Off-Camera
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Laguna Beach, California
Home of Kate Bass and Eavan Maloney
11:41 AM PST
Talking by phone was fast becoming part of Seleana Zdunich’s daily routine. Given SCW’s overseas tour and GWW’s schedule, she was having to communicate more and more with her employees at the Zdunich Zoological Gardens via electronic means, though calls via cellular telephony remained a favorite at most times. Today was supposed to be her day off before she got on the plane to fly to Belfast for her next bout, a match-up with SCW All-Everything and all around company legend, Mercedes Vargas.
Today was also no different when it came to talking on the phone. Dr. Michelle Chavez, known to everyone around her as “Chavy,” had called to confirm a few things set up for the animals being taken into quarantine.
Seleana Zdunich: How is Sarabi?
Chavy’s voice comes back over the phone bright and happy.
Dr Michelle Chavez: She has a week left in quarantine then she goes to her habitat with Simba. The new tigers are doing well, no surprises yet there. They still have two weeks each so we’ll need to keep eyes on them for now. The albino alligator is responding to treatment but will probably need an extra two weeks in quarantine just to make sure. Let’s see…
A rustling papers signals that she’s going through her list of things to do today. Chavy was notorious for having what amounted to a diary to keep her duties straight. Some co-workers even joked that as long as Chavy was around, no one even really needed a computer because she was so meticulous about things.
Dr Michelle Chavez: The snapping turtles manages to get loose and try to attack each other while they were being checked over by the two new guys. Slash is fine, though he bit Brian’s fingers a little. Brian is also fine, had a good laugh at himself over it. Tokka hurt his foot but will be fine.
Seleana shakes her head, laughing along with Chavy at the mischief of the two turles.
Seleana Zdunich: Those two are hilarious, I’m glad we have them as additions.
Still chuckling herself, Chavy’s voice quickly answers back.
Dr Michelle Chavez: Are you going to be able to look at them yourself?
Sighing heavily, Seleana shakes her head.
Seleana Zdunich: Not until Tuesday. I have to get ready to fly to Belfast. Have the match on Sunday, fly back in on Monday. This will be the way of things until first week of May. We started with Dublin last week, Belfast this week. Next week is Edinburgh, then Cardiff, then Manchester and finally London. There has been talk amongst my family of trying to make the SCU show in France on Fifth June as well. My sister-in-law’s cousin wrestles for SCU and that will be her home show.
More papers rustle.
Dr Michelle Chavez: Ok, we’ll just have to adapt to your schedule. How are you and the wife doing?
Seleana inhales deeply at this question. Looking down, she closes her eyes and nods to herself, trying to think of an answer.
Seleana Zdunich: We are…
She shrugs, opening her eyes while still having her head pointed down so that she’s looking at the floor.
Seleana Zdunich: Talking. I have not returned home since she assaulted me but she has come here to speak with me on my terms. She made the effort. Now we wait to see if she is cleared to travel to Belfast. She is in hospital at the moment, being checked for flu and hoping for the best.
As Chavy goes quiet for a second, Seleana’s phone chimes at ehr to signal a new text message. She glances at the phone for a second and sees it is a one word message from the girlfriend of her stepdaughter, Brittany Williams, called Haylie Jo “Halo” Annis. The two young women were supposed to be out to lunch with Halo’s twin sister, fellow professional wrestler Amy “Rain” Annis as well as her tag team partner/best friend/girlfriend, Kendra “GoGo” Goganious.
Seleana Zdunich: Chavy? I need to go, Halo just texted me and it is a family emergency.
Chavy’s voice returns promptly.
Dr Michelle Chavez: Ok, I hope everything works out.
Seleana nods her agreement.
Seleana Zdunich: Me too, hopefully this won’t take long to get sorted. Thanks for the updates, I’ll be in touch this weekend. If you need anything, I have my mobile.
The call ends and Seleana stares at the message from Halo.
“Help!”
