SUSIE'S AUDITION

Susie fidgeted nervously on the sofa as she waited for the doorbell to ring. Even though the two expected guests were her own daughters, she was more nervous than if the President who would soon be ringing her doorbell. She had some music on but was not listening to it, her thoughts a million miles away as she sipped from a glass of wine. Her daydreaming was soon interrupted by the ringing of her doorbell, causing her to nervously jump up from the sofa.

Her two daughters entered her modest apartment, each giving her a kiss on the cheek. Robin, the older daughter at 29, entered first with a cheery smile on her face. She was happy to see her mother, excited to be in her apartment for the first time and to be a guest in her new home. Right behind her was Rachel, the younger daughter at 25 and much less happy to be there. Susie's divorce from her ex-husband Trevor had affected Rachel much more negatively than it had Robin, which quickly became apparent as the three women sat down and began to chat.

Rachel looked around at her mother's small apartment, shaking her head in disbelief. They had all lived in a big, beautiful house, in a very exclusive, suburban neighborhood just a year ago. But since the divorce, Susie had moved to this small apartment in the city, in a less than desirable neighborhood, making Rachel none too happy. Her older sister was much less critical however, respecting her mother's desire to break out on her own.

"You've done a nice job with the place Mom, it's very ......um... homey!" Robin exclaimed, trying to be polite.

"That's one way to describe it. Personally I would use the term home - LEE." Rachel replied, sarcasm dripping from her mouth.

"RACHEL!" Robin scolded, staring angrily at her younger sister.

"That's okay Robin, Rachel is entitled to her own opinion." Susie interjected.

They sat and talked for a few more minutes before Susie excused herself and got up to check on dinner. The two sisters argued quietly until their mother called them into the kitchen to have dinner.

As they sat at the kitchen table, the tension was obvious. It was apparent that Rachel was angry with her mother, which made Robin angry with Rachel and made Susie upset about the whole situation. They ate quietly before retreating back into the living room, where Susie could take no more.

You know... "I invited you both here so that we could have an enjoyable evening together, but I think there's some unfinished business we need to attend to."

She turned to face her younger daughter, and then addressed her.

"Rachel, I know you're angry with me, so why don't you tell me what's going on with you."

Rachel turned to her sister with a surly expression on her face and then turned to face her mother. Her expression didn't change as she began to speak her mind.

"Okay, you want to know what's on my mind Mom, I'll tell you. I hate this apartment! I hate that my mother lives in a place like this, it's embarrassing! I hate that you left Dad! I hate that you didn't care about what that did to us! I hate that you left Dad all alone and didn't think about him either. I hate that....."

But before Rachel could continue, the expression on her mother's face turned from one of concern, to one of ire.

"Now just a minute young lady. It's fine if you want to be mad at me, I understand that. And if you don't like my home, that's okay too. But don't you ever blame me for leaving your father or for not thinking about all of you. Don't you ever dare say that! That's all I've done for the last 30 years."

Susie had worked herself into a frenzy, but caught herself and stopped, taking a few deep breaths before continuing, trying to remain calm.

"You deserve to know what happened, so I'm going to tell you. But I will never discuss this again and I will never bad mouth your father in front of you girls again, so listen closely....." and with that, Susie began to tell her daughters things about her that they had never known before.

"Your father and I have never really told you how we met before, so I'm going to tell you now. I met your father when I was 20 years old. At the time I was a professional wrestler, just starting out. He came to every one of my matches and sat right down in the front row. He was my biggest fan but too shy to introduce himself to me."

The two girls were frozen stiff, the expressions on their faces was that of shock and disbelief as their mother went on......

"I loved wrestling! I loved being single, having fun, making a name for myself! And I was good at it too. In fact I was even voted the Rookie of the Year in the wrestling federation I belonged to. But the night I was given the award, your father finally got up the courage to introduce himself to me. We began to date after that for a few months before we got pretty serious. I really had a great time being with him, and he was so good to me. I was doing great in the ring too, winning most of my matches, which made your father very proud. Life was great!"

The girls were captivated, hanging on every word as Susie continued.....

"My wrestling career began to really take off at that point and I was even being mentioned as a contender for the championship. And your father and I were doing great too. He was charming and sweet and loved to watch my matches. I loved having him there too, and think he was one of the reasons why I was doing so well. I was soooo confident! So one night, after I had won a very tough match, he came waltzing into my dressing room, kneeled down and proposed. He swept me off of my feet and I accepted happily.

We were married just a few weeks later and were very happy. We loved being together and wanted to raise a family too, but I was really close to getting a chance to wrestle for the title at that point. But your father wanted to have kids right away. I tried to convince him to wait, but he was so adamant that he convinced me to quit wrestling in order for us to start a family. Even though I was this close to getting a championship match, I quit wrestling and in a few weeks was pregnant with you Robin.

We were very happy for the next few years, even though I always wondered what would have happened had I kept wrestling. I got pregnant again, but there were some problems and we lost that baby. It was a very sad time. But then, about a year later, I was pregnant again and then had Rachel. I was so happy and so busy that I began to forget all about wrestling. Your father was doing well at work, traveling a lot and making lots of money. I played the whole soccer mom role, transporting you girls wherever you needed to go. I also played the good corporate wife, attending the dinners with your father and being understanding when he constantly worked late hours.

Your father was doing so well that we decided to move into a nicer neighborhood with better schools and a shorter commute to work for him. Even though we moved away from all of the friends I had made, I did it without a complaint. We moved into a bigger house, you girls eventually went off to school, your father continued to travel on business all of the time, leaving my home alone in this big house.

I was very lonely for a long time, your father always away or working late. But that's when I began to have my suspicions. Your father seemed to always have to work late at that time, but I was never able to reach him at his office. His business trips seemed to become more frequent and of a longer duration too. But I ignored all of the signs, trying to be a good, naïve wife and mother. He paid all of the bills himself too, so I had no idea what was going on.

