Post by UGWC Staff on Jul 17, 2023 11:00:12 GMT -5
Name: Eden Morgan
Nicknames: Edie, The Ice Queen of Entertainment, The Black Widow, UGWC's Sweetheart, First Lady of UGWC
Year Inducted: 2023
Major Promotions: UGWC
Accomplishments:
Championships Held
UGWC World Heavyweight Champion x4
UGWC Cross-Hemisphere Champion
UGWC Cooperative Champion x6 (w/ Zane Scott, w/ Gabriel Baal x3, w/ Jet Somers, w/ Donovan Hastings)
UGWC Chaos Champion
UGWC Conquest Champion
Achievements
UGWC Grand Slam Champion
UGWC Massive Melee Winner x2 (2013, 2014)
UGWC Voted Best Face (2013)
UGWC Voted Breakout Character (2013)
UGWC Voted Best Feud (2013, vs Zane Scott)
UGWC Voted Best Heel (2015)
UGWC Voted Best Match (2015, vs Alan Wallace @ Sin City; 2016, vs Phrixus Deimos @ Horizons)
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Villain of the Decade
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Best Character
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Most Influential Stable (The Syndicate)
Career Notables:
Feuds
Zane Scott (2013)
Travis Pierce (2014)
Phrixus Deimos (2016)
Gabriel Baal (2016-2017)
Partnerships
Jet Somers, Travis Pierce (2013-2014) - The Piercing Media Network
Alan Wallace, Killian King, Zane Scott (2015) - The Syndicate
Jet Somers, Killian King (2017) - The Court
Gabriel Baal (2018-2021) - Incendium
Donovan Hastings (2020) - The Morstings
Matches
UGWC No Holds Barred 2013 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers, Valhalla Burial Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2013 - Eden Morgan vs Zane Scott, TLC Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Seven Deadly Sins 2014 - Eden Morgan Jet Somers vs Mickey Dragon, PPW Paramount Title
UGWC Sin City 2014 - High Roller Match
UGWC Horizons 2014 - Eden Morgan vs Travis Pierce
UGWC Sin City 2015 - Eden Morgan vs Alan Wallace, Last Man Standing, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2015 - Eden Morgan vs Colin Zale
UGWC In Your Hands 2016 - Eden Morgan vs Gabriel Baal, Ambulance Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2016 - Eden Morgan vs Phrixus Deimos, Through the Looking Glass
UGWC Massive Melee 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC WrestleStock 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Gabriel Baal, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC In Your Hands 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Killian King, War of the Roses
UGWC WrestleStock 2018 - Eden Morgan vs Alan Wallace, Spin the Wheel
UGWC Horizons 2018 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers
Induction:
The crowd has assembled in anticipation of the Hall of Fame ceremony, and a hush befalls them as a voice comes over the PA system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Master of Ceremonies of this year’s Hall of Fame Induction, “The Living Weapon,” Jet Somers!”
Opie walks out in a tuxedo, carrying a stack of cards in his left hand, and pushing an office chair with his right. Travis Pierce sits in the office chair, bound and gagged, his tuxedo rumpled from struggling against the ropes.
Jet walks Travis to the edge of the stage and positions him where he can see the proceedings. With that, he walks to a podium set up at center stage.
Jet: Thank you, thank you. Each year at Wrestlestock, the industry's biggest professional wrestling fan event, we dedicate part of our final day of broadcast to honoring the most influential Entertainment Professionals in UGWC history. This year, the inductee is so special, so prestigious, so beloved by the sports, fashion, social media, and entertainment worlds, we felt she deserved the entire ceremony all to herself. It is my unique honor to induct The First Lady of UGWC, Eden Morgan-Baal!
Lucy walks out, resplendent in a slinky black, sparkly evening gown with a plunging neckline and no back. Somewhere, Rogan is instantly having heart palpitations like most of the roaring crowd. Wylde steps up to the podium.
Lucy Wylde: This night is about you, Eden. And I know some are wondering how that’s any different than any other night, and while they’re not exactly wrong… None of them can honestly say that you haven’t flat out earned the right to be exactly who and what you are right now. You’ve pushed through some shit in order to get to this point, you’ve fought, you’ve cried and you’ve bled your fair share… For this moment right here.
While that fact in of itself doesn’t necessarily make you any more special than anyone else who you join tonight in the Hall of Fame - The fact that you’ve done all of that, and more as a woman in this industry… That’s what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s not easy. At least it hasn’t always been easy for women like us to make it in this industry. To be seen as equals, or in some cases.. Superior.
You set the bar for women like me and everyone who followed you, Edie.
I take a lot of pride in the fact that I was only the second woman to ever hold the UGWC World title. But the only reason I take pride in that is because you did it first. You made it all possible. I get to go out there in a few hours and defend my world title in the main event of Wrestlestock because you paved the path with your blood, sweat and tears.
I can’t possibly put into words what that means to someone like me.
You’re a strong, stubborn, and incredibly talented person. I know that’s putting it lightly. Over all these years, I’ve gotten to know you as more than just the bitch who thinks she’s better than everyone else… And now, I realize you don’t just think that. You know it. Not because you’re just that full of yourself but because you put in the work to be better, to be the best. And that hard work shows in the numerous championships you’ve won and the things you’ve accomplished that only a few ever have.
But most of all? It shows as a beacon of light for women in this industry, telling them that anything they want to accomplish, they can if they fight for it.
When we first met, I thought there was no chance we’d ever see eye to eye. I came here hoping to find something, anything after I lost my home in OWF. What I was met with was so much worse than anything I’d lost to that point - but now, standing here all those years later, I realize that you always pushed me because you saw in me what you saw in yourself. You wanted me to be better. And you made me better, Eden, and for that I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished, not only as a wrestler but as a person, and a mother. Contrary to what most believe about you, I know that you’re not only beautiful on the outside, but you’re one of the truest and most gracious people under the surface. I’m proud to be your best friend, and the Godmother to Quentin. I’m even more proud to be standing here, welcoming you to your rightful place - The UGWC Hall of Fame.
I love you, Eden.
Congratulations. There’s no one that deserves this more than you.
The crowd absolutely erupts for the World Champion as Lucy makes her exit.
Jet: Thank you for that heartfelt tribute, Lucy. Now, we've got someone who couldn't make it to the stage tonight as he has his hands full of meat and brew. Let's go to the Devil's District to speak with my brother, Chaos!
The video package behind Jet ends as a live feed flickers to life, showing Chaos standing in front of one of the many smokers that line 'The Devil's District' during this year's festivities. He checks the internal temperature of the multiple pork butts that rest atop the grates in front of him, oblivious to the camera that peers over his shoulder.
"Yo C", says Bloodhound, who is seated off to the side. "I think it's time for you to do your thing. Also seems that Xan was right… you weren't finished in time. You owe me a hundo."
Chaos glances around to see the camera, an 'oh shit' look forming on his face.
"How's about I take it off what you owe me from 'Hold 'Em'," he says as he turns and closes the lid on the smoker, "and we just call it even?"
"Whatever you say, VP" Hound says, as he rises to his feet and grabs a beer. "Xandy's still gonna kick your ass though."
Chaos grunts as he runs his hand through his beard, but then turns back towards the camera.
"Hey there, Princess" he begins, as he walks over and takes a seat at the picnic table. "It's been a while."
Reaching inside of his cut he pulls out a Chadweiser, removing the cap, and placing the bottle in front of him.
"Guess I should apologize for not being up on the stage, in person" he begins, before motioning around him. "But it's been hectic as hell trying to feed the masses all week. And as I'm sure you remember… I'm complete shit at managing my time."
He offers up a momentary, and completely uncustomary, smile.
"Even with all the shit goin' on around here though" he begins, as he half-shrugs, "when asked if I wanted to say a few words for your induction, no fuckin' way I'd have said no."
He interlocks his fingers as he places his hands on the table, leaning forward.
"Now everyone who knows us knows we've had a… special… type of relationship over the years. Christ, I've known you since you were a kid. You've been the sister that I never fuckin' had. As such, just like with all siblings, there's been good times, and there's been bad times."
