Ambre Brault vs Astrid Ostberg

[Bearhug Goddess]

Despite the fatigue that was starting to make itself felt, and even because of the sweat on the French girl's body which made her almost shine because of the spotlights, the Black Pearl was still as powerful and impressive. Despite the fact that she lost the first bearhug contest and was weaker than at the start, her bearhug remained impressive to the crowd who applauded Ambre every time she lifted her opponent higher while pressing her arm. Although the Norsewoman was powerful, she could not fight back in her current state and Ambre intended to take advantage of this to end this match.

The Black Pearl continued to lift her opponent higher and higher. The drops of sweat were becoming more present and bigger, her panting was also starting to be heard but the Frenchwoman had an idea. She continued to perform her bearhug for a few seconds before turning Astrid over to put her head down. People who had followed Black Pearl since their debut knew what was going to happen and quickly understood that Ambre was looking to end this match.

She fell on her butt, slamming her opponent's head and shoulders against the mat as she fell while executing an impressive and powerful Piledriver, her famous finisher. The slam against the ring left a loud thud throughout the room and the ropes shook like never before. Anyone could have found themselves knocked out in the face of such a finisher, especially after everything Ambre did before arriving at this moment, but to secure her victory the Frenchwoman grabbed her opponent's legs and lifted them so that Astrid keeps her shoulders pressed to the ground. Ambre's first pinfall in this match and perhaps the last of the match, the audience shouted with excitement and counted with the referee for the count.

[CaptainL]

The fact that Ambre had it in her to lock Astrid in the bear hug, and to compress her with such force as to leave the Norsewoman limp in her grasp and gasping for air, was already an impressive feat to behold. But for Ambre, it wasn't enough. Ambre wanted more - and she wasn't going to leave the ring unless she had truly shown the world what she could do to Astrid! The fans were already cheering and clapping for her as she held tightly to the former champion - but it was what Ambre did next that truly sent gasps ringing through the air, as Ambre turned Astrid over in the air, going to point her head straight down at the mat. Yes, there were plenty who recognized the setup to Ambre's trademark finishing move. But surely it was already an incredible feat for Ambre to be able to lift Astrid and hold onto her like this - turning her over was another matter entirely! Could she even have it in her to pull off the piledriver?

Evidently, the answer to that question was yes! It was just then that Ambre hurled herself to the mat - and took Astrid down with her, spiking the Norsewoman head-first into the canvas! A loud thud rang out as Astrid's head hit its mark, and it was closely followed by an outpouring of cheers. The impact felt like a thunderclap - and so did the piercing sensation that shot through Astrid's skull! She cried out in pain, her body convulsing from the shock, before she fell limply to the ground. The world had become a blur, and a droning hum had took over her head, but she landed with her arms limp and splayed around her. She was down - and Ambre was ready to pounce on the opportunity, as she fell on top of Astrid to go for the pin!

"ONE!!" the referee called out, falling to Ambre's side. Everyone was focused intently on the action before them, wondering if this just might prove Ambre's points once and for all - if she could conquer the former champion!

[Bearhug Goddess]

Ambre seemed really powerful in this match, she dominated and surpassed Astrid for a long time now. After showing herself to be unbreakable, she showed herself to be unstoppable by continuing to dominate her opponent more and more, widening the gap in this match by imposing her pace, her way of fighting and above all her desire to win this match. The Norsewoman may have been the former heavyweight champion and an excellent wrestler, but she was forced to submit to the desires of the Black Pearl who continued to lift her higher and higher and hold her tighter and tighter.

But it wasn't enough for Ambre, it was never enough for her. She could do more, be more impressive, be stronger but also surpass her opponent. Astrid was an impassable mountain six months ago in the French woman's eyes but now the Norsewoman seemed to be nothing more than a wall just waiting to be climbed. The Black Pearl's efforts were starting to pay off and her victory was close, she only had to execute her finisher, the piledriver and wait for the referee to count the pinfall.

“ONE!!”

