It’s one thing to have a dream and chase it, it’s another to achieve and live it. Since her defeat at Wrestlemania XX, Tam Nakano had lived in that first world. Doubts dogged her every thought, made her wonder why her fairy tale life as champion had ended so abruptly. No matter what she tried or what friends were around to console her there was only ever one thought on her mind. One shining beacon that simultaneously taunted her and gave her hope for a better future. Pieces of gold glittering a brilliant magical light - the beautiful EBWF Women’s Championship. Even when she was back home in Japan working on herself and achieving big things there, this one championship in particular haunted her dreams. She knew deep down that some day she’d have to brave the EBWF ring again and chase those dreams.
What seemed like a distant fairy tale in 2021 has become reality for the Twilight Dream in 2023. From major victories upon her return to the dramatic battle against a dominant champion, those dreams and the passion they inspired in her are what motivated her. In the face of her biggest challenge in quite a long time, Tam’s managed to overcome Britt Baker and live her dream. There’s where it gets complicated. Since reclaiming the EBWF Women’s Championship at Fanniversary Tam’s been living her dream. To be honest so much of her focus has been on winning this beautiful championship again that thoughts of life as champion never really entered into it. That said even those fleeting visions of an existence as the new champion couldn’t have prepared her for the reality of it.
If anything, she’s come to accept that to be champion means emotions are running high every time she steps into an arena. Each and every time Tam arrives on the scene she’s made thoroughly aware of the target painted on her back. Being champion will do that. What she’s a bit surprised by is how many people from her past have emerged to pursue the prize she holds. All of the women who want their opportunity to challenge her have pasts intertwined with hers, adding a powerful emotional element to any potential matchup with her. Just thinking about them all makes her shoulders sag just a bit from the energy they sap from her.
She leans back against the blandly beige wall of her hotel room and exhales forcefully. It doesn’t expel those thoughts but it does at least help her pause them. With the challenge that’s coming her way in a few days, she has to at least put a pause on such things. One woman at a time, that’s how she’s going to make this reign a successful one. After all it’s what helped make her the new champion in the first place! Tam tilts her head back as well and stares up at the gold-tinted gossamer curtains above. They appear so delicate that they might rip at the slightest distress even as they dance in the warm air flowing from the nearby heater. The dream she’s living now feels as though it’s just as fragile, something that can be torn asunder by a firm challenge. One opponent at a time perhaps, but there’s also that lingering sense of potential doom.
Tam reaches up to the curtains, fingers outstretched in hopes of a gentle brush with their ethereal beauty. Will they fall apart the moment their fabric and her hand meet? Won’t her reign end in such a moment? Yet the fabric is stronger than it appears and instead just wafts gracefully across her fingertips. She briefly grabs the fabric to test its mettle and finds the fabric feels durable as well. It’s tough enough to survive the challenges of the world around it. Her neck cranes down and she sees P-Chan V2.0 sitting on the bed, watching her through his golden bead eyes. A smile starts to spread over her lips as she gives voice to the plush panda.
P-Chan V2.0: “Tam-chan, you’re stronger than you think. You can do this.”
It’s a fact that she’s weathered the storm well so far. Arisa being the first woman to step up to challenge her had been a shock. Someone she felt intimately connected to and been pained to see turn dark decided to come for her championship. Yet no matter what the Dark Star did to her, Tam’s the one holding the championship right now. Her love for her friend and pain at Arisa’s new path combined with her determination to prove herself to power Tam to an emotionally draining victory. She’s confident that she can do it again.
Britt Baker wants another shot? Tam will get to her soon. Utami’s finally making her move to become champion? She can earn her shot like everyone else. Right now there’s someone else who’s on Tam’s mind. Someone who she met just over two years ago and instantly ended up in a war with. One mistake led to Alexa Bliss forcing things to a higher level of intensity than Tam had experienced. Times had changed, but Alexa was still as tenacious as ever. And now Alexa has her eyes on Tam’s beautiful championship. Despite her concerns over the Goddess’ condition, Tam knew there was no choice but to fight Alexa at her full strength. Nothing else will be acceptable.
