Millennium CXIX

Backstage at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands we find MWE interviewer Camille Bellamy. Standing next to her is a woman described as eccentric, deranged, and loveable at the same time. It is “The Woman Scorned” Kimberly Williams. The reigning SCW Underground and HKW Bloodlust Champion is dressed to compete in her crimson red and black ring gear. She has a black leather jacket with “Queens of Chaos” embroidered on the back. Kimberly has her SCW Underground Championship title belt draped over her right shoulder and the HKW Bloodlust Championship title belt draped over her left shoulder. Kim is carrying her stuffed penguin Wasley in her right hand.

Camille Bellamy:
I am Camille Bellamy and my guest at this time is the Queen of the Death Match, the…

Kimberly Williams:
Zip it.

Camille Bellamy:
Huh?

Kimberly Williams:
I said zip it.

Camille Bellamy:
But I…

Kimberly Williams:
Zip it…

She snaps her fingers.

Kimberly Williams:
…Zip it good!

Camille sighs.

Camille Bellamy:
Ooookaaaay…I just wanted to ask you about your match tonight against Melissa Reeves.

Williams smirks.

Kimberly Williams:
Ah yes, one of the standards here in MWE. Hell, she’s a standard in whatever promotion she happens to be wrestling for at any given moment. Mels and I know one another from our time in HKW, the place where I earned this Bloodlust Title, and Mels was quite the dominant force there. To my knowledge we never got to fight in HKW. I could be wrong but I am fairly sure that tonight is the first night that I get to fight Mels even though we have been in the same promotion for years now, whether its here or whether it was HKW. And when I said on social media that it was my honor and privilege to fight her here tonight…right here in AMSTERDAM IN FRONT OF ALLLLL MY KIMMYMANIACS!

The fans cheer loudly at the cheap pop.

Kimberly Williams:
When I said that, I meant every word. But see, Cammy…can I call you Cammy…

Camille Bellamy:
Well, I…

Kimberly Williams:
Right, when you said that Cammy, you led with the fact that I am the Queen of the Death Match. And you know what? That is a moniker I will gladly accept and embrace. I wouldn’t have embraced it a few years ago. A stupid Commissioner in SCW decided to force hardcore wrestling onto me, just stereotyping me as a hardcore wrestler because I was a bit of a lunatic. You know what I did? I shoved that right in his face by dominating SCW’s hardcore division, forcing them to reactivate their hardcore title, the SCW Underground Championship, a championship I have won four times since then. I even decided to take this whole hardcore wrestling one step further. I elevated the Underground Championship to equal with the promotion’s World Heavyweight Title. People were forced to sit up, take notice, and most importantly RESPECT hardcore wrestling, because of me. And that’s not to mention what I did here with the Chicago Way Championship. Don’t forget that yours truly is TIED for the longest reigning Chicago Way Title reign in this company’s history. So do I embrace the title Queen of the Death Match? Damn right I do. But three Bloodlust title wins, one Chicago Way title win, and four Underground title wins later and I realized that I forgot something very important.

She smirks devilishly.

Kimberly Williams:
I am JUST as good a pure mat wrestler as I am a death match queen. I broke into this business on the independent scene OUT-WRESTLING opponents and SUBMITTING opponents. People eventually forgot all about that and part of that is my own fault. Part of that is my own doing. But I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately, Cammy, and I have come to the realization that I need to remind the world just who in the hell I am. I am Kimberly Williams, I am The Heir of the Dragon, and I can outwrestle anyone, even the very best in the business today. I am going to show the world what I can do inside the ring and I am going to do it with just as much passion and fervor as I have with hardcore wrestling!

Williams playfully waves at the camera.

Kimberly Williams:
Hi there, Melsy! You are among the best to do this and I mean that, I really do. That’s not funny happy go lucky Kim talking. That’s the real Kim talking. And I meant it when I said that it will be my honor and privilege to face you here tonight. It will be my honor and privilege to drive my knee into your skull and knock you out. It will be my honor and privilege to lock you in Scorned and make you tap out. It will be my honor and privilege to take one of the very best to ever do it in HKW and MWE and push her to her limits. It will be my honor and privilege to defeat you here tonight.

