Sitdown Interview -- Susannah Burlingame and Penny Tremblay

A FAWN.com Digital Exclusive...



An excellent 'the road so far' video package detailing the rivalry between Sue Burlingame and Penelope Tremblay fades out to reveal Joanna Coleman sitting in a comfortable wingback chair directly facing the camera. To her left and right (arranged at a distance that's well out of striking range, it should be noted) are the subjects of the previous promo, Sue on Joanna's right, Penny to her left. The former is dressed in snug, torn jeans and a summery green linen blouse perfect for the crush of early Florida summer while the latter is sporting crisp black slacks and what looks to be a vintage Jeanette Lansdale tank-top.



To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Rainmaker and the Orphan of Midnight are already staring daggers at one another, though they do manage to shift their attention to the center when their host says, “Hello ladies and gentleman. I'm Joanna Coleman, here today with the Ace Sue Burlingame and 'Bad' Penny Tremblay ahead of what should be a series-deciding Last Woman Standing Match at Mayhem. Ladies, thank you for joining me this afternoon. I'm hoping you'll be able to offer the FAWNatics some insight into what has become one of the most acrimonious rivalries in recent memory.”



Tremblay flicked an irritated glance in Coleman's direction, though her attention went right back to Burlingame when the former World Champ replied, “More than welcome, Joanna.”



“Sue, we'll start with you. Word is you lobbied Bethany Christian and the executive board pretty hard to ensure the Last Woman Standing stipulation. May I ask why?”



“Because this has never been about three counts or submissions, Jo.” Sue answered at once. “From the first moment we stepped in the ring together, this brat has made it clear that not only does she think my time at the top of this industry is over, she thinks my time in the ring is over, period.”



“And you think otherwise?”



“Absolutely I do. Look, I may not be twenty-three anymore, but I can still hang with the best in this business. No, screw that. I can still beat the best in this business. I don't know how much time I have left in the ring, but I do know it won't be decided by an unhinged lunatic trying to make her name at my expense.” Burlingame paused, turned her attention directly to Penny. “I'm going to kick your ass at Mayhem, honey. I'm sure you'll make it to your feet over and over again, but in the end you'll stay down. Not because you can't get up, but because you don't want to get up.”



Coleman shifted her attention to the blonde. “Penny, your thoughts? Any concerns heading into such a high stakes match against a former World Champion?”



Tremblay's dark eyes shifted to Joanna, albeit only for a second. “Why should I be concerned, Ms. Coleman? You've called all our matches thus far, you remember how they went. If not for a low blow and a handful of tights, this woman would be oh and four against me. You remember how the Street Fight ended, do you really think this will be any differ—”



“You're pretty quick to work trunks too, brat.” Sue growled. “And if you think you get to walk away from this after all the shit you've talked about my family, you're—”



“Watch your tone, ma'am.” Penny snapped. “Spin the narrative however you'd like, the fact is, I've never said anything negative about your family. From everything I can tell, your husband is wonderful and your daughter even more so. My only comments about your family have been in regard to long term harm inflicted upon them by your own boundless ambition and greed. I would have thought kicking the shit out of you several times would've made the point clear, but here we are, four matches in and daddy's still finding ways to explain why mommy couldn't be home with them tonight. Of course he'll be tactful about it, by now I'm sure he's got a whole list of reasons that sound plausible to a toddler. He'll never actually say 'Because mommy's an attention whore', so I'll say it for h—”



Sue shot up out of her chair and Penny rose to meet her, brunette and blonde on a collision course interrupted at the last instant by Joanna placing herself between them! “There'll be time enough for that at Mayhem, ladies.” Jo's voice was steadier than it had any right to be. “Please, let's sit down and refrain from destroying the set if at all possible.”



“One more word about how I raise my daughter and you're a dead woman.” Sue warned. “So help me God, I'll put an end to you, Tremblay.”



Penny actually smiled, then leaned forward and murmured, “I believe you.” Then she cleared off and sat down, eyes locked on Susan until the brunette did the same.



Coleman was last to return to her seat, the veteran broadcaster waiting to see if the tension had settled to minimum safe levels. After a moment to compose herself, she turned her attention to Tremblay and said, “Penny, you've made it a point to criticize Sue's choice to continue her FAWN career following the birth of her daughter. In fact I think it's fair to say it's at the heart of this rivalry. I know Miranda's teachings were rather...unorthodox, but I can't imagine they went so far as to state a woman couldn't have a career and a family.”



Now Penny turned her full attention to Joanna. “Don't ask stupid questions, Ms. Coleman. It's beneath you and insulting to me. You've got a masters in journalism, I know you did your research. So allow me to re-phrase the question and put it to you directly. “Why would I have a problem with an absentee mother?”



