AV 20 Hardcore Championship - River Styx (c) vs Galina Romerno

”Sonofafuckinggooddamnfuck-”

River Styx was not terribly happy at the moment. Usually, she didn’t mind taking punishment - hell, in the right situation, she could get off on it. But taking a shot in the pussy? That wasn’t just painful, it was insulting. Styx would be getting Galina back for that, too, in equal measure.

Just not right now. Now she had problems to deal with, like the crazy spitfire barreling towards her. Styx was on her way back up, trying to get back into a stand so she could defend against whatever was coming her way, but she wasn’t known for her blazing speed at the best of times, and this was definitely far from that. She was winded, sluggish, and her opponent was all over her before she had a chance to get her bearings.

A Shining Wizard. Cute.

And it worked, too. The blow slammed across Styx’s temple and drove her flat on her back, leaving to stare up at the ceiling. Knowing how vulnerable she was, she three her body to the side and went into a roll, ducking under the bottom rope and making her way out to the floor.

Galina wasn't one to bust moves out like this usually, but the Rose of Russia was a quick learner. If her Gypsy brawler background was anything to go by, the lassie had taken an interest in the move. When going for a ground and pound was less than ideal, a swift boot to the side of the head could work just as well here. Plus it looked awesome, the Russian brawler still liked the feeling of her knuckles smashing into bare skin there. But it'd make for an epic photo op there as her flaming red hair splayed out as she collided with the hardcore champion there, displaying not only pragmatism earlier with her nutshot but also actually good technique along with it.

Styx certainly felt that one, Galina landed on the mat with a grunting noise but a smirk at her handiwork. That about evened the playing field in her opinion, maybe even tipping it in the favour of the Russian Rose if Styx deciding to go 'Aight Imma head out' reaction to it was any indication. Galina took a moment herself, wincing at the pain in her shoulder.

The Rose of Russia gritted her teeth and began to get moving, crawling along to the ropes out after the champ. Galina couldn't help but speak aloud with "Hey comrade, wait for me!" giving chase to Styx the Gypsy would try to slide out the ring after her by heading under the ropes after her. Was only a matter of time before it went outside after all!

”Having trouble?”

”Shut the fuck up.”

Styx didn’t even bother to look Abattoir’s way as she came to a rest on the outside, still giving her nethers a light massage along the way. It wasn’t one of her proudest moments, but she didn’t need the snark to make it even worse. She’d taken a bad hit, but she was far from losing this. Still in control. Moving to the outside of the ring wasn’t just a strategic withdrawal, but a way to move things in her direction. She often did her best work outside of the ring, remembering the time she thrashed Angel around the arena half a decade ago.

Galina came out of the ring, sure enough, and that was when she was most vulnerable. As much as she wanted to keep tending to her aching loins, the desire for revenge was strong, strong enough to make her push past it. For now.

She planted her feet the moment her opponent touched the mats, then broke into a run straight at her. She extended her arm and swung it out, wide and fast, as she barreled forward, coming at Galina with a heavy, clubbing lariat to knock her flat on her ass.

Galina had been no stranger to her fair share of street fights here and there, when she had gone into Moscow with her fellows it was either for the purposes of coursing or commerce. Usually some larceny among other things, but she was no stranger to smacking someone in the middle of a night lit street in the cold winter air. Hence why Galina was quite comfortable in heading down to the outside of the ring and taking it to the streets as it were, she'd given Styx a good couple of shots there and was seeking to capitalise on it as Styx attempted to get her bearings.

However it seemed that Styx had planned this, the champ showing a sort of veteran instinct here as she was seemingly quite comfortable on the outside too. Wouldn't be the hardcore champ if she wasn't one. Perhaps rolling outside and getting a sort of aid in being vertical helped there, Styx moved into action as the Rose of Russia was heading outside the ring, lunging right at her with an explosive lariat!

The Gypsy let out a loud grunt and was bowled over, left a heap on the thin mat outside. Her eyes blinked rapidly, Styx floored her there harder than any hobo or roma she fought in the pits ever did. She had a vague clue of what hit her there, but even she did it'd have done little to help numb the pain there.......

”Sit down!”

Styx’s lariat was explosive, hitting Galina with all the force she could muster and dropping her flat. Satisfying? Oh, yes. This match hadn't started out the way she wanted, her foe getting the better of her from the outset, but things were suddenly turning fast in her favor. This was momentum she could run with.

She took a moment to straighten up, catch her breath, get a hold of herself before she brought her attention back down to Galina. Reaching down, she dug her fingers into the Russian’s hair and seized two handful, using them for a solid grip as she pulled her opponent up. The girl didn’t weigh all that much, didn’t take much effort, and she wouldn’t be on her feet too long, anyway. Not for what Styx had in mind.

Now that they were out of the ring, Styx was aiming to keep it that way. She took a step to the side, twisted about and used her hold on Galina’s scalp to fling the smaller woman into the nearest barricade, tossing her with full strength to get her soaring.

Damn that smarted, Galina had been knocked down before. Happened in bar and pit fights, usually followed by having the Rose of Russia being stamped on repeatedly. But the Gypsy was also one tough bitch, it was gonna take a hell of a lot more to have her keel over for good. Styx knew this likely given how she had watched Galina demolish Abattoir recently, the hardcore champion would grab the Rose of Russia by her blood red hair locks. The Gypsy winced at the feeling of her hair being tugged, but it helped bring her back about to herself and her senses. Galina would make eye contact with the champ as she was pulled up. And actually gave a chuckle at her, because whatever was done was gonna be paid back tenfold by Galina.