Finally, just last year, he planned a big surprise, 50th birthday party for me at the Hilton Hotel. Invited all of our friends and his business associates. It was a big bash and we were all having a great time... until I saw him leave in the middle of the party with another woman whom I did not recognize. I excused myself and followed them. They sneaked into a hotel room together and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I began to freak out and had a panic attack right there in the hallway. One of the bellman happened to be passing by and offered to help me, so after I got control of myself, I explained the situation and begged him to open the door for me, which he did. I flung the door open, switched on the lights and there he was, laying in bed with that.... that..... BITCH! All of this right in the middle of my birthday party!!!

That's when I decided it was time to leave him. I was tired of constantly sacrificing everything in my life, tired of being taken for granted. So right after the party we drove home together as he begged for my forgiveness. But as soon as she pulled up in front of the house, I packed a bag and left. I called a taxi and left.

I didn't want his money.... I didn't want his pity.... I just wanted him out of my life. I wanted to be on my own and never have to see him again. So I got this apartment with the money I had, and though it isn't much.... At least it's all mine.

But that's not all. I'm going to do something I should have done 30 years ago. I'm going to get back into wrestling, I'm going to have a great time and I'm going to win that championship!
I'm tired of living my life for others... so for the first time since I can remember,
I'm going to start living for me!"

The two girls turned and stared at each other in amazement. The silence was deafening, until finally each of the girls reacted in her own way. Robin leaped up off of the couch, tears in her eyes and hugged her mother.

"Whatever you do Mom, I'll always be behind you!"

Rachel on the other hand had quite a different reaction. She jumped up and began to yell at her mother.

"You are 51 years old Mom! You're too old to wrestle! You'll embarrass yourself and you'll embarrass us too!"

Robin and Rachel began to yell and argue as Susie sat down, relieved at finally having told her daughters the truth. But before long Rachel grew increasingly angry and confronted her mother again.

"Mom, I forbid you to do this!"

Susie looked up at her, and very calmly addressed her daughter.

"I understand how you feel Rachel, but right now I am doing things for ME! I'm sorry if you don't agree with my decision, but this is something I need to do for myself."

Rachel stared back at her, her face turning bright red before she stormed out of the apartment in a huff, slamming the door behind her. Susie watched calmly and though upset, she did let her emotions get the better of her. Rachel was a very emotional woman, so Susie would let her calm down and then try to talk to her again.

Robin was much more pragmatic and tried to console her mother, which helped to ease the pain. As she hugged her older daughter she took solace in the fact that at least one of her daughter's would be in her corner.

After the emotion of Rachel's outburst subsided, Susie began to explain to Robin how she had been planning her return to wrestling. She had joined a local health club about nine months ago and had been training 6 days per week, getting herself in shape.

"Feel my stomach!" Susie bragged, pulling her blouse up to reveal a taut, dimpled tummy. Robin poked it with her finger, nodding her head in amazement as Susie went on.

She explained how once she felt like she was physically ready to return to the ring, she targeted the POWA as the federation she would try to join. She began to lobby the management of the fed, trying to convince them to give her a tryout. They ignored her at first, but she had made such a pest out of herself that they finally agreed to allow her to participate in their upcoming audition. It was set for the following weekend and Susie admitted that she was excited, but nervous too.

It had been a great deal for Robin to absorb, but she could see how happy her mother was, for the first time in years. So even though she was not happy about her mother wrestling against women who were half her age, she nonetheless supported her. The rest of the night was quiet, with mother and daughter drinking wine and talking. It turned out to be a relatively pleasant evening for Susie, all things considered. She had finally unburdened herself of her secret and even though Rachel couldn't understand, Robin's thoughtfulness helped to ease that pain. Once her older daughter had gone home for the night though, Susie was once again left alone to think about her impending audition for the POWA.

Susie had proven her dedication by getting herself in perhaps the best shape of her life, but being in shape and being a successful wrestler were two very different things. And at 51 years of age, the task was many times more difficult than it had been for her when she was much younger. But Susie's grit and determination carried her through to the day of the audition, and she walked into the POWA's training complex with her head held high.

She was greeted by a young woman who took a great deal of information about her before ushering her into the locker room, where a few other women were changing as well. Susie found a quiet corner and shyly walked toward it before changing into her wrestling attire. It was no surprise that she was the oldest competitor of the bunch and she couldn't help but notice how her arrival had created a stir in the room, with several of the girls whispering to each other and giggling. But Susie could not be shaken and after tying her boots, stood up and walked proudly out of the room.

She wore a pair of white tights, white wrestling boots and a blue athletic bra, typical wrestling attire for a try out. Standing 5'8" and weighing about 170 pounds, she was sturdy looking and blended in well with the other athletic women. But there were a few things different about her. First and foremost was her age. Though pleasant looking, her face showed her age, slightly wrinkled lines near her eyes and mouth from the stress of this past year. Her hair had also gone through many trials and tribulations in the past year as well, caused by Susie's desire for a new look.

No longer living near her regular hair stylist, she had trouble finding someone adept at taking care of her hair. The first new place she had tried cut it too short. Then she tried another which convinced her to color it red, which looked horrendous. Then another place dyed it blonde again, but she was just back to where she started. After that she tried to color it a few times herself, but each time ended up worse than the last. Finally she let it grow out a bit before trying a trendy new shop downtown, just a few weeks ago, who proceeded to give her the worst haircut of her life. First they cut it too short and uneven in a number of spots. Then they dyed her hair a bleached blonde, which seemed to suck all of the color out of it. The end result was a dry and almost colorless rendition of blonde, cut short and left looking brittle from all of the chemicals which had been absorbed into over the past few months.

she stood up and examined herself in the mirror. Her shoulders were fairly narrow, but still square and sturdy, her chest small and inconspicuous. Her arms were limber, lined with a layer of svelte muscle which was somewhat disguised by a soft layer of pink skin. Her legs looked firm and strong, shapely but robust. But perhaps Susie's most outstanding feature was her chiseled abdomen. She had a "six pack" of muscles which lined her stomach and though her pink skin softened them, it was obvious that she had put a great deal of effort into strengthening her midsection.

She walked into the arena and took a seat in the front row, a few seats away from a couple of other gals. Several men with pads and pens were seated at a table and a small smattering of fans were also present, seated towards the back of the arena. In the center of the room were two wrestling rings, and Susie locked her eyes on them as though she had never seen one before. As she stared up into the ring, the realization of what she was about to do hit her, and she became petrified. She had prepared herself as best she could, but now faced with the reality, it became very overwhelming.

