[Mark Ward]

 Post all roleplays for this match here.

Limits: 1 RP per week, 10,000 words max.

Good luck!

[Alicia Lukas]

 The great rediscovery.
GO Gym facility Las Vegas
Last Week.

It had been 24 hours since Climax Control. 24 hours for the wrestling world to digest the actions of everyone on the show. From Johanna’s win, to Amber Ryans brutal attack, to Alicia Lukas laying out the champion post main event. It was an eventful night. And here we are a few days later. The GO Gym in Vegas being reserved for the members of Wolfslair now based there instead of New York. Alicia had a new confidence about her. Not that she had been lacking before.

But this was new. Well, new for some of them to see. This was the Alicia Lukas who dominated Honor, twice, the Alicia Lukas who was so dominating in WWH they had to screw her out of the Women's world title (ask Maki). The Alicia Lukas so dominating that certain board members and higher ups in WWH blocked Alicia from getting awards she rightfully deserved. The Alicia Lukas, who in SCW, won said awards by the armful and became the best Bombshells champion of the modern era.

Alicia walked passed the other members of the gym. Aiden Reynolds was talking to Kallie, they were laughing. But as Alicia walked they both stopped and gave a small nod of respect, it was followed by Johanna, her hulking arms folded over her chest as she and Austin to gave her the nod. Johanna giving her a small salute. Alicia put her bag down, unzipped her jacket and laid it on her bag before beginning to stretch.

Everyone else went about their drills, using ropes, using weights, grappling on the mats. Alicia bounced on the balls of her feet, she noticed Alex was absent from the workouts, that wasn’t like him. But someone who wasn’t. Was Charlie Jones. Alex’s younger sister. An incredible talent in her own right but someone who had transitioned back to MMA last year. She was now the Triumph FC bantamweight champion.

Thank god she didn't want to wrestle right now. SCW would be a target.

Charlie came over and stood next to Alicia leaning against a wall, her arms folded over her chest, her long black hair tied back. You could tell she was related to Alex, the way they stood, the air of confidence they carried around them. An aura of knowing just how good they were and what they could do. ”Feeling better are we? No longer held down by your perceived “failures”?....”

Alicia scoffed and shook her head. Her mind flashed back to a few weeks ago, the anger she felt at losing to Myra Rivers, knowing that she had been outclassed, the anger she felt before that, losing a tag team match and knowing that it was Andrea who failed them. The last month and a half Alicia had been furious, holding it inward. And now all that anger, all that frustration had been focused. Not released, but used for a purpose.

”I guess you could say that” Charlie laughed to herself and gave Alicia a small pat on the shoulder walking out towards the grapple mats, she rolled her shoulders and started to warm up herself before looking over at Alicia. Everyone stopped. Alicia knew what Charlie was doing, what she meant. She smiled and stepped forward.

Alicia could outgrapple anyone else. The trainees, Kallie, Johanna. But Charlie was different. She was a BJJ Black belt, she was a goddess on the ground. Alicia had never been able to get the better of nher. And now, the gym had stopped.they were all prepared to watch this happen. Alicia walked forward stepping on the mat and the two women moved around each other, they then locked up….and Alicia knew she would only get better….

Don’t you love Daddy anymore?
New Yo

2 and a half yea


“Boys!...Boys can you come down here please?” Alicia stood at the base of the long winding staircase. Her hands on her hips as she wears a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Rory and Ryan opened their bedroom door and laughed as they made their way down to their mother. Alicia smiled wide as they stopped in front of her. The house a little quieter with Michael away.

“What is it momma?” Rory tilted his head as his younger brother Ryan stood next to him. Ryan always let his older sibling take charge.  

“I have something to tell you and something to discuss, come with me.” Alicia led them through the beautiful old house in D.C she moved into. It was Michaels, passed down through his family for generations, Alicia had been helping him restore it, originally he was afraid of Alicia helping with renovations till he realised it was more a restoration, keeping it all natural. As Alicia walked into the kitchen she had made the boys lunch, her mother’s fried chicken recipe. They moved around and got on the stools as Ali leaned forward. “So, on New Years eve...Michael asked me a question…”

Ryan blinked and picked up the chicken eating a piece as Rory seemed more curious, his head tilting as he looked down and noticed the ring on his mother’s hand. “What kind of question momma?” She smiled and leaned in close.

“A very important one. See Michael asked me to marry him…” There was a silence as the words came, Rory seemed to understand and he gave his mother a small nod, he looked at Ryan, his eyes almost begging his younger brother to stay quiet. Ryan though slowly put the piece of chicken on the plate and swallowed hard, his little face looking upset.  “What’s wrong honey?” Alicia couldn’t help herself, the motherly instincts took over, Ryan seemed so sad, she needed to know why, Ryan looked at Rory with big eyes almost pleading with him to say it instead.

Rory just shook his head before Ryan blurted it out. “Don’t you love Daddy anymore?” Alicia’s heart dropped as her jaw seemed to stutter without words coming out, Rory looked away with a sigh, trying to hold back frustration from his younger brother. Rory had been almost three when Alicia left, Ryan was still a baby. He never understood and was too young to see or remember. Alicia had always feared Rory knew, that he had seen too much as a child.  

She sighed and thought deep before her answer, Ryan had looked up to his father, he was closer to Ronnie than Rory was. “Well, your father and I...we haven’t.”

“Mom and Dad shouldn’t be together Ryan and they won’t, I told you...Dad is not a good guy.” Alicia was shocked by Rory's outburst, she swallowed hard as Ryan seemed to go back into his shell, Rory grabbed his piece of chicken ripping pieces of it off. Alicia turned just to Ryan and leaned in.

“Your father and I have one thing in common, we love you very much, you and your brother. But don’t you like Michael?” The question rolled off her tongue as she felt fear rise up in her heart. What if Ryan didn’t accept Michael? She loved him, Rory had bonded with him and Michael adored them, taking care of them as if they were his own. He helped them with homework, he took them to their football games, he helped them cook for Alicia’s birthday, he was there for them.

Ryan looked up, his blue eyes so much like Alicia’s own, he seemed to hold back tears. “Is it….is it ok if I like Michael more than Daddy?” The question hit her again, not expecting it. She looked over at Rory who gave her a small knowing smile, he was so smart for an 8 year old.

“You can’t help your feelings for anyone honey. I love Michael, he loves me, he loves both of you. Your dad loves you two as well in his own way. This doesn’t change anything. This doesn’t stop you from being with your dad or me…”  

“Promise?” Ryans voice cracked and he held out his pinky, Alicia grinned and took his in hers with a chuckle.

“Pinky promises never break right?” He gave her a fast nod and smiled finishing his chicken in record time before sliding off the stool,

Rory followed at a slower pace before turning around. “Hey mom?” Alicia made a small acceptance noise and a nod. “I know why you can’t be with him….I’m glad you’re happy…..I like Michael….you deserve it….” He gave her a faint smile and backed away as his baby brother called for him, Alicia felt pride and happiness she had never expected, a smile coming across her face as she picked up her tea sipping it slowly, her eyes catching her ring….

Knocking on the door

Alicia sat on the floor of the GO gym, her legs pulled up to her chest. It was after hours, no one was around. Just her. The mats on the floor providing enough comfort to sit for an extended period of time. Her long hair was under the pulled up hood of her black and gold SCW sweatshirt. She slowly smiled and laughed to herself.

”It’s weird coming into a title match with two straight losses. See, this world, this business is all built on things like momentum. And truth be told Evie Jordan is the one with all of it in this match. Andrea and I have both suffered two losses back to back. One which we share. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it really made me angry, frustrated and worried. Thing is that losses as a whole aren’t really that bad if you know how to handle them. How to learn from them. How to grow. See, some in SCW lose, and bury their heads in the sand, they never confront it. I’ve watched Jesse Salco lose match after match to the point where she had broken records only to turn u0p the next week and state that she’s the best bombshell on the roster and is about to prove it...only to lose again.”

Alicia laughed to herself. It was admirable in a way. Past of her was jealous, jealous that she couldn’t feel that way. That she couldn’t just eat a loss and then go out there and state she was still the best of the best with no reason or proof. But then again, Alicia had proof. She had the past history. She looked up and straight, a cheeky grin on her lips and a glint in her bright blue eyes.

”The way I deal with loss, is to look at myself and wonder how I can use it to get better. How I can use it to my advantage. When Andrea and I lost that tag match, mI took two things away from it. mOne was that the referees in SCW need help in understanding the rules they are paid to enforce and the other is that I no longer want to be in any tag team as I can’t trust anyone. I can’t trust Andrea Hernandez, that’s for damn sure. The only person I can trust is me. But then, I faced Myra Rivers. And that one. That one hurt, that one was a perfect storm of my own doing. See, I told the world I wasn’t going to take Myra lightly, I said that I would go toe to toe with her and we would have a great match.”

“But I also reminded her who I was and what I was capable of. In an effort to get in Myra’s head, I got in my own. See Myra is a former world champion of other companies, while she may have respected what I have accomplished here, in her mind she had accomplished just as much, maybe even more.”

“Myra beat me, she beat me one on one which, well I don’t have to tell you how rare it is, but I will anyway. I can count on one hand the people who have been able to get the better of me by themselves in the ring. And I mean, without outside interference, so sorry Roxi, Seleana both of y’all don’t count. But now, Myra Rivers can add herself to that list, and my greatest hope is that she uses that fact to her advantage. That she has success in SCW like she has everywhere else, cause if now, a win over me like that. Well, it’s just a waste. But you know who can’t say they have beaten me one on one?. Evie Jordan and Andrea Hernandez….and after this match...that won’t be any different.”

She scoffs, her arrogance building on top of the confidence. Alicia pushed up to her feet, her hands sliding into the front pocket of her hoodie as she paced back and forth.

”See, when I first came to SCW, it was about continuing a legacy and also helping the bombshells division be recognised as the best collection of talent in the wrestling world. I wanted to work my way up to the top of that mountain so I could be a leader. So I could lift up the rest of the division. Sure, there were some women who rubbed me the wrong way who I simply could not stand. But for the most part I wanted the division and everyone in it to prosper. I wanted my scalp to be a prize just as big as the SCW bombshells title. I wanted the entire division to care about beating me and to make it a big deal. So then they could make themselves stars and we could all hold out heads high.”

“But, that didn’t happen. Because instead of finding a roster full of women who wanted to work their way up, who wanted to scratch and claw and pull themselves to a higher plain of talent. I found a bunch of whiny entitled brats. I found the veterans like Crystal and Kate throwing tantrums and only putting in the bare minimum work. Other veterans like Amy Santino and Roxi Johnson reacting poorly to title opportunities I offered them. Amy thinking she wasn’t good enough and Roxi refusing to show me any of the respect I had EARNED. I wanted to have a place of warriors, instead...I found a roster full of petty bitches.”

“I couldn’t uplift the division through hard work and respect/ So now, I’m going to drag it kicking and screaming to where I want it.”

“See, I may have been confident before, in my abilities and what I could do in the ring, but now?. Now I;m not giving any shits about your silly little feelings. See, to save the Bombshells, I need to destroy the bombshells. Yo make sure this division and the company gets back to the heights I took it, I need to be harder on everyone. I need to rule the division with an iron fucking fist.”

Alicia closes her hand and laughs to herself. Sounding confident but also, slightly delusional.

”So, I’m going to need MY title back. And I call it MY title because none of you have stood up to take ownership of it. When I won that title off of Dani Westonm I did it in emphatic fashion and wanted to make it mean something, then thanks to Crystal Zdunich and Seleana having a magic horseshoe up her ass I watched it get stolen away. Did I sit on my ass and fall into a depression? No, I fought my way back, took the title back and then went non a run that made the title mean something. Dani had been a great champion but she lacked vision. She lacked drive.”

“I made that title a prize, I made the division matter. ME, no one else, ME. And I didn’t get a thank you, I got begrudging respect. And to top it off, when I did lose the title it wasn’t even in a one on one match, it was while I was locked in a cage with almost the entire division. I didn’t whine, I didn’t complain, I embraced the challenge. When the dust settled I was hurt, Roxi was the champion and instantly...in seconds, my reign, my hard work, my legacy was forgotten and pissed on.”

“It was replaced by a fake ass redemption story. One where the champion took that title, and then lost it with a whimper.”

“Meanwhile I was put on the goddamn sideline. I had to watch as the title jumped between you all. In fact, four of you have held that championship since I was out. I built that title up to be a goddamn shining beacon of skill and championship glory and in five months y’all turned it into the village whore...great work…”

Alicia grits her teeth together. Her anger building back up now as she takes in a sharp nionhale and then slowly lets it out calming herself down.

”Someone guilty of this is Andrea Hernandez. And thing is I don’t fully blame you Andrea. I made the connection between us clear when I said straight up I saw myself in you. The new girl, setting SCW on fire and quickly becoming someone worthy of the championship. And for the most part that's what happened. I can’t deny how good you are Andrea, I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. You’re a great professional wrestler, you have a lot of talent. Hell, you lost the title fast and here you are getting a shot at getting it back, just like me.”

“But there’s a difference Andrea,”

“See, while I was screwed out of my first title reign and had to come back with a stomach full of fire to prove it was just that, a screwjob, you simply…..lost. To the better woman. And trust me Andrea, on that night, Evie was the better woman. You still have a shot in this match to reclaim the ntitle and I get it I do. You had a taste. You had a taste of the glory and the power that comes with being a champion, the feeling you get knowing that you can say you are the best and no one can really tell you any different. Because you have proof in your hands.”

“You want that feeling back, I don’t blame you. Because so do I.”

“I also know that you want to make amends for the title reign you failed in. Not even making it to two months Andrea, it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking, and its something you feel like you need. But, the irony isn’t lost on me. See when you and I faced one another, and I beat you, you said that you thought I had “overstayed” my welcome as champion, basically parotting Roxi, and it must burn you that your words can now be used against you, cause bitch...you wish you’d been champion long enough to have people think of you like that, cause damnit...I took a nap and missed your whole goddamn title reign…”

Alicia laughs to herself and sighs before leaning back against the brick wall at the back of the gym.

”Then, there’s the champion. The real redemption story of SCW. The one Roxi wishes she could have been. See, back in 2017 Evie was the champion. She was able to become the champ by beating Crystal, a fact that will always put a smile on my face. But as quickly as Evie won it, she let it slip away. To Polly Playtime. POLLY. GODDAMN. PLAYTIME. And for the next three years Evie wasn’t in the world title picture. Of course she was still in and around SCW, teaming with her husband Ben, being around in and out of the ring proving herself to be a great talent. But, then Evir was able to build herself back to where she was in 2017.”

“You won the blast from the past, you beat Andrea. You became the champion.”

Slow applause, a snarky smile and then a chuckle under her breath. What a bitch…

”I’m not going to deny how talented you are Evie, you or Ben. You both climbed your way to the top of the mountain and get to be the golden couple of SCW. The only question is, how long will it last?. Ben has to defend his title, and he has been a fighting champion, and you have to put your belt up against one of the most dominating champions in the history of SCW…”

“And Andrea too..I guess…”

“And there lies the interesting part about all this. Out of the three of us I am the only one with a proven track record of being the best. Of defending the title and being a success. You two have both had title reigns that barely made it out of the first month and here we are in Evie’s second reign, with a title she won at Into the void, and in between the two shows, in fifty six days, Evie has not defended the title ONCE. And hey, I get it, some yahoos will say that Evie doesn’t book the card or her matches and, you know that is true. But look at what I did as champion?. I gave open title shots, I defended the title whenever I could and I made damn sure that title was represented.”

“I held the bombshells title for nine months in my second reign. And defended it nine times. It doesn’t take a genius to see that I defended it on average once a month.”

“We haven’t seen Evie defend the title. And again, she could say it’s not her job to book title matches. But as a champion you have a lot of sway here. And it’s just sad that the ability to stand up and be a champion people care about and respect isn’t secually transmitted. And that Evie, is one of the reasons I did what I did on climax control. See, I said in between the bells I would be a fair referee and I would call it down the middle and I did just that. But, coming into the match at Summer XXXtreme I needed to make a statement. I needed to make the world take notice Evie.”

“Because as a champion, sweetheart, you have been a giant bust and a failure. So, as I said...to save the division. I have to destroy it. Starting with you two…just remember...this ain’t personal”

[Evie Baang]

 Disadvantage: an unfavourable circumstance that reduces the chances of one’s success.

WOW! Let’s talk about the odd’s being stacked against the current Sin City Wrestling World Bombshell Champion Evie Jordan. She is just days away from walking into her first title defence since winning the championship belt at Into the Void. She is just days away from her first non-tag team match since Into the Void and well she is just days away from coming face to face to face with two of the strongest Bombshell’s on the current roster.

Andrea Hernandez and Alicia Lukas.

Talk about the champion being the underdog, talk about the landslide that is rolling down the hillsides hurdling in her direction, looking to crash right into her. Since winning the World Bombshell Championship, Evie hasn’t clouded her judgement, not once has she not recognized her position. The throne might sit on top of the Bombshell roster, but the castle is surrounded, no matter what direction you look, the north, south, east or west there was always going to be a contender just waiting in the shadows, just scouting their opportunity to take custody of the lands and overthrow the crown. Evie wasn’t blind, she could see that the battle had merely just begun and with great responsibility came great danger and the danger that was staring her right in the face belonged to…

Andrea Hernandez and Alicia Lukas.

The thrill of the chase was alive and well with Andrea, since losing to Evie at Into the Void she has been vocal about her frustration she had made her intentions clear and even with the downward spiral her career might appear to taking, not once has she shifted her attention from attaining her revenge and ultimately resurging her way back towards the top of the roster. Andrea has refused to give up on her hopes to turn over a new leaf and she has vowed to do everything in her power to prove the whole world wrong, that she deserves to be at the top and she deserves to be the World Bombshell Champion. Though hell and high water, Andrea was happy to tread and tread until her legs gave out, just so she could make a break towards her definitive goal of becoming a two-time World Bombshell Champion. The fight would be strong in Andrea the will to right a wrong and to overcome the bitterness of defeat would be passionate and intense and nothing would stop her onslaught not even the after taste of failure, that was salivating between her lips.

With Andrea it was personal, Evie could feel hate that Andrea propelled towards her and to be honest she couldn’t help but beam with pride. Hate is what Evie lived with for years, to some it felt like a prison but to Evie it was comforting. It was what she was used to and while it crippled and deformed others to act out of character it was all too familiar to Evie, it was second nature and she wielded it like a sword.

The road to recovery was short yet painful for Alicia Lukas but her motivation never shifted as she focused on two main agendas on her way back, Bobbie and reclaiming her lost precious. Perhaps that would explain her actions last Sunday night on Climax Control, acting like Gollum without his gold ring? Alicia’s gravitational pull towards the World Bombshell Championship, couldn’t be denied. Since her return Alicia had been racking up the wins as quickly as the next victim was placed in front of her, even with an out of field lost to Myra… she refused to stay down and out. Instead she chose to prove to the world why she was here and why she had come back from her injury with a vengeance. The World Bombshell Championship in her eyes was hers and everyone else was just babysitting it.  That’s why she planted Evie on Sunday night to prove to the world that even with a lost under her belt, she wasn’t to be sneezed at. She wanted to show the world that “mummy” was in fact home. Alicia was a solid contender to pluck Evie’s World Bombshell Championship, in fact many have speculated that Evie was just a transitional champion and that next Sunday the belt would once again change hands and land in the lap of the longest reigning Bombshell Champion, Alicia Lukas.

With Alicia it was a battle of pride, Evie could feel the sense of ownership radiate off of Alicia as if she were born to be the Sin City Wrestling World Bombshell Championship and she detested it. So far in her Sin City Wrestling career, Evie was yet to conquer the almighty Alicia Lukas. Nevertheless the last time they came face to face Evie had nothing to lose but this time, at Summer XXXTreme Evie’s hand grasped onto the whole world that Alicia was begging for and there was no way on God’s little green and blue earth that Evie was going to go down without a fight. There was no way, Evie was going to let Alicia’s self-entitled, greedy hands stain the legacy she was trying to build for herself. She would use the cockiness of Lukas against her and her trademark smile wouldn’t leave her face whilst she was accomplishing it.

Summer XXXTreme was around the corner and the shift of power was in the air, as people counted Evie Jordan out. This wasn’t going to be an easy win, but it would be a victory worth fighting for and between you and I, Evie was only just getting comfortable with her newfound power. People often focus on the struggle of working towards being at the top, but they seem to gloss over the painful strain that retaining and defending the title comes with. It’s part of the parcel, it comes hand in hand and if anyone thinks that the battle is over once obtaining the World Bombshell Championship, they are simply kidding themselves. Making her way to the top wasn’t easy but Evie had said since day one, anyone and everyone can reach the top, what matters is staying there and right now with Summer XXXTreme a week and a bit away the odds of her staying put in her throne, were looking bleak.

The reality was simple, the disadvantage was blaringly obvious for the champion, the odds were not in her favour and the chance of her losing her freshly won World Bombshell Championship wasn’t a far-off possibility. The battle lines had been drawn, the conditions had been set and Evie wasn’t just preparing herself for a triple threat match at the super card… she was bracing herself to go to war.

Only time would tell if she was woman enough to protect the castle, defend the throne and retain the championship.

###

To say her blood was boiling would have been an understatement as Evie strolled up the ramp and headed backstage after last week’s Climax Control. Sure, Ben had secured the victory for their team and that meant they were on their merry way towards the super card but that didn’t remove the bitter taste of anger out of Evie’s mouth as she nursed the left-hand side of her face. The stinging feeling of Alicia’s knee striking her face, was enough to have the bells ringing in Evie’s ears as if to alarm her brain that something didn’t feel right. Ben remained by his wife’s side, guiding her up the runway and into the back. It didn’t take long for the Sin City Wrestling medical team to swarm her, this wasn’t a feeling she would get used to. Evie hated it when people made a fuss over her, but since returning to Sin City Wrestling, she had found herself in this situation more times than she would have liked. Some may say it was the nature of their sport, but to Evie pain used to walk alongside her, pain used to be her shadow and right now it was her heaviest enemy doing everything in its power to weigh her down.

The medical team ushered Evie off to the side of the hallway, shoving her backwards plonking her down on a nearby table before she saw the flashing lights of a torch wave back and forth in front of her eyes. The nurse watched Evie’s body react like normal, not giving them any reason to worry and as soon as they rushed her, they pack of them has rushed away leaving her alone with Ben. Looking across the hallway, Ben waited for the crowd to clear, before he made his way back over to his wife’s side but he wasn’t empty handed as he juggled his World Heavyweight Championship and Evie’s World Bombshell Championship in his left hand, while he cradled a bag of ice in his right. As he made his way towards her, Evie could tell from the look that crossed his face, he was concerned he had gone that sickly pale he got when something wasn’t sitting well with him and Evie could tell that his beautiful clear blue eyes were fixated on the fresh hardboiled egg that was forming under her skin, pushing her skin to its absolute limit on her forehead. Evie didn’t even need a mirror to tell her that, as she could feel her skin tighten and like an over filled pimple the egg was just waiting to burst.

