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@John Lions It's true, in the 2022 Alt CVerse, Tank managed seven months as champion early in the 2020s, winning it from and giving it back to Kobra Khan 😆 @Tiberious I really enjoyed your analysis. Luckily losing Seb Shaw and Switchblade didn't disrupt the immediate plans for the tag division, buying a bit of time to try to build up some new teams, but as you say it definitely stripped any depth from the division. Part 34: To The Extreme #11 DIW Champion Dexter Mattell opened the show in the ring, flanked by his fellow Pros. He complained that nobody appreciated how meticulously they had taken control of DIW. It wasn’t just that they’d won all the titles and united, nobody else in the company trusted one another enough to combine against them. Sure, The Barracudas were still a tag team, but they were no longer a brotherhood. Everyone knew they hated each other now but clung together for relevance. He’d beaten them both and The Benchmark could easily do likewise. Who else was going to overthrow The Pros? They’d overseen the destruction of Ares Death Cult (at this point, they all waved down the camera, saying bye to Cesar Sionis). Rob Edwards couldn’t buddy up to Milton Hittlespitz, who wasn’t going to be able to align with Kobra Khan, and so on. Mattell said there was one exception: Two Badass MFers. That’s why they’d taken out Seb Shaw first and Hendrix Hughes second. The MFers would’ve even had Wrecker’s back tonight for his DIW Title challenge, but instead he had to find out how lonely it was for an amateur to encounter The Pros. As if Mattell wasn’t being unbearable enough, he revealed his next scheme to pit his enemies against one another: a battle royal next week to determine who would face him at Havoc, dismissively referring to this spectacle as Amateur Hour. As he closed by raising his title in the air alongside his fellow champions (Seth Wish hoisted his cane instead), The Comedian suggested he might regret looking ahead to Havoc before tonight’s defence against Wrecker. Australian Title: Tank v Con McReady (c) Con McReady and Seth Wish stayed out for the former’s first Australian Title defence against one-time champion Tank. The challenger retained an imposing frame but, with no momentum, nobody was buying a title change here, though Wish still made a nuisance of himself on occasion to negate Tank’s size advantage. This was kept under seven minutes, and reprised a finish we’d seen once before with McReady using a cane held in place by Wish to make his Iron Fist extra painful. Kobra Khan entered for his match as Con McReady and Seth Wish were heading to the back, and he dared the Australian Champion to test himself against another ex-champion soon, a reference to his record three reigns with the title. The Wild One didn’t really address the challenge. Kobra Khan v Cueball Like Con McReady minutes earlier, Kobra Khan worked as hard as possible to get something out of his less accomplished opponent without complete success. The masked man hit the Ripcord Knee for the 1, 2, 3 in around six minutes, though I was again dismissive on commentary. I claimed that Kobra never had a problem picking up low-pressure wins like this but, if McReady was generous enough to give him a shot, he’d fall short like he did against Rob Edwards at War Machine or in the contender tournament final or against Seth Wish and Milton Hittlespitz at Hardcore Heatwave, and so on and so on and so on. The Comedian took to the stage and said that DIW didn’t take kindly to outsiders, and were very careful about who they let through the door to steer clear of the gymnasts, actors and imposters polluting other so-called Aussie wrestling companies. But even some of the people he thought were tough enough for DIW had got scared lately and taken the easy way out, so perhaps it was time to open the doors to more people brave enough to step inside a DIW ring, warning that they had to win if they wanted to stick around. He introduced the first person to take up his invitation: a muscular, scarred-up and scary-looking bloke called Psych Ward. Psych Ward v Lloyd Banks This had to be the most violent match we’d aired on WrestleWorld Australia yet between two barbarians with a shared barbed wire lust. At one point, Psych Ward wrapped barbed wire around Banks’ torso and took turns to launch him into every turnbuckle. The Comedian noted at this point that Death Ref promised this show would signal a new beginning for Ares Death Cult, and that new beginning seemed to be getting dragged bleeding around the ring by a novice. Banks refused to be beaten though and, barbed wire still around him, introduced even more in the form of a barbed wire board for the most gruesome spot of all, lifting Psych Ward in a Gorilla Press and dropping him face and, umm, male anatomy first onto the board, before climbing on top to deliver a Piledriver for a win at huge personal cost. The Benchmark entered the ring before the DIW Title match, with Donovan Boon and Rusty Mills claiming they were just there to observe. Mills said that Con McReady and Dexter Mattell making their first defences tonight had inspired them to do the same next week in the form of an open challenge. A “Cudas” chant broke out in the crowd, believing The Barracudas would get their shot, but Mills pointed out that unfortunately they won’t be eligible because they’ll both be in the Amateur Hour battle royal to crown the DIW Title contender at Havoc. After all, they’re both singles wrestlers at heart, far hungrier for individual success. DIW Title: Wrecker v Dexter Mattell (c) Mattell had outlined the story of this bout at the top of the hour: he was flanked by The Benchmark, while Wrecker went into battle all alone after his closest allies Two Badass MFers had been put on the shelf by The Pros. The champion had an experience, technique and speed advantage, yet Wrecker used his size and power to answer most of what was thrown at him. The only thing he couldn’t combat was the numbers. The closing sequence saw Mattell reverse the Mighty Bulldog into an Armbar, Wrecker use the ropes to power out, set up and this time hit the Mighty Bulldog, only for Donovan Boon to disrupt the ref’s count. He got a Bulldozer Elbow for his troubles, but Mills struck the challenger with a Tag Title before it was his turn. Wrecker kicked out, but Mattell responded quickly and viciously, shoving his grounded opponent’s head into the belt three times, lifting him to his knees to expose his bloody head and then drive him back onto Mills’ belt with a DDT. Even then, he took no chances, adopting a seated cover to use both his arms and legs to keep Wrecker’s shoulders down for the three. Dexter Mattell, Donovan Boon and Rusty Mills looked like they were planning to put a further beating on Wrecker when they noticed a wounded Lloyd Banks and Death Ref walking down the ramp, leading Mattell to advise that they leave these amateurs to it. Banks picked Wrecker up for a Piledriver, but he wasn’t at full strength after his brutal match earlier and was flipped over and then struck by Wrecker’s new Bulldozer Elbow. Wrecker then grabbed Death Ref and lined him up for the Mighty Bulldog when Lori came running down the ramp, her first appearance in three months. She appeared to be pleading with Wrecker not to pull the trigger, but was in fact buying time while a powerhouse climbed over the top rope opposite the entrance, ambushing Wrecker with a vicious Low Blow, dragging him up for a Powerbomb and ending the beating with an S.T.O. Bryant Hall had arrived in DIW, and was seemingly a part of Ares Death Cult.

