T U C S O N • A R I Z O N A
15 DAYS AGO
AND JUST LIKE THAT, it was over.
Depending on who you ask, Mercedes Vargas is many things to many people. Brash. Arrogant. Conceited. But one thing that seems universal is the other term she's most known for: champion. So it may have come to the surprise of many that she no longer has the World Mixed Tag Team Championship when she was in possession of the titles ahead of the Hall of Fame portion prior to High Stakes. And now, just after losing a non-title match to Team Eggplant, Sierra and Lachlan finished where they left off. The match result ended the same as the first.
When Mercedes got through TSA security, a championship title wasn't among her belongings. When her flight touched down in Los Angeles, the one hour and forty-five minutes journey from Tucson didn't ease her mind When she drove home from Los Angeles International Airport, it took all her willpower to avoid three near head-on collisions on Sepulveda Blvd.
Mercedes have had more than her share of agonizing title losses in the past five years in SCW. High Stakes was one of them, has been for five years. Through no fault of her own, the long and short of it is she was no longer a champion. The long and short of it was her partner was pinned. Again. The long and short of it was this loss was going to stay with her for awhile. Sunday's languish bled into Monday's reclusion turned into the weekend's resolution turned into yet another loss three weeks later, this time to Alicia Lukas. She got to leave still undefeated, got to leave with another victory and got to leave with another I-told-you-so moment, at her expense.
Her next match, whoever she would be staring across the ring against, would have to end with her hand raised.
And even then, there was no guarantee that she could even do that. Not when she was facing another two potentially dangerous opponents. It's just as well. She can't win for losing, but if there was ever a time she wanted to avoid a fifth straight loss, keeping her further from her goal in chasing the all-time wins record, it had to be now, more specifically in the month of December, her least favorite month. Winter of despair, maybe. Winter of discontent, most definitely. 2018 was beginning to look a lot like 2015, but maybe there was hope.
In 2015, Mercedes lost her previous four matches. There was one match left to end the year. She went on to win a battle royal and made history as the first-ever Queen for a Day at December 2 Dismember III.
In 2018, Mercedes lost in each of her previous four matches. There was one match left to end the year. Will Sunday see her make history again? This was her last shot at claiming the record for most career wins by a Bombshell in history.
Everything happens for a reason.
~~~
Blog: Almighty Fire: Redefined the Sixth
semana del 2 al 9 de deciembre de 2018
For 223 days I've been without the Honor Championship. Those 223 days seems a lot longer than the 458 days I went unpinned and unsubmitted in Honor. It seems longer than the 202 days I held the title.
There's a Lioness sitting on top as champion now, and I think she's been sitting there a little too long. Now, I'm sure many of you are asking, "Well, Mercedes, it's been seven-plus months. Why haven't you done anything about it?" Well, I've had one little obstacle in my way, namely Brooke Saxon, who took it upon herself to strip me of my rightful rematch clause and until this day I still never got my championship rematch. I mean, what do I have to do? Do I have to start throwing throw rose petals at her feet? Do I have to not be on the roster to get a title shot? Do I have to kiss the ground Brooke walks on, cozy up to her, sing her praises and pretend to be her friend? Or..."
Or, do I just have to be one of her little favorites? Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Maybe there’s a silver lining in all of this. People ask why haven't I done anything about Ali's title reign. It's out of my hands now and I regretfully have to admit that, but whether she defends her title prior to Inception or at the pay-per-view itself..
Something will be done about it.
I go on Twitter and I see Alicia doing her best promotional work hyping her championship and the anonymous person handling SCW's account has seemingly gone head-over-heels over her and the moment I air my grievance, taking issue with the "Alicia is SCW" comment, I'm painted as the bad guy? I know! I can’t believe it either!"
Depending on who you ask, that match between Alicia and I has never been seen before in SCW, that is until two weeks ago. In Honor, we've crossed paths before - and she's never won decisively against me, until now. She wants to paint me as pretentious that I beat her in a battle royal? No, pretentious would be beating 29 other people, including her, having five eliminations, and lasting just under three quarters of an hour despite the fact I entered the first-ever Mayhem Survival match at number four in only my second match while in Honor. Now just because I never got my rematch yet doesn't mean I haven't been watching, I have. Every title defense Alicia has had. She's beat Delia Darling twice, she's now beaten Winter twice, along with two other women in a four-way at High Stakes.
Day by day, Alicia has grown more confident as a champion, but while watching those matches, I've been studying her. Because unlike the rank of the fallen, I'm one of the very few who is her kryptonite. I know every chink in her armor, every weakness even she doesn't know she has. I'm pretty sure I can predict her actions better than I can predict my own. She may think she's the Death Star, but even the Death Star can be destroyed.
