Abby,” Kendra mumbled through a mouth half-stuffed with candy, “the Beatifics’ biggest weapon is their mind games and… grating toxicity. Take that away from them and their arsenal gets pretty limited.”

After another commercial break it was time for the fourth match of the night —the anticipated clash between Abby Beatific and Tanya Redd. Like Fiona and Kendra, both were NMWW “carryovers.” Abby Beatific and her sister, Aubrey, had undoubtedly been Fiona’s biggest enemies since her early wrestling days. Calling the Beatifics a thorn in Fiona’s side would have been an understatement. From their constant needling in and out of the ring to their vile makeover stunt on Fiona back in Florida the previous year, the two had proven themselves the worst kind of rivals. Great for a wrestling company that thrived on excitement and drama, and terrible for anyone the Beatifics set their sights on.

Then there was Tanya Redd, the former National Guard heavy hitter. While she wasn’t the “mean girl” figure that Abby Beatific was, Tanya could be just as relentless and callous - more so even. When Tanya Redd stepped into an arena, she came for a hard fight and saved the showboating for the moment when her arm was raised high and her opponent lay curled up on the mat. Fiona had faced Tanya twice the previous year and lost both times. But Fiona had come a long way since then and while Abby would clearly be the preferred opponent during the extreme rules round, Kendra had no doubt that Fiona could beat Tanya. Kendra voicing this just as the titantron on TV lit up with camo patterns and skulls as Tanya Redd’s theme began.

Tanya's military background came through in every way, from her gear to her entrance to her fighting style. She made her entrance amidst a heaping helping of pyrotechnics, making sure the crowd and the cameras got a perfect look at her muscled physique before she started heading towards the ring. Buff as she was, Tanya looked leaner than the last time Fiona fought her, leaner and quicker. No doubt still a power wrestler, it seemed like she was trying to balance her approach.

"Tanya's viewed as having just an outside shot at this title," Brent commented as she entered the ring, "but that's ridiculous, I mean just look at her! This woman is as hard as they come and she's poised to bludgeon her way straight to the final round. I don't think Abby Beatific, or Fiona Chevalier for that matter, are going to stop her."

Well that cleared up who Brent was pulling for. Fiona wondered whether he'd be drawn to the no-nonsense brutality of Tanya, or the cunning toxicity of Abby, and it seemed he preferred the former.

"Yeah, keep talking, Brent," Fiona said from her couch, shaking her head. "It's never going to get old, shutting him up."

Abby Beatific made her entrance next, confident and sassy as always, but one thing immediately caught Fiona's eye: she was alone. There was no Aubrey in sight. Instantly that made Fiona suspicious, because Kendra was right about them, their mind games and dirty tricks were their greatest strength. Easily the biggest reason why Fiona preferred to fight Abby next round was that she'd be alone, much more of an even match than Tanya, who had proven simply too tough to break through so far, even if her technique was sometimes sloppy.

"You don't think Diana stopped Aubrey from being there, do you?" she asked, hoping she could figure out what the play was before it became apparent. She knew Tanya would be doing the same. "Maybe she's under the ring already or something. Wouldn't put it past them."

Kendra said nothing, preferring not to entertain a conversation that might drift into the lane of thought that Fiona had “ruined” everyone having ringside support for the rest of the tournament. Fiona was already feeling self-conscious enough after being scolded by Diana Deguara.

Come to think of it, Uberto Cafrune was not ringside for Elina Zamora earlier.

After the referee completed the standard checks, the bell rang and the match that would determine Fiona’s opponent for next weekend began. The fight started slowly. Abby tried her typical mind games with Tanya but she quickly realized that tactic was not the best idea. After striking an unflattering pose in Tanya’s direction, Abby found herself chased around the ring by her thoroughly steamed opponent. The two slid under the ropes outside the ring and seconds later were exchanging wild punches and stinging chops near the south-side barricade. Caught up in a furious exchange, women barely made it back inside the ring before the ten count.

Abby had not even come up to a full stand before Tanya grabbed her and drove her into the mat with a high rising sidewalk slam that drew the crowd’s approval. Tanya followed up with a sharp snap suplex, then capped the sequence with a German suplex for good measure. As the German suplex landed, Tanya arched into a bridge for a quick pin. Abby managed to kick free just before the two count. Brent, of course, was eating it up, laying on the praise as Tanya hauled Abby back up and sent her back hard with a second German suplex.

Both Abby and Tanya were putting on full display why Fiona wasn't looking forward to fighting either of them. Abby with her annoying mindgames, disrupting her opponent's focus, and Tanya with her straightforward brutality, which seemed to be getting the better of the Beatific. Her slams and suplexes took control of the match early, after Abby's antics had failed to secure her an advantage.

