(Miles and Carter were used with their handlers’ permission)

The Anticipated Mixed Tag Team Title Match between Team Go and the Wolves of Gheimhrioth was set to take place on the first Supercard of the Cycle where it would’ve served as the Main Event, however when Carter came down with a case of Bronchitis the match was postponed for two weeks whilst the competitors who were fit and healthy sat on the hands waiting for the match to be re-announced.

Well the match was back on this week and once again it was serving as the Main Event, albeit whilst doubling as the only title match on the show this time around, Carter had said that he was done with titles even though Ariana clearly wasn’t but that begged the question: can Team Go dethrone the Wolves and win their first tag team titles in years? Or would the Wolves’ reign continue and if so, who was next?

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 11th of March 2024, 18:00pm

If I had to describe the past couple of weeks of the current cycle in one word, it would be “boring”.

After that whole mix-up at the Supercard regarding the date of me and Carter’s Mixed Tag Team Title Match against the Wolves I thought the date would be set in stone, and to be fair the reason for the match’s delay wasn’t announced until the Friday before the first Climax Control of the cycle, to make a long story short, Carter caught a case of Bronchitis the same week as the Tag Team Match was set to take place, I almost thought it was a ploy to get out of it because Carter had declared that he was done with title matches but then he Miles facetimed me and I saw the state Carter was in.

He couldn’t even attend Jessie’s Gender Reveal Party last week even with the prospect of eating Shane’s food, as for me? I wasn’t planning to go anyway, never really been a fan of the whole Gender Reveal Party to be honest, I know Jessie confirmed that she’s having a girl and is trying to pick names but that’s about it.

But anyway, after two long weeks of waiting the match is finally set, and unless something happens that upends everything we’re set to Main Event this week’s Climax Control.

So yeah, let’s talk about these wolves shall we?

My history with Kayla Richards should be well known at this point, we’ve practically been at each other’s hips since we signed our SCW Contracts in 2022, every time I’ve faced off with that woman I’ve gotten angry because she’s always managed to get under my skin and every time we’ve faced? I’ve ended up the losing end, Kayla’s second match? Lost, the first time I was in a Battle Royal Match for the Bombshell Internet Title? Lost that one too, wasn’t even the last one eliminated, when I first dipped my toes in the Internet Title division after I lost the Bombshell Roulette Title? Lost both the non-title match and the Triple Threat.

It's telling that I didn’t even win that title until after Kayla moved onto the Mixed Tag Team Championships instead! Hell, her current feud with Julianna over the World Bombshell Championship is he closest she’s gotten to a singles title in months, Finn I’m pretty neutral about to be honest, I know he’s a hell of a wrestler and he’ll give Carter a fight that’ll show why he’s the World Heavyweight Champion but that concerns the male division, not me and Kayla.

Off course there’s one big caveat to all that, one I mentioned earlier, Carter’s attitude towards him getting title shots and how rotten it is, I know it’s his choice but just because he’s done with title shots doesn’t mean I have to be and frankly? I’d rather not team with anyone else in the division!

Besides, are there any available guys right now who aren’t already in a Mixed Tag Team and have been here a while? Not to my knowledge.

”I can finally get this damn match out of the way.” I grunted to myself as I glanced over at Francisco. ”Seriously even if I didn’t get the basic info of when the match was taking place wrong to begin with? Carter’s illness has made it felt like this match was announced at the beginning of the year!”

”Don’t jinx it Ari, otherwise we might get COVID and it’ll be delayed again.” Francisco advised me and I had to admit, he had a point there. ”But with any luck Carter’s bronchitis will be the only piece of misfortune to hit our camp!”

”Now look who’s jinxing it!” I responded with a scoff and Francisco shook his head in response. ”At least after this match is done we can start the moving out process, the house is practically becoming an animal sanctuary since Echo moved in.”

”Hopefully that’ll stop when we move out, two cats and three dogs is enough for me.” Francisco responded with a grin before Athena jumped up into and sat in my lap, I starting stroking the cat and she purred in response. ”And that’s if we can convince Peaches to come with us since she’s feral.”

”Not even sure how we’re going to go about that, half tempted to leave her to the new owners and let them figure it out or taking her to a shelter.” I admitted as I shook my head and Francisco nodded in agreement. ”Then again if we’re going to do that then we may as well take her to the new house with us.”

”True enough and I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” Francisco responded before the topic shifted elsewhere.

The Disaster Diaries, Ariana’s office, Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 12th of March 2024, 15:00pm

(on camera, start vlog)

Here we go.

”You know, I never thought I’d use the word boring to describe the wait between the Mixed Tag Team Title Match’s delay and the match actually taking place but here we are!” I commented after I started recording and made myself comfortable. ”Hell no one in the match saw action in the intervening weeks, granted, Carter’s case was justified as his bronchitis was the whole reason the match got delayed in the first place but how does that explain something like the new World Heavyweight Champion missing several weeks of action? Or the #1 Contender for the World Bombshell Title being left off cards too?

Or me? Who had been asking for literally any match but got ignored? Guess that’s what I get for not being the bosses’ golden girl.”

I shook my head with a frustrated sigh.

”I guess the bosses were worried about more bad luck befalling the match and were saving me, Finn and Kayla until Carter got cleared but it’s still pretty frustrating.” I commented before letting out a deep breath. ”So, now that the wait is finally over, let’s talk about this match, shall we? And I open this segment with another question, a big one at that.

Do I really need to go over my history with Kayla at this point?”

I asked honestly.

”Seriously, it’s about as well documented as my history with Courtney Pierce and Jet City in general, and there’s even more history here considering that me and Kayla have practically been joined at the hips since our SCW Debuts two years ago!” I commented as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Will this be the match that finally breaks my losing streak against you Kayla? Honestly I’m not even sure, and that’s for one good reason.

My tag team partner’s under the impression that he doesn’t deserve this match, I’m out to prove him wrong but it takes two to tango in this sport, especially in tag team wrestling, and I’m not even sure where my partner’s at mentally as far as this match goes and knowing Finn and especially Kayla? They’ll pounce on any weakness like vultures.”

(end vlog)

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 13th of Match 2024, 18:00pm

So yeah, remember the whole “I’m moving out to North Vegas so my pets can run free unimpeded” thing? Yeah, we’re hosting a special moving away party here at my home.

I suspect it was an excuse for Cartner and Miles to meet Echo admittedly but any chance for me to cook for my friends is a good one.

“Have to say Ari, that smells delicious.” Miles called out from the dining room and I grinned as I glanced up from the stovetop. “Are you sure you’re not going to turn it into a recipe for disaster?”

”Nah, this is meant to be a nice occasion.” I called back before checking on the chicken I was cooking in the oven, thank god I got the Chef IQ Thermometer through a recent sponsorship because it’s been a godsend since I started using it. ”And besides, the tag match just got rebooked, do you think I want to compromise Carter’s health?”

“Fair point.” Miles admitted and once I confirmed that the chicken for Miles was perfectly cooked I took it out of the oven and started plating everything. “Need my help with anything?”
”Food’s just been plated up, I’ll be bringing it through in a sec but if you want to grab yours and Carter’s dishes, feel free.” I called back and Miles came into the kitchen a few seconds later, I pointed out which plates were for him and Carter and he grabbed both before helping me bring the food in. ”Okay, lemon and honey chicken for Miles, pork chop for Carter, steak for me and duck for Francisco.”

”And I’m sure he’ll go quackers for it.” Carter joked and we all rolled our eyes at how bad it was. ”Yeah, that was bad! Anyway, cheers?”

“Cheers!” We all responded before clanging our glasses together and I made myself comfortable.

”I still can’t believe your moving Ari, and further away from me too.” Carter commented and I shook my head with a sigh. ”I know it’s your choice and it’s for the animals’ benefits but I’ll miss this place.”

”I’ll miss it too but at the very least we sold it for a good price so we’re getting a good amount of money out of it.” I responded as we started eating our food. ”Besides, even with Echo coming into our lives, we’ve wanted a change of scenery for  a while and don’t worry, I’ll text you our new address you can still come.” I assured Carter and he grinned in response. ”Hopefully with the new Mixed Tag Team Championships.”

”And I’ve already made my feelings known on the match, I won’t go into further detail here.” Carter responded with a frown before he continued to eat his food. ”Especially when my opinion isn’t valued.”

”I’m not going to get into that Carter, I just want a chance to relax before our big match.” I responded with a sigh ad Carter nodded in agreement. ”And after how my Internet Title Reign Ended? I’m not letting this slip through my fingers I hope you understand.”

”I do! But instead of trying to find a new partner, you tried calling out te Bombshell roster.” Carter pointed out and I let out a heavy sigh. ”If we win the titles on Sunday? Fantastic! But let’s focus on the food for now.”

”Right.” I responded before the topic (thankfully) shifed elsewhere.

The Disaster Diaries, Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Thursday the 14th of March 2024, 21:00pm

*start vlog, promo time, on camera*

After I started the new vlog I got ready to speak my mind.

”I’m gonna be honest unless I’m booked next week regardless of the Tag Title Match’s result? This will be my last vlog at the house because I’m moving to North Vegas next week, that said? Let’s talk a bit about Finn.” I commented as I leaned back. ”Finn’s been calling himself “Finn Two Belts” since he won the World Title at the end of that tournament but how long can that last? He is the first double champion since the Mixed Tag Titles were reactivated but how long will that last? If you ask me? Until Sunday, if you ask the Wolves they’d tell you that they are just getting started.” I grinned a bit as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Good thing my opinion is the only thing that matters in this vlog!”

It's that simple.

”What? It’s my vlog/promo!” I said after I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”And as much as I love my bestie, I don’t care what Carter’s thoughts are about title matches, he’s not dragging me down with his self-depreciative crap just because he lost a few title matches, sorry Carter but that’s just how I view this thing, you may be done with titles but I’m not and I will drag you kicking and screaming to a Mixed Tag Team Title reign!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”Sorry if I sounded rude but I’ve wanted to get that off my chest since this match was originally announced!” I added with an aggravated sigh. ”It’s like I said, it takes two to tango in this sport and my partner’s heart clearly isn’t in it, if I have to carry Team Go to a Mixed Tag Team Title reign I will because at New Year, New Angel Part V: Putting the Wolves Down those titles are coming home to Team Go whether Carter likes it or not and we will Go The Distance!”

Ariana turned off the camera as the scene fades.

Ariana was once again screwed out of a title match against Courtney Pierce and her wife Ruby, made worse by the fact that she was defending the title against Courtney in her second defence! But all was not lost for Ariana as she was getting her rematch and on the first Climax Control of 2024 in Colorado, as for Ruby? Christian had put her fate up to a Twitter poll: either she was banned from the building, locked in a cage above the ring or handcuffed to the dreaded Twisted Sister! Can Ariana win her title back?

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday the 30th of December 2023, 13:40pm

So, how have your holidays been?

I’ll admit, I’ve been in a rut since Courtney screwed me out of the Bombshell Internet Title at December 2 Dismember, not helped by Courtney outright saying that she didn’t even want the title in the fist place, she just wanted to punish me for costing her the World Bombshell Championship Rematch against Juliana.

Conveniently forgetting the fact that she had screwed me out of that same title with the help of her wife but I digress.

I tied to keep a positive mindset as I headed into the Christmas Holidays, even though my hand brace still limited what I could do around the house which naturally included gift wrapping and well, my options there included either A: giving the gifts unwrapped and motioning to my injured hand hoping that they understood or B: having that be yet another chore Francisco’s had to take over since Courtney’s attack, I went with the latter.

Speaking of my hand, it is feeling a lot better, especially simpered to the week after the attack, but I’d rather play it safe than risk the injury getting aggravated and having to take time off from SCW as a result, and with Blast from the Past right around the corner? Yeah, I’m not risking that.

And what punishment did Courtney get for attempting to break my hand? Oh, just  being my next challenger after Bea Barnhart! U swear, the bosses don’t even try to hide their bias sometimes!

”The bosses will be announcing the first card of 2024 tomorrow.” I muttered to myself as I went through my Twitter feed, I mean, the return date is scheduled for the seventh of January and that’s a week tomorrow so if they’re not announcing that? I’ll be surprised. ”Wonder what…………” My train of thought was interrupted by a notification on my Twitter app and I tapped on it, thinking that it was probably Carter mentioning me in a tweet, but no, it was Christian making a big announcement, my rematch with Courtney was set for the first Climax Control of 2024.

Needless to say my husband came running when he heard me fall out of my computer chair from shock, alongside our two dogs Oreo and Zeus. ”Ari, are you okay?” Francisco asked as he came over to me, and then he saw the big smile on my face right before the dogs started licking it. ”Don’t tell me, Jenny left you a New Year’s Bonus in your account?”

”I wish!” I responded with a laugh before Francisco pulled me up with my good hand and then righted my computer chair. ”But Christian did just give me a belated Christmas gift, I’m challenging Courtney Pierce for the title she stole from me!”

”Oh really? Wow, that’s great news!” Francisco responded as he grinned broadly. ”But what about Ruby? The last two times you faced Courtney she’s found a way to screw you over.”

”I think Christian has a way around that, he specifically mentioned Ruy in the tweet.” I responded before showing him the tweet in question, as I turned the phone back towards me though? I spotted it. ”And he has a poll up, options are  A: Ruby is banned from the building, B: Ruby is handcuffed to Twisted Sister or C: Ruby is suspended above the ring in a shark cage.”

”Only one I don’t like is that last option, too much potential for Ruby to smuggle a weapon in and drop it to Courtney when the ref’s back is turned.” Francisco pointed out and I had to admit, Franky had a point. ”What about Twisted Sister? I thought she disappeared alongside Iron Maiden after you and Krystal beat the Metal Maniacs at last year’s Summer XXXTreme?”

”Like that’s ever stopped her! And besides, the bosses seem to be the only ones who know how to find them most of the time!” I pointed out and Francisco nodded as he realized that I had a point. ”Either way I’ll talk to Gabriel about getting some light work outs in, don’t want to have to pull out of the match because I reinjured my hand during training.”

”True, and that was how Aleesha lost the title all those months ago.” Francisco reminded me and I nodded in response, the rest of the card would be announced on New Year’s Eve with the first match of the year featuring the returning Crystal Zdunich taking on Harper in the first Main Event of the year and my rematch with Courtney taking centre stage as the first Main Event of the year, I wished Harper luck in that match knowing that Crystal was unpredictable but aside from that, I was focussed on my own thing.

The Disaster Diaries, Ariana’s room, Las Vegas, Nevada
Thursday the 4th of January 2023, 18:00pm

As I turned on my webcam I got started on this little vlog series.

”This is basically me trying something new for the New Year, don’t know if it’ll stick through to the end of the year but we’ll see.” I commented with a shrug as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”A hypocrite, webster’s dictionary defines a hypocrite as a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion and a person who acts in contradiction to his/her stated beliefs or feelings.” I stated before my frown deepened. ”In my dictionary? There’s a picture of Courtney Pierce right next to the word Hypocrite, and I bring this up because Christian has finally listened to reason, he has booked another rematch between us after you screwed me over not once but twice.”

I stated as I shook my head.

”To say nothing of the fact that you attempted to break my hand, yes I’m still bringing this up Courtney because guess what? I’ll still have this brace on my hand for another month! The doctors say that I’m on course to completely heal by February but that’s not for another twenty eight days, assuming off course that they’ll call me in for the final checkup on my hand on the first day of February.” I added before grinning broadly. ”But I’m not the only one entering this match with a handicap Courtney, because apparently Christian’s just as sick of Ruby’s constant interference in our matches as I am!” I added as I held up three fingers with my good hand. ”Banned from the Building, Suspended in a Shark Cage above the ring or my personal favourite: handcuffed to Twisted Sister, those are the three fates that potentially await Ruby on Sunday whilst we go at it for the third time, in other words?

The one and only reason you have two wins over me will be a non-factor, face it Courtney, you’re screwed.”

Very much so.

”I bet I can predict what Courtney will say about this: oh, I would’ve beaten Ariana without Ruby’s help because I’m a badass bitch and BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!” I couldn’t roll my eyes any harder if I tried. ”You were a paper World Bombshell Champion and you’ll be an even weaker Bombshell Internet Champion because at least your reign at the top ended after you stunk up the screens for months on end, this time? Your reign will be nothing but a blip on the history of that belt.

But I have a question for you Courtney, if you’re so apathetic towards holding the Bombshell Internet Championship, why not just vacate it right away? Why go through all this trouble just to lose it back to me? Because your ego won’t allow it, you have to be the centre of attention no matter what and that can only mean one thing, I need to use your ego against you to win.”

Go Gym, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 3rd of January 2023, 15:00pm

It didn’t take long for the Go Gym to open back up after the Christmas Holidays ended, which was convenient for me because I needed as much training as I could get for this rematch against Courtney.

Luckily, the Go Gym had several students and graduates I could use, me and Krystal may have had a truce but she wasn’t in the building tonight for reasons that escaped me, guess the loss in the Golden Briefcase Match hurt her ego more than I thought, luckily I had other options.

”Right, so we’re clear on the roles, right?” I asked Hayley and Kelly as Hayley warmed up in the ring and Kelly chilled out on the outside. ”This is going to be a test run in case any of the following happens in my match against Courtney, Ruby sneaks into the building, gets free of the shark cage or gets away from Twisted Sister.” I stated as I looked the two rookies over. ”That and I couldn’t replicate Ruby’s situation exactly in this sparring match.”

“Aye, I’m not waiting outside whilst you go at it with Hayley, I don’t think Gabriel will let us bring a crane with a shark café into the Go Gym and he definitely won’t let Twisted Sister into the Go Gym.” Kelly nodded in response as she glanced over at Hayley. “Not that we want to even luck for that crazy bitch in the first place!”

”Considering I don’t even know how the bosses find her half the time? Definitely for the best.” I responded with a nod before I turned to Hayley. ”Hayley, you’re a nice girl and all but try to act like Courtney during this sparring match? Not too much that I mistake you for the real thing because I don’t want to get in trouble with Gabriel for hurting a Go Gym Student but try to be just convincing enough.”

“I mean, the last bit of acting I did was for my High School’s drama club but I’ll give it my best shot.” Hayley responded a sheepish grin before we started sparring, Kelly’s roll was to run interference whenever Hayley got in trouble and, well, look, I know that the only thing Hayley and Courtney have in common is the fact that they share the same weight and height (hence why I picked her) but it’s not like either of those idiots were allowed in the Go Gym (meaning Courtney and Ruby off course) so I had to make do.

As for how they did? Hayley did her best to mimic Courtney’s mannerisms and tactics in the ring but considering she was still a fairly new student? There was a clear disconnect between Courtney’s skill in the ring and Hayle’s, Kelly played her role well as well, even if she intentionally half assed her interference because she didn’t have as much at stake as Courtney and Ruby will on Sunday but after a few minutes I caught Kelly with a clothesline and hit Hayley with the Angel’s Descent for the imagined 1………2……..3!

”Well, that was a fun workout.” I commented as I helped both girls back up to their feet, Hayley looked winded from taking the Angel’s Descent but she was otherwise fine and Kelly was kay too. ”I don’t know if it’ll accurately represent how the match will go on Sunday but it was good to shake off any ring rust I picked up over the Christmas Holidays at least.”

“There’s only so much I can do considering how much experience Courtney and Ruby have on me and Kelly.” Hayley admitted as she caught her breath and Kelly nodded in agreement. “But hopefully we did what we could to help you out Ari.”

”Hopefully, but until then I’ll keep doing what I do best, whilst waiting for this hand to heal!”  I responded as I gave my hand a bit of a flex. ”So, you girls up for a regular three way sparring match?”

“Thank god you said sparring match, then again I think Francisco would only ask for popcorn if that did happen.” Kelly joked and I shook my head before we had a three way sparring match.

The Disaster Diaries, Ariana’s Room, Las Vegas, Nevada
Thursday the 4th of January 2023,  18:30pm

”I’m sure you’re going to say that you earned that ego but did you really? All due respect to my fellow Go Gym Graduate but does anyone really remember your defence against Devona? Or against Zoey? Your most notable defences were against me and Keira and I’d be here all day if I had to get into all the shit surrounding your match against Keira and you had to cheat to beat me!” I added as folded my arms. ”It’s time we faced facts about your reign at the top, you were a champion that barely anyone cared about until we met! You broke the monotony of the title being passed between Roxi, Amber and Masque but what have you done since then? Paraded around the title like it was your baby, threw a fit when I cost you your ill-deserved title match, tried, and failed, to break my hand, your nothing but a spoiled brat who doesn’t know what to do with herself when she isn’t getting her way.”

I shook my head.

”And off course, you stole the Bombshell Internet Title from me to punish me right before the holidays, punish me for what exactly? Oh right, for getting my own back against you.” I said with a frown as I started off listing things. ”You were a boring World Bombshell Champ, your carrying around a title you don’t even want yet you refuse to vacate because apparently I need to be punished some more? Let’s not forget, I never tried to maim you, you were the one who tried to break my hand, yet I’m the one who needs to be punished, that is why I opened this vlog by calling you a hypocrite Courtney!”

