I Deserve This

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Off Camera

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She is the current UWA World Tag Team Champion, she has a singles career in Supreme Championship Wrestling, she is currently unbeaten in singles action as an SCW competitor.  It would appear as if Marie Annabelle Jones has everything she wants in her professional career as an athlete and competitor.  Despite all of this, all is not well with The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.  It seems that her decision to join SCW to pursue a singles career has caused a rift between her and her tag team partner Sophie James.

Sophie, though, has been more than just a tag team partner for Marie.  She has been a good friend for Marie. Sophie came to UWA for Marie when Marie needed support and needed a tag team partner.  Sophie has always been there for Marie and that’s what makes this so difficult for the young Jones heiress.  She does want to pursue a singles career.  More than that, she wants to one day be a world champion again.  And yet, her dreams and aspirations appear to be in direct conflict with her friendship with Sophie James.

Marie never wanted a conflict with Sophie.  All she wanted was to compete for singles gold. And in Supreme Championship Wrestling that goal seems to come closer and closer to fruition.  She defeated Hannah Warr, Kara Abheri, and is now set for a number one contender’s match against both of those respective women in a triple threat match.  The winner becomes number one contender to the SCW Women’s Championship.  Having beaten both already in singles competition, Marie is certainly confident of her chances.  Most would consider her the odds on favorite to win at Under Attack.  It seems as if it truly is a golden opportunity for Jones, who just recently joined SCW, and already finds herself in contention for a championship.

Yet, for some reason, happiness isn’t there for Jones.  The Boston native seems to be rather unhappy about it all, despite this great opportunity in front of her.  She knows she shouldn’t let the issues involving herself and Sophie James get to her and distract her, but she can’t help it.   She feels guilty and while that feeling may not be affecting her performance in the ring, it is definitely affecting her personality outside the ring…

…just ask Arthur Pond, Marie’s husband who has dutifully remained by his wife’s side and supported her no matter what.  It was initially his suggesting for Marie to throw caution to the wind and go after her goals, her dreams, and her aspirations, despite what other people felt she should do.  Arthur hoped it would make Marie happy; that is, after all, all he wants for her.  He wants his beautiful wife to be happy.  And yet, it appears as if that still isn’t making her happy.  She still seems glum and upset.

The day has come to an end.  The sun has gone down and the darkness has taken over in Boston, Massachusetts.   Arthur Pond is lying in the king sized bed with the sheets up to his chest.  He stares blankly at the ceiling.  He is unable to sleep for he is concerned about his wife right now.  He hates seeing her upset like this.  This just isn’t normal.

His wife, the lovely Marie Annabelle Jones, is standing by a full length mirror taking appraisal of herself.  She is wearing a black lacy bra and panty number with black sheer nylon over her legs.  Long red hair hangs down to just below her shoulders.

“Marie, are you coming to bed soon?”

“Soon enough.  I just want to make sure I look ok…”

“Look good for what?  We’re going to bed.”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

Arthur turns his head to find Marie at the mirror.  Marie turns and strikes a sexy sultry pose for him.  Arthur is not going to complain about this, but he is definitely surprised.  These past few days he has had to bear witness to his wife arguing with Sophie James, arguing with their agent Tabitha Silverstone, and he has had to deal with her guilty conscience causing her headaches and late nights.  But something seems different.  It’s almost as if she has forgotten all about her problems.   It makes no sense.

Most would just accept this as a gift from God.  They would accept that she’s solved her problem or at least decided to accept it and move on.  But Arthur, being who he is, doesn’t want to just simply accept it.  Something is up and he knows it.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this pleasant surprise?”

“Just for being you.”

Marie strikes a sultry pose for a few seconds before waltzing ever so sexily towards the bed.  She climbs into the bed and then gets as close to Arthur as she can.  They begin to passionately kiss.  Marie’s hands slowly begin to make their way down Arthur’s chest and then southward but then…

“Whoa, we have to stop…”

Arthur pushes away ever so slightly, just enough to make Marie stop.  Needless to say, Jones is surprised by this…

“You’re saying no to me?  To…to this?!”

Arthur chuckles lightly and nods his head.

“Am I saying no to sex?  Yes, I am.  As shocking as that may be, I am.  At least for now.”

