Reminder

The Sisterhood have been the SCW World Tag Team Champions on two different occasions, the first time defeating Standing Room Only and the second time defeating Honor Code.  We’ve fought toe to toe with every tag team in SCW, including Adrenaline Rush, Team Desire, and The Network.  No, we may not own the tag team division like we tried to boastfully claim once before, but everyone knows just how good The Sisterhood can be in the tag team division.

Perhaps it’s time to remind everyone what Kayla and I can do individually?  I mean, I love teaming with my sister and I still want that third SCW World Tag Team Championship reign, but at the end of the day we are still fierce competitors and we still want to be the best in the industry.  We can be the best, we know we have it in us and Kayla has a prime opportunity to take an immediate step up to that top level by winning a Trios Contract and earning the right to book any match she wants anywhere she wants.

And as for me, I have a chance to win my first singles gold in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  I could become the SCW Television Champion.  All I have to do is take one of SCW’s latest rookies to school on the next edition of Breakdown.

Get ready, Bill Barnhart, because I am taking you to school, and these will be very hard lessons indeed.

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Off Camera

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They call it the "asylum" as if it were a place of refuge, it is anything but. It is a place for those no-one knows what to do with to be forgotten by the wider world. It is prison for the sick. They take your dignity along with your clothes, talk to you as if you were a challenged child and feed terrible food in small potions. And then they watch, record any negative emotions, praise dull and passive behaviours. it is truly the "Hotel California" of the state of Massachusetts.  In that place, that asylum, there wasn't one word you could say that wouldn't be taken as insane. Every little thing was over scrutinized, every emotion taken as a sign of imbalance. The pills came, as did the over cooked food - bland and over salted. In that place of locked doors and barred windows time slowed - the clock ticking out the moments lost to just sitting and staring from one peeling poster to another.

In that asylum I had no rights. I could not leave, nor could I choose when to rise or the time at which I could go to bed. I could not refuse the poisons that make my mind slow to the point of stopping at cease every emotion. The room they had me stay in had no handles; they were just sheets of smooth metal aside from the window staff peer through. The bed was a mattress on the cold floor with a single blanket for warmth. There was no rest from the screams of others, the ones driven most crazy by the hours of isolation. We weren’t true patients but inmates, barely human at all.  We were stuck here so that the “normal” people, the good citizens of Massachusetts wouldn’t have to deal with us.  But then again, what is truly normal?  Who defines what normal is?  Society?  Society is arguably just as crazy as those locked up inside the asylum.

In that place time was marked by the coming of meals and the medications. Never was there anything good, anything that would lift the spirits. The only freedom was fetching a drink in the plastic cups. There was status in being able to wear your own clothes, for the masses wandered the wide corridors in pajamas - faces wiped clean by the medications. The furniture that wasn't hard plastic frayed at the edges and always there were the violent patients to steer clear of, or those that harbored grudges for obscure reasons.

Angelica Jones stops her monologue right then and there long enough to shut her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the light around her, trying to embrace the darkness.  After a few tense, troubling moments she finally reopens her eyes and sighs deeply, taking time to wipe some nervous sweat from her brow before shaking her head.

“I may sound crazy right now, doctor, and I know I’m taking a risk by seeing you right now.”

“You’re not crazy, Angelica.” Dr. Warren remarks. “And there is no risk here.  This is not an official visit anyway.”

Dr. Jennifer Warren used to be the staff psychiatrist at Global Division of Wrestling where Angelica Jones one competed.  Jennifer Warren also is the psychiatrist who has been seeing Angelica’s daughter, Kimberly Williams.  Thus Angelica is very acutely aware of who Dr. Warren is and also how helpful she can be.  Angelica did not want to see a psychiatrist, she still does not want to see a psychiatrist due to her fear, the one fear that even tames the awesome Dragon; the fear of once again being institutionalized in an insane asylum.

The first time she was locked up was back in 1995.  After being accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, Sean Williams, she pled insane and allowed herself to be locked up in a mental institution instead of taking the jail time.  Little did she know that her time in the mental institution would be very much like a prison itself.  Whether it was a prison or a mental institution, Angelica was still locked away in an inescapable building, unable to continue her search for her younger sister Kayla, whom she still feared dead, unable to find her daughter Marie, who  had been taken from her after Sean Williams’s death.

After about five years Angelica was released with a clean bill of mental health.  This allowed her to begin her training to become a professional wrestler and it is there, in the wrestling business, where Angelica pulled her family back together.  She found her sister Kayla, she found her daughter Marie, eventually found her other daughter, Kimberly.  The entire Jones family was rebuilt thanks in large part to wrestling saving Angelica from herself.

Now she risks losing it all due what is an apparent descent into madness.  Angelica has the strongest support group one could ask for; her sister Kayla, her children Kimberly, Marie, Jessica, and even little Kelly, and not to mention Angelica’s lover, Aphrodite Noel.  All of them have told Angelica that she needs to get help.  But they also know exactly what sparked this descent into madness.

It was in Europe during SCW’s European Tour when she learned that her mother was alive and well.  Normally such news would prove to be wonderful but for Angelica, whose entire life and career, both professional and personal, has been built upon the belief that her mother was taken from her at a young age, this news is not as comforting.  For Angelica now questions who she really is.  She questions whether or not her entire life was built upon a lie.

Angelica adjusts herself in the nice, padded sofa in Dr. Warren’s office.  The blonde doctor sits in a leather rolling desk chair next to the sofa, staring into Angelica’s hurt, pained eyes.  Even though she is afraid of being here with the psychiatrist, this particular psychiatrist is the only one whom Angelica trusts.  This doctor has had to deal with Angelica before during their time together in GDW, the doctor has already worked wonders with Kimberly Williams, and maybe Angelica can trust her with her story as well?

“It’s easy to say, but not so easy in reality, doctor.” Angelica remarks, shaking her head. “There’s what my mind knows and it knows my secret is safe with you but my heart tells me otherwise.”

“That’s because the heart is where the emotion resides.” Dr. Warren reaches out and touches Angelica’s own head. “Your head is where your logical self resides.  It acts on logic and reason.”

Dr. Warren reaches out and takes Angelica by her hand and then places Angelica’s hand on Angelica’s chest. “But your heart only acts on emotion and feeling.  It’s up to your id, your reality principle, to find a happy medium between the two.”

