SS22 Hardcore 24/7 Championship - Astrid Arvidsson (c) vs. Panther Risako

It seemed like only yesterday Astrid challenged Panther Risako.

But now the time has come. Houston, Texas. Summer Splash 2022.

"You know, I never planned to become a manager," Victoria said.

Astrid grinned and sent a few more punches into the punching bag, finishing the warm-up. She was well aware that Victoria became the AFW manager because Karen decided to become a pro wrestler. For Victoria, Karen was almost like her own daughter, so she left her job as a personal secretary and became a manager in order to continue being close to the person she loved. In a sense, because of this, Victoria crossed out her future career prospects. But...

"Correct me if I'm wrong," said the Norwegian woman, turning to the Englishwoman, "but it seems to me that you don't regret anything."

This time it was Victoria's turn to smile. Astrid has never been someone who has the ability to look straight into the soul. However, after they became friends, they began to understand each other perfectly. And the blonde was absolutely right, Victoria had no regrets. We can say that everything was just the opposite.

"I'm glad it turned out that way," she admitted, "I used to care only about Karen, but after I became a manager, I began to be surrounded by amazing women."

Astrid walked over to Victoria and sat down next to her. The Englishwoman took off her glasses before continuing to speak. It was difficult for her to put into words what she felt. But she wanted to try to say it. Today was an important day and she wanted Astrid to know what was on her mind.

"I remember the day when I told you that I dream of success for each of you, that I want each of you to lift a golden belt over the head," Victoria turned her head to look Astrid straight in the eyes, "and you said that you would help fulfill my dream and become the first in our team, who will earn the right to lift the golden belt over the head."

Victoria tilted her head slightly and looked at the belt that was lying next to the blonde. The corners of her lips lifted even more. As a manager, she tried to do everything necessary to ensure that each of her wards got what they deserved. But in truth, she also felt that she had let down many of them. The bitterest moment for her was when Karen was deprived of the match for the Rising Star title. She went to it for a long time and it wasn't supposed to end like this. But today was not the time to think about it.

"And I wanted to say," Victoria looked into the Norwegian woman's eyes again, "that no matter what happens today, I will always be proud of you."

Astrid's lower lip trembled slightly. The last time she had heard such words was a long time ago. She heard almost the same words from her father on the day of the final of the European MMA Championship. Astrid really has never been someone who freely expresses her emotions. Now she felt grateful to the woman who had walked this path with her. However, giving in to emotions before the match is not the best idea. Astrid took a deep breath and then grinned.

"No matter what happens today?" she asked. "What are you talking about? The most difficult match of my life is waiting for me. The most difficult test. Do you remember what I was born for?"
"To find and overcome the most difficult challenges," Victoria answered without hesitation.
"That's right!" Astrid exclaimed, then rose to her feet and took her golden belt. "So I'm going to do what I do best, I'm going to go there and kick Risako's ass so hard that it will forever remain in the AFW history!"
"I was never going to demand more from you," the manager nodded, putting on her glasses.

Astrid hit her left shoulder with the right fist, and then, accompanied by an approving look from Victoria, left the locker room. She headed down the long corridor, fastening the gold belt around her waist. Today was not just an important day, today was a significant day. Today, the story of the Hardcore Title will come to an end. And with that, the story of the new title will begin. Hardcore 24/7 Title. As the current Hardcore Champion, Astrid had the right to choose a challenger. And she chose Panther Risako. She knew what this woman was capable of. And she knew that her opponent would be ready to do anything to become the new champion. But Astrid was ready to do the same.

Entering a small waiting room, the blonde stopped in front of the curtains. In a few moments she will have to inter the ring. In a few moments she will be in Hell. A shiver ran down the spine of the descendant of the great Vikings. Was it fear? No, absolutely not. Someone would probably call her mad. But Astrid wanted it. She wanted to be in the ring with Risako so that they would find out who was worthy of becoming the first Hardcore 24/7 champion. Her great ancestors always went to battle without a drop of fear. Astrid wanted them to be proud of her. And so today she will give her rival everything she has. Astrid hit her left palm with her right fist.

"To the last drop of sweat and blood!" she said to herself.

Entrance Music:

Attire:

Her dynamic music started and the Golden Dragon came out from behind the curtains. The arena was filled with the noise of applause, the audience greeted the Hardcore champion. The blonde smiled broadly and took a few steps forward. Stopping, she raised both hands above her head, joining her palms in the manner of a crown. At that moment, multiple flames rose up behind her, and huge dragon wings appeared on the screens on either side of Astrid. The Hardcore champion has arrived at Summer Splash 2022.

