Glory Braddock vs. Dexter Grant

[Braddock]

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February 20th, 2025
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Off Camera
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A black luxury sedan glided silently down a long, winding driveway in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a driveway lined with towering oak trees, their skeletal branches casting spindly shadows in the cold afternoon light. A dense fog hung low over the sprawling estate; beyond the mist, the stately home came into view. It was a grand mansion of gray stone, its symmetrical façade imposing yet elegant. The wide steps leading up to the entrance were framed by pristine hedges. Inside the car, Glory Braddock sat with perfect poise, though the slight clenching of her fingers betrayed a hint of tension. The British Bombshell was about to pay a visit to someone who was, and always has been her best friend; Sophie O’Brian. Glory and Sophie grew up together as children, they went to school together, trained together as two of Glory’s father’s, Glenn Braddock’s, first students at the Braddock Wrestling School. They broke into the wrestling business together. They competed together and against each other. They have always been close, closer than even friends. They have been more like sisters. This sort of visit should be cordial and friendly, and yet Braddock cannot help but think that she is walking into a dangerous trap. Her friends and family, Julia Braddock and Sophie’s brother Mark O’Brian, both feel that she is making a mistake. They would rather Glory call the authorities and let them deal with Sophie. But what has Sophie done? Why is she suddenly a threat?

Glory learned recently that Sophie was the mastermind behind the guy who stalked her and her family. She hired a creepy stalker to watch them, take pictures of them, send them gifts, and basically terrorize and instill fear in Braddock and her family. But why would Sophie do such a thing? It made little to no sense to The British Bombshell and when she confronted Sophie. According to Sophie, she wants to teach The British Bombshell. She wants to educate her and help her learn the truth about her father’s professional wrestling, and life, philosophy. This is a debate Sophie and Glory have had before. Sophie always felt that his philosophy was winning, achieving your life goals, by any means necessary. The British Bombshell has always disagreed with that statement. She refuses to believe that was the motto her beloved father lived by. The two have always disagreed but Sophie has never been so forceful about it than she has now. In fact, she has threatened to continue the harassment unless Glory agrees to sit down and listen to what she has to say. Perhaps it would be best to just get the authorities involved. Perhaps she should just get a restraining order. But Glory refuses to believe that her childhood best friend is completely lost. She refuses to believe that there is nothing she can do to save Sophie.

This is why The British Bombshell has decided to pay her friend a visit. She has decided to take Sophie up on her offer to ‘sit down and listen’ to what she has to say, to potentially be educated on what she claims Glenn Braddock’s philosophy truly was. Braddock isn’t interested in debating about her father again, she has had that debate to death. This is just Glory’s chance to get close to Sophie and, hopefully, help her. The British Bombshell, knowing that Sophie now resides in a mansion, is dressed immaculately for the occasion, wrapped in a tailored navy-blue wool coat that accentuated her slender frame. Beneath it, a cream-colored silk blouse peeked out from the lapels, tucked neatly into a high-waisted pencil skirt of deep charcoal. Her legs, crossed at the knees, were clad in sheer black stockings, and her feet rested in a pair of sleek, patent-leather heels that caught the dim light as the car slowed to a stop. Her blonde hair, styled in soft waves, framed her face. Braddock can feel the vehicle slowly coming to a stop. The driver exited the car and moved swiftly to her side. As he opened the door, the crisp air rushed in. Glory hesitated for the briefest moment before stepping out onto the gravel, the sound of her heels against the stones sharp in the stillness. She straightened her coat, adjusting the belt at her waist, and exhaled a quiet breath that misted in the cool air. Up just ahead, standing in front of the grand double doors of the mansion, is none other than Sophie O’Brian. She was dressed in a fitted black turtleneck and a long, camel-colored coat, the fabric draping elegantly over her slender frame.

