Self

Steve DeColt Promo 67 NELSON BLAIS VS CONDOR 44 George DeColt Announces In the Company of Legends 72 ROCKY PSYCHO VS XANDER ROBINSON 32 Fight over the Tomahawk 35 Highlights from Fort McMurray 52 Upcoming Events /w Jack & McClean 51 LAND MASS & MAMMOTH VS JAKE SLOAN & MOOSE MULDER 40 Alex DeColt Bullrope Promo 66 Eric Tyler hypes up Dan DaLay 48 BARRY BOWEN VS STEVE DECOLT 67 Post Match Attack 55 FINAL RATING 66 Best episode of TV in a while. Even kept fairly short, it was a strong main event bolstered by some solid promos. I've been down on Steve DeColt as a talker, but give him 2 minutes and a script and he'll nail it. He only suffers when paired with someone who hates scripts, like Alex. Historically, In the Company of Legends might be my least favorite CGC PPV. I've never fully grasped the concept, and it's the first one I cut when trimming my PPV calendars. However, I took that as a challenge this time, and think I like what I've come up with. I'm not looking for gimmicks to paint onto wrestling shows. I like the idea of legitimate events (carnival, hall of fame ceremony) that would be improved by having some wrestling on it. For a company without a pay per view deal, that already runs live events, that feels right to me as the 'special' shows. We'll see how long that lasts. As a note, don't expect me to write a full Hall of Fame style speech recounting Whipper's career. I don't think I'm up to that task, and I don't think Whipper would enjoy delivering it. He's not a promo guy. Kinda cruel how often I make him talk. I've done something I never do in my private games. I've turned off repetitive booking penalties. I'm a huge fan of anything that punishes you for spamming the same matches over and over again, but booking good Live Event cards was becoming a chore, and realistically the show in Fort McMurray and the one in Revelstoke wouldn't need to be any different. Those towns are 11 hours apart. No fan is going to be at both. Since WrestleFestival, Live Event attendees have been able to enjoy... Ed Monton vs Barry Bown Students of Tradition vs DeColts & Eddie Chandler (various combinations) Biff the Bruiser vs Steve DeColt OR Ted Moore Christopher Hart vs Moose Mulder (Hart recently moved local, so prime for training) ... plus Black Sheep, Bubbleweight action, and whatever match I need footage for TV. Plus, I'm always trying some new combination of tag team or manager. There's still some puzzling out to do with cards, but having a consistent, satisfying main event and keeping the DeColts in the ring with some relatively safe workers (and Dirty Frank) is nice. Next week, on Title Bout Wrestling... Bullrope Match for the CGC Television Title: Alex DeColt vs Dan DaLay Frankie Flame & Rash Reilly vs Eddie Chandler & Johnny Maverick Wolfgang Zimmerman vs Howling Dog ... plus Whipper Spencer Marks announces the first match for In the Company of Legends.

INTERVIEW ZONE STEVE DECOLT has the CGC World Title around his waist, and IMANI (25, DJ) on his arm. STEVE DECOLT There have been delays, there have been derailments, but the Runaway Train is finally pulling into my station, looking to take this sweet, sweet belt from around my sweet, sweet waist. I'm not afraid. As big and mean as he is, when push comes to shove Barry Bowen always finds a way snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Tonight, I'm going home with the belt. I'm going home with the girl. Barry Bowen's going home to play with his train set. NELSON BLAIS VS CONDOR Jerome Turner "These two veterans have emerged as early top contenders in the new CGC Bubbleweight division." Arm Drags! Dropkicks! Running! Running! Running! Unable to keep up, Blais grabs a handful of mask and grounds his opponent for a military grade beatdown. Condor fights back with karate kicks and judo throws, but pauses to adjust his mask before attempting Flight of the Condor (Top Rope Splash) and gets shot out of the sky with the Anti-Air Missile (Dropkick to Flying Opponent)! 1... 2... 3. NELSON BLAIS WINS (6:10) INTERVIEW ZONE GEORGE DECOLT is giddy with excitement, beside a stern WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS. GEORGE DECOLT Last year, my friends and family threw me the surprise party of a lifetime; In the Company of Legends. A night dedicated to yours truly, Gorgeous George, inducting me as the inaugural member of the CGC Hall of Legends with an night of amazing wrestling action in my honour. I enjoyed it so much that this year we're going to do it again. Only it's getting awful lonely sitting in the Hall of Legends all by myself, so this time I want someone else to be the guest of honour. It can only be one man; my fellow Calgary Wolverine, someone who helped me build this company from the very beginning; Whipper Spencer Marks. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS I am humbled by this honour, and mortified at what you have planned for the ceremony. Last year the entire city of Vancouver ran out of red carpets and dancing showgirls. GEORGE DECOLT Leave the festivities to me, Whipper. All you have to worry about is the matches. Normally, you have to fight with the rest of the Matchmaking Committee to get your way, but on this night the golden notebook is in your hands. CGC is at your feet and the world is your oyster. Everyone watching is invited, one and all, to be In The Company of Legends. ROCKY PSYCHO VS XANDER ROBINSON Jerome Turner "Rocky still has the magic tomahawk in his possession, and he refuses to give Howling Dog a rematch." Rocky's all smiles with elegant arm drags and fancy head scissors, but it only takes a few sharp knife edge chops before he snaps! No elegance. Nothing fancy. Punches. Headbutts. Stomps. Slice of Life (Spinning Headlock Elbow Drop)! 1. 2. 3. ROCKY PSYCHO WINS (3:51) Rocky tries to use the magical tomahawk to create a downpour... but only manages a couple of drops. Ringside Security start to get nervous and- HOWLING DOG sprints to the ring, looking to fight! Rocky's waiting... ... for the massive and muscular WOLFGANG ZIMMERMAN to intercept the charging Dog. Big clothesline! Lumbering slam to the outside! Security rush to help and Rocky gets a microphone. ROCKY PSYCHO Silly puppy. There will be no rematch. What's yours is mine now, and I have a friend to watch my back. Arividerchi, puppy. Jerome Turner "Didn't make the trip for Fort McMurray last night? Here's what you missed." Pie eating champion MOOSE MULDER knocks out CHRISTOPHER HART with a Moose Punch and celebrates by eating a delicious pie. BLACK SHEEP steals the referee's watch and plants it on SWITCHBLADE MIKE. Mike gets caught with the goods, and Black Sheep rolls him up as he argues his innocence. STEVE DECOLT celebrates his latest victory when BARRY BOWEN tries to jump him. The two fight before Security pull them apart. Jerome Turner "Tensions are mounting. Excitement is brewing. Barry Bowen won't have to wait long. He gets his shot at the Champion tonight." UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday Week 2 May - CGC Live! Smithers Bulkly, British Columbia Saturday Week 3 May - CGC Live! Powell River, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Langley, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 May - CGC Live! Kamloops, British Columbia Sunday Week 1 June - CGC Live! Medicine Hat, Alberta Sunday Week 1 June - Title Bout Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta Saturday Week 2 May - CGC Live! Grande Prairie, Alberta Friday Week 3 June - In the Company of Legends. Vancouver, British Columbia JACK DECOLT This Saturday I'm coming to the Smithers Fall Fair Grounds, where I get my hands on Mr. Tyler's new Students of Tradition. I bet Mr. Tyler's been teaching them all of his dirty tricks, but I'm going to work my hardest and try my best-est to make my family proud. JOHN McCLEAN Fat chance! The only person who's going to be proud is Mr. Tyler when he finds out what his Students do to you ungrateful DeColts. JACK DECOLT Mr Tyler is a creep and a conman. He's just using you the same way he tried to use me. JOHN McCLEAN Mr Tyler is a great man. A visionary. The only mistake he ever made is seeing potential in a worthless ruffian like you. But he doesn't need you any more. He has me. And this Saturday at Smithers I'm going to show you the power of a proper education. /w Helen Wheels LAND MASS & MAMMOTH MOOSE MULDER & JAKE SLOAN Jerome Turner "Not only did Helen's team cost Jake the Bubbleweight Title last week, they've also made an enemy of Moose in Pie Eating Contests all over Canada." Helen roller skates around the ring with the CGC Bubbleweight Title, distracting Jake who gets squished and squashed. Eventually the undersized underdog manages to overcome the odds to make the tag and Moose unleashes some burly brawling! Pummel! Thump! Wallop! Left Hook! Right Hook! Mammoth and Moose fight over the Pie Eating trophy, which allows Helen to hit Sloan with a rollerstake. Ten Ton Avalanche (Corner Avalanche)! 1. 2. 3. LAND MASS & MAMMOTH WIN (6:01) INTERVIEW ZONE JULIE FORLETTA interviews ALEX DECOLT. JULIE FORLETTA Next week you finally get your rematch against Dan DaLay for the CGC Television Title. You had your choice of stipulation. Why have you chosen a Bullrope match? ALEX DECOLT Because the last three times we've faced off have all ended the same way, with Dan DaLay trying to run away with his tail between his legs. He's not going to run away from me this time, not when he's tied to ten feet of the finest rodeo bull rope money can buy. And on the other end, his worst nightmare. Me. Nowhere to run, Danny. Nowhere to hide. A number of CGC wrestlers are having a Tug O' War with the Bull Rope. They strain and struggle (Black Sheep mostly smokes) but the rope holds steady. That's one strong rope. ALEX DECOLT This rope can keep a two tonne bull in place. It's going to have no problem keeping DaLay from running away with my belt. SCHOOL OF TRADITION CLASSROOM DAN DALAY sits on a stool, facing the corner, wearing a dunce cap. He is furious. ERIC TYLER stands over him. ERIC TYLER You're not on the playground any more, Daniel. You're not twice the size of everyone around you. Some of your opponents are going to be able to look you in the eye. They're going to fight back... and like it or not, Alex DeColt, that scrawny nerdy twerp you remember from school... he's one of them. You need to learn to take it. You need to learn to put him in his place. He's not the bully. You're the bully! You're a shark! When someone punches you on the nose you don't run for your life, you bite their whole hand off. Next week, in the Bullrope match, you're not stuck with Alex DeColt. He's stuck with you. Make him pay. FRENCHIE'S FIVE FRENCHIE MARCEL We are moments away from ze CGC World Title match, but how did we get here? Who were ze previous World Champions? CGC WORLD TITLE MATCH /w Roger Rogers BARRY BOWEN VS STEVE DECOLT /w Imani Jerome Turner "DeColt has been a fighting Champion since picking up the belt in November, but he's yet to cross paths with the Runaway Train." Steve tries to strut his stuff, but Bowen is too strong to be overpowered and too big to be stretched across his knee. He does manage to delight his date with an Ima-Knee Lift, but a distraction from Rogers allows Bowen to change tracks, swapping power for punching and bludgeoning the Champion. The train has left the station, and with every mighty blow and forceful slam, Bowen picks up momentum, becoming more and more devastating by the second. Carrying Steve on his shoulder, he rams his cargo into the turnbuckles at increasingly alarming speeds... but Steve won't go down without a fight, kicking out of a high backdrop and escaping a Powerbomb. Powerful Punches... but Bowen keeps charging! Luscious Lariat... but Bowen won't stop! He charges right into a Sexy Slam, but immediately kicks out and counters a Running Bulldog by launching Steve over the top rope and out to the floor. Steve's dazed, but there's no time to recover. Not with a Runaway Train bearing down on him. The Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle) sends the Champion flying into the guardrail. He's helpless. Referee Francis Long starts counting, but Bowen can't resist one more Train Wre- Steve moves! Bowen crashes through the barricade, into the fans, getting tangled up in chairs. Steve crawls back into the ring at the count of 8 while Roger Rogers tries to help untangle his client. His wheelchair only gets in the way! Bowen is counted out! STEVE DECOLT RETAINS (9:49) Jerome Turner "A dominant performance from the challenger, but a single mistake ended up costing him." Barry Bowen is furious as he watches Steve leave the ring, with Imani on one arm and the World Title on the other. In a fit of rage he shoves Imani aside, grabs Steve's head, and slams him face-first into the steel steps! Blood. Lots of blood. Steve's down, writhing on the floor, holding his face as security flood in to restrain Barry Bowen. Jerome Turner "Oh no. This looks bad, folks. We need to get some help out here! Someone-"

