This isn't so much a story as it is a history and tribute.  I was 
surfing the web and stopped in to check out one of my favorite Fighting 
Females and Amazons, Laura Anne "Larissa" Vukov.  She is looking good. 
5'9", 178 pounds of skull crushing muscle.  Gave some of her 
measurements, too.  Impressive.  Check it out yourself.  So I'm 
scrolling down checking things out when some big bold letter catch my 
attention "PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NO LONGER WRESTLING" or something to 
that effect.  My heart stopped.  You gotta be kidding.  I had heard that 
she was inactive for a while due to some sort of bike accident.  I 
remember reading about it in one of the muscle rags at the grocery while 
the wife finished the shopping.   While driving home I mentioned it to 
Natalie, she wondered if she would be wrestling again.  Guess the wife 
was right. 

I'm not sure whether it was Joan Wise or Premier Productions that I 
first heard and saw Laura Vukov.  I think it might have been some flyers 
from Joan Wise but the first video was Premier, I believe.  Video #32: 
Freestyle Mat Action with 7 big ladies.  Larissa took on Lena in the 
second match.  Larissa was wearing a white bikini that showed off her 
tan 5'9", 177 pound figure to perfection.  Her opponent tipped the 
scales only 3 pounds less and the same height.  Lena wasn't as muscular 
but she looked tough.  She was wearing a sports bra and some French cut 
bottoms.  The first 5 or 6 falls were pretty much split between the two 
Amazons.  Larissa had to change into a one piece since her top kept 
letting her dark nipples poke out and wave to the cameras.  Both 
wrestlers knew what they were doing.  But then Lena started coming out 
on top a little bit more often.  They weren't trading falls as they had 
in the beginning.  When Larissa would get her in a scissors, Lena would 
power out of it eventually rather than submitting.  Once she was under 
Larissa most of a fall then managed to turn the tables and apply a 
version of the camel clutch.  That was the first time I had ever seen 
that used in a "real" match.  Larissa did manage a few more submissions, 
especially a killer body scissors that damn near cut Lena in two.  But 
like I said, I think Lena took the match overall.  She just seemed more 
experienced, had more drive, and was able to take more punishment 
without submitting.  But it was great to see two Amazons actually get it 
on like that.  I had just started collecting videos and this was one of 
my firsts.  Before I just had my imagination and Cavalier with their 
"Fight Time" section.  This video was shot somewhere around 86 or 87.  I 
found a video a few years later called Golden Gate Wrestling Tournament.  
The highlight of the great video/poor production was Larissa versus 
Lena.  Larissa was looking huge and her "barbarian" bikini, mostly fur, 
really accented her body.  I would say that she tipped 185 or so.  Lena 
looked the same.  Her arms and shoulders were not cut or highly define 
but were definitely solid.  Her legs looked as sleek and strong as ever.  
Looked to be a great match.  It was.  Larissa kicked her butt.  The 
video was cut badly and the light sucked but Larissa really took it to 
Lena.  It was a best of 5 falls, pins or submission, I think, but like I 
said, the video was produced very badly.  Another video I owned was of a 
different variety.  Rather than competitive, it was more along the 
domination angle.  A very big person against a much smaller one.  The 
big person was off course Larissa at 5'9", 175 solid but not cut pounds 
and her smaller opponent was Robin at 5'6", 130.  I now recognize Robin 
as the same Robin who is one of the top notch lightweight wrestlers out 
there now.  They started out talking about some dork that Robin liked 
but Larissa had already kicked his ass.  Hey, it's got a story line.  
Well they square off and Larissa begins throwing the little tyke around 
like a dirty sock.  Robin was game enough but no chance.  Looking at the 
flyers from Joan Wise, it appears that Larissa had just recently 
appeared on the scene and wrestled only men at the beginning.  All of 
them were small, some even smaller than Robin.  After her match with 
Robin she took apart some more small men.  She went the bleached wild 
hair blonde look and beefed up to an awesome 185 pounds.  She did 9 or 
10 videos with Joan Wise that I am aware of.  I think that the ones 
against Thea Bennington and Kris Lubke might be the only competitive 
matches, while the rest are ass whippings for her opponents.  I know 
that she did another video at Leather and Lace.  Her and Karla put a 
hurting on some small punk.  Bent him like a pretzel.  Mass Muscle is 
another good vendor to check out for some action on Laura.  She did some 
posing videos that look absolutely awesome.  The time is around summer 
or fall of 94.  Laura is packing 190 to 195 pounds of some solid looking 
muscle on her 5'9" frame!  That is a lot of woman.  Some of the videos 
are mixed where the guys see how well they can take the Python Princess' 
scissors.  I would say they fared pretty poorly by the flyers 
appearances.  She did one competitive match for Mass Muscle that I know 
of.  Against a lady named Kathy.  Think it is the same Kathy you can 
find on Iron Belles of America webpage.  Both Amazons are the same 
height but Laura has Kathy by 20 pounds.  According to the description, 
Kathy more than holds her own and some of the pictures back up that 
statement.  Looks good either way you look at it.  Like I said, Premier 
was the first time I saw her on video but seemed she didn't like the 
experience because it was quite some time before she worked with them 
again.  She showed up on a flyer looking tan and blonde and powerful.  