We cut backstage where we find “The Assassin” Clyde Sutter. He stands there barely moving a muscle and showing little to no emotion. He is wearing black dress pants, black shoes, a white silk button up shirt, and a black leather jacket.

Clyde Sutter:
Fate is not without a sense of humor. Fate, if nothing else, has quite the sense of irony. Don’t you agree…Ms. Andrews?

The Assassin nods his head.

Clyde Sutter:
If I recall, your reign as MWE Riot Champion ended by my hand. Yes, Echo got involved in our affairs. She stuck her nose into our business. Yet at the end of the day, fate still had its way. Your reign as champion came to an end and my reign as champion, the longest reigning Riot Champion in history, had begun. And we would go on our own separate paths, Ms. Andrews; I would go on to make history while you…

Sutter shrugs his shoulders.

Clyde Sutter:
…you really haven’t quite been the same since your encounter with fate, have you? And now here we are once again meeting. Once again fate has deemed that we cross paths, that we engage in combat. The only question I have for you is what did you learn during our time apart? Have you had time to gather your thoughts? Have you had time to improve upon yourself to correct the errors of your ways and fix the mistakes that led you to losing your championship in the first place? Most in our business like to righteously cry out about how they shall refuse to look to the past and only focus on the present. If you are one of those people, Ms. Andrews, then you are making a mistake. You must learn from the past in order to be a better warrior in the future.

He pats himself on the chest.

Clyde Sutter:
I have learned from our past, Ms. Andrews. I am better than I was when we first did combat. But what about you? Will I be facing a better, more improved Alex Andrews or will I be facing the same Alex Andrews who I slayed for the Riot Championship? This is the challenge fate has laid out before you. I am your ultimate test, a test that I am fairly confident you CANNOT pass.

Alex is seen bouncing up and down, just loosening herself up before her match, slowly she turns towards the camera.

Alex Andrews:
Here we are again, it seems. Clyde Sutter and myself. But this time, I don't have something he wants. I don't have that title he holds so dear. So the stakes aren't quite the same, are they?

Alex shakes her wrists, still trying to warm herself up, still talking.

Alex Andrews:
Now, I could get all melodramatic about it. About him. That he cost me my precious belt and how my fortune all went to deal after that moment last summer. But you know what?

She simply shakes her hewd, just a small smile across her face.

Alex Andrews:
But I'm not the one to talk about fate and how time is running out, I don't really buy into all that. But one thing I do believe in is myself. Over the last...three years? Three years, I've grown. So much. And I'm climbing, slowly but surely. I didn't get the job done at Anarchy at the UK.

Alex raises a hand to her throat, just rubbing it absentmindedly.

Alex Andrews:
But I didn't quit. Because we know damn well how much fight is in me. Clyde, you're bigger and harder than I am, no doubt. But you aren't nearly the underdog, I've been for most of my career. Your career has taken a much different path than mine. The things I've been through have molded me into who I am and no matter what, I'm going to show you how big of a heart I have. One more dang time, Clyde. And this time, I'm not going down without taking a huge chunk of you. This time, you'll see just how badly I need to conquer you.

Alex chuckles to herself and then the expression changes to a stern one, nodding at the camera before she walks off.

Once upon a time, she would be looking forward to this. It’s not often that the job of a wrestler takes you to the Netherlands or Europe in general, but when it happens, it’s always a crazy atmosphere. Melissa Reeves could hear the roar of the fans and their chants as her colleagues performed in front of them and their disappointment when things didn’t go as hoped.

She could definitely hear all of that loud and clear, but she wasn’t feeling it. No disrespect meant to her opponent Kim Williams or the Dutch fans, but this was starting to feel like a job she had to do more than something she found pleasure and joy in doing. Real talk, it had felt like that for a while, the flame of passion for this sport that had been burning bright and proud for so many years seemed to be dying out day by day, suffocated by all the politics and shenanigans tainting the business she once loved. With all those thoughts weighing her down, she was unenthusiastically preparing for the upcoming match, when she received an unexpected visit.

Unknown Voice:
Cheer up, girl. You look like you’re walking the green mile.

