Blaise Cameron vs. Aaliyah Jackson - Best 2 of 3 Falls

[CyanDimitrik]

Match Type: Best 2 of 3 Falls
Victory Stipulation: Pinfall, Submission, or KO to gain a fall. Requires 2 falls to win.

What an interesting couple weeks it's been.

Following a match against a small, scrappy rapper wherein Blaise claimed a resounding victory, a side-plot seemed to develop with her supporting cousin. And after some playful banter between Blaise and the girl in question, they decided to talk terms and have a match. Not exactly the normal way things were done in the LAW arena, but the fans were catching the chemistry between them. And a grudge match, as it seemed to be brewing, is enough to get anyone's interest!

On Blaise's part, he admittedly enjoyed Aaliyah's energy; she's jokey, seems easy-going, playful. He resonates with that quite well. The fact that she's easy on the eyes and has killer abs is just a bonus. But the two decided their showdown should be a spectacular one - not rushed, but decisive. No cheap gimmicks, just going head to head to see who claims the dominant position over the other. His kind'a gal. If not for the ring, he might've been interested in seeing her again sometime outside of the arena. But first thing's first. She wanted a piece of him. He'd give'er all she could handle.

The arena lights dimmed down low, until darkness pervades. Hard, crunchy electric guitar licks blast through the speakers, almost immediately recognizable:

The Intro Music

The titantron comes alive with his name in churning blue-orange flames. The next couple hits of the guitar display his moniker written in the flames: THE PHOENIX

Scenes of Blaise riding a coastline on a motorcycle, cruising waves on a surfboard, and finally nailing opponents with some of his hardest hits begin to play. Spotlights converge at the top of the ramp, and the man himself rushes out to greet the cheering crowd, decked out in flame-themed wrestling gear. His right first thrusts into the air with a bright smile, eyes sparkling. No sunglasses tonight. No jacket tonight. This audience - and Aaliyah - is getting Blaise Cameron without frills.

Blaise Cameron!

Being greeted with actual cheers and not polite cheering is something Blaise is still having to get used to. It'd been the audience's typical lukewarm reaction to him for an agonizing number of years, but now? Now? They're actually behind him. Welcoming him like a true contender, one worth a damn. Worth more than a chuckle and some reverse ryona. The Phoenix has burned off the old and emerged resplendent and new. It's finally taking, and for the amount that he misses just enjoying wrestling for its own sake, finally feeling like he's somebody with a trajectory is priceless.

Brimming with energy, he dashes down the ramp at full sprint, feeling the familiar rush of his earlier days in wrestling. Taking the final several feet in a leap, Blaise latches onto the ropes and vaults himself up and over, only to land in a tumble, pop back to his feet, and sweep his arms wide in presentation to the audience. The cameras flash, catching his sleek, toned frame from every angle, head tipped back and basking in the thrilled reception.

In a flash, he breaks the pose and rushes up the nearest turnbuckle to stand perched upon middle ropes. His right fist thumps against his chest a couple times before pointing dramatically to the sky, nodding out at the crowd. And finally, he drops down with a twist, landing with his back against the pads.

His eyes are glued to the far entrance, eagerly awaiting his opponent. Hell, he's not even sure what her ring gear would be like! But she certainly has his undivided attention here tonight.

[BlackAkuma]

Aaliyah was excited. But honestly, she couldn't say why.

This wasn’t her first match in LAW. Her first intergender match, sure, but she’d had plenty of those before she came to the company. It was a match with some high stipulations. The 2 out of 3 falls thing would be fun to play with, but it wasn’t like she was about to do anything super-crazy. She’d been here before. Young as she was, she wasn’t about to break any new ground.

And yet, as she bounced on her heels in the gorilla position, she could feel a certain raw energy threatening to take over, the likes of which she couldn't remember feeling for a long damn time. It probably had something to do with who she was up against. Blaise wasn’t a massive name in LAW or anything - few guys were, it seemed - but she’d seen how he handled business with her cousin and was suitably impressed. Enough that she expected a good challenge from the guy, something she could seriously sink her teeth into and show out.

This might not have been her real debut, but if there was ever a time to show the world what she was about, this was it.

♫“Dirty South, can y'all really feel me?
East Coast, feel me, West Coast, feel me.”♫

Aaliyah perked up as her

began to play, filling the LAW arena with the dulcet tones of the artist she was named after. She began to bounce without even thinking about, letting the music bring a calm over her. This was her match. This was the vibe. She had this.

♫”Boy, I've been watching you like the hawk in the sky
That fly, but you were my prey…”♫

Aaliyah emerged from the curtain and stepped out onto the stage with her arms held high and her body on full display, letting a wave run through it as she bounced to the beat. Her eyes closed, she moved to the rhythm of every note, her routine perfectly memorized—she’d danced to this song more times than she could hope to count, knew it like the back of her hand.

