Post by Casey Holliday on May 12, 2019 22:59:13 GMT -5
Aftermath: Post Havoc Rumble
On the day after the Havoc Rumble, Casey walks around the 5th floor of the hotel that she’s staying at. She doesn’t have her All-In briefcase with her at the moment and it’s unclear as to what is going through her mind. She certainly left an impression with her runner up finish in the Rumble the previous night before, but there is no doubt that there has to be at least some form of disappointment running through her mind of coming so close and yet coming so far. She walks into a reception hall where she sees some party banners coming down, particularly a “Congratulations Casey” banner. This causes some surprise to the former UCI Champion.
Voice: CRAP! I was hoping you wouldn’t have seen that.
Casey hears the voice of Bianca Vasquez who looks both disappointed and concerned.
Bianca: We had this all set up for today, but obviously… you know…
Bianca sighs, at this point being more concerned for Casey’s psychological well-being than everything.
Casey: And you think this bothers me why?
Bianca gives Casey a perplexed look as she clearly wasn’t expecting this response out of her.
Bianca: Wait, you’re telling me that this doesn’t bother you at all? I figured because you came SO CLOSE that you’d be like… down in the dumps or something.
Casey: Down in the dumps? Why would you think that?
Bianca: Oh because of all the assholes you work with always giving you shit over UCI and how you haven’t proven anything with your historic reign and all that typical AW garbage.
Casey: Bianca, I get it. You know that I am not one for moral victories but I’m seeing the big picture here. I still have the All-In briefcase and if I really wanted to, I have, pardon the pun, a golden ticket to the Evolution main event. Not to mention that for all the talk and all the bullshit about my UCI run being a fluke and all this talk about how I didn’t defend it against hard opponents, it all became SILENT> The Havoc Rumble at the end of the day was my opportunity not just to win that Evolution main event spot and to prove that what I did with the UCI Championship wasn’t a fluke. I may not have won that main event spot… BUT…
Casey pauses and has a big smile on her face, which is entirely rare for the prodigious wrestler to have after falling short in anything that she sets out to achieve.
Casey: I definitely proved that the UCI run, with the records that I broke and with the standards that I set… standards that will never be topped as far as UCI’s legacy is concerned… it wasn’t a fluke at all. Gosh, do you even need me to run down ALL the names I outlasted in there?
Bianca: I love that you’re seeing it that way. Just sucks that we couldn’t have a victory party.
Casey: We can still have A party now…
Bianca: I already cancelled this one…
Casey: Why don’t we have one back in Seattle? I’m sure Victoria would be willing to let us have the whole Academy for it.
Bianca smiles at this.
Bianca: AWESOME idea! I’ll contact her right now. Be right back…
Bianca bolts from the scene leaving Casey alone to her thoughts.
Casey (thinking): I may not have won the Havoc Rumble. I may have come SO CLOSE finishing second. But at the end of the day, that Rumble was my true coming out party. There were so many cynics that felt that everything I had been in Action Wrestling up to that point was a fluke but with that ONE night, I silenced all the critics even though I didn’t ultimately win the Havoc Rumble. There’s no doubt in my mind now that I AM the superstar of the 2020’s and THE future star in this business. But I also know this… I am NOT AW’s best kept secret anymore and the pressure? It’s about to increase even higher for me!
“Maturity”
Date: May 8, 2019, 9:00 AM
Casey is back in her Bellevue home soaking things in. She knows that the party at the Seattle Wrestling Academy is going to begin in about ten hours time but she’s not too focused on that as she knows that this is going to be a great day for her. After washing the dishes that she used for her breakfast, Casey walks back to her living room ready to turn on the television and try to chill for a little while. However, before she can get to her couch, she hears the ringing of her doorbell. Curious, she walks to her front door and and opens it, finding Shawn Riley, one of her former trainers and one of her harshest critics, standing in front of her.
Casey: Well, I guess the world is ready to end.
Mr. Riley: Can I come in?
Casey: Yeah, sure…
Casey steps aside to allow him to walk in the door.
Casey: I’m surprised you would even make the effort to see me. You’ve always been a vocal critic of me…
Mr. Riley: Yes yes, I know. I remember the last time we spoke, I cursed you out and told you to get your shit together because your incessant whining over the UCI Championship was becoming annoying quite frankly. It’s no secret that I have never been a fan of you as a person. I always thought that you were only around the Academy because your father ran it at the time but you’ve certainly proven yourself capable without him, that much I can say.
Casey: Right…
Casey’s eyes narrow as she doesn’t seem to be too impressed with what she’s hearing.
