Ring of Fire: Fighting Every Step of the Way

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 3 November Aston University Sports Hall 779 in attendance Our dark match this week includes Velocidad's best performance in some time, albeit as the man who gets put down by Nichiren Amagawa and his Amagawa Total Lock. Still a thoroughly enjoyable bout. [I]Nichiren Amagawa defeated Velocidad by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]The Force vs. The Animals for the Tag Titles[/B] Wow. I really have to remember that the tag title bouts are pretty uniformly bad one of these days. A real 21CW match here; Purpura took the loss to enhance our tag champions, specifically Toby. [I]The Force defeated the Animals when Toby Juan Kenobi pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: D [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Dean Daniels[/B] Dean's been begging for work despite his injury, so I put him in a quick match here, and it was painful – not bad but I could see all the moments where Dean's wrist stung him and made him slow things down. Considering that this was a good quarter hour, though, culminating in the Jimbo Driver. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Hidekazu vs. Steve Flash for the Heritage Championship[/B] A much better bout as these two seasoned technicians felt each other out and battled through an excellent contest leading up to the Flash Bang attempt being caught and converted into a tornado slam, allowing the champion to notch up a satisfying win. [I]Hidekazu defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Roy Edison for the Beacon Championship [/B] Not bad, not bad at all. Left to themselves Brandon and Chojiro would likely have performed better but Roy needs the time with talents to develop, so we're giving it to him – and it helped Brandon look strong, as it took both the Patent Pending Roundhouse and the Kitoaji Lariat to lay out Brandon before Chojiro got Roy, too, to get the pin and capture the belt. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith and Roy Edison when he pinned Roy Edison[/I] RATING: C [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Bairei Yasujiro vs. British Samurai vs. Davis Wayne Newton vs. Don Henderson vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship[/B] Almost everyone learned something from this chaotic blast of a match, which is all to the good. And if anything the match was better received than I expected; a massive mayhem-filled brawl that got the crowds roaring in approval right up until Joey squeaked out a pinfall on Davis out of nowhere at 28:48. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Bairei Yasujiro, British Samurai, Davis Wayne Newton, Don Henderson and Petey Barnes when he pinned Davis Wayne Newton.[/I] RATING: B Another nice solid show that's brought our popularity even further up. Most gratifying. OVERALL: B-

[Phantom Stranger]

Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 3 November Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Our dark bout was excellent, and really should've been on the main card; Jonni Lowlife has fantastic chemistry with Black Eagle, and the pair put on a great ten minutes that ended only with the Low Down. [I]Jonni Lowlife defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Los Hijos vs. The Animals[/B] As I say, the dark bout should have been in the light; this is what it should have replaced. A 21CW match sees Capitao Brasil Jr lock in an inverted figure four to force the tapout from El Bestia Purpura [I]Los Hijos defeated The Animals when Capitao Brasil Jr made El Bestia Purpura submit[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Nigel Svensson vs. Nichiren Amagawa[/B] Lovely bout to make up for it, though; Nigel and Nichiren wrestled an excellent submission oriented match that ended when Nigel forced his opponent down to the canvas and got a Hyper Extension Arm Lock on him. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Nichiren Amagawa by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Hugh de Aske for the Beacon Championship[/B] Hugh's a very young newcomer who's wowing the fans nonetheless. He's the archetype of the Beacon Champion. But he doesn't claim it today, despite putting on a great performance; instead the Kitoaji Lariat lays him out at the end of a splendid match that also saw definite improvement from Chojiro. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Hidekazu vs. Marc Speed[/B] The younger man gets a crash course in technical wrestling by two of the best, and all three men survive through to the time limit. Another very good match that also gets Marc more needed exposure. [I]Don Henderson drew with Hidekazu and Marc Speed when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the ROF Championship[/B] Another really good bout from both men shows them continue to develop and demonstrate their sheer skill; at 25:38 they both crash to the mat outside after a Yasujiro Suplex from the top turnbuckle, and at 25:48 the match ends when neither man makes it back in. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Bairei Yasujiro when both men were counted out.[/I] RATING: B I got complaints about the length of time Hidekazu, Marc and Bairei were active. We also got applause and another spike in downloads; another successful show. OVERALL: B- Good grief. I haven't exactly been following 4C, but how do you come to make Freddie Huggins your hardcore champ?

[Phantom Stranger]

Week 4 November: Best of British Billy Robinson vs. Steve Flash vs. Roy Edison Your New Favourite Team vs. Death from Above Marc Speed vs. Matthew Gauge Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Nigel Svensson for the Beacon Championship British Samurai vs. Davis Wayne Newton Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship Wrestling Clinic Jed High vs. Magnifico The Shooters vs. The Stunners Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Hugh de Aske for the Beacon Championship Bairei Yasujiro vs. Johnny Highspot vs. Sergei Kalashnov Seiji Jimbo vs. Steve Flash Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai

[chris caulfield]

Best of British [B]Billy Robinson [/B]vs. Steve Flash vs. Roy Edison [B]Your New Favourite Team[/B] vs. Death from Above Marc Speed vs.[B] Matthew Gauge[/B] [B]Chojiro Kitoaji [/B]vs. Nigel Svensson for the Beacon Championship British Samurai vs.[B] Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. Petey Barnes in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship Wrestling Clinic [B]Jed High[/B] vs. Magnifico [B]The Shooters [/B]vs. The Stunners [B]Chojiro Kitoaji[/B] vs. Hugh de Aske for the Beacon Championship [B]Bairei Yasujiro[/B] vs. Johnny Highspot vs. Sergei Kalashnov [B]Seiji Jimbo[/B] vs. Steve Flash [B]Joey Beauchamp [/B]vs. British Samurai

[Marcel Fromage]

