Devon Flash, one half of the OCW Undisputed World Tag Team Champions, Mass Effect, strides into the locker room, a confident grin on his face. He spots his partner, RyVaughn, sitting on a bench, head down and shoulders slumped as he holds his phone in his hand.
DEVON FLASH: Hey, man, ready to find the coward trying to slander our good names?
RYVAUGHN looks up, his expression stormy. He stands up slowly, facing Devon then shoving his phone screen in Devon’s face.
RYVAUGHN: Yo, where were you last Friday? Better yet, Why did you tweet that!?
DEVON FLASH: (frowning) Oh you saw that?
RYVAUGHN: (yelling) Bro, #MassiveBreakup was trending! You’re on X being a weirdo! Why would you say that?
DEVON FLASH: (half-assed) Look, Ry, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would blow up like that. People just need something to talk about, so they chose a frustrated tweet.
RYVAUGHN: You didn’t think it would blow up? You basically blamed me for everything! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? How that makes us look as a team when we already out here looking sus AF?
DEVON FLASH: (crossing his arms) I didn’t mean it like that. And you should know how social media is. They’re just looking for reasons to divide. We need to stay focused. You got a big match tonight.
RYVAUGHN: (fuming) Stay focused? How can I focus when my own partner throws me under the bus? I didn’t say anything about YOU pissing dirty!?
DEVON FLASH: (sighing) Look, I’m trying to apologize here. I just got into a battle with the trolls and let them get to me, but we’ve got bigger problems. You gotta whoop A-Mart then we need to find who’s leaking false information to KHASADA. That’s more important right now, you gotta see that, bro.
RYVAUGHN takes a deep breath, his anger still evident but tempered by the sense of urgency in Devon’s voice.
RYVAUGHN: (slightly calmed) You’re right. That’s a priority. But we are going to have to talk about that tweet at some point. You can’t just sweep this under the rug.
DEVON FLASH: (nodding) I get it. We’ll talk. But right now, we need to handle this leak. It’s damaging our reputation, and if we don’t stop it, we’ll be in real trouble.
RYVAUGHN: (accepting) Alright. Help with this stretch. But don’t think I’ve forgotten about what you said.
They both exit the locker room, united in their mission to find the source of the leaks, but the unresolved tension between them hangs in the air as the scene fades to black.
Returning from the commercial break, the camera focuses on Blaine backstage.
Blaine: Whoever interrupted me last week. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don’t do that.
Blaine takes a deep breath and exhales while the veins on her neck become prominent.
Blaine: To all the fans that booed me out of the ring. You know I’m right. So many of you are nothing more than cogs in a machine, and the machine operates with or without you because you are all easily replaced. I, too, am a cog in this machine. And the opportunity to earn extra money does not cause me any regrets.
The crowd boos in the background, and a frustrated Blaine pauses.
Blaine: I got kids. Their college is paid for. I did what I did for my family, and I hope many of you would do the same!
Blaine: I didn’t cry and complain about the unfairness of it all. I didn’t bitch and moan about the opportunities! I have a particular set of skills, and I have used them.
The crowd boos again, but perhaps a few less this time.
Blaine: And I will use them again. I’ve got a house to pay off. I have places I want to travel to and dreams to fulfill. So do all of you. You could be like me. But maybe that would require too much self-awareness. Maybe it would require too much self-sacrifice. There are too many late nights in the gym and too many early morning coffee runs. No, maybe some of you don’t have the drive to be like me. But I wish you did.
Blaine walks out of camera view.
We cut backstage to a shoddily assembled beach area, seemingly set up for a Summercide photoshoot. A few photographers and production people are milling around, quietly going about their business when a rambunctious Pole smashes his way into the scene, shattering the serenity.
Werner Vonte: The star have arrived! Photo time - the man who main eventers Summercide! Right here! Get my good side
The photographers don’t even look up from their laptops as Vonte tries to get their attention
Vonte: Hallo! Photo man? I know you see me!
One of the photographers looks up at him and lets out a huge sigh. He picks up a clipboard and walks over to Werner
Photographer: OK, what’s the name?
Werner lets out a massive hearty chuckle. The photographer shoots him an impatient look while Werner looks confused
Vonte: You know! It’s me! Werner Vonte!
The photographer remains nonplussed. Werner removes his shirt and begins posing, hoping the Photog might’ve seen his wrestling work. She shakes her head at him and looks down at the clipboard
Photographer: I don’t see a Werner Vonte on the list here… are you sure you’re needed for Summercide?
Werner looks confused
Vonte: Ha… Of course! I am Werner Vonte. The Warsaw Warlord! Biggest star in OCW today!
Photographer: …look, you’re not on the list, I can’t do anything for you. Maybe you’re not as important as you think you are.
Werner recoils, his face etched in both shock and agony simultaneously
Vonte: Was not very nice of you miss. Is true Werner has had bad start to career in OCW but…
He looks dejected
Vonte: … Maybe… maybe miss is right. Maybe Werner not on Summercide…
Photographer: Yeah maybe…
The millennial Photographer shrugs and walks back over to the other members of the team. She says something inaudible to the rest of the group and a small chuckle is heard across the room as the camera zooms back in on Werner Vonte who is apparently having a crisis of confidence. He looks down at the ground and lets out a large sigh before walking out of shot as Riot rolls on.
We see a montage of Sheldon Tremblay working on various training tools available in the OCW Combat Center as his Voice joins the montage.
Sheldon: How is the saying around here, the grind never stops? Yeah, I learned that the hard way. After having a main event match at the last Wrestlelution, I didn't even make it this year.
Sheldon: I was backstage watching all these people have the time of their lives, and I wasn't part of it. The spotlight slipped away from me.
Sheldon: I lost both singles titles I had in spectacular fast fashion and was gone from the main event scene in the blink of an eye.
And if that wasn't bad enough, I got betrayed by a former brother who vanished just the same after he slipped.
Sheldon: So what do you think I did? I kept grinding, learning, and getting in the best shape I had ever been. I traveled around and got training from the best coaches at the Catch22 Camp. Now, it's time to get my gold back, and I don't care which toes I have to step on to get there!
Sheldon stops his training as the camera pans to him.
Sheldon: John Carter, since I've been tumbling down the card, you appear to have turned a new leaf. Yeah, sure, sorry, but I haven't seen any proof of that.
Sheldon: Like I said before, getting your bell rung doesnt change a thing in my eyes! You may have made all around you forget what you were a couple of years ago, but I haven't.
Sheldon: And now you want my respect? Sorry, that doesnt work for me. You still have a long way to go. But hey, I give you the chance to impress me, so good luck.
Sheldon: Right now, I have my sights on next week's main event. So, Parca, next week will be the first proof that I won't ever let my changes slip away again, so you'd better prepare cause it will be worse than the last time we fought. So, be ready for the 2-0 cause I will be.
Sheldon grabs a towel from nearby and leaves the scene as the camera fades.
SINGLES WITH THE TAG TEAMS RyVAUGHN w/DEVON FLASH vs.
ANTHONY MARTIN w/PAUL HARRIS