@AboardTheArk I'll have to run the numbers on how many CEW defections we are away from Pat Rigsby as DIW Champion 😅 You're right about wanting to give more homegrown talent the chance to step up: 2022 and 2023 were played fairly safe being built around Milton and Edwards, so hopefully at least one of the card-climbers resists CEW and makes a main event impact. @Tiberious I think you're right that Cesar Sionis is a significant loss, a logical hire for CEW given the relationships you mentioned, and someone who would've needed replacing at some point due to his age. Any plans for a proper women's division are hindered by my idiotic decision to only load Oceania at the start of the save, wiping out a lot of hardcore hires, but it may still be a possibility. Part 33: Cesar’s sign off So that was it for Cesar Sionis, who became the third DIW main eventer in under six months to be poached by CEW. It arguably wasn’t quite as big a loss as Blitz Simpson or Gyula Lakatos in that he wasn’t a former DIW Champion. However, it continued the trend and was also a heavy blow for Ares Death Cult’s credibility so soon after losing Lakatos and Rob Edwards and being supplanted at the top of the card by The Pros. For Lori Cooper, this was the second close ally she’d been unable to convince to stick around. I joked to her that, on the bright side, it would be harder for critics to accuse her of playing favourites now she had no favourites left to play, which I’m not sure she found funny*. In all honesty, I think Sionis had earned the spot he had occupied on the DIW roster. The Greek Punisher was one of the most over blokes there, he was a solid in-ring performer, he had more in the tank than most of the roster despite being its oldest member and was a believable presence near the top of the card. He had a reputation as a bully that I was aware of long before arriving in DIW, but I never saw it. Perhaps that was to Lori’s credit and she had been a calming influence, as the only blow-up I was aware of was his confrontation with Edwards after a blown spot damaged The Human Weapon’s tailbone, and I’d seen that kind of hostility in every company I’d ever worked for. I preferred his write-off to his partner Lakatos’ a few months earlier. The stablemates turning on a long-term member had been effective with Simpson and The Barracudas as it had already been built towards, but had been overdone since. Doing it this way helped establish The Pros as politicking pricks who had orchestrated the removal of one of their main threats without getting their hands dirty, and it gave Wrecker the biggest win of his career just when it looked like he might be losing momentum. And again, contrary to his surly reputation, I’d been told Sionis enthusiastically endorsed the plan to put the 25-year-old over on his way out. Was Wrecker a future DIW Champion? I’d probably have said no around the time I arrived in the company, but the recent departures made it more plausible. He was as logical a choice as anyone to try elevating at this time given he’d consistently been presented as a threat and also as someone unafraid of standing up to powerful groups. Episode 11 of To The Extreme would see him main event for the second straight week as DIW Champion Dexter Mattell’s first challenger. We’d also get Con McReady’s first Australian Title defence against former champion Tank (seriously, someone needed to calculate how many title shots the Saracens pair had received versus how many actual wins they’d recorded), an update on April’s Havoc main event and an announcement from The Comedian. *However, Lori did give me two bits of information that she was perhaps optimistically taking as a sign that CEW’s chokehold on DIW might be weakening. Apparently, it took them two offers to snatch Sionis, whereas Simpson and Lakatos didn’t take much persuading, and Australian Champion Con McReady turned down a CEW offer before his recent title win to stay with DIW.

The Taniko Jo angle did trick me into thinking Rubennick might get the win by nefarious means, but I should've known Lone Rider's dad wouldn't let him lose three in a row. In addition to another title main event delivering and The Kipper and Lone Rider being further established, it felt like you set quite a lot in motion on the undercard on this show, with Wild Youth continuing to be built up (and uncovering another team in the process) and the intriguing New Zealand Pit Bull student angle feeling like it can go in a few directions. Ouch, I see what you mean about Max Langstrom's previous score being misleading though.

I don't know what I'm more shocked by: the fact you've already worked through new rosters, workers and companies for the whole of USA and Canada, or the fact this is considered slow progress, haha. A very exciting update. It sounds like the depth will be even more incredible than 2022 if there are already four new women's promotions in Canada alone, and I'm wondering if that's a sign of IWW's continued success that they've inspired a much more vibrant Canadian women's scene.

Brilliant comments @HiPlus @John Lions and, without spoiling too much, strong hit rates on the predictions. I promise the Pat Rigsby love isn't being ignored: he's finally getting something a bit meatier to work with but, as I've already booked/written a few shows ahead of this point, unfortunately this period is Rigsby's LA Knight Mania-to-SummerSlam stretch of not being given the booking to match his online buzz 😄 Part 32: To The Extreme #10 The Comedian and I immediately handed over to DIW’s unlikely super sleuth Markus Rush, who had managed to get his cameraman in position to overhear a conversation between Dexter Mattell, Donovan Boon, Rusty Mills, Con McReady and Seth Wish. Mattell told Wish that he wanted to find him before the show to personally reassure him that he was very much part of The Pros’ plan. He was the one bloke in DIW with that air of professionalism the other amateurs lacked. He’d spotted McReady’s potential when everyone else was sleeping on it. Strewth, he’d probably had Milton Hittlespitz on his back even more times than Raw Sex had that drongo’s sister on hers. Mills stepped in to say that to show their appreciation for Wish, and that they had no intention to step on The Wild Things’ toes, they’d arranged a tag team match for them against Saracens, and would even be in their corner. Wish seemed to appreciate the camaraderie. Kobra Khan v Pat Rigsby Rigsby started this match by signalling that his opponent was a loser, referencing his recent setbacks against Con McReady and Seth Wish but, as was so often the case, it was him on the losing end here, floored by a Ripcord Knee. Kobra Khan was impressive, but I was still stiff on the masked midcarder on commentary, suggesting that while he could put on a show on nights like this when the pressure was off, he consistently failed to deliver on the big occasions. Former Australian Champion Wrecker wasn’t one of DIW’s more established talkers. However, for the second week in a row, he was given a short interview slot with Markus Rush, using it to relay the simple message that The Pros would regret not seizing their opportunity to finish him off last week like they had Seb Shaw and Hendrix Hughes, daring them to try. Carl Paris v Lloyd Banks I used this commanding performance by Lloyd Banks, in which he overcame having the wooden board he’d introduced used against him to fight back and win with a Piledriver onto the same apparatus, as an attempt to further intrigue in the night’s main event: Wrecker v Cesar Sionis. I argued that it showed Ares Death Cult were on form. The Comedian wasn’t so convinced, pointing out that someone who recently held the Australian Title for six months might be harder to put away than a 20-year-old kid. Death Ref had no doubt Ares Death Cult were on the road to redemption though, promising that next week would be a new beginning for the group, in an apparent reference to the fact that tonight’s main event winner would be challenging Dexter Mattell for the DIW Title on the show. Saracens (Cueball and Tank) v The Wild Things (Con McReady and Seth Wish) It wasn’t too clear why The Wild Things needed The Benchmark at ringside against a team they boasted a 2-0 record against, except to show The Pros’ support for the duo’s continued partnership. I leaned into this theme on commentary, pointing out it was the first time they’d teamed up in two months, and how selfless it was of The Benchmark to help them stay united despite their recent singles success and keep the tag division strong. The Comedian wasn’t impressed with my claim that it hinted The Pros were being sincere when they said about using their power to create more opportunities for others. One thing that was certain was that there weren’t many opportunities for Saracens here. Seth Wish finished Cueball with the Suicide Senton to the applause of the watching Tag Title holders. The Barracudas’ music sounded after the bell and the fans (253 of them, the highest attendance yet for the weekly show) were loud as Chopper Rourke and Vaughan emerged through the crowd. Intriguingly, The Benchmark and The Wild Things retreated before they reached the ring despite their strong numerical advantage, allowing The Comedian to suggest that the new champions were afraid of the possibility of having to defend against Chopper and Vaughan. Wrecker v Cesar Sionis The Comedian and I found rare agreement in the fact this was probably the highest-stakes match in the short history of To The Extreme: the winner getting the first shot at new DIW Champion Dexter Mattell next week, the loser leaving DIW. These two went at it hard from the fist fight as soon as the bell sounded, which was admirable given one of them was clocking off after tonight and could’ve played it safe. Both men survived weapon shots to the head, Wrecker getting up from a chain between the eyes at two and Sionis raising a shoulder on the same count after a DDT onto a trash can lid. It was Sionis who connected with his finisher first, throwing Wrecker into the turnbuckle when he attempted a Mighty Bulldog and hitting the Running Knee Side-Swipe as he got up, but Wrecker somehow survived. The Greek Punisher tried to follow up with the Backbreaker that had done so much damage to Rob Edwards, but Wrecker fought out and this time hit his Mighty Bulldog. It only got a two count, and Death Ref smiled smugly as I reminded viewers of his prediction that it would take more than a Bulldog to beat his Bulldozer. Unfortunately for Sionis, Wrecker had heeded Death Ref’s warning and was ready with a Plan B, striking Sionis in the temple with a vicious elbow (subsequently known as the Bulldozer to commemorate this moment) that wiped him out for the count. Both of us commentators put over our shock at the outcome as Cesar Sionis threw a tantrum, tearing off the turnbuckle pads and kicking the steps over. DIW Champion Dexter Mattell appeared on the stage to survey the scene, laughing at the carnage his meddling had caused.

