Author's Note

First match! I think I did well, but I know it can be improved upon. Next time, I'll do a few exercises and improve upon this next time. Y'all enjoy!

First Times

Hammer Hoof entered the arena with his usual air of confidence, his classic white spandex bodysuit snugly fitted and his black mane cascading down his shoulders and framing his face. His four black wrestling boots gleamed under the lights, the same ones he’d worn in arenas across Equestria. No matter how many came, he made a promise. He told Rainbow that he was the best. And he was. He would prove that to her and everypony else in town, and nothing was going to hold him back.

His first stop was Diamond Deal’s office, where a familiar sea-green stallion pegasus with golden blonde hair sat across from the boss, looking casual but confident. Seastar Slammer, his oldest friend and frequent in-ring rival.

“Look who it is!” Seastar grinned, standing and pulling Hammer into a quick, forceful hug. “Where have you been?”

Hammer chuckled and returned the embrace, “I carried all my luggage myself, no thanks to a certain somepony.”

Seastar pulled away, separating the hug, “I can’t help that you horde so much.” He grunted, a little mocking. Hammer gave Seastar an exaggerated eye roll and opened his mouth to retort.

Diamond Deal cleared his throat, prompting both of them to silence and straighten up. The boss’s expression was serious, though a glint of excitement flickered in his eyes.

“Now that you're both here, I have something to discuss.” Diamond Deal began, fixing Hammer with a sharp gaze. “Pinkie Pie’s party last night made you popular among the locals. You seem to be the talk of the town, Hammer, so we’re expecting a solid turnout tonight. I’ve got even better news, big news for us—Princess Twilight’s coming to watch.”

Seastar’s jaw dropped and his face fell into awe as he asked, “Princess Twilight?”

“Yep, she’s gonna be here,” Diamond Deal confirmed, “and we need to make sure we put on a show she won’t forget. The crowd’s gonna get riled up, but you two need to knock the pins down, so to speak. I want this to go off without a hitch.”

Seastar grinned, already thinking ahead. “Then let’s make it count. How about a No Holds Barred match?” he suggested with enthusiasm. “That’ll definitely turn some heads, especially with the princess in the crowd.”

Diamond Deal shook his head firmly. “That’s a bit much for tonight. It’s her first show. We need to play it smart.” He started pacing, thinking on the fly. “Alright, Hammer, I’m winging it. You’re gonna be slotted as the face tonight, and Seastar, you’re the heel.”

Hammer blinked, taken aback. “Wait, hold up. Are you sure about that? I’ve always been the heel—switching it up like that feels a little... off.”

“The princess is here to see you, Hammer,” Diamond Deal replied with an even tone, not missing a beat. Seastar’s face fell a tad as he said that, “I can’t have her cheering for the villain. That’s bad press two ways.”

Hammer’s eyes met Seastar’s, and for a moment, they both seemed unconvinced. But they’d been in the business long enough to know when to trust the boss’ instincts. And their boss was the Diamond Deal, he knew what he was talking about.

“Alright, I guess that makes sense.” Hammer said, shrugging. “What’s the plan, then?”

“Simple,” Diamond Deal said, a satisfied look crossing his face, “you’ll start the show with a promo, introduce yourself to the crowd, really get them behind you. Seastar, that’s when you jump in—attack Hammer, get some strong heat. I’ll come out and break it up and that’ll set up the main event. Hammer, you’ll take the win with a roll-up, and we’ll send them home happy.”

Seastar nodded, though he still didn’t look entirely thrilled about being the heel. “Sounds easy enough.”

“Good. I don’t repeat myself.” Diamond Deal said, clapping his hooves together. “You two punch out the details of the match. I’ve got a show to book.”

The two wrestlers left the office and headed down the hallway toward the locker room, their minds already working out the finer points of the match ahead.

The buzz in the arena was electric as Hammer Hoof stood just behind the curtain, steeling himself for the performance. Peering through, he could hardly believe his eyes—every seat in the arena was filled, with ponies from all across Equestria packed shoulder to shoulder. The roar of the crowd, even muffled from backstage, sent a thrill through him. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and murmured a quick prayer. Then, as his entrance music thundered through the speakers, he glanced back at Diamond Deal, next to the producers, further into Gorilla. The promoter gave him a steady nod. This was it.

Hammer took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and strode through the curtain. A spotlight hit him, momentarily blinding him to the sea of faces around him, but the deafening cheers told him everything he needed to know. As he made his way down the ramp, he soaked in the energy, waving to the crowd as he approached the ring. Partway down, he caught sight of a familiar trio in the front row: Princess Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Rainbow Dash shot him a playful salute, while Twilight and Rarity smiled and waved. Hammer’s heart swelled; he gave them a quick nod before breaking into a sprint, sliding into the ring with practiced ease.

