The scene opens inside the kitchen of the house in Cardiff that is owned by the parents of Natalie McKinley, on the morning of Tuesday 21st April. Since returning to the UK - and SCW - in February, following her three months of employment with a wrestling promotion on the East Coast of the US, Natalie has been living with her parents again, as she had been prior to originally joining SCW, last July.
In the centre of the shot is a wooden, circular table, with four matching chairs positioned around it. Sat in one of the chairs is a man with short salt and pepper hair, who looks to be in his early fifties - this is Natalie's father, Alan McKinley; he is wearing a suit that is comprised of dark grey trousers, a matching jacket, a white shirt, and a navy blue tie. Sat opposite him is a woman that has long, dark hair, and who looks to be in her late forties - this is Natalie's mother, Anna McKinley; she is wearing a pair of brown snaffle trousers and a white lace sleeve jersey top.
Both Alan and Anna are currently eating from bowls of cereal. As the couple continue their breakfast, Natalie soon walks into the room, from the right of the shot; she is wearing a pair of black leggings and a red sleeveless t-shirt, and is holding a mobile phone in her right hand. Natalie smiles, as she greets her parents.
Natalie: 'Good morning.'
Natalie walks over to one of the unoccupied chairs, and her father acknowledges her, in between mouthfuls of cereal.
Alan: 'Morning, sweetheart.'
Natalie takes a seat at the table; Anna glances at her daughter.
Anna: 'Good morning, love.'
While her parents continue to eat, Natalie amuses herself with something on her phone. Before long, Alan finishes the last of his cereal; he then turns his attention to Natalie.
Alan: 'So, Natalie, what's on your agenda today?'
Natalie places her phone on the table, and looks at her father. She then opens her mouth to respond, but before she can say anything, Alan speaks again.
Alan: 'Other than going to the gym, of course.'
Alan smiles at Natalie, who lets out a small laugh.
Natalie: 'Well, besides that, I had been planning to spend some time this afternoon studying my next opponent...'
Alan interrupts Natalie.
Alan: 'Remind me, what's the name of your next opponent? Sorry - you did tell me yesterday, but it has slipped my mind.'
Natalie: 'Crystal Hilton is her name.'
Alan: 'That name sounds familiar - you've fought her previously, haven't you?'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'That's right - Crystal and I were opponents twice last August, in my first two matches in SCW; I won both of those matches, so hopefully I will be able to get the better of her again, this time.'
Having just finished eating her cereal, Anna makes a remark.
Anna: 'If you have already beaten her twice, I would think that anything other than another win would be unacceptable.'
Natalie turns to look at her mother.
Natalie: 'Come on, Mam - you know it doesn't work like that. What's the saying - on any given night, anything can happen? Just because I beat Crystal twice before, that doesn't necessarily mean I will beat her again this time - things have changed in the past eight months.'
Anna: 'I'm sure it wasn't that long ago, that you told me and your father that you are a better wrestler now than you were when you made your debut.'
Natalie: 'I did say that, not only to you and Dad, but to a number of other people as well - and I think me winning a championship last month is evidence of that statement being true. But I expect that Crystal has improved, too, since we were last opponents, and so while I am confident that I'll be able to beat her, to retain my title, I still need to work hard, to try to make sure that I don't slip up.'
Anna: 'You're going to be defending her championship against her - does that mean you'll be in another one of those roulette thingies?'
Natalie sighs.
Natalie: 'It's called a roulette rules match. And yes, Mam, my match against Crystal Hilton will be a match of that kind; I'm the Bombshell Roulette Champion, and for however long I remain the champion, whenever I have to defend the title, I will have to do so in a roulette rules match.'
Alan: 'I think your mother is just worried about you being at danger again of getting burned.'
Natalie casts a glance towards her father, before looking back to her mother.
Natalie: 'I'm sure my match against Crystal won't end up being another inferno match - it's far more likely that the roulette wheel will produce something else, this time.'
Anna: 'Such as?'
Natalie shrugs her shoulders.
Natalie: 'Your guess is a good as mine. But whatever conditions Crystal and I end up competing in, it probably won't be as brutal as the barbed wire death match that Chris Shipman and Goth will be involved in, later on in the show.'
Alan frowns.
Alan: 'A "barbed wire death match"? I'm assuming that's death in the figurative sense.'
Natalie then turns to look at her father.
Natalie: 'Yes, but it will still be vicious; for that match, the ropes will be taken down from four of the six sides of the ring, and outside the ring, barbed wire will be laid on the floor.'
As Alan winces at the thought of such a match, Anna passes comment.
Anna: 'I can't understand why anyone would want to compete in such a barbaric contest.'
Natalie turns back to her mother.
Natalie: 'I'll admit that I'm not overly keen on the prospect of getting burned, or of having barbed wire tear into my flesh...'
Now it is Anna's turn to interrupt Natalie.
Anna: 'Then why do you allow yourself to be put in harm's way? Why not go after another championship - one that doesn't require you to put your health at risk in each match?'
