Same opening, different ending

[Utami]

The video opens with Arisa Hoshiki sitting on the entrance ramp in an empty Delta Center. Lighting from above causes her iridescent kick pads to dance with color as she holds her knees up to her chest.

Arisa Hoshiki: You always hear people say it wasn't supposed to be this way. You could say that about my journey here in EBWF for sure. When I signed a contract last year, I wasn't supposed to ever get back in the ring. But I did. And after that?

She laughs a little as the thought comes to mind.

Arisa Hoshiki: As far as anyone was concerned, it wasn't supposed to be much of a return. Trust me, deep down I believed that. I tried to come back a couple years ago, I got up the hopes of both my fans and myself that maybe, just maybe I could do it. Maybe I could return to the thing I loved most. But back then it didn't work out. My body - it just couldn't handle the impact of professional wrestling. So I get why all of us thought this return should've come and gone just as fast.

The camera zooms in on Arisa's face just as she smiles coyly.

Arisa Hoshiki: But then it didn't. I wasn't supposed to be competing at a championship level, but I did. That first taste of what might be has kept me fighting through all the setbacks and twists of the past year. No matter if I had to go through the entire locker room to earn another shot, no matter if my body hurt so badly that I couldn't compete for a while after the last two attempts. The image of that gold burned itself into my imagination. Each time I fought Tam, I realized just how much it means to me. I've been a split second away from becoming a world champion for the first time. I know I can do this, my heart aches for me to do this. But opportunities are earned. So I faced down the whole locker room and-

We jump to a clip of her landing the final move on Sakisama. She makes the cover as the fans count 1-2-3. There's an image of Arisa standing in the entrance stage wearing a cape and crown before the scene fades back to the present. Arisa's in the ring now, at first leaning forward in the corner. Then we see her standing in the center, holding her Queen of the Ring crown on hand.

Arisa Hoshiki: This was supposed to get me one more shot at Tam this summer. That one more shot that I know deep down is all I need to finally take that title from her. But how it happened? Right back to it wasn't supposed to be this way.

A series of clips play, showing Arisa and Trish facing off in the ring. Each hits some big moves, then Trish gets the small package for the 1-2-3. When we jump back to Arisa, she's got a big of a bashful look on her face.

Arisa Hoshiki: When you just won the Queen of the Ring, you're not supposed to come out and lose your very next match. It was a shock, and I'm not too proud to admit Trish got the best of me. She's a legend for a reason, and I've got nothing for respect for her. The loss stings though, and a Queen of the Ring in this position starts to have everything she achieved by running the gauntlet questioned. Does she really deserve a shot at the title? She can't actually beat the champ, can she? Allysin, of all the people in that locker room you're the one who understands that best.

There's a clip of Allysin Kay winning last year's queen of the ring, then one of her loss in the next match afterwards. We rejoin Arisa as she limbers up in the ring.

Arisa Hoshiki: That stigma stays with you, and it can be impossible to shake. Even though she hasn't fought in this ring for months, she must still be carrying that with her. All that doubt and questioning makes a woman defiant and desperate to change the story. It's even scarier with someone like Allysin who's already one of the most dangerous competitors on the planet.

Arisa stops mid stretch as she continues.

Arisa Hoshiki: She's someone who's shelved more than one opponent for fun. When she sees me, she sees someone in the same position she held last year. She sees that same case of 'this isn't how it was supposed to be'. She's coming into this match with something to prove and all the ruthlessness in the world. It's all aimed at me. All that pain, all that suffering she can put me through with her vicious offense. It's all coming straight for me and me alone.

She takes a deep breath as the potential pain lingers in the air.

Arisa Hoshiki: I've had injuries in the past that nearly ended my career for good. Going up against physical, violent women with something to prove almost robbed me of the one thing I love most in this world. And I know that when someone like Allysin looks at me, she sees a girl whose body barely held together after her last title match. A girl whose health is always in question. She's going to come after me with the same brutality that took Becky Lynch out for months. Anyone looking at this matchup on paper couldn't be blamed for thinking that Allysin Kay could end my career. One wrong fall, one nasty move and my Cinderella comes crashing down, right?

A hint of playfulness flashes in her eyes.

Arisa Hoshiki: Allysin, I respect how dangerous you are. I know that stepping into a ring with Allysin Kay is hazardous to my health and could retire me for good. I know that every second of this match is full of the potential for agony I can't even imagine. But there's something else I know. Something you might've overlooked.

A grin tugs at the corner of her mouth.

Arisa Hoshiki: I'm not like you. I won't fall down the same path you did after you reached the heights of the Queen of the Ring last year. This year, after the Queen of the Ring tournament, after fighting Trish? My body didn't break. It felt strong. Stronger than it's been since the last time I held a belt three years ago. I know that can change, that any fight could be my last. I'm not afraid of that. I accept it, and I fight through the fear. And what I see of Allysin more than anything else? She likes to ambush people, cripple them before they have a chance to fight you in even terms. She likes to use her power to intimdate people and push them around. In short -

She shakes her head disapprovingly.

Arisa Hoshiki: Allysin Kay is a bully. And I can't stand bullies. So let me be clear about tonight Allysin. I'm not going to get pushed around. I'm not going to be intimidated. You can hit me with everything in your arsenal, bruise my body, draw blood even, and I'll just keep getting up. Because I need to show the world that you don't get ahead by fighting dirty. I tried that, and I regret it every day. Do your worst and I'll claw my way back up to kick you again and again. You're dangerous, you're powerful, you've got everything to prove. And it won't be enough. Because I have those same doubts hanging around me, filling my mind. The only way I silence them and prove I can fight at the top level is by beating you. So I'm putting it all on the line in this ring, putting myself through all the suffering you can inflict if that's what it takes.

She steps back, working a kink out of her neck.

Arisa Hoshiki: You want to cast EBWF into your personal brand of darkness again? This Shining Star is going to push your darkness back. This will be the toughest, nastiest fight I've been in in a long time. I know that. I know that I'm going to be hurting after the final bell. It's worth it to prove that just like her namesake, this AK47 might be deadly but it's outclassed by more dangerous weapons today. She can be deadly, but she won't keep me down. My kicks alone will show her that updated deadliness. Tonight, Allysin, my Pulsar Kick is going to put your lights out.

She snaps off a Pulsar Kick at the camera and smiles.

Arisa Hoshiki: And you're about to be eclipsed by the Shining Star.

Arisa flashes the peace signs before her face goes serious and she assumes a fighting stance.