As she frowns at it in confusion, she hears a car pull up in the driveway. Seleana puts her phone in her pocket and hurries to the door, opening it just in time to see the 5’10 blonde Halo stepping from the driver’s side door of her jet black 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor that the twenty-year-old had only been in possession of for six weeks. It had been a birthday gift to her from Brittany, Seleana and Seleana’s wife, brittany’s mother, Christina Zdunich. The smaller, darker, 5’2 Brittany slips from the passenger seat and follows Halo towards the woman Brittany had started calling Mama Seleana. Halo walks up to Seleana and throws her arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably. Taken aback, Seleana quickly embraces the younger woman back lovingly.
Seleana Zdunich: Haylie Jo? Vad har hänt? What is wrong?
Before an answer can be made, a second vehicle, this one a grey 2019 Mercedes-AMG E63S, pulls in right behind the F-150, Halo’s twin sister at the wheel. That car shuts off and Rain steps from it, her equally diminutive 5’0 girlfriend, GoGo, pops out of the passenger seat. The two twenty-year-olds walk up to join the other two young ladies, both Rain and GoGo looking upset as well. Seleana looks between them, concern washing over her face.
Seleana Zdunich: Vad har hänt?
Looking expectantly between the four, Seleana finally settles her gaze onto her stepdaughter, Brittany. Nodding insistently, Seleana makes eye contact with the smaller woman.
Seleana Zdunich: What happen?
Brittany nods back.
Brittany Williams: We were having lunch together. HayJo wanted to see Amy and they were close by so we set it up. We were having a good time, it was all cool and stuff and then… this guy…
She trails off, not sure how to proceed. Rain nods and takes over.
Amy "Rain" Annis: Daddy showed up…
Seleana’s eyes go wide in shock.
Seleana Zdunich: Your father? He is here?
Brittany, Rain and GoGo all nod in unison even as Halo continues to cry on Seleana’s shoulder. With confusion setting in, Seleana’s frown only deepens with this revelation.
Seleana Zdunich: Then… what?
Halo pulls back from Seleana.
Haylie Jo "Halo" Annis: He pretended to be happy to see us and then he showed what he really wanted!
Amy "Rain" Annis: Y’all don’t know…
Halo turns, whipping around to face her twin.
Haylie Jo "Halo" Annis: Don’t! Amy, don’t y’all go defendin’ Daddy now! He ain’t even tried to talk to either of us for almost two years! He ain’t do shit when Mama died, he ain’t do shit when we got homeless, he ain’t do shit when Logan killed hisself, he ain’t do shit until he needed money and thinks we have it!
Rain stares at her sister, her mouth hanging open in shock, tears starting to form in her own eyes. GoGo quickly hugs her.
Kendra "GoGo" Goganious: It’s ok, Rainie, it’s ok…
Looking like she might explode one way or the other again any second now, Halo starts sucking in breath after breath.
Haylie Jo "Halo" Annis: Don’t y’all go defendin’ him either, Goldi! You know better too! You know...you…
Unable to keep going, Halo breaks down and bursts into tears again, Brittany grabbing onto her and hugging her for dear life.
Brittany Williams: It’s alright, Baby… you’re alright…
Rain and GoGo nod while Seleana looks between all of them.
Seleana Zdunich: What did he actually do?
GoGo nods and for the first time since Seleana has known her, GoGo does not look happy, bubbly and excited.
Kendra "GoGo" Goganious: We were eating our sammies at this cute little shop Brit Brit knew about. They were so awesome, we were talkin’ bout comin’ back again really, really soon!!! When Mister Dewey came in like he knew we was gonna be there somehow. He came over and smiles real big for Rainie and HayJo, said he loved seein’ them all together like, said hi to me and then nodded like he was real happy to see Brit Brit there. He started talkin’ bout their careers and then asked if they could see to helpin’ him out since they was both sweet on such nice rich folks like they is. Then he said somethin bout Brit Brit’s birthday coming up soon and maybe he’d have to give his girls a present and i don’t really know what all he was talking about but I can play it for you fi you want, Miss Seleana.
Seleana frowns with both seeming misgivings and surprise at these last few words. Rain, Halo and Brittany all look over at GoGo, each of them also looking surprised as well.
Seleana Zdunich: Play it for me?
