Ring of Fire: Fighting Every Step of the Way

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 4 October The Paddington Club 273 in attendance Our dark match this week; Seiji Jimbo vs. Hidekazu. I will make Seiji a worthy player, sooner or later – and putting him with his fellow puro experts seems the best way to start. Bizarrely it seemed like Seiji was teaching Hidekazu today, but I'm sure things went both ways; and this was a pretty good match with some nice back-and-forth that took almost twelve minutes to finish – which it did when Hidekazu got a cradle from nowhere and pinned the younger man clean. [I]Hidekazu defeated Seiji Jimbo by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Low Lives vs. the Brothers Grim for the Tag Titles[/B] Bandito gets a rare break from his harrassment by Critico and takes full advantage; he and Jonni are really starting to develop a rapport here, and they work reasonably well with the Gauges. Not to disparage the tag division – I'm actually happy with it now – but the current Low Lives run is designed in no small part to refresh Bandito's skill set and develop his reputation with the fans before the Critico/Bandito feud kicks all the way into high gear. This is going to run for some time yet. Before too long all four men were swarming in and out of the ring, making things difficult to keep track of and generally getting the crowd on their feet; eventually, however, this led to the Mexican Standoff settling things once again, as Bandito capitalised to pin Greg. [I]Low Lives defeated the Brothers Grim when El Bandito pinned Greg Gauge[/I] RATING: C- [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Jed High for the Heritage Championship[/B] A routine title defence from Brandon telling much the same story as always. It comes to something when you refer to ringwork this polished from two youngsters as 'routine', but, ultimately, that's what this was; Jed's treading water until there's an opening and Brandon's building steam for the moment and sealing the reputation of the Heritage Championship. Arm damaged, he still got the Backdrop Driver and covered for the three count. He is getting better at the counter-holds section of the story, though. I think there could be some very interesting matches in that future... [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Jed High[/I] RATING: C- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship in a 30 minute iron man match[/B] Champion versus champion as Bairei still holds the WLW Universal belt, but this may've been the wrong stip. I think at this point people are expecting Joey to retain any time the stip hinges on endurance; everyone expects a flash pin to be the thing that ends his 16-defence streak. Well, 17 now, as Bairei couldn't quite get it done; the Yasujiro Suplex proved precisely equal to the Breeze Block, both men scoring two falls on their opponent. On the plus side, the biggest thread on our forum is about the man who can unseat Joey. On the downside, it's become a flamewar. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Bairei Yasujiro at two falls apiece.[/I] RATING: C Well, comparatively this was a weak show. But you know what? Comparatively it was also a cheap show to end the month and it still got good enough reviews to keep our download count rising. Next week, as November begins, we take that saved money and unleash the greatness in the Norman Blue again. OVERALL: C Ota's made a smart move; UKW just signed Art Reed. Art freakin' Reed! I'm kinda marking out here.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Hidekazu vs. Gino Montero vs. Seiji Jimbo British Samurai vs. Fumihiro Ota in a submission bout El Bandito vs. El Critico vs. Amo del Gato vs. Velocidad in an Elimination Match Joey Beauchamp vs. Don Henderson vs. Art Reed for the ROF Championship

[Beeker]

Hidekazu vs. [B]Gino Montero[/B] vs. Seiji Jimbo [i]- Man, more than anything I want you to pick up Jumbo Shrimp because the tag team of Jumbo Jimbo just writes itself. As for the match? Uh... Montero for reasons I haven't even thought about.[/i] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. Fumihiro Ota in a submission bout [i]- Because the silliest named finished in the CVerse is at least a submisison. Unless Ota picked up a blowgun from Monkeypox's DaVE diary I don't know if he has a submisssion finisher.[/i] El Bandito vs. El Critico vs. [B]Amo del Gato[/B] vs. Velocidad in an Elimination Match [i]- Four Luchadores... Four Turnbuckles. How convenient! Um... the obvious match-up is Bandito/Critico... so I'll go with Amo del Gato with a Big Gato POUNCE![/i] Joey Beauchamp vs. [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. Art Reed for the ROF Championship [i]- It would be easy and effective to hot shot the belt from Joey at this point, especially if he didn't get pinned/submitted (after being too long in the Dreadlock) with Don stealing the pin and finally getting some gold for his gold digging aspirations.[/i] Knowing my prediction skills... I'll be lucky to get one right.

