Off Camera
Rehwoldt-Guerrero Residence
Chicago, IL
------------------------------------------------------------
Fanniversary was growing close and the weight of the long term story between her character and Becky Lynch was weighting on Shaul’s shoulders. For her part she didn’t wear it on her face at work but here at home she was able to unload her stress and concern on the one person who had to have her back. Shaul was sitting on her knees on the large white sofa in the middle of the couple’s living room. She picked at the seam running along the back of the cushions as she watched Matt making a sandwich in the kitchen. The bar between them was as cluttered with shaker bottles, takeout bags and diapers as her mind was with thoughts about her future and the future of her family. She glanced at their daughter, Lynn Marie Rehwoldt, asleep in a little gold trimmed bassinet.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
How are you feeling about Fanniversary?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
A little ambivalent really. I’m not sure if the rest of Kingdom are even going to make an appearance on the main show. However, I am excited to support you and everything going for you in your career.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
You know that this story with Rebecca hasn’t been my favorite. I get it. She’s got a lot of fan support; she’s moving merchandise and Wes wants to capitalize on that in every way possible. I just wish we didn’t have to squash my WrestleMania moment to make her a credible contender. Really, they could have skipped all the hokey pay off stuff and just waited for her to win Queen of the Ring. I think that could have been the better build.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I was talking to Chris, and I think something just got lost in translation with the whole division. Your feud with Rebecca was supposed to continue in the build to Queen of the Ring and wrap at that show with a conclusive finish. But then a good number of the fans online were tweeting about Leva having earned a shot at the title. When management talked to her about everything, she was completely agreeable to the build and that’s how you got Royal Pain and that crazy three falls match.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Five-star three falls match, might I add.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
You normally do. Anyhow, so that shifted the fallout with Rebecca out to Summerslam. Word is, they had a different Queen lined up for you to face but it just didn’t work out that way. Winning Queen of the Ring added more steam to your build. She’s had to work her way back into the spotlight. Then Summerslam was derailed by her personal leave. Which wasn’t great but you made it work with a stellar promo and match with Red Velvet. Sadly, those kinds of personal incidents can’t be avoided. So, it was what it was. Wes made the call to hold off until Fanniversary. Besides, you know how the business works! Card subject to change.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
God how I have grown to hate that phrase these last few months.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I can only imagine.
Matt walked into the living room with his plated sandwich in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He sat the water down on the coffee table before relaxing into the sofa next to his wife. He rested the plate on his lap. Shaul gave Matt’s cup some side eye. He simply smiled. Shaul got up and put a coaster under the cup with dramatic flair. They both laughed.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Now it’s that dreadful waiting game all to show up at Fanniversary and find out what this finish is going to be. Do the fans hate me enough to carry the title reign out to the end of the year and Christmas Eve of Destruction? Or is it time to switch the lead and give the belt a good face run?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I’m hoping the fans hate you enough to retain the belt, I’ve been writing up a pitch for another special episode of Warfare. It only seems right if I pitch it with another headlining Women’s Title match!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Oh yeah?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Hear me out… New Year’s Evil.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Isn’t that just a little too close to Christmas Eve of Destruction.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
You mean time wise or name wise?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Yep!
They both laughed. Matt took a big bite from his sandwich and shrugged at his wife.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I hope they buy into it. Your Royal Pain idea worked out well. Not just for me but for the ratings as well! Do you have plans in place to get us to a special show?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
How does the dissolution of Kingdom sit with you?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I feel like it could be too early. Why?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Well, Sal has been talking about taking a more backstage role with the company. Maybe something in training. Jeff is still focusing on music. It could be the right thing.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
So, we just go back to you and I?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Actually, no. I have a faction pitch to go along with Kingdom’s demise. It may be a bit scary but how about no involvement from me. Just Raquel Diaz heading up something completely new and revolutionary. No More Kings.
Shaul looked at him for a moment. He was being coy, and she knew it.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
So now I’ve got to wait for your pitch and to find out who is going home champion after Fanniversary?
