Ring of Fire: Fighting Every Step of the Way

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I want to state for the record that it was the buzz that made me do it. Checking the sites that afternoon, I discovered USPW was pretty damn close to dead in the water – sixty grand in debt and with weeks to avoid foreclosure. Without really thinking it through, I offered them a buy-out, and on Tuesday 2nd January, Ring of Fire took over USPW and folded it, allowing them a peaceful end. I think, financially, that may've been stupid. We're back below four hundred thousand.

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RING OF FIRE RANKINGS JANUARY 2010 MAIN EVENTERS *************** (“Seraphym”) Davis Wayne Newton Petey Barnes Don Henderson Joey Beauchamp Jed High British Samurai UPPER MIDCARDERS Seiji Jimbo Bairei Yasujiro Billy Robinson Sergei Kalashnov Ruud van Anger Johnny Highspot Jonni Lowlife MIDCARDERS Steve Flash Matthew Gauge Toby Juan Kenobi Roy Edison Velocidad Black Eagle Bulldozer Brandon Smith Chojiro Kitoaji Hugh de Aske Hidekazu LOWER MIDCARDERS Dean Daniels Nichiren Amagawa Huracan Sandoval Jr Nigel Svensson Mario Heroic OPENERS Capitao Brasil Jr Amo del Gato Marc Speed El Bestia Purpura ENHANCEMENT TALENT Magnifico Extraordinario Jr

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I finished typing away and sat back, pinching the bridge of my nose. If this worked, it could be great for us. If it didn't... The door to my office flew open, and as I looked up the owner came in. “I hear you bought something.” I nodded. “They'll FedEx us the belts tomorrow.” “Kind of expensive, wasn't it?” “When I did it, yes.” “When you did it?” “...I think I've worked out a way to turn this to our advantage. But I need to finalise a few other things first. If it works, I think we can handle things.” Sammy took the other seat quietly. “Tell me.” So I did.

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 1 January Phoenix Nights 300 in attendance Going to the Phoenix Nights is a good way to keep my ego from getting too bloated. Magnifico danced with Capitao Brasil Jr in the dark here, and he seems to be settling into his role as chief jobber. This was weak, but neither of these guys are known here. I'd say this is actually a 21CW match, really. [I]Capitao Brasil Jr defeated Magnifico by submission[/I] RATING: D [B]The Stunners vs. The Animals[/B] A following tag match continues to prove that there's only so much we can do in the North so far, though we continue working to turn that around. 21CW quality here in terms of reaction, and the match was only OK; in the end Eagle got the New Jersey Turnpike on El Bestia Purpura and picked up the unsurprising win. [I]The Stunners defeated The Animals when Black Eagle pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: D+ Davis came out after that with the microphone and laid down a challenge to Don; the ring, tonight. Wasn't received nearly as well as elsewhere, but like I say... we're working on it. RATING: D [B]Matthew Gauge vs. Steve Flash[/B] A good match, as far as I'm concerned. But a good match with weak crowd reaction. They went 17:53 before the Flash Bang ended it. [I]Steve Flash defeated Matthew Gauge by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- A video, next, for the Joey vs. Sammy main event. This didn't actually get a greatly worse reception than elsewhere, but that says more about how these do elsewhere. RATING: E+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Don Henderson[/B] On our best show to date these two put on a time limit draw that was up there with anything we'd produced until that stellar main event. Here they went out and worked a completely different match with the same result, one of the highlights of which was Don innovating a tilt-a-whirl sitout powerbomb. And it was well-received – very well received – but not as well as previously. [I]Davis Wayne Newton drew with Don Henderson when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B Bulldozer and Black Eagle returned to the ring, accompanied by April Appleseed, and the Bulldozer laid it on the line; he wants a shot at the Force's gold. Again, the crowd wasn't happy, but oddly, they weren't as annoyed as I'd expected. RATING: E [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai[/B] Lovely work here, though not as good as the semi-main event. But good enough, and with only twenty minutes to work with, they put on a great show. The champ won with a Breeze Block that sandwiched Sammy between the hit and the turnbuckle. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated British Samurai by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Considering where we were, I think that main event sequence pulled it back for us.; I'm very happy with the reception this got – given it's the North. OVERALL: C+

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The door slammed open again Thursday afternoon, but this time, when I looked up, I wished I just had to deal with a pissed off owner.. Instead, I was face to face with a furious booker. Eric Tyler. I swallowed. “Where do you get off screwing with me?” he growled. “Stealing my guys-” “Oh, hell no,” I snapped. “I haven't hired and kept a single one of your crew that you hadn't lost anyway. YOU signed MY champion, and YOU failed to use him any way that would help you. YOU have the dying TV show because you've chased away pretty much everyone who can work who isn't called Eric Tyler!” Seems like 2010 is the year of the stupid impulse, and I may well not be able to turn this one around. I know full well that if Tyler cut loose on me the best I could hope for was not dying in the first ten seconds. What I wasn't entirely sure of was how he'd gotten to my office – but I suppose no one really wants to stop a pissed off Tyler, and right at the moment our success had to be killing the 21CW company. Which meant one of my other recent pieces of business had been a really bad idea. Tyler looked ready to explode, but he tilted his head slightly; in the doorway Sammy and Don stood watching the scene. How Tyler knew they were here, I'll never know – but he's much more a straight-up fighter than I ever was, and I guess you learn to watch your back. He restrained himself, planting clenched fists on my desk and leaning forward. “Consider this a formal notification,” he ground out. “While I got the book, twenty-one-cee-dub are developmental bitches of no promotion. Got it? “As far as I'm concerned trying that means you want a fight – and you got one.” He stormed out past Sammy, past Don, and I slumped back in my chair, the fight gone, and exhaled.

