[Mark Ward]

 All roleplays for this match go in this thread.

Limits: 1 roleplay per week, per character. 10,000 word limit.

Good luck!

[Andrea Hernandez]

 January 31, 2020

Two days prior to my match against Bea Barnhart and just after I finished filming my “Bar Talk” promo against her, I felt awkward in a lighthearted way. Chelsea LeClair came up to me with a smile on her face, happy that for once I had even a semblance of fun.

“That was great!” she told me. “That’s the Andrea that I grew up with!”

“It feels weird…” I admitted. “I haven’t done anything like that in some time, not since OCW anyway.”

“Now I know that when you take on Bea on Sunday, you’re going to be calmer and more relaxed. You’re not going to be forcing anything against her and you’re not thinking ahead to Christina Rose or anything like that.”

“Christina who?” I joked.

“Sassy…” she said with a laugh.

“I wasn’t dissing her…”

“I know! But still… it’s really nice to see you like this. I know it’s going to take time, but keep trying to add some fun in your life, you know?”

I nodded.

“I’ll do my best on that. Right now though? I’m focused on quieting that yapping bitch on Sunday…”

Chelsea and I gave each other a hug before we left the bar. I certainly felt different, and by different I meant better. That feeling persisted into my match against Bea and while she was putting so much pressure on herself to try to beat me and to talk more shit in the future, I was feeling lighthearted. I focused on the moment. I focused on what I had to do. I treated my match with Bea as another night in the office knowing that if I was at my typical game, I was going to win and despite Bea’s ridiculous trash talk, I was able to shut her up and get the victory. When I went backstage after the fact, I felt satisfied. It wasn’t just the fact that I had beaten her, it was also the fact that for once in my career, I was able to go through a match from start to finish without pressure being put on me.

And yes, there was a bit of a lighthearted moment afterward…

February 3, 2020

“Here’s to another victory!” Chelsea said with a smile as we had dinner afterward.

“Indeed!” I said with a laugh. “Bea Barnhart… the FUTURE of the Bombshells division.. Am I right?”

“PFFFT!” Chelsea’s exaggerated scoff pretty much indicated that she didn’t take Bea seriously whatsoever. “I’m having dinner with the REAL future of that division.”

“You’re just saying that to kiss ass, Chels.”

“You’re one of the fastest rising women that company has ever had. It’s not kissing ass, it’s fact.”

“You want to know what else was fact?” I asked Chelsea.

“What?”

“That skit with the cart… you know… what Bea did leading up to our match…”

Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Oh my GOD…” She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m so glad you shut her up because that skit was TERRIBLE!”

“Facts” I responded. “But hey, last night’s match was an eye opening change of pace. I think I am starting to understand the principle of ‘living in the moment’. There was a part of me that even felt like toying with that dumb bitch but I had to be focused. The worst thing that could have happened is for me to suffer such a big setback prior to My Bloody Valentine. I actually DID have fun.”

“I’m glad that you’re starting to see how important a work-life balance is.” Chelsea stated. She was going to say something else before my phone suddenly rang. I saw that it was my mother calling me.

“Hold that thought” I told her as I answered the phone. “Hey… yeah I’m fine mom… yourself?”

I listened to my mother on the other end while she made a suggestion for me to stop by and visit.

“I don’t know… is my dad going to be there at that time?” I asked her. “He won’t? Okay… well… since you know I’m busy and all, I’ll TRY to make it work. I’ll call you back in a bit, alright? Love you!”

Chelsea was automatically curious as to what the conversation was about.

“My mother wants me to see her…” I told Chelsea. “Saturday the 8th. I didn’t promise her anything.”

“Do you have anything going on, on the 8th?”

“Extra training… you know… for the Christina Rose match. By the way… I don’t get her…”

Chelsea rolled her eyes at the mention of “extra training.”

“Why does she want to wrestle me so bad? I’m flattered, don’t get me wrong. It’s just… she’s being way too nice about this.”

“Thinking about the reputation she had before?” Chelsea asked.

“A little. She doesn’t exactly have the history of being an angel…” my eyes narrowed with skepticism. “...I don’t know if she’s trustworthy… all things considered…”

“Maybe she’s trying to be your friend” Chelsea suggested. “God knows you need some besides Clarissa and I… especially in that locker room.”

“Chels… I don’t do friends.” I reminded her. “Having friends in this business is a recipe for disaster because all they do is stab you in the back and no offense, that’s something you know so much about. When I trained for this, my father would tell me that making friends in wrestling is a recipe for disaster… not just because they’re distractions but because they’ll drag you down then stab you in the back. I don’t hate Christina, it’s just… I don’t trust her. What if there’s an ulterior motive behind her wanting to wrestle me so much? How can someone that barely knows me be THAT nice to me? What if she’s acting?”

“Why would she do that?”

“She has Hollywood connections…”

“Really? I’ve never heard of her in regards to that.”

“Ever heard of Crystal Hilton?”

“Oooooooh…..” Chelsea is certainly familiar with that name having had television industry connections herself. “...okay, valid point but Andrea… I only have one thing to say to all that.”

“Yeah?”

“Your father can kindly fuck off!” My eyes widened a bit as Chelsea continued to make her point. “He’s just a bitter old bastard that can’t stand the fact that you’re having the success that he never did. So you’re just going to distract yourself from the moment because of some archaic bullshit your father fed you while he was training you? Not everyone in wrestling is a two face. I get your confusion on how friendly she is with you and I understand your concerns but FUCK Andrea… give her a chance. You can’t be a loner for your entire career. As long as she hasn’t done anything to YOU… she should be considered a good girl. Quit listening to him. Just relax and have fun with this. This is exactly why those main event level matches that get you to the next level… you know… this is why you struggle to take the next step… because when they come, you put too much fucking pressure on yourself and you overthink everything. You think extra training will do the trick because that’s what your father taught you. Well… FUCK HIM! And fuck that extra training too, Andrea. Go see your mom and just be a human being for a change.”

I was surprised by Chelsea’s sudden assertive nature, but I wasn’t fighting it because I knew she was right.

“You should be REBELLING against your father… not going by everything he taught you. Don’t overthink this thing with Christina though… seriously…”

I let out a sigh, sorting my thoughts. Chelsea certainly made a great point. I had a completely different, psychological mindset going into that match against Bea and I greatly enjoyed the experience that came with it. I knew I was starting to loosen up a little more. There was no ‘extra training’ for her and I turned out fine. But there WAS that ‘extra training’ prior to the 4 way, the six pack challenge and the match against Alicia Lukas and that didn’t turn out well for me at all..

“You’re your own person now, Andi.” Chelsea reminded me. “It’s time to embrace that shit!”

Taking another deep breath, I picked up my phone and called my mother back. She didn’t take long to answer.

“Mom? Hi… hey… I can definitely stop by to see you on the 8th… I’ll see you then. Bye!”

“See? That wasn’t so hard…” Chelsea said. “Just take that match against Christina as it comes and you’re going to be just fine one way or another.”

“I can agree with that… but there’s still a long way to go before I can ever be at peace with the way things between him and I have gone…”

Chelsea and I continued to have our victory dinner at that point and my mind from this moment forward was beginning to move past the Bea Barnhart victory and the challenge that I had ahead. When I had the opportunity once the dust settled, I laid back and reflected on a moment my father really wanted to make sure that I knew that there was no such thing as fun in professional wrestling…

Flashback: July 18, 2012

“I’m really not that bad…” I was telling a couple of girls about my age in my father’s training class after a session for the day had ended. “I promise you that. It’s just… my dad…”

“You’re telling me that you don’t live the glamorous lifestyle?” one of the girls asked me.

“On the contrary, my dad pushes me harder than anyone else that’s here.”

“Screw that!” another of the girls said. “There’s a nice party going on tonight in Prescott Valley! You should come with us and we can get to know you a little better! Don’t you think you’re due for some fun for once? Just because we’re all in the same class doesn’t mean we have to be enemies…”

“I’d love to. What time are we talking about?”

“No time…” I heard my father say behind me as he approached us. “No time at all…” All I could do was sigh as the other girls cringed.

“If you two want to waste your career infancy on getting illegally drunk and possibly high, then be my guest. But, I am not about to allow my daughter to get involved in such filth! Now you two better get the hell on out of here.”

The two girls sighed and left… for good. They chose not to return the next day having had enough of my father’s overbearing nature. They weren’t the only ones that were, however…

“Really?” I asked my father. “What’s so bad about having fun and making friends?”

“In wrestling, there’s no such thing” my father responded as I dejectedly looked at the ground. “Your classmates aren’t your friends, Andrea. They’re your competition. I expect you to be at the top of the class and you’re not going to get there by mingling with your competition. They are chasing the same thing that you are and they’re more than willing to stab you… or hell… each other… in the back to get what they want. That’s how wrestling works.”

“So you’re telling me that I can’t have friends? In my career? At all?” I asked.

“Not unless you plan on being a tag team wrestler…” my father responded.

“That’s a load of shit!” I immediately exclaimed. But this fell on deaf ears as my father shrugged this off.

“In wrestling, igf you want to become a star in this business there’s only one person that you can rely on and that’s yourself. Now, enough of this nonsense. We’ve got bleacher cleaning to do…”

I rolled my eyes and sighed lamenting the fact that once again, my father sapped any sort of fun out of me.

February 8, 2020

“You were such a playful little girl…” my mother would remind me as I met her at the home of my parents. I can only sigh, lamenting what I had lost. “You liked to go out. You liked to have fun. You weren’t the most popular girl in school but you had quite a few friends.”

“Yeah, those were good times. I honestly miss being a kid sometimes. But no, it’s like once I hit 16 and started training, I had to be an adult. I remember dad used to be so much more fun. He used to bond with me, he used to play with me, he’d even take me to pony rides and such… and then the moment I told him I wanted to be a wrestler… it just… it stopped…”

“I remember.” my mother said. “He didn’t even want you to wrestle at all. His family is far too stubborn… they’re way too Catholic for their own good. It just didn’t make sense to him for a woman in the family to wrestle. If it wasn’t for the fact that one brother of yours got arrested for armed robbery and the other wanted nothing to do with wrestling at all…”

“Be honest, mom. You’re glad that he didn’t…”

“After seeing the way your father began to treat you, I was. Still… if it wasn’t for those circumstances, he would have never bothered training you.”

“I know that…” I sighed. “And knowing that hurts, even now. It’s like… when I told him I wanted to wrestle… it’s like I committed blasphemy or something. How DARE a woman in the family wants to do something different than be a fucking kitchen slave, right? I’m glad you didn’t accept that role yourself. I hate him…”

“That’s a strong feeling to have toward your father, Andrea…”

“He treats me like I’m nothing to him. Ever since I started training, that’s all he’s done. My feelings have never mattered. He’s never satisfied with anything I do and I bet even if I were to win a world title he’d find a way to make it meaningless. If he were here right now, he’d be reminding me of my main event level failures while talking about how I shame the family. And you know what the worst part is?”

Tears were forming in my eyes as I continued to vent about my relationship with my father being as broken as it was.

“He’s never allowed me to express how I feel. He would always talk over me or beat me down… verbally… for even complaining or even trying to say how bullshit it was that I wasn’t allowed to have fun… or how I wasn’t allowed to have friends. I’ve always wanted a life besides wrestling and he never allowed me to have that. I couldn’t even go to my own fucking senior prom for fuck’s sake and I’m just so sick and tired of his stupid cloud hanging over my head… watching me. I feel like every time I fail, he’s going to be there to just pour salt in the wound. Every time I lose, I can already picture how he’s going to call me a disappointment and this and that and other things…”

I wiped away a tear that rolled down my face.

