Episode #70


The arena lights pulsed, a chaotic symphony of strobes and floods illuminating the squared circle. The air thrummed with the raw energy of thousands of screaming fans, their cheers and jeers a constant roar in the cavernous stadium. In the center of it all, bathed in a solitary spotlight, stood Bayley. Four gleaming world championships glinted on her shoulders and draped across her arms, a testament to her undeniable reign. She had a mic in hand, a smug, unshakeable smirk plastered across her face.

“Look around, people!” Bayley’s voice, amplified by the arena speakers, cut through the din. “This isn’t just an arena. This is my house. This is where the future of women’s wrestling resides, and it’s staring you right in the face!” She gestured to the titles, then to herself, drawing a chorus of boos punctuated by scattered cheers from her more loyal, if misguided, fans.

“For too long,” she continued, her tone dripping with mock reverence, “we’ve celebrated the past. We’ve given standing ovations to legends who… well, let’s just say their best years are firmly in the rearview mirror. And you know who I’m talking about, don’t you? I’m talking about someone who, time and time again, has cheated, has schemed, has clawed and scratched to stay relevant, to keep her name in the headlines, even when it’s clear she has nothing left to give!”

The crowd erupted into a mixed reaction, some chanting "Mickie! Mickie!" while others booed louder. Bayley just smirked wider. “I’m talking about Mickie James,” Bayley spat, her voice laced with disdain. “A woman who lives off her legacy, a legacy built on questionable tactics and a refusal to acknowledge that the world has moved on. Well, Mickie, if you’re listening, let me be the first to tell you, the torch isn’t just being passed, sweetie. It’s been ripped from your brittle, grasping fingers! It’s time for you to finally and gracefully step aside, because this is my era, and there’s no room for yesterday’s news!”

Bayley raised a mic triumphantly, waiting for the crowd’s response, when suddenly, the familiar opening chords of “Hardcore Country” ripped through the arena speakers. The boos intensified, but they were quickly drowned out by a deafening ovation as Mickie emerges from the backstage area.

“Bayley, Bayley, Bayley,” Mickie drawled, her voice calm, almost patronizing, a stark contrast to Bayley’s earlier frenzy. “You know, I listen to you out here, running your mouth, talking about the past, talking about the future, talking about people being ‘past their peak’…” Mickie paused, letting her eyes rake over Bayley from head to toe. “Last time I checked, Bayley, you were thirty-six years old. Not exactly at the peak of your career either, are ya, darlin’?”

A wave of laughter and cheers rippled through the crowd, many turning to point at Bayley, who visibly flinched, her smug expression momentarily cracking.

Bayley quickly regained her composure, her eyes narrowing into slits. “Oh, really, Mickie?” she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively before gesturing wildly at the collection of gold draped over her. “Let me tell you what thirty-six looks like when you’re actually good. It looks like this! It looks like carrying not one, not two, not three, but four world championships! This is what relevance looks like, Mickie! This is what dominance looks like!”

She took a step closer, pointing a finger at Mickie, her voice rising again. “And what do you have left, Mickie? What do you carry? Because all I see is you parading around with some cheap replica of a title you actually took away from all of us years ago! The EAM Women’s Championship! You retired it! You made sure nobody else would ever be the EAM Women’s Champion again because you couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else holding it after you! That’s not a legacy, Mickie! That’s just selfish and frankly, it’s pathetic!”

Look at you all, still clinging to the past,” she sneered, gesturing dismissively at the audience. “Still obsessed with your ‘legends,’ your ‘pioneers.’ You know who really pioneered anything? Me! The Role Model! I evolved. I adapted. I left the hugs and the rainbows in the dust because this business moves forward, baby, not backward.”

She paused, letting the silence hang heavy before continuing, her voice dripping with condescension. “And speaking of backward, I hear a certain… country songstress… thinks she can just waltz back into my division and take what’s mine. Mickie James, honey, with all due respect – and believe me, there’s not much – your time has passed. This isn’t some dusty old barn where you can twang a guitar and pretend you’re still relevant. This is the cutting edge of sports entertainment! You’re a relic, Mickie. A museum piece. You should be sending me fan mail, not trying to step into my spotlight. What are you gonna do, hit me with a fiddle solo?!”

Mickie has reached the ring-side area now and quickly enters the ring, walking straight at Bayley.

Well, bless your little heart, Bayley,” she drawled, her voice a low, dangerous purr that silenced the booing heel. “You’ve certainly got a lot to say for someone who just got done explaining how she abandoned everything she supposedly stood for.”

