Post by matt on Mar 29, 2021 6:11:51 GMT -6
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Bloomington, Minnesota
Off Camera
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“You have to be a special kind of bastard to wanna get your bloody ass kicked week in and week out for a living. So why do you wanna do this? What makes you wanna step into this ring and fight for a living?”
That was one of the first few questions Glenn Braddock would ask new students upon arrival at his wrestling school. The grizzled veteran knew he could be intimidating and he always used his intimidating presence to his advantage as he would always get in the faces of his new students and grill them, interrogate them to find out just what brought them to his doorstep. Why did they want to become a professional wrestler? Because for Glenn Braddock, wrestling was not just a job. It was not just a career. It definitely wasn’t about thrills and entertainment. For Glenn Braddock, professional wrestling was his life and he wanted to make sure that anyone who dared set foot into his life would respect it and uphold its values and principles the same way he did.
This lesson was not lost on his oldest daughter, “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. During her years in training and in her first few years as an active competitor, Glory Braddock knew exactly why she wanted to be a wrestler. She knew why she put her body on the line in this manner. But perhaps her success went to her head? Or perhaps it was due to the loss of her father, and thus the loss of his constant passionate voice in her ear that caused her to stumble? Whatever it was, The British Bombshell had lost her way. She had become lackadaisical and took too much for granted.
But Braddock has rediscovered her passion. She has rediscovered her motivation. That passion helped her defeat Asher Hayes and then dethrone Bree Lancaster to become SCW World Champion in the gauntlet match on Breakdown, even if it was for a short time. And she has one person to thank: Fiona Osbourne.
Fiona is one of the models working for Kayla Jones’s modeling agency. Braddock’s company, now renamed Glorious Golden Enterprises, has acquired the modeling agency in an attempt to keep it afloat and branch out into modeling. It was Fiona’s passionate speech about her desire not to model for the rest of her life but to eventually train to become a professional wrestler. Many of her peers mocked Fiona but she ignores them, she continues to pursue her true passion. With those words and the passion in her voice Braddock was reminded of why she chose to follow in Glenn Braddock’s footsteps.
In short, her passion for the sport has returned. And that’s not all; along with the passion, another thing Glory Braddock has been missing out on is the reaction from the fans. She has always had a strong, solid fan base who backed her no matter what. Unfortunately Glory Braddock has been ignoring that fan base for far too long. Breakdown was two days ago but The British Bombshell decided to stick around in Minnesota for a scheduled autograph signing. Then it will be off for an MWE Riot event the following weekend. Now that she has rediscovered her passion, The British Bombshell has her eyes set on gaining her sixteenth world championship.
Autograph signings used to be something Glory Braddock detested. In her mind they just took away from her training and preparation time. But her fans have supported her through some of the most difficult times of her professional career, her fans have remained loyal even when she would betray her own principles and values. It is time she rewarded those loyal fans and gave back to the sport she loves.
We are inside of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. A simple brown table is set up and already there are throngs of people waiting to speak with the visitor, who happens to be none other than Glory Braddock herself. Several security personnel are standing in between the fans and the table. Behind the table we find Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt Logan. Braddock is wearing a black tight skirt, a white silk blouse, black patent leather high heel shoes, and a black leather jacket. Kurt is wearing sneakers, denim jeans, and a plain white button up shirt. Kurt has a grin on his face as he leans to whisper to his wife, hoping the fans do not hear him.
“So is it official?”
“Is what official?”
“Has hell frozen over?” Kurt asks with a smirk upon his face. Glory looks at him with obvious confusion written across her lovely features.
“What the hell do you mean, love?”
“Well I know how much you love these autograph signings.” The sarcasm in Kurt’s voice is clear and evident. Braddock just simply rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you, mate.”
“Sorry, babe. I can’t help but tease you. Still, it is rather surprising to see you here doing this...willingly at that… usually companies you worked for would just about have to force you to do these.”
The blonde haired beauty lets a small chuckle escape her lips. “You’re right, and I won’t deny that a small part of me wishes I were in a gym somewhere getting ready to shove my foot up someone’s ass, but…” her voice trails off.
“But?”
“...but it is worth it. These fans are worth it.”
Kurt leans in and kisses his wife on the cheek. Just then a younger brown haired woman wearing a navy blue pantsuit and white button up blouse approaches the table. She holds out her hand to greet Kurt and Glory, both of whom accept the handshake.
“Hi, I’m Ruby and I work for the Mall of America. You must be Glory Braddock?”
“That’s right, mate. And this is my husband, Kurt Logan.”
“Nice to meet you Ruby.” Kurt says with a nod of his head.
“I am so glad you both are here for this. As you can see the fans are excited to see you.”
“I’m sure they are. So why keep them waiting any longer?”
“You sure?”
“Go on. Open the floodgates.”
Ruby smiles warmly as he walks away from the table and approaches the crowd of people. Kurt leans in to whisper into his wife’s ear. “You are a saint…”
“I know.”
Braddock and her husband turn their attention to Ruby, the Mall of America staff worker, who begins with her introductions.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out today to the Mall of America! Two nights ago Minneapolis hosted SCW Breakdown. Most of the SCW wrestlers have already moved on but at least one has decided to stick around for a few more days to greet you the fans right here at the Mall of America.”
The fans cheer loudly, many of them begin chants of ‘Glor-Y’ over and over again. Call it ego, call it whatever you want, but The British Bombshell will never grow tired of hearing this, as evidenced by the wide grin on her face as she soaks in the adoration of the fans waiting patiently to see her.
Now The Mall of America presents to you a fifteen time World Champion, ‘The British Bombshell’ Glory Braddock!”
Braddock stands up as the fans applaud, cheer, and continue to chant. She waves at the many fans in attendance, acknowledging their cheers. The blonde waits for the cheers to die down and when they do she addresses the crowd.
