In the GWA (Gladiator Wrestling), Cannondale was a member of the Circle. The Circle is a stable of wrestlers that seem to use whatever means necessary to justify thier desired end. Cannondale wants to leave them and her heel image behind and start fresh in the LIWA with a new face image and no ties to the Circle.
Problem. Her best friend and new LIWA addition, Segura Grindstaff, a mountain of a woman standing 6'6" and weighing in at close to 300 pounds, was a Circle member. Three other wrestlers new to the LIWA are also Circle affiliates, Eva Rodriguez, Joanie Storm and Alex Hart. Brandy's younger sister, Trix, is an employee of Circle Television Network and all five are not letting Cannondale easily forget her past, especially Trix.
Irena saw in Brandy Cannondale a person who valued loyality, friendship and just goold old ethics. Cannondale accepted Irena's hand in friendship. Cannondale went on to win a four-way dance against Segura, Tiffany Lane and Shea London, for her victorious effort she was granted the number one contender spot for the Television Title. Irena offered her congratulations to Brandy and told Brandy that she had better come to the ring with her A Game. Cannondale told Irena that Irena could expect a fair and clean fight and welcomed the oppurtunity to step into the ring against a wrestler and champion of her caliber.
Re-Enter Trix. Trix immediately went to scheming. She successfully drove a wedge between the newly found friendship between Irena and Brandy. Two days before the match in Cantania, Sicily, Trix had two flyers printed without Brandy's permission. One flyer showed Brandy standing before a burning Russian flag and the other showed her half naked holding the LIWA TV Title belt over her breast. Needless to say this set Irena off.
Brandy was able to calm Irena down and re-instill in Irena her desire for a fair and legal fight. However, when it was Irena's turn to step out onto the ramp and make her way to the ring things went.....well.......not a spromised. Irena walked to the ring amid tens of thousands of the profane flyers and when the bell sounded to start the match, it became clear, fairly quickly, that Brandy Cannondale did not have a fair fight planned adn Irena quickly found herself literally fighting for her life.
IRENA MALENAKOVA
v.
Brandy Cannondale
LIWA TELEVISION TITLE MATCH
The cameras in the arena cut to a wide shot, showing thousands of pieces of paper falling down from the ceiling. The fans cheer as the leaflets cover them.
Moolah: What a mess! What's on the leaflets, Mae? Can you grab one? They aren't leftover pictures of Rhiannon, are they?
Mae: Let's see...
Mae picks one up and shows it to the cameras. It's a picture of Brandy Cannondale, wearing the LIWA TV title...and not much else...superimposed over a burning Russian Flag!
Moolah: What the HELL is this?
Mae: CAPITOLIST PROPAGANDA! WOO HOO!
Minus any music or fanfare, Brandy Cannondale runs out. She grabs one of the flyers, and her eyes grow wide in disgust and shock. She crumples it up in her hands and looks up to the ceiling...
Moolah: I wonder if Brandy can see who's doing this, because I can't see through the lighting grid above the ring here.
Mae: I think she KNOWS who's doing this, Moo. And she's not happy about it.
Moolah: Well, she's still gotta shake it off, because it's time for her match!
'NA SHAGAT NYET' flashes up on the SydNVivTron as the fans break into huge cheers! A wolf howl fills the arena before breaking into Queensryche's Empire. Strobing lights hail the arrival of the People's Television Champion, Irena Malenakova as she steps out, wearing a black and blue bikini, barefoot and of course, the TV title.
Mae: This gal spends more time sucking up to the fans then any other woman, except possibly Mercedes.
Moolah: It's not sucking up when she genuinely loves them, Mae!
Mae: BAH!
Irena climbs into the ring, and picks up one of the flyers. She looks at it...and her eyes get wide in rage. She crumples it up and throws it to the side, striding up to Brandy so that the two women are eye-to-eye. They stare, neither one backing down.
Mae: I think, after seeing that, Brandy's screwed. She's gonna get KILLED.
DING! DING!
Moolah: It's on!