"Can't believe Abby got as many votes as she did," Fiona commented, maybe a little bitter. Abby was one of the higher seeded women in the tournament, which meant the current direction of the match was headed for an upset. It wasn't complete domination, with Abby making brief rallies that caught Tanya off guard. Tanya's approach seemed to have changed little; she often left herself open, relying on toughness and sheer will to absorb swings in momentum before hitting hard enough to take control back. So far, it was working.

Eventually Tanya slowed the pace of the fight by hauling Abby up her feet and then bending her to lock in an abdominal stretch. Fiona hadn't forgotten that one, as it was the submission hold that forced her to tap out the first time she fought Tanya. She wondered if she was about to watch Abby lose the match in the same way.

While Kendra was the farthest thing from a Tanya Redd fan, she had to admit to herself that she enjoyed seeing Tanya working over Abby. Though Fiona had always been the main target for the Beatifics, Kendra had suffered her own share of torment at their hands as well. Abby Beatific red-faced and writhing in pain against an imposing - and smirking - Tanya was as demeaning for her as it was physically painful. And Kendra and Fiona were savoring every second.

Abby finally managed to slip her trapped arm free and fired off a series of sharp elbow shots to Tanya’s forehead, forcing her to release the submission hold. Gasping for breath, Abby crumpled to the mat and tried to crawl toward the ropes, but Tanya was on top of her again before she made it far. Tanya hammered down a few clubbing blows to the back of Abby’s head to stun her, then grabbed a fistful of hair and hauled Abby upright.

Tanya dragged the dazed Beatific to her feet and quickly threaded Abby’s head under her arm. In one smooth motion she scooped Abby up high into a vertical position. Abby kicked weakly, twisting and squirming in a desperate attempt to escape but Tanya had her balanced perfectly. Taking a steadying step, Tanya tightened her grip and then dropped swiftly into a sitting position, driving Abby head-first with a thunderous Falcon Arrow that rattled the canvas and drew a roar from the crowd.

“There it is, Falcon Arrow!” Brent shouted as Abby’s limp legs flopped down against the mat.

“Is this it?” Dan Rich asked in a dramatic tone.

Tanya did not release Abby, instead using the momentum from the finisher to roll her opponent onto her back, Tanya pinning Abby’s shoulders for the count.

“One!… Two!… Th-…”

Abby just barely managed to push herself upright, forcing an annoyed Tanya off as a sigh carried across the arena.

“And Abby only just survives the count after a wicked finisher by Tanya!” Dan Rich stated.

Fiona had reacted much like the crowd, leaning forward in her seat, the sight of Tanya's Falcon Arrow finisher getting her to sit up straight, expecting the end of the match could soon follow. She had to give Abby credit, though. She looked and behaved like a spoiled little brat, but she had some toughness and grit to call on when things got rough, as they were now. Fiona wasn't sure she'd have managed to kick out after all the punishment Abby had taken, capped off by a finisher, but the Beatific just managed it, and kept the match going.

"Some frustration from Tanya there," Rhonda pointed out. "She really thought she had the win. She's gotta stay focused, Abby can and will take advantage of the slightest windows of opportunity."

All conversation between Fiona and Kendra had ceased by this point, as both were completely absorbed by the match, seemingly moments away from finding out Fiona's next opponent. It still seemed like it was going to be Tanya, barring a shocking reversal. If Abby had any cards to play, she wasn't going to have many more chances.

Tanya rose to her feet, fists clenched and a grimace of frustration on her glistening face. Her fans clapped and chanted her name while Abby’s supporters shouted for her to get up. Determined to end the match without further delay, Tanya again grabbed Abby by her dark hair and pulled the dazed Beatific upright. Abby swayed on unsteady legs as Tanya dragged her toward the southeast ring corner, the crowd rumbling in anticipation.

“And what’s Tanya about to do now?”

With practiced balance, Tanya stepped backward onto the middle rope, never letting Abby slip away. The stunned Abby was tugged up onto the ropes with her, unable to offer any real resistance as Tanya pulled her into position. Tanya’s back was to the crowd with Abby facing her. Gasps rippled through the front row seats as Tanya wrapped her arms around Abby’s torso halfway over the ring. With a savage shout Tanya launched herself forward, driving Abby down with a devastating jumping spinebuster off the middle turnbuckle. The ropes quivered on impact and shouts rose up all over the arena as Abby was dropped a second time like a bag of cement.

“Oh, my Lord!” Dan Rich yelled.

“That’s gotta be it!” Rhonda exclaimed.

Still entangled with Abby, Tanya quickly reached back and hooked Abby’s legs, slipping her shoulders beneath the Beatific’s knees before sliding forward into a push-up position to secure the pin.

If there was a moment for the usual Beatific shenanigans to come into play, this was it. Tanya landed a second devastating finisher on Abby, who was clearly out of it, rolled up nearly into a ball by Tanya's pin.

"One! Two! Three!"

