Post by hawkeye on Dec 4, 2022 17:36:14 GMT
The dirt sheets and the FAWNatics are atwitter about tonight's Open challenge for the Intercontinental title. Bethany wants a more marketable star to hold the belt, but it's on the line Victoria Hackenschmidt always pulls through in the end, no matter the odds. To wrest the belt from The Knight's tight grip, Bethany has resorted to digging up monsters from FAWN's past to crush Victoria, but everyone that's stepped up has been slashed down. Will tonight's monster prove the young veteran’s undoing? Let’s find out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoTa-b7cUw0
The air fills with a full orchestra playing alongside powerful, classically trained singers. The audio of Giacomo Puccini’s three-stage opera feels perfectly appropriate with the sight of the stage illuminated with blinding white spotlights. All focused on the towering sentinel that is the Intercontinental champion.
Victoria drinks in the uproarious response the FAWNatics give her; they’re friendlier than they used to be. There’s still that core of negativity, but far more cheers than Victoria got over the majority of her time in the company. Hackenschmidt takes a calming breath through her nose and sets down the ramp. The German giant stands tall and armourless for the second time in her career, except for her head. She wears her usual silver Corinthian helmet that protects the back and sides of her skull but leaves her high-boned cheeks free with a strip of metal stretched down from the center opening to cover her nose. The helm is smooth other than an artful etching that circles the top of the skull resembling a bejewelled crown. The most crucial thing on Victoria’s person is around her waist, the Intercontinental Championship belt. Under the spotlight, it shines as the brightest beacon to any potential challenger, employed by FAWN or not, to try and pry it from The Valiant One’s grasp.
Head bowed in silent prayer, her hands clutch a cross-hilted broadsword nearly four feet in length, a replica of a family heirloom that hung over the fireplace in her family estate in Hesse. Shaking off negative thoughts with a mighty roar, Victoria flexes her powerful arms and hefts the replica blade up to a cheering audience, then onto her shoulder before beginning her march towards the ring, the spotlights following her every step.
"Standing at 5 feet 11 inches and weighing in at 152 pounds!! From Phoenix, Arizona, by way of Hesse, Germany!! She is The Valiant One!! The Intercontinental Champion, Victoria “The Knight” Hackenschmidt!!!”
The IC champ marches to the ring in her white halter top, revealing miles of lightly toned, pale tummy with matching boy-cut shorts that cling to her tight hindquarters. White boots and knee pads looking newly shined, and an elbow-length fingerless white glove on her right arm; all her gear has thin black lines that weave and intersect to resemble the plate armour she usually wears to the ring.
Before the bell, Victoria tries to keep her mind on the match ahead, but she still reaches her free arm out to Hi-Five FAWNatics, leaning over the guardrail. The Valiant One briefly detours to a set of steel steps where a solid-looking metal box with a small slit cut into the top sat by the ring apron. Hackenschmidt takes the sword off her shoulder and swiftly swings it in a broad circle before plunging it down into the box with one smooth motion.
As her music dies down, the entrance euphoria dies along with it. A switch flips for half of the Orlando audience, and the air fills with a cacophony of noise, boos and cheers competing for dominance. The feral fans want a champ that shows a little more skin or has a colourful demeanour, but Victoria’s finally starting to win some of them over; training bras are no longer thrown at her during her jogs!
While Victoria takes residence in her corner, the ring Announcer ruffles through his cards and puts the microphone to his lips, "And her opponent tonight, coming down the aisle with her manager Kelsey Sutton, from Denver, Colorado, standing at 5’7” and tipping the scales at an impressive two hundred and seven pounds, here is - - THE STRONGEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD - - CLAIRE MORGAN!”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijk4j-r7qPA
The lights go out, and “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand starts to play.
A single spotlight illuminates the pair, focusing on Claire, and the arena is in awe. She’s a mound of muscle and girth… The biggest woman FAWN has ever seen. And she knows it. She relishes it.
Claire Morgan begins her walk to the ring slowly. It’s all part of the show to make Victoria before Claire even sets a boot on the mat. She knows size is a weapon, and she works it perfectly, moving like an angry giant.
Kelsey walks behind her, dressed in a sensible black skirt that just reaches her knees and a tight white blouse, click clacking down the ramp in black business heels. She whispers something in the ear of the huge woman that makes her already angry eyes get angrier and angrier. Claire is dressed in her standard garb of black and red one-piece designed to let everyone know just how big her body is. The dark-haired Lady Hercules never takes her eyes off the ring as she walks.
Like she was before a meet, Claire is focused and hungry. All her strength and adrenaline are being channelled to the task at hand...in this case pummeling the unfortunate champion, Victoria Hackenschmidt, who stares back in turn. The Knight
Claire climbs to the ring apron and enters the ring through the middle and top ropes.
Victoria is trying to focus on her behemoth of an opponent, but her mind is divided with furious indignation. Claire was in FAWN for a snapshot of time and only competed on one PPV before seeking gold in Canada, Ireland and Australia. There are women far more deserving of a title who applied for the open spot, but this heavy hitter has the office's backing and has likely been paid extra to drop the title if she wins. A future that Victoria will prevent at any cost.
I grow tired of Bethany's games, thinks The Knight. This is my title, my reign, and it will not be made into a freak show.
Claire leans back in her corner, talking with her manager as Referee Craig Long performs a patdown. “Did we get the first cheque? Because I’ll throw the belt into a swamp if they try to screw me.”
Kelsey nods, “Gotten and cleared. We could walk out of the ring right and leave right with a better-than-average payday; once you win and vacate the title, we’ll get another cheque that’ll be big enough for an extended vacation.”