♫”Boy, I promise you if we keep bumpin' heads
I know that one of these days…”♫

She made her way down the ramp, spinning about she went, her wild braids whipping around her. She nearly hit the crowd a couple of times, but she managed to stay at a safe distance as she swayed from one side of the ramp to the other, her feet finding the perfect placement with every step.

♫”We gon' hook it up probably we talk on the phone
But see, I don't know if that's good.”♫

She finally opened her eyes and brought her focus to Blaise when she made her way to the bottom of the ramp, zeroing in on him with a sly grin. Had to admire that body, for one thing. Boy was in good shape, looked ready to go, and that pumped her up as well. She’d tangled with a few men before, and some of them tended to not take her too seriously, way to quick to write her off, something that always pissed her off. Either that, or they saw the match as an excuse to hit on her, which pissed her off even more. Blaise, on the other hand, looked like he was eager to square off against a normal opponent. Nothing special.

♫”I've been holdin' back this secret from you
I probably shouldn't tell it, but…”♫oo

Aaliyah skipped the steps, scaled the turnbuckle, spun about, and promptly backflipped her way into the ring, coming down hard in a three-point stance at the middle. She tossed her braids back, twirled about, and faced Blaise with a wink. With hands on her hips, she promptly moonwalked back to her corner, keeping an eye on him the whole way. ”Hope you brought your A-Game, handsome!”

You call, I answer!

[CyanDimitrik]

The music hits, and there she is. The woman of the hour. The star of Blaise's evening. Wild, confident, and- oh, she dances. Of course she dances. Of course she does. She has that look. Not only in style, but right down to that athletic, trim body. Strong core, toned limbs, baggy pants, tight sportsbra, she looks straight proper. But there's no way she would've known, would she? No way she did that kind of research into him. In fact, he hopes she didn't. Because a part of him feels like this is going to add extra fun to her night, too. He just has to be patient and enjoy the show for now.

And what a show it is, backflipping into the air, the braids whipping like a perplexingly hot octopus. He'll revisit that mental image some other time. For now, though, she's turned those bright eyes and attractive smile his way, and just had to call him handsome. And if her radiating charm wasn't enough, she had to use that specific phrasing on top of it. It's like the stars have aligned, and the universe is just sitting there with an eyebrow raised daring him to say it.

So Blaise exits his corner, approaches the center of the ring, and does just that.

"Oh, you want me to bring it?!," he says, loudly enough for the audience to cameras to catch it. The referee, poor confused little thing that she is, starts to interject. But Blaise cannot and will not be pawed away back to his corner. He simply ignores her, raising his arms to either side as his focus turns out to the audience. "Should! I! Bring it!?"

The audience pops. Many of them have no idea what's coming, or what is even really being asked. But some of them have watched the show long enough to be wise to his game. A rarer few will know of his antics before even joining LAW. And for those individuals, they're right there with him; this moment is begging for a return to form, and the showman in him can't deny it.

As the arena is awash in anticipatory cheers, the blue eyes slide coyly to Aaliyah. Just a quick mental snapshot of her expression for the before-and-after he'll hold onto long after tonight's final bell.

And suddenly, Blaise is a controlled whirlwind of twisting footfalls as he breaks into an indian step toprock. The flurried footwork smoothly transitions into a low dip, feet thrusting out in a smooth double 360 kick drop. The sweeps end with his toe catching the mat with a series of rhythmic jukes and twists - short and staccato beat step. A shift back into the sweeping 360, and his balance suddenly transitions fully onto his alternating palms in a classic and fully recognizable, pinwheeling flare. The sequence ends with a pump of his bracing arm to launch into a smooth backflip, ending flat on his boots.

Arms raise to either side again with a bright smile, bobbing to usher in the waves of shocked cheering. Indeed, ever since returning as the Phoenix, he has neither popped nor locked in any public setting. But prior to that? Before his extensive hiatus? He'd open most matches with just a little something. And this moment helped recapture a bit of the uncomplicated, unadulterated joy he'd always had then. Before he would sweat match results. And even though he knows even now that he'll have to get back into that mindset quickly, he can savor it while it lasts. And that bliss on his face can't be mistaken for anything less.

His focus returns to Aaliyah, and he perks an eyebrow at her playfully. His left arm lifts to her, fingers outstretched invitingly, playing at gentlemanly decorum. And with the right, he motions to the mat before him, ceding the floor to her. Lest she be served without response.

[BlackAkuma]

Aaliyah didn’t know what kind of reaction she would get out of Blaise with her routine, and honestly, she didn’t much care. No offense to him, he seemed like a nice enough guy overall, and she was okay with him enjoying the view, but it wasn’t about putting on a show for him. Wasn’t even for the crowd, really. It was just her way of warming up, getting the blood flowing, putting her in the mood to do some damage.

