Waylon Creek vs. Glory Braddock

[Braddock]

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July 5th, 2025
London, England
Off Camera
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Glory Braddock is still riding a wave of momentum thanks to her four match winning streak. Despite the interferences from Ryan Lecavalier, The British Bombshell continues to pick up wins and pick up momentum as she gets closer to Rise To Greatness and, more importantly, gets closer to achieving her stated goal when she first dropped out of Taking Hold of the Flame; earning a championship match the old fashioned way by winning matches, through old fashioned competition. Victories over the likes of Kemal Yilmaz, David Striker, Amelia Novado, and Sal Darius have been impressive and satisfying, but now Braddock faces an even greater challenge and threat in the form of the menacing Waylon Creek. His ‘handler’ of sorts, William Heaven of The Fall of Man, bills him as the future of SCW. Creek has certainly lived up to the hype due to the fact that few have managed to figure out the formula to putting him down for the count. Some might hesitate, balk at such a challenge but for The British Bombshell this is precisely the kind of competition she wants. She wants to be challenged, she wants to be put to the test. Waylon Creek is, arguably, one of the toughest tests she has faced recently and she is prepared to face that challenge head on.

Facing such a challenge, defeating Waylon and moving her winning streak to five wins in a row, requires a clear head and focus. Glory Braddock is now grateful more than ever that she took the advice of her older cousin, Angelica Jones. It was Angelica who suggested that Glory Braddock quit the constant arguing and bickering with COO CHBK and, instead, let Angelica deal with the backstage politics on her behalf. As far as the corporate feud between Glory’s company and her former friend Frances Taylor’s company, Angelica suggested that Glory let the next most powerful and influential person within Glorious Golden Enterprises, Aphrodite Noel, handle and run the company in her place. With Angelica dealing with CHBK and Noel taking care of Frances, it frees The British Bombshell up to focus on what she truly loves to do, what is truly passionate about; wrestling. Glory Braddock can now put all of her attention on winning her way back to the top and, more importantly for next week’s Breakdown, defeating Waylon Creek.

Waylon Creek will be a difficult challenge, there is no questioning that, and whenever Glory Braddock is ever met with a tough test, she always goes to the one familiar place that has provided her with motivation and the physical means to prepare to meet the test; that is her father’s old wrestling school in her native home of London, England. Thus after Breakdown concluded, The British Bombshell caught a flight across the pond so that she could meet with some of old friends and prepare herself mentally and physically for the war that is to come.

Light filtered dimly through the frosted windows of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School, casting long shadows across the battle-worn canvas of the main ring. The old gym stood as a testament to the era of its namesake, the grizzled, stubborn Glenn Braddock; its cinderblock walls aged to a dull gray, flaked in places with forgotten posters from tournaments long past. The faint hum of a fluorescent light buzzed overhead, echoing the silence that filled the space after hours, broken only by the sound of bodies hitting the mat and the occasional creak of worn-out floorboards. Despite its age, the building still held a rugged dignity. The industrial steel beams above were untouched by any modern polish, and the exposed pipes along the walls had been painted a utilitarian black. In the center of the room, surrounded by faded blue mats and a scent that was part sweat, part timeworn leather, Glory Braddock stood with purpose. Clad in black leggings and a fitted athletic tank that hugged her lean, muscular frame, Glory’s long blonde hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail that swayed as she moved. There was a sharp intelligence in her blue eyes, the kind that missed nothing, not in the ring, not in life. Just outside the ropes, Sophie O’Brian leaned back against one of the turnbuckles, arms folded, watching Glory with a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips. A sharp contrast to Glory’s statuesque poise, Sophie was wiry and quick, with shoulder-length brown hair tucked behind her ears and a posture that suggested both relaxation and readiness. Her dark eyes, cunning and unreadable, held the look of someone constantly sizing things up, mentally ten moves ahead. She wore a grey hoodie and black shorts, her boots laced tight even during downtime. Where Glory had inherited her father’s proud English stoicism, Sophie exuded a colder, more tactical Northern Irish discipline.

Sophie’s brother Mark, on the other hand, was every inch the brute in the room. Tall, broad, and powerfully built, he moved like a tank in motion, his footsteps echoing on the old wooden floor as he paced near the ropes. His beard was thick but well-kept, and his long, stringy dark hair was slicked back, revealing a chiseled face that looked like it had seen more fights than it cared to count. Mark wore a tight-fitting workout shirt that showed off every line of his muscular frame, and fingerless gloves that he never seemed to take off while training. He was the kind of man whose mere presence could unsettle an opponent before a bell even rang. And yet, around Glory and his sister, there was a visible ease in his shoulders. Together, the three of them were a formidable sight; an alliance forged through years of hard knocks, steel chairs, betrayal, and triumph. Tonight, there was no crowd, no bright lights or booming entrance music. Just three longtime friends, allies, and warriors in a gym that meant the world to all of them.

