SCW Taking Hold of the Flame Battle Royal

[Braddock]

2 of 2
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May 29th, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
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Taking Hold of the Flame is less than a week away and Glory Braddock aims to try and punch her ticket to the biggest show of the year, Rise To Greatness, by winning the signature battle royal and thus earning herself a shot at the SCW World Championship. Yes, The British Bombshell still wants to be a tag team champion. Supreme Championship status is still in her sights, but this is Taking Hold of the Flame. How could anyone turn down this opportunity, the one night of the year where one individual could turn their entire careers around in an instant? If you are good enough, and lucky enough, you could find yourself in a prime position to take home the top prize in professional wrestling. Glory Braddock has held SCW’s top prize before but only for a few brief minutes. Having the world championship and then losing it is bad enough but to have it and lose it as quickly as she did was heartbreaking. Braddock still has not forgotten that night and she would love to have herself another opportunity, a chance to make things right. Besides, why not enter Taking Hold of the Flame? Why not go after the same prize everyone is after, the SCW World Championship? After all, her aspirations to be a tag team champion seem to be going nowhere. In order to be a successful tag team you have to have a partner you can trust. There hasn’t been anyone Glory felt she could really trust in a long time. Yet there is one person, one individual who has tried to convince her that he is her best option; Matthew Taylor. Glory and Matthew are best friends, they have been best friends since childhood. They went to school together in England, grew up together, trained together at her father’s wrestling school. They even have a history of teaming together. For a moment, Glory thought that Matthew’s overtures towards becoming her tag team partner in SCW were sincere. It made sense, he would have been a logical choice, but this is one partnership that could never work. The simple fact is that the trust they once had no longer exists.

Glory Braddock and Matthew Taylor had a brief affair a couple years ago, and Glory’s husband Kurt Logan found out about it. Needless to say he was incensed, he was furious, and he wanted to kill Matthew. Glory was lucky to salvage her marriage with Kurt. She was lucky that Kurt was able to forgive her for what she did. So obviously placing herself in a position such as this, where she would be so close to Matthew for such a long period of time, this would create tension between herself and Kurt. Braddock would not team with Matthew again without Kurt’s approval. Obviously, Kurt was less than thrilled with this proposition and Glory was faced with a choice; chase her tag team championship dream with the most logical option for a partner, or sacrifice her dream for the sake of her marriage? The British Bombshell knew that her marriage was more important than her goal of becoming Supreme Champion. So she broke the bad news to Matthew Taylor, letting him know that the renewal of their partnership would not work out this time. She had hoped that Matthew would be mature enough to accept the bad news and move on. Unfortunately it had become apparent that he had not taken it well at all.

Braddock had traveled to Birmingham, England to meet up with Blake O’Malley, her father’s old friend and another wrestling trainer. She had hoped Blake would help her prepare for Taking Hold of the Flame. While meeting with Blake in a pub in Birmingham, Matthew approached and he was obviously drunk. He hit on her, tried to force himself on her, and it took Blake smashing a beer bottle over his head to stop him. It turns out that Matthew still has feelings for Glory Braddock. Matthew still loves her, and was hoping against hope that he could win her back. Now this could be the end of their friendship. If Matthew is unwilling to accept the reality of the situation, that Glory is loyal to her husband and their marriage, then perhaps their friendship will have to end? But Glory Braddock does not want to give up on Matthew. She does not want to let go of the friendship that they once had. She wants to reach out and make an attempt to mend the fences with her friend; or at the very least, check up on him and see how he is doing.

