Even before Kayla received the signal to go on, she clenched her fists tight and held her back straight, taking in a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. This, she knew, was the beginning of something big. WFPW had given her the opportunity to reinvent herself; to make herself into something greater than she ever was before. She wasn't the happiest with where she was in LAW, but this might just be the big break she needed. Plenty of people had seen the potential in her. And she knew she needed to put forth her best efforts in this sparring session with Shelley, in order to prove that she had what it took to live up to that potential. First impressions were everything, and she was going to set them right.
When she heard her cue, Kayla stepped out to the ring, cracking her knuckles on her way down. She climbed underneath the ramps, standing up straight as she looked Shelley in the eye. The Australian was cutting an imposing presence to be sure - but Kayla couldn't let that get to her, and she stepped up toward her with her chest puffed out. "I'm ready for you," she said, raising her hands as she began to sink into a stance. As she did, though, she looked over to see if she could catch sight of Max anywhere. This was her big moment, after all, and she wanted to be sure he could see her for it... Sheila Chihara
Meiyun Lai
Sheila and Meiyun were close at each others' sides as they hurried out to their ring - less out of any concentrated effort to make an entrance together as much as the fact that they were both overflowing with giddy enthusiasm at the thought of teaming up together. As soon as Meiyun saw Daniel, the grin on her face could only grow wider as she flashed him a thumbs-up. "Nice shirt!" she said - but Sheila was already jumping into the ring. She wasn't going to let anything slow her down!
A moment later, Meiyun looked over, seeing what her friend was doing. "Eh..? Sheila? What are you-" she began - but it was too late. Sheila hadn't bothered to ask if they needed any cue to begin the spar. She was already going for it - and she had charged in toward John with a battle cry, hurling herself at him with a spear! If that hit, as soon as they fell, she would look back at Meiyun and shake herself out. "Huh? What? Did I do something?" Kirie Tsukada
Kirie came down to the ring where Emily had situated herself, making sure to grin and wave in Hiro's direction as she caught sight of him watching. She then hopped into the ring, striking a quick pose even though there wasn't any audience - Hiro was all she really needed. Then, she leaned back in the corner, doing a few stretches as she warmed up for her match - though when her eyes settled on Emily, she still flashed her a devious grin. Hana Choi
Even if Cinderella's entrance wasn't quite as elaborate as what she had done on more conventional shows, it still went above and beyond what everyone else had done, with both her and Romero getting dressed up for the occasion. Hana already had a feeling she would do something like that...which was why she had decided to stall for time, just to frustrate her sparring partner all the more. If she put in all the effort for nothing, only to get shown up anyway, that was sure to stoke her frustrations all the more - and that could only serve to throw her off her game before the battle began. Cinderella got in the ring, and for a long pause afterward...there was nothing. Just a still silence that was only broken when Hana, as nonchalantly and casually as if nothing was amiss at all, came walking up to the ring and lifted her hand for a half-hearted wave. "Sup?" Michiko Shimizu
Michiko, on the other hand, was ready to meet Sophia head-on - as soon as it was her time to come to the ring, she hurried out to join her opponent, jogging across the gym floor toward the apron, where she picked up the bottom rope and slid in underneath. Then, she kipped up to her feet and rolled her shoulders, doing a few stretches of her own before she locked eyes with Sophia. "I'm eager to see what you've got."
Shelley watched Kayla come out and into the ring declaring herself ready for the occasion. Shelley always loved her opponents more when they didn’t fear that she was a former MMA star. Though, Kayla had a burning spirit to her and what she learned in Japan with Strong Style was the closest that Kayla seemed to get when it came to mixed martial arts. Shelley felt that they were on enough of an equal playing field.
“I hope so, sheila. Don’t disappoint or pass out too soon,” Shelley stated as she cracked her knuckles.
Max clapped his hands for Kayla over on the sidelines and hollered: “Go get them, Kayla!” He noticed Hiro kinda slinking back as he nudged him a little bit. “Hey bro, cheer for your girl, man. I’m sure she will appreciate it.”