She felt herself began to shake, her muscles tightening from nerves as she began to feel as if she were in the early stages of an anxiety attack. She looked around and saw about a dozen or so other women in all shapes and sizes, and realized that this was her competition. But before she could size any of them up, one of the men who was seated at the table began to call out names.

"Okay ladies, here we go. In ring number one, let's have Jennifer and Liz. And in ring number two let's have Ellen and Susie"

Susie heard her name, and just as the man read it aloud, her heart stopped for a second. But it quickly started again when she realized that she was about to have the opportunity to achieve the goal she had set for herself a year ago.... The goal she had dedicated herself to... becoming a professional wrestler.

Susie climbed up into the ring and stood in the corner, bouncing nervously as she watched her opponent Ellen climb up as well. Susie tried to channel her nervous energy and use it to her advantage, and was somewhat successful in doing so as she stared across the ring at her first opponent. Ellen was a big gal, much bigger than Susie, and had a look of intense determination on her face, which intimidated Susie a bit. But even more intimidating was the discrepancy in their physical size.

Ellen stood about 6 feet tall and weighed a somewhere in the range of 200 to 210 pounds. She had an unusual body type, best defined as a classic pear shape. Ellen had somewhat narrow shoulders, but her body widened as it descended, with her hips growing to be the widest part of her body. She was not fat, but rather looked "big boned". She was not particularly attractive either, with freckled, blotchy skin and short brown hair which was tied into a ponytail. She wore a black, tank unitard and black boots, adding to her sort of blase', unspectacular appearance. But as the man at the side of the ring signaled for the women to begin, Susie could tell that she had her work cut out for her.

Ellen moved out of her corner quickly, more quickly than Susie had expected for a girl her size. She moved somewhat awkwardly, possessing very poor posture which caused her upper body to lean forward while her arms hung awkwardly at her sides. But before Susie knew it, Ellen was on top of her and the two locked up.

Ellen's size advantage allowed her to easily overpower Susie, locking her in a standing armbar. As Susie hunched forward, her arm pulled out to her side, she felt as if this was surreal, like it was someone else who was being victimized by the large woman. But as Ellen rammed her elbow down into Susie's arm, the pain made it become very much a reality.

Susie dropped to one knee, her arm still curled into the painful hold as Ellen yanked her back up onto her feet. It didn't take long before Susie found herself being pulled in a circle, Ellen spinning her by the arm before releasing and sending Susie sailing towards the ropes.

The elder woman bounced off of the ropes and returned towards her junior opponent, only to be greeted with a forceful forearm to her chest. Susie's legs lifted into the air as she dropped to the mat, her shoulders crashing against it painfully. But even before Susie's body had come to a rest, Ellen leaped down at her, pulling her leg out whilst in mid air and dropping the back of her thick, powerful thigh onto Susie's throat with a vicious leg drop.

Susie gurgled loudly as Ellen fell down into a seated position, pressing her thigh forcefully down onto Susie's throat. The small gathering groaned coldly before turning their attention to the action taking place in the other ring. Though barely a minute had passed, Susie seemed to be finished. Ellen stared down at her with a stern, onerous glare as Susie struggled desperately to free herself from the large and powerful leg which was pressed against her. She tried to wedge her hands beneath Ellen's thigh, but was not successful.

Susie tried to pry Ellen's leg off of her, but it felt as if it weighed 100 pounds on it's own, and Susie couldn't budge it. And as Ellen pressed it down against her neck, Susie began to appreciate just how strong these bulky legs were. She felt Ellen squirming to position herself closer, slowly dragging her other leg closer to Susie's head. Susie knew what Ellen was trying to do, and a sense of urgency overcame her. Ellen was trying to lock Susie in a headscissors, and judging by the leg strength which Susie now knew Ellen possessed, that would surely end the match in a hurry.

Susie knew that if Ellen were able to trap her head between those two tree trunks she called thighs, Susie's audition would be over. So she thrust her hips up into the air, trying desperately to kick out. She kicked up once, but Ellen didn't budge. She kicked up again, but Ellen simply smiled. No matter how hard she tried, Susie could not get free.

There was only one chance, she thought to herself, but it was risky. She had to allow Ellen to try and lock the headscissors in place. But in order to do that, Ellen would need to ease the pressure on Susie's throat so that she could slide her other leg beneath Susie's head. That split second when Ellen softened her grip would be Susie's only chance to escape.

Laying still, Susie closed her eyes and tried to act as if she had given up. Ellen however did not cooperate at first, instead putting even more pressure down with her thigh. Susie felt herself losing consciousness, the powerful, shank of flesh cutting off her airflow. But then Ellen did just as Susie had hoped, easing the pressure just enough to allow Susie to lunge upward with her hips, knocking Ellen to the side as Susie rolled free.

Ellen recovered quickly, and was obviously annoyed at Susie's escape. Her elder opponent however remained seated, grabbing her throat as she gasped for air. Ellen jumped to her feet surprisingly quickly for a woman her size. She stormed over to Susie and grabbed her by the wrist, but as she began to tug up on Susie's arms, Susie fell backward, pulling Ellen up and over into a flip.

Ellen landed hard and awkwardly, her large legs spreading apart as her body collided with the mat. She was momentarily disoriented, allowing Susie the opportunity to stagger to her feet and catch her breath. Ellen slapped the mat in frustration as she got into a seated position, but before she could get her feet under her, Susie raced over and placed her in a side headlock.

With razor-sharp precision and quickness, Susie wrenched Ellen's right arm behind her back, locking her forearm between her own shoulderblades while at the same time planting her own forearm beneath Ellen's chin. Ellen was now seated upright with Susie standing ominously behind her, trapping her larger opponent in both a choke and armlock.

The attention of several of the spectators turned back to the action going on, impressed by Susie's ability to turn things around. Ellen looked out and saw the attention Susie had drawn, and grunted angrily. She then reached uyp with her free arm and grabbed Susie from behind her neck, powerfully flipping her across her shoulder and dumping her to the mat.

