Rituro

CIW: Year 3, Quarter 3 The consequence for The Grand Avatar's insistence on cracking the 500 attendance barrier in BC? A calamitous drop in popularity in North West USA, plummeting from 21 to 12. It's something that will have to be quickly resolved once CIW has grown from Tiny to Small; for now, though, the focus remains on hitting that all-important BC popularity level to hopefully get CIW closer to larger (or, indeed, any) broadcast exposure. The best way to do that is to give everyone a taste of what's to come, and Fight Zone 31 features a main event of Leftie Wilkes and Olivia Diamond. Incredibly, the match goes the distance and after 20 minutes, a time limit draw is called. Neither participant is thrilled with the result, though the fans are on the edge of their seats from bell to bell. It looks like we have our Kings of Wrestling III main event starting to simmer! Elsewhere, Bailey & McKane put on a clinic in their 10th defense of the CIW Duos belts, Quicksilver Connection defeats ReeVa to move to the front of the line as top tag contenders, and Grunge Records continues to build steam as Reilly Patton and Bowden Snoop pick up a solid win over Prime Time Jack Pryde and Hammer Hadley. Fight Zone 31 Card: (Pre) Christina Charlston & Remmy Honeyman def. Team Velocity (38) (Pre) Alistair Shufflebottom & Christopher Ball def. Erin Grey & Jules Night (43) James Diaz def. Remmy Skye (39) Patton & Snoop def. Prime Time Jack Pryde & Hammer Hadley (37) Quicksilver Connection def. ReeVa (40) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) (43) Bailey & McKane (10) def. Disturbed & Eric LaMonica (48) Leftie Wilkes (7) draws Olivia Diamond (45) Attendance: 536 Rating: 45 ACPW is a known quantity to CIW, as is CWA. Losing and/or sharing talent to both those promotions would be understandable. Queens of American Wrestling (QAW), however, comes out of left field and forcibly shakes up the roster by signing away three members of CIW. Losing Erin Grey is unfortunate but not a game-breaker. Losing Simony Sentinel, who hadn't even made her official debut yet, is frustrating but not a big loss. Losing Olivia Diamond, however, is infuriating. CIW's best per-show offer is nowhere close to the exclusive written monthly deal offered by QAW. After finally getting her big push and being on the cusp of a main event slot at Kings of Wrestling III, Fight Zone 32 ends up being Olivia Diamond's last big show -- and the best-rated show in CIW's history. Oh, the irony... Meanwhile, Blue Dragon and Clarence Watson debut their new gimmicks, Quicksilver Connection continues to add victories on their path to a Duos title shot, and Arthur Dexter Bradley wins the "Battle of the Remmys" with an illegal pin using the ropes for leverage. With Olivia Diamond on her way out, is there a spot for ADB in the upper echelons of the card? Finally, the pre-show features the mixed blessing of discovering great tag chemistry between Alistair Shufflebottom and War Piece, and the loss of James Diaz for a month with a spinal injury. Fight Zone 32 Card: (Pre) Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson def. Christina Charlston & Colleen Hunt (34) (Pre) Alistair Shufflebottom & War Piece def. James Diaz & DupliKate (36) Blue Dragon def. Prime Time Jack Pryde (30) Leftie Wilkes rants about Reilly Patton (32) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Remmy Skye, Remmy Honeyman (47) Grunge Records (Bowden Snoop & Olivia Diamond w/Eve Grunge) def. ReeVa (43) Simony Sentinel def. Eric LaMonica (46) Quicksilver Connection def. Christopher Ball & Kate Avatar (41) Leftie Wilkes (8) def. Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) Attendance: 519 Rating: 48 To add further salt to the wound of losing major talent, as the ink is drying on Olivia Diamond's QAW contract, CIW finally hits Small size and signs its first TV deal, a six-month contract for a weekly one-hour afternoon show on local broadcaster CHEK with a 75% revenue share coming to CIW. At last, some televised exposure and extra screen time for the roster! At last, an excuse to add a third belt -- a TV title exclusive to broadcasts! At last, a venue to push Arthur Dexter Bradley and reward his service with CIW with a title run! As a nod to CIW's past, the first episode of Alpha Strike takes place in the George Kinneal Gymnasium. While the attendance is lower, the show itself is instantly one of CIW's best-rated cards. CIW Alpha Strike (Aug 2022, Wk 3) Card: Alistair Shufflebottom def. Hammer Hadley (45) Quicksilver Connection def. Team Velocity (42) Leftie Wilkes cuts a promo (50) Bailey & McKane (11) def. Christina Charlston & Remmy Honeyman (50) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Kate Avatar (44) Attendance / Viewership: 207 / 975 (0.01) Rating: 47 Since there is a tiny amount of broadcast presence in Alberta thanks to CHEK, CIW makes a foray into the heart of CWA territory and sets up its first ever show in the Prairies, broadcasting out of a public library. (Hey, everyone's got to start somewhere...) Remmy Honeyman and Alistair Shufflebottom set the pace with a killer opening bout, though the rest of the show notably struggles to meet that high water mark. Blue Dragon, in particular, does not reward the faith show in him for a title shot against Arthur Dexter Bradley and end the Alberta trip on a sour note. Of note, Kate Avatar bounces back from her loss in the inaugural episode to score a compelling win over Disturbed. CIW Alpha Strike (Aug 2022, Wk 4) Card: Remmy Honeyman def. Alistair Shufflebottom (49) Quicksilver Connection def. Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson (36) Eve Grunge cuts a promo (30) Kate Avatar def. Disturbed (42) Arthur Dexter Bradley (1) def. Blue Dragon (34) Attendance / Viewership: 85 / 979 (0.01) Rating: 40