And that was it. Tanya pushed Abby's legs to the side as she stood up, leaving the Beatific in a barely-moving heap on the mat. Tanya's fans cheered wildly at the result, but Fiona could tell through the wide-angle shot they switched to that there were more Beatifics fans, and they were less than enthused at the result. Not just because their favorite lost, but because Abby had been put on the back foot from the very beginning, and never really recovered to make a match of it.

"And that's a statement win by Tanya Redd," Dan Rich commented, as the referee took Tanya's wrist and lifted it high, declaring her the winner. "She may not have the same fan support as some of the other competitors in this tournament, but I think she just proved herself to be a dark horse contender for the title."

"You've got that right, Dan," Brent agreed. "That was a beautiful, no-nonsense beatdown, and I see no reason why she won't do the same to Fiona Chevalier next week."

"And look at that!" Rhonda pointed out. "Tanya's clearly thinking about it already."

Tanya was quick to find the camera zooming in on her from the crowd after the referee left her to check on Abby, giving it an ominous, unblinking stare, and then pointing straight ahead. It was a clear, wordless message right to Fiona, enough to make Fiona shift uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly feeling like thousands of people were looking right at her.

It wasn't the result Fiona wanted, in more ways than one. Judging by the fan votes, she'd have equal if not greater fan support than Tanya, but she'd need more than that to get her first win over her veteran rival. She hadn't come particularly close to winning either time against her so far, and the extreme rules were another wrinkle that seemed to favor Tanya more than her. Aside from that, she couldn't help feeling another flare-up of self-conscious suspicion that her match had caused Diana to deny Aubrey ringside access for her sister's fight. She could already see the sisters finding a way to blame this loss on Defiant Dream, and using it as an excuse to make their lives hell, as if they needed one.

But she couldn't afford to think about Abby and Aubrey now. She had a week to prepare for Tanya Redd, and she knew she needed to make the most of it if she wanted to prove the doubters wrong and keep her title hopes alive.

“Well…” Kendra awkwardly started, standing up from the couch as the next commercial break began. “Looks like next weekend will be when Tanya’s record becomes one and two.”

Realizing how flat that sounded, Kendra visibly winced. “Okay, that came out lame. Look… you’ve got this! I mean… yeah, let’s not sugarcoat it, next week is going to be a hard match. Probably the hardest one you’ve had since joining the new brand. But Fiona, you’ve come a long way since the last time you were in the ring with Tanya.”

Kendra leaned over and swept the small pile of candy wrappers off the coffee table into her hand before heading toward the nearby trash can. “There is no reason…” she began, trailing off as she tossed them away.
“…that you can’t go out there next week and do the same thing to Tanya that she just did to one half of the Barbie Twins tonight.”

Kendra dusted her hands together and walked back toward the couch. Her tone firmer now as she returned to her seat, folding one leg under herself as she leaned back.
“One good plan, one good opening - that’s all it takes.” The corner of the redhead’s mouth lifted in a confident little grin. “And if Tanya thinks next weekend is going to be easy, she’s the one walking in unprepared.” Kendra picked up the remote again as the show resumed, eyes flicking back to the screen. “I’ll shut up rambling now. Let’s watch the rest of the show. And tomorrow… we start our own gauntlet.”

The excitement in the thriving young NMW fandom was reaching a feverish peak in the mid-August heat, as the first round of the Rubicon Gauntlet was completed, leaving six competitors standing for both the men's and women's titles. Isabella Cadiz rounded out the fighters heading into the women's second round with a victory over Keysha Wayne to end the show. Fiona had to admit she was seriously impressed by Keysha's performance, a fearless and gutsy display that pushed the former NMW champ hard, but experience and strength won out in the end, and Isabella was able to get the win by pinfall to punch her ticket to the extreme rules round.

Every day of the week was packed with activity and promotional work for the upcoming fights. Every afternoon Fiona was called into the studio for something, whether it was a new photoshoot, a meeting with social media managers, filming a promo, picking out and testing gear... it was exhausting. For the fourth time in her four matches, Fiona was going in as the underdog, and her two-and-one record in those matches didn't seem as impressive with the way Kendra and Choi Minji had helped her upset Shin Choon-hee.

Her promos were all about how she wasn't afraid of the challenge, how she was eager silence the doubters, to prove that she belonged even on the toughest stage, and how she was ready to get extreme and show the NMW fans a side of her they'd never seen before.

She might've considered going for an easier week of training to make sure she didn't burn out, but this wasn't the week for that. As long as the title was up for grabs, Fiona planned to push herself to her limits. She could rest when she was on the other side of this. That, and she knew she needed all the preparation she could get to have a chance against Tanya.

She wasn't lying in her promo about embracing the challenges, it was part of why she wanted to wrestle... but she couldn't deny Tanya Redd intimidated her. Fiona's previous two attempts to beat her ended in failure, though the second match snowballed from a tag team communication error, and for better or worse, Fiona would be facing her old NMWW rival completely alone.

