Judy Punchinello was sitting alone in the SHOOT Epicenter craft services room – a long line of tables featuring luke-warm tortillas, Swedish meatballs, and artichoke dip sat behind her as she looked up at the CCTV attached to the wall in front of her, which is tuned to the Lexi Gold and Void matchup.

Clearly not interested in the match, Judy takes the opportunity to stand up and serve herself up some food.

As she does, a familiar voice calls out from the other side of the room where the entrance out to the hallway was.

Laura Seton: You alone?

Judy looks up and instinctively closes her eyes with a wince.

Judy Punchinello: In the literal sense of the word, yes. I suppose I am, alone, at this moment in time. Did you bring your posse to rough me up and humiliate me by dousing me in lukewarm artichoke dip?

Laura looks confused.

Laura Seton: What posse? Pretty sure you would have met them by now…

Judy completes filling her plate up with food, undeterred by Laura’s appearance as she sits back down and gestures to Laura to join her.

Judy Punchinello: It was a joke, princess… You here for the food or here for me?

Laura Seton: You, actually.

Judy begins getting defensive as Laura makes her way over.

Laura Seton: Ease up, Hoss. Goal isn’t to fight you.

Judy Punchinello: Then what is your goal?

Laura walks over, gently handling the Rules of Surrender championship in the process.

Judy Punchinello: If you’re here to rub it–

Laura Seton: Not the intention either.

She sits and the two look each other in the eye.  Judy’s look is as tense as ever while Laura’s… isn’t.

Laura Seton: This isn’t about insults. It’s not about “I’m better than you.”  I just… I know we’re never going to like each other, but?

Judy Punchinello: …but?

Laura Seton: You’re one hell of an opponent.

Judy rolls her eyes. 

Judy Punchinello: Ah, the participation trophy, honor just to be nominated speech. I can soothe my own wounded ego, Laura, I don’t need you to do that for me. Besides… I’ve already moved on to other priorities.

Laura sighs as she looks up at the TV screen as the ring is being cleared for the night’s main event. She stands as she speaks.

Laura Seton: You do you, Judy.  I wanted to have a moment, just one, of niceties, but never mind.  Be fine here without a championship.  No group to co-lead.  All alone with nothing.

Judy grabs the remote for the CCTV that had been sitting in front of her and turns off the feed. now finally giving Laura her full attention.

Judy Punchinello: Here’s the thing, Laura. I TRIED nice. I TRIED being friendly. I TRIED being a ‘team’ player and you know what it got me? Laughed at. 

Laura goes to interject but Judy cuts her off.

Judy Punchinello: No no no. You wanted to come here to talk to me? REALLY talk to me, Laura? Then here it is… growing up I was smart – got good grades – but I didn’t get along with people so well – got in a lot of fights because it’s always the outcast who ends up getting dragged down. And by God they sure accomplished their goal. I wanted to go to University; but all they cared about was how many kids I beat up in secondary school, so I get the only job I can – a barback – at shitty dive clubs where men ogled my breasts, slapped my ass, and wanted to be given the Nobel Prize for being “complementary. The only thing that kept me from drinking myself into an early death was not wanting to give those Chavs the satisfaction of seeing how angry – how worthless their “complements” made me feel.

Laura’s expression falters.

Judy Punchinello: Then by sheer dumb fuck luck I get into a wrestling school run by a legitimate icon of the business but once again get laughed at – told to ‘play the part’ and take my licks because “that’s the business, Judy” and so then I wind up in SHOOT and I have to carry this dumb-as-rocks tag-along who doesn’t know her ass from her elbow and lose match after match until I randomly get placed with two other actually talented women and think – FINALLY – here is my chance. But then I get laughed at AGAIN. I get angry AGAIN and do something stupid… AGAIN. And then I get cut from this company. But “don’t worry” I thought … surely SOMEONE will step forward and defend me. After all, that’s what teammates did, right? What FRIENDS did. But after days turned into weeks I knew that despite all the pomp and circumstance, all the niceties as you called them, at the end of the day, even after ‘playing the part’ I was still just the butt of the joke.

Judy hits her hand on the table in a mix of frustration and exhaustion and then just lets her body sag and throws up her hands.

Judy Punchinello: So, yes, Laura, Ms. Basketball prodigy, WNBA star, Mom of the Year, former World Champion, future Hall of Famer… I get why you keep wanting us to be “nice” to each other… but the least you can fuckin’ do is make an attempt to understand why “nice” is the four-letter word that offends me the most. So… let’s start over, hmm?

Judy looks to Laura and gestures for her to continue.

Judy Punchinello: What was it you came to see me about?

Laura Seton: I’d like to see you happy. I really would, that’s not empty nonsense; it’s legit. But the more you lash out the more you’re going to just keep driving people away. If that’s what you want, which you must since you keep living the way you do, then I’ll leave you alone. But I just you promise me one thing.

Judy looks on, interested.

Laura Seton: If nothing else happened in my career here in SHOOT, I still think I could retire happy, but I’ve also made no mistake about why I came back: to win the Heavyweight Championship here. You, Judy? I have no idea what your goals ultimately are… but I am willing to bet even if you did somehow make it to the top spot in this company, you’d still be as angry and miserable as you are now.

Judy watches as Laura reaches over and turns the CCTV back on as RAIKO and Chick Grillbreast begin to make their entrances and she begins to leave the table.

Judy Punchinello: What’s the promise?

Laura Seton: Get there. And then prove me wrong when we find ourselves across from each other again in the ring.

Laura crosses her arms as Judy tries to process what Laura just said, but ultimately nodding with seems to be a genuine smile. Laura nods back and makes her way out.

Laura Seton: Hope to see you again sooner rather than later, Judy.

Judy Punchinello: Don’t worry. You will.

Laura finally leaves the green room while Judy turns her attention back to the main event, a smile still on her face.