Phantom Stranger Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 [I]OOC: This is a continuation of my TEW2007 diary, with a painstakingly rebuilt save to allow me to use TEW2008 (and, obviously, very different chemistries likely to develop. The first few posts will lay out the basic situation at the start of 2013 for Terry Roberts' ROF, so there's no need to get trapped in the original...[/I] New Years Day is a strange thing for me, nowadays. This is the seventh time it's seen me sit down with my boss - Robert Brown, British Samurai, call him what you will but I always slip and end up calling him 'Sammy', which bugs him, but by now he's got fairly used to it - and figure out, at least in general terms, where we go from here. My name is Terry Roberts... and I book Ring of Fire, now the third largest wrestling promotion in the world. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/13.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/ROF.jpg[/IMG] The working day doesn't start until lunchtime, but it has to start when it does; it seems like New Year always manages to fall on a Monday. We broadcast one TV show to the UK on Tuesdays each week and close the week off with a broadcast across Europe on Sundays. Monday, January the 1st, is quite literally the only day when Sammy and I can set aside booking specifics, settle down, and figure how the shape of the year looks before we have to get started on it. [B]The Main Event[/B] We're blessed with a fantastic assortment of talent across the card, but the heart of the show comes from our champion and his contenders, and always will. Of the following, one will be defending his title at the January PPV - 'Commonwealth Games' - one will be challenging, and barring a sudden change of plans, two will face off head-to-head in the finals of a sixteen-man tournament to claim the Commonwealth Cup. [B]Don Henderson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG] When I came to Ring of Fire, Don Henderson was kicking aimlessly around the tag division with Billy Robinson as The Shooters. Astonishing chemistry with Merle O'Curle, then a major player, and a very firm grasp of the basic fundamentals served him well and led to him becoming a credible threat in the upper midcard, feuding with imported legend El Critico - memorably introducing his own belt, the Heritage Championship, and unifying it with the #1 Contendership title. Following that Don trod water for a long time, acting mostly as a tutor for the younger men we were bringing into the roster. But it was pretty clear he was learning himself; four years ago he won the first Commonwealth Cup and became a semi-regular challenger for the ROF Championship. This status continued for a while, with Don never quite getting the big belt - though while we operated a secondary brand he was briefly champion, holding the old USPW World Championship after the buyout. Last year, a shift in portrayal toward [B]"the conscience of Ring of Fire"[/B] and a string of astonishing performances culminated when he unseated UK Dragon after a year-long title reign in November. He's made one defence since but looks set to be a worthy champion. He is the only man to have held every title in Ring of Fire. [B] Art Reed[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] Art has been with Ring of Fire for only a year, but he'd become a major name in the UK during a multi-year run with our closest competition UKW before then. He was the last man to win the Commonwealth Cup and challenged Don for the title at December's pay-per-view, but his year otherwise has placed him lower on the ranks than others. Don's technical expertise makes Art a very good match, however, which means you can't count him out. [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] Three or four years ago Joey Beauchamp was still [B]"The Breeze"[/B], the arrogant heel he designed and honed for the departed European promotion UCR, as he transitioned from midcard mainstay in UCR to main event threat in Ring of Fire, winning the Championship after less than a month with the company and holding it for what's still a record number of defences. He has held the Ring of Fire Championship more times than anyone else, and has defended it successfully more than anyone else. Positioned early as an unstoppable warrior, he's shifted over the past two years, becoming, first, an on-screen friend and ally of Davis Wayne Newton (and, latterly, Joss Thompson) in a grouping which is held together by respect but which frequently threatens to fly apart due to ego, and also dropping the 'Breeze' act in favour of [B]"The Perpetual Motion Machine"[/B] Joey Beauchamp, acknowledging the respect he has won from our fans by reinventing himself as a less out-and-out heel character. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] It's impossible to discuss Joey without discussing Davis next. Their friendship was born of rivalry and has appeared on a number of occasions since set to disintegrate back into rivalry; Davis' title record is strong, but not as strong as Joey's, but Davis has the advantage in outside recognition, being a three-time Wrestler of the Year as I write this. [B]"The Triple Threat"[/B]has been champion here and in CGC; he has held tag titles here twice as well as in CZCW (teamed with Jim Force) and CGC (alongside Elmo Benson). Along there he had a legendary feud with Hugh de Aske culminating at December's Pay-Per-View when he defeated him in a brilliant, brutal Last Man Standing contest in which the loser lost their job. It's rare to see Davis fail to steal the show if he's on the card, and his win-loss record is extraordinary. Indeed, it's only exceeded by... [B]Human Arsenal[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] What possessed Cornell to break the Machines up and job out John for a year, I'll never know - but I couldn't be more grateful. I signed him last January and he went from virtual unknown - and one whose credibility had been destroyed during his singles run in TCW - in the UK to challenging then-champion UK Dragon on pay-per-view in less than six months. He wrestled Dragon solo and in triple threats on three consecutive PPVs and has yet to lose to Dragon or Don with the belt on the line. In last year's Hot 100 his performance beat out his former employer, and he's just re-signed for three more years. With his finishing capacity expanded by the addition of a beautiful submission hold called the [B]Trench Warfare[/B], Human Arsenal looks set to be in championship contention for years to come. [B]UK Dragon[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] The man has won titles worldwide. In 2009 he broke his neck and spent a year out of action, returning to Ring of Fire - who he'd left behind by that time - and making an immediate impact - in late 2010, kicking off by challenging Davis Wayne Newton for his title in November. While he lost, that match won Match of the Year. A year later, Dragon challenged Joey, winning the same award - and the title, which he held for a full year of dominance. The '[B]Year of the Dragon[/B]' revitalised the great competitor who seems like he may yet have a chance to enter the Hall of the Immortals before his career ends. [B]Joss Thompson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] The third member of an unofficial power bloc, Joss Thompson's alliance with Davis Wayne Newton started from their CGC connections and blossomed as Thompson found his feet in Ring of Fire's style. By 2012 Thompson was the unofficial leader of the trio and had begun to use 'Bulldozer' Brandon Smith as a fourth member, ensuring his decisions counted. He led a lengthy feud which began when Thompson stole Dragon's mask, leaving Dragon to team up with Billy Robinson while wearing Robinson's old Parasite mask. Though Thompson didn't come out with the win in the end, he cemebted himself as a legitimate threat to any man in the promotion. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] Faust, in his second ROF run, looks to have improved and aligned himself more closely with our style, though he's been dogged throughout by chemistry issues. It remains to be seen whether he can overcome them; however, he is at present a greater threat to the ROF Champion than the TV Champion. Of this group, he's the current long-shot threat, and may be replaced on the periphery by one of a number of excellent midcard talent... Tomorrow (hopefully): The Tag Division Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 [B]The Tag Teams[/B] For the longest time, the tag division was the weakest part of Ring of Fire. Tag matches were too expensive, early on, and with Don Henderson involved in singles title chases I had two halfway-decent teams and three truly, truly awful duos, of whom all six men are long gone (though one of them is working at our developmental promotion nowadays). And without much attention, the division continued to languish. A brief bright interlude started when I signed the rookie Gauge brothers, but Greg landed a developmental deal to RIPW and Matthew found himself in the singles ranks. A few years later, however, the teams who'd been around had finally begun to gel well, as the advent of a short-lived second brand, PPV time, and so on led me to try and make something of all the titles. Nowadays it's more than just a place to enhance the schooling of bright - and cheap - young rookies and I enjoy the scene. Tag matches are back out of the dark time on broadcast, often on PPV. [B]The Professionals - Greg Gauge & Ernest Youngman[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ErnestYoungman.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/GregGauge.jpg[/IMG] Current champions are The Professionals, both of whom are relatively new on this run (Greg was brought up to SWF from RIPW and promptly found himself signed back to me - his brother's departure to TCW's midcard had left us with a hole to fill). The team's young and only very newly champions, but both men are good workers who just need exposure to go far. They don't use it often, but the team boasts a tag finisher that looks simply spectacular - Ernest employs the ropes to slingshot the opponent over to Greg, who catches them and almost in the same motion sits out into a piledriver. They call it 'Dead on Arrival'. [B] The Stunners - Black Eagle and Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BlackEagle_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BulldozerBrandon_alt3.jpg[/IMG] Easily the most decorated team in the division - four time champions plus three midcard singles runs between them - the Stunners almost didn't happen. They were originally matched up in CZCW, where they won the titles; I gave them a few battles against our own champs of the time as champion-versus-champion is easy hype, and as such the crowd became vaguely aware of their teaming in its early stages. Three or four months later I needed to transition the belt off a promising young team as one of its members was leaving, and they were the best positioned. A reasonable title run followed, during which they perfected a spectacular finisher spot wherein Brandon, on the top rope, would set Black Eagle up for a powerbomb and launch him as high and far as he could, with Eagle converting the momentum into a beautiful moonsault - they call the move the 'Superbomb Splash'. Five years of regular teaming has allowed them to develop a surprising number of other double-team spots and a tag dynamic very few teams can rival. Their most constant challengers... [B]East and West - Marc 'Speedball' Speed and Nichiren Amagawa[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/MarcSpeed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/NichirenAmagawa.jpg[/IMG] ...another great team who've grown more and more comfortable working together. While not quite at the level of tacit understanding the Stunners revel in, the American and Japanese submission mavens have perfected a style of tag wrestling that can be truly terrifying, taking the 'work a body part' style to its extreme with totally silent, totally focused grim-faced intensity. Between them they boast four phenomenal submission holds which can be used on any part of the anatomy to deliver a tap out. Marc was already known to Coastal Zone fans as the 'Tap, Nap or Snap' threat lingering in their opening bouts; Nichiren has helped him step up to the next level; this youngster is perhaps the best I've ever seen at submissions, and I lost count of the number of times we worked the home of stretching wrestlers that is the Cobra Den. These two will always be a threat to the titles - whenever they don't hold them, that is. [B]Extraordinary Men - Extraordinario Jr & El Heroe Mexicano[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] Two very promising youngsters from the lucha libre tradition, the only thing slowing these two down in the tag division is Extraordinario's dabbling in the TV Championship race - a race he's won twice. While Extraordinary Men have only held the belts on one occasion, they've built up a ferocious and well-deserved reputation, gelling well, putting on spectacular matches, and forcing their rivals to fear the Mexican Standoff stereo superkick - the only double-team finisher that can sink you before you know it's happening, giving them a major advantage in our regular multi-team matches. [B]Dos Phoenix - Phoenix II & Phoenix III[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix3.jpg[/IMG] More in the lucha libre tradition, we brought these two in to lend some legendary weight to the division and, since getting over with a new fanbase, they've done just that. While they're yet to win the titles here, they've been on a steady winning streak for the past several months and can be relied on to put on a great show. [B]Los Leyendas - El Leon & Ultimate Phoenix[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/UltimatePhoenix.