That's something I thought about doing a little while ago. Either a reformatting or perhaps a full remastering, with all new AI art and some minor tweaks to the writing. I actually thought the entire project was lost when the forums underwent some changes and only found it again quite recently. I've been meaning to find a way to simply and quickly back it up to a PDF file, like I've done with my other projects. Just in case of another forum disaster. Losing the project really bummed me out for a while. If you've done any work to make it readable, I have no issues with you releasing that. I have my hands full right now as it is.

Probably. This version of Frenchie's Five was kind of a last minute addition to the episode. Something to amuse myself while playing with the AI art generator and coming up with jokes and references, so don't read too deeply into them. I'm not foreshadowing some master plan. However, there's definitely some narrative potential to them. They exist in the universe, and could be used at a moment's notice. The tomahawk and Baby belt are already bouncing around. I like a bit of magic in wrestling. Well, part of me does. There will always be a wrestling purist in me who thinks it's dumb. But the other part of me loves that it's dumb. More undead wizards!

SUNDAY WEEK 4 APRIL 1997 Calgary, Alberta (626 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta on Air (3,329) and BCB (3,332). Combined Rating <0.01 Reilly & Flame vs Maverick & Chandler 37 School of Tradition Promo 46 NELSON BLAIS VS CANADIAN DRAGON 36 Highlights from Revelstoke 55 Rogers, Bowen & Steve 57 JAKE SLOAN VS HELEN WHEELS 36 Howling Dog Promo 25 Frenchie's Five; Magic Items 38 DALAY & McCLEAN VS JACK & ALEX DECOLT 52 Rogers Promo 55 FINAL RATING 53 A little bit of the blind leading the blind in main event, with four inexperienced youngsters doing... fine. It was fine. Someone mentioned McClean being odd man out, and he was. Even though on paper he's the second best worker in the match, the crowd don't buy him as a main event guy. That's not his role. Ironically, in canon I think McClean ends up the most successful of all of them. At least globally. Also disappointing was the main promo segment of the night. Steve isn't the best talker, and neither is Roger Rogers. They're good, but noticeably a level below Eric Tyler & Alex DeColt. They do the job, but it's not a combination that will elevate a show with a weak main event. Side note; When did Chris Jericho start using "learning tree" in his promos? I saw something on a newz site about him trademarking it and it gave me a chuckle. In financial news, we lost $9,387 this month. Perfectly acceptable for a growth period, and a month with no major live event and only three house shows. Good ticket sales. Cheap cards. The goal is to build Alberta a little more, expand into Saskatchewan, and up merchandising, before any big push to Medium size. If that happens accidentally (we only need a few BC pop points) so be it but I'm not going to hotshot things to rush it. Financially we're comfy, but can't afford to hire global megastars right now. Next week, it's more Title Bout Wrestling... CGC World Title: Barry Bowen vs Steve DeColt Land Mass & Mammoth vs Jake Sloan & Moose Mulder Nelson Blais vs Condor

