The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

itting by her window as the rain pours down outside, Taryn Johnson clutches her father’s

S dog tag, the last remaining piece of him she has, her tears falling in rhythm with the
raindrops. Taryn’s father was in the Military and was killed in combat. She was, just
twenty-two years old was extremely close with her dad, often watching Saturday morning
wrestling and even going to the matches when time was provided for the treat. Taryn was
uncertain of her future, as she mindlessly flips through the channels, she sees a commercial for
Daniel Bryan’s wrestling school; feeling as if it were fate, she makes the decision to join the
school. It was in Seattle; in fact, it was just three blocks from her house. The youngster wasn’t
sure of how; she just knew that she was going to become a professional wrestler.

The next day, Taryn walks through the doors, her backpack slung over her shoulder, her
father’s dog tags dangling from around her neck. Despite the massive line of hopefuls, Taryn’s
determination was unwavering, she was going to make it and make her father proud. As Taryn
stands away from the crowd, she realizes that she is the only female at the school. After about
forty-five minutes, Daniel Bryan came from his office and stood in front of the hopefuls. Bryan
instructs the students to fall in line, and they did. Bryan slowly walks up and down the line,
making eye contact with each one of the hopeful wrestlers. While Daniel Bryan was not the most
imposing figure in the world, there was something unsettling about how was glaring at all the
students. Bryan starts off with: “So, you want to be a professional wrestler?” Each student
enthusiastically gave a resounding, “Yes!”

Bryan then explains how wrestling wasn’t about glitz and glamour, wrestling was a 24/7
grind. Whether it was travel, training, diet or being in the ring, if you were not passionate about
the business it would eat you alive. He then guides them in stretching before bringing them
outside for a mile-long jog. Several students dropped halfway through the jog and, Bryan sends
them home. After the jog, the remaining students did some very basic wrestling drills. While
most of the guys were noticeably goofing around, or overly arrogant in their ability, Taryn, had
an unwavering seriousness and determination in her eyes, a look that Daniel Bryan noticed.

By the end of the first day, more than half the hopeful students had left which left just
fifteen students including, Taryn. As she grabs her bag and begins to head to the door, Bryan
stops her and asks her to come to his office for a minute. Taryn brushes her blonde hair to the
side and walks over to Bryan who is standing in the doorway to his office. Bryan asks her to

1
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

have a seat as he sits behind his desk. Bryan tells Taryn that he thinks she will be one of the few
who makes it through the entire semester as there was something about her that just made her
seem like she wanted it more than anyone else in the school. Taryn tells Bryan how she wants to
be a wrestler to honor her father as wrestling was something, they both loved. Bryan tells her to
stay focused and determined and if she did, then there would be no stopping her.

Taryn quickly becomes a standout student and takes to Bryan’s method of training like a
fish to water. Bryan focused on striking and conditioning, the theory being if you could out last
your opponent while wearing them down with proficient striking, you greatly increased your
chances at victory. While, Taryn was a humble, sweet girl, not everyone took a liking to her, her
biggest adversary in the class was, Martin Jones. Martin was a former college quarterback, but
felt wrestling was a faster track to solo superstardom. Martin took every opportunity to take
advantage of, Taryn, whether it was working stiff with her during training drills or verbally
berating her before and after the session. Despite Martin’s attempts to distract and discourage,
her, these juvenile acts only fueled the strong-willed blonde to train harder and get better.

One day, during a drill that saw the students execute strike exchanges, Martin saw an
opportunity to injure, Taryn. During the exchange, Martin leaned back and swung full force with
a stern right hook connecting on point with her nose, breaking it instantly. As the blood poured
from her nose and onto her white t-shirt, even with watery eyes, Taryn gave Martin his receipt, a
swift Roundhouse kick right to the temple, Martin staggered backwards and falls out of the ring.
As Taryn grabs a towel to at least slow the bleeding, Martin gathers himself on the outside of the
ring and says he doesn’t need this aggravation from some chick, he then grabs his duffle bag and
exits the gym, never to be seen or heard from again.

Johnson had been training for six months and Bryan felt she was ready to begin
wrestling. He called the owner of GFW, GUD, and asked him to look at his newest pupil. What
Bryan did not know was that at this same time, GUD was in a battle for control of his company
with another wrestler, Nero and the two were set to clash at GFW’s first pay-per-view The
Blackout with control of Good Fights Wrestling on the line. Bryan was more interested in the
Battle Royal that was happening that gave newcomers and veterans a chance to get onto the main
GFW roster, he saw this as a perfect opportunity to give Taryn a shot in.

