Spoiler
At the sound of Madeleine’s name being called, a few cheers and claps could be heard through the crowd. But Eiji continued. ”You know, I don’t just cover wrestling. I’ve reported on baseball, boxing, soccer - what I’m getting at is that it helps to be well-rounded. And Madeleine is nothing if not well-rounded. Coming from a background in a global media company, she had the wealth, the connections, and the skills to go into anything she might’ve set her mind to. But it wasn’t business, or movies, or the tech world that caught her eye. She decided her true heart and her passion was in wrestling - and that choice says something. Let’s face it, this isn’t a life for everyone. In my day, the boys and girls spent half their lives on the road, staying in cheap motels and living off peanut butter sandwiches in between paychecks. The only reason anyone would choose to get into wrestling is because there was something about it that spoke to them - and that’s why these folks used to be so passionate about what they did. Madeleine’s driven by that passion too, and it shows through in how seriously she takes the art that is wrestling.”
“Yeah, she could’ve sat back in an air-conditioned office and not had to worry about anything besides keeping her spreadsheets in the right order, but she passed that life up - and decided to spend years of training in a private MMA gym, just to hone herself into a top-level competitor!”
“As far as that goes…I’d say she’s doing a pretty good job for herself! She might not have had a lot of matches in LAW, but she’s undefeated - including on a couple of major events. And she’s proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. She’s reinvented what it means to be a lightweight with her background in MMA. She stands out in her field as someone who doesn’t fall back on the silly flippy stuff that - let’s face it, folks - is really just an excuse to show off how little you value your spine. She doesn’t step into the ring trying to look cool - she’s got nothing in store for her opponents but sheer power, tempered by the skill and flexibility of an expert martial artist. And the girls out there won’t know what’s gonna hit ‘em when she steps into the ring.”
Naturally, Eiji had to slip in a few disparaging marks, but he paid little heed to the boos coming his way. ”Some might say that it’s too early to say much, but in my book, Madeleine’s someone worth keeping an eye on. And if her style can change the game, I think we’ll be better off for it.”
“There’s one last thing I’d like to say about this young lady, and it’s that - for all she might have come to wrestling from a different world - she’s no tourist. Her respect for wrestling goes even deeper than the effort she puts into her training. She’s long campaigned for LAW to promote respect and recognition of its talent. Look at the way she joined in Kat Hart’s push to discontinue the Losers’ Championship - because unlike some people in this business, she believes it’s important to foster the people who care about wrestling instead of pandering to the freak shows who just want to see people get beaten up. She’s always a good sport in the ring, and doesn’t stoop to cheating to get ahead. Even when she does defeat her opponents, she’s always been one to congratulate them and give them props on their effort. That, if you ask me, is an attitude we need to hold up if we want to see some positive growth for this company, and it’s about time someone gave her a pat on the back for it.”
“But I think I’ve rambled on for too long about Madeleine. We want to hear from the lady of the hour herself! And with that…I’d like to welcome her to the ring!”
Eiji looked back up at the entrance ramp. It was true that Madeleine lived up to his hopes for the future of wrestling in a lot of ways. But there was more to it than that. A week before, the Countess had reached out to him privately, looking to set up this interview to further her own motives. As a firm believer in journalistic integrity, Eiji had his reservations about the deal. But, ultimately, those reservations wouldn’t be enough to hold him back. Madeliene did have her ways of being persuasive, especially when she could point out the arrangement might benefit both of them…
