Please allow me to introduce myself….,
September 22 2011
We are in a kickboxing school in Amsterdam, Netherlands where a young lady, barely 18 enters the school. She is wearing a hoodie with a Guns ‘N Roses logo on the back, black training pants and some beat down sneakers. She looks over her shoulder towards the door she just had entered in, wondering whether this was the right decision that she could have made.
“Can I help you miss?”
An old croaked voice comes from a dark secluded part of the kick boxing school, she lets out a sigh as she realizes that she had been noticed. She turns around, letting her eyes get used to the darkness as it had been very sunny outside. She sees a man seated in the corner, holding a newspaper that he had been reading as he is staring back at her. His eyes are measuring her as if he already has figured her out without saying anything.
“Hi…, my name is Melissa.”
The words escapes her mouth, half trembling from the nerves as she had been trying to find the courage to talk to the man. Assuming that he was a trainer, or perhaps even the owner of the kickboxing school. She had been searching for schools in her neighborhood as the name of this school had often come back from different sources. She looks around as she is awaiting the answer from the man, who had placed the newspaper on the desk in front of him and reached for something underneath his desk.
“Are you interested in joining?? Or did you want to look around first??”
He asks while popping back up from behind the desk and places a piece of paper in front of him as he stares back at her. She had been looking around for a few moments as she had gotten the idea why this school was mentioned so often as it was breathing tradition and success.
“I want to start training here, at least if you train women??”
She asks with a blush upon her cheeks emerging, this causes the man to show a grin upon his face as he walks around the desk and walks over towards her.
“Of course we train women, we have had several champions emerging from our school. So you are in the right spot, oh by the way. My name is Mark.”
She smiles, her nerves are slowly starting to drift away as she allows him to guide her through the school, guiding her to the back of the school as he opens the door towards the part where the athletes train. She immediately notices the punching bags, the boxing ring as well as many weights and other training devices that causes her to softly whistle in amazement.
“This place is amazing….”
This causes to bring a smile upon the face of Mark, who extends his arm towards an office at the far end of the boxing ring. The two of them walk over towards the office as Mark opens the door for her, she looks around as the office is nothing more than a small room, it made her wonder how small the toilets must be in comparison to this office. She mentally shrugs as she takes seat in front of Mark, who sits down upon a leather office chair. He grabs some papers and stares into her eyes.
“So you told me that you wanted to start to train here, do you eventually want to compete in official matches as well??”
The question causes her to raise an eyebrow, she had not expected him to ask this question. She leans back into the seat that she is sitting in, overthinking the options in whether she is looking forward to eventually compete against other girls/women of her age. The intentional idea was to toughen up, get more confident with herself and built stamina. The thought of crossing gloves and kicks did make her become curious and ultimately decides to answer his question.
“Yes, I ultimately want to compete in the ring.”
Mark nods his head, starts to write on the piece of paper for a moment before turning his attention towards her.
“What made you decide wanting to start kickboxing??”
“It’s a long story.”
Melissa whispers with a soft tone, she had hoped that it would not turn into this. She bites her lower lip as she sees him staring her down as he is waiting for an answer. She looks away for a moment, staring at an old flier from a past kickboxing tournament where she reads several names of people she had never heard of, closing her eyes for a moment in an attempt to resist a small tear to emerge. She nonchalantly wipes it away with the back of her hand, covered by the long sleeve of her hoodie that is clearly a size too big for her.
“I want to grow confidence, I’ve been often laughed at and taken advantage off… I…”
“Is this for you to get even with these people?? Or do you really want to become a kickboxer?? Because I’m not here for charity work sweetheart.”
The sudden reaction startles her, she stares at his face that shows no sign of sympathy for her explanation. This causes her to reconsider her decision and the true reason of it all, clearly this man wants to train someone that is a potential winner and not merely to train someone to become more confident in him or herself. She bites her lower lip, she had never enjoyed the aggressive nature of being in a fight, but she realizes that in life everyone comes into a situation of being in a confrontation. This causes her to ultimately turn her head towards him once more and nods.
“I want to become a kickboxer Mark, because I believe I can overcome anything that will oppose me inside that ring.”
