attorneys. The British Bombshell has now evaluated her enemies, she
knows what her goal is and the strategy to achieve the goal, and now it is time
to implement her plan.
“I am so glad that all of you could make time out
of your busy schedules to discuss the future of my promotion,”
the blonde beauty begins to make her way around the table as she speaks, making
certain everyone can hear her words. She stops in front of an empty chair
that happens to be next to her sister Chastity.
This empty chair is not by accident or coincidence. Chastity saved
it for Glory “as well as the future of OUR wrestling school.”
Glory places a hand upon the shoulder of her sister,
who smiles politely up at Glory and then out at the attorneys present for this
meeting. While it hasn’t been made public knowledge yet, these attorneys
in the room are all well aware of the fact that Chastity and Glory, who for a
few weeks were at legal odds over the future of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling
School when Chastity attempted a lawsuit to make a legal claim to ownership,
have now come to a settlement; Glory has agreed to give fifty percent of the
ownership of the wrestling school to her sister. Despite the name she
chooses to use, Chastity is still a Braddock, she is still her sister, and she
deserves her inheritance. Besides,
having Chastity as an ally as opposed to an enemy is much better.
“And to remind everyone of why we are here today, I
wanted to consolidate my assets in order to make it easier for me to manage not
only my company but compete actively as a professional wrestler. The only
issue with this consolidation was that my sister, Chastity Alexis Noel, had
legal claim to one of my biggest and most important assets; the Glenn Braddock
Wrestling School. My sister and I have
come to an agreement so that we can settle this outside of court.
Chastity will receive a fifty percent share of ownership in the Glenn Braddock
Wrestling School. My fifty percent share
will be consolidated within my promotion, Global Championship Wrestling.”
The British Bombshell sits down in the empty chair
and smiles knowingly at her sister Chastity responds with an equally knowing
wink. James Phillips, a balding man wearing a navy blue suit and tie, stands
up. “Just as Ms. Braddock did, I too would like to welcome everyone
here. My name is James Phillips and I represent the Board of Directors
for Global Championship Wrestling. I can confirm that the Board has
agreed with the arrangement Ms. Braddock spoke of and we are prepared to make
this official. Every attorney involved has signed the appropriate
paperwork and now all that remains is the signatures of the ownership, namely
Ms. Braddock and Ms. Noel.”
Phillips produces a thick stack of papers and
slides it across the desk towards Glory Braddock and Chastity Noel. “This
deed will sign over a fifty percent share of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling
School from Ms. Gloria Marie Braddock to Chastity Alexis Noel.” Glory takes
the deed first, flips it to the back page where she knows the signature page
is, and uses a pen provided to her by attorney Clegg Mabry, and signs the
document. She passes the pen and deed over to Chastity, who signs her
name as well, making that part of the transfer official. Chastity slides the deed back across the desk
to James Phillips, who takes the deed, places it back in his portfolio, and
then produces another thick stack of paperwork; another deed.
“This deed does not require Ms. Noel’s signature as
her share is not being transferred. This deed deals only in Gloria Marie
Braddock’s fifty percent share of ownership of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling
School.” He slides the deed across the table to Glory Braddock. “By signing
this deed, she will consolidate her fifty percent share of the Glenn Braddock
Wrestling School with her promotion. The Board of Directors have already
signed off on this, all that remains is your signature, Ms. Braddock.”
“Thank you, Mr. Phillips.”
Glory takes the pen back from Chastity, flips the deed to the back page, and
signs her name onto the deed. She slides the deed back across the desk to
attorney James Phillips who places it back in his portfolio.
“And that makes everything official. Starting
with the first day of 2020, Ms. Chastity Alexis Noel will be fifty percent
owner of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School. The other fifty percent
will be consolidated with Global Championship Wrestling, all of which is owned
by Gloria Marie Braddock, who I now cede the floor to for closing remarks.”
