Heavyweight Championship Match: Astrid Ostberg (c) vs Jess McLeary

[CaptainL]

At first, many of Astrid's fans in the seats were watching with bated breath. They hoped that the champion could retain her title, and with it her career, but with Jess holding down her airway and leaving her teetering on the verge of consciousness, the Norwegian's chances were looking grim. But as soon as her hands shot up to grasp at Jess's arm, so too did a cheer rise from the crowd. If Astrid was known for one thing, it was her resilience and endurance - and with this much on the line, she would be remiss as to give anything less than her best effort!

She could tell that Jess was growing increasingly exasperated by her resistance, something that made the hope rise in Astrid's heart. It wasn't merely that Astrid was forcing her to let up pressure on the hold, saving her own hide. Just as important was the fact that Astrid was getting under Jess's skin and shaking her bravado. If Jess had her doubts about her ability to keep Astrid down, then the Norsewoman had proven her rival wasn't invincible. That proved to her she had her chance, and it was a chance she was going to hold onto!

At last, Jess was forced to release Astrid's throat, leaving her gasping for air. Her chest heaved with frantic pants as she tried to get the wind back in her lungs before Jess followed things up. She'd figured out by now that Jess wasn't about to give her much leeway, and sure enough, the cowgirl was quick to roll Astrid over before grabbing her legs and bending them into place for a Texas cloverleaf!

Another pained scream wracked Astrid, her legs and back bent agonizingly in Jess's grasp. Her head shot up from the mat, the cameras catching a shot of her grimace. She fell back down, panting, but she still winced from the pressure. But Astrid's arms were still free - and she saw her one chance to escape! With her teeth clenched, her eyes squeezed shut, and her face red and dripping with sweat, Astrid slowly began to crawl across the ring, getting one arm in front of the other to drag her closer to the ropes. With each move she made, Astrid hissed and shuddered, but she still managed to get a few words in between her gasps.

"I don't suppose you...knew why I said those things to you earlier, did you..? About giving it...your best effort?"

[SubtleRoar]

*Continuing to augment the pressure against Astrid's lower limbs, Jess heard the whimpering inquiry of her nemesis break her concentration. Freezing for a brief instance, Jess glanced downward while pondering on what she meant.* "Yeah, it was so y'all could gloat aftah beatin me down." *Witnessing how close she was to snagging to rope, The Crimson Crusher reluctantly acknowledged to fruitless effort of trying to maintain the hold and finally released it entirely.*

"Lookin at how thangs are turnin out though, seems like you weren't expectin me tah last this long~" *Dusting off her cowskin jeans while trying to adjust herself, Jess began standing to her feet while maintaining eye contact with her immobilized foe.* "It ain't about effort, sugah." *She began, ascending the corner turnbuckle before planting her backside against the center for stability.* "It's all about connections- That's the reason why the popular excel and the hardworking nevah exceed the maximum threshold."

*Finally deciding that now was the ideal time to strike, Jess charged towards the stationary bombshell while simultaneously lifting her leg, sailing through the air to try and connect with a cross knee strike to Astrid's facial region!*

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[CaptainL]

Through plenty of groaning and clenched teeth, straining her body every inch of the way to make it to the ropes, Astrid eventually managed to steer herself close enough to the edge of the ring for Jess to break her hold on her, leaving her panting for breath as she fell flat on the mat. Slowly, she began to push herself back up, wincing from the strain she put on her aching body. But nevertheless, Astrid managed to get to her feet - and she turned to look back over her shoulder at Jess, a smile crossing her face.

At Jess's accusations, Astrid shook her head. "No, it isn't that. I talk about pushing yourself past the limits you thought you had...because that's what I've been doing this entire match!" She turned to face her opponent, the two locking eyes from across the ring, as Astrid began to draw closer.

"As a matter of fact...were this a regular match, with nothing on the line, I wouldn't think I would have lasted this long. But the fact that I have so much riding on this has inspired me to go the extra mile. Every time I've thought about tapping out, I remember that I would be conceding both the title, and my LAW career. Neither of which I intend to part with any time soon - and it's because of that I've been all the more motivated to stay in the game. It's because of that that I'm able to keep fighting on! I know I have to go beyond what I thought possible, because I know this is a match I can't afford to lose! And it's THAT that will carry me to victory!"

