Making History

Undisclosed Location
Monday, June 22, 2020

A wrestling ring stood as the centerpiece of an otherwise empty-looking gym. An open pair of doors gave a glimpse into the next room, where the only thing visible from the ring was the dumbbell rack. In the corner of the ring nearest to the doors, Ebony Arceri-Dickenson sat on the second turnbuckle, a black towel covering her head so that the only part of her face showing was the tip of her nose, where a bead of sweat had gathered. Her breath was heavy; clearly from a recent training session. As the faint sounds of conversation could be heard in the background, the drop of sweat fell from the end of Ebony’s nose. She smiled.

Ebony: Finally….

She picked her head up, letting the towel fall from her head as she stared confidently into the camera.

Ebony: Up until now, I’ve been dividing my time between PWN and NFW. It was a time in my life where I was openly criticized for something that many people in the wrestling industry do, but for whatever reason, my husband Ian and I were singled out. Well, as of the last NFW Pay-Per-View, that’s no longer the case. Now, all of my attention will be focused on PWN. And as a bonus, in just a few more days, I’ll be competing for a chance to be crowned the first-ever PWN International Joshi Champion.

She reached up, grabbing a section of top rope with each arm, then pulled herself up to her feet. Taking a few steps forward with the camera following her, she made her way toward the source of the off-side conversation, where her trainer Alicia Perry stood beside her husband Jason, both dressed in athletic gear. The gargantuan Jason stood with his arms crossed, an approving smile peeking out from beneath a neatly-groomed goatee that matched his jet black hair. Likewise, Alicia also looked on in approval, her long, wavy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Ebony glanced at the couple, gave them a quick nod, then turned back to face the camera.

Ebony: June 27 is going to be a busy night for House Dickenson…

She chuckled a bit as a smirk briefly crept onto her face.

Ebony: Now THAT is still gonna take some getting used to, but I digress. What I was going to say is that on the same night my husband once again defends his Horrorcore Openweight Championship, I’m competing for a title of my own. We could very well end the night bringing not one, but TWO championships home!

Ebony’s voice rang with enthusiasm as she threw her hands into the air. She paused for a moment, listening to her voice echo through the brick-walled facility before smiling, taking a deep breath, and continuing.

Ebony: Now, as I was saying, There’ve been a couple of times where I’ve come close to championship gold, only to have it slip through my fingers. And I for one am thinking that it’s getting kind of old. It’s to the point where it’s time I stop settling for getting “just this close...”

She held her thumb and forefinger about as close together as she could without actually touching.

Ebony: And start actually laying claim to some gold of my own. After all… I can’t let my husband’s championship belt take up ALL the room in the trophy case, can I?

She paused, leaning forward slightly.

Ebony: Just kidding. We don’t actually have a trophy case… YET.

She chuckled, but the expression on her face quickly shifted to one of seriousness.

Ebony: No… it’s time I started to prove I’m just as good in the ring as he is; that he’s not the only one that can grab that brass ring and hold onto it like there’s no tomorrow.

She turned her gaze toward her left hand, which she clenched into a tight fist as her teeth gleamed in the light that hung above the ring.

Ebony: People will look at me and see just another rookie; that I’m nowhere near ready enough to carry the so-called burden that comes with the territory of being called a champion, but I beg to differ. My trainers…

She gestured over her shoulder to the couple standing at ringside, who merely nodded in acknowledgement.

Ebony: They would definitely beg to differ. They have done their level best - or worst, depending on your point of view - to prepare me for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ve had title shots before, but a chance to be the FIRST name attached to a championship’s history? Those are beyond rare! And for someone like me, where the closest I’ve ever come to holding a championship is when Ian hands me the Horrorcore Championship because I’m better at packing than he is…

She smirked again, shrugging her shoulders as if to say “Well, it’s the truth.”