The announcer, a tall unicorn, stepped forward, his voice booming. “Introducing, from West Manehattan, weighing in at 872 pounds—Hammer Hoof!” The audience exploded with cheers again, louder than before. The spotlight dimmed as the announcer levitated the mic towards Hammer, scanning the crowd as silence fell.

The roar of the crowd faded into the back of Hammer Hoof’s mind as he lifted the mic, letting the anticipation build for just a moment longer. He looked out over the packed arena, feeling the energy rolling off the ponies around him, especially from the trio of mares in the front row. This was the moment he’d been waiting for, and he was going to make it count.

“Welcome, everypony, to the EWA!” he shouted, his voice booming. The crowd erupted, their cheers echoing through the arena. He grinned and continued. “This is the first night of something big, and I’m honored to be here, making history with all of you. But understand this—I didn’t come here just to make friends.” Hammer paused, letting his gaze sweep over the crowd, his tone turning sharper. “I’m here for greatness. I’m here to be the champion of this territory. But that’s just the start. Because one day, I’m going to climb even higher and take my place as the EWA World Champion, standing in front of every fan in Equestria at the Cloud Dome in Stratus Bay, and I don’t care if I have to sprout wings to get there!” He continued pacing the ring. Adrenalin was firing through his body.

“My father gave everything he had to this business, but the day he got his shot… it was stolen. As it has been for pony after pony, I promise you, someday soon, I will be your first Earth Pony champion and I will do that belt the justice it deserves!”

The crowd’s cheers hit a fever pitch, the thought of him completing his father’s legacy, becoming the first Earth Pony champion, it made the crowd anticipated. Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof in the air, and Hammer could see Twilight nodding approvingly, her excitement barely restrained. They were hooked.

He continued, “Because, you see, there’s one thing I’ve got that no one else does—you can break me over your knee, you can knock me out, you can do whatever you want, mutilate me to your heart’s content, but unless my heart stops beating, I will never quit! I will grit my teeth, bow my head and charge anypony that challenges me.” He turned to the ramp again, “So if anypony back there is stallion enough to try me, get in my ring! Now!”

The crowd erupted again, ponies stomping their hooves and chanting his name. Hammer Hoof soaked it in, feeling the energy surge through him as he lowered the mic. But before he could continue, Rainbow Dash’s voice rang out from the front row.

“Hammer Hoof! Look behind you!”

He turned just in time to see Seastar Slammer launching through the air, his hoof extended as he battered Hammer with a brutal clothesline. The impact sent Hammer sprawling to the mat as the crowd erupted in boos. Seastar stood over him, grinning smugly as he drank in the heat from the furious audience. Hammer tried to roll over, but Seastar stomped him back down, delivering a savage kick to his side before a referee rushed to the ring, shouting for Seastar to back off. As Hammer got a brief reprise, courtesy of the ref, Seastar looked to the crowd, quickly finding Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity. Three real heroes.

Rainbow and Rarity were verbally tearing him a new one, meanwhile, Twilight seemed transfixed on something. They locked eyes. Twilight blushed and looked away.

“Get him outta here!” one pony shouted from the audience.

“Hammer deserves better than this!” Rarity shouted, fuming along with the crowd. But Seastar didn’t care, as he shook his head loose of thoughts about his and Twilight’s brief eye contact—he drank in the anger and let it fuel him. Seastar pushed the ref aside and pounced on Hammer, throwing rapid, vicious hoof strikes to the Earth Pony’s head. Hammer absorbed two hits before he found an opening, throwing his own hooves up in defense. He braced himself, raising both forelegs to shield his head. He blocked a punch and kicked Seastar away with his hind legs.

Landing a few steps back, Seastar didn’t back down; instead his wings flared as he hunched into a stance, challenging Hammer the ref was trying to push Seastar out of the ring all the while, getting him out onto the apron. Hammer flipped over, onto his hooves and with a quick burst of speed, he shot forward, leaping through the ropes to spear Seastar off the apron and onto the floor below. The crowd exploded as Hammer mounted Seastar and began raining down blows.

Security guards rushed down the ramp to break them up, but Hammer wasn’t refused to take no for an answer. He struck the first in the head, then hit a lariat that floored the guard. The second ran into a fallaway slam from Hammer. He was tossed like a ragdoll, landing right on the edge of the apron before dropping limp to the floor below. Hammer stood again and pounced on Seastar, the speed helping him deliver a hard right hoof across Seastar’s jaw.