2
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

GUD went down to Bryan’s school and took an immediate liking to Taryn. She was
attractive, she had charisma, she was a great striker and she was just getting started, GUD felt
like he could build his entire company around her. GUD made, the enthusiastic blonde a
generous offer and told her that he was going to make her a participant in the Battle Royal at The
Blackout pay-per-view. Taryn thanked him for the opportunity and planned to make the most of
it.

Taryn’s introduction to GFW would not go as smoothly however, as she would bump
into Nero who was exiting GUD’s office. Nero snarled at her and told her she’d better hope she
wins the battle royal because if she didn’t, he did not see a place for her in GFW, well at least not
above his desk anyways. Taryn scoffed at Nero’s implication and silently vowed to get even with
him if it was the last thing she did. Once in GUD’s office, she sits down and GUD told her he
had heard Nero’s comment, he also told her that he had put a clause in her contract that would
not allow her to be fired by Nero under any circumstances if Nero did in fact defeat GUD at the
Blackout.

As preparations for the GFW Battle Royal began, Nero was rotating time between
training for his match with GUD and trying to ensure a way to get Taryn out of the Battle Royal.
To do this, Nero enlisted the services of the mammoth known as Bone Krusher. Bone Krusher
was an undead Gladiator and standing at six feet ten inches tall and weighing in at three hundred
and ten pounds, Bone Krusher was just a mountain of muscle and bad attitude, the perfect guy to
get rid of the tough, spunky Taryn Johnson. Nero made sure Bone Krusher knew that the word
“elimination” wasn’t just a euphemism, he wanted Taryn out of commission after the battle
royal.

Backstage at The Blackout, Taryn makes her way from her dressing room to the arena.
As she inches closer to the curtain, the roar of the crowd gets louder and louder, the battle royal
has begun, and Taryn drew unlucky number three. As she gets herself psyched up for the match,
Nero approaches her. He tells her that he has a huge surprise for her in the battle royal and he
plans on crushing her hopes, dreams and aspirations. As Nero walks off, Taryn wonders what
Nero was talking about, the buzzer then goes off, snapping her out of her wonderment and back
into her focused trance. Taryn clutches her father’s dogs and kisses them and softly whispers:

3
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

“This one is for you dad” The Heartbreaker then emerges from the back and walks down to the
ring full of confidence and determination. Taryn immediately goes after, Heel Duko

Out next was Travis Markson and he goes right after, Taryn, and the blonde uses her
proficient striking ability to get the upper hand on Markson. Next out was Misfit Angel and she
and Misfit Angel go right after each other. Out next was the gigantic Bone Krusher and he
wastes no time in going after Taryn. Bone Krusher was easily the biggest man in the match and
looked to be unstoppable. Krusher focused solely on Taryn Johnson, doing his best to
accomplish his mission of exterminating her from competition. The Heartbreaker does not back
down from the freakishly large monster and hits him with several strikes that do some damage,
slowly inflicting pain onto the beast of a man.

The ring fills up with wrestlers and chaos ensues, between battling off the other
participants, who were trying to get rid of him, Bone Krusher keeps his eyes on Taryn. Taryn is
eventually eliminated by David Star, who went on a real roll eliminating almost half the field on
his own. Despite Star’s momentum, Bone Krusher would get the win, using his superior size and
strength to outlast the field. As the referee raised a victorious Bone Krusher’s hand, Taryn locks
her eyes on the monster and as they glare at each other, they both know this will not be the last
they see of one another.

Despite a good win, Nero was not satisfied with Bone Krusher’s efforts, Taryn Johnson
was still able to walk, and Nero wanted to change that. After demanding the monster engage in a
feud with Taryn, goading her into a match, Nero reminds Bone Krusher another failure and he
would send him back to Rome and back into imprisonment never to be heard from again. Bone
Krusher vows to rid Nero of his woman problem.

Bone Krusher wastes no time in stalking the blonde and insults her at every opportunity.
Eventually she can manipulate Bone Krusher into putting his FTW Championship match on the
line in a match against her. With both wrestlers ready, willing and able to face one another, the
match is set for the season two debut of Gud Fights Wrestling. Taryn begins training hard for the
match, knowing that endurance and precision striking were keys to victory, she knew Bone
Krusher was going to start off hard, but if she could withstand the early onslaught, make the
match go past the ten-minute mark, she knew that her odds of not just survival, but victory
greatly increased.

4
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

It was now time for the match, Taryn walks to the ring and while her stomach was full of
butterflies, she puts on a confident face, hoping to hide her trepidation. Bone Krusher then comes
out and as she watched him walk to the ring she became even more nervous, no doubt Bone
Krusher was intimidating, not just due to size, but he wore a black mask that had metallic red
flames on it with a black singlet also with metallic red flames, he looked like an inhuman
monster. Taryn kept telling herself that he was still made of flesh and bone, and all flesh and
bone, no matter how imposing ripped and broke. She knew she had superior speed and stamina
and she was going to play to her strengths.

