It was official, Ariana was now a member of SCW’s roster! Following her impressive showing at the first show of the Greek Tour Ariana was offered a full time contract with SCW which she accepted without hesitation! However, this week was her first official match and it was a significant step-up from Kaiju Rainbow as she was taking on former World Bombshell Champion Alicia Lukas in singles action! Can Ariana keep her momentum going?
Backstage at Climax Control 328, Crete, Greece
Sunday the 17th of April 2022, 3:00am
It’s been a crazy few weeks.
When I was brought in for that showcase match against Kaiju Rainbow at the start of the tour, I thought that was going to be it, a one and done match where I got to shine in front of my family’s home island and getting a chance to cut a promo partially in Greek! I mean yeah, I was nervous as heck because it was my first time speaking Greek in front of a large crowd and being Greek-American and living in Las Vegas doesn’t give me a chance to speak my native language that often.
Really, I’ve only ever had conversations in Greek was my immediate family (aside from my parents since they disowned me when I was still training) and Krystal’s wife Makayla who is Greek herself and her family is originally from Athens, saying as many words as I did in front of a large crowd in Greek? Yeah, that was something else.
Still, I won the match against Kaiju but afterwards I was told that I’d be staying on for the rest of the tour and that more details would be revealed in the morning, those details were that I was getting my first full time contract with SCW and I signed it within minutes! With SCU’s impending closure, there was a lot of speculation as to where I would go and yeah, it sucks that the roster space only opened up after Adrienne left for mental health reasons but I had to take the opportunity.
Since then, my SCW career has been quiet because I haven’t really seen action! GCW has been keeping me busy but as we head towards the end of the tour I’m starting to wonder if I’ll see action on the Greek tour again.
”That was a tough break Krystal.” I commented as I walked up to the Aussie and Krystal looked up before nodding. ”If you had made sure that Myra was out of the match, you’d be in your first PPV Main Event.”
”I spent part of my promo pointing out that Ms. Jon only lost that Triple Threat match to Seleana and Mercedes because she forgot about Seleana, yet here I am making the same mistake against Mercedes.” Krystal commented with a dry chuckle as she shook her head. ”Is there a Greek God of Irony in the Greek Pantheon? Because I bet he was having a ball at that!” Krystal asked and I had to think for a second.
”I think the closest thing we have is Momus, the personification of satire and mockery but not an actual Greek God.” I explained and Krystal nodded as she got the idea. ”But some circles call him the God of Irony, either way he wasn’t exactly going to make the cut in Disney’s Hercules.”
”Not like that movie didn’t take enough liberties with the Greek Myth anyway.” Krystal commented as she shook her head before letting out a frustrated sigh. ”Can’t say I’m a fan of heading into my second PPV without a clear direction in a row, especially considering how important the Into the Void X cycle ended up being for my career.”
”The cycle that broke your losing streak and started your Bombshell Roulette Title reign, you’ll get booked I’m sure of it! Even if it’s in the Queen for a Day match!” I assured Krystal and she nodded in response before we got the card text and checked it. ”Now it’s the men’s turn to get a qualifier, but I thought Bill was getting a rematch for Finn’s first title defence?”
”That’s what Mercedes was saying, but I guess we can chalk that up to being another thing Mercedes was wrong about.” Krystal responded with a shrug before she eyed the second match on the card. ”And you’ve got your first match as an official member of the roster, against Alicia Lukas.”
”Yeah, I just saw it, I’d say that she is a step up from Kaiju but that’s a major understatement.” I nodded in response as I ran a hand through my hair. ”Going from a Bombshell who can’t get a win to save her life to a former three time World Bombshell Champion and future Hall of Famer, I guess I impressed the higher ups with my match against Rainbow.”
”If nothing else, she’ll be a lot more talkative that Rainbow.” Krystal commented with a chuckle before letting out a sigh. ”Have you heard from Carter since he confirmed that he won’t be at Climax Control tonight?”