Claire gives her manager a fist bump as the bell rings, “We’re going to that Schwartznegger museum first thing after the dust settles.” Kelsey rolls her eyes as her client lumbers out of the corner, every movement meant to accentuate her mass. In sharp contrast, Victoria bursts out of her corner at top speed! She flies across the ring and nails Claire in the face with a Big Boot!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G64BAG5k7RA
Any other woman would be blown over and seeing stars. Claire wobbles on her heels and grabs the ropes to keep from falling. Victoria's swinging for the fences right from the start! She grabs Claire by the base of her hair bun and batters the colossus with multiple forearms, backing Claire into the corner she just vacated. Victoria’s arm is a repeating blur that’s hell-bent on caving in the challenger’s skull within the first minute of the contest, switching at random moments from Forearm Shivers to full-fisted punches that rock Claire's head side to side to the alarm of her manager. Craig Long is flabbergasted at Victoria's show and violence and is slow to start a 5 count, only brought out of his shock by Kelsey shrieking at ringside.
"Do your damn job!!"
Ref. Long immediately starts his count, “One! Two!...” Victoria stops working the heavy bag and sprints to the far corner. She kicks off the bottom turnbuckle and comes roaring back to Claire, squashing her in the corner with a full-body Splash. Victoria bounces off the challenger like she’s a standing mattress and surveys the damage; Claire’s near crouching and holding onto the top ropes, shaking a few stars from her vision. There’s damage, but not as much as The Knight wanted. Hackenschmidt takes a quick breath through her nose and squares up, beating Claire with a fusillade of hard punches that pepper the powerlifter’s expansive tummy.
As many wrestlers and a few drunken fans will attest, a punch from The Towering Teuton feels like it impales your gut and comes out the other side. But Morgan has a POWER gut, a ball muscle that protects her innards; Victoria’s fists feel like they’re hitting the padded concrete surrounding the ring. Victoria had her eyes focused on the dense physicality that wasn’t surrendering to her attack. When she looks up, Victoria sees Claire glaring silently.
Claire's forehead flashes toward Victoria's and rattles her brain with a Headbutt "Uhh!" And grabs the champion by the shoulders and switches places with Victoria, stuffing her into the buckles. Now it's Claire's turn. The World's Strongest Woman extends a brawny arm and smacks Hackenschmidt with a sawed-off Clothesline that vibrates the champion's skeleton. Claire's offence is slow and methodical, thudding Clotheslines to the referee's count, echoed by the audience.
ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!
Morgan stops before risking disqualification and takes Hackenschmidt by the waist arm, Biel Tossing the champion across the ring in a massive show of strength.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Lt8mbCMTA
Hackenschmidt hits the canvas loudly in a tangle of limbs, she gets up fast by clumsily pulling on a set of turnbuckles, unused to being tossed around like a Lightweight. As Hackenschmidt rises, Claire speeds across the canvas with rapid, thudding footsteps, crushing the blonde in the corner with a Running Splash. Victoria's a bug on a windshield, her limbs spastically twitching as Claire just rests the weight of her body against the groaning Knight.
The World Strongest Woman eases back, letting Victoria take in a wheezing breath. Morgan spitefully clouts Victoria across the face with a strong, meaty fist that puts a shake in the German's knees and takes Victoria by the wrist. Morgan drops a massive hip and yanks her opponent out of the corner. Hackenschmidt's about to be thrown into the far corner with spine-cracking force when she bears down and holds onto Morgan's arm for dear life.
Hackenschmidt tugs on the weightlifter's limb, attempting to reverse the whip, but it's like dragging a car uphill; Claire doesn't budge, only shaking her head no to the outmatched blonde's resistance. With seemingly a slight twitch of her developed muscles, Claire wrenches Hackenschmidt into a Bearhug that threatens to turn The Knight’s bones to powder.
The shock of the mind-blowing pressure circling her waist makes Victoria lose consciousness and go limp for a brief moment. Seeing the champion in an alarming state, the ref reaches for Victoria’s hand, but she jerks awake and brushes away Craig’s arm. Victoria takes in what little air she can through her nostrils and claps her hands behind Claire’s head, trying to stun the SuperDestroyer with a Bellringer. Claire cringes, and her Bearhug weakens the slightest bit but remains intact, Victoria’s about to ring her bell a second time when the challenger breaks the hold on her own. Reaching between The Knight’s defined legs to palm some tight German glutes, Claire pins Victoria off her feet and onto a shoulder. Holding the back of Victoria's neck to make the move punishing but not deadly so, Morgan hurls themselves to the canvas crushing the champion with the biggest Powerslam in the game.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQceUruY-Ro
Except for her limbs which kick into the air before flopping to the floor, Victoria disappears from view under Morgan's heavy bulk, turned into a German pancake. The World's Strongest lies atop a Victoria like a particularly bumpy rug and tilts her head at the Official "Count." Craig drops flat and slaps the mat.
One! Two! "Errgh!"
With a laboured groan, Victoria shoves Claire off and to her side before rolling away herself. The Valiant One takes in deep breaths with an arm strewn over her heaving belly, too tired at the moment to sit up. Claire leisurely gets up and jogs to the ropes behind Victoria while the champ trudges to all fours.
"Mein Gott," She rasps, "it's like fighting a troll!"
And you should never take your eyes off a troll. Morgan comes off the cables and falls forward, giving a dive-bomb of a Clothesline to the back of Victoria’s skull and banging her face on the thinly covered plywood of the ring!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGpc05cg14g&list=PLeRPsdtvusXiROvHPBxh0BXVkuPhU_QUs&index=4&t=167s -2:53
The FAWNatics OOOHHHH in sympathy, watching the very intelligent IC champion lose precious brain cells in front of their eyes. Claire pushes a ragdoll imitating a woman face up, and lazily covers Victoria with a single hand pressing her left breast flat. The beaten blonde’s head tilts to the side, eyes half-lidded with her mouth slightly open.
One!
Two- Victoria shudders awake and gets a shoulder up in time.