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 1 January Edgeware Hall (South) 1649 in attendance A non-PPV attendance record tonight, and we'll give it a while before we step up to Edgeware Hall on a full-time basis, but I wanted to try our luck and see how it went. Our dark match pitted the too-seldom-seen Ruud van Anger against a new hire, the modern day lucha legend El Leon – noted for his feud with ROF alumnus El Critico. Leon isn't yet known in the UK, and will need developing, and we started that tonight; he destroyed Ruud in under ten minutes Ruud wasn't happy about the loss to someone so little known, but the performance was great for the dark anyway. Leon moves into the light Tuesday, I suspect. [I]El Leon defeated Ruud van Anger by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Sergei Kalashnov[/B] Not as good, but a good enough beginning for our webcast; Bairei, naturally, dominated, putting it away with the Yasujiro Suplex. Sergei did get in a decent fight, but Bairei has the endurance rep in ROF to carry him through. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated Sergei Kalashnov by pinfall.[/I] RATING: C- Miss Information drifted over to the announce table after the match and ran a quick interview with me where she promised a return to dominance for Bairei Yasujiro. I think she's getting better; the fans don't care yet. RATING: E+ She segued smoothly into her other client, the mystery, and promised that the two would be so impressive that she guaranteed a final match between the two at the Commonwealth Games, “leaving the lessers to pick up the title shot. We'll get ours in February.” RATING: E+ [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Dean Daniels for the Heritage Championship[/B] A well-fought bout to bring the crowd back after all that talking, and these two put together a great lucharesu bout which ended when Dean's crossbody was turned into the Jimbo Driver for a successful defence. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Hugh de Aske for the Beacon Championship[/B] Excellent work here, too, as Hugh looks to get gold once again. It took Chojiro just under ten minutes, however, to create an opening and rock Hugh with the Kitoaji Lariat, which is rapidly getting a reputation. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Brandon was shown backstage having a massive argument with Jed High, apparently about their unanswered challenge. It ended when Jed told him to get some wins if he wanted a title shot, and Brandon promptly grabbed the passing Toby and dragged him to the ring. RATING: E+ [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Toby Juan Kenobi[/B] I'd hoped this would be better, but it was good enough – more proof, though, that the Force are not yet main eventers. Have to work on that. Brandon seemed especially motivated, and while in the early going the match was even a big boot counter to a charge by Toby gave Brandon the opening he needed to treat Toby to an up-close exhibition of Puroresu's Nastiest Moves, culminating with the Inverted Piledriver for the pin. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Toby Juan Kenobi by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Marcos Flores in a Lucha Libre Contest[/B] Our other new signing makes his debut in the main event against the champion. I wasn't sure this was going to be wise, as Marcos has pretty much no momentum in the UK, but his skills rapidly won the crowd over; he picked up the first fall with a ten minute sunset flip before Joey picked up the second fall with a superb springboard moonsault press to set up for the Breeze Block. Unfortunately an attempted powerbomb from the apron was countered into a huracanrana and Joey was wiped out; Marcos crashed headfirst into the ring steps, and both men were counted out for the draw. But this was absolutely fantastic. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Marcos Flores with one fall apiece, the third fall being ruled a draw[/I] RATING: B Good grief. Complaints I really didn't expect included less than a quarter of an hour of Toby Juan Kenobi meaning he was 'overused'. Still, we got the crowd going, put on a good show, managed two excellent debuts, and came away with a pretty successful card. OVERALL: B-

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 2 January Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Ahh, sold out again. Our dark match saw Steve Flash battle Extraordinario Jr, as the youngster really just needs some development in terms of storytelling to be a star, in my opinion – which he proved with the best dark match we've ever shown. It shouldn't have been dark, which I'll have to remember in future. Steve continues his current winning run at ten minutes in. [I]Steve Flash defeated Extraordinario Jr by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Black Eagle vs. Jed High[/B] Oh, ugly. If this hadn't been part of a story this would've been in the dark. Eagle got the duke at the end of a 21CW bout that should've been better. [I]Black Eagle defeated Jed High by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ After that Eagle was joined by Brandon and the two came over to the desk. We ran an interview segment where they called the Force out again, demanding the title shot they felt they'd earned. As our promos go, it was actually received pretty well. RATING: D- [B]El Leon vs. Ultimate Phoenix[/B] Luchastravaganza! The only problem with this match was that very few in the audience knew either man, and I won't be able to repeat Leon's feud with Critico – while he's at a loose end at present he wasn't willing to sign with us at our current level. There's still time. Just under ten minutes saw Leon get the Split Second Justice in a match that was much better than the crowd reaction would lead a blind man to believe. [I]El Leon defeated Ultimate Phoenix by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Marc Speed vs. Mario Heroic vs. Matthew Gauge vs. Velocidad[/B] Not bad, this, if chiefly because it was mostly a teaching bout. Sammy laid out the script, and at the end Velocidad tried a Tornado on Heroic, was thrown clear and a Hero Attack took them both over the ropes as Matthew got Marc down and tapping with the Proton Lock. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Marc Speed, Mario Heroic & Velocidad when he made Velocidad submit[/I] RATING: C [B]Petey Barnes vs. Marcos Flores[/B] Wonderful stuff here; Marcos is going to be tested, ultimately, against all of our main event, so we can see what's what. This was a fantastic bout that ended only when the twenty minute time limit forced a conclusion, but the fans were ecstatic. [I]Petey Barnes drew with Marcos Flores when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Billy Robinson[/B] An unusual and short main event designed to see how far Billy Robinson's come. The end result was one of Davis' weakest matches, but up in the upper half of Billy's performances – which is good, but not as good as the match beforehand. The finish came when Davis managed to get his feet on the ropes during a slingshot suplex attempt, broke the hold, and got the STF locked in before the duo hit ground. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Billy Robinson by submission[/I] RATING: C+ Following the bout Davis spent a little time celebrating and thanking the fans. He isn't quite popular enough in the south for this to work as well as it does in the Midlands, but it wasn't too bad. RATING: D And we closed the match out with a video showcasing the major contenders coming into the Commonwealth Cup, reminding fans that the first round runs through the next Tour and Clinic. RATING: D Again, not a great show but more than good enough to keep our prestige rising in the South. We're still on the rise. OVERALL: C+ Lobster Warrior continues to go from strength to strength. He's now SWF champ! And people keep saying that he needs to lose the gimmick. You can become a champ under both Eisen and Vibert, you have a gimmick that works. And 21CW's ratings are now down to 0.00. I can't promise you much, guys, but I think I could probably beat that. Mind you, they're in trouble for it, so...

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 2 January Aston University Sports Hall 1000 in attendance We finally fill the Sports Hall. Hopefully this will be the start of much more, especially as we head toward the Commonwealth Cup. Our dark bout: Hidekazu takes on Nichiren Amagawa. It takes a little under ten minutes for Hidekazu to hit a gorilla press powerbomb and pick up the win, but it's a damn fine match along the way and teaches Nichiren a few more throws. [I]Hidekazu defeated Nichiren Amagawa by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Simona Cox comes out at the start of the webcast, flanked by Jed High, and informs the Stunners gleefully that if it'll shut them up they get their title shot – after all, the Force isn't just a thrown-together pair of losers. They know how to work together. RATING: D- And, she continues with a wild grin, it's not even as simple as that – Your New Favourite Team are going to get in on the action; they owe the Force a favour from getting them on the PPV. And it starts... now! RATING: E+ [B] The Force vs. The Stunners vs. Your New Favourite Team for the Tag Titles in an Elimination Match[/B] Once again this is one of those matches where you can see everyone improving in front of your eyes. But that's not the main thing here; the main thing is seeing Brandon take a back seat in his team, for once, and be the solid backbone while Black Eagle kicks himself to the fore. An early break sees him deliver a sharp kick to the temple of Toby before shoving Johnny Highspot into him; the blinded faux-Jedi hits the Kenobi Kutter on instinct and Eagle tags in Brandon, who tosses Toby and covers for the pin. Jed looks to break it up with the Sky High, but Brandon ducks clear and then DDTs Jed, covering Highspot again – a man now run over by both of the Force's signature shots. Your New Favourite Team is eliminated as Black Eagle intercepts Jonni's charge with a springboard clothesline, and Eagle rolls Toby back into the ring, where he evades a Backdrop Driver and the battle ensues in earnest, eventually dying down when Brandon drops Jed with a yakuza kick and tags Eagle back in for the New Jersey Turnpike and the pin. [I]The Stunners defeated The Force & Your New Favourite Team by elimination[/I] RATING: C [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Dean Daniels vs. Hugh de Aske vs. Marc Speed vs. Roy Edison vs. Steve Flash in an elimination match[/B] Another six-man elimination match to continue to spotlight our boys as we head into the biggest tournament of our year. Marc got lucky early on, tripping Dean and applying the Deadly Heel Hook for the submission; unfortunately a Flash Bang was waiting and Roy Edison followed it up with the cover to eliminate Marc. An irate Steve hit Roy with the Flash Bang; there was a pause, then Steve yanked Roy up and hurled him toward Chojiro who got the Kitoaji lariat and went for the pin before Steve stopped him, pulled Roy up again and threw him to Hugh de Aske for the Cut-Throat Driver, and Hugh then let Steve pin him. He got back up and faced off with Hugh, only for both men to be run over by a double Kitoaji Lariat; Chojiro then covered and eliminated both in turn for the win. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Dean Daniels, Hugh de Aske, Marc Speed, Roy Edison and Steve Flash by elimination[/I] RATING: C [B]Don Henderson vs. Marcos Flores[/B] Don proves to have poor chemistry with another new additon, with the result being that this is only good, not spectacular. The bout goes to 18:43 before the Highland Hitman hands Marcos his first ROF loss with the Scottish Deathlock.[I] Don Henderson defeated Marcos Flores by submission[/I] RATING: C+ On the biggest roll of his career to date, Don takes a moment to celebrate in the ring, and the Sports Hall explodes in support. RATING: C+ Miss Information arrives, along with Bairei Yasujiro, and promises the fans 'a thrill to rival my clients facing off in the Commonwealth Cup final – Bairei's match with Joey tonight is a Ladder Match!' RATING: E [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Joey Beauchamp in a Ladder Match[/B] Again we see these two put on a less spectacular outing than they're capable of, but we can live with it for the moment; it was still excellent. Bairei tries the abdominal splash onto the man on the ladder again; Joey not only rolls clear but yanks the ladder into Bairei's path with force, levelling him and allowing a clear climb to the top. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Bairei Yasujiro when he retrieved the prize.[/I] RATING: B- Great show, though not superb; great show and sure to bring us more fans. OVERALL: B-