James Phillips sits down. Glory feels an
overwhelming sense of victory and satisfaction. Her Board of Directors
tried to torpedo this deal for a long time but now she has gotten the deal she
wanted. While her position within the wrestling school may be legally
weaker than it was before, she now has a much stronger position within her
company. As far as the school itself, as long as she and her sister
remain allies, then her strength within the school will not change all that
much. The British Bombshell stands up,
looking across the table at the attorneys present, almost as if they are
conquered prisoners. A smirk forms upon her lovely face.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for
being here today. I want to thank my attorney, Mr. Odom, as well my
sister’s attorney, Mr. Mabry, who worked hard to make this happen. I
would also like to thank the GCW Board of Directors for seeing the brilliant
and bright future that this consolidation means for all parties involved.” The
British Bombshell turns to her sister and extends a hand. “I would also like
to thank my sister Chastity. Stand up with me, Chastity.”
Noel nods and takes her sister’s hand and stands
up. “We have had disagreements before, and we understand that we will never
agree on everything, but we also understand that we are stronger
together. No matter what name you know us by, we are still children of
the great Glenn Braddock and members of the Braddock family. Our father may have passed away but his legacy lives on in both
of us and together Chastity and myself will not only finish his work but we
will add to it, we will continue to give back to the world of professional
wrestling, not only making it great again but making it even better than it was
before.”
Glory and Chastity embrace in a tight hug as the
attorneys present stand and applaud. While the applause goes on, Glory
whispers into her sister’s ear. “I would like to speak to you outside.
Is that ok?”
“Yes.”
Chastity remarks, nodding her head.
The next few minutes are taken up by the requisite
shaking hands and greeting the attorneys. Glory doesn’t particularly care
for the attorneys. With the exception of
her own personal attorney, Robert Odom, Glory really doesn’t like any of
them. It is probably safe to say that some of them do not like her
either. Still, despite the fact that the
legal transaction has already been confirmed, she knows that making enemies
with these legal men and women would only harm her corporate standing in the
future. All of them put on a front, all of them pretend to get along and
pretend to be one big happy family. It
is all part of success in the corporate world.
Putting on a good front is another lesson she learned from
Aphrodite. When the greetings are over
and the lawyers start to exit the room, Braddock uses the opportunity to make
her exit as well. Once outside she finds her sister Chastity waiting on
her. She is by herself, Clegg has made
his exit with the other attorneys.
“Congratulations, Glory. You finally got what
you wanted.”
“It wasn’t what I originally wanted.
Originally I wanted the entire wrestling school under the umbrella of my
promotion. Then you put a halt to that by threatening a lawsuit…”
“Bringing that up again?”
Chastity rolls her eyes. “I told you that you didn’t have to give me fifty
percent ownership. I told you that I would drop the lawsuit and…”
Braddock shakes her head before interrupting her
sister. “Stop, Chastity. Stop right there. I know you said that you would drop the
lawsuit. But giving you fifty percent was the right thing to do. It is your birthright because whether you
call yourself by your birth name, Julia Braddock, or by the name you have
chosen for yourself, Chastity Noel, you are still the daughter of Glenn
Braddock and that school is every bit yours as it is mine. Plus, having
you in a position of ownership is a good business decision.”
Chastity furrows her brow in confusion. “How
so?”
“You and I have had our disagreements in the
past. Some of the times we have even come to blows. At the end of the day, we are still
family. And you know dad’s dying wish was that you and I do not lose
sight of the importance of family. Will we disagree at times? Absolutely we will. I definitely disagree with your choice to
side with Mason Van Stanton. But we can never again let it turn into an
all out rivalry. We can never again
feud. We cannot take sides against the
family.”
“Nice Godfather reference. And I agree, we
should never fight again. But where are you going with this?”
“Merging my company with the wrestling school helps
me out in terms of management. But do you think I trust the Board of
Directors?” Braddock shakes her head. “Not on
your life. The Board members have time and again tried to make life hell
for me. Do you really think I would allow them the opportunity to ruin
our father’s wrestling school? They would certainly try but they cannot
do that as long as you have fifty percent share of ownership.”
The British Bombshell scowls angrily at the mere
thought of her board of directors, men and women whom she despises. “The
Board of Directors, those attorneys, all of those corporate suits...none of
them know professional wrestling. They know about their bottom line, they
know what makes them money, but they do not know what’s best for
wrestling. You and I, we are
Braddocks. We know what is best for wrestling. And I for one will not stand by and let
people like them ruin this sport that our father helped build up.”
Glory extends a hand. Chastity, her sister,
without hesitation accepts the handshake. “I wholeheartedly agree.”
