Gavin Taylor vs. Marie Jones

[Konrad Raab]

SCW Adrenaline Championship Contendership

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Thursday, May 23, 2024

[The Matt]

1 of 2
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May 19th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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The Phoenix may have lost the SCW Television Championship and therefore she was not in action on Breakdown in Los Angeles but she certainly made her presence felt nonetheless. She saw Gavin Taylor about to assault the Adrenaline Champion, Bree Lancaster, with a Gavin! Taylor! Lariat! But Jones did not let that happen. The Phoenix would not stand idly by and let something like that happen, not on her watch. Yes, there was motivated by noble reasons, but she also had a slightly selfish reason to get involved. Marie may no longer be the Television Champion, but her reign still impressed SCW and, specifically CHBK, because now she finds herself in contention for the SCW Adrenaline Championship; one of two titles that she needs in order to become a Supreme Champion. But this isn’t about grabbing brass rings, this is about climbing the ladder of success back to the top. She started at the bottom and she is working her way back up. She finds herself nearly where she once was before she walked out on SCW. She finds herself back into serious title contention. Winning the Adrenaline Championship would mean a lot to Marie, not just for her future title aspirations but also for her career. But to get to Bree she first must go through Gavin Taylor, someone who no doubt will be looking for a bit of revenge against Marie for involving herself in his business. Let him come. Marie is not going to back away from any challenge. She has said that she will fight anyone and she means it. If Gavin Taylor wants a piece then he can come and get it. Marie will be ready to not only right the ship, not only get back to her winning ways, but hopefully earn a shot at the Adrenaline Championship. It would be quite the momentum builder heading into Taking Hold of the Flame, another event she is looking forward to, another event she is looking at participating in.

Adrenaline Champion.

Taking Hold of the Flame Winner.

Rise To Greatness Main Event.

All of it could come together like a perfect storm for The Phoenix, but is this a storm that even The Phoenix can rise from? Marie will certainly give it her best shot. It all begins on Breakdown. First, The Phoenix has other issues she must deal with; issues of a far more personal matter.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Boston, Massachusetts looms high in the air with its impressive, gorgeous, grandiose architecture that exudes a serene, almost timeless atmosphere, with a profound sense of reverence and history. To most it might seem imposing, almost intimidating. To the redheaded Boston native, ‘The Phoenix’ Marie Jones, this is just simply her second home. She grew up attending this parish of The Archdiocese of Boston. Her whole family attended this church and many of her relatives are buried here in its cemetery located out behind the massive structure. Jones herself stands just outside, looking through a wrought-iron gate that leads into the parish church cemetery. The Phoenix is dressed solemnly for this moment, wearing an ankle length black skirt, plain white silk blouse, and a black blazer. She is perched atop black high heeled pumps. By Marie’s side is her son, Sean Connor Jones, who is also dressed nice for this occasion, wearing a simple pair of brown khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. Marie used to mock her own mother, the matriarch of the Jones family Angelica Jones, for always paying a visit to the parish cemetery. But now Marie finds herself in a similar routine. In fact, every day after the daily mass concludes, Marie takes her son to the cemetery to visit some ‘old friends.’

Jones steps through the iron gate, a gate adorned with intricate scrollwork and prominent cross at the apex. She leads her son through the gate and immediately they are enveloped by the quiet solemnity of these holy grounds. A cobblestone path kept surprisingly well by the church maintenance and groundskeepers, meanders through the graves. There are many who have been laid to rest here. The tombstones vary in size and style, reflecting different eras and the socioeconomic status of the deceased. Some are simple, with small, unadorned markers covered in moss and lichen, their inscriptions partially eroded by time. Others are grander, with elaborate carvings of angels, saints, and biblical scenes. The oldest graves, dating back several centuries, are made of gray slate or sandstone, their inscriptions in Latin, bearing the names of early parishioners and local notables. One could get lost in this maze. But luckily Marie knows how to navigate it. She has been here countless times and knows precisely where she is going.