She was fully expecting that to be the end of things, and that they’d go straight into the match from there. Instead, well…

Aaliyah stood in her corner, silent and blinking, looking about in confusion as the crowd seemed to grow in anticipation. She couldn't figure out why, not at first, but it was made abundantly clear in short order, as her opponent broke out into a routine of his own. A good one, too. She tipped her head to the side as he spun about in a clearly rehearsed routine, one that spoke to years of real experience and extensive background, not just something he’d picked up on the side. There was a story, there. A good one.

When he was finished, Aaliyah managed to hold her stoic gaze for all of two seconds before she caved and broke down with a full laugh, clutching her sides and filling the ring with snorting giggles. After several seconds, she got it under control and put those arms to better use, clapping her hands in genuine approval. ”Okay, pretty boy, you win that one. ‘Grats.”

Aaliyah straightened up and made her way to the corner, bouncing with every step, moving to a beat only she could hear. ”I want to see all your best moves, though.” She leaned forward, hands on knees and a fiery glint in her eyes. ”Let’s get this going, huh?”

The referee - who was more than a little irritated by the side content - nodded in agreement and called for the bell, starting the fight off in earnest. Aaliyah moved out of the corner, but didn’t come rushing straight on. Instead she began to sidestep her way around the ring, keeping Blaise at a distance, trying to tempt him into making the first move or at least give her something to work with.

[CyanDimitrik]

Similarly, Blaise had no idea just how Aaliyah would react. But he wanted something. Some kind of reaction. Some spark, some genuine, unanticipated, pure and unadulterated Aaliyah to appear in that moment. Just a glimpse at the authentic person who'd challenged him to a match. And he's willing to wager his dignity on it! ..Hell a thing, he has dignity these days!

Those scant few seconds she held a stoic look, his fingers wiggled in beckoning and an eyebrow shot up, egging her on. And then, the laughter. Some might have thought it was mocking. Some might have thought she didn't take them seriously. Some people have their head aaaall the way up their ass. Blaise is not those people. He meets her merriment with a lopsided grin of his own, placing a hand to the back of his neck. He's pleased she followed it up with something a bit more telling; he likes that. She doesn't take herself too seriously. She's fun. He could see himself enjoying this chick's company.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Blaise says, hands raised. "All my best moves? You sure you can handle that?"

The referee has grown insistent and signals the bell to ring. Screw these doofs, get to wrasslin' already.

Blaise's frame dips lower with knees bent; guarded, but every muscle in his nearly-bared form is tensed, tight, and ready to spring into action. Energetic side-steps are met with much the same, sidelong skips as he sizes her up. And at last, the tension between them is broken! Blaise lunges in to meet her, hands lashing out to connect with her feminine frame at the collar and elbow to initiate a lock-up! Though he doesn't intend to linger in it long, hoping to torque over and slip his arm fully around her neck and seal the loop with a side headlock, mashing the girl's cheek tight against his left pectoral.

[BlackAkuma]

All right, playtime was over. Time to get serious. As serious as you could get in wrestling, anyway.

Jokes aside, Aaliyah could tell that Blaise wasn’t the sort of opponent she could underestimate. True, her only experience with him so far was against Yo-Yo, not much of a stress test, but she had gleamed enough from their encounter to know that he was the real deal. She wasn’t crazy about trying to take him head-on or overpower him. Needed to make this about speed, stick to her strengths.

Too bad for her, Blaise seemed to realize this, and was on the fast track to kill her idea before she could go anywhere with it. He came in fast, hard, sure, forcing her into a lock up before she could keep the distance between them. He adjusted quick after that, too, transitioning quick into the side headlock. Snappy, crisp, that man knew what he was doing.

Fortunately, though, so did she. Instead of wasting time trying to brute force her way out, Aaliyah backed into the rope and bounced off, forcing him to move forward with added momentum. She pushed at his back, yanked hard, and freed herself in a single motion, forcing him to run towards the opposite side of the ring in the process. She doubted he would stay away for long, but that was fine. All she wanted was some separation.

[CyanDimitrik]

This match had to be taken seriously. Blaise knew it. He may not know Aaliyah particularly well, especially when it concerned her skill in the ring, but he knew that he badly needed to keep momentum. And heck, she doesn't seem like she has an axe to grind about him beating up Yo-Yo, but you never know-yo!

Still, it feels a little different with her. He knows it's important, but her playful, natural personality is bringing back the best feelings he'd have in the ring prior to his revival; when the pressure was low, and he was just living his dream. Before it got complicated. Had they met in any other setting, he would've found her magnetic. But at the same time, meeting her in the ring was so his thing; it made her more attractive. Athletic, fearless, down to grapple for dominance. His kind of girl.

