Match type: Steel Cage Victory conditions: Pinfall, submission, knockout, escaping from the cage Special conditions: Hardcore rules are applied Apex Event conditions: The winner will be considered for the Inaugural Openweight Title at the end of Apex
The loser forfeits their chance to become the Inaugural Openweight Champion
Instead of answering, Charlotte turned around her axis and sent a kick into the punching bag. Accompanied by a loud collision sound, the bag moved a few meters to the side. Lowering her foot back to the floor, the Frenchwoman took a deep breath, slowly raising her palms to chest level. Only then she turned to her manager and slightly smiled.
"I'm far from such emotions," she said. "They make it difficult to concentrate."
"Then what do you feel?" adjusting her glasses, the Englishwoman asked.
The pink-haired woman went to the locker to get a towel and wipe the sweat from her forehead, at the same time thinking about Victoria's question. The truth was that Charlotte tried not to think about her own feelings, at least when it came to the ring. She had enough worries and she didn't want to multiply them. She had no right to complain about her life, but her inner demons still haunted her. And she was sure that if she wouldn't control her emotions, they would overtake her.
"You know, now that you asked..." Charlotte drawled, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I guess I'm excited." This response caused the manager to raise her left eyebrow slightly, so Charlotte decided to clarify. "Martial arts is not about how many ways you can beat the shit out of your opponent." She put the towel aside. "Martial arts is about striving to become the best version of yourself every day, never giving up and overcoming difficulties no matter what." Her smile got a little wider. "They beat you, but you fight back, they throw you down, but you get up, you lose, but you come back." The Frenchwoman looked at her clenched fists. "There is nothing shameful in striving for fame and fortune, but I want to become the first openweight champion to prove to myself that my way is right!"
Victoria's mouth opened slightly. She knew every girl and woman on her team well, including Charlotte. She even saw what the Frenchwoman was trying to hide not only from her, but from everyone else. To most, Charlotte seemed like a callous person who was fixated on the same thing. Victoria knew that wasn't the case. But right now, perhaps for the first time ever, she didn't need to read between the lines. For the first time ever, Charlotte herself has shown that she is not what she is trying to seem. The Englishwoman closed her eyes for a moment, and then smiled broadly.
"Then do your best, Charlotte," she said.
"I will," the Frenchwoman nodded.
Accompanied by Victoria's gaze, in which only a blind man would not see pride in Charlotte, the pink-haired woman left the locker room. She headed down the long corridor, trying to get rid of unnecessary thoughts again. She felt a little strange after talking to Victoria. She hadn't noticed it before, but before this conversation, it was like she had a stone on her soul that she was used to. But now the load she carried with her all this time has become a little lighter.
She entered the waiting room and stopped in front of the curtains. Grace Kenning. Charlotte was glad that she was going to get into a fight with this particular woman. Not the least role in this was played by the fact that Grace was a heavyweight. Over the past few months, Charlotte has been training like crazy in order not to repeat her mistakes that she made in the match against the Lion. And although she got the opportunity to test her endurance in a match against Angela, she was sure that Grace would give her a much more serious test. The Frenchwoman took a deep breath. She was ready. Entrance Music
Attire
Her dynamic music started and Charlotte came out from behind the curtains. As always, she made a few punches in the air to the beat of the music, and then, accompanied by a welcoming applause, raised her fist above her head. At that moment, a thick fog burst onto the top of the ramp, and a second later a huge screen turned on, thanks to which it became possible to see a large silhouette of a sand lizard through the fog.
The young woman started walking down the ramp, waving to the audience. Thousands of eyes were fixed on her and she couldn't help but smile because of it. She gradually began to get used to popularity and now she was nervous because of such a large amount of attention much less. She even had to stop several times in order to sign posters for young fans.
Charlotte stopped once more right in front of the ring, surrounded by the large cage without the ceiling. Memories came flooding to her involuntarily. It was her third qualifying match. She and Gabriella were locked in exactly the same cage. That was the first time Charlotte was faced with a complete lack of morality. That time, Gabriella hit even during the handshake, even before the bell rang.
