09-20-2025, 11:46 PM
It's hard to see anything at first glance, mostly because it seems like our view is obstructed by water shooting up in our faces. It's not long, though, before our view is clear, and it quickly becomes apparent that we found ourselves right in front of the water fountains that dance before the three-dimensional LED sign bearing the name of the city of Toronto. With the exception of the medicine wheel, the letters of the sign and the maple leaf at the end light up the coming night in a rainbow of colors that might bring to mind the LGBTQ+ flag for a moment, which fits perfectly with the masked woman sitting right in front of the maple leaf at the very end. La Pequeña Luz has that trademark grin that could light up the night all on its own, gazing out at the dancing fountains in the pool before her. Her gaze drifts down to the United States Title resting in her lap, her grin softening as her look becomes more contemplative for a moment.
“I have a dream... over the past several weeks, it's been a dream that has helped keep me focused, even in the face of uncertainty regarding what Apocalypse would look like for me. It is a dream that has lit a fire within me that's burning even brighter than this amazing sign I'm sitting in front of. That dream is for Apocalypse to go off the air... with Amelia and I standing side by side in that ring, both of us holding championship gold high above our heads. For me, it would be this very title sitting in my lap, the title I fought tooth and nail to end the uncertainty over once and for all at Rise to Greatness. And of course, for mi amor, she would be holding the World Title high, proving once and for all what I've always known to be true: that she is good enough to stand right by my side as we do everything that we can to make the future of professional wrestling just that little bit brighter, inspire even more men and women who have dreamed of being here to not be afraid to take that shot.
I know, in my heart, that Amelia can do it... that she can beat Cid Turner and call herself World Champion. But of course, I have my own challenge I need to overcome if I want to make that a reality, and that has to take top priority in my mind.
Except... over the past few weeks, it's been a little hard to do just that, and I can't lie guys, it's been a little frustrating. It wouldn't be fair of me to blame David Striker for that when the man was thrown off of a scaffold and needed time to recover, but there's a reason I've always been of the mindset that wrestling problems should be solved in a wrestling ring. There, the result is certain and absolute, and on that night, the better wrestler truly wins, simple as that. At Rise to Greatness, David was the better wrestler in that Scaffold Scramble, and it should have been as simple as knowing for sure that when I walked out of Houston with this championship, that he would be waiting for me come Apocalypse, ready to throw everything he had at me to try and stop me when I have no intention of letting down the people who believed I could sit here and call myself your undisputed SCW United States Champion... weird as that feels to be saying while sitting in front of Canada's most well-known symbol.
Instead, I've been left wondering if this match would even happen at all, if David truly would be 100% by the time Apocalypse rolled around, what the backup plan might be if that wasn't the case. Don't get me wrong, I believed CHBK when he told me David would be cleared and ready to go for this Sunday night, but I've also been in this business long enough to know that anything could happen at the worst possible time and force a change in course. Heck, I went through that exact scenario last year, when I won a triple threat match at this very pay-per-view to become the number one contender for this very title, only to be named the interim champion the very next Breakdown because of mental health concerns regarding Deanna. And yet, in the meantime, we have the very man who had to be a sore loser in that Scramble claiming that he apparently had a shot at my title direct from Mr. D, all while acting like a certain individual I'm not going to name because none of that is worth wasting my breath on.
At least Ames got to stand face-to-face with the man she's facing here in Toronto... I almost feel like the third wheel in an issue that's supposed to be about this very championship I hold and defend with honor and pride.
Don't get me wrong, I can't blame David for making his top priority when he did return getting payback against Gavin for trying to take him out in the first place. I've wrestled against him, I've wrestled alongside him, I've played security in trying to hold him back... I know he doesn't completely subscribe to the same philosophy as I do in this business, not that he had anything to prove in that regard since he'd already beaten Gavin, among others, to get this match in the first place. That said, I'm not afraid of Gavin being a factor in this match, because I think it's been established by now what kind of champion I am and what Gavin's going to have to do if he wants to face me for this title. That just leaves one question:
David, I need you to please be honest with me for a moment... is your focus 100% on me coming into Apocalypse?”