Marie is definitely disappointed.  She was ready to put on a show for her man and now she doesn’t get a chance to.  She did all of this for nothing.  She lies back down on her back and sighs.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something isn’t right with you, babe, and I want to get to the bottom of it.”

“With me?”

He nods his head.

“I’m sorry, Marie, but my mind cannot let me rest easy until I know you are ok, and quite frankly, you are acting very different tonight.”

Marie sighs and glares at him.

“In what way?”

“You and your tag team partner Sophie James and you and Sophie’s manager Tabitha Silverstone have all been arguing with one another over social media like little children for weeks.  And don’t think that I have noticed how you’ve felt.”

He runs his hand across her cheek.

“You’ve felt guilty about it, I can tell the way you’ve been acting in public.  I can see it in your face, in your eyes, but now…”

He looks at her, motioning to her rather sexy, skimpy attire.

“…I’m not complaining, but this definitely does not sound like or look like someone who is upset, or feels guilty.  So tell me, what gives?”

“Are we seriously going to do this?  Are we really going to talk about this now?”

Arthur smirks.

“If you want action tonight…yes.”

Marie rolls her eyes.

“This is wrestling business, Arthur.  You would not understand w hat I am going through right now involving Sophie and Tabitha.  But if you are insistent to stick your nose into my business…”

Marie swings her legs off the bed and gets up, she sighs with her back turned to Arthur.

“…then I guess we can talk.”

“Whoa, babe…”

Arthur sits up in bed.

“What’s this crap about sticking your nose in my business?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.  You’re not a wrestler, you wouldn’t understand.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

Marie turns to face Arthur after he says this.

“You’ve talked with me about your wrestling career before.  You’ve even asked for my advice.  In fact, my advice is what brought you to SCW, if you recall.”

Marie sighs and nods her head.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“So what makes this any different?”

“It just is…”

Marie shakes her head.

“Look, Arthur, I can’t explain it, but you just have to accept that there will be some situations you can handle and that I can talk to you about, but there are some situations about my career that you cannot handle or that I just have to keep to myself.”

Arthur frowns.

“I don’t accept that.”

He reaches out and takes her by the hand.  He gently touches the wedding band.

“See this?  This means forever and it means no secrets…we are one, Marie…one person.  If you think there are some things that you have to keep secret from me, then that means you don’t trust me.”

“I do trust you, Arthur!  It’s just that…”

She sighs and shakes her head.

“…I just don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing or not.”

Arthur cocks his head to one side, studying her curiously.  This seems odd.  Why would she make such a big deal about not talking with him about this?  He smiles warmly at his emotional wife.

“Do you want to be one half of the UWA World Tag Team Champions?”

Marie nods her head.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to be a singles competitor?”

Marie nods her head.

“Yes.”

“Then you’re doing the right thing.  You don’t need anyone’s approval or permission.  If anyone questions you, your motives, just remember what you’ve done for this business, for this sport, and how hard you have worked.  You have busted your ass and you paid your dues.  I may not know much about this sport, Marie, but I do know you’ve earned this.”

Marie sighs.

“Maybe you’re right…I mean, so many people told me that competing in both UWA and SCW at the same time couldn’t be done, and yet thus far I’ve done it brilliantly.  Since my debut in SCW I have beaten Hannah Warr and Kara Abheri.  Now I face them both again, now in a triple threat match for a shot at the Women’s Championship.  And you know what?”

She grins.

“I deserve it.  I should have it already simply by beating both of them, but you know what?  If I have to beat them both again to get the title shot, then fine, I’ll do it, but you’re right Arthur, I have paid my dues and I deserve the right to do what I want with my career.  No one else has the right to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

Arthur winks at her.

“See?  Now was that so hard to get off your chest?”

“No, but still…”

Marie’s voice trails off and this causes Arthur to worry yet again.

“What’s wrong?”

“…you’ll never be ashamed of me, will you?  If I fail, if I lose at Under Attack or if I were to fail to live up to your standards in SCW or even UWA…will you ever…um…”

Arthur interrupts her as he speaks, shaking his head.

“Stop right there, babe.  Wrestling is your life, your career.  I can’t make decisions for you, but what I can and will say is that I love you and I would never ever be disappointed in you.  You are always a winner to me.”

Marie grins wickedly.