Claire grumbles and rises to a knee, "Some people can't take a hint." She grabs a handful of Victoria's golden locks and tugs her to a seat by the scalp. Victoria hisses and tries to pry Claire's hand away as she's pulled to standing but gets slugged in the belly button for her trouble. With the practiced ease of an accomplished athlete, Claire Morgan places her hands on the crumbling champion’s chest and between her legs, lifting Victoria high above her head with a Gorilla Press. The immense challenger strolls around the Squared Circle, a victorious hunter showing off her spoils to the hungry masses. After completing a full circuit, Claire stands tall in the center of the ring and push throws Victoria into the air, letting her splat on the hard floor with nary a look.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83Cgz4KVMI
The manager of the monster, Kelsy Sutton, golf claps on the Outside. Pleased but not surprised by the match's progress. “Way to go, honey. Time to finish her off!” Morgan gives her a nod then wordlessly runs to the ropes ahead and nearly tears them from the turnbuckles as she uses them for a speed boost. A few ring-shaking steps later, Morgan leaps into the air with arms spread out, ready to render Victoria 2-Dimensional with a Running Splash.
THAWM!
The Valiant One rolls clear and Morgan bellyflops on the mat! A second wind blows through Victoria’s spirit as she forces herself up with fists raised, ready for a fight. The wind’s been knocked out of Claire with that unfortunate miss, and she’s slow to push herself to hands and knees. Victoria’s not feeling kind enough to wait and starts using the head of the World’s Strongest Woman for soccer practice. The highly trained Teuton swings a boot back and kicks Claire in the head over and over and over. Craig winces as he watches Claire eat shoe leather, but she’s still getting up, albeit much more slowly under the rain of kicks and stomps. If it was earlier in the fight and The Knight was fresher, the challenger would be flat on her back and out like a light.
Sporting a giant headache, Claire finally gets both feet under her and starts to straighten- Hackenschmidt jumps up while kicking a leg high enough to rest the back of her thigh against the back of the challenger’s head and gives her a receipt faceplant with a Leg Drop Bulldog.
youtu.be/OEGjfztE52o?t=362
Even Victoria’s detractors give her her hand for the comeback she’s managing under heavy competition. The Valiant Victoria barely notices the applause she desperately wants from the fans, she’s too focused on the unsurprisingly difficult task of turning Morgan over for a pin. With a groan of relief, she pushes the muscle-bound mound face up and throws herself onto Morgan in a lateral cover.
ONE! TW-!
Claire shrugs a shoulder up and turns into her side, depositing Victoria halfway off of her and onto the canvas. Victoria pushes to a knee and mutters a curse in her native tongue, "Verdammt!" Rises into a run to the farthest set of ropes. Claire is getting up a lot faster than expected after a salvo of stomps, but it’s clear the match is, at last, taking its toll on the SuperDestroyer. Claire’s at a three-point stance as Victoria whiffs past to hit the ropes behind her and fully upright as The Knight sprints past again. Retreating to the ropes in front of Claire, rebounding onto a fast track to the challenger, shoulder lowered for a gut-churning Spear.
Hackenschmidt strikes true! Claire lets out a guttural bellow as the champion slams into her with such a perfect tackle that Hackenschmidt will get NFL offers in the morning. But even Victoria's mighty Spear struggles to pierce the shield of Morgan’s abs; the challenger hunches over but remains standing. Claire’s boots skid a good three feet under the weight of Hackenschmdt’s tackle, and she’s looking a bit green in the gills, but The World’s Strongest Women has Victoria in prime position for a Powerbomb.
Claire wraps her arms above Hackenschmidt’s waist and with a defiant roar, flips the German up- Hackenschmidt slips out the back and lands on her feet! Claire whirls around frustrated- Crack! and gets chin-checked with a long-legged Superkick.
youtu.be/9K3IMGFrECc?t=116
Kelsey’s in a cold sweat. Her moneymaker rarely loses, and usually, it’s usually because of shenanigans. She watches Claire stagger back and teeter on her heels and feels the winner’s purse start to slip out of their hands, “Tighten up, Claire! She’s a glorified cosplayer!”
Claire answers Kelsey with another Cracking Superkick on her chin; this one strikes a little harder from Victoria’s anger at the slight against her ring gear. A tribute to her family’s lineage. Claire’s wobbling like a sapling on a windy day, but she remains on two large feet. Victoria barks in frustration and pivots away from the obstinate Destroyer. She bounds to the ropes and springs into a running Crossbody, throwing herself at Claire and hitting her across the bosom. The crusher from Colorado’s about to collapse when Claire’s years of weight training kick in, and she plants that crucial back foot and hugs the human barbell close to her body.
Part of Victoria has always wondered what it’d be like to be held by a larger partner, but she never wanted it like this! A panicking champion fruitlessly kicks her feet, trying to nudge Morgan past the tipping point and gets mocking laughter from a relieved Kesley, “Ha!” Claire doubles over and builds the tension in her body, then releases it in a sudden burst of movement! She sends Victoria skidding and bouncing across the hard ring floor with a Fallaway Slam, leaving herself and The Knight lying on their backs under the house lights.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAuZBPU5_k
The FAWNatics watching the battle fill the air with a steady rhythm to will the combatants to get back up and bring this show to a climactic finish.
CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP
The official lets them catch their breath for a few moments before he starts a double count “One!...Two!...” No movement from the wrestlers aside from the flutter of their chests; Victoria feels exhaustion deep in her bones from fighting this giant from FAWN’s past, and Cardio has never been a strong component of Claire’s routine. Most women the WSW’s faced lose heart pretty fast, or surrender to her power after a few moves. And my god is Claire's head pounding, she wants nothing more than to win this match and dunk her face in a bucket of ice.
Ref. Craig Long's count is getting dangerously high, "Twelve! …Thirteen!... " Champion and challenger wearily sit up within the same second and force themselves to stand. They stare heatedly at each other for a long moment captured by flash photography; these pictures will be blown up and available for purchase as posters within 48 hours. Animosity has grown between these two with no actual words being traded between them, but it’s no big loss; they’d hate each other anyway. Hackenschmidt shoves Claire away, already sick of looking at her face. Claire looks unbalanced and back peddles into a fall that luckily lands her in the cables.
