AV 20 Hardcore Championship - River Styx (c) vs Galina Romerno

Match Type: TBC

Galina had to admit, winter was her season. Perhaps it was because of being a Russian native, perhaps because the coldness served as a nice contrast to her fire red hair. Or perhaps it was due to the drive for blood and battles that stirred and boiled within her, either way she was liking her chances tonight.......

Why? Because for one it was her debut and second it was because it was a title fight! If there was any chance to show what the Rose of Russia was gonna be capable of this was it, Galina didn't care about the end result. So long as she gave one hell of a fight and made sure she honoured her Father's deal with that MMA promoter. Galina even had her own locker room and one hell of an entrance planned for tonight, it involved a lot of favours being called. Some wheeling and dealing, some that Galina wasn't going to fully complete. After all she hadn't spat on her hand when she shook with them......that would be handled later.

To think it all came from fighting at some nightclub and a chick with a gas mask. Galina had heard of Styx after that time, if there was anyone that Galina was gonna enjoy punching it'd be her. Galina was in her locker room bouncing from side to side in the mirror doing some shadowboxing, dressed in her usual getup near the door was some other stuff. A baseball bat and a cape and hat, commissar style. She finished her little warmup with a jumping dropkick, landing on the floor after. Galina gazed at herself in the mirror and smirked, it was time to show the wrath of Russia.

When the stage hand told her it was go time Galina wasted no time and donned her cape and hat and slung the bat over her shoulder, she made her way round the arena. Whereupon.......

A tank was waiting for her.

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Galina grinned, they actually brought one for her debut. Some of her dad's friends were going to drive it, the Rose of Russia was to sit atop it. She nodded at them as she got up top and sat near the shell barrel and grabbed her native flag followed by draping it over her shoulders, speaking in Russian of how Galina was gonna take Styx to a little Siberian blizzard experience. The lights in the arena dimmed, before suddenly the alarm sounds of Black Racers blared from the speakers. Galina licked her lips as the tank loudly and proudly burst through a plastic wall to make its entrance with the spotlight shining brightly on her, she hefted her bat and pointed it forwards, as if she was a general commanding a charge.......

It did a full lap around the outside of the ring, with Galina moving down and highfiving the crowd in the front row. One was even gracious enough to lend Galina a little bottle of vodka they brought it, Galina downed it in one and handed it back. After the lap was complete the Rose highfived her tank crew before leaping off it as it drove away, with a smirk Galina strode towards the ring. Holding up the Russian flag and draping it over the ring post followed by her hat and cape before entering the squared circle, Galina grinned ear to ear and smacked the canvas with her bat before yelling "Argghhhhhh! Let's goooooooooooo!" and waited in the corner bouncing from side to side. Her first proper match in Japan and she was facing a champion, Mother Russia hungered for blood..........

The crowd was booing for Styx before she even stepped out, before they laid a single eye on her. While Galina was new and untested, it hardly mattered to them when it came to who they favored. It was the mystery Russian with the smiles and the highfives and the tank versus the bitch who had spent the better part of their career telling them how worthless they were, how they weren’t worthy of seeing her fight, how much she hated each and every one of them. It wasn’t even a contest in that regard.

Styx loved it.

”Uno, dos, tres, get the fuck up!”

River Styx came out from the back with Abattoir close behind, the two of them taking position at the top of the ramp and looking out over the capacity crowd. She’d never cared all that much for pyrotechnics or grand displays or anything that pleased the crowd - just like her outfit, she was barebones, the essence of what a hardcore wrestler should have been. Jeans, long and black. Boots. A sleeveless shirt with her favorite band’s name, ‘Anarchy’, on the front, with an upside-down cross. She had a new theme, ripped off the newest album of another band she liked, but that was as far as she cared to go with it.

Call me insidious, sadistic, narcissistic demon child!
But tell me what's in the name
Tell me it's all the same and no one's ever gonna take my side!
Ballistic, egotistic, homicidal animal!
I got a predator's mind, not gonna leave it behind, gonna let it infect my skull!

No, the only flair she needed was this title belt, and Styx held it high and proud, taking in a fresh wave of hate as she did. Seeing her with this belt was the last thing they wanted, the last thing that the AFW higher ups could stomach. Maximilian up in his booth, way more interested in jello fights and cute girls in g-strings than anything coming close to a real match. They didn’t have the stomach for blood. Didn’t know what real blood was.

She was going to show them, whether they liked it or not. Hell, she hoped they didn’t. And this belt was the perfect teaching tool, a way to bring the fights straight to her. She wasn’t giving it up easy. She wasn’t giving it up at all. She damn sure wasn’t giving it up to Galina. If the redhead was where they placed their hopes, they were all going home disappointed.