While unfamiliar to the MWE fans, that voice was one Mel knew oh so well, and at the same time one she never thought she would hear tonight in Amsterdam. As she turned around, she was met with an enigmatic smile by her friend and former protegé Leanne Jones.

Melissa Reeves:
Well, well…didn't realise you'd be here today.

There was a smile, albeit a little faint.

Melissa Reeves:
What brings you here? Can't just be checking up on me?

Leanne Jones:
I was just passing by and I thought I’d stop to say hi.

She answered with a rare and slightly out of character joke.

Leanne Jones:
A… Frenemy of mine started appearing on these shows recently and I’m not sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing. So I thought I could come and check this place in person, and bring my fountain pen just in case there’s a contract to sign.

As she said that, she pulled out a fancy pen decorated in gold and silver.

Leanne Jones:
What do you say? Yay or nay? I couldn’t find your review on Yelp…

A brief silence followed, before Melissa scoffed.

Melissa Reeves:
Rainbows and puppies here, surprised you didn’t know.

She shook her head.

Melissa Reeves:
Honestly, it’s the same as anywhere. Millennium isn’t the problem, wrestling as a whole is. I used to think I could change it, but…why bother? You defeat one asshole, two more step up to fill the gap.

Reeves stood, looking at Leanne.

Melissa Reeves:
So do I recommend it?

She shrugged.

Melissa Reeves:
Sure, why not? You’d thrive with how things are, I’m sure.

Leanne brought her hands to her chest, as if Melissa’s words were a knife that stabbed through her heart. The act didn’t last long, that pretend look of pain quickly melting away in another one of those sly smiles.

Leanne Jones:
You’re right, I probably will. But there’s a difference between doing what you must and doing what you want, don’t you agree?

The Liberty Pro wrestler continued before Reeves could rebut.

Leanne Jones:
Aside from my sister, you know me better than anyone.I’m not denying the things I did, and if I could turn back time, I would likely do them all again. I admit I crossed a few lines, but in a world where lines are constantly moved, is that truly a sin? Or is it rather a useful skill?

She spoke calmly and with conviction, locking eyes with her mentor.

Leanne Jones:
I expected this conversation to happen the other way around, and far be it from to sound like I have to teach you anything but… I’ve been in your shoes, Mel. Frustrated, disillusioned, tired. I chose a different approach, one that had me burning bridges and testing relationships, one I wouldn't advise anyone to take for what it's worth. Is it right? Is it wrong? Who knows? Who cares? It’s right for me because it keeps me going.

After a brief pause, she continued.

Leanne Jones:
I wasn’t ready for the other option. Dite seems to be doing well away from competition and perhaps you are wondering if it’d work out for you too. It’s a reasonable question, and only you know the answer to it. But if that answer is no, if you feel like the final chapter of your history is still a few pages away, you have to do what I did and figure out what’s right FOR YOU. Chasing gold, fighting the bad guys, trying to make the wrestling world a better place, giving in to the lure of the dark side.. The choice is yours, don’t let anyone else make it for you.

Mel could only muster a brief scoff.

Melissa Reeves:
So this is where we’re at now? My own advice comes back to haunt me, from the mouth of my once student?

She added a sigh.

Melissa Reeves:
Truthfully it’s all become monotonous. Idiots like Savell think they’re revolutionising the industry, but he’s just an uglier Becky Balfour. It’s the same thing, over and over. The names and faces change, but the state of the industry doesn’t.

Mel looked dead at Leanne.

Melissa Reeves:
It doesn’t want to change and it doesn’t care to. So yeah I’ve had my glories, but then it moved on to some new toy and gave them its full attention. It’s not meant for long, successful careers like mine. It’s too destructive, it eats people up and spits them out.

Her eyes narrowed.

Melissa Reeves:
So are these my final pages? Perhaps.

Another shrug.

Melissa Reeves:
But if they are, I won’t go out chasing my tail in pointless endeavours. I won’t be remembered for trying and failing to stop whatever shitty cult/faction/tryhard band of wankers is running around at the minute, because that isn’t where the glory lies.

She approached Jones, now smiling.

Melissa Reeves:
You’ve given me an idea, I’ve got some thinking to do. But first, there’s tonight, and then there’s after it. Care to join me for a drink post show?

