Thump. Thump. Th-thump. Thump Thump Th-Thump.
The black Everlast punching bag that was suspended from the ceiling of the employee gym at EBWF Headquarters rocked violently as Natalya unleashed a barrage of offense on it. With a laser focus, she fired off a combination of jabs, hooks, and combination punches and knee strikes. True to its name, the bag absorbed the punishment despite its jerky, chaotic movement from the force of the blows. Her offense came to the rhythm of some of her favorite workout music - Nine Inch Nails. Natalya's blonde and pink highlighted hair was tied back high and tight, keeping it out of her periphery. Sweat was beading above her eyes and on her brow. She was wearing a comfortable set of Underarmor gym clothes and a pair of MMA padded gloves. Nattie had taken on a lot in the last several years of her life. Though she may not be considered a full-time wrestler with her current TV and house show schedule, the current Women's Champ had several jobs that were full-time in and of themselves. A mother to her son C.J., a wife to Wes Ikeda, and an honorary mother to his amazing kids. Each of those seemingly required more hours than there were days, and now she had a full plate load as the standard bearer for the Women's division in the EBWF. It was a weight she was happy to bear, and they all seemed to compliment each other perfectly. When one became stressful, one of the others would be there as a catharsis for her. Case in point - a busy day with the family and now she had the opportunity to unwind with a nice round of beating the tar out of a punching bag. Sometimes, there was no greater therapy.
Voice: Uh, Mrs. Neidhart?
A voice rang out over the music blaring throughout the room. Nattie picked up her iPhone and paused the music coming out of the wireless speaker system inside the gym. She turned to look and see who had come in. The door to the gym was badged, so it could only have been a full-time employee of the company. It was Paul Heyman, who quickly glanced around to see if anyone else was in the room.
Paul Heyman: I know you've got a promo camera coming in a few minutes. Is now a bad time?
Natalya: I have a first name, Mr. Heyman.
She smiled.
Natalya: What's up?
Paul, having been given the affirmative, fully stepped into the room, letting the glass door close behind him. He slid his ID badge back into his shirt pocket.
Paul Heyman: Natalie, I wanted to talk to you about your live event schedule. I know you have a lot on your plate.
Natalya took a couple light jabs at the bag as Paul talked, listening intently.
Paul Heyman: As you already know, we're a little light on the women's side. There's a number of women that are still on the injured list and so we really only have a smattering to pick from when mix and matching for the house shows. We could use the Women's Champ on a few rotations if possible.
Natalya: If I'm the champ after the Rumble, that is.
She gave Paul a long look.
Natalya: Regardless of the match with Paige, I suppose I could fit in a couple days on the road. I've got a lot of obligations leading up to Wrestlemania so how long are we talking here?
Paul Heyman: As long as is comfortable for you. The minute you run out of time, you let me know personally and I'll strike you from the lineup. We just won't put you on the marquee so there's no requests for refunds.
Nattie smirked and shook her head.
Natalya: You don't need to patronize me, Mr. Heyman. You and I both know full well that people don't buy tickets to come and see Natalya in action.
She brought her knee up and drove it full force into the bag which caused it to jerk backwards. She wrapped her arms around it to steady it and took a few more punches.
Natalya: How's the Roman Reigns experiment going?
Paul shook his head.
Paul Heyman: He's a handful. Crowd's still mixed on him, and he's utterly mystified as to why that's happening. Wes has taken the stance that he needs to sink or swim on his own ideas, and he's convinced this "Me bad guy, him good guy" shtick is going to get over. And if it doesn't, it's my fault.
Natalya: Paul, when I first got here I had no idea what I was going to do. Vince didn't care about me and figured I would make money because of my last name, so he never bothered to work with me. I literally came in with no clue about how to get over. It took Joanie sitting me down and helping me to figure out my strengths and hide the weaknesses in my promo. We figured out that my best mic work comes when I'm angry, so we made sure I was always angry about something.
Paul nodded. He and Natalie shared a deep respect for the late Joanie Laurer. Joanie was a valuable friend and co-worker to Paul, and she was a friend and mentor to Nattie. The two shared stories about their mutual friend all the time, now that she was gone.
