The Dasher Challenge : Part 3 - Too Close To The Sun

The kinetic energy of the Tension stadium was bright to new heights once the dashingly upbeat theme music of Takeshi Inoba heralded his appearance at the top of the ramp. The burly Japanese native appearing at the top of the ramp clad in his traditional pitch black robe with a white sash around it's waist and the Japanese caricatures for "Muscle" on it's broad back. He was flanked on all sides by his posse consisting of trainers and students from his renowned wrestling school all dressed in matching track suits.

Traditional Japanese customs and a sense of nationalistic pride compelling the audience to give a standing ovation for the burly grappler steadily marching towards the ring, but his support was visibly waning due to Dasher's rather unscrupulous manner of winning his matches. Those victory's being marred in controversy due to his late-match shortcuts and conniving trickery that one would say had left his wins tainted...except for Dasher himself. Who wholeheartedly believes his chauvinistic campaign of Tension dominance is going off splendidly and exactly as he planned.

With his attendants lingering at ringside after widening the ropes for him, Dasher took a sauntering stride around the ring while exuding smarmy confidence as he raised his clenched fists high above him as if he was already taking in a victory lap. His booming theme petering off upon him being handed a mike from the referee. Dasher than leisurely raising the mic upward to address the audience in his booming Japanese voice as they began settling back into their chairs.

"Before we proceed with matters at hand, I must first extend a sincere show of appreciation to my former competitors. Two of the most fearsome contenders in this league..." Dasher paused while scanning the audience as they seemed confused by this uncharacteristic show of good will. "...for it is only thanks to them...and their inability to put up a decent challenge...that they have graciously helped to prove my point. That MEN are the superior, stronger grapplers...not the deluded and mislead women who I am here to educate on the folly of their ways. And by the sweat of my brow and the muscle in these arms, I intend to continue my lessons...by teaching these ladies who belongs on top...and who belongs on the bottom...pinned down...for the 1...2...3..." Dasher extended his index, middle, and ring finger for each count as he than turned to face the ramp.

"Now...I hereby issue the 3rd Dasher Challenge!!! I eagerly await the latest example of the best this league has to offer... Dasher stated loudly before lowering his mic and folding his arms in the center of the ring.

An unfamiliar theme!:

Kei Terada - Slayer of bowl cuts(?) :

After long awkward nothing, the house lights would dim as theme music unfamiliar to the tension crowd, or anyone else really. While she had been signed with AFW for a few weeks over on their Friction promotion, she hadn't actually debuted. It was however, by design. She had witnessed the previous two challenges, a message loud and clear that spit in the face of everything she came to love about wrestling. What better way to show the world who the next world champion was going to be than putting a big ugly meathead in the ground. Two women had come before her, arguably stronger women, but Kei had something they didn't have. She had the heart of a hero, and the most potent fighting spirit the world would ever know!

A spotlight snapped into focus on the entryway as Kei Terada stood, preemptively giving the audience a taste of her triumphant victory pose. She, a embodiment of everything Dasher had come to despised within his "Man's World" of Puroresu. Small in stature, dressed to the nines in a cutesy outfit, and perhaps the worst of all... someone had given her a microphone. She even had the audacity to make use of it to address him! The worst crime of all, surely someone would pay for this. She inclined her chin, smirking smugly down at the ring.

"On behalf of the superior league, I, Kei Terada, accept your challenge on behalf of Friction!" She threw up a fist to a mixed response, twisting her wrist she brought it towards the ramp in a still thumbs down meant for Dasher. She didn't even have the decency to look him in the eye as she casually walked along the upper stage, monologueing ."You seem to think might makes right, well, I'm here to dash your plans and put you in your place... below my boots!" She stomped her boot, grinding the ball of her food into the stage grating as if snuffing out a cigarette as easily as she would his career. Kei turned towards the stage once more and grinned to Dasher, even giving the man a wink. That actually got a bit more of a rise from the crowd, thankfully, the support was welcome.

"But I'm not going to just beat you, no, I'm going to make you tap with your own move, then take it for myself! The Inoba Clutch after tonight, will henceforth be known as The Terada Clutch! With each victory it will bring me shall be a constant reminder of how miserably you failed here today!" She threw back her head, laughing laughing towards the ceiling. There were murmurs through the crowd, everyone seemed abuzz with the idea. Could she do that? Could she just stripe dasher of his mighty finisher? Shifting her weight onto her back foot, bobbing the microphone in her hand as she grinned down the ramp at Dasher. "That is of course, unless you're afraid to fight a girl? You can freely surrender your move to me here and now, admit defeat, and go back to whatever caveside dwelling you clawed you way out from."

