One. Two. One. Two. Left, right, left, right. The sound of heavy footsteps ring throughout the cavernous corridor of an arena. They are ominous, filled with the promise of certain doom for whomever is unfortunate enough to be in the way of their owner. A few of STARDOM’s wrestlers dot the passageway; some are in full gear preparing for upcoming matches, some headed to catering, and others answering questions from the media. As soon as they catch sight of the woman who walks in such a foreboding way, all eyes are on her. A woman whose bleached hair is unruly and plastered to her face by sweat and blood. There’s no real emotion on her face, just a sort of detached look which becomes sinister in its own right.
Just the sight of her causes everyone to give the woman a wide berth. Maybe it’s her actions over the past six months. Maybe it’s the sadistic way she just obliterated a rookie in the ring only moments before. There is a bit of blood splatter on the woman’s gear, dark red dotting the neon trim like some perverse modern art. Blood is never drawn in Japanese women’s wrestling outside of death matches, but this night’s been an outlier. As she passes by, whispered comments hum in the air. Much though this woman is loathe to admit it, tonight’s victory will just add another brutal chapter to her nightmarish rampage in 2022.
Honestly it doesn’t upset her too much. It doesn’t even give her the sadistic satisfaction it once did. All she can think about is that they’ve got it all wrong really. A few weeks ago, a few days ago even, she would have deliberately caused the girl to bleed. Today it was purely an accident. Yet her reputation precedes her now, and it’s being interpreted as intentional. So be it. Causing the girl pain had given the Black Peach a momentary rush to be honest. Despite her baser instincts telling her to twist the metaphorical knife, though, she didn’t follow through. The girl was out of her league and most of the match was just toying with her, getting her hopes up and then crushing them. Really, that just kind of made the victor’s stomach turn; was this really who she’d become? Merely a thug who made everyone shudder at the very thought of her?
She turns a corner, heading toward the locker room so she can get changed. Tonight also marks her departure from OedoTai. The stable of weirdos who welcomed her and seemed to treat her like an equal. In the end she felt more like they created a monster which she now has to face from within. A monster isn’t who she is. At least, she doesn’t think so. OedoTai had swarmed the rookie she’d beaten down, trying to cause irreparable damage. Despite the kid’s teammates coming to help, the numbers game was in favor of the attackers. Until, that is, the Black Peach got back in the ring and fought them off before a stunned crowd. A few words on the mic announcing she was done with OedoTai and she’d left in a storm of confusion.
Just before the locker room, she sees the rookie with her teammates. All of them freeze at seeing the walking terror that is the Black Peach. They square up and form a wall to protect their youngest member from what they think is an onslaught to come. But the Black Peach doesn’t attack. She can’t even bring herself to look them in the eyes. Instead she walks past them, eyes cast downward to avoid any messy conversation. Suddenly, the rookie steps out from behind her teammates and calls out the Black Peach's name. What does the kid want now? As the Black Peach gives the girl a side glance, she sees the pain on the kid’s face. Something comes over her at this moment and purely on a whim she walks over to the rookie. No fists are thrown. Instead the peach reaches over and pats the kid on the head, tussling her hair a bit. At last the feared veteran speaks, her voice just above a whisper..
<“I’m sorry.”>
Two words are all that escape her mouth before the other members of Queen’s Quest step in. Their younger members look ready to fight here and now. Meanwhile their newly crowned leader appears dubious of the Black Peach's intentions. Then there’s her former best friend, the woman she grew up with in Queen’s Quest. A friend who had a chair broken over her head by the Black Peach a few months ago. Now that former friend just looks at her with a complete lack of comprehension, and something else. Sadness? Longing? Their eyes meet just briefly before the former leader of Queen’s Quest, the Black Peach, turns and heads into the locker room. Her old friend’s pained voice calls after her.