GoGo nods excitedly.
Kendra "GoGo" Goganious: I was taking a video of us when he walked up, I never stopped recording!
Seleana nods and GoGo produces her phone, showing the video to the elder woman. Seleana watches and just shakes her head when it finishes.
Seleana Zdunich: He stay local? Give you contacts?
Rain and Halo both nod and Seleana nods slowly in return.
Seleana Zdunich: Okej…
She nods to herself as she thinks things over.
Seleana Zdunich: Please, to come inside? We will figure things out.
She opens the door and GoGo, Brittany and the Annis Twins step inside. Seleana stares at GoGo’s phone and then walks inside handing it over to its owner. She nods to GoGo and then sits down to try and help comfort the still-crying Halo.
Fifteen minutes later..
Seleana steps into the hallway and dials her wife’s number. Voicemail kicks on and Seleana nods.
Seleana Zdunich: Christina, Brittany and Haylie Jo are here, you need to call me back now. There was an incident with Haylie Jo’s father.
She ends the call and then dials Declan Black’s number. Again, she reaches a voicemail.
Seleana Zdunich: Declan, this is Seleana Zdunich. Amy and Kendra are here with me. There was an incident with Amy and Haylie Jo’s father today. You need to call me back soon.
She ends this call and waits to see who, if any, call her back knowing Declan is a busy businessman in addition to being a championship-level professional wrestler and could be tied up for a while in meetings and her wife was currently being tested and treated in the hospital hoping to be able to make the trip to Belfast for Climax Control. As she waits, she notices a tweet from the owner of the house, Kate Bass, and nods quickly, hurrying to the master bedroom where Kate is currently under doctor’s orders for more or less complete bed rest due to her pregnancy.
Just as she arrives at the door to bedroom, her phone chimes at her. She smiles and answers on speaker.
Seleana Zdunich: Heya, how’s it?
The voice of her wife comes back quickly.
Christina Zdunich: Hey, Hun, is Halo okay?
Seleana nods quickly.
Seleana Zdunich: Dewey Annis ambush the girls’ lunch today and hit the Twins up for money.
Christina’s answer comes back fast and hot.
Christina Zdunich: OMG, I’ll beat his ass!
Seleana nods understandingly. She knew this feeling herself rather well at the moment.
Seleana Zdunich: He sound “piece of work.”
Christina Zdunich: If I wasn’t hooked up to an IV right now…
She pauses and her voice comes back, softer, gentler.
Christina Zdunich: I’m sorry for everything.
Seleana nods slowly.
Seleana Zdunich: Just get well. I do not think Brittany and Haylie Jo could stand a second bad parent story in the same day.
Christina Zdunich: Love you.
Seleana Zdunich: Jag älskar dig. Jag vill att du ska bli bra.
Pausing as Christina goes silent, obviously fighting with herself about asking Seleana to speak in English instead of Swedish. When no demand is forthcoming, Seleana smiles.
Seleana Zdunich: Te amo. Quiero que estés bien.
Christina’s voice bursts back at her, bright and as happy as can in her condition.
Christina Zdunich: Same, Babe! ¡Te amo muchas! If Michael Jordan can have a flu game, so can I, right?
Seleana can’t help but smile at this statement.
Seleana Zdunich: Will they let you on the plane?
Christina snickers.
Christina Zdunich: Private jet!
Seleana chuckles with her as the call ends. She nods to herself and then walks into the bedroom and nods to Kate and Eavan.
Seleana Zdunich: Halo texted me just before they arrive. She just say help. I open door to find her with Brittany, Rain and GoGo drive up right behind them. None were happy. They had been having lunch nearby when their father, Dewey Annis, arrive. He try to act excited to see Amy and Haylie Jo and then ask them for money. He not know GoGo was recording. She tape whole thing.
Eavan Maloney: That bastard.
Eavan sits up, shaking her head.
Eavan Maloney: How long has it been since he's seen them? And to just ask like that? Sounds like he got himself into trouble.
Seleana Zdunich: It has been since before Amy started training. He is gambling addict, made them homeless after mum die.