He cracks his neck as he shifts in his seat.
"We've been friends, and we've been enemies; we've fought tooth and nail for each other, and we've tried to destroy each other; hell, I've even painted your nails during my cashmere phase…"
He smiles again.
"Yet somehow, no matter what has happened between us, we still somehow find a way to bury the hatchet. Because we're family."
He reaches out and picks up the beer, before rising to his feet.
"You are one of the greatest professional wrestlers that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, and it's about fuckin' time that the brass did what they should have years ago and inducted you into the UGWC Hall of Fame. So, here's to ya…"
Chaos takes a long drink from the bottle, before then setting the half-empty bottle back onto the table.
"And the greatest gift that I could think of, aside from you not havin' to see this face in person? Seein' a face you haven't in way too fuckin' long. Xan?"
Chaos smiles as he turns and heads back towards the smokers. Back in the ceremony area, Alexandra Burke steps through the curtain, the soon-to-be 8-year-old Hayleigh beside her.
"Aunt Edie!"
The girl known as Hay-Hay bounds down the steps of the stage, running towards where Eden is seated. The rambunctious child slams into her hard, wrapping her arms around her, as the crowd applauds.
The video feed ends as the crowd quiets down, and Jet takes back over.
Jet: Keep a plate hot for me, Chaos, and thanks for sharing that touching message. Next up, we have a special--
The Indestructible Ichabod walks out slowly, narrowing his eyes at the the tied up Pierce and smirking as he passes. He doesn't spare a glance at Somers, but stands at the podium rudely awaiting the PMN's resident ninja to give him room. After a tense staredown, Jet shrugs and smiles, motioning to the mic as he steps aside.
Ichabod: I'm here to speak directly to the fucking inductee. Wait, this shit's not going to work. Ahem.
Ichabod: That's better. Now look, a lot of choads are going to try to have a turn at saying their piece about you, Princess. The truth is, despite the far reach of your ascendancy, despite all the lives you've touched, burned, lifted up, or destroyed, only a small handful of people truly understand who you are.
Everything they're going to say about you over the next hour or so is true. It's also only a fraction of your chaotic tapestry. Even I thought I had you figured out at one time, but now I see I don't have all the answers.
There's no one in the industry like you, never will be another like you. Many competitors try to be an island here, but you're a monolith, a fucking volcano. Getting too close might be a death sentence, but it will be an exhilarating, once in a lifetime experience that won't be forgotten. I'd say "Don't ever change," but you'd do it to spite me. Even today, your last match long in your rearview, you're still a seen as a trailblazer, and I know you'll keep shaking the world down to it's foundation for the rest of your life. I can't wait to see it.
With that, Ichabod unceremoniously exits, tossing Jet a middle finger as he goes and kicking Pierce's chair so that it rolls toward a dip in the stage, tipping the chair at an uncomfortable angle and leaving it there. Jet rushes over to set him back up.
Jet: Well ok then! Thanks, Ichabod, for... that. Now we'd like to welcome one of the hardest working individuals in UGWC, and especially at this event, the head trainer in charge, the Cyclone, Jordan King!
JK arrives to an obviously grateful crowd, including a temporarily-quadruple-sized roster he's directing the well-being of this week.
Jordan: We come here today to honour one of the absolute GOATs of our industry, Eden Morgan-Baal.
When I was first told that Eden was getting inducted into the hall of fame, and you can ask Jet about this, he can vouch for me; the first thing I said was ‘It’s about fucking time!’ To me, there are few others who embody the true spirit of a wrestler than Eden, and even fewer who represent our company as well as she did.
When Eden first joined the company, a lot of the boys and girls in the back had the view that she would be some blow in, might win a championship or two here but would never move the needle in any meaningful way. How wrong they were. Whether it was while involved with her friends and family in the Devil’s Most Wanted or striking out on her own, if there was an important storyline, she was right there in the middle involved with something. I always saw her as being a diamond in the rough that would with time shine brighter than anyone else here and that, one day, she would be in our Hall of Fame.
The biggest thing that to me makes Eden one of those lock selections that should have been made years ago is the impact that she has had on the newcomers that we get through here. As HTIC, my job has been to train our newcomers and make sure they’re ready for the UGWC ring. One of the first things they are asked when we’re working out the best way to work on their style of in ring work is ‘Who inspires you the most?’ Used to be you would get your standard answers, your Travis Roberts’ your Donovan Hastings’ occasionally your Randy Boolzians. However, in the last couple of years, those names have been slowly replaced by Eden Morgan. That is the legacy she will have for years if not decades to come, in the in-ring work of the next Hall of Fame inductees this company will have. Anyone who can inspire the next generation to reach for the very top of our industry frankly deserves our respect and admiration.
Ladies and gentlemen, I won’t hold up the lady of the hour any longer. Congratulations Eds, and welcome to the fucking club!
Jet: Thanks, JK, I know you've got your hands full right now, so this means a lot! Now, I understand we'll be joining our next speaker via live feed back at the UGWC Chicago Arena.
The screen comes back to life, where we join Holden in Chicago walking through the hallways. It doesn't seem like he notices the camera, and it's not clear if he knows he's being filmed. Eventually, he reaches a door, one that hasn't been opened for anything other than dusting in years; Eden Morgan-Baal's locker room.
Holden opens the door slightly, then turns around and pokes his ass through the door crack. After a brief pause, a look of relief comes over his face, and he stands back up straight. He flashes a thumbs up at the camera.
Holden: Congrats, Eden.
The feed ends.
Jet: I... have no idea what to say. Luckily, our next speaker is never short of witty repartee.
Donovan approaches the podium and adjusts the microphone before speaking.
“When Jet first approached me to be a part of this, I told him to get the hell out of Owen’s office. But then Owen told me what Jet was trying to ask, and obviously, here I am. It turns out that after everything that has happened, there actually is something that Jet Somers and I can agree on, and that’s just how overwhelmingly deserving Eden Morgan is of entering the UGWC Hall of Fame.
We often talk about legacies and history, and about the impact that a person had. You’ll hear arguments about who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of something, and if someone has displaced someone else. You can’t have these discussions without somebody who blazed the trail, an originator who did something first, and who made it possible for everybody that came after them. Later today, one of the great World Champions of the modern era, Lucy Wylde, will defend the title on the final day of this festival for the second consecutive year and third time overall. Lucy is a tremendous competitor, whom I will remind you I have beaten at Horizons, and there is no doubt that one day we will hold one of these ceremonies for her, but there would be no Lucy Wylde if there wasn’t an Eden Morgan that preceded her, Eden Morgan who herself successfully defended that same World Championship at this same festival ten years ago.
In her own way, Eden Morgan was the blueprint for an Entertainment Professional. If you wanted a competitor, she was a 4-Time UGWC World Champion who held thirteen championships overall, including every championship that UGWC had to offer, and was recognized for being in the Best Match of the Year in two consecutive years. If you wanted an entertainer, look no further than her feuds with Travis Pierce and Zane Scott, or her battles with her own demons. Eden was a sympathetic sweetheart, and later she was a vicious villain. Time and time again, it was clear that the only person who could ever truly stop Eden was herself.
My relationship with Eden has always been complicated. We have been rivals, and it’s no secret that for a long time we were certainly not fans of each other. Over time I came to respect Eden, and a lot of that is because I’ve come to see her for who she is, beyond the facade that she always put on for all of you. A lot of that is something I’ll keep to myself, but what I’ll share with you today is that I will always be grateful for the gift of what she has become for my family.
There are some of you in the crowd today who are going to shout for one more match, fans around the world who hope to see one more run, one final reign as the queen atop UGWC. I’m not part of that group, not only because I know what Eden would have to put herself through to do it, but because I’m coming back for that World Title myself, and I say it quite directly, I don’t want to have to go through Eden to do it.
Congratulations, Eden. It’s very possible that no one has ever deserved it more.”
As Donovan leaves the stage, he slows almost imperceptibly, and turns to share a heavy look with Jet. They both look up at the giant tribute to Eden on the screen, then meet gazes again. Jet nods slightly, and Donovan nods back. Nothing more passes between them.