“I look out into you lot and I see so many fans; passionate, die hard, wrestling fans. Y’know, I used to be one of you once upon a time. I used to be just a wrestling fan. I would travel with my dad to every single one of his matches just to watch him compete. And I knew that he would win. I knew it not because he was my dad and I had to support him, even though that did play a big part of it. I knew it because I was a fan and he was amazing. Now what many of you may not know is that my dad was beaten only twice in his career. Once to a very young Andreas Lasiewicz and later to Thomas Van Stanton. That last time, the loss to Van Stanton, that match left him with a career ending back injury and forced him to retire. Can you imagine the emotional damage done to yours truly? My father was my hero, my idol, and I watched his career end before my very eyes. Do you know what that did to me though?” Braddock pauses as she gives the fans time to think about her question.
“It increased my passion for professional wrestling tenfold. Previously I had only joked about following in my father’s footsteps but I was never ever serious until that night of his last match. Not only did my passion for wrestling increase but I had new motivation; a motivation to continue my father’s legacy. He was a wrestler and he wanted to prove that he was the best. So that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to become a wrestler and prove that I was the best. But proving that you are the best is a never ending journey. Furthermore it is a journey that you are destined to fail. For starters there will always be someone there to challenge your supremacy. And when you retire, someone will inevitably come after you who will top your achievements and accolades. So why bother?” Braddock shrugs her shoulders. “Because I’m a wrestler. That’s my life. That’s what I do.”
The fans in attendance cheer again. Braddock smirks as she soaks in the adulation. “Now then, I’m pretty sure you lot didn’t come here to listen to me ramble on and on, now did you? So I’m gonna sit down and visit with as many of you as I can get to today. How’s that sound?”
Again the fans roar with approval. Glory Braddock returns to her seat at the table next to her husband Kurt. The security lets one of the fans through, the first is a young man in his early twenties. He is wearing denim jeans, sneakers, and a black SCW t-shirt. “Hi, Glory! I’m Jake!”
“Jake from State Farm?”
“Uh...no?” Jake seems genuinely confused at Glory’s attempt at humor. Braddock just chuckles.
“Sorry, I’m terrible at comedy.”
“Oh, uh, no prob. Can you sign um…” he fumbles around in his pockets but quickly realizes he forgot something “...forgot my Glory Braddock Trading Card!”
“They still make those?!”
“Yep. But I left it at home. Damn.” He thinks quickly and looks at his arm. “Would you sign my arm?”
“Sure.” Glory takes a black marker and presses it against his flesh, writing her name on his arm. “There.”
“Awesome! I’m never washing this arm again!”
“Not advisable mate!” Glory says as Jake hurriedly walks away. Kurt and Glory both get a bit of a laugh out of that as the next individual steps forward; this time it is a young black haired Philipino female.
“I’m Cheryl.”
“Nice to meet you Cheryl.” Glory says, accepting the photo Cheryl presents to her; it is a photo of Glory Braddock posing in her wrestling gear and holding the MWE Riot Championship belt. Braddock looks down at it and smirks. “Hopefully I’ll have some gold back in my possession again real soon.”
“I’m cheering for you.”
“Thanks, mate.” Glory signs the photo and then hands it back to Cheryl. Braddock looks up towards the line of fans to see who is coming next. Her eyes grow wide with what she sees...or rather WHO it is that she sees. He is dressed far more casually in khakis and a navy blue polo shirt, but the arrogant facial expression is unmistakable; this is Ronald Duane Kennedy.
“Oh my God! Or OMG as the kids say today!” The arrogant RDK says as he strides over towards the table. “I am in awe! I am actually getting to visit the great Glory Braddock!”
“RDK?!” Glory exclaims angrily. “What the bloody hell do you want?!”
“What? I thought you enjoyed being with your fans? I mean, you seemed to eat it up earlier when you were giving that inspiring speech.” RDK stops right in front of the table and winks at Braddock. “Looking good, by the way.”
“What do you want?”
“I already told you. I am a fan of your work, not as a wrestler but as a cutthroat businesswoman. I mean, I had that modeling deal wrapped up. Me and Francis were going to make serious money off of that piece of crap your cousin owns. But then you managed to steal the agency right out from under my nose. And I applaud you for that.” RDK gives a sarcastic, mock applause for Glory Braddock.
“I did not steal anything. You were the one with designs to steal, you were going to steal it from Kayla. But I’m not like you, I wanted to help her and so I did.”
“All you did was put her on life support. Her agency will die, even if it is under your company’s banner, and you wanna know why? Because I am going to be the one to kill it.”
“If you mean those rumors you’ve been spreading amongst the models…”
“Oh those ‘rumors’ are very much the truth. You see, I told you that I was a fan. In fact, you inspired me to start my own modeling agency. My own agency with MY vision at the helm. And yes, thanks to some convincing many of your models are leaving for my new agency. Eventually we’ll put you out of business, Braddock.”
“Are you threatening my wife?” Kurt asks sternly. “This is an autograph signing, Kennedy. You are obviously not a fan so you should just leave.”
“I know this is an autograph signing and I am a fan of your wife’s. You know your wife, Glory Braddock, the only successful one in the family? She is a successful wrestler, successful businesswoman, and you…” RDK smirks knowingly “...you are a retired hack of a professional wrestler who barely did anything noteworthy. Glory here is busy taking on the world while you play Mr. Mom.”
Kurt is agitated now, and it shows with the angry glare on his face. He stands up and gets in RDK’s face. Glory is nervous now, concerned at what may happen. Unfortunately, RDK is not done provoking Kurt.
“As a matter of fact, looking at you right now it is painfully obvious that Glory’s only failure is in her choice of men. You are a pathetic loser in life, Kurt. Maybe Glory should dump you and hook up with a real man like RDK?”
