Post by Stacy Jones on Apr 6, 2018 19:17:50 GMT -5
February 2016 – Trauma 187 – Backstage
“Get out of the way” shouted Jason Carter, one of the arena liaisons as he tries to clear the corridors of people who seem to be gathering around and hanging out for no apparent reason.
It always seemed this way backstage. People seemed to gather to chat or drink, just taking up space, but this time, the paramedics needed a clear path.
A team of three paramedics pushed a stretcher through the parted sea of people on their way to the parking lot where their ambulance was waiting. On the stretcher was a redheaded woman, Scarlet Phoenix. Previously known as Stacy Jones, the woman had just had her first match back in PCW, supposed to be a comeback of the ages with a new persona and a new lease for life. A first round match in the Underground Championship Tournament against newcomer Q.
Needless to say, the incredible comeback did not go exactly as planned. The match started off reasonably well with both competitors looking strong, but something wasn’t quite right. Stacy could feel it from the first few moments, a stiffness in the neck that wasn’t there before the match. She put it down to fatigue and carried on with the match, able to give as much as she got until Q hit her with his finishing move and she collapsed hard onto the canvas unconscious for a few seconds but awake soon after and able to get backstage but as soon as she got through the curtain, she collapsed once more.
The EMT’s backstage rushed to her aid, trying to wake her and rouse her with salts and conversation but nothing was doing the job. Her breathing was laboured but still there. She was alive but something wasn’t quite right. Something was hurting. She was loaded onto a stretcher and strapped up, a brace put over her head for protection as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance which sped away swiftly.
EMT #1: “Support her neck, we need to get her into the ambulance and get a proper brace on it.”
EMT #2: “Aye, Sir.”
The ride to the hospital went by in a flash, much like the whole evening and soon enough, she was waking up in an unfamiliar bed in a ward somewhere in a hospital. Her vision was blurry and she could just make out the face of her brother, PCW star Seth Archer who was sat in the uncomfortable looking visitor chair next to the simple hospital bed.
“Aha, she awakens, how does it feel? You look like shit” he said with a smirk, looking down at her, hands in his jeans pockets.
Stacy rubbed her eyes carefully, the canular in the back of her hand making this task particularly difficult. She groaned as she tried to sit up and failed. “Euch…what happened? Where am I?” she asked, not seeming to remember much at all. “Did I win?”.
Her brother shook his head. “No dear, you didn’t…the fucker put you in the hospital, can’t you tell? This ain’t exactly the Hilton Stace…” he prodded her nose. “You took his finishing move and blacked out, the doctors think your neck is broken…you’re not getting back into that ring for a long time” he affirmed.
“Fucking excellent…” she muttered in response.
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February 2018 – San Francisco, California – Barrett’s Gym
The gym was closed on Sundays but today was an exception. Brian Barrett was a close friend of Stacy and her brother Seth and was fully on-board with helping her rehab her injury and get back into the ring, so bright and early at 6am, he arrived at the gym in workout gear, a large Starbucks coffee in one hand and the gym keys in the other. He smiled as he saw Stacy and Seth stood at the door waiting.
The street was quiet so even the passing birds could hear the audible sigh from Stacy’s mouth. “…You’re late Brian! We’ve been here for twenty minutes!” she said, adjusting the gym bag on her shoulder, her hair tied back in a ponytail, ready for the workout. “Don’t keep the princess waiting now!” sarcastically mocked her brother. Brian just smiled. “Wouldn’t want that, now would we?” he slid the key into the door and unlocked the gym, pushing the door open and turning off the loud intruder alarm which beeped twice more in confirmation. “Come on in, your majesty!” mocked Barrett with a bow and sway of his arm.
