Madeline Christiansen vs. Ryota Ito - Exceeding Expectations

[BlackAkuma]

***
Match Type
Standard
Victory Conditions
Pinfall, Submission, or KO
***

Usually, when a wrestler came to LAW their first time and had their debut, they came out to the ring with bright eyes and fanfare. The would get wowed by the size of the arena and the fans cheering for them, get blown away by the raucous crowd and the booming music. It wasn’t hard to see why - when it came to wrestling, this was the biggest stage you could ask for. Nothing came close to this, even approached this level of grandeur, and it was perfectly normal to be overwhelmed.

Ryota Ito was not one of those people.

The woman came out from behind the curtain with a blasé look behind her glasses, looking out at the crowd with what could only be described as aggressive indifference as her

. The crowd cheered for her, but she knew it was for all the wrong reasons - she’d had a pretty low key career before coming to LAW, and 99% of them had never seen her wrestle before, if that many. No, the main reason they were cheering for her was her body - her hips, her breasts, her thighs. Perverted shit.

Whatever. You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest on it.

Ryota, In Action

She made her way down the ramp, ignoring a few fans who stuck their hands out looking for a high five - there was no way she was touching any of these peoples’ hand, strongly suspecting she knew where they’d put them. There might have been a time in life when she would have wanted the admiration of people of like this, when she would have craved it more than anything in the world, but those days passed along with All-Star Wrestling Pro. In LAW, she was here to compete, collect her paycheck, and go home. Bing, bang, boom.

Ryota hoped she could tick all those boxes, anyway. Collecting the paycheck and going home? Those were the easy parts. But getting actual competition out of LAW was a different story altogether. There were a few good apples in the bunch, real wrestlers with actual talent, but they tended to hang out in the upper echelons. The lower rungs were overpopulated with talentless idiots who wouldn't pass muster on the first day of wrestling school, or worse, the glorified porn stars and wannabe cam models. Ryota hadn't had time to see who her opponent was, just getting the name before she came out - Madeline. Given the odds, she wasn’t too optimistic.

She shook her head at the thought as she made her way up the steps, dusted her bare feet off on the apron, then hopped into the ring, sliding through the middle and top rope as she entered. She waved quickly to the referee, then made her way to the further corner and set up shop there, doing a few quick squats as her theme music died down, looking towards the entrance was a sliver of faint hope. ”Please don’t suck, please do not suck…”

[Lightman]

Another standard match?

Quite the surprise when Madeline first heard about tonight’s match. She has been on a roll thus far, even winning more than she lost. The competition Madeline had been facing was starting to really ramp up, some employing tricks and techniques that Madeline’s mind couldn’t believe. Though it wasn’t as much of a surprise to the English Rose. This league is among the prestigious, and it’s all thanks to the women, and sometimes men, that bring it to the well-known standard.

At least, for the most part. Not every match Madeline had was something she’d look back on with fond memories of. For every twenty quality opponents she faced, there was always the one that brought it all down. But so far, she hasn’t had those kinds of matches as of late. And she’d want to keep it that way. Madeline would rather take a hard-fought loss than an easy win.

However, this match wouldn’t be under hentai rules, but of the standard affair. It has been many months since her first non-hentai match with Madame Gulioutine. Hard-hitting, savage and ruthless, Marceline certainly left an impression on the brunette. While she would always welcome a fine challenge in hentai, now and then, the hunger for testing her prowess in other fields kept calling to her. Perhaps it was due to Marceline herself, the memory of the Frenchwoman doubting her and targeting her just because of her upbringing. Seems there are still some stigmas that she must contend with. With Marceline, she saw Madeline as nothing but an aristocrat. To a few snooty-nosed, pearl-clutching wrestlers, they saw her as nothing more than a pornstar.

Which is why it’s a good thing that Madeline is going up against a debuting star. Ryota was her name, or at least that’s what she got from looking at the card. Someone who most likely hasn’t seen her previous portfolio yet. That’s good. Madeline can perform with a clean slate. An untainted view. And her martial prowess is far from rusty.