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So, both shows from Week 3 and the first show of Week 4 comprise the first round and quarter finals of the Commonwealth Cup, which will finish with semis and finals at the Commonwealth Games. Accordingly, I'm going to give you the brackets for predictions - but remember, you can't predict the winner without also predicting the winners in subsequent rounds. Marc Speed vs. Matthew Gauge Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Mario Heroic Dean Daniels vs. Hugh de Aske Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp Bairei Yasujiro vs. British Samurai El Leon vs. 'Seraphym' Don Henderson vs. Hidekazu Marcos Flores vs. Petey Barnes

[chris caulfield]

Marc Speed vs. [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Mario Heroic Dean Daniels vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Joey Beauchamp [B]Bairei Yasujiro [/B]vs. British Samurai El Leon vs. [B]'Seraphym'[/B] [B]Don Henderson [/B]vs. Hidekazu Marcos Flores vs. [B]Petey Barnes[/B]

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 3 January Aston University Sports Hall 1000 in attendance The road to the Commonwealth Cup begins here, and the goal has to be to make the whole damn thing as riveting as possible. Our dark bout sees the Shooters school the Animals for ten minutes, and Don shone here, absolutely shone – and finished the match by getting a missile dropkick on El Bestia Purpura! He was hardly the only one developing new spots, either. Fantastic. [I]The Shooters defeated The Animals when Don Henderson pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: C+ We then ran a video showing clips of the people in action tonight and explaining the brackets: Marc Speed and Matthew Gauge, Bulldozer Brandon Smith and Mario Heroic, Dean Daniels and Hugh de Aske, and finally Joey Beauchamp and Davis Wayne Newton. RATING: E+ [B]Marc Speed vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] And with that it was on to the first bout, and these two put on a really solid performance over nineteen minutes before the Proton Lock sent Matthew threw and saved us a time limit complication. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Marc Speed by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Mario Heroic[/B] Ah, and a better match again! Brandon and Mario both gave it everything they had, with Brandon kicking out from a Hero Attack and Mario coming back from four belly-to-belly suplexes in succession. But at 13:51 Brandon got the Inverted Piledriver and made that the last word. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Another return to the video screen as we advanced the brackets; Matthew Gauge facing off in a week with Bulldozer Brandon Smith and a reminder that Dean would be facing Hugh and Joey facing Davis later tonight. RATING: E+ [B]Dean Daniels vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] Again we teased a time limit here; at 19:44, though, the Cut-Throat driver came through for Hugh after an absolutely fantastic match between two men giving it their all to go on and make their mark. Beautiful work all the way, though, and Dean has as much to do with that as Hugh. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] This, too, ran right near the time limit; 19:35 was the time of the decision, after Davis and Joey ran what was, essentially, a condensed, speeded-up version of their best bouts to date. It wasn't quite as good as their best, but it was fundamentally very sound indeed. Oh, the winner? Davis, after ducking a Breeze Block to hit a Newton's Cradle. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Joey Beauchamp by pinfall[/I] RATING: B After a long pause, Joey offered his hand, and the Canadian shook it, then raised Joey's arm in salute. That was how the webcast ended; with a show of sportsmanship. RATING: D+ Well, I don't think that was a bad spot of build-up at all. Coming Sunday, the remaining four bouts of the first round and the reveal of Miss Information's new signing. OVERALL: B-

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 3 January Parliament Square 1000 in attendance More fun in the South, this show. But the PPV, I think, will likely go back to the Midlands as we haven't run one there yet. Our dark match featured Black Eagle, Johnny Highspot, Magnifico and Ultimate Phoenix, and was thoroughly enjoyable. In the end Black Eagle caught Johnny with the New Jersey Turnpike while Magnifico was down on the outside and Phoenix was tied up in the ropes; consequently Eagle got a relatively easy win. [I]Black Eagle defeated Johnny Highspot, Magnifico, and Ultimate Phoenix when he pinned Johnny Highspot[/I] RATING: C Miss Information opened the webcast in the ring, and called out her client. We'd heard rumours, she was sure, and it was time to explain them – and 'Seraphym' came out, tearing off his mask to reveal... Jonathan Faust! RATING: E+ Bairei Yasujiro joined the pair and Miss Information took a shot at me for arranging things so that her boys would have to meet before the final, denying the fans the final bout she'd promised (“It was a random draw!” I protested on commentary.) but assured us that they'd polish off British Samurai and El Leon anyway, and that one would go on to win the Commonwealth Cup. She hinted that the other might take on Joey for his title, as we knew he wasn't busy... RATING: E+ [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. British Samurai[/B] Not brilliant, but good, solid wrestling, with a puro edge to it. After seventeen minutes the Fisherman's Suplex got countered and the Yasujiro Suplex hit instead, carrying the day. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated British Samurai by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]El Leon vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] Unfortunately, this bout suffered from chemistry issues that prevented it from being as good as I'd hoped. Still, at 16:57 the Devil's Drop put Faust into the second round, and the fans seemed reasonably pleased. [I]Jonathan Faust defeated El Leon by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Bairei and Jonathan didn't seem too happy about facing off with each other, whatever Miss Information might claim, and they stood off for a moment before Jonathan hit Bairei with the Devil's Drop. As the fans erupted in disgust the Yasujiro Suplex slammed home. I yelled that it looked like we were gonna see the quarter-final right now, but then the ring got swamped by the locker room and the two were dragged away. Considering our fanbase, this actually went pretty well. RATING: D- [B]Don Henderson vs. Hidekazu[/B] Excellent work by these two, but with Don on the tear he's been on of late, was there really any doubt that he'd win through? Hidekazu made himself look excellent just by lasting for nearly nineteen minutes before the Scottish Deathlock forced a tap out... [I]Don Henderson defeated Hidekazu by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Marcos Flores vs. Petey Barnes[/B] The final qualifier – and final match – of the night, this was intense action just like their first battle, and really took the evening to another level in a fantastic match. But it ran the full twenty minutes without a decision, and thus neither man goes through – Don Henderson gets a bye into the semi-finals! [I]Marcos Flores drew with Petey Barnes when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B+ A great reception, a great match, a great build to the Games. Which are up next! OVERALL: B-