Kate sighs, staring into nothing for a moment before turning back to Seleana.
Kate Bass: Did they get his contact information?
Seleana Zdunich: He is staying local. Christina want to "beat his ass"
Eavan Maloney: First time Crystal... um, Christina and I agree on something.
Kate sighs and nods.
Kate Bass: I think it's time to put some of my dad's old contacts to use. Don't worry, we're not going to do anything illegal, but he can't be allowed to keep doing this either.
Seleana Zdunich: She would be here now if she was not in hospital.
Eavan got up and hugged Sel
Eavan Maloney: While I'm not surprised you two are working things out, just be careful alright?
Seleana Zdunich: I call her and Declan. Leave messages. Christina call back with IV in arm. Declan has not answered yet.
Kate shrugged, but nodded.
Seleana Zdunich: She trying to get them to let her on plane to Belfast. She wanted to be in corner against Mercedes Vargas on Sunday. Now she sick AND angry.
Eavan Maloney: What happened to her?
Seleana Zdunich: She think flu. She is hoping it's not that, and just bad food or something.
Eavan Maloney: Let's hope the docs know that's she's on meds and makes sure she takes them.
Kate Bass: Look I hope she pulls through as well, but isn't the bigger issue Amy and Haylie's dad?
Seleana Zdunich: Ja, it is. He does not know Kendra has him on tape trying to... what they call... extort?
Kate Bass: Not quite. Just being a dick really. Unless he was threatening something if they didn't give him money.
Seleana Zdunich: Amy and Haylie Jo both sounded scared, like he would tell some secret. He think they both be... gold diggers
Kate Bass: And I'll bet that if some federal auditors were to suddenly find him, he'd be in a lot of trouble.
Seleana Zdunich: Probably, Haylie Jo said he was in trouble with many.
Kate Bass: Good. Eavan love fetch my checkbook please.
Seleana frowns in confusion.
Seleana Zdunich: Your checkbook?
Seleana’s eyes narrow.
Seleana Zdunich: You set trap?
Eavan comes back with Kate's checkbook.
Eavan Maloney: Don't pull a Declan and start throwing money at the problem. I trust you though.
Kate Bass: Mmhmm. My dad was an asshole as well, but he gambled on good bets instead of blowing money everywhere he went. That's why we have a place like this.
Kate indicates to the house.
Kate Bass: So it's kind of simple. See we are going to give him money, but then we're going to give him a choice: he can either walk away for good, he can try to be a good and better father or he's going to have auditors all over him.
Eavan grumbles.
Eavan Maloney: Yep, exactly a Declan move. Personally, I'd rather find him, bust his face a little and tell him if he comes around again, I break more things. Snakes like that never learn
Her mouth dropping open, Seleana can’t believe her ears.
Seleana Zdunich: I… cannot ask you to do this.
Kate shrugs.
Kate Bass: Satisfy what he wants then make it clear that he's going to have trouble later if he can't control himself. I'm not a fan of doing this either, but it's this or Amy and Haylie Jo live in whatever fear he has over them.
Seleana Zdunich: I wonder if we should try to see if there is more to why he choose now?
Kate pauses a moment.
Kate Bass: If there is it better be a fucking damn good reason to threaten Amy and Haylie Jo.
Seleana Zdunich: I am just wondering if he owes somebody already.
Eavan Maloney: We should find him first and hear him out. None of the girls around though.
Seleana Zdunich: Where would we do? Not here...
Kate Bass: The boardwalk.
Eavan Maloney: I'll agree to this on one condition. Kate, you'll wire me the money because you're not coming. I don't want to chance he getting violent on my pregnant girlfriend.
Kate quietly groans.
Kate Bass: I'd rather see it through myself. But alright.
Kate writes the check for $10K and hands it to Eavan.
Kate Bass: Do what you think you can. Find out if there's more to the story. I feel that he's doing this out of sheer greed and spite though.
As her eyes start to moisten, Seleana walks over and hugs them both.
Seleana Zdunich: I did not mean for you to do this.
Kate smiles and hugs her back.
Kate Bass: Someone has made my friends afraid. There is very little I wouldn't do when that happens.