Marie leads Sean near the far end of the cemetery; there stands a tall, white marble statue of the Virgin Mary, her arms outstretched in a gesture of peace and welcome. Nearby, an ancient stone bench invites visitors to sit and reflect, offering a view of the entire cemetery and the church’s imposing silhouette beyond. Jones leads her son Sean to the bench.

“Sit here.” She instructs. This is not an unusual request. This is all part of the routine and Sean is fairly used to it by now. Still, he cannot help but be a little curious.

“Uh, mom?”

“Yes?”

“Why do we do this?”

“Do what?”

“After Mass. Why do we always come out here to the cemetery?”

“I have my reasons.” Marie remarks simply, stoically. “Just wait here. I won’t be long.”

“Are you going to see Arthur?” Sean asks. There is a long tense pause from Marie. She fights the emotions that are welling up inside of her right now. Finally, after taking several moments to compose herself, The Phoenix nods her head.

“Yes.”

“Are you ok, mom?”

“I’m fine.” Marie is lying but doesn’t want to worry her son. “Just wait here. Ok? I will be right back.”

“Ok.”

Marie walks away from the bench, away from her son, and past the statue of the Virgin Mary. She knows this routine all too well and knows her next destination. She walks a few rows past the statue towards a lot that contains most of the Jones family relatives. One large headstone reads ‘Mr. and Mrs. Kurinsky’. Next to them are two, slightly smaller headstones, one reads ‘Kelly Kurinsky Jones’ and the other reads ‘Maria Kurinsky Braddock’. Next to Kelly is a headstone that reads ‘Bartholamew Jones’. Bartholomew, or Bart for short, happens to be Marie’s grandfather. His body was never recovered but he is presumed dead and he has a marker here for him. Lastly there is another marker, one that reads ‘Arthur Pond’. Arthur was engaged to marry Marie at one point. Something went wrong. For reasons Marie still does not understand, Arthur chose to end his own life. Marie stops at this final marker. She takes some flowers she had stored in her blazer and kneels down. She places the flowers on the marker.

“Hi Arthur.” Marie says as she wipes tears from her eyes. “It has been a long time between visits and I apologize. That’s my fault. Most everything is my fault, lately. I thought I was doing myself some good, I thought I was getting legitimate help by going to this group…they call themselves Inner Peace…” Marie shakes her head “...it turns out it was a con, it was a cult, and I fell for it. The truth is that I fell for it because I did not want to confront the real source of my trauma, of my problems, of my mental and emotional turmoil. So I turned to the very first thing that promised immediate relief for all of my problems. Inner Peace promised to help me forget everything that hurt, namely losing you.” Marie nods her head. “Yes, losing you hurt a great deal and I wanted to forget. I thought forgetting was for the best so I threw myself right into Inner Peace. I got caught up in that lifestyle, I lost myself to that lifestyle and as a result I nearly lost my family and my career as a professional wrestler.” Marie chuckles softly.

“Lucky for me I have a great sister willing to pull my head out of my ass.” She grins. “I’ll tell Kim you said hi, by the way. Kim never doubted me, she never gave up on me, and thanks to her I escaped that cult and I managed to set my life straight. I have my son back, I have my family back, and my career is beginning to straighten itself out. I just came off of a nice reign as Television Champion and now I might find myself as number one contender for the Adrenaline Championship. The Adrenaline Title is just one of the two I do not have. I could become Supreme Champion.” She sighs and shakes herself. “Of course I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. I have to beat Gavin Taylor first and that won’t be an easy feat to say the least.”

“I shouldn’t keep talking about that nonsense. There’s a reason I came here today to specifically talk to you. I know you won’t talk back.” She laughs again. “Sometimes I feel crazy, like I’m talking to myself. Still, if you can hear me, and I’d like to think you can, I wanted you to know something.” Jones sighs, fighting back the emotions welling up inside of her this very moment. “I have been hesitant to date anyone at all since you left me. You and I were perfect, Arthur. We were perfect together. And I have been hesitant if not outright unwilling to return to dating since then. But maybe…just maybe…that was a problem. Maybe this refusal to date anymore, maybe all of that has created some problems for me? And maybe it is time that I started dating again?” Marie nods her head. “Yes, I met a guy. His name is Death’s Head.” She smirks. “Ok, his real name is Percy, but he is a real nice guy, a real southern gentleman. I feel safe with him. I feel loved.” She smiles warmly. “I would like to think you’d like him. I would like to think that you would approve.”

