Glory Braddock vs. Tsunami

[Konrad Raab]

SCW United States Championship Tournament

2 RP Limit for singles

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Monday, May 2, 2022 (NOTE THE EXTENDED DEADLINE – THE SHOW WILL STILL “TAKE PLACE” ON SUNDAY)

[Braddock]

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April 23rd, 2022
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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A few days earlier on Breakdown Glory Braddock suffered a tag team defeat when her partner Gavin Taylor was pinned, causing them to lose to Alexis Quinne and Owen Lee.  Just a few months earlier, a loss like this, a loss just a little over a week before a one night single elimination tournament to crown a new SCW United States Champion, would have devastated Braddock’s confidence and her psyche.  A few months earlier, a loss like this would have Glory Braddock panicking and questioning herself, doubting whether or not she actually could make it through this tournament and walk away with championship gold.  After all, just a few months earlier she was still proudly calling herself The Best in the World.  A few months earlier she was still a queen sitting upon her throne.

Surprisingly enough, the Glory Braddock that sits in this waiting room in Miami, Florida has a big smile on her face.  This Glory Braddock is not the least bit concerned about that tag match or any tournament implications at Holly-Wood of the South.  This Glory Braddock remains confident in herself, regardless of the defeat on Breakdown.  And this Glory Braddock is no longer an overbearing queen referring to herself as The Best in the World.  This is a Glory Braddock who has rediscovered her true path and her true purpose in professional wrestling.  She has rediscovered what it is about professional wrestling, and life in general, that makes her so happy. The joy of entertaining the fans, the thrill of competition, and the fun she has while getting under the skin of her enemies, this is why she does this job, this is why she was meant to be a wrestler.

The British Bombshell was not sure that this would work.  She was not sure she would ever be this happy about wrestling again.  It had become a job, a tedious chore that she had to do, not something she did because she enjoyed it.  It took a herculean effort to get her started on this journey of rediscovery, because Glory knew that she would have to give up so many of her symbolic “crutches” and step out of many of her “comfort zones” in order to remind herself of what she enjoyed most about this sport.  The crutches are gone, she is out of her comfort zone, and she has once again found the original and arguably best version of herself, the version that debuted in 2008 and shocked the world by winning a one night single elimination tournament for a championship in her debut.  Life is not without ironies, because now she is part of another one night single elimination tournament to crown a new champion; the United States Champion of SCW.  Glory Braddock hoped to claim that coveted piece of gold at Holly-Wood of the South.

Before she can begin focusing on the tournament and her wrestling career, The British Bombshell still has a promise to keep; a promise she made several months ago at the very beginning of her journey towards rediscovery.  This is what brings her to this waiting room in Miami, Florida.  This waiting room is at the offices of psychiatrist Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald is a psychiatrist and Glory had been seeing him regularly for two years at the request of her company’s Board of Directors.  Corporate life had turned Glory into a power hungry tyrant willing to do whatever it took to maintain power.  Her Board of Directors recognized this and threatened her status within the company, forcing her to see this psychiatrist or to face the consequences.  Braddock never took the sessions seriously because she did not feel as if she needed any help.  So she constantly manipulated Fitzgerald and lied to the Board of Directors about these sessions.

Corporate Glory was an egomaniacal monster.  Corporate Glory was the one who proudly boasted about being The Best in the World.  And while she managed to see the error of her ways and “fix herself” on her own, Glory Braddock still recognizes that she needs to make this right.  She made mistakes, now she must pay the consequences.  And the original Glory Braddock that has returned will make certain that the final loose ends of the Corporate Glory’s reign of terror are fully and completely tied up and locked away for good.

The British Bombshell is seated in a chair, dressed in tight denim jeans, white sneakers, and a plain royal purple t-shirt.  Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. This is a far cry from the luxurious fashionista that last visited Dr. Frederick Fitzgerald.  Original Glory Braddock was very much a tomboy and The British Bombshell once again is a tomboy.  This fact does not go unnoticed by the good doctor, who immediately stops and stares with wide-eyed surprise as he sees who he believes to be his former patient.

“Uh, Ms. Braddock?”

“That’s me.” Glory stands up out of her chair and approaches the psychiatrist.  She notices him staring and she chuckles softly. “Take a picture, mate.  It will last longer.  You know?”

“Huh?” He quickly snaps out of his trance. “Sorry, apologies, Ms. Braddock.” He turns and motions for The British Bombshell to follow him. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

This much is definitely true, Glory thinks as she follows Fitzgerald out of the waiting room and down a hall.  This meeting between the two was a long time coming.  She promised her corporate Board of Directors that she would have this meeting with him but she kept putting it off.  In fairness to Glory, much had come up that distracted her.  She had to help Fiona Osbourne with her training and to deal with her abusive foster father, she had to deal with a new student by the name of Amelia Stone, and now she has an opportunity to become the SCW United States Champion at Holly-Wood of the South.  Still, even with all of that on her plate, Braddock knows that she cannot continue to put this off.