“Great, so you’re throwing Carl Jung at me now?”

“No,” Warren chuckles “Jung is the wrong expert, but it’s a good guess.  I’m throwing Freud at you.”

“Even worse,” Angelica says, rolling her eyes “Freud was the sexually obsessed freak, right?”

“Yes, he did have some rather…ahem…interesting views.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Angelica smirks. “But it does describe me perfectly.  I have four daughters with three different men and I have had lesbian relationships with three different women.  I swear Freud would have a field day with me.”

“Perhaps he would, but that’s not the point.” Dr. Warren remarks, frowning.

“Then what is the point?”

“The point is you’re trying to distract again.  Don’t do that.”

“Well if you haven’t figured out by now, doc, I am really having a hard time controlling myself right now.  I’m torn between storming out of this office, strangling you, or curling up in a ball in the middle of your floor and crying like a baby.”

“And why is that?”

Dr. Warren asks, leaning back with pen and notepad in hand. She thinks that she is nearly ready to get somewhere with Angelica and she is ready to write down anything of importance that Jones may say.  But she isn’t ready for  what Angelica is prepared to dish out as the redhead swings her feet over the edge of the sofa and sits up, staring directly into the eyes of Dr. Warren.

“Why?  Do you really have to ask?” Angelica says with a low growl in her voice. “I don’t want to be here, Dr. Warren, that’s why!  I know what it’s like to behind the walls of an insane asylum!  I know what it’s like to be looked at by the public at large and views as a psychopath, sneered down upon as a lunatic without a strong grip on reality.”

“Did you have a good grip on reality?”

“Of course I did!” Angelica exclaims. “I didn’t belong in there with those lunatic and yet I was there, I lost five years of my life there and it wasn’t fair!”

“But you were court ordered to go there.”

“Yes, you’re right…” Angelica’s voice trails off as she slowly calms down “…but it was either that or prison.  I pled insanity to avoid prison time.  It seemed like the best bet.”

“Were you insane or was that a lie?”

“Yes!  I mean no…I mean…” Angelica shrugs “…I don’t know, maybe I really was insane all along?  Watching your mom get raped and murdered tends to shake the psyche of a twelve your old, wouldn’t you think, doc?”

“I would think so.”

“But therein lies the rub.” Angelica snickers. “It did drive me off the deep end.  It did push me over the edge and yeah, you’re right, maybe I did need the psychiatric treatment because of that.  But I still lost five years of my life, time away from my family, away from my children, because I was locked up to get treatment for insanity, an insanity that was caused by an event that turned out to be nothing more than a damn lie.”

Dr. Warren is taken aback by this shocking answer from Angelica Jones.  After the momentary surprise she furrows her brow in a look of curiosity.

“Wait, what do you mean when you say it was a lie?”

“Exactly that…it was a lie, Dr. Warren; my mother was never raped and she was never killed.  It was staged so she could run away from the family back to her home nation of Russia and live under the radar.  It was easy to fool a twelve year old, I guess…” Angelica’s voice trails off as tears form in her eyes.  Dr. Warren reaches out and grabs her by the hands.

“I had no idea, Angelica.  I’m sorry.”

“Everything I have done, everything that makes me who I am today, it was based upon my belief that my mother was raped and brutally murdered.  The years I spent training to become a wrestler…all for her memory.  The day I won my first world title in GDW, it was done for her.  Even more recently, when my sister brought The Sisterhood back together in SCW and won the SCW World Tag Team Championship on two separate occasions, we did it for our mother’s memory.” Angelica sighs and shakes her head. “But I guess that all means nothing now.”

“You are a great wrestler, Angelica; believe me, I know.  I watched you when you began your career in GDW.  You are amazing inside of a wrestling ring, regardless of what happened when you were twelve years old.”

“You don’t get it.” Angelica shakes her head. “No one does.  That event motivated me to better myself, all in my mother’s memory.  But now what motivation do I have?  That event made me into a vengeful warrior, it created The Dragon who would wreak havoc throughout professional wrestling.  But now what am I?  Who am I?  And that, Dr. Warren, is why I’m really afraid…”

Angelica buries her face in her hands briefly.  Dr. Warren pats her gently on the back in order to comfort her.  Angelica then looks back up at Dr. Warren, sighing deeply.

“Insanity is my curse, doc.  It is the thing I fear above all else.  I remember that last day I spent at the mental institution; the head doctor, he was a piece of garbage who didn’t give a damn about any of us locked up, he told me that I was cured.” Angelica laughs sarcastically, throwing her head back. “He didn’t know.  He didn’t even care.  No one knew and no one cared.  How could he say that I was cured?  But I believed him.  I trusted him and went on believing that I would never go back.  But now I feel as if my mind is slipping.  I feel myself slipping back into that darkness I found myself in when I spent that time in the asylum.”

Angelica reaches out and embraces Dr. Warren. “I escaped that place once before.  I fear that if I go back, I won’t get out.”

“It’s clear that you need some help to put your mind at rest, but I also believe that you fear of returning to an insane asylum is completely unfounded.  Where you went, where you spent time, was a place for those who were a danger to themselves or to others.  You are not a danger to anyone else.”

“But I feel betrayed, doctor.  I feel betrayed by my own mother and that’s bringing those violent urges back to the surface.  The Dragon, that aggressive beast I fought so hard to get rid of, seems to be coming back and if he does, I may very well be a danger to others.”

A smile creeps across the attractive blonde psychiatrist’s face.  She then begins to laugh.  Angelica blinks curiously, wondering what is so funny about her situation.

“Dr. Warren, what’s so funny?!”

“Angelica, you are a wrestler.  You are supposed to be aggressive.  You are supposed to be violent.”

“I’ve had people tell me that!  It’s wrong!  It’s…”

“No, listen to me carefully.” Dr. Warren grins warmly, placing a hand on Angelica’s shoulder. “You and your family have been through hell your entire lives.  I should know that better than anyone, as I have worked with your family for so long.  You have every right to be upset and to be angry but the key is not to vent those angry, upset feelings in an unhealthy way.  You want to overcome your past, you want to overcome every obstacle that has threatened to keep you down, including this most recent one, the revelation you received about your mother, and you want to use that as motivation to better yourself.  And that’s fine.  Channel those angry feelings and use them in a constructive way, getting rid of The Dragon was never a good idea.  Use The Dragon to vent those angry and upset feelings inside of the wrestling ring, where you should be venting them.  You vented them in an unhealthy manner and you see where it landed you.”