“And those were the magic words…”

Marie climbs back upon the bed.  She stares deep into his eyes with a knowing grin as she straddles him.

“I think you’ve earned this.”

“You think so?”

“Oh I know so…”

She leans down and plants a passionate kiss on his lips.  After breaking the kiss she asks him a question in a sexy, sultry voice.

“So, what do you think?”

“I think…”

He chuckles.

“…I think you’re wearing too many clothes.”

Marie smirks.

“I think you’re right…”

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On Camera

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 People said I couldn’t do it.  People said I was taking on too much at one time by trying to compete in UWA and SCW simultaneously.  And yet here I stand, STILL the greatest wrestler on the UWA roster as well as its current tag champion, and an unbeaten SCW superstar and already I am turning the heads of SCW management, already I am making waves…

…but do you expect any different from The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling?

In my debut I went to war with, appropriately enough, Hannah Warr.  And yeah, we had quite a war alright, but at the end of the day, The Phoenix rose from the ashes, just as she always does.  I won my debut after driving Hannah’s end into the canvas with an Ave Maria, and a one…two…three count later, and yours truly had her arm raised in victory.

Next up came Kara Abheri.  She gave me a heck of a fight, and it is too bad that James Evans and Amy Chastaine had an altercation outside the ring that distracted everyone from our match, but that changed nothing.  I still drove Kara into the canvas, this time with The Vindicator.  It was appropriate that I used The Vindicator to finish off Kara, because even after winning my debut I still had my doubters and critics.  I still had people who claimed I shouldn’t be trying to pull double duty in both SCW and UWA.  But on that night I Vindicated myself with yet another impressive win.

Fact is that I am NOT just a tag team wrestler.  Being The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling means you can do a hell of a lot more than just tag in and out of a match.  It means you can do anything and everything that is asked of you.  Yeah, I can do tag team wrestling.  Winning eight tag team titles throughout my career proves that.  But I can do so much more.

Put me in a hardcore environment and I will do more than just endure, I will thrive.  Remember whose daughter I am.  I am the daughter of Angelica Jones, the one who used to be known as The Dragon, the one who is infamous for ending careers and bloodying and bludgeoning her opponents.  Trust me, I learned from the best…

…or worst, depending upon your perspective.

Can I be a singles competitor?  You damn right I can!  I can compete with the best of them!   Six times I have been a world champion in my career and my career is still very young!  I am on the fast track to surpassing both my mother and my aunt, known better to the SCW crowd as The Sisterhood.

Now SCW sticks me against Hannah Warr and Kara Abheri again, only this time with a twist.  These are not going to be individual one on one matches.  I’m facing them both at the same time in a triple threat match.   The winner will become the number one contender to the SCW Women’s Championship.

The stakes have definitely been raised.  You could argue that I already earned that title shot due to the fact that I’ve beaten them both individually.  But Mr. D wants me to prove myself yet again by beating them both at the same time in a triple threat match.  That adds to the pressure.  That adds to the challenge.  I mean, I don’t have to be pinned in order to lose this match.  Hannah could pin Kara or Kara could pin Hannah and they would get that title shot, despite the fact that I already beat them both in one on one action.

But that’s fine, because I am The Phoenix and I always rise to the occasion, and more importantly than that, I am The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling and there is not one situation that you can stick me in that I cannot succeed in.

Triple threat match at Under Attack against Hannah and Kara at the same time?  Bring it on.   May the best lady win, may the best lady advance to the mountaintop and grab that brass ring of the women’s division, the greatest women’s division in professional wrestling.  May the best lady win…

…and the best lady is talking to you right now.  I can and will do this, and if you doubt me, if you think I can’t get the job done, then I dare you to bet against me.  I’ve beaten the odds time and time again.  Time and time again I have overcome worse odds than the one I am facing off against at Under Attack.  So go ahead and bet against me if you don’t believe me, you’ll lose more money than a drunk at Vegas.

Hannah…Kara…we’ve already butted heads once before, and I have genuine respect for the both of you.  You both proved to me that you are great athletes, despite losing to me.  But you both need to understand that this time is different.  You are dealing with one another as well as with me.  This is a triple threat match which equals chaos.

Are you prepared for chaos?  I know I am.

Hannah, you are a true warrior, I give you that, but I’m more prepared for the chaos of a triple threat match than you are.  And I’ve already beaten you once before.  I will beat you again and I will be number one contender to the Women’s Championship.