Natalya: My point being, Joanie helped me figure out how to dial my best parts up to eleven. You know how to do that really well. Roman clearly doesn't, and he needs help with that. Your strength is being the man in front of the mic for someone that's not going to fight you for promo time. And honestly, you and I both know there's only one guy who has been able to fit that bill for you.
Paul Heyman: Well, until he can get his situation cleared up with Rena, we're not going to see a lot of him I'm afraid.
Natalya: Well, maybe Roman just needs to figure this out on his own then, and you can use your talents to get someone else over.
Paul sat down on the edge of a free-weight bench and clasped his hands together.
Paul Heyman: I think you and I both know what happens in that situation.
Nattie nodded and shrugged.
Natalya: You know as well as I do that if Roman can't figure it out on his own after the support you've given him, then maybe he needs to figure it out in a company with less eyeballs on it.
Paul Heyman: Well, I won't keep you. Have a safe flight down to New Orleans and good luck at the Rumble.
Natalya: Oh, don't worry about me. I can carry the mall rat to a five star match any day of the week.
Paul laughed and stood up.
Paul Heyman: I have no doubt of that whatsoever.
Paul headed to the door and exited, leaving Natalie to resume her workout. The interviewer was due any minute, so she would need to get in as much as she could. She had quite a bit to say about her upcoming opponent, and didn't want to miss out on a second of time.
~~~~~~
Renee Young smiled in front of the camera as the red light on it activated, signaling that they were live. Renee was inside the EBWF gym, standing
Renee Young: Hey there, EBWF fans! It's Renee Young here and I am coming to you from inside EBWF HQ. Today we have a special treat for you exclusively on EBWF.net. I am here inside the gymnasium located in the EBWF Headquarters with the EBWF Women's Champion, Natalya.
Nattie walked into the frame as she unfastened her four ounce MMA gloves. She dropped them to the ground and stood next to Renee with her arms on her hips.
Renee Young: Natalya, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. On Sunday, you will defend your EBWF Women's Championship against a newcomer to the company in Paige. I wanted to--
Nattie threw up a hand in Renee's face.
Natalya: Let me take a wild guess. You want to "get my thoughts".
Renee Young: Well, yes.
Natalya: Alright then. Let me give you my thoughts. My thought is that I am a two-time EBWF Women's Champion. I was the inaugural Sky High Champion and I am the FACE of this brand. Whether I hold that title or not...
Nattie gestured towards the Women's Championship title that was neatly folded up on a nearby bench.
Natalya: ... I am still the marquee name for the Women's Division. I have fought, scratched, clawed, raked, and punched my way to this position, Renee. I have tapped out countless women who thought they could come in and get a quick payday in the EBWF. Every small amount of credibility that I have earned in this business came from my own blood, sweat and tears, and I am tired of not getting the respect that I deserve. It should be ME in the main event of the Royal Rumble. It should be ME co-headlining along with the Rumble match. But what am I doing, Renee? I'm in the fourth match on the card, defending MY championship against a twelve year old that developed early. Do you see AJ Styles having a match with a scrub? No, Renee. So why do I have to get stuck with the greenhorn?
Renee Young: Natalya, with all due respect, you were defeated by Paige in a non-title match just last week. This generally means that she is entitled to a shot at the championship.
Natalya: She had a fist full of tights and you know it! God, shutup Renee. Are you here to interview the Champ or run your mouth?!
Renee put a hands up in surrender and backed up an inch.
Renee Young: Please, continue.
Natalya: You see that punching bag over there? That is my official Paige simulator. And not just because it's an inanimate object held together by black leather and chains. No, it's because I am a fighter, born and bred to be in this business. And if Paige gets even a fraction of the punishment I can inflict, she will break like a twig. An overrated, overdone, sun-starved twig. Last week I was this close to snapping that twig for good, but the little rat managed to scurry out of the ring with a win. That is the last time that will happen in her career. I have faced far more talented women in this company than Paige, and I have beaten them to a pulp. Lita, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, hell even Sasha Banks was a more impressive opponent, and she's the one I smacked around to earn this championship.
Nattie rolled her eyes in disgust.
