Sammi Defoe vs Vera Sapphire

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Queen Of The Ring Quarterfinal Match:
Standard rules apply. Victory is to be awarded via pinfall, submission, knockout, count-out, or disqualification.
The winner will move on to the Semifinals of the Queen of The Ring Tournament.

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In the backstage area, members of the LAW production crew approach the dressing room of a promising new talent! And that talent was....doing her best to keep it together.

Just outside a door labeled "Sammi Defoe", the mics picked up on the nervous voice of the debuting superstar doing her utmost to try and calm herself down just before her big match!

The door was cracked. Just a short distance inside, we could see the petite pinkette eyeing herself in the mirror, with both her hands on the counter.

"OkayOkayOkayOkayOkay...." The girl hopped in place and fanned her face with her fingertips. She would suddenly come to a halt and begin some breathing exercises. All the while, the cameras would follow Sammi along as she did her last-minute prep.

"Breathe in....breathe out...breathe in....breathe out...."

"In....Out...In...Out..InOutInOutInOutInOut." Speeding up the pace of her breathing like this made her hyperventilate something fierce! And yet somehow, despite all the nervous energy she was exuding here, behind the little upside-down u shape that her lips formed, there was a sense of determination! And fans could hear it in the words that followed!

"S-Sammi Def-" One of the staff tried to interject.

"Ahhh!"
"Ahhhhh!"

Not having seen the small crowd huddling just outside the door, Sam blurted out a shocked scream, and the interviewer followed suit!

"Sorry! Sorry! We just wanted to get a few words from you. You'll be debuting tonight against respected LAW veteran Vera Sapphire. And in the opening round of the Queen of The Ring Tournament, no less!"

"The people want to know, what's on your mind going into this?"

Sam let out one last exhale before looking at herself in the mirror. The lightweight began to speak in a steady tone.

"The boss's daughter....."

"Right now, that's all anyone thinks about me. That's all the LAW fans and LAW ladies in this locker room know about me."

"So tonight, the mission is to leave an impression on everyone - on the world! If I can change just one fan's mind. If I can make even one person see that there's more to me than just that. If I could convince a woman like Vera Sapphire that I can be someone in this sport....then that's a successful debut for me in my book!" Defoe would finish up by looking back at the cameras and smiling earnestly. Many of the cameramen and staff nodded in approval. Fans in the arena began to cheer as these events played out on the giant monitor in the arena.

"So you don't think you're going to win your match?" The interviewer killed the mood, drawing laughter from the fans.

"No." Defoe answered flatly and abruptly.

"I've seen a couple of her matches. She's probably gonna steamroll me." Sammi placed a hand on her hip.

"But I've been training hard! So the way I see it is, I either pull off a miracle out there, or I put up a better fight than everyone expects me to, and I learn something from a tried and true LAW veteran! Either way, this'll be a good experience. For me and for the fans!" Defoe would wink at the cameras before stepping through the doorway and taking off.

"I heard my cue! I'm off guys! Wish me luck!"

Entrance Music

The crowd had already begun rallying behind the Young Lioness after that short segment! When her music came on, the cheers and broke out livened up the atmosphere that much more!

Despite being new to LAW, few expenses were spared for Sam's entrance! A large sheet descended in front of the stage at the top of the entrance ramp. And behind it, a combination of lights and effects would show off an enlarged shadowy silhouette of Sammi Defoe projected onto the screen! The lightweight hit a pose with her hands held out and her palms turned upward. The silhouette spread its arms and slowly lifted her gaze during the opening bars of the song! The moment the beat dropped, she broke out into an impromptu dance routine!

Sammi Defoe

The debuting gal lifted her knees and raised her arms to the beat before twirling and dropping down to stroke a pose with her feet spread and her palm touching the floor! The large tarp in front of her descended all at once, revealing the sight Sammi wearing a headset, singing her own theme song!

Defoe would continue to twirl and artfully step her way down the entrance ramp, singing and nodding to fans. She did The Running Man as she approached the ring apron and slowly climbed into the ring, taking care not to trip herself up on the ropes. Though the crowd was absolutely loving her, the lightweight lass was visibly winded and tuckered out by the time she was in the ring! And with only seconds to go before the arrival of Vera, no less!

(Tagging @Vc0m to let him now about the match!)