The British Bombshell has been in Birmingham the past few days training with Blake O’Malley for Taking Hold of the Flame. Currently she is on break and she is using this time to pay a visit to her old friend Matthew. She got Matthew’s address, his residence where he stays in Birmingham, from Blake. Now Blake does not approve of this move from The British Bombshell. He thinks Glory should just leave well enough alone and focus on the upcoming battle royal. Defeating thirty nine other wrestlers will be difficult enough, but doing so with your head not in the game will be damn near impossible. Glory Braddock does value her wrestling career, she does have so much she still wants to accomplish in SCW and Taking Hold of the Flame is just the first phase of those accomplishments. But she also recognizes that some things are more important than material gain, such as championships. One such thing that is more important to her is the friendship she has had with Matthew for so long. She would feel so guilty and disappointed if she didn’t do everything she could to salvage it. This is what brings her to this small home in Birmingham. It isn’t exactly the nicest looking of residences. In fact, it is one of the poorer looking homes in Birmingham. This doesn’t surprise Braddock. Matthew, even though he does come from money, has always preferred to live a more humble lifestyle. Glory is dressed in denim jeans, white sneakers, and a royal purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She approaches the front door of this modest home and finds that there is no doorbell, so she knocks. After a momentary wait she hears the door unlocking. She watches as the door slowly opens. She spots Matthew poking his head out. He is wearing workout shorts, a plain white t-shirt, and sneakers. Immediately upon seeing that it is Glory Braddock standing on his front doorstep he tries to shut the door on her, but she quickly sticks her foot out to stop it from shutting all the way.

“I don’t want to talk.” Matthew says. “Go away.”

“I’m sorry, mate, but we REALLY need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Matthew insists. “I think enough has been said and done in the past few weeks.” He tries to shut the door but Glory won’t budge. Matthew sighs out of frustration. “Bloody hell! Why are you making this difficult?!”

“You only have yourself to blame for that, Matty.” Glory answers back sharply.

“How do you say that?!” Matthew is taken aback by the accusation. It is enough of a surprise that it causes him to step back away from the door, allowing Glory Braddock room to force her way into the home.

“I would be happy to explain, if you’re willing to just sit down and talk.” Braddock says. Matthew pauses to consider it. He would much rather Glory not be here but she’s already here and inside. So he finally nods his head and relents.

“Alright, alright, you’re already inside anyway.” He motions for her to follow him. “Come on…” Glory nods as she follows him into a small living room area that looks just as modest and humble as the exterior of the home. Glory sits down in the only comfortable looking chair in the room while Matthew opts to remain standing. He sighs. “So, what makes you think this whole mess is my fault, huh?!”

“Well, you didn’t get smashed over the head with a beer bottle for no reason, mate.”

“Oh, yeah…” Matthew is quickly reminded of the pub incident “...yeah, I’m sorry. I just had a few too many drinks. Y’know?”

“Thank you Captain Obvious.” Glory says with a smirk. “Unfortunately for you, alcohol lowers inhibitions. Any defense mechanisms you may have are lowered thanks to alcohol. Alcohol makes you a little more honest than you ordinarily would have been.”

“No, no, no,” Matthew shakes his head vehemently “I get where you’re going with this and you’re wrong. I was drunk, I wasn’t thinking, whatever I said to you, I didn’t mean it.”

“So you didn’t mean it when you said that you and I were meant to be?” She asks with a skeptical gaze.

“That’s right. I didn’t mean any of it!”

“Not according to your sister.” Glory answers back pointedly. “I spoke to Francis and she says you still have feelings for me.” A low growl comes out of Matthew’s throat upon hearing this. He shakes his head in disgust.

“My sister has a big mouth and shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’m glad she did. Quite honestly, Matty, this is a problem that needs to be dealt with.”

“There is no problem, not anymore.” Matthew shakes his head. “You made it clear that we cannot be tag team partners, that we cannot work together. So its over. Don’t worry. No problems.”

“No problems? Are you listening to yourself? First you wouldn’t even let me in your house and now this? You sound like a petulant child, mate, all because you had this lofty expectation and didn’t get what you wanted. If there was no problem then why are you acting out? Why are we arguing?”

“What do you want from me, Glory?” Matthew asks as he begins pacing the floor back and forth like a caged lion.

“I want you to be honest with me. What is it exactly that you want?”

“You want honesty?” Matthew asks. Glory nods her head.

“Yes.”

“Fine.” He points a finger at Glory. “I want you. I have wanted you ever since we met. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, Gloria.”

“Why didn’t you say anything back then?” She asks.

“You were a part of the clique. The preppy mean girls, you were one of them. But unlike the typical preppy mean girls at our school you were nice. While the others treated me like trash, you were always pleasant to me. You actually took the time to get to know me. I desperately wanted to date you but I knew that as long as you were with those girls you would never give me the time of day.”

