"Sensational" Shea London vs. Cecilia Lombard

[CaptainL]

Match Type: Standard Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout

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So, it had come to this. Cecilia's next match would be against a veteran wrestler from Britain, and one who had a history of title reigns behind her at that. As the date of the match drew nearer, there were murmurs about as to how Cecilia would do against such a foe - but the ice-bitch herself didn't even break a sweat at the thought. Champion or no, she knew that she had this, and that's what she told herself as she looked in the mirror, a grin spreading across her face as she thought over what was to come. She could practically hear this so-called Sensational Shea begging for her mercy already, feeling the last gasp of air pass from her lungs as she locked in a death grip. Cecilia had a message to tell her, and she was going to ensure she said that well. Shea's time was past, and she was only deluding herself if she thought she still had it. It was time for the new generation to take her place - and Cecilia would be there to remind her of where she stood.

"Coming first to the ring, from Detroit, Michigan! CECILIAAAAAA LOMBARD!!

Spoiler

Music

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Cecilia made her way down the ring with a confident smirk on her face as her path down the entrance ramp was lit by the lights overhead, landing each resounding step with a beat of her music. As she came up to the ring apron, Cecilia planted a foot down on it and hoisted herself up to the ropes, where she seated herself on the top. Basking in the attention of the crowd, who knew well her dirty tricks and were on her with boos, Cecilia looked out at them, pointing a finger out into the crowd.

"You boo me, do you?" she shouted. "I can't believe it. More faces in this crowd than I can count, and not a single one knows just how stupid they are right now. Do you realize what you're doing? You're cheering for a woman two decades past her prime, as though you actually think she can take me on. Absolutely pathetic. I don't care how many belts she's held, or how many women she's bested, but your British bitch should have quit when she was ahead! It's foolish to think she could ever step into the ring with the new generation of wrestlers and stand a chance - and especially when that particular opponent is myself! It's about time she learned that an old dog can't learn any new tricks - and it's the young, keen alpha who'll take home the bones."

As she finished her speech, Cecilia tossed back her dark hair over her shoulder before tying it into place with her trademark side ponytail. She then hopped off her seat and strode over to one side of the ring, head held high, where she took her place and awaited the arrival of her opponent.

[AlyAdmirer]

Lombard might have finished her speech, but the crowd was by no means done vocalizing their disapproval for the arrogant American’s remarks, or their anticipation for the arrival of the British icon. The buzz in the stands had only barely begun to ebb, when suddenly the overhead speakers came back to life, posing a single question to the roaring masses.

“Do you wanna get rocked?”

Spoiler

Spoiler

As the sound of Def Leppard struggled to overpower the roar of the audience, the Sensational One burst onto the stage, pumping a fist as she soaked in the warm welcome bestowed upon her. If the blonde wrestled for another 20 years, this feeling would never, ever get old. Beaming that almost impossibly bright smile of hers, London darted down the aisle, criss-crossing from side to side in an effort to slap as many offered hands as she could from the fans.

Just as had been the case with her debut in LAW, Shea found herself reflecting on the symmetry of recent events. While of course, she had made her first forays into the world of professional wrestling in and around Manchester, her first true brush with international fame had come wrestling in Japan. And so, it seemed only right that she be back here now, with what she recognized as considerably more years experience under her belt than she likely had ahead of her.

But, at least they remembered her. And seemed to still love her.

Completing a full circle around the immediate ringside area, Shea bounded up the steps, pausing just long enough to wipe the soles of her boots on the apron before slipping through the ropes. Identifying one corner as her own, the British blonde turned and mounted the middle rope, pumping her fist one more time as the crowd continued to shower their love upon her.

[CaptainL]

And the boos kept coming. It wasn't a sentiment Cecilia was unfamiliar with, of course, but she was left shaking her head, as she crossed her arms and turned to face back at the entrance ramp to wait for her opponent to make her entrance. Of course they'd side with her. They were all idiots anyway who didn't know true greatness when it was staring them in the face.

But Cecilia would make sure they knew. By the end of this match, when she had their hero crumpled and beaten at her feet and begging her just to make the pain stop, then they would know.

As Shea entered the ring, Cecilia turned her chin up to her, regarding her with her typical air of cocky indifference. After all, she clearly couldn't be worthy to even share air time with her, when there was no way her skills could hold up against Cecilia's youthful vigor. The brunette stormed over towards her, where she glared into her eyes with a cold and steely gaze.

"Listen to that," she said. "They still cheer you on, even now. They're sheep. They don't even care if you do any good, just as long as they get their reminder that you still exist. Well, by the end of this match...you'll wish you didn't."

[AlyAdmirer]

Shea neither flinched nor retreated, meeting Cecilia’s icy gaze with eyes containing a somewhat mischievous twinkle—at least, once they had finished rolling. “Don’t sell yerself short, luv,” the blonde Brit replied. “Ya keep runnin’ tha’ gob, spewin’ tha same sort o’ rehashed garbage I’ve been ‘earin’ fer a couple a decades now, an’ I might find myself wishin’ tha’ considerably sooner.”

Those fans in the first few rows, the ones close enough to hear the words exchanged between the American and Englishwoman without the aid of any mics, couldn’t help but “Ooooh!” in response to London’s barb.