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 4 December Hall Green Cricket Club 2000 in attendance A great dark bout to kick things off; Steve Flash takes on El Leon, and loses in just under ten minutes to the Split Second Justice. The pair make it feel like more than just a formula dark bout, though. [I]El Leon defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] Our first quarter-final and the opening to the live webcast, and it's absolutely excellent, running 18:34 of hard-hitting puro influenced stylings before Matthew hangs on through a backdrop driver and cinches in the Proton Lock, eventually making the tag champ tap out. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith by submission[/I] RATING: B- We made an announcement; Joey will defend his title in the main event of Commonwealth Games, and he'll defend it against... British Samurai! This did pretty well for us... RATING: C [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] Hum. Faust's not doing as well as he managed against Don in the dark. Maybe it's his lack of popularity and, y'know, not wrestling Don. Still, this was good, and the Devil's Drop finished things after fifteen minutes. [I]Jonathan Faust defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Bairei, outraged, jumps Faust from behind and throws him out of the ring. Shrugging off Miss Information's protests, he gets the Yasujiro Suplex on the outside. I think it may be Bairei – these segments are doing better than they should be, given they're all about making it easier for Don to last as long as he needs to in the PPV. RATING: D- Following this, another announcement; the webcast main event will see Petey and Marcos Flores settle their draw-issues at last. RATING: D [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] ...HOLY GOD. All along I've been wondering what Davis could do against a competent wrestler where he had actual good chemistry, and this was the chance I had to find out. With both men riding heavy momentum thus far into the tournament, this quarter-hour match set a high standard early on for 2010 Match of the Year, at least as far as Ring of Fire is concerned. We have much to do with this Aske, methinks. At 14:27 the excellence was cut short by a Newton's Cradle for the pin. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: A [B]Marcos Flores vs. Petey Barnes[/B] Oh, God, we're killing the PPV. KILLING IT. These two went up a notch themselves and a crowd buoyed by the prior bout absolutely exploded. This is about as good as we get, folks. Petey and Marcos battled for twenty-five excellent minutes before, eventually, Petey scraped a win with a small package.[I] Petey Barnes defeated Marcos Flores by pinfall[/I] RATING: A Petey celebrates his triumph over the tough newcomer, afterward, and the crowd gives him absolute support in that – as they should, after a match like that. RATING: C+ An utterly fantastic show, but I really do fear we've killed the Commonwealth Games by producing something too good to live up to. Bah. OVERALL: B+

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ROF Commonwealth Cup Tuesday Week 4 January Hall Green Cricket Club 2000 in attendance Buyrate: 0.02 Time to do our best, then. Steve features in another dark bout, this time against Seiji Jimbo. A good bout; at 16:32 Steve got out of the Jimbo Driver and got the Flash Bang, sending both men to the floor. Seiji came to just in time to grab steve and slap on a submission, not realising where he was, and the pair were counted out. [I]Steve Flash drew with Seiji Jimbo when both men were counted out[/I] RATING: C Davis cut our best promo to date, running down his potential competition, talking about all the three men's multitudinous achievements, and promising victory nonetheless. RATING: B- [B]Don Henderson vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] Better than Faust's last two, worse than his one match as 'Seraphym'. On the other hand, they only had 7:43 for the bout and I think it was worth it; the sight of Don Henderson hitting a moonsault will stay with me forever. He rolled over and locked in the Scottish Deathlock, which carried the day. [I]Don Henderson defeated Jonathan Faust by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] Fantastic match. If it hadn't been for the earlier show I would've said you couldn't achieve a match like this in less than fourteen minutes, but there you go. Matthew got a superplex, but the impact left both men rolling – and Davis rolled into the Newton's Cradle to get the pin. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Matthew Gauge by pinfall[/I] RATING: B We ran a hype video we'd cut together over the past week and tonight, then, showing how Don and Davis had both battled their way here. RATING: C+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Don Henderson for the Commonwealth Cup[/B] Oh, yes. Splendid match – not on a par with the earlier show, but a fantastic match nonetheless and worthy of being a first final. At 20:36 Don countered the Newton's Cradle into a powerbomb, slapped on the Scottish Deathlock, and made the younger contender tap. And the crowd loved it. [I]Don Henderson defeated Davis Wayne Newton by submission[/I] RATING: B+ Don took his moment in the ring, as Optimus emerged from backstage for the first time to present him with the Cup. RATING: B- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai in a 30 minute Iron Man match for the ROF Championship[/B] A good solid match here, too, though weaker than the Final – although, of course, it had much less build. The bout looked to be a scoreless draw, despite both men's best efforts, until 29:17, when Sammy hit a top rope fisherman's suplex and somehow kept it bridged for the pin, and even Joey couldn't pull the score back in the time remaining – and Sammy became Champion once again! [I]British Samurai defeated Joey Beauchamp by one fall to nil[/I] RATING: B A great show, really. Just... not as great as the show before it. OVERALL: B 21CW ran their January supercard against us, filling the Norman Blue. It didn't do nearly so well. Nor did their TV show the following night – badly enough, in fact, that they've lost it. So. Tyler's rattled enough to declare war on us. They've lost their TV show, we outsell them everywhere and we have a PPV deal that seems to be going OK. I'd say that we've officially hit the #2 slot in UK wrestling. The trick is staying there, and not just assuming that's gonna happen week after week. But we're gonna do that by putting on really good shows. Well. Maybe I'll take one shot at Eric. Next month. We'll see.

