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Janpei

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  1. The Ultimate Fighter Lands in Denver Are we looking at the next evolution of live sports? UFC brand ambassador Ed Healy seems to think so. “The UFC is going to be the sporting event that people will be talking about for a long long time.” The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championships, is - as Healy described it - a single night ironman full contact fighting tournament. What exactly does that mean? Well, Healy describes it as. “Full Contact Fighting is allowing all forms of traditional hand to hand combat. It’s a marriage of traditional martial arts and modern sports. The team’s vision is to make the UFC a brand with the equity of other major sports leagues.” And how does the UFC plan to do that? “There’s literally nothing like what we’re introducing to Denver. Imagine the very best fighters in the world. We’re talking some of the toughest men walking on this planet and now they’re competing in a single night tournament for a chance to become The Ultimate Fighter? And what’s The Ultimate Fighter? “The format for The Ultimate Fighting Championship is what we call an eight man ironman tournament. What that means is the fighter that wins their fight, will go on to fight later that same night in the next round, and this continues all the way until the finals. Two fighters will end up fighting three times in the same night. The man to survive all three fights becomes The Ultimate Fighter. The Ultimate Fighter walks away with a $15,000 grand prize with the runner up, receiving $5,000.” Ironman indeed. As of this article, we’ve learned that the tournament fights will be fought with a thirty minute time limit and in the event of a time limit, three judges will be stationed around ringside to assess a winner. This tournament will not be for the faint of heart. Fights can be won by knockout, submission, the aforementioned time limit expires, or a referee stoppage. For my own clarification, I asked and yes, if a fighter can get a hold of a limb, he is allowed to manipulate it in such a way that his opponent forfeits. Without question, the Ultimate Fighter tournament will be one hell of a spectacle.
  2. Still taking in comments and suggestions. I appreciate the feedback I've been able to receive. I intend to implement graphics into this project, so expect a complete overhaul soon!
  3. <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><b>Warrior’s Road Live on CBS</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> Live from the Landers Center (Southaven, MO)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> Thursday, March 19, 2020 (Thursday, March Week 3 2020)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> Attendance: 9,700</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> Broadcast Team</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> <i></span><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-size:14px;">Rich Bocchini</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"> Nick McNeil</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"> Chael Sonnen</span></span><span style="font-size:18px;"></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> <b>Pre-Show Notes</b></span></p><p> </p><p> <i><span style="font-size:14px;">-Timothy Thatcher has made a full recovery from a strained bicep.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"> -Last week’s Warrior’s Road on CBS garnered 6.9 million viewers.</i></span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Showtime!</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Road Agent <b>Doug Williams</b> discovered <b>Mercedes KV</b> knocked out unconscious near the locker room area of the arena. At the sight, Williams shouted for help while commentary indicated disgust over what they had just seen.</p><p> </p><p> “I hope Stokely Hathaway is happy with himself”</p><p> </p><p> <b>(C-)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Chris Ridgeway defeated David Starr via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> Chris Ridgeway is a talent who we’ve touted as having a major future in Warrior’s Road. He was one of the first names we announced with Chael having a ton of good things to say about him during the nationwide promotional tour. Since then, he’s only been featured on our show ONE time and that was a loss to <b>Davey Boy Smith Jr.</b> Needless to say, we wanted to get Chris Ridgeway back on track.</p><p> </p><p> That’s where David Starr comes in. Starr is a talented worker in his own right with some personality to complement his ability. He’s primarily known for his run in the United Kingdom independents and even has a history of working with Chris Ridgeway. Naturally, we ended up bringing in David Starr on a pay per appearance deal and while we’re not sure where exactly his time in Warrior’s Road will ultimately take him, we do know that right now, we needed to get some momentum rolling in Ridgeway’s favor.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> David Starr got a little bit of offense and shouted insults at the audience to assert his position as a heel. At 9:58, however, Chris Ridgeway was able to put away David Starr with a tiger bomb to finally get one in the win column.</p><p> </p><p> <b>(D+)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Stokely Hathaway</b> was interviewed by <b>Valerie Wyndham</b> where he vehemently denied having any involvement with whatever happened to Mercedes KV</p><p> </p><p> <b>©</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Alpha Female defeated Tessa Blanchard via pinfall</p><p> </p><p> Producer’s Notes:</b> We’re not in the business of giving anything away just yet so we used the angle with Mercedes KV at the beginning of the show as a way to put a pause on the program between the three and save it for a later date.</p><p> </p><p> We booked this similarly to <b>CM Punk</b> vs. <b>Nick Aldis</b> with Tessa Blanchard showing a lot of babyface fire by hitting a string of offense only to be cut off by Alpha Female’s superior strength anytime it looked like Blanchard was gaining the offensive advantage. Try as she might, an Omega Plex (now known as Alpha Plex) from Alpha Female at 14:04 was enough to leave Tessa Blanchard on the canvas for a three count.</p><p> </p><p> <b>(C-)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i>Stokely Hathaway joined Alpha Female in the ring. Hathaway began taunting the Warrior’s Road women’s roster, indicating that there was no one in Warrior’s Road tough enough to handle Alpha Female. Unfamiliar music hit the PA system and <b>Jordynne Grace</b> appeared on stage before walking into the ring where she engaged in a face off with Alpha Female.</p><p> </p><p> <b>©</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i>A recap of last week’s Gold Series Challenge matches aired with the main feature being the contest between <b>Nick Aldis</b> and <b>CM Punk</b> and the formation of the new stable <b>The Prestige</b> which comprised of Nick Aldis, <b>KC McKnight</b>, and <b>Steve Walters</b>.</p><p> </p><p> <b>(B)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Randy Orton defeated Tom Lawlor via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> We trusted Randy Orton and Tom Lawlor with being able to call this match in the ring, but we did leave them with one story beat: Tom Lawlor, being the only one in the block with no wins, wanted to make a huge statement by beating a multi time world champion. The two men took that instruction to craft a really well done story that the crowd really got into.</p><p> </p><p> Tom Lawlor worked an underdog role, but with Randy Orton’s help was able to assert himself as a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain and with commentary discussing his legitimate background in mixed martial arts, Tom Lawlor was painted as a serious threat and potential spoiler for Randy Orton’s standing in the Gold Series Challenge.</p><p> </p><p> Tom Lawlor brought such an intensity and fire with his offense that he had the crowd buzzing with some beautiful suplexes and later in the match a rear naked choke that some in the crowd believed would be the end. We even had Tom Lawlor work in a series of martial arts strikes, finalized by a stiff looking head kick that earned him a nearfall. Make no mistake about it, this was the best Tom Lawlor looked since joining Warrior’s Road and we were all elated to see what he could truly bring.</p><p> </p><p> Unfortunately with this round robin tournament, someone must lose, and at this stage in the game, that someone cannot be Randy Orton and Orton, the master storyteller, set up a finish where he goaded Tom Lawlor into a striking exchange only to sneak in an RKO mid trade. The RKO earned Randy Orton another two points after a pinfall at 15:34.</p><p> </p><p> <b>(B)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Tama Tonga</b> joined ringside not shortly after Randy Orton’s match and the two broke out into a brawl that took them all around the ringside area. The brawling looked really good with both men getting some strong looking punches in and fighting through the road agents, referees, and security team that were sent out to keep them apart. Eventually, <b>Chael Sonnen</b> left the commentary booth to join in on pulling the two apart which we felt helped sell the intensity of their feud.</p><p> </p><p> <b>(B+)</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Jeff Cobb defeated Matt Mercer via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> At this moment, no one is really sure when it happened, but at some point during the match Matt Mercer must have miscued a high risk spot with Jeff Cobb. When Mercer connected with a tope on Cobb, Cobb winced and grimaced while laid out on the ground. Once the two got back up to proceed to their next sequence of offense, Cobb could be spotted limping around.</p><p> </p><p> The injury hurt the rest of the match, which is unfortunate, because we had this one penned to go a lot longer, but it was still a fairly decent match. We continued telling the story of the unpredictable nature of the Gold Series Challenge and we wanted Cobb to be in the thick of it as far as the Gold Series standings were concerned, so we had Cobb stage what many considered an upset victory after putting Mercer away with a Tour of the Islands at 14:11.