She walked her way to the top of the ramp, gesturing down to the ring waiting to see how he took her offer. Perhaps she had been inspiring enough, convincing enough, that he would back down. After all, who was Dasher anyway? Some washed up old geezer who looked like someone's dad. She was going to be the one to expose him for the sham he was, and put her mark on the business to let everyone in the back know that Kei Terada was the next big thing to hit the AFW.

Prior to arranging what would be his third annual open challenge, Dasher made sure to intensely buckle down on his training regimen. His previous two chauvinistic provocations in Tension having rightfully earned the ire of an entire locker room of musclebound Amazons chomping at the bit to silence his chauvinistic ramblings. The accolades and publicity alone from being the first woman to topple the Puroresu legend from his woman-hating soapbox was more than enough to put a target on prodigious back. And seeing as how his last two challengers ended up giving him a run for his money, Dasher made doubly sure to hone his craft with strong style wrestling practices and hundreds of mat bumps.

Dasher was ready this time. The beady-eyed bowl-cut wearer cracked his neck to his left shoulder while feverishly pacing left and right and zoning in on the top of the ramp. His adrenaline pumping as he eagerly awaited whatever MMA grappler or shark-tongued adversary would come sauntering the ramp and into the proverbial lion's den with the beast himself prowling around the ring. It was a beastly aura that was promptly deflated once the unfamiliar theme and his bright eyed challenger answered the call. Dasher ceased his prowling and gave her a cock-eyed, befuddled look with his mouth slightly agape to compliment his stunned silent surprise. If he knew what "Punked" was, he would be looking around for the C-list celebrity right about now.

"OI!!! What manner of insult is this?! Have I already seen the best this league has to offer, that they now send me doe-eyed pups who aren't fit to tie my wrestling boots?! You, who gallivant around in that ridiculous outfit and play at wrestling, wish to enter the squared circle with the grappling legend that is DASHER INOBA??!!" Dasher barked out and than paused to give his hoarse vice a momentary break.

"Tch...very well than. The rules say that I accept all challengers, regardless if they are in their right mind. The only thing I will admit...is how satisfying it will be once I get my hands on you. And if you want the Inoba Clutch, all you have to is step through these ropes. Then, I will happily give it you to in the middle of this ring...and I will make you...HUMBLE!!!" Dasher roared out that last part as a resounding number of old-school Dasher fans echoed his last few words. It was an old catchphrase of his, and one he intended to make happen here tonight as he began disrobing while resuming his pacing march from ringpost to ring post. He kept his eyes on Kei the entire time...waiting to see if she was deluded enough to back up her words and enter this ring.

Kei looked a bit less than enthused at the sudden rise of support for Dasher from the crowd, but she remained resolute in her goal of taking this man down a peg or two. The spotlight on her had fade with the rise of the lighting as a whole. Making her was down to the ramp, she saw fit to continue to run her mouth. "Nobody sent me, I was just passing by and saw your inflated ego from all the way in the parking lot. Normally, I'd be opposed to fighting senile old men, but you're straight up asking for it. You're one to talk about ridiculous outfits with your little black diaper over there you brought all the way from the nursing home."

She paused mid ramp to twirl, displaying her own wonderful outfit. She looked amazing, and no amount of posturing from this guy was going to get her down. She had no issue playing to the crowd a bit with a cute kick back of one of her boots before continuing on. Anything to draw attention way from the haircut with the weapon human growth attached to it.

Once ringside she waved over a member of the Tension staff to hand off the microphone. They shared a few brief quiet words and a thank you from Kei before she made her way to the ring, sliding under the bottom rope. She rose up, standing tall and proud as she strutted up towards Dasher like she was the cock of the walk, splitting off at the last minute to brush past him to the nearest turnbuckle. She hopped up onto the middle rope, appealing to the Tension crowd before slipping down to follow suit with the next, casually walking behind Dasher on her way.

Once she had laid claim to what she deemed to be his side of the ring, Kei had circled back to mid ring to meet with her new adversary. She peered up at him, though he was only a few inches taller than her. She had imagined him bigger from what she had seen. He was large, she would give him that. It didn't mean much, the bigger they are and all that nonsense. She sniffed softly, scratching the side of her nose with her thumbnail. "Ready to get this show on the road pops? I want to put you away before the noodle stand I like closes up, I'm feeling like a nice big victory bowl tonight. Not my usual though, getting plenty of ham from you that I'll be swearing off pork for awhile I think."

Never underestimate the power of having a catchphrase easily remembered and even easier repeated. Even those in the audience who who would rather see Kei reign triumphant with her newly appropriated Terada Clutch ended up sounding off in unison with the blustering grappler. It was simply out of homegrown habit at this point from having him roar it out time and time again against opponent's who were really making his Japanese blood boil. Every girlish skirt twirl and every single word being uttered by the chipper cheerleader somehow being tailor-made to provoke him further, like light being shined in a bull's eyes.

