Xander Valentine vs. Gavin Taylor vs. Christy Matthews vs. Glory Braddock

[Braddock]

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July 15th, 2021
Oklahoma City, OK
Off Camera
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The Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma played host to SCW Breakdown this week. It was the final stop before SCW Rise To Greatness, the biggest event on the SCW calendar, and an event that “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock looks forward to each year. Two years ago she was in the main event of Rise To Greatness challenging for the SCW World Championship. Last year she challenged Peyton Rice successfully to win her first piece of championship gold in SCW, the Adrenaline Championship. And this year she yet again finds herself seeking gold as she faces Xander Valentine, Christy Matthews, and Gavin Taylor for the vacant SCW United States Championship. It seems as if whenever Rise To Greatness comes around, so do the championship opportunities for The British Bombshell. Yet as much as she does want to hold gold again in SCW, merely being a champion isn’t the only goal here for Glory Braddock. The British Bombshell has long sought out new challenges within the company. She wants to test herself against the best the company has to offer, and you can’t ask for a much bigger test than the three opponents she will get at Rise To Greatness.

Now that Breakdown has come to its conclusion, Glory Braddock can officially turn her attention to Rise To Greatness; she has a little over a week to prepare for this great challenge. Braddock will begin her final preparations in earnest as soon as she can return to her home in Miami. In fact, the gorgeous blonde is already packed and ready to leave the Ford Center. Her plans are to spend the night at the hotel and then leave the very next morning back to Miami. But there is one missing piece to the puzzle; her daughter Melinda Braddock.

Melinda completed her wrestling training at the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School but has still spent most of her time overseas in Europe competing on the independent European circuits. Occasionally Melinda will take time off to visit her mother and with this being Rise To Greatness season, Melinda has taken time off to go on the road with her famous mother to watch her and support her in her quest to become SCW United States Champion. Glory enjoys the time she spends with Melinda, especially these past few weeks and months, because Glory felt concerned that she and Melinda were drifting apart. Even Glory’s sister warned her that she and Melinda could forever drift apart from one another. And the person at fault could be none other than Glory herself.

Glory Braddock refuses to let go of a long running feud between her family and the Van Stanton family. This complicates Glory’s relationship with Melinda because Melinda is currently in a serious romantic relationship with Archie Van Stanton, son of Henry Van Stanton. Everyone around Glory, everyone from her sister to Glory’s husband Kurt Logan, have told her that she needs to drop this feud, try to bury the hatchet with the Van Stanton family. But Glory just cannot bring herself to trust them. But the mere fact that holding onto this grudge could permanently drive a wedge between her and her daughter has given Glory pause to reflect. Should she drop it? Should she make peace?

Those are questions for later. For right now she can at least enjoy the company of her daughter and at least pretend everything is ok. But first she needs to find Melinda. The British Bombshell is walking the halls, scanning the backstage area of The Ford Center for her daughter Melinda. Currently she is nowhere in sight.

“Melinda? Mel? Where the hell are you?!” Braddock continues walking in the same direction, scanning the halls for her daughter. Then she feels her cell phone buzzing. Braddock reaches into her pocket and produces her iPhone. The screen indicates a text. She pulls up the text and it is from Melinda. It reads ‘Behind you!’. Braddock spins around and is met immediately by her daughter.

“Boo!” Melinda leaps up and nearly tackles her mother down but Glory manages to stay on her feet. Mother and daughter both share a hearty laugh.

“Bloody hell! Are you trying to give me a heart attack, love?” Glory asks. Melinda is giggling uncontrollably. She shakes her head.

“Nah! Just wanted to surprise ya, that’s all!”

“You damn sure surprised me, love. Scared me half to death, at that. But it’s ok, I could use a good scare every now and then, I suppose.”

“True. And besides, I am helping you!” Melinda proudly declares.

“How do you figure that, love?”

“Simple; I am just a little girl and I managed to get the jump on you. At Rise To Greatness you will have three opponents all at once.” Melinda shakes her head in a mockingly scolding manner. “You will need to do better than that if you want to be champion, mom.”

“Look, that’s a little different situation and you know it. Besides, you’re not exactly a ‘little girl’ any longer, now are you? You have spent a year now, is it? Or more than that training? Which is it?”

“Little more than a year, I think.”

“Yeah, over a year you spent overseas, basically on your own, training to be a wrestler in your grandfather’s own wrestling school.”

“I had Aunt Chastity. I wouldn’t say I was on my own.”