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
Daniel accepted Meiyun’s compliment, but before he could muster a response, Sheila had gotten on the apron, hopped in the ring, and went full force for a spear on John. John’s fast reflexes caught Sheila as she was carried sideways before John put her down and settled her back to her team’s corner. Daniel took this as John was chosen to start first so he went on the apron and grabbed the tag rope. Sheila asked if she did something wrong and John crossed his arms with a smirk.
“Not yet there, kangaroo. We need to wait for the bosses to green light us,” John stated.
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tuskada
Emily watched Kirie stare her down with a devious smile as it looked like the Japanese yandere had a lot in store for the former prom queen. Emily just sat in her corner giving Kirie the biggest death glare she could muster not uttering a word.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
Cinderella propped herself on top of one of the turnbuckles and sat like she was on her throne back in England. Romero saw Hana wasting time and not coming out which delayed things. He looked at his pocket watch murmuring to himself before tucking it back in his suit pocket. Romero was getting older so he was growing more strict with how he wanted things to escalate and he had no time for trolls that acted the way Hana presented herself earlier. Cinderella on the other hand grew worried for Hana and didn’t mind the Korean reality show contestant taking her time finding her way to the entrance. Maybe a wardrobe malfunction deterred her? Maybe she needed to use the bathroom real quick? Maybe she backed out and got stage fright? Nope, Hana came out chill as can be. Cinderella breathed a sigh of relief indirectly showing that Hana’s trolling didn’t catch her the one bit off guard or frustrated her in the slightest. She was a princess after all. Patience is one of the common things she knows about the best.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
Sophia nodded to her opponent and got in her corner tugging at the ropes. She was ready for her moves to do her talking for her and she wasn’t going to underestimate Michiko.
Hank saw everyone ready and decided it was time to make the cue: “Alright, get it on, guys!”
Oh, yes, Kayla knew of Shelley's reputation - and the blonde had done plenty of her own to build that up as the excursioners introduced themselves to their new coworkers. But that wasn't going to slow Kayla down. She kept her eyes trained on Shelley with a stern, determined glare, never even blinking as she brought her hands up to crack her own knuckles. She knew that WFPW was her chance to truly break out onto her own, and to make herself a star. This was her chance to prove she could do it, and she couldn't come up short.
She did, however, hear Max cheering for her, and it brought the faintest hint of a blush to her cheeks for a moment. She bit at her lip, trying to put that out of her mind. She wasn't going to complain about the support...but for now, she needed to put her money where her mouth was; she had no time for distractions. And with Hank giving the signal, she came charging in toward Shelley to close the distance, swinging up an elbow to try and catch her in the jaw!
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
Sheila hadn't even waited for a cue - she wasted no time in barreling toward her opponents at full speed, hurling herself off the ground with her arms stretched out to tackle John in a spear. When John caught her, she let out a yelp to find her feet swept off the ground, and her legs kicked in the air. Balling her fists tight, she prepared herself for a hard-hitting impact with the mat...only for John to set her down gently to the mat. "Oh, thanks!" she said with a giggle. "But why are you going easy on me?"
When John explained himself, Sheila struck her forehead with her palm. "Ohhhh! Oh. Yeah, I get it now!" Then, she overheard a comment from Shelly from over in the other ring, and waved in her direction. "Hey, thanks for the support!" she chirped, causing Meiyun to roll her eyes.
When the signal was given, however, Sheila quickly jumped back down into a stance, prepared to take off once again. However, just before she did, Meiyun reached over and tagged her on the shoulder. "Sorry, Sheila," she said, "but another spear right now would be too predictable. Ahem! Let me show 'em what I can do!" Meiyun flashed a confident grin, but despite her cautious words, when she threw herself into the fray, it was no less aggressive and energetic - she came charging toward John, letting out a battle cry as she flung one foot off the canvas and whipped it around toward him for a roundhouse kick!
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tsukada
The tension in the air was thick as Kirie and Emily exchanged looks. Watching it all, Hiro gulped. He knew how volatile his girlfriend could be, and with what he had seen from Emily so far, he had no reason to believe that things wouldn't quickly escalate out of control. The pink-haired girl wasn't backing down from Emily's threatening display - she just let out a huff as she leaned in closer, with her own eyes narrowing into a stare. She wanted Emily to know that she wasn't going to let herself be moved.