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 4 January Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Our dark bout this week sees The Stunners take on the new team of East and West, made up of Marc Speed and Nichiren Amagawa, who to my great delight have fantastic chemistry when they tag. In part because of this, this ended up being one of our very best tag matches in a long, long time, despite only running ten minutes. Nichiren attempted the Amagawa Total Lock to finish, but Bulldozer got the Backdrop Driver despite the resistance. [I]The Stunners defeated East and West when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned Nichiren Amagawa[/I] RATING: C+ We begin our post-PPV webcast, as is becoming traditional, when I make announcements regarding the next one, notifying those who didn't catch it that Don Henderson captured the Commonwealth Cup and British Samurai now holds the ROF Championship for the third time. Accordingly, I tell them, Don's title shot for winning the cup will play into the main event for the next PPV - ROF: School of Tradition. The fans seemed keen on this, and the smarks got a chuckle out of a PPV named for Tyler's DaVE stable. No one's ever going to believe it was already scheduled to be called that... RATING: C [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Magnifico[/B] Magnifico continues to indicate to me he shouldn't be put up against anyone out of the dark, as he and Bairei don't click – and accordingly, particularly when Miss Information and Jonathan Faust appear and begin to watch, the match gets a bit shaky. It's not even 21CW quality. Fortunately it's short, as Yasujiro gets the Yasujiro Suplex to pin Magnifico. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated Magnifico[/I] RATING: D [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Marcos Flores[/B] Both these guys need a little of their momentum back, and both of these guys are good. So we set them to it and ran a humdinger of a time limit draw to get the crowd bellowing. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Marcos Flores when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] Another good solid long match; in fact, better than the bout preceding, which is always good. At 18:25 Petey brought the wonderful proceedings to the end, as one always must, and got a pin following the X Factor while Jonathan was distracted by Bairei. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Jonathan Faust by pinfall[/I] RATING: B We ran a quick video highlighting Don's career since he first came to Ring of Fire, but focused on his rise over the past three years. The crowd seemed to really like it. RATING: B- I then interviewed Sammy, who explained that he'd asked for a main event bout against Billy Robinson as an obvious preparation for Don – and in order to make sure he knew exactly how it was going, he wanted a two out of three falls bout. I granted the match. RATING: D [B]British Samurai vs. Billy Robinson in a two out of three falls match[/B] Huh. Turns out these two click in the ring; something about their old school upbringing, I suppose. Sadly for Billy, this was all about Sammy, as he went over in two straight falls to establish him as a champion. [I]British Samurai defeated Billy Robinson by two falls to nil[/I] RATING: B Yeah, another good show. More of these and we will finally get the TV deal – and hopefully more than a thousand viewer and change for each PPV. OVERALL: B- ...Huh. Petey and Jonathan wrestled tonight, but UKW had a PPV. Have we actually nosed ahead in prestige?

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 1 February Phoenix Nights 300 in attendance A packed night tonight in our continued efforts to bring the North up to a respectable level. Two dark bouts opened things off; first, El Leon battled Ultimate Phoenix, defeating him handily in an entertaining bout. [I]El Leon defeated Ultimate Phoenix by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Next up, Steve and Roy resumed their dark feud, with Steve winning convincingly in something the crowd reaction reduced to a 21CW match. Good enough, though. [I]Steve Flash defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ Miss Information hit the ring with Jonathan Faust as the webcast started, calling out Bairei Yasujiro. Faust wanted him in a singles match, but Bairei refused him. RATING: D- [B]Matthew Gauge vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] Hot off a good run in the Cup Matthew battles Nigel again, and the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating; these two started off producing only 21CW matches, and here, in the North, with bad chemistry, they return to only that level before Matthew forces a tap-out to the Proton Lock. Definite signs of improvement. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Nigel Svensson by submission [/I] RATING: D+ I took a moment then to announce and hype the night's main event. For one night only, the Shooters and Young Blood II in the ring together! RATING: E+ [B]British Samurai vs. Chojiro Kitoaji[/B] Another Champion's Bout here, with neither title, consequently, on the line. Pretty good all the same, though, with Sammy getting the Fisherman's Suplex at 17:54 to what, for the Phoenix Nights, is a sizeable pop. [I]British Samurai defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Hugh de Aske hit the ring next, and demanded to see what Marcos Flores was so good at that he'd picked up multiple main event bouts without proving himself. RATING: E [B] Hugh de Aske vs. Marcos Flores[/B] Not as good as either man is capable of, but, again, good enough, and hindered as always by the Northern factor – neither man is known here. Under the circumstances they actually did pretty well. Marcos, naturally, got the win with the Flores Heaven Elbow after countering a Cut-Throat Driver attempt into an inverted suplex. [I]Marcos Flores defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]The Shooters vs. Young Blood II[/B] And this definitely deserved to be the main event. A taut half hour of tag action from four very talented competitors, none of them strangers to either tag or singles gold, which eventually saw Don get a victory roll and continue through into a Scottish Deathlock on Seiji Jimbo for the win. [I]The Shooters defeated Young Blood II when Don Henderson made Seiji Jimbo submit[/I] RATING: B- Anywhere else, I wouldn't have been at all happy with the way this show did, but here we'll take it as being about as good as we get. I can hardly wait until we can start looking at the Cobra Den for our Northern venue, and with that our gradual acceptance into the North. And soon we need to look at Project USPW... I'm not looking forward to that right at the moment, if I'm honest. OVERALL: C Oh, I've been waiting for this for so long... WE HAVE TV TIME! Continental Sports X1 have given us an hour and a half on Tuesdays starting at 11:00. At the start of March the Best of British Tour will fold and be replaced by Ring of Fire: Fighting Fit. At the same time we'll be eliminating Wrestling Clinic for other reasons. We're not the only ones dragging ourselves up; Tyler's most recent supercard has had the 21CW guys described as 'regionally strong' again.

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday, Week 1 February Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Another dark tag match this week; the Animals take on East and West as part of my mutual development project for the undercard teams. Another solid match sees a lot of development before Marc sends del Gato to the mat with a capture suplex and slaps on the Deadly Heel Hook for the submission victory. [I]East and West defeated the Animals when Marc Speed made Amo del Gato submit[/I] RATING: C- I kicked off the webcast with an announcement; Steve Flash would, for the first time in far too long, get a title shot, taking on Seiji Jimbo for the Heritage Championship. RATING: E+ [B]Dean Daniels vs. Sergei Kalashnov[/B] A good solid bout here to give Sergei some work and keep Dean rolling, ending when Dean is able to catch the Eastern Block, lift, and convert into a Cradle Piledriver for the win. [I]Dean Daniels defeated Sergei Kalashnov by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Chojiro Kitoaji for the Beacon Championship[/B] Not bad, this. They both need to loosen up and sell occasionally, though; Chojiro gets a successful defence against the tag champ with a Kitoaji Lariat. These two do need to do better, though. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Hidekazu vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] Yeah, I know. All that buildup and this is where he ends up. All I can say is that there is a plan here, and for the moment this is the way we're building it. Bairei was at ringside for Hidekazu, but it didn't help; Jonathan shrugged off his doubts and efficiently nailed the Devil's Drop. [I]Jonathan Faust defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ We ran another hype video covering Sammy and Don's time in the promotion and their different roads to the top. RATING: C+ [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Steve Flash for the Heritage Championship[/B] Nice, this; very nice. Steve and Seiji put on a lovely battle until, eventually, the East Coast Legend kicked out of the Jimbo Driver and battled back to get the Flash Bang, hit it again, and get the win to hold gold once more. [I]Steve Flash defeated Seiji Jimbo by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Joey came up to me before the main event and asked me to put the title on the line during the match, pointing out that Don would still get his main event at School of Tradition – it's just that he'd be facing Joey. I turned him down, and he looked furious. RATING: D+ [B]British Samurai vs. Don Henderson vs. Joey Beauchamp vs. Marcos Flores[/B] Fantastic work, this, though I'm beginning to believe some of our guys are reaching developmental peaks. Not that this is a problem when they're doing as well as they do, mind. The battle went twenty-two minutes before, Joey's frustration evident, he went at Sammy with a chair, then followed up by nailing Don and Marcos. Humphrey, disgusted, ruled the bout a no contest. [I]British Samurai, Don Henderson, Joey Beauchamp and Marcos Flores went to a no contest.[/I] RATING: B+ I really had never expected chair shots to be something the ROF fans wouldn't crap on on sight, and I didn't book them – I just told the four men to get a draw, no matter what, and this is what they came up with. It... works, sure, but it's not what I came here to do. Still, I guess in moderation it's OK. We just don't want to turn into SWF, let alone DaVE. OVERALL: B