”Aside from some vague Tweets about friends drifting apart? Not really, I tried texting him a few times since we arrived at the arena but he didn’t answer, and when I tried calling him he didn’t answer.” I responded with a sigh as I leaned against the wall. ”I thought our friendship was stronger than ever after I started dating Francisco and he started dating Laz, but I need to focus on the match against Alicia.”
”He’ll come around, but your right, the match should be your priority.” Krystal nodded in response and I let out a sad sigh. ”We had better get to the hotel.”
”Yeah, it’s getting really late.” I nodded in response before I followed Krystal (and eventually Cassie) out of the arena.
As me and Krystal left the arena I had a few things in mind regarding the upcoming match against Alicia, especially when it came to her title reigns.
Alicia joined SCW in late 2018 as part of the SCW/Honour Wrestling merger that led to SCU’s creation and unlike many of her her contemporaries, Alicia stayed on the SCW roster, she would soon show why she did that by taking the World Bombshell Title and holding it for a record setting number of days and defences across three reigns that would stand until Amber Ryan won the title three years later, many treat Alicia like she’s the same force of nature she was when she joined the SCW roster all those years ago.
The truth is? Alicia has lost several steps since those two title reigns, she last challenged for the title after winning last year’s Queen for a day match and, well, there’s a reason why I’m referring to her as a two time champion and not a three time champion, she hasn’t held a title since 2018.
Not for lack of trying and she certainly isn’t a Mercedes Vargas from Atlanta but every time she’s competed for a title or an opportunity since then, she’s fallen short of the finish line.
It would be easy to dismiss this as an easy win for Alicia because I’m the newcomer from SCU who was known as a tag team specialist coming in after the Mixed Tag Titles were deactivated , how quickly people forget that I’m a Go Gym Graduate and I held those titles during my first full year as a wrestler! Hell, I was still a teenager for most of my initial title reign, Alicia can underestimate me all she wants.
It'll be her foot in her mouth when I beat her.
The check in counter, Rhodes, Greece
Monday the 18th of April 2022, 15:00pm
It’s quiet, too quiet.
I don’t know why but Carter’s been distant since I made the jump to SCW earlier in the month, I know SCU is still a thing until Supernova and Carter has his commitments down there as the Underground Champion but honestly? I know it seems like I left him high and dry by leaving SCU for greener pastures but I had my reasons.
Namely? I felt like my SCU career had stagnated.
Even after I adopted the Greek Goddess persona and was the last Bombshell Standing in that massive Purge that Amy started after losing the GRIME Championship it felt like I was going nowhere fast, further solidified by the fact that I would lose my opportunity to win the GRIME Championship from Winter and don’t even get me started on my troubles with SCU upper management!
Truth is, I could’ve stayed in SCU until Supernova like Carter but I’d just be spinning my wheels, I had momentum coming off the win in that showcase match against Kaiju, if I had remained in SCU I feel that it would’ve gone to waste, as a friend and Go Gym Graduate my loyalty is to Carter but as a woman who has to look after her bottom line and wants to face new challenges? I had to move on from SCU, I had to join SCW and to a lesser extent GCW.
I just hope that Carter can understand my decision someday.
”So, you haven’t heard or seen anything from Carter since we arrived?” Francisco asked and I nodded with a frown as we waited to be given our room keys, since we were still in a Greek speaking country I was handling things with the desk clerk by conversing with him in my native tongue, turns our he’s a fan of SCW so I got an autograph request out of it to boot, my first one as a member of the SCW Roster at that. ”What’s up with him lately?”
”Wish I knew but I haven’t heard a peep from him since I won my showcase match back in Corfu.” I responded as I shook my head with a sad sigh and Francisco nodded in understanding. ”He said something about friends drifting away on Twitter but he has to understand that I made the jump to SCW for the right reasons, I couldn’t stay in SCU and let my career continue to stagnate.”