She went to watch back her singles match against Tanya. It was her first match back from time off due to her ankle injury, and she went with a similar strategy to what she'd just tried against Shin Choon-hee, targeting the shoulder and arm and trying to work towards a submission. She did a decent amount of damage to the arm, but couldn't withstand the swings in momentum; Tanya's offense targeted Fiona's body with knees, slams, and elbow drops, leaving her vulnerable to an abdominal stretch submission that proved to be too much, and forced a tapout. Fiona expected a similar approach on Friday, a straightforward battering and trading of blows that she wouldn't be able to match. Tanya wasn't subtle, and unless Fiona adapted, she wouldn't need to be.

Her best opportunity was in the extreme rules, and she knew it. For better or worse, the weapons on offer would give Fiona the firepower she would need to break through Tanya's toughness, and that was how Fiona and Kendra trained all week. They didn't beat each other with kendo sticks and metal chairs, using softer approximations instead, but Fiona knew she needed to practice striking with them, and defending herself from the same, as well as maneuvering outside the ring. Not a lot of it came naturally to Fiona, with Kendra repeatedly striking through her defense, usually with the kendo stick. The chairs needed long windups to do real damage, usually enough for Fiona to roll away or intercept them.

And then there were tables, and that was just what they knew about. There was always the potential for surprises. Fiona's confidence was shaky as the week went on, despite Kendra's frequent encouragement. The extreme ruleset was just as likely to demolish her as it was to help, she knew. Still, she made sure to keep the negative thoughts from overwhelming her, and she was extremely thankful for her tag partner's help. Tanya was strong and tough, but sloppy, and far enough in her career that she wasn't likely to change. Fiona was tougher and had more experience under her belt since their last match, evolving with every fight, and she was confident she would have the fans at her back, willing her on.

Fiona knew she'd need every bit of that support to weather the storm that was coming on Friday.

---

---

“Welcome back No Mercy Wrestling fans!” Commentator Rhonda Pierce shouted into the camera with a radiant smile. “I am Rhonda Pierce, here as always, with fellow analyst Dan Rich and ride-along hack Brent Christi!”

“‘Ride-along hack’?”

The ringside cameraman panned out showing Rhonda in her usual spot, to the right of Dan Rich, who sat between her and Brent. The luminous overhead lights shimmered off the polished surface of the commentary table as well as the wrestling ring. The crowd buzzed all around, an incessant rising rumble of anticipation for what was to come. Dan adjusted the headset under his cowboy hat with practiced motion, smirking sideways at the frowning Brent.

The TD Garden was alive tonight, the capacity crowd as boisterous as it was active. Signs and flags waved above the sea of fans while airhorns blasted amid the cheers and chanting. There was a different look to the setup of this evenings show too. The familiar black and white NMW banners that usually hung from the rafters and lined the barricades had been replaced with solid gold ones, each stamped with a grinning skull wearing an elaborate wreath. The words “RUBICON GAUNTLET” and “EXTREME RULES” ran across the top and bottom of the banners respectively in blood-red text. The large skull emblem that usually marked the center of the mat had been replaced as well, swapped out for the same crimson “extreme rules” lettering on the banners. Even the turnbuckle pads had been changed for the occasion, now gleaming gold and reflecting the arena lights.

The commentating trio looked as colorful as the spectacle around them. Dan stood out in a crisp, solid white suit paired with a gold-trimmed cowboy hat, giving him the air of a showman who had wandered straight out of a high-stakes horse show. Brent wore a bold green suit with a perfectly matched green tie over a black shirt - a clear nod to the city of Boston. Rhonda accented the flair of both men, dressed in a bright red dress layered with a white blouse, her white-rimmed glasses adding a sharp, polished touch as they reflected the glow of the overhead lights.

Dan Rich started to say something but was cut off by a sudden and upbeat chant from all around. Dan sat quietly for a moment, smiling as he glanced behind himself, then once the chant was over he looked back to the camera. “Well, folks, we are now at the halfway point of Extreme Rules here in Boston, Massachusetts, and this crowd wants more. Just listen to that!”

“We have seen so much already,” Brent added, “shattered kendo sticks, broken tables, and plenty of blood. Tonight has indeed been extreme. What we saw at the start of the show between Uberto Cafrune and Cash Powers, that whole match was a highlight reel!”

“And like I just said, Brent, we’re only halfway through tonight!”

“And kicking off the second half we have Fiona Chevalier and Tanya Redd!” Rhonda announced.

“The fans have been looking forward to this matchup and so have I,” Dan nodded along with Rhonda, “both of those women have been cutting promos over the past few days and undoubtedly preparing in every way possible for this fight.”

