Religious Wright vs. Amelia Blythe

[Wisteria Waltz]

We open up to find ourselves in what looks like a good-sized home gym, a familiar setup for those who have a keen eye from past videos. It doesn't take us long to find one of the owners of this home gym, Amelia Blythe, dressed in purple shorts and a white tanktop as she lays on as mat stretching out her knee. We can see some noticeable wincing on her face, but it's nowhere near what we've seen from her in the aftermath of her U.S. Title opportunity at Taking Hold of the Flame, which feels like a good sign. Her focus, however, is not on us or even the knee she's stretching out at the moment. Rather, it's on the two giant flags that decorate the wall beside her, the one directly above her that she's locked eyes with being the lesbian pride flag while the bisexual pride flag hangs next to it. She finally finishes stretching and rolls up to a seated position, facing away from us while continuing to stare at the flags. For a moment, the only sounds we can hear give an indication that La Pequeña Luz is also working out somewhere else in the room, close enough that she can stop what she's doing in case Amelia needs her but far enough away to let her have the space she needs for this. Perhaps that's why it might catch a few people off-guard when Amelia suddenly starts speaking without turning or acknowledging our presence at all.

“Pride... for the longest time, that word in any context was a foreign one to me. Growing up I always knew there were some things different about me when compared to many other girls out there. The obvious was the fact that while they would talk about boys and how they looked, I just never saw the appeal. But even going back to what that word means as defined by the dictionary, the small achievements that many around me could feel proud of... they weren't enough. It was one of the many things I was forced to believe was a fact as my parents raised me... a perfect score on a test, while a noteworthy achievement to be proud of to you, was the bare minimum expected of me. Win a championship as a wrestler? The proudest moment of your career up to that point, while expected to be just another night in the ring for me. And as for the fact that I liked girls and only girls? Forget it... my parents were the kind who believed that God hated anyone who proudly waved the rainbow flag and would not stand for their 'precious, perfect daughter' loving anyone who wasn't a man... granted, said man also had to be just as perfect as they tried to force me to be, but that just gives you an idea of what I had to endure growing up.

I suppose that also gives you some insight as to how I got to this point... 'never show weakness' has long been the mantra of the Blythe family because we are supposed to be seen by all of you as, bar none, the greatest pure wrestlers to ever walk the Earth. I, in particular, was meant to be the lump of coal forged into the most brilliant diamond you'd ever seen, the perfect wrestler... being conditioned to believe in that for most of my life means it's not an easy mindset to completely abandon. That was what drove me to keep fighting against Bree even when my knee reached a point where I could have been hurt a lot worse than I was, all because the U.S. Title was within my grasp. That was why I kept my place in the battle royal when I should have done the smart thing and given my number to someone else after the number Bree did on me. I know full well it was always a toxic and self-destructive mindset, but for the first 19 years of my life... it was all I knew.

When I say that crossing paths with Luz was the best thing that ever happened to me, I mean that with all of my heart and soul. She was the opposite of everything I was built up to be: a high-flyer as opposed to a grappler, a reckless risk-taker and not a calculated strategist, a vibrant and outgoing person as opposed to a closed-off machine. And yet, beneath the surface, we weren't so different after all. We both struggled with being second-generation talent, we both had our own issues within our families... we were both so alone. And yet, in spite of that, she was never ashamed of who she truly was and never afraid to proudly tell the whole world exactly who La Pequeña Luz truly is and always will be. She inspired me to stop hiding and fight anyone who tried to tell me who I was supposed to be, because at the end of the day who I am is my decision to make and mine alone. I am proud to be a wrestler, I am proud of what I have accomplished in this business so far even if it's not perfect or defines me as the greatest wrestler who ever lived, I am proud to call Luz not only the best tag team partner I could ever ask for but also the best girlfriend I could ever have...

I am proud to be a lesbian, just as Luz is proud to be bisexual, and it's only fitting that I use my first match since my knee was cleared by doctors to close out Pride Month by proudly taking a man who's been trying to rally his own little senseless crusade against us and turning him into a human pretzel.”

Amelia slowly stands up and turns to face us finally, and it's clear right away just how annoyed she looks by everything she, and Luz by association, have had to endure from her Breakdown opponent for the past month or so all because of one little accident She takes a deep breath to compose herself before she continues.