Kurt has had enough. His anger boils over to the point where it cannot be contained any longer. Kurt rears back and throws a right hand, which connects to the jaw of Ronald Kennedy, knocking him to the ground. The British Bombshell for her part was worried about the escalating tensions but she was not expecting this. RDK scrambles back to his feet and starts laughing, despite the stinging pain in his jaw.
“You are so easily played, Kurt. Now…” he points a finger at Kurt “...now I’m going to sue you for everything you and that bitch of a wife of yours has!”
Kurt attempts to lunge forward again but this time he is held back by security who flocks over. RDK is also taken away by security. Glory watches RDK being escorted away. She sighs and shakes her head.
“Kurt...why did you do that?”
“I’m sorry, Glory, but what did you want me to do?”
“I expected you not to strike him in public. He’s going to file assault charges and sue us. This is the last thing we need right now, especially now that he’s made it clear that he’s going to be competing against us.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
One of the security guards firmly pulls on Kurt’s arm. “Come with us, Mr. Logan.”
Kurt sighs and nods his head, walking away with the security guards. Glory Braddock bows her head, ashamed of what happened, and worried about what will happen next.
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Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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It has been several days since Kurt Logan lost his cool and punched the arrogant overbearing wannabe businessman Ronald Duane Kennedy at an autograph signing at the Mall of America in Minnesota. One cannot argue that RDK didn’t have it coming. He was working for Kayla Jones, Glory’s cousin, in her modeling agency as part of finance but he was later found to be secretly sabotaging the agency hoping that when Braddock’s company bought it out, he would be named as the new head of the agency. RDK has also been provoking the pair behind the scenes, politically, using his sleazy charm and tactics akin to those used by a snake oil salesman or a used car salesman to try and pick off models that were working with Glory and Kayla, convincing them to work with RDK instead, all to get revenge against Braddock and Jones for forcing him out of the agency. The autograph signing was his opportunity. He had been trying to provoke “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock for much of the time and when that didn’t work he turned his attention to Kurt Logan and provoked him. Tensions and emotions between RDK and Glory were already peaking. But things have boiled over now that Kurt Logan assaulted him in public, in front of many witnesses.
This presents two concerns for The British Bombshell; first, and most obvious, is will her husband Kurt face criminal assault charges? Kennedy is certainly within his legal right to ask for charges to be filed against Kurt. Secondly, will Kurt and Glory face any lawsuit stemming from the incident? Kennedy threatened a lawsuit but then again, it was just one punch. Technically that may be an assault but how much could Kennedy expect to get from that? All of those legal questions will be answered by Glory and Kurt’s attorney, Bob Odom, as they meet with him today in Miami. But the third concern Braddock faces is the one that troubles her the most: how will this incident impact their reputation?
Glory Braddock has tried to grow and mature away from being someone overly concerned with their reputation. But in this case, Glory isn’t concerned with her reputation for selfish reasons. She is worried that her damaged reputation could lead to further damage being done to the modeling agency she just acquired. Braddock is certain that this was the end game all along for RDK. He wanted a way to make the models and other staff at the modeling agency doubt the leadership of Glory Braddock and her cousin Kayla and thus leave them. Kennedy wanted to be the one who ran the modeling agency but Glory refused to keep him on board. Now RDK has decided that if he can’t have the agency then he will just destroy it himself by any means necessary.
Braddock’s office in Miami, Florida is typically clean as a whistle and organized, due in large part to the fact that she is rarely in the office. She tries to let her company president, Francis Taylor, handle the day to day operations. Today is different. Glory Braddock is facing a crisis that only she can handle, for she is the head of the company and she, along with Kurt Logan, are facing potential assault charges and a lawsuit from Ronald D. Kennedy. Thus the office is in disarray, looking like a disorganized mess.
In another unusual change of pace, Glory Braddock isn’t dressed for the corporate life. Whenever she is in the office she dresses the part; but today she is sitting at her desk wearing a pair of denim jeans, flip flops, and a purple blouse. Kurt sits next to her wearing khaki shorts and a tropical themed t-shirt. Sitting across from them is their family attorney, Robert Odom. The grey haired attorney is dressed in khaki pants, a white button up short, and a navy blue blazer.
“Thanks for helping us on such short notice, Bob.” Glory says to the elderly attorney. Odom nods his head, acknowledging The British Bombshell.
“It isn’t a problem, Ms. Braddock.”
“I should be the one thanking you.” Kurt says with a note of frustration in his voice. “I’m the one responsible for this crap.”
“It isn’t your fault, Kurt. Kennedy provoked you.”
“Yeah, I know. But the fact that he played me like a god damn fiddle is what pisses me off.” Kurt shakes his head and sighs in disgust, disgust with himself mostly. “I can’t believe I let him sucker me into that, one of the oldest tricks in the book.”
Braddock reaches out and pats her husband gently on the shoulder. “It’s ok, love. We’ll get it sorted out, ok?” Braddock turns and looks questioningly at the attorney. “We CAN get this sorted out? Right?”
“I did try to reach out to Mr. Kennedy himself but I was forwarded to his attorney, a woman by the name of Connie Josey.”
“What did she have to say?”
“The good news that Mr. Kennedy does not wish to press any criminal charges against Mr. Logan.”
“Well that’s good.” Glory says with a sigh of relief.
“However, they are prepared to go on with a civil suit if we do not settle.”
“How much do they want?” Glory asks, arching her brow curiously.
“Five hundred thousand dollars.”
“Five grand?!” Kurt exclaims, rising from his chair and pacing the floor like an angry lion, with an enraged look on his face. “Five hundred thousand for one damn punch to the face?!”
“Yes.”
“We’re not paying!” Kurt shouts angrily, shaking his head furiously. For Glory, watching her husband with understandable concern, it almost seems like flames were shooting out of Kurt’s head. “This is outrageous!”
