Gemma Faraday vs. Valley Doll - Age Before Beauty

Match Type: Standard
Victory Conditions: Pinfall, Submission, or KO


The music played, blaring out across the Friction arena as thousands of Japanese fans rose to their feet. The lights are around the entrance ramp dimmed, and bathed the arena in a low, pink light. The cheers already started before the drums even kicked in, as the people anticipated one of Tension's hottest stars...

"Valley Doll! Valley Doll! Valley Doll!"

...and the woman herself emerged from the curtain, to the sound of loud applause. "Tokyoooooooooo!" Valley Doll shot her hand into the air and pointed straight to the ceiling, as all her fans joined along with her."Are you ready to fly?!"

"YEAH!"

She made her way down the ring, dancing all the way as the audience took countless pictures. Today she was especially photo-worthy: her hair was shorter for the first time in her AFW career, a bob cut that licked at her shoulders, and her chest was only half the size it had been when she'd competed three weeks ago. That was thanks the surgery she'd gone through, finally getting breast reduction she had considered for years. It was an odd choice for a woman in the AFW, but she stood by it. Valley felt lighter on her feet than she'd been in years, suddenly having six less pounds to hold her back. She was more than ready to show her fans the difference, too.

Valley hopped on the apron, jumped on top of the turnbuckle, then leaped off with a perfect somersault towards the center of the ring. She landed in crouch and immediately shot back to a full stand, pointing towards the sky again.

♪"Ain't talking 'bout love! My love is rotten to the core!"♪

Valley bounced to the music as she made her way around the ring, waving to the audience and taking in their smiles. The Friction crowd typically had good energy, but tonight they seemed especially pumped up. Maybe they were just ready to see some straight wrestling after the two hentai matches prior to this one calmed them down, maybe she'd just gotten lucky and caught them after a dead spot on the card, right as their energy was returning. Maybe there were just a lot of Van Halen fans out tonight. Whatever the cause, they were pumped, and all their energy was flowing right into her. They wanted to see a good match, and she was aching to give it to them.

♪"Ain't talkin' 'bout love! Just like I told you before! Yeah, before!" ♪

She made her way over to her corner and hopped up to the top, taking a seat on the turnbuckle and crossing her legs. The music was starting to die down, and her opponent would be coming out soon - Gemma Faraday. Valley remembered the name, even saw a couple of her matches last year. Energetic, skilled, great physique, but she'd seemed a little green and maybe a little too eager to jump into bad situations. After the last televised match, Valley was afraid she might've just quit. That was a pattern with too many new stars in the AFW: have a few matches, get a rough start, then leave before you even have a chance to heat up again. But no, Gemma was back and action, proving she had the spirit for this sort of business, at least. It would be interesting to see how much she'd improved over the break...

In the gorilla area, Gemma could hear the reception her opponent was getting from the crowd.  It sounded like they were going to blow the roof off the place, screaming for her.  Pacing in a tight circle, Gemma couldn't help but wonder what kind of reception she was going to get.  It'd been far too long since she'd been in an AFW ring, and Gemma wondered if the fans would even recognize her, at this point.

Her hiatus from AFW had come after a particularly hard loss.  The beating she'd taken had left Gemma stripped, unconscious, even bleeding.  She was carried out of the ring like trash, so the fans' last sight of the Brit wasn't exactly an auspicious one.  Lacing her fingers behind her back, Gemma flexed, arching her spine, trying to release some of the tension she was carrying in her shoulders.  She was hoping that tonight would mark a new start, but that wasn't going to happen if she kept dwelling on the past.

When she heard the high opening notes of her entrance theme , Gemma burst out onto the ramp with a fist thrust to the sky.  The crowd was still hot from Valley's entrance, but the recognition factor wasn't nearly as strong for the incoming Brit.  It bothered Gemma, made her feel somewhat forgotten.  Despite her best efforts, her disappointment was clear on her face, if just for a brief moment.

The steampunker approached the ring with a look of determination, a steely gaze that was different from her usual, bouncy walk down the ramp.  Gemma was focused, square-jawed, shoulders back and posture strong.  Her usual effervescent smile was replaced by a more serious, professional look.  She was rested, back in shape, ready to go.  The Brit wiped her boots off on the ring apron, then hopped up to the top turnbuckle.

Perched high, she raised her arms to the crowd one final time as she regarded her opponent.  Looking the tanned blonde up and down, it was clear to see why she was such a fan favorite.  From what Gemma understood, Valley had been on a hot streak of late.  Not out of spite, but Gemma was determined to bring that hot streak to a screeching halt, tonight.  She felt like she had to; if she were coming back to AFW, she needed to do it with a statement.  Gemma needed to show that she was to be taken seriously, and she wanted to do whatever she could to make that happen.