Luz stares at us for a moment, perhaps waiting for an answer she knows won't come right this second, but she still can't help but sigh.
“I'm sure you can understand my frustration David, even though I want to reiterate that it's not your fault at all for needing the extra time to recover. But think about it from my perspective. I walked into Rise to Greatness, into a marquee match on SCW's biggest pay-per-view of the year and fought my butt off to be able to call myself the undisputed U.S. Champion, beating three other extremely talented wrestlers in the process. Coming out of that show, I had high hopes about this run, I was excited to hit the ground running and really prove that I deserved to be holding this title once more, this time without the interim tag. It had a strong enough start when I knocked off the former Adrenaline Champion, but then... nothing. Aside from supporting my wife as she prepared for the biggest challenge of her career, I was left to train for a match I wasn't completely sure was still happening, despite all the reassurances. And then, even when you finally returned, seemingly aligned with the Shinigami Foundation now, and gave Gavin a receipt for what happened at Rise to Greatness... you didn't say a word to me, didn't seek me out for a staredown.
For a moment, it almost felt like you were making the same mistakes as the last time we actually faced off at Taking Hold of the Flame last year in that eight person tag match, forgetting that I existed because you had to make absolutely sure that Gavin got the message. I know for sure that's not the case now because I've heard what you had to say to me going into this Sunday night, but even then, despite what you had to say to me and despite the reassurances of your new manager, it almost feels like you still have Gavin on the brain.
Can you blame me for being a little frustrated when all I've wanted was to prove myself?
I'm not going to doubt for a second that when that bell rings over at the Rogers Centre, you're going to give me everything that you've got David, and at the end of the day, that's all I ever want. I want to be pushed to my limits, I want to fight like my life depends on it, I want to know that if I'm still meant to hold this title by the end of the night then I darn well earned that right. You don't have to pray, because I swear on the spirit of mi papá that you will get nothing less than my absolute best and a whole lot more if that's what it takes to make my dream a reality.”
It's at this point that Luz stands up, a fiery determination in her eyes. She goes to raise the U.S. Title belt high, but sheepishly pauses and glances back at the sign she's standing in front of. After a moment, she starts to walk away from the Toronto sign before she does proudly hold her championship high.
“That said, I hope you know what you're getting into this Sunday night David. Anyone who's ever known me will tell you that when La Pequeña Luz has a goal to fight for, there is no stopping me from making it happen, no risk I will not take. If your focus wavers for even a second, worrying about someone who has nothing to do with this match, I will make you pay for it. I'd hate to do it, but I am bound and determined to end this Sunday night standing by my wife's side as we call ourselves the top singles champions in all of SCW, just as Syren and Ravyn Taylor once did, and just as Selena and Deanna Frost once did. I can think of no better way to start heading towards the one year anniversary of being married to the woman I love and support with all my heart and soul, but to make that happen, I have to defeat you first. I have to prove that no matter how good you truly are when you're absolutely focused on the opponent in front of you, no matter how much you believe you have what it takes to outwrestle me, that my light will still shine just that little bit brighter and give me the strength I need to push myself across the finish line and have my arm be the one raised in victory.
David, I truly wish you the best of luck come Apocalypse, and I truly hope you can get Gavin off the brain for one night to give me the fight I know you can provide. But no matter what happens, this night will belong to me and I will leave Toronto still your SCW United States Champion. For the sake of my dream, for the sake of being able to share that moment with Amelia, I have to do my part. Sorry David, but with love as my motivation and all the support I have behind me, there's nothing I can't do.”
With that, Luz nods to us, though it's clear the nod is to David Striker, acknowledging the challenge she knows he'll bring with him to Toronto come Sunday night. Still, there's a fire burning brightly in Luz's eyes, a fire that drives her to prevail in her first defense of her title and prove that she belongs in this position once again, a passion that fuels her dream. And if she's this bound and determined to make her dreams a reality, then that could make for a very long night for the new and improved David Striker.