It's that simple.

”And as we get ready to clash in the first Main Event of the year, the question persists, can you win without your wife? Ot is Ruby the one who wears the pants in your relationship with her Courtney?” I asked simply as I looked at my nails playfully. ”Oh sure, you do all the heavy lifting in the ring even though she’s been cleared to wrestle for months now but whenever you were in trouble it was always Ruby that saved the day, at least in matches that you cared about, lest we forget the time you almost got pinned by a rookie, but please, continue to call me the joke.”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”It’ll just make the clown makeup look better on you after I take back my title from you on Sunday.” I stated plainly as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”That concludes my first vlog, New Year, New Angel Part I: The Price of Revenge and for you Courtney the price is a steep one, because it’ll cost you your pride, a title you don’t even want and your winning streak against me when you bask in the golden angel’s light! See you on Sunday bitch!”

I turned off the webcam as the scene fades.

The opening guitar riff to "In the Middle of the Night" by Within Temptation hits the speakers and the crowd comes unglued as Ariana emerges from the back her street clothes and carrying her newly won title in one hand.

Justin Decent: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the new Bombshell Internet Champion Ariana Angelos!

Ariana spins around right as the song kicks into high gear with the opening lyrics with the Bombshell Internet Championship held high above her head, she poses for the crowd as she makes her way down to the ring before rolling into the ring.

BS: It’s been a long and difficult road for that young lady this past year but at High Stakes XII Ariana finally ended her losing streak and won the Bombshell Internet Title in the process.

JA: The question is who will Ariana’s first challenger be?

Ariana takes a mic from a stage hand and rests the title over her shoulder.

Ariana: Too think, so many people thought we’d never see this sight again but here I am! Holding my second ever singles title and proud of it!

Ariana says as she gives the title a pat.

Ariana: I’ve only wrestled Luna three times but our match at High Stakes was our first time facing off in singles competition, and honestly? I wouldn’t mind going for round two with her, albeit with the roles reversed.

BS: I’d love to see that match!

JA: Ariana and Luna tore the house down at High Stakes XII, a rematch between them would be epic!

Ariana: And the bosses have all but confirmed that there will be a rematch between me and Luna down the line! But that won’t be my first match as champion, because that match is tonight!

Ariana brushes some hair over her shoulder with her free hand.

Ariana: Me and Carter have practically been inseparable since we graduated from the Go Gym and tonight we get another chance to shine as Team Go taking on the former Mixed Tag Team Champions Eiley and Oliver Zahn, now let’s not beat around the bush, my problems with the graduates of Jet City and their cheating ways are well documented, just look at Queen Hypocrite herself Courtney Pierce as a prime example off this! But make no mistake, just because this is a non-title match doesn’t mean I’m taking this lightly and Team Go will go the distance!

Ariana says before leaning on the ropes.

Ariana: And Luna? Good luck against Kat tonight, I’ll be watching!

“In the Middle of the Night” hits the speakers again and Ariana holds up her title proudly before heading to the back.

(Keira was used with her handler’s permission)

Following her loss to Julianna DiMaria earlier in the cycle Ariana seemed to be up shit creek without a paddle, her only chance at getting on this year’s High Stakes Card being the open challenge for a tag team match against Team Hero that Keira and Roxi had put out several weeks ago, however fate had other plans for the Greek American Bombshell among others because a shock injury to the current Bombshell Internet Champion Aleesha Jones would result in the title being vacated and the bosses scrambling to not only find a new champion but her challenger at High Stakes, their solution?

A Battle Royal where the winner would not only win the title but would face the runner up at High Stakes! And Ariana’s competition in this match? The returning Kat Jones, Ariana’s new found ally in Luna Vanity, her fellow Go Gym Graduates Tempest and Krystal Wolfe. Mercedes Vargas, Seleana Zdunich, Sam Marlowe, and Zoey Lukas! Can Ari take advantage of this unexpected opportunity and win her first title in over a year?

Backstage at Climax Control 374, San Francisco, California
Sunday the 1st of October 2023, 21:45pm

You know a night’s been chaotic when someone who doesn’t even work for the company gets into the arena, attacks a contracted talent, and leaves just as quickly as they arrived and it’s the least talked about thang that happened on the show!

But that’s exactly what happened tonight, following my argument with Keira I got attacked by Taylor Parker and for those of you who are going “who?!” Taylor is a failed Hero Academy student who was expelled for injuring other students and happens to have a younger sister at Hero Academy who is a far better student.

I swear this sport is just a magnet for dysfunctional families!

The bosses said that they’d investigate how Taylor got into the arena in the first place but that got quickly overshadowed when the World Heavyweight Champion Michael Harris got fired and stripped off his championship for attacking Jasmine St. John following his loss to HB Carter and then laying out the rest of the referee core! If you ask me? They should hurry up and find an excuse to fire Courtney whilst they are at it if they want to purge the top of the mountain of bad actors!

At least my bestie scored the biggest win of his career in the process!

”Ugh! How much longer are you going to make me wait?!” I asked as I glared at the medics whilst they did their jobs, I had been cooped up in the medic’s office since the attack and my only company so far had been Francisco and Krystal when they brought her in following her loss in the Street Fight against Roxi (not that I talked that much with my fellow Go Gym Graduate). ”You let Krystal go forty five minutes ago and what she went through in that street fight was a lot worse than what that idiot did to me!”

“Sorry Ari but it’s the bosses’ orders, Taylor dropped you on your head, we need to make sure that you are healthy and don’t need to go to hospital before we can let you go.” The medic explained to me as he ran his test and I rolled my eyes, what exactly did he expect to find? It’s not like arenas come with x-ray machines just in case of emergency! “The good news is you should be good to go so soon.”

”The bad news is that if SCW hired competent security we wouldn’t be having this conversation!” I snapped at the medic who just shook his head, I rested my chin in the palm of my hand before resting that arm on my leg and glancing up at Francisco. ”I’m guessing everyone else has left Franky?”

”I haven’t checked since I left to get you a snack, but the ones I did see were Krystal and Team Hero.” Francisco explained and I frowned at that piece of information. ”No idea if either of those three women are still around.”

”Krystal has three daughters at home, it stands to reason that she would’ve left at the earliest opportunity.” I responded as I shook my head before the door to the medics office opened, I didn’t bother looking up because I thought it was a custodian asking when he could start cleaning up the room or something. ”And I likewise would like to leave as soon as fucking possible.”

“What did I tell you about calming down?!” I grunted in annoyance upon hearing Keira’s voice and when I glanced up I saw the blonde half of Team Hero entering the office. “I’m sorry for what happened with Taylor, I should’ve kept a closer eye on you.”

”Oh fuck off Keira!” I snapped at the Hall of Famer as I glared at her. ”That moron just happened to attack me after our argument, you honestly expect me to believe that you didn’t put Taylor up to it?!”

“I haven’t had any contact with Taylor since she was expelled from Hero Academy and you should know better than to assume that I’d resort to something like that!” Keira responded angrily before she walked further into the medic’s office until she was standing directly opposite the bed that I was occupying. “So how about you cut the attitude and be honest with me for the first time since the first Climax Control of the cycle, what has gotten into you?!”

”What? You think that I got possessed by Sin as well? Give me a break, I never even interacted with Matthew and his cronies that much when they were managing Krystal.” I responded bitterly as I shook my head and Keira’s frown deepened. ”Besides, I’ve been nothing but honest since Violent Conduct! The bosses have let the likes of Courtney and Michael get away with bending the rules as they see fit for too long and it’s about fucking time that someone stepped up and did something about it!” I added as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”I wasn’t about to go to the back of the line whilst some bitch who needed brass knuckles to beat Roxi got an undeserved title shot! And besides, the bosses need to learn to be a bit more lenient when it comes to their previous plans!”

“I’m not even going to get into how many things are wrong with that statement because otherwise we’d be here all night.” Keira sighed as she ran a hand down her face and I rolled my eyes. “And besides that, have you even seen the card for the Go Home Show? Roxi told me that Krystal got the new card text not long after she was discharged.”

I had to admit, I was curious as to why Keira was bringing that up, as the medic was closer to my phone than I was I motioned to him to pass my phone to me and he complied. ”Okay, looks pretty uneventful for a Go Home show, especially considering the other shows of the cycle had title matches on them but………” I tailed off when I saw the last two matches, the first one was the second match in the Best of Three between Calvin Harris and Miles Kasey, I had expected that because they had announced the men’s Internet Title Match for High Stakes which, surprisingly, wasn’t a tie breaker and instead a Triple Threat between the winner of that match and Eddie Lyons and BRADDOCK but you don’t need me to tell you that that wasn’t the match Keira was talking about, not with SCW’s intergender rules in place.

No, it was the Main Event and when he saw the look on my face? Francisco came over to get a look for himself. ”Battle Royal for the vacant Bombshell Internet Title, you vs. Kat Jones, Luna Vanity, Tempest, Krystal, Mercedes Vargas and Seleana Zdunich?!” Francisco asked with a look of surprise on his face and we both nodded. ”What happened to Aleesha? I think we would’ve heard something about two champions being fired on the same night.”

“She got injured during training, details haven’t been made public but the injury is severe enough to force her to relinquish her title.” Keira explained and Francisco nodded as he got the idea, me? I was still going over the list of talent involved in the match. “Penny for your thoughts Ari?”

”I think you can guess what my thoughts are Keira, this will be my third attempt at winning the Bombshell Internet Title this year, I need to make this count.” I responded with a frown before I put my phone to the side, at which point the medic cleared his throat. ”Only reason I have any interest in what you have to say is if you either heard anything about Aleesha’s injury or I’m free to go so out with it!”

“I was just about to say, the test came up clear and your free to go.” The medic explained and I wasted little time in hopping off the medical bed and grabbing my jacket and phone. “Take it easy for the next week, you’ve got that big match coming up.”

”Thanks Captain Obvious.” I muttered under my breath as I rolled my eyes before I left the medics room with Francisco not realizing that Keira wasn’t that far behind me. ”Franky? The sooner we’re back in Vegas, the better! I’ve got a title match to train for!”

“Don’t you want to talk?” Keira asked and I glanced over my shoulder at the Hall of Famer before shaking y head and continuing down the hallway. “You idolized Team Hero! You said as much when you challenged Roxi for the title in London……….”

”AND SHE WAS RIGHT! I never should’ve met my heroes!” I snapped at Keira as I spun on my heel to face her. ”My SCW Career has been miserable ever since that title match! Yet I’m the bad girl fir wanting to be in control of my own destiny for once in my god damn life!”

“You really think you’re the first one to be screwed out of a title match?!” Keira asked pointedly as she marched up to me. “SCW’s been around since you were a pre-teen Ari, you are hardly the first one to be screwed out of a World Bombshell Title Shot! Can’t you see that I’m trying to help you?!”

”And where the hell was that help during the Violent Conduct cycle?! When my self-confidence was at rock bottom and no one bothered to reach out to me?!”  I snapped at Keira as I let out several deep breaths. ”Oh wait, you were busy with Krystal’s demonic possession! I guess you only help young Bombshells like me when it’s convenient too you!”

“That’s not true and you know it!” Keira insisted and I rolled my eyes in response. “How many times did I try to pick your confidence up during that tour? When you said that the reason you didn’t answer Jessie’s open challenge for the show in Rome because you didn’t think that you’d be a worthy challenger I was right there trying to motivate you!”

”Oh yeah! Thanks for helping me that one fucking time!” I responded as I rolled my eyes before I stormed off without giving Keira a chance to answer back, before she knew it? I had left the arena and was on a Kayfabe Airlines flight back to Vegas after stopping by the hotel for an early checkout and to grab my stuff, Keira may have been my idol once upon a time but for now? I needed to focus on the future.

And that future started with this title match.

Ari’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 2nd of October 2023, 13:00pm

If there’s anything in my life that’s keeping me from going completely insane? It’s my pets at home.

For those who are keeping count? I have two cats, a domestic female cat called Athena and a slowly being domesticated feral cat called Peaches alongside a Golden Labrador called Zeus and the newest member of the household, a Boarder Collie puppy called Oreo.

Yeah, I know, calling a black and white puppy Oreo isn’t exactly the most original idea in the world but I was hungry when I came up with that name.

But back to the point, whilst I was initially taken aback by the insane amounts of exercise Oreo’s breed required (seriously, three hour walks?!) I decided to take her in because I figured what better way to get some exercise in when I’m away from the Go Gym? Plus, Oreo is an adorable puppy so in the end I couldn’t say no.

And speaking of insanely long walks, guess what we just got back from?

”Oreo I swear, you have energy for days.” I sighed as I returned to the house and after closing the door behind me I unhooked her lead from her collar, naturally Zeus was right there with us reacting excitedly to my return whilst Athena was chilling out on a coffee table. ”Franky I’m home!”

”Good, I was just about to call you.” Franky responded as I walked around the two dogs in front of me. ”Just after you left a visitor stopped by to see you, she said that she’s one of your relatives from Greece.”

”That doesn’t narrow things down, I come from a large family and most of them live in Greece.” I responded as I put down Oreo’s lead and Franky poked his head out of the kitchen before pointing to the living room, when I entered the living room it didn’t take me long to recognize the Greek woman. See my mom has two sisters, my aunt Laraine who I learned about my family’s history of mental illness on the woman’s side last December and my aunt Sylvia who lived in Greece and rarely came over to the US, in fact the last time I saw her was when she came over for my wedding, well, this was the second time I saw her and I grinned upon seeing her before greeting her with a big hug. ”Sylvie!” I greeted the older woman happily and she greeted me warmly. ”What brings you all the way from Corfu?”

“Several things Ariana but let’s catch up first.” Sylvia responded before I sat down opposite her. “I see you have settled in well since your wedding, even if your house seems to be turning into a zoo.”

”My neighbours know that I take in strays and I’m usually their port of call before they go to the ASPCA.” I responded as I shook my head before Zeus and Oreo joined us. ”Would be nice if they asked us once in a while but Oreo here is our latest addition.” I added as I picked up the puppy and let her sit on my lap. ”What about you?”

“Ahh, same old, same old, Corfu is still as beautiful as when you last visited it.” Sylvia responded and I had to sigh a bit because that was when I made my SCW debut and so much had changed since then. “But the rest of your family is concerned about your recent behaviour on Climax Control.”

”I should’ve known.” I sighed as I messaged by forehead with the hand with that wasn’t stroking the puppy. ”Sylvie, I’m not a kid anymore! I’m turning twenty three at the end of the month, the last time you were in the US was when I married Franky, I don’t need my family checking in on me like this.”

“That is true but you also suffer from the same mental health problems as the other women in our family.” Sylvia reminded me and I sighed as it sunk in. “And being the only one who is on TV every week? You are drawing more attention to it.”

”No offence Sylvia but shouldn’t that be a good thing?” I asked pointedly as I ran a hand through my long dark hair. ”Yes, I have the same issues as the other woman in the Angelos family, but I’m showing that it’s possible to still be a success in spite of it!”

“That is true, but your neglecting how others on the roster have been reacting too it, you’ve turned away your idols, your friends, and those who don’t like you are using it to attack you.” Sylvia responded as my eyes narrowed. “And yes, I’m referring to that Italian American woman’s comments on Twitter, Julianna DiMaria might be a bad apple but she is right that you need help.”

”Oh sure, take advice from the woman who told me to get help whilst making a joke about my mental health in the same tweet.” I responded as I rolled my eyes. ”Besides, I’ve got a title match to worry about on Sunday, a title match that literally just had a wrestler added to it, this is the last thing I need to hear right now.”

“Is it? Because we’ve taken notice of how miserable you’ve been since that title match in May.” Sylvia responded and my frown deepened. “I’m not saying that you should drop everything and go to a psychologist now, I only ask that you take my advice to see help as soon as possible Ariana, you are a beautiful and intelligent young woman and I don’t want to see you fall victim to the family’s curse.”

”I’ll think about it.” I sighed in response and that seemed to calm down Sylvia for now, I set Oreo on the ground before standing up. ”Come on, you’ve come all this way, I may as well make you lunch.”

“Oh no, no, no, no, you leave that to me Ariana.” Sylvia insisted as she stood up and marched towards the kitchen. “I’ll make lunch for all three of us! Besides, we both know that I’m the best cook in this family.”

Yeah, I wasn’t about to argue with her.

Go Gym Parking Lot, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 3rd of October 2023, 21:00pm

*promo time*

Oh boy.

”Let’s just get this out of the way, did anyone see this coming?” I asked the camera after I turned it on. ”One champ fired and forced to relinquish his title, another champ injured and forced to relinquish her title? It’s definitely going to be a chaotic time in Sin City Wrestling but obvious reasons I’m more interested in the Bombshell Internet Title situation, a situation that’ll be resolved when I step into the ring against Kat Jones, Zoey Lukas, Luna Vanity, Krystal Wolfe, Tempest, Seleana Zdunich, Mercedes Vargas, and the newly added Sam Marlowe in a Battle Royal to determine the new Bombshell Internet Champion and her first challenger! Let’s not waste any more time, Kat? You’re up first on the chopping block!”

Here we go.

”Why start with Kat? Why not? She’s been so critical of me since the cycle began and now that she’s making her in ring return she’s being thrown right into this title match?” I asked as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”I guess they felt the need to include two Bombshells who’s Roulette Title Reigns ended anti-climatically, huh Kat? Well, three if you count Krystal considering how long her reign was! Either way? I’m looking forward to throwing your tired old ass out and showing that a win over Keira doesn’t mean much anymore!”

Next up Zoey.

”And from one disappointment too another, albeit for different reasons, tell me Zoey, does the sting of knowing that you lost out on a Wotld Bombshell Championship Match to me after you got yourself counted out still hurt? Yes? Good!” I asked as folded my arms. ”And what have you done of note since them? Turned Mercedes into a human pancake with Tempest’s help only to choke when you squandered your Queen for a Day privileges? Why does that sound so familiar? It’s not like you have a sister who did the same thing with the same outcome? Oh wait, you do! Only Alicia’s done everything you can’t! this match? It won’t be any different.”

Next up Tempest.

”And whilst we’re talking about Tempest? See the building behind me? The Go Gym? Me and Tempest have sparred there more times than I care to count and the last time we were in a Battle Royal together didn’t end well for me.” I stated before frowning. ”Who knows? Maybe the other Bombshells will actually use common sense and try to get the Bombshell who once injured her back lifting up a car out as soon as possible? Either way, you’re going to choke again Tempest!”

And now for the elephant in the room.

”Can’t really avoid talking about this person can I? I have to go from Tempest to the woman Tempest wrestled at Into the Void, that’s right Krystal, your up!” I stated as I shook my head. ”Frankly? Your chances of restarting our friendship are lower than the chances of Bea Barnhart ever winning the World Bombshell Title and whilst I wanted a match against you Krystal? I wanted it to be one on one, not in a Battle Royal like this! who knows? Maybe we’ll make that match a reality at High Stakes but I’ve got a title to win in the meantime.”

Next up is Sam.

”Sticking within that time period? I’m moving onto Sam next, because the last time I faced Sam was in the Blast from the Past Tournament where I eliminated her and Teddy Warren.” I stated as I thought back to that match. ”One of the favourites to win out in the first round, off course that was before I was eliminated by THE favourites to win but besides that Sam? This match won’t end any differently for you because I’m through being denied as a champion!”

Next up is Luna.

”You know what’s funny? Through all my recent struggles, the one person to stand by my side is someone who I never interacted that much with and guess what? Luna’s in the Battle Royal too.” I stated as I started playing with my hair. ”Whilst I thank you Luna for being my sole light in my recent darkness? It’ll be every woman for herself in this Battle Royal and as one of the two women in this match who I’ve never wrestled? I’ll admit, a title defence against you excites me, but we have to be the final two first!”

Next up is Mercedes.

”Speaking of people I’ve never wrestled, let’s talk about the other person in this match with that distinct honour, the old washed up bitch herself, Mercedes Vargas!” I said as I folded my arms. ”You’ve been around forever Mercedes and everything that you have to show for it is in the distant past! Yet the bosses keep giving you opportunity after opportunity, guess it’s okay to get infinite title chances when you don’t give a shit and just so up to wrestle so you can collect a pay check, right Mercedes? Well, this match is going to be the latest in a long line of failures for you!”

Last up is Seleana.

”And whilst we’re on the subject of failures, last up is a woman who has made a career out of constantly failing to live up to expectations, Seleana Zdunich!” I said as I shook my head in disbelief. ”Not only have you had a terrible year Seleana but you’ve had two big matches that you failed to capitalize on already, Roulette Title Match against Alexandra? Not only did you choke in the match but you almost choked on the fumes from the fire you started, Roulette Rules Match against Georgie just this past week? If that Falls Count Anywhere Match proved anything? It’s that you should stay away from tables, or maybe just title matches in general! But don’t worry, I’ll be on hand to reinforce that in this match!”