“In an insane asylum.”

“Precisely.  Your mother lied to you in a big way, I understand how that can rock your psyche.  I am here to help you through that if you want to continue our sessions.  But there is absolutely no need to worry about going back to a mental institution just because you vent your angry feelings…as long as you vent them in a constructive manner.”

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On Camera

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Time for this seasoned SCW veteran to address one of SCW’s newest rookies, “Bulldog” Bill Barnhart.

But then again, if we peel the layers back just a hair, we realize that statement isn’t entirely true.  You may be a rookie here in SCW but you’re every bit as much of a veteran as I am.  I’ve been going strong in this industry since 2003 when I made my debut.  Early on in my career I dominated as a singles wrestling superstar, and only after I joined Supreme Championship Wrestling did I get together with my sister Kayla Jones to form The Sisterhood with a desire to win tag team championship gold.

And of course we succeeded in that endeavor.  Twice.  But then again, that shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone.  The Jones Family always succeeds at what we do.  Wrestling is in our blood and we are fierce competitors. We fight to win each and every time that bell rings and we never hold anything back.  For almost fifteen years I have dedicated my blood, sweat, and my very soul to this industry so that I could prove that I was the very best.

You probably know all too well what that’s like, Bulldog, being a seasoned veteran yourself.  But you’re new to SCW.  People are just now starting to form an opinion of you.  You’re the person who defeated Dylan Howell, who at the time was the reigning SCW Adrenaline Champion.  Now that was a marquee win which I damn sure credit you for.

Even in defeat you manage to give the competition a run for their money…except in Maddie Chase’s case it was the whole “running” after her part that cost you the match, but be that as it may, you still came close…you’ve proven that you’re worthy of this opportunity you now find yourself in.  No longer are you facing a member of the Dependables, no longer are you facing a man disconnected from reality.  Now you are in line for a championship match but if and only if you can get past one more opponent…

…unfortunately for you, that opponent is the living embodiment of the mythical Dragon, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose rampage cannot be easily stopped.  And The Dragon’s rampage isn’t just some random act of chaos and destruction, Bulldog…oh no…my rampage has a purpose.

You see, Kayla and I have been tag teaming here in SCW for a very long time.  Everyone knows just how good we are in the tag team division.  But people have forgotten that I can do just as well on my own.  People have forgotten where the hell I came from and it sure as hell wasn’t from a tag team.

I came from the depths of hell itself, Bulldog, and when Satan realized he didn’t want me I walked through the flames of Purgatory, suffering there, until I reached the promised land.  And I did it time and time again to opponent after opponent, victim after victim.  People feared stepping into the ring with Angelica Jones.

Now it’s time to once again make the wrestling world fear stepping into the ring with Angelica Jones.  These are lessons that the people of Supreme Championship Wrestling need to learn, but I have to start somewhere, and there is no better place to start than with a big old ugly Bulldog.

That’s right, you get to be the first who will be taken to school courtesy of Angelica Jones.  You will be the first to attend The Dragon’s School of Pain and you will learn the lessons of destruction the hard way, just like any dog at any good obedience school.  Sometimes bad dogs need to be disciplined.

So if you’re the Bulldog then that makes me the disciplinarian.  I keep you and anyone else who tries to get in my way in line.  I keep people in your proper place isn’t competing for the SCW Television Championship. At least not yet.  You haven’t earned it.  In fact, despite a victory over a reigning champion, most would consider your SCW career start to be mediocre at best.  You haven’t earned the right to take that next step up and compete for championship gold.  So you don’t get to go and face the champion, Bulldog.  At least not until you pay your dues and get through the gate.

And I’m the gatekeeper.  I will be the one who collects your dues.  And if you can’t pay your dues, then I’ll make certain that it’s a long damn time before you ever get anywhere near this spot again; because this spot is MY spot and I am not ceding it to anyone, let alone you.

You, Bulldog, are going to be held up as an example of what happens to anyone who steps into the ring with me.  And as a veteran yourself you should know that I am not looking past you towards the SCW Television Championship.  The champion will only get my attention after I have disposed of you.

Unfortunately, that means you get my undivided attention, Barnhart.  Championship opportunity or not, it doesn’t really matter, I want to cement my legacy, I want the others on the SCW roster to know exactly what to expect when they realize that they are facing Angelica Jones, and you are going to be the one to send that message.

I don’t need cheap tricks or smoke and mirrors to do it, I don’t need weapons to do it, but I can still hurt you in a variety of ways, Bulldog.  You will find that out on Breakdown and then you will spread that message to everyone else in the SCW locker room.  And the SCW Television Champion, who hopefully will be watching our match, will see what I am capable of and will know that their days as champion are coming to an end.

Natural Selection

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Off Camera

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It’s bitter, cold, and dark outside in a gloomy, creepy cemetery on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts.  Inside this cemetery are trees, some are alive and well, but most of them are dying.  The grass is also dying, as indicated by its brownish color.  Lightning can be seen flashing in the background the wind can be heard howling off in the distance.  Leaves are blown about and while most of the headstones in the cemetery are upright and stable, others look as if they could topple over any moment, they look in total disarray.  Not a person, squirrel or even bird can be seen.  Its eerily quiet and empty, just completely empty.  Off to one side a new looking headstone stands out. Even the ground in front of the stone is fresh dirt.  The smell of moss and decaying leaves permeates the air.  Off in the distance is a marble stately mausoleum, which is in direct contrast to the rest of the cemetery, which is in clear disarray and has been neglected.

Standing directly in front of the entrance to this magnificent mausoleum is the red headed Bostonian known as Angelica Jones.  Angelica is wearing a long flowing black maxi skirt, black high heeled pumps underneath, a white silk blouse, and a matching floral print black blazer.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  There is a distinct look on her face that tells the story of a woman who is deeply troubled.  She is shaken up, more so than she has ever been shaken up.  This woman, who has dealt with so much tragedy and triumph in her lifetime, is faced with a new challenge, one that has her shaken to her very core and questioning whether or not she can continue.