“You’re going to need this.” Ben expressed his concern with a frown. “I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off you.” A disappointed sigh followed.

Ben took a seat up beside Evie, letting go of their championships as the draped over the side of the table. Evie turned to look towards Ben she couldn’t help but muster a smile, she didn’t want him to worry nor should he, she had definitely suffered worse beatings in her time and cheeky cheap shot and an blistering headache and an annoying bump on her head, wasn’t going to keep her down. Well not for long anyways.

“Don’t be ridiculous” Evie warned him. “You had no idea Alicia was going to go all rouge spice after the match and try and diminish our hard work.” Her sarcastic tone was alive and well.

Ben could tell that his wife was doing all she could to reassure him that this was out of his control, but seeing his wife sitting their nursing a bump on her head wasn’t a sight he enjoyed seeing. Evie just rested the good side of her head on his shoulder as the two took a moment to gather their thoughts, letting their bodies cool off from their match. It was in this moment that all the aches and pains would start to creep back into their bodies, as the hype had drawn out.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Evie denied it. “I’m more concerned that it’s ruined my magnificent face.” She chuckled.

Ben reached around Evie with his left arm, snaking it around her back so he could tuck her in under his arm, while with his right hand he reached up and held the ice against the budding egg on her head. He kept his touch on her head soft and gentle but the death grip that was wrapped around her body was enough to remind her that he was worried about her.

“You’re beautiful to me, no matter what.” He beamed with wicked husband like arrogance. “In fact, I think you could pull this look off.” Ben smiled.

Evie just shook her head at him, Ben was trying to make her laugh and he wasn’t far off from getting there but she couldn’t let him get away with it so easily.

“You think?” She stressed her words.

Ben quickly cleared his throat. “I mean I KNOW.” He smiled, innocently.

Hoping he had recovered from his slip up, Ben flashed her his best guiltless smile trying to draw her in with the best reassuring smile he could offer. Evie just turned ignored him, she didn’t mean to it’s just the shooting pain from the bump of her head had stolen her attention. Evie turned her concentration away from him, looking down at the ground before turning her gaze back over towards her World Bombshell Championship. Tonight, was a reminder that at any time, she could slip up and let her guard down and if tonight were during the triple threat match, if tonight were her verses Alicia Lukas, she very well could have lost the World Bombshell Championship. Her body stiffened under the thought of losing her title in her first defence and she couldn’t help but feel nauseous. Ben followed Evie’s line of sight and he could see that her mind had led her down a dangerous path. The worry line that had formed in the middle of her forehead was a dead giveaway. Evie was lost in thought of having her title stripped away, while Ben was watching from the outside, not knowing exactly what tricks her mind were playing on her but he knew he had to snap her out of it. It was his duty as her protector and wonderful husband.

“Don’t do that.” Ben spoke softly. “Don’t you dare even think about it.” He shook his head from side to side. “Alicia got in a cheap shot, it’s not going to happen like that at Summer XXXTreme. You’ll be more than ready for her, you already know what both Alicia and Andrea are capable of inside the ropes… I know what you’re capable of inside those ropes… I know that you know what you’re capable of inside those ropes, so for the greater good of your conscious, knock it off.” His tone was soft but direct.

Ben had away with words and to some, it might have seemed like a riddle but to Evie she understood what he was getting at. Evie moved her focus back to her husband and she put on her best smile, but he could see through the smoke screen.

“We aren’t leaving this spot, right here… until you put those thoughts to rest.” Ben protested. “I will not allow you to doubt yourself over one little lack of judgement.” He growled. “You have worked too hard and fought tooth and nail to get where you are today… don’t think for a single second that Alicia is better than you inside the ring because it’s not true.” He campaigned.

Evie couldn’t help but frown, she knew Ben was trying his best to remove all doubt from her mind but there was one thing that her mind couldn’t shake from the memory bank.

“She’s beaten me before, Ben.” Evie sighed. “And if Summer XXXTreme is anything like tonight, she could very likely beat me again.” She groaned.

Ben removed the ice from Evie’s head, remembering what the medic had told him earlier, on and off was the approach for ice on the head as you didn’t want to freeze the brain. He tossed it up and down in his hand before he chucked it down on the table beside them, using his icy cold fingers he cupped underneath her chin guiding her attention back up towards him. Ben needed his wife to listen to him when he spoke, or otherwise they wouldn’t be moving from this table for a while.

“Just because Alicia had your number once, doesn’t mean she’ll have it again… in fact, all you have to do is change the numbers.” He winked. “Alicia might think she has you calculated, she might think she knows everything you can do inside the ring, so take her off guard and give her a taste of her own medicine.” Ben smiled.

Evie wanted to disagree with him, but the reality was, she couldn’t everything he was saying to her was making perfect sense. She went to open her mouth to speak but she was cut off with Ben’s English accent.

“I know you think Alicia is the main threat in this match, but you can’t count out Andrea… she is unhinged as of late.” Ben sighed. “Blaming you for things you didn’t even say or do. Now I’m not saying this to ruffle your feathers, or to get you doubting yourself because of Alicia and Andrea I’m bringing this up so you can see the bigger picture… every match you have from here on out is going to be the biggest match of your career because with each match moving forward, you carry the weight of this.” He paused.

Ben tapped the muddled piled of both their Championship belts wrapped up in one another before he moved closer to Evie, holding onto her still as if he feared she would slip out of his hand.

“You can’t let the weight of these, and the weight of whom you are facing inside the ring, cloud the judgment of what’s going on in here.” Ben stopped.

Reaching up he tapped Evie’s head ever so gently, making sure he didn’t cause her any pain.

“You are one of the best wrestlers Sin City Wrestling has ever seen and I know for a damn fact that you are the toughest bombshell to ever walk through those doors… you strike fear in your competition, you did back then when you first started and you still do now. Don’t think that you can’t outrun these newer girls, don’t think you can’t beat them.” He paused. “What you can do out there, between those ropes is second nature, it’s engrained in you… you know that.” He said, powerfully.

Evie just looked at him, her green eyes gazing into his blue ones as he laid it all on the line for her. Ben was right, she couldn’t allow herself to slip out now, she couldn’t allow herself to dwell in the past, she couldn’t change the fact that Alicia had beaten her once before but she could sure as hell change the face that she wouldn’t beat her again. Evie exhaled deeply knowing that her next few words would come back to bite her in the future.

“You’re right.” She sighed, painfully.

Evie loved to hate the look that was now on her husband’s face. Ben had a look of proud cocky confidence that beamed off his face like a set of headlights blinding in the shadows. He ran his tongue over his teeth, smacking his lips together before he smiled down at her, the goofy mocking smile that only Ben could muster.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” He joked.

Evie cringed. “I said, you’re right.”

A sigh escaped her blood red lips, she was expecting him to cheer in victory, but Ben knew when to celebrate and when to bank them up to use in the future and tonight was one of those save it up for a rainy-day type of nights. Instead the Cockney King, didn’t say a word he just slipped off the table, reaching back he held out his hand for Evie to take and without a second to waste she intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand as he led her off towards the showers. As Evie walked past the table, she scooped up their titles and the modern-day power couple of Sin City Wrestling, were finally able to make their way towards the Saxon Hotel.

###

Monday was the fresh face of delight in the eyes of the Jordan’s as they were loading up their private jet and leaving the constraints of the Saxon Hotel. It wasn’t that they were ungrateful for everything that Sin City Wrestling were doing for them, it’s just like everyone else in SCU, Grime and SCW were missing their home. The last time they jetted back to Bar Harbor Maine, it wasn’t under the best circumstances, so they were eager to get back and enjoy some personal time. Evie was longing for the feeling of home at their lake house, she had missed the cool crisp breeze that arose from the body of water. Most of all she had missed the way the air was fresher, it was a tangled aroma of tall pine tree and red oak. However, she couldn’t get a head of herself she still had to entertain herself through an eight-hour plane trip before she could truly unwind and enjoy a tiny break before the biggest show of the year (so far for her), Summer XXXTreme.

As they entered the plane, Ben and Bear ushered towards the seats in the back, Ben wrangled Bear around making sure he was clipped into his seat for the take-off, after that he would be free to roam the plane at his leisure. Evie had decided to sit up front, she had her silver laptop out already, and the screen was buzzing to life as a number of faces popped up one by one as a zoom meeting was starting to begin. Evie had learnt since becoming the Sin City Wrestling World Bombshell Champion that there was no rest for the woman who held the precious title, her days had been filled with media, COVID-19 signings and random photoshoots and today was no different. Her husband Ben might have had the day off to enjoy himself, but Evie had promised Mark and Christian that she would do one last odd job for Sin City Wrestling before taking the rest of the week. It was important for the top champion to be seen as trying everything in their power to raise the ratings, to get viewers and right now even if Evie detested the fans of SCW she was going to work as hard as she possible could to ensure she held up her end of the deal. It wouldn’t be fair if she didn’t.

As the screen continued to fill up with squares soon enough, he screen went blank from having to many people in the room, but just because Evie couldn’t see their faces that didn’t mean that they weren’t still there in the background. Without wasting anymore time Evie adjusted the volume on her laptop and cleared her throat before three... two... one… show time.

“Good morning everyone.” Evie started off. “I just wanted to thank you all for joining this little fan fest today… I know it’s early for some of you, so I really appreciate the dedication.” She smiled.

Her harsh Australian accent tried to sound as positive as possible, it wasn’t that she hated talking to people it’s just she knew she wasn’t very well liked by the Sin City Wrestling universe, so today felt like a joke to her to call it a fan fest.

“Alrighty, let’s kick this off... I’ll select a few of you at random to ask me any question you would like, no topic is off limits and I’ll take some questions from the comments section so please don’t forget to fire them to me in there as well.” Evie instructed. “Here is goes. Alright… baby girl two point oh, you’re up.” Evie smirked.

The screen popped up to an image of baby girl, she was about twenty years old with bright blue eyes and bleached blonde hair.

“OHMYGOD! EVIE!!!” Baby girl screamed. “I have LOVED YOU SINCE FOREVER.” She continued to shout. “I just wanted you to know you’re my biggest inspiration and I hope that one day I can follow in your footsteps.” She blushed.

Evie’s green eyes narrowed as she felt uneasy being adored by female fans, usual they tried to belittle her and steal her husband, so this was a strange change of pace for her.

“I just want to know, what book you are currently reading. I know how much you love books and every time you post about one on Twitter, I rush out to purchase it and read it.” Baby girl blurted out in excitement.

“I’m currently nose deep in Bernard Cornwall’s Last Kingdom series, book three War of the Wolf. I love it and strongly suggest it to any Vikings buff… Uhtred of course is still a ten out of ten.” She winked.

Baby girl thanked her and before she could ask another question, Evie had selected another fan at random. This time it was Big Dog 99.

“Big Dog nine-nine, you’re up.” Evie snickered

The screen came to life with the image of Big Dog 99, who was a man in his mid-forties rocking a black tank top and a Mohawk.

“Yo Evie.” He started. “I just wanted to say, you’re in my top five, for sure, for sure and if Ben ever does you wrong, I’m ready for you.” He smirked wildly. “What’s your favourite exercise at the gym?” Big dog winked.

He was a lot to take in and Evie couldn’t help but hear the sound of Ben’s laughter coming from the back of the plane, as he looked over her shoulder to witness the specimen that was Big Dog 99.

“Well, cardio is definitely my favourite and is extremely underrated but if you’re talking muscle building wise, I love a good bicep curl and bar weighted squat.” Evie replied.

Big Dog struck a pose flexing his muscles in response and before he could ask a follow up question Evie had already moved one to the next one waiting in line. Her laptop this time beamed to life showing the face of an older lady in mid-fifties who was rocking the official Evie Jordan t-shirt, her name was Stacy and she didn’t waste any time asking her question.

“Evie, babe… I want to know if you could face any former Bombshell who would you choose and why?” Stacy fired her question with ease.

Evie took a moment to think about that one, as the viewers on her life feed watched as Evie rested back into her chair, she bit down on her bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.

“Oh, that’s a tricky one. Like I would have loved to lace up the boots and get into the ring with Misty, I think we would have had great chemistry inside the ropes… Odette is another name that shouldn’t be forgotten, Vixen even though she is in Grime, I’m sure that would be some young boys dream match for sure… I’m going to leave it on Misty, even though it can never happen.” Evie frowned.

Stacy fired Evie a thumbs up before her face was replaced with the next participant, her name was Michelle Walker.

“Evie, I want to know… what’s the career highlight you’re most proud of?” Her southern accent was song like.

Evie had to think about this question as well, as she rested back in her chair. She drew in a big inhale before dramatically exhaling, before she moved some stray hair away from her eyesight to curl it around the back of her ears.

“Whoa its way too early in the morning for deep questions like this Michelle.” Evie joked. “I think I’m most proud of winning the Blast from the Past the first time round with Lord Raab. I mean no one and I mean NO ONE thought we had it in us. No one thought we would work well together and well, we proved everyone wrong and won the whole damn thing. I think the most shocking part of it all is that Raab and I were able to form a strong friendship from it and that to me outweighs the final victory. Raab has a lot of demons under the mask and well, he was able to put them aside, learn and grow and with a little bit of Evie flare, he learnt that not all females are the devil.” Evie blushed, beaming with pride.

Michelle thanked Evie for answering her question and soon enough she was replaced with a male’s face as the fan who had the spotlight at the moment was called Pistol Pete.

“Hi Evie, if your family ran a family business what would it be?” Pete asked her.

Evie just bit her bottom lip trying to hold back her laughter before she answered.

“It would definitely be in law and order…” Evie laughed

She could feel Ben’s smirk from behind her and she didn’t even have to turn around to face him. Pistol Pete’s face faded, and the next person selected at random lit up the live feed. A Gentleman called Joey Johnson.

“Oi Evie.” His Aussie accent was thick. “Me, mates and I want to know when you’re coming back home, aye?” Joey winked.

Evie just smirked, before she tried to work out the last time she was back on Australian shores.

“Probably won’t be back over there until COVID sorts itself out, I mean, come on Victoria… busted arse state, get your act together you bunch of wankers.” Evie smirked.

Joey gave her the bloody oath before his smiling face left the screen, the next question came from a lady called Lucy.

“Evie, how do you and Ben keep things professional at work?” Lucy interrogated.

Evie looked over her shoulder to see Ben smiling at her, he hand his elbows resting on the top of his knees in anticipation to see how Evie would answer this one. Turning back to look at Lucy, Evie flashed her an honest smile.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s hard. I mean, have you seen him?” Evie fanned herself. “We just know the limits of what we can and can’t do at work, sure I like to blur those lines at times on camera but ultimately I know my actions can and will reflect on his, and vice versa so we just kind of respect each other enough to stay out of each other’s business as much as we can during the shows. Especially when we have uncreative people who like to focus on us and try and use each of us as a weakness in their match promos for upcoming events.  It’s also essential to leave work at work and home life at home, or well after hours.” Evie gushed. “It’s also not a wise idea to send your husband a risky text whilst at work because you never know when he’ll be on air, or who could be standing beside him… but trust me, it’s worth the risk at times.” She winked.

Lucy left the screen and was replaced by the next fan, a girl called Molly Mo.

“Evie… earlier this week Bobbie Dahl said on Twitter that you and Amber Ryan are the tag team everyone needs. Obviously, that could happen in a one-off situation, but if the Bombshell tag titles were ever reinstated, would you considering forming a tag team with her and giving it a real go? If she was up for it?” Molly questioned with a smile.

Evie licked her lips, as if she were salivating from this question.

“I would one hundred per cent line up to be Amber’s tag team partner. There is something about her that gives me shivers and in a good way. I think we would work well together, she just needs to learn to keep fire balls away from me.” Evie chuckled. “But I love everything about Amber from what I have seen in the ring and I think together we could shake up the bombshell division and leave them all lifeless.” Evie winked.

Molly Mo faded from the screen and the next questioner was lined up his name was Tyler Mack.

“If you woke up tomorrow inside Ben’s body, what’s the first thing you would do?” Tyler puffed out a ball of smoke.

Evie’s face lit up from the question and she didn’t have to think about the answer for very long, just as she was about to speak Ben’s voice was heard from the background.

“Don’t even think about answering that.” Ben shouted.

Evie turned back to look at him, her eyes shooting dangers in his direction.

“I wasn’t going to say anything bad, I was only going to say I’d drain the main vein.” Evie smirked. “But now you’ve ruined it and I can’t say anything.” She mocked him.

Evie turn back to the camera and winked, and she watched the love buttons light up the screen as if her fan based supported her answer. Tyler’s face faded from the screen and Evie looked down at the time.

“Since Ben decided to jump on in, does anyone have any questions for him and I’ll get him to answer them… just pop them in the comments section.” Evie ordered.

She didn’t have to wait long and the comment section lit up and as the questions flew in thick and fast, Ben made his way over towards Evie, resting his elbows on the back of her chair as he read the questions that were directed at him.

“Ben… what’s your favourite thing about Evie?” Evie read out.

Ben just smiled before he replied. “Everything. My favourite thing about Eves is everything”

He reached down and pressed his lips on top of her head, letting Evie know he was being serious. Evie felt like butter as she melted from his touch, but she gathered her thoughts and prowled through the questions looking to find a good one to trip Ben up with.

“If you could change anything in your relationship with Evie what would it be?” Evie read aloud.

She turned back to look at him, desperate to see the expression on his face as he answered this one.

“Nothing at all, I happen to love how our relationship is… together, husband, wife and dog.” Ben fired back

His smile was bright as he read some of the unflattering questions, but Evie had decided to gloss over them and pick out another two.

“What’s your favourite memory you have with Evie?” Evie smiled

Ben thought about it but not for long as he moved around the chai rand took a seat on the arm rest, wrapping his right arm around her shoulders.

“The first time I saw her.” His cheesy smile was plastered on his face.

But he was being serious, and Evie loved that about him, he didn’t mind being a big goof ball when it came to loving her and well, that’s all that mattered. He didn’t care that the world would probably taunt him for being a big softy when it came to Evie and that fact right there was enough to have Evie blushing like a schoolgirl. Evie turned away from Ben before she scrolled through the questions looking for the lucky last one.

“Okay last one and then we really must go.” Evie spoke. “Okay… Ben… do you have an embarrassing story you could share about me?” Her tone scowled him to be careful.

Ben just gave her a little squeeze, reassuring her that her his lips were sealed.

“Nah mate, not if I want to live to see another day.” Ben chuckled. “She has oodles though.” He fired out.

Ben winked at Evie before he turned her attention back to the laptop in front of her, to show Evie that there would be an endless amount of witnesses if she decided to put him in his place. Evie just smirked before looking at the screen knowing that she had to end the interview.

“Well, that’s all I have time for today, but it’s been fun we’ll have to do it again some time… soon hopefully. Now, don’t forget to tune into Summer XXXTreme next week and witness the greatest downfall in Sin City Wrestling history, the career of Andrea Hernandez and the soul crushing defeat of the greatest.” The sarcasm was dripping from her tone. “Former Bombshell Champion in history… Alicia Lukas as she desperately tries to recapture the gold that she blah! Blah! Blah… you get the picture.” Evie chuckled. “Laters people.”

“Hey that’s my line.” Ben fired away.

But the feed had gone blank on the zoom live, leaving Ben and Evie alone (well with Bear) as their plane headed in the one direction, they were both excited for… home.

###

The week at home had been just what Ben and Evie Jordan needed. It was enough to recharge their batteries and have them finally get some peace and quiet. There was no pressure to mingle with their work friends, there was no pressure to having to portray their on-camera selves, they just have five solid days of being who they were. The husband and wife team from Bar Harbor Maine, who enjoyed sleep ins, laying by the lake, cooking, walking around their local street and occasionally going to a fancy restaurant only to back out at the last moment, get take away and rush home again. It wouldn’t hurt for you to click on Ben Jordan’s promotional video to understand that reference.

Today was no different, Ben had spent the morning playing PS4 while Evie had spend the morning being the most annoying version of herself, she could muster to get under Ben’s skin. As Ben sat on his large brown leather chair in the middle of the living room, he had his controller in hand, while the large TV flashed in front of his eyes. On top of his head was a headset as he spoke to his mates back home in London while bashing away at the buttons. Evie on the other hand, snaked her way across the living room and was now interrupting his game play as she sat upon his lap, Ben was in the heat of battle, looked around his wife towards the TV. Evie had pushed her way between his chest and his hands so she could straddle his lap but nestle into his chest. Once Evie was comfortable, Ben brought his hand back down to rest on the small of Evie’s back, his thumbs still bashing the buttons with force as he yelled into his headset.

Evie on the other hand was at peace, even with Ben shouting into her ear every now and then, she had closed her eyes and was happy just to be close to him. Even if it wasn’t exactly what Ben desired, he didn’t tell her to move or order Evie away as he enjoyed her company even if he was in the mist of war. Evie was content and was happy enough to drift off into a peaceful snooze, however over the loudness of the TV, Ben’s shouting there was no peace to be had as their security alarm alerted violently through the house. Without warning Evie left off Ben’s lap and she charged towards their kitchen like a bull at a gate. She opened the pantry door to show that it wasn’t a pantry in fact it was a full security system. Ben rushed behind her, as the two looked towards the monitors there eyes flashing between the screens.

On the screen they could see their front gate, there was a woman standing in front of it shaking it violently. As Evie tapped away at the keyboard, she brought the lady into focus and without a single word exchanged Evie and Ben were taken back by what they were witnessing.

She looked just like Evie, only younger.

She looked just like Evie, only a little bit taller.

She looked just like Evie, only Evie was standing inside beside her husband. Ben looked at the screen then back to Evie, then back to the screen and without missing a beat her fired off his mouth.

“Whatcha doing out there, honey?” He joked.

Evie looked over and up towards Ben, her eyes narrowing before she turned back to the monitors. The woman looked up towards the cameras seeing that they were now focused on her, she stepped back and started to scream towards them.

“EVIE. I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE.” She shouted. “YOU NEED TO COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW.” She ordered. “YOU OWE ME… YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHERE MY FATHER IS… WHERE OUR FATHER IS.” She was furious.

Evie’s hand slid off the keyboard, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach she was frozen stiff. Ben reached across, pressing the unlock button on the gate, letting the younger Evie in. For years there had been rumours of a little sister, and now she was making her way up the Jordan’s driveway like a bull in a china shop.

To be continued.

###

The scene opened up in the dark dimly lit forest that backed onto the Jordan’s Bar Harbor Lake house. They were lucky enough to secure the two lots of vacant land beside their home, increasing their isolation and privacy. It was home and it was peaceful. Around the base of some of the tall oak and pine trees there were candles, their flames flickering as the cool breeze forced them to dance. There was a soft howl of the wind tunnelling through the trees, as the forest started to settle in for the night. The camera fixated on the distance, as there was a slight rustle in the fallen leaves and out from behind one of thick red wood pines, stepped a figure that could only be best described as a shadow as no features could be distinguished but the set up reeked of Evie Luna Jordan.

“Talk about the odd’s being stacked against me.” Her thick Australian accent was heard. “Talk about a champion’s disadvantage.” She tutted

Evie’s voice held rank with the natural elements of being outside, even with her quiet tone she didn’t have fight to be heard.

