Steel Jungle (Saori vs. Blair)

[dlamp]

Steel Cage Standard Match
Win via Pinfall, Submission, or Knockout

Saori started noticing the reputation she was gaining from her last two matches. They might had losses, but she way she left both herself and her opponent a battered, bloodied mess started to give her infamy as a brutal, hardcore fighter that went out of her way to bloody her opponents. It... wasn't intention, not really. Her muay thai training had always prepared her to draw blood and fight through her own, and... well, she was a firebrand and wild child through and through. She wasn't squeamish about getting hurt or hurting others. It was... just how things went in the ring. Still, Saori did have a habit of going a little crazy in the ring thanks to her Jungle persona. She wasn't against this reputation and rumors, but... it was definitely a different experience than back in her old league in Brazil. Something to utilize, but the match this time really was setting the stage.

A steel cage match with standard rules. Basically a hardcore match you could win by normal means. Honestly, it was up Saori's alley. She loved the idea of using the cage to her advantage like in an MMA match. It definitely fed into her hardcore reputation so this might be something the big wigs are just pushing her toward. Still, the idea excited her. A serious brawl in a cage, locked in with her opponent to duke it out until one girl came out on top. She was excited by it.

And with those thoughts in mind, the jungle beat of her them soon kicked on, and Saori appeared on stage.

Spoiler

"AWWOOOOO!" Her howl charged the crowd in a wave of cheers and celebration, and Saori ran down the ramp on all fours to the ring, hopping right under the bottom rope in a wide leap forward before rolling herself up to her feet. There she stood for the crowd to see, displaying herself toward the crowd before moving to her corner, sitting on all fours in cat-like fashion. Up above was the steel cage, waiting to be dropped down once both wrestlers were in the ring and ready. And unlike a typical cage match the goal wasn't to leave it, it was to fight and suffer in it while the other girl beat you down into submission or knockout.

Someone... was going to be prey. And Saori was determined to not become that.

[CaptainL]

Back in the locker rooms, Blair Yuen tapped her gloves together, preparing herself to head out to the ring. When she'd heard what match she had been scheduled for, she was hoping it would prove a return to form for her. Jumping from Muay Thai to MMA to wrestling, and from one promotion to another, was taking its toll on her, and with every new environment she found herself in, there was going to be some adjusting to be done before she could fit herself into her new surroundings. Still, when she heard she'd be wrestling in a cage, it brought her some relief. Even if it was still being conducted under normal pro wrestling rules, it reminded her of her MMA bouts in the octagon, and hopefully, that would mean she felt at home - when it came to positioning herself and knowing how much mobility she had, she'd already have some frame of reference. And with the cage constraining the two competitors, she was sure she'd see a lot of striking and punching - which, as a Muay Thai practitioner, was what she did best.

However, as soon as Blair stepped onto the ramp and saw who was already in the ring, her heart sunk. She was here?! She only needed one look at the woman standing in the ring to recognize her, and when she did, a million memories came bubbling back to the front of her mind, none of them good. This wouldn't be the first time she and Saori crossed paths - when they were both competing in Muay Thai, they'd had a match against each other, and that one match told Blair everything she needed to know about how obnoxious, annoying, and unprofessional her opponent was. If she was going to jump around like a monkey and act more like an animal than a human being, she had no idea why they even let her compete. And now, she was in an organization that had even less regulation.

This was going to be fun.

With a sigh, Blair shrugged her shoulders, plodding down to the ring, where she slid inside and rolled her shoulders. She looked up, her eyes narrowing as they settled on Saori. "Never thought I'd see you again...let's make this quick."

Spoiler

[dlamp]

Saori blinked when she saw her opponent, staring as she approached the ring in calm, quiet fashion. It was... a familiar stride, and a familiar expression. And... the sharp look she gave Saori started ringing bells in her head. She... recognized her. There was no mistaking that expression and armband, the memory of it was burned into Saori's mind. Little Dragon... The thought along had Saori letting out a low growl, baring her teeth at the girl as she got closer and closer to the ring. The name was stuck to Saori's subconscious like a bad itch. Her first memory of the girl was when she was first learning Muay Thai and competing to gain some combat experience, a little before she left for Brazil. She remembered facing off against a really straitlaced and orthodox fighter from another country (China or something, given the girl's looks). She was a bit older than her and more experienced, but Saori was firebrand even back then and wanted to test herself. She jumped right in, ready to show herself off to the ring and her opponent.

And that fight was brutality incarnate.

It got wild. It got ugly. Saori could still feel some of the bruises and cuts just remembering it. They matched each other blow for blow, strike for strike, cut for cut. A straightforward and focused fighter against a wild and unpredictable one. A match for the century done by two young girls the papers had called it. But to Saori... it was just an annoyance. Even after that slog of a match that Dragon brat didn't even show much emotion afterwards. "Tch..." But... if the Dragon had one good point, it was that she was tough. That she pushed Saori to the limit in that match. She was at least a fighter worthy of respect and to be treated as an honest threat.