[QUOTE=Phantom Stranger;323415]I'm really happy with Joey Beauchamp - the driving force of the last year and a half of this diary, in a lot of ways, and still the man my booking team push above the others.[/QUOTE] Just checking my game, the booking team suggest Joey is the man to push for me as well. Haven't done so yet though. I'm still unsure how, when and where to really bring him in. Considered using him in a tag team with Luke Cool called 'Cool Breeze' where they both latch on to Joey's catchphrase, but I think that would be wasting Joey somewhat. Shame, because I thought it was a good idea! :D By the way, who is your ref? Is it still Humphrey Woolsey? And if so, what's his refereeing stat. He's up to A* on my game and I'm sure that boosts the match ratings - when I used Patrick Garrett a bit on C reffing, the match quality seemed to dip. And it's no surprise to me to see those ratings getting better and better in your main events with your 6 match per show scheme now. My ratings are definitely better when I run a show with 6 bouts - somehow it seems to build well to the main event. Keep it up. I really enjoy seeing how you get on in the parallel universe - even if you get shows up so damn fast that I'm always playing catch up!

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Marcel Fromage;324201]Just checking my game, the booking team suggest Joey is the man to push for me as well. Haven't done so yet though. I'm still unsure how, when and where to really bring him in. Considered using him in a tag team with Luke Cool called 'Cool Breeze' where they both latch on to Joey's catchphrase, but I think that would be wasting Joey somewhat. Shame, because I thought it was a good idea! :D[/quote] Man's got to get his build somewhere, and if he and Luke can teach each other anything along the way, it might not be a bad idea. Look at Davis and Seiji's run, after all. [quote]By the way, who is your ref? Is it still Humphrey Woolsey? And if so, what's his refereeing stat. He's up to A* on my game and I'm sure that boosts the match ratings - when I used Patrick Garrett a bit on C reffing, the match quality seemed to dip.[/quote] I hadn't thought to check until now, but it's B+, having just increased to it. Since it was C+ at the start of the year this is very satisfactory... And yes, it's Humphrey. I like to think I've gotten rid of no one who was worth keeping voluntarily. [quote]And it's no surprise to me to see those ratings getting better and better in your main events with your 6 match per show scheme now. My ratings are definitely better when I run a show with 6 bouts - somehow it seems to build well to the main event. Keep it up. I really enjoy seeing how you get on in the parallel universe - even if you get shows up so damn fast that I'm always playing catch up![/QUOTE] Ironically, my best card of December-thus-far - and best of all time - had only three bouts plus the dark match, but it had a lot of other factors. My posting rate is going to change, though - I've already mentioned I hit Cult shortly. Starting with December I'm going to just post the regular shows and only provide a prediction card for the big events. I'm not sure what that'll do to the rate - I didn't get anything simmed today, so it'll be a lot less playing catch-up on the posting front.

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 4 November Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Our latest dark offering pits two veterans against a newcomer in need of further training; Steve and Billy grappled with Roy Edison, with Steve really shining during the performance before Billy DDT'd him out of the picture and clamped the Capital City Crucifix onto Roy, making him tap. Not bad at all... [I]Billy Robinson defeated Roy Edison and Steve Flash when he made Roy Edison submit[/I] RATING: C [B]Your New Favourite Team vs. Death from Above[/B] There's no helping this tag division sometimes, much as I'd love there to be. A 21CW match of knockabout reversals and high flying is brought to an end with the Low Down on Velocidad and I'm left wondering how to revitalise it once more when I can't get at Greg Gauge and another superstar team. [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated Death from Above when Jonni Lowlife pinned Velocidad.[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Marc Speed vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] Another good workout by these two going out on webcast to spread the word about them. Good solid work that ended with Marc's gutwrench suplex countered and the Proton Lock slapped on. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Marc Speed by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Nigel Svensson for the Beacon Championship[/B] Ahh, yes. These two work very well together, and that was something they definitely capitalised on as the duo went through a tough, hard-fought ten minutes that ended when Chojiro powered out of the hyperextension lock and got the Kitoaji Lariat, fighting through the pain to secure the pin and retain his title. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Nigel Svensson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]British Samurai vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] The time limit took this one home after a splendid twenty minutes of work and bad chemistry overcome. Sammy proves again that he's still learning, still picking up new techniques. [I]British Samurai drew with Davis Wayne Newton when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes in a two out of three falls match for the ROF Championship[/B] Wonderful work once again from these two, who appear to have been trying to prove that they're still my money match since Davis actually snatched the title and produced that glory with Sammy. If it produces work like this, I'll take it. Petey grabbed the first fall after a full twenty minutes with an X Factor and the second fall was decided by a Breeze Block into the crowd barrier that gave Joey a count out victory as he rolled back into the ring. This left Petey beaten down and weakened; sensing an easy victory, Joey climbed to the top turnbuckle and attempted another diving Breeze Block to keep him down on the outside, but the injured Petey moved clear at the last second, leaving neither man quite capable of re-entering the ring before the countout. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Petey Barnes at one fall apiece and one drawn.[/I] RATING: B+ Another simply excellent show. The South really has become our major stomping ground over the past year. And if I'm not mistaken, the sheer level of fan support throughout the lower half of the country, plus our internet support, should have us being described as more than just a regional promotion soon enough... OVERALL: B Yes; that looks to be the case. ProWrestlingHits have just run a website-only feature on us, and they're calling us a cult phenomenon. They also singled out our last main event as our best ever match... In other news, Jack Giedroyc has claimed the TCW International championship. In a fervent promo he described himself as being 'the wrath of God, come to sweep this company clear of those He has deemed less than wonderful - Squeeky McClean, who hypocritically picks his nose; Enygma, who defies Him by solving crossword puzzles in less time than the Lord, and especially BLZ Bubb, for what He tells me are reasons of personal hygiene.' Don't know what that's about. I'm happy to announce that we've secured a Pay-per-view deal with United Kingdom Choice. For the next six months, at any rate, we're on the air once a month.

