Ring of Fire: Fighting Every Step of the Way

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 4 April Edgeware Hall 1906 in attendance RATING: 0.22 We hit a new non-PPV attendance record back down in Edgeware Hall, which I'm finding more than a little satisfying. To kick off we threw Extraordinario Jr against Velocidad without Optimus' help, and the two turned out a match that was much better than I had expected under the circumstances. Extraordinario got it in the end with the Siempre Peleando. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Velocidad by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Hidekazu vs. Mario Heroic for the Heritage Championship[/B] A good solid match kicks off the show, and it's a really good quarter of an hour that demonstrates once again what can be done when two men are good enough, even without much in common or much in the way of build. Nonetheless Hidekazu manages the tilt-a-whirl powerbomb and covers for the victory. [I]Hidekazu defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Don came out for his following match, and he and Hidekazu shared a few moments' mutual respect in the ring. RATING: B- [B]British Samurai vs. Don Henderson for a submission match[/B] This match could've been fantastic. It's always awkward to feel put out when what you get is merely 'pretty good'. Still, the crowd got heavily into it and, as the clock ticked down to the time limit, Don got the Scottish Deathlock out of nowhere to force Sammy to tap. [I]Don Henderson defeated British Samurai by submission[/I] RATING: B- We then ran a hype video for the main event, promising the fans a title clash between Petey and Davis. RATING: C+ [B] Joey Beauchamp vs. Jonathan Faust[/B] For a quickie match, this was damn good. For a match with prospects on the level of these two, not so much. But I'll take this kind of crowd reaction in only the twelve minutes it took Joey to run over Faust with a Breeze Block. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Jonathan Faust by pindall[/I] RATING: C+ After that Joey got on the mic and started running his mouth pretty heavily about Davis' time in other promotions, hinting darkly that his success was undeserved. RATING: D [B]Petey Barnes vs. Davis Wayne Newton for the ROF Championship[/B] Really very nice, this; very nice work, with solid storytelling and a convincing performance by both men. For the longest time Petey looked like a superman, with Don just barely making it through; eventually, however, Davis countered a Future Shock try into an STF while both men were by the ropes – and they rolled over and out, still locked in the hold. Humphrey had no choice but to count to ten, as Davis, enraged by Joey's comments, just wouldn't break it. [I]Petey Barnes drew with Davis Wayne Newton when both men were counted out[/I] RATING: B+ A damn good show, here; a damn good show. I'm sure it's won us some new fans; let us hope we can keep them. We kept last week's high TV rating; the next aim, naturally, is to go still higher. Eleven thousand is only a start, even when there's another two at the arena. OVERALL: B

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More folks are leaving 21CW. Latest is Kathleen Lee, who I'd hire if I felt she'd be useful; she's old ROF, after all. And kudos to them for doing it; UCR have secured themselves a number of writeups as a cult phenomenon, and it seems at last things are looking up for them.

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USPW Standard Bearers Sunday Week 4 April Lubuskie Arena 557 in attendance Another not-too-shabby dark match between Roy Edison and Nigel Svensson gets the Polish crowd warmed up, what little there is of it right now. Ray Kingman, as always, is the man to really praise for this, though they do a fine job of following his script and, I'm sure, will get a following in time. This time around Nigel gets the duke. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Roy Edison by submission[/I] RATING: C- [B]The Riot Act vs. El Leon & Ultimate Phoenix[/B] Leon and Phoenix appear to have been flung into this ever-deteriorating tag mayhem over the past two weeks. Which is good, because they can hang with the others – they actually have superior ring generalship and are good wrestlers in many other ways, so hopefully this'll both improve their speed at getting over with the fans and show the rest of the tag dance some more skills. It's not even twelve minutes before Ruud gets the pin on Leon following a Rubber Bullets Bomb, but it's a good match that goes down well with the crowd. [I]The Riot Act defeated El Leon & Ultimate Phoenix when Ruud van Anger pinned Ultimate Phoenix[/I] RATING: C Simona then hit the ramp to warn the Riot Act to watch their backs. RATING: E+ [B]The Force vs. East and West for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] This was just beginning to develop into a really interesting battle, East and West proving very capable, when... [I]The Force drew with East and West when the referee lost control and threw out the match[/I] RATING: C- Ruud and Jonni hit the ring, flattening everyone else in there with their signature moves, though focusing on the Force. RATING: D- Simona dives into the ring, then, laying out Ruud with a 'saber' shot from behind and arming her charges. She then turns in time to receive a Split Second Justice from El Leon as the Riot Act and East and West recover, the brawl filling the ring and then exploding out of it as the locker room empties to separate this group. RATING: E+ [B]Steve Flash vs. Dean Daniels for the USPW National Championship[/B] A lack of chemistry and a problem with the crowd not really knowing them can't stop these two from putting together a great title match, at least by the standards of USPW, before the Flash Bang ultimately leaves Dean stretched out cold on the mat. [I]Steve Flash defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Seiji Jimbo[/B] Another good solid battle sees Chojiro pick up some tips from his equally-young opponent in terms of both selling and holds before the Seiji Ocean Lock demonstrates superiority by the nephew of Sadaharu Jimbo. I really am starting to realise just what a goldmine USPW will be once Europe knows the names of the performers. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Bairei Yasujiro vs. Marcos Flores vs. Pit Bull Brown vs. Rolling Johnny Stones for the USPW World Championship[/B] And if we're going to get the guys over, they need exposure. This was a wild overbooked twenty-five minutes of main event fun that also saw just about everyone step their game up in one way or another before the Celtic Crossface caught Pit Bull too fast and too hard for anyone to break it up before he tapped. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Bairei Yasujiro, Marcos Flores, Pit Bull Brown & Rolling Johnny Stones when he made Pit Bull Brown submit.[/I] RATING: C+ A good show. I'm getting the occasional forum complaint about one grappler or another being overused, but we had that with Brandon until the UK actually settled down and got used to him. And we're not yet over, here. It'll change in time. OVERALL: C