“There you are, my dear friend, my Gloria.” Sophie’s voice is full of sweetness but even Glory can tell that there is also a hint of mischief there as well. She used to be able to read Sophie like a book but now she is finding it increasingly difficult. “I must admit that I am rather surprised to see you. I always thought you to be too stubborn to ever admit that you were wrong, too stubborn to ever admit that you might need to learn something new.”

“I admit to being stubborn. I got that quality from dad.” Glory smirks knowingly. “But dad also taught me that we are never done learning something, that we can always learn something new.”

“A smart man, your father was.” Sophie remarks. Glory nods her head in agreement.

“Yes, yes he was.”

With a subtle nod, Sophie gestured toward the entrance, an invitation unspoken yet understood. She had no idea what to expect from this encounter but she was still determined to help Sophie. She would not back out, not now. Whatever awaited within, Glory knew she had already stepped too far into this path to turn back now. Steeling herself, she moved forward. Her focus remained on Sophie, on the threshold she was about to cross. As she ascended the steps, her heels clicking against the stone.Sophie turned and led the way inside, the heavy doors swinging open to engulf them in the warm glow of the grand foyer. Glory followed, her steps steady but measured. As Braddock looks around at her surroundings. This entire home, almost more like a castle, exudes luxury and wealth. Glory has never known Sophie to live in this kind of wealth before.

“You’ve done quite well for yourself, Sophie.” She looks over at Sophie. “I didn’t realize you were so well off?”

“I wasn’t. I inherited this from an old friend. Let’s leave it at that.”

“An old friend?” Glory arches her brow. “I never knew that you had such wealthy friends. Is there more to this story that I should know?”

“Do you really want to know?” Sophie asks with a knowing smirk on her face. Glory looks into the eyes of the Northern Irish woman. Those eyes tell Glory all she needs to know. She shakes her head.

“Maybe another time.”

Sophie nods her head and then leads The British Bombshell down a long hallway and then into a luxurious living room area, one that equals the grandeur and wealth of the rest of the house. Once again Braddock is impressed and surprised by it all. Sophie walks on past her over to a gorgeous, red leather sofa. Sophie sits down and then pats the cushion next to her, smiling like a serpent ready to strike.

“Come. Sit down.” She winks. “I promise not to bite.”

“Very well.” Braddock rolls her eyes as she approaches the sofa and sits down next to her longtime friend. Almost instantly as she settles in, a butler comes by with two glasses of red wine. Glory looks at them and hesitates. She looks up at Sophie who has already taken one of the glasses and takes a sip.

“Go ahead and take one. It’s Merlot, your favorite.”

“You really are pampering me, huh?” Glory remarks as she takes the other glass and takes a sip. The butler walks off.

“What can I say? You are my friend, Gloria, and I would do anything for you, just as I know you would do anything for me. Plus, I happy that you decided to take me up on my offer. I am happy that you finally admit that maybe you were wrong about your father, about his lifestyle and philosophy, that maybe there is something more that he taught me that he never taught you, some bit of wisdom that I now can impart upon you.”

“Let’s get something straight.” Glory begins directly, commandingly. “I am not doing this because I think I am wrong. Your philosophy is win by any means necessary. I think I knew my father pretty damn well and he didn’t agree with that. I am not here to rehash or debate that again. I am here, willing to hear you out, willing to listen to whatever ridiculous lesson you THINK you have to teach me, for the sake of our friendship.” Glory stares at Sophie with a determined glare mixed with a hint of concern. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, Sophie, but I am determined to help you.”

“Just as I want to help you.” Sophie winks. “Besides, your purpose for being here is irrelevant. All that matters is that you are here and you are here, if not with an open mind at least with open ears willing to hear what I have to say.”

“Well let’s get on with it then, shall we?” Glory says as she sips on her wine and leans back into the sofa, getting comfortable and preparing herself for whatever it is Sophie has in store. “What bloody brilliant words of wisdom do you have for me? What do you think that you know about MY FATHER that I somehow don’t know?”

“Let’s begin with your own name.” Sophie remarks as she sets her wine glass down on a glass coffee table in front of her. “You do not truly understand the significance of the Braddock name. The Braddock name is…or at least is was…revered throughout Europe and your father understood that.”