“I have a dream... over the past several weeks, it's been a dream that has helped keep me focused, even in the face of uncertainty regarding what Apocalypse would look like for me. It is a dream that has lit a fire within me that's burning even brighter than this amazing sign I'm sitting in front of. That dream is for Apocalypse to go off the air... with Amelia and I standing side by side in that ring, both of us holding championship gold high above our heads. For me, it would be this very title sitting in my lap, the title I fought tooth and nail to end the uncertainty over once and for all at Rise to Greatness. And of course, for mi amor, she would be holding the World Title high, proving once and for all what I've always known to be true: that she is good enough to stand right by my side as we do everything that we can to make the future of professional wrestling just that little bit brighter, inspire even more men and women who have dreamed of being here to not be afraid to take that shot.
I know, in my heart, that Amelia can do it... that she can beat Cid Turner and call herself World Champion. But of course, I have my own challenge I need to overcome if I want to make that a reality, and that has to take top priority in my mind.
Except... over the past few weeks, it's been a little hard to do just that, and I can't lie guys, it's been a little frustrating. It wouldn't be fair of me to blame David Striker for that when the man was thrown off of a scaffold and needed time to recover, but there's a reason I've always been of the mindset that wrestling problems should be solved in a wrestling ring. There, the result is certain and absolute, and on that night, the better wrestler truly wins, simple as that. At Rise to Greatness, David was the better wrestler in that Scaffold Scramble, and it should have been as simple as knowing for sure that when I walked out of Houston with this championship, that he would be waiting for me come Apocalypse, ready to throw everything he had at me to try and stop me when I have no intention of letting down the people who believed I could sit here and call myself your undisputed SCW United States Champion... weird as that feels to be saying while sitting in front of Canada's most well-known symbol.
Instead, I've been left wondering if this match would even happen at all, if David truly would be 100% by the time Apocalypse rolled around, what the backup plan might be if that wasn't the case. Don't get me wrong, I believed CHBK when he told me David would be cleared and ready to go for this Sunday night, but I've also been in this business long enough to know that anything could happen at the worst possible time and force a change in course. Heck, I went through that exact scenario last year, when I won a triple threat match at this very pay-per-view to become the number one contender for this very title, only to be named the interim champion the very next Breakdown because of mental health concerns regarding Deanna. And yet, in the meantime, we have the very man who had to be a sore loser in that Scramble claiming that he apparently had a shot at my title direct from Mr. D, all while acting like a certain individual I'm not going to name because none of that is worth wasting my breath on.
At least Ames got to stand face-to-face with the man she's facing here in Toronto... I almost feel like the third wheel in an issue that's supposed to be about this very championship I hold and defend with honor and pride.
Don't get me wrong, I can't blame David for making his top priority when he did return getting payback against Gavin for trying to take him out in the first place. I've wrestled against him, I've wrestled alongside him, I've played security in trying to hold him back... I know he doesn't completely subscribe to the same philosophy as I do in this business, not that he had anything to prove in that regard since he'd already beaten Gavin, among others, to get this match in the first place. That said, I'm not afraid of Gavin being a factor in this match, because I think it's been established by now what kind of champion I am and what Gavin's going to have to do if he wants to face me for this title. That just leaves one question:
David, I need you to please be honest with me for a moment... is your focus 100% on me coming into Apocalypse?”
Luz stares at us for a moment, perhaps waiting for an answer she knows won't come right this second, but she still can't help but sigh.
“I'm sure you can understand my frustration David, even though I want to reiterate that it's not your fault at all for needing the extra time to recover. But think about it from my perspective. I walked into Rise to Greatness, into a marquee match on SCW's biggest pay-per-view of the year and fought my butt off to be able to call myself the undisputed U.S. Champion, beating three other extremely talented wrestlers in the process. Coming out of that show, I had high hopes about this run, I was excited to hit the ground running and really prove that I deserved to be holding this title once more, this time without the interim tag. It had a strong enough start when I knocked off the former Adrenaline Champion, but then... nothing. Aside from supporting my wife as she prepared for the biggest challenge of her career, I was left to train for a match I wasn't completely sure was still happening, despite all the reassurances. And then, even when you finally returned, seemingly aligned with the Shinigami Foundation now, and gave Gavin a receipt for what happened at Rise to Greatness... you didn't say a word to me, didn't seek me out for a staredown.