Natalya: So on Sunday, I have to defend my EBWF Women's Championship against someone who dresses like an Evanescence groupie and sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
Natalya reared back and yelled in her most cartoonish imitation possible.
Natalya: THIS IS MOI HOUSE, GOV'NA!
She shuddered and recomposed herself, leaning in towards Renee with a look of utter contempt.
Natalya: Does that sound like a person who could carry this company on her shoulders? Does that sounds like a person befitting of the title of Women's Champion?! Don't bother answering that Renee, it was rhetorical. I am the Champion. I call the shots. On Sunday, the only shot I'm going to need is the one that lands square on Paige's jaw. I will permanently end this fairy tale run that Paige has been on, and send that darling little piece of goth trash packing back to Norwich where she came from.
Renee Young: Natalya, in addition to your match with Paige, you must also be keeping a close eye on the Women's Rumble that will take place on Sunday. The winner of that match will become the Number One Contender for your Women's Championship, and if you successfully defend your title, you will likely face that person at Wrestlemania. Do you see one person in that Rumble that catches your eye? Any standouts?
Natalya: Renee, I'm still fairly young and I've been in the game longer than most women. I've seen them come and go, and the only person to withstand the test of time has been me. When I look into that Rumble, all I see are has-beens and never-will-bes.
Renee Young: Nattie, your former best friend and your partner in all three of your runs as Women's Tag Team Champions, Trish Stratus, is in that match. Are you calling her a has been?
Natalya: No, Renee. I am not.
Renee Young: Then, aren't you--
Natalya: I'm calling her a never-will-be. She never will be Women's Champion again. She never will be relevant in this business again. She never will be my friend again, and she most certainly never will be my partner again. She's a used up, dried up husk of a former EBWF superstar that I used to know, and I used to respect. But when she had the gall to come out on live television and disrespect me all those months ago, she showed the entire world what she really is. A tired old grandma with no tricks left. Let's face it, Renee. The tag team of Beautiful Dangerous was just Natalya Neidhart with Trish Stratus in tow. I was always the muscle. I was always the wrestling. I was always the better woman. She knows it, I know it, and the entire EBWF Universe knows it. But you know what else, Renee?
Renee Young: I do not, but I suspect you're going to tell me.
Natalya: Trish Stratus, even as the shell of her former self, could wrestle circles around Paige. Paige, the young and vibrant upstart in wrestling, has all the wrestling instincts of a potato. She is the face of an entire generation of overrated women's wrestlers in independent wrestling promotions all over the world. A trashy mall-goth who looks cute in fishnets but doesn't know a wrist lock from a wrist watch. Every man with even a smidge of self respect would swipe left on her, but she's somehow considered attractive by the trashy fools that we call fans. This Sunday, I am going to scramble that face beyond recognition. I will show the entire world what it looks like when an entire division of wrestlers reaches the peak of decadence, and then collapses under the weight of their own ineptitude. I will burn this women's division down to the foundation that I CREATED, and I will see it rebuilt with talent and class. I am an instrument of change in this company, Renee. It started back at Christmas Eve of Destruction when I tapped out everyone's favorite internet darling, Sasha Banks, dead center in the middle of the ring. It will continue on Sunday when I take a prepubescent success story and snap her in half, so she can watch the rest of the show on a gurney. And finally it will come to fruition when I take the sorry winner of the Women's Rumble and reduce her to a crying, makeup smeared mess on the mat.
Renee Young: Thank you for your time, Natalya. EBWF fans, you can see Natalya defend her Women's Championship this Sunday at the Royal Rumble! Thanks for tuning--
Nattie snatched the mic away from Renee with a scowl and gave her an open palm shove to the chest, sending her stumbling out of camera view. The camera zoomed in on Nattie who picked up her title belt and held it close to the camera.
Natalya: Do you see this, Paige?! Get a good look at it. Take a screenshot on your laptop and post it on Instagram. Make it your profile picture on Facebook, I don't give a shit. This is as close as your black painted fingers are going to get to touching this title in your life. There's a new Queen in the EBWF. The Queen of Harts. And I'm just getting warmed up.
Natalya sneered and walked out of the picture. The camera focused in on Renee Young as she looked on, trying to recompose herself. The scene faded to black.