“Bullshit.” Glory shakes her head. “You said it yourself, I was different. I may have been friends with some of them but I wasn’t like them.”

“Yeah? Maybe. But I never got the courage to ask. And eventually you grew close to Thomas.”

Thomas Gage was Glory Braddock’s first real boyfriend. They were indeed very close, so close that they ended up having sexual relations. But when Glory Braddock ended up pregnant as a teenager, Thomas ran away, afraid of the repercussions. Glory was pregnant and the mean girls Matthew referred to turned on her.

“Thomas and I had something special.” Glory admits. “But he ran away…”

“He ran away from you when you needed him the most. He ran away from his responsibilities. I hated him for that.” Matthew points out. “And I admit, I wanted to take advantage of the situation. I wanted to move in and fill that void, to be the father figure for your child.” She sighs. “But I knew your father would never allow it.”

“Did you even think to try?”

“There was no use.” Matthew shakes his head. “Your father hated me. You remember when I started training to be a wrestler? He hated me from that moment because he thought I was turning his beloved sport into a joke. He ended up kicking me out of his wrestling school, refusing to finish my training, which is why I had to turn to Blake. You think he would have let me date you?”

“I had no idea.” Glory says with a deep sigh. “I had no idea you felt that way. And if I had known, maybe things would have been different. Why didn’t you tell me any of this back then?”

“I was too afraid to say anything.” Matthew says, shrugging his shoulders. “But you know now. Does that change anything?”

“No, it doesn’t.” Glory shakes her head. “It doesn’t change anything because I’m married now. I am married to Kurt and yes, I do love him.” She stands up and approaches Matthew. “But I care about you too. I love you, Matty…but I love you as a friend. You are my best friend. And I really do want us to keep that friendship strong. I would hate to lose that.”

“Yeah…” his voice trails off. Glory takes Matthew’s hands and holds them tightly.

“I still want to be friends, Matty. But you have to accept that that’s ALL we can be. Are you ok with that?”

“Friends?” He asks. Glory nods her head.

“Yes, friends.”

“I’d like that.” Matthew says smiling warmly. “I’m sorry for acting like a love sick jackass. And I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you.”

“It’s ok, mate. We all make mistakes. But everything is good now between us. I promise.”

Glory Braddock and Matthew Taylor embrace in a tight hug. This talk, and now this hug, it all has the effect of lifting a heavy weight off of the back of The British Bombshell. No longer does she have to worry about her best friend, no longer does she have to worry about the tension that this could create between herself and Matthew, or herself and her husband Kurt. Everything is settled and Braddock can focus on the one thing that matters; Taking Hold of the Flame.

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May 29th, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
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A few hours have passed since The British Bombshell had her ‘come to Jesus’ meeting with Matthew Taylor. This was a meeting that she felt was necessary in order to get her mind completely focused on Taking Hold of the Flame. Previously she had been distracted by her friend Matthew’s behavior, she had been distracted based on the fact that he still held strong romantic feelings for her. Braddock wanted to make certain that Matthew understood and was ok with their friendship remaining just that, a friendship; a friendship and nothing more. She wanted to also make check on his mental and emotional well being. The last time she had saw him he was drowning his sorrow away in alcohol. Considering the fact that she was already in Birmingham to train with Blake O’Malley, Glory felt that this would be the perfect opportunity to meet with Matthew and clear the air. Unfortunately this was not an idea that Blake approved of; the grizzled veteran, retired wrestler, and current trainer would have preferred that Glory Braddock put Matthew Taylor and everything else out of her mind as she heads into Taking Hold of the Flame. But now that she did go against his will, and she did manage to make things right between herself and Matthew, Glory feels a certain sense of vindication. Now she can focus on the upcoming Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal without Matthew constantly being in the back of her mind.

Braddock has already returned to Blake’s private gym where he still trains students and works with currently active wrestlers such as Glory herself. She emerges from the locker room and back into the main training area dressed in purple workout shorts, white sneakers, and her royal purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She spots Blake standing near a regulation size wrestling ring sit up near the center of the room. Braddock smirks as she proudly approaches her trainer, a man she considers an uncle. She approaches from behind and then taps him on the shoulder. He turns around to see her grinning ear to ear but Blake, for his part, does not appear to be all that pleased.

