Ashley Knight vs. Makoto Aihara - The Hard Road

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

Dear Diary,

It’s me, Makoto, again. I know it’s been a little while since I’ve had the chance to write, but really, there hasn’t been much to put since I broke up with Aigle. Or Aigle broke up with me. It’s kind of hard to really tell which way it happened sometimes, and every time I think about it, it makes less and less sense…

But enough of that!

Today is gonna be a good day. Today is a gonna be a great day. Because today, I’m making my AFW debut.

I know what you’re thinking, and yeah, I don’t blame you. The AFW is a little risque (is that the right word?) for me. But I want to wrestle. I need to. Not just because I need the money - and I really do, but it’l be a good way to distract from all the drama in my life, you know? A chance to just do what I love most and do best. Plus, it’ll be nice to see Reiko and Dixie again. Missed them a lot and they owe me a lot of hugs!


Anyway, I can’t talk super long - my match is about to start. Wish me luck!


-Love from Makoto!

The Friction crowd was loud and large tonight, buzzing with palpable energy. That, in and of itself, wasn’t too odd, as the AFW had a knack for drawing in some of the most enthusiastic wrestling fans in Japan. But tonight, they were a little louder, a little crazier, a little more eager. Tonight, one of Japan’s favorite daughters was returning to the ring, right in front of their very eyes.


They didn’t have to wait long, either.


Makoto’s new theme music started up, and the crowd began to rise and stand and cheer, knowing full well who’d be coming out of the curtain in a moment. When Makoto did arrive, popping out from the darkness and giving them a quick wave, they responded the best way they could - a loud, deafening cheer, followed by a steady chant.

”MAKOTO!”
“MAKOTO!”
“MAKOTO!”

She blushed. Of course she blushed. Makoto had gotten used to being in the limelight with her time in Rumble Roses and the Olympics...somewhat. Being on camera with millions watching felt different than being up close with thousands. This was intimate, personal. A pouring of gratitude from her loving fans.

”Wow,” Makoto whispered, with a little giggle on the side. ”I missed this.”

With an eager heart, Makoto began to skip down the ramp, smiling and waving every step of the way. She made her way up the steps, trying not to shiver as her bare feet touched the cold metal, and slipped into the ring between the third and second ropes, one leg after the other. After going to the middle of the ring, Makoto bowed to one side of the audience, then turned and did the same with the others, getting many bows in return.

Makoto happily walked back into her corner and started working on her stretched, getting out a few minor kinks at the last meal. She didn’t know who her opponent would be, but she knew better than to approach this match, or any match, with anything less than 100%. She either gave her best or gave nothing at all.

The echo of the crowd's wails and cheers echoed in the locker room as Ashley Knight tugged at the end of one of her red leather fight gloves. The wrestler had dirty blonde hair and cut an imposing figure. She was a striking figure with piercing blue eyes and had an air of arrogant confidence in which she carried herself. She wore her trademark red and white two piece outfit representing Canada. Her attire was then complete with her fingerless striking gloves and a pair of red wrestling boots. She heard the crowds chant a name.

"Makoto, Makoto, Makoto." Ashley muttered under her breath as her formed a cruel smile repeating the name of her opponent as she put her foot on the bench as she did up the laces on her boots.

Makoto Aihara was an opponent that the blonde would relish destroying. The Japanese Judoka was a prime target to further spread her heel reputation. Not only was she regarded as a fan favorite, Makoto was the type of girl Ashley hated the most. Makoto Aihara was that annoyingly chipper girl scout and it was high time someone really put her in her place. She was going to realize tonight that she made a huge error in coming to AFW. Ashely would tear this Asian girl apart first with her body, then her pride and then finally her fighting spirit. The mental image of Makoto defeated at her feet and seeing her will to fight die in her eyes made her shudder. It forced her to bite her thumb as a shade of red warmed her cheeks whens he thought about all the things she would do.

Entrance Music- Viking Death March

The sound of an electric guitar heralded Ashley's entrance and Makoto's defeat. The Canadian girl with her hair held up high and a hand at her hip walked down the ramp. The crowd a torrent of cheers and boo's as Ashley walked towards the ring with utter indifference as if she could hear nothing and she was simply taking a leisurely stroll through the park. She slipped into the ring and immediately turned towards the Judoka.

Her eyes level with her opponents as she walked to an arm's length away before full out glaring at her opponent with a cocky grin on her face.

"Makoto Aihara. I am LIKE So.... honored to have a chance to fight- Pfft. Hah! Nope, I couldn't do it with a straight face." Ashley said spluttering into mock laughter as she threw up her arms in a shrug.

