Selena Frost vs. Xander Valentine

[SnowQueenSCW]

The camera opens up to the interior of the Wembley Stadium in London, England. The space is eerily quiet, to the point where the silence almost seems to be a sound itself. While there are only a few days before Taking Hold of the Flame, the final pay-per-view that will shape the megaevent that is Rise to Greatness, the only things built so far is a wrestling ring, some of the rampway, and one thing off in the distance from the center of the arena.

Amidst the cold-blue, white, and dark purple lights, at the far end of the space, is the glowing ‘Rise to Greatness’ sign, large enough to be easily seen by any audience seat below and from any angle within the wrestling ring. As the camera focuses on it, eventually drawing away from it, it follows down into the ring from the side, catching the profile of the platinum-blonde staring up at it from where she stands at the side of the ring, her hands gripping the ropes tightly. Easily recognizable from her hair alone, the SCW world champion, Selena Frost, keeps her eyes locked on the Rise to Greatness sign for several seconds. She wears black jeans, a black t-shirt and a dark, red leather jacket. The SCW world championship is seen from under the jacket, wrapped around the champion’s waist.

The more things change… the more they stay the same. Selena’s voice, alone in the arena, seems to almost echo like a cold wind, yet she seems unfazed by it.

I feel like I’ve said that before in my life, but it continues to ring true. As I struggle to bring star-power back into this federation As I struggle to carry this company on my back because your supposed ‘heroes’ couldn’t do it... As I struggle to bring the world championship and the roster up to a level of skill and talent and undisputed integrity – devoid of cheapshots, run-ins, and tactics that dishonored what being the best in the world truly means… and as I find myself, for the fourth time in a row, fighting for this world championship at this event- she takes a moment to open her jacket a little more with one hand, further revealing the championship she has held for the majority of the year thus far. I find myself seeing how some things have remained the same while others have changed.

And I mean truly changed! she emphasises, turning her head from the sign to cast a cold glare into the camera. Not just some empty words said by those incapable of it. I mean, what’s the same? What’s to be expected? Well, spoiler warning: in a few nights, someone’s gonna point to that sign… she gestures with a tilt of her head towards the Rise to Greatness sign. Because they won the battle royale. And here’s another spoiler: she smirks knowingly at the camera. It’s not going to be Kandis or ‘The One’ Kristen Scott, sorry to disappoint. she shakes her head. Kandis isn’t good enough to do the impossible here by winning it twice in a row and Kristen Scott has never been good enough to ever ‘win the big one’. Look at her track record.

But I digress. You’ll have one person pointing to that sign who’s the royale winner and, in the main-event, you’ll have someone point to that sign as the world champion. These are the ‘sames’ I spoke of. Things that stay the same… but speaking of empty words spoken by people in this business, let me segway that with a question… clearing her throat loudly, she looks straight into the camera.

London, England… she suddenly grins knowingly as she calls out. Do you believe?!

The grin does not falter as she stares into the camera, into her ‘audience’ for a moment.

Do you? And better yet, let me ask you all. Who, exactly, do you believe in? Because another thing that seems to never change around this event is the number of liars I keep hearing as I walk through the halls of my arenas, my shows, and within my ring. Because you all know that this is one of the biggest landscape-changing pay-per-views of the season! This is the penultimate! This is ‘make or break’ for everyone, including your world champion!

And yet, just like there can be only one person that can be said world champion- she takes a moment to run a pale hand over the center-plate of her championship title. Just like there can only be one world champion in SCW – in the main-event of Rise to Greatness, there can be ONLY ONE winner in the battle royale.

A knowing grin crosses her features. Yet, here we are, and people are swarming the airwaves, swarming social media, making their stupidity as clear as crystal with the same promise. The same guarantee. The same blah blah blah! “I’m going to win the royale.”, “I’m going headline Rise to Greatness!”, “I’m going to beat Selena Frost and become the SCW World Champion”…

So, who do you believe, London?