Brandy shoves the referee into Irena knocking both the ref and Irena to the mat, and starts bringing the fight right to Irena with a series of kicks ot Irena's face and head.! Irena scrambles to her feet and Brandy backs Irena up with a series of rapid fire chops to her throat. Irena collapses to her knees holding her throat gagging and trying to breathe. Brandy grabs a handful of Irena's hair and jams two fingers deep into Irena's eye sockets. Irena screams in pain. Cannondale holds onto Irena's hair and jerks the Ice Maiden to her feet. Brandy grabs Irena around the waist...and GERMAN SUPLEXES HER RIGHT OUT OF THE RING! She kicks in rage at some of the flyers that are still in the ring, pushes the protesting referee away, and dives out of the ring to go after Irena.
Moolah: Brandy's PISSED about these flyers, and she's taking it out on the only woman she possibly can at this point, the TV champ.
Speaking of Malenakova, Brandy grabs her by the arm, hauls her roughly to her feet and pulls her into a short-arm clothesline. Brandy walks forward, stepping right onto Irena's stomach and onto her other side. Brandy then pulls her up by the hair and scoops her in position for a military press but just dumps her right onto the railing chest-first. Referee Patti Hebner warns Cannondale to bring the match into the ring!
Brandy dismisses Hebner with a wave of her hand and grabs Irena by her ankles and drags her across the floor. Still maintaining a firm grip on Irena's ankles she flips the Ice Maiden over and falls backwards sling shoting Irena into the barricade. When Irena hits the barricade she hits it with her chest. Irena grabs her ribs and screams in pain.
Moolah: Brandy is moving like a woman possessed! Who knows who she's picturing in Irena's place, because I have never seen her so angry! Look at her kick those flyers away!
Mae: Who said Brandy doesn't take the competition here seriously? That's some serious punishment right there!
Brandy grabs Irena, who clutches her hurt ribs and rolls her back inside of the ring. Brandy follows her inside and lifts her up by the hair and back of her bikini bottoms thus giving her a nice wedgie. The contender Irish whips Irena off into the ropes and scoops her up on the rebound and drops her across her knee in a backbreaker! Irena crumbles to the mat and Brandy covers her-
1.....
2.....kick out!
Mae: Not quite! Irena just kicked free! I can't believe she got that shoulder up!
Moolah: Lazy cover by Brandy. Didn't hook the legs, didn't have her weight evenly distributed over her opponent. She's distracted, she's fighting in a rage, and it could end up costing her.
Mae: Plus, I feel sorry for the guy who's gotta sweep all this up later. Poor Jimmy.
Brandy stares at the referee momentarily, and blinks, as if amazed that the ref dared not count to three. She then takes Irena and yanks her up to her feet by a handful of hair and with a snap. Cannondale whips her into the far corner and runs in towards her...but the TV champ brings up both feet and delivers a double kick right to Brandy's sternum! Brandy staggers backwards as Irena stands on the middle rope and jumps off, clotheslining the challenger down. In one fluid motion, Irena floats over into a pin, hooking the far leg!
1.....Brandy heaves Irena off of her!
Moolah: Now THAT was a kickout! Much too early, apparently, to put Brandy away.
Showing a blaze of anger, Irena pulls herself up on the ropes as Cannondale kips up. Irena grabs Brandy by the arm and twists her limb into an armbar. Brandy, though, grabs a handful of hair on the back of Irena's head and backs her into the ropes. The referee orders a break, but as Hebner reaches the count of four, Brandy drives her knee right into Irena's ribcage. Irena grabs her aching ribs and howls in pain. Her knees grow weak but before she can fall Brandy whips her into the ropes and Irena comes off right into forearm smash across Brandy's face! The contender is slightly staggered, and Irena backs up, going off the ropes again. Cannondale is ready, however, and Brandy throws her up and over her head and right into a chest breaker across her knee. Irena grabs at her ribs again screaming and crying. Tears stream down Irena's face as she gasps for air.
Mae: Looks like Brandy is going to try and break Irena's ribs.
Moolah: Judging from Irena's tears and screams she may have already done so. That's one way to slow down an opponent. Take away their ability to breathe.
Mae: You have to admire the way that Brandy is just picking Irena apart. Did Irena expect a battle where Brandy would toss her like a doll?!
Brandy opts to not go for the cover, instead pulling Irena up and wraps her arms around her waist and brings her over in a belly-to-belly suplex, her weight coming down on top of Irena's prone form into a cover
1.....
2.....kick out!
