At first there’s just the Queen of The Ring tournament logo, gleaming in the shine of a spotlight. This soon fades into a series of highlights showing recent Queens of the Ring in their crowning moments. 2019 - Liv Morgan steals the crown from Alexa Bliss with the help of Sarah Logan. 2020 - Becky Lynch pins Mickie James with an impressive counter hold. 2021 - Becky Lynch hits Lana with a Straight Fireball to win the tournament for the second year in a row. 2022 - Allysin Kay takes out Alexa Bliss with the AK47 to seize the crown. 2023 - Arisa Hoshiki topples Sakisama with the Pulsar Kick. All five clips pause the moment that year’s winner receives the crown. The backing music is suddenly interrupted, corrupted, and turns to static. Over this a digitized voice speaks, first in Japanese and then in English:
“以下は大江戸隊からのメッセージです.”
“tHe FoLLoWiNG mEsSagE iS brOUghT To yOu bY OeDO TaI.”
All of the still images fade away, leaving just the unit’s logo at the center of the screen as ‘Oedo Ranbu’ plays in the background. After a few bars of their theme, the logo fades as well - we see a black gloved hand holding a golden tiara in its palm.
TAM NAKANO: “Once again the time has come where hopes and dreams bloom in abundance all across the EBWF Universe. As the flowers begin to sprout and the days get warmer, everyone becomes convinced that there’s endless possibility in the world. The possibility that no matter where they came from or how things have gone to this point, they could finally rise to the throne and steal the crown for themselves. They’re convinced that anyone can become Queen, so why not them?”
Her fingers gently tap the tiara in her hand - an almost absentminded gesture.
TAM NAKANO: “It’s beautiful isn’t it? Seeing their chests swell with pride and their eyes twinkle with joy at the idea of the crown resting on their head after they run the gauntlet?”
At that last word her hand tightens around the tiara with enough force to bend its cheap metal.
TAM NAKANO: “BLECH!”
The camera pans out and we see Tam standing next to a throne of gold with an EBWF logo prominently displayed on the headrest. She tosses the cheap tiara to the floor as if it were some disgusting insect worthy only of being stamped out.
TAM NAKANO: “What a load of garbage. Anyone who actually believes that lie is too delusional and complacent to actually earn the right to wear the crown! And let’s be honest, the amount of girls in this company who buy into that mindset is incredibly high. Every last one of them saw this bracket, rubbed her hands together and stupidly thought ‘I’ve got this!’. Every last one of them? They’re going to find out that high hopes and a strong heart don’t get you anywhere. When push comes to shove those will only prolong your suffering and postpone the inevitable. But go ahead, put yourselves through hell as you desperately try to grow your arms long enough to box with god.”
She strikes a mockingly cute pose, the sparkles on her cheeks dancing in the light.
TAM NAKANO: “Y’know, there have been surprises in this tournament. There have been self-proclaimed heroes who managed to outlast the other losers who populated the locker room back in their day. But the recent queens have all kind of been failures. Liv was the only one who had the guts to do things the way they needed to be done and now she’s a forgotten sidekick to a tiny broken joke goddess. Becky won twice in a row but it still took her three more years to actually manage to steal that beautiful championship. Allysin’s reign only served to make people even more excited for MY rise to the top. Arisa? She had a year of getting lucky and now she’s a shell of herself with nowhere to call home. The title Queen of the Ring has been tinged with the stink of failure and disappointment for over half a decade!”
Tam leans forward, tapping her chin playfully.
TAM NAKANO: “But don’t worry your silly little heads, because this year’s different. That’s a Tam promise.”
She licks her lips before dropping the cutesy pose entirely and giving the throne a pat.
TAM NAKANO: “This year, for the first time ever, Tam Nakano is in the Queen of the Ring tournament. And she’s hungry. She’s angry at the other women for running the legacy of the EBWF Women’s Championship she made special. And now she’s going to annihilate anyone in her path to get her baby back. No means, no tactics, are out of the question - I’m going to tear you all apart and prove ONCE AGAIN that I’m at an entirely different level than you all. That starts with someone who I’m VERY familiar with.”
Tam motions to the camera, inviting the viewer to come closer so she can share a big secret.
TAM NAKANO: “Raquel Diaz is back! Aren’t you all SO excited?”
Immediately Himeka leans into the frame and whispers into Tam’s ear; Tam’s saccharine smile turns to an annoyed frown.
TAM NAKANO: “Oh, I guess she’s calling herself Shaul Guerrero now?”
Tam shakes her head at the news but carries on all the same.
TAM NAKANO: “So once again Tam is going to be locking up with Racquel or Shaul or whatever she’s calling herself by the time Warfare comes around. Honey, look, you used to be one of the best in the world in this ring. You were a 2 time Queen of the Ring when that actually meant something. You were the one who stepped into a ring with Tam and ripped away her beautiful championship the first time. I haven’t forgotten the pain and agony that loss caused me. How it made me feel broken, inadequate, embarrassed. How it alone haunted my memory for 18 months! I busted my ass from the day after that loss so that one day I’d come back here to prove that I’m better than that. But you haven’t been around much, so maybe you didn’t know.”
