Haru Fujiwara vs. Carmen Rodriguez - Fool's Gold

Another day, another match. Carmen had spent so many nights in places like the Tension arena's backstage, waiting for her next match to start in the darkness, that it had become her happy place. Her own area of tranquility. She sat there, alone, dressed in her usual ring attire - the black tights, the red wrestling boots, the tight workout bra over her chest. She was fresh, healed up from her last match, feeling good. Everything felt right about this setup, everything was on point, except for one, missing item.

Gold. Sometimes Carmen felt like she'd been chasing it her entire life.

She'd come close - so close - twice before. The first time with Lorenza Saldano, for the championship. One of the tightest, hardest fights of her life, and there were points in the battle where she was sure she had the title wrapped up...but no, it slipped through her fingers. Lost on the decision. And then there was the time in the Olympics where she made her way to the top, came within reach of the grand prize...and it slipped through her fingers, once again. Another decision loss, and this time she got the silver-medal for her efforts. She was proud of that medal, she treasured it, but it was a daily reminder of what she could have had. It could've been so much shinier.

Carmen was 28, and she'd be 29 by the end of the month. She wasn't getting any younger. Right now, she was in her prime, but that would last, maybe, three more years. The AFW was the last real chance she had to score gold. A belt. A title. Something to get the Rodriguez name in the books, even if those books would mostly be written in Japanese. She'd been working towards that ever since she came to Tension, taking on matches when she could, losing some, winning some, developing a small but worthy fanbase...and it still wasn't enough. The chances of her getting in the running for any of the belts were between slim and none, and it was definitely closer to the 'none' side.

Carmen didn't want to let it get to her, but there were times when she couldn't help it, and as she looked at the match card for tonight, she felt that this was one of those times. 'Haru Fujiwara'. A new guy, and as near as she could tell, one who hadn't been inside the ring for a good, long while. She found some stuff on him from college days, but after that, it was like he dropped off the planet - no record, no official matches, no anything. He had all the markings of a guy who started boxing, fell off for a few years, and thought he could slide back in, nice and easy, by taking on a few women. She was someone's warm-up. Great

Carmen had a decent record, winning as much as she'd lost. Not stellar, but she fought more than most Tension women, and she took on opponents they typically didn't in ways they rarely did. She'd earned every victory, and made her opponents earn theirs. She didn't expect to be the main attraction, but she didn't think they be testing rookie talent on her, either. It was a slap on the face.

She pushed those thoughts aside as the crew gave her the signal and her music started to play. Her father always taught her to leave these sorts of thoughts out of the ring, and that was what she'd do. Or try to do, anyway.

Carmen made her way out from behind the curtains and pumped her fists out towards the fans, getting them psyched up and feeding off their energy as she made her way down the ramp, shadow boxing every step of the way. She rolled into the ring, popped up, and held her fists high as she walked about, making sure to give the fans plenty of photo opportunities. At least they were on her side for the most part, even if management didn't seem to care much. She just hoped they'd stay that way after tonight, because she wasn't sure how much of a show she could squeeze out of this guy...

The roar of the crowd, even muffled as it was, could still be heard in the backstage of the arena. Their hopes, their fears, their energy, the air was thick with it, and clearly whoever had gone out first was popular with the crowd.

Good.

It would make what was to come so much more satisfying. Haru let out a soft grunt as he rolled his shoulders out and waited for the music to cue his entrance. He wanted the crowd riled up, cheering for their favorite with all their hearts. Imagining their devastated faces when he utterly demolished whoever it was brought a grin to his face.  He hadn't bothered to look up who he would be facing soon; in fact, he'd even insisted that the coordinators not tell him. It really didn't matter whoever they threw his way, they just needed to line them up so Haru could knock them down, one after the other.

He hadn't stepped foot in a real arena for quite some time now, notwithstanding the replicas some gyms built. However, to say that he was out of shape or out of practice would be gravely wrong. He had kept himself busy on the shadier side of the fighting world, and he felt now his skills were at the top of his game.

The sound of some bland, washed-up american rock song that had been chosen for him let him know it was time to head out. The dark skinned, six foot one monster of a Japanese national headed out onto the ramp, shirtless and clad only in black . His smile was menacing and met with a combination of surprise and awe. The lack of applause didn't bother him, he wasn't here to please any of them in the first place. This league was an opportunity to finally compete in challenges that excited him, and it didn't hurt that it came with a paycheck either.