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 1 November Norman Blue Athletic Centre 300 in attendance A few of the gang couldn't make it tonight due to supercard and PPV commitments. Unfortunately Davis, who was among them, had been advertised in advance. We knew we'd have to kick things into a higher gear just to make up for that... let's hope it happens. Hidekazu took Davis' place, facing Gino and Seiji in a triple threat match, but just in case we bumped it into the dark. That was a mistake, which I will be telling them after the show. Hidekazu's brawling and puro style looks nastier than ever, which is fitting as it was that which eventually – two rapid-fire Ganso Bombs later – led to the end of the match; Hidekazu covered Gino for the win after devastating both opponents. [I]Hidekazu defeated Gino Montero and Seiji Jimbo when he pinned Gino[/I] RATING: C [B]British Samurai vs. Fumihiro Ota in a submission bout[/B] These two are being left behind by a lot of the rest of the title hopefuls. In fairness, though, they have a lot of skill in the fundamentals I want passed on throughout the roster. The only real criticism I can make of this matchup was that it was basic, rather than showy; that said, that's what we expect from these two. In just shy of thirteen minutes Sammy managed to force Ota to tap with a grounded armbar. [I]British Samurai defeated Fumihiro Ota by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]El Bandito vs. El Critico vs. Amo del Gato vs. Velocidad in an Elimination Match[/B] This was the match that should've been in the dark. The story of this match, ultimately, was still about Bandito and Critico's issues, and they did a fantastic job of conveying that tunnel vision. Problem was that that really did weaken the overall bout, as the fans felt the other two masked men to be kinda... secondary. Velocidad opened the bidding early, taking out Amo del Gato with a Velocidad Tornado; as Bandito prepped the Hijack Suplex on Critico he moved in with a schoolboy, but the Bandito kicked out – leaving him vulnerable to the Critical Mass for a scant second. Steve and I agreed that without that distraction we weren't sure who would have come out on top – and Critico seemed furious that he'd been robbed of the chance to find out. Velocidad fell to an onslaught of speedy blows, but then Bandito came back in and got the Hijack Suplex on Critico after all, dumping Velocidad over his body to pick up the win. [I]Velocidad defeated El Bandito, El Critico & Amo del Gato by elimination[/I] RATING: D [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Don Henderson vs. Art Reed for the ROF Championship[/B] We'd been hyping all week that Joey and Don would be joined by another competitor. When Art Reed stepped into the ring, the place erupted... And I'm not quite sure why the bout didn't live up to that. The battle raged for nearly half an hour; toward the end, Don had Joey in an armlock on the outside when Art came off the top rope onto them, staggering the three exhausted competitors such that none of them were able to answer the ten count. [I]Joey Beauchamp, Don Henderson and Art Reed drew when none could answer the count of ten.[/I] RATING: C Ugggh... This wasn't good at all. And losing Davis from the bout didn't help, either. What stuns me is that Art Reed's UK debut did as poorly as it did; I'd been expecting this to be about the best talent trade I'd ever make; Art for three shows, while they get Johnny Highspot for three – a solid performer and a man I want to do more with, but not the same level. OVERALL: C-

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Beeker;314361] Knowing my prediction skills... I'll be lucky to get one right.[/QUOTE] By that logic, you were lucky. ;) Which is good - I want there to be a degree of unpredictability. I'm nearly through November in sim at the moment. When I hit Christmas I'm going to put together another rankings list so people know where the situation's reached; I suspect that once again the rankings aren't matching what people expect.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Steve Flash vs. Toby Juan Kenobi Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Davis Wayne Newton for the Heritage Championship Low Lives vs. the Brothers Grim for the tag titles Art Reed vs. Petey Barnes Joey Beauchamp vs. Don Henderson for the ROF Championship in a Submission Match