From her perch, Valley was given a perfect view of Gemma Faraday as she walked down the ramp, even getting to see a few close ups on the big screen as the cameras zoomed in on. She couldn't help but smile. The high-flying Brit had the look in her eyes. That look. The look of a woman who wanted to establish herself, and was going to do that by taking down one of the bigger names the company had to offer. Valley had that look on her own face about a decade ago, when she'd lucked up in a battle royale and got a shot at the Slamazons champ. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove she was able to stand with the big girls. Take the title, make history.

Valley had lost that match. She was a terrible wrestler back then, nowhere near being ready for the big stage, and she'd gotten annihilated. While she doubted this match would be nearly as much of a straight beating as hers had been back in the day, the end result was still going to be the same. Valley was here to win, and win she would do.

She didn't recognize the music, but she liked it enough. A little soft for her tastes, but catchy all the same. She bounced along with it and looked back at Gemma with a soft, knowing smile. She was taking her seriously enough on the inside, but on the outside, she was trying to keep things cool. Besides, she was looking forward to mixing it up with another high-flyer. Way too happy to put anything close to a frown on it.

As the music died down, she hopped off the turnbuckle and sauntered over to the center of the ring, where the referee was waiting. She never took her eyes of Gemma, not even for a second, as she extended a friendly hand her way.

Gemma kept an eye on Valley, trying to read her as all the fanfare of her entrance died down. She was having a hard time getting a read on her opponent. She was confident, Gemma could tell that much. It galled her, a bit, making her fair cheeks flush red. Was Valley writing her off, already? Had Gemma's reputation preceeded her, tonight? Or maybe it was all in her head? The time off hadn't done much for Gemma's insecurities; on the indie circuit back home, she'd been thought of as "daddy's girl," treated with kid's gloves because she couldn't handle the competition. Her AFW record hadn't done much to dispel that perception.

She hopped off the corner post, and shook out her limbs. It didn't matter, Gemma decided, planting her boots firm on the mat. Whatever she thought of Gemma now, Valley was going to respect her by the end of the night ...

When the pair met up in the center of the ring, Gemma regarded Valley's outstretched hand nervously, chewing on her lip as she mulled her options. Most of her past opponents would have taken the cheap shot immediately, and with as much as Gemma had riding on this match the thought of going for it herself was admittedly tempting.

Gemma took Valley's hand, gave it a firm shake, then tried to release and pull back, quick like a bunny. She dropped into a fighting stance, ready for the bell, ready to see what her opponent (and what she herself) could do.

Valley wiggled her fingers and bobbed her hand up and down, as Gemma seemed to be giving an unusual amount of thought to the simple prospect of a handshake. Valley just had a soft chuckle and a sigh at it. She got the logic: there were just too many Allisons, Jocelyns, Amethysts in the AFW. A little precaution was warranted, that was just the reality of things. Didn't mean she had to like it.

She brought her hands up in defense as Gemma jumped back, not able to hold back a little laugh at the sight."Hey, whoa, relax. I come in peace, I'm not here to hurt you." She thought for a moment and bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, I am, but not like that. Just want a good match, okay?" Valley gave her a quick wink. "Love your look by the way."

The Slamazon had a slight wince as soon as she said that last part, realizing how condescending it likely sounded. She did mean it, though. Gemma had a unique flair that really made her stand out, even in a promotion like this. it was a subtle little reminder that her own look was overdue for an update...

The bell rang, the crowd cheered, and Valley snapped into action, immediately falling into a mirror image of Gemma's stance. Her looked became more serious - still smiling, but it was wilder now, with more focus in her eyes. She started to circle around the ring, staying light on her feet, moving quick and seeing how well Gemma could keep up. She closed in with every step, and as soon as they were close enough, Valley lunged out and tried to engage her younger opponent with a collar and elbow tie-up.

Gemma's face flushed red again, this time embarrassed at obviously being caught scared. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The opening bell hadn't even sounded, and this girl was reading her like an open book. Still, she did at least appreciate that she could shake someone's hand without getting sucker punched for it. Plus, though brief, Valley's handshake seemed sincere. It was nice.

Then, however, came what Gemma saw as the taunting. That got Gemma redder, though not in the same way. "Oh, you like my look, do you ducks?" she said, trying to put some edge in her voice. "We'll see how much you like when when you're checking it out from down on the mat!"

At the sound of the ring bell, Gemma circled her opponent. The pair apparently had the same idea, and Gemma fell into pace. She tried to move a little faster, at the price of more control. Her nerves were playing up, making her act without thinking. Valley's smile was bothering her, coming across to Gemma like confidence bordering on smug. The Brit promised herself that she'd have that confidence rattled soon enough.

As they closed distance, Gemma eyed Valley's knee. With a smirk, she stepped in, hoping to hook the leg for a quick takedown. What she hadn't counted on, however, was how quickly Valley came in for an elbow-and-collar tie up. Planting her thick boots, Gemma returned the lock. "Rr!" she grunted, trying to widen her stance a bit, being momentarily vulnerable so that she might have a better base, when it was done. If she could accomplish that, Gemma would push up from her base, hoping that the leverage and her strong legs would give her a dominant position over the veteran.

