CBWL 058

Bojangles Coliseum – Charlotte, North Carolina

Friday Morning – Go-Home Show

The building was starting to come alive. Crew members were moving around the floor, production was setting up, and a few early arrivals from the roster were trickling in. JR and Cowboy stood off to the side near the production area, both holding cups of coffee as they watched everything slowly take shape.

Cowboy took a sip and shook his head.

Cowboy Watts: “This show’s gonna be a goddamn mess. We got no ring again, Emma’s out here trying to kill people, and we’re still trying to figure out how the hell we’re gonna explain Sterling not being here tonight. Feels like we’re just throwing shit at the wall and hoping something sticks.”

Jim Ross took a slow drink of his coffee before responding.

Jim Ross: “It’s not ideal, that’s for damn sure. But we’ve got some pieces in place. The Mariska open should help set the tone, and the Emma stuff is gonna get people talking — whether they like it or not. I’m more worried about how the crowd’s gonna react to some of the darker stuff we’ve got planned. That hospital segment with Nicki and Sterling… that’s gonna be a lot for some people.”

Cowboy grunted.

Cowboy Watts: “Yeah, well… it’s what we got. We’re trying to make Emma look like a real piece of shit, and sometimes that means going ugly. I just hope it doesn’t backfire and make people turn the show off instead of tuning in for Sunday.”

Jim Ross nodded, staring out at the mostly empty floor.

Jim Ross: “True. On the other hand, if it lands right, Emma’s gonna have some serious heat heading into the PPV. And Taylor coming out of it looking like the one who actually gives a damn about Sterling could work in her favor. We just gotta make sure the execution’s there.”

Cowboy took another sip of his coffee and sighed.

Cowboy Watts: “We’ll see. Right now it still feels like we’re building this thing with duct tape and prayers. But that’s wrestling sometimes. You do what you can with what you got.”

Jim Ross glanced over at him.

Jim Ross: “You think the crowd’s gonna buy into the Emma turn this fast?”

Cowboy Watts: “They will if we keep feeding them reasons to hate her. Tonight’s a big part of that. If we can get them to turn on her by the end of the show, then Sunday should hit harder.”

He looked out at the crew still setting up.

Cowboy Watts: “We’ll know soon enough. Doors aren’t that far off.”

JR took another sip of his coffee and glanced over at Cowboy.

Jim Ross: “I’m gonna head over and meet with Arnold and the talent. I wanna go over a few things with them before the day gets too crazy.”

He looked back out at the floor where the crew was still setting up.

Jim Ross: “You handle the agents. Fill me in later on how those meetings go.”

Cowboy gave a short nod.

Cowboy Watts: “Will do. I’ll catch up with you after.”

Jim Ross finished the rest of his coffee and tossed the cup in a nearby trash can.

Jim Ross: “Alright. I’ll see you in a bit.”

He gave Cowboy a quick pat on the shoulder and headed off toward the talent area, leaving Cowboy standing there watching the building continue to come to life around him.

Jim Ross spotted Arnold Palmer near one of the production tables and walked over to him.

Jim Ross: “Morning, Arnold. You get in alright?”

Arnold Palmer: “Morning, JR. Yeah, the drive wasn’t too bad. Traffic was light coming in. How about you?”

Jim Ross: “Not bad. Stopped and grabbed a coffee on the way. Figured I’d need it today.”

Arnold gave a small nod and glanced around at the crew still setting up.

Arnold Palmer: “Busy morning already. Feels like the building’s filling up fast.”

Jim Ross: “Always does on show days. Come on, let’s head to the locker room. Talent’s probably already starting to show up.”

The two of them started walking together down one of the hallways toward the locker room area.

Arnold Palmer: “Anything in particular you want to go over with them this morning?”

Jim Ross: “Just want to make sure everybody’s on the same page before we get too deep into the day. Some of these segments are a little… different. I’d rather get ahead of any confusion now instead of dealing with it later.”

Arnold nodded as they continued walking.

Arnold Palmer: “Understood. Lead the way.”