Casey: We’ve established this before.
Mr. Riley: I know we have Casey. But, there’s a little more to it this time. Of course, I was going to keep a close watch of how you handled the entire UCI Series and all and I admit that I didn’t even think you were going to win that. Actually, to be quite honest, I told your father that Estrella Luiz was going to beat you for that title. But, you proved me wrong all the way.
Casey’s eyes widen.
Casey: Am I hearing you correctly? Are you telling me that I proved you wrong?
Mr. Riley: In various ways, yes. Casey, for years I thought you were an ungrateful, petulant, pathetic, narcissistic little brat. “Crying Casey” seemed to be the most fitting nickname ever. However, you handled that UCI series with class and with dignity and you stood up and defended it like a true champion and successfully went through the hardest gauntlet of your career. You handled it with a lot of grace, even though you’ve got an outspoken nature that rubs people the wrong way. I just…
Riley pauses and sighs, shaking his head. Casey smirks at this knowing that her most notorious critic from her wrestling school days is almost certainly eating crow at the moment.
Mr. Riley: My god this is embarrassing for me personally, I hope you do realize that…
Casey: Oh I definitely realize it!
Casey smirks some more which causes Mr. Riley to sigh some more.
Mr. Riley: You’ve grown up. I never thought I’d say those three words to you, but there you go. You finished runner up in the Havoc Rumble and you didn’t complain about it, not once. Instead, you took the high road, saw the moral victory that you attained and embraced it. I’m very impressed with your behavior, Casey. It pains me to say it, but at the end of the day, you… made a believer out of me… GOD, I want to vomit right now just saying that…
Casey can’t help but laugh at this.
Mr. Riley: Now… you BETTER not fuck this up, Casey… because if you do… I’ll track you down and make sure you know how much I STILL don’t like you… even NOW.
Casey: Yeah, the feeling is still mutual.
Mr. Riley: But I do respect you… GOD, where’s the bathroom…
Casey points down the hallway.
Mr. Riley: Thanks. Please don’t waste the respect I’ve gained for you… excuse me…
Mr. Riley bolts down the hall, leaving Casey both amused at his plight and surprised that proving him wrong essentially made him sick.
Casey: Well, that’s essentially a microcosm of the AW locker room, isn’t it?
“Not Such a Secret Anymore”
Date: May 8, 2019
Time: 5:00 PM
Casey has arrived at the Seattle Wrestling Academy where the celebration is taking place. Walking into the main gym, she sees one person sitting alone, sifting through some thoughts. Casey recognizes this red-haired woman anywhere considering the history between the two.
Casey: Vicky…
Victoria Salinas turns toward her.
Victoria: Hey.
Casey: Any luck finding another place to work?
Victoria: It’s going.
Casey: You know, if you need someplace, AW is always hiring.
Victoria chuckles with humility.
Victoria: Thanks. But I’m afraid if I went there, I’d overshadow you.
Casey: Oh BULLSHIT!
Casey sits down next to her.
Victoria: I just hope that… you’re ready for the next level of your career.
Casey: Are you talking about the All-In case?
Victoria: Not necessarily. Casey, I’m so proud of you for your success and you’ve done such an amazing job. I feel so much pride knowing that everything I taught you not only didn’t go to waste after all, but that you have taken what you have learned from me and have taken it to the next level. However, and I’m not saying this as a bad thing, I am saying this more as a warning…. You’re not under the radar anymore. You finished second and you have that briefcase. There are going to be a LOT of people targeting you now. You did AMAZING being under that radar, but what are you going to do when the spotlight is on you?
Casey: That’s easy. Casey Clutch for the win, that’s what!
Victoria: It’s not easy, Casey.
Casey: I know THAT…
Victoria: I’m just telling it to you straight. You have a history of not doing well when the pressure is on you. What are you going to do with Shadowlove? He’s been one of the top stars where you’ve been for years. I know he’s never won the big one and all that, but you’ve faced him how many times?
Casey: I don’t have a number, but there have been a few run ins, that’s for sure. I’m going to say… maybe four times?
Victoria: And HOW many wins do you have over the guy?
Casey: Look, three of those matches were multi-person clusterfucks in UCI where neither of us won, alright.
Victoria: And the one that wasn’t?
Casey: He didn’t pin me.
Victoria: Casey, if you’re going to be a main eventer, you can’t run away from reality. You have to face and overcome the facts. You’ve NEVER beaten Shadowlove and it’s fair to question whether you would have won the UCI series if you replaced Estrella or Chase Jackson with him. I don’t know if it’s because he hasn’t been a good match for you or if it was just your inexperience of the time, but having had a few cracks at him, I know it gets to you that you haven’t beaten him. Ever.
