The Friction Spotlight with Taylor Parker and Kelly Conway!

"Yeah, maybe if I could sing!" Taylor got a good laugh out of Kelly's newest volley. "Well, I mean I sing a little, but I'm good at one thing."

She didn't bother looking at Kelly, even while she spoke about her, and instead directed her response to Mai. "Kelly lives in Japan, too. She's too dumb to learn the language, she has no friends, and last I knew her love life wasn't exactly overflowing with passionate romance. It sounds more like she's just even more jealous. Plus, I only have the one Japanese tattoo!" She said, touching the imouto kanji on her neck. The angel wing on her shoulder transcended national boundaries.

"But anyway, I've had like three different outfits in three years or so. I really liked the skirt, but the suit just seemed more, like... no-nonsense pro wrestler, and it would've made it next to impossible for people like her to mess with my clothes during a match. Given her history... That was probably a good idea.

"But now I just had to go with something that felt more like me, because that's all I've ever tried to be. American, Japanese, whatever, who cares, I'm Taylor Parker. I'll always be a New Yorker, and Japan will always have a place in my heart."

Mai blinked and opened her mouth. She had a few responses, but she picked up on one thing that Taylor had said.

"Do you think that's a tactic that Kelly-san would employ if she needed to? Is there a stipulation we don't know about?" Mai then glanced at Kelly. "Is that a secret weapon of yours, Kelly-san? You have been in those kinds of matches before!" Mai said, blushing a bit as she turned a coy smile on the cameras.

Hilde cleared her throat, blushing a bit. "Well, keeping Ms. Nagasawa's probing question in mind, will there be any stipulations or will this be a straight standard match?"

"But I'm sure there will be a ton when Kelly loses," Taylor retorted. "And call me trailer trash if you want to, man, it's not that far from the truth. I know where I came from and I know what I am now."

She looked at Mai and nodded emphatically. "It's absolutely something she would do! Man, going into a fight with someone like Kelly, you've got to assume that she's going to use any dirty trick she can think of. In our first match she almost clawed my eyes out, I really don't think it'd be out of the question for her to get all pervy or to try to humiliate me. Jokes on her, though, I'm not easily embarrassed." She leaned forward and gazed past Hilde and Mai at Kelly.

"Well, if it's a standard match, how WILL you stop Ms. Conway from using underhanded tactics?" Hilde asked and then glanced at Kelly. "Unless you truly are going to make this a fair match?"

"But, I don't think that Kelly-san's words would hold much weight, even if she were to say as much." Mai said, interrupting. "However! I think that we can save that for the match! Right now, let's get in some questions from the audience, nyan!"

Mai hopped away from the podium and skipped towards the group of spectators. "Soooo, who first?" She said, lifting up her gloved hand to scan the audience. When she had found her target she cheerfully bounded to them and held the microphone up.

"Don't be shy now!" She encouraged.

Valley sat in the third row, wearing her favorite Rolling Stones tongue and lip shirt and a pair of long, tattered jeans. Her short blonde hair stood out from the throng of Japanese people on all sides of her, but she hadn't seemed to attract anyone's attention just yet. That was one of the benefits of her new look - lighter skin, darker hair color, smaller chest, and she'd only had one, small match since the changes, which hadn't aired yet. That meant she got to travel around without being recognized and bugged, a neat little bonus that she intended to enjoy as long as it lasted.

She'd came to this show on a whim, having nothing much else to do on her fun day. Taylor Parker left a  bad taste in her mouth for a couple of reasons, but she respected the woman's skill and fire, and she was pretty sick of seeing Kelly sit on the belt with her merry band of thugs. Couldn't hurt to peek in.

When the time came for questions, she put her hand up and got picked first by luck of the draw. She stood up as Mai came bounding her way and gave the two on stage a quick wave. "Um, yes, I won't." She leaned into the microphone, gave it a little tap, then spoke.

"Hi, Valerie, here." She kept her voice pleasant and happy. "First off, looking forward to the match. Taylor, I'm a performer, too, and I know what its like to be able to do what you love back where you started. Glad you get to have that feeling. It's the greatest thing." Valley had a quick clap, then moved on, not wanting to take up too much time. She coughed and straightened up. "I understand the belt is important to you both, but I feel that a belt is only really important if it's being defended. Otherwise, it's just an accessory, you know? And I know, it's been a crazy year for you both, and I'm not pointing fingers, but when I look at, say, the Entropy Belt and see great talent revolving around it and fighting for it, I can't help but want the same thing from the main title, and I don't think I'm alone."