He smiles, nods his head and leans back as this was what he wanted to hear, the two share a conversation that takes half an hour before she finally steps outside of the kickboxing school with a smile upon her face.
“I’m ready to go, it’s time to conquer the world.”
A few years later
It’s 2013, Melissa is competing in her first ever title match. It’s the opening match of many more to come as she is about to enter the ring for a fight for the National championship. She hears the Eye of the Tiger hits while standing backstage behind the curtain. She is shaking her head from left to right while wearing her robe. She pounds her boxing gloves against each other, psyching herself up for the first ever title match of her still young career. Thinking back to her first year where she had mostly limited herself by merely training for the moment to come that she would make her in ring debut. The memories of being in bed at night reservices, where she had questioned herself whether she had made the right decision by doing this. Only to be thankful for not talking herself out of this as she is now on the brink of showing her skills in front of her first ever national televised kickboxing match.
“It’s your time to shine Melissa.”
Says Mark while standing beside her, he had been her coach from the first moment that she had started training until now. He had been rough on her, but most of all he has always been honest. Never backing away from telling her the truth whether she did well or whether she sucked. It had taken her a while before accepting his way of training her, which had caused into some heated arguments between the two of them. It even had made her consider quitting and leaving the school, only to come back the next day and work even harder.
“And now the challenger!!!!”
The voice behind the curtain echoes, it’s her cue to step through the curtains and enter the arena. This was the moment that she had been working towards, to ultimately have that recognition of what she had sacrificed for so many years had culminated into an opportunity to fight for a championship belt. Something that she had doubts about when she started two years ago. She steps through the curtains and the first thing that she notices of how huge the arena looks like. She chuckles, she remembers visiting the Ahoy in the past for concerts, now in her mind she is the main event even if she is just an opening act to bigger things. She walks past the crowd as some of them are cheering her on, while most of them simply boo her .
“Soak it in Melissa, take all of the hostility and make it yours.”
She nods, she had not experienced this before. But her prior matches had been in local gyms or other small venues in comparison to this. But she was enjoying this, she took the reaction from the crowd as if they were all cheering her on as it made her feel as if she was already the world champion and nothing could stop her. Melissa and her entourage walk towards the boxing ring, there she steps through the ropes and does her routine as she walks off her nerves that are slowly starting to grow. The same kind of nerves that she had felt prior to her first ever fight, but she knew that this is nothing more than healthy nerves and that she is ready. She punches one of her trainers against his training gloves to warm up a little bit before the atmosphere changes when the music from the champion starts to play.
“And now!!! Coming down to the ring!!! She is the National Champion!! Her name is…..”
And at that moment every sound surrounding her disappear, the only thing that she is hearing is her own heartbeat and her pounding her gloves against each other. Her eyes are locked against the woman that she is going to compete against and already she knew that she had beaten her without even touching gloves. She feels her sweat slowly pour from her face, she is ready to take off her gown but knows it isn’t the right moment to do so. She wants to make the champion wait for her, even if the situation is the opposite way. But Mark had learned her from an early start to make everything about her, teaching her the psychology behind the fight and be mentally on top of your game at any given situation.
“I got all the time in the world, that belt is coming home to me.”
She growls before taking her mouthpiece into her mouth, twisting and turning her head for a few times as she watches the champion finally get to the ring steps before slowly climbing them to get to the ring. Melissa immediately walks towards the champ and confronts her, making sure that she cannot step foot inside the ring while having a stare down. She looks into the eyes of the champion, she can tell that she is not impressed and yet Melissa can sense something in her gaze that makes her realize that she has already have won.
“Get to your corner miss…”
The official of the fight asks Melissa to back off a little bit, causing Melissa to slowly back off without not taking her eyes of her opponent. The mind games have already begun, she is smiling while showing the mouthpiece as she has opened her mouth. The mouthpiece shows the red, white and blue from the Dutch flag. Especially made for this first title match as it is for the National championship from the Netherlands. She watches the champion enter the ring and do her routine before being called to the middle of the ring by the official. Telling both competitors that he expects a clean fight and be respectful towards each other.
“Any questions?? Okay, now get to your corners and wait for me to give the signal to start your fight!!!”
