Maya Hart stood in the corner of the ring, the women's championship draped over her shoulder, while the crowd erupted in a mix of boos and cheers.
It was fascinating how the crowd's reaction had shifted over the past few weeks.
Initially, she was simply despised.
But now?
People were passionately divided—some hated her, others argued about her, many rooted against her, a few defended her, and quite a few even bought her merchandise, eagerly anticipating her next move each week.
And in Vince Maston's words, that was pure gold.
Across the ring, Tracey Prince was a sight to behold.
The former champion looked angrier than ever tonight. Her blonde hair was pulled back tightly, and the warmth that once characterized her cheerful persona was nowhere to be found.
Not after what happened with Evelyn Sharma.
The crowd hadn't forgotten either.
Every time Tracey's name was taken during her entrance, sections of the arena erupted in boos, recalling the moment she intentionally snapped Evelyn's arm after their match. While some still cheered for her, the overall vibe was far from the enthusiastic support she once enjoyed.
Noah adjusted his headset at the commentary table.
"One week ago," he said with a serious tone, "Tracey Prince crossed a line."
Irvin nodded in agreement.
"She didn't just beat Evelyn Sharma. She went so far as to break her arm after the match was over."
Noah shook his head slowly, disbelief etched on his face.
"And now she's gunning for her championship back."
In the audience, the Hart family watched intently from ringside.
Stu Hart leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on the ring. Bret remained composed beside him, arms crossed, while Owen was visibly more animated than anyone else around.
Luke sat next to them, fidgeting nervously.
He was a little nervous, sitting with his uncle and cousins instead of Tony and Justin.
The referee raised the women's championship high for the crowd before handing it off outside the ring.
Then, the bell rang.
Tracey charged forward with determination, trying to push Maya back right from the start. But Maya, instead of engaging, circled around carefully, making Tracey chase her for a few seconds.
Owen frowned, clearly concerned.
"She's stalling," he said.
"No," Bret replied calmly. "She's just slowing things down. She knows she can't let Tracey get the upperhand early on."
Finally, the two women locked up in the center of the ring. Tracey quickly pushed Maya back and transitioned into an arm hold, twisting Maya's wrist sharply.
Maya winced but then retaliated, striking Tracey across the jaw with her free hand.
The crowd gasped in excitement.
Tracey stumbled back, caught off guard.
Maya couldn't help but smirk.
"She fights dirty," Owen muttered under his breath.
Bret rolled his eyes. "You cheered when Tracey broke Evelyn's arm."
"That was different," Owen insisted.
In the ring, Maya charged forward before Tracey could regain her footing, driving her shoulder right into Tracey's stomach. Tracey staggered back toward the corner, and Maya followed up with a series of forearm strikes.
The crowd booed loudly as Maya kept attacking.
The referee quickly intervened, warning her to back off.
Maya raised her hands innocently, stepping back slowly.
But as soon as the referee turned—
Maya charged again.
This time, Tracey sidestepped at the last moment, sending Maya crashing shoulder-first into the corner post.
The crowd erupted in reaction.
"Nice counter," Stu murmured quietly.
Without missing a beat, Tracey grabbed Maya from behind and executed a snap suplex, slamming Maya hard onto the canvas.
Noah jerked backwards on his chair, "She used Maya's move against her!"
Then she did it again.
And again.
The crowd began to rally behind Tracey.
"She's going for the shoulder," Noah pointed out.
Irvin nodded in agreement. "And after what happened last week, I doubt that's just a coincidence."
That comment made the audience shift uncomfortably in their seats.
Maya rolled toward the ropes, cradling her shoulder with care.
Tracey charged in aggressively, stomping right onto Maya's upper arm.
Maya let out a sharp hiss of pain.
Owen leaned in, excitement written all over his face.
"She's setting up for another attack on the arm."
Helen shot him a disapproving look.
"What's wrong with that?"
Bret, however, kept his focus on Maya.
"She's doing a good job of protecting it."