Another well put together card that achieved quite a lot with the main event setting up two big matches for the next show and Wild Youth, Dizzy G and Peril getting some shine on the undercard. And well played Langstrom for contributing a near main event level rating on the brink of retirement, and putting someone over. In terms of the backstage bit at the start, is Original Lone Rider gone entirely or just taking a backseat? Either way, it was a shock to see Lone Rider take the fall for the second show in a row, though I can see why that was preferable to having the new champion take it.

@John Lions @HiPlus That's reassuring that it feels like it could go either way as I always worry my booking is too predictable or, on the few occasions it isn't predictable, it's because it feels like too much of a swerve because I haven't foreshadowed well enough 😅 @Satyr24 It's Wrecker or Cesar Sionis this time but I'm sure Seth Wish's time will come as CEW seem to be working their way though the DIW roster. Part 31: Weighing up The Pros The first episode of To The Extreme after Hardcore Heatwave eased some of my concerns about the new faction. Lori was leaning into their shared Australian Pro Wrestling history by naming them The Pros, but their first mic time together focussed on stylistic and ideological differences with the rest of the DIW roster, rather than presenting an APW takeover of DIW. Dexter Mattell’s line about them being the most influential group in wrestling history was deliberately hyperbolic, but I think the collective threat to walk out with all the gold was effective because it was grounded in reality. CEW were the biggest heels in DIW, so why not have your in-ring villains align themselves with a hated enemy? It also meant the exit storyline would write itself if ever Gerard Knights and Dumfrey Pinn decided to turn this work into a shoot. Effectively holding DIW hostage gave The Pros the air of menace that past antagonists like Pinn Enterprises, The Barracudas and Ares Death Cult carried despite not being as physically frightening as those groups, and explained why they felt able to call the shots without fearing The Comedian’s wrath. However, my doubts over Mattell as champion persisted. That might seem strange given that I handed the bloke his break, but he’d never been the top man before, and succeeding at the first attempt was a lot harder when you were following someone as bloody great as Rob Edwards. He had the edge on the former champ on the microphone, but he lacked the ability of Edwards, or previous champion Milton Hittlespitz for that matter, to go all out in a main event. That’s why, even though his match with Hendrix Hughes had a real story behind it, you couldn’t escape the sense that Edwards would have brought more out of his opponent and himself. There was no Mattell main event on episode 10, which was being headlined by Wrecker taking on Cesar Sionis. The winner would get the first shot at the new DIW Champion, while the loser would be forced out of DIW and maybe, just maybe, show up in CEW soon after. Lori was obviously confident in that high-stakes bout bringing in the viewers, because the undercard was The Wild Things v Saracens, Carl Paris v Lloyd Banks and Kobra Khan v Pat Rigsby.

