[Standard Match] Astrid Arvidsson vs Miranda Tomi - When size doesn't matter (Apex Qualifier Match)

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Not everyone was able to wake up the dragon inside the blonde. Someone would probably find such words too loud, but it's hard enough to argue with the facts. And the facts were that in most cases Astrid had enough her own strength to cope with this or that opponent.

And only when her opponent is too strong, a real beast wakes up inside her. Under the enormous pressure of emotions, fire begins to flow through her blood. The Norwegian woman loved this feeling more than anything. That's what she came here for. She had a choice between LAW and the richest MMA promotion company in the world. Money had no meaning for her and she made a choice in LAW favor without hesitation, because it was here that the strongest women from all over the world were.

Miranda repeatedly pushed the Golden Dragon to the limit of her strength and twice did what no one else had managed, because it was because of her that Astrid had to look for strength in order to break the pin milliseconds before defeat. But although the American woman wanted victory, the descendant of the great Vikings was not ready to give it to her. Even with all her pride, she did not consider defeat something shameful. And yet she was ready to accept defeat only knowing that there was absolutely nothing left in her reserves.

Interrupting the attack of her rival, Astrid caught Miranda by surprise. Holding the American woman on her shoulders, Astrid had a lot of options for what she could do. However, at that moment she got a chance to finish the match and she didn't want to miss it. And so, having gathered her strength, the Golden Dragon decided to use her finisher, which more than once brought her victory against much larger women than Miranda!

The scream of the American woman stuck in the blonde's ears at the moment when her head collided with the mat. Miranda's body bounced off and was back in the air for a moment. But when she flattened on the mat, she showed no signs of movement.

"Pf... pf... pf..." Astrid panted.

This surge of adrenaline allowed her to get rid of the pain for a few moments, but now all these painful sensations have returned to her. She desperately wanted to spend at least a few seconds just to lie there. But no.

With a tired groan, the blonde turned over on her stomach, getting up on all fours. Grabbing Miranda by the shoulder, she intended to turn the lightweight onto her back. It was not difficult to guess what exactly she wanted to do. The Golden Dragon intended to lie with her back on Miranda's chest, and then wrap both legs of the American woman with her hands in order to confidently press her to the mat. The referee did not take long to wait, after a second she lay down next to them, and then...

"ONE!"

Astrid still couldn't quite believe Miranda had made her go this far. Even now, the descendant of the great Vikings understood that she had only narrowly escaped defeat the two times Miranda pinned her. Remembering this, the blonde involuntarily strained her body in order to make her grip tighter. She wanted this pin to be the last one in this match. And soon they will find out if this is really going to be the case, because the referee slapped the mat for the second time.

"TWO!!"

[Fairy Dragon]

It was all happening in a broken order in Miranda's head. The Sailing Knee, the kick, the Canadian destroyer and her BDM were playing in her head in ways that they didn't happen in reality. Was her mind trying to tell her something? Was it the order she should've done things if she wanted to win? Now she knew she was really cracked, flat on her back and barely awake and her mind was still focused on fighting. At the very least she could take comfort in knowing that she had found her calling, if anything told her that Miranda Tomi loved to wrestle it was looking a monster like Astrid Arvidsson and telling herself she could take her. The best part was she almost did it! It almost made the bitter taste of defeat have a bit of sweetness too it.

"THREE!"

...almost

Miranda was a fighter, and fighters liked to win. She knew the fight was something to be proud of, but she still felt that sickening urge to cry after losing a match everyone assumed she'd lose anyway. She was so close, she could feel victory on her tongue and that made it all crashing down the same way her body crashed into the mat hurt so damn much. It was possible and Miranda told herself that meant she had no excuses, she couldn't blame her size for a defeat or call foul about the unfairness of weight classes. Did she want to be the best? Yes, and that meant that whatever advantages and disadvantages she had she had to work with and use until she was the best. Because if she could feel bad about almost beating Astrid, their wasn't anyone in LAW she couldn't beat. It hurt today and she would need a week's worth of rest after whatever the hell Astrid just hit her with but lying on the mat looking up at the lights as the bell rung and Astrid's name was called, the dancer's resolve was hardened. She would get better and she would improve, she would be the best and she wouldn't stop until she had done it.

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When the referee raised her hand for the third time, Astrid and most of the audience held their breath. The reason was simple. Considering the incredible things that Miranda showed in this match, the probability that she will be able to do another miracle has not disappeared anywhere. Mentally, the Golden Dragon tried to prepare for the fact that the American woman would jerk to the side in order to break the pin. But you can't prepare for this, no matter how hard you try. Therefore, when the referee's hand rushed to the mat, the blonde only closed her eyes, listening to the beating of her heart.

"THREE!!!"

Ding-Ding-Ding.

Astrid opened her eyes and finally exhaled. Her ears were filled with the screams of the audience, who were clearly excited by the fact that this amazing match had come to an end. Even Astrid couldn't quite believe it. From the very beginning, she wasn't going to give Miranda a slack because of her size. But this amazing woman did not need it, because she almost snatched the victory from Astrid's hands with her own strength. Perhaps speculating wasn't the smartest decision right now, but deep down Astrid knew that literally one or two moments and everything could end completely differently.

