---

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The following week…

The third showing of No Mercy Wrestling was set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hosted by the Bank of Oklahoma. The BOK Center was packed to full capacity with an eager crowd that had given the NMW a boisterous first greeting to their city. Every match and promotion of the evening seemed to rouse the fans like they were at a PLE which in turn motivated the performers to give their all. Even the commentary team seemed more lively than usual. The positive energy was a nice distraction from the events of the previous week which were still seeped into everyone’s minds.

Mihailo Vasić‘s vicious beatdown of Jay Wyatt and the obvious shade thrown at Mark Trenton by Antonio Deguara earlier the previous week had left everyone tense, fans and wrestlers alike. The latter had also stoked smoldering embers online among the NMW fanbase which was, after all, a melding of two former promotions’ followings. Many among the CSW carryover fans were quick to join the bashing of Mark Trenton as NMWW carryover fans immediately rushed to defend him despite everything. The harsh reality was that Trenton had been the founder and GM of NMWW and barely kept the ship from sinking with everyone aboard. Had it not been for the CSW merger proposition Trenton and all the women of NMWW would be adrift with their careers. And it was obvious now that Antonio Deguara II enjoyed everyone being reminded of this truth, professionalism be damned.

And then there was Mihailo Vasić and his sister, Katarina - both recruited by Antonio Deguara himself - who were rumored to have been put up to brutalizing and belittling Jay Wyatt in every way possible. To further toy with Mark Trenton what with Jay Wyatt being Mark’s “golden boy” in the business. While no open accusations had been made the scuttlebutt was out there and anyone who had been in the main office said the friction was practically visible in the air. Needless to say the vibe in Tulsa was proving a good enough distraction for the NMW universe. At least for the night.

It was raining outside, a heavy downpour with gentle rumbles of thunder in the distance. Kendra Snipes was standing near a backstage window and watching the rain spattering against the glass. Kendra was dressed in her ring gear but wore a solid black leather jacket over her top. She and Fiona were not scheduled to compete tonight and had the run of the arena to themselves. Kendra was somewhat let down that she and Fiona weren't getting to take advantage of such an animated full house but she reminded herself there would always be more shows and more crowds.

Fiona walked the halls backstage, feeling similarly let down. After her segment last week, which had been well-received by the fans as far as she knew, she'd expected a match here in Tulsa, either alone or as a tag team. But as she trained over the week with Kendra, the call never came, and neither of their names showed up on the match card. She thought for sure Mr. McKinney would want to take advantage of her rivalries with Ash Weathers or Keysha Wayne, or get Defiant Dream back in the ring against the Beatifics. She almost considered asking for a chance to fight Katarina Vasić after the way she and her brother had treated Jay Wyatt, but she doubted she had the pull to make demands just a few weeks into her NMW career. So when she flew out to Tulsa with the company, it was apparently just to do signings and take pictures with fans before the show.

She did that in her new ring gear, a light sky blue bra top and mini shorts with eye-catching silver trim, keeping consistent with the Defiant Dream's color now that they were established as a team again. She'd swapped out her usual studded leather belt for a silky silver cloth one, tied at the hip with the ends trailing to mid-thigh, thin blue boot covers coming up over her knees as usual. Her fingerless gloves doubled as long arm sleeves all the way up past her biceps, leaving just her shoulders bare. It was as flashy a gear set as Fiona had ever worn, and she felt cute as hell, but apparently the fans would have to wait at least another week to see her in the ring.

Fiona found Kendra by the window, watching the storm outside. She stood beside her, putting her back to the wall and crossing her arms. "Guess that's us done for the night," she said, not trying to hide her disappointment. She watched some of the other wrestlers and staff moving about with feverish activity to and from the changing rooms. "Hopefully this CSW/NMWW thing doesn't get any worse. I figured once we were all under one brand it'd be every man and woman for themselves, a fresh start for everyone. Guess Mr. Deguara and a few of his wrestlers have different ideas."

“You know,” Kendra said, crossing her arms, “I don’t keep up with the whole… Wall Street, big business… ‘crypto bro’ stuff. But…”

Kendra hesitated, turning in place and leaning up against the window, her arms still crossed over her chest. “I was worried about us working for the Deguara’s. I mean… sure, Mister Trenton is the CEO and all but our ‘direct boss’ is Gordon McKinney who basically answers to Diana Deguara. And all it takes is a few google searches to find out just what kind of person Antonio Deguara is.”

