What's Wrong?

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Off Camera

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The Sisterhood has hit a major league slump in recent weeks, suffering losses to The Brotherhood, Adrenaline Rush, The B&B Experience, and a loss in Scaffold Scramble at Rise To Greatness.  For most athletes, a slump is a slump; simple as that. You fight through it and you persevere.  You eventually hit your stride again and you get back to your winning ways.

The Jones women, however, are not like most athletes.

Angelica and Kayla are used to being on the winning side of most encounters.  They are used to standing victorious when that final bell rings.  They are, after all, two time SCW World Tag Team Champions.  But in their mind, they certainly don’t look like former tag team champions.  In the mind of Angelica and Kayla, they look more like rank amateurs trying to scrape up their first victory.  In their minds they are making dumb mistakes that veterans of their caliber should not be making.

It could be a case of their ego making them think that they should be doing better than what they are currently doing, or maybe the Jones women have a legitimate point that they are making a bunch of mistakes that they shouldn’t be making; either way, Angelica and Kayla definitely want to get back to their winning ways and in the process remind the SCW universe that The Sisterhood is still a force to be reckoned with.

Apocalypse will be their opportunity to do just that; for Angelica and Kayla are set to face off against two former world champions in the form of Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street.

A veteran such as Angelica Jones knows what a match of this magnitude means.  It isn’t for any championships or a contender’s spot, it is just about pride and, for Angelica and Kayla specifically, it is about showing that they haven’t lost a step.  It is about steering the Sisterhood ship back onto the right path towards yet another tag team championship in SCW.

Perhaps that’s what frustrates her the most on this day in Oklahoma City.  This is the site of SCW Apocalypse, where she and Kayla will attempt to get back to their winning ways against Amy and Kennedy, and she knows of dozens of things she could be doing right now to prepare…

…watching tape…

…talking strategy with Kayla…

…working out in a gym…

…but Angelica is doing none of that.  Instead she finds herself seated in the lobby of a hotel, the hotel she is staying while in Oklahoma City.  She is waiting on the arrival of her sister Kayla’s foster brother Oliver Hardy Jr.

Angelica doesn’t much trust Hardy anyway.  It was under the care of Oliver’s father, Oliver Hardy Sr., that Kayla was physically and sexually abused.  Angelica knows that her sister hasn’t told her every story of the horror that was living under the Hardy Household.  She can only imagine the terror and pain of it all.  While Kayla may trust Oliver Hardy Jr. and while he may swear he is nothing like his father, Angelica will never trust him fully.

Chalk that one up to Angelica being an overprotective older sister.

Initially she told Oliver Hardy to shove it up his ass when he asked to meet her here today, but he insisted this was important and it had to do with Kayla’s well-being.  Reluctantly Angelica finally gave in and agreed to meet with him here today.

Angelica is tapping her foot impatiently.  She casts a quick look at the watch on her wrist.  Where is he?  Almost as if on cue she turns towards the front revolving doors and spots Oliver Hardy Jr. walking through, looking refined in a button down silk Carolina blue shirt and black dress pants.  He scans the lobby and eventually spots Angelica, seated on a comfy leather sofa.  He smiles and waves politely as he approaches Jones.

“Hi Angelica!” He says extending a hand, expecting a shake. “Thanks for agreeing to see me.”

Angelica looks up at his hand with a rather annoyed look on her face and then looks up at Oliver and rolls her eyes.

“You told me my sister’s well-being was at stake.” She responds. “It isn’t like I have much of a choice.”

“Right, I guess not…” Oliver’s voice trails off as he awkwardly pulls back his hand, realizing that Angelica is refusing to accept the handshake “…uh, may I sit down?”

“Sure.” Angelica scoots over some, allowing Oliver room on the sofa, it is the least she can do. “It is a free country.”

Oliver nods his head and then sits down next to Angelica. “Thanks again for agreeing to meet me, Angelica.  I know you don’t trust me, but you can believe me when I say that I do care about Kayla and that I am worried about her.”

“You’re right, I don’t trust you,” Angelica snarls “because as a teenager she was under your family’s care.  She was supposed to be taken care of; yet she suffered severely for years at the hands of your father.  You say you’re not like him, you say you’re different.  Maybe you are, maybe you’re not…”

She shakes her head “…but I don’t believe you, Oliver, not yet.  You will have to earn my trust.”

“And I truly hope to earn that trust,” he remarks “but that’s not important right now.  What is important is Kayla’s well-being.”

“Right, you mentioned that already.” Angelica says, sounding frustrated. “What is wrong with her that she has mentioned to me but apparently she’s shared with you?”

“Not so loud,” Oliver chides in a hushed tone “I’d rather the world not know about the Hardy family’s dirty laundry.”

“Too late for that!” Angelica says, chuckling.

“In any event,” Oliver continues “did Kayla tell you that members of the Hardy family are seeking my dad’s ashes?”

“No, she didn’t.” Angelica answers, shaking her head. “But what’s the big deal about that? Can’t you just give them the ashes?”

“Well that’s the problem.” Oliver says, shaking his head. “It isn’t that simple. Apparently dad had a last minute change into his will making Kayla one of the heirs and executors of his estate.”

“One of them?” Angelica says with an arched brow.