Dr. Fitzgerald enters a room and Glory Braddock follows him inside.  There it is, Glory thinks as she spies the ever familiar red sofa that she would lie down during her sessions with the psychiatrist.  She would lay down partially because she never took any of it seriously.  When Frederick motions for her to sit on the sofa, Glory decides to lay down like usual, but instead to sit, and to sit up straight.  She crosses her legs and gazes at Fitzgerald who sits down at his desk which is perpendicular to the sofa.

“Feel free to make yourself at home, Ms. Braddock.  Typically you do.”

“Yeah, I know.” Glory says with a knowing grin. “But some things have changed.”

“So your people have told me.”

“If you think the Board of Directors are ‘my people’ then maybe you need a psychiatrist, mate?” Braddock says with a light bit of laughter. “But yeah, things have changed.”

“I have noticed.” He motions to Braddock. “Excuse my being up front, but your attire doesn’t exactly resemble what you used to wear.  You really did dress down this afternoon, Ms. Braddock.  Any particular reason?”

“Is this part of the psychiatric evaluation or are we making small talk, doc?” Glory asks with a grin and a wink.

“Everything said within these four walls is part of my evaluation of you, Ms. Braddock.”

“Well in that case the reason I dressed like this is because the five voices in my head kept getting into an argument about what outfit I should wear.  I broke the tie by overulling the lot of them.  Filthy buggers.”

He knows he should be more professional than this but even Dr. Fitzgerald cannot help but laugh a little bit at Glory’s current attitude and personality. “You may have had some problems the last time I saw you, Ms. Braddock, but even I know you were not hearing voices.”

“It was worth a shot!”

“True.  Now would you mind answering my question?  Why the change in attire, Ms. Braddock?”

“42.”

“Please be serious, Ms. Braddock.  Answer the question.”

“What WAS the question?”

Now the psychiatrist is beginning to show signs of frustration. “Why the change in attire?  The last time I saw you, fashion was very important to you.  But now you look so dressed down.  Not that it is a bad thing, but it is a far cry from the person I spoke to last time.”

“What can I say?  That person just wasn’t me, not the real me anyway.” Glory says with a shrug of her shoulders.  This answer causes Dr. Fitzgerald to furrow his brow in curiosity.

“It wasn’t the real you?  That is the only ‘you’ I have ever known, Ms. Braddock.” The psychiatrist reaches over to his desk and produces a pen and a notepad.  He begins writing down on the notepad. “Forgive me for saying this, but I can see why your people are worried about you.”

“Yeah well don’t go diagnosing me with anything yet, doc, at least not until you let me have my say.”

“Ms. Braddock, I have given you ample opportunity over the years to tell me your side of the story.  And every time you opened your mouth to speak you would lie to me or you would try to manipulate me.  You never wanted to tell me your story.  I always knew that there was something else there, something you did not want to tell me, but you were always so protective of yourself. So why should I believe that you are ready to be honest now?”

“You’re right, I did lie and I did try to manipulate you.  Actually, no, I didn’t try to manipulate you, I DID manipulate you. So do not think for one second, doc, that you can manipulate the manipulator.  I know ‘my people’, as you like to put it, told you that I specifically requested this meeting.  My Board of Directors did not require me to come to this session, I am coming of my own free will. That alone should tell you I am ready to talk.”

Dr. Fitzgerald studies Glory Braddock’s face.  He is trained to know when someone is lying, which is why he knows Glory Braddock was lying to him in the past.  But this time he detects a hint of truth in her voice.  He nods his head. “Yes, you are correct, your people did tell me that this was all your idea.”

“Thank you.”

“It still doesn’t prove you are ready to be honest.”

“Bloody hell!” Glory exclaims, as she too begins to feel frustrated. “Look, do you want to hear what I say or should I just leave?  If you aren’t ready to take me seriously then I’m wasting my time!”

There is a tense pause as Glory stares intensely at the psychiatrist.  Dr. Fitzgerald then smirks knowingly. “Now you know how frustrating it is when someone isn’t taking this seriously.”

Braddock sighs and nods her head.  She realizes that this is partially punishment for her not taking the sessions seriously in the past. “You’re right, doc.  I’m sorry.  But will you please hear me out?”

“Of course.” He answers, nodding his head.

“Thank you.” Braddock sighs with a sense of relief. “First to answer your original question, this really IS the real me.  The original me, as I like to put it. I remember growing up as a child idolizing my father.”

“That was to be expected, your mother was out of the picture, correct?” He asks. Glory nods her head.

“Yes, they had divorced and dad got custody of me and my sister, which put me even more into his focus.  But even when they were together I was latched onto him 24/7.  I was the son he never had.  I was a tomboy growing up, I was still a tomboy when I made my debut in 2008.  I didn’t become the queen bitch you are used to seeing until around late 2014.”

“I see…”

“Now like I said, today’s session I came on my own free will.  But you know as well as I do that the last several sessions, when I was seeing you on a regular basis, I was only going because GGE’s Board of Directors forced me to go.  They knew something was wrong, they just could not put their fingers on it.  They just knew something was wrong and they didn’t trust my judgment, so they forced me to attend these sessions and if I didn’t they would take control of GGE from me.”

