Self

I just spent two days google mapping Canadian towns and researching hockey arenas to sort out my live event schedule. There's no such thing as "too in depth" for me. Realism is fun. I hadn't considered just putting it on TV in just one market, but I like that a lot. WrestleFestival takes place in Red Deer, Alberta. Halfway between Calgary & Edmonton for easy access for those fans. So getting on TV in just British Columbia makes sense. Die hard fans might still make the trip, but they were coming regardless of TV. From an in-game perspective, I do want any wrestler popularity growth from this show to impact both areas. The other option is a TV station that runs Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan... but I think that's a move better for the TV show as a whole, when TV contracts come up for renewal. Expanding into Saskatchewan is my goal, but it's more likely to be a consistent weekly push, than a one-off event. Despite being smaller myself (billed at 5'8 and 185lbs in my indy career) and loving cruiserweights growing up, I'm definitely a 'size matters' guy. It's impressive. It's realistic. A good big man will always beat an equally good small man. There's narrative meat to that bone. You can make a story out of that. Match ratings are one thing, but story is key. The story is with Eric Tyler. As a spoiler for my February round up, Barry Bowen has actually been my No.3 performers, behind Tyler and Flash. He's absolutely able to deliver a strong main event. It's just not the story I'm telling (this week). I'm not familiar with Ron Wright. Although it makes sense that Roger Rogers is based/inspired by something. I may look it up. Rogers is another character I have under-used in my private games, but I'm enjoying writing him here. He's definitely been cornering a few other characters on live shows, looking for chemistry or something narratively interesting. As for the DQ.... there was an argument in the Dog Pound a while back about WWE/AEW multi-man matches. Some folks claimed that they had to be No Disqualification, because there was simply no way to do a disqualification in a multi-man. In response, I wrote this. Of course you can disqualify someone in a multi-man. Or a battle royal. Or a pub quiz. If you cheat, you're gone, and if the match can continue, it continues. There are always rules.

SUNDAY WEEK 3 FEBRUARY 1997 Calgary, Alberta (528 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (3,551) and BCB (3,558). Combined Rating <0.01 Barry Bowen Promo 59 ROCKY PSYCHO VS MARIO HEROIC 34 Howling Dog Promo 35 Alex gets bullied 51 XANDER ROBINSON VS DAN DALAY 32 Medicine Hat Highlights 49 Steve Flash Promo 35 LAND MASS VS JAKE SLOAN 19 Jetson & Rogers Promo 33 Ed Monton Promo 46 BOWEN VS TYLER VS MONTON VS DOG VS JETSON VS FLASH 57 Soldiers of Fortune Promo 38 FINAL SHOW RATING 55 Was this a swerve? A lot of predictions for Barry Bowen to win the main event. I have to admit, going in I felt I may have under-developed Bowen. Not done enough to put him at the 'top guy' level. Glad to see I was wrong. Decent show that could have done with one strong promo. For some reason I couldn't think of anything for Eric Tyler to say, and he was the only good talker in the main event match. He was spectacular in that match, by the way... even though he disappeared for most of it. Jetson and Howling Dog did fine. This was a little bit of a test for them, to see if they could hang with the main eventers. Jake Sloan vs Land Mass was not fine. Possibly the worst TV match I've had so far. As much as I love the idea of booking big fat guys as major players, they sure make it difficult sometimes. Someone who did more than fine was Moose Mulder. His match with Barry Bowen in the Medicine Hat live event was an absolute banger. Potential match of the year candidate? Shame only 400 people saw it. Next time on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC Tag Team Title Match: Soldiers of Fortune vs Alex & Jack DeColt Hollywood Maverick & Biff the Bruiser vs Moose Mulder & Eddie Chandler John McClean vs Black Sheep Should WrestleFestival be televised? We're too small for a pay-per-view deal, but I could get it on free local TV . Or would that ruin the prestige?

