Radio Banter

Toshiko had never been invited to something like this before. She had been invited to take part in a interview at the last minute. Since arriving at AFW Toshiko had kept her head down and had not gotten involved with the media in anyway, bar her ring appearances. Toshiko guessed the only reason they asked her was because someone decent had dropped out. Still some publicity was better than no publicity, maybe she could actually get some real fans and start making a name for herself. The interview would also lay down the foundation for her to lay down a few more important matches. Right now her fight record is balanced, she was hoping that the next upcoming fights would change that, give her a good fight card and lead to further media coverage.

After a long journey she had finally managed to find the radio station and once inside she had been guided over to a seat inside a radio studio, the Radio DJ on the otherside, headphones on, concentrating and enjoying the music blaring out from her headphones. Toshiko would take the time to make sure she was comfortable and would also take a sip of water to make sure that her throat was clear. It was then explained to Toshiko by the producer that they were allowing people to ask questions via Email and also accepting phone calls too to help give the interview more meat. The thought somewhat made Toshiko abit more anxious but oh well.

The that was playing began to end and soon the radio DJ was ready to start talking. And so it began.

Warm, mid-morning sun warmed the small studio through tall windows on one side that overlooked a rather mundane slice of the Tokyo sprawl. The DJ, Japanese in appearance but inexplicably American, moved his microphone back into place while his show's catchy little mid-morning radio jingle played to transition back from the set of music. He began talking, and motioned for Toshiko to move closer to her microphone.

"...And here in the studio we have with us AFW Friction pro wrestler Toshiko Nada. Hello Toshiko, welcome. It's good to have you."

Toshiko bit her lower lip as she was monitored to go forward towards the microphone She would take a deep breath while the DJ welcomed her

"Uh... Hello, it's a pleasure to be here"

Damn it, she was still nervous. Not to worry. Keep calm and everything will be ok.

"So you're a pro wrestler..." The DJ said while shuffling some papers out of the way. "For anyone who's listening who isn't familiar, why don't you just tell us, what is AFW Friction, and what exactly is it that you do there?"

In theory it was such a easy question she was asked. Infact the interviewer had pretty much answered the question himself. She took a second to try and answer the question with some level if intelligence. "Well AFW Friction is a wrestling league which is uniquely all female, not a male in sight. And as for me being a pro wrestler... I wouldn't class myself as a wrestler, i prefer fighter. AFW is more of a fighting league with wrestling rules as we attract lots of girls with lots of different skill sets"

"Oh, I see," the interviewer nodded. "So you're more pro fighter than pro wrestler. Why the distinction between the two, and what kind of skill do you take to the ring?"

"Well wrestlers are people who mainly do submissions and holds, they are not very strong and tend to give up when out under pressure from a fighter. A pro fighter uses strikes as their primary weapon. They are bruisers who can take a beating and still dish out, i am a true and true hardcore fighter, using my street fighting experience to hospitalise anyone who dared to face me"

The interviewer gave a big, radio laugh. "Those sound like fighting words to me!" He turned a page in the stack of papers in front of him. "But you look like such a normal girl, you're very pretty, you're young. You don't sound like a thug, but here you are talking about putting other girls in the hospital! How is it that a girl like you ended up in a business like this?"

Toshiko would let put a small laugh too. "Well that is because i used to run in a street gang. I was 15 and i was fighting for my life. When your life is on the line you tend to fight rather well" Toshiko would think abit before speaking the next bit "I didn't leave the gang because i wanted to. A girl called Gum found me one night and broke my ankle. Turns out she was a scout fir a rival gang. That night they attacked and i was blamed. I arrived here because i learnt that she had come here. She condemned me to losing my friends and forcing me back with my parents"

"Well..." The interviewer was at a loss for what to say, but covered well. "I didn't know gangs like that existed outside of the movies. But at least you're out now, and your ankle seems to be all better. Do you find that most of the girls who end up in a place like AFW Friction are like you? By that I mean... young women with a checkered past?"