There were a few scattered applause from the crowd to confirm it, as Valley nodded. "So, my question, to both of you, whoever wins - what's next? Do you think Friction can provide some real contenders for the title, are there opponents you'd like to face? If not, what then?" She shrugged and chuckled. "Sorry if I'm a little rambly."

Taylor didn't smile when Valley stepped up to the mic. She didn't like her. She was a typical jealous bitch and the very definition of a hater, and she seemed to spend all of her time looking for drama, at least by Taylor's experience.

And her question did nothing to change that impression. Taylor scowled, and leaned forward in her chair once Kelly had finished being an idiot.

"A'right, let's talk about the Entropy belt," she said. "How many times has there ever been a fair fight for that belt? You've had this Gwendolyn chick cheating her way through matches, she cheated Ace out of it, and now she's getting double teamed. Ace beat some hentai chick for it. Before that, that hentai chick beat your beloved champion in a face sit match, which was hilarious, but really didn't help bring respect to the belt.

"Kelly managed to put Akashi over the top rope in like a spur of the moment six-or-seven-on-one match, so big deal there, and Akashi put Tai Kamiya out of his misery when he somehow ended up with it, after beating Wells Quinn, who is awesome, don't get me wrong, who stole the belt from Brittany. Brittany beat me for it when I was injured and had multiple broken bones, and I almost had her, but was it fair?"

She shook her head and pointed at Valley. "Man, you guys. Online, I see a lot of people complaining about how the Entropy belt is better because blah, blah, blah, but that belt is in sad, sad shape. A title is only worth something if you treat it with respect and defend it with honor, and that has almost never happened with Entropy. But I do love the Entropy belt, and I hope that soon someone can really establish it is a legitimate title, but right now, it's just not.

"As for the World Title, Akashi's run was great. Sarah Gatt, love her or hate her, fought for it, before she skipped town. Angel was maybe the best champion we've ever had, and she fought for it. I fought for it. The only hiccup in the Friction World Title's history is this chick right here," she jabbed a thumb toward Kelly, "And at Madison Square Garden I'm going to make sure she's just a footnote in the history books."

She drew a breath. Valley had hit a bit of a nerve, and Taylor had a lot to say about it, but this was in part her show and she didn't mind talking.

"To answer your actual question, yes, there are a lot of girls that I can see challenging for the title who would pose a legitimate threat. Brittany Luvve has always been right there, working her way up, and I'd watch out for her. Angel's around somewhere, Adrian could've been a contender but she's off doing her own thing now... Jeez, your girl Ace could be a contender someday soon if she ever gets her head together and surrounds herself with people that can help. Nikolette Tessla can totally hang, and she proved that. And of course, Alaina and Julia are moving up fast, and I can definitely see either of them challenging for the main title in the next year. I personally will not fight Akashi for the belt, but she's a true champion. Are there more? Sure. Thanks for stopping by, Valley Doll."

Valley's expression started to sour after the first word that came out of Kelly's mouth, and by the time Kelly and Taylor were both done speaking, it was pretty much all the way down. Valley had a few things she would've liked to say back, and she was reasonably sure Taylor had plenty, too, but today wasn't that. She kept her calm, though there was some noticeable edge under her voice.

She sighed. "And if you don't know me, Kelly, good. If we ever have a match, I'll surprise you, and you'll look dumb when the old, gross woman pins you."

Valley looked back to Taylor and nodded. "You're right. The Entropy Belt has had a rough history and the World Title has been defended well for most of its existence. I don't think this year very much counts to that, though. Ace won the belt from a hentai chick in a fair, competitive submission match. You defended the belt against a hentai chick - a Tension hentai chick - in a match that allowed orgasms. Kelly hasn't had a serious defense since she got the belt. First challenge: a kawaii. Second match: died before it even began. Gwen is a cheater, yes, but at least I can call the matches she had actual matches. There were moments of real competition."

Calm, calm. Quick breath. "I don't agree with the balance in that thriple threat, either, but at least I know that, whoever wins, your dojo girls will keep having the A+ matches they've had before. They've both tested themselves against some great opponents that could challenge them again, and there are some new wrestlers showing up that could give them great defenses, wrestlers who'd never get the spotlight if not for the Entropy. I'm excited for that. It has the potential to be a nice, vibrant field with fresh faces and good matches." She shrugged and rubbed her shoulder.  "All due respect, but most of the girls you listed barely competed this year. Alaina and Julia, though, are two of the hottest things in Friction right now, and they'll bring that to the Entropy Belt. In my book, that makes it the belt to watch."