She would win, just like always.
Roxanne began wrestling after growing dissatisfied with boxing and her domination in the field. She wanted something more stimulating… Something that challenged her so much that it distracted her from the thought of her dead father and the emptiness she felt in his absence.
After she began boxing for nearly two years, she heard some of the regulars talking about it… The underground wrestling club. She took caution and listened to them clearly, finding out the exact location of the place. Of course, as a high school student she needed a guise and an alias, so for the first time since she was ten years old, she sneaked out of her house and went to see the sight of the unknown. That single experience changed her life forever.
The sounds of struggling breathing, the impact generated as flesh met flesh and both opponents gave their all in a fight. The noise made from the crash as opponents were sent flying, the cheers of the audience… And most of all, the loud thumping of her heart as she experienced the scene and took it all in, made Roxanne desire the forbidden even more.
Of course, it was illegal. She was a high school student, and also a girl. Yet, she wanted to also participate. Fortunately for her, there was no restrictive process in participating. No one asked for her name, her age, her identity, and they couldn’t care less about the fact that she was a girl. Only one thing mattered in the arena, and they asked her a very simple question…
“Can you fight?”
When she heard this, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, I can!” She responded with vigour and confidence.
And just like that… She was in!
Of course, she wore a costume, most especially a mask, to prevent anyone from recognizing her. After all, she heard of the place from members of the gym. It would be a surprise if one or two of them showed up. She was always careful not to show her face among the people there, and to be honest… No one cared. They didn’t care whether she was a girl, or whether she was in high school, whether she was pretty or if she had a boyfriend. The only thing they cared about was strength!
And that was all that mattered to her there too. She couldn’t care less about the money she received, though that was very useful for her too. All she wanted was to fight.
Her first match was an experience she would never forget. She had never felt that way before. With the huge man standing in front of her, ready to take her down, she knew she couldn’t you’ll her punches. However, reality didn’t hit her as hard until he did. After his first hit landed on her, and the audience cheered for him, she finally understood. With the loud ringing in her head and the pain she hadn’t felt in a long time, she maintained her stance. In the ring, she wasn’t training… She wasn’t practising… She was fighting!
And so she fought, and fought and fought. She kept fighting for moments which seemed like eternity, yet it also felt like a single minute. After her struggle in her first match, she won. The cheers of the audience and the disappointed groans of the ones who lost money in their bets filled the air. As she heard them, with their noises, she couldn’t help but feel proud and happy. The satisfaction she obtained from that single match was not comparable to the several months of training in the gym. She enjoyed her time there, especially with the coach… But the taunt sinews, the spraying sweat, her sore body and bruised hands… The sensation she felt was like no other. Truly, even as she panted with exhaustion and felt so tired that she wanted to pass out, she had never felt more alive.
And so she never stopped. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, give up the sensation she obtained after having a taste. She continued for as many nights as there was a match.
Within a few months after signing up, she made her name known within the ring. With her overall black costume and her kitten mask which was a collectible she got in a pawn shop, she became known as the ‘Black Cat’… But in actuality she was more recognized to be a tiger. Mercilessly pummeling her opponents, rising back up even as she was pushed down, refusing to take a loss, she always got back up. Of course, for a few matches she actually lost, and that left her in a disappointed and vengeful state. The next time she fought such an opponent, she made sure to pay them back every ounce of pain she received and more, and she achieved that.
However, on a fateful night… Her secret was finally exposed to the one man she didn’t want to find out. The most respected man in her life… Her coach. According to him, he went to the Underground Wrestling Centre with some friends after a few drinks. The friends were regular spectators in the centre and invited him to watch a ‘special’ match. They took their places among the standing crowd, since the very limited seats were already taken.
“Hehehehe. You’re going to enjoy this!” One of them said with a wide grin, gulping the bear in his hand.
“You’ve got that right! Black Cat is fighting today! I can’t wait!” Another responded.
“This match might not be as easy for her though. Isn’t ‘The Ox’ his opponent today? The last time they fought, didn’t he beat her?” The last friend said,
“Oi, don’t you know anything? The Black Cat is known for one thing… Vengeance!”
“Yeah! If you beat her in a match, she’s going to kick your ass in the next! None of her opponents who won against her have done so the second time! She’s that good!”