CIW: Year 3, Quarter 2 For the second card in a row, Blue Dragon has the starting spot for the technical showcase -- a position normally filled by Alistair Shufflebottom. Unlike last month, though, Blue Dragon nails the assignment with help from the reliable Arthur Dexter Bradley. Clearly, the young luchador is making a case for more airtime -- cue the foreshadowing for a booking mishap next week! (Can I still use the "I'm new to TEW" excuse? I sure hope so...) Meanwhile, Leftie Wilkes continues the "Era of the Anarchist" by going after the top faces in the company, Duos title holders Bailey & McKane! First up is Clutch McKane, who shockingly loses clean to Wilkes. TJ Bailey vows revenge for next week. Elsewhere, ReeVa and Quicksilver Connection continue to make their cases for title shots and Olivia Diamond puts on a fantastic match with James Diaz. The Diamond-Diaz match is notable for two reasons. One, Eve Grunge meets Diamond at the entrance ramp post-match for a handshake; and two, remember when Diaz couldn't be counted on to deliver a half-decent match? Those days may finally be over, hopefully! Fight Zone 28 Card: (Pre) Charisma Dudley & Erin Grey def. Clarence Watson & Kate Avatar (26) Blue Dragon def. Arthur Dexter Bradley (45) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson), Eric LaMonica (39) Olivia Diamond def. James Diaz (45) Leftie Wilkes calls out Clutch McKane (47) ReeVa def. Team Velocity (38) Quicksilver Connection def. Eureka LaBelle & Pepper Pelton (40) Leftie Wilkes (4) def. Clutch McKane (38) Attendance: 456 Rating: 42 Last week's handshake between Eve Grunge and Olivia Diamond was the final piece of the puzzle for Eve -- after Diamond opens the show with a banger against the always-dangerous Irwin Gutmann, the wrestler-turned-manager Eve Grunge takes a microphone and cuts a promo against the so-called "Era of the Anarchist". CIW needs to fight back, says Grunge, and to do that, she's bringing to wrestling everything she's learned from the music industry to launch CIW's first stable: Grunge Records. Reilly Patton and Bowden Snoop make an appearance on the stage as the stable's new logo and theme music play out to the Langley Civic Centre, to decidedly mixed results. Hopefully the in-ring action fares better next week for the stable's debut trios match. (Naturally, after planning all this for weeks, finally setting Grunge as Diamond's manager reveals they have abysmal chemistry together. Fantastic.) That major announcement and match-of-the-night performance aside, there are still items of note from this month's card. Remember that foreshadowing about Blue Dragon from Fight Zone 28? Somehow, despite usually being so good about excluding booked workers, I accidentally booked Blue Dragon twice. Understandably, his performance suffers in the co-main event against ReeVa, who are set for a Duos title shot next month. Finally, the "Era of the Anarchist" continues as TJ Bailey is unable to avenge his tag partner's loss from last month. The match is surprisingly below both wrestlers' standards, possibly due to Bailey constantly flying back and forth between CIW and ACPW shows. Fight Zone 29 Card: (Pre) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Jerome Trewman (31) (Pre) G Force def. Raul Bach (22) (Pre) Quicksilver Connection def. Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson (39) Olivia Diamond (w/Eve Grunge) def. Irwin Gutmann (51) Eve Grunge launches CIW's first stable, Grunge Records (22) Remmy Skye def. Erin Grey (36) Disturbed & James Diaz def. Christopher Ball & Blue Dragon (39) Alistair Shufflebottom def. DupliKate (42) ReeVa def. War Piece & Blue Dragon (31) Leftie Wilkes (5) def. TJ Bailey (34) Attendance: 499 Rating: 40 This is normally when CIW travels south of the border for a show. However, having been one ticket shy of crossing 500 attendance for the first time ever, The Grand Avatar decides to return to the Langley Civic Centre and is rewarded with another rise in attendance. The show itself doesn't disappoint, either, with a rating tied for second-best in CIW's history (FZ 23, Nov. 2021) just one point behind two shows from the debut year (FZ 9, Sep. 2020 & FZ 11, Nov. 2020, 46). Grunge Records makes their trios debut in what is technically the worst-rated match of the night, though when the worst CIW match is a 36, that's hardly a bad day at the office. The pre-show sees debuts of more talent plucked from the wrestling academies of North America, while the opening match marks the debut of Remmy Honeyman following his unexpected relocation to the Pacific Northwest. In the title fights, the "Era of the Anarchist" claims another victim in Eureka LaBelle, while Bailey & McKane reunite for a surprisingly compelling title defence against ReeVa. The challengers perform well above their prior match ratings, with Shiva in particular raising his game significantly in a losing effort. Fight Zone 30 Card: (Pre) Jerome Trewman & Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) def. Jules Night & Yvonne Ericks (31) (Pre) Blue Dragon & War Piece def. Colleen Hunt & Hammer Hadley (35) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Remmy Honeyman (40) Quicksilver Connection def. Pepper Pelton & Kate Avatar (37) Remmy Skye def. Arthur Dexter Bradley (39) Grunge Records (w/Eve Grunge) def. Christina Charlston, Eric LaMonica & Prime Time Jack Pryde (36) Leftie Wilkes (6) def. Eureka LaBelle (46) Bailey & McKane (9) def. ReeVa (49) Attendance: 532 Rating: 45

Oh wow, was not expecting this -- thank you!

CIW: Year 3, Quarter 1 New year, new champion, new signings, new tag partnerships -- there's lots going on to start CIW's third year of existence, and goodness does it start with a bang. Reilly Patton and James Diaz's opening contest breaks down into a wild brawl, leaving referee Francis Long no choice but to disqualify both wrestlers once weapons are procured from under the ring. From there, things proceed in a little more familiar CIW fashion, with the highlights being the debut of Erin Grey after her departure from ACPW, Sleep & Kidd finally getting their Duos title shot under their new moniker, "Quicksilver Connection", and Leftie Wilkes leaving no doubts that he can get things done on the mic and in the ring, cutting a raucous promo on Bowden Snoop to usher in the "Era of the Anarchist" before backing the talk up with an excellent main event. Fight Zone 25 Card: (Pre) Christopher Ball & Olivia Diamond def. Prime Time Jack Pryde & Shiva (40) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) draws James Diaz in a double-DQ (38) Team Velocity def. Hammer Hadley & Jules Night (35) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Erin Grey (41) Leftie Wilkes cuts a promo on Bowden Snoop (41) Arthur Dexter Bradley & Disturbed def. Eureka Labelle & Pepper Pelton (38) Bailey & McKane (7) def. Quicksilver Connection (43) Leftie Wilkes (1) def. Bowden Snoop (w/Eve Grunge) (48) Attendance: 438 Rating: 44 It's time for another edition of "why isn't Olivia Diamond getting a bigger push?" brought to you by a four-corners match in which Ms Hard as Diamonds handily dispatches her opponents, including a very dour Eric LaMonica who appears to be going through the motions and not at all invested in his time in CIW. Meanwhile, PJ Reeves and Shiva score a tag victory that, while not convincing from a technical standpoint, does show the chemistry between the two is very, very real. Charisma Dudley, a graduate of the Jana Marie Bowen school of wrestling, makes her CIW debut to poor reviews. Atop the card, Leftie Wilkes puts on another stellar performance as the "Era of the Anarchist" crosses off another contender, while Arthur Dexter Bradley and Christina Charlston are given a well-earned title shot, this time for the CIW Duos title, but come up short against Bailey & McKane. The match of the night, though, comes right off the top as Disturbed and Alistair Shufflebottom firmly put the Langley Civic Centre crowd in the palms of their hands. Fight Zone 26 Card: Disturbed def. Alistair Shufflebottom (49) Olivia Diamond def. Blue Dragon, Jules Night, Eric LaMonica (36) PJ Reeves & Shiva def. Christopher Ball & Kate Avatar (31) Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) & Remmy Skye def. Charisma Dudley & DupliKate (34) Leftie Wilkes (2) def. War Piece (48) Bailey & McKane (8) def. Arthur Dexter Bradley & Christina Charlston (41) Attendance: 456 Rating: 44 After two solid shows in BC, there's high hopes that a return to Club X will kickstart CIW's fortunes south of the 49th parallel. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen, despite some very notable developments. Reilly Patton and Bowden Snoop formally enter the ring as a tag team, united by their manager, Eve Grunge. Their opponents are another recently formalized team, PJ Reeves and Shiva, using the name ReeVa -- a joke suggestion made backstage that somehow became the best idea. After the match is done and Leftie Wilkes arrives to cut a promo hyping his main event match with Remmy Skye, Eve Grunge very deliberately hangs around ringside, which distracts Wilkes and results in not his best promo work. Eve still doesn't leave when the four-corners match starts, and it becomes very clear she has her eyes on Olivia Diamond, who wins her second consecutive four-corners match. Eve and Olivia have a long talk during the post-match walk. Does Eve have her third client in the bag? Fight Zone 27 Card: (Pre) Alistair Shufflebottom & Christopher Ball def. Christina Charlston & Justin Criscuola (37) Blue Dragon def. Raul Bach (23) Patton & Snoop (w/Eve Grunge) def. ReeVa (32) Leftie Wilkes cuts a promo on Remmy Skye (30) Olivia Diamond def. Hammer Hadley, Erin Grey, Prime Time Jack Pryde (36) James Diaz def. Pepper Pelton (28) Remmy Skye cuts a promo on Leftie Wilkes (40) Arthur Dexter Bradley & Yvonne Ericks def. Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson (30) Leftie Wilkes (3) def. Remmy Skye (47) Attendance: 179 Rating: 38 (...and that's everything that happened prior to me starting this thread! Thanks for your patience while I bring you up to speed. Our next update will be at the conclusion of Y3,Q2!)

