Rights Of Passage (Mari, Invite)

[rbn]

The second installment of Glitter for June comes on the air, and the fans were pumped for another action packed show. Much to their chagrin though, the show would start off with the appearance of Ina Morifuji and Bull Nagano. Draped over their shoulders once again were the XWA Sapphire Titles. The pair make haste to the ring, as their was a lot of things on their plate. As usual, Ina beckons for a mic and begins.

Last week, Nagano-San and I righted a very unfortunate wrong. We took back what was rightfully ours, the XWA Sapphire Titles. And in doing so, we once again proved without a shadow of a doubt that no matter how far one Ms. Kim Hunter thinks she's come along, we will always...ALWAYS...be her superior. So now she can fester in that 2nd rate XCW company knowing that once again we upstaged her. Something that's become a trend when it comes to her and us. However, there are more important, pressing matters we are here to tend to. Last week was a bitter sweet moment for the both of us. While we did manage to put Hunter in her place finally, it would seem that a new development has unfolded. A worthy, competent challenger who has done something that very few women in this industry has. That woman is Marisol Cardinale.

The fans burst in cheer for the feisty latina.

Travis: It wasn't easy, but Mari showed the world that she's definitely upped her game in actually beat Bull Nagano last week. And what's more is she did it solo.

Lucy: An impressive win it was, Travis.

Last week, you proved your point. But not at all in the fashion you most likely hoped. You came out here boasting as if you were going to upstage and dominate. As if you were going make an example of the Onyx Champion, whereas the only example made was the fact that it took everything you had to beat her. It took you digging deeper into yourself that you ever have in your career to best Nagano-San, and even then you just barely did it. There is zero margin of era needed to defeat her. Last week, you succeeded. The question I ask is can you repeat that performance when it counts? I don't need to speak about your history in title matches, Mari. How many times has it been that you've surged and shined and rose to the top of the heap, only to be knocked off when it's all on the line? Winning a match, and winning a TITLE match are to different things. It takes a bit more to win a title match. And if your best is what we saw last week, I highly doubt you'll have the same results come Soul Survivor. You'll need to turn it up even higher then what we saw last week. The question is CAN you turn it up higher? We'll just have to find out.

Ina continues.

But Marisol's not the only bit of business we have tonight. No. I have some unsettled, unfinished business of my own. At the season premiere, I faced an old rival of mines one on one. That woman is Heather Fierhart. Little be it known to all of you Gaijins, but Heather and I have crossed paths before overseas. And by crossed paths, I mean in the ring. In the ring of Neo JOSHI. As many of you recall, Heather defeated me in our 1st match against each other on American soil. And I've not forgotten about that fact. However, now that the Sapphire Title situation is firmly handled, the time has come for me to pay Ms. Fierhart back, and avenge that loss. But their's another woman I'm familiar with from Japan who I know also most likely wants to avenge a loss to "The Queen", and that's Anjelyka. If she's any bit as sick and tired of Heather as I am, what I propose for tonight is right up her alley...

Before she could continue, she was cut off by the entrance theme of Marisol Cardinale.

Travis: Looks like she's gonna have to hold that thought. Here come Mari!

[Marisol Cardinale]

"Beautiful Liar" begins to play, and Marisol steps out from backstage looking confident as usual. So much so that she actually makes her way to the ring, high-fiving the fans along the way as she stepped inside of the squared circle despite there being two potential hostiles awaiting her. With a mic in her hands she waved to the crowd of thousands inside of the arena, then turned her attention to the Japanese duo.

Ina, that's just the kind of reaction that I would have expected to hear from you after last week. Last week when we stood in this ring, there were only two people in the entire arena that didn't think that I was good enough to beat your friend over there, and sure enough they're the same two people who now all of the sudden change the subject to "winning when it counts" the second they were proven wrong.

Shaking her head, she continues...

You're right though. I have yet to win "the big one". It's the one thing that's slipped through my fingertips time and again...but there's another thing that you were correct about as well. The fact that I proved my point. Last week in the middle of this ring I pinned Bull Nagano 1-2-3.

You can say whatever you want about me digging deep to score the win or whatever else you want to come up with, but the fact of the matter is that everything I had, everything I gave last week was more than Bull could handle last week. I don't quite recall ever saying that I was going to dominate anyone though Ina. What I did say was that Bull Nagano was going to be stepping into the ring with the greatest challenger she's faced yet on American soil, and once again....just as you said...I proved my point.

Rose: That's one confident woman right there, every right to be so.

But last week Bull...was last week. That's been put in the record books now, so now we move on and look forward, and believe me when I say that I am looking forward to Soul Survivor. I know that you're going to go into that match at your best...even better than you were last week, or maybe even this week...and that I'm going to have to find a way to surpass that yet again. What I also know though, is that at Soul Survivor I'm going up against an opponent that's even bigger and stronger than you'll ever be.

Fate.