Big chance.

”Aside from Kat who literally just unretired, everyone in this match has had a title opportunity this year and came up short, me included! Far as I see it? Alessha’s injury gives me a chance to right a wrong from earlier this year!” I said as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”And if I have to outlast some of the best women’s wrestlers on the roster  along the way? So be it!”

It's that simple.

”If you ask me? There’s no-one hungrier for a title than me in this match! Some of the Bombshells have been in title droughts for months, even years, what sets me apart is that I was just cheated out of what should’ve been my moment!” I said as I let out several deep breaths. ”And just to rub salt in the wound they made that so called champion the special guest ref for a #1 Contenders Match that I never should have been forced to compete in! some might call this a consolation prize for me I call it righting a wrong!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”And the bosses can go to hell if they think otherwise, it’s like I said, I’m through being a doormat and winning this Battle Royal will be a step in the right direction! Frankly? I don’t care who I face at High Stakes, only that I get my first title win at The Fallen Angel Part II: Not What I Expected…….” I trailed off as I clenched a fist. ”This match may not have been what I expected but make no mistake, “The Dark Angel” Ariana Angelos won’t let this slip through her fingers whilst my competition burns in my agonising light! I’ll see you all in the ring!”

I got in my car and drove off as the scene fades.

(Keira was used with her handler’s permission)

Ariana’s losing streak was over as she and Carter picked up the win over the Barnharts after Carter pinned Bill! However that still meant that Ariana had yet to pick up a win on her own since she earned her shot at Roxi at Into the Void, but that could soon change, she just had to beat someone who has defeated her twice in singles competition and once in a Triple Threat to do it, that someone was also a dominant champion.

That’s right, it’s Kayla Richards vs. Ariana Angelos III and whilst this was a non-title match, it held significance for both women! If Ariana won then she would go on to challenge Kayla for the title at Violent Conduct IX but if Kayla won? She would handpick her challenger for the event, can Ariana get the win?

Ariana’s hotel room, Amann, Jordan
Monday the 24th of July 2023, 11:00am

Where do I even begin when it comes to the past two weeks of SCW programming?

The good news is that my losing streak is over, me and Carter got the win over Bill and Bea Barnhart in Rome, the bad news? Carter got the pin on Bill, meaning that I was still winless, and you want to know the really bad news?

Sin was back.

I was on the outside looking in when Keira did away with Sin back in 2020, I was still part of the SCU Women’s Roster at the time after all, but what I saw chilled me to the bone and I was grateful that the threat of Sin was long gone before I even thought about jumping from SCU to SCW like Krystal did in 2021.

Ironic that the same woman who beat me to the punch as far as jumping from SCU to SCW would be the one to bring back Sin.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I understand the Sin situation, Keira hasn’t really been forthcoming and looking back at the Climax Controls and PPVs from the original Sin Saga didn’t really help when it came to context clues, and that’s not even getting into what Krystal did to Ruby Steele last night in their match, to make a long story short? The match was stopped because Krystal broke Ruby’s arm.

And on top of that? I was facing Kayla again next week on Climax Control.

In some ways, this is like my first rematch with Kayla, in that it had Internet Title ramifications, however whilst our last match was about seeing who would head into the Triple Threat against Melissa at Blaze of Glory XI for the title, this time around I’m fighting for my right to challenge Kayla for the title at Violent Conduct! But if I lose Kayla gets to handpick her opponent! Which would possibly mean that I get to challenge Kayla win or lose but that would require Kayla to be a much nicer person than she is.

The fact that Kayla is the only Bombshell who I’ll openly call a bitch on camera should tell you how that will likely go down!

”I’m just gonna say this Franky.” I commented as I turned to my husband who was busy packing away our stuff and Franky looked up. ”I don’t know how the bosses are going to narrow down the selection for “Holy Crap/WTF Moment of the Year” come High Stakes!”

”Tell me about it! The attack on you and Cassie was shocking enough but Krystal seems to find new ways of topping herself each week! And that’s just talking about Krystal!” Francisco nodded in response as he finished packing away his clothes. ”That’s the last of my clothes, and you know how I feel weird about touching your clothes outside of sex, especially your underwear!”

”I’ll get on that in a sec, we’re not due to checkout for another couple of hours.” I responded with a shrug as I checked the time on my iPhone, frankly? I had a lot more on my mind than my husband feeling weird about handling women’s clothing even though we’ve known each other for a little over a year by this point. ”I feel like I don’t have a real grasp on the Sin situation.” I commented and Francisco turned to me. ”I was still in SCU during the original Sin saga, I caught the shows weekly but they didn’t really help with context clues.”

”In that case? Why don’t we head back to Vegas instead of straight to China and ask Keira?” Francisco suggested and I gave my husband a surprised look. ”She has Hero Academy to run, that’s why she always flies in a couple of days before the show, same with Roxi.”

”That might be my best bet, besides Jessie and Keira made plans to meet at Hero Academy to assess an underage student so it’s likely we’ll see her there.” I nodded in response and Franky nodded in response. ”By the way have you heard anything about Miles and Austin? Last I heard, Carter didn’t want Miles risking further injury by flying out to China.”

”That’s all the updates I’ve heard from either of them, but if the card preview is any indication? The bosses had a contingency plan on the off chance that any of the qualifiers ended in a draw.” Francisco responded as he shook his head and I nodded in response. ”More importantly, are you feeling any better since you and Carter beat the Barnharts?”

That was a good question to be honest, my self-confidence had been at rock bottom since we got off the Summer XXXTreme Cruise and whilst the win over Bill and Bea helped? I still have a long way to go. ”I don’t know to be honest, like I said, I’d feel a lot better if I had gotten the pin instead of Carter but I guess a win’s a win.” I sighed as I folded my arms. ”But that brings me to the other thing I said at Climax Control, I need to win my next match if I want to get my self-confidence back to the pre-World Bombshell Title Match level, I meant what I said when I said that I didn’t care what match it was, I just thought the bosses would give me a Queen for a Day Qualifier rather than a rematch with Kayla.”

”Against who though? Luna’s still finding her feet but she has pulled off shock wins, just look at how she ended her initial losing streak, but Kim’s a veteran of the industry and made Jessie earn her first title defence in London.” Francisco pointed out and I nodded with a frown on my face. ”Look, Ari? The bosses see a lot in you, that’s why they gave you that opportunity against Roxi in the first place, you’ll bounce back from this and you know it.”

”Thanks Franky, but it’s going to take a lot more than kind words to get my spirits back up.” I responded with a sigh before I stood up. ”I think it’s time I sorted out my stuff, my clothes, underwear, toiletries, everything, you good on your end?”

”I believe so, but I’ll double check.” Francisco responded before doing just that.

Kayla Richards, if there was one person who has haunted me since I made the jump to SCW, it was Kayla! Faced her in my fourth match as an official SCW Bombshell, met her again in an Internet Title Battle Royal at last year’s Violent Conduct Cycle, then I met her yet again after I lost the Bombshell Roulette Title and got promoted to the Bombshell Internet Division, and then again when I challenged her alongside Melissa for the Bombshell Internet Title.

What do those matches have in common? Kayla beat me each and every time! And I’m not sure if I can count the Battle Royal because whilst Kayla won that match? Tempest was the one who eliminated me, otherwise? The one-time Kayla didn’t pin me was in the Triple Threat with Melissa and that was because Melissa pinned me to win the title! The reign would end up being short lived thanks to Goth’s injury and Kayla would win it back the same week said injury was announced, but the point still stands.

As far as one on one matches went, we’ve only faced each other twice, three times counting our match on Sunday, will the third time be the charm? Will the third time be the one where I finally beat Kayla?

Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 25th of July 2023, 18:00pm

Is this so wrong?

I’ve been coming to Hero Academy for a few weeks now getting some reps in when I had time away from SCW’s latest international tour, at Keira’s suggestion off course, the veteran Bombshell believed in me and wanted to see me reach my potential as a wrestler, but there was one glaring problem, my Go Gym membership.

On the surface there was nothing wrong with me going to Hero Academy, the Go Gym may have trained me but some members, including my bestie Carter, would say that I was being disloyal to the Go Gym, truth was? The Go Gym hadn’t been the same since Krystal was banned from it during the Unsolved Mysteries Tour and well, I needed to get new perspectives if I was going to home my craft as a wrestler.

Wrestlers react to losing streaks differently, Krystal grew more and more frustrated as the months waned on not helped by the fact that her losing streak coincided with the first few months of her SCW Contract, Jessie? I can’t remember her having a significant losing streak but she was the type who kept her emotions bottled up, I let my losing streak go to my head and now my self-confidence as at rock bottom.

Maybe this chat with Keira will be just what the doctor ordered?

“Sorry for the wait, I had to clear up the schedule with Cassie and Harper.” Keira apologized as we entered her office at Hero Academy and I nodded before sitting down. “Cassie’s last match with EWC happened last night in Thailand, they’ll be flying in tonight.”

”You mean from that island with the funny name? what was it? Phuket Island?” I asked awkwardly and yes, it is pronounced as you read it, I am famous for my dislike of swearing at this point so having to say a name like that was interesting. ”Surprised SCW has never done a show on that island! But on that subject, I am here to talk about SCW, more specifically Sin.”

Keira lowered her head and let out a deep breath when I said that because she was obviously deeply affected by this. “Look, I was just as surprised as everyone else when Sin revealed herself, and Ruby was an unfortunate victim of her, but why do you want to talk about this?”

”That’s just it though! I was on the outside looking in during the first Sin saga.” I admitted and Keira nodded as she started to get the idea. ”That whole saga happened when I was finding my feet in SCU, I feel like I was missing a lot of context clues after watching the Climax Controls and PPVs, even the ones from one I was representing SCU!”

“I guess I never considered how it looked to someone who wasn’t fully aware of the situation, but I can’t tell you the whole story, too many emotional wounds.” Keira sighed and I nodded as I got the idea. “If it’s any comfort? Sin in her current form is much weaker than Sin was when she had her own body, it’s pretty much the only reason I’ve been able to get the upper hand on her at all.”

”I guess that makes sense but do we even know how long Sin has been in Krystal’s body?” I asked and Keira just shook her head. ”Any advice?”

“I know this whole thing started when Krystal attacked you and Cassie but try to focus on your own thing.” Keira advised me and I gave the Blonde Bombshell a curious look. “Me and Roxi will handle the situation, you have a potential shot at the Bombshell Internet Title coming up in a few weeks if you beat Kayla and take it from someone who completed the Grand Slam by defeating Kayla at last year’s Violent Conduct, she is not an easy opponent!”

”I could’ve guessed that from all the other times she’s beaten me!” I responded as I shook my head and Keira frowned in concern at the tone of my voice. ”And you know I’ve been unable to regain any serious momentum since I lost to Roxi at Into the Void, the win over the Barnharts was a step in the right direction but it was Carter that pinned Bill, not me pinning Bea.”

“Francisco, would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?” Keira asked my husband who was initially surprised by her request but when we saw the look on Keira’s face, we knew she meant business and Francisco left the room closing the door behind him. “Ariana, why did you enrol at the Go Gym in the first place?”

That question caught me off guard, and what’s more? The look Keira was giving me told me she wasn’t going to take a generic “to be a champion” like answer. ”Where do I even start? My parents were emotionally and physically abusive, my prospects at getting a shot at the Olympics through gymnastics were slim, I saw wrestling as both my escape from them and my chance to do something with my athletic talents! I was disowned by my parents for following my dream but it ultimately worked out for the better.”

“But they gave you severe confidence issues along the way, didn’t they?” Keira asked and I paused before nodding reluctantly, it hadn’t even occurred to me until then that that was the case but now that Keira had said it? It made sense. “Let me make one thing clear, you are absolutely better off without your parents in your life, they don’t deserve a daughter as beautiful or intelligent as you and don’t you forget it.”

”Thanks but I don’t see how this has to do with my wrestling career?” I asked and Keira frowned as she sat down. ”I had to sneak out of the house to go train at the Go Gym, it took me talking to the other perspective wrestlers at the Go Gym for me to realize that that wasn’t normal.”

“Why do you think you self confidence took such a sharp downturn after one bad cycle?” Keira asked pointedly and I paused to consider it. “If they had encouraged you to follow your dreams, I’m willing to bet that your confidence would’ve bounced back already, instead? A cycle long losing streak tanked your self-confidence and it’s affecting your performance in the ring.”

”But what am I supposed to do?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair. ”You know how brutal Kayla can get when she’s cutting promos,, I’m just the nice girl of the Bombshell roster.”

“The nice girl who has shown more fire in her than most wrestlers I’ve met, your second promo against Roxi being a key example.” Keira responded and I nodded knowing that she was right. “Ari? The truth is? I’ve been in your shoes, I’ve had rough patches, you know what I did?” Keira asked and I  shook my head. “I fought, I kept fighting until I got back to where I was, it won’t happen immediately, but all you need to do is believe in yourself, in your own heart, mind and soul.”

”Is it really that easy? The World Title Match against Roxi was a definite high light of my career, but my next five matches, including the one against you, brought that crashing down.” I responded with a sigh and Keira nodded. ”I don’t know how I can bounce back from that.”

“You can bounce back from that by remembering everything you learned from Gabriel and Odette at the Go Gym, you can bounce back from that by remembering all the lessons you learned in SCU and SCW.” Keira added and I nodded as I got the idea. “You just have to believe.”

”I feel like I’m in a 90s PSA about believing in yourself and peer pressure and stuff.” I joked and Keira had a slight chuckle at that. ”But I’ll try.” I added before the door opened and Francisco stepped in.

”Sorry to interrupt but I have to ask, was Hero Academy always enrolling underage girls?” Francisco asked and Keira nodded.

“Ahh, I see you’ve met Sophie?” Keira asked and Francisco nodded. “Come on, I’ll introduce you guys proper.” Keira added before we left her office.

Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 25th of July 2023, 13:00pm

You’d think nothing could surprise me at this point.

I’ve been apart of this sport for almost four years by this point, I’ve been betrayed by someone I thought was my friend, I’ve seen my bestie go through a horribly abusive relationship, I had to buy a white board just to keep track of all my challengers for an upcoming title defence and kept it around as part of my act, I’ve even wrestled my now former boss on PPV!

And yet, here I am standing in front of a wrestling ring, watching a high school sophomore aged girl train to be a wrestler! And holding her own against the older, more experienced students, you know, considering her obvious inexperience and all.

What can I say? The wrestling business is a strange beast!

“Sophie, Carrie, take five.” Keira called out to the two students and Carrie, who I recognised as one of the three Hero Academy Students attacked by Krystal during the last cycle, and the high school girl looked up. “You have someone who wants to meet you Sophie.” Keira added as she motioned to me and Sophie grinned upon recognizing me and left the ring whilst Carrie took up a spot in the far corner.

”Err, hi.” I commented awkwardly as the girl came up to me, aren’t there laws against this kind of thing? ”Nice to meet you Sophie.”

“Likewise.” Sophie responded with a grin before Keira nudged the youngster with her elbow, Sophie gave her trainer a confused look before it clicked. “And I should’ve told you my full name, I’m Sophie Ramone.”

If I had been drinking anything at that point, it would’ve ended up all over the girl, back when I was still a wrestling fan there was one male wrestler who always stuck out like a sore thumb on the SCW Roster, namely Steve Ramone, a guy who had originally retired to help raise his daughter, by the time of his SCW debut Sophie was around eight years old and that was in 2015/2016.

Yeah, I know aging is a thing that happens but it felt weird to see that same girl not only as a high school aged student but as a wrestling trainee.

”Well, that explains her young age.” Francisco chimed in and we turned to him. ”Nothing gets you in the front door faster than having a famous wrestling daddy, no offence.”

“None taken and besides, Steve was such a pariah towards the end of his career that I had to convince Keira to let me train using more than just my family history.” Sophie admitted and it started to click because saying that Steve had become a polarizing figure towards the end of his career was an understatement quite frankly. “I’ll spare you the details but I want to enter the wrestling business to redeem my family name, even going behind my mom’s back to do it.”

Hearing that? I couldn’t help but draw some correlation between the relationship between me and my parents and her relationship with her dad, but I had one question on my mind. ”When was the last time you spoke to your dad?” I asked and Sophie shook her head.

“We speak about once a year, usually when he sends me money or when my birthday rolls around, other than that? He’s not a part of my life.” Sophie sighed as she shook her head and I nodded as I got the idea. “Why?”

”I was curious, that’s all.” I responded as I shook my head before glancing over at Keira. ”You mind if I chat with Keira for a sec?” I asked and Keira gave Sophie the go ahead to resume her training with Carrie, once the two girls had resumed their training match I turned to Keira as we walked away from the ring. ”You introduced me to her because of our similar relationship with our parents, didn’t you?”

“Not exactly, Francisco bringing her up gave me the idea and I just let the conversation proceed like it did.” Keira explained as she shook her head and I nodded as I got the idea. “Sophie has the drive and passion to be better than her dad, you have to do the same with your parents.”

”No offence Keira but I’ve been doing that since I turned eighteen.” I responded as I shook my head and Keira nodded. ”These days, the only time I think about my parents is when I vow to be a better parent than they were to me if I ever get pregnant, Francisco thinks that I won’t have to try hard but part of me worried that I’ll go too far in the opposite direction.”

“Don’t! take it from someone who’s a mother, that will come naturally to you when the time comes.” Keira assured me and I nodded in agreement. “And I know you’re a good person, but you shouldn’t let your self-doubt cloud your judgment.”

”I’d almost make a comparison to Krystal if we were having this conversation before Summer XXXTreme, or the first Climax Control of the cycle for that matter.” I responded with a sigh and Keira nodded grimly. ”But I get it, not sure if it’ll be enough to beat Kayla on Sunday but we’ll see.”

“We will, won’t we?” Keira asked with a nod before sighing. “Just remember, Kayla’s a dangerous opponent, she won’t make it easy for you.”

”Can you name an SCW Bombshell who will?” I asked pointedly and Keira shook her head, conceding that I had a point. ”Heck, Chloe Benton was the closest thing we had and she hasn’t been on SCW TV for over a year?”

“I’m pretty sure the injuries Chloe suffered at last year’s Summer XXXTreme forced her to retire young anyway but your right on that front.” Keira responded with a nod before she motioned towards the rings. “You want to watch the rest of the trainees for a few hours?”

”I’m not flying out to China until tomorrow morning anyway, yay for Kayfabe Airlines!” I responded with a nod and Keira grinned before leading me to the rings.

Walking down the Great Wall of China
Wednesday the 26th of July 2023, 16:00pm

*promo time*

So I can’t do a white board promo because local surety wouldn’t let me pin it to the Great Wall, but I can improvise.

”You know, I have to wonder, does anyone on the SCW Roster know how much of a pain it was to build the Great Wall of China for the Ancient Chinese people?” I asked as I walked down the Great Wall with Francisco filming me. ”For the sake of time, I’ll spare you the details, but this thing was built over several dynasties with the various states of the Warring States period having already built extensive fortifications to defend their boarders, look, I know you guys aren’t tuning in for a history documentary from the girl who once tried to make a Cheesecake set by adding concrete to it.” As I said that last part two other tourists gave me an odd look but I didn’t see it until after the promo was posted. ”But there is a method to my madness, because in a way the trouble the Chinese people went too trying to build this thing? It’s a perfect metaphor for my struggles against Kayla Richards.”

How?

”Because after many hardships, they managed to build something magnificent in the end! Even if the Quin section of the wall is completely gone, as for how this ties into Kayla? Well, this Sunday I’m getting another rematch with Kayla Richards and whilst it is non-title? The implications for Kayla’s title are there.” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”If I win this match? Then I’m getting a third rematch at Violent Conduct for the Bombshell Internet Title but if Kayla wins? She literally gets to hand pick her opponent for her title defence at Violent Conduct! Am I expecting her to pick me for the hell of it? Well for one thing, that would require Kayla to like me! And our dislike is mutual to say the least!”

Here we go!

”It takes a lot for someone to piss for me off enough for me to start referring to them as a bitch/bastard, Carter’s ex is one of them for obvious reasons, you want to know who else is in that category? You Kayla, you didn’t think I forgot that time you accused me of stealing Carter’s idea, did you?” I asked rhetorically as I held up a middle finger to the camera. ”Look, I’m not saying that what Carter went through this time last year is on the same level as Kayla spreading bullshit lies about me to get under my skin, that would be a horrible thing to say and trust me, the things I saw during that period will haunt me for the rest of my life! What I am saying is that Kayla made one very big mistake several months ago, she awoke the Greek Goddess within me.”

Meaning?

”In other words? We’re pretty much enemies for life and Kayla? You have no one to blame for but yourself! Now I couldn’t capitalize on that when me and Melissa challenged you for the title several months ago, but this time? It will be different!” I declared before curling up my middle finger and letting my arm fall to my side. ”Because not only am I pissed off at you Kayla but I’m also determined to pick up where I left off at Blaze of Glory XI, and this time? There won’t be anyone attacking me with a chair earlier in the show to give you an advantage over me!”

