(Mark Ward and Gabriel Stevens were used with permission from Mark, Odette was used with permission from Courtney)
High Stakes XI may just go down as the best night of Krystal Wolfe’s wrestling career to date! Not only was she awarded the “Future Star of the Year” and “Most Improved of the Year” awards but she also retained the Roulette Title over Char Kwan in a brutal Hardcore Match, formed an alliance with the returning “Prime Time” Matthew Kennedy and popped the question to her girlfriend Makayla who, naturally, said yes!
That just left one other question in not just Krystal’s mind but everyone else’s, who’s next to try to take the Roulette Title from her? Well, before that question could be answered Krystal was in non-title action this week on Climax Control. Her opponent? None other than former Roulette Champion Kate Steele! Come Climax Control 316, Krystal will have matched Kate’s 182 day title reign but as this was a non-title match, it meant that the reign would surpass hers win or lose! Can Krystal get the win?
Backstage at High Stakes XI, Madison Square Garden, New York
Sunday the 7th of November 2021, 20:00pm
It all started with a promise.
Not one year ago, two years ago or even three years ago, we’re talking about a promise I made to myself when I enrolled at the Go Gym all those years ago in 2015 and now that the day has come for me to fulfil that promise?
My nerves are all over the place.
”Come on Krystal, you can do this.” I muttered to myself as I paced up and down the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden, the Bombshell Roulette Championship was currently around my waist, and I had my arms crossed. ”How hard can it be to ask my girlfriend one, life changing question?!”
“Do you always speak to yourself? The familiar voice of Mark Ward broke my train of thought and I looked up to see Mark approaching me with a smile on his face, at first I was confused and wondering why he wanted to see me, was it about the arrangement I had with Matthew Kennedy?
It was at that point that I realized that Mark had two things in his hands, two year end awards, and it dawned on me. ”No fucking way! Are you fucking serious?!” I asked unable to take my eyes of the two trophies and once he was close enough Mark handed over the trophies to my, Future Star of the Year and Most Improved of the Year, and for the first time in my SCW Career, I was speechless when I realized that my name was at the bottom of both awards. ”I don’t know what to fucking say!” I commented with a shocked laugh as I stared at the two trophies.
“You earned them both Krystal, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.” Mark assured me and I grinned broadly before sticking both in the duffle bag that was containing my ring gear. “As for that question you were asking yourself, well, it’s almost time for that segment, my advice is to just go out there and get it over with.”
”You know it’s not going to be that easy, right?” I asked the co-owner as I glanced towards the jeans pocket that had the engagement ring in it. ”At the rate my nerves are going, this is going to make my first promo as Bombshell Roulette Champion look like a cakewalk!”
“You’ll be fine Krystal, and you know it.” Mark assured me and I nodded before walking off in the direction of the entrance ramp.
That promise was that if I ever made it to a High Stakes show and was competing in a title match, I would ask whoever I was dating at the time to marry me, right there in the middle of the ring! Obviously that would require me to be in a relationship prior to the event but since the person in question was also the woman who saved me from my abusive dad, yeah, I’d almost be tempted to say that this was fate.
Backstage at High Stakes XI, Madison Square Garden, New York
Sunday the 7th of November 2021, 21:00pm
That was a load off my mind.
As I said, I knew I wanted to ask my partner to marry me if I ever made it to High Stakes and was in a title match, and now that I had it done and out of the way, I felt a wave of relief rush over me as we returned to the back.
Which was quickly followed by a wave of champaign! Yeah, Gabriel and Odette were waiting for us when we got to the back!
”Who brings a bottle of champaign to a wrestling event? Seriously!” I protested with a laugh as Gabriel sprayed us with the champaign, thank god I’m not going to be wrestling in these champaign soaked clothes, you know, unless the wheel stops on a street fight! ”Also, how long have you guys been waiting back here?”
“Me and Gabriel had an inkling of what you were planning when you asked Makayla to come out to the ring.” Odette admitted with a big grin on her face before she walked up and hugged me. “Congratulations Charlotte, on both this and the awards.”
