No hype was necessary for the rematch between ACW champion Heaven and top contender Daniella Cartier. The two met in the summer of 2001 in what was recently voted “ACW Match of the Year.” In addition to the outstanding action, the match created a great deal of discussion because of the way it ended. Cartier dominated much of the match, overpowering Heaven and dictating the pace of the match. With her title belt in jeopardy, Heaven stomped on Daniella’s foot, then rolling her up for the pin. While technically a foul on her part, the stomp was not sufficient to award Cartier the title.
Daniella Cartier spent the next 12 months stewing over the loss and planning for a rematch. Her training was derailed when she suffered major injuries in an automobile accident. She recently returned to action, preparing for another shot at the champion.
The match started out at a brisk pace with Heaven taking charge immediately. Her attack placed Cartier on the defensive, backing away from the champion. Heaven delivered several blows to Daniella’s midsection and legs, varying her targets and keeping her opponent off balance.
Cartier appeared shell-shocked by the sudden barrage, and it appeared that the months away from training may have left her rusty and tentative. With confusion in Cartier’s eyes, Heaven continued to press the attack.
Cartier, realizing she was in trouble, tried desperately to hang on, hoping the champion would run out of steam. Heaven instead turned up the pace a few notches. Changing her game plan, she moved from throwing strikes to using submission holds to press Cartier face and upper torso into the ground.
With frustration building, Cartier thrashed about, flailing her arm, hoping to catch the champion with a lucky blow. As Heaven pressed farther, Cartier’s reach became limited. Heaven leaned in and placed her weight into Cartier’s back, sapping the challengers strength. With one final surge of energy, Cartier grabbed at Heaven’s arm, but missed, grasping her bikini top instead.
Daniella felt Heaven loosen her hold momentarily in order to prevent her breasts from being exposed. In that instant, Cartier saw an opening. Continuing to pull Heaven’s bikini top forward, she swung Heaven down to the ground, grinding her head and face into the floor.
Now found in a compromised position, the champion felt her strength ebb, no longer sustained by the heightened adrenaline that had been coursing through her body. Daniella, sensing that, seemed to gain Heaven’s strength. Placing a knee in Heaven’s back, she pulled her by the hair, alternating between releasing her like a rag doll and pulling her taut.
The challenge went to work on the champion’s back, effectively wearing her down minute by minute. Riding her back, Cartier carefully measured her opponent, cautiously assuring that she wouldn’t leave any opening for the champion. Heaven, on the verge of collapse, staggered under Cartier weight, momentarily swooning forward. Cartier knew that in only a few more moments, Heaven would collapse from exhaustion and prepared to patiently wait.
As she waited, Daniella felt an unsettling feeling about waiting for Heaven’s body to give out. Seeking to win the match like a champion, Cartier decided not to wait. Falling backwards, she pulled Heaven’s arms backwards, while using her legs to keep the champion’s lower torso pinned. Pulling forcefully, she stretched Heaven, placing extraordinary pressure on her abdomen, ribs and shoulders. Weakly, Heaven gasped “I quit!”
The match was indicative of the last year. Heaven battled from the beginning, trying to control the action, just as she had tried to control that events of her life. Daniella, however, had had a year to focus, plan and dedicate herself to this one match and as the clock ticked on, everything seemed to fall in place for her.
“I lived for this moment,” said the new champion, just moments after the match. “In fact, I li9ved this moment over and over in my hand for almost a year. Now that I won the belt, I kind of don’t know how to feel. I guess I just want to defend the belt as well as Heaven did. She was a great champion!”
Heaven had no comment after the match. Sources close to her say that she will definitely take some time of from apartment wrestling and has other matters to attend to. ACW CEO Tanako X commented, saying “Despite the events and controversy over the last year, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have Heaven in ACW. No matter what the future holds for her, she’ll always have a place in ACW.”
The full, unedited photoset for this match is available here.
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