AfterBurn for Vertigo E31

[FGA Office]

Catch up with your favorite FGA grapplers on AfterBurn! Get their thoughts on the latest, their opponents, and other backstage happenings right here, only on AxxessNet!

[David]

In an area backstage at the Spectrum Centre, Spencer Burke is seen, microphone in hand, stood together with Lowri Moss.

Spencer Burke: Lowri, earlier tonight you competed in your second match in FGA, and you followed up the win you achieved in your debut with another victory. I assume you must be pleased with the start you’ve made here in FGA.

Lowri replies in a typically British understated manner.

Lowri Moss: Yeah, Spencer, I can’t complain.

She then sighs contentedly.

Lowri Moss: You know, I had a bit of an inauspicious start to this trip, when I got the name of my opponent wrong in something that I tweeted, referring to him as “Justin,” rather than Jason. That wasn’t my fault, though - someone gave me misleading information.

Lowri smirks.

Lowri Moss: Thankfully that mistake didn’t prove to be a bad omen, as things got better from there on, and after picking up another win tonight, hopefully I’m showing that FGA didn’t make a mistake when they gave me the chance to make this company my home in the US.

Spencer Burke: I think it’s fair to say that you’ve made a positive impression in FGA thus far.

Lowri smiles at Spencer’s statement.

Lowri Moss: I would like to think so - being part of FGA is a big thing for me. Wrestling has experienced a resurgence in the UK, but for any aspiring wrestler, there are still greater opportunities to be had in the US, and so I need to be over here competing on this side of the Atlantic, as well as at home. But while I’m happy to make the journey every other week from my home in South Wales, to get to compete inside the FGA ring, I'm not a wide-eyed tourist, who's just glad to be here.

Lowri shakes her head.

Lowri Moss: Like I said two weeks ago, prior to my debut, I'm here to be successful.

Spencer Burke: Looking ahead, we’re now four weeks away from Only the Strong Survive, and the Gold Rush Rumble. Twenty-one participants have already been announced for the Rumble, with nine spots in the match remaining; do you hope to be one of those nine?

Spencer’s question causes Lowri to frown slightly.

Lowri Moss: Who wouldn’t want to have the chance to become the next challenger for the FGA Undisputed Championship? Surely any self-respecting member of the roster would want to have such an opportunity - me included.

There is then another small sigh from Lowri.

Lowri Moss: But, Spencer, as you said, there are only nine spots in the Rumble remaining, and as I’ve only been an active member of the FGA roster for a couple of weeks, there are probably at least nine people ahead of me in the pecking order to fill those vacancies, so I think that come Only the Strong Survive, I may merely be a spectator. I’m okay with that, though - my time will come.

Spencer Burke: Well, if you’re not expecting to be a participant in the Gold Rush Rumble, do you have your mind on anything else?

Lowri takes a moment to ponder her response, before answering the question.

Lowri Moss: I suppose my mind is simply on trying to continue winning my matches, and then waiting to see where that takes me; I’ve now competed in two matches in FGA - against Ian Cross, and against Jason Hawk - and I’ve managed to win them both. Winning is a good habit to have, and it’s one that I would like to maintain.

Lowri runs a hand through her hair.

Lowri Moss: In fact, going back to what I said before about making FGA my home in the US, so far in my career I have got a perfect record in matches on US soil - although admittedly, you can count on one hand the number of matches in the US that I've been in. Nevertheless, I'm yet to lose a match in FGA, or anywhere else in the US, and I want to try to keep that record intact for as long as I can; I’ll keep training, I’ll keep fighting, and hopefully, I'll keep on winning.

Spencer nods.

Spencer Burke: Alright. Thanks for your time, Lowri.

Lowri smiles.

Lowri Moss: You’re welcome, Spencer.

The scene then cuts away.

[Lou]

Moments after Vertigo goes off the air inside Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, Ricky Valero is seen headed for the parking area backstage wearing street clothes and with his bags in tow. He is halted by FGA reporter Spencer Burke, who is nearly out of breath as he chases down the self-proclaimed “Franchise” before he exits the building.

Spencer Burke: Ricky--

But he’s cut off before he can even get another word in.

Ricky Valero: Why? Why tonight? Why attack Chris Bond after your match? What’s going on with you, Ricky? What have you become?

Agitation is written all over Valero’s face as he takes his eyes from the camera and bites the inside of his lower lip. He sways back and forth, breathing heavily.

Ricky Valero: The story is no different than when I bailed on Owen Gonsalves during our tag match a month and a half ago. It’s all about respect, or lack thereof here in FGA. Every person on the roster is a disrespectful schmuck! So how do you fix that? How do you garner the respect you believe you deserve under those circumstances?

He smirks.

Ricky Valero: You take it! You make people respect you!

Suddenly, Valero’s eyes widen as they are taken off camera. Stepping into the shot is none other than the the man he attacked, Chris Bond. Spencer looks over and sees Bond before returning his gaze back to Valero, only to do a quick double take. Bond stands there, glaring at Ricky.

Spencer Burke: Chris, moments ago Ricky said that you, and every member of this roster is a disrespectful schmuck. Any comment?

Burke moves the microphone up towards Bond’s face. Bond stands there, sneering at Valero. His eyes narrowing as he chews on his lower lip.