Part 30: To The Extreme #9 The show started with Dexter Mattell, Donovan Boon, Rusty Mills, Con McReady and all the DIW gold in the ring. Mattell introduced the group as The Pros, standing apart from DIW’s army of amateurs. He was keen to emphasise that they didn’t need one another. He’d beaten Milton Hittlespitz and every Barracuda on his own. Con McReady won an eight-man tournament on his own (Seth Wish might dispute that). The Benchmark reached the top of the tag division on their own. So why join forces? To ensure fair treatment. They’d been held back, only getting one title shot between them in their first year in DIW. They had all been successful independently but, by pooling resources, they became the most influential group in wrestling history. They held all the gold and, if they were mistreated, DIW’s amateur working agreements made it easy for them to walk out with all of it one day and turn up somewhere like CEW with it the next. However, being Pros, they would use this power to provide others with the opportunities they themselves had been denied. That started tonight with Mattell giving Hendrix Hughes an opportunity. Not at the DIW Title, he wasn’t worthy of that, but at avenging the unfortunate injury that had befallen Seb Shaw. Mattell was willing to present title opportunities too though. Wrecker and Cesar Sionis had both lost title matches at Hardcore Heatwave, but he offered them a shot at redemption, and a shot at him, with a number one contender’s match next week. However, it came with a condition: if they accepted, while the winner got a title shot, the loser had to leave DIW. The Comedian introduced an update from Rob Edwards filmed after Hardcore Heatwave. He said the only thing that made him more angry than losing the DIW Title was the doctor saying he had to rest up for a few weeks for his injuries to heal. The Human Weapon promised he’d be back as soon as he could get cleared, and that after fighting with The Barracudas and Ares Death Cult, he wasn’t afraid of the bloke with the Napoleon complex or the soldiers he’d assembled. The Barracudas (Chopper Rourke and Vaughan) v Brains and Brawn (Carl Paris and Demarcus Lee) The notes Lori had given us for tonight’s show had Paris and Lee listed under the new team name Brains and Brawn, but neither The Comedian or I overindulged given it was a generic name and we hadn’t exactly highlighted their combination of brains and brawn to this point. This match wasn’t about them though, it was about giving the newly streamlined Barracudas their first outing as a duo, after their Hardcore Heatwave match with Crime Wave was cancelled due to Switchblade’s death. They controlled much of the contest, which ended with Vaughan wiping Lee out with his Choke Sleeper. We handed over to Markus Rush, who had found Wrecker. The former Australian Champion confirmed in response to Dexter Mattell’s offer that he was happy to put his DIW career on the line against Cesar Sionis to win a shot at the DIW Title. Milton Hittlespitz v Mr. Blitz These two had been in the ring before in tag and handicap matches, but the chemistry shone even brighter in a one-on-one setting. This was no squash match, lasting almost 10 minutes with Mr. Blitz scoring a few two counts. However, Hittlespitz was clearly seen by Lori as in need of a win after his Hardcore Heatwave defeat and he got it, Hurricarana-ing his way out of the Black Thunder Bomb, throwing a chair at Mr. Blitz as he made his way back to his feet and then securing victory with his usual Flying Knee Drop. Milton Hittlespitz grabbed a microphone after his match, sarcastically congratulating Seth Wish on another glorious victory over him. He said now he could add triple threat match where he pinned the other opponent to tag match where he pinned his partner and handicap match, closing by asking his rival to tell him when he was ready to try to finally beat him one-on-one. This was a little mean-spirited and dismissive for a babyface promo, but I think Hittlespitz had built enough goodwill with the fans to just about get away with it. Markus Rush had positioned himself and his cameraman perfectly to overhear a conversation between Con McReady and an angry Seth Wish. Wish asked what the hell was going on: Friday was their best night in DIW, with McReady winning the Australian Title and Wish beating Hittlespitz and Kobra Khan on his own – he really hammered home the last three words – and now he had Crazy Blue discrediting his win, and his partner deserting him. McReady hastily interrupted, asking who said anything about deserting him. He said The Wild Things were going nowhere. Wish asked if he really was a part of this Pros thing, with McReady insisting so. As we started introducing the main event, The Comedian noted that Markus Rush had found Death Ref, so our cameras cut to them. Death Ref said Cesar Sionis would have no fear putting his job on the line against Wrecker to get his rightful DIW Title rematch. He noted that it would take more than a Bulldog to take out his Bulldozer, and that Ares Death Cult looked forward to punishing Dexter Mattell. The Mattell mention emboldened Rush to ask Death Ref about the DIW Champion’s recent claim that his wife Lori spent Valentine’s Day dining with another bloke. Death Ref scornfully remarked that Rush is like Mattell and the lustful layabouts in the DIW crowd: minds in the gutter, only capable of phallic thinking, rather than considering that his wife might be connecting with someone spiritually, sharing a vision. Rush clearly wasn’t engaging with this vision, instead summarising that Wrecker v Sionis was on for next week, and handing back to us for the main event. Hendrix Hughes v Dexter Mattell After being opposite DIW’s most popular and well-rounded wrestler Rob Edwards at Hardcore Heatwave, this was new DIW Champion Mattell’s first chance to show what he could do as the lead attraction in a main event. Could he prove his worthiness as champion and help establish Hughes as a singles competitor now Two Badass MFers were on hiatus? Not entirely. It was the former Tag Title holder who brought more energy to the occasion, though this at least fed into the narrative that he was desperate to avenge Seb Shaw’s injury while Mattell was happy to pounce on errors and slow the pace with submissions. Hughes endured half a minute in the STF before wriggling out and forcing Mattell out of the ring. He threw him back in off the apron with a Suplex over the ropes and gestured for a Fireman’s Carry Bulldog when Con McReady appeared. He swung and missed, but the distraction was enough to cost Hughes focus and present Mattell with a chance to catch him in a crucifix pinning combination for the three count. Hendrix Hughes had an impressive rally after the bell, halting a second Con McReady ambush and launching him into the victor. This brought out The Benchmark though, who hit the Double Down and then handed McReady his cane to do further damage. Wrecker emerged to defend his loose ally, and he was initially able to defy the numbers. But when he locked Dexter Mattell in position for the Mighty Bulldog, Seth Wish charged down and struck him with a cane. His apparent new teammates appreciated the gesture and cheered him on in continuing the attack before directing him to dump Wrecker outside the ring so they could focus on Hughes. After McReady’s Iron Fist and Wish’s Dust In The Wind, Hughes was locked in the STF by Mattell while The Wild Things took turns lashing him in the legs and back with their canes. Once Hughes was no longer capable of resisting, DIW’s five new Pros stood tall to celebrate. I used what had happened to point to a bleak future for both Wrecker and Cesar Sionis: one would lose their job next week, but the fate of whoever went on to challenge Mattell might be even bleaker.

Very good point @John Lions. You were right: only 300 people saw Ares Death Cult's title sweep compared to 13,814 this time, so thanks for reassuring me that there was a justification for the slightly repetitive booking (and I liked your argument for putting recognisable ex-APW wrestlers at the forefront too). Part 29: A Lori load of problems I was expecting my diary payoffs to stop any day at this point. Lori Cooper was a lot younger and, from what I could tell, more sensitive than I was when I had the APW book. A death, a career-threatening injury and the persistent predatory presence of CEW was a lot for someone still fairly new to the job to deal with, especially with the added pressure of putting out a weekly show. However, she appeared to be persevering and so was the weekly format, for another two months at least. I tried to get more information about how it had been performing, in the name of the diary naturally. Understandably, she didn’t want to go deep into financial detail with me, yet she gave me the impression that the shows were making a loss at present, but that February had been more encouraging than January. It seemed like her and The Comedian had seen enough to give them belief that it could become profitable, partly because they were convinced the Aussie wrestling industry’s recent decline had finally bottomed out, and crowds, merchandise sales and more would gradually trickle up. February outperforming January made me question if switching from a headline event every month to every other month was sustainable, or whether the monthly model needed to return but, for the moment at least, the schedule introduced at the start of 2024 was holding firm. As mentioned, there was a lot for Lori to deal with at this time, and the decision to continue with weekly shows also probably took her to the point of no return in having to address roster depth. Switchblade’s passing and Seb Shaw’s injury had trimmed an already thin roster to 21 blokes. On top of that, D.O.A. had been given a few weeks off to help him come to terms with his tag partner dying, and the rumour was that someone else was off to CEW after the next taping. I wasn’t sure of her recruitment process: she’d never worked anywhere else to build a network of contacts. Almost everyone brought in so far either came directly from or had previously worked for APW, so perhaps she had connections or familiarity there. But equally, there had only been eight roster additions throughout her booking tenure, meaning there wasn’t much of a sample size to draw conclusions from. So I had concerns that at a time when they needed to act quickly, DIW lacked a structure to identify who they should be signing and what they should be offering them. Perhaps Classy Paul Massey could contribute. He had 38 years in the business behind him and his road agent workload since arriving probably wasn’t the busiest with Rusty Mills and The Comedian sharing duties with him. Then again, the New Zealander had spent the last 16 years with lucha company ZEN so, for all his experience, he might not have the right contacts for fitting into DIW. But before any recruitment drive came the next episode of To The Extreme, five days on from the Hardcore Heatwave triple title change. In addition to hearing from new champions Dexter Mattell (DIW), Con McReady (Australian) and The Benchmark (Tag), we were promised an update on former DIW Champion Rob Edwards, Milton Hittlespitz taking on Mr. Blitz and The Barracudas following up their declaration of interest in the Tag Titles by facing Carl Paris and Demarcus Lee.