[Vc0m]

Vera received a text early in the day to expect changes to her match in the first round of the Queen of the Ring tournament: "Your opponent will be changed, our apologies, Ms. Sapphire".

The blunette thought it was rather weird and a little bit unfair. The brackets were around for a full 2 weeks, with Vera studying her foe for the bout, and now she had only a few hours before the match? The Russian pouted at her luck but ultimately decided to take it in stride. If she didn't like a challenge, she wouldn't have been a wrestler in the first place!

The blunette made it to the arena 2 hours before the show, wanting to take a peek at the internal match card as she caught her opponent's name:

"Sammi Defoe... wait..."

"The boss's daughter", one of the crew workers passing through let Vera know. The blunette was taken aback. She had an interview with Angie, but other than that, their paths rarely crossed. She was aware that she was a part-time wrestler... but the fact that she had a daughter was news to her... then again, why would she need to research something like that?

With a bit of time before the start of the show to go, she decided to scout Sammi a little. Already, she had a positive impression of her future foe from the looks alone. She looked so cute and fluffy!

"Huhuhuhu...will be fun hugging her around...", Vera smiled to herself, continuing her research into her history... and how very difficult the relationship between her and her mother was.

"Hmmm..."

The fact that this match was her re-debut also meant that she had more than a bit of ring rust on her...and her old matches might not mean much in terms of research...

It felt like poor Sammi was being thrown to the wolves with this match... with Vera as the wolf.

And the comparison became even more apt in Vera's mind as Sammi's interview. If Vera was a wolf in this interview, Sammi seemed to be the fluffiest bunny that existed, both in terms of looks and personality. Vera felt bad and angry at the fans for laughing at poor Sammi and the interviewer asking whether she had a chance to win. The interview was finished soon, and Vera recieved a knock on the door, letting her know that she was due in a few minutes.

Vera went to Gorilla Position, and soon enough, her entrance theme played, and despite the cheers for the blunette...Vera wasn't dancing as she normally did for her entrance. The blunette received confused sounds her way, and she just shrugged and walked down the ramp. On her way to the ring, she grabbed a mic off the commentary table, rolled inside, and spoke to the audience:

"No. You, ladies and gentlemen of LAW Universe, don't deserve my dance this week. You already had your fun making fun of Sammi. And as per Ms. Defoe herself, I only have 3 words for you..."

Vera dropped the mic, the ref quickly picking it up, as she approached the much smaller girl, the ref being slightly weary of the blunette based on her words... before Vera firmly, but not too strongly, wrapped her arms around the pinkette to hug her!

"Do your best!", she would whisper her rival into the ear, and walked back to her corner, getting ready to start the match!

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Sammi had danced her heart out on her way to the ring. But even as she awaited Vera's arrival, the tiny pinkette was a bundle of nerves. Part of why she enjoyed dance so much was that it allowed her to have an outlet - a way to blow off some steam and vent her emotions when she felt stressed. Sammi had gone into this match knowing full well that Vera could have put business first and come away with a win without so much as giving the Young Lioness the time of day. The Russian Blue Beauty was a star, after all. Though many people would have their eyes on this match to see how "the boss's daughter" would perform, if nothing else, Defoe wouldn't have thought twice about it Vera didn't consider wrestling her to be worth her time. So when this woman took the time to not only cut a promo in her defense but also embrace her warmly, Sammi practically melted in her arms!

"I-I will! I promise!" Sammi would hug back with closed eyes. A single tear streamed down her cheek.

In truth, nothing made the stark difference in size and power between them more apparent than this kind gesture. Sammi was able to bend her knees and get her feet off the ground just with the light pressure Vera was hugging her with here! Sapphire was nearly twice her size. A more wary opponent would be counting all the ways in which they could get beat right about now. Sammi had watched this woman's matches. She knew that Vera was every bit as strong as she was beautiful. But right now, while she was being physically and emotionally supported in the heat of the moment before her debut LAW match, Sammi couldn't possibly ask for anything more!

It took a good ten seconds or so for Sammi to get what she needed from this hug, and for her to find her footing again. In that time, the crowd drank all this in. Cheers for the company and cheers for both women could be heard echoing from the audience.

"Vera....thank you....I needed that....a lot...." The pinkette smiled while wiping the lone tear from her face.