“I don’t…” Tears form in her eyes as she shakes her head “…I just don’t know.”

“What don’t you know?”

That second voice is not who you might expect.  It isn’t her younger sibling, Kayla Jones, her tag team partner and confidant who always gives her advice and guidance on how to get through tough times like this.  Angelica came here without Kayla.  Angelica is here with her daughter; one of them at least.

Kimberly Williams steps up behind her mother.  Kimberly is dressed far simpler and much more casual than Angelica, wearing torn denim jeans, black sneakers, and a black t-shirt with the words “I Like Throwing Things At Old People” written in bright purple lettering.  Angelica Jones turns around and faces her daughter.  She sighs and once again shakes her head.

“I don’t know who I am.”

“This isn’t like that amnesia shit, is it?” Kimberly says with a half-joking smirk on her face. “Because, you know, I have absolutely no experience fixing that crap.”

“Be serious, Kim.” Angelica remarks with a critical frown. “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

“Well then,” Kimberly folds her arms over her chest and studies her mother intently “tell me all about it.”

Angelica and Kimberly haven’t had much of an opportunity to bond as mother and daughter.  Kimberly, the mentally unbalanced sociopath, has only recently been through her own mental crisis and was accepted back into the family after being cleared by a family psychiatrist.  Angelica had always promised to spend more time with Kimberly, so this is an opportunity to do just that, to bond with a daughter she never knew she had, and plus there’s the fact that Kimberly has endured some of what Angelica is currently going through right now.  It made more sense to Angelica that she bring Kimberly along rather than Kayla, Marie, or any other member of the Jones family.

“A long  time ago, before you or Marie were even conceived, I witnessed my mother get sexually assaulted and then murdered by an assassin, a hitman who was gunning to make an example out of her for my father, to scare him off of a case he was working on for the FBI.  Then to make matters worse my dad abandoned Kayla and I.  We ended up in social services while he adventured in Europe trying to track down mom’s killer.” A look of intensity and anger flashes across Angelica’s face as she recounts these memories to Kimberly.  “I used those memories to fuel me throughout my life.  Dad left me and Kayla in a position where we were doomed to flounder in the abyss of the system.  But I was determined to fight my way out of that situation and damn it, I did!”

“Woo hoo!” Kimberly says playfully pumping her fists like a cheerleader. “Go team!”

“I was also determined not to be the type of parent my father was.” Angelica continues on as she ignores Kimberly’s playful antics. “I refused to abandon my children.  At the end of the day, Kim, this family will come first before anything else.  That was how I planned to honor my mother’s memory.”

                         

“Sounds great.” Kim answers back. “So what’s the problem?”

“That’s the problem.” Angelica sighs and motions to the mausoleum behind her. “I was convinced mom was dead.  I thought my father was a scoundrel who didn’t care about me.  But in the recent SCW European Tour my entire belief system, everything I knew, was destroyed.”

“What do you mean?” Kimberly asks, cocking her head to one side and gazing at her mother with a look of confusion.

“We need to go inside.” Angelica remarks, pointing towards the entrance to the mausoleum.

Angelica just turns and steps towards the entrance to the mausoleum.  She doesn’t even bother to check behind her to see if Kimberly is following her; it’s as if she instinctually knows that her daughter will follow her inside, whether it be out of trust or just out of sheer curiosity about what her mother has to tell her.

Inside of the mausoleum is full of marble and granite.  It’s exquisite, definitely befitting a family with connections.  It didn’t used to be this grandiose.  Kayla and Angelica have added to it, trying to make it look nicer as their own wealth increased over time.  They wanted to honor their family in a way they felt their family didn’t honor themselves.  Kimberly is definitely impressed.

“Looks nice.” Kimberly remarks.

“This is our family mausoleum.  This is where our father’s remains will go if we ever get them back.”

“If….?”

“Don’t ask.” Angelica motions to a marker in the center, with an angel over the top of it.  The marker reads “Kelly Jones”.  “That is where I thought my mother’s remains were.”

Angelica stands there and stares at the marker for a long time.  Tears return to her eye, which she immediately wipe out of her eyes.  Then she turns to face Kimberly.

“Now do you see?  My entire life, everything I’ve done, was based on a lie.  I am a thirteen time world champion and I achieved that success for the memory of my mother.  I am a somewhat successful country music recording artist and I did that for the memory of my mother.  But it turns out I did all of that for the memory of a lie…all of it was based on a lie…”

“Is that so?” Kimberly chuckles as she approaches her mother and, in a move very much unlike the sociopathic Kim, places a loving, comforting hand upon Angelica’s shoulder. “Well let me tell you, I know a thing or two about having a life based on a lie.”

“I know…” Angelica’s voice trails off.  She does know all too well about the life Kimberly lived.  She still blames herself.

“I was raised off the grid by a sociopath and I didn’t even know of your existence until I was a teenager and even then my knowledge of your existence was limited.  My head was filled with lies about you, and for a long time I believed those lies.  Those lies, combined with being raised by a sociopath, it twisted my mind.  I was one fucked up girl…imagine what it did to me when I found out all of that was a lie…imagine what it did to me when I learned the truth…” Kimberly chuckles “…you know, mom, as disturbing as it is to you, I still would love to take Marie’s place, to take her life as my own.  But…”

Kimberly sighs and shakes her head “…I just know that isn’t going to happen.  I just have to play the hand that was dealt me.  You know?”

Angelica nods her head.  She understands precisely what her daughter is trying to tell her.  The elder Jones walks over to the marker that falsely marks her mother’s remains and she places a hand on it.

“Yeah, I know.  I just have to play the hand that was dealt to me.  My whole reality has changed and I have to adapt to those changes.”

“That’s right.” Kimberly remarks, stepping up beside her mother. “But that doesn’t mean you have to change who you are.”

“Doesn’t it?  This has shaken me to my core.  I have been hurt by this emotionally and mentally.  Kayla thinks I need to get professional help.”  She turns her attention to Kim, looking her square in the eyes. “What do you think?  Do I need professional help?”

“Coming from someone who just got through with some professional help, I’d say it couldn’t hurt.” Kim says with a smirk on her face. Then she shrugs her shoulders. “But who am I to tell you what to do?”

