Phantom Stranger Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 3 January Bayern Stadion 1710 in attendance Another dark match pits Jaime Quine against Ochiyo Iijima, with Iijima winning. Jaime wasn't firing on all cylinders this week and the result was decidedly 21CW. It's almost depressing that that's still enough to get both these girls further over. [I]Ochiyo Iijima defeated Jaime Quine[/I] RATING: D+ Kicking off the DVD: Jed High and Simona Cox give their best wishes to SK Walker for the Cup tournament, then go back to flirting playfully. RATING: D- [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Nigel Svensson: Commonwealth Cup Qualifier[/B] No prizes for guessing why these two were paired together in the opening round, and no prizes for guessing who ended up with the win. This was an excellent use of seventeen minutes, however. [I]Chojiro Kitoaji defeated Nigel Svensson by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Next up; a video highlight sequence showing Anna Ki's training regime. RATING: D [B]Pit Bull Brown vs. SK Walker: Commonwealth Cup Qualifier[/B] Surprisingly good work, this, as Walker shows that he really can get a good match out of almost anybody and Jillefski performs well at ringside. Walker goes on to pick up the win here with the Kessel Run as his eventual main event run looks more and more likely. [I]SK Walker defeated Pit Bull Brown by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- To further develop which, another hype video for Walker, built after the model of the Dragon one from Tuesday; a recap of his title history and a vow to add the Commonwealth Cup to that collection. RATING: C [B]Billy Robinson vs. Steve Flash: Commonwealth Cup Qualifier[/B] Most of Billy's matches recently have been scripted by Ray. Here I let that lapse, giving Steve a chance to help him along with calling his own, and the difference was palpable; this was weak, though that can't be helped. Steve comes out on top with the Flash Bang here to progress in the Cup, however. [I]Steve Flash defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Rolling Johnny Stones: Commonwealth Cup Qualifier[/B] Our main event for the night, and not a bad one at all; Johnny appears to be finding his stride again, though naturally it's Merle who actually gets through here, taking Johnny down with the Celtic Wreath. Good work by both men to round off a solid show, although I may need to talk to Johnny – Merle sprained his wrist here. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Rolling Johnny Stones by submission[/I] RATING: B- Not a bad show overall. If I'd had Steve and Billy scripted, it could've been excellent, but a gamble's a gamble and I can't complain. Definitely builds strongly for the Cup and I think we're looking at improvement in time to come. OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 4 January Coventry City Stadium (Midlands UK) 3313 in attendance RATING: 0.50 Once again a pre-PPV TV show has one issue or another. We've done our best, though. Our dark show begins with a backstage shot of Double-P putting her makeup together in a state of semi-undress as Operation Get Phoebe Over (AKA Operation Succeed Where 21CW Failed) continues. RATING: D+ Anna then defends her title in the dark – sad that title defences are in the dark, but most of her best contenders need to get over before we book them in title matches – against Miss Information. We get a 21CW result out of it and Anna retains. [I]Anna Ki defeated Miss Information by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ Double-P then completes our dark sequence by spending a few minutes with the T-shirt gun. Definite reaction here. RATING: C [B]Petey Barnes vs. Edward Cornell: Commonwealth Cup Qualifier[/B] Weakish, but Petey needs his momentum building and this was a good way of doing so while continuing Edward's education. Petey gets a quick win with the X-Press. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Edward Cornell by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ A quick hype video follows for Davis & Joey at the PPV. It gets a weaker reaction than I expected. RATING: C+ [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Steve Flash: Commonwealth Cup Quarter-Final[/B] A good quarter of an hour return to UK shores for both of these men which ends when Steve ducks the Kitoaji Lariat and gets the Flash Bang. Not bad at all. [I]Steve Flash defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs. SK Walker: Commonwealth Cup Quarter-Final[/B] We kept this short and sweet, as Merle's injury was always going to slow him, but the reaction was incredible as Merle finally brought Walker's recent unbeaten streak to a close with the Celtic Wreath. Definitely need to look at getting Walker further over and into a main event position. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated SK Walker by submission[/I] RATING: B We then ran a pre-taped interview; Don forfeiting his spot in the Cup tournament and apologising, putting a lot of heat on Dragon for hitting a sloppy Dragon Drop and injuring him. Guess I have a potential program for next month if I can find a way to get round their chemistry issues... RATING: C+ [B]Fox Mask vs. Mario Heroic: Commonwealth Cup Quarter-Final[/B] We reminded the fans that whoever won this would face Petey in the semi-finals. And this was good; not on the level Merle and Walker put together, but good nonetheless. Mario ducked the Fox Hunter at the end and got the Hero Attack in a near mirror of the Kitoaji/Flash encounter earlier, a point we made much of in praising Heroic's attitude as a student of the game. [I]Mario Heroic defeated Fox Mask by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Petey promptly hit the ring and got in a staredown with Mario. It wasn't received as well as I'd hoped. RATING: D [B]El Critico vs. Black Eagle for the ROF TV Championship[/B] Critico had one of those rare weeks when he isn't on form and I honestly don't think it mattered here; this was a very good nineteen-minute main event anyway, and one I think we'll have to revisit in time. Critico retains with the Critical Mass to round off a reasonable show. [I]El Critico defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Yes; definitely a show I'm happy with, and one that I think will do us good. Record ratings once again pretty much prove to me that our audience is growing all the time. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 ROF: Commonwealth Cup Tuesday Week 4 January Coventry City Stadium (Midlands UK) 3313 in attendance BUYRATE: 0.14 A major dark match this time around; Buff Martinez defeats Daniel Black Francis to a significant pop. [I]Buff Martinez defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Mario Heroic: Commonwealth Cup Semi-Final[/B] Our first match on the PPV is not as good as I'd hoped it would be, nor nearly as good as their last encounter. But it'll do for now, with Petey defeating Mario with another X-Press. Weak work by both mens' standards. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Davis then cut a promo where he hyped his ROF Championship and his CGC Championship, 'to say nothing of two – TWO – current tag titles' and promised he'd still have all four belts this time tomorrow night. RATING: B [B]Jaime Quine vs. Wanda Fish[/B] Their weakest match yet. Not sure what's happened to create this awkwardness in the early part of the PPV, either. Jaime goes over with the KO Kick again. [I]Jaime Quine defeated Wanda Fish by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Steve Flash: Commonwealth Cup Semi-Final[/B] Again, this was weakened by Merle's injury, but it was nonetheless good and helped us pick the pace back up as Merle got another win over Steve to advance to the final. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Steve Flash by submission[/I] RATING: B- At this point we called on Davis' promo skills again, as he dedicated a win over Joey to Jaime Quine. RATING: C+ [B]Johnny Highspot vs. Nate Johnson in a Ladder Match[/B] It comes to something when this is the best match of the night thus far, but this was great, producing an incredible reaction in only thirteen minutes within the ring. Nate even got the win, countering Johnny's spike DDT atop the ladder into a flip piledriver from ladder to floor. [I]Nate Johnson defeated Johnny Highspot when he retrieved the prize[/I] RATING: B [B]Petey Barnes vs. Merle O'Curle for the Commonwealth Cup[/B] I have no earthly clue what happened here, but I don't much like it. I guess Merle's injury really did bring him down, but they did their best. Petey picks up the final win with another X-Press in a very poor match. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Merle O'Curle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Petey celebrates his victory in the ring. RATING: C+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp for the ROF Championship[/B] This saved the show, really, as these two produce their usual excellent battle in less time than usual. In just under 24 minutes Davis locks in the STF to produce the win, and the PPV pulls back some respect. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Joey Beauchamp by submission[/I] RATING: A We ran a hype video, following that, for Davis/Petey next month for the title. RATING: B Yeah – as PPVs go, not great but not bad and we should do well off it. I'm mostly happy. OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 “Fumi, come on, man-” “I know, Terry. But when you said you wanted him for three shows I figured the qualifiers, the Cup, and the rematch. You're asking to've borrowed him off us for seven shows inside six months, including three PPVs. I can't sell that to Jake.” I fell silent, quietly fuming. I knew I should've worked this better. “All right,” I said. “Can I at least get someone on trade for the same times? If they work for you, I can work with that.” A pause. “If the setup's right, sure. But you want my opinion, you should tender the contract if you want to bring folks over. The only reason people here are interested right now is you hired Fox Mask after last time.” “I know,” I said softly. “I realise that. “And I am looking to expand... in a few months. Haven't the room yet. Right...” We negotiated from there. I wouldn't be able to promise Petey for School of Tradition. But I could work with what I was getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 4 January Ostrava Arena (Central Europe) 1606 in attendance Our first time in the Czech Republic comes as our reputation continues to increase and we find ourselves in need of a larger venue here. From a financial standpoint, this is fantastic news. A really solid dark match opens things off; Huntress Makiko defeats Kristabel Plum in a match that really should've been allowed onto the main card. The Makiko Clutch is making a name for itself here. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Kristabel Plum by submission[/I] RATING: C+ The DVD began with a hype video; SK Walker training following last week's Cup loss, intercut with sequences showing him duelling with Jed with lightsabres – these ones toys, rather than weapons. Walker promises more success to come. RATING: D [B]SK Walker vs. Crusher von Steinberg for the USPW National Championship[/B] Crusher's best match to date as Walker continues to shine in his championship defences, pulling excellent matches out of all and sundry. Naturally enough, he retains here, but an excellent match to kick proceedings off. [I]SK Walker defeated Crusher von Steinberg by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Crusher walks over after the match and shakes Walker's hand. RATING: E+ [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. Billy Robinson vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] An interesting triple threat here set up to try and teach everyone a little bit more. Ray's script as absolutely required to make this work, but it was in place, and the result was more than passable. Nigel sends Bairei to the outside with a running knee drive and Billy capitalises to lock in the Capital City Crucifix. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Bairei Yasujiro and Nigel Svensson when he made Nigel Svensson submit[/I] RATING: C [B]East and West vs. The Riot Act[/B] Picking up where they left off, East and West once again draw the former champions to an enjoyable double DQ. I'm left, though, wondering how much longer I'll be able to hang on to Nichiren Amagawa for. [I]East and West drew with the Riot Act when both teams were disqualified.[/I] RATING: C+ A quick hype video next: Steve Flash being the recipient this time. RATING: E+ [B]Remmy Honeyman vs. Steve Flash[/B] Not bad, considering Remmy's pretty new, but not on a par with most of Steve's recent performances. A good solid ten-minute match to give Steve one more victory. [I]Steve Flash defeated Remmy Honeyman by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Rolling Johnny Stones for the USPW World Championship[/B] Danny and Bernie put across the injury Johnny had done Merle and how it most likely cost him the Commonwealth Cup and a chance to bring the ROF Championship across to USPW. Now recovered, Merle had a real reason to take the fight to Johnny, and take the fight to him he did – again, not a great match by Merle's recent track record, but acceptable considering what we've been aiming for with USPW of late. In just under twenty minutes Merle put the challenger away. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Rolling Johnny Stones by submission[/I] RATING: C+ Not a bad show, overall. We need to build further, but we're new to Czechoslovakia; what can you expect? OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 1 February The Cobra Den 1000 in attendance RATING: 0.51 Good grief, we filled the Cobra Den. I can't quite believe it. The dark match these lucky thousand were on hand for saw Cherry Bomb and Wanda fight to a count-out draw; not great all round, but Cherry seems to have learned something from it, which is going to be useful. [I]Cherry Bomb drew with Wanda Fish when both competitors were counted out.[/I] RATING: C- Also in the dark, Phoebe continues to work for her rep; this time shilling the latest issue of Suplex Magazine, for which she's the covergirl. RATING: C [B]Hot Fuzz vs. Extraordinary Men for the ROF Tag Titles[/B] Extraordinary Men are Extraordinario Jr and El Heroe Mexicano, and this match was dragged down on two counts; first, Edward wasn't really feeling it, and second, Extraordinario and Heroe just weren't communicating as well as they had before we tagged them up officially. As a result, this match was only average until Keith Adams picked up the win with a nasty looking single-leg crab on Heroe. [I]Hot Fuzz defeated Extraordinary Men when Keith Adams made El Heroe Mexicano submit.