Overcoming an Old Name: Part 2

 Overcoming an Old Name: Part 2

Minerva Appleton

Drags to Riches in Season 1 is widely considered to be the worst show in 5BW history. The show itself was so negatively panned that there hasn't been another "Drags to Riches" show since. For Luciana, it was a night to forget. 

"There were some machinations going on that weren't going so well for me."

Luciana noted that season one, even though she was 5BW World Champion, was "the worst work of my career".

She's always been known for being her worst critic, especially after 2013, but in this case, she was particularly harsh.

"I was basically the same wrestler with the same shtick with that cursed name coming down to even the same theme. I was at a low that entire season and it really didn't help that the way things were going with Dora and all of that..."

Luciana paused for a bit, exercising a caution before she elaborated.

"...I didn't come to 5BW to waste my time feuding with the fucking owner of the company, I'll put it as blunt as that. I was supposed to face her in a match before that got yanked off the table. That wasn't even the worst part about Season 1 for me."

"What was?" I asked.

"The entire 5BW World Championship reign. It made me fucking sick to my stomach and until I won this championship back, I couldn't get over it."

"Do you consider that the worst world championship reign of the seven that you've had over your colorful career?"

Again, Luciana had to hesitate. Back in 2010, she had a two month reign with the PRW World Championship. It was the second world title reign that she had. After she won the belt, her entire title reign was overshadowed by the hype surrounding a Rumble winner that was going to face her at PRW's grandest stage for the World Championship in a rehash of their epic feud they had in the fall of 2009. Luciana mentioned that she never got to enjoy that title reign because the fans were clamoring for the Rumble winner even though she knew in her heart that he was a flash in the pan (and ultimately would be as he lost the world title himself after three months and was on the injured list by the end of 2010, never to even come close to that level again). Luciana's first 5BW World title reign couldn't have been worse than that, right?

"During my first 5BW World Championship reign, I looked like the weakest fucking champion I could've ever looked like. With the 2010 reign, I was able to stay invested but by the time we got to the Wargames match, I was checked out. Dora signing Kelly (Penkzee-Nelson) and then throwing her in a strap match with me was legitimately bullshit..."

"Is it because it felt like Kelly was a hired gun for Dora? Did Dora really have it out for you that bad?"

"Yes to both questions. I'm not going to go as far as saying that there was a conspiracy. But Dora never wanted me to begin with, she went after my eye as fans would remember and don't forget that when I first got here, I was thrown into a 'prove yourself' battle royal. Imagine that. Someone of my caliber being treated as a rookie and then when I bitched up a storm, and I stand by THAT by the way, they want to throw this so called CKP legend at me. Dora wanted me gone from day one but as I fought back and overcame her bullshit, she elevated that bullshit that much more."

"So you're telling me Dora was trying to sabotage you and get you out of 5BW?"

"100%"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Damned Ones happened to be what resurrected my career..."

Luciana forming the Damned Ones with Sabrina Baker and a third wrestler (not important enough to even mention in this article) marked a shift for her career and the first step for her finally overcoming the wretched name that cursed (damned) her. 

"Season One was just me doing a greatest hits tour with my former wrestling name not even being attached to it and that's why it honestly sucked. But Season 2 was when I finally felt like I was 'Luciana' and not that other fucking name. I was driven and determined to do whatever the hell it took to overcome not just all the season one bullshit, but every fucking ounce of negative energy attached to that horrible name."

"Why do you continue to avoid saying that name out loud?"

"As my old shtick used to say: that name can burn in motherfucking hell for all I care. I want nothing to do with it. I will sign pictures at signings of any 8 by 10s that have a picture of me from 2010 for example because I don't want to completely discard my history in this business, but if an 8 by 10 has a picture that has that old name on it, I refuse to sign it. If a fan on the street tries to troll me by calling me by that name, I ignore them. I didn't understand why Victoria (Salinas) would dump the wrestling name that she used in PRW and went by Victoria Salinas once she got to GCW back in 2014, but I obviously get it now."

Luciana's season 2 fared much better than season 1, but it was Season 3 where she never looked back.

"Horrible irony that one of the worst things that happened to Sabrina Baker ended up leading to that 'never look back' situation. When I became Electric World Champion and then at the end, accomplished the triple crown with the Freedom Championship at the end of the season, I would say that was the point where I knew I was going to overcome that name. Through the truth is, it wasn't until I regained the World Championship when I finally did. I'm very proud of that reign. I'm glad I've got the most defenses. If I get by Vendetta, I'll have the longest reign. Everything would come full circle at that point."

It should be noted that while all of part 1 and everything up to this point was just after the elimination chamber, this part was recorded and written after her match with Kelly Penkzee-Nelson became official.

"Kelly all over again..." I was quick to mention.

Luciana pursed her lips wanting to hold back.

"What is it about her that gets you to this point of anger?"

"That threat she made when Cordelia Clark was driving the wedge wasn't the first time she said something that irked the shit out of me."

"What do you mean?"

"I never forgot the shit she said about me back in Season 1 going into that stupid Wargames match. I already hated her at that point because of the strap match and then she goes and says that shit."

"But you worked with her in the Damned Ones for two seasons...." I reminded her. "If you 'never forgot' those words, then why did you work with her for that long?"

"I gave her a second chance but in the back of my mind, I knew I was going to be done with her if she fucked it up and that's exactly what she did last Fall."

Kelly's not the only wrestler Luciana has treated in this fashion. It's unknown whether Luciana is over the moment where Amanda Fien broke her hand at the start of Season 2 or not, but as of last fall, when there was direct competition for the 5BW World Championship, it was clear as day that she wasn't.  

"My years in this business have hardened me..." Luciana explains. "Back in 2007, I was naive, stupid and allowed everyone else to take advantage of me. The locker room and the company I was working for in my rookie year treated me like absolute shit. After what happened in 2013 with the 'cancellation' and 'the Great Scandal' and especially what happened in 2016 when I won a Rumble match and IWC screwed me by closing up shop after, that hardening accelerated."

"And Season 1 made it worse, I assume..."

"You assume right. But ironically, it's made me a stronger person and a better wrestler than I've ever been. When I first started, I never thought to myself that I'd be at the best I've ever been at the age of 41 and that's what happens when you commit and continue to fight through all the bullshit such as Allison Mayberry's betrayal and joining of Prodical Inc. instead of being a fake, cowardly little bitch like Drake Hemingway who runs away and proves all his dark, gloomy cryptic bullshit was fake to begin with. When I beat Kelly at Vendetta and establish that longest reign... I'll prove that in spades."