”Maybe save the congrats until after I beat Char?” I asked once we broke the hug and Gabriel handed us champaign glasses. ”And you still haven’t answered my question.”
“Who brings champaign to a wrestling event?” Gabriel asked before sharing a celebratory toast with me and Makayla and Odette quickly joined in. “You can thank Ari actually, once she saw you drop to one knee she ran out of the Go Gym’s private dressing room on what she described as an “emergency celebration drink run”, she returned with the champaign just in time.”
“Probably a good thing she turned twenty one last week then.” Odette nodded in agreement and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t take the smile off my face. “As for Char, I wouldn’t worry too much about her, after everything she’s done this cycle? She’ll have hell to pay in the title match.”
“Speaking off, did Rebecca make it to the backstage area okay?” Makayla asked and Odette nodded. “Thanks again for helping us get her a backstage pass.”
“Not a problem, she’s waiting for her cue near the Go Gym locker room.” Gabriel explained and I grinned in response. “Anything you want to say Ms. Future Star of the Year?”
”Just one, I know we’ve had our arguments and, well, the less said about the Tempest situation the better.” I commented before shaking my head. ”But I just want to thank you guys, for everything really, without your training I don’t think I would’ve made it as far as I did.”
“You’ve done us proud Charlotte, and whilst tonight was a huge milestone for you, I have every confidence that you’ll make an even bigger splash at High Stakes XII.” Gabriel added before they started to walk off, we went our separate ways after that and I thought Makayla was taking me back to the Go Gym locker room, instead she took me to a quieter part of the arena and looked me square in the eye.
“Charlotte, before you ask, the answer was always going to be yes, even if you did it out in public.” Makayla assured me with a big grin on her face before reaching into her pocket. “Mostly because I had the same plans.” Makayla added before producing an engagement box and opening it, sure enough there was a ring in it. “I made my mind up about this when we got back from the Summer XXXTreme Cruise.”
”You’ve carried that thing around for three months?” I asked as my jaw hung open and Makayla nodded. ”You know when I was planning to pop the question but what about you?”
“I was planning to ask you on Christmas morning.” Makayla explained with a nod and my expression darkened, Christmas may be a time of joy for most people but for me? It was when I witnessed my dad raping and murdering my mom, and I had been unable to disassociate that event from the date ever since. “Try to bring you some joy on the anniversary of your mom’s murder, I know it’s always been a tough day for you.”
”I know and if we’re being brutally honest? I don’t know if I would’ve accepted if that had happened as planned.” I admitted before letting out a deep breath. ”I love you Makayla, that’s never going to change, but I don’t think I would’ve been okay with that being the day I got engaged to you.”
“I understand, I guess it’s a good thing you beat me to the punch then.” Makayla responded before taking the ring out of its box. “So, shall we make it official?”
”Let’s!” I responded before letting Makayla take my hand and put the engagement ring on its ring finger, I had returned my engagement ring to my jeans pocket out of fear of losing it on the way back to the backstage area but now that I was here with the love of my life? I sealed the deal by putting my ring on Makayla’s ring finger. ”I think we’d better save the details until tomorrow, wedding date, location, best man.”
“Yeah, definitely a good idea.” Makayla nodded in agreement before we joined hands and walked towards the Go Gym’s locker room. “Especially since you’ve still got the title match to come.”
”After everything that’s happened tonight? I can’t lose!” I responded with a grin as we walked down the hallway.
Prime Time Associates HQ, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday the 14th of November 2021, 18:00pm
Not quite sure what I was expecting.
So yeah, this was the other big news about me coming out of High Stakes XI, that Matthew Kennedy was returning to wrestling after being retired from the sport for years and was coming back to manage little old me.
I’m sure there’s a few questions going through your head, like “why me?” and “why did I chose Matthew Kennedy off all people to be my manager?” and those questions will be answered in due time, especially since we had just pulled up to the HQ of his management company, we being me, Makayla, and Ari.