A sudden smile dawned on Leanne’s face after hearing Reeves’ words.

Leanne Jones:
Like the good old times? Of course I’m in.

In some sort of role-reversal the student placed her hand on the mentor’s shoulder for one last word of encouragement before the match.

Leanne Jones:
Now go out there and write those pages, Mel. They may be the last ones, they may be the prologue to an incredible sequel. The choice is yours.

With that said, Jones stepped aside, letting Reeves head into her match.

]We then see something prerecorded in a room that seems as if it’s the inside of a clock. The gears are spinning everywhere. There’s a podium with a light shining down in front of the gears and slowly rotating around that big gear is Seth Iser, standing in place with his arms crossed. Considering this was filmed earlier, he’s dressed in a three piece suit here rather than his ring gear but as that gear reaches that podium, he steps off that giant silver gear with that stoic glare etched on his face.

Seth Iser:
Time is quite the limited source when you truly think about it. Think about our…mortality that we only have so many blows we can take in that ring…so much we can endure psychologically before we crack and so many breaths we take in life until…that’s the last one and it’s over. The end of the line is oftentimes like going bankrupt…slowly and then suddenly. And we blink and just wonder how we missed those signs when the end comes. Companies have their time in the son…countries have their moment of glory before the end comes too. It’s the cycle of life…and we don’t know when that tick is the last one.

A calm…melancholy seems to be over Iser as he is speaking all of this. A frown is the only sense of facial expression on his otherwise neutral demeanor. He straightens his purple tie slightly but carries on.

Seth Iser:
Until you’ve had multiple attempts on your career…or had your own moments where you didn’t even know if you were going to survive the next day in life itself, you really don’t understand how fragile all of this can be. The empire you built…can be shot down with the right person at the right time with the right message over the right people. And each of them have their own…flavor in how they need to be addressed. But often times…people are too selfish to realize a bigger goal…

A knowing smile creeps onto Iser’s face as he speaks that last line as he’s nodding his head.

Seth Iser:
And I sure as hell haven’t exactly been a choir boy in career or life.

The smile vanishes in an instant after he states that fact…the sound of ticking filling in the empty space.

Seth Iser:
But here I am in a match that could test the full extent of my abilities in Billy Danielson…I could read off his rap sheet but…I’m sure he’s done more than a good enough job illuminating the viewing audience of what he’s done…and what he wants to do if he ‘deigns’ it appropriate to speak to us plebeians.

There’s an eyeroll after the last sentence from Seth as he’s oozing some sarcasm at the moment.

Seth Iser:
But I wonder Billy…you’re a little too impulsive given your experience level. Even more so considering wrestling is in your blood. It isn’t just unique to you… Hell, a number of veterans here lately haven’t exactly shown great impulse control in dealing with situations…but I don’t want to go into that tangent right now.

There’s an embittered sneer that creeps onto Iser’s face as he chews on that point. The ticking again fills the gaps of silence as his hardened face remains in that expression.

Seth Iser:
But right now…I’m also hearing some whispers. Not from the locker room…maybe some from certain fans but mostly from the hours of time itself in a way. Wondering when that moment comes…when that bankruptcy hits on my career. I know the last few months I’ve been a little more lucky in avoiding major injury but the last couple of years…not so much. It’s a little tiring how often that seems to happen…more draining each time. And you start to wonder how many more of those you have left. And then there was that Chivalry is Dead business…that almost…ended me for good…

It’s almost as if he shutters for a brief moment but the steely determination comes out in full.

Seth Iser:
And yet here I am…still standing…still fighting…still thinking. Thinking of if I ever fought the first generation of Danielson…don’t believe I have. But I’ve fought my fair share of second generation kids at this point. Wrestling is often a gene…and sometimes that gene can also be a curse because oftentimes you don’t learn other lessons some of us who have to come up the hard way do. One of those…is about how short that time really is.

And then you can see Seth look back at the gears spinning and again the sound of ticking fills the room…and there’s just a calmness back in Seth’s face when he glances back toward the camera filming all this.