It was an awesome display of her power, but Ellen already began to move more slowly, shaking her arm as she caught her breath. Again Susie got to her feet first and again charged at Ellen, who was still struggling to get up. Susie took a quick breath as she jumped feet first into the air before locking her legs around Ellen's head. Almost as if in one motion, Susie fell to the side and jerked her legs downward, flipping Ellen onto her back by her neck. Susie kept the headscissors in place as Ellen slammed to the mat, again landing awkwardly. Susie pushed herself up onto her side for leverage, tightening her legs and choking Ellen between them.

A few minutes had passed now, and Susie began to wonder how much longer they would let this go. The thought seemed to distract her and broke her concentration, which allowed Ellen to pry her legs apart with incredible force. The look on Susie's face seemed to indicate how impressive Ellen's strength was, as she looked almost scared. Ellen sensed it to, and quickly rolled onto her side and got to her knees. She had begun to perspire pretty heavily, and streams of sweat rolled down the sides of her face as she knelt upright.

But the spry Susie had again gotten to her feet and again charged at Ellen. This time however, Ellen simply hauled back with her arm, her face twisted with purpose as she delivered a crushing punch into the charging Susie's midsection. The blow was enough to knock some women out, and Susie stumbled backward as she folded in half, but remained on her feet. Ellen was impressed by the rigidity of her target and surprised that Susie had taken her best shot and stayed on her feet. Though Susie was hurt, the blow was a devastating one, and had done away with some of Ellen's opponents in the past.

But Susie stayed on her feet, swaying from side to side as she slowly and gradually was able to push herself upright again. Ellen got to her feet too and the two women stood face to face again, each with a healthier understanding of her opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Susie moved first and lunged for Ellen's wrist, grabbing hold just as Ellen raised her other arm and sent a penetrating chop down into the side of Susie's neck. Just as all of this was happening, one of the men from the POWA yelled up to stop the action. But Ellen's fist landed on the base of Susie's neck, causing her head to involuntarily fall to he side. Ellen immediately stopped and watched as Ellen faltered back a step, her head bobbing as she began to rub the aching spot.

Everyone froze for a moment, waiting to see Susie's reaction. A few moments later, when it became obvious that this phase of the try-out was over, Susie walked over to Ellen, her head still tilted as she rubbed it with her left hand, and stuck out her right hand to shake it. Ellen looked puzzled at first, but then responded by shaking back.

"Great job! You're one tough lady!" Susie whispered to Ellen as she enthusiastically shook her hand. Ellen still looked baffled, and thanked Susie before climbing out of the ring. As the two women climbed down near the table of judges, they were instructed to take a seat. Susie breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she might have been asked to leave at that point, and grateful that she had not been. She had held her own against a larger, tough woman. But as she chugged back a mouthful of water, she wondered if holding her own would be good enough.

Susie plopped down into a seat at ringside and wiped herself off with a towel. She continued to massage her aching neck, which took precedent over the other aches and pains which she began to feel. As she rested, other women were called into the rings, and the audition went on. By the time all of the women had had a chance to wrestle once, about 3 or 4 had been asked to leave.

Susie was then called back into one of the rings, and this time her opponent was quite different than Ellen. Jennifer was called next, and she was much smaller than Susie. Jennifer stood about 5'4" or 5'5" and weighed only about 105 pounds or so. She was very slight of build, but a very pretty young woman. She had beautiful, silky, black hair, cut just above her shoulders which seemed to dance with every step she took. Her skin was a dark olive color, her eyes a deep, penetrating brown.

Jennifer wore a plum colored bikini made of silk-like material, which nicely displayed her trim, even petite form. But even though small and pretty, Jennifer had a look to her.... a sort of tough, gang chick look. She was not easily intimidated and looked like she had done most of her fighting outside of a wrestling ring.

Though Susie gave her new opponent the proper respect, she couldn't help but feel relieved at not having to face another giant. Thew signal for the action to begin came, and Jennifer proved her aggressive nature by charging across the ring at Susie and quickly digging her fingers into Susie's shoulders.

Susie grimaced from the pain and quickly grabbed hold of Jennifer's shoulders too as the battle began. They jostled back and forth for a few moments until Susie pushed Jennifer's back to the ropes. She then changed grips, reaching for Jennifer's wrist and tossing her across the ring by her arm. Jennifer charged across the ring, bounced off of the ropes and returned, only to be met by a masterful drop kick which Susie planted firmly into Jennifer's right shoulder.

Jennifer soared backward and feel painfully onto her back as Susie wasted no time, storming at her and reaching for Jennifer's right ankle. Smoothly and aggressively, Susie snapped Jennifer's leg into a Step Over Toe hold, stepping across it with her leg and curling the trapped limb around it while pushing down on it with her arms.

Jennifer began to scream bloody murder as she slapped the mat with her hands, trying to roll form side to side. Susie was surprised by the intensity of Jennifer's screams, and even eased up on the hold a bit as a result. But that allowed Jennifer to kick up with her other leg, stomping her foot into Susie's hip and knocking her backward.

Jennifer rolled over quickly and jumped to her feet as Susie recovered and turned to face her. But before Susie knew what hit her, Jennifer ran forward, jumping into the air and spreading her legs while reaching forward with her arms. She wrapped her legs around Susie's waist while pulling her arms around Susie's head, clenching it tightly against her chest. Susie stumbled a couple of steps, unable to see and having trouble gaining her balance. But once she did, Susie dropped to one knee, pulling the other leg out in front of her while tugging downward on Jennifer's body. As a result of the impressive Atomic Drop, Jennifer's crotch rammed against Susie's knee, momentarily draining the color from her body.

There was a grumble from the spectators as Jennifer's mouth fell open before she tumbled to the side, curling her legs into her body. Jennifer rolled back and forth a few times, Susie taking her time to get to her feet and resume the attack. She approached Jennifer cautiously, reaching for her wrist and locking on before pulling Jennifer onto her feet.

The petite brunette struggled, but was no match for Susie, who quickly shoved one arm between Jennifer's legs, grabbing hold of her from her rear, and the other over her shoulder, trapping her in a headlock. Susie then hauled the smaller women into the air, upending her body in the process. Susie took a step forward and then slammed Jennifer's body to the mat, jarring her spine in the process.