Tracey yanked Maya up by the injured arm, twisting it painfully before slamming her shoulder down onto the mat.
Finally, Maya rolled out of the ring to catch her breath.
The crowd erupted in boos as Tracey leaned back against the ropes, looking confident.
Noah raised his voice above the din.
"Tracey's really changed since she lost that title."
"She's furious," Irvin replied. "And when wrestlers get angry, they can be really dangerous."
Outside the ring, Maya shook out her shoulder, glaring up at her opponent.
Suddenly, Tracey sprinted toward the ropes.
Luke's eyes widened in alarm.
"She wouldn't—"
Tracey launched herself through the middle ropes in a daring suicide dive—
But Maya was ready.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Maya used Tracey's own momentum against her, slamming her back-first into the barricade.
Tracey cried out as the audience erupted in cheers.
Seizing the moment, Maya grabbed Tracey by the hair and tossed her back into the ring before climbing onto the apron.
As Tracey slowly got to her feet—
Maya leaped from the top rope, driving both knees straight into Tracey's chest.
The crowd went wild once more.
"She's really improved her aerial game," Bret said softly.
Stu gave a single nod.
"She's getting the hang of it."
Maya hooked Tracey's leg.
"One!"
"Two!"
Tracey kicked out.
Maya's irritation was instant.
The champion yanked Tracey up again and landed a sharp kick right to her stomach.
Then another.
Followed by a spinning back elbow that sent Tracey's head snapping to the side.
The crowd erupted, split between cheers and boos.
Maya went for another suplex, but Tracey blocked it halfway, then suddenly reversed the position and executed one of her own.
Both women took a moment to catch their breath on the mat.
The crowd clapped enthusiastically.
Noah couldn't help but smile.
"This women's division feels like a whole new ballgame compared to three months ago."
"No kidding," Irvin chimed in. "These women are really going at it."
Tracey was the first to recover, immediately targeting Maya's shoulder with brutal stomps.
Then she seized Maya's arm.
The crowd tensed up.
Everyone still remembered last week's shocking moment when Evelyn screamed as her arm snapped.
Maya sensed the danger too.
She kicked upward wildly before Tracey could fully lock in the hold.
Tracey stumbled back.
In a flash, Maya sprang up with a running clothesline that nearly flipped Tracey over.
The crowd went wild.
Maya followed up with another strike, then kicked Tracey right in the stomach and hooked both her arms.
"She's gearing up for something big," Bret noted.
Maya suddenly twisted down and slammed Tracey face-first into the mat with a modified facebuster.
The impact reverberated through the ring.
The audience went absolutely nuts.
Maya crawled slowly toward the corner, carefully climbing the ropes while still favoring her shoulder a bit.
Tracey struggled to get to her feet.
Just as she turned—
Maya launched herself forward, executing a diving crossbody from the top rope.
Both women hit the mat hard.
Maya quickly rolled through into a pin.
"One!"
"Two!"
Tracey barely managed to kick out.
The arena erupted once more.
Even Stu gave a slight nod.
"That was good timing," he remarked.
Maya looked worn out but resolute as she pulled Tracey up again.
Suddenly, Tracey slapped her hard across the face.
The crowd gasped loudly.
Maya's expression darkened in an instant.
She retaliated with a fierce forearm strike right to Tracey's jaw, then grabbed her by the waist and hurled her into the turnbuckle.
Tracey stumbled out, dazed.
Maya quickly hooked her arms again.
This time, she executed her suplex flawlessly.
No counter this time.
The crowd went wild as Maya hooked the leg tightly.
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
The bell rang immediately.
Maya rolled onto her back, breathing heavily, while the crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and boos once again.
"She retains!" Noah shouted.
The referee handed Maya the championship while Tracey sat against the ropes frustrated and exhausted.
Maya slowly stood and raised the title high above her head.
----
Backstage, Vince stood quietly near the television position, watching as the Apex Predators geared up for their match.