Madeline

Theme

The English Rose’s music would soon hit, the lights illuminating the arena with a magenta and silver hue. And of course, the crowd gave a better reception compared to the debutant as Madeline appeared from the curtain and showed up to the ramp. Of course, the crowd had their reasons why they gave raucous praise. Hopefully, Ryota doesn’t put two and two together. The Briton walked with a confident gait. Her ring gear had recently got a slight update, looking every bit like the wrestling stars in LAW. The crowd cheered, hollered and cat-called, but Madeline’s focus wasn’t on them this time. Instead, her emerald eyes focused on this newcomer.

And my oh my. If there’s one word she could describe Ryota, it would be “tank”. Followed by juggernaut and steamroller. The sentence “Ryota is in good shape” would have been a massive understatement. Muscles for days, a stark contrast to the plain Jane, librarian, business look above the shoulders. Given what’s below said shoulders, and the simple get-up, Ryota was all business. Madeline had to wonder if the higher-ups had a thing with her going up against heavyweights. Ever since Amandine…

But Madeline didn’t put too much stock in those initial thoughts. She had faced taller and stronger opponents than Ryota before. It’s nothing new at this point. She got this.

Madeline’s bare feet graced the apron of the ring, before her tall form slipped underneath the top rope, making her way to the corner. She gripped on the ropes, getting a few light stretches here and there to keep herself limber. “Quite the form you have.” The brunette said as she gave a cool smile. “Hopefully it’s not all for show.”

[BlackAkuma]

Ryota started disliking Madeline before she even heard the woman.

It was the music. While Ryota wasn’t about to call herself a connoisseur or anything fancy, she knew what she liked and what she hated, and she definitely hated this upbeat alternative crap. It was the kind of cheap, earworm music that she heard far too often on the radio, junk food music with nothing to say, and if it was a reflection of the woman she’d be facing, then she was off to a bad start.

But then, maybe she was being pessimistic. Maybe she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe Madeline Christiansen was a respectable fighter with a decent pedigree, and not some puffed-up Onlyfans model in fetish wear.

The woman walked out and Ryota’s first impression was…not promising.

Roses. Way too many roses. No, it wasn’t weird for a wrestler to have some motif going on, but this one looked like she belonged on a fashion runway, not a squared circle. It was entirely too fancy a look for Ryota’s tastes, and while she would concede it was better than many of the wrestlers she’d seen in LAW - hell, at least it was an actual wrestling outfit - it still didn’t bode well for her chances at a good match.

Whatever. She’d find out soon enough, for better or worse.

She pushed out of the corner and approached her opponent, getting a better look at her as they squared off. She didn’t respond at first, taking the moment to look her up and down to try and gauge what she had to work with. She’d give her a decent build, but it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t have the training to use it.

”It’s not.” She gave a simple reply to Madeline’s attempt at banter, then backed away and dropped into her stance, preparing for the bell to ring. She had no intention of coming hot straight out of the gate - no, she wanted to see how this woman operated first. Get an idea of her skill level.

[Lightman]

Madeline didn’t straighten up as Ryota approached her. At least, not straight away. Although she looked to be in her world doing her stretches, the Briton was aware of the hulking form coming towards her. It wasn’t as if she was completely dismissive of the impressive figure of Ryota. Even up close, it’s a marvel to the emerald eyes. Though after the few imposing figures Madeline had laid eyes on, it wasn’t anything to cower in fear of.

Eventually, Madeline stood tall, hands on hips. Ryota’s reply wasn’t immediate either, though while she waited, Madeline herself was curious to see what was going on behind those eyes of hers. That is if those large, circular specs gave much of anything to read off from. A shame, though there was enough for the Briton to enjoy.

When she did get a reply, it wasn’t much. Simple, straight to the point, no messing about. The English Rose assumed as such from the apparent vibe Ryota exudes. The retort confirmed it. “A pleasant talk.” Madeline chuckled, brushing her brunette mane back behind her, a lone petal falling off. A light bulb would replace the petal, coming up with an interesting thought.