[Phantom Stranger]

Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 4 November Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Our dark bout once again has a little bit of a difference to it: Jed High takes on Magnifico, running the legend over in fine style before finishing him off with a Sky High. Reasonable work, though not great. [I]Jed High defeated Magnifico by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]The Shooters vs. The Stunners[/B] See, this is the kind of match I want out of the tag division. If Don wasn't intended to be busy with the main event, I'd be relying on Billy and Don to carry things. But this really was fantastic work, with everything broken up by the spare man until time elapsed. [I]The Shooters drew with The Stunners when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ [B] Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Hugh de Aske for the Beacon Championship[/B] Another great match to keep momentum rolling, this carried on for fifteen minutes of solid back-and-forth before Hugh met a Kitoaji Lariat coming in fast and ate the pin. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Johnny Highspot vs. Sergei Kalashnov[/B] Three high flyers do battle in an averageish match designed to showcase the less-used members of the roster, culminating in the Yasujiro Suplex to Johnny and Bairei getting the pin. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated Johnny Highspot and Sergei Kalashnov when he pinned Johnny Highspot[/I] RATING: C- [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Steve Flash[/B] This was beautiful, it really was, and it stands as a reminder of just how far Seiji's come since we signed him; a great technical match taking advantage of all Steve's experience in matching styles before Seiji got the Ocean Lock and forced the East Coast legend to tap. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Steve Flash by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai for the ROF Championship[/B] And to think I was worried about this match. Sammy once again proves that when it's demanded he can step up and have a truly fantastic match, and they secure a spot in our top five, at least, with only twenty minutes and change bell to bell. The Breeze eventually carries the day with a crucifix pin counter to the Secret Stretch, but it was touch and go there for quite some time. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated British Samurai by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ Beautiful. Simply beautiful work, this show. If we can just pull the undercard up a little harder we're going to really cement our position in UK wrestling. OVERALL: B

[Monkeypox]

Giedroyc Does TCW [QUOTE=Phantom Stranger;324418] In other news, Jack Giedroyc has claimed the TCW International championship. In a fervent promo he described himself as being 'the wrath of God, come to sweep this company clear of those He has deemed less than wonderful - Squeeky McClean, who hypocritically picks his nose; Enygma, who defies Him by solving crossword puzzles in less time than the Lord, and especially BLZ Bubb, for what He tells me are reasons of personal hygiene.' Don't know what that's about.[/QUOTE] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/aguirre2.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 1 December Phoenix Nights 300 in attendance A quick dark match pitted Steve Flash against Jed High; Toby Juan Kenobi was a no-show, so the tag bout I'd planned fell through. Jed picked up the win in a thoroughly entertaining match that got the crowd pumped. [I]Jed High defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: C At the start of the broadcast I took the mike. “Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, “I am proud and privileged to announce that, once a month, Ring of Fire will be broadcasting live on Pay-Per-View through United Kingdom Choice!” There was a weak pop; we're still trying to ease the notion of promos in. “Our first event comes a little before Christmas. Ring of Fire prides itself on being the proving ground for young talent and legends alike; therefore we're calling this one Passing the Torch. And right here and right now it's time to start putting the card together. I see no reason not to start at the top... “There have been three men who've had a stranglehold on our top title through this past year. One of them holds it tonight and will defend it against another. Whoever wins will defend against the third at Passing the Torch – Davis Wayne Newton will get his shot at the championship!” RATING: D- [B]YNFT vs. The Stunners[/B] Our quickly-assembled replacement tag contest. And a good match it was, too, getting the crowd right back into the swing of things after that opening speech. Eventually Jonni bulldozed Brandon with the Low Down, leaving the way open for Johnny to land the frog splash and pin Black Eagle clean. [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated The Stunners when Johnny Highspot pinned Black Eagle[/I] RATING: C [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Hidekazu for the Heritage Championship[/B] Not bad here, either. It's likely our relative weakness in the North that's kept things so lukewarm to now, but this was good, helped by the two men having such good chemistry together. At 16:05 Hugh got the Cut-Throat Driver as a counter to a tornado slam attempt and covered Hidekazu to become our new champion! [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Matthew Gauge came out and threw down an open challenge. This role should evidently have been reserved for someone better known by the Phoenix Nights crowd. RATING: E- [B]Matthew Gauge vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] ...Uggh. Yeah, this was poor; a real 21CW situation due to chemistry. Matthew got the win with the Proton Lock and kept going, though. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Nigel Svensson by submission[/I] RATING: D+ Petey came down to the announce table and I walked him through a career recap talk-up. Again, not as good as we'd hoped, but we're slowly getting there, I think. Even Matthew's promo was as well received as any to date. RATING: D- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship[/B] Not bad, this. A good solid bout, not quite up to their normal level – but again, we're dealing in essentials with our weakest crowd and popularity; these two seldom do better here. Half an hour produced a solid enough match, rather satisfying to me. And for the Phoenix Nights it'll do. Joey eventually got the duke after a good solid match which ended with no ladder spots, just to reinforce that sometimes that's what happens. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Petey Barnes when he retrieved his title[/I] RATING: B- Weak show by our regular standards. Good show by Northern standards. I'm really hoping the PPVs boost our workers' rep in Scotland before we try expanding thataway. OVERALL: C+ Turns out Toby had legit travel issues, making life a lot easier. I didn't want there to be issues here...

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Monkeypox;324628][CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/aguirre2.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER][/QUOTE] Hey, you create a character like that, people're gonna steal him blatantly.