CIW: Kings of Wrestling II Remember how the first Kings of Wrestling suffered from improperly set ticket prices? You'd think after that debacle I would remember to fix things. Nnnnope! Smooth move, Grand Avatar... at least we improved over last year's gate by 11 people! Ugh... well, thank goodness we have the always reliable Clutch McKane and TJ Bailey to bail us out. ...I'm sorry, TJ Bailey is where?! ACPW's weekly Classic Wrestling Showcase?! One half of our Duos champions is working another indie's weekly instead of our season finale?! Pardon me, I need to go to the bathroom and definitely not throw up. Or throw a tantrum. Or both. Kings of Wrestling II Card: (Pre) DupliKate vs. Kate Avatar vs. Raul Bach (Pre) Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson vs. Justin Criscuola & Yvonne Ericks (Pre) Bowden Snoop (w/Eve Grunge) & Pepper Pelton vs. Christina Charlston & PJ Reeves Irwin Gutmann vs. War Piece Team Velocity vs. James Diaz & Hammer Hadley Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde Christopher Ball & Olivia Diamond vs. Jules Night & Shiva Blue Dragon vs. Disturbed Clutch McKane & Remmy Skye vs. Sleep & Kidd Arthur Dexter Bradley vs. Eureka LaBelle CIW Ultimate Championship: Alistair Shufflebottom vs. Leftie Wilkes (Pre-Show) DupliKate vs. Kate Avatar vs. Raul Bachs Playing to a crowd of dozens slowly filing into their seats, the two Kates and rookie Bachs have the advantage of next to no expectations or pressure. Sadly, only Kate Avatar manages a performance above 30. Bachs, a Melody Academy graduate, has gobs of potential and clearly has room to grow. While that's great for the future, it's not so great for here and now. That said, it's still less botch-prone a performance than DupliKate's, who is starting to feel some heat from the locker room. Kate Avatar def. DupliKate and Raul Bachs in 10:08 (26) (Pre-Show) Cheech Kong & Clarence Watson vs. Justin Criscuola & Yvonne Ericks Good news, everyone! Justin Criscuola actually hit double-digits, earning a whopping 10 for his match rating! Ten!! Wow! Spoiler alert, unless something dramatic happens in Year 3, this is Criscuola's last Kings of Wrestling. I only have so much match time to offer up-and-comers, and with four of them in this match, it's very clear which one is close to being released from their CIW handshake deal. (Hint: it's the guy whose in-ring performance was half that of Clarence Watson's.) Kong & Watson def. Criscuola & Ericks in 10:11 (25) (Pre-Show) Bowden Snoop (w/Eve Grunge) & Pepper Pelton vs. Christina Charlston & PJ Reeves Similar to last year's season finale, it's Christina Charlston who shines in this tag match, carrying the other three -- yes, even Bowden Snoop -- like the seasoned professional she is. This time, there's no need to call an audible and zero complaints from anyone involved. Charlston gets the pin and the win for her team, while Eve Grunge casts a disappointed eye not at her client, Snoop, but Snoop's partner, Pepper Pelton. For the second year in a row, Eve Grunge has been running a critical eye over the talent on display at Kings of Wrestling. What could she be up to...? Charlston & Reeves def. Snoop & Pelton in 9:53 (32) Irwin Gutmann vs. War Piece The pace of the evening is set early by Irwin Guttmann, flown out at no small cost from an indie show in Europe, who puts the hurt on a determined but ultimately unsuccessful War Piece. Gutmann has been used sparingly in CIW owing primarily to the travel costs, yet whenever he steps into the ring, it's clear he knows how to put on a show. One has to wonder if there might be a great rivalry or two ready to break out if Gutmann could be a CIW regular, but for that to happen, he'd need to cross the Atlantic -- and that's not happening any time soon. As for War Piece, it's clear he has potential but needs the right opponents to realize it. One need only look at his disastrous indie match against Tempest Appleby in Saskatoon for proof of that. Irwin Gutmann def. War Piece in 15:49 (36) Team Velocity vs. James Diaz & Hammer Hadley Losing Clarence Watson has not been the fortune-boosting move Team Velocity thought it would be, and they are desperate to show that they are still relevant in the tag division. While both Drop Kix and G Force put on a more entertaining performance than their opponents, they don't have an answer for the raw brutality of Hadley and Diaz's no-nonsense striking. A war of attrition favours Diaz and Hadley, who eventually ground the high-flyers. Diaz & Hadley def. Team Velocity in 12:05 (35) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde It's a Fight Zone 14 rematch, and a chance for both to prove they can take the next step. With Eve Grunge solidly in his corner, Reilly Patton is looking like his old self -- confident and dominant. That said, both he and Pryde show great chemistry fighting one another, and the story of the bout quickly becomes the smaller yet faster Patton trying to bait the overconfident Pryde into making a mistake. It works, and the crowd applauds approvingly after Patton lands a flawless Cradle Slam to pick up the win. Reilly Patton def. Prime Time Jack Pryde in 12:53 (37) Christopher Ball & Olivia Diamond vs. Jules Night & Shiva Looking up and down the card, if you had to pick a candidate for match of the night, you'd be forgiven for thinking it would be the title fight in the main event, or Sleep & Kidd getting a crack at the CIW Duos champs... or, well, half of them, at least. Instead, it's Olivia Diamond and Shiva who stand out in this tag match, once again raising the question, "why isn't Olivia Diamond getting a bigger push?" She might be "Hard as Diamonds" but her patience is wearing thin. After landing a Diamond DDT on Jules Night for the win, Diamond acknowledges the crowd and is slightly taken aback to notice someone slowly applauding in the front... the unmistakable figure of Eve Grunge. Ball & Diamond def. Night & Shiva in 10:10 (43) Blue Dragon vs. Disturbed It's pure lucha high-flying as the top of the card looms ahead, and both Blue Dragon and Disturbed do everything they can to wow the crowd. The luchadors were signed for exactly this kind of moment, and Disturbed leaves no doubt as to who is the top rudo in CIW. The top técnico is still up for grabs, though. Blue Dragon makes his case as best he can but it's not enough to truly separate him from War Piece. In the end, a Total Psychotic Break from the former OLLIE man is more than enough to score one for the rudos. Disturbed def. Blue Dragon in 10:01 (42) Clutch McKane & Remmy Skye vs. Sleep & Kidd When the Surrey, BC crowd sees Clutch McKane walk out alone to his and TJ Bailey's music, confusion spreads like wildfire. The addition of Remmy Skye does little to quell the crowd, and chants of "TJ No-Show" fill the silence after Skye's music. McKane, sensing disaster, quickly grabs a microphone and explains the scheduling confusion. It's not what the crowd wants to hear but it does pacify them enough to get back into the spirit of things once Sleep & Kidd hit the ring. There's a brief moment where the crowd almost double-turns the performers to vent their dissatisfaction but it dies down as the match continues. By the time Mercutio Sleep earns the pinfall, the damage has been thoroughly mitigated for tonight -- though it's anyone's guess how the online chatter will mutate once r/CIW starts its usual internet discourse. (It's almost a sure bet that somebody will inevitably get upvotes for a thread along the lines of, "Did TJ Bailey deliberately double-book himself to avoid dropping the CIW Duos belt???") Sleep & Kidd def. McKane & Skye in 19:39 (42) Arthur Dexter Bradley vs. Eureka LaBelle One of the first signings in CIW, Arthur Dexter Bradley has been a mid-card mainstay and a reliable performer since he arrived. While technically a luchador, ADB wrestles without a mask and takes a more American approach to pro wrestling, despite his extensive experience in Mexico. Nevertheless, when called upon, he can make a certain kind of magic happen -- and his position for Kings of Wrestling II, second from the top, is a nod of thanks to the worker for his tireless efforts. It was rumoured that he was being positioned for a feud against Alistair Shufflebottom before the arrivals of Leftie Wilkes and Warren Technique, so one could also see this billing as something of a make-good. Either way, ADB puts in a serviceable performance against former CZCW prospect Eureka LaBelle that has the crowd itching for the main event. Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Eureka LaBelle in 14:26 (39) CIW Ultimate Championship: Alistair Shufflebottom vs. Leftie Wilkes Making his sixth defense of the CIW Ultimate Championship -- a feat no one saw coming prior to the loss of Christy Higgins to CWA -- the former ACPW worker Alistair Shufflebottom enters the ring to face 4C veteran Leftie Wilkes in a clash of styles that ends up being not the best match of the night but far from the worst. It's the underdog versus the anarchist, and Wilkes quickly gets the crowd hot with a series of cheap moves that barely stay on the legal side of the rules. It's enough of an advantage for him to wear down Shufflebottom over the course of the match, and just past the 15-minute mark, it's a clear victory for the new holder of the Doug Belt. As he celebrates post-match, Wilkes boldy declares the "Era of the Anarchist" for the coming year, 2022. Will he be able to live up to that moniker? Leftie Wilkes def. Alistair Shufflebottom in 15:04 (38) (Post-Show) Leftie Wilkes celebrates (29) Attendance: 141 Rating: 40 Best Performances: Irwin Gutmann (48), Disturbed (46), Leftie Wilkes (45)

