L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

The lights settled on the ring as LAW geared up for its next segment. And this time, it wasn’t a wrestler, a manager, or anyone people were used to seeing in the squared circle who had center stage - it was none other than Eiji Matsumoto, LAW Magazine’s veteran journalist, well-known for his outspoken and often acerbic diatribes on the state of wrestling today. Some cheered the presence of such a storied name in the business, while others booed the man they viewed as an out-of-touch fossil who was probably just going to complain. But tonight, Eiji wasn’t here to complain. In fact, he had a spotlight to shine on someone in particular.

Spoiler

”Folks,” Eiji announced, ”it’s a pleasure to be out here tonight! Most of my work has been spent in the writers’ room, or on the road, going from show to show to follow the big names of wrestling around the world - ah, those were the days,” he added with a wistful look. ”But from the looks of where I stand now, all that hard work has paid off, because you don’t get asked to host an in-ring interview by being a nobody! Tonight, I want to turn the attention over to one of the names on our extensive roster of some of the best women in combat sports today. One I might go so far as to describe as a hidden gem. And that would be Madeleine Citronelle!”

At the sound of Madeleine’s name being called, a few cheers and claps could be heard through the crowd. But Eiji continued. ”You know, I don’t just cover wrestling. I’ve reported on baseball, boxing, soccer - what I’m getting at is that it helps to be well-rounded. And Madeleine is nothing if not well-rounded. Coming from a background in a global media company, she had the wealth, the connections, and the skills to go into anything she might’ve set her mind to. But it wasn’t business, or movies, or the tech world that caught her eye. She decided her true heart and her passion was in wrestling - and that choice says something. Let’s face it, this isn’t a life for everyone. In my day, the boys and girls spent half their lives on the road, staying in cheap motels and living off peanut butter sandwiches in between paychecks. The only reason anyone would choose to get into wrestling is because there was something about it that spoke to them - and that’s why these folks used to be so passionate about what they did. Madeleine’s driven by that passion too, and it shows through in how seriously she takes the art that is wrestling.”

“Yeah, she could’ve sat back in an air-conditioned office and not had to worry about anything besides keeping her spreadsheets in the right order, but she passed that life up - and decided to spend years of training in a private MMA gym, just to hone herself into a top-level competitor!”

“As far as that goes…I’d say she’s doing a pretty good job for herself! She might not have had a lot of matches in LAW, but she’s undefeated - including on a couple of major events. And she’s proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. She’s reinvented what it means to be a lightweight with her background in MMA. She stands out in her field as someone who doesn’t fall back on the silly flippy stuff that - let’s face it, folks - is really just an excuse to show off how little you value your spine. She doesn’t step into the ring trying to look cool - she’s got nothing in store for her opponents but sheer power, tempered by the skill and flexibility of an expert martial artist. And the girls out there won’t know what’s gonna hit ‘em when she steps into the ring.”

Naturally, Eiji had to slip in a few disparaging marks, but he paid little heed to the boos coming his way. ”Some might say that it’s too early to say much, but in my book, Madeleine’s someone worth keeping an eye on. And if her style can change the game, I think we’ll be better off for it.”

“There’s one last thing I’d like to say about this young lady, and it’s that - for all she might have come to wrestling from a different world - she’s no tourist. Her respect for wrestling goes even deeper than the effort she puts into her training. She’s long campaigned for LAW to promote respect and recognition of its talent. Look at the way she joined in Kat Hart’s push to discontinue the Losers’ Championship - because unlike some people in this business, she believes it’s important to foster the people who care about wrestling instead of pandering to the freak shows who just want to see people get beaten up. She’s always a good sport in the ring, and doesn’t stoop to cheating to get ahead. Even when she does defeat her opponents, she’s always been one to congratulate them and give them props on their effort. That, if you ask me, is an attitude we need to hold up if we want to see some positive growth for this company, and it’s about time someone gave her a pat on the back for it.”

“But I think I’ve rambled on for too long about Madeleine. We want to hear from the lady of the hour herself! And with that…I’d like to welcome her to the ring!”