[Phantom Stranger]

Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 1 December Aston University Sports Hall 892 in attendance Chemistry issues besieged the opening bout; Steve Flash and El Bestia Purpura don't work together too well, and the result, accordingly, was another 21CW bout, though one, thankfully, in the dark. Steve ended things with a smooth Flash Bang. [I]Steve Flash defeated El Bestia Purpura by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Your New Favourite Team vs. Death from Above[/B] Not a great match, not a bad match. A good solid back-and-forth ended with Velocidad walking straight into the Low Down and being pinned at 10:58. [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated Death from Above when Jonni Lowlife pinned Velocidad.[/I] RATING: C- Simona Cox hit the ring with Jed and Toby, laying out a challenge to YNFT; a match at Passing the Torch, so that the Force could prove themselves on Pay-Per-View. Jed and Toby looked pretty good as her backup, but the fans weren't yet massively into this. RATING: E [B]Marc Speed vs. Amo del Gato[/B] Tonight is not going to plan. These two did... OK, really, if not great... before Marc locked in the Cross Armbreaker to finish things just before the ten minute mark. [I]Marc Speed defeated Amo del Gato by submission[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Don Henderson vs. British Samurai[/B] Time to redress the balance somewhat, though, here. Don and Sammy took us, as is becoming their habit, all the way to the time limit and ended up with an excellent draw. [I]Don Henderson drew with British Samurai when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B- We went to the video screen and ran a video package to hype Joey. I'd asked the production crew to prep a tape of Joey and Davis, hyping them equally, but apparently they gave it to Davis on Tuesday and of course he wasn't here tonight. Or something. At any rate, because he's not here we didn't have that available and had to just run this. The crowd aren't happy with these breaks, but, you know, we're actually getting better reception for them than we used to, which leads me to hope for further developments. RATING: D [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship[/B] Beautiful. These two went out there, outdid Don and Sammy, whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and then took the fight to the outside, getting themselves both counted out, [I]Hugh de Aske drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith when both men were counted out.[/I] RATING: B Another music video; clips of the Force ran, highlighting their best spots to date. Again, the crowd didn't complain as badly as they have in the past. RATING: D [B]The Force vs. Ruud van Anger & Bairei Yasujiro[/B] A weak main event, which I'd feared, but something of a good job of building both men up. It ran nearly a quarter of an hour before the Force got the Star Destroyer on Bairei, and the fans were relatively appreciative. [I]The Force defeated Ruud van Anger and Bairei Yasujiro when Jed High pinned Bairei Yasujiro[/I] RATING: C+ Not a great show by any means, but worthwhile – we definitely didn't lose anything by all this, even if I'm not sure we gained any ground. And groundwork is laid for the PPV... OVERALL: C+

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 2 December Aston University Sports Hall 884 in attendance Our dark match was excellent this week; Marc Speed battled valiantly against Nichiren Amagawa but eventually lost to the Five Point Stretch. A really solid bout. [I]Nichiren Amagawa defeated Marc Speed by submission [/I] RATING: C [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Dean Daniels for the Beacon Championship[/B] Beginning our webcast we redebuted Dean, now recovered from his injury, against a man with whom he has great chemistry. Again we saw an excellent ten minutes, brought to an end by the Kitoaji Lariat. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ We ran the Joey/Davis video today. The crowd continue to be vocal, but, again, they do seem to be coming around. I think we'll win this war yet. RATING: D [B]Mario Heroic vs. Petey Barnes[/B] Not too shabby, this; it wasn't chemistry that had them turn in such an enjoyable performance, just skill, and if I'm not mistaken Petey's demonstrating greater mat skills than before. The main eventer won with a springboard inverted DDT, not part of his usual repertoire but the crowd popped for it. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Your New Favourite Team vs. The Stunners[/B] You know, I think we're getting the momentum we need here. The Stunners are unlikely to be given the belts any time soon, but I think they might well become the new Shooters; men more than capable of tuning up our other tag teams. So long as Brandon gets time complaints, and so long as he's useful in the midcard, this seems a wise irregular strategy. To change things up a bit it was Johnny Highspot who got the win here at 13:54 [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated The Stunners when Johnny Highspot pinned Black Eagle[/I] RATING: C [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Matthew Gauge for the Heritage Championship[/B] Oh, this was nicely done. Hugh's turning into one of our very best new signings, and Matthew and he tested each other, tried out new things, and entertained the crowd until the Cut Throat Driver was ready and Hugh got the pinfall. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Matthew Gauge by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Hugh then grabbed the microphone and belted out a challenge: anyone willing to step up to the Heritage Championship should meet him in the ring next week. It wasn't well received, but then he's not well known. Yet. RATING: E+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Bairei Yasujiro[/B] A beautiful, beautiful main event; these two had only twenty minutes with which to work and produced one of the best battles we've seen in Ring of Fire, with high flying action, grounded mat holds, and hard-hitting slams and kicks all thrown in before Davis ricocheted off the ropes and hit the Newton's Cradle to get the win. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ Davis took his turn on the mic now, laying down the law with regard to the Passing the Torch main event; while he'd been in Ring of Fire longer Joey had been at the top first, and as far as Davis was concerned Joey would just have to accept that the torch was about to be passed for the second time. And, for the first time since I started booking this company, a promo got a warm, supportive reception. RATING: C+ A much, much better show than Sunday, helped, I think, primarily by Davis' work in the ring and on the microphone, though it's worth pointing out that the card throughout the show was probably all-round better. I'm looking forward to next Sunday now... OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 2 December Parliament Square 1000 in attendance More poor chemistry in the dark reminds me that Steve Flash and Velocidad just don't work well together. Considering a total lack of chemistry, the fact a 21CW match was pulled off says much for Steve's ability, which was rewarded with the Flash Bang and another pin. [I]Steve Flash defeated Velocidad by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Billy Robinson vs. Dean Daniels[/B] With so many incomers of late it's always good to see the older guard hold their own, which is, in a lot of ways, the theme of this show, which starts out early with the weaker performer of the Shooters scoring a victory over Dean in a hair over ten minutes with the Capital City Crucifix. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Dean Daniels by submission[/I] RATING: C+ We ran a quick advert for tonight's main event – Don Henderson vs. British Samurai RATING: D+ [B]Your New Favourite Team vs. Los Hijos[/B] Another simple battle to help Johnny and Jonni gain momentum as we proceed through the month while giving two of the younger competitors more exposure and experience. Jonni hit the Low Down on Capitao to carry the day. [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated Los Hijos when Jonni Lowlife pinned Capitao Brasil Jr[/I] RATING: C- Staying in the ring, the victorious team then informed the Force that they'd thought it over, and the title match at Passing the Torch was on. RATING: E+ [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Hugh de Aske for the Heritage Championship[/B] I knew that promo wasn't going to go brilliantly, so we put one of the night's bigger matches on after it, and these two delivered in fine style, battling all the way to an excellent time limit draw. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith drew with Hugh de Aske when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B Following on, I talked the audience through Seiji Jimbo's career to date; his famous uncle; his tag title run with Davis, becoming the first ever Beacon Champion, his success in Japan, and so on. Again, not great, but slow improvement is taking place. RATING: E+ [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Nichiren Amagawa[/B] Keeping the bout short but putting on a sweet display, these two showcased the best of Japanese wrestling before the Seiji Ocean Lock forced Nichiren to tap out. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Nichiren Amagawa by submission[/I] RATING: C A video package screened, to a reasonable reaction; a recap of Sammy and Don's battles over the past few weeks and the fact the time limit has stymied their attempts to determine the better man, hence this unlimited-time main event bout. RATING: C [B] Don Henderson vs. British Samurai[/B] Don was one of the first people to set new standards for Ring of Fire during his Best of Seven series against Merle. Now he once again cements his place in the top tier, proving his ability and reaffirming Sammy in one of the very best matches we've shown. This was hard-fought and vicious, and in the end the referee found it necessary to stop the match, both men bleeding heavily and out on their feet. [I]Don Henderson drew with British Samurai due to a double stoppage[/I] RATING: B+ Some sentiment that Hugh shouldn't have been battling Brandon for a full twenty on the message boards, but the show was well received nonetheless. I think the slow increase in non-match activity is finally starting to grow on the fans. OVERALL: B- Bad news for 21CW – they're not being regarded even as dominant regionally now, and that's led to issues for them.

