{Our scene opens at the Hero Academy Gym where a handful of hopefuls continue to receive their training. Keira is of course leading the class on instructions while simply watches. Keira is in the ring, still full of plenty of energy as she instructs students on the do’s and don’t’s and proper techniques in class, this time the proper headlock takeover. Keira takes one of the girls to show them.} Keira – Okay, what happens here, is that you have to give your opponent a chance to roll. If you just drop and they can’t get over, and I give him nothing. You know what happens if this person has bad feet, and you get lazy with it?
{Keira slowly starts falling and stops herself, the bad placement of everyone would result in Keira driving the trainee head-fist into the mat.} Keira – Then she gets spiked, and not only does it look bad, then you’ve potentially hurt someone. Okay, there’s different ways to do it.
{Keira stands up and re-applies the headlock} Keira – Now some people kick their legs out, I don’t do it, I do what I know is safe and can be done. Okay, headlock, I’m going to turn. You, don’t go over, just follow.
{Keira does a rapid-fire turn, that looks sharp. She’s on all-fours, and motions for the trainee to roll over her back.} Keira – And I’ve given her the room and space to move. I’m not pulling on her. But this is about helping each other. Because what happens if you’re in the ring with someone with less experience than you? You need to understand that, because it’s going to happen. It will I promise you. Somebody will be new and you’ll have to lead, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, and they don’t know what they’re doing, people get hurt and we do not want that. This is about taking care of each other.
{Keira then has two trainees tries the headlock, and the one doing the headlock pulls the one over.} Roxi – You don’t pull. Do it again.
{The two try again, and again, the headlcking trainee pulls the other over.} Roxi – You pulled again.
{Keira stands them up.} Keira – You don’t need to pull them over. Listen. I want you to do the takeover, but just go onto all fours. Don’t go over with her. Turn, turn your butt towards me, and go onto all fours. Ready. Go.
{The trainee does with without issue, except staying on her knees.} Keira – All fours.
{The trainee corrects herself, and stands up.} Keira – Again.
{The trainee this time completes the turn and goes on all fours.} Keira – That's what you need to do. You don’t have to pull her, she’s going to go over. Okay? Just... do it again.
{The two stand and get it right this time, with no pull.} Roxi – Better.
Keira – Alright, two at a time, let’s go, I want to see all of you be able to do this without pulling your partner over. Let’s go.
{Roxi and Keira watch as slowly, but surely, their trainees begins to do the headlock takeover successfully. There’s a lot of falling, a lot of pain etched on their faces as they smack the canvas a few times. After roughly 20 minutes, Keira looks at her watch.} Keira – Alright, take 5, grab some water, stretch, I need you all loosened up.
{Keira walks to the office with Roxi, sighing at she sits down.} Keira – So, what do you think?
Roxi – I think you’re doing a great job.
Keira – I meant them in general.
Roxi – Everybody was new at one time or another. You know that as well as I do. Sometimes you get a good batch, and sometimes you get a bad batch. It happens all the time. You’re doing your best, some of them get it, some of them don’t. It’s really as simple as that.
Keira – Could you have been more generic with that?
Roxi – Possibly.
Keira – … You are the worst sometimes.
Roxi – I know. I’m just telling you what I see. Some of them have potential, and some of them just aren’t going to make it.
Keira – I suppose you’re right. You know, I kinda like this retirement thing now.
Roxi – Oh?
Keira – Yeah, you know, I don’t have this big weight on my shoulders anymore. No more travel, unless I want to. But then again, I have to deal with a bunch of other nonsense now.
Roxi – Cassie?
Keira – Cassie, among other things. It’s a good thing I have practice of being a mom for 5 years. These little groups and cliques forming, I don’t like it.
Roxi – Some people naturally connect with one another, I suppose.
Keira – It feels like... it feels oddly familiar.
Roxi – It feels like you and me. That’s what you want to say.
Keira – … Yeah, kinda.
Roxi – Well, that’s just hope it happens, sometimes.
Keira – It’s just a big hassle at this point that these girls want to has sex just as much as they want to become wrestlers.
Roxi – Kinda like somebody I know.
Keira – Now wait just a minute!
Roxi – Yes, my love?
Keira – Don’t you “my love” me, Roxi. I was dedicated to wrestling. I made a bunch of strides to get better. I proved my worth in the ring.
Roxi – You did. I would never deny that. But it was after you were more interested in... extracurricular activities. You know you did.
Keira – I wasn’t that bad.
Roxi – That’s what everybody says. You were bad.
Keira – I... I guess you’re right.
Roxi – I know I am. We all go through these phases, it just is... part of growing up.
Keira – You mean growing old.
Roxi – I may grow old, but I’ll never grow up.
Keira – Fair enough, I think we kept them waiting long enough.
Roxi – After you, coach.
Keira – Very funny. You gonna get some practice in yourself?