CIW: Year 2, Quarter 4 Finally, as the season finale approaches, does CIW book a show that approaches the heights reached back at Fight Zone 14, a.k.a. the Lilly & Rose farewell. Warren Technique puts on a clinic to start the proceedings, Bailey & McKane end the show on a banger that brings the best out of Prime Time Jack Pryde, and Alistair Shufflebottom is brazenly attacked post-match by an incensed Leftie Wilkes, whose mid-card promo electrified the crowd to the point where some thought an organic face turn (or at least tweener turn) was imminent. Meanwhile, Bowden Snoop looks impressive with his new manager, Eve Grunge, who is also still managing Reilly Patton -- a status that does not change when Sleep & Kidd score another victory to all-but-guarantee they'll be in the title hunt for Kings of Wrestling II. Heck, even in the pre-show sees minor redemption for James Diaz and Eureka LaBelle. This is the kind of show CIW needs to be booking every week, not once or twice a year! Fight Zone 22 Card: (Pre) James Diaz def. Eureka LaBelle (30) Warren Technique def. War Piece (45) Bowden Snoop (w/Eve Grunge) & Olivia Diamond def. Christine Charlston & Justin Criscuola (33) Leftie Wilkes cuts a promo on Alistair Shufflebottom (42) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Blue Dragon (37) Sleep & Kidd def. Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) & Remmy Skye (37) Alistair Shufflebottom (4) def. Disturbed (43) Leftie Wilkes post-match beatdown on Alistair Shufflebottom (28) Bailey & McKane (6) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde & Jules Night (45) Attendance: 366 Rating: 43 There are some things of note to mention from November, as the season finale inches ever closer. TJ Bailey and Clutch McKane get wins in singles action in preparation for defending the CIW Duos title. Alistair Shufflebottom makes a confident defense of the CIW Ultimate Championship. Leftie Wilkes and Olivia Diamond put on a fantastic main event that confirms Wilkes as a legit title contender and furthers the long-standing question among the CIW faithful: "why isn't Olivia Diamond getting a bigger push?" We even get treated to another four-on-four mega-match that sees Team Velocity on the losing end yet again, suggesting perhaps Clarence Watson wasn't the problem. None of this is what the Langley Civic Centre crowd remembers, though. What the crowd remembers is the horrific sight of Warren Technique breaking his neck in the opening match of the night with Reilly Patton. Astonishingly, referee David Poker doesn't throw up the X immediately -- he would later claim he honestly believed it was a work. It goes down on paper as a statement win for Patton, though the truth is far less flattering. Fight Zone 23 Card: (Pre) Christina Charlston, DupliKate & Eric LaMonica def. Bowden Snoop (w/Eve Grunge), Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) & Eureka LaBelle (29) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) def. Warren Technique (39) Clutch McKane def. Disturbed (42) Shiva def. Christopher Ball (36) TJ Bailey def. Hammer Hadley (48) Alistair Shufflebottom (5) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde (36) Arthur Dexter Bradley, Yvonne Ericks and Sleep & Kidd def. Blue Dragon, Kate Avatar & Team Velocity (38) Leftie Wilkes def. Olivia Diamond (45) Attendance: 388 Rating: 45 The final Fight Zone of 2021 is back at Club X with a somehow worse attendance than before -- not exactly the kind of momentum one might want heading into a season finale. As a cost-saving measure, there is no pre-show and the matches themselves are fairly by-the-book. Alistair Shufflebottom and Leftie Wilkes do make an appearance each to cut a promo hyping up their Kings of Wrestling II match, which adds some spice to the evening, but not much. Even Clarence Watson's return to the ring can best be described as "a thing that happened". Clearly, a pall is still hanging over CIW after Warren Technique's injury, which is understandable. Surviving a broken neck is fortuitous enough; returning to the ring might be one miracle too far. Reilly Patton looks shell-shocked, too, and the inaugural Doug Belt holder's in-ring performance is far from his best work. Fight Zone 24 Card: Olivia Diamond def. Christina Charlston (43) Sleep & Kidd def. Team Velocity (37) Reilly Patton def. PJ Reeves (21) Alistair Shufflebottom cuts a promo for Kings of Wrestling II (30) War Piece def. Disturbed, Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson), Blue Dragon (35) Hammer Hadley def. Clarence Watson (29) Leftie Wilkes cuts a promo for Kings of Wrestling II (31) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Christopher Ball (36) Attendance: 160 Rating: 38

CIW: Year 2, Quarter 3 CIW has finally outgrown the George Kinneal Gymnasium (translation: Rituro read forum advice about slashing ticket prices to jumpstart popularity) and books the Langley Civic Centre in beautiful Langley, BC. After a brief confusion over which Langley the venue is actually in (there are two Langleys in the same metro area, Langley and Langley Township), the team begins setting up to welcome a raft of new talent meant to try and fill the voids left by Debbie Rose, Kate Lilly and Christy Higgins. This means pushing workers like Eric LaMonica to the pre-show, which Mr LaMonica is not thrilled about. Nevertheless, the Langley crowd is intrigued by the arrival of luchador Blue Dragon and rookie PJ Reeves... and absolutely gobsmacked to see 4C alumni Leftie Wilkes and Warren Technique in a CIW ring! With both men working as heels, it becomes clear that Alistair Shufflebottom's reign as CIW Ultimate Championship is not going to be an easy one -- sure, taking down European import Irwin Gutmann was tough (and a mega crowd-pleaser); Wilkes and Technique, though? That's a whole new level. Meanwhile, Team Velocity, now post-manager, flex their wings and taste sweet, sweet freedom... before losing to Sleep & Kidd. Somewhere, Clarence Watson is laughing (and crying). Fight Zone 19 Card: (Pre) Eric LaMonica def. Remmy Skye (35) (Pre) Olivia Diamond def. PJ Reeves (35) Warren Technique def. Bowden Snoop (37) Chrstopher Ball hypes rematch against Shiva (21) Sleep & Kidd def. Team Velocity (37) Leftie Wilkes def. Eureka LaBelle (35) Christopher Ball def. Shiva (33) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Blue Dragon (29) Bailey & McKane (4) def. Hammer Hadley & Yvonne Ericks (40) Alistair Shufflebottom (2) def. Irwin Gutmann (49) Attendance: 373 Rating: 41 The parade of new talent into CIW is starting to raise some concerns, as there are well more than 30 wrestlers under handshake deals. While it's not quite "roster bloat" territory, it is leading to much more difficult decisions as to who can be fit into the 90-minute show proper and who can be fit into the pre-show as finances allow. Even so, that doesn't stop Pepper Pelton and Justin Criscuola from making their CIW debuts for the August show. Criscuola even gets a plum assignment, being thrown straight into the title picture a fodder for the Duos champs... which he promptly makes an absolute disaster of. Meanwhile, Cheech Kong has a new twist to debut in his attempt to tweak his floundering gimmick -- a new manager! Actually, it's not that new... it's Clarence Watson, back with a new client! No word yet on what Team Velocity's reaction will be, though they probably won't be too surprised to see Watson's team on the losing end again (albeit in the best match of the night). Finally, the title scene takes a wild twist as Leftie Wilkes immediately steps up to challenge the champion, only to be foiled by a double-count-out draw. A rematch is booked... for Kings of Wrestling II. Fight Zone 20 Card: (Pre) Olivia Diamond def. Eric LaMonica (32) (Pre) Pepper Pelton & Christopher Ball def. Christina Charlston & Jules NIght (30) Hammer Hadley def. War Piece (31) Remmy Skye def. DupliKate (33) James Diaz def. Yvonne Ericks (27) Disturbed def. Blue Dragon (30) Arthur Dexter Bradley & Warren Technique def. Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) & Kate Avatar (41) Bailey & McKane (5) def. Justin Criscuola & PJ Reeves (35) Alistair Shufflebottom (3) draws Leftie Wilkes (34) Attendance: 352 Rating: 37 Returning to Club X, Fight Zone 21 -- promoted as the "Blackjack Anniversary", for some odd reason -- is, perhaps too fittingly, a bust. An overnight drop in popularity (25 to 20 in one month?!) leaves the venue with plenty of empty seats; not that it would've mattered that much, as the second-best match of the night ends up being the pre-show trios match, which eclipses all but one match on the card -- Warren Technique winning a four-corners match to further his case for a title shot. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Eric LaMonica is finally given ample time on the main show to prove his case... and bombs. LaMonica and Eureka LaBelle wrestle LaWorst match CIW has seen in a while, actually generating boos partway through the match. That said, there are some positives (or at least neutrals) to take away from the show: PJ Reeves and Shiva end up having great chemistry together, Clarence Watson's past and present clients all win, Sleep & Kidd score a credible victory against the all-lucha team of War Piece and Blue Dragon, and Leftie Wilkes logs a decisive win over Bowden Snoop as a tune-up for Kings of Wrestling II. That said, it's not so much the win that has people murmuring as what happens after, when a defeated and dejected Snoop is consoled... by Eve Grunge. Fight Zone 21 Card: (Pre) Kate Avatar, Olivia Diamond & Remmy Skye def. Christina Charlston, PJ Reeves & Shiva (42) Eric LaMonica def. Eureka LaBelle (19) Team Velocity def. DupliKate & Yvonne Ericks (30) Cheech Kong (w/Clarence Watson) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde (27) Warren Technique def. Christopher Ball, Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge), Arthur Dexter Bradley (43) James Diaz def. Pepper Pelton (27) Sleep & Kidd def. War Piece & Blue Dragon (36) Leftie Wilkes def. Bowden Snoop (33) Attendance: 179 Rating: 36

