The scene opens outside a terraced house in the Gabalfa district of Cardiff, early in the evening of Thursday 27th November 2014. Stood by the front door of the house, in mostly darkness - a nearby street light providing the only illumination - is Natalie McKinley; she is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, and a green moleskin coat.
Natalie reaches out to press the doorbell. She then crosses her arms, trying to protect herself against the cold weather. Several seconds pass before the door is opened - and when it is opened, it is instantly apparent whose house this is: Simon Jones; Simon - who is wearing a pair of black trousers and an untucked purple button-up shirt - is clearly surprised to see Natalie stood on his doorstep, as is made obvious by the expression on his face, and the tone of his voice.
Simon: 'Natalie?'
Natalie unfolds her arms.
Natalie: 'Hi, Simon.'
Simon: 'What are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be back in the UK until a couple of days before Christmas.'
Natalie: 'That was what I thought, too. But after our exchange on Twitter last week, when I told you that I would pay you a visit the next time I was at home, I decided that I didn't want to leave it until next month - and so, here I am.'
Simon: 'Alright, well, come in, then.'
Simon steps to one side, and gestures to Natalie for her to enter the house; he then shuts the door behind her.
Natalie: 'Where's Jacqui?'
Simon: 'She's gone to Tesco; she took Matty with her, so I'm here on my own at the moment - or at least, I was until you arrived.'
The camera follows Simon and Natalie, as they walk from the hallway of the house, into the living room. Simon motions for Natalie to take a seat on a black sofa, which she does; Simon then sits down on an adjacent, matching armchair. An uncomfortable looking Natalie quickly glances around the room, before turning her attention back to Simon.
Natalie: 'So...'
Uncertain of what to say, Natalie's voice trails off; Simon is quick to speak.
Simon: 'So, two and a half months ago, the day after Violent Conduct II, I see a tweet from SCW, reporting that you and a couple of other wrestlers - whose names escape me - are no longer members of the SCW roster; what happened, Natalie?'
Natalie lets out a sigh; there is then an awkward silence, as Natalie pauses, before she replies.
Natalie: 'I assume that you watched Violent Conduct.'
Simon: 'Well, I was hoping that I would get to see you win the Bombshell Roulette Championship, so of course I watched it.'
Natalie: 'As I expected you would. So when I lost that match, not only was I gutted that I had failed to win the title, I also felt that I had let down everyone that had gone out of their way to help me - in particular, Spike, and even more so, you.'
Simon leans forward, towards Natalie.
Simon: 'Is that why you left SCW - because you felt that you had let me down, as well as the other people that had helped you?'
Natalie says nothing, and instead looks away from Simon, as she gazes down at the floor.
Simon: 'Natalie, trust me, you didn't let anyone down at Violent Conduct. Okay, so you didn't win the title - but no-one was expecting you to win it. It was only the third match of your career, and you were in the ring with Joanne Canelli, Necra Octavian Kane, and Mercedes Vargas - three wrestlers that are all vastly more experienced than you, and who have all been champions on multiple occasions. You had done well just to qualify for that match.'
Natalie: 'Maybe you're right...'
Natalie raises her head, making eye contact with Simon again.
Natalie: '...but in the immediate aftermath of the match at Violent Conduct, I didn't feel that way - all I felt was disappointment, and shame.'
Natalie sighs again.
Natalie: 'And so I left SCW; I returned home, and shut myself off from wrestling - I even deleted my Twitter account, so as to leave one less way for people to attempt to contact me.'
A slight smile crosses Simon's face.
Simon: 'So you did come back to Cardiff, then.'
Natalie: 'Yeah - it's not like I had anywhere else to go.'
Simon: 'I assumed that you must have come back here, but...'
Simon leans back in his chair, and pauses briefly, before continuing.
Simon: 'If you were back in Cardiff, then how come I didn't see you at the gym?'
Natalie: 'Because instead of going to Pure Gym, I started using another one - an independent gym, not far from my parents' house.'
Simon: 'Were you trying to avoid bumping into me?'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'Like I said, after Violent Conduct, I felt that I had let you down. And then I compounded that, by quitting SCW, so yeah, I wasn't exactly eager to see you.'
Natalie frowns.
