"Iron Orca" Kuroe vs Sydney Giovanni - Generations Clash!

Kuroe does a little fist pump for herself; it felt good nailing her favored move, and she seemed to have gotten the crowd to make a bit of noise. Fully realizing that her opponent seemed to be "doing the job" for her, however, Kuroe once again couldn't help but feel a little bad. She had always thought she'd earned everything she had because of her efforts, and not once did she ever consider that someone, be it an individual or the company, might've been bending over backwards to get her over. The thought did not exactly make her sick; she could appreciate the efforts of others, and she could certainly appreciate taking a helping hand, but some miniscule part of the pride she had just made it feel "wrong."

She briefly thinks back to her streaming debut; she had been announced as part of the company's latest generation of streamers. Eyes had been on her from the very beginning, entirely because of the Deep Sea name; their branding and marketing had gotten her foot in the door to relevancy. Perhaps this was just like that; while she'd wrestled smaller shows before, the buzz for those shows was never anything like this. As she contemplates all of this, she grabs Sydney's arm and begins lifting her up into a kneeling position, looking her in the eyes for just a moment, her knowing gaze conveying a simple thought: "Is this what you want?".

She hesitates for just a moment to let Sydney think, but plays it off with a tiny bit of showboating before reeling back and delivering a short-arm clothesline, dropping Sydney to the mat without releasing her arm. Kuroe's brute strength was... middling at best; the move was not especially strong, but the delivery was made with all the moxie she could muster, all for the sake of this exhibition. She looks downward, making eye contact once again as she continues to grasp Sydney's arm, intent on pulling her up a second time and throwing a second wild short-arm.

Sydney found herself being lifted into a kneeling position, her eyes locking with Kuroe's. At that moment, she sensed the hesitation in Kuroe's movements, as if the Iron Orca was questioning the nature of their bout. Sydney understood the unspoken inquiry, and a hint of gratitude flashed in her eyes, acknowledging the unspoken agreement. It made Sydney realize that, in the end, she was facing a young pup. It was a lot to put on her for her debut match, but seems like she'd still fight regardless.
The moment of contemplation was brief, however, as Kuroe seamlessly transitioned into a showboating display. Sydney felt the impact of the short-arm clothesline, enough to send her sprawling onto the mat. It was clear that Kuroe was giving it her all, and Sydney decided to reciprocate by selling the move with a convincing display of struggle. She could tell her opponent was still hesitant on stealing the win so easily, but the redhead tried to make it clear that she didn't care. She had far outgrown the need for appreciation and respect in the ring. Her legacy was already a glimmer of charred ashes, so there was no point in fearing for her reputation.
As Kuroe looked down at her, Sydney met her gaze again, offering a nod of encouragement. As Kuroe reached down to pull her up for the second short-arm, Sydney went with the flow, ready to continue their orchestrated performance. She could tell the audience was slightly confused that a newbie would have such an easy time against an actual veteran in the wrestling scene, but even if they did know she wasn't trying, she didn't care. However, she also didn't want to mess with Kuroe's reputation, and make it look like she has rigged matches, so in a moment of kindness on her part, she grabbed Kuroe by her waist and slammed her into the turnbuckle. That was the most she'd do for the masked woman, to make sure she didn't ruin her career.

Kuroe crashes headlong into the turnbuckle, bouncing off with a resounding "Oof!". While it hurt, she feels a pang of relief as she collects herself, feeling just a bit better about the match with this exchange. She falls briefly to the mat, legitimately selling the impact, having run a bit too enthusiastically as she was sent on her collision course.

She had this tendency to burn energy by going a little too hard. Thankfully, she had boundless reserves of it. With adrenaline pumping in her veins, she quickly rises back up to her feet and spins around to point at her opponent, striking a pose to convey her defiance.

"Lets gooooo!" she exclaims, quickly regaining her moxie as she runs towards and right past Sydney, zipping behind her and off the ropes, rebounding past her a second time, picking up speed before finally leaping and turning in midair into a running crossbody, attempting to collide with her foe, then immediately kip up back into a ready stance to stalk her from behind.