Kendra fidgeted for a moment, her eyes downcast. Frankly, she should not even be talking like this with Fiona about the NMW GM or his family. Not just in the context of work but common decency as well. Still, Antonio Deguara had a reputation as a cutthroat entrepreneur and just a few minutes of reading online articles about his past business practices and allegations around him made it clear what he was. A hard nosed utilitarian business mogul through and through. Fiona, Kendra, everyone that was part of NMW - they were assets first and people second. At least this was how Kendra interpreted everything. She could be wrong about, most likely.

“I think - I hope - maybe this is just… ‘chest thumping’.” Kendra said, “Antonio and Diana are accustomed to running everything their way. So, they probably feel the need to showboat and undercut here at the beginning. Still though, what happened last week… with Jay and… that Serbian Goliath…”

“That was just too much.” Kendra shook her head. She didn’t know Jay Wyatt at all, she had never spoken to or even made direct eye contact with him. Kendra had only seen him in passing backstage and in the parking lot. But she felt for him, deeply. And what he had been walked into last week was just fiendish. and unfair.

"Yeah, it really was." Fiona kept her voice low, even though there wasn't much risk of them being overheard with the muffled crowd noise as the show went on without them tonight. "My guess is that it'll keep going like this until the titles are decided. Mr. Deguara probably wants to make sure his people are the first ones wearing the belts here. That would be a... 'chest thumping' statement, as you put it."

She couldn't help but wonder if she'd put a target on her own back, and Kendra's by extension, with her segment on the mic last week. Fiona was seen as a rising star from NMWW with a ton of potential especially given how young she was, clearly one of Mark Trenton's favorite hires from the past year. Her debut had made former CSW fan-favorite Ada Eberhard look pretty bad, and then they asked her to talk up her own title chances, even if she didn't truly feel she was on that level yet...

Yeah, I need to keep on the lookout. So many people in this company I can't even begin to trust...

"I wonder if they'll try to go after Isabella the same way. Her and Raven are gonna end up at the center of all this." As the two former champions from NMWW and CSW, and the two clear frontrunners for the women's title here, their rivalry had immediately become very symbolic. Their no-contest fight at the grand opening had resolved nothing, and fans were already begging for a rematch. Isabella Cadiz had always seemed untouchable to Fiona while at NMWW, but after what had happened to Jay Wyatt, Fiona felt like no one was safe around here.

Kendra stood up straight, finally relaxing her arms at her sides as she looked at Fiona. When Kendra had beaten that jobber that had tried to ambush her and her partner she had felt almost untouchable in that moment. She had avoided being embarrassed by an underhanded attack and had won the match despite her opponent’s obvious willingness to play cheap tricks, all as the NMW fans and her partner cheered her on. And then there was Fiona’s stellar promo prior to that. Defiant Dream had made itself known in just the first two shows, on the mic and in the ring. But as her thoughts swirled around everything that was going on - at how fast the pace at NMW was picking up so early - Kendra suddenly felt very small and very vulnerable. And not just about the spiral from above. In her first match for NMW, Kendra had beaten a jobber. A mid card filler that had a petty grudge against her. Mister McKinney probably considered himself throwing her a bone. That was nothing compared to the kind of opponents Fiona for example had faced and even beaten. Now was not the time to climb up on a high horse. If there ever will be a time…

“Well, we can definitely bet that Isabella and some of the other, you know… ‘vets’ are gonna feel the worst of the heat. I know I shouldn’t think like this… but I really feel this is going to be a very one-sided affair.”

Kendra took a deep breath, her eyes moving down again, “I like Mister Trenton, I really do. He gave me my big break after all. What I am getting at here is that they say you have to fight fire with fire. And… can we really trust him to bring the heat against crooked management setting up ambushes and ‘cutting deals’ behind our backs?”

Someone had once told Kendra in passing that “politics” was a massive part of professional wrestling. At the time she thought that was just outright silly. Now she understood it. And she really didn’t like it.

Fiona couldn't help but think Kendra was right, at least in her outlook on the situation. Their side of the brewing conflict was smaller and less organized, while the CSW vets seemed to be working together well, and getting help where they needed it from the powers running things. They'd removed Jay Wyatt from the picture already, putting the men's division under the control of the likes of Silas Dane, Mihailo Vasić, or even the boss's son, Carlo, before he'd even fought a match.