“Then why didn’t you just continue with the sessions?” Dr. Fitzgerald asks. “That seems like the easiest answer.  You could have continued to see me, you would have kept power over your company, and that would have been that.”

“Part of it was I didn’t think I had a problem…” Glory sighs “...and part of it was the fear I had of what I might learn about myself.”

“Now that is intriguing, Ms. Braddock.  You claim to be The Best in the World yet right now you admit you are afraid.  What is there to fear?”

“That’s just it, doc…” Glory sighs deeply “...I am NOT the best in the world.  It has taken me a long time to publicly admit it but I am not the best in the world.  Yet for so long I have grown accustomed to this new role I was thrust into.  I was a very popular and successful wrestler, a powerful corporate businesswoman, a successful trainer and mentor to many students of wrestling.  I had accumulated so much power that it went to my head.  And then I wanted to look the part, I wanted to look a million bucks because I knew I was a million bucks.  I took the role like a fish in water.  It felt so natural and I enjoyed it, doc.  All that power was like drugs, and just like a drug addict you begin to justify your crimes.”

“How did you justify your crimes, Ms. Braddock?”

“My father was a wrestler and he raised me to have a deep respect for wrestling.  In the beginning I gave back to wrestling, I helped wrestling, by competing in the ring with honor and dignity.  But then when I accumulated that wealth, when I got my own company, when I came into so much power, I decided I could use all of that power to help wrestling.”

The psychiatrist sees where his patient is going.  He nods his head as he writes some notes on his notepad. “I see.  Many tyrants, no matter how cruel or abusive, believe that the cruel acts they are perpetrating are justified.”

“Exactly.  And it took me about six years to figure out that I had lost my way, that I had actually become a completely different person.”

“When did you realize you had lost your way?”

“It was around September of 2020.  I had used something I had won in SCW called a Trios Contract.  If you win one, you can use it to give yourself any match you want.  I booked myself in a World Title Match against David Helms.  And it wasn’t long after that when David had to step away from the ring, to relinquish the world title.”

“Are you suggesting that you injured him?” The psychiatrist asks with an arched brow. Braddock shrugs her shoulders.

“Honestly I have no idea.  There were many incidents of him being physical that could have injured him.  But knowing that it could have been me, in my obsession with power and obsession with control, my craving to get the SCW World Title, realizing that I potentially put a fellow competitor on the shelf…” a tear forms in her eyes and she wipes it away “...well it shocked me back to reality.  That’s not the philosophy of my father.  That is not how my father trained me. When that happened, I knew I had gone too far. And for the first time in a long time I looked into the mirror and I did not like what I saw.”

“It wasn’t you.” The doctor suggests. Glory nods her head in agreement.

“Right, it wasn’t me.”

“That was a year and a half ago, Ms. Braddock.” Dr. Fitzgerald asks curiously. “Did it really take you this long to figure out what was wrong?”

“I was afraid!” Glory shouts as she stands up and begins to pace the floor like a caged lion.  This session is beginning to get to her and she remembers why she hated these psychiatric sessions.  Dr. Fitzgerald gets up and approaches a mini fridge on the other side of the room. He opens it up and produces a small bottle of water. He offers it to Glory.

“Do you need something to drink?”

“Sure, thanks.” Glory graciously takes the bottle of water and begins to drink.

“I understand that this is painful but please sit and continue.”

Braddock takes another sip of her water before walking back to the sofa and sitting down.  Dr. Fitzgerald returns to his seat as well and waits for Glory to continue her story.

“Look, doc, I knew who I had become was not the real me.  I knew I had become a monster.  At the same time I was afraid because I still viewed the original version of me as weak.  I viewed her as too naive, too immature, and not tough enough to do what was right and what was best for this sport that I love. So for over a year I tried to continue living as that monster, but I tried to utilize that monster for good.  Until I finally realized that at the end of the day a monster is still a monster.”

“When did you come to that realization?”

“The last SCW pay per view, Retribution, I fought a young girl who wanted me to mentor her; her name is Amelia Stone.  She was annoying, a prankster, and she tricked her way into beating me that night.  I was so annoyed with her that I had planned to teach her a lesson by breaking her neck.”

“Just like with Mr. Helms?”

“Right, only what happened to David, if I was at fault for his injury, was simply an accident. I was going to intentionally end Amelia’s career.  When I realized what I was thinking, I knew that I couldn’t delay any longer.  I had to have the courage to become the original Glory Braddock once again.  I had to take a leap of faith and see what happens.”

“I see.” The psychiatrist puts his pen and notepad down. “So tell me, how have things been since your…rediscovery, so to speak?”

“It has been amazing.” Glory says with a grin on her face. “For the first time in a long time, wrestling is enjoyable again.  It isn’t a chore, it isn’t some solemn duty.  It’s just something I enjoy doing.  I’m closer to my daughters, my husband, and all of my friends and my family.  I’ve even given total control of GGE to a good friend and minority shareholder Aurora Alan.”

“So you no longer run the company?” He asks. Glory shakes her head.

“No, because I do not want to be tempted or lured back into the corporate life.  That corporate life, the addictive power, it is what corrupted me.  I do not want any part of it.”