Jet: Let's welcome our other Wrestlestock headliner, Dave Rydell!
Dave approaches the podium and stands behind the mic for a moment before speaking.
"Eden Morgan. That's why we are all here today. I knew from the minute I met her that this day would come. I just never knew when.
From the time I first joined UGWC until even today, you have had an impact on this place. Whether it be directly or indirectly. You have been one of the constants, even in your longer absences. You are a cornerstone for this company and will forever be synonymous with it's name.
While we may not be friends or even allies, you are a true definition of what it means to be a competitor in this business and this company. Your legacy will live on forever, even if this company closes it's doors.
Thank you for being one of the legends and building a legacy worth working towards matching. Some may match it, many may never come close, but you are a standard we all wish to reach.
Congratulations on your hall of fame induction. It is well deserved. And if I'm being candid, and in agreement with the rest of those who have spoken already... no one deserves it more than you.
What you have built here and what you have done during your time here... it is a legacy to live up to and a career to be talked about for generations to come.
Congratulations again. You earned every bit of this."
He nods toward Eden and turns to leave.
Jet: Truer words, Dave. Thanks a lot. Next up, someone asked to speak, but it seems he's been unable to make it all the way to the stage. Can we get a camera back there?
Zane stands before a wall backstage, his face looking like hammered dogshit, but covered by a beaming smile nonetheless. The Cross-Hemisphere Championship rests on his shoulder, slightly spattered with blood. His face is covered in cuts and bruises, and soaked with sweat.
“Hi Eden,” he states with a smile. “Congratulations on your induction into the Hall of Fame! I know we’ve rarely seen eye to eye on anything, but you absolutely deserve this more than any woman, and quite possibly any other talent who stepped foot into this company.”
He spits a bloody mung blob onto the floor.
“Sorry,” he says. “You revolutionized women’s wrestling in UGWC, and in spite of our complicated and often violent history, you are unreservedly deserving of this accolade. You’ve left a titanic set of footprints for every woman who competes in this company to fill, and it’s quite possible that none ever will. It’s possible that no one ever will, period.”
He coughs, with a slight burst of blood coming from his mouth. It also ends up on the floor.
“One thing is certain, and I’ve said this before,” he intones earnestly. “There would be no Zane Scott without Eden Morgan.”
He smiles. “I figured it appropriate to say this looking as awful as I do, considering how often you left me looking like this.”
“So congratulations, Eden,” he smiles. “Way to be the bar, and now rightfully immortalized for it.”
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go to the hospital.”
He chokes another bloody glob out.
“Yup.” He grins. “How fitting.”
The screen fades back as Zane stumbles away.
Jet: Uh, Jordan, you need to go check on him.
So, my turn. It’s not easy to dilute everything that should be said about Eden down into a short induction speech. To say our history is complicated doesn’t begin to encompass it.
What I will say is that for me, for better or for worse, Eden has always been a catalyst. When you engage directly with her, it will always be a pivotal moment in your timeline.
This industry ages you quickly, and for those who get in young, like Eden did, it makes you grow up harsh and fast. She welcomed it, though. Eden embraced life in all of its horror and beauty. For her, the trials she suffered were violent baptisms followed by metamorphosis into her next, more powerful form. Eden walks with her nightmares, drawing strength from them as she embraces success, life, family, and motherhood.
It’s no secret that family is a touchy subject where Eden is concerned, but one thing that made things so contentious back then is her no-compromise insistence on living according to her worldview. The boys liked to give her cutesy names like Princess and Edie-girl, because they only saw the starry eyed, confident, optimistic kid that was a dark queen waiting to emerge.
As stubborn as she was, Eden wasn’t adverse to learning. I watched her seek out the harshest mentors, the ones who don’t give lessons lightly. Her tightest friendships come from monsters and narcissists and broken things whose hearts she conquered. There's a connection between her and the hearts of everyone she's ever touched, be it painfully or in love. Those connections endure, no matter how much distance or darkness there is between them. She’s gone by a lot of meaningful monikers in her time here, but to me, she always reminds me of some of the great dark queens in fairy tales, like Elphaba, Regina, Maleficent… the ones you kind of admire the grind they put in to get where they are?
Anyway, to me, Eden, you’ll always be UGWC’s Ice Queen, so tonight I will officially coronate you, and 'we should see you in a crown' in just a minute. Long live the queen? Long live the queen!
The crowd joins him as Eden sports a quizzicle, half embarrassed smirk. They calm down after about a dozen rounds.
Jet: Before we bring you up to get your crown, though, we saved the most fitting message for last.
We open up to the back of a leather chair inside an oak panelled room.
“Eden… Morgan…” Said a voice, before the chair began to turn around to face the screen. A moment later, a smiling Gabriel Baal faces the screen. “We meet again.”
There’s a small smattering of laughter at the unfolding scene.
“Long before Eden added Baal to her name, she was many other things. She was UGWC’s darling, she was the brains behind the Piercing Media Network, she was the conductor of the Syndicate’s symphony. She was a downward spiral towards a cataclysm that almost tore apart the entire Coalition.” Said Gabriel with a smile. “This was where I met the love of my life.”
Gabriel smiled.
“I became aware of Eden during the aforementioned spiral, and in my typically maverick way, I chose to meet my future wife while she was… resting… At Seven Oaks. And whilst it wasn’t the most conventional of meetings, it would imprint upon me a necessity to begin my path as a professional wrestling in UGWC. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I am entirely and unequivocally Eden’s fault.” Gabriel said with an assured nod. Another swell of laughter.
“Long before Eden and I became the happy family we are today, Eden was - and remains to this day - the most fearsome rival I’ve ever had. Vindictive, sadistic and talented, with a tongue so sharp that barely anyone honouring her today has avoided it’s sting. She and I engaged in a heated rivalry that almost cost us both dearly. She took away my life’s work, and I almost took away her liberty. And yet, hatred, beget respect, beget friendship, beget love.” He said with a smile. “There are layers to our story that no-one but us know - the entire story is… a thing to behold. But that is a story for another time.”
Gabriel gave the camera a knowing look.
“No-one that has faced Eden would ever suggest that she isn’t the fiercest, most challenging opponent they’ve ever had the privilege to stand across from. Her heart and her fight are unmatched. More than I have met the version of Eden for whom death or permanent injury would be preferable to defeat.” Said Gabriel shaking his head. “And yet, she was also fiercely loyal to those who she loved and who loved her. And whilst that list has changed through choice or circumstance over the years. And despite her reputation as a heartless, cold bitch, anyone who truly knows my wife knows that she loves so much more fiercely than she hates. Two of her greatest rivals are her best friend and the father of her child.”
Gabriel pressed the tips of his fingers together.
“Eden Morgan changed my life - she created within me a passion for professional wrestling that I never knew that I had. She gave me the defining rivalry of my short career. She was present when I won the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship and the Grand Slam. She was the greatest Cooperative partner I’ve ever had, and she gave family and love to the one man who never believed he deserved it. She created families along the way - even if she found herself a part of them in the end. But most of all, Eden Morgan is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time.” Said Gabriel with a smile.
“Eden Morgan isn’t just the latest inductee into the UGWC Hall of Fame - she is the greatest Superstar ever to be inducted in the hall of fame. Her career has been filled with moments that are etched in UGWC folklaw. She sells out arenas every time her name is mentioned. And even now - more than a year since she last stepped into a UGWC ring, Eden would step back into the Main Event of any Pay Per View without a single eye-lid being bat.” Said Gabriel. “My wife is the greatest of all time - without doubt, nor argument. She is the greatest wrestler, the greatest rival, the greatest partner, the greatest champion, the greatest friend, the greatest wife and the greatest mother of all time. And it is my life’s honour merely to have my name mentioned alongside hers.”
Gabriel smiles and looks into the camera.
“Congratulations, Eden Morgan. I love you more than words could ever describe. And no-one… No-one deserves this more than you. Have the most wonderful evening.” Said Gabriel with a smile.
Jet: Thank you, Gabriel. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, no more stalling her moment to boost her ego even more. Please join me in welcoming your 2023 UGWC Hall of Fame Inductee: EDEN MORGAN-BAAL!!