Natalie: 'Because, Mam, the Bombshell Roulette Championship was the first title that I had the opportunity to compete for; having blown my first chance to win the title, I was determined to make up for that, when I returned to SCW. And now that I am the champion, I want to keep hold of the title for as long as I can, regardless of what I have to endure.'
Alan: 'So that's how you're going to be spending your day then, is it, darling?'
Natalie turns her attention back to her father.
Natalie: 'Well, I had been planning to do that, and to then see Jack this evening.'
Alan: 'But?'
Natalie: 'But...'
Natalie looks down at the table, and wraps her fingers around her mobile phone.
Natalie: 'I've had a text from Simon, to tell me that he is going to try to get this afternoon off work, as Ben Jordan is currently in Cardiff, and so he wanted to know if I fancied joining the two of them for a few drinks.'
Natalie then takes her hand off her phone.
Natalie: 'So it now looks as though, after going to the gym, I will then be sat in the sunshine on Mill Lane - or somewhere similar.'
Anna: 'Who is Ben Jordan?'
Natalie looks up, at her mother.
Natalie: 'Ben is a friend of Simon's; he is another wrestler, although he is currently on a break from the sport - much like Simon. He lives in London, but Simon persuaded him to come and visit Cardiff, so that they could catch up, and now I have been invited to join them.'
Anna: 'Should you really be going out drinking, so close to an important match?'
Natalie: 'The match isn't for another twelve days, Mam - I can allow myself to have some fun, before then; I'll be fine.'
Anna replies, unconvinced.
Anna: 'If you say so.'
As Natalie and her parents continue their chat, we leave them to switch to a scene later that day, where Natalie can be seen walking along North Road in Cardiff, together with Simon Jones. Natalie is still wearing the same t-shirt as she was earlier, but her leggings have now been replaced by a pair of denim shorts; Simon is wearing a pair of black trousers, and a pale grey button-up shirt.
After several hours in the company of Ben Jordan, the two residents of Cardiff are now heading away from the city centre, and back to their respective homes. We join them in mid-conversation.
Simon: 'Are you not seeing Jack tonight?'
Natalie: 'I was supposed to be going round his flat this evening, but then I ended going up out with you and Ben; he didn't mind - I'll see him tomorrow, instead.'
Simon: 'Jack is going to Morocco with you, to see you compete, isn't he?'
Natalie: 'Yes, he is. I just hope that I don't lose to Crystal Hilton - that would be an anti-climax.'
Simon: 'I don't think that's likely to happen - I'm sure you'll beat her, and keep hold of your title.'
Natalie: 'I hope so.'
Natalie and Simon cross a side road.
Natalie: 'Can I ask you something?'
Simon shrugs his shoulders.
Simon: 'Of course.'
Natalie: 'When you decided that you wanted to become a professional wrestler, how did your parents react to your decision?'
Simon: 'I'm not sure that they knew quite how to react; I think at first they were a bit taken aback by it, and wondered how wise a career choice it was - but they soon saw how serious I was about making a success of it, and since then, they have given me their full support. Why - are you having problems with your parents?'
Natalie: 'No...well...'
Natalie's voice trails off; she then lets out a sigh, before continuing.
Natalie: 'Okay, that's not completely true - it's my Mam.'
Simon: 'What about your Mum - does she not approve of you being a wrestler?'
Natalie: 'No, she doesn't - well, she hasn't said it explicitly, but I get the impression that she doesn't approve. My Dad is full of encouragement for me, but whenever my Mam hears me talking about wrestling, she always finds something disheartening to say.'
Simon: 'Like what?'
Natalie: 'Like this morning, when I was talking about defending my title against Crystal Hilton, she questioned why I want to compete in roulette rules matches.'
Simon: 'She's probably just worried about you getting badly hurt.'
Natalie: 'That's what my Dad said, but I think there's more to it than that - I think she just doesn't want me to be a wrestler. I mean, my Mam wasn't particularly impressed when I declared that I wanted to be a personal trainer, but she still wasn't as negative about my old job as she is about me being a wrestler.'
Natalie and Simon come to a stop at a pedestrian crossing; as they wait for the lights to change, Natalie speaks again.
Natalie: 'When I'm around my Mam at home, the atmosphere does sometimes get so tense as to be uncomfortable.'
Simon: 'I don't understand why you don't just rent a flat, on your own - it's not like you can't afford it.'
Natalie: 'Because I don't know whether, come the start of next year, SCW is going to be touring again, or just staging shows in the US.'
Simon: 'If SCW was to stay in the US next year - for the most part - would you move to Vegas?'
Natalie: 'Yeah, I would - and that's the problem I have: I don't want to sign a twelve month agreement to rent somewhere, only to then need to move to Vegas, two thirds of the way through the contract; I think I'll stick it out with my parents for another month or so, and then see if I can find somewhere that I can rent for a six month period, to take me up to the end of this year.'
The lights at the crossing change, allowing Natalie and Simon to cross the road.
Natalie: 'You know, I want my parents to be proud of me, but I get the feeling that nothing I do will be good enough for my Mam.'
Simon: 'Well, maybe when you become the SCW World Bombshell Champion - maybe then your Mum will be proud of you.'