The Norwegian woman began to descend the ramp. She had to stop several times to give autographs, as well as make a few selfies. And although she was happy to give the fans a little attention, all the thoughts of the Golden Dragon were focused on the upcoming match.

Astrid stopped near the commentators' table and raised her head. There was a huge cell above the ring. She had never had to take part in such a match, despite the fact that hardcore was as natural to her as air. However, she knew that what would happen inside this cage was called Hell for a reason. The blonde grinned.

Climbing the metal steps, she slipped between the middle and top rope. Once in the ring, she immediately felt like she had returned home. This was where she belonged. This arena was much bigger than the usual AFW arena. It was far from the first PPV for Astrid, but it was her first match at Summer Splash, because a year ago her match at this major event was canceled. The woman confidently headed to the center of the ring and at that moment the ring announcer decided to take the floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It's hard for me to imagine a more suitable place for the upcoming match than Texas! A truly great contest awaits us today! Today we will witness the end of the story of the Hardcore Title! And at the same time, we will witness the beginning of a completely new, even more exciting story!! Today we are waiting for a match for the right to become the first Hardcore 24/7 champion!!! And it's gonna be a real Hell in a Cell! Now, introducing first! From the land of ice and snow! From harsh Norway! Her flame demolishes everything in her path! And her ancestors are smiling, looking at her from Valhalla! Five feet eleven inches tall! Weighing one hundred and seventy pounds! Please welcome! The current Hardcore champion! Astrid! The Golden Dragon!! Arvidsson!!!"

It seemed that the walls of the arena were going to collapse at this moment due to the deafening shouts and applause of the audience. Placing her left hand on the gold belt at her waist, Astrid raised her right hand and pointed at herself with her thumb. A signature gesture that everyone who followed her career remembered. The Golden Dragon was looking forward to it. She will fight today. She will fight to leave the last trace in the story of the Hardcore title. And she will fight for the right to build a legacy of the Hardcore 24/7 title!

When her music ended, Astrid greeted the referee and headed to her corner. Leaning back, she put her hands on the ropes. After Risako arrives, they will be able to see the new title. And then the match will begin. Astrid had no doubt that this would be the most difficult match of her life. Risako was a worthy opponent. And for her, as a warrior, there was no greater happiness than to meet such a rival in battle. Especially with such high stakes.

Here she is. Another music started and Panther Risako appeared on the ramp, accompanied by deafening greetings from the audience. The corners of Astrid's lips lifted slightly. There was nothing surprising in the fact that the Japanese woman received such a warm greeting. AFW was not the first federation for this purple-haired woman. Risako had a reputation and she fully justified it.

It wasn't hard to notice that her rival was advancing to the ring without a shadow of doubt on her face. Someone might perceive this as overconfidence. Someone might perceive this as an attempt to hide fear. But the Golden Dragon knew that her opponent's confidence was real. One meeting with Risako was enough for her to understand that this woman is considered one of the best for a reason. Like Astrid, she's used to going all the way. That's exactly what they had to do today.

When the Japanese woman was in the ring, Astrid slightly tilted her head, and her smile became a little wider. Despite the fact that the Norwegian woman was used to the ordeal, she still had strange feelings before such matches. She had nothing personal to Risako, rather the opposite. She knew they wanted to find out who exactly was worthy of becoming the first Hardcore 24/7 champion. Pure rivalry without admixtures of hatred. Therefore, there were no evil emotions in the air. But the fact remained. In a few minutes, they were going to start beating the shit out of each other in the most brutal ways. Because that was the essence of hardcore.

After Risako was introduced, she immediately went to the Golden Dragon. Stopping just a step away from the blonde, Risako greeted her in a peculiar manner, which made Astrid grin. Astrid was still in the corner. And now that Risako was standing right in front of her, it might seem that the Golden Dragon had nowhere to retreat. But who said she was going to retreat anywhere?

"From the day I was born, huh," she replied to Risako's words.

Looking her opponent straight in the eyes, Astrid was even more convinced that this match would be different from all the ones she had gone through. Alexia was a crazy bitch. Galina was a rabid dog. In the case of Risako, Astrid felt that they shared roughly the same principles. For them, hardcore was not a way to break as many rules as possible, but a way to test their strength at the highest level of cruelty. Astrid was ready to start the match.

But there were two more things that needed to be done. This is exactly what the referee girl reminded them. She approached Astrid and Risako, asking them to go to the center of the ring. The blonde smiled slightly and nodded, because she knew what she had to do. Of course, she didn't see it as a catastrophe, but still she couldn't deny that she had some kind of residue on her soul because of it. When Astrid and Risako came to the center of the ring, the referee stretched out her hand to the Golden Dragon.