“I know you’ve missed me…” Eden speaks into the microphone before stepping back and giving a little twirl, showing off the designer dress she wore to devastating effect. With a satisfied smirk, she turned back to the crowd, pausing a moment as if getting her thoughts together before speaking again.
“When I was told I was being inducted into the UGWC Hall of Fame, I wanted to take my time to think about how it felt and what it means... So I took some time to really dig deep… and this is what I found…” she said, trailing off and looking out into the crowd as though she were about to make some royal proclamation.
“It’s about damn time.” Whoops and cheers along with laughter shoot up through the crowd.
“What it means is confirmation of what the world already knows; that the first ever female UGWC World Champion, the first ever female Grand Slam winner, and one of the greatest of all time has been added into this prestigious class,” she finished triumphantly, knowing she’d irked at least half of her audience.
That only made it better.
“Now most of you knew I wasn’t going to get up here and be all full of humility, and if you didn’t, shame on you.” Eden pressed her lips together and looked down for a moment and then back up. “Ten years. That’s how long it’s been since I stepped foot into UGWC, into a wrestling ring. Ten years in February. With every year that I spent with this company, I watched people on this stage, receiving this honor, wondering if it would ever be me,” she said with a laugh and rolling her eyes. “As if there was any doubt, because now here I am, being inducted into the Hall of Fame in its tenth year as well.”
It hit her for a moment, and many of the words she’d prepared seemed to fly from her. But this is Eden, she pulled herself back together again as though it had never happened.
“Now I know this is the point where I should start handing out thanks and praise and getting religious and all that. Well. If that’s what you’re expecting, then I’m afraid you’re at the wrong Hall of Fame ceremony. Having said that, there’s a few people who have been… instrumental in getting me to where I am today that I have to mention…” Eden trailed off before clearing her throat.
“First off, I would like to begin by thanking all of you for finally taking a leaf out of my book and dressing up for the occasion,” she said smoothly, pausing to slowly turn her head in Lucy’s direction, an obviously fake smile on her face. “I’ll give you credit, Lucy… Target is a step up from GoodWill,” she said, winking at her friend.
“And speaking of my dear friend Lucy, I should also pay tribute to another friend, Rogan, for having the patience of a saint. For one thing, he has Gabriel and I as best friends and that’s never an easy task. But on top of that, he decided to adopt a stray,” Eden cast Lucy another look, eyes dancing. “Or at least, you’d assume she was a stray given her usual attire. Don’t judge her based on tonight, she dressed up for me,” Eden said, smiling out at the crowd. “That being said, Rogan hasn’t quite been the same since, and… let me just say I’m happy for them,” she said with a smile in their direction.
“I’d also like to thank the organizers of this event for not sitting Chaos and Ichabod next to one another tonight seeing as how they’d be a couple of nipples short of being a tribute to my tits,” she said with a grin. “For the record, there probably should be one,” she laughed and then sobered, thinking a moment.
“Thank you to the cannibals and Dragons who wanted to see me crumble and fall into nothing, for no other reason than to fuel their infamy and use my name to strike fear into the hearts of all that followed,” she said, her mouth curling into a wicked smile. “Would you look at me now?”
As the applause died down, she continued.
“I would be remiss to not offer thanks to the man with whom I won my first Cooperative Championship - Zane Scott. Congratulations on the victory yesterday, Zane, though I have to admit the ‘Jesus Christ Rising from the dead’ ending to your match was a little on the nose,” Eden said before placing a hand to her mouth. “Oops. Probably shouldn’t talk about your nose, is it still a sensitive subject? Oh come on, Zane, what’s a few superkicks between… Whatever we are?” Locating him in the crowd, she gave a little salute in his direction along with a smile.
“Alan Wallace… First of all, loved the return the other night. I’m sure you can understand why,” Eden said. “Now, I know you’re still a little touchy about the fact that I burned down your house that time. Ironically, I think you were more mad that I didn’t film the full show than you were about the fire.” Eden paused and offered a wink. “But, here’s the truth, it would never have worked out between us - we’d never have left the house.” She said, pausing for a second to let the “ooooo’s” filter out. “Oh, no, not because of THAT, but because neither of us could have left home letting the other think they were the attractive one.”
Laughter rippled through the audience.
“Moving on to Travis Pierce… hey, Trav, could you stop calling me when you’re drunk and asking me when I’m going to leave Gabriel?” Asked Eden, rolling her eyes. “I can’t leave him… I have to wait until he dies or I don’t get all the money, I only get half. But rest assured, when I do, you’ll be the first person I call. You can do a documentary about Gabriel’s mysterious death and whoever my next husband is.” Eden pressed her lips together as if she were trying to hold back a smile. It didn’t work.
“In all sincerity, I’d never be where I was today without two of the men who trained me. Colin Zale and James Spyder. They were like a pair of cantankerous, violent, pushy, extreme fathers, but if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have achieved half of what I have. They taught me that nothing is ever as bad as having your ass kicked by two of the most sadistic sons of bitches on the planet, except, of course, for listening to them tell stories about the ‘good old days’. Zane will probably agree. No one cares about the seventies, guys!”
Eden paused a moment, taking a breath as she looked around the room, eyes settling on someone.
“If you’d have told me three years ago that my circle of friends would include a man who cashed in a title match on me in the middle of the Main Event of WrestleStock, while I was in the midst of the ending of a year-long feud with Gabriel, a man who single-handedly destroyed the Oasis that I created to house the dozens of poor millionaires who needed better than tents in a desert, or who sent a fucking boar to my house to deliver a message, I’d have told you you’re insane… That Donovan Hastings and Eden Morgan-Baal would never be friends. But here we are. Apparently I’m the one that’s insane…” Said Eden rolling her eyes, but she had smiles and waves for the two little girls seated with Hastings.
Eden took a breath, as though what she were going to say next required it.
“When Jet Somers was inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago, I said something that still rings true to this day. There would be no Eden Morgan-Baal without Jet Somers,” she said, pausing for a moment. “Jet is a man I have called friend, family… and while things haven’t always gone the way that either one of us would have planned, does it ever for us? Friend. Brother. Partner in crime. He’s looked out for me and he’s had it in for me on more than one occasion. But above all else, what Jet Somers is, is dramatic as fuck. And while I’m so often seen as the “problem child” in UGWC, I would like to point out just how much money has been spent on goddamned black paint over the years.”
Laughter overtakes the room, Eden grinning.
“I’m just glad those Jet Somers is shit” shirts are still selling. Love seeing those out here, ten years later!”
A cheer went up, Eden laughing.
“And above all… I’m thankful that my husband Gabriel managed to make it to his seat for the night without the help of his full-time caretaker. Or, as I’m more commonly known, his wife,” a smattering of laughter filtered through. “Thankfully, I may just about get Quentin out of diapers before we need to start putting Gabriel in them. And I’ve managed to collate the many nefarious deeds that Gabriel has perpetrated over the years so that when the time comes, there is no doubt that I should be given power of attorney. I need to make sure my place in the will is finalized before he realizes what the hell he let himself in for by marrying me,” she said with a laugh, her eyes meeting his as he bounced Quentin on his knee. “Thank you, my love, for giving me the life I always dreamed of but never thought I deserved,” she finished, blowing a kiss to him and their son.
“And to all the fans, all my haters, especially every one of you out there right now watching this with bitterness in your hearts… know that my life is amazing, it’s full of laughter, love, and joy, and while there are moments I might trade over these past ten years… I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Without all of you..” Eden trailed off, looking out at the crowd, eyes shimmering with tears that she blinked back. “Thank you,” she finished simply and backed away.
