The scene opens outside the E Center in Laughlin on the evening of Sunday 26th June, shortly after the conclusion of Climax Control. With the show over, the men and women of SCW have gradually begun to leave the venue, and as the door to the building opens, the latest person to make their exit is Natalie McKinley. Having showered and changed following her match, Natalie is now wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt; she is carrying a gym bag.
Natalie does not get far before she is approached by some fans wanting an autograph, and she is more than happy to oblige. As she goes about signing the autographs, Natalie is accosted by a man with short dark hair, who looks to be in his late twenties, and who is wearing a pair of dark grey trousers and a pale blue button-up shirt; the man speaks with an English accent.
Man: 'Excuse me - Miss McKinley?'
Natalie has a quick glance at the man, to take a look at who the person is that is addressing her.
Natalie: 'Yes? Can I help you?'
She then continues to sign autographs for the fans that have gathered outside the building.
Man: 'My name is Oliver Cooper. I work for a company that is interested in sponsoring you.'
Usually Natalie would gladly discuss the offer of an additional source of income, but right now she is tired, and can hear the bed in her hotel room calling her name. After signing the final autograph, she gives Oliver her full attention.
Natalie: 'I'm sorry, Mr Cooper...'
Smiling pleasantly, Oliver interrupts her.
Oliver: 'Please - call me Olly.'
Natalie looks at him with a polite smile of her own.
Natalie: 'Sure. Normally, Olly, I would be happy to listen to what you have to offer, but it's been a long day, and I just want to go back to my hotel and crash out.'
Oliver: 'I understand.'
Oliver reaches into the pocket of his jeans, to retrieve his wallet. He then takes a business card from his wallet, which he proffers to Natalie.
Oliver: 'Here's my card. I would still like to talk to you about this opportunity - if you're interested, maybe you could give me a call tomorrow.'
Natalie takes the card from him.
Oliver: 'Good night, Miss McKinley.'
Natalie: 'Good night.'
As Oliver turns to leave, Natalie looks at the business card that he gave her. He has not gone far when Natalie calls out to him, due to something having caught her eye.
Natalie: 'Wait!'
Oliver turns around, to look back towards Natalie.
Natalie: 'You work for GymShark?'
Oliver nods.
Oliver: 'That's right.'
Natalie hurriedly walks the short distance to where Oliver is now stood.
Natalie: 'I'm sorry if I came across as standoffish before - like I said, it's been a long day.'
Oliver smiles empathetically, trying to put her at ease.
Oliver: 'It's fine - don't worry about it.'
Natalie: 'Okay, well, I'm going to be heading back to Las Vegas tomorrow, but I would like to hear more about what it is that you're offering - perhaps we could meet up some time tomorrow morning, before I leave town.'
Oliver nods again.
Oliver: 'Yes, absolutely; what time would best suit you?'
Leaving Natalie and Oliver to arrange when and where they are going to meet, we fast forward to the following morning, and to inside a branch of Starbucks in Laughlin. Oliver - now dressed in a pair of black trousers and a red button-up shirt - is sat alone at a table, drinking from a cup of coffee.
Oliver puts his cup down on the table. He then looks up and spots Natalie, who is stood near the entrance, scanning the coffee shop for him; he calls out to her.
Oliver: 'Natalie!'
Natalie - who is now wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow sleeveless t-shirt, and is carrying a white handbag - looks in the direction of Oliver's voice. A look of relief crosses her face, as she makes her way over to him.
Oliver: 'Are you okay?'
Natalie places her handbag on the table. She then takes a seat, opposite Oliver.
Natalie: 'Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. I was just beginning to think that I had gone to the wrong Starbucks, is all. That definitely wouldn't have been the way for me to make a good impression on a potential sponsor.'
Oliver smiles at Natalie.
Oliver: 'Well, you're in the right place. Can I get you a drink?'
Natalie shakes her head.
Natalie: 'No thanks.'
Oliver: 'Are you sure?'
Now she nods her head.
Natalie: 'Yeah. Thank you, though.'
Oliver: 'Alright then. Let's get down to business, shall we?'
Natalie nods again, eager to hear more details about the sponsorship proposal. Oliver has a sip of his coffee, before continuing.
Oliver: 'Okay, so, as I said to you last night, this is just supposed to be an informal chat - I'm not going to be asking you to sign a contract today, or anything like that.'
Oliver looks at Natalie with a good-natured smile; she smiles back at him.
Oliver: 'As I'm sure you know, GymShark is the leading fitness wear brand in the UK. We don't just want to stop there though - we want to be the leading fitness brand in the whole world. Apart from the UK, our products are already available elsewhere in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, as well as here in the US, but we're always looking to broaden awareness of our brand - which is where you might come in.'
Oliver takes another quick drink of his coffee.
