Post by alyadmirer on May 15, 2018 2:21:15 GMT
“The following match, is scheduled for one fall, with a thirty minute time limit!” The ring announcer bellowed.
"Anybody tell you I'm a fighter?
Wanna start a fire, I'm the lighter,
If you think you burn bright, I burn brighter,
Never tire,
Did they tell you I'm a fighter?"
AJ SWANN
“Introducing first, from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...She stands five feet, four inches tall and weighs in at one hundred sixteen pounds...She is the Hardcore Heartbreaker...This is A...J...SWANN!”
”FIGHTER:”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=awfrxaWvFUw
Many of those assembled sang along to the opening of Sumo Cyco’s ‘Fighter’ though they abandoned their karaoke efforts to roar their love for the Guitar Heroine when she stormed the stage. Already going full bore, AJ bounded down the ramp, slapping hands with as many ringside fans as she could reach. A natural redhead, tonight Swann's hair was strictly on the blue end of the spectrum. She's dressed in a white sports-bra top and matching bikini briefs, the bottoms supported by a thin, crooked red belt and sporting a bright red lipstick kiss mark on the right cheek. Located directly in the center of her modest bosom, meanwhile, was a red cartoon heart--cracked slightly at the top, and dripping blood from the bottom. The rest of her ensemble consisted of a pair of black gloves, the upper side adorned with a skeletal print, a crimson bandana tied tight but-not-too-tightly around her right wrist, torn and tattered red fishnets, as well as red pads and boots.
Leaping onto the apron, Swann paused just long enough to wipe her boots on the apron, then slipped a leg between the ropes. Pulling her body through the cables in one swift motion, AJ bounded toward the nearest corner, hopping up onto the middle buckle. Thrusting her arms overhead, Swann lett out a triumphant cry, giving the crowd a display of tongue that would make Gene Simmons proud as she raised the horns with both hands--a gesture that's met with a gleeful roar from tonight's capacity crowd. She then settled into a corner as Craig Long moved over to check AJ’s gear.
Then, the lights went out in FAWN Arena, drawing an excited buzz from the crowd. That buzz became an explosion of cheers as an air raid siren blared over the Arena’s soundsystem and a pair of red searchlights scanned the audience. The cheers reached a fever pitch as the searchlights stopped at the stage, having found their target. There, a petite figure pulled on her familiar fingerless mma-style gloves as the sirens faded and the opening drumbeat of Manowar’s “Warriors of the World” began.
”WARRIORS OF THE WORLD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dll329ggLIY
KANAKO AKIYAMA
“Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California...She stands five foot two inches tall, and weighs in at one hundred ten pounds...She is the Modern Day Ronin.This is KANAKO AKIYAMA!!”
The FAWN faithful give Kanako a rousing ovation as the lights come up and she makes her march down the ramp to the ring. For tonight’s match, the Modern Day Ronin wore her familiar black leather jacket, over a black and red checkerboard patterned singlet with the midriff cut out. Red wrestling shoes with kick pads completed the outfit. She paused at the top of the entrance ramp, looking out at the crowd, an uncharacteristically pensive look on her face. Her first match with AJ Swann, at a house show in Miami, ended in heartbreakingly disappointing fashion for the Modern Day Ronin, a fact that seemed to both drive and nag at the diminutive Japanese girl. In another break from her usual routine, Kanako turned to the nearest camera, holding her thumb and index finger millimeters apart. “I almost got you in Miami, AJ.” she began, “Here, tonight...I prove to everyone...you, these fans...even myself...that it wasn’t a fluke. Win, lose, or draw, I show you all that I not only belong here, but that I am someone to be reckoned with!” With that, the Tokyo Tiger took a deep breath and made her way down the ramp, smiling and slapping hands with the fans as she did a lap around ringside. She then slid into the ring under the bottom rope after getting a little running start and quickly hopped up to her feet. She then posed for the fans after whipping her jacket off with a flourish, throwing her arms up in an “X”, then throwing them down to her sides with a battlecry-like shout. She then backed into the nearest corner for Craig to check her.
For her part, AJ simply looked on from her corner with a smile of approval. She was quite vocal in the days following their first match, and in promoting their match here at Spring Break, that she was extremely proud of their match in Miami, finish notwithstanding, and that she felt that Kanako had a bright future in FAWN. In a reversal from their first match, it was the veteran AJ that strode up to the rookie Kanako and offered her hands in a show of sportsmanship.
“Good luck, Kanako,” AJ smiled as Craig finished his inspection and backed away, “you’re gonna need it. And remember, this is it. No more rematches, this is your last chance before I move on to bigger and better things.”
“This is the only chance I need, AJ.” Kanako returned, also smiling, as she takes AJ’s hands and gives them a vigorous shake. “Thirty minute time limit means that the timekeeper won’t save you this time.”