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The Wolverine's going to hang up his boots, apparently. And EXODUS2010 have announced their formation in Japan. From what they're billing themselves as, they could be interesting; but for every CWWF that's sprung up in the past few years – or UKW, for that matter – there's an MHW, dead earlier this year, or ELPF, dead not long after it opened its doors. We can hope. ...And speaking of that, actually, PWC is apparently having financial trouble. A shame, that; they're one of Optimus' other employers and they seemed to be producing interesting wrestling. I still keep an eye on the indie scene, even if I haven't been making nearly so many rookie signings of late – I'm placing much more of an emphasis on knowing the psychology of the game than I used to, and most rookies just don't have that – to see who's actually doing well. The last British indie show was... well, it was kind of The Past of ROF & 21CW. The only halfway decent match was the main event, pitting Genocide Agent up against the Landlord, which was my first awareness that GA was now off 21CW's books, even if not my kind of guy. Keith Adams deserves better – I think he's been on the indies since before I started booking without a single break, but he hasn't really impressed me enough to be generous to him yet. :Lance and Kelly Martin are still working tag bouts, but interestingly, never with each other, Eric Future's reached semi-main-event status for these guys, and Sharp & Heath have developed into good indie jobbers. K'Lee Hawkins, once my great hope, has slipped down to curtain jerk. Watching that show was kind of depressing, truth be told.

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 1 May The Cobra Den (Northern UK) 598 in attendance RATING: 0.25 Our first time in the Cobra Den for our northern visits, which I've got to hope heralds further success up here. Our dark bout saw Nate Johnson tested against Johnny Highspot and once again come up short against the big dog, as he found himself spiked, splashed and pinned after a pretty good match which had a surprising amount of heat on it. These two do work well together, and that helped. [I]Johnny Highspot defeated Nate Johnson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Petey kicks off the TV portion of the show by selecting his latest challenge to prove himself with the belt.. and it's the Dragon. The crowd gives both men some pretty solid respect here. RATING: C+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] A good solid match to play to the Cobra Den's predilictions here; very technical, very old-school, very grounded, and the fans were really into it. There was some good back-and-forth before Don finally managed the Scottish Deathlock and forced Matthew to tap at 16:38 [I]Don Henderson defeated Matthew Gauge by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Hidekazu vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] Any doubts I've had about ROF since the brand split are being destroyed here. This is our weakest area to run shows in by some way, but we're getting some fantastic reactions. This champion's match was a tough match by two tough men and the crowd were heavily into it, even popping for the tilt-a-whirl powerbomb that ended the match in Hidekazu's favour. [I]Hidekazu defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Don hopped into the ring and congratulated Hidekazu, and the Japanese grappler thanked Don for the skills he needed to not embarrass himself in the historic Cobra Den. RATING: D+ [B]Daniel Black Francis vs. Mario Heroic[/B] OK, so I spoke too soon. These two don't work too well together, and while they put on a good match, it wasn't anything liks as good as the three we'd put on earlier in the night. Thankfully it was short and the Dreadlock Drop was there to take the win. [I]Daniel Black Francis defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Petey Barnes vs. UK Dragon for the ROF Championship[/B] And... we make up for it with the main event. These two really put together a hell of a match that ran nearly a full half-hour before a desperate Petey managed to catch Dragon on the turnbuckle and hit a super Future Shock for the pin. [I]Petey Barnes defeated UK Dragon by pinfall[/I] RATING: A Dragon offered Petey his hand as we went off the air, but Petey didn't even notice; he was too busy celebrating. RATING: D A really solid show, this. I am, once again, more than satisfied with this – especially given we were in the North. And when the ratings came in... well. Overall, I did better than any half hour had ever scored before. OVERALL: B

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UCR have made a couple of big signings following their recent success; Eddie Peak is coming – DaVE is slowly invading Europe – and Byron returns. I hope he can do better for them than he did for me. And UCR are now on PPV, too! This can only be a good thing, as those workers we have in common will get more exposure in a market I want to develop.

