Warning Notice

[Ben M]

It was Monday, September 18th, and Britt Baker had just arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas. EBWF Warfare was to be held at the Simmons Bank Arena that evening; it was the first time in almost two years that EBWF had run a show in Arkansas. Baker had been booked in the opening match on the card, against Neo Biishiki Gun’s Sakisama, but she would not be opening the show; that honour was reserved for her boyfriend Adam Cole, who had beaten Brock Anderson at Gateway to Glory to win both the Breakout and Gateway Championships. Britt was extremely proud of Adam and his success – he deserved it, without a doubt – but it had made her hungrier for success of her own. She wanted to be Women’s Champion again, especially since she’d never had a rematch after losing the title, and the woman who had dethroned her, Tam Nakano, had just set a new record for the longest Women’s Championship reign in EBWF history. It was time for a change; it was time for the Doctor to be back on top.

By the time Baker got to the arena, the ring had already been set up. After dropping her stuff off in her locker room, Britt walked to the ring and stood in the middle of it, looking round at the empty arena. In just a few hours’ time, there would be 18,000 fans filling those seats, and she knew most of them would be cheering for her. She just hoped they would still be cheering at the end of the match, and celebrating with her. Sakisama had featured prominently on EBWF television in recent months, along with the likes of Jamie Hayter, Arisa Hoshiki and Tam Nakano (of course). But Sakisama had lost to Alexa Bliss at Gateway to Glory; a result which seemed to have taken a lot of people by surprise. Britt was hopeful of adding another loss to Sakisama’s record that evening, as she knew she’d need to go on a winning streak to earn a Women’s Title shot. And although Britt felt a little anxious, she was also feeling confident. After all, Adam Cole had struggled for a while in EBWF, and now he was a double champion. That inspired Britt; it reminded her that if she kept working hard, like Adam had done, she would get her rewards in the end.

All of this was and more was on Britt’s mind as she went back to the locker room, got into her ring gear, and head to the backstage area where promos were being filmed. When the cameraman told her he was ready to start filming, Britt asked him to give her a moment. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened her eyes. She nodded at the cameraman, the camera started rolling, and Britt began to speak.

Britt Baker: Sakisama... tonight, our paths finally cross. You’ve made quite an impact since your debut a few months ago; the once powerful, once seemingly unstoppable, Utami Hayashishita is now your sidekick. You’ve beaten the likes of Becky Lynch, Allysin Kay, and Maika. But lately, things haven’t been going your way, have they Saki? At Total Supremacy, you lost to Arisa Hoshiki in the Queen of the Ring final. Then a couple of weeks ago at Gateway to Glory, you lost again to Alexa Bliss, a woman who seems to be constantly getting injured. Momentum is so important in this business, and lately Saki, momentum does not seem to be on your side. I shouldn’t criticise you too much, of course... those two pay-per-views I mentioned, I didn’t appear on either one of them. So at least you’re getting booked on the big shows, even if you’re not getting the big wins. But here is the thing you need to know about me, Sakisama. When I get given an opportunity, I seize it with both hands, and if someone stands in my way, I’ll stick my hand down their throat until they submit or pass out from the pain.

Baker held up her right hand, showing that she was wearing the red and black glove she often wore when applying the Lockjaw to opponents.

Britt Baker: I may not have wrestled on the past couple of pay-per-views, but a few weeks ago on the last Warfare before Gateway to Glory, I was in the main event. And Trish and I would have beaten Tam and Arisa if Oedo Tai hadn’t gotten involved... honestly, I kinda think that’s why Tam turned, so she could “control the narrative” and stop Trish and me getting a win over her. Mark my words Tam, I’m coming for you... but Sakisama, tonight I’ve got my sights firmly set on you. See I know that I won’t get handed anything here in EBWF. When Tam beat me for the Women’s Championship at Fanniversary last year, she got her shot because she had beaten pretty much every woman on the EBWF roster. She earned a title opportunity, and while I’ve lost a lot of respect for Tam in recent weeks, there is no denying that she is a force to be reckoned with. So while unlike her, I won’t betray my friends, I am planning to take a leaf out of her book. And what I mean by that is, starting tonight, I’m going to beat every single woman on this roster, one by one, until nobody can deny that I am the rightful number one contender for the Women’s Championship. I’ve talked before about the rematch I never got, and while that still eats away at me, I’m done focusing on the past. Right now, all I’m thinking about is my future. And that future involves me being a champion; maybe even breaking the record Tam has just broken herself. So Alexa, Liv, Jamie, Becky, Arisa... even you Trish, as much as I love ya... consider this your warning notice. I am tired of waiting for that door to open, so instead I’m going to break it down. And speaking of breaking things down, Saki... that jaw of yours might just need surgery after I’m through with you tonight. But don’t worry, if you want me to fix it for you, I’ll give you a special discount.

Britt winked, then walked away, bringing her segment to a close. She felt fired up as she headed back to her locker room, and she meant what she had said... she was willing to take on anyone and everyone to become the Women’s Champion again.