A second, larger wave of security ran down the ramp. A dozen stallions and mares that grabbed the two stallions and tore them apart. Both stallions kicked at each other and yelled. “You want to attack me?!” Hammer roared, then he threw back an elbow, catching a guard in the jaw. The guard staggered but another took his place. “Get your hooves off of me!” He barked to no avail.

Seastar wasn’t faring much better, his wings flapping hard, but the guards kept him grounded. “Do you know who I am?!” He shouted.

The crowd had started to boo by now. “Aw, come on!” Rainbow groaned, “Just let them fight!”

They struggled more and more against the security, both trying to buck them off, until Diamond Deal's music hit. He earned a Road Warrior pop, it was so loud, the building shook. Some ponies held bewildered looks, Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity among them. Chants erupt, “WELCOME BACK! WELCOME BACK! WELCOME BACK!” Diamond used his magic to raise a mic to his mouth.

“Stop it! Stop it, both of you!” The audience quiets down slightly. Seastar broke free from security, headbutting one guard and biting another. That gained just enough time for his wings to flutter to life, propelling him off the ground and lift him into the air. He got high up and then dive-bombed, an attack that could be devastating. Hammer Hoof pushed the security back as well, two well-placed elbows, a headbutt and an Irish Whip into the ringpost was enough. He turned, prepping a buck. “I SAID ENOUGH!!” Diamond Deal roared into the mic. Hammer Hoof froze, as did Seastar. They were an inch from collision, Hammer still mid buck and Seastar outstretched. They looked at the boss. “You two want to fight? You want a match? Well you've got a match! Tonight, your main event will be Seastar Slammer versus Hammer Hoof! Get them in the back.” Security apprehended the stallions and carried them to the back. Hammer groaned, waiting first for Seastar to be dragged away, then heading back himself, ushered swiftly past the group of mares that came to see him.

As they neared the exit, he glanced over his shoulder to catch a final glimpse of his new acquaintances. They looked excited. Rainbow was cheering. “Oh yeah! Hammer’s totally gonna stomp that cheater.” She was excited. Good.

Hammer grinned as looked back, locking eyes with Rainbow for just a moment before the curtain fell between them. His heart pounded with adrenaline. He walked into Gorilla and saw Seastar waving him over. He grinned and joined his friend.

There was a big fight feel in the Ponyville Arena. The audience was buzzing with excitement as Hammer and Seastar faced off in the ring. Both were face-to-face. “Come on! Start the fight!” Rainbow whined.

The ref looked between the two of them before she squeezed between them and pushed them to either side of the ring. Hammer and Seastar separated, but their eyes were locked. The ref signals for the bell.

DING DING DING!

The ref moved away from the stallions. Hammer's eyes narrowed at Seastar, almost daring him to make a move. Seastar took the opportunity, wings flared, launching himself into the air. He dove down for a pounce, but Hammer dodged with a jump left.

Seastar smashed into the mat empty-hoofed. He turned back towards Hammer with grit teeth, only for Hammer to bulldoze him with a stiff clothesline. Seastar hit the mat and rolled as Hammer resumed his beating earlier that was broken up. He rained strikes down onto Seastar, landing four good boots, until Seastar surged forward with a headbutt. Hammer backed away, staggered and disoriented.

Seastar flew forward for a tackle but ate a spinning elbow from Hammer instead, popping the crowd. Hammer locked in a headlock, slowing the match down to his pace. After holding the lock for a few seconds, Hammer struck Seastar in the head twice more. Seastar groaned and fell forward. Hammer shook out his mane and stood. He eyed the crowd, pumping himself up as Seastar started to stand himself.

Hammer pulled Seastar back by his mane, up onto his hind legs and exposing his chest, then Hammer dropped his elbow, driving Seastar to the mat, hard. Seastar looked at Twilight in the crowd and briefly, their eyes met. She turned hers away with a blush, but Seastar’s lingered just a moment. Then he looked back at Hammer. Hammer gave him a short nod.

Seastar kicked him away. He flapped his wings hard and lifted off the mat. He turned in the air and hit a fast enziguri. Hammer fell. He quickly rose back to his hooves and saw Seastar approaching, hoof extended for a strike. He threw a hoof at the same time and both stallions fell.

Seastar rolled out of the ring onto the floor at ringside. He shook the cobwebs loose as Hammer recovered in the ring. He looked at Seastar outside of the ring and took off, towards the opposite end of the ring.

And then, just as Seastar turned back towards the ring, Hammer rebounded off the opposite ropes, leapt over the top rope and splashed down on Seastar, flattening him with a cross-body.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened in awe. "Did you see that? That was awesome! It’s like he was flying!"

Twilight clapped her hooves, excitement growing. "I can’t believe he can jump that high! He’s stronger than I thought."