“Of course it is, love, but losing your temper isn’t helping matters.” Braddock remarks in a calm tone, hoping her husband will take the cue and also calm down. “Kennedy had it coming, but you know he wants to provoke you so he can use this against us.”
Kurt finally realizes that his wife is right. He sighs deeply out of frustration before sitting back down. “Yeah...you wanted to take on this modeling agency for Kayla, you wanted to help her out and now because I allowed myself to get manipulated by RDK, because I lost my temper, he’s going to try and take us for everything we have.”
“I seriously doubt he will get everything he is asking for, Mr. Logan.” The gray haired attorney remarks. “Five hundred thousand for a, as you said, one simple punch to the jaw is outrageous. Any judge worth their salt should see this for what it really is.”
“So do you think a judge might drop the case altogether?” Braddock asks hopefully. Odom shrugs his shoulders.
“That’s a different question entirely. If you were to ask my unbiased opinion of the matter, Mr. Logan did technically ‘assault’ Mr. Kennedy. Is Ms. Kennedy entitled to compensation? Perhaps, but how much? For one punch to the jaw I doubt a judge would give him very much.”
The British Bombshell looks very frustrated at this answer, as it was not the one she was hoping for. “That’s good I suppose. But you know damn well that Kennedy will use this as bad publicity against our company. I doubt RDK really cares much about the five hundred grand. He probably just wants to use this as another way to run down the company.”
“Fiona and Kayla did say that he was trying to convince the other models to leave the agency and sign with him, right?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head.
“Unfortunately that is exactly what the bloke is doing. And now after this incident, he will have another example of why the models should leave. He doesn’t intend to ruin us by taking our money or beating us in court, he wants to ruin us by destroying our public image and reputation.”
Kurt shakes his head as further guilt washes over him. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you, Glory. I just couldn’t stand there and take it anymore. I…”
“It isn’t your fault, love. To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing.” The British Bombshell leans over and plants a gentle kiss on her husband’s cheek. Braddock then turns back to face her attorney.
“So what do you think, Bob? How would you recommend we proceed with this?”
“If I am perfectly honest with you, I think you are actually in a better situation than you may believe. Grant there is nothing much I can help you with regarding you reputation or public image, but legally there is nothing Mr. Kennedy or his attorney can do. A judge would have to be out of their mind to award him five hundred thousand dollars worth of damages for one punch. I believe I can convince a judge that this suit is a waste of time. If you wish I can reach out one final time to Ms. Josey and try to convince her that her client is unlikely to get what he wants out of this lawsuit. Surely she knows this as well as I do and hopefully she can convince him to ask for a smaller settlement, if not withdraw the suit in its entirety.”
“And if you can’t talk them down?”
“Like I said, I believe we can win in court if necessary.” Odom says with a grin that is rare from the gray haired attorney. Braddock is satisfied with this answer and nods her head.
“Sounds good, mate. Make it so.”
“Very well then.” Robert Odom rises up out of his chair. “In that case, I will take my leave. I am sure you and Mr. Logan have a few more things to discuss. I will return to my law office and make some calls to Kennedy’s attorney.”
“Thank you, Bob.” Glory says. Odom nods in acknowledgement before turning and walking away. He opens the door and exits the office, shutting the door behind him. Once he is gone Kurt again sighs deeply out of frustration. Braddock can tell that guilt is still overwhelming her husband as she reaches out and clasps his hand tightly.
“What is it Kurt?”
“That bastard RDK had it coming.” He shakes his head. “But this is on me. I let him pull my strings, I let him provoke me, and now he’s using this as an attempt to run us into the ground.”
“No, he isn’t trying to run us into the ground.” Braddock says, shaking her head. “He doesn’t even care about you. He’s just using you to get to me.”
“And that’s why this is my fault. I lost my cool and because of that I gave him the perfect way to run your name and your reputation through the mud. I’m sorry.”
“I already told you that you have nothing to apologize for; you punched him in the mouth, but anyone with pride and dignity would have done the same damn thing in your position. Hindsight is twenty-twenty and yes, of course we wish we could take it back but we can’t. What’s done is done and now we just have to fight this. And you heard what Bob said, legally we are in a very good situation.”
“Yeah, legally we’re going to be fine, but you know he’s going to use this to damage the reputation of your company and to further damage the reputation of the modeling agency you just purchased. He’s already been in the ear of some models, trying to convince them to leave. He’ll use this to convince more models to leave your agency. All of the money in the world and the corporate backing your company provides will be worth nothing to your agency if there are no models.”
“I know that Kurt, I realize that RDK will be bringing the fight to us but I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep the dream alive. Modeling has never been anything I ever really cared much about, but it is something my cousin Kayla cares about, so I want to fight to keep her dream alive. Fiona also wants to use modeling as a springboard into her real dream, the dream of becoming a wrestler. I want to help her dreams come true. People like Kayla and Fiona, they are passionate about their dreams and will fight for their dreams. And I’m not going to give up on them, Kurt. So yes, we will fight this, and we will fight anything else RDK is prepared to throw at us. And we will win. By hook or by crook, we will win.”
Kurt had been upset, angry, and depressed ever since arriving here today for what he knew would be a tense meeting about his newfound legal problems after he assaulted Ronald Duane Kennedy. But now, for the first time all day, Kurt Logan sports a genuine grin as he gazes deep into the passionate eyes of his lovely wife. He and Glory lean in and kiss passionately on the lips. As for Glory Braddock herself, she knows that the coming fight with RDK may prove challenging but this is a challenge she has to endure. Too many people depend upon her, people such as her cousin Kayla Jones and model Fiona Osbourne. Their dreams may very well hinge upon Glory Braddock’s success in fending off RDK. And Glory Braddock, at her very best, is someone who not only fights for what is right but fights out of passion and for her dreams.
