jokerdesilva

July 6th, 1986 GCW Independence Rupert C. Thompson Arena, 4075 in attendance vs Pre-Show – Kelly Speakman vs Laurette Lorio Well, this was rather a battle of the greenest of the green, so little surprise it could have gone better. Speakman looked decent, though, and technically sound, and she submitted Lorio with a Sleeper at 7:39. (18) vs Pre-Show – Lail and Demand vs Graff and Mays Much better. Graff and Mays are far better than the pre-show, but until I settle on a complete package for the two, this is where they’ll remain building up momentum and polish. Mays got the win with his Double Knees at 9:12. (40) Jupiter and Saturn came out to the ring next, posing and strutting their way out and looking utterly confident of course, with microphones in their hands, based on Jack Raiden's suggestions. "Well, well, look at all the braniacs here in Dartmouth who wanted to come see some real men," Jupiter said, smirking widely at the crowd. "I hope all you pencil-necked geeks really drink it in. You're in the presence of greatness, here, two Heavenly Bodies that no one can compare to." "And certainly none of you," Saturn said, sneering as he leaned against the ropes. "I hope too many of you yokels didn't bring your girlfriends with you, before they realize just how far they can go up." "Because we set the bar for beauty, and talent, and physical perfection," Jupiter said, sliding into a few classic bodybuilder poses. He certainly has the physique for it, I'll give him that. "And we need some opposition to prove just how good we can be, so bring them on!" (35) vs Pre-Show – Heavenly Bodies vs Tallman and Waldron Unfortunately they didn’t put on a significantly better match after all the hype, but they were the stronger of the duos, of course. Tallman and Waldron are trying, but their proper use days are probably six months off at this rate. Jupiter hit a football tackle on Tallman to win at 9:34. (29) vs Pre-Show – Isaac Holman vs Aaron Redcloud Another duo with no in-ring chemistry, but at least it happened on the pre-show and before either of them are relevant. Holman’s been on a decently impressive roll, but Redcloud is still the closer thing to a name, here, and he got the win with an Overhead Slam at 10:09. (20) We opened the show with Lester Haas making his way down to the ring, sunglasses on and microphone in hand, King Kong Grady looming behind him. "Let's not waste any time here, shall we? Me and my client issued a challenge, and a challenge has been accepted. The Danger Boys, in all their... wisdom, decided that they could handle my monster two on one. It's time to see if even two of them together are worth one of King Kong Grady. And I can guarantee you, what you're about to see here is going to be two man-sized smears on the canvas once Grady is through." (54) vs King Kong Grady w/Lester Haas vs The Danger Boys Grady outsized both of them badly and seemed to have things well in hand at first, pummeling both and looking like an absolute killer, especially since this was a match where Bret and Auston were tagging in and out, rather than a constant two-on-one, letting Grady use his superior size to his advantage. However, the Danger Boys actually started to wear him down with quick tags and superior athleticism, and managed to roll him up into a pin when Bret tripped Grady over a kneeling Auston into a roll-up pin at 9:47. They both scampered quickly out of the ring as he popped up to roar his fury. (25) vs Black Hat Rodeo w/Tommy Carleton vs The Gwinn Brothers An excellent return by these two teams, with the Gwinns struggling just a tad and the Black Hats on, perhaps, the come-up following their title loss, and both teams were clearly fired up and looking to establish a position back on top of the tag team division. The Gwinns especially were looking to hand out some punishment and brutality, while the Black Hats were more than happy to dive in and tee off, leading to a lot of early brutal exchanges. In the end, it was Texas Tommy Carleton who proved the equalizer, tripping up the Gwinns when he could and distracting the ref for illegal double-teams, and it added up enough for Dwayne Olivares to hit the Back Suplex and win at 15:07. (40) We went backstage to Billy Ray Bragg, next, who was grinning from ear to ear and looking very pleased with himself. "Y'see that? That's what I like. Today is going to be a good day for the Black Hat Rodeo, I can assure you of that. My boys put away those Gwinn Brothers that have been acting like such brave little lawmen, and now it's going to be my turn to show them how a real Sherriff behaves when I put Dale Whitlock down. You've had your fun, Dale, you've tried to rebrand yourself into some kinda White Hat riding in to save the day, but ain't no day gettin' saved. I'm gonna keep this title, and keep my spot, and then I am going to become the undeniable top dog in this company, just you wait and see." (66) vs Lily-Rose Criss vs Madalene DeGeorge – GCW Women’s Championship Match An excellent contest between the two that saw experience and grace go up against cunning and viciousness, and became a step above their previous match. Madalene looked even more violent and brutal in this match than she had previously, riding high on the knowledge that she could, and had, defeated Lily-Rose once before - and not afraid to play with the referee's count since a DQ would only see the title stay around her waist. Lily-Rose was doing well, herself, flipping around and getting a nearfall of a La Magistral cradle, but Madalene just barely managed to kick out She ended up spiking Lily-Rose with a nasty DDT to get the win at 9:45. (50) vs Kramer and Nations vs Tropical Storm I would have liked to see this breathe a little more, but Kramer is starting to lose steam faster these days so we kept it nice and tight. This time the heroic duo showed up big, with Tarzan’s athleticism rocking Marcus Kramer early and Sebastien showing off his power, and it turned into an excellent brawl. Scorpio tried his Scorpio Clutch on Sebastien a few times, only for the Haitian Hammer to power out of it, breaking out the first time and driving him into the turnbuckle the second. A desperate Scorpio crawled away to tag Marcus Kramer, who blasted Sebastien with a running forearm, but suffered a jumping knee from Tarzan in return before he could really get rolling. Tarzan got the tag shortly after and got the pin off a Missile Dropkick in 10:24. (51) We went backstage next to the assembled Riptide, who looked as smug and confident as two masked men and the stony Poseidon ever truly did. "There are many groups trying to make their place in GCW, in my Kingdom, as of late," Poseidon said. "But tonight will be a night for the Riptide to prove that they, that we, are the superior force in wrestling. Let the Black Hat Rodeo indulge in their dreams of prominence. Let the Syndicate plot their schemes. Let the Old Guard try to be the heroes they dream the people need. They cannot compare to the Riptide, and they cannot compare to me, and that is all there is to it." "It's time the Mechanics were put in their place," Ashton Black said. "Carver, Osburn, you know what I can do, you know what I'm capable of. I've beaten both of you plenty of times in the past. And everyone knows that I am a more than worthy substitue in this team, as a tag team legend in GCW." "And with the Night Stalker here, no one is going to unseat us," he tittered. "No one can take these titles from us. We will hold them until the end of days. And Wolf, don't think I've forgotten you. You were the impetus to my transformation, I should thank you, Wolf, for making me the warrior I am today. Just as our King, Poseidon, thanks you for putting him on his path to undefeated glory." "Yes, and you will give me just the next step," Poseidon said. "One more victory for the total. One more body left beneath the throne. I am Poseidon, I am the King of the Seas, and you are going to be my next conquest. You don't stand a chance against me. You never have. And I think you know that." (66) vs Dale Whitlock vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship It was an impressive battle as Dale once again went head to head with his former protégé. Billy Ray tried a number of dirty tricks but Whitlock countered them all, having been quite the Black Hat himself once before, and taught Billy Ray most of them. He blocked a handful of eye rakes easily, ducked a spat wad of tobacco spit, and caught a blatant low blow, turning it instead into a leg trip and a jumping elbow drop that got a two-count. Billy Ray tried to bail to the outside a few times as well, but Dale rolled out to meet him every time, kicking away steel chairs and rolling him back into the ring. Even an attempt to have the Black Hats come out was neutralized by the Old Guard just coming out and blocking off the ramp. This time he managed to secure the Hangman’s Neckbreaker and got the pin in 12:49 to win the North American Title, ending Billy Ray's exactly 200 day reign. (57) vs The Mechanics vs Riptide – GCW Tag Team Championship Match Another battle between the Mechanics and the Riptide, and another solidly worked contest. Ashton was slowed down still from his cracked tailbone, but he did alright, while Osburn if anything seems to be flagging as a worker. I’m hoping it’s just his lack of momentum making the crowd sit on their hands rather than age, but he is 38, so who knows. We'll have to see if his new role in the Mechanics can turn things around, but it hasn't thusfar. Meanwhile, Night Stalker was excellent, Carver Wells still looks like a solid upper midcarder, and in particular Riptide was working as a vicious, well-oiled machine, punishing the Mechanics all the way through the match. Osburn conveniently took the pin when Ashton speared him out of his boots at 13:48 to retain. (56) MJ Abruzzi was interviewed being led out of his limousine by Camille St. Croix. "Ah, today is the day. Today is the day I assert my dominance once again on the top of the card where I belong. You see, the Godfather isn't here to play nice, and I'm not here to settle for second best, and I'm getting a little tired of that being the case, y'know? So tonight, I'm going to break Braden Voss in two. And then, once I've done that, I'm taking aim at Wolf Koziol to settle our business, because that is far from concluded. And when that is done, well, if Wolf has a good night tonight, I'll be the champion. And that'll be perfect. And if not, I'm taking aim at whoever has that belt around their waist, because trust me, ladies and gentlemen, it's only a matter of time because I get the prize I so richly deserve." (66) vs MJ Abruzzi and Braden Voss Another electric battle between these two, as their styles mesh excellently, and I'm very glad that I stole both from WWB when I did. Braden Voss looked on another level here in terms of performance, one of his best so far, zipping around the ring for much of the mask and looking every inch the lightning quick Roadrunner he claims to be. But MJ was one step ahead, too cunning and too clever, and while Whitlock in his match had the experience to counter those dirty tricks, Voss wasn't so lucky here. Abruzzi chopped down the legs as he was so good at doing, neutralizing Voss's high flying offense, and with the Syndicate around to play distraction, he managed to clock Voss with a pair of brass knuckles when he wouldn't go down easy, stealing the win at 21:14. (59) Wolf Koziol was backstage, leather jacket on, fired up as always, as he dumped a bottle of water over his head to wet down his hair. "My head is buzzing, I'm not gonna lie, over the injustice I just witnessed, and MJ? Oh, you'd better believe I am coming for you soon enough. You're very right that we have unfinished business, you and I, and I am going to delight in breaking down the "Godfather" and your happy little Syndicate, and showing you who really runs things around here. And if it's my first defense as Champion, all the better, because I will delight in stomping you into the mud. No one treats a brother of mine like that, and you're gonna find out the hard way just how the Wolfpack rides. But that's not the big story here, is it? No. Personal as that might be, I've got slightly bigger fish to fry here. Some would call it the biggest. Hell, some would call him a goddamn whale. Our King of the Seas, Poseidon. You want me? You're gonna get me. I'm finally gonna wipe my hands of you, and prove that I am the top dog around here. That Championship is gonna be mine. Because I am sick of looking at your face." (65) vs Wolf Koziol vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match Perhaps the best match these two have had yet, bolstered by their excellent chemistry. They battered one another in nasty fashion, hitting hard and looking like they were really trying to beat the piss out of one another, just as I'd expect from the no-selling Wolf and the dominant bruiser Poseidon. They muscled back and forth, Poseidon using his superior size at times to take control, while Wolf clearly had the greater fire and - for good or ill - seemed all but impervious to pain. He sealed his own fate, though, as Poseidon rolled out of the ring to escape a Lariat. Wolf chased him out, running around the ring and tried another Lariat as Poseidon rested against the ring post, ducking out of the way at the last second so Wolf flung himself into the steel. He howled in pain, and Poseidon grabbed him arm to drag his shoulder into the steel a few times, before whipping him into the guard rail. He rolled back inside and Wolf chased, eating a Face Crusher for his efforts - that only led to a nearfall. Poseidon removed the turnbuckle pad while the ref was checking on his injured arm, and tried to throw Wolf into it, but he made the stop, kicking Poseidon in the gut to stop him and taking him over with a one armed suplex that was quite impressive. Poseidon got to his feet and Wolf geared up for the Lariat again, but Poseidon dropped down and tripped him, sending him face-first into the steel. Wolf reeled and Poseidon hit another Face Crusher, making defense number 8 of his title at 15:20. (60) Following the match, Poseidon laid into Wolf, along with Night Stalker and Ashton Black who came out to join him. The three champions were interrupted, though, when Jack Raiden roared out from the back, finally recovered from his broken ankle, chasing them away with a steel chair to announce his return. (53) Another dynamite show, and I can’t complain about it much at all. Things really do seem to be building and it’s almost time, hopefully, to put it all over the edge. Fingers crossed. (59) Next Week: Reijiro Kandori vs Jack Raiden Sunset Army vs Tropical Storm Kelly Speakman vs Lilyanna Derby Danger Boys vs Riptide - GCW Tag Team Championship Match The Syndicate (Nations and Kramer) vs Wolfpack (Voss and Koziol) Billy Ray Bragg vs Dale Whitlock - GCW North American Championship Match

<p><strong>July 2nd, 1986</strong></p><p><strong> Boston, 796 in attendance</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="hdqgeYG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/hdqgeYG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="fZeFiXB.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/fZeFiXB.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Dom Sarvela vs Mo Ponder</strong></p><p> Dom Sarvela is a 6’10 juggernaut I hired pretty much for entirely that reason alone. A no-name, he didn’t exactly, uh, perform very well at all, but I’m really trying to find a proper giant to get behind. Maybe he can be the one? Not here, though. He still beat Mo Ponder with a Chokeslam in 5:31. (17)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="QvuaMwA.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/QvuaMwA.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="kpd6oRw.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kpd6oRw.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="jzEmeMl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/jzEmeMl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="lCNUptz.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/lCNUptz.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Speakman and Slay vs Mitchell and Gilliam</strong></p><p> Now this I liked seeing better. Speakman is a solid young heel and Gilliam is impressing, while Slay is still just as good as she’s always been – which is to say, totally fine, but not amazing. Adrianna is the one largely disappointing me, but she hasn’t really been given much to sink her teeth into, so I suppose I can’t blame her. She got the win here with a Thrust Kick at 9:21. (28)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="sHSFEvG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/sHSFEvG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="kQgIUgS.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kQgIUgS.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Trent Stevens vs Roger Cotton</strong></p><p> Just keeping Trent Stevens active while I wait for the right moment to use him. The Sunset Army is still an idea that’s percolating, but frankly, Kandori is going to spend most of his time laying down on the way out, so. Not sure that’s a wagon I want to hitch a promising star to. Maybe I have another idea brewing. Here, he won with the Running Knee at 5:53 in a damn good showing. (38)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="9bWYTHx.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9bWYTHx.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="hhWDtYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/hhWDtYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="iGqYCxh.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iGqYCxh.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="052noat.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/052noat.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Heavenly Bodies vs Hillbillies</strong></p><p> Funny how both of these teams have been here forever and are putting on a match… worse than job guy Roger Cotton. Oops. Well, that’s not fair – the Heavenly Bodies look good, especially Jupiter. Saturn hit a High Knee for the win at 9:10. (33)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="kMX7dHf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kMX7dHf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> We went backstage with Madalene DeGeorge, polishing her nails before her interview began.</p><p> </p><p> "You know, I really don't know why I'm even wrestling at Independence. I've already proven that I'm the best, have I not? I've already shown off exactly how capable I am, and that I am far better than Lily-Rose - or anyone else in this company - could ever hope to be. I am the superior women's athlete. I am the very definition of High Class. And yet miss Lily-Rose, who's been deciding to scrap around with big burly men, thinks she can come against me? I don't think so."</p><p> </p><p> She sighed, tossing her hair back with runway model perfection.</p><p> </p><p> "But I'm not the one who gets to make those decisions, I suppose. The Championship Committee has made it clear that Lily-Rose is my opponent, and I am wrestling at Independence this Sunday, so there we are. So I'll just say this: Lily-Rose, I am better than you. Better in every way. And you are never, ever taking this belt off of me." (56)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="y9F4RTI.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/y9F4RTI.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="A4sP4BO.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/A4sP4BO.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="UlFY9aV.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/UlFY9aV.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="spCwuOE.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/spCwuOE.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Kramer and St. Croix vs Whitlock and Criss</strong></p><p> Well, my idea had been to slot Camille St. Croix into a valet/stable role with the Syndicate, but she and Kramer had zero chemistry at all, so maybe not. I just feel like a smug, superior lady type would fit MJ’s crime boss gimmick. We’ll have to see. She still looked green, but in the ring with three seasoned veterans, hopefully she'll learn something after tonight. If nothing else, it played into things nicely with her being outwrestled by Lily-Rose pretty much from the get-go, while Kramer and Whitlock went at it like two big bulls hitting hard in the middle of the right, sheer power against relentless toughness. It was, then, unsurprisingly a Crossbody from Lily-Rose that got the win at 8:43. (42)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="jfYdvJY.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/jfYdvJY.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> A visibly annoyed Scorpio was backstage next for an interview, pacing back and forth in the ring.</p><p> </p><p> "Blah, blah, blah. Y'know? That's all I hear from a guy like you, Sebastien. Blah, blah, blah. Oh, look at me, I'm the Haitian Hammer, I'm so big, I'm so tough, I won the Prince of Wrestling - forget it. That was months ago, kid, it's time to move on and stop resting on your laurels. What have you done lately, huh? Beat me? I don't think so. Nah, nah, brother, you couldn't beat me in that tag match. That's the number that really matters in the record books, you feel me? And yet you still wanna run your mouth, you still wanna act like the tough guy. Well, fine. You wanna talk so tough? I'll put you right back in your place, my man, I'll show you who the better man is around here, that can definitely be arranged. Tropic Storm against the Syndicate, you want round two? You got round two, just so I can finally put you in my rearview mirror and stop thing about your big baldheaded ass, you feel me?</p><p> </p><p> So congrats, kids. You got your match. And better than that? You got a match tonight, too. Against the big cheese, the Godfather, my main man MJ, and he's gonna whip you six ways from Sunday. Hell, we'll see if you're in condition to fight me on Sunday. I'd like very much to see that." (53)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="IsrYUpm.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/IsrYUpm.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="dXz4ADg.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/dXz4ADg.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="ckPwwbs.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ckPwwbs.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="kzUgGEh.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kzUgGEh.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Black Hat Rodeo (Olivares and Marshall) vs The Mechanics</strong></p><p> Just some solid tag team wrestling. What more do you need than that? The Black Hats came in looking to bully around the smaller Mechanics, as they so often do, and it worked - at first. Carver and Ryan proved powerfully resilient, though, weathering the storm and slipping out of any big moves to stay on their feet. The Black Hats couldn't say the same, as Carver took them down with some snappy dropkicks and Osburn worked them over from underneath, especially taking out Marshall's tree trunk legs to lower to the Outlaw to the ground. He managed to lock on the Spinning Toe Hold, and got the submission win at 11:11. (43)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="2GSvv3o.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2GSvv3o.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> We went backstage next to a surly Billy Ray Bragg, urgently working over a wad of chew in his lip as he stared into the barrel of the camera.</p><p> </p><p> "So, Dale Whitlock wants to call himself a White Hat, now. Wants to pretend that he's turned the corner, so to speak, and become one of the angels. Well, allow me to tell you plain that I just don't give a damn about any of that. You've turned your back on the Black Hat Rodeo, Whitlock, that's all that matters. You lost your fire, you lost your killer instinct, and you've proven that you don't have what it takes to run with the young bulls. So it is my solemn duty, my obligation, as your... protege, of sorts, to put you in the ground where you belong.</p><p> </p><p> You hear me, Whitlock? You're a broken down old cowboy. You don't have what it takes anymore. You don't have the fire. And I am going to put you out of your misery. So you just count on one thing. We are gonna fight again at Independence. But this time, the Sidewinder is ready for you, well and truly ready for that fight, and I can promise you that you will never, ever take this North American Championship outta my hands." (67)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="9BZcCjK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9BZcCjK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="IPc6bJ3.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/IPc6bJ3.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Josilyn Darville vs Lilyanna Derby</strong></p><p> Both women came out looking ready for a fight, Josilyn mean-mugging her way to the ring and Lilyanna as cold as ice, and they both delivered. It was a brutal affair, looking more like a proper kick-boxing fight than a wrestling match, and they laid in with heavy strikes that had the crowd gasping and groaning - especially coming from two women. Josilyn threw out flurry after flurry, choking Lilyanna from behind at one point through a four-count from the referee, but she couldn't kill the fire in the punk rocky dynamo, and Lilyanna took her down with a Thrust Kick at 14:13 to win probably our best women's match to date. (51)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="gFw14NW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/gFw14NW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="NxT7xcK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/NxT7xcK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>MJ Abruzzi vs Sebastien Durant</strong></p><p> Well, this was a test run for Sebastien against some higher-caliber competition, and it was rather disappointing, since he and MJ clearly have no chemistry at all. They looked like they were on different pages for much of the match, not totally going up for the right moves, selling at the wrong time. It was still good, thankfully, because MJ is excellent and Sebastien is growing into a quality worker, but not the level I'd hoped for at all. Sebastien looked like the valiant, fiery babyface, of course, but MJ was a vicious killer in there, using his experience to stay on top - and a little interference from Scorpio, who jaw-jacked with his opponent, leaving him vulnerable to a running knee. MJ rolled him into the corner and hit a couple more brutal knees while he was seated, KOing the Haitian Hammer and getting the win at 17:48. (49)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="hVux6ns.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/hVux6ns.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Poseidon was backstage in the dark, his title held prominently for the camera to see.</p><p> </p><p> "Wolf. How many times do I have to teach you this lesson? How many times do I have to show you the established order of things? You just can't beat me. You can blame anything you like, you can accuse me of taking short cuts, of using underhanded maneuvers, of relying on outside assistance, and maybe you'd have a point, in some of that, but the real question is, then why haven't you stopped me? Because in the end, you're just not on my level. You're all fire and bravado, but you don't have what it takes to become a King. None of you do. You don't have the will, you don't have the ruthlessness, and you will never wrest this title from my hands.</p><p> </p><p> And I am going to give you a taste, Wolf. I am going to show you why on Sunday, at Independence, you would be better off just... not showing up at all. Just forfeiting. Because I will give you once last chance to defeat me, but we both know how it's going to end. And tonight, I'm going to prove that to you. Tonight, me and the RIptide, we will see that you, and Voss, and whatever foolish partner you have will drown. Count on it." (78)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="hVux6ns.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/hVux6ns.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="ne7XagD.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ne7XagD.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="3cH8zQg.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/3cH8zQg.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="cAnfqvK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/cAnfqvK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="klRBEZ8.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/klRBEZ8.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="4IdASUz.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/4IdASUz.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Riptide vs Wolf, Voss, and Banner</strong></p><p> The Riptide came to the ring together as one sinister unit, Night Stalker slithering into the ring and holding the rope apart for Poseidon, who made another rare appearance on TV to actually wrestle. Braden Voss was out next, then Wolf Koziol, who howled to the approval of the crowd, and brought out, yes, noneother than Big Hank Banner to be their third. Consider it another bone thrown to the boss's nephew. He'd be in there with five of our biggest stars, and several, at least, of our best workers, so how much damage could he do? He definitely looked out-classed, there's no denying that, but hopefully being in there with Poseidon and Night Stalker will teach him a thing or two, and Stalker and Ashton made him look like a killer with their selling, before Poseidon just obliterated him with a running body smash and several Face Crushers. He dragged the limp Banner over to the corner, though, telling Wolf to tag him in, white Wolf did - which was the cue for Ashton and Night Stalker to run in and hit him with a double thrust kick, knocking him dizzy. Poseidon bodyslammed him down, dropped a nasty elbow, and then rolled him to the corner, brushing his hands clean of the fight. Banner tagged back in, wanting revenge, but he walked into a Night Stalker Thrust Kick at 14:45 to take the fall. (55)</p><p> </p><p> Putting Banner in the main event was undeniably a mistake, and dragged the show down a tad, coupled with Sebastien and MJ’s poor chemistry, but it certainly could have been a lot worse. As the home stretch for Independence, it did just fine. (55)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <em><strong>GCW Independence:</strong></em><em> </em></p><p><em> (P) Kelly Speakman vs Laurette Lorio</em></p><p><em> (P) Lail and Demand vs Graff and Mays</em></p><p><em> (P) Heavenly Bodies vs Tallman and Waldron</em></p><p><em> (P) Isaac Holman vs Aaron Redcloud</em></p><p><em> King Kong Grady vs The Danger Boys</em></p><p><em> Black Hat Rodeo vs The Gwinn Brothers</em></p><p><em> Lily-Rose Criss vs Madalene DeGeorge – GCW Women’s Championship Match</em></p><p><em> The Syndicate (Kramer and Nations) vs Durant and Brownfield</em></p><p><em> Dale Whitlock vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Match</em></p><p><em> The Mechanics vs Riptide – GCW Tag Team Championship Match</em></p><p><em> MJ Abruzzi vs Braden Voss</em></p><p><em> Wolf Koziol vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match</em></p>

