The International Animalia Convention of 2023 promised to be a big year with plenty of events. And it wasn't just events relating to Furfest that was getting a lot of attention. The major part of this year's events would be the Animalian Games which held on odd-numbered years to not conflict with the schedule of the Olympic Games. Along with new athletes like Nio, there would be the return of some old favorites like Abby Brown and Durga.
And the big event to start the Animalian Games would be a wrestling match between Molly the polar bear and Ela Sha the Kodiak bear. Just knowing there were two big bears fighting made people want to see it (though some misinterpreted the term 'bears'). The two of them represented the largest members of the ursine family. This fight also reflects some of the natural order. Polar bears and Kodiak bears are unlikely to cross paths in the wild as Kodiak bears are confined to the Kodiak Archipelago off southern Alaska. However, Kodiak bears are a subspecies of grizzly bears and polar bears have had plenty of interaction with grizzlies, especially as the melting ice caps force them to move farther south. While polar bears may be larger than grizzlies, grizzlies have longer claws, a more robust build, and greater stamina on land. Most polar bears would rather run from a grizzly than start a fight with one. Against the larger Kodiak subspecies, a polar bear wouldn't even try to fight. Though not all interactions between white bears and brown bears are hostile. There have been cases in the wild where polar/grizzly bear hybrids have been seen and a few have had their DNA confirmed.
Of course, what happens in the wild isn't always what happens in Animalia. Molly and Ela Sha were about the same size and shape after they converted and neither of them looked like a weakling. Anyways, this was only a wrestling match, not a fight to the death. Although the two of them did let out some impressive roars at each other before the match started.
The match itself was far more even-sided than it would have been for feral bears. Molly and Ela Sha were on pretty equal footing in terms of size and muscle. The main deciding factor was how much experience each wrestler had. It was hard to say which of them had more experience in the underground wrestling rings from before they were converted. But Molly had spent more time as a bear than Ela Sha and had a better idea of her strength levels.
The match was still a very close one. Both bears grappled with each other as they looked for an opening. Of course, neither of them could use their fangs or claws thanks to their special gloves and muzzles. It was quite interesting to see how many arm and leg locks the two of them knew. Though ultimately, Molly was able to pin down Ela Sha before her thicker fur caused her to overheat.
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After the match, the two bears hung out in the locker room, panting hard from the exertion. "Damn," said Ela Sha, "You really gave me a working over."
"Don't be hard on yourself," said Molly, "You made me work for it."
"Almost had you," said Ela Sha, "The rematch is gonna be a lot different."
"So long as it's not anytime soon," said Molly, "I need to cool down at the Ice Haus after this."
"Don't worry, I got you a reserved spot at their pool," said Shelly as she walked in, "You deserve it for putting on a great show."
"You getting in the pool too?" asked Molly in a teasing tone, "You know what they say about cats and water."
"I'm a tiger, snow-for-brains," said Shelly in a teasing voice, "And Siberian tigers can take the cold as well as polar bears can."
"So I take it you're her wife?" asked Ela Sha.
Shelly turned to Ela Sha and said, "That's right."
Ela Sha nodded and said, "You're a lucky woman."
"I know I am," said Shelly, cuddling Molly as she made a tiger's closest approximation to a purr.