Jennifer's diminutive body seemed to bounce off of the mat before coming to landing. She then began to moan loudly, arching her back and rolling from side to side. Though the slam had to be painful, Jennifer's suffering seemed a bit to animated as Susie looked on in satisfaction. She didn't particularly get any joy from another woman's pain, but rather from being proud of her own performance. But not for long as she walked over and grabbed Jennifer's ankle rolling her onto her stomach.

Susie knew that she had to impress the judges, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it. So she moved closer to Jennifer, who was now laying flat on her stomach, and began to position the next hold. She placed one foot in the crux of Jennifer's right knee, and then did the same on the other knee. She then reached down and forward grabbing hold of each of Jennifer's wrists. Susie took a deep breath and then fell straight backward, pulling Jennifer's body up into the air in the process.

Susie gradually rolled onto her back, hoisting Jennifer into the air by pushing up with her legs and arms. The hold was called the Octopus, and it never been done in the POWA before. It was a rare hold, which required precision, strength and a cooperative opponent. Though Jennifer was not cooperative, Susie was able to overpower and thus secure the hold. So Jennifer was left to stare at the ceiling as her arms were pushed up from below her, her legs being pushed upright from behind the knees. Her body we perfectly parallel to Susie's, every limb in Jennifer's body crying out in pain.

As expected, Jennifer screamed as loud as she could and before long , yelled out her submission. Susie got a brief round of applause from some of the spectators and other women before she lowered Jennifer as gently as she could. Susie couldn't help but smile as she rolled onto her side, delighted with herself. She reveled in her victory for a few seconds but then rolled over and checked on Jennifer.

Not the best sportswoman, Jennifer was angry with Susie for beating her. But Susie nevertheless sat alongside her and asked if she was okay. The two women seemed to be about to talk quietly, so the attention of everyone else turned to the action taking place in the next ring. Susie got to one knee and then stuck her hand out, offering to help Jennifer up. Jennifer accepted the hand, but as she was pulled to her feet, jabbed her finger forward and poked it into Susie's right eye.

The pain was biting and Susie immediately lost vision in the eye as Jennifer scampered out of the ring, no one seeing what had just happened. Jennifer was thanked for her participation and escorted out of the arena as Susie dropped to one knee, covering her eye with her hand as she tried to rub the pain away. Since none of the judge's had been paying attention to Susie, they did not notice her malady, and so they called another wrestler into the ring with Susie to continue the audition. The woman hopped into the ring, prompting Susie to get to her feet and wander back to her corner. Her injured eye was bright red and she couldn't see anything more than fuzzy light out of it. But Susie was worried that if she asked for a break, she might not get the chance to get back into the ring. Especially since there were only 2 other women left at ringside.

Susie backed up into a neutral corner and looked across the ring with her good eye at her latest opponent. Again it was a young woman, about half her age, this one of Asian descent. Susie had watched her wrestle earlier in the day, and was impressed with her ability. The young woman had obviously had some martial arts training, and used her legs quite effectively to kick and trip in her previous encounters. So Susie knew that things weren't going to get any easier.

The young woman's name was May, and she was a looker. She had long, gorgeous, straight and silky black hair, which matched her black leotard. Her face was also beautiful, a fact which did not go unnoticed by the POWA judges. With only a few women left, it soon became apparent that Susie's opponent was their first choice, which left Susie with her work cut out for her.

The signal to begin was given, and the two women moved cautiously out of their corners, Susie moving very slowly, still partially blinded. Gradually they moved closer to each other until finally they locked up near the side of the ring. They struggled for a few moments before May gave a quick push, forcing Susie back a few steps. But as she regained her balance, May had already spun her body, delivering a powerful, roundhouse kick to the right side of Susie's head.

The bottom of May's bare foot slammed into the right side of Susie's head, catching her completely by surprise as she dropped to the mat. With eyesight in her right eye still impaired, Susie did not even see the kick coming and did not brace herself for the impact of it. As a result, she was now laying on her side with her head throbbing and her ears ringing. But May did not leave her to recuperate, instead clutching onto Susie's wrist and pulling her up onto her feet.

May then spun herself around while grabbing Susie from behind her head and flipping her across her shoulder, sending the older woman sprawling to the mat below her. May moved in once again, snatching onto Susie's wrist as the veteran began suddenly feeling overwhelmed. May yanked her up and immediately ran through a series of quick moves.

First she whirled her body beneath Susie's extended arm, twisting out to her side and forcing Susie to bow forward in pain. While pulling Susie's arm away from her body, May dropped her elbow onto Susie's joint, further debilitating the limb. She then sent a straight, forceful kick into Susie's ribcage, followed by a chop to the side of her neck and finally a last kick into the same spot on Susie's ribs.

Susie fell to the mat, her body aching in a number of places as she felt completely powerless to defend herself. May had moved like a cat, and though none of her blows had been devastating, when strung together so quickly, had left her numb. Susie pushed herself into a seated position as May came up behind her and placed one hand beneath her chin while wrapping the other arm across the top of her head. Susie knew what she was about to do, and she knew it was going to hurt.

The neck twist was a dangerous hold and if done incorrectly, could often end in injury. So Susie was determined not to let May complete it. With a darting attack, she thrust her arms up and grabbed the head of the bowing May. She then pulled down with all of her might, flipping May over her head and sending her crashing to the mat in front of her.

May was obviously surprised by the retaliatory strike as she bounced to a halt before pausing to regain her balance. Susie meanwhile rolled onto her side and began to get to her feet, just as May did the same. The two stood up at precisely the same time, and May quickly charged at Susie, locking arms once again. Susie struggled for a moment, but once again May backed up a step before delivering a forceful side kick into Susie's ribs.

Susie grunted, but sensing an opportunity, hastily reached down and grabbed hold of May's calf before she was able to lower her leg. With her ribs throbbing, Susie yanked on May's calf, causing her to fall to the mat as Susie clamped tightly onto her right leg. Susie then placed her foot on the outside of the May's right thigh and then wrapped her own leg around it began bend it back down towards May. It was a skillfully executed Step Over Toe hold, and May's shapely leg was being bent awkwardly and painfully.