Part 28: New champions So Hardcore Heatwave 2024 not only saw every title change hands, with Con McReady crowned Australian Champion, The Benchmark winning the Tag Titles and Dexter Mattell claiming the DIW Title, the four new champions appeared to signal a partnership at the end of the show. Let’s start with my three main criticisms of this development. Firstly, it wasn’t the first time Lori had made this move where all three titles were won by the same stable on one show with a shock at the end. She had Ares Death Cult take all the gold with the addition of Rob Edwards just 14 months earlier at War Machine 2022. Secondly, suddenly uniting these ex-APW blokes was a bit odd given they had all been in DIW for a year. Had they decided they couldn’t reach their targets without uniting? I also questioned the wisdom of a main story arc that alluded so heavily to an active rival company, especially presenting their wrestlers as superior to yours, at a time when DIW were outperforming APW. But, more than anything, I didn’t get the DIW Title change. Why take the title off Edwards when he was two months short of the record reign, especially if weekly shows were to become a permanent thing, making it far less likely anyone would ever get close to Dumfrey Pinn’s 16-month mark in future? And why put the title on Mattell when he wasn’t performing or getting himself over at a high enough level yet to justify it? It wasn’t for a lack of booking effort. She’d given him the build-up to warrant the gold with feuds and victories over Milton Hittlespitz, The Barracudas and now Edwards. However, whether due to his size, lack of hardcore pedigree or not meshing with the roster and audience, he wasn’t as over or as entertaining as he should have been, so it felt like forcing a title change to fit a storyline rather than in the company’s best interests. Of course, there were positives too. It established a new group at the top of the card, which was perhaps necessary with Ares Death Cult and The Barracudas no longer as powerful as before. Such a major reset, with a new alliance and three new champions, would also probably make it easier for the company to move past the trauma of Switchblade’s passing and Seb Shaw’s injury by providing a big new talking point. While their union felt sudden, I could see there had been foreshadowing, albeit fairly recently, with The Benchmark citing their APW record as a source of superiority over Two Badass MFers, then picking Mattell as their proxy to fight Seb Shaw, who Raw Sex then not only beat but eliminated for them. And McReady had helped Boon defeat Wrecker somewhere in between. Maybe Mattell would rise to the challenge of being the main man. Hardcore Heatwave 2024 had easily been his best DIW showing so far in terms of both performance and crowd reaction, though most people found that when they stood opposite Edwards, so this wasn’t conclusive evidence. Boon and Mills had definitely earned their main storyline spotlight, while McReady felt fresh. Nobody had been significantly weakened to elevate the quartet – on the contrary, Edwards couldn’t have been presented much stronger in defeat – and it created fresh intrigue over a few wrestlers. I was most curious about what it meant for Seth Wish, fresh off perhaps the biggest win of his career against Milton Hittlespitz and Kobra Khan, given him and McReady had continued to be closely aligned throughout their recent singles success. I was far from sold on the new direction, but interested in seeing how it played out.

Such interesting and thought-provoking comments. I'm so grateful. @AboardTheArk You helped inspire this angle around a year earlier in the save when my clumsy writing made it sound like DIW had bought APW, as it got me thinking that these wrestlers might work well together. Though it was a long-planned finish, I (well, SQ) had the same thought as you that the timing might work pretty well to force DIW into a new chapter after the Shaw/Switchblade misery. @HiPlus It was probably unrealistic to have The Comedian buying drinks for everyone in attendance given how frugal he is when CEW bid for our main eventers 😅 I have to confess that I didn't have a specific plan for evolving Pat Rigsby, it was primarily a way to break the news of his engagement and wedding but, as he's attracted comments from you and @AboardTheArk, I'll have to see if I can develop it further and have married life slowly change him either for better or worse. @John Lions Wow, that 87 is fantastic. We pulled a 60 here (62 for Edwards-Sionis) and our best so far is 69 (Edwards' 2023 matches with Blitz and Hittlespitz) so have a long way to go to reach your heights. Your tag analysis is spot on: didn't want to give away the best tag match we had left without a build, and thought an underwhelming Benchmark coronation might help with turning the crowd against them. Agree with you on McReady being one of the better younger hardcore blokes and @HiPlus on him having an attention-grabbing look.

The Shawn Michaels retirement/relinquishing/smile-losing swerve was well executed. It was easily believable given his record at this time, and a nice way to add the Outlaws to DX. The No Way Out card is shaping up just right: no mega matches that should be saved for WM14, but an appealing line-up in its own right that will help build WM14. Hopefully you don't suffer the same fate as the real No Way Out 1998 and get forced to use Savio Vega as a substitute for HBK 😅