Sydney couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia as Kuroe rose to her feet, pointing defiantly with undeniable energy. The younger wrestler's enthusiasm and pep reminded Sydney of someone from her past, not Louise, but another companion she used to face in the ring—a spirited soul who radiated energy much like Kuroe.
A soft smile tugged at the corners of Sydney's lips, the memory of those lively encounters resurfacing. It was a bittersweet sign of the times. It washed over her like a flood, and without much hesitation, or struggle anymore, she took a deep breath and waited for Kuroe to make her next move.
As Kuroe's spirited cry echoed through the arena, Sydney found herself on the receiving end of a rapid and dynamic assault. The younger wrestler's agility and speed became apparent as she darted past Sydney, utilizing the ropes to propel herself with even greater momentum. The seasoned veteran, caught off guard by the swiftness of Kuroe's movements, struggled to even keep track of her.
Off the ropes and rebounding for a second pass, Kuroe unleashed a running crossbody, aiming to collide with Sydney. The impact struck true, leaving Sydney momentarily stunned and grappling with the unexpected force. As Kuroe seamlessly kipped up into a ready stance behind her, Sydney felt the lingering effects of the energetic maneuver. She barely even had the strength to get back up—laid out on the canvas, elbow holding up her tired upper body. She wanted to leave, unable to handle such nostalgia, but she stayed put, having to settle with being knocked out. That was if, Kuroe had the strength to.
"Come at me.." She whispered; pleading for this match to end.

Kuroe wouldn't waste the opportunity, stricken with the feeling of elation in the crowd. Though their match was merely the opener for the rest of today's show, the Orca had never been in front of such a loud, excitable crowd before. Grinning from ear to ear, she hoists Sydney up off the mat from behind, hooking her head under one armpit and dropping back-first to the mat, delivering a reverse DDT.

She quickly stands once more, pointing out the second rope, getting another pop as those in attendance who knew what was coming next made some noise. She turns towards Sydney again and lifts her up a second time, pulling her across the ring and lifting her upwards as if for a vertical suplex, struggling just a bit because of their size difference. She stops midway and drapes Sydney's legs over the second set of ropes, hooking her head, this time facing downward, in the front DDT position, left precariously off the ground as Kuroe holds her like this for just a moment, choosing not to showboat too much for fear of rubbing salt into the proverbial wound. Sydney was doing her a service by giving her this win, and Kuroe was going to do her best to make sure she didn't ruin it by fooling around too much.

Down she went, leaping backward and pulling Sydney with her, performing her signature middle-rope Hangman DDT. Of all the moves in the Orca's arsenal, this was the one that always seemed to shine brightest, her middling Indy record owing a good portion of its wins to this one move. If she pulled this off, she'd immediately roll into a pinfall, wasting absolutely no time hooking both legs.

Sydney felt the elation of the crowd and Kuroe's infectious excitement, even in the midst of her own orchestrated defeat. As Kuroe hoisted her up for the reverse DDT, Sydney thought about how she used to have the same love for wrestling that her opponent did at some point. However, the impact quickly resonated through her body, and she winced slightly—pretending to be knocked out. She could have kept fighting, but she didn't want to take away such a big moment for her anyway. Moreover, coming from a veteran, she'd definitely agree that her move packed quite the hit, if it was enough to make her moan in pain. Of course, she wouldn't tell her that—both women had better things to do with their time, and Kuroe, for that matter, had better opponents to mess around with. The redhead on the other hand was washed up; a husk of her former self. She might never return to who she once was, and in all fairness, she wasn't trying to. She just couldn't find happiness, when the two people she swore to love forever are dead, and her children are out in the world getting into trouble.
However, currently, as Kuroe hooked both legs, the referee slid into position to begin the count. "One!" The crowd chanted along, their enthusiasm reaching a crescendo. She absolutely despised all the noise every one was making, especially when she was supposed to play dead until Kuroe managed to get the win, but every tap felt like an eternity. "Two!"
"Three!" The referee's hand hit the mat for the final time, signaling the end of the match. She sighed, letting Kuroe get off, as she rolled her head to the side; not wanting to look at the sight of her opponent's victory. She didn't feel bad about letting the young pup win, but there was a shame that came from losing this much. She truly did have the talent and skill, but would she ever really use it? She wasn't her mother, and she wasn't her daughter, so what did that ultimately make her at the end of the day? No doubt that it wouldn't matter after a drink or two. However, she'd stay laying there on the canvas, until her opponent decided to leave—a hesitant hope that the referee wouldn't try to help her up.

Kuroe couldn't believe it, the match was over. She had won! Though her opponent had thrown for her, she did so in a way that at least didn't seem too incredibly obvious. She had never expected to win on her debut on a stage of this magnitude, but she already couldn't wait to see the comments on her next stream.

"Thank you!" she speaks in accented English before standing up from the pin, truly grateful for Sydney's efforts. She stands and celebrates as the referee raises her hand. After a moment of basking in the cheers she jumps around like she just won a world title before getting her queue to move along, their match was just the opener, after all. She makes her way up the ramp, high-fiving members of the crowd on the way up and past the entry apron, heading backstage.