The couple laughed. Matt had to stop himself to keep from spitting food across the living room carpet which only made Shaul laugh harder.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Oh man, yeah. You’re going to have to wait on the pitch pretty girl. I think my idea is going to shock you more than the Miro appearance shocked Wes!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I have to admit that I still don’t understand how you managed to surprise the guy who signs all the paychecks. Didn’t you need get his approval to even bring the big guy in?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Actually, the initial pitch was for someone else. We sat down and had a meeting with him and Jim. Chris and I pitched a dozen or so names for the role. We narrowed the list down to three guys, Jim reached out and one responded. Wes said it was a go, the deal for Warfare Games was signed and that’s the end of it from Wes’s point of view. About a week later Jim called me in and told me that Miro had reached out. We talked about the potential shock value of bringing him in. Jim signed the limited contract, we let Chris know the plan, you knew because we had dinner with Miro and his wife. Wes wasn’t told about the change.
Shaul thought about it for a moment.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
So you sneak Miro into the arena with only you, me, Jim and Chris knowing he’s supposed to be there. Film the segment with the Luchasaurus attack and send it to production all without anyone knowing what was going on?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I think people would be surprised if they knew how much autonomy Jim has in running talent relations! Mauro and Nigel were legitimately surprised because they were expecting that assault to be by me. Wes came out of gorilla tweeting about the experience and proceeded to yell at us, shake our hands and congratulate us all in about a thirty second window.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I’m glad it was well received. Now, no more surprises for the boss. We both need to work to keep your daughter in diapers and formula!
------------------------------------------------------------
On Camera
EBWF.NET, EBWF YouTube
Posted – 10/26/2021
------------------------------------------------------------
The video opened with Raquel Diaz sitting on the throne that had become a running theme across several of her promos, vignettes, and introductions over the last few months. The EBWF Women’s Championship was laying across her lap with the ends hanging over the arm of the throne. Her lips were painted a deep scarlet red to match the colors of the throne. Gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears, nearly brushing her shoulders. She stared into the camera for an uncomfortable amount of time in silence. Then she reached over the side of the throne with her right hand and hoisted the Championship up into the air.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
When I won this campeonato, I made a lot of claims about the state of Women’s wrestling in the EBWF. How I was going to elevate it. Avanza en el campo. How I was going to make it prominent. How I was going to show the Universe that the women of the EBWF were the best this industry has to offer. Con la diosa de la Lucha libre al volante.
She dropped the title across her lap and shot it a glance. Her mouth tightened into a quick frown. She ran the same hand across her earring in an attempt to brush aside a stray hair.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Honestly, we’re not there yet. We’ve made strides. This year’s Queen of the Ring tournament was one of the best in the company’s history. Warfare was given its first ever special episode in Royal Pain. A show that was headlined by the greatest women’s wrestling match of this generation! Grandeza. Massive leaps forward for myself, for the EBWF and Women’s Wrestling. The roster is apilada with some of the most talented names to ever grace a ring. Up and coming talent like Leva Bates, Tay Conti and Britt Baker. Legends like Trish Stratus and Natalya. It really should be labeled the Golden Age of Women’s Wrestling and it’s not. Why you ask.
Raquel stood up and brushed her black velveteen dress off. She took care to lay the title across the back of the throne to keep it on display for the camera. To facilitate this, she took a step to the right of the screen.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Because, my reign hasn’t been without its setback. Yeah, you heard that right. SETBACK. You could say that my entire reign has been mired in controversy. It’s been plagued by a single event. THE GRAND LIE! A lie told by the setback incarnate that’s holding back our entire gender. You know her as Becky “no no no I didn’t lose” Lynch. Or the Man who isn’t woman enough to admit when she’s been bested by someone with more talent in their right hand than she has in that entire pathetic body of hers. The Man, who is so uncontrollably moral she, spent the entirety of Summerslam weekend in the slammer. The Man who couldn’t beat a wrestler, so she beat their car. Most importantly, I think, the Man who hasn't learned that when you meet Royalty a certain level of pageantry should occur. You stoop, you bow, your show respect to those BETTER than you. Hasn't learned that when you're dead, lie down. Hasn't learned that when they bring down the curtain the show is over. While I'm going to circle back to that Royalty comment I'd like to take a moment to address the thousand-dollar elephant that is somehow still lingering in the room, hanging over my head like the maldita Sword of Damocles.
Raquel held a printed copy of the “check” Becky Lynch had purported to be her payoff to the referee. It was printed off using a cheap at home printer and lacked any real clarity. It wasn’t even a copy of the check itself, but a screen shot from the episode of Warfare where it was shown on the tron.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
The screw job. The payoff. The incident. Whatever the internet and the legion of idiots backing Becky want to call it this week. It’s a myth. A hoodwink. Plainly, it’s fabricated from the twisted minds of Becky Lynch and her crony, Winter. That compelling, if not overly convenient, piece of evidence presented to the Universe was a forgery no more real than the check I hold in my hand. And not a well done one if you’re asking me. It’s just another specter of Becky Lynch’s continued failure to capture the one thing she desires the most. My championship. At every turn Lynch is bested by women she couldn’t hope to hold a candle to. And with each loss she must concoct a reason, a fall guy or a straw man to hang the blame on. Because her ego is as fragile as that glass jaw she’s been sporting in matches all over the world.
