Post by Danielle Basch on May 5, 2018 1:00:14 GMT -5
Black Tiger Martial Arts Academy
Oceanside, CA
Wednesday, May 02, 2018
Danielle Basch stands in front of a row of lockers in the women’s locker room, carefully putting her street clothes into one of the lockers. She is clad in a pair of loose-fitting white pants and a blue BTMA t-shirt, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, which falls over her shoulder in a tight braid.
She stares long and hard into the mirror, her eyes narrowing into an aggravated stare as a low growl rumbles in her throat.
Danielle: “What are you fighting for?”
She scoffs as the words spoken by her opponent echo through her mind, repeated by her own mouth as she looks away from the mirror toward the camera. And then, a smirk washes over her face as she gently shakes her head.
Danielle: You know, your cousin told me you had a tendency to open your mouth without thinking... she sure as hell wasn’t kidding about that. But then again, I’m not surprised. You see, so many people in this world are so wrapped up in themselves, they’re either too lazy to take the time to look at the world around them, or they just don’t give a fuck about anyone other than themselves.
When you first started showing up at the Training Center, I actually thought you were better than that. I had the impression that you had enough sense to not come into this company with blinders on. Looks like you proved me wrong on that.
She slowly makes her way out of the locker room, her bare feet stepping onto the padded floor of the academy’s main classroom. On the wall between the doorways that mark the entrances to the men’s and women’s locker rooms, a massive painting of a black tiger in mid leap seems to jump out, as if ready to pounce on anything that dares to venture onto the mat. The look on the tiger’s face is also present in Danielle’s eyes.
Danielle: So, you think you know me so well, do you, Kimo? You think that just because we’re both remnants of a company that’s been dead for nearly two years, and we have a common acquaintance in your cousin Alicia, that you know everything there is to know about me? Oh, you poor ignorant fool...
Now let me clarify... I’m not calling you a fool because I think you’re stupid. It’s just that I have never heard anything so ignorant in my entire life! Anyone that’s followed my career would know that I’ve spent the last TWO YEARS busting my ass, with little to show for my efforts in that ring. In the AWA, I was undefeated, never once having been pinned or made to submit. And then, just as the AWA brass was starting to reward me for my efforts with championship opportunities...
She leans against the wall, her lip quivering as if she is trying to hold back her emotions; it is an internal struggle that she is clearly losing.
Danielle: BAM!
Her hands slam against the wall, her voice echoing throughout the empty room.
Danielle: I found myself out of a job when the AWA closed down. Meanwhile, where were you when that happened? Where were you when I was wondering what I was going to do in order to keep a roof over my head? Yeah, I hadn’t been there more than a few months, but I still walked away from that company thinking that my dream was over before it even really got started. Meanwhile, you’re off somewhere, playing Hollywood.
She pauses, closing her eyes as she takes a few deep breaths. Eventually, the color in her face fades to its usual hue, no longer tinted with the red tinge of anger. Still, as she opens her eyes, they are full of disappointment.
Danielle: You know, for someone with the long list of accolades that you have behind your own name... black belts in multiple martial arts disciplines, multiple championships on both the amateur AND professional levels, you’ve got a lot of nerve assuming I’ve done better. Sure, from a financial standpoint, I’m doing pretty well for myself, but as far as wrestling goes, I’m nowhere NEAR where I want to be.
You see, I don’t come from a family of fighters like you, Kimo. I don’t have blood ties to the first and ONLY 5-star champion in AWA’s history. I’m the first member of the LeBlanc family to ever lace up a pair of boots. Over the last six years, I’ve been honing my craft, and even now, I’m not above learning new things in the ring. But two years of coming a fingertip away from championship gold, only to have it pulled out from under me time after time... I finally have something to show for all of my hard work, and that’s the South Bay Championship.
She walks over to another wall of the room, where a pair of framed pictures hang. One of them bears the image of a teary-eyed Danielle, clutching her newly-won South Bay Championship.
Danielle: Another feather in my cap? You couldn’t be more wrong. The swanky office with an even swankier corporate title engraved under my name? Perhaps. The Jaguar in my garage? Most definitely. But the South Bay Championship? Not even close. That belt symbolizes not just a goal achieved, but as a reminder that the fight doesn’t end once the belt comes into your hands. That’s where it BEGINS.