Jerome Turner "Who will challenge for the CGC World Title at this year's WrestleFestival? That's what we're here to find out. After careful deliberation the CGC Matchmaking Committee have chosen six worthy Combatants, but only one can rise above in tonight's main event." BARRY BOWEN Steve Flash couldn't stop me before, and he won't stop me tonight. Put anyone you want in front of me! The teacher! The injun! The Enforcers! I'll run them all through. There's a runaway train a-comin', and it's heading for WrestleFestival! ROCKY PSYCHO VS MARIO HEROIC Jerome Turner "What will Rocky Psycho bring in his first match in CGC? We know he has a temper." Mario's cautious, but Rocky is all smiles, happily exchanging elegant arm drags and fancy head scissors with his young opponent. Mario relaxes, enjoying the sportsmanlike contest, even hitting a lovely heel kick. Rocky Psycho snaps. No elegance. Nothing fancy. He launches himself at Mario, hammering him with punches and stomps and chokes. Mario tries to get some distance, but Psycho crushes him with a cannonball dive. More punches! More stomps! Mario is helpless! Referee Gregory Chapman stops it! ROCKY PSYCHO WINS (6:10) Psycho won't stop the assault and Chapman can't stop him by himself. Security rush in and it takes four of them to pry Psycho loose, leaving Mario a beaten and sobbing mess. HOWLING DOG The elders of my tribe say that we are not here to watch. We are here to experience. In five weeks I do not wish to merely watch the WrestleFestival. I want to experience it from the highest peak, fighting in the main event. I march into the ring tonight part fire and part dream. My feet as swift as forked lightning. My arm a thunderbolt. My soul fearless, with the spirits of my ancestors by my side. DECOLT LOCKER ROOM JULIE FORLETTA stands by with a forlorn ALEX DECOLT. JULIE FORLETTA Last week you were attacked by your old high school nemesis, Dan DaLay. How are you feeling? ALEX DECOLT Honestly, last week was one of the worst moments of my life. Not because of the pain. I'm used to that. It's not about what Dan DaLay did, it's about who he is... and who I become when I see him. Every time I see Dan DaLay I'm back to being 14 years old. Weak and helpless. Hiding in the library because it was the one place I knew he wouldn't look for me. I have spent years trying to be strong. Trying to put that past behind me. And last week Dan DaLay- DAN DALAY bursts in from out of nowhere, throwing a slushie in Alex's face before taking him down and pummeling him. DAN DALAY Gimme your lunch money you noodle armed dork! DaLay takes Alex's wallet and leaves laughing. CGC TELEVISION TITLE MATCH XANDER ROBINSON VS DAN DALAY /w Eric Tyler Jerome Turner "Not too many combatants have been lining up to take on Eric Tyler's monstrous new student." Xander is determined to take the big man off his feet, but DaLay follows his teacher's instructions on blocking suplexes and bullies the challenger with pink-bellies and wet-willies. Xander battles back! Sharp chops! Stiff forearms! But Tyler knows exactly when to give the signal for a Big Boot, and it takes Xander's head off. Tradition Lift (Lifting Double Chickenwing). Xander quits! DAN DALAY WINS (4:40) Jerome Turner "Eric Tyler has found himself a formidable student, but can he get the job done himself in tonight's main event?" Jerome Turner "Last night some of the competitors in tonight's main event were in Medicine Hat for some Canadian Golden Combat. Let's check some highlights." SWITCHBLADE MIKE feels ED MONTON's patriotic fury! Side Canadian Legsweep! Fallaway Slam! 1... 2... 3. Roger Rogers distracts TED MOORE by jingling his keys, allowing JON JETSON to blindside him and hit a Slingshot Suplex for the pin. BARRY BOWEN ducks a punch, hits the ropes at terrifying speed, and runs through MOOSE MULDER with the Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle)! 1... 2... 3. STEVE FLASH WrestleFestival is one of the highlights of my wrestling calendar. I've been there every year, but I've never been in the main event. Tonight's my chance. This is my year. Don't blink. It'll be over in a Flash. UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS Friday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Prince George, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Quesnel, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 March - CGC Live! Lloydminster, Alberta Sunday Week 1 March - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Edmonton, Alberta Saturday Week 2 March - CGC Live! in Lethbridge, British Columbia Saturday Week 3 March - CGC Live! in Kelowna, British Columbia Sunday Week 3 March - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Langley, British Columbia - - - - - - - Sunday Week 4 March - THE DECOLT WRESTLEFESTIVAL in Red Deer, Alberta /w Helen Wheels LAND MASS VS JAKE SLOAN Jerome Turner "Jake Sloan led the charge last week to eliminate Land Mass and Mammoth from the Valentine's Battle Royal." Intrepid explorer Jake Sloan seeks to climb to the highest summit of the gigantic Land Mass, clambering around him before making him run. Land Mass manages to swat Sloan out of the sky, but he's exhausted. Sloan narrowly avoids one Ten Ton Avalanche (Corner Splash), easily avoids a second, but as he prepares to dodge a third, Helen Wheels roller-skates over and grabs his leg. Sloan can't escape and gets crushed! 1. 2. 3. LAND MASS WINS (4:44) INTERVIEW ZONE JON JETSON pushes ROGER ROGERS' wheelchair into the Interview Zone. ROGER ROGERS Last week, I was viciously and brutally assaulted by that monster, Ed Monton. That ungrateful traitor, who talks about integrity and honor, assaulted an innocent disabled man, and have the CGC matchmaking committee done anything about it? No. They've rewarded Ed Monton by putting him in tonight's No.1 Contender match. They've punished my client Jon Jetson, by not handing him the CGC World Title he would have won had it not been for Monton's disgusting actions. I will not tolerate this. The bias. The ableism. Ed Monton needs to be punished... and if CGC aren't going to do it, we'll have to take it into our own hands. Jon Jetson has a steel chain wrapped around his fist. LOCKER ROOM ED MONTON For months I let Jetson and Rogers get out of hand. Cheap shot here. Dirty trick there. I thought loyalty was more important than honour. I thought they wouldn't take it too far. I was wrong. I shouldn't have let it happen, and I'm not aboot to let them get away with more. Rogers and Jetson aren't going to cheat their way to the top. Not while I have something to say aboot it. BARRY BOWEN VS ED MONTON VS ERIC TYLER VS HOWLING DOG VS JON JETSON VS STEVE FLASH Jerome Turner "Six worthy combatants, but only one can challenge for the CGC World Title at WrestleFestival. Let's not wait any longer to find out which." Howling Dog goes on the warpath with tomahawk chops on Jetson, while Flash shows a remarkable mastery of everything Tyler tries to teach him on the mat. Struggling as individuals, Tyler and Jetson form a dastardly alliance, isolating and beating down Flash while keeping anyone else from entering the match. Especially Bowen. Inevitably, the alliance breaks down as Tyler and Jetson argue over who gets to make the pin. Flash escapes and Ed Monton unleashes his patrotic fury! Side Canadian Legsweep! Bridging Canadian Suplex! Barry Bowen has had enough. He's ready to fight and Monton is more than willing to throw hands. He rocks the big man with a few haymakers, but gets launched into the air with a big backdrop! The train leaves the station. Bowen starts gathering momentum, becoming more ruthless and devastating by the second and flattening everyone who gets in his way. A new alliance forms, and it takes the combined efforts of Dog, Monton, Tyler and Jetson to get the train off the tracks and hold him in place as Steve Flash launches himself onto the pile with a big plancha! Everyone's down, but as the referee checks on the carnage, Jon Jetson realises he didn't get hit at all. He throws Dog in the ring and wraps a steel chain around his fist and- Monton shoves the referee in the ring. Francis Long catches Jetson red handed with the chain! JON JETSON HAS BEEN DISQUALIFIED THE MATCH CONTINUES! Jerome Turner "Great call by the referee. You can't bring a weapon into a match just because it's a multi-man!" Jetson is dragged away kicking and screaming as Flash, Monton and Dog give it everything they've got to pick up the victory over one another. Sky High Spinebuster! Fallaway Slam! Flash Bang (Hot Shot)! Heroic kickouts! Last second saves! Desperation kicks outs as they're running out of time before- Barry Bowen's back and he is furious, turning Flash inside out with the Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle) and flattening Monton with a Powerbomb. Dog is all alone, but he slips out of the Powerbomb, and dodges the Train Wreck, derailing Bowen who violently tumbles to the outside! Eric Tyler appears from nowhere and rolls up Dog, pulling the tights for the 1... 2... 3! ERIC TYLER WINS (13:51) Jerome Turner "And just like that we have our challenger! I'd almost forgotten Eric Tyler was in the match. What a shame." INTERVIEW ZONE JULIE FORLETTA stands by with the Soldiers of Fortune; CHANCE and FATE. JULIE FORLETTA A big win for Eric Tyler's School of Tradition, and next week they get a chance for another one. Our Title Bout will be a rematch for the CGC Tag Team Titles. Alex and Jack DeColt defend against the Soldiers of Fortune. CHANCE You got off easy last time, DeColts. Tyler only paid us to rough you up. But this time, he's paying us to take your belts too. FATE And we're bringing one of Alex's old friends for help. DAN DALAY Smell you next week, buttmunch.

Some more from 1997 Phantom Freak Phantom Zero "The Natural" Damian Carvill Alt of "The Natural" Damian Carvill Frank Tucker Melissa Monroe (reimagining/gimmicked up version) Something from modern times, Bobby Thomas as a 2020 "he's still got it" babyface... ... and then a couple of years later, as a "hiding his gut in a singlet" heel. AI seems to translate 45 year old men as being insanely jacked. If I want cruiserweights, I'm adding the word 'young' just to take off some muscle mass.

Two more 1997 workers I'll be trying to resist the temptation to hire. Firestarter Rush and his younger brother Jackson Rush. Guess which one tends to be picked up by SWF.

I did some 1997-era DeColts that could work for younger modern example. Here's a few from the cutting room floor. Images I liked, but didn't fit Steve, Alex or Jack. Also tried my hand at some 1997 Stones the other day. Jeremy Stone (intense 30 year old wrestling machine) Dan Stone Jr (24 year old friendly superstar) Duane Stone (22 year old handsome high flyer) Victoria Stone (21 year old prodigy) Victoria was an absolute nightmare. Either generic doll faces or user content warnings. I'll be using them for my 1997 game (zero plans to hire the Stone for my diary project... for now) but everything I post in this thread is free to be used by anyone for anything. P.S. I talked a big game yesterday about how easy Bing is... and then had the most frustrating generating session I've ever had. 60+ attempts at two characters. Too muscular. Too much beard. I wish the AI understood the word 'No'.

I just type nonsense into https://www.bing.com/images/create and click "create" until it gives me something I can work with. I think it's connected to my Microsoft account and completely free. I'm not sure why anyone would need any special kind of AI thing, except for doing really accurate agers. Started playing with title belts. Which do require a bunch of post work in photoshop to fix text and weird graphical choices. The CGC World Title. because of the square-ness of the bing images it seemed a little sparse on the in-game picture, so I added text. I kinda like it.

