The video begins, fittingly, on the image of a torch burning in the darkness. The torch is providing enough light that we can see the wall it’s attached to but little else of the surrounding area. And, as it flickers in the wind, we hear a voice we recognise, namely that of the former six-time SCW World Champion and number forty entrant into this year’s Battle Royal, Syren. “You know, when I always used to think of ‘Taking Hold of the Flame’, this is what I imagined,” she stated, explaining both the significance of the torch that we’re focused on and the reason for it beginning the video. “It’s kind of an iconic image, isn’t it? Makes me think of the Olympic Flame, and the torch they have for that that they run from city to city. Just think of the journey that that damn torch takes before it reaches its destination. And just think of the journey that it takes to reach your destination in SCW before you reach out and grab hold of the torch this Sunday, metaphorically speaking of course. I mean, I shouldn’t have to say that it’s a metaphorical torch, but with the business being as batshit crazy as it is these days I’m a little bit surprised someone didn’t actually think that a ‘Taking Hold of the Flame’ match was like a ‘torch on a pole Battle Royal’ or some shit. Thankfully it’s not, but what you do ‘take hold of’ this Sunday is even more valuable than the Olympic flame. It’s symbolic of so much more. And that’s what I’m fighting for this Sunday. I’m fighting for this match as a symbolic victory, because unlike thirty-nine others who are entering this match this Sunday I don’t actually need to win this thing to main event Rise to Greatness.”

She stops and she laughs as she steps into view. “Now I know what most of you are already thinking when I tell you that. You’re thinking that this is my only chance, aren’t you? You’re thinking that if I don’t win this Sunday, if I don’t repeat my trick at the Battle Royal in Japan – you know, without the interference from that gigantic idiot Xander Valentine almost ruining everything – then my chances of walking out in that main event spotlight in Toronto are over, but you’re wrong. See, whether I win this Sunday or not I’m GOING to be walking out at Rise to Greatness in the main event, because I’m walking into Toronto as the reigning and defending SCW World Champion, whether I win this Sunday or not,” she claims before pausing and then laughing. “You don’t believe that, do you? Of course you don’t. You think Kennedy Street or Donovan Kayl have got this whole thing on lock. You think that the winner of their match this Sunday is guaranteed the spot in the main event. But you’re wrong. It’s a long, long road to Toronto on July 22nd. There’s a lot of stops along the way. There’s a lot of twists. There’s a lot of turns. And on one of those turns is my opportunity. And that’s true whether I win this Sunday night or not. See, even if I do win this Sunday, even if I do repeat my trick and win Taking Hold of the Flame, I’m not going to sit back and twiddle my thumbs until July 22nd. I’m not going to take it easy and put my feet up safe in the knowledge that my main event spot is booked. Oh no. I’m still going out there, I’m still getting my match and I’m still RECLAIMING my title BEFORE July 22nd, because I’m owed my rematch for the SCW World Championship, and I will not be denied it.”

She doesn’t have a smile on her face when she states this. She doesn’t seem in a jovial mood. She seems one hundred percent committed to that idea, and as the light flickers we see it reflecting in her eyes and for a moment it looks as though there is fire burning in them as well as on the torch. “David Helms can say what he wants about that. He can protect Kennedy Street all he wants. He should try. She needs his protection. But he won’t deny me what is rightfully mine. Not forever. And if he tries… well, we all know that while Mr Douche was a power unto himself that David Helms isn’t, don’t we? He said as much this week. He’s a figure-head. He’s been tasked with keeping things running. He’s been tasked with making sure the ship stays on course. But the biggest, most important decisions are made way above his paygrade. So, if he does keep denying me what is rightfully mine then I’ll just go over his head, to those with the real power, and who knows… maybe that’s what I’ve already done?” she says before grinning. She then pauses for a moment, like she’s caught someone by surprise. “Oh, what? You believed what you heard on Breakdown about Ravyn and Alex keeping me out of the loop on things? Sure. Maybe they are. Maybe they want to protect me. Maybe they’re not sure how it’s going to end up. Or maybe we’re all in on it, and we know exactly what we’re doing, and if David doesn’t get his act together then those with the REAL power are going to act for him. Did any of you think about that when you saw Katya showing up on Breakdown a few weeks ago? No? Nah, you probably just thought it was because Ravyn’s kisses are THAT damn intoxicating.”