The coach was lost to the foreign talks his friends had. All he wanted was to have a nice time and watch a bunch of people fighting, just like him in his prime. He downed more of his beer and watched as the announcer entered the stage.
“It’s finally time folks! The moment you’ve all been waiting for!” It’s time for our two fighters to enter the stage now!” The man said with a deep and articulate accent with an excited tone in order to spark the response of the crowd.
The spectators responded with cheers as they prepared themselves to watch what they came for.
“On one hand we have the mighty one. Six feet tall, 69 pounds in weight. With over forty wins under his belt this season, he is known as a dominant of the stage. Let’s make a grand welcome for….” He stretched the anticipated name and savoured the moment of expectancy from the audience.
“The Ox!!!!!!!!”
Everyone cheered and yelled as the large and tall man entered the stage. He had a very large body, proof of his weight, as he slowly climbed into the stage with a confident demeanour and a smirk on his face.
“And now, we have our challenger. We all know who she is. She has made a name for herself since she started nearly a year ago. Pummeling her opponents without mercy, yet she’s resilient not to stay down after taking a hit. Her weight and height unknown, her background shrouded in mystery… After her previous defeat by the Ox, we have our mystery woman making a comeback with a look of vengeance. Known by no other name buuuttttt……”
The audience held their breath as they readied themselves for the noise to break forth.
“Black Caaaaatttttt!!!!!!!” The announcer declared.
Everyone went crazy as they heard this name as they raised their voices excitedly to cheer for her.
Roxanne, in her costume, walked forward and as the people saw her, they kept cheering even when she entered the stage. Within herself, she smiled excitedly. She could never get enough of this.
Donald, her coach, watched as she entered the stage and waved excitedly at the audience. His friends waved excitedly back at her, but his eyes remained transfixed on her. Though he was slightly drunk, he felt a sense of familiarity with the Black Cat. He decided to follow the match closely, especially observing Black Cat’s moves.
“That girl…” He muttered.
As is the custom in wrestling, each of the fighters would be allowed a short exchange of words before the match started. As the Ox jeered her on, pointing out the fact that he had defeated her in the past, Roxanne replied in confidence, using her disguised voice which had been further distorted by the kitten mask she wore. She pointed out the shag everyone knew…
“I don’t lose to the same opponent twice, and you’re no exception!”
The audience cheered more as they heard this, making The Ox feel intimidated as he frowned at her, clenching his fist with resolution to make her regret her words.
With a line like that ending their discourse, they both went to their side of the ring to await the start of the match.
The referee started the match, and they began.
Donald, the coach, watched closely as the Black Cat fought. Unlike the Ox, who used mostly brute force and his whole body to fight, she was making use of techniques, making up for the huge weight difference as she dominated him. He watched her right hooks, her straight thrusts, her elbow jabs and her knee attacks. His eyes widened as he slowly became sober. He watched her closely and even observed her figure as she fought. Doubt began to clear away as he slowly began to unmask her in his mind.
“T-This is… Roxanne…?!” He let out in shock.
After the match ended in the Black Cat’s victory, she retreated back to her changing quarters where she took a slight shower and changed back to her normal wear, a grey hoodie with skinny jeans. She went on to the manager’s office, who was expecting her.
“You did a fine job tonight… As always!” He grinned widely, showing his yellow teeth, evidence of an unhealthy dental care.
“Yeah, sure… You’re just happy you made a lot of money as usual” She retorted as she rolled her eyes to his commendation.
“Of course I am. After all, first and foremost I am a businessman.” He responded, still looking cheerful.
“Of course. Are we done with the idle chatter?” She asked, stretching her hands toward him to receive her share of money.
“Heh, you’ve grown so cheeky these past months. I can’t believe you’re the same little girl who approached me those months ago” He said, using his hands to caress the locker which was fixed on top of the desk he sat behind. He brought out a key from his breast pocket and unlocked it.
“I was never a life girl. You’d do well to know that” Roxanne said in a threatening tone.
“Yeah, yeah. Sheesh” He let out with a knowing smile
Bringing out a couple of ten dollar bills, he counted 50 and placed it on the table in front of her.
“Here, that’s your cut,” He said.
As usual, Roxanne merely collected it, without even counting the notes or properly checking to confirm. She put the bills in her hoodie pocket hole and left the office without a single word. Of course, she knew that he earned way more than the amount he gave her, but that didn’t matter much to her. As long as she kept fighting, she would be satisfied.