Kara, you have a hell of a lot of heart and you are a genuinely good person.  I wish I could say I was as good a person as you are.  But opportunities like these don’t always go to the people who are the best people.  They go to the ones who are willing to reach out and take those opportunities…

…and I am damn sure willing to take this opportunity because I have earned it.

Ladies, I’ve been to war with both of you, and I won both times.  Now in order to get a shot at the SCW Women’s Championship I have to beat you both again…at the same time…insurmountable?  For some, maybe.  Impossible?  For some, perhaps.

But I am The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling and I make a career out of overcoming insurmountable odds in order to achieve the impossible.  That title shot will be mine.  It’s just a matter of time.

I Can Do This

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Off Camera

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Marie Annabelle Jones made her debut in Supreme Championship Wrestling on the European Tour in front of a crowd of thousands upon thousands of cheering Parisians.  It was a victorious, successful debut as she planted Hannah Warr head first into the mat with Ave Maria and picked up the pin fall victory.  SCW and its roster of superstars had been put on notice; The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling had arrived.

Her goal here in SCW is a simple one; she just wants to create a singles career for herself.  She truly hoped that she could get that in UWA, the Uprising Wrestling Alliance, and it appeared as if they were going to give her a legitimate shot.  She had qualified for the Pyramid Match at Olympus, their signature event, in which she won the UWA World Championship.  Jones, quite literally, was on top of the UWA world being the World Heavyweight Champion and World Tag Team Champion simultaneously.

It is the tag team title that would end up complicating things for young Marie.  No one is champion forever and, eventually, Marie would lose the title.  And when she did lose the world championship, she was booked almost exclusively in the tag team division.

She understands that rematch clauses are not honored in UWA, but at the same time Jones had been a former world champion.  She was the winner of the first ever Pyramid Match.  Jones felt that, even if she didn’t get a world title shot automatically, and despite the fact that she was a very dominant world tag team champion with Sophie James, that she should at least continue to be allowed to show off her skills as an individual athlete.

Yet it didn’t happen.  UWA and its management, Drew Bryant and David Helms, felt it was necessary to keep her in the tag team division.  Marie gave them every opportunity to change their mind but it didn’t happen.  She was even left off of the card of the next UWA pay per view Sectioned.  She was not only disallowed from competing in the elimination chamber match for the world title, whereas some people who didn’t even deserve to compete for the world title were allowed into the chamber, but she was also disallowed from being booked altogether.

Marie felt betrayed by the UWA.  She felt betrayed by Helms and Bryant.  And thus she felt she had no other alternative than to seek out greener pastures.

Thus Supreme Championship Wrestling entered the equation.  Here Marie could show off her individual wrestling talents and skills. Here she can be a singles competitor and not pigeonholed into the tag team division.  And she’s already shown that she can get the job done with her one on one victory over Hannah Warr.  Now she’s ready for next Breakdown and Kara Abheri live from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Hannah Warr was another wrestler making her debut the same night as Marie when they fought.  Kara is still fairly new to SCW and still looking to make her mark in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  Turning back the challenge she faces will be quite a challenge for The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, but it is one she must do if she wants to continue her successful run and prove to any and all of her doubters that she can get the job done in SCW…

…and she definitely plenty of doubters.

“I really don’t like this idea at all.”

Marie Jones sighs as she lies down in her bed, staring up at her iPhone.  On the screen is her agent, Tabitha Silverstone.  They are apparently engaging in a FaceTime chat of some sort.  The live feed chat is definitely convenient for young Marie.  Family is very important to her, just as it is with all Jones women.  A mere text message isn’t always enough.  Hearing their voices isn’t always enough at times.  There are times Marie wants to see the faces of her mother, the legendary Angelica Jones, her aunt Kayla Jones, and her sisters and cousins.  That is what makes FaceTime a great tool for Marie.

It can also be used to help her stay in close contact with Tabitha Silverstone, her agent.  That’s normally a good thing.  Tabitha has been an excellent agent for Marie and she trusts her judgment, not just as an agent but as a friend.  But this is one lecture from Silverstone that she does not want to hear right now.  Unfortunately, Tabitha isn’t going to let her off the hook.  She is going to let her hear every bit of what she has to say.