Hammer grabbed Seastar’s mane in his teeth as the ref restarted her count. “One!” Using the hair as leverage, Hammer threw Seastar into the ringside barricade, Seastar bounced off his side and fell to the mat. Hammer, then started stomping a mudhole with his hind hooves.

“Oh dear, that looks painful!” Rarity gasped, watching wide-eyed. Twilight nodded, wincing. Rainbow watched the stallions fight with a grin.

As the ref’s count made it to four, Hammer left Seastar outside the ring and rolled in and back out to break the count. Seastar, now almost upright, braced himself, and when Hammer struck again, he blocked it. In a flash, Seastar spun and struck with a massive buck to Hammer’s jaw, sending him staggering.

Hammer reeled from the hit, turning away for a split second. Seastar, seizing the opportunity, flew behind him and lifted. His wings strained under the weight, but Seastar just about managed to hoist the Earth pony up and execute a flying belly-to-back suplex. The two slammed into the floor as the ref began counting again.

“One… two… three…”

“Come on… come on…” Rainbow Dash muttered, barely able to sit still.

“Four… five… six…” Both stallions began to stir, each grabbing at the ring apron to pull themselves up.

Rarity cringed. “That floor… it’s just wood, isn’t it? The poor dears!”

Twilight nodded, her face full of worry. “This is brutal. I hope Hammer’s alright…”

“Seven… eight… nine…”

Both wrestlers stumbled to their hooves. With a second to spare, they dove back into the ring. Hammer reached for the ropes in the ring, pulling himself up, he turned and looked out at the crowd, catching Rainbow Dash’s eye. A determined gleam entered his gaze, and he pulled himself up with renewed strength.

“You’ve got this, Hammer Hoof! Woo!” Twilight shouted, joining in the cheers. Then, noticing his intense eye contact with Rainbow Dash, she gave her friend a gentle nudge. “He’s looking right at you, Rainbow.”

Rainbow’s gaze stayed locked on his, taking it as a challenge. She ignored Twilight's comment. Twilight shrugged and turned back to the ring.

Beside her, Rarity bit her lip. “Oh, it’s so intense… they're just maiming each other!”

Twilight nodded. "Oh, but don’t worry, Rarity,” she responded quickly. “I read up a lot on it last night! It’s all fa—”

“Don’t say that, it’s insulting!” Rainbow Dash snapped, Hammer finally dropped his eye contact, waving his arms around to pump up the crowd. Rainbow grinned triumphantly as she turned towards her friends. “It’s scripted, not fake.”

“My apologies.” Twilight replied, “But either way, it's all planned out. They'll be fine. Probably.”

Meanwhile, as Hammer Hoof drew strength from the crowd, Seastar rose, closing the distance between them. Before Hammer could react, Seastar wrapped him up and lifted him high into the air, going for his finisher, the Seastar Drive.

In midair, Hammer bit down on Seastar’s arm, breaking the hold. Seastar cried out in pain and released him, clutching his arm. Hammer twisted mid-fall and stretched out, landing a cross-body that crushed Seastar under him, flattening the pegasus in the ring. The crowd erupted as Hammer stayed on top, pinning him.

The ref dropped to the mat, her and the crowd counting in unison. “One! Two! Th—!”

Seastar rolled a shoulder up just in time, and the match continued, both stallions lying prone as the crowd chanted, “This is awesome!” Over and over, the chant grew, with Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Rarity joining in.

Twilight pumped her hoof, barely able to contain her excitement. “This really is awesome! I've never been to anything like this!”

As the crowd’s chants echoed through the arena, Seastar struck the ground, trying to muster his last reserves. He clutched his midsection in pain, while Hammer slowly stood, using the turnbuckles for support. Seastar, recovering, charged toward Hammer, but Hammer sidestepped, and Seastar’s head bounced off the turnbuckle.

Dazed, Seastar stumbled back, and Hammer rolled him up. “One! Two! Three!”

The bell rang as Hammer’s music blasted through the speakers. Seastar yelled at the ref, but Hammer Hoof was already grinning, heading toward Twilight and her friends.

Hammer looked first to Rainbow Dash. “So, did I back up all my talk?”

Rainbow grinned back. “Definitely. You were incredible out there!”

Hammer chuckled, then turned to Twilight and Rarity. “How about you two? Enjoy the show?”

Twilight beamed. “Absolutely! You were great, Hammer. You had us all on the edge of our seats.”

“And you had me worried, dear!” Rarity added, relieved that he'd survived, “But I must admit, I'm quite the showman.”

Hammer gave a grateful nod. “Well, no need to worry, Rarity. I’m all good. Thanks for being here, all of you.”

With a last smile, he headed backstage. The crowd buzzed with excitement behind him.