CIW: Year 2, Quarter 2 Merchandise money is actually a thing, sponsorship money is healthy, ticket sales are nice... which means CIW can bring in more new talent! Whether it's any good is still to be determined, though the debuts of Irwin Gutmann and Remmy Skye whet more than a few appetites for possible future feuds. In an interesting twist, Christopher Ball, having opened the pre-show, is given time before the main events to cut a promo hyping himself up. Once again, it's not bad, showing Ball might still be useful to the company if he can get his match performances up. Speaking of the pre-show, don't sleep (ha) on Sleep & Kidd, as they score another win in their budding tag careers. Fight Zone 16 Card: (Pre) Christopher Ball def. Shiva (36) (Pre) Romeo Romaro and Sleep & Kidd def. Bowden Snoop, Cheech Kong & Kate Avatar (37) Irwin Gutmann def. Olivia Diamond (33) Hammer Hadley def. Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) (33) James Diaz def. Eureka LaBelle (27) The Hot Taggs def. Remmy Skye and War Piece (25) Christopher Ball cuts a promo (32) Alistair Shufflebottom & Christy Higgins def. Arthur Dexter Bradley & Eric LaMonica (48) Bailey & McKane (2) def. Disturbed & DupliKate (34) Attendance: 283 Rating: 38 Remember that whole "living in the shadow of CWA" part of CIW's short existence? The CWA certainly does. Despite the pieces being put in place for Christy Higgins and Eric LaMonica to have a program with one another, CWA scouts put an end to that by swooping in with an offer for CIW's biggest star attraction. As such, Fight Zone 17 becomes an unexpected swan song for Higgins, as the next biggest face without a title -- Alistair Shufflebottom, if you can believe it -- takes her place as holder of the "Doug Belt", the CIW Ultimate Championship. As such, the card is absolutely stacked for the return to Club X, with four(!) pre-show matches in order to satisfy everyone wanting to be present in the back after Higgins takes her final bow. Fight Zone 17 Card: (Pre) Hammer Hadley def. DupliKate, Eureka LaBelle (32) (Pre) Romeo Romaro def. Clarence Watson, Mercutio Sleep, Irwin Gutmann (38) (Pre) Olivia Diamond & War Piece def. Jules Night & Christina Charlston (39) (Pre) James Diaz def. Bowden Snoop, Remmy Skye (38) Eric LaMonica def. Kate Avatar (24) Christopher Ball def. Shiva (35) Arthur Dexter Bradley, Disturbed, Prime Time Jack Pryde & Yvonne Ericks def. Bailey & McKane and Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) (40) Cheech Kong def. Taylor Kidd (30) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) def. Kalder Tagg (w/Wolfie Tagg) (26) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Christy Higgins (43) (Post) Alistair Shufflebottom celebrates (18) Attendance: 281 Rating: 39 After accidentally costing his team the match in the 4v4 mega-match last month, Clarence Watson is on thin ice with Team Velocity. In desperation, he pleads for one more chance to prove he can put the youngsters back in the win column... and gets it. Their opponents? Mercutio Sleep and Taylor Kidd -- the other tag team looking to build up enough cred to challenge Bailey & McKane for the CIW Duos belts. Once TJ Bailey and Clutch McKane secure the titles, the two teams take to the ring... and Team Velocity loses. Aghast, Clarence Watson is fired by a fed-up G Force and Drop Kix and the George Kinneal Gymnasium crowd goes... mild. There is one other development worth noting -- it turns out Reilly Patton and Bowden Snoop work quite well together as a tag team. Eve Grunge certainly takes note... Fight Zone 18 Card: (Pre) Olivia Diamond & Cheech Kong def. The Hot Taggs (31) (Pre) Remmy Skye def. Yvonne Ericks (30) (Pre) Christopher Ball def. Jules Night (34) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) & Bowden Snoop def. Christina Charlston & Disturbed (33) James Diaz def. War Piece (32) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Eureka LaBelle (35) Clarence Watson hypes Team Velocity vs. Sleep & Kidd (12) Bailey & McKane (3) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde & Romeo Romaro (41) Sleep & Kidd def. Team Velocity (35) Alistair Shufflebottom (1) def. Hammer Hadley (38) Attendance: 280 Rating: 38

CIW: Year 2, Quarter 1 The first order of business for CIW following Kings of Wrestling I is to renew all the one-year handshake deals worth keeping and convert them into ongoing deals. (At the beginning of the save, I hadn't yet figured out where the "release" button was hidden, so I deliberately cut short my contracts so I wouldn't have to hang on to talent I'd rather not have. I have since found the button.) The announcing team of face play-by-play Terry Smith and heel colour Playboy Jake Sawyer are no-brainers to retain, even though their per-show deals are two of the highest in the entire company. Most talent is kept on, with a few renegotiating slightly higher per-show deals, but others like the underwhelming February Malaise are cut loose. As for Fight Zone 13, kicking off 2021 at the George Kinneal Gymnasium means setting the tone for what's to come, with The Hot Taggs being given one more chance to impress in a program with Team Velocity. The champs do their usual business atop the card, while at the bottom, Prime Time Jack Pryde and Kate Avatar put together an absolute stinker in their attempt to take Alistair Shufflebottom's usual spot. Fight Zone 13 Card: Prime Time Jack Pryde def. Kate Avatar (19) Clarence Watson hypes upcoming match (12) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Taylor Kidd (35) Drop Kix (w/Clarence Watson) def. Wolfie Tagg (29) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. War Piece (36) Lilly & Rose (4) def. Bowden Snoop & Clarence Watson (49) Christy Higgins (6) def. Jules Night (42) Attendance: 270 Rating: 41 Unfortunately for CIW, the dominant work of Kate Lilly and Debbie Rose has not gone unnoticed. Since we can only afford to sign people on handshake per-show deals, we are powerless to stop companies that have the muscle and money from poaching our talent. Companies like, oh, let's say... USPW. Truly, it's a well-earned reward for Lilly & Rose, and I'm happy that they get to show their stuff on arguably the grandest stage in the world. I'm also dejected that my best heel tag team (and best heels, period) will no longer be in the company. With the bank account still perilously low, Fight Zone 14 is, in essence, a farewell night for our two stars with the focus entirely on building the Portland Centre crowd up for the grand finale. While the outcome was never in doubt, Bailey & McKane become two-time CIW Duos champions but graciously exit the ring to give Lilly & Rose a chance to soak up the applause. One final note from this card: apparently, Reilly Patton and Prime Time Jack Pryde have good chemistry as opponents. Hm... Fight Zone 14 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom def. Christina Charlston (40) James Diaz def. Drop Kix (34) Romeo Romaro def. G Force (32) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde (25) Christy Higgins (7) def. Taylor Kidd (49) Bailey & McKane def. Lilly & Rose (45) Attendance: 313 Rating: 44 The big question heading into Fight Zone 15 is obvious: what heel fills the void atop CIW's roster? Four new signings seem to think they have the chops to answer that question: DupliKate, Yvonne Ericks, Shiva and Eric LaMonica. The first two are given a trial in the pre-show (which we can now afford to have again, back in our home gymnasium in BC); the latter two are thrown straight into the title picture as mystery challenges for Bailey & McKane's first defense. One might wonder if this is all in the service of buying Mercutio Sleep and Taylor Kidd time to hone their surprising chemistry as a tag team, considering they have an impressive (by their standards) outing against the debuting Cheech Kong, who has impressed enough after prior one-night deals. Finally, Christy Higgins reminds everyone why she's the queen of CIW with an iconic promo setting up the best match of the night. Fight Zone 15 Card: (Pre) Alistair Shufflebottom & Team Velocity def. Arthur Dexter Bradley, DupliKate & Yvonne Ericks (36) Reilly Patton (w/Eve Grunge) def. Christina Charlston (35) Sleep & Kidd def. Bowden Snoop & Cheech Kong (35) James Diaz draws Christopher Ball (34) Christy Higgins cut a promo on Disturbed before the main event (42) War Piece def. Jules Night (24) Bailey & McKane (1) def. Shiva & Eric LaMonica (38) Christy Higgins (8) def. Disturbed (44) Attendance: 286 Rating: 39

