The mixed wrestling tournament A battle of the sexes As a member of a women's wrestling club, I recently came up with what I thought would be an exciting event for members of the club to participate and view. We had just completed a Tournament of Champions Event, with the top two women in each weight class vying for bragging rights of the club. This proved to be so successful that the owners wanted to stage another event in order to maintain interest in the two year old organization. It was my brilliant idea to suggest a mixed wrestling tournament. We would pit the winners of the previous contest against men within the same weight class. The suggestion was well received so we set out to find men willing to participate in the challenge. We selected five weight classes in which to hold the tournament. Fly-weight(Up to 125 lbs.), Light-weight(126-150 lbs.), Middle-weight(151-175 lbs.), Heavy- weight(176-200 lbs), and an Open Category(Over 200 lbs.). Our female contestants would be formidable opponents to any average man, even the fly-weight champion, who was so aggressive and quick that all who viewed her in the female tournament agreed, she could hold her own against a much larger opponent. It took awhile, but we eventually were able to field a contingent of men to grapple with our warrior women. Rather than choose sitting duck opponents, we selected male athletes in fine condition, and as many as possible who had some wrestling experience. The most difficult contestants to find were in the Fly-weight and Light-weight Classes, with many of the men we approached being either too wimpy or unwilling to face what they perceived as a no-win situation. When all was said and done, we came up with what we beleived to be a decent slate of contestants to face our female champions. Tickets sold within the club immediately, and members sold them "on the street" quickly enough to hold the contest in less than two weeks. It was a sold out event in our auditorium which capacitated an audience of more than five hundred. Each match would be held in a ring with either a best of five fall format or a forfeited submission. Each match would be ruled by a referee. We had chosen a former NCAA Ref. Although Collegiate rules did not exist, he was there to maintain control over the match. Aside from biting, hair-pulling, punching, and kicking; there would be no holds barred. The first match was set as were our combatants in the Fly-weight division. Our champion, Cyn-Dee was performing back flips and cartwheels waiting for the match to begin. At 5' - 1", 105 lbs, this former gymnast and dancer was pumped and ready to go. Her opponent, Dave was a former High School wrestler, standing 5' - 5'' and weighing 128 lbs. We found it difficult to find a male within the 125 lb limit and Cyn-Dee agreed to the matchup stating that it made no difference to her whether she gave away 20 or 23 lbs. The announcer for the tournament approached the center of the ring and called the contestants toward him. He explained the rules to each and asked them to shake hands and return to their corners. During the introduction of the fighters, Dave appeared to be nervous and hesitant about his decision. Who wouldn't? Looking at Cyn-Dee, it was evident she was in top condition and very sure of her ability. Dressed in a tight yellow body suit, every curve of her athletic body was accentuated. although her upper body was not extremely defined by muscle she was well toned and her legs were obviously powerful from her gymnastics and dancing experience. Coupled with the flexibility she demonstrated in her warm-ups, Dave had every reason to appear worried. Her long auburn hair was pulled into a high pony-tail which bounced from one side of her head to the other as she casually strutted back to her corner. Her confidence was in stark contrast to that of her male counterpart. The announcer welcomed the guests to the event, expaining the format and rules for the matches, ending his speach with the all to familiar, "Let's get ready to rumble." Tension and anticipation mounted in the auditorium as everyone awaited the outcome of this five person tournament which would go a long way to proving superiority in the long standing battle of the sexes. The bell rang for the opening fall and as each combatant approached one another, a loud roar raged through the arena, about seventy-five percent of which were males. Dave's trepidition had not subsided as he and Cyn-Dee squared off for the first time, and it was evident as she quickly charged him and before he had a chance to react, found himself on the canvas, upended by a speedy arm drag, tumbling over her firmly planted right leg. Not releasing his arm, Cyn-Dee forced him over on his stomach, applying a brutal arm-bar and planted her left knee firmly into the small of his back. Dave screamed loudly, bringing the roar of the crowd to a sudden and deafening quiet. He quickly waved his free arm to signal his submission of the first fall. Cyn-Dee released him and performed a back flip, emphasising her triumph. A jubilant smile adorned her pretty face as she returned to her corner to high fives from the other four equally jubilant female contestants. Dave slowly picked himself up from the center of the ring and returned to his corner, obviously stunned and shaken, as it had taken only seconds for the former wrestling star to be humbled by a much smaller female opponent. It may have been