<“Momo-chan!”>
But there’s no answer from Momo. She can’t face these women now, not after everything she’s done to them. Even if they would have her back it wouldn’t be wise to try. Momo is broken and battered. She’s no longer someone who can truly be welcomed back with open arms. Maybe she’s a monster after all.
This is Momo Watanabe. Apprentice to the Genius of the Sky, history making True Heart, former leader of Queen’s Quest and most recently the vicious devil who reveled in causing pain. Now? Momo Watanabe is a lost soul with no direction but ‘elsewhere’.
*********
It's been a few days since Momo Watanabe walked out on OedoTai. Rumors and gossip are flying all around the internet wrestling community. 'Momo Watanabe to rejoin Queen's Quest'. 'Momo Watanabe headed to TJPW or Ice Ribbon'. 'Momo Watanabe requests release from STARDOM contract'. These are just a few of the speculations about her future. Many take the opportunity to make comments about Momo in general. 'She peaked in 2018.' 'She's never going to break through to the next level'. 'Maybe she can be a mentor, but she's done as a star'. 'Momo Watanabe was never going to be an ace.'
All of these messages fly by as she doom scrolls through social media. So many of these people's comments echo the doubts in her heart. To have fallen from such a height as she has in the past four years is devastating to her. Maybe she really had lost the killer instinct, and that's why the red queen took what was supposed to be her place. But then Momo's not sure if that's even really the case. When she fought Syuri to her limits, Momo felt that fire again. It disappeared just as fast as it resurfaced, though. Then came that spiral which led her to being more feared than respected.
<"Japan Airlines flight 244 for Los Angeles is now boarding. Please have your passp-">
Her mental circle of self doubt is broken by the announcement. Momo looks up from her phone and notices fellow passengers lining up to board the plane. It's a mashup of a majority foreigners returning home and Japanese tourists heading out on vacation. Slowly she stands up and shuffles to the back of the line. With her bleached hair and oversized hoodie she stands out like a sore thumb. Honestly she really doesn't care so much about it; looking weird and being ID'd as a wrestler are two different things. If people just thought she was some weird artist or something, Momo could live with that.
She taps her phone on preparation to shut it off, only for it to rumble to life in her hands. Normally she wouldn't bother answering it. A certain former teammate has called several times and left a number of messages. Let her be met with silence, though. It's better that way. This by contrast is an unknown number, with a foreign country code no less. On a whim she decides to accept the call.
<"Yes? This is Watanabe.">
An unknown voice responds.
<"Watanabe Momo-san?">
<"Yes. Who is this?">
<"My name is Satou, I work for Paul Levesque-san.">
Her voice is detached, somewhat stoic but not disinterested.
<"Who? And why call me?">
<"Maybe you've heard of Triple H? He has an offer for you.">
Momo's face scrunches up as she wracks her mind for whatever information she's stored about the man. Honestly she's not too familiar with foreigners outside of female wrestlers. An offer might be pointless when she's about to board a one way flight to America. Triple H? She remembers that he's a wrestler, or was. That's about it at the moment.
<"What does he want?">
<"To turn the wrestling world on its head. He wants you to be part of it.">
<"You do know that I'm.. I'm not in the best place for that. He probably wants stars.">
<"I think you are one, Watanabe-san.">
<"Might be the only person who does. It seems like a lot of people think I've peaked already, and I'm only 22. I'm starting to wonder if they're right.">
<"Maybe you just need a change of scenery. My employer wants to offer you a contract to wrestle in America. We have no expectations of you beyond being yourself.">
It's a big risk. Momo has only appeared in the US once, during a STARDOM tour a few years ago. She knows that Joshi wrestling only has a small niche fan base outside of Japan. Nobody will know who she is. It will be like starting over from scratch. It also means no expectations for who she should be. Just as impulsively as she decided to leave Japan, Momo makes a monumental decision.
<"Ok. Where do you want me?">
<"Can you be in Las Vegas before June 24?">
<"I'll be there.">
She ends the call, then smirks. What the heck has she gotten herself into? Incredibly risky, unlikely to be fruitful, but.. it sounds like fun. And fun is something Momo Watanabe hasn't experienced in a long time.
