Astrid Ostberg vs. Aesira Reinhart

[CaptainL]

Match Type: Standard Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout.

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This was a bit of an unusual situation for Astrid. Hot of the heels of her last successful title defense, she had continued to prove that she had the strength, endurance, and determination to prove herself as the top wrestler in LAW's heavyweight division, and the fame and attention she had garnered had only grown more and more with each victory. When she made her way to the ring, holding her belt high over her head to show it off to the crowd, it was with no shortage of cheers, the arena erupting with the voices of everyone who was eager to see the champion make an appearance in the flesh.

Spoiler

This time, though, Astrid wasn't here to defend her belt. She couldn't - she was facing an opponent outside of her weight class tonight. Aesira Reinhart had made quite a name for herself up to this point in her career - despite being a middleweight (if a particularly large one), she was quite open about her desire to challenge the heavyweight division. And, even if many hadn't seen it coming, she was undefeated when it came to facing larger opponents. One way or another, Aesira knew the tricks of the trade when it came to taking down foes that had an advantage over her - which is what led Astrid to offer her the ultimate test.

"Aesira Reinhart!" Astrid spoke into a microphone, facing the entrance ramp. Her belt was laid over her shoulder, the front plate facing outward. "I know you're undefeated against heavyweights. I have to admit, I'm impressed! It takes a lot of skill and power alike to take on opponents larger than yourself, and still come away victorious every time. Not to mention the bravery you must hold to go into such matches knowing the disadvantages you face, and to still give it your best effort every time. If you ask me...in all but weight, you have all the makings of a future Heavyweight Champion." As if to emphasize her point, Astrid pat the plate of the belt she had draped over her shoulder - it was clear, given how she had won the title and defended it thereafter, that she spoke from experience when it came to what made a champion.

"But make no mistake," she continued, "I still work my hardest to defend this title in every match I go into. Until LAW produces a heavyweight strong enough to take the championship off my hands, I am assured I'll be Heavyweight Champion still. But, Aesira...if you truly fancy yourself a future champion, I'd like to see you try it!"

A few gasps rang out from the crowd at Astrid's propsition. "I know you want to prove yourself stronger than any heavyweight. If there's any way to prove that, I say - why not go for the highest honor of all? Even if you win, you won't be eligible for the belt as long as you're in the middleweight division, but for this night alone, that won't matter. You all know how much I like a good challenge, something that can really test the limits of my abilities. What I see in you, Aesira, is someone with the spirit to challenge anyone, no matter the size - and the prospect of facing you, knowing the determination you possess, is one that I can't help but find exciting. That's why I issue the challenge to you, here and now, in this ring. You'll get a chance to face the champion, and the top of the division - and I will get a chance to experience the sort of potential you have in you for myself."So, what do you say? Are you prepared to face off with me?"

[Aeri]

Backstage.. Aesira was fretting. Sure she knew she had been going up against the heavyweight champion, her original goal in itself..!

But getting called out by her? No.. more so complimented by her, be it in such an offhand manner.. and being looked into in such detail.. it made her shudder. Like she had expectations to fulfil, a slightly sour taste in her mouth. Aesira clasped a bottle of water, uncapped it and took a drink..

.. before softly groaning to herself.

“What am I thinking.. Astrid or no Astrid, she’s still just a wrestler that I gotta beat. No use getting nervous now..!”

She’d softly exhale. Aesira standing up. No theme of hers played, but she walked out into the ramp anyways, fixing up her hair, a slight hint of red dusting her cheeks. But she’d merely climb up the ramp and slide inside the ropes in silence, knowing every eye there was on her. She’d gesture for a mic, being handed to her..

“Lady Astrid.. I’m very honoured that you’ve taken such an interest in my career..

A match with you wasn’t something I had in mind till later, till I could officially contest. But that just wasn’t in our fate, it seems..

So!!”

She’d suddenly grin, her nerves starting to melt away like a cube of ice on a sunny day. She’d point her finger at the slightly shorter blonde woman, smirking at her..

“I am! I’m ready to give you the fight of your life!!”

[CaptainL]

As Aesira emerged from backstage, even without much fanfare behind her entrance, there were still a few voices in the crowd that spoke out with cheers for her. While Astrid was favored to win this match, having both the size advantage and the status of champion on her side, that was precisely what led some to favor Aesira - it surely took a lot of courage to be able to stand up against such a fearsome foe, and even if it seemed unlikely, they wondered if that might be enough to take her all the way.

Those cheers were still in the minority, though. For the most part, the fans watched as silent as the arena itself as Aesira descended the entrance ramp and approached the ring. It was a tense moment - they didn't know just what Astrid might have in store, if she was willing to make such a challenge. They didn't know if Aesira had just sealed her own fate.

As Aesira got into the ring, Astrid greeted her with a polite nod, a smile coming to her face. "Believe me, heavyweight or no...I will face you as you are! What matters is that you have the determination to meet even someone as strong and as famed as I, head-to-head - and I can only honor such a decision!"