SUNDAY WEEK 2 FEBRUARY 1997 Langley Civic Centre, British Columbia (788 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (3,325) and BCB (3,243). Combined Rating <0.01 Steve DeColt Interview 47 SWITCHBLADE MIKE VS ALEX DECOLT 45 School of Tradition Confront Alex 57 Upcoming Events with Bowen 52 Helen announces the prize 36 VALENTINE'S BATTLE ROYAL 38 Rocky Psycho Vignette 27 HOLLYWOOD MAVERICK VS EDDIE CHANDLER 51 Frenchie's Five: Sex Appeal 31 JON JETSON VS STEVE DECOLT 57 Post Match Stare Down 53 FINAL SHOW RATING 56 I enjoyed doing the different graphics for this one. Turns out I do have an opinion on what I think the CGC title belts should look like. I'll add the new belts as they appear. Takes more photoshop, given the text involved. A show where everyone held up their end. Jetson did fine in his singles main event, although it can be argued fighting Steve DeColt is easy-mode. Switchblade Mike has his flaws, but if you keep it under 6 minutes he does well. Maverick & Chandler far exceeeded expectations. I asked them to go all out and it didn't backfire as it normally would when you ask a couple of 22 years olds to do more moves. XMultiGames predicted Ed Monton's involvement in the main event, but questioned whether interference was a babyface thing to do. I think it is... if the babyface is evening the odds. Fixing injustice. Heels hate it when the odds are even. Lots of main event predictions for the Valentine's Battle Royal. I guess I don't see Helen Wheels are that desirable a prize. Looks aren't everything. Eagled-eyed readers may have noticed the TV debut of a young Tempest Appleby in the battle royal. Local kid. Hired primarily to work house shows around Vancouver. Seems decent enough, and with Canadian Dragon recovering from surgery I needed another warm body to feed to Mammoth. Next Time on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC Canadian Title Match: Xander Robinson vs Dan DaLay Land Mass vs Jake Sloan No.1 Contender Match: Barry Bowen vs Ed Monton vs Eric Tyler vs Howling Dog vs Jon Jetson vs Steve Flash ... and the debut of Rocky Psycho

Jerome Turner "Love is in the air on this special Valentine's edition of Title Bout Wrestling. Jon Jetson has scored himself a date with the busiest bachelor in CGC, but will this be a night to remember? Or one he'll live to regret?" WORLD CHAMPION'S LOCKER ROOM JULIE FORLETTA interviews STEVE DECOLT in his locker room, which has been decorated for the perfect Valentine's Day date. Candlelit dinner. Champagne. Chocolate. Rose petals. His date DAPHNE, 24, Data Analyst, watches in delight as Stunning Steve oils up his muscles. JULIE FORLETTA Tonight, you defend your CGC World Title against Jon Jetson... but it seems like you might have other things on your mind. STEVE DECOLT When I was sixteen years old, I vowed to never again try the impossible task of trying to juggle multiple dates on Valentine's Day... but Jon Jetson has made me break that vow. After what he did to Ed Monton, and what he tried to do to my brothers, I couldn't pass up chance to kick his ass all over DeColt Country. But don't get too excited, Jetson. Usually Stunning Steve likes to take it slow, but you don't deserve that. I'm gonna hit it and quit it and get back to my real Valentine's main event. DAPHNE looks thrilled. SWITCHBLADE MIKE VS ALEX DECOLT Jerome Turner "We haven't seen Alex since Eric Tyler's student unmasked himself to be a man by the name of Dan DaLay. Alex certainly seemed afraid. " Alex struts his stuff with feats of strength and punching, but his head isn't in the game, constantly looking over his shoulder. Switchblade kneecaps him and starts shaking him down, but when the going gets tough, Alex gets going. Pretty Powerslam. Smooth Driving Elbow. He applies the Iron Claw, sending Mike down to his knees for increased leverage, and Mike taps! ALEX DECOLT WINS (5:30) Victorious, Alex DeColt celebrates, finally relaxing when- DAN DALAY appears behind him and starts giving him a massive wedgie! He's so big and strong he lifts the 6'5 Alex off of his feet. Referee Andy Gordy and Security attempt to get involved, but ERIC TYLER and the Soldiers of Fortune; CHANCE and FATE hold them back. DaLay's looking to make the wedgie go atomic. STEVE DECOLT and JACK DECOLT sprint towards the ring. The Soldiers immediately retreat, and Tyler advises his student to leave too. DaLay listens. Fired up Jack grabs a microphone while Steve goes to his brother's aid. Alex is curled up in a ball, humiliated. JACK DECOLT You want to fight? Come on then! We'll take you all on! ERIC TYLER We're not here to fight, Jack. We're here to teach. Teach the world what the DeColts really are. Steve the scoundrel. Alex the cowardly loser. It breaks my heart to see you stuck with them, Jack. You're not like them. Your degenerate father has led your brothers astray but there's still hope for you. Join me. Enroll in my School of Tradition. Let me teach you how to be the best version of yourself. Steve takes the microphone from Jack. STEVE DECOLT You want to teach us a lesson? We're right here. Let's do it! I don't care how many of you there are. You mess with one DeColt you mess with us all! ERIC TYLER As satisfying as that would be, Steve, unlike you I have respect for the traditions and sanctity of the CGC World Title. I'd hate to give you any excuse not to show up for your match tonight. But don't worry, we'll be seeing you all again real soon. A good educator never gives up on a student. The School of Tradition leave as Jack helps Alex up. UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS Saturday Week 3 February - CGC Live! in Medicine Hat, Alberta Sunday Week 3 February - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Calgary, Alberta Friday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Prince George, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Quesnel, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 March - CGC Live! Lloydminster, Alberta Sunday Week 1 March - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Edmonton, Alberta - - - - - - - Sunday Week 4 March - THE DECOLT WRESTLEFESTIVAL in Red Deer, Alberta BARRY BOWEN Suspension couldn't stop me! Steve Flash couldn't stop me! I can't be stopped! There's a Runaway Train coming to Medicine Hat! A dumb town with a dumb name! This Saturday! Just someone try to stop me. VALENTINE'S BATTLE ROYAL BATTERING LAMB - BIFF THE BRUISER - BLACK SHEEP - BOB CASEY - CHRISTOPHER HART CONDOR - DIRTY FRANK - JAKE SLOAN - JOHN McCLEAN - LAND MASS MAMMOTH - MARIO HEROIC - MOOSE MULDER - TED MOORE - TEMPEST APPLEBY Fifteen men have gathered in the ring, but HELEN WHEELS has something to say. HELEN WHEELS Listen up, dweebs. One of you is about to hit the jackpot this Valentine's Day. The winner of this Battle Royal gets the ultimate prize. They get to spend Valentine's Day with me. Muttering and mummering in the ring, whispered discussions. Black Sheep hops over the top rope, eliminating himself (Elimination 1). HELEN WHEELS What? I... um... Yeah, you'd better run. That goes for the rest of you pipsqueaks and shrimps. There's no way you're going to be man enough to get past my Land Mass and Mammoth. It takes a real man to impress me. John McCLean somehow has his own microphone. JOHN McCLEAN My lady, I must protest. You shouldn't have to demean yourself like this. Instead of letting all of the filthy, sweaty wretches fight it out, how about we go out tonight. I know a wonderful restaurant nearby, and- Black Sheep gets back into the ring and throws McClean over the top rope (Elimination 2). He crashes to the floor, spluttering and stumbling at Helen's feet. Black Sheep re-eliminates himself. HELEN WHEELS Ugh! Just start fighting over me! The thirteen remaining men throw hands in absolute chaos. Everyone punches everyone... except for Frank, who smells so bad no one wants to go near him. Biff bashes Bob Casey out (Elimination 3) while Moose does the same to Christopher Hart (Elimination 4). The big brawlers lock eyes and start swinging with reckless abandon until a wild Lariat from Biff sends both himself and Moose over the top and out to the floor (Elimination 5 & 6). Helen Wheels "Shame. Those were two of the only real men in the match." Land Mass and Mammoth use their tremendous size advantage to dominate. Ted Moore foolishly tries to body slam Land Mass, and gets easily tossed for his efforts (Elimination 7). Seeing the need for teamwork, Jake Sloan bands his fellow smaller wrestlers together, and they all attack Land Mass together and slooooowly heave him over the top (Elimination 8). Helen Wheels "They can't do that! This is every man for himself. They should be fighting over meeeeee." Mammoth is enraged, wading into the fray and launching Tempest, Mario, and Condor out of the ring (Elimination 9, 10 & 11). He charges at Jake Sloan, but the undersized underdog curls into a ball and Mammoth tumbles out himself (Elimination 12). Jake celebrates, but gets blindsided by Dirty Frank (Elimination 13) and it's down to two. Dirty Frank vs Battering Lamb. Clothes peg on nose, Battering Lamb battering rams his filthy opponent and muscles him onto his shoulders. Helen Wheels "You know what, this will do nicely. GO ON BIG BOY!" Hearing Helen's screech, Battering Lamb pauses. He looks at his potential prize, then notices Black Sheep in the crowd, offering an alternate option of a 6-pack of beer, a bag of 'premium grass', and a box of chocolates he's clearly stolen from Helen. Battering Lamb makes his choice, dropping Frank and eliminating himself. DIRTY FRANK "WINS" (7:42) Jerome Turner "Looks like you've found your Prince Charming for the night. Congratulations." Helen Wheels "Shut it, dweeb. There's no way I'm going out with... I'm getting out of here." Sweating and farting, Dirty Frank approaches his date. Helen tries to roller-skate away, but her path is blocked by Jake Sloan and the other cruiserweights, and Frank gives her a big, moist hug. Helen screams. STREET A man in an expensive Italian suit walks down a picturesque Italian street. He's surrounded by friends, laughing, joking. It's a lovely day for a pleasant stroll. A car pulls over, going through a puddle that splashes water on the man's shoes. Everyone freezes. Terrified of what the man's going to- ROCKY PSYCHO snaps. He hurls a nearby garbage can through the car's back window. The driver gets out, but before he can start yelling Rocky is already hammering him with punches! The driver's wife and children scream as Rocky tries to slam the car door on his head and Rocky's friends try to pry him away. Rocky Psycho is coming to CGC HOLLYWOOD JOHNNY MAVERICK VS EDDIE CHANDLER Jerome Turner "Both of these two youngsters have had a poor start to 1997. They're looking to turn it around." Eddie has pluck and vigor but Maverick plays by his own rules, taking him to the mat and looking for a star-making submission. Eddie proves slippery, frustrating Maverick and hitting a fabulous dropkick! They pull out all the stops! Chandler escapes an arm bar! Maverick kicks out of a Backcracker! ERIC TYLER appears on the ramp, watching the contest with interest. Not that the fighters notice. They only have eyes for each other, even as Eddie's running crossbody sends both flying over the top rope and crashing out to the floor. Referee Andy Gordy starts counting them out, and Eddie and Maverick are too distracted fighting each other to get back in the ring. DOUBLE COUNT OUT (5:43) Security separate the two combatants, as Eric Tyler makes some notes and leaves. Jerome Turner "They may have failed to get the win, but it seems one of them has grabbed Tyler's interest." FRENCHIE'S FIVE FRENCHIE MARCEL Love is in ze air on Valentine's Day, but who do ze ladies love in Canadian Golden Combat? We asked ze crowd who they think is ze sexiest. FRENCHIE MARCEL No love for Alex DeColt? Last Valentines Day zey thought he was adorable! How ze worm has turned- JOHN McCLEAN Is this a joke? Black Sheep makes it onto the list and I don't??? He's a disgusting animal! First he costs me a date and now this? He must have cheated! I demand a recount! CGC WORLD TITLE MATCH /w Roger Rogers JON JETSON VS STEVE DECOLT /w Daphne Jerome Turner "A big opportunity for Jetson. Sometimes being a scumbag pays off, when you draw the ire of the CGC World Champion." Steve struts his stuff early, overpowering the bigger man with a body slams and stretching him over his knee with a backbreaker hold. His date is delighted, especially when he hits a Daph-Knee Breaker just for her. All the while, Rogers is repeatedly trying to distract from ringside. Yelling. Criticizing the referee. Even throwing a shoe. Steve finally confronts him when he scolds Daphne about her outfit, allowing Jetson to attack from behind and start imposing his will on the Champion. Steve won't go down without a fight, kicking out of a Side Slam and powering out of a Full Nelson. Frustrated at the Champion's resilience, Jetson pulls out a steel chain, but a DeColt Thrust (Double Handed Throat Thrust) stuns him and sends it flying outside. Steve fires back. Powerful Punches! Luscious Lariat! Jetson tries the Slingshot Suplex, but it's countered into a Sexy Slam! Outside, Rogers tries to gather the fallen chain and- ED MONTON starts wheeling Rogers away from the ring. Rogers throws a tantrum, but Jetson’s got troubles of his own. Running Bulldog! Iron Claw! A few Gorgeous Gyrations add extra torque, and Jetson taps! STEVE DECOLT RETAINS (11:36) Steve celebrates with his date, as Rogers continues to throw a tantrum. BARRY BOWEN appears in the entrance way, staring a hole in the CGC World Champion.