Nicknames: Edie, The Ice Queen of Entertainment, The Black Widow, UGWC's Sweetheart, First Lady of UGWC
Year Inducted: 2023
Major Promotions: UGWC
Accomplishments:
Championships Held
UGWC World Heavyweight Champion x4
UGWC Cross-Hemisphere Champion
UGWC Cooperative Champion x6 (w/ Zane Scott, w/ Gabriel Baal x3, w/ Jet Somers, w/ Donovan Hastings)
UGWC Chaos Champion
UGWC Conquest Champion
Achievements
UGWC Grand Slam Champion
UGWC Massive Melee Winner x2 (2013, 2014)
UGWC Voted Best Face (2013)
UGWC Voted Breakout Character (2013)
UGWC Voted Best Feud (2013, vs Zane Scott)
UGWC Voted Best Heel (2015)
UGWC Voted Best Match (2015, vs Alan Wallace @ Sin City; 2016, vs Phrixus Deimos @ Horizons)
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Villain of the Decade
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Best Character
UGWC 10th Anniversary Award: Most Influential Stable (The Syndicate)
Career Notables:
Feuds
Zane Scott (2013)
Travis Pierce (2014)
Phrixus Deimos (2016)
Gabriel Baal (2016-2017)
Partnerships
Jet Somers, Travis Pierce (2013-2014) - The Piercing Media Network
Alan Wallace, Killian King, Zane Scott (2015) - The Syndicate
Jet Somers, Killian King (2017) - The Court
Gabriel Baal (2018-2021) - Incendium
Donovan Hastings (2020) - The Morstings
Matches
UGWC No Holds Barred 2013 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers, Valhalla Burial Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2013 - Eden Morgan vs Zane Scott, TLC Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Seven Deadly Sins 2014 - Eden Morgan Jet Somers vs Mickey Dragon, PPW Paramount Title
UGWC Sin City 2014 - High Roller Match
UGWC Horizons 2014 - Eden Morgan vs Travis Pierce
UGWC Sin City 2015 - Eden Morgan vs Alan Wallace, Last Man Standing, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2015 - Eden Morgan vs Colin Zale
UGWC In Your Hands 2016 - Eden Morgan vs Gabriel Baal, Ambulance Match, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC Horizons 2016 - Eden Morgan vs Phrixus Deimos, Through the Looking Glass
UGWC Massive Melee 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC WrestleStock 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Gabriel Baal, World Heavyweight Title
UGWC In Your Hands 2017 - Eden Morgan vs Killian King, War of the Roses
UGWC WrestleStock 2018 - Eden Morgan vs Alan Wallace, Spin the Wheel
UGWC Horizons 2018 - Eden Morgan vs Jet Somers
Induction:
The crowd has assembled in anticipation of the Hall of Fame ceremony, and a hush befalls them as a voice comes over the PA system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Master of Ceremonies of this year’s Hall of Fame Induction, “The Living Weapon,” Jet Somers!”
Opie walks out in a tuxedo, carrying a stack of cards in his left hand, and pushing an office chair with his right. Travis Pierce sits in the office chair, bound and gagged, his tuxedo rumpled from struggling against the ropes.
Jet walks Travis to the edge of the stage and positions him where he can see the proceedings. With that, he walks to a podium set up at center stage.
Jet: Thank you, thank you. Each year at Wrestlestock, the industry's biggest professional wrestling fan event, we dedicate part of our final day of broadcast to honoring the most influential Entertainment Professionals in UGWC history. This year, the inductee is so special, so prestigious, so beloved by the sports, fashion, social media, and entertainment worlds, we felt she deserved the entire ceremony all to herself. It is my unique honor to induct The First Lady of UGWC, Eden Morgan-Baal!
Jet: There's so much to be said about The Ice Queen, so many highlights, achievements, and challenges overcome. I could easily stand up here for the rest of the show and regale you all with endless tales, share memories we all hold fondly - or otherwise - and still wouldn't come close to approaching the enormity and domination of her career.
Luckily, the moment word got out that Eden was being inducted this year, supporters rushed out of the woodwork to insist on a chance to speak about how she's inspired and guided them over the years. The first of those is going to come as no surprise. Please join me in welcoming your UGWC World Champion, Lucy Wylde!
Luckily, the moment word got out that Eden was being inducted this year, supporters rushed out of the woodwork to insist on a chance to speak about how she's inspired and guided them over the years. The first of those is going to come as no surprise. Please join me in welcoming your UGWC World Champion, Lucy Wylde!
Lucy Wylde: This night is about you, Eden. And I know some are wondering how that’s any different than any other night, and while they’re not exactly wrong… None of them can honestly say that you haven’t flat out earned the right to be exactly who and what you are right now. You’ve pushed through some shit in order to get to this point, you’ve fought, you’ve cried and you’ve bled your fair share… For this moment right here.
While that fact in of itself doesn’t necessarily make you any more special than anyone else who you join tonight in the Hall of Fame - The fact that you’ve done all of that, and more as a woman in this industry… That’s what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s not easy. At least it hasn’t always been easy for women like us to make it in this industry. To be seen as equals, or in some cases.. Superior.
You set the bar for women like me and everyone who followed you, Edie.
I take a lot of pride in the fact that I was only the second woman to ever hold the UGWC World title. But the only reason I take pride in that is because you did it first. You made it all possible. I get to go out there in a few hours and defend my world title in the main event of Wrestlestock because you paved the path with your blood, sweat and tears.
I can’t possibly put into words what that means to someone like me.
You’re a strong, stubborn, and incredibly talented person. I know that’s putting it lightly. Over all these years, I’ve gotten to know you as more than just the bitch who thinks she’s better than everyone else… And now, I realize you don’t just think that. You know it. Not because you’re just that full of yourself but because you put in the work to be better, to be the best. And that hard work shows in the numerous championships you’ve won and the things you’ve accomplished that only a few ever have.
But most of all? It shows as a beacon of light for women in this industry, telling them that anything they want to accomplish, they can if they fight for it.
When we first met, I thought there was no chance we’d ever see eye to eye. I came here hoping to find something, anything after I lost my home in OWF. What I was met with was so much worse than anything I’d lost to that point - but now, standing here all those years later, I realize that you always pushed me because you saw in me what you saw in yourself. You wanted me to be better. And you made me better, Eden, and for that I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished, not only as a wrestler but as a person, and a mother. Contrary to what most believe about you, I know that you’re not only beautiful on the outside, but you’re one of the truest and most gracious people under the surface. I’m proud to be your best friend, and the Godmother to Quentin. I’m even more proud to be standing here, welcoming you to your rightful place - The UGWC Hall of Fame.
I love you, Eden.
Congratulations. There’s no one that deserves this more than you.
The crowd absolutely erupts for the World Champion as Lucy makes her exit.
Jet: Thank you for that heartfelt tribute, Lucy. Now, we've got someone who couldn't make it to the stage tonight as he has his hands full of meat and brew. Let's go to the Devil's District to speak with my brother, Chaos!
The video package behind Jet ends as a live feed flickers to life, showing Chaos standing in front of one of the many smokers that line 'The Devil's District' during this year's festivities. He checks the internal temperature of the multiple pork butts that rest atop the grates in front of him, oblivious to the camera that peers over his shoulder.
"Yo C", says Bloodhound, who is seated off to the side. "I think it's time for you to do your thing. Also seems that Xan was right… you weren't finished in time. You owe me a hundo."
Chaos glances around to see the camera, an 'oh shit' look forming on his face.
"How's about I take it off what you owe me from 'Hold 'Em'," he says as he turns and closes the lid on the smoker, "and we just call it even?"
"Whatever you say, VP" Hound says, as he rises to his feet and grabs a beer. "Xandy's still gonna kick your ass though."
Chaos grunts as he runs his hand through his beard, but then turns back towards the camera.
"Hey there, Princess" he begins, as he walks over and takes a seat at the picnic table. "It's been a while."
Reaching inside of his cut he pulls out a Chadweiser, removing the cap, and placing the bottle in front of him.
"Guess I should apologize for not being up on the stage, in person" he begins, before motioning around him. "But it's been hectic as hell trying to feed the masses all week. And as I'm sure you remember… I'm complete shit at managing my time."
He offers up a momentary, and completely uncustomary, smile.
"Even with all the shit goin' on around here though" he begins, as he half-shrugs, "when asked if I wanted to say a few words for your induction, no fuckin' way I'd have said no."
He interlocks his fingers as he places his hands on the table, leaning forward.