“Ok Glory, are you ready?”

“I was born ready, mate.” Braddock says with a knowing grin on her face.

“Good, because I don’t plan to take it easy on ya…”

Mark charges in with a shout of fury. The British Bombshell sidesteps him rather easily. He bounces off the ropes with a rebound and comes back at her only to get caught in a deep arm drag into an arm bar. Glory wrenches on it tightly causing the much larger Northern Irishman to yelp in pain.

“Oww!”

“Oh come off it, mate.” Glory snaps. “I wanted to spar with you specifically because you have a similar build and wrestling style as Waylon Creek. The bloke is going to be one of my toughest opponents and I need to be ready. So I can’t have you holding back.”

“I wasn’t holding back!” Mark remarks while struggling in the arm bar.

“You’re either holding back or you’ve got a hell of a lot of ring rust, mate.” Glory winks.

Mark nods his head. He fights and claws with everything he has to get back to his knees and then back to his feet. Glory switches to a hammerlock. Mark forces a break with a hard elbow to her face, causing her to stumble backward. Mark turns around and his look of ferocity quickly changes to one of concern.

“Sorry ‘bout that…”

“Don’t apologize.” Glory scolds him. “Creek won’t.”

“Right.”

He nods his head and charges. He goes for a lariat but Glory ducks it with ease and counters into a crucifix pin but Mark easily forces his way out of it. Mark with several chops across Braddock’s chest forces her back up against the ropes. He whips her into the ropes. He lowers his head too early and Glory sees it. Glory with a low dropkick to his right knee, dropping him down to the mat. Braddock kips up to her feet and sighs out of frustration, shaking her head.

“Come on, Mark! Are you SURE you’re not holding back?”

“Give me sweet yet somewhat ignorant brother a teeny, tiny break.” Sophie chimes in, stepping forward to help Mark back to his feet. “Did it ever occur to you that, perhaps, you are just that good, dear sister?”

The British Bombshell does a double take upon hearing that comment from Sophie. She had known that she and Sophie were half-sisters for a long time now. Shortly after Mark O’Brian was born, his mother had an affair with Glenn Braddock, which brought forth Sophie O’Brian. Glory had no idea Sophie had decided to tell anyone else.

“You told Mark?” Glory asks. Sophie nods her head.

“Of course. Did you really think I could keep such a secret from him?” Sophie snickers. “Ok, yes, I easily could have kept such a secret from my brother. But it wouldn’t have been right.”

“Have you told anyone else?”

“No.” Sophie shakes her head.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Mark says, breathing heavy.

“Now can we get back to the sparring session please?” Glory asks. “And this time, don’t take it easy on me.”

“If you really want this sparring session to simulate this upcoming match between yourself and Mr. Creek, then perhaps I should jump you from behind mid-match?” Sophie snickers. Glory doesn’t seem to think her suggestion is funny at all.

“Are you nuts, Sophie?”

“Why not?” Sophie shrugs her shoulders. “Waylon Creek is part of the Fall of Man. He has the numbers game backing him up.”

“I seriously doubt William Heaven views me as a big enough threat to send his army of thugs after me.” Glory remarks. “I imagine he has plenty of confidence in his little attack dog Waylon.”

“You are a threat, dear sister. You are a Supreme Champion, never forget that. Besides, it is always better to be prepared for anything.”

A cool draft swept in from the crack in one of the high windows, cutting through the heat rising from bodies in motion. The overhead lights, flickered slightly. Then came the sound of the heavy front door creaking open; slow, hesitant at first, as if the person beyond it wasn’t entirely sure they belonged. All three heads turned. The old iron hinges groaned loudly, drawing attention to the unexpected visitor now standing in the doorway. She was an undeniable contrast to everything around her; a splash of bright color and glossy polish against the concrete monotony. Glory’s longtime childhood friend turned business partner Melody Murphy had arrived.

Melody stood in the threshold, backlit by the weak security light outside. Her wavy blonde hair was voluminous and styled to perfection, cascading over the shoulders of a cropped designer leather jacket that cinched at the waist. A silky, pastel blouse peeked out from underneath, untucked just enough to seem casually effortless. Skinny jeans hugged her legs, and her boots clicked gently against the gym floor as she stepped in. A pair of oversized sunglasses were perched atop her head. For a moment, no one said anything. Melody gave a tiny wave, sheepish and amused, her eyes scanning the room until they found Glory. The corners of her lips curled upward into a bright smile, genuine, if a little out of place in the room’s atmosphere. Glory blinked, surprised, then turned to face Sophie and Mark.

“Uh, I’ll be right back…”

She grabbed a towel from the ropes, patting down her arms and neck before handing it off to Sophie without a word. She moved with that signature Braddock mix of grace and steel, but her posture softened slightly as she neared the entrance. Whatever the reason for Melody’s visit, it had been unexpected, but it must have been important.