Natalie: 'If you had guessed that I was back in Cardiff, then how come you didn't try to contact me?'
Simon: 'I did think about phoning you - or at least sending you a text - but I noticed that you had deactivated your Twitter account, and so presumed that you wanted to be left alone.'
Natalie: 'Oh.'
There is another small sigh from Natalie.
Natalie: 'I'm sorry, Simon.'
Now it is Simon's turn to frown.
Simon: 'For what?'
Natalie: 'For quitting SCW - and for then not getting in touch with you sooner, to discuss what happened.'
Simon chuckles.
Simon: 'You don't need to apologise to me, Natalie.'
Natalie: 'You're not mad at me?'
Simon: 'Does it sound like I'm mad at you?'
Natalie replies in a softened tone.
Natalie: 'No, I suppose not.'
Simon: 'So you quit SCW, after losing a match.'
Simon shrugs his shoulders.
Simon: 'You acted in the heat of the moment; Natalie, you're twenty-two years old - you're going to make rash decisions. You know what I did when I was twenty-two? I left behind the love of my life, to move to the US, so that I could pursue a career as a professional wrestler. Now
that was something to apologise for; thankfully, Jacqui forgave me - eventually.'
Natalie manages a smile.
Natalie: 'Thanks for understanding, Simon.'
Simon: 'No problem.'
There is a moment of silence, before Simon speaks again.
Simon: 'So then...New Jersey?'
Natalie: 'Yeah - it's a bit different from being in Vegas.'
Simon: 'How did you wind up there?'
Natalie: 'Do you remember telling me that Twitter would be a good way for me to get in contact with wrestling promoters?'
Simon: 'Yeah - I think that was something I said to you the first time we met.'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: Right. Well, in mid-October, my desire to wrestle returned...'
Simon interrupts Natalie.
Simon: 'I knew it would.'
Natalie: 'How did you know?'
Simon: 'If you weren't going to go back to your job as a personal trainer, then what else were you going to do - try a third career path, while keeping yourself hidden away from everyone other than your family and your closest friends?'
Natalie: 'No, I suppose not. Anyway, as I was saying, in mid-October, I signed up to Twitter again, and that was what led me to the promotion that I'm now working for on the East Coast.'
Natalie turns her head away from Simon, and stares off in the opposite direction for a few seconds; she then looks back to Simon, to ask him a question.
Natalie: 'Has Jason told you that he came to see me last week?'
Simon shakes his head.
Simon: 'No, he hadn't mentioned it.'
Natalie: 'He tracked me down to a gym in Jersey, and turned up there wanting to know why I disappeared from Vegas.'
Simon: 'Yeah, that sounds like the sort of thing that Jase would do.'
Natalie: 'Well, unlike you, he
did think that I had something to apologise for. But, after talking it through with him, I then actually managed to convince Jason to stay in Jersey for a few days, to help me prepare for the upcoming match I had.'
Simon: 'So, how are things going for you in Jersey, then?'
Simon leans forward slightly.
Simon: 'I believe that you've been in two matches so far, with one win and one loss - is that right?'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'Correct.'
She then too leans forward.
Natalie: 'It's going okay for me there, but...it's just not the same as SCW.'
Natalie scratches the back of her head.
Natalie: 'I miss SCW. And I would love to go back there, but I fear that I have burned my bridges beyond repair.'
Simon: 'I wouldn't be so sure of that. Natalie, if you really do want to return to SCW, then I would be happy to have a word with them on your behalf, to see if they would be at all interested in welcoming you back.'
Natalie: 'Really, Simon - you would be willing to do that for me?'
Simon: 'Yes - if you're serious about wanting to succeed in wrestling, then I would prefer to see you do so in SCW. And besides, having another bombshell to rival the Mean Girls wouldn't be a bad thing.'
Natalie's smile broadens into a grin.
Natalie: 'Thanks, Simon.'
Simon: 'You're welcome.'
The sound of a door opening can then be heard, and as both Natalie and Simon turn their heads to look towards the entrance to the living room, the scene changes to show Natalie stood outside the entrance to an apartment building in Las Vegas, on the morning of Saturday 24th January 2015. Natalie is wearing a pair of denim shorts, a black t-shirt, and is carrying a white handbag.