“Marie?” The voice startles Jones. Then again, hearing any voice in a graveyard would scare anyone. She jumps to her feet quickly and turns to see her nun friend Sister Maria dressed in her long flowing black and white habit. A sweet smile is upon her face. A gentle laugh escapes her lips. “I didn’t disturb you, did I?”

“Oh, of course not.” Marie shakes her head. “I was just, uh, visiting with an old friend.”

“I see.” Sister Maria nods her head. “Well, I do not wish to disturb your visit. God bless you, Marie.” The nun turns to walk away but Marie calls out after her.

“Wait…”

“Yes?” She turns to face Marie. The Phoenix just shakes her head.

“I don’t…I don’t know.” She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know why I want to say this, I just feel the need to say that I envy you.”

“You envy me?” Maria chuckles. “Why on earth would you envy me, my dear?”

“I mean…” she chuckles “...you don’t have to deal with the ups and downs of love. You’re married to the church.”

“This is true.” Sister Maria remarks. “But I sense there is something deeper troubling you.”

“You’re right.” Marie sighs. “I mean, I just don’t know what to do. Every single relationship I have had has failed miserably. Damian was abusive and beat me. Arthur here killed himself. Julianne manipulated and used me for her own selfish gain. Every time I get involved with someone, I end up getting hurt. Now I’m on the brink of being involved with another guy….”

“Is his name Percy?”

“You heard?”

“I heard enough.”

“I’m just afraid.” Marie shrugs her shoulders. “It all boils down to that. I am afraid of being hurt again in yet another failed relationship. It doesn’t help matters that this guy has a criminal record.”

“Does he strike you as being dangerous?”

“Not at all.” Marie shakes her head. “He is a real gentleman. He is a real sweetheart and seems to really care about me.”

“Well far be it for a nun to give dating advice, but I would suggest follow your heart. Oh and, praying probably wouldn’t hurt.” She winks.

“Thanks, Sister Maria. Marie gives her a hug before turns and walking away, back past the statue of the Virgin Mary and back along that same path to the bench where she finds her son, Sean, waiting on her. Sean seems pleased to see his mother back. He smiles warmly back up at her.

“So how as Arthur?” Sean asks. “Is he doing ok?”

“Yeah…” Marie smiles back “...Arthur is doing just fine.”

[The Matt]

2 of 2
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May 20th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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This week on Breakdown Marie Jones will be facing Gavin Taylor for the right to challenge Bree Lancaster for the SCW Adrenaline Championship. All of this came about due to Marie’s involvement in the aftermath of Breakdown; Gavin was going to attack Bree from behind but The Phoenix stopped the All Star from striking. This good deed, intended for noble purposes only, has now been rewarded. Marie has a chance to earn a shot at the Adrenaline Title. It was not her plan to shove herself into the title contention, but she will definitely not turn away a golden opportunity such as this, especially with the momentum that she currently has coming off of a very successful run as Television Champion. Sure, The Phoenix had her doubters, she had those who questioned her, but she has slowly but surely silenced each and every one of her critics. Her reign as Television Champion further proved to the world that she is seriously committed to SCW and its fans. And last week, she proved that she will not sit idly by and just let an injustice go down. Marie has definitely turned over a new leaf and now she wants to turn all of this good will into what could be a championship run heading into Rise to Greatness season.