Jerome Turner "Helen Wheels may have bitten off more than she can chew when she interfered with the new CGC Bubbleweight Title. She stole the belt. Tonight she has to defend it. But first, Eric Tyler believes he knows what's best for the youth of CGC, but that will be put to the test in two tag team matches between some of Canada's fastest rising young stars." FRANKIE FLAME & RASH REILLY VS EDDIE CHANDLER & JOHNNY MAVERICK Jerome Turner "Reilly and Flame are being personally tutored by Eric Tyler, while Eddie and Johnny turned down the exact same offer. Who will come out on top?" Eddie and Johnny are eager to work together, but struggle to get on the same page, screwing up simple double teams. That's not a problem for the Students, who have been studying the same Eric Tyler playbook of choking, biting, and distracting the referee. Eddie unleashes a spirited flurry of forearms and a fabulous dropkick, but Johnny won't give up the spotlight and Eddie tries to call for a double team in French. It doesn't go well, and the Students take advantage. Pit Stain (Diving Reverse DDT)! Skid Mark (Flying Double Knee Drop)! 1... 2... 3! FLAME & RASH WIN (7:23) INTERVIEW ZONE ERIC TYLER is pleased, accompanied by a beaming JOHN McCLEAN and a glowering DAN DALAY. ERIC TYLER Eddie Chandler & Johnny Maverick could have sat under my learning tree, but instead they're staring up at the lights. The path to success begins with a proper education, and you can only get that in the School of Tradition. JOHN McCLEAN Wonderfully put, Mr. Tyler. And let me just say on behalf of all of us; Thank You. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to teach us, and on a personal note, thank you for selecting me to fight in tonight's main event. I've always dreamed of finding a mentor, and knowing that you have this much faith in me so soon into our relationship fills my heart with joy. I will make those degenerate DeColts pay for the disrespect they showed us- Showed YOU last week. ERIC TYLER You better had. The DeColts need to be put in their place. No more screws up. And no more running. Tyler glares at DaLay. NELSON BLAIS VS CANADIAN DRAGON Jerome Turner "These two will be paying close attention to the first ever CGC Bubbleweight Title defense, later tonight." Arm Drags! Dropkicks! Running! Running! Running! Blais manages to ground his target for a military grade beatdown, until the Dragon roars to life, scorching the ring with a fiery comeback. He takes to the skies and- Anti Air Missile (Dropkick to Flying Opponent)! Blais shot him out of the sky! 1... 2... 3! NELSON BLAIS WINS (6:12) Jerome Turner "Last night the stars of CGC were at the Revelstoke Forum. Here's what you missed." BIFF THE BRUISER lays down and lets TED MOORE pin him, in the hopes he'll lose the Poor Widdle Baby Title. No luck. Referee Francis Long gives him back the belt as Moore celebrates. Rogers Rogers distracts ED MONTON just long enough for him to get run over by the Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle)! Powerbomb! 1... 2... 3! BARRY BOWEN wins. IN-RING BARRY BOWEN paces in the ring. Through the coordinated efforts of several members of ringside Security, and a few jabs with a pointy stick, wheelchair-bound ROGER ROGERS joins him. ROGER ROGERS How can you deny this man? This hero! This knight in shining armour! The CGC Matchmaking Committee may try to hold him down to protect their golden boy, but I'm here to cut through that red tape. With my brains and his brawn we are an unstoppable duo, and Steve DeColt is going to hear all about it. BARRY BOWEN No more running, pretty boy! No more hiding! I want the CGC World Title! And I'm not waitin' any longer. STEVE DECOLT struts to the ring with HARMONY (25, beauty technician) on his arm. STEVE DECOLT Who's running, Bowen? Who's hiding? I've been right here this whole time taking on every challenger that comes my way. Where have you been? You huff and you puff but every time you say you're pulling into my station, you get suspended. Or disqualified. Or fall out of the ring. There's no conspiracy here. No one's holding you back. The only person stopping you from scoring a date with Stunning Steve is you. Maybe because you know you're not man enough to take me. Bowen is immediately in Steve's face, as Rogers tries to maneuver himself between them. ROGER ROGERS Don't fall for it, Barry. This is just what he wants. I bet his Dad is back there waiting for any excuse to suspend you. BARRY BOWEN That right, boy? That how you're gonna beat me? Go running to your Daddy? That's all you've got, aint it? Daddy's trunks. Daddy's catchphrases. What about that hussy on your arm? Another George DeColt hand-me-down? STEVE DECOLT This "hussy" has more chance of pinning me down than you ever do. Bowen chuckles... and tackles Steve to the ground, but the Champion won't go down without a fight. Fists fly as Harmony flees to safety and Rogers shrieks for Security, who flood in to separate the two fighters. CGC BUBBLEWEIGHT TITLE MATCH JAKE SLOAN VS HELEN WHEELS /w Land Mass & Mammoth Jerome Turner "If Helen Wheels wants to wear that belt, she'll have no choice but to defend it." Helen avoids the fight by roller-skating around the ring, until Jake trips her, takes off her skates, and puts her across his knee for a spanking. Mammoth manages a cheap shot behind the referee's back, and Helen attacks with a surprising fury, but can't keep Sloan down for the count, so she feigns an injury to distract the referee and summons her giants to finish the job. Sloan avoids Mammoth's Running Splash! He dodges Land Mass's Corner Avalanche! Referee Andy Gordy ushers the big men out of the ring, which allows Helen to bash Jake over the head with a roller skate for the 1... 2... 3! HELEN WHEELS WINS (5:53) INTERVIEW ZONE FRENCHIE MARCEL interviews HOWLING DOG. HOWLING DOG The tomahawk that Rocky Psycho has stolen is no toy. it is a sacred totem of my people, capable of opening up the skies to bring great wonder, or in the wrong hands, great woe. I will not let it remain in Rocky Psycho's possession. I will be as the sled dogs of my village. Tenacious and persistent. I will return the tomahawk to my people, and Rocky Psycho will suffer for this insult. FRENCHIE MARCEL Ze Tomahawk is full of magic and wonder... but what are ze most magical objects in CGC history? BIFF THE BRUISER Hold up. What did that just say??? UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday Week 1 May - CGC Live! Fort McMurray, Alberta Sunday Week 1 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Edmonton, Alberta Saturday Week 2 May - CGC Live! Smithers Bulkly, British Columbia Saturday Week 3 May - CGC Live! Powell River, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Langley, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 May - CGC Live! Kamloops, British Columbia /w Eric Tyler DAN DALAY & JOHN McCLEAN ALEX & JACK DECOLT Jerome Turner "Eric Tyler's students came out on top earlier tonight. Can they make it a clean sweep?" McClean is eager to impress, but Alex bullies him around the ring with wedgies and nipple twisters, trying to get under DaLay's skin. It works. DaLay repeatedly loses his cool, getting in trouble with the referee and allowing his partner to fall victim to classic Calgary Wolverines double teams. Double Hip Toss! Hard Double Whip to the Buckles! DaLay finally turns the table with a handful of Jack's hair, and tries to get under Alex's skin with the same bullying tactics. It doesn't work. Alex is unfazed and Jack counters a wedgie with an Olympic takedown! Alex tags in and DaLay bails out, leaving his partner to suffer every single Powerful Punch, Pretty Powerslam, and Smooth Driving Elbow! Tyler orders DaLay to get back in the fight, and he manages to blindside Alex with a Big Boot and overpower Jack with a big throw, before Alex tackles him out of the ring and they brawl into the crowd. McClean has Jack all to himself. He's thrilled... but wants to make sure Tyler is looking before hitting the final blow. Tyler's watching the brawl, so he waits. And waits. And- Jack with the Iron Claw! Eric Tyler finally turns back to the ring to see his Student screaming in pain and tapping out! ALEX & JACK DECOLT WIN (10:50) INTERVIEW ZONE WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS is with ROGER ROGERS and BARRY BOWEN. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS Ladies and Gentlemen, next week's Title Bout is going to be a big one. At the request of the champion and passing with a unanimous vote, Steve DeColt will defend the CGC World Title against Barry Bowen. ROGER ROGERS You're a bad liar, Marks. I don't believe for one second that you voted for this, because this is the match that no one in power wants to see! The Committee have been trying to thwart him! Your golden boy's been running from him! Barry Bowen is all of your worst nightmares rolled into one, and now he has me to cut through the red tape and knock down the hoops and get him the big match he deserves. Next week, the Runaway Train runs over Steve DeColt!

My original plan was to finish him up at WrestleFestival (in canon I think he leaves CGC in December '96) but for now he's still with the company. He has his good qualities. A solid experienced heel with size. However, he's also kind of expensive and comes with more travel costs than most. It's possible you'll never see him again, or he could show up next week. While on the subject, here are some other bits of roster news... Brys Turcotte has finished up. Really, I only brought him in to work WrestleFestival and a few Live event shots. Unlike his tag team partner, he isn't local, and despite Brys being a solid, dependable guy, that's not worth the plane fare from Halifax. If Nelson ever needs to work a tag match, I have his number. Similarly, Andy Gordy is a solid referee, but lives too far away and isn't worth the travel expenses. Noel Madden just debuted, and he lives in Calgary. Financially it made more sense to use him. Xander Robinson is in the final month of his contract, and I'm probably not going to resign him. I don't have room to push him right now, but he's far too talented to just be a job guy. Like, outrageously talented. So good. He needs to disappear and return in 6-8 months with a fresh coat of paint and be a force to be reckoned with. Switchblade Mike is in a similar boat. I tested some ideas on Live Events, but the chemistry wasn't there. He has a good thing going in DAVE, so I'm tempted to let his contract expire and see how things look further down the line. I have enough big, musclehead projects to develop. Finally, Bob Casey is the quintessential job guy... but he's not local, and it's hard to argue he's worth the travel expenses when I have a growing number of cheap youngsters at home. I could easily see myself reversing any of these decisions at a moment's notice, but my roster is getting a bit big.