“Are you guys sure this is the right place?” Ariana asked as we pulled up to the area, it was a fairly big two story building that was a few miles away from the Vegas strip, one that we had passed by a few times whenever SCW was hosting shows in Las Vegas and yes, that is including the year or so the SCW roster spent in Vegas after the pandemic fucked the world over. “I thought this was just an office building?”
”So did I, but this is the address Matthew sent me after we returned from New York.” I responded after I checked the address on my phone and Makayla glanced over at my phone to double check. ”Saying that, I don’t remember the big “Prime Time Associates” sign just hanging out in front of the building’s parking lot.”
“From what I remember, Matthew managed to accumulate a small fortune after his wrestling career ended.” Makayla commented as she glanced at the building. “But does he really have enough money to buy an office building in Vegas? Even one as small as this?”
”One way to find out, there’s a parking spot right near the front entrance, we may as well take it.” I responded as I pointed out the parking spot and Makayla quickly pulled into the parking lot before parking up, once we got up I went up to the front door and saw an intercom system by the door. ”G’day, Krystal Wolfe here to see Matthew Kennedy?” I said into the intercom after pressing the button and waited for a response.
“Come in, we’ve been expecting you.” A female British accent responded before the buzzing sound rang out and Makayla pushed the door open.
At first it looked like any other office building, dull, lifeless, had a secretary’s desk near the front, but as we walked down the halls we heard a sound that we were all too familiar with, well, me and Ari at least. “Is that what I think it is?” Ariana asked as she glanced around but we continued down the hallway after seeing nothing, then we saw the source of the noise. “A training school, here?”
“The facilities aren’t quite up to the standards of the Go Gym, but then again there are few schools like the Go Gym.” Cyrus’s voice rang out as the large wrestler walked up to us and I greeted him with a nod. “Matthew originally had a training school in Arizona, that’s where he trained Andreas and Lizzie Short, but that went under during the pandemic and after he opened Prime Time Associates he decided to reopen the training school in Vegas.”
”Directly competing with the Go Gym, a training school run by hall of famers which has produced numerous champions, me and Ariana included.” I pointed out as I folded my arms before glancing into the training facility, much like the Go Gym it was evenly split between the genders with the guy’s training with the guys and the girls training with the girls. ”Ever consider that your boss might be a bad businessman?”
“Bit of healthy competition never hurts, besides this school is still new, the Go Gym’s been running for years.” Cyrus responded with a shrug before leading us further into the building. “I guess you could call Matthew’s gym the cheaper alternative to the Go Gym.”
“Yeah but with the Go Gym, you get what you paid for and then some.” Ariana pointed out as she pushed her way past Makayla to walk alongside me and I nodded in agreement. “And say Krystal does start training here, wouldn’t that cause a conflict with the Go Gym.”
“I’m sure you can sort that out with Gabriel yourselves.” Cyrus responded before we reached our destination where Matthew was waiting for us alongside the source of the women’s voice that greeted us via the intercom. “Matthew, Lizzie, Krystal, Makayla and Ariana are here.”
“Ahh good, then we can begin.” Matthew nodded before Cyrus stood to the side to let us walk past him, the former SCW Bombshell Lizzie Short seemed to be the secretary for this whole outfit as she was sitting behind a desk by the door to Matthew’s office, but she didn’t acknowledge us as we waked into the office. “Allow me to be the first to officially welcome you into Prime Time Associates Krystal.”
”Thanks, though I didn’t expect to see a training facility here.” I responded as I sat down in front of the desk whilst Makayla and Ariana remained standing. ”Trying to compete with the Go Gym? You are aware of how many champions the Go Gym has produced right? Hell, you’re sitting across from two of them!” I added as I motioned to me, and Ariana and Matthew nodded.
“Even if I wasn’t, the Bombshell Roulette Championship over your shoulder is a dead giveaway.” Matthew responded as he motioned to the title. “I didn’t get this far as a businessman by being a fool Krystal, I know that trying to directly compete with a school as prestigious as the Go Gym is a fool’s game but whoever said that a bit of healthy competition hurts anyone?” Matthew asked as he leaned forward. “As I understand it, the next Go Gym Graduate is set to debut soon?”
