Chapter 102 (XAW Singles)

The crowd was just as packed as it was the other day when fans from all over the world gathered up to see the Xtrema stars in action.

"Welcome back to Xtrema Against the World!" screamed the announcer. "Here, each and every woman in the Xtrema roster will face off against an opponent each from outside of the company! This is going to be a long night, but we're all looking forward to it! Joining me here is Xtrema CEO, former Shangri-La World Champion, and main eventer for this night, Sayuri Rogue!"

"Glad to be here and give some insight on the matches." Sayuri said as she sat right next to the announcer. "We've got a long night ahead of us and I just know it'll be worth it. Enough lolly-gagging. Let's get to the first match."

*Thunder Mana vs Viper Takagi*

Coming to the stage first was none other than the Dark Storm herself, Thunder Mana. She stomped her way to the ring in front of the adoring crowd posing for them. When she was done, a woman with equal size and build came to the ring. It was Viper Takagi, the same woman who appeared recently in Fukuwara Mask's Wrestle Mishmash charity event. When she went into the ring, she locked eyes with Thunder Mana.

"We're starting with what I can say is a pretty great start for the night. Thunder Mana, the former ace of the GWM divas division, against the Japanese Amazon, Viper Takagi. Ms. Rogue, am I correct in hearing that Viper will soon be joining Xtrema?"

"You would be." Sayuri said. "I met her some time ago and offered her a position in Xtrema as well as a spot here at Xtrema Against the World. This match is considered the preliminary match before she officially signs her contract."

"Well, that's good to know." The announcer said. "Hopefully, more of our guests will sign up for Xtrema. But for now, let's get it on here!"

DING-DING!

Both Viper and Thunder met at the center of the ring starting with a test of strength. They gripped each other's hands and pushed with all their strength. They went back and forth trying to get the advantage over each other. Surprisingly, not one of them would.

Feeling that this stalemate could go on forever, Thunder Mana advanced by bringing Viper in for a side headlock. The former GWM champion gripped her head until Viper struck her stomach with her elbow. Once she was free, Viper tossed Thunder Mana to the rops with an Irish whip. When she bounced back, Viper wrapped her arms around Mana's waist, lifted her up, and slammed her back down onto the mat. She tried to get an early pin.

1…

Thunder Mana kicked out. Viper Takagi grabbed Mana by her leg and turned her over in a Boston crab. Thunder struggled for a time, but manages to power out by using her leg's strength to throw Viper off. The two of them got up and faced each other. They locked up with each other until Thunder Mana shot her forearm at Viper's head. She then put her in a side headlock and dropped her with a bulldog. She then covered Viper.

1… 2…

Viper kicked out. Thunder Mana headed to the corner and waited for her opponent to return to her feet. When she did, Mana wasted no time running to spear her. Unfortunately for her, that's what Viper was waiting for. She shot her foot up and hit Mana hard in the face when she got close enough. The impact left a great impact that left Mana's head ringing.

After the kick, Viper picked Thunder Mana up and showed off her strength with a torture rack. She stretched her opponent over her shoulders making her grit her teeth and try not to yell.

"Thunder Mana, do you give up?" the referee asked. The Dark Storm shook her head in response.

After a long minute of being stretched, Thunder Mana elbowed Viper a couple of times. She got free and landed both her feet behind the Japanese Amazon. She then applied a full nelson taking her by surprise. She tightened the hold making Viper wince.

Viper growled before running backward. She made Thunder Mana's back hit the corner turnbuckles hard. Thunder Mana grunted as her hold loosened enough for Viper to let go. She then turned back to Thunder and rushed at her. But before she could do anything, Mana kicked her in the face to disorient her. That left Viper open finally for a spear. Thunder Mana hooked Viper's leg to pin her.

1… 2…

Viper kicked out right when the referee's hand was one centimeter away from hitting the mat the third time. Thunder Mana was nearly exhausted. She picked Viper up, but the Japanese Amazon surprised her with body blows followed by a spinning backfist. Thunder Mana dropped to her hands and knees, but Viper followed with a double axe handle sending her down. Viper grabbed Mana's arms and legs before holding her up in a Romero stretch. Thunder Mana actually screamed when her arms and legs were pulled back.

The referee asked if Thunder Mana gave up, but her screams kept her from answering. She eventually stopped and struggled to get her limbs free. Eventually, she did and she dropped her whole body on top of Viper. Thunder Mana jumped back up to land back on Viper. She then got up, ran to the ropes, and bounced back to drop a splash on her.

Thunder Mana forced the exhausted Viper up to her feet positioning her perfectly for what was to come. Thunder Mana ran to the ropes and connected her spear again on Viper. However, the Japanese Amazon didn't go down. Instead, she caught Mana in a guillotine hold and forced her on the ground to secure it. Once again, Mana was surprised at how her finisher didn't end the match. Still, she had to keep moving or else she'd be trapped.