"The Hardcore title is officially abolished," the referee said, which caused a stormy reaction from the audience, "Astrid, give it to me, please."

Astrid closed her eyes for a moment. She paid a high price for this gold belt. For her, it wasn't just a piece of gold. For her, it was a symbol. A symbol that she is a worthy descendant of her great ancestors. However, this is not the end. This is just the beginning. So Astrid took the belt off her waist. But before giving it into the hands of the referee, she turned to the audience and raised the belt above her head with a wide smile, which caused the arena to explode with deafening screams.

"Never forget the story of this title and the women who made this story!" Astrid said loudly, addressing each viewer.

With these words, she puts her title in the hands of the referee. Symbolic? Quite. Astrid has always believed that hardcore is her true essence. Therefore, by giving away the gold belt, it was as if she was giving away a piece of herself. But, as already mentioned, it wasn't the end, it was just the beginning. The referee came to the ropes and gave the title to the staff. But instead of the Hardcore title, she was given something else. Once again stepping into the center of the ring, the referee raised a new, the Hardcore 24/7 title over her head.

"Hell yeah..." Astrid muttered, looking at the new gold belt.

Whoever earns the right to possess it after this match will become the first Champion of the merged Hardcore and 24/7 titles. Because of this, the blonde's soul trembled. The audience greeted the new title with great enthusiasm, because it has been a very long time since new titles appeared in the federation. If Astrid wasn't mistaken, then the youngest title was the Rising Star title. But it's been about three years and now it's time for something new.

The referee came to the ropes again in order to give the title. Now the gold belt was lying on the commentators' table waiting for the first owner. Now there was only one thing left to do. The referee waved her hand and the huge cell began to descend. Even though the Golden Dragon was concentrating, she felt her heart begin to beat faster. She turned to her rival.

"Give me everything you have because you won't get less from me," she said.

With these words, Astrid was going to put her right fist forward, offering Risako to collide their fists. Yes, during the promo, she offered her rival a handshake. But now they were in the ring. A match was waiting for them now. And in such circumstances, for Astrid, such a gesture was much more significant.

And if the purple-haired woman had accepted her offer without any problems, then after that the Golden Dragon would have taken a few steps back. When the cell was completely lowered, fencing them from everything else, she would take a fighting stance. Clenching her fists, she would have raised them to the level of her chin. The left hand is slightly in front. The shoulders are relaxed and the torso is slightly tilted forward. Astrid took a deep breath and her gaze became focused. The time has come.

Ding-Ding-Ding.

Voluntarily giving away a hard-earned title is definitely not what a fighter wants. Therefore, Astrid's soul was a little heavy. But when she handed the gold belt into the hands of the referee, she noticed the expression on her opponent's face. It seems to some extent Risako understood how the Norwegian woman felt. This made Astrid smile faintly, but approvingly.

However, in most cases, a foundation is needed for something new. The Hardcore title became the foundations for a new title. Therefore, Astrid had nothing to regret. Once she had already earned the right to call herself a champion and today she was going to earn this right again. At any cost.

When the bell rang, the arena was filled with deafening screams from the audience. They were waiting for this match no less than Astrid. They knew that today these women would do anything to become a winner. Of course, when it comes to the gold belt, it is naive to assume that the applicants will not try their best. And yet everyone in this arena understood that this match would be something more than just a title match. It will be a real battle of the Titans.

Astrid took a step forward, not intending to blindly rush into the attack. And, apparently, her opponent followed the same strategy. The Japanese woman only slightly approached the Golden Dragon, but there was no question of any explosive attack. It seems they both understood how high the stakes were and therefore no one wanted to make a mistake at the very beginning. This led to the fact that for several seconds the Golden Dragon and the Queen of Queens circled around each other, looking closely at each other stances and trying to find a weak spot.

The blonde got ready, was going to rush forward in order to launch an attack. But at the same moment Risako raised her hands, gradually starting to get closer to her. The Norwegian woman's lavender eyes twinkled. Was it rational to accept this invitation? Astrid's lips stretched into a smile.

"Want to test me, Risako?" she asked, raising her hands.

Those who followed Astrid's career closely knew well that her first attacks were fierce and fast. However, she simply could not deny herself the pleasure of accepting her rival's challenge. They weren't here just for the title. They were here to find out who was the best fighter. And it was a great way to see what Risako was really made of and whether she would really be able to resist the fierce power of the Golden Dragon.