</p><p> </p><p> <b>©</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i><b>Main Event</p><p> Gold Series Challenge</p><p> PCO vs. Brian Cage</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> We were looking for a spectacle here. Probably going to get ahead of myself here but PCO and Brian Cage is a feud we would like to visit after the Gold Series Challenge wraps up and this was a way to gauge fan interest.</p><p> </p><p> We weren’t concerned with match quality or who needed the win more. The whole purpose of this match was to give the crowd King Kong vs. Godzilla. A fun, memorable battle between two brutes who had no issues beating the hell out of each other. Again, something that the audience could walk away from thinking that there wasn’t another promotion in the world that would deliver something as off the rails as this.</p><p> </p><p> The match started with Brian Cage flying to the outside at PCO with a suicide dive. Minutes later, PCO followed up by flipping through the ropes and colliding into Cage with a cannonball. The whole time we had Chael, <b>Rich Bocchini</b>, and <b>Nick McNeil</b> discuss how no men at their size should be able to do the things they’re doing.</p><p> </p><p> From there, the two went outside. Some of the brawling was similar to PCO and Randy Orton from a couple of weeks ago but no where near as clean. Then we went to the finale: the entrance stage. On stage, Brian Cage began hitting PCO with some heavy punches before laying into PCO with a series of brutal looking lariats...but PCO still stood on both feet. Brian Cage added some fire with a discus lariat but again, PCO would not fall. Brian Cage started in motion for one more discus lariat, but PCO interrupted by grabbing Cage by the throat with both hands. Cage and PCO wrestled for control before they both fell off the stage, collapsing through a set of tables that the audio, camera, and stagehand crew used for downtime during the production of the show.</p><p> </p><p> The spot was a lot safer than it looked. We had crash pads that were cloaked by black vinyl all underneath the tables. The purpose of the crash pads were obviously to absorb the impact of Cage and PCO, but also to make the bump sound louder and more dangerous. We also had some lighting and stage equipment that PCO and Brian Cage were instructed to knock over once they hit the crash pads to give the scene a more gruesome visual.</p><p> </p><p> Overall, the execution was okay. It didn’t look hokey or too contrived and the crowd did seem to respond to it positively. With that said, I do think that if this angle were to take place outside of the Gold Series Challenge, it would have gone over a lot better with the audience.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Brian Cage and PCO go to a no contest</p><p> ©</b></i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><i>The camera crew surveyed the chaos that came as a consequence of PCO and Brian Cage with commentary putting over how crazy the encounter was. Chael Sonnen’s voice indicated concern with him asking for medical to get out to ringside and check on the two men. At that moment, however, the wreckage from the fall began to shift and move when suddenly, PCO got back to his feet. From commentary, Nick McNeil ended the show with declarative statement.</p><p> </p><p> “THAT MAN IS NOT HUMAN!”</p><p> </p><p> <b>(C+)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> Randy Orton - 4</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 4</p><p> Matt Mercer - 4</p><p> Brian Cage - 3</p><p> PCO - 3</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</i></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">Show Rating: B-</span></strong></p></div><p></p></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></blockquote>
  4. I'm going to implement some format changes to this project because I'm beginning to learn that the content isn't so pleasing on the eyes. I haven't decided if I'm going to start relying on graphics but I at least want things broken up so it's easier to follow. When I have time, I'm going to edit the past posts so that they're easier to read too. Apologies for the unappetizing design choice. Hopefully the fixes make this more accessible!
  5. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>After the Bell - The Warrior’s Road on CBS Post-Show</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>(After reading an old UFC Diary I did about six years ago, I’m going to try something different to speed up the type time.)</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Panelists:</b> Rich Bocchini, Nick McNeil, Chael Sonnen, Valerie Wyndham</p><p> </p><p> <i>-<b>Chael Sonnen</b> officially confirmed the partnership with Sendai Girls. Current Sendai Girls World Champion, <b>Saree</b>, would be competing in the Summer Heat Series.</p><p> </p><p> -Summer Heat Series was revealed to be a sixteen woman single elimination tournament but Chael indicated he would talk more about it when the time came.</p><p> </p><p> -On The Catch Kings - Chael indicated that he was very upset and frustrated with their behavior and that he’s going to try to rein them in. </p><p> </p><p> -All four panelists discussed PCO being superhuman. Could not believe that he was able to leave the ring after three RKOs and a punt on his own volition. </p><p> </p><p> -Chael Sonnen revealed that he sent Punk to get a second opinion from his own doctor and both Punk’s physician and Warrior’s Road’s chief medical trainer have both given the greenlight for CM Punk to compete next week.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge Leaderboards</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Matt Mercer - 4</p><p> Randy Orton - 2</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 2</p><p> Brian Cage - 2</p><p> PCO - 2</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A</b></p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada - 4</p><p> Nick Aldis - 4</p><p> CM Punk - 2</p><p> Timothy Thatcher - 2</p><p> Tama Tonga - 0</p><p> Moose - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Up Next</p><p> </p><p> Block A - March 12</b></p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. CM Punk</p><p> </p><p> Timothy Thatcher vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B - March 19</b></p><p> </p><p> PCO vs. Brian Cage</p><p> </p><p> Jeff Cobb vs. Matt Mercer</p><p> </p><p> Tom Lawlor vs. Randy Orton</p><p> </p><p> “That’s it for us on CBSSports.com! See you next Thursday!</i></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #5</b></p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. CM Punk</p><p> </p><p> Timothy Thatcher vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga</p><p> </p><p> Bonus:</p><p> </p><p> The End vs Aussie Open - who ya got!?</p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #4 Results</b></p><p> </p><p> joshspicer - 1/4 (8pt total) - Ouch. You had a chance to secure a huge lead but your instincts led you wrong.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> I’m going to offer any new readers double point values so they can catch up in the leaderboard. Thanks for reading everyone!</p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  6. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Warrior’s Road Live on CBS</p><p> Live from the Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)</p><p> Thursday, March 5 2020 (Thursday, March Week 1 2020)</p><p> </p><p> Attendance: 9,500</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Broadcast Team</b></p><p> </p><p> Rich Bocchini</p><p> Nick McNeil</p><p> Chael Sonnen</p><p> </p><p> <b>Pre-Show Notes</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>-A talent exchange program has been agreed upon between Warrior’s Road Championships and Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling. Expect to see some of their more marquee talent on our television..</p><p> </p><p> -Last week’s Warrior’s Road on CBS garnered 6.9 million viewers</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Showtime!</b></p><p> </p><p> <i><b>Randy Orton</b> was shown entering the arena. <b>Valerie Wyndham</b> caught up to him wanting words on his upcoming match with <b>PCO</b> and the ongoing rivalry with <b>Tama Tonga</b>.</p><p> </p><p> ”I’ve been in that ring with big red demons and deadmen. Frankensteins don’t scare me. As for Tama Tonga...let’s just say revenge is a dish best served cold.” <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>The Catch Kings defeated LAX via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> Over the weeks, we’ve decided to have Gresham drop the cocky gimmick in favor of a grappling machine persona. With this match we wanted to heavily emphasize the technical capabilities of Chris Brookes and Jon Gresham to show that both men are legitimate threats and not to be taken lightly. </p><p> </p><p> Despite that, we’re still not too keen on giving this match away yet. With designs on making this and <b>The End</b> and <b>Aussie Open</b> our two prominent tag team programs, we want to get some more mileage out of this rivalry. The decision was made to go the route of another tainted victory.</p><p> </p><p> We did shake things up this time, however. Gresham faked another eye injury to gain the referee’s attention. The moment the referee looked away, Chris Brookes tried for another kick between the legs, but this time Ortiz caught the kick. The moment Gresham became aware of what was happening, he “accidentally” pushed the referee into Angel Ortiz and during the confusion of the collision, it was Jon Gresham who would succeed with a low blow this time. Chris Brookes covered Ortiz to pick up a pinfall at 14:08. <b>(C-)</b>.</p><p> </p><p> A video package featuring <b>KC McKnight</b> and <b>Steven Walters</b>, formerly Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder respectively, aired. They announced that they would be making their debut on next week’s show. <b>(C-)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Hiroyo Matsumoto defeated Lisa Marie Varon via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> A little impromptu but we wanted to shake things up this episode and feature a women’s wrestling match. Hiroyo Matsumoto is also a talent we have aims on featuring in our Summer Heat Series to crown our first Women’s Champion, so we wanted her to even out her record after losing in her debut.