While this could’ve been easily interpreted as a catty snipe on Kanako’s part, the Hardcore Heartbreaker simply smirked and released the Modern Day Ronin’s hands. “Lightning doesn’t strike twice, girl, though you’re welcome to try. Now let’s you and me tear this house down!” With that, she backed up into the opposite corner and waited for Craig to signal for the opening bell.
The bell sounds and both women shoot out of their respective corners, circling each other. After two circuits, they lock up with a collar and elbow tieup, pushing against one another and jockeying for position. They each make progress, pushing their opponent against the ropes, only to give up that progress quickly after. Eventually, size wins out, as AJ manages to bull Kanako against the ropes. Craig barely manages a two count, before AJ willingly breaks the hold, giving Kanako a playful clap on her shoulders as she backs off.
“You’re pretty damned strong for a girl your size.” AJ compliments her opponent with a smirk and a wink.
“A girl my size,” The Modern Day Ronin answers with a smirk of her own, “needs to be pretty damned strong to be taken seriously in this business.” She then strides back out to the center of the ring and they circle each other again. This time, Kanako is ready, and when AJ moves in for another tieup, she sidesteps the lunge, and armdrags the Hardcore Heartbreaker across the ring. AJ yelps in surprise as she’s thrown and she scrambles to her feet upon impact, looking across at her opponent, whose face has become a mask of determination. AJ gives an approving nod and wades in again, only for her to quickly find herself on the mat again, the victim of a drop toehold, after which Kanako floats up AJ’s body, and she wraps her arms around her head in a seated side headlock.
“Nngh!” AJ grunts as she struggles to free herself. “Trying a different tack from our first match, huh?”
“Well, you know,” Kanako answers as she holds her prey fast, “What we did last time might get the fans up on their feet, but a slower pace might help me actually win. And I need to win, AJ. I’m sorry it has to be at your expense.”
AJ continues to struggle as she answers, “Don’t count me out just yet, Kanako! We’ve got a long way to go before this dance is done!” With a roar of determination, she finally manages to throw her foe off of her and roll away to the outside of the ring to gather herself. Unfortunately for her, the outside is not safe for her, as no sooner is AJ on her feet, then Kanako breaks out into a sprint from a far corner. She then leaps to the top turnbuckle in the opposite corner with a single leap and springboards from there to launch herself at her adversary with a corkscrew plancha.
CORKSCREW PLANCHA:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrD9xa1I2mg
Kanako scores, wiping AJ out on the floor as the crowd gives a collective “WHOA!” The Tokyo Tiger springs to her feet and soaks up the cheers, but only for a moment, before hauling the Canadian Cutie back up to her feet by her hair and sending her crashing into the guardrail via an Irish Whip. AJ grunts and her back arches as she slumps to her knees following the impact of flesh to metal. Kanako is quick to continue her onslaught, only to yelp in surprise when she finds her Irish Whip is reversed and instead it’s her that’s being hurled into the guardrail. Showing remarkably fast reflexes (not to mention balance), though, she’s able to jump up onto the guardrail and again launches herself at a surprised AJ, twisting into a roundhouse kick to the face.
TWISTING ROUNDHOUSE KICK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7yR4gLK8e4
AJ goes down yet again, flat on her back and sucking wind, as Kanako takes a moment to gather herself. Her mind races as she gets to her feet. Could she actually have AJ’s number this time around? She shakes her head as she tries to clear her mind. She can’t get ahead of herself, not while she’s got AJ on the ropes. She quickly grabs the Hardcore Heartbreaker, who’s managed to get onto all fours, and tosses her back into the ring. She climbs onto the apron and waits for her moment to strike. Once AJ shows signs of life, crawling to the to ropes to try and get to her feet, Kanako springs into action, launching herself yet again, this time into a slingshot somersault legdrop.
SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT LEGDROP: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMd6DMNDmU
Unfortunately for Kanako, that turned out to be one risk too many, as AJ rolls out of the danger zone at the last moment. Kanako yells out in pain as she comes up empty, her legs and lower back taking the brunt of the impact on the hard mat. AJ finally gets to her feet in the aftermath of Kanako’s wipeout and, realizing she needs to capitalize on the Modern Day Ronin’s miss or else give up the advantage yet again, buries a brutal penalty kick dead center between Kanako’s shoulder blades. She grits her teeth, her pained expression betraying what she manages to avoid giving voice to, and she falls over to her side as AJ stands over her, finally getting her second wind.