[/I] RATING: C Davis then entered the ring and cut a promo recapping his match at the Cup and telling Petey he looked forward to facing him at the end of the month – for a real School of Tradition. RATING: C+ [B]Anna Ki vs. Jaime Quine for the ROF/USPW Womens Interpromotional Championship[/B] Weak, 21CW stuff here. Exactly what I didn't need going out live. Ki retains with the Ki-D-T. I guess it could be worse, though; I've got a lot of people ready to get better reactions as champ once they're more over. [I]Anna Ki defeated Jaime Quine by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ Phoebe Plumridge appears on the big screen and informs Davis that Petey will not be facing him at School of Tradition, due to matters that take precedence – but that Petey's sent a replacement he feels will be every bit as dangerous. RATING: C+ [B]El Critico vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith for the ROF TV Championship[/B] I'd hoped this would be better, but it was at least good. Brandon and Critico, as always, prove there's nothing to choose between them, enduring to the twenty-minute time limit. [I]El Critico drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ Backstage, Joey and Buff are warming up for their match. Both men get ready to go out first, which leads to an argument. RATING: C [B]Buff Martinez vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] A weak main event, but good enough, and I think good enough to bring the show up that extra bit as they overcame their poor meshing in the ring and Joey picked up the solid win with a Breeze Block in just under thirty minutes. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Buff Martinez by pinfall[/I] RATING: B Good enough show in a lot of ways; we won't lose fans anywhere and we'll gain them most places. With just over a season of TV left before renegotiation, this is a good thing – and the fact our rating has increased yet again, also a good thing. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 1 February Bayern Stadion 2000 in attendance We fill the Bayern Stadion tonight! Attendance is up all over, it seems, and ticket sales with it. Excellent. A quick dark match sees Wanda defeat Raven Nightfall with the Blonde Ambition. More basic recognition work here. [I]Wanda Fish defeated Raven Nightfall by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B] El Leon vs. Red Dragon[/B] Red Dragon is our latest signing, brought in to bolster the USPW brand off his success with UKW and 21CW. These two go just under ten minutes before Dragon picks up the win with a moonsault. Good starting match here. [I]Red Dragon defeated El Leon by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]The Force II vs. The Riot Act for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Walker gets the win here with a new double-team move the Force are calling the Death Star Run – the opponent gets sandwiched between a Kessel Run and a dropkick. Walker's also, once again, the standout performer in what is, nonetheless, a pretty good match by European standards. I'm liking this year in Europe thus far. [I]The Force II defeated The Riot Act when SK Walker pinned Jonni Lowlife[/I] RATING: C+ The Force went on to celebrate for the fans. RATING: D- [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] Good grief. These two always work well, but this... this was one of the best matches of USPW thus far. Maybe it was the extra time, maybe it was Nigel finally pulling out a win against Chojiro with that running knee drive, but this got over despite leaving Bernie in the dust. Beautiful work here that probably left both men much more over than they started. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: B+ A quick video aired next, paying tribute to the injured Toby Juan Kenobi. It's a little too late to pay off that angle now with Seiji's departure, sadly, but we'll see what we can do. RATING: E [B]Dean Daniels vs. Pit Bull Brown[/B] Brown continues to find his pace again, not only picking up the win but producing a pretty good match. I can't help but wonder if Chojiro and Nigel's performance made him realise how much work he has to do to keep his spot. [I]Pit Bull Brown defeated Dean Daniels by pinfall.[/I] RATING: B- Anna came out and shot T-Shirts for a while. RATING: C [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Rolling Johnny Stones & Steve Flash[/B] Again, not bad – not as good as these three are capable of, but good enough. With matches like these I'm sure our popularity in Europe has to be spreading, and Merle continues his winning streak with the Celtic Wreath to Rolling Johnny Stones. The question becomes – who can beat him? [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Rolling Johnny Stones & Steve Flash[/I] RATING: B- All told, a really good show here. We're getting the recognition we need. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 2 February Edgeware Hall 2000 in attendance RATING: 0.50 Makiko picks up yet another dark win, this time over Cherry Bomb, with the Tokyo Express. Not bad, but not great. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Cherry Bomb by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Double-P, still in the dark, talks up 'her main client in Ring of Fire', British Samurai. Again, a good reception for her. RATING: C+ [B]Hot Fuzz vs. The Stunners for the ROF Tag Titles[/B] A surprisingly good match for these four men, as the titles change hands once again, Eagle getting Keith Adams with the superbomb splash. They still need work, but we're getting there. [I]The Stunners defeated Hot Fuzz when Black Eagle pinned Keith Adams[/I] RATING: C+ Davis came out following that and gave me an interview where he announced that, unless Petey's replacement were unveiled right now, he wanted me to make a different main event for School of Tradition. RATING: C+ At which point, Double-P appeared, introducing Petey's replacement – her boyfriend, Adam Matravers! RATING: D [B]El Critico vs. KC Glenn for the ROF TV Championship[/B] Oh, this is shaping up to be our worst week in quite some time. Critico and Glenn can't work together well, and this was weak as a result. Critico put us out of our misery in the end, retaining again. [I]El Critico defeated KC Glenn for the ROF TV Championship[/I] RATING: C- [B]Mario Heroic vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] Haven't done this pairing in a while, and thankfully it warms the crowd back up somewhat. Good enough back-and-forth work here goes just over a quarter hour before the Proton Lock ends things. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Mario Heroic[/I] RATING: B- [B]Adam Matravers vs. Buff Martinez[/B] Coming off a lacklustre debut appearance, our latest UKW loan looks to make a name for himself against an old UKW/21CW rival. He controls well and keeps things interesting, eventually laying Buff out and getting the Mile High Moonsault to end things at 26:38 [I]Adam Matravers defeated Buff Martinez by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- Davis hits the ring, obviously irate, and he and Matravers stand off for a few moments before the distance closes and the fists start flying. Joey and the UK Dragon bail to break things up. RATING: C+ If debuts could only do better than this, I'd be a happy man – but it seems they can't. A weak show by our standards leaves me less than optimistic for School of Tradition. OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 2 February Ostrava Arena 1963 in attendance Another pretty good dark match; Wanda Fish and Huntress Makiko, with Makiko getting the Clutch to pick up yet another win. This time it took her nearly a quarter of an hour, however. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Wanda Fish by submission[/I] RATING: C+ A quick promo begins the main show, with the Force proclaiming their tag dominance. RATING: D- [B]The Force II vs. East and West for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Unusually, given Jed's cardio issues, I told them to make this a time limit draw, which turned out to be extremely well received. East and West don't disappoint, and the Force is made to look significantly stronger by beating them in such a good match. Well worthwhile. [I]The Force II drew with East and West when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B- [B]Crusher von Steinberg vs. Ruud van Anger[/B] Sadly, this wasn't the same standard or anywhere near it. In just under thirteen minutes Ruud got the Anger Management and followed it up with the Dutch Courage to get the pin. [I]Ruud van Anger defeated Crusher von Steinberg by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Jonni joined Ruud in the ring and the Riot Act fired a salvo back toward the Force, promising a swift end to the Force's title run. RATING: D [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Pit Bull Brown vs. Red Dragon vs. Steve Flash[/B] A big four-man match to ensure that everyone was in a position to learn something from someone else, particularly as Chojiro is becoming as thoroughly understanding of wrestling fundamentals as Steve. At the very end, as Brown had Chojiro up for a piledriver, the Red Dragon came off the ropes at Steve with a diving clothesline; Steve ducked it and Red wiped out Brown – which wiped out Chojiro. Steve promptly put Red down with the Flash Bang and pinned him. [I]Steve Flash defeated Chojiro Kitoaji, Pit Bull Brown and Red Dragon when he pinned Red Dragon.[/I] RATING: C+ Anna took a turn with the T-Shirt gun. RATING: C+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs Rolling Johnny Stones in a two out of three falls match for the USPW World Championship.[/B] Nice. Very nice work here, reinforcing just how good Merle is as he puts Johnny down in two falls – though with a little bit of assistance from Nadia Snow. Still, a fundamentally good match that really saw the fans react. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Rolling Johnny Stones by two falls to nil.[/I] RATING: B A damn good show by European standards. Maybe next time we visit we'll fill the arena. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 3 February Hall Green Cricket Club 1694 in attendance RATING: 0.51 A dark four-way match this week; Miss Information, Kristabel Plum, Huntress Makiko and Jaime Quine take each other on. A good solid match sees Quine's momentum continue as she fells Makiko with the KO Kick and covers before the others can break it up. [I]Jaime Quine defeated Huntress Makiko, Kristabel Plum and Miss Information when she pinned Huntress Makiko[/I] RATING: C- Double-P then ends our dark time taking another turn with the T-shirt gun. RATING: C [B]The Stunners vs. Extraordinary Men for the ROF Tag Titles[/B] Not too bad this time, considering the continuing tag division issues. I do feel we may be getting somewhere. Brandon and Eagle have evidently been working on even more power/speed double-teams, this time seeing Brandon send Extraordinario to the ring with a second-rope fallaway slam, with Black Eagle taking to the air from the opposite turnbuckle at the same time to land the New Jersey Turnpike as Extraordinario landed. The Superbomb Splash promptly followed to put El Heroe Mexicano out of action. [I]The Stunners defeated Extraordinary Men when Black Eagle pinned El Heroe Mexicano[/I] RATING: C+ Davis then hit the ring and cut an angry promo swearing he'd have nothing to do with fighting Matravers – after all, it wasn't Matravers who won the Commonwealth Cup. RATING: C+ [B]El Critico vs. Fox Mask for the ROF TV Championship[/B] Man, we've lost a lot of our momentum. This was only passable, where I'd hoped for much more. Critico continues to produce a stunning run of victories as champion, however, and Matthew and I are able to spend a lot of time speculating on who can possibly beat him. [I]El Critico defeated Fox Mask by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Double-P and Adam hit the ring, next, reminding Davis that the contract has Adam's name on it, and promised him a main event to remember. RATING: D [B]Hugh de Aske vs. Matthew Gauge vs. UK Dragon[/B] Again, not as good as I'd hoped it would be, but we're still working on Hugh's understanding of ring management. In the end Dragon felled him with the Dragon Drop and was taken down in his turn with the Proton Lock, allowing Matthew to pick up a major win. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated UK Dragon & Hugh de Aske when he made UK Dragon submit[/I] RATING: B- [B]Adam Matravers vs. Joey Beauchamp[/B] This was our main event, and I'm feeling a little happier about using Matravers as our Petey substitute. It ran just under twenty-seven minutes and was the best thing we'd staged all night, ending when Joey tried for the 450 splash, missed, and left himself vulnerable to the Mile High Moonsault. Worthwhile, though. [I]Adam Matravers defeated Joey Beauchamp by pinfall[/I] RATING: B The night capped off with a hype video for Matravers/Newton at School of Tradition, which was finally well-received. RATING: B- Yeah, a good solid show I can't complain too much about. I think we just need to get back up to speed and 2011 will be something to remember. OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday, Week 3 February Bayern Stadion 1980 in attendance The girls step out of the dark this week; instead Jonni Lowlife defeats Remmy Honeyman handily with the Low Down. Not a great match, but not a bad one. [I]Jonni Lowlife defeated Remmy Honeyman by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Billy Robinson vs. Nichiren Amagawa[/B] Opening up the DVD portion of the evening in style, Billy and Nichiren put on a really sound match here that woke the crowd up handily. Very happy with this one, and Billy continues to build momentum. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Nichiren Amagawa by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Jaime Quine vs. Wanda Fish[/B] Weaker than the opener, but good nonetheless, as these two's excellent chemistry makes them a joy to watch the whole time. The fans are starting to wake up to this, too, as the KO Kick keeps Quine on her current winning streak. [I]Jaime Quine defeated Wanda Fish by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ A hype video next; SK Walker once again RATING: C+ [B]SK Walker vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the USPW National Championship[/B] The Force/WLW rivalry kicks back into gear here, and this is probably going to be one of the best matches of Bairei's late career. (I'm not planning to renew his contract again, but for now he's still worth using.) Walker wins handily in just over a quarter of an hour, but this was the best part of the night thus far. Great stuff. [I]SK Walker defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall[/I] RATING: B Walker collects his belt... and gets hit by the Jimbo enzuigiri from behind. RATING: E+ [B]Chojiro Kitoaji vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] I'm going to overuse this match if I'm not careful, but it is actually leading into something. Nigel gets the shock win here with the running knee drive and we see a pretty solid pop, despite Bernie's floundering. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Chojiro Kitoaji by pinfall[/I] RATING: B We followed that up with a hype video for Nigel, which didn't exactly go down well brilliantly. RATING: D- [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Steve Flash in a Submission Match for the USPW World Championship[/B] BEST. USPW. MATCH. YET. In a little under seventeen minutes Merle and Steve blew the roof off the Stadion and, I suspect, set a record that will stand for some time as our best match. Simply incredible stuff here that Merle was lucky to win. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Steve Flash by submission[/I] RATING: A I wish I'd broadcast this card this week, honestly. This was great, truly great, and should do wonders for USPW. OVERALL: B+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 School of Tradition prediction card: TV: Cherry Bomb vs. Nadia Snow El Critico vs. Daniel Black Francis vs. Fox Mask vs. Velocidad for the ROF TV Championship Buff Martinez vs. Johnny Highspot Edward Cornell vs. Hidekazu British Samurai vs. Nate Johnson PPV: Huntress Makiko vs. Wanda Fish Black Eagle vs. Nate Johnson in a Ladder Match Don Henderson vs. Joey Beauchamp in a Last Man Standing Match Matthew Gauge vs. UK Dragon Davis Wayne Newton vs. Adam Matravers in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcel Fromage Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 TV: [B]Cherry Bomb [/B]vs. Nadia Snow [B]El Critico [/B]vs. Daniel Black Francis vs. Fox Mask vs. Velocidad for the ROF TV Championship [B]Buff Martinez [/B]vs. Johnny Highspot Edward Cornell vs. [B]Hidekazu[/B] [B]British Samurai [/B]vs. Nate Johnson PPV: Huntress Makiko vs. [B]Wanda Fish[/B] [B]Black Eagle [/B]vs. Nate Johnson in a Ladder Match Don Henderson vs. [B]Joey Beauchamp [/B]in a Last Man Standing Match [B]Matthew Gauge [/B]vs. UK Dragon [B]Davis Wayne Newton [/B]vs. Adam Matravers in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday, Week 4, February Kent Racecourse 4806 in attendance RATING: 0.50 It's always awkward beginning the pre-PPV show. So much to make sure of, so many undercarders relied on for the show... we put Cherry Bomb up against Nadia in the dark match, and Cherry won handily in a very bad match. Hope that Nadia will develop continues. [I]Cherry Bomb defeated Nadia Snow by pinfall[/I] RATING: D Double-P pulls dark shirts duty again. RATING: C+ The show proper begins with Davis in the ring, CGC Championship around his waist, ROF Championship taking pride of place over one shoulder. He cut a hell of a promo, promising to retain both titles no matter what the cost might be. RATING: B- [B]El Critico vs. Daniel Black Francis vs. Fox Mask vs. Velocidad for the ROF TV Championship[/B] Ugh. Pretty weak, this, much weaker than I'd hoped. Still, there's nothing I can do about it now, and his OLLIE work appears to have helped Velocidad somewhat. Critico retains again. [I]El Critico defeated Daniel Black Francis, Fox Mask and Velocidad when he pinned Velocidad.[/I] RATING: C- I went on to shill Joey vs. Don at School of Tradition. Only a lukewarm response. RATING: C [B]Buff Martinez vs. Johnny Highspot[/B] Not as good as I'd hoped, but good enough to pick us back up a notch. Johnny really needs to get back to taking on Nate, I guess. Buff, naturally, picks up the win with the El KO. [I]Buff Martinez defeated Johnny Highspot by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Edward Cornell vs. Hidekazu[/B] Pleasantly good, this one. Nothing special, but I think Edward's developing, and that has to be a good thing. A good passing the torch match sees Edward roll through the tilt-a-whirl and get a smooth roll-up for the win. [I]Edward Cornell defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Backstage, UK Dragon gets in Matthew Gauge's face, saying he needed Hugh's help to win last week. They agree to do battle at School of Tradition. RATING: C+ [I]British Samurai vs. Nate Johnson[/I] A weaker main event than I'd wanted, but it turns out Sammy and Nate don't work too well together. The result was still... well, it was still OK. Sammy picked up the win and Nate did OK on our first test for his potential advancement. [B]British Samurai defeated Nate Johnson by pinfall[/B] RATING: C+ Not a bad show, all told. Not great, and I'd prefer better, but for now I'll accept this. OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 19, 2008 Author Share Posted January 19, 2008 ROF: School of Tradition Tuesday Week 4 February Kent Racecourse 4806 in attendance BUYRATE: 0.13 A pretty good dark match between show and PPV, with Wanda Fish pulling out a win over the dominant Huntress Makiko with a Dish of the Day. Wouldn't have wanted this on the PPV itself, but I'm happy to see it here. [I]Wanda Fish defeated Huntress Makiko by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Black Eagle vs. Nate Johnson in a Ladder Match[/B] A test match, as much as anything, this failed at whatever I was testing. Both these men can be stellar with the right opponent, but it looks like they're not ready to be stellar with each other yet. Johnson picked up the win, but this was just kind of... there. [I]Nate Johnson defeated Black Eagle when he retrieved the prize.[/I] RATING: C A quick hype video for Matravers followed. Despite his recent momentum and his prominence in the UK wrestling scene, this bombed. RATING: D Joey then threw down a challenge to Don; he wants this Last Man Standing. Still really bad reactions; I don't know why. RATING: D Don hit the ring to accept, and the pop skyrocketed. RATING: C+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Joey Beauchamp in a Last Man Standing Match[/B] And we finally get out of first gear. A really hard-fought twenty-five minutes has the crowd on their feet, roaring approval, and eventually sees Joey pick up the hard-contested win, barely picking himself up in time after a Breeze Block/450 splash combo. I was damn happy with this. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Don Henderson when he could not answer the ten count.[/I] RATING: B+ Matthew came out to taunt the Dragon. Yet again, this bombed; what's going on? RATING: D [B] Matthew Gauge vs. UK Dragon[/B] Not as good as the prior match, but solid, very solid. Gauge managed to counter the Dragon Drop to the Proton Lock in mid-air to pick up the win, and again we see just how good my upper-card can be. I just need to push them to the next level. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated UK Dragon by submission[/I] RATING: B [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Adam Matravers in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship[/B] A good contest makes worthwhile use of the ladder, but, again, I'm not really feeling it here. Adam and Phoebe work as well in character as they do out of character, and a lot of the time I'd be happy with this – particularly the Mile High moonsault from the top of the ladder to a Davis sprawled on the announce table – but it just didn't work as well as it could, and Matthew's commentary getting lost didn't help either. Still... it'll do, and it gives Davis his sixth defence. Seven month reign; not bad. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Adam Matravers when he retrieved his title.