Eiko Bando vs Noriko Yamamoto: strength against sumo

“Eeehhh? What happened?”

The world was constantly spinning around and around, like Eiko had just gotten sucked into an imaginary whirlpool. It barely felt as if there was a floor underneath her, and every step she ended up taking was retracted immediately, the purple powerhouse stumbling around both left and right. He held her head with one hand, trying to gather her wits while her other hand searched for a place of stability. A rope, a corner post, anything to help her from toppling over and crashing to the floor like some sort of dysfunctional aircraft on its last legs.

In the end, stability would find her, in the way of a powerful grip latching onto her shoulders. It really wasn’t that hard to guess who it was, especially after having already felt the force of such a powerful grip beforehand. Before Eiko could make any kind of counter attack, She felt a similar grip reach between her legs. In a manner of seconds, she was lifted off her feet and forced to settle on Noriko’s shoulders. The whole thing did very little to help her vertigo, and Eiko began to fear that soon her early lunch might be making a reappearance if things continued to spin out of control.

That sort of goofy thinking was going to cost Eiko. She had underestimated her foe, and even now, her priorities were totally out of order. She was slowly being hefted in the air, and on human instinct, froze up and tried to balance herself as to not fall of the precarious ledge she found herself in. If Eiko had enough mind to think outside the situation, she probably would have appreciated the strength Noriko exuded in such a daring, yet effective move. The sumo’s declaration would have especially tickled Eiko’s fancy…but something else would quickly preoccupy her mind.

After a mighty roar from her opponent, Eiko was suddenly in a very harsh free fall. While it wouldn’t last for long, the impact with the floor was by far a worse experience. The pain ran up her spine like an electrical shock, and was just as debilitating as one. It was all she could do to keep from yelling out in pain, her teeth clenched in a tight trap of agony. The only silver lining to the entire thing was that her motion sickness was now far from her mind, focusing instead on getting out of the terrible situation she found herself in.

She would actually get a few minutes to recover before Noriko realized that she needed to pin her for the victory. The sumo girl quickly laid across Eiko’s generous chest as the referee dropped down to begin the count.

“One!”

“Two!”

Suddenly, Eiko’s arm wound shoot out into the air, lifting her shoulder off the ring canvas. After only getting a two count, she would grab ahold of her surprisingly crafty foe and toss her off to the side, beginning to ascend to her feet with the intent on paying Noriko back.

She hadn't been confident in victory right here, just hopeful. The massive blunder of not covering Eiko immediately already weighing on her mind. Muscle memory and reflex worked against her… she had put the other woman on the ground and ordinarily that would have been it had they been doing sumo. Despite her late realization and sloppy form, her weight added a literal extra layer to trying to break the count.

She huffed with each slap on the mat, bobbing her head along with the referee. She had already started the third when Eiko roared to life beneath her, powering out so fiercely she was able to girl the sumo clear off her to tumble sidelong onto the mat. Noriko righted herself on hands and knees, staring transfixed in shock at the display of strength.

She locked eyes with Eiko as she rose in sync with her opponent. Her silent intensity still remained but there was a crack in her features… a small smirk. She couldn't recall the last time she had been up against someone that could go blow for blow with her without their being a massive difference in their size and weight. Eiko was an equal. A challenge. Something she had been longing for ever since coming to AFW.

The dark haired sumo shook her body out, getting ready for the next clash. She was especially keen on working out her legs a bit after Eiko had strained them with her hold. She had to be careful about that… getting caught on the mat was definitely something she had to avoid at all costs.

"Pretty tough." She paid Eiko a small upnod of respect, taking one last moment to tug her shirt down a bit to keep it from riding up on her any more. She lowered her shoulders and spread her legs, making a firm foundation that seemed a mix between traditional Greco-Roman and her low sumo squat. "I think I have you now though."

Eiko’s back ached from all the damage Noriko had managed to inflict on it. It was a wonder she had enough strength to throw the Sumo gal away from her, but she was glad she did. One more second, and she would have been done for. Having such an exhilarating battle come to an end so suddenly, before either of them really got to see the best the other could offer would have been a total shame!

That still didn’t make getting back up a breeze. Even with Eiko’s mountains worth of endurance, Noriko was proving to be an absolute blast of a surprise! They were pretty much exact equals in almost every way! Like the spider woman was battling some twisted, alternate version of herself! If this was really what AFW had in store for her, then she knew this was the best place to be.

