Middleweight Championship Match: Tracy "Circus Cat" Canon vs Tina "Tigress" Armstrong(c) - Coming of Age

[winner3]

Ladder Match: Victory awarded when one wrestler retrieves the title belt suspended from a hook high above the ring.

Shortly before the promo that led up to this title defense, Tracy Canon shared a moment backstage with her mentor and best friend, her fellow masked feline wrestler, Katherine Hart. The two would be found embracing each other for a couple seconds before separating and exchanging words.

"You got this, Trace. Tina's a fighter. If you go challenge her, she'll likely take you up on it then and there. She name dropped you. She had you on her radar. When the time comes for you to get that title match, go out there and hit her with everything you've got. Don't lose focus, got it?" A slightly worried Tracy would nod into her partner's frame before separating and answering Katherine.

"I'm ready. I'll go say my piece and get her attention...if Tina does wanna wrestle....right away for the title...will you be in my corner, Kat?"

"Nope!" Kat said in a silly voice whilst shrugging. Tracy would only blink with an incredulous expression on her face before retorting with a frustration stammer! "W-W-WHAT?! Why the heck not!?"

"Do you think Alaina's gonna be in Tina's corner?"

"Ummm-"

"Cause I can say with 100 percent certainty that she won't be....I'll support you however I can, Trace. But for a career defining moment like this. For your biggest one on one battles, I have to cheer you on from the sidelines. You've been doing singles matches, right? I've seen you out there against some pretty solid competition. Tina's proven herself, and now it's time for you to do the same."" The purple clad luchadora would place a hand on her partner's shoulder before looking her in the eyes. "Go out there and do me proud. Bring home your first LAW belt!" she'd say with a warm smile.

Tracy would nod before exhaling and calming down. Kat was right. Tonight was about capiitalizing on a opportunity and earning a title match. And once she got it, Tracy would be bent on doing anything she could to capture that Middleweight championship and look good doing it.

"So you're gonna be watching from back here? On like, a monitor?"

"Aaaaaactually..." Tracy would pout as she heard Kat imply that she either wasn't going to be watching, or wasn't going to be on the premises.

"The company asked me to pay a visit to a local hospital on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So if your match ends up happening on the spot, I won't be here. But I promise I'll be there in spirit! And worst case scenario, I'll watch from my phone on the way to the hospital." With that, Kat would pat Tracy on the back before giving her a gentle shove towards the entrance to the arena, where she'd go on to call out, Tina!

Tracy would look back at Kat and smile before galloping out to the make her entrance and head towards the ring.

Fast-forward to the events that followed the promo and the situation would indeed unfurl the way they discussed. Both Tracy and Tina eyed each other from across the ring. The arena lights beamed down upon them. The staff had situated the title high above the ring. They had also left ladders on the outside of the ring, on the arena floor. The fans in Kōrakuen Hall would roar as names of both women were announced.

"Tonight's match is a Ladder Match for the L.A.W. Middleweight Championship! In this corner, the challenger, standing at 5'5"! Weighting in at 155 pounds! Ttttrrrrrracy "Circus Cat" Canon...!"

Tracy would climb the turnbuckle and raise her arms, spreading them in a V-shape before blowing a kiss for the audience. Despite the absense of Kat on the premises, she seemed to be confident and raring to go!

"And in this corner, the Champion! She is the winner of the L.A.W. Middleweight Championship Tournament! And your Inaugural Middleweight Champion! Standing at 5'6"! Weighing in at 149 pounds! Tiiiiinaaaaa "Tigress" Arrrrrmstrrroooooooong!"

The Fighters

VS

With the formalities out of the way, the referee would nod to the time keeper and the bell would sound immediately. The LAW first championship defense was underway!

[Highfly]

Tina paced back and forth, her eyes never leaving Tracy. The tigress indeed looked like a predator waiting for its chance to strike. As the bell rang, Tina did not waste any time and surged forward trying to wrap up Tracy in a grapple!

Tina knew she was stronger, her lean muscle packed frame made her power evident. She wasn't trying to prove strength against Tracy. This was about intensity! As Tina for hold she began to ram her knees into Tracy's abdomen over and over. If she got four fast strikes in a row she was going to back off a step then move right back in aiming an uppercut at Tracy's jaw!

[winner3]

Tina wasted absolutely no time in her first title defense! She charged forward and met Tracy head on with a grapple. After getting in close, the Tigress lifted her knee for some consecutive knee strikes to the gut. Tracy would stagger as the first two connected, but she'd quickly retaliate!

"Grr!" The masked redhead would groan in defiance as she hooked an arm around Tina's leg on the third knee! She'd attempt to counter by placing a hand on the champ's side and trying to lift her up off the ground and drop her tailbone onto a bent knee for an Inverted Atomic Drop! If it worked out, Tracy would pop up to her feet and run past Tina to the opposite side of the ring. She'd pick up speed and dash towards Tina in an effort to grab her by the hair and take her down to the mat face-first with a Running Bulldog!

"I'm gonna be twice the champ you are!" Tracy would say as she ran towards the Tigress to hit her move.

[Highfly]

Tina was shocked as her strikes were stopped dead in their tracksand the speedy circus cat lift her up, bringing her down hard! Tina howled in pain and bent over, stumbling around as Tracy ran behind her. That wasn't good, not good at all! The hobbled champ was off to a bad start, and it was about to get worse as her head was grabbed! Tina was pulled forward, and her face planted hard off the mat as she groaned, laying flat on her stomach as her hands covered her face. Tina rolled to her side and kicked the mat, clearly in agony and off to a poor start in her first title defense! Far from ideal, but she started off poorly in the match that led to her gaining the title in the first place.