“Hrrrrahh!!” Claire yells out and charges like an angry bull and puts Victoria on the mat with a Shoulderblock. The Knight scrambles back up, not wanting to lose face to Bethany’s hired gun, and gets blown into a matchbook by a second Shoulderblock. There are still fireworks going off in her brain, but Claire’s starting to get on a roll and likes it. She runs into the ropes for a third Shoulderblock and aims to turn the blonde bitch inside out. As Claire retreats, The Valiant One lurches back up; Victoria's vision is shaky from repeated falls, but her ring sense is finely honed and she can tell by the sound and vibrations from Morgan’s heavy footsteps she’s an instant away from getting blown out of the ring. Victoria plunges to the mat in a single file perpendicular to the oncoming weightlifter, tripping Claire up with a Drop Toehold. The challenger’s so full of steam Claire does the first and only flip of her life, almost over the ropes facing the ramps. Almost being the operative word. Claire’s rotation ends up tangling her in the rubber-coated cables, the top and middle strands now crossed around Claire’s neck and strangling the brunette!
youtu.be/M56uVozzwso?t=939
“Aaieee!!” Kelsey pales and shrieks in fear as she runs as fast as she can to Morgan’s side, making impressive time in her high heels. Claire’s feet support her on the apron, easing some pressure off her neck, but it’s a stalling tactic. Her eyes bug out, and her face reds as her large body bids for air. The official is freaking out and desperately pulls at one of the cables constricting Morgan’s neck; a strong hand on his shoulder pulls him aside, and Victoria steps in his place, “Let me help.”
Craig breathes a sigh of relief seeing Victoria tugging one of the strands farther than he could, allowing Claire to breathe slightly easier… and then screams in shock as Victoria starts hammering punches to the top of Claire’s head. Kelsey points at the attacking Champion screaming, “Stop her! Stop her!” as Ref. Craig tries to pull Victoria away by the waist, “What the hell are you doing!?”
The astonishingly violent Victoria ignores the referee’s comparably weak attempts to move and continues rain blows on the trapped challenger, huffing, “Getting her free.”
After a dozen punches, Claire is mercifully knocked free from the ropes and drops to the padded concrete floor of the arena like a boulder crashing down the side of a mountain, missing her manager by an inch. As Kelsey tends to her client, Victoria turns to the official with some slight I-told-you-so posturing, “See? I’m not a psychopath, I got her out.” Craig Long still feels pretty justified in trying to stop the champ; those punches looked BAD. But he’ll keep that to himself for now, “Right… yeah…”
Outside of the ring, a panting Morgan has gotten back up but needs to lean heavily on her much smaller manager to stay that way. Groaning under the weight of The World’s Strongest Woman, Kelsey checks in on her walking bank, struggling to keep Claire upright and speak at the same time, “Hrrrrr! Youokaytocontinue?”
Claire breathes loud, raspy breathes before she haltingly answers in a hoarse voice, “Hahhhh… Hahhh… Yeah… I can still beatGahh!”
Victoria Hackenschmidt, one of the largest women in FAWN and women’s wrestling in general, slingshots over the top cable and plummets onto Claire and Kelsey with an Avalanche Crossbody!
youtu.be/WWN2mVTgXBo?t=5
Victoria's rewarded with an OOOHHH! And chants of BLOOD-KNIGHT! From the fans as she reduces the competition to a living crashpad. Even the Teuton's detractors love it when the big woman goes flying. Victoria pushes off the human detritus and places a hand on the apron to steady herself as she observes the battleground. Kelsey Sutton's incapacitated and lying on the cold metal of the ramp. Claire's twitching, and she's getting up, but at a tenth of the speed she normally moves. Victoria glances inside the ring, then at Claire's body and again at the ring. "Hmmm. This seems like a task for multiple people. Time to improvise."
Claire’s slowly rising off the floor with a sense of urgency she hasn’t felt in years; she might lose this match cleanly, and that is not acceptable. She looks up to see Hackenschmidt looking at her and takes a wild swing that the blonde blocks; even in a weakened state, Claire almost has enough power to knock The Knight off her feet. Victoria Cross-Chops Claire in the throat in retaliation, making the WSW gag and grasp at her still-tender neck. The (Blood) Knight grabs her by the hair and forces Claire to bend over and guide her into a Headscissors.
"GGRRRRAAAAAAGH!!"
Victoria takes some of Claire's one-piece by her waist, and with trembling, body quivering effort and a roar from her soul, pulls the immense Morgan into a sickening Piledriver on the outside!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs2wjywrGAk
Spectators cover their mouths and pull at their hair seeing Morgan's skull hit the floor with 207lbs of force behind it. The challenger slumps onto her belly, still but breathing, eyes glassy and lips parted. Hackenschmidt drags herself off the floor onto the apron and rolls into the ring. Too tired to sit up, she lies on the canvas and gestures to the sleeping giant, "Count her, please."
Craig considers skipping the count and calling for the stretcher, but he sees Claire sleepily roll over and some of his fears are mollified.
"One! Two! Three!.. "
He could count to a hundred and it wouldn't matter. The referee reaches 20 and the bell echoes throughout the arena. The Knight had successfully defended her gold once again.
"Your winner by count out… AND STILL Intercontinental Champion, Victoria Hackenschmidt!!"
An attendant hands the belt to the supine Victoria, who accepts the strap like a new newborn baby. She smiles feeling the cool metal of the belt, as the audience releases a storm of noise equal parts love and hate. Some say winning by count out is cheap and cowardly, others say it was a brilliant move built on the brilliant strategy targeting the SuperDestroyer's head. It's a debate that will dominate the dirtsheets for months.
The Knight uses the cables to get back on her feet, then places her hand on Craig's shoulder, "May I borrow your earpiece?"
"Umm… alright," Craig agrees, a little uncertain at this request. He plucks the device out of his ear, politely wipes it off with a tissue and hands it to the victorious Victoria.
She speaks into the earpiece with a firm, flat tone. Leaving no room for doubt in Hackenschmidt's conviction or mindset.
|
"Miss Christian, I grow tired of facing monsters and sadists because you think I don't 'move merch.' If you continue interfering with my title reign, I will defend the belt on more amiable shores and better-managed companies. I hear EMPRESS is hiring."
