Double Debut: Madison Henrich vs Carol Clover

Match Type Normal
Win Conditions Pinfall, Submission or TKO

Madison:

vs

Carol:

Madison puts aside the tablet, having gone over everything in the company’s file about her opponent for the fifth time. The low rumble of the crowd drifts into the room. The crowd outside isn’t the largest crowd the stadium had ever seen, figured for two nobodies. But even that “small” crowd dwarfed any crowd she had ever preformed for, wrestling or otherwise.

All around her the stagehands hurry to get the show ready on time. It all reminds her of her time in theater. Really pro wrestling isn’t that dissimilar. Sure you get a few more bruises, torn ligaments, maybe a cracked bone from time to time. But at the end of the day you’re there to put on a show, win the crowd, earn that fame and glory.

‘Why couldn’t they understand that?’ she thinks to herself before shaking her head. ‘Focus Madison, you didn’t come here to for them.’

A stage hand passes her by, reminds her she’s on in five. She looks down at the mask laying next to her seat. She picks up the white and gold mask and just stares at it for a moment. Half the mask is golden and decorated with a laughing face, while the other half is white with a crying face. The two faces of drama might be a bit on the nose but she liked the design.

“Well old friend, the curtain’s calling,” she says to no one in particular, and puts the mask on.

The stagehand gives her a thumbs up, and with a deep breath she steadies herself and steps into the lime light as her music blares from giant speakers. No matter how many times she’s done this none had prepared her for the vast arena she walks onto. She stops at the top of the ramp for a moment, and all her doubts fall away as her music picks up. She sprints into the ring and slides underneath the bottom rope quickly.

She jumps in place to keep her blood moving as she waits for her opponent and her music plays out. Not much to go on for her first match, a new wrestler just like her. But she had gone over what she does know over and over again to find weakness. She couldn’t really remember a name, the who doesn’t really matter much. Her first opponent is just a stepping stone, a sacrifice to prove that she can stand on the same stage as her old “friends”.

The energetic beats of Carol's theme brought some life into the crowd as the orange haired girl ran out, pumping a fist into the air with an excited look on her face. Ah, it was her first match in Japan, and she had prepared a great deal for the fight. Like always, she ate to the very limits of her stomach, trained intensely with everything she had, and smiled with all her heart! Of course, what she had was a welcoming smile, a little cheeky but all around glad to see that her opponent was ready for their match tonight.

No, not just that. She was happy that people had come to see them, even if they were both new wrestlers making their debut here tonight! Clad in her spandex gear, the short girl bounced down the ramp, giving high fives to those who extended their hands and acknowledging all those who cheered. It was a slow process, but she was getting some people on her side now that she was trying to engage with them.

Once she got to the ring, she hopped up to the apron and jumped over the top rope into a seated position on the top of the turnbuckle. Standing up on the second rope, she gave Madison a big grin before raising up her fist once more, getting a few more cheers before she hopped down onto the mat. Looking up at her opponent, she knew that this was going to be a tough fight. That said, she didn't doubt herself even for one second. As long as she fought with conviction, she wouldn't have any problems with the outcome, no matter if it was good or bad for her.

The bell had not yet rung, so she extended her hand out, offering Madison a chance to shake and show some good sportsmanship before they began the match!

Madison keeps to her corner, stretching as she waits for her opponent to show up. A barrage of fast paced electronic music blasts into the arena as Carol steps into the limelight, fist held high. Madison just watches the girl bounce down the ramp, big smile plastered on her face as she pumps up the crowd. The girl is really a perky one, all smiles and sunshine. Really reminds her of Vita, which draws a sinister smile to her lips.

‘Well that’ll make what’s coming all the easier,’ she thinks to herself.

She waits for Carol to play up to the crowd from her corner before she moves to the center of the ring as Carol’s music dies down. She moves with the practiced ease of someone who's used to being on stage.

When Carol walks up to her and extends her hand, Madison hesitates. Just long enough for Carol to notice, before taking the handshake with a firm grip. She looks her opponent over, just like her AFW profile described her. Strong, if a little shorter than her, and a with feminine curves that her outfit does nothing to hide. Nothing I can’t handle.

“Carol right? I hear we’re both new here, but I’ve got a good feeling that you’ll help me put on a good show tonight,” she says, her mouth the only part of her face visible. "Just hope you don't mind a rough fight. I wouldn't like to make a boring fight time for everyone here."

Carol tilted her head in confusion for a moment. Madison's hesitation was rather odd to her, but not entirely unexpected. Perhaps she was from a promotion similar to the League! Trying to show good sportsmanship there would've led to a kick to the groin and an extended beatdown. Compared to that nasty place, AFW was a much more genteel sort of company. So, she would've understood if her opponent didn't want to shake hands. Luckily, Madison came around and took her hand. Almost immediately, she put her other hand over the brunette's and shook enthusiatically. In fact, she might have been a little too into it!

Well, some people did consider her to be an oversized puppy. Carol's guileless expression gave more credence to that belief.

"Oh, I could say the same to you, Madison! Let's have a lot of fun wrestling together, okay? The audience is important, but we have to show them how much we love our jobs!"