“Write him a letter…” my mother suggested. “I’ll be glad to give it to him… and to make sure he reads through the whole thing. I’ll even threaten divorce if I have to because he never had a right to treat you the way he has.”

I nodded, being with the idea.

“Yeah…” I paused for a sigh. “You’re right. I’ll do that. Thanks mom. At least I can be happy that one of my parents actually loves me.”

“Your father does love you… he just has a completely wrong way of showing it…”

That reassurance from my mother didn’t do much to help me… but I knew that I had to vent how I felt… even if he was going to reject my words and feelings. It wasn’t long before I sat down and wrote that letter…

“Dad…

I’ve been staying away from you since prior to that Alicia Lukas match and I had every reason to. I feel as if you’ve become a toxic influence on my life. Even though I’ve been as successful as I’ve become… which, may I remind you is more successful than anyone in this family has ever been… you still act as if you’re the boss of me. You still think you have a say in my life and my career.

You don’t.

You think you can still be my trainer.

You can’t.

I don’t want you to be my trainer. I don’t NEED a trainer. What I need is a dad that loves me and since my 16th birthday, I feel like I haven’t had that. I feel as if no matter what I do, I’m never good enough for you. You want to know how I felt when I couldn’t win the world title in December? How I felt when I failed to win the contender’s match a few weeks ago? I felt like you were standing by me, about to berate me for falling short. I felt like a failure of a daughter to you.

You gave me so much when it came to this business, but you also took so much away from me. The fact that you wouldn’t even allow me to go to my senior prom was fucked up. That meant the world to me and you didn’t care. I wanted to have more friends, but you wouldn’t allow it. You’d discourage me from dating because it’s a “distraction”. You would never allow me to have a life outside of wrestling. Is it because you didn’t? Because your father didn’t? Because his father didn’t?

I feel as though I will always be a burden to you. In fact, I bet you wish that one of my brothers was a wrestler right now so you would have never had to bother me and so you would’ve continued the fucked up sexist nonsense for another generation.

I’m your daughter… the only one you’ll ever have. The dad that I loved wasn’t the one that trained me to be a wrestler… the dad that I loved was and is the one that took me horse riding and would play Super Smash Brothers Melee and Zelda: Twilight Princess on the GameCube. I hold those memories dear to me more than any wrestling related memory you and I ever had.

I love you… even if you probably don’t feel the same way about me…

Andrea”

Later that day…

I was back at my own home in Sedona having felt a hell of a lot better ever since I wrote that therapeutic letter to my father. I wasn’t worried about how he was going to answer it… at least not in this moment. I had a match to focus on and I knew that Christina Rose was going to be a challenge. I wasn’t feeling any pressure at all. I knew it was a big match and all that, but remembering the mistakes I had made in my previous attempts to get over the hump, I took a deep, relaxing breath to put myself in the moment and be as collected as I could be as I began to express my thoughts.

“The last Climax Control was one hell of a warm up match, I will tell you that right now. But now, it’s time to focus on the main course. I already know that there will be some doubts going around… some even from myself, I will openly admit to this… about whether or not I can take up this challenge and prove that I’m a future bombshells world champion in the making. I can’t blame anyone for thinking that. I fell short against Alicia Lukas. I fell short in that four way recently. I fell short in that same survival challenge match that Christina Rose and I were a part of back in December. I can’t deny the facts as frustrating as they may be. Every time I’ve had a chance to get to that next level, it just hasn’t happened. And yet, here’s the part where I take responsibility for that because believe it or not… that match I just had against Bea Barnhart certainly taught me so much. It was honestly… the most relaxed match I’ve had since I’d come to Sin City Wrestling. It had nothing to do with Bea because I sure as hell wasn’t taking her lightly. It had everything to do with the fact that I wasn’t pressuring myself to be something that I may not be.

I could have gone into that match with the mindset of “I HAVE to win… because losing to Bea would be DEVASTATING.”

I went into that match with the mindset of “whatever happens, happens”. I was a little more carefree than usual and as a result, I was able to pull through and get that victory. I pressured myself so much in those other three matches and it cost me and I get it now. Everything that my father ever taught me? For the most part, I am throwing it out the window. I’ve realized how living up to a family legacy and how trying to make him happy is dragging me down. I shouldn’t be doing this for a family tradition. I shouldn’t be doing this to make other people happy. I should be doing this to make ME happy and not having that weight of my family on my shoulders for once paid massive dividends in my last match… and it’s going to be the same mindset going into this challenge match with Christina Rose.

Christina… you don’t need any introductions. I don’t need to run down your accolades. I know the challenge that I have ahead of me. I KNOW that when it comes to taking on opponents at the next level, or opponents in the history of this company that HAVE been at that level before… that I CAN win and that I especially CAN pull off those wins here! It was only in my second match here that I beat Mercedes Vargas, Christina. Remember that? It was only recently where I came away with a win over Jessie Salco… you know… the same, dilapidated, tired Jessie Salco that YOU lost to recently. What happened there? Did you overlook her? Yeah, she’s one of the most notorious women this company has had so getting that win over her does add a little more prestige to my record in this company. But you know what I feel is my most impressive win to date, Chrissy? It’s one that should be very up close and personal for you because it happened right before that chamber match. It was the match where I took on Seleana, your wife, and I BEAT HER! She wasn’t far removed from being in the main event of the biggest show of the year and in my opportunity to pick up massive momentum, I pulled through and oddly? I barely put any pressure on myself for that match because I felt like I was playing with house money.

Is that when you started paying attention to me? Because ever since then, you’ve been expressing this admiration that you have for me. I don’t know whether to be flattered by it or whether I should be skeptical… I mean… you DO have a long history here and a highly significant portion of it isn’t good at all considering some fucked up things you’ve done and how going into that chamber match, you wanted to win that world title so bad to atone for your past sins.

Is atonement one of the same reasons why you wanted to wrestle me so bad?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered that you’d want to compete against me. But what’s your motive here? Is it really to have a fair and honorable match? Is this a part of some conniving plot that “Crystal Hilton” would have her fingerprints all over where we have our match and you stab me in the back? Sorry, I shouldn’t be so judgmental, but you do have that kind of history that you’re trying so desperately hard to atone for. Is this a friendship thing with you? Is this all because you want to be friends? Let me make this clear, Christina. I’m not saying that friendship isn’t possible, but as of this moment, I can confidently tell you that we’re not friends. I don’t hate you, but we’re not friends. We hardly even know each other. Believe me, when we meet at My Bloody Valentine, all of those questions that I just openly pondered ARE going to be answered but I’m far more focused on beating you than I am answering those questions. I accepted your challenge because I’m never someone that would back down from one and I know that this is going to be a hell of a test for me. I accepted your challenge because even though you finished higher than me in the chamber match, I still know that I can beat you one on one and that’s precisely what I am going to do next weekend.

I didn’t accept your challenge to be your friend, I want to make that much clear right now. I didn’t accept your challenge to have fun and have a good time. That’s never my M.O. when it comes to stuff inside of that ring. Straight up? I accepted your challenge to add another notch to my belt in this company and to take that next step up to the top where I want to get to. I’ve got my priorities in the right places. What about you? Are you going to be too fixated on your atonement or trying to teach me a lesson? We’ll found out for sure. All I know is that you’ve become such a big fan of mine… seemingly… for some reason. But I will say this…

You are right about one thing…

Remember when you told me going into the chamber match that there’s no need for me to be swallowed up in my family’s legacy? I sure as hell do. You were right about that and I’m getting closer and closer to breaking free from it all and making a name for myself and myself alone in this company. However… I’m going to make you regret that you said that because that’s something that stuck with me in a very good way. It helped me realize that it was trying to live up to a standard and expectation that was probably unrealistic that was completely hamstringing me and I’ve had enough of that. As of my last match with Bea Barnhart, I am slowly but surely putting my family’s legacy behind me. I am shedding the one thing that was anchoring me from reaching the next level and just in time for our match too. Had you not given me that advice, I wouldn’t have realized it eventually and that would have been a massive advantage on your end of things. It’s quite possible that by telling me that a couple of months ago, you may have already made the biggest mistake of this match long before that bell even rings and that’s a mistake that I’ll make sure you pay for. You know what it’s like.

Your own family…

Being tied up in all that…

I see that you’re still subconsciously trying to break from that yourself. We are similar in that sense but in the end, I know I’m farther along than you are in that regard because unlike you, I don’t have a rap sheet to atone for. I’ve never stooped to the levels that you have in your past. I’ve never had the need to atone or redeem myself for something. You’ve got all of the weight of your past on your shoulders, pulling you down. Your biggest strength is your biggest weakness… one that I am going to exploit. You want to use your past to motivate yourself and that’s great. You want to atone for the past, that’s great too but unfortunately, it adds JUST a little more weight to your shoulders that you probably shouldn’t have. I know how these redemption stories work… you expressed it yourself. These stories in wrestling are never complete without a world championship and you know what happens the longer it takes for that world title to come? You feel like you’ve failed your redemption and that you’ll never atone for the past. Eventually… those insecurities come crawling back and it eats you alive until suddenly… you can’t take it anymore. You relapse and you’re that same bitch that made the lives of others hell while you were being… and this is quoting you by the way… an extension of your husband.

What are you going to do when those insecurities begin to crawl back, Christina?

Would me beating you do such a thing? I’m curious to find out… and I will… when I overcome this challenge you present to me by exploiting your weaknesses and taking advantage of the fact that while I’m going into this with a “whatever happens, happens” approach instead of the “life or death” approach I was taking with those three harsh, top level losses I’ve had recently… you’re going to be carrying that atonement weight with you into this match… and it’s going to have the same effect that trying to live up to my family’s legacy did… it’s going to drag you down.

I can bear the weight of defeat better than you can. Luckily for me, when My Bloody Valentine rolls around… I won’t have to.

You’ll experience what I’m all about on that night… when I’m living in the moment, no pressure on my shoulders, and fighting the best damn match I can bring.

Sorry Chrissy… but My Bloody Valentine isn’t exactly going to be an Emmy-winning night for you.”

Maintaining my poise and my demeanor, I shut off the camera and for the moment, continue to prepare for the challenge ahead.

[Crystal Zdunich]

 Las Vegas, Nevada
Off Camera

Life was great as far as Christina Zdunich was concerned. It seemed as everything was going in the direction that she had wanted it to go. Within a year a lot of major things had happened within her life. She went from riches to rags and back to riches again. Everything seemed to be so hopeless before Christmas. The Steele family had swiped right in and taken her movie studio away from her, and money didn’t seem to be coming in as much as she would like. However instead of crying about it she decided to get better. She decided to remain focused on her wrestling career and making extra money on the side as a waitress. She had no idea that her efforts would eventually make her Dani’s and Daniel’s best waitress in the Golden Ring Casino. She didn’t have any clue that all of her hard work would eventually propel her into having a serious promotion and she would be made the event coordinator at the Golden Ring Casino. Life was good and add in the fact that her wife would surprise her by playing the stock market and getting her studio back what more could she ask for. She held a high position within a casino, she is one of the top female wrestlers in the world, and on top of that CEO of a movie studio.