the best way for the match to start for him however, as his anxiety had now turned to a look of retaliation. Several men in the audience snickered, others booed Dave for his quick defeat, while every woman exhuberantly cheered the outcome. It was One to Nothing in the first match and the referee signalled the contestants to prepare for fall number two. The bell rang, and the combatants stalked each other for a second time. This time Dave's caution was evident as he tried to avoid another quick embarrassment. They circled each other several times, Dave frantically trying to stay away from Cyn-Dee and wait for the right opportunity. It was humorous to watch the larger male wrestling star react with such caution. The crowd quickly tired of his tactics and began to jeer him. This caught Dave off guard, and at that precise moment, Cyn-Dee drove his legs and upended him on his back a second time. They struggled together for several seconds before our female warrior wrapped her powerful legs around his mid-section. She struggled briefly, but was able to maneuver his arm behind his back positioning herself to execute a devastating two-pronged attack. Once again Cyn-Dee was grinning proudly realizing the futility of his position, while Dave frantically struggled to free himself. The harder he struggled, the worse position he kept putting himself into. Cyn-Dee intermittantly squeezed his lower torso and pulled up an his arm, forcing a cry of desparation with each thrust. Asking Dave for his submission with each attack. Dave kept refusing her request, stammering there was no way he would give up to her again. "Poor choice", Cyn-Dee replied as she arched her back, pulling his arm and squeezing in tandem. Every muscle in her rippled legs constricted as his arm was pulled way above its natural extension. Dave began screaming, the terror in his voice obvious. Just then the referee stepped in and brought the second fall to a halt, pulling Cyn- Dee from her defeated male opponent and raising her arm in victory. The ref proclaimed our beautiful gladiator the champion of the match, citing Dave's inability to contain her attack. Dave continued to groan on the mat and was unable to lift himself in any defense. The decision was the correct one and clear to everyone in attendance. Cyn-Dee performed her patented back flip and raised both her arms in victory as the women in the audience stood to give her a standing ovation. It took Dave ten minutes to pull himself from the ring. It was later discovered he had two cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. So much for male superiority, in the fly-weight division at least. The female dancer and gymnast had just annihilated a twenty percent larger male wrestling star at his own sport. FEMALES: 1 MALES: 0 We hoped the Light-weight match would prove to be more even. Everyone was shocked at the ease with which Cyn-Dee proved herself in humiliating Dave. If there was one match which we suspected a male victory without doubt, it was the next one. Rick was an Olympic class weight lifting contender in the state of Minnesota. At One Hundred and Forty-nine pounds, he was abe to lift up to four hundred pounds. His bulk would make it hard for our female contestant to perform as Cyn-Dee just had, although Rick was somewhat slow, both physically and mentally. Jaime was Five Feet, nine inches in stature and One Hundred and thirty- five pounds, and quick as lightning. Her victory at the women's championship was due largely to tiring out her smaller opponent before administering the final pin. Jaime had perfected her technical wrestling skills, but we doubted that she stood much of a chance against the mule we had chosen. The bell sounded, as Jaime approached with caution. We were correct in our assumption, as Rick picked Jaime off her feet and tossed her into the ropes with apparently no effort. Jaime slumped to the canvass as Rick jumped on top of her and pressed her shoulders firmly to the mat. After both competitors returned to their corners, the referee asked Jaime if she wanted to continue. She indicated that she would, although looking at Rick we considered calling it off. He was bouncing up and down, punching his right fist into his open left hand. We weren't sure if it was his low IQ or the results of our last match which had him so hungry for blood, as the look in his eyes suggested. The bell rang for the second fall to begin and Rick charged Jaime like a mad bull. Jaime had regained her compsure by this time and easily side- stepped the buffoon. He crashed into the ropes where Jaime wrapped the top rope behind his head and the middle rope under his neck. He struggled to free himself, but before he could, Jaime lifted his feet off the mat and slammmed them down again. The entire sequence took only about three seconds, but the move actually freed Rick from the ropes. His composure was not so good however, as he rolled on the ground in obvious pain. The laughter in the crowd was overwhelming, which only seemed to incense Rick. The referee blew his whistle to continue the match. Once again, Rick attacked Jaime and once again she was able to avoid him with her speed. This happened several times before Rick began to tire and moved much slower. The time was right for Jaime as she quickly maneuvered from one side of him to the other. Each move she made confused him more, and in a matter of a minute and a half she was able to either