Fallout from LAW Apex - The LAW Middleweight Championship

[winner3]

We fade in on a man adjusting his tie. He stands at a podium on the stage at the top of the entrance ramp. Staff and production crew members are still making arrangements, hurriedly smoothing out the red carpet and double-checking the pyro and confetti they've prepared at the bottom of the stage.

The Man is flanked on his left and right by trophy cases. One bearing the LAW Middleweight Championship, and the other containing the World Openweight Championship.

Middleweight Title

Openweight Title

The man is none other than LAW's CEO and General Manager, Dan DeFranco. All know him to be a man that's seldom seen on camera, which made his appearance here all the more significant. He leans forward and speaks into the mic propped up on the podium. The audience waits on his every word with equal parts curiosity and anticipation.

Dan DeFranco

"I'm here today to celebrate that the LAW Apex Event has brought this company."

"Apex has brought us some of the biggest and best matches in this company's history, and some of the best wrestling the world over. Every woman that has joined this wrestling tour and seen it through has put on a performance worthy of earning them contender status for both of these titles." He looks back to his left, then to his right.

"I'd like to announce that We Are LAW 6 is on the horizon. And the day of that pay-per-view event will herald the end of LAW Apex! At We Are LAW 6, we will crown our Inaugural LAW World Openweight Champion!" Cheers erupt in the arena. He waits them out and allows time for them to die down, nodding to the audience all the while. With both hands on the podium, The Man continues.

"But today, we focus on another title. A title with a long history and with a great deal of prestige. Earning the right to represent the middleweight division is no small feat. As everyone is aware, Apex is being used to crown champions for both these belts. And who's earned the right to carry LAW's middleweight division? A good friend of mine. She loves me about as much as she loves all of you." He motions to the entrance tunnel.

"Please welcome your NEW LAW MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAAAAMPION....."

"KYOKO AKAAAAAN"

The crowd was shocked by the announcement, but they all made their voices known when the all familiar music started playing. Kyoko Akan wasted no little time coming out to the call of her name, and she had the largest smile on her face for it too. She’d been waiting for this moment for years, ever since the belt was made she’d had conflicting feelings about it. Never did she doubt she wanted it, she’d felt slighted by many of the choices made regarding it and how it took her so long just to get a shot at it. She always felt she could’ve been the best champion LAW ever had, now she was being given the chance to prove it. Kyoko’s strut to the ring was longer and somehow cockier than usual, she took every second to bask in the moment and let the fans embrace the reality that was the new Middleweight champion. When she finally got to the ring Kyoko turned around and jumped on the ring apron, resting on the ropes as she let the crowd and cameras look at her abs as she removed the Belly Queen Champion from her waist. Her body somehow looked stronger than ever, and just in time to look at her peak physical condition now that she was a champion on LAW’s official ground. It was about 2 minutes in between her entrance and her finally getting in the ring and looking at Dan, during which she stomped around the ring raising her belly belt for the crowd to boo her, though she was surprised she was getting some cheers. Some LAW fans respected the decision of the new champion too much to boo her on this day, or more of her diehards were in the crowd than usual. Another 10 seconds of that before she finally turned to Dan and offered a hand out for a shake, a moment of respect between the two who had a tumultuous relationship.

"Dan I'd like you to know that as your friend, I can think of no one else that I would want making this announcement. I can think of no one who I would love to see having to bite their tongue and give me what they've longed denied me when they have no choice other than you." Kyoko said clearly having the time of her life as she was dancing with emotions. "I mean when I was looking to get into the middleweight tourney and become the first champion who else besides my good friend Dan was there to tell me that I had come too late and wasn't going to qualify for it? When I offered to take that belt from Tina Armstrong, who else but my by bud right here to half ass answer me and then not 2 minutes later give Tina a match with someone else and deny me again? Who else but the man who likes to make sure everyone knows that my Belly Queen title is an outlaw belt every time I'm seen with it, could come out here and announce me as a middleweight champion better than everyone's favorite Dan the Man?" Kyoko asked and after a few seconds kept going. "No one! You are the only man for this job Dan." Kyoko said giving Dan a condescending pat on the shoulder.