[Phantom Stranger]

Complete card for Best of British Tour & Passing the Torch: Extraordinario Jr vs. Magnifico Billy Robinson vs. Roy Edison Black Eagle vs. Mario Heroic vs. Steve Flash Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro in a Ladder Match to become #1 Contender to the ROF Championship -Intermission- Hidekazu vs. Seiji Jimbo The Force vs. Your New Favourite Team for the Tag Team Titles British Samurai vs. Don Henderson in a Shoot Fight Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

[B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. Magnifico [B]Billy Robinson[/B] vs. Roy Edison Black Eagle vs. [B]Mario Heroic [/B]vs. Steve Flash [B]Chojiro Kitoaji [/B]vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship [B]Petey Barnes[/B] vs. Bairei Yasujiro in a Ladder Match to become #1 Contender to the ROF Championship -Intermission- Hidekazu vs. [B]Seiji Jimbo[/B] [B]The Force [/B]vs. Your New Favourite Team for the Tag Team Titles British Samurai vs. [B]Don Henderson [/B]in a Shoot Fight Joey Beauchamp vs.[B] Davis Wayne Newton [/B]in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 3 December Edgeware Hall (South) 2000 in attendance Our dark match this week, at the beginning of our longest and biggest night to date: Extraordinario Jr and Magnifico in a surprisingly acceptable bout that saw the younger man hit the Siempre Peleando and score the pinfall. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Magnifico by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Nadia Snow was seen backstage, issuing a challenge to British Samurai to settle their issues on Pay-Per-View later in the night at Passing the Torch. Wasn't great but both seemed to be learning. RATING: E+ [B]Billy Robinson vs. Roy Edison[/B] A reasonable match that would've been even better if either man were in the habit of selling occasionally. Nonetheless, Roy ended up tapping to the Capital City Crucifix after a rather splendid bout. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Roy Edison by submission [/I] RATING: C [B]Black Eagle vs. Mario Heroic vs. Steve Flash[/B] A good match, as good as the preceding, that would have been better, I think, if Steve had been on form – which, regrettably, he wasn't. Still and all, a satisfying quarter hour ended with a Hero Attack on Black Eagle. [I]Mario Heroic defeated Black Eagle and Steve Flash when he pinned Black Eagle[/I] RATING: C We ran another video package featuring Joey and Davis, some last-minute hype. It did OK, but not brilliantly. RATING: D [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship[/B] Not bad at all; the pace of our matches continues to pick up as Brandon and Chojiro fight to the time limit. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ [B] Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro in a Ladder Match to become #1 Contender to the ROF Championship[/B] And a fantastic match to round the show off; as has happened before with these two, chemistry overcame selling and play-by-play issues to be a fantastic match. The evolution of the abdominal splash continues, with Petey dropping clear of the attempted dropkick conversion and the match continuing. Eventually Petey grabbed the contract while hoisted for a Yasujiro Suplex from the ladder. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Bairei Yasujiro when he retrieved the contract.[/I] RATING: B+ A very satisfying show, following which the audience at Edgeware Hall grabbed refreshments and freshened up before the ensuing Pay-Per-View. OVERALL: B-

