SS22 Entropy Championship - Samantha Ironside (c) vs. Charlotte Ravel

Just a few weeks ago, Charlotte received an invitation to a promo.

And now she's in America. Houston, Texas. July 17. It wasn't just a random day. It was the day of Summer Splash 2022. And soon Charlotte will have to go to the ring for a match. Entropy title match. Charlotte had been jumping around the punching bag for about five minutes, warming all muscle groups. It seemed that she was as focused as possible and didn't pay attention to anything, but...

"Victoria, I feel in the back of my head that you are boring me with your eyes," said the Frenchwoman.

She sent a few punches into the punching bag, and then spun around sharply in order to kick it. The punching bag moved a few meters and only after that the pink-haired woman took a deep breath. She turned to her manager, who hastened to look away. Although, of course, it was obvious that everything was exactly as Charlotte said.

"What's the matter?" the martial arts master asked.

The Frenchwoman approached the manager and squatted down in front of her. Charlotte noticed that after the promo Victoria began to behave strangely. She tried to talk to her, but each time the Englishwoman evaded the conversation, saying that she was just tired because of work. Victoria was a bad liar. At least for the simple reason that she had never complained of fatigue due to work before. Since time was short, Charlotte was obliged to find out what was wrong.

"Victoria, what..." she started, but there was no need to finish the sentence.
"A year ago, your title match ended with you being taken away on a stretcher with a broken collarbone and an intervertebral hernia..."

Charlotte should have known sooner. When she woke up in the hospital, Victoria was the first person she saw, because the manager never left even for a second. This Englishwoman was not just a business partner for every member of their team. Victoria really cared about them. And the condition of the Englishwoman was explained by the fact that she was worried about Charlotte. She was afraid that the story that happened a year earlier would repeat itself. Charlotte smiled slightly and took Victoria's hands in hers.

"Do you remember what you wrote at the end of your article?" she asked.
"I wrote a lot of things there..." the manager replied evasively.
"Indeed," Charlotte laughed a little, "but I'll refresh your memory a little, because I remember everything as if I read it a minute ago, you wrote that you were glad to see my triumph on Avalanche, you were glad to see how I earned the right to call myself the Sand Lizard again, but more importantly, you wrote That you will be by my side when I reach my goal."
"Yes, I remember..." Victoria smiled, "but..."
"You helped me overcome a very difficult period of my life, you helped me get out of the abyss of despair," Charlotte was going to finish, "I failed to defeat her, I failed to protect my views, but I'm here and I'm going to take a new step towards my goal, I'm not going to look back, but I'm going to look forward confidently, you've always believed in me, Victoria, so tell me, do you believe in me today?"

The Englishwoman looked Charlotte straight in the eyes. There was no doubt there. This was not the broken woman anymore. She was a woman who aspired to become the greatest fighter in AFW history. Victoria exhaled loudly and blinked slowly. And when she opened her eyes, a smile appeared on her face.

"I do, and not only today," she said, "always."

Charlotte nodded in satisfaction and got to her feet. It's time. The Frenchwoman headed for the door. Victoria knew that the pink-haired woman did not like parting words, so she was not going to say anything else. She believed in Charlotte and Charlotte knew it. Words were not needed here. However, to the manager's surprise, her ward stopped and turned around.

"You know, Victoria, unlike last time..." she said, recalling all her heavy feelings that filled her heart a year ago, "I've got a really good feeling about this!"

Accompanied by the manager's smile, which clearly understood the reference, Charlotte left the locker room and headed down a long corridor. Despite the fact that for the most part she said this in order to cheer up the Englishwoman, there was indeed some truth in these words. Last time she went to the match with a heavy heart. After Avalanche that brought her success, Charlotte began to feel that something was wrong. The more support she received, the harder her feelings became. She only found out the truth at the very end. It was only after her spine miraculously didn't break in half that she realized what kind of premonition it was. She was destined to lose this rivalry from the very beginning. This truth had been with her almost from the first meeting with her former rival, it was just that Charlotte could not understand this truth. Or maybe she just refused to understand it.