“What happened to a slower pace, huh?” AJ taunts Kanako and smacks her in the back of her head before hauling her up to her feet by her hair. She then applies a headlock on Kanako, and throws her arm over her head. Then, grabbing a handful of her trunks for leverage, she delivers a bone-rattling snap suplex. The Tokyo Tiger rolls onto her side to try and alleviate the pain radiating through her back as she cries out in anguish. She doesn’t stay on her side for long, though, as a stomp from AJ rolls her over onto her stomach, leaving her open for another stomp to the small of the back. The Hardcore Heartbreaker then mounts her adversary, hooking Kanako’s arms over her knees and clasping her hands across her chin, pulling back hard in the dreaded Camel Clutch.
Craig is there in an instant. “What do you say, Akiyama? You wanna give it up?” he bellows, to which Kanako waggles her index finger, unable to answer through her pained grunts and groans.
“You’re good, Kanako,” AJ yelled to her as she maintained pressure on her neck and her back, “you’re damn good! But I’ll be damned if another rookie walks in here and uses me as a stepping stone! Just tap, girl; Do you think I’m getting tired, sitting on hour back like this?”
“Rrrrragggh!” Kanako roars out in agony, kicking her legs impotently, as the camel clutch continues unabated. “If...there were another way...I’d take it. But I have to beat you, AJ! So, unless you’re willing to break my back, you might as well try something else, because I’m...not...giving...UP!”
AJ’s eyes narrow as she looks down on her prey, trying to assess the situation. Is Kanako the type of person to bluff her way out of a submission hold? Would she really not tap, even if her back were close to the breaking point? Moreover, could she keep this hold on until her back broke? Finally, AJ growled in reluctance as she grudgingly threw Kanako’s arms off her knees and slammed her face down onto the mat, releasing the hold. “Crazy bitch,” she muttered under her breath. “You really would let me break your back rather than submit, wouldn’t you?” Kanako offered no response, groaning in agony as she clawed the mat, trying to crawl her way to her feet. Again, the Guitar Heroine decided to help her opponent up, the rough way, by her hair. “More’s the pity, then, because that means that I have to keep putting you through the wringer until your brain catches up with your body.” And with that, she hooked both of the Japanese girl’s arms and leaped into the air, driving Kanako’s head into the mat with her double-arm DDT she calls Brain Stew.
BRAIN STEW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRAlnt5pXA
Kanako splattered and starfished to the mat and AJ quickly covered.
ONE!!
TWO!!
TH-NOOO!!!
AJ sits back on her haunches, looking down at the exhausted girl in disbelief. She flips a few strands of hair from her face as she considers her next move. “You’re lucky this isn’t a hardcore match, girl. This would be the part where I got out the hardware to beat the stubborn out of you.”
“S...Shut up…” Kanako defiantly spat, still trying to catch her breath, “and do what you have to do.”
AJ sighed and shook her head. “Whatever you say.” She then hauled the defiant girl up once more and threw up the horns, signalling that she was ready to end it. The crowd roared its approval as AJ hooked Kanako’s arm behind her head and fell forward, sweeping the Tokyo Tiger’s leg out from under her and sending her crashing to the mat with her Swann Song finisher.
SWANN SONG:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_RaFLlJkkE
ONE!!
TWO!!
THRE-NOOO!!!
At the last possible instant, Kanako sprang to life, getting her shoulder up. Again, AJ looked on in disbelief, even arguing with Craig that she couldn’t possibly have kicked out. When Craig stood firm that it was indeed a two count, the Hardcore Heartbreaker went back to grab Kanako once again, only to be rolled up into a quick small package pin!
ONE!!
Instead of holding the surprise pin attempt, Kanako quickly transitions into an agonizing kneebar before AJ could process what was happening.
KNEEBAR @ 0:09:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX4ruWssE2E
Now it’s AJ’s turn to wail and thrash about in agony as Kanako wrenches down on the hold. She loudly answers in the negative when Craig asks her if she wants to submit. AJ desperately tries to make her way to the ropes to break the hold. Meanwhile, Kanako begins to work the ankle with her free hand, causing the Canadian to scream in agony. Finally, though, AJ manages to get her fingertips on the bottom rope. Craig didn’t even need to call for the break, as Kanako had already released her and rolled backwards and to her feet, waiting for AJ to do the same.
AJ takes a moment to get the feeling back in her knee before attempting to put weight on it again. When she finally does get to her feet, she snarls at Kanako. “Don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“Nope, never have.” the Modern Day Ronin answers as they stand nose to nose in the center of the ring. She then gives AJ a rough shove, which she answers with one of her own, followed by a hard slap to the face. Kanako answers in kind, which brings another volley of slaps from each grappler, and soon open hands become fists as they begin trading punches in increasing intensity and quickness. This standoff is also whipping the crowd into a frenzy and as the punching reaches a fever pitch, a chant begins:
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
Of course, both fighters have developed tunnel vision, and can only see and hear each other. Finally, AJ moves in for a final haymaker, only to eat a spinning wheel kick by Kanako. AJ drops like a stone, and Kanako dashes into the ropes, hitting a cartwheel kneedrop to the back of AJ’s head off the rebound. She then holds her right hand up and pulls the glove tight, waiting for AJ to get to her feet. When she finally does, Kanako uncorks the brutal spinning backfist known as the Uraken.
