End of an Era
by Teamofthe

The industry had gone through some ups and downs before, but this was definitely a down. The economy had, of course, affected everyone. Every type of industry related to discretionary spending had been affected, and the wrestling industry had been no different. The local Midwest Wrestling Association had been no different, as attendance had dropped steadily, forcing management to make a number of hard decisions. The MWA had been in existence for 47 years, and had gotten through tough times before. This downturn seemed different, though. Management came close to laying off wrestlers, and even considered closing their doors for good. When things seemed bleakest, however, an opportunity presented itself. A newer wrestling company, Xtreme Ring Xcitement, proposed a merger with the MWA. The XRX, despite being in existence for less than five years, was up and coming. It's brand of wrestling, extreme wrestling combined with internet dvd and video sales, was more in demand than the traditional matwork provided by the MWA.

That's not to say that the MWA didn't have it's fans, but reality of business meant you needed to bring in younger demographics, and the XRX had that in spades. So after much deliberation, the owners of the MWA agreed to the merger, so long as the MWA rosters of wrestlers, male and female, could remain in the league. The agreement was entered into and the deal was made. Geographically, both organizations were based out of Chicago, so no travel was necessary. However, the rosters were fairly different, especially the womens' rosters.

The XRX women were, in a word, fierce. Most had fought their way to the top to get where they were, literally fighting on a daily basis to keep their spots, their livlihoods, their positions in the organization. Theirs was a no-holds-barred organization, and the women wore that like a badge of honor. Not only were they great athletes, but they were tough, remorseless, and vicious. This contrasted with the MWA women. The MWA women were no pushovers, but they were competing in the sport of wrestling, battling within the ring to earn a living and to compete for titles. No one epitomized this spirit more than the reigning champion at the time of the merger, Jessica Williams.

Jessica had grown up in the wrestling industry, starting at the age of 18 in small clubs. She had been with the MWA for six years at the time of the merger, and while the womens' roster had an average of 15 women at any particular time, Jessica had been champion for more than 75% of her time with the MWA. She loved the competition, she loved the work, and she more than likely loved the adoration of the fans. Always a fan favorite, her girl next door looks combined with her resiliency and athleticism endeared her to MWA crowds for years. A former college gymnast despite her 5'9" frame, Jessica exhibited everything good about the MWA, and both the organization and fans loved her for it.

It was with some reluctance that Jessica reacted to the merger. She knew that times were changing, but she was glad to still have the work. Jessica's wrestling supported her postgraduate studies at the university, and while she loved her time in the ring, she knew it was just a means to an end. Everyone fears change, and no one knew if the merger was going to stave off the end of the MWA forever.

In order to assilimate the promotions, the XRX and MWA staged a joint promotion where the wrestlers would battle their counterparts from the other promotion. Jessica would be facing the XRX women's champion in a unification match. While confident in her own abilities, she knew that this woman was different that anyone she had ever faced.

Sheri Van Bramer was the current champion for the XRX. Big, quick, and strong, Sheri was a very good wrestler. Jessica watched one of Gail's dvd matches in preparation for her title fight, and watched with awe as Sheri pummelled her opponent throughout the match. Sheri's opponent, a decent-sized redhead, was quickly over-matched and ended up being injured by the end of the match. Jessica believed that she would have beaten the redhead as well, but Jessica could also see that she was up against a tough foe, and trained for the match like never before.

Now 27 years old, Jessica was in the best shape of her life on the night of the title fight. While nervous, she knew that she, too, was a champion, that she was good at what she did, and she knew she had the ability to emerge as the champion of the new promotion.

The big night finally arrived, and Jessica was ready. One of the earlier matches of the evening, before the men's title matches, Jessica was called to the ring first. As she walked to the ring, she heard the familiar cheers from the MWA fans, but also some unfamiliar boos and catcalls from the remainder of the crowd. She was somewhat taken aback by the boos, but nonetheless entered the ring full of confidence. She was going to leave the ring a champion that night, she believed that and knew it to be true. She had studied the XRX champion's videos, she knew her moves, and was confident that she could counter whatever Sheri did in the ring.

After announcing the MWA champion, Gail Fenton, the head of the women's division for the XRX entered the ring and took the microphone from the announcer. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the dawn of a new day!", she yelled to the crowd, who cheered her and the night's event's in general. Most of them were so lubricated with alcohol already, they were just cheering for the sake of making noise.

