Tension World Title: John Mitchel (c) vs. Makie Akamatsu

(No worries, especially since I tend to delay even more than you " title="Wink" /> )

Makie's heart thumped in her chest as her boots slammed against John, once twice, thrice....the swipe of her boot sent a tremor running up her leg as her booted sole slammed across John's face. As her male opponent slumped to his knees in a daze, Makie knew she had him where she wanted him.

Deciding to go for a big follow up, Makie raised an arm to the crowd. "DO A BARREL ROLL!" she shouted, before lunging at John. At the last minute, she would drop low and cartwheel past him, before hopping up to her feet behind him and jumping, aiming to slam both boots into his back or head with a timely drop kick.

(I have to apologize AGAIN, I was off touring PhD programs and I underestimated how exhausting four hour drives are)

John groaned out, dropping down to his knees, after the swipe from her boot. His hand was up and clutching his face. Sweat dripped off of his brow, his red hair was slick and matted to his forehead and head.

‘Did I really deserve it?†That thought ran quickly through Johnâ€s mind. It was pretty early on in the match and John felt like he had been hit by a truck. Did he really deserve the title he had? He should be doing better than this. He shouldnâ€t be so easily outmaneuvered. Maybe this girl deserved it more, after all he hadnâ€t done that much to get here.

Before John could keep thinking about this, Makie leapt over him. She watched her shout to the crowd, shouting about barrel rolls, then running and jumping and doing some kind of aileron roll like maneuver, leaping over hum and trying to stomp down on his head.

The kick connected, even as John tried to leap out of the way. All that ended up happening was his head was nailed and he tumbled through the ropes, landing on the outside of the ring.

Makie had been training hard since she first started doing matches in Tension, and had learned from the many defeats she had received from male wrestlers, pushing herself to become faster and better each time. She knew she could never win in a straight up physical match, which was why she pushed herself to become even better at aerial manoeuvres. Even so, she wasn't afraid to pull of a risk, to try for a move she hadn't practiced before. And she was absolutely thrilled when it actually worked!

As John went tumbling outside, Makie's heart pumped in her chest. She was actually doing it! She was taking on the Tension title holder, and kicking his ass! As John tumbled outside, Makie clapped her hands to motivate the crowd. "Oh no!" she cried out in mock alarm, "I'm losing my footing! I think I''m gonna faaaallll---!"

And with that, she would spring off the ropes as John pushed himself back up, flipping in midair as she aimed to nail him with a flying bodyslam!

Makieâ€s style was PERFECT to oppose John. He was the bigger fighter, he had the higher caliber guns that could smash anything they managed to zero in on and fire at…but Makie ran circles around him. And now Johnâ€s sluggishness was really starting to make the difference.

John moaned on the ground, having landed on his back. His eyes blinked a few times, he tried to get up but he needed to catch his breath. As his vision finally refocused, she saw Makie on the ropes, doing…something.

He wasnâ€t sure what was happening, but then he connected it. She was jumping off, heading right for him, about to body slam him! John fell back on an old technique, but it was the only thing he could think of. With her body about to slam into him, he quickly hauled his legs up and bent them so that his knees were over his body, hoping she would land on his hard knees instead of him.

The ring flashed by Makie's vision as she launched herself at John, somersaulting off the ropes towards him. Her heart pounded in her chest in exhilaration as she soared downwards, catching glimpses of her cheering fans and the stadium lights, before arcing down on John...

...who, she realized with horror, was bringing up his legs.

Unable to stop, Makie slammed down belly-first into John's waiting knees, her body folding around his legs from the impact. "UUUUUGH!" Air erupted from her lungs before gravity kicked in, and she toppled onto her back. Her breathing was heavy, and she lay there on her back, completely stunned by John's brutal counter. "NNnnngha..."

John let out a grunt as Makieâ€s full weight fell onto his knees, but he could tell it was A LOT worse for her than it had been for him. She looked dazed and hurt as she fell onto her back. John groaned, shaking his own cob webs, and started to get up to his feet.

He COULD do a lot out here, but he had to admit, even though it was No DQ, slamming her around on the barrier or into the post just didnâ€t feel…but he knew that he had to do something.

So, for now anyway, he rolled over to her and tried to grab her hair, hoping to pull her up at the same time he got up, holding her in place so he could lift his knee and drive it into her stomach. At least this close he could hit her instead of being tossed around.

Makie's teeth were gritted as she lay on her back, clutching her hurting midsection while around her, the crowd roared with excitement. "NNngh...fff...lucky bastard..." she managed to say through clenched teeth. She had thought that John wouldnt be in the shape to make a quick counter like that, but now she was finding out the hard way how tough her opponent really was.

Even as she tried to force out the pain and will herself to move, her scalp burned as John grabbed a handful of her hair. "Ah...Ahhhhh..." she gasped, wincing as she was dragged up to her feet. Before she could lash out at John, though, his knee exploded against her hurting midsection. A strangled gasp erupted from her lungs, and her legs gave way, the stunned Japanese girl left dangling upright by John's grip on her hair. "Nnnnah..."

“Lucky?” John repeated, then shrugged. He would not agree with that assessment of the situation. If John was smart heâ€d be slamming her around the barrier, thwacking her into the steal pot, or otherwise taking advantage of the no DQ rules…but being who he was, he wanted to get the fight back into the ring.

Keeping his grip on her hair, he tried to haul the girl back into the ring, lifting her up and trying to toss her under the bottom rope. Heâ€d then climb up after her, and, unless she evaded him he would try to get his boot up and kick her in the side hard, trying to keep the speedy girl dazed.

Even as she lay on the mat, Makie clenched her teeth and braced herself. She knew this was a NHB match, and here, outside the ring, John would have ample opportunity to wreak merry hell on her with improvised weapons and otherwise illegal moves. And, lying down on the floor with a hurting gut, she would be unable to stop him.

Instead, to her surprise, John simply grabbed her by the arm and tossed her under the ropes. Rolling back into the ring, Makie gasped for air, a little surprised that John had held back. He's a chivalrous knight in shining armour, she realized. God, he really IS like Kyo. She quietly promised herself that she would give John a good reason to regret being chivalrous soon enough.

Even as she was thinking all of this, though, John sprang back into the ring and launched a kick at her. Wide-eyed, Makie tried to catch his bootheel in midair, but was too slow, and instead recieved a hard kick to the side that sent her rolling. "Ooooooh..."

In the military, they had taught John that war was not a chivalrous exercise. If you can sneak up behind your enemy and club them on the head, then do it. But, this wasnâ€t war. This was competition. This was a match, this was him competing against another wrestler. And right now, John just didnâ€t feel like he NEEDED to take the fight out of the ring.

Yeah, she was a Class A fighter and she had really, really done a number on him, but right now he felt like he could keep her out of it long enough for him to bring himself to bear against her without having to resort to more….colorful tactics.

If he got desperate latter on, who knows, but John wanted this to be a clean victory.

When Makie rolled, John used his foot to force her onto her stomach then lifted it up to stomp her spine hard. Everything he was doing was calculated to make sure she couldnâ€t get up and use her speed against him. With that done, unless she evaded it, he would try to stand over her and scoop up her legs, trying to go for a boston crab hold!