Trini "Starshine" Carazo vs. Ayane "Empress" Yamamoto

A long time ago, in New York City...

The year was 1983, and the summer was hotter than most that the people of New York City could remember. It was only going to get hotter. Tonight, on a stifling Saturday in the middle of July that saw the temperature touch a hundred degrees, a crowd of twenty-five thousand would escape the heat into the air-conditioned enormity of Madison Square Garden.

It was Trini Carazo's first visit to New York City. She was a Reno, Nevada native, born into a working-class immigrant family. Growing up, her mother and father had aspired to the  suburban California existence exemplified by The Brady Bunch. Trini had a happy childhood, but even with their aspirations her parents remained ever practical. Trini was an adult before she ever saw Hollywood or the Grand Canyon.

Her young family was already more well-traveled. The journey which started at the La Vista Drive-In had taken them to the pages of People magazine and the MTV airwaves, to Portland and Chicago and Philadelphia—and now, at last, to New York. Here, Trini would help to launch a new nationwide women's wrestling league in front of a global audience, with a little help from a visiting Japanese superstar named Ayane Yamamoto.

Evidently wildly popular in her native country, promoters had jumped at the chance to finance a visit to the United States by the purple-haired "Empress." Having seen the woman, Trini would not have hesitated to do the same. Ayane was gorgeous and obviously a capable fighter, as evidenced by the title belt she had worn at the press conference the night before. Those abs are far out, Trini mused, as she dressed herself in her own private locker room. And her arms are stellar, too. I wonder if they put out a Japanese edition of one of my tapes...

Trini's exercise videos were a hit from coast to coast, starting with Sweat It Out! and proceeding down a list of increasing ludicrous titles that culminated with Age of Abdominals. As far as she knew, there had never been a Japanese release, but she admittedly had never paid any attention to the business side of video production.

Trini "Starshine" Carazo:

Fully attired for battle, Trini put her hands on her hips and slowly turned herself around a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Rotating her hips like she was spinning a hula hoop, she watched herself move in the floor-length mirror. "Looking good," she said to herself. "Everything's cool, right? Right!"

There was a knock on the door, and just like that, it was time for Trini to get on the move. She opened the door with a smile and followed the small army of security and technical staff into the twisting caverns beneath the sea of spectators in the bowl above. As she passed by door after door, she wondered where her opponent was right now. She wondered whether Ayane had received the note that she had sent. Things had gotten a little heated at the presser and Trini had taken it upon herself to smooth things over.

Dear Empress...:

At the tunnel entrance, Trini got her first glimpse of the largest crowd she had ever performed for. The air rippled with the movement of twenty-five thousand bodies to the music. The buttery-sweet smell of popcorn mingled with the less alluring scent of sweat. Fans leaning over the railings held out headshots and posters for her to sign.

Trini's music began to play, and she strutted out into the arena. She didn't walk fast or slow, but she kept one arm up the whole time, waving to the fans. Only once she had climbed into the ring did she allow herself to have some fun, swaying to the music, both arms bowed slightly as she wiggled them above her head. She closed her eyes and let the good vibes roll over her. She could feel twenty-five thousand pairs of eyes on her.

She couldn't wait for that number to increase to twenty-five thousand and one.

The young, beautiful, and vain rich star from Japan had never been shown such disrespect in her short career in Japan. In this big country she had traveled too had a different approach to those that were better than them. New York had been one of the biggest markets in the world for her brand of violence and Ayane had agreed to grace them with her presence only to find herself being met with a crowd of people who didn't admire her like they should have, the promoters had the decency to treat the young champ with a nearly 3 year reign with respect while crowds mostly lined up to look at her. The most disrespect she received was from her opponent, some Hollywood star who couldn't wait to be her prize before she went to California, Trini Carazo had impressed some people but did nothing to get on Ayane's good side when they met. First was the way she looked and talked to her, Ayane had more money than anyone could ever see and was gods gift to this great blue earth, Trini treated her like an equal...like someone she could casually speak too as if they were peers! Throughout the press conference she acted like the match was just another fun bout, instead of the biggest match of Trini's life, one she would never get again. It angered Ayane so much she made it her plan to take Trini's body as a reminder to never let anyone talk to her like that again, something Trini accepted as if it was no big deal.