“Tanya and Fiona have not shared a ring for over a year now,” Brent said, “not since they were in NMWW together. As we have said before, they have both come a long way since then and I have a feeling that each is as eager to revisit their old rivalry as the other.”

“In Extreme Rules no less!”

“Brent, did I just hear you say something positive about Fiona?” Rhonda asked with a smirk.

“Rhonda, don’t get cute. I’ve had positive things to say about Fiona before.” Brent snapped.

Dan Rich quickly held up both hands to cut off the pending exchange between his co-commentators, saying to the camera, “Look, folks, don’t go anywhere, we’ll be right back after a short message from our new sponsors! Up next we’ve got Fiona Chevalier versus Tanya Redd and you don’t want to miss a moment of it!”

Fiona waited backstage with Kendra, just moments to go before she'd be heading out to battle. It had already been a wild night of fights, and while Fiona was curious about the results and who was moving on to the semifinal round on both the men's and women's sides, she forced herself to ignore all of it, to stay focused on the task at hand. It was just the second extreme rules match of her career, and unlike last time, where Kendra ran out to assist her against the Beatifics, this time Fiona would have manage alone, against a rival that had her number so far.

"Remember, try to go for her legs," Kendra advised. "That's where her power comes from, and she won't be expecting it, it's not your usual approach."

She was repeating the same strategy they'd gone over a number of times already, but Fiona found it helpful all the same. It kept her mind from wandering, kept her imagination about what was about to happen in check.

"Don't try to slug it out with her, don't trade blows," she continued. "If she gets her hands on you, if she hits you hard, try to get some distance. No countout rules, either, so you can go under the ropes if you need to, buy yourself some time."

"And that's probably where I can hit Tanya hardest, too," Fiona finished.

Kendra nodded. "Yup. We've been practicing with weapons all week. It's time to put it to use. Everything's legal, so do what you have to and get the win. You've got this."

One week of training for extreme rules hardly felt like enough now that the match was minutes away, but there was only one way to get the kind of experience Tanya already had: the hard way. It wasn't the way Fiona wanted to fight, but even she could acknowledge that trying to fight clean in an extreme rules match was a surefire way to get destroyed, especially against someone like Tanya, who wouldn't be holding back in the slightest. She'd promised her fans in her promos she was ready to get extreme. Now she had to prove it.

Her gear for the night was her fairly standard mix of bright colors and black, her booty shorts and top both an eye-catching metallic mix of light blue and violet, a thin silver chain with a few dangling elements fastened around her waist as a belt. The rest was black, from her semi-transparent, longsleeved spandex underlayer on her upper body, to her fishnet tights and usual tall boot covers, and sleek midlength fingerless leather gloves. She was expecting the usual tough, no-nonsense, military inspired look from Tanya, and expected her own look would contrast well by being more youthful, stylish, and a little sexy.

She knew many of the fans were dying to see the upcoming clash between Raven Veyn and Isabella Cadiz, two titans of the women's division in an extreme rules brawl to the finish, but she hoped just as many would be invested in the rivalry about to continue between Fiona and Tanya. Rivalry... probably need to beat Tanya once before she'll consider me a rival.

"Ugh," she groaned. "This commerical break is taking forever." She shifted in place, putting her weight on one leg and then the other, rolling her wrists, loosening her neck. "Network's gotta get their money's worth out of this show, I guess."

The arena lights dimmed to black, enveloping the TD Garden in sudden darkness. Seconds later a rapid cracking - like automatic gunfire - ripped through the air as white and red pyrotechnics erupted all around the titantron. Tendrils of gray-blue curled up across the stage as the shrill whistling of the pyro effects echoed off the rafters. After a few seconds the special effects ended, the smoke dissipating as a white skull surrounded by gray and black camouflage print slowly appeared on the titantron. Tanya Redd’s theme blared as the crowd went wild.

“And here comes Tanya Redd!” Dan Rich shouted over the unyielding masses. The woman herself, Tanya Redd, emerged from the lingering smoke, instantly taking command of the scene with a statuesque presence. She wore a fitted black tank top that brought out her toned shoulders, paired with gray and white urban camo pants tucked into shin-high wrestling boots. Her neck-length dark hair framed a determined smirk and her thick arms were crossed over her chest, exuding both strength and confidence as she surveyed the crowd, her head turning from side to side in two slow motions. Without hesitation, Tanya threw her arms high into the air, fists curled tight, releasing a coarse shout that matched the energy of the crowd. Keeping her arms up, soaking in the waves of praise, Tanya strode down from the stage with broad steps, radiating confidence and focus as fans waved and reached over the barricades for high fives. - Tanya passing them all by.

“A former member of NMWW, like her opponent tonight, and a former National Guard member whom we thank for her service.” Dan added, removing his hat.

“Tanya Redd is laser focused tonight,” Rhonda said, “just look at her.”