"Now everyone who knows us knows we've had a… special… type of relationship over the years. Christ, I've known you since you were a kid. You've been the sister that I never fuckin' had. As such, just like with all siblings, there's been good times, and there's been bad times."
He cracks his neck as he shifts in his seat.
"We've been friends, and we've been enemies; we've fought tooth and nail for each other, and we've tried to destroy each other; hell, I've even painted your nails during my cashmere phase…"
He smiles again.
"Yet somehow, no matter what has happened between us, we still somehow find a way to bury the hatchet. Because we're family."
He reaches out and picks up the beer, before rising to his feet.
"You are one of the greatest professional wrestlers that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, and it's about fuckin' time that the brass did what they should have years ago and inducted you into the UGWC Hall of Fame. So, here's to ya…"
Chaos takes a long drink from the bottle, before then setting the half-empty bottle back onto the table.
"And the greatest gift that I could think of, aside from you not havin' to see this face in person? Seein' a face you haven't in way too fuckin' long. Xan?"
Chaos smiles as he turns and heads back towards the smokers. Back in the ceremony area, Alexandra Burke steps through the curtain, the soon-to-be 8-year-old Hayleigh beside her.
"Aunt Edie!"
The girl known as Hay-Hay bounds down the steps of the stage, running towards where Eden is seated. The rambunctious child slams into her hard, wrapping her arms around her, as the crowd applauds.
The video feed ends as the crowd quiets down, and Jet takes back over.
Jet: Keep a plate hot for me, Chaos, and thanks for sharing that touching message. Next up, we have a special--
Jet: Aw, crap...
The Indestructible Ichabod walks out slowly, narrowing his eyes at the the tied up Pierce and smirking as he passes. He doesn't spare a glance at Somers, but stands at the podium rudely awaiting the PMN's resident ninja to give him room. After a tense staredown, Jet shrugs and smiles, motioning to the mic as he steps aside.
Ichabod: I'm here to speak directly to the fucking inductee. Wait, this shit's not going to work. Ahem.
Ichabod: That's better. Now look, a lot of choads are going to try to have a turn at saying their piece about you, Princess. The truth is, despite the far reach of your ascendancy, despite all the lives you've touched, burned, lifted up, or destroyed, only a small handful of people truly understand who you are.
Everything they're going to say about you over the next hour or so is true. It's also only a fraction of your chaotic tapestry. Even I thought I had you figured out at one time, but now I see I don't have all the answers.
There's no one in the industry like you, never will be another like you. Many competitors try to be an island here, but you're a monolith, a fucking volcano. Getting too close might be a death sentence, but it will be an exhilarating, once in a lifetime experience that won't be forgotten. I'd say "Don't ever change," but you'd do it to spite me. Even today, your last match long in your rearview, you're still a seen as a trailblazer, and I know you'll keep shaking the world down to it's foundation for the rest of your life. I can't wait to see it.
With that, Ichabod unceremoniously exits, tossing Jet a middle finger as he goes and kicking Pierce's chair so that it rolls toward a dip in the stage, tipping the chair at an uncomfortable angle and leaving it there. Jet rushes over to set him back up.
Jet: Well ok then! Thanks, Ichabod, for... that. Now we'd like to welcome one of the hardest working individuals in UGWC, and especially at this event, the head trainer in charge, the Cyclone, Jordan King!
JK arrives to an obviously grateful crowd, including a temporarily-quadruple-sized roster he's directing the well-being of this week.
Jordan: We come here today to honour one of the absolute GOATs of our industry, Eden Morgan-Baal.
When I was first told that Eden was getting inducted into the hall of fame, and you can ask Jet about this, he can vouch for me; the first thing I said was ‘It’s about fucking time!’ To me, there are few others who embody the true spirit of a wrestler than Eden, and even fewer who represent our company as well as she did.
When Eden first joined the company, a lot of the boys and girls in the back had the view that she would be some blow in, might win a championship or two here but would never move the needle in any meaningful way. How wrong they were. Whether it was while involved with her friends and family in the Devil’s Most Wanted or striking out on her own, if there was an important storyline, she was right there in the middle involved with something. I always saw her as being a diamond in the rough that would with time shine brighter than anyone else here and that, one day, she would be in our Hall of Fame.
The biggest thing that to me makes Eden one of those lock selections that should have been made years ago is the impact that she has had on the newcomers that we get through here. As HTIC, my job has been to train our newcomers and make sure they’re ready for the UGWC ring. One of the first things they are asked when we’re working out the best way to work on their style of in ring work is ‘Who inspires you the most?’ Used to be you would get your standard answers, your Travis Roberts’ your Donovan Hastings’ occasionally your Randy Boolzians. However, in the last couple of years, those names have been slowly replaced by Eden Morgan. That is the legacy she will have for years if not decades to come, in the in-ring work of the next Hall of Fame inductees this company will have. Anyone who can inspire the next generation to reach for the very top of our industry frankly deserves our respect and admiration.
Ladies and gentlemen, I won’t hold up the lady of the hour any longer. Congratulations Eds, and welcome to the fucking club!
Jet: Thanks, JK, I know you've got your hands full right now, so this means a lot! Now, I understand we'll be joining our next speaker via live feed back at the UGWC Chicago Arena.
The screen comes back to life, where we join Holden in Chicago walking through the hallways. It doesn't seem like he notices the camera, and it's not clear if he knows he's being filmed. Eventually, he reaches a door, one that hasn't been opened for anything other than dusting in years; Eden Morgan-Baal's locker room.
Holden opens the door slightly, then turns around and pokes his ass through the door crack. After a brief pause, a look of relief comes over his face, and he stands back up straight. He flashes a thumbs up at the camera.
Holden: Congrats, Eden.
The feed ends.
Jet: I... have no idea what to say. Luckily, our next speaker is never short of witty repartee.
Donovan approaches the podium and adjusts the microphone before speaking.
“When Jet first approached me to be a part of this, I told him to get the hell out of Owen’s office. But then Owen told me what Jet was trying to ask, and obviously, here I am. It turns out that after everything that has happened, there actually is something that Jet Somers and I can agree on, and that’s just how overwhelmingly deserving Eden Morgan is of entering the UGWC Hall of Fame.
We often talk about legacies and history, and about the impact that a person had. You’ll hear arguments about who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of something, and if someone has displaced someone else. You can’t have these discussions without somebody who blazed the trail, an originator who did something first, and who made it possible for everybody that came after them. Later today, one of the great World Champions of the modern era, Lucy Wylde, will defend the title on the final day of this festival for the second consecutive year and third time overall. Lucy is a tremendous competitor, whom I will remind you I have beaten at Horizons, and there is no doubt that one day we will hold one of these ceremonies for her, but there would be no Lucy Wylde if there wasn’t an Eden Morgan that preceded her, Eden Morgan who herself successfully defended that same World Championship at this same festival ten years ago.
In her own way, Eden Morgan was the blueprint for an Entertainment Professional. If you wanted a competitor, she was a 4-Time UGWC World Champion who held thirteen championships overall, including every championship that UGWC had to offer, and was recognized for being in the Best Match of the Year in two consecutive years. If you wanted an entertainer, look no further than her feuds with Travis Pierce and Zane Scott, or her battles with her own demons. Eden was a sympathetic sweetheart, and later she was a vicious villain. Time and time again, it was clear that the only person who could ever truly stop Eden was herself.
My relationship with Eden has always been complicated. We have been rivals, and it’s no secret that for a long time we were certainly not fans of each other. Over time I came to respect Eden, and a lot of that is because I’ve come to see her for who she is, beyond the facade that she always put on for all of you. A lot of that is something I’ll keep to myself, but what I’ll share with you today is that I will always be grateful for the gift of what she has become for my family.
There are some of you in the crowd today who are going to shout for one more match, fans around the world who hope to see one more run, one final reign as the queen atop UGWC. I’m not part of that group, not only because I know what Eden would have to put herself through to do it, but because I’m coming back for that World Title myself, and I say it quite directly, I don’t want to have to go through Eden to do it.
Congratulations, Eden. It’s very possible that no one has ever deserved it more.”
