Asher Hayes vs. Glory Braddock

[Braddock]

2 of 2
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January 23rd, 2023
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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The past several months have not been easy for Glory Braddock. In fact, those closest to her thought that The British Bombshell was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Her mother, Maria Kurinsky, passed away suddenly of a massive heart attack. She heard rumors of a hostile takeover, a coup against her from within the company. Lastly, but certainly not least, she found out that her oldest daughter, Melinda Braddock, had started dating Clyde Sutter yet again; what’s worse, this has caused their own relationship to fracture. To lose her mother, potentially her company, and her daughter all at once is enough to drive anyone insane and Glory Braddock, as tough as she is, knew that she could not take the mental and emotional toll for much longer. Braddock needed help. That help came in the form of a former mentor named Aphrodite Noel.

Ever since renewing her unique association, her relationship with Aphrodite Noel, all of her problems started going away. She quickly moved on from the grief of losing her mother, because she accepted Aphrodite as her new mother. She stopped the threat of a hostile takeover by assisting the FBI in getting the evidence necessary to arrest Floyd Ryan, one suspect of manipulating Braddock. Meanwhile, Glory placed her own mentor, Aphrodite, in a position of power where she could keep the other threat, Aurora Alan, in check. Still, one problem remains at large and that could be the trickiest, most difficult problem of the three; after all, how does one deal with a rebellious daughter?

Perhaps the first question Glory should ask is why her and Melinda are drifting apart in the first place? What she learned from Aphrodite is that Glory is not innocent in all of this. Her own pressure that she put on Melinda, the expectations Melinda has felt to live up to, combined with Braddock’s refusal to even give Sutter a chance, let alone accept the budding relationship between the two, has just further pushed Melinda away. What The British Bombshell has realized is that she bears a great deal of the responsibility for what has happened to her and Melinda. Thus it is up to Glory to do her part to mend the fences, to repair whatever damage was done.

As is typical for The British Bombshell, she faces her challenges head on. Therefore it is no surprise that she finds herself in the back of a long black limousine with her oldest daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend, the man who Glory has found it difficult to trust; Clyde Sutter. Glory is wearing a mauve blush a-line puff sleeve mini dress and sandals with a low heel. Her long blonde hair hangs straight and unrestrained to past the shoulders. Melinda and Sutter are not dressed near as nice. Melinda is wearing torn black jeans, black boots, and a black crop top. Clyde Sutter is wearing black dress pants and white silk button up shirt. The British Bombshell has a glass of white wine in her hand. Sutter and Melinda, by contrast, are maintaining their sobriety…for now…

“Don’t you two want a drink?” Glory asks, motioning to the bottle of wine that rests next to her. Sutter shakes his head.

“No thanks, Ms. Braddock.”

“Me either.” Melinda answers as Glory shoots her a look. “I’d rather keep sober when I’m going to some strange place.”

“Oh come on, Mel.” Glory smiles sweetly, warmly, trying to ease the obvious tension. “I may be keeping our destination a surprise but still, the way you talk it sounds like you don’t trust me.”

“We haven’t exactly been that close lately.” Melinda says coldly. Glory sighs and nods her head.

“You’re right. And that’s all my fault.”

“Yeah, it is your fault.” Melinda says with venom dripping from her voice. “You have treated Clyde here like crap forever…”

“Melinda…” Clyde begins to speak but his girlfriend cuts him off.

“No! She’s going to hear all of this!” Melinda snaps back before turning her attention back to her mother. “Yes, Clyde once had a bad temper. He deserved to get kicked out of your school. He deserved to lose me the first time. He owns up to that. But he fixed his anger problem. He is a changed man. You refuse to believe it, though. You won’t even open your mind to the possibility. What’s worse is that you accused him of sexually assaulting me when even I denied that it ever happened!” Melinda leans back and sighs. “You want to know why I have a hard time trusting you? Simple. Because you didn’t trust me. In fact, have you ever trusted me or my judgment?”

“You know something, Mel? This reminds me of me and your grandfather.”

“I thought you and grandpa got along famously?”

“That’s what I wanted everyone to think.” Glory sighs. “The truth is, a part of me did resent him because of his insistence upon being one hundred percent involved in my professional career. Training me? That was fine. But then he used his influence to land me a contract with a major promotion, allowing me to skip the indies, allowing me to get to the top without really paying my dues. He acted as my manager for several years before his health finally caught up to him and forced him to step aside. His guidance helped me win seventeen world championships. Still, I can’t help but look back at my career and ask if I would have been that successful had I been forced to do it all on my own?”

“I assume this is going somewhere?” Melinda asks with an arched brow. Glory nods her head.