They first pit her against a "little" powerhouse called Trevelyan, who 
stood 5'2" and weighed a solid 140 pounds.  Larissa tipped the scales at 
183.  That is 43 pounds and 7 inches to give up to a very experience 
wrestler.  The one photo shows Larissa with her massive thighs around 
Trevelyan's waist while the powerful blonde's rock hard arms held onto 
her opponents wrists.  The look on Trevelyan's face is one of pain and 
anguish.  The same flyer also advertised a mixed match video.  The tan 
Amazon took on Tom who has had his ass whipped in many of Premier's 
videos.  I think he is the owner.  Guess it is his right to wrestle all 
those beautiful women.  Can I be a stand in for a few videos?  Anyway, 
the description states and I quote ".try out Tom vs. The much larger 
Larissa, who at 5'10", 183 lbs. Is stronger than ever!  They don't call 
her the "Python Princess" for nothing, and you will see some bone 
crushing scissors holds by thighs that can snap logs!  When you hear his 
voice and see his face along with his desperate waves of submission, 
you'll know that here is a man in serious trouble.  His defeat is 
complete and devastating."  Maybe, I will pass up being a stand in.  
Next video, she wrestles that guy I already told you about.  Great 
video.  After that comes another all out mixed match against some dude 
named Mike.  According to the description he knows what he is about and 
they match up in size, 5'10" & 170 lbs.  But it still says his butt was 
kicked.  Laura shows up again about 30 videos later and I have to repeat 
the description verbatim "This video may have set the world record for 
the number of submissions earned by a female over a male in a 40 minute 
match.  The 180 lb. Python Princess (as she likes to call herself) is 
utterly unstoppable against Dave, punishing the 145 lb. Male with every 
awesome ounce of her strength in all of the most vicious holds.  The 
bout includes what we believe is the most powerful headlock we've 
witnessed in 10 years of filming.  And her legs?  By now we don't 
question it when Laura states confidently that she can reduce any man to 
mincemeat between her thighs-instantly!  If you are into the ultimate 
female superior scene, this one's for you.  Laura appears stronger every 
time we filmed her.  No other female wrestler dares to challenge her on 
the mat.  Only a few males who can handle getting their ego's bruised, 
and their butts kicked, are crazy enough to try!"  Now how does that 
sound as an ass whupping of the first order?  The pictures that goes 
along with the words show a figure four headlock, a couple different 
versions of rear and front head scissors and that awesome head lock they 
were talking about.  Kenstar is another company to check out to see the 
mighty Laura Vukov.  There she takes on another legend, Tigra!  Yes!  
What a barn burner that must be.  Both women are some of the most 
experienced on the scene that I know of.  I don't know who won but I 
really wouldn't care.  Kenstar also did something I have never seen 
before.  A mixed tag team match.  Laura and a massive male vs Tigra and 
a equally massive male.  And all the wrestlers were in the 175-205 
weight class.  That is another I want for my files.  Those are all the 
videos that I know of dealing with the Python Princess.  Premier stated 
that no female wrestler would challenge her, well in the past year there 
has been an explosion of BIG talent on the scene who might give Laura a 
run for her money.  Joanne Lee is the first one that comes to mind.  The 
blonde Brit does not have the experience but she definitely has the 
power and the determination to use it.  What about Afrika/Tania?  Size 
and strength and talent.  Then there is Rayne from Iron Belles of 
Atlanta.  Big at 5'11 and 190 pounds with over 10 years of experience.  
The list grows daily.  But I guess we will just have to dream and 
fantasize and hope for a return from retirement.  Laura if you read this 
I hope you are doing well and I wish you all the best for the future.  I 
will certainly regret that I never felt the might of the Python 
Princess.