”He’ll come around eventually you’ve been friends with him since your days as a Go Gym Trainee after all.” Francisco commented as the desk clerk handed us our key to our room, I thanked him in Greek and he responded in kind with “your welcome” in Greek (not the Disney song, and if your wondering, Efxaristo for Thank You and Parakalo for Your Welcome) before I turned to my boyfriend. ”So, shall we head up?”
”Need to ask Krystal and Cassie if they are still down for that foodie tour that we found whilst reading up on Rhodes during the flight from Crete.” I responded with a shrug as I grabbed my luggage and carry on stuff. ”Aside from that? We should be good to go.”
”Good, I can’t wait to just sit back and relax with my beautiful girl!” Francisco responded before kissing me on the forehead and I grinned before standing on my toes so I could return the favour with a kiss on the lips, hey I’m a fairly tall woman at 5ft 6 but Francisco still has quite a few inches on me! ”Shall we head up then?” Francisco asked and I nodded as I adjusted the bag that I was carrying over my shoulder.
”I’m ready when you are.” I responded with a grin before we headed for the elevator and too our room.
It was good to relax with my boyfriend as I headed into my match but I couldn’t lose focus, not with an opponent like Alicia, it had been a couple of years since her last reign but there was no denying how successful Alicia was.
Off course I had been successful in my own right, just as a tag team wrestler with Carter, Alicia would be a fool to underestimate me heading into this match.
She’s the old master, I’m the young pupil, I know I’ll learn a lot from this match but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks.
Rhodes Meet the Locals Food Experience, Rhodes, Greece
Tuesday the 19th of April 2022, 11:00am
So little disclaimer here, much like last week’s show with Crete this is my first time visiting Rhodes, but it is a famous place in the Greek world for several reasons.
The first dates back to ancient times and the Colossus of Rhodes, the massive statue is no longer around but it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and erected in dedication to the Greek Sun God Helios by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC, sadly as much as I’d LOVE to take a selfie in front of the statue we’d need a time machine because the statue was apparently destroyed by the Arabs when they conquered Rhodes in 653.
That extremely abridged history lesson was brought to you by web show Recipe 4 Disaster!
Since 2008 there had been a number of new proposals to rebuild the Colossus but since those don’t seem to be going anywhere and if it were suddenly approved, it probably won’t be finished by the time we wrap up in Rhodes anyway, we’re going for my second option, a foodie tour.
Yeah, I know I did this when we stopped off in Corfu for the first show of the tour but what can I say? Despite what my web show might imply I am a foodie, and I happen to be friends with several other foodies who happen to be wrestlers (and my boyfriend, and a wrestling trainee)! And right now, we’re at the part of the tour that takes us to the renowned local restaurant Paragka, which is located in the village of Apollona which is famed for its fantastic, authentic food and Greek hospitality.
And so far? The guide wasn’t lying about the hospitality parr!
”Told you guys this would be worth it.” I said as we sat at the restaurant waiting to be served, the idea behind this tour was to meet the locals and eat their authentic Greek food and for the most part, Krystal, Francisco and Cassie were relying on me and Makayla for the translations because we were the only Greek speakers in the group, luckily for us there were still a few English speakers and they welcomed us into their homes. ”I think this is the happiest I’ve seen Cassie since the tour started.”
”It’s either that or relief that my arm has FINALLY stopped aching after I decided to be sassy to Keira last week!” Cassie commented and I had to shake my head, I had seen the tweets she had put out and I had to agree with Krystal, she was lucky that she wasn’t a Go Gym Trainee and had said that to one of the Go Gym’s trainers. ”Seriously though, great food, friendly locals, renowned restaurant for lunch, getting to drink wine, what’s not to love?”
”I would say “don’t get used to it because the US is a more stringent when it comes to legal drinking age, but let’s be honest.” Makayla commented as she shook her head with a dry chuckle. ”As soon as we’re back stateside you’re going to dive straight back into your weed stash Scrooge McDuck style!”