A louder cheer broke through the crowd now, rallying behind Astrid's proclamations. With all said and done, the Norsewoman handed her microphone and belt over to the referee before she took a step back, creating more distance between herself and her opponent. She balled a fist, planting it against the open palm of her other hand, and cracked her knuckles as she lowered herself into a stance. Now, she'd be ready for anything!

*DING DING DING*

With the ringing of the bell, Astrid called across the ring to her opponent. "Come on! Show me what you've got!" For now, she stayed where she was. Given the advantage she held, she was willing to let Aesira make the first move - but she also wanted to use this opportunity to get a feel for what her opponent was really capable of!

[Aeri]

“Heavyweight.. middleweight, none of that matters now! We’re both in the ring and all that matters is.. that I’m Aesira! And you’re Astrid.. and the winner of us is the better wrestler, plain and simple!”

Laying it out simply, Aesira smiled at Astrid widely. She’d give her a grin, before slowly raising her fists upwards, nodding at her words. She’d look at Astrid.. she didn’t seem to be taking her lightly.

Good.

Aesira’s smile only widened, as she’d clasp her palms together. The bell rang and she was invited to make the first move.. and of course, she would oblige. She’d race towards Astrid like a bull, the crowd watching her advance with bated breath! Her head lowered, she hoped Astrid would meet her head on, as it seemed like Aesira was going to grab her around the waist for a slam..

But that was a feint. Coming in close, she’d shove her own body violently upwards, her fingers clasping together and her elbow jutting out to SLAM right into Astrid’s chin, hoping to knock the current champion down or at the very least, daze her up a bit!

[CaptainL]

Astrid met Aesira's words with an eager nod, her grin spreading even wider over her face. She couldn't have said it any better herself. For this match, she was willing to forego such things as championships and weight classes, and leave it to the two women themselves to determine who would come out on top. The Norsewoman admired Aesira for being so receptive to the idea - but that didn't mean she was going to go easy on her. Astrid went into any match ready to do her best, and this would be no exception!

Much as Aesira herself did, Astrid raised her hands, lowering herself into a stance and bending at the knees. She kept her eyes locked on the ambitious middleweight, but she would still afford Aesira the opportunity to open things up, as soon as the bell had rang.

And, given that opportunity, Aesira didn't disappoint! Even when she had made the offer to begin with, Astrid herself couldn't help but be taken by surprise as her opponent suddenly dashed around her! Astrid realized she was going to have to remain on her toes if she wanted to stay on top of Aesira, and she spun back around to face her. Seeing the German woman's arms go lower, reaching to grasp around her waist, Astrid took a step back, looking to get out of the way. But that only set her up right for Aesira's real plan - as she swung her fist upward for a hard elbow straight to the champion's chin!

A crack rang out through the arena, accompanied by a few winces and groans from those watching. Astrid's head cracked backward, her hair flying in an arc behind her as she took a few steps back. But she wouldn't fall - she only dug her heels into the mat, keeping herself upright as she looked back at Aesira with a huff. She rubbed at her chin, but lowered herself into a stance nonetheless.

"Not bad, indeed," she said. "You're thinking fast. But I can think fast too!" Astrid soon collected herself, turning to point her elbow out toward her opponent. Then, she charged forward, poised to slam her body into Aesira's own. If that worked, she would duck down, attempting to lift Aesira onto her shoulders!

[Aeri]

“M-mm..”

She’d look at her take the blow. The champions head sent flying by a move that could take down a lesser woman in a single blow.. but fortunately, Astrid was anything but. Aesira gave the golden haired woman a wild grin, her canines showing as she’d smack her fists together.

“Oh this’ll be fun.”

And with that, Astrid charged, slamming her elbow led frame right into her body..! Or so that was her intent, Aesira shoving her palms forwards to stop her in her tracks! The blow still dug into her, but not as bad as it would have.. as she’d grin.. but suddenly, Astrid lifted her up! Planning to get her on her shoulders..! Instead of trying to break free, as Aesira was being lifted up.. she’d clasp her palms together and with a war cry..

“Hii.. yah!!”

Slam the axe handle blow down onto Astrids dome, hoping to topple her and not let her lift her up!!

[CaptainL]

In that moment, however brief it may have been, between when Astrid stepped back and when she made her next move, the Norsewoman saw the smile cross Aesira's face. She heard her mention how eager she was to see Astrid's prowess firsthand. And Astrid had to agree with everything she said. She always enjoyed facing an opponent who could match her skills, no matter who they might be or what they might look like. Aesira was no different. In fact, from the sounds of it she was just as enthusiastic as Astrid herself to make this matchup a reality - which could only mean that she'd be all the more motivated to put her best foot forward and make this a match to remember. Astrid was eager to see it!