“So why don’t you just sell the company to her?  Remove yourself from the company entirely?”

“I have thought about that.” Glory admits. “And I may do that in time, but that will come later.  This journey is not over.  There are still many twists and turns on this journey, there are many bumps in the road and I still have a lot to learn about myself and who I need to be.”

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April 24th, 2022
Miami, Florida
On Camera
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We open outside in front of a swimming pool.  It is bright and sunny outside and little noise except for a few birds chirping in the background.  Then we see a beautiful blonde stepping into the scene from stage right.  We can see only few of the facial features because she is cosplaying as Mileena from Mortal Kombat.  The royal purple color of the costume would indicate that this is perhaps Glory Braddock, because purple is The British Bombshell’s favorite color.  When she speaks her voice confirms that it is indeed her.

“I’ve said it before but damn it, it bears repeating; I really do love a good tournament!  If you really want to see who is worthy of being champion, if you really want to see who is the best, schedule a one night single elimination tournament.  Those kind of tournaments separate the good from the great, because you do not have to just be good once, or twice, but three times.  That takes endurance, grit, heart, and determination.  All of which I have in excess.  Tournaments are my forte, tournaments are my wheelhouse.”

“Owen, Alexis, you two won on Breakdown and fair play to you both.  But this isn’t a tag team match and I’m not handicapped with Gavin Taylor as a partner.  The only person I have to worry about is me and I believe that I can make it through anyone and everyone in this tournament.  I believe in myself and in my ability to defeat everyone else in this tournament to walk away as the new SCW United States Champion.  That’s another thing I have that one needs in order to win a tournament; confidence.  I am confident in myself but beyond that I have the support of my fans, who I will never ever give up on.”

A light chuckle can be heard under her purple mask. “But y’know what?  I am getting a little ahead of myself.  Because let’s face it, every tournament has its beginnings.  NCAA March Madness has its First Four, the NFL Playoffs has its Wildcard Weekend, so right this moment I want to focus on my first obstacle, the first meathead standing in my path towards the United States Title.  And that obstacle’s name is Tsunami.”

“Or is it Tsunami Howe III?” Braddock shrugs her shoulders. “Don’t really know, don’t really care.  Though I have to say, Tsunami is a funny name, mate.  How did your old man manage to give you that handle for the ring?  Is he a big Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat fan at heart?  Because honestly, Tsunami sounds like something straight out of Mortal Kombat.  So to make you and your old man feel comfortable while I run you down and trash you right here in this video, I figured I would cosplay as Mileena.  I mean, she and I do share a love of the color purple.  You know what else we love?”

“Winning.  I thrive upon tournaments because more than any other event in professional wrestling, a tournament…especially a one night tournament…challenges you more than any other event.  I have wrestled one night tournaments many times in my career, Tsunami Howe III. But you, still being new and green to this game, how many times have you done this?” Glory pauses as if waiting on an answer.  Receiving none she nods her head.

“That’s what I thought. Now you may give off this impression of being a mindless rage monster like Goro…did you like that extra little Mortal Kombat reference there…but I’m willing to give you the benefit of a doubt, that you are not just all brawn and no brains.  So listen up tall dark and gruesome, you are stepping into the ring with The British Bombshell.  Your chances at becoming SCW United States Champion just went down the toilet when your drew my name as your first round opponent.  That’s all you need to know.” Braddock points a finger at the camera.

“Now allow me to address your daddy Marty Howe.  You have the utmost faith in Tsunami’s power and why not?  He is seven feet tall and he is very powerful.  But allow me to remind you of something, smart ass.  I have been beating men bigger and stronger than him since my professional debut.  I don’t give a damn how big he is, how strong he is, or how much pain and punishment he can dish out, because the fact is I can take every bit of it and then some.  I have a will to survive that is unmatched by anyone else on this entire roster let alone in this tournament.  So do you honestly believe your hulking rage monster can keep me down for the count?  Do you think Tsunami can actually beat me?” Braddock shakes her head. “No chance in hell, Howe.  In fact, this is a spoiler for you; I am going to chop his ass down to size.  And Howe, mate, he may be your son, but at Holly-Wood of the South, I’m going to make him my bitch.”

[Braddock]

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Amelia appears with permission from Doug

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April 26th, 2022
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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One month earlier if you had told Glory Braddock that she would be showing her young and energetic prodigy, who also happens to worship the ground Glory walks on, Amelia Stone around her own private gym in Miami, well, The British Bombshell probably would have laughed in your face at the absurdity of such a notion.  After all, it wasn’t that long ago, just little over a month ago at Retribution, when Glory Braddock seemed intent upon injuring the poor girl in order to teach her a lesson about respect for the wrestling business.  The notion of Glory Braddock mentoring Amelia Stone was one of fantasy, not of reality.