As expected, Bone Krusher starts the match off using his power, just throwing Taryn
around the ring. Krusher lifts her up several times before slamming her body down to the canvas,
the crowd gasped every time the mammoth Bone Krusher would deliver punishment to the petit
lady in sky blue. The referee would ask Taryn after she took a devastating slam if she wanted to
quit, but the strong, determined Heartbreaker would not give in. Bone Krusher grabs her by her
hair, looking her in the face and orders her to quit. Taryn narrows her eyes at Bone Krusher and
says: “Screw you!” In defiance. Krusher then bring his massive forty-inch arm down across
Taryn’s back, sending her back down to the canvas face first.

Bone Krusher grabs Taryn again, this time however, she delivers a quick kick to his
massive quad, stinging the monster. Bone Krusher no sells, instead laughing at Taryn’s attempt
at offence. Taryn unleashes several more strikes to his huge quadricep, turning it pink. Frustrated
at the amount of fight in his female opponent, Bone Krusher lifts her over his head and slams her
back down to the canvas, delivering a military press slam to her. Taryn felt her breath leave her
body and began gasping for air. Bone Krusher hears the trouble she is having and covers her, but
the unwavering determination of Taryn Johnson shines through as she kicks out.

As she continues enduring tremendous pain and punishment, the crowd begins to chant
her name in admiration. As the crowd gets louder, Taryn gets stronger, as Bone Krusher grabs
her by her hair, she pushes his hands off her and unleashes a Virage of quad kicks after about
fifteen kicks, Taryn sees Bone Krusher’s leg buckle, a sure-fire sign he was beginning to feel the
pain. This only drives her more and she unleashes more viciously precise kicks to the gladiator,
dropping him down to one knee. As the crowd sees this, they erupt into a frenzy that shakes the

5
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

arena. Taryn hits the ropes but Bone Krusher hits her with a brutal clothesline, turning her inside
out and taking the air out of the capacity crowd.

Bone Krusher was now enraged and was going to take it out on Taryn. He limps over to a
stunned Taryn and gives her a wicked headbutt. Bone Krusher then limps over to her legs and
grabs her right leg. He looks right as Taryn before breaking it, causing her to scream out in pain.
After breaking her leg, Bone Krusher again pins her, but again she refuses to be beaten. The
referee asks Taryn if she wants to give up, but she says no way. Bone Krusher props her up in the
corner and attempts a running shoulder block, since Bone Krusher was slower than usual due to
the punishment dealt to his leg, Taryn gets out of the way, sending Bone Krusher crashing into
the steel ring post.

With Bone Krusher on the outside, Taryn drags herself to the center of the ring, hoping
he would be counted out. Bone Krusher gets up and stomps back into the ring and charges at
Taryn, she counters him, using his weight against him and can get enough of a leg lock on him
and after several minutes, Bone Krusher taps out, giving Taryn Johnson the improbable victory.
Taryn uses the ropes to get back to her feet and soak in the adulation of the fans. Nero comes out
and kicks her leg out from under her and then berates Bone Krusher. Nero’s private Security
comes out and uses massive chains to get Bone Krusher out of the arena. Nero then goes over to
Taryn, who is holding her leg in agony and vows he will get rid of her personally. Taryn,
showing unbelievable determination and toughness, refuses medical help and drags herself back
to the dressing room on her own, being sure to stare intensely at Nero.

As Taryn is home recovering from her broken leg, Nero wastes no time in challenging
her to a steel cage match in two months, since he had to wait for her to be medically cleared. As
she sat at home, she came up with a plan, Nero was an ego maniac and was desperate to get rid
of her, since he had beaten Gud at Blackout, Nero was now in charge of GFW. Taryn saw an
opportunity to not only kick the crap out of Nero, but get GFW back to its rightful owner, Gud.
She was going to risk her career against Nero turning the company back over to Gud.

As Nero is cutting a promo in the ring just a week before his steel cage showdown with
Taryn, the heartbreaker herself makes her triumphant return to the GFW arena to a rousing
ovation. Taryn gets in the ring and lays out her challenge, while Nero is cautious, he is also

6
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

superbly cocky and confident, so he accepts the proposal and the match is made official for the
following week, Taryn Johnson versus Nero Career versus Company inside of a steel cage!

