Queen Tamika; First of Her Name Pt.II (vs Lou's Client)

[Tamika Strader]

Our scene opens up in what appears to be a medieval-looking throne room, with crimson red banners with a single italic S in gold sewn into the fabric hanging along the back wall. Tamika Strader sits upon a regal-looking throne, a throne in blood. She looks like herself; however, she seems more determined than before.

“So glad you could join me; I am Queen Tamika, first of my name.”

She grins and gives us a wink.

“When I made my debut 16 years ago with my little brother John and then formed the Cowgirls From Hell with my big sister a few years later, I never foresaw myself as the Matriarch of the Strader family. Nor did I see me as a single’s champion in a promotion rich in history.”

“But here we are, aren’t we?”

She leans back in her seat, wearing a silk robe in her signature green, silver cuffs at her wrists and a platinum crown with red rubies on her head. The infamous family sneer chiselled on her face.

“You know my history here in OCW; helping Marcus out by competing in THE GREAT ILLUMINATUS, earning a title shot in the said match, and going on to win the damned thing. Who knew?”

“Secretly, deep down, I knew this was the wrestling gods' gift to me all along. I was always content being a complementary companion to my dad and Megz. Content with being the supporting cast.”

“Not anymore. I can’t be now with this crown upon my brow.”

She shifts to her right, the blood not even staining her Royal garb.

“What I have stepped into… I can’t tell you how dark it is. What daddy did daily to run this family business was a lot of heartless decisions. I always felt that anguish that resides inside my sister for having to follow in those footsteps,” looking down slightly to her right, her emerald green eyes slowly move up, looking straight ahead, “But I don’t feel bad for some of the choices I am gonna have to make soon. I am not the bloodthirsty, power-hungry person my father was while he sat upon this throne, nor will I be as cold as Meghan while she steered the ship.”

“It’s on me to usher in a new era for this family. A chance to clean up past ways and pave a brighter future. I am not so naive to think I won’t have to resort to tactics of yore to pull ahead, but it won’t be my only option at my disposal, making me dangerous. You know it, I know it, Thaddeus Duke knows it, and Marcus Welsh wishes he had known it.”

“Ahh, Thaddeus, you have been a difficult opponent in our slim negotiations, and we can agree that Marcus is the type of man that needs an overlord. Something myself or Meghan should’ve stepped into, but our goal was never control. What we have received in OCW? We earned. No unjust title shots, not holding anyone back, paying everyone their agreed-upon contracts, giving the staff access to free Canadian Healthcare, making this place mean something to the point you snuck in securing fifty-one percent of the company we gave life back to.”

“We aren’t the bad guys here for once, and that drives you all a little mad. The fact that all we have done is help this company grow and make names for ourselves as tough competitors like this family have done for the last half-century. When given the opportunity, we have secured it. Not on a second or third try, or even a fourth. On our first. That’s the difference between any single one of us and Lou Pohl’s client, Crash Rodriguez.”

“How’s that for a segue?”

She sneers as she stands up from her throne, bending down and reaching underneath it. She pulls the OCW Craze Championship belt out and gently slings it over her right shoulder, her right hand grasping onto the front plate like its owner. Looking at it, her head tilts to the side, the sneer burning brighter. She looks back toward us, to Lou Pohl, and most importantly, Crash Rodriguez. #SaveCrash.

“When I won this belt in that battle against a better-looking version of Jason Mamoa, it was a dream come true that I never knew I had in me. I was always a tag team wrestler, but damnit, I was one of the best at it. I hold the highest percentage of the Cowgirls’ wins in the ring. I pinned for each championship run we had, and I never took the title-losing pin. I have always been a clutch player in this business, and why should that be any different as a singles competitor?”

“I learned it that March night in Dublin. I reaffirmed it on the island in April. Big Game Hunting was no fluke. Next is you, Crash. I can't believe you are a father. Trust me, kids are expensive. You have been chasing this title for how long? Three years? Me? I came in to help my sister get closer to her child, one of the most (if not the most) talented workers ever coming out of OCW, and I won it on my first attempt. Veronica showed me why she loved this place so much like almost everyone on the roster does, but no one can say they care more about it than we do.”

“No one. Well, maybe Zybala. But not you, Crash. You know how I know? Your tactics to get under my skin. Making fun of my Canadian heritage, spitting on the pride of winning something fairly, three-on-one beatdowns, and showing up on my own turf where my sister is fighting for her life, for her children and family. That was all a huge tactical mistake you made. You have shown me your hand, and it’s nothing but a river of fear that you know exactly what will happen at Reformation: me retaining and becoming one of the greatest Craze champions to ever step foot inside an OCW ring. This family has already done it with the Trans Atlantic, and we will do it again with this one. I am going to do it.”

