Match Type: Standard Match Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout
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Blair hung back in the locker room, where she tightened her gloves, taking in a deep breath in preparation for the match ahead of her. She knew that her opponent, Suzan Hinyanko, was a newcomer in LAW in more ways than one - not only was she in the Young Lioness Program, still completing her training, but this was set to be her first match against an opponent on the main roster. But Blair was honored to take it. She knew that, even if Suzan may not have had the same sort of experience she had in the ring, she couldn't underestimate her, and she would have to stay on her guard and do her best just as she would against any other opponent. Once the bell rang, anything could happen.
What was more striking was that, in the time Blair had to research her opponent leading up to this match, she had found that Suzan was a fellow devotee of martial arts, training in a variety of styles much like Blair had mastered Muay Thai before moving onto MMA and wrestling. She was sure her opponent would be a worthy test of her abilities...and she was flattered to be the one to introduce her to LAW. She was ready to give her a fight worthy of the honors.
"Coming first to the ring, from Vancouver, British Columbia! At 5'1, weighing 110 pounds, BLAIR YUEN!!" Spoiler
As Blair's name was called, she stepped out onto the entrance ramp, lifting a fist in the air to announce her entry to the ring - but, on the whole, she wasn't one for showmanship or flashy entrances when it came to making a point. Anything she was going to say to the world would come from her actions. And, as she climbed into the ring and cracked her knuckles, Blair's eyes narrowed in focus on the ramp, waiting for her opponent to arrive. It was time for those actions to take shape.
Last edited by CaptainL on Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Papi by Jennifer Lopez starts to blare through the speakers as Suzan taps her foot to the beat of the music with her back turned.
And her opponent, from San Francisco California.. standing at a statuesque 6ft tall, weighting in at 150lbs and making her LAW Debut, Suzan "Miss Sass" Hinyanko!!!
Suzan turns around to strike a pose before making her way to the ring, giving out high fives to the audience members before stepping over the middle rope.
Last edited by ClockwerkSamurai12 on Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
And there she was - the opponent of the evening! As Suzan made her arrival to the ring, Blair stood a little taller, rolling her shoulders out to get herself limbered up in preparation for the bout. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she focused her attention keenly on her foe, her eyes narrowed in an unblinking glare. The first thing to draw Blar's attention about Suzan was that in terms of presentation, she seemed flashier and more determined to make a splash when in comparison to the Muay Thai fighter's more businesslike and no-nonsense approach, given her flashier entrance and her more upbeat theme. What also caught her eye was that Suzan had a significant size advantage on her, being nearly a foot taller - a fact that could well give her the edge in spite of having less experience in professional competition. That alone was enough to make Blair bite her lip nervously as she sized Suzan up and down. Nevertheless, it wasn't going to get her to back down. Blair had faith in her strikes, and they were going to serve her well now.
She turned her gaze upward to look Suzan in the eye as she stepped closer, puffing her chest out. "I hope you're ready," she said flatly and matter-of-factly before pounding a fist against the open palm of her other hand. "Don't think this'll be easier just because I'm smaller than you."
What immediately caught Blair's attention was that Suzan seemed familiar with her, already getting into a Muay Thai stance! For just a moment, the Canadian's eyes widened. She'd prepared for an opponent who was just as used to martial arts as she was, but she didn't realize that Suzan was trained in Muay Thai as well! Either that, or she was just following her opponent's lead; clearly she was famliar with her work if she had addressed her by her nickname - but Blair shook that thought out of her head just as quickly as it came to her. No, there was no doubt about it that Suzan knew what she was doing. Blair could tell that from the way she moved, and the way she held her body - it was the way a trained fighter would. Blair figured her Muay Thai training would help her stay ahead of the game...but now, she knew that wasn't an option. Suzan was just as ready for that as she was, and if that was the case, Blair was going to have to stay on her toes!
Still, she wouldn't let that keep her back. She sucked in a breath, standing a little taller as she took a step closer to move into range, and she rose her fists for a stance of her own. She had competed against plenty of fellow Muay Thai fighters when she had been practicing the style professionally, and she knew well enough about the ins and outs to know how to defend herself against another practitioner. It didn't matter that Suzan knew Muay Thai; Blair could defeat her just as well. In fact, her commendable career in Muay Thai only gave her more reason to believe she would!
Her eyes narrowed, Blair let out a huff as she turned to face Suzan, shrugging off her taunts. Whether or not Suzan meant what she said, Blair had her pride, and she couldn't help but feel belittled by the suggestion she would need her opponent to hold back. "I don't need you to go easy on me, if that's what you mean," she muttered sternly. "I held the streak I did for a reason!"