Raquel dropped the printed picture and picked up something else from off frame. It was a toy replica of the EBWF Women’s Championship. She looked it over. The nameplate had Becky Lynch written on it crudely with red marker. The two y’s in her name were drawn backwards.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
So she’s left with this. Her legacy is awful replica belts, vapid complaints and losing on the biggest stages of them all. Her legacy is lies and defeat. And yet these people of the EBWF Universe flock to her. She holds MY belt hostage for weeks on end and they cheer for her return to the ring. She lies to them. She misleads them. She tries to cheat the system to get rematch after rematch that she still has no hope of winning. She steals time away from women who deserve their day in the sun. Steals from the women trying to build a better future for our industry. It’s a shame really everything that these two perdedoras have cost with their payasadas repugnantes.
She tossed the plastic belt aside and hoisted the real thing up onto her shoulder. She shined a spot on one of the side plates using her palm with a wide smile on her face.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Now, I’m not claiming to be an angel caught in the wicked hex of a demon and a perra. Sorry, bruja. No. I’ve got a checkered past of my own and I learned from one of the best in the business how to be underhanded. Have I lied? Absolutely, and I’m going to continue to lie going forward. If that’s what it takes to elevate myself and my industry. If that’s what it takes to make our division more than it has been. Have I cheated? Anytime it serves my agenda. I’ve built the careers of others on the back of my creative interpretation of the rules. If you think I’m throwing decades of practice out the window, you’ve got another thing coming. Have I stolen? Without a doubt. I’ve got enough roll up victories to open a Chipotle location. Am I proud of these things? Tu maldita derecha! You can bet your sweet ass I am! Our family motto isn’t lost on this hija de Eduardo. Mentir. If they question your actions, tell them what they want to hear. Bend the ear like you would bend the rules. The truth is what you make it. It is whatever you can make the masses believe. Estafar. It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught. The rules are made to be broken by those who understand how to break them. Rules are for suckers and losers and no Guerrero can stand to be either! Robar. The moments in the spotlight aren’t given, they are taken. You steal the show, steal hearts and steal anything else that’s not tied down. Or as mi esposo would say it, by hook or by crook. Win without hesitation or regard for the cost. Take the high road if you can but never fear the low road and what it can do for you. I’ve employed the strategies developed by mi padre sin dudarlo. Anytime they were needed. I’ve taken more advise from Aiden English than the Beckster has losses at this point. It’s a lot, don’t bother counting because you don’t have enough collective fingers to keep track of them all.
Raquel nodded solemnly. She tilted her head down slightly, almost as if she were showing shame, but her wolf like grin gave away her true feelings.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
So yes, in a few words, I’m a liar. I’m a cheater. And, I’m a thief. So many different things that I don’t take issue with being called. But, one thing I’m not and will never be is an idiota. I’m not sloppy. I don’t get caught! When I commit a crime, I cover my tracks. Atar cabos sueltos. The evidence gets buried deeper than bodies. That’s the offence made against me with this half assed fake check. Becky Lynch wants to claim that I paid a referee to declare me the winner of a match? I don’t care. I’m a little upset I didn’t think of it first. Would have saved me a lot of trouble that night if someone was on the take. Either way, the title is around my waist now. But to come to the Universe and tell them that I’m so stupid that I’d leave such irrefutable evidence out in the open? No! I can’t stand for that. That I can’t let slide. If you think for even a splinter of a second that I wouldn’t know how to transfer money using a third party, dummy account or I DON’T KNOW… CASH, you’ve got less brain cells than Winter. Damn Becky, you should have stopped your crying about the loss while you were ahead. But you weren’t satisfied fabricating claims and you had to fabricate evidence too. There had to be proof that you were wronged this time because the Universe was growing weary of your weak excuses, plastic titles and imaginary reigns.