Casey: Right… I don’t know WHY you have to point this out to me.
Victoria: It irritates you, doesn’t it?
Casey: Damn right it does!
Victoria: That will happen sometimes, Casey. You will run into those opponents that are your kryptonite or those that are extremely difficult to overcome. Many years ago, that was your ex-boyfriend for me, remember that?
Casey: Hey, you beat him in San Antonio in front of 70,000 people with your first world championship reign at stake 8 years ago.
Victoria: But he had my number, aside from that. The son of a bitch frustrated me but at the end of the day, I didn’t let him define my career. I didn’t allow my lack of success against him to get the better of me. Casey, this is how you need to approach this entry into main event status and no longer being AW’s best kept secret. If you go into this match focusing on your lack of success against Shadowlove, your first big test as an Action Wrestling main eventer is not going to go well for you. If you get stuck in 2017 when you were that incessant whiner, that’s what you’re going to wrestle as, and you’re going to lose. BUT, if you focus on what you are TODAY, the woman that broke records as UCI Champion who far and away has everything lined up for her to be the best wrestler of her generation for the next decade… then you got this.
Casey: It’s easier said than done, VIcky…
Victoria: But you’ve shown you’re capable of it. Unlike before when you won that Trios tourney in SCW, you ARE ready for the spotlight. It’s the main event against one of AW’s best… you can’t ask for much more than that. So seize that moment and don’t you dare let your last encounters and your lack of success against the guy bring you down, alright?
Casey smirks and nods.
Casey: I got you, Vicky.
Casey smiles as she stands up and walks away preparing herself for the big party in her name at the Seattle Wrestling Academy that is due to take place in a couple of hours.
Casey (thinking): This match is going to be my toughest test yet in Action Wrestling, there is no denying that. The spotlight is on me, just like I have always wanted it to be. With the All-In briefcase and the runner up finish, I know for a damn fact that people aren’t going to be calling me a fluke anymore because I KNOW that with my performance at the Havoc Rumble, EVERYONE is talking about me… whether they’re admitting I proved them wrong, whether they see me as the rising star of this company or hell, whether they’re seeing me as the next AW World Champion. The pressure will be greater, the lights will be brighter and the stage will be bigger, but that doesn’t faze me. Like my mentor Victoria Salinas… on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, there is nobody better than ME! Shadowlove is going to be the first idiot in this company to learn that…
Date: May 12, 2019
Casey is sitting on a chair in front of a microphone in front of a small crowd downtown. She has a piece of paper in front of her that she is going to read from. There’s a banner above her that says “Creative Writing Open Mic Night” where creators from all over express themselves. The spotlight hovers over Casey as she begins to speak.
Casey: I call this one… “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Shadowlove”...
Casey clears her throat and begins her story.
Casey: I heard the news… about a wrestler that was a big name. That wrestler had it all… the looks, the marketability, the potential to be greater than what they were before… who is this wrestler? Who am I talkin’ about?
Ain’t talkin’ bout Shadlowlove, that’s for damn sure…
The best wrestler in UCI history to never win their world championship.
The man who recently had a crack at the AW World Championship against Ryan Lockhart… only to fail…
The man who was thought to be a contender in the Havoc Rumble and who some thought was going to win… and while he got a great number of eliminations… he didn’t even finish in the top 10.
And you want to call that a big name wrestler? No, I call that a wrestler that is wasting their potential and their marketability. All the potential to be great and yet for SOME REASON… he just… he CAN’T… he CAN’T break through when it matters most. But enough about him… let’s talk about this wrestler…
This wrestler is in high demand, a burgeoning brand name, someone that is going to revolutionize wrestling well into the future, especially the next 10 years, someone who when the chips were down and when it came time to step up in the clutch, time and time again, a perennial championship contender that has accumulated quite the accolades.
But I certainly ain’t as hell talkin’ about Shadowlove… because while he could have been that… he has proven to NEVER be that. Flashing back to UCI… he had HOW many cracks at a championship?
THREE shots at the UCI World Championship…
THREE shots at the UCI Intercontinental Championship…
I think there was even a Hypermedia challenge in there somewhere…
And he came up empty… every. Single. Time. But that’s UCI… I get that. But have you ever seen his name on ANY of the AW Championship histories? NO!
It’s not just that Shadowlove has never been a world champion despite all the potential, all of the hype and all of the star power he is said to possess…. It’s also the fact that he’s never been a champion AT ALL!