Despite the tension, Max was as carefree as always, encouraging Hiro to cheer Kirie on. The boy looked back at him and cleared his throat anxiously. "I just don't want her to do anything stupid, but, uh..." Then, he stood up straighter, putting on the most eager and confident voice he could manage. "Gooo, Kirie! Uh...give her hell!"
Kirie, for better or worse, would only be emboldened by his support. The grin on her face grew even wider as she strolled a few steps closer to Emily, leaning into her face. "At least I have people who care about me," she taunted. "And what do you have?"
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
Hana climbed up onto the apron and through the ropes, getting in the ring...but that was where she stayed. The former reality star didn't seem to show any rush to get the match underway at all. Even after Hank had given the signal, she hung back, leaning against the ropes with her arms folded casually over the top rope and a placid smile on her face. As far as she was concerned, right now the match wasn't her problem.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
But Michiko was going to start the match off in a far more conventional fashion. As soon as Hank gave the signal, she nodded her head dutifully and stormed toward Sophia, raising her hands and sinking into a stance as she offered a test of strength to her opponent. "Let's see what you're made of, then!"
Shelley saw Kayla try starting off with an elbow to her face, but Shelley had enough knowledge of the octagon to understand that was a horrible start. Shelley easily grabbed the elbow wrestling Kayla down to her stomach and get the arm secured in a tight armbar. Shelley was going to use her MMA experience and come from that approach focusing on ground moves and submissions. She wanted to see if Kayla could match her outlook without tuckering herself out or tapping too soon. Shelley wasn’t just in this to win, she wanted to see how badly Kayla wanted to be here!
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
Meiyun started out strong and John didn’t anticipate how fast she was as the roundhouse kick connected with his skull. That threw him off base a little bit as Daniel kept himself on the apron. John held his head as he tried throwing out a Side Kick to Meiyun’s gut to keep her away.
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tuskada
Emily snorted some steam out of her nose before getting in the yandrere’s face. She was already getting sick of Kirie’s attitude towards and it reminded her of those bastards in high school that turned on her. The popular crowd wanted nothing to do with her because she won prom queen and they wouldn’t “bow to their superior,” but all Emily wanted to do was use her title to become a better influence for people. They stripped her of that chance.
“I had people. People who thought cared about me. I had a boyfriend just like you do. I wanted to just become a better influence for people in my school. Someone to be a role model and they decided I wasn’t good enough. You think you can judge me for being a little rough? Piss off! You don’t know me….,” Emily shot back jabbing a finger in Kirie’s chest.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
Cinderella just kept to herself as she waited patiently for Hana to be ready to start the match. She didn’t understand the definition of trolling like Hana did and never really got on social media as she was focused on her career and hobbies. Thus Hana doing this didn’t really affect her, but it just hung an awkward silence where both of them weren’t doing anything.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
Sophia already respected Michiko as she was one of the people from Japan that didn’t judge her. Not like the crowds did when she defeated and retired Akira Koizumi a few years back. That was the greatest accomplishment of Sophia’s career thus far, but the crowd always booed her when she did the occasional trip to the Japanese indies so she stayed away from those places. She met Michiko’s hands, but instead of testing her muscle strength, Sophia charged a knee strike forward to try and throw off Michiko!
Kayla was hoping that she could catch Shelley off-guard with her first move, and land some hard-hitting offense right out of the gate. Unfortunately, she was also trying to go in with her strikes against a grappler who was every bit willing to weaponize her own momentum against her - and she was about to learn the folly of her actions the hard way! As Shelley grabbed her by the arm and yanked her off her feet, Kayla found herself falling face-first into the mat - leaving her wide open for Shelley to snatch up her arm in between her legs, stretching herself out to torque at it with an armbar!
The brunette gnashed her teeth in frustration, tossing her head from side to side. This was hardly how she expected to be starting off this match. She knew first impressions meant everything, and if this was to be her first step forward in a big new chapter of her career, it wouldn't do her any good to kick it off blundering into an armbar! No, she had to do better than this - she was better than this! She knew Hank was watching - she knew Max was watching - and she had to show them this wouldn't be enough to stop her! Her face contorted in a wince from the pressure being put on her shoulder - but she would plant her feet solidly against the mat and suck in a breath, trying to push up with her feet and her hips to try and roll herself away from her foe!