Her professional wrestling aspirations are not the only thing weighing heavily on the mind of The Phoenix. Twenty four hours ago Marie Jones spent a brief but very solemn moment in the cemetery of her family’s church; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Many of her relatives are buried there, including the man she was engaged to marry; Arthur Pond. She had loved Arthur and thought that he would be the one, not only the one to love but also someone who could help her raise her son Sean. But he passed away, tragically, and his loss put a tremendous emotional and mental hurt on Marie. It led her to twice leaving her family for a cult. It led to a downward spiral that nearly ruined her wrestling career. She has recovered through it all, she regained her family and her wrestling career is obviously coming back strong. Still, despite it all, Marie has not dated since the loss of Arthur. Well, at least until now. Lately she has been seeing a man named Percy Matthews, an ex-con biker type who prefers to go by his nickname of Death’s Head. Based on that information alone one might think that Percy is a bad dude but he has been nothing but polite, kind, and very gentle towards Marie. Jones has tried to keep their relationship friendly and nothing more but she cannot deny the feelings she has for Percy. She is beginning to ask herself is she should make this “official”, if she and Percy should start getting serious? But there is a deeper concern for Marie than simply Percy’s past. Marie’s own past bothers her. She does not have a good track record when it comes to relationships. She has had three failed relationships already and is deeply afraid of being hurt yet again. Should she risk her heart being broken again and get closer to Percy? Should she play it safe and keep their relationship at arm’s length?

Currently Marie is paying her mother a visit. It is convenient to live this close to her famous mother; she currently helps out as an advocate for Marie and her sister Kimberly backstage on Breakdown, but there is also the fact that Angelica owns a private gym and workout space that sits right underneath her massive home in Boston. It makes for a great place to prepare for her match against Gavin Taylor on Breakdown and it makes for a perfect excuse to stop by for a visit. This is what brings The Phoenix here to her mother’s home in Boston, Massachusetts this afternoon. She certainly plans to get a good workout in today, which is why she is dressed in her workout gear consisting of black workout shorts, a red t-shirt, and a pair of white sneakers. Even Angelica Jones is dressed for an afternoon of exercises, wearing gray workout pants, a white t-shirt, and white sneakers. They are sitting side by side next to one another on the luxurious plush leather cream colored sofa in Angelica’s opulent living room area.

“I appreciate you letting me come over to work out. You know how important this match on Breakdown is to me, and all…”

“Oh I know.” Angelica nods her head. “This is for a shot at the Adrenaline Title, a title I never held, a title you haven’t held, one of two titles you haven’t held.” She winks. “You could get one step closer to Supreme Champion.”

“Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Marie shakes her head. “But, uh, as much as I do appreciate this time to workout, especially with someone as experienced and talented in the wrestling business as you…”

“I’m flattered.” Angelica winks. “But you and Kim will far surpass me, I’m sure. Hell, you already have surpassed me in SCW.”

“Again, I appreciate it, mom, I appreciate the compliments and the time to be here with you, to work out with you, because I know under your tutelage I will be ready for Gavin. But we will be busy for quite a long time. Are you sure Sean will be ok?”

“Don’t worry yourself.” Angelica scoffs. “Sean is a boy and yes, he can be a handful, but I kept him here overnight plenty of times and I had no problems with him when I had to leave him on his own in his room for a while. Trust me, he will be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Look, I get it, you are worried about him. And I am glad you are so protective of him. It is a nice change from where you were several months ago when you were with Julianne in Inner Peace. But there is such a thing as being overprotective. Believe me, I know all about being overprotective.”

“Yeah,” Marie chuckles “you were a little overprotective of me.”

“I was a mental basketcase. Plus you were my only child…Kim had been taken from me and I thought she was dead. Can you blame me for wanting to be super protective of you?”

“No, I guess not.” Marie shakes her head.

“But looking back, I shouldn’t have been so overprotective. I should have given you more leeway to grow up on your own, to learn on your own, to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. I tried to shield you from everything and, well,” she shrugs her shoulders “maybe that was one of my biggest parental mistakes.”

“You did the best you could, mom.” Marie pats her mother on the back. “The kind of stuff you had to deal with is something no one should have to deal with. But you handled it well and you prepared me for this world the best you could.” She smiles warmly. “I think you did a pretty damn good job.”

“Thanks, Annabelle.” Angelica embraces Marie in a tight hug. “Why don’t we go downstairs to the gym? You will love some of the new pieces of equipment I bought.”

“About that…” Marie’s voice trails off “...I do want your advice on how to proceed against Gavin, i do want you to help me prepare for that match, but I have to admit that I had an ulterior motive for wanting to stop by today, something other than just simply working out with you.”

