Vanessa Cade [vs] Lennox Laroux

Being employed by the biggest wrestling company in the world still felt like some kind of a strange dream for Lennox Laroux, the newest diva signee straight out of Saint-Pierre, Canada. It was fair to say that like Lennox’s sport of choice, the IWF was a male-dominated company, and to stand out in this company she would have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. However, it wasn’t like that was anything new from her usual standards of operation anyway. The curse of being born with a pretty face meant that being taken seriously was almost always out of question. But this week, making her debut on Battle Grounds, Lennox would be encountering someone who faced the same challenges that Lennox knew, almost to the ‘t.’ Vanessa Cade was another Canadian woman, albeit not from a French territory like Lennox, who specialized in submission wrestling. In one of the few differences between Lennox and Vanessa, Lennox was a first-generation diva, while Vanessa was a second-generation wrestler. This sport was in her bloodline, and while that was something that certainly had the newest addition to the roster a bit uneasy, it wasn’t going to be that defining thing that sent her home. She’d worked so hard for five long years to be taken seriously, to perfect and fine tune her craft. There was no way that Vanessa Cade was going to be the one that made Lennox look to be a liar when she was determined to prove that this was the career path in life that she was destined to take. With no personal vendettas between them, it was ironic that Battle Grounds was a very appropriate name for this event. It didn’t matter who stood across the ring from Lennox, friend or foe, if they were going to allow themselves to be an obstacle in the way of Lennox’s prosperity, then for at least the duration of the match, Vanessa could consider herself Lennox’s arch nemesis. What would happen afterwards? Only fate could tell. But one thing was certain; Battle Grounds would prove to be incredibly fruitful for the Ultra Fierce Femme Fetale.

" Mon nom est Lennox Laroux. Je suis accablé par la malédiction de la grandeur. "

These words are coated by a sultry French accent. There are a few clips from some smaller federations featuring a young, curvaceous Canadian girl who seems to be the only constant in a series of changing promotions and opponents. She lets out war cries as she ties her opponents into knots, utilizing what appears to be a unique arsenal of submission-style moves. We finally come to a live-action shot of the girl who is responsible for these words: a petite girl with long, flowing, caramel-colored tresses done in loose curls underneath an embroidered cap, a practically skin-colored top with the tie securely done under her hefty breasts, and sky blue skinny-cut jeans. Around her neck is a Dolce and Gabbana necklace. She speaks, translating what the voice over had said.

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" My name is Lennox Laroux. I was burdened with the curse of greatness. From the day I was brought into this world, I was expected to be great, and that will remain with me until the day that I die. Why do I make these big claims? Only because they are very true. I was raised in an exceptional home. No divorce, no abuse, no adversity. Some may say that that would make me a dull person…but I would like to call the term ‘privileged.’ I’ve always had support in everything I wanted to do: from ballet, to gymnastics, to modeling, and everything in between ... until wrestling came along. "

She giggled a bit as we play a few more clips of some expert chain-style wrestling between a younger Lennox and an unknown local person, or at least that’s what we can best assume. These clips don’t last very long before we fade back onto Lennox.

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" It was not considered very ladylike, despite my passion to become the greatest wrestler not just out of Canada, or North America, but on the face of the planet. I’ve been involved with the wrestling business for half a decade now. Five years of my life, I’ve dedicated myself to my training. But since the day that this sport was introduced to me, it was love at first sight. This is everything I love. Physicality while giving my personality a chance to shine through, and allowing me to make the difference in this world I can. It is my goal not just to win championships, but to do something truly important: to be that role model, to be that poster on a little girl’s wall so when she looks at her mother, she says: ‘I wanna be just like her!’ It’s a long journey, but after five years of pure dedication, I’m ready to take that first step. But, it doesn’t look like I’m alone in doing that. "

Licking her teeth a bit, she crossed a long leg over the other and cupped her hands into her lap. Despite being in what was considered a very brutish sport, Lennox still managed to keep as classy as possible. She would definitely stick out like a sore thumb in the IWF, but she thrived on being the center of attention and having the spotlight on her. Sticking out wasn’t always a bad thing.

