She sat in her dressing room as she watched the show continue on. The crowd cheered as the wrestlers continued to destroy one another. She watched every fight with grueling detail. She was studying. Wrestling was her passion; it fueled the fire that burns brightly in her. Ever since she was a little girl, her mother had loved to wrestle and she instilled that passion into her only daughter. She smiled remembering her mother, but that smile soon faded as she remembered that she had lost her mother a few years ago. She shook her head and returned her focus to the match at hand.
This was the first time in her career that she had switched promotions. She swore to herself that she would only leave All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling if she was offered a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment or the WWE. For years, it had been her number one priority to work her hardest to make it to the WWE. That was the goal for her entire family. Being an only child, her family invested everything into her wrestling. Her grandparents provided the money for wrestling school and travel to auditions and try-outs. Her aunt was her hair and makeup while her uncle was her manager and costume designer. Her mother traveled with her as support. She chuckled; it truly was a family affair.
She had decided against the WWE recently. A close friend of hers worked for the promotion for years but had recently quit due the working conditions. Her friend was part of the reason she was here with the brand new All Elite Wrestling. She smiled. Most people did not even know that the two knew each other. He had made quite a name for himself since meeting Kylee, but she was proud of him. He had finally decided to leave a place that drained him of his passion, and now had seen a resurgence of his desire and passion for his craft.
His music hit and brought her out of her thoughts. She smiled. Jon Moxley. A name that changed her life forever back in 2010.
Her mother had a business meeting in Philadelphia and she had taken Kylee with her. The meeting took most of her mother's time so Kylee spent most of the trip alone. Her mother surprised her with tickets to a local wrestling show. Combat Zone Wrestling was having a show that night, not far from where they were staying. Kylee was ecstatic. The night was filled with glorious wrestling violence and she loved every second. It was towards the end of the show when the champion Nick Gage was set to defend his title against a former champ Jon Moxley. He caught her attention the second he entered the arena. His shaggy brown locks and piercing blue eyes. Damn, she thought, he certainly was attractive for a wrestler. She giggled as she thought about him. He wrestled and every movement made her love wrestling even more.
He won the match and claimed the title. She cheered with every ounce of her existence. Apparently, she had caught his attention as well. He stared at her as he walked by. Finally, shooting her a wink and a devilish smile. As she was leaving, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the familiar locks and blue eyes. She smiled as he asked if she wanted to talk. Her mom quietly left and texted her to have fun. Kylee and Jon talked for hours. They talked about how they got into wrestling and favorite wrestlers. They talked about their dreams and everything you could think of. It all felt effortless. At the end of the night, he offered his number and service if she ever wanted to train. Ever since that day, Jon has been a staple in Kylee's life, no matter where they found themselves.
She watched the TV as his match continued. She loved to watch him wrestle; it always reminded her of the night that they had met. She stood as she prepared to walk to the ring. Her music hit and the crowd erupted. Brianna St. Marie was finally returning to wrestling and was debuting at AEW. She stalked slowly towards the ring. Everyone's expression was the same, utter shock and disbelief. She sauntered over towards Moxley. As she reached him, she extended a welcoming hand and he took it still shocked about her even being here. She raised his hand in celebration of his victory and they retreated to the back together.
Her cheeks ached from the enormous smile that had yet to leave her face. She could feel his eyes burning holes in the back of her head as they walked towards her dressing room. She knew he would want to talk after so she just dragged him along. As the door clicked shut, all she could hear was "What. The. Hell." She laughed at her friend, knowing his expression without seeing his face. "What's wrong Jonny? Would you have preferred I set myself to saving Rollikins instead?" she responded teasingly. The low chuckle from behind her got louder as he wrapped his arms around her.
"God no. Vince wouldn't last a day with you running around his hellscape. Besides, Rollins would not appreciate you as much as I do." His warm embrace getting tighter. She smiled, feeling like she was at home in his arms, but she did not allow her thoughts to wander. She shrugged out of the hug as she turned around to face her friend. His face made her smile. That face was her own true weakness. She has always had some feelings for her best friend but she had never made them known to him. "Well I am glad to know that I am wanted around here."
A knock on the door interrupted their reunion. "It's open" Kylee called. As the door opened, Cody Rhodes entered. "Great job out there Kylee" he praised. "The crowd is going crazy begging for more of you." He looked like a kid in a candy store. Kylee smiled and let a small nasally laugh. "Thanks Cody. I really appreciate the chance to show my talents to a new audience. And do not be afraid to book me against anyone. And I mean anyone. Male or female. I will take any opportunity to be in the ring." Cody laughed. "I will let Tony know." He exited the room and closed the door behind him.
She shook her head. "Everyone always sucking up to the dangerous one" she laughed as she spoke the ridiculous thought. "Ever since the change of character, it has always been this way." She smiled, thinking about her change after the incident.