Something came back to her in that moment - blood. Blood dripping from wounds inflicted by dozens of razors slicing her skin. Just as the thought came to her it led to another - the mental image of her beloved companion P-Chan (original) torn apart. All the while she also imagined the devilishly smiling face of the Goddess’ dark side mocking her. No! Alexa’s different now! Tam tells herself that, but the fact remains: she hasn’t forgotten their last encounter. Changed or not, Alexa is dangerous. There’s only one thing for it. As the realization comes to her Tam takes a deep breath and nods.
Tam Nakano: “This has to get settled in the ring.”
—-
At first we see clips of Alexa Bliss and Tam Nakano making their entrances, with text at the bottom of the scream that read ‘Christmas Eve of Destruction 2020’. These are followed by highlights of their match and feud. Alexa hitting Tam with a DDT onto a chair and kendo stick. Tam slamming Alexa through a table, causing it to shatter. Then Tam hititng a tiger suplex onto a chair and scoring the pin. We then saw the infamous clip of Alexa putting Tam through a razor wire board, the crowd groaning loudly in sympathy. Next the remains of the destroyed original P-Chan, and then finally a shot of the wounds inflicted on Tam’s arms and back. The clip freezes for a moment, allowing her injuries to linger on screen for a while. Slowly this fades into soft white light and we see a familiar overstuffed white chair amidst a serenely decorated room.
Tam Nakano: “It’s been two years, but I still remember the pain of those wounds. How could I forget?”
Rather than sitting in her chair, Tam is sitting on the floor at the center of the star design on her circular carpet. Dressed in her full ring gear, her legs are crossed in front of her as she gazes into the camera. Just in front of her is P-Chan V2.0, his golden eyes twinkling in the room’s soft lighting. Tam’s expression is pained as she speaks.
Tam Nakano: “Two years ago, Alexa Bliss and I crossed paths for the first time. Things didn’t happen the way I hoped they would, and Alexa got hurt. She blamed me for what happened to her and I apologized for what happened. This is a combat sport after all, so things like that happen no matter how much you don’t want to hurt someone. But the Alexa of then couldn’t let it go and fought with all her might to destroy everything I was and everything I stood for. It wasn’t enough that she put everything into trying to hurt me in our hardcore match. No, she had to go that extra bit further and destroy the one support I had in the world. It’s been two years but those moments have stayed stuck in my mind like a nightmare I can’t avoid. In my darkest moments I can see that murderous expression glaring down at me as I bleed on the floor.”
She holds a hand to her back as she recalls the wounds once again.
Tam Nakano: “My world was almost destroyed then, but looking back at it I can also see how much growing I still had to do. Back then P-Chan was my rock, the one person I could turn to for reassurance when I was sad or scared. To see him destroyed like that? It broke my heart. So two years later when Alexa and I crossed paths again, my mind couldn’t help but go back to those feelings I had the last time we fought. All of them rushed back into my mind and heart at once, but something was different. Two years ago I was scared of what she could do to me. Now? Now I’m ready for whatever she can do to me, because I’ve seen her at her worst. But it’s not that simple is it? Two years is a long time, and it’s plenty of time for people to change.”
Tam smiles just a little.
Tam Naknao: “I’ve been watching Alexa since I came back to EBWF, and there’s no doubt that she’s a different person now. Back then she was a vicious woman who would escalate anything way beyond what happened to her in the first place. The kind of person who would use whatever implements of destruction were around to try and end your career. She’s not that person anymore. She’s worked hard to change who she is, and I can tell she regrets the things that she did the last time we were both in the same ring. Before she fought with anger, now she fights with a courage not a lot of people can match. She’s stood up to someone who embodies everything she once was, and she’s suffered for it. Just thinking about those countless injuries she’s suffered in the past few months is agonizing! I can’t imagine what it felt like to suffer them.”