Roxi – I’m going to have to. Still got plenty of work to do.
Keira – You and me both.
Roxi – You know, you can always un-retire....
Keira – Very funny. I’m more concerned with the future.
Roxi – Me too.
{Roxi and Keira head out of the office and back to coaching as the scene fades.}
“All I have is making the future, and stopping the animals who want to take the future from people.“
- Iron Man (Iron Man Vol 4 #4)
Hello, SCW.
It certainly had been a while. I’m not going to lie, it was incredibly refreshing and relaxing to not have to wrestle the last few weeks of December and now, here we are in the middle of January and I’m just now getting back into the ring. I must admit I feel fresh and ready to go. After 2022 was extremely successful, I’m looking forward to 2023 and all it brings. It was a bit of a roller coaster ride but that’s just how it works around wrestling, you’re not always going to be up, and you’re not always going to be down. Luckily, for me, there were more ups than downs. But, as they say, that was then, this is now. Now we have to move forward and onto the next challenge.
And really, for me, one of the biggest challenges is wondering just how much I really want to do in 2023. I don’t really think I have anything to prove to anybody, except myself at this point. But I still fight with myself and have a lot of unanswered questions at this point. Do I want to go after the Bombshell’s title again? Do I want to continue to go after dream matches at this point? And is 2023 really the end of the road for me? I don’t know the answers to any of these questions, and the worst part is this “Wait and see” I don’t know how this is all going to pan out, and that stinks.
But on the other hand, I look at 2022 and realize that I was at the top of my game. I look at 2022 and I lost one match. I was the Bombshells’ champion for 6 glorious months. I had not one, but two dream matches. It was a well, it was almost a magical year for me and that I am super thankful for. And now I look back at that and I say...
Can you do it again?
Can I top, or even match what happened in 2022? Can I have anything close to that? And that right there, it makes me think that I can. It makes me think that I can be even better. Why not go undefeated this entire year? Why can’t I win the Bombshell’s title for a 5th time? Why not? I believe in myself, and maybe that is what’s really driving me at this point. Can I do it all again, and maybe just one more time?
Well, if I wanted a challenge to start this, and I don’t know, maybe it’s some kind of subtle jab at my age or something by calling it something akin to a clash of generations. I mean, maybe I am getting older, but I don’t feel like I’m losing anything, nor should my age even be a question at this point in my life. I’ve still got plenty left in the tank, it is of my choosing to do what I'm doing at this point in my career.
But yes, I feel that Georgie Robertson will be a challenge for me. Regardless of the differences in experience between us.
I will admit, I don’t have a great feel for Georgie as a wrestler, and that makes it difficult, or, really, even more difficult than usual. Usually, you can see a match or two or someone, and get a feel for who they are, what they like to do and you can gameplan and strategize for them. For me, I don’t really have that luxury. Even a handful of matches isn’t really enough at this point to get a read on Georgie.
So yes, I am going into this match basically blind, but while Georgie may have the element of surprise on her side, I have everything I’ve ever accumulated right here in front of me. My eyes may play tricks on me every now and then, but I know enough to trust my eyes and instincts. I know what I have to do, and heck, there’s a lot of things that just work, no matter how old they are. I’ve been doing this long enough to understand that Georgie is going to throw caution to the wind. She has nothing to lose here, and everything to gain. If she loses, then she can take it and learn from it. If she wins, it’s the biggest shot in the arm for an up and coming wrestler. Georgie doesn’t lose anything with a loss. She can show the world a lot, and lose nothing.
Me on the other hand? I’m sure so many questions will arise from a loss. Have I lost a step, is it time for this or that. I understand fully the situation I am in, in regards to this match. It’s something I deal with more and more as time goes on. This match is on me to show everybody that no matter the experience level, or skill of any person I wrestle, I have to be on top of my game. I obviously don’t want, or need any questions about me popping up as this year starts, and I certainly don’t want them to linger as the year goes on.
From the little I have seen, I have to be on my guard and make sure I don’t slip up, because even a wrestler without a large amount of experience can take advantage of a slip-up. I know it will not be easy and I’m not expecting it to be. Georgie is young and hungry, and eager to make a name for herself. And you know, I have very high expectations for her in the future.
So yes, Georgie has youth on her side. She is basically playing with house money as it stands. All the pressure is on me to deliver yet again.
And you know, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have always thrived under pressure. I have put my put foot forward each time, but when the lights are on the brightest, when the seat is hot, I have been able to rise to the occasion more than once in my career. This is no different. I expect a fight, I expect Georgie to give me everything she has. I expect her best. And in turn, she will get my best. She will get a hard lesson about wrestling, and about me. I am friendly, I am caring, but when it comes to this job, I do not hold back in situations like this. Nothing is going to come easy.
I am the standard for SCW. And I will prove it once again at Inception.
I will see you, and Georgie, there.
Let's kick off 2023 in style!