Do you believe Kandis? Cause she’s sworn that she’s going to win the royale and take me down at RTG!
Do you believe Kristen Scott? Cause she’s sworn that she’s going to be ‘The One’ to take me down at RTG!
Do you believe Kimberly Williams? Cause not only does she swear to win, she’s promoting herself as the ‘Victor Frankenstein’ in being responsible for creating ‘the monster’ I apparently am… and going to Rise to Greatness and beating me!

You got Syren promising! You got YUYO promising! You’ve got James Evans promising! Glory Braddock, Waylan Creek, Scott Reed, Chris Lawler – the list is exhausting! So who you got, London?! Who are you believing in other than the reality – the truth that I continue to speak here as your world champion?

Hmmm? Because odds are? There’s a 97.5% chance whoever you pick is either lying to you and/or lying to themselves just like you are lying to yourselves in believing in them! And there’s a 100 percent chance that none of them can take this title from me!

Taking a moment, Selena shakes her head in disappointment at the SCW Universe. And at the top of this enormous pile of lying crap, almost as tall as the top of the mountain that I reside in that is SCW, is the biggest liar in SCW right now: Xander Valentine… oh! Excuse me! Selena holds up a hand. Allow me to correct myself. The NEW Xander Valentine!

A laugh escapes her for a second as she marches around the ring, holding up a hand as if to calm the man has probably irritated with her opening volley.

Now, before we get to that, Xander, I want to clear up a little thing that happened last Breakdown. When you rudely interrupted my entrance – don’t do that again, by the way. she warns with a cold stare. You went on a little diatribe of me needing to be focused on you and only you. Needing to only be concerned with you, my opponent. That you’re unlike my past opponents this year…

A knowing smile forms across Selena’s features. Come on, Xander. Really? You’re telling me to focus? You’re telling me not to underestimate you? Let me ask you, sir: Out of the two of us, which of us has REALLY, in our history, ‘underestimated’ the other? Which one of us has refused to acknowledge the other’s ability and skill in its proper respect? Hmmm? Isn’t that partly the reason you’re in this situation in the first place? Because you, continuously, underestimated and undervalued me? Holding up a hand, Selena takes a single to give an understanding nod.

But alright, old man, I’ll humor you. I’ll humor you and I’ll tell you like it is. Because I’m not interested in burying my opponent and saying I’m beating some ‘nobody’ Xander. I’m not interested in playing down how big this match is for me. This is Xander Valentine vs. Selena Frost! A concept that bagged ‘match of the year’ and ‘feud of the year’ in 2019! This is Rise to Greatness main-event-level worthy, Xander. And, honestly, I could not ask for a better opponent to beat to, emphatically, start my journey back to the main-event of Rise to Greatness for a fourth time!

Cause while I’ve beaten former world champions and while I’ve beaten Hall of Famers and icons since I returned, while I’ve beaten dangerous and bloodthirsty opponents, you’re the only one that’s all of that, Xander. The only one that checks every box! You’re ‘The Executioner’! The Hall of Famer! Mount Rushmore of SCW? Could easily be on it! A definer of the early age of SCW! Before ‘domination’ was even a word around here, you came in and made it one! You set the bar for what a ‘lengthy world title reign’ could be! You were already a legend when I first set foot into SCW ten years ago! The fact that ‘beating Xander Valentine’ remains one of the highest accolades when it comes to my rivalries? That’s how good you are, Xander! Cause no one really talks about me beating Syren or Cid Turner or Adam Allocco or Vixen Cain or Ace Marshall. No, people STILL, to this day, talk about that night the I beat Xander Valentine. That’s how good you are, Xander!

So… do you believe me now? That you have my undivided attention?

Taking a moment to stand still within the ring, Selena stares into the camera, to the man she knows is watching.

Because you’ve had it, Xander. You’ve had my attention ever since you started wanting your shot at the world championship again. You’ve had it ever since you called it and then danced around the mid-card, settling for feuds with the ‘knockoff version’ of the Brand and with Gavin Taylor, trying so desperately to get picked for the next world title opportunity while pay-per-view after pay-per-view passed you by. The whole time I was watching, Xander. Watching as you managed some solid victories and watching when you were bested with some loud defeats. Through it all, I was watching. Even when I returned and unmasked, you were there, right? I was aware of it – that I was shooting past you and Kandis primarily to take my rightful place as the SCW World champion. I was aware of it because I knew it would only be a matter of time before I faced you for this championship.