Could life really get any better? Christina was sitting down in her new office that Daniel had gifted her. Daniel and the girls were out of town as they decided to go back home to London for a bit which meant that Nick was in charge along with Dani and Christina. Christina smiled as she looked at her office. The walls were plastered with awards for Waitress of the month along with replicas of various championships that she has won from different companies. Christina couldn’t help but smile as somebody entered into her office and it was that of her daughter Brittany Williams. Brittany smiled as she glanced at the walls before slowly turning her attention to her mother.

“Wow mom they are really taking care of you in here aren’t they?”

Christina could only nod her head in agreement as she smirked in return.

“Daniel really likes me and my work effort. These English men really know how to take care of a woman… Well except for my ex-husband in Jonathan but we won’t talk about him. I think the word Mark Ward put in for me was a good one and Daniel has been holding me to high expectations ever since.”

“It also doesn’t help you are like one of his biggest money makers. Who wouldn’t want to be waited on by the legendary Crystal Hilton? You can spin it that you are Christina and go by whatever name you choose, but when people look at you. They will always see the legendary wrestler and every single receipt that you give out is basically an autograph…”

Brittany says with a giggle as Christina just leans back in her chair glaring back at her daughter.

“To be honest I didn’t really think about it in that way. I guess you do have a point…I just love being here Brittany. This is definitely my home and I am treated like a queen…”

Brittany nods her head in agreement as she remains focused on her mother.

“You have been doing an amazing job as the events coordinator for the Casino. Truthfully Daniel has to be thrilled by the amount of outreaches that you have been putting into the community…”

Christina nods her head with a smirk.

“It has been really cool but I think the best thing is the fact that I have really been helping this little girl with her Leukemia. Aurora is definitely a fighter. Granted Leukemia in children has a very high survival rate but this girl is like none other. It doesn’t even phase her. Brittany we could sit here arguing about what to eat, or what type of car to drive, and those things seem to be trivial when someone like her is dealing with a life or death situation. We really take things for granted to be honest. We have no idea how lucky we truly blessed we are especially you Brittany. You were dealt an amazing hand.”

Brittany slowly begins to shake her head.

“I figured I was. I know you always talk about having to grow up and live with your teen pregnancy and I basically was birthed with a silver spoon in my mouth…”

“Exactly you never really had to go hungry. Even if I made foolish mistakes it never really had that much of an impact on you. You are the future and you will always be blessed by the hard work of your father and I. Others really don’t have that much fortune, and we need to do our best to give back to them…I know it must suck to be fired from SCU but that’s not the end of your story. You are only 18 and you have your whole life ahead of you. You are my daughter after all so I am sure you will find a way to bounce back. Even if I have to make Daniel hire you to be a waitress…”

Brittany shakes her head.

“No thank you… I appreciate what you do but I could never see myself waiting on tables. I am completely fine with watching my wife Halo do her thing which reminds me. I know you said you are busy because Daniel is out of town. Is that going to stop you from going to the San Juan show for SCU?”

Christina shakes her head.

“Actually I wasn’t planning to go… I know it’s a pretty big deal considering everybody from the Zdunich family is going to be there. I know you are going to go but I have someplace else I wish to go. San Juan is very important to me considering for the longest I thought I was Puerto Rican until Pedro shared the truth about me…”

“Hey he might not be your actual father but he stood in the gap for his dead beat brother. I love Grandpa and I want to go say hi to all of my Tias and Tios there. Great Grandma misses me and I just have to stop by. You really are going to miss a wonderful show and…”

Before Brittany could finish what she wanted to say it is at that moment that the door to Christina’s office opens up and walking through was none other than the 11 year old little Latina girl Aurora. She quickly ran over to Christina and gave her a big hug.

“Wow your office is so huge! Mr. Daniel is really taking good care of you…”

“I know isn’t it amazing in here?!”

Christina smiles as Brittany just looks at the relationship Christina has with the little girl and just shakes her head in disgust walking away.

“Obviously I see why you don’t have time to do anything anymore. Why don’t you just continue to spend time with your “second” daughter and totally ignore your real daughter…”

With that Brittany storms out the room leaving Christina alone with that of Aurora. Christina sighs as she looks at Brittany walk out and slam the door behind her. Aurora walks over to Christina as she gazes slowly into her eyes.

“Did I do something wrong?!”

“No Aurora… Brittany is just upset because things haven’t been going her way in her wrestling career. That’s nothing you have to worry about and I will try my best to work out things with her as soon as I am done with you.”

“She seemed to be pretty angry and I don’t want your daughter to be mad at me. I am thankful for everything you have done for me and this casino has really helped my mother and I. I think that was the best Christmas somebody could have ever given to us. It’s more than you being my favorite wrestler. It’s about you truly being my Godmother and I love every single bit of it…”

“Don’t mention it… I am happy I could help your mother and you. That’s what I am here for. For the longest time I have been selfish and I only thought about me. In helping you I feel like I am giving back to the community and I feel like I am making an impact…”

The little girl smiles as she hug’s Christina as tightly as she can. Something else catches her eye and it’s something that Christina has in her bag. She quickly runs over to it and pulls it out and it’s her newly won WWA Trios Team Championship.

“Oh my God is this a title belt?!”

“Yes… I actually won it last night with my wife Seleana and her sister Zenna. I always made a promise that whoever I team up with I would always help them win a tag team championship. I have always done so in my career because I am a woman of my promise, and now my wife can finally be happy because I did so with her. Yet as great as that is something just still seems to be missing…”

The little girl shakes her head as she looks over at Christina.

“You always push yourself so hard. You might want to take a break or else it won’t be that healthy for you…”

Christina nods her head with a long sigh.

“I know but that’s how I always lived and I always have to push towards a goal. I need more and want more. It’s just never enough at least in my eyes. Anyway there’s some serious work to be done at the casino but did you bring me what I told your mother to give me…”

The little girl nods her head.

“Yes it is in the envelope although I don’t know what it is…”

Christina smirks as she leans back in her chair as she continues to grin at the girl.

“Why don’t you open it?”

The little girl opens the envelope and it seems to be her passport. She looks back at Christina with a shocked expression on her face.

“It’s my Passport… I really don’t understand….”

Christina smirks in return as she speaks some more.

“Of course it’s your Passport. I had a conversation with your mother and she is going to allow you to come with me to Mexico. I have shown you were I worked, I have shown you my movie studio but what would be more amazing is that I show you my wrestling school in Mexico….”

The little girl seems amazed.

“Really I get to go to La Paloma’s wrestling Gimnasio?!”

Christina nods her head in agreement.

“Exactly you get to go there with me and I assure you it’s going to be super fun.”

“But won’t Daniel get mad if you leave for too long?”

“Not really I usually get weekends off and we are only going to go there for a few days. I get to show you around and at the same time maybe work on some stuff for this upcoming match with Andrea…”

Aurora nods her head with a chuckle.

“Yeah I can understand that… Andrea seems to be really good…”

“Oh she’s better than good… She is an amazing talent and I respect her a lot. I normally wouldn’t be doing what I would be doing if it was for somebody else, but she is special. I knew she was special the very moment she came into this company. I just want to give her the proper challenge she deserves and I can only do that if I am at my best…”

The little girl smiles in return.

“You will beat her… You always tend to do your best in one on one matches…”

“That might be true but you can’t overlook an opponent. She is better than what you think Aurora. Come on it’s almost time to go. I have a feeling you are going to like being in Mexico…”

With that the little girl begins to jump around excitedly as Christina continues to smirk as we go elsewhere.




Mexico City, Mexico
La Paloma’s Gimnasio

Everything comes into focus and as we do we are taken to Crystal’s wrestling school in Mexico. It was the wrestling school that was originally ran by her father but years ago it was passed down to her. Of course Christina was busy living the multimedia star lifestyle so she really didn’t have time to run the school like she should have so it was left in the hands of her brother Jamal.  Christina and Aurora smirked as they walked through the doors of the gym. The Luchadores in training were all trying to perfect their wrestling craft. Aurora’s eyes open wide up as Christina grins in return.

“Aurora welcome to my wrestling school… You are going to love it here. This is where I trained to become the wrestler that you see before you today. It was a long and hard journey but eventually I made it. It took a lot of hard work sweat, blood, and of course tears…”

“Wow this place looks so…”

Christina grins as she nods her head in agreement.

“I know you don’t have to say it but this place is pretty much a dump. You don’t judge a book by it’s cover though. I know I live that big lavish lifestyle now but I wouldn’t trade my upbringing for anything in the world. It was right within these doors that I was shaped to be the Crystal Hilton that would take over the wrestling world. My father didn’t let up by any means. He was tough on me and it was a great time of bonding with a man I knew a little about…”

“It sounds so interesting. I wasn’t judging you. I just didn’t think it would look like this. I can tell you definitely put your share of time into the business. One day I wish I could be as cool as you. I want to maybe compete within these doors and follow in your footsteps…”

Christina quickly shakes her head as she glances into the eyes of the little girl.

“As amazing as all of that sounds you shouldn’t pride yourself on being the next me. You should honestly go about being your own individual. You have all of the talent in the world to be whoever you want to be. Why settle for being me and following my path when you can make your own. However we are going to focus on things one step at a time. If it is truly your dream to become a wrestler I will definitely teach you. I have no problems making you one of my students and making sure you get the proper training that you can. This school definitely would be the best place for you…”

Christina grabs the little girl by the shoulders as she glances deep into her eyes and continues to speak.

“However what I am concerned with is making sure we beat your Leukemia and once we do we can start taking things further and talking about you becoming a wrestler. Your mother basically told me that’s the only thing you seem to have your mind for and I am here to help your precious dreams become a reality. If this is what you really want by all means we are going to go for it. I just want you to walk in the steps of a wrestler. You just don’t become a sensation overnight. There’s a lot of ground work to be covered. A lot of training , time and effort goes into just about everything. None of this even becomes possible if you don’t achieve in school…”

“You didn’t do well in school Christina…”

Christina shakes her head.

“Don’t compare yourself to me. You aren’t me. I want you to focus on you being yourself… Now come on let’s show you some more stuff…”

The two of them continue to walk around the school just taking in all of the surroundings. Auroras seems to be amazed as she watches all of the students putting in the hard work to make something of themselves.

“Do you see how much work all of these students are putting in? They are taking everything seriously. They aren’t letting up and they keep pushing no matter the costs or the stakes. They know that it’s about the love of the sport. If a big break comes to compete in a place such as Sin City Wrestling they would love it but they know they may not even make it out of Mexico and they are happy with that. It’s the love of the sport that pushes them onward and they couldn’t care about anything else…”

“So some of these people won’t ever make it to the big time?!”

“A lot of them won’t make it but they don’t care. They just keep on pushing because they love wrestling and that’s all that matters to them…”

“Wow… I didn’t know that it was such a low probability of making it to the big level…”

Christina nods her head as she looks at the girl.

“Exactly but don’t let that turn you away. That’s why you need to always stay motivated. You need to always push yourself and it gives you something to work towards. If you don’t have an end goal what is the point of really doing anything?”

Aurora just keeps on taking everything in from Christina’s tour and it is at that moment where a man with a huge afro walks over to where the two of them are standing. That man is none other than Jamal Lopez who happens to be the brother to Christina. The Hispanic man looks down at the girl before he speaks to his sister.

“Hello my little sister. It’s been a while since you came down here. I didn’t take you to be a babysitter. It definitely doesn’t sound like the Crystal Hilton mentality…”

Christina laughs as he punches him in the shoulder.

“Hey that’s rude. This little girl is Aurora and I will have you know she is my biggest fan in the entire world. She is a better fighter than the both of us. She has Leukemia and she is going to beat it and put that cancer into remission. On top of that she is going to one day become a wrestler and she’s going to be better than either of us…”

The little girl smiles as she looks at Jamal.