Raquel shifted her weight to the opposite foot and stepped in closer to the camera. The smile faded from her face. The scowl left behind was ring worn.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Beck, you couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie and now you’ve woken a dragon that’s going to burn you alive. A dragon that’s going to ignite a fire so hot it will make sol jealous! Your constant flapping lips whipped up a storm of fury untold, a typhoon building at the heart of our rivalry and it’s going to drown you along with your hopes and dreams once and for all. Because no one in this industry can stand before the might of la Diosa de la Lucha Libre. A fact that I’m not tired of proving to anyone and everyone who thinks they’re the special exception to that rule. A fact that I’ve proven before, I’m still proving today, and I’ll damn sure prove afterward Fanniversary for years to come. Soy la mejor. The proof is in that title belt that hangs on my wall, off my shoulder and around my waist. The proof is in the fact that I’ve already put you away. Sunday I’ll stay all the rumors. I’ll bring down the curtain of uncertainty you’ve put up around my reign as Champion. Sunday I’m going to show the EBWF that there is one true Queen of this ring, and her name has never and will never be Becky Lynch. That Queen rules from the walls of Kingdom, that Queen is Raquel Diaz. And, from here on out I’ll stand tall against all comers. I’ll defend this title against anyone who has the same il-fated goals you do. I’ll continue to be the best Women’s Champion this company has ever witnessed. And I’ll do it all with a charm and personality that you and Winter can’t seem muster between the two of you.
Raquel pushed in even closer until it was just her head and neck framed by the screen. The title belt peaked in ever so slightly as she adjusted it up as far as she could.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
All those promises Winter made when you sold your soul to the coldest demon in hell. And she hasn’t delivered. Two Queen of the Ring tournaments in the books with you as victor. Tournaments where you were lucky that I didn’t rear my head and end your bracket early. That’s what you have to show for allying yourself with an entire season’s worth of failure in Winter. And, for all your deals with the devil, all your tears, your cries and lies you’ve come face to face with an abyss you can’t pull back from. You’ve said my name so many times and made so many claims about my reign that you couldn’t back down if you wised up at this point. You’ve come to a ledge and now there is no way out. There’s no turning back from this match. You’re on the edge of oblivion and all that’s left to do is jump in with both feet. Jump in and be prepared…
The lighting shifted to cast Raquel in a dark red glow. The whites of her eyes reflected the colored spot suspended over her head. She scowled deeper and darker than ever before. This was the face of true hatred.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Infierno encarnada. How fitting is it that Fanniversary has given your oblivion a name and that the name is Hell in a Cell. But that wasn’t enough. Trapped in with the one woman you can’t get the upper hand against. I relish the thought of your mind racing with fear. BUT I WANT PAIN! I quit. A true test of submission skills, toughness, tenacity, and drive. Disarm-her against the Lasso from El Paso. You’re walking into a hell devised by the most wicked demonia in EBWF. Hell. Demons. Oblivion. Abyss. It’s a bunch of words that all spell your doom. The end of Becky Lynch’s cries that she’s been cheated, that she’s been wronged, that there is some grand conspiracy against her! You’re going to be locked in that cage with your worst nightmare. And it’s not the open top ten-foot-high structure of the bygone age. This is a prison of pain erected to punish the unworthy. A grand cathedral to the best damn female wrestler in the world, me! Sunday you’re locked in that cell with the woman you can’t beat for the title you’ll never hold. Without your own personal demon. Without a chance of escaping to safety. You’ll have no one to turn to when things get to hot to handle. No one to pull you loose when I wind up the band and let the Three Amigos play. At Fanniversary there are just two people in that ring. You and the one woman in wrestling who most wants to rip that pretty red hair from your vapid empty skull. The one woman who is more interested in putting your feet to the coals than her own personal safety. That fire crackling is the sum total of your time in the EBWF. Sunday you will breathe in the ashes of your career and feel that fire in your lungs. You will know that the time is come to pay the piper for all the times you went about running your mouth and all the lying you’ve been doing around the world. You will know that your own personal apocalypse has finally arrived. Your time has come and gone. You will know the end is nigh.
