The video begins and it’s immediately obvious that the view we’re seeing isn’t filmed by a person holding a camera but rather a camera mounted on a wall inside a studio. It’s not a security camera, the quality of the picture gives that away immediately, but rather it seems more like a webcam. The studio that it’s filming seems to be the inside of a radio studio and in the picture we see a radio presenter, with white t-shirt and relaxed demeanour on his chair and a large pair of headphones on his head sitting in front of a large microphone and a whole array of different controls in front of him. Across the table from him, also with a headset on her head but sitting further back from the microphone, and looking far less relaxed in that environment, sits Zoe Sperling.

“Good afternoon and welcome back to Wrestle Cast Radio. With the streets of Philadelphia filled with Supreme Championship Wrestling’s finest this weekend ahead of their huge event tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Center it is my honour to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming and bring to you an exclusive interview with a woman who’ll be performing on that show tomorrow night. SCW’s Syren has stopped by the station this morning,” the presenter says proudly. “So, my first time interviewing you and I’m a little intimidated.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t be,” Zoe tells him with a little friendly laugh. “I swear I’m not as big a bitch in real life as I seem on television. You say that the camera adds ten pounds? It also seems to add a whole other level of bitchiness to me that is so not there in real life.”

“Well it’s a privilege to have you here Syren,” he says happily before pausing. “Wait, do I call you Syren? Do I call you Zoe? I’m not quite sure how that works, most of the guys I’ve interviewed for previous shows in Philadelphia all use their real names, so I’m not sure which way to go with this.”

“’Syren’s’ a little weird when people say it too much, it starts to sound like it’s not even a real word in my head sometimes, you know, but you can call me that if you want. Zoe’s totally fine though, it’s what like ninety percent of people call me anyway,” the blonde explains happily. “I know all about your previous interviews though. I did some research before I came here this morning, I was a little nervous and not completely sure what you were going to ask me, so I went on YouTube and I started looking up your old interviews and I found one with David Helms from like three years ago or something. He looked really weird, still had the long black hair and everything.”

“You did some research ahead of the show? Damn, now you’re making me look bad,” the presenter replies with a laugh. “Right, we’ll go with Zoe, and I do mean it when I say it’s a privilege to have you here for what could, quite possibly, be your last ever interview if some of the stuff I’ve read and heard this week is true. Tomorrow night is your first entrance in to the Underground, and from all accounts Rachel Frost – that’s Tatum McGraw’s new name, for anyone keeping track at home – is looking to send you to the morgue! I mean damn, she doesn’t pull any punches, right?”

“I know, I saw that video,” Zoe replies with a surprisingly upbeat attitude. “That was SUPER creepy, right? I mean I get that she’s all psycho-bitch and everything but seriously, a morgue? I mean hello, someone should tell her the 1980’s called and they want their lame threatening location back.”

“It was absolutely creepy,” the presenter says with a lot of emphasis on the third word, “and honestly, just watching her in that environment made me scared for my OWN life, I cannot even imagine how it must have made you feel ahead of challenging her tomorrow night.”

“It was a little disturbing in all honesty, but to me it felt like she was trying too hard. I mean I’ve had opponents say all kinds of stuff about me and some of it has really scared me, but that was just kind of... wrong,” Zoe explains with a laugh. “Still it’s good to know what her intentions are. We can’t all live forever, but that doesn’t mean I’m planning on going visiting the morgue any time soon.”

“A lot of confidence here, I’m liking it. Definitely going to need that tomorrow night. But tell me this, I know you’ve mentioned it at least once this week, but what were you thinking a week ago? For anyone who missed it Syren here, who’s built her entire career on being the Best Women’s Wrestler in the World—”

“Best Female Wrestler in the World, but totally close enough,” she correct with a smile. “Best Women’s Wrestler sounds like best wrestler in the Women’s division, which I mean I was for a long time and would love to be again one day, but right now I’m focusing elsewhere.”

“You’re right, my apologies,” the presenter says confidently, “but either way you’ve built your entire career on being the best wrestler out there, and you’ve done an incredible job. Historic feuds in the Women’s division against the likes of Marina Trent, some incredible matches in the tag division against Karnivale, or Eternal, or Greaternity, or... well god, six hundred days as champions you guys had a lot of different matches! I’m not sure I can even list them all. Hell you even faced Next Level once or twice, which I’m sure was an adventure for you.”