Stacy shook her head and walked in, finding a place to put her bag and proceeding to get her jacket off and start to warm up on the mats. Seth followed suit before climbing into the workout ring. The ring had a simple white canvas and black ropes, no branding like the PCW arena had but it did the job. He ran the ropes a bit as he warmed up. Stacy got between the ropes and joined her brother. She wore a simple leggings and sports bra combo as she assumed a lock-up position. “Come on then, let’s start with the basics.” The two of them locked up and practised some simple grapples. A few minutes in, Stacy took a moment and rested in the turnbuckle, stretching her neck a little, circling her head to test the movement. “How’s it feeling princess?” asked Brian from the outside. “Tight but getting there, I think I am back to full movement at least, it’s just gonna need a bit more practice” she confirmed.
Seth beckoned her back to the center of the ring. “Let’s try something a bit more you…hit me with those strikes!” he said with a smile. Stacy didn’t need to be told twice as she stepped up to him and attacked with a series of punches and kicks, taking him down to the canvas in seconds, whipping herself off the ropes and hitting an elbow on his chest before dropping down and locking in an armbar, squeezing it hard until her brother squealed and tapped hard on the mat until she released it.
“I think she’s ready…” Brian said through a chuckle as Seth got to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. “Hey sis, this is training, no need to rip my arm out of its socket!”. Stacy simply shrugged. “Not my fault you’re so easy to take down…” she said, with her tongue out. He ran towards her and she hit a picture-perfect dropkick and then got to her feet once more, laughing as she climbed over the top rope and dropped down to get her water bottle. “I think I’m gonna go call PCW…I think it’s about time I got back to the ring…” She smiled, grabbing her cellphone and dialling. “Hello? It’s Stacy…I’m coming back…”.
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March 29th, 2018 – Pure Class Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Stacy finished her match and headed backstage where she was greeted by cheers and applause from the PCW roster. She gave a few high-fives as she headed back to the locker room, running a hand through her hair as she sat down to take a drink of water. She grabbed her phone from her bag and dialled her brother, waiting for him to answer.
“Hey, Seth? Yeah, I just got done with my match. Lasted all of a few short minutes. I think David Sampson will be as forgetful about tonight’s events as I was that night after Trauma 187…hah, yeah...hope it looks good on TV…” she said, stopping when she saw someone approach her. “I’ll…call you back Seth” she said, hanging up and tossing the phone back into her canvas bag and getting to her feet.
In front of her stood her favourite interviewer, Shane Dodge. He smiled and spoke confidently: “Stacy Jones, you just returned in style after not being seen in PCW for over two years since an injury put you on the shelf, many assumed you were retired, how does it feel to get a win on your first night back?”
Stacy shook her hair out of her face and drank some water before replying. “Well, it feels awesome. I didn’t know if I’d ever be back here, or anywhere. My neck injury was pretty serious but I felt my job wasn’t done. I’m probably the most talented PCW star to never hold a championship, I figured I needed to change that” she said with a shrug.
Shane nodded. “You just laid down a challenge, asking management for a spot in the Icemann Invitational. I have the pleasure of announcing that your plea was successful, it’s just been announced, you’re going to face Gerard Angelo in the first round this coming Trauma. How do you feel?” he asked, holding the mic back to the Archangel. She pondered a moment before answering. “Well, seems management have a lot of sense. I had a feeling they’d do the right thing by me. Gerard Angelo? I saw what he just did to Hiroshi Yukio and that dude is not to be taken lightly. He’s gonna be a great test of my skills when I get back into the ring.”
With that, she put her hair up in a ponytail as Shane continued. “You’ve been in the Last Chance Battle Royal twice in the past after failing to get past the first round, what’s different this year?” he asked. Stacy looked him up and down, suddenly stern-faced. “What’s different, Shane?” she asked, pushing him a little. “I’m different. I’m not some ditzy blonde you may see in other wrestling promotions. I’m not some gimmick, I’m the real deal. I’m not only a PCW superstar and veteran, I’m a trained MMA competitor, a business woman and a badass". She continued, a smirk creeping across her face.