“Talk about a chance of a lifetime.” Evie continued. “Talk about a platform to preform and show the world exactly who I am. What I’m capable of and why that even with the odds against me I will rise to the top of my field once more and I will prove to each and every one of you that I’m not a transitional champion.” She paused. “Here’s looking at you Alicia… I know you desperately want to use that word to describe me, after all… to you, you’re the be all and end all in the Bombshell division and the rest of us, aren’t worthy of your number one spot.” Evie chuckled to herself. “Respect or no respect my words remain the same, next Sunday night Alicia… I’m going to show you, just exactly who I can be inside that ring.” Evie paused.

She took a step forwards towards the camera but still her features were unseen by the camera’s light, she was just a shadow.

“I’m going to show you just how sensational, inspirational, confrontational, exceptional… I can be inside the six-sided ring…” Evie smirked. “I too can use big words that end in tional… I too can over dramatize and exaggerate my sentences to form fear and create illusions.” She paused. “You see Alicia, half the battle of facing you, is the mind games… people tend to slip, tumble and fall before they even make it into the ring against you. People see your name against theirs on the card and they can’t help but defecate themselves.” Evie clicked her tongue off her teeth before she continued. “It’s not because you’re not as good as you say you are, because I for one know… you are one of the best inside the six-sided ring, but it’s because you run your mouth so much, tearing down your opponents with such ease, that you make even the grandest of them all second guess themselves and like pawns, people fall for it. They fall for the illusion of what you say matters and what you say is the gospel, it’s the rules of the land for the bombshells what Alicia Lukas says must be true and if she says that I can’t beat her, well damn… why bother? Why try? Why even show up?” She paused.

Evie moved around a large oak tree, tip toeing over the roots that had started to lift above ground. Finally, the camera was able to capture a small outline of a long black flowing dress that hung freely on Evie’s body.

“You see, your biggest weapon isn’t your ability inside the ring, it’s your mouth and one day everyone with eyes will finally open them and see that just because you can talk the talk, doesn’t mean you can walk the walk… well not anymore.” Her voice was soft but strong. “Let’s face it Alicia, you seem different since returning from injury, you seem almost sheepish, reserved, is it fear I can smell Alicia? Are you concerned that one false move and bam, you’re back out on the shelf… watching the action from the side lines, remembering the good old days when you used to run the place? Are you worried that one false move and the pain that Bobbie Dahl put you in, might come flooding back and end it all again for you? Don’t think for one second that I’m the only one that thinks this way, because believe me... we can see your wounds… I can see your wounds and at Summer XXXTreme I won’t stop, not for a single moment to take it easy on you. I’ll find your break, and I’ll manipulated it, I’ll find your scars and I’ll reopen it… just to see the look on your face at the end of the match when you realise that your glory days are behind you, your days of running the Bombshell division are over and you will never, ever get to pry the World Bombshell Championship belt out of these cold dead hands… because unlike you, I didn’t come back nursing a injury, I didn’t come back to toot my own fucking horn… I came back because the division needed a kick up the arse and well, well, well… if the shoe fucking fits.” Evie stopped.

Evie moved towards the camera, her face only now moving into the light before the devilish smile on her face was seen.

“You pushed yourself and came back too early because you were greedy, and you couldn’t help yourself. You needed to seek revenge on Bobbie and that little golden nugget of stupidness and selfishness will be your undoing. We can see the wear and tear all over the face, we can see it in your eyes, when you first came back you dominated, all jacked up on adrenaline… you missed this world, you missed the rush and now, you’re struggling to keep your head above the waves and tides are desperate to drag you under. A loss to Myra? On your way to the recapturing your precious... isn’t you putting the right foot forward.” Evie chimed.

The malicious sound of Evie’s chuckle escape her lips as it echoed in the forest as the camera captured her movements through the fallen leaves.

“I bet you can’t wait to bring up how you beat me. I bet your frothing at the mouth to tell the world that you’re going to do it all again but this time you’re going to take my championship and reclaim your position on the throne. However, things have changed since then Alice… you’re right, you did beat me but look at where that led me? To victory it spurred me on to win against Andrea and take the World Bombshell Championship away from her. A loss to you was all I needed to see clearly and right now, I can see you for what you are… a title hungry Muppet, who struggles to find her feet, who struggles to find her worth when she is empty handed and the fact that things haven’t gone to plan for your lately, have forced the cracks to show.” Evie smirked.

Evie moved towards the camera, the glow from the flames revealing her blood red lips that framed her bright white teeth. She couldn’t help but smile, she was in her element.

“In your perfect world, you would have faced Bobbie in your return match and then you instantly would have been next in line for the World Bombshell Championship… that’s what you begged for... that’s what you have shouted and pleaded for, all this bullshit about you being happy to wait your turn… really doesn’t sit well on the canvas when you painted your picture filled with frantic and egotistical bullshit online, and when you spill your false predictions week in and week out on Climax Control.” Evie paused. “You used to claim to be the leader of the roster, you used to claim you were coming back to take what was yours and since your return, week in and week out your claims grow weaker and weaker… and your voice of reason, grows old… you might have been the most fear Bombshell Champion in recent history… but lately, you’ve given us nothing to worry about… just words, just posted pictures of old title reigns and just false promises.” Evie paused. “Last week you tried to shock the world, when you attacked me… then claimed you were going to save the Bombshell division by destroying it… that’s very regal of you, to assume that you’ll ever be lucky enough to beat me twice… that’s very courageous of you to think I’ll let you get away with blindsiding again. Last Sunday you had your moment in the spotlight, you had your moment to show your strengths, you did so but in turn you showed us nothing but weakness… a blindside isn’t the way to go to show the world you belong at the top, it shows the world that you’re a grasping at straws, desperately trying to hold on to your relevance. You wanted to share your message with the world, you wanted to make your impact well next week at Summer XXXTreme I’ll make sure, you get the fucking reply you warrant. I’ll justify your actions, but knocking you out the World Bombshell title race, like how you tried to knock me out last Sunday… the only difference is, I’ll succeed where you failed and once again, you’ll be sent packing.” She paused.

Evie moved in the shadows before coming back up into the flicking light from the candles. A wicked smile proudly perched on her face. She let a little time tick by before she moved onto the next challenger for the World Bombshell Championship, Andrea.

“Andrea, sweet, stupid, Andrea…” Evie sighed. “What a waste of build-up, what as waste of World Bombshell Championship reign. I really thought that regardless of your loss to me at Into the Void you would move heaven and earth to realign yourself in the title picture… with hard work and dedication and yet, what have you given us? A pity party.” She tutted.

Evie moved towards the camera again, as the wind picked up her loose curly hair and whipped it around in the breeze.

“I see the loss of the World Bombshell Championship has blinded you and instead of you owning up to your mistakes, you have charged off on a one-woman assault, trying to pin the blame on to me. It’s not my fault that last time we faced each other you spent to much time focusing on fairy tales, riddles, and rhymes. it’s not my fault when we faced each other last time that you spruiked about being inside my mind, praising yourself for marvellous mind games that you missed pulling the trigger and couldn’t execute at the last second.” Evie paused. “Let’s face it you have painted yourself into a corner, and now because you can’t see yourself making it towards the exit, you’re happy enough to place all the blame on me.”

Evie sighed loudly her tone knocking down a few levels as she spoke towards the camera.

“I’m used to being the bad guy, I’m used to being the most hated in the room so when you speak ill of me week in and week out, know you are wasting your precious oxygen. Just know you are wasting your time, I thrive off of the hate, I live for it but what I will not tolerate is to have some pathetic little lamb like you say that I was mocking you over the loss of your father. I did no such fucking thing but yet, week in and week out you have criticised me… you have tried to paint me as Sin City Wrestling’s biggest bully, once again refusing to see past your own nose and catch up with the reality of the situation. I never once spoke ill of your father, I never once mocked you for his loss… I mocked you over your World Bombshell Championship loss, don’t blur lines that aren’t even there because believe me… you’ll look like a right royal idiot.” Evie paused. “I mean more so than what you already do.”  

Evie moved towards the camera, now just only a few steps away the footage focused on her face, her harsh stare was locked on the lens refusing to shift her glare.

“Now, you’re fixated on this fantasy land where I have awoken a rising phoenix in you, I’ve uncaged this monster that’s been dormant inside you…” Evie sighed. “Do you ever stop, to think before you speak? Do you ever rewind and replay what you say back and think, what the fuck? Because I know I sure as hell do, since Into the Void, I’m under your skin I get it, I’ve upset you, I get it… but all this talk you not even knowing what I have awoken inside you, its foolish. It’s not insightful, it’s no threatening, it’s just you running your mouth with empty words again. It’s just you throwing out mud hoping it will stick.” Evie grumbled.

Her focus was still on the lens of the camera as the win picked up once more, howling through the tall trees behind her. A number of the candles blew out, so Evie reached down and picked one of the candles up and held it just below her chin, to the little glow of the candle could show her expressions.

“Here’s the reality Andrea… while you have been focusing on the negative, you had missed the truth. I haven’t been so hard on you to crush you, I’ve been hard on you so you could stand up for yourself and rise up… so you can prove us all wrong when we say you’re the worst Bombshell Champion in recent history but instead of reaching for the moon, you refuse to even entertain the stars… you would rather wallow in this made up land of denial, you would rather play the victim, you would rather sit back and do nothing to change our minds.” Evie sighed again. “You had the whole world in the palm of your hands, you had the perfect moment to take the pressure and run with it, turning the coal into gold after your loss at Into the Void… but instead of aiming for excellence you would rather play the violin for yourself… well little lamb, the strings are well and truly broken and any second chance you were hoping for, its slipping through your finger tips and at Summer XXXTreme, sadly you will watch the opportunity to recapture your World Bombshell Championship past you by.” Evie smirked.

The flame flickered in Evie’s face, as it picked up the flecks of emerald in her eyes. Evie looked down into the fire before she continued.

“It’s not because you’re not good enough, it’s because you refuse to see your own greatest and you refuse to reach for it. So, for the love of fucking God, stop trying to point the finger at me, stop trying to blame me for everything that is going wrong in your world right now, because I can promise you… one day you’ll open your fucking eyes and you’ll see your own worst enemy is yourself.” Evie huffed. “But in the meantime, if being the bitch that destroys you is what you so desperately want me to be. If being the bitch that ruins you is what you want to paint me as, then so fucking be it… but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Evie moved her focus from the flames back to the camera.

“You think I’m a monster now, just wait and see what I’m like when I’m actually trying to get under your skin. If you don’t like what I’m like now, you’ll have no fucking hope of making it out of Summer XXXTreme. I can and will be your own worst enemy and this is a war you’ll never be able to prepare for, because you’ll never be emotionally stable to handle it.” Evie scolded.  

The wind picked up again and the flame from the candle in Evie’s hands almost died out, but it was able to rescue itself. Evie knew she had to end this, and she looked to the camera with her parting words for this week.

“Summer XXXTreme will be a battle for us all, but I can assure you Andrea… Alicia… once the dust settles and the bell tolls there will only be one victor… I, Evie Luna Jordan.” Evie smiled, proudly. “I refuse to lose the World Bombshell Championship in my first defence and I refuse to let the likes of you both be the ones to take it from me, so just know the battle maybe long but I am ready for it, I’m begging for it. The World Bombshell Championship will not change hands at Summer XXXTreme… this won’t be your climb back to the top Alicia, this won’t be your moment for revenge Andrea… this will be another set back for you both and there is nothing either of you can do to change the outcome.” Evie smiled, wildly.  

The flame flickered, diming as it started to go out, but Evie knew she had a few seconds left.

“May the lord have mercy on your souls, for I will not.” Evie chuckled.

Evie had chosen to use the words of her mentor Gabriel Stevens this week, for she was preparing for battle, she knew she was going to war and if she had any chance of trying to keep her World Bombshell Championship she was going to have to dig deep as Alicia and Andrea weren’t to be sneezed at. As those parting words left her lips, the wind picked up and right on cue the flame was out leaving the footage in darkness.

[Andrea Hernandez]

 June 14, 2020

In the moments that I heard from my mother that my father had died, I was completely stunned with disbelief. I remember weakly hugging my mother afterwards, but I felt a cold shock pour through my veins. I was in denial, not wanting to believe it. My mother was talking, but I couldn’t hear anything she was saying as I wasn’t even listening.

“Why?” Was the first question that had come to my mind. Life, as I knew it, was just cruel as hell. My father had just helped me move past Into the Void and given me some great advice, advice that at this point, was forgotten because I wasn’t even thinking about that anymore. My memory after hearing the words ‘he’s dead’ for the following 48 hours was completely blank. Three days later… I was in for another surprise…

June 17, 2020

My mother and I were in the office of the coroner’s office. I could tell that my mother was still broken up about this, but I wasn’t feeling sad or angry at all. I was still feeling incredibly numb. I didn’t want to believe it.

“Andrea?” my mother asked. I didn’t respond. My eyes were just transfixed on a swinging pendulum on a grandfather’s clock that was going back and forth, back and forth. My conscience was just grabbing at everything it could to avoid feeling any sort of pain from the reality that my father was gone. I wasn’t thinking about my match that was going to take place on father’s day. I wasn’t even thinking about winning back the world title. I wasn’t thinking about what I was going to have for lunch. I was stuck in a catatonic state consisting of denial and avoidance. I didn’t want to experience the heartbreak of his death.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” I lied. My mother raised her eyebrows. I knew that she didn’t believe me at all. I could tell she was about to question it, but before she could say another word, the coroner came out of his office, causing us both to stand. My mother’s eyes widened, knowing she was about to hear news that she didn’t want to hear.

“Again, I want to reiterate that I’m sorry for this devastating loss…” the coroner said. “...the autopsy is in and the cause of death was a heart attack… caused by the narrowing of the heart’s most vital arteries.”

My mom was in tears almost immediately, but there I was, feeling numb some more.

“His heart was about 40 percent larger than what it’s normally supposed to be… did Mr. Hernandez have a history of prior use of steroids?”

My mother’s jaw dropped and my eyes widened.

“No…” I told him. “There’s no way…”

“Yes he did…” my mother said.

“WHAT? No….” just another reason to be numb…

“He stopped about 7 years ago… but for many years… yes he did…”

Not wanting to hear any more of this and again, the denial sweeping my conscience, I bolted out of the coroner’s lobby refusing to even believe that my father had used steroids at all, let alone the fact that he was gone.

June 24, 2020

My father’s funeral. When I passed by his casket, there was no denying it anymore. My mother and Eduardo, my brother, wanted me to stand over the casket with them. I refused.

“Maybe if I beat Evie… he wouldn’t have died…” I thought to myself… going into a bargaining of sorts. In hindsight, I knew it was a horrible thought, but at the moment, there was no way I was snapping out of this funk anytime soon. “...what if me losing the title broke his heart?”

I had tuned out of the entire proceedings, not listening to any eulogies. While there was no denying that he was dead, I still wanted to avoid any grief as much as possible. Later that day, when he was buried in Sedona, we all stood over the grave as it was filled in. This cold emptiness kept sweeping my heart. My family was there. Clarissa Vega, one of my best friends, was there

“I’m so sorry…” she told me.

“Thanks…” I said with no emotion at all, concerning her.

“You’re… um… taking this… well?”

“Yeah…” I told her. “I guess you can say that…”

There were crying faces and broken hearts around me, most of which coalesced around my mother who was hurting more than anyone. Chelsea LeClair, my best friend of all, was one of them.

“I can’t believe he’s gone…” she said through her tears. “He felt more like an actual dad than my real father ever was…”

Seeing Chelsea moved to tears, again, didn’t affect me at all through the numbness that was beginning to evaporate now that I had seen his casket. She gave me a passionate hug that I didn’t reciprocate as I just watched the grave get slowly filled. The grave was filled at about 4. Many began to leave. It was just my mother and I left at this point.

“Your brother has everything ready up in Flagstaff…” she said. “We’re going up there right now…”

“I don’t want to go…” I told her.

“Are you sure?”

“I SAID I DON’T WANT TO GO!!!!!” I snapped in anger, which caught her by surprise. I quickly apologized, then we embraced before she made her departure. I stayed above my father’s grave for the next few hours… not moving a muscle, processing the fact that he was gone. Not one tear was shed throughout the entire process… from learning about his death until now. The sun had set and I still hadn’t left. I had dropped to my knees by his grave at this point, again, feeling nothing.

“What am I going to do now?” I thought… as my conscience lapped into a memory of him…

Flashback: October 31, 2001

“Mommy… when are we leaving?” a seven year old me asked my mother as I was wearing a vampire costume for Halloween, which is completely the opposite of what any girl my age would ever want to be.

“In just a few minutes, sweetheart.” She glanced back at me, shaking her head and laughing. “Why couldn’t you just be a princess like the other girls?”

“Because the Disney ones are LAME!” I told her.

“I need to check on something okay? Just wait in your room…”

I nodded as I walked back into my room, closing the door. I sat on my bed and picked up a Game Boy Advance, turning it on and playing Pokemon Silver on it. I wasn’t paying attention to a closet door that was slowly opening as I was way too focused on trying to take down that damn Miltank in the Goldenrod Gym.

“DIE VAMPIRE!”

I screamed in surprise as my father suddenly picked me up off the bed! I wasn’t scared when I saw it was him. I looked at him and just laughed in his face!

“Daddy!!!! You’re back!!!!”

“You weren’t scared?” he asked me.

“No…” I said with a laugh. “You said you wouldn’t be back from Mexico until tomorrow…”

“Surprise, princess!”

“I’m NOT a princess, I’m a vampire! I’m gonna…” I paused when I noticed something shiny in the closet. “What’s that…???”

I pointed at the object in the closet. My father put me down and went to grab it and it was an exquisitely shiny golden championship from Mexico.

“I won this…”

I gasped with happiness as he showed it to me.

“It’s an intercontinental title. This makes me the… I guess you can say the second best wrestler in Mexico…”

“No… you’re not second best! You’re THE best!”

I hugged my father and looked back at the title.

“Can I hold it?”

“Of course…”

With his help, I held it. Remembering this moment made me feel extremely happy for a brief time.

“You’re my hero, daddy…” I told him. “You always will be…”

July 21, 2020

I was inside my mother’s living room, this being the first time I had stopped by since my father’s death, and I was telling her that story. She was smiling at various points throughout the time I told her about this Halloween memory.

“When he let me hold that title…” I told my mother. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a wrestler… even though it would be another six years before I would even have the guts to tell him.”

I sighed, lamenting the fact that our relationship had become a bit strained for a while as a result.

“I just… I REALLY hope you’re doing better now, mom…” My mother didn’t respond, so I kept talking. “...you were hit the hardest… obviously… and I don’t want you to have to fight this alone…”

“That’s very thoughtful of you…” my mother said. “But I’m… I’m fine… or at least as fine as I can be at this point. We were married for more than 30 years… it’s been really hard to imagine my life without him. I’ll… get through this…”

“I know you will!” I told her.

“Enough about me… what about you?” she asked me.

“No mom… I don’t want to talk about me… I don’t want to be selfish. I’m here to check o…”

“I’ve been very concerned about you lately.”

“Mom…”

“Throughout everything that happened last month… from when you first found out that he died to when he was buried all the way up until now, you haven’t shed a tear. I’ve been seeing you on television and when you’re right in front of my eyes and you’re not the same anymore…”

“What do you mean?” I said with an angry tone in my voice.

“You’ve wrestled completely different since he died too… it’s like you’re not into it anymore…”

I was frozen with shock when my mother brought this up.

“You’re going to have a world title rematch and you haven’t even shown any excitement about it. You’ve been walking around like a zombie, feeling nothing, showing nothing and it REALLY worries me Andrea, because you can’t go through life living like that…”

“I’m… I’m trying to be strong… I didn’t want to cry because… I thought… I’d be… weak…”

“You haven’t grieved at all? That’s impossible. There’s no way you’re over it… not when you’ve been avoiding the pain this whole time.”

“ENOUGH!” I told her, not wanting to hear it. “I don’t WANT to hear this…”

“Andrea…”

“NO! I’m NOT going to hear this at ALL!”

“Why are you getting so defensive? See, this is exactly what I’m concerned about…”

“BECAUSE NOTHING HAS BEEN THE SAME SINCE HE DIED! THAT’S WHY!”

I gasped in shock at my own outburst while my mother looked down on the floor.

“Mom, I’m sorry…”

“You’ve been… treating your career like a burden lately…”

“Because it’s become that… you wouldn’t understand… you just married into a wrestling family with no experience of your own…”

“Your father reacted the same way you’re acting now when his grandfather passed away… Andi… this is your lifelong dream… why are you running from it? Why are you avoiding having anything to do with the world title match you have coming? It’s not you… you wrestled better on Sunday but…”

“I don’t want to TALK about that fucking match! I don’t want to talk about Sunday! I don’t want to talk about Alicia! I don’t want to talk about Evie! Do you realize how UNFAIR things have been since I lost the world title? Huh? It started with dad dying… okay? And then there was that fucking bullshit referee incompetence and getting pinned by Christina Rose who you KNOW I HATE and then that BITCH Evie getting in my face, throwing shit at me, saying these nasty things in my direction, talking down to me like I’m WORTHLESS and like I’m NOTHING… talking about me like I’m a relic of the past and then you have that other bitch acting like the whole world revolves around her, putting everyone else down, doing everything for herself… ME ME ME, EVERYTHING ABOUT ME… and I have to face BOTH of them who I’ve lost to multiple times already without even getting ONE win against… AND I have to do it without my dad… AND IT’S NOT FAIR!!!!!!!”

The numbness I had carried for weeks was beginning to slip away and slip away fast….

“It’s NOT FAIR that suddenly ALL of the burden when it comes to the family and this business is on MY shoulders now! That I have to uphold EVERYTHING. I have to be the pillar of strength for the WHOLE family and if I’m not delivering in the ring… if I’m just proving those two bitches right then… I CAN’T be… I can’t put this family on my shoulders… I… I…”

The tears were beginning to flood my eyes…

“...I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE!”

The tears were falling down my face.

“I THOUGHT I had it figured out on Sunday… but no… ANOTHER fucking loss because of something that ISN’T my fault… and now I go into this fucking match against two women… one of whom I HATE because she’s a FUCKING BULLY…”

I paused, remembering all of the nasty things that Evie Jordan had said about me at this point and feeling like I was completely powerless against her…

“...and the OTHER who is SO unpleasant and who I am SO SICK OF… NEITHER of whom I’ve EVER beaten and I’m back to being the fucking STUPID underdog that has NO CHANCE of regaining the world title because… well… I’VE NEVER BEATEN EITHER ONE OF THEM BEFORE AND IT’S SO OVERWHELMING! I CAN’T TAKE IT!!!! THERE’S NO WAY I CAN WIN THIS MOM!!!! THERE’S NO WAY!!!!!”

The longer my emotional rant was happening, the more broken I was becoming.