Bloomington, Minnesota
Off Camera
==========
“You have to be a special kind of bastard to wanna get your bloody ass kicked week in and week out for a living. So why do you wanna do this? What makes you wanna step into this ring and fight for a living?”
That was one of the first few questions Glenn Braddock would ask new students upon arrival at his wrestling school. The grizzled veteran knew he could be intimidating and he always used his intimidating presence to his advantage as he would always get in the faces of his new students and grill them, interrogate them to find out just what brought them to his doorstep. Why did they want to become a professional wrestler? Because for Glenn Braddock, wrestling was not just a job. It was not just a career. It definitely wasn’t about thrills and entertainment. For Glenn Braddock, professional wrestling was his life and he wanted to make sure that anyone who dared set foot into his life would respect it and uphold its values and principles the same way he did.
This lesson was not lost on his oldest daughter, “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. During her years in training and in her first few years as an active competitor, Glory Braddock knew exactly why she wanted to be a wrestler. She knew why she put her body on the line in this manner. But perhaps her success went to her head? Or perhaps it was due to the loss of her father, and thus the loss of his constant passionate voice in her ear that caused her to stumble? Whatever it was, The British Bombshell had lost her way. She had become lackadaisical and took too much for granted.
But Braddock has rediscovered her passion. She has rediscovered her motivation. That passion helped her defeat Asher Hayes and then dethrone Bree Lancaster to become SCW World Champion in the gauntlet match on Breakdown, even if it was for a short time. And she has one person to thank: Fiona Osbourne.
Fiona is one of the models working for Kayla Jones’s modeling agency. Braddock’s company, now renamed Glorious Golden Enterprises, has acquired the modeling agency in an attempt to keep it afloat and branch out into modeling. It was Fiona’s passionate speech about her desire not to model for the rest of her life but to eventually train to become a professional wrestler. Many of her peers mocked Fiona but she ignores them, she continues to pursue her true passion. With those words and the passion in her voice Braddock was reminded of why she chose to follow in Glenn Braddock’s footsteps.
In short, her passion for the sport has returned. And that’s not all; along with the passion, another thing Glory Braddock has been missing out on is the reaction from the fans. She has always had a strong, solid fan base who backed her no matter what. Unfortunately Glory Braddock has been ignoring that fan base for far too long. Breakdown was two days ago but The British Bombshell decided to stick around in Minnesota for a scheduled autograph signing. Then it will be off for an MWE Riot event the following weekend. Now that she has rediscovered her passion, The British Bombshell has her eyes set on gaining her sixteenth world championship.
Autograph signings used to be something Glory Braddock detested. In her mind they just took away from her training and preparation time. But her fans have supported her through some of the most difficult times of her professional career, her fans have remained loyal even when she would betray her own principles and values. It is time she rewarded those loyal fans and gave back to the sport she loves.
We are inside of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. A simple brown table is set up and already there are throngs of people waiting to speak with the visitor, who happens to be none other than Glory Braddock herself. Several security personnel are standing in between the fans and the table. Behind the table we find Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt Logan. Braddock is wearing a black tight skirt, a white silk blouse, black patent leather high heel shoes, and a black leather jacket. Kurt is wearing sneakers, denim jeans, and a plain white button up shirt. Kurt has a grin on his face as he leans to whisper to his wife, hoping the fans do not hear him.
“So is it official?”
“Is what official?”
“Has hell frozen over?” Kurt asks with a smirk upon his face. Glory looks at him with obvious confusion written across her lovely features.
“What the hell do you mean, love?”
“Well I know how much you love these autograph signings.” The sarcasm in Kurt’s voice is clear and evident. Braddock just simply rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you, mate.”
“Sorry, babe. I can’t help but tease you. Still, it is rather surprising to see you here doing this...willingly at that… usually companies you worked for would just about have to force you to do these.”
The blonde haired beauty lets a small chuckle escape her lips. “You’re right, and I won’t deny that a small part of me wishes I were in a gym somewhere getting ready to shove my foot up someone’s ass, but…” her voice trails off.
“But?”
“...but it is worth it. These fans are worth it.”
Kurt leans in and kisses his wife on the cheek. Just then a younger brown haired woman wearing a navy blue pantsuit and white button up blouse approaches the table. She holds out her hand to greet Kurt and Glory, both of whom accept the handshake.
“Hi, I’m Ruby and I work for the Mall of America. You must be Glory Braddock?”
“That’s right, mate. And this is my husband, Kurt Logan.”
“Nice to meet you Ruby.” Kurt says with a nod of his head.
“I am so glad you both are here for this. As you can see the fans are excited to see you.”
“I’m sure they are. So why keep them waiting any longer?”
“You sure?”
“Go on. Open the floodgates.”
Ruby smiles warmly as he walks away from the table and approaches the crowd of people. Kurt leans in to whisper into his wife’s ear. “You are a saint…”
“I know.”
Braddock and her husband turn their attention to Ruby, the Mall of America staff worker, who begins with her introductions.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out today to the Mall of America! Two nights ago Minneapolis hosted SCW Breakdown. Most of the SCW wrestlers have already moved on but at least one has decided to stick around for a few more days to greet you the fans right here at the Mall of America.”
The fans cheer loudly, many of them begin chants of ‘Glor-Y’ over and over again. Call it ego, call it whatever you want, but The British Bombshell will never grow tired of hearing this, as evidenced by the wide grin on her face as she soaks in the adoration of the fans waiting patiently to see her.
Now The Mall of America presents to you a fifteen time World Champion, ‘The British Bombshell’ Glory Braddock!”
Braddock stands up as the fans applaud, cheer, and continue to chant. She waves at the many fans in attendance, acknowledging their cheers. The blonde waits for the cheers to die down and when they do she addresses the crowd.
