Glory Braddock vs. David Striker

[Braddock]

2 of 2
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May 19th, 2025
Charlotte, NC
Off Camera
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The conference room of Glorious Golden Enterprise was perched on the top floor of a sleek, steel-clad skyscraper in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. The early morning light spilled through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long slashes of golden hue across the glossy mahogany table that stretched nearly the full length of the room. Outside, the skyline shimmered in the crisp spring air, all mirrored facades and humming energy. “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock sat at the head of the table, her posture a blend of grace and latent power, but there was a hint of anxiety as well, for she knew what this meeting was all about and she did not look forward to it. Her hair, an immaculate wave of golden blonde, was swept over one shoulder, catching the sunlight and gleaming like polished silk. She wore a navy blue blazer over a cream silk blouse. Her piercing blue eyes scanned the room with quiet command, taking in every detail, every shift in posture, every whisper between colleagues. The air was crisp with the sterile scent of citrus cleaner and brewed espresso, but beneath that lingered a quiet tension. Today’s board meeting was not routine. The company’s president, Frances Taylor, had resigned with intent to restart her own company, Taylor Enterprise, and try to put Braddock out of business. Frances’s games had already begun; trying to poach her wrestling talent. There was talk that she might go after the modeling agency as well. But then there was the obvious question of who will fill Francis Taylor’s shoes now that she has quit the company and struck out on her own? Glory had not spoken of it openly, not yet. But everyone knew. Something was wrong.

To her left sat Melody Murphy, a striking woman in her late thirties with blonde curls pinned back from her face and emerald earrings that glinted when she turned her head. Melody’s voice could calm a storm or start one, and she had done both in equal measure over the years. She and Glory had known each other since their time in school in London, England. Braddock is somewhat surprised to see Melody here today. Melody, after all, was just a financial backer, an investor in the company. Melody’s permanent residence is in Birmingham, England. For Melody to make the trip from England, across the pond, to Charlotte, North Carolina must mean something is wrong. Glory can only guess the reason that brings her here today, but that reason must wait for later. At the very least, Glory is thankful to have her friend here to support her on what will no doubt be a very difficult experience.

Today, though, Melody’s usual warmth was tempered by concern. She leaned forward slightly, a manicured hand curled around a ceramic coffee mug, watching Glory closely. No one else at the table knew her like Melody did. She recognized the set of Glory’s jaw, the slight narrowing of her eyes, and the faint way her left thumb tapped against the table’s edge. Glory was on edge and anxious. She was steeling herself for a fight with the board of directors. This group had never been friendly with The British Bombshell due in large part to the fact that Glory never came from the corporate world. Yet here she was sitting in this lofty position as their boss. And today she is in a vulnerable position and they, no doubt, will want to strike. Around the table, other board members flipped through printed agendas and digital briefings, murmuring in cautious tones. A few offered nervous smiles, others wore poker faces honed through years of corporate survival. But all of them, whether they admitted it or not, were looking to Glory. Glory leaned back, folded her hands in her lap, and took one last glance out the towering windows; toward the sun rising over Charlotte’s steel horizon. Then she turned back to the room, eyes sharp as cut glass.

“Let’s begin,” she said “I believe we are all aware of the departure of Frances Taylor as President of Glorious Golden Enterprise. I can assure you that I am doing everything I can, as owner of this company, to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly in her absence. I have allocated her duties to other executives and directors who were already working closely with Frances and thus know her job very well. I know that the sudden departure of Frances Taylor was very shocking to all of you…” she sighs “...as her close friend, it was definitely a surprise to myself…but I assure you that this company will continue to thrive in her absence. I am certain all of you have questions and concerns about this situation…many of you have already reached out…so that’s why I called this meeting, to address everyone’s concerns at once. So with that said, if anyone wants to say something or ask me any questions, the floor is yours.”