</p><p> </p><p> We’re building up toward an angle where Lisa Marie Varon is suddenly on a skid during the twilight years of her career. We’re planting early seeds for a heel turn and had her show signs of frustration throughout the match. Her attitude arguably ended up costing her this match, for it was during an argument between Varon and referee Marc Harris where Matsumoto was able to capitalize by picking up a victory after a sit-out powerbomb at 12:59. <b>(C-)</b></p><p> </p><p> A recap of last week’s Gold Series Challenge A Block action aired. The biggest highlight featured the <b>Nick Aldis</b> attacking <b>CM Punk’s</b> knee. From commentary, <b>Chael Sonnen</b> did confirm that the Warrior’s Road’s chief physician has given the okay for CM Punk to compete next week. <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Jeff Cobb defeated Tom Lawlor via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> This match did not come together as we would have liked. Cobb seemed off of his game and overall, the two didn’t seem to mesh very well. Thankfully, we didn’t have plans for this match to have too much time because we plan on setting up a later angle for Tom Lawlor that hopefully will help get him over in a big way.</p><p> </p><p> The two worked a more hybrid-based work shoot style, similar to what you’d find in a promotion like UWFi but it was a little awkward and clumsy and just didn’t go over too well with our audience. Jeff Cobb picked up the victory at 14:02 after putting Tom Lawlor away with the Tour of the Islands. <b>(D+)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Mercedes KV</b> and <b>Tessa Blanchard</b> were backstage with Valerie Wyndham. The two wrestlers stated that they had both requested matches with <b>Alpha Female</b> several times but that <b>Stokely Hathaway</b> had blocked all proposals. They then revealed that <b>Chael Sonnen</b> stepped in and signed a triple threat for the March 19 episode of Warrior’s Road on CBS. Tessa then made a final declaration.</p><p> </p><p> “When that’s over, you and I can finish our business, Mercedes…” <b>(B-)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Matt Mercer defeated Brian Cage via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> Despite Brian Cage being a huge pet project, we want Matt Mercer in the upper echelons of our roster. Apparently, <b>Al Snow</b>, who was the primary person responsible for scouting talent had eyes set on him the moment it was revealed that <b>Frank and Lorenzo</b> were willing to spend big money to buy out contracts. After just two meetings and a lookover of his work on 205 Live, the Fertittas had to have him.</p><p> </p><p> Even though Brian Cage picked up a huge win over Randy Orton two weeks ago, we had our reasons for putting Matt Mercer over in this one. One aim: to drive home the unpredictable nature of the Gold Series Challenge. If Matt Mercer could beat the guy who just beat Randy Orton, then anyone could win this thing. Two: Well, that’s something that’s best left saved for down the road.</p><p> </p><p> We made it a point for the commentary to drive home that this was an upset. Not because Matt Mercer isn’t on the same level of Brian Cage but because Brian Cage was considered the odds on favorite to win the block after beating Orton. We wanted to give the win an element of shock so at 13:57, we had Mercer pick up the pinfall after a flash Mercy Blow that seemed to come from out of nowhere. <b>©</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Kevin Sullivan</b> cut a very brief promo on the invincibility of his monster PCO who stood behind Sullivan, making loud grunts and giving a menacing glare to the camera. <b>(C+)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> PCO vs. Randy Orton</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> While we knew what ending we wanted to use, we let Randy Orton and PCO call this out in the ring with the specific instruction to make this a brawl that fans would leave the building talking about for hours. The two did just that.</p><p> </p><p> As soon as the bell sounded to start the match, Randy Orton floored PCO with a surprise RKO. To Randy Orton’s shock, however, the French Canadian Frakenstein got back to his feet and invited Randy Orton to try for another. Orton, who obliged PCO’s invite hit him with a second RKO and even though it did take PCO a second longer to get to his feet, he was back up asking for more.</p><p> </p><p> From there, the two took it outside of the ring. Fighting along entrance way and even amongst the front row of the crowd and the audience was eating every moment up.. We featured a big spot where Randy Orton took a bump through the timekeeper’s table after practically being ragdolled by PCO. This caused the crowd to break into a Warrior’s Road chant which everyone backstage was really proud of.</p><p> </p><p> We didn’t give them very much time to work with. The match clocking in at only 13:35 made it our shortest main event to date. Short but sweet was the philosophy we employed for this and it certainly worked out. The end saw Randy Orton drop PCO with another RKO, but “The Viper” could see PCO showing signs of life on the canvas. So, Randy Orton dug into his arsenal and set up for a move that so far in his career no one had been able to come back from: the punt. A kick to the head later and Randy Orton picked up the victory, earning two points in the Gold Series Challenge. It was enough to keep PCO down but we did make sure that after Orton made his way back up the entrance way, that PCO slowly but surely got back to his feet to prove that he truly was indestructible. <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Matt Mercer - 4</p><p> Randy Orton - 2</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 2</p><p> Brian Cage - 2</p><p> PCO - 2</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Show Rating: B-</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>After Show Meeting</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Tonight marked another solid show for Warrior’s Road that has increased our popularity throughout all regions of the United States. We’re excited to have established a talent program with Sendai and hope to get some of their key names featured in our programming. We’re approaching stage three of the Gold Series Challenge so now we had to look at the bigger picture: our first Pay Per View…</i></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Wrestling Observer Match Ratings</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>(doing these up until the Gold Series Challenge finishes. From there, they’ll only pop up for a big match or a bigger event.)</p><p> </p><p> LAX vs. The Catch Kings - ***</p><p> </p><p> Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Lisa Marie Varon - ***</p><p> </p><p> Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor - **¾ </p><p> </p><p> Matt Mercer vs. Brian Cage - ***¼ </p><p> </p><p> Randy Orton vs. PCO - ****</i></p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  7. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>After the Bell - The Warrior’s Road on CBS Post-Show</b></p><p> </p><p> <i><b>Rich Boccini</b>, <b>Chael Sonnen</b>, <b>Nick McNeil</b>, and <b>Valerie Wyndham</b> all wore grave faces in reaction to <b>CM Punk’s</b> assault at the hand of <b>Nick Aldis</b>.</p><p> </p><p> “I’m not even going to ask for a replay. I’m just disgusted thinking about it.” (Wyndham)</p><p> </p><p> “But why? What provoked Nick to do it?” (Bocchini)</p><p> </p><p> “Because I guess Nick Aldis must have caught a glimpse of the tournament layout during one of the pre-show meetings. In two week’s time, he’s facing CM Punk. He wanted an early advantage. I’m sick. I’m beside myself over the whole thing. First off, Aldis is being fined for putting his hands on a ref. Second, Aldis is being fined DOUBLE for ignoring the agents and other officials. Aldis, if you do something like that again, your ass is out of here! Pardon my language guys, but I’m not putting up with that kind of bs here.”</p><p> </p><p> The four panelists not wanting to dwell on the situation too much longer started discussing the Gold Series Challenge matches that took place tonight. A graphic then displayed showing the leaderboards for both blocks as well as the upcoming matches.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A</b></p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada - 4</p><p> Nick Aldis - 4</p><p> CM Punk - 2</p><p> Timothy Thatcher - 2</p><p> Tama Tonga - 0</p><p> Moose - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> Brian Cage - 2</p><p> PCO - 2</p><p> Matt Mercer - 2</p><p> Randy Orton - 0</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 0</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B - March 5</b></p><p> </p><p> Randy Orton vs. PCO</p><p> </p><p> Brian Cage vs. Matt Mercer</p><p> </p><p> Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A - March 12</b> </p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. CM Punk</p><p> </p><p> Timothy Thatcher vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga</p><p> </p><p> ”Thanks for joining us on CBSSports.com. We will see you next week!”</i></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #4</b></p><p> </p><p> Randy Orton vs. PCO</p><p> </p><p> Brian Cage vs. Matt Mercer</p><p> </p><p> Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor</p><p> </p><p> Bonus:</p><p> </p><p> LAX vs. The Catch Kings - Who ya got!?</p><p> </p><p> Personal Survey: So I’m four shows into the new Diary and I’m really enjoying what I’ve created so far. I’m glad I have some readers participating in the pick’em but now I want to hear from YOU! What are you liking about the Diary? What are you not liking? Any feedback, positive or negative is absolutely appreciated. I want this thing to be accessible for everyone!</p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge Pick #3 Results</b></p><p> </p><p> EBEZA - 4/4 (6pt total) - You absolutely killed it this round. Nice going! Glad you’re picking up on some of the strategies with my booking.</p><p> </p><p> joshspicer - 3/4 (7pt total) - Had you gone back on your Meiko vs. Kong pick we’d be looking at a tie ball game. It’s razor thin, though. It’s also not too late for new readers to join. Make those picks count!</p><p> </p><p> Thanks for reading!