As Donovan leaves the stage, he slows almost imperceptibly, and turns to share a heavy look with Jet. They both look up at the giant tribute to Eden on the screen, then meet gazes again. Jet nods slightly, and Donovan nods back. Nothing more passes between them.
Jet: Let's welcome our other Wrestlestock headliner, Dave Rydell!
"Eden Morgan. That's why we are all here today. I knew from the minute I met her that this day would come. I just never knew when.
From the time I first joined UGWC until even today, you have had an impact on this place. Whether it be directly or indirectly. You have been one of the constants, even in your longer absences. You are a cornerstone for this company and will forever be synonymous with it's name.
While we may not be friends or even allies, you are a true definition of what it means to be a competitor in this business and this company. Your legacy will live on forever, even if this company closes it's doors.
Thank you for being one of the legends and building a legacy worth working towards matching. Some may match it, many may never come close, but you are a standard we all wish to reach.
Congratulations on your hall of fame induction. It is well deserved. And if I'm being candid, and in agreement with the rest of those who have spoken already... no one deserves it more than you.
What you have built here and what you have done during your time here... it is a legacy to live up to and a career to be talked about for generations to come.
Congratulations again. You earned every bit of this."
He nods toward Eden and turns to leave.
Jet: Truer words, Dave. Thanks a lot. Next up, someone asked to speak, but it seems he's been unable to make it all the way to the stage. Can we get a camera back there?
Zane stands before a wall backstage, his face looking like hammered dogshit, but covered by a beaming smile nonetheless. The Cross-Hemisphere Championship rests on his shoulder, slightly spattered with blood. His face is covered in cuts and bruises, and soaked with sweat.
“Hi Eden,” he states with a smile. “Congratulations on your induction into the Hall of Fame! I know we’ve rarely seen eye to eye on anything, but you absolutely deserve this more than any woman, and quite possibly any other talent who stepped foot into this company.”
He spits a bloody mung blob onto the floor.
“Sorry,” he says. “You revolutionized women’s wrestling in UGWC, and in spite of our complicated and often violent history, you are unreservedly deserving of this accolade. You’ve left a titanic set of footprints for every woman who competes in this company to fill, and it’s quite possible that none ever will. It’s possible that no one ever will, period.”
He coughs, with a slight burst of blood coming from his mouth. It also ends up on the floor.
“One thing is certain, and I’ve said this before,” he intones earnestly. “There would be no Zane Scott without Eden Morgan.”
He smiles. “I figured it appropriate to say this looking as awful as I do, considering how often you left me looking like this.”
“So congratulations, Eden,” he smiles. “Way to be the bar, and now rightfully immortalized for it.”
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go to the hospital.”
He chokes another bloody glob out.
“Yup.” He grins. “How fitting.”
The screen fades back as Zane stumbles away.
Jet: Uh, Jordan, you need to go check on him.
So, my turn. It’s not easy to dilute everything that should be said about Eden down into a short induction speech. To say our history is complicated doesn’t begin to encompass it.
What I will say is that for me, for better or for worse, Eden has always been a catalyst. When you engage directly with her, it will always be a pivotal moment in your timeline.
This industry ages you quickly, and for those who get in young, like Eden did, it makes you grow up harsh and fast. She welcomed it, though. Eden embraced life in all of its horror and beauty. For her, the trials she suffered were violent baptisms followed by metamorphosis into her next, more powerful form. Eden walks with her nightmares, drawing strength from them as she embraces success, life, family, and motherhood.
It’s no secret that family is a touchy subject where Eden is concerned, but one thing that made things so contentious back then is her no-compromise insistence on living according to her worldview. The boys liked to give her cutesy names like Princess and Edie-girl, because they only saw the starry eyed, confident, optimistic kid that was a dark queen waiting to emerge.
As stubborn as she was, Eden wasn’t adverse to learning. I watched her seek out the harshest mentors, the ones who don’t give lessons lightly. Her tightest friendships come from monsters and narcissists and broken things whose hearts she conquered. There's a connection between her and the hearts of everyone she's ever touched, be it painfully or in love. Those connections endure, no matter how much distance or darkness there is between them. She’s gone by a lot of meaningful monikers in her time here, but to me, she always reminds me of some of the great dark queens in fairy tales, like Elphaba, Regina, Maleficent… the ones you kind of admire the grind they put in to get where they are?
Anyway, to me, Eden, you’ll always be UGWC’s Ice Queen, so tonight I will officially coronate you, and 'we should see you in a crown' in just a minute. Long live the queen? Long live the queen!
The crowd joins him as Eden sports a quizzicle, half embarrassed smirk. They calm down after about a dozen rounds.
Jet: Before we bring you up to get your crown, though, we saved the most fitting message for last.
We open up to the back of a leather chair inside an oak panelled room.
“Eden… Morgan…” Said a voice, before the chair began to turn around to face the screen. A moment later, a smiling Gabriel Baal faces the screen. “We meet again.”
There’s a small smattering of laughter at the unfolding scene.
“Long before Eden added Baal to her name, she was many other things. She was UGWC’s darling, she was the brains behind the Piercing Media Network, she was the conductor of the Syndicate’s symphony. She was a downward spiral towards a cataclysm that almost tore apart the entire Coalition.” Said Gabriel with a smile. “This was where I met the love of my life.”
Gabriel smiled.
“I became aware of Eden during the aforementioned spiral, and in my typically maverick way, I chose to meet my future wife while she was… resting… At Seven Oaks. And whilst it wasn’t the most conventional of meetings, it would imprint upon me a necessity to begin my path as a professional wrestling in UGWC. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I am entirely and unequivocally Eden’s fault.” Gabriel said with an assured nod. Another swell of laughter.
“Long before Eden and I became the happy family we are today, Eden was - and remains to this day - the most fearsome rival I’ve ever had. Vindictive, sadistic and talented, with a tongue so sharp that barely anyone honouring her today has avoided it’s sting. She and I engaged in a heated rivalry that almost cost us both dearly. She took away my life’s work, and I almost took away her liberty. And yet, hatred, beget respect, beget friendship, beget love.” He said with a smile. “There are layers to our story that no-one but us know - the entire story is… a thing to behold. But that is a story for another time.”
Gabriel gave the camera a knowing look.
“No-one that has faced Eden would ever suggest that she isn’t the fiercest, most challenging opponent they’ve ever had the privilege to stand across from. Her heart and her fight are unmatched. More than I have met the version of Eden for whom death or permanent injury would be preferable to defeat.” Said Gabriel shaking his head. “And yet, she was also fiercely loyal to those who she loved and who loved her. And whilst that list has changed through choice or circumstance over the years. And despite her reputation as a heartless, cold bitch, anyone who truly knows my wife knows that she loves so much more fiercely than she hates. Two of her greatest rivals are her best friend and the father of her child.”
Gabriel pressed the tips of his fingers together.
“Eden Morgan changed my life - she created within me a passion for professional wrestling that I never knew that I had. She gave me the defining rivalry of my short career. She was present when I won the UGWC World Heavyweight Championship and the Grand Slam. She was the greatest Cooperative partner I’ve ever had, and she gave family and love to the one man who never believed he deserved it. She created families along the way - even if she found herself a part of them in the end. But most of all, Eden Morgan is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time.” Said Gabriel with a smile.
“Eden Morgan isn’t just the latest inductee into the UGWC Hall of Fame - she is the greatest Superstar ever to be inducted in the hall of fame. Her career has been filled with moments that are etched in UGWC folklaw. She sells out arenas every time her name is mentioned. And even now - more than a year since she last stepped into a UGWC ring, Eden would step back into the Main Event of any Pay Per View without a single eye-lid being bat.” Said Gabriel. “My wife is the greatest of all time - without doubt, nor argument. She is the greatest wrestler, the greatest rival, the greatest partner, the greatest champion, the greatest friend, the greatest wife and the greatest mother of all time. And it is my life’s honour merely to have my name mentioned alongside hers.”
Gabriel smiles and looks into the camera.
“Congratulations, Eden Morgan. I love you more than words could ever describe. And no-one… No-one deserves this more than you. Have the most wonderful evening.” Said Gabriel with a smile.