Yet now The British Bombshell cannot help but smirk as she ponders the irony of the situation she finds herself in today.  The lovely blonde is driving her cherry red 2020 Ford Fusion down the streets of Miami with young Amelia in the passenger’s seat.  They were enemies at SCW Retribution but now after proving herself, and finally winning over Glory’s heart, The British Bombshell has agreed to take Amelia under her wing and is mentoring her.  What was once thought of as fantasy has now become reality. Another irony of it all is that these two once again could become enemies.  Both Glory and her new student are participants in the tournament at SCW Holly-Wood of the South to crown a new United States Champion. There is a very real possibility that Glory and Amelia could face each other in the tournament finals for the gold.

Catching a quick glance over at the passenger’s seat at Amelia causes Glory to chuckle softly at this prospect.  Last month they were fighting because they were angry and bitter, this month they could fight out of respect and for championship gold.

“Keep your eyes on the road, Glory.” Amelia says wryly. “You don’t want to get us killed do you?”  Braddock snickers as she directs her attention back to the road.

“Thanks for the advice, love, but you don’t have to worry, killing you is not in the playbook.”

“It was at Retribution.”

“This is true, but things have changed.”

“So you promise not to kill me if we meet in the tournament finals next week?”

“I promise I will not kill you.” Glory states with a wink. “Crippling you on the other hand…”

“Hey!”

“Easy, mate.  I won’t cripple my newest student, either.”

“Good.”

“Hopefully I can teach you how NOT to get crippled in any match against any opponent, myself or otherwise. You got Polly Playtime first, yeah?”

“Uh-huh,” Amelia says, nodding her head.

“Good.  I’ll show you a thing or two that might help.”

“So we really are going to your private gym?” Amelia asks, her voice going up an octave out of excitement.  Braddock nods her head in confirmation.

“Uh-huh, hopefully Fiona will be there, along with a special friend of mine.”

Amelia Stone may be the newest student of Glory Braddock but she isn’t the only one The British Bombshell has taken under her wing in recent weeks.  There is also Fiona Osbourne, a woman who is very much different from Amelia.  Whereas Amelia was very energetic and at the beginning borderline annoying towards Glory Braddock, Fiona was much more quiet, almost demure, and always very respectful towards The British Bombshell. Fiona was so quiet that it took a long time to get any information about the girl and she didn’t get anything out of Fiona herself.  Glory had to find out about Fiona through Kayla Jones, Glory’s cousin and Fiona’s former employer in the modeling business.  Fiona was a model but a reluctant one at best, who was in all honesty forced to be a model by her abusive legal guardian Todd Osbourne.  When Kayla learned that Fiona’s true dream was to be a wrestler and follow in the footsteps of her hero, Glory Braddock, Kayla felt that destiny, perhaps fate itself, was calling.

Glory was reluctant at first to take on even one student to personally mentor, let alone two.  Braddock recalls how she never truly had a traditional childhood growing up due to the fact that she was being groomed from almost the very beginning to follow in her legendary father’s footsteps.  Braddock did not wish to force herself and her vision upon anyone else the way she felt her father forced his vision upon Glory.  It took a great deal of convincing but Glory finally realized that what made this different is that Fiona and Amelia both want to learn, they want to embrace Glory’s vision.  And the surprising thing about this is that Glory Braddock is learning as much from them as they are learning from her.

“And there it is…” Glory remarks as she slows the car down and then makes a slight right turn into a parking lot.  The parking lot looks to be newly paved, or at the very least well kept.  The parking lot belongs to what appears to be a very nice building.  It looks modern and exquisite on the outside.  Amelia looks wide eyed at the sight before her and can only imagine what it looks like on the inside.

“Is this your private gym?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, that is NOT what I expected.”

“Really?” Glory slowly pulls the car to a stop in a nearby parking space.  She turns the car off and then rolls down a window.  Glory turns to face Amelia who shakes her head. “What did you expect it to look like?”

“Well, I just remember the school in London was…kinda…uh…”

“A dump?”

“I didn’t want to call it THAT but…yeah…”

“It’s ok to call it that, love.” Glory says with a snicker. “Because let’s be honest, it is a dump. Hell, were it not for the Braddock name being so bloody popular in my homeland, the local government probably would have condemned the place years ago.”

“If you think it's so trashy, why don’t you clean it up?”

“Nostalgia, I suppose.  My dad liked it that way.  He never gave a damn for aesthetics.  Aesthetics and appearances were not as important as simply getting the victory.  That was part of his philosophy and outlook on life.  That’s part of why I ended up becoming such a tomboy for so very long. He didn’t think it was important to teach me how a ‘lady’ should act, dress, and the like.”

“That’s what moms are for though, right?”

“True, but my mom and dad divorced when I was sixteen.  He got custody of me and my sister and she never came around.  I was raised by my dad from then on, under his sole influence.”

Suddenly Amelia is startled when Glory’s friend, Matthew Taylor pokes his head in through the window. “And Glory here would have become a great big stick in the mud just like her old man had it not been for me!”

“Matty!” Glory exclaims happily upon seeing her friend.  Glory opens the door and then steps out before embracing Matthew in a tight hug.  Amelia then exits the vehicle as well, approaching Glory and Matthew cautiously.  Braddock motions to Matt. “Amelia, this is my friend Matt.  You may remember him.  I’m sure he’s dropped in from time to time at the school.”

“Only when Sophie isn’t there.”