[/I] RATING: B Davis, overjoyed, mingles with the crowd as we close out the PPV. RATING: B- Overall, this was good, but all along I kept thinking it should've been better. Still, there's always next month. OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 4 February Ostrava Arena 1268 in attendance A weak attendance at the Ostrava this week, but that can't be helped right now. Our dark match was actually pretty good, as Marc Speed dismantled Remmy Honeyman, finishing him off with a Deadly Heel Hook. Good work. [I]Marc Speed defeated Remmy Honeyman by submission[/I] RATING: C An opening DVD skit sees SK Walker ask Ochiyo Iijima out, mentioning he learned Japanese to talk to her. (Rather than, say, because he's been working for WLW, Exodus, and others from time to time. Iijima agrees. RATING: E+ [B]SK Walker vs. El Leon for the USPW National Championship[/B] El Leon, unfortunately, still needs a lot of building to be credible. I feel this will have helped, though, as while he lost he lost in a simply fantastic match that honestly should've been higher up the card. [I]SK Walker defeated El Leon by pinfall[/I] RATING: B [B]Billy Robinson vs. Rolling Johnny Stones[/B] One of the better Billy matches not to have been scripted. I think we could be getting somewhere; as part of our work toward actually having viable title contenders, Stones gets the win here. Weakish for their usual level, but at least I know why. [I]Rolling Johnny Stones defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C A quick hype video shows off the good looks of Jaime Quine and Wanda Fish. RATING: D- [B]Anna Ki & Miss Information vs. Jaime Quine & Wanda Fish[/B] If this were CWWF, it'd have been Jaime and Kristabel, as they have history there, but Quine and Fish are the people people associate together here. This was billed as UCR versus AAA, and it was a real doozy by Miss Information's standards – improving which was part of my goal here. Anna gets the win over Wanda to continue to build her, while Jaime and Wanda are still little enough known that just getting out here can't help but get them further over. [I]Anna Ki & Miss Information defeated Jaime Quine & Wanda Fish when Anna Ki pinned Wanda Fish[/I] RATING: C [B] The Riot Act vs. European Union[/B] European Union are Crusher von Steinberg and Nigel Svensson, and they're... bad. Awful, awful timing. I'm not sure how much of this was weak due to that and how much due to the Riot Act being weak ring generals, but this was not an auspicious debut. Real 21CW stuff, despite Nigel getting the win over Jonni Lowlife – the running knee driver again. Can't be helped. [I]European Union defeated The Riot Act when Nigel Svensson pinned Jonni Lowlife.[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Pit Bull Brown vs. Steve Flash[/B] Steve eats the submission in a fairly strong match. As ever, this is really about getting the Pit Bull a little more training, as he needs it, while Merle stays on form. I don't entirely know where to go from here, but it'll be some time, likely. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Pit Bull Brown and Steve Flash when he made Steve Flash submit [/I] RATING: B- Oh, ugh. This show was nowhere near what I needed it to be. Can't be helped, I guess, but... OVERALL: C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 1 March The Cobra Den 922 in attendance RATING: 0.50 A surprisingly weak dark bout sees Hidekazu demolish Nate Johnson as part of my work in getting the undercard where I want them to be. Nate's so close, and sufficient work with the greats should get him where he needs to be. [I]Hidekazu defeated Nate Johnson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Phoebe makes up for it, however, doing shirt duty just before the show starts. RATING: C+ The show itself opens as Joey hits the ring, announcing himself as the clear man to challenge Davis after his victory at School of Tradition. RATING: D+ This does not sit well with Matthew Gauge, however, who stalks down the ramp after him and points out he got a win himself. I tell the pair of them they can settle it with a match – and the winner will be our new number one contender. RATING: D [B]Fox Mask vs. UK Dragon[/B] A UKW standby match here, granted, but we haven't aired it and our audience is slightly different. They make up for the horrible initial reaction to the argument, with both men kicking the crowd back to a height and really drawing them into the show. Dragon picks up the win over Fox, but it's a great contest. [I]UK Dragon defeated Fox Mask by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- We followed that up with a hype video for the Dragon, recapping all his various title wins. RATING: C+ [B]The Stunners vs. Extraordinary Men vs. Hot Fuzz for the ROF Tag Titles[/B] Not great. Not bad either, but not great. It's mostly an excuse for the Stunners to rack up another victory and give everyone a little more practice working as a team, while Brandon gets the pin on El Heroe and Black Eagle cut Keith Adams off with a dropkick. [I]The Stunners defeated Extraordinary Men and Hot Fuzz when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned El Heroe Mexicano.[/I] RATING: C [B]El Critico vs. KC Glenn for the ROF TV Championship[/B] Oh dear god. We're just not doing as well as we should be right now, particularly as Critico and KC don't work well together. This was, as a result, pretty much a 21CW affair, and at least it wasn't supposed to be a title changeover. That'd get things off to the wrong start. [I]El Critico defeated KC Glenn by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] At least the main event yanked us back to credibility. Davis and Hugh really do work well together, which dragged Hugh up to main event level. When he can do this sort of thing without that aid, he'll be staying there. Davis made Hugh look every bit his equal, the match taking almost a full half an hour for the champion to put his opponent away with the Newton's Cradle. Good work all round. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Hugh de Aske by pinfall.[/I] RATING: A Leave it to Davis and Dragon to wring a good show out of mediocrity. Just need to do a little better elsewhere, I think. OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 1 March Bayern Stadion 1951 in attendance Another weakish darm match; Kristabel Plum and Wanda Fish try to teach Nadia Snow a few things in a triple-threat. To a degree, it works, and Plum picks up the win over Nadia to get a little momentum. [I]Kristabel Plum defeated Nadia Snow and Wanda Fish when she pinned Nadia Snow.[/I] RATING: C- [B]East and West vs. European Union[/B] Good God, this was an improvement on the Union's match last week. Streets ahead. A quarter of an hour of excellent wrestling was capped when Nichiren slapped on the Amagawa Total Lock to force Crusher to tap. Really nice stuff. [I]East and West defeated European Union when Nichiren Amagawa made Crusher von Steinberg submit.[/I] RATING: B- [B] Billy Robinson vs. Kadonomaro Kamisaka vs. Kirk the Turk vs. Remmy Honeyman[/B] Billy and Remmy give our newest signings a workout; Kirk's been on the independent scene for quite some time, while Kadonomaro has only recently started wrestling. With a Crippler Ray script, the four of them go beyond 21CW. Billy's the obvious standout, but both of the newcomers looked to be eager students, which should repay Kadonomaro a little for the submission loss he took. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Kadonomaro Kamisaka, Kirk the Turk, and Remmy Honeyman when he made Kadonomaro Kamisaka submit.[/I] RATING: C- The Force then hit the ring, offering Chojiro and Dean a chance to avenge the fallen Team WLW with a shot at the tag titles. RATING: D [B] The Force II vs. Chojiro Kitoaji & Dean Daniels for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Another excellent tag bout. Hopefully, that's going to be a pattern this week. Walker ran over Chojiro to pick up the win in the end as the newer Force team demonstrate the Death Star Run for the second time. I'm happy with this one. [I]The Force II defeated Chojiro Kitoaji and Dean Daniels when SK Walker pinned Chojiro Kitoaji.