</p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  8. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Warrior’s Road Live on CBS</p><p> Live from the Laredo Energy Center (Laredo, TX)</p><p> Thursday, February 27 2020 (Thursday, February Week 4 2020)</p><p> </p><p> Attendance: 9,236</p><p> </p><p> Broadcast Team</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Rich Bocchini</p><p> Nick McNeil</p><p> Chael Sonnen</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Pre-Show Notes</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Last week’s Warrior’s Road on CBS garnered 5.9 million viewers.</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Showtime</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>A recap of last week’s Gold Series Challenge matches kicked off the night’s episode. While all three matches from last week’s stage of the tournament had screen time, the major focus saw <b>Brian Cage</b> defeating <b>Randy Orton</b> with the Drill Claw.</p><p> </p><p> The scores from Block B were displayed before they transitioned to display the Block A scores.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> Brian Cage - 2</p><p> PCO - 2</p><p> Matt Mercer - 2</p><p> Randy Orton - 0</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 0</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A</b></p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada - 2</p><p> Nick Aldis - 2</p><p> Timothy Thatcher - 2</p><p> CM Punk - 0</p><p> Moose - 0</p><p> Tama Tonga - 0</p><p> </p><p> “Tonight, we have more Block A action. The three men on the bottom of the leader board have a chance to tie things up. Tonight is crucial. You do not want to be digging yourself out of a hole in round three.” <b>(B-)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Meiko Satomura defeated Aja Kong via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> Aja Kong’s appearance tonight was essentially a guest spot. Meiko Satomura, being the headbooker of Sendai Girls, pulled in a favor and got Kong in contact with the Fertittas so that she could appear on tonight’s episode.</p><p> </p><p> Honestly hoping not to jinx any potential partnerships, but we’re looking at getting involved in some sort of talent exchange capacity with Sendai Girls so that we can feature their joshi talent as part of our women’s division. At the moment, however, the night’s match between Meiko Satomura and Aja Kong served as a precursor.</p><p> </p><p> Despite being 49 years old and eyeing retirement, Aja Kong was still able to work a fifteen minute affair with Meiko Satomura, who we’re hoping to make the 1-C to <b>Mercedes KV</b> and <b>Tessa Blanchard</b> 1-A and 1-B. The Fertittas brought Satomura into Warrior’s Road because <b>Chael Sonnen</b> had been impressed with what he had seen of her in the United Kingdom, but at that time, we were really only thinking she’d be a solid undercard act. The way she won the audience over with <b>Hiroyo Matsumoto</b> on our debut episode, though...we had to reconsider our plans.</p><p> </p><p> Las Vegas was not a fluke. The crowd in Laredo were very receptive to both Japanese wrestlers, though, were showing more favoritism toward Meiko Satomura who we had working from underneath the monstrous Aja Kong. Satomura got an “Ooh!” reaction from the crowd after flattening Aja Kong with her signature Scorpio Rising axe kick, earning the victory at 15:25. <b>©</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Stokely Hathaway</b> and <b>Timothy Thatcher</b> were in the interview area with <b>Valerie Wyndham</b>>. Right when Valerie was about to make a joke in reference to <b>Stokely’s</b> Olympic class sprint last week, she backed down when <b>Alpha Female</b> and the two big men who attacked <b>Aussie Open</b> joined the Hathaway and Thatcher..</p><p> </p><p> ”Mercedes, Tessa...Alpha Female will deal with you two some other time when we have time. At the moment, we just don’t see the money there. Tonight, this gentleman here, Mr. Timothy Thatcher, is going to lead Block A with six points. Yes, you heard me. Six. Points. He beat two men two weeks ago. That puts him in the lead. Nick Aldis, I think you’re going to have a bright future in pro wrestling, but that’s after Timothy Thatcher’s out of the picture...WHICH WILL NEVER HAPPEN! Now onto my next piece of business. Aussie Open...I can’t tell if you two are dumb or just plain stupid. I had to read the document twice...you should have seen the smile on my face. You really want this match? Ha...granted! Signed, sealed, and delivered; my newest clients Parrow and Odinson have agreed to face you two in tag action. Mark the date, March 12 because when that day comes, you will only remember them as The End!” </p><p> </p><p> We fell into the trap of giving Stokely Hathaway too much to say not to mention that Stokely, Wyndham, Odinson, Parrow, Alpha Female, and Thatcher all shared screen time...there was just too much going on. We’re still trying to figure out how we want to work Stokely and Hathaway Enterprise into our television, but we all agree that all five make a great midcard act. <b>(C-)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Nick Aldis defeated Timothy Thatcher via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> One thing that makes Warrior’s Road stand out from the other top TV promotions is that we’re considerably more unorthodox. We do have defined faces and heels but we have absolutely no objection to pitting heels against heels and faces against faces. Creatively, we felt that this gave our brand a shade of realism. We wanted that combat sports element and not having everything perfectly work out where the bad guys always wrestled the good guys helped with that. At least that’s the idea.</p><p> </p><p> Aldis and Thatcher wrestled what many would consider to be a traditional wrestling match. The match started heavy with chain wrestling where we made absolutely sure that Thatcher quite clearly had a distinct advantage. Thatcher is supposed to be a no gimmicks needed wrestler’s wrestler, it’s imperative that he comes off as the superior mat technician.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> To counter that, Nick Aldis had to employ dirtier tactics. Nothing that could outright warrant a disqualification. Just an offense that most wrestling fans would associate with traditional heels. Eye gouges, back rakes, closed fist punches, using the ropes for illegal chokes...Aldis employed all of the classic tropes enroute to securing a victory with a King’s Crown at 15:14. <b>(C+)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Tama Tonga</b> was backstage with Valerie Wyndham. Valerie talked about Tama Tonga’s actions with Randy Orton last week but was more concerned with whether or not Tama Tonga was actually going to participate in tonight’s match.</p><p> </p><p> “Val, Val, Val...I don’t know what people have told you about me, but I’m a good guy! I’m in a great mood. Life is great! What happened last week has nothing to do with it. I’m just a changed man. But...hypothetically...let’s say that the misfortunes of a certain snake might have something to do with the sun shining in my hood...then maybe I’d start cutting the heads off more snakes. That’s exactly what Punk is, another one of these fake ass snakes. The tattoos, the attitude, he’s a real bad ass loner! Val, you know I’m one of the realest mothe...cats...in all of pro wrestling. So Punk, let’s just say I’m looking reeeeeeaaaaaaal forward to exposing you for the fake ass fraud that you are.” <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Kazuchika Okada defeated Moose via pinfall</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> First off, holy crap. Moose. Second off, holy crap. Moose. He absolutely brought it in this match with Kazuchika Okada. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We saw a lot of potential in Moose. We wouldn’t have signed him if we thought otherwise. We truly didn’t know what we had until this match, though.</p><p> </p><p> No question did Kazuchika Okada deserve some of that credit. In his second match in a row, he was showcasing to the American audience why he was considered one of the best in the world. He’s so polished and crisp in the ring...you simply can’t take your eyes off of him. Regardless, Moose brought his A-game.</p><p> </p><p> Okada was not selfish at all with his offense, making sure to take as much as he gave. Moose brought intensity with every bit of his power offense and Okada made sure to sell it properly. For instance, one highlight in the match saw Moose counter a Rainmaker into a devastating spinebuster and given Okada’s facial reaction, you’d have thought Moose really did bust his spine.</p><p> </p><p> The match length began to show on Moose and in that instant we knew we couldn’t go toward long act matches with Moose this soon in his Warrior’s Road career. Even though he lost to a Rainmaker at 17:11, this match would cause us to fully commit to a future Moose project. <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> A video package played, at first just a woman’s silhouette accompanied to some generic upbeat music. The silhouette came into focus to reveal that <b>Tenille Dashwood</b> had officially signed to Warrior’s Road.</p><p> </p><p> “In Warrior’s Road...It’s. All. About. Me” <b>(D+)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge</p><p> CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Producer’s Notes:</b> We weren’t looking for a mat classic with this one. Storytelling was purely our focus so even though both men were involved in programs with two of our other top stars, commentary was instructed to remind the audience of the importance of either man picking up a win so they could be in good standing in the Gold Series Challenge.</p><p> </p><p> After the promo Tama Tonga cut two weeks ago about not caring about winning the Gold Series Challenge we knew we created an adverse set of obstacles for explaining why Tama Tonga suddenly cared about winning again. That’s where the power in Tama Tonga’s promo earlier in the night came into play. First, he talked about how much better of a mood he was in after dropping Randy Orton last week plus, by directly comparing Punk to Orton, a comparison that we in creative thought worked really well, Tonga now had motivation to beat Punk.