Flames

Extreme Rules 2019, part 1

There wasn't a type of wrestling event that Seth didn't like. House shows were smaller and might be less important to the overall feuds, but they were also a chance for the wrestlers to sneak in some fun jokes and skits that Creative wouldn't allow on TV. Taped shows were the lifeblood, the common denominator; they were what the greatest amount of people was able to watch, so that's where the groundwork for feuds was laid. Knowing that people set aside a night or two of their week to follow along was a high compliment. And the pay-per-views were the top tier, of course, the grand stages where the big moves—title changes, betrayals, unexpected returns—played out in front of thousands in the arena and millions behind screens.

Extreme Rules, by its very nature, should have been one of the most interesting. The Royal Rumble was defined by the rumble matches themselves. Survivor Series used to have the elimination team matches, but those were getting rarer each year, it seemed. Extreme Rules, though, should have been like TLC on steroids, a chance to showcase what the wrestlers could do in a less structured environment. Mixed-tag matches were already hemmed in by the gender restrictions, but on the other hand, Seth would get to watch Becky go to work on Lacey, which was always a pleasure.

He was giving Becky a wide berth backstage while she practiced swinging a kendo stick. "I promise I won't stop you from hitting Lacey tonight," he said with a grin, remembering her common complaint about Creative's writing. "Are you sure about the bit with Corbin, though? If you're not comfortable, you can tell—"

Becky stopping swinging for a moment, letting the stick dangle from her hand. "It's fine, Seth. Corbin and I talked it over a lot and we practiced a little bit this afternoon when you were hanging out with Roman. I think it'll work really well."

Seth tried not to bristle at that, but he couldn't help it. He knew the practicing Becky had done with Corbin would have been nothing like their gorilla press attempts at Black and Brave, so he told himself it was only worry that was making him antsy. Corbin was huge and strong, and not used to wrestling women; he could easily hurt Becky without even meaning to. "As long as you're sure."

"Yeah. We had Dana record it on her phone so we could watch it back." Becky started spinning her kendo stick and promptly dropped it. "It looked really solid. And in a weird way, it was kind of fun. You know, like being on a swing when you're a kid and going up really high?"

Thinking back to the child-like joy on her face when they were trying the fake gorilla press, Seth calmed down a bit. He would feel safer if it were someone like Roman doing the move—someone he knew and trusted like a brother—but if Becky was fine with it, he had to trust her. "Well, I might be able to appreciate it as a move after the fact," he admitted, grabbing her kendo stick before she could. "But it's not going to be hard to be mad in the moment." He swung the stick lightly behind her back, catching the other end and using it to draw her close.

For a moment, he worried that Becky would feel coddled and tell him off, but she simply hugged him, tracing the characters in his spine tattoo with one finger by memory alone. "If I can survive Nia's fist," she said, "I'm pretty sure I can survive Corbin. Any word on a cash-in yet?"

Seth shook his head. Heyman had teased one, but he had been doing that ever since Money in the Bank, so it didn't necessarily mean anything. "Haven't heard anything. A lot of people are figuring he'll go for Kofi so Brock would be on SmackDown when it changes channels in the fall. Plus that way he'd get his long weekends whenever he decides to show up."

Becky frowned as she stepped back, letting a hand linger under his ribs for a moment. "It sucks for you and Kofi. I don't get why they think a part-time champion is a good thing."

"Me neither." Seth reached for her again, pressing his lips against her forehead. "So let's go keep our gold and get out of here." It was never quite that easy, but sometimes it was easier to pretend it was. If nothing else, at least he wouldn't have to deal with Corbin for a while and Becky would get to ignite a new feud and hopefully revitalize the women's division.