June 25th, 1986 Connecticut, 785 in attendance Bad news hit shortly before Combat Television: SWC, a Canadian company, had offered Madalene DeGeorge a fat exclusive contract to come work for them, to the tune of $12,000 a month. Worse still, Mr. Dishman offered me a cap on how much I could offer her – no more than $10,000. I had to hope an extra two years on the contract and some small perks would be able to sway her back our way, because I wasn’t sure what would happen to our women’s division if we lost her. Also annoyingly, Hugh Bailey announced that he’d be working a SWC show instead of ours on Combat TV, leaving me with one ref for the night: Rob Zilko. It looks like we might have a new enemy before us. vs Pre-Show – Kelly Speakman vs Trinity Branch Well, not an ideal match, since Speakman and Branch have zero chemistry in the ring and looked clunky and awkward together. Speakman is still showing up as a decent, hard-nosed technical wrestler, though, and submitted Trinity with a Sleeper hold in 8:50. (18) vs Pre-Show – Sunset Army vs Cotton and Riddle Decent little tag match to give the Sunset Army some more work in the ring. They looked about the same that they always looked, while Cotton and Riddle were a perfectly average tag team, no chemistry one way or another. Karasuma got the win with a Claw Hold in 10:03. (20) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Danjou Nakasato A good big man match for Grady, as Nakasato is a decent seller and undersized face. He sold one hell of a beating, and Lester was good as ever at ringside, ordering his monster around. Grady got the win with the King Kong Suplex at 6:43. (21) vs Pre-Show – Isaac Holman vs Boston Sills The best match of the pre-show, of course, and Holman is still showing up as the best of my new crop. I might have to actually do something with him sooner or later. Then again, I have a bevvy of heels already, so some more seasoning wouldn’t go amiss. He’s not that good. Boston got the win with his Top Rope Elbow at 8:41. (31) We opened up with an interview with Bret Danger and Auston Sandy, the Danger Boys. "Suppose the first thing I oughta say is thank you, Grady," Bret started with. "Thank you for coming out an' telling us straight who it was that beat up me and my brother here in those little ambushes of yours. Frankly, I'm surprised a big ugly beast like you could ever sneak up on someone, but I've been wanting to know just who was responsible. Now I know." "And now we know who to go after," Auston said. "You thought you could come in and just toss us around, because you're so big and strong? Well, it's not gonna be that easy." "No sir." Bret shook his head. "And if you think we're gonna be afraid to face you, well, you forgot who you were dealing with. We're the Danger Boys. Danger's my name, and Danger is what we do." "So if you wanna take on the both of us, consider yourself on." (36) vs The Dregs vs Mays and Graff A main show appearance for my two new heavy hitters. The Dregs looked like a decent undercard tag team as usual, and the other two looked even better. The Dregs tried to use their standard underhanded tricks, eye rakes and double-teams and referee distractions a plenty in attendance, but they were dealing with two well-oiled machines and hard-hitting fighters. Mays in particular was electric, despite being the less well-known of the duo, and got the win with a double-knee strike in the corner at 9:16. (45) vs Olivares and Slay vs Bill Gwinn and Criss Slay continues to gel nicely with the Black Hats, coming down with a similar brutish swagger to the 6'5 Olivares. Meanwhile, Bill Gwinn and Lily-Rose both looked eager to get in the ring and handle their business. Gwinn and Olivares started, with the All-American bruiser taking it to the larger cowboy immediately, pummeling him back into the corner. Bertha ignored a tag at first, seemingly not wanting to get on the receiving end of Lily-Rose's offense, but it couldn't last forever, and she ended up taking the fall to a Crossbody in 15:13 of a very solid match. (42) We went backstage next to Sebastien Durant. "You were, perhaps, the better man at Coming Storm, Scorpio. You and your partner. But you were also the more cunning man, the more vicious man, the more ruthless. And I know, as you know, that I can beat you, man to man. I have done it in the past, I did it to win the title of Prince of Wrestling, and I will do it again. I want another fight with you, and more than that, Tarzan and I want another fight with you. We are a Tropical Storm, ready to blow your little Syndicate away. So you tell me, Scorpio. Are you man enough to step into the ring with us once more, and prove what you can do? Prove you are the future that you claim to be? Because I would very much like to see it." (55) vs Black Hat Rodeo (Bragg and Marshall) vs Old Guard (Whitlock and Osburn) Solid tag team match with Billy Ray acting as the stand out as usual. To be perhaps expected, he spent a lot of the match ducking Whitlock's attention, not wanting to go one-on-one with his former mentor, and instead preferring to shove around Osburn and out-muscle the veteran technician. Marshall was instead left to bully Whitlock with sheer size - which worked, to an extent, but Whitlock proved the cagier and more experienced fighter. Marshall slammed him to the mat with a nasty powerslam, causing Bragg to tag in to try and lay in with stomps and knees, but Whitlock fired up and battled out against him with rights and lefts, and nearly hit him with a spear tackle. Bragg tagged Marshall back in instead, who walked into a double-team from Whitlock and Osburn, and a Hangman's Neckbreaker that gave the Old Guard the win. (49) We went backstage to Wolf Koziol, next, who was fired up for an interview. "People like to keep telling me, they say Wolf, Wolf, ain't Poseidon got your number? Ain't Poseidon got one over on you? And you know what, there's a point to be made there. He does seem to keep coming out ahead, don't he? Whether it's through choking me out before a match, siccing his attack dog on me, throwing me into some kind of crazy three-way match - it doesn't really matter. He's used every trick in the book to beat me, but that's the thing, ain't it? Mr. King. You had to use those tricks. You had to outmaneuver me. You had to do everything you could to escape a Lariat, because you know it would have brought you down. And last week, yeah, you walked out with the title - but you stole that title. From me, from Voss. You pit us against each other so you didn't have to do the dirty work, and hell, you waited until I got hit with somebody else's move. What kind of man does that? Nah, nah, I'm going to beat you. Sooner or later, I am going to beat you, Poseidon, and you are going to find out just what kind of man I really am. I want a match, one-on-one, to prove what I can do. And tonight, I'm going to show you just why I deserve it." (75) vs The Syndicate (Kramer and Nations) vs Wolf Koziol and Braden Voss True to his words, Wolf looked especially fired up out of the gate here, as he and Braden continue to make for a solid tag team despite their strife last week. It turned into a damn good tag team match, with the heels looking not even remotely out of place. Scorpio was perhaps the best one in the ring and that’s delightful to see at this point. Unfortunately, that was partly due to selling for Wolf’s offense, as Scorpio, clearly with his mind somewhere else, spent a lot of time bumping around for the biker brawler. He couldn't lock in his Scorpion Clutch, instead ending up whipped over Wolf's shoulders, and eating a Lariat at 9:42 when he got to his feet. (54) We went backstage to MJ Abruzzi, who was enjoying a neck massage. "Well, well, look at how fiery our little Wolfpack is, huh? All fulla piss and vinegar. Ain't that special. Wolf, it seems to me you've forgotten something important in your little quest to purge yourself of your failure against our Poseidon. You see, I got a win over you. And I mean to assert that even more firmly. Raiden is outta the picture, I've beaten Dustin Robinson, and that makes you the guy around here, don't it? The big man on campus. And just who I wanna beat. But you're looking to be busy, I get that, so it's about time the Godfather took aim at your buddy, Voss. I remember you, Braden. We've wrestled before, and it's time we got the band back together, you see? I need a dance partner. I need someone to show off my skills against. You're the guy. So dust off your boots and get ready to go, because I am gonna hurt you, badly, just like I'll hurt Wolf - and just like I plan to hurt Carver Wells tonight. Watch closely, bud, 'cuz this is gonna be you." (65) vs MJ Abruzzi vs Carver Wells While Carver has regressed some since his losses to Poseidon, MJ looks as excellent as ever. I'm hoping the Old Guard as a whole can raise Carver's profile a little bit, but mostly, he's just in danger of being jumped by new talent around him. Regardless, this made for an excellent match between two young, dynamic performers who are damn good in the ring. They battled it out in a brutal technical exchange, whipping and flying around, with MJ systematically hammering Carver's legs to slow him down, bit by bit. Carver hit him back hard, nearly securing a Neckbreaker once or twice to really show MJ how close he was, but he couldn't get the job done, and the low kicks, ankle twists, knee bars, and all the rest started to take effect. In the end MJ got the win with his Italian Deathlock to force the submission at 22:08. (57) Yet more proof of how much our midcard has built, as we seem to be consistently rolling hard there, matches rarely dropping below a certain level. The main event is still stagnating just a tad, but the more the undercard catches up, the better – right? (58) Next Week: (P) Dom Sarvela vs Mo Ponder (P) Speakman and Slay vs Mitchell and Gillam (P) Trent Stevens vs Roger Cotton (P) Heavenly Bodies vs Hillbillies Kramer and St. Croix vs Whitlock and Criss Black Hat Rodeo (Olivares and Marshall) vs The Mechanics Josilyn Darville vs Lilyanna Derby MJ Abruzzi vs Sebastien Durant Riptide vs Koziol, Voss, and Banner

June 18th, 1986 Boston, 797 in attendance The news came in after Combat Television that Ashton did, in fact, have a cracked coccyx, which is far from ideal. It’s not technically going to stop him from working, he’s stated, but it is of course going to slow him down for the next month or so while he heals, so I’ve got to treat him with a light touch. A few days later, Kurt officially announced his retirement from in-ring competition. He let me know that he’d be interested in working as a manager, or perhaps a color commentator. Garner Bautista did a fine job on TV, though he wasn’t blow away, so I’d consider adding Kurt to the table, and seeing if there was anyone to partner him with on screen. vs Pre-Show – Kelly Speakman vs Tempest Phenis Tempest was another new signing, a pretty little thing out of Sacramento with plenty of charm and plenty of growing to do. She and Speakman didn’t especially impress here, but Tempest got the win with a martial arts kick in 7:40 for the win. (17) vs Pre-Show – Cash Firestone and Sawyer Rodriguez vs Beltran and Nehemiah Well, first out the gate I noticed that Firestone and Rodriguez have excellent chemistry together. I have no idea how to package a bald bruiser from Oklahoma with a brash and arrogant Hispanic kid per se, but it might be something to work with. This was also a test run for Kurt Grey managing these two – both as a chemistry test, and to see how his managerial chops were. He did some good work at ringside, but didn’t dazzle me with the two giants. Beltran won off a Face-Plant in 8:11. (27) vs Pre-Show – Lail and Demand vs Mays and Graff In a constant attempt to bolster the face side of the ring, I’d hired Alexander Mays and Nails Graff, two gentlemen from the local New England indie scene with some experience. While Mays was still pretty young, Graff actually had some name value, and the crowd popped for both of them here – and kept going when they delivered excellent work. Mays got the pin on a High Knee at 10:29. (39) vs Pre-Show – Keaton Whisenant vs Aaron Redcloud A bit of a cool down after that last match, as two of our longer-tenured undercard guys duked it out. Both looked about as middling as ever, with Keaton less middling and more 'bad', and Redcloud won with an Overhead Slam at 6:41. (21) vs Sunset Army (Kandori and Umari) vs The Gwinn Brothers Rather than seconding his soldiers in the Sunset Army, Kandori actually came out to wrestle this week alongside Umari, to "teach him more about the craft first hand," as McKean put it on commentary. It didn't end up paying off in the ring, though. Kandori spent most of the match on the ring apron shouting orders at Umari, while the Gwinn Brothers operated as a well-oiled machine. By the time Kandori tagged in things had gotten out of hand, and he ended up taking a Backbreaker from Bill Gwinn at 8:59. (45) We went backstage next to where King Kong Grady was looming, Lester Haas standing in front of him with sunglasses on and a cigar chomped between his teeth. "It's come to my attention that the so-called Danger Boys have been backstage whining about things. Complaining that my client, the monstrous King Kong Grady, interrupted their supposed match and left them busted. To which I ask, who gives a care? If you boys have a problem with it, well, you ain't looking so dangerous, are you? But that makes sense. The both of yous know you can't hang with my monster in the ring, that neither of you stand a chance against King Kong Grady. Hell, I don't think the two of you could take King Kong Grady on your lonesome, could you?" With a savage grin, he took the cigar out of his mouth and jabbed it at the camera. "So Danger Boys, here's a challenge for you. To show what true power and dominance can be, my client is prepared to face you both, two on one, at GCW Independence on the 6th. If you've both got the stones to step into the ring with a juggernaut like this, I'll enjoy watching the ring crew peel you both off the mat." (67) vs Bertha Slay vs Lily-Rose Criss Following her beating at the hands of the Black Hat Rodeo, Lily-Rose had a mind for revenge. She was still sore from the ugly spinebuster she took two weeks ago, wincing as she climbed into the ring, and Bertha took quick advantage. She barreled in to attack the veteran with heavy shots, trying to pin her to the mat and punish her back with stomps and elbows, and cranking her into a nasty bow-and-arrow stretch. Lily-Rose managed to roll out of it, though, and despite the pain use her superior agility and savvy to outwrestle Bertha Slay, taking her down with the Crossbody at 9:25. (41) Lily-Rose went to the back for an interview next, still holding her wrapped ribs. "If I've done anything, it's prove that I am not easily intimidated. Bertha Slay thought she could intimidate me by teaming up with the Black Hat Rodeo, by letting one of them hit me with a Spinebuster. Well, Jase Marshall put me on the mat, and look at me now? I'm still standing. It will take a lot more than that to stop me, and even when I've been given a beating, I'm still more than enough woman to handle you, Bertha. Which brings me to another woman in this company. Madalene DeGeorge. You won that title, I'll give you that, and you've proven that you're one of the best. No one can take that away from you. But what I can take away from you is that Championship. I'm coming back for what's mine, and you're going to have to kill me to stop me." (46) vs Night Stalker vs Big Hank Banner The Night Stalker looked especially vicious and furious making his way to the ring after two sub-par weeks for him and the Riptide recently, but he still had the Tag Titles to show for it, so that was something. And he was more than happy to take out his frustrations on Big Hank. It made for a surprisingly good showing, mostly due to Night Stalker bumping around nicely for Big Hank's middling power offense, but also laying into him with vicious strikes and controlling the pace well. While Big Hank bullied him around at times with his sheer size, Night Stalker looked in good shape for most of the match, and ended it with a Thrust Kick to a kneeling Big Hank to get the win at 13:17. (51) We went backstage next to Dale Whitlock, ready for an interview. "Y'know, I bet you thought you were pretty clever, Billy Ray, challengin' me to an eight man tag. After all, I've made a lot of enemies as of late, I'm well aware of that. Ol' Cowboy Dale Whitlock, he's burnt a lot of bridges and hurt a lot of people, and once upon a time, I was proud of that fact. There's a lot of people that'd hold that against me, and be happy to see me twistin' in the wind, and I'm sure that there are, too. But there are at least a couple men that were brave enough, and good-hearted enough, to give me a second chance. Allow me to introduce them to you." Dustin Robinson, Carver Wells, and Ryan Osburn walked in to join Dale Whitlock. "There have been times when me and Dale were enemies," Dustin said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Rivals. I've battled him fiercely in my time. But what I always knew was that Dale Whitlock was a man with a measure of respect. He wanted to be the best, he wanted to be the champion, and sometimes he took shortcuts to try to get there, but we've all had desperate moments. I knew that when the chips were down, he'd try to do the right thing, and looking at him now, he's at that point." "And more than that, it's time for a change around here," Carver Wells added. "Absolutely. The Black Hats, the Riptide, this new Syndicate, they've been running roughshod for some time," Dustin said. "And it's time for someone to stand up against them. Not just a lone warrior, not just a man on his own, but an alliance. And that's why I've brought to you this group. The Standard-Bearer. The White Hat. The Mechanics. And together, we're going to protect this company, and this sport, and the people that need it. Consider us the Old Guard." "And the Old Guard is coming for you, Billy Ray," Dale Whitlock said. "How do you feel about that?" (44) vs Black Hat Rodeo vs Old Guard A bit of a chaotic match, between introducing the Old Guard and throwing Texas Tommy in with the Black Hats properly for the first time. There were some rough spots, of course, especially when Tommy was in there as he's still pretty raw, but all in all the teams worked together nicely. Billy Ray was the expected standout, calling the shots and hurling abuse his old mentor's way, but ducking away every time he actually tagged into the ring. The rest of the Old Guard looked hesitant to tag Dale in at times, as well, especially Carver Wells, but it was the new White Hat who got the win when he pinned Tommy Carleton with a Hangman's Neckbreaker at 14:43. (49) We went backstage to Poseidon, who was sitting with his belt draped across his lap. "So, last week my disciples made a challenge. If Wolf or Braden could defeat them in singles action, either of those two men could win a title shot - and both of you did. And so we've been left to wonder, who will I actually face? Who will I choose to go against? But I've beaten Wolf time and again, and proven that I have your number. And Braden, you've fallen to me as well, my latest conquest. And as I've said, I have grown so bored as of late." He showed a rare smile - a vicious slash across his face in the darkness. "So I decided to make things interesting. Tonight, it will be the GCW Heavyweight Championship on the line, on Combat Television, for the first time in a very long time. And I am not content with that being the only first. Wolf. Braden. You will both face me tonight. A triangle match. I will face both of you, and you will both have a shot at me. And when I pin or submit one of you, I will go on the champion yet again, and have proven myself an unimpeachable warrior. A true champion. I hope you're both ready." (78) vs vs Braden Voss vs Wolf Koziol vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match The first ever three way match, and it went pretty well considering. Poseidon ruled the psychology, attempting to pit Braden and Wolf together who were both fired up looking to win the Heavyweight Championship off of him. He used that to his advantage, that and the fact that Wolf and Braden clearly weren't expecting anything like this, looking awkward and confused for part of the match. Neither really wanted to face the other, trying to keep focused on Poseidon, but he'd whip one into the other, or duck out of the way so that Wolf chopped Braden by mistake, slowly driving them more and more feverish. In the end, Poseidon proved himself the most cunning of the three men, managing to score a Face Crusher on Braden Voss after he’d accidentally Back Elbowed Wolf, and retaining the title at 21:05. (58) This was supposed to feel like a somewhat big deal episode, with a Heavyweight title match on TV for a change, and I’d like to say we delivered. The eight man could have perhaps been better but Billy Ray’s star is rising, the Gwinn Brothers get better every week, and Night Stalker is bulletproof in the ring. I can’t really complain. (57) Next Week: (P) Kelly Speakman vs Trinity Branch (P) Sunset Army vs Riddle and Cotton (P) King Kong Grady vs Danjou Nakasato (P) Isaac Holman vs Boston Sills The Dregs vs Mays and Graff Olivares and Slay vs Bill Gwinn and Criss Black Hat Rodeo (Bragg and Marshall) vs Old Guard (Whitlock and Osburn) The Syndicate (Kramer and Nations) vs Voss and Koziol MJ Abruzzi vs Carver Wells