“Religious Wright... isn't that name quite a representation of the man who awaits me in Buffalo this week for Breakdown? Now, I want to be clear about something: I do believe in God, and I have no problem with anyone out there who is truly religious because I know all of you actually learn from those Sunday church services that we are all God's children regardless of things like our race, gender, birthplace or sexual and romantic orientation. What I do have a problem with are people like Mr. Wright, who blindly quote Bible passages as though it's the only thing they need to back up their side of an argument and do everything they can to scam and deceive honest people into believing whatever version of God's word they're trying to preach because they think it gives them some sort of 'moral high ground' over everyone else.

Yes, Mr. Wright, I know full well the kind of scam you're running and it's on the long list of reasons why I'm putting an end to this come Thursday night. Consider that my donation to a worthwhile cause.

Now, what exactly is the reason you have such a problem with me? Surprisingly, it's not the fact that I'm a lesbian, though you're not doing a very good job of hiding that considering you apparently have an interest in me... not happening, though, and nothing you could possibly do will ever interest me in whatever you think you have to offer. Luz is the one who bats for both teams-”

“Absolutely not! You're the only one I have eyes for cariño, and even if we weren't in a relationship, I'd want nothing to do with that gilipollas!”

Amelia chuckles as she turns her attention to wherever Luz is out of our view and blows her a kiss. We can hear the sound of Luz returning the gesture before Amelia turns back to us with a smile, though it fades pretty quickly.

“Anyway, the issue you've had with me for the past month was the fact that I injured James Evans when we faced off in the first round of the U.S. Title tournament... completely ignorant of the fact that what happened to James was a freak accident that could've happened to anybody out there. There's a reason those disclaimers telling people not to try this at home exist, after all, especially when you can never predict if or when something will go wrong. I vaulted him over the top rope, like I planned to do to anyone in the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame, and his arm ended up getting caught and bent in an unnatural way. It wasn't planned in any way, I had no intention of hurting him... I walked into the ring that night looking to make him put his money where his mouth was about his pure wrestling skills and defend the honor of my girlfriend after he took issue with her honoring an opportunity she rightfully earned for a title we know he doesn't care for.

Let me ask you something, Mr. Wright: if I truly had malicious intentions towards James on that night, then why did I feel so guilty immediately afterward that it happened at all and our match had to be called because of it? Why was I so shaken up by it that I almost psyched myself out and cost myself my semi-final match with Deanna Frost the very next week? Her, Luz, Bree... they all reassured me that it wasn't my fault and that it was the accident it truly was, and yet week after week you continue acting as though James was the second coming of Jesus Christ and I proceeded to kill him. Do you even comprehend just how ridiculous all of that sounds? We're talking about a wrestler who spent the past several months crusading to rid the wrestling business of violence and proved how quickly his opinion can change on anyone he thought was following 'his example.'

You never even acknowledged that James existed until you happened to catch the little exchange between us that I mentioned earlier, which is funny when you realize how highly that man sang the praises of The Light In The Darkness up until that night.

Mr. Wright, you are no different from everyone else just like you that I had to deal with throughout my life, starting with my own parents. Everything you do has an ulterior motive in mind that only benefits you and you've convinced yourself of your own intelligence just because you know how to talk people into buying what you're selling. I've seen you in the ring though, and I think, deep down, you know as well as I do that this is a fight you really didn't want to pick. The problem is, The Light In The Darkness has always stood for solving wrestling problems in a wrestling ring, and considering I needed an opponent to test how well my knee can hold up being back in action again after having to rest it for the past several weeks, now feels like the perfect time to give you exactly what you've been asking for over the past month.

You think I'm some demon and you're the great savior who's going to purge SCW of me? Well, it's time to put your embezzled church money where your mouth is because the only way I'm going to know for sure how well my knee's going to hold up is to give you my very best come Breakdown. You can talk a big game, Mr. Wright, but you're about to find out that not only was it no fluke that I came as close as I did to becoming the new United States Champion at Taking Hold of the Flame, but I'm no demon or monster... I am one-half of the light that hopes to guides SCW into a brighter future and give those fans the kinds of matches they deserve to see each and every week from a roster as talented as this. Maybe after this Breakdown you'll finally understand all of this and leave us alone once and for all.

That... that is something I can gladly take Pride in.”

With a nod to us, Amelia begins to walk away. The camera lingers on the large pride flags a little longer before turning just in time to catch Amelia talking with Luz, the latter excitedly praising her girlfriend before the two exchange a tender and loving kiss before we finally fade out.