Granted, it's easy to have thoughts like that flitting through his head as her pretty face is getting mooshed into his bare pectoral. And though he's squeezing to try and force compliance out of her, he can still appreciate the unusual way they started the match. And the fact that she keeps calling him 'pretty boy'. Other dudes might take that as an insult. Blaise and his unflappable optimism, however, takes it as casual flirtation; even if it does sound like she's doting on a pet bird.

Screw it, he's the Phoenix, it still rides.

She backs up rapidly, and he steps along to not lose his grip on her. The moment her back touches the ropes, the referee starts to close in - but Aaliyah clearly has plans! The elasticity of the ropes helps spring them both forward, and she slips his grip while giving a push! Blaise takes the first step, but adapts quickly to the motion, rushing across the mat only to pivot, press his back against the cables, and sling himself forward again! As he nears her, his right arm lifts in an effort to catch her across the chest with his bicep in a running lariat!

[BlackAkuma]

So, what was the game plan, here? Unlike Yo-Yo, Aaliyah liked to think a few steps ahead with her matches. She wasn’t about to come up with some complex plan mid-fight to take down her foe, she wasn’t that sort of savant, but she found it generally helped to think about the way you wanted to win a match when you started. Having a goal, something to work towards, went a long way.

With Blaise, though, she didn’t see too many weaknesses right out of the gate, nothing that stuck out for her to exploit. Not too fast, not too slow, seemed technical but had some spice to his moves. His headlock was on point, reminded her of the ones her trainer put her into when she was still at the dojo. A tough nut to crack.

She figured the first step was doing her best to keep distance between them, hence her reluctance to stay in his hold for too long, despite it being one of the more mundane things she could’ve found herself in. He would’ve doubtless transition to something with more meat on the boat, so she created separation before that happened and sent him running, but knew he’d be coming back with something substantial.

She dashed after him and, sure enough, there it was - a lariat that could’ve flattened her. She waited until the last nanosecond to duck under it, giving him nothing but air to swing through. At the same time, she kept running and dove forward, planting her hands on the ground and doing a handspring off the ropes to keep up her momentum.

She landed on her feet off the flip, and as the two of them met in the middle of the ring, Aaliyah leaped up spun about, and sliced through the air with a swift kick, trying to hit him upside the face with a gamengiri.

[CyanDimitrik]

At this stage in the match, Blaise is just feeling out what Aaliyah can do. And so far, she's struck him as competent. Granted, they've only just started, so it's likely a little generous yet. He would've likely given her the same verdict, had she stalled in the headlock long enough for him to turn it into a takedown and really grind into her. But she secures the estimate with her ring awareness, pressing back into the ropes and launching him along.

Oh, but she'll regret getting him going. He won't shy away from picking up the pace and taking the momentum. A quick little sudden sprint won't break his stride. He can use that uptick in speed, as well as take advantage of what she's likely considering an opening! In fact, it looks quite a bit like that's going to be the case! His arm swings out, ready to feel the satisfying impact of a body colliding with it, but-

Whoosh!

She dips just in time to avoid it, managing to harmlessly swing through her hair instead! Undeterred, he continues to the opposite end of the ring and pivots, pressing into the ropes and launching forward again. If she favors going low, he can adapt quickly and take care of-- oh what the heck is she doing?

Catching the handspring in action, the briefest of puzzled looks crosses Blaise's face before he rushes back in. She's trying to get all fancy on him! He can punish that, too! But as soon as he prepares to launch towards her in a brutal takedown, she's no longer standing on the mat. Her legs are swinging over, and she manages to catch him with the unexpected lariat of sorts of her own! The impact knocks him off his feet, and Blaise hits the mat solidly on his back in a stunned daze, staring up at the bright overhead lights.

[BlackAkuma]

Breaking out the fancy moves this early was a risk, and a big one at that. Aaliyah could almost hear her trainer chiding her about going for the wild stuff before the first minute mark. He’d been an old-school type, not a fan of the faster-paced, energetic style that so many wrestlers went for today, and he’d always tried to teach her the importance of fundamentals, of psychology, or taking your time in a match and building up against your opponent. Good advice in a regular match, excellent advice in a match like this, where she had a long night ahead of her no matter how things went.

But well…he wasn’t here. And this was her mixed wrestling debut. She needed to show up, show out, make an impression, and you just couldn't do that with traditional grapples and rest holds and chain wrestling. She needed a little spice.

Besides, it worked, right?

Her gamengiri found its target, slicing the air and crashing against her foe’s jaw. Down he went, flat on his back, as she came down on her knee with her back turned towards him. She looked over her shoulder, just long enough to register his position, and she took off again without a moment of hesitation.

This time she rushed to his side, dashing towards the ropes parallel to his body. She leaped up, planted her feet on the middle rope, then backflipped off of it, taking flight with an arc that would have her crashing down on his chest, looking to nail him with a lionsault.