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USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 1 May Plaza La Navarre 915 in attendance A lot of our talent unavailable tonight as WLW run their latest supercard, so we're just gonna do the best we can. Our dark bout tonight featured Magnifico up against Nigel Svensson, and while their talents overlap very little they managed to capitalise on that due to Ray's scripting and put on what, for Europe, is a perfectly adequate match which ended when Nigel damn near took Magnifico's head off with a Running Knee Strike. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Magnifico by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Steve Flash vs. Billy Robinson for the USPW National Championship[/B] Billy tested Steve right up to the time limit in this contest; the result, once again, perfectly acceptable for Europe at the present moment. The crowd did seem pretty into it. [I]Steve Flash drew with Billy Robinson when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: C The Force cut themselves an interview with Jillefski, highlighting exactly how disgusted they were with these other so-called tag teams, also informing the audience that Phoenix and Leon are now considered a tag team and are calling themselves Los Leyendas. They did pretty well, I thought, helped by Simona. RATING: D Ruud hits the ring as the interview wraps up, squaring off with Jed. The Anger Management hits, then Toby joins in and is cut off by Jonni Lowlife, and the locker room clears them apart – ready and waiting this time before it really gets out of hand. RATING: D- [B]East and West vs. Los Leyendas[/B] Marc and Ultimate Phoenix seem to be good at teaching each other new things, which is excellent. In a lot of ways, this is a jobbers match, though Nichiren and Phoenix are both ready to break out soon and I intend to get Marc and Leon out of that classification too. This was... good enough stuff, ending with Los Leyendas getting the win with a springboard dropkick/running chop block combination they're calling the Tooth and Claw on Nichiren that led to a clean pin by Ultimate Phoenix. [I]Los Leyendas defeated East and West when Ultimate Phoenix pinned Nichiren Amagawa.[/I] RATING: C [B]Pit Bull Brown vs. Roy Edison[/B] These two evidently don't mesh in the ring, and the result was pretty weak, which is a real shame. Still, Brown showed Roy a few non-MMA body shots and kicks that should make his future performances that little bit better, and then dropped him on his head with the Dog House Piledriver to get things over with. [I]Pit Bull Brown defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: D Danny and Bernie quickly hyped the main event. RATING: F [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Marcos Flores vs. Rolling Johnny Stones for the USPW World Championship[/B] It's becoming increasingly more obvious to me that these three are our real money makers in the main event, with Bairei Yasujiro probably also in that field. Another pretty good match saw everyone learn new things, including the first time I've ever seen Merle hit a flying splash from the top turnbuckle, but the move that won the match was the Celtic Crossface to Marcos Flores. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Marcos Flores and Rolling Johnny Stones when he made Marcos Flores submit[/I] RATING: C+ A weaker show than last week, which was to be expected with the WLW talent haemorrhage, but good enough to keep us on the rise. Be interesting to see how well we can do. OVERALL: C-

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So Exodus2010 finally has a face; owned by Gareth Wayne, the book has been given to Lioness Musashibo.

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 2 May Edgeware Hall 1996 in attendance RATING: 0.23 An interesting dark match this week; Amo del Gato took on Velocidad. Neither of 'em can call a match with any degree of fluency whatsoever, but they've got good chemistry together so we still saw something worthwhile, and, indeed, saw Velocidad score his first win in quite some time with a Velocidad Tornado. [I]Velocidad defeated Amo del Gato by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]The Stunners vs. Los Hijos for the Tag Titles[/B] We continue to try to build some degree of skill in the lower ranks of the tag division, and we continue to get reasonably acceptable results out of it. You won't be shocked to know that the Stunners picked up another win here, with Brandon the legal man making a cover after the Superbomb Splash on Huracan. [I]The Stunners defeated Los Hijos when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned Huracan Sandoval Jr[/I] RATING: C+ Petey cut an interview to announce he'd selected Joey Beauchamp as his challenger tonight. RATING: C+ [B]Hidekazu vs. Mario Heroic for the Heritage Championship[/B] Not too bad but I'd hoped for better. A taut match ran nearly eighteen minutes before another tilt-a-whirl powerbomb finished Mario off. [I]Hidekazu defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Davis got some mic time to hype himself up and criticise Petey for choosing 'that loser Beauchamp' for a challenge tonight, hinting that the champ was running scared. RATING: C+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. British Samurai[/B] Another nice long contest here sees Davis eventually come out on top with the Newton's Cradle, but for the first time this evening we got out of first gear. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated British Samurai by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Joey Beauchamp for the ROF Championship[/B] Davis wandered down to ringside partway through this classic and started heckling Joey, offering 'constructive' advice on putting the champion away. In frustration, both grapplers eventually found themselves in a three-way brawl outside the ring, leaving Humphrey to throw the match out in disgust. [I]Petey Barnes drew with Joey Beauchamp when the refereee declared a no contest[/I] RATING: B+ Joey capped off the show by calling Davis out – challenging him to a match at ROF: Masterclass, the PPV at the end of the month. RATING: D+ Not our best show, but a damn good one, and I suspect we're going to continue to see improvement in time to come. Not as good a rating as last week, but we only lost a thousand fans tuning in and we got a thousand more attending this week, so that makes sense to me. OVERALL: B

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USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 2 May Lubuskie Arena 833 in attendance Well, back to Poland we go, and at this point I begin to realise just how many Air Miles this job is going to give me. I suppose that's the hidden advantage to running shows in Europe. We put on another pretty solid dark match this week, with already-fairly-over Sergei Kalashnov rolling through Magnifico to allow him to strut his stuff. Again, Ray put this match together with panache, and again it went pretty damn well. [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Magnifico by pinfall[/I] RATING: C We kicked off the webcast with the Riot Act in the ring. Ruud led a promo where they called the Force out for a title match, proudly proclaiming that there was no chance for the Force to get to them before the match this time – and therefore it was all over for their reign. RATING: E [B]The Force vs. The Riot Act for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Another quick, short, and mostly OK match saw the Force squeak out a win through repeated underhanded tactics throughout the match before finishing a beleaguered Ruud off with the Star Destroyer. [I]The Force defeated the Riot Act when Toby Juan Kenobi pinned Ruud van Anger[/I] RATING: C- Infuriated, the Riot Act launched a vicious assault of their own on the champions. RATING: D- [B]Dean Daniels vs. Roy Edison[/B] A good solid quarter of an hour here to perk the crowd up a little after the bulk of our non-wrestling segments are done. Dean took Roy to a pretty reasonable match before finishing him with the Cradle Piledriver. Roy has a lot of upside ahead of him, but it's going to be working with people like Dean that gets him there, and they deserve the credit along the way. [I]Dean Daniels defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Steve Flash vs. Chojiro Kitoaji for the USPW National Championship[/B] Another good solid match, a little longer this time, doesn't pep the crowd any further – but in Poland I expect that. We'll keep going at this level for a while. Chojiro and Steve showed the crowd what they can do, though, and Steve got another win with the Flash Bang – and the USPW National Title crawls a little further back toward the reputation it once had. [I]Steve Flash defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the USPW World Championship[/B] This pepped the crowd, though. A good tough match showed what both men can do and got people going before the Celtic Crossface cinched it for Merle. I liked what I saw here; I think we'll get something good out of these two, even here, down the line. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Bairei Yasujiro by submission[/I] RATING: C+ Merle regained the title and took in what little pop he had, before a bitter Bairei got him with that Jimbo-style enzuigiri to floor him. This becomes more impressive when you realise that Bairei's gotten himself a minor concussion after that match. RATING: F A bum note to go out on, but a good show that kept the crowd happy and looks likely to improve USPW's standing in the area. Between this and ROF's TV broadcasts, we'll crack Europe sooner or later. Besides – I remember when I was overjoyed to have a show go down this well back in the Midlands. The real downer is Bairei's injury – it'll be nearly a month before he's ready to return. OVERALL: C+