Still bitter over that.

”Bui even with the advantage Krystal’s attack granted you Kayla? You still couldn’t get the pin on me! That was Melissa who ended your second reign! Now, I won’t go into the circumstances surrounding how Melissa’s reign ended because we all know the story there, but I will give you credit for being a dominant champion Kayla.” I added as I folded my arms. ”Bot nothing lasts forever, and you’ve gone out of your way to ensure that there won’t be a repeat of your first reign with that title but sooner or later? You’ll find yourself against a force that you can’t overcome and just like that? Your third reign is over! And I’m going to be the one who does it!”

Stop laughing.

”I may be in China but I can already hear Kayla laughing her ass off, considering she’s beaten me twice in singles competition and once in a Battle Royal? And no, I don’t count the Triple Threat, as mentioned before, Melissa got the pin in that match! You have plenty of reason to think that you’ve got this in the bag.” I added as I thought back to the year before. ”During last year’s Violent Conduct Cycle, I was in a similar situation with a woman you know well, Alicia Lukas? Hell, that rematch happened the week after the aforementioned Battle Royal, point is? She also underestimated me and got pinned by me after a spear! And just to drive the point home? That match indirectly led to my Bombshell Roulette Title Reign.”

Coincidence?

”I know you’ve ragged on about the Bombshell Roulette Division despite only being in it for a cup of tea, but that’s beside the point Kayla, you have evidence of what can happen when an opponent underestimates me, yet you continue to do so! You ever heard of the phrase “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”?” I asked rhetorically before looking out at the view of the Chinese countryside. ”I bring it up because if you underestimate me, you fail to learn from history! More specifically? Alicia’s defeat at my hands! And it’s going to taste oh so sweet when I finally beat you on Sunday Kayla!”

It's that simple.

”Will this Sunday be the third time’s the charm? Will I finally beat Kayla? Those are the two questions that are running through my mind as we speak Kayla.” I stated as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”And I’ll admit, my self-confidence issues as of late haven’t helped! The only thing masking them is, ironically, how much hate I have in my body for you Kayla and whilst I do hope to channel that hate towards a win on Sunday? I’ve got other things on my mind as well, not just the self-confidence issues either! And I need to overcome them all to book my title shot for Violent Conduct XI!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”Now, my husband Francisco, AKA the cameraman, happens to be from Rio de Jannero AKA the city hosting the Go Home Show for this Cycle, you’d better believe that I’ll be celebrating that win with him! And sometimes it’ll be in ways that I can’t describe on camera even when angry but I’m sure you get the idea! But to get to that celebration? I need to kick your ass first Kayla!” I added as grinned broadly. ”And this Sunday you will bask in the Greek Angel’s Light as she wins the match and earns her shot at the Bombshell Internet Title at Violent Conduct XI! See you then!”

Francisco stopped recording as the scene fades.

(Miles and Carter were used with their handlers’ permissions, Gabriel was used with Mark’s permission)

Ari would lose a hard-fought match to Keira but things were only going to get worse for the Greek American Bombshell as the following week she and Keira would be attacked by Krystal and Jessica who had laid out the Hero Academy students Fayth Kross, Skylar Parker and Carrie Rivera off camera prompting Keira to not only bring the darkness out but bring in the feared Hell’s Gate trainer Whisper to team with her at Summer XXXTreme against Krystal and a partner of her choice!

But where did that leave Ari? Well, she and Carter were set to compete in the final Mixed Tag Team Qualifying Match at the Go Home Show but their original opponents pulled out for an unspecified reason! Christian wasn’t willing to allow a bye in this mini tournament which meant that Team Go would possibly have to miss out but fortunately for Carter and Ari, one team did step up, namely Kim Pain and the reigning Roulette Champion Peter Vaughn! Kim was coming off an extremely close match against the new World Bombshell Champion Courtney Pierce which could’ve easily ended in a draw whilst Peter’s last match was a defeat at the Internet Champion Jack Washington’s hands, can Team Go win?

Ari’s garage, Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday the 3rd of June 2023, 18:00pm

Well, this is an interesting situation.

We don’t really use it for anything other than storage space but me and Franky’s home has a garage attached to it, apparently the previous owners were a fairly large family with multiple drivers hence the need for a large house with a garage but after we brought the property? Well, me and Franky keep our cars on the driveway so we’ve been using the garage for storage as I said, so why am I bringing this up?

Earlier today I heard a strange noise coming from the garage, both our pets were accounted for (Athena was sitting on my lap purring as I stroked her whilst Zeus was playing with Franky in the back garden) so I went to investigate! And if I were religious I’d be joking about being a modern day, gender flipped version of Noah because I discovered that a feral cat had gotten stuck in the garage and went to alert Franky.

Since then we have christened the cat Peaches because that song from the Super Mario Bros. movie was stuck in my head at the time and I’ve been trying to gain her trust using some spare tuna from the fridge, this was one such attempt.

”Here kitty, kitty, here kitty, kitty.” I called out to the mostly empty garage as I walked into the space, I heard the cat meow and it didn’t take me long to locate Peaches as she was perched atop a box on the far side of the garage. ”Hey, it’s okay, I brought you food.” I said as I carefully approached the feral with the hand carrying the small piece of tuna outstretched, the cat jumped down from her perch and sauntered up to me before happily taking the tuna. ”Wow, you really are a hungry girl aren’t………”

It was at that point that I heard another meow, this one was definitely younger, higher pitched, and it was then that I saw something I wasn’t sure how I had previously missed, namely the tell-tale signs that Peaches had been nursing a litter, before I could say anything else Peaches walked away from me and I carefully followed her, my curiosity piqued and let out a soft, delighted gasp as I saw it.

Peaches had been tending to a small litter of kittens in the garage, the babies couldn’t have been older than a few days old as their eyes were shut and there were four in total. ”Oh my god, you’re a mother?!” I sighed with a small smile on my face as I knelt down next to Peaches, the mother cat paid me no mind as she tended to her litter and I quickly got my phone out to FaceTime Franky. ”Franky, get down to the garage quickly.”

”Why? Is something wrong with Peaches?” Francisco asked with a concerned look on his face and I shook my head before turning my phone around to show Franky the cat and her litter right as Peaches was giving one of her babies a clean, Franky’s reaction was much the same as mine and when I turned the camera back around he was already back in the house. ”I’ll be with you in a minute babe, just gotta feed Zeus first.”

”Take all the time you need Franky because I’ll be right here.” I responded after taking a seat on a nearby box so I could be comfortable whilst watching them. ”Also, the rule about keeping the house pets separate from the feral goes double now that we know that she’s weening, she’ll probably be extremely protective of her litter if she feels threatened by either Athena or Zeus.”

”I was about to say the same thing, they’ll probably be fine but it’s best to air on the side of caution.” Franky nodded in agreement before he ended the call, as I watched the feral tend to her litter, I realized that this presented me and Franky with a problem.

Our original plan was to get the feral in a cat carrier and take her to the vets to get her health checked, but with the litter I wasn’t sure about transporting them, especially when they were so young and with Climax Control tomorrow night.

My neighbours would find a solution whilst we were out of state, namely by having a vet do a house call whilst they pet sat, and we were told to bring them in once the litter was eight weeks old.

That was two weeks ago, litter’s doing well, shame I can’t say the same thing about my SCW career this cycle.

Go Gym, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 12th of June 2023, 14:00pm

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been in a rut since I challenged for the World Bombshell Title.

Generally I’m okay with losing matches if there’s no controversy involved, Aleesha was a new face to the Bombshell division and I had a lot of anger going into that match thanks to Krystal’s attack on me from the week before,  Keira was heading into our match with a lot to prove because I was her return match, but away from the ring? It started with the aforementioned attack from Krystal but I spent the rest of the cycle either having my promo time interrupted or being attacked.

But me and Carter’s participation in the Mixed Tag Team Tournament was just the icing on a terrible cake.

We were originally scheduled to  compete in the third week of the cycle, but I didn’t know that when I laid out the challenge to Keira and was only told once we got to the back, Christian gave me a choice, either have the match take place this week or put off the match with Keira and me and Carter agreed to put off the match until the week of Carter’s birthday which is tomorrow, and right when I thought things couldn’t get worse? They did.

Our original opponents pulled out for an undisclosed reason, we don’t even know who our original opponents were but Christian didn’t want to have a second tournament in a row that featured a team getting a bye, translation? If Christian couldn’t find replacement opponents, me and Carter were out of the running.

On one hand he found replacement opponents, on the other hand our opponents are two of the toughest wrestlers in our respective divisions in Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn! The fact that we’re facing Krystal’s former Saviours teammates isn’t lost on me either! I don’t know what led to the Saviours kicking out Krystal because neither party have exactly been forthcoming with the story behind it but if anything, that just sent Krystal further off the edge.

All this was why I needed to chat with Gabriel, it had been a rough time, that’s all I’m saying.

”Honestly Gabriel? I’m not even sure where to start.” I admitted after sitting opposite my mentor and making myself comfy. ”But I haven’t been able to gain any serious momentum since we got back from England, everything from Krystal’s attack to my losses to Aleesha, Keira and the situation with Team Go and Mixed Tag Titles haven’t been that great for my confidence.”

”Not every wrestler stays undefeated forever, Krystal is a prime example of that.” Gabriel pointed out and I nodded with a frown on my face. ”But I have noticed one thing since our return from England, it seems that Roxi’s comments, as well intentioned as they were, have affected your self-confidence ! You’ve tried to hide it off course but you’ve never been good at hiding things like that.”

”I’ll admit, if there’s one thing I could point too as the start of where things started to go wrong for me, it’s that.” I sighed as I brushed some of my long black hair over my shoulder. ”I started the year off with some great momentum on my side, I was the Roulette Champion, I was turning away challengers including the current champion, even after I lost the belt in that Open Invitational Match I quickly bounced back with an opportunity to win the Internet Title and whilst that didn’t pan out, I did great in the Blast from the Past Tournament and even after I lost in the Quarter Finals, I still managed to get myself a Main Event Title Match against Roxi! That was a dream come true, I’ve said it several times but it’s still true!”

”And then Roxi’s promo turned that dream into a nightmare, she pointed out something I had suspected myself but didn’t bring up because I didn’t want that though plaguing your mind, you weren’t ready.” Gabriel sighed as he shifted his weight and I nodded with a frown on my face. ”And if anything, you only made it worse for yourself when you put your defences up, you let Roxi’s promo get to you and in the end, you only proved her right.”

”It felt like my idol was taking a sledgehammer to the dream I had built up for myself since I watched her first title defence against Jessie all those years ago, what was I supposed to do?” I asked as I let a frustrated sigh. ”Roxi tracked me down after the show to make amends, she gave me a pep talk but in hindsight I’m not sure if it was as affective as it could’ve been! Could I have conducted myself better in that promo I cut at the Whitechapel Market? Probably, but I only got defensive because I felt I had too.”

”I understand your frustration Ariana, but you need to remember this, you’re not the nineteen-year-old girl I recommended to the SCU Brass two weeks before your birthday, you’re a twenty-two-year-old woman, a former champion in both SCU and SCW, many have you pegged as a future star of the Bombshell Division.” Gabriel responded with a frown and I nodded as I got the idea. ”You need to learn how to control your emotions better when handling criticism, less we have another Krystal……….”

”Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you seriously comparing me to Krystal?!” I interrupted Gabriel and he paused to let me speak. ”The only thing I have in common with Krystal is the fact that we’re both women in our twenties who have held the Roulette Gold and had terrible parents, Krystal’s dad more so but still, but I’ve never offered to interrupt another Go Gym Graduate’s match just to get something I want, I’ve never deliberately injured a rookie, for one thing you would’ve thrown me out on day one if I had left a sparring partner with a broken arm and I’ve definitely never disrespected you or the Go Gym!”

”You are wrong, you have let your frustration and anger cloud your judgement much like Krystal.” Gabriel interrupted me and I paused as I put a hand to my mouth. ”Krystal’s issues are rooted in the fact that no one stopped to ask if she was okay in the twelve-month period following her title loss and she let that anger and frustration boil over until she snapped, I am taking measures to ensure that such an incident never happens again hence why we are having this conversation.” Gabriel added and I had a bit to think about for sure. ”Do you know how Chelsea Skye got involved in this by any chance?”

That question broke me out of my stupor, Chelsea was another Go Gym Graduate but to date she was the only graduate who had never worked for Sin City Wrestling, she was a hell of a wrestler inside the ring but a rather polarizing figure outside because she wrote Death Metal music and starred in porn in her off time! She was a lovely girl, in terms of personality and appearance! Heck, there was a strong case for Chelsea being one of the most gorgeous women in wrestling but had a temper for days.

And had apparently just caught up on Sin City Wrestling. ”I’m not sure, I know her wife Sarah graduated from Hero Academy because her graduation match was during the week where me, Krystal and Jessie were watching over that school for Keira and Roxi and she took exception to Krystal targeting Fayth, Skylar and Carrie last night.” I responded with a shrug and Gabriel nodded. ”All I know is Chelsea and Sarah have gone down to Hell’s Gate so Sarah can prepare to face Krystal in a public workout, and yes, the irony of that isn’t lost on me.”

”The world works in mysterious ways, Chelsea admitted to me that the reason why she opted to work the independents rather than go straight to SCW after graduation was because she was afraid of being lost in the shuffle on the Bombshell Roster, but this may lead to Chelsea having a full-on appearance at the cruise for all we know.” Gabriel added before chuckling. ”And I don’t think the cruise liner SCW uses has a Sun Deck so we won’t have to worry about Chelsea and Sarah having sex out in the open like that.”

”Somehow I doubt that would stop them, anyway I had better get back to training.” I responded as I stood up and Gabriel nodded. ”Especially since me and Carter are heading up to Seattle for his birthday with Miles.”

”Tell him I said happy birthday and good luck with the situation with his dad.” Gabriel nodded before I left his office with a lot on my mind.

Carter’s family home, Seattle, Washington
Tuesday the 13th of June 2023, 11:00am

God, I haven’t been to Seattle since I was the Roulette Champ, back when me and Krystal were still friends.

I know that was six months ago because, well, we travelled up there for the Holidays but it still feels like a lifetime ago, both for my Roulette Title reign and my friendship with Krystal.

I’m not going into everything that’s happened since the reign ended less I sound like a broken record, at the very least I can say that in the year since I made my SCW debut during the Greece Lightning Tour my stock in the Bombshell Division has skyrocketed thanks to my title reign and high-profile matches! Makes me wonder what the year 2024 will bring for me outside of my marriage to Francisco but I’m getting way ahead of myself.

Speaking of my marriage to Francisco, can’t believe I almost forgot that we’re getting married next week1 I had been so focussed on trying to get out of this rut that it had slipped my mind, and just to make one thing clear? We scheduled the date a couple of days after my twenty second birthday back in October, we had no idea that it would coincide with the Summer XXXTreme cruise but I guess we can use that as a honeymoon without having to pay for it!

Speaking of birthdays, the whole reason why we were in Seattle in the first place was for my bestie’s twenty fourth birthday! Carter may have been having issues with his dad as of late but I was still going to be there no matter what happened.

Armed with presents off course.

”Franky, are you sure we brought everything?” I asked Francisco as we walked up the driveway to Carter’s home each carrying a small handful of presents in each hand. ”The pictures of Peaches and her littler are on my phone, we grabbed everything we had brought for Carter before we left for the airport, I think I covered everything but the kitchen sink!”

”You forgot the most important present Ari, we’ve brought ourselves.” Francisco assured me and I grinned before giving him a quick peck on the cheek for the complement, sure I had to stand on my toes to get close enough to his face to begin with but that’s what I get for deciding to date a tall, dark and handsome guy and I wasn’t even that short for a woman at 5ft 6! ”Relax, it’ll be fine.”

”Thanks babe.” I responded with a grin before knocking on the door and we got ready to sing “Happy Birthday”, initially our plans to greet Carter with the song were cut short when grams answered the door but she quickly went to get Carter when she saw us. ”Happy birthday too you! Happy Birthday too you! Happy birthday dear bestie, happy birthday too you!” I greeted Carter when he answered the door and he grinned broadly before taking some of the presents and leading us inside.

”You know you didn’t have to come all this way, right Ari?” Carter asked as he lead us into the house and Francisco closed the door behind us. ”I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it but with your wedding next week I would’ve taken a belated birthday present instead.”

”The money for the wedding was set aside months ago, and the event itself is paid for! Besides, belated birthday wishes are just awkward as all heck!” I responded as I shook my head and Carter found that statement hard to argue with as he lead us into the lounge. ”And I did promise to show you pictures of the feral and her litter didn’t I?”

”You know just what to say to tug at my heart strings!” Carter responded with a laugh before we entered the lounge and sat down before being joined by Miles. ”And no, Miles hasn’t revealed what his surprise birthday girl to me is!”

“Just trying to build suspense and all!” Miles laughed in response before I got my phone out and started looking for the best picture of Peaches and her litter I could. “I’m surprised you haven’t posted pictures of the litter to your Twitter accounts.”

”Peaches is being really protective of her babies, she was willing to let me see them but that’s about it, and I’m worried that if I keep prodding Peaches will move her litter to another section of the garage.” I explained and the two men nodded as they got the idea. ”I haven’t even been able to get a close up of the babies without Peaches hissing at me so sadly, so I had to make do with an aerial view when the babies were feeding, still managed to get them all in there so here they are.”

I handed over my phone with the picture selected and the guys’ hearts melted, made sense really since Carter loved cats and the kittens were adorable. “Oh my god! How precious!” Miles cooed as he looked at the picture and Carter nodded in agreement. “You said they were a few days old right?”

”Right, but that was two weeks ago, they eyes opened for the first-time last night.” I explained after taking back the phone from Miles and they nodded. ”Our neighbours have been helping us get them on a deworming regimen, gonna be a few more weeks before we can get them and their mom to the vet for a once over but they seem healthy enough considering they and their mom are feral, hopefully they’ll be okay by then and Peaches will trust me enough.”

”If you need any help let us know! We can handle a few pussies!” Carter exclaimed right as his mom entered the room and we tried to warn him. ”What?”

“Carter McKinley, I can’t believe you’d say that in front of sweet innocent Ari!” Carter’s mom scolded him and the luck on Carter’s face told the whole story! Luckily for him I didn’t want to see my bestie get scolded on his birthday so I explained the context, even going as far as to show her the same picture I showed Carter and Miles. “Oh my god! That is so cute! Carter mentioned that you had a feral in your garage but nothing about a litter.”

”I was going too but their timely arrival interrupted me.” Carter admitted as he shook his head before his mom brought grams in to look at the picture, spoiler alert? Her reaction was the same as everyone else’s!

It was a great day all and all but we returned to Las Vegas that night to let Carter enjoy his surprise present from Miles with his boyfriend, we at least had time to go over the plans for the Mixed Tag but that just left us with one question.

Could we win?

Ari’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 14th of June 2023, 16:00pm

*promo time*

Can’t wait for this to be over!

”I went from the dizzying highs of challenging my idol for the World Bombshell Title in a PPB Main Event to not even being able to beat a newcomer in an opening contest, how’s your cycle going?” I asked with a frustrated sigh as I pointed to the picture from my match against Aleesha and then the pics of my  match with Keira and the mixed tag titles. ”Personally? Not great, I’ve been in a major rut since the match against Roxi and this Mixed Tag Team Qualifier was almost cancelled after our original opponents pulled out, thankfully another team did step up, Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn.”

Just my luck.

”Me and Carter will off course give this our all but we’re still facing a huge task, the current Roulette Champion and a woman who’s only been defeated three since arriving in Sin City Wrestling at the beginning of the year? And her last match was a real nail biter against the current World Bombshell Champion, which she just barely escaped a draw finish I might add!” I let out a deep breath as I pointed to Kim and Peter’s pictures. ”No one said this was gonna be easy, but we may as well be facing Dark Souls bosses!”

Can we do it?

”I have a lot of respect for Kim as a competitor, in a division as competitive as the Bombshell Division remaining undefeated as long as she did is no small feat, and whilst I’m not terribly familiar with Peter’s work outside of SCW, the fact that he won the title so quickly says it all, doesn’t it?” I asked rhetorically as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”But I will say this, if we go down, me and Carter will go down swinging, and who knows? Maybe we’ll go be a #1 with a bullet because sugar, we’re going down singing!” I added before grinning sheepishly and pointing to the logo for the band “Fall Out Boy”. ”Err, sorry, I had that song stuck in my head whilst I was putting the board together!”

It's that simple.

”I guess that’s just who I am this week! Anyway, Kim. Peter, no one’s denying that your tough opponents for me and Carter and would definitely be a favourite to win the titles if you get past us!” I added as I pointed to the pictures of me and Carter. ”But Team Go is nothing if not tenacious, when we won the Pride Tag Team Titles in SCU we were still rookies! I was nineteen, Carter was twenty-one, and yet we still managed to win and defend the titles against all comers, what’s stopping history from repeating itself in 2023?”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn, and even if we win the match? Austin James Mercer and Tempest, Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity and Eiley and my Blast from the Past Partner Oliver Zahn, still a daunting task for Team Go even IF we win!” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”But me and Carter don’t give up that easily, we may be best friends but the reality is that we’re like brother and sister and what better team than that? And once I make Kim and Peter bask in the Greek Angel’s Light, Team Go will Go The Distance!”