"This is a great evening. Not just for the MWA, not just for the XRX, but for the world of wrestling!" she yelled, further whipping the crowd into a frenzy. "Here in the ring with me, the champion of XRX, ladies and gentlemen, please stand and cheer for Jessica Williams!"

The crowd again went wild, this time everyone cheering the tall brunette. Jessica sheepishly waved to the crowd, somehwat embarassed by the second introduction. Standing tall in the ring, she thanked the statuesque woman at the microphone, and moved back towards her corner.

"Please cheer as much as you can for her, ladies and gentlemen, please, a true champion,..", she exorted further as the crowd continued to stay on its feet and cheer. Jessica now was just ready for the match to start, focusing on her opponent in her mind.

"Unfortunately, for Miss Williams, this may be the last time that she is in a wrestling ring," she continued. The crowd wasn't sure what to do at this point, some still clapping, others unsure. "Because, you see, I have handpicked her opponent tonight, having named a new wrestler as champion of the XRX in light of an unfortunate 'injury' to our prior champion", she continued, now the crowd murmuring with anticipation and confusion. Jessica joined in the confusion as well, visibly surprised by what was taking place.

"Everyone, please stay on your feet, and welcome the newly named champion of the XRX, and soon-to-be-champion of the MWA, the princess of pain, the lady of lethality, the woman who will bring this organization into the 21st Century, the one, the only, Madame Galara!"

Entering the arena on the shoulders of two equally muscular women was Madame Galara, a tall, muscular blonde in a black skin tight bodysuit. Carrying a microphone of her own, she spoke to the curious crowd. "Congratulations, Chicago! You will be the first to witness the reign of the new queen of wrestling, Madame Galara!" The two women with her began clapping after they lowered her to the edge of the ring, which Galara entered with style.

The tall, muscular blonde strode across the ring and was handed the microphone. "I am truly worthy of your adulation and cheers, and I will treat you to a fine show of wrestling skills. I will show you things you have never seen in a wrestling ring, especially from someone as stunning as me. But first, you will need to bring me a worthy opponent, as the woman in the ring with me is no match for my style, my strength, or my beauty."

Jess bristled at Galara and started to make her way towards the tall blonde, but the head of the XRX intervened and spoke into the microphone. "Please, Ms. Williams, just leave now. Galara is too strong, too good, too... beautiful for you to compete with. Save yourself, there is no shame in realizing that you are overmatched by this complete woman."

Now Jess was pissed. "Now look here," Jess started, "I don't know what you are trying to pull here, but I am the champion, and this is not who I was supposed to wrestle. However, I'll take on anyone, anywhere, anytime. Including this bitch..."

The two muscular women with Galara turned abruptly and began to move towards Jess, but Galara stopped them. "Tell, me, Miss Champion, how do you want me to beat you tonight? Would you prefer to be pinned, would you like to submit to my superior skills, or would you like me to simply beat you until the crowd is done with you?", asked Galara, turning to the crowd, some of whom were beginning to warm to this big, tough blonde.

"What the hell are you talking about?", shot back Jessica, again moving towards the big blonde. It wasn't until she was standing directly in front of Galara that she noticed the size difference between herself and Galara. Jess, standing at 5 feet 9 inches, was a big girl. Galara easily was three inches taller than Jess, and while Jess was big and curvy, Galara was thick and muscular. Galara looked down at her opponent, and sneered.

"Pinned, submission, or should I leave it up to the good people of Chicago what I do with you?" questioned Galara. Her confidence was filled with arrogance, and seemed dismissive of the champion's abilities. "I give you one more chance," she said, "and I won't ask again."

Jessica stood her ground. "Bring it, blondie. I'm gonna wipe the ring with you, and then I might toss your little friends around for dessert."

The crowd went crazy. Before Galara knew what happened, Jess launched a series of forearms to the side of the big blonde's head. Jess backed Galara into a corner as the bell rung signalling the start of the match, her forearms rocking Galara's head from side to side. as the referee moved Galara's bodyguards/friends/or whatever they were out of the ring, Jess grabbed hold of Galara's wrist and pulled her towards the center of the ring. Releasing her halfway across the ring, Galara continued to the opposite corner and crashed chest first into the turnbuckle.