SUNDAY WEEK 3 APRIL 1997 Calgary, Alberta (626 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta on Air (3,706) and BCB (3,688). Combined Rating <0.01 Alex DeColt calls out the School of Tradition 69 ROCKY PSYCHO VS HOWLING DOG 47 Bowen & Rogers Promo 58 CONDOR VS MARIO HEROIC 26 George DeColt tries to get the belt 58 BIFF THE BRUISER VS TED MOORE 20 Highlights from Cranbrook 20 Live Events /w Ed Monton 53 THE FLOCK VS SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE 52 George DeColt announces next Title Bout 60 FINAL RATING 57 Posting late. Sometimes my job requires me to work weekends. I thought the most interesting thing about this week's Frenchie's Five (favourite babyfaces in Alberta) would be Ed Monton's popularity... but Condor's the fifth most popular? Poor guy. He's been less than an afterthought this entire time. No wonder so few thought he could beat Mario Heroic. Speaking of Mario... Is he a popular character is more modern version of the database? I've only ever seen him as a washed out never-was or 18 year old still figuring out his first handful of matches. Maybe in the future the upside will emerge, for now Condor is twice the wrestler he is. Next time on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC Bubbleweight Title: Jake Sloan vs Helen Wheels Dan DaLay & John McClean vs Jack & Alex DeColt Rash Reilly & Frankie Flame vs Eddie Chandler & Johnny Maverick

Jerome Turner "Last week Barry Bowen made a statement with an attack on Steve DeColt and Ed Monton, seemingly supported by Roger Rogers. Is a new alliance forming? It won't be the only one. The School of Tradition has expanded. Not only do they boast tonight's defending tag team champions, but they have some new students, already in the ring. " IN RING ERIC TYLER has his entire roster of School of Tradition students lined up in the ring. FRANKIE FLAME. RASH REILLY. JOHN McCLEAN looks absolutely thrilled to be there, while DAN DALAY looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, clutching his CGC Television Title belt. ERIC TYLER Settle down and listen up. School is now in session. Last week I introduced you to the men who will soon become household names in this sport. Alone they have suffered, but together, under my guidance, they will become the finest athletes this country has ever seen. Paragons of virtue. Monuments to my excellence. And why? Because they have something those DeColts could only dream of having; a willingness to learn. ALEX DECOLT There's only one thing your students have that I want, and that's the CGC Television Title. I feel like you've been avoiding me, Dan DaLay? What happened? I used to see you every week. Attacking me. Bullying me. Now all you do is run away like a coward. What changed? Surely it's not because I kicked your ass at WrestleFestival. Why don't I come down there right now so we can 'talk'. For old time's sake. ERIC TYLER You've got a big mouth, Alex, but I'm sorry to inform you that your newfound confidence is just warm, comforting self-delusion. Dan DaLay didn't run from you at WrestleFestival... he simply granted you mercy. A rookie mistake that will not be repeated. If you want to provide my students another learning opportunity, we'll happily welcome you into this ring... but Dan DaLay isn't the only one looking to take you DeColts down a peg. I think you'll find yourself quite outnumbered. ALEX DECOLT I don't know about that. EDDIE CHANDLER and JOHNNY MAVERICK slide into the ring and pull all of the Student's trousers down! Reilly covers his shame. John McClean falls over himself trying to cover his sparkling white tighties whities. Frankie shamelessly tries to give chase in brown-stained underpants. DaLay is furious and embarrassed and Eric Tyler finds himself face to face with JACK DECOLT, who is preparing the Iron- Tyler bails, hiding behind security as the attackers leave laughing. ROCKY PSYCHO VS HOWLING DOG Jerome Turner "Two weeks ago Howling Dog broke Rocky's undefeated streak with a shock roll-up. Rocky demanded this rematch." All smiles, Howling Dog mocks Rocky with roll up attempts and culturally inappropriate pasta references. Rocky struggles to keep his cool, but elegant arm drags and fancy head scissors can't put the Dog away. Rocky snaps and- Sky High Spinebuster! 1... 2... Rocky kicks out but Dog uses his anger against him. Small package! Victory Roll! Dog climbs up top, but underestimates Rocky's fury and gets shoved all the way to the outside! Cannonball dive! Rocky is relentless, hammering away with punches and headbutts and the referee counts... 7... 8...9... Rocky comes to his senses just in time to roll inside, and Dog is counted out. ROCKY PSYCHO WINS (9:29) Security are terrified that Rocky is going to continue the assault, but instead he takes Dog's magic tomahawk and leaves. INTERVIEW ZONE ROGER ROGERS is pleased as punch to have his wheelchair parked up alongside the gigantic BARRY BOWEN. ROGER ROGERS I'm sure you have been worried all week, but let me assure you that I am fine. I escaped unharmed from the violent and vile attack upon my person by Steve DeColt, and it's all thanks to this man, Barry Bowen. A hero. A knight in shining armour. He saw an innocent fan in need, a disabled man who simply wanted to cheer on his former favourite wrestler, and he came to his rescue without a second thought. Yet how does CGC reward this heroism? With scorn. With talks about another suspension. Ludicrous! Unfair! A travesty of justice! I will do everything in my power to make sure the treacherous Committee can't stand in his way, because I know exactly how it feels to have George's DeColt's cruel boot upon my neck, keeping me from what I want. Me and Barry Bowen are two peas in a pod, and all of CGC are going to feel our might. BARRY BOWEN No more running, DeColt. No more hiding. That belt belongs to me. CONDOR VS MARIO HEROIC Jerome Turner "It's time for some fast paced Bubbleweight action!" Condor uses karate kicks and judo throws to try to solve the enigma that is young Mario, but to no avail. His moves? Mysterious. His tactics? Strange. He flips and flops and misses a springboard backflip done for reasons unclear, allowing Condor to swoop in with the Flight of the Condor (Top Rope Splash) for the 1... 2... 3! CONDOR WINS (4:35) Jerome Turner "The Bubbleweight division is heating up. There's just the small matter of CGC management getting their hands on the belt..." BACKSTAGE GEORGE DECOLT is trying to get into a locker room, but the door is blocked by the massive LAND MASS. Inside, HELEN WHEELS has the CGC Bubbleweight Title belt. GEOERGE DECOLT Helen, be reasonable. If you're not going to defend it, why do you want it? HELEN WHEELS I'll defend it! Bring Julie Forletta over here and I'll defend it right now. Or one of Steve's girlfriends. Line them up I'll knock all their teeth down their throats! Why didn't you make a women's championship, huh? Sexism, that's why! You afraid of strong women, George? I'll give you back your precious, shrimp belt for babies, when you get me my own belt. CGC Queen of Everything! I want jewels! I want gold! Give me the prettiest belt the world has ever seen and maybe I'll consider trading you. George considers barging in, but there's no way past Land Mass. GEORGE DECOLT I'll talk it over with the Committee... FRENCHIE'S FIVE FRENCHIE MARCEL We asked ze fans here in Calgary who their favourite wrestler is... BIFF THE BRUISER VS TED MOORE Jerome Turner "Biff has been forced to hold the "Poor Widdle Baby" belt ever since he embarrassed himself in a pie eating contest at WrestleFestival" Ted mistakes the Poor Widdle Baby belt for a teddy bear and Biff doesn't like that one bit. He bashes, batters and bruises before hitting a Lariat for a pin. BIFF THE BRUISER (2:45) Biff's pretty pleased with himself, until the referee gives him back the Poor Widdle Baby belt. Jerome Turner "Last week CGC were in Cranbrook, British Columbia." Undersized and overmatched, JAKE SLOAN hits CHRISTOPHER HART with a baseball slide to keep him out of the ring and score a count out victory. RASH REILLY distracts the referee so that FRANKIE FLAME can take out the opposition with a chair and JOHN McCLEAN can lock in the Tradition Lift (Double Chicken Wing) for the tap out. UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday Week 4 April - CGC Live! in Revelstoke, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 May - CGC Live! Fort McMurray, Alberta Sunday Week 1 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Edmonton, Alberta Saturday Week 2 May - CGC Live! Smithers Bulkly, British Columbia Saturday Week 3 May - CGC Live! Powell River, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Langley, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 May - CGC Live! Kamloops, British Columbia ED MONTON Roger Rogers has found someone else to try to ride to the top of CGC, but it'll take more than cheap tricks and powerbombs through furniture to keep me down. If Barry Bowen wants a piece of me, he can meet me this Saturday at the Revelstoke Forum. I said I wasn't aboot to let Rogers get away with any more tomfoolery, and I aim to be a man of my word. CGC TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH Black Sheep & Battering Lamb THE FLOCK THE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE Chance & Fate /w John McClean Jerome Turner "Black Sheep humiliated John McClean at WrestleFestival, so he's paying extra special attention to this one." John McClean has set up a little school desk at ringside, where he can take notes as the Soldiers deal with his sworn enemy. Black Sheep constantly messes with him, throwing balls of paper, until the Soldiers stop his farmyard fun with cohesive destructive power. They herd Black Sheep into their corner and do exactly what they've been paid to do; teach McClean how to solve an irritating problem. Chance repeatedly gives the student openings to interfere behind the referee's back, but McClean messes each of them up. Taking too long. Talking too loud. Missing a punch and hurting his hand on the ring post! Battering Lamb is finally unpenned, and battering rams his opponents with shoulder tackles and mutton chops before dropping a big Leg of Lamb! Slow Roast (Torture Rack) to Fate! McClean tries to interfere, but Black Sheep chases him. Around the ring. Under the ring. Through the ring! In the meantime however, Chance has saved his partner, disposed of Lamb, and the Soldiers intercept Black Sheep with a Spinebuster/Senton combo for the 1... 2... 3! SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE WIN (11:16) INTERVIEW ZONE HELEN WHEELS looks incredibly smug as LAND MASS guards her from GEORGE DECOLT, who stands beside a large podium with a sheet covering it. What could possibly be under there? Helen is thrilled. GEORGE DECOLT Against my better judgment, the CGC Matchmaking Committee have determined that we are unable to force Helen Wheels to relinquish her stolen property, so we have no choice but to give her what she wants. If Helen wants to be a Champion, we hereby officially recognize her as the first ever CGC Bubbleweight Champion... Helen is confused. GEORGE DECOLT ... and we are thrilled to announce her first ever title defense. Next week! Title Bout Wrestling! Helen Wheels versus... George whips the sheet off of the podium to reveal... It's JAKE SLOAN! HELEN WHEELS What? No! That's not what I... No!