Susie was determined to keep the hold in a painful position long enough so that she had some time to recover herself. Cognizant that May was a skilled wrestler, Susie pushed down hard on her trapped leg, ensuring that she could not get free. But that strategy backfired as May reached up and grabbed a handful of hair form the top of Susie's head. Susie continued to apply pressure to May's leg, but was helpless to prevent her from again flipping her onto her back.

Susie slid for a few feet, her legs bent awkwardly apart as she came to a stop, obviously frustrated. She wasted no time in getting to her feet as May hobbled forward, the leg hold Susie had placed her in earlier still showing it's affects. Susie decided to take advantage of May's hobbled condition and ran back to the ropes, bouncing off of them as she propelled herself forward. May followed her lead and the two women were soon catapulted off the ropes, facing an inevitable collision. A few seconds later they intersected in the middle of the ring, May stretching her arm out in an attempt to clothesline Susie. But Susie ducked below her opponent's arm and continued to race forward, again hurtling off of the ropes.

May seemed to overcome the pain in her leg, and as she approached Susie once again, she leaped up into the air, spreading her legs in the process. Susie was stunned to see the height May had attained on her jump, and before she knew it, May's spread legs were soon wrapping around her head, trapping her in a headscissors.

Susie stumbled a few steps as May was now perched on top of her shoulders, her crotch rammed against Susie's face. Susie knew that she had a unique opportunity to deliver a devastating move to her athletic opponent, but it was risky. It would most likely end the match, one way or another. Susie thought about it, but it didn't take long for her to realize that she needed to go for it. May had proven to be a very formidable foe, and of she didn't take her out soon, she was sure to lose the match.

Susie raised her arms over her head, wrapping them around the front of May's midsection before joining her hands together. She then used the leverage she now had to try and push May backward so that her upper body would fall back toward the ground. May's inner thighs were pressing tightly against Susie's cheeks, and she tried to squeeze them even more tightly as Susie tried to push her off. The struggle went on for a few more agonizing moments until finally Susie won out.

May's upper body fell backward as Susie secured her grip on the falling woman's midsection. But as May's head fell towards Susie's legs, Susie trapped it between her knees, squeezing her own legs together. She then dropped to her knees, driving the top of May's head painfully into the canvas. May's body stood erect, though upended, for a few moments until finally it began to slowly topple over. May's eyes were closed, her body rigid as it crashed to the canvas.

It was an awesome move, and judging by the rumbling form the spectators, it was visually impressive too. May landed hard and rolled onto her back, laying motionless as Susie walked over and gently pressed her arms down onto May's shoulders to pin her. There was no count, but after a few seconds, Susie had proven her point and stood up, taking a deep breath before smiling widely.

She paused to rejoice in her victory, but then bent down to check on May. After a few seconds, May sat up and Susie embraced her, praising her on her wrestling ability. Though still somewhat disoriented, May appreciated the gesture and congratulated Susie on her victory. The two sat together for a few more moments until Susie got up, offering her hand to May, who readily accepted it. The two got to their feet and climbed out of the ring together, Susie taking a seat and burying her head in a towel. May was thanked for her effort and escorted out of the arena.

Susie was exhausted in every possible fashion. She had been forced to overcome the strength and athletic ability of women half her age, which had drained her both physically and mentally. She had never felt as tired and drained as she did at this point. But as she sat and tried to recover, her head still buried in her towel, the audition continued in it's final stages.

Susie was the only woman left outside of the ring, so logically she would have to face the woman who survived the action now going on inside of the ring. It took her a few minutes to grasp that, but once she did, a shiver ran down her spine. In the ring now were the two women Susie feared most. First of all there was Ellen, whom Susie had faced in her first encounter. Ellen was strong and agile, and had proven to be a very worthy foe. Though Susie had done reasonably well against her earlier, in her weakened condition, she was much less confident. But Ellen's current opponent was even more awe inspiring.

Ellen was facing a woman named Bertha, who was no stranger to the POWA. Bertha had competed in the POWA's first Amateur Battle Royale, which was won by The Outlaw. But the only way in which The Outlaw was able to beat this hulk of a woman was by teaming up with another contestant. By double teaming Bertha, they were able to toss her from the ring, thereby eliminating her. But now, there would be no opportunity for partnership. This audition would pit woman to woman, one on one.

Standing 6'2" and weighing a monstrous 250 pounds, Bertha was an immense woman. Though slow and plodding, she was an immovable object with incredible strength. Not attractive at all, she did look quite intimidating however. She had dark brown skin, a fluffy, short afro and had perfected a very intimidating scowl. She wore a light blue bodysuit which clung a bit too tightly to her rounded body, and a pair of huge, matching boots.

Susie had kept her head buried for several minutes, choosing to focus her attention on her own recuperation, rather than the activity around her. It was hard to ignore the loud slams and painful grunts and groans however, so finally Susie lifted her head and began to watch the action going on inside of the ring.

Just as Susie looked up, Ellen's large body came barreling across the ring before slamming into the corner directly above her. Susie could feel the jolt as all of Ellen's 200 pounds crashed into the turnbuckle. Ellen's head snapped backward as her body crumpled, only to be met with a devastating splash from Bertha. Ellen's large body seemed to be engulfed by Bertha, who had jumped forward and landed directly on top of her.

As Bertha finally backed away, Ellen drooped form the corner, her arms hanging over the top rope to keep her upright. She looked a mess, perspiring heavily, her skin blotched with various colors and her hair sticking out in all directions. But even worse was the expression on her face, which showed how completely overwhelmed she had been by Bertha.

Susie looked on in horror as the mountainous woman continued to destroy Ellen. Bertha charged over and forcefully shoved her hand between Ellen's legs, digging her hand into Ellen's groin and grabbing hold. The nylon material of Ellen's unitard was now damp with perspiration and clung tightly to her body as Bertha grabbed hold tightly while wrapping her other hand around Ellen's throat. She then bent her knees and growled loudly while hoisting all of Ellen's girth up into the air, pressing her body up and over her head.