Having become close to the Japanese woman, Astrid was going to throw both hands forward in order to connect their palms and intertwine their fingers. And then, without any unnecessary foreplay, she was going to strain the steel muscles of her body in order to start pressing on Risako. The audience called her the Golden Dragon. And they said for a reason that her flame sweeps away everything in her path. Astrid intended to make Risako kneel in this test of strength!

Perhaps there would hardly be a person in this hall who at least once did not hear the words that Astrid often said. She was born to seek and overcome the most difficult challenges. For this reason, the Norwegian woman has never refused a challenge. And was there at least one chance that she would refuse her rival's offer? That's right, not a chance.

When their palms closed, the Golden Dragon immediately felt her opponent's strength. There was nothing to deny here, Risako really had a powerful physique. Of course, the descendant of the great Vikings did not expect that she would be able to take advantage from the first second. However, she was really surprised to meet such a resistance, especially considering that she was heavier than the purple-haired woman.

But the Golden Dragon was not afraid of difficulties and did not look for easy ways, so the only thing she did when she met resistance was to increase the pressure. Pure physical strength wasn't her only feature, but that was what she was going to use right now. Continuing to put pressure on Risako, the blonde was going to fight for every millimeter of space. And it seems to have started working. Hardly anyone would say that Astrid began to rapidly come out on top in this confrontation, but the Norwegian woman herself felt that Risako would not be able to resist for too long.

It seems that Risako herself understood this. Without any warning, the Japanese woman jerked to the side, releasing one of Astrid's hands. And after a moment it became clear that she had decided to abandon the direct confrontation. Grabbing Astrid's arm with both hands, she twisted the Golden Dragon's arm behind her back. The blonde growled softly through clenched teeth, as her shoulder joint was immediately filled with pain. She strained her arm to prevent Risako from acting freely, and then she heard her rival's words.

"I don't doubt it," she replied.

Taking a deep breath, the Golden Dragon was about to turn sharply to the right side in order to get some space for the captured arm. This space was necessary for her in order to straighten the captured arm, using the strength of her muscles. And if she really succeeded, she would support the idea that Risako proposed.

Astrid intended to turn sharply to the left, doing the same thing that the Japanese woman had done a moment earlier, namely, grabbing her hand with both hands. However, instead of trying to get Risako's arm behind her back, Astrid was about to turn around, twisting the purple-haired woman's arm over her head. She wanted to catch Risako in a classic arm wrench hold. If they were really going to warm up, then Astrid wanted to see how well Risako would handle it. Because the Golden Dragon intended to put her right palm on her opponent's shoulder, and then begin to put pressure on Risako's arm in an attempt to lower the Queen of Queens to the mat.

Many made the mistake of thinking that Astrid was only capable of waving her fists and making heavy throws. The blonde wasn't offended by that at all, because she perfectly understood how she looked from the side. In addition, such a mistake, especially on the part of her rivals, is often plays in her favor. Yes, it was true that grappling was far from the foundation of the Golden Dragon's style, however, she still had enough grappling skills to demonstrate.

That's exactly what she did, twisting Risako's arm. The purple-haired woman was trapped, because now the descendant of the great Vikings firmly held her. Just like a few moments ago, Astrid used her strength, starting to put pressure on her opponent.

The corners of the Norwegian woman's lips lifted slightly as the Queen of Queens first let out a painful growl and then dropped to one knee. Astrid knew that if she would press Risako to the mat, then she could quickly move on to some full-fledged submission hold. Therefore, the Golden Dragon increased the pressure in order to force the Japanese woman to lie down on the mat.

But the experience of her rival made itself felt. Risako understood that she must not allow what Astrid was up to. And she found a way out of this situation. Abruptly rolling forward, she removed the pressure from her arm. When she turned to face the champion and began to lift her leg, Astrid prepared to take a kick in the stomach. She counted that she would be able to cope with it and then sharply attack Risako. But she was mistaken with the intentions of her rival.

The Queen of Queens wasn't going to kick Astrid's stomach, instead she just pressed her foot against the blonde's abs. And after a moment it became clear, why she did it. Leaning back, she pulled Astrid with her, using something like a monkey flip. This led to Astrid rolling over her opponent and crashing to the mat.

"Fuck..." thought Astrid, gritting her teeth.

It wasn't a really heavy fall. However, she couldn't call it something pleasant. The only consolation was that she remained focused enough. Therefore, the Golden Dragon was going to roll to the side, closer to the ropes, and then get to her feet. The prospect of grapple with Risako on the mat did not appeal to her at all and she did not want to make a mistake.