“Mel, I always swore to myself that I would not be like him. I swore that when it came to you, and Dawn if she ever were to decide to follow in my footsteps, that I would let you two make it on your own. I swore I would not hold your hands through it all. But I realized that I have become exactly like my father. I could not cut the apron strings, so to speak. I had to be involved in every aspect of your life, and just like my dad could not bring himself to trust my judgment in my wrestling career, I could not trust your judgment in your personal life. All I want to say is that I am sorry and that this trip is just the beginning.”

“The beginning of what?”

“My attempt to make amends for my past mistakes.”

“That’s a start I suppose.” Melinda shrugs her shoulders. “Still, you treated Clyde like garbage. Are you gonna start trusting him now? Are you gonna apologize to him?”

“Melinda, please stop.” Clyde says in a calm tone, which is unusual for the big man. “Your mother has no reason to believe I have changed. I was abusive to her students and…to you.” He sighs. “I have to earn that trust.”

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Clyde. Same with you, Mel. As far as I am concerned, this is a blank slate for everyone. A new beginning.”

“That’s a nice thought.” Melinda stares skeptically at her mother. “How do I know you mean it this time?”

“I have a peace offering.” She looks out the window of the limo as she feels the vehicle slowing down significantly. “And I believe we have arrived at said peace offering.”

“Huh?” Glory’s daughter is confused as she looks out of the window herself. The limousine pulls up next to a modest two story home. It looks brand new but not too lavish, luxurious, or extravagant. The vehicle comes to a stop. The driver exits and then walks around and opens the passenger side door. Clyde Sutter exits first. He takes the hand of Melinda and helps her out. Glory is the last to exit the back seat of the limo. Melinda looks at it in awe. She turns back to look at Glory and then back at the two story home. “What is this?”

“It is exactly what I said it is…a peace offering.”

“You mean…?” Melinda’s voice trails off as the realization washes over her. Glory nods her head in confirmation.

“Yes. This home is yours. Yours and Clyde’s. Assuming you want it, of course.”

“I can’t hardly believe it.” Melinda says with a stunned look on her face. She and Clyde exchange looks. Even Sutter looks somewhat astonished, even as he does his best to maintain a poker face.

“It is obvious that you two are back together and will be together for a long time. Clyde is right, it will take a long time before I can fully trust him. But I don’t need to trust him.” She places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “All I need to do is trust you. And I do trust your judgment, Mel. If you want to be with Clyde then I am ready to accept it and accept him. I will no longer interfere and I will not try to tear you two apart.”

“I just…” Melinda shakes her head “...I don’t know.”

“Ms. Braddock,” Clyde begins “you are not trying to buy my allegiance, are you? My uncle, Mason Van Stanton, already tried to buy my allegiance and affection. It didn’t work.”

“I understand that you and Mel both are people of simple taste. That’s why I didn’t go out searching for the most luxurious home I could find. I just found this modest two story home. Plus it is nearby to where I live so that both of you can visit anytime.” Glory looks down at Melinda, who is now smiling for the first time today. “I did promise not to interfere, but you are still my little girl, and I want to be part of your life.”

“Mom…” Melinda shakes her head, she is still in disbelief “...you know it will take a lot more than this to fix things, don’t you know?”

“I know. But like I said, this is just the beginning. I am prepared for all of the ups and downs this journey will take, Mel. I am ready to take on this challenge if you are willing to take it on with me?”

“Yeah…” Melinda smiles warmly “...I think I am.”

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January 26th, 2023
Atlanta, Georgia
On Camera
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The camera begins to roll and the setting immediately before us is the sight of the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It is this building that will play host to SCW Breakdown later today. Currently it is early in the morning. The sun has only just recently risen overhead in the bright blue sky. Just then “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock steps into the scene from the right. The beautiful blonde is wearing denim blue jeans, black boots, a white top that shows just a little of her midriff, and a black leather jacket.

“It’s me again. Glory Braddock. You may notice that something is missing. The so-called United Kingdom Title belt that I introduced after Apocalypse.” The British Bombshell shakes her head. “Let’s be honest, something I haven’t exactly been lately, that UK Title was just a fake. It was a fraud. It disrespected the proud legacy of the United States Championship and even though I am proud to be British, it disrespected the British legacy. On a more personal note, I was disrespecting myself and my own legacy by continuing to carry around that UK Title, by pretending that it was real. I was disrespecting myself because I know that I am capable of winning a legitimate championship in Supreme Championship Wrestling at any given time. Even if you don’t like me, you cannot deny that I am among the very best to grace a wrestling ring. In SCW alone I have been World Champion, Adrenaline Champion, and United States Champion. That’s why the Television and Tag Team Titles are currently on my radar.” She holds up two fingers. “Those two titles are all that’s left in order to be recognized as a Supreme Champion.” Braddock shakes her head.