</p><p> </p><p> CM Punk has been such a focal point for our brand, that he needed to come off strong. We’re still not entirely sure where we’re going with Punk. He’s poised to be our main attraction. Having him come out every week would work against that. Having him come out and lose every week would be even worse.</p><p> </p><p> We still wanted to tell the story of Tama Tonga taking this match seriously, so Tonga got generous amounts of offense and trash talked the crowd to get some heat. He even continued pushing the angle between himself and Randy Orton by occasionally looking at the camera and asking “Hey, Vipe, did ya see that?” after any successful offense. CM Punk, however, was able to hit a big babyface comeback spot followed by a Go 2 Sleep to win the match at 18:36. <b>(C+)</b></p><p> </p><p> While Punk was still coming to his senses after a hard fought victory <b>Nick Aldis</b> entered the ring and clipped Punk’s right knee with a shoulder block. Referee <b>Chris Roberts</b> got in the way, but his attempt at preventing the assault proved fruitless after Aldis tossed him out of the ring. Aldis went right back on the offensive, stomping on Punk’s right knee several times while Rich Bocchini made sure to mention CM Punk’s past issues with the knee. </p><p> </p><p> Finally came the coup de grace: Nick Aldis put all of his weight on CM Punk’s knee with the King’s Lynn Cloverleaf. At this point, CM Punk hollered out in pain while Aldis tightened the pressure. Eventually more officials hit the ringside as well as road agents <b>Doug Williams</b>, <b>Al Snow</b>, and <b>Gregory Helms</b>. Even <b>Chael Sonnen</b> left the commentary booth to intervene. The moment Nick Aldis let go of the hold, he was escorted to the back by Helms, Snow, and Williams while Sonnen shouted for the medical team to come out to the ring to tend to Punk. <b>(B)</b></p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A</b></p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada - 4</p><p> Nick Aldis - 4</p><p> CM Punk - 2</p><p> Timothy Thatcher - 2</p><p> Tama Tonga - 0</p><p> Moose - 0</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Show Rating: B-</b></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>After Show Meeting</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Another pretty good show that saw our popularity increase in the American market. One thing that we all felt that WRC was doing really well: showing that there are multiple ways for talent to get over. Call it hyperbolic, but there’s not another mainstream wrestling promotion in America that is promoting international talent in the way we are. Not even AEW. Talent like Kazuchika Okada and Meiko Satomura are getting over with the crowd despite the language barrier. Now if only we could work some luchadores regularly into our programming…</i></p><p> </p><p> <b>Wrestling Observer Match Ratings</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>Meiko Satomura vs. Aja Kong - ***¼</p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. Timothy Thatcher - ***½ </p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose - ****</p><p> </p><p> CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga - ***1/2 </i></p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  9. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>After the Bell</b></p><p> </p><p> <i>The team of <b>Rich Bocchini</b>, <b>Nick McNeil</b>, <b>Chael Sonnen</b>, and <b>Valerie Wyndham</b> were present in the studio again to discuss the highlights of Warrior’s Road on CBS.</p><p> </p><p> Valerie Wyndham, who couldn’t help but burst into laughter, asked for a replay of <b>Stokely Hathaway</b> running away from <b>Mercedes KV</b> and <b>Tessa Blanchard</b>. The production truck obliged, replaying the event several times in different styles, including slow motion and high speed. Chael Sonnen jokingly offered play by play, humorously explaining the technique Hathaway employed to pick up speed.</p><p> </p><p> With the jokes out of the way, the four panelists agreed that it was nice to see <b>Lisa Marie Varon</b> in Warrior’s Road. Chael Sonnen complimented her experience and tenure in the business and revealed that he pulled her aside after her match to work out some future dates with her.</p><p> </p><p> When discussing plans for next week’s show, Nick McNeil asked Chael if Warrior’s Road will be seeing the second chapter in the LAX and The Catch Kings’ story. Chael confirmed that in two week’s time, the two would meet in a tag team rematch.</p><p> </p><p> Chael made a major announcement for next week’s show: <b>Meiko Satomura</b> would return in what he called a blockbuster women’s match.</p><p> </p><p> “I’m calling it here! I’m calling it now! Next Thursday live ONLY on CBS - Meiko Satomura and Aja Kong!”</p><p> </p><p> To close out the show, the four reviewed the Gold Series Challenge standings as well as looked at the weeks ahead.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A</b></p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada - 2</p><p> Nick Aldis - 2</p><p> Timothy Thatcher - 2</p><p> CM Punk - 0</p><p> Moose - 0</p><p> Tama Tonga - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B</b></p><p> </p><p> Brian Cage - 2</p><p> PCO - 2</p><p> Matt Mercer - 2</p><p> Randy Orton - 0</p><p> Jeff Cobb - 0</p><p> Tom Lawlor - 0</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block A - February 27</b></p><p> </p><p> CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga</p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Timothy Thatcher vs. Nick Aldis</p><p> </p><p> <b>Block B - March 5</b></p><p> </p><p> Randy Orton vs. PCO</p><p> </p><p> Matt Mercer vs. Brian Cage</p><p> </p><p> Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor</p><p> </p><p> “That’s it from all of us on CBSSports.com. See you next week!”</p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><b>Gold Series Challenge Pick’em #3</b></p><p> </p><p> CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga</p><p> </p><p> Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. Timothy Thatcher</p><p> </p><p> Bonus</p><p> </p><p> Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura - who ya got!?</p><p> </p><p> <b>Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #2 Results</b></p><p> </p><p> joshspicer - 2/5 (4pt total) - You were one week early on the Aja Kong prediction, my friend. I can’t believe you knew she was coming, though. Again, your decision making is very sound and logical. I guess I exist to defy logic. <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> :D</p><p> </p><p> EBEZA - 2/5 (2pt total) - I hear you loud and clear on rallying for Jeff Cobb. When stringing together these round robin blocks, I had such a difficult time deciding who was winning what match as I planned each night out. That out of the way, I can’t believe there are two people denying the indestructibility of the French Canadian Frankenstein. Don’t. Doubt. PCO. Also, all the way with you on #PushMercer. How has not been on Raw or SmackDown yet? He, Alexander, Itami, Ali, and Gulak were my favorite things in all of WWE. I jokingly called them the Live Five as a nod to the SmackDown Six when I was growing up. They made 205 Live must watch TV every week. </p><p> </p><p> Also, I’ve decided that the winner of the pick’em will get a first class flight to Vegas, front row seats to the Gold Series Challenge finals, and will be apart of the championship crowning ceremony. Just remember, if PCO wins, don’t let Kevin Sullivan know you’ve been betting against him. <img alt=":eek:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/eek.png.0e09df00fa222c85760b9bc1700b5405.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> Again, thank you everyone for reading!</p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  10. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>After the Bell - The Warrior’s Road on CBS Post-Show</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><strong>Chael Sonnen</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Rich Bocchini</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Nick McNeil</strong></em><em>, and </em><em><strong>Valerie Wyndham</strong></em><em> were all seated in what was designed to look like an elaborate studio set. The four discussed some of the highlights of the show. Emphasis was particularly put on </em><em><strong>Stokely Hathaway</strong></em><em> and his new charge </em><em><strong>Alpha Female</strong></em><em>. </em><em><strong>Nick McNeil</strong></em><em> complimented the two women matches between </em><em><strong>Meiko Satomura</strong></em><em> and </em><em><strong>Hiroyo Matsumoto</strong></em><em> and </em><em><strong>Mercedes KV</strong></em><em> and </em><em><strong>Tessa Blanchard</strong></em><em>. McNeil asked Chael if he was eyeing any of the four women for the summer tournament to which Chael revealed that he did indeed have plans.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Bocchini admitted that he was disappointed in </em><em><strong>The Catch Kings</strong></em><em> for choosing to win they way they did and discussed the potential for a rematch. </em><em><strong>Chael Sonnen</strong></em><em> agreed that the outcome was disappointing and that if they continued antics like that much longer they would need to find another place to work. On the potential of a rematch, Chael expressed that he wanted to smooth things over with LAX and then figure things out from there.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Valerie Wyndham spoke on the surprise debut of </em><em><strong>Randy Orton</strong></em><em> and told Chael that as exciting as all of that was, he never got time to reveal the Gold Series Challenge divisions. The four of them laughed and Chael cued for a graphic to display on the monitor behind them.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>Gold Series Challenge</strong></em></p><p><em><strong> </strong></em></p><p><em><strong> Block A</strong></em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Kazuchika Okada</em></p><p><em> CM Punk</em></p><p><em> Nick Aldis</em></p><p><em> Moose</em></p><p><em> Timothy Thatcher</em></p><p><em> Tama Tonga</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>Block B</strong></em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Randy Orton</em></p><p><em> Brian Cage</em></p><p><em> Tom Lawlor</em></p><p><em> Jeff Cobb</em></p><p><em> Matt Mercer</em></p><p><em> PCO</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> A graphic then transitioned to a new image displaying the first set of matches.