Freida Pinto vs. Natalie Portman

I had a bit more cleaning up to do after that match. Remove blood-stained sand, clean up the mat—so there was a small delay before the next match. I also had the added pleasure of serving the spectators a light snack and gave out bottled water to the remaining competitors. Some off the ladies stepped out for a spell to get some proper lunch. Lucky them. Everyone else was too enthralled by the events in the ring.

Freida stood out in stark contrast to Natalie, taller, darker and with an innocent smile, Natalie’s short, pale and serious face made them seem like night and day with inverted emotional attributes.

But I’m probably reading too much into that.

Freida had height and youth, Natalie had willpower beyond the norm and quite a head on her shoulders. Freida’s enthusiasm clashed headlong into Natalie’s feints, ducks and counterstrikes. It took some doing, but this strategy wore down Freida’s energy something fierce.

But she kept a slight smile regardless, and it actually began to infect Natalie. It wasn’t a smile of impending victory, but a smile of enjoyment. They were having fun.

With Freida unable to keep up with Natalie’s dancer-like strikes, she was wide open when Natalie moved in for the kill. Natalie bounced off the ropes and passed Freida by, but on the return trip, she leapt onto the girl, latched her legs around Freida’s head and swung her to the ground with a hurricanrana.

Following that, she hauled the partially inert Hindi woman to the turnbuckle, and with a grunt off effort, hauled Freida up to the top, rope by rope. Natalie slammed her elbow into Freida’s head twice once she got her to the top to make sure she stayed there.

Natalie hopped down, took a few steps back and with a centering breath, charged the corner. She grabbed the middle rope, flipped up and locked a head-scissors on Freida and threw her to the ground in a head scissors takedown. But as Freida fell, Natalie remained connected to the ropes. Freida landed on her back near the center of the ring while Natalie prepared her follow up.

She spun around, reaching the top rope and took for the skies with an impressive body splash, which hit Freida square on her chest. I dare say, it was almost a 69 position when Natalie landed.

This unorthodox landing didn’t do Natalie much good either as she rolled a bit away after their mutual bounce from the impact. Freida however, had her eyes shut and her mouth open, gulping breath like a fish.

Natalie hooked the leg, called or a pin and 3 seconds later, had herself a win. Freida was actually helped up by Natalie after the match and they sat together for the final match of the day.