Climbing the metal steps, Charlotte entered the cage and slipped between the middle and top rope. Abruptly accelerating, she ran to the center of the ring. On the third step, she pushed off the mat with force, making a jump. Allowing her body to spin, she made a wide arc with her left leg, showing the audience a relatively simple but still spectacular jumping spinning heel kick. And when she gracefully landed on her feet to the applause of the audience, the ring announcer took the floor.
"Ladies and gentlemen! New day - new Apex match! Hold your breath because today two outstanding fighters will be locked in that cage. Only one of them will come out of there with the right to call herself a contender for the openweight title. And now!!! Introducing first! From Paris, the city of love! Six feet one inch tall! Weighing one hundred and fifty-four pounds! The noble fighter of LAW! Please welcome! Charlotte! Sand Lizard!! Ravel'!!!"
Charlotte pushed her left elbow back and raised her right fist above her head, accepting the applause from the audience. And when the noise subsided a little, she greeted the referee and went to her corner. Leaning back on the turnbuckle, she put her hands on the top ropes. Even though every match was important to her, she felt a lot more responsibility right now. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte concentrated. Today she intends to show everything she was capable of. Now all that remained was to wait for her rival.
The big chance she had to put the events of her match with VIP behind her were here. She meant what she said when she told everyone including Charlotte that she was excited about the chance to face someone of integrity and skill like the Sand Lizard. She wanted nothing but the best from her and of course would give her everything she had to make this a match to set the standard for LAW Apex. If either of them was to take the title and lead LAW she wanted the match to be the best thing they had ever seen. Grace's music started to play as the proud heavyweight started to march out towards the cage to a loud set of cheers that encouraged her on the way down. She would enter the cage without a single hint of fear and would let the ref close the cage behind her before turning to Charlotte with the same friendly smile she gave to everyone.
"No going back now." Grace said. Stepping close to Charlotte and bringing her fists forward and pointed at Charlotte. "Everything we've been through to get here, this is the biggest moment of both of our lives. It'll be an honor to make the most of it with you." Grace added continuing to show the utmost respect to her opponent.
When the music started, the pink-haired woman turned her head to the side. The corners of her lips lifted slightly. Accompanied by cheers from the audience, Grace approached the ring. Even despite the distance between them, Charlotte saw the concentrated gaze of her rival. This perfectly showed how serious Grace was about the upcoming match.
The American woman climbed the metal steps and entered the cage, after which the referee locked the door. Now they were both locked in here. Now, as the announcer said, only one of them will leave this cage with the right to call herself a contender for the openweight title. The Sand Lizard pushed off from her corner and headed to the center of the ring in order to greet her opponent.
When the women were face to face, the audience filled the arena with a hum. Of course, any big match attracted a lot of attention. But today, everyone who came to the arena was really excited. They were well aware of how high the skill level of both Grace and Charlotte was. And today they were eager to see a real spectacle. They wanted to see how two fighters would show everything they are capable of.
Grace greeted Charlotte, not hiding her thoughts about the upcoming match. This caused the corners of the Frenchwoman's lips to lift slightly. Looking at her rival, she was once again convinced that there was a significant difference between them. Charlotte was about five centimeters taller than Grace, but the American woman was at least ten kilograms heavier than the Sand Lizard. Charlotte clenched her right fist and pressed it against her straightened left palm. Unlike the match with Gabriella, today she was sure that she would not get a mean blow during the greeting. Charlotte bowed to her rival.
"It's no less an honor for me, Grace," she said, straightening to her full height. "And I'm glad to share this moment with you."
With that, Charlotte moved both hands forward, bumping fists with Grace's. The smile on the Frenchwoman's face became a little wider. She tried to keep her emotions under control, but she was really glad that it was Grace who became the one she faced on the last step to the chance to become the first openweight champion. Today they both wanted a good match. A match that will show why they ended up here. A match that will show why they are worthy of becoming the first openweight champion. And although the Frenchwoman tried to maintain her usual composure, she wholeheartedly agreed with what Grace said. This is the biggest moment of both of their lives.
"An uncompromising match at the maximum of our capabilities," Charlotte said, after which lightning flashed in her eyes. "May the best woman win."