“We appreciate you taking the time to visit us, Ms. Braddock.” The voice is that of board member David Beaver and it drips with sarcasm. “But with all due respect, I think I can safely say that myself and most of my colleagues are concerned with who will fill the vacant corporate president position that Ms. Taylor left behind.”

“We have the position covered.” Glory states.

“Yes, by distributing the many duties of president to other people.” He points out. “We need one person to do those jobs otherwise you are overworking other employees.”

“I concur with Mr. Beaver.” Jim Phillips, another board member, states. “We need a full time president. So could you confirm whether or not you are actively pursuing an individual to fill Frances’s position?”

“Yes, I can confirm that we are actively looking.” Braddock nods her head. “But these things take time. Frances was a great president and served that role a long time. I want to find the right person. Also I have been busy taking care of other problems that have arisen since the departure of Frances Taylor so, please, be patient because this process of hiring a new president could take some time.”

“We are well aware of the problems you are dealing with.” Beaver chimes in. “Our talent is being poached. Rumors of the modeling agency being targeted.”

“Unsubstantiated rumors.” Braddock says firmly, hoping to sound confident, even though she herself believes those rumors, despite her cousin Kayla assuring her that everything was fine.

“Nevertheless, all of these problems could be solved in one swift stroke if you hired a replacement for Frances Taylor.” Beaver quips. “The sooner the better.”

“And if I might add,” Phillips begins “if you are having difficulty finding someone to fill Ms. Taylor’s shoes, we could find our own replacement.”

“That is out of line.” Glory’s tone is now harsher. She recalls all too well how the board has been aggressively opposed to her in the past. She would not put it past them to hire someone who would intentionally undermine her, who would try to work against her. She knows that now is the time for her to reassert her control over the company. “Hiring and firing ultimately lands at my desk, Mr. Phillips. This is my company, after all. I own it. So any new president will be chosen by me, not by this board.”

“Fair enough.” Phillips nods his head. “But we advise you to get this done quickly.”

“Once again, you must be patient.” Glory says. “I am working as hard and as fast as I can.”

“Hey, I got an idea!” Melody speaks up for the first time since this meeting began. It hasn’t been a long meeting yet but already it is going downhill. Braddock is grateful that Melody is here to ease the tension. “Obviously we are all tense and understandably so, especially with Frances leaving. So let’s just take a break and cool down? I took the time to order some doughnuts and have them brought in. They’re in the other room and they are delicious.” She winks. “I cheated and already had one.”

“Brilliant idea, Mel.” Glory sighs, thankful that Melody found an excuse to pause this. “Let’s take a thirty minute break.”

No words need to be said. Everyone nods in agreement and then they stand up and make their way towards the exit…everyone except Glory and Melody. The two longtime friends remain behind in the conference room, waiting patiently for everyone else to file out. Many of the board, like Glory, are grateful for the break. This tension created by the argument between Braddock, Beaver, and Phillips was unnerving. This is why The British Bombshell hates these board meetings. But this one was necessary. As soon as everyone is gone and Glory knows that she is alone with Melody she lets out a great big sigh of relief.

“Bloody hell!” Glory shakes her head. “Did you hear that? Frances’s actions have turned the board against me…” she rolls her eyes “...then again, they already hated me. This just gave them another excuse.”

“I could tell. I hope you know that agreeing to let the board have any say whatsoever in who you hire to replace Frances is a very bad idea.”

“Oh don’t worry, I know better than to give this board any leverage. Frances knows all too well that this board doesn’t like me. I wouldn’t put it past her to try and influence them.” She shakes her head. “The board will have no say so in who becomes the new corporate president. When I do get around to hiring someone, it will be whoever I choose, not them.”

“Good, because you cannot trust them.” Melody states. “But in other news, I did find out some very interesting information about Frances’s new boyfriend.”

“Oh yeah?” Glory’s eyes light up. Perhaps this is why Melody made the trek to Charlotte for this meeting? “Do tell.”

“First of all, Dominic got all of his wealth from his relatives…his dead relatives. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it. They all came from money and he got it from them.”