“It was... weird, for sure,” Zoe says with a laugh. “The first time was, um, like 2010 I think, right after we lost the titles to Starr and Cherry, and me and David were just like, you know, friends then so that wasn’t too weird. But yah, every time I’ve been in the ring with David has been super weird. The tournament final after Rise to Greatness, for example. Way weirdest match of my life! I’ve never wanted to win a match so much but felt so guilty about it at the same time. That’s the problem with facing your boyfriend I guess.”

“Of course, that’s another thing you’ve accomplished, you won the contendership tournament which ended with you weirdly being crowned interim World Champion,” the presenter reminds everyone. “In all that time though there’s one thing you’ve NEVER done, one thing you’ve even said you’ve purposefully steered away from, and tomorrow night that’s what you’re doing. It’s going to be you and Rachel Frost for the Underground Championship, and we found out Wednesday night after her challenge that it’s going to be First Blood rules now! How can you possibly have any confidence going in to something like that?”

“The whole First Blood thing was completely unexpected, I’ve got to admit that,” Zoe says with a laugh. “I know she’s like OBSESSED with making me bleed, and for some reason she’s started calling me ‘Barbie’ – which, I guess, is like the thing stupid rednecks do when they see a blonde girl who’s prettier than them, but whatever – but she wanted to change the stipulation, and there was absolutely no way that I was going to tell her no. She started this whole thing between us a few weeks back, she’s been coming after me in the locker room like a complete bitch and I was willing to take that, you know? I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anyone. What she did on Breakdown though crossed a line. I’m fine with her taking out her anger on me, I’m fine with her going after me, but when you drag David in to this for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON it goes beyond anything. He’s my boyfriend, I love him, we live together, everyone knows this, but recently I’ve been trying to be independent, I’ve been doing whatever I can to stand on my own, and I was angry at her before Wednesday for her attacks on me but after what she did to David... that bitch loves blood so much I’m going to make sure they’ll be pumping it back in to her tomorrow night!”

“Definitely a lot of anger there,” the presenter says with a smile.

“Oh believe me, this is nothing,” Zoe tells him with a shrug. “It’s tomorrow that you’re going to see the real anger. I try to keep things professional, I try to prove myself in the ring but Rachel wanted to make this personal and now it’s personal. I was already going to take her title from her and rub it in her face, but now tomorrow I’m going to take her title, raise it above my head and make sure she knows that two hundred and sixty five days, or whatever it is today, could have been more if she didn’t pick on the wrong bitch.”

“So, prediction... you’re going to beat her?” the presenter asks with another smile. “C’mon, make it official for us.”

“I’m going to make her wish she’d never started this,” Zoe says confidently. “So yah, I’m going to beat her and I’m going to become the new Underground Champion and she’s only got herself to blame.”

“That’s what we like to hear. Just one more quick thing though, with every guest that comes in here we always put out news about it on social media and we’ve got some interesting responses back in the past,” the presenter tells her proudly. “We had Shilo Valiant in here last year and he got a really strong response from people, we’ve had Jake Starr here before and were overwhelmed by the amount of support he had, but when we announced you were going to be on the show I’ve never seen a response quite so... mixed, shall we say. There are people out there who genuinely seem to hate you, and then there are people who’ve come around, who’ve actually started cheering you it seems. Breakdown, you accepted the challenge, that place exploded and there were cheers. How’s that feel at this point in your career to get some recognition?”

“You want the truth, or the political answer?” Zoe asks with a smile.

“Oh c’mon, we all know you don’t give political answers,” the presenter reminds her with a laugh. “We’ve seen them with their fingers on the button on Breakdown ready for whatever you’re going to say. That’s a kid’s show as well and you, young lady, are well known as having a dirty mouth!”