“Of course!” Matthew says with a knowing grin. “Sophie O’Brian is another great big stick in the mud. She can’t take a joke.”

“Nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too, Amelia.” Matthew holds out his hand. Amelia accepts the handshake but quickly jerks it back, not quite in pain but definitely and clearly startled.  Matthew is busting a gut in laughter.  Glory is holding back her laughter whilst shaking her head.  Matthew then holds up his hand, displaying a prank hand buzzer in the palm of his hand.

“Gotcha!”

“That’s cheap, Matty.  You can do better than that.”

“It may be cheap but she still fell for it.” He smirks as he puts the buzzer away in his pants pocket.  He extends his hand back to Amelia. “For real this time, kiddo.”

Amelia extends her hand out towards Matthew.  He leans forward to grasp it but she quickly pulls away, this causes him to lose his footing and to fall forward onto the ground.  Glory is now bursting into laughter, as is Amelia.  Matthew pushes himself up and dusts himself off.  He is grinning as well as he looks over at Glory.

“You taught her that, didn’t you?”

“Guilty as charged.” Braddock admits.

“Then I guess that means a receipt is coming.”

“Perhaps, but that’s if you can get me.  Remember, you taught me everything I know.”

“Yes, I taught you everything you know, but I didn’t teach you everything that I know.”

Matthew and Glory share a hearty laugh after their banter.  Amelia looks on with a little bewilderment and confusion.  Glory notices and then turns to look over at Amelia, hoping to clear things up a little.

“Amelia, Matty here was my good friend throughout childhood.  He taught me everything I know about playing pranks on people, mocking them, and even a few of the dirty tricks in the ring.” Braddock pats Matthew on the back.

“That I did.  So I guess that makes Amelia here a third generation prankster, am I right?”

“I think it does.” Glory says, nodding her head. “Now come on, let’s get inside.  I think Fiona is probably waiting on us, right Matty?”

“Yeah, she got here before me.” Matthew extends a hand to Glory. “But can I say that I am really glad to see you acting like your old self again?”

“What can I say?  I just needed to be reminded how to have fun and to enjoy myself.  That’s what my therapist said the other day.” Braddock looks at his hand, notices the buzzer, and shakes her head. “I’m not falling for that trick RIGHT after you pulled that one on Amelia.”

“Sorry!  I had to try!”

“I didn’t know you went to see a therapist.” Amelia states, sounding a little concerned.  “You ok?”

“Don’t worry about me, love.” She pats Amelia on the back. “I’m better than ever, trust me.”

Amelia nods her head, accepting the explanation.  The trio then turn and head towards the entrance of the private gym.  What Matthew and Amelia do not notice are the “Kick Me” signs that Glory conveniently placed on their backs when she patted them on their backs. Braddock stifles her laughter about yet another perfectly placed gag, an old one but a good one, as they push open the front door, not at all surprised to find it already unlocked.  This is Glory’s private gym that she uses specifically for purposes of training other students and for her own personal training.  Therefore she already has a standard size wrestling ring set up in the center of the large room.  In the center of the ring stands Fiona, who has been waiting on them to arrive.

“Hi guys!” Fiona waves cheerfully before stepping through the ropes and onto the ring apron.  She hops down off of the apron and rushes over to meet the trio.  She gives Glory a big warm embrace.  After breaking the embrace Fiona goes to embrace Amelia.  Matthew notices that Fiona now has a “Kick Me” sign on her back.  Matthew pulls the sign off.

“Wait a sec…” he goes over and finds a sign on Amelia’s back.  Then he frowns as he pulls the sign off of his back.  Glory bursts into laughter.

“I got all three of you!”

“And you call me cheap for the buzzer gag?  At least that is more fun.  Kick me signs are just secondary school crap, mate.”

“You fell for it, Matty.” Glory says with a wink.

“Fair enough, Gloria.”

“Wow, this is a really nice place…” Amelia says, her voice trailing off as she wanders around the gym, taking it in, looking at the equipment and especially taking note of the ring.  Glory nods her head.

“Yeah, well, I’m glad you said so because tonight we are going to make use of this grand place.”

“The equipment here…and the ring…” Amelia turns and looks back at Glory “...it is so much better than the stuff at your school in London.”

“Don’t let the other students hear you say that, Amelia.  Same goes for you, Fiona.  You two are getting special treatment.”

“Yeah, the other kiddos at the school would love to spend time being specially trained by her royal majesty!” Matthew playfully bows to Glory.  Glory rolls her eyes.

“Knock it off, Matty. We’ve had our fun…” Braddock smirks “...or at least I have had my fun, anyway.  Now it is time for business.”

“Watch out girls, the stick it in the mud is back.”

“Shove it, Matty.” Glory snaps. “There is a time for fun and games and a time for business.  You were right, Matty, we can’t be all business and no pleasure.  Part of this sport is about enjoying ourselves and entertaining the fans in the process.  But my dad was also right when he said that at the end of the day this is all about winning.” Glory points at Matthew. “Do you know why you never won a single championship in your professional career?”

“No, and I don’t care either because I was too busy having fun.”