“She is here to win and to make a statement,” Brent nodded, “last week she pulverized Abby Beatific in the first round of this tournament and she plans to do the same to Fiona Chevalier tonight in Extreme Rules.”

“And we’ll see if Fiona has what it takes to beat Tanya this time,” Dan Rich emphasized as Tanya reached the end of the stage ramp, “Fiona has faced Tanya twice in the past and came away both times with a loss.”

“Well, tonight the setting and the stakes are different,” Rhonda quickly interjected, “Fiona’s first loss to Tanya was still early in her wrestling career and her second loss was in a tag team match and, just being real, because of a screwup by her partner at the time.”

“That’s true,” Brent said as Tanya stepped onto the ring apron and slipped between the top and middle ropes. “But Tanya has come a long way too. I would argue even moreso than Fiona. Don’t get me wrong, Fiona has a chance tonight, but Tanya is more aggressive, bigger, stockier, better trained, and I think she just wants this more.”

“Interesting input, Brent,” Rhonda replied, “I guess we’ll see.”

Tanya stepped into the center of the ring, arms now at her sides, fists still clenched. She gazed out across the stands, taking another slow, deliberate look at the masses gathered for the match before striking an impressive double-armed flex and shouting a second time, stirring the crowd further.

Brent grinned, “Tanya already has the crowd on her side!”

“Well, we’ll see in a minute,” Dan Rich shrugged, putting his hat back on as Tanya’s theme faded, “because next up will be her opponent!”

Fiona's entrance by comparison was much less dramatic, and much more energetic. The nerves that were eating away at her all disappeared the second she stepped into the spotlight on the stage, white sparks floating down around her, baby blue lighting covering all the screens. Unlike Tanya, Fiona was all smiles, warmly greeting the fans offering high fives as she strutted confidently towards the ring. She was up against an intimidating challenge tonight, but she wasn't about to let it show in her intro.

The fans gave her a great reception, though Tanya had earned a nearly equal cheer, more than Fiona would've liked. She supposed that impressive win over Abby last week built Tanya some serious momentum with the fans. A loss to Fiona here, viewed by many as an even easier matchup for Tanya than Abby, would stop her momentum cold, and Fiona wanted nothing more than to make that happen.

"Fiona enters tonight's match with a two and one record in NMW," Dan Rich explained, "but I think it's fair to say she's still looking for that signature win to vault her up the rankings in the eyes of fans and her fellow competitors. A victory over Tanya Redd in a no-disqualification setting would be a huge boost for her young career, no matter how the rest of this tournament goes."

"She talked a lot this week about being ready to embrace extreme rules," Brent pointed out, as Fiona hopped up onto the apron. "I'm gonna have to see it to believe it. That kind of aggression is a hard thing to train."

Rhonda turned to her co-commentator. "For once, Brent, I'm in agreement. If Fiona hesitates at all with weapons or opportunities in front of her, you just know Tanya's going to make her pay for it."

After taking a moment to sit and bounce a little on the middle rope, smiling and absorbing the love from her fans, Fiona lifted her legs and swung around and through, into the ring. The time for being cute and playful was over, as she had no one left to interact with but her opponent, who stood about five inches taller than her, with at least twenty pounds of what seemed like straight up muscle advantage on her. Tanya might have gotten leaner from the last time they fought, but Kendra was right: if Fiona tried to slug it out with Tanya or if she picked a bad time to grapple, she was going to end up on the mat in a heap.

Taking a deep breath, Fiona backed into her corner, keeping her gameface in place as she eyed up Tanya. She looks confident, unsurprisingly. Hopefully a little overconfident. The referee came to check her boots and gloves, though it seemed a little pointless before an extreme rules match. Approved weapons only, Fiona supposed.

The intros done, the final checks made, the crowd settled in for their fourth extreme rules match of the night, eager to watch the carnage unfold between Tanya Redd and Fiona Chevalier.

“Here we go again!” Dan Rich drawled out vigorously as the bell rang. “Our fourth match of the night, Fiona Chevalier and Tanya Redd fighting for a spot in next week’s triple threat steel cage match.”

Fiona and Tanya closed in on each other near the center of the ring, both women holding a defensive posture for the moment. The referee stood several feet back, hands on his knees as his eyes moved between the two attentively. A large group of fans nearby began clapping and stomping their feet, chanting Tanya’s name. Tanya lunged, seemingly going for a low grab but then pulling back at the last second. Seeing Fiona react, Tanya lunged a second time and this time committed, going for a grab only for Fiona to scurry out of reach. Not wanting to get caught by a fast counter Tanya took two quick steps back and returned to a defensive position. Several fans of Fiona’s began goading Tanya as a result.

“And both Fiona and Tanya are being very cautious here at the beginning.”