“I look out into you lot and I see so many fans; passionate, die hard, wrestling fans. Y’know, I used to be one of you once upon a time. I used to be just a wrestling fan. I would travel with my dad to every single one of his matches just to watch him compete. And I knew that he would win. I knew it not because he was my dad and I had to support him, even though that did play a big part of it. I knew it because I was a fan and he was amazing. Now what many of you may not know is that my dad was beaten only twice in his career. Once to a very young Andreas Lasiewicz and later to Thomas Van Stanton. That last time, the loss to Van Stanton, that match left him with a career ending back injury and forced him to retire. Can you imagine the emotional damage done to yours truly? My father was my hero, my idol, and I watched his career end before my very eyes. Do you know what that did to me though?” Braddock pauses as she gives the fans time to think about her question.
“It increased my passion for professional wrestling tenfold. Previously I had only joked about following in my father’s footsteps but I was never ever serious until that night of his last match. Not only did my passion for wrestling increase but I had new motivation; a motivation to continue my father’s legacy. He was a wrestler and he wanted to prove that he was the best. So that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to become a wrestler and prove that I was the best. But proving that you are the best is a never ending journey. Furthermore it is a journey that you are destined to fail. For starters there will always be someone there to challenge your supremacy. And when you retire, someone will inevitably come after you who will top your achievements and accolades. So why bother?” Braddock shrugs her shoulders. “Because I’m a wrestler. That’s my life. That’s what I do.”
The fans in attendance cheer again. Braddock smirks as she soaks in the adulation. “Now then, I’m pretty sure you lot didn’t come here to listen to me ramble on and on, now did you? So I’m gonna sit down and visit with as many of you as I can get to today. How’s that sound?”
Again the fans roar with approval. Glory Braddock returns to her seat at the table next to her husband Kurt. The security lets one of the fans through, the first is a young man in his early twenties. He is wearing denim jeans, sneakers, and a black SCW t-shirt. “Hi, Glory! I’m Jake!”
“Jake from State Farm?”
“Uh...no?” Jake seems genuinely confused at Glory’s attempt at humor. Braddock just chuckles.
“Sorry, I’m terrible at comedy.”
“Oh, uh, no prob. Can you sign um…” he fumbles around in his pockets but quickly realizes he forgot something “...forgot my Glory Braddock Trading Card!”
“They still make those?!”
“Yep. But I left it at home. Damn.” He thinks quickly and looks at his arm. “Would you sign my arm?”
“Sure.” Glory takes a black marker and presses it against his flesh, writing her name on his arm. “There.”
“Awesome! I’m never washing this arm again!”
“Not advisable mate!” Glory says as Jake hurriedly walks away. Kurt and Glory both get a bit of a laugh out of that as the next individual steps forward; this time it is a young black haired Philipino female.
“I’m Cheryl.”
“Nice to meet you Cheryl.” Glory says, accepting the photo Cheryl presents to her; it is a photo of Glory Braddock posing in her wrestling gear and holding the MWE Riot Championship belt. Braddock looks down at it and smirks. “Hopefully I’ll have some gold back in my possession again real soon.”
“I’m cheering for you.”
“Thanks, mate.” Glory signs the photo and then hands it back to Cheryl. Braddock looks up towards the line of fans to see who is coming next. Her eyes grow wide with what she sees...or rather WHO it is that she sees. He is dressed far more casually in khakis and a navy blue polo shirt, but the arrogant facial expression is unmistakable; this is Ronald Duane Kennedy.
“Oh my God! Or OMG as the kids say today!” The arrogant RDK says as he strides over towards the table. “I am in awe! I am actually getting to visit the great Glory Braddock!”
“RDK?!” Glory exclaims angrily. “What the bloody hell do you want?!”
“What? I thought you enjoyed being with your fans? I mean, you seemed to eat it up earlier when you were giving that inspiring speech.” RDK stops right in front of the table and winks at Braddock. “Looking good, by the way.”
“What do you want?”
“I already told you. I am a fan of your work, not as a wrestler but as a cutthroat businesswoman. I mean, I had that modeling deal wrapped up. Me and Francis were going to make serious money off of that piece of crap your cousin owns. But then you managed to steal the agency right out from under my nose. And I applaud you for that.” RDK gives a sarcastic, mock applause for Glory Braddock.
“I did not steal anything. You were the one with designs to steal, you were going to steal it from Kayla. But I’m not like you, I wanted to help her and so I did.”
“All you did was put her on life support. Her agency will die, even if it is under your company’s banner, and you wanna know why? Because I am going to be the one to kill it.”
“If you mean those rumors you’ve been spreading amongst the models…”
“Oh those ‘rumors’ are very much the truth. You see, I told you that I was a fan. In fact, you inspired me to start my own modeling agency. My own agency with MY vision at the helm. And yes, thanks to some convincing many of your models are leaving for my new agency. Eventually we’ll put you out of business, Braddock.”
“Are you threatening my wife?” Kurt asks sternly. “This is an autograph signing, Kennedy. You are obviously not a fan so you should just leave.”
“I know this is an autograph signing and I am a fan of your wife’s. You know your wife, Glory Braddock, the only successful one in the family? She is a successful wrestler, successful businesswoman, and you…” RDK smirks knowingly “...you are a retired hack of a professional wrestler who barely did anything noteworthy. Glory here is busy taking on the world while you play Mr. Mom.”
Kurt is agitated now, and it shows with the angry glare on his face. He stands up and gets in RDK’s face. Glory is nervous now, concerned at what may happen. Unfortunately, RDK is not done provoking Kurt.
“As a matter of fact, looking at you right now it is painfully obvious that Glory’s only failure is in her choice of men. You are a pathetic loser in life, Kurt. Maybe Glory should dump you and hook up with a real man like RDK?”