Ellen's face cringed as she looked downward, the grip Bertha had on her crotch and throat obviously excruciating. Her face turned a frightening shade of red as the expression on her face changed so that she looked like she had been stabbed. Susie couldn't believe the awesome display of strength, nor the way Ellen was being so easily handled. Bertha seemed to be toying with her at this point, parading her body around the ring to ensure that the POWA reps all saw Ellen's pain. She then stomped back to the middle of the ring before unceremoniously dropping Ellen's body, face first to the mat.

The sound of Ellen crashing to the canvas resonated throughout the empty arena, her squeaking groan also echoing for all to hear. Bertha continued to deliver punishment to the tormented Ellen for a few more minutes before finishing her off with a devastating splash from the second rope. Ellen was flattened and thoroughly defeated, taking several minutes before she was able to get to her feet. She was helped out of the ring, leaving Bertha to focus her attention to Susie.

Susie took a deep breath as she sat in her chair and gazed up into the ring at the mountainous women she was about to face. It was hard for her not to contemplate about how difficult her own match against Ellen had been, and that was when she wasn't half as tired as she was right now. But the real kicker was how easily Bertha had just dispatched of Ellen, filling Susie with anxiety. Susie took several more deep breaths and then stood, nervous that she might begin to hyperventilate if she didn't do something. But as she began to climb into the ring, Bertha started her verbal assault.

"Come on grandma, let me put you out of your misery quickly."

Susie glared across at her, trying desperately not to show the fear which was building inside of her. She walked slowly over to her corner, but just as she turned around, Bertha continued her taunts.

"Did you see how easily I did away with her grandma, and you ain't even half as good as she is."

Susie's fear began to be replaced with anger as Bertha kept up her tirade, turning to the judges at ringside.

"You know I ain't gonna be responsible for what happens to this old lady, you go that?"

The judges all tried to ignore the immense wrestler as they settled back and signaled for the match to begin. Susie hopped out of her corner quickly and circled toward Bertha, bowing forward as she skipped around the ring, cautious but trying to remain aggressive. Bertha slowly waddled out of her corner straight towards Susie, signaling for her to come closer. Susie kept moving though, looking for the right time to attack as she kept her distance.

"Don't make me chase you now grandma."

But before Bertha could finish the sentence, Susie rushed at her and quickly grabbed her by the wrist. She held on tightly with both hands and then took a step forward before setting both feet and trying to pull Bertha by the arms. Susie's whole body pitched forward as she snarled from the exertion of trying to whip Bertha forward. But Bertha did not budge, even though Susie was pulling with all of her might. She grunted and strained some more before easing up for a second, and then yanking on the large woman's arm once again.

But Bertha bored of the exercise and simply took two quick steps forward, whipping Susie across the ring and towards the corner. Susie's neck snapped back as she was shot across the ring with tremendous force. She turned as she neared the corner; her feet lifting off of the floor as her back smashed into the turnbuckle. Her arms flew out to her sides upon impact and her head snapped back, the ropes shaking on all four sides of the ring from the violent impact. She then collapsed to the mat, her legs spread apart as she landed on her butt. But Bertha had not expected this, and had already come flying forward to deliver a splash into Susie, but instead hit the turnbuckles.

Susie quickly rolled out form beneath her and scampered away, crawling on all fours as Bertha brushed herself off and scowled angrily. The entire ring was still quivering from the force as Bertha turned and faced into the ring as Susie used the ropes to pull herself to her feet. If she hadn't realized what she was up against, she did now, and she was more scared than ever.

Bertha again moved forward, slowly and menacingly, muttering under her breath as she signaled for Susie to come and get her. But Susie kept moving away, circling around the ring to keep a good distance between them. But Bertha gradually cut off the ring and backed Susie into a corner, forcing her to either attack or be attacked. Again she lunged for Bertha's arm, but the big woman easily overpowered her and wrapped one arm between Susie's legs and the other across her shoulders, effortlessly hoisting her into the air.

Susie kicked and yelled, trying to beg for mercy, but Bertha simply smiled and slammed her to the mat. Susie's back felt as if it had been hit with a hammer, but she knew she had to keep moving as Bertha again prepared to land a splash right onto her. So Susie hastily rolled a number of times until she spun under the ropes and hopped out of the ring. She looked up, her heart racing and breathing very deeply as Bertha stood above her, continuing her taunts.

"Come on grandma. The POWA don't want no cowards. Not get back in here and fight!"

Susie trotted around the ring, trying to find an opening to get back in the ring, but not in a rush to do so. About a minute went by before she grabbed onto the rope and pulled herself up, rolling beneath the bottom rope and quickly getting to her feet. She began to move again, hopping away from Bertha who was growing more angry with each passing second.

"When I get you, I'm not gonna let go this time!" she warned, prompting Susie to keep moving away from her. Again Bertha cut off the ring and moved closer, lunging with both arms to grab hold of her. But Susie adroitly ducked below her arms and charged around in back of her. Acting quickly she took a few steps back and then charged toward Bertha, who had still not completely turned around. Susie then leaped into the air and landed a dropkick into Bertha's right side, knocking her back a few steps, though not to the ground.

But the move proved to be a mistake as Bertha recovered before Susie could get to her feet, allowing her to grab a handful of Susie's brittle hair and pull her up the rest of the way. Facing her older adversary, Bertha wrapped her beefy arm around Susie's neck, trapping her in a bowed, front headlock as Susie waved her arms at her sides in protest. Bertha's arm seemed to swallow Susie's entire head as she pulled her around the ring, showing her off to the judges.

Bertha then dragged Susie back to the center of the ring before holding her steady, Susie's face beginning to sweat profusely from the flabby skin which engulfed her head. But Bertha then cocked her leg and launched a powerful knee into Susie's abdomen. As if shot by a cannon, Susie recoiled backward, falling clumsily on her butt as her legs lifted up and over her head. Her midsection was on fire from the force of the blow, and she rolled onto her side to try and ease the pain.

But Bertha lumbered over and again grabbed her by the hair, plucking her off of the mat like a fly. Susie spread her arms like wings to try and keep her balance as she was yanked around by the hair like a child. Bertha then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back against the side ropes. Pausing momentarily, she then Irish Whipped Susie across the ring, sending her racing against her will. Susie ricocheted off of the ropes and charged back at Bertha, only to be met with a stiff arm across her neck which lifted her legs into the air before she landed harshly on her tailbone.