“We know that, Mel.” Glory points out.

“Yes, but here’s the fun part.” Melody grins. “Conveniently, as each one neared death, their wills were changed to make Dominic sole beneficiary.”

“Wait a second…” Glory pauses to consider Melody’s words “...are you suggesting he had something to do with their deaths? Is he that kind of sicko?”

“No, I don’t think he’s ruthless or evil enough to kill his own family. I just think he committed some major fraud and got away with it…well, so far he’s gotten away with it. Apparently he has siblings who are furious with what he’s been doing.”

“I’d be pissed too.” Glory states. “He’s cheating them out of what is, rightfully, their inheritance too. I take it they cannot prove that his schemes are fraud?”

“Unfortunately no.” Melody shakes her head. “My guess is that he has milked his family for all its worth and now he’s moving on to what he sees as his next meal ticket.”

“Frances.” Glory sighs. “He wants her to succeed so that she can prop him up for life. Does she have any clue that he’s swindling her?”

“I doubt it.” Melody shakes her head. “But maybe this could be a way to talk some sense into her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think the three of us should sit down…as friends…and talk to her. Maybe we can convince her that he’s bad news? And if we’re really lucky, she will dump this whole crazy notion of putting you out of business.”

“I’m beginning to worry that its too late.” Glory sighs. “Then again, I’d rather deal with Frances any day as opposed to dealing with the board of directors hounding my ass about finding a replacement.”

“So you want me to arrange a meeting?”

“Sure.” Braddock nods her head. “Arrange the meeting. What could it hurt?”

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May 21st, 2025
Atlanta, Georgia
On Camera
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The streets of Atlanta buzzed with the usual hum of city life; cars rolling past with steady urgency, voices rising and falling in conversation. The late afternoon sun cast a golden haze over the buildings, long shadows stretching across the concrete. Amid the motion and noise stood Glory Braddock, a striking presence who commanded attention even before a single word left her lips. Her long blonde hair, a cascade of golden silk, shimmered as it caught the light breeze, flowing past her shoulders with effortless grace. She ran a hand through it absently, brushing it away from her sharp, confident features; an angular jawline, piercing blue eyes, and a mouth set in a determined line. There was a subtle but undeniable edge to her expression, like the calm before a storm. Dressed casually but deliberately, Glory wore a fitted black t-shirt that clung to her athletic frame, the sleeves tight around her toned arms. Her jeans were worn but stylish. The denim hugged her legs, tucked into scuffed black boots that had clearly seen more than one arena parking lot. Glory took one step forward onto the sidewalk, her boots echoing faintly against the concrete, and looked directly into the lens.

“It seems as if my big announcement ruffled a few feathers.” Braddock chuckles lightly under her breath. “If what I did and what I said pissed you off, too bad. Get over it. Feel free to take it up with me personally or in the ring. Apparently Ryan Lecavalier already took that initiative but I’ll circle back to her in a moment. I want to once again remind everyone why I did what I did, why I bowed out of Taking Hold of the Flame. CHBK has been trying to fuck with me dating back to Under Attack. He tried to put Ace Marshall into my title match against Dexter Grant. When that failed he blatantly ignored Grant blatantly cheating to steal the Adrenaline Title from me. Then CHBK let Grant have whatever the hell kind of match he wanted against me for my rematch and was perfectly ok with Dexter not even telling me or anyone else the rules of said rematch until the day of. His latest scheme to piss me off was to throw Syren into mine and Selena’s match, making it a triple threat. Why? Just because she’s Syren and he thinks she’s special. And just for kicks, he made it so that I would have to enter the Flame at the number one spot.” Braddock shakes her head.