“I’m back!” She proudly proclaims.

“Yeah, I can see that.” He says gruffly. “Was it a waste of time?”

“No, as a matter of fact it wasn’t.” She shakes her head. “I spoke with Matty. He’s fine now. He and I are clear about where our relationship stands.”

“I kinda doubt that.”

“Oh come off it, Uncle Blake.” Glory remarks. “Admit it, you were wrong. You told me that Matty wasn’t my problem. Leave Matty to his own devices. Ignore him. That’s what you wanted me to do.”

“That’s what you shoulda done.”

“But I ignore you…”

“I can see why you gave your old man gray hairs.”

“I get the stubborn streak from my mom’s side of the family.” Glory says with a wink. “But hey, I did ignore you and I’m glad I did because I spoke with Matty and I cleared the air.”

“You still wasted your time.” He shakes his head. “Matthew may have told you that things are ok but I don’t believe it, not for one second. That nut doesn’t let go so easily. He’s still gonna be a problem down the line. You would have done better just to ignore him, instead ya wasted precious time that you could have spent working with me. You do have a big ass chaotic battle royal coming up, don’t ya?”

“I do.” She nods her head. “But no disrespect, Uncle Blake, you may know wrestling but you don’t know ME as well as I know me. And I know that I could not just put something like that completely out of my mind. I still would have been thinking on it this entire week heading into The Flame. I needed to deal with this as soon as possible. Lucky for me, it worked out.”

“You THINK it worked out.” He says. Glory rolls her eyes. “I know that Matthew kid, I know he’s not as easy to read as you think. He’s complex. Very complex.”

“I know him too. Hell, I’ve known him longer than you, Uncle Blake. I think I know him better than you. And I happen to think he’s ok now.”

“I hope you’re right.” He sighs deeply.

“Whatever. Point is, I believe its taken care of, now I can focus entirely on you and this battle royal. Isn’t that good enough for you, Uncle Blake?”

“Yeah…” He sighs “...but look, if ya want my help ya need to trust me and do what I say. Your old man may have let you get by with some of this nonsense because you were his little girl, and yeah, I do care about ya as if you were one of my own, but I do things different from Glenn Braddock. I need your undivided attention from now on. I also need you to do whatever I say from now on. Trust the process and trust that what I say is the right thing to do. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” Glory says as she playfully stands at attention and salutes as if she were a soldier and Blake were her drill instructor. He rolls his eyes. “Thanks for doing this again, Blake. It means a lot.”

“No problem, Glory. Honestly, I’m surprised ya still want my help. I mean, look at the good my ‘help’ did ya for that last chaotic match I trained ya for.”

“I know.” Glory nods her head. “I ended up in a crate, but that won’t happen this time. This is just your average run of the mill Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal. I’ve been in them before, so I know what to expect. Still, I haven’t won one of them.” She points a finger at Blake. “I hope your expertise can change that.”

“Well, hopefully I can. Now, speaking of which, tell me about this Taking Hold of the Flame. How many opponents are we talking about?”

“Forty.”

“Forty?”

“No, sorry, I mean forty total counting myself. So actually I have thirty-nine opponents.

“Damn.” Blake shakes his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“I only have thirty-seven.”

“Thirty seven what?”

“Students.” He states. Then he points to a crowd of young people on the other side of the room. “See those kids over there?”

Yeah.”

“Those are the group of students who volunteered to help you out today.”

“Help me out with training?” Glory seems a bit confused. Blake nods his head.

“Look, this is a battle royal. You have multiple opponents. I’m gonna simulate the real thing. I suppose I can be thirty eight and the janitor can be thirty nine.”

“I’m not gonna fight the bloody janitor!” Glory exclaims.

“You will if ya want my help. Remember what I said? Trust the process.” He points out. Glory nods her head reluctantly.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent. Now is this a typical battle royal where all forty are in the ring at once or…”

“No.” Glory shakes her head. “This is different. Two will start and then every two minutes or so another person enters.”