You know what's really crazy? That one time she was described as 'one of the single most decorated women in the history of wrestling', which is funny to me because someone who is so decorated wouldn't be opening the show, much less be facing Parand Ara in their debut. But what do I know, right? I'm just Alicia's last opponent who she defeated two weeks ago.
Honestly, I couldn't care less if it was Christian or Brooke behind our match getting signed. No question you've been fighting against history, and you won that one, Alicia. You fought against me, and, well, you won that one too, but history still favors me. You've been calling me out all this time. Well, you got your wish, seven months in the making. No more delays, no more waiting. And you took advantage and you won...
So why does it sound like you still have a chip on your shoulder? You know, I'm beginning to think that this is less about my insecurities and more about you needing me to boost your already over inflated ego with a pat on the back or a handshake and a 'attagirl, Ali'. You wanted me to congratulate you? Let me ask you something. Did Parand Ara congratulate you after you beat her? Did Winter or Trinity or Brittany at High Stakes, hmm? Did you or Jessie congratulate Dani and Sam after last week? You seemed awfully silent then.
Never you mind. Maybe I didn't have to beat you that time, it's because I didn't need to. You won round one and we go our separate ways, but you can bet CC 222 won't be the last time we see each other.
For now, all that stand in my way this weekend is two obstacles. I love obstacles, even more was going over, around or breaking through them.
~~~
L A K E T A H O E • S T A T E L I N E, N E V A D A
The sound of an acoustic guitar in the stillness of night, then a harmony of voices come together singing to Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." Sitting around a campfire, bundled up and keeping her eyes on the glowing fire in front of her as the moon rises, Mercedes sat amongst her castmates, roasting sausages and marshmallows on a stick. Ricardo is strumming along, Hugo holds a medium size piece of firewood while drinking from a thermos cup talks with Irma, who is holding a tablet. Tomas is drinking from a thermos cup.
Ricardo snaps his fingers at the disappointing change of events before leaning his guitar next to him.
Ricardo: Who’s up for a round of “Never Have I Ever"?
Mercedes: What's that?
Irma: It's a game where we have to be completely honest with each other. It's fun.
Mercedes: Is there a lie detector test connected to this?
Ricardo: Last I check, no. You'll get it. To put a little spin on things, we'll chip in five dollars each time we admitted to something. Winner takes all in the end. Sounds good?
Hugo: Don’t worry, all your poor decision-making is about to pay off, literally.
Mercedes: Well, before you said that, I was a feeling a little self conscious.
Ricardo: I guess I'll start. Never have I ever fallen asleep at the movies.
All but Mercedes placed down five dollars on a circle.
Hugo: Really, Mercedes?
Mercedes: Netflix for me. I rarely go to the movies, and when I do, I make sure its a movie thats worth it. Never have I ever skipped school.
Only the men threw in the money this time.
Hugo throws the piece of wood in the fire and stands to his feet.
Hugo: It depends on what "is" is.
Irma: I'm the only one from my family who went to college. Sometimes I wonder if that diploma was worth it.
Mercedes holds a cup from thermos in hands. Ricardo pours hot coffee with milk in cup from thermos.
Mercedes: What did you major?
Irma: I'm a CPA. Wouldn't exactly call it the most glamorous job in the world, but it pays the bills. You?
Mercedes: Communications.
Ricardo: How that turned into a wrestling career?
Mercedes: You have no idea.
She nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders, adding a condescending smile.
***Fade***
[~~~
Smile Because it Happened The Ninth: Look What You've Made Me Do The Eighth: Outliers, Part IV
Present Day • L A K E T A H O E • S T A T E L I N E, N E V A D A
[REC•]
Scene opens up on a skier carving a turn on the slopes as they maneuver through the powdered snow. The skier jumps off a ledge and timely pulls off an aerial stunt before falling awkwardly. A gasp went up from onlookers as the skier hit the ground in a crumpled heap.
Above a gondola lift on its way down, Mercedes Vargas winces at the sight of the fall, then slowly turns to the camera.
"That's probably going to hurt."
Sporting winter gear and a hat over her head in protest of the cold, the Argentine is in deep thought.
"2018 is almost over, and not a moment too soon.
"It's almost bittersweet, to be honest with you. All the pomp and circumstance. The trials and tribulations. The hype and platitudes. The endless machinations of a lame duck champion backed by a clueless, gutless, and spineless general manager who already proven her incompetent at her job by allowing someone not even on the roster to compete in a championship match, on pay-per-view no less."
Mercedes holds up one finger in a wait-a-minute gesture.
"OK, we can't forget about the winners at the SCW Year-End Awards or the inductees in the Hall of Fame. But SCW returning and the Honor-SCW merger takes the cake."