“YOU jus’ might be ‘ere ta talk, though,” Shea added. “I’m ‘ere ta fight.”

The referee sensed those remarks being his cue, and he promptly moved to separate the two soon-to-be combatants, before he would even consider calling for the opening bell.

[CaptainL]

Shea clearly didn't want to match Cecilia in a duel of wits, and her retort was much blunter and to the point. That was fine. Even if she wasn't about to get into a shouting match, all it meant was that this match could get on faster - which meant Cecilia would sooner be able to give her a beatdown she wouldn't forget. The brunette warmed herself up, cracking her knuckles and working the kinks out of her neck as she stepped up closer to her opponent before meeting her with a toothy grin. "Me? Oh, no...if you think I'm not going to back up these words, you're surely going to be disappointed. Sorely, sorely disappointed."

Cecilia had to be separated from Shea's side, which caused her to roll her eyes. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence for her, of course, but anything that got in the way of her punishing a foe who long had this coming to them was a bore. It was at least a short-lived one, though, as the bell sounded soon after the two were a safe distance apart, and the match was on. Narrowing her eyes on Shea, Cecilia chuckled to herself as she lowered herself into a stance, before going to make the first move of the match, throwing a palm strike at her opponent.

[AlyAdmirer]

A less experienced opponent might have been caught flat footed by her opponent foregoing the usual “feeling out” process, and looking to initiate the direct offense a bit so immediately. But the experienced blonde recognized the shift in Cecilia’s weight that corresponded with the launch of her palm strike, and swiveled her hips to twist her upper body—and, more importantly, her jaw—out of the line of fire.

Brown eyes a-twinkle, London reproached her opponent with a gentle “tsk tsk”, before surging forward in an attempt to tie up with Lombard. Actually, that was a lie, or more accurately, a feint. Shea’s true intention was to try to duck under the brunette’s arms and slip around to Cecilia’s back once she had committed to the lock up, where she could attempt to apply a tight waistlock rather than the collar and elbow.

[CaptainL]

With her hand only striking the air, Cecilia was left frowning in disappointment, letting out a huff under her breath. She would've liked to have started off strong by hitting her opponent where she least expected it, to show her just what she was in for and bring it home that Shea didn't know who she was picking a fight against. But Shea had decades of experience behind her, and she wasn't going to tall for that, getting out of Cecilia's way just in time. That being said, the American soon realized the folly of her action, recognizing that Shea had plenty of time in the ring to get used to things like this.

All it meant was that she was going to have to step up her game. The usual tricks wouldn't do. She needed something special to break this one.

Ironically, it would be Cecilia who would fall for her own tactics, when she started to move in closer to take up Shea's offer of a lockup, only to find herself caught around the waist! She gasped and started to cough, but wouldn't take this lying down - and now that she was in the right place to make such a maneuver, she would try to swing her elbow behind her to slam it into her opponent's head!

[AlyAdmirer]

This time, at least, Cecilia’s elbow succeeded where her palm thrust had not, the bony joint smacking into the side of the Sensational One’s noggin and eliciting a pained groan from the British blonde. What the elbow didn’t do was break Shea’s waistlock—at least, not fully. Though it definitely created a bit of slack in the arms that secured her midsection.

London had a choice: try to re-secure the waistlock, or abandon it in the quest for something else. And the veteran opted for the latter. Breaking the hold of her own volition, the veteran reached an arm up toward Lombard’s neck, hoping to pull the brunette into a tight side headlock.

[CaptainL]

Cecilia did her best to get in a counterattack to Shea's hold, and threw her elbow back as hard as she could, hoping to jostle her opponent. Though she did manage to slacken her grip, Shea didn't let go entirely, drawing a groan of frustration from the American heel. When she did let go, it was at her own volition - and that was to get Cecilia into another favorable position, as Shea took hold of her head to pull it back and over to the side.

The pressure on Cecilia's temples showed her that despite appearances, Shea really did pack a punch - and she hated it. It always hurt the most when the opponent she had been so sure of taking down with ease proved to be trickier than Cecilia had thought of. Nevertheless, the brunette was going to try her best to extricate herself from the predicament, as she tried to reach for Shea's arm to pull at it in the hopes of getting it free - and if that wouldn't work, Cecilia also readied herself to slam her foot down on her opponent's toe to try and break her off.

[AlyAdmirer]

London felt the brunette’s fingers clutch at her arm, but the blonde shook her head with determined smile. While never one to be mistaken for a powerhouse, the British lightweight still had more than enough strength to keep the headlock secured, and to griiiiind Cecilia’s noggin against her hip and side. “Ya’re gonna ‘ave ta try somethin’ a little diffrruuunnnngghhh…”

Lombard did try something different, and as focused as she was on resisting the American’s prying fingers, Shea failed to anticipate the attack from the southern front. The heel’s heel smashed down atop Shea’s boot, the sudden jolt of electric pain from her toes brief but intense, and strong enough to force the British beauty’s arm clear of Lombard’s skull, freeing the brunette from the side headlock. Shea took a ginger step forward, favoring that foot if only for the moment, which opened up the Brit’s back to the treacherous Yank—a state of affairs that Shea quickly realized she couldn’t allow to stand. Balling her fist, London planted her weight on her other foot and readied to pivot into a punch aimed for Cecilia’s jaw…

But had she made that realization in time?