So naturally, Saori gave her the harshest glare she could manage, showing her teeth... quite literally as she let out a sharp snarl.

"Oh, this will be quick, Dragon!" She barked back, arching her back like a feral cat about to pounce. "I'll give that nice little tattoo of yours a good gash in it to mark our reunion!"

As if challenging Saori's taunt, the cage soon began to dropped down, hitting the ground with a loud thud and locking the two inside with each other. Saori's eyes narrowed, a growl under her throat as she rose to her feet. She wasn't going to mess around this time, raising her hands up, one leg in front of her, ready to strike. She usually didn't pull out the muay thai techniques right away, but this was different. Blair wasn't a wrestler, or at least that wasn't her background, and Saori already planned to bloody her opponent in this match regardless.

This... was going to be payback for some bad childhood memories.

*DING*

"RAAAAWR!" And she charged at the bell, an arm reeled back with an elbow primed right for Blair's jaw to start the match.

[CaptainL]

As she stepped into the ring, Blair's eyelid began to twitch, and her fists clenched with rising tension. She tried taking a few breaths - it wouldn't do her any good to lose her cool, she reminded herself; that had caused her downfall in more than a few matches in the past, and she was always the type to take losses hard. She didn't want to relive any of those moments any time soon.

But the question still stuck with her. Why Saori? Why now? What were the odds that she, and a girl who had pestered her and stirred her anger throughout their whole history together, would both find themselves in LAW, let alone in the same match? Did the promoters know? Or was this all simply just her own bad luck?

Nevertheless, Blair wasn't going to let it get to her. She tightened one hand into a fist, pounding it against the palm of her other hand as she let herself sink into a stance. It was clear that Saori hadn't changed a bit - she was still as obnoxious, as loud, as uncoordinated as ever. When they had last crossed paths, Blair had thought there was no way Saori would have the discipline to last in the world of martial arts. Yet, by the looks of it, she hadn't had any reason to change. It was still working well for her - and the same Saori who had given her a fight for her life in their last meeting was right here in front of her, waiting for round two. She was in for all the same chaos and all the same commotion as last time. If anything, the snarl on Saori's face told her it would only be worse than last time.

But Blair wouldn't let that hold her back. Saori had tested her, but she had still come out on top at the end of their grueling bout. And that was before she had gone on to compete at some of the highest levels in her sport. Blair had only grown since then, and she wouldn't let this end up any differently.

At least, she hoped. Those same lofty expectations had let her down before...

Still, as Saori got down on all fours in front of her, Blair leaned in at the waist, focusing in a watchful eye on her opponent. "We'll see about that," she said, "as long as you can land a hit on me!"

As soon as the bell rang, Blair was ready. Saori was taking off toward her with a blind charge, bellowing like a wild beast. Blair, by contrast, was quiet, focused, and collected, never so much as flinching even as her opponent grew closer and closer. She was going to prove that focus and discipline would triumph over raw aggression - and she was hoping to turn Saori's energy against her, as she thrust her foot outward with a teep kick at her face as soon as she brought herself into range!

[dlamp]

Saori moved like a mad beast, hungry for blood, violence, and the satisfaction of bone hitting flesh. Her eyes were locked straight onto Blair's ready and waiting for that solid feeling of her opponent caving to Saori's high-momentum and ruthless instincts.

"Gugh!"

Only to be met with hard rubber colliding into Saori's jaw as she completely ate Blair's front kick before her elbow could make contact. The world flashed for a moment, the momentum from her own rushing and fast movements making Saori see white flashes and purple pots as she staggered back with loose footing. The crowd winced at the impact, and Saori herself took a solid three second to regain her senses and the world returning to focus. "G-Gh..." Once everything came back to one vision Saori's eyes immediately glared daggers at Blair, letting out a snarl. Again there was little reaction to the Little Dragon, only a calculated, focused gaze. The same gaze she saw back in her Muay Thai days. It was a reminder, blind aggression wouldn't win this one, it didn't last time. "I barely felt that, Dragon!"

She rushed forward, this time shooting her leg forward and downward while keeping her upper body swayed back for a harsh kick at the girl's shin. If she couldn't decimate Blair with a strong offense she'd chip away at her limbs with ruthless abandon.

[CaptainL]

Even if they had both trained in the same discipline, Blair and Saori couldn't be further apart when it came to how they fought. While one was calm, composed, and made each move with carefully guided precision, the other threw caution to the wind, letting her sheer aggression be her guide. It was no surprise that the two of them had remembered one another so vividly after their last encounter. But that last encounter had taught Blair something. She knew how Saori thought, and what she could expect from her. If she was going to take off toward her in a wild lunge, all Blair needed to do was deliver a hard enough obstacle, and her foe's momentum would do the rest of the work. Indeed, as Blair brought her leg up, Saori came charging into it at full speed - and like a speeding car ramming into a wall, she crumpled against the impact, going stumbling back in a daze!

As she brought her foot back down, Blair huffed, crossing her arms to look back at Saori with a narrow-eyed glare. She could see that she was trying to get in her head, but Blair wouldn't let her. Her greatest strength came from her focus, and she couldn't let anything cause her to lose control. "That's fine," she said. "I'm just getting started..."