Seth Iser:
So I’m going to use some of the time I have left…I know, it’s quite valuable, but use some of that on you considering our match tonight. I don’t anticipate you going down too early anyhow…and I’m going to use some of that to beat a lesson into you…about how you need to use some of your own time to look at the bigger picture. You and some of the others who should know better that is…considering what’s coming here and elsewhere. Hopefully you survive the lesson…but even if you do…

And then there’s that arrogant smirk that comes from Iser’s face.

Seth Iser:
Don’t mistake that for being good enough to beat me in the middle of that ring…because I feel healthy for once and on my game. And I’m one of the best to ever do it…and when I’m on that form…well…all you’re going to do while learning your lesson is make your own bid for second best. Maybe time…will give that a proper recording.

With that, Iser steps onto that gear, the sound of ticking going louder until he vanishes entirely from view.

Coming back from the last commercial break, we are taken to the center of the ring, right before the main event. Millennium's General Manager Elsa McCarthy is standing there, holding a very familiar object in her right hand. As soon as the fans recognized the Briefcase, they erupted in loud cheers.

Elsa McCarthy:
Well well, looks like you already have figured it out, huh?

The GM said with a smile, raising the coveted prize in the air, getting another round of cheers, even louder than the first one.

Elsa McCarthy:
That's right, it's that time of the year once again. A little sooner than last year, but the Battle For The Briefcase tournament is about to start. I don't need to tell you how important this is. Statistically, every Briefcase winner, from Nessa Wall to Melissa Reeves, from Seth Iser to Gareth Prichard III to BROOKFORD and Julian Savell last year has successfully cashed in the Breifcase to become a champion, a World champion in four out of five cases.

For the record, the only one who didn't become MWE World Champion was the 2020 co-winner Gareth Prichard III, who became Intercontinental champion after losing the privilege to use his briefcase for the top prize against Seth Iser.

Elsa McCarthy:
The tournament will kick off at Zeitgeist with the first round matches. Sixteen participants will compete in one falls matches to advance to the second round, where the eight remaining competitors will go toe to toe in No Disqualification Matches. The semi-finals will be contested inside a cage while the two finalists will be main eventing Dark Web V in a Three Stages Of Hell match.

She waited a moment until the noise calmed down a bit.

Elsa McCarthy:
I don't want to take any more time away from you, I know you all are waiting for the main event so I'll save the announcement of the participants of this year's BFTB next week on Millennnium. All I can say, for those of you following the Academy, is that in agreement with Gian and the Team Leaders, we reserved three spots to as many students. To find out who they are, all you have to do is tuning in this Friday.

The news is received positively by the sold out crowd.

Elsa McCarthy:
Thank you for your time, enjoy the rest of the show.

The General Manger then left the ring to Rumchata Ayano for the introduction of the main event.

The main event was approaching, with Anna Daniels and Chris Sanderson set to do battle with Julian and Faith Savell. The Dutch crowd had been rowdy and loud all night, having long awaited this European tour. After the cameras panned the audience, who gladly threw up their signs in the hope of recognition, the footage switched to backstage. In front of one of the screens was a masculine figure, who was holding a hammer and chisel. They were watching the screen intently, all the while chiseling at a piece of wood, seemingly manufacturing a pair of Dutch themed clogs. Wearing a Holland football shirt, a clearly classic model with the name Cruyff and the number fourteen on the back, they received a loud reception from the local fans. They turned their face to the camera, giving a nod and tipping their flat cap in their direction. Once again, Jackie Fowler had made an appearance.

He turned, taking his clogs as he began to pace off down the hallway, a few stagehands looking very confused at the sight of Fowler. This was the third show he had been seen at, but there had been no word on a contact, any official appearances or anything really. As the Bastard of Bowland made his way down the hall, he was stopped by one of the stagehands, who practically stood in front of him, barring him from passing.

Stagehand: Hey, Jackie! W-what are you doing here?

Fowler stopped, blinking at the staff member, then looked down to his name tag. Reading it, the tag on display read “Kace”. Jackie blinked again, then suddenly pushing the poor staff member over, making them tumble through a door before he slammed it behind them. Jackie then shrugged, taking his clogs and moving on.

Jackie Fowler: Sorry ‘bout that… Valiant flashbacks…