Video uploaded to various social media and EBWF.net.

We’re welcomed by the strains of ‘Say What You Will’ by Myles Kennedy as the Queen of the Ring fills the screen. It’s painted on a stone wall but somehow seems to gleam in the dim twilight surrounding it. A pair of television screens are mounted on the wall to either side of the logo, screening big moments of the tournament quarterfinals. Britt Baker recovering from the shock of Natalya kicking out of the curb stomp and locking in the Lockjaw to advance. Utami Hayashishita summoning a surge of power as she lifts Maika up and nails the Hijack Bomb. Arisa Hoshiki countering the Rock Bottom with a jaw breaker and then clocking Ava Johnson with a deadly Pulsar Kick. After the last one the Total Supremacy logo appears on the screens but immediately begins to pixelate just as the music breaks down into static. Within moments we hear a woman’s voice speak the words EBWF has learned to dread.

“以下は大江戸隊からのメッセージです.”

Both screens show nothing but antiquated static before everything goes pitch dark.

“tHe FoLLoWiNG mEsSagE iS brOUghT To yOu bY OeDO TaI.”

A bolt of purple lighting arcs down from the sky, splitting into two and striking both screens simultaneously. As they sputter, spark and smoke, the light comes back up to reveal the logo of EBWF’s most dominant faction.



A few bars of Senbonzakura play as the camera zooms in on the logo itself until all we see is purple. Just as suddenly the camera pulls back to reveal the same golden throne which was defaced with the unit’s name at the beginning of the tournament. It’s the same throne which Arisa Hoshiki sat one year ago after claiming the crown for herself. No shining star sits upon it, however, just a finely jeweled crown fit for a queen of professional wrestling.

Tam Nakano: “The long journey’s finally coming to an end tonight. Four stories become so intertwined with each other they’re suddenly inseparable. Out of sixteen so-called top competitors full of hope, only four are left standing as we reach the dramatic conclusion of another edition of the greatest tournament in professional wrestling. Four dreams are still alive, and they will engage in a war which only one can survive to become reality. The rest will wither, burn up and be cast to the winds to be forgotten like the trash that they are.”

On cue countless charred embers blow past, obscuring our vision for the briefest of moments. When they’re good and truly gone we see Tam Nakano sitting on the right arm of the throne in her ring gear, one leg crossed over the other. Her arms are draped over the back of the throne, her smile sick and twisted.

Tam Nakano: “I do hope you’ve all enjoyed the grace that I’ve so generously granted all of you. With the tournament field so swelled with sub-par names, has-beens and also-rans, I simply haven’t been kind enough to let you hold onto the hints of those dreams for a whole month. Thirty days’ worth of misplaced aspirations to keep yourself warm at night even as the reality of the world creeps in from every corner. I know the truth hurts, so go ahead and cling to them as long as you can. Hold onto them with every ounce of your being, beg them not to leave when their time comes, deny their destiny all you want, it won’t matter. When this is all over they’re going to be dead and buried. The memory of them is the only prize you’re going to be left with when the final bell’s rung in Portland.”

She slowly pulls her arms down so that she can cup her chin in a frustratingly adorable pose.

Tam Nakano: “Honestly I think that you all owe an apology to the fans who bought a ticket to see Total Supremacy live. Thousands of people traveling from all around the northwest, making a pilgrimage to the Moda Center in the hopes of witnessing a miracle. Children wearing t-shirts with your names and faces on them, who’ve been lied to by parents who assure them their favorite will become Queen. Terminally online self appointed experts who draw up pithy signs to support you in your crusade for the crown. All of them are watching you with an eagle eye, all of their chests swell with pride and hope as you prepare to battle. And all of them are going to be left with the traumatic memory of your failure.”

Tam leans forward to the camera, her expression growing more playfully pouty by the minute.

Tam Nakano: “That’s SO CRUEL of you! How could you toy with their hearts like that? What kind of a monster strings people along, convincing everyone that they belong at the top level of this sport? Do you have any idea how many hearts you’re going to break? Tam thinks you should take responsibility for your actions and apologize before it’s too late!”

She shakes her head in mock disgust, waggling a single finger to chide the other semifinalists for their actions.

Tam Nakano: “But then maybe you don’t even realize that you’re doing it. I guess that does make more sense, because the thing you’re all so talented at is lying to yourselves. Deluding yourself into thinking that at last you’re going to break through the glass ceiling. That you can go toe to toe with the greatest wrestler in EBWF history and somehow find the strength and ability it takes to rise to her level. Every last one of you is a fool who’s been either lucky or just a bit better than your opponents, and now you’ve tricked your minds into believing this is your year. Let’s be honest, the greatest victory any of you has achieved is creating a new reality for yourself to hide in when you inevitably fade out and die. I’m glad that you’ve made such a comfy spot for yourselves, because it’ll soften the blow when ACTUAL reality hits you like a derailed shinkansen.”

At last Tam cracks that mocking grin the world’s learned to loathe.

Tam Nakano: “I’ve been taking care of other business for a few months now, and in that time what has any of you done to elevate women’s wrestling? Hm? Go ahead and think really hard about it, Tam will wait for you.”