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 3 May Aston University Sports Hall 1000 in attendance RATING: 0.23 Our go-home for Masterclass here. We begin by throwing Huracan Sandoval Jr against Extraordinario Jr in the dark, and as I'd hoped, Extraordinario seems to be getting through to Huracan on timing the big spots to help tell a story. As a reward, Extraordinario gets a win. And this was pretty good for a dark bout. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Huracan Sandoval by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Black Eagle vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] A good solid long bout starts the broadcast off. It's good; not as good as either man is capable of, quite, but it's good enough to keep the crowd happy right up until Matthew hooks in the Proton Lock for a tap out at 17:31 [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Black Eagle by submission[/I] RATING: C Davis hit the ring, then, and laid down a challenge to Joey: Masterclass, Iron Man, half an hour to test each other and settle this. RATING: B- [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] Lovely. These two have that great chemistry and it continues to drive Hugh to new heights, which should bode well for the future. It took nearly nineteen minutes, but Davis pulled out the Newton's Cradle and managed to secure the win. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall[/I] RATING: B Hidekazu and Don hit the ring. Once again, Hidekazu and Don talk each other's skills up, praising each other. RATING: B Then Hidekazu dropped what may be the bombshell; that's why he's got to know if he can beat Don. He suggests Masterclass as the perfect time to put that to the test, pointing out that even the name fits. RATING: C+ [B]Mario Heroic vs. UK Dragon[/B] Oh, this should've been better. Turns out these two don't work well together, though for all that they put together a reasonable match and send UK Dragon over with some more momentum heading onward when he gets the Dragon Drop. [I]UK Dragon defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Petey appeared on the screen, then. “Let's get tonight rolling,” he announced. “I want my defence, like I always do. Let's say... Daniel Black Francis, I haven't taken you on and you seem to have the skills. You and me in the ring tonight.” RATING: C+ “But I ain't done,” he continues. “See, there's a pretty good chance that the X Factor's going to stay unbeatable tonight. So I want everyone to know, ahead of time, who's next. If I win tonight, at Masterclass, I want UK Dragon – in a ladder match!” RATING: C+ [B]Petey Barnes vs. Daniel Black Francis for the ROF Championship[/B] We didn't have a lot of time left tonight, so this seemed like a good time to give Daniel an actual main event. He did his best, but at 18:32 he walked into an X Factor and found himself pinned. That makes the match sound bad, though, and it wasn't; it really was pretty damn good. I find myself wondering if Daniel's cardio issues aren't actually as bad a problem as I keep thinking. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ Another really good show lays more groundwork for Masterclass and gets us a big pop on our home turf. We can – and have – done better, but shows like this can take us far. OVERALL: B

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USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 3 May Plaza La Navarre 971 in attendance Another dark match to teach Roy fundamentals this week, with him going up against – and losing to – Nigel Svensson. It was... 21CW, really. Both of these kids need work, but they also both need exposure, which is what they're getting – at least to Europe. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Steve Flash vs. Nichiren Amagawa for the USPW National Championship[/B] I've got no intention of giving the belt to Nichiren any time soon – he is, quite simply, needed more pressingly in the tag division and it'll be that which starts to get him over. But this was a tryout match; as ever, we did what we do in Europe, but Nichiren did OK and provided Steve with a good enough title defence at the same time. He'll be one of the greats when his time comes, but as the Flash Bang proved today, that's just not yet. [I]Steve Flash defeated Nichiren Amagawa by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Steve leaves the ring quickly, and the Force hurdle the crowd barrier, hit the ring, and assault the defeated man. RATING: E+ [B]Los Leyendas vs. Riot Act[/B] Jonni was starting to get tired by the end of this, but otherwise, it wasn't too bad a match. The two luchadors put on a fine display, but in the end El Leon fell afoul of Jonni Lowlife and the Rubber Bullets Bomb. [I]The Riot Act defeated Los Leyendas when Jonni Lowlife pinned El Leon[/I] RATING: C- We cut backstage on webcast then to show Simona 'interviewing' the Force, who crowed about how the Riot Act were there opponents again – and it turns out they can't even win a fair match! On the other hand, as Jed pointed out – why on earth would the Riot Act assume this would be a fair match, too? RATING: D- [B]Marcos Flores vs. Rolling Johnny Stones[/B] Not a bad match at all here, but you'd hope that from two of our major players in the main event scene. Marcos got a solid win here in a match that saw both men pull out new tricks. [I]Marcos Flores defeated Rolling Johnny Stones by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Jonni comes out to the ring, looking somewhat furious, and demands Jed High face him. When Jed gets about halfway down the ramp Marc Speed and Ruud van Anger barrel into him from the rear, with Jonni explaining that this is for Nichiren. RATING: E- [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Pit Bull Brown for the USPW World Title[/B] OK... the Pit Bull needs getting over in Europe, it seems, because boy did I have the wrong main event here. But it was... well, anywhere else on the card and with anyone but Merle I'd have said this was a good match for Europe. Needless to say it's Merle who carried the day with the title. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Pit Bull Brown by submission[/I] RATING: C Another reasonably successful show for here, but another weak show overall. We keep going, though. OVERALL: C

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Huh. My 200th show will be the next Fighting Fit, with the PPV heralding a new era. This could be interesting...

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It's PPV Prediction Time again! TV: Nate Johnson vs. Capitao Brasil Jr Jonathan Faust vs. Matthew Gauge Hugh de Aske vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship Mario Heroic vs. Black Eagle British Samurai vs. Daniel Black Francis Masterclass: Matthew Gauge vs. Nate Johnson Hidekazu vs. Don Henderson in a Submission Match Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match Petey Barnes vs. UK Dragon in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship

[Marcel Fromage]

TV: [B]Nate Johnson [/B]vs. Capitao Brasil Jr Jonathan Faust vs. [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] [B]Hugh de Aske [/B]vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship [B]Mario Heroic [/B]vs. Black Eagle British Samurai vs. [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] Masterclass: [B]Matthew Gauge [/B]vs. Nate Johnson Hidekazu vs. [B]Don Henderson [/B]in a Submission Match [B]Davis Wayne Newton [/B]vs. Joey Beauchamp in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match [B]Petey Barnes [/B]vs. UK Dragon in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship I think Nate Johnson will win on tv, but then not get past Gauge on PPV, who is someone I think you're looking to build up further than the Beacon title. Plus, I don't think you've been that impressed with Faust, so I see him losing. Conversely, I think de Aske has surprised you with his work, so I see him going over BBS. Similar story with Daniel Black Francis in the main event on tv. I think Henderson wins the PPV match, but then Hidekazu turns on him. Davis vs Joey could go either way. I'll take Barnes to retain, although Dragon would be a worthy champ and unless Barnes has made incredible progress in your game, Dragon is the better in-ring. But I still think the X Factor retains here.

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 4 May Kent Racecourse (South UK) 4037 in attendance RATING: 0.23 And here we go again. As anniversaries go, this could get interesting... I put Nate up against Capitao Brasil in the dark, and gave Brasil the win with his inverted figure four. It seemed to help Brasil a little, but it wasn't a good match itself; I'm not going to argue that. [I]Capitao Brasil Jr defeated Nate Johnson by submission[/I] RATING: D To kick off the broadcast we ran a hype video highlighting the Masterclass main event: Petey, Dragon, the title, the ladder... Writes itself, doesn't it? RATING: B- [B]Jonathan Faust vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] This wasn't bad for an opening match, but I'll confess I'd hoped to get a better overall reaction. It ran a hair under seventeen minutes before Jonathan went for the Devil's Drop – and Matthew rolled clear and slapped on the Proton Lock to pick up the win! [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Jonathan Faust by submission[/I] RATING: C+ Another hype video followed: Davis and Joey. This one didn't go down nearly so well with the crowd. RATING: D+ [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the Beacon Championship[/B] Good chemistry here and a good hard-fought match by two men who should hopefully be main eventers soon enough. Brandon got a neat-looking dropkick off at one point that popped the crowd; presumably his Coastal Zone work and his time with Black Eagle have done him some good in that department. Neither man managed a decision, however, and the time limit ended things. [I]Hugh de Aske drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B [B] Mario Heroic vs. Black Eagle[/B] Solid but unspectacular, a victim of chemistry issues, this was at least short, with the Hero Attack coming barely fourteen minutes in. [I]Mario Heroic defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C A final hype video: Masterclass: Master & Student, focusing on the Don/Hidekazu match RATING: C+ [B]British Samurai vs. Daniel Black Francis[/B] Weakish main event, but good enough, and Sammy showed Daniel the ropes a little bit more. If we can deal with his exhaustion issue he has the potential to be a true power player in the main event scene, it would seem. But that will, of course, take time, and Sammy's there now, so he picks up the win with the fisherman suplex at 21:56. [I]British Samurai defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Not a bad show, all round. Not a great one – it's going to be some time before we recapture the kind of magic we were channelling around the end of last year – but a good enough event for now. With the attendance for tonight's event factored in, our maintained rating indicates an increase in viewership. OVERALL: B-