[chris caulfield]

Steve Flash vs. [B]Toby Juan Kenobi[/B] Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton [/B]for the Heritage Championship [B]Low Lives[/B] vs. the Brothers Grim for the tag titles [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. Petey Barnes [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. Don Henderson for the ROF Championship in a Submission Match

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 2 November The Paddington Club 284 in attendance The race is on to reclaim our lost momentum after a major stumble. We begin badly; our dark bout features Steve Flash taking on Toby Juan Kenobi, and the pair do not work well together. It's an awkward match, marred in a number of places, but in the end a Flash Bang is caught into a Kenobi Kutter and the audience release their collective breaths. [I]Toby Juan Kenobi defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: D [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Davis Wayne Newton for the Heritage Championship[/B] These two also don't work as well together as they should, but they do work well, and that made this a reasonable recovery – that and the fact that Davis continues to help Brandon improve the technical side to his arsenal. In the past month or so he's come on leaps and bounds. My plans for these two don't feature them meeting often in their rise to the top – one in the tag lane, one in singles – but every so often a bout against each other serves as a useful pointer as to how far along they are. Eventually the Bulldozer got the backdrop driver and picked up the win. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Davis Wayne Newton by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Low Lives vs. the Brothers Grim for the tag titles[/B] Oh, God... Yeah, we've slipped massively, and I'm not sure why. This was a pretty weak match, all things told, before the Mexican Standoff mercifully finished things off with El Bandito getting the pin. [I]Low Lives defeat the Brothers Grim when El Bandito pins Greg Gauge[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Art Reed vs. Petey Barnes[/B] Now this was much more like what I'd have expected from Art. With around nine minutes to go these two put on a really solid bout that picked my day up significantly. Art had evidently scouted his new UKW rival, and the Future Shock was avoided, the X Factor sidestepped... the ending came when Petey balled up his strength and rolled a Dreadlock over to pin Art's shoulders to the mat. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Art Reed by Pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Don Henderson for the ROF Championship in a Submission Match[/B] A nice match, this; Joey and Don both did their best to make Don look like a serious threat to the phenomenal champion due to the submission stipulation, but sadly I don't think many people bought it – Joey's just been built into such a devastating champion that he's outside Don's reach. Joey didn't figure he had much of a chance to beat Don normally, so he just did his best to knock the Scotsman out, whereupon he placed him in a sleeper hold for the ref to concede the victory. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Don Henderson by 'submission'.[/I] RATING: C- Well, it was better than last week, and I think I've figured out the problems. Time to get back to it... OVERALL: C Well... isn't that expected. Arthur won't negotiate to extend his contract. 21CW going after Joey Beauchamp surprises me more, but it shouldn't.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Seiji Jimbo El Bandito vs. El Critico Johnny Highspot vs. Davis Wayne Newton Art Reed & the Brothers Grim vs. British Samurai & The Shooters in an elimination tag match Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 3 November Norman Blue Athletic Centre 300 in attendance Here we go again... This time our dark match was a non-title affair featuring the Bulldozer and Seiji, who's definitely improving – as is Brandon's technical prowess in the ring. The pair of them put on an excellent puro showcase for just under ten minutes before the Backdrop Driver ended it. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Seiji Jimbo by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]El Bandito vs. El Critico[/B] Fans are getting accustomed to these two irregularly venturing back out into singles competition. They honestly do fight like two men who are perfectly evenly matched, but their years of experience and still-growing skills mean that no two bouts run the same way, which keeps the fans on their feet. This time Critico actually busted out a puro sequence he appears to have learned from elsewhere on the roster before switching over to hard-as-nails brawling, but even with that buildup the Critical Mass couldn't get the pin. Once again this pair battled all the way to the time limit. [I]El Bandito drew with El Critico when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Johnny Highspot vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Everyone knew what to expect from this; Highspot's good, and they know that – and know that I know it – but everyone also knows how good Davis is – and that he's destined for the top. Everything looked set up for Davis and Johnny to battle for some time, testing each other, trying out new tricks, and then see Davis hit the Newton's Cradle or – more likely – get an STF out of nowhere, winning the match clean. And that meant that when Johnny blocked a charge with a kick to the gut, hit a snap suplex to stretch Davis in the centre of the ring, and land a frog splash to get the pin and the win in 6:11, the crowd went insane. And the notion that upsets still happen in the Ring of Fire goes back into the fans heads. [I]Johnny Highspot defeated Davis Wayne Newton by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Art Reed & the Brothers Grim vs. British Samurai & The Shooters in an elimination tag match[/B] Art's three-match contract comes to a close here; in time to come we may negotiate for something more permanent. I haven't decided – suffice it to say that if he'd managed the performances I expected we'd already be dickering over price. Here, though, we got the best of US submission wrestling against the best of British; the disciples of Sam Keith against the silent backbone of Ring of Fire. Matthew Gauge fell early to a Fisherman's suplex, only for Greg to do the unthinkable when he came in – the British Samurai tapped to the proton lock! That incredible upset left Greg ****ier than he should have been, however, as Don and Billy hit the ring, Greg's back, and the We Have to Amputate in that sequence to redress the balance. With two men left against him Art came in with everything to prove and moved fast; a Dark Matter eliminated Billy Robinson smoothly and as Don came back in Art caught him in the Dreadlock – but Don twisted, lifted, and rolled and managed to come out of the hold with a Scottish Deathlock already cinched in! Under the pressure Art really had no choice but to tap... [I]British Samurai & The Shooters defeated Art Reed & the Brothers Grim by elimination[/I] RATING: C [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship[/B] The mood was electric by the time these two hit the ring, and by God did they capitalise. Petey and Joey put on an evenly-matched game for fifteen minutes before Petey got the Future Shock – Joey kicked out. A Breeze Block in return – Petey kicked out. Joey set up for another as Petey rose and got caught with the X Factor – and Joey kicked out! The crowd were screaming themselves hoarse at this point; Joey whipped Petey to the turnbuckle, lifted him up, and set up for a superplex; Petey shoved him off the top rope and the champ bounced back up and charged straight back up there – and Petey, waiting, caught him with a super Future Shock to the outside, rolling him into the ring and getting a quick pinfall with his feet on the ropes. And suddenly we have a new champion in one of the promotion's best matches to date! [I]Petey Barnes defeated Joey Beauchamp by pinfall[/I] RATING: B We did it; we found our pace again. And it wasn't actually as expensive as I'd feared. The owner of the Norman Blue phoned me at five in the morning to give me a personal vote of thanks; he'd just finished tallying the bar bill our fans ran up after the show finished. We kept them there and talking enthusiastically until two a.m, and he evidently made more than he has in a single night in years. Our best show to date, headlined by a better match than we'd ever produced. THIS, my friends, THIS is why I believe in British wrestling. OVERALL: B-