The Black Knight / Grant Truman 1997

I did a set of CGC 1997, but I'm mostly just generating images for my current game... which is CGC 1997. It's a diary game, so it's moving pretty slow. If I haven't booked someone, I tend not to have much of an opinion on how they should look. Even my CGC set has a few "Yeah, kinda" images I'm not thrilled by. Not sure I posted these previously. Lee Bennett Craig Green (18 year old rookie) The Wizard of Ottawa (yet another version) Womaniser Robbie Gordon Spent my last two days of AI boosts on one character, who may appear six months into my project, and I still don't think I nailed it.

The AI really struggled with DaLay. More than any other member of the roster besides Jetson. However, with Jetson it generated a lots of usable pictures for other old school grapplers. DaLay on the other hand was all cartoon monsters and implausible outfits. I didn't save many failed DaLay efforts. Thank you. Balancing the DeColts can be tricky business. Between Title Bout scheduling and taping two episodes a night, the boys are being spread out a bit. Which just gives the undercard room to breathe, which is fun. A lot of talent down there. In Roger Rogers' mind, he is part of the Canadian Enforcers. A vital part. Maybe the most important part. To him, the team as a whole isn't dead just because Monton left. It's simply changed its composition and goals. We'll see how correct he is. I'm similarly interested to see how Jetson does in singles. He can be an easy guy to job out and let fade into obscurity, but he has upsides.

Feels like a lot of 'works' these days are these bizarre attempts to trick their viewers into thinking the company is dumber than they actually are. Which is a strategy, I guess. Promising something before taking it away. Wrestlers leaving because the company is bad. There's been the same discourse around various AEW things. I don't think "it's a work" makes anything better. It's like punching someone in the back of the head and saying "It's just a prank" and expecting the victim not to get mad. Or claiming you won an argument simply because the other person had an emotional response. I'm sure there are passionate folks on both sides. And I'm sure WWE want to magnify the passions of both sides. The one guy at my work who watches wrestling is THRILLED by the announcement. He loves the Rock and wasn't excited by Roman vs Cody, who don't have much history. And I sort of agree. I defended Cody losing last year, because I thought they'd spend 2023 developing a blood feud between the two. They've done nothing. I couldn't tell you with 100% certainty that Cody and Roman have even met, let alone have opinions on each other.