Natalie presses one of the buzzers, that are next to the building's entrance. Within a few seconds, the Irish accent of Simon Jones' long-time confidant, Jason O'Neil is heard over the intercom.
Jason: 'Hello?'
Natalie: 'Hi, Jason - it's Natalie.'
A hint of surprise can be detected in Jason's voice.
Jason: 'Natalie? What are you doing in Vegas?'
Natalie: 'I'm getting some respite from the weather in New Jersey.'
A chuckle can then be heard from Jason.
Natalie: 'So, are you just going to leave me to stand outside, or are you going to let me in?'
Jason: 'Yeah, sure.'
The scene then changes to show Natalie stood in a corridor, outside the door to Jason's apartment; Natalie knocks on the door, and it is soon opened by Jason, who is wearing a pair of black jeans and a green t-shirt. Jason steps aside, to allow Natalie to enter the apartment.
The camera follows Natalie, as she enters the apartment, and walks into the living area, which is just inside the the door. A sofa and matching armchair can be seen in the living area, together with a wooden coffee table, as well as a television; as Jason shuts the door behind her, Natalie points at the coffee table.
Natalie: 'That's new, isn't it? I don't remember you having that the last time I was here.'
Jason: 'Yes, it's a recent purchase.'
Beyond the living area, a kitchen and dining area is visible, as well as doors to other rooms. Natalie takes a seat on the sofa - placing her handbag next to her, on the sofa - while Jason sits down on the armchair.
Jason: 'So, Natalie, are you really just here to escape from the weather in Jersey, or do you have another reason for being in Vegas?'
Natalie: 'Well, the warmer weather, and change of scenery, was my main reason for coming here - although I was hoping, while I was here, that maybe you could help me prepare for my next match.'
A smirk crosses Jason's face.
Jason: 'Sure, I'll help you. When is the match - a week today?'
Natalie gives a short reply to Jason, as she reaches into her bag for something.
Natalie: 'Yes.'
From her bag, Natalie retrieves two CD cases, both of which contain discs.
Natalie: 'These are DVDs of last week's show, and of the show from three weeks ago.'
Natalie leans forward, to place the two DVDs on the coffee table.
Jason: 'I didn't think you had a match on the show that took place three weeks ago.'
Natalie: '
I didn't - but my next opponent did; that's two matches you can analyse with me - plus whatever else we might be able to find on the net.'
Natalie then leans backwards.
Jason: 'So how has New Jersey been, since I saw you two months ago?'
Natalie: 'It's alright, I suppose.'
Natalie gives a noncommittal shrug; she then lets out a sigh, before speaking again.
Natalie: 'During your career, did you ever feel like you were just treading water?'
Jason: 'No, not really. But then, I only ever worked for one promotion in my career, and I solidified my position in the company early on, by winning their top title. Why do you ask?'
Natalie: 'Because, I've had four matches so far, against wrestlers that are at varying levels in the promotion's hierarchy - and the match next Saturday will continue that trend. I suppose I just can't see what direction my career is heading in there.'
Jason: 'You've been there, what - two, three months? I'm sure they're just testing you, to see how you fit into their roster, ability-wise.'
Natalie: 'Yeah, I guess you're probably right.'
Natalie looks away from Jason, towards the other side of the apartment.
Jason: 'I'm assuming this must be the first time that you've been back in Vegas since you left SCW.'
Natalie turns back to look at Jason, as she responds to him.
Natalie: 'Yes, it is; do you know that I went to their show in Birmingham, two weeks ago?'
Jason: 'Yeah, Simon told me that you went with him.'
Natalie: 'And I expect that he'll be at their show two weeks tomorrow, in Cardiff.'
Natalie sighs, loudly.
Natalie: 'Oh how I would love to be involved in that show, in
my hometown.'
Jason: 'Now I see what's really going on, with this talk of how you're "just treading water" in Jersey - it's because you don't want to be there, do you? You want to return to SCW.'
Natalie nods her head, silently.
Jason: 'Have you spoken to anyone about a possible return to SCW?'
Natalie: 'No-one apart from Simon; I spoke to him about it at the end of November - a week after you came to see me in Jersey, as it happens - and he said he would look into whether the powers that be had any interest in re-hiring me, but I've not received any positive indications since then.'