“Don’t be so bloody modest. You did this on your own and you earned it. You are now a wrestler in your right. You have grown up and I can honestly say that I am damn proud of you, Melinda Alexis Braddock.”

There is a tear in Glory’s eye as she says this; there is a tear in Melinda’s eye as well. Mother and daughter meet and embrace in a tight hug. Upon breaking the hug Glory kisses her on her cheek.

“Thanks, mom.” Melinda says, blushing furiously. “And you’re right, I have had to grow up pretty quickly in order to earn this. And having said that, I wanted to show you something.”

Melinda reaches into her pocket and produces a small case, one that typically contains some sort of jewelry. She opens the tiny case and sure enough a diamond ring is inside. Glory’s eyes grow wide as she admires the diamond. Then The British Bombshell takes her eyes off the diamond and looks back at her daughter.

“Beautiful diamond, Mel.”

“I agree. It is gorgeous.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Well you know that Archie and I flew back in from England so that I could travel with you during the last leg of the Rise To Greatness season. Well that evening after we got back to Miami he gave me the diamond and asked me to marry him.”

“He proposed?” Glory’s eyes grow wide. Melinda nods her head in confirmation.

“Yeah…” her voice trails off. Glory has to pause for a moment to let it sink in. The gravity of the situation is enormous. Glory realizes that she and Melinda have had some tense moments over the Van Stanton family. Glory hates them and yet Melinda is dating one. It was awkward enough that Glory Braddock was refusing to drop this bitter feud when her own daughter was dating a Van Stanton, but now a marriage proposal is on the table? Melinda could become a Van Stanton herself? The British Bombshell isn’t sure how to respond to this news. She asks the one and only question that she can think of, the most obvious question that comes to mind for a moment like this.

“So, uh, what did you say?”

“Look, mom, I am not stupid. I know you have been real supportive of me and you have been real polite around Archie. I appreciate all of that. But I can tell that you still hate Archie’s dad and uncle, you still don’t trust Archie. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure you out, mom, and I knew that agreeing to marry him would drive you nuts. So I didn’t give him an answer. I told him I needed more time to think about it.” Melinda sighs deeply. “Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you first. I wanted to make sure you would be ok with this.”

“I admit that I am surprised you didn’t say yes…”

“Why? You’re my mom and I respect you and love you too much to do something like that.”

“Maybe, but you are also a grown woman now. You can make your own decisions and I can tell how much you love Archie. You do love him, don’t you?”

“I love him more than anything you can imagine, mom.”

Glory Braddock stares into her daughter’s eyes. She can tell just by gazing deep into those eyes that Melinda is being sincere. A low chuckle escapes Glory’s mouth. Melinda furrows her brow out of curiosity. “What is it? What’s funny?”

“When I dated Randall Williams, the man who would become my first husband, my dad hated him. He hated him because he was an American. Your grandfather wanted his daughter to marry someone with English heritage and roots.”

“What happened?”

“Ultimately I told him in so many words that Randall was a good man and that I could have a relationship with anyone I wanted, regardless of if he approved. It took my father a bit to get used to it but he finally came around and grew to accept it. He grew to drop his old prejudices.” Glory smiles down at her daughter Melinda. “Maybe it is time that I dropped my old prejudices?”

“What are you saying, mom? You have no prejudices?”

“I do have them; I don’t like Archie simply because his last name is Van Stanton. How much more prejudiced can you get? And for what? Archie’s grandfather ended your grandfather’s wrestling career. They were both wrestlers and it wasn’t like he was actively trying to give him a career ending injury; it was an accident. The only bad thing Henry did to me was convince my company’s board of directors to take power away from me and give it to him. But his motives were pure, he was legitimately concerned that I was not of sound mind to run the company. How many times have I done terrible things with the best of intentions? I would be a hypocrite for holding that against Henry.”

“What about Archie’s uncle?”

“Mason? Mason IS scum of the earth and there is no redeeming him.” Braddock smirks. “But other than that, I see no reason to continue holding onto this grudge.” Glory reaches out and places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You never needed to ask me for my blessing, but since it means this much to you, you have my blessing to accept Archie’s marriage proposal.”

“Thanks, mom!” Melinda embraces Glory in a tight hug. “You are the best! I love you!”

“I love you too, Mel.”

It feels as if a great weight has been lifted off of Glory’s shoulders. No longer is the cloud of this bitter rivalry weighing her down and filling her mind with doubt and concern. For the first time in a long time, things look bright for Glory Braddock and her family.