Both ladies touch gloves before walking towards their neutral corners, Melissa let her trainers take off her robe as she is finally standing there in her gear to compete for the gold. She hops around on her own two feet, shaking her head from left to right to loosen her neck muscles some more. Finally the bell rings as the two women walk towards each other and Melissa is the firs tone to drop a punch.
Later that day
Melissa is in her locker room after the match has ended, her left eye slightly swollen from having a few punches landed there. But she is satisfied after having won the championship belt from the now former champion. The belt is draped across the table in front of her as she lets the doctor take a look at the seriousness of the swollen eye.
“I don’t see anything broken, so I suggest holding an ice pack against it for now and the swelling will ultimately fade in due time.”
Melissa nods her head as one of the trainers hands her an ice pack as she places it against the swelling, she looks over towards Mark at the doorway who is talking to the doctor some more before he turns his attention back to his protégé.
“Good job Melissa, I think you got a bright future int his sport.”
She smiles towards him as possible as she keeps the ice pack close to her eye.
“Not bad for a girl that came to you because she wanted to grow some confidence.”
The two share a laugh before Mark turns towards the championship belt and places it in front of her.
“I think that this championship belt tells me that you have gained enough confidence to take on the world.”
Melissa takes a moment to stare at that championship as emotions suddenly start to take over from her, thinking back at the two year preparation that has taken her to this very moment. She now fully grasps the fact that she has actually achieved something, beating down the crowd favorite and take her championship belt away from her. She had not been fazed by the fact that the crowd had not really accepted her during the match, something that in her past would have caused her to get upset. But now she had been able to block every distraction from her concentration as she has focused upon one thing and one thing only, taking home the gold.
“This is only the beginning Mark, I have so much more that I wish to obtain. And the world is just about to notice who I am and what I’m really all about.”
The two smile as they bump fists before the shot slowly fades to darkness.
November 8th 2022
We see a replica of the National Kickboxing championship belt draped across Melissa’s and Goth’s king size bed. The camera pans out as we see Melissa seated in a chair close to the bed while staring at that replica belt that she once had won many years ago. Her eyes are focused upon the memorabilia of her past that refers to her kickboxing legacy. Something that she partially had added into her wrestling move set.
“It was nine years ago when I won that belt.”
Says Melissa while not taking her eyes off that championship belt.
“Many people would say that winning a National title in your home country is nice, but it means absolutely nothing when it comes down to the international ranks of your own profession. And yet, you never forget your first championship belt.”
Melissa’s gaze shows no emotion, the woman that had not have a single win in the last few matches. Even losing the match against Jessie Salco at the last show, something that has been bothering her for weeks, even making complaints about the officiating during that match. But she knows that she should get back on track, not looking back but ahead of herself. She knows that this downwards spiral will end one day and what a better way to do so against the woman that challenged the Bombshell World champion and lost as well.
“But I am not like those people, I value everything that I have managed to obtain. And I have learned to deal with setbacks, even though there are some bitches out there that still believe that I am frustrated over every fucking loss….. Even if I showed maturity and class, I guess people are just too stubborn to even care…. But that will ultimately change very soon, I just hope you manage to win that belt Jessie… Because I am coming for you.”
She pushes a few hairs out of her face, the focus is clearly shown as she does not allow herself to be distracted by the entire camera crew that has surrounded her in the bedroom of Goth and Melissa’s hotel room.
“And even though I would love to spill out so many things over my match with Jessie Salco, I know that I have a different opponent to concentrate upon. A woman that is familiar with championship caliber type of matches. A woman that has been the subject of many twitter tirades. But to underestimate her because of that would be stupid and showing a lack of respect upon this line of this business. Because we need to be at our very best every single time that you step foot inside the six sided ring and compete. To show exactly what you are made off, not underestimating your opponent or else you will end up the way that me and Diamond have been since our last confrontation. The question remains, who will get out of the slump and who doesn’t?? Do you know the answer Diamond??”
She turns her gaze towards the camera for the very first time as she slowly rises out of the chair and walks towards he bed, she stands in front of the kickboxing championship belt that she had gained many years ago as she slips her fingers underneath the leather strap and lifts it close towards her face.