Looking around her to make sure no one was watching her, she silently left the Underground Wrestling Centre. She didn’t know, however, that she was actually being watched.
“Roxanne…” A voice called at her from behind.
She froze as she heard those words and her eyes widened in shock. Not only was she surprised to hear her name, she also recognized the voice of the one who called her. Her mind raced and a million questions popped into her head as she began to consider, in fright, what she was going to do.
Deciding to ignore the voice, she continued moving, not turning back to see the face of the man who called her. However, in her slight moment of hesitation, Donald had already gotten close to her and grabbed her hood, drawing it down so her face was revealed.
“H-Hey!!!” She protested as she held the hood, trying to cover her face back, but it was too late. As she turned back instinctively, her eyes accidentally met Donald’s and a shiver ran down her spine as she met his stare. He had so many questions, she tried to open her mouth to explain herself, but her lips quivered and her hands trembled as she stood, frozen on that single spot. Donald merely stared at her, not uttering a word, however, his expression said a lot.
After being in this position for so long, Roxanne quickly put the hood over her head again and ran off, leaving her coach in the dark, empty path. That night Roxanne got home and crashed into beds not knowing what to do. She couldn’t even sleep as she turned from side to side, with muffled expressions of worry. This continued until the following day.
After what happened, she decided not to go to the gym anymore, however, since it was already part of her everyday life, a habit she could not so easily break, as she left school in deep thought and worry, she found herself directly in front of the gym, walking there unconsciously.
After several deliberations within herself, she decided to muster up the courage and face her coach.
“How long?” He asked her.
“How long have you been doing it?”
“Erm… It’s been five months now, ”she replied.
“F-Five?” Donald let out, flustered, but quickly regained his composure.
“Why are you doing it? Do you need the money that badly?” He asked.
“N-No, not really” She responded.
“Then why…?!” He asked.
“W-Well… How do I put this?” She said nervously.
In the end, she ended up divulging her reasons to him and he paid rapt attention to her words. After he heard this, he tried to reason with her. He didn’t judge her, however, he tried to dissuade her from continuing her night escapades, however she strongly refused.
After trying many times over, he finally gave up on trying the usual approach. Since she was so adamant in her pursuit, and he knew the kind of situation she was in… The emptiness she felt. So, he decided to make sure to minimise the damage she would be exposed rk if she continued in her reckless pursuit.
“Fine. I understand and know that I can’t stop you from doing this, and I also think it is important to you and your personal growth. But, I can’t just stand by and watch you get hurt.” Coach Donald said.
“You mean…”Roxanne said with her eyes brightening up.
“From now on, I’ll be teaching you, not my boxing, but also wrestling. Of course, you can use certain boxing techniques in wrestling, but you also need original and wrestling focused moves. If I teach you this, it should help you to reduce the danger you get exposed to if you decide to continue with this crazy path.” He explained to her.
Roxanne’s eyes brightened as her coach said this. She felt relieved and honestly overjoyed. Her coach understood her, he respected her decision. He also didn’t judge her, something her mother might have been fine with. She felt at ease and was happy at the time. He trained her even more rigorously, kept up with her performance, and followed her to the underground Wrestling centre.
However… That Friday, two days ago, I decided to call it quits. He couldn’t bear to continue encouraging their dangerous and unhealthy lifestyle. After watching her last match, the semi-finals of the Underground Wrestling Belt Match, he made up his mind. The fight worried Donald, and even Roxanne, for a moment didn’t know what to do. The opponent was stronger than she imagined, and even though she eventually won, she felt that she was cutting it close.
She had never felt so heartbroken since her father died when he told her those words… When he told her he wasn’t willing to support her anymore. A fight where she risked her life, or at least, her safety, just for thrill… He couldn’t support it.
But that didn’t mean she would stop! After winning the semifinals, her final match for the season was coming up after two weeks. She wasn’t going to miss it for anything. It would be the first complete season for her, and she intended on winning it all. This was also one of the reasons she had to escape at all costs… Her belt was waiting for her to claim it… And she wasn’t going to go down now, not to the man who challenged her half assed.
“You’re going down now!” She muttered to herself as she looked at the strange man who still stood, defending the door and Rita behind him, in a corner.
She would win, just like always!