But this time she didn't have that feeling. This time she felt the same as before any other match. She had never been so naive as to be sure of victory. However, she knew for sure that she was ready to enter the ring and show everything she was capable of, striving for victory. Charlotte entered the waiting room and stopped in front of the curtains. For most of her life after the age of eighteen, she was running from the past. She wanted to forget about her family, who just threw her out. She wanted to forget that she had once been a truly cruel person. And after her defeat, she also wanted to just run away from it at first. But she found the strength to accept it. She wasn't going to pretend it never happened. It happened. And that's in the past. Now the future was waiting for her. Now a new match was waiting for her. And she was ready.

Entrance Music:

Attire:

The light in the arena dimmed slightly. A thick fog appeared at the top of the ramp and then the light of three spotlights fell right into the center of this fog. This allowed everyone to see the huge silhouette of a sand lizard. The music started. In a short moment of increasing pace, one could see that the silhouette of the sand lizard seemed to begin to move. And then, when a loud chord filled the hall, Charlotte burst onto the top of the ramp, cutting through the fog with a quick punch. Two more chords and two more punches, after which Charlotte stopped and threw her hands above her head.

She had almost forgotten how pleasant it was to be greeted by an innumerable crowd of spectators. Despite the fact that she kept her composure, the Frenchwoman felt her heart begin to beat faster when the noise from the applause and cheers of the audience almost literally hit her ears. Thanks to their support, she found the strength to move on. They didn't leave her. And she couldn't leave them. They still believed that a great future awaited her. And now that the Sand Lizard had returned, she was going to live up to all their expectations.

Charlotte started to descend the ramp. And with each step, the noise gets louder and louder. Because the closer she got to the audience, the more clearly her new wrestling attire was visible. Yes, after the martial arts master regained her honor, she decided to update her outfit. A tight sports top, short sports panties, updated foot and shin guards and, of course, bandages on the hands. The color scheme has also changed, now black prevailed there, while maroon only emphasized the details. But what was even more noticeable was the tattoo of a sand lizard that seemed to run along the right side of the Frenchwoman's neck and cheek.

She stopped several times to sign posters, as well as make a few selfies. She just couldn't refuse them. A long time ago, Charlotte did not think about popularity because she did not believe that her views could be interesting to anyone. But, starting from the first day, she began to win their hearts. The audience liked the unshakable moral principles that Charlotte followed.

The young woman stopped once more in front of the ring. It was almost impossible not to notice that here and there were scattered things that she and her opponent will use in order to get the victory. Metal. A lot of metal. Charlotte clenched her fists for a moment, and then took a deep breath. Rushing forward, she jumped onto the edge of the ring and grabbed the top rope. Pulling it down, she pounced up in order to soar into the air. As soon as her feet touched the mat, the ring announcer took the floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Hold your breath to get used to the lack of oxygen. The champion chooses the challenger. The challenger chooses the conditions. What does it mean? Damn right, this is the Entropy title match! And I'll be damned if the chosen conditions have disappointed you! Today, the champion and the challenger will have to taste the metal because they will come together in a life-and-death fight. A Full Metal Mayhem match! And now, introducing first! The challenger! From Paris, the city of love! Like a phoenix, burned in flames, but risen from the ashes! Six feet one inches tall! Weighing one hundred and fifty-four pounds! A noble fighter of AFW! Please welcome! Charlotte! The Sand Lizard!! Ravel'!!!"

The pink-haired woman took a wide step forward, placing her right foot slightly to the left of her left foot. She pushed off the mat and let her body start spinning. Swinging her left leg, she cut through the air like with a sword, showing the audience a spectacular jumping spinning heel kick. And as soon as she landed on her feet and straightened up to her full height, the Sand Lizard raised her right fist above her head, accepting the deafening cheers of the audience. There was a smile on the Frenchwoman's face. It was her second match at Summer Splash. She still remembered the support she received last time. Then she didn't live up to their expectations. But today she had another chance. And she was going to take that chance.

When her music ended, the martial arts master greeted the referee and headed to her corner. Leaning back, she crossed her arms under her breasts. In a few minutes her rival will appear here. As Charlotte said during the promo, she hoped to face Harumi, the previous Entropy champion, under similar circumstances. However, Harumi lost. Samantha was the champion now. Well. No one said it would be easy. But for someone who follows the path of a real fighter, such a challenge is an opportunity. An opportunity to become stronger. After all, this is possible only in a fight with a strong opponent.