Thunder Mana struggled more and more against Viper until, eventually, she escaped the hold. Not only that, but she grabbed Viper Takagi's legs and turned her over with a Boston crab. The pain around Viper's middle area caught her and she felt agony with the stretch. Thunder Mana intensified the hold with all her might until Viper couldn't take it anymore and tapped out.

DING-DING!

"What a great first match!" the announcer declared. "Viper Takagi may not have won, but she has proven herself to be a champion-level competitor! Don't you agree, Ms. Rogue?"

"Yes, I do." Sayuri replied. "Viper has definitely proven herself in this match and I expect her to make quite an impact here at Xtrema. And perhaps she can inspire more of our guests to join too."

After she returned to her feet, Viper Takagi turned and came face to face with Thunder Mana who held out her hand. Viper smiled and accepted the shake indicating a level of respect between the two competitors.

*Jasper Jones vs Gurl*

After Thunder Mana and Viper Takagi left the arena, the crowd was ready for the next match. Jasper Jones graced the audience in her warrior-themed costume. She showed off for the crowd before entering the ring.

The next woman who arrived was a tall and well-toned woman with long, black hair tired in a ponytail. She had a golden armor top that matched her bracelets. She also wore a brown gladiator skirt that matched her ancient Greek shoes. She entered the ring to confront the warrior woman.

"Coming up next is a falls count anywhere match! That's right! If there's a pinfall or a submission, it can happen anywhere! It can be in the ring, on the ground, on the stage, backstage, and they can even take their fight home if they can get the referee to follow! Our competitors are none other than Jasper

Jones, the self-proclaimed warrior reincarnation, and Gurl, an amazon full of pride. Any insight on these competitors, Ms. Rogue?"

"Certainly. Jasper Jones says that she was reborn from a warrior queen named Barbaria. I don't know if all that is true or not, but she's definitely a lot stronger than she looks. As for Gurl, she is a proud and merciless warrior who's willing to do what it takes to win. Needless to say, these two women really have their work cut out for them in a hardcore match like this."

DING-DING!

Like any wrestler proud of their might, Jasper and Gurl started with a test of strength. Gurl expected this to be easy since she was better built than Jasper. However, she was surprised to feel the power behind her opponent. She continued to push harder an harder. She strained her muscles so that Jasper can be brought down to one knee. After that, Gurl shot her knee right at her sending her down. She picked Jasper up with a fireman's carry before slamming her down followed by a pin.

1…

Jasper kicked out. Gurl brought Jasper up to her feet and Irish whipped her so hard, Jasper fell over the ropes and landed outside the ring. Gurl followed her just as Jasper got up to her knees. Gurl kicked her in the chest a few times before Jasper caught her foot and pushed her backward. Jasper then launched herself toward Gurl landing her elbow on her well-toned abs.

Jasper Jones picked Gurl up and attempted to push her to the barricade. However, Gurl turned the tables and slammed Jasper to the barricade instead. She then struck her chest with her forearm five times before letting her fall. With Jasper down, Gurl grabbed the steel steps and lifted them high above her head. When Jasper returned to her feet, Gurl threw the steps down. However, Jasper grabbed her by her wrists and kept her from swinging anything.

Once again, the two competitors tested their might against each other. This time, it was Jasper who got the advantage when she twisted Gurl's hands to the side and make her throw away the steel steps she had. After that, she kicked Gurl in the chest and pushed her over to the corner post. Gurl gritted her teeth upon impact and fell to the ground where Jasper attempted a pin.

1… 2…

Gurl kicked out. Jasper forced her up to her feet and tossed her across the floor. Jasper climbed up to the ring apron and ran across above where Gurl was. She jumped off for an elbow drop, but at the last second, Gurl rolled out of the way letting Jasper hit the ground hard.

While Jasper Jones was clutching her hurt arm, Gurl got up and grabbed a steel chair from under the ring. She raised it up and struck Jasper hard with it. She hit her again and one more time before she threw the chair aside. She picked Jasper up again, but then tossed her in a fisherman's suplex. She kept the hold on to pin her.

1… 2…

Jasper managed to kick out. Gurl was getting riled up. She picked Jasper back up to her feet and put her in a side headlock. It wasn't meant as a submission, but more as a position to drag her up the ramp and to the stage. The referee followed them through the backstage door.

Once they were backstage, Gurl threw Jasper into a hallway with doors on the sides. Gurl then stomped her feet and pressed it into Jasper's back. She then grabbed Jasper's arms and pulled them back. The reincarnated warrior yelled out in pain while she was in the hold.

