— J.C. Hartley covers independent wrestling for the Ringside Beat newsletter.

“Lily talks about dragons and gardens,” Allen scoffed during an open workout on Wednesday. “I talk about physics. Mass times acceleration. When I hit you, you move. When you hit me, I laugh. She wants a submission match? Good. Because I don’t just want to win. I want to hear her scream ‘I quit’ in front of her precious, silent fans.”

On Saturday night, at Genesis IV , that question will be answered. The two most dominant forces in the Academy’s modern era— and Africa Allen —will finally step into the squared circle for a submission-only main event. Forget the rankings. Forget the titles. This is about legacy. The Striking Serpent: Dragonlily Watching Dragonlily prepare is like watching a storm gather over the Pacific—quiet, inevitable, and devastating. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Dragonlily (real name Lily Chen) has crafted a persona that blends technical brutality with almost meditative stillness.

By J.C. Hartley

“These two have cleared out the entire locker room. Everyone else is fighting for third place. This isn’t about a title. It’s about who runs this school. Winner takes the top of the card for the next calendar year. Loser… well, loser has to start asking for rematches.”

“People see the name ‘Dragonlily’ and think it’s fragile,” she said in a rare pre-match interview. “A lily is a flower. But a dragon? A dragon burns the garden to the ground. Africa Allen thinks she can out-power me. She thinks this is a brawl. She’s wrong. This is surgery.”

If Dragonlily can survive the first five minutes—weathering the initial storm of Allen’s power—she will find the opening for the Jade Stalk . Conversely, if Allen lands one clean Dark Continent Driver , the night is over.