URAKEN:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-IJQ4RSsDI
Amazingly, AJ ducks the deadly blow, but not the second, as Kanako simply spins a second time and levels her with it. AJ puddles to the mat and Kanako wastes no time getting to the top rope. Taking a deep breath as she stands atop her perch, Kanako then delivers a picture perfect example of her beautiful but brutal Run Her Through finisher!
RUN HER THROUGH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXngOM-Lp7g
The Hardcore Heartbreaker gasps as the air leaves her lungs as Kanako connects with the move. The fans are on their feet. This is it! Only, unlike in Miami, the time limit is nowhere in sight to interrupt the pin. But Kanako just stands there, looking down at her fallen foe. She shakes her head slowly and holds up a single finger before climbing to the top again. One Run Her Through, she’s clearly decided, wasn’t going to be enough to put her opponent away. She goes for a second one, only to come up short, as AJ scrambles to her feet just in time and delivers a pele kick that catches the Japanese fighter flush. Now it’s AJ’s turn to ascend the turnbuckle as Kanako drops like a stone. She throws up the horns for the fans as she stands tall on the top rope and leaps forward, delivering her signature Swannton Bomb splash.
SWANNTON BOMB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rcY4ZAH_c0
ONE!!
TWO!!
THR-NOOO!!
Kanako gets her shoulder up at the very last second as a “THIS IS AWESOME!!” chant starts up. AJ pounds the mat in frustration and hauls Kanako up once more. Before we can see what AJ has planned for her foe next, Kanako springs to life, applying a rear waistlock on the Guitar Heroine. She then pops her hips, and throws AJ up and over in a German suplex. Maintaining her grip upon impact, Kanako then rolls through and lifts AJ up for a second German suplex. She rolls through, but is unable to deliver the trifecta, as AJ manages to escape the waistlock and apply one of her own with a standing switch. She then lifts the Tokyo Tiger up onto her back in a torture rack. AJ holds her there for a few moments as she yells out in pain, but that the rack isn’t what AJ had in mind for Kanako. She flips Kanako off her shoulders and sends her crashing face-first into the mat with an inverted Grunge Plunge: The Hardcore Heartbreaker turns her over and hooks her leg, whispering to herself, “For god’s sake, stay down, you crazy bitch.”
GRUNGE PLUNGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ1CQtW2RmM
ONE!!
TWO!!
THREE!!!
Kanako gets her shoulder up a millisecond too late, and AJ falls back onto the mat, exhausted, as the fans explode with cheers. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer has to shout to be heard above the applause, “the winner of this match, via pinfall...A...J...SWANN!!”
Kanako rolls over onto her stomach and looks up at Craig, she holds up three fingers, a questioning expression on her face. Craig answers with a nod and a sympathetic look. Kanako looks crestfallen as she shakes her head and pounds the mat in frustration. She sits back on her haunches, almost near tears, to see Craig raising AJ’s hand in victory to a shower of applause. Seeing Kanako in such a state, the Guitar Heroine goes over to her and kneels down to get to eye level with her. Kanako fights her impulse to look away, and instead maintains eye contact as AJ extends her hand.
“Thank you, Kanako,” she began, “that was a hell of a match.” Kanako hesitated, her head hung low. Even so, she took AJ’s hand and gave it a vigorous shake. “Look,” AJ continued, running a hand through her hair, “don’t let tonight’s loss discourage you. This match could’ve easily gone your way had the pieces fallen differently. I talked you up a hell of a lot leading up to this, Kanako. And I’m happy to say that you delivered on that, and then some. Listen to them…” she then gestured to the assembled FAWNatics, all of whom were still on their feet, all of them still cheering. “They’re not just cheering me, Kanako. You and me? When this match started, I said ‘Let’s tear this house down’, and goddamn if we didn’t do just that. You don’t have that kind of match alone. You’re as big a part of this adulation as I am.” With that she pulled Kanako to her feet and gave her a big hug and raised her hand, which made the audience cheer even louder.”I expect you to be fighting for a title this time next year. Don’t make a liar out of me, or I’ll come kick your ass!” she adds with a smirk, which finally brings a smile back to Kanako’s face. “Enjoy your first standing o, kid. I’ve got a feeling it won’t be your last, by a long shot.”
AJ then pats Kanako’s shoulder and leaves the ring, leaving Kanako alone to soak in the audience’s accolades. She spent a long minute alone in the center of the ring, pondering AJ’s words. She then waved to the crowd, which ignited a “THANK YOU, KANAKO” chant which almost moved the Modern Day Ronin to tears. She nonetheless put on a brave face and left the ring, exchanging high-fives with those that would.