I walked off ass the scene fades.

(Carter was used with Chris’s permission and Roxi was used with Jeremy’s permission)

Ariana’s challenge for the World Bombshell Title would ultimately be unsuccessful as Roxi would retain in a close match, furthermore? They would reaffirm that despite Ariana’s feelings being hurt by Roxi’s tough love approach to her promo, there was no ill-will between the two women and Ariana would move on to her next challenge, something she planned to announce at the next Climax Control.

But things would only get worse for the Greek American Bombshell as Krystal Wolfe and Jessica Stevens interrupted the in-ring segment brutally attacking Ariana! In the middle of the ring before going to break Ariana’s arm as she had done to several rookies over the past few weeks, fortunately for Ari Francisco and Carter would come to her rescue cutting off the attack before it could get any worse but it left Ariana angrier than ever before!

This was unfortunate news for her opponent this week, Aleesha Jones was the latest signee to the Bombshell Division having made her debut appearance at Into the Void, the youngster wasn’t booked for SCW’s return to Las Vegas but with the next SCW show being an all-girls night in Reno the opportunity was ripe for the youngster to make a big impact against a former champion! Can Ariana defeat the newcomer and keep her head in the game?

Backstage at Into the Void XI, London, England
Sunday the 7th of May 2023, 23:00pm

It wasn’t meant to be.

I knew I was facing a mountain climb when I earned the World Bombshell Title Match against Roxi Johnson at the last Climax Control, for god’s sake I grew up idolizing both members of Team Hero from the start of my SCW fandom, but I still gave tonight’s match everything I had.

It wasn’t enough, I still came up short against Roxi tonight.

I opened the promo season with me pouring my heart out about how much of a Team Hero fangirl I was growing up, about how I had dreamed of challenging Roxi for the World Bombshell Title on PPV for years! This match was a literal dream come true! And how did Roxi respond? Tough love, she said that I wasn’t ready to compete at this level.

It felt like my dream was crumbling around me, and I got upset! I let my emotions get the better of me during week two and it poured into my promo! In the end Roxi kept her cool and I lost the biggest match of my career.

Which left me with one burning question, what was next for me?

”If I had just hit the Angel’s Descent I’d be the champion by now.” I sighed to myself as I leaned against the wall next to Francisco, our time in London has been great but in all honesty? We were ready to head back to the US, we’ve missed our kitten Athena and our puppy Zeus way too much. ”Not going to lie Franky, coming up short in two PPV title matches in a row? It’s disheartening!”

”Babe, you had nothing to be ashamed off! You gave Roxi one of her best fights since the Amber Ryan/Masque days and you proved that you belong in the Main Event.” Francisco assured me and I grinned in response as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”You’ll bounce back from this, you always do.”

”So what does that make me exactly? The bounce back queen?” I joked not realizing that a third person was walking up to us, but Francisco did notice the person and motioned for me to turn around. ”What?” I asked before I turned around and did a double take when I saw Roxi. ”Roxi?!”

“I had a feeling I’d still find you here Ariana.” Roxi greeted me as she walked up to us, the SCW Hall of Famer and World Bombshell Champion had her title slung over her shoulder and had a warm smile as she walked up to me and my fiancé, speaking off, Francisco excused himself to give us some privacy and I tried to maintain my cool. “How are feeling after our match?”

”Honestly? It’s complicated, part of me feels so stupid for getting so riled up when I did that promo at the Whitechapel Market.” I sighed in response as I turned to face Roxi. ”I know you were going for a tough love approach when you cut those promos, but hearing you say those words? It was like my childhood dream was crumbling around me and I was determined to prove you wrong.” I let out a dep breath as I folded my arms and lowered my head. ”Instead? I choked……..”

“No, you didn’t.” Roxi interrupted me and I glanced up at my idol. “I know some women on the roster will see it that way, including Krystal, but you took me to the limit tonight! Even in defeat you proved that you belong at the top of the mountain Ari.”

”You have no idea how happy you just made my inner Team Hero fangirl, don’t you?” I asked with a grin and Roxi smiled warmly when she heard that. ”I’m only twenty-two and I’ve only been wrestling professionally for a bit under four years, most women’s wrestlers my age would kill for an opportunity like the one I had tonight, and here I am beating myself up because I got outwrestled by the champ.”

“You will get to there someday, to get to my level is a marathon, not a sprint.” Roxi assured me as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and I grinned in response. “You brought up the time where Jessie first challenged me for the title a decade ago, she’s come so far since then.”

”Yeah, we just gotta ignore all the stunts she pulled in the interim.” I commented with a nervous laugh as I ran a hand through my hair. ”So, no hard feelings about what I said, right?”

“No hard feelings, I understand why you got as upset as you did.” Roxi nodded to confirm it and my grin broadened in response. “Tonight was about getting you ready for the next time, and based on tonight’s performance? You don’t have far to go.”

”I don’t have far to go, but I do have a while to wait before I can get back to this position! Devona earned her shot at you for Summer XXXTreme XI when she and J2H won Blast from the Past and she’ll be an even tougher test for you than me!” I added as I let out a deep breath before shaking my head. ”Look at me, I just wrestled my idol in the double Main Event of a PPV for the World Bombshell Title in a literal dream come true but instead of being ecstatic that it actually happened, I’m beating myself up for the one mistake that cost me the match!”

“That  just shows me that you know what you need to do to win the title next time.” Roxi assured me and I glanced up at my idol before nodding when I realized that she had a point. “So, how much would your inner Team Hero fangirl be freaking out if she got a hug from me?”

”Is that an offer?” I asked with a broad grin on my face and when Roxi nodded to confirm that it was an offer? Well it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, I hugged Roxi tightly and Roxi returned the favour in kind. ”Thanks for everything tonight Roxi, just wish I had handled myself a bit better in my second promo.”

“Passion is never a bad thing Ari, just don’t let it consume you.” Roxi responded with a grin as we broken the hug and I backed off a bit intending to join my fiancé so we could head back to the hotel. “Otherwise the comparisons between you and Jessie Salco will be even more apt.”

It didn’t take me long to realize what Roxi meant, Jessie had been passionate about the Bombshell division’s titles since her first day in SCW but had let it consume her so much that she had burned nearly every bridge she had built over her SCW career! I was taller than Jessie, 5ft 6 to her 5ft 2, but we were both Brunette high flying women’s wrestlers who had entered the company in our early twenties and had won our first title in a Triple Threat Match, and just to make the comparison even more apt? it was the Bombshell Roulette Title that we had won on those occasions.

Off course Jessie was the champion again, having retained the title over Kim Pain earlier in the night, but Roxi’s words still rang true. ”I’ve seen what it did to Jessie’s career, even a decade later Jessie is still fighting against the stigma that being her own worst enemy has brought upon herself.” I nodded in agreement as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”She was used as an example of what not to do when I was training at the Go Gym, no idea if Gabriel’s going to keep using her as an example to the new students now that they’ve made amends but I know first-hand how miserable Jessie was during that year when she was banned from getting title shots.”

“That misery and desperation led Jessie down a path that she has regretted ever since, hopefully you will learn from her mistakes.” Roxi nodded in agreement before motioning me to follow her. “I think it’s high time we headed back to the hotel, but if you feel like staying in London a day longer I’m sure I can talk Keira into having a double date with you and Francisco at a fancy restaurant, our treat.”

”How can I say no to an offer like that?” I responded with a slight laugh before we went off on our way.

I had lived my dream, that much was true, but the reality was I still had a long way to go! Part of me was wondering if I needed to change something up! Nothing as drastic or evil as Krystal was doing but maybe going to Hell’s Gate was the answer?

At least things couldn’t get worse, right?

Backstage at Climax Control #361, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday the 21st of May 2023, 18:00pm

I should’ve expected something like that.

When SCW announced that their first show back in the US was going to be at their home arena, namely the Gold Coast Cassino in Las Vegas, I knew for a fact that I wanted to talk about the title loss, I even talked the bosses into letting my do my teacher segment in the ring.

I didn’t even get halfway through my planned speech before Krystal sprung her trap, and the last thing I remember before getting knocked out was getting on top of Krystal and raining down punches before something hard and metallic clashed against my back.

That was several hours ago and I just woke up in the medic’s office, I sat up gingerly and the medic put his hand on my shoulder.

“Take it easy Ariana, we need to do the concussion test.” The medic instructed me and I nodded in response. “And after that we need to get you transported to a local medical centre, you have wounds that need to be stitched up.”

”This is gonna be a long night, isn’t it?” I groaned and the medic could only nod sympathetically. ”How much of the show did I miss? And do you think you could give me a rundown of the remaining matches?”

“Well, the main event ended about an hour ago, Jessie retained the title in a Street Fight.” The medic explained and I nodded as I got the idea. “As for the rest, Sam and Zoey fought to a time limit draw, Krystal and Alexandra beat London Underground under controversial circumstances…….”

”What do you mean by controversial?” I asked with a confused look on my face. ”Did Jessica get involved in that match?”

“Err, no, Krystal’s “executive consultant”, whatever that is, stayed out of the action, Alexandrea hit her finisher on Charlotte Elliot but Krystal tagged herself in and stole the glory from Callaway.” The medic explained that fact and I frowned in response, there wasn’t really a rule against that kind of thing in tag team wrestling, but it was still considered a dick move, or bitch move in this case. “Your friend Carter had a competitive match against Peter Vaughn but ultimately came up short, however there was an incident after the match…….”

I didn’t even wait for the medic to finish his sentence, I promptly got out of the medical bed and tried to barge my way pass him, to no avail. ”Let me go doc!” I demanded as I tried to push my way past the much larger man, but the medic was having none of it. ”If my bestie got hurt again I need to see him!” I asserted and the medic just shook his head sympathetically.

“I would’ve clarified if you hadn’t cut me off but I understand why, it’s hardly a secret that you and Carter are like brother and sister.” The medic explained as I started to calm down and sat down on the bed. “Carter wasn’t attacked, but he met someone from his past, he’s waiting outside but I can bring him in if you’d rather here it from him.”

I quickly nodded in response and the medic went off to fetch Carter, seconds later my bestie entered the room with Francisco but I could tell almost immediately that something was wrong with him, Carter’s probably the one person on earth bubblier than me and has the sass to beck it up tenfold, but what I saw when my bestie entered the medic’s office wasn’t the Carter I knew, he had been shaken up by something and as relieved as he was to see me conscious I could tell that whatever had happened clearly affected him deeply. ”Doc, you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?” I asked the doctor and he nodded before he left the office and I turned to my bestie. ”Look, the doc filled me in on the matches that happened after Krystal attacked me, but when he mentioned that something happened to you? I got worried.”

”It hasn’t been a great night for either of us, has it?” Carter sighed with a nod before he sat down on the medical bad next to mine. ”Before I say anything else, I want to apologize for not getting out there sooner, as soon as me and Francisco realized Krystal’s plan we bolted for the ringside area, only problem was? We were in catering at the time, fortunately we arrived in time to stop Krystal from breaking your arm.”

”I literally carried you bridal style to the medic’s office, I took the upmost care to make sure that no further injury came to you Ariana.” Francisco added with a frown on his face and I gave him a thankful smile. ”I can’t believe we ever thought that she was our friend.”

”Krystal confirmed that she was using me and Carter to get ahead from day one during her promo battle with Tempest, stands to reason that this was her real side.” I sighed as I brushed some hair over my shoulder and the boys nodded in agreement. ”And on that note? Thanks for being my knights in shining armour, I’ll pay you back for that before the PPV, I promise.” I added and the boys gave me appreciative in return. ”But back to my original point, what happened Carter?”

”There’s no easy way for me to say this, I was interacting with the fans after my loss, you know? Showing them appreciation for their support.” Carter explained and I nodded as I got the idea. ”Then someone in the crowd grabbed me firmly, I turned to see who it was and I nearly jumped out of my skin.” Carter let out a deep breath as he went to explain the next part. ”It was my dad Ariana.”

I was floored when I heard that, Carter’s parents had been divorced for years, longer than I’ve known him! And to make matters worse? Carter’s dad divorced his mom because of who Carter was, take that for what you will. ”Are you sure it was him Carter?” I asked once the shock wore off and Carter quickly nodded. ”You haven’t seen him since 2015, why is he coming back into your life now?!”

”You’re going to have to get in line Ari, that’s what me and Miles want to know as well.” Francisco nodded in agreement and I turned to my fiancé. ”As far as we know? He remained in the crowd for the remainder of the show, I went searching for him not long before you woke up but he was nowhere to be found.”

”We’ll get to the bottom of this, even if it takes us another week.” I nodded in response before it clicked with me. ”Speaking of next week, have they sent out the new card text? I’d check but my phone’s in my jacket pocket, back in the locker where I changed into my wrestling gear?”

”I made sure to grab it and your jacket/street clothes on the way back from searching for Carter’s dad, the bosses have booked you so I’m assuming that they are confident that you’ll be medically cleared long before then.” Francisco responded with a nod before he passed me my phone and charger, sure enough? The first thing I saw was the new card, and my name in the opener. ”And I take it you’ve seen your match.”

”Yeah and I don’t like it! I’m not complaining about going from the PPV Main Event to the opening match of Climax Control because I do need to rebuild after my loss to Roxi, but they have thrown Aleesha Jones to the wolves with this match.” I explained before going through the rest of the card and seeing that it was a ladies night, wonder if that meant that the following show would be a guy’s night? ”I’m sure she’s a lovely person but I’m pissed off enough to bring back the Greek Goddess persona because of what Krystal did to me tonight! Aleesha doesn’t know what she’s signed herself up for!”

”Or she does and hopes to leverage this into her first win in SCW.” Carter offered as an explanation and I had to admit, that was some merit to the idea, whether it would play out like that come match time was another topic. ”Remember what Gabriel told us about wrestling angry?”

”To avoid it at all costs because it can lead to mistakes you wouldn’t make otherwise?” I asked Carter to confirm it and once he nodded I shook my head in response. ”I see where you’re coming from Carter but after what happened tonight? I don’t know how I couldn’t enter my next match angry.”

“Sorry to interrupt.” The medic said as he turned to the room and we turned to him. “But it’s getting late and I need to do the concussion test on Ariana before the night is over, Carter would you mind giving us some space?” The medic added and once Carter backed off respectively the medic proceeded with the test.

The good news was? I had somehow gotten away from Krystal’s attack without a concussion, which was good since I doubted the higher ups would let me wrestle with one.

My other injuries would need time to heal but honestly? My worse one was the nasty bruises and they would go before I knew it! I didn’t know what to expect from Aleesha as she was a newcomer to SCW but one thing was for certain though.

Krystal needed to pay.

Go Gym, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 23rd of May 2023, 0:900am

I’m still hurting from my beatdown at Krystal and Jessica’s hands, but I do have a match to prepare for.

The only thing was the fact that I had to e-mail Gabriel the results of my medical evaluation to prove that I had been medically cleared to train! Ever since Krystal checked herself out of hospital to train for a Roulette Title Match last year Gabriel had made it clear to the students, both new and old, that anyone who had been in a situation like mine would have to provide proof from the doctor that they had been cleared.

Luckily the doctor who saw me yesterday was all too happy to oblige before he discharged me from the hospital and after a day of rest? I was ready to get back in it.

When I arrived at the Go Gym I saw Kelly and Harper chatting amongst themselves near the ring, I knew Harper had received an invite to train at the Go Gym as part of the peace agreement between Jessie and Gabriel that was brokered during the Unsolved Mysteries tour and I was glad that she was taking Gabriel up on the offer, Kelly I had spoken too a couple of times, she was a young wrestling fan from Northern Ireland who had bet upon herself by enrolling at the Go Gym earlier this year and had proven to be a good student.

When I walked up to the two young women it was Harper that spotted me first and she pointed me out to Kelly. ”Morning girls, you guys ready for today?” I greeted the two girls as I walked up to them and Kelly nodded.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Kelly responded with a grin as she glanced over at the ring. “Gabriel’s got some stuff to sort out today so he won’t be available to talk about your match against Aleesha.”

”Not sure what good the chat would’ve done anyway, since Aleesha just joined SCW and all.” I responded as I shook my head and Kelly nodded as she got the idea. ”What about you Harp? You adjusting to the Go Gym’s schedule well enough?”

”Not that much different from Hero Academy’s schedule to be honest, just adjusting to the teaching methods.” Harper responded with a shrug before she let out a deep breath. ”And I needed to unwind after yesterday, there was an incident at Mackenzie and Scott’s school, it’s been resolved but I’d rather not talk about it too much least it makes me angry again.”

”I saw your tweet about it, glad it’s been sorted out because I don’t know what I would’ve done in your shoes.” I responded as I shook my head with a disgusted look on my face and Harper nodded in agreement. ”Enough about that though, are we ready to work out?” I asked as I motioned towards the nearest unoccupied ring and the girls nodded before they got into the ring, I hadn’t gotten changed out of my street clothes yet so I opted to just watch from the side-lines.

Harper was as impressive as ever, and she hadn’t let her failure to win the Great Lakes Championship at FCW let her down one bit! Kelly was still in training but the fact that she was keeping up with a graduate like Harp meant that the Go Gym’s teachings worked.

No matter what Krystal might think.

But watching Kelly and Harper spar did cast my mind back to the title match against Roxi, and what she had said to me in the leadup, in all honesty? I had only watched a part of her first promo against me, that part had upset me so much that I couldn’t bring myself to finish watching the rest of it or Roxi’s second promo but now that my head was clear and I was back at square one? I figured there was no harm in going back and watching them which I spent most of yesterday doing.

Doing so had left me with a lot to think about, Roxi had called me an incomplete puzzle, basically saying that there was something missing that would make me the total package, problem was? I had no idea what it was that I was missing, I’ve added moves to my repertoire since arriving in SCW, three new finishers, a whole set of new signature moves including the move that won me and Oliver our opening round Blast from the Past Match! What else could I add? What was needed to make me complete?

My train of thought was interrupted when the girls called for a break and I turned to the ring, Harper had leaned against the turnbuckle closest to me and I turned to her. ”Everything going okay Harp?” I asked as I leaned on the ring apron and Harper turned to me. ”You and Kelly were going at it pretty hard.”

”That? That was just the warm-up!” Harper responded in between deep breaths as Kelly took a sip from a water bottle. ”We could do this all day if Gabriel allowed us!”

“And if we had no social lives whatsoever!” Kelly chimed in with a slight grin on her face and Harper laughed in response whilst I shook my head. “Though if this is what it’s like to go against someone who’s graduated? I feel like I’m ready now………….”

”No, you’re not.” I responded as I walked over to Kelly’s side of the ring and the Irish girl turned to me. ”Harper? No offence but you’ve barely been a professional wrestler for a whole month, as impressive as you’ve been, you know there’s people who have a lot more experience than you do out there.” I added before turning to Kelly. ”Kelly, you’ve only been enrolled here since January, you’ve come a long way but you still have a lot to learn.”

“So what? You wrestle for the World Bombshell Title once and you think you can bust my balls?” Kelly asked defensively catching both me and Harper off guard, was this what Roxi felt during our promo battle back in England? “I know I can handle myself Ari! I just need the chance to prove it!”

It was then that I got an idea, risky one? Maybe but I did come here to train. ”Harp, you mind letting me take your spot? Once I get changed?” I asked Jessie’s cousin and she blinked a couple of times before nodding, I quickly made my way to the women’s changing room and once I was in my wrestling gear I went straight to the ring and entered the ring. ”Take however long you need to catch your breath Kelly because I want you at your best.” I added and the Irish girl nodded as Harper took up my previous position at ringside.

Kelly nodded without another word and once she was ready? Kelly made the first move charging forward to try for a running clothesline in an attempt to take me down, instead I caught her arm, span her around and hit the Ripcord Spanish Fly that I had dubbed the Recipe 4 Delight! Kelly was out like a light and instinctively made the pin which Harp slid into the ring to count! About ten seconds later Kelly groaned as she got back to her feet. “Ugh, what hit me?” Kelly asked before I offered her my hand.

”I did, you telegraphed that clothesline from a mile off and I countered it into the move I beat Sam Marlowe with.” I explained as Kelly accepted my hand and I pulled her back up to her feet. ”Still think you’re ready to take on the wrestling world?”

“No, definitely not, I have a lot yet to learn.” Kelly responded as she quickly shook her head and I nodded in approval. “That was definitely a painful lesson and that’s not even getting into my bruised ego.”

”I learned that same lesson in London.” I responded as I backed away from her and Kelly nodded as she got the idea. ”Be glad you learned it from me, I don’t either Charlotte or Mackenzie from London Underground for example would’ve been that kind to you, especially not after their loss to Krystal and Alexandra.”