But let’s be real here, Xander. it’s not because YOU’VE been dominant, Xander, that you’re here for this match. Good as you are, powerful and dangerous as you are? Let’s be honest, it’s not because of you that you’re the next stop on the Devil’s road… she gives a wicked grin.

You’re here, Xander Valentine… because there’s nobody else.

You’re here, Xander, because I’ve beaten everyone else that was in front of you. I’ve kicked person after person that was in front out of the proverbial line… to the point where SCW threw you and Ravyn Taylor, who by the way has had one of the worst win-lose records this season, threw you two together just to try and find me a viable contender. That’s the real reason why you’re here in MY main event, Xander. Because there’s no one else.

And that’s because of me!

She grins wickedly. And that, Xander, is how good I am. That’s how good I have always been! So, now that we’ve got all of that out of the way – how good you are and how good I am – let’s talk about the mountain of crap you’ve been sitting on for some time. Selena quietly rolls her shoulders, seemingly making herself comfortable as she stands in the ring. This whole ‘new Xander’ thing. This whole ‘I’m not the same man I was five years ago’, right? That this is your moment to undo the past and make me accountable for what happened five years ago, right?

That’s been the focus, right? That’s all people want to talk about. That’s all YOU seem to want to talk about. So, let’s talk about it, Xander. And I mean, let’s REALLY talk about it. Where I actually get to talk about it without you interrupting me like you did last week.

With her hand, Selena runs it along her hair, expertly pushing her iconic braid over her shoulder to fall against her back. Five years ago, at Rise to Greatness, I beat you faster than anyone ever has. We all know it. The world saw it – I played it for everyone just a few weeks ago. I knocked you out, pinned you and shocked the world – shocked you, didn’t I? What was it? A minute? Two minutes?

But how exactly did we get to that moment, Xander? How did that match even happen? Because everyone here is SO eager to jump on the bandwagon and believe in you to be the one person to finally end ‘Selena’s reign of terror’ over the world championship picture, blah blah. Believe this little story you’ve made of ‘retribution’, blah blah blah.

But you go back five years, Xander… and you were the one with the reign of terror, weren’t you? Selena smiles knowingly. It was you that smashed Mr. D.’s skull into a car window, wasn’t it? You that attacked him again and gave him a concussion. It was you that came after me – the ‘prodigy child’ of Mr. D.. And why? Because you felt you were being overlooked.

You said it yourself, Xander, remember? You thought that this young, up-and-coming wrestler named Selena Frost was being poised to take your spot – your mantle - within the roster and you weren’t ready to – how did you put it – ‘give up your throne’?

You saw what I was becoming – what potential I had – and it surpassed yours. And your ego couldn’t take it, could it? Couldn’t handle it. Because rather than accept it, maybe even mentor this green wrestler of only three years, no, Xander Valentine sought to try and remove her from SCW permanently.

Selena tilts her head knowingly. Why do you think I rolled your eyes when you promised to ‘destroy me’ last week, Xander? Not because you’re incapable of it… but because I’ve heard it all before! The same old promises coming from a supposedly ‘new’ Xander? How many times have we heard that promise, Xander? How many times have you guaranteed my destruction, only to fail? Better yet, how can you say you’re any ‘different’ when you’re saying the same crap? Cause, where I’m from, if it looks like the ‘old’ Xander, moves like the ‘old’ Xander, and squawks like the ‘old’ Xander… then guess what? It’s the old Xander! And one that clearly hasn’t learned a damned thing.

Because then what happened, Xander? No no! Let’s pull the curtain back on history, Xander, since you started this. After that infamous night – after I made history once again – what happened? What happened after that night that ‘put you on borrowed time’? What did you do? Did you finally show me some respect for beating you clean? Did you acknowledge what I could do, the potential I had, and accept that, maybe, your time was up at being at the top of SCW? Did you finally ‘believe’ in Selena Frost?