He raised an index finger and opened his mouth to dole out some grappling words of wisdom not to tee him off any more than she already has...before she strutted by him and started encouraging crowd support by climbing atop each ringpost behind him. Dasher chewed on his mumbled lips and clenched the fist of his extended hand as he patiently endured the lack of respect. Instead he catalogued this latest outrage and started walking to the ropes for practice bounces off of them....anything to keep his enraged mind focused on the task at hand. After his lite limbering up he returned to the middle of the ring to meet Kei face to face in the middle of ring, a spastic twitch to his ripped pectorals as he gazed down at her with beady eyes.

"Hmph...I taught your impudent predecessors a lesson in silencing their mouths when a man is speaking. I'll be teaching you that very same lesson with extreme pleasure. And the only thing you'll be feasting on tonight...is knuckle sandwiches!!!" Dasher barked out his incredibly corny one liner with complete sincerity along with the ringing of the bell in the distance. He adopted a grappling stance with legs wide apart and arms extended for an attempted collar and elbow tie-up...but one that if Kei accepted, he would almost immediately abandon by simply shoving her backward into a tumbling roll with his burly strength.

Kei was momentarily caught off guard by the sheer bad of his...wit? Was it even that. If he hadn't come across to her as an old geezer before, he sure did now. Dad jokes had no place in the wrestling ring, Terada rule #187. She slipped a pinkie under her eye, pulling down her lower eyelid enough to display the gross red beneath and stuck out her tongue at him. "Nyeh!"

At the bell she was forced to scramble, out of position. As she brought her arms up to meet his hold, she had already been shoved roughly back, tumbling head over heels until she finally hit the ropes and flopped back onto the mat. She blinked, pushing herself up to glare at Dasher through the tangled mess of her bangs falling around her face. Kei slammed a fist into the mat... And immediately regret it. She twitched, rising slowly as she shook out her hand, drawing in a sharp breath through her teeth.

He was stronger than expected. Way stronger. Of course he only got lucky just then. Taking a cheap shot on her like that. Obviously he was intimidated by her. Why else would he refuse to fight her head on? She surged with confidence, firing herself up as she stomped the canvas.

"Nice one Cro-Magnon Man, who taught you that slick move, your landlady?" Kei was quick to stay mobile when she got to her feet, trying to straighten up her outfit if given a breather. She wasn't the fastest thing, but was small enough to remain elusive if Dasher came at her looking to follow up.

Regardless of who came at the other, she would move to close the distance, standing low she would attempt to dash right up to the beastly man, throwing herself down to slide along the mat into his legs. She kicked her legs wide, twisting her body as she tried to bring him down to the mat with a simple drop toe hold. Cowards think only with their legs so that they may flee, Terada rule #152. "Ikuzo!"

The comic styling's of Dasher Inoba weren't going to set the world ablaze anytime soon, but Dasher always found himself to be the funniest man in the room when he went out to drink sake with his fellow co-workers. Of course, being a muscled strongman who bends people into pretzels for a living pretty much guarantees that you'll always get barrels of stock laughter from a captive audience too terrified to not be complacent.

Accepting a lockup with Dasher was akin to locking horns with a raging bull with a bowl haircut. The winner of this lop-sided matchup would become somewhat obvious once you took into account the small issue of Dasher being 210 pounds of battle-hardened muscle, with Kei being 124 pounds of impish cuteness. The gruff grappler effortlessly chucking Kei backward to a tumbling spin back to the ropes, capping it off with a testosterone-fueled yell and emphatic slap to his chest. The disrespectful shove was meant to be a bit of psychological warfare on his part. To demonstrate to Kei just what she had signed up for tonight...

But for that work, his opponent had to be in their right mind. Which Dasher was beginning to suspect of Kei, especially when she saw fit to goad him further with the neanderthalic quips that were accurate, but not any less infuriating.

"Why you little!!!-..." Dasher's rampaging clothesline attempt and brief allude to Homer Simpson all came to a sudden stop when he ended up missing Kei's noggin by mere inches. His ankles being intertwined within Kei's legs and causing him to whirlwind his arms around before face-planting into the canvas in a stunned daze like a mighty redwood being chopped down to size.

This wasnt the first person she had ever floored with this move, but Dasher was definitely the biggest person she had ever been able to catch with it. There had always been the risk she wouldn't be able to tip the mountain of meat garnished with a bowl cut, but it never crossed her mind in the moment. Kei wrestled as she lived, fast and loose, and wasn't about to let things like planning get in the way of her FIGHTING SPIRIT and GUTS.

