Ranka Shumisen Vs. Liberty Vella: Hardcore match!

Hardcore Match
Rules: Anything goes
Victory Condition: Pinfall or submission

Spoiler:

It had been a little while since Ranka had completely destroyed her debut opponent, a display that perhaps AFW had not expected...which perhaps was why it took such a long time for them to find her a fitting opponent. She had figured that they'd start to throw powerful women at her, but to so soon be throw a former Hardcore champion...if she was any other woman she might actually feel flattered by it, as if her destruction of Traci had given her some sort of credit her. Though the redhead doubted that was the case...in all likelihood they wanted to snuff out the burning ember before it became a bright forest fire. Well...try as they might, that would not be the case! Ranka was here to play and she played rough!

She was already dressed in her regular outfit as she strolled through the hallways, she rolled her shoulders a bit to loosen herself up a little bit. Liberty Vella....quite the opponent to take out for your second match. A sly smirk formed on Ranka's face as she brought her left hand up to tug lightly on her side bangs. A slight tinge of pleasure filling her chest at the thought of it. Was there any better way to rise up ? Not that Ranka could think of. Soon she had reached the gorilla position and even before the stage hands gave her the all clear she stepped out through the curtains, the scrambled to start her music which finally started to blast out of the speakers as she started to walk down them ramp. The crowd threw jeers her way, there was no love for the nationally infamous Ranka Shumisen...none at all, and frankly....she couldn't care less. It was physically impossible to care less than Ranka did.

She marched her way down to the ring, eying around the ring, just what she was planning to drive the former Hardcore champs face into tonight. Steel steps seemed nice, if she rammed her skull into it long enough she might actually go through them...or the steps through Liberty's skull, ring post was fine...of the announcer table! That would prove enjoyable.

Lost in her thoughts the redhead soon found that she had made her way into the ring already, it was practically a routine worked into her skull by now so there was little thought needed to get up and into a ring as the crowd continued to jeer her. The redhead simply walked to her corner and settled in, bouncing lightly against the turnbuckle.

As Liberty hung back in the gorilla position, waiting to be called out, she couldn’t help but notice that the crowd seemed oddly pissed tonight. As near as she could tell, it didn’t have jack shit to do with her, either.

No, they were booing Ranka, and booing the fuck out of her from the sound of it. Why? Liberty honestly wasn’t that sure. She knew her opponent was supposed to be a big shot, someone who’d made a big name in Japan long before she’d ever put her steel-plated boots down on the island. She was supposed to be rough and tough, a real challenge, and she’d already made a big splash in her first match, dominating her opponent. Judging by the way the audience was going on, it wasn’t a crowd-pleaser.

Well, fine.

Liberty tightened her gloves as Ranka’s music began to die down, then started to do a few quick stretches, making sure she could get as nice and limber as possible. After a string of loses, she’d been looking to get back on the right track towards reclaiming the hardcore title, the belt she’d never lost. If there was ever a time to make that dream a reality, this was it.

When her music play, Liberty came out to a rousing ovation from the audience, something she wasn’t exactly used to. The crowd had always been a bit divided when it came to her, but today they seemed to be rallying against Ranka. Not that she minded - if they wanted a hero to slay their dragon, she’d happily fit the bill.

Liberty ran down the ramp, slapping hands as she made her way down to the ring, her long hair flowing behind her as she dashed. She slid into the ring with enough momentum to carry her all the way halfway across then popped up to her feet with her fists raised to the sky and a loud, bellowing war cry.

So pumped. So hyped. So goddamn ready.

Not much like her opponent, though, who looked like a complete opposite. Liberty hopped back to her side of the ring as the referee prepared to begin the festivities, a wide smile on her face the whole time. ”You ready to do this, Red?”

Ranka's eyes caught the site of her opponent as she was making her way down towards the ring, it seemed as if the former Hardcore champion was well loved, if that was cause Ranka was pretty much hated ...well it wasn't like it bothered the redhead, she could be the most hated wrestler in the industry and she would still be one of the best. That was her mentality to this situation, and if people thought she was here to try and make friends...well they'd be dead wrong.

The redheaded wrestler watched as her raven haired opponent slid into the ring and looked all pumped, all hyped up. Looked as if her foe for tonight was one of those kind...Whatever. Passion could only get you so far. Ranka nodded her head to Liberty's comment as she would start to walk up towards the center of the ring, a slight smirk on her face as she reached the center of the ring with her hands tightening up into fists. She did not speak yet, her lips were sealed as her emerald eyes were fixed on the former hardcore champion.