“You’re spreading yourself too thin.”

Marie has heard that line before.  She rolls her eyes.  Tabitha doesn’t like that very much.

“Quit rolling your eyes.   You know I’m right.  Isn’t UWA enough for you?  Why overextend yourself by placing yourself in SCW as well?”

“You know damn well why I had to, Tabs.”

The intense fire that every Jones woman seems to have enters Marie’s eyes.

“I want to compete on my own.”

“So  you want to get rid of Sophie James?”

Marie shakes her head.

“I didn’t say that, I fully intend to continue my obligation in UWA as its World Tag Team Champion, but at the same time I refuse to be pigeonholed as just a tag team wrestler when I know I am so much more than that.”

Marie glares angrily at the phone.

“I beat Vanilla Skyy, Willow Wilkes, and Victoria Salinas to become World Champion in the first ever Pyramid Match.  Yeah, granted, I lost it, but every champion loses their title eventually.  But I did prove that I belonged in the singles division.  And yet Helms and Bryant felt it was necessary to pigeonhole me in the tag division?”

Tabitha sighs.

“I understand what you mean and I understand why you’re upset.  But they do have a tag team division to think about as well.”

“And I said I would fulfill my obligation to that.  Hell, I had been World AND Tag Team Champion simultaneously, Tabs.”

“I recall, but maybe they don’t want you to split your focus?  Maybe they wanted you to focus on one or the other?”

Marie shakes her head vehemently.

“That’s not fair!  I earned BOTH belts, they have no right to make me choose!”

“Life isn’t fair, Marie.  But again, I see where you are coming from.  I just feel that there were better ways you could have handled this.”

Jones sighs.

“How?”

“If you really wanted to be a singles competitor, you could have just vacated your tag title, given it to Sophie, let her pick a new partner.  That puts you exclusively in the singles division.”

That angry intense glare returns to Marie’s face.

“I shouldn’t have to make that call.”

“Or…you could have just quit UWA altogether and signed with SCW.”

“Again, I shouldn’t have to make that call.”

“And you think going to Mr. Drachewych and signing a contract to wrestle in Supreme Championship Wrestling without notifying ANYONE…not Helms, not Bryant, not even your own tag team partner Sophie, was the right call?”

Marie winces.  Tabitha had a good point there.  She hadn’t notified Sophie about the decision to sign with SCW.  In fact, the only person who knew about it was Arthur, Marie’s husband.  He was the one who suggested that Marie come up with a compromise.  And yet, Marie somehow thinks he would have been more in agreement with Tabitha’s proposals rather than the one Marie ultimately went with.

Then there’s Sophie herself.  Sophie was there for Marie when she needed her.  Sophie was a friend when Marie had none.  Sophie helped Marie get back on track and helped Marie in her road to redemption.  Now Marie feels rotten for making Sophie feel like a second class citizen.

“Well…maybe not…”

“Definitely not.”

Tabitha sighs.

“I’ve done my best to calm her down.  You two are still tag team champions in UWA and you need to be a cohesive unit if you expect to stay that way.  So you need to talk to her and get back on the same page.  And while I am not exactly thrilled with this SCW prospect of yours, what’s done is done, so I will support you every step of the way.”

Marie grins.

“Thanks, Tabs.”

“So, you defeated Hannah Warr.  And you are now facing Kara Abheri, correct?”

Marie nods her head.

“Yeah…”

“Excellent.  Just focus on defeating her.  She signed her SCW contract before you did but she is still fairly new and looking to make a good impression with SCW management and the SCW fans.  You need to make a good impression with the SCW management and the fans and you also have the added pressure of proving to the world that you can do this.”

“You mean, I have to prove it to you?”

Tabitha shakes her head.

“No, of course not.  I believe in you.  But there are those who question the decision that you made, and I don’t just mean Sophie James.  If not a win but at least a good performance against Kara Abheri will go a long way to silencing those critics.”

Marie nods her head.  Then out of the corner of her eye she sees her bedroom window opening.  She gasps as she stares towards the window.  Tabitha, who is on FaceTime, cannot see what is going on; though she can see the distressed look on her client’s face.

“What is it?  What’s wrong?”

Just then Marie breathes a sigh of relief as she watches her twin sister Kimberly Williams climb in through the window.