“Adrienne? I know her from training with her at the Go Gym.” Ariana nodded once she realized who Matthew meant. “I don’t know her that well, aside from her being a French trainee with a background in Martial Arts who happens to be a lesbian.”
“And she’s even younger than you Ari, which means you are no longer the baby of the bunch.” Makayla responded with a nod as I got a text. “She should be debuting on the next Climax Control card.”
”Speaking off, I just got the next Climax Control card.” I responded before I started going through it. ”Remind me to ask you for the winning State Lottery numbers Makayla because Adrienne’s debut is in the opener against fellow debutee Chloe Benton, don’t know that much about her.” I commented with a shrug before I went over the rest of the card, and then I saw my next match. ”And I’m in singles action against Kate Steele, I can’t help but think that this is in response to the fact that I’ll be matching her reign on Sunday.”
“And given that this is a non-title match, you’ll surpass it, win or lose.” Matthew nodded as he got the idea and I quickly nodded as I glanced down at the title. “And we don’t want a repeat of your last non-title match.”
”If you mean the match against Andrea during the last cycle, I’m not worried.” I responded as I shook my head. ”Kate may be one of the longest reigning Roulette Champions, but the division has passed her by, her reign as a Mixed Tag Team Champion was ended by the Barnharts for crying out loud!”
“And even if they had retained, I don’t think they would’ve survived Austin James Mercer and Tempest.” Ariana responded as she shook her head and me and Makayla quickly nodded in agreement. “So, I guess there’s one question on our minds, what can you offer Krystal as a mentor that Gabriel can’t? He trained her, mentored her, even sponsored her VISA so she could move to America and start training.”
“Yet I remember hearing that she was barred from using the Go Gym’s facilities for a week because she looked out for her own interests.” Matthew commented dryly and I shared a look with the other two women in the room, it was true that the Tempest incident was a sore spot for me but the fact that he had heard that was raising red flags. “Right before your fourth Roulette Title Match at Violent Conduct VII no less.”
”How exactly did you hear about me and Gabriel’s falling out?” I asked with a frown on my face as I leaned forward. ”Beyond the fact that he was right to call me out, the general rule of the Go Gym is that whatever happens in there stays in the Go Gym.”
“I have my ways.” Matthew responded and my frown deepened, but it was too late to turn back now. “But as for your question Ariana, tell me has Gabriel ever offered to manage your career like I have since you graduated?”
“No, he was busy running the Go Gym.” Ariana responded as she shook her head and I nodded to confirm what she was saying. “Are you saying that you’re extending that offer beyond just Krystal.”
“Krystal, Ariana, Carter, even the new girl you’ve already mentioned, Adrienne was it?” Matthew asked and me and Ariana shared a look, we knew that Adrienne had an agreement in place with Katie, but he didn’t need to know that. “So, what do you say Krystal?” Matthew asked as he extended a handshake out to me.
”I say you’ve got yourself a deal.” I responded as I accepted the handshake. ”I take it we’re still on for that appearance at Climax Control? To elaborate on our agreement?”
“Off course. It has been far too long since I appeared on Climax Control.” Matthew responded before he stood up and motioned for us to follow him. “Now, if you want to conduct your promo from my facilities, you can, we have a green room for teaching students how to do just that.”
”That sounds perfect!” T responded with a grin before we followed Matthew to the green room.
The Green Room, Prime Time Associates HQ, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday the 14th of November 2021, 21:00pm
*promo time*
The time is nearly upon us.
”Climax Control 287, the day I made my main roster debut against Andrea Hernandez, now here I am almost a year later serving as one of the longest reigning Bombshell Roulette Champions this company’s seen in a long time! Everyone from Seleana Zdunich to Johanna Krieger to Char Kwan to Bea Barnhart to Bella Madison to Maki to Mercedes Vargas have tried and failed to dethrone me along the way which begs the question, who’s next? But before I can answer that I have a one on one match against Kate Steele this week at Climax Control 316.”