Eiji looked back up at the entrance ramp. It was true that Madeleine lived up to his hopes for the future of wrestling in a lot of ways. But there was more to it than that. A week before, the Countess had reached out to him privately, looking to set up this interview to further her own motives. As a firm believer in journalistic integrity, Eiji had his reservations about the deal. But, ultimately, those reservations wouldn’t be enough to hold him back. Madeliene did have her ways of being persuasive, especially when she could point out the arrangement might benefit both of them…

Before wrestling had captured Madeleine's passion, she had been a student of media. Journalism has its own caricatures and tropes — the righteous crusader following the truth until the mob has a gun to her head. The burnt-out veteran with his ember-light cigarette, chewing the cud alongside Sam Spade (probably in black and white, both dressed in fedoras and trench coats). The all-too-real sleazy tabloid parasite.

But Eiji — now there was an institution. His goatee'd face had been talking on TV since Madeleine was a kid and wrestling was a territory business. Somehow through all the grime and drama of those decades, he'd remained a straight shooter. No sensationalist WRESTLER BARES ALL World News yellow journalist tripe from our noble Matsumoto-kun—no sir. Nothing but hard-hitting...if conservative fact.

When the spotlight turned to Madeleine, she stood up with her arms outstretched while the trumpet fanfare of her Birdland theme buoyed her smile all the way to the back seats. Her dress — new for the occassion — glittered along its satin and gold gauze, shooting dancing beams of light all over the audience. The velvet panels in the bodice and the fur trim around her shoulders and sleeves made her look soft, like one of her famous teddy bears.

Birdland Theme

The Countess

She bounded up to the ring, hopped and put her back to the ropes, and looked out over all those people. The crowd. Churning, applauding, making all that lovely noise for her—and it never, ever got old. She waved both hands.

Then the music sank back down and Madeleine sighed, still smiling and bouncing in her step, slipped under the ropes and settled herself neatly onto the empty chair next to Eiji.

Now remember the assignment, Madeleine.

"Eiiiiiiji Matsumoto. Wow." Madeleine bit her lip and shook her head as she leaned back in her chair. "You know just last night, I was on the phone with my mom. And—you've read about my mother, of course. Big CEO. The kind of woman who meets with heads of state. Queens. Popes. She's not an easily impressed woman. But I told her, Mom, tomorrow I'm going to interview with Eiji Matsumoto. And she said—" Pause for dramatic effect. Grin! Glance at the audience. "Wow!...Hey Madeleine. Uh, you think you can get me an autograph?"

Wink, a quick slip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. Then she laughed and shook her head. "No, but. Genuinely. My family and I are long-time fans and listeners. It's an honor to be with you."

Madeleine came out to the ring with a spring in her step and a smile on her face, and the sight of her alone was enough to herald a few cheers from the crowd. She was a well-respected name in the business, after all - and her family name spoke to something even bigger. But out of everyone here, it was perhaps Eiji who was most pleased of all. He sat up a little straighter as the Countess came to his side, seating herself just beside him; he settled into a chair of his own just beside her. She had nothing but praise to say - praise and recognition of all he had done for the wrestling business in his many years of work. That told him a couple of things - that unlike all too many fans, Madeleine was going to give him credit for all his years of experience and value what he had to say, instead of brushing him off as an irrelevant old man. And it also spoke to how passionate she and her family were about wrestling, if they'd been keeping up with him all these years!

"Looking lovely as ever, Ms. Citronelle! And believe me, it is a pleasure," he said, extending a hand to her. "I'm more than pleased to make your acquaintance, and it sounds like the feeling's mutual. So...you can tell your mom I said thanks!" Then, though, he cleared his throat and straightened his tie. He couldn't just sit here and make small talk forever. He did have an interview to attend to!

"But, all jokes aside - that means more to hear than you could ever believe. Madeleine, with the wealth and fame your family has at your disposal, you didn't need to take up wrestling - but it spoke to you anyway, and you wanted to follow your passions. There's something to be said for that, I think. But I think a lot of people would agree, someone of your background wouldn't be anyone's first guess as to the next big sensation in the squared circle. It's a pretty different world out there. I'm curious as to how you ended up sitting right where you are right now. So let me start out with this. What were your biggest inspirations in taking up wrestling? If you've been following the sport as long as you have, I'm sure you've seen a lot of the greats. Who spoke to you the most, would you say?"