Brandy throws Irena back down and covers her again,
1.....
2.....kick out again!
Brandy yells at the referee, slapping her hands together in a demand for a faster count. Meanwhile, Irena lies in a fetal position whimpering and crying, unable to move.
Mae: Brandy's getting a little frustrated that she can't keep Irena down.
Moolah: Irena is going to hold on to this as hard as she can. Having gotten this far as the TV champion says something about her heart and her courage. She won't let a woman like Cannondale just crush her.
Mae: Especially after seeing this picture of Brandy in front of a burning Russian flag! Didn't whoever threw these down figure that it wouldn't just enrage Irena to the point of DESTROYING Brandy?!
Brandy jumps to her feet and shoves the referee back a few steps, wanting to get at the injured Irena. The undaunted official shoves her right back and Irena is right there to take advantage, rolling her up again! Brandy falls into the small package!
1.....
2.....Brandy kicks out, still plenty of power behind it.
Moolah: Brandy had better watch or that temper of hers is gonna cost her!
Mae: That and her severe hatred (apparently) of flags...
Irena quickly grabs Brandy and tries for an Irish whip into the ropes but Brandy reverses it. Brandy then goes for a roundhouse kick-but Irena ducks the blow, rebounds from the opposite side of the ring and jumps for a running side kick! She nails the contender in the temple, and Brandy falls to the mat hard! Irena backs up, and as Brandy rises....
Moolah: Here it comes...Irena's going for high impact....
The fans pop HUGE as Irena leaps up onto Brandy's shoulders, and falls backwards-nailing a MALENACANRANA on Cannondale! Brandy hits the mat, and the impact is like a ton of bricks!
Moolah: I can't believe it! What power Irena must have in those legs!! I could feel that over here!
Irena rolls her up-Brandy rolls through-
1!
Irena twists, and rolls through herself, so they land with Irena on top.
1.....
2.....Brandy gets her shoulder up.
Moolah: Brandy almost turned that one around on Irena.
Mae: Close call...All of these nearfalls, I'm surprised! I wonder how this match would have gone if Irena hadn't seen those flyers?
Brandy pulls herself up on the ropes, and with a burst of energy, Irena suddenly jumps up and locks in a sleeper. The crowd is on it's feet cheering the action as Brandy struggles around the ring, her arms flaying as Irena tightens her grip, cutting off the blood flow to the brain!
Mae: Oh this could be it! Someone get Irena a celebratory drink YAY RUSSIAN BOOZE~!
Moolah: She's trying to put Brandy to sleep, but with those damaged ribs it would take a miracle, can she get a good enough grip?
Mae: Cannondale's struggling to power out, but Irena won't quit.
Just as Brandy looks like she is fading out, she reaches behind and snatches Irena by her hair and snapmares her over her shoulder to the mat. Brandy runs off into the ropes and leaps for a legdrop-but Irena rolls out of the way and Brandy crashes down hard on her tailbone!
Mae: This could be an opening for Irena! The Ice Maiden re-energized!
Irena grabs Brandy by the hair and pulls her up into a side-headlock, then gets a running start, and bulldogs Cannondale into the canvas! Irena flips Brandy over onto her back and Irena covers her!
1.....Brandy gets her shoulder up!
Mae: Not even close!
Moolah: Irena is having a tough time putting this contender away.
Irena pulls Brandy to her feet and chops her across the chest, then goes to whip her into the far corner but Brandy reverses it. Brandy runs in and Irena goes for repeated success as she kicks both feet up to greet her foe, but Brandy counters by grabbing her feet and jerking her right out of the corner and sending her crashing down hard on her back!
Moolah: Oo damn! That girl went to the well once too often!
Mae: Now let's just see if Brandy can follow up.
Irena grabs at her ribs and begins gasping for air again. Brandy indeed does follow up and she scoops Irena up and deposits her in the corner, slamming into her with well placed shoulder tacklesinto Irena's heavily damaged ribs! Irena flails back each time in tears and screams of unbridled pain as Brandy begins laying the wood to her...Irena falls, and her head is on the middle turnbuckle...Cannondale's attack turns to stomps, and Irena falls and lands on the bottom turnbuckle screaming in pain. Tears begin flowing like water and Irena begins dry heaving.