After returning Selean’s hug, Eavan thinks for a minute and snaps her fingers.
Eavan Maloney: I think I've come up with a solution. I know you want to see this through so you'll be filming everything from the car. Sel, you find out from Halo where he's staying, maybe have her call him to meet her.
Seleana Zdunich: Should we have her and Amy there?
Kate Bass: Eavan said we shouldn't. I agree. If they're there, he'll try to bargain using them.
Seleana nods slowly, looking guilty and ashamed.
Seleana Zdunich: I feel that I am being a bad mother in this somehow.
Eavan Maloney: You're being a protective mother. These are the kinds of sacrifices one does for their children, and holy shit, did I just say that?
Kate Bass: Yes you did. Sel, this is important to know. This is an extreme we are jumping to. But when dealing with people like him you have to.
Seleana Zdunich: Am I wrong to not like him already just from what i have heard of him? He ignore them when their mum die. He lose their house. He is not there when Logan commit suicide. He not there for any of Amy's career. He not there for any of Haylie Jo's career. I feel I want to punch him... and then i feel guilty for wanting to punch him because I do not know him.
Eavan Maloney: They're not my kids, and I said right away I wanted to punch him. And then I realized that was the wrong solution. I think about Trinity and how I'd want to react if it happened to her.
Eavan stopped for a minute.
Eavan Maloney: Jesus Christ, we're mothers.
Seleana Zdunich: Skit också! I was so not ready for this...
Kate Bass: Look all I know is short of being in the military, he had no excuse to miss out on anything. Losing the house, probably due to gambling, even worse. So wanting to punch him, absolutely the right reaction. Actually punching him well... that's why we're trying this first.
Seleana Zdunich: He is not in the military, that is Kendra's father.
Kate Bass: So there you go.
Eavan Maloney: Let's hear him out.
Kate Bass: Yes yes. Ready when you are.
Seleana dials up her stepdaughter’s girlfriend, the girl she had come to view as just as much of her own daughter as she did Brittany.
Seleana Zdunich: Hej, Halo? Can you call father and set meeting on Boardwalk here?
She pauses and then nods.
Seleana Zdunich: Tack, we will handle. Text me when meeting is set?
She pauses and then nods again.
Seleana Zdunich: Tack. It will be handled, I promise. I love you, Sweetie.
She looks up and nods to Eavan and Kate.
Seleana Zdunich: She is calling him now.
Her phone chimes back. Seleana checks it and smiles.
Seleana Zdunich: He will be there.
Eavan Maloney: Alright, we get dressed. Sel, you'll drive, drop me off a few blocks away from the meeting point then find a spot near trees. I'll meet you guys at the contact point. And whatever happens, none of you leave the car.
Seleana nods, knowing full well it probably will not go that simply but happy to have this over with before the trip to Belfast and Climax Control.
On-Camera
Friday, March 29, 2019
Laguna Beach, California
Home of Kate Bass and Eavan Maloney
5:03 PM PST
The camera opens upon Seleana Zdunich standing in the driveway of the house near her Maserati. The camera is obviously a cell phone on a selfie stick as it really only shows Seleana’s face and a small part of the car. She nods and then stares at the car, the camera showing the top of her SCW t-shirt.
Seleana Zdunich: So, off to Belfast, ja?
She nods, a small, wan smile on her face.
Seleana Zdunich: Where, my wife, bless her, is trying to find a way to make it there to stand in my corner as I face Mercedes Vargas because she said publicly she would and then managed to end up in hospital yesterday with possible flu. Compared herself to Michael Jordan for making it through illness that way and…
She nods in acknowledgement.
Seleana Zdunich: She is making the effort so I applaud her for that. Many will call me less than friendly things for even doing that and they can all kiss my coño. I will talk to my wife whenever and however I wish to and if that means you think less of me because of it…
She shrugs defiantly.
Seleana Zdunich: You probably already thought me nothing anyway so what difference does it make if my marriage did not fail?
She shifts hands with the camera and glares into the lens.