She starts to laugh before rubbing her finger across her lips. “Hmm, maybe they are. Would explain why I suddenly changed my ways too, right? I mean, half the fucking roster walk around acting like their Batman or something, so why the hell couldn’t Ravyn play the role of Poison Ivy?” she asks playfully before getting more serious again. “But all joking aside, and with all talk about my future and walking into Rise to Greatness to defend my title out for just a moment, let’s talk about the more immediate concerns, shall we? Let’s talk about Taking Hold of the Flame. Let’s talk about the Battle Royal this Sunday. And even though I don’t intend to win it to cash in the World Championship match at Rise to Greatness, I do intend to win it this Sunday. Why? Because, as I started out saying earlier, it’s symbolic. Past winners of Taking Hold of the Flame have practically been immortalised by the achievement. It’s something that gets listed on each of their Hall of Fame entries. It’s considered so prestigious, in fact, that for many it’s put right up there even higher than the United States Championship. So I want it for that. I want it because when I’m inducted into the Hall of Fame I want that on my plaque along with everything else I’ve done in this business. But I want it for one more reason as well… to say that I did it. I don’t just want it to brag about it, although I probably will drop it into conversations pretty often, but I want it to be able to say that in spite of what everyone here thinks about me, despite the lies they tell about me, despite the bullshit they make up about me, and despite all the criticisms I’ve faced since January, when it came to putting up or shutting up on one of the most historic nights of the year the girl who ‘can’t win by herself’ not only put up, but shut up THIRTY-NINE others!”

She laughs. “Oh, and I know you’ll all have your excuses after it happens. I’ll hear how I ‘cheated’ by coming in last. I’ll hear how somehow my winning the whole thing wasn’t as impressive as that one jumped up bitch who went an hour in the match only to be tossed aside toward the end. I’ll hear about how I don’t deserve it because I didn’t eliminate enough people, or because someone else eliminated more, or blah, blah, blah, fucking blah, but in the end NONE of it will matter because I’LL be the last one standing at the end of the night, MY name will be the one that the Jason Philips says when the match is over, and in spite of every excuse you can come up with, every doubt you can throw my way, and every lie you can tell about how I did it you won’t be able to change a goddamn thing about it,” she says before smirking and nodding her head, the fire reflecting in her eyes again and looking like it’s burning from her soul. “And right now I know that there are those of you ranting about how you ‘deserve’ this the most. You’re claiming that you’ve worked the hardest for the longest time. You’re claiming that you’re one step from proving yourself on the grandest stage. You’re trying to trick the world – and yourself – into believing that this Sunday you’ll be the one who reaches out and grabs hold of opportunity… but you won’t be. And it’s not because you’re not worthy. It’s quite possible you are. There’s a whole lot of names on that list for this Sunday who are more than worthy of the opportunity. And there are so many of you who I’d even argue deserve the chance to walk out in that main event, at least far, far more than either Donovan or Kennedy do. But you won’t be, because at the end of the day this Sunday as good as you are, I’ll be better.”