Ebony: I can’t even put into words what this means to me. To think that there are some people out there that want to poke fun at companies that even bother to have a women’s division, especially when intergender wrestling is the norm these days. It’s as if these people want to diminish the hard work that we do. I have always said that it doesn’t matter if it’s against women or against men, I would always put forth the same effort. That goes double if there’s a championship on the line!

There was a heightened intensity in Ebony’s voice as she spoke that last sentence. She paused, staring at her palms. She began to visualize holding the championship belt in her hands, biting her bottom lip.

Ebony: Arley Kirk has already seen what I can do in the ring. I may have come up short that time I faced off against Angel Kusanagi, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t earn the right to face her for the NFW Women’s Television Championship. A title which - had I won - I would have carried and defended with just as much pride as if it were a World Championship. But that’s in the past. I’m firmly focused on the future, and on the PWN International Joshi Championship.

Ebony walked toward the side of the ring closest to the camera, grabbing the top rope with one hand and holding the index finger of her other hand up in front of her.

Ebony: But I’ve only addressed ONE of my opponents…

She clicked her tongue, tipping her finger toward the camera as she smiled.

Ebony: Don’t worry, Miho...I haven’t forgotten about you. How could I forget about someone with such a championship pedigree! I mean, that alone is worthy of a nickname such as “Invincible!” But the fact that she would rather push her way through and earn her spot in this business on her own merit speaks volumes, and actually earns you a little bit of respect in my eyes. That said, respect only goes so far, and regardless of what I think of her, just like Arley Kirk, she stands in between me and something I’ve been wanting since the first time I stepped into the ring of a major promotion.

She stood with her hands on her hips, gazing at the canvas as she pondered the path that led her up to that point. The closure of one company, the matches where she came up just a little bit short in her quest for championship gold, to the present. Her gaze then shifted to the sky with a look of hope on her face.

Ebony: One thing remains true, no matter which one of us says it. Arley Kirk, Miho Li and myself WILL be making history when we step into that ring. On that night, a new champion will be crowned, and that woman will be the gold standard of the division. After Genesis, all eyes will be on her, not just because she will be the first PWN International Joshi Champion, but because every other woman on the roster will be looking to be the one to dethrone her.

As Ebony spoke, Alicia and Jason began to whisper amongst themselves in the background, careful not to let their conversation distract her. Alicia would occasionally glance at Ebony, narrowing her eyes in scrutiny and nodding her head.

Ebony: Genesis is where it all begins. It’s where journeys begin and lives change, whether for good or for ill. And if I have anything to say about it, PWN Genesis will go down in history as the night I lay claim to not only the first championship of my career, but my place in history as the first-ever PWN International Joshi Champion!

The sensation of footsteps making their way onto the canvas traveled through the soles of Ebony’s boots and into her body, prompting her to turn around. As she did, she saw Alicia and Jason Perry approach from opposite corners of the ring, each gripping the top rope as if they were about to enter the ring.

Jason: Hey, kid! Are you through flapping your gums? We still have a LOT of work to do before Genesis!

Ebony looked into the eyes of the 6’7” beast, who looked back at her with a furrowed brow. She then turned to Alicia, who arched an eyebrow as she stepped into the ring.

Alicia: He’s right, you know. Besides, you’re the one that said you wanted to spend more time training and less time traveling….

Ebony turned to face the camera, shaking her head as she sighed.

Ebony: You know, they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If what these two have in store for me is any indication, then Genesis is gonna be one HELL of a night!

As Ebony turned away from the camera, Jason entered the ring, beckoning her toward him. He gestured as if to prepare for a lockup, which prompted Ebony to slap her hands together before advancing toward him.

Jason: You want that gold badly enough, better be ready to hurt for it.

Ebony: Don’t threaten ME with a good time!

Alicia threw her hands on her hips, feigning indignation at her student.

Alicia: HEY! That’s my husband you’re talking to!

Ebony laughed as she locked up with Jason and the scene faded to black.