Bethany's response to that ultimatum is furious, heavy with expletives, and loud enough that it can be heard through the earpiece as it's handed back to a wincing Craig Long. He places it back into his ear, “More than likely, that’ll come back to haunt you.”
Victoria shrugs with the hard-defended Intercontinental belt strewn over her shoulder, “She’s already targeting me and failing. Maybe now she’ll make it interesting.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoTa-b7cUw0
The air fills with a full orchestra playing alongside powerful, classically trained singers. The audio of Giacomo Puccini’s three-stage opera feels perfectly appropriate with the sight of the stage illuminated with blinding white spotlights. All focused on the towering sentinel that is the Intercontinental champion.
Victoria drinks in the uproarious response the FAWNatics give her; they’re friendlier than they used to be. There’s still that core of negativity, but far more cheers than Victoria got over the majority of her time in the company. Hackenschmidt takes a calming breath through her nose and sets down the ramp. The German giant stands tall and armourless for the second time in her career, except for her head. She wears her usual silver Corinthian helmet that protects the back and sides of her skull but leaves her high-boned cheeks free with a strip of metal stretched down from the center opening to cover her nose. The helm is smooth other than an artful etching that circles the top of the skull resembling a bejewelled crown. The most crucial thing on Victoria’s person is around her waist, the Intercontinental Championship belt. Under the spotlight, it shines as the brightest beacon to any potential challenger, employed by FAWN or not, to try and pry it from The Valiant One’s grasp.
Head bowed in silent prayer, her hands clutch a cross-hilted broadsword nearly four feet in length, a replica of a family heirloom that hung over the fireplace in her family estate in Hesse. Shaking off negative thoughts with a mighty roar, Victoria flexes her powerful arms and hefts the replica blade up to a cheering audience, then onto her shoulder before beginning her march towards the ring, the spotlights following her every step.
"Standing at 5 feet 11 inches and weighing in at 152 pounds!! From Phoenix, Arizona, by way of Hesse, Germany!! She is The Valiant One!! The Intercontinental Champion, Victoria “The Knight” Hackenschmidt!!!”
The IC champ marches to the ring in her white halter top, revealing miles of lightly toned, pale tummy with matching boy-cut shorts that cling to her tight hindquarters. White boots and knee pads looking newly shined, and an elbow-length fingerless white glove on her right arm; all her gear has thin black lines that weave and intersect to resemble the plate armour she usually wears to the ring.
Before the bell, Victoria tries to keep her mind on the match ahead, but she still reaches her free arm out to Hi-Five FAWNatics, leaning over the guardrail. The Valiant One briefly detours to a set of steel steps where a solid-looking metal box with a small slit cut into the top sat by the ring apron. Hackenschmidt takes the sword off her shoulder and swiftly swings it in a broad circle before plunging it down into the box with one smooth motion.
As her music dies down, the entrance euphoria dies along with it. A switch flips for half of the Orlando audience, and the air fills with a cacophony of noise, boos and cheers competing for dominance. The feral fans want a champ that shows a little more skin or has a colourful demeanour, but Victoria’s finally starting to win some of them over; training bras are no longer thrown at her during her jogs!
While Victoria takes residence in her corner, the ring Announcer ruffles through his cards and puts the microphone to his lips, "And her opponent tonight, coming down the aisle with her manager Kelsey Sutton, from Denver, Colorado, standing at 5’7” and tipping the scales at an impressive two hundred and seven pounds, here is - - THE STRONGEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD - - CLAIRE MORGAN!”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijk4j-r7qPA
The lights go out, and “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand starts to play.
A single spotlight illuminates the pair, focusing on Claire, and the arena is in awe. She’s a mound of muscle and girth… The biggest woman FAWN has ever seen. And she knows it. She relishes it.
Claire Morgan begins her walk to the ring slowly. It’s all part of the show to make Victoria before Claire even sets a boot on the mat. She knows size is a weapon, and she works it perfectly, moving like an angry giant.
Kelsey walks behind her, dressed in a sensible black skirt that just reaches her knees and a tight white blouse, click clacking down the ramp in black business heels. She whispers something in the ear of the huge woman that makes her already angry eyes get angrier and angrier. Claire is dressed in her standard garb of black and red one-piece designed to let everyone know just how big her body is. The dark-haired Lady Hercules never takes her eyes off the ring as she walks.
Like she was before a meet, Claire is focused and hungry. All her strength and adrenaline are being channelled to the task at hand...in this case pummeling the unfortunate champion, Victoria Hackenschmidt, who stares back in turn. The Knight
Claire climbs to the ring apron and enters the ring through the middle and top ropes.
Victoria is trying to focus on her behemoth of an opponent, but her mind is divided with furious indignation. Claire was in FAWN for a snapshot of time and only competed on one PPV before seeking gold in Canada, Ireland and Australia. There are women far more deserving of a title who applied for the open spot, but this heavy hitter has the office's backing and has likely been paid extra to drop the title if she wins. A future that Victoria will prevent at any cost.
I grow tired of Bethany's games, thinks The Knight. This is my title, my reign, and it will not be made into a freak show.
Claire leans back in her corner, talking with her manager as Referee Craig Long performs a patdown. “Did we get the first cheque? Because I’ll throw the belt into a swamp if they try to screw me.”
Kelsey nods, “Gotten and cleared. We could walk out of the ring right and leave right with a better-than-average payday; once you win and vacate the title, we’ll get another cheque that’ll be big enough for an extended vacation.”
Claire gives her manager a fist bump as the bell rings, “We’re going to that Schwartznegger museum first thing after the dust settles.” Kelsey rolls her eyes as her client lumbers out of the corner, every movement meant to accentuate her mass. In sharp contrast, Victoria bursts out of her corner at top speed! She flies across the ring and nails Claire in the face with a Big Boot!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G64BAG5k7RA
Any other woman would be blown over and seeing stars. Claire wobbles on her heels and grabs the ropes to keep from falling. Victoria's swinging for the fences right from the start! She grabs Claire by the base of her hair bun and batters the colossus with multiple forearms, backing Claire into the corner she just vacated. Victoria’s arm is a repeating blur that’s hell-bent on caving in the challenger’s skull within the first minute of the contest, switching at random moments from Forearm Shivers to full-fisted punches that rock Claire's head side to side to the alarm of her manager. Craig Long is flabbergasted at Victoria's show and violence and is slow to start a 5 count, only brought out of his shock by Kelsey shrieking at ringside.