"Hollywood" Johnny Maverick is a concept that tickles me to an unsettling degree. He's really young at this point (didn't make Frenchie's Five Youngsters, but close) and this is exactly the kind of gimmick that an uncreative rookie would pick. Is he an actor? Is it a Top Gun reference? I like intentionally booking rookies 'wrong' as that feels more real to me... and "Hollywood" Johnny Maverick is the poster boy right now. I panicked for a second, but Bob Casey vs Dan DaLay was for the TV Title. The Title Bouts aren't always going to be important, or good (DaLay was decent, Casey was rotten) but the streak stays alive so far. I probably should add pictures of the belts for Title Bouts, but I don't really have much of an opinion/preference about that kind of thing. After making new images for everything else, using older images felts lazy. So I went even lazier and skipped them entirely. My concern is when I add a new title (I have a plan... 90% sure) I'd want it to match everything else.. Upcoming Events is my favorite segment to write. Those short little local promos are helping me figure out these characters, especially the recent ones with Steve and Jack. House Show highlights a proving trickier to book than expected. The needs of the TV show battling the needs of a solid house show card. It cost money getting Jetson all the way from Montreal to Victoria, just to show 15 seconds of him KO'ing a guy on TV.

Late reply to a late reply, I just finished Arkham Asylum (the Return To remaster) and yes, it's good. I could definitely feel its age in places;. Shinier graphics plastered on top of an older frame. The general structure. It's so 'small' compared to Arkham Knight, with such a small assortment of villains, which is to be expected. My fault for playing games out of order. I did the same with Tomb Raider 2013 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Played the second one first which made the first one feel a bit quaint. I have Arkham City too, but I'm going to hold off on playing that. Between Batman and Tomb Raider (and a delightful martial arts game called Sifu... of which I cannot beat level 3) I've played a lot of third person adventures lately. Need a change of pace. I'm so glad I spent a decade basically ignoring console video games. So many gems to pick up and enjoy, free of hype and discourse and at a fraction of the price. Tomb Raider 2013 cost me £2.50.

At this point I'm mostly using the AI for images for my diary project. Added a perky blonde interviewer (Julie Forletta) and got some options. Needed to promote my upcoming WrestleFestival event, which I've always considered to be an actual Festival/Carnival with a wrestling show attached. So here are some pro wrestlers (supposedly Alex DeColt, but questionable) on roller coasters. Alex does not like using the safety bar. Not really much/any use for these in game, unless I turn them into loading screens. I've just been having fun with the AI, but ran out of characters I care about. Unless I'm actually booking someone in a game it's hard for me to have an opinion on what they should look like.

SUNDAY WEEK 1 FEBRUARY 1997 Langley Civic Centre, British Columbia (497 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (3,285) and BCB (3,501). Combined Rating <0.01 Barry Bowen Countdown 62 BOB CASEY VS DAN DALAY 23 Eric Tyler introduces his Student 52 BIFF THE BRUISER VS HOWLING DOG 45 George DeColt Interviewed 67 House Show Highlights 23 Rocky Psycho Vignette 21 McCLEAN & DIRTY VS THE FLOCK 38 Upcoming Events /w Jack 60 Frenchie's Five; Hated 51 Barry Bowen Arrives 67 BARRY BOWEN VS STEVE FLASH 55 Rogers & Jetson Promo 37 FINAL SHOW RATING 59 Little disappointed with this one. Flash has been so impressive lately that I thought the main event would have more oomph, and Eric Tyler's promo underdelivered too. Fat from a bad show, but I handed the reigns over to the veterans of the roster (Flash, Bowen & Tyler are all a decade older than the DeColts) and it was simply good. Couple of new signings making their first appearences. Julie Forletta has been doing some valet work for 4C, so I figured she could hold a microphone for interviews that don't need a stern authority figure. I considered Canadian Dragon for the role, but surgery on his detached retina went well. He won't be gone as long as I thought. To my surprise, Dan DaLay has some contrdictions when it comes to CGC canon. While the official database says he debuted in CGC in May 1997, this database has him part of CGC since 1993. I flip-flopped on which version to go with, and ultimately decided on a compromise. I decided Dan has been an active wrestler since 1993, and has worked for CGC on-and-off, but usually doing jobs and always under masks. Building experience. Growing up a bit. The Masked Prefect being his first actual push, leading to this reveal and story. I guess I could have waited until May to unmask him, but I've half expected to get bored and quit after a couple of episodes, and I REALLY wanted to write more Dan DaLay. He's been part of most of my diaries. A sentimental favourite, even though I'm sure I'd hate watching his matches. Next time on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC World Title Match: Jon Jetson vs Steve DeColt Hollywood Johnny Maverick vs Eddie Chandler Switchblade Mike vs Alex DeColt ... and a Valentine's Day Battle Royal where the winner gets a date with Helen Wheels.