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElLeon.jpg[/IMG] For a while, this pair were solid champions and legitimate contenders. Following Phoenix' spinal injury, however, and his fourteen months out of the game, they've struggled to regain that prestige, winning only very rarely. [B]Pure Perfection - Sergei Kalashnov & Steve Flash w/ Simona Cox[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SergeiKalashnov.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] After floundering in singles, these two teamed up in mid-2012 and immediately made a name for themselves by snatching the belts in their first title shot. They held on to them for two months of solid competition before losing out to East and West, and they've yet to stop winning entirely, remaining strong all the way along. A good team limited only by Steve's age, they can expect to stay in the title frame for a while before transitioning to training newer teams. [B] The Disrespected - Chojiro Kitoaji & Keith Adams [/B][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ChojiroKitoaji.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/KeithAdams.jpg[/IMG] A tough, hard-bitten team made up of men who felt abandoned when former teammates moved on, the Disrespected have a good solid win record, lacking only the fan support to push them to the top. [B]The Team-Up Marvels - Johnny Highspot & Jonni Lowlife[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JohnnyHighspot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JonniLowlife.jpg[/IMG] The longest-running team still in the tag division, these guys are three-time tag champions, but their careers have been stalled of late. Can they overcome the wave of new talent? It seems doubtful, but no one expected their early-2012 reign after three years without gold. They could surprise the fans again... Tomorrow: The TV Championship scene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 [B]The TV Championship[/b] The TV title is our secondary singles strap. Unified into it in the past have been the Heritage Championship and Beacon Championship (Hugh de Aske, Beacon Champion, defeated Matthew Gauge, Heritage Champion on PPV and consolidating them, pledging to defend the replacement strap on every broadcast of our then-new TV show [B]Fighting Fit[/B]) and, later, the USPW National Championship (Sergei Kalashnov, then USPW National Champion, overcoming Nate Johnson for it shortly after the USPW brand folded and the titles were merged. Thus far, only one of these titles has been re-activated - our developmental fed, [B]Cornerstone Professional Wrestling[/B], uses the Beacon Championship as its main belt. The TV title is currently defended twice a week; as a result, reigns tend to lead to meteoric rises if the performers are capable of such, or to fizzle out swiftly if they prove not yet to be ready. Recent disappointments include Marc Speed and Black Eagle, both of whom demonstrated that their value lies in their tag affiliations. [B] British Samurai[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] As of New Year's Eve, Sammy is the current champion. A former three-time ROF Champion, he's the most decorated wrestler to hold the belt, currently there to lend it some prestige and help tune up the title scene, many of whom are nearly ready to step up and face off with the main event. A former #1 in the Hot 100 rankings, British Samurai is a more than capable champion for the time being. He won the belt from... [B]Mario Heroic[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] ...himself now a two-time TV Champion. Mario's problem here is, simply, that between title reigns he divides his time between bids for the TV strap and losing to the main event; an extremely credible performer, he scores wins to keep him strong but is too useful in making the main event look good to get a sustained push. This most recent title reign, at nearly two months, is his best yet; it may be time to pull the trigger. Mario's no stranger to the UK crowds; as well as three years with us, he's spent time in Men of Steel Combat, drawing on his old DaVE expertise, and in UKW, our closest rivals. In terms of in-ring ability, he looks to be nearing his peak. [B]Billy Robinson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] Cursed by being 'the other one from The Shooters' next to Don's significantly more prestigious run in the company, Billy has held the #1 Contendership once, the tag titles twice and, since dropping the Contendership to Johnny Highspot very early in my time with the company, went without a title until mid-2012 - a five year lack of gold. When I arrived, Billy had a sound grasp of almost everything to do with technical wrestling; now he can call the match on top of that and spice up his offence with a few quick airborne spots and one or two puro tricks. Billy blossomed while losing steadily, without my paying much attention, but during the theft-of-UK-Dragon's-mask storyline, Billy's old masked identity, the [B]Parasite[/B], saw the light of day as he loaned the champion the mask and tagged up with him on a few occasions. Proving himself in that sequence, a number of Shooters reunion main events, and a wonderful series with Sammy, I gave him the belt in the middle of the year and only took it from him because he was getting too over to be left with it, but wasn't quite on a par with the main event. He's been consistently in the TV Title picture since, has held it again and lost it again, and looks to become a major player, building up quite a fanbase. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] The other two-time TV Champion, Nigel came to the belt during a magnificent feud with Extraordinario Jr in which the two men regularly rivalled or outperformed the main event. His tag team - alongside undercard project Crusher von Steinberg - having floundered due to overness disparity, Svensson seized the opportunity and has become another key threat to any TV title holder, with his running knee drive and hyper-extension arm lock developing into truly feared moves. [B]Petey Barnes[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PeteyBarnes.jpg[/IMG] When Petey left the company two and a half years ago he was a three-time ROF Champion, losing his last two matches to Davis Wayne Newton. His time with UKW has not been so kind, despite a brief talent-exchange return in which he became the second Commonwealth Cupwinner, and the fanfare surrounding his mid-2012 comeback has died down as he's proven unable to keep the same pace as the main event's now set. He is, however, still a very sound midcard talent and needs only the TV Championship to equal Don's claim to have held every belt in Ring of Fire - a lot of motivation. [B]Leo Price[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/LeoPrice.jpg[/IMG] Leo has been another disappointment since his signing; he gasses out at around fifteen minutes and his showings have been lacklustre. He's not yet, however, so weak we can dismiss him from this scene and discard him, though that may come with time. Leo's big claim to fame thus far has been as Art Reed's ally in a feud against now-departed Edward Cornell and... [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DanielFrancis.jpg[/IMG] Daniel is why I hold out hope for Leo - cursed with a number of the same limitations when he arrived he's buckled down, worked hard, and started to make himself into a credible threat and a dangerous man to cross. If his cardio improves to the point he can work a twenty-minute draw without slowing, he'll have real potential; even before then, he's a strong contender now. [B] KC Glenn[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] The youngster here is the TV title long shot, but he's done well since starting, shows consistent form, flies around very well, and is carving out a lot of popularity for himself. Once the trigger's ready, it'll be pulled - the question is whether he'll succeed in claiming the belt before rising past it. Tomorrow: The Women's Division Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 [B]The Women's Division[/B] Most of the company is already in a position I'm quite happy with, after six years' hard work; the women's division, however, is three years old and limited in that the competitors signed were ones not already stretched by contracts with 5SSW, AAA and the CWWF - so, with a couple of lucky exceptions, they weren't as good as they might have been, and Wanda Fish' late-2012 retirement from active wrestling hurt the division further. Still, they're slowly getting over and developing, and the younger members of the division have solid careers ahead of them... [B]Huntress Makiko[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/HuntressMakiko.jpg[/IMG] The current champion, Makiko won the belt in early December from Kristabel Plum during a battle royal featuring the whole division and has retained it twice since in similar situations. She probably has the single best win-loss record in the division and is an extremely solid technical competitor; as such, by Ring of Fire's standards she's a very, very useful worker to employ as a champion, particularly while the division learns. [B]Kristabel Plum[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/KristabelPlum.jpg[/IMG] Kristabel is probably the best of the women wrestling here and has held our title on two occasions. The main strike against her is her own age; with Wanda's retirement just past, I'm back to worrying about how long some of these competitors will stay active. [B] Jaime Quine[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/JaimeQuine.jpg[/IMG] By contrast, Jaime is probably the brightest current hope in the division. She shows a good grasp of storytelling and an excellent all-round moveset which, coupled with fierce chemistry against Wanda, catapulted her to two title reigns, and her youth means I can expect her to still be a major player by the time the division's one I'm happy with. We linked her in kayfabe with Davis early on, though that's fallen by the wayside over time. [B]Cherry Bomb[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/CherryBomb_alt1.jpg[/IMG] I can't even pretend I'm unbiased here. Sherie and I have been involved for a year and a half now, with the news breaking in the dirtsheets on Christmas 2011. She's an excellent performer who's been doing well, but I'm not sure she has a title reign in her future. However, she's a solid fixture in the division and seems to be gathering a following. [B]Miss Information[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/MissInformation_alt01.jpg[/IMG] The other bias question; this is Sammy's only real wrestling protege, and as such has been with us for years. She's fairly weak by the division's standards, though hardly its weak link, and she's still picking up a number of tricks. I hope to give her a worthwhile career - and of course she's a former multi-time UCR Women's Champion. [B]Raven Nightfall[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/RavenNightfall_alt1.jpg[/IMG] Raven was someone