Part 27: Hardcore Heatwave 2024 The show started with The Comedian in the ring. He wanted to get some business out of the way first of all: DIW were going to have another eight weekly shows in the build-up to Havoc in April. But he wasn’t here to celebrate that, he was here to pay tribute to a bloody good wrestler and a bloody good bloke. He brought out D.O.A. to talk about getting to team with Switchblade for almost half of his life, thanking me for being the first to see their potential, and saying not just his life but Aussie wrestling as a whole would be poorer for his death. The Comedian invited the crowd to crack open the tinnies he’d left under their seats to toast Switchblade. He then said that at times like these, sometimes you just needed to punch someone in the face, and he’d identified the perfect face for D.O.A. to punch: Pat Rigsby’s. D.O.A. v Pat Rigsby I knew Lori had thought about bringing people in for a Switchblade tribute match as she’d sounded me out given my insight into his APW years. She’d considered SHA tag team Smasher and Mauler, who were probably Crime Wave’s greatest rivals, as well as former APW duo Boo Smithson and Dingo Devine. She even talked about lining up Mayhem Mulhoney or The Comedian to partner D.O.A., before ultimately deciding that too much fanfare might overshadow any celebration of Switchblade. So she went with the simple solution: the crowd wanted to get behind D.O.A. and see him win, so serve him up someone they’d like to see get beaten. Thankfully, DIW’s troll Rigsby didn’t do anything tasteless, getting his heat with more conventional methods like eye raking and back scratching, but the second half of the bout was all D.O.A., with him hitting a few of Switchblade’s moves to please the crowd, concluding with his Death Slice (we just called it as “Switchblade’s finisher” on commentary given the context). He left Switchblade’s beanie in the ring and pointed to the sky as the crowd applauded, and that was pretty much the end of DIW’s awkward attempt to blend sentimentality and violence. As Cesar Sionis and Death Ref prepared to make their entrance for the evening’s first DIW Title match, they found Lloyd Banks badly beaten, with Death Ref cursing Rob Edwards. Sionis told Death Ref to take the Barbed Wire Messiah to get treated and he’d sort out Edwards. DIW Title: Rob Edwards (c) v Cesar Sionis I understood why it had to happen to fit the storyline being presented, but it was still strange to see probably the most attractive match at DIW’s disposal right now – especially with Seb Shaw unavailable to deliver on Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark – so early in the show. If either man was hoping for a quick victory to save energy for the main event against Dexter Mattell, they were out of the luck. On the contrary, it was a physical, heavy-hitting affair to highlight the personal animosity. Sionis seemed a step ahead of the champion for much of the match, even hitting the first finisher, but Edwards was close enough to the apron to force himself out of the ring after feeling the Running Knee Side-Swipe. The Greek Punisher went for another as Edwards crawled back into the ring, but the champion was able to execute a desperation takedown. Sionis swung wildly with a Clothesline once back on his feet, missed and got caught with a Roundhouse Kick, which The Human Weapon followed with a second as he does to opponents he respects to secure a hard-fought win. Dexter Mattell had crept down the aisle and appeared poised to enter the ring to attack the worn-down champion, but Edwards was on his feet ready by the time he approached, causing Mattell to have second thoughts and back off. The Comedian noted that he wouldn’t be able to back down later. Australian Title: Wrecker (c) v Con McReady I’d since found out that Wrecker’s defeat to Donovan Boon on the show aired two days ago was only the second pinfall he’d eaten in over two years being booked by Lori, the other coming when Mr. Blitz abandoned him in a match against Cesar Sionis and Gyula Lakatos. So given how protected he’d been and how often the person who gets the better of the final exchange loses the match, all signs pointed to Wrecker retaining, especially with no Seth Wish at ringside, apparently preparing for his match. And yet when the champion went for his Mighty Bulldog, Wish appeared on the apron. He jumped off as Wrecker charged at him, but was able to thread his cane through to the challenger, who clocked Wrecker in the head with it, followed up with a few body shots and then struck the Iron Fist for what I think would be considered an upset title win. Perhaps it shouldn’t be though: this was his sixth straight success, including four in a row in singles competition. Hendrix Hughes was out next to a huge initial ovation, which softened when the crowd realised he was alone. He spoke without his usual swagger, explaining that Seb Shaw was hurt and hurt bad. He said DIW had offered him the chance to defend the Tag Titles with another partner, and he really wanted to put a beating on The Benchmark, but it didn’t feel right doing it with anyone other than Shaw, especially right now, so he’d reluctantly agreed to concede. The Benchmark entered for a match to determine new champions, declining to console the former title holder. Tag Titles: The Benchmark (Donovan Boon and Rusty Mills) v Saracens (Cueball and Tank) v Carl Paris and Demarcus Lee After Lori had bulked up the tag division in 2023, this match demonstrated how thin it suddenly looked without Crime Wave and Two Badass MFers. Even making this a multi-team match didn’t make it any more unpredictable: The Benchmark were the only credible champions right now and this match showcased their strengths as much as the division’s weaknesses. Cueball was the one chosen to take the pinfall following the Double Down. I called it as Boon and Mills’ seventh career Tag Title reign, with The Comedian interjecting that it was the only one that mattered. Milton Hittlespitz seemed a bit more short-tempered than usual when Markus Rush caught up with him ahead of his match with Seth Wish and Kobra Khan, stating that it was time to show the children how it was done. Milton Hittlespitz v Kobra Khan v Seth Wish This was a fun match that compensated slightly for the matches that had to be cut from the card, with this trio’s blend of speed and charisma a good fit for the triple threat format. Kobra and Wish were sloppy at times, but Hittlespitz was able to cover up a lot of it. It descended into finisher spam at the end as these contests tend to: Wish hit Dust In The Wind on Hittlespitz, but got thumped by Kobra’s Ripcord Knee before he could capitalise. Kobra went after Crazy Blue but got caught and dropped on the turnbuckle (a stupid spot in my opinion, so soon after Shaw’s injury), with Hittlespitz following up with his Flying Knee Drop. Then came the other triple threat staple: Wish blasted Hittlespitz with his cane, threw him out of the ring and profited from the damage his rival had done to Kobra by covering him for a three count. Markus Rush had found The Barracudas, who were originally due to fight Crime Wave. They didn’t reference that, which I think was the right call as a tribute by The Barracudas would feel out of place, and it wasn’t the time to prolong the issue. Instead, they mentioned setting their sights on the Tag Titles. I suspect this was always Lori’s plan for after Hardcore Heatwave, which was a relief given there weren’t really any other credible teams left with The Wild Things seemingly more focussed on singles action. DIW Title: Rob Edwards (c) v Dexter Mattell The twin stories being told here were of the deck being stacked against Edwards, who had already fought once, and whether there was anything that could keep him down after all he’d endured so far. Mattell tried to exploit Edwards’ tailbone issues with stretches and submissions, but The Human Weapon was able to use his power advantage to minimise the impact. The crowd were invested despite the lack of hardcore combat, so it wasn’t the anti-climax I feared it might be after the Sionis match. There were measures taken to ensure that. Sionis resurfaced to again take out Edwards with a Running Knee Side-Swipe. Edwards kicked out just before Tatum Richards’ hand hit the mat for a third time and pursued his former Ares Death Cult ally outside, fighting out of a Powerbomb to launch Sionis into the steps. Mattell caught Edwards in an STF on his return to the ring, but he was able to break the hold and floor Raw Sex, catching him with a Roundhouse Kick as they both returned to their feet. Edwards covered, only for Donovan Boon to drag him off Mattell on two, following up with two Donovan Drivers to the fury of the crowd and the confusion of The Comedian and I on commentary. Rusty Mills was at ringside now reviving Mattell, who locked Edwards in the STF again. Still, the champion refused to give up, but his body did and after about two minutes of resistance, the referee had to call for the bell. Dexter Mattell, Donovan Boon and Rusty Mills celebrated their triumphs by standing over the fallen Edwards and lifting their newly won titles above their heads. The show appeared to be over as they strutted up the aisle, but there was one more surprise as new Australian Champion Con McReady greeted them by the entrance, taking turns to give each of them a belt high five. “Do you have something to do with this, Quartermainne?” spat out a disgusted Comedian on commentary, a reference to the quartet’s shared history with me in APW. For once I was uncertain how to respond as, for all I knew, that was the next part of Lori’s plan for the story.

Ah, that sucks, especially if you had an outline all the way through to 2000 in mind. It's been a brilliant read and even inspired me to revisit some 1992 and early 1993 ECW and consider starting a 1992 ECW save. At least you go out on top as the deserved July dynasty of the month, and it was good closure to read some of the future plans you had.

The Trehawke promo was the perfect setup for the main event as I thought it was lining him up to be Lone Rider's first challenger, only for it to have in fact seemingly been building him up for The Kipper instead. The main event felt like a perfect compromise: the established hand gets to be the first champion, but Lone Rider gets the spotlight and an out for his first loss. Original Lone Rider couldn't really dispute the logic of having the biggest name hold the title first, and it sets his son up to be an even bigger hero if there's a sense of struggle before his coronation. On the undercard, I particularly liked the way New Zealand Pit Bull got to build himself up, and the success of that segment surely made Brown Snake's win feel like a bigger deal. A less successful night for Toasty though by the sounds of it.