It was then that Jess charged Astrid, preparing to hit her with a knee strike carried by the momentum of her rush. But Astrid was ready. She would swerve to the side as soon as Jess got close, circling around to catch the challenger as she passed by. If successful, Astrid would scoop her up by the legs, holding her on her shoulder before she dropped straight down in a sidewalk slam!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udESdWnTDF0

"I ask you...what's your excuse? How do you expect to surpass your own limits if you don't have a reason to?"

[SubtleRoar]

*As the stampeding Jess attempted to bullrush Astrid into the ground, she was expecting to feel the tactile contact against her shin- However, it was replaced with an inadvertent extension of her leg, immediately followed up by Astrid beginning to retake control of the fray by tossing Jess sideways and against the unwelcoming ground with a massive* "THUNK!" *That shook the foundation of the arena!* "GGGNHH!" *Grating her teeth to try and assuage the damage she had sustained, Jess peered upwards to try and muster up a retort for Astrid's lingering question.*

"Grrhh...t..talkin s..so high'n mighty...w..when yah got the belt wrapped around yer waist.." *She huffed with each, individual exhale while trying to summon enough energy to respond.* "I've..gghh..worked tirelessly to achieve what I have at The Haven..customers who love seein me and my craft..you think this is my end all be all?!" *The Ginger Giantess snapped, trying to snatch the ropes suspended closest to the ring for leverage.*

"Success is in the eye of the beholder, darlin~" *Jess remarked, attempting to dust herself off while recuperating in the corner.* "While that rinky dink title of yers might be enough to satiate you, it would just be a nice addition to my collection of accolades." *Still in the process of fully recovering from her injury, Jess clicked her tongue to pour salt in the wound, struggling to stay on her feet.* "The real prize will be when I send you buckling from my might!"

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[CaptainL]

Soon after bringing Jess into the mat, Astrid got to her feet, doing a quick stretch to recenter herself before she looked over at where the challenger had landed. Placing her hands on her hips, she regarded her foe, watching Jess as she climbed back up, using the ropes to brace herself. She listened closely as Jess taunted her over her career and her aspirations, but all the while, her eyes narrowed into a glare, and she remained resolute and unmoving. If Astrid knew anything, it was that she couldn't let her concentration be broken, especially when this much hung in the balance. And as she leaned in closer, storming toward Jess, she would answer her call.

"You think that I'm going to leave it at that?" she retorted. "That I'll be content with just being champion? If my father taught me anything...it's that a true champion can never be content. You can't grow complacent in your victories and let them hold you back from improving. You're always growing, and you're always becoming stronger! Even while I hold this belt, I have to always aspire to do my best, and to keep reaching new levels! The championship I hold is a reminder of where that's gotten me, and it's one I can't ever forget about...but it's also a reminder of the standards I must hold myself to. I am a champion, and I won't forget that! And a champion must always put forth their best! This isn't a matter of me trying to hold onto my belt...this is me rising to your challenge, no matter what it takes!"

As she closed in on Jess, Astrid bent down, looking to throw her arms around the Texan as she was slumped in the corner. If successful, she would pull her close to her and wrap her arms tight around her midsection, looking to hold down a bear hug!

[SubtleRoar]

*While the ropes provided the exhausted westerner with just enough stability to regain a sliver of her expended energy, Astrid decided to take it upon herself to begin bloviating about her personal ambitions, meanwhile Jess shook away all of her nonsensical prattling with a smirk plastered across her face.* "Izzat so?" *She began, but before she had the opportunity to retort, the towering blonde ensnared her inside of a brutal bearhug to try and cripple her even further, coaxing out a detectable* "Nnnnhh!" *From the immediate tension!*

"Y..yer constantly chewing..m..muh ear off about..a..all this'n that.." *Jess heavily suspired, trying to firmly plant her feet against the ground to try and anchor her curvaceous body.* "B..but I'm still more than capable of standin toe tah toe with you!" *Rallying a significant portion of her vigor, Jess extended her hands forward to try and press her palms across Astrid's midsection, effectively breaking free from the claustrophobic submission!*

"And here I thought you were gunna wipe the floor with me, miss heavyweight champion!" *Feeling her rival's grip diminish more and more with each passing second, Jess gradually broke the tenuous hold across her backside, taking a gigantic step backwards before lurching forward!* "Maybe I oughta introduce yah to some real pain!" *Weaponizing her skull as a battering ram, Jess flung her dome straight towards Astrid for a discombobulating headbutt!*

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[CaptainL]

The bear hug was a signature move of Astrid's, and one that had proven a valuable asset to her in previous bouts. When she got her arms around Jess, pulling her in close as their muscular bodies pressed and squashed against one another, and clamped her grip down around her waist, many of the fans looked on in anticipation that the match could well be over soon. With Astrid clenching her teeth and arching her back to further tighten her hold, the muscles in her biceps bulging from the strain, the Norsewoman was just as intent on that happening herself. Everyone was tense, wondering how long Jess could last in a hold like this. They sat on the edge of their seats. The future of the Heavyweight Championship would hinge on this moment!

