Barbie Mayfield vs. Paulina Persenko

The matchup between homegrown ACW star Barbie Mayfield and European star Paulina Persenko would have significant implications for the promotion as the two would battle for the top contender’s spot for the Inter-Condominium title. Barbie, confident in her recent success, took the battle to her opponent. With both having large lower torsos, Mayfield tried to use her quickness to keep Persenko off-balance. She began peppering Paulina with kicks to the legs and side. When Persenko finally began to defend herself when Mayfield abruptly dropkicked her off of her feat, a move rarely used in apartment wrestling. With Persenko grounded, Mayfield began her strategy of keeping the Polish Powerhouse off of her feet and working defensively. Paulina attempted to battle back and regain her footing so Mayfield stepped directly on her opponents’ head. Persenko, rather than howling in pain, began howling with laughter.

Mayfield, still in control, was puzzled with Persenko’s behavior. She recovered her composure and began working on Persenko’s legs and back, alternately stomping and kicking her. Persenko again laughed hysterically as she attempted to get out of Mayfield’s clutches, but Barbie held firm, wrenching Paulina’s arm upwards, while pulling the Polish girl’s crisscrossed ankles forward. Mayfield started shouting for Persenko to tap out but Paulina was having none of it.

Rolling to her right, Paulina used Barbie’s leverage and balance against her, pulling her crashing down onto her shoulder. With a vice-like grip around Mayfield’s waist, she began squeezing as hard as she could. With each effort to squeeze Barbie, Paulina would let out a grunt of satisfaction, again laughing and laughing. Mayfield, although not in a lot of pain, also knew she was having difficulty escaping. Each attempt to get out of Paulina’s clutches prompted more howls of laughter.

Finally, Persenko stopped laughing and got deadly serious, twisting Mayfield’s wrist painfully, causing Barbie to spin away from the pain. That strategy worked to perfection as Mayfield spun just enough for Paulina to get Mayfield face down on the carpet, with her left arm pulling Barbie’s left arm backwards and her right arm pulling her opponent’s left leg forward. With her appendages moving in different directions, Mayfield immediately knew she had no way out and she quickly began calling out “I quit, I quit.”

Though the battle was brief, it was a great one with both women employing their best skills. In this match, Persenko used a submission hold to bolster her brute strength. For Barbie it was back to the drawing board and for Paulina, it was back to the practice mats as she was now in line for an IC title shot. With a future uncertain, she had certainly made a positive impression in the present.