So, about those two last matches being in the wrong order... ***** June 11th, 1986 New Hampshire, 798 in attendance vs Pre-Show – Isaac Holman vs Kurt Grey It was Kurt’s last night he’d be wrestling before retirement, so I decided to take a flyer on one of my young guys. Isaac has impressed me so far, and he did well enough here – not remarkable, but in there with a good worker, he did alright. Kurt wasn’t happy about jobbing to such a nobody but, well, he’s not going to be wrestling again, so I’m not too worried. Holman won with an Overhead Slam in 5:55. (27) vs Pre-Show – Sunset Army (Umari and Kajitani) vs Tallman and Waldron It occurred to me that it’s always Sanzo and Karasuma getting the tag action, so why not these two? Well, this might be why. Nothing too impressive, and in there with two green guys in Waldron and Tallman, it was nothing to write home about. Just a plodding affair that ended with a Butterfly DDT in 5:32. (19) vs Pre-Show – Kelly Speakman vs Ethel Gilliam Another two new women for the roster. Speakman is hard-nosed with a nasty attitude, and Gilliam is a decent journeyman who’s been around some of the American indies, with some alright seasoning and a naturally sunny demeanor. She got the win here with a Jumping Knee Drop in 8:09. (23) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Richard Auston Auston is another one I’m considering letting go, since he doesn’t really add anything special to the roster. At least with Nehemiah we have size and Ponder technical ability. Rich is just kind of there. He did the job nicely for King Kong, though, going up for the big stalling suplex at 6:17. (27) vs Kandori and Stevens vs Beltran and Nehemiah Beltran and Nehemiah were good enough to get some main card air time – if only to lose. Since Stevens spent so much time in Japan, I’m wondering if pairing him with the dying Sunset Army might be good, since they’ll need someone quality in the ring with Kandori on the way out. He looked damn good here with the veteran, at least, and won with the Running Knee in 7:24. (45) We went to the Gwinn Brothers next backstage for an interview. "So, last week we had us a little dance with the Black Hat Rodeo," Darrell started off with. "And let me be clear, you're a tough, capable pair of fighters. I'm not trying to take anything away from anybody, not in the ring anyway, but I'm gonna say this and I'm gonna say it plainly. Olivares, Marshall, you two aren't men. No man would lay their hands on a woman half size like you did. No man, Jase Marshall, no real man standing at 6'6" would take a woman, even a talented, championship-caliber athlete like Lily-Rose Criss, and hit her with a Spinebuster." "You're a couple of phonies," Bill cut in. "Just - just - the both you - it makes me sick. Sick!" "That's right, BIll," Darrell said. "It makes me sick to think you'd treat someone with such disrespect. And that's why we're calling the both of you out. Someone needs to make you pay for that kind of horrible behavior." "You're gonna pay, yeah, pay through the nose. The nose!" "Lily-Rose can fight her own battles, that much is clear, but there's some things a man just can't abide. So just you wait, Olivares and Marshall. We're coming for more." (39) vs Tommy Carleton vs Big Hank Banner Texas Tommy brought it to our resident big man, and once again Big Hank was outshined. This was a somewhat clumsy match, and Tommy isn’t a Billy Ray Bragg who’s good enough to cover the rough spots, but he definitely looked better than Big Hank did, I'll say that much. It doesn't help that Tommy wrestles like a badass hoss, but he's almost half a foot shorter than Big Hank so he couldn't quite bully him around like he normally would, having to take a few short-cuts as a more vicious, underhanded heel. Either way, we got to the right end point, and he got the win with a lariat in 5:43. (39) Texas Tommy Carleton headed to the back, where he was joined by Billy Ray Bragg, who was carrying the North American Championship prominently on his shoulder. "Allow me to formally introduce all a'y'all to the newest member of the Black Hat Rodeo, a hard-hitting son of a gun and a man who can certainly live up to the standards of the Black Hat Rodeo better than some I could name: 'Texas' Tommy Carleton. He's been proving himself as of late a changed man, a new man, one who has embraced the strength and the viciousness of his roughriding and bronco busting forefathers. He's proven himself just the kind of man we need in the Rodeo, and not one who is going to be soft. Who's going to lose his guts when it matters. Not like you, Dale. Oh, once upon a time, you looked like a man I could look up to. Learn somethin' from. The kind of man who'd run roughshod over this company before, and was liable to do so again. That's why you brought the Black Hats together, wasn't it? To do what had to be done. You wanted to surround yourself with the toughest, the most vicious, the most dangerous sons of guns you could find, and you found me, a Sidewinder, and my brothers Dwayne and Jase, and you had us fight for you, and protect you, and keep you on top of the mountain, and what did you do? You dropped the ball. Time and again. You had your short at Dustin Robinson when he was champion, and you couldn't get it done. You're a one hit wonder, Dale, and me?" He slapped the championship. "I am the future, and I'm gonna show you why you were a fool to trust a Sidewinder. You think you can take this from me? A broken down old man whose shown he is soft in the belly? No, no, you ain't never gonna take this from me, Dale Whitlock. I will die before I let you beat me. You count on that." He clapped Tommy on the shoulder. "Because me, and Dwayne and Jase, and Texas Tommy here, we are the new Black Hat Rodeo, and we are stronger and more dangerous than ever. You just count on that, and see if maybe a cowardly White Hat like yourself can find any allies to fight us with. It's gonna be a real long fight four on one." (66) vs St. Croix and Levee vs Derby and Mitchell Well, this could have gone better. Camille and Suzanne are both terribly green, with Suzanne in particular one of the weakest in-ring performers we have, and they had zero chemistry together. My women’s division seems riddled with that. On the plus side, team punk rock on the other side okay as usual, with Lilyanna carrying the load. She looked damn good, and after entirely too long of St. Croix and Levee working together with stilted, awkward double-team attempts, Lilyanna cut them off and got the win with a Thrust Kick to mercifully end it.(36) We went backstage next to Madalene DeGeorge, who was preening with her newly-won GCW Women's Championship on hand. "I do love it when things fall together as they should. I've been telling you all for weeks that I am the superior woman in GCW. That I am the one with the skill, and the beauty, and the class, and all the rest of you are playing for second place, and here I am to prove it." She ran her fingers over the belt. "Look at this beautiful piece of gold. The symbol of excellence in the world. The symbol of my personal excellence. I defeated Lily-Rose, I took this title, and I established myself the woman to beat. Not that any of you, of course, stand a chance. You're all a level far below me, and none of you can hope to defeat me. Anyone who wants to take a stab at it is going to realize exactly what High Class really means." (63) vs Lash and the Heavenly Bodies vs Sills and Tropical Storm It’s a bit worrying that Sills was perhaps the second-worst performer in this contest, even behind Jupiter. He's supposed to be a 38-year-old veteran, a reliable midcarder, but he's never actually established himself with a really solid performance, and while I hate to write anyone off, I don't know how much longer I can justify his place around. Luckily, the rest did a solid job, with the Heavenly Bodies preening and showing off to obnoxious degrees, Jupiter especially delighting in bullying the smaller Tarzan. It didn't end up paying off, though, between Sebastien storming in like a house of fire and Boston, at least, hitting some solid kicks and dizzying Adonis Lash to knock him out of the ring. A Missile Dropkick from Tarzan to Jupiter later, and the end result was academic at 11:30. (43) We went backstage next to a dark room. Poseidon wasn't in attendance that we could see, but Night Stalker and Ashton Black were ready for their interview. "So, you skipped by by the skin of your teeth," Night Stalker opened. "How clever, how fun. But it can't last forever. Braden Voss. Wolf Koziol. We have our eyes set on you. We plan to put you both down. The Riptide isn't satisfied with half-assed victories, and we want to show you just how much stronger we are, and more dangerous. And to that end, our King, Poseidon, has made a fun little offer just to add you some extra spice tonight. Just to add some extra motivation." "You see, we're three weeks away from Independence, and that's just too long to wait. Poseidon wants a fight. And we want a fight. And from how you both talk, you want a fight, too. So it sounds like we're all of a mind." Ashton Black flashed a savage grin at the camera. "So it's us against you. Whichever one of you win a match against us tonight, not that it's happening, will get a title match against Poseidon, King of the Seas, next week, here on Combat Television. And if you can't win, you'll never a Heavyweight Championship match again as long as the Riptide lives. How does that sound?" "Because it sounds like a fun challenge to me," Night Stalker said, laughing high and sharp. "It sounds ever so much fun to know we can crush your dreams in a single match." "And I want you, Wolf," Ashton said. "You can act like the proud hunter, the brave warrior, but I can see you for what you are. Just another dog, just another predator, like me. I can smell it on you. And I'm going to show you what a Jackal is capable of when its hunger is roused." "Which leaves you to me, Braden Voss," Night Stalker said. "And that match is next. I hope you're ready." (68) vs Night Stalker vs Braden Voss For the length of this battle, I was quite excited about where the future was going. Night Stalker is, consistently, one of the best workers in the entire company, and battled with a viciousness and bloodthirst that stood out to everyone, but Braden was far from a poor opponent. He zipped around, fighting on a more even-keel with the 6' Stalker than he had the towering Poseidon, and with Stalker's selling, his strikes seemed to have a great deal more impact. He ducked out of a few big kick attempts and kept the Night Stalker on his toes, though he also fell victim to an eye rake and a kick to the back of the head that nearly put him out. He returned the favor by managing to twist Night Stalker's mask, leaving him blinded and confused and vulnerable to the Flying Back Elbow for the win at 17:55. (58) vs Ashton Black vs Wolf Koziol But then my good humor ended. I should have reversed the matches, honestly, as while Wolf is definitely the bigger star of the four, Night Stalker and Voss are better workers considerably, and Ashton Black is still shaking off his ring rust - and now that's going to be a little worse because he suffered a cracked tailbone when Wolf dumped him out of the ring partway through the match. It was a careless, sloppy move, and I was about tearing out my hair backstage watching it. Ashton carried on gamely, trying not to show it too much and playing the mean-spirited attack dog that punished Wolf with knees and chops, but he put him in a rather lengthy bulldog choke that slowed things down badly, mostly to recover from his hurts. In the end, after seeing to it that two members of the RIptide were now on the injured list, Wolf got the win on his big lariat at 15:09. (49) With a reversed main event/semi main, this would have probably been a great show, but the subpar finish – thanks in part to Wolf’s sloppiness – and the rocky undercard dinged us. Still, we can promote a big title match coming up next week in the bridge between Coming Storm and Independence, so fingers crossed it goes off well – and Wolf doesn’t hurt Poseidon next. (51) Next Week: (P) Kelly Speakman vs Tempest Phenis (P) Firestone and Rodriguez vs Nehemiah and Beltran (P) Lail and Demand vs Mays and Graff (P) Keaton Whisenant vs Aaron Redcloud Sunset Army (Kandori and Umari) vs The Gwinn Brothers Bertha Slay vs Lily-Rose Criss Night Stalker vs Big Hank Banner Black Hat Rodeo vs Whitlock and ??? ??? vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championshi

Honestly, yeah, a lot of the vets were a lot higher in raw popularity than I would have expected. Adonis Lash is still a pretty high up there name, as shown, and I probably should be using him more, but... eh. It's hard to get excited about an injury-prone guy on the cusp of 50, you know? I say, as I use Marcus Kramer heavily. And yes, Mo Ponder's hair is ridiculous, and to be entirely honest, that's part of the reason he never gets used. How am I supposed to take that seriously, really? Also his name is Mo Ponder, so there's that. And yes, I forgot to mention it but Jacoby Disney is one of the first official cuts of the roster, since Danny Danger just walked out on me. What a milestone, right? ***** June 4th, 1986 Connecticut, 796 in attendance vs Pre-Show – Sawyer Rodriguez vs Aaron Redcloud After going through the roster in full, it feels like there’s some dead wood that needs to be trimmed out, and Sawyer is one on the block. He’s young enough that he might still be a worthy body, but we’ll see. Here, he did alright with Aaron, who still doesn’t seem to be increasing too much, but I’m considering putting him in at least a temporary storyline opportunity. We’ll see. He won by Overhead Slam in 7:02. (25) vs Pre-Show – Lail and Demand vs Beltran and Nehemiah I kind of wanted to see if, A, Nehemiah might be worth investing in a little more since he really does do good work in the ring, and B, if there was something to use in Beltran. Maybe he just needed a new partner? No chemistry one way or the other here, but Beltran forgot to tuck his chin on a slam and got whiplash. Great. He pinned Lail with a faceplant in 7:13 to win. (19) vs Pre-Show – Suzanne Levee vs Lilyanna Derby A debut for one of our new women. While the men’s side is probably a bit bloated, the female talent is thin on the ground a bit, so I hired a couple new women to freshen things up. Suzanne was one of them, a 26 year old with natural arrogant charisma that makes her immediately unlikeable. She was rough, but has great chemistry with Lilyanna, as they looked like they’d had this match a dozen times. Lilyanna killed her with a thrust kick in 8:07. (44) vs Pre-Show – Trent Stevens vs Kurt Grey Just using Kurt on his way out, really. Trent is still excellent in the ring and I need to find a place for him – he’s too good to be stuck on the pre-show, but with the Riptide, Black Hat Rodeo, and Sunset Army all clogging up the heel side, it’s hard to see where he quite fits in. Anyway, he won here with the Running Knee in 6:01. (43) We opened the show with the Danger Boys in the ring, Auston and Bret both ready to get down to action. Instead of a tag team to oppose them, though, they were met by King Kong Grady, who stomped out with Lester Haas at his side. Grady rolled into the ring and blasted them both with a running double-clothesline, taking them down. From there he started tossing them both around and stomping them to the mat before they could get their footing under them. Crushing them with body presses, tossing them into the corner, and dropping them both with stalling King Kong Suplexes, he left them laid out, just like he'd done in his backstage ambushes a few months back. (25) vs Heavenly Bodies vs Tropical Storm A very good little match before four young guys, with Tarzan and Sebastien really starting to gel as a unit. Tarzan might be from Jacksonville, instead of the jungle, but he sells the wild man gimmick well and it bounces off of Durant's stoic intensity nicely. That had them balanced nicely against the arrogant heart-throbs, with Jupiter as the powerhouse who went toe-to-toe with our Prince of Wrestling, and Sebastien the more dynamic - if rough - young guy to battle with the high-flying Tarzan. In the end, though, the Tropical Twosome were on a different level, and Tarzan got the win off a missile dropkick in 10:12. (42) We went backstage next to Wolf and Voss, side by side. "Sunday was a rough night," Wolf started. "We both been done dirty. We both been given a raw deal. Abruzzi, I ain't gonna forget that you had to use your little friends and a set of brass knuckles to beat me. That win goes on your record, but you and I both know it's dirty, and it don't really count for much, and one day, one way or another, I'm gonna make that right. But that's gonna have to wait for another day." He clapped Voss on the shoulder. "Because I got a brother in arms here, a brother of the road, that needs a little bit of backup himself." "Poseidon," Voss said, "I haven't forgotten about you. You're a big, mean, powerful son of a gun, and I knew that going into any fight with you would be a real war. Maybe I didn't quite know the truth, maybe I didn't know quite what I was up for, but I'm not gonna back down. I'm not the biggest dog in the fight, but there's a fight in me bigger than you've ever seen. And I'm not going to let some big, psycho bully like you try to run around here like you own the place. Not a chance." "So Riptide, get ready," Wolf said. "I got unfinished business with all of you, too, and me and Voss, we're a wolf pack that's ready to go to war." (52) vs Abruzzi, Kramer and Nations vs Banner and the Hillbillies A match that was never in doubt, of course. The newly forged little alliance came out as one, Abruzzi preening and peacocking down to the ring with Scorpio and Kramer flanking him. They looked like a decently well oiled machine in action, too, with Abruzzi mostly directing traffic and having Scorpio and Kramer handle the heavy-lifting, while coming in periodically to pick the bones. While Big Hank threw some big rights and lefts, and came close to crushing Scorpio into paste, it didn't pay off. Being double-teamed by the others left him in dire straights, and while he managed to tag out to John Boy, it wasn't long before he had to submit to the Scorpion Clutch at 7:59. (49) After the match, Abruzzi went backstage with his new partners for an interview. Seeing as he'd done little action in the ring, he looked fresh as a daisy. "Well, wasn't that a fine coming out party?" he asked, chuckling. "See, ever since Coming Storm, people have been asking me, what's the deal with you and Scorpio and Kramer. You got some kinda organization? Some kinda team? Well, I am happy to report that I do indeed have a team going. You see, to become the Godfather, you gotta have a keen eye for talent. You gotta know just who you can rely on, who can be part of the family. And in these two, I saw potential. I saw the past, and I saw the future." "And brother, the future is now," Scorpio crowed. "Oh, everyone who crosses us is in a world of hurt, yeah, brother? We're gonna make them know who the real power is." "Absolutely. See, I'm not a fool. I'm a man who knows he needs support, and backing, and allies to make myself as secure as possible. After all, what's a Godfather without some soldiers to rely on, and family to protect? So here we are. My new organization. My Syndicate. And the Syndicate is going to be running things from here on out. It's just a matter of time." (59) We went backstage next to Dale Whitlock. "I understand that it's gonna be hard for some of y'all to believe me, here. I ain't always been the best man. I let my pride, and my greed, get the better of me. The only thing that mattered was being the best, being the man on top, and I'd use any trick to get there. And recently, well, I learned what it's like to be on the other end of that line. I learned what it is to suffer at the hands of a Black Hat. And I didn't much appreciate it. Seeing Billy Ray lay boots to a good, admirable man in Dustin Robinson, feeling him spit in my face and kick me low, it shook me out of something. It made me want to be a better man. So I will be. I'm changing my tune, and changing my colors, and Billy Ray? You better be ready to go one-on-one with a White Hat." (45) vs Jimmy G vs Dale Whitlock I'm not going to lie, after being a career villain, it was a little odd seeing Dale working as a face for a change. He's still a hard hitting bruiser regardless, but he looked more the cagey veteran against the athletic showboat in Jimmy G, having to bounce around a bit for his superior athleticism but using the keen mind that had served him for the 20 years of his career. He seemingly had to physically stop himself from going for eye rakes or chokes, shaking off his old bad habits, but it still did the job, and he won in 7:37 with his Hangman's Neckbreaker. (40) As Dale was celebrating his first victory on the side of the angels, and basking in some rare adulation from the crowd besides, Texas Tommy Carleton ambushed him from behind. Dressed in matching trunks to go with the Black Hat Rodeo, he hammered Whitlock with a big lariat and stomped him down to the mat, while Billy Ray Bragg came out to just watch approvingly on the ramp. (39) vs Black Hat Rodeo and Bertha Slay vs Gwinn Brothers and Lily-Rose Criss Bertha synced up nicely with the Black Hats, as a hard-hitting southern woman, and I wonder if things might not be better off with more women joining some of these stables to mix them in and out of storylines. She looked a little weak in the ring compared to the rest, but it was a good showing, as the Black Hats did their thing, bruising and battering the recent tag champs. Jase Marshall stunningly hit Lily-Rose with a Spinebuster, distracting Bill Gwinn enough to eat a Back Suplex from Olivares for the win at 15:28. (49) In one of his dark lairs in the depths of the stadium, we went to Poseidon. "Another day, another victory. I almost grow bored of this. Is there really no one out there who can challenge me? No one out there who can push the King of the Seas to the limit?" His face twitched a little, and he pushed hair back from his face. "No. You see, I've broken the bear, sent Jack Raiden back on the shelf where he belongs. I've conquered the best this company has to offer, I've vanquished the new hero, I've proven that I live inside of Wolf Koziol's head and can defeat him any time I'd like, and I wonder, is there anyone left? Anyone who can step up?" He lifted the title in front of the camera. "Or am I destined to rule and reign with my title forever? Because it feels like I am unstoppable." (68) vs Riptide vs Koziol and Voss Well, in good news, Koziol and Voss didn’t have bad chemistry, which was a relief given where I plan to go with them as a duo. Night Stalker and Ashton Black are still good, though Stalker is clearly carrying the duo – but he’s one of the best wrestlers in the company, so that’s not hard. They both looked vicious and bloodthirsty, laying into the biker duo with vicious strikes and kicks, and it ended up being their undoing. As Voss and Wolf proved to be too resilient and too enduring, Ashton started to lose his cool. He ended up backing Voss into the corner and brutalizing him with kicks and eye rakes until the referee tried to call him off, and ended up being disqualified at 19:32, giving the win to our valiant heroes. (57) Not a stand out show, but I have big plans for the coming shows and Independence in July, so here’s hoping I can deliver. For now, the top end talent seems to be doing well, the rise of the Syndicate is hugely promising, and Dale turning is at least an interesting wrinkle. We’ll see how things go. (55) We got a .33 rating and 253k viewers. Next Week: (P) Isaac Holman vs Kurt Grey (P) Sunset Army (Umari and Kajitani) vs Tallman and Waldron (P) Kelly Speakman vs Ethel Gillam (P) King Kong Grady vs Richard Auston Kandori and Stevens vs Nehemiah and Beltran Tommy Carleton vs Big Hank Banner St. Croix and Levee vs Mitchell and Derby Lash and the Heavenly Bodies vs Sills, Durant and Brownfield Night Stalker vs Braden Voss Ashton Black vs Wolf Koziol