"Do your damn job!!"
Ref. Long immediately starts his count, “One! Two!...” Victoria stops working the heavy bag and sprints to the far corner. She kicks off the bottom turnbuckle and comes roaring back to Claire, squashing her in the corner with a full-body Splash. Victoria bounces off the challenger like she’s a standing mattress and surveys the damage; Claire’s near crouching and holding onto the top ropes, shaking a few stars from her vision. There’s damage, but not as much as The Knight wanted. Hackenschmidt takes a quick breath through her nose and squares up, beating Claire with a fusillade of hard punches that pepper the powerlifter’s expansive tummy.
As many wrestlers and a few drunken fans will attest, a punch from The Towering Teuton feels like it impales your gut and comes out the other side. But Morgan has a POWER gut, a ball muscle that protects her innards; Victoria’s fists feel like they’re hitting the padded concrete surrounding the ring. Victoria had her eyes focused on the dense physicality that wasn’t surrendering to her attack. When she looks up, Victoria sees Claire glaring silently.
Claire's forehead flashes toward Victoria's and rattles her brain with a Headbutt "Uhh!" And grabs the champion by the shoulders and switches places with Victoria, stuffing her into the buckles. Now it's Claire's turn. The World's Strongest Woman extends a brawny arm and smacks Hackenschmidt with a sawed-off Clothesline that vibrates the champion's skeleton. Claire's offence is slow and methodical, thudding Clotheslines to the referee's count, echoed by the audience.
ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!
Morgan stops before risking disqualification and takes Hackenschmidt by the waist arm, Biel Tossing the champion across the ring in a massive show of strength.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Lt8mbCMTA
Hackenschmidt hits the canvas loudly in a tangle of limbs, she gets up fast by clumsily pulling on a set of turnbuckles, unused to being tossed around like a Lightweight. As Hackenschmidt rises, Claire speeds across the canvas with rapid, thudding footsteps, crushing the blonde in the corner with a Running Splash. Victoria's a bug on a windshield, her limbs spastically twitching as Claire just rests the weight of her body against the groaning Knight.
The World Strongest Woman eases back, letting Victoria take in a wheezing breath. Morgan spitefully clouts Victoria across the face with a strong, meaty fist that puts a shake in the German's knees and takes Victoria by the wrist. Morgan drops a massive hip and yanks her opponent out of the corner. Hackenschmidt's about to be thrown into the far corner with spine-cracking force when she bears down and holds onto Morgan's arm for dear life.
Hackenschmidt tugs on the weightlifter's limb, attempting to reverse the whip, but it's like dragging a car uphill; Claire doesn't budge, only shaking her head no to the outmatched blonde's resistance. With seemingly a slight twitch of her developed muscles, Claire wrenches Hackenschmidt into a Bearhug that threatens to turn The Knight’s bones to powder.
The shock of the mind-blowing pressure circling her waist makes Victoria lose consciousness and go limp for a brief moment. Seeing the champion in an alarming state, the ref reaches for Victoria’s hand, but she jerks awake and brushes away Craig’s arm. Victoria takes in what little air she can through her nostrils and claps her hands behind Claire’s head, trying to stun the SuperDestroyer with a Bellringer. Claire cringes, and her Bearhug weakens the slightest bit but remains intact, Victoria’s about to ring her bell a second time when the challenger breaks the hold on her own. Reaching between The Knight’s defined legs to palm some tight German glutes, Claire pins Victoria off her feet and onto a shoulder. Holding the back of Victoria's neck to make the move punishing but not deadly so, Morgan hurls themselves to the canvas crushing the champion with the biggest Powerslam in the game.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQceUruY-Ro
Except for her limbs which kick into the air before flopping to the floor, Victoria disappears from view under Morgan's heavy bulk, turned into a German pancake. The World's Strongest lies atop a Victoria like a particularly bumpy rug and tilts her head at the Official "Count." Craig drops flat and slaps the mat.
One! Two! "Errgh!"
With a laboured groan, Victoria shoves Claire off and to her side before rolling away herself. The Valiant One takes in deep breaths with an arm strewn over her heaving belly, too tired at the moment to sit up. Claire leisurely gets up and jogs to the ropes behind Victoria while the champ trudges to all fours.
"Mein Gott," She rasps, "it's like fighting a troll!"
And you should never take your eyes off a troll. Morgan comes off the cables and falls forward, giving a dive-bomb of a Clothesline to the back of Victoria’s skull and banging her face on the thinly covered plywood of the ring!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGpc05cg14g&list=PLeRPsdtvusXiROvHPBxh0BXVkuPhU_QUs&index=4&t=167s -2:53
The FAWNatics OOOHHHH in sympathy, watching the very intelligent IC champion lose precious brain cells in front of their eyes. Claire pushes a ragdoll imitating a woman face up, and lazily covers Victoria with a single hand pressing her left breast flat. The beaten blonde’s head tilts to the side, eyes half-lidded with her mouth slightly open.
One!
Two- Victoria shudders awake and gets a shoulder up in time.
Claire grumbles and rises to a knee, "Some people can't take a hint." She grabs a handful of Victoria's golden locks and tugs her to a seat by the scalp. Victoria hisses and tries to pry Claire's hand away as she's pulled to standing but gets slugged in the belly button for her trouble. With the practiced ease of an accomplished athlete, Claire Morgan places her hands on the crumbling champion’s chest and between her legs, lifting Victoria high above her head with a Gorilla Press. The immense challenger strolls around the Squared Circle, a victorious hunter showing off her spoils to the hungry masses. After completing a full circuit, Claire stands tall in the center of the ring and push throws Victoria into the air, letting her splat on the hard floor with nary a look.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83Cgz4KVMI
The manager of the monster, Kelsy Sutton, golf claps on the Outside. Pleased but not surprised by the match's progress. “Way to go, honey. Time to finish her off!” Morgan gives her a nod then wordlessly runs to the ropes ahead and nearly tears them from the turnbuckles as she uses them for a speed boost. A few ring-shaking steps later, Morgan leaps into the air with arms spread out, ready to render Victoria 2-Dimensional with a Running Splash.