When the lights in the arena went out and the unfamiliar music began, Charlotte turned her head to the side. The top of the ramp filled with fog, and then she finally got to see the current Entropy champion. Samantha sat on a throne that was as massive as herself. Perhaps in another situation, the Frenchwoman would have grinned, because she considered such an entrance too pretentious. However, instead, the Sand Lizard pursed her lips in annoyance.

The reason for this was the fact that the American woman without any remorse stepped on the title belt, as if it was some useless junk. Yes, of course, Charlotte had already managed to understand exactly how the Entropy champion perceived her title and belt. For her, it was just a legitimate reason for receiving the bigger salary. And yet the pink-haired woman was annoyed by what she saw.

The martial artist took a deep breath. She wasn't going to let her emotions overwhelm her, especially since the match hadn't started yet. However, there was not long to wait. Despite the fact that Samantha clearly wanted to demonstrate maximum disregard for the belt, she did not hesitate and quickly headed to the ring.

Soon the champion found herself inside the squared circle and, it seems, she decided to do without an introduction from the ring announcer. Well, that was her right, and it didn't bother Charlotte at all. The main thing was that the champion gave the belt to the referee, which meant that almost everything was ready for the start of the match. The American woman decided to warm up a little in her corner, and Charlotte, in turn, pushed off from the corner in order to go to the center of the ring.

The martial arts master's left eyebrow lifted slightly when she heard Samantha's question. Did Charlotte really have something to say to this woman? Everything she wanted to say, she had already said a few weeks ago when she received a challenge from the champion. The young woman knew that Samantha absolutely did not care about Charlotte's opinion about anything. However, this did not cancel the attitude of the Sand Lizard to the champion.

She dedicated her life to self-development through martial arts. Many years of training have made her who she is now. Charlotte wanted to be an example for many future generations of fighters. And that was one of the reasons she was here today. Of course, Samantha probably thought that Charlotte aspired to the title and belt only because it would make her famous. But it was actually a little simpler.

Charlotte clenched her right fist and pressed it against her straightened left palm. Samantha was the one who revels in her strength in front of the weak. And she had no respect for the title she was defending today. And that's why she didn't deserve it. The Frenchwoman bowed to her rival. No matter how she felt about this woman, honor for the Sand Lizard was above all and her code required her to show respect before the start of the match. And, yes, there was probably one thing she wanted to say.

"I will do what I must," Charlotte said, straightening up to her full height.

With these simple words, she would take a few steps back from the center of the ring and take a fighting stance. Charlotte would have left her right foot a step back. She would clench her fists and raise them, the right fist would be near her right cheek, and the left fist would be at the level of the middle of her torso. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on her opponent. She had nothing more to say and now the only thing that separated them from the start of the match was the ringing of the bell.

"As you wish," Charlotte replied to her rival's sharp phrase.

Like the Frenchwoman, Samantha was ready for the start of the match. The Sand Lizard couldn't deny that she felt tense, even the air felt heavy to her. Just like the time she tried to defeat Alaina. She approached every match with all seriousness, but it was not an ordinary match. Having found herself at the bottom after the previous Summer Splash, it took her a lot of time and effort to find herself again. And she wasn't going to be back where the previous title shot had sent her.

Ding-Ding-Ding.

Along with the ringing of the bell, the arena was filled with shouts and applause from the audience. But although the Frenchwoman felt their energy, she remained focused on Samantha. And for good reason, because the American woman almost immediately rushed forward, approaching Charlotte and gaining speed with every step.

It seems that the first thing she decided to do was to use her best sides, namely weight and strength. There was no doubt that the Sand Lizard was significantly behind the champion in this. And if she tried to compete with Samantha on this battlefield, it would be a kind of suicide. So she wasn't going to do it.

Charlotte didn't budge, instead starting to sway on her toes. Samantha was definitely the heaviest she had ever fought, outweighing both Alaina and Ragna. But the pink-haired woman had enough experience in such confrontations. And since the champion decided from the very beginning to take advantage of her best qualities, Charlotte intended to do the same.

Having let the American woman within two steps, the Sand Lizard was going to push off from the mat with her left foot in order to make a short and quick jump to the right, thereby leaving her opponent's line of attack. And if she had succeeded, she would have used what most often helped her in any match.

She was going to turn to the left and at the same time push off the mat once again. She really mastered a lot of martial arts, but the pinnacle of her skill was taekwondo. Her legs were her best weapon and right now she was going to use them. Swinging her right leg bent at the knee, she was going to make an arc, and then quickly straighten this leg in order to send the foot to the back of Samantha's head and hit her with a jumping roundhouse kick!