The fate of not being able to capture the Pearl or Diamond Titles when I had the chance. The fate of being the only of The Sensationals to have not yet won a title here in the XWA. The fate of having to wait again for another chance at something that I crave more than you can ever imagine. That fate is just as much in my hands as it is in yours, and I intend on controlling that fate in Chicago.

The fans were clearly and loudly behind the challenger.

Now, as far as tonight goes...I'm ready for action. I don't know what you have planned here, but I'm not in the mood to wait for the PPV to get it on, and the more I think of it, the more I'd enjoy the prospect of seeing just what YOU can do as well, Ina.

[rbn]

Ina responds.

Seeing what I can do in the ring? Surely you jest. No, wait...you don't. Seeing as you fall into the category of competitors who pays little to no mind to anything outside of your own circle, I'd perfectly expect that you know nothing of what I've done here in XWA. Wins over the likes of Chloe Lockheart, Sayuri Irabu and Three former champions in Anjelyka, Sara Beck and Ashley Diamond. You see, while I've not wrestled as many singles matches as you, I go for quality in my conquests, not quantity. Don't think I don't see through your sad attempt to try and coax me into a match. Such a shallow attempt to pad your own ego. If, and I do stress if...you can manage to defeat Nagano-San for the Onyx title, maybe...just maybe I might entertain the idea of facing you, because then you'd have something worth facing you for. Until then, I have nothing to gain in such a contest.

The fans openly boo Ina's condescending words.

Come now. Surely you people can't possibly this naive. The entire reason why this woman even stands before us is her yearn to grand stand. To be in a spotlight she can't seem to keep shining on her. She could have just as easily made a "friendly" challenge to her stable mate Amber Gianni for the Pearl Title. What an interesting match that would have been, eh? The prized student of Sara Warfield vs. the prized student of Unenokoji-Sama. Jenna Slade had no problem upstaging her running mate Channelle last week winning the Pearl Title. It could have just as easily been you. But no. Heaven forbid you actually do something that monumental as challenging your friend. No, instead you look to challenge Nagano-San. Not because you actually want the Onyx Title, but because you want A Title. Whereas there are women in this company who have remained relevant without so much as even being in a title match, you like so many other predicate your success on a 15 pound slab of leather and gold. Typical.

Bull leans over and whispers something in Ina's ear that brings a smile to her face.

Well, it seems that Nagano-San has an idea for tonight. One that I think will make things quite interesting. Since as you said you are "ready for action", she informed me that tonight, you and her will be making use of the not so little accessory hanging over the ring as we speak. A Steel Cage match. A match where there will be no pinfalls, or submissions. Only escaping the cage is the means to victory. Let's see how "fate" fares for you tonight, eh?

Travis: Mari and Bull inside of a Steel Cage? You think that's wise? I mean Mari's shown she knows her way around one of those things. She wouldn't be a two time Boot Camp match winner if she wasn't.

Lucy: That's true, but it also just so happens to be Bull's specialty. I've had the privilege of seeing her compete in Japan in Cage matches, and it's like being locked in one with a feral lion that hasn't eaten in days. Mari impressed last week, no question. But she's definitely going to need to step it up another level is she's going to make it to Soul Survivor in one piece.

[Marisol Cardinale]

Do you want to know something, Ina? The more I listen to you banter on, the more I realize that I'm the one who'd have nothing to gain in ever stepping in the ring against you. Once again, the only thing that comes out of your mouth is either talking yourself up or talking others down. And you have the nerve to call me typical?

She shakes her head.

I'll be honest right here and right now Bull, I may not be too fond of how you carry yourself, but that doesn't mean that I don't respect you. That's a whole lot more than I can say for your buddy here however. At least you let your actions speak for themselves. You seem to be total opposites, the one who doesn't say much is the one who's actually accomplished more than a few scattered wins against former champions. About the only thing you have going for you though Ina, is being the front runner for the "Shut Up Bitch" award, and that's a feat in and of itself considering the other loudmouths we have here.



So now, let's see here. Tonight's a steel cage match, hmm...and one where you only need to escape to win at that? Now, a cynical person would see that just as an easy way to get a win back on me after losing a fair match the week before, but I'm not going to go there. All I am going to say is that if that's how you want to do things tonight, that's just fine with me. I'm done talking...because that still seems to be all that your good for Ina.

Bull, once again tonight, we'll see who's actions speak louder.

And with that, shaking her head once again, Mari steps out of the ring.

Rose: Doesn't look like Mari's the least bit phased at the idea of being in a Cage with a Bull, does she? You can say what you want about Bull's power, but Marisol is confident and most importantly competent. I can't tell from Bull's expression, but if she's thinking any way similar to Ina, she's going to be in for another defeat if she continues to underestimate her opponent, or overestimate herself.

As Travis talked, Mari looked back towards the ring one last time, first to the women inside of it, and then to the Cage above it.

Lucy: Fate, actions, whatever the case may be we'll only know for sure when the bell rings...I think this'll be a good one.