“I can count at least two occasions where you could have become a world champion but you failed because instead of going for a win you went for a high risk move to get a cheap thrill for yourself and a cheap pop out of the fans.”

“But I still had a blast!”

“Maybe you did but you could have been so much more, Matty!  In my early years I enjoyed myself, I had fun, but I still maintained enough control over myself to remain focused on the task at hand, that’s why I actually won championships in my early years.” Braddock turns to face Fiona. “You, you’re still learning.”

“Right…”

“So we’re going to spar.  Get in the ring.” Fiona nods her head and complies, heading towards the ring. Glory turns to Amelia. “You, you are part of a tournament to crown a new United States Champion.  The same tournament I happen to be in.  So you could use some good preparation time and why the hell not scout each other at the same time?  Get in the ring, we’re sparring too.”

“Huh?”

“Just get in the ring, love.” Glory commands. Amelia nods and walks over to join Fiona inside the ring.  Matthew then walks over, dragging his foot as if he has a hump on his back.

“What about me master?  What is thy bidding, master?”

“Put a sock in it, Matty.”

“Put a sock where, exactly?”

“You know what I mean.” Glory points towards the ring. “You get in the ring, as well.  Seeing as you are the biggest and tallest of all of us, you will play the role of Tsunami.”

“The big angry guy who doesn’t talk?”

“Right, him.”

“So what are we doing?” Fiona asks curiously.

“This is a tournament, right?  So I’m going to spar with the whole lot of you.” Braddock points to Matthew. “Now get in the ring, Tsunami.  You’re up first.”

“RAWWWWWWR!” Matthew begins beating on his chest like King Kong and charges towards the ring.  Glory watches what is going on inside the ring; namely, Matthew Taylor in his worst ever King Kong impersonation, is chasing Fiona and Amelia around the ring.  Eventually Amelia sticks out her leg and trips him.  He falls flat on his face and then Fiona and Amelia begin to double team him.  Braddock smiles an ear to ear grin, one that would have to be surgically removed.

“Ah, it feels good to be back.” Glory begins to walk towards the ring. Everything is as it should be.  Now is the time to prepare.  She has a championship to win.

==========
April 30th, 2022
Atlanta, Georgia
On Camera
==========

The cameras roll and we are outside on the balcony of a hotel room.  This balcony provides a nice view of Atlanta, Georgia, the city that plays host to SCW’s Holly-Wood of the South.  Then the clear sliding door that leads into the hotel room opens up.  “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock emerges onto the balcony dressed in a pair of purple shorts, a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes.  Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back and she is sporting a pair of fancy sunglasses over her eyes.  Braddock goes over to one of the two seats on the balcony and sits down.  After making herself comfortable, Glory looks into the camera and begins to speak.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the time has arrived.” Braddock shrugs her shoulders. “Well, almost time.  Twenty four hours to be exact.  In twenty four hours I will be exiting this rather nice hotel suite I have reserved for myself and will make my way to the State Farm Arena where I will attempt a repeat performance of my professional wrestling debut, a repeat performance of my first two Trios appearances; or to put it another way, a reminder of just how good I can be when I am focused and properly motivated.”

“In twenty four hours the SCW United States Championship, forcibly vacated by Spencer Pryce when his SCW contract was terminated, will once again have home.” Braddock makes the championship belt motion around her waist. “Around the lovely waist of this British citizen!”

Braddock chuckles softly. “Don’t worry, folks, I’m not going to pull some bloody stunt like rename the title the British Championship or some nonsense like that.  It’s a cheap gimmick beaten to death intended to get a reaction out of people, to get people riled up.  That’s not what I’m here to do.” Braddock shakes her head. “I am here to march through the competition, starting with that seven foot Sasquatch reject and then finishing with two more unlucky victims to claim the vacant SCW United States Championship.”

“Tsunami, mate, you have no chance.  You are big, you are bad, and you have power, but that’s all you have.  I am smarter than you, I am a better wrestler than you, and I am a better technician than you.  It will be no problem for me to chop you down to size and beat you.  Hell, I don’t think it would be too arrogant of me to predict a submission victory.” Glory pauses for a moment to consider her statement.  She nods her head. “As a matter of fact, let’s run with it!  Why the hell not?  I’m living more on the edge these days so I’ll go ahead and say it; I will make Tsunami tap out at Holly-Wood of the South.”

“Next on the plate will be either Gavin Taylor or Alexis Quinne.  In all honesty, I don’t care which one I face, but it would be nice to face Gavin. The All Star Tart managed to get beat in that tag match on Breakdown.  What happened to you holding up your end of the bargain, mate?  Then you and Nicole lose the tag titles to a couple of glorified celebrity cartoon rejects.  Hell, the rate you’re going I am beginning to think that your victory over my Trios Team was nothing but a damn fluke.  Is that what you are, Gavin?  Are you an All Star or are you just the All Star Fluke?” Braddock shakes her head. “Face facts, Gavin.  If you didn’t have Xander and Ducky to carry you through Trios, you wouldn’t have won.  And if you do manage to fluke your way past Alexis, then you know damn well you have me waiting for you.  And my record against you is sparkling, my friend.  I beat you before one on one and I will do so again if I have to.”