Jet: Thank you, Gabriel. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, no more stalling her moment to boost her ego even more. Please join me in welcoming your 2023 UGWC Hall of Fame Inductee: EDEN MORGAN-BAAL!!
As she approaches the podium, Jet and Eden share a two armed handshake, sharing a meaningful look that simply existed in a unique shared history and a moment of understanding between the only two people who could. A fleeting, perhaps forgiving, smile passes between them, then they back away so Eden can have her moment.
“I know you’ve missed me…” Eden speaks into the microphone before stepping back and giving a little twirl, showing off the designer dress she wore to devastating effect. With a satisfied smirk, she turned back to the crowd, pausing a moment as if getting her thoughts together before speaking again.
“When I was told I was being inducted into the UGWC Hall of Fame, I wanted to take my time to think about how it felt and what it means... So I took some time to really dig deep… and this is what I found…” she said, trailing off and looking out into the crowd as though she were about to make some royal proclamation.
“It’s about damn time.” Whoops and cheers along with laughter shoot up through the crowd.
“What it means is confirmation of what the world already knows; that the first ever female UGWC World Champion, the first ever female Grand Slam winner, and one of the greatest of all time has been added into this prestigious class,” she finished triumphantly, knowing she’d irked at least half of her audience.
That only made it better.
“Now most of you knew I wasn’t going to get up here and be all full of humility, and if you didn’t, shame on you.” Eden pressed her lips together and looked down for a moment and then back up. “Ten years. That’s how long it’s been since I stepped foot into UGWC, into a wrestling ring. Ten years in February. With every year that I spent with this company, I watched people on this stage, receiving this honor, wondering if it would ever be me,” she said with a laugh and rolling her eyes. “As if there was any doubt, because now here I am, being inducted into the Hall of Fame in its tenth year as well.”
It hit her for a moment, and many of the words she’d prepared seemed to fly from her. But this is Eden, she pulled herself back together again as though it had never happened.
“Now I know this is the point where I should start handing out thanks and praise and getting religious and all that. Well. If that’s what you’re expecting, then I’m afraid you’re at the wrong Hall of Fame ceremony. Having said that, there’s a few people who have been… instrumental in getting me to where I am today that I have to mention…” Eden trailed off before clearing her throat.
“First off, I would like to begin by thanking all of you for finally taking a leaf out of my book and dressing up for the occasion,” she said smoothly, pausing to slowly turn her head in Lucy’s direction, an obviously fake smile on her face. “I’ll give you credit, Lucy… Target is a step up from GoodWill,” she said, winking at her friend.
“And speaking of my dear friend Lucy, I should also pay tribute to another friend, Rogan, for having the patience of a saint. For one thing, he has Gabriel and I as best friends and that’s never an easy task. But on top of that, he decided to adopt a stray,” Eden cast Lucy another look, eyes dancing. “Or at least, you’d assume she was a stray given her usual attire. Don’t judge her based on tonight, she dressed up for me,” Eden said, smiling out at the crowd. “That being said, Rogan hasn’t quite been the same since, and… let me just say I’m happy for them,” she said with a smile in their direction.
“I’d also like to thank the organizers of this event for not sitting Chaos and Ichabod next to one another tonight seeing as how they’d be a couple of nipples short of being a tribute to my tits,” she said with a grin. “For the record, there probably should be one,” she laughed and then sobered, thinking a moment.
“Thank you to the cannibals and Dragons who wanted to see me crumble and fall into nothing, for no other reason than to fuel their infamy and use my name to strike fear into the hearts of all that followed,” she said, her mouth curling into a wicked smile. “Would you look at me now?”
As the applause died down, she continued.
“I would be remiss to not offer thanks to the man with whom I won my first Cooperative Championship - Zane Scott. Congratulations on the victory yesterday, Zane, though I have to admit the ‘Jesus Christ Rising from the dead’ ending to your match was a little on the nose,” Eden said before placing a hand to her mouth. “Oops. Probably shouldn’t talk about your nose, is it still a sensitive subject? Oh come on, Zane, what’s a few superkicks between… Whatever we are?” Locating him in the crowd, she gave a little salute in his direction along with a smile.
“Alan Wallace… First of all, loved the return the other night. I’m sure you can understand why,” Eden said. “Now, I know you’re still a little touchy about the fact that I burned down your house that time. Ironically, I think you were more mad that I didn’t film the full show than you were about the fire.” Eden paused and offered a wink. “But, here’s the truth, it would never have worked out between us - we’d never have left the house.” She said, pausing for a second to let the “ooooo’s” filter out. “Oh, no, not because of THAT, but because neither of us could have left home letting the other think they were the attractive one.”
Laughter rippled through the audience.
“Moving on to Travis Pierce… hey, Trav, could you stop calling me when you’re drunk and asking me when I’m going to leave Gabriel?” Asked Eden, rolling her eyes. “I can’t leave him… I have to wait until he dies or I don’t get all the money, I only get half. But rest assured, when I do, you’ll be the first person I call. You can do a documentary about Gabriel’s mysterious death and whoever my next husband is.” Eden pressed her lips together as if she were trying to hold back a smile. It didn’t work.
“In all sincerity, I’d never be where I was today without two of the men who trained me. Colin Zale and James Spyder. They were like a pair of cantankerous, violent, pushy, extreme fathers, but if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have achieved half of what I have. They taught me that nothing is ever as bad as having your ass kicked by two of the most sadistic sons of bitches on the planet, except, of course, for listening to them tell stories about the ‘good old days’. Zane will probably agree. No one cares about the seventies, guys!”
Eden paused a moment, taking a breath as she looked around the room, eyes settling on someone.
“If you’d have told me three years ago that my circle of friends would include a man who cashed in a title match on me in the middle of the Main Event of WrestleStock, while I was in the midst of the ending of a year-long feud with Gabriel, a man who single-handedly destroyed the Oasis that I created to house the dozens of poor millionaires who needed better than tents in a desert, or who sent a fucking boar to my house to deliver a message, I’d have told you you’re insane… That Donovan Hastings and Eden Morgan-Baal would never be friends. But here we are. Apparently I’m the one that’s insane…” Said Eden rolling her eyes, but she had smiles and waves for the two little girls seated with Hastings.
Eden took a breath, as though what she were going to say next required it.
“When Jet Somers was inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago, I said something that still rings true to this day. There would be no Eden Morgan-Baal without Jet Somers,” she said, pausing for a moment. “Jet is a man I have called friend, family… and while things haven’t always gone the way that either one of us would have planned, does it ever for us? Friend. Brother. Partner in crime. He’s looked out for me and he’s had it in for me on more than one occasion. But above all else, what Jet Somers is, is dramatic as fuck. And while I’m so often seen as the “problem child” in UGWC, I would like to point out just how much money has been spent on goddamned black paint over the years.”
Laughter overtakes the room, Eden grinning.
“I’m just glad those Jet Somers is shit” shirts are still selling. Love seeing those out here, ten years later!”
A cheer went up, Eden laughing.
“And above all… I’m thankful that my husband Gabriel managed to make it to his seat for the night without the help of his full-time caretaker. Or, as I’m more commonly known, his wife,” a smattering of laughter filtered through. “Thankfully, I may just about get Quentin out of diapers before we need to start putting Gabriel in them. And I’ve managed to collate the many nefarious deeds that Gabriel has perpetrated over the years so that when the time comes, there is no doubt that I should be given power of attorney. I need to make sure my place in the will is finalized before he realizes what the hell he let himself in for by marrying me,” she said with a laugh, her eyes meeting his as he bounced Quentin on his knee. “Thank you, my love, for giving me the life I always dreamed of but never thought I deserved,” she finished, blowing a kiss to him and their son.
“And to all the fans, all my haters, especially every one of you out there right now watching this with bitterness in your hearts… know that my life is amazing, it’s full of laughter, love, and joy, and while there are moments I might trade over these past ten years… I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Without all of you..” Eden trailed off, looking out at the crowd, eyes shimmering with tears that she blinked back. “Thank you,” she finished simply and backed away.