“That’s right and don’t you talk down to my idol! You are lucky she doesn’t fire you!”

Christina crosses her arms as she glances at her brother as she can’t help but giggle in return.

“You heard her… I love this girl. Now why don’t you treat us with some respect, an send somebody to perhaps give her a better tour. She wants to know everything about my journey…”

“Including all of the times you cried here?!”

Jamal laughs in return but that only gets daggers glared back at him from Christina. He snaps his fingers and it is at that moment that a woman walks over to where they are standing. It’s their sister Maia. She smiles in return as she takes a long deep breath and begins to speak.

“Hey… So I will give her a tour so you two could catch up… It’s not often that you grace us with your presence Christina…Why don’t you visit us more often instead of showing up once a year…”

Christina waves it off as she smiles at Aurora. The little girl nods her head in agreement as she runs off with that of Christina’s sister. Jamal and Christina were left by themselves as Jamal just crosses his arms glaring at his sister.

“So what brings you to Mexico… Honestly I don’t know why dad left the deed to this school in your name. He would have been better just leaving it to me. I am the one who is doing the real work around here. Well myself and Maia… You think this is some open door policy when you can come and go as you please. That’s not how it should work here Christina. I don’t care what you might have accomplished in America. Everybody might look up to you like this big sensation and this Hollywood A Lister but you aren’t that to me. You are just my little sister and I am going to tell you how I feel…”

“Wow Jamal… Tell me how you really feel… Look I appreciate everything that all of you do around here. You all are the heart and soul of this school. If you weren’t here to run it I don’t know where any of the students would be. I might have been dad’s favorite but that’s because he felt guilty for not being there for me. He just wanted to make up for lost time and it’s harder to be a male wrestler than it is to be a woman in this sport. Women’s wrestling was on the rise and I just capitalized on that…”

“Good and don’t you forget that unless you want me to beat you in a sparring match again…”

Christina just shakes her head with a grin but Jamal keeps on speaking.

“But on a serious note what brings you here, and don’t give me this nonsense that it’s because you wanted to show Aurora around. What’s the real reason you are here?!”

Christina nodded her head with a smirk.

“Ok I guess you have me all figured out. The real reason I decided to come here is because I wanted you to look at me and tell me what do you think about my chances to be in the ring with this Andrea Hernandez. Do you think I have a chance at beating her or is it a lost cause..”

“Christina papi taught you better than that. No match is a lost cause. I have been following you recently and I can see that you have been struggling a bit. However all of those matches are in the past and the only thing that matters is what is in front of you… If you truly want my honest opinion you don’t stand a chance at being in the ring with her…”

Christina nodded her head in agreement.

“I felt that same way too… I do have my doubts but I couldn’t express that to her because she is full of energy. She is so into this sports and…”

Jamal cuts her as he looks into his sister’s eyes.

“That’s not why you are afraid. I think what makes you really afraid about the entire situation is the fact that Andrea is a spitting image of yourself. You would be a fool not to know about the history of her family especially considering our school is right here in Mexico. The Hernandez family is pretty well known around here just like our family is. Just like you however she doesn’t want to be tied to her family’s history. She wants to make a name for herself just like you did when you were coming up. She has that hunger and edge that you did all of those years ago….”

“Don’t give me some bullshit eye of the tiger speech Jamal…”

“It’s not that at all… She basically is you Christina. The reason why this interests you so much is because it’s like you need to go out there and face yourself. Everything about her is a reminder of what you went through. Of course you are pulled towards her because you want to walk in the past. You feel like you can’t move on until you face yourself. Until you deal with your own sins and the thought of fighting your reflection. You can’t move on. Each lost will continue to hurt and sting. Andrea is who you used to be… Before you had your doubts, before you became mainstream and the losses started to hurt more…If you two face straight up. She will beat you Christina… That’s me being completely honest to you…”

Jamal shakes his head.

“Not because she’s better than you but she knows how to cope with things better than you…”

“So how can I overcome myself…”

“To be honest you need to deal with that on your own but I can help you a bit. I can spar with you, I can get you on the right track. Some fights you need to figure out on your own… I got your back of course because you are my sister but do you have your own back. Are you ready to put in the work to be where you need to be?”

“Of course I am…I didn’t come here to live a lie Jamal. I know Seleana has been questioning if I was okay for the longest time and I haven’t been honest. It’s time that I do become okay for everybody’s sake…”

“Good… I was hoping you would say that… I hope you brought your wrestling gear with you because it’s definitely time to put in the work…”

Christina looks directly into her brother’s eyes. This is exactly what she wanted. She knew he could help her and she was willing to do whatever it took to get on the right track…






On Camera
La Paloma’s Wrestling School
Mexico City, Mexico

The cameras are rolling and as they are we are able to see the likes of Christina Rose in a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra. Her long hair is wrapped into a ponytail. She is sitting down at the edge of a wrestling ring and has her eyes fixated on the camera.

“Hello everybody this is Christina Rose and I just want to say it feels good to be glaring directly into the lens of a camera again. It has been a rough road but I know that My Bloody Valentine is going to be quite the amazing show. I am going to give everything I got in order to prove myself that I still have what it takes to be the main event talent that I know I am. I will fight to my heart’s content and you better believe that I am ready to wrestle in front of the Tampa crowd. To be honest I just want to take some time and apologize to that of Andrea Hernandez. If I didn’t challenge her there is a strong possibility that we could have been competing in that match to determine the next Internet Champion. It could have been her big chance to finally win a title in this company and of course I could gain back the title I officially never lost. Lord knows I have been begging Mark and Christian to bring back the title so I could fight for it again…”

Christina shakes her head as she continues to glare directly into the heart of the camera.

“However that isn’t the case because the challenge I issued Andrea was accepted and the two of us will meet in the ring. I respect you answering my challenge Andrea and I know the biggest question that is probably on your mind. Why do I want to fight you? Why do I want to be in the ring with you… I know you probably wanted to be in that ladder match for the Internet title but deep down you really didn’t want that. I know chances for championships don’t come often so it must be a bummer to not be in that match but what the two of us are fighting for is so much bigger than that. I do believe that our match could really send a message to the entire roster on who should be considered next for the World Bombshell Championship. Considering we were in the big main event match at the last Super Card we need to keep that momentum going. We need to showcase this is who we are and we will do what is necessary to get there…”

Christina points at the camera.

“A match between us could really help with our cases especially considering the Blast From The Past will dictate who should be the future challenger down the line, but that’s so deep into the future. There will probably be two more championship defenses before that person is considered next one at the next Super Card obviously and one before that. I want us to rock the house so much at this super card that the world will acknowledge us as being the next two in line. I still didn’t answer the question on why I wanted to face you however and the answer to that is very simple…”

Christina takes a long deep breath as she speaks some more.

“It’s because I feel you are my reflection. You remind me of myself when I first entered the wrestling world. Before all of the Hollywood Glamour and of course before the Glitz there was a high energetic rookie in the form of Crystal Hilton. Fresh out of Mexico she did everything she could to make it in the wrestling world. She was full of energy and so much life. That was back in 2005 when she was only 17 years old. She rose through the ranks fought whatever challenges were in front of them and overcame them all. Of course she did struggle along the way and felt denied when she had set back after set back when a world title was at stake… Yet she never gave up. Like a Phoenix she rose out from out of the ashes and she promised to make something of herself…”

Christina smirks.

“What do you think it means to be a rose? It’s more than just a flower based name or even my middle name. The same way you find yourself billed from Sedona which is 100 or so miles away from Phoenix and having a play on that area obviously with your nickname it’s the same thing. A rose can sometimes get trampled on but as long as you don’t cut it by the root it’s going to continue to grow. It will blossom into something beautiful and if you think you can simply judge it by its beauty you will get pricked by its thorns if you get to close. Just like as a Phoenix you will burn those who get too close. I am drawn to you because you are basically who I was when I first came into this business. That’s the highest honor I can give you because I don’t often go out of my way for people like that. I feel like we are two women cut from the same cloth. We both have ties to a strong heritage with wrestling that originates from big time families within Mexico. We could be tied to that legacy and my knowledge only goes as far as being a second generation star with plenty of siblings, uncles, and extended family who also wrestle. You however are a fifth generation wrestler and that’s amazing…Wrestling is in our blood. It’s our culture and we will give anything it takes to be the best that we can…”

Christina claps her hands together as she smirks in return.

“You have been nothing short of amazing since you got here. You have beaten a list of names since being in this company. If you got a shot at the Roulette Championship you would definitely win, if you were in that ladder match you would win but that’s not what you want! What you want is to be the best and I know this to be true because that’s what I always want. Now at the last Super Card I appreciate the words you said about me. you basically said you respected me but I didn’t need the title to gain the sort of redemption that I am looking for…

But that’s where you are sadly mistaken. I know I have been to the top of the mountain on three different occasions in this company and to be denied something makes me feel I am not where I need to be. It’s the same exact thing that you always talk about wanting to be World Champion and constantly facing heart break because you can’t break past the ceiling of your limits. I fully feel the same exact way and for me it’s boom or bust.

I know I am a big time star and I could go to another company and win a World Championship but that doesn’t fill in the void in my life like SCW does. SCW to me is my home. Despite it being considered an Indy fed. You could put me in those companies with the big pyros, the big stages, and everything else but it doesn’t compare to being the best in SCW. When you are the best in SCW you are the best in the entire world. Where else are you going to be able to fight the likes of an Evie Baang, a Mikah, a Roxi Johnson, God Bless her but a Misty, A Vixen, A Sam Marlowe, A Vargas, A Lukas and so on. Every woman that comes through this roster is a trailblazer and they bring the competition every night. It’s the spirit of that competition that propels me. It’s the drive to be the very best and I need that honor to fulfill that void. I know on paper I have conquered everything I could possibly do in this company. Three time champion, Internet Champion, Roulette Champion, and Hall of Famer. Yet there’s always something more out there. I need more than just that and I don’t ever want to slow down not now and certainly not ever.

The moment a person becomes too complacent and comfortable is the moment that things start to slip past them. I don’t ever want to ever be in that position. You aren’t like that because you go out there and win. You beat Keira to get into that big Chamber match and I know that isn’t an easy thing to do. I only beat her once in this company and that’s in like five attempts but you beat her to continue to make your mark in this company. Who cares if you get knocked down? You get yourself up and you continue to push forward.

I will be honest part of me wanted you to actually win your four way contenders match. I know that would have been your dream. Multi matches really isn’t my thing and they don’t seem to be yours either, and who knows. If you got to be in the ring by yourself with Roxi I know you could beat her. However that wasn’t the case. Fate has brought us together and I want us to bring the best out of each other. I am going to give you the challenge of your life. If you do somehow beat me, I want it to be earned. I want that respect. For me this match is about showcasing I still am a top tier athlete. I still have what it takes to be the best and I won’t accept anything less than such. Andrea to be honest I don’t know if you are that familiar with Anime but you want know how I see this between the both of us?”

Christina chuckles as she continues to speak.

“I see it like I am Vegeta from Dragon Ball Super. Everybody should know who Vegeta is. He is the ultimate bad guy turned good, turned bad, and back to good again. You could say he’s had quite the amount of characters turns in his career which is basically me in a nutshell but the big thing about Vegeta is at the end of the day he simply wants to be the best. He knows he is royalty and that spot was his and he is going to do everything in his power to get that position back. Yet as much as he pushes himself he still can’t catch back up to Goku. Goku somehow passed him and he really never caught back up to him.