So who the hell am I talking about with what I have been describing? If anything, Shadowlove IS the type of wrestler that I SHOULD be talking about with all of my descriptors and yet… I AIN’T TALKING ABOUT SHADOWLOVE! Because when you add it all together, oh sure the guy has beaten SOME big names, including me, as much as I hate to admit it, oh sure, the guy has won some big matches on Pay-Per-Views in the past, I am not going to deny him that much, do you know what I see in the man named Shadowlove? I see the biggest disappointment over the last few years across UCI AND AW! I see him as the early 1990’s Buffalo Bills that never won a super bowl! Shadowlove is like the Matt Ryan-era Atlanta Falcons… the Joe Thornton-era San Jose Sharks, the current-era Los Angeles Dodgers, the late 90’s Utah Jazz with Stockton and Malone… entities that had EVERYTHING it took to be champions at their professions and at their peaks but entities that NEVER got it done and ALWAYS disappointed when it mattered the most.
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the boy known as Shadowlove in a nutshell.
CHOKE ARTIST!
FAILURE!
The spotlight is ALWAYS too bright for him and the stage is ALWAYS too big for him. I hear the talk in that locker room…
“When is he going to win the big one?”
“When is he going to meet his potential?”
“When is Shadowlove finally going to be consistent in big time, primetime matches instead of winning one every once in a while only to once again fall short when it matters most?”
Folks, my story is about the American Nightmare… you know the family member or friend or neighbor that has ALL the potential to be such a big thing in this world… only to never capitalize on it because something is holding him back or because he’s incapable of taking the next step?
That… is Shadowlove.
So who is this wrestler that I have talked about this entire time? The one that I described as being clutch, being a star, being a brand… I ain’t talkin’ about Shadowlove, I’m talkin’ about ME because the truth of the matter is, EVERY SINGLE OUNCE of my success is EVERYTHING that Shadowlove was projected to be by SO MANY in the UCI and AW locker rooms...that HE was supposed to become… I BECAME! HE should have been the one with the longest UCI title reign of all time. HE should have been the one with the most successful defenses. It should have been HIM with 245 days and 12 defenses and with that All-In briefcase that I have and instead for some reason… HE’S NEVER COME CLOSE! Shadowlove, I bet it sucks knowing that you are the one guy in the AW locker room who knows deep down how overrated he really is. You’re a damn good wrestler in your own right, I am not knocking you on your ability. I have faced perennial big spotlight chokers in my time in UCI and AW… wrestlers like L Verez and Karlie Nash among others, but YOU take the cake most of all Shadowlove because Karlie Nash? Bitch was NEVER projected to be a main eventer like you were. L Verez? She was seen as someone with that main event potential, but nowhere NEAR to the extent of you, largely because bitch was too busy hiding in the shadow of the Guardians and Bonnie Blue.
How does it feel to be the biggest fucking disappointment in Action Wrestling history, huh?
And you know what sucks the MOST out of your inability to EVER break the glass ceiling? The fact that I’ve had a few cracks at you in the past and I’ve NEVER beaten you. It doesn’t make sense for someone like me, who has MORE than proven herself in clutch situations in UCI and AW again and again, who broke the records YOU should have broken, who became everything YOU were supposed to be… and yet, I haven’t been able to beat the biggest main event spotlight choker in this company who even puts Jaice Wilds to shame. Hell, maybe they should make the AW Choking Chickenshit Championship and have you two fight for it every show. It’s the only way both of you will ever win a championship.
I’m not that wrestler you remember though… I’m not the incessant whiner… I’m not the inexperienced young lady of 2017… you may be my kryptonite, but unlike then, I’m ready to shatter it NOW.
Of course, I know the questions about me.
Can I take my game up a level?
Can I handle the pressure?
Can I win in a main event when I’m not lurking under the radar anymore?
Can I maintain my unbelievable success when I have shed the label of being AW’s best kept secret?
Can I beat Shadowlove?
Tomorrow night, I will answer ALL those questions with a resounding YES! You may demean the UCI title reign all you want, but it was being able to take my game up a level with EVERY SINGLE DEFENSE that got me to this point. It was handling the pressure of hte UCI series week after week against all levels of competition that made me the PRESENT star that I am. When the spotlight was on me during that series, main eventing and facing the likes of Alex Richards, I DID win.
The bottomline is, Shadowlove…. Unlike you, I’ve not only broken the ceiling, I shattered open my window of main event contention while you just sit there in your mother-in-law’s basement still trying to figure out how to use the fucking hammer.
Have I made myself clear as to why I’m winning tomorrow and breaking my kryptonite?