“It’s no one, Tabs.”

“Hey!”

Kimberly places her hands on her hips and stares incredulously at Marie.

“I AM someone!”

Marie snickers as she turns to face Tabitha.

“I better go.”

“Ok, talk to you later, Marie.”

And with that, the two hang up. Marie sets her iPhone to the side and then turns to face Kimberly.

“You know, I gave you a key to the front door for a reason.”

“Front doors are so boring.  Windows are where it’s at!”

Marie Jones stands up and greets her twin with a hug.  Standing side by side it is virtually impossible to tell them apart; only the clothes differentiate between the two.  Marie is wearing a black skirt that falls to just below the knee, simple black flats, and a red long sleeved sweater.   Her sister Kimberly is dressed in…well…

…nothing.

That’s right, Marie’s sociopathic twin is standing in this bedroom wearing nothing but a lacy bra and panty number.  Marie scans her up and down and frowns.

“Where are your clothes?”

“Clothes are also not necessary, sweetie.  We were born naked, after all.”

“I doubt you got all the way to my house in your underwear, Kim.”

Kim snickers.

“True enough.”

She points to the window.

“I left my clothes on the ground before I started climbing up.”

Marie can’t help but throw her head back and laugh.

“Kim, I don’t know if I will ever understand you.”

“I can help you understand me.”

Marie rolls her eyes.

“I’m not sure I want to understand you.”

She motions to Kim’s nearly naked form.

“I mean, look at you!  You’re near naked…”

“It feels liberating!”

“Liberating wasn’t the exactly the word I was going to use.”

“That’s because you are a bit of a prude, darling sister.”

Marie frowns.

“Excuse me?”

Kimberly nods her head as she takes Marie by the arm and guides her back over to the bed where they sit down side by side.

“You look at me now in my underwear and you think less of me.  You thought less of me when I posted scantily clad photos of myself for that dweeb’s twitter tournament…which I nearly won, by the way…and you think less of me because I indulge myself upon chaos, I thrive upon chaos.”

“I don’t look down on you.”

Kimberly nods her head.

“Yes you do.  Don’t lie, just admit that you do.  You and everyone else except for Abi and a select few others look down on me and why is that?  Because I don’t fit their mold for what I should be.”

She picks up the iPhone Marie cast aside.

“The iPhone lady looked down on you for what you did, by signing with Supreme Championship Wrestling.”

“Her name is Tabitha Silverstone.”

“I heard her on that iPhone, so she’s now iPhone Lady to me.”

Kimberly throws it to the side.

“Point is, she looks down upon you because you did what made you happy, even though it didn’t fit into the mold of what everyone else thinks you should be doing.  But my question is this…”

Kimberly grins nastily.

“What business is it of iPhone Lady’s what you do?”

“Umm…”

Marie honestly has no idea of how to answer Kimberly.  She raises a good point.  Before Marie can answer, Kim holds up her hand to silence her.

“Look, before you say anything, let me ask you this.  Do you recall when I kidnapped you and replaced you?”

Marie rolls her eyes.

“How could I forget?”

“Right, and do you remember why I did it?”

“Because of some crazy notion that I was the favorite…”

“It wasn’t a crazy notion, Marie.  It’s the truth.  You ARE the favorite child.  You always have been mother’s favorite.  Corey may deny it, but between you and her, she knows deep down you are the favorite.  And little Kelly, the youngest, she’ll learn it soon enough.  But you being the favorite child IS a fact and I wanted so badly to be the favorite, to be you.”

Kim sighs.

“But there was more to it than that.  You had so much to offer in terms of sex appeal and influence within pro-wrestling and yet you didn’t any of it.  You lived a boring, dull life by following the rules.  You were the good girl.  You wasted your life, Marie, and at the time I felt you didn’t deserve to live that life.  So I wanted to live it for you.”

Williams shakes her head.

“But I was wrong, not in my assessment of the problem but in finding the solution to the problem.”

Marie sneers.

“If you’re suggesting I start acting as crazy as you then forget it!”

“I’m not suggesting that at all.  Everyone is unique, everyone does what they want.  We are all individuals, after all.  What I am suggesting is that you quit following the rules.”

Kimberly wraps an arm around Marie’s shoulder.