She holds her ribs in sympathy.
Tam Nakano: “I don’t want to hurt her, not after everything she’s been through. But I also know it’s not going to do any good to be afraid of that, because Alexa’s still got that same determination she had the last time we fought. It’s aimed at better things now, but it still makes her just as dangerous as she’s ever been. In the last two years she’s gotten better than she was back then, especially since she’s more focused on winning than hurting people. That means that as soon as the bell rings at Last Survivor, she’s going to pull out all the stops no matter what it takes out of her. She’s got her eyes on one thing and one thing only: the beautiful EBWF Women’s Championship I wear around my waist. The fact that she came back when she did means that she’s ready to put her body on the line in order to maximize her chances to become a three time champion. When I look into her eyes, I can see that same hunger I had when I came back to EBWF. Her desire to rise back to the top is a reflection of my own, and that can only mean one thing: this is going to be my biggest challenge as champion so far.”
Tam nods sagely as she comes to this conclusion, then continues.
Tam Nakano: “A woman who could do all of those horrible things to me is just as much of a threat when she’s turned over a new leaf. When I think about the determination, skill and reckless abandon she’s bringing to this match, I know there’s only one way forward. Against Alexa Bliss the only way to win is to go at her full force with every fiber of my being. Pull out all the stops! And I have a secret weapon when it comes to this challenge. She’s not the only one who’s changed since our last fight. Since then I’ve become more confident in myself, stronger in the ring and better at everything that I do. But the secret’s more than just self-improvement: it’s maximizing a strength I’ve always had.”
A smile plays out over her lips.
Tam Nakano: “You see, I know I’ve always been an emotional competitor. Shutting out my feelings and entering a match cold and calculating isn’t how Tam fights. Not that long ago I let them overwhelm me and lead me into a lot of mistakes that cost me when it mattered most. I would get so lost in them that I couldn’t overcome the challenge of determined opponents. It took a while, but I discovered that they can fuel my passionate efforts in the ring just as easily. I embrace all of them, good and bad, and bring them all the bear on my opponent. They push me to do great things even when everything seems impossible. My fear and hopes about fighting Britt. My heartache and concern for Arisa. And now? All of the feelings about Alexa I’ve held onto for the past two years and those that’ve grown the past six months are mixing together into an explosive fuel that’s going to propel me at light speed towards our big showdown!”
The determination is palpable in her voice and in her eyes.
Tam Nakano: “So as much as we’ve both changed, our history together makes this match of destiny emotionally charged beyond any kind of doubt. Alexa’s very good and very determined, but no one fights with emotion better than Tam Nakano. Every blow we exchange will just heat up my passion! I’m very excited to see how Alexa’s improved first hand! My heart’s pounding just thinking about it, but there’s more to this than just emotion. She’s coming after this beautiful championship that I dedicated every ounce of my being towards reclaiming. After everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve accomplished since returning, I’m going to fight her with everything I’ve got. So Alexa, let me remind you of a few things.”
Tam stands up, expression focused and devoid of its usual playfulness.
Tam Nakano: “You may have changed, but I haven’t forgotten what you did. What you’re capable of is amazing, so as long as my heart is beating I will keep finding a way to get up and defy you. My emotions give me a strength you couldn’t possibly imagine, and they keep my heart beating proudly. To become a three time champion you’ll have to stop my heart - and that’s something no version of Alexa Bliss can do. When I saw you at your most destructive, it was my hand that was raised at the end. Now, with this beautiful championship and my continuing Twilight Dream on the line, there’s no way I can accept any other ending but to have my hand raised in victory again.”
Tam smiles and extends her hand.
Tam Nakano: “Our match is a war two years in the making. No matter how much you want to win, tonight my strong heart will power me to victory! After the final bell, my Twilight Dream will survive.”