The FFW logo appears on the screen before “Focus” by Ariana Grande begins to play. Then we see the studio being set up, the glass table sat in the center being cleaned, two cups sat on opposite sides of the table. Next we see Zack Hudson tying his shoes and checking himself in the mirror before he heads out to the set as a producer puts a microphone on his shirt before sitting down. When he looks across, we next see the various women who make up FFW and Future Shock flash by in images from their career until it finally stops on Constance McCullough.
Then we cut inside the Focus studio and find her with the voice of FFW Zack Hudson, who looks towards the camera as he begins speaking.
Zack: Welcome to the second episode of Focus, where yours truly helps you get to know more about the women who make up FFW and Future Shock. Our first episode did great numbers on All Access, and I thank all of you for that. Today, I’ve invited Future Shock’s own Constance McCullough to join me at the table.
He leans across to shake hands with her before taking his seat again.
Zack: Constance, it’s a pleasure to finally get to sit down and talk with you today. Welcome to Focus, I hope you’re ready to help enlighten our fans about just who Constance McCullough is.
McCullough smiles broadly and flicks her blonde locks back over a shoulder, despite them swaying back to their original starting point immediately, one leg folded across the other in her chair.
Constance: Thank you, Zack, I’ll do my best. It’s a real pleasure to be invited here.
Zack: Whenever you tell a story, it’s generally best to start at the beginning. So tell me about growing up in the McCullough house. Big family or small? That kind of thing.
Constance: Oh, gosh, I didn’t expect to be asked that!
She nervously laughs before continuing.
Constance: Well, we’re a small family, very community-driven. My parents have been volunteering in our town for a while, raising funds for the local church and community center, getting other members to donate food for those going hungry, that sort of thing. It really helped to instill a sense of giving back to both my older brother and I that’s still at the forefront of what we do in our day to day lives. We’d go to church often and one of my earliest memories, actually, involves a group of us putting on shows, which is where I got my love of dancing.
Zack: That makes a lot of sense. Sounds like it also led to a love of performing too since you were part of small shows from the beginning. Tell me more about that love of dancing. What do you think inspired it? Was there a show or a movie you saw growing up that flicked that switch on for you?
She fiddles with the small gold crucifix around her neck as she pauses for thought momentarily.
Constance: Well… I wouldn’t say it was anything in particular. I’ve danced since I could walk and we always had music playing around the house. I guess it was a combination of things, really, that pushed me further towards dancing as a performative thing. Like, there’d be Beyonce and The Pussycat Dolls and others on TV, and then I always enjoyed the cheerleaders while I’d watch football with my family and that kind of met the girl group interest in the middle. I really couldn’t tell you why but synchronized dance groups have always appealed to me, just the way they all move as one… entity, I guess, like a flock of birds.
As she speaks, Zacks nods as he listens and takes a sip from his glass of water.
Constance: It’s funny because a few friends and I would have our own dance troupe in high school and try to recreate what we saw online and on TV, and that led to me getting into pro cheer. I mean, I always loved football and I guess since women couldn’t play then the next best thing was to combine my love of both football and dance by becoming a cheerleader, so that was the route I was taking at that time.
Zack: Being a cheerleader as you were, I’m going to assume that you were quite popular during your school years. Besides that and dancing, did you involve yourself in any other sports for the girls?
A laugh erupts from Constance at the question, gently shaking her head in response.
Constance: Well, I don’t want to inflate my head a little too much but yeah, I was never the prom queen but I’d say I was pretty popular, for sure. I guess everyone in my group of friends was popular within our own circle, and I didn’t have, like, some wild arch-enemy type thing going on but I tried to stay away from negativity. Otherwise, besides cheer and dancing? I loved track and volleyball. It’s funny because with cheer and dance, everyone’s all in it together besides maybe one or two egos but then with track and volleyball, there was absolutely some competition going on. Like, if you’re not trying to win in those sports then why bother, right? Wrestling’s the same, really, where it’s the only thing that brings out that side of me compared to my usual friendly self.
Zack: Tell me how you found the wrestling business, and what was it that you saw that made you want to pursue that. I’m sure you had other opportunities in other fields that were available to an athletically fit and very intelligent young woman like yourself.