But Astrid wasn't just going to sit around waiting for Aesira to make her move. She was in this match to triumph and to prove her strength, and nothing was going to keep her from that! Charging at Aesira, she held her shoulder out, prepared to slam into her with the full force of her weight. Even some heavyweights would have been intimidated by the sight of Astrid coming charging toward them - but Aesira held firm. She held out her hands. Everyone watched with wide eyes, in disbelief of what they were actually seeing. There was no way, they thought, that she could actually stop Astrid's charge by sheer strength alone!

And yet...that was what she did! As she struck her foe's open hand, Astrid shuddered and skidded to a stop, held back mere inches from crashing into Aesira. Everyone gasped. Perhaps even this middleweight had the strength it took to stand up to the Heavyweight Champ herself!

Astrid panted, looking back up toward her foe. "You...actually could..." Her eyes widened with surprise at how much power Aesira could summon. Still, she wouldn't let that keep her down. It was only a moment later that Astrid sucked in a breath, her brows narrowing, as she ducked lower, getting Aesira up onto her shoulders.

It was in this way that Astrid hoped to set up a devastating throw, leveraging the motion of her body to fling her opponent to the mat. But even here, Aesira had a trick up her sleeve! Just as Astrid hoisted her higher, she threw her fists in an arc, connecting her strike with the back of Astrid's head! The sound of a thud echoed through the arena as the Norwegian fell to one knee, doubled over in pain, with Aesira still folded over her shoulders!

[Aeri]

She could not exactly hold down the rampaging heavyweight completely, but Aesira did a fairly good job of restraining Astrid. Her muscles tensed, as she’d give her a small grunt of pain, her fists clenching. A bead of sweat ran down her head, the charge having caused her to skid back a fair bit indeed! The heavyweight champion was seemingly meeting someone that could match her blow for blow, and Aesira intended on giving more than she took.

Ducking lower, Astrid had managed to quite literally lift her off her feet. But this was no surprise to her, she knew that by heavyweight standards, she was on the rather easy end of being tossable unless she played it right. She’d grunt softly..

“R-remind me of Jess.. you do..” She’d have slammed her hands and brought Astrids head down, making the champion kneel! What she meant by that was, Aesira was reminded of the same fiery spirit she experienced with the bull wrangler! Suddenly, she’d growl.. her memoirs of the aftermath of that match, and of a sledgehammer slammed into her skull in a shadowy corridor, springing to mind.

“I just hope you‘re no sore.. LOSER!” She punctuated that last word with another devastating slam, this time her palms aimed to her back, before pulling her hands back again.. and slamming into it again! Until Astrid stopped her, slammed her, or dropped her, she would not cease! A small growl escaped her lips..

[CaptainL]

While Astrid was surprised by how much strength Aesira could command, she ultimately wouldn't let that slow her down. If anything, she was even more excited to be up against an opponent that could match her in power - doubly so if that opponent had the disadvantage when it came to size, yet still managed to overcome the odds anyway. No matter what had happened, Astrid would still try to turn this to her advantage, ducking down to get Aesira onto her shoulders. But that only gave the middleweight another avenue to attack - before Astrid could hurl her to the mat, she brought her hands together and connected with a powerful axe handle to the Norwegian's skull!

Panting and groaning, Astrid looked back over her shoulders as she sunk to her knee. She heard what Aesira said about reminding her of Jess, and her own conflict with the cowgirl played back through her mind. Certainly, she saw how stubborn Jess could be - and all the same, Astrid wasn't going to let Aesira keep her down for long!

Even as her opponent raised another axe handle, striking at Astrid's back, the champion wouldn't let herself be moved! Her back buckled against the impact, her body trembling - but still, she held firm. She dug her heel into the mat, rooting herself in place. Soon, gritting her teeth to brace herself through the pain, Astrid forced herself back up to her full height, taking Aesira along for the ride. When she got back up, she would throw her head back with a battle cry - and then, she would fall backward as she tossed her foe off her shoulders. If successful, she'd send her opponent to the mat with a fallaway slam!

Spoiler

[Aeri]

Like an Olympic weightlifter, Astrid was having some trouble with her weight that she was attempting to hoist up! A normal “weight” would not have delivered two devastating slams to her head and back, causing her to stagger..

But Astrid persevered, which made Aesira silently commend herself for it in her head. Having been lifted up fully, the crowds cheering roared to a crescendo when Aesira was tossed through the ring with a THUD, her body crashing right against the canvas, rolling to a stop right besides the ropes, her grabbing against them to prevent herself from falling off. She’d gasp a bit, her eyes widened and her hair messy and loose..

But this wouldn’t keep Aesira down. Shaking off the spiderwebs that appeared in her vision, she’d slam her fist to the ground as a way to pump herself up, before getting to her feet quickly enough! She’d lean against the ropes.. before racing forwards, stomping to the ground with every step she’d take..

Before, she’d leap upwards! Unexpected to see someone of her stature fly, Aesira lifted herself up with a jump and aimed to stomp both her feet against Astrids chest with a devastating THUD!! A deadly dropkick!