Right on target. Charlotte understood that she would not be able to dance around her opponent throughout the match. However, as long as she was full of energy, this tactic was very effective. This was best proved by the fact that she managed to get away from Samantha's line of attack, and then send a powerful kick to the back of the champion's head.

This gave the American woman additional acceleration, due to which she crashed into the corner and was forced to grab the top ropes in order not to fall. Charlotte put her attacking foot back on the mat and almost immediately moved towards her opponent. One kick was clearly not enough to completely stun a woman like Samantha. But the martial arts master had a plan.

However, a gap appeared in her plan almost immediately. The reason for this was that the champion's sycophant decided to intervene in the match much earlier than the Sand Lizard expected. And by the time the pink-haired woman approached Samantha, the champion had a chair in her hands. And she hastened to use it, turning around with a scream and sending this chair into Charlotte's head.

Charlotte's eyes widened for a moment. This has happened before. At that time, Ragna was in Samantha's place. At that time, Charlotte tried to evade. At that time she didn't make it. At that time the chair smashed her head.

Exhaling all the air from her lungs, the pink-haired woman threw both hands up and at the same time shifted her right foot to the right. The chair slammed into her forearms and a resonance went through her bones. The Sand Lizard staggered even though she took a firmer position with the help of her right leg. Her opponent's strength was truly wild.

"Gghhh..." She let out a painful groan through clenched teeth.

Her arms were filled with pain in the blink of an eye, because stopping metal with bones is not the best idea. But it was much better than if the chair had crashed into her head. When she fought against Ragna, it was like a real hell. But it gave her an experience. And it helped her now.

Abruptly spreading her arms to the sides, she intended to grab the chair. Yes, she didn't have a chance to snatch it out of Samantha's hands. But in order to loosen the champion's grip, the Sand Lizard intended to lift her right leg bent at the knee, and then straighten this leg in order to hit Samantha's solar plexus with a simple push kick.

So Charlotte wanted the pain and lack of air to make Samantha lose concentration. After all, if everything was exactly like that, then it is unlikely that something would prevent Charlotte from straining her arms in order to push the chair forward and thereby hit her opponent's face. Not only to stun her, but to make Samantha press her back against the corner.

Experience. That's what Charlotte got in all her previous matches. The Frenchwoman did not pay much attention to the choice of opponents, entrusting it to her manager. However, since joining the AFW, she has met with a large number of women, each of whom was somehow different from the others. Different ages. Different weights. Different height. This is what helped the Sand Lizard to further develop her main ability. Ability to adapt to the opponent.

In this case, the experience she gained in the match with Ragna helped her. That woman was no smaller than Samantha in size. The match itself was like a real hell, where they tried to stuff each other into a coffin. One of the toughest matches that the pink-haired woman had to go through. Every fighter should be able to learn from their mistakes. Charlotte made the mistake of trying to dodge the chair that time, but this time she knew what she had to do.

And it worked. The martial arts master caught the champion by surprise, blocking the chair with her forearms. When her attack didn't work, Samantha hesitated and that opened up an opportunity for Charlotte. Paralyzing the champion with a kick to the solar plexus, Charlotte hit Samantha with her own chair.

"Got you..." she thought.

When the metal crashed into the American woman's face, she recoiled with a cry of pain. At the same time, the chair remained in the hands of the Sand Lizard. And she quickly figured out how to use it. Taking a wide step towards her opponent in the corner, she intended to make a wide swing, and then hit the top of the champion's head with that chair! So she wanted to make sure that a powerful woman like Samantha would stay stunned for a few more moments.

Why did Charlotte need this? Well. If she really managed to stun Samantha, she would immediately throw the chair to the side, closer to the center of the ring. And then it would become clear why she wanted to stun Samantha. The Frenchwoman intended to grab her opponent's head, thereby closing her in a simple side headlock hold. At this point, the audience would surely start to build up the noise. And there was a reason for that. They knew what Charlotte wanted to do.

And they were right. If the pink-haired woman had not met resistance, she would have started moving forward, dragging Samantha with her. It would only take her two long strides before making a jump, throwing both legs forward. The Sand Lizard intended to fall on her back and at the same time smash Samantha's face right into the chair with one of her favorite moves, namely a running dog!