Haters. Gonna. Hate!
On the day after the Havoc Rumble, Casey walks around the 5th floor of the hotel that she’s staying at. She doesn’t have her All-In briefcase with her at the moment and it’s unclear as to what is going through her mind. She certainly left an impression with her runner up finish in the Rumble the previous night before, but there is no doubt that there has to be at least some form of disappointment running through her mind of coming so close and yet coming so far. She walks into a reception hall where she sees some party banners coming down, particularly a “Congratulations Casey” banner. This causes some surprise to the former UCI Champion.
Voice: CRAP! I was hoping you wouldn’t have seen that.
Casey hears the voice of Bianca Vasquez who looks both disappointed and concerned.
Bianca: We had this all set up for today, but obviously… you know…
Bianca sighs, at this point being more concerned for Casey’s psychological well-being than everything.
Casey: And you think this bothers me why?
Bianca gives Casey a perplexed look as she clearly wasn’t expecting this response out of her.
Bianca: Wait, you’re telling me that this doesn’t bother you at all? I figured because you came SO CLOSE that you’d be like… down in the dumps or something.
Casey: Down in the dumps? Why would you think that?
Bianca: Oh because of all the assholes you work with always giving you shit over UCI and how you haven’t proven anything with your historic reign and all that typical AW garbage.
Casey: Bianca, I get it. You know that I am not one for moral victories but I’m seeing the big picture here. I still have the All-In briefcase and if I really wanted to, I have, pardon the pun, a golden ticket to the Evolution main event. Not to mention that for all the talk and all the bullshit about my UCI run being a fluke and all this talk about how I didn’t defend it against hard opponents, it all became SILENT> The Havoc Rumble at the end of the day was my opportunity not just to win that Evolution main event spot and to prove that what I did with the UCI Championship wasn’t a fluke. I may not have won that main event spot… BUT…
Casey pauses and has a big smile on her face, which is entirely rare for the prodigious wrestler to have after falling short in anything that she sets out to achieve.
Casey: I definitely proved that the UCI run, with the records that I broke and with the standards that I set… standards that will never be topped as far as UCI’s legacy is concerned… it wasn’t a fluke at all. Gosh, do you even need me to run down ALL the names I outlasted in there?
Bianca: I love that you’re seeing it that way. Just sucks that we couldn’t have a victory party.
Casey: We can still have A party now…
Bianca: I already cancelled this one…
Casey: Why don’t we have one back in Seattle? I’m sure Victoria would be willing to let us have the whole Academy for it.
Bianca smiles at this.
Bianca: AWESOME idea! I’ll contact her right now. Be right back…
Bianca bolts from the scene leaving Casey alone to her thoughts.
Casey (thinking): I may not have won the Havoc Rumble. I may have come SO CLOSE finishing second. But at the end of the day, that Rumble was my true coming out party. There were so many cynics that felt that everything I had been in Action Wrestling up to that point was a fluke but with that ONE night, I silenced all the critics even though I didn’t ultimately win the Havoc Rumble. There’s no doubt in my mind now that I AM the superstar of the 2020’s and THE future star in this business. But I also know this… I am NOT AW’s best kept secret anymore and the pressure? It’s about to increase even higher for me!
“Maturity”
Date: May 8, 2019, 9:00 AM
Casey is back in her Bellevue home soaking things in. She knows that the party at the Seattle Wrestling Academy is going to begin in about ten hours time but she’s not too focused on that as she knows that this is going to be a great day for her. After washing the dishes that she used for her breakfast, Casey walks back to her living room ready to turn on the television and try to chill for a little while. However, before she can get to her couch, she hears the ringing of her doorbell. Curious, she walks to her front door and and opens it, finding Shawn Riley, one of her former trainers and one of her harshest critics, standing in front of her.
Casey: Well, I guess the world is ready to end.
Mr. Riley: Can I come in?
Casey: Yeah, sure…
Casey steps aside to allow him to walk in the door.
Casey: I’m surprised you would even make the effort to see me. You’ve always been a vocal critic of me…
Mr. Riley: Yes yes, I know. I remember the last time we spoke, I cursed you out and told you to get your shit together because your incessant whining over the UCI Championship was becoming annoying quite frankly. It’s no secret that I have never been a fan of you as a person. I always thought that you were only around the Academy because your father ran it at the time but you’ve certainly proven yourself capable without him, that much I can say.
Casey: Right…
Casey’s eyes narrow as she doesn’t seem to be too impressed with what she’s hearing.
Casey: We’ve established this before.