"Anybody tell you I'm a fighter?
Wanna start a fire, I'm the lighter,
If you think you burn bright, I burn brighter,
Never tire,
Did they tell you I'm a fighter?"
AJ SWANN
“Introducing first, from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...She stands five feet, four inches tall and weighs in at one hundred sixteen pounds...She is the Hardcore Heartbreaker...This is A...J...SWANN!”
”FIGHTER:”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=awfrxaWvFUw
Many of those assembled sang along to the opening of Sumo Cyco’s ‘Fighter’ though they abandoned their karaoke efforts to roar their love for the Guitar Heroine when she stormed the stage. Already going full bore, AJ bounded down the ramp, slapping hands with as many ringside fans as she could reach. A natural redhead, tonight Swann's hair was strictly on the blue end of the spectrum. She's dressed in a white sports-bra top and matching bikini briefs, the bottoms supported by a thin, crooked red belt and sporting a bright red lipstick kiss mark on the right cheek. Located directly in the center of her modest bosom, meanwhile, was a red cartoon heart--cracked slightly at the top, and dripping blood from the bottom. The rest of her ensemble consisted of a pair of black gloves, the upper side adorned with a skeletal print, a crimson bandana tied tight but-not-too-tightly around her right wrist, torn and tattered red fishnets, as well as red pads and boots.
Leaping onto the apron, Swann paused just long enough to wipe her boots on the apron, then slipped a leg between the ropes. Pulling her body through the cables in one swift motion, AJ bounded toward the nearest corner, hopping up onto the middle buckle. Thrusting her arms overhead, Swann lett out a triumphant cry, giving the crowd a display of tongue that would make Gene Simmons proud as she raised the horns with both hands--a gesture that's met with a gleeful roar from tonight's capacity crowd. She then settled into a corner as Craig Long moved over to check AJ’s gear.
Then, the lights went out in FAWN Arena, drawing an excited buzz from the crowd. That buzz became an explosion of cheers as an air raid siren blared over the Arena’s soundsystem and a pair of red searchlights scanned the audience. The cheers reached a fever pitch as the searchlights stopped at the stage, having found their target. There, a petite figure pulled on her familiar fingerless mma-style gloves as the sirens faded and the opening drumbeat of Manowar’s “Warriors of the World” began.
”WARRIORS OF THE WORLD:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dll329ggLIY
KANAKO AKIYAMA
“Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California...She stands five foot two inches tall, and weighs in at one hundred ten pounds...She is the Modern Day Ronin.This is KANAKO AKIYAMA!!”
The FAWN faithful give Kanako a rousing ovation as the lights come up and she makes her march down the ramp to the ring. For tonight’s match, the Modern Day Ronin wore her familiar black leather jacket, over a black and red checkerboard patterned singlet with the midriff cut out. Red wrestling shoes with kick pads completed the outfit. She paused at the top of the entrance ramp, looking out at the crowd, an uncharacteristically pensive look on her face. Her first match with AJ Swann, at a house show in Miami, ended in heartbreakingly disappointing fashion for the Modern Day Ronin, a fact that seemed to both drive and nag at the diminutive Japanese girl. In another break from her usual routine, Kanako turned to the nearest camera, holding her thumb and index finger millimeters apart. “I almost got you in Miami, AJ.” she began, “Here, tonight...I prove to everyone...you, these fans...even myself...that it wasn’t a fluke. Win, lose, or draw, I show you all that I not only belong here, but that I am someone to be reckoned with!” With that, the Tokyo Tiger took a deep breath and made her way down the ramp, smiling and slapping hands with the fans as she did a lap around ringside. She then slid into the ring under the bottom rope after getting a little running start and quickly hopped up to her feet. She then posed for the fans after whipping her jacket off with a flourish, throwing her arms up in an “X”, then throwing them down to her sides with a battlecry-like shout. She then backed into the nearest corner for Craig to check her.
For her part, AJ simply looked on from her corner with a smile of approval. She was quite vocal in the days following their first match, and in promoting their match here at Spring Break, that she was extremely proud of their match in Miami, finish notwithstanding, and that she felt that Kanako had a bright future in FAWN. In a reversal from their first match, it was the veteran AJ that strode up to the rookie Kanako and offered her hands in a show of sportsmanship.
“Good luck, Kanako,” AJ smiled as Craig finished his inspection and backed away, “you’re gonna need it. And remember, this is it. No more rematches, this is your last chance before I move on to bigger and better things.”
“This is the only chance I need, AJ.” Kanako returned, also smiling, as she takes AJ’s hands and gives them a vigorous shake. “Thirty minute time limit means that the timekeeper won’t save you this time.”