Part 26: One day to go The decision had been communicated by The Comedian and Lori that the show must go on and so there was no question of me skipping Hardcore Heatwave, but I can’t pretend I was looking forward to it. Switchblade was someone I’d handpicked for the original APW roster in 2007 and he was always so full of life both in and outside of the ring. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who could die young, as stupid as it sounds. If I was dreading Friday and all I had to do was provide colour commentary, I could only imagine how difficult Lori was finding both the human and practical side of having to adapt a show around a death and a career-threatening injury. I checked the article promoting Hardcore Heatwave on the DIW website the day before the show. Four matches remained in place – Rob Edwards v Cesar Sionis for the DIW Title, Edwards or Sionis v Dexter Mattell, Wrecker v Con McReady for the Australian Title and Milton Hittlespitz v Kobra Khan v Seth Wish. However, there were changes indicated to the other two attractions. The Barracudas v Crime Wave had been replaced on the card with “A Tribute to Switchblade”. In light of this, the segment taped for the most recent episode of To The Extreme in which Crime Wave attacked Vaughan had been cut from the WrestleWorld Australia broadcast in favour of a short video tribute featuring highlights of Switchblade’s brief run with the company. There was no longer a promise of Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark for the Tag Team Titles. Instead, the sub-header stated “Tag Team Title Match” with a reference to “speculation over whether Seb Shaw is fit enough to defend the titles” and a statement that “The Comedian has confirmed that there will be a Tag Team Title match on the show, even if Shaw isn’t cleared to compete in the initially advertised match”. So DIW were stopping short of 100% confirming that Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark had been cancelled but, having been there when Shaw went down at the previous taping, I saw almost no possibility of him returning to the ring so soon. Even if DIW were prepared to ignore medical advice, I couldn’t imagine WrestleWorld Australia approving the match for broadcast on their platform if they did given the caution around concussions nowadays. What remained was still a solid card, but Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark was the match I was most excited for, so it was a huge loss that, along with the sombre mood following Switchblade’s death, took a lot of air out of the event. From a booking perspective, my biggest concern was that Rob Edwards v Cesar Sionis was easily going to get the most crowd engagement, as they were the two blokes the DIW fans were most invested in at this time, and yet due to the nature of how the card was constructed with Dexter Mattell facing the winner later in the night, it would have to go on fairly early, if not open. It might not have been as significant an issue if there was Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark still to come but, if I was Lori, I’d be worried about the crowd cooling off as the show progressed. Then again, with everything else going on, it was probably the least of her worries.

That's perfect for this dynasty's plot that the fans are pushing back against Lone Rider already, and equally that The Walking Fiasco has lived up to his reputation by getting cut after one show. I forgot to mention before that I liked the extra detail of Lone Rider even getting preferential treatment in kayfabe with the one-on-one qualifier compared to the ten man.

@HiPlus @Tiberious @AboardTheArk Thanks so much for the comments. I noticed yesterday was a year since the first post of my first DIW thread, and I'm pretty certain I wouldn't have made it this far without the likes and comments of you three and others to reassure me that there is somehow a small audience for this, so I really appreciate it. @HiPlus Very good insights on what to do with D.O.A. It's quite tricky to navigate death from a dynasty perspective: knowing this would really affect Lori and SQ but that nobody wants to read excessive mourning of a character they weren't too invested in. I tried to balance those considerations but we'll see how it lands. @Tiberious I had one roster death on an old TEW (also DIW, Wez Dobberly), but I've never had a major setback one-two punch like that before, let alone right before a major show. It's hopefully good dynasty material if nothing else, and I can't complain about bad luck on a save that gave me a millionaire fan donation 10 months in 😅 Oh, I didn't ignore your previous feedback by the way: there's an angle on one April show you pretty much deserve a writing credit on 😆 Part 25: Card subject to change It’s Lori again. It felt heartless to talk business at a time of such loss, which is why I broke this last entry into two parts to at least try to let it breathe. However, this is a booking diary and, beyond the anguish caused by Switchblade’s sudden death and Seb Shaw’s career-altering concussion in a DIW ring in the main event of our go-home show, a lot of plans changed too. A third of the Hardcore Heatwave card had been wiped out: the Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark Tag Title match that was the most anticipated by many of our fans and The Barracudas v Crime Wave. And it wasn’t just a problem for the night: two of our most talented tag teams were now out of action, one permanently and one for over a year, with two wrestlers now having to find a new way forward without their long-term partners. I wasn’t going to do anything drastic. We still had four unharmed matches that I considered attractive: Rob Edwards v Cesar Sionis for the DIW Title, Dexter Mattell challenging the winner of that match, Wrecker v Con McReady for the Australian Title and Milton Hittlespitz v Kobra Khan v Seth Wish. And I trusted our fans to be understanding given the grief we all shared. We’d have to find a way of crowning new tag champions, just without delivering on the intended dream match, while I figured I’d have D.O.A. face either an undercard bloke or bring someone in from Crime Wave’s past, rather than risk overshadowing him by going up against a Barracuda. Now was not the time to get into it, but all of this was going on against a backdrop of CEW making bids for two other wrestlers on the Hardcore Heatwave card. One of them accepted the second offer presented to them by CEW to follow Blitz Simpson and Gyula Lakatos to The Bloke Channel, while the other broke the trend by agreeing to stay in DIW – a pleasant surprise given The Comedian had put quite a strict limit on what we could counter-offer. Still, with everything that had happened with Switchblade and Shaw, I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate the bloke who decided to stay or resent the latest to walk out on us. I just felt numb.

What a start. I love the backstory's intricacy: the unique choice of lead character, the clever connections bringing everything together, even putting thought into how you got the ring. I like the contrast of a kid booker and a veteran roster, and the other fun story elements like working with a father and son. I dig the concept of limiting your under 30s: it's unusual, fits your backstory and focuses you and your readers' attention on how a select set of wrestlers develop. Even though I mainly play in Australia, I've only booked two of this roster before as I'm still a novice, which I like as I get to start the dynasty with no preconceptions. There was some nice depth to the descriptions like Rubennick being a potential don't-meet-your-heroes type, Graves forcing his way in, the three youngsters moving in together and forcing yourself to book Taniko Jo with Lone Rider. I love the challenges TEW throws at you and it doesn't get much better than your only established tag team fighting one another before the first show has even started. It was cool that you adjusted your plans to roll with it. I like how the Lone Rider off-screen saga is already playing out on screen with favourable booking, flubbed promos and opponents not being thrilled to put him over. The roommates working together was a nice touch too as it's believable as something a young booker would want to do with his new power. Finally, thanks for such kind words. You reading, liking and commenting on my dynasty has undoubtedly helped keep me motivated, so it's very much mutual. I'm looking forward to seeing how this unique promotion and locker room you've created develops.

Nice post-show summary, and an insight into the interesting dynamic with Chris Caulfield. Yeah, I can see why that Rick Law storyline is tricky: the product and story starting point dictate that any escalation would have to be pretty distasteful, so I get not wanting the character's actions to be seen as an endorsement. I'm sure everyone will understand if you prefer to move past that aspect of the story or be deliberately vague (eg "Law made a tasteless comment"), but I think you've got the balance just right so far.