Kurt has had enough. His anger boils over to the point where it cannot be contained any longer. Kurt rears back and throws a right hand, which connects to the jaw of Ronald Kennedy, knocking him to the ground. The British Bombshell for her part was worried about the escalating tensions but she was not expecting this. RDK scrambles back to his feet and starts laughing, despite the stinging pain in his jaw.
“You are so easily played, Kurt. Now…” he points a finger at Kurt “...now I’m going to sue you for everything you and that bitch of a wife of yours has!”
Kurt attempts to lunge forward again but this time he is held back by security who flocks over. RDK is also taken away by security. Glory watches RDK being escorted away. She sighs and shakes her head.
“Kurt...why did you do that?”
“I’m sorry, Glory, but what did you want me to do?”
“I expected you not to strike him in public. He’s going to file assault charges and sue us. This is the last thing we need right now, especially now that he’s made it clear that he’s going to be competing against us.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
One of the security guards firmly pulls on Kurt’s arm. “Come with us, Mr. Logan.”
Kurt sighs and nods his head, walking away with the security guards. Glory Braddock bows her head, ashamed of what happened, and worried about what will happen next.
==========
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
It has been several days since Kurt Logan lost his cool and punched the arrogant overbearing wannabe businessman Ronald Duane Kennedy at an autograph signing at the Mall of America in Minnesota. One cannot argue that RDK didn’t have it coming. He was working for Kayla Jones, Glory’s cousin, in her modeling agency as part of finance but he was later found to be secretly sabotaging the agency hoping that when Braddock’s company bought it out, he would be named as the new head of the agency. RDK has also been provoking the pair behind the scenes, politically, using his sleazy charm and tactics akin to those used by a snake oil salesman or a used car salesman to try and pick off models that were working with Glory and Kayla, convincing them to work with RDK instead, all to get revenge against Braddock and Jones for forcing him out of the agency. The autograph signing was his opportunity. He had been trying to provoke “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock for much of the time and when that didn’t work he turned his attention to Kurt Logan and provoked him. Tensions and emotions between RDK and Glory were already peaking. But things have boiled over now that Kurt Logan assaulted him in public, in front of many witnesses.
This presents two concerns for The British Bombshell; first, and most obvious, is will her husband Kurt face criminal assault charges? Kennedy is certainly within his legal right to ask for charges to be filed against Kurt. Secondly, will Kurt and Glory face any lawsuit stemming from the incident? Kennedy threatened a lawsuit but then again, it was just one punch. Technically that may be an assault but how much could Kennedy expect to get from that? All of those legal questions will be answered by Glory and Kurt’s attorney, Bob Odom, as they meet with him today in Miami. But the third concern Braddock faces is the one that troubles her the most: how will this incident impact their reputation?
Glory Braddock has tried to grow and mature away from being someone overly concerned with their reputation. But in this case, Glory isn’t concerned with her reputation for selfish reasons. She is worried that her damaged reputation could lead to further damage being done to the modeling agency she just acquired. Braddock is certain that this was the end game all along for RDK. He wanted a way to make the models and other staff at the modeling agency doubt the leadership of Glory Braddock and her cousin Kayla and thus leave them. Kennedy wanted to be the one who ran the modeling agency but Glory refused to keep him on board. Now RDK has decided that if he can’t have the agency then he will just destroy it himself by any means necessary.
Braddock’s office in Miami, Florida is typically clean as a whistle and organized, due in large part to the fact that she is rarely in the office. She tries to let her company president, Francis Taylor, handle the day to day operations. Today is different. Glory Braddock is facing a crisis that only she can handle, for she is the head of the company and she, along with Kurt Logan, are facing potential assault charges and a lawsuit from Ronald D. Kennedy. Thus the office is in disarray, looking like a disorganized mess.
In another unusual change of pace, Glory Braddock isn’t dressed for the corporate life. Whenever she is in the office she dresses the part; but today she is sitting at her desk wearing a pair of denim jeans, flip flops, and a purple blouse. Kurt sits next to her wearing khaki shorts and a tropical themed t-shirt. Sitting across from them is their family attorney, Robert Odom. The grey haired attorney is dressed in khaki pants, a white button up short, and a navy blue blazer.
“Thanks for helping us on such short notice, Bob.” Glory says to the elderly attorney. Odom nods his head, acknowledging The British Bombshell.
“It isn’t a problem, Ms. Braddock.”
“I should be the one thanking you.” Kurt says with a note of frustration in his voice. “I’m the one responsible for this crap.”
“It isn’t your fault, Kurt. Kennedy provoked you.”
“Yeah, I know. But the fact that he played me like a god damn fiddle is what pisses me off.” Kurt shakes his head and sighs in disgust, disgust with himself mostly. “I can’t believe I let him sucker me into that, one of the oldest tricks in the book.”
Braddock reaches out and pats her husband gently on the shoulder. “It’s ok, love. We’ll get it sorted out, ok?” Braddock turns and looks questioningly at the attorney. “We CAN get this sorted out? Right?”
“I did try to reach out to Mr. Kennedy himself but I was forwarded to his attorney, a woman by the name of Connie Josey.”
“What did she have to say?”
“The good news that Mr. Kennedy does not wish to press any criminal charges against Mr. Logan.”
“Well that’s good.” Glory says with a sigh of relief.
“However, they are prepared to go on with a civil suit if we do not settle.”
“How much do they want?” Glory asks, arching her brow curiously.
“Five hundred thousand dollars.”
“Five grand?!” Kurt exclaims, rising from his chair and pacing the floor like an angry lion, with an enraged look on his face. “Five hundred thousand for one damn punch to the face?!”
“Yes.”
“We’re not paying!” Kurt shouts angrily, shaking his head furiously. For Glory, watching her husband with understandable concern, it almost seems like flames were shooting out of Kurt’s head. “This is outrageous!”