Coincidence?
”I can’t be the only one who finds the timing of this non-title match to be just a little bit suspect, I mean this Sunday will be my one hundred and eighty second day as Bombshell Roulette Champion and yet they bring put a woman whose Roulette Title Reign lasted exactly that long to face me? As I said, this match is non-title so my reign will surpass hers win or lose but it does beg the question, what if Kate gets the win over me?”
Good question.
”The answer to that might be just as obvious as the reasons they put this match together, if Kate beats me then boom! We have my next challenger lined up, the only real question at that point will be whether it’s at the last Climax Control of 2021, the first Climax Control of 2022 or the first PPV of the new year! But here’s the thing Kate, that’s assuming that you’re going to beat me next Sunday at Climax Control 316.”
That’s a big assumption.
”Because whilst your preoccupied with arguing with Christian over the fact that you were listed as Kate Steele-Warren even though your divorced from Teddy, you seem to be overlooking just who you’re facing at Climax Control so here’s a crash course, my name is “Down Under Thunder” Krystal Wolfe, I graduated from a little training school called the Go Gym in 2015, maybe you’ve heard of it? I made my SCU debut in early 2020 and made my main roster debut in the tail end of 2020, anything else?”
I asked as I put a thoughtful finger to my chin.
”Now if you had done your homework on me, you’d use the fact that I suffered through one of the worst losing streaks in SCW history for the first six months of my wrestling career and whilst that is true, one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that since I broke that losing streak I’ve only lost once, over six months removed from my last loss in singles competition and that was in the Main Event against Andrea Hernandez, since that loss? It’s been back to business as usual for me!”
And that’s bad news for you.
”And you know what’s business as usual for me? The facts that earned me the Future Star of the Year and Most Improved of the Year Awards, I went straight back to my winning ways Kate and frankly I don’t see that chancing any time soon, whether it’s a non-title match against a has been Bombshell or a title match against whoever the bosses think has a chance at ending my title reign next!”
The cycle repeats.
”It started with Bea Barnhart and Maki at Summer XXXTreme IX, then it was Bella Madison’s turn at Violent Conduct VII and then it was my most recent defence against Char Kwan at High Stakes XI and that’s not counting the four times that I’ve defended this title on Climax Control against the likes of Maki, Bella and Mercedes Vargas, Seleana Zdunich and off course, the five pack challenge at the Halloween show against Johanna, Bella, Bea and Seleana, what I’m getting at Kate is this, since I won this title I’ve not been a champion whose rested on her laurels, I’ve been a fighting champion since day one and that won’t change any time soon, if you do get a title shot against me then fine, I’ll welcome it, but it sure as hell won’t be from winning this match!”
I’ve got a reputation to uphold.
”Since I won this title I’ve worked my ass off to make it worth something again, even going as far as to avoid taking the easy way out and just enjoy a day off at the start of the cycle just so I could defend it, I only really requested that this match be non-title for variety’s sake if we’re being honest but it’s like I said, as far as title defences go? I’m open for any and all challengers to come at me and my title, and I will turn away each and every one of them! And in this match? You’ll be no different Kate”
It's that simple.
”This is a non-title match off course but my strategy since day one of my reign has been to treat each non-title match like the title was on the line whether it was against Bella right after I won the title, against Andrea in that clash of the champions match during the last cycle or against you as we head into the final cycle of the year, is it excessive? Maybe, but has it given me the results I’ve wanted?”
And with that I decided to wrap things up.
”I’ll just let the fact that I’ve been the Bombshell Roulette Champion since May speak for itself, I won those awards at High Stakes XI for a damn good reason Kate and if you even think about overlooking me then you’re in for a harsh reality check! And that reality check will come when the record breaking SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion Krystal Wolfe brings the Down Under Thunder and proves that it’s ready for prime time! Long may I reign!”
I re-joined Makayla, Matthew, and Ariana as the scene fades.