Haru slipped under the bottom rope and into the ring, returning to his full height just a few feet away from Carmen. The crowd compared the two; Haru won in size and height, but as far as they knew, Carmen was the one with the experience. So what exactly could they expect from a match up like this?

Haru looked down at her with disappointment, this was what he came here for? It wasn't that she was a woman, he'd met plenty who could OHKO a guy no sweat, but rather that she was just......plain. Nothing about her screamed unique or overly interesting. She seemed like just another run of the mill female fighter.

Haru's eyes glazed over and he gave a defeated sigh. He'd specifically asked that they set him up with a worthwhile match, but it seemed the organizers were going to play it safe and test the waters.

Whatever.

He'd have to prove himself first then. If this was their way of challenging him, he'd have to show them just how much they were underestimating him. Some of his spirit started to return to him as he worked up a grin, cracking his knuckles one by one.

"Oi, ref, you sure this is the right one?" he asked, raising an unimpressed brow as he now leaned back against the corner turnbuckle. "I have no problem hitting girls, but you could at least send someone out who looks like they can hit back."

And here came the tallest Japanese man Carmen had seen since she came to this island. Wow. She didn't even know Japan made them that big, but there was Haru, just as tall as her brother and maybe as wide across. He cut an imposing figure, and Carmen was a little relieved - he looked like he could take a punch, at least, and probably dish one out. So it wouldn't be too quick, and she might get some challenge out of him. She hoped. Maybe she could work with him a little bit, not go too heavy and make this watchable. No need to embarrass him on the first match.

That notion was deflated when he spoke. Not to her, but to the referee. talking like she wasn't even worth his attention. Carmen put one of her wrapped hands on her hip and raised an eyebrow, then snapped her fingers to get his attention. "Hey. Pendejo." She gave him a quick wave. "Right here. You got shit to say, you can say it to me. You want to see if I can hit back? Wait for the bell to ring. You'll see."

Yeah. This was getting off to a pleasant start. The guy just oozed with cockiness, and even though the audience couldn't hear what he was saying, they got the body language well enough and were giving him the appropriate level of booing. Carmen liked to get some pleasantries out of the way before a match, but she had the feeling they'd be wasted here. With Haru, she simply moved into her orthodox boxing stance and started to bounce of her heels, waiting for the opening bell to ring.

Haru pursed his lips in amusement and tried to keep his grin from breaking into a full-blown smile. She was certainly upset already, calling him names. The anger was palpable, practically charging the air with it's energy. Haru was pleased, anger meant she would fight harder.

"So the angry foreign girl has an attitude, I like that in a jobber. Do try to at least put up a fight first though, these people paid for entertainment"

Haru licked his lips as he stepped back, that comment was bound to get her even more fired up. The crowd's attention was on him now at least, even if it was in the form of booing. He recognized the stance she took before the bell ring, she was familiar with boxing too?

Fine by him, he'd love to throw a few punches to start things off. Haru eased himself into a boxing stance as well. As the bell rung Haru moved forward, just out of his own striking distance. Longer arms put him at a good advantage if this were strictly a boxing match; he could hit her without her easily reaching him. But this was wrestling, which meant she could get inside his guard and use moves illegal in boxing. Before he made up his mind completely as to how he would ultimately demolish her, testing the waters and seeing what she knew seemed fun.

Haru inched closer on the balls of his feet, throwing a quick combo at her. A jab with the left, a feint at her lower right abdomen, and then another strong left. A novice boxer would be inclined to shrink down to block his right, unaware that it was only a feint, and then proceed to get clobbered by the real strike. Some wrestlers did boxing, or at least shadow boxing, as part of their training regimen, but he doubted she would seriously fall for it.

Carmen tightened up her guard as the bell rang behind them and the crowd cheered, egging her on.  "Don't kid yourself." She  stayed light on her feet, gliding from step to step, maintaining fluid, steady motion as she moved around Haru. "They came to watch guys like you get beat down by women like me. Today, they' won't be disappointed."

She managed to hide her surprise, but she was surprised that he moved into a boxing stance. Not a bad one, either. He'd either been brushing up on his technique since his college days or he had a really good muscle memory. Either way, the end result was a solid stance, and the punches that came out of it weren't bad, either.