“Oh I get it. So its more like a gauntlet match than a battle royal?” Blake frowns. “Why the bloody hell don’t they call it a gauntlet match then?”

“Are you really getting angry about semantics?” Glory asks curiously.

“I just wanna know what we’re working with here. How are you eliminated?”

“That’s where the battle royal part comes in.” Glory says. “Over the top rope and both feet hit the floor.”

“Sounds good to me. So right now we’re gonna do a little sparring.”

“You and me?” Glory asks. Blake shakes his head.

“No, you and me and the janitor and those thirty seven students who volunteered to kick your ass.” He smirks. “Your last name is famous around here, Glory. These students are dying for the chance to take on the daughter of the legendary Glenn Braddock. And you’re gonna take them all on, one at a time just like the rules of Taking Hold of the Flame prescribed. Only I’m gonna instruct them to specifically target you and not each other.”

“What?!” Glory exclaims. “That sounds like the kind of sadistic trials my dad would come up with.”

“Where do you think he learned it from?” Blake says with a sadistic grin. “Now get in the ring. Sparring begins now and YOU drew number one.”

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May 29th, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
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About an hour later and Glory Braddock is the only one standing in the ring, she managed to outlast the other students, as most of them were young with little to no experience. Still, even sparring with young kids with no experience is exhausting and The British Bombshell is indeed very fatigued. This is probably one of the most challenging sparring sessions she has ever endured. And she isn’t even finished yet. She stands in the ring with a middle aged man in a blue jumpsuit. Glory looks across the ring at him with surprise. The man in the jumpsuit, the janitor that Blake referred to earlier, seems far from enthusiastic about the prospects of facing Glory.

“I, uh, wasn’t paid for this.” He says.

“You’re getting paid extra.” Blake’s voice rings out. “Don’t complain.”

“He doesn’t want to fight me, Uncle Blake, and quite honestly I don’t want to fight him.”

“Why not? Taking Hold of the Flame is a gauntlet battle royal from what you told me. Anything can happen. It can be just as chaotic as anything else you’ve experienced. You may have to deal with something like this.”

“I won’t have to fight a damn janitor, that’s for sure.”

“What about a veteran?” Blake asks. “Will you have to fight a veteran?”

“That’s more likely than a janitor.” Glory states.

“Then turn around.”

“Huh?” She turns around to find Blake standing in the ring with an open crate. Suddenly she feels herself being pushed from behind…the janitor! She feels herself tumbling over end and into the crate. Glory scrambles her way back to her knees. She has a sense of PTSD, from being put in a crate once before. She glares at the janitor who quickly turns and runs for the hills.

“He paid me to do it! Honest!” The janitor is out of sight. Glory then turns to face Blake.

“I told you, Glory, prepare for everything. Expect the unexpected.” Glory is angry at first at being fooled. But then her anger quickly disappears and she begins to laugh. She stands up and then steps out of the crate.

“Point taken, mate. Point taken.”

“This opportunity comes once a year, right?” Blake asks. Glory nods her head.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So don’t let yourself get caught. Don’t let yourself lose this chance just because of a silly mistake. If you lose because you really weren’t the better wrestler that’s one thing but losing because of something stupid like this,” he motions to the crate “we don’t want that shit happening again. That time you lost the Television Title, you only lost it because of a ridiculous stunt, not because you weren’t the best. How many more falls could you have earned and thus what other championship could you have won had it not been for that stupid stunt? You need to expect the unexpected and prepare for shit like this.”

“How do you prepare for something you can’t see coming?”

“Its easier said than done, I know.” He nods his head. “All I can tell ya is trust no one and remember, its every man and woman for themselves in a battle royal like this. Understand?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Glory nods her head.

“Good.” He smirks. “Tomorrow. You want me to bring in some more students and run it back again?” Glory nods her head.

“Sounds great.”

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June 3rd, 2023
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
On Camera
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The bright sun overlooks a gorgeous morning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the camera pans out we see a sky view of the America Family Field, the place that will host SCW Taking Hold of the Flame. Then the camera cuts to the field itself. It’s empty, at least for now. That will change in short order. Then Glory Braddock steps out onto the America Family Field from stage left wearing a solid black blazer and matching black pleated mini skirt set with what appears to be a black top underneath the blazer. She is perched atop patent leather black high heeled pumps. Her long blonde hair is left to flow straight and unrestrained to past the shoulders.

