Artwork done by Loop_the_Jobber_Dog (over on FurAffinity), Frost is owned by FrostTiger (and by Leo in the ring for this match :-P) Big Leo is my character

So I did a House Match the other day for a local club. The pay was okay but the real reason I went for it was the scene. Places like this one here remind me of how I got my big start and I wanted to see how much that changed. I was happy to see that little had changed and what did change was to the better!

The one big thing was that the mats in this ring were in WAY better condition and thicker padded than they were in my day. Back when I was just in the indies, the mat was almost paper-thin and ratty and the wooden floor underneath it was really worn out. Both of these things got that way from lots and lots use and abuse. I still wince when I think about the giant splinter I got in my shoulder from taking a bad fall on one of those rickety old things. That also made me so glad to see current ring owners taking better care of their equipment, but that's probably thanks to the bad press the biz got thanks to bad accidents that happen in the ring. I'll call that a blessing in disguise.

Of course, the mat wasn't what I had to deal with today. I had an opponent that night that I wouldn't know about until we were both in the ring. Normally, when you work with most of the larger circuits, you get a pretty good idea of the other guys you compete against. But it's not always like that with House shows. Often, you get no preparation time for these matches which forces you to think on your feet. That's the kind of challenge I look for and what attracts me to these House Shows.

My match was against a Tiger-Werewolf that called himself "Frost" He was pretty good in the ring, but he was less experiences than I. Something which I used to my advantage. True to felines, he was quick on his feet and scrappy when the opening bell rang. What cinched the win for me was my technique and endurance. We both traded some good bumps and got the crowds going but I was the winner in the end. This is a shot of me pinning Frost for the three count after wearing him down. Not bad, kid, but nobody's bigger than Big Leo.