They reached the locker room door, and JR pushed it open. Inside, several members of the talent were already there — some getting dressed, others sitting around talking or stretching. The room quieted down a bit when JR and Arnold stepped inside.

Jim Ross looked around at everyone.

Jim Ross: “Morning, folks. Let’s talk.”

The locker room was full. Almost the entire roster was there — some sitting on benches, others standing or leaning against the walls. The usual pre-show chatter died down as Jim Ross and Arnold Palmer stepped inside.

JR looked around the room for a moment before speaking.

Jim Ross: “Morning, everyone. Thanks for being here on time. I know it’s been a long week, and I know a lot of you have questions about how tonight’s show is gonna go — especially with everything that’s been going on. So I’ll keep this short and to the point.”

He glanced over at Arnold, who gave a small nod, then continued.

Jim Ross: “First off — yes, we still don’t have a ring tonight. I know that’s frustrating, but we’re working on it. Mariska’s gonna open the show and address it directly. We’re hoping to have everything sorted by Sunday, but for now, we’re working with what we’ve got.”

He looked around the room again, making eye contact with a few people.

Jim Ross: “Second — tonight’s show is gonna be heavy on story. Some of you are gonna be asked to do things that might feel different or uncomfortable. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. We’re in a weird spot right now, and we’re trying to build something for Sunday. So if something feels off or you have questions about your segment, speak up now. Don’t wait until we’re five minutes from going live.”

He paused for a second.

Jim Ross: “Lastly, I want everyone to stay professional out there tonight. We’ve got a lot of moving parts, and things are gonna get chaotic. Just do your job, stay safe, and if something goes wrong, we’ll deal with it. Any questions before we break?”

The room stayed quiet for a few seconds after JR finished speaking. Then the questions started coming in.

Kristen Bell raised her hand.

Kristen Bell: “So with the Florence stuff… how far are we going with that on the show tonight? I know we’re building toward something on Sunday, but I just wanna make sure I know what I’m walking into.”

Jennette McCurdy leaned forward on the bench.

Jennette McCurdy: “And what about us? Me and Miranda. Are we doing anything tonight besides the match with Kristen and Boxxy? Or are we just there to take the loss and move on?”

Mila Kunis, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, spoke up next.

Mila Kunis: “Yeah, and while we’re at it — that whole thing with Pam later. How far are we going with that? You want me to actually go after her, or are we keeping it light?”

Nicki Minaj raised an eyebrow and looked over at JR.

Nicki Minaj: “And that hospital segment with me and Sterling… how much of that are we actually showing? Because I heard some stuff about what Emma’s gonna do after, and I just wanna know how nasty this is about to get.”

Taylor Swift spoke up last, her tone a little more hesitant.

Taylor Swift: “Also… that thing with Emma later. The stuff backstage. Is that all staying in? Because it’s getting pretty dark. I just wanna make sure we’re all on the same page about how far we’re going with it.”

The room stayed quiet after the questions were asked. Jim Ross looked around at everyone for a moment before speaking.

Jim Ross: “Look, I know a lot of you have questions, and I understand why. But at the end of the day, we’re all professionals here. This is a business, and sometimes we have to do things that might not make complete sense in the moment. What matters is that we go out there tonight, do our jobs, and represent this company the right way. Being in this business is a privilege, and we all need to remember that.”

He gave a small nod, clearly trying to wrap it up without giving any real answers.

Before anyone could push back, Arnold Palmer stepped forward and added his own thoughts.

Arnold Palmer: “JR’s right. At the end of the day, this is about the love of the game. Whether it’s wrestling or golf, you have to respect the craft. You have to trust the process. I’ve been in situations where I didn’t fully understand the strategy, but I went out there and played my role because that’s what you do when you’re part of something bigger than yourself. You show up, you do the work, and you trust that the people in charge know what they’re doing.”

The room was quiet for a few seconds. A few people exchanged glances, clearly not satisfied with the answers, but nobody spoke up right away.

Jim Ross looked around one more time.

Jim Ross: “Alright. If there’s nothing else pressing, let’s get to work. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”