Recognize.

PWN Unified World’s Heavyweight Champion Stephanie “Cloud” Matsuda is seen sitting in a studio, across from an interviewer from Sports Illustrated. The interviewer in question was a tall caucasian gentleman, who favored Ryan Reynolds a little bit. Matsuda was dressed in a blue denim jacket with a teal shirt underneath. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a bang in front. Her world championship hung over her shoulder as she had a welcoming smile on her face.

Interviewer: Ms. Matsuda, thank you for stopping by. I know you have quite a busy schedule. I just wanted to talk to you about your time in Pro Wrestling Nova.

Stephanie Matsuda: Sure, go ahead. I’m happy to be here, actually.

Interviewer: Thanks. Now you’ve held this championship for approximately four months. You’ve been WWH Women’s World Champion for seven months, and Wrestleworld American Dream Champion for two months. A triple world champion is something rarely seen in our business. The face of three separate brands providing three different types of wrestling. Then throw in your tag-team title with Aria Jaxon in OWA, and your recent ongoing run as WWH International champion - making you a double champ there. Where do you find the time?

Stephanie blushed and laughed as she scratched the back of her head.

Stephanie Matsuda: I don’t know, really. I just do what I can when I can. I’m blessed to achieve everything I’ve had so far. I just want to represent the titles I have with pride and prove to the world that you can achieve anything, as long as you’re willing to put in the work. It does get tiring, but with the world in a pandemic, my schedule outside of the ring is a little lighter than normal. This allows me to focus on my craft and to defend my titles.

Interviewer: Speaking of which, if you include your short-lived OATH Tabula Rasa run, you’ve won a total of six championships. In seven months no less! You won as many belts in seven months as you did your entire career up to 2019. This...is unprecedented. I’m sure with this recent success, it puts you on a level few can measure up to, which brings me to what I want to talk about. You have an upcoming match with the Mechanical Animals where you’re facing off against Brien Storm, Anthony Cross, & Kace Devlin. Any thoughts regarding your partners and the competition?

Stephanie Matsuda: Well, as you know, this is my first time teaming with the Mechanical Animals as a “golden trio”, though Jacob and I are no strangers to being a duo. `As for my opponents...definitely, my first time meeting them in the ring. As you know, half of my career was spent in women’s wrestling promotions and divisions. People like me, April Song, and Aria Jaxon didn’t get to showcase our intergender aptitude until later in our careers. Despite that, it hasn’t stopped us from achieving the kind of success that the “Empire Generation” is known for. Our opponents are from One Wrestling Movement, a promotion I’ve had my eye on. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to sign with them due to my current schedule. But it’s nice to see what the competition can do. PWN is opening up their doors to relations with other promotions, and that’s how it should be, ya know? Wrestling promotions shouldn’t be closed off to one another because of some inherent fear of losing value. Hell, most of us are signed with other places. Brien Storm definitely is a Twitter god though I hope his fighting is as good as his social media game. Anthony Cross is ever the beast, and Kace Levine is a name and face I’m still getting used to. 

Interviewer: What about Escobar’s comments on your lack of presence in the company and on social media. To quote him, he said “if you’re going to go out there and calls this company “your brand”, then you need to really step up and be there for “your brand”...especially when a bunch of little shits like Joshua Samson’s crew comes in and says that they are going to piss all over your stuff and you’ll have to like it.” Thoughts on that?

Stephanie gave a long sigh before speaking.

Stephanie Matsuda: While I understand Escobar’s frustration, there’s a reason why I’m the world champion in this company. You know it’s the same everywhere I go - “Cloud, it doesn’t matter what titles you win elsewhere. It only matters here!” I hear the same song and dance, but you know what? It’s from people who can’t do what I do. Do you know who doesn’t say that to me? Christopher Sabertooth. Sweet Roxy. Arata Asakura. These are the names of people who are carving out their legacy everywhere just like I am. I can understand Jake’s frustration because sometimes no matter what you do it feels like it’s you against the world. I have people all over who think they can take me down - and you know what? Some are successful. But even those people can’t do what I’m doing, accomplished what I have in a short amount of time!

Stephanie’s eyes narrow as Escobar’s words seem to have gotten to her more than she had let on.

Stephanie Matsuda: Who the hell is he to judge my commitment to this company!? This was one of the first places I’ve signed with after leaving Empire! My presence has elevated this title to do point where the powers that be are being extra careful about who I defend it against! The more I win out there, the more prestigious THIS title becomes! The face of your company..isn’t just the face here. Wrestleworld, WWH, OATH, you name it! Stephanie Matsuda isn’t just a PWN name - it’s a name interchangeable with modern pro wrestling itself. I created the blueprint for overnight legacies and now everyone is following my lead. It doesn’t matter what cronies from whatever promotion try to come for my head - the end result remains the same. I’ll send them running back to wherever they come from with me in tow because when I get there….I’LL TAKE THEIR FUCKING TITLE TOO!

Stephanie stood up and turns to the camera, walking towards it.

Stephanie Matsuda: I dare you - any of you! Try provoking the War Queen from your special little bubbles! There is no safe space on the battlefield! I ride where I want, fight whoever I want, and TAKE whatever I want! If there’s anyone who doubts that...let me know so I can roll up in your town and take the shiny thing that means most to you. Ask Sweet Roxy if I’m kidding. Ask her mother Claudia Michaels. Ask FM Young. Ask Renee Jonae and Jonny Cedrone. Ask Grime. Ask them if I’m fucking around!? I’m the iconic War Queen for a REASON! The triple world champion of professional wrestling...not because of hubris, but because, I’M THAT FUCKING GOOD! I’m tired of being nice to avoid being called the villain. It’s time I started flexing my true potential and I’m going to hold this belt for longer than people think and I dare ANYONE to try and take this from me. 

Stephanie points at the camera.

Stephanie Matsuda: Me and The Mechanical Animals? We just declared war on wrestling. Jake, I feel what you feel, sweets. Pop off, show them you’re not one to be messed with. It’s time for me to shut everyone up once and for all…

The camera slowly zoomed in on Stephanie’s face as she uttered her final phrase.

“Know it. Understand it. Believe it.”