CIW: Kings of Wrestling I It's a star-studded (well, okay, one local celebrity) affair in Tacoma, as CIW doesn't hold back from spending big to celebrate their first full year of operation. Tragically, due to ticket prices being higher than intended (whoops), attendance is laughably pitiful. Unlike the 90-minute Fight Zone, this is a two-hour affair designed to fill the card with as many talent as funds can allow. The belts are on the line and, having finally noticed a trend in my booking after 12 monthly shows, the CIW Duos title is given the main event slot since, clearly, Kate Lilly can do no wrong. Will that be true tonight? Kings of Wrestling I Card: (Pre) Mercutio Sleep & Taylor Kidd vs. Bowden Snoop & Clarence Watson vs. The Hot Taggs Alistair Shufflebottom vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde Olivia Diamond & Kate Avatar vs. Christina Charlston & Jules Night Romeo Romaro vs. Christopher Ball Disturbed vs. War Piece Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) vs. Arthur Dexter Bradley & Kirk Drury Reilly Patton vs. James Diaz CIW Ultimate Championship: Christy Higgins vs. Hammer Hadley CIW Duos: Lilly & Rose vs. Bailey & McKane (Pre-Show) Mercutio Sleep & Taylor Kidd vs. Bowden Snoop & Clarence Watson vs. The Hot Taggs Patience with The Hot Taggs is rapidly running out in the locker room after not just sub-par performances but unsafe performances. Moving them to the pre-show does lessen their zeal somewhat and keeps things free of major incidents. Clarence Watson is given a chance to show he can still be a technician in the ring and fails miserably alongside fellow rookie Bowden Snoop. The real highlight and welcome surprise, though, is the remarkable chemistry between Mercutio Sleep and Taylor Kidd. The two look like they've been doing this for years rather than days and elevate the match significantly. They cap the bout with an assisted 360 DDT finisher that earns "oohs" from the crowd and marks them as a possible team to watch in 2021. Sleep & Kidd def. Snoop & Watson and The Hot Taggs in 9:50 (32) Alistair Shufflebottom vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde An interesting choice of opponents considering their Fight Zone 10 match was not in any way, shape or form a memorable one, Shufflebottom and Pryde nonetheless work their tails off to try and get the show started right with some technical work. While the end result is an improvement, it's still not up to Shufflebottom's usual standard. He does hit a clinical Shuffle The Deck counter to get the win, which at least ends the match on the right note. Alistair Shufflebottom def. Prime Time Jack Pryde in 14:38 (30) Olivia Diamond & Kate Avatar vs. Christina Charlston & Jules Night While it's Olivia Diamond who is "Hard as Diamonds", the star of this match is, surprisingly, Charlston. She bosses the ring and makes Diamond work at a frenetic pace, while Night adds his own brand of menace to the mix. Kate Avatar has an above-average performance by her standards but struggles to keep up with the others. Despite Avatar being expected to make the pinfall on Charlston, the workers call an audible and Night eats a Diamond DDT from Olivia Diamond, giving the former valet the shine and keeping Charlston looking strong as a reward for not just her performance tonight but as a respected enhancement talent throughout CIW's first year. Diamond & Avatar def. Charlston & Night in 10:11 (38) Romeo Romaro vs. Christopher Ball Romaro has been angling for more prime time appearance since his signing in CIW but his last title shot against Christy Higgins undercut his argument significantly. A match against Ball was seen as a "show-me" redemption match of sorts for Romaro, while also giving Ball a chance to prove he can do more than talk himself into fights. Unfortunately, neither worker brings their A-game to this tilt and a botch by Romaro serves to underscore how poorly the match was fought and received. Thankfully, Ball's injury isn't too severe and the match finishes as planned, albeit with perhaps a bit more venom on the finisher for some reason. Christopher Ball def. Romeo Romaro in 9:35 (29) Disturbed vs. War Piece You had to know that in a "lucharesu" promotion, the appearance of two masked luchadors leading up to the season finale meant a pure lucha match was coming. Sure enough, War Piece and Disturbed took to the skies early and often in this one, the veteran Disturbed sending the rookie War Piece across and out of the ring repeatedly. In the end, War Piece rallied for a flurry of offense before Disturbed seemingly took control and set up a coup-de-grace table spot outside the ring... only for War Piece to leap up with a mid-air counter through the table that left both men in a heap on the floor and unable to beat the referee's ten-count. Disturbed draws War Piece after a double-count-out in 12:20 (36) Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) vs. Arthur Dexter Bradley & Kirk Drury It takes until the fifth match of the main card for something worthy of being included in an independent show called "Kings of Wrestling" to show up. When it does, though, it becomes clear that Team Velocity partnering with Clarence Watson has been a clear positive. Combined with Arthur Dexter Bradley doing his usual solid work -- easily the best performance from the fight -- and Kirk Drury taking the pin in his final match before leaving to ACPW, it's something of a vindication for Drop Kix and G Force as they look forward to 2021. Team Velocity def. ADB & Drury in 10:03 (40) Reilly Patton vs James Diaz With Patton trying to prove he deserves another chance in the title fight picture and Diaz intent on living up to the hype as "Son of the Monster", there's a lot riding on this match for both workers. While the end result doesn't fare well compared to the upper echelons of the card, for the workers individually, it's a statement of intent as neither fall prey to the usual mistakes that hinder their performances. After Diaz scores the decisive win with a powerful Asian Thumb Spike, the crowd is intrigued by the re-appearance of the retired Eve Grunge, last seen back in May. While she's no longer wrestling, it looks like Grunge has begun managing -- and sees Patton as an ideal first client. James Diaz def. Reilly Patton in 14:59 (34) CIW Ultimate Championship: Christy Higgins vs. Hammer Hadley There was more than a little head-scratching at the choice of Hammer Hadley for Christy Higgins' final opponent of the year. Once the match started, though, the story began to unfold -- Hadley, the brutal, direct, blunt-force object, trying to exploit the lapsed MMA skills of Higgins, who has incorporated a more lucha style to her wrestling. By the end of the match, Higgins looked like a star with one of the best individual performances of the night, while Hadley looked exactly like the overconfident, dumb brute everyone assumed he was. Christy Higgins (5) def. Hammer Hadley in 15:10 (43) CIW Duos: Lilly & Rose vs. Bailey & McKane All you had to say was "Lilly-Rose/Bailey-McKane IV" and every fan of CIW would be at the edge of their seats before the intro music hit. Sure enough, the first Kings of Wrestling main event delivered another classic in their tag rivalry. While not reaching the heights of their legendary Fight Zone 9 tilt, the four once again reinforced their implicit claims to being the four best wrestlers on the roster, with Debbie Rose actually outshining her normally dominant partner with Rose's best CIW performance to date. Lilly & Rose (3) def. vs. Bailey & McKane in 17:37 (47) Attendance: 130 (sigh) Rating: 43 Best Performances: Debbie Rose (60), Christy Higgins (55), Kate Lilly (54)