When she saw a gap, she leapt it! Encountered a cliff, she scaled it! Happened upon a wall, she punched her way through! In her mind anyway. She was finding most walls to be well maintained around Tokyo, so out of respect for the craftsmanship she took the long way around and walked the difference.

It worked? IT WORKED! Kei roared with a manic laughter at Dasher as she locked in her legs around his shin, reaching up to interlock her fingers around his ankle and wrench it back into a calf crusher. She was already here, the positioning was perfect from the drop toe hold. She arched her back, small frame or not, leveraging his leg against hers like this was a pretty effective way to combat the vastly stronger opponent. It seemed the stars had aligned and chosen her to be the savior of Tension. Soon dasher would submit, she would claim his move, and world domination wouldn't be soon behind that. Interviews, endorsement deals, movies! It was only a matter of who would be her co-star. So many beautiful people to pick from, all for her.

She lost focus for a short moment, chuckling stupidly to herself.

"You'd better not tap now, like some big hairy man baby you are! I'd be pretty cheesed off if you couldn't even go five minutes with the GREAT KEI TERADA!™ These people wanted a show you know? Don't disappoint!"

Kei had an undeniable edge when it came to one thing. She was unpredictable. Dasher was right to question her mind, because a sensible, experienced, skilled wrestler likely won't do much of what Kei did or was going to do in this match. This wild card strategy worked in her favor because nobody really expected their foes to make all the wrong moves, which in term turned some of those into the right ones. It was funny how that worked.

Sculpting one's physique into an Adonis sculpture of rippling muscles sort of seemed like a prerequisite when your profession entailed tossing fully grown men around like they were lawn darts. Decades of physical fitness training, dead-lifting, and horrible tasting protein shakes resulted in the muscled mass of hulking chauvinism he is today. Having that type of muscled frame certainly turned the heads of the ladies when Dasher was out strolling the beaches of the Boso Peninsula~...at least before they turned their heads back in disgust after getting a closer look at his bowl haircut or getting to know him in the slightest.

There were advantages aplenty...none of which involved bring particularly graceful. In fact he was damn near top heavy with a balance that was easier to lose than you would think. So it was that a simple entangling of his ankles between Kei's scrawny legs was all it took to fell the mighty giant into a comical pratfall. One that became less funny and more thrilling for the audience when Dasher suddenly found himself a victim of one of the most excruciating leg submissions in the business!!

"RAAAGH!!!" Dasher belted out a burly roar before zipping his lip and refusing to allow anymore pained grunts to be uttered to salvage his manly pride. A mix of wild eyed astonishment masking his face as he propped himself up on his hands with the pearly whites of his teeth gnashing together until he slumped his forehead against the canvas. Both of his meaty hands now interlocked behind his head as he endured both the agonizing joint lock mercilessly tearing away into his calf muscle while also enduring the incessant questioning from the referee asking for a submission.

Throngs of captivated wrestling fans suddenly putting down their cell phones from what looked like another ho-hum squash match, and started cheering madly for a match that was one little submission away from being the most monumentally ground breaking upset win in the history of Tension...Friction...let's just say all of recorded wrestling history!!!

"What was that?! I don't think I quite.... heard... YOU!" She arched her back, wrenching back Dasher's leg as hard as she could. Her wrapped leg which acted as her leverage arched as her body quaked, struggling to pull back the large man's leg any further than she had, laughing out with a pained cough. Her head craned so far back she stared at Dasher upside down, grinning wildly as her hair hung down to the mat. She popped her tongue out from between her lips, blowing a loud raspberry at him to the delight and horror to the onlookers in the front who saw it. Before changing gears, she gave his captured limb a violent twist at the ankle. "Tap! You know you want to!"

Frustrated with Dasher's resilience, she ran her forearm across his shin, holding his ankle in the crook of her elbow to free up her other hand. Never be content with one avenue of attack when another presents itself. Terada rule #98. She curled her fingers into a savage claw, flexing her digest as she eyed the exposed meat of Dasher's side. Pulling back her shoulder, she thrust her nails down into his taunt muscle, clamping down painfully and twisting at him. "Terada claw! MROW!" While she didn't have particularly long nails, they certainly gave off the impression they were razor talons as she sunk them deep into his tender flesh.

"I bet you're real confused right now, you pea-brained sack of bricks! Let me spell it out for you! T-E-R-A-D-A C-L-U-T-C-H. I'd say next time you shouldn't underestimate people, but after tonight I think the only Dasher Challenge will be eating your meals through a straw! Gahahaha!" Her leg was starting to cramp slightly but she was doing an adamant job keeping Dasher locked down. The beauty of submission is for all his size, there was only so much he could do. You could be the biggest person in the room, but a good thumb lock would bring you to your knees. if Dasher managed his way out of this, she would have another waiting. Eventually she'd have sweet victory and all the acclaim she was rightly owed.