The split-screen transitions back on screen as the show returns from commercial break. On the left, Giulia sits silently in her dimly lit, snow-covered industrial environment, her piercing gaze locked on the camera, her posture relaxed yet intimidating. On the right, Stephanie Vaquer stands tall in her training area, the flickering fireplace casting warm, dramatic light across her sharp features. Dressed in a fitted red top and black pants, she cuts a composed yet intense figure, her focus unshakable.
MAURO RANALLO
"Welcome back to Monday Night Warfare! We’re now ready to hear from these two competitors in preparation for tonight’s main event! As a reminder fans, two of the most dominant forces in the EBWF women’s division, Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia, will team up against Oedo Tai’s Mina Shirakawa and Himeka. But Nigel, the question on everyone’s mind remains: Can these two coexist?"
NIGEL MCGUINNESS
"Mauro, you’ve got combustible elements right here. Stephanie Vaquer thrives on having things her way, while Giulia embraces only what Giulia can control. If they can’t get on the same page, Mina and Himeka WILL walk out with the win tonight."
The camera zooms slightly closer to Stephanie’s side of the screen as she begins to speak in Chilean-accented Spanish, with English subtitles appearing for the audience. Her sharp gaze briefly flicks to Giulia’s side of the screen before locking back on the camera.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Mina Shirakawa, Himeka. I said it a few weeks ago, but you have spent your careers hiding behind Tam Nakano, feeding off her name, her position. But Tam is gone now. Britt Baker finished her reign and career. And what are you left with now? I see you are grasping for it all but you’re holding nothing. You think you’ll prove yourselves tonight by stepping on La Primera? I guarantee you won’t. You’ll fail, just like Mina did against me individually. And I, not Giulia, will be the one to make sure of it.)
Stephanie steps slightly closer to the camera, her intensity rising as her voice sharpens.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Mina, we’ve been here before. A few weeks ago, you stood across the ring from me, and I showed you why I am La Primera. I didn’t need tricks, distractions, or even my own finishing maneuver to defeat you. To leave you lying. I used skill, discipline, and willpower. Three things that despite Tam’s presence prior, no one else in the ring will have to my level. Tonight will be no different. I will expose you again for what you are, a faceless shadow of Tam Nakano, pretending, hopelessly, to be more.)
Her gaze shifts briefly to Giulia’s side of the screen, her expression hardening as she addresses her directly for the first time.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(And you, Giulia. Do you think I don’t see through your chaos? You call yourself Beautiful Madness, but what I see is someone desperate to hide behind destruction and distractions. You thrive on all of the unpredictability because you lack real control. You were handed everything in Japan and as such you could afford to sit out whenever you want. You think this gives you power? You think this gives you a right to challenge Britt Baker? No. This only shows us your weakness. At the end, it shows us you’re pampered and soft.)
Stephanie crosses her arms, her smirk cold as she continues to speak directly at Giulia.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Tonight, Giulia, I don’t need you to like me. I don’t even need you to respect me. But I do need you to understand this: if you try to use this to take advantage of me, you will fail. And I will not let your failure drag me down with you. Because unlike you, I don’t have to fight underhanded. I wasn’t given a luxury to sit in the crowd weekly and be pampered. I fight week in and week out, and I fight to win.)
She pauses, her voice lowering but maintaining its fiery intensity. Giulia clearly does not like what Vaquer has had to say and has been hearing it on delay from a translator.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Giulia, you can throw your tantrums, cause your chaos, and call it some sort of ‘madness.’ But if you get in my way tonight, you’ll see what happens when chaos meets precision. I will control this match, all you have to do is listen. I’ve beaten Mina before and I can beat Himeka. And if you can’t do that, if you can’t keep up, then stay out of my way.)
Her expression grows more callous as she straightens her posture, bringing her focus back to the match at hand.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Mina. Himeka. I didn’t come to EBWF to play games. I didn’t come here to join factions or follow a “big sister’s” coattails. I came here to prove I am La Primera. The first. The best. The one who will take the EBWF Women’s Championship from Britt Baker. Tonight, I will do whatever I must to win and use your bodies to get me to that goal. Because every step I take brings me closer to what I deserve. Mina, Himeka, you are nothing but obstacles. Nothing but stepping stones. Giulia, you are nothing more than what Tam called you, a ‘paper tiger’. Your cheap distractions and destructive personality will not save you after tonight. La Primera will be the next Women’s Champion and you can be easily moved out of my way just like them. Remember that.)
Stephanie’s fiery gaze shifts back to Giulia’s side of the screen, her final words directed squarely at her as Giulia has been very disgusted by her comments so far.
STEPHANIE VAQUER
(Maybe I am wrong, and you may just enjoy the chaos you cause, Giulia. But tonight, if you cost me this match, you’ll see how quickly chaos gets punished under greatness.)
Stephanie steps back slightly, her intense glare unwavering. The camera holds on the split-screen image of Stephanie and Giulia, the tension between them palpable even through their divided screens, before Mauro and Nigel jump back in.
RP: #3 CURRENT RECORD: 2/0/0 NEXT MATCH: w/ Giulia vs. Oedo Tai EVENT: EBWF Warfare STIPULATION: None
CURRENT RANKING: ? ACCOLADES: ? CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: ?