”Heh, guilty as charged.” Cassie admitted with a sheepish grin before she turned my attention to Francisco as he eagerly awaited the first course of our mezze feast. ”How about you Francisco? How you found it so far.”
”I’ll admit, I haven’t had a lot of exposure to Greek cuisine, my family’s Brazilian and we tend to stick to that style of food.” Francisco admitted as he patted his stomach to indicate that he had enjoyed the food. ”And I know that sounds strange considering my girlfriend is Greek.”
”Well yeah, but have you seen her YouTube channel? How she hasn’t been banned from every restaurant kitchen in America is beyond me!” Krystal joked and it was my turn to grin sheepishly as I lowered my head. ”And we all know that Ari can cook well when she wants too.”
”I can’t help it if I want to get a bit experimental sometimes.” I countered and saw Makayla raising her eyebrow at that “sometimes” part. ”Okay, most of the time, are you happy?”
”Yeah, we’ll leave it at that for now.” Makayla teased me as the waiter came up to serve us wine for the first part of the mezze feast. ”Saying that I am curious to see how this mezze feast measures up to the one I had for my bachelorette party last month.”
“Ahh, so your married?” The waiter, an older guy who looked to be in his early forties at most, commented with a chuckle and Makayla grinned before showing him her wedding ring. “With a beautiful girl like you? He’s a lucky man!”
”Well, your half right.” Krystal commented as she showed the waiter her wedding ring. ”I am lucky to be married to someone as beautiful as Makayla!”
“My mistake, you are a lucky woman.” The waiter responded with a chuckle as he finished pouring the wine and went off to check on the first course.
”I’d say this calls for a toast.” I commented as I held up my wine glass and the others at the table nodded in agreement as their raised their glasses. ”To my successful SCW career!”
“HERE, HERE!” The whole table chanted in unison before clinging our glasses together and taking a sip, though Cass was the first one to finish her sip which I assumed was because she wasn’t used to the taste yet.
Nope. ”And here’s to Ariana being a lot more experimental in the bedroom than in the kitchen for Francisco’s sake!” Cassie added and Krystal and Makayla nearly choked on their drinks when she said that me and Francisco on the other hand barely managed to avoid spitting out our drinks in shock. ”Too soon?”
”Yes, WAY too soon!” Francisco responded and Cassie laughed though at that point I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol talking or her just being a smart ass. ”If she keeps this up can we ban her from having alcohol for the rest of the tour?”
”Spoilsport!” Cassie responded by sticking her tongue our at him playfully and thankfully for us the first part of the mezze feast arrived.
It was all fun and games for now, but soon I would need to be all business, because that was Alicia’s MO through and through!
Rhodes Medieval Village, Rhodes, Greece
Tuesday the 19th of April 2022, 21:00pm
*promo time*
Here we go.
”Rhodes, a city known just as much for its food as it’s ancient history, an island that used to be home to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this Sunday it’ll also become known as the place where I made my official SCW debut after competing in a one off tag team title match with my bestie HB Carter and that showcase match at the beginning of the tour against Kaiju Rainbow, so far, if we’re counting those two matches, I’m one for one in wins and losses in SCW but this Sunday’s match against Alicia Lukas will prove to be my biggest challenge yet.”
I said as I walked through the medieval village.
”Alicia, you are easily one of the most successful SCW Champions in either division, within months of your debut back in 2018 you were the World Bombshell Champion and combined, your three reigns totalled in at 357 days, a total that was matched by Amber after she broke the record set by your second reign and you are facing little old me in your first match since taking on Candy in a Blindfold Match several weeks ago, on paper this should be an easy one for you right? Facing a twenty-one year old Go Gym Graduate who’s mostly known as a tag team specialist, right?”
Wrong.
”Let me get this out of the way, I am in no way saying that you are on the same level as Kaiju Rainbow, you said it yourself Alicia, you are so far above Kaiju’s level that she’s like an ant to you by that logic you should be able to just step on me and move on, I love it when veterans underestimate the newcomers! Especially when the newcomers come from the world famous Go Gym, you’ve probably heard of at least a few of the other graduates!”
