Post by Bonnie Blue on Mar 16, 2018 11:38:55 GMT -5
Murmurs ripple through a crowd of press, gathered eagerly in front of an empty stage. Action Wrestling and Viceland logos alternate in a repeating pattern across a backdrop curtain. The slow beat of Rihanna's cover of "Same Ol' Mistakes" plays over the sound system, and a hushed anticipation falls over the crowd. An emcee just offstage lifts a microphone.
MC: Ladies and gentlemen of the press, Action Wrestling and the Viceland Network would like to thank you for joining us in welcoming A-Dub's newest and proudest acquisition. You know her from the Dubya-See-Eff, You-See-Eye, and the short-lived but explosive New Blood Wrestling! Triple-crown winning, multiple-time Intercontinental and Tag Team champion, former World Champion, and current Hardcore Champ of the Dub! She is the Daughter of Time and the #DeepBlueSea -- please give a big round of applause to BONNIE BLUE!!!
The crowd erupts. Cameras flash. Bonnie Blue emerges onto the stage, dressed head to toe in Action Wrestling swag; her UCI Tag title over one shoulder, the WCF Hardcore belt over the other. She flashes a dazzling smile at the audience as she takes the lone seat behind a microphone array, laying her two championship belts neatly on the table in front of her.
Bonnie Blue: Ayyy, yo! That's a hell of an introduction, my man -- you wanna do all my ring intros from now on, bruh?
She winks at the unseen emcee.
Bonnie Blue: Now, as the gentleman said, you all know my name; who I am; what I do. These belts right here speak for themselves. In the last two years, I've spent a total of maybe three months without somethin' shiny strapped around my waist. First, last an' undefeated You-Sea-Eye Tag Team Champion alongside Alex Richards; an' the only three-time tag champ! Second longest-reigning You-Sea-Eye World Champion! An' the record combined Intercontinental Championship reign of one hundred twenty days -- as well as the only two-time Intercontinental Champ in You-Sea-Eye hist'ry!
The icin' on the cake? This Dub-Sea-Eff Hardcore Title belt right here.
Her slender, manicured hand caresses the scuffed metal plate; glossy-pink lips lift in a satisfied smile. There are chips in her nail polish and a healing bruise on her left cheek.
Bonnie Blue: Hardcore. It's always been part of who I am. How I seized the Intercontinental Title in the first place; how I won it back without havin' to invoke my rematch, an' earned the nickname "Hardcore Queen" in the process. Now this is my first an' so far only title in the Dub, an' that opportunity given but grudgin'ly. Dub's got somethin' against ya girl, an' near's I can tell, it ain't nothin' but spite. Bonnie Blue means money, an' that's why ol' Gravedigger been workin' on me since A-Dub opened its doors. We had so many lunch meetings, I was startin' to think we were datin'!
Polite laughter ripples through the crowd as Bonnie beams at the press.
Bonnie Blue: For real, though, there were a lotta details to work out. An' Digger kept on sweetenin' the deal. When Torture heard Digger had ya girl on the hook, he even said "Johnny Reb's daughter gets whatever she wants." Paraphrasin', but that was the gist of it. I coulda held out until they agreed to give me the first shot at Roy Speede; if I was an asshole. If I were some kinda spotlight-hoggin' glory hound like Jared Holmes or Joey Flash or John Rabid. But ya girl got more class than that, y'all feel me?
A scattering of murmurs in the sea of press. Nearly every sports and entertainment news outlet is represented; from ESPN and Sports Illustrated to ProWrestling Insider, PWTorch.com, and Bleacher Report, even TMZ. Local network affiliates KTVX, KUTV,KUCW, and KSTU had all sent reporters of their own. The Salt Lake City Hilton conference room is packed, each of them hanging on Bonnie's every word. It was something she was still getting used to.
Bonnie Blue: Y'all damn right! I coulda demanded almost anything -- so the exact opposite of the way Vincent Pryde treated me -- an' got it. Title shots. Main event matches. The right to handpick my opponent every week. But nah, that ain't how ya girl rolls. These dudes got a combined half-century of experience in this profession, they ain't about to pass up a guaranteed money maker like Bonnie Blue tryin' to get some worthless fuccboi over. That's called trust. Respect. Ain't enough of that in this business. An' that's why I didn't feel a need to push my way to the front of the line here.
I'mma get my title shot, that ain't even a question. But I'mma work for it, prove this reputation is earned! Ya girl got this on lock, dig? That World Title is mine, sooner rather'n later; until then, I'm more'n happy to show the A-Dub what my own fanbase already knows -- every Bonnie Blue match is a main event, no matter where they put me on the card! I'm the baddest bitch in the business an' the biggest draw in the house.
Everything I've achieved up to now was layin' the foundation to build on. Y'all ain't seen nothin' yet!
The Daughter of Time beams brightly at the crowd. Impatient reporters clamor to be the first acknowledged. Bonnie waits, letting the cacophony of strident voices wash over her like a receding tide. At last, she points to a woman in a crisp pink-and-black suit and cat's-eye glasses.
Reporter One: Bonnie, are you concerned that you might be over-committing yourself, between your WCF and Action Wrestling schedules?
