Not only had the Norwegian won in the main event, but she had been crowned the new LAW Heavyweight Champion in the process, defeating both the champion Linda Halloween and a rival in Cali McCloud. Now, it was Astrid's turn to announce her reign with the belt. As she appeared on the entrance ramp with the championship on display around her waist, Astrid heard a few cheers just coming down to the ring. She met them with a nod and a smile, but she climbed up onto the apron and through the ropes, where she accepted a microphone from the announcer.
Spoiler
"To any wrestler, the championship is the ultimate goal. It's the prize you're fighting for, the proof that you're the best. But this victory is important to me even beyond that. And for that, I have to get into what led me here. Before I was ever in this ring, and before I was even born."
"My father, Lars Ostberg, and his brother, Hans Ostberg, were a prominent tag team in their heyday. And their father, Ole Ostberg, was a wrestler himself. He made his success in the business, and he inspired his sons to follow suit. Growing up, my dad was never around, because he was always off touring the world. I watched him on the TV before I could walk. I scarcely got to see him in person, but he was always there - because I was always watching him, and I was cheering him on."
"When I grew up, and the time came for me to find where I wanted to be, what I wanted to pursue, there was no question about it. I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps, in my grandfather's footsteps, and to become a professional wrestler. It wasn't easy, of course. I wasn't the first Ostberg to get in the ring, but I was the first woman of the family to do so - and no one expected me to take that route. They didn't believe me at first, when I told them I wanted to be a wrestler. My dad understood, though. He knew that I had my dream, and he wasn't going to stand in my way if I wanted to pursue it - he knew I would whether he let me or not, anyway. But he wouldn't train me. Not because he didn't believe in me - but because he knew he would go easy on his own daughter, and that I wouldn't learn anything worthwhile if he was holding back."
"I had to find someone else to learn from, but I was undeterred. I knew that I was going to become a wrestler - a great wrestler - and nothing was going to stop me. I learned, in time. I toured the indies, then I went worldwide. I ended up here - and, as you can see now, that landed me with this, right here." She patted her hand on the front plate of the championship.
"You see, I'm not only the first Ostberg daughter to get in the ring. I'm the first Ostberg - male or female - to win a singles title on this level. My father and uncle, they won tag championships - and I have nothing but praise for tag champions; it takes true dedication and a true connection to succeed on that level. But neither of them was a champion in their own right. My grandfather, while he challenged for the top titles, could never win them. But now...I've proven that I'm worthy of holding this belt, right here. When I told my father that I won the championship, he cried. Because he knew I had come this far, and he couldn't be more proud."
"But this championship isn't just a reward, and it isn't just an accolade. This is a commitment. Now that I'm a champion, I need to hold myself to the standards of one. I know now that I have to give it my all, to defend this title, and to ensure that I can compete to the level that deserves a championship. I know that I stand today as a face of this company, and that is a duty I accept. I know I'm the champion, and I'm never going to forget that. In all of my matches, I'm going to have to bring my best efforts. Whenever I'm in the gym, I have to push myself further, to make sure I stay at that level. I can't ever get complacent. I need to be the best. It's going to be a challenge. But I've never been one to turn a challenge down."
With all that said, Astrid bowed her head, turning to the side of the ring and stepping out. Cheers followed her every step of the way as she proceeded up the ramp and backstage, her head held high all the while.