The red light went out. Raquel calmly walked back to her throne. She placed the EBWF Women’s Championship across the left armrest. As she turned to the camera, she ran a hand up her outer thigh.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
How fitting that the final resting place of all your hopes and dreams is in the birthplace of the EBWF. El final esta al principio. It’s a perfect place for you and your ambition to die and rot for eternity. A place for your name to fade into obscurity against the backdrop of EBWF’s grand legacy! A place so perfect for our story to end and for all that controversy you’ve been brewing like a witch’s poison is forced down your throat with only my fist to chase it! A city that borders on the greatness of my great state of Illinois just as you dwell in my shadow and the wake of my victories. Victory guaranteed by birthright as la Diosa de la Lucha Libre. Do you remember earlier when I said we were going to circle back? Now is the time to come back to the subject of Royalty in the EBWF. I know, a lot of people have thrown that word around. Those people have claimed all that the word entails and so much more! We’ve had Queens, Goddesses and Empresses of Tomorrow. Everyone has laid some claim to having Royal Blood flowing through their veins or the veins of the people they hung their careers upon. And perhaps it’s growing old now. Maybe it all falls flat with the crowd. Honestly, I don’t care about that, about them, but the fact remains that before Kingdom rose to power there was a faction that called themselves exactly that, Royalty. Of all those wrestlers with all their claims from the start of wrestling history. None of them have been Raquel Diaz. Some of them, like myself, are born into wrestling dynasties. The daughters of titans and sons of gods. Second, third, fourth generation talents to whom the sport comes naturally. Some of them, like myself, forged their own right to call themselves whatever moniker they decided to strap on to their marquee. They are the thirteen- and fourteen-time champions, the conquerors of the Royal Rumble. The progenitors of future dynasties. Still, none of the have been Raquel Diaz.
Raquel sat back down in the throne and rested her arm on the championship. She glanced down and put on a false face of concern.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
And, that’s the thing, isn’t it? Becky Lynch hasn’t walked either path to glory. She’s not the heir to some great wrestling empire. No one is lifting Becky up on their shoulders to hold her career aloft. In fact, the only person on this roster willing to put up with her is Winter and that’s a horse of a different color. She comes from nothing. She’s no one. Becky hasn’t carved her path to glory with achievements and accolades. She’s held pretender titles and complained about the more talented women who beat her. Even her back-to-back Queen of the Ring rallies are mired by her tendencia a quejarse. Consider this. She’s not going to be remembered like Trish Stratus, Mikie James or Natalya Neidhart. She’s not going to wind up in the EBWF Hall of Fame. She’s never going to win a Slammy.
Just the word curled Raquel’s lip.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Doubly so because Wes Ikeda stopped handing them out to spite Kingdom and everything we’ve done for his company over the last few years. Becky Lynch is going to be the same nobody she was the day she walked into this company on the day she walks out. It’s an unchangeable fact. She doesn’t learn and grow; she withers and dies. You see, she couldn’t cut it in New York. Donde todas son debiles. She should have never survived her time in Orlando. Porque ella ni siquiera tiene talent para mejorar. The fact that these fans cheer for her is less than nothing. It’s as pointless as it is worthless. They can’t come to the ring with you Lynch. They can’t fight me on your behalf. And no matter how loud they boo, I’m the Champion this company needs. I’m the Champion this company has. And that won’t be changed come Monday morning. El lunes es solo un dia mas para la diosa. A day where I am on top and you’re just another pretender to my throne! Mark my words. Fanniversary isn’t the beginning of the end for you, it’s just the end! Plain and simple.
Raquel pulled the title back over her waist, crossed her arms and smiled. Black started to fade in from the edges of the screen as Raquel sat eerily still. The focus of the fade was drawing in on the Women’s Championship belt on her lap. The screen flashed red for a moment and was replaced quickly with a black screen adorned with the Kingdom crown logo. Aiden English could be heard cackling. Suddenly the video ended.
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Off Camera
Four Seasons Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri
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Shaul tossed her bag on the bed and immediately went to unzipping the front pouch. Matt's arrival in the room was heralded by the door slamming shut behind him. He sat his backpack down in a chair setting in front of a wooden desk. He rolled behind him two large suitcases that the couple used to travel from event to event. Hers had a little pink crown hanging from the handle while his was adorned with patches for his hometown and a myriad of game companies. He let out a sigh as she pulled out the company wide email that had been sent by Wes about the events around Fanniversary. The Rehwoldts had grown used to these weekend long festivities since becoming members of the EWBF roster. WrestleMania was similarly insane.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Alright, so what is the plan of attack this week?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Well, let's see what the required events are and then start planning how to tackle them and what extras to pile on!
The locking mechanism on the door trilled a few small beeps and then the door flung open, slamming into the wall with authority. Vickie Guerrero stormed into the room with her luggage trailing behind in one hand and a baby carriage hanging from the other. Shaul's eyes narrowed on her husband’s sheepish smile.
~~Vickie Guerrero~~
I can't believe you made me carry Lynn and my own bag!