Jerome Turner "Six weeks ago, Barry Bowen was suspended for an out-of-control attack on wrestlers and officials. Tonight, that suspension is over. Barry Bowen returns and Steve Flash will be waiting for him." BARRY BOWEN'S SUSPENSION ENDS IN 0 days. 0 hours. 43 minutes. 12 seconds... 11 seconds... 10 seconds... CGC TELEVISION TITLE MATCH BOB CASEY VS ???????? /w Eric Tyler Jerome Turner "Eric Tyler's student has been unmasked, but who is this giant? And why was Alex DeColt so afraid of him?" The mysterious student bullies the challenger with wedgies, wet-willies and the dreaded Stop-Hitting-Yourself. Eric Tyler advises his student not to get carried away, and he listens. Tradition Lift (Lifting Double Chickenwing). Casey quickly quits! ??????? RETAINS (2:47) ERIC TYLER Settle down and listen up! School is now in session! Today’s lesson is the History of Alex DeColt. Sure, right now he may be tall and handsome and strong, the spitting image of his degenerate father, but back in high school he was nothing but a scrawny, pathetic nerd. No better than any of you. Want to know how I know this? Because standing next to me is the man that used to make Alex's life a living hell. Alex DeColt's high school bully; Dan DaLay. Dan DaLay smirks, muscles bulging out of his school uniform. ERIC TYLER What you saw from Alex DeColt last week was pure muscle memory, learned over years of fleeing in terror and hiding in bathrooms. Dan DaLay took his lunch money. Dan DaLay pushed his face in the mud. Dan DaLay revealed Alex DeColt for what he really is; a coward and a loser. He did it in high school, and now he'll do it here in CGC. Only now it'll be ten times worse, because Dan DaLay is sitting under MY learning tree. You should have joined me when you had the chance, Alex. I could have helped you... but that door is now closed. Dan DaLay is going to take everything from you. BARRY BOWEN'S SUSPENSION ENDS IN 0 days. 0 hours. 32 minutes. 20 seconds... 19 seconds... 18 seconds... BIFF THE BRUISER VS HOWLING DOG Jerome Turner "Both of these men scored impressive wins last week. Who can keep the streak going?" With a valiant war cry, Howling Dog tries to take a big man down, but the Bruiser is far too strong. Biff batters, bludgeons and bruises, and if it's a straight ahead brawl he wants, that's what he'll get. Summoning the courage of his spirit animal, Dog goes on the warpath with tomahawk chops. Biff throws a desperation Big Lariat, but Dog ducks! Sky High Spinebuster! Star Blanket (Top Rope Splash)! 1... 2... 3! HOWLING DOG WINS (9:14) Howling Dog celebrates with a rain dance, using an ornate tomahawk to summon a downpour, drenching the ring with rain. Refreshing. Jerome Turner "A big win for Howling Dog. The CGC Matchmaking Committee would have been paying close attention to that one." INTERVIEW ZONE CGC's perky new interviewer JULIE FORLETTA stands by with GEORGE DECOLT. JULIE FORLETTA Earlier tonight, Eric Tyler introduced his student as Alex DeColt's old school bully? Is that true? Did this Dan DaLay go to school with Alex? GEORGE DECOLT Yeah, I remember that kid. Mean as hell and almost as big then as he is now. He and Alex... They didn't get along, let's put it that way. Alex wasn't always the most physically gifted of my kids, but he's no coward. He'll be here next week to show Dan DaLay that high school was a long time ago. Jerome Turner "Last night the combatants of CGC were in action in Victoria. Let's see some of what you missed." WOLFGANG ZIMMERMAN gets carried away posing and MOOSE MULDER knocks him out with a Moose Punch! While the referee is distracted by Roger Rogers on the outside, JON JETSON hits XANDER ROBINSON with a steel chain. 1... 2... 3. ITALIAN CAFE A man sits at a table in an Italian cafe. He's surrounded by friends, laughing, joking, enjoying a cup of coffee and a biscotti. It's a nice, pleasant time. A passerby bumps the man's chair, causing him to spill a little of his coffee. Everyone at the table freezes. Terrified. Afraid to move. ROCKY PSYCHO snaps. He flips over the table and hurls his chair at the Passerby, knocking him to the ground. Before he knows what's happening Rocky is hammering him with punches, reaching for something sharp as his friends try to pry him away. Women scream. Staff frantically try to call the police. Rocky Psycho is coming to CGC DIRTY FRANK & JOHN McCLEAN THE FLOCK Black Sheep & Battering Lamb Jerome Turner "Last week Black Sheep put a mark on McClean's otherwise spotless record. Has he found the right partner to help him get his win back?" McClean wants good, clean revenge, but quickly regrets his choice of partner. Burping. Farting. McClean doesn't want to touch Frank, let alone tag him in. Battering Lamb makes McClean look like a fool with powerful shoulder tackles and headbutts, and when Frank comes in to help he gets locked in Black Sheep's sleeper! "Counting Sheep!" Battering Lamb runs the ropes back and forth, forcing Frank (and the crowd) to count. 1.... 2.... Frank's getting sleepy... 5... 6... that's a big yawn... 8... 9... McClean tries to intercept, but it's too late. Frank is already fast asleep and falls of top of McClean with a moist squelch. Black Sheep sits on top. 1... 2... 3. THE FLOCK WIN (8:01) UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS Saturday Week 2 February - CGC Live! in Grande Prairie, Alberta Saturday Week 3 February - CGC Live! in Medicine Hat, Alberta Sunday Week 3 February - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Calgary, Alberta Friday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Prince George, British Columbia Saturday Week 4 February - CGC Live! Quesnel, British Columbia Saturday Week 1 March - CGC Live! Lloydminster, Alberta - - - - - - - Sunday Week 4 March - THE DECOLT WRESTLEFESTIVAL in Red Deer, Alberta JACK DECOLT My Dad always tells me about the great matches he had in Grand Prairie, and this Saturday I get the chance to go there myself. If I'm to be the best DeColt I can be, I'll need to take on the toughest, meanest, nastiest wrestlers that I can find, and I can't wait to see who I'll be taking on in Grand Prairie. I hope you'll all be there too. FRENCHIE'S FIVE FRENCHIE MARCEL Ze wrestling world is full of villains, but who is ze most treacherous villain in CGC? We polled ze crowd here tonight on who zey hate the most on ze roster. FRENCHIE MARCEL Absence has not made ze hearts grow fonder. Barry Bowen has been gone many weeks, but ze fans have not forgiven him for his crimes. BACKSTAGE BARRY BOWEN'S SUSPENSION ENDS IN 0 days. 0 hours. 0 minutes. 3 seconds... 2 seconds... 1 second... BARRY BOWEN barges into the building, dressed to wrestle. He cuts a direct path towards the ring as staff scurry out of his way. BARRY BOWEN VS STEVE FLASH Jerome Turner "Both men have been waiting for this for a long-" Bowen makes a beeline for the ring, but is intercepted by a dive! Flash is just as eager to start the fight as he is! The two men brawl in and out of the ring, Bowen's powerful swings failing to connect as Flash ducks, dodges and bursts to life with explosions of strikes! He refuses to give Bowen even a second to build up any steam. Bowen switches tracks, swapping punching for raw power and launching Flash into the air with a huge backdrop... and now the train can leave the station. Exactly what Flash was afraid of. With every mighty blow and forceful slam, Bowen picks up momentum, becoming more and more devastating by the second. Carrying Flash on his shoulder, he rams his cargo into the turnbuckles at increasingly alarming speeds... but Flash shows remarkable tenacity. He leaps from the moving train and erupts! Flying Forearms! Spinning Wheel Kick! Bowen keeps on charging forward, but Flash unleashes a series of electric dodges and counters and sees a light at the end of the tunnel... but it's a Runaway Train! Train Wreck (High Velocity Shoulder Tackle) turns Flash inside out! Powerbomb! 1... 2... 3. BARRY BOWEN WINS (7:55) Victorious, Barry Bowen finally puts on the brakes, and Security come to Steve Flash's aid. They're terrified... but Bowen's job is done. Jerome Turner "The Runaway Train is back, and I feel sorry for anyone who gets in his way." INTERVIEW ZONE WHIPPER SPENCER doesn't look particularly pleased to be with ROGER ROGERS and JON JETSON. WHIPPER SPENCER MARKS A devastating display from Barry Bowen, but next week Steve DeColt will have someone else to worry about. At the request of the Champion and passing on a vote of 3-to-2, the next challenger for the CGC World Title is Jon Jetson. ROGER ROGERS And I bet I can guess the two members of the Committee that voted against us. You and George have protected that no good punk Steve DeColt for too long, but you won't be able to save him next week. The Canadian Enforcers have cast off the dead weight, and it's time for us to get what we deserve. Kiss your title goodbye, Steve. The next CGC World Champion will be the True Enforcer; Jon Jetson. With an evil grin, Jon Jetson briefly reveals the steel chain, hidden from Spencer Marks' view.

Zero in-game reasoning, but I like three referees. Purely a realism choice. I've worked on wrestling shows. I've seen how much effort the referees put in. I've seen them come back through the curtain almost as blown up as the wrestlers. For a typical indy show with 6-8 matches, I agree that two referees is plenty... but my TV tapings have 10-12 matches including the pre-show. And TV can be a lot more intricate, where referees need to be involved with time cues and precise distraction spots, I feel it's better not to overload them. I did try getting some guys to move (particularly USA-based Flock and canon CGC future stars) but no luck so far. Maybe I should have thrown more points into Silver Tongue. Generally, in my private games, I get a fair number of workers move local on their own, so I might just leave it up to fate. If someone I don't really like makes the effort to relocate, he might end up with more house shows and a push because of that.

Guest commentary is something I've used in the past, and I definitely should use it more. Anything to cram more character, personality and story into every inch of show. I don't think I've used commentary very effectively so far. In my old projects, I would have the announcer and colour commentator each say something before every match AND have a little conversation to open the show. It was overkill in my opinion... but now I've swung too far in the other direction, deleting every line that isn't unique or funny or forwarding the stories. Deleting too much. Sometimes saying "These are two youngsters trying to make a name for themselves." is worthwhile. Especially when the readers/viewers don't have encyclopedic knowledge of a niche fictional promotion in 1997. But yes, more guest commentary in the future. That's part of why I stick to a one-man announce team; to leave room for guests. TEW ratings by damned. I am sure I typed "Perfect" at least once in the first few shows. I've made worse spelling mistakes. In my head canon, problems with the Enforcers were brewing for months, leading to their starting point in the database (active tag team, but Jetson's a heel and Monton's a face) but I didn't do a great job bringing that from my head to the page. I probably should have moved the start point for the story. Either after the split, or keep them as a dysfunctional team. The tag title main event with the DeColts was fun to write, but bombed in game. It's a strange fit. Definitely an element of 'making do' rather than Chance and Fate being my dream members of a school themed stable. In the database, it's a loose alliance rather than an official stable. And in my head canon that's probably how it started. Tyler paying some henchmen to watch his back and help in some 6-man main events with the DeColts. The Masked Prefect is a recent addition, causing The School of Tradition to change from a vague concept/catchphrase for Tyler, to a real group. Plenty of room to grow and evolve. Fate also has terrible chemistry with Tyler in his corner, so maybe you're sensing that.