"Let's get one thing clear. Babe." She said before attempting to brush back a strand of raven black hair around Makoto's ear. "I don't fucking like you or your slutty karate kid antics. You don't belong here Karate girl, I'll make that abundantly clear in our match. However, if you get on your knees and beg for mercy, I suppose I can take it easy on you. You're good at that aren't you? Being on your knees, that is."

Ashley would try to tilt Makoto's face up with her hand and brush her cheek affectionately.

”MAKOTO!”
”MAKOTO!”
”MAKOTO!”

The audience was still going strong as Makoto’s music faded and the tracks were switched around, filling the arena with the awkward silence between entrances. Makoto herself was bouncing on her heels, getting pumped up, when her opponent’s music began. At the sound of the rowdy guitar, the audience switched to a mix of cheers and jeers, only getting louder when her foe came strutting out.

Makoto stopped her bouncing and stared down the ramp, tilting her neck ever-so-slightly to the side, not quite sure what to make of Ashley Knight on first glance. She was taller than Makoto, though that wasn’t too vexing by itself, since most wrestlers fit that bill. However, few of them were quite as well-built as this one. With her Olympic experience, Makoto had come across quite a few weightlifters in her day, and she could tell right away that Ashley was one of the more powerful women she’d ever stepped in the ring. Since that list included Dixie Clemets, that was no small statement.

Still, she kept her composure as Ashley came into the ring. She kept it together as she came out of the corner to meet her. But when her opponent began to talk, well, that was when things began to slip a little.

Makoto had extended her hand for a shake when it seemed like Ashley was going to start this off in a respectable way, but she quickly retracted it when the Canadian Destroyer began her taunting. It was nothing quite new for her - after all, she’d frequently wrestled with another loud-mouthed Canadian in Rumble Roses. Candy Cane wasn’t quite as handsy as Ashley, though. That was more Anesthesia’s bag. And both of them wouldn’t have gone so skimpy with their attire.

Makoto couldn’t help wondering where Ashley had even found attire so tiny. A small thought in the back of her head.

The bulk of her attention was focused on the woman before her, toying with her face like she was some doll to be adjusted at will. Makoto suffered the insult for a hot moment, too surprised at first by Ashley’s brazen words, but she quickly snapped back to reality and slapped the musclebound woman’s hands away from her face.

Makoto’s brows hardened as she stepped back and transitioned into into her stance with the practiced ease that came from a thousand matches. Left foot forward, back foot slightly bent, hands up, eyes forwards. ”It’s judo, not karate.”

She bit her lip for a moment, a flash of nervousness, as she scrambled for something suitably cool to say.

”I’ll show you the difference!”

Yeah, that worked, and she gave a solid nod for emphasis. If a little goading was enough to put her down, she would've quite this sport long ago.

The crowd cheered her on once more, showing their wild support, while the referee got into the starting position. Just a few seconds away from kicking things off proper.

Ashley had to admit that despite all her talk badmouthing the Judo Babe, she had a grudging respect for her. The air she carried herself with and her unwillingness to be reduced to Ashley's level. The Japanese girl stood defiant, undeterred, and unafraid before a heel. She was the perfect face, a heroine come to beat the big bad heel. She could almost believe it to, Makoto looked the part and carried herself in that way.

"Will you now?" Ashley snickered as she got into a basic grappling stance. "You're the one who's in desperate need of a reality check."

Ashley of course knew the difference between the two martial arts, she was just trying to get on the girl's nerves but it clearly wasn't working.

Hearing the bell ring, Ashley came at Makoto first wanting to be the aggressor even if it meant being countered. The Canadian girl needed to give Makoto as little breathing space as possible. Charging at her opponent, she would try to lock up with her opponent and try to send her knee into the Japanese girl's stomach.

Makoto could admit that, on paper, she should’ve been a little intimidated by Ashley. Her outfit was typical for the AFW - skimpy, tight, meant to show off as much skin as reasonably possible - but the body it barely covered was impressive indeed, firm and fit and fierce.

But judo had taught her that size was not an advantage that couldn’t be overcome. So, when Ashley came her way, so eager to lock up with that wicked smile on her face, Makoto didn’t waver. She was ready.

Or so she told herself.

The two of them locked up, and Makoto thought she’d be given a firsthand taste of Ashley’s raw power, that Ashley would bully her into the nearest corner...or attempt to, at least. Instead, the Canadian Destroyer sent a knee her way, a blow that would’ve surely knocked the wind out of her if it hit. If.

Instead, Makoto moved back as the leg came up, getting her body away from the strike. At the same time, she brought one hand down, wrapped her arm around the leg from behind, ducked down and pushed forward, looking to throw Ashley backwards and plant her back on the mat with a swift takedown.