You could very well be this company’s Goku… You aren’t here to insult anybody. You just want to be the best and are going about it in all of the right ways. You have a drive that makes you want to be ahead of everybody else and it doesn’t matter how you go about it. I mean you are already making me look silly by beating the likes of Keira and Jessie Salco when I struggled against them in my last outings. I would assume it’s your way of trying to insult me but it’s truly not. It’s just your drive to get better and doing whatever is necessary to be ahead of everyone else.

As much as I don’t want to see you as a Goku I truly want to view you as a Cabba. A Saiyan who doesn’t know his full potential yet. A man who battles Vegeta and Vegeta ends up taking him under his wing. There’s still so much within you that needs to be unlocked Andrea. You have the tools to make it far in this company. You had the chance to battle Roxi again but you just weren’t able to pull through in your four way match. So now our paths seem to be crossing here. This match is going to be a learning experience for you. I am going to give you everything I have and then some. I want you to be at your very best when you take that step of ascension.

Is it going to be at my expense that remains to be seen but I can tell you this much, I am not backing down. I am going to give you a fight, and I am not going to stop until it’s me taking my rightful place. Win, lose, or draw I hope whatever happens in this match we can emerge as friends. I hope we can have that level of respect for one another, and I even hope we could spar with one another. It doesn’t get any better than that of a showdown between the two of us. So you better bring it… Give me everything you got and don’t hold back.

I will remain standing. I won’t fall down, I simply can’t. This is my legacy and it needs to live on. Give me your best shot Andrea but at the end of the day you will see that nothing will ever stop this rose from blossoming… See you soon… This is your curtain call so take a bow…”

With that Christina seems focused as she looks deeply into the heart of the camera and it’s on this image that we slowly fade out on.

[Crystal Zdunich]

 Tampa Bay, Florida

Christina’s Mexico trip had gone better than planned. Aurora loved every single bit of it as she got to enjoy walking through Christina’s footsteps. She was able to see her journey into becoming a wrestler. Aurora was perhaps the best new blessing in Christina’s life. She had gone above and beyond for that little girl and would continuously do whatever it took to make the girl feel happy. However today was different however. Today was going to be a very special day. After all today was Valentine’s Day which meant it was time to spend some time with her loved one in the form of her wife Seleana. Christina smirked as she was dressed to impress. She wore a very sexy black dress to go with a pair of heels. She made sure her lips popped with her lip gloss. Despite them being a married couple the two had both lived busy schedules. Christina was busy with things at the casino and of course the different wrestling companies that she competed for and Seleana had the zoo, the studio, and her many different family members. It wasn’t often that the two got to spend a date night together.

This was their night and they made sure they were going to make the most of it. Christina stood inside the high class seafood restaurant. With SCW being in Florida and Florida being close to water Christina wanted to try some of the local delicacies. It wasn’t that long until the door to the restaurant and walking inside wearing a pair of high heels and a beautiful red dress was that of Seleana Zdunich. Christina’s eyes opened wide up as she glared at the drop dead gorgeous bombshell that was her wife. She looked at Christina with a grin on her face.

“Hey Estrellita… You look very pretty tonight… Muy Bonita…”

Christina could only nod her head in agreement as she glared back at the tall blonde.

“You don’t have to tell me that babe. You are the one that looks completely gorgeous. You are absolutely stunning. How has things been going for you lately. I take it San Juan was a good trip?”

Seleana slowly nods her head in agreement as she smiles in return.

“Ja… Great time to spend together with family, but how was your time in Mexico? Did Aurora like being there?”

Christina could only nod her head back in agreement as she kept on smiling.

“She absolutely loved it. She didn’t want to leave but she got to see the place that built me into the wrestler that I have become today. She is persistent in wanting to walk in my footsteps. That little girl is a fighter and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure she goes about conquering her dreams. Everybody deserves a chance at life and she is no different. Not to mention being in Mexico was fun. I got to spend time with my various brothers and sisters, and it was a family reunion of sorts. It reminded me that I need to catch up with everyone and I shouldn’t ignore my closest of family members… We might as well make the most of the family we have…”

Christina shakes her head with a sigh as she continues to speak.

“You seem to be amazing at that. No matter the situation or circumstance you always make time for all of your loved ones. That is something that I am struggling with but I will eventually get there. This year has been absolutely crazy. I found out about sisters in Mariella and Mariah that I didn’t even know about. I feel like I have a family at Golden Ring who don’t see me as the villain I used to be but as the innocent woman beneath it all. I have a lot to be grateful but most importantly I am happy to have you in my life. I wish I could be more like you…”

Seleana thinks about it for a few moments as the hostess walks over to them.

“Reservation for Zdunich… Please follow me….”

The hostess walks them to their seats and Seleana smiles as she turns her attention over to Christina. As they are sitting across from each other in a booth she smirks as she replies back.

“Don’t worry about being me star… You can only be yourself and what matters the most is that you are at least trying. My family and I have always been connected so this took a lot of time to establish. At least you are making an effort and that’s all that matters. I know we shouldn’t be talking like this considering its Valentine’s Day. We should just focus on happy thoughts and how our relationship has evolved over the years. Since you did bring it up though there is something you must know…”

Christina raises her eyes in return as she glances back at Seleana.

“And what exactly would that be… You know you could tell me anything…”

Seleana nods her head with a long drawn out sigh as she continues to speak.

“It’s Brittany… She was very upset that you left for Mexico with Aurora… I think she is getting jealous of all of the time you are spending with Aurora. Part of her wants you to go out of your way for her like you did with Aurora…”

Christina angrily shakes her head as she glances back at Seleana.

“That is absurd… She shouldn’t get jealous especially over a girl that I am looking out for because she has Leukemia. Brittany shouldn’t even think that. Nothing will ever change the fact that she’s my daughter I will always be there for her…”

“I know Star but lately she’s been feeling down about everything. For the first time in your life you are actually showing strong interest in something else that’s not you. You can’t take away from what you worked hard to strive for. I have seen the biggest change in you and Brittany should accept that but she just can’t. Ever since she was fired from SCU she really hasn’t been herself. She is doing everything she can in order to find acceptance in something and she hasn’t got that yet. She notices you are spending of time with a little girl and she just can’t handle it…”

Christina nods her head with a sigh.

“How else is she supposed to feel? I get it though Seleana… With me I grew up poor and I had to fight and claw my way into getting somewhere. However that girl was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She basically was given everything she could have ever imagined by her father and me. Yet what we didn’t give her was her time… She didn’t have to act jealous I am proud of everything she does…”

“Yet I don’t think she feels it in the way you are expressing it. I told her to let it go but she is now even jealous of Andrea Hernandez… She stated that you have taken a great interest in her and by calling her things such as the second coming of you has really got to her. I don’t know though. I know this is all in her head but I don’t know what she should do…”

Christina can only shake her head with a faux smile as she looks away.

“I see… Look Seleana you should know I love Brittany with all of my heart. She is the reason for doing what I do. Maybe there is a part of me that sees Aurora as who Brittany used to be and how I wasn’t there for her. I have always admired my daughter. Whether it was her trying to walk in my steps at being a softball player or trying to establish herself as an actress, to even wanting to become a wrestler. I love everything about my daughter. There is nobody else that could take over my legacy then her. Hell at the age of seventeen she became a Roulette Champion. By the age of 18 she won the Blast From The Past tournament and became a household name. She can attribute that to being my daughter but we all know it was her own talents that got her there. I love her Seleana… She is my heart and soul, and I could never think differently about that at all. If it wasn’t for Brittany I have no idea where I would be right now…”

Christina begins to cry as she continues to express her feelings.

“Brittany is why I decided to become a waitress. It wasn’t because I wanted to live the big time life but I didn’t want my daughter to suffer for my mistakes. She is my future legacy. She is my only daughter and I will always remember that. I guess sometimes I just can’t say it out loud because I am reminded of all the hurt that I caused in her life. I don’t want to remember the horrible past. I just want to focus on the bright future and how life is going to be between the two of us. After all when I retire I know Brittany is going to take that mantle and she is going to run with it…”

Seleana nods her head.

“Ja… She has a very bright future but right now she is just down in the dumps about everything. She wants her blessing now. She wants to have the center of attention. It must be hard for her seeing her wife doing great in wrestling and she has nothing. She sees her mom still going at full cylinders and she still has nothing…”

“But that’s not true at all. Brittany has a lot going for her. She is very smart. She is bright. One day she is going to be a lot better at life then I am. She has a high school diploma and that already makes her much better than me. Her video game life is amazing. She has her Twitch account which is completely stunning and as long as she focuses on something she will be fine. Perhaps e should help her Seleana and give her something she can focus on so she doesn’t feel left out…”

Seleana thinks about it for a few moments as she nods her head in agreement.

“That sounds like a great idea. Plus it will help her stand out and it will give her something to focus on that she will be unique at.”

Christina smirks.

“She is already unique but I think for my daughter I would love for her to be her own person. She can get upset at me proclaiming that somebody else is the second coming of me but to be honest I already viewed Brittany as being way better than me in every single way. Like she has more brains then I do. I know I might be this big time wrestling sensation and I was a marvel in the movies and a great pop singer but that’s only because I didn’t have the brains to achieve scholastically. I wasn’t smart enough to make it. if Brittany really put her mind to it she could be whatever she sets her mind too. She can develop an operating software. She damn sure could run a company way better than I ever could. Brittany’s ceiling will go much higher than that of wrestling. It might be me just saying it but as a mother I know what my daughter could be…”

Christina smirks as she continues to speak.

“There is something about Brittany and I know she is destined to do something great in her life. She is only 18 years old Seleana. She still has so much more in life. Her life really hasn’t even begun yet. Just wait I am telling you she is going to be a real special one. However if Brittany is feeling a certain type of way I will go deal with it. Let me go handle it…I feel like it’s my job to do so…”

Christina smirks as she glances back at Seleana.

“But for now let’s not worry about her for now. Today is our day. So let’s just focus on our little date night. Your gift is at the hotel… You definitely are going to love it.. It’s something I will be wearing and something you can eat… As far as my gift goes all I want is for you to win that Internet Championship. Go show the world that you are much more than my wife… show them that you can stand out on yourown…”

With that the two begin to grin at one another and we leave this image.












On Camera

Everything comes into focus and as it does we are treated to the sight of Christina Rose. She is all smiles as she is in her hotel room. You can definitely tell it’s Valentine’s Day as there are roses everywhere. Seleana has gone above and beyond to make Valentine’s Day feel really special. However our image is brought to that of Christina Rose as she sits down at the edge of her bed. Her eyes are fixated on that of the camera. She cracks a wide grin as she slowly begins to speak.

“Long behold My Bloody Valentine is on Sunday from the beautiful city of Tampa Bay, Florida. There are so many exciting matches that are booked for such a huge show but the best is saved for last and in the later version of the show the entire world is going to see the likes of me taking on that of Andrea Hernandez. It is definitely going to be a show stealer and I definitely can’t wait to be in the spotlight. I am going to be completely honest with you all. I wanted to be respectful about this entire match. I meant what I said when I told the world that Andrea is the future of wrestling. She is going to be the next big star in this company. She is a future World Champion and I truly mean that. However the keyword in all of this is the fact that I said she is going to be the “future”. That means her time hasn’t come just yet. It will at one point but she just isn’t there yet. If you continue working as hard as you can you will eventually get there. That’s me being completely honest with you Andrea…”
Christina can’t help but grin as she nods her head in agreement and continues to speak.