The British Bombshell smiles haughtily, knowing
that she has a strong and powerful ally in the form of her sister. She is
quite pleased knowing that she has finally found the answers to the questions
she has long sought after and that the path forward is now perfectly clear.
==========
December 28th, 2019
London, England
On Camera
==========
The camera feed begins to roll and the first scene
is the bright blue sky of a gorgeous day in Southampton. As the camera
pans out we see that we are in front of a somewhat run down looking gym. There is a sign in front that reads “Braddock
Wrestling School” that is probably the cleanest part of this gym. It may
not look like much, but this small, run down looking gym on the outskirts of
Southampton is quite a well known venue.
This is the gym that hosts the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School. A few moments later footsteps echo throughout
the empty, concrete floor of the school. It isn’t long until we see our
visitor; The British Bombshell, the woman who some believe to be The Best in
the World, Glory Braddock approaches with a confident stride in her step. She is dressed in her royal purple colored
two piece wrestling gear. Her long
blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length. A confident smirk is
etched across her lovely features.
“Many of you recognize this place...I mean, this
isn’t the first time I’ve shot one of these bloody things in here before...it
is my father’s wrestling school. My dad, God rest his soul, busted his
ass for this industry. He gave his heart
and his soul for this industry and then when a freak injury ended his wrestling
career, did he give up? Did he wallow in self-pity, realizing that he
could never compete again?” The British Bombshell shakes her head.
“No, he did not. He refused to quit, he refused to give up.
Instead he came up with another way to give back to the wrestling business, he
found another way to improve the combat sport he loved so much.”
Glory continues to walk across the concrete
floor. As she does so a standard four sided wrestling ring comes into
view. The blonde stops momentarily and turns back to face the camera. “He
founded this wrestling school, so that he could continue to train the future
generations. He wanted to make sure all future wrestlers would be taught
the proper ways of professional wrestling. When he handed control of the
school over to myself and my sister, it was our solemn duty and obligation to
ensure that this school would continue to fulfill our father’s desire to shape
this industry not in his image, nor in my image, but in the image of what
professional wrestling should be. It was his desire when he founded this
school that he would do whatever he could from the sidelines to improve
wrestling, to make it better, to give back to the sport that gave him so much.”
The British Bombshell turns away from the camera
and begins to march towards the ring. The camera follows her every move
as she approaches this place of combat.
With ease she hops up onto the ring apron and steps through the ropes
and into the ring. The cameraman clearly has a little more trouble but
he, too, makes it onto the ring apron and eventually follows her into the ring
itself. The camera then focuses in on
Glory, who stands in the center of the ring.
“I take my duties and my obligations very
seriously. I know full well what my father had intended, knowing what he
had wanted my sister and I to do with the Braddock legacy. I also realize
that I can do so much more than my father could ever have dreamed. I run a wrestling promotion...with this
school that I help maintain, the future generations of professional wrestling
are prepared and taught the right way...and on top of all of that, I
compete. On top of everything else I do for this business, on top of
everything else I do just to try and give back to this business, I still
physically give my body, my blood, my sweat, and my tears for this sport. I do not do any of this just for my selfish
fame and fortune, but instead I do it simply to help improve professional
wrestling.”
The British Bombshell narrows her eyes in an angry
glare at the camera. “And it has become clear to me that this sport is in
desperate need of help.”
“Do any of you know why I came to Supreme
Championship Wrestling in the first place? If you think I had any grand,
selfish designs on being in the main event of Rise To Greatness then you’re
mistaken. That was never the plan, it just happened because I’m the Best
in the World. I signed with SCW because I wanted to make a difference. I
saw problems within this company that I knew I could help fix and that is what
I do, that is what I have always done anywhere and everywhere I have
gone. I help improve the sport, I improve the competitive atmosphere and
spirit of the locker room I enter. Greatness
follows me everywhere I go and sure enough, as soon as I sign with SCW,
greatness followed.”
Braddock holds up one finger. “You had issues
with Damian Angel and Giovanni Aries influencing Konrad Raab? I dealt
with it.”
She holds up a second finger. “Casterillo?
Dealt with him.”
She holds up a third finger. “Abigail
Lindsey? Not only did I deal with her, but she’s gone from SCW.