“I kinda figured.” Angelica smirks. “You never did ask for my help during your Television Title reign. But now suddenly you want it? I had my suspicions that something else was bothering you.”

“I can’t get anything past you, can I?” Marie smiles sheepishly. Angelica chuckles and shakes her head.

“Nope. Now, what’s up?”

“This isn’t a very easy…or normal, for that matter…question but, I kinda want to know why you quit dating.” Marie looks stoically at her mother. Angelica, for her part, just laughs. She is somewhat surprised to have been asked that question.

“Well a mother doesn’t get asked that question very often, by her own daughter no less!”

“I’m serious!” Marie exclaims. “I mean, sure, you are going to turn fifty years old in October, but plenty of people your age are still dating. Plenty of people are still finding love. You haven’t even tried to find anyone in what seems like forever. I guess I just want to know…” she shrugs her shoulders “...what went wrong?”

“What went wrong?” Angelica furrows her brows. “I mean, I suppose I just quit because…well…”

“Why?”

“...because I haven’t had much luck.” Angelica smiles sheepishly. “My first love was your father, Sean Williams, and we both know how that ended. Then when I broke into wrestling, I started dating my trainer. We took things way too quickly, got married way too soon, and that was probably the downfall of that marriage. We got divorced. Then I met and started dating Andreas Lasiewicz. Once again we took things kinda fast but I thought he could be the one. He even gave me another daughter, your half-sister Jessica. But again that ended in divorce. I married another wrestler after that, Sean McBride. He gave me a daughter, your other sister Kelly. That marriage lasted longer than any of the others but it, too, ended in divorce. Then I dated Brittany Lohan briefly, I dated Lindsay Carter briefly, and both of those relationships ended quickly.” She quickly counts on her hand. “So by my count that’s six failed relationships.” Angelica chuckles softly. “So yeah, I suppose I just gave up.”

Marie takes in her mother’s words and sighs with a bit of disappointment washing all over her. “That doesn’t give me much hope.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are all Jones women doomed?” Marie asks. “I mean, you have your six failed relationships. I have had three so far. Aunt Kayla has been married twice now, both ending in divorce. She is on her third marriage.”

“My sister is a very unique case and you know it.” She winks. “Besides, I don’t think us Jones women are doomed. Speaking of Kayla, I think she is very happy with her current husband Trenton. Your sisters are both happy in their relationships; Jessica is married to Kyle. Kim has a very serious relationship with Tommy.”

“I see your point.” Marie says with a sigh, still not quite ready to be optimistic despite her mother’s appraisal of the situation. Angelica studies Marie carefully, closely. She arches her brow out of curiosity.

“Is something else bothering you, Marie? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I met a guy.” Marie says. “His name is Percy, Percy Matthews. But he prefers to be called Death’s Head.”

“Sounds like a real winner.” Angelica says with a knowing grin.

“My friend Melinda set us up. She met him because they were both ex-convicts in a special program to help them transition back to life outside of prison. She thought we would be perfect for each other, especially since I, too, needed a support system like he did.”

“Do you like him?”

“I haven’t seen him much, to be honest I have tried to keep this as more of a friendship right now because, well, I am afraid of taking this too far. I am afraid of putting my heart on the line again and risking it being hurt again. But to answer your question…” she nods her head “...I like him. I like him a lot. And I kinda want to take this relationship further.”

“But you’re afraid?” Angelica asks. Marie nods her head.

“Yeah.”

“Well speaking from my own personal experience, I would suggest that you follow your heart.”

“Seriously?” Marie asks. “But…”

“I mean it. I regret giving up. I regret my life turning out the way it has. These past several years of me being single and not at least trying to find someone, I regret it. And I worry that you might end up the same way; you might end up full of regret if you do not at least try.” She wraps an arm around her shoulders. “I want you to find someone you care about, just like your sisters have; so give this guy a chance. What could it hurt?”