She took a step closer, slowly circling Bayley, who visibly stiffened. “You talk about evolution? Honey, I invented it. I didn’t just ‘evolve’ by throwing away a few bracelets and learning how to sneak attack people. I evolved by stepping into this ring, night after night, for two decades. I evolved by adapting to every new style, every new challenge, every new generation of ‘Role Models’ that thought they were too good for the past.”

Mickie’s eyes narrowed. “You think you’re cutting edge? You’re just a slightly sharper version of that same tired arrogance I’ve seen come and go a hundred times. You think being ‘the future’ means you don’t have to respect the foundation? Let me tell you something about relics, Bayley: they’re still standing long after the flash-in-the-pans have crumbled.”

She punctuated her words with a sharp tap of the mic against her palm. “You want to talk about fiddles and barn dances? Fine. I’ll make you dance, Bayley. I’ll make you dance a jig so hard, you’ll remember exactly what it feels like to be knocked off your high horse by a woman who’s forgotten more about this business than you’ll ever learn. And when I’m done with you, you won’t be able to distinguish a country song from a symphony. You’ll just be hearing one sound: the sound of a living legend reminding a little girl that just because you can talk, doesn’t mean you should! "

Hardcore Country cranks the arena speakers then, and we cut to the Spotlight vignette with Mickie holding The Center of Attention Championship up high in front of Bayley....

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Tag Team Matchup
Shotzi Blackhart & Kiera Hogan Vs Charlotte Flair & Natalya Neidhart

The bell rings, and Shotzi Blackheart immediately charges at Natalya, tackling her into the corner. Kiera Hogan lands a series of quick strikes before Shotzi hits a running forearm. Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi lock up in the center, with Charlotte quickly gaining the advantage, delivering a powerful chop that echoes through the arena.
Natalya, recovering, attempts a Sharpshooter on Shotzi, but Kiera breaks it up with a timely superkick. The action intensifies as Charlotte hoists Kiera onto her shoulders for a Natural Selection, but Kiera counters mid-air, landing on her feet and hitting a spinning heel kick. Shotzi then ascends the top rope, connecting with a diving senton on Natalya.
Charlotte, ever the opportunist, spears Shotzi out of nowhere! She quickly applies the Figure-Eight Leglock to a dazed Shotzi. Natalya prevents Kiera from interfering, holding her back. Shotzi taps out!

After the match Charlotte Flair and Natalya celebrate their victory, posing for the crowd. A disappointed Kiera Hogan helps Shotzi Blackheart to her feet. Shotzi looks frustrated, slamming her fist on the mat, while Kiera tries to console her, perhaps hinting at a growing tension or a new strategy moving forward for the duo.

Singles Matchup
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Wendy Choo

The bell rings, and Stephanie Vaquer immediately targets Wendy Choo's arm, cinching in a debilitating armbar. Choo scrambles, eventually reversing into a series of sleep-inducing headlocks. Vaquer escapes with a unique rolling back elbow, followed by a running knee strike. Choo narrowly kicks out. Vaquer then ascends the top rope, delivering a picture-perfect Diving Double Knee Drop for the win!

EAM Womens Tag Team Championships Matchup
Samoan Scotch (Nia Jax & Piper Niven) (c) Vs Skye Blue & Leyla Hirsch

The air in the arena crackled with anticipation as Samoan Scotch, the dominant duo of Nia Jax and Piper Niven, made their way to the ring, championships glinting on their shoulders. Their challengers, the agile Skye Blue and the tenacious Leyla Hirsch, stood ready, a formidable task ahead of them. The bell rang, and Hirsch immediately went for Jax's legs, trying to chop down the larger opponent. Jax, however, easily shrugged her off, delivering a crushing Samoan Drop. Niven tagged in, showcasing her power with a series of headbutts and a thunderous senton.
Blue, with her high-flying offense, managed to tag in and momentarily turn the tide with a crossbody off the top rope onto Niven, followed by a quick superkick to Jax. Hirsch re-entered, locking Niven in a deep armbar, but Jax broke it up with a powerful leg drop. The champions soon regained control. Jax hoisted Blue onto her shoulders for a devastating Annihilator, but Hirsch broke up the pinfall just in time. The end came when Niven connected with a Loch Ness Slam on Hirsch, followed by Jax delivering a thunderous Banzai Drop to Skye Blue for the three count...