The referee's count was followed by that of the crowd. Ambre didn't even know if Astrid was still conscious or not, all she hoped and wanted was to finish this match now. Everything looked so perfect, satisfaction began to take over the Frenchwoman's body and it intensified as the referee and the crowd counted down the second second.

“TWO!!”

Only a second left. A mere second before winning this match. The tension and expectations were enormous. Silence reigned, everyone waited for the referee to count the third and final second which will conclude this match.

[CaptainL]

No one was quite sure what to make of this match when Astrid had announced it. Astrid clearly believed in Ambre's potential enough to entertain her request at all, but even then, Ambre was still a relative rookie with a lot to prove - and Astrid was, well, Astrid; a proud heavyweight champion with a tried and true record and no shortage of heroic feats in the ring. Even with six months' time to prepare, no one was quite sure how well she would be able to measure up to Astrid's example. Certainly, there were few who expected she was going to be able to take Astrid down for the pin. But now, she'd done it - not only had she outdone Astrid at the bear hug, not only had she managed to turn her upside down and into the path of a piledriver, but in doing so, she had been able to lay the Norsewoman out long enough to lay on top of her - and the referee was counting!

Every eye in the seats was fixed on the ring. With every second that passed, the excitement was rising through the roof! At this moment in time, it didn't matter that Astrid was no longer a champion. Suddenly, the match had been imbued with the same sense of importance as if she still held her title - and if Ambre was about to prove that she could beat her, that seemed like an honor on par with any championship!

"THR-NO!!"

But then, just as the referee raised a hand one more time...Astrid suddenly shoved her shoulder up from the mat, breaking the pin! A few gasps rang through the arena, but those quickly gave way to cheers at the sight of what she still had left in her! Astrid still didn't have the strength in her to get to her feet, but she did look Ambre in the eye, where a smirk crossed her face. She had one thing to let her know. She wasn't quite done yet!

[Bearhug Goddess]

Ambre was so close to victory and the audience felt it. Nobody expected that but everyone hoped to see the French shine thanks to this match. Everything seemed perfect, her last actions, her domination, her finisher... Everything seemed like a dream and she couldn't have dreamed of a better end to the match.

But if Ambre was presented as a challenger, it was so that Astrid presented herself as a champion and this showed a very different duel of motivation between the two wrestlers. If Ambre used her motivation to surpass herself and her opponent, Astrid used it to get up and shatter the dreams of her opponents, as she had just done with Ambre by ending her in the pinfall as the referee was about to to slam her hand against the ground and finish the count.

"WHAT?! Nooooo..."

Half a second. Less than a single second had just removed her from victory and completely broken the Frenchwoman who released Astrid and remained lying on the ground looking at the spotlights above her to think and above all to cheer up. So close to the goal, so much effort destroyed so quickly and as if nothing had happened... And no dispute could be accepted. It was the worst thing that could happen to Ambre, her morale had just taken a huge blow which cost her several seconds in this match, enough for Astrid to recover her strength.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck... FUUUCK !”

She slammed her fist against the mast to show her frustration. The match was not over, she still had to get up to finish this match once again but her morale was at an end. Could she do it? Could she surpass Astrid again despite the fatigue she had just accumulated? She didn't know it but yet, people among the crowd believed in her and had believed in her. She fought primarily for herself but she also had people not to disappoint, fans, future fans and also the people who watched the match and who appreciated it.

Without all the encouragement she heard from the crowd, Ambre would surely no longer have had the strength to get up and regain some of her morals. She stood up slowly, looking a little defeated and frustrated, but her eyes were still burning. She wanted to win this match at all costs and if she had been able to pin Astrid, she surely would have been able to do it a second time! She just had to believe in herself and outperform her opponent, again.