She moves away from the wall, moving slowly across the floor.
Danielle: Yes, my husband and I are at the top of West Coast Genesis as its two top champions, but anyone worth the ink on their contract that’s ever held a title knows that that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But if that’s all you see when you look at me, then you’re just like the crew of the Titanic, completely unaware of what’s beneath the surface.
You’ve been there; you know that as a champion, you have to prove... on a constant basis... that you DESERVE to hold that championship. You say it’s because the boss didn’t like you; that you weren’t one of his boys. But instead of just rolling over and playing dead, you should’ve dug in your heels and busted your ass to PROVE HIS ASS WRONG! But you didn’t, and now here we are.
I get it. You have a cause that you’re fighting for, and that’s admirable. But the fact remains that it won’t stop me from viewing you like I would any other opponent that I have faced off against. I didn’t get to be the longest reigning South Bay Champion with the most title defenses solely on my good name. When I started this journey at the age of 18, I didn’t have the benefit of a championship pedigree. I didn’t have the benefit of having blood ties to some of the greatest legends this business has ever seen. I was just a girl with dreams of gold, hoping one day, I’d be able to have even half of the success that my idol... your cousin... has had. And I’m far from done. Oh no... there is still PLENTY for me to accomplish before I decide it’s time to hang the boots up. This is my journey, not yours, and I am the only one that decides when I’ve reached my final destination.
She pauses, closing her eyes as her face takes on a more solemn expression. She takes a deep breath and lets out a quiet sigh.
Danielle: But this wasn’t a journey that I started alone. I had someone I loved dearly at my side, and it was a path that we had promised to take together. But fate had other plans. It fell to me to carry on, to live out BOTH of our dreams without him, and I can only hope that I’m doing his memory proud.
Her eyes open, but the solemn look hasn’t left her face.
Danielle: I don’t need to tell you the rest. You know that I’ve since found someone that is just as passionate about this business as I am, and we are focused on doing what we can to give back to the community... to the fans... that have given us their support. With Donovan by my side, I know there’s not a damn thing I can’t accomplish in this business.
So what am I fighting for? I’m fighting for the single mother that had to work two jobs to keep a roof over her kid’s head. I’m fighting for the kid with the dreams of making it big, even though everyone around him says he’ll never do it. I’m fighting because somewhere, a young girl will be sitting in front of her TV, looking at me on the screen and thinking that one day, it could be her standing in the ring, in front of thousands of screaming fans. I’m fighting for people from all walks of life, of ALL kinds of abilities, to show them that if they have the drive and the determination, they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. THAT’S what I’m fighting for!
She continues to stare straight ahead, her brow furrowed and her teeth slightly bared.
Danielle: Yeah, Goth may have screwed you, but just because you feel like you were cheated out of the International Championship, that doesn’t give you the right to assume that I haven’t worked just as hard to become the South Bay Champion as you have with all of your accomplishments. But hey, if it’s a fight you’re looking for, then rest assured, it’s a fight you’re going to get. The one thing you WON’T be getting, however, is my South Bay Championship. I don’t care how many times you come at me; I WILL knock you back down, until you finally get it through your head that when you try to cause a storm in MY waters, the South Bay Siren will drag you down to the depths.
I sincerely hope that you’re a strong swimmer... that riptide can be a real bitch....
Danielle suddenly takes a step back, then unleashes a nasty roundhouse kick that sends the camera spiraling as it falls to the mat. The last thing we see, as the camera lands on its side, is the South Bay Champion’s bare feet walking across the floor. The sound of a familiar male voice is soon heard, as a pair of larger feet soon step into frame.
Donovan: Ow! Did you have to kick the mount so hard? I think you may have broken it....
Donovan kneels down to pick up an indiscernible object, then nods his head.
Donovan: It’s broken, alright...
He stands back up, and now the only thing visible is the couple’s feet.
Danielle: Well, I wouldn’t be so fired up if Kimo knew how to count his blessings....
The low battery indicator flickers in the corner of the screen as the couple’s conversation trails off. As the battery drains to the point of automatic shutdown, the screen suddenly goes black.
END