“No argument there!” Kelly responded with a shudder and I nodded in approval before I left the ring leaving Harper and Kelly to pick up where they left off once Kelly was feeling okay enough to get back in the action.

I’m passing on the same lesson I leaned from Roxi to a girl who’s just barely younger than me, if Roxi was here she’d probably note the irony of the situation.

But Roxi was the farthest thing from my mind right now, I needed to rebuild after failing to win the World Bombshell Title, and Aleesha Jones was my first opponent since that title match.

Aleesha’s certainly confident but I was a woman on a mission!

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 23rd of May 2023, 17:00pm

*promo time*

Rebuild in progress.

”Class, much as I’d love to stand here and talk to you about how I’m going to beat Courtney Pierce in my first defence of the World Bombshell Title this Sunday at Climax Control, I can’t.” I sighed as I pointed to the picture of the World Bombshell Title. ”Because not only would I be lying but I’d be insulting the intelligence of everyone who tuned in, attended or read the results of the show online! Roxi ultimately proved to be right, I wasn’t ready to be at the top of the mountain two weeks ago and right now? I’m in the rebuilding phase.” I said as I pointed to the picture of Aleesha Jones. ”That brings me to the actual match that I’ve been scheduled for! Whilst Roxi and Courtney will undoubtedly tear the house down in the main event I’m competing in the opening match against a newcomer to the Bombshell Division, Aleesha Jones!”

Bad timing.

”Let me just make one thing clear before I proceed, I’m not complaining about going from the lofty highs of a PPV Main Event to the opening match of Climax Control! My defeat against Roxi set me back to square one and the only way I’m going to get back to the top of that mountain is to start winning matches again, but Aleesha couldn’t have picked a worse time to face me if she tried!” I said as I pointed to the picture of Krystal Wolfe. ”I will take this moment to sarcastically thank Krystal for not only forcing me to figure out how to get my own blood off the white board without damaging the white board but forcing me to buy a new pointer! Granted these things aren’t that expensive, the most expensive ones I found on Amazon went for $9.00 rounded up and that was a pack of three, but it’s the principle of the matter! You see Aleesha it’s a miracle that our match is taking place in the first place! I was attacked by my former friend, if she ever really was my friend, at Climax Control, an attack you trivialized as drama!”

Seriously.

”First Roxi’s tough love approach rubbed me the wrong way and now Aleesha treats me almost getting my arm broken as nothing! But unlike Roxi, Aleesha won’t get the win over me, I’ve come too far as a wrestler to stumble now!” I added as I pointed to the picture of me that was opposite Aleesha’s. ”So yeah, I’m more than a little angry heading into this match and you have already made one mistake when you agreed to this math Aleesha, do you know what it is?”

Go on, guess.

”You mistake was as follows: you chose the wrong week to debut!” I stated as I shook m head with a frown on my face. ”You see Aleesha, I like to think that I’m a nice person, I treat almost every opponent I face with the same respect unless they’ve done something to anger me, but you are a rare exception Aleesha.” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Because whilst I am angry, my anger isn’t directed at you, my anger is directed at the woman who attacked me on Sunday and you are unfortunate enough to be my first opponent of the cycle and unless I find a healthier way to channel that anger between now and Sunday? I will be taking it out on you!”

Pray that I do.

”Gotta say, I’ve never wrestled angry at any point in my career to date, this is gonna be a new experience for me and hopefully it’ll work out.” I said as I rested my brand-new pointer over my shoulder. ”I say hopefully because when I was training at the Go Gym four years ago I was told that wrestling angry is a good way to end a match in defeat or worse, in injury! I obviously don’t wish the latter option on anyone I face, especially not a newcomer like you Aleesha but I don’t plan on losing either.”

It's that simple.

”My body is just as bruised as my ego, both thanks to two incidents that happened in my life over the past few weeks, my title match against Roxi at Into the Void and Krystal’s attack on me at the last Climax Control.” I said as I felt the bruises on my body with a wince. ”But make no mistake Aleesha I will battle through both of those bruises to get the win over you this Sunday at Climax Control because these next few weeks will be about how I’ll bounce back from those setbacks and in the case of my title match? Getting back to the top of the mountain and I can only do that by winning matches!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”And that process starts in the opening match of this Sunday’s Climax Control.” I said as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”Aleesha? Allow me to be the first to officially welcome you to Sin City Wrestling but this won’t be a warm welcome for you Aleesha, instead you’ll taste defeat at my hands this Sunday in your SCW debut and as you bask in the fury of the Greek Goddesses’ light? You’ll be an object lesson for a certain bitch who attacked me on Sunday night! I’ll see you in the ring!”

I turned off the camera as the scene fades.

Ariana and Oliver had done it! They had advanced past their first-round opponents Sam Marlowe and Teddy Warren after Ariana pinned Sam, controversy aside (as Oliver had a hand in ensuring that Sam wouldn’t pin Ariana without getting disqualified) this was a big moment for the young team, especially for Ariana who was still in the early stages of her wrestling career! However their second-round opponents would prove to be a completely different beast.

Why? Because their opponents in the second round were the All-Star team of J2H and Devona! Ariana and Devona knew each other well as they had both trained at the Go Gym and J2H was a legend in his own right going up against a relative rookie in SCW! However upsets have happened before in the Blast from the Past Tournament and this match could be no exception! Can Ariana and Oliver make it to the Semi-Finals?

Ariana’s hotel room, Grantown-On-Spey, Scotland
Tuesday the 11th of April 2023. 14:00pm

They said that we wouldn’t get this far, but last I checked? Sam and Teddy were sent packing in round one.

Look, I’m not saying I approve of Oliver’s tactics in securing our spot in the second round, I wanted to earn that spot fair and square but I’ll just point out that Oliver putting Sam’s boot on the ropes to force a rope break isn’t against the rules! Unsportsmanlike conduct? Yeah, but this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the Blast from the Past Tournament and if the bosses truly had a problem with it, they would’ve made a rule against it years ago.

Also, here’s a hot take for you, those who are complaining about Sam getting “screwed over” are more upset that a Hall of Famer got outwrestled by a young up and comer!

However I couldn’t dwell on the tag match between me and Oliver and Sam and Teddy forever, there was plenty of other things to be worried about! Krystal’s expulsion from the Saviours may have sent her further off the deep end, Carter is still on the injured list thanks to Austin’s frequent attacks on him and oh yeah! My Blast from the Past Second Round Match is promising to be the toughest matchup of either me or Oliver’s careers.

Why? Because our Quarter Finals opponents are J2H and Devona.

Off course J2H was quick to dismiss us as any real threat, this is the same guy who treats the early years of SCW as the fed’s golden years and dismisses the hard-working wrestlers of the current generation as lazy at best even though he can only really be bothered to work a few nights a year when the regular members of the roster work their butts off for the remainder of the year! But even with that in mind? SCW’s intergender rules meant that I wouldn’t be wrestling J2H, that task would fall to Oliver leaving me with Devona.

Devona was a name I knew very well because she was another Go Gym Graduate, she was the one who ended Mikah’s legendary Bombshell Internet Title reign back in 2017 and then? She disappeared, only emerging years later to return for this year’s Blast from the Past Tournament! I remember watching her matches on Climax Control at the time thinking that she was a potential World Bombshell Champion.

Well, this tournament gives her the chance to fulfil that potential and let’s be honest, J2H and Devona are the odds-on favourites to win the whole tournament, but upsets have happened in the tournament! Former World Champions have been eliminated in the early stages, either by outside interference or their partners not holding up their end of the bargain, who knows? Maybe another Blast from the Past Miracle will happen this week?

Me and Francisco have been in Grantown-on-Spey since yesterday afternoon and to be honest? It seems like a nice enough town, locals are friendly enough and I’ve even met a couple of fans who know me just as much for the YouTube channel as they know me for, well, my wrestling career! Off course the village itself wasn’t the focus of the mystery, I guess it just happened to be the closest location to the actual mystery location.

Plus I get the sneaking suspicion that Mark put his foot down on Christian’s suggestion that they host the show atop the mountain peak!

”Okay, what kitchen hacks can I showcase in the new Recipe 4 Disaster Shorts series.” I muttered to myself as I looked over my last of kitchen hacks, basically shortcuts that could be used to get around some of the trickier/more tedious cooking methods! Nine times out of ten they didn’t work/it was just easier to use traditional cooking methods which is why I tested these methods with the food team. ”Definitely bot the one where I used a wine glass to roll out pasta, that one almost caused Carter’s nan to have a hernia!”

”To be fair? You did use an expensive wine glass for that.” Francisco pointed out as he returned from the bathroom and I glanced up at him with a grin. ”Which is also why we haven’t talked about the Ice Cream Sundae incident!”

”that was the best Ice Cream Sundae ever and you know it!” I asserted and Francisco shook his head in response. ”And I’m sure she’ll understand!”

”Babe, you used a $40 wine glass for an Ice Cream Sundae, you should count yourself lucky that she didn’t chase you down the street!” Francisco pointed out and I said nothing in response as I looked over the list. ”Are you sure there’s nothing to do in town?”

”I looked, most of the food places in the town are pubs, I’m already in talks with one pub to host my promo for the J2H/Devona match there.” I responded as I shook my head and Francisco nodded. ”Other than that? There’s a couple of gift shops, some nearby woods that are famous for red squirrels apparently, a distillery, a soccer club, a golf club or two, in short? This might be the most boring location SCW has ever booked!”

”What about the mountain? You know, the place this week’s mystery is centred around?” Francisco asked after thinking for a minute and I shook my head. ”Really? I heard Jessie ventured out there for her promo against Luna.”

”She did! And according to her, the mountain is part of a nature reserve, there’s not really much to do down that way.” I responded as I shook my head and Francisco nodded as he got the idea. ”She ended up using a nearby mountain pass for her promo location, because she didn’t’ exactly have the equipment to make the trip up the mountain to see if this “Big Grey Man” is actually up there.” I added before thinking for a minute. ”Huh, I’m surprised that none of the local pubs have taken the name “big grey man”.”

”I’d comment on that but I’m not sure about the naming conventions for English pubs.” Francisco responded with a shrug as he sat down on the bad. ”And Scottish pubs don’t seem to be much better.”

”I guess so, you know what? Let’s go check out those woods.” I decided before I grabbed my jacket and motioned to the door. ”It’s better than being cooped up here all day at least.”

”Can’t argue with that.” Francisco nodded in agreement before we left the hotel to go explore the woods.

Anagach Woods, Grantown on Spey, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Tuesday the 11th of April 2023, 15:00pm

I’ll say this match, I know I complained about how boring Grantown on Spey is but the area surrounding the town is actually pretty nice! Even if it took me a few tries to enter the name of these woods into the rental car’s satnav.

Autocorrect, that’s all I’m saying.

But yeah, me and Francisco have been exploring the local woods for close to an hour now (can’t tell you the exact time because I forgot my charger and my iPhone is dead) and it was a good time for me to clear my head, especially heading into my second Blast from the Past Match on Sunday.

”We’re lucky that I brought my charger and spare cable.” Francisco commented after I handed over my phone to him for charging and I shook my head, I had no real excuse but the desire to head out was so sudden that I didn’t really have enough time to grab either my charger cable or my charger. ”Otherwise we’d be in trouble if we had a medical emergency.”

”Yeah I know, but I’ll make sure to bring it if we go out again before the end of the week.” I responded with a nod as I looked around the woods, there were some wildlife around but nothing that could realistically pose a threat to either me or Francisco. ”Never thought I’d miss the city life but at least there’s stuff to do in a city, especially one like Las Vegas.”

”Eh, it’s a sleepy little town in the Scottish Highlands, the locals are probably used to it by now.” Francisco responded with a shrug and I had to admit, he was probably right, the SCW crew was probably the most tourists this town had seen in, well, ever really. ”Wonder how long it took Christian to sell Mark on hosting a show here, let alone one as important as the midway point of the cycle.”

”Not just the show but the Blast from the Past Quarter Finals as well, that tournament’s been a corner stone of the early half of the New Year in SCW since it’s creation!” I pointed out and Francisco nodded in agreement, as we ventured deeper into the woods I could’ve sworn I saw a young woman looking at us from across the way out of the corner of my eye but when I turned to investigate? No one was there. ”Did you see her Franky?”

”See who?” Francisco asked as he looked up from his phone after taking a picture of the scenery and I pointed in the direction that I thought I saw the young woman in. ”I only see one woman and she’s standing right next to me Ari.” Francisco added and whilst that did confuse me, I did decide to have a little fun with it.

”Good to know that we won’t have to take you to Specsavers anytime soon.” I teased him with a playful slap on the arm and Francisco chuckled at my joke. ”But seriously, I thought I saw a woman staring at us over there but either my imagination’s playing tricks on me or my family’s history of mental health issues is creeping up on me again.”

”I don’t mean to alarm you but Jessie told me something similar happened when she checked out the mountain’s surrounding area yesterday.” Francisco responded and I gave my fiancé a curious look. ”She said that a fan who had travelled from Edinburgh for the show approached Jessie when she was hanging out at a loch but left without asking for an autograph despite clearly being a fan of hers, and that the woman left no footprints or any indication that she was there.”

”That is weird.” I responded with a thoughtful look on my face as I turned to Francisco. ”Did Jessie describe this person? I didn’t get a good look at the woman who was supposedly watching us, but maybe they are related?”

”Couldn’t hurt I guess, Jessie described her as an attractive young woman, probably not that much older than you, black hair in a ponytail, blue eyes, Scottish accent.” Francisco responded after thinking back for a bit but my glimpse of our watcher was too brief to determine if it was the same person and I shook my head. ”Maybe it’s time we headed back, you can make your final arrangements with the pub and plan out your promo at least.”

”Not arguing with that, besides I want to get my phone on charge at the hotel ASAP so let’s go.” I nodded in response before we turned around and want back the way we came to where we had parked the rental, whatever I had seen back there seemed content to leave us alone once we were out of the woods but one thing was certain, I needed to confer with Jessie about a possible ghost sighting.

And here I thought the only mysteries on this tour would be supplied by the locations SCW had chosen for the shows.

The Craig Bar, Grantown on Spey, Scotland
Tuesday the 11th of April 2023, 17:00pm

*promo time*

Here we go.

”That’s right SCW universe, I am filming my promo right here in the Craig Bar in Grantown on Spey!” I announced to the camera (controlled by Francisco) who subsequently panned the camera around to the cheering (and mostly drunk) bar patrons. ”It’s a unique setting for a promo that’s about what promises to be the toughest match of my SCW career! I knew the Quarter Finals of the Blast from the Past Tournament weren’t going to be easy, but me and Oliver against J2H and Devona? That’s on a whole different level!”

“What are you so scared about anyway?” One of the patrons asked and I turned to him as he sat at the bar closest to me. “You’ll tango with this Devona bird and your partner will take on that J2H arsehole!”

”Not the exact wording I would’ve used but you hit the nail on the head! Under SCW’s intergender rules, and yes I checked with Oliver, he knows not to push our luck in the Quarter Finals, I’ll be taking on Devona and he’ll be taking on J2H, but even without the intergender rules? I’d be in for a tough matchup!” I added before I pointed to the pictures of J2H and Devona. ”Calling J2H a little bit arrogant is like calling Krystal Wolfe’s recent actions a little bit reprehensible but he is a multiple time champion and a Hall of Famer, heck, he’s the only guy who’s held the top belt over a combined four-hundred-day period, say what you will about certain comments he’s made about the current roster or his choice of games, seriously, who still plays Angry Birds? But he can back it up in the ring.”

A good question.

”And then we have Devona, who like me, graduated from the Go Gym.” I stated before pointing to Devona’s picture. ”Devona isn’t as decorated as J2H, but she can hold her own in the ring, I have to contend with the woman who ended Mikah’s Bombshell Internet Title reign, there’s no two ways around how tough this match will be for me and Oliver.” I stated as I moved the pointer to the pictures of me and Oliver. ”I’m a former champion in my own right, both in SCU and SCW, Oliver is still new to the business but questionable tactics aside? He is a heck of a talent!”

“Aye, I saw how he handled himself against Teddy Warren in your last match.” One of the other patrons nodded as she leaned forward. “But how do you plan to win the match?”

”Same way io approach every match, go in there and give it everything I’ve got.” I responded as I moved the pointer to my own picture. ”Now, I’ll be the first to admit that that approach has had its ups and downs since I signed that SCW contract last April but when it’s worked out in my favour? It’s been nothing but a massive success for me! It’s time I addressed J2H and Devona directly guys and well, I think this match is a perfect demonstration of how there’s two sides to every story.” I added as I rested my pointer over my shoulders. ”Want me to explain why?”

The crowd cheered in response and well, I think that’s a good sign.

”I’m going to start with J2H, whilst Oliver will be the one who’ll deal with him directly, I feel it’s important to start with him.” I explained to the crowd as I pointed to J2H’s picture and they cheered in response. ”J2H, James Huntington Hawkes the II, no matter what name you used, you were definitely a memorable name on the SCW cards of yesteryear! And if you ask me J2H, you are a cautionary tale of letting success go to your head.”

Why?

”Because after you achieved everything you set out to do, you left, only showing up when you felt like it, or as you often put it, “to save SCW’s ratings” see, I don’t see it that way at all, you  gave up because you were scared of the modern SCW roster passing you by.” I added a I moved the pointer to a small selection of thee modern SCW talent. ”After all James, your last attempt at winning a title didn’t go your way didn’t it? You tried to end the Mixed Tag Title reign of Austin James Mercer and Tempest alongside Crystal Caldwell, but that didn’t work out! And now your back for the Blast from the Past Tournament, expecting to just breeze on through to the Finals because you are so great!”

Nope.

”That’s where your wrong because Oliver is very eager to cut that dream off at the Quarter Finals!” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”I’m not going to dwell on this further because frankly? The only way I’m going to attack you James is if I suddenly feel like getting my team disqualified but know this James, you and Devona represent the SCW of yesteryear whilst me and Oliver represent the future, and if you ask me? The future is bright!”

And now for Devona!

”And now we’ve come to the opponent that I can legally attack, Devona!” I added as I moved the pointer to the picture of Devona. ”I’m not gonna lie! A potential match against Devona is something I’ve had in the back of my mind since I enrolled at the Go Gym in 2018, and now that I’m getting that chance in the form of this tag team match Devona? I’ll admit? I’m a bit nervus heading into it, especially after your kind words following Krystal’s betrayal! But make no mistake Devona, there’s one big dream of mine that I can only fulfil by winning this tournament and I’m not about to let a fellow Go Gym Graduate get in my way of that dream!”

Not at all.

”Don’t get me wrong Devona, I respect the hell out of you as a competitor and a person, but you should know all too well that in a tournament like this? Friendship goes out the window because we all want that prize at the end of the rainbow!” I added as I moved the pointer to the pictures of the World Bombshell and World Heavyweight Championship. ”Sure, other titles will be on the line as the tournament progresses but even Jack Washington knows that the Internet Title isn’t the end goal of the tournament! As two women competing in this thing? Our sights are set firmly on the World Bombshell Title and trust me, I’m not letting anything get in the way of my dream!” I said as I moved the pointer to myself and then to the World Bombshell Title. ”Not even you and J2H!”

Surprised.

”I’m well aware of my reputation, as the perky, happy go lucky Bombshell with a YouTube Channel dedicated to some of the worst recipes imaginable, not to mention a girl who’s way to nice for the wrestling business! But beneath all of that? I am a fierce competitor in the ring, just look at each of my Roulette Title defences, no matter what they threw at me I went the extra mile to retain! It got to the point that the bosses had to create an open invitational match just to get the gold off me! Devona. You know the Go Gym’s training regimen as well as I do, you know Gabriel wouldn’t have turned me lose on the wrestling world three years ago if he didn’t think I was ready!” I added as I folded my arms. ”And I’ve proven him right ten times over, this match won’t be any different Devona, don’t let James tell you otherwise!”

Can it be done?

”There’s no way around this, me and Oliver are the underdogs in this match, but upsets have happened in the Blast from the Past Tournament before and I don’t see why an upset couldn’t happen again!” I said as I rested the pointer over my shoulder. ”Sure, J2H is probably laughing at the idea of him not getting to the semi-finals, but how does the old saying go? Pride comes before the fall? Maybe you should teach him that one before it costs you Devona!”

It’s that simple.

”I’m not going to pretend that is won’t be the toughest match of my SCW career and the same goes for Oliver, we know what’s at stake and we know the calibre of opponents we face!” I stated as I pointed to the picture of me and Oliver and then to J2H and Devona. ”But we also know that we have what it takes to win this whole tournament, the Go/JC Connection worked before in that regard when Fenris and Courtney Pierce won the 2018 Tournament and we are out to repeat history! J2H and Devona will just prove to be two of the toughest roadblocks we’ve faced to date!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”This is what I meant by “two sides to every story”, on one side we have two returning veterans looking to add another title to their legacies, heck if you ask J2H? He had the tournament won the moment he signed up!” I said as I pointed to the match on the board. ”But on the other side you have two young, hungry competitors out to make their name at the expense of the old timers and frankly? I think it’s high time that J2H got a taste of the humble pie! Either way? They will both bask in the glow of the Greek Angel’s Light! I’ll see you guys on Sunday!”