While this could’ve been easily interpreted as a catty snipe on Kanako’s part, the Hardcore Heartbreaker simply smirked and released the Modern Day Ronin’s hands. “Lightning doesn’t strike twice, girl, though you’re welcome to try. Now let’s you and me tear this house down!” With that, she backed up into the opposite corner and waited for Craig to signal for the opening bell.
The bell sounds and both women shoot out of their respective corners, circling each other. After two circuits, they lock up with a collar and elbow tieup, pushing against one another and jockeying for position. They each make progress, pushing their opponent against the ropes, only to give up that progress quickly after. Eventually, size wins out, as AJ manages to bull Kanako against the ropes. Craig barely manages a two count, before AJ willingly breaks the hold, giving Kanako a playful clap on her shoulders as she backs off.
“You’re pretty damned strong for a girl your size.” AJ compliments her opponent with a smirk and a wink.
“A girl my size,” The Modern Day Ronin answers with a smirk of her own, “needs to be pretty damned strong to be taken seriously in this business.” She then strides back out to the center of the ring and they circle each other again. This time, Kanako is ready, and when AJ moves in for another tieup, she sidesteps the lunge, and armdrags the Hardcore Heartbreaker across the ring. AJ yelps in surprise as she’s thrown and she scrambles to her feet upon impact, looking across at her opponent, whose face has become a mask of determination. AJ gives an approving nod and wades in again, only for her to quickly find herself on the mat again, the victim of a drop toehold, after which Kanako floats up AJ’s body, and she wraps her arms around her head in a seated side headlock.
“Nngh!” AJ grunts as she struggles to free herself. “Trying a different tack from our first match, huh?”
“Well, you know,” Kanako answers as she holds her prey fast, “What we did last time might get the fans up on their feet, but a slower pace might help me actually win. And I need to win, AJ. I’m sorry it has to be at your expense.”
AJ continues to struggle as she answers, “Don’t count me out just yet, Kanako! We’ve got a long way to go before this dance is done!” With a roar of determination, she finally manages to throw her foe off of her and roll away to the outside of the ring to gather herself. Unfortunately for her, the outside is not safe for her, as no sooner is AJ on her feet, then Kanako breaks out into a sprint from a far corner. She then leaps to the top turnbuckle in the opposite corner with a single leap and springboards from there to launch herself at her adversary with a corkscrew plancha.
CORKSCREW PLANCHA:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrD9xa1I2mg
Kanako scores, wiping AJ out on the floor as the crowd gives a collective “WHOA!” The Tokyo Tiger springs to her feet and soaks up the cheers, but only for a moment, before hauling the Canadian Cutie back up to her feet by her hair and sending her crashing into the guardrail via an Irish Whip. AJ grunts and her back arches as she slumps to her knees following the impact of flesh to metal. Kanako is quick to continue her onslaught, only to yelp in surprise when she finds her Irish Whip is reversed and instead it’s her that’s being hurled into the guardrail. Showing remarkably fast reflexes (not to mention balance), though, she’s able to jump up onto the guardrail and again launches herself at a surprised AJ, twisting into a roundhouse kick to the face.
TWISTING ROUNDHOUSE KICK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7yR4gLK8e4
AJ goes down yet again, flat on her back and sucking wind, as Kanako takes a moment to gather herself. Her mind races as she gets to her feet. Could she actually have AJ’s number this time around? She shakes her head as she tries to clear her mind. She can’t get ahead of herself, not while she’s got AJ on the ropes. She quickly grabs the Hardcore Heartbreaker, who’s managed to get onto all fours, and tosses her back into the ring. She climbs onto the apron and waits for her moment to strike. Once AJ shows signs of life, crawling to the to ropes to try and get to her feet, Kanako springs into action, launching herself yet again, this time into a slingshot somersault legdrop.
SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT LEGDROP: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMd6DMNDmU
Unfortunately for Kanako, that turned out to be one risk too many, as AJ rolls out of the danger zone at the last moment. Kanako yells out in pain as she comes up empty, her legs and lower back taking the brunt of the impact on the hard mat. AJ finally gets to her feet in the aftermath of Kanako’s wipeout and, realizing she needs to capitalize on the Modern Day Ronin’s miss or else give up the advantage yet again, buries a brutal penalty kick dead center between Kanako’s shoulder blades. She grits her teeth, her pained expression betraying what she manages to avoid giving voice to, and she falls over to her side as AJ stands over her, finally getting her second wind.
“What happened to a slower pace, huh?” AJ taunts Kanako and smacks her in the back of her head before hauling her up to her feet by her hair. She then applies a headlock on Kanako, and throws her arm over her head. Then, grabbing a handful of her trunks for leverage, she delivers a bone-rattling snap suplex. The Tokyo Tiger rolls onto her side to try and alleviate the pain radiating through her back as she cries out in anguish. She doesn’t stay on her side for long, though, as a stomp from AJ rolls her over onto her stomach, leaving her open for another stomp to the small of the back. The Hardcore Heartbreaker then mounts her adversary, hooking Kanako’s arms over her knees and clasping her hands across her chin, pulling back hard in the dreaded Camel Clutch.