“I understand it too.” Glory snaps back. “What’s your point?”

“Quit being so damned humble.” Sophie answers sharply. “Recognize who the hell you are and make sure everyone in the arenas, everyone else on the roster, recognizes, respects, and fears who you are. You have surpassed your father, Gloria, but no one except me gives you credit for it.” Sophie smirks. “You may be a Supreme Champion in SCW but allowing a talentless fool like Dexter Grant defeat you in Dusseldorf for the Adrenaline Championship was absolutely unacceptable.”

“Oh here we go…” Glory sighs as she sets her wine glass down and glares angrily at Sophie “...did you even watch the match? Did you notice him cheating? Going to my eyes? Using the ropes?”

“Excuses.” Sophie states. “If he cheats, you should cheat more. Use his own tactics against him. The only thing matters in wrestling is defeating your opponent.”

“By any means necessary, right?”

“Precisely. If you remember that lesson then you MIGHT regain the title at Retribution. But losing to that fool Grant isn’t your only problem. The way you allow your own daughter, Melinda, the way you allow her to rebel against you the way she does, that is shameful.”

“Don’t you ever mention her name!” Glory is angry now. Sophie bringing up Melinda Braddock, Glory’s oldest daughter, really struck a nerve. The British Bombshell stands up and stares down at Sophie as she continues to verbally berate her. “You know nothing about my family, Sophie! Nothing! So keep my daughter’s name out of your damn mouth! Do you understand me?!”

Braddock expects an equally testy response from Sophie. She even braces herself for a physical attack as Sophie stands up and gets nose to nose with The British Bombshell. But instead Sophie just chuckles softly.

“You’re angry. That’s good.” Sophie nods her head. “You could afford to be angry more often, you know? There have to be certain things that anger you, that frustrate you. Channel those emotions, use them against your enemies…enemies such as Dexter Grant.”

“Might be a good idea, I’ll give you that…” Glory sighs as she sits back down, Sophie follows suit “...but Melinda really is bothering me.”

“Yes, I cannot help but notice how you two have drifted apart.”

“Bloody hell, the whole world has noticed.” Glory states. “Its advertised on television now that she’s out there with Sutter week in and week out on SCW programming. I just wish I knew what to do about this…I wish I knew how to get through to her, to make her realize that I am not her enemy.”

“I think you know what you must do, you just are afraid to do it.” Sophie answers. “All goals worth achieving should be sought after with fervor. And you should achieve them by any means necessary.”

“What are you saying?” Glory arches her brow out of curiosity.

“I’m telling you to go get your daughter back.” Sophie smirks knowingly. “And when you do, tell me how it went. Tell me if you were successful.”

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February 22nd, 2025
Charlotte, NC
Off Camera
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Glory Braddock went to Charlotte, North Carolina for Breakdown with a mission; she wanted to send a message to Dexter Grant through the reigning SCW Underground Champion Colleen Macdonald. She wanted to prove that she could adapt to any wrestling style, compete against anyone under any conditions, and still come out victorious. She wanted to prove that it didn’t matter what his ridiculous “Disconnect Match” was, Glory Braddock would defeat him and regain her SCW Adrenaline Championship. She also went into the night with some of Sophie O’Brian’s words of wisdom in the back of her head; focus on winning, do not get distracted on anything else. Yet, needless to say, The British Bombshell was not expecting Kimberly Williams to show up out of nowhere with a BED OF NAILS! The unexpected and unwanted arrival distracted Colleen but not Glory. The British Bombshell kept her focus on Colleen and managed to make her pass out to the Shekhinah Glory. Braddock sent her message and is now riding a wave of momentum into her rematch for the Adrenaline Title at Retribution. Braddock did not take any time to celebrate her victory. Seeing Kimberly Williams there with a bed of nails ready to do who knows what to the fallen Colleen Macdonald, Glory decided to leave well enough alone and head for the exit with her own victory secured and ready to move on and focus on Dexter Grant.