I turned off the camera as the scene fades.

(Miles and Carter were used with their handlers’ permission)

Ariana’s team would score the win over Raven and Vanity when Carter got the pin on Raven but now Ariana’s questions regarding what the time limit draw between Kayla and Melissa meant for her Bombshell Internet Title Match at Blaze of Glory XI were finally being answered, the match was now a triple threat for the title with Melissa being thrown into the mix! As Ariana pointed out on this past week’s Climax Control, that mean that Kayla was at a serious risk of losing the title as she did not need to be pinned to lose the title!

However, there was one last show last before they returned to Las Vegas for Blaze of Glory XI and the one on one match that had originally been scheduled for Blaze of Glory XI had been rescheduled for this week, albeit without Kayla’s Bombshell Internet Title at stake! Ariana and Kayla last faced off  one on one early in Kayla’s SCW Career, a match Kayla would win and whilst they would meet again in the Battle Royal for the vacated Bombshell Internet Title! That match was won by Kayla but there wasn’t much interaction between the two Bombshells as Ariana was one of the first Bombshells to be eliminated! Can Ariana get the win?

Parking Lot of the Alex G Spanos Centre, Stockton, California
Sunday the 19th of February 2023, 18:00pm

Boy, this Supercard cycle has taken a turn.

From basically being gift wrapped a title shot because of how great I did as the Bombshell Roulette Champion to things getting complicated when Melissa and Kayla fought to a time limit draw a few weeks ago and then the title match being made a Triple Threat that featured me against Melissa and Kayla, this cycle isn’t ending the same way I thought it would back at the beginning but thanks to the win over Raven and Luna I’m feeling more ready than ever to dethrone Kayla.

Especially since that bitch has angered me so much that I’ve pretty much thrown all niceties out the window! No one accuses me of stealing ideas from my bestie and gets away with it!

But there was one last show left in the cycle and I felt that I needed the extra momentum boost that would come with a big win over a tough opponent, and the thing was? I knew for a fact that Melissa and Kayla were going to think the same way! Melissa was set to take on Chelsea LeClair tonight but that got postponed by a week for undisclosed reasons so that solved the mystery of what Melissa was going to do to try to get the momentum she needed to get back in the title picture!

But that left the question hanging over me and Kayla’s heads! And since it was the Go Home show next week? I could bet good money that the bosses were eager to put us to the test.

”So we’re agreed that we’re going to need to get another white board for the Blast from the Past Tournament?” I asked Francisco as he loaded the white board into the back of my car, if you remember, I had originally brought that thing to keep track of everyone who was entering the Open Invitational Match at Inception VI last month and whilst I (obviously) lost the match and the title I had such a blast using that thing as a prop for my promos that I decided to hold onto it, ”Because there’s no way I’m going to fit all sixteen names and all eight teams on one board whilst also including the following rounds!”

”I mean, you could if you didn’t care about keeping things legible.” Francisco joked and I just shook my head in response. ”You were able to get this one for pretty cheap on Amazon weren’t you?”

”Yeah, that board set me back about $15 when I ordered it before Christmas!” I nodded in response after thinking back to the original Amazon order. ”The pointer stick cost just under $5 to boot, but I did see more expensive versions of both items! The Amazon Basics brand White Board was just over $40.”

”Seems a bit of a rip-off to me when this much cheaper board did the job just as well, I know you’ve got plenty of money from that Jenny Tuck windfall left over but that doesn’t mean you should go about spending money like it’s going out of style.” Francisco pointed out before I got the new card text and I checked it, when I saw my match for next week my temper flared up which Francisco noticed once he had the white board in the trunk and shut it. ”Err, Ari, I know you’re really into the whole “Ari the wrestling teacher” thing you’ve been doing over the past few weeks but it’s nothing to get that worked up over!”

”Franky, I love you but that’s not what’s gotten me so fired up!” I responded as I shook my head and Francisco gave me a curious look as he folded his arms. ”The bosses have just released the card for the Go Home show, the Melissa vs. Chelsea match is back on as we predicted but me and Kayla are also in action next week.” I added before showing Francisco the match. ”Against each other!”

”And it’s non-title, meaning that win or lose, Kayla will head into Blaze of Glory XI as the Bombshell Internet Champion.” Francisco summarised as he read the match description and I nodded. ”Even so, it would be a hell of a momentum boost for you if you win!”

”I know that, and I also know that the momentum will swing the other way if Kayla gets the win!” I responded after taking a deep breath and pocketing my phone. ”I have so much stuff I wanted to say about that bitch that I was saving for the Blaze of Glory XI promos but this match flips it on its head! Either I use all of my material for this singles match and scramble to come up with new material for the Blaze of Glory promos or I save the spicy stuff for Blaze of Glory and come off as a coward.”

”What is it that Charlotte likes to say? Damned if you do, damned if you don’t?” Francisco asked and I nodded to confirm that that would be what Charlotte AKA Krystal would say in this situation! Off course she has her own problems with Chelsea LeClair to sort out. ”Why not both? Give everyone a teaser of what you’ve got planned for the Internet Title Match?”

”You might be onto something.” I added before we got in the car and I made myself comfy. ”Either way, we have an early fight to catch tomorrow via Kayfabe Airlines if we want to get back to Vegas in time to film the next batch of Recipe 4 Disaster videos, the next show is in Reno so we won’t have to travel as far at least!”

”True! And with Blaze of Glory XI taking place in Vegas we can practically walk to and from our home and the arena.” Francisco added before I started the car and we drove out of the parking lot. ”Though I think it’ll be more practical to use the car.”

”You think?” I teased my fiancé before we drove off into the night.

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 20th of February 2023, 11:00am

Kayfabe Airlines might be the fastest airline around but the trip back to Vegas from Stockton still gave me a lot to think about.

And as you can probably guess, the two main things occupying my thoughts were my upcoming matches against Kayla Richards! Logic would dictate that the title match at Blaze of Glory XI should be my main focus but that match is several weeks away and the non-title match is this Sunday! And whilst Kayla isn’t in danger of losing her title in this match win, lose or draw a win will help set the tone for the Triple Threat one way or another, especially if Melissa gets the win over Chelsea on Sunday.

I win and I’ll have people wondering if Kayla’s title is on life support, and wondering if I’ll win my second ever singles title in another Triple Threat! I lose? Well, Kayla’s already made her opinion known on the matter because if you ask her, then I should be booted out of the title match because “logic” and “common sense” dictates it as so! If anything, that view point paints Kayla as the hypocrite she is but that’s something I’ll go into more detail about when I get started on my promo.

Funny how I had a much easier time dealing with her Wolfslair Teammate Alicia, isn’t it?

Speaking of Alicia, her match for Blaze of Glory XI got signed last night and it’s another match against Jessie Salco, why am I bringing this up? Because Jessie and Harper have stopped by to help work on the next batch of Recipe 4 Disaster videos! Don’t ask how I managed to talk them into this because it’s a long story.

Besides, I heard about that accident that happened during training last week where a girl Harper was sparring with broke her leg on a bad landing and she had been down in the dumps since then, I figured she could use some cheering up and I knew she loved dogs to boot.

To say that she fell in love with Zeus on first sight is putting it mildly to be honest!

”I was warned by Jake and Shane that your recipes could be unique, to put it nicely.” Harper commented as she looked over my recipe card for the dessert I was getting ready to make for this week’s episode as we stood in my kitchen. ”But Salt and Pepper Jalapeno Doughnuts? Are you sure about this?!”

”Those are the kind of recipes my viewers tune in for, besides I am a trained chef so making these taste good will be easy.” I assured Harper who gave me a sceptical look, Jessie on the other hand just watched our conversation from the side-lines. ”These will be some of the best doughnuts you’ve ever had, trust me Harp!”

”Harper may be one of the best students of the current crop at Hero Academy but she’s also the biggest sweet tooth off the current crop!” Jessie chimed in as she shook her head and I turned to her. ”Seriously! One of the first things she did after meeting me for the first time was raid my fridge looking for anything sweet to keep her going until breakfast.”

”In my defence, I was planning to grab breakfast on the way back home but Jessie slept in that morning and we ended up having brunch at her house instead.” Harper quickly chimed in and when I glanced over at Jessie to see if her cousin was telling the truth, Jessie didn’t exactly deny it. ”Which Shane said was out of character for Jessie because she usually gets up before 8:00am.”

”All I’m going to say is that I had a pretty intense dream that night, not helped by my heart problems playing up.” Jessie admitted as she shook her head and I nodded as I got the idea. ”Had something to do with my Hall of Fame induction since it was literally the week before High Stakes XII.”

”I get the feeling that that’s all you’re going to tell me?” I asked Jessie and she nodded in response. ”Okay, getting back on track! Before we can even think about starting the donuts we need to make the dough, and I just remembered that I forgot to print off my recipe for a basic doughnut dough.”

”I can go print it off if you want.” Jessie offered and I turned to her. ”I’m not exactly technically savvy but it’s not like operating a printer’s that hard, whereabouts is your laptop and printer?”

”They are both in my office, up the stairs, second door on the right, ask Francisco and he’ll get you logged into my laptop.” I responded and Jessie nodded before she went off to find my fiancé, once she was gone I took the opportunity to turn to Harper. ”So, I heard about that accident at Hero Academy last week, how have you been feeling since then?”

”Had a feeling this was coming, as for how I feel?” Harper asked as she brushed some hair behind her ear. ”Initially I felt like crap, the girl who broke her leg did so in a sparring match against me whilst doing something I had suggested she incorporate into her move set, but as the week progressed I finally came around to the fact that it was a freak accident.”

”Yeah, that kind of stuff never gets easy, doesn’t matter if it’s something minor like a sprained ankle or something as serious as, well, a broken leg!” I nodded sympathetically as I leaned against the countertop. ”If you ask me? This Kata girl is going to need all the support she can get over the next few months.”

”And she’s been getting it, every other student at Hero Academy has taken time out of their schedule to visit her, me and Francisco included.” Harper responded and I nodded as I remembered Francisco going to visit her, in fact that was how I found out about it in the first place. ”According to Keira? She’s on the road to recovery but won’t be able to walk again until the tail end of the year, and her twin sister wants to graduate with her so Keira’s delayed their graduation match until after Kata’s healthy.”

”And that’s if the docs say that she can resume training.” Jessie chimed in as she walked into the room with the printed recipe in hand, she passed it too me and I took it from her before going over it. ”I’ve been around long enough to know that all kinds of complications can happen over the rest of the year, but apparently Keira got Jenny Tuck to foot her medical bills.”

”Makes sense, their parents live back in Poland and had to take a good chunk of their life savings to allow them to move to America and they don’t have medical insurance either.” Harper nodded in response and I nodded along whilst reading the doughnut recipe, well, it’ll be relatively easy at least. ”So, shall we get started on this doughnut recipe?”

”Never thought you’d ask.” I responded with a grin before we got started on the doughnut recipe.

Ariana’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 21st of February 2023, 15:00pm

Sometimes it’s just nice to get together with friends.

The last time we had a movie night was during the weeks leading up to Halloween/my 22nd birthday and given what time of year is usually associated with? It was all about horror movies, the more obscure the better because let’s face it, you can only marathon the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Str. And Scream movies for so long before it gets boring! But whilst Valentine’s Day is has come and gone, it’s still the month of love right? Which means one thing:

Romantic Comedy marathon! Cheesier, the better!

Granted I had to really sell Francisco on the idea because he hates Romantic Comedies but he came around when I said that it would be a good excuse to hang around with our friends!

Krystal and Cassie couldn’t make it though, Cassie is training for her debut in a new place called Necropolis: Dead City Wrestling which (according to Krystal) is a horror themed fed and Krystal was unable to make it as Makayla had an appointment due today, given how far along Makayla was into her pregnancy at this point (nearly seven months) we understood that it was bound to take priority for the Australian couple.

Luckily Carter and Miles were down for coming over, it was just a matter of waiting for them and sorting out snacks.

”Okay, snacks? Check, drinks? Check, movies in general? Check.” I went through the checklist as Francisco, Athena and Zeus watched on, our furry companions were either disinterested (Athena) or happy to be there (Zeus) whilst Francisco was somewhere in between. ”Anything we’re missing? And don’t say good movies!”

”I don’t know what to tell you at this point Ari.” Francisco responded as he shook his head and I gave him a curious look. ”I told you that if you have seen one Romantic Comedy you’ve seen them all! The only one I remember really liking is Bruce Almighty and that was more of a Jim Carrey screwball comedy than, well, a romantic comedy!”

”And the less said about Evan Almighty, the better!” I responded as I shook my head before looking at my movie selection, ”I’m more of a romantic comedy fan and I think I’ve managed to get myself a good selection, we’ll know for certain once the guys get here though.”

”Again, you’re the expert, not me.” Francisco responded as he shook his heads before the doorbell rang and in a blink and you’ll miss it moment, Zeus had already raced off towards the door, ”I think it’s safe to assume that that’s them.”

”Probably! Can you get everything set up in the living room whilst I go answer the door?” I asked Francisco and he nodded before he started taking the stuff into the living room and I went to answer the door.

Sure enough Miles and Carter were waiting for me (and Zeus by extension) at the door  and when I answered the door the puppy was all to eager to greet them., “Hello cutie! What an adorable fluffball you are!” Miles greeted the puppy as he knelt down to stroke Zeus. “Oh, hey Ari, sorry for the delay but we got caught up in traffic.”

”It’s fine, we’re literally just getting everything set up.” I assured Miles before I bent over and picked up Zeus so that the guys could stroke him without having to bend over. ”Hope you like Romantic Comedies because that’s the theme of tonight’s movie night.”

”So long as the movies aren’t terrible we won’t complain!” Carter assured me and I grinned before leading them into the house proper, Zeus did lick my face a couple of times as I carried hm back into the house but as soon as Carter closed the door behind him? I set the pupper down on the floor. ”I take it Franky’s on board?”

”Yes and no, he hates romantic comedies but he’s willing to do this if it means hanging out with you guys.” I responded as I shook my head and the guys nodded as I lead them into the living room where Francisco was setting up the snacks under the watchful eye of Athena. ”Our guests have arrived.” I informed Francisco who looked up and grinned when he saw Carter and Miles.

”I wouldn’t say I hate Romantic Comedies but I find that if you’ve watched one Romantic Comedy, you’ve seen them all.” Francisco clarified before greeting our guests with a hearty handshake. ”Just my luck that I’m getting married to a woman who loves them, right?”

“I’m sure she’ll turn you around on them.” Miles responded with a grin before we made ourselves comfortable on the sofa. “Store brought snacks? We were getting worried for a sec there Ari.”

”Ha-ha, very funny!” I responded as I shook my head. ”But seriously? Getting the store snacks was a lot more practical than trying to make it from scratch, but I did do my part to jazz them up with my skills as a chef!”

”That just makes me more worried.” Carter teased me before he tried some of my loaded popcorn, I watched his facial expression for about a minute but when he grinned broadly I felt at ease. ”That’s almost enough to make up for three years’ worth of crimes against food!”

”Almost four years now but you know what? I’ll take it.” I responded with a grin before I passed them some of the other snacks which were greeted with the same level of enthusiasm. ”Okay, where do you want to start? I’ve got the physical copies in a pile over there and a few on my Amazon Prime subscription.” I offered the guys and whilst Francisco was disinterested Miles and Carter gave it some thought.

“I mean, I’ve always thought of more of a comic book movie than anything else but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?” Miles offered after looking through the pile and I grinned before grabbing the film and putting it on through the DVD player.

It was a great night all in all with the four of us genuinely enjoying some of the legitimately good movies and riffing on the really bad ones, even Francisco came around to the idea about an hour into the second movie of the marathon (The Lost City) and by the end of the night Carter and Miles left in high spirits whilst me and Francisco? Well, we went up to our bedroom for certain things that I can’t really go into detail about, all I’ll say is that if Makayla had gotten pregnant the traditional way? This would be how she’d do it!

What can I say? Watching movies about romance all day had left us in the mood! But I did have more pressing matters ahead of me, like me two upcoming matches against Kayla.

In front of Ari’s board, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 22nd of February 2023. 17:00pm

*promo time*

Here we go.

”You know class? I think there’s been a bit of a misconception about me since I signed with SCW last year.” I stated as I started the promo whilst pointing the pointer stick to the picture of myself in the centre of the board which was the pic that I was currently using as my profile pic on Twitter. ”Namely that just because I try to be the nice girl of the Bombshell Division means that I’m a pushover! Never mind the fact that I graduated from the same training school that produced London Underground, Fenris, Evie Jordan, Krystal Wolfe and other past SCW champions! Never mind the fact that me and Carter dominated the Pride Tag Team Division in SCU for most of my rookie year! Never mind the fact that I was the first SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion in months to break the hundred-day milestone!” I grunted before folding my arms. ”What’s a girl gotta do to get some respect around here?”

Seriously!

 ”I’m the sweetheart who wouldn’t hurt a fly, right? No! Well, I am a sweetheart but I’m also one of the best young women’s wrestlers in the company and I’m out to change the perception that I’m an easy win for whoever faces me no matter what! And that will start at Blaze of Glory XI where I challenge Melissa and Kayla Richards for the Bombshell Internet Title! But first? I’ve got a little preview of that match coming up!” I added as I moved the pointer to the same picture of Kayla Richards that I had used last Sunday on Climax Control. ”That’s right! It’s me vs. Kayla Richards Part II! And I have a lot to say about this bitch!”

This will be good.

”See the Bombshell Internet Champion wasn’t just content with being her usual nasty self on Twitter, she had to go and accuse me of stealing ideas from Carter and trying to make a quick buck off them!” I added as I shook my head. ”Here’s a quick spelling lesson for you class, can you spell the word on the board that I used to describe Kayla?” I asked before moving the pointer to the word in question, I wasn’t about to spell it out because even at my angriest there’s still certain swear words that I won’t touch with a fifty-foot pole and the word that rhymes with hunt and starts with a c fits into that description perfectly! ”Thank god I’m not a real teacher because I’d get in SO MUCH TROUBLE for that! But yeah Kayla, if you wanted to get me mad at you before we even stepped into the ring? Mission fucking accomplished!”

You heard me.

”I won’t bore you with the details regarding the whole sob story that revolves around me and my parents, all you need to know is that Carter was there for me in my darkest time and just a few months ago? I returned the favour! So to accuse me of stealing ideas from him based on one tweet that I wasn’t even that serious about in the first place?!” I added as I shook my head. ”I thought you were an unpleasant person before Kayla and even when we faced off in that Battle Royal that kicked off your first title reign? I TRIED to be respectful of you because my policy has always been to treat my opponents with respect if they’ve earned it! but not you Kayla, those comments you made on Twitter got you added to my shitlist and you’ve only made me more motivated than ever to take that title from you! Unless you go to ridiculous lengths to try to make amends? We can never be friends after that and based on what Miles has told me about you? You’re unlikely to change your tune anytime soon!” I added before flipping some hair over my shoulder. ”So let’s change the topic for a second and talk about our last matches, shall we Kayla?” I asked as I moved the pointe to Climax Control #331 and Climax Control #3387.

A trip down memory lane.

”Two matches months apart but with the same outcomes, you emerging victorious whilst I picked myself up ready for next time! That’s what it looks like n paper but in practice?” I asked as I folded my arms. ”Let’s look at those two matches a bit closer! Our first match was your second in the promotion and my fourth, well, fifth if we count the Mixed Tag Team Match between me and Carter and London Underground but you get the general idea! I was still finding my feet as a Bombshell whilst you had just returned from a brief hiatus following your debut win over Bea Barnhart! And the Battle Royal? Did we even interact in that match? Because in one of the worst moments of my career to date, I got eliminated from the match immediately after Bea Barnhart but according to you? The details behind these two matches don’t matter and that if I lose to you on Sunday I should be booted out of the title match!”

You’ve got it all wrong.

”All because of logic and common sense right? By that same notion, Mercedes shouldn’t have challenged you for the title twice but it’s not up to you, is it Kayla? You defend the title the bosses make your title matches! That’s how I understood it during my time as the Bombshell Roulette Champion!” I added as I scoffed. ”And I thought Krystal’s ego was out of control during her reign! You think the whole world revolves around you just because you hold gold? I’m sure there’s a joke to be made about billionaires there but to put it simply Kayla? No, it doesn’t! in fact? I think the cracks are starting to show Kayla and if you want solid proof of that? Look no further than your last title defence!”

The weakness is showing.