[CaptainL]

Nobody would have been surprised if the match was over now - if Astrid stayed down for the count. She had, after all, been fighting a hard battle this entire time, and she had just taken one last impact that landed with enough force to shake the ring, sending her sprawling to the mat as her vision went blurry and a droning noise echoed through her ears. But everyone knew just as well that Astrid wasn't someone who wanted to stay down for long. If Ambre was going to try and get the upper hand on her, the Norsewoman was definitely going to fight it with everything she had. If this match had all the importance of a title bout riding on it, Astrid was going to fight on with just as much determination and willpower as she would if it really was a title bout! She needed to give Ambre a challenge worthy of a champion - and when she managed to force her shoulder up from the mat, she was out to do just that!

As soon as Astrid broke the pin, Ambre went rigid with rage, pounding at the mat in a fury of frustration. Astrid still hadn't quite gotten up - all she had in her was enough to get her shoulder up and force Ambre back, and she fell back down a moment later, gasping for air. But to Ambre, that was enough. For a moment, Astrid paused, raising an eyebrow as she let a curious gaze linger on Ambre. To the Frenchwoman, this had been the most ignoble defeat she had suffered today...but Astrid didn't think that. To Astrid, the fact that Ambre was still going, in spite of all the punishment she had endured, was nothing short of commendable!

"Ambre-!" she said, reaching up to place her hands on her opponent's shoulders. Her grip was a weary one; her face was red and traced with sweat, and her shoulders rose and fell with hoarse and haggard gasps. And yet, when Astrid looked Ambre in the eye, she still managed to smile a weak and tired smile.

"Don't...don't get upset," she explained. "You realize what this means, yeah? You managed to take me down, almost for the pin...that's something to be proud of! I don't know if anyone would have thought you had it in you before today...but you proved all them wrong!"

[Bearhug Goddess]

The Frenchwoman's mental state was at its lowest, it was hard to accept that victory had just passed under her nose with just half a second left. It was the first time that we could see Ambre being hesitant and moping about herself, it was the first time that she had to face this kind of situation where her dreams are shattered only for reality to take over. She wondered if she was capable of continuing to fight, of performing the same feats again despite the fatigue and the pain that was beginning to make itself felt.

The match was not over. She didn't have time to mope. Of course if she was capable of knocking her opponent down, she could do it again. Of course she could always win this match and even if she was tired, people would always be there to support her and encourage her, in good times and in bad. Fortunately for her, the spectators were there for Ambre and even Astrid was there to support her, even though it was her opponent!

The French woman's heart was beating hard but gradually calmed down, she raised her arms slightly to grab her opponent's shoulders and looked into her eyes. Her eyes, which were slightly empty, regained color as the seconds passed and Ambre even had tears in her eyes. She felt a little pathetic being shown off like that in front of everyone but it was her way of being. Under her challenger appearance, Ambre was a rather shy woman and not very confident in herself, her goal was to be able to stand proudly alongside other powerful wrestlers like Astrid and she never imagined herself capable of defeating her. .

"Yes... Thanks...... Thank you Astrid..."

But she knew she could do it now. She was no longer the same woman as when she joined LAW and even if she had improved as a wrestler since her debut, she was maturing thanks to this meeting. She was going to get even stronger now and she couldn't help but thank Astrid for this amazing match.

She stood up within seconds, sighing lightly and wiping the tears from her eyes before stepping back. She wanted to let the Norsewoman get back up and prepare to fight again, this was her way of thanking her and being fair play. It was also a way for her to regain some strength and let her emotions flow, preparing to return to this match as a challenger and win it !

[CaptainL]

Astrid and Ambre might have been opponents in this match, but that didn't mean they were enemies. On the contrary, Astrid had nothing but respect and pride for all the hard work Ambre had put in, and everything she had accomplished. She was out to prove she could go toe to toe with Astrid, and at that she had certainly succeeded! The fact that she was in this match at all, that she was not only willing to take on a former champion like Astrid but also capable of bringing the fight to her and keeping her on her toes, was a mark of her caliber as a wrestler - it spoke to her determination, her willpower, her strength, and her endurance! Astrid didn't want Ambre to lose hope now. Ambre might not have been able to keep Astrid down for the pin - but the fact that she'd been able to pin Astrid at all, let alone for as long as she had, was nothing short of impressive!