“Of course it is, love, but losing your temper isn’t helping matters.” Braddock remarks in a calm tone, hoping her husband will take the cue and also calm down. “Kennedy had it coming, but you know he wants to provoke you so he can use this against us.”
Kurt finally realizes that his wife is right. He sighs deeply out of frustration before sitting back down. “Yeah...you wanted to take on this modeling agency for Kayla, you wanted to help her out and now because I allowed myself to get manipulated by RDK, because I lost my temper, he’s going to try and take us for everything we have.”
“I seriously doubt he will get everything he is asking for, Mr. Logan.” The gray haired attorney remarks. “Five hundred thousand for a, as you said, one simple punch to the jaw is outrageous. Any judge worth their salt should see this for what it really is.”
“So do you think a judge might drop the case altogether?” Braddock asks hopefully. Odom shrugs his shoulders.
“That’s a different question entirely. If you were to ask my unbiased opinion of the matter, Mr. Logan did technically ‘assault’ Mr. Kennedy. Is Ms. Kennedy entitled to compensation? Perhaps, but how much? For one punch to the jaw I doubt a judge would give him very much.”
The British Bombshell looks very frustrated at this answer, as it was not the one she was hoping for. “That’s good I suppose. But you know damn well that Kennedy will use this as bad publicity against our company. I doubt RDK really cares much about the five hundred grand. He probably just wants to use this as another way to run down the company.”
“Fiona and Kayla did say that he was trying to convince the other models to leave the agency and sign with him, right?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head.
“Unfortunately that is exactly what the bloke is doing. And now after this incident, he will have another example of why the models should leave. He doesn’t intend to ruin us by taking our money or beating us in court, he wants to ruin us by destroying our public image and reputation.”
Kurt shakes his head as further guilt washes over him. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you, Glory. I just couldn’t stand there and take it anymore. I…”
“It isn’t your fault, love. To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing.” The British Bombshell leans over and plants a gentle kiss on her husband’s cheek. Braddock then turns back to face her attorney.
“So what do you think, Bob? How would you recommend we proceed with this?”
“If I am perfectly honest with you, I think you are actually in a better situation than you may believe. Grant there is nothing much I can help you with regarding you reputation or public image, but legally there is nothing Mr. Kennedy or his attorney can do. A judge would have to be out of their mind to award him five hundred thousand dollars worth of damages for one punch. I believe I can convince a judge that this suit is a waste of time. If you wish I can reach out one final time to Ms. Josey and try to convince her that her client is unlikely to get what he wants out of this lawsuit. Surely she knows this as well as I do and hopefully she can convince him to ask for a smaller settlement, if not withdraw the suit in its entirety.”
“And if you can’t talk them down?”
“Like I said, I believe we can win in court if necessary.” Odom says with a grin that is rare from the gray haired attorney. Braddock is satisfied with this answer and nods her head.
“Sounds good, mate. Make it so.”
“Very well then.” Robert Odom rises up out of his chair. “In that case, I will take my leave. I am sure you and Mr. Logan have a few more things to discuss. I will return to my law office and make some calls to Kennedy’s attorney.”
“Thank you, Bob.” Glory says. Odom nods in acknowledgement before turning and walking away. He opens the door and exits the office, shutting the door behind him. Once he is gone Kurt again sighs deeply out of frustration. Braddock can tell that guilt is still overwhelming her husband as she reaches out and clasps his hand tightly.
“What is it Kurt?”
“That bastard RDK had it coming.” He shakes his head. “But this is on me. I let him pull my strings, I let him provoke me, and now he’s using this as an attempt to run us into the ground.”
“No, he isn’t trying to run us into the ground.” Braddock says, shaking her head. “He doesn’t even care about you. He’s just using you to get to me.”
“And that’s why this is my fault. I lost my cool and because of that I gave him the perfect way to run your name and your reputation through the mud. I’m sorry.”
“I already told you that you have nothing to apologize for; you punched him in the mouth, but anyone with pride and dignity would have done the same damn thing in your position. Hindsight is twenty-twenty and yes, of course we wish we could take it back but we can’t. What’s done is done and now we just have to fight this. And you heard what Bob said, legally we are in a very good situation.”
“Yeah, legally we’re going to be fine, but you know he’s going to use this to damage the reputation of your company and to further damage the reputation of the modeling agency you just purchased. He’s already been in the ear of some models, trying to convince them to leave. He’ll use this to convince more models to leave your agency. All of the money in the world and the corporate backing your company provides will be worth nothing to your agency if there are no models.”
“I know that Kurt, I realize that RDK will be bringing the fight to us but I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep the dream alive. Modeling has never been anything I ever really cared much about, but it is something my cousin Kayla cares about, so I want to fight to keep her dream alive. Fiona also wants to use modeling as a springboard into her real dream, the dream of becoming a wrestler. I want to help her dreams come true. People like Kayla and Fiona, they are passionate about their dreams and will fight for their dreams. And I’m not going to give up on them, Kurt. So yes, we will fight this, and we will fight anything else RDK is prepared to throw at us. And we will win. By hook or by crook, we will win.”
Kurt had been upset, angry, and depressed ever since arriving here today for what he knew would be a tense meeting about his newfound legal problems after he assaulted Ronald Duane Kennedy. But now, for the first time all day, Kurt Logan sports a genuine grin as he gazes deep into the passionate eyes of his lovely wife. He and Glory lean in and kiss passionately on the lips. As for Glory Braddock herself, she knows that the coming fight with RDK may prove challenging but this is a challenge she has to endure. Too many people depend upon her, people such as her cousin Kayla Jones and model Fiona Osbourne. Their dreams may very well hinge upon Glory Braddock’s success in fending off RDK. And Glory Braddock, at her very best, is someone who not only fights for what is right but fights out of passion and for her dreams.