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>Block A - February 13</strong></em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Nick Aldis vs. Moose</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Tama Tonga vs. Timothy Thatcher</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>Block B - February 20</strong></em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> PCO vs. Jeff Cobb</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> The four expressed excitement at the match announcements and potential matchups to come. Valerie Wyndham then signed the viewers off, indicating that she would see everyone next Thursday for the first night of the Gold Series Challenge.</em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #1</strong></p><p> </p><p> CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada</p><p> </p><p> Nick Aldis vs. Moose</p><p> </p><p> Tama Tonga vs. Timothy Thatcher</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Bonus</strong></p><p> </p><p> -Aussie Open vs. Lance & Harlem Bravado will be on that same show - who ya got!?</p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  11. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em>All show reports will be told from the perspective of an unnamed producer’s assistant. Personally, when writing past diaries, I always found that I had a better time writing if I could communicate with my readers the thought process behind my decisions. I borrow heavily from TheFinalCountdown’s style. Years and years ago, I stumbled upon his Ring of Honor diary. The way he used production notes and segment grades to influence his writing style made his work standout from the handful of things I had read back in the EWR days. You can even go back to my short lived WCW Diary and see how his style influenced mine.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I’ve spent a lot of time making some tweaks to Fleisch’s mod. I mostly did an overhaul on the popularity of a lot of the wrestlers in the game. I’m not looking to give myself an unfair advantage but I’ve done the rags to riches thing. If I wanted to use the group of workers I had in mind and use them effectively, I would be climbing out of a very steep hole right from the onset of the game.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> So my take on things: Chael Sonnen, the Fertittas, and CBS have been promoting this company and the CBS show since August. While there may not be any household names, I look at a company like AEW. A core of the wrestlers the company has introduced us to so far aren’t what I’d consider household commodities. Despite that, I think it’s fair to say that with a couple of exceptions, AEW has had no issue getting their talent over. Look at Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. The crowd ate them up at Fight for the Fallen. AEW has done a superb job presenting Jungle Boy as a star and the crowd perceives him as one.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> That’s essentially how I’ve constructed the popularity of some of my workers. Chael, Lorenzo, Frank, and CBS have been presenting my roster as the next big stars of professional wrestling. The viewers may not necessarily know who some of the names are, but if they’ve been advertised as the next big things in wrestling and have been advertised that way since the beginning of the promotional tour, then I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the audience will probably buy into them more readily.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I didn’t do any major buffs. The workers that I plan on featuring prominently in my title scene have a starting popularity of C to C+. Everyone else got minor bumps ranging from D to C-. With all of that out of the way. Let’s get to the show!</em></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Warrior’s Road Live on CBS</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong> Live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong> Thursday, February 6 2020 (Thursday, February Week 1 2020)</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong> </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong> Attendance: 9,100</strong></span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Pre-Show Notes</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>-Warrior’s Road staff had been instructed to arrive to the Mandalay Bay Events Center three hours before bell time. Burt Watson, our events coordinator, informed the road agents and creative that Chris Ridgeway was late. It ended up being nothing major. Chris got caught in Las Vegas traffic and just mismanaged his time. The situation was water under the bridge. Chris wasn’t in trouble. He apologized immediately once on site. Everyone agreed to just sweep this instance under the rug.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> -The locker room was on edge. For some of the workers involved, this would be their first time on a major television network. On top of that, it’s live television, and working in front of 9,000+ people is one thing, working live for potentially millions of viewers at home is another. Davey Boy Smith Jr. lightened the mood and calmed nerves by running some light ribs on some of the other workers in the back. Everyone needed the laugh.</em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Showtime</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>The show opens with </em><em><strong>Mercedes KV</strong></em><em>, formerly known as </em><em><strong>Sasha Banks</strong></em><em>, lacing up her boots in preparation for tonight. </em><em><strong>Stokely Hathaway</strong></em><em> approached her for another one of his business transactions.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> ”Mercedes, my girl! Listen, you didn’t return any of my calls over the weekend. Hathaway Enterprise can you make you a bigger star than you already are. Girls like Tessa are beneath you. I can get you marquee matches with marquee names.” (Stokely)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> ”Let me stop you there. First off, I know your type. The weaselly con-artist, willing to throw his own momma under the bus to make a few dollars. Secondly, I don’t want OR need your help!” (Mercedes)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Mercedes held her hand up to Stokely’s face and then walked off. An incensed Stokely watched Mercedes walkaway. Not really the strongest way to open the show, but we’re looking at Stokely Hathaway as being a centerpiece for a few of our storylines. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> In the opinions of some of the producers and members of creative, he’s one of the best mouthpieces we have so the plan for the moment is to use him to help get over a few choice workers. We also wanted to start the show with a talent that a more casual wrestling fan could recognize. Slotting Mercedes in that position was a choice we felt best. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>©</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>Chael Sonnen</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Rich Bocchini</strong></em><em>, and </em><em><strong>Nick McNeil</strong></em><em> were the focus of our next segment. Welcoming everyone to the first episode of Warrior’s Road on CBS. Chael Sonnen, the best talker of the three, did most of the heavy lifting. He hyped the two featured matches of the night and also spoke on next week’s Gold Series Challenge tournament.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “Rich, Nick, I’m telling ya I have waited for this night for months. There’s just so much to talk about. We have LAX vs. The Catch Kings, two of the best teams anywhere in the world, in action. We have a Pay Per View quality main event in Mercedes KV taking on Tessa Blanchard. Guys, I told myself to make the people wait, but I just couldn’t do it. I’m dropping a surprise announcement right now: </em><em><strong>Meiko Satomura</strong></em><em> will face </em><em><strong>”Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto</strong></em><em> tonight and if you’ve never seen these women before, you’re in for a treat. That’s just tonight. Next week begins our road to crowning the first ever Warrior’s Road Champion. We’ll have three matches featuring the competitors in the A Block of the Gold Series Challenge. </em><em><strong>CM Punk</strong></em><em> will headline against pro-wrestling prodigy </em><em><strong>Kazuchika Okada</strong></em><em> which brings me back to tonight. Guys, call me crazy, but anyone could put a graphic on the screen to show you the tournament brackets. Instead, I’ve chosen to have all the men competing in the Gold Series in that ring tonight. I know I’m inviting disaster, but no one has ever won playing it safe. Okay, I’m done talking! </em><em><strong>Davey Boy Smith Jr.</strong></em><em> a wrestler with a very rich legacy in professional wrestling. </em><em><strong>Chris Ridgeway</strong></em><em> a guy who I had been scouting while in the UK last summer and I’m telling you guys, he is something special. Let’s take it to the ring!”</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Chael is a strong talker, point blank. He showed energy, he was enthusiastic. He gave this segment a lot of energy. Bocchini and McNeil were pretty good in their own right. McNeil complementing Sonnen with his own energy while Bocchini talked up all of the workers’ professional accolades. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(B-)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Chris Ridgeway via pinfall</strong></em><em> - the two men were given a decent amount of time, clocking in at 13:23. Arn Anderson was very careful in his producing of the match, wanting both men to get equal amounts of offense. Smith Jr. utilized a Saito Suplex to pick up the victory. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(D+)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em>The show takes us backstage for another segment featuring Stokely Hathaway who was attempting to court </em><em><strong>Tessa Blanchard</strong></em><em> this time around. He tried the same speech and manner as he did with Mercedes, but this time also tried a bit of psychological manipulation by trying to convince Tessa Blanchard that Mercedes is only an ink pen away from making the best decision of her life and that all Tessa needs to do is say the magic word and she could be the one on all the posters and programs in the featured spot. Tessa didn’t fall for it.