Subject: Even Unto Your Enemies Give Salt Sat Apr 23, 2022 12:25 am
“Even Unto Your Enemies Give Salt”
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Emmy was glad to take a vacation. The wrestling world’s hustle and bustle wore even on her and it was fine to relax on the beach without any stress. Sure, she had some important matches upcoming and had to prepare accordingly. Long, tedious training sessions and film study were always a part of her day, but she was never one to just keep grinding away. She worked hard for this lifestyle and she was going to enjoy the perks. A skimpy white bikini, a comfortable lounger, a big outdoor umbrella and a nice cold margarita. Not to mention a pair of beauties lounging in the afternoon sun beside her. She didn’t like to carry around her championship belts with her, especially in a place like San Juan where one could be robbed if they weren’t careful. But for this one occasion she brought it along with her, if only for a prop. She wanted to convey a warm little message to her challenger and figured an easy way to get under his skin would be to show off what he was after….and what he would never, ever have if she had anything to say about it. The Next Level Championship draped over her shoulder as she lounged around, she picked up her phone and started to record something for social media. Sure, the fans and simps would gobble it up and it would spread like wildfire, but she spoke for an audience of one: Jack Cole.
Hey, Jake…no, Jack. Jack, right? I just wanted to get a message out to you. We’ve been getting off to a bad start with some of the things that have been said in the heat of the moment on TV so I wanted to get in touch with you, touch base and clear some things up before we have our match. I heard you were in the gym that they shot the FIRST Rocky movie in and I think it’s awesome that you’re getting prepped for your first big title match like a professional. Me? Eh, I’m already prepared. I had a nice good workout in the morning. A friend of mine who may be on the way to Apex Wrestling sparred with me a little bit, all that stuff. Right now I’m just here on the beach in San Juan. Nice little resort I found that’s pretty quiet right now. Even managed to score some fucking hot company, but that’s not what you want to hear about, is it? You want to hear about what I have to say about what happened on the most recent show. You want to hear about how much I hate your guts and I’m going to come at you with everything I have to prove a point!
It’s 2022, not 1985. I don’t even have that kinda energy towards you, man. Shit, wrestling doesn’t have that kinda energy anymore. You seem to be mad about this match, you’re taking it personal as hell. Talking about how you’re gonna kick me in the head, do this, do that. But settle down just a bit so I can talk to you and be real with you, okay?
“Present salt even to your enemies.” That’s a loose translation of a Japanese saying about fair play, courtesy and sportsmanship even among enemies and rivals. It basically means that even in things like warfare, the playing field should be level. It should be your skill that should be the decider, not dumb luck. My banquet was just a way of symbolically honoring that adage. Honestly, if I had known that you were this salty about me being afforded opportunities that you yourself haven’t even earned yet I probably wouldn’t have even done it in the first place.
I disrespected you on purpose. Not because I dislike you personally. Hell, until you came out to throw yourself in the mix for a Championship opportunity I had never even seen you before in my life. I did it to test your character as a man and as a wrestler…and admittedly because I’m a bit of a bitch.
Look, bro, I get it. I don’t even have to do the “Insert Resume Here” spot because you did it all for me. Dreamscape this, WrestleWorld that, OWA here, Project Honor there. Trained by Carlos Rosso, winner of belts in three promotions. You played all my greatest hits for me so I don’t even have to. I appreciate that, dude. Seriously. I am somewhat disappointed that you didn’t mention the fact that I’m a UCLA Alumna and played Water Polo for the Lady Bruins but I’ll give you a pass. I’m just glad that you’ve done the homework on me and understand that what you’re getting yourself into isn’t just some random episode on TNT. This is the biggest match of your life. This is the one that you REALLY have to have, the one that’s going to put you on the map. And I already know how you’re coming and I have all the respect for you as an athlete for it.
You’re coming hard.
Pause……
But you know how I know that you’re approaching this match? Because I had a match on WrestleWorld that’s almost a mirror of what you and I have going on here. You see, I was once the cocky, relatively unknown wrestler who was stepping to a proven commodity. He took me lightly, disrespected me, even though I had beaten a dozen-plus people to earn the right to face him and even though I hadn’t lost in about four months before facing him. I’ve been in your shoes, scratch that, I’d never walk in your shoes because your shoes tend to be fucking ugly and lacking any sort of style whatsoever. But I’ve been in your position. I get it. You want me mad. You want me overlooking you. You want any and every advantage you can get your hands on before you wrestle me for the Next Level Championship because you understand that this isn’t some entry level job you’ve got on your hands.