For a moment, it almost felt like you were making the same mistakes as the last time we actually faced off at Taking Hold of the Flame last year in that eight person tag match, forgetting that I existed because you had to make absolutely sure that Gavin got the message. I know for sure that's not the case now because I've heard what you had to say to me going into this Sunday night, but even then, despite what you had to say to me and despite the reassurances of your new manager, it almost feels like you still have Gavin on the brain.
Can you blame me for being a little frustrated when all I've wanted was to prove myself?
I'm not going to doubt for a second that when that bell rings over at the Rogers Centre, you're going to give me everything that you've got David, and at the end of the day, that's all I ever want. I want to be pushed to my limits, I want to fight like my life depends on it, I want to know that if I'm still meant to hold this title by the end of the night then I darn well earned that right. You don't have to pray, because I swear on the spirit of mi papá that you will get nothing less than my absolute best and a whole lot more if that's what it takes to make my dream a reality.”
It's at this point that Luz stands up, a fiery determination in her eyes. She goes to raise the U.S. Title belt high, but sheepishly pauses and glances back at the sign she's standing in front of. After a moment, she starts to walk away from the Toronto sign before she does proudly hold her championship high.
“That said, I hope you know what you're getting into this Sunday night David. Anyone who's ever known me will tell you that when La Pequeña Luz has a goal to fight for, there is no stopping me from making it happen, no risk I will not take. If your focus wavers for even a second, worrying about someone who has nothing to do with this match, I will make you pay for it. I'd hate to do it, but I am bound and determined to end this Sunday night standing by my wife's side as we call ourselves the top singles champions in all of SCW, just as Syren and Ravyn Taylor once did, and just as Selena and Deanna Frost once did. I can think of no better way to start heading towards the one year anniversary of being married to the woman I love and support with all my heart and soul, but to make that happen, I have to defeat you first. I have to prove that no matter how good you truly are when you're absolutely focused on the opponent in front of you, no matter how much you believe you have what it takes to outwrestle me, that my light will still shine just that little bit brighter and give me the strength I need to push myself across the finish line and have my arm be the one raised in victory.
David, I truly wish you the best of luck come Apocalypse, and I truly hope you can get Gavin off the brain for one night to give me the fight I know you can provide. But no matter what happens, this night will belong to me and I will leave Toronto still your SCW United States Champion. For the sake of my dream, for the sake of being able to share that moment with Amelia, I have to do my part. Sorry David, but with love as my motivation and all the support I have behind me, there's nothing I can't do.”
With that, Luz nods to us, though it's clear the nod is to David Striker, acknowledging the challenge she knows he'll bring with him to Toronto come Sunday night. Still, there's a fire burning brightly in Luz's eyes, a fire that drives her to prevail in her first defense of her title and prove that she belongs in this position once again, a passion that fuels her dream. And if she's this bound and determined to make her dreams a reality, then that could make for a very long night for the new and improved David Striker.
![[Image: uKMzpho.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uKMzpho.png)
Tag Team Record: 29-11-1*
La Pequeña Luz Solo Record: 21-12
Amelia Blythe Nevado Solo Record: 15-12-1
*The tag team turmoil on the 9/14/2023 Breakdown is counted in this record as the three separate matches LITD had in the gauntlet up until their elimination.
Breakdown 3/30/2023 - Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In
La Pequeña Luz: 3 Falls
Amelia Blythe Nevado: 2 Falls
*Neither one finished high enough to win any championships in this match
*Result listed separately and not counted in records due to lack of clarity on how to count falls
SCW Accomplishments
SCW Television Championship (Amelia Blythe Nevado - 29 Days)
SCW Television Championship (La Pequeña Luz - 98 Days)
SCW World Tag Team Championship [3] (1 - 81 Days) (2 - 109 Days) (3 - 231 Days)
SCW United States Championship (La Pequeña Luz) [2] (1/Interim Reign - 94 Days) (2 - 98 Days)
2024 Trios Tournament Winner (Amelia Blythe Nevado, w/ Xander Valentine and Billy Heaven Jr.)
2023 Tag Team of the Year
2023 Match of the Year (Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In)
2024 Tag Team of the Year