OOC: Good luck, Brandon!
It had been eight months since Leva Bates signed for EBWF, and although she had had some success, she still felt like she needed to make her mark. After losing her first two matches, against Alexa Bliss and Tam Nakano, Bates had finished as the runner up in the women's Royal Rumble match, eliminating three other superstars before being eliminated by Raquel Diaz. At Wrestlemania, Bates had won a fatal four way to become the number one contender for the Women's Championship, however she had to wait for her shot due to Becky Lynch claiming controversy. Becky Lynch and Raquel Diaz had both gone to pin Tam Nakano at the same time, and despite a replay showing that Diaz had pinned Nakano a split second earlier, Lynch insisted that she had been "screwed", and Diaz had bribed the referee. After being threatened with suspension, Lynch "returned" the Women's Championship to Raquel Diaz... or rather, she had it taken from her after Bates and Diaz had attacked her. Conspiring with Raquel Diaz wasn't a decision Leva regretted; she had grown tired of Becky disrespecting her. However, when Bates finally got her title match, she lost. She then got eliminated from the Queen of the Ring tournament in the first round, losing a triple threat match against Taya Valkyrie and the eventual tournament winner, Becky Lynch. What was really vexing for Leva was that she wasn't the one who lost the triple threat match... Becky had made Taya tap out. If Leva had won that match, could she have gone on to claim the Queen of the Ring crown and book herself a rematch with Raquel Diaz at Summerslam? Maybe, but Leva didn't want to spend time dwelling on what ifs. Nor would she be crying foul play, or claiming controversy because she was eliminated from the tournament despite not being pinned or submitted... that just wasn't her style.
Rather than looking back and worrying about things in the past that she couldn't change, Leva preferred to focus on moving forwards. That’s why she was determined to win her first ever singles match against Becky Lynch. She wanted to prove to Becky that she was not an opponent to be taken lightly, and she also wanted to put herself in contention for another shot at the Women's Championship.
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It was Sunday, August 15th and Leva Bates was working out at Planet Fitness, a gym near the hotel where she was staying in Salt Lake City. As she punched the red punching bag, Leva tried to imagine it was Becky Lynch she was punching instead. There was something about the so-called "Lass Kicker" that really got under her skin. Leva got lost in her thoughts, to the point where she didn't notice Britt Baker approach her.
Britt Baker: Try not to go to hard on that punching bag, Leva. Save some of your anger for Becky tomorrow night.
Leva jumped slightly, momentarily startled. She then turned around to face Britt Baker.
Leva Bates: What are you doing here, Britt? I didn't think you were booked for Warfare. Are you just following me round now?
Baker was not currently under contract with EBWF, although she was on good terms with them and had been booked for a couple of shows recently. On both occasions, Baker had teamed with Leva Bates in a women's tag match – first at the King of the Ring PPV against Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie, then again on the July 26th edition of Warfare against Mandy Rose and Lana. On both occasions, Baker and Bates had lost, with Baker taking the losing pinfall. Despite the mutual respect Baker and Bates had for one another, it seemed that as a tag team, they didn't have much chemistry.
Britt Baker: There was talk of me being booked in a dark match, although nothing is confirmed yet. Either way, I wanted to be here.
Bates looked confused.
Leva Bates: Salt Lake City is a long way from Pittsburgh... did you really come all this way just to see me?
Baker smirked.
Britt Baker: Wow, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like some kinda crazy stalker. Leva, you know I love you girl, but I'm not into you like that. Besides, I'm married. So no, I didn't fly all the way to Utah to surprise you. I'm here for two reasons. Firstly, because I want to show Wes Ikeda that I'm serious about wanting a contract. And secondly, since you are going up against the self-proclaimed "rightful Women's Champion" Becky Lynch, I thought you might want someone in your corner. You know how pissy she gets when she loses. And she will want revenge for you and Raquel Diaz ambushing her a few months back... didn't she threaten to put you in the hospital or a morgue last time you faced her? And that Winter chick is a Carrie level of creepy. So how about you have the DMD in your corner, and if Becky or Winter knock your teeth out, I'll do the dental work for free.
Bates couldn't help but laugh at that last line. She grinned at Britt, showing off her pearly whites.
Leva Bates: I'm flattered Britt, really I am. And you know I have nothing but respect for you. But being a librarian, I don’t just like quiet... I like solitude. I work better alone, and I think you do too. We're 0 and 2 in tag team matches together, and regardless of whether or not you sign an EBWF contract, you're always going to have "pinned by Lana" on your record.
Britt Baker: Hey, she was a Queen of the Ring finalist don't forget! And the bitch cheated. If I ever get a singles match with Lana, maybe I'll leave her needing some dental work. I'm not proposing we try and form a tag team, Leva. There's no glory in that. I want the same thing you want – the EBWF Women's Championship. But Becky seems to be trying to strangle the life out of the women's division, and I'd hate for her and Winter to try and take you out of the picture. You're one of the best women EBWF have... at least until I sign a contract. I think you and I could bring the best out of each other. Team B&B... brains and beauty. Besides, there have been stranger alliances than a librarian and a dentist in EBWF. Don't we have a time traveler, a dinosaur and a lab experiment under contract?
