8 Years Ago: Renee Steinhauser VS. Bengal

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal narrowed her eyes and glared back. "Draw my blood? Please," she snapped. "You won't have the chance!" She dropped low and sprang forward, knocking Renee's legs out from under her and sending her onto her back. Before the Renegade could react, Bengal transitioned flawlessly into an armbar, wrenching Renee's muscular bicep back as she held the limb in place with her legs. "Who's the grappler now, bitch?" She growled, sounding even more aggressive than usual. Bengal and Renee had gotten into disputes before while sparring, but they'd always managed to resolve things amicably. This...this was something different. It was clear that coming so close to submitting, so early in the match, had left Bengal rattled. And she was willing to do whatever it took to avoid another humiliation.

"The next time you tag me in," she spat, "You'll be doing it with one arm. Unless you tap out, NOW."

[ReneeCockyUndercard]

Renee took a bump onto the mat as her legs were taken out from under her. Before she could get up, she was flipped onto her back before being placed in an armbar by Bengal. She screamed in pain as the hold was aggressively locked in as she stomped her feet on the ground in a panic. Renee also heard the anger coming out of her tag partner and beat friend’s mouth. Renee would then see she was near the ropes so she outstretched her leg to land on the bottom rope and get a rope break.

“BREAK! BREAK! BREAK! BREAK!”

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal released the armbar, grudgingly following the referee's command. Still, she wasn't about to give Renee a break. Before the Renegade could even get to her feet, Bengal closed in and grabbed both her opponent's arms. Her claw-like nails left more red pinpricks across Renee's pale skin as she dug her grip in tighter. She was setting up for a Kamigoye! If Renee couldn't find a way to defend herself, her face was about to take a devastating impact from Bengal's knee!

[ReneeCockyUndercard]

Renee would instantly hold her arm in pain after Bengal released the armbar. However, the pain wouldn’t end there as she felt the nails of Bengal dig into her skin. As her opponent was setting up the Kamigoye, Renee would get real for a moment and would get out of the hold before it could happen, something that wasn’t part of what they practiced a day before the match. Once she stood up, Renee would grapple with Bengal and would have a conversation with her while locked up.

“What the fuck was that all about, Bengal? Were you purposely trying to break my arm?”

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

"It's about WINNING!" Bengal snarled back, trying to maneuver Renee into a headlock. "That's what it's ALWAYS been about!" But the Renegade escaped the hold easily, and the two returned to a stalemate, as Bengal continued talking. She dropped her voice low, so only Renee could hear. "What, did you think I'd just roll over and let you beat me? You think an attitude like that is gonna help us stay champions?"

[ReneeCockyUndercard]

Renee would also keep her voice low to talk with Bengal and grill her for what she’s doing in the ring.

“What the fuck are you on about, Bengal? The old Bengal I know wouldn’t be taking about this winning bullshit. We do this for the fun and for the business. It’s great that we get over a lot but you know that everything we do is for each other, win or lose. And I couldn’t give a shit if we’re champions or not.”

Renee then sighed as she tighten the hold as she spoke seriously towards Bengal.

“I’m throwing you out of the ring. Maybe on the floor you’ll be your old self and continue this match for what it is between the two of us, for fun and friendly competition.”

Renee then power threw her outside of the ring so that the both of them could get a breather. She wanted to remind Bengal that this was supposed to be a fun match between the two and a friendly competition to see who’s the stronger one of the Rogue Tigers.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Overpowered, Bengal pitched backward over the ropes. She managed to twist her body around in midair to avoid landing on her head. But she still landed hard, on the unpadded concrete floor, jarring her knees and knocking the breath out of her lungs.

Renee had hoped that the impact would restore Bengal to her senses. Unfortunately, it seemed to have had the opposite effect. As Bengal stood shakily back onto her feet, her nostrils flared, and her eyes widened with blind rage. But what really sent her over the top wasn't the pain, but the sight of Renee, posing jauntily for the crowd as cheers erupted all around. A thought arose in Bengal's mind: Being part of a team isn't worth it, if I'm always going to be number two. I'm the strongest, and I have to prove it! I have to! She leapt back onto the ring apron, ignoring the throbbing pain in her knees. Then she spring-boarded off the ropes, aiming to knock Renee down with a Diving Crossbody!

[ReneeCockyUndercard]

Renee would take in the fan’s cheers, being the face in this match. However, she couldn’t celebrate now as she saw Bengal looking very pissed off at Renee for throwing her out of the ring. This was new for the Renegade as she has never seen Bengal this mad before. That was when she saw her leap up onto the apron and would jump off the top rope to deliver a springboard diving crossbody.

This wasn’t planned in the match they practiced as Renee then needed to improvise to protect Bengal from hurting herself. She would go forward and catch Bengal in the air. She then fell back to sell the diving crossbody for the fans to continue cheering. The match was slowly slipping away from it being a professional work into a shoot match with a pissed off tiger.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Renee and Bengal fell to the mat together in a tangle of limbs. Renee tried to maneuver her opponent into a rear naked choke, hoping that cutting off Bengal's air supply would dampen her wild anger. But it was useless. Bengal twisted free, rolled over on top of Renee, and clawed her again, this time across the chest. Renee screamed in pain as Bengal's nails tore into her vulnerable skin. Part of her red top ripped off, revealing the black sports bra beneath. The crowd had begun to boo, disgusted by Bengal's conduct. But the Tiger didn't care - in fact, she barely even heard it. She was too distracted by the memories flashing through her mind. Renee, placed front and center on all the posters and cards for recent TAW shows, while Bengal was relegated to the back. Renee, always getting the loudest pops from the crowd for her cute outfits and clever one-liners.

"They won't be cheering you anymore," she growled, holding Renee down by the throat as she drew back her free hand for another claw slash. "Not when I'm done with you!"

[ReneeCockyUndercard]

Renee would try to go for another submission hold after catching Bengal in the diving crossbody. However, this wasn’t meant to be as she was then mounted by Bengal before getting scratched up like a cat. And Renee was definitely going through it as her partner was a lost cause with her top being ripped to shreds, revealing her black workout bra she had under it and also getting choked out by Bengal in the middle of the ring.

The crowd was hating it, something Renee didn’t like at all. Her former tag team partner has taken things too far as she needed to get out of it. Even the minimum wages referee wanted Bengal to stop choking her so they decided to force Bengal off of Renee before yelling at Bengal for choking the life out of Renee. Renee would then be in a coughing fit as she was needing time to breathe.