The crowd had barely settled after Fiona’s entrance when shades of dark red began crawling across the arena’s bannister screens, the titantron turning an oily black. [u][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhtYgk2seM]A keyboard began playing over the speakers followed by a low, seductive woman’s voice saying, “I’m a snake”.[/url][/u] Bold, crimson lettering then appeared on the big screen, spelling “Shin Choon-hee” as a k-pop song erupted. The titantron flashed between black and white in sync with the song’s beat while the red lettering was unchanged. [u][url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-FLgShtdxQ8]Cheers and thunderous applause rippled through the Enterprise Center as Shin Choon-hee and her tag team partner, Choi Minji, strolled out onto the stage together.[/url][/u]

Both women wore heavy black overcoats with white fur collars and sleeves, their eyes concealed by identical red star-shaped sunglasses. Resting on their right shoulders were matching silver and gold plated championships with brown leather belts - the Pro Wrestling Society women’s tag team titles. Shin Choon-hee and Choi Minji stepped up to the edge of the ramp, visibly smirking as they raised their belts high in perfect tandem, drawing an even more ecstatic reaction from the fans as the silver and gold gleamed under the arena lights. 

“Look at those belts.” Dan Rich said as Shin and her partner brought their titles back down to rest on their shoulders. With a swagger in their step the two walked side-by-side down the ramp, casually waving at the fans as they scanned the arena.

“And her opponent,” the ring announcer began again, “from Seoul, South Korea, accompanied by her partner, Choi Minji, one half of the Pro Wrestling Society women’s tag team champions, [i]Shin… Choon-hee[/i]”

Shin raised her left hand high, fingers waggling in the air. Her self-assured smirk was now a confident smile as she took the lead halfway down the ramp, Choi falling in behind her. The more zealous fans reached eagerly over the barriers at the passing champions, neither of whom offered any high fives, handshakes, or passing nods.

“Shin Choon-hee is all business tonight,” Rhonda said as the champions reached the end of the ramp, “she came here to win a match and has no time for anyone other than her opponent, Fiona Chevalier.”

Shin approached the ringside, stopping near the apron. She slowly reached up and lifted her sunglasses from her eyes and handed them nonchalantly to her partner, Shin now making direct eye contact with Fiona in the ring. The fans ringside looked between the two women, absorbed in the tension of a longtime rivalry that was already straining dangerously before the match even began. And Shin had something that was meant to further aggravate this tension.

“The champion sizing up the competition.” Brent remarked.

Without looking away from Fiona, Shin Choon-hee reached into her coat with her left hand, pawing around for something she had concealed inside. After a few seconds she withdrew her hand, now gripping something large and metallic, and once again raised her tag team championship belt high above her head. At the same time, Shin lifted her left hand to reveal what she had taken from her coat - the 2024 No Mercy Women’s Wrestling Rookie of the Year Award.

“Is that…?” Rhonda started.

“Oh, my… yes, it is!” Dan Rich followed up, “That in Shin Choon-hee’s left hand is the Rookie of the Year award that she won last year at No Mercy Women's Wrestling when she beat Fiona! She brought it with her tonight!”

“Talk about [i]disrespectful[/i] and talk about trying to get into your opponents’ head!” Brent said, eyes wide. 

“Talk about bitter nostalgia!” Dan Rich replied.

Shin Choon-hee lowered her tag team title and the rookie award back down slowly, never breaking eye contact with Fiona. Shin’s confident smile was now back to a dark, arrogant sneer which contrasted the upbeat energy of her theme song still playing.

“Shin Choon-hee came here tonight to win and she decided to bring along a reminder of what happened the last time Fiona stepped in a ring with her.”