And Liberty’s opponent said...nothing. Kind of disappointing. She didn’t like to talk too much, but the former champion always enjoyed some back-and-forth with her opponents. Bravado. Chest-thumping. Always helped to get her blood pumping. Apparently Ranka didn’t feel the same way, which was kind of a shame.

”Right, then.” Liberty cracked her knuckles as the referee stepped back and called for the bell. ”Let’s get to it.”

The second the bell rang, the exact instant, Liberty stepped forward and swung out with a wild right cross, going straight for Ranka’s face with the powerful blow. Just trying to start off strong and stay that way as long as possible.

Ranka was only open to talk to people who she thought she could have fun against, sadly for her she didn't know yet if Liberty was that kind of opponent, only time would tell. What might seem disrespectful was merely a show for Ranka to let her opponent prove themselves. Though it wasn't like that had done her many favors in winning over the crowd, anywhere.

She watched as Liberty cracked her knuckles like that and the bell finally rang. A small nod was all that Ranka gave her opponent for now as she would ready herself.  When Liberty stepped forward like that and threw that wild right cross of hers, the veteran wrestler would try and duck back with a quick backstep to follow in order to get out of that swinging range, and instead try and throw up her foot for an attempt at a standard front kick to Liberty's abs.

And the cross missed. Fuck. Liberty didn’t exactly have high hopes, but a missed punch - such a damn simple move - was not the tone she wanted to start this off with. She could already tell that Ranka was a bit more skilled than you’d guess from a hardcore wrestler. Liberty sure as hell couldn’t dodge like that.

She moved after her foe, wanting to close the distance quick, but she was greeted by a cold boot in the stomach, stopping her fast. Liberty growled and took a stepped back, rubbing the point of impact.

Not too hurt. A little pissed.

Pissed enough that she lashed out a split second later, coming at Ranka with a front kick of her own. Only, in this case, Liberty had a steel plate on her shoe to make the experience be that much more painful.

Ranka had a light smirk on her lips as her bright green eyes stared right at Liberty, the woman didn't seem as if she was too bright of a fighter, in the sense that there probably wasn't all too much technique behind her actions. Though that didn't mean that the woman couldn't be dangerous, still at the moment Ranka wasn't exactly sweating anything.

She was about to follow up her front kick and took a step forward, only to be met with a front kick of Liberty's instead. Causing the redhead to stumble back a step, staggering. She held in a cough as she should have taken note of the woman's feet before, they were a bit harder than she had expected and now as her eyes trailed down to them she could clearly see why.

" Tsk.." Ranka let out in annoyance as she tried to bring her arms up after that little exchange, keeping her eyes fixed on Liberty. Taking a moment before she'd try and step in yet again, looking to try and throw a quick left jab aimed for Liberty's face.

Liberty started to smirk when Ranka took the boot the stomach and keeled over, but that smirk faded quick when she didn’t go all the way down. A boot from a metal plate wasn’t something the ordinary woman could shrug off ease.

But that smirk returned fast enough. After all, it simply meant that this would actually be a good, hardy fight. It was nice to have someone to cut loose with.

Liberty charged in and saw the jab coming too late - she wound up taking it right on the face, knocking her head to the side. Not enough to stop her momentum much, though, and she kept on coming, straight into Ranka, plowing into the her fellow bruiser and trying to drive her back into the nearest turnbuckle.

They were both tough bitches, but Liberty was a bigger tough bitch, and she had no qualms using that to her advantage.

Ranka's eyes widened slightly as despite her punch to Liberty's face the big girl came charging in like a bull right into Ranka's frame and pushed the redhead backwards, forcing the Japanese veteran to be forced back step by step all the way up towards the corner where her frame was nearly flattened by Liberty power. " Ufft.." the redhead let out as her arms went up to the top ropes, grasping them tightly in her hands.

She shook her head as she'd try and push away from the corner to get free but it wasn't something she could just do the second after she had been plowed right into the corner without even trying to get her breath and bearings back first.

It had taken a little doing, but Liberty could safely say she was off to a good start with Ranka. From what she could see so far, this woman was good stuff, but nothing she couldn’t handle if she just threw her weight around the right way. After she hammered her fellow hardcore vet into the turnbuckle, Liberty took a step back and admired her work.

Just a second for reflection, and then she was right back to work.

First order of business was making sure Ranka’s head was properly rocked. There were lots of interesting ways of going about that, but Liberty was feeling like a taste of MMA flavor was in order. She leaped towards Ranka, getting some impressive height for a woman her size, and tried to ram her knee right in the fiery redhead’s face.