"Gerard Angelo looks good in his Hollywood world, he has a great smile and a great look but at the end of the day, in my world, in this ring? He’s a rookie. He beat some Japanese twerp in the opening match of the show? Doesn’t mean a thing. I beat a guy twice my size in mere moments while he was showering those perfect abs and heading to catering for his lettuce leaf or whatever juice cleanse those Hollywood dicks are doing this week” she said with a chuckle before grabbing her bags and walking towards the door to the showers.
“I’m not here to make up the numbers in this tournament, I’m here to win, so you can tell Gerard that he’s not my Hollywood Hero, to me? He’s a good looking stepping stone on my way to that championship shot and my first taste of gold.” She opened the bathroom door and headed in, slamming the door behind her, leaving Shane Dodge to shrug to the cameras.
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Tick…Tock….
The time is running out on your winning ways Angelo. You may have just won your debut match and I know that you’re riding that wave of success and glory but this ain’t your movie trailer, this is reality, this is professional sport. We train for this every day and we work hard to put everything we have in the center of that ring.
You may be used to getting what you want, hot girls to fawn over you and bring you snacks, drinks and such but here in PCW, you don’t get treated like anyone special for just being cute or for winning one meaningless match. You earn your privileges.
If you want to be the next Kyle Shane or Justin Michaels? You have to bring every ounce of yourself into the sport and leave your blood, sweat and tears on that mat. Do you have what it takes? Show me.
At Trauma 229, I will walk into that ring and face you one on one. I need this win, I need to better my previous results and get towards that golden opportunity. In another world, we could be friends Angelo. This one though? You’re the obstacle that is unfortunate enough to be in my way and I don’t take prisoners on my way to my goals. If a broken neck won’t hold me down, then some jumped up B-lister can only be but a bug on my windshield.
Prove me wrong.
“Get out of the way” shouted Jason Carter, one of the arena liaisons as he tries to clear the corridors of people who seem to be gathering around and hanging out for no apparent reason.
It always seemed this way backstage. People seemed to gather to chat or drink, just taking up space, but this time, the paramedics needed a clear path.
A team of three paramedics pushed a stretcher through the parted sea of people on their way to the parking lot where their ambulance was waiting. On the stretcher was a redheaded woman, Scarlet Phoenix. Previously known as Stacy Jones, the woman had just had her first match back in PCW, supposed to be a comeback of the ages with a new persona and a new lease for life. A first round match in the Underground Championship Tournament against newcomer Q.
Needless to say, the incredible comeback did not go exactly as planned. The match started off reasonably well with both competitors looking strong, but something wasn’t quite right. Stacy could feel it from the first few moments, a stiffness in the neck that wasn’t there before the match. She put it down to fatigue and carried on with the match, able to give as much as she got until Q hit her with his finishing move and she collapsed hard onto the canvas unconscious for a few seconds but awake soon after and able to get backstage but as soon as she got through the curtain, she collapsed once more.
The EMT’s backstage rushed to her aid, trying to wake her and rouse her with salts and conversation but nothing was doing the job. Her breathing was laboured but still there. She was alive but something wasn’t quite right. Something was hurting. She was loaded onto a stretcher and strapped up, a brace put over her head for protection as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance which sped away swiftly.
EMT #1: “Support her neck, we need to get her into the ambulance and get a proper brace on it.”
EMT #2: “Aye, Sir.”
The ride to the hospital went by in a flash, much like the whole evening and soon enough, she was waking up in an unfamiliar bed in a ward somewhere in a hospital. Her vision was blurry and she could just make out the face of her brother, PCW star Seth Archer who was sat in the uncomfortable looking visitor chair next to the simple hospital bed.
“Aha, she awakens, how does it feel? You look like shit” he said with a smirk, looking down at her, hands in his jeans pockets.
Stacy rubbed her eyes carefully, the canular in the back of her hand making this task particularly difficult. She groaned as she tried to sit up and failed. “Euch…what happened? Where am I?” she asked, not seeming to remember much at all. “Did I win?”.
