Match Type: 1v1, Submission
Renegade Renee Steinhauser
Spoiler
Spoiler
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eight years ago…
The arena was small and dimly lit, but that didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the fans. They were crowded into the bare bleachers that lined the walls, waiting excitedly for the show to begin. The announcer climbed the steps into the ring and raised the microphone to his lips. There was a brief screech of feedback, and he hurriedly put it back down, fiddling with the switch before continuing. “Er…l-ladies and gentlemen,” he stammered, his voice sounding tinny over the cheap speaker system. “Welcome to Tag Action Wrestling!” There were a few scattered cheers.
The announcer continued. “We know that our fans here at TAW have come to expect the very best in tag team wrestling. B-but we’d like to do something…something a little different tonight…”
The audience shifted restlessly in their seats. They were indeed fans of tag wrestling, and they were worried they wouldn’t get what they were expecting. Boos began to rain down. The announcer stopped talking and flushed bright red, apparently unsure of how to proceed. But before the situation could get any worse, the crowd’s attention suddenly shifted to the entrance ramp, and they began to cheer wildly. Bengal was walking down toward the ring!
The nineteen year old wrestler looked much the same as she would later, during her time in ROW. But here, she was smiling broadly and waving to the crowd, a far cry from the heel persona she would come to adopt. Her outfit was also markedly different. This one was themed after a white tiger, patterned with black stripes and brilliant ivory flames. The bright blue contact lenses in Bengal’s eyes gave them a ghostly, otherworldly look. She slid lithely into the ring and beckoned the ring announcer for the mic, a somewhat patronizing expression on her face. The meaning of the gesture was clear: Please, let a professional handle this.
The announcer gladly did so, quickly handing her the mic. The crowd cheered even louder. Bengal waited a moment for the noise to die down before she spoke. “I don’t need an introduction. You already know who I am.”
The crowd roared with agreement. Some of them began to chant the name of Bengal’s tag team: “ROGUE! TI-GERS! ROGUE! TI-GERS!” As they chanted, they each held up one of their hands in a tiger claw. It was the same gesture that Bengal would give, whenever she tagged in to help her partner Renee.
“Yes, everyone knows the Rogue Tigers,” Bengal continued, clearly relishing the attention. “Everyone knows we’re the undisputed TAW champions. And that’s not going to change.” There were a few jeers from the fans of other tag teams in the league - but not many. The Rogue Tigers had held their belts for over three months, and were overwhelmingly popular.
“But here’s what we don’t know,” Bengal said, raising up one finger. “What happens when two tigers fight?” The crowd grew hushed, waiting to hear her explanation. “You’ve seen Renee and me beat up a lot of losers. Tonight, you get to see us beat up on each other.” She raised her finger high in the air. “This is an exhibition match! One on one! Tiger versus tiger! And just so there’s no question about who the winner is…” She clenched her fists. “It’ll be submission only.”
The crowd cheered raucously, their earlier doubt forgotten. In the back of the bleachers, an inconspicuous-looking man in a dark suit raised his head up from his phone, eyes widening with surprise. Unbeknownst to anyone else in the arena, he was a talent scout from a much more prestigious league, and the announcement had piqued his interest.
Back down in the ring, Bengal was pacing back and forth, scanning the bleachers for Renee. She knew that her partner often enjoyed making surprise run-ins from the crowd. “Renee! Get down here, Renee!” She roared. “You might be used to tagging me in, but tonight I’m gonna make you TAP OUT!” She tapped on the mic to illustrate her point. “And then-”
But Bengal’s speech was cut off by a flare of fireworks at the top of the entrance ramp, followed by the pounding drums and booming bass line of Renee’s entrance music. The Renegade was striding down to the ring, clad in red and black. Her midriff top exposed her well-defined abs, and the dark makeup under her eyes made her expression seem even more focused and intense. It was clear that she had something to say as well.
Renee took in the cheers from the crowd. She was fresh out of high school, and had joined TAW only a few months ago, after drifting around from city to city. She met with Bengal in training, and instantly hit it off with her. They had won the TAW Tag Team Title multiple times, though their current reign was the longest by far. She was given a mic, as she quickly began to get cocky with her speech:
“Oh, you really stepped in it now, Bengal…Or should I say, BenGAY!” She threw back her head and laughed before continuing. “Nah, I’m just joking with you, bestie. But seriously, you’re one to talk, considering that I was the one pinning people to win those tag titles, while you were looking up at the lights.” Someone in the crowd whistled loudly with approval. “A submission match? OK, you’re on, Bengal. Let’s see if you can handle the Renegade’s Interrogation.”
She dropped into a low squat, imitating her camel clutch finisher that had already destroyed so many opponents. Then she waltzed down the ramp and entered the ring. She gave Bengal a fist bump before taking her corner, waiting for the bell. This was gonna be a fun match between two best friends.
At least, that’s how it seemed at the time…