Tam briefly makes the ‘title’ motion at the waist of her fancy black party dress.
TAM NAKANO: “The Tam Nakano who talked to puppets and was just trying her best out there was buried the day you claimed that beautiful championship from her. She’s gone. In her place there’s now a ruthless, determined woman who’s finally become what she was always meant to be - the Final Boss of EBWF. You were silent. I made myself the undeniable star of EBWF. Even that reign after you took my belt has been eclipsed by me! You’re not stepping into the ring with a girl who hesitates, Shaully Dear. You’re stepping up to the best wrestler in the world, the longest reigning EBWF Women’s Champion of ALL TIME. Bow at my feet, beg for my mercy.”
She laughs again, now at the reality of how much they’ve both changed since their last in ring encounter.
TAM NAKANO: “Most importantly, you’re in my way. I’m not stopping until that crown is on my head where it belongs. Queen Tam is going to reign over EBWF and then put Hollywood Becks for good. And it all starts with you. Be happy with that. Embrace the fact that your most notable recent moment in EBWF is being fed into the meat grinder as I tear you apart and expose you in front of the world. Whatever’s left of you can crawl away back to mommy while Tam moves on.”
Tam shrugs lightly as if she’s just presenting the facts.
TAM NAKANO: “You will fight hard. You might even push me harder than people expect. But I’ve evolved so far beyond you that you will be lucky to walk out under your own power tonight. That’s also a Tam Promise. And when Tam makes a promise, she keeps it.”
Suddenly a can of spray paint is placed into her hand. She begins shaking it while daintily stepping in front of the throne. With a wink to the camera she uncaps the can and begins to deface the EBWF logo. Once she’s done, she steps aside to reveal the words “OEDO TAI” there. With that she tosses the can aside and glares down the camera.
TAM NAKANO: “Oedo Tai runs this place now. We decide how things are going to happen. You might look at me and hate what I’ve become, but it’s all your fault really. If you hadn’t taken what wasn’t yours back then, I wouldn’t have focused everything on become stronger than everyone else. I wouldn’t have come back, gone on an unbeaten singles streak that continues to this day, and made my own family without that failure. Oedo Tai thanks you, Shaul. As a gift we’ll give you an early vacation. Enjoy your summer of returning to irrelevance like the rest of your mothballed family.”
She smiles devilishly as she continues to taunt her opponent.
TAM NAKANO: “Does that make you mad? Do you hate Tam? It doesn’t matter. Because you may hate me now..”
Tam takes a seat on the throne’s arm, crossing her right leg over the left.
TAM NAKANO: “But you’ll NEVER be better than me.”
With that Tam blows a kiss to the camera, winks, and the shot fades back into the Oedo Tai logo.
“以下は大江戸隊からのメッセージです.”
“tHe FoLLoWiNG mEsSagE iS brOUghT To yOu bY OeDO TaI.”
All of the still images fade away, leaving just the unit’s logo at the center of the screen as ‘Oedo Ranbu’ plays in the background. After a few bars of their theme, the logo fades as well - we see a black gloved hand holding a golden tiara in its palm.
TAM NAKANO: “Once again the time has come where hopes and dreams bloom in abundance all across the EBWF Universe. As the flowers begin to sprout and the days get warmer, everyone becomes convinced that there’s endless possibility in the world. The possibility that no matter where they came from or how things have gone to this point, they could finally rise to the throne and steal the crown for themselves. They’re convinced that anyone can become Queen, so why not them?”
Her fingers gently tap the tiara in her hand - an almost absentminded gesture.
TAM NAKANO: “It’s beautiful isn’t it? Seeing their chests swell with pride and their eyes twinkle with joy at the idea of the crown resting on their head after they run the gauntlet?”
At that last word her hand tightens around the tiara with enough force to bend its cheap metal.
TAM NAKANO: “BLECH!”
The camera pans out and we see Tam standing next to a throne of gold with an EBWF logo prominently displayed on the headrest. She tosses the cheap tiara to the floor as if it were some disgusting insect worthy only of being stamped out.
TAM NAKANO: “What a load of garbage. Anyone who actually believes that lie is too delusional and complacent to actually earn the right to wear the crown! And let’s be honest, the amount of girls in this company who buy into that mindset is incredibly high. Every last one of them saw this bracket, rubbed her hands together and stupidly thought ‘I’ve got this!’. Every last one of them? They’re going to find out that high hopes and a strong heart don’t get you anywhere. When push comes to shove those will only prolong your suffering and postpone the inevitable. But go ahead, put yourselves through hell as you desperately try to grow your arms long enough to box with god.”
She strikes a mockingly cute pose, the sparkles on her cheeks dancing in the light.