Her brother shook his head. “No dear, you didn’t…the fucker put you in the hospital, can’t you tell? This ain’t exactly the Hilton Stace…” he prodded her nose. “You took his finishing move and blacked out, the doctors think your neck is broken…you’re not getting back into that ring for a long time” he affirmed.
“Fucking excellent…” she muttered in response.
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February 2018 – San Francisco, California – Barrett’s Gym
The gym was closed on Sundays but today was an exception. Brian Barrett was a close friend of Stacy and her brother Seth and was fully on-board with helping her rehab her injury and get back into the ring, so bright and early at 6am, he arrived at the gym in workout gear, a large Starbucks coffee in one hand and the gym keys in the other. He smiled as he saw Stacy and Seth stood at the door waiting.
The street was quiet so even the passing birds could hear the audible sigh from Stacy’s mouth. “…You’re late Brian! We’ve been here for twenty minutes!” she said, adjusting the gym bag on her shoulder, her hair tied back in a ponytail, ready for the workout. “Don’t keep the princess waiting now!” sarcastically mocked her brother. Brian just smiled. “Wouldn’t want that, now would we?” he slid the key into the door and unlocked the gym, pushing the door open and turning off the loud intruder alarm which beeped twice more in confirmation. “Come on in, your majesty!” mocked Barrett with a bow and sway of his arm.
Stacy shook her head and walked in, finding a place to put her bag and proceeding to get her jacket off and start to warm up on the mats. Seth followed suit before climbing into the workout ring. The ring had a simple white canvas and black ropes, no branding like the PCW arena had but it did the job. He ran the ropes a bit as he warmed up. Stacy got between the ropes and joined her brother. She wore a simple leggings and sports bra combo as she assumed a lock-up position. “Come on then, let’s start with the basics.” The two of them locked up and practised some simple grapples. A few minutes in, Stacy took a moment and rested in the turnbuckle, stretching her neck a little, circling her head to test the movement. “How’s it feeling princess?” asked Brian from the outside. “Tight but getting there, I think I am back to full movement at least, it’s just gonna need a bit more practice” she confirmed.
Seth beckoned her back to the center of the ring. “Let’s try something a bit more you…hit me with those strikes!” he said with a smile. Stacy didn’t need to be told twice as she stepped up to him and attacked with a series of punches and kicks, taking him down to the canvas in seconds, whipping herself off the ropes and hitting an elbow on his chest before dropping down and locking in an armbar, squeezing it hard until her brother squealed and tapped hard on the mat until she released it.
“I think she’s ready…” Brian said through a chuckle as Seth got to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. “Hey sis, this is training, no need to rip my arm out of its socket!”. Stacy simply shrugged. “Not my fault you’re so easy to take down…” she said, with her tongue out. He ran towards her and she hit a picture-perfect dropkick and then got to her feet once more, laughing as she climbed over the top rope and dropped down to get her water bottle. “I think I’m gonna go call PCW…I think it’s about time I got back to the ring…” She smiled, grabbing her cellphone and dialling. “Hello? It’s Stacy…I’m coming back…”.
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March 29th, 2018 – Pure Class Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Stacy Jones: “That’s right ladies and gentlemen, The Archangel is back in PCW…and I’m here for one reason and one reason only. I’m here for the gold. So if you’re a Champion here in PCW, you’re on notice. I’m here and I’m coming. I hear there’s an Icemann Invitational coming soon? Well, I don’t care if the matches are already set or not for that tournament. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll put me in the brackets.” She said confidently with a nod as the crowd roar with approval.
Ace Anderson: Could we see another person added to the tournament this late in the game?
Jerry Andrews: Stranger things have happened Ace! We'll have to wait for the big announcement later tonight!
Ace Anderson: Could we see another person added to the tournament this late in the game?
Jerry Andrews: Stranger things have happened Ace! We'll have to wait for the big announcement later tonight!
Stacy finished her match and headed backstage where she was greeted by cheers and applause from the PCW roster. She gave a few high-fives as she headed back to the locker room, running a hand through her hair as she sat down to take a drink of water. She grabbed her phone from her bag and dialled her brother, waiting for him to answer.
