If one wasn't a dedicated LAW fan, one could be forgiven for forgetting that this wouldn't be the first time Astrid and Kennedy had crossed paths.
Their first match had been many years ago, before Astrid grew into the world-renowned Heavyweight Champion she had become famous as. Though she had still made a strong showing in several promotions in Europe and beyond, she was still coming into her way at LAW - and by now, the earlier days of her career had all but been drowned out by the historic title run she enjoyed since. When one looked back at those early matches, the woman in them could hardly be recognized as the person Astrid was today.
But Astrid herself hadn't forgotten. While she and Kennedy hadn't had many encounters in LAW, their relationship went far deeper than that. Even after their first match, they were determined to meet again some day. When Kennedy left after her brief first stint in LAW, Astrid followed her back to the indies, and the two of them competed in several promotions - always staying closely matched with one another, and trading victories back and forth. Both of them trained and kept up with their regimen in the name of staying competitive, and every time one of them grew stronger, so too did the other, bringing things right back to square one. Ironically, it had been Astrid's ascent to the top that saw their rivalry take a pause. When Astrid returned to Japan, she became one of its top champions, and the hectic life of a champion kept her from returning to her roots when she was out promoting both LAW and her title, as well as keeping up with the training she needed to stay on top. No matter how close she was to them, her old friends fell by the wayside.
One thing was for sure, though. Astrid never forgot about Kennedy. She knew they still had unfinished business, and that soon the day would come to put it to rest. Now that Kennedy had returned to LAW, better and stronger than ever, Astrid knew this was the day. Now, it would all be settled.
"And her opponent, from Stavanger, Norway! AAAAAASTRID OSTBERG!!"
Astrid hardly needed any introduction to the faithful of LAW. As soon as her name was called, the fans burst into cheers - and when the Norsewoman stepped out from the curtains, it was with her back straight and her chest puffed out forward, ready to greet the lights and the flashing cameras. One person she singled out in particular, though, was Kennedy herself. Her gaze soon caught the Jungle Queen, and when it did, Astrid's smile grew. Though she and Kennedy had had numerous encounters outside the squared circle, Astrid knew that seeing her across the ring from her once again would be a completely different experience. Now, when she saw her standing tall, bathed in the lights overhead, the Norwegian could already feel the adrenaline bubbling up inside her, readying her for the battle ahead. All the competitive feelings their rivalry had brought on came flooding back to her. It was as though she'd never left.
"So, we meet again," Astrid said, approaching Kennedy and climbing onto the apron. Despite all the times the two of them had fought, and all the times one had beaten the other, there was no anger or scorn in Astrid's voice. She had a smile on her face, and she greeted Kennedy like the old friend she was, stepping through the ropes to hold her hand out for a shake.
"It's been too long. A lot's happened since our last match, hasn't it? I've won a title match...and you, too, have gotten stronger, I see." Astrid looked Kennedy up and down, taking note of the new muscle mass she had built in the hopes of entering the Heavyweight Division.
"Loving the new outfit too, by the way. I think we've both come a long way. The question now...is who came out the stronger for it." Astrid lowered her head as her smile grew wider still. She might have been friendly, but she knew Kennedy was here to make a challenge. And she was eager to accept it!