That's all the Frenchwoman has ever wanted. After her family kicked her out, she spent years looking for her own way. Martial arts became her new life. The path of the fighter became an opportunity for her to take a free breath. And for a fighter there is nothing more valuable than a match with a worthy opponent. That was why the Sand Lizard wasn't going to back down today. She made it clear by looking Grace straight in the eye before taking a few steps back.
Taking a deep breath, the Sand Lizard put her right leg back a step, turning slightly to her opponent with her left side. The young woman clenched her fists, the right one rose to the level of her chin, while the left one remained at the level of the middle of her torso. She was ready. The long road to this moment was filled with both victories and defeats. Charlotte met with many worthy rivals and each of them made her stronger in that way or another. And now she had to take the last step forward. Whatever it takes. Nodding to the referee, she made it clear that she was ready for the start of the match, after which her gaze focused on her opponent.
Whatever story the two had that brought them here it was clear that they both were happy to have this moment be shared with a spirited competitor that could test them at the biggest event both of them had ever been at. Grace didn't know her whole story but she would find out by fighting her and what she had already seen was impressive enough. The cage would offer a brutal battleground, one she intended to leave her mark in with a hard fought victory to help bring LAW a match that it could remember and be proud of.
She had backed off to wait for the match to officially start, the anticipation building throughout the building as the crowd got more and more pumped while they waited for the opening bell of what they expected to be a brutal contest. Grace was eager for it to start and once the bell did give them permission to start Grace would slowly step out of the corner, taking in the moment while she would slowly come back to the center of the ring where the two bumped fists to meet again and see who would end up overpowering the other.
When the referee received confirmation of readiness from Grace, she raised her right hand. At that moment, everyone, including Charlotte, held their breath. The audience had reasons to wait for this match, because it was most important for them to see a real confrontation of fighters worthy of each other. And Charlotte also had reasons to wait for this match. She's come a long way to this point. And today she wanted to find out if her strength would be enough to overcome such a strong woman as Grace. The striped shirt abruptly lowered her hand down.
Ding-Ding-Ding.
The match started accompanied by enthusiastic shouts from the audience. Grace did not rush to attack, instead starting to approach Charlotte in order to meet her in the center of the ring. And although at first the Frenchwoman followed the example of her rival, taking a few slow steps forward, she was not going to keep such a smooth pace.
Today, a fire was burning in the soul of the Sand Lizard, and therefore she accelerated sharply, rushing to the American woman. She considered herself a real fighter. And for any real fighter, the opportunity to fight with a worthy opponent is a real joy. Therefore, the pink-haired woman wanted to show everything she was capable of. And she was going to start right now.
It would be too naive to think about the possibility of gaining an advantage with the first attack, her opponent was too experienced and strong. However, the Sand Lizard intended to do her best. Thanks to her previous matches, the Frenchwoman gained experience in fighting larger rivals. And now it's time to put it into practice, because she trained hard for this.
Taking another step forward, the Sand Lizard shifted her weight to her right leg, while her left leg began to rise. But not too high. Charlotte intended to try a quick low kick to Grace's right knee joint. In that way she wanted to upset Grace's balance and weaken her defense, because if it worked, she was going to use her left leg again, and this time for a much more powerful roundhouse kick right into her opponent's head!
Grace didn't need to think once the bell rang, everything that came next followed naturally from everything she had done to get here. Grace moved in close and was moving to take her down by starting the match with a lock up. Her first idea of starting the match was stopped by Charlotte starting off with a kick that she didn't expect, hitting her leg when she moved in close and stopped her from moving in and stumbling in place before Charlotte would follow that up with a kick to her face.
"Gaaggh!" Grace groaned while falling back, she was caught off guard by the kick and she felt her neck strain when it was nearly forced off her by the heavy kick. Grace did fall to her butt with a hand to her face, and after taking a second to rub her face she would start to push herself back up ready to give that back to Charlotte with a smile on her face.
It's always difficult to stay focused in such a situation. Usually Charlotte was able to leave most of the emotions outside the ring, because she believed that they were nothing more than a distraction. But Grace was right. This is the biggest match for both of them. And although the Frenchwoman was not the one who craved fame to the point of insanity, she really felt a great desire to win today.