flip or trip him a half dozen times. Her skill was magnificent, however she was unable to apply any winning holds on the brute. Eventually Rick was able to apply another pin to the leggy beauty after many minutes of avoiding his brute strength. Jaime decided she had enough, not wanting to injure herself. It took close to fifteen minutes for the most likely outcome to be decided. Afterward Rick admitted to beating up guys over two hundred pounds alot easier than beating Jaime. The sweat emitting from his his body and the strain of his face proved it was no easy task. FEMALES: 1 MALES: 1 The middle-weight division proved to be very exciting and surprising. Our female contestant was the most complete athlete in the field. At 5' - 10'', 160 lbs., Rianne was an absolute lethal beauty. She excelled in numerous sports throughout her life, winning many trophies and awards. At the tender age of 22 she had accomplished more than most people in a lifetime. Her body was a finely tuned machine, having participated in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, track & field, as well as several martial arts. Dressed in a one piece pink bathing suit, she looked awesome. Her latest sport was beach volleyball at which she was dominant. Rianne had taken to wrestling at eighteen, when an old boyfriend asked her to practice with him so he could stay sharp between practices and tournaments. she said she started slowly but eventually learned many holds and maneuvers before she was able to dominate him on a regular basis. This became the reason for the ending of their relationship. Rianne's wavy blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders as she entered the ring to meet her awestruct opponent. James was no slouch himself. 6' in height and 174 lbs got him in just under the weight regulations for the match. A point guard in basketball and first baseman in baseball, he was also a well rounded athlete. The betting line on this match looked to be a crap shoot. James however, appeared both anxious to get his hands on our lovely wrestlerette, and nervous at the same time. The announcements and introduction of the fighters was complete and both were ready for action. The audience was glued to the ring as a heavy silence fell over the auditorium. No one knew for sure what was in store for this match. Was it possible that our beautiful star could compete with her bigger male foe? After having witnessed the prior two bouts, no one in the arena doubted it. The bell rang and what promised to be the most entertaining and sexiest match was under way. Rianne bounced around the ring like a professional boxer, waiting for the right time to strike. Her large breasts bounced as she did, which seemed to preoccupy James as well as every other male in attendance. Rianne capitalized on this opportunity, grabbing James and executing a powerful cross body toss. James landed on the canvass with a loud thud. Rianne's martial arts training was evident. Her speed, agility, and power surprised James and many of the fans, but none of us who had witnessed her prowess in the female tournament. James was slow to recover. He rose from the mat clutching his back but Rianne allowed him to regain his composure, such was her confidence. James was beginning to look worried and tried to avoid the powerful glamazon. The audience was going wild in anticipation of what would happen next. Rianne saw to it they didn't have to wait long, as she closed in on James like a cat to its' prey. She cornered him against the ropes and James seemed not to know what to do. They locked hands at eye level, each trying to gain the upper hand. They struggled for nearly a minute with neither gaining control of the situation. This was the major turning point in the match because while everyone was aware of Rianne's athletice ability and lower body strength, most considered that James would be superior in the upper body. Such was not so, and this seemed to be the nail in James' coffin. Whatever confidence he showed earlier was now gone and Rianne began to force him back into the ropes, his back arching over the top rope. The momentum of the match was definitely in Rianne's corner as she held him there for several seconds, smiling at his compromising position. She then pressed her entire body against his, her breasts firmly planted in his chest. James tried to fight her off but was unable to do so. His hands were bent back behind his shoulders and he had no leverage to fight her off. In a flash, Rianne released his hands, and before he had a chance to recover, she slipped her right arm under his left, spun and threw him to the middle of the ring. He crashed hard and bounced a coupled of times before rolling flat on his back. Rianne was on him in no time, although I don't think it mattered because James was not moving real fast by this time. He was moaning like a baby with a sore stomach as she straddled his prone body. Rianne sat squarely on his lower torso and grabbed his wrists, stretching them over his head. He was pinned and wasn't going to be able to release himself. She then pressed her breasts firmly into his face, blocking his supply of oxygen. The referee fell to the mat and counted to three, signalling victory for Rianne. All the women and many men in the audience were screaming wildly for this goddess of the ring. However, Rianne was not satisfied with the easy pin. She then wrapped her legs around his, applying