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ROF: Masterclass Tuesday Week 4 May Kent Racecourse 4037 in attendance BUYRATE: 0.06 It's a huge crowd, and you can feel everyone want to step it up as a result. Our dark match sees Nate redeem himself from his earlier performance putting on something of a clinic with Matthew Gauge before submitting to the Proton Lock. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Nate Johnson by submission[/I] RATING: C [B]Hidekazu vs. Don Henderson in a Submission Match[/B] What a way to kick off a PPV! Don and Hidekazu went at each other hammer and tongs the whole way, any respect they felt not getting in the way of trying to win the match, and it was an intensely impressive performance. Around the eighteen minute mark Don got the tilt-a-whirl powerbomb and stepped into the Scottish Deathlock, but Hidekazu fought through, twisted, and ended up with the Scottish Deathlock on Don – forcing him to tap out. [I]Hidekazu defeated Don Henderson by submission[/I] RATING: B After the match, Hidekazu took the microphone and told Don that the respect was still there before thanking him for the match. RATING: C+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match[/B] Another real humdinger by these two; it's not their best, but it's good enough for me to take. Davis and Joey wrestled thirty minutes of solid expert action, but neither man could score a single fall. [I]Davis Wayne Newton drew with Joey Beauchamp with no falls taken[/I] RATING: B Davis, infuriated, grabbed the mic and asked for 'ten more minutes to put this sucker away'. Petey came out, then, and pointed out that if Dragon performed at his regular level, it might take him all night to put him away – so I refused, but told Davis I'd make him a better offer. Next month is the Graduation PPV, and at Graduation Davis and Joey can go a full hour if that's what it takes to settle this thing... RATING: C+ [B]Petey Barnes vs. UK Dragon in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship[/B] Another great match saw Petey and Dragon step up their pace from the last two bouts on the card, really gibing it everything until eventually Petey hit the X Factor on the ladder to topple it, sending Dragon out of the ring and into our announce table while the champion set the ladder back up and scaled it for the belt. [I]Petey Barnes defeated UK Dragon when he retained his title[/I] RATING: B+ The show closed out with a video (the voiceover informed us 'supplied by the Petey Barnes Fan Club of Great Britain') highlighting his title reign to date. RATING: B+ Fantastic show, all told. Ring of Fire seems to keep on rising, and we were rewarded by our best buyrate to date. OVERALL: B+

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Ota put UKW's top strap on himself last night. This kinda surprised me – while we'd worked together he'd kept himself to UKW's midcard, so I'd assumed that, though he'd risen to the top, he wouldn't be giving himself the title. On the other hand, it's a change and seemed reasonably well received, so it's no bad thing.

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[QUOTE=Marcel Fromage;334614] I think Nate Johnson will win on tv, but then not get past Gauge on PPV, who is someone I think you're looking to build up further than the Beacon title. Plus, I don't think you've been that impressed with Faust, so I see him losing. Conversely, I think de Aske has surprised you with his work, so I see him going over BBS. Similar story with Daniel Black Francis in the main event on tv. I think Henderson wins the PPV match, but then Hidekazu turns on him. Davis vs Joey could go either way. I'll take Barnes to retain, although Dragon would be a worthy champ and unless Barnes has made incredible progress in your game, Dragon is the better in-ring. But I still think the X Factor retains here.[/QUOTE] Gauge and Hugh are absolutely people I'm going to be building up. Daniel gets to tread water for a while until we reach the point where he's not too blown up at the end of each match - he pulls out good ratings, but they could be better. He's where Don was around a year ago, basically. Dragon's the better wrestler, but Petey vs. Joey is still my money match. Dragon vs. Joey could well become the other, though, so long as his back holds up - his big issue is simply having been out with injury for so long.

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USPW Standard Bearers Sunday Week 4 May Lubuskie Arena 499 in attendance Attendance is flagging; if the FT's anything to go by a lot of that's current economic issues in the area. I hope so; we're just about squeaking an even income, but that won't be happening for long if Europe just doesn't catch on to us. Our dark bout; Chojiro Kitoaji takes his turn educating Roy Edison, and takes his turn running the man down with the Kitoaji Lariat. Not too bad, though. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- We ran a quick video charting the Riot Act/Force dynamic. RATING: E+ [B]Dean Daniels vs. Pit Bull Brown[/B] This went almost to the time limit, and it was good enough to break through the small crowd's lack of awareness of the two in the ring and get them cheering. With only eight seconds to go the Dog House Piledriver floored Dean, and the bell rang with five seconds before the time limit. [I]Pit Bull Brown defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Toby Juan Kenobi vs. Ruud van Anger[/B] This match didn't even start; the brawl hit on the ramp and went back up it, through the back, and to the car park. Toby got the Kenobi Kutter across the bonnet of one car, but when he went to carry on the beating Ruud recovered and we saw the Anger Management drive Toby to the concrete. RATING: D [B]Steve Flash vs. Billy Robinson for the USPW National Championship[/B] Time to revise my assumptions; I'd come to believe that Steve Flash could call a great match with Billy, even with Billy's own awkwardness in story structure. Turns out this isn't true and what we get is a 21CW match to punch Steve along another defence on the trail. [I]Steve Flash defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Marcos Flores vs. Ultimate Phoenix[/B] Short match that still got the fans reacting like Dean and the Pit Bull earlier, though with a very different style. Note to self: Poland loves lucha. There's no question who won this, right? [I]Marcos Flores defeated Ultimate Phoenix by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Seiji Jimbo in a two out of three falls match for the USPW World Championship[/B] It takes a year longer, but we finally get to the position where Seiji mirrors Davis in getting trial title shots to see how he performs. The answer is 'very well', though some of that is just that Merle and Seiji work really well together. Merle remains dominant by scoring two straight falls, but Seiji's battle back over the course of the second fall causes Nadia to deliver a yakuza kick to Seiji while he's briefly on the outside to tip the balance. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Seiji Jimbo by two straight falls[/I] RATING: B- Yeah, one of our better European shows all told, despite the small and lukewarm crowd. Shame about Steve and Billy, but this was good. OVERALL: C+

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Good news for us: Between PGHW, INSPIRE, EX2010 and WLW, pretty much our entire roster is being approached by the touring companies as they line up their new tour rosters. We've got the clout and loyalty to keep the guys with us on our days – except against WLW – so I'm all for the extra exposure, training, and the reputation that comes with being able to say that. Bad news for British wrestling: Men of Steel Combat looks to be going under unless they can turn things around.