She didn't have a strategy that she had prepared specifically for the American woman. The Sand Lizard believed that preparing for a particular opponent is a very big mistake, because even if you manage to win, it's not a fact that the acquired skills will help you against other opponents. Therefore, the pink-haired woman made adjustments to her style based only on the physical characteristics of her rival.
And although it was only the very beginning of the match, the first success was on Charlotte's side. With a quick low kick she managed to upset Grace's balance. Without changing her main principles, the Sand Lizard immediately took advantage of a gap in her opponent's defense and sent a powerful kick to her head.
The click that echoed through the arena signaled that Grace did not have time to defend herself, as a result of which Charlotte's foot crashed into her head unhindered. If she had managed to use the block, then surely she would have stayed on her feet. However, since it was a clean hit, it was more than enough for Grace to not only let out a painful groan, but also fell on her ass.
The corners of Charlotte's lips lifted slightly when she saw the smile on Grace's face. There was no doubt that the American woman was in pain, but even so she kept a smile. Charlotte knew the reason. Like her, Grace knew this was just the beginning. There was a lot more ahead of them, because there was no chance that in this match the advantage would remain in one hand.
"Act," Charlotte mentally commanded herself.
Right. Her legs were the best part of her body, and her kicks were her best weapon. However, one kick was not enough for Grace to receive damage that could be called truly significant. The proof of this was the fact that the American woman began to move, clearly intending to get to her feet.
Therefore, at the same second, the Sand Lizard ran to the ropes, turning around at the last moment to fall back on them. The Frenchwoman wanted to use the tension force in order to bounce off the ropes and thereby gain even more speed. She intended to catch Grace before the American woman was fully on her feet. However, even if she didn't make it in time, she was sure that at this speed Grace would still have problems with a running knee strike that Charlotte intended to send into her!
Grace had been knocked down once, but still able to remain stable enough to get back up, this type of match was something that she couldn't afford to stay down and allow Charlotte to get the advantage. She was quick and on her feet fast enough, but Charlotte was quickly able to close the gap and ended up running in towards Charlotte right before she could move and ended up driving the knee right into Grace's stomach. Grace tightened up, but with Charlotte's speed from the ropes and her own power pushed through her abs.
"Ugghh!" Grace coughed, stepping away but hunched over and still stuck in place. Her hands wrapped around her gut while she tried to learn how to start breathing after she was left paralyzed by the knee. Charlotte wasn't holding anything back and if Grace wanted to actually start to give anything back she would need to start thinking conservatively and start giving her own back with full force.
Grace tried to keep up with Charlotte, despite the kick in the head that she received. By the time the Frenchwoman bounced off the ropes, her opponent had almost completely risen to her feet. However, the Sand Lizard understood that now was not the time to change tactics, so she did not stop, instead trying to take even more speed.
Those who were familiar with the pink-haired woman knew that she did not like to take risks. However, in the ring, sometimes you just don't have a choice. Therefore, now the Sand Lizard has decided to bet on her speed. And it paid off, because despite the fact that Grace had enough time to get to her feet, she hadn't enough time to do anything with Charlotte's knee, which crashed into her bare stomach like a train.
With a painful cough, Grace doubled over and backed away in an attempt to regain the ability to breathe normally. Charlotte, as soon as she regained her balance, hurried to take a step towards her rival. The loss of pace can be fraught with serious consequences, her recent matches were very good proof of this, so the young woman intended to continue the offensive.
It was only the beginning of the match, but she wanted to inflict as much damage as possible on Grace, because she was dealing with a heavyweight, which meant that it would be a long-distance game. Therefore, the Sand Lizard intended to grab her opponent's head with both hands in order to keep her in place.
It was not in Charlotte's rules to hold back during the match, especially considering that now she had an opportunity, which she had been striving for since the first day of Apex. Right now she had only one way. Forward. And in order to earn the chance to become the first openweight champion, she was ready to make every effort.
The Frenchwoman intended to jump up and spread her legs to the sides. Her plan was very simple, because gravity would have done most of the work for her. Yanking Grace's head down, the young woman intended to land on her ass and at the same time drive her rival's face into the mat with a simple but destructive sitout facebuster!