“I’m NEVER going to be the same again! This whole thing really WAS a stupid flash in the pan story… I’M a flash in the pan… I’m NOTHING, mom! I’m NOTHING but a JOKE! Whatever momentum I had is GONE and I don’t know how to get it back! The two biggest road blocks I’ve ever had in my CAREER and all they’ve done is make me their bitch. I can’t do this… I can’t… i can’t… I can’t…”

“Honey…”

“No mom, I can’t… I can’t do this ALONE! I can’t do this without my dad!”

Cue going from the crying stage to the bawling, breakdown stage. I was realizing that more than a month after he died, I was FINALLY grieving over my father.

“Dad had an answer for EVERYTHING…”

I paused to catch my breath and my eyes were beginning to burn from the mascara I had applied earlier.

“Ever since he died, I’ve felt so LOST with everything… my career… my life… everything! I don’t know what to do anymore! How can I carry on with my career without him? I thought wrestling through the pain was going to make it go away… but it’s only made it WORSE and I can’t take this anymore. When he died… I… I never wanted to wrestle again… I was already torn and gutted and heartbroken when I lost the title… and then I lost him right after that! How can life be SO UNFAIR? I FINALLY got the dad that I wanted… after YEARS of us fighting over wrestling and how he was treating me for it… and then he gets taken away from me! IT’S JUST NOT FAIR!!!! What do I DO? How can I keep going without him? I don’t want to do this anymore… not without him… I don’t want to fight that stupid triple threat and deal with even MORE heartbreak on top of everything else… I can’t do it… I can’t… I don’t want to… how am I ever going to be the same again?”

I just jumped into my mother’s arms, taking as much comfort as I could get from the only parent I had left at this point. She was a shoulder to cry on and her warm embrace was at least doing a little bit to help me, but it was going to take so much more than that for me to get out of this hole.

“Oh honey…”

I could sense that my mother was starting to cry as well.

“I was holding all of this back because I didn’t want to believe it…” I confessed to my mother. “I didn’t want to believe he was dead… and then the funeral… the burial… all the crap that’s happened in SCW… it’s… it’s too much… I didn’t want to grieve… I wanted to be tough… to sweep it under the rug as soon as possible and… I’m so sorry… I’m sorry that I’ve been so cold and so distant… but I’m so scared that I can’t do this without him… living my life… carrying on the legacy… SCW… I always relied on him for everything and now I can’t… I feel like I’m just letting him down… that if I don’t get the title back… that I’ll be doing just that…”

“It’s going to be okay…” my mother said. “It’s going to be okay. Life is… cruel… I know… and I understand you may not feel this way now… but you’re strong… you’re going to be okay… you wouldn’t be presented with this challenge if fate didn’t believe you could overcome it…

“Why does it have to be this way?” I asked her as my own breakdown began to cool. “I have to be the leader of this family now and it’s a responsibility that scares me… I don’t want it…”

I stood up, as difficult for me as it was to do, and I began to walk down the hallway.

“Where are you going?” she asked me.

“I need to be alone…”

I walked into my old bedroom, lied down on the bed and I just let myself grieve… I let myself cry… I let myself experience this horrific, heartbreaking anguish in my soul that I never felt before. I had to live life and live out my wrestling career without my father… and it scared the holy shit out of me. I was trying so hard not to think about Summer XXXtreme… but I couldn’t… not with the fear of having to face two women I’d never beaten before in the hardest match of my career… without my father… who in this type of situation would always be there to save me… just as he did so many times before…

Flashback: May 2008

Eighth grade graduation was coming near and there was a community gathering about three days prior to this where much of the school community was having a potluck. My family was there. Eduardo didn’t seem to mind, but I definitely recall Rodrigo being a pain in the ass the entire time and clearly not wanting to be there.

“Aren’t you glad middle school is over, Andrea?” Chelsea asked me.

“It was okay… I guess…” I shrugged it off, not caring too much.

“I can’t wait for high school though! Oh god it’s going to be so much better! I’m going to make a valiant effort to be homecoming AND prom queen every single year….”

“That can only happen during senior year, Chels…” I said with a sigh.

“Well don’t kill my vibe…” she said. “...UGH! My idiot father wants me. I’ll be back…”

Chelsea left me alone at this point and I walked outside of the community center where there was a lemonade jug waiting. Some plastic cups with ice and lemonade were already served and I walked over to grab one. I turned around and suddenly, someone smacked it out of my hands, nailing me right in the face. I looked to see a girl my age laughing at me.

“Oops! Sorry Andrea…” she said to me with a sneer.

“Go to hell, Jade…” I said to my worst enemy… I’ll never forget that dark hair, that smirk on her face, all of the horrible things she’d say to me.

“Go to hell Jade…” she mocked. “...why do you even EXIST? You’re not worth anything! I bet you slept with the teachers to get your good grades…”

I was growing angry already.

“You did… didn’t you? Oh and how many boys have you had sex with, Andrea? I heard that your mom is a whore and that your dad’s not really your dad!”

“That’s NOT true…” I said with anger.

“Aw… is the poor baby getting MAD?” Jade said with a laugh. “Face it Andrea… everywhere you turn… I’m always there, being better than you in every way! High school will be more of the same! I’d be mad too if my mom slept with the whole town and I didn’t know who my daddy was… and if I came in second place when it came to having the highest GPA in the class…”

“Why don’t you shut up… or…?”

“Or what? You’re gonna fight me now, bitch? Huh? I’m better than you at everything! Academics. Sports. Having an actual future! Watch me become student council class president all four years and be… well… EVERYONE’s envy! You’re ALWAYS going to be beneath me... granted… I’d rather have someone else beneath me than your whore ass… I mean… how can your ‘dad’ even love you when you’re such a baby… I mean…”

I snapped, smacking her right in the face.

“YOU WHORE!”

She grabbed me and slammed me into the lemonade table as all the lemonade on the table fell on me. Jade opened the jug and poured ALL of the lemonade on me before throwing the plastic container right at my face to keep me dazed. The next moment I remember was being turned over on my stomach and having my hair being pulled back. I was yelling out in pain, but I couldn’t escape.

“How about you go into high school with no hair at all, huh?”

I grew terrified once I heard the slicing sound of a pair of scissors, realizing she was about to chop off my hair. However, I heard a familiar voice say “You get the hell away from my daughter” and felt my hair being let go with the weight on my back being lifted. When I got up, I saw my dad restraining the bully and snatching the scissors away from her.

“Are you going to leave her alone?”

“...yes… um… sure……”

“If I EVER see you hurt my daughter again, the only place these scissors are going is your gut, you understand…???”

Jade nods and my father lets her go. I was bawling at the experience that I just went through, but my father of course, was there to console me. He kneeled down next to me and hugged me.

“I hate her so much… she’s always doing this to me…”

“You’ve got to learn how to fight them, princess. How can you want to be a wrestler but get bullied like that?”

“...good point…”

“I’ll always be there for you Andrea… don’t ever forget that. If you ever need my help in dealing with people like her, I will always be there, I promise!”

July 21, 2020

“He said he was always going to be there… he said he was going to always be by my side in dealing with bullies… and people that treat me horribly… so how’s he going to be there for me against Evie?”

I sighed, my tears beginning to dry up. I heard a knock on my bedroom door, which annoyed me.

“Mom! I said I needed to be alone!”

“Andrea…” I heard a familiar male voice say. “...it’s me…”

“Eddie…” I said with a sigh, not really in the mood to talk to my brother. “...not now…”

“We’re doing this now…” I heard him say, which caused me to sigh. I stood up from my bed and walked to the front door, opening it and letting him into the room. He closed and locked the door behind him and we both sat on the bed. I didn’t say anything, I just let him wrap an arm around me for a few moments.

“Mom told me everything…” he said.

“I already regret it…”

“No… don’t…” he assured me. “You needed that. You needed to let go. You needed to experience that.”

“Yeah… maybe I did…” I said. “But… honestly… I hate to even say this… but… when dad died… I never wanted to wrestle again…”

“It shows, Andrea…” he asked me.

“When Mom says she told you everything… she means…”

“All of it. Sis… I understand your pain… I felt it too when Dad died. It’s been incredibly hard for all of us. I hope you don’t hate me for what I’m about to ask you… but think about how you’ve handled it. Think about how you’ve treated your career ever since he died. Is this what Dad would’ve wanted? Is it?”

The grief may have been gone, but it was replaced by guilt. I shook my head, giving him the answer he wanted from me.

“I’m glad you see that much. I understand you’ve been dealing with a lot lately… and I know that your career is overwhelming you right now...  but you’re stronger than just running away from your problems. You and I both know that. I get that being the leader of the family and the torch bearer for what we’re all about is a daunting responsibility… but that’s what you have to be now. You know that Dad would be disappointed if he knew that you saw this as a ‘burden’. It’s not a burden, Andrea… it’s a gift.”

“A gift?” I asked.

“How many people in this world even get to say that they do what you do? How many people in this world get to say that they’re proudly carrying on their family’s legacy? Dad didn’t leave you with a gift that you couldn’t handle. I know life’s never going to be the same with him gone… but Andrea… you need to stop treating everything as if the sky is falling. I know you’ve had your recent struggles in SCW and all of that… but you’re not turning into a flash in the pan. Why are you letting those two women get to you like that? Sure, things may not have been great for you lately… but compared to the rest of the women on the roster… you still have it SO much better than most of them… they can’t take away what you’ve already done.”

“I can’t stand it though…” I told my brother. “Everything feels like it’s so much harder…”

“But is it really? You’ve already gone above and beyond everything dad could’ve ever given you. You’re one of the best wrestlers in the world and you need to start acting like it. Look, I’m not saying any of this to be mean….”

“I know you’re not…”

“You’ve got so many people that look up to you, but you just don’t realize it because you’ve never paid attention to that. If you knew how many people you actually inspired on a day to day basis, maybe you’d see things differently. You’re the most popular person in this entire town, Andrea… and you haven’t given them your best lately. Just because you’ve hit what? A small rough patch? That doesn’t mean that you’ve lost it. That doesn’t mean you’re not one of the best in the world anymore. You’re going through a hard time. It happens. Not everyone gets to be this mega dominant force in everything that they do. You’re not that type of person… and that’s okay. A few bad breaks doesn’t make you a loser… or a flash in the pan… or any of those… self-degrading things you were saying to Mom earlier…”

I cringed a bit, remembering that grieving breakdown I had earlier.

“I don’t ever want to hear you say ‘I can’t do it’ again… or ever hear that you said it…”

I chuckled at this.

“Andrea…”

“I’m sorry Eddie, it’s just that…” I sighed and smiled for a brief moment. “You sound just like Dad right now…”

“You don’t think he’d be telling you the same thing?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry Eddie…” I sighed with regret before continuing. “Everything just fell apart at once and I reached my point where I couldn’t take it anymore. That match with Evie and Alicia… it’s going to be so hard…”

“It will…”

“How am I going to do this? How in God’s name am I going to overcome this without Dad?”

“You’re not…”

“WHAT?”

“...that came out wrong, sorry. I didn’t mean that you won’t overcome this without him… what I meant to say was… you’re NOT without him at all… he’s still alive… in your heart… in mine… in Mom’s… he’s still there. He’s with you…”

“Just like he always promised me he would be… I thought he left me… but you’re right. I’m starting to feel his presence inside of my heart… maybe I really can do this…”

“You can… you WILL… follow your heart and you damn well will! Everyone’s counting on you Andrea… and I know you’re not going to let us down… no matter what happens.”

“Still…” I sighed for a brief moment “...he’s not going to be around physically anymore and I know that it’s going to be hard. I mean… I’m never going to be the same again… that much is still true…”

“You’re right sis… you’re not going to be the same again… you’re going to be so much stronger and so much better when the dust settles…”

“Thank you… thank you so much! You’re the best brother ever!”

We became locked in a loving, passionate embrace. It was comforting that my brother and I were there for each other during this incredibly hard time.

“You’re my favorite sister, don’t forget that.”

“I’m your ONLY sister…” I reminded him with a laugh.

We broke our embrace and we stood up together. I could feel the grief begin to pass… acceptance of the situation started flooding through my bloodstream as the healing from my father’s death began…

“I’m going to do it…” I said. “I’ll take that torch… I’ll be the leader of this family… I’ll carry on that legacy… I’ll be the star that I know I am… I’m going to keep our tradition alive as long as I can. I’m ready to accept this gift and take on the responsibility now…”

“I’m glad…”

We both left the room together, catching up with my mother in the living room. We had a group hug between the three of us as we all began the healing process together… as a family…

“I promise you…” I told them “...I’m going to make sure everything is okay! If either of you ever need me for anything, I will always be here for you!”

It was still an awkward feeling stepping into the leadership role of the family and taking charge in the wake of my father’s death… but I knew that going forward, I had to be a leader, a torch bearer and an inspiration to many… and going forward in Sin City Wrestling, no matter what happens, that’s exactly what I am planning to be…

Flashback: May 6, 2020

“I knew that you were going to retain!” my father told me as I walked into his living room with the SCW Bombshells World Championship in my hands. We hugged each other for that special moment… the BEST moment that came out of retaining that World Championship against Christina Rose a few days prior.

“I knew it too!” I told him. “There was no chance in hell I was going to let her beat me.”

“You’re amazing, I really want you to know that!” he told me. “I look at you… the champion that you are… and it’s like… I feel as though… I’ve accomplished what I was meant to do in this life…”

I smiled for a bit at what would, of course, be an eerily ironic statement from him.

“Dad… don’t scare me...”

“I’m realizing that all along… you were the one destined to do great things for our family and to bring our tradition to the greatest heights it's ever been… and I was always destined to be the one that guided you to your destiny… my life’s work is complete…”

“I promise you Dad… I will ALWAYS make you proud… and no matter how hard things get for me… no matter how bleak things may look… I will ALWAYS keep fighting!!!

And that’s a promise that I’m going to fight hard with every ounce of my soul to keep from now on… now that the roughest waters and the darkest skies have finally passed… now that the floods have stopped and the sunrise is finally visible again…

July 25, 2020

The cameras were on as I had sat behind a campfire in the backyard of my father’s ranch. The fire was a literal metaphor of what was burning in my soul now, but along with that, there were some pictures of my earlier wrestling career: pictures of my time in places like UWA, GCW and OCW, burning in the campfire. There were pictures of myself from that time that were turning into ash as well as some pictures of some recent bad memories: particularly any time I had lost to either Evie Jordan or Alicia Lukas. I knew the viewers were going to be confused at the sight that they were looking at, but I was definitely confident to explain it to them.

“For those of you that are into mythology, you know that the Phoenix is a bird that lives in a 500 year cycle. The Phoenix is born, it leaves on for 500 years and once those 500 years are over, it self-immolates and rises out of its own ashes: better and stronger than before. This… by the way, is a symbolism for what I am going through. When my father died, a cycle of my life… a cycle of my career… ended with it. Since I’ve lost the world championship, it’s no secret that I've been suffocating on ash as of late… though much of that has to do with some bad breaks that are out of my control. But it’s over now… the Andrea that everyone knew for years: the one that always relied on her father, the one that would always hide from the spotlight, the one that would always see setbacks as a terrible thing, the one that would always go into every match with the underdog mentality and feeling like she always needs to prove herself… she’s gone. She’s the phoenix that recently completed her 500 years and now she’s turning into ash… for a better, stronger, more confident Andrea to rise from these ashes. A few weeks ago, Roxi Johnson made a good point about competing as the underdog. I wasn’t embracing my star status and I was seeing it as more of a burden than a gift. I hated dealing with the criticism and the bullshit that I’ve had ever since I won the title.

But it’s part of the territory.

There’s nothing I can do about it except embrace it and continue to silence the critics. I have nothing to prove to them. I’ve already proved everything I’ve needed to prove to the one person that matters and that’s myself. Those of you that had a grand old time criticizing me, slandering me and let’s be honest here… being narrow minded, tunnel visioned bitches at my expense… you’re done. That time is over. The bottom line is, I’m not listening to you anymore because you don’t matter. Myra Rivers and I have always had a complicated relationship and for so long relations between us were completely horrible… but she was right about one thing that she told me last week: I’m going to win that championship back by focusing on what matters. I’m done listening to every single word that has ever been said about me. I’m done taking it all to heart because it’s all toxic to begin with. I’m not going to focus on the way things have been lately. I’m not going to focus on whatever the hell the two biggest roadblocks of my career have to say, because  I know for a fact that there is nothing that I am going to say or do that is going to get them to shut up about me. They’re ALWAYS going to have something to say about me and I’m going to have to accept that. I’ve never beaten either of them… so I’m the big underdog right?

FUCK THAT!

If YOU TWO want to think that, then be my guest. Run your mouths about that all you want, but at the end of the day, what really matters is Summer XXXtreme and what happens with this match. What REALLY matters is who walks out with the world championship and I am going to say, against all odds, in total defiance, that it’s not going to be either of you. Remember, when I won the championship in the first place, it was a triple threat match against two of the greatest of all time. This? The bitches may have changed, but it’s still two of the greatest of all time and come hell or high water, I’m going to make this happen again! You’ve got a world champion who for the most part has mailed it in and continued to live in her tunnel vision who wants to retain the championship for just another day in the office… to continue to be the hypocrite that she’s been by continuing to carry herself in the same way she falsely accused me of being when I held the title… and you’ve got a former world champion who wants it back because in her mind, it’s the status quo and nobody else but her should be champion. Regardless… both Evie and Alicia want this for the pure purpose of fulfilling their bottomless egos. But I’m fighting for a greater purpose than that. This isn’t about winning the title back and shutting everyone the fuck up because what people have to say about me don’t mean a damn thing. Believe me, I DO want to win it back… I WILL win it back… but this isn’t just for a personal accolade… HELL NO!

This is for my father!

The day I win back the world championship, it’s going to be in HIS memory and being the one with the purest intention in this match, I KNOW for a fact that I am going to be the most motivated one of them all. Sorry Alicia, I know how badly you want it back. I know you hunger for it. I know your passion for being the absolute best. I know that by virtue of your win against Evie prior to Into the Void, you deserve to be here and that you’ve earned your spot. But your actions last week? They tell the story. I’ll get to that in a bit, but first I want to talk about you and me. Personally? I don’t have an issue with you. Do I like the way you carry your ego around like it’s hot shit? No, but that’s you and I accept that. When I first came into this company, you were one of the first people I heard about. Before I even wrestled my first match here against Twisted Sister, there was this great fear and this great aura about you. I’ll be an adult here and admit that at one point in time, I was like 80 percent of the women’s locker room that quivered in fear when they saw your name next to theirs… and the first time we ever faced each other, in some form or another, I had psyched myself out. My first loss in this company was to you and I HATED it! I used to be SO ANGRY at how you were coming at me when I first got here. It used to irk me so much that when we met again in the chamber match, I actually wanted to end your career so I could shut you up. Obviously, that was last year. Times are a little different now. I’ve since proved myself as one of the top women on this roster and one of the best women in the world when it comes to this sport and I see you as less of a fear and more of a rival… even if the seeds aren’t quite there yet.

When you came back… I admit… I wasn’t happy. I was disgusted that you were staking a claim to the title immediately. I figured that a day was going to come when we were going to face off in a title match of some kind again and all I could do was be ready to ‘do the impossible’ if and when it came down to that. You beat Evie and I figured you’d have the next crack. I was right.

And then the woman that mentored me back in GCW… she beat you.

No, I’m not taking this time to pour salt in the wound that your loss to Myra Rivers may have caused you… but prior to that match, I had seen you and treated you as the most dominant, feared woman on the roster. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still to be feared, you’re still very much dominant… but suddenly, you weren’t so scary anymore. I observed EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of that match… I ate up every single word that Myra said to you. She told me to watch that match… to see what a real champion was all about… and I did… and I’m so fucking happy that I did because now I know that the way to beat you is to take you straight on… to be on the attack… not to cower in fear and wait for you to fuck up and make a mistake. In my eyes, that old mystique and aura doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t know if you were looking past her or whatever… but it certainly shattered much of that aura. If she can do it… I can do it too...a nd I will… because the thing with wrestlers like you, Alicia… is that it’s world title or nothing.

You HAVE to be the dominant one.

You HAVE to have everything revolve around you.

You HAVE to be that nightmare causer for the entire division.

Much of what you’re all about is psychological and the reason why I wasn’t beating you before was because I was scared inside. I was giving in to fear too much. I was overwhelmed by you by your reputation before the bell rang and I’m not going to make that mistake anymore. I’ve made it twice… only twice… in this company… and it’s to both of my opponents in this match. It’s not happening anymore, Alicia! I’m owning that spotlight and if I need to own you along with it to regain the title for my father, then last week. I’m done holding back with you and I’m going to give you my honest opinions on what you do and what you say… starting with the events of last week. You called the match down the middle… just like you said you would… and I wasn’t surprised by that because I had faith in you.

But your actions?

To me?

That screamed “desperate”.

You were coming off of that loss to Myra, and you were desperate to gain some type of momentum back… you were desperate to gain some sort of mystique back just to let everyone know who’s boss. In my opinion, if you had beaten Myra, you wouldn’t have pulled that shit that you did on Evie. Don’t get me wrong… a part of me enjoyed seeing you do that since my main issue is with her and not you, but SERIOUSLY? How desperate were you? Now you’re going off talking about how you’re going to ‘destroy’ the division? That you’re done saving it? When the hell were you trying to save it? When you were living in your own neurosis of how “the title has sucked ever since you lost it”? Look, I know that I’m never going to convince you to think differently. I could beat you 10 times and you still wouldn’t change your viewpoints. You’d still be the same bitch that loves to run her mouth. Sorry Alicia, desperation can only take you so far and I can sense that the longer you’re without the title, the more it bothers you because in your own mind, nobody but you should be champion.

I respect that drive, don’t get me wrong. But I can never respect the ego. I can never respect wanting to destroy this division and making it all about her. You’re one of those wrestlers that NEEDS the title to validate herself which is a shame… but it is what it is. I’m not in this to humble you… no matter how much I may want to… at least with you… I know what to expect. At least you’re not being a hyper neurotic bitch who says the stupidest things and actually believes that they’re right…

Am I right on that Evie Jordan?”

Cue the fire in my soul burning to an intensity of about 100000.

“You won! Let’s get THAT part out of the way. I’m almost positive you’re going to brag about it to kingdom come! Go ahead and do that already. Get it over with. Keep up with the narrative of ‘Andrea is shit’ and keep using every excuse in the book to try to make me seem like I’m the most unworthy, pathetic world champion in Sin City Wrestling history, male or female. You are someone who I am never going to have any respect for. Of all the bitches that have ever tried to slander me and to try to bring me down…. YOU are the worst one of ALL of them and I have no qualms in stating that I HATE YOU more than ANYONE on the roster… even Alicia… even Christina. I see you and you know what I want to do? I want to fucking destroy you and end your career because I’ve had enough with your fucking shit. The ONLY reason why I don’t is because I’m better than that. You’re NOT worth one ounce of emotion or of anger out of me. I’m done letting you win, and no I am not talking about what goes on in the ring, I mean that I’m done letting you live rent free inside of my head. I’m THROUGH letting you talk to me the way you’ve been talking to me for months. Your comeuppance is going to come in the best way when I win the championship from you and while under a normal circumstance, that revenge and that silencing of your fucking bullshit would be my main focus… it’s not… because you’re not worth that… because I’m not giving you that power… because my dad taught me better than that. My focus isn’t shutting you up, my focus is winning it back… period. You wanted to spin this triple threat last week as SCW handing us the shots… which of course is not the case. The ONLY thing that I can agree with you on is the preference for this match between us to be one on one… and it COULD’VE happened… except… Alicia beat you and here we are. Look in the mirror and place that blame where it belongs… down your throat, or up your ass… whichever is more convenient for you.