CIW: Year 1, Quarter 4 The George Kinneal Gymnasium is almost at capacity as local wrestling fans are starting to connect with the mix of high-flying aerials and technical grappling, mixed in with the occasional mindless bludgeoning (cough James Diaz cough). They're also buying Clarence Watson's early managerial bona fides, as the youngster convinces Lilly & Rose to defend their newly won CIW Duos title against Team Velocity. The end result is a stupendous showcase of Cascadian wrestling which nearly equals last month's title-winning bout, and immediately vaults Team Velocity from "entertaining filler" to "title contenders". Meanwhile, Olivia Diamond debuts her new "Hard as Diamonds" gimmick to a great response, even though the fight itself doesn't quite measure up. Fight Zone 10 Card: (Pre) James Diaz def. Christina Charlston, Jules Night, Kate Avatar (36) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Prime Time Jack Pryde (27) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Reilly Patton (33) Olivia Diamond def. Taylor Kidd (30) Bailey & McKane def. The Hot Taggs (37) Christy Higgins hypes main event title match (21) Lilly & Rose (1) def. Team Velocity (51) Christy Higgins (2) def. Mercutio Sleep (47) Attendance: 277 Rating: 44 The final trip to Portland for 2020 sees some notable debuts: The Boys From The Yukon (Howlin' Mad Mort & Whitehorse Whittaker) show up while on a break from gigs out east; and War Piece, a teenage American luchador who shows great potential, gets a win on his debut. The overall card itself is nothing to sneeze at, despite James Diaz regressing to prior form in the opening match and Team Velocity being dragged down by sub-par opponents. The top of the card sees Lilly & Rose fend off CIW regular Christopher Ball and rookie sensation Bowden Snoop, a fresh graduate from the House of Stone, in a match that ends up being the best thing CIW has shown south of the border all year. Meanwhile, Arthur Dexter Bradley is rewarded with a title shot that, while unsuccessful, receives great reviews. Fight Zone 11 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom def. James Diaz (29) Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) def. Prime Time Jack Pryde & Taylor Kidd (25) Reilly Patton def. Romeo Romaro (30) Olivia Diamond def. Christina Charlston (40) Bailey & McKane def. The Boys From The Yukon (39) War Piece def. Mercutio Sleep (35) Lilly & Rose (2) def. Christopher Ball & Bowden Snoop (50) Christy Higgins (3) def. Arthur Dexter Bradley (49) Attendance: 286 Rating: 46 Fight Zone 12, despite setting up the season finale in two weeks to close 2020, is something of a misstep for CIW. Even with individual bouts between members from the top two tag teams teasing Lilly & Rose vs. Bailey & McKane IV, the overall show leaves something to be desired. Romeo Romaro's rematch for the Doug Belt is a marked step down from his initial challenge, the Hot Taggs continue to unimpress and the mic skills of Kate Lilly and Clutch McKane serve to turn the crowd off, rather than hype them up. A notable debut does open the card, as veteran Disturbed makes a surprise appearance in CIW after walking out on OLLIE. Two masked luchadors in CIW? This has potential for 2021... Fight Zone 12 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom def. Disturbed (35) TJ Bailey def. Debbie Rose (39) Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) def. The Hot Taggs (31) Kate Lilly hypes match against Clutch McKane (26) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Christopher Ball (40) Clutch McKane cuts promo on Kate Lilly (25) Kate Lilly def. Clutch McKane (42) Christy Higgins (4) def. Romeo Romaro (37) Attendance: 276 Rating: 38

CIW: Year 1, Quarter 3 A healthier bank account and more workers relocating to BC means we can afford to bring in new talent and re-institute the pre-show. This instantly pays dividends when Romeo Romaro debuts with a double-DQ against Debbie Rose, after both wrestlers simultaneously trap each other in submissions, reach the ropes for a break but refuse to release their holds after a five-count. Incredibly, it's nearly the match of the night, until Arthur Dexter Bradley and Alistair Shufflebottom post a rematch that betters the original. Meanwhile, The Hot Taggs (Kalder Tagg & Wolfie Tagg) make their debut as heel fodder for Bailey & McKane and Kate Lilly squeaks out a win against Jazz Funk in a battle of the highest popularity wrestlers on the roster. Fight Zone 7 Card: (Pre) Debbie Rose draws Romeo Romaro (43) Reilly Patton def. Mercutio Sleep (36) Team Velocity def. Jason Patterson & Taylor Kidd (27) Christy Higgins, Clarence Watson & Olivia Diamond def. Christina Charlston, James Diaz & Jules Night (32) Bailey & McKane (3) def. The Hot Taggs (36) Kate Lilly hypes main event title match (33) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Alistair Shufflebottom (45) Kate Lilly (2) def. Jazz Funk (39) Attendance: 221 Rating: 40 Back to Club X we go and it's another "CIW Match of the Year" candidate in the main event slot. No surprise that it's Kate Lilly in one corner, but the real surprise is Christy Higgins upsetting the CIW Ultimate Champion and claiming the Doug Belt for herself. Perhaps that's because Lilly's tag partner, Debbie Rose, was recovering after a four-way match that, while entertaining, was marred by a nasty injury to Jazz Funk that would ultimately see him leave CIW and return to ACPW out east. Elsewhere, a pair of disastrously bad mid-card matches end up creating an interesting opportunity for rookie Clarence Watson, whose mic skills and charisma could be just the thing Team Velocity are missing... Fight Zone 8 Card: (Pre) Olivia Diamond & Reilly Patton def. Christina Charlstone & Mercutio Sleep (39) Alistair Shufflebottom def. Jules Night (36) Christy Higgins cut a promo on Kate Lilly (39) James Diaz def. Clarence Watson (19) Team Velocity def. The Hot Taggs (21) Debbie Rose def. Jazz Funk, Arthur Dexter Bradley, Cheech Kong (41) Bailey & McKane (4) def. Taylor Kidd & Romeo Romaro (37) Christy Higgins def. Kate Lilly (49) Attendance: 237 Rating: 42 The season finale, Kings of Wrestling I, isn't far away and heels up and down the roster are hungry for championship gold. While Christy Higgins is successful in making her first defense of the CIW Ultimate Championship, Kate Lilly once again refuses to let her waist go belt-less. This time, it's not just a candidate for best match -- this is the "CIW Match of the Year", as the top two tag teams in CIW (and, arguably, the top four wrestlers in CIW in any context) put on an all-timer for the young independent promotion, which ends with Lilly & Rose winning back the belts from Bailey & McKane. Meanwhile, James Diaz course-corrects in a big way and finally begins showing some of that potential by fighting Reilly Patton to a double-count-out draw. Clarence Watson also course-corrects, debuting as Team Velocity's hype man and looking pretty decent in the role. Fight Zone 9 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom def. Hammer Hadley (28) Team Velocity (w/Clarence Watson) def. Christina Charlston & Taylor Kidd (34) James Diaz draws Reilly Patton (34) Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Olivia Diamond Lilly & Rose def. Bailey & McKane (51) Christy Higgins (1) def. Romeo Romaro (47) Attendance: 216 Rating: 46