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
Meiyun had decided to come out swinging, and that seemed to work out in her favor - her roundhouse kick whipped around in time to catch John in the side of the head, sending him stumbling backward! A triumphant grin flashed across the Hakka girl's face as she pumped an arm in the air, eagerly celebrating her own success. But John wasn't going to let that stop him - as his opponent closed in, he threw a kick right at Meiyun's gut, catching her in mid-stride! She let out a groan, doubling over forward as she clutched at her gut.
"Boooo!!" Sheila roared from the sidelines. "C'mon, Mei! You get 'im! You're better than that!"
"No need to remind me," Meiyun huffed, pushing herself back up to her full height. "I know!" She only took a moment to dust herself off before she took off toward John, and as she drew closer, she whipped her feet off the ground, prepared to slam into him with a dropkick!
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tsukada
It seemed that Kirie's taunts had hit Emily a little close to home. For a moment, she paused for a second as she heard her retort. She had to wonder what Emily's story was, and what it was that had led her to be this way. Maybe she'd been a little too harsh on her...but when she heard Hiro cheering for her, her spirit was emboldened, and her heart hardened! Hiro wanted her to succeed and to dominate, and if that was what he was counting on, she would eagerly deliver! In fact, Emily had just given her the perfect weapon!
Kirie hissed as she felt Emily's finger press into her chest - but she also shot out with her own hands, looking to grab her opponent by the wrist with one hand and her finger with the other. Then, she would pull back hard on Emily's finger, attempting to wrench it backward for a brutal joint lock! "Awwww, did I hurt your feelings?~" she teased, glaring at Emily with a mocking lilt in her voice.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
It seemed like Cinderella wasn't taking the bait, but even so, Hana wasn't in any hurry to throw the first blow. She was perfectly willing to stall as long as she needed to if that was what it would take to get under Cinderella's skin. For a few seconds longer, she just stood there, staring off into space and occasionally tapping her foot idly against the ground. Then, she brought her hand up to her throat to mime a yawn. After that, Hana would finally take a step forward, pushing herself off the ropes. It seemed like she might finally make a move...
...Except almost immediately, she proceeded to fall back against the ropes right where she was. "Whoops. Forgot something," she said. "I ate an hour ago, and you're not supposed to exercise after that. Hey, don't blame me, the food was good."
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
Michiko was well aware of Sophia's reputation - after all, she had trained under Akira Koizumi herself. But rather than being angry, she was intrigued. She knew that anyone who could best her trainer had to be a capable opponent indeed, and that was something she was ready to put to the test. As she leaned in to meet her for a test of strength, her eyes narrowed, locking in on Sophia with a focused glare. She pushed up against her with her full weight, trying to steer her back - but rather than meet Michiko on her own terms, Sophia would instead throw her knee into the lilac-haired girl, forcing her to double over!
Michiko bent forward at the waist, clutching her gut, and her feet skidded back across the canvas as she was deflected away from Sophia. But she lifted her head to her nonetheless, locking a steely glare onto her. "Hmph, so that's how you want to play, hmm..." she muttered - just before she took off running, throwing herself off her feet as she came close and hurling her arms around Sophia's sides to try to pull her down with a slingblade! If Sophia wouldn't come to her, she'd bring the fight to Sophia instead! Spoiler
Shelley felt Kayla try and roll her way out of the hold as Max clapped for his girl trying to encourage her more. However, Shelley never made it easy for those that wanted out of her grasp and she wasn’t going to start now. Shelley tried clamping her legs around the arm of Kayla before reaching her arms forward to wrap around Kayla’s face letting her armbar go in favor for the Crossface! Shelley pulled back getting into a comfortable position as she expertly trapped Kayla once again and it wasn’t looking good for her opponent. Shelley needed a lot more from Kayla in order to truly be impressed and astounded.
“Not so fast there, Kayla. You got to be a lot smarter than that. My skills on the ground outclass ya,” Shelley explained, but it wasn’t meant to talk down Kayla, but redirect her thinking and teach her to be better with her mental strategies instead of trying to make it harder on herself.