“However what you don’t realize is with every single lost it is building you up for something bigger. It is allowing you to feel the pain of hurt and denial. Once you suffer through it enough you will one day break through the walls of mediocrity that are you holding you back and you will eventually conquer what you are looking to accomplish. However where as you might be the future of the industry the fact is I am one of the best today. I have paid my dues and I am not ready to get rid of that top spot just yet. Three World Championships to my name in this company along with an Internet Championship reign and a Roulette reign. I could also gloat about my hall of fame ring as well but the reality in order to achieve what I did I had to build up to that point. I suffered a lot of heartbreak and heartache, but when I finally broke through my shell and I became the wrestler I am today I knew I had made it. I knew that every set back of my past fueled me for a promising future. Today I can stand proud as a testimony that it was worth it and I am thankful for everything I went through…”

Christina sits there at the edge of her bed shaking her head in utter disgust.

“I understand that you might seem to be fueled to do just the same thing. After all you have been in the biggest marquee of matches. You have been in the ring with the best of the best but yet you can’t overcome those hurdles. As great as it might sound to beat somebody like Bea it’s not something to really be proud of. She is new to this company so she hasn’t really paid her dues yet. You however need to prove that against the likes of me, Roxi, Vargas, and so on. Until you can conquer that type of competition it doesn’t mean anything. In order to be the best you need to get through the best. It is as simple as that. Now you can sit there and cry over spilled milk because you felt like you just haven’t made it yet. Surely you can be thankful because the old wrestling companies you were at didn’t quite work out but you don’t have to worry about that because this is the big leagues. The competition here is at it’s very best. You found that out though haven’t you? When you first came into this company you went on an absolute tear. You beat everybody that was put in your way but as soon as you dwelled in the main event you came to the realization that the next step gets just that much harder…”

Christina nods her head as she continues to share her heart.

“You just need to keep your head up though. Let me tell you a story about myself and my first ever World Championship. I will never forget it as it was a long time ago in a company called No Limits Championship Wrestling NLCW… I came into that company with hope and promise. In various other companies I was on a fast track to success, as I won best breakout star and best newcomer in an all female wrestling company however when I went to NLCW it didn’t mean anything. I made a friend in this woman named Tanya Black. We became a fun filled duo. She helped mentored me a bit and we just had a great time. Yet that wasn’t my end goal. I wanted to be a World Champion and there a woman named Scarlett Williams stood. She was the World Women’s Champion and I gave her everything I had in match after match. Finally after being denied like 5 times I finally overcame that hurdle and I felt accomplished. Accolades and achievements didn’t come without battle wounds and all of my losses were exactly just that. They were scars that I war that reminded me of the drive to get there. However after winning my mentor would stab me in the back and she would eventually win that title from me…”

Christina shakes her head as she speaks some more.

“Hell even in this company of SCW I had to crawl before I even tried to walk. I did enough to get noticed. I beat the likes of the number one contender in Vargas which threw me right into the confines of the fray of the World championship division. Yet it only put me in the path of Mikah where she stomped me out over and over again. I felt humiliated that I couldn’t quite beat her. Here I was knocking on the ceiling of the main event and yet I couldn’t overcome her. She beat me twice in a row and it hurt me in ways I can’t even explain. There also came time for a tournament to see who would be next in line and I lost that as well…”

Christina sighs again as she shares more of her heart.

“I knew I perhaps possessed it but I just couldn’t showcase it when it mattered. Then came along that of the Blast From The Past. I got paired with the perfect partner in Despy. We fought and we fought and after hard work and dedication we ended up winning the entire tournament. All was right in the world. I had earned my chance at the championship. The faces had changed however. Mikah was no longer the champion and I had to try my luck against Sam and Mercedes. As much as I tried to build myself up I still lost… Yet after four championship attempts I finally overcame Sam in my fifth attempt and that would go on to start something legendary!”

Christina points at the camera.

“The reason I am telling you this Andrea is because you still need to go about paying some dues in this business. You seem to have done some things so far. You made some strides in GCW and of course OCW but you really haven’t won the big one. You have the chance to do that in this company but take your time. My journey took me two years in different companies. The fact you are already at this level this early in your career is a testament to how well you have been doing. Don’t beat yourself up because you are feel you are way better than where you are at. Take your time and learn from your mistakes. Rome wasn’t built in a night and your career won’t suddenly mold you into being at the top of the game out of the blue. You need to work towards that point…”

Christina shrugs her shoulders with a wicked grin.

“What exactly do you take me for? As much as I respect who you are don’t think for one second that I am just going to roll over just for you. Don’t assume that you are going to use me as a stepping stone to get to where you want to be in this company. That’s not how this shit works. I always want to be the top spot. I always want the cameras on me, and I am damn near going to do every single thing I can to have all eyes on me. Don’t be so quick to write me off as a hash mark in your quest to be the end all be all in the ring. My competitive nature wants me to be firmly ahead of everyone. You know another reason why I challenged you? It’s because I don’t want there to be any doubt on who should be next in line. I want the world to realize it should be me. I want the entire world to know that I still have what it takes to be the main attraction. It baffles me sometimes that I wasn’t even used that much during this cycle. The only thing I was a part of was one tag team match with my wife. Yet you on the other hand had a lot of attention. You beat up on Jessie, of course you beat Bea, and you were placed into a title opportunity shortly after losing in the survival match. Why wasn’t I given that chance?”

Christina seems disgusted as she begins to share more of her heart.

“How did I get placed on the backburner when women like Keira could lose and fight for a title opportunity? Where Sam Marlowe could compete for a title opportunity, hell even you had that chance, and my wife despite being the first one eliminated in the survival match received a straight out title shot and is now in the Internet Championship match. Where was my chance during this cycle… It’s those type of things that makes me realize I still have to keep grinding. I still have to keep pushing forward and I can’t afford to stop because the moment I stop is the moment that somebody like you is going to come around, someone who has all of the makings to be the complete future of the sport yet instead of building themselves up and going through the ranks they want instant gratification. The world shouldn’t work like that and even though it may not seem fair I will still put on an absolute show…”

Christina waves her fingers.

“Nothing could keep me away from what I love to do. There isn’t a damn thing in this world that could keep me from being inside of that ring. Hell I just took a job at the Golden Ring to be closer to Sin City Wrestling headquarters. There was a time where I was Mark Ward’s personal assistant because I wanted more from this company. I always want to keep filling myself with more of wrestling. I don’t care where I might be but I just need more. Yet to not even be considered for anything or even get a chance to showcase what I am about absolutely sucks. That’s why I have to beat you Andrea. Whereas you have a family name to live up to and you are trying to break away from tradition the truth is I already did that. I did everything you could have ever hoped to imagine. When I left my dad’s school and walked out on tradition of being La Paloma for the right to be Crystal Hilton. I put my mark on the industry. I made a name for myself and I did what I could… If it was playing the role of the evil bitch or the innocent goody two shoes I did it… If it meant being the villain that wrestling needed or being the hero they loved I have done it. I am the living embodiment of professional wrestling…

I destroyed the tyranny of Mikah’s reign just to set forth my very own. Now you wish to come onto my territory and try to make this yard… My yard your very own. Excuse my language but fuck that noise. I have been here through the thick and thin. Whereas others may have come and go. People like Roxi leaving, Mikah leaving, Keira leaving, Amy Marshall leaving, Vargas taking a small break just to come back. I have always been here. It didn’t matter if I was managing my close friends in the Motor City Maidens, or my daughter Brittany, or working behind the scenes with Mark as his assistant. The fact of the matter is that I have always been here and you truly think you are going to come here and take my spot…”

Christina forms a very serious expression as she grins wider than before.

“Not a chance… That shit doesn’t fly here and you won’t seek the resolution you are looking for. You are looking for momentum but this is going to be a nice dosage of humility served on a big platter. It’s befitting this is going to be at My Bloody Valentine because you are going to have your heart broken especially if you think you are just going to beat me. So tell me what makes you think you are going to beat me? What gives you the confidence that you have what it takes to get the job done? For someone who has recently become a choke artist and dropped the matches that matter how are you going to go about beating me on a Super Card when it matters? That is uncharted territory for most people in this company something that only a select few have done. Off the top of my head when it comes to singles matches on a Super Card the only one that has beaten me in a singles match at a Super Card is that of Jessie Salco. Everybody else on this roster hasn’t done that… So what makes you so special? What makes you different then everybody else…

Don’t answer that… After all you are the second coming of Crystal Hilton. I can see it in you from the abilities to the confidence, to just the overall package. Let me ask you a question. For as much as you are throwing yourself out there like you are just going to conquer me like I am old news what are you going to do when it doesn’t happen. How are you going to cope with that?

That’s not even a question that one can ask me because guess what? After being here since 2014 I haven’t let anything affect me to the point that I had to leave. I just powered through it all and guess what Andrea here I am still standing. Here I am with all my wounds of combat and I am still ready to keep grinding. It’s never enough for me. Even after accomplishing everything there is to accomplish I still want more. So how do you plan to stop a woman who is so fired up to keep on going and keep on improving on her game? The fact is you can’t stop me, and the reality is you won’t. After My Bloody Valentine you will be very disappointed because the night isn’t going to go the way that you had hoped. Don’t worry every match is a learning experience and there will be a lot to learn after this match.”

Christina claps her hands together as she begins to get very excited.

“So I want you to pay attention. Make sure you grab a pen, and a notebook because you are going to school. Class is in session and if you play your cards right you might just learn something. Whatever you have planned I will always be one step ahead because I know I am that much better than you and I am not ready to pass a mantle on to anybody. Not now and certainly not ever. You better bring your very best because I am giving you everything I got… So get ready to take a bow because consider this your final number. Consider this the curtain call. It’s time to roll the credits on you once and for all, and by the end of the night you are going to hear those magical words… And the winner of this match Christina Rose!!!!!!!!!!!! I am the rose that refuses to wither away. I am Christina Rose and you will be in my world… See you soon and best of luck. You certainly are going to need it…”

With that being said Christina makes a very confident grin as she glares right into the lens of the camera as we fade out on this image.      

[Andrea Hernandez]

 “How does it feel when you aren’t the first choice? Does it hurt even worse when you’re not even the second? Does it hurt when you’re chosen only as part of a package deal and not for your own merits? As someone who’s experienced it all? Yes. The latter happened when I went mainstream, but long before that? My two older brothers got a chance to be part of this business before I did. The oldest is in jail for 30 years for armed robbery. The other? Well…”

FLASHBACK: February 19, 2010

“What the hell do you mean you don’t want to do this?” I heard my father scream at Eduardo, the younger of my two older brothers, eavesdropping from a distance while I was caring for the horses on the ranch. “It’s a family legacy, Eddie! Come on!”

“It’s CRAP, that’s what it is!” I could hear my brother snap back. “This is not what I want to do with my life. What part of that do you not get? I don’t have to be a wrestler just because you were and because my grandfather was and so on. To HELL with that!”

“You’re DESTROYING our legacy, son!”

“My god…” I said with a sigh.

“You were BORN to be a wrestler! You mean to tell me that you’re going to kill our family’s tradition?”

“I can make a hell of a lot more money being a doctor, which is what I WANT to do, than killing myself in something so barbaric!”

At this point, I walked over to both of them trying to cool things down.