Anyway, I figured that I would go on a little bit of a vacation before wrestling you. San Juan is a place I’ve always wanted to visit and I got the urge, so why not? I know you’re in a gym sweating somewhere, getting prepared for the fight of your life, but I stay ready. I’m used to matches like this, the highest levels of competition that this sport can offer, so I’m entitled to enjoy a little break here and there. You know though, Jack, there’s one thing about you that I don’t really get. You seem to be the King of ALMOST doing things. You ALMOST beat Arata Asakura?
Good for you. I’ve beaten him. Twice. And both times I took gold off his hands.
I’m not knocking you for losing to the guy, hell he’s beaten me twice too. But you talk about almost beating him as if I’m supposed to care. It’s not really my place or my style to just browbeat people about Ls they’ve taken and I don’t get worked up when people do it to me. Why bother? I have entered this business first and foremost to make money and if I had half the lack of credibility that it seems that you think I have, people wouldn’t be banging down my door or blowing up my phone trying to get me work for their promotions. You remember when you said that I was in OWA for a cup of coffee? Guess what happened…
They called me up to be in a main event for one of their shows. I didn’t beg for a spot on one of their biggest shows. I was chosen. And the team that I anchored won the damn thing.
Think about that.
I didn’t show up to Apex Wrestling to entertain myself. I came here because the people who cash the checks called me up and said “Emmy, we’re gonna pay you a lot of goddamn money and even give you the unique opportunity to be our first Next Level Champion. Your credentials are unlimited and we will make the price right for you to work for our company.”
The money means a lot, but this belt means even more. Not because of some grand vision that I have for it or that I want to be the cliched “fighting champion”. This belt is a clean slate. All the other championships that I’ve won had holders before me. Not a knock to any of them, certainly, but all of them had a distinct vibe to em, a flavor if you will. For the first time, I have a chance to set the tone, to create a flavor for a championship. Does that make sense? I hope it does. That’s one reason why I appreciate you coming out and running your mouth while me and Liz were celebrating our championship victories. I wanted to build this legacy and you, with your flash, audacity and skill seem to me like the perfect first challenger for this championship.
Understand something: You’re not going to be the LAST challenger for this championship. Because, you can talk about how you’re going to do this and do that, but you’re standing in the ring with someone who has already done it. I’ve been a World Champion. I’ve headlined shows everywhere from my native California to Mexico City to Tokyo. It’s cute that you work out in a barn and all that but I had one of the all time greats train me. I’m so great I’m opening doors for other women to come here from Carlos’s dojo to come here straight away.
The Platinum Standard isn’t a cute nickname I came up with on the beach one day. I earned it. Every droplet of blood, every lost hour of sleep globe-hopping and jet-flying from every major promotion in the world one after another. I’ve been in there with the greatest the wrestling world has to offer. Do you understand what’s being said here? I’m not saying I’m going to beat you because I’m better than you or that you’re some sort of joke who has no chance. I would be stupid to not view you as a genuine threat and if you’ve ever met a UCLA graduate you would know that I’m absolutely far from stupid.
So, go ahead, keep working yourself up and getting pissed off over petty shit if you want. That just makes my life easier, much much easier. I’ve made my marks on championships before, but the Next Level Championship?
It’s gonna be my legacy baby.
And you? You’re gonna be the first chapter in a long, long, LOOOOOOONG book about how Emmanuelle became the absolute greatest champion that Apex Wrestling ever saw in its history.
To paraphrase Tony Sunshine: You can player hate all you want. I’m still going to make it to the top. See you soon, kiddo.
And with that, Emmy stopped the video and tossed her phone to the side, taking another sip of her drink as the women on either side of her stretched out and basked in the midday sun. There was definitely an understanding in her mind that she would have to be prepared to fight for her life. She refused to get caught in the same trap that she once laid for Arata more than a year prior. She knew that kid would be hungry as hell and eager to make a statement. That’s exactly what she wanted out of him too. When she was in his position, she was composed. She picked her spots carefully. What her opponent didn’t know this time around was that she planned on using all that rage, all that motivation against him. She would use his own passion against him. Then she would party the night away in Next Level Fashion.
by MinaAizawa Thu Oct 13, 2022 3:46 am
Subject: Even Unto Your Enemies Give Salt 