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
John saw Meiyun coming as the smaller Japanese girl launched herself in the air for a Dropkick pushing him back upon contact! It didn’t push John down as he was a lot larger and sturdier than Meiyun could muster against, but it did show that he should be wise not to get caught in a predicament with this little cook. John tried being fast grabbing Meiyun’s legs to keep her grounded as he tried swinging her body into one of the nearby corners specifically with Meiyun’s head hitting the bottom pad.
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tuskada
Emily yelped a little as Kirie caught her hand and slighty bended her finger as she growled in annoyance. It also seemed like Kirie would rather mock her and keep judging her which only served to annoy Emily more. Kirie was nothing more than some preppy bitch that looked down on Emily and she would gladly show Kirie why it wasn’t wise to be her enemy. Emily pulled Kirie in wrapping in a tight headlock wrestling her down to the ground pressing Kirie’s face towards the canvas. Emily hissed and wrenched on the hold a lot harder.
“My emotions are in check, but I’ll gladly break your body!” Emily threatened.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
When it seemed like Hana was about to start this sparring, she just made up some excuse and fell back on the ropes. Romero grimaced in annoyance as this was turning out to be a waste of time and the princess was going to get nothing out of Hana stalling. Cinderella was also confused as to why Hana didn’t make the first move and was completely oblivious that Hana just wanted to deter Cinderella from being patient with her. She wasn’t fazed, but looked over at Hank wondering if it would be wise to switch opponents right away.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
Sophia didn’t like staying traditional in her matches for very long. If she could get straight to the good part and wear down her opponent, all the better for her chances in this sparring. However, it seems Michiko was willing to meet her on that road as she ran straight for her opponent twisting in mid-air going for a sling blade! Sophia goes down and holds her back screaming in pain before pounding her left fist on the mat. This should be interesting as Sophia wants to learn more from Michiko.
Kayla had tried to push her feet up against the ground to gain leverage with which to escape the armbar, but to no avail - Shelley would only let go of her arm to grab at her head instead, lifting it up from the ground as she wrenched back at her neck with the crossface! Kayla was already under no small amount of strain from how the blonde had targeted her arm - now, her whole body was being bent into an arc! Unable to restrain herself any more, she howled in pain. Shelley's words stuck with her - she really had no one to blame but herself for landing in this situation. She had gotten cocky, and that had gotten her into trouble - she would need to play it safer going forward. It was a hard lesson to learn, but perhaps a necessary one. But before she could do that, she had to get out of the predicament she was in right now!
Gritting her teeth, with the veins in her neck bulging under the pressure, Kayla grabbed at the canvas with her free hand, attempting to drag herself closer to the ropes. There, she would stretch her hand out as far as she could. Her whole body was stretched taut to try and hold back the urge to cry out. But she needed to get this rope break! She knew she was better than this, and she wanted to show that to everyone. She wouldn't let Shelley deny her that opportunity!
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
Meiyun's veins were pumping with adrenaline. She knew she had been chosen for the honors of representing LAW in this excursion, and she was determined to use it as her jumping-off point to show the whole world she was a force to be reckoned with. LAW could have picked anyone for such an occasion, but they had chosen her - and she could hardly think of a higher honor! In that moment, Meiyun had gotten caught up in her own self-image. She was all but convinced now that this meant she was invincible - and that confidence had propelled her as she took off toward John to go for a flying dropkick! But she would soon be dealt a taste of reality when her foot came crashing into John's chest...and he barely even moved. The eager look on her face melted away when she realized the danger she had left herself in right now. No amount of confidence would change the fact that John outweighed her by no small amount.
And then, John grabbed her by the legs to whirl her around in an arc! Crying out in shock, Mei went flying into the corner post, where her head struck the pad with a thud! Her body went stiff, and she dropped down onto her face rubbing at her aching temples. But a moment later, the look on her face hardened into a determined grimace as she began to push herself back up. Maybe Meiyun had opened up the match biting off more than she could chew...but she wouldn't let that get to her!
"...I'm still not giving up!!" she shouted in defiance! Rolling up onto her knees, Meiyun would suddenly push herself up higher - hopping off one foot and swinging her other leg high up in the air as she prepared to bring down an axe kick aimed at John's chest!