TAM NAKANO: “Y’know, there have been surprises in this tournament. There have been self-proclaimed heroes who managed to outlast the other losers who populated the locker room back in their day. But the recent queens have all kind of been failures. Liv was the only one who had the guts to do things the way they needed to be done and now she’s a forgotten sidekick to a tiny broken joke goddess. Becky won twice in a row but it still took her three more years to actually manage to steal that beautiful championship. Allysin’s reign only served to make people even more excited for MY rise to the top. Arisa? She had a year of getting lucky and now she’s a shell of herself with nowhere to call home. The title Queen of the Ring has been tinged with the stink of failure and disappointment for over half a decade!”
Tam leans forward, tapping her chin playfully.
TAM NAKANO: “But don’t worry your silly little heads, because this year’s different. That’s a Tam promise.”
She licks her lips before dropping the cutesy pose entirely and giving the throne a pat.
TAM NAKANO: “This year, for the first time ever, Tam Nakano is in the Queen of the Ring tournament. And she’s hungry. She’s angry at the other women for running the legacy of the EBWF Women’s Championship she made special. And now she’s going to annihilate anyone in her path to get her baby back. No means, no tactics, are out of the question - I’m going to tear you all apart and prove ONCE AGAIN that I’m at an entirely different level than you all. That starts with someone who I’m VERY familiar with.”
Tam motions to the camera, inviting the viewer to come closer so she can share a big secret.
TAM NAKANO: “Raquel Diaz is back! Aren’t you all SO excited?”
Immediately Himeka leans into the frame and whispers into Tam’s ear; Tam’s saccharine smile turns to an annoyed frown.
TAM NAKANO: “Oh, I guess she’s calling herself Shaul Guerrero now?”
Tam shakes her head at the news but carries on all the same.
TAM NAKANO: “So once again Tam is going to be locking up with Racquel or Shaul or whatever she’s calling herself by the time Warfare comes around. Honey, look, you used to be one of the best in the world in this ring. You were a 2 time Queen of the Ring when that actually meant something. You were the one who stepped into a ring with Tam and ripped away her beautiful championship the first time. I haven’t forgotten the pain and agony that loss caused me. How it made me feel broken, inadequate, embarrassed. How it alone haunted my memory for 18 months! I busted my ass from the day after that loss so that one day I’d come back here to prove that I’m better than that. But you haven’t been around much, so maybe you didn’t know.”
Tam briefly makes the ‘title’ motion at the waist of her fancy black party dress.
TAM NAKANO: “The Tam Nakano who talked to puppets and was just trying her best out there was buried the day you claimed that beautiful championship from her. She’s gone. In her place there’s now a ruthless, determined woman who’s finally become what she was always meant to be - the Final Boss of EBWF. You were silent. I made myself the undeniable star of EBWF. Even that reign after you took my belt has been eclipsed by me! You’re not stepping into the ring with a girl who hesitates, Shaully Dear. You’re stepping up to the best wrestler in the world, the longest reigning EBWF Women’s Champion of ALL TIME. Bow at my feet, beg for my mercy.”
She laughs again, now at the reality of how much they’ve both changed since their last in ring encounter.
TAM NAKANO: “Most importantly, you’re in my way. I’m not stopping until that crown is on my head where it belongs. Queen Tam is going to reign over EBWF and then put Hollywood Becks for good. And it all starts with you. Be happy with that. Embrace the fact that your most notable recent moment in EBWF is being fed into the meat grinder as I tear you apart and expose you in front of the world. Whatever’s left of you can crawl away back to mommy while Tam moves on.”
Tam shrugs lightly as if she’s just presenting the facts.
TAM NAKANO: “You will fight hard. You might even push me harder than people expect. But I’ve evolved so far beyond you that you will be lucky to walk out under your own power tonight. That’s also a Tam Promise. And when Tam makes a promise, she keeps it.”
Suddenly a can of spray paint is placed into her hand. She begins shaking it while daintily stepping in front of the throne. With a wink to the camera she uncaps the can and begins to deface the EBWF logo. Once she’s done, she steps aside to reveal the words “OEDO TAI” there. With that she tosses the can aside and glares down the camera.
TAM NAKANO: “Oedo Tai runs this place now. We decide how things are going to happen. You might look at me and hate what I’ve become, but it’s all your fault really. If you hadn’t taken what wasn’t yours back then, I wouldn’t have focused everything on become stronger than everyone else. I wouldn’t have come back, gone on an unbeaten singles streak that continues to this day, and made my own family without that failure. Oedo Tai thanks you, Shaul. As a gift we’ll give you an early vacation. Enjoy your summer of returning to irrelevance like the rest of your mothballed family.”
She smiles devilishly as she continues to taunt her opponent.
TAM NAKANO: “Does that make you mad? Do you hate Tam? It doesn’t matter. Because you may hate me now..”
Tam takes a seat on the throne’s arm, crossing her right leg over the left.
TAM NAKANO: “But you’ll NEVER be better than me.”
With that Tam blows a kiss to the camera, winks, and the shot fades back into the Oedo Tai logo.