INTERLUDE – The Roster So Far I should have probably done this after Stampede, since that’s the actual “Halfway Point” of the year between where we started, but. I forgot, to be honest, so here we go, at the halfpoint of the year: the status of the roster so far, ranked by approximate status in the company. MAIN EVENT Poseidon – Our number one man, of course. The King of the Sea is not just the most popular man in GCW, he’s also one of the most popular wrestlers in America, sitting in just outside the top 10 at number 11 – which, when we’re the number 3 company, isn’t anything to sniff at. A dark and menacing presence, he’s been undefeated in GCW since Alexander Allred took over, a perfect 16-0. His power has only grown, thanks to him establishing the Riptide around him, and he is quite determined to keep his place at the top on a mountain of defeated bodies. Accolades: 2-Time GCW Heavyweight Champion, and current champion. 2-Time GCW Tag Team Champion. Jack Raiden – Kodiak Jack Raiden is the number one face in the company, a prominent presence and only 32 years of age, making him one of the most important centerpieces of the company so far. He’s spent the year so far battling off numerous opponents trying to keep him from his time in the sun, and the combination of treachery and the Riptide has seen the Heavyweight title elude him, currently out on a storyline broken ankle. A 6’5, 280lb monster, he has all the tools and it seems like his time in the top is only one powerbomb away. Accolades: 1-Time GCW Heavyweight Champion, 1-Time GCW North American Champion Dustin Robinson – He calls himself the standard-bearer of GCW, though at 45, it seems his time on the top is just about done. On screen he’s a stalwart, American hero, tough as boot-leather and willing to fight to his last breath, with a deadly slingshot suplex and perfect wrestling fundamentals that can see him grapple and brawl with ease. Backstage, he’s a bit of a sleazeball, who seems to have higher opinions of himself than are perhaps warranted. Still, he’s one of our top stars for a reason, and has been doing his best to form a loose alliance of heroes against the rising forces of the Riptide and Black Hat Rodeo, acting as an ally and mentor at times to Carver Wells, and Ryan Osburn. Accolades: 2-Time GCW Heavyweight Champion Wolf Koziol – Loud, fiery, and always looking for a fight, Wolf is a huge personality with heavy hands and energy for days. Wearing a studded leather jacket to the ring, he has the looks of a renegade biker eager for a scrap, and his hot temper has seem him dragged into lengthy battles with experts of mind-games like Poseidon and Antone Benner, the newly turned Night Stalker. It’s seen him left in something of chaos, having let Poseidon repeatedly slip through his fingers en route to the Kings ascendance to the top of GCW, but Wolf has remained in the fans hearts, even if he rarely sells, is a little sloppy, and a total scumbag behind the scenes. Still, at 37 he has mileage left in the tank and fans are always going to pop for his in-ring howls and lethal lariat, so on top he remains. MJ Abruzzi – One of my finest signings, the Trenton, New Jersey native was once a stand-out upper midcarder in WWB who jumped ship to help solidify GCW. Calling himself the Godfather of Professional Wrestling, Abruzzi dresses in natty suits with $100 sunglasses, takes fancy cars to the arenas, and works on his own time and only for the biggest of prizes. He’s arrogant, ruthless, and utterly slimy, and wrestles with incredible technical acumen and devastating submissions, most lethal of all his Italian Deathlock leglock. Though his initial feud with Jack Raiden saw him lose a cage match to conclude it, he still went on a dominant 5-0 streak to start his tenure, and his momentum is running hot with a recent victory over Dustin Robinson. His eye is always on the prize, and there are rumors that Abruzzi is too smart to stay by his lonesome for long… UPPER MIDCARD Night Stalker – Once the face-painted Antone Benner, he’s undergone an increasingly dark transformation since I took over the company, taking hold of his natural reptilian motions and sinister charisma to form one of my fastest rising stars. Despite losing a dramatic hair vs hair match to Wolf Koziol, the Night Stalker has seen his stocks rise dramatically in the last eight months, turning into a premier in-ring talent with his brutal striking style and pairing wonderfully with Poseidon and the Riptide. His new masked form only seems to make him more dangerous and wicked, and it remains to be seen who else will suffer the sting of his Thrust Kick for the new tag team champion Accolades: 1-Time North American Champion, 1-Time Tag Team Champion, current Reijiro Kandori – It’s almost disappointing to see Reijiro so high on this list still, considering that he’s on his way out. The 49 year old veteran was a reliable mainstay in GCW, and the centerpiece of one of my first big storyline changes – and one that didn’t quite pay off, in the Sunset Army. While Reijiro has remained a fantastic performer, excellent on the mic despite being a Japanese native and a devastating technical wrestler, and he looks excellent surrounded by goons, the Sunset Army has never really caught on despite regular attention, and with Reijiro looking to hang up his wrestling boots soon, it’s a wonder how long they’ll stick around. Marcus Kramer – Another one of my top veterans, the 48-year old Kramer is a brutal strong man, 6’3 and 278lbs of muscle and intensity. Like Kandori, he’s an excellent performer despite his age, still giving out wonderful matches on the regular, and while his career has a loudly ticking clock, he’s shown a strong resurgence since being paired with rising star Scorpio Nations. Working as a brutal hired gun enforcer type, he looks like a killer in the ring, and I’m hoping I can make use of his popularity for at least another few months to help get the young guy over, but he’s one that can always stay on a card. Accolades: 3-Time Tag Team Champion, 2-Time North American Champion Braden Voss – Another recent signing and big “get” from WWB, the Roadrunner is a slightly undersized but lightning quick and technically savvy wrestler at 5’9 and 214 lbs, fighting out of Topeka, Kansas. With his dyed shock of hair and devil may care style, he has a decent shot of charisma and was a solid upper midcarder in ASW, with an All-American and Tag Team championship reign to his name. He was launched a bit abruptly into the upper card here to, essentially, pad Poseidon’s numbers a bit and give the Riptide time to build, but he’s a damn good roleplayer and at only 33, has a bright enough future still that I can work with. Adonis Lash – Frankly, shockingly high in popularity for his positioning in GCW, Lash is a veteran that I rather lost confidence in early on. Between being 48 years old, a bit injury prone, and grumbling a little over putting over younger talent, I put him on the backburner for a good chunk of the year. That doesn’t seem to have done him any harm, as he’s been a tag team mainstay in ASW, since he works for both companies. He’s a talented enough guy, with a sleazy lothario gimmick that feels like it’s getting a bit past its expiration date at his age, and a good technical wrestler, who probably has a lot more to offer my rising young guys, but we’ll have to see where he fits in an increasingly crowded heel card. Dale Whitlock – Cowboy Dale Whitlock was an early heel top act, acting as the centerpiece of the Black Hat Rodeo, one of my more prominent stables, especially in the earlier part of the year. A hard-hitting brawler with tons of experience and natural menace, he was a perfect anchor for the group and a solid, long-term rival for Dustin Robinson. The winds have changed as of late, though, as he’s seen his heir apparent, Billy Ray Bragg, usurp the Black Hat Rodeo and oust him, leading to a face turn into a tough as nails good guy. Dale seems like he has a solid chunk left in the tank at 40, as while his psychology is a bit subpar, in there with the right worker he has a good amount to offer – even if it’s only going out on his back for the next few years more often than not. Accolades: 1-Time GCW Heavyweight Champion Billy Ray Bragg – Speaking of, another one of my shining achievements so far. While not quite as far along as the Night Stalker, the Sidewinder Billy Ray Bragg, only 28, has ascended from a solid midcarder into one of my top performers. A fantastic brawler and in-ring performer, he’s also rock solid on the mic, and is just a perfect all-rounder with no real weakspots, which means he can work with anyone and let them shine. In the ring, he’s brutal and hard hitting, not afraid to blast someone in the face with a wad of tobacco spit or bust them open with a belt shot or a set of spurs. He’s been the reigning North American Champion for about 165 days, now, and while Dale Whitlock nearly took it off him at the last show, it seems like the sky is still the limit for the new sheriff of the Black Hat Rodeo. Accolades: 1-Time North American Champion, current Carver Wells – In the inverse of Reijiro Kandori, perhaps, Carver Wells is one I’m a little disappointed to see so far down this list, considering not too long ago he was a challenger for Poseidon’s Heavyweight title. Perhaps it was to be expected. While an excellent technician, quick and agile and damn good in the ring, Carver has never caught fire as a character and lacks charisma on the mic. His natural presence makes him a top guy, coupled with his in-ring skills, and he’s certainly going to continue to have a place on the card and in the company, but it’s clear that he has some work to do before he sees the main event again. Luckily, he’s only 30, so that’s no too concerning, and having settled into a solid upper-card tag team with Ryan Osburn as the Mechanics, he has plenty of time to polish his skills. Accolades: 1-Time North American Champion Mean Machine – Streaking up after a rough start to the year, the Mean Machine, once the Violet Rooster and real name Philip Everson, was a fun character who lacked a place in GCW once I took over. His steaming mad character worked well with his bruising in-ring style and dominant size, and he has the charisma and chops to carry it, but at 38 it seemed for a minute like he’d fall by the wayside, a more game Adonis Lash willing to actually do the jobs. Luckily, he’s seen a corner turn in his career after a well of fan support, joining the Riptide and becoming tag team champions with the Night Stalker. The masked duo have put on impressive performances so far, and Mean Machine just seems to be getting better every time. Accolades: 1-Time Tag Team Champion, current MIDCARD The Gwinn Brothers – An excellent unit that did just what they were supposed to. Darrell, 33, and Bill, 34, lack a bit of definition as characters, admittedly, but being both solid in-ring workers and an excellent tag team, they’ve anchored the face side that was struggling so badly when I took over, giving other teams time to get established, while putting on good but not great matches. Darrell in particular seems like a quality wrestler, and ASW thinks the same since he’s been All-American Champion for most of the year, and hopefully the two can progress beyond just being the hard-nosed hard-hitting brother brawlers that they’ve been so far into something a little more engaging. If nothing else, they will always have a place in the tag division, especially since my options are otherwise slim. Accolades: 1-Time Tag Team Champions Black Hat Rodeo – And directly opposite them, the remaining two members of the Rodeo – Dwayne Olivares and Jase Marshall. Marshall, 29, seems to be inching along as the slightly better of the two, with his natural menace, excellent in-ring consistency, and he’s younger besides. Olivares, meanwhile, is 31 and just a bit rougher around the edges, but he’s a similarly reliable and safe bruiser, and these two were absolute rocks for the start in my tag team division, handling whatever mis-matched duo or undercard nobodies I tossed their way with ease. While they’re never going to put on a barn-burner, I know just what I’m going to get when I throw these two hosses in the ring, and having a pair of 6’5/6 cowboys to brutalize any babyfaces I have in mind is a nice boon. Accolades: 1-Time Tag Team Champions Sebastien Durant – The Haitian Hammer, another success story, and one much needed on the babyface side of things. With excellent skills across the board, natural star quality, and great on the mic, he seems primed for excellence and when he’s only 22, I just hope I’m not rushing him. He’s shot up the rankings since winning the Prince of Wrestling tournament for the inaugural crown, and his performances really made the fans stand up and take notice of the 6’3 powerhouse. He’s another one that’s been reliable and solid, and it only seems a matter of time before I launch him into a bigger storyline – even if, honestly, I could probably cool him off for the rest of the year and just take him as a solid building block. No need to push him to run before he’s ready, after all, but he’s shown enough promise that I know I can count on him in the not-too-distant future. Accolades: Prince of Wrestling Tournament Winner Ryan Osburn – Further down than his current tag team partner, Ryan Osburn is one struggling from a lack of momentum, admittedly. I wasn’t very high on him to start the year, which is honestly pretty defensible if not too kind. At 37, he’s already about what he’s going to be development wise, and that is a safe, reliable, consistent in-ring mechanic with moderate charisma who is never going to blow anyone away. His technical wrestling makes him easy to put in the ring, and he’s good at shining up whoever I pair him with, which honestly made him a tempting option to use to put over young guys early on. Now, though, he’s impressed me enough with his performances that he’s getting a chance to shine as part of the Mechanics with Carver Wells, and if nothing else his slightly middling, boring persona should only help Carver look better in comparison – right? Ashton Black – A wrestler I don’t admittedly have a lot of experience with. Ashton spent a lot of time on the shelf recently, the victim of a torn ACL that saw him lose almost a year of his career. He’d been a solid mid-to-upper-mid carder up until that point, and while time away has left him a bit forgotten, and jumped by a lot of wrestlers, he impressed pretty well out of the gate. A previous tag team partner of Poseidon’s, he’s a natural fit in the Riptide as the vicious and bloodthirsty jackal. From everything I’ve seen and heard, he’s an impactful striker with a slight Japanese flair to his in-ring work, which I pretty obviously appreciate, and buckets of charisma, so it just remains to be seen how much he’ll impress me as he works off the ring-rust. Accolades: 2-Time Tag Team Champion, 1-Time North American Champion Lily-Rose Criss – The inaugural GCW Women’s Champion. An incredibly charismatic woman fighting out of California, Lily-Rose’s combination of magazine cover good looks and a graceful, high-flying in ring style make her a true sight to see, and the fact that she’s solid on the mic and a safe, reliable hand made her the perfect selection as the first champ. She never truly dazzled, admittedly, and at 38 her best years are starting to be behind her, so her reign has come to an end and it’s hard to say if she’ll get a second one, but she was the perfect veteran to start guiding my budding division and to see what pieces I really had to work with. Accolades: 1-Time and First GCW Women’s Champion Josilyn Deville – And, of course, her opposite. A vicious, hard-hitting kickboxer with a lot of experience to go again an equally veteran babyface, Josilyn was the perfect initial opponent to streak through my babyfaces and put on decent matches with Lily-Rose for the title. Given her performances, it’s quite possible that she deserved the belt just a little bit more than Lily-Rose did, honestly, but at 36 she has a little more room for second-chances, so I’m not terribly worried. In general she’s just a solid all-arounder not unlike Billy Ray, and one I’m really hoping will push the women’s division to greater heights. Scorpio Nations – While not as popular as some, Scorpio is perhaps my fastest rising talent in terms of pure in-ring skills. With an unreal blend of technical and striking ability, he looks magnificently polished for being only 24, already putting on matches of a par with Marcus Kramer in their tag team matches, and that’s not because Marcus is slowing down at all. While he’d already been part of a short-lived tag team title reign before I got here, ended prematurely due to Rick Crowell leaving the company, the once Salazar Nations has only improved more since taking on the Scorpio gimmick as a fast-talking, arrogant, thoroughly disrespectful upstart with his Scorpio Clutch being the perfect weapon for a sadistic little weasel. His brewing feud with Sebastien seems ready and poised to make two new stars, and I can’t wait to see where he is even a year from now. Accolades: 1-Time Tag Team Champion Madalene DeGeorge – High Class Madalene DeGeorge was one of the best signings I made when starting my women’s division, to be honest. A standout in her native Canada, Madalene brought buckets of charisma and confidence on the mic to the women’s division, becoming a clear stand out early on. A flashy and incredibly solid wrestler, she quickly earned herself the second ever GCW Women’s Championship reign by putting an end to Lily-Rose’s hot streak, and I’m curious to see how she does on top, and who she can help develop on the face side, since there’s almost no one better for them to learn from. Boston Sills – Oh, Boston. Hired on with the Gwinn Brothers to refresh a flagging face side of the roster, I had solid plans for a 19-year veteran of the independent scene who could help develop my young guys – and he had to go have miserable chemistry with Scorpio out of the gate and kill my initial storyline plans. Oops. I suppose I soured on him when that happened, and haven’t really forced myself to find a place for him in the roster since then, which isn’t entirely fair. That being said, he has middling at best charisma, no star presence, and reliable but far from dazzling in-ring skills, so perhaps there’s a reason he’s a 19-year veteran of the independent scene. Considering he makes $500 a pop, I have to wonder how long Boston will stick around, but we’ll see if he can impress me in the coming months. LOWER MIDCARD Kurt Grey – While a reliable veteran, and he certainly helped Antone Benner explode into his new heel character, I can’t lie, the moment I took over I had Kurt Grey pegged as the lead babyface who was going to start putting over young heels, and I never looked back. A chain-smoker with miserable stamina, he can put on good matches, but not for long, and it makes it hard to want to put him in a more prominent position. Whether it was his jobbing, his physical condition, or just time that did it, he recently announced plans to retire, and should be hanging up his boots any day now. I can’t say I’m too upset about it, but here’s hoping he can do a few more jobs on the way out. Tarzan Brownfield – “Tarzan” Max Brownfield is just the kind of babyface every roster needs. Slightly undersized at 5’9, flashy and technically savvy in the ring, capable of great matches and selling, and naturally charismatic. So far he’s been put in the position to do a lot of looking great in defeat, is what I almost always say about him, helping shine up the likes of Billy Ray Bragg, Scorpio Nations, and Trent Stevens to name a few, but a recent pairing with Sebastien Durant has seem his fortunes improve. He’s one I have earmarked for bigger things, and with some solid wins under his belt he’ll hopefully take off nicely. Aaron Redcloud – Another reliable piece in an undercard – a hard hitting, badass Native American. Look, it’s the 80s, and you’ve got to have your Natives to go along with your Cowboys, right? Aaron plays the part well. Despite seeming to have naturally impressive skills and a unique star power, he hasn’t really seemed to do a lot of developing in the ring, plateauing in his matches since I took over. I’m hoping that things will improve, since he’s one I really wanted to see move up here soon, but he may be jumped by the others around him if he can’t turn a corner. Still, he’s 26, so he has plenty of time. Lilyanna Derby – With her flashy moves and punk rock stylings, Lilyanna is another stand out in a largely green and underdeveloped women’s division. She’s quite possibly the best in-ring performer of the lot, which has unfortunately seen her do a lot of jobbing to support the upcoming heels set to challenge Lily-Rose. Now that Lily-Rose is sliding down and Madalene is on top, things seem wide open for the rock ‘n roller to ascend, and while she’s not the most charismatic, her striking looks, and good-looking strikes, will take her far. The Dregs – One of my favorite “project” teams, the duo of Gabe Pilcher and Alonzo O’Toole have been buoyed by a mixture of steady improvement and incredible tag team chemistry in a division that is, frankly, largely devoid of it. They did fine in a test run against the Gwinns, and have been mostly racking up experience and wins in the pre-show to keep polishing their talents. Gabe in particular is one that my booking team has earmarked for success, and I’m hoping they can impress me properly here soon. King Kong Grady – Like Gabriel, Grady is one who was earmarked for big things, and boy, I tried to push him like it. Paired with Garry Beltran, he saw months of domination in the undercard – and being a 6’9 monster of a man, it was easy to see why. The Man Mountains duo just never got off the blocks, though, stagnating and even regressing in the ring despite plenty of time and momentum. It’s only since breaking away from Beltran and turning heel as the brutal and relentless King Kong Grady that he seems to finally be picking up speed, and I’m hoping that it’ll take, because a true monster on the roster would be a very nice thing to have. He’s 27, so there’s still time to develop, but I have to be honest, the clock is ticking and if King Kong fizzles, he might be out the door. Big Hank Banner – Honestly, putting him even this high up might be generous, if not for his relatives. Yes, Big Hank is the nephew of GCW owner Dean Dishman. A washed out practice-squad lineman who failed in his NFL dreams, he was convinced to try wrestling and has since turned into something of an arrogant headcase. Mr. Dishman has, luckily, not been too strict about me pushing him, since I think even he knows that Big Hank’s career is going nowhere fast, but I try to keep him in the mix, and he didn’t embarrass himself in a shot against Billy Ray, at least. Still, while he’s got solid fundamentals and good size at 6’6, he doesn’t really have much else to offer, being poor on the mic, with middling natural charisma, and not a stand out in any kind of wrestling. He can slug it out and do a mean running splash, but I just feel like I need more – and already being 34, he’s pretty much past the “development” stage of his career. The Sunset Army – Reijiro Kandori’s disciples and soldiers, I had big plans for them when I took over. Unfortunately, things have never clicked. Like the Man Mountains, I’ve let the duo of Sanzo and Karasuma rack up wins in the tag division, and the also 6’9 monster Giant Kajitani crush people to a 10-0 win streak before he took a loss, but it never seemed to win them any popularity from the fans. Nor did they ever seem to improve much in the ring, to be honest. I added the charismatic and bruising powerhouse Umari to the group recently after their crushing loss to Jack Raiden, but it hasn’t helped much, and I’m wondering how much more time I can invest in them. Especially when Kajitani regularly puts up the worst match of the night. Heavenly Bodies – Meanwhile, on the opposite end, we have a duo that’s starting to click nicely, even if they haven’t found much time on the main card yet. With the Riptide, Black Hat Rodeo, and Nations and Kramer, the heel tag team scene is a little crowded, but handsome and arrogant pairing of Jupiter and Saturn have shown some nice forward momentum, and the burly college athlete Jupiter in particular is showing some good in-ring chops. Saturn is still a little further behind, though he has a natural star quality that Jupiter lacks, so I’m hoping they can pick up the slack for one another and make a splash here soon. The Danger Boys – With a little bit of the three above teams mixed together, and seasoned into a babyface pairing, you get the Danger Boys. Originally supposed to be the Danger Brothers, I launched them into a principle story – again, perhaps a bit too soon – with Raiden and the Sunset Army, but Danny Danger abruptly bailed on the company and has been toiling away in North Dakota’s AAW. Bret Danger, who I’d signed just to form this tag team, seemed like a man without a country, and as the weaker of the two wrestlers, was honestly on the chopping block a tad – until I started pairing him up with the smaller but technically proficient Auston Sandy. The two formed a solid duo, initially just as jobbers to the likes of the Dregs and Sunset Army, but they’ve showed quite a bit of improvement as of late, and being both 24, and solid, likeable kids with good charisma, it seems like I might have struck gold after all. Tommy Carleton – Texas Tommy Carleton was a reliable job guy for most of my early tenure, who’s done enough to improve and show up in good performances, and has been a hardworking, no-nonsense professional, that it feels like time he gets rewarded. Though only 6’, he hits hard and fights like a bigger man, and has incredibly solid fundamentals besides. He’s not likely to set the world on fire, but he seems like a potential mid-card player, and I’ve already developed plans for where he goes next. Jimmy G – Similar to Tommy Carleton, Jimmy G found himself putting a lot of guys over as I tried to develop my babyfaces, and it won him plenty of good will. He’s not quite the natural in-ring performer that Tommy is, but he’s a phenomenal athlete, his college days on the gridiron at Illinois State showing through, and he moves with explosive energy and can keep up well with others. Like Tommy, he’s not likely a star in the making, but a solid depth piece who has found himself in a decent pairing with Adonis Lash to leach off his popularity. Trent Stevens – The last of my trio of “good workers but nowhere to put them yet” heels, who always seem to find themselves on the pre-show so far. That should change soon for Trent, I hope, he’s just been a bit overshadowed by Scorpio, Billy Ray, and recently King Kong Grady – for some reason. He’s better than Grady by far, a devilish striker who honed his skills in Japan and has brought an interesting style to bare. He throws an especially vicious knee, and I’m looking forward to putting him in the ring with some of my more talented workers to see what he can do – I just need the right opponent, I suppose. Bertha Slay – While not the wrestler of the above women, Bertha has one thing going for, and that’s how much she stands out. A sizable and hard-hitting young woman, she’s a real backwoods brawler that fights differently from most of my women, who err on the side of smooth and technical or crisp kickboxer types. Bertha throws hands and throws them well, and it’s enough to keep her high in my books, at least enough to watch her development closely. OPENERS Adrianna Mitchell – One of my many green women, Adrianna has buckets of charisma and star power waiting to be tapped, but she needs to develop as a wrestler. Hopefully a loose pairing with Lilyanna Derby will do that soon. Camille St. Croix – The French Lady, she’s like a young Madalene DeGeorge at only 22, though far from her in in-ring skills or polish. She’s only got two years in the business so far, though, so with her natural charm and solid fundamentals, I’m optimistic she can be spun into a fun midcard character if nothing else. Garry Beltran – The other half of the failed Man Mountains. Standing at 6’8 and beastly, he seemed like a great future powerhouse, but he only looked a little better than Grady in the ring and with none of the charisma. He hasn’t been useful for much since the breakout, but at 26, there may be mileage for him yet. We’ll have to see. The Hillbillies – Jim Bob Tiller and John Boy, a pair of Appalachian toughs who love to throw down. Or so they’d have you believe. Really a New Jersey native and a hoss from Virginia, they’re a pair of good brawlers and fun characters, with the distinction of being the Black Hat Rodeo’s first challengers when I took over, but they never really impressed in the ring and they feel a tad gimmicky. Hard to say if they have much of a future. Rosemary Pfeiffer – A tough-looking woman with great attitude and style, she seemed natural to pair with Lilyanna as a punk rock duo, but they have no chemistry, so that died on the vine. She has charisma, at least, and a fantastic finishing move in a top-rope clothesline, she’s just rocky in the ring otherwise. It remains to be seen if she can pick it up. Trinity Branch – Another green young woman who seems to have a lot to offer, but no fan investment. Just a natural, down-home girl with some charismatic flair. Violet Bee – An early project and favorite of mine, if only because she has a mask, and a neat name. She hasn’t impressed much in the ring, but her fundamentals are killer and she has charisma for days, so I’m hoping with some fan response she can see something bigger in the near future. We’ll have to see. ENHANCEMENT TALENT Cash Firestone – Amazing name. Not bad in the ring. No stamina. He’s only 24, though, so here’s hoping this reckless daredevil can tone up and do more. Danjou Nakasato – A Young Lion sent to us from HYPERION in Japan. At only 21, he’s super green, but he has all the charisma in the world and seems to have a bright future. Edwin Riddle – Also just 21, a fundamentally sound and charismatic young Canadian with a nice splash of facepaint. He may turn into something with time. Isaac Holman – Flashy, arrogant, and technically crisp, with good size at 6’4. He seems to have a higher ceiling than some of my newly hired job guys, and with some seasoning I’m very optimistic of his chances. Keaton Whisenant – I need to rename him because I can’t get past it. Might be more damaged than some, but he has charisma and fundamentals, so maybe there’s something to work with here. Kolton Tallman – A 6’5 beastly babyface with great intensity. Currently working in a pair with Zach Waldron. They’ve seen a little injury and some clunky performances, but big men get more rope in this industry, so they’ll stick around a bit. Laurette Lorio – Only 26, she doesn’t really stand out anywhere, but she’s a nice body to have on the roster if nothing else. Layton White – He refused to put over my Japanese giant and he’s been in the doghouse ever since. It’s annoying that he was probably right to argue about it. Still, he doesn’t offer much, but he’s good at jobbing. Mo Ponder – I often forget he’s employed. Good basics, technically sound, tragically boring. A value-brand version of Ryan Osburn, basically. Nehemiah – And here’s the value brand version of Marcus Kramer. Approximately the same size, bad ass demeanor, honestly pretty charismatic, but he’s just too good at losing, and when he’s already 33, it’s hard to argue giving him more of a push than some other guys. Richard Auston – Similar to the above, but add “badly overweight” and “even more boring.” Roger Cotton – A zippy little technician at only 22, who seems to play an interesting mix of the “technical savage” – wild to the point of deranged, but excellent at grappling. It’s a unique choice that I kind of like. Good job fodder, at least. Sawyer Rodriguez – He’s given me one of the worst matches in this company, so. Job fodder it is. Stu Lail – Another promising young powerhouse at 6’4, though very rocky in the ring. He’s got buckets of charisma, and at just shy of 300lbs, he’s an absolute force in the ring, so we’ll see where he goes. Treves Demand – An odd name, but he’s 6’8 so I’ll let it slide. Currently working a powerhouse tag team with Stu to season up on the undercard. He has a similar intensity and is rock solid in the fundamentals. Zach Waldron – The last of my rookies, and another big monster at 300lbs, pairing off nicely with Kolton Tallman. Like the rest, super intense, super energetic, but might be a little risky. We’ll have to keep an eye on it.