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “Who the hell do you think I am? I’m Tessa BLANCHARD. I was born into the industry. My bloodline IS wrestling. And I know Mercedes, much like me, saw right through your little act. So take your business card and all your promises and get the HELL out of my face”</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Tessa got her point across decent enough; with that said, she took virtually no pauses during her speech and it made her come across as nervous as opposed to confident and assertive which is what we were really aiming for. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(C-)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>Meiko Satomura defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto via pinfall</strong></em><em> - For two ladies that this crowd was mostly unfamiliar with, they did more than deliver. Matsumoto and Satomura showed great chemistry. Satomura had a real strong showing displaying her technical prowess and complementing it with some beautiful strikes. Matsumoto’s character work shone, getting really animated with her power offense and playing up the “Lady Godzilla” moniker to the crowd who were beginning to become invested in what they were seeing. At 15:02, Meiko Satomura would earn the win after spiking Matsumoto with a Death Valley Driver. These two ladies delivered way more than we expected. We know they’re talented, but having predominantly worked in Japan, they were two relative unknowns to the American audience. Neither woman let that stop them from delivering with a quality match and after tonight, we on the creative end of things have no doubts that the audience will want to see more of both women. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(C+)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em>A video reel played that showcased Warrior’s Road’s tag team division. Highlights from </em><em><strong>Aussie Open’s</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>LAX’s</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Harlem & Lance Bravado’s</strong></em><em>, and </em><em><strong>The Catch King’s</strong></em><em> work in the independent wrestling scene was largely on display, but a voiceover suddenly contradicted what was being displayed. “Did somebody tell these no names that their flips and tricks really mattered?”</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> The highlight reel dissolved and it didn’t take long to figure out who the voice belong to for two men appeared side by side. The sweat jackets, the towels draped around their necks, the smug grins immediately gave away who they were. Warrior’s Road was looking at two men who used to go by </em><em><strong>Dash Wilder</strong></em><em> and </em><em><strong>Scott Dawson</strong></em><em> a pair who were collectively known as </em><em><strong>The Revival</strong></em><em>.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> ”You talk about having the best tag teams in the world and those are the guys you show? A bunch of string beans and nobodies? We have headlined all over the globe. We have beaten the best, so we are the best.” (formerly Dash Wilder)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “Here’s a message for you circus attractions. We’re four time WORLD tag team champions. Not just champions of some rinky dink circus promotion that nobody’s heard of where they give out belts just for participating. We’ve sold out arenas. Not gymnasiums. Arenas.” (formerly Scott Dawson)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “Warrior’s Road, the tag team division lives and dies at our say so. You other guys, you’re just big fishes who lived in a small pond. Now you’re in the ocean with sharks and we’re out for blood. Enjoy your little 15 minutes of fame because when we arrive, the show’s over.” (formerly Dash Wilder)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “KC McKnight. Steve Walters. Top guys signing off.” (formerly Scott Dawson now KC McKnight) </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>©</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>The Catch Kings defeated LAX via pinfall</strong></em><em> - We intentionally under delivered in this match because we want this feud to go long term leading up to our introduction of the Warrior’s Road Tag Team Championships. The plan is to pepper these two teams throughout future shows, with The Catch Kings avoiding any encounters with them while LAX would play the chasing babyfaces. We started that storyline with tonight’s match. The contest started off as a fair bout, with both teams getting in their signature offense but when the match entered into its final act around the 18 minute mark, we had Chris Brookes purposely kick Santana between the legs while Gresham had the referee’s attention by showing signs that he had been accidentally poked in the eye. Once Gresham saw Brookes connect with the kick, he instantly recovered and picked up the pinfall at 18:45. The Catch Kings were quick to make an exit, avoiding any potential wrath from Santana and Ortiz. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(C-)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em>Stokely Hathaway was backstage with Warrior’s Road on-screen personality, </em><em><strong>So Cal Val</strong></em><em>, going by her full name Valerie Wyndham. This interview was set up to antagonize Stokely Hathaway with Val asking about his failed attempts at signing Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard. Stokely Hathaway cut her off with a biting reply.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> ”Val, you silly, simple girl. They call me the mastermind for a reason. I always have a plan.” </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>©</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>Mercedes KV defeated Tessa Blanchard via submission</strong></em><em> - Honestly, we weren’t counting on Hiroyo Matsumoto and Meiko Satomura to go the way it did, otherwise Mercedes vs. Tessa would have been the best match on the show without a doubt. We budgeted for a fifteen minute match and producer Al Snow wanted to make sure both women got in their signature offense. He even factored in some suspense by having both women struggle out of very close near falls. At 14:58, Mercedes locked Tessa in the Bank Statement, which the broadcast booth was was now calling The Bailout, a tongue in cheek reference to both her former ring name Banks and a slight nod to her friend Bayley. Tessa struggled to reach the rope but Mercedes used her foot to spring both women further away from any potential break. Tessa was left with no choice other than tapping out. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>©</strong></em></p><p><em> </em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em>Stokely Hathaway came out on stage, flanked by a hulking woman who wasted no time in hitting the ring. Mercedes, who tried fighting the woman off with a series of punches, was ragdolled by a fallaway slam. The monster woman then moved over to Tessa, placing her in a seated position before drilling her with a series of clubbing blows. Stokely just stared and smiled at all the carnage before grabbing a mic.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “Ladies...I tried to tell you. You thought you knew better. Since you won’t be my knights, I’ll make you pawns. Warrior’s Road. I introduce to you the </em><em><strong>Alpha Female</strong></em><em>! </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(C-)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><em><strong>Jeff Cobb</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Nick Aldis</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Matt Mercer</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Moose</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Tom Lawlor</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Tama Tonga</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Brian Cage</strong></em><em>, </em><em><strong>Timothy Thatcher</strong></em><em> with Stokely Hathaway all joined Chael Sonnen in the ring. Absent was </em><em><strong>PCO</strong></em><em> who </em><em><strong>Kevin Sullivan</strong></em><em> stood in place for instead. He told Chael that he couldn’t guarantee anyone’s safety with all these people in the ring and that it was best if PCO not be out here.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Nick Aldis took the opportunity to air his grievances about CM Punk, pointing out that his absence is indicative of the special treatment he thinks he deserves. At that moment “Cult of Personality” played over the speakers and CM Punk came out. Punk and Aldis traded barbs again. Aldis citing Punk’s lack of professionalism and respect for pro-wrestling. Punk telling Aldis that the fans don’t know nor do they care about him and his “historic” NWA Championship reign.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Stokely Hathaway, meanwhile, declared that not a single man in this tournament could out wrestle the man he proudly represents, Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher stood front and center, gripping at his wrists and cranking his neck. Hathaway then challenged any man in that ring to see for themselves and while it looked like everyone was up for the task, Chael intervened and got everything back under control.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Finally, Tama Tonga took a microphone and cut down every person in the ring, citing himself as the baddest man in the ring and in all of pro wrestling and that he doesn’t care about professionalism or the NWA or being an expert wrestler.