That same night at Clarity when I dealt with Abigail, I also taught Sutter a
lesson. For all of this that I have done, SCW, you are welcome.”
“There was just one thing that I had set out to
accomplish here in SCW. There was one thing that I knew had to be done
that would improve SCW above and beyond anything else I could possibly do; get
the SCW World Championship away from Syren. At one time, she may have
been a tremendous athlete. At one time
she may have been a good person. But
that same thing can be said about so many people alive today in positions of
power, because you know what John Dalberg-Acton once said, ‘power corrupts but
absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ When leaders become corrupted they
need to be removed. Syren had clearly
been corrupted. That conniving brasser
had cheated and manipulated her way to the SCW World Championship time and time
again and I knew that she needed to be removed.
Sic Semper Tyrannis…”
Braddock shuts her eyes “...thus always to
tyrants.” Glory reopens her eyes, staring into the camera with a renewed
intensity. “So I fought side by side with Kellen Jeffries and Regan
Street. I battled with them throughout the Trios Tournament and we
prevailed. Each one of us earned a Trios contract and we swore to use it in
order to make a positive impact upon not only SCW but professional wrestling
itself. I had an inkling of what I wanted to do with my Trios contract
but when I saw Alistaire Allocco was the winner of Taking Hold of the Flame and
that he didn’t want any help against Syren, knowing how she operates, knowing
how she bends the rules to her advantage, I knew immediately right then and
there what I had to do.”
“I used my Trios contract to insert myself into the
Rise To Greatness main event. Making it a triple threat meant that Syren
now had only a one-third chance of leaving with the championship and a
two-thirds chance of losing it. And that is exactly what happened, Syren
got pinned, she lost the world championship.”
Braddock chuckles. “You know, at this point I
would probably say ‘you’re welcome SCW’ but ever since that Rise To Greatness
main event it would appear that SCW management, specifically Sasha, did not
appreciate what I have done. And if you want evidence I have it. I present to you Exhibit A, Apocalypse
2019. Syren loses in a one on one match
to Aaron Blackbourne. The following
event, Under Attack, the elimination chamber for the SCW World
Championship. Syren is in the match competing for the title but what
about Blackbourne, the man who actually beat her at Apocalypse? Nowhere to be found. As for Syren, she lost at Under Attack. You may argue that technicalities say she
never really lost, she couldn’t continue. Point is she did not leave with
the championship and in the eyes of any true competitor that is a loss. Syren had been on a losing streak since Rise
To Greatness and yet at Clarity, guess what?
She gets yet another championship opportunity where she lost yet again,
this time she couldn’t even make the finals of the double jeopardy match
because she was beaten by James Evans.”
“I had been fuming about all of this for quite some
time now but I kept it all bottled up. I kept my opinions to myself
because, according to Sasha, Clarity was meant to clear the deck. I was
under the impression that Syren would receive no further title
opportunities. Thus after being beaten
by James Evans and eliminated from double jeopardy, I had let out a sigh of
relief, thinking that finally the greatest tyrant of them all been dealt with
and that my hard work that began at The Trios Tournament was not in vain after
all.”
There is a long tense pause and the intensity in
Glory’s face does not weaken. If anything it grows as she stares into the
camera. “Then Kellen Jeffries, the man who I fought side by side with at
Trios, utilized his contract to be Santa Claus and gift everyone in God’s green
earth a world championship match by placing the title on the line in the End of
the Year Battle Royal.”
The British Bombshell sighs and shakes her head.
“And you know, I feel a sense of guilt. I feel a sense of responsibility
for what happened, because were it not for me, had he been put together with a
different partner, Kellen probably would not have made it to the finals of
Trios, let alone won it and been able to use it to create this chaos filled
match; a match that has the possibility of destroying the credibility of the
SCW World Championship.”
“I’m not exaggerating. What I say is
fact. And this is about more than just
Syren, who will now receive her third opportunity at the world championship
since losing it at Rise To Greatness. I mean, Syren getting another title
shot definitely pisses me the hell off, because if she does manage to win, then
that makes all of my hard work and efforts that began at Trios and concluded at
Rise To Greatness all meaningless. But Syren receiving yet another
oppotunity that she does not deserve is not the only thing that pisses me off,
because quite frankly I can do something about that myself. Part of the reason I am entering this battle
royal is to do my damndest to ensure Syren does NOT win the world
championship. I am not going to let my hard work be ruined because Kellen
made a stupid mistake.”