Seeing Kyoko drink this moment during her entrance would be a highlight that would be etched into LAW history. It had been long rumored that Dan was in hot water with Kyoko somehow. When she got in close and spoke to the GM with a condescending smirk and tone that suggested she achieved this success in spite of the GM, or maybe even to spite him, Dan could only smile to try and brush it off.

He knew that he wouldn't be hearing the last of this from Kyoko. But he also knew that his hands were tied. Any arguing or strife here would change the narrative and make it about the tension between them rather than the celebration of a new Middleweight Champion. DeFranco would nod to her. He's let the crowd react. When it finally got quiet enough, he spoke up again.

"There's one more part of the job for me to do." Dan would say before removing his hands from the podium. He walked over to the big, blue belt. He very slowly, very gingerly removed the case and then took the belt in both hands. Cheers and reactions welled up as he walked the belt to Kyoko.

"May I?" The General Manager would ask while motioning to Kyoko with the belt, intending to fasten it around her waist for her. With Akan's blessing, he'd do just that and raise her hand, fully endorsing Kyoko as LAW's New Middleweight Champ!

Kyoko looked like she wanted to say more, but Dan was all business. When he went for the case and brought the belt up it was clear what he wanted to do and Kyoko was oddly silent. Instead of giving any snarky comment she got lost looking at the shining belt in her face. Vindication for all of her hard work was right in front of her as LAW was now fully behind her as a star. Kyoko simply nodded her head and turned around to let Dan do it, moving her hands out of the way so that he could fasten the belt around her waist as Kyoko looked like a high schooler that just became Prom Queen. Once it was on her Kyoko looked down at it and seemed ready to start crying, then she shook herself out of her giddiness. No one needed to see that from her, they needed a champion.
"Thank you. Now as your new champ I think I need a few words." Kyoko said before she turned to the crowd. "For years you all watched me defend my Belly Queen championship, and many of you loved it even as you hated me and wanted to see me fail. That doesn't matter to me, you're free to do as you please. I know I do! What matters is I make you watch. I keep you holding on with every action, you wonder what I'll do next and talk about what I say because you know I'm a staple of LAW and as long as I'm here I always will be. From the first Wargames match LAW ever had, to my trilogy with girls like Eirina and Gabriella. From my match with girls like Karen Starring and Astrid that had you all hooked, to my feuds with girls like Da Xia that kept you invested. I've always fought, I've always given it my all and you've never been bored watching me. That's not going to change, because you see a belt doesn't make a star, you can win a thousand titles and it won't make a difference they don't elevate you. What separates wrestlers from stars is that they make those belts better, they make them matter because it's their job to elevate them. That's what I do and that's what this will be about. Elevating the Middleweight championship! Any belt I have is the most important belt not just in this company but in wrestling and will prove it for every single second that I am champion, it doesn't matter what title LAW says is the biggest prize here, by the time I'm done all of you will think that the biggest prize is whatever Kyoko Akan is wearing! Which is right here!" Kyoko said as she patted the belt and took in a surprising number of cheers, it was surreal and Kyoko was actually taken aback by it. So much so that she almost sheepishly took a few steps back and turned to Dan. "I think it's your turn to speak." Kyoko said before she smiled again and would move to a corner to stand on it and embrace the reactions. We Are LAW couldn't come fast enough for the Belly Queen

Kyoko had given an impassioned promo. She shared her career highlights, the challenges she faced and overcame, her desire to elevate the belt, and really any LAW title she happens to come across.

He nodded along firmly, agreeing with most everything that was said. And when she finished up and passed it along to him, he clapped and invited the fans to do the same.

"Thank you, Kyoko. I'm confident that you can and will elevate that title. I'm confident that many of the women who had valiant showings at Apex will help do that as well. I'm confident in stating that LAW is the best wrestling company in the world with the best wrestlers in the world. And yourself and all the other top contenders and champions will continue proving that when you step up to bat at We Are LAW 6, later this month!"

With that, celebrations continued and the segment slowly came to a close. This was a crowning moment for Kyoko and a massive chip on her shoulder, a genuine career highlight. But just as important, it was a pivotal moment in LAW/wrestling history!