”We all remember how that turned out, don’t we Kayla? The bosses imposed a twenty-minute time limit on the match and to be frank? It was the only reason why you are still the champ!” I added as I moved the pointer to a picture of the closing moments of the match between Kayla and Melisa. ”The time limit expired after you had both hit your finishers on each other, that’s the whole reason why the title match at Blaze of Glory XI is a Triple Threat! The bosses want to see a winner to the match between you and Mel but because I’m the #1 Contender they made it a Triple Threat Match!” I added before moving the pointer to this year’s Blaze of Glory logo. ”I’ll save my comments for that match for when the time comes to promote it but Kayla? I don’t think there’s much time left in your second reign!”

Clock is ticking.

”Why? Well, let’s look at your opposition in the title match! In one corner you have a rookie sensation who took you to the limit just a few weeks ago! In the other corner you have a nice young woman who you’ve managed to piss off enough that she’s dropped all niceties with you! Me and Melissa have quite a bit in common, we’re both former Bombshell Roulette Champs and we’ve both faced you in multi-woman matches!” I added as I shook my head. ”Off course the key difference there is that Melissa beat you to become the new Bombshell Roulette Champion at last year’s Summer XXXTreme but again, I’ll be saving those comments for later! All you need to know is that your title reign is on its last legs Kayla and it’ll be me who’ll put it to sleep!”

A mercy killing.

”You can dismiss me as a challenger all you want Kayla but when I get the win over you on Sunday and set the tone for the Triple Threat Match at Blaze of Glory XI? Maybe then you’ll realize just how badly you fucked up when you made those comments!” I added as folded my arms. ”I dare you to prove me wrong on Sunday but when you beat me before? I was still new into my career as a Bombshell, that was the old me! You want to know what I have to say to that?” I added before moving the pointer back to my picture. ”Out with the old me, in with the new me!”

It's that simple.

”And that new me will be the one who ends your title reign Kayla! And if you still think of me as an easy win, why don’t you ask Alicia how her rematch against me went? Because I know she’ll have a lot to say about that match!” I added as I folded my arms. ”To make a long story short Kayla? This was originally just a chance for me to get back in the title picture but after you made those comments? You’ve managed something that no one else in SCW has to date, you pissed me off! And when you’re lying on the matt after losing the title to me? You’ll have no one to blame but yourself!”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”If our non-title match on Sunday is meant to serve as a preview for the Triple Threat at Blaze of Glory? Then let it also serve as a preview of how your reign as Bombshell Internet Champion is about to end!” I added as I moved the pointer to my picture. ”That concludes today’s lesson on how it’s a bad idea to anger the nice ones, because they’ll be vicious when confronted! Come this Sunday Kayla? I’ll happily demonstrate just that as you bask in the glow of the Greek Angel’s light! See you in the ring bitch!”

I walked off as the scene fades.

If there was any saving grace for Ari as the year was winding down, it was the fact that her title defence against Jessie would prove to be the last one of the cycle as she would lose the non-title match to Amber Ryan after a hard thought match but right when you may think that the bosses would take pity on the young Greek American Bombshell (and her friend and fellow Go Gym Graduate Krystal Wolfe who hadn’t exactly had an easy time either), then came the Main Event for the final show of 2022.

In one corner were the Go Sisters in their third ever match as a team and second main event! Their opponents? The World Bombshell Champion Masque and her protégé/Amber Ryan’s sister Avalon Blackthorn! Worst yet, the annual Christmas stipulations were back in full force and who knew what the Christmas themed Roulette Wheel would throw at them! The last time Ari and Krystal teamed together was against Team Hero, a match that they mutually wanted! This match was something that neither Ari nor Krystal wanted but can they pull off the upset of the century!

Backstage at Climax Control 349, Bakersfield, California
Sunday the 4th of December 2022, 18:00pm

How did this happen?

How did I go from wrestling women on my level like Seleana, Jessie, and Melissa to fighting Amber Ryan and Masque in back-to-back matches? I know I’ve had a great run as Bombshell Roulette Champion but seriously, why?

If the bosses’ goal were to make one of their youngest talents/champions lock herself in the women’s bathroom because she’s having a panic attack then congrats I guess!

This isn’t like Krystal’s first match against Masque where she challenged Masque for the title either, it’s a tag team match that’s pitting the Go Sisters against Masque and her protégé/Amber’s sister Avalon Blackthorn in next week’s Main Event, yes, as in the final Main Event of the year! Personally? I would’ve much preferred defending my title on the show, at least that’s more my speed! But no, they’ve thrown me to the wolves again.

It's almost enough for me to miss the days where I was spinning my wheels in SCU, keyword being almost!

”First Amber and now Masque and Amber’s equally dangerous sister Avalon.” I whispered to myself as I looked in the mirror, the Bombshell Roulette Title was sitting on the sink next to me and the makeup I was wearing for tonight’s show had been ruined by the tears that my panic attack had brought on, said tears had long since dried up, the ones that wasn’t on my jacket sleeve anyway, and I let out a frustrated scream. ”Why? Why do they see fit to keep feeding me to the wolves?!”

”Ari?” Off course my fiancé was looking for me, Francisco hadn’t appeared on screen but he was my guest tonight, kind of an early Christmas present if nothing else. ”I’ve been looking all over the arena for you!”

”It’s not like I’m that hard to find, I’ve got my phone………” I trailed off as I reached into my jacket pocket for my phone only to find it empty, I was in the cafeteria with Francisco when I got the new card text and more importantly? The news of my match against Masque and Avalon. ”I left my phone at our table, didn’t I?”

”That was the first sign that something was wrong, I’ve never known you to leave your phone in a public place that.” Francisco responded and I sighed to myself, my fiancé knew me all too well. ”Ari I don’t want to get banned for kicking in the door to the women’s bathroom, can you please come out?”

I wasn’t really sure if he was serious or not but I grabbed my title all the same. ”I’m coming, don’t………” But when I looked at the reflection in the mirror out of the corner of my eye, I froze, my twenty-two-year-old self wasn’t there, I didn’t see the young, successful YouTuber/wrestler/Syndicated TV Host that I had managed to become at the age of twenty-two, you want to know who I saw instead?

My parents. “Look at you, and you call yourself a champion?!” My father asked mockingly as I quickly shook my head. “”We were right all along about you! You’re nothing but a failure”

”No! No!” I yelled back as the tears started to form in my eyes again, I didn’t really care how insane I must’ve sounded to my fiancé. ”I’m not a failure! I am a champion, a successful woman in general……….”

“A champion doesn’t cry if they are faced with stiff competition Ari!” My mother interrupted me and I glared up at her, my dad was bad but mom? She was the main source of my emotional abuse. “If only you had listened to us, you could’ve been a proper lady! Instead you whore yourself out to the masses with a trophy boyfriend! You are a disgrace!”

”I’M NOT A DISGRACE! AND I AM A FAR BETTER LADY THEN YOU’LL EVER BE!” I snapped but seconds later the hallucination was gone and I was alone in the women’s bathroom again. ”What just?”

”Ari?” I looked up and saw Francisco at the open door having gotten one of the janitorial staff to open the door to the women’s bathroom for him, when he saw the look on my face he walked over and pulled me into a tight hug without a second though. ”It’s okay, you’re safe!”

”You didn’t hear them?” I whispered to Francisco who quickly shook his head with a confused look on his face, I decided to drop it until we were back at the hotel, less I sounded more insane. ”We’ll talk at the hotel I just want to get out of here.”

”Off course babe! Whatever you need.” Francisco assured me before he lead me out of the women’s bathroom and to the parking lot after giving me my phone.

I wish I could say that that was a one-time occurrence, but I’d be lying! I put on a brave face for the cameras both in SCW and on my YouTube channel but away from the cameras? My upbringing had a nastier effect on me than I thought but there was one thing that was unique about tonight’s incident, it was the first time such a thing happened in such a public place.

They started in SCU when me and Carter were Pride Tag Team Champions but they always happened when I was home alone or away from human contact in general, but never in an arena, especially not one as big as the Mechanics Bank arena.

I already knew that the pressures of being a champion and Carter’s situation were getting too me! I had a nasty argument with Krystal last week at the Go Gym and that was partially to blame! But was it also causing me to lose my mind?

I know Krystal has suffered with her mental health for years, maybe she can help?

Go Gym, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 5th of December 2022, 09:00am

So yeah, last night’s Climax Control was no fun.

We got back from the Mechanics Bank Arena about an hour after Climax Control concluded with the crowning of a new World Heavyweight Champion thus confirming that off the champions crowned at Violent Conduct VII, only me and Masque were going to be the ones to reach one hundred days.

Fitting, isn’t it?

All the other champions that were crowned that night had their reigns cut short with Keira’s being the shortest of the lot, it was easy to say that Masque was an easy prediction in that regard, she had been dominant since she first arrived on the scene at last year’s Christmas Special but me? Since I got that showcase match in Corfu my SCW career has been a rollercoaster, highs, and lows all around! My title win in New Delhi was (obviously) the ultimate high point of my year but who could’ve predicted that the twenty-one-year-old (at the time) Greek American girl just a few years into her wrestling career would still be holding her title three months after winning it?

No wonder I’m starting to crack, the pressure’s starting to get to me! I just didn’t notice until my last match of the year was announced!

If there was any good news coming out of the last Climax Control card of the year, it was the fact that Carter had been cleared to compete for the first time since his Roulette Title Match against Miles two months ago, but even that came with a caveat! The whole reason why he was put on medical leave in the first place was because his boyfriend Laz had beaten him following an incident here at the Go Gym.

When Carter cut off contact with me and his mom and grams it set off enough red flags to cover the Vegas Strip ten times over, when we found him in the loft he had been beaten to a bloody pulp and we had taken him to Fenris’s condo for safe keeping. That should’ve been the end of it.

Except he used an out of state Climax Control to go back to Laz two weeks ago, and we haven’t seen him since.

“Err, hello? Earth to Ari?” My concentration was broken when I realized that Kelsey, a new student at the Go Gym who had enrolled the previous week. Had been trying to speak to me. “Everything okay?” The Canadian girl asked and I shook my head.

”I’m fane Kelsey, I was just starring into space and lost in thought, that’s all.” I assured the younger woman who nodded as she got the idea. ”What were you talking about?”

“I was hoping for some feedback on my progress so far but now I’m not sure if you were paying attention.” Kelsey admitted sheepishly and I could just give her an apologetic look. “I know I’ve only been here for a week but I’m eager to learn.”

”Don’t worry about it! I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.” I assured Kelsey who grinned in response. ”All I can really say is that if your eager to learn then you came to the right place, the Go Gym didn’t gain its reputation by accepting just anyone who walks in the door.”

”Yeah, some of us had to travel literally thousands of miles just to train here.” Krystal’s voice rang out and we glanced up seeing the Aussie Bombshell approaching us with her arms crossed. ”As for that feedback? Considering you started last week you’re making great strides Kelsey.”

“Thanks Krystal.” Kelsey responded with a grin before we noticed that Krystal wanted to chat with me, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. “How aboot I just let you guys continue? I see a treadmill with my name on it!”

”Go ahead, I’ll call you over if I need a sparring partner.” Krystal nodded before stepping aside to let the Canadian girl past and she went straight to the treadmills. ”So, are we going to address the elephant in the room?”

”I thought Gabriel told Despy to stop bringing in his pets?” I joked and Krystal shared a good laugh with me. ”But seriously, that could mean one of two things, and considering we made up after our argument last week? You’re talking about the tag match at Winter Wonderslam!”

”AKA “what have the Go Sisters done to anger the bosses since High Stakes XII part five!”, I’m used to facing tougher competition but you?”  Krystal asked with a frown on her face before she sat on the ring apron. ”You’ve suddenly gone from facing Seleana and Jessie too facing Amber Ryan in a non-title match and Masque in a Tag Team Match! I don’t know what the bosses’ game is but I don’t like it one bit!”

”You and me both!” I responded with a nod before I glanced around the Go Gym, it was pretty quiet today but that didn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of people in the Gym. ”Can we take this somewhere a bit quieter?” I asked and Krystal nodded before we headed into the women’s changing room. ”How did you handle it Charlotte?”

”Hanfle what?” Krystal asked with a confused look on her face before I reached into my duffel bag and produced the Bombshell Roulette Title. ”The pressure of being a champion? I’d be lying if I said it was easy but during my reign I kept pushing myself to be better than my competition, my ego may have gone through the roof but you can’t argue with the results.”

”Yeah, that one reign cemented your place in SCW’s history books! But that wasn’t what I meant.” I responded as I shook my head and Krystal gave me a concerned look. ”Facing tougher competition as my reign goes on? The whole situation with Carter? I’m not sure if I can handle it for much longer! I had a panic attack when I got the new card text last night and locked myself in the women’s bathroom until Francisco came to get me!”

”Wait, you had a panic attack last night and this is the first I’ve heard of it?” Krystal asked as her eyebrows shot up and I sighed before nodding. ”Why didn’t you text me? I know you had your phone with you at Climax Control, you were tweeting about the tag match and everything!”

”Honestly? As my panic attack started I left my phone in the cafeteria because my first priority was making sure no one saw me like that!” I admitted as I lowered my head and Krystal gave me a sympathetic look. ”I didn’t even realize that it wasn’t in my jacket pocket until Francisco found me!”

”Look, I know we had that big blow-up argument last week because of those comments I made on Climax Control two weeks ago, but I meant what I said when I said that you can’t keep this stuff bottled up Ari!” Krystal responded as she put a comforting hand on my shoulder and u glanced over to the side. ”If you have anything else to get off your chest, now’s the time, you know I’m good at keeping secrets.”

”Just promise that you won’t tell anyone?” I asked and Krystal quickly nodded to confirm that she wouldn’t. ”Ever since my Pride Tag Team Title reign with Carter in SCU, I’ve been having these hallucinations! My parents would appear in a reflective surface like a mirror or something similar to call me a disgrace and stuff along those lines.” I explained and Krystal’s jaw dropped as it hit her. ”Up until last night, those visions have taken place in private places like my bathroom back home, and I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve broken a few mirrors to get them to shut up but last night it happened in the women’s bathroom of the Mechanics Bank Arena.”

”You didn’t break that bathroom’s mirror, right?” Krystal asked and I quickly shook my head. ”Jesus Christ Ari! That reign lasted for most of 2020, are you seriously telling me that you never told anyone else this in that time? Not even Carter?!”

”What did you expect me to say? That one of the latest Go Gym Graduates is losing her mind? And no, not even Carter knows about this!” I sighed as I started pacing around the women’s changing room. ”Even if I wanted to tell him, we haven’t been able to see him since he went back to Laz and I’m not about to start posting about these hallucinations on Twitter!”

”You realize that you just reaffirmed why keeping stuff like this bottled up is a bad idea, right?” Krystal asked as she stared at me in shock and I reluctantly nodded once I realized that she had a point. ”Look, 2023 is right around the corner, have you made a New Year’s Resolution yet?”

”Haven’t had time to think of one with everything that’s been going on.” I sighed as I shook my head and Krystal nodded. ”Why?”

”Mind if I suggest one?” Krystal asked and I shrugged my shoulders as if to say, “go for it”. ”Be more open about your mental health struggles, because right now? I don’t see my friend and current Bombshell Roulette Champion I see a ticking time bomb of mental instability and I can’t tell when it’s going to go off!”

”You always did have a way with words Charlotte.” I sighed as I glanced down at the floor. ”Do you really think it could work? I’ve been trying to deal with this stuff on my own for years but it’s gotten me nowhere fast!”

”The way I see it? If you continue down this current path, things are only going to get worse.” Krystal responded as she shook her head and I had to admit that Krystal was right. ”Take it from someone who could practically write a book on the subject, trying to deal with mental health on your own ends in disaster more often than not! You’ve got me and the other Go Gym Graduates, Francisco, and hell, even the other members of the Bombshell Roster, you have no shortage of women who will give you an ear if you need it! You already made a good start today.”

”Maybe your right.” I nodded before we made our way out of the women’s changing room and towards the ring ready to continue the day, was it really going to be that easy?

One way to find out I guess!

Ari’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 5th of December 2022, 16:00pm

*promo time*

How did I get into this situation?

”Remember when I described being thrust into the Melissa and Jessie mess as a Monkey’s Paw situation? God those where simpler times!” I sighed as I walked around my home with my arms crossed. ”But leave it to the bosses to throw me into an even tougher situation at the Go Home show, not just for Inception VI but the year of 2022 as a whole because this Sunday’s Winter Wonderslam event is the last show of the year, and honestly? Even though I’m in the Main Event I would’ve preferred defending this.” I stated as I held up the Bombshell Roulette Title. ”To teaming up with Krystal to take on Masque and Avalon!”

Yep, you heard me!

”But alas, that’s the situation I’m in on Sunday Night, my last match of the year sees me in the fight of my life and whilst I will give this match everything I’ve got especially since I’ll be learning who my challenger or challengers for Inception VI are at Climax Control 350, I can’t deny that this will be the toughest match of my wrestling career to date.” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”I know Krystal has faced Masque before but I only know her from watching her matches and her actions over the past twelve months whilst I admittedly know even less about Avalon!”

But I will try.

”Right now the only thing that me and Krystal can do is try, try to win the match or at the very least, survive.” I added as I let out a deep breath. ”Masque has been dominant since her arrival in SCW, Avalon is her protégé, that should tell you everything you need to know about how bad my chances look heading into this match but I’m not about to back down no matter how intimidating either of my opponents are!”

May as well start with Masque!

”Can you name a more dominant Bombshell than our current World Bombshell Champion? Or one who’s more psychotic for that matter? I’ve seen friends be absolutely crushed after wrestling you once and one even flat out left the company after she wrestled you once, at the very least Adrienne’s found her feet in CU:LT but as much as I like her, I refuse to be put into the same situation as her.” I stated as let out a deep breath. ”This is just another obstacle for me to overcome in my SCW Journey, it just happens that this hurdle includes a jump over a piranha tank that surrounded by electrified barbed wire and the hurdle itself is on fire, maybe I should quit whilst I’m ahead?”

Not that way!

”By which I mean quit giving Christian new match ideas for the Roulette Wheel! Nothing to do with my me quitting the company.” I said as I looked at the Bombshell Roulette Title. ”Besides, why would I quit when I’ve made such great strides as the Bombshell Roulette Champion? Masque, regardless of what happens during this Sunday’s Main Event, you are still a Bombshell to be feared and respected in equal measure and this Sunday will be my toughest test of my reign to date!”

Can I pass it?

”Really question is, will I pass the test merely for surviving Masque or will I need to be the second Bombshell to ever beat her first? There’s only one way to find out and that’s to get into the ring with you on Sunday Masque!” I added as I let out a deep breath. ”Because if it does come down to me and you, champion vs. champion Masque? Then I’ll do everything in my power to beat you fair and square in the rind! At least then, if I fail I can say that I went down fighting but then there’s your partner!”

Next up is Avalon!

”Admittedly I know even less about Avalon than I do about Masque, I know she’s been active in other promotions but I couldn’t tell you anything about the other promotions that she’s been a part off.” I stated as I adjusted a bra strap. ”But what I can tell you is that if she’s as dangerous as her sister Amber and her mentor Masque then me and Krystal are really in trouble in this match, aren’t we? This is not how I envisioned spending the last Climax Control of 2022, that’s for sure!”

The great mystery.

”Avalon, you came from nowhere to fight Masque and defend Amber’s honour after that horrific attack she inflicted on your sister but since then? Nothing.” I added as I folded my arms. ”Not a peep from you until you returned recently seemingly under the control of Masque, I’m not about to pretend that I understand what happened there Avalon but that won’t me from give you and Masque the fights of your lives in this Sunday’s Main Event!”

And maybe?

”Who knows? Maybe that’ll be enough for us to secure the upset of the year, Krystal and Ari beating Masque and Avalon sounds like a nominee for “Holy Shit/WTF Moment of the Year” in next year’s Year End Awards to me!” I added as I let out a deep breath. ”But that’s a huge if! Me and Krystal are damn good wrestlers but you and Masque are on another level, we’re practically being thrown into the Lion’s Den for Christmas and frankly? I want to regift this present!”

It's that simple!

”The new year is right around the corner but the first thing on my mind is what I want for Christmas! And if Despy can refrain from blowing me up for a second, I’d like to quote a certain song: All I Want For Christmas is Anything But This Match!” I declared before bracing myself for a possible explosion but when no such explosion came I continued. ”I guess Despy restricts his blowing up powers to the real Mariah Carey! Either way, whilst this wasn’t the match I wanted for the Christmas special I’m still going to roll with it and with Krystal’s help? Who knows? Maybe a Christmas miracle will happen?”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”One can hope right? I know Masque and Avalon are dangerous competitors but at the end of the day? Me and Krystal still have a job to do even if that job involves me entering the toughest, most daunting match of my career.” I said as I let out a deep breath. ”They say it takes pressure to make diamonds but how much pressure is too much pressure? We’ll find that out on Sunday when we go toe to toe with Masque and Avalon and if I can make them bask in the glow of the Greek Angel’s Light? Maybe miracles can happen! See you in the ring Masque and Avalon!”

I left my room as the scene fades.