[/I] RATING: B- Walker and Simona then cut a strong promo, promising great things to come. RATING: C [B]El Leon vs. Red Dragon[/B] Good high flying match here. The veteran Dragon controls early, but the Split Second Justice scores a win out from under him and El Leon gets back on a roll. [I]El Leon defeated Red Dragon by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Anna then did T shirt duty. RATING: C+ [B]Merle O'Curle & Rolling Johnny Stone vs. Steve Flash & Pit Bull Brown[/B] A main event tag bout, basically. Not bad stuff here, although not great. It did reasonably well, though I'd have liked it to go better. The end disintegrated into a through-the-crowd brawl resulting in a double countout. [I]Merle O'Curle & Rolling Johnny Stones drew with Steve Flash & Pit Bull Brown when both sides were counted out.[/I] RATING: C+ I'd have liked the show to do a little better, but considering how well certain parts did, I can't complain. OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 2 March Hall Green Cricket Club 1587 in attendance RATING: 0.55 A really poor dark match; Huntress Makiko needs someone equally good to work against, and Ochiyo Iijima ain't that girl. Makiko picks up the win, however, with the Tokyo Express. So I guess we got something out of it. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Ochiyo Iijima by pinfall[/I] RATING: D Double-P does her thing with the shirts. RATING: D+ [B]Johnny Highspot vs. Roy Edison[/B] Yes, we kicked off the show with an actual match. It happens from time to time. Not a bad match given these two's current standards, and Johnny's strong almost everywhere Roy needs work. Johnny accordingly picks up the win with the frog splash and we roll onward. [I]Johnny Highspot defeated Roy Edison by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ A quick backstage skit sees the champ flirting with Jaime. RATING: C [B]El Critico vs. Daniel Black Francis for the TV Championship[/B] Enh. Poor, due to Daniel getting knackered partway. But good enough, I suppose, as Critico notches up his nineteenth defence. [I]El Critico defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] RATING: C A hype video following for tonight's main event: Joey and Matthew for the number one contendership. RATING: C+ [B] Don Henderson vs. Nate Johnson[/B] ...Wow. I'll have to come back to this one; it was just intended to kickstart a PPV feud, but Nate stepped up his game fantastically and the whole thing really got the crowd on their feet – for the full twenty minutes, as Nate lasts til the time limit. [I]Don Henderson drew with Nate Johnson when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B Double-P then hit the ring and taunted Don for not being able to finish Johnson. RATING: D [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] Very solid, this, though not at the level I was hoping for – which is to say, just really good. Matthew and Joey put on a show that could have gone either way – but in the end Matthew got the Proton Lock, carrying him through to his first one on one PPV main event. [I]Matthew Gauge defeated Joey Beauchamp by submission[/I] RATING: B+ Another pretty good show. I'm happy with this; couple of the segments could've gone better, but even so. And we punch through to a new record rating, too! OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 Tyler's gone on a somewhat disturbing ego tour of late. Apparently he thinks he's better than anyone in either DaVE or 21CW, and he's been going on about it backstage in both locker rooms. People are pissed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 2 March Ostrava Arena 1821 in attendance I've got to say, I'm pretty happy with our European attendance. A return to an old dark favourite this week, as Nigel Svensson defeats Remmy Honeyman to a bigger pop than when they started. Pretty good stuff.. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Remmy Honeyman by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Toby's shown on video footage, promising that he's almost recovered from Jimbo's assault and will be back soon, promising us he'll capture the tag belts alongside Jed. RATING: E+ [B]East and West vs. The Riot Act[/B] The tag scene's definitely improving in USPW. This wasn't bad; wasn't great either, but wasn't bad, and Marc Speed picks up the win here over Jonni Lowlife with the Deadly Heel Hook. A good quarter of an hour. [I]East and West defeated The Riot Act when Marc Speed made Jonni Lowlife submit.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Jaime Quine vs. Wanda Fish[/B] I knew I could rely on this to be, at least, entertaining, and it was; Jaime picks up another win with the KO kick, but this was good work from both girls. Well worth it. [I]Jaime Quine defeated Wanda Fish by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ We then ran a hype video for tonight's National Championship bout, with Walker defending against Steve Flash. RATING: D [B]El Leon vs. Mr Lucha III[/B] Mr Lucha's been unemployed for the past year, and I read about his complaints and decided to give him a shot. Leon controls and puts the newcomer away, but it was a great match all along, and Lucha had something to do with that. [I]El Leon defeated Mr Lucha III by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]SK Walker vs. Steve Flash for the USPW National Championship[/B] This was fantastic, as you'd hope. The goal here was to review Walker's skills and give him a chance to pick up tips from the best while giving Steve a little more momentum to help him in the title picture. They rolled to a twenty minute time limit with neither man able to put the other away, and the crowd were on their feet the whole time. [I]SK Walker drew with Steve Flash when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B+ [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Rolling Johnny Stones for the USPW World Championship[/B] Merle's continued power trip means we still have no one who can convincingly take him apart. I may have to recruit specially. Merle dominates here, and Johnny does his best to make it look close, but the Celtic Wreath allows the Irishman to retain again. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Rolling Johnny Stones by submission.[/I] RATING: C+ I'd hoped we'd produce something slightly better overall, but I can't complain. Good work. OVERALL: C+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 3 March Kent Racecourse 2130 in attendance RATING: 0.52 Another ladies' dark match; Cherry Bomb loses out to Huntress Makiko in front of over two thousand. Great for both womens' exposure. Nice work, too. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Cherry Bomb by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- More Double-P work with the shirt gun. RATING: C+ [B]Edward Cornell vs. Mario Heroic[/B] And this is how we start off the show, and... hmm. I think both of these guys need a ring general in there with them, sadly. It was... OK, but for people in these two's roster position it should've been better. Edward gets the win with a backbreaker hold. [I]Edward Cornell defeated Mario Heroic by submission.