The women's side was still unresolved, but the two big pillars holding up Trenton's side of things were clearly Isabella and Defiant Dream, Fiona specifically. Having an organized group targeting her, with backing from part of management all while they smiled and cheered her on, was making the bullying she suffered at the hands of the Beatifics last year feel trivial. Suddenly Fiona felt lucky not to have been given a match tonight. It gave her at least a little time to try to put up some defenses.

"We need friends, is what we need," she suggested, "so we can try to watch each other's backs. Guessing Isabella's a step ahead of us, she would've seen this coming. I can try talking to her. I'm sure Jay will work with us, once he recovers. Maybe Jason, or Quinn..." She didn't sound very certain, because the names she was listing weren't the biggest of guns, so to speak. And there was no guarantee they'd want to throw in their lot with the outnumbered few getting targeted by the Deguaras.

"As for the other NMWW women..." she grimaced. "I don't know. Guessing most of them will stay out of the way. A few of them would probably just backstab us if management asked." She really couldn't imagine asking Keysha or Ash for help. The NMWW vets were all too divided, just in it for themselves. It was a tough situation.

Kendra’s mouthed opened to respond when she was cut off by an “Excuse me.” in a commanding tone, followed by the unmistakable hurried clacking of heels against linoleum. It was an approaching woman’s voice that had come from behind Fiona. Kendra looked past her partner, her initially inquisitive expression quickly morphing to one of concerned surprise. It was Diana Deguara, lead producer of No Mercy Wrestling and the daughter of the NMW GM, Antonio Deguara. Diana walked toward the two former NMWW prospects with a stern look on her makeup-caked face. The Deguara heiresses’ brisk way of walking just radiated purpose and power. So much so that Kendra seemed to almost involuntarily snap to attention beside Fiona, arms at her side and chin high like a private before a drill instructor. Fiona and Kendra had not actually met Diana directly, this being their very first face-to-face with her. Kendra’s heart pounded like a drum at this prospect.

Diana came to a sharp stop mere inches from Fiona and Kendra, the near melodic clack of her black Cesare Paciotti shoes ceasing. The executive woman’s hazel-green eyes were like lasers reflecting through her thin glasses as she gave both halves of Defiant Dream a calculative once over. She was almost Kendra’s height, though anyone that looked down could credit that to her shoes. Diana had a clipboard tucked under her left arm and in her right hand she held her iPhone, the newest model.

“They told me you two were back here,” Diana said in a flat businesslike monotone, her eyes fixating on Fiona, “I had something I wanted to personally talk about with you.”

"Ms. Deguara," Fiona greeted, thinking about offering a hand to shake, but Diana's hands were quite full. And now I'm not really sure what to do with mine. "It's good to finally meet you."

Fiona knew what it felt like to be intimidated, as the likes of Isabella, Abby, and several others had done it to her before, intentionally or otherwise, but this was a slightly different feeling. Diana Deguara wouldn't have a chance in a fight against Fiona, but she wouldn't need to, because Fiona couldn't help but feel like this woman could ruin her with a couple words, or a single text to the wrong person. She had the kind of power that Fiona could only dream of right now: the ability to snap her fingers and make people dance.

Fiona found herself wishing she'd put on a jacket like Kendra had, or somehow found a way to add a few inches to her height. She was the shortest woman of the three, and the youngest, and she really felt like it, too. She glanced back to Kendra a moment, her posture a little more relaxed than her partner's, but still unable to hide a bit of sudden nervousness.

"What did you want to talk about?"

“Well…” Diana started but then hesitated, her eyes again moving between the other two women, “I’m sorry, we have not actually been introduced.”

Diana slipped her phone into the front right pocket of her cream-colored Alexander McQueen jacket and extended a dainty, manicured hand. She quickly shook with Fiona and Kendra while flashing a very forced smile with glazed over eyes to match. “I’m Diana Deguara, lead producer, but you know that.”

Kendra nodded, “Yes, ma’am, Fiona and I are so glad to be part of… all this.”

“Good,” Diana nodded with a dimpled smirk, “Mark Trenton has spoken highly of you particularly, Fiona. He said you have come such a long way from those early days of NMWW.”

Kendra fought to keep the disappointment from bubbling up across her face. The way Diana had just passed her over so easily for Fiona stung. Kendra quickly reminded herself not to be shaken by it. NMW is after all a business and Diana was interested in performance records and results, not merely sentiment. It still stings though.