All she had to do was shake it off and get back into it, far easier said than done in her current dazed state!

[winner3]

Both breakout stars came at each other with a level of fierceness and intensity that spoke to the nature of this championship ladder match! Tracy got the upperhand early on by flooring Tina with a Running Bulldog. The red headed wrestler would push herself up off the canvas after landing. She'd walk over to Tina and attempt to grab her rival middleweight by the head and hoist her up to her feet. With a growl, Tracy would try to run Tina towards the ropes with the intention of throwing her over the top rope and to the outside of the ring!

"Take that, champ!" Tracy would cry if she managed to throw her foe out of the ring.

[Highfly]

Tina felt herself grabbed up and held by the head, the two of them running over to the ropes! Tina felt herself flung over, reaching and grabbing hold of the top rope! "Not today circus lady!" Tina said, as she kept hold of the ropes and landed on her feet outside on the apron! Tina then reached in to grab Tracy by the head, jumping down to the outside and trying to bring Tracy's throat crashing down off the rope!

Tina had to make this work and if she could stun Tracy before taking the high tot the outside, the scrappy young Brit figured herself as a bit of a favorite in an outright brawl on the outside! It was a chance she couldn't pass up, and if her rope guillotine worked she would quickly grab Tracy's ankles and yank her mercilessly underneath the bottom rope for a hard landing to the ground outside the ring!

[winner3]

Tracy had almost succedded in tossing Tina to the outside. She commit to the throw and for a moment it looked like it would work out, but the champ had an answer! Tina would catch herself on the ring apron! The Circus Cat would open her mouth in surprise. Tina's recovery was reminiscent of something in her own arsenal! But before the challenger could lunge forward and knock her foe off the apron, Armstrong beat her to the punch by grabbing hold of her head and dropping down to the outside to floor Tracy and attack her neck with a Rope Guillotine!

"Ack!" The luchadora would yell as she was bounced off the top rope and subsequently floored! Tracy would place a hand over her neck, coughing once or twice to try and shrug off the last move. She would notice Tina go for the ankles of the boots, and she'd respond by kicking at Tina's hands and rising up quickly!

"It's like that?!" The red head would yell rhetorically before grabbing hold of the top rope with both hands. Tracy would begin to set up for what seemed to be a big aerial move! She'd hop onto the middle rope with both feet and bounce off of it to jump onto the top rope! Her coordination and expertise spoke to the reasons behind her "Circus Cat" moniker. She'd bounce off the top rope with both feet and turn 180 degrees in midair, seemingly setting up for a high risk Asai Moonsault to the outside! If she were left uninterrupted, LAW's resident aerialist Luchadora would bounce high off the top rope before coming back down and bouncing even higher! Tracy would leap high into the air towards the center of the ring. In a fraction of a second, it became painfully clear what she was going for! Canon would throw her arms up high and actually smack the blue title belt suspended above the ring! The crowd was gasp and cheer as Tracy narrowly failed to capture it and end the match right then and there! The belt would teeter back and forth as a result of the impact, and Tracy would tuck and roll to salvage her landing! She'd end up seated on the ropes on the side of the ring opposite from Tina. The showboat would boast confidently to her rival middleweight before rising as a result of having exerted herself.

"You surprised, Tina?! You understand why they call me Circus Cat, now? You're gonna regret challenging me to a ladder match of all things!"

[Highfly]

Tina watched and as Tracy flew away from her, the title the target as opposed to Tina the tigress slid back into the ring. She needed to really put the screws to Tracy. "That was nice and fancy, but ya need to fight to win. Ya can't just try to run away from me now!" Tina said as she stood back up, eyeing Tracy.

Tina wasn't about to showboat or show off now. She was all business, and that is how she was going to take Tracy in a match type that favored the flyer. Tina had to focus of a champion and the 19 year old wanted to show the world as well as the more established members of the roster that she was champion material. She rushed right at Tracy and ducked underneath as she drew close, trying to continue to the corner. Tina was trying to jump up and angle her feet so she landed against the turnbuckle, kicking off the post as hard as she could to fly right back at Tracy with a sort of springboard spear to take her down!

[winner3]

Tracy came within mere inches of grabbing the championship. The Circus Cat smirked as audience roared at the display of athleticism, but Tina remained undaunted. While Tracy had plenty to show as far as aerial moves went, it seemed Armstrong had one of her own that she aimed to land on Tracy!

When Tina drew near, the luchadora would get into position and attempt to down her with a chop! But Tina would duck underneath the strike and run towards the corner. It didn't take her long to set up by jumping off the turnbuckle to throw herself back with impressive speed. The sudden move took Tracy by surprise and floored her!

"Ugh!" The red head would groan as her back met the canvas. She wouldn't stay down long though. Because both competitors were still fresh in this match up, Tracy would rise up with a few seconds. She'd try and keep things going by measuring Tina and turning her hips to the side before swinging her leg upwards and attempting a Roundhouse Kick aimed at the blonde's head!

"Rah!"

[Highfly]

Tina took Tracy down hard and got up, with Tracy quick to follow. Tina had her arms up which may have saved her from a lot of punishment. Tina brought her arms up which took most of the nasty force of the kick but she still staggered back! Thankfully she wasn't laid out in a daze, which allowed her to attempt to act more quickly.

Tina saw Tracy straight ahead and didn't want to let her build momentum, at least not without trying to halt it first. She rushed forward right at Tracy and even though he was smaller she felt like she was more powerful. Tina raised her leg up trying to plant Tracy in the face with a running big boot! It wasn't a part of her usual playbook so if this caught Tracy off guard it would floor her!

However, Tina also knew if she tried to execute the move wrong it would give Tracy an easy dodge to capitalize on!