The second insult came from what she did after that, while Ayane was relaxing in her room reading up on anything interesting to do in this country when she was slipped a note. She expected an apology from her or a pledge of loyalty, instead it was another dumb casual note and a promise of meeting later as if this was something they could just talk out over a warm lunch. Ayane felt the note crumbling in her hands as she boiled in anger and grabbed her title belt. "I shall rip this one in half." She declared calmly before she left to get ready to make her entrance.

Spoiler:

Much like everything else she did, nothing was simple for her, instead of a simple walk down the ramp, a carriage hoisted up by 4 men arrived from the ramp with Ayane sitting atop it with the belt around her waist and surrounded with red and gold, her two signature colors. Ayane made no step to leave her seat as the well trained and fit men carried her down the ramp as fans looked on in confusion for her entrance, but still cheered or booed depending on how they felt about her matches, one thing was for certain was that they were loud. She could barely stomach the sound or the stench of this place, which made sense considering her agent warned her New York was not a place to travel alone, not that Ayane would go anywhere without being watched. Eventually they reached the end and the carriage was placed next to the ring ropes so it could be pulled out for Ayane to stand up and gracefully enter the ring without soiling her feet on the outside where many more common fools slobbered or swept on, it was already bad enough she had to share a ring with a simple minded fool like Trini. Ayane raised her belt in Trini's face before handing it off to the ref and looking at her opponent. The one they called Starshine who too many people compared her too, thinking she was the perfect match for her, as if she could ever be matched by someone like this. "This is the finest moment of your life. I hope you're taking the time to enjoy it." Ayane spoke and gesturing towards the crowd, a large audience like this for a match with a large gate as this, it was just another day in her life, but to Trini it was a rare look into greatness.

Trini had been wrestling for a long time now, since before she had a family, on the Hollywood and southern California circuit. There was no doubt that this was the biggest, most important match of her career so far. The women's sport was only beginning to receive serious interest from television consumers in the United States. Trini might have held a title belt as prestigious as Ayane Yamamoto's already, if only one had been available to her.

In six months' time, Trini would have just such an opportunity, when the new nationwide federation officially opened competition for an American national championship belt. She had asked for no special treatment—she would need to work her way through the gauntlet the same as any other contender—but when they had asked her to participate in this special promotion, with an overseas title belt on the line, Trini could hardly say no. She was only all too happy to help.

And wouldn't a family vacation to Japan to defend the belt be an adventure?

She was afraid she couldn't muster much of a smile at Ayane's elaborate entrance. Whatever the joke was, it was either lost in translation, or it flew over Trini's head. She hoped that the "Empress" herself was still getting a kick out of it.

Ayane's approach jumpstarted Trini's smile. Maybe it was the purple hair that made Trini happy when she looked upon her Japanese opponent. Come to think of it, that was when things started to go downhill at the press conference the night before. Trini couldn't stop smiling when the two of them came face to face.

When Ayane raised that belt in her face, Trini didn't think twice before acting. She rarely thought twice about things. She leaned in and kissed the burnished gold. Ayane yanked it away and handed it to the referee all too quickly. "You know, Mama always said the same thing to me about having a kid," Trini said, speaking of life's finest moments.

She didn't follow that train of thought. She let it roll on through the station and just took in the sight of the purple-haired foreign champion decked out in her red and gold. She looked good. She was tall, taller than Trini expected her to be when she signed on for this match. As tall as Trini, as a matter of fact. Almost as toned as Trini was, too. Small wonder that the reporters had hounded them about each other's abs, and biceps, and glutes.

"We didn't get much chance to talk last night," Trini said, as the two of them stood in the center of the ring, face to face. She gazed deep into Ayane's purple eyes. "It's a foxy get-up you've got. I like it!"