“I just wanted to tell you, Fiona, that next week you have a match scheduled. A very special match at that. I had considered putting you on the card for tonight but I felt it better to wait a week before your second fight. And it works out perfectly as your next opponent will be a very recent acquisition for NMW!” There was a twinkle in Diana’s eyes as she said this.

Fiona had hoped for a tag match, and had almost expected one since they'd given Kendra this week off as well. Defiant Dream hadn't been in the ring together since their disastrous match against the Beatifics late last year, and Fiona was eager to wash that memory away with a fresh start in NMW. But management would always follow the demand, and if the demand was for Fiona to fight alone, then she was up to the challenge.

She forced herself to hold Diana's gaze, though the words "smiling daggers" came to mind. The way she was phrasing this, a "very special match" against a "recent acquisition," it was all uncomfortably similar to what Jay Wyatt had just dealt with, and did nothing to help her rising nerves. Fiona felt like she needed to choose her words carefully with this woman, and she got the sense that, despite presenting herself very professionally and business-like, Diana was enjoying making the two young Trenton hires squirm a little.

"I'll look forward to getting back into the ring, then," she answered. "Will I be told who I'm fighting ahead of time, or is this going to be another surprise match? I think I could give the fans a much better show if I'm able to prepare on the same level as my opponent."

She didn't bother to ask if her opponent knew who she'd be debuting against, because of course she did. If it stayed that way, it would be a serious disadvantage for Fiona to overcome, a full week for her opponent to study her moves and habits, while she'd be left wondering if she was up against a striker, a high-flyer, a grappler, or something in between.

“Ah, yes,” Diana said, resting her right hand on her hip, “I would apologize about that decision last week to put Kendra and yourself out there completely unaware and exposed. But you both handled it so well and it really made for good television, and I never apologize for decisions that work out well in the end.”

Kendra shuffled her feet uncomfortably, looking sideways at Fiona and then back to Diana.

“Fiona,” Diana then raised her right hand and made an emphasizing pinching motion with her thumb, index finger, and middle finger, “next week you will be facing… Elina Zamora.”

“The former luchadora champion?” Kendra blurted out.

“Yes, indeed.” Diana smiled and nodded, lowering her hand back to her hip.
“We signed her just a few days ago and decided the ideal opponent for her debut would be Fiona. The braveheart girl next door against the fiery desert rose. The principled ‘white knight’ character against the saucy heel. It’s a fit! You two will be the opening match of the night!”

Fiona was almost surprised Diana was giving her the name, but then quickly realized why. She probably doesn't expect me to win even if I get the chance to prepare...

She tried to keep tabs on NMW's potential hires and additions to the women's roster as they continued to expand, and Elina Zamora made a ton of sense. She was one of the bigger CSW names, a woman who had been a threat to Raven Veyn's title reign, though she wasn't quite able to add the CSW belt to her collection from Mexico. She was even dating Uberto Cafrune, if Fiona recalled right, who had just made his own big debut to open last week's show.

Battling Elina Zamora to kick off next week's show... Fiona could see why Diana had set it up, and why she was confident. Elina was a cut above anyone Fiona had taken down in her career so far, but exactly the kind of opponent she needed to beat if she wanted to be seen as a legitimate NMW title contender. They'd set her up with a lot of talk the week before, and now she had to back it up, or come crashing down from the high of her match against Ada.

"I'll make sure to open the show with a bang, Ms. Deguara," she promised, already trying to mentally prepare herself. "The fans won't be disappointed. Elina might be, though, if she's expecting an easy debut win."

"I love the confidence, Fiona." Diana grinned. "But… you have always been known for that. Even when facing the odds you don’t back down. Like I said, Mark Trenton has quite heavily lauded you in several of our meetings. And I have also watched some of your matches from your NMWW span. I would not set you up in the ring against Elina Zamora if I thought you were going to be a four minute ragdoll for her." Diana took a short breath and added, "Just make sure not to be overconfident and to keep your wits about you. Elina is very competitive and in a passionate bout she is like a lioness playing with a mouse. She loves to toy with her opponents and raise the temperature of a match."

Diana seemed to stop just short of wishing Fiona good luck in the match, but as she turned and left the two of them, the clacking of her heels growing more distant, Fiona was surprised how genuine her advice seemed to be. She wasn't sure if she'd misjudged her, or if she perhaps was more neutral in the growing feud between her father and Mark Trenton. Maybe this is just her way of getting in my head? I don't know.