The two battling blondes met up in the middle of the ring, clashing hard, and there was a second Valley thought she might have a clear strength advantage over Gemma. Neither of them were exactly giants, but she did have a height advantage over her young opponent, which could give her more options that usual. She planted her feet, started to surge forward, hoped to drive the beautiful Brit right to the corner...

...and was driven back herself before she had the chance, as Gemma surged from her base with explosive power. She grunted with surprise and a little frustration as another step was lost right after that one. Valley slammed her foot down, barely stopping the drive cold before it could get out of hand.

"Nice, nice..." She muttered under her breath, speaking through her rough grunts as their blonde manes mashed together. Gemma's stance was good, it looked like her legs were strong enough to at least match Valley's own impressive set, and she didn't have a body that had suffered over a decade of abuse. Dangerous combination, but she could work with it.

Valley took a step back, ceding some ground to Gemma, before she suddenly pushed up and released one of Gemma's arms. She kept the grip tight on the other one and tried to spin around underneath, looking to come up from behind her eager foe and catch her in a tight hammerlock.

Gemma couldn't help but grin, as she took the advantage. Valley no doubt had the better trained body, between the two, but Gemma's youthful vigor and determination seemed to be carrying her over at the onset of the match. It was a good start, and Gemma couldn't help but want to milk it.

As the pair pressed together, Gemma pushed her forehead flush against Valley's forehead, and gave her a smirk. Gemma couldn't help but let out a little growl of effort, but she tried to look as casual as possible. She even pursed her lips slightly, blowing a taunting air kiss toward Valley as she listened to her boot stomp the mat for leverage.

Gemma's cockiness caught up with her almost immediately, however, as she lost focus and got hooked in Valley's hammerlock like a rank amatuer. "Bloody- d'oh!" she snapped, as Valley bent her over.

Gemma grimaced at letting herself get bent over like that, but Valley's superior experience and grappling skill couldn't be denied. "Rrgh," she grunted, using her free hand to massage her shoulder, hoping to alleviate the pressure. Bending at the hips, Gemma tried to press her back against Valley's body. It caused some strain on the shoulder, but the Brit hoped to force Valley to retreat a bit, and loosen her grip enough to give Gemma some breathing room before the tan blonde could take even more advantage of her.

Valley had rolled her eyes as the little air kiss Gemma made a moment ago, not letting the younger wrestler's taunts get to her too much. Thickening her skin was one of the things she'd worked on improving most this year, especially after the humiliation parade that she'd gone through in the latter half of 2014. She could appreciate Gemma's cocky flair, a very healthy thing that would've flustered many women on the AFW roster. Valley was simply determined not to be one of them.

"There we go, there we go." She pressed her face against the back of Gemma's head and gripped the wrist even tighter, trying to pull the hammerlock as tight as she could get it. To the Brit's credit, she wasn't making it the easiest move to hold - some might have panicked like this, but she was keeping it cool. Somebody had trained her well, and Valley made a mental note to find out who that someone was when this was over. Assuming they were on speaking terms after this.

She was getting forced back, driven towards the ropes, making the hammerlock less and less effective. Rather than stay on a losing horse, Valley opted to just let the hold go altogether. She quickly released it, brought her arms up, and tried to catch Gemma from behind with a side headlock. Basic stuff, but effective.

Gemma tried to push through the pain and discomfor of the hammerlock, while Valley sinked it in against her slender back. Hardly the worst pain she'd been subjected to, but Valley's control over her was still quite galling, at the very least, and Gemma couldn't let her opponent keep this kind of easy control for too long.

She felt some relief when Valley gave ground, however, the pair of them backing toward the ropes. Almost made that nagging tug in Gemma's arm feel worth it. She put as much of her momentum as she comfortably could into the push, so that she could- let Valley get an entirely different kind of easy control.

The Brit was caught completely flat-footed when Valley switched up the hold and took an easy side headlock on her. "Bloody brimper-dicks!" Gemma snapped, as the tanned, Athletic American took control of her neck. The hold exchange was intense, and Gemma realized quickly that Valley was demonstrating a rather complete technical superiority over her. The kind of technical superiority that would give the more experienced woman an easy win, if Gemma weren't careful.

So, again, Gemma dropped her weight. She had to move quickly, or her planned counter would flop like a fish. Gemma wrapped her fingers around Valley's lower forearm, then planted her hand firmly against Valley's lower back. With a sharp jerk, Gemma simultaneously pulled her head back, thrusting her bottom back as she did so to try and yank herself out of the headlock, while shoving Valley forward. If she could keep hold of Valley's arm, she'd be able to yank herself free of the headlock. She could then aim her slender bicep hard towards Valley's pretty face, and hopefully catch the more technically-minded wrestler off-guard.