Seleana Zdunich: I am happy she is making efforts that most said she would not. There are people I consider family who said she would not and she is currently proving she can do so. Therefore, if she is physically able to be inside the arena in Belfast and she is physically able to stand, she has the opportunity she requested to stand in my corner and support me and, yes, I realize that is a risk considering how it was not so long ago she used that very opportunity to attack me and leave me bloody on the floor.
Nodding pointedly, Seleana socks her head to the left away from the vehicle.
Seleana Zdunich: I am well aware that this decision could bite me in the backside and cause me more problems but I am also aware that if I never give her this opportunity, if I obstinately cling to some misguided sense of resentment, if I am the one unwilling to give the chance, then what am I still doing in this marriage at all?
She nods pointedly again.
Seleana Zdunich: If I am unwilling to give her the chance, if I am unwilling to allow the scorpion to climb onto my back as we swim across the river, then I should not hold onto any hope myself that things will work out. If I cannot let go even for a second on such a trivial thing such as standing at ringside even after we have been forced to fight a wargames in another country on the same side and she did not stick myself or my sister in that match, then I should have given up long ago!
Changing her position, Seleana moves the camera so she can stand up straighter and look dead into it.
Seleana Zdunich: Christina, this is your chance. Show them, show the entire world, show our family, show me… that you can change. Show us all that you are not what you were, that you are not what everyone else said you were. There are so many people who told me I was making a mistake even dating you, and an even bigger one marrying you, this is your chance to start proving all of them wrong!
She nods almost lovingly.
Seleana Zdunich: This is your chance to start earning everyone else’s trust a little at a time. It will not be easy, it will not be quick and it will not be painless. There will be many who will say you cannot do it. There will be many that say you cannot change your spots or learn new tricks and that I am just a dumb blonde stereotype for even letting you try.
She nods, the love in her eyes building as she goes.
Seleana Zdunich: Be who you want to be!
Seleana nods again, pointing definitively to the ground.
Seleana Zdunich: Be who you wanted to be for yourself! Be who you wanted to be for Brittany! For your father! For Halo!
She points off into the distance.
Seleana Zdunich: Be who you wanted to be for all the little girls watching, all the grown ones who think it’s too late for them and they can’t change themselves enough to ever rise above where they are in life! Show them that ja, they can! Show them that you can!
She nods again and points to herself, pounding her finger back into the middle of her chest.
Seleana Zdunich: Be who you wanted to be for me.
She waves her arm and then points at the house.
Seleana Zdunich: Show all of these people watching, including some in the house behind me that you can be who I have always seen beneath that actress facade!
She nods one more time and then points into the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: You wanted this. You wanted this chance to show me, here it is. Now show the world!
Exhaling in relief, she switches hands with the camera again.
Seleana Zdunich: Now that we have that matter settled, let us move on to the actual reason we are in Belfast, fighting Mercedes Vargas on Climax Control. Now, as many of you are probably aware, I have faced Mercedes Vargas one time before and she won. At the time, I was still learning my way, taking lumps left and right while Mercedes was a woman who had earned the right to be arrogant to someone like me. She had already won everything there is to win here in SCW and done it in the fashion that gained her a Hall of Fame induction. The woman has won so much that now she’s competing with records instead of other wrestlers but I cannot help but notice how, something is a little different this time…
Pausing, Seleana nods into the distance, wagging her right index finger as if trying to come up with the answer to her own query for the first time.
Seleana Zdunich: The last time I faced Mercedes Vargas, she could not stop herself from talking. She talked down to me on principle, which I understood given our respective statures and where we were in our respective careers. I was a rookie, she was very much not. She was already a legend, I am still very much not. She talked down to me because of who i was as well, because of who I was romantically involved with and this was not really a surprise either given how most others in two companies had already done that as well.
She nods a few more times, still wagging the finger for a second before allowing the hand to drop back to her side.
Seleana Zdunich: The difference between Mercedes Vargas and everyone else on that occasion was that Mercedes Vargas seemed to have a special amount of hatred going on for Christina and was making a point of transferring that to me, almost as if she could somehow get to my wife by getting me. She was taking pleasure in annoying my wife and talked almost nonstop.