Constance: Well, as I said earlier, my family would watch it together because my dad used to go to the shows when he was younger. He was a big fan of the American Wrestling Federation, so then my brother became a fan too and it was my brother, Jack, who got me into wrestling. We’d get the Southern Wrestling Conference on TV just over a decade ago and the first person I really fell in love with as far as pro wrestling and athletic competition to that end was Sydney Christensen. She just stood out to me as someone who was tough, took her craft seriously and was just incredibly talented in the ring.
I had other opportunities, like I remember one time being asked to continue with the volleyball professionally, I was scouted for the regional athletics team for track and I almost ended up taking a spot training for the long jump, too. I guess with my years of dance and cheer, my legs are my strongest asset, haha. Oh, and this may surprise some people but I was this close to joining a local roller derby team.
Zack: Really?
Constance: I know, right! People wouldn’t expect that out of me but there we are. I was so close to joining that I had two names being floated around by the rest of the team for me; one was “Constance Motion” and the other was “Rachel Prejudice”, but then the pull of wrestling had me hooked and I went in that direction, instead. I guess seeing Sydney in SWC, and then women like Nessa Wall in the original Future Shock, and even Kat Grayson when she started out in SWC… I wanted to experience what it was like being in the ring like they were and having the reactions they did.
Zack: I think anyone who gets into this sport can understand that. What was the first thing you learned when you started training that you didn’t know just from being a fan of the sport growing up?
She takes a sip from a glass of water nearby, replacing it on the table and crossing her leg over the other in thought.
Constance: Well, the first thing was how much it really hurts! Besides that, how much of a chess game it is, because you really don’t know what your opponent will do until they do it, and you always have to stay one step ahead or find a way to counter it with a split-second decision. My dance and cheer experiences helped as far as being able to think fast and be able to make quick, snappy physical moves as an offensive or defensive thing, but I guess to answer your question, just how unpredictable it can be. I was too used to highly-rehearsed choreography, and I’m still trying to shake that off.
Zack: That’s entirely understandable. One I tend to hear when I’ve asked others is about the ring. How it looks almost like a trampoline watching on television…till they land on it the first time. Then they learn it isn’t. I know you’ve talked about some of the women you admire earlier in this interview as well as on the shows themselves, so I’m inclined to ask. Are they the reason you wanted to come to Future Shock instead of one of any number of promotions? Or were there other incentives you saw?
Constance: Honestly? It’s kinda both. Like I’ve said before, I admire some of those I share a locker room with, but Future Shock also appealed because it was always seen as the place to develop talents before moving to Breaking Point. I know that’s been changing and evolving in the past year or two, and especially with the Fatale Royale recently having a mix of both, but in my weird brain… Well, the idea was to come to Future Shock to learn from those I looked up to, who inspired me to do this. It’s great that I have so much support from people behind the scenes there, too. It’s crazy hearing Princess Gia and Jake rooting for me on After Shock, too.
Zack: We’ve covered a lot about what brought you here. So let’s look forward a little bit, shall we? You’ve been here now for just over six months. You’ve gotten to see and experience what it feels like to be part of Future Shock. Where would you like to see yourself after your first year is under your belt? Do you have short and long term goals that you’ve set for yourself?
An exhale escapes her as she chuckles to herself, resting hands on her crossed leg.
Constance: My main goal is just to be the best athlete I can. I know that’s a boring answer but I believe that God puts me where I need to be. Right now, I’m struggling to find a win. In a year’s time? Maybe I’ll have at least one victory under my belt, haha. I try not to make any long term plans because you just never know what life brings, although my short term goals… I’m up against “10 Star” Tara Cortez at FFW Vs. Future Shock coming up, so I’m looking to represent my show against her. A dream would be to compete with or against Sydney at some point, but I know right now she’d have me tapping out before I know what’s going on. Championship-wise, I don’t feel I’ve earned that kind of thing yet so yeah, I’m mainly focusing on Tara next month and whatever comes up on Future Shock.
Zack: Constance, I want to thank you for joining me today for the second episode of Focus. I think our viewers here on FFW All Access have a much better grasp of who you are and where you came from to get to Future Shock. You were a delight to talk with, and it’s a pleasure to call your matches.
Zack leans across the table to shake hands with the blonde.
Constance: Thank you for having me, it’s been a blast.
Zack: On the next episode of Focus, fans, I’ll be sitting down with the reigning and defending Future Shock Champion Angelina Fantastica. I look forward to that, and I’ll see you back here on the next edition of Focus.
A quick graphic shows the upcoming guest, that being Angelina, before Focus fades to black on FFW All Access.