“Funny seeing you here.” Glory says. She offers a hug but then stops short. “Uh, I don’t wanna get my sweat all over your fancy clothes…”

“Don’t worry about it, Gloria.” Melody remarks quickly. She instantly grabs Glory and hugs her. After breaking the embrace the two friends smile pleasantly. “I heard you had returned to London for a visit.”

“A brief visit, yeah.” Glory nods her head. “I have a match coming up next week and there’s better place to prepare for it than right here at my dad’s old wrestling school. But uh, what are you doing here?” Glory smirks. “This isn’t exactly the kind of place for a fashionista like yourself.”

“True.” Melody nods her head. “I just figured since you were visiting, that you might want an update on the latest involving Frances.”

Braddock nearly bristles. Frances Taylor had been their mutual friend from school but recently she had been trying to put Glory Braddock out of business. The British Bombshell, upon the advice of her cousin Angelica Jones, has let Aphrodite Noel handle the corporate world for her while she focuses primarily on wrestling, on SCW. This was to keep as much stress off of Braddock as possible. She doesn’t need any additional stress and bringing up Frances’s name is enough to bring that stress back.

“I really don’t care, Melody.” Glory states coldly. “Frances ended whatever relationship we once had. She has her company challenging mine and that’s fine because I know, with Aphrodite at the helm, Glorious Golden Enterprises is doing just fine. In fact, we are outperforming Taylor Enterprises. That’s all I need to know.”

“You’re wrong, Gloria.” Melody shakes her head. “There is more, much more, that you need to know.”

Glory sighs. She looks over her shoulder and notices that Sophie and Mark are a safe distance away, far enough away they cannot hear much of anything. They aren’t even paying attention. She then turns her attention back to Melody, sighs out of frustration, and folds her arms over her chest.

“Fine. What is it?”

“Just some things I have heard from some of my contacts.” Melody begins, speaking in a hushed tone. “Apparently the government has begun investigations into Taylor Enterprise’s recent business dealings.

“Oh really?” Now Glory’s interest has peaked. Melody nods her head.

“Yes, apparently the company has done some illegal stuff. Frances may be arrested.”

“I’m not surprised.” Glory chuckles. “After what we learned about her boyfriend and the shady crap he’s pulled, I’m not surprised at all that he rubbed off on her and now she’s pulling the same kinda shady criminal stuff he does. Only she apparently got caught.”

“Yes but…” Melody’s voice trails off momentarily “...but I think Frances is innocent.”

“What?”

“I do.” Melody nods her head. “Think about it, think about how long we’ve known Frances. Does she strike you as the criminal type? I think Dominic is the real criminal here. I think he committed the crime and framed Frances for it.”

“So you’re suggesting he played her for a fool?” Glory asks. Melody nods her head. “How do you know?”

“Well she told me.” Melody states. “Frances came by last week in a panic and she told me everything, things that my contacts had already told me. But what I didn’t know was that apparently most of the Taylor Enterprise funds were transferred to some offshore accounts.”

“Dominic’s accounts, no doubt.” Glory states.

“Yes and now Frances has nothing.” Melody says. “She doesn’t even have a place to stay anymore. Dominic took everything. So she’s having to stay with me and her brother.”

“And I suppose you think WE should help her out?” Glory asks with an arched brow. “You probably think we should help her with her legal troubles?”

“Gloria, I…” Melody is cut off.

“This is the second time Frances has betrayed me.” Glory shakes her head. “She wanted to run me out of business, Melody. I am honestly not sure I can just forgive and forget this time. If you want to help her, that’s your business. But count me out.”

“Listen…”

“No, I have heard enough. We warned her about Dominic. We told her he was bad news but she wouldn’t listen. She created this problem. Now she has to deal with it.”

“Gloria, I know that she betrayed you. I know she tried to run you out of business.” Melody takes Glory’s hands and holds them tightly. “But the three of us were close friends once upon a time, closer than sisters. We have always been there for one another when we needed help.”

“I know but…”

“And face facts, Gloria. None of us are truly innocent. We all have needed second chances, even third chances. We have all needed forgiveness. Yourself included.”

Those words hit home and hit hard for The British Bombshell. It is true, she has not been a saint all of her life and she has made plenty of mistakes. She has had to ask forgiveness plenty of times herself. Still, despite this knowledge, she finds it difficult to forgive someone like Frances who has betrayed her the way she has done this time. But this friendship isn’t any ordinary friendship. They were friends from childhood. They grew up together. Certainly that counts for something. Braddock sighs and nods her head.

“Look, I am not making any promises…”

“But you’ll think about it?”

“Yes, I’ll think about it.” Glory nods her head.

“And you will come see Frances?” Melody asks. “You will at least talk to her.”

“Yes, I will speak to her. But like I said, I make no promises.”