*******
The day has come. June 24, 2022: the day a new professional wrestling company holds its first show. Also the date Momo Watanabe makes her debut for an international promotion. Momo has been in the sport for just short of 8 years, and she wants more than anything to get into the ring. Of course she doesn’t know who she’ll be fighting, or under what circumstances.
That last part should bother Momo. Not knowing who she will fight in theory leaves her at a disadvantage. It can also level the playing field since no one else has any clue who they're fighting either. There's a catch though; save for a couple of the women here, no one even knows who Momo is. Even if they've crossed paths before she's grown up a lot since then. If anything this unique show gives her an advantage. No one will be ready for the kind of viciousness she can unleash. For a moment a maniacal glee fills her as she imagines the satisfaction of breaking her opponent or opponents. Maybe kick them so hard the air gets knocked out of their lungs and then keep kicking. Lock in a submission and put the woman through unimaginable agony. Laugh derisively as they writhe in career altering pain! It's with this thought that Momo shakes her head and leans back against the locker room wall.
<"No, Momo, the Black Peach is dead and buried. You're better than that.">
No one pays much attention to her, they're all too caught up in their own thoughts. Some of the women who know each other exchange greetings or dirty looks. Momo just exists, sitting on the floor with her hood pulled low so her face isn't visible. She resets her mind, refocuses on what she's here to do. But what is that? If she's being fully honest, Momo doesn't really know.
Flying to Las Vegas and signing with Titans of Wrestling were both decisions made on a whim. Overall she just wants to do something new and change things up dramatically. Going into match with completely unknown parameters? Yeah, that's a big change. The uncertainty is actually kind of nice. Momo decides to listen to some music as a way to drown out the growing noise around her. When she looks to her phone, there are a couple of messages.
Azumi: <Momo-chan, where are you? I want to talk to you.>
She ignores this one, her estranged friend doesn't really need to trouble herself with Momo's problems. It's the other one from an unknown source which catches her eye.
?: <Watanabe-san, welcome to America. Are you at the arena?>
It's a peculiar thing since Momo isn't expecting any messages from US numbers. Well, being impulsive got her this far. Might as well ride it out.
Momo: <Yes. Who's this?>
?: <My name is Odate. Satou-san asked me to check in on you. How're you feeling?>
Odate? Why does that sound familiar? Nevertheless, Momo continues.
Momo: <I've been worse. It's nice to be away from all those fires I started back home.
Odate: <I'm glad you're here. So what's your plan for tonight?>
Momo: <Go do what I usually do. Fight whoever they throw in the ring with me, hurt her enough that she can't go on.>
Odate: <Is that really all you can do?>
Momo: <What else is there?>
Odate: <May 23, 2018. That's what.>
Momo's eyebrow raises at this response. What kind of an answer is a specific date like that? For a moment Momo is totally confused about what Odate is talking about. Then, as she looks up toward the ceiling it comes to her. May 23, 2018 was the day she won the Wonder of Stardom championship and ended the Io Shirai era. The day Momo became the star of her promotion and built up expectations of greatness which she's since failed to make reality. But why is Odate bringing this up? Something's fishy.
Momo: <Who are you really? Do I know you?>
Odate: <Go out there and show me what you can do, like you did on that night. Win tonight and I'll see you face to face.>
Whoever this woman is, she's starting to get under Momo's skin. What's it matter to her how Momo fights? And challenging her to win? This lady is just asking for Momo to go all out. Why not? A grin slowly plays out over Momo's lips as she picks herself up off the floor. Now she’s got something to fight for. Titles and recognition are distant and fleeting for her. But proving that she’s still got some fire left and forcing Odate to reveal herself? Momo can do that, and nothing is going to stop her. She looks over the women in the room with her and a predatory smile spreads over her lips.
<“Let’s see if that Queen is still buried in me after all.”>