Alicia wasn’t lucky that she beat you. Then again, while I don’t like to agree with her, maybe she has a point in what she’s been saying about you.

Of course, this is Evie’s world right? Where everything she says makes as much sense as well… it DOESN’T. You believe in your own word like its gospel no matter how ridiculous it sounds and that arrogant attitude, that ‘I’m always right’ bullshit, that manipulative, twisting, slander shit that you always do… that’s your Achilles heel. That’s why you’re going to lose the championship. I can only imagine the outright TRASH you’ve already said about me by now. Remember, you’re the one that took my social media approach of ‘non-confrontational’ and twisted it into “ANDREA IS A COWARD CHAMPION WHO DOESN’T CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO FIGHTS”. You’re the one that took my grief over my father’s death and turned it into “ANDREA IS BEING A VICTIM!”. You’re the one that took that tag team bullshit loss that Alicia and I were involved with and you turned it into “you’re not one of the most feared Bombshells anymore”. REALLY? Not that I give a FUCK about being feared or not, but REALLY? You take ONE rough patch that I’ve been going through and you try to make it seem like I’m past my prime and that’s without mentioning the fact that you’ve flip flopped your opinions on me a bunch of times by now.

Before Into the Void, you slandered me all over the place, saying you could never have respect for me basically. Afterward, you treated me differently, wanting to have another war with me and saying that I had your respect, essentially. Then, prior to the mixed tag we had last week… there you went again…

‘You’re ALWAYS going to be a blimp on my radar… L O L… you’re THAT far beneath me… you’re second rate, you’re a fluke, you’re a flash in the plan, blah blah blah… I have nothing better to say about you because I’m such a fucking dipshit who can’t cut a fucking promo as a world champion to save her life because the only promo I know how to do is the promo that the majority of wrestlers did in 2003!’
SOMEHOW… I don’t know HOW… but ONE punch to the face… catching me at a time where you SHOULDN’T HAVE… when I wasn’t in the mood to deal with ANY of your fucking bullshit… turned into ‘YOU’RE PLAYING MIND GAMES! YOU’RE PUSHING YOUR GRIEF OF YOUR DAD ON ME! YOU’RE SAYING THAT I BULLIED YOU’

SOMEHOW… ONE rough patch… ONE… MOST of which is OUT OF MY CONTROL… sorry, I didn’t know I HAD to have control over incompetent referees losing track of who’s legal in matches AND I HAD to have control over Griffin Hawkins shitting the bed against your husband… turns into… “YOU’VE RUINED ALL THE HARD WORK YOU’VE PUT IN”

“YOU’RE NOT FIRST CLASS ANYMORE! YOU’RE COACH”

“YOU PINNED THE BLAME FOR YOUR LOSS AT INTO THE VOID ON EVERYONE BUT YOURSELF”

SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!!!

No I’m DEAD SERIOUS… SHUT… THE FUCK…. UP!

I NEVER… EVER made excuses for Into the Void. I NEVER… EVER made excuses for anything that’s happened since then.

And YOU want to spin Alicia’s involvement in the match as “YOU’RE NOT WORTHY OF GETTING YOUR OWN REMATCH… L O L!”

SHUT THE FUCK UP!

YOU are the reason why she’s in the match. YOU are the one that lost to her. YOU are the one that created your own disadvantage! God… if I don’t win the title back, breaking your fucking jaw would be a HELL of a ‘consolation prize’, but sorry, I’m not in this for the consolation prize. I’m focused on one thing only and that’s winning this for my father. PERIOD! I’m DONE blowing you up in my head as something greater than what you actually are… because the reality is? You’re just NOISE… and I’m DONE listening to your shit! You’re done twisting shit and just making shit up out of the blue because you have NEVER had a good thing to say! You’re DONE slandering me and twisting shit to make YOURSELF feel better… because last I checked… YOU are the one that feels the need to SLANDER ME and to PUT ME DOWN to make YOURSELF feel better…

And Summer XXXtreme?

I’m winning it back…

The fact that it comes against the two biggest roadblocks I’ve ever had in my career… for my father... is going to make it even sweeter...

[Alicia Lukas]

 The Greatest Story.

There is one overwhelming theme in this business that started when it was in its infancy. The prospect of Good versus Evil. But what measures this?. In other sports it’s very simple. In the NFL if you lived where I lived the Falcons were and are the heros. Any other team that would come to our home would be viewed as the Evil in the situation. But then again, at the oppositions home ground it would always be switched. It’s the same in Baseball, basketball, Hockey. Any other spot the premise is the same, not just domestically, internationally too.  

In wrestling it used to be so much more clearcut.  

Back in the day if you smiled and gave high fives to the fans, kept your nose clean and treated everyone with respect you were beloved. You were looked at as a good person. If you sneered, laughed at the fans and cheated. Well you were booed and abused. Some people used to try and fight my father in the parking lot in the 80’s. Or so he told me.  

But somewhere along the way the wrestling business and the attitudes changed. No longer where the respectful, smiling, happy champions exclusively cheered and the underhanded arrogant people booed. See as the world changed around it so did professional wrestling. No longer am I viewed as a bad person and booed. Not that I ever was to begin with. But in the 70’s or 80’s I would have been chastised and hated for my attitude. For my arrogance.  

But not now.  

No now I am hated and booed because I speak the truth.  

I sugarcoat nothing, I hold nothing back and some people hate me, some love me. But if there is one thing you all do...is pay attention to me. Know me. Witness me. I am not good, I am not evil. I am simply me. I walk into the ring with one purpose and that is to be the best and do it my own way. I don’t care about others feelings. I don’t care about the past. I care about the now. I care about the why and how.  

And none of you can stop me….

Finding a father.
New York
2 years Ago

“Have you told him yet?” The question burned in Alicia’s ears as she stared out into the backyard of the large home on the outskirts of New York City she shared with Michael. He stood in middle of the grass talking to Alicia and Zoey’s brother Josh laughed and talked to him. Zoey sat behind Alicia patiently waiting for an answer as the silence between them grew. Alicia looked down and turned back to her sister. Zoey looked nothing like her. Her hair was a dark brown, her face was long and slender. She looked my more like their mother. Josh and Alicia on the other hand had their fathers features.  

Long blond hair, blue eyes, skin that tanned easily. Zoey was the odd one out. Both of her younger siblings had been in the wrestling business. Josh retiring from it to get married and have a child. He worked hard. Zoey left after her wrestler boyfriend broke her heart. “No, Michael doesn’t know….” The words were hard to say, to form. Or to even think about. Zoey made a small huffing noise, Alicia looked up and raised an eyebrow.  

“What?” It came out a lot more forceful than Alicia had meant. Zoey simply rolled her eyes and pushed off the stool that sat near the kitchen bench, her fingers dancing along the black marble as she joined Alicia near the window looking out at Michael, Josh, the boys. She grabbed Alicia’s arm pulling her around. Forcing her to look at them.

“He isn’t going to care V….” Alicia winced hearing even the first letter of her birth name. She sighed deeply and gave a nod. Zoey knocked on the window and motioned to Josh, he moved inside with the boys who hugged their mother goodbye. “Remember...he’ll understand…” She gave a small wink being dragged out the door as Alicia folded her arms over herself again holding herself tight.  

“So…” Michael’s voice rang out through the kitchen as Alicia turned to face him, his face plastered with a cheeky almost boyish grin beneath his beard, he stepped forward and slid his arms around Alicia cupping them around her lower back pulling her against him. “What shall we do while Ryan and Rory spend time with their aunt and uncle?” Alicia gave a small shrug and a smile as Michael leaned down giving her a slow but passionate kiss. As Michael pulled back he tilted his head with a smirk. “What’s wrong?....what’d you and Zoey break?”

She couldn’t help but laugh and roll her eyes despite being nervous and not sure how to bring it up. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “There was another reason for Zoey and Josh’s visit. Zoey called me last week and…” Alicia paused and chewed on her bottom lip looking down and away, Michael now seemed concerned noticing the change in Alicia’s body language. His hand drifted from her lower back to her face slowly moving a strand of her golden blond hair from her face.  

“What’s wrong Alicia?” She swallowed hard and backed up a little leaning against the black marble bench, her hands gripping it as she pulled herself up to sit on the edge.

“Zoey told me that she wanted to find Dad. And I agreed to help. I agreed to pay for a private investigator". Alicia paused for a moment as Michael titled his head again bringing his hand up to his chin as he seemed in thought. Before he could say anything Alicia continued.   “I know he hasn’t been the best dad and last time I saw him really hurt me, I know that I shouldn’t care or that I should of talked to you but...I..” She took a deep breath as all the memories flooded back.

She remembered Jason leaving when she was five, Josh and Zoey were babies, they didn’t know the feeling like Alicia. She remembered every time her father had come in and out of her life the last two years. The anger, the pain, the resentment. All of it flooded back, along with Michael being there the last time to pull her back from the bring. To remind her of who she was and what she’d accomplished. Michael cleared his throat and Alicia straightened in fear.  

“He’s your father. And he’s family. I wish you would have come to me first though…” She gave a small nod of acceptance and slid back down onto her feet, she got close to Michael and slowly put her hand on his chest.

“I know we’re getting married so everything like that I should talk to you about…” Michael laughed and kissed her on the forehead.

“Not just that but, I have my own investigator, very good, works business mostly but he would have helped if I had asked..” They stood in silence for a few moments, Alicia breathing deep with a sigh of relief, the feeling of stupidity rolling over her as she realised she should never be scared to tell Michael anything. He has been her rock, her savior. He had never lied to her or hurt her, he had never emotionally blackmailed her or used her. Michael was her guardian angel and had tried to get rid of the demons that Alicia had always brought with her as a type of baggage.  Baggage that destroyed friendships and all her relationships. Baggage that could have killed her and led her to a life of drinking and stupidity. “Is this because you want him at our wedding?” The question caught her off guard.

She stumbled her words and shook her head before taking a deep breath. “Yes…” He gave her a smile and another softer kiss.

“Then find him….

Daddy Issues
Atlanta Georgia
22 years ago….

The day was like any other. The sun rose high in the sky, the smell of summer in the air as the heat in Georgia seemed to bake us all alive. I was five years old. Long curly blond locks, chubby cheeks. Every bit a mixture of my southern belle mother and my father. A rough and rugged wrestler named Jason Maxwell. He was seven foot tall, huge muscles and long blond hair. A smirk that was playful and boyish despite his age. A look my mother fell for, hook, line and sinker. I don’t remember everything from that time. But I remember being happy.

I remember my mother being happy. I was the first born. The princess. Followed by my brother Josh and our baby sister Zoey. Josh was 2 and a half, Zoey was a newborn, maybe three or four months. I don’t remember exactly how old. I just remember the weird feeling. My mother for a time had been questioning my father on his choices. On what he was doing for the family. She had come from money, she gave that all up from the family to marry my father. A star crossed forbidden love it seems. But times grew tougher….

The wrestling business as a whole had become stagnant. There was no money to be made in the mid 90’s and with three children my mother worried. She was scared and wanted Jason to find another job. My father was stubborn as a mule. I suppose that is where I get it from. But I sat on the floor, the hardwood floor of the house we lived in. A small three bedroom affair, My brother and sister both having a nap, not that they would have remembered much anyway. All I remember was the yelling. My mother and father in the kitchen. My mother then telling him to keep his voice down once she realised I could hear everything.  

I didn’t think much of it that day.

It had become a little more regular than I would like to admit. The arguments back and forth, always over money and direction. Things that never held much weight in my mind. At the time all I cared about was my little brother touching my shit. But I heard the boots on the floor. My father stepping through the house. I remembered feeling different, weird. The vibe was all wrong and I was upset. He walked out of Josh and Zoey’s room, he walked over to me setting his bag down and picked me up sitting me on his knee. His eyes looked strange. Not the happy relief I was used to when he was able to see us, spend time with me and actually be a father away from the travelling circus life of professional wrestling.

A life I myself now subscribe to and endure and love. In a way I understand why he left. Why the last I saw of him for 20 years was his back. His large silhouette moving out our front door with a bag in his hand. My mother was angry and shaking her head, hiding the tears and keeping them back and away. He loved the life. He loved the feeling. He loved the rush. At the time I thought he was just leaving for work. That some day my father would walk back in the door like nothing happened. Give me a hug, tell me he loved me. But that day didn’t come, not for 20 goddamn years.  

And when it did, I felt happy, I fell for the lies, I fell for the bullshit. I let him back in only for him to walk out time and time again, and over the last two years I have had to deal with that fallout. The feeling and knowing that my father is a failure as a man, as a professional wrestler, as a father and as a grandfather…..

But. I still want him to do that one thing every little girl dreams about. I want him to walk me down the aisle….

Alicia looked up, now a fully grown woman in the present day, her bright blue eyes staring forward at the man in front of her. His hair a silver grey with a matching beard. Pictures and documents in front of him as two cups of hot coffee sit between them. Alicia’s long blond hair tied back away from her face. Her body ragged up in a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. The weather in Canada being as harsh and changing as her own feelings forwards her father.

“Thank you for the backstory, it can help me get into your father’s mind as to why he came all the way up here.” Alicia scoffed and looked out onto the street through the large bay window in this tiny coffee shop in outer Toronto.

Her fingertips reached out and moved along the top of the cup before picking it up and taking a sip leaning across the small table. “I know why. There’s a cardiologist up here he wanted to see. He borrowed 12 grand from me 6 months ago…” Alicia trailed off and swallowed hard, part of her angry that Jason was here and hadn’t bothered to contact her, part of her relieved he was still alive and part was annoyed.

Annoyed she had to go to the lengths of hiring a private investigator to find her own father. She shook her head and seemed to drift off into thought, the PI’s voice snapping her out of it causing her to jump a little. “Well that would explain why I found him in Toronto General….”

“That’s...two blocks away” He gave her a small nod and clasped his hands together as Alicia took a long deep breath. Her heart ached, her breathing staggered as she tried to hold back tears. Her eyes closed and as she visualised it, the last time she saw him, her eyes reopened and she swallowed hard. “I have to see him, I have to know….give me the room number…”

His hand moved to his pen, he wrote it down fast and folded it over before slowly sliding it across the table, before Alicia could grab it he slid it back a little. “I held up my end of the bargain….” She gave a small nod, the payment slipping her mind. She reached into her bag pulling out the envelope handing it to him.

The last words spat with anger as he eyes burned a hole through the paper. He scoffed and slid the paper to her before collecting the pictures and documents.
>“Good day Miss Maxwell….”

Some people really are piece of shit…

Alicia was playing with a coin. It was a small thing, just an everyday quarter. She rolled it from one knuckle to the other. It danced along her hand, the light hitting it at just the right angle as Alicia stared at it. She smiled and sighed deeply pushing forward to her feet. She was bored, having been on the ship longer than most of her wolfslair teammates.

”This match is huge…”

Alicia stating the obvious. But there is a reason for it. She slowly places the quarter down sliding it across the small circular table in the room.

”It’s amazing to me just how forgetful people can be. The entire division, no, actually the entire company forgot who I am and what I’m about. It seemed that you all mistook my respect for a weakness. Because I would stand her before a match and sing the praises of my opponents I was weak and vulnerable. Truth is, I needed to talk up most of my opponents, not to make myself look good, not to boost their egos, but because if I didn’t then my wins, my dominance would mean nothing. I had to build you all up to give you meaning. And it is something I will continue to do. But, before I get into that and address some of the utter stupidity that has spewed fro my opponents mouths...I need to remind you all of something.’”

“I am a champion. Whether I have the title over my shoulder or around my waist, I am a champion. When I wake up, I’m a champion, when I go to sleep, I’m a champion. When I have my morning coffee or eat my lunch, you guessed it, I’m a fucking champion.”

“This isn’t for any other reason than what I have done or what I can do. I walked into this place with all the hype in the world around me, but with everyone telling me it was bullshit. With everyone saying that Alicia Lukas was all talk, all flash, no substance. I went from being the best professional wrestler, male or female, in multiple companies to having to start from scratch in a place that clearly needed the star power. And, I didn’t listen. I shut all the vullshit out of my mind. I walked out to the ring, every Climax Control, every supercard and I did the same thing I always do….win…”

“And the thing is, if you look at my history, alot of my losses are because I simply,l had shitty team mates.”

Alicia growls, clearly over having to team with anyone. Especially people who don’t hold up their end of the bargain.

”So, the more I have thought about it, the more I realised I was done babying all of you. I was done with being nice and trying to lift you all up to my level. Cause the truth is. Most of you aren’t. Most of you are hypocrites. Most of you don’t deserve to be in the ring with me. Although, someone who does, is Evie Jordan. Even if, she spent most of her last promo whining and crying like a child. I mean, champion disadvantage?. Odds stacked against you? Bitch are you serious? You’re a goddamn champion, you beat Andreas ass and have won the blast from the past twice and now you want to walk around moping like a fucking crying child?”

“Because you have two challengers?. Awww diddums. I’m so sorry. It’s not like I know what it’s like to defend the title against multiple people or anything. But did I complain anytime I had to do it? Did I claim I was at a disadvantage? No, I didn’t. And neither should you. You want to use this match to show the world just how good you are, how dynamic, sensational and a whole host of other awesome descriptions? Great Evie, you do that. You deserve your time in the son and you deserve your chance to prove you can be a real champion instead of another one of these win the belt and bounce idiots that have come in the last few months.”

“You deserve that chance. But then again, so do I.”

“And let me lay it out here for you. What I say and what I do, aren’t really mind games as such. See I state the truth. I hold a mirror up to people and show them their reflection. And the key to beating that is to make sure you have no doubts about yourself or what you have done. I can hold up a mirror to you and point out all your faults, all your failures and that will eat you away inside. But, with that being said I also remind you of your positives. Like your blast from the past wins, like you beating Andrea, you need to take the good with the bad. Evie…”

Alicia slowly looks over at the full length mirror in the corner of the room. Her long blonde hair down and over her shoulder and down her back. A bright red lipstick in contrast to her pale skin.

”I told you already Evie, I like you. What I did to you after the tag match was never personal, it was just to remind you that with or without respect I am a dangerous creature. And it certainly wasn’t to slight you. I know one little knee to the face won’t actually do anything negative to you. If I wanted to, I could have done much, much worse. See, if I wanted to Evie, I could have grabbed you and broken your arm. I could have snatched you up, and snapped your forearm in two. But, I’m not that type of person. I’m not a monster. But, you have to ask Evie, if I was the type to play mind games, if I was the type to talk my way into an advantage….ave you where I want you?”

“You really think my mouth and what I say before a match are my greatest weapons? Dear I was trained in Japan. I won matches and tournaments there against tough women who didn’t speak English. They couldn’t understand what I was saying. What I do in that ring, is puve violence. And if you want to disregard that and focus more on what I’m saying. Well dear, I’m already staying rent free in that pretty little head of yours.And as for your long winded and quite frankly insulting comments on me nursing my injury and coming back to early..”

“Well this “still injured bitch” beat you…..”

“You might want to think before you speak. You’ll look less stupid that way.”

“But, if I did push myself to hard to come back it’s because this division needed me. Hell you said it yourself, you came back because the division needed a “kick in the arse”. Do you know why Evie? Because I wasn’t here. I lost my title in a brutal match and then got attacked and put on the shelf before I could get a rematch, a rematch that I had earned due to being the most dominant champion in SCW history…..something you know nothing about….as I said...ask your husband..maybe he can give you some tips on how to actually be a champion and promote your title and company instead of posting thirst tweets about Bens abs…”

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And when I beat you Evie it gave you the drive to prove you were the best. So congratulations, you took a loss and you spun it to give you the confidence you needed to win. But, that is something I am a master at. So if you think a loss to Myra actually huvt me?...well you lost move IQ points.You lost even more by showing your hand and acting like I’m not a threat.”

She leans forward hissing the words between her teeth.

”You think lately I haven’t shown anything? Why? Because I lost a tag match having an inept moron for a partner...Hi Andrea. And because I had one loss to Myra?. Honestly?. I’m disappointed in you. I have been dominant as all hell since coming back and the fact you want to overlook that and try and care your own path is insulting and stupid. You can't rewrite history just because you’re scared. And that is what you are Evie, you’ve scared. And to be honest you should be. You.re getting in the ring with one of the best to ever put on boots. In a match where you don’t even need to be pinned to lose. And trust me on this….I’m not going to stop until I get that title….”

Alicia takes a long deep breath and lets it out slowly, her anger subsiding a little as she tries to calm herself down,the insulting feeling, the disappointment all being pushed down.

”Oh, right. I almost forgot. Andrea, so good of you to join us. I could of sworn I heard a rumor that you were too busy to record a promo last week. Then bam there you are with a long winded snoozefest where instead of looking up facts you just ran your delusional mouth. I was waiting Andrea, I was waiting for a promo filled with five about how maybe you were the forgotten one, or that you were going to vegan the title. And suve we got a little bit of that but it was lost in a sea of total bullshit. Honey, reciting a legend of the phoenix from wikipedia isn’t going to endear you to the crowd or anyone who had to sit through twenty minutes of you jerking yourself off.”

“I even waited for and got the Myra comment, now first off, don’t copy Evie’s homework, that’s rude. Second off, yes Myra beat me, I continually acknowledge it and I congratulate her, I hope she does go on to use the win to do something great. Cause unlike you, and Johnson, I acknowledge when I have been beaten and bested. Because unlike you Andrea, you arrogant fuckwit, I don’t run from my losses, I embrace them and use them to get better. Because as I’ve said, I’m a real champion. And I don’t need to use my fathers death to get sympathy and use it as motivation.”

“You lost your father. So sorry to hear about it. It seems to have impacted you alot over the last month while you milk it like a fucking jersey cow. It’s a day that seems to have haunted you for the better part of a month. But for me. When my dad passed away last year...it was a tuesday…”

“That may seem harsh, that may seem cold. But it literally had nothing to do with my professional wrestling career and he was in the business!. You want to win the title to live up to his memory and honor him, great, that’s awesome. But me, Evie...we don’t care. And neither do the majority of fans. Cause most jobs, they don’t care if you have lost a father. You don’t go into a goddamn wendy’s and say b”I’m going to make all these burgers perfect in memory of my daddy”. You just get on with it. And then, then Andvea you went and disappointed me move than you probably disappointed your father in the past. You really called my actions desperate…”

“Desperate…”

“Andrea, I am a two time Bombshells champion, I have been a champion everywhere I have gone and I’ve never had to lower myself to the things you have. You are someone who uses the word respect but with no thought of what it means. And there was a time, a time when I thought maybe, just maybe you’d “get it” that you would be the next big thing and provide me with that great challenge. But then you opened your mouth.”