Craig is there in an instant. “What do you say, Akiyama? You wanna give it up?” he bellows, to which Kanako waggles her index finger, unable to answer through her pained grunts and groans.
“You’re good, Kanako,” AJ yelled to her as she maintained pressure on her neck and her back, “you’re damn good! But I’ll be damned if another rookie walks in here and uses me as a stepping stone! Just tap, girl; Do you think I’m getting tired, sitting on hour back like this?”
“Rrrrragggh!” Kanako roars out in agony, kicking her legs impotently, as the camel clutch continues unabated. “If...there were another way...I’d take it. But I have to beat you, AJ! So, unless you’re willing to break my back, you might as well try something else, because I’m...not...giving...UP!”
AJ’s eyes narrow as she looks down on her prey, trying to assess the situation. Is Kanako the type of person to bluff her way out of a submission hold? Would she really not tap, even if her back were close to the breaking point? Moreover, could she keep this hold on until her back broke? Finally, AJ growled in reluctance as she grudgingly threw Kanako’s arms off her knees and slammed her face down onto the mat, releasing the hold. “Crazy bitch,” she muttered under her breath. “You really would let me break your back rather than submit, wouldn’t you?” Kanako offered no response, groaning in agony as she clawed the mat, trying to crawl her way to her feet. Again, the Guitar Heroine decided to help her opponent up, the rough way, by her hair. “More’s the pity, then, because that means that I have to keep putting you through the wringer until your brain catches up with your body.” And with that, she hooked both of the Japanese girl’s arms and leaped into the air, driving Kanako’s head into the mat with her double-arm DDT she calls Brain Stew.
BRAIN STEW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBRAlnt5pXA
Kanako splattered and starfished to the mat and AJ quickly covered.
ONE!!
TWO!!
TH-NOOO!!!
AJ sits back on her haunches, looking down at the exhausted girl in disbelief. She flips a few strands of hair from her face as she considers her next move. “You’re lucky this isn’t a hardcore match, girl. This would be the part where I got out the hardware to beat the stubborn out of you.”
“S...Shut up…” Kanako defiantly spat, still trying to catch her breath, “and do what you have to do.”
AJ sighed and shook her head. “Whatever you say.” She then hauled the defiant girl up once more and threw up the horns, signalling that she was ready to end it. The crowd roared its approval as AJ hooked Kanako’s arm behind her head and fell forward, sweeping the Tokyo Tiger’s leg out from under her and sending her crashing to the mat with her Swann Song finisher.
SWANN SONG:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_RaFLlJkkE
ONE!!
TWO!!
THRE-NOOO!!!
At the last possible instant, Kanako sprang to life, getting her shoulder up. Again, AJ looked on in disbelief, even arguing with Craig that she couldn’t possibly have kicked out. When Craig stood firm that it was indeed a two count, the Hardcore Heartbreaker went back to grab Kanako once again, only to be rolled up into a quick small package pin!
ONE!!
Instead of holding the surprise pin attempt, Kanako quickly transitions into an agonizing kneebar before AJ could process what was happening.
KNEEBAR @ 0:09:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX4ruWssE2E
Now it’s AJ’s turn to wail and thrash about in agony as Kanako wrenches down on the hold. She loudly answers in the negative when Craig asks her if she wants to submit. AJ desperately tries to make her way to the ropes to break the hold. Meanwhile, Kanako begins to work the ankle with her free hand, causing the Canadian to scream in agony. Finally, though, AJ manages to get her fingertips on the bottom rope. Craig didn’t even need to call for the break, as Kanako had already released her and rolled backwards and to her feet, waiting for AJ to do the same.
AJ takes a moment to get the feeling back in her knee before attempting to put weight on it again. When she finally does get to her feet, she snarls at Kanako. “Don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“Nope, never have.” the Modern Day Ronin answers as they stand nose to nose in the center of the ring. She then gives AJ a rough shove, which she answers with one of her own, followed by a hard slap to the face. Kanako answers in kind, which brings another volley of slaps from each grappler, and soon open hands become fists as they begin trading punches in increasing intensity and quickness. This standoff is also whipping the crowd into a frenzy and as the punching reaches a fever pitch, a chant begins:
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
FIGHT FOR-EV-ER!!
Of course, both fighters have developed tunnel vision, and can only see and hear each other. Finally, AJ moves in for a final haymaker, only to eat a spinning wheel kick by Kanako. AJ drops like a stone, and Kanako dashes into the ropes, hitting a cartwheel kneedrop to the back of AJ’s head off the rebound. She then holds her right hand up and pulls the glove tight, waiting for AJ to get to her feet. When she finally does, Kanako uncorks the brutal spinning backfist known as the Uraken.