Mr. Riley: I know we have Casey. But, there’s a little more to it this time. Of course, I was going to keep a close watch of how you handled the entire UCI Series and all and I admit that I didn’t even think you were going to win that. Actually, to be quite honest, I told your father that Estrella Luiz was going to beat you for that title. But, you proved me wrong all the way.
Casey’s eyes widen.
Casey: Am I hearing you correctly? Are you telling me that I proved you wrong?
Mr. Riley: In various ways, yes. Casey, for years I thought you were an ungrateful, petulant, pathetic, narcissistic little brat. “Crying Casey” seemed to be the most fitting nickname ever. However, you handled that UCI series with class and with dignity and you stood up and defended it like a true champion and successfully went through the hardest gauntlet of your career. You handled it with a lot of grace, even though you’ve got an outspoken nature that rubs people the wrong way. I just…
Riley pauses and sighs, shaking his head. Casey smirks at this knowing that her most notorious critic from her wrestling school days is almost certainly eating crow at the moment.
Mr. Riley: My god this is embarrassing for me personally, I hope you do realize that…
Casey: Oh I definitely realize it!
Casey smirks some more which causes Mr. Riley to sigh some more.
Mr. Riley: You’ve grown up. I never thought I’d say those three words to you, but there you go. You finished runner up in the Havoc Rumble and you didn’t complain about it, not once. Instead, you took the high road, saw the moral victory that you attained and embraced it. I’m very impressed with your behavior, Casey. It pains me to say it, but at the end of the day, you… made a believer out of me… GOD, I want to vomit right now just saying that…
Casey can’t help but laugh at this.
Mr. Riley: Now… you BETTER not fuck this up, Casey… because if you do… I’ll track you down and make sure you know how much I STILL don’t like you… even NOW.
Casey: Yeah, the feeling is still mutual.
Mr. Riley: But I do respect you… GOD, where’s the bathroom…
Casey points down the hallway.
Mr. Riley: Thanks. Please don’t waste the respect I’ve gained for you… excuse me…
Mr. Riley bolts down the hall, leaving Casey both amused at his plight and surprised that proving him wrong essentially made him sick.
Casey: Well, that’s essentially a microcosm of the AW locker room, isn’t it?
“Not Such a Secret Anymore”
Date: May 8, 2019
Time: 5:00 PM
Casey has arrived at the Seattle Wrestling Academy where the celebration is taking place. Walking into the main gym, she sees one person sitting alone, sifting through some thoughts. Casey recognizes this red-haired woman anywhere considering the history between the two.
Casey: Vicky…
Victoria Salinas turns toward her.
Victoria: Hey.
Casey: Any luck finding another place to work?
Victoria: It’s going.
Casey: You know, if you need someplace, AW is always hiring.
Victoria chuckles with humility.
Victoria: Thanks. But I’m afraid if I went there, I’d overshadow you.
Casey: Oh BULLSHIT!
Casey sits down next to her.
Victoria: I just hope that… you’re ready for the next level of your career.
Casey: Are you talking about the All-In case?
Victoria: Not necessarily. Casey, I’m so proud of you for your success and you’ve done such an amazing job. I feel so much pride knowing that everything I taught you not only didn’t go to waste after all, but that you have taken what you have learned from me and have taken it to the next level. However, and I’m not saying this as a bad thing, I am saying this more as a warning…. You’re not under the radar anymore. You finished second and you have that briefcase. There are going to be a LOT of people targeting you now. You did AMAZING being under that radar, but what are you going to do when the spotlight is on you?
Casey: That’s easy. Casey Clutch for the win, that’s what!
Victoria: It’s not easy, Casey.
Casey: I know THAT…
Victoria: I’m just telling it to you straight. You have a history of not doing well when the pressure is on you. What are you going to do with Shadowlove? He’s been one of the top stars where you’ve been for years. I know he’s never won the big one and all that, but you’ve faced him how many times?
Casey: I don’t have a number, but there have been a few run ins, that’s for sure. I’m going to say… maybe four times?
Victoria: And HOW many wins do you have over the guy?
Casey: Look, three of those matches were multi-person clusterfucks in UCI where neither of us won, alright.
Victoria: And the one that wasn’t?
Casey: He didn’t pin me.
Victoria: Casey, if you’re going to be a main eventer, you can’t run away from reality. You have to face and overcome the facts. You’ve NEVER beaten Shadowlove and it’s fair to question whether you would have won the UCI series if you replaced Estrella or Chase Jackson with him. I don’t know if it’s because he hasn’t been a good match for you or if it was just your inexperience of the time, but having had a few cracks at him, I know it gets to you that you haven’t beaten him. Ever.