The fierce look in Noriko’s eye made the message loud and clear she wasn’t done yet. Eiko’s heart was racing as she climbed back to her feet, her own determined gaze locking with Noriko’s creating to create a competitive surge that seemed to fire them both up.

Each fighter got ready to clash once again. Eiko tucked a stray lock of hair behind her hair and wiped the sweat from her brow. Noriko looked as though she was ready for the next round.

“You aren’t too bad yourself.” Eiko grinned, rolling her shoulder, “But I wouldn’t be getting too cocky if I were you. I still got plenty of gas in the tank.”

Eiko mimicked Noriko, dropping low into her own wrestling stance, her muscles tensing up for the initial clash that was bound to happen.

“And besides, the audience always loves a comeback!”

"We'll see." Noriko's lips curled into an uncharacteristic smirk that chipped away at her stoney exterior. Despite Eiko's warning, she couldn't help but feel a bit cocky. That near fall moments ago had been a good one, if not her her own failings she might have been able to end it there. That was fine, she would just have to do it again until this juggernaut before her was toppled.

The sumo slowly started to circle, slightly lighter on the balls of her bare feet than she had been most of the match. Eiko had been teaching her to change her approach as it was clear the other woman was paying attention. Her own arsenal was limited though, so there would eventually come a time when she would have to circle back to something more familiar.

"I think I prefer you on your back though." Noriko didn't try to mask her approach when she had finally decided to engage, stepping in fast, but careful not to bull charge Eiko again in case she tried to slip around her again. She dipped low, throwing her arms out to try and get them passed the other woman's raised defenses with the intention of wrapping them around her midsection. If she managed to catch her, the sumo would try to rip Eiko off her feet and up into a body crippling bear hug.

If this proved to be difficult, however, she would opt for locking up with her opponent rather than risk wasting time on the futility of fishing for an opening. She held onto hope that if she could stay one step ahead, she could win out in the long run playing things safer.

Ah, Noriko was certainly a fiery character! Even tired, sore, and aching all over, the spunky summon still had enough time to joke around. It wasn’t hard for Eiko to keep up her smile, so excited and joyful that she finally had an equal force to clash against! The prospect of failure, that she would have to fight tooth and nail if she wanted to win rather then get an easy victory was all so exciting! What was not to love about the entire thing? A battle of passion and endurance!

Eiko might have broke out in laughter, had Noriko not began to circle her again. The fight would begin anew, both fighters fatigued, but neither willing to give in to their physical limits! The crowds roar and their own desire to win pushing them through any hardships they endured! Eiko’s heart raced as they began to circle one another, ready and willing to clash at a moment notice. Each fighter, sizing the other one up, strategizing a plan that would help insure their victory.

Noriko pushed forward, not bothering to play fancy, and instead go in hard like the sumo she was. Eiko loved it, respected the strength and determination she embodied as she went in low for what appeared to be a takedown as she charged straight down the center towards Eiko. The tarantula grinned even wider, as she rushed forward to meet her foe!

At the last second, right as Noriko moved down, Eiko shot up! Her foot propelling her in the air, and her knee rising upwards, heading straight for Noriko’s jaw! Sumo was all about takedowns and rushing foes…Eiko had figured Noriko would open with such a tactic, and would soon find out if her counter would pay off!

Noriko was hungry to dig into Eiko. She needed to constantly crash down against this woman like a total wave, beat her to the canvas with all her force. They were Titans the two of them and the only way something like this could end was when one of them had laid waste to the other. She wasn't about to be thrown around this ring on her second only match so the only alternative was to pound Eiko into submission the best way she knew how, with raw unadulterated force.

When had saw an opening and went for it but like many of her mistakes so far in her wrestling career, her green nature in the squared circle burned bright like a beacon when Eiko's knee came crashing into her jaw. This was something she never would have had to consider a possibility in sumo, her experience and muscle memory working against her to pigeonhole her technique into a readable format the other woman had clearly downloaded.

Noriko's head snapped back with a violent clatter of teeth, black ponytail flung up and over in a loose cascade of hair that served to make the impact look even more devastating than it had been. From her low charge, the strike had brought her toppling forward to her knees. Her palms shakily pressed to the mat as her body swayed in a struggle to keep from dropping to the mat completely.