Oliver: 'Now, as I mentioned last night, I work in marketing for GymShark, and we are always on the lookout for ambassadors to help promote our brand - and I think that you would be a great addition to our team, as a GymShark athlete.'
Natalie: 'I'm flattered, but what makes you think that I would be a good ambassador for GymShark?'
Oliver: 'Anyone who looks at you can instantly see how dedicated you are to working hard in the gym - and that can motivate them to work hard in the gym, too; you can inspire people - other women in particular - to be their best in the gym.'
Natalie chimes in.
Natalie: 'Having been a personal trainer before I became a wrestler, I am used to encouraging people to reach their fitness goals.'
Oliver nods his head in agreement.
Oliver: 'Exactly! And if people see you wearing GymShark clothing, then that will sway them towards buying items from us for them to use in the gym, as they seek to reach those goals, rather than from some other brand.'
Natalie: 'Why me in particular though? There must be any number of people out there who would be good candidates to be ambassadors for GymShark.'
Oliver: 'Indeed there are - and we do already have a lot of GymShark athletes, both male and female. As far as the women are concerned though, the vast majority of the ones we sponsor are fitness models - as a wrestler, you would bring something different to the brand.'
Natalie then fidgets nervously, before asking a question.
Natalie: 'May I ask, how long have you been considering sponsoring me?'
Oliver: 'I first became aware of you in February last year, when I attended the episode of Climax Control that took place in Cardiff.'
Before Oliver can say any more, he is interrupted by Natalie, who now has another question for him.
Natalie: 'You're an SCW fan then?'
Oliver: 'I'm a fan of wrestling, not just SCW. Congratulations on your win last night, by the way.'
Natalie: 'Thank you.'
Oliver pauses for a sip of coffee.
Oliver: 'As well as the show in Cardiff, I also attended the Inception show in Birmingham, in January. I must admit, before Inception, I had never watched an SCW show, but some friends of mine talked me into buying a ticket to go to that show with them, and I'm glad that they did.'
Natalie: 'Yeah, it was a great show.'
Oliver nods in agreement once more.
Oliver: 'So like I said, four weeks after Inception I was in Cardiff for the show there - and that's when I saw you for the first time. I know now that you had actually been in SCW prior to then - I believe I'm right in saying that was the night you made your return to SCW.'
Natalie: 'It was the night I made my return to an SCW ring - I had re-signed with SCW the previous week.'
Oliver: 'The way you look certainly made you stand out that night - I expect that's something you're probably used to.'
Natalie does not say anything, and instead just grins in response.
Oliver: 'In comparison with the rest of the females in SCW, I think it's fair to say that you have a unique appearance, and from the moment I first saw you, I thought you would be a good fit for a GymShark athlete.'
Natalie shifts restlessly in her chair.
Oliver: 'What's wrong?'
Natalie does not want to pry too much, but she is unable to help herself.
Natalie: 'It's...'
Natalie sits still, and composes herself.
Natalie: 'Okay, it's probably none of my business, but I was just wondering, if you first became aware of me last February, then...'
Oliver interrupts Natalie, finishing her question for her.
Oliver: 'Then why have we - and by "we" I mean GymShark - waited until now to get in contact with you?'
Natalie: 'Yes.'
Oliver laughs quietly at Natalie.
Oliver: 'It's okay, Natalie - I don't mind explaining what happened.'
Oliver takes a breath, before continuing.
Oliver: 'Originally, we were going to contact you twelve months ago, to gauge your interest in being ambassador for GymShark. It was around that time though that you dislocated your shoulder, and so we thought it would be better if we waited until after your injury had healed. But then the incident at Summer XXXTreme occurred, and with the talk of you having a gambling problem, the people whose opinions matter more than mine went cool on the idea of sponsoring you - they weren't sure that they wanted to have you representing the brand.'
Natalie: 'In the spirit of full disclosure, it wasn't just talk.'
Natalie leans towards Oliver, and speaks in a hushed tone.
Natalie: 'I did have a gambling problem - or rather, I do have a gambling problem; I'm not sure if my addiction will ever truly be cured, but I've learned to manage it successfully - it has been over a year since I last gambled on anything.'
Oliver: 'That's good to know.'
Oliver smiles sympathetically; as Natalie sits up straight again, he continues.
Oliver: 'Because the talk of your gambling problem has since subsided, and because you've kept your nose clean since you re-appeared in SCW earlier this year, I've been able to talk round the people that control the purse strings, and have gotten them to agree again to offer to sponsor you.'
Natalie's face breaks into a wide, grateful smile.
Natalie: 'Thank you.'
Oliver: 'You're very welcome.'
Oliver has another sip of his coffee.
Oliver: 'So what I need to know is, are you interested in being a GymShark athlete?'
Natalie: 'Definitely - especially after all of the effort that you have gone to.'
Oliver: 'Don't mention it.'