The British Bombshell steps back through the curtain and into the guerilla position. She keeps on walking past the production crew and back into the backstage area. Her job tonight was done and done to perfection. Except, as she scans the area looking around at other officials and other wrestlers scurrying about, she realizes that she still has one other job that needs to be done. She still has something else just as important, maybe even more important than a wrestling match, that she needs to take care of. She recalls the words she heard from Sophie O’Brian back in Belfast; get your daughter back, do so by any means necessary.

Braddock has felt awful about the deteriorating relationship between her and her oldest daughter for a long time and she cannot help but partially blame herself. She hasn’t exactly been accepting of her relationship with Clyde Sutter. She has, at times, been very overprotective. There are a long list of reasons why The British Bombshell blames herself for the wedge that has been driven between herself and Melinda and she would do almost anything to make it right. But would she resort to Sophie’s philosophy of ‘by any means necessary’ to repair the relationship between her and Melinda? She realizes that she doesn’t have much time to think it over; she spots Melinda, alongside Clyde Sutter, walking through the hall of the arena. She doesn’t know where they are going but she does know if she waits up too long she might miss out on this rare opportunity. Glory quickly approaches the couple, flagging them down by waving her arms.

“Mel! Hey, wait up!”

She can hear Melinda groaning, as if she does not really want to talk to her right now. She cannot blame her. But Melinda and Sutter do come to a stop and wait as Braddock approaches them. The younger Braddock puts on an obviously faked smile as her mother steps forward.

“Good evening, mother. I should probably say that congratulations are in order after you choked out Colleen?”

“Thanks.” Glory grins. “I wish I could’ve done it without the distraction but, eh, you take a win however it comes.”

“I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.” Melinda snickers. “Maybe if you keep it up, you’ll actually beat that idiot Dexter Grant and win back the Adrenaline Title.” She pats Clyde on the back. “Or if you want, Clyde here could help you at Retribution. He would do it for free since, you know, he’s sleeping with your daughter.”

“A family discount, eh?” Glory grins and shakes her head. “Maybe another time.”

“Suit yourself.” Melinda shrugs her shoulders. “But, uh, do you have anything important to say? Because Clyde and I have places to be, money to make…” her voice trails off. Glory nods her head.

“Yeah, I’m sure you do, but this won’t take long. I just need to talk too you…” she looks up at Clyde “...alone.”

“Fine.” Melinda kisses Clyde on the lips. “Run along, babe. I’ll catch up.”

“I won’t be far, my love.” Sutter remarks as he walks off. Melinda and Glory watch him go. Once he is out of sight Melinda turns back to face her mother. She rolls her eyes.

“So what is it this time?” Melinda now sounds much more annoyed than before. “You know me and Clyde are very busy.”

“You may need to sit down.”

“I thought you said this wouldn’t take long.” Melinda sighs as she walks over to a nearby packing crate and hops up on top of it. Glory sits down next to her. The British Bombshell gazes deep into her daughter’s eyes with warmth and love, but also with determination.

“We need to finally address the elephant in the room.”

“I don’t see any elephants, mom.” Melinda remarks with a grin.

“You know what I mean.” Glory snaps back. “We have been growing farther and farther apart. We used to be close, Mel, very close, but now we’re distant. I look at you and I don’t even know who you are anymore. And y’know, maybe some of it is my fault. Regardless of whose fault it is, I want to do what I can to fix this.”

“Oh so it’s gonna be one of THOSE talks?” Melinda chuckles. “I need a drink for this. Something that will make me good and drunk.”

“Please take me seriously, Mel.”

“Fine…” Melinda says in a huff “...look, you’re right, we have grown apart, and you bear some of responsibility. Actually, no, you bear ALL of the responsibility. You don’t know who I am or who I have become? Look in a mirror. It’s your fault I became this.”