For a few agonizingly long moments Tam just sits there, glaring at the camera as if expecting an answer. When none comes she shrugs lightly.

Tam Nakano: “That’s right, you can’t think of anything can you? Not a single woman among you can point to anything that has made this place better in my absence from the main event. If anything you’ve let the constant drama of an old man picking on a spurned little goblin, a former reality star who waltzes in every few months, and the MOST ego-driven celebrity wrestler in history who’s finally managed to steal a prize that she does not deserve. But it’s to be expected with the assortment of women who’ve survived to this point, isn’t it?”

For a moment Tam holds the shrugging pose, hands outstretched to receive some kind of deliverance from this situation. The next moment we see Himeka hand her a CD with Arisa Hoshiki’s picture front and center in its album art.

Tam Nakano: “Why in the nine hells are you still here, Arisa? Why do you hate yourself so much that you keep putting yourself out there week after week, fighting for that one brief shining moment you lucked into? Trust me, I know that it hurts to claim the most gorgeous, prestigious prize in all of professional wrestling only to have someone rip it away. But losing that belt to the overgrown baguette was the best thing that could’ve happened to you. It let you fade into the background, occasionally appearing to give a few idiots a brief moment of happiness in their sad, pathetic lives. Never having to fight all that hard, collecting a paycheck and focusing on your music on the side. That was nice. That was the best spot for you! But you couldn’t just stay in your lane could you? No. Of course not. Because Arisa Hoshiki’s never really had the slightest hint of common sense.”

Her grip on the CD gets more forceful, creating an unpleasant spiderweb of cracks.

Tam Nakano: “You had it all, old friend. In one year you somehow managed to become Last Survivor, Queen of the Ring and then stole my beautiful championship. And it cost you everything. I was right about you. Your heart is big but your body is frail. All those years of injuries and concussions have taken such a toll on you that any match might be your last. Yet you keep forcing yourself to come back to a ring where you have nothing to prove and everything to lose. I see you for who you really are, Arisa. And I have a very, very large receipt to pay when we fight again. It’s you who stole MY prize. It’s you who put an end to the greatest championship reign in EBWF history. You are the only blemish on my record, the only mark in the loss column since I returned in 2022. And I’m going to make you pay dearly for it. I will break every last bone in your body, crush your spirit, and shatter your reputation. Your blood will paint the picture of my ascendance back to the top of professional wrestling! That will be your legacy - that you, the one woman who managed to pull a fast one on me, could have stopped me but.. Your body just couldn’t hold up under the pressure and you failed to rise to the occasion. This will be the end for you. But Tam’s giving you something to be remembered by, so.. You’re welcome.”

She tosses the CD over her shoulder and nods to her left - Rhea Ripley appears and hands her a single red rose.

Tam Nakano : “Oh look, the Crimson Queen’s stopped moping and dragged herself out of her room to finish her story! Utami’s always spoken such beautiful words about how she’s going to dominate her opposition and make them bow down to her. She’s always been hyped as the next big thing in professional wrestling, the young ace who’s bringing about a golden age! When she first arrived she seemed to understand what it took to achieve success here. She used to batter her opponents and stake her claim to whatever her heart desired. But then she decided to stick her pretty little nose where it didn’t belong and challenged me. You know, actually it’s kind of weird. Of all the people she attacked, of all the pretty words she spoke, the person she hated the most was little old me. It was this weird obsession of hers that drove her mad from the moment she set foot in America, drove her to the brink and then pushed her over the edge when she tried to throw down and got the exact same result she’s always achieved when she steps into the ring with the Final Boss.”

Tam takes a moment to lean down and sniff the rose, but quickly recoils at its scent.

Tam Nakano: “Loss after loss after loss. It eats her up. No matter how hard she tries, no matter what direction she attacks from, she’s never been able to defeat me. Her whole existence is defined by the fact that Tam has and always will be better than her. She’s had so many different eras it’s hard to keep count - super rookie, questing queen, Crimson Queen, cute little maid and now a repentant hero looking to finally do things the right way. But the result will always be the same. If she advances to face me, I’m going to expose her to the world once again. All of her power won’t matter for shit once I’ve worn down her base, kicked her teeth out and added her blood to the Shining Star’s. I’m honestly insulted that she keeps throwing herself at me just to get her ass kicked repeatedly. Utami, I have better things to do than to keep going in circles with you. But just this once, IF you get to the final, I’ll dance with you one last time. And in the end, when you’re on your knees begging me for mercy with tears streaming down your cheeks, you won’t even get that. The Final Boss is going to knock your ass out and shove that damn rose down your throat as the exclamation point on the most one sided rivalry in the history of our sport. Take your L, swallow your pride and get the hell out of my ring.”

She dumps the rose into a conveniently placed garbage can at her feet. Finally Himeka hands her a pair of black latex gloves, which she pulls onto her hands with expert precision.