THAWM!
The Valiant One rolls clear and Morgan bellyflops on the mat! A second wind blows through Victoria’s spirit as she forces herself up with fists raised, ready for a fight. The wind’s been knocked out of Claire with that unfortunate miss, and she’s slow to push herself to hands and knees. Victoria’s not feeling kind enough to wait and starts using the head of the World’s Strongest Woman for soccer practice. The highly trained Teuton swings a boot back and kicks Claire in the head over and over and over. Craig winces as he watches Claire eat shoe leather, but she’s still getting up, albeit much more slowly under the rain of kicks and stomps. If it was earlier in the fight and The Knight was fresher, the challenger would be flat on her back and out like a light.
Sporting a giant headache, Claire finally gets both feet under her and starts to straighten- Hackenschmidt jumps up while kicking a leg high enough to rest the back of her thigh against the back of the challenger’s head and gives her a receipt faceplant with a Leg Drop Bulldog.
youtu.be/OEGjfztE52o?t=362
Even Victoria’s detractors give her her hand for the comeback she’s managing under heavy competition. The Valiant Victoria barely notices the applause she desperately wants from the fans, she’s too focused on the unsurprisingly difficult task of turning Morgan over for a pin. With a groan of relief, she pushes the muscle-bound mound face up and throws herself onto Morgan in a lateral cover.
ONE! TW-!
Claire shrugs a shoulder up and turns into her side, depositing Victoria halfway off of her and onto the canvas. Victoria pushes to a knee and mutters a curse in her native tongue, "Verdammt!" Rises into a run to the farthest set of ropes. Claire is getting up a lot faster than expected after a salvo of stomps, but it’s clear the match is, at last, taking its toll on the SuperDestroyer. Claire’s at a three-point stance as Victoria whiffs past to hit the ropes behind her and fully upright as The Knight sprints past again. Retreating to the ropes in front of Claire, rebounding onto a fast track to the challenger, shoulder lowered for a gut-churning Spear.
Hackenschmidt strikes true! Claire lets out a guttural bellow as the champion slams into her with such a perfect tackle that Hackenschmidt will get NFL offers in the morning. But even Victoria's mighty Spear struggles to pierce the shield of Morgan’s abs; the challenger hunches over but remains standing. Claire’s boots skid a good three feet under the weight of Hackenschmdt’s tackle, and she’s looking a bit green in the gills, but The World’s Strongest Women has Victoria in prime position for a Powerbomb.
Claire wraps her arms above Hackenschmidt’s waist and with a defiant roar, flips the German up- Hackenschmidt slips out the back and lands on her feet! Claire whirls around frustrated- Crack! and gets chin-checked with a long-legged Superkick.
youtu.be/9K3IMGFrECc?t=116
Kelsey’s in a cold sweat. Her moneymaker rarely loses, and usually, it’s usually because of shenanigans. She watches Claire stagger back and teeter on her heels and feels the winner’s purse start to slip out of their hands, “Tighten up, Claire! She’s a glorified cosplayer!”
Claire answers Kelsey with another Cracking Superkick on her chin; this one strikes a little harder from Victoria’s anger at the slight against her ring gear. A tribute to her family’s lineage. Claire’s wobbling like a sapling on a windy day, but she remains on two large feet. Victoria barks in frustration and pivots away from the obstinate Destroyer. She bounds to the ropes and springs into a running Crossbody, throwing herself at Claire and hitting her across the bosom. The crusher from Colorado’s about to collapse when Claire’s years of weight training kick in, and she plants that crucial back foot and hugs the human barbell close to her body.
Part of Victoria has always wondered what it’d be like to be held by a larger partner, but she never wanted it like this! A panicking champion fruitlessly kicks her feet, trying to nudge Morgan past the tipping point and gets mocking laughter from a relieved Kesley, “Ha!” Claire doubles over and builds the tension in her body, then releases it in a sudden burst of movement! She sends Victoria skidding and bouncing across the hard ring floor with a Fallaway Slam, leaving herself and The Knight lying on their backs under the house lights.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAuZBPU5_k
The FAWNatics watching the battle fill the air with a steady rhythm to will the combatants to get back up and bring this show to a climactic finish.
CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP
The official lets them catch their breath for a few moments before he starts a double count “One!...Two!...” No movement from the wrestlers aside from the flutter of their chests; Victoria feels exhaustion deep in her bones from fighting this giant from FAWN’s past, and Cardio has never been a strong component of Claire’s routine. Most women the WSW’s faced lose heart pretty fast, or surrender to her power after a few moves. And my god is Claire's head pounding, she wants nothing more than to win this match and dunk her face in a bucket of ice.
Ref. Craig Long's count is getting dangerously high, "Twelve! …Thirteen!... " Champion and challenger wearily sit up within the same second and force themselves to stand. They stare heatedly at each other for a long moment captured by flash photography; these pictures will be blown up and available for purchase as posters within 48 hours. Animosity has grown between these two with no actual words being traded between them, but it’s no big loss; they’d hate each other anyway. Hackenschmidt shoves Claire away, already sick of looking at her face. Claire looks unbalanced and back peddles into a fall that luckily lands her in the cables.