“Four generations son… and you’re going to murder our legacy…”

“Right, because Rodrigo didn’t do that already when he thought armed robbery was a good idea!” Eduardo was heated at this point. “It’s MY life, dad! You don’t own it! I’m doing whatever the hell I want to do and if you can’t accept that…”

“Well I DON’T accept that…”

“I’m going to Boulder in the morning and that’s final!” my brother said. “I want nothing to do with wrestling. Period! You can’t force this on me.”

“The family legacy isn’t dead…” I interjected.

“This doesn’t concern you, Andrea” my father said.

“Dad, you know I’ve always wanted to do this! Train me instead!”

“Oh HELL no…” my father said immediately. “That’s not happening. I’d rather see this legacy die than let a woman try to carry it on… let alone my own daughter.”

“Are you serious, dad?” my brother said. “If she actually WANTS to do this… then let her! Fuck, we’re not living in the fifties anymore!”

“It’s NOT happening…” my father said.

“If you EVER want to see me again, you let her wrestle. You want your stupid legacy to continue? Train someone that actually wants to do this. Hell with all this… I’m out!”

My brother immediately bolted not looking back at my father who stood there in shock.

“Dad?”

“This isn’t happening…” my father said. “I have to choose between training you and ending our tradition?”

“Forget the tradition, Dad! Does it not bother you that you won’t see your own son again? You already lost one to prison.”

My father let out a reluctant sigh.

“God, my father’s going to hate me for this…” my father said. “Two and a half weeks… when you turn 16… first thing in the morning… alright?”

I nodded with nervous excitement knowing that my wrestling journey was finally going to begin. Though… it wasn’t all paradise…

March 7, 2010

Again, I was eavesdropping on a conversation.

“You’re insane, son…” I heard my grandfather tell my father. “The family tradition is not supposed to be carried on by a woman!”

“What choice do I have?” my father said. “It’s either Andrea or our tradition is dead! And she actually WANTS to do this… which is a first for our family in ages…”

“You’re saying you didn’t want to be a wrestler?”

“Did you?” my father responded back. My grandfather was left speechless at this sudden question. “Trust me on this, alright? It’s worth a shot. Besides… between you and me… I’m confident she won’t last anyway…”

My eyes widened with shock at what I just overheard.

“She won’t even make it past her birthday tomorrow. She’s too soft. If worse comes to worse… at least we went out swinging.”

“Fine son…” my grandfather said. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I’m with you… I don’t think she’s going to last either. She’s not only too soft, but she’s too carefree. She’s too vibrant of a personality. You’ve got to reign in the fun and you need to stop treating her like a princess and like your daughter and start treating her like a wrestler. Do you think you can handle that?”

Tears ran down my eyes at the fact that nobody thought I’d even last past the first day.

“I can…” my father said. “But she can’t. Give it an hour… she’ll give up when she realizes she’s in over her head…”

I stopped listening to their words at that point and stayed hidden from them.

“I’ll prove you both wrong…” I told myself in my head. “I’ll be better than anyone in this family has ever been!”

I walked away from the eavesdropping I had done on the eve of my 16th birthday never forgetting the fact that not only did my father never want to train me to be a wrestler, but he didn’t even think I was going to make it. This set the stage for what my career has always been about: defying expectations and proving everyone wrong. Little did I know though… that my relationship with my father would be fractured in the process…

February 11, 2020

“Dad was always such a hardass…” my brother Eduardo reminded me when I went to visit him at his practice in Flagstaff, Arizona. “...and he’s been in an extremely bad mood lately. He and mom have been at each other’s throats so much it feels like divorce is inevitable.”

“It’s me, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Why would it be you?”

“I wrote him a letter about how I felt. I questioned if he really loved me.”

“Andi, I’m sure he does.”

“Does he? Then why did he only train me when Rodrigo got arrested and you decided that you wanted nothing to do with wrestling? Why is it that ever since my 16th birthday, he’s done nothing but treat me like I’m nobody? Why was he always hard on me? It’s like he’s bitter because the person carrying on the family legacy doesn’t have a pair of balls between their legs. If what I wrote him made him act like such an asshole…”

“You mean… more of an asshole than he already is…” my brother reminded me. “Look sis, you have every right to express how you feel. I don’t know word for word what you wrote in that letter, but do you honestly think dad’s going to take any of it into consideration? When has he ever taken ANYTHING you said into consideration?”

“I don’t remember…” I said with a sullen sigh.  “...I just wish that things with him were back to the way things were.”

“Instead… he’s just a hypocrite…” my brother said with a scoff. “He tried to force wrestling on me… when he didn’t want to be a wrestler himself. He only did it because his father forced him into it… and his father did the same to him… and his father did the same to him too. Our family’s been fucked up and stuck in the 19th century since Teddy Roosevelt was president. That’s the kind of tradition that you want to continue, Andrea?”

“What are you saying?”

“You don’t know the dark side of our family’s history,” my brother told me. “All you’ve ever heard about it is nothing but lies, fairy tales and exaggerations that make our family look so much better than what they actually are. Our grandfather told us for years that he came to the United States to cash in on a better economic opportunity. What if I told you that the real reason is because he had a connection to drug cartels and had to escape?”

“Eddie… I don’t think I’m ready to hear about things like that…”

“I’m just going to go ahead and tell it to you straight, sis” my brother briefly paused and let out a sigh knowing that what he was going to say to me was going to be hard on him. “You’ve got to let the ‘tradition’ die. I’m not just saying that because of some of the fucked up things our ancestors have been involved with. I’m saying this because you and I both know that you’re better than all of that.”

“But it’s part of our history…” I reminded my brother. “I can’t just abandon it no matter how true that may be.”

“You’re the only one that has ever reached the big leagues, sis” my brother reminded me. “The longer you’re holding onto this fucked up tradition that has lasted for decades, the longer you are holding yourself back. I don’t want you to continue to try to live up to a tradition that… to be completely honest with you… never wanted you in the first place. Again, you know that’s true.”

Inside I was feeling empty. While I fought so hard to maintain that family tradition that had defined me so much for so long as a professional wrestler, my brother was right. That same tradition never wanted me to carry it on. I reflected on the level of resistance that my father had shown when I told him how bad I wanted to be a wrestler. I remembered when he and my grandfather didn’t even think I could last my first day of training.

“It’s holding me back…” I told him as my eyes widened with surprise. “I can’t get over the hump the way I want to because I’m too stuck in something that… if it was in any way successful… I wouldn’t be the first one in the family to actually make it to the American mainstream wrestling scene. If Sin City Wrestling was around in their days, none of them would have made it because they’re all stuck in the past.”

“You’ve been as successful as you’ve been for two reasons, Andrea…”

“And those reasons are?”

“You actually WANTED to be a wrestler…” my brother reminded me. “Our ancestors didn’t. They could have never had the passion that you do for this. You’re the first person in our family in more than a century that has wanted this on your own volition. The rest? They couldn’t have been as successful as you because they didn’t want this. They only wrestled because they were expected to, not because they wanted to. Reason number two? You’ve broken tradition…”

“Meaning?”

“You’ve done this your way the entire time… not their way. When you WERE doing it your way…”

“I was stuck in the Indies and I could never get anywhere…” I remembered. “Then Myra Lynwood came along and I decided to join her in GCW even though it completely went against our family tradition. But I got what I wanted…”

“You launched your career…”

“When I broke away from Myra… after Chelsea had betrayed me… I did it their way again when I became a solo wrestler…” I reflected. “And I struggled so much I wanted to quit…”

“And when you stopped doing it their way… look what happened…”

“But to just completely abandon it…” I sighed.

“Look sis, do you want to get to the next level, or not?” my brother asked me. “Having followed your career, I know how damn good you are and I know you want to be better than what you already are. I know you want to reach that next level. Do what I did sis… break away! Break away and do your own thing! You’ll be so much happier, I promise.”

“And you are?” I asked my brother. “Being a doctor and everything?”

“I’m living the dream, Andi. Breaking away from the ‘family tradition’ is the best thing I ever did.”

“I’d be happier and have more fun if I did the same…” I admitted. “...then I wouldn’t put so much pressure on myself when something like my match against Christina Rose comes up. I need to live my own life. I need to have more friends. Hell, I need to find the love of my life. I need to be myself again because I haven’t been in god… 10 years almost. It’s a lot to take in… but I know I can do this. I know I can evolve and be even better than what I am right now.”

“Good luck to you this weekend…” my brother told me as I began to walk out of his office. “Oh and sis…”

I turned back to face him.

“If you don’t win on Sunday… it’s not the end of the world. I’m not telling you to slack but I just wanted to remind you that losing to Christina Rose… or hell anyone… doesn’t make you a failure to the family.”

“Thanks…” I told him as I walked out of the office. I was certainly feeling a little better and a little looser as I walked down the hallway and headed toward the entrance of his medical practice. I was beginning to feel at peace knowing deep down that letting the family tradition go was not only the best thing that I could ever do for myself and my career, but that I had the keys to attaining the success that I wanted with each passing week. Beating Christina Rose was a task that I knew was going to be a tall order. I also knew that there weren’t many people expecting me to win this weekend. But at the same time, I could at least smile knowing that defying expectations is what I’ve always done best… and that I’ve always been at my best whenever my opponent is the favorite to win… as is the case this coming weekend.

My feeling of peace was warm as I walked into the parking lot. However… this feeling of peace turned into awkward tension when my father was coming in my direction. Unfortunately for me, there was no avoiding him. I heard him call my name but my anger toward him made me walk past him and toward my car.

“You really do hate me, don’t you?” my father asked, causing me to stop in my tracks..

“You’re the one that hates me…” I reminded him. “What are you even doing here anyway?”

“Your brother’s the best doctor in Flagstaff… let’s leave it at that” my father said as I rolled my eyes. “But since you’re here…”

My father pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

“I want you to read that… when you have the time.”

Before I got a chance to respond, my father turned and went inside the building. My ‘whatever’ feeling toward him drove me to walk into my car and to step inside it. I saw that the folded piece of paper had my name on it and my nerves began to get jumpy. I knew that he had responded to my letter.

“Do I read this?” I asked myself. “What if it hurts me? What if it completely throws me off my game? What if it’s something so horrible that I can’t even wrestle Christina this weekend? Can I afford to risk being completely broken going into that match?”

I sighed as I pondered whether I should take the risk.

“You know what? Fuck it. It’s closure… for better or worse…” I said this as I unfolded the letter and began to read it aloud to myself.

“Andrea…

Your words inspired anger within me at first. I was taken aback that you’d say those things. I took out my anger on your mother. She pushed back. She wouldn’t take it. It’s clear that you inherited your resolve from her. Your mother was extremely harsh toward me going as far as telling me that I’ve been the worst father you could ever ask for in the last 10 years. It stunned me. It caused me to think and reflect. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she’s right.

That you’re right.

I don’t get to have a say in your career anymore. I’m not the boss of you. You’re 25 (going on 26). You’ve long proven you can be your own independent woman. I should step back and allow you to be such and going forward I will. I haven’t always agreed with your methods, but I can’t argue with your success.

I want you to know that you’re not a ‘failure of a daughter’. If anything, I’m the luckiest father alive. God gave me the best daughter I can possibly ask for. I know I was hard on you. I know I didn’t believe in you. But you proved me wrong 100x over. I see how in the past, I’ve berated you, put you down and made you feel like trash. I want to say that I’m sorry for all the times I’ve made you feel that way.

I’m sorry that I took away your senior prom.

I’m sorry that I wasn’t allowing you to be you.

I’m sorry that I discouraged you from having friends and from dating.