"Do you give up, Jasper?" the referee asked.

"No!" Jasper refused.

Getting riled up some more, Gurl released Jasper's arms and stomped her to the ground. She then scooped her up and ran forward to slam her right through the nearest door. They crashed through leading them to a locker room. Gurl dropped Jasper onto her knee and let her fall to the floor.

Gurl gripped Jasper's hair and brought her up to her knees. "And here, I thought you were mighty. If there's one thing I cannot stand, it's weak competitors." She raised her fist and was ready to swing it hard. However, Jasper surprised her by grabbing her wrist before it hit her. Gurl was so surprised by this, she was vulnerable for what came next, which was Jasper scooping her up. She headed over to the nearest table and slammed her right through. She covered her there for the pin.

1… 2…

Gurl kicked out and returned to her feet along with Jasper. The two of them locked into each other's eyes and charged at each other. They hit each other with a clothesline and they both crashed to the ground. The referee checked to see if they were both down for the count, but as it turned out, they weren't. They slowly returned to their knees and exchanged blows. They didn't block or dodge. They just challenged each other to see who could endure. In the end, it was Jasper who won the exchange with her finishing move, the Barbaria Punch. She went to cover Gurl for the pin.

1… 2… 3!

"Jasper Jones did it! This battle between these warriors took them all across the arena and Jasper lasted longer than her opponent!"

"Indeed. It looks as though Jasper's warrior spirit kicked in at the last second. Told you she was stronger than she looked. Well, let's see where the next match takes us."

*Zelda Logan vs Ouka Shimusen*

The next match was all set when the ringside crew brought one table at different sides of the ring. Once all the tables were set, Zelda Logan's entrance began. This no-nonsense wrestler marched to the ring seriously. She entered the ring eyeing all the tables around the ring and awaited her opponent.

The visiting opponent was a tall teenage girl with long, red hair. She had a punk-like outfit with a short, black top, a black skirt, open ankle pants sleeves that covered her boots, and black MMA gloves. She came to the ring and raised her fist to the crowd.

"And now, we're onto our third match, a tables match! The winner will be whoever can get her opponent through a table first! Representing Xtrema, we have our no-nonsense superstar, Zelda Logan! And our visitor is none other than Ouka Shimusen, a wrestler from… El Palacio? Am I reading that right?"

"Yeah. It means, the palace." Sayuri said. "It's a small wrestling gym that's admittedly running on hard times, but everyone there takes the sport seriously. I was actually thinking of sponsoring them depending on how they do here. Ouka is known as one of the top heels in the business, but she doesn't like to be called that. Nevertheless, she has quite a hardcore personality, which could give Zelda Logan the kind of match she's always wanted."

DING-DING!

Ouka started the match with a smirk. "You're my opponent? Please. I bet even my manservant can kick your ass."

Zelda growled. "So is that your stupid gimmick? Another superior-than-thou personality."

"Nah. I just think that no matter how small a crowd, every wrestler should do their best. And with a crowd like this, I'm more than determined to win."

Zelda didn't expect that response. She actually gave a little smile before meeting Ouka at the center of the ring and locking up with her.

The two of them fought for the advantage until Zelda took it with an arm wretch. Ouka quickly reversed their positions with her own. Zelda then broke out and pulled Ouka in with a side headlock. She then brought her down on the mat refusing to remove herself. That's when Ouka wrapped her legs around Zelda and threw her off. She kept the scissors on until Zelda slipped out. Once she did, she grabbed Ouka's ankle and spun herself throwing Ouka across the ring. Ouka used the ropes to pick herself up to her knees, but that was when Zelda ran at her and landed both her knees to strike her so hard, it sent her through the ropes and out of the ring.

Zelda exited the ring after Ouka and picked her up. Unfortunately for her, that was when Ouka recovered. She knocked Zelda's hand away before grabbing her by her shoulders and tossing her to the barricade. Zelda gritted her teeth, even when Ouka picked her up. Unfortunately for Ouka, Zelda grabbed

her in a waistlock and pushed her to the corner ringpost. Ouka grunted and leaned on the apron. Zelda saw her chance after that. She headed to another ringside and ran right at her exact direction. She jumped up and slid her feet across the corner to kick her down like a slide to homebase.

After Ouka fell, Zelda picked her up and threw her back into the ring. Then, Zelda picked up a table and brought it in. She propped it up before picking Ouka up. She slammed her head on it, but it wasn't enough to break it. She slammed it down again, but this time, Ouka stopped herself before she could get slammed. She then grabbed Zelda's head and slammed it on the table herself. With that, Ouka laid Zelda over the table.