“Look at what following the rules has got you.  UWA won’t give you a world title rematch.  You go to SCW so you can be a singles competitor and you get nothing but doubters and critics.  What I’m suggesting, sister, is that you do what you want, do not worry what other people think.”

Marie shakes her head.

“I’m not that person anymore, Kim.”

“What person?  The person who at times sided with Ethan Von Aaron and Silas Mason all with the goal of trying to take a shortcut to becoming World Champion?  I am not asking you to become that comic book villain again.  Be the hero that you want to be.  But sometimes even heroes have to bend the rules.”

She winks.

“Just ask Frank Castle.”

Marie shakes her head and then sighs.  She runs a hand through her long red hair.

“I don’t know.  I just want people to believe in me and I want to have a chance, an opportunity, to show what I can do.  That’s all.  Is that so much to ask?”

“No, it isn’t.  But there does come a time when you’ll have to ask yourself, how much longer are you going to remain loyal to those who refuse to support you and yet they wish for you to  follow THEIR rules?”

Marie sighs and shakes her head.  She wishes to follow the rules.  She wants to do the right thing.   And yet, Kimberly is right about one thing; she does feel as if the world is against her.  And if the world is against her, how long will she continue to do things by the book?

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On Camera

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People said I was crazy for trying to wrestle in both Supreme Championship Wrestling and Uprising Wrestling Alliance at the same time.  My mom and aunt, you know them as The Sisterhood, do that and yet they don’t get called crazy.  They get called gutsy.  They get called dream seekers.  But I get called crazy for thinking that I can be a tag team wrestler in UWA and a singles wrestler in SCW.

Then my SCW debut came and I did exactly what I said I would do.  I walked in and I performed to the best of my ability.  Better than that, I excelled.  I planted Hannah Warr headfirst into the mat with Ave Maria and I walked out a winner.   I won my debut match in SCW.  I thought that maybe, just maybe, that victory would change some minds. I thought that perhaps I would have won over some supporters.

I wasn’t so lucky, I guess.  My critics and doubters are still there, shouting as loud as ever that I’m crazy to think that I can be a star in both SCW and UWA.

And yet, being a star isn’t even my goal.  I just want to be able to wrestle as a singles competitor.  I want to show off what I can do on my own and if UWA won’t give me that opportunity, then maybe SCW will?  I’d like to shut these critics and doubters up.  I certainly would like their support.  But I realize that I will always have them, telling me that I can’t do it.

That means I’ll have to always be better than just good.  I have to be great.  Each and every night I step into an SCW ring I have to be great in order to continue to prove them wrong and prove that I belong here in SCW.

That brings me to you, Kara Abheri.

You are relatively new to SCW as well.  You made your debut before I did, granted, and you have a few more SCW matches under your belt than I do, but that doesn’t change the fact that we both find ourselves in similar situations having to prove that we belong here in this great company with all of this tremendous talent.

The difference is that I have a hell of a lot of pressure on my shoulders to perform, not only to prove these critics and doubters wrong, but also to live up to my family name.

I am a Jones.  I am a daughter of Angelica Jones, to be precise.  The name Jones bring with it a certain level of expectation.  You are expected to be great.

You may have heard me call myself The Crown Jewel o f Professional  Wrestling.  I admit, that certainly sounds like something someone who is quite arrogant and full of themselves would say, but I assure you that I am neither arrogant nor am I full of myself.  The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling is a name others have given me.  And it stuck.  I have to live up to that high and mighty moniker.

If you lose on Breakdown, it’s not as big a deal.  One minor slip up on your SCW career is not that big of a deal.  You can always pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and be on your way.  Besides, losing to a former UWA World Champion is nothing to be ashamed of.

But if I lose it will be like confirming everything that my critics have said about me is true.  It will be a form of confirmation that, yes, I have bitten off more than I can chew.

That’s why I HAVE to beat you, Kara.  I cannot afford minor bumpbs in the road like some can.  I have to keep up the momentum I started after defeating Hannah Warr.  I have to defeat you and then keep going forward from there to prove that I belong in this company and that I can do this.

I will do this.

I will do this because I am Marie Annabelle Jones, The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, and I belong in SCW.  To prove it I have to go through you.  We’ll have a hell of a match, babe.  No doubting that.  But it won’t be your arm raised in victory at the end of the match.

It will be mine.