Love the idea of most belts. Definitely going on the list, but may need a few tweaks to get a clean Top 5. Currently it's a 6-way tie for 5th place. He can bulk up to Middleweight, but he's 5'7 so that's a lot of (hopefully) muscle to pack on. Height might hold him back from being a top star in a medium term, unless he becomes some kind of tiny tank. I like him as a Lightweight right now. I have a lot of big heels, so having someone smaller to take bumps in valuable. Plus, there's a Bubbleweight division that is overflowing with babyfaces and no heels. Rash is going to find it easy to find spots on live events. In my last private game he had a solid, multi-year midcard career, with lots of storylines and TV time, as a dumb guy in heel teams who eventually spins off as a babyface. Problem is, he's already a babyface, he's had terrible chemistry with everyone I've paired him with, and he kind of sucks in general. Bottom 5 worst performers on the roster. So he's not exactly a priority. Haven't done tallest. Or heaviest. It's trickier to do it when I'm making things up.

I'm currently using the "CGC Matchmaking Committee" as my authority figures in my 1997 diary game. A 5-man team, a mix of veteran wrestlers and television executives who mostly stay in the background, deciding on matches, but occasionally pop in to suspend someone or publicly vote on the odd big issue. "Directors" felt too Big Business for me (works for corporate WCW though and "Booking" feels like it breaks kayfabe too much for me. "Matchmaking" just felt nice and quaint. Does exactly what it says on the tin.

SUNDAY WEEK 1 APRIL 1997 Langley, British Columbia (803 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (3,570) and BCB (3,657). Combined Rating <0.01 Eric Tyler Promo 73 FRANKIE FLAME VS XANDER ROBINSON 41 Steve DeColt Promo 70 Slave Lake Highlights 31 RASH REILLY VS TEMPEST APPLEBY 33 Whipper tries to get Helen's belt 45 Rocky Psycho Interview 26 MAMMOTH & LAND MASS VS CHANDLER & MAVERICK 42 Live Events /w Moose 34 John McClean hypes Tag Title Match 51 BARRY BOWEN VS STEVE DECOLT 45 Bowen Attacks 54 FINAL RATING 55 No one wants to watch Monton fight the DeColts. Will I ever learn my lesson? Ed Monton is really good (on the same level as Steve, better than the other DeColts) but babyface vs babyface doesn't work, and no amount of Roger Rogers could save it. Thankfully, good promos from Tyler and Steve. The School of Tradition have expanded, which to be fair was a pretty obvious move from the very beginning. It's been one of Tyler's main goals after all. It was just a question of who joins and when. I toyed with introducing them earlier, maybe getting involved in the WrestleFestival main event... but that would have neutered them to fail right out of the gate. This is Tyler's rebound move after a big loss. I considered a lot of options to fill this expanded group. CGC have a lot of youngsters to choose from. Johnny Maverick and Eddie Chandler were far too obvious choices, and I didn't want to just do a Prelude to the eventual Elite stable. Alexander Robinson is excellent but a little too old. Mario Heroic and Canadian Dragon were busy with Bubbleweight stuff, Christopher Hart felt too similar to DaLay, and Ted Moore... I think a really dumb guy would turn himself babyface in that setting way too fast. I'm struggling to write Moore. There's a 'Eugene' quality that isn't sitting well with me when I write the actual words. John McClean feels like a perfect addition to the School of Tradition to me. Good worker. Natural sycophant. Can talk if Tyler is 'occupied'. 'Dirty' Frankie Flame is a bit more of a gamble, but he is a favourite of George DeColt. Finally, the wildcard Rash Reilly is a random gen who graduated from the DeColt Power House in January. He's a smaller guy (although not small enough to make it onto Frenchie's Five last week) but good star quality and promising stats. At 19 he's very young, but has spent the past few months working every live event and pre-show possible... and he's the same age as Jack DeColt. Either way, a lucky guy. Speaking of the Power House, we had our second graduate this week. Much like Rash, he'll be working live events for a while until I find a spot for him. CGC Tag Team Title Match: The Flock vs Soldiers of Fortune Rocky Psycho vs Howling Dog Condor vs Mario Heroic I'm running out of ideas for Frenchie's Five segments. Any ideas?