Ding Ding Ding!

Eiko’s prediction was right on the mark, and for her reward she got a rather nice critical strike on Noriko! The powerful sumo was finally down, and Eiko would stand over her with a devilish look in her eyes. The knee strike under the chin would have done a great job shaking Noriko’s brain and senses. The Tarantula had taken similar blows, and it was an absolute hell to try and think after getting hit like that. Vision starts to blur, a splitting headache shakes through your skull, and a weird numbness usually followed close behind. She didn’t envy Noriko, that much was certain.

There were so many options for the Tarantula to proceed, she just couldn’t chose! She ran through a few scenarios quickly in her head, and finally settled on keeping it rather simple. Noriko was still on her hands and knees, which meant she still had some leverage to push off and perform a tackle, if Eiko let her. Cutting down Noriko’s options would probably serve her better in the long run.

So, with a raised arm and a pointed elbow, Eiko would drop down and look to plunge into Noriko’s back with a simple elbow drop in the hopes it would put her down on the ground! Is she succeeded, she would keep her weight on Noriko, pushing her down while moving to get in a better position to begin implementing submissions.

The weight of Eiko might have been enough, but the knife's edge of her elbow digging into Noriko's back as the large woman dropped upon her flattened the sumo out just as easily as any woman in the ring. Without preparation of proper footing, there was a clear limit to her ability to weather heavy hits with minimal impact it seemed.

Noriko let out a tired huff as her cheek pressed to the canvas, laid out on her chest with Eiko's weight across her. She was still groggy from the knee, trying to make sense of what was happening to her as she lay there. Her fingers and toes curling up against the mat, the beginning signs of resistance as she tested her ability to rise only for strength to give out on her with the added weight now laying stop her.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as her body eased against the ring. She needed a moment… it wouldn't be long, just a small rest before trying again. Noriko panted softly, not used to the long required endurance that came from a drag out wrestling match. Even her previous bout had lulls in the action enough to give her chance to recover. "Lucky shot..." She mumbled softly.

“See, that’s the advantage wrestling has over sumo.” Eiko said with a brimming smile, “Sumo seems to be all about pushing forward. You’re amazing at that no doubt, Noriko, but wrestling means you can attack from every direction. Forwards, backwards, sides, and even the air~”

Perhaps Eiko’s tone was a bit smug, but she was on a competitive high at the moment. Noriko had proven herself to be a strong, powerful opponent the likes of which the purple punk hadn’t seen in a very long time. Finally bringing Noriko down, even if it was only knocking her to the floor, felt like an accomplishment few ever got to enjoy from the young girl. Even wit Eiko’s elbow digging in her back, Noriko was still wriggling underneath her, her figurative battery already starting to charge her back up and get ready to take the fight right back to her assailant. If she didn’t act fact, Noriko would be back on her feet to bulldoze Eiko yet again.

Probably shouldn’t let her do that…

Like a spider, Eiko quickly moved over her opponent and made to tangle Noriko’s limbs. The purple punk sat on the small of Noriko’s back, and then quickly seized the Sumo’s arms and crisscrossed them across Noriko’s chest, cinching the tight! It was a custom camel clutch, using Noriko’s own arms to choke her as her back was slowly being pulled back in the submission hold.

Noriko's body deflated as Eiko dropped her weight down across her back, pressing her firmly to the mat with a soft, tired exhale. She knew this was bad, wanted to push this other woman off her, but couldn't find the strength in this moment to fight back. She resisted best she could, muscles tightening as the sumo fought to deny the wrestler control over her limbs. With superior positioning however, it was ultimately fruitless as her arms were forced to cross and draw up under her chin.

Her neck craned to try and somehow escape the hold only allowing the other woman to cinch it in at the pinnacle of its effectiveness. She was fighting a losing battle against moves she didn't know. Tangled up like this in the spider's web, her power meant nothing. She tried though. Kicking, thrashing as Eiko was able to pull back hard enough to begin choking her out.

Noriko let out a silent cry of pain, body stretching back painfully, sharp enough to keep her mind thinking through the building haze clouding her head. She pushed at the mat, the balls of her feet and toes trying to slowly, inch by inch push the two of them towards the ropes. She wasn't sure how she was going to grab them, but she knew if she stayed on the canvas like this for two long, she was done for.