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: Passing The Torch Tuesday Week 3 December Edgeware Hall (South) 2000 in attendance BUY RATE: 0.02 Selling out our biggest venue to date we move on from the Best of British show into the PPV itself... or at least into its dark match. Seiji Jimbo and Hidekazu go a quarter of an hour in the dark of thoroughly enjoyable match before Seiji forces Hidekazu down and makes him tap. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Hidekazu by submission [/I] RATING: C [B]The Force vs. Your New Favourite Team for the Tag Team Titles[/B] Our inaugural PPV broadcast bout is... OK. But when you stop to consider it, that's excellent for the tag division, so we'll take it. A lovely match saw Jed High stretch himself to his limits in terms of performance before Johnny Highspot found himself staring up at the incoming Star Destroyer elbow drop and eating the pin by Toby. [I]The Force defeated Your New Favourite Team when Toby Juan Kenobi pinned Johnny Highspot[/I] RATING: C Toby and Jed celebrated in the ring with Simona, striking various poses from Star Wars and waving their titles and lightsabers around. RATING: E [B]British Samurai vs. Don Henderson in a Shoot Fight[/B] The atmosphere got very tense as the cage was lowered into place, and I don't mind telling you that Matthew and I were tense at the announce table, too. We knew that Passing the Torch needed to pick up the pace – and Sammy and Don, to their credit, picked the pace up and then held it there, operating at their best for 27:43, at the end of which Sammy was adjudged unable to stand after the work Don had done on his legs, and the Highland Hitman picked up the win. [I]Don Henderson defeated British Samurai when British Samurai could not answer the ten count.[/I] RATING: B Don helped the company owner to his feet, and as Sammy steadied himself against the ropes, he extended his hand, which Don took, cementing an image of respect in the ring between two of our stalwart originals. RATING: C [B] Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the ROF Championship[/B] Oh my God. Once again these two absolutely did not dissappoint, putting on a hell of a match with a ridiculous number of near-falls and vicious submission holds. Davis went one up at fourteen minutes in, countering a Breeze Block into a hotshot and taking Joey to the mat with an STF as he rebounded. At twenty minutes in, Joey scored an equaliser after hitting a 450 splash, and from that point on they only stepped up a gear. The whole thing was settled by what's likely to be the enduring image of the PPV; Joey hitting Davis with four consecutive Breeze Blocks, one from each side of the ring, and covering to go two-one up – and try as he might Davis couldn't so much as equalise in the two minutes remaining. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Davis Wayne Newton by two falls to one[/I] RATING: B+ Joey slowly collected himself, raising his title above his head... and turned to find Petey Barnes in the ring behind him. The two stared each other down as Passing the Torch went off the air. RATING: D+ Well, I'd call our first PPV a rousing success. The crowd in attendance, at least, left absolutely enthralled even after close to three and a half hours' total wrestling. Reports indicate it to be our best card to date, which would make putting it out as our only PPV to date intensely satisfying. OVERALL: B In the days that followed, Brandon allowed his contract to elapse with NYCW. Can't say I think that was a bad idea... Our PPV buy rate is the lowest of any pro wrestling buyrate of the last year, and by some way, but thus far I haven't had any complaints about it.

[Phantom Stranger]

The next PPV is five weeks away. These are wild, wild weeks. First off, let's advance things to New Year's... Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 3 December Aston University Sports Hall 990 in attendance Our dark bout tonight: Steve Flash took on Jonni Lowlife, as we still need Jonni to develop a little as a ring general, ideally. I want YNFT to be able to take on tutor mantles of their own. In 7:33 Steve got the Flash Bang for the capstone to a great match. [I]Steve Flash defeated Jonni Lowlife by pinfall[/I] RATING: C A second dark match: Don Henderson took on a man wrestling behind a mask, a man calling himself Seraphym, flanked by a devoted Miss Information. Miss Information and the masked man played off each other well, and while Don and Seraphym don't click, they put together a great match, particularly as I was just testing the water for them. A good match that Don won with the Scottish Deathlock. [I]Don Henderson defeated 'Seraphym' by submission[/I] RATING: C+ I got on the mic then. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us. Whether you caught Passing the Torch or not – I know our international fans haven't had the chance – I need to thank you for being here for Ring of Fire. And I need to make some announcements. In the new year we're going to bring you a second Pay-Per-View event – the Commonwealth Games. This will be the crowning instalment of a sixteen-man tournament to determine the winner of our newest award – the Commonwealth Cup. We're looking to make this an annual event, and I encourage you to look for all our best competitors in this tournament – Davis Wayne Newton, Joey Beauchamp, Petey Barnes, Don Henderson, and all the rest.” RATING: D I continued. “Because of this... Petey Barnes' championship match against the Breeze will not be taking place at the Commonwealth Games. There will only be a championship match at the Pay-Per-View if the champion is eliminated before the Games finals. So we're giving you a Christmas present – on Tuesday, at Wrestling Clinic, your champion defends his title against the X Factor, Petey Barnes!” RATING: D- [B]Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] Not all it could be but good nonetheless, these two put a perfectly reasonable match together before Nichiren got the win. [I]Nichiren Amagawa defeated Nigel Svensson by submission[/I] RATING: C- [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Heritage Championship[/B] After all their recent struggles ended indecisively it was time to blow that off. And these two delivered, they really did. In the end Hugh rolled out of an Inverted Piledriver attempt and got the Cut-Throat driver as a counter. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B] Seiji Jimbo vs. Dean Daniels[/B] Another lovely match, as Dean teaches the younger man – and his WLW cohort – a little bit more about ring craftsmanship before Seiji twists free of a chickenwing, delivers a swift kick to the gut, and hits the Jimbo Driver at speed. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- We ran a quick video talking up Joey. RATING: D [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] Half an hour of excellence. I really liked watching this, though all three are capable of better. Bairei looked to have it won when he got the Yasujiro Suplex on Sammy, leaving him utterly flat, but a Breeze Block ran the Japanese veteran over and led to him eating the pin rather than making it. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated British Samurai and Bairei Yasujiro when he pinned Bairei Yasujiro[/I] RATING: B And another video closed out the show, dwelling on Petey. RATING: D A damn good show, though not on the heights of our best. But considering some of our talent was absent I was happy with it, and the videos and other angles are definitely getting better reactions than they were. OVERALL: B- After over a year's reign, Davis finally lost the CGC tag titles last night. Steve Frehley and Robbie Retro conquered Team Rex at last.