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tsukada
Kirie could hear the yelp leave Emily's throat, and as she twisted her finger even further, it only brought a smug grin to her face. Emily might have tried talking tough, but Kirie was about to show her that she wouldn't let herself be intimidated - not when she had Emily wrapped firmly under her thumb, powerless to fight back! Well...she thought so, at least. A little bit of pain wouldn't stop Emily for long - that soon became clear, as she suddenly pulled Kirie into a headlock!
The pink-haired girl let out a yelp as she bent down at the waist, just before Emily's balance gave way and she dragged her down with her! The two of them landed on the canvas with a thump, and Kirie hissed under her breath, her teeth clenched as she tried to struggle fruitlessly back and forth in Emily's grasp. But she wasn't going to let this stop her - balling her free hand into a fist, she threw a few punches at Emily's side!
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
As she let herself sink back into the ropes, Hana paid close attention to Cinderella. She wanted to see how the princess might respond...but even more to the point, she wanted to see just how frustrated she was getting with her antics. When she saw the irritated look cross Romero's face, she had to fight to hold back the urge to smirk a big, stupid smirk, content with her efforts. But she also saw the moment Cinderella looked aside at Hank, and that was the moment that changed everything. This was important for a whole other reason. Now, Hana knew that her opponent's attention had turned elsewhere. That meant she wouldn't be expecting what came next!
Right at that moment, Hana leaned back against the ropes, using their momentum to spring her straight back in Cinderella's direction! Hopefully, she could move fast enough to catch up to her before she had a chance to react - if she did, she would reach out to grab her head before attempting to throw herself to the ground, trying to land a bulldog!
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
She might have trained under a veteran of the golden age of joshi puroresu, but Michiko wasn't the strict traditionalist Akira Koizumi was. If her opponents wanted to mix things up, she was just as willing to meet them on their own ground! It seemed as though Sophia hadn't even seen it coming - when Michiko dashed forward to take her down with a slingblade, the momentum was enough to pull the dark-haired woman down to the mat, reeling in frustration! Michiko smirked to herself, but she wasn't done just yet - she was only getting started!
Seeing that Sophia was pounding her fist against the mat, Michiko suddenly went to take hold of her wrist, pulling it back toward her. If that worked, she would cross her legs over Sophia's back with her arm in the middle, clamping down on her bicep as she pulled and twisted at her shoulder to apply an armbar of her own! "I think you'll find I'm perfectly capable of keeping up!"
Shelley tried keeping the Crossface in as long as she could using her legs to clamp down hard on Kayla’s right arm and prevent her from using it. That wouldn’t stop Kayla as the other half of the SoCal Connection used her free arm to slowly drag herself to the ropes. She reached out fingertips away as Shelley pulled back on the head, but that only stifled Kayla briefly before the hand made contact grabbing the bottom rope firmly! Without a referee present, Shelley released the hold herself and even gave Kayla some time to recover. She flashed a friendly nod and got up to warm up for another tussle in this spar.
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
John had wiped his hands turning back to face Daniel with a cheeky grin before he turned right around to see Meiyun gearing up for another move. Meiyun had launched herself going for another kick—an axe kick nonetheless—straight to the chest! John felt that and while he wasn’t entirely too fazed, it did push him back into a corner. John’s weight was a factor going against Meiyun as he was over a hundred pounds heavier than her so she couldn’t do much more than what she was doing now. However, it seems Meiyun was ready to rise more to the challenge and get this match in her favor!
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tuskada
Emily held Kirie firmly down like she was rabid bulldog and Kirie certainly had the ferocity of one. She thrashed on the ground even if her head was pressed to the mat. Emily tried wrenching harder, but Kirie thrashed back and forth loosening Emily’s grip and a few punches to her back made Emily let go. However, Emily made sure to throw a mule kick right back in Kirie’s face to prevent a counter. Emily gets up and cracked her neck ready to get more ass kicking done on the yandere.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
While Cindy wasn’t the slightest bit fazed and bothered by Hana’s trolling, it didn’t make up for the fact she took her eyes off the glass slipper so to speak. Hana bounced off the ropes running at lightning speed to grab Cindy’s head for a Bulldog. Cindy buckled against the canvas as she held her neck and rolled on her back to cover her face. Romero grimaced and gritted his teeth shooting a mean glare at Hana.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
Sophia yelled in pain as Michiko took her free arm and locked her in a tight armbar! Sophia was planted straight in the middle and pounded her free fist in the ground as she tried getting up, but Michiko managed to keep a tight lock on the arm. Sophia had to get a little creative to get out of this one. Sophia sat up before launching a fist right for the crotch of Michiko hoping this dirty tactic would release her. Yes, it wasn’t conventional of a true professional wrestler, but since when did Sophia really care about the rules? Short answer: She never did.
