Panther Risako vs Suzumi Ishikawa

Risako's heart raced as she bounced off the ropes, corkscrewing in midair and latching on with her legs around Suzumi's waist, positioned so that her back was facing the other girl's face. Using her momentum to arch her back up so that her shoulders were level with Suzumi's, Risako reached back to grab Suzumi's head, unlatching her legs to swing forwards....

...only to feel arms push against her back at the last minute. Risako's eyes widened as her grip came loose, and she crashed unceremoniously onto her butt. Pain shot up her tailbone, and she could have sworn that she heard some people in the crowd chuckle. She...she countered it? Risako thought in disbelief.

Suzumi smiled as she saw the look of disbelief on Risako's face. However, she knew she couldn't just sit back and let her get back into it. She had a chance to press an advantage, and Suzumi wasn't about to let that golden opportunity pass her by! Suzumi took a deep breath and went into action. The adrenaline rushed through her as the Queen of Queens made a rare miscalculation, one which Suzumi would make sure she paid for.

Suzumi ran forward and did a sliding dropkick right at Risako's back! Sure, it wasn't the most creative thing to do but right now Suzumi felt like instant offense was the best answer!

Risako was still stunned, both from Suzumi's counter and from her own miscalculation, when she heard running footsteps behind her. Cursing, she spun, raising an arm to block-- just in time to receive Suzumi's drop kick. The shock of impact ran up her arm, almost making her cry out, and the blow sent her crashing onto her back, clutching her arm.

Wincing, Risako tried to roll back to her feet. She was on a back foot now-- something she hadn't quite expected so early in the match. Suzumi had gotten better since the league had dissolved. Or maybe I'm getting sloppier, a small, doubtful voice said in the back of her head.

Suzumi managed to get to her feet as Risako moved to join her. With both women vertical again Suzumi decided that she couldn't go slam for slam, or punch for punch with Risako. That would be foolish and lead to defeat. "Woooo! How'd ya like that one Tokyo? Who wants to see some more?" Suzumi called out to the crowd, getting them riled up and cheering.

She had to try to get Risako softened up for some submission holds. Suzumi came at Risako quickly, acting like she wanted to grapple. At the last second Suzumi would land a fast knee to the abdomen, then work her way around behind Risako in an attempt to put her in an abdominal stretch!

Risako took a deep breath as she rolled back up to her feet, tensing into a crouch like the feline cat that was her name sake. Opposite her, Suzumi was circling and rousing the crowd, before mirroring her crouch.

And then, all of a sudden, Suzumi burst into a charge. Risako darted forward to meet her in a grapple, only to realize too late that it was a feint. Her eyes widened, just before she was bent sideways in a painful abdominal stretch! "AAAAH!" she cried as her slender body was bent sideways. She tried to throw an elbow back, or to throw Suzumi over her shoulder...anything to get out of this painful hold.

How did I not see that coming? she thought to herself past the pain. Damn it, I'm better than this! Why am I letting Suzumi beat me like this?

Suzumi kept the hold locked in as long as she could, moving her head side to side to avoid taking a sharp elbow to the jaw. "You totally underestimated me Risako but I won't hold it against ya! Like, you gotta see now that I'm here to stay!" Suzumi said, as if she were making a statement to not only Risako but the entire roster. Chris Morgan being a hater didn't bother Suzumi at this point, she hated Chris Morgan before. It was Mikoto urging her to retire again that still bugged her. Suzumi helped train her, raising her inside the ring. If Mikoto was really her friend, she would know how afraid Suzumi was or retiring from the one thing she really loved doing...

As Suzumi was lost in thought, Risako moved her arm and positioned herself to deliver a hip toss to Suzumi! She let out a cry of shock and pain as she was tossed to the mat back-first! Suzumi arched her back and sat up, rubbing her lower back from a seated position on the mat.

Risako clenched her teeth shut, hearing Suzumi crowing over her. Deep down, she knew that she was right-- she had been treating Suzumi lightly, even though she always knew the girl had potential to be a top contender. But to be at her mercy so early in the match was unexpected, something that Risako was unused to, and she felt her frustration beginning to build.

"Let...GO!" she suddenly growled, flinging Suzumi head over heels onto her back. Wincing a little at the lingering soreness in her side, she took a few quick breaths, then broke into a run towards the opposite ropes. She was going to win this, she told herself. She was going to make up for the loss to Chris...

The thought of Chris, which had always been in the background of her thoughts, came simmering back to the surface as she bounced off the ropes and ran back towards Suzumi. The match became an afterthought as she found herself dwelling again on the anger and pain she associated with the American. She moved automatically as she jumped up at the last minute, aiming for a drop kick at Suzumi's back...

...and went flying past her, landing on her butt beside the purple haired girl. Pain shot up Risako's tailbone as she sat up, a look of stunned disbelief on her face. I...I missed?

Never before had a pained roll to her side benefit her more than it did now... still grabbing at her back Suzumi moved to her left to get up right as Panther Risako attempted to hammer her with a dropkick!

"Whoa!" Suzumi blurted out in surprise. Again, she now had a nice opportunity that she couldn't pass up. Panther Risako was sitting right in front of her.... perfect position to lock in her modified dragon sleeper finisher the Tsunami Sleeper! "All right, lets do this Tokyo!" Suzumi shouted as she ran up to Risako as quickly as she could, bending her foe's head back, wrapping one arm around her neck. Suzumi tried to cap it off by wrapping her legs all around Risako's torso for a double squeeze... all while leaving her left arm free for a few strikes to Risako's abdomen and ribcage!

Even though it was very early, Suzumi knew that locking anyone in her finisher had the potential to end a match! However, the Queen of Queens was a great wrestler and if she blocked this attempt Suzumi knew it would be a long time before a chance like this presented itself.

The crowd could only stare in mild disbelief as Risako missed Suzumi in a botched kick, landing clumsily on her butt. Her previous match against Chris has been a hard-fought and brutal affair, one that had seen Risako fighting well against an equally good opponent. But now...now, Risako was being clumsy and sloppy in the ring, making rookie mistakes and even missing attacks. Today, for some unknown reason, the Queen of Queens was fighting at far less than her usual form.

No one was more aware of this than Risako, who was slowly but surely feeling her frustration build. She didn't have time to dwell on it for long, however, before Suzumi came in behind and locked in a dragon sleeper. "HNNNGH..." Risako gagged as her head was bent back painfully, causing her body to arch and giving the crowd a better view of her curvy figure. Her legs kicked at the mat as she pawed at Suzumi's arms. Past the pain and the lack of air, Risako was being kept in the fight only by frustrated adrenaline. The match had barely begun, and she was already at Suzumi's mercy!

With a low growl, she pressed her booted feet against the mat and pushed off, trying push Suzumi onto her back. If she managed that, then she hoped to flip over in the hold so that her chest was pressed down against Suzumi's face, and she would grab her arms to press her shoulders to the mat in a sneaky pin.

Suzumi didn't have her hold locked in long when she felt Risako worm around and catch her in a pin! Suzumi's finisher... never before reversed once locked in.... was reversed into a pin!

"One!"

Suzumi was in disbelief as the first count came. Fortunately for her, she did have her wits about her. As the resounding two count came Suzumi thrust her shoulder off the mat to break the count! Suzumi tried to roll away before getting back up to her feet, in less of a light mood than before. "Damn showoff....." she muttered loudly as she glared over at Risako. Suzumi was intent on making her pay for that surprise pin....