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July 18th, 2021
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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Romeo & Juliet, a Shakespearean tragedy about lovers torn apart by a bitter family rivalry, ended with both Romeo and Juliet committing suicide. The infamous story of the Hatfields and McCoy feud also included a trail of bloodshed and dead bodies all over the Kentucky and West Virginia areas of the United States. For a long time it seemed as if Glory Braddock was determined to follow in the path of the Hatfields, the McCoys, the Capulets, and the Montagues in continuing her own bitter rivalry with the Van Stanton family. Despite the fact that her own sister had made peace with them and despite the fact that Glory’s own daughter had began dating Archie Van Stanton, The British Bombshell still seemed to stubbornly refuse to at least attempt to make peace herself and end the feud.

That all came to an end a few days ago when Melinda Braddock dropped a bombshell; Archie Van Stanton had got an engagement ring and proposed to Melinda. The revelation that Archie could become her son in law shook Braddock to her core in a good way. She finally recognized that she needed to make peace with this new reality, she needed to make peace with the Van Stantons, and if she didn’t she risked driving her own daughter away from her. Would it be difficult? Of course, trusting a family who has been at war with you for so long would be difficult for anyone. But Glory is willing to do anything for her daughter and she is willing to do anything to make peace.

Perhaps this story will not end as tragically as the Hatfields and McCoys or that of Romeo and Juliet? It would certainly appear that way, and one would need look no further than this scene on the 18th of July in Miami, Florida. Gathered around the dining room table inside the home of Glory Braddock and Kurt Logan are Glory and Kurt and a few guests; their daughter Melinda Braddock and future son in law Archie Van Stanton, Archie’s parents Henry and Autumn Van Stanton, and even Archie’s uncle Mason Van Stanton.

Yes, the same Mason Van Stanton who has been a thorn in the side of Glory Braddock for years and years is sitting in her dining room, sharing drinks with the rest of the family as they discuss wedding plans for Melinda and Archie. Even Glory herself finds it hard to believe that this is actually happening.

“St. Christopher in Birmingham would be a nice place to host the wedding.” Comes the voice of Glory Braddock. Henry nods his head in agreement.

“It is a beautiful place. Archie, Melinda, and I went to see it while we were overseas working with your sister.”

“But you and Melinda are Catholic now.” Kurt points out.

“I know but the church can shove it. Melinda is the one getting married and I know she has always dreamed of getting married in England, in one of the many churches her grandfather used to attend.”

“The church can shove it, eh?” Kurt chuckles. “You sound like your father.”

“Yeah, well dad would turn over in his grave if he knew his granddaughter would get married anywhere else but in a Church of England parish.”

“Glenn always was a bit overly patriotic, wasn’t he?” Henry says, chiming in. Glory nods her head.

“Yes, I must admit that he was a bit overzealous in his love of his home country. I’m not sure he ever did like my first husband Randall [Williams] but at least he grew to accept it. By the time Kurt came around he mellowed out a little and accepted that not all Americans were jerks.”

“But most are.” Mason says with a smirk. Autumn, henry’s wife, turns and elbows him hard in the rib, causing him to yelp.

“Actually, I don’t think I want to get married in St. Christopher.” Melinda says. This causes everyone’s eyes to turn towards her and Archie. “It is a beautiful place but I have been doing a lot of thinking and a lot has changed since the days of my grandfather and Archie’s grandfather. Granddad for a long time hated America and most Americans got on his nerves, but in his final days he lived with mom here in Miami. He once held such a grudge against Archie’s grandfather, a grudge that continued until just a few days ago. And granddad’s devotion to England was so enormous that it did include his love of the Church of England. But mom and I are both converted Catholics.”

“Like I said, your grandfather would be rolling over in his bloody grave.” Glory says while laughing. Melinda nods her head.

“Maybe, but since all of us have contributed to these major changes in our respective lives, I think we should continue with the changes. I want to get married in St. James.”

“St. James as in the Catholic Parish?”

“Yes.” Melinda answers, nodding her head.

“That would work out for us, we are Catholic already.” Henry states.

“Is that what you want, Mel?” Glory asks.

“Yes, that is what I want.”

“Catholic, not Catholic, doesn’t matter to me. I’m atheist.” Mason says, smirking devilishly. This brings about another swat from Henry’s wife Autumn. “What was that for?!”