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 4 December Aston University Sports Hall 992 in attendance A huge dark match this week; an eight-man tag as The Force align with Los Hijos to battle the eclectic team of Steve Flash, Matthew Gauge, Billy Robinson and Extraordinario Jr. Yes, I was feeling somewhat random, but a lot of those active during this quarter of an hour seem to have learned from it. Jed High ended things with a Sky High to Matthew Gauge. [I]The Force & Los Hijos defeated Billy Robinson, Extraordinario Jr, Matthew Gauge and Steve Flash when Jed High pinned Matthew Gauge[/I] RATING: C- [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Roy Edison for the Heritage Championship[/B] A short and sweet bout saw Hugh get a comparatively quick win with the Cut-Throat Driver. Good work by both men bell to bell, though. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Matthew Morris and I ran down the tale of the tape for tonight's main event. Again, the fans are – very slowly – warming to these. RATING: D+ [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Mario Heroic for the Beacon Championship[/B] Fantastic work by these two, aided by the fact they just work very well together. The Hero Attack attempt came just a second too late, with the Kitoaji Lariat hitting home instead to defend after 9:35, but all the way through this was great. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Mario Heroic[/I] RATING: C+ Miss Information hit the ring, talking up her new client without giving away who he might be. RATING: E [B]Black Eagle vs. Marc Speed vs. Seiji Jimbo vs. Sergei Kalashnov[/B] Oh, this was great work. Seiji and Sergei saw each other as the true threats, which fact ultimately left them distracted when, after 10:53, Eagle tapped to Marc's Deadly Heel Hook. Really good stuff all round and the shock win to help kick Marc's career forward a little from permajobber. [I]Marc Speed defeated Black Eagle, Seiji Jimbo and Sergei Kalashnov when he made Black Eagle submit.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Our best ever undercard bout, this, and with it the everpresent worry that we may have peaked too early. Don and Davis went to the time limit in a fantastic match, with Don busting out a gutwrench powerbomb, super russian leg sweep, and other impact moves I wouldn't have expected. [I]Don Henderson drew with Davis Wayne Newton when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B+ Davis grabbed the mic afterward, hyping himself up and promising victory in the Commonwealth Cup. As ever, Davis carries everyone with him. RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship[/B] Sweet freakin' Jesus. I don't even know what I did to deserve this, but these two took twenty-one minutes bell to bell and produced the single best match in Ring of Fire History by a significant margin. Petey worked the arm all match, showing unprecedented – for him – technical ability to soften up the shoulder and eliminate the Breeze Block but Joey gutted it out, eventually hitting a springboard Breeze Block to get the pin at 21:20. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Petey Barnes by pinfall.[/I] RATING: A Our best show ever. No question about that whatsoever. No complaints here, just fantastic wrestling. OVERALL: B+ Hmm... 21CW are having problems keeping their show on the air, I'm told. And UCR have re-signed Geena the Warrior Princess; not sure why she left 'em in the first place, to be honest.

[Phantom Stranger]

Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 4 December Aston University Sports Hall 925 in attendance Our New Year's Eve show before the party; and Your New Favourite Team battle the Animals in the dark, helping del Gato develop his skills before making Purpura pay for it with a Low Down. Good match. [I]Your New Favourite Team defeated The Animals when Jonni Lowlife pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: C “We need a main event,” I told the crowd. “And to blow out 2009 with a bang, our main event tonight pits champion against owner – Joey Beauchamp will battle Sammy – uh, the British Samurai!” At least my 'goof' got a laugh. RATING: D [B]Billy Robinson vs. Steve Flash[/B] A good workmanlike ten minutes helping develop Billy's skills at calling matches which ended with the Flash Bang to continue Steve's overall recent good luck. [I]Steve Flash defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall.[/I] RATING: C [B]Don Henderson vs. Hidekazu[/B] Seventeen minutes of technical excellence saw Hidekazu reach down and pull out new tricks in a fantastic match, but it wasn't enough; Don got the Scottish Deathlock on him in any case. [I]Don Henderson defeated Hidekazu by submission[/I] RATING: B- The Highland Hitman celebrated his victory, going berserk in the ring. And why not? Three years ago, he was stuck in the middle of the tag division. He's ending the year coming off a string of high-profile wins and draws. He's bled for this crowd and worked hard, and they gave him the reaction he deserved. RATING: C+ [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Black Eagle[/B] Much better than Eagle's used to; more evidence that when we can find an opening he needs pushing. For now, though, he's fodder for Bairei, eating the Yasujiro Suplex to give the former world champ momentum heading into the New Year. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Miss Information promised us once again that her client was coming, and told us to look for him as the Commonwealth Cup tournament gets under way. RATING: E [B] Hugh de Aske vs. Seiji Jimbo for the Heritage Championship[/B] A lovely match, albeit short. In 10:53 Seiji became the second ever Ring of Fire triple crown champion, countering the Cut-Throat Driver into the Jimbo driver to give us a title change on New Year's Eve. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]British Samurai vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] This was excellent work as ever, and had Sammy had more of a head of steam coming into this match it could have been better yet; as it was, it was simply a great match that ended when both men lost their heads, brawling in and out of the ring, and Humphrey threw it out after a fisherman's suplex sent Joey back-first into the ring steps, apparently accidentally. [I]British Samurai drew with Joey Beauchamp when the referee threw the match out.[/I] RATING: B Another great show, though not on a level with Tuesday. Ring of Fire's had a great three years so far; here's hoping the trend continues. OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