*DING DING DING*
The moment the bell rang, Blair was ready to fly into the action! She suddenly lunged inward, moving to grab for Suzan's shoulders in an attempt to enter a clinch. If she could do that, she would start to pull her forward, into the path of her knee, as she swung it upward to strike for Suzan's chest!
Suzan however decided to throw her for a loop, faking a roundhouse kick before hitting her in the face with a Superman Punch! This was one of her signature moves, the Blindside Bop!
Blair thought she had everything figured out. She had been in enough fights, against enough of her fellow Muay Thai practitioners, to know how she could open a match to take advantage of the clinch. By striking from close range, she could hit Suzan before she got a chance to take the lead, no doubt putting her on the back foot going forward. And she had enough faith in her striking skills to be confident that any blow she landed was going to hurt, too!
But it came to Blair's surprise that when she closed in on Suzan and swung her knee up, she hit nothing but air! At the last moment, the blonde swerved away, breaking the clinch! Blair's jaw dropped in a gasp, leaving her hanging for just a moment. But just as quickly, she shook that thought out of her head, her teeth clenching in a hiss. She knew all too well that even if things hadn't quite gone according to her expectations, it would do her no good to sit around staring. She needed to act, before Suzan could catch up to her! In fact, just now, she was drawing her leg back, looking to be getting ready for a roundhouse kick! At such a sight, Blair drew in a breath, and she sank lower, bending at the knees and raising her fists as she readied a protective stance. She had to be ready for anything Suzan would throw at her. And she began to swerve to the side as she stepped forward, getting out of the way of whatever might come next...
But that was a mistake. As it turned out, Suzan was only luring Blair into a trap, and she had just given her exactly what she wanted! As soon as the Canadian drew into range, Suzan shot out forward, slamming into Blair with a brutal Superman punch that sent her reeling. Her head cracked to the side, and she stumbled back a few steps to land against the ropes, only narrowly preventing herself from falling by hitting the cables with her back and hooking her arm over the top rope. There, as she sank lower, she panted for breath, nursing the pain that was already swiftly catching up to her.
When she looked back up at Suzan, she narrowed her eyes in a glare, hissing under her breath. So far, this match was off to a rocky start. The blows Suzan had landed against her hurt - and what hurt even more was the thought of letting herself be pushed around by a rookie. That thought made Blair grit her teeth, shaking her head. She wouldn't stand by this; she knew she was better than this! She had to go back into the match swinging - and, as she shoved against the ropes to push herself back toward Suzan, her forearm cut through the air as she swung it in an arc, determined to land a blow against her chest, if only to prove she could!
Blair's arm cut through the air, but Suzan lifted her knee just in time, leaving her blow to bounce off of it. As she reeled back off the strike, Blair raised an eye curiously, looking Suzan up and down. She definitely knew what she was doing - that sort of flow, and those sorts of defensive manuevers, displayed that Suzan had studied Muay Thai well enough to know how its emphasis on striking with the elbows and knees could be just as useful for intercepting and countering blows as it was for dishing them out. But Blair wouldn't have much time to appreciate Suzan's handiwork - while her arm was extended, the blonde was able to grab a hold, giving it a firm yank downward to bowl her opponent off her feet!
Blair tumbled to the mat with a thud, shaking the ring as she fell against the canvas. She clenched her teeth, her brow furrowing in frustration. Now Suzan had taken her to the ground - not a position she wanted to be in, if she had any say in the matter! The style Blair was versed in emphasized stand-up striking, and as long as she was down where her opponent could control her, she would be in trouble, both for the damage she'd take and the fact she was out of her element. She certainly saw that to be the case as Suzan got behind her to grab her arm with her legs, pulling her back into an armbar!
The Canadian hissed in pain, her whole body growing tense as the sensation of her shoulder being wrenched out to the side coursed through her nerves. Now she knew this was bad. Suzan had her in a dangerous predicament, and Blair would only take more damage if she couldn't escape soon. She especially wasn't keen on it all coming at the hands of someone without a fraction of the experience she did! But she knew one thing for certain - she wasn't going to let Suzan get away with it. As her hand clenched into a tense fist, Blair would attempt to kick up with her back, trying to buck Suzan off of her!
"You're...good," she muttered, blushing faintly as she conceded to her opponent's potential. "But I'm not here to lose!"