The referee soon approached to check in with both women. It took her a moment, but Sammi would put on a brave face. She'd pat her cheeks twice with the palms of her hands. She'd shake her head from side to side, flourishing her big, glittery pink afro for a second before putting her dukes up! Defoe would nod to the ref to signal that she was good to go, and after Vera did the same, the official would call for the bell!

"H-here I come, okay?!" Sammi would wait for Vera's acknowledgment before trying anything. The moment Sapphire gave her the go-ahead, Sammi would rush on and look to leave her feet to come at Vera with a Flying Shoulder Tackle! And whether Vera choose to stand firm or dodge, Sammi would find herself falling flat on her front after trying to connect with the move!

[Vc0m]

Vera couldn't deny that a thought of squeezing her small rival crossed her mind. Not out of malice, Sammi just looked too cute not to squeeze her around. But she was going to be fair. For Sammi, this was a big moment of her comeback, against the immense odds put in front of her. But despite the inspiring story, the Russian wasn't going to hold anything back.

After 10 seconds, Vera released her hug, stepping back to get in position for her match. She nodded at Sammi thanking her, before getting serious. The ref would check on both women as they took their battle srances, before calling for the bell!

DING DING DING!

"Mhm!", Vera would say positively, deciding to stay her ground as she took Sammi's Shoulder Tackle head on!

The attack from an opponent half her size did get Vera to step back... but as Sammi fell flat on her face, it really looked like the pinkette was the one who got the worse of the exchange in this situation.

"Try it again!", Vera would encourage her rival, grabbing her by her arm, and in the same motion, launching her towards the ropes for an Irish Whip, standing her ground as she gave Sammi one more test of her skill, one more free opportunity to attack her!

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Vera's admiration of Sammi's plight to overcome her nerves and find her way in the world of wrestling helped ease her nerves! But like any good wrestler, the established star Vera Sapphire made sure that this wouldn't make the match itself any easier for the aspiring pinkette!

"Blegh!" Little Defoe let out a loud grunt as she threw herself into Vera!

The way little lightweight came to a screeching halt when slammed into Vera made it seem like she had thrown herself full tilt into a brick wall! Sammi's momentum came to an abrupt stop and she collided with Vera's heavyweight frame! Coming into contact with Vera like this made it clear to her. She realized it during the pre-match hug as well! The enchanting bluenette was every bit as much power and muscle as she was beautiful and curvy! Sammi's head and chest slid down Vera's buxom chest and toned abs as she fell to the canvas!

Sammi ended up face down at Vera's feet! The plucky pinkette wasn't aware of it in the moment, but the crowd saw! Though Sammi got the worst of it, fans cheered seeing the underdog make the bigger girl actually take a step back!

Sammi stayed there listless for a time. But rather than pounce on her, Vera took Sammi by the arm and plucked her up off the canvas like an article of discarded clothing! In a single strong motion that showed off her experience and power, Sapphire launched Sammi towards the ropes with more force and momentum than Sammi could get going on her own!

"Yes, ma'AAAAAM!" Defoe began to respond lethargically. It was clear that she was still shaking off the cobwebs from falling on her face. But an invigorating throw from Vera would hand her try once more, just as the buxom bluenette demanded!

"Here I come!" Despite being caught off guard by Vera's hammer throw of an Irish Whip, little Sammi hit the ropes with gusto! She leaned into the steel cables and ricocheted off the middle and bottom rope before coming at Vera quickly!

This time Sammi kicked off the canvas and jumped higher than before! She turned her tight, fit frame in midair such that she was perpendicular to Vera and she threw herself at Vera hard with a Flying Crossbody!

"Haaa!" Sammi cried out and put whatever effort she could muster into trying to make Vera take two steps back this time if she could, not thinking about the possibility that this aerial might be even less effective than the Shoulder Tackle earlier!

[Vc0m]

In truth, the attack did do a bit of damage to Vera…but it was only enough to briefly make the blunette cough. Still encouraging Sammi, Vera would force her to her feet, before launching the pinkette into the ropes, once more, the Russian blunette keeping firm on her feet!

Once Sammi came back, she jumped at Vera, much higher than the blunette expected, as she rammed herself into her chest with a crossbody!

”Ooof!!!”

Vera took two steps back…and still kept on her feet! She wrapped her arms around Sammi, as she mentioned: ”Not bad…”.

Sadly, however, it was a match. Though Vera was willing to give Sammi a chance, she wanted to win this! As such, she flipped Sammi as she drilled her down onto the canvas with a Body Slam!