The crowd was still going crazy as Jess hurried across the ring and again grabbed Galara's wrist, once again hurtling her across the ring to crash into the opposite corner, this time Galara's back struck the turnbuckles with tremendous force. The ring shook as the giant blonde impacted the corner. Before Jess could make her way across the ring to follow up on her advantage, the two muscular women pulled Galara though the ropes and outside the ring to recover.

Jess didn't realize that she was still wearing her championship belt as her opponent retreated outside the ring. Taking it off, she held it aloft, showing the crowd just who was in charge. The crowd cheered in response, although some of the same fans who booed her earlier were booing her again.

Jess handed the belt to the ref as Galara and her friends huddled outside the ring, talking. Jess turned her attention bacck to her foe and took off running in the direction of the three big women outside the ring. Before the women knew what hit them, Jess launched herself through the ropes into the air, landing across the three women and knocking all three of them to the hard concrete floor.

Again, the crowd was loving it, especially the MWA faithful. Even the XRX fans had to admire the tall brunette's airborne assault on the three blondes. Jess slowly got to her feet and pulled Galara up with her by the hair. Galara seemed surprised by Jess' initial assault, and her attempt to get her bearings had proved unsuccessful. Fortunately for Galara, her bodyguards were quickly on their feet. As Jess lead Galara towards the ring, one blonde grabbed Jess' hair from behind, while the other kicked the back of the champion's right knee. The combination was powerful, and Jess was knocked off balance and then was wrenched backwards towards the floor, impacting hard on the concrete floor.

Before Jess knew what hit her, Galara picked Jess up by her hair and placed her in a bearhug. The muscular blonde lifted Jess off the floor and applied all her strength in trying to squeeze the life out of the champion. Jess, still dazed from the sneak attack and with her arms trapped at her side was unable to do anything in the hold of the strong fighter.

As the ref reached the count of four for the wrestlers outside the ring, Galara rushed towards the ring, still applying the bearhug to the dazed champion. Helpless to do anything, Jess' lower back was driven forcefully into the side of the ring with everything Galara had.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!", yelled the champion, as her lower back impacted the base of the ring. Jess slumped to the floor as Galara climbed into the ring, breaking the referee's count at 8. She then raised her hands to the crowd, letting them know who was now in charge of the match, which was now less than a few minutes old.

While she did, her cohorts hauled Jess up to her feet. Jess, one hand trying to soothe her back, had one arm roughly grabbed by each of the women. She was then punched repeatedly in the lower back by the two blondes. Holding her in place while they continued their assault, the blondes pounded Jess' back and kidneys while each maintained their hold of Jess' arms. Each assailant threw 10-20 punches at their target, causing Jess to groan as each blow landed. Finally, Galara's helpers let go of their Jess' arms. Jess again slumped to the floor of the arena while the MWA fans booed the triple-teaming of their champion.

All the while, Galara strutted around the ring, hands raised above her head. The referee looked over at his boss, Gail, and smiled. It became apparent to the crowd that the odds were stacked against Jess that evening. The XRX fans were loving the action so far, while the MWO fans, and those of Jess in particular, were watching on with dread.

Jess was now on her knees at the base of the ring, one hand reaching up to the ring apron while the other futilely tried to soothe the damage to her back. She finally got to her feet and pulled herself up onto the ring apron. As she did, Galara quickly advanced on her. Grabbing Jess by the hair with both hands, she pulled Jess' head over the top rope and dropped to her knees, forcing Jess' throat down upon the top rope with all of Galara's body weight. Jess gurgled on impact, apparently unable to make any further sound. Letting go of Jess' hair before Galara's knees hit the mat, Jess was launched backwards out of the ring, falling back to the concrete floor below.

"Uhhhhhhhhh," moaned Jess as she writhed around the concrete, struggling to breathe. The match had now turned decidedly in Galara's favor. Jess was roughly brought to her feet by Galara's henchwomen, then shoved into the ring under the bottom rope. As Jess got to her hands and knees, Galara took three quick steps and lauched a vicious kick into Jess' midsection.

"Guhhhhhhhhhhh," escaped Jess' lips, as she was flipped over onto her back before rolling across the ring.