[Phantom Stranger]

Around three in the afternoon on the Wednesday I got a knock at the door; when I answered it I found Ota outside. He's a very different guy outside the ninja outfit – bigger biker than Brandon, which no one expects. He actually maintains one bike in Britain for UKW and us and another in New York just for his NYCW commitments... Oh, and for some reason he favours the bleached hair and goatee look. I don't know why. Ota and I've been hanging out a lot of late, typically either with Flash or Sammy. Maybe it's the veteran rapport, but I think some genuine friendships are developing there. That being said, I hadn't expected this. “Come in, man,” I shrugged. “What's up?” “I wanted to thank you,” he grinned. “For what?” “For trading Art.” “...OK, I'm pretty sure I got the better deal there, man. What'd I miss?” Ota just grinned wider. “Yeah, it was a good deal for you. Three Art Reed matches and exposure for Johnny. And I've gotta hand it to you; I didn't see him teaming with Sam's kids. I should've. But it was handy for me – your fans, the guys who go live, are the guys who start chants in my crowds. I can still tout Art's first appearance for me as his first televised UK appearance and get pretty much the same publicity, but thanks to those three battles he's got momentum. I mean, the only thing I had to worry about was you maybe jobbing him out, and you sure as hell didn't do that. Though you did get Don over with him.” “More over. But yeah.” Ota shrugs. “Anyway, figured I should tell you that was deliberate. I'm not trying to mess with you – but I signed him hoping you'd trade him to start. No hard feelings?” I considered for a long moment, then shrugged. “The only guy who actually loses by this is Jeff Nova. Why should I care?” Ota grinned. “That's my boy...”

[Phantom Stranger]

To end November: Sergei Kalashnov vs. Jed High Black Eagle vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Heritage Championship Low Lives vs. The Shooters for the Tag Titles Davis Wayne Newton vs. El Critico vs. Seiji Jimbo vs. Johnny Highspot Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship in a two out of three falls match

[chris caulfield]

Sergei Kalashnov vs. [B]Jed High[/B] Black Eagle vs. [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith [/B]for the Heritage Championship [B]Low Lives[/B] vs. The Shooters for the Tag Titles [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. El Critico vs. Seiji Jimbo vs. Johnny Highspot [B]Petey Barnes [/B]vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship in a two out of three falls match

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 4 November The Paddington Club 300 in attendance We fill the house down south too, now. Though to look at the dark match you'd wonder why; Sergei Kalashnov and Jed High had fifteen minutes of time limit draw to work with, but it wasn't all it could've been. Hopefully in the future both of these men will go on to greater things, but it's not happening yet. [I]Jed High drew with Sergei Kalashnov when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: D- [B]Black Eagle vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Heritage Championship[/B] Unlike the majority of Brandon's opponents, Eagle didn't try to work submission holds to damage that vulnerable arm. No, his CZCW tag team partner knows him well enough to go for something very different, and the Eagle launched a speedy striking assault on the arm, relying on speed to keep him out of Brandon's reach. For quite a while, too, it worked – but one drop toe hold in the wrong place and Brandon was on him, working his legs over in a pretty good imitation of Don Henderson's technique before picking up the grounded rival and sinking him with a backdrop driver. The pair of them faced off afterward before Eagle raised Brandon's arm in celebration. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Low Lives vs. The Shooters for the Tag Titles[/B] This should've been better than it was. Again, I think part of the problem was the insertion of Critico/Bandito build into the match; the ending came when Critico inserted himself and, sick of his interruptions, Jonni joined Bandito in setting up for the Mexican Standoff – but Don, equally frustrated, threw him out of the ring and ended up in the target area. Bandito capitalised with the pin and the tag champions stood off with Critico and Billy. [I]Low Lives defeated the Shooters when El Bandito pinned Don Henderson[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. El Critico vs. Seiji Jimbo vs. Johnny Highspot[/B] Critico stayed in the ring for this one, and Bandito stayed nearby. Three of these four gave it their all; Critico kept breaking off to watch for Bandito. Eventually that cost him; Johnny locked in a single leg crab and had his back to both Davis and Critico. Critico turned to watch for a threat and Davis, always ready to capitalise, was there with the Newton's Cradle for the pin and the win. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated El Critico, Johnny Highspot and Seiji Jimbo when he pinned El Critico[/I] RATING: C [B]Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship in a two out of three falls match[/B] We were too late to bill this as champ v champ as Bairei lost the Universal belt earlier in the week. But that hardly mattered; nor did the lack of selling, nor the fact that Steve couldn't keep up with the action on commentary. Petey and Bairei have chemistry and they know how to use it; they're also both top-level wrestlers. Compared to some of their past battles this was actually pretty fast as Petey, evidently wanting to make his mark as a worthy champion after Joey's June to November reign, won the first fall at nine minutes with the X Factor and contained the Yasujiro fightback expertly, never quite allowing the Yasujiro Suplex to happen. At 22:17 the Future Shock made it two straight falls and Petey retained comfortably in an excellent match. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Bairei Yasujiro in two straight falls[/I] RATING: B So a great show overall, only weakened by the tag title bout. Regrettably that's going to happen for a while – Young Blood have given us a standard it'll be hard to live up to. OVERALL: C+ Man... touring's a bad idea for UK Dragon. He's come down with African Sleeping Sickness. Here's hoping the big guy gets better... Congrats are due, on a plus side, to Jed High, who's become the big man at UCR by capturing the UCR World Combat title. Sticking around was evidently a wise career move!