“You’re being an asshole.” Autumn says, scolding her brother in law. Mason chuckles.

“No I’m not. I’m just trying to liven up the mood.” He rises up from the table and slowly starts to walk around. “I mean, think about what young Melinda just said, this grudge started not be my father Thomas Van Stanton but by Glory’s stubbornly monstrous father Glenn Braddock is what started this whole so-called feud.”

Mason approaches Glory. Glory stands up and gets nose to nose with him. “Let’s be perfectly clear, Glory, my father never disliked your father. He never held a grudge. Hell, he looked up to him much like most of the other morons who loved Glenn Braddock. He went into a deep depression when he learned that he was the one responsible for ending Glenn’s wrestling career. But Glenn’s anger and resentment caused you and your sister to hate him for it, and in turn hate myself and my brother for no other reason than our last names.”

“Mason, do NOT do this!” Henry starts to approach his younger brother in an attempt to stop him but Mason doesn’t stop.

“Henry didn’t deserve any of the crap he got from you. But me? Yeah, maybe I did deserve it. I deserved it because I looked at what happened to Glenn at the hands of my own father and realized, hell, maybe I can finish the job? Maybe I could derail the entire Braddock legacy. I am no saint, Glory, I do not pretend to be, and we will never ever be on the same page, let alone be friends, but I do agree that the time to put an end to this war is now.” Mason extends a hand out to Glory. “Believe it or not, I am capable of human emotion. And that young man over there, that is my nephew, I do want what is best for him.”

Braddock stares at Mason’s outstretched hand for a long tense moment. Eventually she does accept the handshake. “It’s good to hear you say that, mate. I don’t trust you, I may never trust you, but I do believe you want what’s best for Archie.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Mason says with a smirk on his face. “Now, as an olive branch of sorts could you perhaps lift that ridiculous ban and let me manage again in your promotion?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough.” Mason says as he releases his grip and turns and walks back to his chair. As soon as he sits down Glory turns her attention to the rest of the room and sighs.

“Look, I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to get along with. I have strong convictions, I have a strong moral compass, I know what I think is right and wrong, and I will die for those convictions if I have to. There were times I felt I had to defend my family honor, there were times I felt I had to defend the sport of professional wrestling, but today I realize that what’s most important is my daughter Melinda. I need to swallow my pride and realize that I am not always right, and even if I am right that doesn’t mean Melinda has to go along with whatever I say. She is allowed to create her own path and follow it, even if it isn’t the exact path I would have chosen for her.” She points to Henry, Mason, and Autumn. “I’m sure you three had your own strong feelings the moment you realized that your son was dating a Braddock.”

“I’d be lying if I said that weren’t.” Henry says, nodding his head.

“Today is the day we put our children first. We put our children ahead of ourselves and any of our petty differences. It’s the only fair thing to do.”

“Here, here,” Henry says as he holds up his glass which contains wine “in fact, I offer a toast, to Melinda and Archie, may this engagement and eventual wedding be a glorious one.”

“Agreed.” Glory says as she takes her glass and clinks it with Henry’s and everyone else’s glasses. Everyone drinks up and then that’s when Glory takes her seat. After everyone has had time to sip Kurt is next to speak.

“So what’s next?”

“A lot, quite frankly. Choosing a best man, maid of honor, groomsmen, brides maids, on and on and on, so many choices to make…” Henry says, his voice trailing off.

“But the good news is that we have plenty of time.” Melinda says cheerfully. “St. James won’t do the service for at least another six months. They want time to meet with us for counseling, preparation, and other stuff like that.”

“But what do WE do next?” Kurt asks again, putting an extra emphasis upon the word ‘we’.

“Not much love,” Glory starts “unless…” a wry grin forms on your face.

“I know that look. You have an idea.”

“Always. Since we are celebrating a new beginning how about we take Henry and Autumn out to dinner tonight?”

“What about Mason?” Kurt asks.

“What about him? I don’t like him.”

“Glory!” Kurt exclaims, somewhat surprised. But Henry nods his head in agreement.

“I don’t like him either, and he’s my brother.”