I specifically wanted when we started the division, and she's done well for us. Like Cherry, she's good but perhaps not good enough to hit the top; but she's a very solid performer and having her in the division helps keep Black Eagle happy (and vice versa). A solid worker who's probably proudest of the pinfall over Steve Flash she holds from an intergender tag match, and who insisted on returning the favour for the East Coast legend. [B]Dragon Assassin[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/DragonAssassin.jpg[/IMG] She deserves a title run. I'm not sure she'll get it; again, age is a factor, and she's a relatively new arrival. But as a mentor to the younger girls she's been excellent. While she started out very puro in her style, by the time we signed her the 5SSW emphasis had left her gifted in a super junior strategy as well and she's the kind of all rounder we need coaching the younger prospects. Prospects like... [B]Nadia Snow[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/NadiaSnow.jpg[/IMG] Of all my female workers, Nadia has the most UK exposure; she's been managing Don Henderson (and therefore, occasionally, Billy Robinson by proxy) since her 2007 debut. She's just starting to develop into the kind of worker we need and make a real name for herself, but she's got time, and she's put in her dues here. A title run is a very real possibility once she gets her feet under her in the ring... [B]Amber Allen[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/AmberAllen.jpg[/IMG] Like Jaime, Amber works under a shadow. But that keeps her hungry, and while she's only a recent signing, her performances to date have been very watchable. As she develops a following among the fans I expect her to push, rise, and fly high. A very exciting prospect. [B]Romi Yamato[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/RomiYamato.jpg[/IMG] Romi's our newest addition, signed on her graduation from the 5SSW dojo to a written contract her. Raw around the edges and essentially unknown, it's difficult to evaluate her potential, but the YouTube video of her work to date convinced me to take a chance on this bright young talent. Tomorrow: The Undercard & The Staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 [B]The Undercard[/B] [B]Dean Daniels[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DeanDaniels.jpg[/IMG] Dean is probably the best member of the roster not in a title chase, and deserves to get involved in one soon; he put in nine months booking our developmental promotion, and between his nine and Bryan Holmes' six, Cornerstone Professional Wrestling has already landed a TV slot. He's just starting to lose some of his pace to age, but likely has quite some time left to him. Unlike... [B]JD Morgan[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/JDMorgan.jpg[/IMG] The 'Dean of Submissions' is unfortunately slowing heavily, and it's also affecting his skills in other areas. He has a lot to teach, and he's doing it well, but his best days are behind him. [B]Nate Johnson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NateJohnson.jpg[/IMG] A former TV champion, Nate's work has been solid and dependable - he's simply been left behind as the company grows. There's still the chance for him to fight back and have a big run, but for the moment he's one of the younger men on education duty. [B]Blood Raven[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BloodRaven.jpg[/IMG] Oy... This is hard. I brought Raven in alongside Groucho Bling, and they were helping to rebuild the tag division before Groucho left, leaving Blood Raven without direction - and that left him losing a lot and turning in weak performances. If there's room at some point he'll likely get another push. For now, however... [B]Ruud van Anger[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/RuudVanAnger.jpg[/IMG] Ruud, again, was part of our tag scene, brought in during the brand split. Weak tag partner Jonni Lowlife has since returned to his original team and, again, Ruud is doing little but taking losses, trying to learn, and scoring a very occasional win - something everyone needs at the bottom of their undercard. Just like... [B]Remmy Honeyman[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/RemmyHoneyman.jpg[/IMG] [B]Crusher von Steinberg [/B][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/CrusherVonSteinberg.jpg[/IMG] and [B]Capitao Brasil Jr[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/CapitaoBrasil.jpg[/IMG] all of whom have, with varying degrees of longevity, failed to take off thus far. Brasil, who's been with us since his 2007 debut, has shown the least development thus far, and as such looks likely to be the first of them shown the door as we bring in new hopefuls. A couple of developmental prospects look better already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 7, 2008 Author Share Posted June 7, 2008 [B]The Staff[/B] Ah, the simplest list of all. Our managers: [B]Phoebe Plumridge[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] Double-P's been steadily building her profile with a string of solid performances at ringside for British Samurai. She's fairly cheap and getting over fast enough to be happy with, and Sammy definitely needs the mouthpiece, if only for help. [B]Wanda Fish[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/WandaFish.jpg[/IMG] Just after completing her in-ring career Wanda showed up in the corner of Human Arsenal. With a legion of fans already active and a gift on the mic, she's likely to be a very useful addition. [B]Nadia Snow[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/NadiaSnow.jpg[/IMG] She needs work as a manager and work as a wrestler, but she does the job for Don Henderson and has been picking up pace. And Don of all our guys seems to need the help on the microphone. [B]Simona Cox[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] She came aboard with The Force and has found herself attached to midcard light Sergei Kalashnov, and by consequence of late is also assigned to Steve Flash. Her boyfriend, Jed High, is on my shortlist of people to investigate re-hiring, so she could well be very useful. [B]Matthew Morris & Danny Jillefski[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Staff/MatthewMorris_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Staff/DannyJillefski_alt1.jpg[/IMG] The play-by-play duo; Jillefski came in when we bought out USPW to be that brand's mouthpiece. Matthew has been with us since before UCR folded in 2011, and has blossomed; we threw out Justin Blackham and Mitch Naess in succession as they proved unable to cope with the better technical exchanges, but Matthew has just risen as the talent in the ring have developed. I'd trust him to call anything, and Jillefski's no slouch himself. [B]Terry Roberts [/B][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/13.jpg[/IMG] Heh. No, I'm not going to appraise my own performance, either on the mic or the booking team. I do the colour work and occasional interviews to help out the wrestlers. It works, but c'mon - I'm not going to try self-evaluation here. [B]Optimus[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Staff/Optimus.jpg[/IMG] Since his retirement Optimus has been working as a road agent - 5SSW, the shortlived Phoenix Wrestling Company, and ourselves. With PWC out of business and 5SSW not in a position to secure his exclusive services, Optimus has found himself just working for us - and he's been invaluable to a lot of the lower card and women's division. Great stuff, and like myself, he's a key part of the booking committee. [B]Humphrey Woolsey[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Staff/HumphreyWoolsey.jpg[/IMG] If Ring of Fire were the kind of place that gave out gimmicks rather than put up with them, Humphrey would be working a[B] "world's best ref"[/B] gimmick - he doesn't get bumped, managers don't distract him, his count is always perfectly on time, and he's intensely clear and distinct about the line between submission and failure to submit. He is, in short, a hundred percent the referee that Ring of Fire needs; I don't think he's even made a count on a dubious pinfall since 2010 - you know the kind of thing, camera shows a shoulder slightly off the mat but the script calls for the count anyway - and that gives him real authority when we run something like a ref stoppage for violent; the fans genuinely trust Humphrey's judgement, and I suspect would if he jumped ship to GAMMA and started working the shoot side of the street. He's been with ROF longer than I have and I'm glad to have him; and he's the third member of our booking committee, along with... [B]British Samurai[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] Owner, head honcho, current ROF TV Champion, and someone I'm glad to think of as a friend these days. Sammy is a smart man with a solid grasp of the business; he's also a very strong performer. And yes, I do occasionally find myself kissing his ass. Tomorrow: Where ROF stands in the world of wrestling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 [B]The Business, January 2013[/B] Funny old world. They're calling the UK wrestling resurgence a Ring of Fire-led phenomenon these days. Ultimately, that's wrong. Two things led to it; Jeff Nova bought 21CW in 2006 and got a TV show on the air and media mogul Jake McDaniels introduced the United Kingdom of Wrestling just before 2007 started. With his financial backing, UKW jumped straight from the bottom of the ladder to the top, putting Ring of Fire down to number four. Out of four. That's where I came in to Ring of Fire, and that was where the turnaround started for the company. But A number of our bigger names of the time - Merle O'Curle, UK Dragon, Walter Morgan all good examples - took advantage of UKW's opening to get themselves some good TV time. We were worried they'd be offering exclusive contracts soon and struck a deal with UK that would come back to haunt us later. At the same time, talents we'd later use were being exposed to the world by both of the TV-oriented companies and getting over. We were just running weekly shows in Birmingham in front of twenty to thirty people. In order to keep us ticking over I was forced to take gambles on a lot of rookie talent. People look at Davis, Matthew Gauge, Bulldozer, Extraordinario, Nigel, and others now. They forget all those who went by the wayside; Velocidad, Tigre Salvaje Jr, and others. Men of Steel Combat did what they always do. They kept their pace careful, stayed off TV, and made enough money to keep going, slowly becoming more popular but essentially in the same place now that they always were. What surprised me was that UKW did the same thing. We grew, and 21CW grew, but we could use workers who weren't as over, who weren't asking for as much. By the time we both had TV - and in ROF's case, pay-per-view - 21CW was near bankruptcy. I offered them a place as a developmental promotion, and hot-tempered head booker [B]Eric Tyler - yes, the DaVE legend - declared war on us.