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Brothers Grim vs. Death from Above El Bandito vs. El Critico Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Don Henderson for the Heritage Championship Toby Juan Kenobi vs. British Samurai vs. Davis Wayne Newton Petey Barnes vs. Joey Beauchamp for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

[B]Brothers Grim[/B] vs. Death from Above El Bandito vs. [B]El Critico[/B] [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Don Henderson for the Heritage Championship Toby Juan Kenobi vs. British Samurai vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]Petey Barnes[/B] vs. Joey Beauchamp for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

orman Blue Athletic Centre 300 in attendance An addition to the ringside announce table tonight as Matthew Morris – UCR and MOSC play-by-play man – joins myself and Steve Smith. It's an experiment, sure, but we'll see how it goes. His first match is a dark bout between the Brothers Grim and Death from Above. As ever for the dark tag bouts, this has the potential to be better, but isn't – yet. Still, ten minutes of 21CW main event quality tag action culminates here when Greg Gauge catches Velocidad mid-Tornado, slams him to the mat and slaps on the Proton Lock to carry the day. [I]Brothers Grim defeated Death from Above when Greg Gauge forced Velocidad to tap[/I] RATING: D+ [B]El Bandito vs. El Critico[/B] I want you to stop and consider something, if you weren't at ringside and failed to download the show. I want you to imagine how, in ten minutes and five seconds, using only legal holds, two hardy, tough veterans can execute move after move cleanly and still reach the point where the ref feels it necessary to stop the bout for both men's safety. Once you're done doing that, I want you to consider the intensity that would have to be apparent in that match. I want you to hold the phrase 'blood feud' in your mind. I want you, in short, to understand just how damn good – how utterly beyond what I expect of the undercard – this contest was. [I]El Bandito drew with El Critico when the referee was forced to stop the match on behalf of both men[/I] RATING: B- [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Don Henderson for the Heritage Championship[/B] It's not often guys like this produce something that seems like a disappointment considering what it follows. It probably wouldn't have happened if I'd been able to give them the time they deserved, either. But this match still did what it needed to; both men put on excellent performances which culminated in Don flipping out of the backdrop driver, clipping the knee, and hooking in the Scottish Deathlock to force Brandon to tap – and give us a new Heritage Champion! [I]Don Henderson defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith by submission[/I] RATING: C- [B] Toby Juan Kenobi vs. British Samurai vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] You know, I gave Donny the desired winner here and told him to let the guys figure it out for themselves. The match was fantastic, and I've got to admit I got sucked in; Davis worked a wonderful performance, blending Toby's high flying skills with Sammy's technical expertise and providing a bridge contrast between the others. So it wasn't until a few moments after Toby got the Kenobi Kutter on Sammy and pinned the company owner for the win that it sank in; Sammy felt Davis deserved protecting over him. What does that say about both Davis and the boss' priorities? [I]Toby Juan Kenobi defeated Davis Wayne Newton and British Samurai when he pinned British Samurai[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Petey Barnes vs. Joey Beauchamp for the ROF Championship[/B] The deposed Champ returns and the pair leave it all on the line here. Joey had the upper hand for most of the match, winning almost every exchange – though each was hard-fought – but at the end the X Factor was waiting for the Breeze Block and Petey got the quick pin and clear. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Joey Beauchamp by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Another really, really good show here, and pretty consistent, all things told. I'm stunned Critico and Bandito had that in them, but it means that I have real high hopes for this feud's blow off. OVERALL: B- OOC Note: This was the show that punched us through the C- threshold in the Midlands. Here's to the rise of Ring of Fire!