Taryn walks down to the ring, nervous but supremely confident, she kisses her father’s
dog tags before tucking them beneath the shirt of her sky blue and gold ring attire before entering
the menacing structure. Nero struts to the ring with an overly confident smile on his face, he
didn’t think Taryn had a chance, besides the fact that she was a woman, she hadn’t wrestled in
two months, Nero had been active every week since the Blackout. That combined with Taryn
coming off injury, Nero was surer of himself than usual. Nero takes his time entering the cage,
sauntering around the ring, soaking in the hatred from the jam-packed crowd.

The bell rings, signifying the beginning of the match and Nero and Taryn tie up. Nero swipes,
Taryn’s leg out from under and smiles at the heartbreaker and giving a taunting wink. Taryn gets
back to her feet and as Nero goes in for another lock up, she ducks underneath him and gives a
stern kick to his inner thigh, more of a warning than to apply damage. Taryn does this a few
more times, then delivers a snap Suplex to Nero, who is stunned at the blonde’s strength and
speed. Nero thumbs Taryn in the eye then throws her face first into the cage, allowing him to
gain an advantage both psychologically and physically.

Nero hit a backbreaker on Taryn and goes for an early pin, but she is out before the
referee is even able to get down for the count. Nero goes for a vertical Suplex onto Taryn, who
shifts her weight, so she can get behind Nero and she stomps on the back of his calf, sending a
sharp pain through the leg of Nero. Nero is hurt, and Taryn knows it; she attacks Nero’s leg with
a vicious intensity before bouncing him headfirst off the cage wall. Taryn then unleashes several
stiff kicks to the head of Nero, breaking his nose and causing blood to squirt out from his
nostrils. Taryn then lifts Nero up by the head before driving him face first into the canvas,
smearing his blood onto the mat.

After busting him open, Taryn shifts her attention to Nero’s arm, no doubt attempting to
weaken him for the Johnson Special, her extremely effective submission hold. Taryn wraps her
legs around Nero’s arm then drives her entire body weight down onto Nero’s arm and elbow.
Nero screams in pain and Taryn shows no mercy, kicking him in the shoulder violently. Taryn
uses her unmatched striking abilities, rotating between punches and kicks to the left arm of Nero.

7
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

As Taryn goes in for another kick, Nero grabs her by the waistline of her shorts and sends her
into the cages.

Nero then takes over the match and while his face a mask of blood and his eyes watery,
he smiles, feeling supremely confident that he has the match well in hand. Nero bounces Taryn
off the cage a few times and then hits a piledriver for a close two count. Nero was beginning to
grow frustrated as Bone Krusher had, finding out that Taryn Johnson wasn’t just a pretty face,
she was a fiercely determined woman who simply would not quit. Nero delivers another
piledriver, but again Taryn kicks out at two. Nero was now beside himself, unsure of himself for
the first time in the match, Nero grabs her by the hair and hits a Neckbreaker onto her, he then
throws her into the cage yet again.

Nero screams at her to just stay down, sensing Nero’s frustration, Taryn allows Nero to
dominate the next several minutes. He unleashes his best moves against Taryn and she keeps
kicking out and refuses to submit. Nero angrily rubs his blood covered hands through his hair
giving him a maniacal look, his hair disheveled, his face covered in blood, drenched in sweat.
Nero climbs to the top of the cage and delivers a vicious knee strike to Taryn and goes for a
cover, but she kicks out at two yet again.

Nero is beside himself in anger as he sits down next to Taryn, as she hears him muttering
to himself, she knows now is the time to strike. Taryn Johnson kips up to her feet and Nero is in
a state of shock. Nero begs off as Taryn angrily stalks him around the cage. Taryn blocks an
attempted punch from Nero and bounces him off each side of the cage wall two times for each
wall, lacerating him even further. Taryn grabs Nero by his sweat and blood-soaked hair and
screams in his face: “Time to die Nero!” She then unleashes several kicks to the bloody face of
Nero forcing the blood to pour off his face and drip off his nose. Taryn then locks in her armbar,
finishing the Johnson Special. Nero wastes no time in tapping out and submitting to the
Heartbreaker.

As the cage rises, Gud gets in the ring and embraces Taryn as the streamers and confetti
fall from the ceiling as the crowd cheers loudly, shaking the GFW Arena yet again. Taryn grabs
the microphone and gets in Nero’s face: “Looks like I just broke your heart Nero! Now get out of
MY ring!” she shouts proudly, and the crowd somehow gets even louder.

8
 The Heartbreaker: The Taryn Johnson Story

As Taryn celebrated in the ring with Gud, she had successfully beaten an undead
Gladiator and beaten the most manipulative, conniving man in GFW inside of a steel cage. She
wasn’t sure where her career was going next or who her next challenger was, but Taryn Johnson
knew one thing for sure, there was going to be a lot of broken hearts and broken arms on her way
to the GFW World Heavyweight Championship.