“Besides, he can stay behind with Melinda and Archie.” Glory looks over at Henry. “I want this to be a night for the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom to put an end to a dark chapter in our lives and celebrate a bright new beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”

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July 18th, 2021
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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It is dark in Miami, Florida, late in the evening several hours after the Braddock family met and had a peacemaking of sorts with the Van Stanton family in advance of the future wedding of Melinda Braddock and Archie Van Stanton. The big surprise of it all perhaps was Glory Braddock herself. She is one of the primary players responsible for keeping the Braddock and Van Stanton feud going for so long, all because she refused to let go of the grudge she held against them. But in a symbolic gesture of burying the hatchet, a token goodwill offering if you will, Glory suggested that she and Kurt take Henry Van Stanton and his wife Autumn on a night on the town in Miami. The night went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was almost as if there never had been a feud to begin with.

Kurt is driving and Henry is up front with him. Their wives, Glory and Autumn, are sitting in the back. Big smiles are upon their faces and it isn’t just a simple fact of the enjoyment they had tonight. It is also a sense of relief that all of them are feeling; relief and joy at what the future holds for their children.

“I had heard that you were a good karaoke singer but I didn’t believe it until I saw it tonight.” Henry says. Glory nods her head.

“Yeah well you should see what her karaoke is like when she’s drunk.”

“Hush it, Kurt!” Glory exclaims. Henry and Kurt both laugh and, despite herself, Glory does too.

“You were good, Glory.” Autumn remarks, patting her hand. “And thanks for tonight, this was great.”

“Not a problem, mate. It’s just as I said, this is a celebration. We are celebrating the end to that bloody ridiculous feud that I held onto like the stubborn bitch I am and we are celebrating the bright new beginning that our children, Melinda and Archie, are bringing to us.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Glory. It wasn’t all on your head. My brother admitted that he wanted to hurt you and your family. And me? I didn’t help matters either.”

Braddock reaches out and places her hand on Henry’s shoulder. “No, you didn’t. Did you have good intentions? Yes, I admit that you did. I needed psychiatric help at the time and I wasn’t listening. So when I did get help and I did get better, you had every reason to doubt me.”

“But I should have talked to you about it instead of siding with my brother.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Glory nods her head. “But that’s all water under the bridge. It’s in the past. And you know what? I forgive you for that. Just as my sister has forgiven you. Tonight we focus on the future, alright?”

Henry nods his head. “Right.”

Glory sits back in the seat next to Autumn. The car ride is silent for the next few minutes as they draw closer and closer to Glory and Kurt’s neighborhood in Miami. Eventually the silence is broken, not by anyone from inside the vehicle but from sounds coming from outside. These are sounds of sirens off in the distance. Police sirens to be exact. These sirens immediately raise up alarm bells for the driver, Kurt Logan.

“That’s police I’m hearing, right?”

“I think so.” Henry says, nodding in agreement. “Where are they coming from?”

“I don’t like this.” Glory says, shaking her head. “They’re getting louder the closer we get to the house.”

As the car continues its drive towards Glory and Kurt’s Miami home the police sirens do get louder. Eventually Kurt can see a police car in his rear view mirror coming up with his lights flashing and sirens going loudly. Kurt slows down and pulls over to allow the police car to pass him.

“Where is he going?” Kurt asks.

“It looks like he’s going towards our home.”

Kurt is now beginning to get just as concerned as Glory but he doesn’t show it, he has to be strong and drive. He continues driving down the road towards their home. Henry and Autumn both remain silent, both with looks of concern on their faces. The concern grows as they approach the Braddock home and they can see police cars, ambulances, and other emergency personnel parked out front.

“My God! That’s our home!” Glory exclaims. “Let me out…”

Just wait.” Kurt says.

“Stop and let me out!”

“Wait, damn it!” Kurt exclaims loudly. The car comes to a stop. Glory swings her door open wildly and violently and runs over towards the home. Before she can get there she is stopped by a police officer.

“Ma’am, you can’t come any further.”

“You have to let me in!”

“This is a crime scene, ma’am.”

“I own that home! My daughter is in there!”

“Ma’am, please calm down.”

“Where is my daughter, damn you?!” Glory shouts angrily as she scans the area for any signs of Melinda or even Archie. Eventually she sees the EMS people guiding two stretchers, each with someone on the stretcher, towards the ambulances. Glory’s eyes grow wide with fear as tears begin to flow freely.

“NOOOOO!!!!!”

Glory’s wails can be heard throughout the night. Kurt rushes up behind his wife and grips her tightly in a hug. He dares not let her see his face, or she would see that he too is crying. Henry and Autumn are holding tightly onto one another as well. All four of them are crying. This cannot be happening. On the day that peace was made between the two families, a nightmare has seemingly come to pass. Hell has destroyed the heaven they thought that they had created.