"Well, she doesn't have to worry about me getting overconfident," she said quietly to Kendra, turning and exhaling a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. "Elina Zamora's going to be a huge challenge. And opening the show, too..." It was the clearest sign she was moving up on the roster, but that could all change if she turned in a poor performance.

Have to keep the nerves under control, and my head clear, Fiona reminded herself. Elina was going to try to toy with her, get under her skin, and if Fiona made it easy for her, she wouldn't stand a chance in the actual fight. She had a massive opportunity in front of her, but she'd need to fight like hell to seize it.

---

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“And here we are, back again with another great evening of No Mercy Wrestling action!” Dan Rich, the NMW lead commentator, struggled to be heard over the Austin, Texas crowd. The home of the Longhorns was hyped for tonight. The event card was promising and in just the first three weeks since its grand opening the newest wrestling brand of note was already boiling with action and drama - a point which Brent Christi highlighted. “Dan, these people are ready for tonight! They have seen what the No Mercy Wrestling brand has to offer and they want their share of it.

“And I thought Tulsa was loud!” Rhonda Pierce laughed.

“Yeah!” Dan replied, “But this is what I love! I love seeing a packed house like this that is ready for some professional wrestling, and they are certainly going to get it.”

“You know it!” Brent grinned.

Dan Rich adjusted his headset and reached for his schedule as he looked to the nearest camera, “Well, folks, tonight we have a good one in for you coming off the heels of that impactful showing last week and certainly the one from the week before that! And we are kicking this one off with Fiona Chevalier against Elina Zamora! The former luchadora two time champion was signed about a week ago and tonight she is making her NMW appearance. Fiona meanwhile just earlier this month defeated Ada Eberhard and is without doubt looking to get the snowball rolling with another win tonight.”

“I doubt Fiona Chevalier is going to be a match for Elina, her little snowball is about to be melted by Elina’s Latina heat.” Brent said with a smirk.

“Jesus, Brent.” Rhonda leaned forward to look over at Brent, “You got a crush or are you just that much against Fiona?”

Brent threw up his hands defensively, saying, “Hey, I’m not against Fiona. I’m just calling it like it is. Elina Zamora is a two time champion and has been wrestling for years at this point versus Fiona who had one admittedly good year with a now defunct brand.”

“Well, Rhonda,” Dan shrugged, “Brent does have a point there. This will be Fiona’s toughest opponent in some time now, the odds are definitely not in her favor.”

“Don’t count Fiona out!” Rhonda slapped her pen down on the table and sat back with a triumphant smirk over at Brent.

“The beers are on you if she loses.” Brent said smugly.

“Speaking of Fiona, I think she’s about ready to make her entrance.”

It was a hot one in late-July Austin, Texas for Fiona's second NMW singles match, and despite the added pressure of being the opening fight, it saved Fiona from needing to wait around backstage for hours with nothing to do but wrestle her own nerves. Instead, as the crowd's energy built in anticipation of the show starting, Fiona was already prepped and ready to make her entrance. She wore the same flashy set of light blue and silver ring gear as last week, with the long fingerless gloves and cloth belt, this time throwing on some metallic blue eyeshadow to match. It was a fitting look for the fresh-faced heroine versus experienced villainess vibe the match promised. Gonna need some heroics to come out on top in this one...

Fiona wasn't letting doubts overwhelm her, but she was being realistic, and after studying some of Elina's matches, she knew the odds were against her. While they were similar sizes, Elina was the better striker, the better technical wrestler, and the better defender too. Have to keep the pace of the match fast, keep her off balance, and don't let her settle in and start playing to the crowd. Above all, she'd have to be tough, both physically and mentally, as she knew a good portion of the crowd tonight in Texas would be pulling for the luchadora superstar rather than the Pacific Northwest girl, and they'd want to see Elina toy with Fiona like she did to most of her opponents.

Her music started blasting out into the arena, backstage staff giving her the okay to make her entrance, and Fiona jogged out into the spotlight. She came to a stop as showers of white sparks went off on either side of her, throwing up both hands in the "Hook 'em Horns" sign, smiling genuinely at the warm reception from the crowd.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall!" shouted out the ring announcer, as Fiona started striding her way confidently down the ramp, long and loose black hair bobbing a little behind her. "Making her way to the ring first, from Seattle, Washington... Fiona Chevaalieer!"