“Welcome to the America Family Field…also known as the starting point for Rise To Greatness.” She nods her head. “That’s right, Taking Hold of the Flame is upon us. That magical time of the year where in one night you could change your career. In one night you can go from being just another name on the card to being a main event mega star. In one night you could go from being nothing to being the number one contender to the SCW World Championship. That’s why this one night in the year is so special. Because forty wrestlers will go to war, all with one goal in mind, with all their eyes on one prize; the main event of Rise To Greatness. And if it hasn’t become obvious yet, then let me make it abundantly clear…I am going to enter Taking Hold of the Flame and I am going to WIN Taking Hold of the Flame.” The British Bombshell nods her head as she gazes confidently into the camera.

“Now I get it, some people are going to look at me and ask the obvious question; why are you entering Taking Hold of the Flame? You all thought that I was narrow mindedly, single mindedly even, focused on becoming Supreme Champion and that since I only need the tag team championship to accomplish that goal, that I would still be focused on those tag team titles? That’s a fair question. It might even lead to some think that I just keep changing my mind all of the time. But those who think that or utter such nonsense just don’t know me. A leopard doesn’t change its spots, a zebra doesn’t change its stripes, and neither does The British Bombshell. So who the hell is Glory Braddock?” She narrows her brow in an intense stare at the camera.

“I am a competitor. Why do I want those tag team championships and that Supreme Championship status? I want that because it is a challenge. It is a challenge that a very elite few have been able to meet. I see Supreme Champion as a challenge that I want to try and overcome. Now even though Supreme Champion is still a challenge that I want to meet head on, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to just ignore the other challenges out there. Beating Amelia Blythe to become Television Champion, that was a challenge. The United States Championship Tournament? I viewed that as a challenge and I gave it my all. Yes, I came up short, but I gave it everything I had because it was a challenge worth facing. But when it comes to challenges, especially this time of year, there is no greater challenge than Taking Hold of the Flame. Forty competitors in the ultimate battle of will and, for some at least, endurance. And out of those forty wrestlers, the ONE who can outlast the other thirty nine will have earned a shot at the SCW World Championship in the main event of Rise To Greatness.”

“Rise To Greatness Main Event…and the SCW World Championship…” she chuckles softly “...those are two challenges I have faced head on and at least one of those challenged I succeeded in conquering it. I did become SCW World Champion. But it was as a result of one of Ace Marshall’s chaotic Trios Cash Ins, a gauntlet match to be precise, and after winning the title from a very tough Bree Lancaster I didn’t have enough energy left in me to successfully retain against Chris Cannon. So my title reign lasted all but a few minutes. Being the World Champion is THE reason why anyone should be in this sport. If you’re not here to be the best then why are you here? If you are not here to prove yourself as the very best in the world then you are wasting everyone’s time. For a few glorious minutes I held that championship…” she shakes her head “...but I am not satisfied with being able to say that yes, I was World Champion. I want to run it back. I want a title reign that I can be proud of and that means winning it back. That means becoming a two time SCW World Champion. And what better way to run it back than at Taking Hold of the Flame? Even better, if I do win Taking Hold of the Flame, then I get an opportunity to Main Event Rise To Greatness.” She nods her head.

“Now I have done that before. I was in the main event against Syren and Alistaire Allocco. But I didn’t get the job done. Am I satisfied with a participation trophy? Am I satisfied with being able to say that at least I was there in the main event?” Braddock shakes her head. “No, I’m not satisfied. I cannot and will not be satisfied because I am a competitor. When I see a challenge I have to meet it head on! I have to face it again and again until I conquer that challenge! So if you want motivation for me competing in Taking Hold of the Flame, then there you have it! I need vindication. I need redemption. I need to win back the SCW World Championship and I need to win it in the main event of Rise To Greatness! I need both of those things because they are challenges and as a competitor I cannot and will not leave challenges untried and incomplete. I cannot leave a mission unaccomplished. I have to keep trying…or I will just die trying…” her voice fades off as she pauses for a moment before continuing.