She rolls her eyes opening a bottle of water chugging some down. The words rolling on in her mind.

”You found what I did desperate, yet to me it was a simple thing to remind you all that respect is fine but business is business. It was a way to remind Evie that it is every woman for themselves and you should be happy, cause she hates you more than she does me. Even with the attack, and the thing is, if you had won the match with Griffin I would have raised your hand then lowered the boom on you too. But, to be honest, it had more impact on Evie. And with that being said, if you truly believe I needed “mystique” then you don’t know me very well. People still hold what I say with a certain weight. And honestly...you valley should listen to me...you might get smarter.”

“Go ahead and provide facts. Disprove what I said about the SCW bombshells title. I was the champion and it mattered, you all played pass the title and ended up damaging it’s history. You made it drop down the card and it became a fucking prop. You can’t produce facts as to why I’m wrong, because I’m not. Evie has a chance to prove me wrong, and I have a chance to do what I said I was going to. But you? You’ll damage it further.; You couldn’t even come up with a fucking thing to tell me how I was wrong. Just you saying I was wrong then thats it.”

“I really thought you would be different. But you're not. You.re even worse than anyone else.I can’t let you win that goddamn title Andrea. You already proved you’ve not ready to be a champion, you can't see your shortcomings or losses and improve. You are a shady bitch. And I’m going to make sure you walk out of Summer XXXtreme empty handed….because it’s my duty to….”

[Evie Baang]

 Apprehensive: Since late last week Evie’s perfect world had been turned upside down, with the unexpected arrival of a so-called sister. It was definitely not the welcomed drama she was looking forward to before Summer XXXTreme, let’s face it... she could handle her opponents tit for tat but this was different this was a complete head fuck.

It was as if she had stepped back in time and 2017 was alive and well again, those were her final years in the spy game. The days of random surprises were behind her, or so she thought but now a whole new world of pain had fallen out of nowhere and had landed in her lap. This wasn’t going to sit well with Evie, this wasn’t going to sit well with Ben. There was only so much he could put up with and the actions of a crazy half-sister, was enough to test even the strongest bond between the Jordan’s.

It wasn’t Evie’s fault but the ultimatum that was thrown down, was very much delivered because of the actions of the young Aussie. The outcome, was very much her own doing and now her whole world was left up in the air, just dangling in front of her eyes. It was starting to look like the end for the happy hour lucky lifestyle of Evie Jordan. Maybe it was karma just catching back up with her, for all the pain that she had caused in a previous life but she couldn’t deny it, she should have seen this one coming. Whenever there was a ship tonne of happiness in her life, the devil would send her something to remind her of who she really was and why she didn’t deserve the white picket fence lifestyle she was building for herself. Whenever she was feeling comfortable and completely at ease that her and Ben were protected and living carefree, the devil gift wrapped a hurricane dressed it as a present just to sit back and watch the drama unfold. Evie should have known the good luck was coming to an end but seriously? A half sister, even she thought it was a bit much.

This wasn’t the drama she needed before Summer XXXTreme, she already had Andrea and Alicia biting at her heels, claiming her World Bombshell Championship as their own. The same title she had fought tooth and nail for, the same title she had returned to Sin City Wrestling for. The road to her first defence was never going to be easy, but now it was seeming down right impossible for Evie to walk away from the main event this Sunday night with the victory. Well that’s what her opponents would like the pray for...

Evie was going to do everything in her power to walk away from the main event at Summer XXXTreme with the World Bombshell Championship still draped proudly over her shoulder because she couldn’t be the first defence flop, she couldn’t be the type of champion she hated she refused. This time round she was meant to write her wrongs, this time round she was meant to build a new legacy for herself in Sin City Wrestling and to give up and lose on her first defence would take away everything she was working towards.

Only time would tell if Evie had it in her, only time would tell if she was going to move forward and become one of the best Bombshell Champions like she was wanting to be. Evie wanted to show the world that she could be a better version of herself and that she could actually hold onto a title for longer than the first defence but that outcome was only days away, meaning we didn’t have to wait long to see if the Aussie was worth the second chance in Sin City Wrestling or if she was just all talk.

All smoke and mirrors.

But for now, let’s go back to where it left off last week shall we? Let’s go back to the arrival of a storm dressed as a younger version of Evie decided to descend upon the Jordan’s lake house and ruin the perfect week at home they had just been treated too... let’s go and find out why the champion’s feathers have been ruffled.

##
 
The sound of raging footsteps stomped up the rocky driveway that belonged to Ben and Evie Jordan as fury in a dress stormed her way towards the front door. Evie on the other hand couldn’t believe what Ben had just done, she couldn’t believe that he had opened their gates to some stranger but she didn’t have time to pull him up on it and there was no time to second guess his judgment she had to prepare. Moving away from the security cameras in the kitchen, Evie stepped towards the microwave, pulling it forward from its marble surrounds, she squeezed her hand down the side gap, before she popped a hidden hand gun off the wall. As she pulled it out of the nook, Ben’s eyes went wide with uncertainty.
 
“I thought we made a deal, no weapons in the house.” Ben growled at her.
 
Evie just turned back to look at him, she didn’t say a word as she looked down at the small 9mm in her left hand, she slid the top casing back, before releasing the magazine to count the bullets before sliding it back up into the chamber. Evie kept the safety on, but she wasted no time in slipping it between her tight jeans and her back. She made sure her charcoal baggy ACDC shirt covered it up, before she moved into the next room. Ben followed her, watching as Evie tipped over a large vase that was a feature point in their main living area. The fake tall Africa grass spilled out on the floor as rattle sound rolled around the narrow neck to vase before a small pocket knife fell onto the ground. As Evie bent down and picked it up she went to hide it, but before she could slide it into her back pocket she felt Ben’s warm but firm hand wrap around her left forearm. Evie went to walk off she didn’t have words for him right now, it wasn’t because she was angry at him its just they were seconds away from having an uninvited house guest and her radar was alerting her at an all-time high. Something didn’t feel right about all of this, she couldn’t put her fingers on why she already distrusted this mysterious newcomer but one thing was for sure, she didn’t want this “sister” of hers in her house, let alone on her property.
 
“Eves.” Ben whispered. “Maybe, just maybe she’s a good guy huh?” he reasoned with her.
 
Evie just looked back at her husband, anger and confusing mixing in her eyes as she tried her hardest not to take this out on him.
 
“She isn’t my family… this won’t be good news. Trust me. I can feel it.” Evie begged him to believe in her.
 
Ben pulled Evie back towards him, not hurting her but he was firm with his touch.
 
“You remember this could be the same girl we flew half way across the world for you to find. This could be the same girl we spent weeks in Russia looking for? You were excited about the idea of having her in your life… so please, don’t go out there screaming, shouting and waving this.” He looked at her right hand. “Around…” Ben tried to motive her.
 
“That lead was a dead end.” Evie’s tone was harsh. “There was no hidden sister back then, there won’t be a hidden sister now.” She sighed, irritated at the situation.
 
Before Ben could try and make Evie see clearly there was a pondering on their front door, it was so loud that Evie Bear had tucked his tail between his legs and headed towards his safe place. Ben watched as Bear raced off into the bedroom and whilst his eyes weren’t on his wife, Evie had slipped out of his grip, the knife slipped into her back pocket as she rushed towards their front door. The sound of the ponding on the front door stopped as the front door flew open, Evie stepping out before the woman before she could even try and think about to stepping into their house. As Evie cut her off a set of hands came flying towards her face, but Evie slapped them away with ease. The sound of the slight scuffle had Ben on high alert as he raced over.
 
“ENOUGH!” Ben shouted.
 
The tone in his voice broke Evie’s glare away from the stranger, as the younger version of Evie stumbled backwards trying to catch herself before she tumbled into a heap on to their titled entry way.
 
“You…” He pointed at Evie. “Settle down… and you.” Ben pointed at the stranger. “Who are you and what do you want?” He growled
 
Evie looked at Ben a little taken back from the tone in his voice, but before she could say anything back he had stepped in between the two girls, his hands out stretched as if he was trying the separate two wild bulls ready to rush each other in a fight to the death. The younger version of Evie, brushed herself off before she moved two steps closer to Ben. Evie eyes grew wide as she watched the distance between her husband and this stranger almost become non-existent and she couldn’t help but see red. 
 
“You have ten seconds, to tell me who the fudge you are…” Evie shouted. “And don’t even think about taking any longer because this is an act first ask questions later state and don’t think I won’t take full advantage of it.” She spat out with wickedness in her pitch.
 
The young girl looked up at Evie, smirking widely with her thin baby pink lips.
 
“My mother was right, you’re exactly like him.” She revolted. “I’m your half-sister you idiot. You and I have the same backwards father, lucky for me… my mother loved me enough to keep me away from him and the world he lived in. You on the other hand, you’re the spit out of his mouth.” She snarled when she spoke.
 
Her accent was thick and angry, it reeked of Russian undertones as it almost sounded like a threatening shout then a peaceful tone. Evie couldn’t help and lunge for her, never in a million years did she think she would ever be compared to her father… again. She couldn’t believe the audacity this woman had, rocking up to her house, claiming to be her half-sister, wanting to know where their father was. Evie was about to be on her, but Ben gently but sternly held her back. The look that he gave her from his crystal blue eyes was enough to calm her down, but he could tell she was right on the edge of reason. It was an expression in her emerald eyes he hadn’t seen for a long, long time and if he could help it he would move heaven and earth from that side of his wife ever re-emerging.
 
“If MY father was so bad in your eyes why are you here?” Evie shouted back.
 
Ben’s head cranked back and forth like he was at the tennis as Evie and the mystery woman went word for word.
 
“Because he OWES ME.” She screeched.
 
Evie looked her up and down disgusted from the four words that had just spilled out of her mouth. He owes her? Owes her what? Evie’s fist balled up she was hungry for a fight and she would love nothing more than to come across and smack the smirk off the woman’s face.
 
“He owes you?” Evie snorted. “Owes you what?” she paused.
 
The young brunette sighed as she stomped her right foot, she was getting sick of this. Reaching up she dragged her right hand through her long hair, almost pulling it out in annoyance. She felt as if she shouldn’t have to explain herself, especially to a sister that didn’t even know she existed until now.
 
“Once a month I used to get a hefty sum of money… money that I used to help out my family and three years ago that randomly stopped.” She groaned.
 
Evie took a step up towards her, a look of disgust over her face as she started down at her.
 
“So you thought you could come here, rattle on my gate, storm my driveway, pound on my front door, and scream in MY face, because you feel like MY father owes you money.” Evie couldn’t help but laugh.
 
She took another step up towards the younger version of herself, the closer Evie got the more she couldn’t deny that this woman did in fact look just like her.
 
“Oh honey, my father didn’t believe in charity… so whatever scam you’re running here try shaking someone else’s money tree.” Evie smirked. “Because were not buying it.” She seethed.
 
The younger girl was taken back by Evie’s words this time she saw red and didn’t hold back with her reply. Her eyebrows coming together as she spoke out with rage.
 
“You’re Evie Luna Baang, now Jordan born on the tenth of August nineteen ninety to Emelia Tate and Carlton Baang.” She started to kick off.
 
Evie just graced her with an eye roll before she quickly cut her off.
 
“Oh well done, you rememorised my Wikipedia page.” Evie sassed her.
 
The younger girl just took another step towards Ben, shifting Evie’s gaze off her and on to her husband. It was engrained in her to protect him, it wasn’t that Ben couldn’t hold his own he could, but if this lady was as crazy as she was sounding Evie couldn’t be sure what she was capable of.
 
“OUR father had your mother killed when you were fourteen and you witnessed it all. OUR father took away your right to have children at the age of sixteen because he needed you to be heartless, he needed you to be who you really are.” She smirked wildly. “A no good thief, a soulless assassin… a murderer.” She stopped.  
 
She knew she had struck a nerve as Evie went to take a step forward but instead she took a half step back, her emerald eyes dropping to the ground.
 
“He trained you like a German Shepard, all whilst keeping his identity hidden from you so you could perform his dirty work. He played you like a fiddle and you fell for it. You gave him everything he has and he took everything you wanted away from you… even when Ben came on the scene.” She paused, looking towards Ben. “He threated to annihilate him if you didn’t stay away from him and you defied the rules of lineage and that’s why he hunted you… but you refused him and you fought back tearing down the family you once held close to you heart, until you got to the final nail in the coffin… you took his life into your own hands and you selfishly stole him from me.” Her teeth gritted in resentment.
 
Evie opened her mouth but no words came out, a lot of what the woman was saying was true in fact all of it was and there was only four people left alive that knew all of that. She was on the back foot, a position she wasn’t used to and without warning the ticking time bomb had combusted inside of her, but instead of spurting out in rage there was an icy silence radiating from her. Ben just moved a few steps to the side, reaching out towards Evie he rested his right hand on her shoulder giving it a slight squeeze he knew this look all too well, her knew he mind was racing around the stories of her past and he knew that she was regretting everything she had done. Evie looked down at her hands, her finger’s pulled apart as if she was watching the years of misery she had caused bleed down to her fingertips and pool on stone walkway. 
 
“Leave.” She said just above a whisper. “Get off my property.” She said a little louder. “Stay the fudge out of my life.” Evie ordered.
 
The younger girl took a step up towards her older sister, drawing Evie’s attention back up to her face. She could tell that she was under Evie’s skin and she knew the only reason why she was left breathing is because of the man that was standing by her side, calming her down. She enjoyed the painful scene of her older sister be rendered to silence. She wasn’t an idiot, she knew what she was capable of but she also knew Evie wouldn’t risk her whole world, her love for Ben in one moment of fury.
 
“Fine!” she exclaimed. “But you have a month… one month to muster up everything that he owes me... I want it paid in full and don’t think for a single second that I don’t have evidence to back up my stories, don’t think for a second that I won’t go to the media or the authorities about you. I’ll tell everyone about the monster you are and I’ll enjoy every second of it” She instructed. “I assume you can get access to his accounts, no?” her harsh accent toyed with sarcasm. 
 
Ben had heard enough, stepping forward he pointed his finger towards the gateway.
 
“You need to leave.” He firmly commanded.
 
The woman looked up at Ben, she had that wicked smile on her face that could only be outmatched by his wife. She looked him up and down, as if she was interested in him her eyes lingering over him as if he was a piece of meat she would love to sink her teeth into.
 
“Gladly” She smiled brazenly up at him. “But I’ll be back. You better believe that.”
 
She turned on her heels and started to walk off, but she only managed to take three steps before she turned around to look over her shoulder and shouted back towards them.
 
“How rude of you both not to ask for my name… it’s Alya Vlasova… I’m sure you can get Calista to dig up the rest, but from the look on your face you already know who my mother is.” She smirked.
 
Alya turned on her heels, her long brown hair seemed like it floated as she spun before she made her way back down the Jordan’s driveway. Ben turned away from Alya to look down towards his wife, who gasping for air. Evie knew that last name all too well and not because it was common in Russia, a place she had spent a fair chunk of her life. It was the shared last name of the nurse that had awoken her after her surgery, it was the first name tag she read when she had woken up from having her tubes macerated and destroyed. Alya’s mother had to be nurse that attempted to nurture Evie back to health, a flash of the nurse’s pure green eyes, her petite thin lips and perfect eyebrows was back in Evie’s mind and without any doubt she knew that was their connection. Evie didn’t say a word she just watched her half-sister disappear down their driveway, her right hand snaking around the small of her back as her fingers wrapped around the handle of the gun that was housed there. That brought her some comfort but she knew from the displeased look on Ben’s face that this was far from over and the conversation to follow wasn’t going to be joyful. 
 
##
 
Sunday, couldn’t come around fast enough although it had Evie in two minds. One she was finally on the homeward stretch to defending her Sin City Wrestling World Bombshell Championship but that also meant that she was would be trapped on board the Sun Princess Cruise Ship surrounded by her fellow SCW/SCU/Grime family and well, it had only just felt like Ben and her were able to escape them for a few sneaky days at home. They would also be going it alone as Bear was back in Vegas at the Saxon hotel, to say this week was going to be hard, would be an understatement. Bear was Evie’s security blanket in times of anger and right now she defiantly needed to extra support. It had been only a few days since her world had been tipped upside down once again with the whirlwind arrival of her half-sister Alya. Evie still hadn’t worked out what she would do with her, but right now she couldn’t focus on it too much.
 
As for right now, they had just pulled up at the pier and were looking up at the massive Sun Princess cruise boat. Evie could tell that Ben was excited, he was looking forward to facing Griffin ‪on Sunday night‬ but the weight of the world was resting on Evie’s shoulder to successfully defend her championship and right now with her head clouded, she was very much on the back foot coming into Summer XXXTreme. It was meant to be the biggest part of the year, but right now there was no real reason to celebrate. As Evie was lost in a day dream, she had missed Ben pile out of the car and head over towards her door, popping it open for her. Reaching in he offered his right hand, as if to help her out of the car. With a simple unclick of her seat belt, Evie took a hold of Ben’s hand and felt him yank on her just a little to give her that extra tug she needed to get on her feet.
 
“You alright there love?” He questioned. “You seem a million miles away.” Ben frowned.
 
Evie just looked up at him, forcing a half smile before she spoke.
 
“Just… replaying the last few days over.” She sighed.
 
Ben knew she was still kicking herself for Ayla’s arrival, somehow in her messed up train of thought Evie had pinned the blame on her and now she was stuck in two minds. Give in or to fight it out. Either way it wasn’t going to be pretty for the two of them moving forward. Ben didn’t say a word he just rested his hand on the top of her shoulder and held her there, searching her eyes looking for ways to reassure her. He didn’t use his words, he just planted his lips on top of her head, before pulling her into his chest for a hug.
 
“I love you.” He reassured her.
 
“I love you too.” She replied.
 
It was silly they both knew how each other felt, but in times like these sometimes a reminder is just what the doctor ordered. Ben slowly moved away from Evie turning back to the boot of the car, before he unloaded their two large suitcases, lucky for him they were on wheels, before he chucked two large duffle bags over each shoulder. Ben refused to let Evie do any of the heavy lifting, he was old school that way, but Evie had managed to wrestle the handle of her wheeled suitcase out of his hand, replacing it with hers and she was desperate for his touch. It reassured her, it calmed her and right now she was doing everything she could to put a lid on the old Evie who was anxiously waiting to make a reappearance and end all of her troubles.
 
“Ready for this, Mrs Bombshell Champion?” Ben grinned.
 
“Ready as I’ll ever be, Mr Heavyweight.” She winked back at him.
 
The two walked hand in hand as fans that had lined up for hours to see the SCW/SCU/Grime superstars and Bombshell’s arrive, started to take pictures of them calling out to them to get their attention. Ben and Evie were under strict orders, they couldn’t stop for photos and they couldn’t stop for small talk they had to make their way to toward the Sun Princess quickly as possible. Evie took the lead, pulling Ben along, she knew that he was Mr Nice Guy and she knew that denying his fans a moment would be killing him but she had to look out for his health as well. As she ushered him away, Ben just offered the fans some warm words, and a cheeky smile before the Jordan moved onto the long wooden pier. There was a far bit of a walk before they reached the steep ramp that they would use to enter the boat but before they trailed off in that direction, Evie’s eyes fell onto something else.
 
The marina was surrounded by the smell of salt water, the Blue Ocean and super yachts that were docked and just by chance there was a mega yacht for sale and it was calling her name. As Ben walked off towards the Sun Princess, he couldn’t help but notice that Evie had started off in her own little adventure moving towards the expensive, towering, pristine white yacht. Looking back over his shoulder, he gave Evie’s arm a little tug before he called out to her.
 
“Whatcha doing babe? Our boats this way.” He chuckled.
 
Evie just stood still admiring the mammoth yacht that was before her wide eyes.
 
“But look at it.” She exclaimed excitedly.
 
“And what would we even do with one of those?” Ben questioned her.
 
Evie turned back to look at her husband, scrunching up her face as if he didn’t know what she wanted a super yacht for. As if he didn’t know what her wild fantasy was, she had been talking about it for months now.
 
“Put it in our lake?” her reply was sassy.
 
Ben just gently tugged on her arm, pulling her towards him.
 
“Oh yes, what a wonderful way to stay low profile.” He mocked her.
 
Ben was joking with her and Evie knew it but she wanted one and right now buying it and staying on that yacht rather than joining the freak show that was going to be on Sun Princess sounded like an option she would be willing to splash her cash on.
 
“I need it.” She sighed, hopeful. “Plus it’s my birthday soon.” Evie toyed with him.
 
Ben just rolled his beautiful blue eyes at her before he started to laugh at himself.
 
“What you need is to, get on this bigger boat with me right now and forget about that god awful movie.” He spoke sternly.
 
Evie took a step back towards him, her long brown hair getting caught up in the sea breeze as she wrangled with it, tucking it behind her ears. Stepping up just one last final step so she was now right in front of him, she lifted her right hand up to his face, her index finger tapping him gently on the nose.
 
“So assertive.” She growled, hungrily. “I need to get on the boat with you… right now.” She winked. “What are you planning cowboy?” Evie smiled up at him.
 
Her finger moved away from his nose, but she reached up with her thumb and dragged down on his bottom lip. Ben couldn’t help but smile down at her, she was doing her best to get what she wanted and he could see though her little act like glass but he was willing to milk it, because he enjoyed the show.
 
“You’re so dominate when you’re covering up something.” She tutted.
 
Her eyes locked on his as she spoke, she could tell he was looking down at her lips as she brought in her plump lower lip into her mouth, her teeth resting on it to bite down.
 
“What are you talking about?” Ben questioned.
 
Evie just smiled as she brought herself closer towards him, her heels allowing her the extra few inches she needed to be nearly eyes to eye with him. It meant she didn’t have to stand on her tippy toes as she titled her head to the side, and licked her lips teasingly.   
 
“I know you got me a boat.” Her voice was song like.
 
Ben had to hold back from bursting out into a laughing fit.
 
“I really didn’t” he reassured her.
 
Evie inched in closer, her focus had move from his eyes to his lips.
 
“Oh but you did.” Evie banted back to him.
 
Ben was staring down at her, watching on anticipating her next move as Evie snaked her right hand down his neck onto his chest, holding it there as if she was trying to read his heart beat. Seeing if it skipped a beat, telling her that she was right all along.
 
“But I didn’t” Ben served back.
 
He had that cheeky smile on his face, as he saw the little frown on his wife’s face as she wasn’t able to get a reading on his reply, she was unable to tell if he was playing her along. Evie looked him dead in the eye, there was a playful yearning all over her face as she took charge of this situation once more.
 
“Sure, sure.” She said breathlessly.
 
Without giving him a second more to return the serve, she pressed her blood red lips onto his. The cheers from the crowd of fans at the start of the pier turned to whistles as Evie lowered her right hand to his well-rounded, plump behind giving it the squeeze it was begging for. As their lips parted Evie heard Ben whisper towards her.
 
“God you’re a pain in my....” He sighed.
 