CIW: Year 1, Quarter 2 Returning to our home base across the border, a quick look at the company's finances indicates I am being way too fast and loose with handshake deals that include travel costs being covered. As such, our pre-show is cut in its entirety. Our second title change takes place with Kate Lilly immediately putting gold back around her waist, defeating Reilly Patton for the CIW Ultimate Championship. Patton is clearly not ready for the limelight just yet, despite my faith in the 22-year-old to develop. Lilly, however, is clocking in banger after banger (relatively, anyway, for this level) and deserves the reward. Further down the card, Christy Higgins, Arthur Dexter Bradley, Olivia Diamond and Alistair Shufflebottom have not gone unnoticed and plans are swirling in my head for the post-Lilly era, whenever that might be. Tempest Appleby, on the other hand, makes me glad I only signed him to a one-night deal. Fight Zone 4 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) def. Christina Charlston (36) Christy Higgins def. Arthur Dexter Bradley (39) Olivia Diamond def. Tempest Appleby (28) Drop Kix def. Jules Night (32) James Diaz def. G Force (32) Bailey & McKane (1) def. Mercutio Sleep & Kirk Drury (39) Kate Lilly def. Reilly Patton (42) Attendance: 182 Rating: 39 No pre-show this time around, either, as we head back across the border to Club X. The crowd is buzzing, though, and the matches don't have any real stinkers (aside from James Diaz, again, somehow turning in a match rating less than his actual performance). Christy Higgins is the first challenger for Kate Lilly and the two put on a 15-minute clinic to cap the show off, with Lilly retaining thanks to some crafty interference from her tag partner. Alistair Shufflebottom, once again leading off the show, is making a solid case for no longer needing managerial services -- his in-ring work speaks for itself. Meanwhile, the one-night deals for Quentin Queen and Cheech Kong turn out to be decent investments -- a welcome turn of events after the disappointing Appleby cameo last month. Fight Zone 5 Card: Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) def. Mercutio Sleep (41) Arthur Dexter Bradley & Jules Night def. Drop Kix & Kate Avatar (33) James Diaz def. Olivia Diamond (31) Jazz Funk def. Quentin Queen (37) Reilly Patton def. Cheech Kong (33) Bailey & McKane (2) def. Charlie Corner & Christina Charlston (39) Kate Lilly (1) def. Christy Higgins (45) Attendance: 220 Rating: 41 Halfway through the first year, having just clocked my best show to date, CIW returns to BC triumphantly, fills the George Kinneal Gymnasium to two-thirds capacity and gives the Upper Cascadia fans a taste of what their American counterparts have been witnessing. Due to availability issues, Clutch McKane is unable to defend the Duos belt this month, so TJ Bailey makes a solo appearance against reliable enhancement talent Christina Charlston. The main event also lacks a title contest, though it does feature Kate Lilly in the ring, albeit alongside Debbie Rose with two potential title challengers in the opposite corner: Reilly Patton and Olivia Diamond. Christopher Ball returns to prominence with another excellent promo, though his in-ring performance is severely undercut by a dismal outing from Charlie Corner. Meanwhile, Arthur Dexter Bradley and Alistair Shufflebottom have proven to be reliable talents and there are signs there may be an interesting long-term feud to be cultivated here. Fight Zone 6 Card: Arthur Dexter Bradley def. Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) (41) Christopher Ball cuts a promo on Charlie Corner (33) Christopher Ball def. Charlie Corner (22) TJ Bailey def. Christina Charlston (39) Jazz Funk def. Alan Parent (38) Christy Higgins def. Kirk Drury (42) Lilly & Rose def. Reilly Patton & Olivia Diamond (45) Attendance: 219 Rating: 42

CIW: Year 1, Quarter 1 Sunday, Week 2 in January is the launch day for CIW, which means I have not much time to try and scoop up every half-decent unattached wrestler I can find in the CornellVerse willing to work for pocket change. I manage to cobble together enough people to run a 90-minute Fight Zone 1 out of the 300-seat George Kinneal Gymnasium to a half-capacity crowd. Unfortunately, I forgot to hire a referee (whoops) so my avatar ends up having to don the striped shirt for the three pre-show matches and six main show bouts. The crowd is less than thrilled with the repeated use of a "guest referee" and, understandably, the 32 show rating is about what I deserve. Kate Lilly and Debbie Rose defeat TJ Bailey and Clutch McKane to become the inaugural Duos champs and post an event-high rating of 44. Meanwhile, the main event sees Reilly Patton defeat James Diaz for the Ultimate Championship with an event-low rating of 24. At least my instincts were half-right on who to have as the standard-bearers for the opening salvo... Fight Zone 1 Card: (Pre) Connie Morris def. Olivia Diamond (28) (Pre) Christy Higgins & Jazz Funk def. Kate Avatar & Keith Vegas (41) (Pre) Hammer Handley def. Christopher Ball (30) Cal Sanders def. Jules Night (30) February Malaise hypes next match (8) Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) def. Charlie Corner (26) Eve Grunge def. Christina Charlston (32) Drop Kix & G Force def. Arthur Dexter Bradley & Mercutio Sleep (29) Lilly & Rose def. Bailey & McKane (44) Reilly Patton def. James Diaz (24) Attendance: 149 Rating: 32 Before Fight Zone 2, I make absolutely certain to hire two referees on reasonable handshake deals so The Grand Avatar can recede back into the shadows. With that settled, I begin trying to suss out who the problem people are and attempt to seed some sort of early storylines. I also formalize Drop Kix and G Force into a tag team, "Team Velocity", since the names are just too good to waste. (Also, Lilly & Rose need a deeper pool of opponents to fight with than random pairings of faces.) In a surprising discovery (which wouldn't have been a surprise had I actually checked Creative), brawler Christopher Ball can actually cut a promo, which immediately raises his stock. Fight Zone 2 Card: (Pre) Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) def. Christy Higgins (35) (Pre) Arthur Dexter Bradley, Hammer Hadley & James Diaz def. Eve Grunge, Keith Vegas & Olivia Diamond (36) Cal Sanders def. Mercutio Sleep (35) Christina Charlston hypes main event title fight (16) Bailey & McKane def. Kirk Drury & Jules Night (37) Kate Avatar def. Connie Morris (23) Jazz Funk def. Charlie Corner (35) Christopher Ball hypes next match (33) Christopher Ball def. Jason Patterson (24) Reilly Patton hypes main event title fight (10) Lilly & Rose (1) def. Team Velocity (43) Reilly Patton (1) def. Christina Charlston (36) Attendance: 186 Rating: 37 Since it wouldn't be fair to call ourselves "Cascadia Independent Wrestling" and not even visit Lower Cascadia within our first three months of operation, Fight Zone 3 takes place in The Portland Centre. It turns out to be a decent draw, by our standards, and the crowd is rewarded with CIW's first title change -- the tag division's top faces, Bailey & McKane, get revenge on Lilly & Rose in an early contender for "CIW Match of the Year" with a show-stealing win. (Another "learning moment" -- I booked this match as third from the end instead of the main event.) Elsewhere, Christy Higgins moves off the pre-show card and immediately shows why she should be getting more prominent ring time. James Diaz, meanwhile, continue to mystify me as his pedigree is not translating into matches worthy of his "Son of the Monster" moniker. Fight Zone 3 Card: (Pre) Olivia Diamond def. Christina Charlston (38) (Pre) Cal Sanders def. Keith Vegas, Charlie Corner (32) (Pre) Christopher Ball def. Hammer Hadley (28) Christy Higgins def. James Diaz (32) Jazz Funk cuts promo on Arthur Dexter Bradley (16) Alistair Shufflebottom (w/February Malaise) def. Kate Avatar, Jules Night (32) Eve Grunge & Team Velocity def. Jason Patterson, Mercutio Sleep & Connie Morris (32) Bailey & McKane def. Lilly & Rose (49) Jazz Funk def. Arthur Dexter Bradley (30) Reilly Patton (2) def. Kirk Drury (31) Attendance: 239 Rating: 37

After my first two attempts to learn TEW2020 by trial and error with CWA resulted in me tanking the company with continuous sub-70 ratings, I figured I'd better take a step back and try the Football Manager route -- that is, hit the lower leagues and lower the bar for failure significantly until I have a better grasp on what the heck I'm doing. (That is how I found TEW, after all; I'm a huge FM fan and wondered to myself one day, "is there an FM-like game for pro wrestling?") And so begins... THE RISE OF CASCADIA INDEPENDENT WRESTLING (CIW) Bio: Formed by a collective of ex-wrestlers-turned-investors who wanted a fun retirement project, Cascadia Independent Wrestling has launched to some fanfare and minor success. Their home base in Vancouver, BC means they operate in the shadow of CWA -- a challenge the founders are excited to take on. Product: "Cascadian Fusion" (Classic Balanced + Lucharesu, no gender or weight divide, all moves allowed, face/heels enforced, stables allowed) Starting Size: Tiny (25 popularity in British Columbia (Canada) and North West (United States)) Starting Funds: $25,000 Roster: Empty Playing As...: The Grand Avatar (owner/booker) with Jack-Of-All-Trades stats Titles: CIW Ultimate Championship (a.k.a. "The Doug Belt", referring to the Cascadian flag on its face), CIW Duos Shows: CIW Fight Zone (monthly event), CIW Kings of Wrestling (yearly event, season finale) At the time of writing this, I'm currently in April of 2022. My goal is to write updates every three in-game months until we have a TV deal, at which point I'll switch to monthly. First, here's what's happened so far...