Jason: 'I've just remembered something from the video of Simon's that aired on the one hundredth episode of Climax Control: during his speech, he said something along the lines of that he had been visited recently by a former member of the roster, who wanted to make a return to SCW - that was you, wasn't it?'
Natalie grins.
Natalie: 'I guess it must have been.'
Jason: 'When you attended Inception the other week, did you not speak to any of the men in charge then?'
Natalie shakes her head.
Natalie: 'No, I just spent my time there mingling with some of the wrestlers, and watching the matches backstage.'
Jason rubs his chin.
Jason: 'Your show next Saturday - where is it?'
Natalie: 'White Plains - that's in New York.'
Jason: 'And SCW is in Belfast a week tomorrow, for Climax Control - correct?'
Natalie: 'Yes, I believe so.'
Jason nods his head, as a plan comes together in his mind.
Jason: 'Okay, if you're serious about wanting to return to SCW, here's what you do: you go to White Plains next weekend, hand in your notice, and then have your match; after the match, you get yourself on the first flight you can, get your arse to Belfast, show up at Climax Control, talk to whoever you need to talk to, and implore them to re-hire you.'
Natalie: 'Do you think that will work?'
Jason: 'It might, and it might not. But if you want to return to SCW, there's a greater chance of it happening if you seize the initiative, and put your case forward in person, rather than sitting around hoping for a phone call that might never come.'
Natalie nods her head in understanding.
Natalie: 'Okay, Jason - I can see your reasoning; I'll give it a go.'
Jason: 'Good - then we'll have you back on the SCW roster before long.'
We leave Natalie and Jason, as they continue their conversation, with the scene switching to inside Sunhealth Gym, in Newport (Wales), on the evening of Wednesday 4th March. The camera shows a section of the gym that is configured for the purpose of wrestling training, with a wrestling ring and mats visible amongst the facilities. Natalie can be seen sat in front of the ring, on a black steel folding chair that is directly opposite the camera; she is wearing a pair of dark grey leggings, and a cyan crop top.
Natalie sits up straight, looks to the camera, and begins to speak.
Natalie: 'Twice in the past month, I've stated that at some point I would talk about why I left SCW abruptly, last September, and where I had been, prior to returning to SCW at the start of February. Well, with me being just days away from arguably the biggest match of my career so far, now is probably as good a time as any to discuss those subjects.'
Natalie leans forward, towards the camera, but she then lowers her head, and looks at the floor; after a few seconds have passed, she looks backs to the camera, and speaks again.
Natalie: 'The match on Sunday, at Blaze Of Glory, will be my third match since I returned to SCW - going back six months, to Violent Conduct II, that night I competed in what was only the third match of my career in total. At Violent Conduct, I was a challenger for the Bombshell Roulette Championship - just as I will be this Sunday, at Blaze Of Glory. When I became a member of the SCW roster, two months prior to Violent Conduct, not for one moment did I think that, in just my third match, I would be challenging for a title - but lo and behold, that was what happened. However, although things seemed to be going better than I could have wished for, soon everything started to unravel: having been presented with the opportunity to become a champion, I then bottled it - I choked. And having blown that opportunity, I felt ashamed, so I fled Las Vegas, to return home to Cardiff.'
Again, Natalie briefly gazes at the floor, before then returning her attention to the camera.
Natalie: 'I arrived back in Cardiff not knowing when, or even if, I would set foot in a wrestling ring again - competitively, anyway. But while I was feeling sorry for myself, there was something that I hadn't reckoned with: wrestling had gotten under my skin. And barely just over a month after quitting SCW, I got the urge to wrestle again, which resulted in me joining a wrestling promotion based on the East Coast of the US.'
Natalie leans back against the chair.
Natalie: 'By joining a promotion based on the East Coast, on the opposite side of the US from SCW's home territory, I hoped that I would be able to leave behind what had happened in SCW - but I had no such luck. I made my debut for my new employer on the 8th November, on a show in Secaucus, New Jersey - twenty-four hours later, High Stakes IV was staged around fifty miles away, in West Point, New York; try as I might, SCW was hard to avoid.'
Natalie quickly glances over her shoulder, at the wrestling ring in the background, before looking back to the camera.