“No, it wouldn’t hurt.” Angelica says, shaking her head. “And to be perfectly honest, Kayla is probably right.  I probably do need the help.  But…”

Angelica’s voice trails off and Kimberly immediately takes note of it and calls her out on it.

“But what?”

“I’m scared, Kim.”

“You’re scared?” Kimberly can’t help but laugh a little at this prospect. “The great Angelica Jones is AFRAID of something?  Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Well what is it?” Kimberly asks, very intrigued. “What’s so bad about mental help that’s so frightening?  I mean, I was there and it didn’t hurt me.”

“You are stronger than me.” Angelica says with a sigh. “You, your sister, all of you in this family.  You’re all stronger than me emotionally and mentally.  But me…I’m weak…”

“Nonsense.” Kimberly says, shaking her head. “You’re strong.  Damned strong.”

“I’m not!” Angelica exclaims. “I’m weak and I’m scared!  I’m scared of going back…I’m afraid that…that…”

“That what?  What are you afraid of?”

“The last time I saw a psychiatrist was when it was court ordered and I was locked up in an institution.”

“But that was almost a lifetime ago.” Kimberly counters, hoping to calm her mother, but Angelica shakes her head.

“It doesn’t matter…I’m afraid that if I go back to the psychiatrist again, I won’t be coming out.”

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On Camera

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Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution would have no legs to stand on were it not for natural selection. Natural selection means that those who are capable of adapting and changing will survive but those who cannot or will not adapt to change will fall into extinction.

I credit you with this one thing, Konrad; you do recognize the reality of change and the necessity of adapting to those changes.

You had to compete in a hardcore match, something you claim you personally detest.  Now you could’ve been the weakling who ran from a fight but you didn’t.  You were not afraid to get violent.  You have added a brand new dimension to your game, a hardcore dimension. Instead of sticking your head in the sand and letting the world pass you by, you learned and you adapted.

That’s a lesson I had to learn before I even got involved in the wrestling business. I learned growing up that this life is a cutthroat, kill or be killed kind of life.  I learned growing up that you had to do what it takes to survive and sometimes that meant violence.  That lesson served me well when I did become a wrestler.

You were once a lone wolf in SCW and while it may have taken you a while to learn the necessity of having friends and allies, the fact is that you did learn.  You learned the lesson and you followed suit.  You joined my old sparring partners; you joined Adrenaline Rush.

Hey, I congratulate you on your choice of allies.  The Sisterhood have had quite the rivalry with Adrenaline Rush.  Sometimes we’re cool, most of the time not, but there’s always a respect there.  I can personally vouch for what they can do.  And so you chose them to side with.

I learned that lesson far quicker than you.  I learned real quick that you cannot be an island unto yourself.  If nothing else, I do have my sister backing me up until the bitter end.

Speaking of the “bitter end”, it seems that things are changing oh so rapidly in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  Newcomers and rookies are joining our ranks right and left, the tag team division has been shaken up by the addition of new, formidable tag teams, and hell, it seems as if even the comic relief crew are being granted title shots ahead of those more deserving.   And don’t get me started on the damned lizard people.

So, with all of these changes taking place at such a rapid fire pace, can Angelica Jones adapt?  Is Angelica Jones just a relic of the past destined to go extinct?

Natural Selection will not be the end of me.

You’ve seen the writing on the wall, Konrad, and you changed.  You adapted.  Good for you.  But that’s the one area we are alike.  I, too, need to change.  I need to adapt.  And that means perhaps doing something that I never wanted to do.  Doing something that even I am afraid of.  It means embracing something that I have kept suppressed for a very long time.

But if it means my survival, if it’s the key to my adapting to the changing environment, then I will embrace any and all necessary changes.  The key to my adaptation and change is accepting that there are three faces of Angelica Jones.

Konrad Raab, you will meet each and every one of them.

The Firestar is too fast for you and more importantly The Firestar is more competitive than you.  As big and strong as you are, there is nothing you can do to beat the competitive fire out of her.  There is nothing you can do to make her give up or quit the fight.

The Golden Goddess is a ring general unlike any other you’ve had to face, Konrad.  The Golden Goddess knows every trick in the book and will use each and every one of them against you if necessary.  The Golden Goddess is a master strategist and will devise a perfect plan of victory.

Finally there’s The Dragon, the part of me I’ve tried to suppress.  But no more.  I’m done holding back.  The Dragon, my more violent and aggressive side, is going to be unleashed against any and every opponent that I face.

And that includes you, Konrad.

Part of adapting to a changing environment is learning and Konrad, I have been in this business for a very long time.  I have a lot of experience and I have learned a great many things over my time as a professional wrestler.  I will use that experience and knowledge, I will use those lessons I learned, as weapons against you on Breakdown.

One thing I have recently learned is that it is indeed very difficult to win back the trust of your colleagues and, indeed, the fans.  Granted, the fans seem to have been a bit more forgiving of The Sisterhood than the locker room.  Kayla and I can fight each of our matches fair and square and no matter what happens, as much as we try, we’ll end up still with the locker room doubting us.  The locker room against us.

But hey, I admit, we brought that on ourselves. So there’ll be no complaining from The Sisterhood.  I have had to fight my way up on my own from my teenage years up until I broke into the wrestling business.  I know what it’s like to fight on my own without any support and so does Kayla. We’re used to it and by God, we’ll do it again if we have to.  We’ll keep fighting and we can keep winning or go on another losing streak, but ultimately we will keep fighting until we have earned the respect of the locker room back.

That’s what I want more than anything else out of this match, Konrad.  It’s not really about a win for me as much as it is about respect and earning the respect of the SCW locker room by proving we are not the childish Free Botswana team of old, we are not the egomaniacs who think the tag team division belongs to us.  Kayla and I are the two time SCW World Tag Team Champions.

And as for me specifically, I am a legend who has a deep respect for this business, a respect that runs deep, way too deep to make a joke out of this business or to belittle anyone.  I have contributed a lot to this business, I have given to this business.  I already have a career worthy enough of me retiring right here and now if I wanted to.

But I’m not ready to call it quits.  Not right now, not the way my legacy as part of The Sisterhood here in SCW is perceived. I’m not finished until I win back the respectability I deserve, the respectability that I admit I have squandered.