She pauses again. “Ok, now go ahead and say it. Go on, I know you’re dying to. Whaa, whaa, whaa, you’re not the best Syren. You lost. Kennedy is better. Donovan is better. Fucking Ikiro Yoshida is better, or whichever dumb fuck you idiots are choosing as your new messiah this week. Go ahead and say it. And then let me show you how wrong you are. Because they’re all good, no doubt about that, but just like I’m going to prove to whoever walks out as World Champion this Sunday that I’m better when I get my chance, I’m going to prove to everybody else that I’m better when I’m the last bitch standing at the end,” she states with utmost confidence. “Why do I think that? Well, first off, I don’t just think it. I know it. I don’t just think that I’m the best all-round performer in this business today. I know I am. I’ve spent nine goddamn years PROVING that I am. And no matter how many times I’ve been knocked down, tossed aside, blindsided from behind or left for dead inside a steel cell I’ve always come back, I’ve always found a way and I’ve ALWAYS gotten my belt back again. Now you could argue the same is true of others. If you believe the sob story then Kennedy ‘almost lost everything’ and ‘had to work for three years’ – sure, let’s just no-sell the Television Championship and World Tag Team Championship reigns during that time, shall we? I mean, they’re not important, what matters is the fantasy that she was treated like nothing for three years and had to fight from the bottom up, right? – to get back to the top. Do you know how that came about? Handouts. Two of them. And it took her three years to get there. Do you know how I got back to the top after she took it from me? I busted my ass. I beat FIVE other people and I SEIZED my opportunity. No handouts. No sob stories. Just hard work, determination, and perseverance.”

She laughs. “Now, tell me again why Kennedy is better than me? Or Selena Frost? Or Regan Street? Or Giovanni Aries? Or Sienna Swann? Or Alexis Quinne? Or Xander Valentine? Or… oh, the list goes on and on and on. Now I know why THEY think they’re better than me. Because their egos won’t let them accept anything else. Because they NEED to believe they are in order to have any hope this Sunday. Take Xander Valentine, for example. He’s a big mother fucker. I should know. He threw me around like a ragdoll a few weeks ago. He tossed me into Sienna like I was nothing and with such force that it ended up sending both of us over the top rope… only I had the wherewithal left to hang on and win. On top of that he’s a veteran. He’s a legend. He’s a Hall of Famer. He’s been in every situation there is to be in, and he knows how to get the job done in all of them. So someone like him approaches this match, nods his head, looks at the challenge in front of himself and says yep, he’s gonna win it, and he truly believes that. He looks at someone like me and thinks he’ll toss me over that top rope as easily as he did before. But he’s wrong,” she says, a sinister smile on her face. “You see, Xander’s greatest strength is… well, his strength. He’ll use that to his advantage. He’ll pick up everyone in front of him, but when it comes to me, this time he won’t be jumping me from behind after a gruelling and exerting match. This time he’ll be coming at me in the ring, he’ll be coming at me in MY ring, and just when he thinks he’s got the upperhand over me I’ll turn it around and I’ll send him crashing to the outside.”

She smirks. “How will I do that? How is such a thing possible? How is someone my size even capable of getting rid of someone that big? You know they asked pretty much those same questions about me in 2014 as well. In fact they said it over and over again all throughout 2014, and throughout the first quarter of 2015 as well. They said that Xander’s record was insurmountable. They said that he had the size and the strength and the power to make that record stand for all time. They told me I’d NEVER surpass it. One hundred and eighty-nine days. So many had tried. So many had failed. Then I reached day one hundred and ninety. Then one-ninety-one. Then one-ninety-two. Then one-ninety-three. Then… well, you get the point I’m sure,” she says before laughing. “They told me that record was impossible. They told me that record was insurmountable. I did it anyway. Not because I had help. Not because I schemed it. Not because I got handouts. And not because I had an easy ride. Hell, throughout that reign I was defending the goddamn championship more than ANYONE else, putting it on the line on Breakdown, at special events and even stepping up and fighting challengers who dared me to do it. I became the longest reigning SCW World Champion in history because I am THE BEST IN MY GENERATION. And that’s not ego talking. That is simple fact. Not only am I the best in my generation but I’m mentored by the best in ANY generation. At my side I have the Canadian Heartbreak Kid, a man who’s done everything and knows how to do it all over again. So tell me again, when the likes of Xander Valentine throws his weight around in this match, do you think I’m not going to be prepared? Oh I’m going to be more than prepared…”