The bell rang and Madeline came out of her corner. Though she stepped out without being in a stance. Still upright, a hand on her hip as they sway, almost looking like a model. A slight smirk could be seen on those rosy lips, curious to see what that initial reaction would be. However, as soon as she got close enough to Ryota, the outstretched gait became a crouched shuffle. Straightened legs became crooked with bent knees. And the moment her arm swung at her side, it never fell as the other hand left her hip.

Then the sudden burst of speed came. Her hands shot straight towards her seemingly setting up a wrist and collar lock-up. However, once she got a grip on that wrist, Madeline would yank at the arm, seeking to pass it to the other hand in an arm drag and drop into an inside trip.

[BlackAkuma]

It was slight, but Ryota grimaced at the little chuckle that came from Madeline, laughing at her own joke. She wasn’t big on jokes period, but she hated - hated, hated, hated - the sort of people who laughed at their own jokes before anyone else did, or even if no one did. In her experience, those people were always assholes who thought they were clever, and she was getting more of that vibe from her opponent with each passing second.

Talk? If she wanted to talk, Madeline could go to a chatroom or Twitter or just hang out on the subway. Ryota was here to wrestle. And, speaking of which…

DING, DING!

Finally.

Ryota moved out of her corner and lowered into a classic grappling stance, taking a page straight out of the text as she moved forward. It seemed like Madeline hadn't read the same books she had, though - no, she came out with this dainty little stroll, as if there was a runway that only she could see. Typical. Trying to get all the eyes to look her way and make some tongues wag. It was working, too, if the catcalls and whistles she heard were any indication.

It wasn’t going to stop Ryota from doing her job, though, and she moved in all the same, eager to lock horns. Madeline waited until the last second to drop down into her stance, just as they were getting in range, then lashed out with a surprising burst of speed to grip her by the wrist. She switched hands, then pulled her in, the telltale maneuver for an arm drag.

Not a bad idea, and it would’ve worked with the average wrestler, but Ryota was anything but. She slammed her feet down at the last second and gave herself a solid base, enough stability to keep Madeline from pulling her over. From there, she yanked her foe up, took hold of her arm with both hands, and attempted to hurl her into the nearest corner with an arm drag.

[Lightman]

So yeah, Ryota was strong.

That’s to no one’s surprise. Just looking at that chiselled bit of beef was enough to figure that out. But just looking strong wasn’t enough, especially in wrestling. Knowing how to position and manipulate the body was partly what made Madeline effective in her grappling, especially as she came to LAW.

Ryota didn’t look strong, however. The way she stopped Madeline’s arm drag showed that she wasn’t going against some douchey know-it-all. And the way she would throw the Englishwoman straight towards the corner was with such force, that Madeline yelped upon impact to the turnbuckles. She stumbled down onto one knee, brushing her hair past to look up at Ryota.

And sure enough, there was that cold stare. Frozen, condescending indifference. So nothing has changed. Back to square one. “Okay then…” she muttered, rising into a crouch before pushing off her back foot. From the level she’s in, some might expect a double-leg takedown. Madeline opted for a different pathway, seeking to slip past Ryota to get behind, wrapping her arms around for a waist lock.

[BlackAkuma]

Ryota could have done a lot of things after launching Madeline like that. She could’ve rushed in, hit her with a clothesline. She could’ve muscled her about the ring. She could’ve came in and brutalized her in a dozen ways.

She chose not to do any of these things, however. Instead, she simply stood still and looked over her foe, keeping her face serene, controlled, and unmoving. After all, she hadn't seen any reason to be impressed so far, no reason to rush. Might as well get something out of this.

Madeline, to her credit, didn’t shy away from engaging against her. She moved in on Ryota again, closing the distance with a quick stride in what almost looked like a double-leg takedown. The woman would have to be supremely stupid to try that, and, as it turned out, she wasn’t - instead, she whipped around, moved to her rear, and locked in a well-done waist lock. Not the most amazing of moves, but enough to let Ryota know that her opponent had at least gotten through a single day of wrestling school.