The harder Shelley clamped down on Kayla's arm, the harder it hurt - now, it felt like her arm was being grasped in a vise, and her muscles were about to explode! Her teeth gnashed and her face grew red under the pressure. But no matter how much it hurt, Kayla couldn't lose sight of her goal. She was here to show the world that she was cut out to be a star in her own right - and if she gave up now, what kind of star would she be? Clawing at the mat, she dragged herself closer and closer toward the ropes - until at last, her fingers landed on the bottom one!
At once, Shelley let go, and Kayla rolled over onto her back as the pressure was suddenly released. For a moment she lay there, staring up at the lights, her chest rising and falling with labored pants. She almost didn't believe it. After how hard she had fought - and how hard Shelley had fought to keep her under control - it seemed like getting out was just too easy. It almost didn't feel real. But the more she thought about it, the more Kayla realized this meant she had it in her to stand up to whatever challenges Shelley threw her way...and she was going to take that in stride!
As she rose to her feet, Kayla looked over her shoulder, smiling in Max's direction. A moment later, though, a sting of pain shot through her shoulder, causing her to double over with a hiss as she grabbed at her sore muscles to massage the ache out of them. Shelley had really done a number on her, and she would definitely be feeling the after-effects of the damage she'd taken to her arm. But she looked up at Shelley and took a deep breath, and her eyes narrowed in focus. She had to keep going.
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
If nothing else, Meiyun was a stubborn, strong-headed person who wasn't going to take no for an answer so easily! When John threw her into the corner, she was just going to jump back up with another kick. And this one seemed to hit its mark, sending him stumbling backward! As her foot came back down to the mat, Meiyun's face lit up with an eager grin as she took point with her stance, pounding her fist against her open palm. She'd successfully staggered her foe! In her book, this was a mark of success - and it was one she was eager to follow up on!
Given how much larger John was in comparison to Meiyun, by pursuing her opponent, the Young Lioness was putting herself in danger. And yet, that didn't seem to slow her down at all. If her axe kick had worked, she didn't see any reason why any other attacks wouldn't! She tailed after him, closing the distance to throw a volley of punches his way, with each punctuated by a battle cry. A more experienced and level-headed partner might have warned Mei against making too rash a move, and running into trouble...but Meiyun's partner was Sheila, and she was just going to cheer her on! "Yeaaaahh!! Go get 'im, Mei!"
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tsukada
With another sharp blow to Emily's ribs, Kirie was finally able to throw her off, and there, she scrambled onto her side, panting for breath. But no sooner had she done so that Emily's legs whipped back around, catching Kirie with a mule kick! With a yelp, the pink-haired girl went tumbling across the canvas, leaving her out on her side. But just as quickly, she shook herself out, pushing herself back to her feet. There, her eyes settled on Emily with an angry glare. She knew that Emily was trying to keep her down - but she wouldn't make that easy on her!
"Rrgh..." Putting up her fists, Kirie stormed toward Emily with a scowl on her face. Her fists quivered - she would like nothing better than to lash out and sock her in the big dumb head. But she had to take a more measured approach, she reminded herself. Submissions were her specialty; Emily was enough of a hard-hitter to leave her with her doubts about besting her in a stand-up fight. And right now, as she saw it, her best bet was strafing around Emily on the defensive, watching her for an opening she might be able to launch her next attack.