[winner3]

Vera was perhaps the best sport Sammi could have hoped to get matched up against in the tournament! No one else would have or could have afforded the chance to give her not one, but two free moves to start things off! Defoe had a certain charm to her as an underdog. All the fans in attendance, and even Miss Sapphire, herself, wanted to see Sammi make a name for herself here tonight! And the lightweight Lioness ran the ropes and ran towards Vera with all those feelings written plain as day on her face and in her expression and the way she carried herself!

"HaaaaaAAAAAHHHH!" Defoe leaped at Vera with very good form, speed, and even, technique here! The pinkette got conspicuously more height and hangtime than she did before! But all of the encouragement and belief she had in her petite frame shifted into doubt the moment the big bluenette caught her and plucked her from the air! Because with a single, admittedly very impressive and very strong reversal, Vera sent home the message that "very good" simply wasn't good enough for the little Lioness to get the better of her!

"Ah.....ah....." Before she knew it, Sammi was on the canvas, flat on her back with her arms and legs spread out! She was laid out at Vera's feet with a simple, yet effective and high-impact Body Slam! Little Sammi's chest heaved as she took heavy breaths! But modest bosom aside, there was no movement from Sammi!

Perhaps it was the fact that she had burned a lot of her stamina simply dancing her heart out during her debut entrance! Perhaps the gap between herself and her opponent was simply this huge! Sammi did admit that a loss was practically inevitable in this match! But was it over already?

"N-no....." Sammi would paw at the sleeve of Vera's leg. Somewhere amidst the massive crowd reaction, she would turn over and weakly poke and prod at whatever she could to try and find her way up to her feet! And her quest to do so hard only barely started! Defoe was still down! But she somehow clung to life, even if just barely, in this David vs Goliath matchup!

[Vc0m]

Sammi was just too cute and endearing for Vera to just go all out from the start, and squash her in no time flat. Her own heart couldn't take crushing the smaller girl's dreams of improving in the ring like that. If going by the theme of the tournament, what sort of tyrrant would she appear to be if she were to win and become the Queen of the Ring?

Still, this was a match in a competitive sport. Vera couldn't just take Sammi's offense. She had to fight her like any other competitor...

That's what she thought right up until Sammi pawed at Vera's leg. She couldn't bring herself to slam the small woman once more. She simply had to give her another chance!

Grabbing Sammi's hand, she would force her back to her feet. Trying to make sure the pinkette could still maintain a stable, standing position, Vera would wind up her hand, before delivering a loud, though not a completely devastating, Knife Edge Chop to Sammi's chest!

[winner3]

Vera had every advantage possible over the Young Lioness! Anyone who knew the former idol knew that her personality was every bit as vibrant and pleasant as her looks made it seem! But while she was nice, Sapphire was one of the best in the squared circle! And that meant flexing her talent against her competitors! Even little Sammi Defoe!

"I can.....keep going.....gotta....keep going...!" Sammi clenched her teeth and gripped Vera's pant leg.

Though the audience could see the remorse on Vera's face and body language, they could also see that this was the pro wrestling ring! This was the Queen of The Ring Tournament, and right now, Vera was reigning supreme!

"Still! In this!" Defoe would say while short of breath as she tried to stand up once again to the bigger, stronger, and more experienced woman in the ring with her!

Sammi let out a subdued coo of surprise when Vera began to lift her by the hand! It took Defoe a few seconds to find her footing. It was clear that she was rocked by Vera's body slam earlier.

"Ah! Mm! Ah, okay. I'm okay. Okay, hit me!" Sammi would call out once she was sure-footed! She even asked Vera to hit her! Something she would soon come to regret!

"AUGH!" Sammi would cough out when Sapphire smacked her chest with a thunderous Knife Edge Chop! Sammi would close her eyes tight in reaction! The lightweight pinkette pursed her lips into a lowercase "o" shape! The sound of the chop echoed throughout the arena! The force of Vera's strike even made Sammi's big, pink hair jolt up a bit from the impact!

Sammi would stagger back several steps! Eventually, her back would meet the ropes! But as she bounced off of them, whether she did this intentionally or not, Sammi would find her momentum carrying her back towards Vera! And if Vera didn't intercept her, Sammi would look to fire back by jumping up a tiny height off the canvas to try and hit Vera with a Forearm blow to the chest in retaliation!