Before he could continue with his joke, Evie just lapped it up giving his right arse cheek the love it desired. She didn’t let him reply, as she turned on her heels, tipped her back forward and back on the wheels and away she went, off and racing to get the party started on the Sun Princess for Summer XXXTreme.

##

The camera opens up inside the shared suite of Evie and Ben. Ben was nowhere to be found but that didn’t stop the cameras from going inside to the cabin in search for the reason why they were there. Moving across the vast space between the front door, to the living room a breeze picks up and the cameraman moved towards the balcony. That’s where you see Evie, her back was turned away from the camera as she sat in the chair looking out into the abyss. The boat hadn’t set sail but still there was the grotty pier on one side, while Ben and Evie were lucky enough to have a view of the what could have been, the open ocean. It was getting dark, the stars were just starting to sparkle in the dust sky, Evie preferred for do her promos at night as she found them more relaxing. There was a calmness in the dust / night times that she could harness it was as if the monster inside her needed to be soothed. The camera stayed filming her back, her long black brown hair was out and cascaded down the back of a chair whilst the strap of her prized Sin City Wrestling World Bombshell Championship laid across her bare right shoulder, showing the world just a glimpse of her name plates.

“I hate this fucking boat.” Evie kicked off positively. “Like being trapped in a luxury hotel with that lazy manipulative horse of a former World Bombshell Champion that I work with wasn’t punishment enough now I’m forced to be on a fucking tin can with her as well... fuck that.” Evie snarled.

Evie refused to look back at the camera before she continued.

“Andrea, sweetie I’m talking about you. Listen here you little bell-end. Shut the fuck up seriously. Do you even hear yourself when you speak? Last time round you wanted to rag on me because I called your rise to the top a fairytale and now you want to sit there around a fucking bonfire and call yourself a rising fucking Phoenix? You honestly believe that you hold the mythical power of a creature that doesn’t fucking exist... but heaven forbid when I call you out on your fairytale rise to the top you want to bring logic into it?” Evie laughed. “Mate, there’s nothing between your fucking ears is there? It’s just and empty fucking space that you rent out to your own personal weaknesses because you to much of a pussy to stand up and do something for your fucking self to put yourself on the map... so that’s why you day dream all these scenarios in your head and that’s why you beat them until their dead.” Evie sighed.

The camera still focused on the back of her head as she continued.

“You think because you won a triple threat once before that you got this one in the match, that’s a bold statement... I mean it’s an uneducated statement, because trust me not all triple treat matches are the same you’re going to be in the ring with Alicia and I... if you thought Roxi and Crystal were the icing on top of your wrestling career you have a lot to learn. Let’s be real, you got your one off win, your one off big match victory and since then you have crippled yourself with self doubt... yet, you have tried to better yourself by running your mouth and making up a make believe reality for yourself... you see while you focus on the words Alicia and I have said about you, you let them fester you let them build up inside you like a toxic poison you let us get away with belittling you because that’s all you can focus on and you know what, that’s you’re own fucking fault. You want to know why you’re so weak? You want to know why you’re seen as a joke? Because you allow it. STOP blaming us, grow a set of tits and woman the fuck up.” Evie growled.

She shook her head from side to side in annoyance.

“Last week you said I only wanted to defend my title to stoke my ego, fuck sake... I want to defend my championship because I’m the fucking champion. It’s not so I can brag about it, it’s not so I can say I’m better than you... it’s because I’M THE CHAMPION. It’s my job. It’s the job you failed to do at Into the Void and since that night you have spiralled out of control, you have lost all credibility... because of your actions... you’ve gone off trying to be this queen who had her throne stolen from her, but you lost it fair and square so lose the fucking pity party act. Lose this whole, I’m doing this to rebuild my career that I stole from you at Into the Void.” Sarcasm dripped from her tone. “Mate, I really don’t need to puff myself up when it comes to facing you, because you do enough kissing of my arse... you honestly feel like I’m reason why you can’t put one foot in front of the other? You honestly think I’m the reason why you can’t get a win under your belt? Maybe instead of sitting around a fire, pretending to me a mythical creature you should take a long hard look in the mirror and see the real reason why you’re not worth my time. Why no one gives a shit about you... I’m sure the blank lost little girl staring back at you will give you all the answers you need.” Evie paused.

Evie adjusted the title belt over her shoulder, taking a moment to look at it for might be the last time.

“You spent all last week quoting me, it’s almost obsessive and yet you have the nerve to say I take everything you say and turn it against you? You spent hours watching my tapes, hours rewinding back my work so you can pick out words that you don’t agree with... so you could try and run me down... let’s face it I’m in your head... I’ve already beaten you and the match hasn’t even started yet... the war has barely even begun and you may as well wave your white flag now because when it comes to me you’ll never be able to. Your a hypocrite and a fucking coward. You feel threatened and that’s why you are trying to channel your dead father’s memory to be the driving force you need to beat me...” Evie paused. “you going to have to Weil the force of a thousand souls to even come near me, to even come close to defeating me because the stunt you pulled last week shows the world, your trying to pull your punches but in reality... you hoped that cutting it fine would be the super power you needed to put Alicia and I out of the game for good.”

Evie paused letting her words sink in before she turned back to look at the camera.

“Last week you proved to me Andrea just how spineless you really are and believe me when I say this, like the sack of shit you are... at Summer XXXTreme, you won’t be walking out with the World Bombshell Championship... you’ll be walking out with nothing, because that’s what you fucking deserve.” Evie snarled.

Her focused shifted down the World Bombshell Championship before back up towards the camera she still had some words left unsaid.

“Now Alicia I know you’re going to coming at me with everything you have on Sunday night... don’t think I’ve missed that don’t think I don’t know that. I know what you are you’re a champion and without your precious World Bombshell Championship you fell helpless.... but unfortunately I can’t allow you to get one over me this Sunday night. I have to walk in and walk out of Summer XXXTreme with the championship still in my hands... it’s not because I don’t think you’re one of the greats. I know you are but I have to do everything in my power to prove that I am better I have to do everything in my power to show the world that I’m not just a one trick pony like I blasted Andrea for...” Evie sighed

The look on her face said it all she was concerned about Sunday night but she couldn’t let it play on her mind.

“You were right last week when you said I’m no better than Andrea, I mean I haven’t had a chance to defend my title in over a month... do you not think that doesn’t eat me alive? Do you not think that I haven’t knocked down Mark and Christians doors to get the fixed? Because believe me I have been... I’ve been kicking and screaming for a defence because I wanted to show the world what type of champion I could be... I didn’t want my memory in the World Bombshell Championship title picture to be the downward spiral of Polly fucking Playtime beating me... I want to be every bit of a champion you were... hell I want to even fucking better than you. I want the Bombshell roster to line up so I can knock them down because I refuse to just be another number I refuse to just be another notch in the bed post of champions in twenty fucking twenty.” Evie paused.

She sighed, her tone was harsh as she forced her point home.

“I want to be the face of this division for a long time and by doing that I have to do everything I can to beat you on Sunday night, it won’t be easy... it won’t be a walk in the park it will be hell and I’m fucking up for it.” she paused. “I’m ready to go to hell and back to protect my championship... and I know full well that right now I might hold the gold but you a very much the gate keeper of this title.” She stalled.

Evie hand her hand over the name plate on the World Bombshell Championship.

“I didn’t just win this so I could become a power couple with my husband I won this so I could put it back on the map and I intend on doing so this Sunday night where I defend what is currently mind and I show you and rest of the world that I have what it takes to be here... that I deserve to be here and I will not fail in my mission to put my name back in lights as I put this title back on the pedestal it deserves.” She sighed

Evie looked at the camera once more before she spoke again.

“Come hell or high water I will do everything I can to walk away with the win this Sunday night... you can believe that.” She stopped

With that said and done Evie looked at the camera and then down to her championship.

“It’s all of this... it’s all for the respect of this. This ain’t about my ego this isn’t about who I feel about Andrea or Alicia it’s about how much I feel for the World Bombshell Championship and right now it means everything to me.”

She was vulnerable but Evie was telling the truth and with that said and done the camera faded on her face.

[Andrea Hernandez]

 “It was him…” I reflected when I thought about my father. “He would always show me the way. He taught me everything. I didn’t realize it until he had died, but so much of what I’ve done in this business has largely been an emulation of what he had done himself… he never backed down no matter who got in his face…”

May 2009

“I can’t believe this is going to be it…” I remember a 15-year-old self telling my father as he was backstage in the locker room. “...your last match…”

“My last match as a full time wrestler at least…” my father had stated. He was definitely in a reflective trance, almost as if his entire career had flashed before his very eyes. “...and I plan on going out a winner. All the years I’ve put into this business and I’m not going to go out as anything less.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked him.

“Ready?” I heard the scoff coming from across the room from someone else. I turned and saw my father’s opponent, much younger than him by at least fifteen to twenty years. “Listen old man…”

Already, I was feeling angry that he would even refer to my father as such a thing.

“I don’t give a damn about your four generations of family legacy or however long you’ve been in this business. I could give fuck all about how your legacy was ruined by your fuck up of a son…”

My father stood up, instantaneously growing angry that my convicted felon of an older brother was even brought up at all.

“Tonight… I get to kill your stupid family’s stupid legacy. How does it feel, pops? You let down your entire family. You never made it big in this country. The best you got was the lower Indies. For all the hype about your family, none of y’all ever made it mainstream. So… quit pretending like you’re worth anything.”

I was trying to hold onto my anger, but my father remained stoic for the brunt of it.

“I’m going to kill the legacy by blowing you out of the water. This is going to be the easiest match of my entire career!”

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?” I interjected, catching my father by surprise. My father’s opponent just looked at me and laughed.

“Oh you got a feisty one there pops…” he said. “She’d be a good one for my son to lose his virginity to…”

This set my father off as he grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall.

“You can talk shit about my family all you want… you can say whatever the hell you want about my family’s legacy…” my father told his opponent. “...but bringing my daughter into it? You just asked for a hell of a lot of trouble tonight, kid!”

My father let him go and he just smirked as he left the building.

“The family legacy doesn’t die tonight, Dad…” I reminded him.

“If this is going to be another conversation about how you’re going to be a wrestler yourself… save it, Andrea” my father told me. “...but no worries… I’m going to give him the biggest beating of his life. Nobody talks about you that way. I’m going to go out a winner tonight...”

One hour later…

“Dad, I’m so sorry…”

I was definitely feeling sad having seen my father’s last match as a full time wrestler end in defeat. But my father himself wasn’t torn up about it at all.

“I wanted to see you go out on top… I wanted to see you go out as a champion. I was so sure you were going to beat him. Seeing you go out as a champion would’ve been so worth it...”

“Hey…” I heard my father’s opponent say outside of the room. He walked in looking like he’d seen a ghost. He may have beaten my father, but he sure as hell didn’t look like a winner with some bruises on his face, a chest that was red from total nonstop chopping from my father and a couple of cuts below his eye. He was definitely approaching my father with a much quieter demeanor. My father stood up to him and I would be surprised as hell when his opponent extended his hand to him. “You proved me wrong out there…”

“Thanks…” my father said as he shook his hand. He turned around and walked out afterward then looked right back at me.

“...I just did go out on top Andrea…”

“What?” I said with confusion.

“You don’t have to win a match to go out a winner…”

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“Kids in this business these days… they put so much damn emphasis on who is standing tall after the three count is done and over with. You’re not going to win all the time. Championships are going to come and go… but the most important thing is fighting with all of your heart and soul and giving it everything you’ve got. The fight is what matters the most Andrea… not the outcome. And that’s not just this business… that’s for every walk of life too. You’ll do good to remember that once you get out of high school and start your career… whatever it is that you’re putting your mind to…”

“You know what I want to do…”

My father could only laugh at this point.

“The fight is what matters the most Andrea…”

My father stood up and I left the locker room with him. I admittedly had forgotten this lesson after a while, considering that I was caught up in all the fame and bright lights of being the SCW Bombshells Champion (ironic considering my laid back demeanor when it came to the spotlight).

July 29, 2020

“You’re brave for doing this…”

I could only smile as my brother said those words to me. I was having a dinner in my father’s memory back at my home in Sedona. The atmosphere was more celebratory than it was somber. There wasn’t many people considering I was trying to keep everything as socially distant as possible, but honoring my father on this day felt like it was the right thing to do.

“I turned myself off at the funeral…” I told my brother. “You and I both know that. I didn’t want to do a eulogy of my own because I was so afraid of saying goodbye. But… I’m ready for that now. The final stage of grief is acceptance and that’s what I’m doing. He’s gone… but that doesn’t mean I can’t honor his memory. He inspired me in the same way that I want to inspire so many people that are going through the same thing that I’ve gone through coming up in the professional wrestling business…”

“You’re far more of an inspiration than you realize, Andrea…” Eddie reminded me.

“You say that… but I don’t see how. Don’t get me wrong, I believe you… but how is that possible? I’ve never felt like I’ve been one…”

“How can you feel like one and see how you’re an inspiration when you insulate yourself from the world so much?” Eddie asked me rhetorically.

“Touche…”

“Really Andrea… while you’re doing this… try to connect with people. Learn how much of an inspiration you are and maybe you won’t shy away from the spotlight anymore. I understand that you couldn’t handle the pressure when you were champion and that it makes you a little bit iffy about it…”

“Why don’t we start with you then?” I asked him. He could only laugh about this but nonetheless, he continued on.

“From an outside perspective… it’s crazy…” my brother admitted. “I get people at work that talk about you all the time. I’ve had co-workers rave about you, saying how amazing you are. I’ve had patients at my practice tell me that their daughters want to grow up to be just like you. Hell, I even get the occasional idiot around your age asking me for your phone number. It’s… definitely a unique perspective being the sibling of a world famous professional wrestler…”

“World famous…” I said with a laugh.

“Don’t let it get to your head, sis…”

“It’s just… I never saw myself that way… ever…”

“For what it’s worth, Andi…” my brother said with a direct, but soft tone. “Whenever I’m going through some shit, I ask myself all the time what you would do when faced with such steep odds. Then when I get a chance, I’ll watch one of your classics and I’ll be reminded of the fact that you’ve overcome worse than what I’m going through at the time and that… I shouldn’t be afraid to face my obstacles… neither should you, by the way…”

“I’m not hiding in fear of my opponents anymore…” I told him.

“Good…” my brother said with a sigh of relief. “I’ll catch up with you later, alright? Try to connect… seriously…”

My brother turned and left me alone and I was feeling awkward being in a small gathering of people considering I had always been an introvert at heart. Nonetheless, I wasn’t going to be distant. My brother was right in that sense that I couldn’t be that way anymore, especially since I had risen up the ranks to become one of the biggest wrestling stars in the world. Still, I found myself walking outside trying to get a breather from it all, not realizing that I was the only one that had done so.

“Hey stranger…” I heard from my right. I looked over to see Clarissa Vega who walked up to me. It didn’t take me long to exchange a hug with one of my best friends, who I had last seen at my dad’s funeral. “You’re looking a lot better than the last time I saw you…”

“Yeah…” I said. “I was out of it. I’m so sorry that I shut you out back then.”

“No, I understand…” Clarissa said. “I lost my father five years ago… I didn’t know what I was going to do. But you were always strong. I knew you were going to get through all that. You’ve been through a lot the last two months, but believe me when I say that you’ve already gotten through the worst.”

“I do…” I said. “Remember a few years back when we were in GCW and I was holding back so much out of fear? I know much of it was caused by Myra and the way that she treated me and everything, but once I stopped listening to her… I rose up to the occasion. Once I proved her wrong, everything just seemed to take off from there…”

“I remember being your manager around that time and dealing with someone incredibly stubborn…” I could only roll my eyes and laugh when she mentioned this. “I knew you were going to be great… but I didn’t know you’d become what you’ve become. You’ve faced a lot of shit. You’ve had so many people try to label you as something that you’re not, you’ve had so many people doubting you and laughing in your face, you’ve had so many people slander you and try to paint you as the opposite of what you really are… and every step of the way: GCW, UWA, OCW, SCW… you’ve found a way to prove them wrong.”

I nodded with understanding.

“So why are your opponents any different?” she asked me. “What is it about them that made you so reticent? Just because someone repeats the same thing about you over and over doesn’t make it true… I wish you realized that with the whole ‘fairy tale’ thing…”

“I should’ve…” I admitted. “...and I’m sorry that I didn’t. In a perfect world, my father would still be alive and I’d still be a world champion but… it didn’t turn out that way. Once I became a world champion, I became too afraid of the spotlight and it cost me… and I really feel like I let a lot of people down when that happened…”

“Are you sure that you really did, though?” She asked me.

“I’m POSITIVE that I did…” I responded, still feeling a bit of guilt from Into the Void. “I let someone else get into my head and re-write everything that I’m all about. I’m better than that. I don’t know what I was thinking. Once I won the title, I felt like I had even MORE expectations to live up to and suddenly, I was just in this unfamiliar world with no way of knowing how to handle it. Then someone else comes in and takes advantage of that and I just cracked. I hate admitting that someone like Evie Jordan cracked me in that way before the match ever started… but that’s what happened… and I have to live with the fact that I let so many people down…”

“Did you really?”

“Why do you keep asking me that?” I asked with confusion.

“Come with me…” Clarissa said.

Clarissa went back inside my house and I followed her back in. She brought me over to one of the dining room areas where some kids were playing around. I noticed one girl in particular, about the age of 9, that Clarissa had an eye on. The 9-year-old turned toward her and then looked at me and I could see right away that her eyes lit right up when she saw me.

“Mom… is that…”

“Yes… it is…”

The 9-year-old walked up to me and gave me a huge hug, something that I had never quite experienced before considering how I’ve always been so distant from the world throughout most of my wrestling career.

“Andrea…” Clarissa told me. “I want you to meet my daughter Aurora! She’s such a huge fan of yours! You’re one of her biggest role models…”

Naturally, I returned the hug Aurora was giving  me, but it was still out of my comfort zone for me. I still took it in stride knowing that this was part of what being a wrestler is about. The embrace was released and Clarissa’s daughter was still smiling and beaming.

“I want to grow up to be just like you…”

“People want to grow up to be like me?” I asked myself in my head, still full of surprise.

“Aurora, I’m going to ask you a question and you need to be honest, okay?” Aurora nodded at Clarissa’s request. “When Andrea lost the world title… did you feel like she let you down?”

“No…” she said, which again, caught me off guard.

“What? But… wait… I didn’t?”

“I was sad that you lost…” she said. “But you gave it your best…”

“Like a true, fighting champion, right, Aurora?”

She nodded.

“And did you ever think Andrea was a bad champion?” Clarissa asked her daughter.

“No… I never did. I didn’t listen to anything the others said about her because I know it’s not true…”

I was still a little floored by this, hearing the perspective of a fan. Now I was beginning to wonder if this was the consensus opinion from those that did root for me.

“See, Andrea?” Clarissa told me. “You didn’t let anyone down like you may have thought you have. Just because others say these ridiculous things about you doesn’t make it true… and just because you may not have had the title reign that you may have wanted doesn’t make you a bad champion…”

“Yeah… maybe you’re right…” I admitted to Clarissa.

“My mom always says that being a champion is about how you fight, not about the trophies…”

“You don’t have to hold a championship to be a fighting champion… is the gist of that” my former manager further explained. “Sure, there are going to be battles that you are going to win and battles that you are going to lose… but ultimately? The fight is what really matters.”

Hearing those familiar words caused me to widen my eyes in shock.

“Isn’t that something that your father once told you, if I remember correctly? Maybe you’re not a dominant wrestler or a dominant champion. You never were. But is that really such a terrible thing?”

I looked at Aurora, who was still extremely happy to see me, then back at Clarissa, all while remembering what my father said after his final match as a full time wrestler.

“It’s not…” I said. “I never needed to be a dominant wrestler or a champion to achieve what I have in this business… or to be an inspiration to so many. Thank you both for reminding me of that. This has really opened up my eyes… and when I make my eulogy to my father later… I’m going to be sure to touch on that extensively…”

I exchanged a hug with both Clarissa and her daughter before we parted ways for the time being. I went back outside to my porch to reflect on some further memories from the past regarding my father while he was still alive, soaking in the knowledge that he had imparted on me before he passed…

January 2017

The empty feeling of losing a championship match, of course, is something that I’m very familiar with and I’m thinking back to UWA after I had suffered that devastating loss in a cruiserweight championship match that I had fought. Hanging out in my father’s ranch, I was still feeling glum. I was still hearing Myra’s taunts and laughter after I had lost that match pour through my mind.

“Just like I thought... you’d never amount to anything…” she’d tell me, during a time in our relationship where we outright hated each other and she was my own personal bully. “You let me down. You showed that you don’t have what it takes to be a champion… that all you’ll ever be is a tag team wrestler with nothing to show for it as a singles star.”

Reflecting on these words drove my then-fragile confidence further into the ground.

“Myra is right…” I can remember her then-husband Adrian Waters telling me. “...you’re always going to be below mediocre. You’re never going to be a champion because you’re just not good enough!”

Remembering both of them laughing at me and ganging up on me certainly cauterized me and my confidence was teetering on the brink of collapse when my father came up to me and noticed that something was wrong.

“You’re still shaken up by that match, aren’t you?”

I nodded my head without saying a word.

“Andrea… listen…” he said, trying to comfort me. “...you gave it your best shot, but sometimes, the other wrestler is just straight up better than you for three seconds and there is nothing that you can do about it. I know you want to prove yourself as a singles star and prove all of your critics wrong, but this is going to take more time than you’d ideally want it to take. You’ve got to understand that and practice patience with this whole thing.”

“I can’t be, Dad…”

“Why not? Sometimes the best wrestlers of a generation take a little longer than normal to hit your stride and you just may be one of them…”

“When I’ve got certain people laughing at me over losing the match, pouring salt into the wound and telling me that I’m nothing, that I’m irrelevant and that I’ll never be a champion… and when I’m going out there in a big match situation and losing so much… then yeah… I can’t afford to be patient… not when all I am doing is proving them right…”

“Come off it Andrea…” my father said. “You haven’t proven ANYONE right. Now… if you quit and decide you don’t want to do this anymore… THEN you prove them right… and I spent a lot of time and a lot of effort training you and building you up as a wrestler just for you to give up over one match…”

“So what do I do then?” I asked him. “How do I get over that devastating loss? How can I filter out all the crap that I hear… every single day… from people that clearly don’t want me to be a success at all?”

“That’s just it, Andrea…” my father interjected. “They don’t want you to be a success so they’re drilling in nothing but lies and gross exaggerations just to throw you off their game… so they can be right. Don’t let the words and opinions of other people matter… because the only person in this world that gets to define you… is you. A real champion in this sport recognizes that… and the more you continue to shut those people out… the more successful you’ll become.. And the more successful you become… the less you ever have to worry about those people because you know in your heart what kind of champion you are…”

“I’ve got a long way to go before I ever have to worry about such a thing…” I reminded my father.

“Listen… if you ever become a world champion… and you may or may not… we don’t know that… you’re going to have a TON of hate toward you…” my father warned. “You’re going to have people say that you don’t deserve it. You’re going to have people do everything they can to belittle you and to break you down and that’s the worst criticism you’re ever going to endure because you’re on top and everyone wants to drag you down to their level. Don’t let that happen... you think I became successful because a bunch of national promotions told me I wasn’t going to carve out my niche in this business?”