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" Vanessa Cade has made quite a big name for herself, coming to the IWF from another company that has now closed. She made a very big impression last week in a ladder match against Parker Wade where she won the IWF Full-Throttle Championship. No easy feat, especially not in a debut match, and it is a pretty intimidating accolade to know that your opponent holds over your head. The way I see it? IWF either has a lot of faith in me, or wants to see me fail. My debut, my unveiling, on Battle Grounds is going to be one that either makes my career or breaks it in two. One thing I can say that I’ve seen plenty of times is champions start to get comfortable and take the ‘up and comers’ in the company like they’re anything but a threat. I want it to be known that I don’t want her to do that, because I don’t want her to have ANY excuses. I don’t want there to be any rhyme or reason she can spout off about why she ‘wasn’t ready’ to compete against me. She took some nasty falls last week and has the battle scars to remember ‘em by, but champ? Endurer! Prove that you’re the champ for a reason. There’s always someone looking to knock you off your pedestal, no? "

The Saint-Pierre native giggled a bit, giving her head a little toss to fluff out her sandy tresses. Lennox stared at the camera with her bedroom eyes, pursing her lips.

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" I can only hope that Vanessa doesn’t consider my words disrespectful. We’ve both been in this business for a very long time. And frankly, some may even consider her being in this business a birthright! But, all of the titles, and accolades, and trophies may be impressive, but at the end of the day, they are nothing but material possessions that are a result of skill. I see the skill behind the accolade. Clearly, Vanessa knows what she’s doing. But there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s nowhere near as passionate as I am. Nobody is. Everything I’ve ever done has been for this business! It may be her lineage but it is my lifeblood! C'est tout ce que j'ai toujours voulu! "

Lennox’s tone of voice is almost one of a pleading voice. It’s clear that she is incredibly passionate about this business and every aspect involved in it, so much that she can’t resist speaking her first language: French. Taking a moment to contain herself, Lennox speaks in a much calmer voice than before.

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" I can say with every ounce of honesty in me that if anybody on this roster can go toe-to-toe, and tit-for-tat with Vanessa Cade, it’s me. I like to believe we share the same drive. I can’t say that I’m going to dominate the match, or that she’s not going to go out there with the mission of making me nothing more than a footnote in this company’s history on the same wavelength as Isabella Jean. But, what I can say is that you only get one chance to make a first impression. I intend to make the most of it. You’re going to see a match that involves two girls with similar backgrounds and training styles putting on a wrestling clinic and quite possibly tying one another in knots for the amusement of the fans. This match is going to prove who the true submission specialist of the female division is. I don’t plan on letting this opportunity slip through my fingers. "

There’s a brief pause as the apples of Lennox’s cheeks slowly curl upwards, a little smile crossing her pretty face.

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" Vanessa, I know you’re watching this. You’re a smart girl. If you take anything from my words, take these: unlike you, not everything I do relies on what shade of Clairol I’ve put in my hair. I won’t be silent, and I know you won’t. I plan on twisting and tying you into a pretzel and making you tap out. Not that it’s anything personal, and not to spread any sort of message, but to prove to myself that I CAN. I refuse to let you be the one that gets away. I refuse to let you tear my career down before I even begins. I’m too proud for that. I will be coming to Detroit, Motor City Paradise, and in Detroit, that’s where you face Paradis Perdu. Prepare yourself, champ. "

With a catty wink, the camera begins to pull away from Lennox and go into some of the clips on the reel that was showing before we faded in on her. Laroux is a new name with a lot to prove, against a very big name. After working so hard to prove that she was more than just a pretty face, Lennox needed to flourish, not fail. That would be much easier said, than done. But she couldn’t give up. She needed to try, and more importantly…she needed to succeed.