"What's the matter champ? Don't have anything to say now, huh? Bow to me, and I will show you some mercy," Galara taunted as Jess again got to all fours. "If you do not bow, ..." continued Galara, as she again ran towards the downed champion and launched another kick into Jess' open midsection. This kick again violently lifted Jess off the mat and halfway through the ropes. Jess lay huddled on the mat, clutching her ribs with one hand and holding the bottom rope with the other. Galara again attempted to advance on Jess, and for the first time in the match, the referee did his job and moved Galara back, trying to allow Jess a chance to get to her feet. Jess got to her knees, the finally got to her feet with the assistance of the ropes, all the while clutching her left side. While she was clearly hurt from the initial onslought, Jess badly wanted to fight back.

However much she wanted to fight back, she was already weakened from the onslaught. As she clumsily moved towards Galara, the big blonde also advanced towards Jess. Galara lauched a quick kick to Jess' midsection, and the champ wasn't deft enough to deflect the blow. Doubled over, Jess' head was shoved between Galara's legs as she stood, trapping the champion's head. Galara then reached over and lifted Jess upside-down while holding her head between her legs. Once Jess was fully upright and inverted, feet pointing at the ceiling and her arms dangling towards the mat, Galara jumped up into the air and dropped to her knees while maintaining Jess in the compromising position. The perfectly-executed piledriver drove the tall brunette's head into the mat in the center of the ring, bending her neck in an unnatural fashion. Jess emitted a brief squeal and collapsed to the mat.

The crowd was in a frenzied state, Jess' fans screaming in protest and Galara's fans cheering the devastating move. Jess lay face down on the mat, holding her neck and moving extremely slowly. Her legs sporadically kicked at the mat likley due to the injury to her neck. Galara got to her feet and raised her hands while Jess slowly stirred on the mat. "Now do you all understand the power of Galara?", she yelled to the crowd, beaming at the status of the match. "Shall I end this quickly, or make this joke of a champion suffer for daring to be in the ring with me?", Galara continued.

The crowd was still at a fever pitch. Galara interpreted the crowd's response in her own way. "Very well," she crowed, "I will make this paper-champion pay for even challenging me!" She turned back to Jess, who was now on one hand and knees, her other hand still trying to soothe her neck. Her head was bowed and her long brown hair dangling towards the mat. Galara roughly pulled Jess to her feet by her hair, causing Jess to grimace as she was again upright. Galara backed into the ropes holding Jess by the arm, then ran with her across the ring, letting go halfway to launch Jess towards the opposite ropes. Jess ran across the ring, bounced off the far ropes, and ran back towards the center of the ring. Galara was there to meet her, and stepped forward with her right arm extended, catching the brunette under the chin with a nasty clothesline. Jess' head snapped back on impact, and her feet came out from in front of her. The champion landed roughly on the mat, her neck once again taking a hard impact.

Again, Galara raised her hands in the air, celebrating her destruction of the champion. In Galara's mind, Jess was champion in name only, and as she struggled to get to her feet with the assistance of the ropes, it wasn't clear how anyone could argue with Galara's assessment. Jess was a mess as she struggled to get to her feet. As she pulled on the top rope to try to get upright, her hair was dissheleveled, she was profusely sweating, and she was hunched over. Again, one hand attempted to soothe the pain in her injured neck, while the other arm attempted to pull herself upright. The champion was on shaky legs, having taken an awful pounding since she made the ill-fated decision to take the fight outside the ring. Jess staggered to the corner, resting her upper body and head on the top rope. She hadn't been in place for more than a few seconds, when Galara continued her attack. With Jess' back to her, Galara held Jess in place with one hand while she fired a series of right hands into Jess' kidneys.

"Uhhhh. Uhhhh. Uhhhh. Uhhhh. Uhhhh. Uhhhh," moaned Jess, as the punches found their target with no resistance. Galara spun Jess around quickly, keeping Jess in the corner but now facing her. With Jess dazed and her arms at her sides, Galara threw a vicious right hand to the side of Jess' face, causing Jess to immediately collapse to the mat.