SUNDAY WEEK 4 JANUARY 1997 Edmonton, Alberta (497 in attendance) Broadcast on Alberta On Air (3,272) and BCB (3,343). Combined Rating <0.01 Eric Tyler Promo 61 BIFF THE BRUISER VS EDDIE CHANDLER 46 Upcoming Events /w George 71 Steve Flash Promo 27 HOLLYWOOD MAVERICK VS HOWLING DOG 48 Jetson/Steve Argument 51 JOHN McCLEAN VS BLACK SHEEP 43 Helen Wheels Promo 50 SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE VS ALEX & JACK 55 Masked Prefect Unmasks 50 Barry Bowen Suspension Counter 60 FINAL SHOW RATING 58 In terms of in-game scores, probably the most consistent episode of wrestling I've put on so far, with no dreadful matches at all. Very unlike me. The Steve Flash promo was probably the most embarrassing part. Luckily YouTube didn't exist in 1997, so his stilted delivery is unlikely to haunt his career for decades to come. I like giving weak talkers time to improve. I only noticed when I was posting the show, but this was a more traditionally formatted show. No House Show Highlights, Frenchie's Five, and the End-of-Show promo to hype the next title bout. None of them fit this week, but I hadn't planned to skip all of them. JANUARY BUSINESS ROUND-UP The most important story is that CGC lost $131,000 last month. Horrifying, but not entirely unexpected. CGC start 1997 with vastly inflated production values. It's possible that's balanced correctly for a TV-only schedule, and I'm simply throwing it off by adding frequent Lesser Events, but personally, I think it's a mismatch between perception and reality. CGC want to be the glitz and glamour of sport entertainment, but really they are a regional company without PPV. They can't afford $95k of High Quality production values. So I've knocked it down to Professional, fired a lot of the lighting and pyro guys, and saved $70k per month. More than enough for the TV stations. We'll keep the sprinklers for Howling Dog's rain dance. The other move is to renegotiate the DeColt's contracts. Their agreements were for $2.5k per show (sheer nepotism. For comparison, Eric Tyler gets $600) and while that can be stomached when they're on 3-5 shows per month, I can't do it for 6-9 shows. They're now on monthly deals of $10k per month. Still a lot, but less than it was, and I won't have to change any booking plans. In injury news, Canadian Dragon has a detached retina, surprisingly not caused by Mammoth. It was a freak accident with a lobster. I'm currently deciding what to do. Surgery is an option. I might try him on commentary or doing interviews until he heals, but he's not a local guy, or someone I'm particularly invested in developing. Top Performers: Eric Tyler (72 average over 2 matches) Steve Flash (62 in 2) Steve DeColt (59 in 4) Ed Monton (55 in 4) Alex DeColt (52 in 4) Worst Performers: Christopher Hart (12 average over 2 matches) Dirty Frank (18 in 5) Bob Casey (20 in 3) Ted Moore (23 in 5) Mario Heroic (23 in 4) Disappointing Month: Jack Decolt (43 in 4) has been the least effective star, while Land Mass (28 in 2) and Mammoth (27 in 3) have been outperformed by the guys they're squashing. Punching Above Their Weight: Johnny Maverick (43 in 2) Xander Robinson (40 in 3) and Condor (46 in 3) are doing really good job doing jobs. Most Improved: Steve Flash (up 15 points, cheating as he works for 3 promotions) Eddie Chandler (+13) Fate (+12) John McClean (+11) Alex DeColt (+10) Best Show: CGC Live! in Kamloops (Week 2 - 66) Also our biggest attendance with 1,200 fans Worst Show: CGC Live! in Fort McMurray (Week 3 - 43) Headlined by an awful DeColts vs 3 Unknown Giants main event. A worthwhile but failed experiment. Biggest news outside CGC is that Christian Faith (30 SWF main eventer) has been jailed for 2 years for perverting the course of justice. That's a pretty huge change to history right there. It's time to start hiring a few folks. I could do with a third referee, and I need an interviewer. I love Whipper Spencer Marks as an authoritative member of the Matchmaking Committee, but that's not the correct energy for every promo. He's not going to hunt down Eddie Chandler for comments on his loss, for example. On the wrestler side, I could do with more local hands for house shows (I don't like paying travel expenses) and maybe some experienced, bumping heels. I have plenty of giants. Next Time on Title Bout Wrestling... Grudge Match: Barry Bowen vs Steve Flash John McClean & ????? vs Black Sheep & Battering Lamb Biff the Bruiser vs Howling Dog ... and the CGC Television Title will be on the line, defended by the (formerly) Masked Prefect How do you guys cope with money woes in TEW?