Natalie: 'You mean, if become the World Bombshell Champion.'
Simon: 'No - when; the roulette title is just the start of things for you in SCW. And when you defeat Crystal Hilton, at Mayhem In Morocco, your profile in the company will only continue to rise.'
We leave Natalie and Simon, as they continue their walk home, along North Road, and switch to inside Sunhealth Gym, in Newport (Wales), on the evening of Friday 24th April. Natalie - who is wearing a pair of dark grey leggings and a cyan crop top - is stood opposite the camera, in front of a wrestling ring, and next to a black steel folding chair; on the floor, by the chair, is a black gym bag.
Natalie taps her chin with her left index finger, before she then begins to speak.
Natalie: 'Why do we do this - why do we choose to earn a living as a professional wrestler? Crystal Hilton does it because it's in her blood - she has dabbled in other activities, but wrestling is what she knows best; as for me, I do it because this form of athletic competition provides me with a thrill that I would struggle to replicate elsewhere - I certainly never experienced anything like it when I was working in a gym.'
Natalie shakes her head.
Natalie: 'For me, this is where it all started - this is where I began my training to be a wrestler.'
Natalie raises her arms, stretching them wide open; she glances around the gym, before then looking back to the camera, and lowering her arms.
Natalie: 'My match at Mayhem In Morocco - a one-on-one match against Crystal Hilton - takes me back eight months, to what was not only my first match in SCW, but my first match ever in my career as a professional wrestler. On that night in California, last August, I showed that my decision to give up my job as a personal trainer, to change careers, wasn't as ill-advised as it may have seemed - when I pinned Crystal Hilton, I showed that I have what it takes to be successful in this sport.'
Natalie sits down, on the chair.
Natalie: 'Two weeks later, Crystal and I were opponents again - and again, I was the one that emerged victorious. However, unlike our first match, Crystal and I weren't alone in the ring second time round - that time, we found ourselves competing in a triple threat match, and on that occasion, Katherine Kensington was the one that I pinned. It was still a case of déjà vu, though: I won, and Crystal lost.'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'Despite the fact that I have been the winner of both of my previous encounters with Crystal Hilton, there is no chance of me being complacent, when the two of us step into the ring in Casablanca - I still have things that I need to prove. I've already mentioned what I had to prove in our first match, but in our second match, I had to prove that what had happened two weeks beforehand wasn't a fluke - and I did exactly that; now, as the SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion, and as I prepare to defend my title for a second time, I have to continue to prove that I deserve to be the champion, all while trying to show that one day I can be even higher in the bombshells' pecking order. And I intend to leave Crystal feeling a sense of déjà vu all over again.'
Natalie looks down in the direction of the floor, towards the gym bag; she then looks back towards the camera, and continues.
Natalie: 'Regardless of the title that will be at stake in nine days' time, I know, Crystal, that you have been craving this match for eight months, ever since the last time that we were opponents; I know that you have been craving what you see as a chance at redemption - a chance to finally beat me, following the two losses that you suffered previously. Crystal, I can appreciate your tenacity, and I know you think that this time the outcome will be different - especially as you are no longer competing behind a mask as La Paloma, pretending to be something that you aren't - but while Crystal Hilton might be a better competitor than La Paloma was, the Natalie McKinley that you will be in the ring with in Casablanca is better than the Natalie McKinley of eight months ago; the two of us may both have undergone some changes since our last match, but come Mayhem In Morocco, one thing that won't change is the end result - I will still be the one that leaves with the victory.'
Natalie gets up from the chair, rising to her feet.
Natalie: 'I get the impression, Crystal, that you have come to dislike me - and not just because I've gotten the better of you twice previously, but also because of the fact that, despite me spending four months away from the promotion, I managed to win a title in SCW before you. Crystal, I know that while I was away from SCW, you had opportunities to win titles, but failed to do so. However, I expect that you are more motivated for our forthcoming match than you were for any of those other opportunities, as not only do you have the chance to win a title, you also have the chance to beat someone that you have come to see as, I guess, your nemesis.
Natalie crouches down, to unzip the gym bag; she reaches into the bag, and retrieves the SCW bombshell roulette title. Natalie then stands up straight, holding the title with both hands.
Natalie: 'With me being the Bombshell Roulette Champion, I suppose I can understand you being envious of me, but unfortunately for you, at Mayhem In Morocco, this title will not be going anywhere - it is going to remain in my possession.'
Natalie drapes the title over her right shoulder; she then taps her chin with her left index finger again, before continuing.
Natalie: 'Why do we do this - why do we do battle as wrestlers? Well, right now, I do this to prove that I am one of the best bombshells in SCW. I strive for self-improvement, and to be better each day than I was the day before. And at Mayhem In Morocco, Crystal Hilton will find out how just much I have improved in the past eight months, since I first set in the six-sided ring.'
Natalie lets out a slight sigh.
Natalie: 'Crystal, you can give our match everything that you have, but it still won't be enough; different match, same outcome - after our match at Mayhem In Morocco, I will walk out still the SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion.'
As Natalie stands staring towards the camera, the scene fades to black.