Leva Bates: Apparently, yes. But no zombies, thankfully. Just a lot of Lucifer wannabes. Anyway, you've convinced me. As long as you promise not to let Winter "torture my soul", you can be in my corner. I'm not sure Team B&B will catch on, but if it does maybe Wes will let me design some merch! Also just to check, were you saying I'm the brains or the beauty?
Baker smiled.
Britt Baker: That's the best thing about it, Leva. You're both. As am I. You and Raquel showed that you can work together when you need to, and tear the house down while tearing each other to pieces. That's the sort of working relationship I see for us. So let's take care of Becky, make her show you some respect, and then we can talk about getting me a contract and getting you back in the Women's Title picture.
Britt extended her hand to Leva, who shook it.
Leva Bates: Deal. Anyway, since you flew all the way to Salt Lake City just to see me, should we get a drink?
Britt Baker: Yes. And food. I'm starving!
Bates and Baker left the gym and headed to a bar. Despite saying she "works best alone", Leva couldn't help but think that maybe Britt was right – maybe they could bring out the best in each other.
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It was Monday evening, and Leva Bates was backstage at the Vivint Arena, where Warfare was due to take place. Before the show started, Bates was booked in for an interview with Renee Young. As Leva approached the interview area, the camera started rolling and Renee began to speak.
Renee Young: Good evening, EBWF universe! My guest at this time is Leva Bates, who later on tonight will be going one on one with the two-time Queen of the Ring, Becky Lynch. Leva, this will be your first one on one match with Becky, although you did meet in the first round of this year's Queen of the Ring tournament, where Becky defeated you and Taya Valkyrie to advance to the next round. With that in mind, and given your history with Becky, do you see tonight as a chance for revenge?
Leva Bates: That was a wordy question, Renee! I can tell you're well-read, you're welcome in my library any time. The short answer is yes, I do see tonight as a chance for revenge, but not because Becky "defeated" me in the Queen of the Ring tournament. I see tonight as an opportunity to seek vengeance for the disrespect Becky has shown me in the past. As I've said before, Becky's behaviour following Wrestlemania was disrespectful, not only to me, but to the entire EBWF women's division. This isn't Game of Thrones, Renee. You can't just take a title and claim it's rightfully yours. You have to earn that championship. Becky is a two-time EBWF Queen of the Ring, and I commend her for that, but she is a zero-time EBWF Women's Champion, no matter how many times she claims otherwise. Raquel won the Women's Championship at Wrestlemania, just like Trish Stratus retained that title at Summerslam last year, when she defended it against Becky. Unfortunately, Becky Lynch is a sore loser. She strikes me as the sort of person who, when she was growing up, never got told off by her parents. I bet her parents made her think she was the girl who could do no wrong. So she's never learned to handle setbacks in her life. She can't admit when she's beaten, or when she's made a mistake. In her mind, she's always right and everyone else is in the wrong. I would feel sorry for her if her attitude didn't make me so angry. She stole the Women's Championship, which delayed me getting my title match, and then when I helped Raquel get it back so we could have our match, she had the nerve to make out that we had a title match no one cared about. Are you kidding me? Raquel and I made history, Renee. The Warfare show we main evented was the first Warfare show ever to get special event status. The entire promotion for Warfare: Royal Pain was about me and Raquel Diaz. We tore the house down that night, but apparently it wasn't "interesting" to Becky. This is the same woman who was arrogant enough to claim a few weeks later that her and Winter had "the greatest match in history". Seriously, talk about delusions of grandeur. The difference between Becky and me, Renee, is that I don't think I'm the greatest anything. I was raised to believe that if you want something, you have to work hard to earn it, and if things don't go your way, you keep fighting until they do. Becky seems to be of the mindset that everything she wants should be handed to her. She doesn't care about anything but herself. And yet somehow, she's convinced these EBWF fans that she's the good guy in this story? Give me a break. Renee, you said that Becky Lynch defeated me and Taya Valkyrie in the Queen of the Ring tournament... that's technically true, but let me remind you that it was Taya Valkyrie that tapped out. Becky didn't pin me, nor did she make me submit. If she beats me tonight, I will congratulate her on a job well done, and wish her good luck against Raquel Diaz at Summerslam. But let me make one thing crystal clear... if I beat her, there will be no conspiracy or screwjob. If I beat Becky, it's because I was the better woman. And the sooner Becky realises that she's not perfect... the sooner she realises that the world isn't out to get her, that sometimes you just fail... the sooner she might actually get to be the "rightful Women's Champion". Arrogance breeds complacency, Becky... and if you're complacent against me, I can guarantee you'll get a Superhero Kick to the jaw. Renee, I think we're done here.
Bates stormed off, feeling fired up for her match. Win or lose, she was going to make sure she gave Becky a fight.