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Sorry Vickie, my head was wrapped up in how crazy this week is going to be!
~~Vickie Guerrero~~
More like wrapped up in how this week isn't all about you like it has been before!
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Come on, you know it's not like that.
~~Vickie Guerrero~~
You white boys and your egos!
Matt looked lost and confused. Vickie's stern look started to break and soon enough she and Shaul were both doubled over in laughter. Matt put his hand on his head in shame. The girls continued to laugh hysterically.
~~Vickie Guerrero~~
Did you see the look on his face?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
You know what I can't believe? That you feel for that!
Shaul tapped the email still in her hands and the laughter ended.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Today we have the remembrance luncheon and the cookout for a cause. That basically ties us up until way past bedtime.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Bedtime? What are we calling bedtime?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Still a joke my love. Tomorrow we have breakfast with the champions, nine am.
Matt let out an audible groan.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Yep! Then at night we have the Night Among the Stars. Always a fun event! Friday we're hitting the Dome for more promo work at some point, but we have signings from nine till noon. Rest of the crew is noon till three. Network Mixer kicks off at seven and I've been asked very nicely that we attend this year. Apparently, the network wants a tighter focus on women's wrestling.
Vickie clapped lightly.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Saturday is noon to two signings. Trick or treat is at six thirty. Then we're hitting dinner with the divas, God I hate that name, at ten.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
You know how me being your plus one is like a loophole?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Yeah...
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
How terribly mad would you be if I didn't attend?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
You have something better to do?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Well, I need to fit in some streaming at some point and I think that could be my only chance. Besides, I think it's better for fund raising efforts if there aren't a bunch of big burly men hanging around the ladies.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I'll give it to you on one condition.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I'm terrified to even ask.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
We wear my choice of family costumes to trick or treating and you don't complain. And, before you protest, I already have the costumes prepared and, on their way here!
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
So, we're wearing those costumes regardless of my choice?
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Nope, I have a backup plan. Think rock and roll icons!
Matt put a hand on the back of his neck. He considered his options.
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
Let me make sure I understand. I think I know you well enough to guess the backup plan. We're either going as Pan, Hook and Tinkerbell or we're going as Fozzy.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Dang, you do know me. Just think about Lynn in her little leather jacket!
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I'll do it.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Do what?
-=Matt Rehwoldt=-
I'll dress up as Captain Hook for trick or treating.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Oh no, you don't get to be Hook. That particular long coat is cut to my length. Oh honey, you're going to look stunning in your green tights and that cute little hat!
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On Camera
EBWF.NET, EBWF YouTube, EBWF Facebook
PREMIERED – 10/31/2021 at 12:01AM
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The video opened on a dark room. A single red candle flickered in the center of the shot suspended on a small wooden table. Raquel Diaz knelt to the right of the table, eye level with the candle but facing the screen.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
It's been a while since I stood in that ring at SummerSlam and laid down the gauntlet of war before Becky Lynch.
She glanced down at the ground and pulled the Women’s Championship up onto her shoulder.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
For MY title. At SummerSlam, EBWF had mandated our match as Hell in a Cell to ensure that there were no outside forces contributing to the outcome. No Winter, no Aiden, no Chavo. One on one, woman on woman. Wes Ikeda was the man behind the idea of locking us in that steel structure so that we could tear one another apart, tear the roof off Allegiant Stadium, and tear down the old pay per view buy rate records in the process. He manufactured the price for Becky's sin to be paid by everyone in attendance or viewing at home. I wasn’t content with it and so when the time came I stood in that ring and molded the match into something more. I took the prison I was given and made it into my very own torture chamber to cleanse the stain on my record.
Raquel’s eyes locked onto the flickering candle, the fire reflecting off her irises. Her lips curled up into a smile as the thought of the stipulation ran across her mind.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
And almost as soon as the words escaped my mouth the Universe started bombarding me with questions. Most of them have boiled down to a single word, why. It's an easy question to utter and rephrase a million and one ways. Why did you feel the need to make the match more dangerous? Isn't Becky Lynch a submission specialist? Have you made the Disarm-her more of a threat with this stipulation? What do you gain from an I quit match? Is this a good idea? The questions are simple, but the answer is complex. Maybe too complex for the fans and Becky to ever understand regardless of how often I expound upon my choices.