[/B] I don't need to tell you that this shook us a lot, but by this stage we were the (marginally) bigger name, having bought out the failing USPW and resurrected the brand in Europe to boost our popularity over there. I'll admit I was fairly ruthless, signing away quite a lot of Tyler's best talent - Jonathan Faust, Daniel Black Francis - and toward the end of the war the developmental company we'd set up snatched Luke Cool to a developmental contract. At that point 21CW's sole marketable star was Eric Tyler, and it collapsed in early 2012 at the same time as Luis Figo Manico's UCR, who we'd hurt when we began to secure talent on written contracts, folded. Never let it be said that Manico is not a smart guy; he knew there was a lot of low-card talent in the UK and that, after the excitement generated by the war and by three competing TV shows, the UK was hungry for wrestling. He wasn't the only one to spot it. Practically simultaneously Manico launched [B]Championship Wrestling from Wigan[/B] and Jeff Nova secured Joey Poison to hold the book for [B]British Professional Wrestling[/B]. After nine months, both are showing reasonably well for their size, crawling the lower ranks of professional wrestling companies. If anything, Gil Thomas was smarter. He saw the work being done in Europe and realised that, at the time, no brand name wrestling company was actually running shows bigger than our house gigs on the continent. He brought a number of indy feds into the fold as the [B]European Wrestling Alliance[/B] and guaranteed controversy and publicity by signing Tyler as their head booker. Meanwhile, our own developmental fed has secured itself UK and Europe TV. Mexico remains as it always was, the breeding ground for talent signed away before it can nurture the local companies to true heights. In Japan, over the past six years, three companies have folded - the venerable Golden Canvas Grappling in early 2008, the edgy Warrior Engine XXV not long after, and EXODUS2010 at the end of it's 2010 first tour. (Undercapitalisation is a killer.) The remaining companies, however... well, Burning Hammer, WLW, and PGHW look set to begin a nationwide battle for supremacy that promises to produce some amazing wrestling. SAISHO and the Hinote Dojo are doing well for themselves, ticking over in their own home crowds, and 5SSW and INSPIRE are both ready to take on any of the big guys who lose a step in the battle. Canada remains as tiered as ever; 4C are trapped, CGC are trying to beat down one fed and push up against another, and North of the Border are the biggest phenomenon on the planet, emphasising just how far CGC have to work. The Canadian Women's Wrestling Federation is effectively a separate entity but doing well, with NOTBPW so far having poached none of its stars. In America... Hoo, boy. The Phoenix Wrestling Company started bright and folded early. AAA and the Babes of Sin City share a champion in Alison Capone, who's evidently improved somewhat. TCW rules the roost, the second biggest company out there, with SWF and DaVE reduced in stature significantly and battling with SWF's own feeder league, among others. It won't take much at all for the place to explode into a thousand little squabbling confrontations. And this, of course, would be the time we've chosen to expand into the country... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 [I]OOC: And, hopefully, that's the six years of the 07 save summarised for you all. Clear as mud? Stick with me, guys. Soon, some actual wrestling...[/I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaded Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Awesome summary! Looking forward to reading this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 [I]From the website...[/I] ROF: Fighting Fit On tap for tonight's show comes, first of all, the opening defence for new ROF TV Champion British Samurai, in one of ROF's tougher challenges... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PeteyBarnes.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai vs. Nigel Svensson vs. Petey Barnes[/B] in a one-fall submission only contest! Following that, two leading lights of the tag division clash... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/MarcSpeed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/NichirenAmagawa.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BlackEagle_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BulldozerBrandon_alt3.jpg[/IMG] [B]East & West vs. The Stunners[/B] Which team will push forward in the quest for a tag title shot? They're not the only tag wrestlers gunning for it, however, as one-half of the ROF Tag Champions faces off with team captains from Extraordinary Men and Pure Perfection in a three-way dance. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/GregGauge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SergeiKalashnov.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] [B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. [B]Greg Gauge[/B] vs. [B]Sergei Kalashnov[/B] (accompanied as ever by [B]Simona Cox[/B]) Will Greg prevail, or will a challenger to his throne state their case convincingly? Two of the best American imports will follow those three men into action: [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] (w/[IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/WandaFish.jpg[/IMG]) vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [B]Human Arsenal[/B] (managed by [B]Wanda Fish[/B]) vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] Arsenal showed us convincingly last year just how good he is, but there's still some resentment in the locker room that Wanda Fish threw in with him. Mario Heroic in particular feels slighted, and he'll want to make a statement during this match. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp[/B] With the question of the title defence at Commonwealth Games still to be settled and the Games coming up, the Champion and his ally look to blunt the momentum of Ring of Fire's two most decorated challengers and turn their challenge aside early. A main event worthy of the name is sure to develop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaded Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Predictions: British Samurai vs. Nigel Svensson vs. [B][B]Petey Barnes[/B][/B] East & West vs. [B]The Stunners[/B] Extraordinario Jr vs. [B]Greg Gauge [/B]vs. Sergei Kalashnov (accompanied as ever by Simona Cox) Human Arsenal (managed by Wanda Fish) vs.[B] Mario Heroic[/B] The Shooters vs.[B] Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. Nigel Svensson vs. Petey Barnes [I]Sammy doesn't loose so quickly. It would be absurd.[/I] East & West vs. The Stunners [I]Experience will triumph in this case, I think. Eagle and Dozer work well together, and they need to keep on winning. East and West are, though good, one step below them, I think.[/I] [B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. Greg Gauge vs. Sergei Kalashnov (accompanied as ever by Simona Cox) [I]Never bet against Extraordinario. Sergei can eat the pinfall.[/I] [B]Human Arsenal[/B] (managed by Wanda Fish) vs. Mario Heroic [I]Mario isn't on Human Arsenal's level, plain and simple. Human Arsenal is a star. Mario is a solid upper-midcarder.[/I] [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp [I]The Shooters are a real tag team. They've got experience and the champion on their side. Davis and Joey are good, but Don and Billy can work this type of match better.[/I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 1 January 2013 Coventry City Stadium (Midlands, UK) 4095 in attendance RATING: 0.43 [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] vs. [B]Petey Barnes[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] in a Submission Only Contest Over the past year we've been developing this Ring of Fire speciality, a one-fall submission only three man match – in which, obviously, you have to put one opponent down for long enough that your other challenger can be made to tap. They tend, obviously enough, to the frantic, which suits Petey most of the three even if a submission stipulation doesn't help the high flyer much. Sammy demonstrated his usual mildly weak selling, but that's OK; that's why we have Phoebe in his corner. She can make a clothesline (or, say, the Future Shock cutter Petey favours as a finisher) look like death just standing at ringside and reacting, and that's pretty much exactly what she did here, particularly at the finish, when Petey scored with that Future Shock, Sammy went down, and Nigel swooped in with a tactic he's used for these matches before; his running knee drive often scores pins, and with that to a standing opponent he can apply the hyper-extension armlock to his heart's content and get a submission on the other. Petey was ready for it, though, using the ropes to flip over him; Nigel, not to be outdone, hit the ropes and came off to lay Petey out with the knee on his second attempt, but the extra time had given Sammy what he needed to recover, spiking Nigel with a DDT before applying the Samurai Stretch to Petey for the submission. [I]British Samurai defeated Nigel Svensson and Petey Barnes when he made Petey Barnes submit[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] Backstage, [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] catches up to [B]Don Henderson[/B] and asks for the title shot at [B]Commonwealth Games[/B]. Don refuses, telling Davis there'd been no reason to push for a Loser Leaves Town stipulation except to just get rid of a good competitor in the departed [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] - the coward's way out - and as such he wasn't going to just let Davis have a title shot; Davis would have to earn it. Considering Don's usual promo troubles, this was good... [B]RATING: B[/B] [B]East & West[/B] vs. [B]The Stunners[/B] This too was very solid; pleasantly all four men showed real improvement in the ring and yet somehow it was never more about four men trying new tricks than telling a good story in the match. They took it to the time limit with a reasonably performance; all four men likely benefit from this one. [I]East and West drew with The Stunners when the time limit elapsed[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] Backstage, Davis gets into an argument with [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] after making a comment about 'just having to win the Cup'. Joey takes the position that the Cup was for him and [B]Joss Thompson[/B] to fight in for their shot, and that Davis should have argued harder for the Games title shot. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. [B]Greg Gauge[/B] vs. [B]Sergei Kalashnov[/B] One half of the tag champions finds himself between two other team captains, and this was a doozy. Both Extraordinario and Sergei have issues with the champion, and they let him have it early on; that said, that broke down fairly early on when Sergei went for a shock roll-up pin on Extraordinario. Greg capitalised on the standoff, sending Extraordinario to the floor with a massive clothesline before systematically dissecting Sergei for the Proton Lock. Unfortunately for him, he didn't see Extraordinario roll back in in time to avoid the devastating Siempre Peleando spinning leg lariat, and Sergei's leg gave out before he could break up the three count at 14:40, giving the Extraordinary Men representative a win over the tag champion. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Greg Gauge and Sergei Kalashnov when he pinned Greg Gauge[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] Don catches [B]Human Arsenal[/B] just before Arsenal goes out to the ring and offers him the title shot at Commonwealth Games as Arsenal is, to date, the only ROF wrestler undefeated in matches for the championship. Arsenal accepts to a big pop. [B]RATING: B[/B] [B]Human Arsenal[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] And this was great; Arsenal and Mario's chemistry has long been a major factor in their matches, and it came through here as strongly as ever. Arsenal took advantage of the contendership momentum, but truth be told he needed it a little as he wasn't quite on all cylinders tonight; nonetheless his onslaughts looked terrifying and it's to Mario's credit that he held the man off as long as he did, and it looked for a while like he might make the time limit; but the Ammo Dump came down and the third count was made at 18:55, giving Arsenal a solid win and a lot of credibility going in. [I]Human Arsenal defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: A[/B] [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp[/B] What a main event! Davis was perhaps a little less active than he might have been, his timing a little off, but ultimately the storyline woven backstage explained that away in the eyes of the fans. This rapidly went from technical wrestling to fast-paced high-impact work, the kind of thing spot monkeys dream their matches look like. Joey tried the Breeze Block on both Don and [B]Billy Robinson[/B] at different times and failed to score the pinfall both times; desperate, he broke out something we don't often see from him in a 450 splash on the champion after a blind tag saved Davis from the Scottish Deathlock submission, followed by Joey's imitation of stablemate Joss Thompson's Clean Cutter to lay the champion out ready. Best match of the night, and hopefully enough to keep our forward momentum going. [I]Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp defeated The Shooters when Joey Beauchamp pinned Don Henderson[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] Joss Thompson then joined Davis and Joey in the ring as Davis stared in disbelief at Joey; the three men stood over Don Henderson's form, obviously furious with each other, as the show went off the air. [B]RATING: B-[/B] Well, probably a good enough show to keep us going, certainly. We need to pick up a bit more forward momentum, however. [B]OVERALL: B[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 [I]Again, on [url]www.ringoffire.com[/url]... [/I] Sunday's the time for [B]European Showcase[/B]. Broadcasting this time from the Parc des Sports in Paris, Ring of Fire continues the path to the [B]Commonwealth Games[/B]. In action tonight: [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/HuntressMakiko.