The tag champions looked as sharp as ever, even with the tension thick in the air. Jett adjusted his red open vest, while Axel rolled his shoulders repeatedly, trying to shake off the nerves before stepping out. Their golden sunglasses rested on a production crate next to the tag belts.
But Vince's gaze lingered on Axel a bit longer than usual.
Axel picked up on it right away.
The young champion shifted uncomfortably, then glanced over at Mark Rivera, who was standing nearby with his arms crossed.
"Do I really have to do it?" Axel asked in a low voice.
Mark didn't respond right away.
He just stared at him for a moment before giving a slow nod.
"It has to be done."
Axel swallowed hard.
Even Jett, who usually exuded confidence and swagger, seemed more serious tonight.
Outside the curtain, the crowd was already buzzing with excitement after Maya Hart's impressive title defense against Tracey Prince.
The women's match had once again surpassed expectations.
And now, it was time for another championship showdown.
Vince finally gestured toward the entrance.
"Go."
Before fully stepping out, Axel glanced back at the Gorilla position, where Vince still stood, partially hidden behind the curtain.
"Fans are gonna hate me," Axel muttered.
Vince stepped forward slightly and gave Axel a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"That's part of what needs to happen," Vince replied calmly. "Now go out there and make them remember you."
Axel stared at him for a moment, then finally cracked a faint smirk before heading toward the ring.
The moment Jett stepped onto the stage, championship held high, Owen Hart let out a loud whistle from the crowd.
"I still can't stand those outfits," Bret grumbled.
"You're totally off base," Owen shot back. "They look awesome."
Luke rolled his eyes at their banter.
"They seriously wear sunglasses indoors."
Noah, adjusting his headset at the commentary table, chimed in.
"The champions seem really focused tonight."
Irvin nodded in agreement.
"They better be. The Road Warriors nearly took them apart last week."
That comment sparked an immediate reaction from the crowd, and just moments later, the Road Warriors' music blasted through the arena.
The energy in the room shifted dramatically.
Animal and Hawk emerged, looking like absolute monsters compared to nearly everyone else on the roster. Their face paint made them even more intimidating under the bright arena lights, and their sheer size drew gasps from various sections of the audience.
Even Owen stopped his joking.
"Wow."
Bret kept his cool, but even he looked a bit awed.
"They look dangerous."
"They are dangerous," Luke muttered under his breath.
The Road Warriors strode toward the ring with a terrifying intensity, while the Apex Predators watched closely from inside.
The crowd erupted as Hawk climbed onto the apron, locking eyes with Axel.
The bell rang shortly after.
Backstage, away from the chaos of the arena, Lance Dawson made his way over to Vince, a document folder clutched in his hand.
Mark immediately picked up on the look on Lance's face.
"You got it?" he asked.
Lance gave a single nod and handed the papers over to Vince.
Vince opened the folder, his expression serious.
Inside was the finalized termination document.
Mark's discomfort was palpable.
Lance lowered his voice, almost pleading.
"Does this really need to happen?"
Vince stayed silent, his eyes scanning the pages intently.
Outside, the crowd's roar echoed faintly as the Road Warriors and Apex Predators clashed in the ring.
Finally, Vince signed the document with a steady hand and returned it to Lance.
"Yes."
Lance hesitated, his fingers lingering on the papers before he took them back.
Mark looked torn.
"It was just drunk gossip," he said, trying to reason.
Vince finally lifted his gaze.
"And next time, it'll be something serious."
Neither Lance nor Mark had an immediate response.
The shadow of the situation with Axel loomed large backstage. The wrestler had gotten drunk after the last show and had carelessly talked about the backstage fire incident at a bar. From there, rumors spread like wildfire.
Usually, something like this would lead to fines or a suspension.
But it was clear that Vince wanted to make an example out of them.
Mark rubbed his forehead, fatigue evident in his expression.
"You know the locker room's going to hate this."
"We'll see," Vince replied, his tone calm and collected.
----
AN: I am an unpaid intern, also here's extra long chapter. No chapter tomorrow.