Releasing her opponent's legs, the Golden Dragon rose from Miranda's chest, taking a sitting position. Running her hand over her face, she removed large drops of sweat, which, as well as bruises on her skin, better than anything indicated how much effort she had to spend in order to defeat Miranda.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde pushed off the mat and got to her feet. She staggered and had to move her right leg a step to the side in order to find balance. Only after that, the referee took her left hand by the wrist and raised it high up, officially recognizing Astrid as the winner of this match.

The Golden Dragon smiled at the audience who supported her today and who shouted her name in honor of her victory. But no less loud were the cries of support for Miranda. The audience praised her for her incredible abilities and the determination she showed. So Astrid had no intention of celebrating her victory for too long. As soon as the referee released her hand, Astrid immediately turned to her opponent.

For a few seconds she just looked down at Miranda. Should she have said something to comfort her? Did Miranda herself want to hear something from Astrid? These were the questions that the audience asked themselves, looking at two women who pushed each other to the limit of their abilities.

Someone might have doubted it for sure, but Astrid was sure she knew how Miranda was feeling right now. No one likes to lose. Especially when you were as close to winning as Miranda was today. Astrid wasn't going to say any comforting words. You almost got me. Next time it will be different. You have a great future. And so on and so on. She considered all these words superfluous. Miranda didn't need it, Astrid was sure of it.

Therefore, she only bent down, extending her hand to her rival both for a handshake and to help her get to her feet. Astrid wasn't going to comfort her, and she certainly wasn't going to apologize for taking her victory away from her. But she looked at Miranda with undisguised respect. Not only. There was real admiration for this little woman in the Golden Dragon's eyes. Words of comfort were not needed here. Still, there was something Astrid was going to say anyway. The truth. And nothing else.

"The next time we meet, you'll be stronger, I know that," she said, then grinned. "So will I, because thanks to you, I don't have a single reason to relax."

[Fairy Dragon]

Miranda had come a long way, her experience was fading and her mind was sharpened like a wrestler needed to be. Sadly tonight proved that if her goal was to be the best, she had longer to go. Astrid's words of encouragement couldn't change that, even when they were appreciated since it showed she impressed the Golden dragon. She knew that it was going to be tough and when you started the way Mira had in wrestling you couldn't expect things to pick up and change overnight. While she slowly regained movement in her body she pondered on what to do next.

She knew that Apex might be hard now, and she may not be the one to pull it off but she was still going to try. If she didn't get it that meant she had more time to train before she reached the top, she had some things to take care of anyway. A certain blonde brat came to mind, she could use an ass beating before Miranda moved on. After that she thought about Rosie Knuckles, her sink or swim mentor who she needed to hit up sometime soon, both to test herself and check in on her. After that she would get back to training and growing until one day she was standing against Astrid once again, maybe for the Openweight title, and this time she would be getting her hand raised when it was all over.

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Even the air seemed has become heavier. Despite the fact that Miranda accepted the handshake and help, Astrid felt how much her rival was upset. This was the dark side of pro wrestling. You may be friends outside the ring, but in the ring you are always rivals. And every victory or defeat always leaves a mark even between the closest people.

Releasing the American woman's hand, the Golden Dragon gave her one more slight smile. She had nothing more to say, as no words could properly express her feelings. The purpose of her life was to look for the most difficult challenges. Miranda gave her such a tough challenge that she will remember it forever. Maybe that wasn't enough for Miranda. But Astrid hoped that tomorrow, when her rival wakes up from a deep wellness sleep, she will realize how many incredible things she has done today.

While Miranda was walking up the ramp, the audience gave her incredible support. No one cared that some of the American woman's actions were dishonest. They've already forgotten about it. They, like Astrid, were sure that next time Miranda would be much stronger than now.

Before Miranda disappeared behind the curtains, the audience gave her loud applause. There is always a winner and a loser in a match. This is an unshakable truth. But despite the fact that she didn't take the victory today, they won their hearts.

Taking a deep breath, the Golden Dragon rolled under the bottom rope. Landing on her feet, she winced. Because of her emotions, she forgot for a moment how much damage her body had received. But now all these feelings have returned to her.

"Shower... I need a shower..." she thought.

When the blonde headed up the ramp, she also received her portion of applause. And so, despite the pain, she raised her hand to wave to those who came to support her today. Everyone felt some bitter taste, but this is Apex. The openweight title is named like that for a reason. In order to get it, you have to be the best of the best, regardless of any circumstances, including your physical parameters.

Perhaps someone would call it bad luck that Miranda had to meet with Astrid on the way to the openweight title. But wasn't that the sacred meaning of their common aspiration to the top? If you are not ready to fight with those who are completely different from you, then you do not deserve to be at the top of the federation. Today Astrid saw nothing but determination in Miranda's eyes. And that's why this little woman was already worthy of gold on her waist. Someday.

Astrid smiled at the thought and stopped at the top of the ramp. Turning to face the audience, she bared her teeth and pointed at herself with her thumb. Another match is over. But the path to the openweight title continues. And whatever happened, the Golden Dragon intended to show everyone why she was worthy of being on top!

After enjoying the last round of applause, the descendant of the great Vikings disappeared behind the curtains.

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The winner by pinfall is Astrid Arvidsson