She smiles. “But I know it’s not just size I’m going to have to face. It’ll also be skill. Speed. Technical wrestling ability. And sheer goddamn determination. That’s the thing about Taking Hold of the Flame, and what makes it such a challenge each year. There’s someone in this match who can do just about anything, and just when you think you’ve seen it all before someone comes up with something entirely new which surprises everybody. And how can you be prepared for all of that, you ask? Well, coming in last is helpful in that regard. Entering last doesn’t mean a damn thing if you don’t exit last however, I know that. And entering last has another downside as well. Actually, just being me at all has that same downside,” she says, slowly turning around to reveal that the shirt she’s wearing literally has a target on the back of it. “I’ve got a target on my back this Sunday, haven’t I? I’ve got that target on my back because each and every person wants to say they’re the one who eliminated me. They want to say they’re the one who got rid of the final entrant, they’re the one who tossed aside Syren and ruined her dreams… and you all think that that puts me at a disadvantage, but that’s where you’re wrong. See, having a target on my back means one thing. I know they’re coming for me. I know they’re hungry to do me wrong. I know they’re looking to make their name by getting rid of me. And knowing that means I can’t hide from it. All I can do is fight…”

She turns back around, a grin on her face as she says the word ‘fight’, and that same fire in her eyes once again. “Thing about that however… nobody does that better than me,” she states proudly. “Back me into a corner, put my back against the wall, and that’s where I truly come alive. So this Sunday while you all think you’ve got the advantage over me you’ll soon find out that it’s me who’s got the advantage over you. Plus, on top of that, you’ve all got something to lose this Sunday. Let’s face it, no matter how aggressive you think you are, no matter how good you think you are, when you’re in that ring and the numbers are dwindling and you see that finish line in sight you’ll start looking up at that Rise to Greatness sign hanging in the rafters and you’ll start wondering ‘what if’, won’t you? What if you can make it there? What if you can get that main event spot? What if you can headline the show of shows, the biggest event of the year? What if this is your moment? And then you’ll get close to those ropes and you’ll hesitate. What if you make a mistake? What if you get too cocky? What if you’re taken by surprise? What if you fuck up this one chance you’ve got? But me? I won’t hesitate. I’ll fling you over that rope and not look back and while you’re still wondering what about could have been I’ll be making what could be a REALITY! I’ll be writing my name in another little bit of history. I’ll be going one step further than I’ve ever gone before. And I’ll be shutting the mouths of every one of you who doubted me.”

She grins. “There’s just one more threat that I’ve not spoke about in this match, and it’s not the ‘mystery entrants’ – the cowards who think that they can take everyone by surprise and show up unannounced and then end up walking to the back with their tails between the legs like the rest of them – but those who’ve been here before, and won it before. It’s those people I honestly fear more than anyone else in this match, because while all of you have egos that tell you that you’ll be ‘the one’, it’s them who’ve been through it all before and survived to tell the tale. That experience is invaluable. That knowledge that you’ve gotten to the end before and could do it again gives you confidence unlike anyone else in this match. So yah, I fear those who’ve done it all before, but let’s not forget how close I’ve come before as well…” she reminds the camera with a smile. “People always pretend that it’s an honour to finish in the top 5. As someone who’s done that again and again – fourth, third twice, and even second – I can tell you it’s anything but. There is no prize in this game for second place. There is no silver medal to walk away wearing. At Taking Hold of the Flame it’s ALL or it’s NOTHING, and having come so very close before I can promise you that I’ll be using every bit of that experience to ensure that this Sunday for me it’s EVERYTHING! This Sunday I prove to the entire world yet again that when I say I am the Best Female Wrestler in the World I mean it. When I tell you I’m the Greatest In My Generation you know that I don’t lie. And this Sunday, when I tell you that I’m going to reach out and TAKE HOLD of history…”

She reaches out toward the torch which has been lighting the scene this whole time and grabs it, holding it closer to her and smiling. “…then you should know that there is nothing that’s going to stop me,” she says before smirking again. “Oh, and when it’s over, you should know that you’ll have no choice but to do what you always do around me. BE TOTALLY JEALOUS!”

She reaches off camera and picks up what appears, from the brief moment that we see it, to be a glass of water which she uses to pour over the torch, literally extinguishing the flame in front of our eyes and plunging the scene into darkness, and that’s how it remains for a few more seconds before the video ends and the replay button flashes up on the screen.