Natalie smiles wryly.
Natalie: 'It might not surprise you to hear that my wardrobe contains a large number of items from GymShark. In fact, before I came here, I did consider putting on a pair of leggings rather than jeans, but then I opted against it, as I didn't want to look like a try-hard.'
Oliver laughs.
Oliver: 'I can assure you, that wouldn't have done you any harm. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you're interested. Do you have anything that you would like to ask?'
Natalie: 'If I do become a GymShark athlete, what would be required of me?'
Oliver: 'Well, I don't want to go into too much detail now - as I said, this is just supposed to be an informal chat - but essentially you would need to help increase the brand's exposure. For example, I know wrestlers usually record videos to hype their upcoming matches, so whenever you do one of those, we would expect you to wear our clothing.'
Natalie nods her head, as she takes in what Oliver is saying.
Oliver: 'Also, I know that you are on Twitter, so we would expect you to tweet the occasional photo of you wearing our clothing.'
Natalie: 'Okay. I think I could manage that.'
Oliver: 'You may also be required to attend an expo from time to time, for a meet and greet, but we wouldn't schedule you for anything that would interfere with your wrestling career. Do you have any other questions?'
Natalie: 'There is one other thing that I've been wondering. If you work for GymShark, I assume you must live somewhere in the UK.'
Oliver nods.
Oliver: 'Yes; I live on the outskirts of Birmingham.'
Natalie: 'So have you come all this way, just to talk to me about becoming a GymShark athlete?'
Oliver laughs at Natalie's question.
Oliver: 'If I said yes, would you be impressed?'
Natalie gives a nonchalant shrug.
Natalie: 'Possibly.'
Oliver laughs again.
Oliver: 'No, the truth is, I'm currently out here on holiday with some friends. We've been staying in Vegas mainly, but we decided to make the trip to Laughlin, so that we could attend Climax Control last night. Then, following the show, while my friends went off to get drunk, I hung around outside the venue, hoping that I would get the chance to speak to you. And well, you know the rest.'
Natalie: 'What do your friends think of you doing work when you're supposed to be on holiday?'
Oliver: 'They think I'm an idiot.'
The two then share a laugh.
Natalie: 'What would have happened if you hadn't gotten to speak to me last night?'
Oliver: 'I would have tried to contact you through SCW.'
Natalie: 'Oh, okay.'
As Oliver drinks some more of what remains of his coffee, Natalie asks him another question.
Natalie: 'Are you going to be at Lake Tahoe next Sunday, to see my match with Christina Bentley?'
Oliver: 'Unfortunately not - we're flying home later this week, and then I'll be back in the office on Monday. I'll be cheering you on from afar though - I'm sure you'll win.'
Natalie smiles, hoping that Oliver's prediction proves to be accurate.
Natalie: 'Thanks.'
Oliver: 'You're welcome. Any more questions?'
Natalie: 'None that I can think of.'
Oliver has a quick look at his watch, to check the time.
Oliver: 'In which case, I think the only thing there is left that we need to discuss, is how much GymShark will pay you to be one of our athletes.'
And as the topic of conversation for Natalie and Oliver moves on to remuneration, we leave them there and come forward to the present day, as the scene switches to show Natalie near the confluence of the Red River of the North and the Pembina River, in Pembina, North Dakota. Now wearing a a pair of navy blue GymShark leggings and a black strapless top, Natalie is stood facing the camera, with the waterways in the background.
Natalie takes a couple of steps forward, to stand under a nearby tree, out of the sunshine, in the shade. She then looks at the camera, with a big grin on her face, and begins to speak.
Natalie: 'I can't put into words quite how happy I am right now. For the majority of you watching this, I know that this won't mean anything to you, but I've just watched my home nation of Wales - a country with a smaller population than Los Angeles - reach the semi-finals of the European Championships for the first time: it's something that I never would have thought I would see - now I'm hoping there's even more to come!'
Natalie's grin shows no signs of disappearing just yet.
Natalie: 'For now though, I need to put all thoughts of Wednesday's semi-final against Portugal to one side, and concentrate on my own match this Sunday, against Christina Bentley. Because I know that if I don't, then in all likelihood Christina will take full advantage of my mind being elsewhere, and I will end up losing to her - and I definitely don't want that to happen.'
Natalie turns away from the camera, and looks towards the Red River.
Natalie: 'Come on, Natalie - focus!'
She then takes a deep breath, before turning back to face the camera.
Natalie: 'I'm somewhat nervous about this match with Christina Bentley - certainly more nervous than I usually am ahead of a match. That's not because I'm fearful of being in the ring with Christina - although that's not to say that I'm underestimating her either - it's simply because I don't know that much about her. As part of my preparations for my matches, I like to study my opponents - that's something I picked up from spending time around veterans such as Simon Jones. However, while there are a fair few past matches of mine that Christina can watch - should she wish to do so - with Christina having made her debut as recently as two weeks ago, there is only one match of hers available for me to try to analyse.'