Casey: Right… I don’t know WHY you have to point this out to me.
Victoria: It irritates you, doesn’t it?
Casey: Damn right it does!
Victoria: That will happen sometimes, Casey. You will run into those opponents that are your kryptonite or those that are extremely difficult to overcome. Many years ago, that was your ex-boyfriend for me, remember that?
Casey: Hey, you beat him in San Antonio in front of 70,000 people with your first world championship reign at stake 8 years ago.
Victoria: But he had my number, aside from that. The son of a bitch frustrated me but at the end of the day, I didn’t let him define my career. I didn’t allow my lack of success against him to get the better of me. Casey, this is how you need to approach this entry into main event status and no longer being AW’s best kept secret. If you go into this match focusing on your lack of success against Shadowlove, your first big test as an Action Wrestling main eventer is not going to go well for you. If you get stuck in 2017 when you were that incessant whiner, that’s what you’re going to wrestle as, and you’re going to lose. BUT, if you focus on what you are TODAY, the woman that broke records as UCI Champion who far and away has everything lined up for her to be the best wrestler of her generation for the next decade… then you got this.
Casey: It’s easier said than done, VIcky…
Victoria: But you’ve shown you’re capable of it. Unlike before when you won that Trios tourney in SCW, you ARE ready for the spotlight. It’s the main event against one of AW’s best… you can’t ask for much more than that. So seize that moment and don’t you dare let your last encounters and your lack of success against the guy bring you down, alright?
Casey smirks and nods.
Casey: I got you, Vicky.
Casey smiles as she stands up and walks away preparing herself for the big party in her name at the Seattle Wrestling Academy that is due to take place in a couple of hours.
Casey (thinking): This match is going to be my toughest test yet in Action Wrestling, there is no denying that. The spotlight is on me, just like I have always wanted it to be. With the All-In briefcase and the runner up finish, I know for a damn fact that people aren’t going to be calling me a fluke anymore because I KNOW that with my performance at the Havoc Rumble, EVERYONE is talking about me… whether they’re admitting I proved them wrong, whether they see me as the rising star of this company or hell, whether they’re seeing me as the next AW World Champion. The pressure will be greater, the lights will be brighter and the stage will be bigger, but that doesn’t faze me. Like my mentor Victoria Salinas… on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, there is nobody better than ME! Shadowlove is going to be the first idiot in this company to learn that…
Date: May 12, 2019
Casey is sitting on a chair in front of a microphone in front of a small crowd downtown. She has a piece of paper in front of her that she is going to read from. There’s a banner above her that says “Creative Writing Open Mic Night” where creators from all over express themselves. The spotlight hovers over Casey as she begins to speak.
Casey: I call this one… “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Shadowlove”...
Casey clears her throat and begins her story.
Casey: I heard the news… about a wrestler that was a big name. That wrestler had it all… the looks, the marketability, the potential to be greater than what they were before… who is this wrestler? Who am I talkin’ about?
Ain’t talkin’ bout Shadlowlove, that’s for damn sure…
The best wrestler in UCI history to never win their world championship.
The man who recently had a crack at the AW World Championship against Ryan Lockhart… only to fail…
The man who was thought to be a contender in the Havoc Rumble and who some thought was going to win… and while he got a great number of eliminations… he didn’t even finish in the top 10.
And you want to call that a big name wrestler? No, I call that a wrestler that is wasting their potential and their marketability. All the potential to be great and yet for SOME REASON… he just… he CAN’T… he CAN’T break through when it matters most. But enough about him… let’s talk about this wrestler…
This wrestler is in high demand, a burgeoning brand name, someone that is going to revolutionize wrestling well into the future, especially the next 10 years, someone who when the chips were down and when it came time to step up in the clutch, time and time again, a perennial championship contender that has accumulated quite the accolades.
But I certainly ain’t as hell talkin’ about Shadowlove… because while he could have been that… he has proven to NEVER be that. Flashing back to UCI… he had HOW many cracks at a championship?
THREE shots at the UCI World Championship…
THREE shots at the UCI Intercontinental Championship…
I think there was even a Hypermedia challenge in there somewhere…
And he came up empty… every. Single. Time. But that’s UCI… I get that. But have you ever seen his name on ANY of the AW Championship histories? NO!
It’s not just that Shadowlove has never been a world champion despite all the potential, all of the hype and all of the star power he is said to possess…. It’s also the fact that he’s never been a champion AT ALL!