Ouka began her climb to the top rope. However, before she could jump off, Zelda recovered and punched her in the head. She then attempted to throw Ouka from the top rope to the table, but Ouka stopped her. She escaped her grasp and returned to the mat where they squared off again. Ouka grabbed Zelda by the waist and tackled her toward the table. The both of them fell over it and dropped on the other side. Their fight also knocked the table on its side.

Ouka may have fallen, but she was in better shape than Zelda at the moment. She got up and grabbed the table. Rather than place it right-side up again, she turned it over and propped it to lean at the corner. Then, she picked Zelda up and Irish whipped her to the table. Thankfully for Zelda, she planted her hands on the table before she could crash through. Ouka went to attack, but Zelda spun around to catch her with a punch. She then prepared Ouka for a fisherman's suplex to the table. However, the El Palacio wrestler prevented the suplex and hit Zelda with a suplex instead. It didn't hit the table, but it sure left the mat shaking.

Ouka climbed up a corner without a table leaning on it and climbed up. But like before, Zelda got up and attacked her. Ouka dropped down landing both her feet on the apron. Zelda followed and tried to attack Ouka with Euoropean uppercuts. Ouka managed to push Zelda away before hitting her with a running knee strike to her chin. It was enough to make Zelda dizzy, which gave Ouka her chance. She stepped back into the ring and ran to the far ropes. She bounced back to deliver a shoulder tackle to Zelda. The no-nonsense wrestler was pushed right off the apron and she crashed right into a table that was already propped there.

DING-DING!

"OUCH! That has got to sting! Zelda Logan is going to be picking spinters out of her back all night!"

"Nevertheless, both girls put up a hell of a match." Sayuri stated. "Ouka pulled through and became the first winner of the night that's outside of Xtrema. There are two other wrestlers from El Palacio tonight, but if they're anything like how Ouka is, then it seems their gym is underrated and worth investing in. Well then, let's get a move on!"

*Xtrema Shorts

Monica Everly waltzed out of the backstage area in her Chibi form. She waved to the crowd with a big smile on her face. She sat next to her latest Chibi guest, Liza Surkova.

"Welcome to Xtrema Shorts, ladies and gentlemen! My name is Monica Everly, and tonight, we have our favorite roughouser from Russia, Liza Surkova! Thank you for coming, Liza."

"Good to be here, I guess." Chibi Liza said with a shrug.

"All right. Now, we had a great beginning of Xtrema Againt the World, but now, let's head to the Q&A. We have our standard questions followed by some personal questions by our readers."

"You mean questions by Awesome ax10, right?"

"Um… Yeah. Anyway, let's get this Q&A started. First question… Who was your debut opponent when you first joined Xtrema?"

"I was actually in a triple threat match between Mercy and Madame Python. Mercy was without a doubt the more challenging of the two. But Madame Python got the drop of me with a spray of Asian mist before locking me in her cobra clutch until I tapped out."

"What's it like facing Kaito?"

"That bum? He's nothing but fodder. Then again, he does have some skills in punching, kicking, and grappling, which is pretty basic for an MMA fighter. But that little punk can't take those hits himself nor was he fast enough to keep up with the greenest of amateurs."

"What do you think of Sayuri Rogue?"

"Respectable, I admit. Still, I'm a little livid that it's taken her this long to get me a match against Mila."

"Who's the easiest opponent you've ever faced other than Kaito?"

"That would be the Skunk. All the had was her fat ass which was easy for me to kick."

"Okay. Now, onto the personal questions. Can you tell us about your rivals in MMA?"

"Rivals? What rivals? All of them are beneath me, especially Mila. Her win over me was a fluke and I intend to prove it. But if you're looking for names, I can only remember two. First is Sofia Montez. The other is Janet Turk. Both are pretty okay, but they're amateurs next to me."

"What do you think about Mila's participation in the Dead or Alive tournaments?"

"Only that she doesn't deserve it. The only reason she's in there was because she befriended that Texas cow, Armstrong. If I was there, I'd leave them both in the cold at the same time."

"Have you thought about entering a tournament yourself?"

"If you mean MMA tournaments, I can't. My MMA contract was terminated after my loss against Mila. But if I was ever invited to an all-style event, I'd never pass up the challenge."

"Okay then. Thank you for your voice, Ms. Surkova. If any readers has any other personal questions to ask our characters, feel free to ask.

"Before we end this, I'd like to make an announcement. As you know, we're just beginning our summer season, which means that soon, we'll have to start our third Summer Special of Xtrema. The problem is, we have Xtrema Against the World to work on. We're trying to work on ideas of how to work with this. Our best plan is to do the Summer Special when we're halfway done with Xtrema Against the World, which is probably in six more chapters. If anyone has any other ideas, we'd love to hear them.

"Well, anyway, that's all we have to talk about. Thanks for reading and enjoy what comes next. Any and all comments are welcome."