Spencer Burke: Chris?

Valero and Bond have yet to break eye contact. Silence builds, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Spencer Burke: Okay… Ricky?

Valero slowly looks toward Spencer before letting out a chuckle and motioning towards Bond.

Ricky Valero: The only reason Chris is this upset is because he knows his win tonight is an anomaly. He’s krill at the bottom of the food chain. You barely ever even know he’s here, and when you do, he’s devoured before you can even blink your eyes. He’s a little fish in a very big pond, Spence. His girlfriend has had more success rolling around with members of the FGA roster in one night than he has in his entire career.

Valero smirks, but it’s short lived as Bond lunges forward and smashes into Valero with a hard lariat. The two fall to the floor as Bond reigns down right after right, only to have Valero counter with shots of his own. Valero gets the upper hand and sends Bond backwards and starts laying into hard shots of his own. Spencer stands there, one arm folded over the other, the microphone resting against his cheek. Bond and Valero have both made it to their feet and exchanging lefts and rights only to have a herd of security and backstage personnel step between the two.

Spencer Burke smirks, standing between the two. Both men are screaming and clawing at each other, trying to get their hands on each other again. Obscenities and expletives are flying and both men are demanding another shot at each other. The screaming and shouting slowly fades out as both men are separated on either side of the screen. The camera zooms in on Spencer’s face, which is beaming with a little too much happiness.

Spencer Burke: Nothing surprising here, after their match earlier tonight… these two men have a bit of a score to settle, and from the looks of it… things are heading for a rematch… FAST.

[ChrisMadison]

The AfterBurn camera crew cuts to the parking lot where Jessie Pederson patiently waits near the exit door, hoping Torrance the ear of one of the night's competitors. The door swings open and Chris Madison strolls through with his manager, Frankie Morrison, standing by his side. The pair chuckle and slowly come to a halt as Jessie Pederson approaches, flashing that welcoming smile that breaks the ice.

Jessie Pederson: Chris… Frankie… I hope you don't mind but I'd like to get a moment of your time.

Frankie Morrison: Of course dear. For you; it'd be our pleasure to accommodate.

Jessie Pederson: Tonight, despite being out of action, you guys left a lasting impression. You got under Molly’s skin, poking fun at her alleged sweaty hands and while revealing that the committee has granted Chris another shot at the FGA Pride Championship. Is this a sign of the committee acknowledging that Molly has cheated her way to a successful title defense?

Chris Madison: Perhaps… In all honesty, I don't care what their reasoning is behind it. Could be that, could be my win over her on Vertigo. At Grapple Kingdom I failed. Molly didn't beat me, I beat myself. The writing was on the wall, I was just too caught up in this belief that two people could respect each other and compete to see who the better wrestler was. In the end, I had another opportunity to earn a championship here in FGA and I failed. Anyone with half a brain could see that desperation got the best of her and forced her hand. And now, after besting her in that beat the clock challenge on Vertigo, I forced the committee’s hands to do what was right!

Frankie Morrison: The committee made the right decision, that's all that matters; not how they came to make that decision. At Only the Strong Survive, Chris gets to go into this Pride Championship match, already seeing the hand Molly's playing. No more surprises!

Jessie Pederson: She didn't seem too amused by that gift box the two of you had put together?

Frankie raised his right hand level to his head while placing his left on his chest, directly over his heart.

Frankie Morrison: That box was all Chris’s doing… Swear I had nothing to do with that one.

Frankie smirked and Chris folded his arms across his chest.

Chris Madison: I just wanted to educate Molly that there's plenty of options out there to help remedy her excessive hand sweat that seems to be affecting her work in the ring.

Jessie Pederson tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, seeing through Chris’s sarcasm.

Jessie Pederson: You'd have to be blind to not see how confident you are about this upcoming match at Only The Strong Survive. With a win over Molly Reid at a recent Vertigo, I can't say that I blame you. But what if Only the Strong Survive comes and goes, and you come up short again?

Madison’s jovial mood took a quick one-eighty. He bit down on his bottom lip as one of his hands scratched at the scruffy beard along his jawline.

Chris Madison: I don't go into matches wondering about what happens if I fail. Losses come and go in this sport; it's the nature of the beast, but at no point should anyone be okay with failing. If Molly felt so overwhelmed at Grapple Kingdom that she had to grab my shorts for added leverage to secure her title defense, she’s in for a rude awakening at Only the Strong Survive. The committee should make arrangements to have a room reserved for her at Tampa General because I plan on breaking those hands of hers just to make sure she doesn't try anything again!

Jessie Pederson gasped, taken back by the apparent sincerity in Madison's threat.

Frankie Morrison: This never had to play out the way it has. We truly wanted the fans of FGA to be rewarded with the kind of title feud that Pride Championship belt was created for; the kind of title feud it deserves. But this went from two astounding wrestlers competing at a high level to a personal feud all because Molly's afraid of becoming irrelevant again. Her insecurities robbed the fans of what could've been. Now she has to deal with the mayhem of facing off with an enraged Chris Madison...

Before Jessie could get another word in, Madison nodded his head and began walking away. Morrison followed behind him, abruptly ending the AfterBurn interview.