”You want it?! You got it!
Take it!
This is war!
You want it?! You got it!
You can keep it!
Break it all, break it all!

She made her way down the ramp, dangling the belt at her side. She handed it off to Abattoir, then made her way up the steps, slipping through the ropes, only to stop halfway through when something caught her eye - that flag. Styx hadn’t paid much attention to Galina’s entrance, and she was only noticing it now, draped over the ringpost, hanging proud. That made sense, Galina seemed to be proud of her heritage...maybe a little too proud. It gave her an idea on how to get a quick, easy leg up on her.

Styx walked over to the corner post, took the flag, crumbled it up, and tossed it down to the floor.

For whatever reason, this made the crowd boo even harder, which got a full laugh from Styx as she entered the ring. ”What? It’s not even your flag, dumbasses!” She flipped them off as she made her way to the center of the ring, ready to get this going.

It wouldn't be long now, before Styx made her way to the ring and then Galina could show her prowess as a fighter and bring home glory for her people. Already the redhead was thinking she could just run up to the ramp and go backstage and take her out then and there, but alas such a thing wouldn't make for a great fable to tell the folks back home. Besides Galina wanted to see what Styx had for an entrance, to see if she could top bringing in a goddamn Russian tank to the arena.

Which something told Galina that this was a very doubtful case, regardless Galina leaned casually on the turnbuckles. Twirling her bat on the floor with her fingers just barely holding to the pommel of it. Galina wouldn't have to wait long regardless as some heavy hitting hard music began blaring from the speakers, nice track. Really charming, Galina could love a good metal track. It made her trips to the city growing up so much more enjoyable.

Styx was dressed for battle, good. Galina grinned ear to ear and shuffled about from side to side. Barely able to contain her excitement. The crowd were booing the ever loving heck outta Styx, fine by Galina. The champ was here to kick ass and take names it seemed, Galina licked her lips. Abattoir was up and about too, no doubt still hopping mad after the Rose of Russia gave her a good ol beatdown awhile back. If the gas masked girl gave Galina a good go then Styx had to be a cut above.......

It seemed that Styx wasn't one for flags, given her desecration of hers. Galina tilted her head, before chuckling to herself as Styx flipped off the whole crowd. Galina couldn't really care about the politics of her homeland, she was raised in a Gypsy camp that were called things like vagrants among other things. She was no stranger to trash talk either, but Galina played it cool so far. She had a prize on the line and had to bring it to her people. Styx was making her way to the middle of the ring, Galina put the baseball bat in the corner and made her way to the middle of the ring and slapped her jaw with both hands. The ref was already moving into action here.

Galina let the ref do whatever, she just waited for that bell to ring. All the while she kept her eyes locked on Styx's. The Gypsy's heart beat a mile a second here, but she was excited. This was it, Galina was gonna show Styx some good ol winter fury here tonight!

Styx didn’t look towards Galina as she entered the ring - not at first, anyway. Her focus was more on the baseball bat her opponent had brought along, the one she had only now discarded. Not the best idea, in her experience, Styx liked to keep her weapons close at hand, ready and handy. Maybe Galina wasn’t taking this too serious? Big mistake, but she wasn’t about to point it out. Let her falter, let her fail, didn’t make much difference. All she wanted tonight was a victim.

Styx stepped away, just for a moment, to hand the belt off to Abattoir, then focused back on her foe, seeing her all bouncing and smiling and happy. Eager. She could fix that.

The referee moved in between them as she returned to the center, getting ready to do one of the few things responsibilities he’d have for this match. Looking between them, more than a little nervous. He brought his arms up, then dropped it down, with the bell sounding right after, and his first move was to take a quick, big step back, getting out of range. Smart man.

Styx’s opening move was a simple one: She stepped forward, raising her boot, and struck out, aiming her heel at Galina’s chest, aiming to punt her opponent halfway across the ring if she didn't’ move in time.

This was it, go time for the title fight! Galina knew there'd be no introductions, this was a fight. It was go time, the Rose of Russia was gonna get in there and give the champ the fight of her life here tonight. It was wise the ref was keeping out the way, because anything and everything went now. Save for Galina having her tank blow up Styx, but the sheer fact she had to resort to that would mean that Styx could have won by default in the mind of the Gypsy. But aside from that Galina was gonna make sure that Styx bled, she was gonna have the colours of Russia emblazoned on her come hell or high water. Abattoir merely wetted Galina's appetite and she expected the champ to be a cut above here tonight.

With the bell rung Styx was going. Oh boy was she going for Galina, the Gypsy was already in her usual fighting stance and balling her fists among other things. When the champ ran in and booted Galina hard in the gut! So the main thing Galina learned from that was that Styx hit hard as she looked, like a rock. With a good bit of speed there too. It earned a very loud grunt from the Russian redhead, who of course went flying backwards!

Galina was staggering backwards heavily, dang near tripping over herself in doing so. But the Gypsy was spry, the ladette was going right towards the ropes. The Rose of Russia gritted her teeth and dug down to try and retaliate, she went backwards into the ropes. Almost appearing as if she was going to be flung out the ring, only to then pivot out from them and lunge right at Styx with reckless abandon in an attempt to drive right into her with a spear!

So. Styx had just booted Galina in the stomach. That wasn’t enough to knock her down, which was kind of impressive. Styx was six feet tall, easy, and weighed well over 200 pounds. She hadn’t hit a scale in a while, but she was willing to bet she was in the 250, maybe 260 range. A lot of raw, natural strength, and while she wasn’t fat, she didn’t exactly miss any meals, either. A hefty woman.

Galina looked like she was, oh, 130ish. Good shape, but lightweight. Midweight at best.

After launching that attack and sending her opponent reeling, Styx thought she would wise up and hang back, try and outfox her like the smaller girls always did when she took them on. Rarely worked, but that was always the play.

Not this time, though. Galina brought the fight straight to her, with a raw spear of all things.

The woman came barreling forward, and the sheer boldness of the move was enough to leave Styx surprised and open, letting the move knock her back. If they had been a tad closer in build, it might have even brought her down, but she had the bulk to take such a blow and stay on her feet. And retaliate, as well.

Styx brought her fist up and swung it down hard, hammering Galina hard on the shoulder with a clubbing blow.

Galina wasn't the sort to put much thought into planning ahead, when you lived like she did. Scraping by day by day in the harsh Russian winters you did whatever you could at the time and hoped for the best, Galina knew people who that hadn't worked out for. But it wouldn't stop the Rose of Russia from having a go off it all, Styx got the best of Galina there in the opening exchange. Punting the fiery redhead across the ring, to which Galina had hoped to weaponize momentum and bowl Styx off her feet.

Alas momentum wasn't enough, Galina felt herself making contact and swore Styx had to feel that. But Styx was taking it in stride like a damn brick wall, followed by slamming her fist right into Galina's shoulder. For a brief moment Galina swore she lost feeling in it and cursed in Russian under her breath, damn that hurt. This was a terrible start so far for the Gypsy, a far cry from how well she expected to do at the start of all of this. Needless to say it was really, really pissing Galina off here.

Her Roma temper was flaring now, Galina was wanting payback. She couldn't do much from here given her kneeling position, save for one thing. Quick as a flash with her unattacked arm Galina would thrust it upwards and try to punch Styx right in the groin area, man or woman landing a hit there would make you go falsetto briefly. Galina spoke from experience there.

”And that’s why you should’ve started off with the bat.”

See? Styx was being helpful, giving Galina some much needed advice, from one hardcore wrestler to another. That was how she was choosing to contextualize things, anyway. She knew from the Abattoir fight that her opponent had the capacity to hold her own in a straight fight, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do with a little more knowledge. It was Styx’s duty as champion to bestow it upon her, right? Something like that.

Fun little thought. Styx had another, too: Knocking Galina out with her own bat.

She was about to move towards doing that, too, thinking her opponent was too konked out to fight for the moment, but that was a false assumption. Galina proved that when she brought her fist up and planted it square between Styx’s legs, hitting her personal favorite body part. A loud, undignified grunt flew from the hardcore champion’s lips, and she wound up stumbling back and falling to a knee, her face crumpled up in a rictus of pain and rage.

That did it, that was a nice way to level the playing field. Galina learned that trick early in her fighting career that worked on both genders, given that she had gone up against men bigger and taller than her in pit fights she had to bring them down a peg. Hence why she got good at targeting that spot, when it was allowed that was. Even MMA matches had limits, but this didn't. Galina more preferred just going wild anyway, the burning smell of the pit arena lit torches, the grit and dirt on her body and the copper smell of blood. The Rose of Russia gave a little smirk as she felt her blow connect and Styx feeling the same effect as everyone else hit there, just what Galina needed too.

The Gypsy winced as she felt the pain on her shoulder, just made her even more driven to bloody up the champ. She balled her hands into fists, Styx was reeling and on the knee as it were. Galina decided that her crass blow could do with a nice follow up, the distance was just right. Galina as crude and vulgar as she could be could learn from her mistakes, it came with her experience as a Gypsy pit fighter. She might have tried to tackle her into a ground and pound situation, but given her earlier spear didn't do much.....it was time to try something a bit more well placed.

So Galina went with getting herself into a running start posture, sizing up where Styx and her knee was. Before rushing at the champ, the Rose of Russia seeking to get one leg onto Styx's knee and slamming her other leg's foot right into Styx's jaw with a beautifully placed Shining Wizard!