A bitter chuckle escapes Selena. Oh no! No, you walked into the audience and attacked innocent people! there is a slight growl in her voice. Once again, your ego couldn’t accept the reality and you lashed out! You took out people that couldn’t fight back, just like you did with O. D.. Just like you tried to do with me…

Fast forward a bit, and I’m facing you again, this time under your choice of a Last Person Standing match, again, with your desire to take me out of SCW for good.

And I beat you again. Fast forward some more and, after finally beating me and taking the United States Championship from me – finally having your one official victory over me – and even trying to break me by calling me ‘The Shadow of SCW’, YOU challenged Regan Street and I to a handicap match, determined to embarrass me to restore what pride I had taken and try to force me out of SCW...

And how did that go, Xander? Once again, as seems to be the case, your ego bit off more than it could chew. And that night had you scrambling for an out and failing to find one, leaving you beaten, humiliated, and defeated in this ring – for a THIRD time.

Taking a moment, Selena smiles and gestures with a hand. See, Xander, our history started and has always been about you coming after me. Every confrontation between you and me? It’s been about you unable to accept that first loss. Unable to accept that a Snow Queen was more than a match for you. More than your equal. Unable to accept that I was your better – deserving of your ‘mantle’. And since then, while you’ve kept circling around coming back to me, I’ve taken SCW and my accolades higher and higher.

Your record as longest world champion? The one Syren beat? I beat that! Your number of championship wins? Passed that. Main-events at Rise to Greatness, beat you there. Awards? Tournament wins? I have done all you have done and more! While you… you have never stopped blaming me for your own shortcomings.

From you needing unicorns and colorful t-shirts to stay relevant here, to pretending to be an avenger for an Allocco – who STILL chose the man that ended his career over you, the man that wanted to avenge him! she laughs at that. Through it all, I’ve lived rent-free in that head of yours. That KICK has lived rent-free in that head of yours… another chuckles escapes her but Selena suddenly grows more serious.

But this is where my amusement over this whole thing ends, Xander. This is where I stop laughing at your antics and tell everyone the full truth… because you want to tell me that this is personal now? her tone grows colder, the humor now entirely gone from her voice. That after five years of trying to break me, trying to take me down, take me out of SCW, and reduce me from where I stood as ‘The Face of SCW’, now it’s suddenly personal because you’re a changed man and because I took something from you?

The Snow Queen’s jaw clenches. So, let’s talk about what you took from me… cold eyes glare into the camera.

Cause for weeks – that’s all YOU’VE wanted to talk about. What Selena took from you. Well, what did Xander take from Selena, huh? Let’s talk about that! Let’s talk about how you went after my family with a sledgehammer and smashed the side of my tour bus… a growl escapes Selena. Let’s talk about how you took a camera to my home in Manhattan, where my children were sleeping! LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID TO MY SISTER!

With a cold glare, Selena stares right into the camera. You say I ‘shortened your career’ with a match YOU made happen, Xander? You are the REASON Regan Street, my sister, cannot wrestle anymore!

You want to say that now it’s personal, Xander? It’s ALWAYS been personal to me. It’s ALWAYS been personal! You are the reason the Hellcat cannot be here by my side now as I make history as the only person to headline Rise to Greatness four times in a row! You are the reason she never got the ending she deserved here! Why Frozen Hell never got a second chance to become tag-team champions. You took her career from her and you took my sister from me, Xander! And every time I see her, every time I visit her, I see the regret in her eyes. I see the pain there – the sadness that she could never headline Rise to Greatness. That she couldn’t finish her career on her terms…

But you want to tell me week after week – to play with this little game - that I took something from you!?

She tilts her head, her tone dropping back to its cold bitterness. You want to say YOU’RE the one getting revenge? You’re the one getting retribution? You’re the one that’s got a receipt on ME? Xander, there’s not a receipt long enough to match the one I’ve got on you! And all that I’ve ‘taken’ from you, Xander, has been a long and arduous process of paying you back from what you took from me!

