Match Type: 1v1, Standard
Lexi Romero
Spoiler
Spoiler
Bengal came out to her usual music, but the L.A.W. audience was shocked to see that she wasn't wearing her usual outfit. The orange designs on her top and trunks had been replaced with stark black and white, and her naturally jet black hair was dyed white to match. She'd repainted her nails and changed her accessories. Even her orange contact lenses had been replaced with piercing blue ones. As the overhead lights dimmed for her entrance, they seemed to glow in the darkness like two dying stars.
The ensemble was majestic, clearly inspired by the appearance of a white tiger. As for why Bengal was wearing it...that was a little more complicated. Though almost nobody in the arena was aware of it, this was the outfit she'd worn when she first started wrestling on the indie circuit, many years ago. Things had been simpler then - or maybe it just seemed that way, looking back. She'd had her whole life ahead of her, filled with prospects for her new career. She'd had her tag team partner, Renee, to watch her back. Most importantly, her opponents hadn't been as frightfully strong as the competition here in L.A.W. Bengal wanted to recapture some of that earlier confidence, to use it as motivation for her bout tonight. And maybe it was just nostalgia, but as she made her way down to the ring, the fans did seem to be cheering a little louder than they had in her last match. Just wait until they see what I do to my opponent, she thought to herself, as she swaggered down the ramp, pyrotechnics exploding around her.
Her opponent. Who, exactly, would she be facing tonight? That was a question she hadn't had much luck answering. The Tiger liked to dig up dirt on the women she fought; there was no telling what kind of information might be useful for a clever taunt or put-down. The more personal the insult, the easier it was to get inside their heads, to make them flustered and distracted. But she hadn't been able to find anything on this "Lexi Romero", besides articles covering her recent matches. There wasn't a single online record of her, not even a post on social media. Prior to joining L.A.W., it was almost as if she'd never existed. Of course, that was just Bengal being paranoid, she assured herself. It wasn't like Lexi was some kind of secret agent, or anything ridiculous like that. She was probably just a small-town nobody with zero social life. And once I beat her, she'll go right back to being a nobody.
Bengal hopped up onto the ring apron, taking a moment to flex and pose - and giving the crowd another opportunity to snap pictures of her retro outfit. The flashes and clicks of their cameras were accompanied by the ring announcer's echoing voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first...standing at a height of five feet, seven inches, and weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds...from Kolkata, India...THE BLAZE TIGER! BENGAL!" The Indian woman turned and swayed her hips, showing off the snow-white tiger emblazoned on the back of her trunks.
A cameraman circling the ring got a little too close, and Bengal kicked out at him, almost knocking the heavy equipment off his shoulder as she snarled something inaudible. Then she ducked under the ropes and took her position in the corner. The pounding beat of her entrance theme was starting to fade, and she knew it couldn't be long before her mysterious opponent arrived...