Natalie: 'Even when I was in the ring - with different wrestlers, surrounded by different fans - there were times when I couldn't escape what had happened in SCW. At the event in Secaucus, I was involved in a tag team match. And there came a point in the match when I had one of my opponents lifted up in a fireman's carry. Then, all of a sudden, I had flashbacks to my previous match - the match at Violent Conduct II - and again...'
Natalie's sentence trails off; she then sighs, before continuing.
Natalie: 'I choked - I had choked at Violent Conduct, when I had the chance to become the Bombshell Roulette Champion, and there I was again, choking when I had the chance to finish off my opponent; this time, my opponent took advantage of my hesitation by freeing herself from the hold, and rolling me up to get the pin.'
Natalie gets up from the chair, rising to her feet.
Natalie: 'When I joined the promotion on the East Coast, I actually claimed that I had never competed in a match before, as if pretending that my time in SCW hadn't happened would make it easier for me to forget about. But instead, throughout my time there, SCW was never far from my thoughts - it didn't take long for me to realise that, if I'm going to be a professional wrestler, then SCW is the place for me. And that's why I'm now back, doing battle again inside the six-sided ring.'
Natalie turns away from the camera, to walk towards the ring; she stops by the ring, and then turns back to face the camera.
Natalie: 'After a couple of matches in Jersey, I admitted my past. Opening up about my past failings helped me to learn from them, and helped me to become a better wrestler. In fact, while I was only on the East Coast for three months, the time that I spent there was still very beneficial to me, as I got to compete against a different set of wrestlers, with different styles, and I got to train with different people. And that's why the Natalie McKinley that Mercedes Vargas was in the ring with during the most recent episode of Climax Control, was different from the one that she was in the ring with at Violent Conduct - it's why the outcome of the match was different from the one at Violent Conduct, and it's also why the outcome of the match at Blaze Of Glory will be different from the one at Violent Conduct; I left Violent Conduct ashamed - I will leave Blaze Of Glory a champion.'
As Natalie clambers up onto the ring apron, the scene changes to the following evening, where Natalie can now be seen stood by Sloper Road, in the Leckwith area of Cardiff; she is now wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, and a black parka. Natalie is stood in front of the Ninian Park Gates; beyond the gates is a deserted car park, and behind that is Cardiff City Stadium.
Natalie puts her hands on her hips; she then begins to speak again.
Natalie: 'Taking into consideration the respective nationalities of myself and Mercedes Vargas, it would have been nice if I could have visited Y Wladfa - a Welsh settlement in Argentina - to record a video there, of me discussing our upcoming match. But as I'm not in a position to be able to afford to travel to anywhere in the world, on a whim, the streets of my hometown will have to suffice as a setting, instead; perhaps I will get to visit Y Wladfa later in the year - I assume that South America will be included in the SCW world tour.'
Natalie gives a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Natalie: 'And after Mercedes chose to sport a replica Wales football kit last week, it seemed fitting for me to come to the venue where Wales have played the majority of their recent home matches.'
Natalie takes her hands off her hips.
Natalie: 'As Mercedes pointed out, in contrast to her country's national football team, Wales have only ever once qualified for the World Cup - and that was fifty-seven years ago. But then, Mercedes, Argentina should expect to be more successful than Wales, as they have a greater number of players to be able to call upon; the population of Argentina is fourteen times that of Wales - actually, there are almost as many people in Buenos Aires alone, as there are in the whole of Wales. However, when it comes to the wrestling ring, and the SCW Bombshell Roulette Championship, all that is needed for you reign as champion to be brought to an end, Mercedes, is a win from just one Welsh female - me. And at Blaze Of Glory, I
will win.'
Natalie turns to look behind her, taking a glance at the gates, before then turning back to face the camera, and continuing.
Natalie: 'To continue the references to football, with all of your facts and statistics, Mercedes, you're starting to sound like Rafael Benitez did a few years ago, when he was feeling the pressure, as his Liverpool team began to capitulate, and were eventually overhauled at the top of the Premier League by Manchester United. Now, I don't suppose that you're feeling the pressure - you've held your title for going on six months, after all - but you are about to be a casualty in an overhaul. Because the roulette division is going to be revamped, with the crowning of a new champion.'
The scene then changes to show Natalie now sat inside Cardiff City Stadium, in one of the blue seats in the otherwise-unoccupied Grandstand.