“You did… but you never made it national in the United States…”

“It doesn’t matter, Andrea… I didn’t let them get to me like that. Sure, I never made it national… but I found my niche in Mexico, I found my niche in the Indies. Was it the degree I had dreamed of being successful? No… but I was still successful… and there isn’t a damn thing any person can do to change that. Everyone has different definitions of ‘success’... but the only definition that matters is yours… in someone else’s eyes, I might be a failure because I never made it national. But in mine? I led a successful career. I put food on the table for our family. As long as I did that, I considered myself successful…”

“I never thought of it like that before…”

“Now would be a great time to start…”

My father gave me a pat on the shoulder before he went back to the ranch to continue his work on it. This conversation at the very least helped snap me out of the devastation I was going through from that cruel loss back in UWA.

Unfortunately, in recent times… I had forgotten about this conversation. I was certainly remembering it now at my dad’s honor dinner when I walked back inside…

July 29, 2020

It was a half an hour to go before I was to say my own eulogy of my father, the one that I had avoided for weeks. I was on my way to the kitchen when Chelsea LeClair, my best friend, had interrupted me. I didn’t mind at all, considering Chelsea’s stature in my life and career.

“I’m so glad to see that you’re doing better…” Chelsea told me with a smile.

“Yeah, things are starting to improve. Did you need something?”

“I just want to talk for a little bit…”

“Sure” I said, not bothered by this whatsoever. Chelsea turned and headed down the hallway, turning into the guest bedroom and I wasted no time following her in there, closing and locking the door. She had a small burlap sack on the bed and she sat right next to it.

“I wanted to say thank you, Andrea…” Chelsea told me, again, leaving me with being caught off guard.

“You’re welcome? What am I saying ‘you’re welcome for’?”

“For being my inspiration…”

These words left me conflicted. I didn’t know if I should be proud or if I should feel guilty.

“Chels… I don’t know if I’ve been the best inspiration lately. Things have been difficult since Into the Void and I haven’t handled the adversity to the best of my ability.”

“Are you still in SCW?” she asked. “Are you still in this business doing your thing through all the adversity and trying times?”

“Obviously…”

“Then just that ALONE is the best inspiration. But… more to the point… I remember what you had to go through to make something of yourself in this business… and all year, I’ve been dealing with what you were going through two to three years ago when you had been trying so hard to break through. I’ve been dealing with the same thing that you dealt with back then: being treated as a joke, being told that you’re not going to amount to anything, having the same critics, doubters and haters bring you down again and again, facing tremendous odds with a history of clutch failure on top of it and having a mountain to climb with proving so many people wrong…”

“Yeah… I know exactly what you’re talking about. You’ve been through so much yourself. I remember what that was like years ago and when I won my first singles championship… that all seemed to wash away in a flash…”

“Let me show you the results of you being an incredible inspiration for me to look up to in the wrestling business…”

Chelsea signaled for me to sit down with her. I didn’t know what to expect, but when she opened up the burlap sack and pulled out a championship, the first feeling that came to mind was complete joy for my best friend.

“Oh my god Chelsea!”

I quickly hugged her and she returned the hug right back.

“GCWA North American Champion!” Chelsea declared. “I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t inspired by your story. I could’ve just given into the critics and accepted being a ‘joke’ in this business, but I knew I was better than that and I knew that I could rise to the occasion and overcome all the hurtful words and all the stupid nonsense… you’ve done it before and I know you can do it again too!”

“My brother wasn’t wrong when he said I was an inspiration to so many people…”

“You’re NOW finally seeing it?” Chelsea said as she put the championship back in the burlap sack. “You gave in and lost the world title… you know that, right?”

I nodded.

“I got lost in trying to accomplish success as a world champion as defined by other people. I let someone else tell me that I was one of the worst world champions ever. I allowed someone else to paint me as something that I’m not by continuing to harp on it, continuing to give all of that bullshit any kind of attention. I felt like a failure as a world champion because I didn’t measure up to someone else’s standards…”

“Well… do me a favor…” Chelsea said in an understanding tone.

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t do that again. You know you’re a success story already and there isn’t a damn person in the world that can take that from you. Personally, I think you were a successful world champion.”

“I don’t know about that Chels…” I said, with the doubt reflecting in my voice. “I didn’t hold the title that long… and I sure as hell didn’t hold it as long as I wanted to.”

“And that means you weren’t a successful champion… since when? You managed to get one defense in… and you showed up every single time you were in that ring, win or lose, and you represented that brand and that division and that championship to the best of your ability. I don’t know how you define success, Andi, but under my definition? That’s a pretty successful reign. It’s not how long… it’s what you do with it while you’ve got it… at least that’s what Clarissa used to tell us anyway…”

“It’s something that I really need to think about… but thank you. My dad wasn’t even upset about me losing the title. He even gave me a lot of advice on how to win it back and handle the spotlight better. I need to look inside of myself and think about how I define a success story… I need to go back and think about the right perspective to take from now on. My dad would tell me that I define my own success and not anyone else. Sadly… I forgot about that…”

“Now would be a great time to remember…”

“Thanks for reminding me of that, Chelsea. I’m glad I can be an inspiration to you and I’m so happy that you were able to turn that inspiration into such an incredible success! I’m proud of you and I know you’re going to be a great champion in your own right!”

We gave each other another quick hug and when we both stood up together, I sighed, knowing what time it was.

“You’ll be alright, Andi. Remember, we’re not here to mourn, we’re here to celebrate.”

I nodded as we both left the guest room together. Walking down the hallway, I wasn’t feeling nervous at all about what was about to take place. Everyone gathered outside in the backyard, of course, being mindful about staying six feet apart from one another and I stood in the middle of the gathering, nervous, but ready to eulogize my father and find acceptance to move past that old grief.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t do this a month ago…” I started. “...but I’m ready now. My father was the best one that I could’ve ever asked for. There were times where we weren’t getting along great, largely because of my career, but we had a bond that’s never going to be broken. I would’ve never become the success that I am without him. He was an inspiration, a hero, someone who knew how to do so much with so little… a trait that I realize that I’ve picked up from him in my own right. He taught me that being a champion goes beyond wins and losses, that being a champion goes beyond titles and trophies. He reminded me that success isn’t defined by other people, but that you define your own success. He made it extremely clear that the only definition about you that matters is the way you define yourself. My dad was never a mainstream wrestler in the United States… but he was still a champion of the middle class and below. He may never have been someone that wrestled on television, but he was still a success in this business, running a successful wrestling school for many years… and of course… how he helped me start my career.

He’ll always be a champion in all of our hearts and despite the ups and downs, despite everything that happened between us for better or worse, I know that I got the best father any girl could ever ask for. He gave me every tool for success that I’ve used to the best of my ability… and I’ll continue to do so… so thank you Dad… for everything you ever gave me… and I promise you that I’ll keep making you proud no matter what…”

I took a sigh, signifying the end of my eulogy. There wasn’t any applause, everything being an eerie silence. Family and friends came up to hug me and I was able to stay strong through all of it. I wasn’t feeling any pain. In fact, I wasn’t feeling much emotion at all now that I had crossed the bridge from grief to being able to move forward with my life. I still miss the hell out of him… but knowing he’ll always be in my heart gives me the strength to move forward…

A couple of hours later…

I was at his grave, having a couple of items with me. One was a bouquet of roses, the other was a replica of the Bombshells world championship, which was the first thing I laid down on the grave.

“I’m going to win that back… for you…” I reminded myself and said. “Even if it doesn’t happen this time… I AM going to win it back… I promise… thank you for all that you ever did to me…”

I placed the roses down on the grave itself, in front of the title replica.

“Goodbye Dad…” I said sullenly “...I know it’s going to be a hell of a moment when we see each other again…”

I didn’t leave the grave just yet. I soaked it all in, thinking about all of the amazing things that my father had done for me while he was here on this earth all while thinking of every which way possible that I was going to continue to make him proud as I moved forward with my life and my career…

July 31, 2020

“The fight is what matters…”

I was in a much calmer mood when the cameras came on me. The difference between how I was feeling going into the “Into the Void” show and how I am feeling now going into Summer XXXtreme were night and day. I remember going into that title defense against Evie where I felt completely tense and defensive and it would be an unfortunate harbinger for what was to come. Up until a few short weeks ago, I was feeling all sorts of pressure going into this title match. But now? With my father’s death behind me, with my grief being out of the picture and with a new perspective being gained in regards to my entire wrestling career, I certainly felt a lot calmer and ready to fight than I had been a couple of months ago.

“It was a lesson that my father taught me. It was a lesson that I had carried with me in the early part of my career but the more successful I became, I’ll be the first to admit that I forgot about that. I gained the SCW Bombshells World Championship and to some degree, that got to my head. I didn’t gain a great, big ego boost by winning the championship. What I ended up gaining, and what ultimately got to my head, was all the pressure… the pressure of other people slandering you and making up gross, pathetic nonsense just so they can feel better about themselves, the pressure of every other wrestler on the roster wanting your head on a stick, the pressure of living up to what I accomplished when I defeated Christina and Roxi for the championship to begin with. At Into the Void, I forgot that lesson… and it cost me. Is beating two women who have had my number in the past, that I’ve never beaten before, to regain the world title going to be a tall order? Damn right it is… but my perspective has been refreshed and I know now that there’s nothing for me to lose here. Being in this type of situation is where I know how to fight the best and unfortunately for Alicia and Evie… they got me at just the wrong time. They’re not getting the Andrea that caved to Evie one on one. The Andrea that they’re getting is “cool as a cucumber” Andrea… the one that won the world title in the first place… the one that took this company by storm and is STILL doing such regardless of what recency bias or what other people may want to say about me. Sure… being champion, collecting accolades, having a long championship reign, being the most dominant bitch in the world… yeah… that’s all nice and everything… but that’s not me. Sure, I’m always going to aim to be my best. Yes, I am going to aim to be champion again no matter what…

But it’s not about the long championship reigns for me…

It’s not about being the most dominant bitch in the world…

But does that make me less successful than say… an Alicia Lukas?

In my opinion? No. I know she, and many others, are going to disagree with me on that, and that’s fine. The thing with you Alicia… for being the fighter that you are… you sometimes do lose focus on what’s most important. Granted, what’s most important for you is being front and center of this division and having everything revolve around you as the champion and you breaking records and having dominant reigns… and I get that. Some wrestlers are going to be wired that way. I’m not… and let me tell you something Alicia, for all the respect that I may have for what you’ve accomplished, I don’t NEED that 300 day championship reign to be successful. I don’t need to have the world revolve around me so I can be something in this business. I don’t need to be on these horribly long winning streaks to feel validated and I’m not saying that you do… but even you admitted that it ‘felt weird’ to be going into this match with two straight losses. Being a little more vulnerable than what you’re used to has you out of your comfort zone and as it was proven when Roxi beat you in the chamber for the world championship: Alicia Lukas out of her comfort zone typically doesn’t end very well for you. But some of what you said… it makes sense. You had a funny way of showing it, but you really did want to make the division better and you definitely did during that reign… but now you just want to destroy it all over again? I get that some of the women on this roster aren’t exactly pleasant, but now you want to stoop down to the level that you hated? You’re THAT arrogant? Don’t answer that, that’s rhetorical. You live in this grand vision of yours that the division revolves around you… even NOW…

You said it yourself…

You HAVE to rule the division with an iron fist. Why is that such a massive requirement for you?

It’s somehow STILL “your” title just because… in your own warped mind… nobody has taken ownership of it. That’s your opinion and that’s fine… but by continuing down this path… by making these ridiculous claims, you’ve forgotten that the fight is what matters. For you, it’s about the glory. You, you, you, you, you! It HAS to be all about you because if it’s about anyone else, you can’t seem to handle that. You carry around this attitude every single match that victory is inevitable and that everything has to go right for you. You need all of that validation… I don’t.. And I admit that I was one hell of a fool for thinking that I ever needed that damn validation to begin with. The difference between you and I is that I don’t need the world or the division to revolve around me. I won that world championship to realize a dream, to make my family proud and to be the best champion that I can be. It wasn’t about being ‘most dominant bitch number 700’ or ruling with an iron fist or turning this division into this warped vision of grandeur that is borderline delusional. That’s not me. That’s never been a goal of mine because I don’t believe in such nonsense.

You do… and that’s fine.

But that doesn’t mean that everyone has to just bow down for you and accept it.

Just like how I don’t have to accept all the crap you flung at me like it’s gospel… because it’s not. I’m sorry Alicia, but I don’t know if anyone ever told you that just because you speak it, doesn’t mean it’s true. In your opinion, the title is a ‘whore’ without you. In your OPINION, the title is nothing without you. Key word: opinion. In your opinion, I’m part of the blame for that, right?

But does that make it true?

No. it doesn’t. Just because you say that my title reign is a failure, doesn’t mean it was… and for so long, I’d listen to crap like that and I’d accept it as reality and I’d beat myself up for it, but I’m not going to be doing that anymore. I know better now. Was that title reign a failure? Maybe for you it was… but for me? It was a success. Could it have been longer? Sure. Would it have been nice if I held that title longer? Absolutely. But I did the best that I possibly could with that championship when I had it. I went out there three weeks after I won it and I defended that championship against Christina, which is something that the champion before me can’t say and it’s something that the champion after me doesn’t get to say just yet. I fought like a champion, win, lose or draw. Even in defeat, I gave it my absolute best and it took an absolute war and Evie raising her game up a level or two to defeat me and I’m going to own that with pride because if it takes THAT to beat me, then I know that I’m pretty damn good at what I do, champion or not. I got one defense in, I gave it my best every time out, I did the best with what I had, and I went out swinging. To me? That’s a successful title reign. That’s how I define success. I fought HARD to keep that title, even when the circumstances weren’t in my favor… because again… it’s the FIGHT that matters first and foremost… the glory? That comes with time… and I had that experience… and I’m going to have that experience again, mark my words on that. You define success by dominating everything and having the championship for 300 days and picking fights and having everyone chase after you… fine! If that’s how you define success, then by all means.

But that’s not me.

I’m not someone that carries myself that way and I don’t plan on being someone that does.

I am who I am, flaws and all. So I’m not the type of champion that holds onto the title for so long and dominates the division. So what? Does that make me a horrible champion?

No.

I’ve never even been a dominant wrestler at any point in my career. Sure, my time here in SCW has come close to matching the definition of ‘dominant’, but I don’t see myself as a dominant force. I don’t NEED to be one. You want to call my title reign a failure and make jokes about it? Fine. Be my guest. It’s just too damn bad that you don’t scare me anymore, not like you did when we first faced off against one another. But I will admit one thing… one HUGE mistake that I made during that reign… and it wasn’t necessarily something that happened in the ring:

I listened.

I listened to people like Evie trash me everywhere at every opportunity.

I listened to people like you try to tell me and anyone else that would listen what a champion in this company should be all about and I made the awful mistake of feeling like a failure and letting the pressure get to me because of it. If I didn’t make that mistake, I know deep down in my heart of hearts that I’d still be the champion and it’s very well possible that this match at Summer XXXtreme is just between the two of us.

Yeah, maybe I wasn’t the champion you thought I should’ve been…

But that’s fine. That’s all your opinion…

What matters to me, ultimately, is that I gave it my very best shot when I had that championship and that WHEN I win it back… whether it’s Summer XXXtreme or any other time… I’m going to improve upon that and be a better champion than I was the first time around. No matter what happens, I’m never going to stop fighting and I’m not going to be afraid anymore. I’m going to soak in the spotlight and show the world the kind of fighter I am and I’m going to show the world that I have one of the biggest hearts in this business and in my book, THAT is what defines a successful champion:

Not the broken records… not the social media banter… not the endless reminders of ‘I’m the best and everyone fears me…

But the heart and the fight of a champion… what kind of fight a champion brings to the table no matter what… the fight that a champion brings to the table to win a championship and the fight that a champion brings to the table to try to defend the damn thing… and I know I pass all of that in flying, colorful spades…

The fight… not the glory, not the outcome… is what TRULY matters the most…

I’d rather be a champion that lost but gave it her best… than a ‘champion’ that won without any sort of fight at all…

If that makes me stupid, so be it. But that’s what I learned from my father, that’s what has made me a successful wrestler, a successful world champion and what’s going to make me a successful two-time world champion WHEN that time comes…

You hear that Evie?”

Unlike the last promo where I unleashed all sorts of anger and hatred in her direction, essentially telling her to shut the fuck up and that she was done being a mouthy little bitch that twisted things around just to make herself feel better, I was calm, cool and collective. I knew that every ounce of anger that I had held back toward her was already purged and that everything was going to be okay no matter what happened at Summer XXXtreme.

“Last Climax Control… it’s exactly what I am talking about. You and Ben may have been the victors, but I didn’t feel the same fire or the same fight from you that you had at Into the Void when you beat me for the championship to begin with. I felt like you were going through the motions. You were still able to come away with the win, sure… but I couldn’t be proud of a win like that if I were you. I’m not going to go as far as saying that you stopped giving a fuck once you won that title, but you haven’t been the same since you won it. I’m beginning to understand now that most of what you are… in-ring aspect aside… is an illusion. I know that just by the way you run your mouth alone. Honestly, I feel stupid for letting someone like you live rent free inside of my head. I own up to the fact that the biggest mistake I ever made during my title reign was listening to anything you had to say, being caught up in the fairy tale crap, being so focused on proving you wrong… when I had nothing to prove to you at all… and I STILL don’t. I have ZERO to prove to you… the only people in this business I have to prove myself to, in all reality, is me… and the powers that be that run the show around here, obviously. I know that I’m going off of what you said to Alicia here… but when you addressed her, you brought up some words to describe yourself that either aren’t true at all… or ARE true, but deep down in my heart, I KNOW that I’m superior to you at. Those words?

Sensational. While this is true… and you certainly were at Into the Void and during Blast from the Past… you have been the opposite since you won the title… so much so that there was a show or two where either you didn’t show up at all or you were barely there and barely made any reference to this match, or even the fact that you were world champion at all. Now, I’m not going to call myself the most sensational thing ever but… at least when I was the world champion… I was there and promoting what I had to promote every single week… I expressed how much that title meant to me while all you’ve done is coast for the most part.

Inspirational. How are you inspirational? Not only is this FAR from true considering the way you carry yourself… but even if you WERE inspirational, I have you beaten on that in spades. Your motives are just to be the best, right? My motives? They go beyond that. It’s about inspiring those that are behind me. I know that my story is unique… the smalltown girl from Sedona, Arizona… a place that very few people outside of the Grand Canyon State has ever heard of… overcoming every single odd thrown her way to become the star that she is today. I know that my story inspires the little girls growing up in places like… say… Columbia Falls, Montana… or say… a place like Minnetonka, Minnesota… or places like Bellingham, Washington… Narragansett, Rhode Island… and Dillon, South Carolina… these small towns that NOBODY has ever heard of… to do the same thing that I did! I know that I am an inspiration to the wrestlers that are told that they don’t have what it takes and struggle for a LONG time to even get any headway in this business… similar to the journey I went through… and my inspiration lets them know to never give up.

You’ll never take that away from me, Evie. You could never have that heart to heart outreach to the fans that I have… and that I admit, I’ve overlooked for a long time.

Confrontational. You say that like it’s a good thing. Right, I get that it was sarcasm what you said… but still… needing to mock her for using big words… says way more about you than it does about her…

Same thing with all the shit you’ve continued to feed me. Now? I don’t even know what to think of you anymore… but I know for my sake that I shouldn’t because… in my big picture? You don’t matter. I’m not saying that as a wrestler you don’t matter, I’m saying that shit you say to me doesn’t matter.

There you go again, calling me stupid. Yawn.

Somehow, I haven’t learned from my mistakes and… you know what, Evie. Fuck it! I’m not even going to BOTHER addressing crap like that because I know for a fact that YOU don’t own my truth. I DO! I know what my story is… you just ACT like you do. You try SO HARD to define me, you try SO HARD to fit a square peg in a round hole but the truth of the matter is, very little of what you say about me actually DOES matter so I’m not even going to waste another second on that. I know what my mistakes were. I know what I’m going to do differently. I know how I am going to become better and stronger from Into the Void and my father’s death. I don’t need anyone to give me a lecture about it and I especially don’t need YOU to tell me how to live my life and run my career. I’m not going to feed you any hate or any anger toward you anymore because you’re not worth it. I’m not going to give you what you want. That’s it. You’re done. You’ve been evicted from inside of my head. Once I cursed you the fuck out last time I turned on the camera, that was it for me. I purged all of that anger and hate out of my system and I’m not going to carry it with me anymore now that I’ve released it. That brings me to my dad’s second lesson… one that I touched on a little bit earlier… and that lesson?

That the only person that gets to define you… is you!

And I’ve already given you that privilege rent free for the last time.

And now you’re going off claiming that you haven’t said what you’ve said to crush me, but to motivate me? I’ve already got enough motivation, thank you very much. Just winning back that championship in the honor of my dad is motivation enough for me.

You want to define me as a horrible champion? Fine.

You want to define me as a victim? Okay. Be my guest on that. Live in your own little bubble where everything you say is gospel… to an even worse extent than Alicia.

Unfortunately for you… I see my own truth now. I SEE my own greatness. It took WAY more struggle than one would think it would take, but I see it now. I see how I inspire the masses. I see how there’s nothing about myself to be ashamed of. I see now that I don’t have to be this boastful, dominant, dictatorial champion that HAS to rule the division with an iron fist. I see now that I don’t NEED to be all over social media picking fights with people and instigating challenges. I see now that I don’t NEED to make other people happy. My greatness isn’t defined by any of that Evie, it’s defined by what I put in that ring, win or lose. It’s not defined by whatever my win-loss record is, but by carrying myself as a champion that many people can be inspired by every single day. My greatness isn’t defined by having these massively long title reigns, it’s defined by the odds I overcame to be a champion… it’s defined by overcoming obstacles like YOU every step of the way that keep telling me that I can’t do it, that I’m nothing, that I’m this, that I’m that… and no matter what happens, I find a way to prove them wrong… hell… my greatness isn’t defined by proving people wrong… it’s by proving myself right…

I always felt that I could be great in this business… that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to… that I can make it and definitely realize my dream of being a champion…

...and I proved myself right…

And that Evie… is the definition about Andrea Hernandez that TRULY matters… that Evie… is what makes me the great professional wrestler that I am… the champion by heart that I’ve always been and always will be… and the two time world champion I am about to become.

You’re not going to ruin me… because I’ve endured your worst already…

At Summer XXXtreme… I’ll fight and be my very best… and one way or another… I’m walking out of it the champion that my father raised me and trained me to be…

With those inspirational words having been said, I shut off the camera feeling better about myself than I had in a long time. I’ve unlocked the key to being great in this business and to embrace the stardom that I have… and I’m going to use it to the best of my ability to become a champion again in the best tribute I could ever give my father…

Summer XXXtreme?

A new phoenix rises… one that is stronger than the one that this company is used to...