With that, she briefly let go of Madison's hand, extending both of her arms for a big, squishy hug. Yep, she was definitely a two-legged puppy.

Madison was ready for a number of reactions. Aggressive, dismissive, nervous, catty (that one everyone seems to love). Puppy like affection wasn’t one of them. Though for a second she thought Carol was trying to pull her arm from her socket with her handshake.

“Um,  y-yea sure. You can let go of my hand,” she says, starting to get annoyed. When Carol wraps her up in a hug her face reddens.

She could hear some of the people in the crowd laughing. And at least a few of them were snickering. At her. She wanted to deck Carol right there.

“That’s… nice to hear,” she says trying to keep the simmering anger out of her voice as she pushes Carol off of herself. “I have a feeling this is going to be fun for both of us.”

‘Well a little more fun for me,’

The bell rings to announce the start of the match that Madison was waiting for. As the bell rings Madison raises her hands, offering a test of strength and a smile. Pretty standard start, no reason to doubt it. Not that this woman would doubt anything, she thinks to herself. Should Carol accept the offer just before they lock up Madison will instead ball her right hand and sucker punch Carol in the face to start off the match with a bang.

Carol was rather oblivious to how she was making Madison upset, given that she couldn't see her opponent's face. Apparently, she was used to people being tense around her. Getting pushed away from a hug was also ordinary for her. That was to say, she didn't notice anything was wrong until it was too late.

When Madison offered a test of strength, the energetic girl was overjoyed. Very few people had ever showed that kind of courtesy to her, and she was eager to respond to the challenge. Of course, it was a trap. This was not the first time she had fallen for it, and it was also far from the last. Of course, given her particular specialty, she could afford to make this mistake. Her head snapped to the side from the punch, even causing her to stumble back a step. But once she regained her footing, she looked back to her opponent with a big smile.

Her resiliency was absurd, to say the least.

"That was real dirty, Ms. Henrich~ But that's okay, I'm used to being disappointed!"

Rushing back in, she didn't even hold anything back as she tried to shoulder charge Madison. In fact, it looked like she was trying to drive her opponent all the way back to the ropes!

Madison’s fist cracks against Carol’s skull, sending a small wave of boos from the crowd. But not nearly as much of a reaction than she expected. Apparently sucker punching someone was more rude in the AFW than anything else.


‘That’s fine, I can do worse,’ Madison thinks to herself before returning her attention to the moment.


But to her surprise not only was Carol still standing she barely seemed annoyed. The woman was smiling at her with the same big stupid grin. But somehow this seemed more frightening than adorable.


Before Madison could react the Canadian crosses the distance between them and ploughs straight into Madison shoulder first. Madison has enough sense to try and stop her opponent but Carol’s momentum carries the two all the way to the ropes. It doesn't take a genius to know that this is a bad spot to be in and Madison is already thinking on striking first.
“I’m disappointed too darling, disappointed you don’t shut up,” Madison grunts between her teeth right before she draws her knee back.


Madison will try to convince Carol to back off by introducing her knee to Carol’s midsection with great force.

Carol had succeeded in pushing Madison all the way back to the ropes, but her opponent was rather crafty. It was a tactic well suited for somebody chatty like her: Distracting her with conversation, then striking in the middle of it. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work too well. The Canadian took the knee to the gut, grunting with a look of surprise before she grinned again. It had hurt her, but she didn't seem to care. In fact, she looked like she was extra motivated now.

"Right. I shouldn't talk with my mouth. Like my big sis always says...." She cocked her hand back, then swung out at Madison's head with a wild haymaker! "In the ring, you talk with your fists!"

‘It was a solid hit,’ Madison thought. ‘Dead on and plenty force behind it. So somebody tell me why she’s still got a stupid grin on her face?!’ This girl is seriously starting to get to her, and the fight had barely gotten started.

She was ready to exploit the opening a knee to the gut usually makes. Instead she leaves her on the wrong foot and open to the haymaker. That punch finds her cheek and knocks her back against the ropes with enough force she almost tumbles over the ropes and out of the ring. But for all the power Madison can also take a hit.

She shakes her head to clear the dizziness, and tries to retaliate with a wild punch of her own. She’s abandoned taunts and tricks for the moment, all that's’ on her mind is getting breathing room against the Canadian.

Carol could sense Madison's discomfort. Most of her matches started that way! Of course, the times when her opponents kept on hitting instead of being perturbed were the ones where she either lost or had to fight to her very limits to win. As far as she could tell, this match wouldn't end up being that difficult. Well, it was Madison's debut, and she was an opponent that came from quality stock that Carol didn't have many chances to face. There was a high chance that she'd go and surprise the little tank!

That said, that wild swing had made an impact on Madison. She was rocked, and the Canadian knew what would come next. She would've kept on punching, but there was a cool move she wanted to use to try and show off to the audience. Unlike her big sister, Carol didn't excel in technique. Still, she knew how to do one thing right, and that was headbutting! Once her opponent began to punch back, Carol rapidly bent over in order to slam her forehead into the incoming hand!