“Hey, Seth? Yeah, I just got done with my match. Lasted all of a few short minutes. I think David Sampson will be as forgetful about tonight’s events as I was that night after Trauma 187…hah, yeah...hope it looks good on TV…” she said, stopping when she saw someone approach her. “I’ll…call you back Seth” she said, hanging up and tossing the phone back into her canvas bag and getting to her feet.
In front of her stood her favourite interviewer, Shane Dodge. He smiled and spoke confidently: “Stacy Jones, you just returned in style after not being seen in PCW for over two years since an injury put you on the shelf, many assumed you were retired, how does it feel to get a win on your first night back?”
Stacy shook her hair out of her face and drank some water before replying. “Well, it feels awesome. I didn’t know if I’d ever be back here, or anywhere. My neck injury was pretty serious but I felt my job wasn’t done. I’m probably the most talented PCW star to never hold a championship, I figured I needed to change that” she said with a shrug.
Shane nodded. “You just laid down a challenge, asking management for a spot in the Icemann Invitational. I have the pleasure of announcing that your plea was successful, it’s just been announced, you’re going to face Gerard Angelo in the first round this coming Trauma. How do you feel?” he asked, holding the mic back to the Archangel. She pondered a moment before answering. “Well, seems management have a lot of sense. I had a feeling they’d do the right thing by me. Gerard Angelo? I saw what he just did to Hiroshi Yukio and that dude is not to be taken lightly. He’s gonna be a great test of my skills when I get back into the ring.”
With that, she put her hair up in a ponytail as Shane continued. “You’ve been in the Last Chance Battle Royal twice in the past after failing to get past the first round, what’s different this year?” he asked. Stacy looked him up and down, suddenly stern-faced. “What’s different, Shane?” she asked, pushing him a little. “I’m different. I’m not some ditzy blonde you may see in other wrestling promotions. I’m not some gimmick, I’m the real deal. I’m not only a PCW superstar and veteran, I’m a trained MMA competitor, a business woman and a badass". She continued, a smirk creeping across her face.
"Gerard Angelo looks good in his Hollywood world, he has a great smile and a great look but at the end of the day, in my world, in this ring? He’s a rookie. He beat some Japanese twerp in the opening match of the show? Doesn’t mean a thing. I beat a guy twice my size in mere moments while he was showering those perfect abs and heading to catering for his lettuce leaf or whatever juice cleanse those Hollywood dicks are doing this week” she said with a chuckle before grabbing her bags and walking towards the door to the showers.
“I’m not here to make up the numbers in this tournament, I’m here to win, so you can tell Gerard that he’s not my Hollywood Hero, to me? He’s a good looking stepping stone on my way to that championship shot and my first taste of gold.” She opened the bathroom door and headed in, slamming the door behind her, leaving Shane Dodge to shrug to the cameras.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tick…Tock….
The time is running out on your winning ways Angelo. You may have just won your debut match and I know that you’re riding that wave of success and glory but this ain’t your movie trailer, this is reality, this is professional sport. We train for this every day and we work hard to put everything we have in the center of that ring.
You may be used to getting what you want, hot girls to fawn over you and bring you snacks, drinks and such but here in PCW, you don’t get treated like anyone special for just being cute or for winning one meaningless match. You earn your privileges.
If you want to be the next Kyle Shane or Justin Michaels? You have to bring every ounce of yourself into the sport and leave your blood, sweat and tears on that mat. Do you have what it takes? Show me.
At Trauma 229, I will walk into that ring and face you one on one. I need this win, I need to better my previous results and get towards that golden opportunity. In another world, we could be friends Angelo. This one though? You’re the obstacle that is unfortunate enough to be in my way and I don’t take prisoners on my way to my goals. If a broken neck won’t hold me down, then some jumped up B-lister can only be but a bug on my windshield.
Prove me wrong.