She zig-zagged side to side at the bottom of the ramp, getting high-fives in with fans behind the barriers on both sides, before jogging a full lap around the ring doing the same. Rather than take the stairs Fiona rolled under the bottom rope and smoothly came to her feet, giving the crowd the horns again as she made her way to the middle ropes in a corner. The silver trim of her gear sparkled under all the lights, and after two shows away from the ring, her fans were more than ready to see her in action again.

Hopping down from the ropes as her music started to fade in volume, Fiona shook hands with the referee and the ring announcer, then stepped back and faced the stage, waiting for Elina to join her.

“And Fiona looks to be in high spirits tonight!” Dan Rich mused.

“I would be too, Dan,” Rhonda stated, “Fiona got her first win this month over a CSW prodigy and her partner, Kendra Snipes, managed to weather an ambush two weeks ago and score her first win. Th-…”

“Against a parking lot jobber.” Brent interrupted pessimistically.

“Brent, shush.” Rhonda snapped in an annoyed tone. “As I was…”

“Wait, hold on,” Dan quickly pointed to the stage, “here comes…”

“Elina Zamora…” A low, ominous woman’s voice filled the air finishing Dan Rich’s sentence. Magenta lighting enveloped the entire arena as a thorny red rose appeared on the titantron. There was a pause, then gunshots broke out over the speakers followed by an upbeat Spanish rap song as Elina Zamora herself strolled out onto the stage. The former luchadora champion stopped just short of the ramp, slowly spreading her arms and basking in the deafening adulation of the crowd, which dwarfed what Fiona had received at her entrance. La Rosa de Sonora was without doubt going to be the favorite tonight. Elina wore a bright red robe which she ceremoniously reached down and untied, letting it drop gracefully from her curvaceous form onto the stage. Elina wore a sleeveless gold-trimmed magenta top and matching tights with white boots and white pads on each elbow. Though her wrestling outfit was rather generic, the white and black paint around her eyes — which formed a mask — was her true signature

“And her opponent, from Hermosillo, Mexico, former two-time CMLL luchadora champion… weighing in at one hundred and twenty-five pounds… La Rosa de Sonora… Elina… Zamora!”

“As I was saying,” Dan Rich shouted, “Elina Zamora! The two-time luchadora champion that graces us tonight with her debut!”

Elina started down the ramp, her eyes fixed on the ring, each step broad and confident. She occasionally shouted acknowledgements at a passing fan and at one point threw up a double hand sign. Mexican flags were waved in the stands along with various signs showing support for Elina. Elina came to a stop near the apron and looked up at Fiona, maintaining direct eye contact for about four seconds before raising her right hand and forming a pistol with her index finger and thumb. She made three quick shooting motions in sync with the continuous gunfire before sliding under the bottom rope. Elina rolled up into a stand, looking straight at Fiona with a knowing smile - her eyes like fluorescent pearls contrasted by the layer of black paint. As a group of front row fans jeered at Fiona the referee moved to check her over first, Elina’s entrance music and light theme slowly fading away. The crowd grew rowdier — cheers, piercing whistles, and thunderous stomps signaled the imminent ringing of the first bell.

“And Elina offering no respect to Fiona,” Dan Rich noted, “this is going to be a scrappy, feisty match, I think.”

Fiona was at her best with the crowd at her back. She'd overcome it and won a bunch of fans over against Ada, but she had a feeling Elina's faithful weren't going to be swayed by anything. Elina was the main attraction tonight, and her fans weren't going to be satisfied until she pinned Fiona or made her tap out. Just have to remember everyone watching at home. I've got all the support I need.

She used her extra time in the ring from entering first to loosen up, holding Elina's gaze while the luchadora peppered her with finger gun fire. Fiona knew what to expect here: an unfriendly, mean fight, no respect anywhere to be seen, her opponent trying to make every hit hurt as much as possible. She didn't like it, but at least she was able to prepare for it mentally. Need to keep a cool head. Block out the crowd, and focus. She could hear a few jeering at her as the referee checked over her gloves and boot covers in the corner, then went to do the same for Elina.

Fiona nodded to signal her readiness when the referee looked back to her. He cleared out of the way and called for the bell. Ding, ding, ding! The match was on, the show in Austin underway.