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> “I don’t need none of that. Not spending all of my time in the gym because it makes me feel like I’m a badass when I know I’m not. Not the tattoos and cool guy attitude fronting like I’m not here just for the paycheck. I don’t need to act like I’m some devil worshipping monster. All that fake shi...I’m sorry...stuff. Leave me out of all that. I’m the realest, coldest dude in the game right now. I don’t use empty threats. I say what needs to be said. And when this Gold Series Cha--”</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Tama Tonga was cut off because in view of the camera, behind Tama Tonga appeared </em><em><strong>Randy Orton</strong></em><em> who turned Tama Tonga around and immediately floored him with an RKO. Orton looked at the other competitors, doing his signature pose as the show went off the air.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> From a producer standpoint, this angle did everything we wanted it to and then some. Tama Tonga shone brilliantly here, proving that he had the chops to bring it on the microphone. This segment also allowed us to continue stirring the pot on the Nick Aldis and CM Punk story beat, a feud that we intend to make a prominent fixture on our show. The segment generated more interest in our Gold Series Challenge. Most importantly, however, we shocked the world with a major debut of one of the competition's biggest stars.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> </em><em><strong>(A)</strong></em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">Show Rating: C-</span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> ---</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>After Show Meeting</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>-During our post show meeting, the Fertittas told everyone that while they were hoping to make a bigger splash, they were not at all disappointed with the show citing that we displayed a lot of new and unknown names on our television and fans warmed up to them. They believe that when the Gold Series Challenge starts and feature names like Orton and Punk will be prominently featured on our television that things will fall into place.</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Wrestling Observer Match Ratings</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>(Ocassionally I’ll add this bit to further immerse the reader into my game world. I won’t do it all the time. Only for big shows.)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Chris Ridgeway vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. - **¾</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Meiko Satomura vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto - ***½ </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> LAX vs. The Catch Kings - *** </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Mercedes KV vs. Tessa Blanchard - ***¼</em></p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
  12. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>What We Know So Far</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Confirmed Roster</strong></p><p> </p><p> “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> “The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> “The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> “Filthy” Tom Lawlor - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> “The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher - <em>Represented by Mr. Stokely Hathaway</em> - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> “The Haiwaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Moose Ojinnaka - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Nick Aldis - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> CM Punk - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Chris Ridgeway</p><p> Davey Boy Smith Jr.</p><p> “Frankenstein’s Monster” PCO - <em>Represented by Kevin Sullivan</em> - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> Tama Tonga - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Tag Teams</strong></p><p> </p><p> LAX (Ortiz & Santana)</p><p> The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham)</p><p> Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)</p><p> The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lance Bravado)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Women’s Division</strong></p><p> </p><p> Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series</p><p> Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series</p><p> Meiko Satomura</p><p> “Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Broadcast Team</strong></p><p> </p><p> Rich Bocchini</p><p> Nick McNeil (formerly Percy Watson of WWE)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>Chris Ridgeway vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> LAX vs. The Catch Kings</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> *Gold Series Challenge Competitors Spotlight*</em></p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p> ---</p></div><p></p><p></p>
  13. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>End of the Tour - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. January 16, 2020</strong></span></p></div><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p>---</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p>-Happy new year! Chael’s New Year’s resolution: <em>”To take Warrior’s Road to the top!</em></p><p> </p><p> -Introduces Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis of Aussie Open who join Chael on stage. Chael cites them as being one of the hottest tag teams in professional wrestling, says they’ve been showcasing their talents all across the UK independent scene and can’t wait for them to show what they can do on CBS.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Wrestler Spotlight</strong></p><p> </p><p> -Chael Sonnen announces that on the second episode of Warrior’s Road on CBS, Aussie Open will face <strong>Harlem & Lance Bravado</strong> a tag team who has spent the last decade making their name in the indies.</p><p> </p><p> -Shane Helms and Allison Danger have been confirmed to join the Warrior’s Road production team.</p><p> </p><p> -Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard make a surprise appearance. The women promote their main event match on CBS. Both confirm that they have the Women’s Championship tournament happening over the summer in the back of their mind, but right now, February has all of their attention.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Wrestler Spotlight</strong></p><p> </p><p> -Chael Sonnen uses the opportunity with Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard to announce some women signings. <em>”One thing I liked about WCW is they always had this international element when compared to their competition at the time. I want Warrior’s Road to have that element. I’m happy to announce, joining Warrior’s Road: Japanese talents </em><em><strong>Meiko Satomura</strong></em><em> and </em><em><strong>”Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto</strong></em><em>.</em></p><p> </p><p> -When asked about the possibility of a women’s tag division, Sonnen replied: <em>”Right now, we have no plans to incorporate tag team championships. One thing I don’t like about the competition, too many belts. Makes them feel less important. At the moment, Warrior’s Road plans to keep our championships confined to the Warrior’s Road Championship, the Women’s Championship, and the Tag Team Championships. If our women’s roster deepens and we feel that we can create a tag division organically, we’ll reconsider. At the moment, though, no. I just don’t want to dilute our women’s division.”</em></p><p> </p><p> -When asked if there will be any big surprises for Warrior’s Road on CBS: <em>”I guess you’ll just have to watch and see.”</em></p><p> </p><p> -Reaffirmed that the show format would focus on bringing exciting in-ring action that would be character and story driven. <em>”Most promotions now either have the sizzle or they have the steak. Warrior’s Road wants to give you the complete experience.”</em></p><p> </p><p> -Chael Sonnen surprised the Philly audience. <em>”Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause for “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada!”</em></p><p> </p><p> -Okada joined Sonnen on stage. The two shook hands and Okada briefly addressed the audience in his native language. An interpreter was on hand to translate, basically stating that Okada was excited to compete in the Warrior’s Road Gold Series Challenge and declared that he would be the company’s first ever champion.</p><p> </p><p> -When asked how a scenario like that would work Chael, did not dodge the question: <em>”To be honest, I want our Champions used like they are in the UFC or Bellator. They’re the best in the world. That’s why they have the belt. They’re an attraction. If you can see the Champion every single week on TV, they’re no longer an attraction. So, hypothetically, if Okada were to win the title, his commitment with New Japan wouldn’t make him as available to us. That works in our favor. Okada could only defend our Championship so many times in a calendar year. It makes each appearance must watch..”</em></p><p> </p><p> -Sonnen doubled down: <em>”Champions will not be on Warrior’s Road every single week. Our Champions aren’t going to be dropping losses in non title matches every other show. They’re attractions. They’re going to be featured in that capacity.”</em></p><p> </p><p> -Another surprise: <em>”Ladies and gentlemen, let’s bring Okada’s opponent out here for the first night of the Gold Series Challenge. Give it up for CM Punk!”</em></p><p> </p><p> -<em>Cult of Personality</em> played on the PA this time instead of <em>Miseria Cantare</em> which indicated to the pro wrestling journalists that the Feritita’s were not only able to work out the licensing rights with the band Living Colour but that they were strategically choosing to associate CM Punk with music that the average WWE viewer would identify him with.</p><p> </p><p> -Punk cut a brief promo on how he has always called himself the best in the world but that since taking time off from wrestling, Okada has been gunning for that title. Punk then said that this was a match up he was always interested in and that he’s ready for February.</p><p> </p><p> -Okada and Punk both did photo ops while Chael Sonnen closed out the tour stop: <em>“February 6th live on CBS. I promise you will not want to miss it. This is the future of professional wrestling. Don’t get stuck in the past!”</em></p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote>
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