The show finished at ten o'clock. By eleven we were all out of the Sports Hall; by half-eleven we were in our Birmingham offices, only a month old and why my budget had suddenly got a lot heavier in terms of red ink. Well, OK, along with the fact we now had a professional video editor rather than slipping a student a hundred and twenty five a week, a proper admin staff, in-house merch crew, and all the rest... Everyone who wasn't wrestling elsewhere was there; Petey and Davis the biggest absences, along with Mario Heroic. A lot of the girlfriends who'd come in last year were there, too, and the man beneath Seraphym's mask was there, face clearly displayed, smiling confidently. The champagne was distributed in advance; Sammy gave a speech, and everyone laughed and cheered. Then it was my turn. God, I fluffed it. Fluffed it horribly. All the usual cliches. All the crappy empowerment stuff. In fairness I was coming down off an adrenaline high from the show and drinking, so I wasn't going to be great. They laughed, they cheered, and I wondered whether they meant it or were just humouring the boss. It wouldn't actually matter soon, but I didn't know that. We danced, we drank, we sang Auld Lang Syne – which got horribly mangled by some of the foreign grapplers – and we daydreamed about the coming year. The Commonwealth Cup and beyond. Where titles were. Where they might go. The party didn't start to break up until about four a.m., whereupon myself, Sammy, Seiji and Steve found ourselves shut in my office with a bottle of scotch, a pack of cards, and the year-end Pro Wrestling Hits magazine. The scotch and cards were mostly a consolation plan for when we failed to grab anything again, really.

[Phantom Stranger]

“All right,” I said, by now under some control again. “Let's see...” I flicked through to the awards section of the hot-off-the-presses issue; it had come out early Saturday, and this was likely one of the first to hit the UK. “Wrestler of the Year... Tommy Cornell. Well, TCW's turned around, and he's had the strap a lot, so I can go with that. “Young Wrestler of the Year... Oh, dear God.” I couldn't stop grinning. “He's one of ours! Chojiro Kitoaji got it!” Raucous – for four in the morning – cheers broke out around the room. “I get to tell him,” Seiji insisted, yanking his mobile phone out of his pocket. “Sure,” I smiled, and the four of us sat and listened to one half of the excited conversation. We were proud; this, we were sure, was our moment in the spotlight for the year, despite the fact Chojiro had earned this mostly in WLW. When he was done, though, I turned back to the magazine. “Veteran Wrestler of the year... Haruki Kudo. I'd say that's deserved.” “And a change from Pistol Pete,” Steve observed. We laughed. “Female Wrestler of the year,” I continued. “Sen-” “-sational Ogiwara,” the other three chorused. “Three years running!” “Promotion of the year,” I continued. “Three years running again – TCW. Never mind that NOTBPW are the big boys these days...” Shrugs. I read on. “Most Improved Promotion of the Year,” I said. “Three years running again,” Sammy predicted confidently. “NOTBPW.” I shook my head. “Us.” “...You're ****ting me!” Everyone had to see to convince them. Truth be told I couldn't believe it myself, but there it was; we'd done it. I couldn't believe it; for the first time, the room was speechless. After a while,. I got further down the list. “Match of the Year... This has got to be a joke.” “What?” “Joey and Petey, last Tuesday. This has got to be a joke.” Sammy's face darkened at the idea and he fished out his own phone, calling transatlantic. A little while later we received confirmation that no, it wasn't. “Card of the Year,” I finished, somewhat weakly, “NOTBPW September Scramble.” “Glad they got something this year,” Sammy conceded. I couldn't believe it. I just sat there, staring into space, until Steve prompted me; the top 100. I paged through the magazine again... “...Oh, man. You're number 14,” I told Sammy, scanning the list. “Petey made it to 24...” I shook my head. “Impressive. Don Henderson is number 46,” I said in disbelief. Don didn't even work elsewhere. El Critico's presence at 67 caused a smile, though we'd parted company. “Bairei's 89. No others in there.” It didn't seem real. But, I found when I reawoke in the afternoon, it was.

[Marcel Fromage]

Congrats on the A match between Joey & Petey. I know how pleased I was when I got my first A. Seraphym, hey? Hmm, I'm sure that name rings a bell somewhere. ;) Congrats also on the year end awards. I can never quite work out why the top 100 is how it is, but it's always good to see a few ROFers in there. By the way, how did you find the financial shift to cult? I'm steadily losing money every month, but not to such proportions that I'll be in any financial danger any time soon. But then I imagine your influx of unknown foreign workers over the years might mean that your salaries have been a bit less savage than mine.

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Marcel Fromage;326382] Seraphym, hey? Hmm, I'm sure that name rings a bell somewhere. ;) [/QUOTE] I like doing the cross-pollination, hence also Giedroyc - and when the game presented me with a reason, not much further on than here, Eric Tyler, both in their Monkeypox configurations, at least mostly. I wanted to keep a certain individual's debut under wraps (not that it was hugely worth it in the end) so I cast around for an appropriate name... As for the shift to Cult, it's painful, but I seem, just about, to be coping. I'm back to only a little profit, though, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. For one thing, at the point you've reached, I was about to do something incredibly stupid...