And in just a few short days, Xander, I’m going to take the last thing that’s left for me to take! I’ve dwindled your records and accolades to ‘average’ compared to mine. I’ve redefined what it means to ‘dominate’ this sport and dominate as the world champion. I’ve taken your spot on Mount Rushmore and, soon, while you’ll have a little plaque in the Hall of Fame, there will be an entire wing and a statue dedicated to my time here – homage to the way I changed the game! And this Sunday, Xander, I’m taking the one thing from you that I haven’t yet. The one thing I still have a receipt on for you.

Because you denied my sister her career’s end on her terms. This Sunday, I am going to deny you the same thing! Because we’ve all heard it, the inevitable rumor that this is it. That Xander wants ‘one more title run’ before he retires, quite possibly at RTG…

It’s a noble ending, Xander. Under the spotlights, under the main-event on the greatest show? The world title on the line. It’s almost perfect… but not for you.

No, Xander, it’s not meant for you because you don’t deserve that ‘happy ending’ after all you have done. The choices you have made. Because you chose this life. You chose to live by taking and ‘executing’ and destroying people’s lives… this is the consequence. Because I am going to deny you your ‘warrior’s end’ and replace it with ‘An Unbelievable Main-Event’! I am going to take you down once again and I am going to leave you in your mountain of crap and lies.

And I am going to have the main-event that belongs to me! The main-event that I earned. That I deserve! The main-event that is perfect for me, for this world title, and for all of Supreme Championship Wrestling!

Removing the title from her waist, Selena looks at it for a moment. This coming Sunday, Xander, is not about one match that lives rent-free in your mind. It’s about all the matches. It’s about all the history. It’s about all we’ve taken from one another. It is the end of OUR story. And it is the truth that I have become the woman, the main-event, the legend, the very thing that you always feared I would become – the very thing you refused to acknowledge me as.

More dominant that you.
More skilled and tougher than you…
More Xander Valentine than you!

A wicked grin breaks across her features. This Sunday, Xander, what you feared would happen five years ago will be proven true in a battle that will take everything from both of us! But where you haven’t changed a bit… I have.

I brought back the piledriver and spiked Polly Pignotti with it.
I took down Kandis and Scott with title shots to their skulls!
And when you gave me the chance to strike you down… I took it!

All to prove this point, Xander. That you’re not the one who’s changed. The same thing that’s driven you all these years with me, that’s made you do all you’ve done, is still there: your ego! Your ego that refused to accept me as your better. The same ego that’s missed all the signs I put in front of you. The same ego that could have destroyed me when I turned my back to you a few weeks ago and dared you to take me out of SCW – the chance you had… the only chance I would give you… and you were too egotistical to take it!

Selena grins knowingly. Because that is what it will come down to, Xander! Your ego will not settle for anything less than my absolute destruction. Your ego will not settle for anything less than taking everything from me and putting me on the shelf like you did Regan…

Me? I just need to beat you. And I don’t care how. I don’t care what I need to do to make that happen. I don’t care how I get my shot. I will take it and use EVERYTHING I have to get that knockout shot on you again and beat you once again!

Your ego will not settle for such a simple, close way out, Xander. It will demand more and more! And sooner or later, your ego is going to cost you. It’s going to demand too much and when that happens, that will be my chance. And when I have that opening… like last week, I will not hesitate to use it. This time, however, you won’t be able to see it coming… and you won’t be able to stop it.

Slowly, the world champion scans her gaze around the empty arena seats. Enjoy this, SCW. Because this may be the last time we see Xander fight here again. And you enjoy it, too, Xander. Because it’s the last time you’re ever getting close to me and the world championship again. It’s the last time my name is going to be tied with yours, Xander. The last time my career will have to be tied to the deadweight that is Xander F’N Valentine…

Selena moves to the middle of the ring, taking a second to gaze down at the title she holds.

I protect what’s mine, old man. Including my RIGHT to the greatest main-event in SCW’s history! And when that is all said and done, Xander… As you are escorted out of MY ring and you look back at me, and all that was taken from you by me BECAUSE of you and your ego… you will have no other choice but to do what you should have done five years ago… Believe it!

With a grin, Selena lifts up her hand, her eyes still on the camera, as she points to the Rise to Greatness sign! Whether you and all of London want to… or not!

The camera stays on this stunning display of prediction – one that the Snow Queen believes is already set in stone – before the shot fades to black.