“First off it’s NOT a kid’s show, but kids do watch and I’ve been told off a whole bunch of times by the agents in the back for not watching what I say,” Zoe tells him with a laugh. “But ok, real answer? For the first few years of my career I wanted their love, I wanted them to cheer me, and a few of them did sometimes and that always felt good. Whenever I was facing Katie they were pretty behind me, and when we were in California – especially Los Angeles – then people have always gotten behind me, but while it meant everything to me at one point, these days it doesn’t bother me so much. I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it, because I do. I totally appreciate anyone who cheers me, when fans run up to me wearing Syren t-shirts or with action figures or something I always take time to talk to them and sign stuff for them because that kind of stuff means a lot to me, but as for, you know, recognition or whatever? It’s nice, but I’m going to be me. Whether I was with Infamous or Pinnacle or Dark Fantasy or on my own, I’ve always been me! Some people like that, some people really don’t, and I see that with what people say to me on Twitter sometimes. You know sometimes when a fan says something really sweet then I’ll reply, but most of the time I ignore all that stuff. So yah, I know who I am and if people want to support that, if people want to recognise that then everything you give to me I’ll always give back twice as much, you know? But if you want to hate on me, or shout about how much I suck or should stay in the kitchen or get naked for you, or you’re one of the guys or girls in the back who looks down their nose at me and tells me that I’m inferior to them then the message I’ve always had for them is super clear, and that’s watch me win, and be jealous!”

“Seems fair,” the presenter replies with a laugh. “Well I’m hoping you win this weekend, and I think you’re going to have a few more people behind you than normal. Ok, last thing before you go. Pay Per View predictions. What do you think, Collin Cole or Shilo Valiant?”

“I hate him, but Shilo Valiant,” Zoe says with a sigh. “Collin’s got a big mouth, and it’s going to get him in trouble.”

“Ok, another person you’re not fond of,” the presenter says with a laugh, “Devon Kayl or Regan Street?”

“Regan,” Zoe says without hesitation. “Not her biggest fan but I actually spent Thanksgiving with her, which was kind of weird, and I’ve wrestled her and she’s tough as hell. Are these meant to be hard though? Where are the controversial ones?”

“Ok, you want harder?” the presenter asks with a laugh. “Adrenaline Championship?”

“Oh, that’s more like it,” Zoe says with a nod. “Thirteen’s amazing – I hate him too, by the way – and Cherry’s a Hall of Famer. Mason’s good too, although he gets on my nerves sometimes. I’m going to go with the one you’re not expecting though and say Katie. She’s a Hall of Famer too, and I’ll never like her but I have crazy respect for her.”

“Ok, double-hit for you,” the presenter says. “US title and Tag titles.”

“US title is super tough. You’ve got Lyman who’s way experienced, and Starr who’s like a crazy huge big name in SCW. If I had to pick... I’d say probably Jake, but it’ll be tough,” Zoe says before laughing, “and as for Tag Titles do you REALLY have to ask? Injured after Breakdown or not, I’d never bet against David or Next Level or Ravyn.”

“Final big one of the night... World title?” the presenter asks almost nervously.

“That’s what I was waiting for,” Zoe tells him with a laugh. “Since you missed it, I’m wishing a lot of luck to Autumn Valentine to win the Women’s title, but as for the World title, Kelcey Wallace is amazing. I’ve had so much respect for her for so long and we’ve had basically no interaction with each other but I genuinely believe that she’s got everything she needs. Only problem is she’s facing Blitzkrieg, and I know about that considering I was in the Chamber with him and he threw me in to the pod and, you know, almost killed me. It’s tough... but I’m going to go with Blitz. I’m sorry Kelcey, I really am, I’m totally cheering for you and I hope you win but Blitzkrieg is... you know... Blitzkrieg. I think he’s proven he can destroy anyone.”

“You heard it here first folks,” the presenter says confidently. “The Coalition leaving tomorrow night with one title if Syren gets her way.”

“Oh, totally leaving with no titles if I get my way,” Zoe corrects. “I’m totally on Team Kelcey, but I’m just worried she’s going to die!”

“Fair enough, can’t argue with that. Thanks for coming Zoe, it was a pleasure. SCW’s Syren, performing tomorrow night at Perfect Destruction in the Wells Fargo Center and on Pay Per View. We’ll be taking your calls after the break, stay tuned!”

And with that we lose the audio but we see the presenter lean across the desk and give Zoe a kiss on the cheek before the video ends.