“Hrrrrahh!!” Claire yells out and charges like an angry bull and puts Victoria on the mat with a Shoulderblock. The Knight scrambles back up, not wanting to lose face to Bethany’s hired gun, and gets blown into a matchbook by a second Shoulderblock. There are still fireworks going off in her brain, but Claire’s starting to get on a roll and likes it. She runs into the ropes for a third Shoulderblock and aims to turn the blonde bitch inside out. As Claire retreats, The Valiant One lurches back up; Victoria's vision is shaky from repeated falls, but her ring sense is finely honed and she can tell by the sound and vibrations from Morgan’s heavy footsteps she’s an instant away from getting blown out of the ring. Victoria plunges to the mat in a single file perpendicular to the oncoming weightlifter, tripping Claire up with a Drop Toehold. The challenger’s so full of steam Claire does the first and only flip of her life, almost over the ropes facing the ramps. Almost being the operative word. Claire’s rotation ends up tangling her in the rubber-coated cables, the top and middle strands now crossed around Claire’s neck and strangling the brunette!
youtu.be/M56uVozzwso?t=939
“Aaieee!!” Kelsey pales and shrieks in fear as she runs as fast as she can to Morgan’s side, making impressive time in her high heels. Claire’s feet support her on the apron, easing some pressure off her neck, but it’s a stalling tactic. Her eyes bug out, and her face reds as her large body bids for air. The official is freaking out and desperately pulls at one of the cables constricting Morgan’s neck; a strong hand on his shoulder pulls him aside, and Victoria steps in his place, “Let me help.”
Craig breathes a sigh of relief seeing Victoria tugging one of the strands farther than he could, allowing Claire to breathe slightly easier… and then screams in shock as Victoria starts hammering punches to the top of Claire’s head. Kelsey points at the attacking Champion screaming, “Stop her! Stop her!” as Ref. Craig tries to pull Victoria away by the waist, “What the hell are you doing!?”
The astonishingly violent Victoria ignores the referee’s comparably weak attempts to move and continues rain blows on the trapped challenger, huffing, “Getting her free.”
After a dozen punches, Claire is mercifully knocked free from the ropes and drops to the padded concrete floor of the arena like a boulder crashing down the side of a mountain, missing her manager by an inch. As Kelsey tends to her client, Victoria turns to the official with some slight I-told-you-so posturing, “See? I’m not a psychopath, I got her out.” Craig Long still feels pretty justified in trying to stop the champ; those punches looked BAD. But he’ll keep that to himself for now, “Right… yeah…”
Outside of the ring, a panting Morgan has gotten back up but needs to lean heavily on her much smaller manager to stay that way. Groaning under the weight of The World’s Strongest Woman, Kelsey checks in on her walking bank, struggling to keep Claire upright and speak at the same time, “Hrrrrr! Youokaytocontinue?”
Claire breathes loud, raspy breathes before she haltingly answers in a hoarse voice, “Hahhhh… Hahhh… Yeah… I can still beatGahh!”
Victoria Hackenschmidt, one of the largest women in FAWN and women’s wrestling in general, slingshots over the top cable and plummets onto Claire and Kelsey with an Avalanche Crossbody!
youtu.be/WWN2mVTgXBo?t=5
Victoria's rewarded with an OOOHHH! And chants of BLOOD-KNIGHT! From the fans as she reduces the competition to a living crashpad. Even the Teuton's detractors love it when the big woman goes flying. Victoria pushes off the human detritus and places a hand on the apron to steady herself as she observes the battleground. Kelsey Sutton's incapacitated and lying on the cold metal of the ramp. Claire's twitching, and she's getting up, but at a tenth of the speed she normally moves. Victoria glances inside the ring, then at Claire's body and again at the ring. "Hmmm. This seems like a task for multiple people. Time to improvise."
Claire’s slowly rising off the floor with a sense of urgency she hasn’t felt in years; she might lose this match cleanly, and that is not acceptable. She looks up to see Hackenschmidt looking at her and takes a wild swing that the blonde blocks; even in a weakened state, Claire almost has enough power to knock The Knight off her feet. Victoria Cross-Chops Claire in the throat in retaliation, making the WSW gag and grasp at her still-tender neck. The (Blood) Knight grabs her by the hair and forces Claire to bend over and guide her into a Headscissors.
"GGRRRRAAAAAAGH!!"
Victoria takes some of Claire's one-piece by her waist, and with trembling, body quivering effort and a roar from her soul, pulls the immense Morgan into a sickening Piledriver on the outside!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs2wjywrGAk
Spectators cover their mouths and pull at their hair seeing Morgan's skull hit the floor with 207lbs of force behind it. The challenger slumps onto her belly, still but breathing, eyes glassy and lips parted. Hackenschmidt drags herself off the floor onto the apron and rolls into the ring. Too tired to sit up, she lies on the canvas and gestures to the sleeping giant, "Count her, please."
Craig considers skipping the count and calling for the stretcher, but he sees Claire sleepily roll over and some of his fears are mollified.
"One! Two! Three!.. "
He could count to a hundred and it wouldn't matter. The referee reaches 20 and the bell echoes throughout the arena. The Knight had successfully defended her gold once again.
"Your winner by count out… AND STILL Intercontinental Champion, Victoria Hackenschmidt!!"
An attendant hands the belt to the supine Victoria, who accepts the strap like a new newborn baby. She smiles feeling the cool metal of the belt, as the audience releases a storm of noise equal parts love and hate. Some say winning by count out is cheap and cowardly, others say it was a brilliant move built on the brilliant strategy targeting the SuperDestroyer's head. It's a debate that will dominate the dirtsheets for months.
The Knight uses the cables to get back on her feet, then places her hand on Craig's shoulder, "May I borrow your earpiece?"
"Umm… alright," Craig agrees, a little uncertain at this request. He plucks the device out of his ear, politely wipes it off with a tissue and hands it to the victorious Victoria.
She speaks into the earpiece with a firm, flat tone. Leaving no room for doubt in Hackenschmidt's conviction or mindset.
|
"Miss Christian, I grow tired of facing monsters and sadists because you think I don't 'move merch.' If you continue interfering with my title reign, I will defend the belt on more amiable shores and better-managed companies. I hear EMPRESS is hiring."
Bethany's response to that ultimatum is furious, heavy with expletives, and loud enough that it can be heard through the earpiece as it's handed back to a wincing Craig Long. He places it back into his ear, “More than likely, that’ll come back to haunt you.”
Victoria shrugs with the hard-defended Intercontinental belt strewn over her shoulder, “She’s already targeting me and failing. Maybe now she’ll make it interesting.”