URAKEN:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-IJQ4RSsDI
Amazingly, AJ ducks the deadly blow, but not the second, as Kanako simply spins a second time and levels her with it. AJ puddles to the mat and Kanako wastes no time getting to the top rope. Taking a deep breath as she stands atop her perch, Kanako then delivers a picture perfect example of her beautiful but brutal Run Her Through finisher!
RUN HER THROUGH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXngOM-Lp7g
The Hardcore Heartbreaker gasps as the air leaves her lungs as Kanako connects with the move. The fans are on their feet. This is it! Only, unlike in Miami, the time limit is nowhere in sight to interrupt the pin. But Kanako just stands there, looking down at her fallen foe. She shakes her head slowly and holds up a single finger before climbing to the top again. One Run Her Through, she’s clearly decided, wasn’t going to be enough to put her opponent away. She goes for a second one, only to come up short, as AJ scrambles to her feet just in time and delivers a pele kick that catches the Japanese fighter flush. Now it’s AJ’s turn to ascend the turnbuckle as Kanako drops like a stone. She throws up the horns for the fans as she stands tall on the top rope and leaps forward, delivering her signature Swannton Bomb splash.
SWANNTON BOMB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rcY4ZAH_c0
ONE!!
TWO!!
THR-NOOO!!
Kanako gets her shoulder up at the very last second as a “THIS IS AWESOME!!” chant starts up. AJ pounds the mat in frustration and hauls Kanako up once more. Before we can see what AJ has planned for her foe next, Kanako springs to life, applying a rear waistlock on the Guitar Heroine. She then pops her hips, and throws AJ up and over in a German suplex. Maintaining her grip upon impact, Kanako then rolls through and lifts AJ up for a second German suplex. She rolls through, but is unable to deliver the trifecta, as AJ manages to escape the waistlock and apply one of her own with a standing switch. She then lifts the Tokyo Tiger up onto her back in a torture rack. AJ holds her there for a few moments as she yells out in pain, but that the rack isn’t what AJ had in mind for Kanako. She flips Kanako off her shoulders and sends her crashing face-first into the mat with an inverted Grunge Plunge: The Hardcore Heartbreaker turns her over and hooks her leg, whispering to herself, “For god’s sake, stay down, you crazy bitch.”
GRUNGE PLUNGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ1CQtW2RmM
ONE!!
TWO!!
THREE!!!
Kanako gets her shoulder up a millisecond too late, and AJ falls back onto the mat, exhausted, as the fans explode with cheers. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer has to shout to be heard above the applause, “the winner of this match, via pinfall...A...J...SWANN!!”
Kanako rolls over onto her stomach and looks up at Craig, she holds up three fingers, a questioning expression on her face. Craig answers with a nod and a sympathetic look. Kanako looks crestfallen as she shakes her head and pounds the mat in frustration. She sits back on her haunches, almost near tears, to see Craig raising AJ’s hand in victory to a shower of applause. Seeing Kanako in such a state, the Guitar Heroine goes over to her and kneels down to get to eye level with her. Kanako fights her impulse to look away, and instead maintains eye contact as AJ extends her hand.
“Thank you, Kanako,” she began, “that was a hell of a match.” Kanako hesitated, her head hung low. Even so, she took AJ’s hand and gave it a vigorous shake. “Look,” AJ continued, running a hand through her hair, “don’t let tonight’s loss discourage you. This match could’ve easily gone your way had the pieces fallen differently. I talked you up a hell of a lot leading up to this, Kanako. And I’m happy to say that you delivered on that, and then some. Listen to them…” she then gestured to the assembled FAWNatics, all of whom were still on their feet, all of them still cheering. “They’re not just cheering me, Kanako. You and me? When this match started, I said ‘Let’s tear this house down’, and goddamn if we didn’t do just that. You don’t have that kind of match alone. You’re as big a part of this adulation as I am.” With that she pulled Kanako to her feet and gave her a big hug and raised her hand, which made the audience cheer even louder.”I expect you to be fighting for a title this time next year. Don’t make a liar out of me, or I’ll come kick your ass!” she adds with a smirk, which finally brings a smile back to Kanako’s face. “Enjoy your first standing o, kid. I’ve got a feeling it won’t be your last, by a long shot.”
AJ then pats Kanako’s shoulder and leaves the ring, leaving Kanako alone to soak in the audience’s accolades. She spent a long minute alone in the center of the ring, pondering AJ’s words. She then waved to the crowd, which ignited a “THANK YOU, KANAKO” chant which almost moved the Modern Day Ronin to tears. She nonetheless put on a brave face and left the ring, exchanging high-fives with those that would.