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 2 February Parliament Square 1000 in attendance A big night tonight and I was hoping that the image of a sold out arena would help cement that in the minds of those around. We kicked things off with Los Hijos and the Animals in the dark, where we continue to try and improve their general ability. This one was decidedly not about a good match; it was about them trying to work it out for themselves. Optimus wanted a new baseline for them, and he got it; they're horrible. El Bestia Purpura got the Beast Bomb on Capitao and secured a pinfall, and that at least was worthwhile, I think. [I]The Animals defeated Los Hijos when El Bestia Purpura pinned Capitao Brasil Jr[/I] RATING: D- At the start of the webcast I was in the ring, all smiles. “Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for more announcements. Firstly, I regret to inform you that after tonight Ring of Fire will only host two further Best of British Tour events. “This is for one simple reason. Starting on the first Tuesday in March those of you in Britain or Europe are advised to tune in to Continental Sports X1 at eleven p.m. Ring of Fire is going to television!” There was a reasonable pop, though not as great as I'd hoped. RATING: D I carried on. “I regret, too, to announce that the Wrestling Clinic shows will end at the same time. Some of you watch the news, and those of you will know we recently aided a legend in the industry.” A few scattered “Strong sucks!” chants broke out. I waved them down. “For the rest of you, I have to announce that the initials U-S-P-W are about to stand for something a little different. Ring of Fire is creating a new promotion to work alongside us in Europe; Universal Sportsmanship Professional Wrestling will debut on Sundays in March and will feature some former ROF talent and some talent not seen before on our programs. We hope to have more from the USPW Chief Official sooner rather than later. Ring of Fire is proud to introduce new competition into the quiet English scene and anticipates friendly relations with USPW for some time to come, up to and including long-term talent exchange. This is news to the boys in the back, too, and to them I say – choose where you want to work, and get back to me. We'll do our best to make sure the talent goes where it wants to go, so long as there's a decent balance.” RATING: E+ [B]Steve Flash vs. Mario Heroic vs. Roy Edison for the Heritage Championship[/B] So it was now time to build the crowd back up; I hadn't expected the announcement that only half the guys would be working here to go well, and it hadn't. But that did mean I'd planned for it, and Steve and Mario did a good job of walking Roy through this match while making the champ look strong. A nice enough performance came to an end after the Patent Pending Roundhouse felled Mario but left Roy off-balance for the Flash Bang. Steve covered Roy and grabbed the ring. [I]Steve Flash defeated Mario Heroic and Roy Edison when he pinned Roy Edison[/I] RATING: C+ Simona came out with the Force and asked to speak to British Samurai. She explained politely that, as the owner, she felt it was wise to talk to him, not me. She wanted a shot at the Stunners for her boys so that when the Force returned to Europe 'where they belonged' they could prove the company they were going to was superior. Sammy pointed out that we had USPW tag belts, and Simona just shrugged off a 'So we'll win those too' with aplomb. The crowd seemed more hurt than I'd expected to be losing the Force, but their European rep makes them perfect poster children for the new brand. Yes, brand. It's only a promotion if you believe the work. RATING: E+ [B] Matthew Gauge vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] AAAAGH. I have to learn to stop doing this. Weak. Damn weak. Bad. Bad chemistry. Nigel got the win, though, and on the plus side this points up why; I do want some of the USPW workers to look strong going across, even if it's essentially going to be a weaker brand – we don't need shows to be as good in Europe to build our guys up there. Matthew's DaVE commitments mean he's busy Sundays, so he stays with ROF, and Nigel goes to ply his Scandinavian roots in Europe, winning here with a running knee drive. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Matthew Gauge by pinfall[/I] RATING: D [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] Again there was bad chemistry here, but I knew that going in; I wanted to see how well these two work together despite it. Davis, at least, has a history of overcoming chemistry issues to provide us with fantastic bouts, and this was... not too bad. A time limit draw produced a very satisfactory reaction. [I]Davis Wayne Newton drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Marcos Flores in a Ladder Match[/B] A hard-fought battle that was, frankly, excellent here. Marcos broke out the ladder-top Flores Heaven Elbow, which got a fantastic pop but also the customary complaints about not just trying to win, and indeed, as ever, it cost him – after a further while on the mat, Marcos flattened Joey with a butterfly suplex and started climbing; Joey responded by scrambling up after him and improvising an electric chair drop halfway up that sent Marcos over the ropes, allowing our strongest competitor to pick up another win. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Marcos Flores by retrieving the prize.[/I] RATING: B A relatively weak show again, but still good enough to keep fans happy and our fanbase growing. Speculation's exploded on the forums, which is very satisfying. OVERALL: B- And we have a play-by-play man for USPW and an authority figure/colour commentator. We also have a ref. This makes me happy, although one of those hires will infuriate Tyler. On the other hand, he put in bids for Joey and Hugh, so... In other news, Lobster Warrior is apparently ready to kick SWF to the curb as being to small for him. This truly is crazy...

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Wrestling Clinic Sunday Week 2 February Aston University Sports Hall 1000 in attendance Our dark match tonight sees Steve Flash battle Billy Robinson. Only a reasonable match, but something I can work with, particularly as I need to develop Billy's psychology a lot – he's going across to USPW, and their weakest side is likely to be psychology, save for a prize few. [I]Steve Flash defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]East and West vs. The Animals[/B] Good heavens. This was much, much better than I'd expected, and a worthwhile opening match. The finish came when Marc twisted out of the Beast Bomb, instead taking Purpura to the mat for the Cross Armbreaker. [I]East and West defeated The Animals when Marc Speed made El Bestia Purpura submit[/I] RATING: C Applause came from the top of the ramp, and a man in dark glasses and sombre grey suit hit the top; Danny Jillefski. “So this is where USPW comes to start again,” he said, looking around the crowd. “Well, I come with it. And you two, in the ring – no, the worthwhile two – you've got a place with me, if you want it. You've got potential, kids.” East and West barely had to consider before throwing their lot in with him at USPW. RATING: E [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Hidekazu[/B] Another match where Jonathan Faust and Miss Information wandered down to ringside. Despite their splitting off and flanking the ring, Bairei rose to the occasion, finishing Hidekazu with three consecutive Yasujiro Suplexes. [I]Bairei Yasujiro defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Miss Information hit the ring, then, and explained she and Jonathan had a proposition for her former client – a match at School of Tradition. On one side, Bairei, Seiji, Chojiro and Dean – the entire WLW crew. On the other... well, she was sure Jonathan would have no trouble finding a team to match. Whichever team won would force the other onto USPW, ensuring they'd never have to deal with each other again. RATING: E+ [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Ultimate Phoenix for the Beacon Championship[/B] Now this was good, in no small part because these two just work well together. The slight lucha tendencies of WLW had Chojiro well prepared for this, too, and in only eleven minutes they really pepped the crowd up before the Kitoaji Lariat claimed another victim. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Ultimate Phoenix by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Jonathan Faust vs. Seiji Jimbo[/B] Ten minutes' work and below what both men should be giving me, but I'm starting to expect that from Faust. I'm hoping that getting traction in the promotion will help him adjust. Even so, he got the Devil's Drop and the win. [I]Jonathan Faust defeated Seiji Jimbo by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Don Henderson vs. British Samurai in a Submission Match[/B] The challenger takes on the champ in a match that favours him, though we don't yet know what the stipulation will be at School of Tradition. It's good, though; twenty-six minutes of very solid technical back-and-forth and 'old ROF' to remind people where we've come from and why it's worth keeping it going. The finish here saw Don hit that tilt-a-whirl sitout powerbomb again before following up with the Scottish Deathlock, scoring a solid win over the champ. [I]Don Henderson defeated British Samurai by submission[/I] RATING: B+ Don offered his hand to the champ after the match. After a long moment, Sammy shook his head and rolled under the ropes, collecting his belt and making his way back up the ramp. RATING: C+ Now I'm happier putting on shows of this quality, I have to say. More fodder for speculation, more new fans, marginally more downloads. We can live with this. OVERALL: B Man, I had a nasty turn the morning after the show. Doing my regular catch-up on our boys in other promotions, I found out that Chris Caulfield had been active for DaVE last night defending his title against Eric Tyler... and Matthew Gauge. I couldn't phone Matt and check his health fast enough after that... But he was fine, thankfully.