There is a brief pause, before Natalie continues.
Natalie: 'I have studied the match that Christina had with Amy-Jayne, and I have attempted to learn as much about her from that as I possibly can, but it's still not much for me to go on - Christina will definitely have the element of surprise on her side in our match. All hope is not lost though, as I have been in this situation on at least one previous occasion.'
Natalie thinks back to August 2014.
Natalie: 'Two years ago, when I made my debut in SCW, my opponent was a masked wrestler called La Paloma, who I knew almost nothing about. However, despite knowing very little about her, I was still able to win that match, and so on Sunday, when I again find myself in the ring with Christina Bentley - another opponent that I don't know much about - I'm confident that I will again be able to be victorious.'
Natalie then taps her chin.
Natalie: 'Whatever happened to La Paloma?'
It is a rhetorical question - "La Paloma" was of course Crystal Millar (née Hilton).
Natalie: 'One thing I do know about Christina Bentley, is that she has a strong relationship with her mother. To some people, Lacey Bentley might seem like a pushy parent - or at worst, an overbearing one - but I envy the relationship that Christina has with her mother. It would probably be an understatement to say that my relationship with my mother isn't great - nothing I ever do is good enough for her. I mean, I could win the World Bombshell Championship, and I can guarantee that she would still find something to pick fault with.'
Natalie lets out a sigh.
Natalie: 'Christina doesn't seem to suffer from a similar lack of support from her mother though, so she will be able to rely upon Lacey to provide her with some constructive feedback following our match - I'm hoping that Lacey will have the task of telling Christina where she went wrong, while I'm left to savour a win.'
Natalie runs a hand through her hair.
Natalie: 'It hasn't escaped my attention that Veronica Taylor has taken an instant disliking to Christina Bentley. I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a shock, as it is probably possible to count on one hand the number of people that Veronica doesn't consider to be a "basic." When the time comes for the two of you to meet in a match, Christina, I expect you will win - Veronica might be one of SCW's most successful tag team wrestlers, but she has never quite been able to translate that into success in singles competition. That match is for another time though - Summer XXXTreme, perhaps? This Sunday you're going to be in the ring with someone that has had success as a singles competitor - you'll get to experience first-hand why I have been a champion in the past in SCW, and by chalking up a win against you, I will continue to show that I have what it takes to be a champion in SCW again.'
Natalie puts her hands on her hips.
Natalie: 'Just while I'm on the subject of being a champion in SCW, Melody stated last week that if I ever want a shot at her title, I just have to ask, and she will make it happen; I think I've said this before, and I'm going to reiterate it now: I have no interest at all in challenging Melody for her bombshell internet title. I'm also aware that Kate Steele had something to say to me last week, and I am going to respond to what she said, but I will save that for Sunday.'
Natalie gazes down at the ground for a moment; she then looks back up at the camera, and continues.
Natalie: 'Back to the matter of my upcoming match. This weekend's Climax Control will see me compete inside the six-sided ring for the second Sunday in a row. I can't remember having ever competed on consecutive episodes of Climax Control before during my time in SCW, but after my victory against Lucy Seraphina in my last match, I'm now aiming for a second win in the space of eight days.'
Natalie smiles again.
Natalie: 'I've heard that my win against Lucy Seraphina was the first time she has been pinned in a singles match in SCW. That's not something I'm going to be adding to my Twitter bio just yet, but it got me thinking back on my time in SCW so far, and as I far as I can recall, I have only ever been pinned once in a match in the six-sided ring; will Christina Bentley be the second SCW Bombshell to pin me?'
There is a slight shrug from Natalie.
Natalie: 'Not if I have anything to say about it. I've won my last five matches - four in SCW, and one elsewhere - but never before in my career have I won six matches in a row; Christina Bentley is all that stands between me and making some personal history, and I'm sorry, Christina, but I can't allow you to win this one - I'm not going to be stopped just yet.'
Natalie takes her hands off her hips.
Natalie: 'I began this video by talking about Wales, so I might as well finish it by talking about Wales. Prior to her debut against Amy-Jayne, Christina Bentley revealed that she had been counting sheep, so as to help her get to sleep. Well, Christina, on Sunday, you're going to be in the ring with a sheep shagger, and when the match is over, you will have been shorn of any chance you had of defeating me.'
Frowning, Natalie looks away from the camera.
Natalie: 'Is that a bit of a stretch - using "shorn" in that way? Maybe I should just keep it simple.'
She then looks back to the camera, with a smile.
Natalie: 'On Sunday, Christina, Nat will tear you apart; see you at Climax Control.'
And as Natalie continues to smile confidently at the camera, the scene fades to black.