I’m sorry that you ever felt that you were a burden to me. You never were. I was shortsighted in my line of thinking. You’re right that our family’s ways had always been sexist. You’re not wrong that at one time, I preferred one or both of your brothers being a wrestler instead of you. In truth, I’ve been the burden all along, not you.

You have become an incredible wrestler but most importantly, you’ve become a daughter that I could never be disappointed in. I didn’t realize how much I had hurt you until you wrote me that letter. I can’t erase all of the hurt or the pain that I caused you, but what I can do is be better going forward.

I will step aside and let you do your own thing… however you want. Date who you want to date. Have the friends you want to have. The final piece of advice I want to give you is to continue to be you and continue to be your own person and break away from the “legacy”. Be your own definition of who you want to be, not what I… or anyone else, want you to be. It’ll make a big difference on your wrestling journey if you cease trying to live up to your own expectations. I implore you to live up to your own.

I love you, princess.

God gave me the greatest daughter I could ever have.

Love,

Dad.

P.S. if I find out that a future boyfriend of yours is treating you poorly, I WILL beat his ass!”

I set the letter aside feeling a sense of relief and freedom.

“Thanks Dad…” I said to myself as I tried to keep my emotions in check. I turned off the car and began to drive away. Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix was my next destination as I thought about My Bloody Valentine.

Suddenly?

That match against Christina Rose felt like far less of an “I HAVE TO WIN” situation than it was before… not because I was going to let my guard down or anything like that… but because now I knew that said match was no longer going to be “do or die”, “sink or swim” or anything of the sort. I wasn’t carrying the weight of my family’s tradition on my shoulders anymore and my goodness, that was the best feeling of them all knowing that I could completely abandon all expectations of living up to a legacy and a tradition that deep down inside, I had just realized I never wanted to live up to from the beginning…

February 14, 2020

Through it all, I was looser and yet more focused than before when the cameras came on. The sense of relief that I had faced now that I no longer had a family legacy or tradition to live up to was certainly something that brought me a feeling of joy. Granted, I couldn’t quite bask in it yet knowing that I had a tall order in front of me. I knew that Christina Rose was a big deal, it goes without saying. But at the same time, I wasn’t feeling like she was anymore. It had nothing to do with ability or accomplishments, but more to do with the fact that I didn’t have to treat her like the biggest obstacle I ever faced anymore. Remembering the expectations that were put on me throughout my career and how I faced them, I took a deep, calm breath and began to express my thoughts.

“The power of expectation…” I said at the jump. “...for better or worse, I have come across it throughout my career up to this point. For worse? I would always place high expectations upon myself largely because other people were doing the same for me and wouldn’t let me breathe. Being trained in such a constrictive, overdisciplined environment is definitely going to do that to you and it certainly makes you feel like crap whenever you don’t meet said expectations but I’ve also experienced the flipside of this too: when you overcome the expectation. My father didn’t think I was ever going to make it as a wrestler when he first started to train me. It feels good for him to admit that he was wrong about me.

Getting into the Indies, I was told that I didn’t have what it took to be mainstream. I was expected to be… by the so called “experts”... a lifelong “Indy darling” that was going to be memorable to the most devoted of fanbases but that I was never going to find success in the big leagues when it mattered the most. Yet, four years ago, I found myself signing my first mainstream contract with GCW.

Going into GCW, I was told that I was simply going to be a tag team specialist for my entire career. That my best friend and tag team partner of the time: Chelsea LeClair, was going to be the star once our team split and that I was going to be essentially just another wrestler on the roster that was going to fade back to the Indies in due time once GCW decided they were going to replace me with someone younger. My former mentor reminded me constantly that I’d “never amount to anything”, constantly called me “a waste”, an “ungrateful bitch”, and that without her guidance, I’d be nothing.

I proved her wrong. And trust me… that felt good for her to admit too.

OCW… I defied expectations again. They never appreciated me for my talent and they seemed to always root for me to fail. They stacked me up against this particular “legend” and despite predictions to the contrary, I’d beat them and leave those same people that were so ADAMANT that I was dead to rights against this “legend” and had no business beating them… bitching and whining and crying that I shouldn’t have won. They put me up against this particular big name and they’d be shocked that I’d even win. Constantly underrated, constantly on the receiving end of sexist nonsense, constantly told how “worthless” I was… but I kept proving them wrong again and again and they HATED me for it.

Sin City Wrestling speaks for itself with the power of expectation and how much I’ve overcome it and yet… the “expectation” is that Christina Rose is going to walk in, beat me and ‘teach me a lesson’, right?

Because I don’t have the big match experience she does? Because she’s done it all in SCW and I’m just barely getting started? Because I’m “not ready” to take the next step?

To hell with that.

To hell with whatever expectations Christina has of me.

To hell with some of the shit she said about me. To be fair, it wasn’t necessarily insulting. It was more of a constructive critique if you will… but you can feel that vibe of arrogance that emanates from her. You can feel that ego boil through her veins. I get the sense that while she may have respect for me, she thinks she’s better than me and maybe she is by acclimation, maybe this Sunday she’ll be better, maybe not… but in the long run? There’s no question that I’LL be better.

But for now… let’s talk about this match that is taking place this weekend. That’s why you want to face me so bad, hmm? Because I’m your reflection? I don’t know whether to be flattered by that or not. Maybe the old Andrea… the GCW rookie of 2016-17 that was just getting started on the mainstream scene… would be flattered and have her head in the clouds and be a total mark about it… but I’m older and wiser than my rookie self, Chrissy. I will admit that there are similarities here but I’m going to give you the first of what will be many reality checks here. I’m not you. With all due respect, I don’t want to be you. I don’t want to be the next you. I don’t want to follow in the footsteps of anyone else whether it’s you, or Mikah who I’ve drawn some comparisons to or Roxi who I once idolized or anyone. I purely want to be me. I want to be a reflection of the best of me. The biggest reason why I’m NOT the reflection you think I am?

I haven’t fucked up like you have. Sure, I haven’t been perfect. Sure, I’ve made mistakes. But I didn’t sell out for Hollywood fame like you did. I’m not going to extensively dive into that past or harp on it all over again because that speaks for itself. I never did, nor will I ever, do this for Hollywood glamour. I have seen first hand, through the best friend I will ever have in this business, what that path entails and what the consequences for said path are. I won’t deny that the paths of our early careers may be similar in some ways, but the fact of the matter is, I’m ahead of where you were at when you were my age. Maybe I don’t have the accolades that you may have had, but my struggle to get to where I am is greater than yours and that gives me, among all things… a stronger tenacity, a stronger passion and a bigger heart for this business. I’m not doubting that you had your rookie struggles yourself… but did you ever have to go through the psychological HELL that I went through?

This isn’t your typical “you’re not good enough” locker room talk, Chrissy. This is “you’re nothing and you’ll always be nothing”. This is the shallowest of personalities and the most one-dimensional of wrestlers… wrestlers you know in your heart you’re better than in any given fair environment… trying to drag you down, haze you, and bully you because they know you’re better than they are and they want to drag you down to their pathetic level. This isn’t OCW… no matter how fucked up that locker room was… this isn’t GCW where I endured the worst abuse I’ll ever endure from a person in the hands of my former mentor… this is UWA I’m talking about… far and away the worst place I ever wrestled for. Far and away the most fucked up environment that makes OCW’s locker room look like heaven. I’m talking about enduring a hell that featured, among other things, being treated like a redheaded stepchild because I didn’t train at the boss’s favorite wrestling academy, being treated as a doormat because I didn’t have the last name that they wanted and wasn’t part of certain wrestling families where the boss had their head up every single one of their asses. Have you ever endured a hell like that?

I doubt it. In fact, most likely? You’ve CAUSED that hell I’ve talked about for other people.

I’m talking about wrestling in conditions so psychologically deplorable that about 95 percent of the wrestlers that endure the type of BULLSHIT that I dealt with in UWA wouldn’t have only quit the company within weeks, they would have quit WRESTLING altogether. Being treated like I didn’t matter over and over again by those people is the worst hell this side of how my father trained me that I’ve ever had to endure. The losses piled up. My confidence skydived so much it was halfway to Hell by the time I left that piece of fucking garbage slash poor excuse of a wrestling company.

I could have quit wrestling… hell, maybe I SHOULD HAVE after all that… but I didn’t.

And any expectation they ever had of me, I proved them wrong even though it wasn’t in their company. At the end of the day? I’m still around while that horrid company is justifiably dead.

What I’ve endured makes me stronger than you are… and it’s going to help me come away with one of the biggest wins yet.

I get that you want to be the best, I get that you want that redemption but for you to actually say that you can’t have it without winning the title for the fourth time is an example that while you may be strong in your own right, I’m even stronger. I’m not saying I don’t want to be a world champion. I’m not saying that falling short a couple of times hasn’t frustrated me because it has. But I’m not seeking redemption, I’m seeking to realize a dream. I’m not focused on something for the sake of fulfilling a concept that I personally, and respectfully, find more self-serving than anything. Personally? I find redemption far less of an inspirational thing and far more than some concept that people hang onto so they can feel better about themselves over the past mistakes that they’ve made.

Either way? Those mistakes happened.

Either way? You’re still letting those mistakes define you.

Make sense why I don’t believe in the idea of redemption? Make sense why I said you don’t need to win the title again to achieve it? That hell that I described going through… I’ve reached a point where I stopped letting it define me. I’ve reached a point where I am comfortable enough to talk about it with pride because I know that it’s part of the journey I went through to go from the struggling doormat that I was back then to perhaps the rising star of this entire division in Sin City Wrestling today. Hell, I’ll even go as far as saying that I’m more comfortable about my past than you are about yours because while I’m here candidly talking about it, I barely heard you say anything about yours. Afraid? Running from it? What is it?

Why do you sound so worried about having to “proving that you’re still one of the best”. You don’t need to prove that to me. Hell, you don’t need to prove that to anyone, not even yourself. Did losing to Jessie Salco affect your confidence that much? I’ve had some bumps and bruises along the way, don’t get me wrong but I’m reaching the point in my life where I am tuning out the expectations that other people have of me. I’m at the point where I’m no longer listening to whatever nonsense it is that people have to say about me because it’s nothing but noise at the end of the day. Why do you think that when some idiot out there tries to criticize me, I don’t respond or even feed into that bullshit unless I know I’ve got to face them in the ring? Because it’s just noise, Chrissy.

I’m not listening to that stupid, one-dimensional UWA bikini model that tried to define me with her empty words anymore.

I’m not listening to that chauvinist, sexist pig in OCW that constantly barked backstage about how I don’t belong in a wrestling ring.

I’m not listening to that moron in GCW that tried to keep me in line and call me a bunch of juvenile names.

I’m no longer listening to the low expectations of all the people I’ve proven wrong.

Because I’m not you… I don’t let people’s words and expectations of me define what I do or who I am.

I’m breaking free from it all… from my old peers and even my family legacy. I’m my own woman that defines herself. I’m my own woman that knows my expectations and what I am capable of. I’m that woman that is stronger than you… which more than makes up for the lack of experience… who has endured and survived worse than you have… who has everything with the exception of said experience to be one of the best of this division.

It’s that strength I have built that will once more lead me to defy expectation and come away with one of my biggest wins yet.

Sorry Chrissy… but I’m not focused on being friends. I’m focused on being the best. And beating you?

It’s going to put me one step closer to that goal.”

Taking a calm breath, I walk over to the camera and shut it off having gotten everything I had wanted to get off of my chest before this huge match takes place.