[/I] RATING: C Following that we hit a big video hyping Matthew and Davis' collision at Trial By Combat in one week. RATING: B- [B]Hidekazu vs. Keith Adams[/B] Man, Hidekazu just ain't what he used to be. I'm trying to rub as much of his skill onto people as I can before he loses it, but this was weak. Keith turns the tilt-a-whirl into a rollup pin to pick up the victory here. [I]Keith Adams defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C Don challenges Sammy to beat Nate Johnson himself, following the taunts last week. Nadia and Phoebe do great work on behalf of their allies, and the fans seem into it. RATING: C+ [B]British Samurai vs. Nate Johnson[/B] Poor chemistry here leads to a weaker result than we'd hoped, but we'll live. Nate holds out for twenty again here, and the match is good – just not as good as I'd hoped for. High spot, though; Sammy hits a flying elbow from the top rope. [I]British Samurai drew with Nate Johnson when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: B- Sammy and Don staredown on the top of the ramp. RATING: B- [B]El Critico vs. Black Eagle for the TV Championship[/B] The twentieth successful defence by Critico here, but this was great; best thing on the card, and I remain convinced that both men have a main title run in them with the right management. They had the main event spot and made the most of it; the Critical Mass didn't hit until twenty eight minutes in. Great work. [I]El Critico defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: B We scraped up a reasonable show despite a rocky start, and we did it without overusing our main event talent. There's depth of roster for you. We don't maintain last week's rating, but it's still high. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 USPW: Standard Bearers Sunday Week 3 March Bayern Stadion 2000 in attendance Good grief. We're selling out two-thousand-seaters. In Europe. How we've risen so far I don't quite follow. Two dark matches this week; the first, pitting Red Dragon against Kirk the Turk, was... well, it was appalling. Red gets the win with a moonsault, but this was atrocious. [I]Red Dragon defeated Kirk the Turk by pinfall[/I] RATING: D- The second dark bout was much better; Pit Bull Brown gets a dark squash to test Kadonomaro out properly. Work needs doing here, but the work is doable. [I]Pit Bull Brown defeated Kadonomaro Kamisaka[/I] RATING: C- To kick off the show, Anna did her T-shirt gun thing. Hey, it's nice to have a well-received segment over here. RATING: C+ [B]The Force II vs. East and West for the USPW Tag Titles[/B] Not quite short enough, as Jed was flagging by the finish which threw things off a bit, but this was still reasonably entertaining. Marc eats the Death Star Run to get pinned this time around. [I]The Force II defeated East and West when SK Walker pinned Marc Speed.[/I] RATING: C+ Toby Juan Kenobi then appeared atop the ramp, much to everybody's 'surprise'. RATING: E+ Jed and Walker grabbed hold of Toby jubilantly, and the three of them stumbled through a hype spiel for the Force. Toby didn't look happy to be doing it. RATING: D [B]El Leon vs. Mr Lucha III in a ladder match[/B] The rematch from last week ups the stakes by adding a ladder and lights the audience up massively. The pop when Leon grabbed the prize from atop the ladder is massive. [I]El Leon defeated Mr Lucha III by retrieving the prize.[/I] RATING: B- [B]Billy Robinson vs. Dean Daniels[/B] It's back to Ray's scripts for Billy, and the result is a very strong ten minutes work, finishing with the Capital City Crucifix to an even larger pop from the crowd. This is the sort of thing we need more of. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Dean Daniels by submission.[/I] RATING: B The cameras go backstage to show the three male members of the Force embroiled in a furious argument. RATING: D- [B]Merle O'Curle vs. Steve Flash in a 30 minute Iron Man match for the USPW World Championship[/B] Someone finally scores a fall over Merle, as Steve gets the Flash Bang ten minutes in to build hope for an upset. The Stadion atmosphere was absolutely electric from that point on, but Merle came back to win the match two falls to one. A good end to the show, though. [I]Merle O'Curle defeated Steve Flash by two falls to one.[/I] RATING: B+ A really good show for the two thousand in attendance. I wish I could actually get this level out of the ROF crew slightly more regularly than I do, too. OVERALL: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Trial By Combat predictions key: TV: Anna Ki vs. Raven Nightfall El Critico vs. Nate Johnson for the TV Championship Kristabel Plum vs. Wanda Fish El Heroe Mexicano vs. Extraordinario Jr Edward Cornell vs. Hugh de Aske Trial By Combat Roy Edison vs. Steven Parker Buff Martinez vs. Johnny Highspot Black Eagle vs. KC Glenn in a ladder match British Samurai vs. Don Henderson in a Submission Match Twenty-Minute Challenge Joey Beauchamp vs. UK Dragon Davis Wayne Newton vs. Matthew Gauge in a 30 Minute Iron Man match for the ROF Championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 4 March Kent Racecourse 4159 in attendance RATING: 0.52 A weak dark match to begin proceedings, as Raven Nightfall eats the Ki-D-T in her title challenge. Bad stuff. Again, though, better should be coming. [I]Anna Ki defeated Raven Nightfall by pinfall[/I] RATING: D And, again, just before the show begins, Double-P takes a turn with the shirt gun. RATING: C The show kicks off with Davis, backstage, giving an intense promo about Matthew Gauge, his challenger. He puts over that NOTBPW wants Matthew, and then emphasises that Matthew chose to stay in Ring of Fire to try for the title instead, and really shows the level we've hit in competition. RATING: B- [B]El Critico vs. Nate Johnson for the TV Championship[/B] Nate battles through to score another time limit draw here. It's an impressive showing, but it's not enough for him to pick up the win, and the crowd are going a bit stale on it. Critico's made 21 successful defences; it'll be time to turn it over soon, I think. [I]El Critico drew with Nate Johnson when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ Matthew Morris and I then discuss Nate's showing in the past two weeks, pointing out that it's led to Don and Sammy deciding to face off tonight during Trial By Combat. RATING: B- [B]Kristabel Plum vs. Wanda Fish[/B] Another solid little match from the womens' division here, and Wanda picks up the win over Kristabel with the Dish of the Day. Good, but these two can do better. [I]Wanda Fish defeated Kristabel Plum by pinfall[/I] RATING: C+ Another quick hype video: Joey ties up with the UK Dragon at Trial By Combat. RATING: C [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. Extraordinario Jr[/B] The tag team partners, we explain, requested this match to settle a question of pecking order. With Optimus' script, it's good, and revitalises my hopes for this show. At 13:48 Extraordinario seals the deal with the Siempre Peleando. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated El Heroe Mexicano[/I] RATING: B [B]Edward Cornell vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] And the main event, while not reaching the heights I'd hoped for, doesn't let me down; in just under twenty-six minutes these two keep the Racecourse crowd every bit as enthralled as the Extraordinary Men, with Hugh eventually scoring a pinfall with the Cut-Throat Driver. [I]Hugh de Aske defeated Edward Cornell by pinfall[/I] RATING: B The show closed out with a quick video recapping the build to Newton vs. Gauge. RATING: B- Definitely an acceptable show, particularly for a pre-PPV contest. I'm satisfied. Despite having four thousand in attendance, we maintain last week's rating, which is actually a jump of two thousand. No complaints. OVERALL: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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