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Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 3 February Parliament Square 1000 in attendance More of the slow development work being put in here; Magnifico takes on Velocidad in the dark. Magnifico, an excellent worker who can't connect or gain traction, and Velocidad, a man who's slowly gained more and more popularity without actually gaining much ability to lead other wrestlers. I think he was picking some up here, but that didn't stop this being ten awful minutes thankfully ended by the Magnifico Cradle. [I]Magnifico defeated Velocidad by pinfall[/I] RATING: D- Danny Jillefski kicked the show off by presenting his newest USPW signing; Sergei Kalashnov. Sergei went on to announce his joining Faust's team, on the basis that he respected the WLW competitors and wanted plenty of opportunities to wrestle them – so he was making sure of it. “So USPW might end up with five of eight of the wrestlers,” I pointed out. RATING: E+ [B]Los Hijos & Extraordinario Jr vs. El Leon, Marcos Flores & Ultimate Phoenix[/B] Not unsurprisingly the star of this bout was Flores. We told everyone watching the webcast that we weren't sure what was going on with this match; it had been requested by the six men involved, and while we could understand the three legacy wrestlers teaming up we weren't sure why the other three were. In the end El Leon hit a blistering Split Second Justice on Extraordinario Jr to end the match. [I]El Leon, Marcos Flores & Ultimate Phoenix defeated Los Hijos & Extraordinario Jr when El leon pinned Extraordinario Jr[/I] RATING: C Jillefski hit the ring, all smiles, and hyped three more signings for USPW – the victors. He promised that if you wanted lucha libre action, catching the USPW product was going to be a better idea than Ring of Fire. RATING: F+ [B]British Samurai vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] Time to build a few folks who're remaining with ROF, and the champ takes on a relatively easy target. Hugh nonetheless provides a really solid match-up that electrifies the crowd in just shy of ten minutes before the Samurai Secret Stretch finishes things in his favour. Matthew and I speculated that Sammy was proving his own submission chops following last week. [I]British Samurai defeated Hugh de Aske by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Matthew Gauge for the Beacon Championship[/B] A reasonable bout, though perhaps a little underpar. But good enough nonetheless, and the Kitoaji Lariat found itself caught and twisted into the Proton Lock for a championship change. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by submission[/I] RATING: C- Jillefski appeared at the top of the ramp and invited Matthew to join USPW. Matthew got a mic of his own and delivered a scorching response, reminding Jillefski that USPW went out on Sundays, pointing out that he was a DaVE wrestler, and informing the audience that just Sunday night he'd had a shot at the DaVE Unified Title, and as the other challenger had been 'a curtain-jerker for 21CW with his best days behind him', he couldn't see the title there eluding him for long – so he was more interested in finishing the chase he had ahead of him before moving on to something else, and was sticking with ROF. “Which means so is the Beacon Championship.” RATING: E- [B]Mario Heroic vs. Seiji Jimbo[/B] We don't want to bury either team before the big match, so Chojiro's loss is Seiji's gain after a hard-fought but not-too-brilliant match. For now it'll do, though. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] A good solid main event to redress the balance of an overall not-too-brilliant card. Hopefully, once the brand separation kicks in, we'll have more direction. For now it's all vague plans to set up moves and even cards out; afterward we can start picking up momentum again and look forward to a spread in repute, if a costly one at first. (Five shows a month in weaker territories!) A lovely match ended when Davis went for his characteristic STF-from-nowhere off Joey's superplex, ending with Joey tapping while his landing pinned Davis' shoulders to the mat. Humphrey called it a draw to be fair. [I]Davis Wayne Newton drew with Joey Beauchamp by split decision[/I] RATING: B Once again, a good enough card to keep our fanbase growing and satisfy what we have. I guess I'm just punch-drunk after the successes leading up to the Commonwealth Games, but the war and the rest has me somewhat on edge right now. OVERALL: B-

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Wrestling Spirit Sunday Week 3 February Parliament Square 1000 in attendance East and West battled Los Hijos in the dark during the lead-in to School of Tradition. It wasn't too bad, either, for two teams with such little reputation. Marc really stood out as the best performer there, but it was Nichiren and the Amagawa Total Lock that was waiting for Capitao Brasil Jr. [I]East and West defeated Los Hijos when Nichiren Amagawa made Capitao Brasil Jr submit[/I] RATING: C- Don and Joey got a video tribute at the top of the show; classic Ring of Fire moments from both intercut with interviews where both men confirmed they were staying with Ring of Fire. “You need a Breeze,” Joey smirked, “to keep the Fire burning bright.” RATING: C [B]Steve Flash vs. Hidekazu vs. Nigel Svensson vs. Roy Edison for the Heritage Championship[/B] A good solid quarter-hour here sees Steve lose the belt to Hidekazu after only one defence, after the Flash Bang is countered into a tilt-a-whirl lift followed by a Tornado Slam. With the champ down Hidekazu ducks the Patent Pending Roundhouse – which lays out Nigel Svensson – and powerbombs Roy to keep him down before covering Nigel for the win. [I]Hidekazu defeated Nigel Svensson, Roy Edison, and Steve Flash[/I] RATING: C+ Simona came out with the Force and gave the Stunners an open challenge “since apparently Samurai's just Terry's bitch.” Within twenty seconds the Stunners are in the ring. RATING: E [B]The Stunners vs. The Force for the Tag Titles[/B] Now this was good, at least, for our tag teams. Ah, one day... We ran a little under a quarter of an hour's back-and-forth battles before the Backdrop Driver laid Jed out and allowed Brandon the pin. [I]The Stunners defeated The Force when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned Jed High[/I] RATING: C Following the bout Brandon grabbed the mic. “So this WLW thing,” he growled. “Faust's doing it 'cause he doesn't like one of 'em, and Sergei's doing it to be noble. Well, that still leaves them needing two. And me? I say we're doing it because Jimbo, Daniels, and the others are too damn good to want too near.” And just like that we knew the sides... RATING: E+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Petey Barnes[/B] Excellent work here saw Don and Petey roll to a time limit finish in a fantastic match, with Petey resisting the Scottish Deathlock for the last thirty seconds of the contest. The crowd were psyched and the challenger picks up more momentum heading into the title match... [I]Don Henderson drew with Petey Barnes when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B+ [B]British Samurai vs. Marcos Flores[/B] And apparently I got the main events the wrong way round. Still, no matter; we can cope with that. This was perfectly OK, just not that great as Sammy eventually caught Flores on a cross body, shifted his weight, and sank him with a fisherman's suplex. [I]British Samurai defeated Marcos Flores by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ A weak card by our standards, but good enough to keep us rolling. We'll live. OVERALL: C+