Saori's next attack would prove more successful. She ran back at Blair, throwing her leg forward for a hard and well-placed kick at her leg, one that caused the Canadian's shin to crack backward from the momentum of the blow alone alone. Her foot was swept off the ground, leaving her standing on one leg. As the pain shot up through her leg, Blair clenched her teeth to stifle a pained moan, and her body went tense. Even if Saori was obnoxious, she could still hit hard, and she couldn't forget that.

With one leg knocked aside, Blair's balance was compromised, and she began to teeter forward. However, she would try to use that to her advantage, as she shot her hands out to go for Saori's shoulders, trying to lock onto her with a clinch! If Blair could get her wounded leg back under her to secure her balance first, she would swing the good one upward to try and hit a knee into Saori's stomach. However, she was going to need to catch her balance first, which could only take up more time. Time that Saori, if she so chose, could take advantage of.

[dlamp]

The crack of Blair's leg had Saori taking a brutal pleasure in the resulting damage. Just sight of the Dragon retreating a few steps was enough momentum to get the Wild Child's blood going. It was much in term of revenge, but it was a start. And seeing the Dragon trying to get her bearing back and struggle in that short moment had the Jungle Princess hissing out a vengeful snarl in retort, hands still raised in her fighting stance, as if silently egging her opponent to try and match her blow for blow.

And Blair did raise back up and move forward, clinching onto Saori's shoulders. "!!!" And Saori immediately noticed the maneuver for the gambit it was. Blair wasn't locked in, and her balance was still off. She was trying to realign herself to work in a hit or two. "RAAAWR!" But Saori knew the tactic, and more importantly she knew how to take advantage of an opponent still getting their bearings. "GAAAAOOOO!" And with a loud battlecry and pushed her hands against Blair's shoulders, giving just enough space to try working in a harsh and sudden headbutt to unsteady Blair further.

[CaptainL]

In the world of martial arts, the Muay Thai clinch was held as one of the most dangerous places to be. A well-practiced fighter could strike from any number of angles and directions, using all eight of the limbs the style boasted of, and the clinch would force their opponent into point-blank range, where they would have nowhere to run and no way to defend themselves. When it came to the clinch, Blair knew a thing or two about striking. All she needed now was to hold on long enough to set up a good shot, but she had Saori right where she wanted her.

Unfortunately, in order to set up that strike, Blair first needed to get both feet under her - something that was going to take her a few seconds after Saori had kicked her leg out from under her. And in sports, a few seconds could make a world of difference. Blair got her feet on the ground, prepared to swing a knee upward into Saori's gut - but it was too late. Before she could hit, Saori shoved her back, slamming her forehead straight into Blair's skull!

Crying out in pain, the Canadian girl fell backward, slipping off her feet and coming crashing to the mat below. Saori's shove had tested her balance, but the headbutt was what would really leave her spinning! She clutched at her aching temples, trying to dull the pain, while at the same time she attempted to roll to the side in order to get some more space between herself and her opponent. She needed space to recenter herself, space that Saori wasn't going to give her!

[dlamp]

Saori staggered back a few steps, gritting her teeth as she felt the headbutt's recoil. "G-Gh..." She hissed out a sharp exhale, glaring daggers at Blair's downed state. She took only a short moment to savor the sight of the Dragon flat on her butt and trying to shake off the painful headache Saori forced onto her, letting out a low, menacing snarl as she watched. The careful and planned moves of Blair couldn't keep up with Saori's reckless momentum for the moment, she was set to keep things that way until she got the violent, bloody knockout blow she deeply craved.

And with one more second to look at her work, Saori shook it off the blow back and moved fast. Blair was down, but she wasn't out, and Saori had no intention to let her have breathing room. "Raaawr!" She let out another roar, chasing Blair as she started rolling back, shooting her leg out for a push-kick aimed at Blair's skull in hope of making the headache she was feeling a never-ending experience.

[CaptainL]

As she turned herself over to right herself on the mat, Blair hissed under her breath, raising a hand to rub at her temples. For as annoying as Saori could be, no one could say that she wasn't a heavy-hitter - and Blair was feeling that; her head was throbbing and she tried to focus on what was ahead of her even if she was seeing double. No matter how dizzied she might have been, she knew she couldn't afford to take her eyes off her foe - she was quick, she was unpredictable, and Blair was someone who worked best if she had time to plan her approach. She thought she had Saori under control a moment before, but the Jungle Princess had seen a moment of weakness and seized on it. Blair couldn't let that happen again!

In fact, she looked up just in time to see Saori sprinting toward her, her leg flying out ahead of her and aimed right at her head! For a second, Blair went tense, knowing that if this hit, it would hit her hard. But she still had time to act - and if there was ever a time to take action, it was now! Just before Saori's foot made contact, Blair went to reach out and grab her by the ankle; if that worked, she would roll on her side to try and sweep Saori off her feet. She was never quite as good at grappling as she was at striking, but if the need arose she could handle herself well enough.