Utami: Redemption?

[Utami]

In the plaza between the Moda Center and the Portland Veterans Memorial Coliseum, we find Utami Hayashishita standing with her hands on her hips. If one follows her gaze they’ll find she’s looking up at the banners advertising Total Supremacy. There’s a clear focus in her eyes as she ponders the monumental task before her with the tournament semifinals and, potentially, finals awaiting.

UTAMI: “And so the dance reaches its final stage, huh? Out of 16, the greatest tournament in women’s wrestling has come down to just 4. Four of the women who’ve been the faces of EBWF’s women’s division over the past two years. When I think about the road here to this moment, I feel a lot of regret for how I arrived at this point.”

She shakes her head ruefully as a million thoughts fly through her mind.

UTAMI: “Starting with the Crimson Queen days. The way I and my allies terrorized everyone here just because I decided I was the true queen of wrestling. I didn’t see or just outright refused to see the great amount of talent which this company has to offer. It was all about crushing everyone under my boot and grinding them into a fine paste. But that’s not what wrestling is about, and it’s not what I’m really about.”

As the banner with the QOTR logo on it flutters in the wind, Utami pauses to regain her composure.

UTAMI: “I’m not someone who ever wanted to take shortcuts in life. I’ve always been about putting in the work, not making excuses and keeping at it until the job’s done. It started when I worked for a couple years to get two of my siblings through high school. Then I stepped into one of the strictest dojos in Japan with the strictest teacher I could possibly have had. It was hard. There were days when I cried. But I never wanted to give up. I pushed through. Some people will say that I had it easy when I debuted and won a ton of titles in my first year. But it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Every moment, every match was a challenge and I failed plenty of times. But the key was I kept going no matter what happened.”

She starts to idly twirl a lock of her newly long hair around one finger.

UTAMI: “But then I let failure get to me. My failure to beat Tam destroyed me - how could I, the greatest prodigy of the sport, a once in a generation talent, keep losing to a woman in her mid 30s who insisted on acting like a teen idol? It was insulting! And because it was so frustrating, because it was a slap to the face of everything I worked so hard to make myself, I broke. That’s how I got here.. But tonight I have a chance to make that right. I have the chance to show everyone who I really am. But first I have to get through one of the best wrestlers in the world.”

She smirks as she walks past that first banner only to find herself below one with Britt Baker’s face.

UTAMI: “Say it with me, Dr. Britt Baker.. D! M! D!”

She chuckles with odd enthusiasm for someone about to face the good doctor.

UTAMI: “Britt, I know that you’ve been working just as hard as I have ever since you lost the belt to Tam. Every moment you can spare goes towards perfecting every aspect of your game. No days off, no tolerance for ‘good enough’. I respect that dedication to the grind. You were a dominant champion and you’ve probably been the most resilient woman in EBWF this year. No matter what shortfalls you face, you just keep going. We’re not that different.”

Utami pulls a single red rose from her pocket and extends it upwards.

UTAMI: “Both of us have gotten to this moment because of our inability to defeat the Final Boss. No matter what happens, one of us WILL take her out. I’m confident of that.”

She lowers the rose and smirks again.

UTAMI: “But I need it to be me. I need to be the one who steps up to her, finally having the courage to stare her down like I should have two years ago. So I’m coming at you full force, as the one true cool, royal and beautiful queen I know I can be. Do your worst, bring your best game, and I’ll match you blow for blow. This is going to be my redemption arc completed, my crown.”