Still though Styx decided to fling the Rose of Russia to the barricade, the heavier champ took the Gypsy for a loop. Flinging her with such force that not only did Galina collide with the iron bars that she went head over heels and flipped over it, leaving the Gypsy back where she started there. Only now she was on the outside in the crowd area, she felt that she had probably crashed on one person at least. Only on the foot though, the rest was cold concrete.

At this point Galina was feeling her Gypsy blood telling her to get even, she was feeling feeling quite sore also now. Galina was still having a bit of a grin on her features though, because Galina was never more alive than when she was in the thick of a good fight~

Security had a protocol in place for hardcore matches and River Styx matches in particular. It was always assumed that any match she was in would, eventually, make its way to the outside, so they were strategically placed around the ring, in spots where they could quickly get people of the way and maintain an area where the two wrestlers could fight - and, more importantly, where there was no danger of them hurting fans and leading to potential lawsuits.

It was a good thing, too, because that came in handy right away, far earlier than they had anticipated. Barely a minute past the bell, and Galina was sent over the barricade, forcing them to rush around her and move the crowd away, creating a perimeter around her and keeping the avid fans at bay. It left her in a sea of chairs and unfinished concessions, with plenty of space to move.

She wouldn’t be alone for long, though. Styx placed her hand on the metal rail and leaped over in a single bound, with the referee sliding her way over not far away. She came down in a hard crash only a couple of feet away from Galina, her foot crushing a can of soda on the touchdown and sending its contents spilling in all directions.

”Get the fuck up.”

Styx rushed forward and swung her leg out low, coming at Galina’s with a swift kick to the side, like she was trying to hit a field goal with her ribs.

Galina was feeling it, not just the numbing pain in her everything. But that bloodlust, she was wanting to cause some havoc. Her Gypsy blood and temper was flaring right now, telling her to rip and tear. To not take this laying down, to get up and fight. Taking this beating reminded Galina of the times she'd get trounced in the fighting pits and have the shit kicked out of her, she got even. It was go time, the Rose of Russia was gonna make sure Styx bled tonight. She'd get stained with the colours of mother Russia by the time Galina was done with her, teach her that pain was a four letter word.

The Gypsy was no genius, but it didn't take much to put two and two together that Styx and her plan was to try and beat Galina while she was down. Galina kept her sight focused on the champ as she simply ran in and tried to kick Galina smack dab in the ribs, she wasn't the first to try and kick the Rose while she was down. A lot of people had tried that, they usually succeeded. But it wasn't the first rodeo for Galina.

'Time it right' her father would have instructed. She'd have to take it, but Galina lived with pain like she did the snow. She timed it, the kick would come in. But not before Galina managed to wrap her arms right around Styx's leg, a hard glint in her eyes as she'd cling to the limb and stand up. Coughing a bit from the impact before saying "If you insist comrade!" followed by dragging the leg forward and jumping into the air to smack her down with a hard clothesline to the concrete floor!

Many thought that Styx was a mindless, thoughtless brute, but that wasn’t completely true. She didn’t have the mind for long, complicated strategies, sure, but she could come up with ideas on the fly, she could work out the best way to proceed with things. She could think.

Here, her short-term plan was a simple one: Get Galina down, then keep her down, until she won the match. In her experience, not letting your opponent get back to their feet was a great way to win a fight.

So, when she came in and swung low, she thought she was a good path for that. Right?

Wrong.

”Huh?”

Galina caught her leg. Actually managed to catch it. She didn’t think the little bitch had the strength for that, but she did, and the sheer surprise of it was enough to leave her stunned, giving Galina more than enough to leap up and smack her with a clothesline. Galina clotheslined her.

And it worked, too. Styx was knocked off her feet, fall right on a chair and demolishing it under their combined body weight. Abattoir was nearly caught in the crossfire, too, and had just enough time to leap back and avoid the impact zone. In the wake of the crash, Styx found herself on her back, aching, with some of the chair’s metal slashing at her side for a nasty gash.

If there was one thing that Galina could do well it was know how to take a beating, the Russian would get the shit kicked out of her if need be and still be around to ask for more. She also knew that sometimes you had to tank a hit or two in order to get the opponent where you wanted them, her father had advised she stay on the move for the most part but said when all else failed clench your teeth and get ready for it. Then when they're stuck go in and let them have it! Galina had learned this from sparring with the hobos and people from other gypsy camps where she'd get the shit pounded out of her and blocked one kick while she was down. then responded with the attack!

A lot of people were surprised, with one swift attack Galina had taken the champ straight off guard there! Galina gave a series of panting sighs, that kick hurt like hell still. Styx kicked harder than any man Galina had ever scrapped with, but the Rose of Russia would give as good as she got and taking a moment to admire her handiwork. Yeah Styx was getting the colours of Mother Russia on her now!

Looking around Galina saw an unopened beer can nearby, perfect she could do with a bit of a tip. The Gypsy quickly reached down and cracked it open, giving it a quick guzzle. Watered down sake shit, typical. Angered by this Galina would try to mount Styx and slam the can into her head with its contents flying out from the impacts of it "I! Hope! Your! Thirsty! Comrade!" Galina shouted as she got down onto Styx and tried to smack her with a beer can and her other hand balled into a fist.