“The chances of you fluking your way past Alexis is unlikely, so allow me to go ahead and address Dr. Quinne Medicine Woman for a moment.  Alexis, I admit I was properly impressed with what you brought to the table on Breakdown.  But I noticed you seemed a mite too obsessed about that whole Best in the World shtick.” Braddock shakes her head. “What’s wrong, Lexi?  Are you trying to prove something to yourself or someone else?  Are you trying to compensate?  See, I no longer run around making that silly ass claim of being the best in the world.  I realized that I do not need to prove anything to anyone.  I already know who and what I am and I know how good I am. If my opponents refuse to recognize how good I am and refuse to respect the challenge that they are in for, then the ass kicking that they receive is their own damn fault, not mine.  You have the potential to run the table, Alexis.  I see that fire in you, I see the desire and motivation to compete against the very best and prove yourself day in and day out inside the squared circle.  It’s that same fire and motivation that I had when I made my debut, it is that same fire and motivation that continued to drive me throughout my entire career.  That same fire and motivation will drive me and help me to see my way through this tournament, it will help me to overcome any and all obstacles, including you.”

“If I can survive the B-Rate Monster Movie Reject and Dr. Quinne Medicine Woman then I advance to the finals, my third match of the night, and my opponent could be anyone.  On the one hand you have Owen Lee, a kid who quickly went to the top, just as quickly as I did as a matter of fact, and just like me found himself with a bit of an identity crisis.  Josh Hudson is a very decorated superstar who just wants to beat the ever living crap out of Owen, he just wants to pummel some respect into the kid, and if he gets a title out of it then that’s just icing on the cake right?” Braddock shakes her head. “The way Hudson has acted lately, I’m not sure he even cares about the United States Title or its history, its dignity, and its respectability.  Owen does care and I would be honored to face him in the finals.  But if I have to put down two monsters in one night then I will put down the monster that is Josh Hudson.”

“Polly Playtime…mate, I actually respect you.  You want this challenge.  You want to fight the very best.  You took my erratic and eccentric cousin Kimberly to her limits, you took Syren to her limits, and you have proven to everyone that you definitely have potential.” Braddock smirks knowingly. “But you cannot make a living based on potential.  Eventually you have to win the big one.  In the first round you are facing Amelia Stone, a young woman who I am personally mentoring.  Unlike you, she already has won some big matches against some top names in this company, including a certain former Adrenaline Champion, World Champion, and back to back Trios Tournament winner.” Glory chuckles softly.

“Sorry about that, I promised I wouldn’t stroke my own ego.  But anyway, I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t think you will see the finals.  I don’t think you will even see the semi-finals.  In my fantasy world it would be me and my student having our rematch from Retribution, only this time it would be for the vacant SCW United States Championship.  But to be fair you have taken some top names to the limit, so maybe you can get past Amelia?  If you do, you run right into Owen or Hudson, two former World Champions.  Then you get asked yet again, can you win the big one or will this just be another case of ‘oh, well at least she pushed them to their limits!’” Braddock shakes her head. “You have potential, kid, but as of right now that’s all you have and you can’t win this tournament on potential alone.”

“Last but certainly not least, Amelia…” Glory removes her sunglasses and places them down on the chair next to her “...like I said, I would love to see you in the finals.  We had a great match at Retribution.  We showed the world a first class example of true wrestling and then you pulled a trick out of my old dirty tricks playbook and managed to sneak your way to a win.” Glory claps her hands, applauding Amelia’s efforts. “You impressed me, mate.  You impressed me enough that I decided to take you under my wing and teach you more. But what you did had the side effect of bringing out a more dangerous side of yours truly, a more unpredictable side of The British Bombshell.  And I would love nothing more than to have our rematch at Holly-Wood of the South, because now I know what you’re capable of and I won’t be fooled by you again.  Unfortunately you have the same tall mountain to climb that Polly does.  If you get past Polly, you have to face a former world champion.  It could be Owen or it could be a very dangerous Josh Hudson.  But either way, you have a very tough task ahead of you if you want to make it to the finals against me.”

Glory grins from ear to ear. “That’s why I love a good tournament.  It separates the mediocre from the good and the good from the great.  You can be mediocre and convince a guy like Shaun Cruze that you deserve a chance to prove yourself in this one night tournament.  But you have to be good to advance to the semi-finals, then you have to be great to wrestle and win for a second time in the same night to advance to the finals, and last but not least you have to be elite in order to wrestle and win for a third time in a row to become the new SCW United States Champion.”

“I will beat Tsunami in the first round, I will send that overgrown daddy’s boy back home to Howe’s basement.  Then I will muscle my way past Quinne or Gavin to make it to the finals.  All I want to know is who will be waiting on me?  Who will prove themselves to be great?  I want to know who I will beat to prove that I am among the elite talent here in Supreme Championship Wrestling.”

Glory picks her sunglasses back up and places them back on her eyes.  She rises up out of her chair, opens up the clear sliding door and returns to her hotel room, leaving the balcony empty.  The camera fades to black.