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On Camera
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What happened to good sportsmanship? I mean, I get it, I shouldn’t have to ask. Being a second generation wrestler who was born into this business, raised by my thirteen time world champion mother and my thirteen time world champion step-father, having taken in and soaked up all of their years of experience and knowledge of professional wrestling like a sponge, I know the real answer to that question. The fact is that this business has changed and not necessarily for the better. Once upon a time champions had no problem being a fighting champion, defending against all comers. Now we have people like Selena Frost as World Champion with a special set of rules just for herself to protect herself and her title, protecting herself from credible challengers. Once upon a time if you wanted to challenge for a title, you could either EARN it or, if you were lucky, you could ask and the champion would gladly defend their title. Now the cool new trend in wrestling is to blindside the champion in order to worm your way into the title picture. The Enigma attacked my sister, the Underground Champion, a few weeks ago and oh, look, he suddenly has himself a match against my sister, the Underground Champion, at Taking Hold of the Flame. Coincidence? I think not. Guess I wasn’t crazy after all, huh?

Gavin Taylor, you claim to be The All Star…and about a dozen or so other monikers but we don’t have time to get into those. So we’ll just stick to The All Star for now. If you were a real All Star then you could just earn a shot at the Adrenaline Title. Hell, if you really were confident in yourself, if you really were as good as you think you were, and last but certainly not least, if you were as smart as you claim to be, you would recognize that SCW’s current Adrenaline Champion, Bree Lancaster, is a fighting champion. She has no problem defending against anyone. The one and ONLY person she said she was done with was Simon Lymon. That’s it. And after the shit he pulled, I can’t blame her for wanting to be done with Simon. She was ok defending against anyone but him. And last I checked you were not Simon Lymon. So if you were smart you should’ve known that all you had to do was ask. All you had to do was find your balls and step up to the plate and ask. That’s how an All Star would have played it.

Instead of playing it like an All Star you played it like a coward. You decided to be all sneaky and try to take her out from behind. Well I, for one, was not going to sit by and let that crap happen. I have seen enough of this bullshit happen with Selena, Enigma, and so many others in this company. I was not going to let you add another layer of bullshit to the name of this proud company and this proud sport of professional wrestling. That’s why I did what I did. That’s why I got involved in your business. That’s why I stopped you from attacking Bree. I didn’t do this expecting anything out of it. I did it because it was the right thing to do.

Imagine that? Someone doing the right thing in SCW? Who woulda thunk it!

A smart person would have just stepped up and challenged Bree face to face. She said it herself on social media; she would have gladly accepted your challenge. But you obviously haven’t been paying attention lately, Gavin. It has become an overused term but actions do have consequences. You may have got Bree’s attention but you did NOT get what you wanted. You did NOT get your Adrenaline Title Match. And you WILL NOT get your Adrenaline Title shot because now you have one great big obstacle standing in your way…

…ME! The Phoenix Marie Jones!

You could have had your title match by asking. Now because of your stupidity and your arrogance you have to earn it and trust me when I say that I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not earn this title match. Yes, I admit there is a selfish aspect to it here. I mean, I am two championships away from Supreme status, and one of those belts I need is the Adrenaline Title. I would be lying if the thought of becoming Adrenaline Champion and thus becoming one step closer to Supreme doesn’t appeal to me. If you are not in this business to win, to be the best, and to win championships then you are in the wrong business. So yes, there is a selfish aspect to this. I want that title shot a hell of a lot more than you want it and I will take it from you.

But there is another layer to this, Gavin. For a so-called “All Star” you really do have a habit of falling flat on your face. As I said, this could have been easy for you but you stupidly chose the wrong way. Now I just cannot sit back and let your wrongdoing go unpunished. I cannot let you get rewarded for your crap. You earning this title shot, you going on to face Bree, well, it would be a crime. Just like last week on Breakdown, I will do everything I can to prevent you from getting what you want. I will stop you from achieving your goal. What you selfishly believe you are entitled to, I will take it and claim it as mine. I will become the number one contender to the Adrenaline Title.

While you are left in the dust, while you are put in the rearview mirror and left out of the Adrenaline Title contention, this Phoenix will rise from the ashes and go on to challenge for the Adrenaline Title and, God willing, become the champion.