Part 24: DIW’s darkest days This is Lori checking in on what was meant to be the fun week. We’d completed the initial eight-episode run of To The Extreme, everything was set for Hardcore Heatwave, I felt like it was the best card I’d put together yet and I knew everything I was looking to achieve from that show. We’d delivered 29 matches on To The Extreme with just the one nervy moment when Rob Edwards cracked his tailbone after a rough landing against Cesar Sionis. Then, in the closing moments of the 30th match, Seb Shaw lost his balance taking the kind of bump he would have taken hundreds of times before, flying head-first into the edge of a turnbuckle. Based on initial reports, the concussion he suffered wasn’t just going to postpone Two Badass MFers’ Hardcore Heatwave showdown with The Benchmark, it was going to take at least a year off his career. I thought I’d just about got my head around what had happened when the news arrived that sent a chill down my spine: Cuthbert Flamebeke, better known to our fans as Switchblade, was dead at 37. He’d only been with us for three months but what an impression he’d made both in and outside the ring. Him and D.O.A.’s first match against The Benchmark was the best debut performance I’d seen in DIW, and I’d been here since the start. They’d continued to shine since, which is why they were getting a spotlight match against The Barracudas at To The Extreme, with another intended to follow against Two Badass MFers at Havoc. And SQ would doubtless back me up that Switchblade had made even more of an impact outside of the ring, popping everyone with his anecdotes about the Aussie indies, APW and especially his Horrie Fowler horror stories from working for SHA. I wasn’t convinced Hardcore Heatwave should go ahead six days after Cuthbert’s passing, but The Comedian and I met with his family and tag partner and they were all insistent that he’d want the show to go on. We offered D.O.A. time off, but he wanted to wrestle still to honour his friend, so my focus switched to trying to make it a show that did him justice.

I'm not too familiar with SWF or this roster (I'm learning the Cornellverse in reverse order 😆) but you've done a really good job of setting out the backstory, the roster and the existing storylines. It must be a gift to inherit so many detailed starting storylines in terms of instantly getting stuck in and having a feel for where everyone's positioned, but also a curse having so much to fit into a two-hour show, but I'd say you succeeded. That Rick Law angle is a fascinating one to take on: the conflict between whether to ignite it more in line with the new direction or try to calm things down, and you handled it delicately enough in this first episode to keep both options open. I also thought it was a clever move to give Frankie Perez the main event next week to put a singles spotlight on him and challenge the natural thinking that, if the Dragons win the six-man, it will be Skye getting the pinfall for the title shot.

@AboardTheArk Yes, this is the final show of the initial eight-episode run, with a scheduling update arriving at Hardcore Heatwave. Apologies, I probably haven't done a great job of setting out the timeline. Part 23: To The Extreme #8 Chopper Rourke v Cueball The show started with a short, chaotic brawl. Chopper remained popular despite The Barracudas’ diminished status post-Blitz Simpson, and gave the crowd what they wanted: a Spinebuster and a three count. I used Vaughan’s non-appearance to fuel one of my favourite commentary themes, speculating that all was still not right in The Barracudas’ camp. An alternative explanation became apparent though when Markus Rush found the heavyweight fallen in the corridor, with D.O.A and Switchblade fleeing the scene. For reasons that will become clear in the next entry to this diary, this segment was replaced in the final broadcast of the episode on WrestleWorld Australia. Wrecker v Donovan Boon One of the best DIW matches of the weekly To The Extreme era was given a slightly slapstick finish, as Con McReady appeared at ringside with Wrecker in the ascendancy and manoeuvred his cane like a snooker cue, sliding it between the second and third ropes and the unsuspecting Australian Champion’s legs and blasting it into his crotch, with Boon taking advantage with a Donovan Driver for the win. Lori left a really helpful note to put over the result on commentary: this was the first time Wrecker had been pinned since Hardcore Heatwave last year, and I added that this was a terrible omen for his chances of retaining against McReady on Friday. Markus Rush was with Seth Wish as Con McReady emerged behind the curtain after hitting Wrecker where it hurt. He congratulated his partner and told Rush that The Wild Things wanted to rest of the roster to keep underestimating them as it was working out really well for them, but he predicted that everyone would be taking them seriously after Hardcore Heatwave. Demarcus Lee v Cesar Sionis I guess someone else tipped Lori off that it wasn’t ideal that the next DIW Title challenger hadn’t wrestled a singles match in over a year (not that this had stopped him from establishing himself as DIW’s most-over antagonist, I should add). He was given someone tough to throw around for six minutes here to remind everyone how imposing he was. The Running Knee Side-Swipe put Lee away, and I insisted that when he hit that move on Friday, we’d have a new DIW Champion. Was I foreshadowing? Not knowingly, Lori hadn’t clued me in on her Hardcore Heatwave plans. Kobra Khan took to the ring to say that he was tired of getting caught in the middle of Milton Hittlespitz and Seth Wish’s crap, so he was ready to take control of the situation and give them both a beating at Hardcore Heatwave. Hittlespitz unsurprisingly came out to confront him, but he was jumped from behind by Wish. Wish was too busy whacking Crazy Blue with his cane to notice Kobra approach, with a Ripcord Knee ensuring that he stood tall over both opponents. Seb Shaw v Dexter Mattell Regrettably, I think we need to head straight to the finish of our main event. Mattell wrestled out of Shaw’s attempt to hit his Spinning Brainbuster and launched him towards the corner, but the tag champ lost his footing and tripped headfirst into the edge of the middle turnbuckle, crumpling in a heap. On referee Tatum Richards’ subtle instruction, Mattell went straight for a cover, which she counted quickly so Shaw could be attended to as soon as possible. Within seconds of the bell ringing (double meaning unintended), Rob Edwards was in the ring to take Dexter Mattell off his feet with a Roundhouse Kick. That brought Cesar Sionis to the entranceway, where Edwards met him and they started throwing fists. In the ring, Hendrix Hughes was checking on Seb Shaw when Donovan Boon and Rusty Mills, who had been watching at ringside, entered with the Tag Titles, throwing them down at Hughes’ feet. The original creative was for the teams to finally come to blows after a slow handover, but The Comedian and I helped call an audible to shield Shaw from any further physicality. Instead, attention shifted back to Edwards and Sionis’ wild brawl on the ramp. I remarked on commentary that nobody had claimed a clear advantage, setting up The Comedian for the sign-off line that there would have to be a decisive winner on Friday night.

It's impressive how many people you managed to fit on a five-match card here. The Johnson-Bloodstone dynamic is interesting: it feels both like a natural next step for establishing Johnson as a babyface and smart in terms of the product shift that, as you're introducing more angles, you're grounding them in reality to bring the long-term fans along with you. The Vessey segment seemed to do a similar job of setting the table in a way that NOTBPW fans would get invested in.

Part 22: Overlapping stories I was intrigued by the two matches Lori had announced in advance for the Hardcore Heatwave go-home edition of To The Extreme. To this point, the three title stories – Rob Edwards v Cesar Sionis with the winner facing Dexter Mattell, Two Badass MFers v The Benchmark and Wrecker v Con McReady – had been kept separate. Yet they were suddenly set to overlap two days before Hardcore Heatwave after Two Badass MFers and The Benchmark were invited to pick an opponent each for one of their adversaries, with Two Badass MFers pairing Donovan Boon with Australian Champion Wrecker and The Benchmark choosing DIW Title contender Dexter Mattell as Seb Shaw’s opponent. If executed well, it had the potential to increase anticipation for all the Hardcore Heatwave title matches, but it also meant two of the nine participants losing two days before the show, which felt like a change of course given Lori had been quite protective of her stars in earlier episodes. We’d also get the follow-up to Kobra Khan attacking Milton Hittlespitz, which I presumed would be the latter’s match against Seth Wish being turned into a triple threat, though I’d been wrong when making the same prediction for Edwards, Sionis and Mattell.