Round Three
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 4:50 pm
Whenever Sanae Saitou took to the ring, it was a big occasion. Her career might have had humble beginnings as a Young Lioness, but her athletic prowess and her incredible determination in the face of all odds had drawn many an eye to her, and that had jump-started her into superstardom as both a wrestler and an idol. Naturally, when she stepped through the curtains and out onto the ramp, she was greeted by an uproar of cheers before she'd even said anything. With the fans around her flashing cameras and waving glow sticks in the air, the atmosphere was just as energetic and hyped up as one of Sanae's concerts. But Sanae wasn't here to put on a show. She had something else on her mind.
As she came to the ring, the green-haired girl took hold of the ropes and started to climb up, turning and waving to the fans as she did. "Hiiiiii, everyone!" she cheered, just before she jumped off the ropes and did a backflip into the ring, drawing even louder cheers. She looked out at the stands with a grin, beaming with pride - the warm welcome she'd gotten was a testament to how far her career had come. But then, as she reached for a microphone, her face grew more stoic. After all, there were bigger reasons why she was here.
"If there's one thing I'll never get tired of," she explained, "it's hearing how excited all of you are to watch me take to the ring!~" She pumped a fist proudly in the air. "I got into wrestling to get my name out there and prove I could make it as a star - and you all are living proof that it worked! But...I'd be doing a disservice if I said that I had done it all alone. I can't deny it - I wouldn't be where I am today without some incredible opponents to push me to my limits and encourage me to new heights. Opponents like the very first woman I faced as a member of the LAW roster, Alizeh Midori!"
Alizeh had indeed been Sanae's opponent for her debut match, and she could hardly imagine anyone better to go up against. Alizeh was every bit as strong-willed, determined, and talented as Sanae was, and the two of them kept pushing each other to greater and greater lengths in the name of outdoing one another, forcing Sanae to pull off some truly impressive moves and endearing her to the world. Outcompeting Alizeh was no easy task, but Sanae had strived to do it, and that had forced the peak of her potential out of her. Even if she had lost that match, she had come away with a deep respect for Alizeh and all the work she put into perfecting her craft. So much so that she was encouraged to keep training and getting stronger to live up to her example.
"Some times, to really succeed as a wrestler, it's all about trying to raise the bar that someone else set for you. And Alizeh definitely set that bar. I can say with confidence that she's one of the best wrestlers in this company, and I'm truly blessed to have faced off against her. She showed me things I didn't even think were possible, but I just came away all the more encouraged to live up to her example! I focused all my efforts into being even half the wrestler she was! So much so that when the two of us faced off at our Apex qualifier, I was happy to show her everything I'd learned. And it seemed to work out well, because I was even able to beat her!"
A few more cheers rang out at Sanae's mention of that match; she looked off into the distance with a grin on her face, thinking about it. "But...you do realize where that leaves us, right? We're tied. And if we're going to keep pushing each other to improve, and to outdo one another...well, we can't just leave it at that, can we?" The prospect of another match between such talents as Sanae and Alizeh had stirred up even louder cheers, but Sanae wasn't finished.
"In fact, it wasn't long after that match that Alizeh and I made a proposal. That the next time we'd face off...it would be in a POW match!" That announcement too got a few cheers - whether it was for the escalation in the action that would entail, or just because such matches tended to get steamy, Sanae wasn't sure. Either way, she looked off with a blush. She thought about her girlfriend, Lyra, and how she felt guilty to be agreeing to such a thing when she felt she had neglected their own relationship, though it had led the two of them to be more forward with their feelings. Still, Sanae couldn't let that stop her. She took a deep breath and looked back up, holding her back as straight as she could.
"We figured that after all we've been through, and all we've done...when we've already competed for attention, and for a shot at Apex...the only way to possibly escalate the stakes would be to gamble for our own freedom! That, we thought, was the only way we could bring the best out of us! Well, Alizeh, I think the time has come!" Sanae looked back at the ramp, pointing a finger in that direction. "We've waited long enough! If you're as ready as I am...why don't you come down here so we can make this final?"
Spoiler
"If there's one thing I'll never get tired of," she explained, "it's hearing how excited all of you are to watch me take to the ring!~" She pumped a fist proudly in the air. "I got into wrestling to get my name out there and prove I could make it as a star - and you all are living proof that it worked! But...I'd be doing a disservice if I said that I had done it all alone. I can't deny it - I wouldn't be where I am today without some incredible opponents to push me to my limits and encourage me to new heights. Opponents like the very first woman I faced as a member of the LAW roster, Alizeh Midori!"
Alizeh had indeed been Sanae's opponent for her debut match, and she could hardly imagine anyone better to go up against. Alizeh was every bit as strong-willed, determined, and talented as Sanae was, and the two of them kept pushing each other to greater and greater lengths in the name of outdoing one another, forcing Sanae to pull off some truly impressive moves and endearing her to the world. Outcompeting Alizeh was no easy task, but Sanae had strived to do it, and that had forced the peak of her potential out of her. Even if she had lost that match, she had come away with a deep respect for Alizeh and all the work she put into perfecting her craft. So much so that she was encouraged to keep training and getting stronger to live up to her example.
"Some times, to really succeed as a wrestler, it's all about trying to raise the bar that someone else set for you. And Alizeh definitely set that bar. I can say with confidence that she's one of the best wrestlers in this company, and I'm truly blessed to have faced off against her. She showed me things I didn't even think were possible, but I just came away all the more encouraged to live up to her example! I focused all my efforts into being even half the wrestler she was! So much so that when the two of us faced off at our Apex qualifier, I was happy to show her everything I'd learned. And it seemed to work out well, because I was even able to beat her!"
A few more cheers rang out at Sanae's mention of that match; she looked off into the distance with a grin on her face, thinking about it. "But...you do realize where that leaves us, right? We're tied. And if we're going to keep pushing each other to improve, and to outdo one another...well, we can't just leave it at that, can we?" The prospect of another match between such talents as Sanae and Alizeh had stirred up even louder cheers, but Sanae wasn't finished.
"In fact, it wasn't long after that match that Alizeh and I made a proposal. That the next time we'd face off...it would be in a POW match!" That announcement too got a few cheers - whether it was for the escalation in the action that would entail, or just because such matches tended to get steamy, Sanae wasn't sure. Either way, she looked off with a blush. She thought about her girlfriend, Lyra, and how she felt guilty to be agreeing to such a thing when she felt she had neglected their own relationship, though it had led the two of them to be more forward with their feelings. Still, Sanae couldn't let that stop her. She took a deep breath and looked back up, holding her back as straight as she could.
"We figured that after all we've been through, and all we've done...when we've already competed for attention, and for a shot at Apex...the only way to possibly escalate the stakes would be to gamble for our own freedom! That, we thought, was the only way we could bring the best out of us! Well, Alizeh, I think the time has come!" Sanae looked back at the ramp, pointing a finger in that direction. "We've waited long enough! If you're as ready as I am...why don't you come down here so we can make this final?"