What all of this means, Konrad is that you can expect me to put you through hell on Breakdown.  Win, lose, or draw, expect a fight, because I’m bringing the fight to you.

Motivated by Ego (2)

All you have to do is say “Open Invitation” or “Championship Match” and every single professional wrestler at least halfway worth their salt is going to be calling.  So when Supreme Championship Wrestling, thanks in large part to Ace Marshall, puts the Adrenaline Championship on the line in an open invitational battle royal, and that isn’t even to mention the two hundred fifty thousand dollars and the brand new car also up for grabs, it shouldn’t be any surprise that you get the rookies, Bill Barnhardt and The Gotfhfather of all people throwing their names into the hat.  It shouldn’t be any surprise at all whatsoever that the lunatic Leviticus would show his bald-headed ass up for this match, the one match out of the year he actually does wrestle.

There are those who don’t take this shit seriously at all whatsoever, namely Beard.  Here’s a reality check for each and every individual; this is a sport, this is competition, and competitions have winners and losers.  This isn’t about having fun, it’s about winning.  If you’re not here to win, then you are in the wrong industry and it is time for you to get out or I will get you out myself.

So am I doing this for fun?  Am I doing this to entertain the fans?  No.  I do this because this is a competition and as a competitor I always try to be the best, I always try to win.  Now here’s a shocker for you; becoming SCW Adrenaline Champion would be great but that is not my ultimate goal.  I have more important things on my mind than becoming SCW Adrenaline Champion, but if I do win that piece of gold, then I can guarantee you that you’ll have the single best Adrenaline Champion in SCW history.

Finally there are those like my cousin, Glory Braddock, individuals who are doing this just to feed their oversized, overbearing egos.  Glory is the type of person who does this because she feels the need to be the best wherever she goes.  It’s all in her damned name.  She calls herself “The Best in the World”, right?  While that may be debated by other egomaniacs out there, there is no questioning the fact that she definitely wants to be better than me. She wants to outdo me wherever she goes.

She followed me to Global Division of Wrestling and outdid me there.  I tried to expand my horizons and went to Motor City Wrestling but she followed me there and outdid me.  I moved on to Millennium Wrestling Alliance and, yes, Glory followed me there and outdid me.  I eventually made my way here, to Supreme Championship Wrestling, and after several years of wrestling alongside my sister Kayla, together we established The Sisterhood as a dominant force to be reckoned with in the tag team division.  But guess what?  That’s right, Glory Braddock followed me.  Now she’s coming to SCW, even if it is just for a one time only showing, in an attempt to win the SCW Adrenaline Championship.

You don’t need this, Glory.  You are already a fourteen time world champion.  This SCW Adrenaline Championship is just to feed your ego, it is just to pad your record.  And no, I don’t buy your argument that you’re doing this so that you can give back to the community.  If you care so much for that charity, give it out of your own pocket and stay away from this battle royal.

Am I doing this out of ego?  No.  I am quite pleased with what I’ve accomplished in my career, both inside and outside of SCW.  Thirteen world titles throughout my career, and thus far two tag titles in SCW.  I am proud of what I have accomplished.  Unlike Glory Braddock, I do not need to pad my record.

I am sick and tired of Glory Braddock sticking her nose into my business. Time and time again Glory Braddock has decided to set foot into my turf and started to throw her weight around as if she owned the place.

Well not this time, British Bombshell.  This time I will be the one who stops you.  Your entrance into the match has motivated me more than anything else has motivated me this past year.  Furthermore, you’ve also managed to awaken The Dragon.

You and everyone else should remember The Dragon.  The more violent part of my personality, the side of me that will thrive in an environment like this; a battle royal where you are not eliminated by being thrown over the top rope but by being pinned or made to submit.

Think about that for just a second…Glory and everyone else in this battle royal…think about it, being thrown over the top means nothing.  Hell, being disqualified or counted out means nothing.  You have to be pinned or made to submit.  So we can do anything we damn well please in this battle royal and every bit of it is legal.  Anything that comes into my sick and sadistic mind is legal.  No matter how twisted or bloody it is, it is all legal and I can do anything I want in order to win this match.

Not that winning is my sole purpose.  But if beating Glory into a bloody pulp is what it takes to make sure she doesn’t win then so be it.  And yes, if it comes down to it, if it comes down to me and Glory, then I’ll beat her and become SCW Adrenaline Champion.

Glory Braddock, I want you to listen to me and listen to me well.  SCW deserves better than for you to use this match and the Adrenaline Championship as a means to an end, that end being feeding your ego.  It is a prestigious championship with a great history, one that I will not let you tarnish by your ego.  I will eliminate you from this battle royal, Glory.

Now after she’s done, after I have accomplished my goal of making sure Glory doesn’t win, then all bets are off and, yes, I will proceed to go through the rest of the competition in this battle royal, I will proceed to eliminate anyone and everyone else who gets in my way, because once Glory is out of the way, there is no one who will stop me from becoming the new SCW Adrenaline Champion.

Motivated By Ego

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Off Camera

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The Bible is considered by Christians all over the world to be a book full of spiritual wisdom and insight to help individuals navigate their lives as they strive to follow God.  Even some non-religious individual view the Christian scriptures as full of good wisdom.  However, as full of counsel as the Bible is, there are a number of popular proverbs and familiar sayings that are misquoted.  One common example of Biblical ignorance is the phrase “pride goeth before a fall”, which is not, actually, in the Bible.

"Pride goeth before a fall" is a saying that is similar to the original Bible verse, found in Proverbs 16:18, but it does not accurately reflect the original text. In fact, the verse says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." This shows that destruction is the end result of pride, according to the Bible.

Angelica Jones is convinced that her cousin, GCW World Heavyweight Champion and General Manager of Motor City Wrestling Glory Braddock, is suffering from a bit of that pride problem and is convinced that Braddock is heading down a path that leads towards destruction.  It has to be pride, Angelia keeps telling herself.  What other way could explain why this woman, who has accomplished so much in her career, would enter the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal?