So who the hell am I talking about with what I have been describing? If anything, Shadowlove IS the type of wrestler that I SHOULD be talking about with all of my descriptors and yet… I AIN’T TALKING ABOUT SHADOWLOVE! Because when you add it all together, oh sure the guy has beaten SOME big names, including me, as much as I hate to admit it, oh sure, the guy has won some big matches on Pay-Per-Views in the past, I am not going to deny him that much, do you know what I see in the man named Shadowlove? I see the biggest disappointment over the last few years across UCI AND AW! I see him as the early 1990’s Buffalo Bills that never won a super bowl! Shadowlove is like the Matt Ryan-era Atlanta Falcons… the Joe Thornton-era San Jose Sharks, the current-era Los Angeles Dodgers, the late 90’s Utah Jazz with Stockton and Malone… entities that had EVERYTHING it took to be champions at their professions and at their peaks but entities that NEVER got it done and ALWAYS disappointed when it mattered the most.
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the boy known as Shadowlove in a nutshell.
CHOKE ARTIST!
FAILURE!
The spotlight is ALWAYS too bright for him and the stage is ALWAYS too big for him. I hear the talk in that locker room…
“When is he going to win the big one?”
“When is he going to meet his potential?”
“When is Shadowlove finally going to be consistent in big time, primetime matches instead of winning one every once in a while only to once again fall short when it matters most?”
Folks, my story is about the American Nightmare… you know the family member or friend or neighbor that has ALL the potential to be such a big thing in this world… only to never capitalize on it because something is holding him back or because he’s incapable of taking the next step?
That… is Shadowlove.
So who is this wrestler that I have talked about this entire time? The one that I described as being clutch, being a star, being a brand… I ain’t talkin’ about Shadowlove, I’m talkin’ about ME because the truth of the matter is, EVERY SINGLE OUNCE of my success is EVERYTHING that Shadowlove was projected to be by SO MANY in the UCI and AW locker rooms...that HE was supposed to become… I BECAME! HE should have been the one with the longest UCI title reign of all time. HE should have been the one with the most successful defenses. It should have been HIM with 245 days and 12 defenses and with that All-In briefcase that I have and instead for some reason… HE’S NEVER COME CLOSE! Shadowlove, I bet it sucks knowing that you are the one guy in the AW locker room who knows deep down how overrated he really is. You’re a damn good wrestler in your own right, I am not knocking you on your ability. I have faced perennial big spotlight chokers in my time in UCI and AW… wrestlers like L Verez and Karlie Nash among others, but YOU take the cake most of all Shadowlove because Karlie Nash? Bitch was NEVER projected to be a main eventer like you were. L Verez? She was seen as someone with that main event potential, but nowhere NEAR to the extent of you, largely because bitch was too busy hiding in the shadow of the Guardians and Bonnie Blue.
How does it feel to be the biggest fucking disappointment in Action Wrestling history, huh?
And you know what sucks the MOST out of your inability to EVER break the glass ceiling? The fact that I’ve had a few cracks at you in the past and I’ve NEVER beaten you. It doesn’t make sense for someone like me, who has MORE than proven herself in clutch situations in UCI and AW again and again, who broke the records YOU should have broken, who became everything YOU were supposed to be… and yet, I haven’t been able to beat the biggest main event spotlight choker in this company who even puts Jaice Wilds to shame. Hell, maybe they should make the AW Choking Chickenshit Championship and have you two fight for it every show. It’s the only way both of you will ever win a championship.
I’m not that wrestler you remember though… I’m not the incessant whiner… I’m not the inexperienced young lady of 2017… you may be my kryptonite, but unlike then, I’m ready to shatter it NOW.
Of course, I know the questions about me.
Can I take my game up a level?
Can I handle the pressure?
Can I win in a main event when I’m not lurking under the radar anymore?
Can I maintain my unbelievable success when I have shed the label of being AW’s best kept secret?
Can I beat Shadowlove?
Tomorrow night, I will answer ALL those questions with a resounding YES! You may demean the UCI title reign all you want, but it was being able to take my game up a level with EVERY SINGLE DEFENSE that got me to this point. It was handling the pressure of hte UCI series week after week against all levels of competition that made me the PRESENT star that I am. When the spotlight was on me during that series, main eventing and facing the likes of Alex Richards, I DID win.
The bottomline is, Shadowlove…. Unlike you, I’ve not only broken the ceiling, I shattered open my window of main event contention while you just sit there in your mother-in-law’s basement still trying to figure out how to use the fucking hammer.
Have I made myself clear as to why I’m winning tomorrow and breaking my kryptonite?
Haters. Gonna. Hate!