“Now I’m not doing this just to add another notch to my belt. I am not doing this to add another diamond to my collection. I’m not a selfish belt collector. I am just a wrestler who wants to climb the next peak, to achieve the next goal. I don’t see obstacles, I see opportunities to test myself against the best. When I first joined SCW, my goal was to become SCW World Champion. Not only did I achieve that goal, but I held the US and Adrenaline as well. I even won Trios back to back. What else is there for me to do? What other goal is there for me to achieve? I want to be Supreme. Not out of greed, but to see if I can be just as good as other Supreme Champions such as Regan Street, Selena Frost, James Evans, David Helms…and the names go on and on…can I match them? And it all boils down to competition. Because that’s what competition is about. Can you match or be better than the best. Those names on the list of Supreme Champion, they are THE best. That’s why I am seeking that achievement; it is my competitive drive.”

“Something has been lost, something about me has been forgotten, and I think even I lost it, even I forgot…and I lost it, I forgot about it, back at Rise To Greatness…I lost the real motivation for why I continue to step foot inside the squared circle night in and night out and put my body on the line. I don’t do it to be a celebrity and make money. I don’t do it just to collect another trophy or to have people lavish me with such overused monikers as Best Wrestler in the World. My motivation is and always has been the thrill of competition. I have a passion for competition. That’s why I do what I do. I want to compete against the very best wrestling talents in the world. Isn’t that what wrestling is all about? It’s about two or more individuals fighting with everything they have to see who is the best.” Braddock sighs deeply and then shakes her head.

“I lost that. I allowed some stupid circumstance created by happenstance to annoy me, to anger me to the extent that I forgot why I do what I do. When I lost that motivation, I allowed myself to become an arrogant, overbearing, monster. Worse…I became a tyrant.” Braddock chuckles at the irony of what she just said “...Sic Semper Tyrannis. That’s what I used to say. It is a Latin phrase which means ‘thus always to tyrants’. I said it because I always pictured myself as the hero who constantly fought against those trying to tear down the pillars of what professional wrestling stood for. Ironic how I became the one thing I sought to defend wrestling against. I became a tyrant.”

“I’m not going to go back and dwell on what happened to cause me to fall from grace. I am not going to discuss what exactly led me to lose myself, to forget my passion and motivation. This isn’t a time for finger pointing or excuses. The only person I have to blame is myself. I own my mistake and it is up to me to repair the damage I did.” Braddock nods her head. “And the first thing I need to do is to rediscover my motivation, to rediscover that passion. As I said, that motivation and passion is centered around competition. That’s why I decided to accept Asher Hayes’s challenge for a match on Breakdown.” The British Bombshell shakes her head.

“This isn’t about championships. Well, maybe it is for you, Asher. I mean, that is why you came back, isn’t it? You want that one title that has eluded you for so long. You want to become SCW World Champion and you are willing to go through anyone to prove you are worthy of an opportunity.” Glory pats herself on the chest. “Well here I am, Asher. I am your opportunity. I am a former SCW World Champion. This is your chance to wrestle and defeat a former SCW World Champion.” Braddock smirks. “But this will not be easy. Ask yourself, Asher, are you focusing on defeating me or are you just looking past me and at the world title?” She shrugs her shoulders. “I think its a fair question. No one would blame you for focusing on that top prize. Who isn’t gunning for it? But keep in mind on where your focus SHOULD BE! You may be focusing on the World Championship, but I am focusing on only one thing and one thing only. No, it isn’t the Supreme Championship. The goal in this match, the purpose of facing you, is to rediscover my passion for competition.”

“Plus, I have had your number in our last several encounters. And if my memory serves me, the last time we fought, I choked you out with Shekhinah Glory in the gauntlet. The pressure is on, Asher. It is a must win situation. You have the questions of can Hayes really beat Glory Braddock? Plus if you lose to me, a former world champion, that hurts your case for a future title opportunity. But if I lose to you, am I really hurt?” Braddock shakes her head. “No, because my goal is not the world championship. Later on down the road? Perhaps. But right now the world title is not on my radar. Let you, Kandis, Cruze, Kim, and everyone else kill each other over it. I have stated my intentions pretty damn clear. I am chasing the goal of Supreme Champion. I want to achieve something I haven’t achieved yet. Losing to you won’t hurt me that much in the long run. And looking at myself and my current situation, having failed to win Trios, having lost that four way, I am near rock bottom as it is. In other words, Asher, I have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain in this match.” She points a finger at the camera.

“By contrast you have oh so much to lose and not much to gain.” Braddock begins to politely applaud. “But I credit you for laying down the challenge. I have enjoyed fighting you and I look forward to this encounter. Just understand what you have gotten yourself into. If you thought you were going to get an easy win over a distracted and overconfident delusional Glory Braddock then you are sorely mistaken. That Glory Braddock is dead and gone. The fierce, never say die British Bombshell is back. The same Glory Braddock who choked you out in that gauntlet match is back. And tonight, in the State Farm Arena behind me, Asher Hayes…” she smirks knowingly “...your ass belongs to me. Sic Semper Tyrannis.”