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/JaimeQuine.jpg[/IMG] [B]Huntress Makiko[/B] vs. [B]Jaime Quine[/B] for the [B]ROF Womens Championship[/B] The newest champion defends her title against two-time champion Jaime Quine. Will age and experience win out over youth and guile? [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] (w/ [B]Phoebe Plumridge[/B]) vs. [B]KC Glenn[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] The mandatory title defence this time sees the Samurai pitted against a young man tipped for the top and hungry for his first taste of gold. Will the three-time ROF Champion retain, or will Glenn's rise to the top start tonight? [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElLeon.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/UltimatePhoenix.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ChojiroKitoaji.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/KeithAdams.jpg[/IMG] [B]Los Leyendas[/B] vs. [B]The Disrespected[/B] In a continuing effort by the tag division to prove themselves worthy of a title shot, two great teams clash tonight. El Leon and Ultimate Phoenix have the experience advantage and are better known to our European fans, but Chojiro Kitoaji and Keith Adams have separately held more Ring of Fire gold. It should be a close-run thing. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ErnestYoungman.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] vs. [B]Steve Flash[/B] In the mirror to Tuesday's tag triple threat, Steve Flash holds the clear experience advantage, and, despite the capabilities of both young men, the skill edge might be his too. But following Sergei's failure to score the fall on Tuesday, both of his opponents will be eager to cut off [B]Pure Perfection[/B]'s hopes of a title shot for the moment, and El Heroe Mexicano knows that two falls over the tag champions would give [B]Extraordinary Men[/B] the straightest of paths to a match for the gold. This match will be important to all three men... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] The Commonwealth Cup is ever closer, and the top contenders are rushing to pick up momentum, get the measure of their rivals, and demoralise the competition before it begins. It's Canadian technique honed in[B] DaVE[/B] against English technical skill with the mind games born of [B]21CW[/B] as Art Reed collides with Jonathan Faust. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [B]Joss Thompson[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] Joss Thompson's allies scored a big win over the current champion in tag competition on Tuesday, and the Complete Package hates to be overshadowed. On Sunday he faces the last champion with no allies on either side to get in the way or make excuses, and both men can only have one goal in sight... the Commonwealth Cup and the title shot that comes with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 [B]Huntress Makiko[/B] vs. Jaime Quine for the ROF Women's Championship [B]British Samurai[/B] w/Phoebe Plumridge vs. KC Glenn [B]Los Leyendas[/B] vs. The Disrespected El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] vs. Steve Flash Art Reed vs. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] [B]Joss Thompson[/B] vs. UK Dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 ROF: European Showcase Sunday Week 1 January 2013 Parc des Sports (Mediterranean Europe) 4526 in attendance RATING: 0.45 [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/HuntressMakiko.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Womens%20Div/JaimeQuine.jpg[/IMG] [B]Huntress Makiko[/B] vs. [B]Jaime Quine[/B] for the [B]ROF Womens Championship[/B] Well, as a first televised womens' title defence for Makiko this was not great, shame, but there it is. We've been working dark battle royals for a while; every so often it's worth testing out combos in one-on-one matches. The Makiko Clutch carried the day after a spirited quarter-hour that I think would have gone better if the two women were better respected in Paris at this point. [I]Huntress Makiko defeated Jaime Quine by submission[/I] [B]RATING: C[/B] The show then kicked up a gear; a recap of Tuesday's events surrounding the main eventers yielded a very nice reaction from the European crowd. [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]KC Glenn[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] KC Glenn, the hot young prospect. British Samurai, the most respected TV champion in ROF history – and one of our better wrestlers. It's the kind of story that writes itself, and it's an ROF kind of story; all you need is two wrestlers and a motivation for them to fight each other. KC and Sammy both seem to be pulling out new tricks, even at this stage in Sammy's career, and that helps things substantially. It went back and forth for nearly fourteen minutes, but in the end an attempted full nelson was broken and Sammy spun around and landed the fisherman's suplex to keep KC down for the pin. At least the crowd's properly warmed up now. [I]British Samurai defeated KC Glenn by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] We'd had time since Tuesday. A quickie hype video aired next for [B]Don Henderson[/B]/[B]Human Arsenal[/B] for the title. If they'd worked together more in the past, this would have had more of the right kind of footage, but the pop was OK nonetheless. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElLeon.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/UltimatePhoenix.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ChojiroKitoaji.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/KeithAdams.jpg[/IMG] [B]Los Leyendas[/B] vs. [B]The Disrespected[/B] Los Leyendas have the home field advantage, so to speak; they were briefly shining lights in our old European tag division, and while Chojiro of the Disrespected also spent time in Europe, Keith Adams never has had much success over there. They do their best here, battling hard, but Chojiro has his father's mannerisms in a lot of places and some new tricks of his own, and Keith Adams is Old Reliable in a lot of ways. Eventually the Kitoaji Lariat flattened El Leon and the three count got a good solid response. [I]The Disrespected defeated Los Leyendas when Chojiro Kitoaji pinned El Leon[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ErnestYoungman.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] vs. [B]Steve Flash[/B] More or less the mirror of Tuesday's match; the tag partners of that triple threat set out to prove themselves. With El Heroe not on the ball and Steve's age limiting the time we could work this, it really wasn't as good a match as it might have been, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable back-and-forth building up to Ernest levelling both rivals with The Hit before pinning Steve for the three. This time, then, the tag champs come out on top. [I]Ernest Youngman defeated El Heroe Mexicano and Steve Flash when he pinned Steve Flash[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] Something a little different here; a pre-taped interview featuring [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] answering my questions while wrestling – and dominating – a warm-up match against a CPW developmental talent borrowed for the purpose. It fell more than a little flat... [B]RATING: E+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] Well! As I've already said, Art is a dependable, valuable worker with a massively wide skillbase. It looks like Faust is stepping up his game as a result; maybe their work together on the house shows has helped him pick up a few new tricks, but he was definitely looking a lot sharper in the ring, which got the crowd very happy and meant that the Devil's Drop putting Art down actually got a good reception. Faust may have started to trigger a second wind... [I]Jonathan Faust defeated Art Reed by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] Another hype video ran next, focusing on a lot of the top players in the upcoming Commonwealth Cup tournament and putting the cup itself over. Decent but not great pop. [B]RATING: C+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [B]Joss Thompson[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] Not long left for the main event, but two very, very reliable main eventers are generally a good response to that issue, and so it proved here, as Joss and Dragon stepped up to the challenge and went for it, providing a good, entertaining match in under seventeen minutes culminating in a Clean Cutter attempt being caught and twisted into a Dragon Driver to give the former champion the win. [I]UK Dragon defeated Joss Thompson by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] Not bad, all told. We kept our momentum ticking over, for one thing. [B]OVERALL: B[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 [I]From [url]www.ringoffire.com:[/url][/I] Back to the UK with the repercussions hanging over us, Tuesday sees us Fighting Fit with [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/MarcSpeed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/NichirenAmagawa.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ChojiroKitoaji.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/KeithAdams.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BlackEagle_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BulldozerBrandon_alt3.jpg[/IMG] [B]East & West[/B] vs. [B]The Disrespected[/B] vs. [B]The Stunners[/B] All to play for in this three-team match; the winner will be announced the number one contenders for a shot at the tag titles during Commonwealth Games. The Disrespected have the most momentum going into this, but both their rivals are former champion teams, while Chojiro and Keith Adams have never yet held gold together. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DeanDaniels.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PeteyBarnes.jpg[/IMG] [B]Dean Daniels[/B] vs. [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. [B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. [B]Petey Barnes[/B] The underdog Daniels faces TV Championship contender Petey Barnes and two leading lights from the tag division tonight. The [B]Extraordinary Men[/B] will be wanting to show they can hold their own against anyone in the company; Petey needs wins to challenge for the coveted TV gold, and Dean needs to prove his way back into contention. This could go to any one of these men. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/[IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DanielFrancis.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai [/B]vs. [B]Daniel Black Francis [/B]for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] One man in Ring of Fire has to defend his position every time he gets into the ring. Currently that man is the British Samurai, and his gold means a guarantee of a chance to shine every time we go to air. That kind of spotlight is, if you can hack it, a stepping stone to the very heights of Ring of Fire, and Daniel Black Francis wants his chance to prove he can shine. Will he end Samurai's reign after only two weeks? [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] Davis requested insertion into this match to check up on potential Cup opponents he faces less often. He'll be wanting to prove to himself that he can handle anything; for Nigel and Mario, however, a win over a three-time ROF Champion like [B]the Triple Threat[/B] would be a real motivator during the Cup. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/LeoPrice.jpg[/IMG] [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. [B]Human Arsenal & Leo Price[/B] It's the last match for champion and challenger until the Games begin, and both men will want to gain the upper hand in their opponent's mind here. While Don has his long-term ally by his side, Arsenal has as yet made no alliances within Ring of Fire, but Leo Price has volunteered to take his side and looks to shine in front of the matchmaker's committee out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 ROF: Fighting Fit Tuesday Week 2 January 2013 Euston Road (South UK) 5935 in attendance RATING: 0.43 [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] I doubt the larger venue cost will be made up today, but there you go; sometimes estimates don't work out. The show starts with [B]British Samurai[/B] and [B]Phoebe Plumridge[/B] shown backstage; a promo discussing Sammy's match tonight with [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] and promising victory. The crowd were unusually harsh on this one; I think we're having more trouble than we used to with some of these angles, but experience thus far has shown that, handled well, they can work. [B]RATING: D-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/MarcSpeed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/NichirenAmagawa.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ChojiroKitoaji.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/KeithAdams.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BlackEagle_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BulldozerBrandon_alt3.jpg[/IMG] [B]East & West[/B] vs. [B]The Disrespected[/B] vs. [B]The Stunners[/B] A good back-and-forth tag bout which really showed off what the division can do here; a mixture of styles, with technical wizards facing puroresu experts, an old school all-rounder and a high flyer. It went well, though, in part because so many of these guys are used to their partners and to each other, and unusually reached an ending before the twenty minute time limit; Marc Speed took Keith Adams down in a cross armbreaker to force the tapout while Black Eagle was incapacitated and unable to break it up. It's surprising how fast-paced Marc and Nichiren can make submission work look, but it definitely keeps the whole thing looking wild and real; the other four operated at a faster, brawling pace and East and West being able to keep up to that is about the only way to make submission work look like a viable way to win a multi-competitor match. Good stuff and a fine kickoff to the show. [I]East & West defeated The Disrespected and The Stunners when Marc Speed made Keith Adams submit[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] Following the decision, we cut my microphone into the Euston Road sound systems, informing the fans in the arena and the home viewers that I was making East & West vs. The Professionals for the tag titles at the Commonwealth Games. Not a bad response for the undercard. [B]RATING: C-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DeanDaniels.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PeteyBarnes.jpg[/IMG] [B]Dean Daniels[/B] vs. [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. [B]Extraordinario Jr[/B] vs. [B]Petey Barnes[/B] Mostly, this was about giving everyone some time and some work, and about hammering home the bond between the two tag partners, as El Heroe once again allows his team captain to score a pinfall in a multi-man match without fighting back. Petey ate the fall here with Extraordinario hitting the Siempre Peleando once again to a sizable reaction; the Extraordinary Men are slowly gaining the reputation you should have. [I]Extraordinario Jr defeated Dean Daniels, El Heroe Mexicano and Petey Barnes when he pinned Petey Barnes[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/LeoPrice.jpg[/IMG] In the locker room, [B]Human Arsenal[/B] is seen discussing main event strategy with [B]Leo Price[/B]. A decent pop follows a wry crack by Arsenal about Don's developing tendency to use moonsaults in more and more of his matches. RATING: C+ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/[IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DanielFrancis.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] We continue to try out different combinations; Sammy and Daniel do OK here, but no better than that, and disappointingly for two of their talent. The fisherman's suplex keeps Sammy ticking over in the champion's position after the quarter-hour that's currently as long as I trust DBF to wrestle. [I]British Samurai defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] [B]Joss Thompson[/B] introduced a quick video showcasing the training regime he, Davis, and Joey have developed to keep themselves at the top of the food chain. Some good pops, particularly for the more impressive sequences – Joey in particular works at springboarding from top rope to top rope, the distance of the ring, to ensure that the springboard variant Breeze Block always has the distance. [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] Mario's turning into gold, involved now in the two best matches of the year so far. From a booker's perspective this was a testing match, designed to get a read on Mario and Nigel and evaluate their potential to rise further up the card, and on that score they seem well-poised – but Davis makes everyone he wrestles look good. Nigel's eventually felled with an STF that Davis applies as the running knee drive reaches him, once again showcasing that he can lock that move in in any situation. With Mario out of it following a failed missile spear, Davis has time to secure the tapout. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Mario Heroic and Nigel Svensson when he made Nigel Svensson submit[/I] [B]RATING: A[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/LeoPrice.jpg[/IMG] [B]The Shooters[/B] vs. [B]Human Arsenal & Leo Price[/B] A bad combination here as Leo just doesn't have the stamina; my own fault for forgetting. They held it together as best they could, and the Shooters get a win back when Don successfully lands the moonsault on Leo – a good laugh mixed into the pop there – but I should have thought this one through better. Main event level this wasn't. [I]The Shooters defeated Human Arsenal & Leo Price when Don Henderson pinned Leo Price[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] Still, the triple-threat made this a good enough night to be happy with, at least for now, and the build for the Games continues smoothly. I'm fairly happy overall. [B]OVERALL: B[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 Probably my biggest failing is that, at the start of each year, I find myself hunting through potential new hires. It's because of this I'm glad of the presence of CPW as a way of tuning up some of the weaker workers, and of the Commonwealth Cup tournament near the start of the year to introduce and trial some of them. With a week and a half under my belt of the year, it looks like we've got the new additions pinned down – or, to put it another way, the rejections are in, as are the acceptances, and the usual procedure's shaken out and been set aside for a while. Aside from signing Byron and shunting him into CPW to help train others and get his fitness up, here's the short list... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/AxxisJr.jpg[/IMG] [B]Axxis Jr[/B] From the point of view of the UK wrestling scene, this acquisition is easily the biggest. With [I]three years' work with UKW and a strong showing up to and including their main event[/I] – though without taking a title – he's a big name in British wrestling we've never had on the books. Thanks to a stint outside the country working for the Hinote Dojo as a trainer, he was off our rival's book and available to be snatched up without even bugging Sammy by signing anyone either under-equipped in the ring psychology department or employed by a cult promotion. A strong entry into the Commonwealth Cup looks likely. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BuddyGarner.jpg[/IMG] [B]Buddy Garner[/B] Here in the UK, Buddy's not the big name he is elsewhere. What he is, though, is a very sound wrestler who can stand up to Bulldozer Brandon Smith in the power department easily and provide us with a different flavour of match, and someone strong enough to rapidly develop a following and become [I]a force in the tag division[/I] to give us that match, and his recent unemployment left him someone we really had to offer a chance. The current plan sees us partnering him with another new signing... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/RoyEdison.jpg[/IMG] [B]Roy Edison[/B] Roy's actually spent nine months with us before, but between then and now he's had [I]two years in Japan with Inspire and PGHW[/I] working on his skills. Their shared MMA background makes them a natural team and Roy has a little more UK awareness due to his time with us and, recently, with Championship Wrestling from Wigan. A good, sound tough guy team, both men should [I]soon be credible competitors[/I] with the right booking. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/SamoanMachine.jpg[/IMG] [B]Samoan Machine[/B] Speaking of sound tough guys, the Machine comes to us to allow us to match the popularity UKW are enjoying from Kid Toma, and to give [I]a third angle to the current two-string attractions of the TV championship[/I]; a puro style to work alongside the high flyers and the technical mavens. He'll take some work to get sufficiently over, being another poaching from Japan, but he has the skills to do so, provided he can get the attention. Strictly a dark match attraction for the next while, like Buddy, Roy, and the next two... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/JoshJones.jpg[/IMG] [B]Josh Jones[/B] Josh has a lot of fun cruiserweight work up on YouTube from the indies – aka the companies who lack the clout and inclination to lawsuit their stuff off YouTube – but has [I]yet to spend notable time in a big company[/I]. A Canadian who's only recently committed to the sport despite six years' on-and-off work, he lacks the ability to get over on mic work but, let's face it, that's secondary here anyway. If nothing else, he has the ability to be a useful undercard performer. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Kaz.jpg[/IMG] [B]KAZ[/B] Like Buddy, KAZ has recently spent a while unemployed. Like Buddy, he's not known in the UK. He has less upside than Buddy by some way, but he's still [I]a worthwhile worker who may well go far[/I] in our company – if he can hack it. If not, he's good enough to teach down in CPW, and may come out of there a better worker than he went in, making this an all-round useful addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 [I]From [url]www.ringoffire.com[/url][/I] It's the last show before the Commonwealth Cup tournament begins, and with only thirteen of the sixteen slots granted to Ring of Fire athletes, everyone wants to stake their case for a place in the tournament. Some know they've got it for sure, others want to fight their way in. Sunday's European Showcase is loaded with... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BloodRaven.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DeanDaniels.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/JoshJones.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] [B]Blood Raven[/B] vs. [B]Dean Daniels[/B] vs. [B]Josh Jones[/B] vs. [B]KC Glenn[/B] Four of Ring of Fire's lower-ranked talents face off to climb the ladder, including newcomer Josh Jones who'll be looking to make an impact and rise straight to the top. KC Glenn probably is the favourite heading into this four-way match, but that just gives him a bigger target. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix3.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JohnnyHighspot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JonniLowlife.jpg[/IMG] [B]Dos Phoenix[/B] vs. [B]The Team-Up Marvels[/B] Four men completely left out of the recent race for the tag contendership, these two teams will be looking to prove once more that they deserve consideration. Both teams have worn gold on several occasions, though Dos Phoenix have yet to do so in Ring of Fire. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SergeiKalashnov.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] [B]Extraordinary Men[/B] vs. [B]Pure Perfection[/B] Bad feelings run deep here, as these two teams both feel the others' activities cost them a space in Tuesday's match for the contendership. Youth takes on experience as they clash in the ring... [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/[IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] For someone who's come out on the losing end recently, Mario Heroic is probably the best performer in the ring we've got, and as he returns to the TV championship chase he assuredly finds himself in with a chance of unseating the Governor and picking up the TV Championship for the third time. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/WandaFish.jpg[/IMG] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. [B]Human Arsenal[/B] After two weeks of lobbying, the Triple Threat has been awarded a match with champion and challenger to alleviate his frustrations at being set aside in favour of Human Arsenal for a title shot. While Davis will be wanting to prove his seniority, both Don and the Human Arsenal will be looking to put him out and demonstrate their rights to the top two spots. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] [B]Terry Roberts[/B] has confirmed that the winner of this match will be permitted to select their opponent in the first round of the Commonwealth Cup. With word of challengers from UKW stepping up to reach for the Cup, it's possible we'll see the winner step up to defend Ring of Fire - particularly the firebrand Art Reed who drove a number of UKW competitors out of the promotion last year - or simply make their progress through the cup a little easier, taking on a rival whose style they know well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 ROF: European Showcase Sunday Week 2 January 2013 Ostrava Arena (Central Europe) 2000 in attendance RATING: 0.56 [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BloodRaven.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DeanDaniels.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/JoshJones.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] [B]Blood Raven[/B] vs. [B]Dean Daniels[/B] vs. [B]Josh Jones[/B] vs. [B]KC Glenn[/B] A shortish four-man match kicked the show off; KC and Dean given the challenge of helping the newcomer and Raven stretch their legs for the audience and generally testing things. Considering that three of these guys aren't even really in a title picture right now, this was damn good.. Dean scored a smooth win with a cradle piledriver over Blood Raven at 14:16. [I]Dean Daniels defeated Blood Raven, Josh Jones and KC Glenn when he pinned Blood Raven[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix3.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JohnnyHighspot.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/JonniLowlife.jpg[/IMG] [B]Dos Phoenix[/B] vs. [B]the Team-Up Marvels[/B] Oh dear lord. This... was not good in the slightest. Highspot clearly wasn't on form today, and the Marvels are probably the weakest link in the tag division anyway – and Dos Phoenix still need to get a little further over to get the crowd really interested. This match will at least have helped with that – a spectacular sequence at the end was the only worthwhile point as Phoenix II dropkicked Johnny Highspot to the mat and pinned Lowlife with a northern lights suplex, Phoenix III keeping Highspot down with a high velocity legdrop – one I think he added to the match due to his irritation at Johnny phoning it in. Let's just say that Johnny and Jonni will be reporting to CPW for additional training in a couple of days. [I]Dos Phoenix defeated the Team-Up Marvels when Phoenix II pinned Jonni Lowlife[/I] [B]RATING: D+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/WandaFish.jpg[/IMG] A quick hype video for the championship match aired next. At least that's made up for the appalling prior contest. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Extraordinario.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SergeiKalashnov.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] [B]Extraordinary Men[/B] vs. [B]Pure Perfection[/B] Another problem with a worker not working at full tilt here, with El Heroe being a little distracted. The difference is that here, his tag partner was able to realise that and step things up in spectacular fashion, leading to the stereo superkick Mexican Standoff finish still working as Steve Flash ran headlong into it and the luchadors scored a win to advance. [I]Extraordinary Men defeated Pure Perfection when Extraordinario Jr pinned Steve Flash[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] appeared on the big screen and mocked [B]Art Reed[/B] and [B]UK Dragon[/B] extensively before their match tonight. Joey's UCR history helps us here; he's been a great heel in Europe for so long. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] They didn't have long here – in order to get the disastrous Phoenix/Marvels contest on the card, I'd made the call to keep this one fairly short. They didn't have long to get the crowd going, but they did it nonetheless, hyping the crowd significantly, getting a good solid response and producing a significant groan of disappointment when Sammy finally overcame Mario's challenge. A great match capped off with the Hero Attack converted into a fisherman's suplex, this was definitely a sign that our midcard can give us what's needed. [I]British Samurai defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/WandaFish.jpg[/IMG] [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. [B]Human Arsenal[/B] So many issues in this match, all revolving around the belt at Don's waist. It started hard and fast, with all three men picking a target and going for it, and quickly shifted into a rapid demonstration of move-and-counter. This is what's tripped up various play-by-play men in our history; left to their own devices, our technicians can hold and reverse so fast you've got to work to keep at it. With the pride of all three men on the line... with Don and Arsenal both wanting a win in their last showing before the pay-per-view... and with Davis motivated to prove a point before the tournament begins... this was brutal, dazzling, and at times beautiful, but no one could keep any other down for long enough without being interrupted, and all too quickly their twenty minutes were up. [I]Davis Wayne Newton drew with Don Henderson and Human Arsenal when the time limit elapsed.[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] With the winner able to choose their first-round opponent, there was a lot at stake here, and all three know it. Last year, Art beat Joey out narrowly in the Cup final; last year, Dragon was two months in to his epic title reign. Joey has never held the Cup; Art has never held the belt it guarantees a shot at. At 21:21, with UK Dragon down in the Dread Lock, Joey landed the 450 splash onto both men, pinning Art while they were both out of it in payback for last year and capping off the match of the night. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Art Reed and UK Dragon when he pinned Art Reed.[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] Very happy with the build so far. The next week and a half are all given over to the Cup; normal service won't resume until the end of the month. But so far, it feels like we're coming along. [B]OVERALL: B[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I had the Commonwealth Cup tournament almost completely booked now, and was pretty happy with it. Then I picked up the phone to speak to my sometime poker buddy, longtime friend, and opposite number at UKW, [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B]. He's held their book now for around five years, ending his run in Ring of Fire due to his responsibilities with them, and he's maintained UKW's status as a major player in the UK over a time when almost every British federation has suffered. On a fairly regular basis, we've effectively worked together - when UKW signed [B]Art Reed[/B], he allowed me to book Art for three shows during which he put on wrestling clinics alongside both [B]Gauge brothers[/B] against [B]British Samurai [/B]and [B]the Shooters[/B] for the best of US and UK technical wrestling, before Art had ever appeared on UKW TV - in order to give Art time to find his feet in the British style before his televised debut. We got Art's first UK matches, he got a better-prepared grappler. Art featured in another deal, too, when we began his battle with UKW talent; Art having recently left them, we pitched him as a rival to UKW and systematically worked through our joint talent, building Art for me and keeping the UKW crew humble enough to re-sign for Ota. UKW's owner also owns the network keeping us both aired in the UK; the whole arrangement's fairly amicable. So I wasn't expecting any problems; I wanted three men, and asked Ota for [B]Walter Morgan[/B], an old ROF hand, [B]Merle O'Curle[/B], a man who for some time was synonymous with us, and a third man to surprise me. No good, Fumi told me. Merle was currently enjoying a renaissance at the top of their pile as champion, and he didn't want him taking losses in another company's tournament. Walter was lower on the totem pole, but had the same problem; he was a tag champion over there alongside Jay B. I told him I'd call him back and spent a while revising my plans, helped by delves into my old tape library. Eventually, I passed him another three for exchange. I offered to send them Mario Heroic (who briefly worked for them), Greg Gauge and Nigel Svensson (both of whom need their profile raising, so it'd help) and I brought back three Ring of Fire Alumni... [B]Adam Matravers[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/AdamMatravers.jpg[/IMG] Petey Barnes' former tag partner. Phoebe Plumridge's real-life other half. The exciting showcase of the Show Stealers, Adam jumped ship to 21CW leaving Petey behind, only to be left behind in turn when Petey's career rocketed off while 21CW floundered. His time in UKW has left him decorated with a near year-long tag title run alongside Leo Price, and he can be relied on to put on a good match. But singles action has not been kind to him; while he will do well for me, he's not really someone to be considered a major threat in the tournament. [B]Buff Martinez[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/BuffMartinez.jpg[/IMG] Less than a year since his time with Ring of Fire ended, Buff has held gold for MOSC, 21CW, and UKW. His Ring of Fire run included a rivalry with Davis that earned him the #12 spot in 2011's Hot 100 (while Davis fetched up #1) and a winning feud against Mario Heroic that saw Buff climb to #10 last year; he's a fan favourite with us and will be seen as having every chance. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] Few fans really remember Ota's time with us these days; it ended over four years ago, before we got TV or PPV distribution, and didn't last long while we had it. That said, he's had two lengthy runs with the UKW main strap since 2010, with the most recent ending only last September; our viewing audience will definitely consider him a credible threat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 [I]From [url]www.ringoffire.com[/url][/I] The results are almost in. The roster's been selected for the Commonwealth Cup. As most of you know, this week both Fighting Fit and European Showcase will be given over to the Cup qualifying matches, as sixteen men begin the fight for the coveted trophy - and the title shot that comes with it. Here come the opening brackets: [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/BuffMartinez.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match A:[/I] [B]Buff Martinez[/B] vs. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/AdamMatravers.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match B:[/I] [B]Adam Matravers[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match C:[/I] [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match D:[/I] [B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] --- [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match E:[/I] [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. [B]???? [/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DanielFrancis.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match F:[/I] [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match G:[/I] [B]Billy Robinson[/B] vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/AxxisJr.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [I]Match H:[/I] [B]Axxis Jr[/B] vs. [B]Joss Thompson[/B] Tune in for all this plus tag action and, as always, the defence of the TV Championship! [i]Prediction Key[/i] Buff Martinez vs. Jonathan Faust Adam Matravers vs. Mario Heroic Art Reed vs. Fumihiro Ota KC Glenn vs. UK Dragon Joey Beauchamp vs. ???? Daniel Black Francis vs. Davis Wayne Newton Billy Robinson vs. Nigel Svensson Axxis Jr vs. Joss Thompson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 [CENTER][B][U]ROF: Fighting Fit[/U][/B] Tuesday Week 3 January Hibernian Arena (Scotland) 4329 in attendance RATING: 0.44[/CENTER] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/Phoenix3.