A feint. Most of the wrestlers she'd fought against didn't even try that sort of thing with their punches, and if Carmen hadn't boxed with Lorenza a few months ago, her rustiness might've made her fall for it. Unfortunately for Haru, she was still close enough to her top game for her to see all the signs. She dodged the real strike, juking to the side and letting it pass by her head, close enough that she could feel it brush against her flowing hair. It was a solid blow, a nice shot for someone out of the game so long, and she'd give it the response it deserve.

Carmen came back at him with a right hook, throwing her body into the blow as she swung at his face. With any luck, it would knock some stupid out of his skull. And maybe a tooth, too.

Haru's punch was close enough that he could feel Carmen's soft hair dance along his knuckle as he narrowly missed. He had come so close that he knew she was either lucky or had real experience under her belt, and he was betting on the latter.

And the latter it was, as Carmen's fist was heading straight for his face. Oh how she would have loved to smash his teeth in right about now, but it would not be so; at least not yet. Surprisingly light on his feet, Haru ducked back so that she narrowly missed as well, likely feeling the hot breathe of his exhale on her hand. She had put such force behind her swing by putting her body into it, which Haru planned to now take advantage of.

Haru closed that small distance between them, preventing either of them from throwing a really good punch. His hands found their way behind her neck as he tried forcing her head down, hopefully so that his knee might greet her chin.

With Haru's size, there was a strong temptation to compare him to her brother. Carmen would have to get over that sort thinking and do it fast, because there were some big differences. Army wouldn't have dodged that hook on the best day of his life, but Haru did. Luck? She wanted to call it that. The problem certainly wasn't on her end, it was a textbook shot with speed and strength. All the same, though, it missed the target, and given how big Haru's head was growing because of all the ego, that was saying something.

Carmen tried to recover fast, pulling back and readying another cross, but he was on her in the next second, grabbing hold and keeping her close. Too close for her best weapons to be much use, but close enough for a vicious blow from her rising knee, headed for his face face.

She fought him every inch of the way, and it helped her out a little...but not much. The blow hit her chest instead of her jaw, but it still hurt like blazes and had more than enough power to knock her off her feet. She fell to her knees while she dealt with the pain, using one hand to prop herself up and the other to rub her smashed chest.

Haru was lucky that he was taller, it meant Carmen's knee had a longer travel time. It was the only reason his knee arrived first, impaling her in the chest and seemingly knocking her down. Haru looked at her with disgust and rolled his eyes, maybe he'd gotten lucky and hit her harder than he thought. Or maybe she just sucked.

Either way he now knew anything with a good deal of power with it could slow her down. She was packing some power of her own there, judging only from that one punch, and he wasn't too keen on receiving too many.

"Already taking a break, little boxer girl? It hasn't even been five minutes yet" Haru taunted, shrugging his shoulders and dropping his stance. "Comon, get up, I'll even let you take a free shot" he laughed, holding his hands up and away from his body.

Haru liked to talk. Carmen supremely hated fighters who liked to talk. A few taunts here and there were fine, but some people just took it way too far and seemed to have a word for every punch they threw. It made her long for the days when her opponents had to wear mouthguards.

She glared his way but stayed silent, letting her anger simmer. She wasn't as quick on the temperature spikes as her brother, but hotheadedness was a family trait that ran on both sides. It took a lot more to get her there than with most of the family, but she could be pushed with enough time and effort, and Haru was doing a fantastic job.

Carmen didn't get up. Partly because she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of going along with his little game, and partly because she didn't need to. Instead, she stayed crouched and swung her leg out, catching him in the legs with a quick sweep to drop him on his ass.

Haru waited and waited, bathing himself in the chorus of boos that resounded throughout the arena, but still she didn't get up. They even began to chant her name, "Carmen, Carmen, Carmen!" And yet the spunky Latina stayed down.

Now Haru was slightly annoyed, how dare she defy him and ignore his pity? It was the last that she was going to receive this match, that was for sure. Haru started walking towards her to continue the match on his own terms, and that was when Carmen finally sprung into action.

He reacted too late to the swift and clean motion of her leg sweep, sending the tower of a man down. The force of his body shook the ring slightly on impact. The fall didnt sting too terribly much but it had pissed him off. Gritting his teeth and growling, he pushed himself to a sitting position, eyes tearing around the ring in search for revenge.