“Still, even if it weren’t for the promise of the SCW World Championship and the Rise To Greatness Main Event, the fact that Taking Hold of the Flame is one of the most difficult and most prestigious battle royals in this sport, that alone makes it a challenge worth taking on. And that is what I am at the end of the day. I have never once changed who I am; Glory Braddock is and always will be a competitor. Whether I am an obnoxious bitch who carries around the Union Jack decrying America, whether I am a fun loving prankster, whether I am just a stuck up prude with no sense of humor, whatever person you see when you look at me, at the end of the day there is ONE constant and that is my hunger for challenges and I desire for competition! And at the end of the day that is what wrestling is all about…competition, taking on a challenge, seeing if you can overcome the greatest of challenges…and that’s why I am entering Taking Hold of the Flame.” She points a finger at the camera.

“But why are you entering The Flame? People like my own family, like Kimberly Williams. Why is she entering the Flame? I thought she didn’t want the world title? Does she just want to create more chaos, as if her Trios Cash In wasn’t chaotic enough? Does she want to raise the prestige of her Underground Championship by winning The Flame? With someone like Kimberly, you just never know what is going on in her head. But there are others whose motives and agendas are very clear. Xander Valentine just wants to make sure that Adam Allocco is never World Champion. Xander knows how much Adam values that title and in the event Selena Frost cannot defeat Allocco at Taking Hold of the Flame, Xander wants to be the guy to dethrone him at Rise To Greatness.” Braddock smirks. “Is that your motive, Xander? Is this an insurance policy for you, in the event Selena can’t get the job done?”

“Then there’s my good friend Asher Hayes.” She waves at the camera. “Hi there, Asher. I hope to see you in the battle royal. The last time we fought you got one over on me finally and I would love to have another crack at you. But as for Taking Hold of the Flame, your motive is clear. You need the SCW World Championship because it is the one title you haven’t won, the one title keeping you from Supreme Championship status, and the fastest route to a title match is through Taking Hold of the Flame.” She nods her head. “I can understand that motivation because I have similar drive. I, too, need Supreme Championship status. I, too, see that as a challenge that must be overcome. But your path to a title shot goes through this battle royal that I am also a part of, and this is a challenge that I need to overcome as well, and I am not going to go down that easily.”

“Of course how could anyone forget Kandis? She believes she is owed a one on one world title match and apparently the only way she is going to get it is by winning this battle royal. Thirty nine other wrestlers have something to say about that, including me.” Braddock’s gaze turns stoic yet again. “I could go on and on…Lucas Knight, Religious Wright, The One…everyone in this battle royal has their own agenda, their own motivation, but the prize at the end of the day is the same. The finish line is still a main event spot where the winner will challenge either Selena Frost or Adam Allocco for the SCW World Championship.” She pats herself on the chest. “And I need this…yeah, yeah, I get it, everyone in this damn thing is going to say that they need it, but GOD DAMN IT I NEED THIS WIN!” She look if intensity increases as she shouts the camera. “My Rise To Greatness Main Event was a disappointment. My SCW World Championship reign, many would argue, was a disappointment. No matter what you think I am, no matter who you think I am, at the end of the day I AM A COMPETITOR! And damn it I REFUSE to live with disappointments like that tarnishing my legacy here in Supreme Championship Wrestling!”

“So for me, Taking Hold of the Flame is about me getting the chance to have a do-over, to get a second chance that very few people get…a second chance to have a more legitimate and a more successful Rise To Greatness Main Event… a second chance at finally having a memorable SCW World Championship reign…that is what that this means to me! Also let’s not forget that Taking Hold of the Flame, a challenge in and of itself, that is a challenge that I have faced before, a mountain I have attempted to climb before, but I have yet to reach its summit. I have yet to win Taking Hold of the Flame.” She nods her head. “Yes, I intend to change that. This year is going to be my year, no matter the cost! That is why I must win! I have to meet this challenge head on and overcome this challenge! Thirty nine other wrestlers won’t be enough to stop me because I will endure, I will overcome, and I will win Taking Hold of the Flame!” Glory Braddock turns her back to the camera and starts walking away. The camera slowly begins to fade to black.