Just like before, once she was in the ring with this bizarre woman she started to beam at her, while it was natural to be captured in the unrivaled beauty of Ayane Yamamoto the fact remained that from Trini it seemed off. The way she spoke to her as she talked told her she thought she could have a simple conversation with the Empress, something that she was not entitled to or deserved given she was a nobody. The fact that shortly after the conference started they started to compare the two of them physically only insulted Ayane more, especially when the comparison reached her abs and Trini's. The Empress had already proven to have a strong core in her career, crushing the weaker ones with a flurry of moves and breaking down anyone who dared leave a mark on her own. But those were well tested and named opponents, people still below her but high enough on the totem pole that they deserved a shot, she had to wrestle someone afterall. Trini was not like them and her abs would only be good broken down by her. Ayane's anger flared up when Trini not only kissed her belt, but acted casual again, clearly having not learned her lesson yet. Ayane had to quickly toss the belt to the ref and hope she didn't leave any lipstick markings on it while she prepared for this match.

"What was there to talk about? Today is the day that I beat you, keep that belt and leave that body of yours so broken down no one would compare it to mine again! You know I took my last opponent as a prize? Do I need to do the same to you to keep you from this casual chatter?" Ayane said, noticing now that Trini was staring directly into her eyes while she complimented her attire....or at least she thought it was a compliment. "It was made carefully for me to represent the glory I bring not just to my beloved nation but to the world." Ayane said before looking up and down at Trini's...rather basic attire. "I'm sure yours does the same. If this is the best your shining city can produce."

There was nowhere for either of them to slip off to now. Trini finally had her opportunity to chat with Ayane Yamamoto, and the purple-haired foreigner was plenty talkative. The disconnect which Trini had felt  during Ayane's entrance was still there, though. It was like trying to talk over the Space Bridge to the Soviets.

"Thank you! Color is very important to me, and I'm so glad these threads show that off." Trini twisted at the waist, showing off the skintight fit of both her top and bloomers. She bent backward and stretched her arms over her head, stretching out to give the Japanese woman an opportunity to take a long look at her flexed, attired, battle-ready body. Her pink, blue, and green wrestling attire stood out among plainer single- or dual-colored gear that was common on the independent circuit. And it also glowed in the dark, or might as well have.

Trini hadn't forgotten about the suggestion that Ayane might take her as a prize when she won. She thought about the best way to approach the subject. "You've got my interest, Ayane, but what do I get when I win?" After asking the question, Trini paused, then laughed breezily, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she did. She brought her arms down from the stretched position above her head and laid a hand on her opponent's shoulder. "Oh, yeah, that's right—I get your belt for winning. Well, it's fair that we both have a prize to fight for!"

Now she was treating everything she said like it was a compliment, how anyone could want to be seen like that was beyond Ayane. She took time and care to make sure that her designers gave her something presentable for her regal image and settled for nothing but their best work. What Trini wore would get anyone working for her fired for ever trying to push it on her, Trini was due for a wardrobe change when Ayane won this match because even being near it was insulting enough. The casual attitude to her offer was almost as irritating with how she seemed to be so unworried about the stakes and only saw it as fair to her. As if her body was a worthy trade off for the belt Ayane made the most important in the world.

"I take it you accept the consequences when you lose?" Ayane asked but was hardly waiting for it before she backed off to get started. She had talked to the American long enough and wanted to get to the part where she carved a piece out of her and made it a trophy of her victory in this state before moving on to another and eventually taking the Cali girl home as part of her entourage instead of a conquering hero. "The sooner the bell rings the sooner your voice will be nothing but screams, like all of my opponents." Ayane said clearly looking forward to that.

Trini tried to pull Ayane closer by her grip on the Japanese woman's shoulder, but that was evidently not to her liking. Ayane wormed her way out from underneath Trini's arm and backed away, putting plenty of space between them as they awaited the bell to begin the match. Trini's sigh was like the wind rustling through a meadow full of sunflowers. "You think I'll just accept that sort of bet without getting the lowdown on it first? You could have something real freaky planned for me. It's the sort of thing a girl should be careful over."

She paused, and during that poignant moment of silence the bell finally rang to signal the start of the match. Hastily, with a giggle, Trini would finish: "You're lucky you're so foxy, Ayane. I wouldn't accept that kinda deal from just anyone! But you're on!"