Bonnie Blue: Good question. Now, you might think that workin' full time for two wrestlin' promotions would be stretchin' things, an' I ain't gonna lie -- it's difficult. There can be the occasional scheduling conflict, travel delays, everyday kinda stuff. But what it comes down to is that I love this profession. The Dubya-Sea-Eff is one of the top companies in the industry, an' it's where my daddy built his legacy, so I feel a real connection there, even when things are rough. A-Dub, on the other hand, is an opportunity to build somethin' new -- alongside some of the top talent in the industry -- just like You-Sea-Eye was. I can't claim to have been in quite on the very beginnin' this time, but I bring somethin' else to the table now: brand recognition. Star power. I come here on equal footin' with guys like Roy Speede, D-Day, Doc Henry, even ZMAC.
Over-committin'? I'm just gettin' warmed up.
With a theatrical wink at her audience, Bonnie points to the next in turn; a guy in an Insurgency t-shirt under a gray blazer.
Reporter Two: I notice you brought your UCI Tag strap with you. Does that mean you have plans to reunite with Alex Richards as a tag team? Maybe bring the Guardians into Action Wrestling?
The young woman's smile turns enigmatic.
Bonnie Blue: Well, I reckon that might be a possibility. Me an' Alex was the best tag team in the business, an' the rest of the Guardians ain't strayed too far. That said, however, I ain't at liberty to say much more. Y'all just gonna have to wait an' find out.
Reporter Two: Follow-up question -- how do you feel about the introduction of the United Championship Infinite World Title to Action Wrestling, and Corey Bull being the current UCI Champ?
Bonnie Blue: That's a little easier to answer. Corey Bull is an amazin' talent in the ring an' there's no question in my mind that the man deserves a title. Of his own. So far as I'm concerned, the last an' rightful You-Sea-Eye World Champ is Preecha Kamon. Spencer Adams made a mockery of the title when he put it on himself -- doubly so when he lost it moments later, although Bull is a more deservin' champ. If the belt's back in circulation, there's only one competitor more suited to it. That's right: Ya girl, Bonnie, right here.
For emphasis, she lightly taps on her own chest.
Bonnie Blue: 'Course, I don't want y'all thinkin' that gold is all that Bonnie Blue is about. Big part of it, sure. I'm used to it, carryin' around that extra ten or fifteen pounds of gold an' leather; that big ol' target right on my back -- but let's face it, there's always a target on my back. Champion or not, everybody come gunnin' for the #DeepBlueSea at some point. I been called a gatekeeper, a benchmark, a gold standard; an' all any of it means is Bonnie Blue is just that damn good. You wanna get anywhere in this industry, you gotta have a match with the Hardcore Queen on your resume. Win or lose don't matter, bein' in the ring with me at all makes ya stand out. You wanna step to me, go toe-to-toe with the #DeepBlueSea; bring everythin' ya got, or #BendTheKnee.
Applause breaks out and spreads like fire through the press; they're all feeling the heat now. Emboldened, another journalist speaks out.
Reporter Three: Do you have anything specific to say to your first opponent?
Bonnie Blue: Well, what's to say? I'm facin' somebody who's got one match to her name, an' the performance wasn't exactly what I'd call remarkable. It's like she barely even showed up, but y'know, I'm willin' to extend the benefit of the doubt. Some people choke their first time between them ropes. The lights. The crowd. Knowin' there's a million more people watchin' ya on television, so ya better not screw up -- that's a ton of pressure. It's a lot bigger than puttin' on your finest fictional persona an' paradin' around Sea-Two-Ee-Two or DragonCon. This ain't playin' pretend. Maybe this time Sloane Atreyu understands that.
'Cause the instant that bell rings, Sloane, you're in my domain. I know every inch of that squared circle like the back of my hand. I know how to use the ropes, the turnbuckles, every part of that ring to my own advantage. I don't just love wrestlin' -- I live wrestlin'! This is what I was born to do. It's in my blood. Can you say the same?
Fuck no, you can't. I looked into you. Thought ya might be related to Benjamin Atreyu, maybe give me a little bit of a fight; no such luck. You don't know what it's like to be raised around the business. You didn't spend time as a baby crawlin' around the ring after the crowds go home. You didn't grow up with the smell of sweat an' adrenaline fillin' your senses as far back as you can recall. You didn't spend your youth dreamin' of the day your daddy would walk you down the aisle -- an' into a wrestlin' ring!
Whatchu got, Sloane? Hmm? You gonna come down to the ring in a cute little Team Rocket outfit, shake your ass at the fans to get that cheap pop. Then ya gonna hear that bell; ya gonna look up an' find yourself starin' into the #DeepBlueSea; ya gonna tremble an' ultimately... you're gonna fall. But you'll find yourself in damn good comp'ny. Gravedigger, for one. Teo Del Sol, Kyle Kemp, Frank Patrick Venable, Kevin Bishop... I mean, do I gotta list 'em all? We'd be here all night. Point is, Bonnie Blue has pinned nearly all of the top competitors in this business -- so either step up your game, or step outta the ring.
One corner of her mouth turns up in a cocky smirk. Something backstage catches her eye; she glances that way and gives a slight nod.
Bonnie Blue: And unfortunately, that's all the time I got for today. Y'all tune in to Action Wrestlin' on Monday night, watch the debut of A-Dub's newest, brightest star! Peace!
With that, Bonnie scoops up her UCI Tag Title and her WCF Hardcore Title and walks off the stage in a blinding array of camera flashes.