IN-RING Microphone in hand, ERIC TYLER walks to the ring, followed by the MASKED PREFECT. ERIC TYLER The two most important tools in an educator's arsenal are the Carrot and the Stick. I have tried the carrot. I tried to gently coax the DeColt Boys into enrolling in my School of Tradition. I tried to explain to them the benefits of a proper education, by showing them the wonders of my Masked Prefect. Alas, they have rejected the Carrot, and chosen the Stick. Tonight, the Soldiers of Fortune will destroy Alex and Jack DeColt. For their own good, their Tag Team Titles will be taken from them and soon they will come groveling to me, begging to sit under my learning tree. And if not? I'm sure there are plenty of potential candidates who will. Eric Tyler joins Jerome Turner the commentary desk, as the Masked Prefect stands guard. BIFF THE BRUISER VS EDDIE CHANDLER Eric Tyler "My School of Tradition welcomes any student who is serious about their craft. Let's see if either of these two reprobates can impress me." Eddie has all of the heart in the world, but is overwhelmed as Biff batters, bludgeons and bruises. Aïe! Chandler fights back with pluck and vigor and a fabulous dropkick, but gets over-excited and eats a Big Lariat for the 1... 2... 3. Quel désastre! BIFF THE BRUISER WINS (6:34) Eric Tyler takes notes. UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS Saturday Week 1 February - CGC Live! in Victoria, British Columbia Sunday Week 1 February - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Langley, British Columbia Saturday Week 2 February - CGC Live! in Grande Prairie, Alberta Saturday Week 3 February - CGC Live! in Medicine Hat, Alberta Sunday Week 3 February - TITLE BOUT WRESTLING in Calgary, Alberta - - - - - - - Sunday Week 4 March - THE DECOLT WRESTLEFESTIVAL in Red Deer, Alberta GEORGE DECOLT This Saturday, Canadian Golden Combat comes to the Garden City. Victoria is known for its beautiful and well-maintained gardens, but there will be nothing beautiful about what gets planted this Saturday. It's the first ever Trowel Takedown Match. First team to plant their opponents in the flower beds win. Only this Saturday! Only in Victoria! INTERVIEW ZONE STEVE FLASH Next week, Barry Bowen's suspension is. Up and I'm going to be waiting. For him. Don't blink. It will be over in a... Flaaash. BARRY BOWEN'S SUSPENSION ENDS IN 7 days. 0 hours. 37 minutes. 6 seconds... 5 seconds.... 4 seconds... HOLLYWOOD JOHNNY MAVERICK VS HOWLING DOG Eric Tyler "First thing I'd do if either of these men enrolled in my School is give them a proper haircut. Shameful." Howling Dog goes on the warpath with tomahawk chops, until Maverick takes him to the mat, playing by his own rules to get every (body) part he goes after. Summoning the courage of his spirit animal, Dog breaks free! Sky High Spinebuster! Star Blanket (Splash)! 1... 2... 3. HOWLING DOG WINS (6:49) At ringside, Eric Tyler whispers something to the Masked Prefect. INTERVIEW ZONE JON JETSON has wheeled ROGER ROGERS into the Interview Zone. ROGER ROGERS The herd only moves as fast as its slowest member, and we've culled the herd. That bleeding heart Ed Monton went soft on us. He wouldn't do what needed to be done, so we put him down. Last week, Jon Jetson beat him fair and square, you'll never see him again, and now there's no limit to what we can accomplish. STEVE DECOLT interrupts, arm-in-arm with CLEA, 24, Performance Artist. STEVE DECOLT Fair and square? The only reason you beat Ed Monton is because Jetson hit him with a steel chain. I saw it. Everyone saw it. You're not fooling anyone. Ed Monton's the toughest man I've ever met. If you don't think he'll be back on his feet within the month with vengeance on his mind you're even dumber than you look. ROGER ROGERS How dare you? This is how you speak to your elders? This is how you speak to a man in a wheelchair? JON JETSON Shut your mouth, pretty boy. Or I'll shut it for you. STEVE DECOLT You wanna try? There's a line a mile long to get a date with Steve DeColt, but after that stunt you pulled last week, maybe I'll let you skip to the front. It'll be a night you never forget, and that's a DeColt Guarantee. JOHN McCLEAN VS BLACK SHEEP Jerome Turner "John McClean wanted more 'respectable' competition. I don't think this is what he had in mind." Keen to impress Eric Tyler on commentary, McClean really wants a good, clean fight... but makes a fool out of himself trying to wrestle a cigarette away from Black Sheep, who ducks and dodges and flips his opponent off. McClean goes for the eyes, but it's blocked! Eye Poke from Black Sheep! Roll up! 1... 2... 3! BLACK SHEEP WINS (6:26) John McClean is devastated, complaining to referee Andy Gordy as Black Sheep steals Andy's wallet. Eric Tyler "See what a joke Canadian Golden Combat has become? Wrestlers like this will have no place when I take the CGC World Title and usher in my new era." INTERVIEW ZONE HELEN WHEELS You want to know what it takes to get the attention of a girl like me? Simple. You've got to be a real man. Under 6 feet tall? Don't even waste my time. Less than 240lbs? Keep dreaming, little boy. The shrimps and losers of Canadian Golden Combat keep trying to impress me, but they'll never measure up to my Land Mass and Mammoth. Size matters. Never forget it. CGC TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH Chance & Fate SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE ALEX & JACK DECOLT Eric Tyler "It's painful to see prodigies like these DeColts waste their talents. When my Soldiers take their titles they'll see they have so much more to learn, and they'll come crawling to me." Alex struts his stuff against Chance. Jack takes Fate by the surprise with amateur takedowns! Double Hip Toss! Hard Double Whip to the Buckles! The Soldiers retreat, regrouping at the announce desk as the DeColts celebrate. Tyler offers his men instruction, and another payoff. Eric Tyler "(muffled)... the little one... (muffled)... him suffer..." Jack is eager to keep the fight going, and the Soldiers use that impetuousness to their advantage. Chance brings him behind enemy lines, where he suffers a brutal Fate. The Soldiers cut the ring in half and do exactly what they've been paid to do; punish and torment the Teen Titan. Eric Tyler "This is for your own good, Jack. Join me and I can show you how to be a real champion." Jack doesn't talk to strangers, ignoring Tyler's offer, escaping his Fate, and making the tag! Here comes Alex! Powerful Punches! Pretty Powerslam! Smooth Driving Elbow! Alex gets Fate in the Iron Claw, but has no Chance! He's alone against the Soldier's cohesive destructive power. Spinebuster/Senton Combo! 1... 2... Jack saves the day! He tackles Fate head on and now Alex has a Chance! Iron Claw! The MASKED PREFECT climbs into the ring and takes Alex's head off with a Big Boot! ALEX & JACK DECOLT WIN VIA DISQUALIFICATION (12:02) Jack comes to his brother's aide, but the Masked Man is too big to be taken off his feet with amateur takedowns and he's easily tossed aside. Alex is back, rocking the giant with Powerful Punches, until the Prefect rips off his own mask to reveal... Alex looks like he's seen a ghost. Terrified, he tries to flee but- Big Boot! Clubbing blows! Alex is panicking. Jack jumps on the unmasked giant's back and gets hurled aside again, but it gives Alex just enough breathing room to flee up the ramp. Jerome Turner "The Masked Prefect has unmasked himself, but who is he? And why is Alex so afraid? So many questions to be answered, but it'll have to wait until next week on Title Bout Wrestling! BARRY BOWEN'S SUSPENSION ENDS IN 6 days. 23 hours. 15 minutes. 40 seconds... 39 seconds.... 38 seconds... NEXT WEEK

I assumed he meant the post-WWE stuff. In Punk's pipe bomb he talked about going to New Japan or Ring of Honor, and then he didn't do any of that. Cody did. When he left, he worked all over the place becoming a bigger name and an actual star in the process. Which Punk admittedly didn't need to do. Good or bad, right or wrong. There's a fun bit of reflection there for the characters to chew on. Unless I completely misread the exchange.

He was kind of aloof at some conventions? I would have brought Jungle Boy back sooner than this. Put him on Rampage, jobbing to Jay White in 6 minutes, or going 50/50 against Daddy Magic or Dante Martin, until he shows he can be trusted to not go off-script. He did a dumb thing. He either intentionally antagonized someone more volatile and valuable than he is, or he thought it was a good way to get heat and is just dumb. Either way, that shouldn't be a black mark on him forever. I guess maybe he was told to do it by management and indeed is a scapegoat.

SUNDAY WEEK 3 JANUARY 1997 Edmonton, Alberta (497 in attendance) Shown live on Alberta on Air (3,272) and BCB (3,343) Combined rating <0.01 Canadian Enforcer's In Ring Apology (35) LAND MASS & MAMMOTH VS CONDOR & DRAGON (26) Fort McMurray Highlights (39) DIRTY FRANK VS BATTERING LAMB (33) McClean meets Black Sheep (42) JAKE SLOAN VS MASKED PREFECT (24) DeColts save Sloan (57) Upcoming Events /w Steve (62) JON JETSON VS ED MONTON (50) Alex & Jack Promo (67) FINAL SHOW RATING (55) After last week's debacle, it's good to get back on track. This wasn't going to be a blow-away show, but I was confident Ed Monton could deliver the goods and carry Jetson to a solid main event. I can't say I like the trope of using the opening segment to book the main event, but sometimes fitting all of my storylines together requires compromise. One storyline has to move 'too fast' so another can hit 'on time'. Hopefully the trade-off pays off. At the end of the day, CGC is sports entertainment, and that gives me the excuse to embrace some nonsense booking tropes when it's convenient. The opening Enforcers segment was far too long and suffered for it. I wrote a lot of dialogue, so I couldn't exactly pretend it was 3 minutes. Ed Henson appreciation night was held in Vancouver, at the exact same that time last week's episode was airing on TV. There were a couple of CGC appearances. Ted Moore beat Benjamin Moore (no relation?) and Eddie Chandler beat a young Joey Poison. I love Joey, an absolute star of one of my previous projects, but in my head-canon he's still in his kickpads-and-pleather indy-rific era, so not at the top of the CGC shopping list. The house show in Fort McMurray had a good crowd, but was a pretty bad night of wrestling. I put DeColts in with some lesser-known big guys, so I could show highlights on TV, and none of them were ready for long main events. It doesn't ultimately matter, in that it doesn't hurt my popularity, but I may need to lower my expectations for these shows. Next week on Title Bout Wrestling... CGC Tag Team Titles: Soldiers of Fortune vs Alex & Jack DeColt Biff The Bruiser vs Eddie Chandler John McClean vs Black Sheep