It makes no sense to Angelica.  She already has everything she could possibly want and has achieved everything a wrestler could achieve.  Why would she denigrate herself by dressing up in some sexy costume (which is the qualifier) just so she can pad her record?  And what’s more is that this will pad her record at the expense of Angelica herself.  For everywhere Angelica has gone, every company Angelica has been a part of, Glory would eventually follow, and in Angelica’s eyes, Glory would almost immediately outdo her in every company she was ever a part of.

Now Glory Braddock has come to SCW in order to outdo Angelica here as well?  Not going to happen.  This pride will lead to Glory’s failure, Angelica is certain of it.  And if nothing else, Angelica will make sure of it herself by entering the End of the Year Battle Royal to compete for the SCW Adrenaline Championship, the cash prize, and the car.  But the only reward she truly cares about is making certain that her cousin Glory does not win the battle royal.

We open in Boston, Massachusetts, at the special private gym owned by Angelica Jones herself, we see a gym that is in disrepair and whose better days have long since gone.  The concrete floor is gray and the walls are painted an off-white color, at least the walls that still have paint on them, as most of the paint on the walls have begun to peel.  There is a standard wrestling set up in the center, weights scattered all over the floor.  At one of the far ends of the room is a red heavy bag.  In the background we see a standard wrestling ring.  The ring has black ropes and a black apron but the mat is a Carolina sky blue.

The self-named and self-made woman, The Dragon of The Sisterhood, Angelica Jones, inside the ring with a raven haired beauty.  This is her sparring partner for the day but also is the young woman whom Angelica and her sister Kayla is training to be a wrestler; her name is Audrey Russo.

“Hold nothing back!” Angelica’s words drip with venom from her mouth as she glares across the ring and Russo, who for her part, does not back down.  She nods her head and charges forward, locking arms with Angelica in a collar and elbow tie-up.

Kayla Jones, the younger sister of Angelica Jones, stands on the outside watching this sparring session.  She wasn’t sure of this plan, she still isn’t sure of this plan, but Audrey agreed to be Angelica’s sparring partner because it gave her some good sessions with a legend like Angelica.  But Kayla senses that there is more than meets the eye, there is more than what Angelica is telling her.

The tight collar and elbow tie up is broken up by Angelica who drives a knee into Audrey’s gut and then shoves her backward into the ropes.  Audrey rebounds and gets hit with a back elbow smash from Angellica, knocking her to the mat.  Kayla shakes her head with disappointment.

“Audrey!  That was a careless mistake and you need to watch out for that!  And Angelica, you really don’t need to be so stiff with her…”

“If she wants to be a wrestler then she needs to learn to be able to handle stuff like this.” Angelica remarks coldly. “If she can’t handle this, she can’t make it in this business.”

“Angelica is right.” Audrey responds. “Besides, I can handle it.”

Defeated, Kayla sighs and lets the sparring session continue.  Audrey then charges Angelica, wrapping her up and taking her down in a double leg.  She proceeds to pour on rights and lefts without any break or hesitation.  Angelica manages to kick her off and scramble back to her feet.  The woman charges again but this time Angelica sidesteps her, sending her into the ropes.  She comes back and Angelica hip tosses her.  The woman scrambles to her feet, charges, and Angelica connects with an arm drag deep into an arm bar.

Audrey Russo slowly but surely fights up to her feet but Angelica keeps wrenching the arm bar in tighter and tighter.  Audrey reverses the arm bar into an arm bar of her own.  Angelica then counters again, this time into a hammerlock.  Audrey breaks it with elbows to Angelica’s face.  Kayla applauds for Audrey’s achievement.

“Great work, Audrey!  Keep up the pressure!”

Audrey charges, looking for a clothesline but Angelica ducks it and then snaps off a quick superkick straight to the jaw of Audrey that sends her tumbling over the top rope and to the outside.  Kayla gasps as she looks at her older sister rubbing her jaw from when Audrey connected with the elbows to her face.  Kayla then turns her attention to Audrey and rushes over to the trainee’s side.

“Audrey, are you ok?”

Audrey utters no words as she is somewhat of out of it from that vicious kick.  But she does manage to get a thumbs up signifying that she is ok.  Kayla nods her head and then turns back to the ring.  Kayla slides into the ring and immediately gets up in her sister’s face.

“We have to talk.”

“Can it wait?”  Angelica remarks stoically.  “I’m busy training.”

“No, it can’t wait.”

“Fine…”

With that, Angelica exits the ring and heads to the far corner of the gym.  Kayla turns to look back at Audrey who has just now managed to get back to her feet.

“Audrey, you just rest for a little bit.  Angelica and I will be right back.”

Audrey nods her head as she takes a seat on the ring apron.  Kayla then exits the ring and heads over to the dark corner where Angelica has planted herself.  Once there Kayla places one hand on her hip and the other she motions back to the ring.

“What the hell was that back there?!”

“That was a sparring session.” Angelica answers in a matter-of-fact tone. “It helps Audrey train for the future and it helps me prepare for the End of the Year Battle Royal.”

“Sparring sessions aren’t supposed to be that stiff, Angel.  Especially when the individual in question is the person we are training, Audrey Russo.  She is new, Angel, she is learning.”

“Right, and she needs to learn that this business is not for the weak at heart.  If she can’t handle what I gave her just now, then she does not belong in a wrestling ring.”

“You damn near took her head off with that kick!” Kayla exclaims. “I understand wanting to make her learn but that was ridiculous!”

“Don’t criticize my training methods, sis.  I’m doing her a favor.”

“By what, exactly?  Trying to end her career before it even begins?”

“No, by eliminating that pride and hubris that seems to pervade in this industry.  I am doing her a favor by teaching her what her role is in the world early on so that she doesn’t get a big head like some people we know.”

“Like yourself?” Kayla asks with a smirk.

“No, like Glory.”

“What the hell does Glory have to do with any of this?”

“I may be a hard ass but I do care about Audrey.  That’s why I want to make sure she doesn’t turn out to be like Glory.  It took just ten years of wrestling success to twist our cousin and now look at what Glory has become.  She has one of the biggest egos in this industry today.  Loves to brag about her fourteen world title reigns.  She tells anyone and everyone who will listen that she’s The Best in the World.  Who else goes around calling themselves The Best in the World unless they are just an egomaniac?”

“Point taken.”

“Right, and do you think I really want Audrey to turn out like that?” Angelica shakes her head. “No. I’m training her, and that means my name is forever attached to anything and everything she achieves.  I don’t want my name attached to an egomaniac, so I am instilling some humility in her early on.”