She turned back to the camera with her head tilted slightly to the side. There was a pause, she Diaz cleared her throat.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
I wanted an I quit match because it fills my desire to rain pain upon the woman running around declaring herself the Real Women's Champion. The one woman with the audacity to challenge my place at the top of the ladder. Para aterrorizar a mi enemigo mas odiado. I wanted an I quit match because it offers me an opportunity to show a level of dominance that can't be called into question. Not with fake evidence or false claims. I wanted an I quit match because I think the Lasso from El Paso is more of a threat in that ring than the Disarm-Her. It’s a move perfected by numerous generations of Guerrero luchadors. Because I wanted to drive home the point that I am the best woman in wrestling today, bar none.
Raquel nodded to herself sternly. She looked down her shoulder at the title draped over it.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
It wasn't whimsical. Descibsuderada. That’s not who I am. I thought through everything I could bring to the table to make this match more special than it was already going to be. Hell, I considered the table itself as a penance for Becky's failure to show up at SummerSlam. Then I decided that I was never going to be content with the matching ending with something so simple as a broken table. Ladders and cells seemed almost redundant. A cage in a cell is a turducken best saved for someone with less talent and drive than el Diosa de la Lucha Libre. Falls count anywhere? What's the point of being locked in if you plan on crawling all over the arena to beat each other out of existence? Everything seemed like drivel thrown against the wall that is the overwhelming oppression of Hell in a Cell.
Diaz laid a hand on the title and rubbed it gently with her fingertips. She took a deep breath, like a sudden wave of inspiration washed over her body.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
I dug into the history of luchas de apuestas. Cabellera contra cabellera could have been fitting. But a shaved head wasn’t the retribution I desired. I didn’t want to take something that would repair itself in time. I wanted something permanent and then I found the I quit match. I dug through the EBWF content library and watched several of them as my admiration developed. And the thoughts crept into my mind. What if Rebecca drags out more of her lies, claiming I've paid off another official to fast count here and slow count there? Does this solve that? What if she continues to attest to the Universe that she didn't fail to capture the title, it was simply stolen from her? I can't have that. The Universe won't survive another year of her claiming to be something she's not. The EBWF can't withstand continued shade drawn over the Women's Division. I needed something punitive, curative, active and definitive. Something that can't be cheated with bribes and pawns. Something that required Becky to admit that Raquel Diaz is her better. Que soy su superior. And I have no doubt that I am her better. I wanted something that put an end to all of this. The false reigns, claims, and shames. Silenced. I wanted to hear Becky beg to be let out of the Lasso. I wanted to hear her scream and cry in pain. I wanted to show the world that Becky Lynch is exactly what I've always claimed she was. Nothing, nobody, unimportant. And I wanted it all in one match.
Raquel’s lips pursed in anticipation of the next line. She hesitated to let the thought linger in the breathless spaces of the promo.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
I QUIT HELL IN A CELL.
A deep and loud breath followed the revelation that was announced months ago. It was the inverse of a gasp, feigning the shock that the gasp would entail.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Becky is locked inside that ring with me until she utters the magic words. Lo dejo! Until she says with her own voice that she's had enough. Lo dejo! It won't go down any other way. It won’t end with any other outcome. There is no alternative. No Mandalian future that could have been. Lo dejo! There is nothing else. Because I'm a Guerrero and WE DON'T QUIT! We don’t give up on our dreams. We don’t walk away from this sport. We don’t stop fighting until the fight has run out of both body and soul. This business is in our blood, it’s in our spirit, it’s all we have left to tie us to those who came before. When I lace up these boots I do so in the honor of my father Eddie.
Raquel lowered her head and said a few words inaudibly under her breath. She motioned the sign of the cross before continuing.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
Que Dios lo bendiga por siempre. I lace them in the name of my grandfather, Gory Guerrero. I wear them to honor my uncles Chavo Senior, Mando and Hector. For every Guerrero who has ever fought for this business, bled wrestling, and sacrificed their body to that ring. When I put on my boots, I know that I’m building a future that my daughter can be proud of. One where the women of this industry are looked upon with the same respect and admiration as their male counterparts. I know that I’m building a future for every little girl watching at home. Girls who might hate me. Girls who might boo me. Girls who might never wear a Kingdom or Raquel Diaz shirt. But I fight to build a future for them because wrestling is my life. Wrestling is my passion. Wrestling is the marker I use to measure myself and my peers by. Toda.
Raquel blew out the candle, leaving the room in absolute darkness. The screen was pitch black for a moment but suddenly a light illuminated Raquel from below almost like a dimmed cell phone flashlight.