Jerome Turner "It's been three months since Ed Monton broke free of the managerial services of Roger Rogers, and tonight he's bagged himself a CGC World Title shot. Does he have what it takes to dethrone Stunning Steve? But first, the School of Tradition have some new students, and Eric Tyler wants to introduce them to you all personally." IN-RING ERIC TYLER is already is the ring, looking upon the crowd with scorn. ERIC TYLER Settle down and listen up. School is back in session! A proper education is something that should be given to every young wrestler, but I'm afraid I can no longer allow Jack DeColt entry into my School of Tradition. For all of his promise. For all of his potential. He has been tainted by his family's degenerate influence. He robbed me of the CGC World Title at WrestleFestival. He has rejected my teachings. Just like Alex. Just like Steve. Just like Eddie Chandler and Johnny Maverick. They can't see the benefit of my wisdom... but I've found students who do. This is a new era for the School of Tradition, and some day you will all thank me for it. FRANKIE FLAME VS XANDER ROBINSON Eric Tyler "For years he's been called "Dirty", but Frank is a diamond in the rough. He just needs some polish." Frank looks cleaner in his new school uniform, but he fights dirtier than ever, adding several tricks from the Eric Tyler's playbook. Xander hits back with knife edge chops, but Frankie begs for mercy and Xander turns his back. Pit Stain (Falling Inverted DDT)! 1... 2... 3. FRANKIE FLAME WINS (6:08) INTERVIEW ZONE STEVE DECOLT warms up for his match as his date for tonight, GABRIELLA, watches on. STEVE DECOLT Let's hear it for Eric Tyler. He's finally found some wrestlers dumb enough to join his stupid school. As much as I'd love to go down there and prove you can't polish a turd, tonight I have my hands full, and I don't just mean with this little minx to my left. Ed Monton might be the toughest man I've ever met, and he has my deepest respect... but if he thinks he can take this sweet, sweet belt from my sweet, sweet waist, he doesn't know Stunning Steve. I made a promise to Gabriella that I'd show her the night of her life, and I'm going to do it as CGC Champion. Jerome Turner "Last night the stars of Canadian Golden Combat were at the Arctic Ice Centre. Here's what you missed." BIFF THE BRUISER pins BOB CASEY after a brutal lariat. Biff is thrilled, until he's handed his Poor Widdle Baby championship belt to wear. MOOSE MULDER and MAMMOTH compete in a Pie Eating Contest, but MARIO HEROIC and CONDOR keep stealing pies from Mammoth's table. They offer to trade them to HELEN WHEELS for the stolen Bubbleweight belt, but she refuses. Mammoth has nothing to eat! Moose wins! RASH REILLY VS TEMPEST APPLEBY Eric Tyler "I discovered young Rash defacing the WrestleFestival grounds with some very colourful anti-DeColt graffiti. He made good first impression." Arm drags! Dropkicks! Tumblesaults! Flippy do's! A force of nature, Tempest puts the student in a spin, but Rash responds with some Tyler-esque eye pokes and hair pulling and hits a High Schoolboy (Schoolboy off the Second Rope) for the 1. 2. 3. RASH REILLY WINS (6:12) Jerome Turner "Lightning fast bubbleweight action, but what of the new Bubbleweight Championship?" BACKSTAGE CGC Bubbleweight Title belt around her waist, HELEN WHEELS lounges around, protected by LAND MASS and MAMMOTH at her side. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS can't get past them. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS Helen. You need to give the belt back. It's not yours. HELEN WHEELS Why not? I won it. I climbed up there and got it. Those were the rules, right? "Any fighter under 200lbs". You saying I'm over 200lbs, old man? WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS You weren't part of the match. There are rules. HELEN WHEELS I don't care about your rules. Those five midgets don't deserve a belt. They only won at WrestleFestival because...I don't know how they won. They probably cheated. Belts should be for real stars, like me. Helen roller skates away, followed by the gigantic Land Mass and Mammoth. No getting around them. INTERVIEW ZONE JULIE FORLETTA interviews a seething ROCKY PSYCHO. JULIE FORLETTA Last week, you lost you first match in Canadian Golden Combat... when... you um... Rocky glares at her. Julie hands him the microphone and backs away. ROCKY PSYCHO Howling Dog! Fortunato! Molto Fortunato. You could never do that again in a million years. Voglio una rivincita! Rematch! Next week! /w Helen Wheels LAND MASS & MAMMOTH EDDIE CHANDLER & JOHNNY MAVERICK Eric Tyler "In ten years, when Rash Reilly and Frankie Flame are top stars in this sport, no one will remember these short sighted fools Chandler and Maverick." Helen roller skates around the ring, showing of her stolen CGC Bubbleweight Title, as Johnny and Eddie compete over who can body slam the giants. Both lose equally, and Chandler gets squished and squashed. CANADIAN DRAGON and MARIO HEROIC chase Helen around the ring, trying to recover the Bubbleweight belt. Mammoth lumbers to her aid, clotheslining the two cruiserweights. Eddie and Johnny try to take advantage with a double suplex on Land Mass, but their timing is off because Eddie insists on doing a countdown in French. Land Mass suplexes both of them, and Mammoth hits a Running Splash for the pin. LAND MASS & MAMMOTH WIN (5:31) Jerome Turner "Missed out on WrestleFestival? Don't worry, the stars of CGC could be coming to a town near you soon." UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday Week 3 April - CGC Live! in Cranbrook, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 April - Title Bout Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta Saturday Week 4 April - CGC Live! in Revelstoke, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 May - CGC Live! Fort McMurray, Alberta Sunday Week 1 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Edmonton, Alberta MOOSE MULDER You got pies in Cranbrook? Because I'm comin' on Saturday and I'm comin' hungry! I'm the CGC Pie Eating Champion and I plan to defend that title in every town in the country. Open challenge! Any wrestler! Any fan! Bring your appetite! SCHOOL OF TRADITION CLASSROOM JULIE FORLETTA interviews the School of Tradition in a locker room that has been kitted out as a Classroom, complete with desks and a blackboard. In the background, RASH REILLY carves his name into a desk as FRANKIE FLAME throws paper airplanes. JOHN McCLEAN is positively beaming, as he's flanked by CHANCE and FATE. JOHN McCLEAN WrestleFestival was a dark day for John McClean. A dark, dirty day... but then Eric Tyler turned my frown upside down by asking me to enroll in his prestigious School of Tradition. What an honour! What a privilege! The things I will learn sitting under Mr. Tyler's tree. It's every young wrestler's dream. Next week my education begins, as I get to sit ringside as the Soldiers of Fortune defend their tag team titles. I'm not even mad that the Matchmaking Committee have given The Flock a title shot. Black Sheep humiliated me at WrestleFestival, and next week I get to learn how Mr. Tyler's fabulous faculty settle the score. FATE Next week! Lambs chops and a side of Sheep Stew! CGC WORLD TITLE MATCH ED MONTON VS STEVE DECOLT /w Gabriella Eric Tyler "This may be the only time I ever say this, but I hope Ed Monton wins this match. Steve DeColt is a disgrace as Champion." Before the match can begin, ROGER ROGERS barges his way to the front row in his wheelchair, fending off fans with a pointy stick. He's wearing an old Canadian Enforcers t-shirt and waves a 'front row' ticket around, threatening to sue anyone who questions its authenticity. Stunning Steve struts his stuff early, showing off his raw power and delighting his date by hitting a Gabri-Electric Chair Drop just for her. Double tough Monton responds with pure fisticuffs, throwing hands as Rogers loudly cheers on his former client. Which mostly serves to distract Monton. Ed unleashes patriotic fury, but Steve won't go down without a fight. He kicks out of a Bridging Canadian Suplex. He powers out of a Canadian Half Crab! Rogers raises a boombox above his head to play the old Canadian Enforcers theme music. Monton ejects the tape and breaks it, but it gives Steve an opening. Powerful Punches! Luscious Lariat! Sexy Slam! Steve hits a Running Bulldog, but Roger Rogers is poking Gabriella with a pointy stick, so he rolls out of the ring to confront him. He tells Rogers to knock it off, but the wheelchair bound 'fan' responds by throwing his shoe at Gabriella. Steve snatches him by the collar and referee Francis Long has to get between them. BARRY BOWEN charges to ringside at full speed and runs through Steve with the Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle)! NO CONTEST (10:23) Bowen batters away security and he continues to attack Steve, preparing to Powerbomb him through the- Monton makes the save with Haymakers, but Bowen's unstoppable. He powerbombs Monton through the announce table! Rogers takes off his Enforcers shirt to reveal a Barry Bowen shirt, and cheers as Bowen stands over the broken bodies of the two competitors. Security rush in to protect them from further damage.

For small indy shows, I think ring announcers make a huge difference in the quality of the show. Maybe not the matches, but certainly the show as a whole. They welcome the crowd. They transition from match to match. They introduce raffles and plug tickets to the next event. They host. A good ring announcer is the most visible member of the roster at that level. However, TEW is designed more around televised wrestling, where ring announcers become a small enough element to abstract out of the game. Which is fine. I do miss them when I'm running tiny promotions though, and doing angles for them gets fiddly.

I loved watching the X Division matches back in the day. That's what brought me back to being a fan after college. Awesome stuff. I agree with that... I just don't like the name. Or the vagueness of the concept. And I'm not particularly interested in writing those kinds of matches. My CGC in 1997 isn't about Xtreme, no limits wrestling. I genuinely forgot WWE did cruiserweights for a while, so I guess it didn't leave much of an impression on me. It's a good, dynamic name. If I had a potential megastar like an AJ Styles or Rey Mysterio (or a Ricky DeColt) maybe I would have gone with it. Sometimes I'm more interested in trying something different, rather than simply referencing things I liked growing up.

"Feared for my life" just seemed like a legal move. Something he was advised to say to help protect the company from unfair dismissal charges. I assumed AEW were showing the footage because it would contradict something Punk said in his interview, but it didn't. Unless I'm missing something? Without audio it's still pretty inconclusive. So the whole thing seems more to pop a rating than anything. I was certainly more interested than usually to read what happened this morning.

Because I like making fun of tiny wrestlers. I'm kidding. Partially kidding. Personally I find "Lightweight" boring. "Cruiserweight" feels very specifically WCW. "Junior Heavyweight" suggests a Japanese influence. The less said about "X-Division" the better. "Bubbleweight" to me is a wackier, more colourful name, inspired by some of the smaller weight classes in boxing (flyweight, featherweight, strawweight) while also not being anything real or specific. I actually had to check I didn't steal it from somewhere, but I can't find anything with a quick Google search. Is it an insulting name? Little bit, yeah. I think that makes sense for CGC in 1997 though. Big George DeColt and his muscular sons (Jack is currently the runt of the litter, all 6' 235lbs of him) would think these little rascals are kind of cute, so why not give them a toy belt to play with? And why not have the manager girl on roller skates take it from them? I do think the CGC belts in general need more vibrancy. I hate the TV title. Cliché boring belt. My CGC is halfway to being a cartoon, so the belts should reflect that. Hence the Tag Belts getting a garish redesign. I asked for pitches months ago about what belt to add to CGC, and a lot of folks suggested a Lightweight belt. I was skeptical at first, but I'm really excited about it now. This is going to be a very useful belt, I think. Nothing main event. Nothing spectacular. But with some recent additions to the roster and the right stories, a good bit of undercard fun.