Mae: Cannondale is stomping a mudhole through Irena and walking it dry!
Moolah: And you get on ME for using Ross-isms.
Irena is out cold on the mat. With an almost satisfied smile, Brandy slices her thumb across her throat and pulls Irena's prone form up. Irena hangs limp in Brandy's arms. Brandy senses victory. She sets Irena in position for a powerbomb, hauls her up and drives her down hard with the brutal maneuver! But she keeps hold of Irena and hauls her up by sheer strength, then drives her down again-AND AGAIN!
Moolah: Good God! TRIPLE powerbombs! I can't believe it! Irena is toast! She is trying to kill Irena! Irena is out cold and seriously hurt!
Indeed Brandy believes so as she slides over and with an exhausted look of confident victory covers-
1.....
2.....
3-NO!
Moolah: She got her-NO SHE DIDN'T!
The crowd cheers and applauds as Irena has her shoulder up off of the mat!
Mae: How the hell did that girl manage to kick out of three powerbombs?
Moolah: Judging by the look on Brandy's face, she's asking herself the same question. Brandy should have watched Irena's past matches. She never says die.
Brandy's eyes are wide with sheer rage as she stares at the hurt Irena Malenakova! Brandy vents by grabbing Irena by the hair and throwing her out to the floor!
Mae: How many times is she going to throw her out of the ring?
Brandy rolls outside and pulls her to her feet. Holding Irena up by her hair, Irena's eyes are rolled over white in their sockets. Brandy spits in Irena's face and begins stomping on Irena's bare toes. Brandy scoops Irena up like a sack of flour for a hard bodyslam onto the concrete! The official jumps out and separates Brandy from her prey as Irena starts to convulse on the mats. Meanwhile, Brandy and the referee are back inside of the ring as the official begins to administer her mandatory count!
1...
2...
3...
4...
5...
6...
Moolah: A count out loss would be a sad way for Irena's title reign to end...but this slaughter has got to stop! I haven't seen one woman be so brutal to another over this title in a long time! Brandy Cannondale may have just ended Irena Malenakova's career here tonight.
Out of sheer instinct, Irena slowly rises back on her feet and starts to get back up onto the ring apron, clutching at her ribs in intense pain...The referee is backing Brandy away, who raises her hands and nods, abiding by the decision. The TV champ is clearly hurt and it appears that she doesn't even know where she is at anymore. BUT! she's a fighter as she climbs back up onto the apron. Brandy is again over and reaches over the top rope and grabs a handful of Irena's hair. Pulling her up, Brandy scoops her up to powerbomb her back into the ring. Irena just rolls into a fetal position and cries. Brandy picks Irena up and back hands her back down to the mat and laughs at her. Brandy violently jerks Irena back to her feet by her hair and quickly has Irena over her head, Then suddenly, like grease lightning, Irena slips around, repositioning herself...and when on the way down Irena grabs Brandy's neck-NAILING THE SIBERIAN EXPRESS!!!!!
Moolah: SIBERIAN EXPRESS, A RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!!!!!Irena got her! Cover-
1..
2...
3!
Here is your winner, and STILL LIWA TV champion, Irena Malenakova!
Moolah: Out of nowhere, Irena snatches victory out of the jaws of defeat! Unbelievable! As always, she's beyond belief!
Mae: And now, she-HANG ON!
Moolah: Top of the ramp! Here comes Eva Rodriguez!
Holding a handful of the flyers, Eva charges the ring as Irena is handed the TV title. Irena, clutching at her ribs, rolls out, and Eva rolls in. She picks up a semi-conscious Brandy by the hair and holds up the flyers.
Moolah: I think Eva is pissed about those flyers too.
Mae: Probably because she didn't think of it first!
Eva wads one up and SHOVES it rudely into Brandy's mouth. Brandy coughs, sputtering, and Eva slaps her in the face. She steps off of Brandy, looking disgusted, and exits the ring.
Moolah: What a show of disrespect by Eva, after such an unbelievable match between Brandy and Irena. She'd be better off preparing for her own opponent.
Mae: Eva's already been berated by Vivian tonight. Maybe she just needed to feel like a big woman again, and who betta then some gal someone ELSE beat down?
Moolah: Indeed. We'll be right back, folks.