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 1 June The Cobra Den 665 in attendance RATING: 0.27 A poor dark match, again, but that's to be expected; Extraordinario Jr takes on Huracan Sandoval Jr and neither man is that over, nor is Huracan good at putting a match together. Their potential alone pulls this up to 21CW levels. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Huracan Sandoval Jr by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Mario Heroic[/B] A pretty reasonable start to the show that I, at least, got into. It ran seventeen and a half minutes of enjoyable wrestling before Brandon got the Backdrop Driver out of a Hero Attack attempt to end things. I suspect that the Cobra Den will warm up to both of these men in time. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Petey appeared on the screen again. “So it's three weeks to Graduation, now, and Masterclass wouldn't have given me a number one contender even if I'd wanted it to; Davis and Joey drew. They've got issues, sure, but some of those come from me picking Joey last time. So this time Davis gets the shot, and when both of 'em have lost, maybe they'll realise that bickering over second place isn't worth it.” RATING: C [B]Matthew Gauge vs. Nate Johnson[/B] I was curious how this'd do out in the light, and maybe I put it out on the air before I should've done. But despite that, Nate did reasonably well and the hard-fought technical aspect lit up the Cobra Den until Matthew caught him into the Proton Lock to get the win. Not too shabby for the North, though; I should run this down South some time. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Nate Johnson by submission[/I] RATING: C- Son of Erin began to fill the arena, then, and as that portion of the crowd who also catch the USPW webcasts woke up to what that means Merle O'Curle appeared atop the ramp with Nadia Snow in hand. “This is a short-term thing,” he said. “But this is also the first talent exchange between USPW and Ring of Fire. See, my boss Jillefski tells me he's negotiating to get some time on Graduation. And I figure I'll take me some of that time. So here's what I figure – I'm staking my belt every week and I'm winning every week, and so far your champ's doing the same. At Graduation, let's see which champ's the best, huh? Non-title, just to let you stop worrying, Barnes...” RATING: E [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. UK Dragon[/B] A fantastic way to use eighteen minutes, as natural chemistry and intensity combine to allow these two to put on an incredible show. This match saw Joey run Dragon over for the eventual win, but mostly it blew me away. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated UK Dragon by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ For a little while we sent cameras backstage to see Don and Merle chatting backstage and catching up, while on commentary I crowed that apparently Merle wasn't bigger than us any longer... RATING: D- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Davis Wayne Newton for the ROF Championship[/B] Another phenomenal match to end the show with nearly twenty-four minutes of fast-paced technical action. Davis kept the champ grounded for most of the match and looked to have it in the bag before a breakaway assault by Petey led to the Future Shock out of nowhere and a pin I don't think anyone expected to happen right then. It just goes to show how much skill can overcome in terms of chemistry issues. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Davis Wayne Newton by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ Yeah, a really solid show. There were complaints that Nate got so much screen time, but you expect that when someone finally makes their live debut. This deserved our highest rating to date. OVERALL: B

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USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 1 June Plaza La Navarre 1000 in attendance Finally we sell out the Plaza. That's a pretty good start, I think. Our opener saw Roy in action once again, this time against Magnifico. It was... weak, but I expected that. I'm basically exposing Roy to as much as possible right now, in order to get some of the skills he's lacking into him – notably, if he wants to rise, we're going to want him not to be utterly incapable of leaving the ground, if only so he can take ranas well. He got the win this time with the armbar, to keep him semi-happy. [I]Roy Edison defeated Magnifico by submission[/I] RATING: D [B]The Force vs. East and West for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] And a... mediocre but acceptable tag title match kicks off the webcast. Hopefully East and West'll start getting over enough to receive a push soon, as they're likely the better workers and certainly better ring generals. Jed walked away with the pin here, taking Marc down with the Star Destroyer. [I]The Force defeated East and West when Jed High pinned Marc Speed[/I] RATING: C- Simona hopped in the ring, and the duo – still tag champions – hyped their reign to date and mocked the Riot Act for their continued inability to make it to the top of the division. RATING: E [B]Los Leyendas vs. The Riot Act[/B] Another mediocre but acceptable match here to continue development of the tag division. This ran a little over eleven minutes before interference from the Force allowed Los Leyendas to get the Tooth and Claw on Jonni Lowlife for the pin. [I]Los Leyendas defeated The Riot Act when Ultimate Phoenix pinned Jonni Lowlife[/I] RATING: C- And then all hell broke loose, with the Force taking weapons to the Riot Act after ejecting Los Leyendas forcibly from the ring. By the time they were done parts of the ring were slick with Jonni and Ruud's blood. RATING: E+ [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Billy Robinson[/B] Good match; really good match. Bernie had real difficulty keeping up with it, which isn't a good sign in my opinion. Still, we'll live for now. In a little under ten minutes Billy cinched in the Capital City Crucifix and picked up the win. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Sergei Kalashnov by submission[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Steve Flash vs. Chojiro Kitoaji for the USPW National Championship[/B] Not great here. I don't know what it is, but Steve and Chojiro aren't quite catching fire. Hopefully we can change that in time, but for now all this is is another ten-minute contest and another Flash Bang. [I]Steve Flash defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- A quick bit of hype for Marcos against Johnny followed. RATING: F+ [B]Marcos Flores vs. Rolling Johnny Stones in a Ladder Match[/B] Ah, the ladder match. With people like this, the ladder match is a quick and simple way to pull out matches that'll get fans talking even in Europe to help boost us. Problem is the sheer length of time taken to set one up. This match ran a little over twenty minutes before Johnny delivered a brainbuster from the top of the ladder, putting Marcos out of the picture while he collected the prize. [I]Rolling Johnny Stones defeated Marcos Flores when he retrieved the prize[/I] RATING: B- Good show, largely due to Billy, Sergei, Johnny and Marcos. OVERALL: C+