“You may ask yourself why am I showing this?? A prop from my past, something that holds no particular importance to this wrestling organization. And yet it tells something about me that you have to understand Diamond, that I am an individual that has come from far and knows how to fight the odds that has been stacked against me since day one. ”
She smirks for a moment as she gently places the championship belt back upon the bed as she stands there motionless while not taking her eyes off of it.
“A struggle, that’s right. A struggle, something that every single wrestler int his organization had to endure to get here isn’t it?? Every story is different, yet we all have been there and had to endure exactly the same frustration each and every other superstar or Bombshell. Whether it is Kat Jones being forced to retire to injuries, whether it is being so close in winning a title every single time and somehow feel it slip through your fingers in the end… Or merely contemplating retirement because you don’t feel that you have anything left to give in this beautiful sport.”
“The crossroad between beauty and the ugly reality losing is such a thin line, that can make you slip off the right track so easily. And what do you do? You struggle, you try to tell yourself so many times that luck will once turn to your favor. And yet, the question remains… when?? And iknow, I know that these statements mostly refer to me, as you had some impressive run towards your championship match. You had the momentum seemingly in your own favor, yet it just slipped through your fingers didn’t it Diamond?? How frustrating must it be that in the end that all your hard labor didn’t paid off…. “
“Trust me, I know exacltyt he feeling.”
She slowly walks towards the chai, drops backwards and leans with her head against her left hand as she rubs her forehead as if she has a major headache.
“I owe a lot to Goth and Whisper, taking me in and train me to where I am today….. Or should I say where I was at one point?? But that would only suggest that I owe them the fame and fortune and the frustration that I am feeling to myself. The reality is that these statements aren’t as far from the truth like I have pointed out before. But I must take the full responsibility for both sides of the coin, because it was ME that became the champion and it was ME that ultimately ended up becoming an absolute joke.”
“Do you think that these words are harsh?? Perhaps, but do I prefer to tell it like it is and not sugar coat anything into a more positive note. Because what use does it bring me?? How does it change the entire situation into something positive?? Nothing, all I can do is work hard and grab that last straw effort to get out of the slump that I am right now. But my situation is just like a good book, it has a beginning, a middle part and an end. And the end of my suffering is near, hell I am not even close to reach the middle part. I just need that one single straw to get me out of exactly that in order to once again turn my attention to what I consider necessary to occur.”
Melissa once again turns her attention towards the camera crew as she reaches behind her head and pulls her hair into a ponytail.
“And all I have to do is to get in the ring and face Diamond Steele and beat her, funny huh?? It all sounds so easy, but if that was the case I would have still held that Bombshell Roulette title… a championship belt that I am forced to watch two individuals that in my own believes are not worth to be even considered worthy of holding that fucking title…. But I guess that’s all on me, not on them. Because I should have held on to that belt when I had the chance,k I should have regained that belt when I had the chance…. And I didn’t. So I guess my words are worthless to your listening ears aren’t they?? And yet, you couldn’t be more wrong.”
She leans forwards, placing her hands around her head and starts to shake it. She is mumbling something in Dutch that nobody can understand before realizing that she is still being video taped.
“Can’t you understand when it is improper to air something?? Or are you just as delusional that you need to hear the words cut before you stop video tapign every move we make and every word we say??”
She stares at the camera for a second or two before turning her attention away and shake her head in disbelief.
“No wait, please don’t answer that question. Because the answer would be too predictable and boring, as if I was forced to watch paint dry and tell the world in front of the camera with a serious look on my face that I enjoyed every second of it. Because if there’s someone out there that would actually believe that, then please give me a shotgun so that I could shoot that poor individual that has no life.”
“But once again, I’m drifting away.”
“FUCK!!!!!”
She suddenly screams out while closing her eyes, the frustration is clearly visible with every passing second.
“Why don’t you all do me a favor, just fucking leave!!!!”
We see the camera slowly get up hesitantly, causing Melissa to roll her eyes and lift her arms up in the air in frustration.
“THAT WAS JUST MERELY HYPOTHETICALLY!!! Just sit down and keep your mouth shut okay!!!”
The camera stops moving before slowly getting back to the original position that it was in earlier. Melissa places her hands across her forehead and starts to rock in the chair.
“Why is it so difficult for people to understand when I am serious and when I am just losing my freaking mind!!! And you know something??”