a tight and extremely painful grapevine. She poured every ounce of energy and her powerful body into the hold, bringing screams of submission from the beaten and humiliated male. He cried that he couldn't continue and begged for mercy. This is what Rianne wanted. She accepted his submission of the match and rolled off him. As she stood, she placed her foot atop his chest and raised her arms in victory while James was unable to move his tortured body. The crowd went wild, many in attendance bowing deeply to Rianne in a show of worship. So far through three matches, none had gone the distance. This latest display of female superiority had lasted only four and a half minutes. Rianne in complete control the entire time FEMALES: 2 MALES: 1 The heavy-weight match was set to begin. Jean was our only African- American to participate in the tournament. She had destroyed her opponent in the female tournament and all wondered if the result of this match against her male foe would be any different. At 6' - 1", 185 lbs., Jean was an athlete of amazonian proportions. An all-american athlete in College, she excelled at Javelin and the long jump. Her hobbies were as anchor for a women's tug-o-war team and wrestling, which we all knew of her exploits. For all her physical attributes, she was also a very pretty woman. Her high cheek bones and piercing eyes gave the impression of having Native-American bloodlines. Jean's opponent for the match was Ray. At 5' -11", 190 lbs, they presented the most evenly matched pair of the night. Based on what we had previously witnessed, we all wondered if she wouldn't destroy him in no time. It was becoming evident that pound for pound, our males were no match for our skilled female wrestlers. During the introductions, Ray had to look up to eye Jean. It was the only duel in which the woman was taller than her male counterpart. One of the audience members yelled out, "Do you want to give up now or face destruction like James and Dave." Laughter erupted as Ray speared his middle finger in the air at the loudmouth. Ray was cocky and had a wrestling background. He was a construction worker in very good shape and not at all intimidated by Jean, believing as he did in male superiority. Ray's cockiness came to a sudden end as the match got under way. Jean wrapped her powerful arms around his midsection, squeezed, lifted him off his feet and slammed him to the mat. She landed with her full weight on top of him, knocking the wind from his lungs. Ray was an easy 1-2-3 count. It took several minutes before he recovered but stated his intention to continue. "She'll have to beat me three times, because I aint quitten." He vowed. Jean flexed her muscles in her corner taunting Ray that she was only warming up and he better offer more resistance if he wanted to remain in one piece. Ray took the initiative to begin the second fall, charging Jean but she easily tripped him onto the floor and held him under control before sliding her mammoth legs around his head. We all knew right away we were only seconds from a 2-0 lead for Jean. The female giggles of delight from the audience were witness to that, as many of the men in attendance could only shake their heads in disbelief at the turn of events. Jean was able to snake her top leg under Ray's chin before beginning to squeeze. It was obvious he was finished as his face turned to a deep crimson and the veins in his forehead began to bulge. Jean's leg muscles rippled and looked like steeely vice grips. Being able to leg press 300lbs for ten reps, there was no way Ray was going to break her hold. Her white string bikini contrasted against her sweaty taut dark body in an unbelievable display of strength and domination. Ray wouldn't offer a submission so Jean continued to constrict her legs against his neck. He was kicking his legs and gasping for air, but just before the referee stepped in to end it, his body fell limp. Jean's unbreakable hold had caused Ray to pass out due to lack of oxygen. The arena fell silent not knowing the diagnosis. However he was breathing and within five minutes he began to stir. Unable to continue, and fully aware of his futility against the Ebony Princess of Power, Ray staggered over to Jean and raised her hand in victory. In the center of the ring, Ray took the microphone and vowed to never underestimate the power of a woman again. "She beat me. I was no match for her. This experience has changed my attitude forever" FEMALES: 3 MALES: 1 The three female victors entered the ring, raised their arms in victory and bowed to the crowd to express their appreciation and to pose for what was now a victory of woman over man. Although their was still the open category to be determined, the men could not overtake their female counterparts to win the contest and the girls were showing their stuff to the delighted women in the arena, all of which stood and gave them a standing ovation. Many of the men in the crowd also joined in to express their admiration. Several men in attendance got up and left to much jeering and needling from their mates and others. Jean centered Rianne and Cyn-Dee. Standing beside Jean, it was hard to imagine that Cyn-Dee with her diminutive stature, had just annhialated Dave. Jean stood a full foot taller and outweighed Cyn-Dee by 80 lbs, but each woman had quite easily handled their male foes. Even Jaime had given the much more powerful Rick all he could handle and was