She adjusts the championship belt on her shoulder slightly before continuing.

“But don’t worry, you’ll do something again too. You’ll once again come up short on trying to claim MY CRAZE championship. I have grown attached to this like I was to the PWA, BWF, ICW, IWF and Revo1 tag team championships. I have grown to love OCW like it was the PWA where my career began and where I sit in the Hall of Fame. I have zero plans to ever wrestle under contract anywhere else. The Strader Family? We are OCW forever, together like Mike Zybala painted back in the OCW Arena in Key West. I have this company's best interest at heart; part of that is continuing my reign as its Craze Champion, a champion the faithful can be proud of. Is it the Paradigm title? The TransAtlantic? The Savage? Or the Almighty OCW title? No, it’s not, but it’s just as important as any other title, and that’s because I settled it down. Dylan Thomas, Ed Houston, PerZag, The Stranger and Plethora the Perilous couldn’t make it as its champion for longer than a Cass Baumer silent fart on an elevator.”

“They showed it zero respect, tossing it aside for something none of them could attain, well, except for maybe Plethora but even he didn’t do it there. I believe you would do precisely that, Crash. Toss it to the side because the grass is always greener on the other side in a poor view of the world. Once your chase is over, will you be interested in making history? Do you know what the definition of insanity is, Crash?”

A smirk as her emerald green eyes sparkle.

“It’s doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting a different result, and I fear the insanity will set in. With parenthood, trust me when I say both of those will equal an absolute hell within you. I am not saying don’t show up; I am just saying don’t be surprised when my hand is raised in the air, victorious, again.”

She begins pacing in front of the Throne of Blood, it's continuously dripping, seemingly unable to touch her.

“See, Crash, there is something that’s happening that no one can stop, and that is the transition I am in… I am always going to be the quirky one who shits with the door open at your local McDonalds, but I am also becoming something greater than I ever thought possible.”

“This family, with our deeply rooted history in the world of professional wrestling, in industries close to the hearts of my fellow Texan and Canadian brethren… I have become the Matriarch of the Strader family and Strader Incorporated. I have been entrusted with not just my sister and father’s legacy but my grandpa William Strader's. The weight of it….”

“… it’s not for everyone. Many, including you, Crash, would crumble under the immense weight of it all. So that’s something I want you to think about,” she says calmly, taking a moment before continuing her thought, “I want to think about the amount of pressure I am under; my beautiful big sister is dying from something we can’t save her from at the stage it was discovered. I am the head of a corporation that has its hands in a variety of industries, including a brand new media company called ATB Entertainment, and not only am I in a legal battle with the same company I helped return to the top of the wrestling food chain I am defending one of its oldest, most storied championships in OCW. Did you know Mike Zybala introduced the Intercontinental title back as the Craze when he was commissioner? Bet you didn’t.”

“But do you see me sweating?”

“No, I didn’t think so.”

Her pacing stops as she sits back down on her Throne of Blood, laying the title belt across her abdomen for all to see. Her sneer continues its burn.

“On Sunday, our quips will come to an end. Our cheap shots (or rather, both of yours) will also come to an end. Thaddeus would have you think it’s the Duke era in OCW when in reality? It’s continuing to build the Strader legacy into something more.”

“See ya Sunday, Toots.”

We fade on the sneering face of the Craze Champion.

(off-camera)

Tamika sighs as she looks around at all the Hollywood like green-screens as she steps down from the filming area. She takes the time to thank and shake the hand of the crew members before she heads to her dressing room. Behind closed doors, she falls back into her chair in front of the vanity mirror table where her make-up was done. She places the crown on the table, and even though it’s a prop, she feels its weight.

“Ok, Meeks. First, you deal with Crash and Lou, then it’s time to focus on Thad,” she says to herself out loud. “It’s your time now, time to show everyone who Tamika Anne Strader truly is.”

No sooner does she say those words she feels her phone vibrate. Pulling it out, she smirks seeing the caller ID. She answers the call with a wide smile.

“Mike, how are you? Oh, I am good, thanks. So you got my message, I take it? Right. Yes, I am definitely interested. I am going to spend some time with my sister, but I will be in Pennsylvania Sunday morning. Ok, great. Take care of that leg. See you then.”

She opens her contacts, selects Meghan Strader, and hits call.

“Megz, the meeting is set. Yep. It begins. I will be back at the house soon. Love you too.”