“Ok, so let me get this straight,” Kayla begins with a hint of skepticism in her voice “you’re telling me that you just want to make sure Audrey doesn’t turn out to be as egomaniacal as Glory Braddock is and that’s all there is to it?”

“Exactly.” Angelica says, nodding her head.

“Your argument is flawed, sis.  For starters, you are exaggerating about Glory in a big way.  So what if she calls herself ‘The Best in the World’?  Yeah, it is slightly arrogant, but what wrestler worth their salt doesn’t have an ego?  You need an ego to survive in this business.  You need to believe in yourself.”

“You don’t get it.” Angelica shakes her head. “Her ego goes beyond the norm.  I mean look at her, she’s entering the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal and what does she have to gain?  Absolutely nothing but to stroke her ego.”

“Why are you entering?” Kayla asks. “The same could be said about you, a former thirteen time world champion in your own right.  What do you have to gain by entering this?”

“You’re wrong!” Angelica’s voice raises considerably. “I’m not the one who followed my cousin everywhere just to outdo her!  That’s what Glory did to me, Kayla!  She followed me to GDW and outdid me there!  She followed me to MCW and outdid me there!  She followed me to MWA and outdid me there!  She followed me to FWA and outdid me there!  Now she’s coming to SCW, albeit for one night only, but on this one night only she could potentially eclipse everything I’ve ever done in my several years here with SCW!”

Angelica is breathing heavily after her outburst but Kayla Jones has a knowing smirk on her face.

“And now we’ve come to the truth.”

“What do you mean?!”

“Now I know why you really entered the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal and perhaps why you took out some of your frustrations on poor Audrey over there.  You’re pissed off and jealous with Glory Braddock.”

“You know what?” Angelica nods her head. “Fine, I may be a little jealous, but come on, give me a break, she has outdid me everywhere I’ve gone…”

“That’s an exaggeration, I’m sure.”

“No it’s not.” Angelica responds, slowly getting calmer. “Look it up for yourself, it’s true.  I was hoping SCW could be the one place that was mine, where she wouldn’t come here just to outdo me  But now…now she could outdo me in one night, because in one night she could win the SCW Adrenaline Championship…”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to make sure she doesn’t win.” Angelica remarks defiantly.

“So you don’t even care about winning it yourself?”

“No, not really.” Angelica answers, shaking her head. “I mean, it’d be great if I did win, but that’s not my primary goal.  My primary goal is making sure Glory doesn’t win.  It’s as simple as that, Kay.”

“Don’t forget that stupid stipulation Ace Marshall put in, the one about the sexy costume.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“You’re going to parade yourself around in a sexy outfit just to make sure Glory loses?”

“Why not?” Angelica smirks. “I am proud of my body, Kay.”

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On Camera

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I should’ve seen this coming.  I should’ve known that you could not keep yourself away.  Your ego cannot stand the fact that I had a place to call my own without you in it.  You saw me in Supreme Championship Wrestling, content and happy in a place that I could call my own home.  MY home…as in a place I did not have to share with you…but your ego would not allow you to stay away.  Just like with everywhere else I’ve been, you had to step into my home unwelcome and uninvited.  And you used the End of the Year Battle Royal as your way in.

Still, I can’t fault you too much, Glory.  In fact, I can’t fault anyone who wants to enter this battle royal.  Think of the reward; two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, a brand new car, and the SCW Adrenaline Championship.  It is such a big reward, Glory, that you or anyone else in this company would be crazy to turn it down.

Yet you say this isn’t about the reward.  You told the world that you’re giving all of the money to charity, that you’re going to auction off the car and give its proceeds to charity, and that you will vacate the SCW Adrenaline Championship seeing as this isn’t about the gold for you.  You claim that you’re giving back to the world, and yet in that same breath you claim to be The Best in the World…

…you sound so arrogant and so humble in one sentence, it just makes no sense, unless you accept the simple fact that you are lying or are hypocritical or both.  The way I see it, the declaration of you being The Best in the World gives you away, Glory.  This isn’t about giving back.  This is truly about your ego.  You want to win it all and the wrestling world will praise you for achieving such a magnificent feat, thus stroking your giant ego.

Then you’re going to give away the prize money, you’re giving away the proceeds of the car after its auctioned off, and people will praise you for being such a generous person; thus stroking our giant ego.

As for the Adrenaline Championship and vacating it after you win it?  Well that right there is ego in and of itself.  What it says is that you’re so good that you don’t need that championship.  In fact, it’s a slap in the face of SCW and of everyone who has held that SCW Adrenaline Championship.

That leads me to the primary reason I am entering the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal.  My primary reason for entering is to make sure you do not win, Glory.  SCW deserves better than for you to use this yearly event just to make yourself look good.  I will make sure you do not win that prize money, that you do not win that cash, and that you do not win the SCW Adrenaline Championship.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ll go on and win the whole thing myself and become the new SCW Adrenaline Champion.  And I know I can be a champion that SCW can be proud of.  I guarantee it.  I won’t walk away from it like Glory, I won’t make a joke of it the way Ace Marshall is trying to make a joke out of the battle royal itself; I will be a fighting champion, proudly fighting for SCW.

As for Ace himself and his stupid little sexy costume stipulation; that won’t bother me.  Not at all.  In fact, I already have a fairly good idea of what I’ll be wearing when I am crowned new SCW Adrenaline Champion.

I hope you like it, because that’s the only good thing you get out of me being in this match.  Here’s the spoiler alert for you and anyone else who is going to enter this match thinking that they have a chance; you have no chance.

None of you have a chance to win because of the simple fact that I am now in this match.  I know what I want and I’ve explained why I want it and I am prepared to return to the darkness in order to get it.  I am prepared to bring back something that I tried to hold back in order to get that SCW Adrenaline Championship.

You see, boys and girls, you won’t be facing Firestar or The Golden Goddess.  You will be facing The Dragon.

Which brings me to Giovanni Aries…sorry about your luck, pal.  Your hunt for a Lizard King has thus far come up short and you won’t find any Lizard Kings in this battle royal.  But if you want a reptilian monster then look no further.  The Dragon is back and she’s taking your title whether you like it or not.