June 1st, 1986 GCW Coming Storm Rupert C. Thompson Arena, 4400 in attendance Once again in good news, Billy Ray’s leg was finally healed up in time for the big show. He was still damn good even on a bad calf, but it was nice to have him at full strength. vs Pre-Show – St. Croix and Bee vs Derby and Mitchell Derby and Mitchell continue on as a solid pairing, and Derby continues to be an absolute in-ring standout. There’s not a ton else to say about this match. Adrianna won with the Thrust Kick on Camille in 8:41. vs Pre-Show – Cash Firestone vs Aaron Redcloud I wish Cash had a bit more in-ring stamina because his name alone is fantastic, and he’s one of my faster developing newbies. Still, until he can step up a bit more and not start looking gassed after five minutes, this is what he can expect. Aaron won with the Overhead Slam in 6:07. (24) vs Pre-Show – Sunset Army vs Danger Boys With Reijiro retiring soon and the Sunset Army not really getting over, it’s hard to know exactly what to do with them. They’re passable workers and an established unit, though, so they have at least one purpose: fodder for the tag division. Bret hit a Bulldog to win in 8:29. (27) vs Pre-Show – The Dregs vs The Hillbillies Similarly, the Hillbillies are probably not going anywhere any time soon, but they’re good bodies at least, while the Dregs keep creeping steadily up in my estimation. Gabe Pilcher with the Spinebuster in 9:46. (30) vs King Kong Grady vs Big Hank Banner Well, this match was about as ugly as I was expecting. Grady stomped out looking like a big angry monster with Lester Haas leading him down, and Big Hank looked impressive standing up to him - and even giving up a few inches for a change. The stare down, at least, was fun. Then they actually started wrestling. Just a plodding exchange of power moves between two raw and unpolished wrestlers. I suppose one could argue that this match was better than it would have been when Grady was still a babyface in October, but eh. Lester called the shots nicely at ringside and distracted Banner towards the end, leading to him getting crushed in the corner with a running body press and then falling to the stalling King Kong Suplex at 8:17. (25) vs Kramer and Nations vs Durant and Brownfield I really need team names for both of these duos, as I’ve really enjoyed them working as pairings. As it is, a hell of a good match. Marcus is starting to run out of steam as he rapidly approaches 50, but he’s still a damn good wrestler, and Durant and Brownfield are heavily on the come up. And Scorpio is just Scorpio. A breakout star in the making. While Kramer brought the name value, and Tarzan brought some dazzling athleticism, it was definitely the high point when Sebastien was in there battling with the smaller but cagier Scorpio. He got the win here in 10:22 with the Scorpion Clutch. (52) We went backstage to a dark room where Poseidon was waiting with the masked Night Stalker and Ashton Black. "Just when they think there's a moment of weakness in the Riptide, we change things up, don't we?" Poseidon began. "Our Mean Machine was left battered and unable to compete, but that's far from the end of things for us. I've had a man waiting in the wings, a former partner and disciple who just needed the opportunity to heal, and to focus on learning the true path of the Riptide. And now he has arrived, ready to attack. A vicious, bloodthirsty Jackal." "Oh, yes, and it feels so good to be back," Ashton said. "I've had to spend almost a year waiting for my opportunity, waiting to step back onto this stage, waiting to fight, waiting to hurt people. I've missed hurting people so, so badly. You forget how sweet suffering tastes until you're not swimming in it every day, but now I'm back, and the Riptide is stronger than ever, because I am a seasoned tag team champion, and I know how this works." "We know how it works," Night Stalker added. "Champions. Unstoppable. That's what we are, and that's what we're going to be. If you thought there was weakness here with Mean Machine out, rest assured, he's going to return even more furious and unstoppable than before, and when he does, he'll be stepping right back into the strongest group in wrestling, and stepping right back in as a champion. Me and Ashton will hold things down until he's ready, and no one is going to take these titles from us." "No one will take any of these titles from us," Poseidon said. "That is what the Riptide means. Unforgiving, merciless power. There is no fear here. No hesitation. You cannot stop us, you cannot truly hurt us, and so you cannot defeat us. What can you do to men who have no fear of death? What can you do, to men who have seen the dark side and come out stronger? No. Nothing. You have nothing. And whether it is the Gwinn Brothers or Braden Voss, or anyone else, you cannot stop us. Tonight the Riptide will be stronger than ever." (63) vs Madalene DeGeorge vs Lily-Rose Criss – GCW Women’s Championship Well, Lily-Rose did her part and established an opening title run, but she never truly impressed me as anything but a safe veteran, and frankly, she's already chewed through the bulk of credible challengers besides. Time to go in a different direction - and see about pulling in a few other women to refresh the roster. She put up another good showing here, dancing around the ring and showing off impressive athleticism as usual, but this time Madalene was a step ahead, clearly sharper than the last time they'd faced off. She ducked neatly out of the way of a Crossbody and pounced to score a DDT on the dizzied Lily-Rose, getting the pin at 9:42 to end her inaugural 147-day reign. (46) vs Reijiro Kandori vs Dustin Robinson Just a short match, which is all that can be asked for, but these two have worked together a dozen times in the past and know how to put on a solid contest, even when both of them are really on their way out. It was a lot of expertly done technical wrestling and grappling on the mat, that saw the vicious Reijiro trying to out-think and out-work Dustin, but never getting ahead of the stronger and more resilient hero. Dustin won with the Slingshot Suplex in 5:53. (53) vs Black Hat Rodeo w/Billy Ray Bragg vs The Mechanics And here we have Olivares and Marshall in probably their best showing to date, which is nice to see. They were in there with good opposition, of course, but still. It was the perfect pairing of the big bruising cowboy toughs trying to dominate the smaller, smarter men, and the Mechanics circled them neatly, seeming well ahead at first. Carver Wells in particular moved circles around Olivares for a good chunk of the match, nearly scoring with a Neckbreaker, but Billy Ray tripped him up from the outside. That was the other story of the match, as he similarly blindsided Ryan Osburn with a shot from a cowboy boot to leave him dizzied and walk right into a Spinebuster from Marshall for the win at 13:46. (46) vs Dale Whitlock vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Yes, the Black Hat Rodeo finally implodes. Billy Ray made his challenge, and it was Dale Whitlock who stormed out to meet him, still showing a black eye from the brawl on Combat Television. They started throwing hands and battling one another from the word go, and while Billy Ray was younger and a little bit bigger, it seemed at times like experience would win out. Dale seemed to know just about everything he was going to do as he was going to do it, wriggling out of the Sidewinder Choke a few times and nearly bisecting him with a football tackle. It only got a near fall, though, and he set up for the Hangman's Neckbreaker - at which point Billy Ray mule-kicked him squarely between the legs. He was disqualified for the blatant low blow, but kept his title, and stomped Dale a few times before spitting on him and scampering out of the ring. (54) MJ Abruzzi was backstage in a private locker room, waiting for the camera and his interview to begin. Sitting behind him were Scorpio Nations and Marcus Kramer on a couch, Scorpio's legs kicked up as he drank from a flute of champagne. "Tonight has been a good night for the Syndicate, and I intend for that to continue. Wolf, you've done a damn silly thing by trying to call me out. You think you're better than me? You think you can stand a chance against the Godfather? Nah, nah nah. That's not how this works. Y'see, you talk a big game, you howl your head off, the people cheer. It's great. It's fantastic, for you. It's a great place for the Wolf. But it's not... on my level. Not on the Godfather's level." Camille St. Croix appeared, handing him a glass of champagne to go along with the one Scorpio was drinking. At the same time, Madalene DeGeorge stepped in, too, holding her newly-won Women's Championship. "See, I am a winner. I surround myself with winners. And you, well, you just don't have the chops, do you? You don't have what it takes to win at all costs like I do. That's what separates the best from the rest, and brother, I am the best." (67) vs The Gwinn Brothers vs Riptide – GCW Tag Team Championship Match Ashton Black once again stepped in for Mean Machine. I’m not crazy about slotting in an “extra” tag team champion, but that’s part of the upside of stables, right? Night Stalker was the standout, of course, but the Gwinn Brothers are looking well improved, too, and hopefully after working as a babyface anchor to the tag division, this title loss can spark some greater character. They sure came out feisty. It wasn’t enough to overcome a different opponent in the Jackal, though, and Night Stalker hit his Thrust Kick in 17:43 to seal the deal. (54) vs MJ Abruzzi vs Wolf Koziol As usual, Wolf wasn’t really inclined to sell, which took the match down a tick, but MJ was damn good enough to raise it anyway. A shame, since half the intention was for MJ to start tearing apart Wolf's legs to slow him down, but it was undercut slightly by him not really selling the assault, the very leg-whips and knee breakers and the like. He just kept coming up and storming back on the assault, looking like the toughest man in the ring. Abruzzi made him look like a world-beater, too, so at least there's that. He ducked out of a couple running Lariat attempts, escaping by the skin of his teeth. In the end, after a grueling 20:03 match that saw Abruzzi throw everything at Wolf that he had, he managed to win when Kramer and Nations played distraction at ringside, letting the Godfather slip out a pair of brass knuckles to KO Wolf and steal the pin. (57) vs Braden Voss vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match I won’t pretend that Braden is the best top challenger I’ve had so far, but he put on a damn good showing, and Poseidon is still the man in this company. It was the perfect battle of the flashy David against the monstrous Goliath, as Poseidon had nearly half a foot in height on the Roadrunner. Still, Braden played to a very nice stick-and-move strategy that saw him throwing his best at Poseidon relentlessly, hitting him with kicks and chops and strikes of all kind to keep him dizzied. Of course, the problem was that Poseidon could absorb just about anything that Voss threw at him, and hit twice as hard. Ultimately, Poseidon proved to be just too much, tossing Voss around with brutal suplexes and slams to leave him reeling, and with a Knee Face Crusher at 15:17, he secured his title once again. (59) Well, another show that has plateaued a little bit. Our undercard seems to be rising up steadily, making for a far more even show across the board, but the top end isn’t really inching up there much. There’s an obvious change I can make that will hopefully refresh things and bump it up a notch, and it’s sure to come soon, I’m just trying to milk the status quo as long as I can – if only because I’m enjoying one act in particular. (57) Next Week: (P) Sawyer Rodriguez vs Aaron Redcloud (P) Lail and Demand vs Nehemiah and Beltran (P) Suzanne Levee vs Lilyanna Derby (P) Trent Stevens vs Kurt Grey Heavenly Bodies vs Durant and Brownfield Abruzzi with Nations and Kramer vs Banner and the Hillbillies Jimmy G vs Dale Whitlock Black Hat Rodeo (Olivares and Marshall) with Slay vs Gwinn Brothers with Criss Riptide vs Koziol and Voss

May 28th, 1986 Milford Ice Pavilion, 853 in attendance Filed under "enormously frustrating news": Mean Machine was working an XWA show prior to Combat Television this week and suffered a moderate concussion. The doctors say that he shouldn't wrestle for the next 40 or so days while he recovers, to make sure he doesn't suffer any lasting trauma. I'm definitely not in a great hurry to put him in any serious harm, of course, but when he literally just won the tag team belts a few days ago... Luckily, however, that wasn't the only news I got from our medical department, but more on that later. vs Pre-Show – Isaac Holman vs Danjou Nakasato Just another test run for Danjou in particular to see how he goes winning a match. Honestly, nothing too impressive, and both looked about the same level at this point – green, awkward, and not really invested in by the crowd, though that’s hardly a surprise. Danjou got the win with a Top Rope Dropkick. (17) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Nemehiah And in the reverse terms, just a classic battle of two big hosses. It was a thudding slugfest between the two, with Nehemiah being obviously more seasoned and capable but Grady seems to be sinking his teeth into this heel run a little. Here’s hoping it continues well. He won with the Stalling Suplex, an impressive visual on someone as big as Nehemiah. (26) vs Pre-Show – The Dregs vs The Danger Boys A match between two teams that are fringe full-carders, and I have slight plans for both so it was nice to see them put on a decent showing. While neither is ready to set the world on fire, both have improved since I started here at least a little and that gives me confidence. This time, Alonzo got the win with a Claw Hold for the Dregs. (31) vs Pre-Show – Slay and Bee vs Derby and Mitchell As always, a nice showing between the women to be the best match on the pre-show. Derby was the star as always, while Mitchell seems to have an undeniable quality about her that I like. Here’s hoping she can develop well. She works well with Lilyanna, at least, being a similar style and having a similar strike-based offense, and won with a Thrust Kick of her own on Bee. (39) vs Jimmy G vs Big Hank Banner I won't lie, I was slightly concerned about putting this match on TV at all given who was in it, but both of these guys have had TV time and exposure as of late, so I decided to roll the dice. It went okay, but it was nothing to write home about, and it was little surprise who came out looking like the more impressive in-ring performer. Jimmy G tried to nail Banner early with his superior quickness, but Banner out-sized and out-muscled him, controlling the match pretty easily by just whipping him around and dropping him with big shots and tackles. Jimmy bounced around and looked good, but never really got ahead, and a combination powerslam and running splash got the win for Banner. (30) Following the match, Big Hank Banner celebrated his nice TV win in the ring, waving his hands and showing off for the crowd. With his back to the entranceway, though, he missed Lester Haas storming out and leading King Kong Grady behind him, pointing right at Banner. Grady rolled into the ring and blasted Banner from behind with a running body smash, dropping down to hammer him with elbows and forearms before lifting him up for a very impressive stalling suplex and leaving him laying. (23) vs Madalene DeGeorge vs Trinity Branch Hey, at least I remembered to put Madalane in the ring with someone other than Laurette this time. It was the Madalene show as always. She’s clicking on all cylinders, while Trinity put on one of her best matches so far – not saying much, but still something. Still, it was far from enough to deal with Madalane's evasive and tricky in-ring style, and she pummeled the young girl, including an ugly camel clutch variation using Trinity's pigtails to crank back on her neck before the ref forced her to break - at 4 and a half, of course. The damage was done, of course, and from there it was academic for Madalene to hit the DDT to win. (41) We went backstage next to Reijiro Kandori, flanked as always by his Sunset Army soliders. "I hope you enjoyed what I did to you, Dustin Robinson. You have so long claimed to be the standard-bearer of GCW, a hero, and an icon. Well, I'm afraid that your time has come. We are two seasoned warriors, you and I, who have been fighting for years, but I bring with me the curtain of sunset. My Army, which is ready to bring an end to the modern era, and usher in a new darkness. And I can think of no better victim to our crusade than you. You will fall. Your legacy will be in tatters, and the Sunset Army will do what it has set out to do. Just you wait, Robinson. Your time is short." (71) vs Dustin Robinson vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Match Billy Ray didn't even bother to bring a microphone out this week, he just stormed to the ring with the North American Championship in hand and waited. It was good ol' Dustin Robinson himself who came out to take one more crack at the NA Title while there was an open challenge running, much to Billy Ray’s ire. He looked about ready to bail, but Dustin rolled into the ring and started throwing hands, causing the bell to ring and the match to become official. They warred back and forth in a technically sound but vicious brawl that saw a lot of grappling to the mat and old-school wrestling transitions, jockeying for power, with Bragg throwing closed fists and eye rakes to take advantage, while Dustin outwrestled him cleanly at other times. Reijiro appeared from the crowd, though, and ended up smacking Reijiro with a kendo stick shot while Bragg had the referee distracted, and he was all too happy to pick up the pieces and lock in the Sidewinder Choke to retain. (55) After the match, Reijiro disappeared, while Billy Ray continued his assault, stomping Dustin Robinson who was nearly unconscious and calling him out as an "over the hill old fraud." He busted him open with a set of spiked boot spurs, leaving him bleeding, and seemed ready to do more before Dale Whitlock actually pulled him off, standing in between the Sidewinder and his old rival. Though there was no microphone, Billy Ray and Dale argued back and forth, with Billy Ray audibly calling Dale Whitlock "a broken down old bronc'" as well, who needed to be "put out to pasture." That had him summon the other two members of the Black Hat Rodeo, and Olivares and Marshall were all too happy to lay into Whitlock with punches and stomps, and throw him into a big spinebuster. The beatdown was cut off, though, when the Mechanics ran down to ringside next, sliding into the ring and chasing off the cowboys. As he backed away, belt head over his head, Billy Ray yelled that "This is my Rodeo now!" (53) vs Kramer/Nations/Stalker/Black vs Gwinn Brothers/Durant/Brownfield A big cluster of a semi-main showing off the somewhat depth of the tag division, which was very nice to see given where we were when I started at the company. Kramer and Nations strutted out first, followed quickly by the Night Stalker, who took a moment to explain that Mean Machine wouldn't be appearing tonight, but he had a replacement, and the newest member of the Riptide: the Jackal, Ashton Black! Black emerged from the back, looking ready to scrap. A solid upper midcarder, he had been out with an ACL tear for something like 11 months, well before I took over, and given that he'd been a 2-time tag team partner with Poseidon, well, this felt like a perfect fit. I'd been hoping for a slightly more explosive redebut, but needs must. As it was, he looked just a bit out of sync, fresh off of injured reserve, which was more storyline than reality, luckily. He showed off some vicious in-ring skills, a slightly more athletic and explosive version of Night Stalker, and more imposing than Scorpio. They battled back and forth with the mismatched babyfaces, as the gritty Nebraska brawlers the Gwinn Brothers seemed a little out of place with the Tropical terrors. Still, a great contest that showed off how good Scorpio was gotten, how great Stalker is, how much potential Ashton still has coming off injury, and letting the faces develop and show up better. It was Black who was out of position for the finish, and he walked into a High Knee from Darrell Gwinn, who got the win. (52) We went backstage to Poseidon next. "I've enjoyed listening to you talk, Voss. You do it very well. You run that mouth with aplomb, and it's easy to see why you've gotten where you are. Fast-talking, and sly, and willing to stick your beak where it doesn't belong. But I have grown bored atop my throne, and I am hoping that you will be a suitable diversion. So do try to impress me tonight. I want to know that I am stepping into the ring with a warrior. With a man who is capable of giving me some true degree of fight. And if nothing else, I know that standing up against you will be entertaining, because it's not very often you get to see a bird drown. Go ahead. Ask your Wolf what's going to happen when you cross me." (74) vs MJ Abruzzi vs Braden Voss A solid battle between two former WWB standouts, and they looked good – though MJ was clearly the man of the hour. It was a nice combination of styles, as both are on the smaller side and both are able to roll out fast-paced and technical moves, bouncing around and selling nicely. Abruzzi looked especially brutal, trying to work down Voss's limbs and break him down piece by piece, but Voss was fast and relentless, hammering him with kicks no matter how his knees were attacked. Late in the match Abruzzi seemed to be fishing around for a pair of brass knuckles in his tights, but Wolf ran out to ringside to get in his face and try to bring it to the ref's attention, to make sure he couldn't cheat his way to another victory. This left him prone to a flying back elbow from Voss, who snatched the win. (58) A solid show all around, better than last week, and it feels like things are setting up nicely for Coming Storm, though if I'm entirely honest the Wolf-Abruzzi storyline has felt entirely slapdash, but at least I can trust the match will be great when it happens. Here’s hoping the show as a whole goes off well. (59) The ratings came in at .33 and 255k viewers. GCW Coming Storm: (P) St.Croix and Bee vs Mitchell and Derby (P) Cash Firestone vs Aaron Redcloud (P) Sunset Army vs The Danger Boys (P) The Dregs vs The Hillbillies King Kong Grady vs Big Hank Banner Kramer and Nations vs Durant and Brownfield Madalene DeGeorge vs Lily-Rose Criss – GCW Women’s Championship Match Reijiro Kandori vs Dustin Robinson Black Hat Rodeo vs The Mechanics ??? vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Open Challenge The Gwinn Brothers vs Riptide – GCW Tag team Championship Match MJ Abruzzi vs Wolf Koziol Braden Voss vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match