“Understandably so,” Brent said, “extreme rules is not the kind of match that you want to have a bad start in. I’ve seen quite a few of these match types decided early because someone got floored after an intense sequence and then spent the next few minutes being worked over by a chair or a kendo stick before they could recover.”

Tanya made another lunge trying to fake Fiona out before backing her into the northwest corner but Fiona did not fall for it this time and kept her composure. Tanya huffed visibly, shaking her head at Fiona but not making a followup attempt like seconds before.

Fiona started the match focused and patient, trying to put the strategy she and Kendra came up with into action. Her quickness was her biggest advantage over Tanya, and in this early stage before any weapons or furniture got involved, it was her best way to gain an advantage. She avoided a few of Tanya's lunges, almost committing to a counter-attack, but she was wary of picking the wrong moment to strike. Tanya wasn't masking her emotions, and Fiona could tell her defensive approach was frustrating her. Maybe she'd been expecting the same fearless, and ill-advised, approach Fiona took to fighting her before.

Getting as close to a corner as she dared, Fiona was able to bait Tanya into another lunge, thinking she had the younger wrestler trapped. Fiona sidestepped, landing a hard kick to the back of Tanya's leg and bringing her down to a knee. Fiona threw her own knee forward, slamming it into the side of Tanya's head and bowling her over onto her back.

"A strong opening hit in the match by Fiona!" Dan Rich commented. "She waited for her moment, and then pounced on it."

"Yeah, Dan," Rhonda agreed excitedly, "that was great patience from Fiona, seems like she's keeping a cool head despite everything that's on the line here tonight."

Fiona moved to press her advantage, stomping on the left leg, trying to repeatedly target near the knee. She stayed one stomp too long, giving Tanya time to rise enough to shove her back hard and create space. Fiona stumbled back into a corner, eyes wide as Tanya surged up and charged at her, looking to squish her into the turnbuckles.

She reacted quickly, grabbing the ropes and lifting both legs up, bending and twisting to slip through the ropes out onto the apron while Tanya whiffed on her charge into the corner. Fiona kept her hold on the top rope, nailing a high kick that cracked against the other side of Tanya's head, sending her stumbling out a few steps towards the ring's center. Feeling like she had a chance to go big early, Fiona vaulted up onto the top rope and springboarded into the air, soaring into a heavy dropkick that Tanya turned around just in time to get flattened by. Both wrestlers crashed to the mat on their backs, but Fiona quickly performed a kip-up to her feet, getting raucous cheers of approval from her fans.

"I think Tanya's been caught off guard here a little," Brent called out, before shaking his head, "and who can blame her? That was about as flawless an opening as Fiona could've hoped for."

Indeed, Fiona was feeling good about her start, but if there was one quality that defined Tanya Redd, it was toughness. She went right back to work, grabbing Tanya's left foot before driving her knee down into her opponent's leg. Staying on her knees, she lifted up the foot, bending Tanya's leg at a painful angle and continuing to work on sabotaging her base of power. The more damage she could inflict, the bigger her speed and quickness advantage would get, as long as Fiona could keep Tanya from exhausting her stamina.

She stayed out of Tanya's reach, leaning back on her knees away from her opponent's outstretched hands. It was difficult for Tanya to sit up at all with the angle her leg was held at.

"What a controlling start from Fiona," said Rhonda, clearly impressed. "Confident and decisive. I love it!"

"She had a plan, clearly, and she's executing it well so far," Brent admitted. "But we're in extreme rules here. Let's see if she can adapt when Tanya finds a way to throw a wrench in the plan."

Feeling like she'd used up her welcome on the wear-down hold, Fiona slammed Tanya's leg down and rolled away, back to her feet, while her opponent seethed and tried to push through the pain to get up. Backing off again, Fiona resumed her defensive strategy, looking to dodge more strikes or grab attempts so she could keep kicking at that left leg, and build her offense from there.

Tanya’s eyes brimmed with rage, her face flushed as she pushed herself up to a shaky stand, letting a wince slip despite her effort to hide it. She resisted the urge to lean back against the ropes or grab at her left leg, knowing that the instant she left an opening Fiona would be on top of her again.

“And Tanya has a moment of respite but I doubt it’ll last very long…”

“Fiona is making a mistake right now,” Rhonda said, shaking her head. “All she’s doing is letting Tanya recover and simmer.”

“And once Tanya’s temper starts to boil over, that’s when she can really be dangerous.” Brent added.

Tanya flexed her leg and stamped her foot a few times, trying to shake off the lingering pain. Her breathing steadied, but that dangerous fire in her eyes only burned hotter. Everyone was expecting Tanya to suddenly charge at Fiona or at least make a second slow approach, but she did neither. Instead staying right where she was near the southeast corner. She raised both hands and beckoned at Fiona, motioning for her to come and get her. Smirking, Tanya said something but her words were drowned out by the crowd.