"But that's not what we're here to talk about, is it. I've got a match this weekend, and I can't say I'm not excited about it.
"Sierra, I wouldn't take stock in your hubby's tweet, because you don't 'got this'. What you 'got' is a match that will be anything less than a walk in the park. The only difference is Ella is simply trying to win a match, maybe even beating one of us. I’m going to beat you within an inch of your life and won’t be satisfied by anything less. So whatever plans you have of walking out still undefeated, cancel them. Matter of fact, crumple it up and throw it away. I'd say that a very pissed off Latina can be a very, VERY big problem. You and I have some unfinished business, sweetheart, and you're going to get everything, everything that's coming to you."
Mercedes briefly slips into Spanish.
"Si divison de mujer no hablara de mí, ellos no tendrían nada para hablar de. Soy regla de oro y el más condecorado luchador nunca. Una y otra vez, soy la persona que la gente sintonice para ver que se preocupan por. Aún está siendo robado de mí siempre."
"If the women’s divison weren’t talking about me, they’d have nothing to talk about. I'm the gold standard and the most decorated wrestler ever. Time and time again, I am the person that people will tune in to see that they will care about. Yet it's being stolen from me every time."
Mercedes is caught between resolve and anger, moving her arms a lot while returning back to English.
"So how am I getting ready for this triple threat? Well, I stay ready, because this is the thing - there's only one triple threat in this match, and it's not you, it's me. In the ring, on the microphone, in the record books. I'm the whole damn package. You have nothing on me except for two fluke wins that saw my partner get pinned both times.
"Who's to stop me from winning my twelfth championship? Sam Marlowe? Alicia Lukas? Dani Weston? Jessie Salco? You?
"Don't think I'm calling anyone out, or expecting a handout. I have no problem working my way back to title contention, but it won't take me long to get there either. No championship is safe when I'm around, and I'm the worst possible matchup anyone can ask for. Everybody knows and everybody’s going to stay knowing it when I beat you and Ella at Climax Control."
She nods her head slowly, then begins to add hand movements in time with her words.
Some would say facing Ella Singleton is a charity match, and I can't help but agree with them. Am I going to take her lightly? I don't see why not. Unless she proves otherwise, I don't plan on letting up on why she will never amount to anything in SCW until she shows that she really wants to be known as someone to be taken seriously instead of a vapid, brainless, spoiled brat. Just because you seem to be well off than everyone else doesn't mean you have the right to make the rest of us miserable."
Mercedes wags her finger at the camera, the sudden revelation brings an wide grin on her face evidently.
"As far as you and me are concerned, you can offer me money, but there are some things money can't buy. You and Sierra has the advantage here only because the last time either of you had a match was back at High Stakes. I'm facing not one but two opponents and my track record in triple threats isn't that great, so no, I don't have an advantage... but it won't matter because fighting against the odds is what I do best, and come Sunday night, you and Miss Seven-Year-Veteran are going to be the start of my redemption. If you thought Jessie Salco was a challenge, then I know you're going to have your hands full when it comes to someone that can literally run circles around you. Ella, you're starting to learn, like Alicia did last week, that there is no nights off in SCW's women's division. I’m sorry to have to be the one to bring this up. I’m sorry to have to be the one who kicks you back down that pit when you feel like you’re so close to climbing out. It won't happen Sunday, and not at my expense, that I promise you."
She continues to nod and looks straight into the lens, but she wore a hint of a smile. She ran her hand through her hair, then looked out for a long moment, pensive, before returning her attention to the camera.
"I don’t wrestle because I have to. I do it because I want to. When I win championships, when I set foot inside a wrestling ring - four sides, six sides, no sides - I'm not wearing a pair of high heels, I wear wrestling boots.
"Because I'm a wrestler.
"This isn't just a ring, it's my home. This isn't just passion, it's emotion. It's not just wrestling, it's my life. I spent the better part of 2018 silencing critics within SCW who called me a has-been and that I should've stayed away. In 2019, I'll continue to prove that when it comes to being the best, nobody does it better.
"And it starts, Ella, by closing out 2018 with your name on my checklist."
Mercedes pauses to emphasize her last words before turning her attention to her other problem. She leans forward just a bit, her expression changing to sympathy.
"Priceless by birth. Bitch by choice. Loser by nature."
She paused, tilts her head slightly and adds an addendum to the last sentence."
"Sounds like a nice life to live, huh?"
There’s a cocky half-grin on her face as she now speaks in Spanish.
"Estar preparado para lo peor, esperar lo mejor."
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."
She pauses for effect, lowering her voice just above a whisper.
"Y que la suerte está siempre en su favor.”
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."
The gondola touches down and Mercedes exits the ride a few feet from the lodge as she trudges to the resort lounge.
***Fade***