<p><strong>May 21st, 1986</strong></p><p><strong> Milford Ice Palace, 869 in attendance</strong></p><p> </p><p> After the show, we got reports back that Marcus Kramer’s bruised kidney was now healthy, which was very good to hear.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="GzhClyg.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/GzhClyg.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="UG897Cl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/UG897Cl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Sawyer Rodriguez vs Garry Beltran</strong></p><p> A return to action for Garry Beltran following his loss in the battle royale and his separation from Grady. He hadn't done anything in the Man Mountains run to impress me enough for a proper feud or push for him, but it's safe to say I could always use a handful more babyfaces here and there. He didn’t look half bad here, at least, and stomped all over Rodriguez, hitting a Face Plant in 6:24. (26)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="hiSJ7NB.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/hiSJ7NB.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="iEVlPgG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iEVlPgG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Keaton Whisenant vs Boston Sills</strong></p><p> Well, Keaton has done little to impress me up to this point and he certainly didn’t here. Boston looked head and shoulders above, though, so maybe there’s something to be done with him yet, as much as his appearances haven’t dazzled. He won with the Top Rope Elbow Drop in 5:44. (28)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="gyoK4p7.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/gyoK4p7.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="BPTfUM0.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/BPTfUM0.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="Jv3HJp1.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Jv3HJp1.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="cZPrvLJ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/cZPrvLJ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="3vpkM9H.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/3vpkM9H.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="PoE8C0f.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/PoE8C0f.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Sunset Army vs Tallman, Waldron, and Riddle</strong></p><p> Well, this wasn’t especially pretty. Kolton Tallman was the prize of his team, which wasn’t saying much, and Riddle and Waldron both looked badly off their game. And they don’t have much to be off to begin with. The Sunset Army worked them over pretty efficiently, though, with Sanzo in particular looking pretty slick, which makes it all the more disappointing he broke his toe in the going. Sigh. Umari got the win with his Butterfly DDT in 9:50 to finally end it. (18)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="C0yukIy.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/C0yukIy.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="IPc6bJ3.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/IPc6bJ3.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Pre-Show – Violet Bee vs Lilyanna Derby</strong></p><p> Now this was quite the match to round out the pre-show and jazz up our local fans. Lilyanna looked as good as ever and guided Bee through things nicely, pummeling her with kicks and looking like an absolute killer. She got the win off a Thrust Kick in 9:27. (43)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="UlFY9aV.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/UlFY9aV.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="4IdASUz.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/4IdASUz.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Dale Whitlock w/Bragg vs Big Hank Banner</strong></p><p> Yes, Banner made TV again, and he made the most of it okay. He’s not impressing me much, but Whitlock made him look good in defeat. He let the big man get a lot of offense in, reeling under his size and superior power, but never truly seemed to be in that much danger. He was too cunning, and Billy Ray was there to distract Big Hank when it seemed like he might be getting ahead too quickly. After a nice, hard hitting exchange, the vet got the win in 8:24 with his Hangman’s Neckbreaker. (41)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="2GSvv3o.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2GSvv3o.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Following the match, Billy Ray stepped into the ring with a microphone and slapped Dale on the back a few times.</p><p> </p><p> "See, that's what I like to see! There's still plenty of fire left in the Rodeo, y'hear that? And especially here, with me. The Sidewinder is on the rise, and I'm still looking for a fight that actually means something. So it is time once again for me to announce my open challenge for anyone who wants a shot at the North American Championship. I just hope some from the back with a real set of brass ones comes out, because I'm tired of bein' bored." (66)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="s4EVIsf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/s4EVIsf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="2GSvv3o.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2GSvv3o.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Aaron Redcloud vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Match</strong></p><p> Following his challenge, it was Aaron Redcloud who came out, whooping and slapping hands on the way down. This was a nice test-run for his abilities and to see how much he’s grown. Not much is the brutally honest answer. His character work is excellent and he makes a perfect tough as nails babyface, but his in-ring work just isn't impressing and really hasn't stepped up in the now eight or so months I've been in charge. Meanwhile, Billy Ray looked as good as ever in-spite of his injury. They pummeled one another back and forth, Redcloud refusing to back down, firing away with heavy-handed but uninspiring offense, while Billy Ray worked him down to the ground and battered him, and put him away at 7:56 with the Sidewinder Choke. (49)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="kMX7dHf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kMX7dHf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> We went backstage next to Madalene DeGeorge.</p><p> </p><p> "I really do hope you've been paying attention, Lily-Rose, my darling. I've been trying to send you a clear message, you see. A message of just what you can expect on the 1st. You are going to walk into that arena, and you are going to step into that ring, and you are going to come face-to-face with a truly High Class woman. And when that happens, you're going to realize that your time is up, and my time has come. You won't escape me and my talents any longer, I can promise you that, my dear. And just in case you need any more proof, well, we have a tag team match coming up, don't we? I hope you and your partner are ready. Because I certainly am." (48)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="kMX7dHf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/kMX7dHf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="A4sP4BO.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/A4sP4BO.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="spCwuOE.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/spCwuOE.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="6Vj8zZx.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/6Vj8zZx.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>DeGeorge and St. Croix vs Criss and Branch</strong></p><p> The two younger women dragged things down a little, both still being pretty clunky in the ring, but Lily-Rose and Madalane looked fantastic. Here's hoping the DeGeorge and St. Croix combination can continue to pay dividends for Camille, because they really work as a duo thematically, and she could use the help. Both of them were delightfully arrogant and showboaty, stepping all over Trinity Branch for the bulk of the match as the young upstart was outclassed by their tag team work, and Lily-Rose wasn't able to tag in. Madalene in particular seemed to delight in taunting Lily-Rose, after every particularly impressive flurry of offense telling her "This will be you soon," and "Think you could kick out of that one, darling?" and the like. That didn't stop her from scampering when Lily-Rose did get the tag, sending in Camille to face off with her, but a little bit of chicanery and double-teaming made it easy for Madalene to secure a DDT and get the win at 11:20. (40)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="y9F4RTI.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/y9F4RTI.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="NxT7xcK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/NxT7xcK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Marcus Kramer w/Scorpio Nations vs Sebastien Durant w/Tarzan Brownfield</strong></p><p> Kramer seems to be losing steam at his age, which is understandable, but he still had a hell of a match with Sebastien while he was going. It was a nice hoss fight, as both men are about the same size, though Kramer has that powerlifter physique that makes him look like even more of a monster. He threw Sebastien around early, but the Haitian Hammer was as enduring as ever, suplexing him over nicely despite his size. They seemed pretty evenly matched, while led to Scorpio trying to interfere, but Sebastien reversed a whip into the ropes, causing Scorpio to accidentally blast Kramer in the back of the head with a forearm. That made it academic for Sebastien to hit the Fallaway Slam at 6:09 to win. (45)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="klRBEZ8.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/klRBEZ8.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Braden Voss was backstage for an interview.</p><p> </p><p> "Glad to hear you're open to a challenge, Poseidon. Look, I got it. I'm new around here, right? The new fish, I guess you could say. But that means I've got everything in the world to prove, and absolutely nothing to lose. I've been told I've got a big mouth before, and you can definitely say I'm biting off more than I can chew, but hell, you only go around this world once, right? And I'm in this industry to be the best. I'm here to climb the mountain, and right now, that mountain is you. So I'm gonna see you on the 1st, Poseidon, and you better give me everything you have, because this Roadrunner don't quit." (50)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="p0xdieg.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/p0xdieg.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="klRBEZ8.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/klRBEZ8.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Adonis Lash vs Braden Voss</strong></p><p> A nice, solid battle between one of our most reliable veterans and our hot new upstart. Honestly, despite being a solid upper mid-carder in WWB, Voss isn’t setting the world on fire yet like MJ Abruzzi did out of the gate, but he’s holding his own. Maybe he just needs a bit more time to find his groove in a new company. I can't hold everyone to the same standards, and it's not like he's disappointing. He zipped around nicely, putting Lash down with the flying back elbow at 13:31. (51)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="cAnfqvK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/cAnfqvK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> We went to Wolf Koziol next backstage.</p><p> </p><p> "You know, I've got a funny feeling, here. My dance card is actually empty for a change. I'm used to someone at this point trying to piss me off one way or another, and my buddy Braden is taking aim at the champ, so I guess that leaves me with nothing to do. And that's not who I am. Anybody who knows anything about Wolf Koziol knows one thing, and that's that I'm a fighter. And since I know someone sitting in the back who likes to act like a badass without putting in the work, well, I think it's time I put you to the test.</p><p> </p><p> So, Godfather. Abruzzi. You want to be the big cheese? You want to play like you're the man at the top? How about you come face me like a man and prove it. I know your little ego got bruised, but if you're half the man you claim to be, I'll give you the fight you need and then some. If nothing else, hell, it'll give me a way to work up a sweat and get ready for my next shot at the gold." (69)</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="ne7XagD.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ne7XagD.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="iPMwsYN.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iPMwsYN.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> vs <img alt="goNQMMY.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/goNQMMY.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="EBceTSA.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/EBceTSA.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Riptide vs The Gwinn Brothers – GCW Tag Team Championship Match</strong></p><p> Our second title match of the evening, and a doozie – albeit not quite as good as I was hoping for. Riptide have caught fire, especially Night Stalker, but the Gwinn Brothers just aren’t quite there yet. They're solid midcarders, don't get me wrong, they're just not main eventers. It led to a solid brawl, the Gwinns hitting hard and looking tough as nails as ever, while the Riptide were vicious and unyielding. They took every shot they could, backing up Bill Gwinn into the corner and taking turns stomping him to the mat and making quick tags to take the fire out of him. It was a long, hard-fought contest, with Darrell getting hot tag late that saw him storm in, throwing out big shots and knees - the crowd engagement just wasn't quite to the level that I'd hoped. He blasted Night Stalker, and tried to pin him, but he'd missed a tag to Mean Machine - who didn't miss when he hit an Axe Bomber at 22:01 to get the pin, and end the Gwinn Brothers' reign at 136 days. (52)</p><p> </p><p> The latter two matches were weaker than I expected, and it led to a slightly down show, though still nothing terrible. I really just need to stop thinking that the Tag Team titles can main event shows – though maybe with Riptide holding the belts, that can change. See? There I go again. (53) We got a .31 rating and 235k viewers for our troubles.</p><p> </p><p> Following the show, the Riptide walked back through the curtain together, both holding their newly won tag team titles that they'd just won and been celebrating with in the ring. Mean Machine started heading pretty much immediately to the locker room, no doubt exhausted after going 20+ minutes, but boy if he didn't look in great shape for 38 all the same. The mask helped. It was hard to tell how old he really was, and he certainly didn't wrestle like someone who'd been in the game close to 20 years.</p><p> </p><p> Night Stalker, though - Benner - made his way right over to me.</p><p> </p><p> "Hey, congratulations," I said, nodding at the belt on his shoulder. "You guys put on a heck of a show out there."</p><p> </p><p> "Well, I 'ppreciate the opportunity," he said. Now that he was wearing that kind of mask, it was even more entertaining to hear his thick Mississippi accent come out of it. "Feels nice to wear a belt again."</p><p> </p><p> "I'm sure it does." He'd been North American Champion not that long ago, before I'd taken over, back during his possibly ill-conceived babyface run. "Well, you've been killing it, and I'm not going to ignore one of my talents doing damn good work." And frankly, I hadn't ignored anything he'd done. At the rate he was going, he'd have a proper main event run before too long - maybe not with the belt, but certainly contending. "Keep it up."</p><p> </p><p> "I plan to," he said. "And, lissen, I know it's your job to watch this kinda stuff, so I'm sure I ain't tellin' you nothin' you don't already know, but I jus' wanted to say, that Redcloud kid?"</p><p> </p><p> "Aaron? What about him?"</p><p> </p><p> "Boy, I see that kid and I smell money," he said. "Seems like he's a real star in the waitin'. Just wanted to say he deserves some good attention, y'know?"</p><p> </p><p> Honestly, I was amused more than anything to hear that. Here I was, starting to lose a little faith in Aaron after being such a big fan when I'd taken over the company, and now one of my top stars was telling me what I'd thought in the first place - that he needed some time, but he was a star in the making. Maybe I'd been right the first time. Or maybe Antone had been just as dazzled by some natural IT-factor as I had been.</p><p> </p><p> As it was, I nodded my head. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing. He still needs some work in the ring, but... "</p><p> </p><p> "He'll get there," Antone said. "Maybe. I figger he can be in that mix with Scorpio and Sebastien, y'know?"</p><p> </p><p> A bunch of kids right in their 20s with potential. It was nice to see. "I hope you're right. And I always appreciate the advice. Much as I might like to, I can't quite do this job just by myself."</p><p> </p><p> "Hey, you're doin' fine, boss," Antone said. "I mean, you made me a champion, so am I gonna complain?"</p><p> </p><p> I snorted softly. "No, no I suppose not."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <em><strong>Next Week:</strong></em><em> </em></p><p><em> (P) Isaac Holman vs Danjou Nakasato</em></p><p><em> (P) King Kong Grady vs Nehemiah</em></p><p><em> (P) The Dregs vs The Danger Boys</em></p><p><em> (P) Bee and Slay vs Mitchell and Derby</em></p><p><em> Jimmy G vs Big Hank Banner</em></p><p><em> Madalene DeGeorge vs Trinity Branch</em></p><p><em> ??? vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Open Challenge</em></p><p><em> Riptide, Kramer and Nations vs Gwinn Brothers, Durant and Brownfield</em></p><p><em> MJ Abruzzi vs Braden Voss</em></p>

May 14th, 1986 Milford Ice Palace, 910 in attendance vs Pre-Show – Lail and Demand vs The Hillbillies Not a terrible match, all things considered. Lail and Demand seem to be improving just a tad, and being a couple of big monsters, they certainly have a future use if they can keep it up. The Hillbillies, meanwhile, are about what they’ve always been, but as reliable undercard babyfaces, they got the win here when John Boy got the pin off a Leaping Headbutt at 8:30. (20) vs Pre-Show – Cash Firestone vs Big Hank Banner Perhaps the most damning part of this match was the fact that Cash looked almost as good as Banner out there, which just shouldn’t be the case when Banner has been on TV and is ten years his senior. Oh well. This was Banner’s night, of course, as he bullied around the smaller Firestone, and won with a Running Splash in 5:42. (25) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Layton White The on-going brutality of King Kong continued against one of my most reliable job guys, who has seemed to learn by now that he’s not going to wriggle out of jobbing to big young heels. He made Grady looks good and I’m optimistic he’s improving a little. Stalling Suplex for the win at 7:11. (27) vs Pre-Show – Slay and Bee vs Derby and Mitchell This was Lilyanna’s match to shine in, as usual, but the other three are doing alright. Bee seems to be getting more comfortable in the ring, while Bertha was Bertha. A lot of striking and hard hitting, but in the end, Lilyanna hit her Thrust Kick on Violet Bee to win at 8:53. (39) We went backstage to our duo of bikers, Wolf Koziol and Braden Voss, who looked like a pleasantly appropriate pair in similar leather jackets. It feels like I can certainly do something with that if needs be. "Tonight is gonna be a good night," Wolf said, slapping Braden on the shoulder. "A good night! You know why? Because the Roadrunner and the Wolf are going to step into that ring, side-by-side, and we're gonna go to war." "Absolutely," Braden said, slapping him back. "We're brothers of the road, you and me, I could see it as soon as I got to this company, and there's no one I'd rather have by my side." "And no one I'd better trust to fight the so-called Riptide. We've had a lot of problems, you and me, but I like to think the Night Stalker remembers me every time he takes off that mask and looks at his ugly, bald mug, right? And I could do the same to you, Poseidon." "Once I've had my fill," Braden said, grinning savagely. "I've come to this company for gold, and you're the man holding it, right? And you've never messed with me before. You have no idea what I'm capable of. And I'm going to show you just what I can do." (55) vs Madalene deGeorge vs Laurette Lorio I'm going to be honest - I wrote this match down for two shows in a row and just forget about it until they came out to have basically the same match they did last week. Woops. Oh well, it did the same job once again: that is, show of Madalene's skills against one of my most reliable - and perhaps lowest ceiling - female babyfaces. I'm not exactly expecting huge things from Laurette just yet, so it only feels fair to put her in this kind of position. If anything, Madalene beat her even more quickly and effortlessly this time along, spiking her with a DDT for an easy win. (37) vs Scorpio Nations w/Marcus Kramer vs Tarzan Brownfield Exactly as I’d expected, a very impressive showing from two impressive young athletes. Scorpio looked as smug as ever coming in, sure that he'd win since Tarzan is one of the few men on the roster he's actually larger than. Tarzan, meanwhile, had his usual sullen, wildman fire, though he looked momentarily confused and even concerned to be coming out by his lonesome, but he funneled it into intensity - lashing out with quick strikes and high flying moves. He looked great, but Marcus Kramer was at ringside to interrupt here and there, slowing him down and distracting him and making it easy for Scorpio to pounce when he needed to, pummeling him with arm wringers, quick suplexes, and a hammerlock bodyslam that left him reeling. In the end, it piled on too high, and Scorpio locked on the Scorpion Clutch at 15:44 to win. (48) We went backstage to Sebastien, who was shaking off an apparent injury and holding a bloody towel to his nose. "That was a cute trick, hitting from behind and locking me in a broom closet. I know that it was you, Scorpio, or Kramer, one of the two of you. Maybe both. I know you were trying to split me and Tarzan up, make it easier to beat him down when I was not there to protect him from your hired gun. Well, next time you won't be so lucky. You can only win this in a two-on-one and you know it. Tarzan is faster than you, has more fire and more heart than either of you could ever dream of, and I'm never going to stop coming. I'm never going to stop fighting. I'm going to bring you all the pain and punishment I can, because you deserve it all." Tarzan shuffled to the back, clearly still feeling the damage to his shoulder and neck, and glared at the camera, rubbing at his injured collar area. "We are more than you can handle, and more than you are ready for," Sebastien said, giving his other houlder a squeeze. "Next time, we are going to get you in a fair fight. Next time, we are going to show you what we can really do, and that there's only so far you can cheat your way to the top." (48) Billy Ray Bragg came sauntering out to the ring next, a microphone in hand. "Shee-oot, you know, I'm feelin' so good about things from Sunday, when I beat my open challenge easily, that I'm thinkin' I ought to open it up even more. No one is gonna take this belt from me, after all, and I figure after I defend it a few more times and show that I am the man around here, the unstoppable, the undeniable, and the most dangerous damn rattlesnake around, management will have no choice but to send me on a collision course with the Heavyweight Title. I don't happen to care who has it at the time, since I've proven damn well I can beat anybody. And to that end, I want me another opponent tonight, and every week from here. I'll beat all y'all. So come on. Whoever wants some, can come 'n get some." (74) vs Kurt Grey vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Match After a momentary pause, it was Grey who came out to be the one to challenge him as one of his last matches, more than likely, in the company. He did his best but his age is catching up to him, and Bragg was still feeling his bad calf muscle, making this a slightly poorer outing than I'm used to from the Sidewinder. Hard to hold it against him, though. He still won in commanding fashion with the Sidewinder Choke in only 4:39 for a very decisive victory. (45) vs Sunset Army w/Kandori and Kajitani vs Robinson and the Mechanics A decent showing for the Japanese team, better than some they’ve had. Maybe I just need to keep giving them some seasoning – taking on Raiden out of the gate was probably just too much too soon and raised my expectations too high. Still, this was all on the babyfaces, who dominated with superior wrestling skill and fluidity, seeming to handle all of Sanzo, Karasuma, and Umari pretty effortlessly. They had the experience and the skill, after all, Wells and Osburn especially showed off some very nice tag team moves together, working over limbs and cutting down the burly Umari especially. While the Sunset Army battled valiantly, and especially tried to work Wells over as the smallest member of the team, they couldn't pin him down for long so he could tag in Robinson or Osburn to save the day. At the end, it was Carver Wells himself who got the win with a Neckbreaker in 9:36. (42) Following the match, though, the good guys couldn't celebrate for too long. Reijiro and Giant Kajitani slipped into the ring to blast them from behind, Reijiro in particular falling on Robinson and battering him with stomps and kicks, and rolling him into a Kandori armbar like he was ready to snap his arm. Wells and Osburn tried to fight back, but they were being mobbed by four members of the Sunset Army, and only barely managed to shove Reijiro away before he could, hopefully, do any permanent damage, falling on top of him together to save him from the beating. (44) vs Riptide vs Koziol and Voss A very solid main event between the two masked menaces and the rough-riding bikers. Wolf and Braden definitely have a similar look, and Braden makes Wolf - who's only 6 foot and not quite the physical powerhouse I think he thinks he is - look even more imposing in comparison, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They looked good in the ring, too, with Braden able to do the selling that Wolf either can't or won't, while Wolf kept the crowd fired up and engaged by howling and stomping on the mat. Unfortunately, their fairly new alliance was perhaps their downfall. Voss tagged in Wolf who stormed in, pounding Mean Machine with shoulder tackles and taking him down for a two count with a running crossbody. He got blasted by a back elbow, though, and a high knee from Night Stalker, and when he turned to tag in Braden, dizzied, Braden was instead distracted by Poseidon who had come out to ringside and was taunting him. He missed the tag, which led to Wolf eating a thrust kick from Night Stalker at 20:41 for the win. (55) Poseidon was backstage with the celebrating Riptide for an interview. "You want to make a challenge to me, Braden Voss? You, who have just arrived in this company? My, that is bold. Maybe it's because you are new here that you have the arrogance to challenge me, to think you can stand against me, but allow me to reintroduce myself for your benefit. I am the King of the Sea, Poseidon. I have ruled over this company for some time, now, for almost six months, and I have no plan of stopping any time soon. But I suppose you have one thing in your favor. I haven't defeated you yet, have I? And I have already conquered so many of the fools in this company. So let's see what you can do, shall we? It will be satisfying to see the bold little Roadrunner drown, just like everyone else." (70) Another solid all the way through card that has me very excited for the future. If this is what we can do with no Jack Raiden, Billy Ray injured, and the Mechanics wrestling the Sunset Army, well. That says a lot. (57) The numbers came in as .32 rating and 246k viewers. Next Week: (P) Sawyer Rodriguez vs Garry Beltran (P) Keaton Whisenant vs Boston Sills (P) Sunset Army (Umari/Karasuma/Sanzo) vs Riddle, Tallman and Waldron (P) Violet Bee vs Lilyanna Derby Dale Whitlock vs Big Hank Banner ??? vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Open Challenge DeGeorge and St. Croix vs Criss and Branch Marcus Kramer vs Sebastien Durant Adonis Lash vs Braden Voss Riptide vs The Gwinn Brothers – GCW Tag Team Championship Match