“This is also about preserving the credibility of
the SCW World Championship. Do any of you blokes watching this know when
I made my debut as a professional wrestler? It was January of 2008. And it wouldn’t be until one year and nine
months later before I got my first opportunity at a world championship and I
had to fight, claw, and work my way up the ladder to earn that opportunity.
Yet now anyone, even a rookie fresh out of wrestling school, or even someone
who has never been to wrestling school, could enter this match and on a bloody
fluke win the World Championship of a major promotion.”
“How about those who have experience under their
belt but not as much success? Tommy Valentine barely has any singles
match at all these days because he’s too busy with his head shoved up Kandis’s
ass and the last singles match he had ended with me making him cry like a
little bitch until he tapped out. Clyde Sutter hasn’t even won a damn
match since his debut in September. And
of course there’s Syren, who lost the world championship back at Rise To
Greatness and since then the only thing that lousy, pathetic, half-rate whore
has been able to do well is talk and lose matches. Answer this question,
and be honest with yourselves, do any of those three deserve a world
championship match?”
“Oh and we cannot forget the comic relief. Derek
Adonis and Cookie who are popular for their bloody porn shtick could enter this
thing and either could become world champion. I can say that Adonis has
at least won the Television Title before but really, outside of that, what have
those two clowns done? They’ve done
nothing except attract horny little bastards to this sport I love but these new
fans are not fans of the sport, of the competition, no they are fans of the
pornography. And to be perfectly fair while I’m on the subject of clowns
and comic relief, there is Loretta Inglewood, who apparently would prefer all
ladies to join a bloody convent rather than be independent, strong willed, and
free thinking.”
“Whether you are talking about the inexperienced
rookies, the losers, or the clownish comic relief, do you think any of them
deserve to have a world title match, let alone BE world champion because in
this match, by a pure fluke, any of them could become world champion.” Braddock
frowns and shakes her head. “It just isn’t right. It is pure and
utterly disrespectful to the sport and any of them becoming champion would just
demean the title, it may not even be an exaggeration to say that if certain
competitors were to become champion in this bloody thing it would turn the SCW
World Title into a joke.”
The British Bombshell pats herself on the chest. “Fourteen
times I have been a world champion. Fourteen times in various promotions
I have been able to hold my head high and say that I was the Best in the
World. And each one of those times I had to bust my ass and EARN that
title opportunity. Never was it handed
to me the way this opportunity is being handed to each and every little snot
nosed wanker who gets the itch to enter this thing.”
“Look, I am no fan of Sienna Swann’s tactics.
You may not like her actions, her lifestyle, or the choices that she
makes. You may not like who she surrounds herself with. I can honestly say that I do not like
everything about her. But is she a more deserving champion than some of
the other multitude of possible participants in this battle royal? Damn
right she is. Now, thanks to Kellen
Jeffries, she is in a match that is practically winless. For all intents and purposes, we are
guaranteed a new world champion, and that new world champion could be anyone
from the fat ass running the concession stand or a bloody referee.”
“That is why I must enter this battle royal.
It is not a choice, it is not an option, it is an obligation. I promised
my father that I would do everything within my power to give back to
professional wrestling, to do what is best for professional wrestling.
Clearly Kellen does not know what is best for wrestling, otherwise he would
understand that not everyone deserves an opportunity at the world championship
and he would not have made this ridiculous match. Now the only way I can
guarantee that someone worthy will win this match and enter the new year as SCW
World Champion is to enter the match myself and win the damn thing.”
Braddock glares with an intensity in her
eyes. “Because I know damn well that I am worthy. Everywhere I
have gone I have proven myself to be worthy. Fourteen times I have proven
myself to be the Best in the World. And at the End of the Year Battle
Royal, I will once again prove myself to the world as being worthy, as being
truly the Best in the World, and I will win my fifteenth world championship.”
Glory extends her arms out to the camera. “And I
do it not for myself, but for you, for SCW, for the fans, and for professional
wrestling. You’re welcome. Sic
Semper Tyrannis…”
The scene fades to black.
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