“As the parent I bear some of the responsibility, but I think you’re being unfair.” Glory states. “If this is about Clyde, I have already said that I am willing to give him a chance and, look, if I have to reassure you then I will…”

“If you think this problem between you and me is just about Clyde then you are stupid.” Melinda says with a chuckle. “Yeah, I am not exactly happy that you seem to look at my boyfriend with such disdain, but the real reason for this problem between you and me boils down to the fact that I seem to be the only person proud to carry the Braddock name, proud to uphold its legacy.”

Those words sting when Glory hears them, not only because they come from her own daughter but also because they sound oh so similar to the words uttered by Sophie O’Brian just a few days ago in Belfast. Could Sophie have been right? Glory can’t think about that now. She needs to focus on the task at hand; repairing her relationship with Melinda at any cost.

“What are you talking about, Mel?”

“It goes back several years, mom.” Melinda retorts. “I was disappointed when Aunt Julia willingly surrendered herself to another family…”

“Not this again…” Glory sighs, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, this! She embraced Aphrodite Noel, a known con artist and bully, and took the Noel name. For a moment I was proud at how you resisted them both but then you too embraced Aphrodite. You didn’t change your name but you just may as well have. Anytime she’s near you bend over and kiss her ass. Hell, you made her a minority owner in your company.”

“Aphrodite is a very brilliant businesswoman.” Glory states. “She knows a heck of a lot more than me about the corporate world.”

“That’s no reason to practically hand over the keys to the kingdom and that’s no reason to almost make it look like you admire her.” Melinda shakes her head. “What’s with being a Braddock? Why aren’t you proud of being a Braddock?”

Melinda isn’t thinking with blind rage. She cannot see that Glory Braddock is still proud of her family and heritage. Yes, what Julia did was sell out the Braddock name but Glory? Glory did what was best for business. That doesn’t mean she isn’t proud of her family. Glory instinctively wants to explain that to her daughter. Yet something tugs in the back of her mind; a voice that tells her that Melinda will not buy that explanation. A voice in her head tells her to just tell Melinda what she wants to hear, which will be a first step towards repairing their broken relationship. And that’s what Glory wants. And sometimes you have to get what you want by any means necessary.

“You’re right…” Glory nods her head “...what I did was wrong. I should never have showed such deference towards Aphrodite, I never should have made her minority owner. I never should have done any of it.”

“Wait a sec…” Melinda looks confused, obviously not expecting to hear that “...I’m right?”

“Yes.” Glory sighs. “I really don’t know what I was thinking but obviously I wasn’t thinking clearly.” She reaches out and takes her hands and clenches them tightly. “We are Braddocks, and we are the best wrestling family there is. We have a lot to be proud of.”

“Damn right we do.” Melinda says sternly.

“Look, I know everything that has happened between us, with Aphrodite, Clyde, all of it, I know it will take time. We cannot just have this heart to heart right here and now expect it to be fixed overnight. But will you at least promise to give me another chance?” Glory smiles warmly. “I miss having you as a big part of my life, Mel. I really do.”

This is it. The moment of truth. Will Sophie’s advice pay off? Doing whatever is necessary, in this case telling Melinda whatever she wants to hear, will it work and at least begin the process of repairing this relationship? Glory waits as Melinda thinks it over. Finally Melinda nods her head.

“Well, you did promise to give Clyde another chance. The least I can do is give my own mother another chance.” She leans over and embraces her in a tight hug. “Love you mom, and thanks.”

“I love you too, Mel.”

It worked. Glory utilized Sophie’s advice tonight and it worked; it helped her to gain the victory over Colleen Macdonald and it helped her to at least begin the process of repairing her fractured relationship with her oldest daughter. The British Bombshell went to speak with Sophie, agreed to hear her out, only to appease her and, hopefully, get an insight into what makes Sophie tick, and maybe find a way to help Sophie. Glory never expected to find herself doubting her own philosophy and considering, if only for the briefest of moments, that maybe Sophie was right all along. If this worked tonight, could this strategy and approach work at Retribution and help The British Bombshell recapture the SCW Adrenaline Championship?