Ashley smirked as they locked up and feeling Makoto's strength. In all honesty, Makoto wasn't all that weak especially for her size. However, in comparison, Makoto would still have a pretty huge disadvantage in that category. Gaining flase confidence, Ashley tried to pull her foe into her knee. However, Makoto evaded it with relative ease and moved her body out of the way. She let out a click of her tongue, Makoto wasn't really that fast but she had really good reflexes and predicting attacks before they happened. Before she could follow up with an attack or regain her footing, Makoto dropped low and went for a takedown. The missed knee was all the opening the Judoka needed to take the Candadian powerhouse down, Makoto had grabbed the leg she had attemted to knee her with and drove her backwards with a single-leg takedown. The blonde girl couldn't keep her balance with hust one leg and her foe driving into her so low to the ground. She let out a grunt as she was thrown onto her back, she hit the ring floor with a solid impact.

"Ugh!" Ashley grunted and cursed under her breath.

As the two of them tumbled, Ashley falling into the supine position while Makoto came down on top of her, the Judo Babe couldn’t keep a small, satisfied smile off her face. Putting down bigger, stronger opponents who thought they would run over with ease was always a guilty pleasure, one she’d gotten a particular taste for in Rumble Roses and one she’d been missing for far too long.

The audience’s support was definitely a bonus, too, cheering as their heroine felled the arrogant Canadian. But Makoto knew better than to celebrate so soon - she wasn’t going to beat an opponent like this with single-leg takedowns. She had work to do, and she was in the right position to capitalize. If she was quick enough.

With her hold on Ashley’s leg, Makoto moved back and slid her body underneath, wrapping Ashley up at the thigh and trapping her foot in the crock of her armpit, squeezing on it tight. She attempted to place her forearm at the back of her opponent’s calf, then thrust forward with her hips - going for the Ashi-Hishigi.

A bit of harsh way to begin, but Makoto wasn’t in the mood to trifle.

Ashley sat up eager to shove Makoto off of her anticipated that the woman would try and get ontop. However, the Japanese judoka had other plans by grabbing her leg and leaning back. She looked up to see that Makoto get ready to apply some sort of submission.

"GGghh!" The blonde girl grit her teeth muffling her cry of pain as she felt her ankle twist and the muscles in her calf begin to burn in agitation. It honestly felt like her foot was going to get snapped off. However, despite being in pain, besides strength, Ashley had stubbornness in abundance as well. She hissed through her teeth as she struggled side to to side squirming, Ahsley would try to roll away from the hold to relieve pressure on her ankle. During their rolling, Ashley would try to plant her boot in Makoto's rear while she was faced down and pry her leg from her clutches. If she managed to shake free, the Canadian woman would roll far, far way from Makoto. The technical takedown and the painful submission forcing her to be wary of Makoto then when the match began.

Makoto wasn’t just an expert at applying submissions like this - every move she could do was something she’d suffered herself, more times than she’d care to admit. She’d been in the Achilles Lock before during sparring sessions, taken it from her sensei. She knew how painful this could be.

Makoto cranked it on even harder.

She could tell, right off the bat, that Ashley Knight was many things: mean, spiteful, cruel. But she had to give the woman credit, she was tenacious. She took the hold better than Makoto did the first time she’d been put in it, managing to roll around manage a sloppy - if effective escape. The kick in the rear was enough to make Makoto separate, and she rolled away on her side and got back to her feet in short order.

It was tempting to go after Ashley, keep attacking the leg, but Makoto held back. She had a good start, put some fear into her opponent, and she had a good limb to target now. Eager to see how well this approach could pan out, she started to close in on her foe with arms raised once again, making sure she stayed fairly close to her opponent while she recovered.

She was just starting to find her rhythm. Now she had to see how long she could hold it.

Getting to her feet, she felt a spike of pain travel up her ankle from being in that hold. She flinched but she took another step without feeling another stab of pain. Her ankle was sore which didn't bode well for her, it wouldn't have any effect in this match for now but she would be fooling herself to think that it wasn't a target now. She wanted to make some snide comment but even she couldn't bring herself to say anything after Makoto countered her so soundly. Being so counter focused, Ashley knew it would be hard for her to initiate without being punished for it. Makoto was wise to openly challenge her like this and not offensively attacking.

Ashley came forward and this time with a plan. She would raise her arms up high as if she were going to accept her contest of strength or lock up. She would then stomp the ground as if she was going to knee her or go for a low kick, she made the sound loud and the action sudden. She wanted the girl to lower her hands or draw her attention down to her feet. All Ashley needed was that moment of hesitation and she would try to grab Makoto, pull her down and put her into a frontal headlock