“I have been wrestling for nearly twenty years now and you are the single most incompetent COO, authority figure, whatever that I have ever had to deal with and I am no longer going to play your games. I will not be the number one entry simply because you said so. You cannot make that decision for me, because I made the decision not to compete. The simple fact is that I am everything that I say that I am. I am The Best in the World and I do not need to win Taking Hold of the Flame in order to earn a world title shot. I do not need to run the gauntlet, going the distance to earn a world title shot. I can earn my title match the old fashioned way by beating each and every person who has the guts to step up to me. I do not need to take the shortcut that is Taking Hold of the Flame. I can afford to be patient. I can get there the long way around. That isn’t arrogance talking. That’s just confidence. Ask Kemal of the European Fiery Nation if I am capable of earning a title shot the long and hard way? He will tell you about how I made him tap out. But he was just the first. Second on that list is David Striker.” The British Bombshell smirks.

“We meet again, David! It has been a long time since the two of us were beating the ever living crap out of each other and I have to admit, I kind of missed throwing down with you. I respect you, Striker. We may not always see eye to eye on everything but I think that there’s a healthy amount of respect here between us because of the wars we have been through as opponents, whether it be in tag action or in singles competition. Now we find ourselves one again staring across the ring from one another. It also makes me wonder…what did you think of my little announcement?” She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter though, does it? What’s done is done. All I know is that if it pissed you off, at the very least you were willing to show me enough respect to step up to me in the ring and tell me in the ring and settle in the ring.”

“Competition.” Braddock states clearly, boldly. “Competition inside the ring in wrestling matches is where these so-called consequences CHBK loves to yap about are truly settled. Not some made up fantasy match, not backstage politics, not based on your name, and not even a fancy contract held over the head of Supreme Championship Wrestling. The consequences are dealt with inside the ring. Two people doing combat to see who is the best. I think you and I can agree on that, David. Even through our past conflicts, all of it all boiled down to the question of who was the best.” She points at herself.

“So far, Striker, I have had your number. You cannot deny it, mate, throughout our past, whether it be a tag team affair, a cluster, or a one on one match, I have had your number. I have been the best when it comes to you versus me. But it won’t be that simple this time, will it? I know this because we are cut from the same cloth. We are both students of the game. When we make a mistake, when we slip up and fail, we look for how to improve ourselves to make sure that we do not make that mistake again. So that David Striker I went to war against last year is not the same David Striker I will go to war against tomorrow night. You have worked to find out what went wrong, how I beat you, and how to fix the mistakes. But guess what?”

“So have I. I have done my homework and I have also improved. I am not the same Glory Braddock from last year. I am better than I was back then and I am ready to take you down once again as I prove, one by one, match by match, victory after victory, that I am deserving of a world title shot.”

“That was my decision, CHBK. I chose competition as opposed to playing your games and I look forward to facing the so-called ‘consequences’ of my decision because competition is what this business should be about. You talk a big game about people paying the consequences for their decisions. I don’t see The Fall of Man paying any consequences for their decisions. I don’t see Syren paying any consequences for her constant failures, I see her continuing to get opportunity after opportunity. I definitely don’t see someone like Ryan Lecavalier, who assaulted me last week, getting any punishment for what she did. Where were you on that one, Heartbreaker? Was your head shoved too far up Syren’s ass to see it happen? But that’s fine. I don’t need your help nor do I want your help. I will take my pound of flesh from Ryan myself.”

Braddock smirks. “Ryan, you have no idea what I am capable of and you have no idea of who you just picked a fight with. I don’t know why you assaulted me…whether it was because you didn’t like my decision to back out of the flame or if you just wanted to pick a fight with one of the best ever to do this…but it really doesn’t matter to me why you picked this fight. When the time comes for us to meet in the ring, I am going to either choose one of your limbs and tear it off or I’ll just choke you out. If you don’t believe me then do your homework. Look at what I did Kemal. Take good notes on what I’m about to do to David Striker tomorrow night. Tomorrow night on Breakdown will be a very good education on what Glory Braddock is capable of when I am focused and determined.”

“And trust me, I am more focused and determined than ever before.” She shuts her eyes. “Sic Semper Tyrannis.”