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
At last, the match was actually getting started. As soon as she saw an opening, Hana struck - and just like that, Cinderella went down flat on her face, crumbling beneath the Korean woman's charge. But despite the ferocity of the blow she'd just landed, Hana went about things as calmly and as casually as ever. She let herself lay back across the mat, kicking up her legs to rest them on Cinderella's face as she put her hands behind her head and let out a relaxed sigh, settling against the canvas. Hana kept her eye on Romero with a smug smirk - she knew that Cinderella wasn't going to take kindly to being so flippantly used as furniture, and her butler was surely going to be annoyed by her antics too.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
It was with a confident smile on her face that Michiko latched onto Sophia's arm, leaning back to stretch out her joints. It might have been fairly basic as far as holds went, but it was those moves that led to success - and from the looks of it, Sophia found her resistance thwarted just as much here as it had been when Michiko brought her down a moment ago. She puffed out her chest, beaming with pride - Michiko might have been new to this company, but so far, she was dominating the competition!
However, that was about to change! When Sophia made her next move, she would ball her fist and whip it straight toward Michiko's groin, landing a punch squarely between her legs! At once, the lilac-haired woman's jaw dropped in a gasp as she cried out in pain, her entire lower body seizing up and going numb. She let go of Sophia, rolling to the side and grabbing at her crotch as her legs kicked in the air. "N-Nngh..!! Cheap shot...very dishonorable..!" she hissed under her breath - but paralyzed in pain, she wouldn't be able to do too much about it.
Shelley did her best to try and keep Kayla grounded which showed the lack of experience that Kayla has taking on fighters with previous MMA references. However, Shelley respected the fighting spirit that Kayla had. The drive to prove herself in this sport. The drive to break out and become her own wrestler since she was always stuck in a tag team. Shelley was in a tag team herself so she could relate wanting to break away, but her and Natalie only had limited time to tag when a match in America, Canada, and Australia called for it. Other times, they were on their own and Shelley would stand her ground as she punched her fists together glaring Kayla down for the challenge.
Daniel Starr and John Smith vs. Sheila Chihara and Meiyun Lai
John covered himself with his large arms as Meiyun laid into him with hard punches uttering a battle cry after each one. John was able to stay barely fazed, but the girl was quicker than him so he couldn’t get a chance to counter. He did manage to catch her right arm before grabbing under her armpit and throwing her in the ring corner this time. John then unleashes his own volley of right elbows on Meiyun’s small noggin and even brought her back to her feet to hit more when she would slide down in the corner.
Emily Workman vs. Kirie Tuskada
Emily was stalking Kirie putting her fists up as she circled the yandere. Kirie was proving that she wasn’t going to be an easy fry to munch on, but Emily wasn’t going to let up on the pain she was going to dish out. Emily would need to psych Kirie out and then go in for the punishment she had in mind. Emily feinted a right hook for Kirie’s stomach and then countered with her left hand slapping the Japanese wrestler’s head. If Kirie was stunned off that, Emily would tackle her down and mount her body using her left hand to deliver brutal punches to the head!
Princess Cinderella Coppertorn vs. Hana Choi
Cinderella felt Hana plop her feet on top of her delicate head and Romero was growling in disturbed grunts. This was hardly the spar that his princess needed to deal with, but Cinderella wouldn’t want to change opponents or quit the spar immediately. She was going to not be pushed around by a troll and the only way to fight fire was with the exact same fire. Cinderella tried grabbing Hana’s legs and fight her way back up folding them over Hana’s body and laying on top of them. She was going for a matchbook pin!
“Please count Romero!” Cinderella exclaimed in desperation as she tried holding Hana’s legs in place.
“At once, your Majesty! 1!” Romero called as he slapped the mat once.
Sophia Cross vs. Michiko Shimizu
“That’s technically a disqualification, Sophia,” Hank called out from beside Ali as Ali worried about Michiko’s pain seeing the Japanese wrestler roll around.
“No ref means that I can do what I please. She had it coming,” Sophia justified as she cracked her knuckles.
Sophia waved off Michiko’s concerns as she grabbed both legs of her sparring partner coming in to bring three swift kicks down on the stomach. She was going to relish every piece of pain and every shriek she could dish out of Michiko. Don’t let it fool anyone….Sophia did respect Michiko, but her reputation in this sport came first and she put any positive qualities aside to win any match. Sophia then looped around one leg and fell on the back tying Michiko’s other leg over as she looked to trap Michiko within the Figure Four Leg Lock! Sophia wrenched hard on the legs holding one of Michiko’s looking to see how long Michiko could hold out!