I use the version with the text, but also including the plan for options. Bonus Belt

If you're competing in WWE, then you are (in theory) one of the greatest fighters in the world who has risen through the ranks to make it to the grandest stage of them all. The NFL has the best football players. WWE has the best combat sports specialists. From Cody to Miz to Dom to Joe McNXT. All better scrappers than the lads down the local pub. That's the central conceit of the show. So for any celebrity to come in and not lose in 5 seconds to anyone on the roster... that's where it starts to bother me. For Logan specifically, that stance has softened. Originally I thought he was just a Youtube celebrity, but he's done combat sports, fights, etc, that give him more legitimacy. Enough to beat Dom, sure. Miz? Maybe. But he lasted longer than 5 minutes against Roman Reigns. That bothered me. In the same way Goldberg beating The Fiend bothered me. But it's much like the Rock thing. My brain has been set up to believe repetition equals mastery, and that the only way to become the best fighter in the world is to have many, many fights on live TV and PPV. And that's not really reality. I should also note I've watched very little of Logan Paul's stuff. I don't habitually watch WWE. My feelings are just based on reading and hearing about things happening. Feelings based on concepts more than execution.

I partially agree. I don't take it to those extremes, but there's something about returning legends or celebrities or 'part timers' coming in and instantly destroying the current roster that makes the sport (the fictional sport that exists in the reality of the show) look bad. Or at least, worse. Goldberg's done it a bunch. Logan Paul instantly being a world beater. CM Punk returning after X years away and becoming AEW World Champion so quickly. It rubs me the wrong way. I believe in ring rust. I believe that if you stop doing something, you lose a certain spark. I guess I want to believe that there's a reason that WWE superstars (in the fictional reality of the show) fight so often. It's to keep their skills sharp and stay ahead of the game. They're like sharks. If they stop swimming they die. But maybe I'm wrong in this thinking. MMA is structured differently. Fight camps are the real way to get people ready for a fight. Those damn Paul brothers keep succeeding in things thanks to (I assume) proper training and expensive trainers. Maybe if companies showed this (kayfabe) preparation side it might help. Rock didn't just wander in. He's been at the Bloodline's Fight Pit, running drills with Solo and Jimmy Uso, rediscovering his spark. I do think Cody/Rocky is a good money match to set up for the future, although I didn't personally love the finish they did in the tag match. Kinda slow.

SUNDAY WEEK 1 APRIL 1997 Langley, British Columbia (803 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (4,065) and BCB (3,828). Combined Rating <0.01 DeColt Boys Promo 76 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE VS THE FLOCK 42 Rogers tries to win back Monton 40 ROCKY PSYCHO VS HOWLING DOG 26 Barry Bowen Promo 44 Frenchie's Five: Lightest 40 BUBBLEWEIGHT TITLE 5-WAY 32 Dan DaLay Promo 38 Upcoming Events /w Mammoth 43 SCHOOL OF TRADITION VS THE DECOLT BOYS 61 New Students Attack 59 FINAL RATING 62 I had a little fun teasing it, but Eric Tyler isn't done. No reason for plans to change. Yet. Feeling rough today. If I did have anything I wanted to wax poetic about I've forgotten. Psycho/Dog was poorly received, but it was a very short storyline match with a lot of penalties built into the concept of it. Mammoth's a better promo than I've been giving him credit for. He's fine. I've let worse talkers talk. Next week on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC World TItle: Ed Monton vs Steve DeColt Land Mass & Mammoth vs Eddie Chandler & Johnny Maverick Dirty Frank vs Xander Robinson

Jerome Turner "WrestleFestival may be over but the fun never stops in Canadian Golden Combat. Get ready for another exciting night of action, with a brand new title and a huge six man tag team match featuring Canada's favourite family." INTERVIEW ZONE STEVE DECOLT Eric Tyler thought his mind-games and cheap tricks could win him the belt at WrestleFestival, but he made one crucial mistake; he underestimated the DeColts. Stunning Steve was out of his league, and Eagle-Eyed Jack caught him red handed trying to steal the victory. JACK DECOLT I don't know about that. I've watched the match back, and he must have cheated a hundred times before I managed to catch him. Just when I was starting to think Mr Tyler wasn't all bad. I think I'll leave the refereeing to Mr Long and his excellent team from now on. Never knew how tough a job they had. ALEX DECOLT Seems like the least we can do is make their jobs a little easier by taking out the trash in tonight's main event. The School of Tradition flunked their test, so I think it's time we taught them a lesson for a change. I'm thinking Geography. This is the Langley Civic Centre. STEVE DECOLT This is Vancouver, British Columbia. JACK DECOLT This! Is! DeColt Country! Nelson Blais & Brys Turcotte ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE THE FLOCK Black Sheep & Battering Lamb Jerome Turner "All four of these men left WrestleFestival victorious. Could the Tag Team Titles be in their future?" Still hungover from WrestleFestival, Black Sheep leaves his partner to it as he tries to find someone in the front row with aspirin. The Air Force ground the Battering Lamb and deliver a military grade beatdown. This isn't helping Black Sheep's headache, so he causes chaos with eye pokes and mustache twisting. Blais chased him under the ring, but takes a Wrong Turn At Albuquerque and emerges to a series of Mutton Chops from Lamb. Armbaaaaa on Turcotte! He taps! THE FLOCK WIN (6:31) INTERVIEW ZONE WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS stands by with ED MONTON. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS On behalf of the CGC Matchmaking Committee I have the pleasure of announcing that next week Steve DeColt's CGC World Title will be on the line. Due to his victory at WrestleFestival, the Committee have voted Ed Monton as the challenger. Before Ed Monton can speak, in wheels... ROGER ROGERS And it's about time! I've been saying for years that Ed Monton is the very picture of Championship material. Finally the Matchmaking Committee have done something right. ED MONTON Is this a joke? ROGER ROGERS I know we've had our disagreements lately, but allow me to say, truly, sincerely, from the very bottom of my heart... It was all Jon Jetson's fault. He tricked us. He tricked all of us with his rulebreaking and his loose morals and his... but he's gone now, Ed. I tore up his contract. I never want to see that ruffian again. Let's go back to you and me. The Canadian Enforcers. Older. Wiser. With the CGC World Title around our waists. ED MONTON Not a chance. When I fight for the belt next week, the last person I want to see at ringside is you. Ed Monton walks away. Rogers isn't happy. ROCKY PSYCHO VS HOWLING DOG Jerome Turner "After his decisive win over Steve Flash at WrestleFestival, Rocky has certainly been making waves." All smiles and confidence, Rocky shows off elegant arm drags and fancy head scissors, all while mocking Dog with train noises and culturally inappropriate impressions. Howling Dog responds by going on the warpath with tomahawk chops, until Rocky Psycho snaps. No elegance. Nothing fancy. He launches himself and- Dog moves! Roll up! 1... 2... 3! HOWLING DOG WINS (4:32) Jerome Turner "He got him! Rocky Psycho has just suffered his first loss in CGC!" Rocky is livid. He tries to attack but stops when Howling Dog picks up his enchanted tomahawk. He begins his rain dance and the entire ring is drenched in a magical downpour. Rocky is soaked and furious. INTERVIEW ZONE BARRY BOWEN This isn't fair! I'm bigger than Ed Monton! Stronger than Ed Monton! I should be the Number One Contender! Steve DeColt is a yellow bellied coward! Always runnin' from me. Always hidin'. But you can't hide forever. There's a Runaway Train Coming. FRENCHIE'S FIVE FRENCHIE MARCEL CGC have commissioned a brand new championship, exclusively for fighters 200lbs or under. Who are these fighters? And who is ze lightest? CGC BUBBLEWEIGHT TITLE MATCH CANADIAN DRAGON VS CONDOR VS JAKE SLOAN VS MARIO HEROIC VS TEMPEST APPLEBY Jerome Turner "The new belt has been suspended above the ring. Whoever can climb the cables and retrieve it will be the first ever champion." The fighters immediately start trying to climb for the belt as fast as they can, leaving Sloan to pull them back to earth one by one. Condor unleashes karate kicks and judo throws. Tempest puts his opponents into a spin. Canadian Dragon scorches the ring with a fiery comeback. No one can figure out the mysterious moves of young Mario. Every time one climbs, another is there to stop him. Eventually, all five are up on the turnbuckles and cables at the same time, and all five crash and burn. HELEN WHEELS roller skates to ringside, distracting referee Andy Gordy. MAMMOTH squishes Condor and LAND MASS squashes Sloan, but both are too heavy to climb the cables. Frustrated, Helen takes off her skates, and climbs on Mammoth's shoulders. The referee tries to stop her, but she takes down the belt and the time keeper rings the bell. HELEN WHEELS... WINS? (6:00) Jerome Turner "Wait a second. Was she allowed to do that? Do we have our first champion?" Helen and her men flee with the belt as the referee and time keeper and the official competitors argue. BACKSTAGE CGC Television Champion DAN DALAY heads to the ring, when he notices a drawing stuck on the wall. It's of a muscular schoolchild with a toilet on his head, with the caption "Dan Da-Toilet". DAN DALAY You think this is funny? Alex doesn't beat me! I beat him! All day! Every day! That's how this works. And I still have the TV belt! How can he have beat me if I still have this? WrestleFestival was a fluke and I'm gonna prove it. Jerome Turner "Missed out on WrestleFestival? Don't worry, the stars of CGC could be coming to a town near you soon." UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday Week 2 April - CGC Live! in Slave Lake, Alberta Saturday Week 3 April - CGC Live! in Cranbrook, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 April - Title Bout Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta Saturday Week 4 April - CGC Live! in Revelstoke, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 May - Fort McMurray, Alberta Sunday Week 1 May - Title Bout Wrestling in Edmonton, Alberta MAMMOTH Hey Moose Mulder! You think you're a big man? Think you're a big, pie-eating man. Guess again! I'm the king of the pie eating contest, and this Saturday I'm gonna prove it. You! Me! Pie Eating Contest! Chance, Fate & Dan DaLay SCHOOL OF TRADITION THE DECOLT BOYS Steve, Alex & Jack Jerome Turner "Eric Tyler couldn't defeat the DeColts at WrestleFestival. Can his underlings succeed where he failed tonight?" The DeColts work together as a happy, healthy, well-oiled machine. Steve struts. Jack surprises. Alex is eager to get his hands on DaLay, but the student repeatedly avoids him. He's completely off his game without his teacher in his ear. Chance manages to bring Jack behind enemy lines, where he suffers a brutal Fate. The Soldiers untilise their typical cohesive destruction, but they seem unmotivated without a clear financial incentive, and despite being big and strong DaLay makes some rookie mistakes without his teacher in his ear and here comes Steve! Powerful Punches! Luscious Lariat! Sexy Slam! DaLay clobbers him from behind, but that just gives Alex another showdown with the TV champion. Powerful Punches! Pretty Powerslam! Smooth Driving Elbow! DaLay throws a wild Big Boot, accidentally hitting Fate, before fleeing up the ramp. Alex gives chase. Jack and Steve hit Running Bulldogs on the tag team champions, high fiving in mid air, and pick up the 1... 2... 3. THE DECOLT BOYS WIN (11:56) Jerome Turner "The DeColts are together and more impressive than ever. Could this be the end of the School of-" Three men in school uniforms suddenly burst into the ring and attack Jack and Steve in a flurry of blows. Jerome Turner "Who is that? That looks like.... John McClean? Dirty Frank?" Alex DeColt runs back down the ramp to save his brothers, but Chance and Fate join the fight. Security wade in, trying to stop the chaos. ERIC TYLER School isn't over, DeColts. School has just begun.