May 7th, 1986 Milford Ice Pavilion, crowd of 952 In fantastic news, I spoke to Havoc TV, who air GCW Combat Television, and they were willing to extend us to an hour and a half, which would come in very much handy with our steadily growing roster. vs Pre-Show – Tommy Carleton vs Richard Auston A nice return to the show for Richard Auston, who is one of our more tenured guys but one I just really can’t think of anything to do with. The Carletons, Danger Boys, Jimmy Gs, and the like of the roster started off on a skid, but are young enough to develop into something better. Richard Auston is in his 30s and just not great. Good job guy, though, and he put Texas Tommy over with a lariat in 7:43. (32) vs Pre-Show – Heavenly Bodies vs Tallman and Waldron Tallman and Waldron have at least had a couple safe matches, so hopefully the injury was just a bad move and we can progress from here. They looked a little better, while the Heavenly Bodies are still nice, just not catching fire. Jupiter got the win with a Sidewalk Slam in 7:27 to win. (26) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Mo Ponder Well, the Man Mountains push saw zero development for Grady, but he seems to be picking up a little in his new gimmick. It’s still not great, but it might be worth something. He hit the stalling suplex in 8:21 to win. (26) vs Pre-Show – St. Croix and Slay vs Derby and Mitchell Well, that was a damn good match. Lilyanna in particular is really just catching fire and she has a definite future – and while Bertha didn’t blow me away with a mini-push, she’s still trying hard and getting a little better. This wasn’t her day, though, as Lilyanna got the win with a Thrust Kick on Bertha in 8:51. (40) We opened the show with Jack Raiden backstage, looking more furious than ever and with a large white bandage stuck on his forehead. "Fourteen stitches, that was the first part I remember of my evening. Fourteen stitches to put my face back together after you bloodied me up. Sounds like a thrill, eh? I got to wake up in pain, Poseidon, and not pain because you tried to break my skull in, oh no. Not pain because you tried to put my head through a steel post, or because you tossed me around into all kinds of steel. I'm used to that pain. I can handle that pain, no problem at all. No, the pain I was in was the pain of knowing that you'd stolen something from me. The pain was from knowing that I'd failed. Failed to handle your plans, failed to prepare myself for just how desperate you were. They say a cornered animal is the most vicious, and you're cornered now, aren't you, Poseidon? You know that I'm the one who's strong enough. You know that I'm the one who's tough enough. You know that I have no problem with ripping you to pieces. And it took every ounce of viciousness and cruelty that you have, every drop of venom, every mean trick, and you could still barely roll me up and keep you down with your feet on the ropes like a coward." He ripped the bandage off of his forehead, showing off the fresh stitches. "Thank you. Thank you, for this," he said, pointing at the wound. "Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for the scar I can look at in the mirror to know just what kind of man you are, and just who I need to be to beat you. Because I'm going to beat you, and you know it, and that makes you afraid, Poseidon. You're more afraid than you've been for a long time, because you're starting to lose that grip. I'm going to take that title from you. I'm going to take you limb from limb. And we're going to find out, you and me, what kind of man you really are, because I know for a fact you're not man enough to go one-on-one with the Kodiak." (83) vs Black Hat Rodeo vs The Hillbillies A solid rebuild of momentum for the Black Hats, who came out storming. The Hillbillies were as feisty as ever, but it wasn't enough to handle the two big hosses who tossed them around like sacks of grain for a good chunk of the match. Jase Marshall won with the Spinebuster in thunderous fashion in 6:52. (35) vs Madalene DeGeorge vs Laurette Lorio Not a great match, but Madalene looked excellent, which made up for Laurette being a green little unknown. There's too many examples of that in the women's division, to be honest, and I'm glad I have the likes of Madalene to serve as an anchor. I might need to go on a bit of a hiring spree for the women again here soon. As it is, the High Class Lady did an excellent job working around Laurette's occasional clumsiness, and she won in 6:55 with her DDT. (36) Madalene went backstage, dabbing herself with a handkerchief and running her fingers through her hair to fix it. "You see? Did you see that, Lily-Rose? I'm only getting better. Meanwhile, there's gray showing in your hair - have you noticed that, darling? Do you need the number of my stylist? I'm not sure that you could afford it, but it certainly couldn't hurt. You need to look your best for the last few weeks of your title reign, don't you think? Because come June 1st, Coming Storm? I am going to take that title, darling. I am going to show that Class rules above all else. And you'll be left in your proper place - looking up at me, from below, your new GCW Women's Champion." (59) vs Sunset Army vs Durant and Brownfield Coming off their solid win over Adonis and Jimmy G, Durant and Brownfield once again looked great as a tag team, handling the Sunset Army well. They seem to really be developing as a duo, while Reijiro at ringside was left trying to guide his soldiers as best he could, but Sanzo and Karasuma seemed a little bit outmatched. Their initial rush to greatness, bolstered by their unique Japanese in-ring style, was no longer throwing the GCW boys for a loop, and it meant that Tarzan and Sebastien were a lot better prepared to counter their offense. Tarzan won with his missile dropkick in 8:03. (37) Backstage, Scorpio Nations was with Marcus Kramer for an interview, the burly veteran standing behind him with crossed arms and a glower on his face. "So, trying to rub it in, huh? Huh? You think that's funny, Mr. Prince of Wrestling? You think that's gonna fly here, in my company? Uh uh! This is Scorpio territory, alright? Least it will be, soon enough. And I'm getting real tired of people comparing me to some baldheaded idiot who thinks he's even remotely on my level." He scoffed, putting on a whiny voice. "Sebastien this, Sebastien that, oh he's so cool, oh he's the future." Then he spat on the ground. "Makes me sick. People seem to have forgotten who the real rising star is around here, and I think it's high time they appreciated it. So, Mr. Haitian Hammer, Mr. Pretty Princess, why don't you and me settle our business? Assuming you're not too busy biting on my style and playing tag team wrestler. I'm way better at it than you are, and besides, if you think you can go off and win those tag team championships? Well if we couldn't pin down the Gwinns - yet, yet mind you, because I'm totally gonna when I get a mind to it - there's no way you can pull that off. Better off if I lock you in the Scorpion Clutch and put those dumb dreams behind you. The hard way." (53) Following that, a muscle car roared up outside the arena and a man stepped out, with a dyed streak of blonde in his hair and a leather jacket on. We went to commercial, and when we came back, he was backstage for an interview, revealing himself as established WWB star Braden Voss. "I'm not a man who likes to talk much, but I figured, it's my first day in the new company, I better introduce myself, right? At least, for those of you who aren't familiar. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Braden Voss. They call me the Roadrunner, because I'm always on the go, on the move, on the come up, and I'm too fast for anyone to pin down, whether it's behind the wheel, on a hog, or in the ring. I've been champion before, I'll be champion again, and I'm gonna do it here, in the home of real, grounded wrestling, GCW. And I have been hearin' tell about some big hot shot who calls himself Poseidon, trying to stamp on all the little people. That don't fly with me. None of this shortcuts and armies of goons nonsense does. That's why I'm making my mark, showing off my skills, and I'm gonna start with a guy who's proven he doesn't like to fight his own battles: Reijiro Kandori. So leave your Army at home, and let's see who the better man is, yeah?" (42) vs Reijiro Kandori vs Braden Voss Scowling on his way down, the recently bested - and aging - Kandori made his way to the ring, sans his Sunset Army. Braden Voss ran out to meet him, flinging himself over the top rope and onto the second in the corner so that he could pose for the fans. Up against Kandori, his undersized nature at 5'10 didn't stand out too much, and he was able to work circles around the technically sound veteran, proving too quick for his tricks to lock down. Voss might not be a marvel on the stick, but he's as fast as anything in the ring, just as advertised, and an immediate injection of babyface flash into the roster. It only took 5:47 for him to hit a Flying Back Elbow, spinning elegantly through the air, and getting the pin for a decisive first win in the company. (53) vs Mean Machine vs Jack Raiden A solid brawl between the two, with Raiden being furious and fiery. It wasn't often that Mean Machine looked outmatched in brute brawling, or in anger, but he certainly was here. Still, he was a vicious fighter, battling against Kodiak Jack's superior size and taking every short cut he needed to stay ahead: including attacking Jack's wounded forehead, busting him open again. The bleeding Kodiak Bear roared and fought back, knocking Machine across the ring with shoulder tackles, and whipping him around with brute force, all the same. The ending came when Raiden muscled him up for a Powerbomb, which was Night Stalker's cue to roll in and blast him with a thrust kick to the back of the head, leading to the DQ at 17:55 from blatant interference. (55) Mean Machine and Night Stalker attacked Jack Raiden once again as the bell rang and the referee tried to waive them off, to no avail. It was an ugly beating, as both men brought in chairs to blast Kodiak Jack with, taking the fire out of him and leaving him bleeding on the mat. It got worse from there, though, as Mean Machine wrapped one of the chairs around Jack's ankle, calling for the Night Stalker, who leapt off the second rope to stomp the legs of the chair closed with a sickening snap. Jack Raiden howled in pain and thrashed on the ring as security and medical personnel rushed out, finally getting the RIptide to back off and leaving him to be checked on. (56) vs Black Hat Rodeo (Bragg and Whitlock) vs The Mechanics A solid battle between the brawling cowboys and the technically minded heroes, coming in hot after a win over the Riptide. It was clear early on that things between Bragg and Whitlock were only getting worse, and neither seemed to be on the same page at all, something that the Mechanics were far too happy to take full advantage of. Billy Ray looked ready to fight up a storm as usual, but Carver Wells blasted him with a flurry of kicks and chops that saw him sprawling, and he bailed out of the ring when Carver nearly whipped him down in the Neckbreaker, only escaping by the skin of his teeth. He tagged in Whitlock, throwing him to the wolves as he recovered, and it wasn't long at all before Whitlock was in the Spinning Toe Hold and submitting at 15:29. (54) After the show, Jack Raiden - limping in case anyone happened to be peeking around, which was a touch I appreciated - staggered over to my desk. "Borrow your ear, bud?" he asked. I could have been bothered by being called 'bud" by one of my talent, but it was Jack Raiden, so he could get away with it. Presuming what he had to say wasn't too upsetting. If nothing else, he was Canadian. They have different ways up there. "Always, Jack, what've you got?" "That Jupiter kid, you heard him on the stick much?" he asked. To be honest, I hadn't. Jupiter and Saturn didn't exactly make too much of a hubbub backstage one way or another, and being a fairly consistently undercard tag team - which, when they were both in their 20s, wasn't the worst thing - I hadn't much thought to put them on the mic. So I just shrugged and shook my head. "Can't really recall, no." "You should give him a try," Jack said. "Seems like the guy knows how to talk. His partner not so much, but." He shrugged, too. "Can't win 'em all." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah, he was cutting some mean kinda promo backstage about the car rental guy. Saying some real wicked stuff. Didn't know he had it in him. Always seemed like kind of a soft touch to me, otherwise." Another shrug. "Just thought it might be worth considering, when you got a minute for 'em." Admittedly, I didn't know how long that would be - with the recent ascension of the Riptide, the Black Hat Rodeo, and Kramer and Nations gelling, our tag team division was more flush with talent, at least on the heel side, than it had been for a minute. But it was always best to have options, especially with Kramer aging, and to get someone's opinion from the back. Least of all when it was a positive opinion for a change. "I appreciate that," I said, at last. "Really. It's good to hear they're coming along." "Ah, ain't no thing," Jack said. "Just gotta keep the kids chugging along. I was one of them, once." Not that long ago, either, I thought but didn't say. He was talking like a true veteran, but he was scarcely 32. No, I amended, what he was talking like was a locker room leader. And that? That I liked. "You're one of the good ones, Jack," I said. "Let me know if anyone else stands out to you. I always respect a reasoned opinion." "Will do, boss man. Have a good one." "You too, Jack. See you next week." Well, for our first longer show, we certainly performed well, as while we didn’t have any stand out matches, everything was solid-to-good, and Jack Raiden was once again an absolute killer on the microphone. Shame he’s going to be out of action for a bit. Hopefully the pay-off will be worth it. (58) Next Week: (P) Lail and Demand vs Hillbillies (P) Cash Firestone vs Big Hank Banner (P) King Kong Grady vs Layton White (P) Slay and Bee vs Derby and Mitchell Madalene DeGeorge vs Laurette Lorio Scorpio Nations vs Tarzan Brownfield ??? vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Open Challenge Sunset Army (Kajitani/Karasuma/Sanzo) vs Robinson and The Mechanics Riptide (Stalker and Machine) vs Koziol and Voss

May 4th, 1986 GCW Big Bang Rupert C. Thompson Arena, 4029 in attendance The good news on the lead up to Big Bang: Night Stalker was fully fit and had shaken off his orbital bruising. The less good news: Reijiro had, unsurprisingly, decided that he was going to retire in the next three months. Given his rapid physical decline, that wasn’t much of a surprise, and he was already making a better manager for the Sunset Army than a competitor per se. Hopefully he’d stay on in that kind of role, but we’d have to see. vs Pre-Show – Isaac Holman vs Jacoby Disney Well, Jacoby wasn’t happy about this, but he’s not going to be working here much longer, so. Decided to give Isaac a test to see what he could do on the winning end: passable, but with a bitter, over the hill vet not really working with him, hard to say how much was really his talent or not. He won with a nice Powerslam in 5:38. (13) vs Pre-Show – Tommy Carleton vs Danjou Nakasato A much better showing. Tommy is about ready to start making TV in my eyes, and he did just fine here, working with a game Nakasato and finishing him off with a Lariat in 9:55. (27) vs Pre-Show – Sunset Army vs Danger Boys A battle with two of our younger teams. The Sunset Army have never really seemed to improve or catch on, despite Reijiro working nicely as a manager, so they did the job here for the slowly improving Danger Boys. Bret got the win with a Bulldog in 8:55. (26) vs Pre-Show – DeGeorge and St. Croix vs Derby and Mitchell The jewel of the pre-show, as I figured a match with Madalene and Lilyanna would be. The rookies did okay, but it was clear who the stars were, and Madalane got the win with a DDT in 10:13. (42) 10-Man Battle Royale – Aaron Redcloud, Alonzo O’Toole, Gabe Pilcher, Big Hank Banner, Dwayne Olivares, Jase Marshall, Garry Beltran, King Kong Grady, Kurt Grey, Nehemiah A nice little battle royale to start the card. It was an expected brawl, with a lot of big hosses in there in the form of Banner, Olivares, Marshall, Beltran, Grady, and Nehemiah, and a bit of a brawl because of that. Everyone slugged it out, with the Dregs getting quickly thrown out for daring to attack Big Hank Banner and biting off more than they could chew. Kurt Grey was out next, a victim of King Kong Grady, and the same happened to Nehemiah soon after. The Black Hats isolated Aaron Redcloud, who put up a game fight but couldn't take on both of them and ended up tossed out by Jase Marshall. Beltran, meanwhile, made a beeline for Grady at every opportunity, but King Kong showed his superior power and hurled his former tag team partner out. That left King Kong, Banner, and the Black Hats. The three of them all stormed down to attack Banner, who was left to fight them off as best he could, driving the Black Hats back with punches but eating a King Kong splash into the corner that had him crumpled. The Black Hats tried to attack King Kong from behind while he was distracted, but he shook them off, and Banner exploded out to dump them with a double clothesline that threw them over the top. That left Banner and Grady battling it out, and the newly turned King Kong managed to win out, hurling Banner over the top rope at 9:58. (32) We went backstage to Sebastien Durant and Tarzan Brownfield for an interview. "Adonis Lash, you are still a dangerous man. You have proven that well, against me, and against Tarzan. But you will find, sir, that it takes more than using distractions, or taking advantage of an injured leg, to prove yourself a star, here. This time you're not just dealing with one of us. You're dealing with a unit. And I have proven that I can beat Jimmy G as well, handily. I am at the top of my game. Tarzan has been healing up and is ready for anything. And while you are cunning, and dangerous, and you make a hellacious unit, we have the skills to beat you, and prove that we, as a unit, have a future here. This is just a step forward, and perhaps soon enough we'll find ourselves tag team champions. But first, we're going to beat you. Fairly." (49) vs Lash and Jimmy G vs Durant and Brownfield A very solid match, with all four men being close to the same level, which was very nice to see. Lash tried to run the show as the cagey veteran, but Tarzan wasn't quite as slowed by his leg injury this time and bounced around nicely to keep from getting locked down, and Sebastien was able to blast Lash and Jimmy G both with heavy shots to keep them reeling. It was a clean, solid performance for the still nameless Tropical duo, and Tarzan scored a pin off a missile drop kick at 11:28 to get the win. (44) vs Bertha Slay vs Lily-Rose Criss – GCW Women’s Championship Match Not quite the match I was hoping for, though by no means bad. I was just hoping Bertha would step it up more in this position, and while she wasn’t a bad performer, she didn’t exactly seem to excel. She was still a little clumsy and awkward and the fans haven't seemed to really take to her in her moderate push, which is perhaps nothing to be surprised by, but she at least hung in there, trying and failing to pin down Lily-Rose with her heavy shots while Lily-Rose once again showed what a high flyer can do. Lily-Rose won with the Crossbody in 10:28 for her fourth defense of the title. (38) Lily-Rose's victory in the ring was cut off by going back to an interview with Madalene DeGeorge, freshly polished and coiffed after her victory earlier on the pre-show. "I hate to interrupt, Lily-Rose darling, but I'm afraid I didn't want you getting the feeling you could rest on your laurels too long, my dear. You see, you've been holding onto that belt for quite some time, now, and I think it's long past due for you to give it up, don't you think? Now, I know what you're thinking, why, Madalene, didn't you already have a chance at the title? Well, yes, that might be true, but you see, times change, people change, and I've only gotten better, while you've just... slowed down. Do you really think three months ago Bertha Slay would have been any problem for you? Tsk, tsk, tsk. No, not at all. I'm going to beat you, Lily-Rose. This is a challenge, a direct challenge to you, that I will be your next opponent in the ring, and I will be the Women's Champion. Because you are going to find out that I am just in a different class than you, and class is all that matters." (50) vs Reijiro Kandori vs Wolf Koziol Well, Reijiro is officially on his way out, so this was a short match to give Wolf a much needed decisive win. Reijiro came out with his Sunset Army, of course, who encircled the ring as usual, but Wolf just roared out to the ring, blasting Karasuma and Sanzo with a double clothesline before the bell even rang and rolled into the ring after dropping them. Umari and Kajitani tried to jump up to distract him, but he just dropper Umari with a running boot and Kajitani with a shoulder tackle, only then turning to Kandori. Reijiro grappled with him nicely, and looked technically sound and shrewd as ever, but Wolf was on another level of fire and battered him from pillar to post. It took one monster Lariat for him to get the win at 6:18. (55) vs Kramer and Nations vs The Gwinn Brothers – GCW Tag Team Championship Match Once again, I walked into this match feeling rather unsure of who should walk away the winner and if I'd made the right choice. Kramer and Nations came in looking fired up, ready for round two, with Marcus Kramer in particular exploding out of the blocks to batter the Gwinns with brute force. But he looked like he was slowing down a tad, age finally catching up to him, and it wasn't long before he had to tag Scorpio in and leave him to the action. Out-sized by both Brothers, who were far more experienced tag team wrestlers, he didn't really seem to stand much of a chance, and they took turns working him over and hitting him with nasty double team moves. Kramer tried to tag back in but it was too little, too late, and Bill Gwinn hit the big backbreaker in 14:07 to retain. (49) Billy Ray Bragg made his way out to ringside with a microphone in hand. "Well, I'd say it's just about time to get some real action on the stage here. Y'all have been waiting to see a true champion in action, a true man, and Billy Ray Bragg is here to en'ertain. Now, I just need me a dance partner, so like I said, this here is an open challenge for anyone with the brass balls to step into the ring with the Sidewinder and see what he can do. Don't keep me waiting too long, y'hear?" (62) vs Boston Sills vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Match It was Boston Sills who answered the call, coming out to face Billy Ray, making it clear as soon as he stepped into the ring that he was out-sized by the tough as nails cowboy. He made himself into a game challenge here, at least, zipping around the ring and forcing Billy Ray to work for everything that he got, and it became clear pretty early that Billy Ray was growing frustrated as the match went on. That was part of the story, but seemed to be a little more real when Boston pummeled him with a series of low kicks to slow him down and Billy Ray started limping with a bit more convincing affect than I might have expected. He slowed down a bit from there, though was still the stand-out performer that I'd come to respect, and managed to roll out of the way of a Top Rope Elbow so that Boston crashed to the mat, making him easy prey for a Sidewinder Choke at 15:09. Billy Ray continued limping all the way to the back, and the doc diagnosed it as a badly swollen calf muscle - nothing too serious, luckily, but still a blow for one of my best rising stars. (46) vs Riptide vs The Mechanics The Riptide came out looking like a perfect unit, ready to go to war, but this time they weren't the only ones. The Mechanics looked equally slick and on the same page early on, taking turns battling against the masked heels with perfect technical execution. Mean Machine was the bully of the day, clubbing Wells and Osburn both with equal fervor, while Night Stalker tried to keep him from getting too out of control and heated up. Meanwhile, Carver and Osburn dedicated their focus to taking Night Stalker's legs out from under him, both to limit his offense and set him up for a Spinning Toe Hold potentially. It didn't come to that, but it did leave him slowed down, making it easy for Ryan Osburn to blast him off the ring side while Wells hit a Neckbreaker on Mean Machine to get the win at 14:42. (53) We went backstage to a Poseidon who looked more sullen and vicious than usual, without his usual cold arrogance. "We will discuss the failure of my soldiers soon enough. That is a matter for another day and another time. They will learn the cost of disappointing me, and they will come back stronger from it." He ran a hand slowly through his hair, breathing out. "No. What I want to discuss is you, Jack Raiden. You, who was not wise enough to listen to your fear and understand what I have been trying to teach you, and warn you. You, who have not listened to the messages. The rolling tide of fate. You might think that my Riptide losing might worry me, like it's something of a portent. It is not. I am above such matters. And if you think, for one moment, that I am the one afraid? That I am the one intimidated in any way? You have another thing coming. I've heard the rumors and the suggestions and the whispers, and they are fallacious. Foolish. I fear nothing. I fear no one. And I am going to crush you. Decisively. Tonight, everyone will learn that there is no threat alive that can stand up against me. That no one stands a chance of taking this title away from me." He held it up in front of the camera, glowering. "This is everything. Everything to me, and everything that matters, and I will die before I let someone take it. And that won't be you, Raiden. That will never be you. I'll see to it." (75) vs MJ Abruzzi vs Dustin Robinson A battle of the hot young upstart against the established hero. Dustin looked motivated and MJ looked excellent, playing as vicious as he had been for the last month since he fell to Jack Raiden in the cage. He tried to systematically destroy Robinson's legs, attacking him with kicks, leg twists, shin-breakers, anything that he could manage, but Robinson kept fighting back. He blasted out of it with chops and forearms, snapped him over in suplexes despite the pain, and every time Abruzzi tried to lock in the Italian Deathlock, Robinson struggled his way to the ropes to get away. It started adding up, of course, and he tried to crawl over to the corner to get away, but Abruzzi came after him, raking the eyes and leaving him slumped. That made it easy to hit him with a big running knee, then two more as he dropped to a sitting position, letting him get the pin at 9:39. (59) vs Jack Raiden vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match It wasn’t quite the match of the year that I was hoping for, but only by a hair or so, and it was still an excellent close to the show. Raiden went step for step with Poseidon, who only seemed to get more and more vicious as the match went on, and more desperate to hold onto his belt. He locked on the Sleeper early, but Raiden just muscled him up and smashed him back into the corner, shaking him off, and nailed him with a running shoulder tackle that sent him rolling out of the ring. Not looking to lose on counter out again, Raiden went out after him, but Poseidon tripped him into the post, then smashed his face into it repeatedly. He tossed Raiden back into the ring and hit a Face Crusher - but Raiden kicked out at 2 and a half to just barely stay in it. Snarling, Poseidon dropped down to start throwing hands, busting Raiden open after the repeated shots into the steel and leaving him bleeding, but Raiden fired up and threw him over in a big belly-to-belly for a nearfall of his own. He tried for the powerbomb but Poseidon backdropped him out of it, nailing him with a big clothesline as he got to his feet, driving him out of the ring. He threw Raiden into the guard rail and the post again, hammering him as hard as he could. In the end, he had Raiden back in the ring and hit him with another Face Crusher, driving his knee into the bleeding face of Raiden, then rolled him up - with his feet on the ropes for extra leverage. The referee didn't catch it, and Poseidon escaped with his title once again, looking powerfully mortal. (62) Our best show since Walk Through Fire, and another strong showing for a good 1986. While I was still full of doubts about the main event in particular, it felt like there was money to be made in just a slightly longer chase, if I could fill the space in between. That was going to be the real tricky part, but… well. I had my plans. One of which would be making an appearance just next show, in fact. (61) Next Week: (P) Tommy Carleton vs Richard Auston (P) Heavenly Bodies vs Tallman and Waldron (P) King Kong Grady vs Mo Ponder (P) St. Croix and Slay vs Derby and Mitchell Black Hat Rodeo vs Hillbillies Madalene DeGeorge vs Laurette Lorio Sunset Army vs Durant and Brownfield Reijiro Kandori vs ??? Mean Machine vs Jack Raiden Black Hat Rodeo (Whitlock and Bragg) vs The Mechanics