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ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 2 June Aston University Sports Hall 1000 in attendance RATING: 0.26 A 21CW dark match shows how far we still have to go for our young luchadors in terms of ability to call matches of their own. Nonetheless Huracan Sandoval Jr and Amo del Gato provide us with entertainment that doesn't embarrass me for a dark match, and Huracan wins to secure his team face the Stunners for the belts next week. [I]Huracan Sandoval Jr defeated Amo del Gato by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ Petey kicks off the broadcast in the ring. “So it's the most talked about part of the night, every week,” he says with a grin. “The Main Event. A shot at gold for some lucky wrestler – not lucky enough to have a chance of getting it, but lucky. And every week the question becomes: who gets that shot? I'm a fighting champion, but who's getting that chance to steal my gold this week? Especially when I've beaten the usual main event scene. Sure, I'm hoping I get through to Graduation and battle Merle, and sure, I could just stop now all the top contenders are down and rest on my laurels. But that isn't who I am. So tonight's title defence is going to be against a newcomer to our greatest belt. A man who's made incredible strides in the past couple weeks. Matthew Gauge, congratulations. You get your chance to shine tonight.” RATING: C+ [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Johnny Highspot for the Beacon Championship[/B] A good opener here that also taught Johnny a little bit more about how to work when it goes to a brawl. Hugh and Johnny got the crowd pretty pepped and finished things with the Cut-Throat Driver after Hugh popped up to catch the frog splash in midair. Not a bad match at all. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Johnny Highspot by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ We ran a quick hype video for Merle. Apparently our fans forget quickly. RATING: D- [B]British Samurai vs. Merle O'Curle[/B] Which meant it was definitely time to remind them, which these two did. A nice solid match to put Merle back in people's minds; he came out with a solid draw when neither of them could make it before the time limit. [I]British Samurai drew with Merle O'Curle when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: B- [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hidekazu[/B] Another of tonight's tests of the lower card; can Hidekazu step up? How about Matthew? This was good; a quarter of an hour of solid matwork ended when Davis rolled out of an armlock and rolled further over into the Newton's Cradle. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: B Don came out and had a conversation with Hidekazu regarding the loss. It became clear Don still had respect for Hidekazu; he assured him there was no reason to regret losing to a former ROF Champion like Davis. There appear to be no cracks in this relationship. RATING: C+ [B]Petey Barnes vs. Matthew Gauge for the ROF Championship[/B] Another really nice match as a technical wizard and a high flyer go too fast for Matthew Morris to keep up with, and for a few moments there I think the crowd remembered Davis and even Joey and started to wonder if he might not be able to walk away with a victory – but in the end the X Factor felled Matthew as he came back in and Petey covered to retain. Best match Matthew's ever been part of, he tells me. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Matthew Gauge by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ One of our better cards, this, and a good solid boost to our popularity within our home region. Looks like both experiments worked pretty much as well as I'd hoped. OVERALL: B+

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USPW Standard Bearers Sunday Week 2 June Lubuskie Arena 1000 in attendance We push through to fill the Lubuskie Arena too, but unfortunately we do so when half my roster is busy with Japanese or other commitments. Still, we'll do our best, opening with Billy Robinson giving Magnifico a loss on the last night of his contract with us, overcoming their lack of chemistry to produce what, for USPW, is a good dark match through a Ray script. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Magnifico by submission[/I] RATING: C- The webcast started with the Force ****ily running through their achievements in the ring before being interrupted by the Riot Act. By this stage this is a phenomenally expected sequence, as the two teams manage to arrange a tag match before the violence erupts and the locker room spills out to tear them apart. RATING: D- [B]Steve Flash vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the USPW National Championship[/B] Huh. Should've had this later in the show. About a quarter of an hour of really good competition saw Sergei and Steve tease a lot of false finishes and high spots before, eventually, the Flash Bang carried the day. [I]Steve Flash defeated Sergei Kalashnov by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Cameras cut backstage and showed the Force for a second, just before the Riot Act blindsided them and proceeded to beat them down with their own 'sabers'. RATING: D- [B]The Force vs. The Riot Act for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Another Okish tag match with script by Ray here, seeing a lot of action and bitter violence before the Riot Act do something they'd never managed before; land the Rubber Bullets Bomb on Jed, allowing Ruud to pin him while Jonni cuts Simona off with a Low Down, Toby being too injured to help. [I]The Riot Act defeated The Force when Ruud van Anger pinned Jed High[/I] RATING: C- [B]East and West vs. Los Leyendas[/B] Yes, the two lower card tag teams get a higher spot on the card. And yes, they deserve it, putting on a match which pulls a better reaction despite their being less well known and without the benefits of script by Ray. It does at least salvage something of the show thus far, going nearly sixteen minutes before an Amagawa Total Lock on El Leon forces a tapout. [I]East and West defeated Los Leyendas when Nichiren Amagawa made El Leon submit[/I] RATING: C [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the USPW World Championship[/B] Another good twenty-eight minute title defence to keep Merle rolling forward for Graduation and to welcome Bairei back into the USPW fold, as well as getting set to kick off a storyline I was about to set rolling when Bairei's concussion put things on hold. I enjoyed this. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Bairei Yasujiro by submission[/I] RATING: C+ As Merle receives the title belt, Bairei once again hits a Sadaharu Jimbo-esque enzuigiri from behind to fell the champion. RATING: F+ There were complaints about the airtime some of the guys received, but we expect that. Another show that's solid enough to keep USPW getting stronger and help us develop an audience. OVERALL: C