Of course, she knew how to shut it down immediately, and her body went into action with minimal thought on her part. Ryota leaned to the side, brought her arm around her opponent’s head, and tried to wrap it up tight, attempting to twist about and bring her to the mat with a headlock takedown. A simple but effective way to get on top, precisely where she wanted to be.

[Lightman]

She had wondered about the choice for Ryota to not pursue after the Irish Whip attempt. Though Madeline couldn’t afford to ponder on the reason when she still must face this dreadnought of a woman. Either overconfidence or just for the show, it didn’t matter. She didn’t charge straight in for brownie points, just the belief that the odds would probably be in her favour if she took control.

Especially against a woman who seems to know what she’s doing. Sure, she used her strength to counter the arm drag, but there was a sense that Ryota knew how to use it. Madeline herself took down bigger foes with the same tactic, so to have that stuffed meant that taking down this beast would require a lot more than usual.

However, Ryota seemed to have the same idea in a way. Madeline only had to feel that beefy arm wrapped around her head to know where this was going, and that way was down. Landing hard, with the Japanese woman’s weight crushing her down, letting out a grunt. It wasn’t the best place to be in, and knowing how Ryota countered that waist-lock, she feared the many options she could go for.

Which was why she sought to turn the tables before all of that happened. With Madeline’s know-how, she grabbed at the arm, her leg coming up to hook on that posted leg of Ryota. All the while using the other leg to push and roll the two over, with the hopes of being the one on top. If all of that is successful, the English Rose seeks to push her forearm against Ryota’s neck, creating a frame for her to pull that head away and break the grip her opponent has on her.

[BlackAkuma]

Ho-hum. Boring.

Ryota would give Madeline enough credit to admit the woman seemed to have a basic understanding of what she was doing, showing the kind of skill you would’ve expected from someone who passed the first few days of wrestling school, but so far, she wasn’t seeing too much to write home about from the more petite woman. She brought her down easily enough with the takedown, and from here, she could transition into any number of things and grind her into the canvas.

She was preparing to do just that, too, when Madeline caught her off guard, dismantling her base with a deft maneuver. A spark lit up in Ryota’s eyes, as her opponent sprung to life beneath her, moved above, rolled them over and pulled her head free, all in one quick, fluid motion, coming out behind her and taking an advantageous position.

Okay, so maybe she’d had more than a week of training. A month, perhaps.

Whatever the case, it was a minor setback. Hardly cause for concern.

If Madeline wanted to be free, she would be free, but that freedom came at a cost. The moment she popped her head out, Ryota pulled her legs in, tucked them tight, then shot them both out at once toward her foe’s chest, looking to drive both heels deep into her sternum and send her flying.

[Lightman]

It would be idiotic to just lay there before it gets worse. Ryota wasn’t just built like a brickhouse, she had the skills to make it a threatening fortress to deal with. There were a myriad of things she could do, and Madeline wasn’t stupid to wait and find out.

One could easily get out of a headlock on the ground if they were trained in sufficient escapes. It’s a common “grappling” move, even in street fights and can lead to devastating outcomes if not efficiently and technically addressed. And while Ryota can lock it in with methodical grace, there were still parts to it that the English Rose could exploit.

Rolling Ryota went smoothly, and although her opponent was much stronger, Madeline had enough leverage to pull her head away and break that grip. From there, the Englishwoman could go for a myriad of things. An armlock would be easy to transition to, or taking the back could lead to some effective outcomes.

These outcomes wouldn’t become a reality. Ryota was quick to shut down any possibilities, reacting as soon as Madeline popped her head free. A pair of feet blasted at her sternum as a reward for her efforts, sending the English Rose tumbling backwards. Once rolling to her knees, flicking the chestnut brown lock behind her, Madeline huffed, seeing as things were at neutral once more. However, that isn’t a bad thing in the grand scheme of things.