"Uhh, hey, watch the punches," noted the ref, asserting himself very meekly and very late for the benefit of Jess, who again was on the the receiving end of illegal actions by Galara and her cohorts. Galara again pulled Jess to her feet by her hair, placing her in a front headlock, and backed towards the center of the ring. Jess staggered along with her, her arms hanging limply from her body. Galara grabbed a handful of Jess' one-piece suit at her waist and hoisted Jess up in the air, again placing the champion upside-down. Galara held Jess high in the air, then suplexed the brunette roughly to the mat. Jess' back impacted the mat violently, causing her to emit a scream before she writhed on the mat.

By this point, it was clear that Jess was being completely torn apart by Galara. Jess lay on the mat, convulsing as the wind was driven from her body. "Uhhhhhhh,...." moaned Jess, as she struggled to breathe. Jess finally rolled onto her back, revealing a slight cut next to her left eye. Her hair was partially matted to her face by sweat, as any movement she made required maximum effort. Galara again strutted around the ring. Smiling, she was beginning to break a sweat as she was pounding Jess without mercy.

"I grow tired of this punching bag. I will end her misery. But first, I will increase her misery." Galara crowed to the crowd. Galara then walked over to the prone champion and clenched two handfuls of her hair, mercilessly ripping her onto her feet. Galara quickly locked on a front facelock, and grabbed Jess' right wrist with her left hand. Quickly and viciously, Galara executed a spinning neck breaker, the fighter's bodies impacting the mat with terrific force.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! My neck! Oh god, my neck!," screamed Jess, the damage to her already targeted neck becoming immediately apparent. Jess convulsed on the mat, again cradling her injured neck, as Galara confidently rose to her feet. The crowd was in a frenzy, sensing that the champ was not only being beaten, but was in danger of being seriously injured.

Jess' movements slowed significantly, and she finally became almost motionless, face down on the mat. Galara stood above the soon-to-be-former-champion, basking in the glow of of her performance. By the time Jess had gotten to her hands and knees, Galara again took efforts to pull Jess to her feet. It took three efforts, as Jess' legs kept giving out as she tried to get her upright. Jess was definitely beaten by this point, and Galara could have easily pinned the champion at this point. It was clear that Galara was not only interested in winning the match, and the belt, but she wanted to punish this symbol of the older federation. Jess swayed in Galara's grip, evidently on the verge of the worst defeat of her career. Sweat was soaking through her one-piece swimsuit, her tights glistening as well. Her arms hung lifeless at her sides. By this point Jess was utterly defenseless. The effectiveness of Galara's vicious strategy was evident in the slumped champion being held upright by her opponent. In contrast, Galara looked the opposite. Confident, muscular, preening, she was the new champion, and she knew it.

In an impressive show of strength, Galara scooped Jess off her feet and dropped to one knee dropping Jess across her outstretched knee in a perfectly executed backbreaker.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! My back, ...please....., noooo," screamed Jess as her back again was targeted once more. Galara lifted her up and repeated the maneuver. Galara pressed down under Jess' chin with one had, while holding Jess' thigh with the other. The effect of this was to put unbearable pressure on the champion's back.

Galara pushed down as hard as she could, causing Jess to arch backwards in unbearable pain. Even if she wanted to submit, Jess was unable to speak due to her position. All she could do was groan and flail her arms. Galara finally shoved Jess off her knee, letting Jess crumple to the mat. Barely moving, Jess lay on her back. Galara, slowly got to her feet and took another trimphant lap around the ring, basking in the glory of her impending win. Standing above the prone champion, Galara questioned whether the crowd wanted more. "Shall I end just her evening, or her career?" asked the blonde, and she seemed ready to do either. Jess still lay in the center of the ring, having rolled onto her stomach but still tending to her injured neck.

The crowd appeared divided on the issue, some yelling for the big brunette to be crippled, others pleading for mercy. Galara looked at her cohorts at ringside, who each raised their thumbs and pointed them sideways. Pausing a moment while they looked at each other, they then pointed their thumbs at the floor, which couldn't bode well for the champion.

"Very well, I shall ensure that she never seeks to challenge me again," yelled Galara. Jess had now gotten to all fours, as Galara stood above her. Jess was again roughly pulled to her feet by her hair, but by now she offered absolutely no resistance to the rough treatment. Jess stood slack in Galara's grip, her eyes barely open. She appeared barely cognizant of her circumstances, as by now she had been on the receiving end of a horrific beating. Once again, to the dismay of many in attendance, Galara placed Jess' head between her legs. Elements of the crowd were in a fevered pitch, clamoring for either Jess' destruction, or her release, depending on who you listened to.