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BlackEagle_alt2.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/BulldozerBrandon_alt3.jpg[/IMG] [B]The Stunners[/B] vs. [B]Los Leyendas[/B] A shortish match designed almost purely to get the Stunners a little momentum back – and set up Joey's decision. The Superbomb Splash finished off Ultimate Phoenix thirteen minutes in, and Brandon followed up with a top-rope splash of his own for the pin. Phoenix is looking better, too. [I]The Stunners defeated Los Leyendas when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned Ultimate Phoenix[/I] [B]RATING: C-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElLeon.jpg[/IMG] Backstage, [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] informs the cameras that he's decided to reward those gallant members of the tag division. He names his first Cup opponent as [B]El Leon[/B]. [B]RATING: E+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Billy Robinson[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] Eeesh. Bad chemistry here, and the whole thing just didn't work well. Sammy continues to get sounder in the ring, however, and the Fisherman's Suplex was fun to watch hit home. I guess Scotland was a bad idea; we've always avoided running here too often. [I]British Samurai defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: C[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/AdamMatravers.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] Backstage, [B]Adam Matravers[/B] (accompanied by girlfriend [B]Phoebe Plumridge[/B]), [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B], and [B]Buff Martinez[/B] discuss the superiority of UKW and promise they'll show that in the Cup matches tonight. [B]RATING: C-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/BuffMartinez.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JonathanFaust.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier A[/U]: [B]Buff Martinez[/B] vs. [B]Jonathan Faust[/B] Good work here, very much in the old 21CW style; these men have faced each other in 21CW, MOSC, and UKW, and both of them have been Ring of Fire players as it goes Buff works hard here with Faust and pushes him to pull out new tricks in the brawling department, and the Scottish crowd really get into that old-school brawl. Eventually the El KO hits, more or less out of nowhere, and Buff Martinez scores the fall to advance. [I]Buff Martinez defeated Jonathan Faust by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/AdamMatravers.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier B[/U]: [B]Adam Matravers[/B] vs. [B]Mario Heroic[/B] Double-P pulled double manager duty today, coming out at her boyfriend's side to face Mario. I'm considering more and more strongly signing Adam if he ever leaves UKW; his chemistry with Mario is undeniable and the fans popped very strongly for this one. Adam had control for a lengthy portion of the match, but the Mile High Moonsault missed and Mario capitalised, laying in the boots in the DaVE/MOSC tradition before whipping him to the ropes and smashing him back down with the Hero Attack to score a win. [I]Mario Heroic defeated Adam Matravers by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] [B]Art Reed[/B] hunts [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] down backstage and, all smiles, informs him that he's planning on continuing to run UKW talent out of Ring of Fire, a throwback to his campaign of early last year. The two exchange angry words for a few moments, then Ota's music hits and he heads out to the ring. [B]RATING: C+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier C[/U]: [B]Art Reed[/B] vs. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] I'm grateful to Ota for agreeing to this. In a spectacular match both men really kicked it into gear and worked a spectacular technical contest with occasional outbreaks of high-flying speed, but as the contest kept driving on, Ota made the mistake of going for the Ninja Strike – which handed Art his arm, and the Dread Lock ensued. Ota fought like a champ, but eventually tapped out. [I]Art Reed defeated Fumihiro Ota by submission[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Loaners/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG] Releasing the hold, Art allows Fumihiro to rise and they stand off, tensely, before Ota nods and leaves the ring. [B]RATING: B- [/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier D[/U]: [B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. [B]UK Dragon[/B] In hindsight, this shouldn't have been the main event, though it was pretty good stuff. With a quarter of an hour between the bells, KC put on a pretty good show but ultimately ate the Dragon Drop to a biggish pop. I just hadn't expected Reed/Ota to be as good as it was. [I]UK Dragon defeated KC Glenn by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B-[/B] So... good enough once more, ultimately, and quite enjoyable. The UKW guys didn't throw their weight around, which is definitely a plus. [B]OVERALL: B-[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 [CENTER][B][U]ROF: European Showcase[/U][/B] Sunday Week 3 January 2013 Parc des Sports 3659 in attendance RATING: 0.53[/CENTER] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG] The show opened with a recap of [B]Art Reed[/B]'s match on Tuesday, showing him defeating Fumihiro Ota to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cup. A surprisingly good pop for Art from the Parisien crowd. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SergeiKalashnov.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SteveFlash_alt1.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/SimonaCox.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ErnestYoungman.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/GregGauge.jpg[/IMG] [B]Pure Perfection[/B] vs. [B]The Professionals[/B] It wasn't for the title, and that may be why Greg was slacking a little, rating the match less important. Sergei Kalashnov wasn't firing on all cylinders, either, but between their skills and the abilities of their more energised allies the match didn't suffer. A very good quarter-hour showcased a great many excellent holds, takedowns, throws, and Sergei's aerial arsenal to liven it up, and Steve Flash continues his recent policy of taking the fall to put over as many young talents as possible, tagging in just in time to be dragged down into the Proton Lock by Greg Gauge. I definitely enjoyed this. [I]The Professionals defeated Pure Perfection when Greg Gauge made Steve Flash submit[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/MarioHeroic.jpg[/IMG] Another recap from Tuesday's round of the Cup, this time showcasing [B]Mario Heroic[/B] and his triumph over Adam Matravers. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BritishSamurai.jpg[/IMG] w/ [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/PhoebePlumridge.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NateJohnson.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Samurai[/B] vs. [B]Nate Johnson[/B] for the [B]ROF TV Championship[/B] Oyy... Sammy's having real trouble getting on the same page as any of the other competitors here. It may cut his reign shorter than I'd planned. Both of them seem to be improving, but there was just that lack of communication that makes reversals look weak. The fisherman's suplex finishes after fourteen minutes of weakness. [I]British Samurai defeated Nate Johnson by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: C[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Tag%20Teams/ElLeon.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JoeyBeauchamp.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier E:[/U] [B]El Leon[/B] vs. [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] Thankfully, this was better. I should probably talk here about Joey's style, because it relates to the story of the match. We've shifted from his old nickname 'The Breeze' to 'The Perpetual Motion Machine' as he's developed and evolved, in part because, save for pinfalls, he never, ever stops moving entirely. But, as with the top rank of Ring of Fire, he arranges his spots very differently in each match nowadays, responding to the crowd; there isn't a 'typical Joey match' anymore. There was, however, in UCR, and that's why we booked this match in Paris; Joey started this out working the old 'typical Joey match', getting some chuckles from some of the crowd and heat from others – El Leon was, briefly, a shining light during our old USPW brand over here, and the disrespect was palpable. Around seven minutes in, however, Leon landed the Split Second Justice for a two-count, and Joey woke up to the fact this was no pushover. It'd take him another twelve minutes at full tilt in his newer style to finally take Leon down with the Breeze Block. The fans ended up equally happy with both men. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated El Leon by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/UKDragon.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] Another recap package next, with the evening's crowning match; [B]UK Dragon [/B]and [B]KC Glenn[/B]. Another fairly decent pop. [B]RATING: C+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/DanielFrancis.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier F[/U]: [B]Daniel Black Francis[/B] vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Well, this was... massively better than I expected. Daniel eats his second Fisherman Suplex in as many weeks at the end, thereby losing, but before that he stepped up his game and, alongside Davis, produced probably the best match I've seen out of Daniel in his tenure with us – and in only a quarter of an hour. Major crowd reaction as the match punched through the expectations. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: A[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/DonHenderson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/HumanArsenal_alt2.jpg[/IMG] One final video package for the night, this one reminding our European fans that [B]Don Henderson[/B]/[B]Human Arsenal[/B] is coming up at Tuesday's PPV. [B]RATING: B-[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/BillyRobinson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/NigelSvensson.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier G[/U]: [B]Billy Robinson[/B] vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] Another match that had to be less than a quarter of an hour due to time constraints, but also another match that exploded past what I expected from it. Both these men are steeped in the Wigan style of technical wrestling and they really showcased that, seeing a number of great reversals before, finally, Nigel managed to apply the hyper-extension armlock and turn back any counters until Billy tapped. Big reaction for them both here. [I]Nigel Svensson defeated Billy Robinson by submission[/I] [B]RATING: B+[/B] [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/AxxisJr.jpg[/IMG] vs. [IMG]http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/Main%20Event/JossThompson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [U]Cup Qualifier H[/U]: [B]Axxis Jr[/B] vs [B]Joss Thompson[/B] Axxis' big debut makes the main event, and unfortunately can't keep up with the standard set by the prior two matches – he's never performed much in Europe, but I didn't have room for him on the UK show. It is, nonetheless, a good solid contest that the fans get into despite themselves, and Thompson once again comes out on the weak end, chiefly due to the phenomenal Gravity Axxisault at the end. It does pretty well, all things considered, and the brawl sequence toward the end showed a better style for it than I'd thought Axxis had. The show goes off the air to a still-decent crowd response, and our quarter-final brackets are made for Fighting Fit. [I]Axxis Jr defeated Joss Thompson by pinfall[/I] [B]RATING: B[/B] Another good solid show, in short; not spectacular, but more than good enough, thanks largely to the Qualifiers. [B]OVERALL: B[/B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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