Natalie: 'While Violent Conduct II was the lowest point of my short career, it was also the night when the Mean Girls took possession of all of the gold on offer to the ladies of SCW. And it's hard to argue that since then, they've been anything other than dominant. I daresay the Mean Girls believe that the Internet Championship was introduced simply to give the other bombshells something to fight over; Mercedes has already opined that I would have been better off aiming for that title, rather than the roulette title - maybe she will turn her attention towards that title following Blaze Of Glory, once she's no longer the Roulette Champion.'
Natalie quickly glances around the stadium, before looking back to the camera.
Natalie: 'Like most of the other SCW bombshells, I've had run-ins on Twitter with each of the Mean Girls - past and present - which have seen them call me "hunty," and other similar names. And, they can call me whatever they want, I don't care - I'm thick-skinned. I'm not a hunt
y, though - right now, I'm a hunt
er; I'm hunting down Mercedes Vargas, and I'm going to capture her roulette title.'
Natalie gets up from her seat.
Natalie: 'I'm aware that a lot of people want to see change in the ranks of the bombshells - they want to see the Mean Girls knocked off their perch. As for me, though, my only concern is the roulette title - but if people want change, then I'm willing to play my part in it. Perhaps me taking the title from Mercedes will be the catalyst for more widespread change - I know that later in the evening, Amy Marshall will be doing everything that she can to dethrone Delia. The Mean Girls will definitely leave Copenhagen with the tag team titles, regardless of what happens at Blaze Of Glory, but I can promise, that by the end of Sunday, the Mean Girls will have one less championship than they began the day with.'
Natalie turns to her right, and walks to the end of the row; she then stops, and turns back to face the camera.
Natalie: 'And speaking of the other members of the Mean Girls, Veronica Taylor thinks that my win against Mercedes eleven days ago was a fluke; Veronica, even Mercedes admitted that luck had nothing to do with the outcome of that match - why can't you accept that?'
Natalie puts her right hand on the back of the seat in the row in front.
Natalie: 'You know, when the roulette wheel is spun, to determine the type of match that Mercedes and I will compete in on Sunday, I hope we end up in a match that can only be won by pinfall or submission - I think that would be the best way for me to show Veronica Taylor, and anyone else that doubts me, that what happened at Climax Control was no fluke. I'm also hoping for a match with such stipulations as I don't want Mercedes to have any excuses, once I defeat her. After her first reign as Roulette Champion was ended by Amy Marshall, Mercedes told Amy that because she had won by escaping a cage, or putting her through a table - rather than pinning her, or making her submit - that she didn't deserve to be the champion; when I win our match on Sunday evening, I want it to conclude with me pinning Mercedes, as that way, she won't have any grounds to make such claims about me not deserving the title.'
She then puts her left hand in the pocket of her jeans.
Natalie: 'Mercedes, I'm not going to be "a footnote" to your reign - I'm going to be the one that ends your reign; this is one test that you can't pass, Mercedes - I'll prove it at Blaze Of Glory.'
Natalie lifts her right hand off the seat in front, and takes her left hand out of her pocket; she then steps to the right, so that she is stood in the aisle.
Natalie: 'On Sunday evening, there isn't going to be a repeat of what happened at Violent Conduct; I won't wilt under the pressure of the spotlight - not this time. At Blaze Of Glory, I'll show that I belong in that six-sided ring. I'll show that I belong in matches where titles are at stake. And on Sunday, when I defeat Mercedes Vargas, I'll show that I have what it takes to be a champion in SCW.'
Natalie walks down the aisle, to the front row of the stand.
Natalie: 'I know how you like your statistics, Mercedes - I mentioned it earlier - so I've come up with a few, specially for you: one - the number of times that I've beaten you, at present; two - the number of times that I'll have beaten you after Sunday; three - the number of days until I take the roulette title from you. One, two, three - it really is that uncomplicated.'
"
Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division then begins to play over the stadium's PA system.
Natalie: 'As if on cue. Well, Mercedes, I guess there's only one thing left for me to say.'
Natalie smirks.
Natalie: 'Nat will tear you apart again.'
As Natalie stands, smiling, and staring confidently at the camera, the scene fades to black.