probably ahead on points when she decided not to continue. Our male contestant was ready to take his place in the ring when the women left to loud cheers. Carl was a big man but not real athletic looking. He stood 6' - 3", and weighed 240 lbs. He had no specific muscle definition and was more flabby than anything. Our only problem concerning the open-weight class was that we never had a specified female heavy enough to contend at an equal size. We decided to ask both Rianne and Jean if they would be interested in taking on Carl. Jean indicated her interest, however she felt that having just finished her match she might not be ready to go again so soon. To our amazement, Rianne was more than willing to get into the ring and show her stuff again. We introduced both fighters and reprised them and the fans of the rules. Most in the audience doubted Rianne's ability to go against the big guy. They must have had short memories since she had just recently disposed of James in no time and he was in much better condition than Carl. Even so, standing next to him, Rianne was dwarfed in size, giving away 80 lbs and 5 inches. With all that against her, she seemed not the least bit worried. As the match was about to begin, the three other females contestants gathered around Rianne's corner for moral support and to lead the cheers. Already confident in her ability, this show of support sparked Rianne even more as she began to dance around the ring taunting Carl to make his first move. Slow on his feet, Carl had a hard time keeping track of Rianne as she side stepped and back peddled faster than he could react to. Before he knew what was happening, she was directly behind him. Slipping her arm under his chin from behind, she twisted and hip tossed the much larger thug, creating a loud crashing thud. The girls at ringside went nuts, encouraging Rianne to keep it up. As Carl regained his footing, Rianne had once again maneuvered around him and as he caught site of her position, she had propelled herself off the ropes and was mid-flight toward him. Too slow to react, Rianne's parellel body crashed into Carl's chest sending him reeling backwards into the far ropes. The impact of the collision sent Carl sliding down the ropes on his ass. Rianne landed and rolled into a back somersault to a standing positon, all in one motion. Not wanting to waste the opportunity she had created for herself, Rianne assumed a martial arts stance and descended on Carl before he had a chance to react. As she approached, Carl began to shy away terrified of what she was up to. It was an awesome display to watch as the athletic but much smaller beauty had the heavyweight male quivering in fear. Rianne showed no fear for Carl as she yanked his arm and sent him sprawling to the middle of the ring. Her strength was never more evident, easily flinging the 240 lb mass of meat several feet. She continued her assault and in no more than twenty seconds had put Carl through a series of five or six body throws. Each toss was more beautiful and powerful than the last. On the final thrust, Carl had to have been elevated four feet in the air and the sound of impact told the story of what was to come. The thunderous crash and agonizing scream of pain brought to life the sudden and surprising ending of what most spectators thought would be a lopsided affair in the opposite direction. As Carl lay motionless in the center of the ring, Rianne stretched her voluptuous body across his chest. Scissoring his right arm with her legs, she grabbed his left arm and stretched it out for a full cross- body pin. Our entire contingent of girls went nuts as the referee counted the big guy out. Unable to move, he decided he could not continue the match, leaving the ring in obvious pain and degradation. At that point, everyone in attendance stood in unison for a standing ovation of respect to Rianne and the other girls. FEMALES: 4 MALES: 1 RIANNE: 2 MALES: 0 Rianne's 160 lb frame had just annhialated two men weighing in at a combined 415 lb and we didn't doubt she could have had them tag team her with the same result. She is a fabulous athlete and proof of how dominant a woman can be over most any man of equal and even larger size. Rianne was so pumped she challenged Dumb Rick to place his victory on the line against her. She wanted to make the tournament a complete female sweep. Apparently Rick wasn't as dumb as we thought because he quickly declined her challenge to much derision from both the female wrestlers and a large contingent of the audience. Altogether, our girls were outweighed in the tournament by close to 140 lbs. but were able to come away with a convincing and devastating victory over the so-called stronger sex of challengers. Before everyone departed for the evening, we invited all the girls into the ring to take a curtain call which they gladly relished, savoring their victories. The MC ended the night by declaring women the stronger sex and pound for pound unbeatable against an inferior male race. The curtain was drawn and everyone went home either happy, embarrassed, or amazed with the events of the evening. We are now considering an annual event, with more time to prepare and more promotion. However after witnessing the events of that night we may find it difficult to find male challengers. If we do, we will consider taping and marketing it. Wish us luck, it will definitely be an eye opener to the average person. MC