She turns back to face the camera again.
Seleana Zdunich: Now, I will not be so bold as to say her level of enmity towards me has dropped because that would imply she actually cared enough about me in the past to hate me and I am not silly enough to think that. I was never anything to Mercedes Vargas aside from a name on a piece of paper and a convenient way to take potshots at Christina. That was all I was then and she probably only paid me any kind of attention based on those two things, but now?
Seleana shrugs.
Seleana Zdunich: Now things seemed to have changed because Mercedes Vargas has not said word one towards me. She has made no snide comments, no jokes, no potshots, nothing. She has paid me no compliments, she not said anything good, bad or indifferent about me, to me, or at me. You would think Mercedes Vargas was not even having a match this week at all, much less one with somebody she seemed to have such a good time skewering last time.
Seleana pauses, considering the situation carefully.
Seleana Zdunich: Now, I know there are two ways to take this. The first is to think Mercedes Vargas is suddenly afraid of me and does not wish to anger me because of the great strides i have made in the last four months. Has she seen me break Christian Underwood’s face, survive being fired, re-hired and his repeated attempts to take me down and been impressed?
She nods questioningly to the camera, before shrugging and holding up her hand to run down a list, extending her index finger.
Seleana Zdunich: Was it surviving the assault of the Metal Maniacs?
She raises a second finger.
Seleana Zdunich: Was it defeating Delia Darling?
A third finger joins the collection.
Seleana Zdunich: Was it defeating Jessie Salco?
A fourth finger is added.
Seleana Zdunich: Was it pinning my wife?
Finally, the thumb joins its brethren.
Seleana Zdunich: was it pinning Alicia Lukas and becoming the Bombshell World Champion?
The hand lowerts and Seleana shakes her hand.
Seleana Zdunich: No, it was most likely none of those things. To think that Mercedes Vargas is suddenly afraid of angering me is ludicrous. A woman like her would never fear me unless I was allowed to come into that building with weapons such that I never leave that country and since we all know that will not happen, that leaves us with the other choice…
She nods, anger creeping into her eyes.
Seleana Zdunich: Mercedes Vargas is simply ignoring me because she is so blinded by her arrogance that she thinks I am not worthy of any thought at all. Mercedes Vargas thinks I am beneath her and so has acted accordingly and this I find sad and insulting but not really that surprising because, let us face the facts, she never thought I was anywhere near on her level before and for her, nothing has changed.
She looks away, almost laughing before turning back to glare into the camera.
Seleana Zdunich: But I have.
Switching hands with the camera, Seleana’s glare increases in intensity.
Seleana Zdunich: I am a rookie no more and I am not the woman you defeated all those months ago, Mercedes. I have found my way and I am a former World Champion now! You may think i am not worth anything but that is also what Alicia Lukas thought and it cost her the championship. Now she can say that there were intervening circumstances but the fact of the matter still stands, I pinned her for the championship, she never pinned me! You can treat me as if I am a helpless, sad and pathetic little girl all you want but when that bell rings you are in the ring with somebody who knows how to fight back with the best of them!
She nods, glaring accusingly.
Seleana Zdunich: I am going to knock the arrogance off of you, Mercedes. I am going to knock the indifference out of you and then I am going to knock you around some more just because I feel like it! You can sit there and think i should be looking to the heavens and begging for a minor miracle but that already happened more than once this week and it already happened with me many times over in the last few months. That is the whole point now, Mercedes. I no longer need to look up, arms reaching for the sky and screaming, “Hallowed be thy name!” as the only way I can hope to be successful. I am successful and now I get to show you the new me!
Seleana pauses and then nods pointedly.
Seleana Zdunich: Now it is your turn to look to the sky and say, “Hallelujah!” because you have witnessed something miraculous! You have seen that I no longer have to wonder if I belong in the same ring with you. Now all I wonder is how did I ever question that in the first place.
Placing hr second hand onto the selfie stick, Seleana moves the camera so that she is looking into at from the same level it is being held instead of from above.
Seleana Zdunich: See you in Belfast, Mercedes, as as one former World Champion to another, I am going to make you regret this…