Susie's mouth fell open into a large "O" shape as she fell backward and tried to massage the agonizing pain emanating from just above her butt. But Bertha again stormed over to where Susie lay and set herself before dropping downward to deliver an Elbow Smash onto her overwhelmed and overmatched opponent. But Susie desperately scampered out of harms way and once again kept rolling until she fell out of the ring to safety. She got to her feet and bowed forward, placing her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Bertha meanwhile lamented on the mat as she rubbed her aching elbow, which had collided unexpectedly with the canvas. It took her a few moments to roll over and get to her feet, but by the time she did, she was steaming mad.

Susie remained in a hunched position the entire time, catching her breath before wiping the sweat from her brow. She had no idea what to do next, as nothing seemed to work against Bertha. But as she pondered her next move, Bertha again began to abuse her verbally.

"Okay grandma, are you gonna wrestle today, or am I gonna hafta hurt you? If you're too chicken, then why don'tcha just quit right now?"

Susie turned her head to the side and looked up at Bertha from her bowed position. Again Bertha signaled for her to come and get it, to which Susie just shook her head. She knew that she had to come up with a plan of attack, but wasn't able to figure out exactly what that was. But she also knew that the longer she delayed, the more her chances of making it into the POWA dwindled. So she circled the ring again, finding an opening before jumping up and rolling into the ring.

Bertha stood on the opposite side, holding her arms over the top rope as she studied Susie, who began to slowly move in a circle. But this time Susie stopped midway between the corners and stunningly began to signal for Bertha to come and get her. Bertha smiled before lumbering towards her, her arms spread in front of her. But as Bertha reached for Susie, once again she ducked below her grasp and ran to the opposite side of the ring. As Bertha turned however, Susie began to bounce off of the ropes, challenging Bertha to o the same. Bertha backed up and bounced slightly as well, before yelling across at her beleaguered foe.

"You wanna face off against me grandma? Let's do it?"

With that Bertha bounced a bit more fervently prompting Susie to do the same. Bertha then took one final bounce before launching herself forward across the ring. Susie took a big bounce as well, but held herself back by grabbing the top rope. As Bertha charged at her, she dropped back against the ropes, wrapping her arms over the top one on both sides of her body. Then, as Bertha was just about on top of her, she thrust her right leg out in front of her body and held it as straight as she could.

Bertha's considerable paunch rammed into it, swallowing Susie's foot up to her ankle. Bertha let out a bellowing groan as she tipped forward, grabbing her midsection. Susie then quickly stepped between the ropes and out onto the ring apron, where she abruptly reached back into the ring and grabbed hold of Bertha's hair with both hands. She pulled her forward until Bertha's throat rested on the top rope, and then leapfrogged into the air, landing on the back of Bertha's neck.

Bertha bowed forward, her head trapped beneath Susie who was choking her against the top rope. Susie grabbed hold of the rope with both hands, pulling downward to increase the pressure on Bertha's throat. Bertha's large body quivered as Susie puled up and down, trying desperately to weaken her monstrous foe. Though it was quite effective, Susie felt Bertha trying to lunge upright, and so with one quick move, she pulled down forcefully on the rope a final time before launching herself backward and off of Bertha's head.

The move had the effect of a snapping rubber band, and shot Bertha backward, causing her to tumble backward to the mat. Susie landed on the ring apron, quickly climbing between the ropes to attack the fallen Bertha, who was now grabbing her throat and gasping for air as she rolled onto her side. But Susie wasted no time and quickly jumped onto Bertha's back, positioning her butt directly between Bertha's shoulder blades as she looked down at the woman's large legs.

Susie then reached forward and grabbed hold of Bertha's left ankle, pulling her leg back in toward her body. Bertha punched the mat and tried to roll, forcing Susie off of her, but Susie had her feet firmly planted on the mat on either side of her, and was able to keep herself steady. She then slid forward and shifted her own leg between Bertha's two, adjusting her arm grip so that she now hold of both of Bertha's ankles.

Bertha's protests quickly became more animated as she figured out what Susie was attempting to do. She rolled her body violently and began to scream and punch violently at the mat. But it was too late. Susie had locked a Figure Four Leg Lock onto her, and Bertha's screams of protest soon turned into screams of pain. Susie pulled back with all of her strength, the pressure on Bertha's joints becoming unbearable. It was a miraculous turn of events, made even more miraculous by the submission which Bertha screamed out just a few moments later.

Susie's head fell back upon hearing the words and a huge smile stretched across her face as she released the hold. She couldn't believe that she had won, beating this huge, terrifying woman. But as she rolled off of Bertha and got to her feet, staring down at Bertha who still floundering to relieve her pain, Susie thrust her fist into the air in celebration.

She waited a few moments, but then offered her hand to Bertha, who angrily refused. As Bertha got to her feet, Susie stuck out her hand to shake it, but Bertha responded by shoving her own hand into Susie's face, pushing her backward. Susie hobbled back a couple of steps, but did not react, choosing instead to revel in her victory. Bertha eventually climbed out of the ring and so did Susie, who was congratulated by the POWA judges.

"That was a great showing Susie. We were worried that you wouldn't be leaving the ring under your own power. Very impressive wrestling!

We'll have a three match contract drafted up and delivered to you for your review. And if you do well in those three matches, then maybe we can talk about a longer term commitment."

Susie wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss, doing the same to each of the POWA staff on hand. She then skipped back into the locker room, even though her aching body told her to limp. That night she went home and couldn't wait to share her good news with someone. But her modest apartment was empty. She then got on the telephone and called each of her daughters, though neither was home.

She stayed on the couch, popping open a bottle of champagne, which she had saved for a special occasion. She was hoping to share it with someone, but much to her dismay, no one was available. Every muscle in her body ached, some she didn't even know she had! She began to feel lonely, which led to feeling a bit depressed. But eventually she composed herself, not wanting to spend this night feeling sorry for herself, especially when she had accomplished so much! . So even though there was no one to share it with, she took a big gulp right from the bottle and savored her accomplishment.

THE END

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