Just a few.
”Do I need to spell it out for you Alicia? Apparently yes! I’ve been working my butt off down in SCU improving with every match and whilst I have yet to hold a title since my second Pride Tag Team Title Reign ended, I’ve been grinding away at it, working on improving my craft and getting to the level where I need to be! But here’s the catch Alicia, you may deny it all you want, but the Alicia Lukas that arrived in SCW and hit the Bombshell Division like a hurricane? She’s gone, and I don’t think she’s coming back!”
Sadly enough.
”Your last reign as World Bombshell Champion ended at December 2 Dismember IV back in 2019, I remember that show well because it was the first PPV after I signed with SCU, you lost the title in an epic Six Pack Challenge that’s, personally speaking, one of my favourite matches off all time and before you say it, I’m not saying that because you lost the title that night, but on the subject Alicia, when you lost that title that night, you lost something else along the way.”
Something important.
”You lost the fire that you came into SCW with! Don’t believe me for some reason? That’s fine, I have evidence to back up my words! What evidence you ask? The mere fact that it’s been three long years since you last held a title in SCW! Not for lack of trying because you’ve certainly tried to get your name in the record books as a champion of some kind, you even used everyone’s favourite thing to do when they win the Queen/King for a Day Match by booking yourself into a World Bombshell Title Match against Amber and helping your friend win a title along the way! How did that work out for you again?”
Oh yeah!
“You had high hopes heading into that night! Yet for all your power and talent the only new champions that emerged that night were Austin James Mercer and Tempest whilst you failed in your quest to win back the World Bombshell Title for the fourth time, do you know what that makes you Alicia? It doesn’t make you one of the all-time greats, it makes you a greedy, selfish former champion who can’t let go off the past and most of all, because of all the chances you’ve gotten at winning titles and the fact that you’ve squandered all of them, it makes you the Queen of Second Chances and the Strong Style Southern Belle has suddenly become the Whiff Style Southern Belle, in short Alicia? You are a shadow of your former self.”
Prove me wrong.
”Would the Alicia Lukas of 2018 have lost the Bombshell Internet Title qualifier to Jessie Salco? Would she have allowed herself to get blinded by Candy? I don’t think so, you’ve changed Alicia and not for the better but I hope that you can prove me wrong on Sunday by giving me a fight that proves why you’ve earned all those accolades since joining SCW but is the first that once burned within you still there? Or was it extinguished when you lost the title to Roxi Johnson, never to be lit again?”
That’s the question.
”That’s the question you have to ask yourself on Sunday Alicia because for everything I’ve said about this match, I know I still have a mountain to climb if I want to get my first official win in SCW, I’m a twenty one year old woman with three years of experience under my belt and two Pride Tag Team Title reigns to my name, you are a woman who’s travelled the world, has wrestled a lot ;longer than me and has held titles in more companies than I care to count but it does beg the question Alicia, do you care anymore?”
It's that simple.
”It feels weird to ask this of someone as decorated and experienced as you Alicia but given your recent track record in SCW? It’s a pertinent question in my opinion! People can look at this match and go “the little Greek girl doesn’t stand a chance, Alicia’s got this in the bag” all they want but the eggs will be in their faces when I pick up the win on Sunday Alicia because you’ve been slipping for a long time, and this match might just be your breaking point!”
And with that I decided to wrap things up.
”It’s funny that you’ve managed to reach the same level as Mercedes Vargas in less than half the time it took her, the level of “former World Bombshell Champion who’s a shadow of her former self” and what better way for me to showcase that than to defeat you on Sunday Alicia? We’ll soon find out as your bear witness to the grace of the Angel’s Descent and feel the Angel’s Wrath courtesy of “The Greek Goddess” Ariana Angelos! I’ll see you in the ring!”
I walked off to meet up with my boyfriend as the scene fades.