But it was Jess who emerged from the position on top, as she pushed the palms of her hands up against Astrid's abs. Though the blonde tried to hold on tight, she couldn't keep Jess from steering himself away from her, and soon Astrid was forced to let her go! She dropped Jess, taking a step back before she looked up to meet her foe eye to eye. As she focused in on the challenger, Astrid's eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched. "This isn't over..." she muttered.

It wasn't long before Jess would strike, as she came charging closer to Astrid and threw her head straight into hers! Their skulls met with the sound of a clunk, and Astrid stumbled back, reaching up to grab at her head to try and dull the pain. Though she stayed on her feet, Astrid's guard was down!

[SubtleRoar]

*With an extraordinary degree of accuracy and precision behind her lunging skull assault, Jess knew she had to risk everything if she wanted to obtain that tantalizing piece of hardware!* "Hhmmh, izzat all yah can withstand sugah?" *Jess remarked in her snarky, western tone while slightly recoiling from the impact herself. She didn't rely on such primitive tactics unless they were absolutely necessary, and given the dire circumstances surrounding the title fight, she deemed it more than warranted to try and stay competitive within the melee!*

"Then how bout I tenderize yah just a little bit?" *Folding her hands into wrecking balls, Jess drove herself forward before throwing a massive uppercut directly into the chest of the buxom blonde, trying to leave her utterly breathless and battered by her vicious beatdown! The captivated crowd collectively gasped from the ebb and flow of the fight, neither woman willing to succumb to their wounds before the other did!*

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"Aheukheuk!" *Withdrawing her fist from the disoriented amazon, Jess subsequently shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet before swinging her right leg around to try and smash her shin into Astrid's solar plexus!* "Yer not gonna last long if yah keep takin hits like this~" *However, despite her brazen confidence Jess knew that squandering this much energy could potentially be detrimental- Each hit needed to land in order to bring Astrid to her knees!*

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

Astrid's bear hug had done a number on many opponents before Jess, and many of her fans were holding out hope for it to tip the odds in favor of the Norwegian champion. But just as Astrid had boasted of her resilience keeping her head in the game, so too was Jess proving harder to put down that Astrid had bargained for! Breaking free from the hold, she delivered a powerful headbutt that sent Astrid reeling. Doubling over forward, the blonde panted for breath, trying to keep the world around her from spinning. But Jess was already on the move, and soon enough, Astrid would feel it!

With the cowgirl's fist plowing into Astrid's chest with a powerful uppercut, her torso reeled backward, and she cried out with a groan as she was steered back toward the ropes. Astrid hadn't even recovered from the force of the blow by the time Jess followed up on that, bringing around a shin kick straight into her rival! Thrown back by the force, Astrid stumbled into the ropes, where she dropped back off her feet, her arms hanging over the top rope. It was because of how she had landed that Astrid was able to keep herself from crumbling to the floor, but she was still stunned from the beating she'd taken. As Astrid panted for breath, trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head, her supporters could only look on with anxious eyes, as it seemed as though Jess was primed to make another comeback!

[SubtleRoar]

*Her fists flying towards Astrid in a brutal display of her unbridled rage, Jess managed to maintain a degree of structure and integrity with a solid, reliable form- While her punches packed a wicked sting to them, she wasn't blindly swinging her arms around; Lex had put the ornery cowgirl through her paces in the pugilistic arts, constantly increasing her knowledge to try and make her an all around striker from almost any distance. It seemed as though her training was fruitful, watching Astrid's body slump against the ropes to try and regain some semblance of stability on her feet. Recoiling her extended knuckles, Jess concocted a strategy on how to capitalize on this situation!*

"Yer...not givin up so early...are yah?" *She shook her head from side to side, trying to ignore the crippling torpor trying to distract her from her ultimate goal of finishing Astrid once and for all. Dashing forward, the burly rancher snagged the blonde bombshell around the neck, heaving her vertically skyward, balancing her high above the ring.* "Mmmhh..y..yer not gettin up aftah this one!" *Jess screamed with conviction, tilting her captive sideways while simultaneously driving her into the ring for a modified jackhammer slam!*

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