With their wager—Ayane's belt versus Trini's body—established, Trini would not waste time consummating the agreement. She began to circle confidently around Ayane in the center of the ring, boots pounding on the canvas. Madison Square Garden thundered with the roar of the crowd as the lights around them dimmed, leaving just the bright lamps that shone down directly on the ring at full power. Those, plus the heat of twenty-five-thousand-plus bodies in the seats, pushed the air conditioning inside the arena to its limit. Trini's body was already shining, as was her opponent's. Trini would make sure to do her good deed for the day and mop up all that sweat with Ayane's face when they were through.

She lifted one arm high above her head, challenging the purple-haired visitor to a test of strength. She wiggled her fingers and raised her eyebrows in invitation as she waited for her foe's response.

Trini's closeness and the desire for it didn't go appreciated by Ayane, while it was natural for anyone to want to be close to her one should understand that someone like Ayane would not be touched or talked to like that by someone like her. She was a star athlete being surrounded by paying customers after she had single handedly sold out the garden. She was too important to be playing any games with Trini and when she pulled away, Trini finally understood that and accepted Ayane's terms, it was only fair since she was a champ who needed to have a fair reason to defend her belt when she thought the competition was being insulting or lacking. Now she could fight knowing she had something of nearly equal incentive to give her.

When the bell rang she heard the packed crowd explode in her honor but didn't move, she was going to take this match slow and find a way to break her opponent completely on her own terms. She had a plan to start wearing her down when Trini offered the test of strength, in such a brazen fashion Ayane felt it was impossible to resist challenge. So she took it and would slowly move in to grab her arms. "If you want to be brouht to your back so quickly so be it." Ayane said before she would slowly start to test things out, moving a bit to get in a good spot and trying to position herself as best she could to overpower Trini.

It was almost as if they were in two different fights, with Trini moving around the ring with excited energy, circling her title-holding opponent, while Ayane stood still in the exact same spot, barely even moving her head to watch where Trini was at any given time. If Trini was of a mind to be naughty, she sure could have caused some trouble for Ayane in any number of ways. The Japanese woman was lucky that Trini was a good girl. The Reno-born wrestler moved into position and offered the test of strength, and Ayane, after much deliberation, moved forward to accept the offer. In almost the exact center of the ring, the two amazonian women locked hands and began to push against each other.

"I'd rather have you on your back," Trini cooed, as their faces came almost close enough to dance cheek to cheek. The two of them wobbled in the center of the ring, arms shaking, neither one of them making any measurable progress. Trini felt the sweat triple on her forehead and underarms as she tried to push against Ayane and found that the stubborn Japanese woman just wouldn't budge!

Ayane was the first to change her positioning. She shifted her weight and Trini, with a gasp and a groan, was forced to take a step back. She bent her knees slightly, and she could feel the weight of the Empress added to gravity as both bore down on her. "Gnnnnh..."

If her knees hit the canvas now, things were going to get real heavy, real fast. Trini sucked in a deep breath and led from her core, letting those powerful muscles carry the rest of her body as she forced her way back up with a roar. She spread out, changing her position slightly, and would refuse to move back any further, instead trying to take a step forward and shove her opponent back!

Ayane was focused on controlling the match, proving she was stronger and bringing Trini down to her back despite her flirty confidence and desire to bring Ayane down. It didn't matter for either of them, when they started they couldn't get the other to budge, only turn in place trying to see who could bring the other down, when Ayane adjusted she finally got somewhere and surprised Trini to get her to falter and take a step back while her arms started to push her down. She thought she'd get her to her knee until Trini finally started to act, screaming at her and pushing back against her with a surprising roar to force them back into an even stance, but Trini took it further and kept pushing into her hoping to see her fall back.

"Gnnggh.." Ayane groaned as she was now taking a step back at Trini's all outburst, only stopping when she put her foot down hard and tightened her own core. Pushing back into Trini the two found themselves suddenly pressed against each other, with their abdomens rubbing slightly across one another as their chests did. A situation Ayane realized only after they had been doing it for almost 10 seconds, and something she despised even more since she imagined it was part of Trini's plan.