Pittsburgh, PA
10/17/22
5:20 pm
So much has happened in such a short amount of time that it’s threatening to overwhelm the Twilight Dream just as she’s about to arrive at the final step of her path to redemption. From a surprise return just over two months ago to having her challenge accepted to face the EBWF Women’s Champion, things are moving fast. So fast, in fact, that Tam’s only just sorting out how she feels about the events of the previous week. Her friend and teammate called out by the champion and answering the challenge with a valiant fight. A long lost friend explaining the tremendous pain she’d suffered since retirement, using that as reasoning for turning her back on everything she’d once stood for. If Tam was being totally honest, it was all a bit distracting from even day to day life.
That was to say nothing of the dangers it all poses to her focus as she prepares for her second match against Alyah Gutierrez. So she’s done her very best to minimize outside distractions and shut out the championship contest looming on the horizon. This early in the evening the interview area isn’t really a bustling spot in the arena. Most of the talent is still arriving, the production and stage crew is putting the last touches on show prep and the bosses are in meetings or doing other boss things. For now she’s got the spot to herself, and she’s taken to laying on the floor and banishing all thoughts about Fanniversary, Britt Baker, and the most prestigious championship she’s ever held.
Perhaps it’d be an odd sight to any passers-by to see the number one contender for the EBWF Women’s Championship just laying on the floor in her gear and t-shirt. As each extraneous thought goes quiet as if by a magic spell she’s cast, Tam becomes less aware of the world around her. Finally she finds herself staring up at the golden-eyed P-Chan V2.0 whom she’s brought with her tonight as a good luck charm. No thinking out loud using the plush as a conversation partner either. A nice, quiet environment in which she can exist for a while.
Aalyah again tonight. When they last met in the ring it was at Gateway to Glory - Tam’s pay per view return and Aalyah’s pay per view debut. Their meeting of future stars ended with a victory for Tam, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for someone in her position to just assume another victory was certain. Tam knows better than that. At home in Japan she learned the hard way not to look past someone - her attempt to win the most challenging tournament of the year had been undone by her looking ahead to a potential opponent in the finals. One absent minded moment, one assumed victory, one shocking loss that eliminated her from the tournament on the precipice of tremendous glory. She can’t let herself fall into that trap again. Not against someone she hopes will keep fighting hard to realize their own dream. Just as the thought occurs to her, Tam feels a gentle nudging to her shoulder.
Tam looks away from P-Chan V2.0, she sees Renee Young standing there with a hopeful smile and a mic in hand. The Twilight Dream blinks in surprise, then the realization of what Renee is hoping for occurs to her. With a chuckle Tam kips up off the cement floor and puts on her best smile. As Renee positions herself for the interview, Tam straightens her t-shirt and hair so that she’ll be her most telegenic.
Renee Young: “Good evening EBWF fans, thanks for joining me for a special online exclusive interview! Here with me is the new number one contender for the EBWF Women’s Championship, the ‘Twilight Dream’ Tam Nakano. Tam, thanks for giving us a moment of your time tonight.”
Tam waves to the fans who’ll be watching the video later.
Tam Nakano: “Hello everyone! I’m happy to share some time with you all!”
Renee Young: “Tam, last week we saw your former teammate Unagi Sayaka answer Dr. Britt Baker, DMD’s open challenge. We also heard from another former teammate of yours, Arisa Hoshiki, who revealed that she’s a member of Queen’s Court. How have those things affected your preparations for Fanniversary?”
Tam’s expression gets serious as she nods along with the question.
Tam Nakano: “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind at all, Renee. A lot of things have happened over the last month, but I’ve shut them out of my mind for now. It was great to see Unagi again but that doesn’t change how I’m getting myself ready for the biggest match of my life. I can’t speak for Hoshiki’s actions, they’re not really connected to me. Right now though, I’m focused entirely on Aalyah Gutierrez.”
Renee smiles in response.
Renee Young: “That’s right, tonight you’ll be facing Aalyah Gutierrez for the second time ever. What are your thoughts about this Gateway to Glory rematch?”
Tam’s expression brightens as she answers.
Tam Nakano: “At Gateway to Glory I was really impressed by the fighting spirit and passion that Aalyah brought to our match. She’s so new to this sport but she’s the kind of girl who is never going to back down from a challenge no matter what form it takes. What I like about her is that she’s fearless in the ring, and that’s something I learned very well when we fought. I’m sure that she’s learned from falling short in that match and will be looking forward to showing the world what she’s learned since then. I’m expecting it to be a thrilling, challenging contest against the brightest rookie in EBWF.”
Tam bites her lip anxiously as another thought occurs to her.
Tam Nakano: “And you know what? I remember what happened to the last number one contender for this championship in the lead up to her match against Britt. She was distracted by both a past rival and the shine of the championship opportunity that was waiting for her just down the road. Alysin Kay was incredibly dangerous but she let herself get distracted from the opponents in front of her. I know that well because I was one of the women to pin her before Gateway to Glory. Now that I’m in her spot, it’d be easy to focus on the goal I’ve been working hard to reach since I came back here in August. It makes this match against Aalyah even more dangerous; if I’m not careful, I could end up being the one whose momentum gets derailed. But it’s more than that.”
Tam taps her chin for a moment, then smiles a little.
Tam Nakano: “It’d be an insult to Aalyah too. That’s not something that I’m going to let myself do no matter what. I respect both her tremendous lineage as well as her skills as a wrestler too much to do that. I want to tell her that it’s hard to stay focused on improvement when you have a lot of setbacks. Believe me, I know exactly what it feels like to fall short time after time after time and wonder if you’re even cut out for this line of work. That was me just this last year. It was me when I first joined a major company at home too. But the bright shining star of your future is still there! It might take traveling a long, difficult road that feels impossible sometimes to get there. I fully believe that Aalyah Gutierrez will get there some day, and if our match tonight can help her continue to develop, I’ll be happy.”
After that she pauses, gives her upcoming words some careful consideration.
Tam Nakano: “Tonight I’m focused on this one match and Aalyah Gutierrez. I’m going to bring my full strength to bear against her from the opening bell because I need to win this match. I’ve had so much success so far because that’s how I fight each and every match. I’m also going to challenge Aalyah to bring her full strength against me. Show me how much you’ve improved since the last time we fought! Let’s show the world the power of our shining futures intertwined in a brilliant battle on the biggest stage in our sport! But remember, I need to win this rematch. I need to prove to myself, the world and now the champion that the Tam Nakano of today is the strongest Tam Nakano there’s ever been! My dream is almost real, and tonight I’m taking that next step toward realizing it. I’m looking forward to our match tonight Aalyah. I hope my Twillight Dream can inspire you to keep chasing your own! However tonight, I have to delay your dream just a little bit so I can realize my own.”
The interview ends as Tam tilts her head, smiles and then waves to the fans who’ll be viewing the video online.