Sue shifted angrily at the 'A' word, but Coleman extended a hand in her direction and she settled down.



“Well, you did grow up in the foster system. Starting at age seven up until you turned eighteen. I'm not privy to how many—”



“Six.” Penny answered for her. “Five by the time I was twelve. I was with the Tremblay's from thirteen to eighteen and while they may not have been perfect, they provided enough stability for me to adopt their last name. But that still doesn't answer the question, does it, Ms. Coleman? Why was I in the foster system in the first place? I know you know.”



Joanna looked uncomfortable, but she didn't turn from Penny's stare. “Your father was never in the picture, from what I can gather.” she replied. “And your mother was young. Perhaps too young, but she had a promising career at a well-established hedge fund in—”



“You're stalling, Ms. Coleman.”



“No, I'm trying to provide context for—”



“Context? Is your desire for journalistic integrity so great that you can't simply come out and say it? Fine, I'll do it for you. She abandoned me, Ms. Coleman. I came home from school one afternoon to find everything I owned packed into three suitcases and mom telling me she had some important business to tend to and I'd need to stay with some nice people down state while she handled it. I believed it of course, what seven-year-old is going to think their mother is going to dump them with strangers because she's more interested in a corner office? It took me three weeks to realize she wasn't coming back and four years to run away long enough to track her down. I did though. She'd moved a couple states over, but I had a bus pass and an ability to go unnoticed in most places. I knocked on that woman's door and you know what she said to me when she realized who I was?”



The blonde took a deep breath, let it out slow.



“'There's my Bad Penny. Always showing up.' She didn't want me, Ms. Coleman. No one wanted me. Even the Tremblay's really only tolerated my presence, but that was more than anything else I'd been shown up to that point. So has the murk cleared, Ms. Coleman? Have I brought enough light to the dark of your ignorance? Perhaps you can understand a bit of my disdain, my...ire, for a woman who, already gifted with EVERYTHING chooses to continue in one of the world's most demanding professions when she's already conquered it? How many women pass through the FAWN locker room and never so much as sniff a World Title, let alone hold it on three separate occasions? How many can stand and call themselves 'the Ace' and not have it smack of empty hyperbole? Only one, Ms. Coleman.”



Penny locked eyes with Sue, who'd grown more and more grave during the blonde's explanation. “There are no more worlds for you to conquer in professional wrestling, Susannah Burlingame. And yet here you sit, ready to put yourself through hell one more time because you simply refuse to—”



“Shut your mouth.” Sue said softly. “I'm... I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I'll never abandon my daughter.”



Penny's upper lip curled in obvious disgust. “Of course you won't. Because you don't have to. There will always be a nanny, or a tutor, or a coach, someone to step in and take the hot tag for dad when he finally runs out of excuses as to why mommy would rather get her ass kicked in front of thousands of strangers than be at home to tuck her in at nig—”



“That's not fair.” Sue growled. “You have no idea how many nights I've done exactly what you're asking with tenser tape wrapped around my ribs or stitches in my forehead because I've been dealing with assholes like y—”



“I don't give a shit about fair. I give a shit about what's right.” Penny stood up and Sue matched her, the rivals going nose to nose before Joanna could stop them. “My mother, the miserable, selfish, bitch, at least had the desperation of poverty as an excuse for what she did. You, ma'am? You're the one percenter's one percent. You want for nothing, yet still you desire more. So at Mayhem I'm going to give you everything I have. And maybe, just maybe, you'll finally realize that you're needed elsewhere.”



Penny trailed off, shrugged her shoulders. “But even if you don't, at least your daughter won't have to wonder where you are. You'll be right there in the hospital, and I'm sure someone with your connections can get visiting hours extended whenever you want. Just make sure to let the worst of the bruises fade before you let her see you. No child needs to see what I'm gonna do to you.”



Tremblay started to move past Burlingame only to stop when the brunette took hold of her arm. “You better hope your body is as strong as your words, honey. Because I'm going to beat you to within an inch of your life. And if you still insist on trying to get up at nine? I'll beat you a little bit more.”



Penny leaned in so close their foreheads were touching. “I look forward to it, ma'am.”



With that she shrugged loose of Sue's grasp and stalked out of frame, leaving the heiress to look after her for several seconds before she headed off in the other direction.



Clearing her throat once it was clear she was alone on the set, Joanna said, “Well FAWNatics, the stage is certainly set for an intense showdown, wouldn't you say? If you want to see how it all plays out, make sure to tune into Mayhem, it's less than one week away!”