And even if they were on opposite sides in this match, Astrid was still willing to give Ambre the encouragement she needed to lift her spirits back up. As she saw the light return to Ambre's eyes, Astrid smiled a little wider. That was the spirit that had brought Ambre this far - that was what Astrid knew she was really all about, and that was what she wanted to see out of her now! If Ambre was going to put up half as much of a fight in this match as she already had, there was bound to be plenty of excitement before the night was through! "It's my pleasure," she said. She was still winded from all she'd been through; her face was still red, and her words came in between pants - but as Ambre began to get back up, Astrid felt herself in the grasp of another burst of strength, and she held herself a little straighter. She needed to, in order to be the opponent Ambre deserved! The two women were both ready to give this match everything they had in them - anything less wouldn't be doing it justice!

"Now...I know that's not all you have left in you, so show me what you've got!" Pushing herself back up to her feet, Astrid balled a fist and pounded it against her palm, as a confident grin flashed across her face! Now, everything was as it should be. And, as Astrid began to close in on Ambre, sinking back into a stance with her knees bent and her hands raised, she was ready as ever for Ambre to do what she did best!

[Bearhug Goddess]

The French girl's breaths were getting shallower and shallower to calm the adrenaline she had during the pinfall and the change of emotion that ran through her body following this pinfall. She had to regain her calm, gather her courage and prepare for the rest of this match which was not over, despite all the efforts she had already made. But it didn't matter, deep down Ambre was harder on herself and constantly ordered herself to surpass herself, to surpass herself and to become ever stronger.

A lot of things have happened since her promotion and Ambre hadn't finished seeing things. The more she fought against Astrid, the closer she got to her goal and what she wanted to become and she even came to wonder if anyone else could give her this kind of emotion. Yes, obviously there were others, Astrid was not the only one to have been Heavyweight champion and there were undoubtedly plenty of contenders like her who wanted to become champion. Ambre had to become better than her wrestlers, she simply had to do it to become the best.

"Hmm !.. May the best one win !!"

She stretched slightly while waiting for Astrid to get up and smiled at her sincerely. She was ready to once again give everything she had with the remaining energy she had and for that she had to fight intelligently but hard! An idea came to her mind, fight on the ground and try several holds and strangles, that could surely do it but for that she had to already bring down the giant that was the Norsewoman. No problem, the Black Pearlwas now confident in her strength and did not hesitate for a single second to throw herself at Astrid and try to beat her to the ground with a Spear!

[CaptainL]

Astrid smiled to Ambre as she leaned in closer, cracking her knuckles and taking a moment to stretch as she prepared for their next clash. Yes, that was it - Ambre had just the spirit in her that Astrid would have wanted. She was fully committed to proving herself and showing that she belonged in the title scene - and that was the sort of drive and determination Astrid could only have hoped for in her opponents! If Ambre had that, then she was already halfway there! But the match still wasn't over yet - both heavyweights were fully determined to prove they had it in them to come out on top in this pitched battle, and neither could let down their guard!

Astrid sank into a stance, taking in a deep breath as she braced herself for whatever Ambre might have had to throw at her next. She knew she had to be ready, and that she needed to keep up the spirit of this match - but at the same time, she was bearing the brunt of the damage she'd taken throughout. Her muscles were sore and heavy, and her shoulders lurched up and down with each breath. She felt stiff; she needed to dig her heels into the mat to try and keep herself up. Ambre was definitely testing her limits - she had, after all, slammed Astrid's head into the mat with a piledriver, and that wasn't so easy to bounce back from. Even now, the Norsewoman's skull was throbbing. But she knew she couldn't stop now. She owed it to Ambre, and to herself, to keep up the fight, and give her a match worthy of the importance Ambre had placed on it! She couldn't just lay down and take it!

Ambre was coming charging back at her, and Astrid wasn't sure if she would be able to weather the blow in such a state. She needed more time to collect herself, and that was time Ambre wasn't giving her. So she would buy herself some time! Swerving to the side, Astrid looked to dodge the incoming collision, hoping to leave Ambre wiping out on the mat!