[Phantom Stranger]

Next up: Steve Flash vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr El Bandito vs. El Critico in a Last Man Standing match Don Henderson vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship Petey Barnes vs. Fumihiro Ota vs. British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp in an elimination match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

Steve Flash vs. [B]Huracan Sandoval Jr[/B] [B]El Bandito[/B] vs. El Critico in a Last Man Standing match [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship [B]Petey Barnes[/B] vs. Fumihiro Ota vs. British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp in an elimination match for the ROF Championship

[Marcel Fromage]

[B]Steve Flash [/B]vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr [B]El Bandito [/B]vs. El Critico in a Last Man Standing match [B]Don Henderson [/B]vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship [B]Petey Barnes [/B]vs. Fumihiro Ota vs. British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp in an elimination match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 2 December The Paddington Club 300 in attendance Our three hundred guests down south were treated to the debut of young grappler Huracan Sandoval Jr as he went up against the veteran Steve Flash. Why Steve? Because wrestling Steve is an incredible learning curve, and because Huracan needs to learn. And learn he did; a number of tricks of smoother chain wrestling, and not to get in the way of a Flash Bang. [U]Steve Flash defeated Huracan Sandoval Jr by pinfall[/U] RATING: D [B]El Bandito vs. El Critico in a Last Man Standing match[/B] Damn. If I've got a characteristic failing in my booking, it's going a stage or two too far with a storyline and getting a weaker audience response out of it. The swerve – this stip not ending the feud as neither wrestler could end the match – was seen coming, and the match suffered for it. By the end neither man was conscious, as the Hijack Suplex and Critical Mass combined in a vicious and fairly novel way. [I]El Bandito drew with El Critico when neither man could answer a ten count[/I] RATING: C “I've had it!” I announced over the house mike. As the fans turned to look at me, I stalked into the ring, standing over both men as the EMTs clustered around them. “These two have gone neck and neck all the way. They've redefined blood feud. And there's clearly no way this is going to be settled in the normal course of things.” I swallowed. “Therefore, I see no alternative. I am hereby granting El Critico his request, a request I've turned down each and every week for more than a month. “Next week, El Critico and El Bandito will go head to head. There will be no time limit, and there will be a winner, no matter what. The winner will be...” I licked my lips, looking around nervously, really not wanting to say this. “The winner will be the man who removes his opponents' mask first. After which, according to the laws and customs of lucha libre, that man will no longer be permitted to wrestle masked... in this or any other promotion.” The fans seemed keen on the match announcement, but not on the fact we took time to make it. RATING: E- [B]Don Henderson vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship[/B] A nice long match to remind people what both of these men can do. It faced the unenviable task of picking up the mood among the fans after that last sequence, but it more or less managed. By the time Don locked the Scottish Deathlock on Johnny and he tapped at 13:51, the fans seemed happy again. [I]Don Henderson defeated Johnny Highspot by submission[/I] RATING: C- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Fumihiro Ota vs. British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp in an elimination match for the ROF Championship[/B] As much as anything this bout was to establish the pecking order among these four, at least for a short while. Ota went straight after Joey while Sammy tied up Petey; it seemed almost like owner and rival booker had reached an accord. Joey quickly turned his portion of the match around and began to dominate Ota, but after Sammy hit a chop to slow him down Joey's Breeze Block met a Ninja Strike targeting his leading shoulder. That took a lot out of Joey's offence, but Sammy's distraction proved fatal as his fisherman's suplex attempt saw Petey twist out and counter into a Future Shock before covering for the pin. Shortly afterward Joey tried for the Breeze Block again, flattening Ota but collapsing from the pain. Petey took advantage, covering Ota for the pin and stomping away at Joey's injured shoulder. As Joey battled back, Petey even went as far as planting the X Factor superkick not on Joey's chin but on his shoulder joint – and at that point the count became academic. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Fumihiro Ota, British Samurai, and Joey Beauchamp by elimination[/I] RATING: C+ Thank goodness for that last match; those four pulled our fat out of the fire as far as the rating was concerned. Next week... Ahh, next week should be interesting, though. OVERALL: C+