She circled, light on her feet, eyes locked on Elina and watching for any sudden movements that might give her away. As they neared, Fiona appeared to go in for an initial high grapple to engage, but aimed only to seize one of Elina's arms at the wrist. She tried to grab, twist, and then pull back hard into an arm drag to throw Elina to the mat right out of the gate.

“And here we go, the bell has rung and…“

Fiona’s grab attempt was on point, the younger wrestler able to grab onto Elina’s left wrist as the two closed in for what at first looked to be a straightforward grapple. Elina was clearly caught off guard, her eyes slightly widened.

“And Fiona with a quick grab and…!” Dan Rich leaned forward as Fiona tried to execute the throw on Elina. Elina, however, quickly recovered from the initial surprise and as Fiona went for the throw Elina manage to wrench her arm free midway. Instead of being slammed down hard on her back Elina tumbled across the ring and came to a shaky stand.

“Fiona almost throwing Elina down flat on her back right after the bell rang but Elina managed to avoid the hard impact!”

Elina immediately charged forward and with a low thud of body-against-body she and Fiona were caught in a full grapple this time in the center of the ring, their arms locked around each other’s shoulders.

“And Fiona does not want to play this game,” Brent pointed out, “Elina is a technical mat wrestler through and through.”

“The two are locked up in another grapple, and…”

In a quick move Elina shoved both of Fiona’s arms off to her right side and grabbed Fiona around her midsection, preparing for a quick side slam.

Elina had impressive quickness and agility to avoid getting slammed by Fiona's arm drag, and she was just as quick to rush back in and lock her in a full grappling situation. Fiona wasn't prepared for it, and Elina was easily able to gain leverage and navigate into a side hold, her arms closing around the midsection.

Fiona was lifted quickly up off the mat, turned, and slammed down, the crowd roaring at the well executed takedown by Elina. It wasn't the heaviest of hits to start off the fight, though, and Fiona was able to throw back an elbow at Elina to keep her off her. Twisting around onto her back, she shoved with both boots at Elina's chest to force her away, then got back to her feet.

"Great recovery from Fiona there," Rhonda commented. "Not easy to keep your composure after getting taken down like that."

Fiona went in again, ducking under Elina's next grapple attempt and getting around behind her, closing her hands together around the luchadora's midsection. Planting her feet, she attempted a German suplex, trying to lift Elina up and over to slam her down onto her head and upper back.

Fiona had the speed and applied strength to lift Elina up, but instead of being thrown overhead onto her shoulders to finish the suplex Elina managed to swing her legs up and flipped her whole body backward over the top of Fiona. As Elina twisted around in midair she grabbed Fiona’s head by the sides and instantaneously converted Fiona’s suplex attempt into a sit-down slam with Fiona on the receiving end. Fiona crashed down onto the mat for the second time, her back and skull taking the worst of the impact.

“Oh, wow!” Dan Rich marveled, “Elina just turned Fiona’s suplex around on her and Fiona is down on her back!”

“That was a nice sit-down slam, those are sick to watch when done so fluidly.” Brent said with an approving smile.

Elina kipped up to a stand right over the top of Fiona, immediately holding her arms out and soaking in the cheers. After a few seconds the former champion took two steps back and looked down at her opponent, making a disdainful waving motion with her right hand down at Fiona before getting into a defensive stance.

“And it looks like Elina is not even worried about Fiona right now.”

Fiona was completely unprepared for Elina to convert her suplex attempt into a sit-down slam, breaking out of her grasp to flip over the top and pull her crashing down onto her back. Her head hit the mat hard, and unlike the side slam, that one wasn't so easy to shake off. How the hell did she even do that?

The crowd erupted at what even Fiona couldn't deny was an awesome move. Elina had plenty of time to press her advantage while Fiona was on the mat cradling the back of her head, but instead she chose to be insulting by dismissing and ignoring her, to the delight of her fans.

It was confidence bordering on arrogance. Elina could've been hitting Fiona hard, instead she allowed her to get back to her feet, rolling her shoulder to try to loosen up the sudden tension in her upper back. She wouldn't be the first woman to make the mistake of writing me off too soon...

She had to find a way to open up her defenses. Engaging Elina again head on with a high grapple, Fiona managed to get her wrist again, this time pulling to send her running with an Irish whip towards the corner. She intended to charge at her afterwards for an elbow strike to the head, trying to find a big enough hit to let her build any kind of momentum.