Fiona knew she'd made Tanya angry, but she'd hoped that rage would make her reckless, and it definitely wasn't doing that. All she got in retaliation was an intimidating glare and a smirk, and an invitation to get close and try again. Fiona's mistake in letting Tanya breathe was obvious to her, she needed to keep up the pressure while she had the advantage, but she had to be careful not to try correcting an error by committing another one. Just need to find another opening, same as before. She's still slower than me.

She approached, lingering right on the edge of arms' reach between the two of them, staying light on her feet and trying to bait Tanya into a mistake. Head feinting in, Fiona managed to lean away from a grab attempt, taking a big step back towards the ropes before sending another swinging kick forward, striking the side of Tanya's leg again. It left Tanya unsteady enough that Fiona risked a lunge in close, smacking her elbow against the side of her rival's head, getting more cheers out of Fiona's supporters.

Time to take her down again! Retreating swiftly back, Fiona jumped onto the middle rope nearby and flew back towards the middle of the ring, tilting in the air and going for a punishing crossbody splash.

Unfortunately for Fiona she underestimated Tanya. As she came flying off the rope, Tanya stepped in at just the proper angle and caught her right out of the air before she could follow through with the crossbody attempt. Instead of driving her opponent to the mat Fiona found herself trapped in Tanya’s powerful embrace.

“Oh, and Fiona’s caught now!” Dan Rich shouted as Tanya’s fans immediately drowned out Fiona’s. “Tanya just snatched her like a Venus fly trap!”

Keeping hold of her opponent Tanya pivoted, turning so her back was to the nearby turnbuckle. Without hesitation Tanya shifted her weight and dropped suddenly, slamming Fiona’s side down across her knee in one sharp motion. Fiona’s body jolted from the force against her ribs before she slipped free and crashed to the mat.

“And a knee drop by Tanya, and now…” Dan’s tone tightened as Tanya grabbed Fiona’s top with both hands and pulled her upright. With a fluid burst of strength Tanya lifted Fiona off her feet and then drove her down hard into a crushing sidewalk slam.

“A sidewalk slam!” Brent slapped the announcement table, “Tanya now has the advantage.”

Tanya wasted no time, hastily grabbing hold of Fiona again, her face beet red. Tanya ducked low and draped Fiona across her shoulders into a fireman’s carry, the tension around the ring palpable. With wide eyes and a piercing shout Tanya spun Fiona around and dropped down hard and fast. Fiona crashed to the mat with a thud as Tanya fell back on her backside.

“And now a sit down slam by Tanya!”

“Fiona has taken a hard turn down Slam Street,” Brent said with a raised brow, “she better claw her way back now before Tanya pounds her into putty.”

Tanya's endurance shined as she caught Fiona, and she immediately showed that her leg was still more than healthy enough to heft her lighter opponent up and repeatedly slam her down. The whole building knew the match was about to shift when Tanya finally had Fiona helpless in her arms, and all Fiona could do was brace for it, hoping to find a moment to take the advantage back sooner rather than later.

She cried out loudly as she was dropped onto Tanya's knee and then dropped to the mat, rolling away and holding her side. Tanya was furious, not even letting Fiona get her bearings before she pulled her up, and in one smooth motion lifted her off the mat and slammed her down on her back, the impact rippling through her and securing Tanya's control for the time being.

The third slam was the highest of the three, starting with Fiona draped across Tanya's shoulders before getting pummeled into the mat on her back again. It was a fast, brutal assault, rapidly undoing the advantage Fiona had earned with her careful approach to start the match. She wasn't dazed or dizzy at all, but three consecutive slams put an immediate ache into her whole torso but particularly her back, the impacts leaving her breathless.

"Tanya's not letting up," Dan pointed out, as Fiona was pulled up to her feet again, this time by her hair. "What's she got planned now?"

Tanya stuffed Fiona's head under her left arm, draping Fiona's left arm over the back of her own neck. With her right arm she reached between Fiona's legs before lifting her up off the mat, flipping her upside down.

"Going for the Falcon Arrow!" Rhonda spotted with sudden excitement.

Fiona was just barely able to slip free, however, escaping Tanya's grasp and landing right behind her. She stumbled slightly, not the most graceful return to the mat, but was still able to land a swift kick to the back of Tanya's leg, forcing her down to her knees. Moving forward fast, Fiona flipped forward over Tanya's back, grabbing her head on the way and pulling it down fast to slam her face-first into the mat.

"Fiona dodged a bullet there," Brent said, "but Tanya's got plenty of ammunition left."

A leg kick and a faceplant wouldn't keep Tanya down for long, Fiona knew, so she rolled to her feet as quickly as she could, getting up just before Tanya could. Deciding to take a shot of her own to regain the advantage in the match, Fiona charged forward and went for her signature Supergirl Punch, looking to knock the senses right out of Tanya before she could get her defenses up.