Sakura Hagiwara vs. Lauren Fredericks

Lauren jumped up into the air, expecting Sakura to be flying back her way. However Laurens face changed from a look of eager attack to one of stunned surprise as Sakura grabbed the top rope! The big woman landed hard against the mat, groaning and wheezing as the wind was knocked out of her by her own outstretched body smashing the canvas abdomen-first. Lauren groaned as she struggled making it to her hands and knees before needing to stop. She was gasping for breath, knowing that she had to get back up before Sakura could try to engage her again stealing Lauren's momentum!

Through lidded eyes Sakura watched Lauren struggling, both women had been pushed so hard this match. One thing she couldn't afford to do though was let up now. Her opponent was on the defensive, scrambling to try to recapture her advantage from moments ago. The idol wrestler couldn't have that. Pulling away from the ropes her first few steps were in a stumble but as she stopped overthinking the process of walking and let her body react her pace straightened. At the pace of a jog she had closed in on the blond, just as she had started to rise.

The dark haired girl stomped a foot forward, planting her boot firmly on the mat. With a hard twist of her shoulder she whipped her body to the side, swinging around a huge roundhouse kick, trying to stagger the larger woman. She wasn't trying to put her back on the mat, but instead daze her for what was to come next.

Lauren was hobbled and hurting, her movements swaying as she struggled to stand on limp legs. She tried to close in against Sakura and reached out at her but the kick that smashed her mid-section made Lauren groan and stagger back! Her body trembled with each step and she hit the ropes. Lauren pushed back off and hobbled towards Sakura again but she was doubled over with her arms cradling her mid-section still reeling from the kick that smashed the wind..... and the fight.... right out of her!

Sakura showed just how much her fighting spirit counted for even after such a grueling match as he kick sunk deep into Lauren's side, crippling the other woman's advance. There was a sudden calm to this moment as everything fell into place. Time seemed to slow, the road of the crowd muting to a full hum as fire blazed in her bright eyes. She instinctively knew it was time, just as she was taught to seize opportunity there was a finality to this point in time. Stepping forward the idol dipped down into a low crouch before Lauren, eyes locked with a look of deadly seriousness not often worn by the perky rookie.

Her hands canned out to the side as her weight shifted onto the ball of her feet, balancing expertly as her thighs flexed, giving her a small countdown of nearly indistinguishable bounces. On the third, she sprang upwards and spread her arms wide as if to soar up into the heavens, catching remarkable and as she somersaulted backwards. The beauty and grace in her movements would be spoiled for Lauren however as one boot would try to catch her sharply under the chin with the wrecking power of.someone far larger and stronger than the idol wrestler. Without a moment's reprieve, her second boot would follow in a registering one-two kick known simply as the Sakura Special.

Practiced and professional, she would land just behind where she started in a low crouch in a resting pose before standing tall again to a remarkable amount of fanfare from the crowd. Many wrestlers had fallen to this move, but this was one of the first times it had been seen on AFW television. It served as a reminder to the doubters and a warning for those in the back that Sakura Hagiwara was here to stay and would be coming from the rest of the women on the roster. With a deep breath she stepped forward and lowered herself down to Lauren, attempting to hoist one of the large woman's legs high and go for a proper pin. To put an end to this bout once and for all.

Lauren stumbled forward and her head snapped back, her eyes rolling as her mouth opened during her slow hard fall onto her back. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lauren screamed as she was in a complete daze, falling back onto the canvas. She was barely conscious and the pain of the move left her with some tears streaming down the sides of her face and her loud howls of pain evident to everyone. Her arms covered her face to hide her eyes, Lauren nearly crying from the sudden burst of dazed, confused pain she was in!

"ONE!"

"TWO!"

Lauren moaned in agony her free leg raising up and flopping down twice but really she was out and nothing was stopping this match from ending thanks to the devastating Sakura Special.

"THREE!"

The bell rang and an embarrassed Lauren had lost to a teen songbird, keeping her face covered with her arms she didn't really want to look at anyone right now, Sakura, the crowd or otherwise.

At the sound of the bell Sakura momentarily fizzled, thankful to finally be able to relax now that the grueling match had concluded. It wasn't all over though, not yet. The crowd no doubt expected a bit of fanfare and it was her duty as an entertainer to give them what they came for. While this sort of mentality was a huge holdover from Sweet Diva she found it to apply here as well and was perhaps one of the things that made her so popular. Not looking to overstay her welcome, she eased herself up off of Lauren, letting the woman lay where she fell. A quick once over let her know the woman was alright, she didn't appear stiff as if she had been knocked clean out, which was good.

"Good match. You had me on the ropes." Sakura whispered low, words for just the two of them. Regardless of what happened in the ring, Sakura was inclined to leave it there. There was no real telling what kind of woman her opponent was backstage, so better to give her the benefit of the doubt that much of the less than sportsmanlike things were mostly for show. She was a professional after all.

With a gentle pat of the blond woman's shoulder she staggered up to her feet, taking her spot beside the referee with her arm raised high. The sounds of Sweet Diva blaring over the sound system  as flashes lit up across the arena as pictures were taken to capture this moment. It felt good to be back in a ring again as bitter sweet as it was to not be on her own home turf. She hoped the girls back at the gym were watching, though she had no way of knowing for sure.

Winner via pinfall: Sakura Hagiwara