~·Raquel Diaz·~
For myself, for my family, for the future. I can’t give up. I can’t quit. I can’t walk away from this match without the EBWF Women’s Championship wrapped around my waist. I can’t and I won’t because like the Diosa that I am, I will never quit. NEVER. Becky Lynch at Fanniversary the stories you’ve been spreading die. The accusations come to a close. At Fanniversary you and I are going to show the entire Universe that all your clucking has been for not. Raquel Diaz is the EBWF Women’s Champion, the ONLY Women’s Champion.
The light under Raquel pulsed slowly in and out of brightness levels. Then it faded. The scene ended on a red version of the Kingdom Crown Logo.
------------------------------------------------------------
Off Camera
Breakfast with the Champions
St. Louis, Missouri
------------------------------------------------------------
Shaul Guerrero had just spent the last two hours sitting in the Ballroom Lobby of the Four Seasons with her fellow EBWF Champions. The breakfast had gone wonderfully, and she had met a whole host of kids with the Make a Wish Foundation. This event was truly one of her favorites of the entire weekend. She pulled out her phone and checked twitter before standing up from her table. She said her goodbyes to the few fans still lingering in the ballroom before making a gracious exit. It was a strange feeling being on the other side of this. In previous years it had been her husband attending championship meals and meet and greets. Waiting just outside the ballroom was her friend Nicole Ikeda-Orton. She took Shaul by the arm as she rounded the corner, eliciting a gasp from the Women’s Champion.
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
How are you holding up this weekend? I know this is your first big event with all eyes on you!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I don’t know. I want to say that I love it but sometimes all the attention is a little overwhelming. I’d love nothing more than to hold up in my room for a night, eat pizza and watch movies.
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
I’ve been doing these big weeks for a while now. So, I completely understand the desire to retreat into a hotel room for the week and just come to the show. Think about the positives though! You’ve got the entire focus of the women’s division on your match with Rebecca. It says a lot about how Wes feels about you to have the title on you at such a historic edition of Fanniversary!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
I hadn’t considered that aspect of the job. I’ve honestly been very lost in the what ifs of how the weekend is going to turn out. Being the champion is a huge honor, I’ll never get tired of that, I just always worry that I’m not doing a good enough job.
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
Please. You picked up the title at WrestleMania this year. Even if you drop it this weekend that’s a seven-month reign at the top. Since then, they named a special edition of Warfare after you and let you headline it in one of the sweetest non-pay per view title matches I have ever seen. You’ve held onto the title through SummerSlam and King of the Ring. You’re doing awesome and I think you’ve got a lot more reign left in you. Something I have no issues telling Wes, even if he won’t listen to me!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Thank you, that means a lot coming from you. I guess it’s just the curse of being a performer. I’m constantly worried that I’m letting someone down. Sometimes it’s the company, the fans. Sometimes I’m worried that I’m not presenting Aiden and Kingdom in the right light. It’s just a mess inside my head from time to time.
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
Don’t let it get to you. Everyone has those moments of doubt where the inner critic gets a little too loud for her own good. You’ve got to know that you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in now if you weren’t amazing at what you do. Wes has a good eye for talent, and he puts the right people in place at the right time. That’s how EBWF has done so well. That and my expert brand advice! Besides, you are never alone, and I am always here for you if you need someone to talk to. I know how husbands can be when it comes to a shoulder to cry on!
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Oh Nicole, you have no idea. Sometimes I think these men should have been called divas instead of the ladies. Matt does more pruning and complaining preshow than anyone I have ever met. And I lived with Vickie Guerrero. His best advice is, don’t worry about it. Or, and this one might be my favorite, you’re fine it’s no big deal.
The two women laughed.
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
The stories I could tell you over lunch about husband pep talks. We all want to think our relationship is some unique snowflake, but boys are boys in the end. Sometimes they have all the emotional complexity of a milkshake. How about this, we have going on eight hours before a Night Among the Stars, let me show you St. Louis and we’ll let the boys fend for themselves for a few hours. We can start by getting lunch, don’t think I didn’t notice you pushing those eggs around, I’m a mother too.
~·Shaul Guerrero·~
Food yes please, I was so terrified of eating in there that I’m wasting away!
-=-Nicole Ikeda-Orton-=-
Lucky for you, I know this city like the back of my hand. I’ve got just the place in mind. Lunch and then you and I can hit the Delmar Loop for some retail therapy. There are a couple of cute little boutiques you just must see.