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And the full card for Tuesday Week 4 February, the day of School of Tradition Best of British Tour YNFT vs. East and West El Leon vs. Ultimate Phoenix Extraordinario Jr vs. Ruud van Anger Mario Heroic vs. Steve Flash Matthew Gauge vs. Magnifico for the Beacon Championship Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp to become #1 Contender School of Tradition Marcos Flores vs. Steve Flash Team WLW vs. Team Faust Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hugh de Aske Don Henderson vs. British Samurai in a 30 Minute Ultimate Submission match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

Best of British Tour [B]YNFT[/B] vs. East and West El Leon vs. [B]Ultimate Phoenix[/B] Extraordinario Jr vs. [B]Ruud van Anger[/B] [B]Mario Heroic[/B] vs. Steve Flash [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] vs. Magnifico for the Beacon Championship [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Joey Beauchamp to become #1 Contender School of Tradition [B]Marcos Flores[/B] vs. Steve Flash Team WLW vs. [B]Team Faust[/B] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Hugh de Aske [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. British Samurai in a 30 Minute Ultimate Submission match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Best of British Tour Tuesday Week 4 February Hall Green Cricket Club 2000 in attendance So here we are again; a third PPV, and I have goosebumps about it once again. Another good dark match to kick off; Your New Favourite Team get systematically dismantled by East and West's technical expertise before Marc grounds Jonni with the Cross Armbreaker to make him tap. [I]East and West defeated Your New Favourite Team when Marc Speed made Jonni Lowlife submit.[/I] RATING: C A quick kick-off saw Danny join me in the ring, where I handed him the new contracts for the USPW wrestlers, listing off the names: new signing Rolling Johnny Stones – leaving 21CW behind for us, Pit Bull Brown (another new signing), Nigel Svensson, Toby Juan Kenobi, Jed High, Simona Cox, Steve Flash, Sergei Kalashnov, Marcos Flores, Billy Robinson, Ruud van Anger, Jonni Lowlife, Marc Speed, Nichiren Amagawa, El Leon, Ultimate Phoenix, Magnifico, and Roy Edison. “That just leaves seven men's fate in the balance,” Danny remarked. I agreed, and called on the crowd to wish USPW good luck. RATING: E [B]El Leon vs. Ultimate Phoenix[/B] So this is a USPW bout for the final Best of British Wrestling show. And it's not at all bad, given they're still relative unknowns; after 15:14 of pure lucha skill, the Split Second Justice ends it for Leon. [I]El Leon defeated Ultimate Phoenix by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Extraordinario Jr vs. Ruud van Anger[/B] One of these men stays, one goes. The USPW man carries the day in a match that, to be honest, was better than I expect from Extraordinario at this point in his career. [I]Ruud van Anger defeated Extraordinario Jr by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Mario Heroic vs. Steve Flash[/B] Again one stays and one goes, as the East Coast legend takes on the current DaVE mainstay. Awkward chemistry stops this being fantastic and keeps it merely good, but that's enough, as the two roll to the time limit. [I]Mario Heroic drew with Steve Flash when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: C+ Matthew Gauge then hit the ring and announced that for tonight's title defence against Magnifico, he was giving himself only five minutes to finish the job – if only to give Jillefski a shot at taking the Beacon Title to USPW. RATING: E [B]Matthew Gauge vs. Magnifico for the Beacon Championship[/B] To get that kind of crowd reaction in only 4:47 is pretty damn impressive, and I'm therefore happy with this, as Matthew got Magnifico down and tapping to the Proton Lock early. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Magnifico by submission[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp to become #1 Contender[/B] Not bad; pretty solid, in fact. I can definitely cope with this for a main event before the PPV; just need to pick these two up and drive them forward again soon. In 22:15 Joey got the Breeze Block from the top turnbuckle and snagged the pin. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Davis Wayne Newton by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Davis shook Joey's hand in respect to close out the last Best of British. RATING: D Well, this won't drive our fanbase up, but it won't kill it, and we have the PPV to go. Hopefully that'll pep things up. OVERALL: C+

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF School of Tradition Tuesday Week 4 February Hall Green Cricket Club 2000 in attendance Buyrate: 0.04 The most ridiculous dark match ever kicks off the PPV portion of the evening; Marcos Flores battles Steve Flash. They don't click, but this matters little when two real veterans work together, as you've seen before. In just under eighteen minutes the match blows the roof off the Cricket Club before Steve tries for a Flash Bang which Marcos ducks, catching Steve on the return with a backflip kick that sets up for the Flores Heaven Elbow to win the match. [I]Marcos Flores defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Danny informs the viewing audience that he's graciously offered, for one night, to relieve me of my interviewer duties, and speaks with Don Henderson, who guarantees that fans of his multi-year oddysey to the top of Ring of Fire will be overjoyed tonight when he adds the ROF Championship to his list of accomplisments. RATING: C+ [B]Team WLW vs. Team Faust[/B] Now this was pretty damn good. Some intense action filled a too-short bout that didn't let up until the Devil's Drop on Bairei laid him out while the rest of Team Faust cut off all chance of rescue. [I]Team Faust defeated Team WLW when Jonathan Faust pinned Bairei Yasujiro[/I] RATING: C+ April Appleseed stopped Dean Daniels on his way from the ring and offered him her services, saying she was willing to make the move across. He didn't give an answer. RATING: F [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] Not as good as last time, but last time they were both riding a massive wave of momentum, and this was definitely good enough. In 22:25 Davis flipped out of a powerbomb attempt and got the Newton's Cradle. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Hugh de Aske[/I] RATING: B [B]Don Henderson vs. British Samurai in a 30 Minute Ultimate Submission match for the ROF Championship[/B] Oh hell yeah – this was fantastic. Both men really let it all hang out and once again proved that even if you only look at the ROF originals they've come a hell of a long way. At around twenty minutes the Scottish Deathlock put Don one up; however, at 28:56 Sammy put the Deathlock on himself and evened the score. With only a minute to go neither man could tip the balance. [I]Don Henderson drew with British Samurai at one fall apiece[/I] RATING: A Afterward, Don and Sammy stood off warily before Don offered Sammy his hand again. This time, Sammy accepted. RATING: B- Beautiful PPV, simply beautiful. Most of the thanks there are due to the last four men involved, especially Davis Wayne Newton as he pulled double duty tonight, and we pretty much doubled our PPV audience. I'm very happy with that as a result. OVERALL: B+