April 30th, 1986 Vermont, 843 in attendance In good news, Bill Gwinn agreed to his contract with us, so that’s one WWB won’t be stealing. They did sign the big kickboxer Kash Thao I’d had my eye on, though, as well as a tough as nails youngster from Tennessee by the name of Duke Archuleta who seemed to be really catching fire in the Mid-South area. Maybe I’d be able to snag him when his contract came due and I had more of an opening. Who knew? Before the show, the freshly healed Gabe Pilcher was brought before Garner Bautista, our color commentator and “judge” of wrestler court, for ducking out on a bar tab. He was sentenced to buy drinks, and seemed to take it in stride. vs Pre-Show – Giant Kajitani vs Jacoby Disney Another squash match as I essentially get ready to kick Jacoby out the door. Kajitani has actually been showing some improvement the last two weeks, so that’s nice, even if this match was a dreadful affair for obvious reasons. Running powerslam ends it. (7) vs Pre-Show – The Dregs vs Tallman and Waldron Another way for Tallman and Waldron to show me they belong on the roster, and to get Gabe some revenge for his injury. This one went off clean, not to mention being one of the better showings the Dregs have had yet, and Gabe got the win off a backbreaker in 8:57. (26) vs Pre-Show – Jimmy G vs Danjou Nakasato A tune up match for Jimmy G ahead of Big Bang, and he looked good out there. Danjou seems to be quietly coming along – I don’t have plans for him per se, but he’s a nice space filler for the moment and he’s getting some in-ring experience, so Hyperion should be happy. Jimmy G with the Spear Tackle in 9:06. (26) We opened with Billy Ray Bragg backstage, ready to give an interview. "So, here I find myself, another month, without a challenger willin' to step up and go against me. Well, I don't know if management has forgotten about ol' Billy Ray, or if people are just too afraid to step up against the real champion of GCW, the North American Champion, but I'm looking for a fight on Sunday, and I expect someone to offer it. So consider this my announcement to allayall in the back. I am issuing an open challenge, from here until someone can actually give me the fight I'm lookin' for. If someone wants to step up and get a shot at the gold, well, I'll be in the ring on Sunday waitin' for ya. Just don't disappoint me, alright, boys?" (72) vs Adonis Lash w/Jimmy G vs Tarzan Brownfield w/Sebastien Durant Well, this was promising ahead of Big Bang. Tarzan looked good and Adonis looked better. It's entirely possible I really have been underutilizing him something fierce, but here he's in good position to make Tarzan look excellent - even if it is, as usual for Tarzan, in defeat. As promised, Sebastien Durant was at ringside with him, making sure that Jimmy G didn't interject himself at all, but a still-wounded Tarzan wasn't quite quick enough to stay ahead of Adonis and his offense - and it played into Adonis's focus on working the leg to begin with. Limited in how he could play off the ropes, Tarzan soon fell to the Half-Crab, and he submitted almost as soon as the hold was locked in at 6:47. (47) vs Sawyer Rodriguez vs Boston Sills Probably not a match that belongs on TV, but Boston hasn’t been around much and needs some air time. Sawyer was the man to do the job, and he did passably. Boston looked better, of course, though once again not as much better as I might have liked, bouncing around and dazzling him with flying maneuvers like Tarzan had tried, and failed, to do earlier. Boston got the win with his Top Rope Elbow in 6:28. (33) vs Slay and Darville vs Mitchell and Pfeiffer A solid battle between the women. Bertha is continuing to show up well enough, the other two less so, but it’s still early in their TV career so I’m not expecting too much. Darville, as usual, was the stand out, but the hot-headed Bertha kept tagging herself in to try and get the glory, leaving her veteran teammate largely on the ring apron so that she could dish out the punishment. This time, it paid off, and Bertha won with a running clothesline in 7:43. (32) We went to MJ Abruzzi, who, as usual, wasn't in the normal backstage interview area but his own private dressing room, getting worked over by a pretty young masseuse. "Dustin, Dustin, Dustin, haven't we been here before? I seem to recall kicking your ass once already, and making you regret getting in the ring with me. Seems to me you're the one who's forgotten who you're dealing with. Allow me to remind you. I am MJ Abruzzi, the Godfather of Professional Wrestling, and I am not a man you want to cross. Now, yes, I haven't been on the best run of luck as of late, but I am a still a man who entered GCW undefeated and undefeatable, and I will be that man again. Jack Raiden got lucky for three seconds. You will not do the same thing. And I am going to hurt you, old man, the same way that I did Tarzan Brownfield, and the same way I'm going to hurt Big Hank Banner tonight. Capisce?" (67) vs MJ Abruzzi vs Big Hank Banner Hey, look, Big Hank’s on TV again. Losing, mind you, but he got a somewhat marquee spot and MJ gave him a lot. He looked, in fact, like a brutal brawler as MJ bounced around for the bigger man, helping all of his offense look good, but to anyone really watching, MJ was doing all the work, and much like Billy Ray he's impressing me with the kind of stand out performances he can have with just about any kind of opponent. That gets him a lot of credit in my books - and is reassuring, considering all the money we're paying him monthly. He attacked Banner's legs with surgical precision, slowly chopping the big man down and slowing him down bit by bit. In the end, the reckless powerhouse couldn't keep up with MJ's cunning, and he locked in the Italian Deathlock at 8:28 to win. (52) We went again to Poseidon in a dark, isolated environment, with Mean Machine and Night Shade at his side. "I can see that my lesson has gone unheeded, and that is a mistake on your part, Jack Raiden. So I am going to give you one final opportunity to learn something before you do something that you will very much regret. I have tried to teach you what fear can be. I have tried to teach you to be reasonable. I have tried to show you why you should never step in a ring with me. But the lesson hasn't stuck, and so I will have to take a harder tack, clearly. After all, when you spare the rod, you spoil the child, and you have a serious beating due, Jack Raiden." "And we do so love to teach, don't we, my King?" Night Stalker drawled from behind his mask. "We're going to teach you so well tonight, you and your little friends. Bring whoever you want as allies, we will show you all the same, that none of you can stand to the Riptide." "Oh, we're going to hurt you," Mean Machine added, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke "Hurt you so bad. Make you feel all the pain in the world, just like you deserve. Rip and tear and smash and beat. No more mercy. No more mercy! Just perfect, pure suffering." Poseidon held up a hand, silencing them both. "This is what you have to look forward to. I've tried to warn you, Jack, you're a strong man, with a long career ahead of you, and I really hope you do the right thing. I hope you walk away. Because I am going to step into that ring tonight, and I am going to show you what I am capable of, first hand. And we, my Riptide, are going to leave you broken, just the same way I will leave you on Sunday if you are stupid enough to step into the ring with me. You cannot defeat me. You will not defeat me. And you will suffer for the rest of your life if you try. This is your final warning. Heed it, or you will drown." (75) vs Riptide vs Raiden and the Mechanics Not quite the blow away match I was hoping for, but still very strong. Night Stalker was still smarting from his injury and Machine and Osburn aren’t quite up to the level of the rest of them. Hopefully some renewed focus will help with that, but we’ll see. The Riptide stalked out together as a perfect unit, Poseidon striding out with his championship and his disciples stalking around him. The Mechanics made a nice pair, but once again it was clear early on that they weren't fully on the same page as Jack Raiden, who tagged in immediately - which caused Poseidon to tag out and send Mean Machine to do his dirty work. That trend continued, as Poseidon would tag in to brutalize Ryan Osburn or Carver Wells periodically, but always got out the second Raiden stepped in, refusing to lay a hand on him. The Cult of Personality that was the Riptide proved themselves strong once again, as they executed a perfect strategy: Machine and Stalker attacked Raiden on the outside to beat him down while Poseidon blasted Osburn and Wells with a double clothesline, sending Wells sprawling outside and leaving Osburn vulnerable to a brutal knee face crusher. He whipped him into Mean Machine, the legal man, who took him down with an Axe Bomber to end the match. (57) A really solid show and one of our better go-homes so far. I can’t really complain about much at all, except it’s starting to feel like one hour just isn’t enough show. Maybe I can work with the networks… (57) We got a .32 rating and 247 viewers, so not too shabby. GCW Big Bang: (P) Isaac Holman vs Jacoby Disney (P) Tommy Carleton vs Danjou Nakasato (P) Sunset Army vs The Danger Boys (P) DeGeorge and St Croix vs Derby and Mitchell 10-Man Battle Royale – Aaron Redcloud, Alonzo O’Toole, Gabe Pilcher, Big Hank Banner, Dwayne Olivares, Jase Marshall, Garry Beltran, King Kong Grady, Kurt Grey, Nehemiah Lash and Jimmy G vs Durant and Tarzan Bertha Slay vs Lily-Rose Criss – GCW Women’s Championship Match Reijiro Kandori vs Wolf Koziol Kramer and Nations vs The Gwinn Brothers – GCW Tag Team Championship Match ??? vs Billy Ray Bragg – GCW North American Championship Open Challenge Match Riptide vs The Mechanics MJ Abruzzi vs Dustin Robinson Jack Raiden vs Poseidon – GCW Heavyweight Championship Match

April 23rd, 1986 Milford Ice Palace, 860 in attendance ASW held Ready Steady Gold!, bringing in 17,359 fans. Darrell Gwinn lost the ASW All-American Championship to 45-year old veteran KP Rozier, while their main event saw Brent Treat and Bruce Villalba, two of their top stars and the most popular men in wrestling, in an absolutely dire match. So while they are still on top business-wise, that was at least nice to hear. Especially because WWB went on a bit of an attempted hiring spree, trying to pick up two people I was keeping my eye on – and Bill Gwinn, who was working on a handshake deal. I immediately sent him a counter offer, which hopefully he’d take. Also, Marcus Kramer suffered a bruised kidney at a New Steel Wrestling show. Just what I want to hear about my 48 year old vet. Luckily, he’s not letting it slow him down at all, and should be back in full strength in about a month. vs Pre-Show – Cash Firestone vs Aaron Redcloud While he doesn’t have much stamina yet, Cash actually put on an impressive showing, and Aaron didn’t look bad – though not much better than usual, either. He won with the Overhead Slam in 6:28. (24) vs Pre-Show – Bertha Slay vs Laurette Lorio Some momentum building with Bertha, who seems like an admirable midcard type at this point with perhaps promise for more. Laurette, meanwhile, is still too green to do much. Running clothesline in 9:50. (23) vs Pre-Show – King Kong Grady vs Jacoby Disney Jacoby has been sour with me ever I had him do some jobs for new guys, and frankly, with him being 42, not especially good, and having worse stamina than Kurt Grey, I’m about done with him. This was an absolute squash job to hopefully get Grady over in his new gimmick, as he killed Jacoby with the stalling suplex. Didn’t make it pretty, but it was probably Grady’s best performance yet on his end. (8) vs Heavenly Bodies vs Durant and Brownfield A fun little performance. Durant is really finding his footing, and Tarzan was as reliable as ever. They make a good if not overwhelming duo, and it might be time soon to properly package them up. The Heavenly Bodies, as usual, were good but not great, showing off and gloating a bit too much when they were working over Tarzan in the middle of the match, but Jupiter showed that he could hang with Sebastien power-for-power in a nice exchange of slams and forearms. Tarzan was still hurting from his match with Abruzzi and the beating he'd taken, too, moving gingerly on his legs, but the Heavenly Bodies were a bit too arrogant to take full advantage, and Sebastien was always there to save the day, and Tarzan and Durant got the clean win with Sebastien's Fallaway slam in 6:56. (38) Sebastien and Tarzan made their way to the back for an interview after the match. "Now this, this is what I've been needing. A partner. Someone I can rely on. It feels like alliances are only growing in this company, building and spreading, and Tarzan and I, it's time that we stood together. No more ambushes, no more betrayals. I'll have his back, and he'll have mine, and we will fight together as brothers." "Brothers," Tarzan grunted. "And to that end, I would like to remind someone that our business is not finished. Adonis Lash. You and Jimmy G liked to insert yourselves into my business. I've beaten your Ice Cold boy, I've proven that I am still the Prince of Wrestling, but I haven't forgotten how it felt to be locked in that submission, and I haven't forgotten that you are owed a beating. So if you want to put your team against mine, well, that would be just fine with me. I'm afraid of nothing, and I will show you what true strength looks like." (50) vs Giant Kajitani w/Sunset Army vs Wolf Koziol Very little selling between Wolf “I’m Too Good For That” Koziol and the green giant, but a decent match all the same. Decent is probably the best I can hope for here. The Sunset Army lurked at ringside but didn’t interfere this time, leaving Giant Kajitani to purely show off his power, but it wasn't enough to slow down the fiery Wolf. He got the win with a crushing lariat at 4:47. (36) Following that, we went backstage to join Dustin Robinson for an interview. "I'm gonna make this real sharp and to the point. Last week, MJ Abruzzi, you proved what kind of man you really are. What kind of man the so-called Godfather really is. A cruel, callous, nasty little man, who wants to take his frustrations out on people who can't defend themselves anymore. Oh, you came in with a lot of fire, and a lot of talk, and you beat a lot of people. But you're weak where it counts. In your heart. In your head. And I'm not gonna let you run around and pretend to be some big shot by hurting people beyond the bounds of wrestling. You wanna be that kind of man, you're gonna have to answer to me. So I'm challenging you, Abruzzi, and I'm gonna put you back in your place." (47) vs Kramer and Nations vs The Danger Boys A tune up match for one of my favorite heel teams at the moment, Kramer and Nations looked as good as ever, while the Danger Boys stood up admirably as plucky underdogs. They make for an excellent pair of bruising toughness in Bret Danger, and technical quickness in Auston Sandy, not unlike a mirror of Kramer and Nations themselves. Of course, Bret is no powerhouse like Kramer yet, and Scorpio was too vicious and too polished for Sandy to handle just yet. They kept their momentum rolling as Scorpio locked in the Scorpion Clutch in 11:22. (44) vs Dale Whitlock w/ Billy Ray Bragg vs Darrell Gwinn w/Bill Gwinn Dale’s downward slide continued as he let the match go to Darrell. Billy Ray was at ringside, ostensibly to cheer Dale on and support him, but sometimes it seemed like he was being berated. Meanwhile, Bill largely left Darrell to do what he did - and what he did is prove why he's the ASW All American Champion in a very solid match. Dale only appeared to get more and more frustrated as his tackles and suplexes failed to put the younger man away, and as Billy Ray kept hollering at him to "choke him out, plant him, plant him you idjit, c'mon, show 'em how the Rodeo does it!" and that let Darrell fight back into it with stiff strikes and fast action. In the end, Dale couldn't get the job done, and ate a High Knee at 10:22 to give Darrell the win. (49) vs Night Stalker vs Jack Raiden Well, we have a new high-bar in GCW, and an early contender for our match of the year. These two fought like animals, a crushing battle that still felt like it could have been more considering this was just a stepping stone on a larger story. The masked man was utterly vicious, if slowed based on the injury he was nursing under his mask, and boy if that doesn't make me dream about what Night Stalker could do against Jack Raiden at full health and with the full weight of storyline momentum behind him. He gave Raiden everything he could under the circumstances, trying to take the big man's legs out from under him, but Jack Raiden was unstoppable this time and got the win off a powerbomb in 12:02. (64) While Jack Raiden stood up to soak in the adulation of the crowd, the vicious Night Stalker ambushed him from behind, hammering him with forearm shots to the neck and head. Mean Machine ran out to join him before Raiden could rally his strength, and the two fell on him with vicious strikes while Poseidon watched approvingly from the rampway. (54) The closing angle almost took away a bit from a fantastic main event, but still one of our stronger shows, and it makes me very optimistic about Big Bang coming up. Hopefully we can deliver. (57) We were rewarded with a .33 rating and 250k viewers. Well, apologies for the gap between replies, but that's the holiday season, isn't it? Happy to say that I'm not going anywhere and shouldn't for quite some time, as I have a decent backlog still and ideas to spare. I hope everyone reading this had a good holiday season as well! Next Week: (P) Giant Kajitani vs Jacoby Disney (P) The Dregs vs Tallman and Waldron (P) Jimmy G vs Danjou Nakasato Adonis Lash vs Tarzan Brownfield Sawyer Rodriguez vs Boston Sills Slay and Darville vs Pfeiffer and Mitchell MJ Abruzzi vs Big Hank Banner Riptide vs Raiden and the Mechanics