I'm always second guessing my finishes, but this was the only version of the match I wrote and I made the firm decision to stick with it after the incident. No rewrites. No big changes in direction. Narratively there was meat on the bone of a more ambiguous finish, or a Tyler victory, but from a business perspective I think this is the way to go. However, in the early days of the project this wasn't the plan for WrestleFestival at all. Originally Jack was going to beat Steve for the title on TV (as in canon!) and this would have been a hastily put together four way, with Bowen thrown in. The match itself was fun to write (might recycle somewhere) but nothing else about it felt right. Rushed build. Not a good main event for a marquee. I tried to jam too many plot points into too short a length of time (three months isn't as long as it looks in a spreadsheet) but wrestling needs time to sit and breathe and stretch. Not swerves for swerves sake. But that had nothing to do with Tyler. When I made that change he was still a model employee.

It's definitely the most interesting backstage hurdle that's been put in my way so far. Not that there's been much competition... Condor being salty. Julie Forletta dating someone in 4C. Drama is good. Right up until the point where it isn't. There's going to be a lot more nerves when I get to show days now. I mostly wanted an excuse to show off that picture as I legitimately love the belt design that the AI pulled out of the ether. I currently have no plans for it be defended, but Biff does have to wear it, as per the ancient rules of WrestleFestival. So the belt is in play. A potential prop I can use with the right ideas... at which point I'll pretend I planned everything like that from the beginning. Speaking of ideas I'll pretend I had from the beginning... The AI really nailed that concept. So many good images. I must have stolen this from somewhere, as it just felt too 'right'. When the major characters are in key matches, it's hard to get strong angles using the leftovers. The pie eating contests were never going to be great, but Alex cut a good promo. It's becoming apparent that he's the best talker out of the family. I did cut a few things when I realised I wouldn't have backstage cameras or carnival skits... but none of the plans would have rated too highly. As I put a bow on WrestleFestival and try to come up with a concept for the next big show, here's a few more Festival pictures I never found a place for. Plans changed, or physiques changed, or they were too outlandish to be useful.

SUNDAY WEEK 4 MARCH 1997 Red Deer, Alberta (2,891 in attendance) BARRY BOWEN VS HOWLING DOG 64 Pie Eating Contest Begins 30 900LB TAG TEAM MATCH 30 Alex DeColt Promo 74 ROCKY PSYCHO VS STEVE FLASH 58 Pie Eating Contest Ends 27 JOHN McCLEAN VS BLACK SHEEP 44 Bubbleweight Interview 44 JON JETSON VS ED MONTON 54 Locked in the Ferris Wheel 68 ERIC TYLER VS STEVE DECOLT 67 FINAL RATING 67 Ultimately I decided against broadcasting this show. I thought it would be easier to write, the lack of a televised element changed a lot of how I pictured the segments. No commentary to help transitions. Everything needed to be viewable by the fans in attendance. We might have a couple of big screens, but nothing big time or fancy) so Alex's promo moved to ringside, the Ferris Wheel lock up was viewed only from a distance, a couple of skits got cut, and... Well, I didn't change the Barnyard Match, but I definitely pictured it on its own independent set, whereas this was a smaller this close to the ring. Some obstructed views. Backstage talk is all about Eric Tyler. Remember the Go Home show? When the Matchmaking Committee voted on stipulations pitched by Steve DeColt and the Soldiers of Fortune? That wasn't supposed to happen like that. Eric Tyler was supposed to be there, closing the show with a bigger, longer segment... but he showed up drunk and had to be sent home. Luckily, the Soldiers filled in so well no one noticed (Chance literally read Tyler's lines off of a piece of paper and no one questioned it) but it did cause a lot of chaos. What if he doesn't show up to WrestleFestival? Backup plans were hatched. At least one new hire was made. Ultimately, WrestleFestival went off as planned, with only minor changes to the undercard. If Tyler hadn't shown, Jack would have stepped into the main event. Adding to the drama, Barry Bowen now hates Tyler (coincidence, but I like to believe it's related) and Tyler hates Steve for a botched spot in tonight's match. I'm not going to demonize someone for having a drinking problem.... but there may be a limit to how much I can trust Eric Tyler going forward. Especially given how much I like to write in advance. In other news, Steve Flash is done with the company. As has been suggested, he's not my kind of guy. I've never really booked him in prior games, and he's very expensive for what he brings to my table. Not local. Can't talk. No gimmick. Sure, he's popular with great matches, but he's like the tenth most interesting babyface for me to write, and as long as my main event gets a 50, I don't need bangers on the undercard. I wish him well. He works for two other promotions. He'll be fine. CGC made $15k this month. A drop in the bucket considering our losses, but a step in the right direction. Setting WrestleFestival in Alberta wasn't the most profitable decision, and I was disappointed with the number of tickets sold. Our next big event will be in British Columbia. It's amazing how much difference 4 popularity points makes to ticket sales. A thousand tickets and $18-ish a pop. Next Sunday, on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC Bubbleweight Title: Canadian Dragon vs Condor vs Jake Sloan vs Mario Heroic vs Tempest Appleby Rocky Psycho vs Howling Dog Soldiers of Fortune & Dan DaLay vs Steve, Alex & Jack DeColt