In any event, Galara held Jess' midsection again as she hoisted Jess upside-down once again. Galara was going to piledrive Jess in the middle of the ring again, and Jess finally appeared aware of her situation. "No, ..., please,..., I need help,..., my neck,..., no more,..., I ..." Jess never was able to complete her mumbled plea, as Galara jumped up and drove the big brunette's head into the canvas once more, placing all of Jess' weight upon her already injured neck. Jess went limp instantly, collapsing to the mat. Galara stood and placed her foot on Jess' chest, allowing the ref to finally count out the former champion and raise the hand of the new champion.

"One, two, three!" counted the referee. Galara's hands were already raised as the count took place, a mere formality after the tide had turned early against the MWA's champion. But beating Jess wasn't enough for Galara, Jess' status as champion not only required that she be crushed, but that all of the MWA be put on notice as to what this merger held in store. Gail re-entered the ring with her microphone and stood above the former champion as Jess once again lay in a heap in the center of the ring, cradling her neck.

"Now do you understand what I told you earlier? Sasha, Dominique, please dispose of this trash once and for all," commanded Gail, as Galara's henchwomen climbed through the ropes into the ring. The two women pulled the limp Jess to her feet once more, with Sasha placing Jess in a front face lock. Jess, completely defenseless by this point, was driven head first to the mat in a violent DDT. Jess was still bleeding from her eye and lay motionless on her back in the center of the ring. Not only had her championship reign ended, but her wrestling career was now in clear jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Dominique grabbed Jess' legs, moving quickly to twist Jess' long legs into a figure four leglock. Jess screamed as her long legs were placed in the painful hold by the much larger blonde. Dominique increased the pressure on Jess' right leg, as she kept the hold in place for well over a minute. Galara continued to strut around the ring, holding the championship belt high, as the prior champion was being tortured in the ring.

Jess, now sobbing, now begged for mercy as the three XRX wrestlers had completely and efficiently destroyed the MWA champion. "Please, no more, ..., my neck, ... my leg, ..., help me,... someone, please,...," moaned Jess, as Gail brought the microphone close to allow the arena to hear the weak cries. Dominique only increased her hold on Jess' damaged leg in response, as Jess screamed due to the increased pressure. "Let me ask you now, Ms. Williams, do you wish to continue wrestling in this league, in which case my wrestlers will continue to punish you? Or, do you choose to leave this wrestling league, in which case you will be lucky to still walk by the end of the night? You choose," offered Gail.

Jess was in terrible pain. "No, ... please..., I can't, ..., no, ...," begged Jess, which was not the response Gail was looking for. "Very well, I'll finish this myself. Bring her to her feet," commanded Gail. Jess was again pulled to her feet and held in front of Gail. Jess was favoring her injured leg, placing little to no pressure on it as she was yanked to her feet. Gail placed Jess' head between her legs while Sasha and Dominique kept Jess from collapsing. Gail then lifted Jess into a piledriver position as Sasha and Dominique held Jess' legs. Gail completed the piledriver, assisted by the blondes forcing Jess downward to the mat which increased the impact to the prone wrestler. Jess again collapsed to the mat, now motionless absent an occasional spasm due to the repeated impacts to her neck. Her arms at her sides and her legs askew, Jess was just on the receiving end of the worst beating of her life. And all the while, Galara stood in the ring, cradling her new championship belt.

As the XRX wrestlers and Gail stood triumphant over the former champion, the tone of the merger had taken a drastic change. The matches for the rest of that evening's show took on a much more competitive level, with the MWA wrestlers forced to adapt to a new style of wrestling.

Jess' evening ended in the hospital. She was carried from the ring by medical personnel, and suffered a fractured neck and a strained knee as a result of the beating she sustained. Whether she would wrestle again was unclear. She had received a sizeable check from the league as a result of what had happened that night, somewhat of a severance package. Jess felt that she had unfinished business with Galara, with her friends, and Gail. However, her injured neck would require a long rehabilitation and there was no guarantee that she would ever be able to wrestle again. Knowing Jess, though, it would be hard to keep her out of the ring for too long.