She suddenly looks up and shows a sickening smile upon her face.
“I got the solution to all my problems…, I just got to beat you Diamond. And I know, I know that you had been so nice towards me when you extended your best of intent on social media. Even inviting me to dinner, something that I have not yet experienced in this federation outside of the Saviors and my fiancé. But you do realize that I have to beat you right?? You do understand that I need to beat you in order to get into my winning ways once more??? That it is coming to a point that I am not so sure whether I can do it without you taking it too personal?? Just like I have done when I took liberty and expressed myself in private… But I guess nowadays nothing can be considered sacred in this wrestling industry, not even confiding your thoughts with people you assumed you could trust.”
“But I am glad that I have learned my lesson the hard way, something that I will take with me and use it upon those who I deem ready to get in the ring with. That includes you Diamond, I know that I cannot sugar coat it in any shape or form that you won’t take it too personal. A way that it is impossible for you to say that I cannot be complimented for being such a nice individual… Because if there’s one thing right now that has changed in my life…. Than by all means it must be that!!!! And before people will assume that I will blame Jessie and Ariana for something like that…. Let it be known that unlike my hair color would make you assume differently… I still have a brain that allows me to make my own suggestions and have my own thoughts without being too influenced by others. I guess that’s why I have told Goth to let me do my thing on my own for now, that I have not sparred with any of the people that Whisper has hired for me to prepare for. Oh no, went back to a mindset where I was over ten years ago… And you know something Diamond???”
“I have almost forgotten how much fun I had back then and how much of a success as well. Fun, how that word creates such a weird dimension when you can compare it to harmless Sesame Street kids fun… Or why so serious Joker fun before allowing some scissors to rearrange the face of some mindless character in a Batman movie. It’s whatever you make of it isn’t it?? And the mere fact that it is JUST ME that all week long preparing for this match makes everything so much more delightful, because now I can think for myself and act upon my own behalf. Does that mean Goth won’t be at ringside this Sunday?? Of course he will be, but it is just me that will get all the accolades or the blame this time.”
“I don’t want to look over my shoulders and see the second guessing upon the part of my life partner while he has to focus on whether taking on the offer from a “legend” that he beat a few weeks ago. No, it’s a good thing that I am standing on my own two feet, taking my own decisions into facing you Diamond. It’s quite fascinating when you look at that name of yours, to consider that you must be the brightest shining star in this organization…. Or at least let me assume that’s the whole idea behind it?? A diamond, a beautiful rock that rich people would fight for to possess. To have it upon their ring finger as a ring,k or around their necks or attached to their ears… While all I can see is that you are nothing more than a rock, dead weight. A meaningless piece of rock that for some people worshipped because they are delusional. BECAUSE I AM THAT SHINING STAR!!!”
“And I know, I know that my recent track record will say differently. I know that you will listen to my words and retaliate with merely uttering the names of two Bombshells… But that doesn’t alter the effect that I am exactly who I say that I am. It’s the mere fact that I believe in these statements, because I have been living these words since day one… DAY ONE!!! All I have to do is to actually accept reality and not to limit myself with whatever notion. One step at a time Diamond, one opponent at a time. One misery that I need to extract from my frame of mind and that lucky first Bombshell is you.”
“To be honest, I am thankful for the first time in a very long time not to have been opposing someone that has been choking the life out of me. Someone that took all the oxygen away from me, constantly needing all the attention focused solely upon her. No, it’s a great thing to finally have someone that showed me some respect. That didn’t went the sad and low road by accussing me of taking advantage of the love of my life. I hope you will not follow their trail that they have paved with breadcrumbs in an attempt to find their own stinking brain!!!”
Melissa takes a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts and lets out a long sigh.
“Forgive me, I know went off like a lunatic. But I guess that’s what you get when you are frustrated isn’t it?? I look forward to get in the ring with you Diamond, to face a name that has been wrestling quite a while… someone that I see as an opportunity, I am going to take this seriously and I hope you will as well. Because I am intending to beat you, I am intending to hit you with the kick that is heard around the world…. And I intend to beat you one, two, three… ”
Melissa smiles at the camera as the shot slowly fades to darkness