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Davis Wayne Newton vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Jed High vs. Hidekazu The Shooters vs. Brothers Grim El Bandito vs. El Critico in a Mascara contra Mascara match Petey Barnes vs. Toby Juan Kenobi in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

[B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Jed High vs. Hidekazu [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. Brothers Grim [B]El Bandito[/B] vs. El Critico in a Mascara contra Mascara match [B]Petey Barnes[/B] vs. Toby Juan Kenobi in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 3 December Norman Blue Athletic Centre 300 in attendance Our last show of the year in the Norman Blue. Here's hoping it's a good one... We began with Davis Wayne Newton, Bulldozer Brandon Smith, Jed High and Hidekazu facing off in the dark. I told Donny to pick the winner but otherwise just to make sure they all did their level best, which some of you may remember is how I found out Petey needed pushing. The bout ran 13:03 before the Sky High gave Jed the win... over Davis. Which is an interesting one, to say the least. Good match, though; and Hidekazu and Brandon both seemed to learn a lot. [I]Jed High defeated Davis Wayne Newton, Bulldozer Brandon Smith & Hidekazu when he pinned Davis.[/I] RATING: C [B]The Shooters vs. Brothers Grim[/B] Again, this bout wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped, but I don't think anyone was really riding a wave of momentum coming into this. Give it time. Matthew and Billy put together a lovely little rumble in the middle of this – I didn't know Billy could throw punches like that – but eventually Don got Greg in the Scottish Deathlock to secure the win. [I]The Shooters defeated the Brothers Grim when Don Henderson forced Greg Gauge to submit.[/I] RATING: C- [B]El Bandito vs. El Critico in a Mascara contra Mascara match[/B] ...This wasn't as good as it should've been. A real shame, but there it is. We gave them twenty minutes and by the end Bandito was flagging; while we wove this into the storyline, with it being how Critico found the opening to powerbomb Bandito into the turnbuckle and rip his mask off, I think it hurt the momentum somewhat. Nothing I can do about it now, though – and the feud's done its job; Bandito and Critico have both been elevated over the course of the last few months. [I]El Critico defeated El Bandito by removing his mask.[/I] RATING: C [B]Petey Barnes vs. Toby Juan Kenobi in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship[/B] Toby and Petey really picked up the pace here, but I think it had sunk into the locker room that we weren't reaching our occasional heights again this week. Petey picked up the first fall with a springboard DDT and began looking to put this one away early; a Future Shock attempt, however, was countered when Toby got the Kenobi Kutter while Petey was off-balance. With the scores at one all the pace stepped up, becoming frantic, until a second Kutter failed when Petey locked it into a sleeper hold, getting the third fall and the win. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Toby Juan Kenobi by two falls to one[/I] RATING: C+ Yeah... not bad. Hopefully we can establish this sort of level as a new baseline. OVERALL: C

[Phantom Stranger]

And the final show of the year: Steve Flash vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr El Critico vs. Jonni Lowlife Don Henderson vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Byron for the Heritage Championship Brothers Grim vs. Davis Wayne Newton & Seiji Jimbo Petey Barnes vs. Joey Beauchamp vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship