"Hellion" Eleanor Cross

From The Great Outdoor Fight

The first second generation Blood of Champion in the Fight, and the first woman to invoke Blood of Champion, "Hellion" Eleanor Cross is a "tiny little spitfire," in the words of 1988 Champion Sonny Veith. Standing at 4'11", but composed of wiry muscle and a runner's build, Hellion Cross is known for having tremendous speed and endurance, able to get around much stronger opponents and wear them down until they become easy pickings.

Cross's great grandfather was 1931 Champion Dylan Berkheimer, who is actually best known thanks to an episode of the Original Star Trek called "The Great Out-Temporal Fight," in which Kirk, Spock and McCoy travel back in time to the 1931 Fight and ensure Berkheimer wins "as history decreed." While the episode itself was controversial, it also meant that Berkheimer was remembered. This was helped by Cross's maternal grandfather, Dwight Berkheimer, standing as a proud Blood of Champion and fighting in eight consecutive Fights from 1954 to 1961. While neither Cross's mother, Melissa Berkheimer Cross, nor her uncle, Roderick Berkheimer, showed any interest in "taking up the family business," Eleanor knew from a young age that this was something she had to do.

Turning 18 in 2000, after years of studying martial arts and boxing, Cross joined the WCW Power Plant. Whereas most of the wrestling school's students were seeking to learn how to be good professional wrestlers, Cross was seeking intense endurance training. She wanted to learn to operate with little water or rest and in great pain without losing effectiveness. To pay the bills, she accepted a development contact with a Mid South Wrestling alliance, on the condition that they not interfere with her entering the Great Outdoor Fight.

In 2001, Cross applied as Blood of Champion. Her grandfather stood up for her claim, but even though Dwight Berkheimer was still a well regarded and popular former Fighter, it was felt that the connection to Dylan Berkheimer was distant enough that they would need a test. 1996 Champion Doyle Riggle agreed to test her claim in a one on one fight. After forty-five minutes and considerable pain, Riggle acknowledged that Cross was certainly Blood of Champion "at least in spirit," and Cross was passed through to the Fight.

In her first Fight, Cross joined up under Casey Blair. Blair's strategy was to have his strongest followers worn down and taken out first, after conserving his forces until Day 2. This would make it easier for him to turn on his followers on Day 3 and eliminate them. He initially thought Cross would be a weaker follower, so he didn't bring her into play until Day 3.

As it turned out, Cross was one of the hardest fights Blair had among his erstwhile followers. He ultimately was able to bring her down, but declared that "that tiny little hellion's a total whirling bitch on wheels, and I pity any man who ever tries to kiss her!" Which, given Blair, was quite a compliment. Cross was known as "Hellion" ever since.

Cross has fought in each successive Fight since then. She has never failed to make it to day 3, though to date she has not gotten far into that third day. She is also a popular motivational speaker and ambassador for the Fight, as one of the few prominent and experienced female Fighters. She hasn't given up her "day job" as a wrestler, but has declined to move to a national franchise, as she doesn't want to lose control over her image to that degree.

After all. One day she's going to be the first female Champion of the Great Outdoor Fight since Antonia Pery. She's absolutely certain of that.

[edit] Record

• 2001 - eliminated day 3, 104th left standing.
• 2002 - eliminated day 3, 79th left standing.
• 2003 - eliminated day 3, 142nd left standing.
• 2004 - eliminated day 3, 81st left standing.
• 2005 - eliminated day 3, 94th left standing.
• 2006 - eliminated day 3, 117th left standing.