“That’s right,” Oliver says, nodding his head and motioning to himself “I’m the other heir and executor. What this means is that I alone cannot grant them permission to take dad’s ashes.  I have to have Kayla’s permission as well.”

“I still don’t see the problem, Oliver.” Angelica says with an exasperated, impatient look on her face. “If you and Kayla are getting along as nicely as you two claim you are, it shouldn’t be difficult to agree to hand over the ashes and get this issue settled.”

“Once again you think it’s simple but it’s not that simple,” Oliver sighs “and this is where Kayla’s well-being comes into play…”

“What do you mean?” Angelica demands.

“Look, Angelica, I’m sure Kayla told you many stories about what happened to her when she lived with me and dad. And they were all true. But she didn’t tell you everything and she didn’t tell you how truly damaged she was and still is as a result of the trauma.  The truth is, she doesn’t realize how damaged she is…”

“You’re scaring me, Oliver.” Angelica says, an angry look forming on her face “so just get on with it.  What’s wrong with my sister?”

“Maybe it was the Hardy family coming back into her life brought back those traumatic memories and something snapped.” He taps his head. “Something snapped in her head.”

Angelica Jones leans back and tries to take it all in.  It is difficult for her to accept what Oliver just told her.  Quickly she shakes her head.

“No, impossible.” Angelica says, trying to deny what Oliver just told her. “This can’t be true.  Kayla has always been the most mentally strong of the two of us.”

“I may be wrong about this, Angelica, and I truly do hope I’m wrong, but from what I’ve observed recently I think I’m right.  That’s why I wanted to tell you; because I think I am right, that something is wrong.”

“Then why don’t you talk some sense into her?” Angelica says with vitriol dripping from her voice. “You’re the one who knows the Hardy history.”

“Yes, that is true, but unfortunately she isn’t listening to me.” He says, shaking his head. “I think you may have better luck getting through to her.  You have been where she is, you beat your mental problems and became a better person for it.  Plus, as you’ve said before, you’re her sister…I’m not really her brother…”

His voice trails off as a look of sadness spreads across his face.  That last look seems to convict Angelica.  She suddenly starts to feel bad for how she’s treated Oliver recently.  Maybe he’s right?  Maybe Kayla does need help.  If she does, and if Oliver is right, then Angelica needs to hurry.  But first…

“I still don’t trust you, but Oliver,” the scowl on Angelica’s face turns into a warm smile as a tear forms in her eye “Kayla is damn lucky to have a brother like you.”

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On Camera

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Times have changed in this industry.  And not necessarily for the better.  When I got my start it was all about the spirit of competition.  I mean, yeah, there were the grudge matches from time to time, and there were also people who stooped to any low in order to win…and I won’t deny the fact that I was among those who did whatever it took to win…but that wasn’t the norm.  It was mostly about two proud competitors getting into the squared circle to find out who was the best.

These days it seems that you have to hate one another for anyone to be interested in what you’re doing.  These days it seems that you have to be a controversial, backstabbing little bitch in order to have a top spot on a wrestling card.

But perhaps we can change that?  Perhaps together with my sister, Kayla Jones, we can have a good old fashioned tag team match against two people I have the utmost respect for in the form of Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street; a match not about ego or grudges, but a competitive tag team match to see who is the best.

Kayla and I, we’ve always prided ourselves on being among the absolute best in tag team wrestling.  We would like to think that when we hang up our wrestling boots in Supreme Championship Wrestling that the name Sisterhood will always be remembered and spoken with awe and reverence.  More than anything, we want to know we’ve had a positive impact upon the tag team division.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that The Sisterhood has had that positive impact upon the tag team division.  At least, not the impact I would like to have.  We haven’t been competing at the level we know we can compete at, we haven’t been wrestling like the two time SCW World Tag Team Champions.  And perhaps, we haven’t been behaving like former two time SCW World Tag Team Champions either.

That’s what makes Apocalypse special for me.  This is a chance for The Sisterhood to turn things around, not just in terms of getting back to our winning ways but in terms of our actions outside of the ring.  And you know, win or lose, we’ll put on a hell of a show, we will show the wrestling world outside of SCW what tag team wrestling is all about.  And I couldn’t think of anyone better to put on a show with than Amy and Kennedy, two athletes I have tremendous respect for.

Amy, Kennedy, I do respect you for what you both have done, overcoming your demons, and in the case of Kennedy, changing your ways.  I have had my own struggles with both myself throughout my life, but I have come out on top.  And while I do respect both of you, I will also guarantee you that I will fight tooth and nail to make sure I come out on top in this battle at Apocalypse.

Slumps happen in this business, we get that, and right now The Sisterhood is in a major slump.  You two happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time because we need this win, we need it more than you can possibly imagine.  And I can most definitely speak for my sister when I say that we are prepared to sacrifice our bodies, our everything, in order to pick up this win and get back on track.

Will it end like we want?  I can’t predict the future and I won’t make any promises.  What I will promise is that you will get the absolute best of The Sisterhood at Apocalypse, I can promise that we will tear down the house at Apocalypse, I promise we’ll steal the show.  And I promise that we’ll kick your…

…actually, no, that’s my sister’s line…

…see you at Apocalypse.