Tam Nakano: “And THEN there’s our certified dental professional. I’ll be real with you, I did a double and triple take when I saw her name listed with the semifinalists. Himeka and Rhea can attest that I said ‘wow, she’s still here? Who knew?’. I thought for sure that she’d finally realized that she’s never going to get that redemption she’s looking for and retired to her booming medical practice. But when there’s an opportunity at greatness can bet your last penny that Britt Baker’s going to get it handed to her. That’s exactly what happened in Jacksonville when she was made the megastar of Crazy Tony’s Alternative Wrestling Emporium. There were more talented women around but the only one who was given chance after chance after chance, the only one who was allowed to appear on television week in and week out? You guessed it, Britt Baker! And it’s not any different in EBWF now. The once dominant champion of all women’s wrestling lost to the Daughter of Dwayne and was done. But then she just magically got another chance against Liv Morgan, and I have to wonder how many palms she greased and asses she kissed to get back into this tournament. That’s the best explanation I can think of because she’s not the woman I beat to reclaim MY beautiful championship. Sure, she’s managed to turn things around but.. Really, it was against Liv Morgan so that win should have an asterisk next to it.”

She slides off the arm of the throne and sways her hips with a mocking playfulness.

Tam Nakano: “A couple of years ago Britt understood what it meant to be a real champion. She was vicious, she was focused, she didn’t let anything stop her from holding onto that title. That’s the Britt Baker I respected, and the closest any of the women in this company have gotten to reaching the smallest fraction of my level. Maybe that Britt is still in there? She’s going to need it to take down the Lying Queen and get her shot at greatness. Doc, PLEASE let that version of yourself free. I don’t want there to be any excuses when I kick your ass again and pin your shoulders to the mat for another crown. Because no matter how good, how ruthless you become the fact remains that it won’t be enough to overcome the most dominant woman in EBWF.”

She extends a gloved hand in invitation.

Tam Nakano: “You will come at me full force, you will cause me pains in places that I never knew excited, you might even pull out moves you haven’t used in years as nothing you do can finish the job. I will dig my nails into your skin and pull myself right back up to my feet as you bleed profusely if that’s what it takes. Because you’ll be standing in my way once again, and once again I’m going to cut you down with such force that you’ll disappear for weeks to lick your wounds. You’ve been talking about this year being your redemption tour. You think that you’re finally going to get back to the top after you lost that beautiful championship to me. Becoming Queen of the Ring would be a fairy tale come true, wouldn’t it? But the reality is that your dream of finally making good on those failures is as much fantasy as Cinderella. Just like her the clock is running out on your comeback story, and IF you make it to Tam it’ll be at the strike of midnight. I’m going to turn this into a nightmare for you, doc. I’m going to hurt you in ways you can’t even imagine. You fought me and lost when I was holding back. Now that I’m at my full strength and embraced my true self, it’s going to be even worse for you. Every move you make I’ll counter with some nasty surprise, every moment of hope’s going to be crushed underfoot like an insect. By the end of the night the D-M-D is going to be bowing to T-A-M.”

Tam then peels the gloves off and dumps them on the ground as she walks to the other side of the throne.

Tam Nakano: “All of you have made it this far, so you all believe that you’re going to be Queen of the Ring. I’m sorry to do this but I’m about to give you a spoiler. When the chips are down and the prize is greatest, I’m the one who will be standing tall with my hand raised. While the three of you were trying to rediscover your true self I was the reigning, defending, undisputed champion of the world. Legends and self-professed heroes all stepped up to me only to go home empty handed. While the rest of the locker room continued to drag down the women’s division, I was the one bright shining light that showed how things CAN be. For 365 days I proved time and time again that I am the best wrestler in the world, the most unstoppable, ruthless and precise combatant in women’s wrestling. Any of you wearing this crown would be an insult to the sport compared to the legacy I’ve already forged for myself. Since I returned in 2022 I’ve beaten every single person who thought that they could be the one to stop the Final Boss. Over my entire EBWF career only three women have managed to get the upper hand on me. I already destroyed Shaul in the first round. I’m going to send Arisa into retirement in the semifinals. And then, after taking the crown that by rights is mine, I’m coming for the last one standing, the one who’s stolen MY beautiful championship and dirtied its reputation.”

Her well manicured hand traces along the crown sitting on the throne’s cushion.

Tam Nakano: “I know that telling you this won’t stop you from trying. You’re all so ridiculously delusional that you’ve convinced yourselves that not even Tam Nakano can stop you from sitting on this throne. Fine. Bring your very best, show the world what you’re made of, and everyone will see that the gap between us is just that vast. This is Tam’s House now. And when you’re in Tam’s House, you follow Tam’s Rules. Thankfully, I’ve made the rules simple so even you can understand.”

She lifts the crown up into her palm and admires it for a moment.

Tam Nakano: “Accept that you will never be at my level. Enjoy the fact that I allow you to bask in Oedo Tai’s greatness. And after I’ve displayed my Total Supremacy over women’s wrestling to add this crown to my list of accomplishments, Bow Down to the Queen. If that makes you mad, come at me and learn for yourself why I’m the greatest of all time. No matter what you do, you will NEVER be better than Tam.”

With that she gingerly takes a seat on the throne and places the crown on her head.

Tam Nakano: “Long live the Queen.”

She flashes a vicious smile and the video suddenly ends.