Tradition Dictates That You Be Welcomed... To The Coastal Zone

[infinitywpi]

Your last chance... for romance... boy, are you in trouble. Welcome to the Coastal Zone! Wow. It could be worse. ELPF has finally risen... to Small. At least we're not that deep in the hole. CZCW Coastal Tour February 2013, week 2, Sunday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA OPENING MATCH Machine & Team America def. Lauren & Team Panda in fifteen minutes via pinfall (D+) Team America and Team Panda cut dueling promos (E+, E) SECOND MATCH Barry Kingman def. Ultimate Phoenix in twenty-three minutes via pinfall (C) Hype video for the tag title match (E) MAIN EVENT: CZCW Title Matt Sparrow (c) def. Clarke Alexander in thirty-four minutes via Birdbrainbuster (C-) Show rating: C- Wow. Barry and Phoenix, bringing the goods. We'll have to remember that for later... And now, for the first time ever, a major show doesn't get it's own post! Welcome to CZCW Uprising 2013! February 2013, week 3, Monday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA OPENING MATCH: CZCW Titles Team America (c) def. Team Panda in twelve minutes via pinfall (D-) Jonnie Perez comes out to complain about how he was left off the ccard just so the main event could be a ladder match. Out comes Speedball to tell him he doesn't need a ladder to be extreme... and he'll prove it (D) SECOND MATCH: Xtreme Lucha Match Jonnie Perez (c) def. Marc Speed in seventeen minutes via pinfall (D+) Dueling promos from Machine & Clark (D) and Lauren & Pheonix (D+) THIRD MATCH: 30 Minute Iron Team Lauren & Phoenix def. Machine & Alexander, four falls to three (C+) Hype promo from Matt Sparrow (C-) MAIN EVENT: CZCW Ladder Match Matt Sparrow (c) def. Barry Kingman in thirty-three minutes (B-) Show rating: C+ Now that, my friends, is how you top-load a card. On the next Coastal Zone: The build to Spring Break Bash begins! Who will challenge for the Xtreme and CZCW Titles?

[infinitywpi]

Better than some Cult promotions: Welcome to the Coastal Zone! Matt Sparrow has left SWF. SWF sucks. At least, that's why -we- think he left. They still had a number of former Zoners on the roster, including California Love Machine, Donnie J, and Citizen X. And, apparently, Flying Jimmy Foxx is there now, too. CZCW Coastal Tour February 2013, week 3, Sunday West Texas Venue, West Texas, USA We open by announcing the main event: A four-way match for the #1 Contendership at Spring Break Bash (E+) OPENING MATCH: CZCW Title Matt Sparrow (c) def. Marc Speed in fifteen minutes via finisher (C-) Hype promos from Barry Kingman (D-) and Clark Alexander (D-) SECOND MATCH: Battle of the Sexes The Man (Acid, Apollo, and Machine) def. The Women (Eagle, Lauren, and Brooke) in nineteen minutes via Termination Kick on Eagle (C-) Hype promos from Fox (D-) and Phoenix (D-) MAIN EVENT: #1 Contendership Fox Mask def. Barry Kingman, Clark Alexander, and Ultimate Phoenix in thirty-two minutes via Foxhunter (C-) Sparrow comes out and he and Fox do the staredown-and-handshake thing (D+) Show rating: C- Yes, we do remember that Fox and Sparrow have poor chemistry. We think we can work around that. Now the trick is going to be putting together a good rest of the card. CZCW Coastal Tour February 2013, week 4, Sunday Grissom Arena, Southwest USA We open by setting up the main event: Fox Force Five vs Matt Sparrow and a partner of his choosing (D+) OPENING MATCH: Xtreme Contendership Flying Jimmy Foxx def. Masked Patriot in seventeen minutes via Flying Foxx (D+) Jonnie then comes out and he and Foxx do the staredown-and-handshake thing, only with Foxx throwing in a cheap shot (D+) SECOND MATCH Barry Kingman def. Jared Johnson in seven minutes via pinfall (D) Sparrow announces his choice of partner: Clark Alexander (C-) THIRD MATCH: Battle of the Sexes The Women def. The Men (Whippy, Brasil and Kirk) in eighteen minutes via Brookebreaker (D+) Fox cuts a promo on Matt (D) MAIN EVENT Sparrow & Alexander def. Fox Force Five in twenty-one minutes via birdbrainbuster (C-) Show rating: D+ ... hrm. Not the great show we were hoping for. I think it's time to pull out all the stops, don't you? Next time, on the Coastal Zone: Main Eventer Mayhem!

[infinitywpi]

The best laid plans of mice and bookers... Welcome to the Coastal Zone! So, no sooner do we announce 'Main Eventer Mayhem' as the theme for this post than Clark Alexander picks up a tour with GCG and drops us as being one too many commitments. If he sticks around long enough for the next show, we're changing our plan to 'job the crap out of Clark'. ... SUNNOVABITCH! Matt Sparrow signs developmental deal with RIPW! Well... we -were- close to Cult. Time to place a few calls, see what we can pull out of our butt for this one... Hrm. That... might do, for the short term. Lose two main eventers, gain one... hrm. Not good. He's injured. Concussion. But, supposed to be back in a few days. He'll miss one show. What the hell. We'll sign him. CZCW Coastal Tour March 2013, week 1, Sunday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA We open with Fox calling out Sparrow. So much for Spring Break Bash... Fox'll be damned if he lets Sparrow leave with the belt. Sparrow's response? "Come get it." (D+) OPENING MATCH: Xtreme Title Jonnie Perez (c) def. Clark Alexander in ten minutes via pinfall (D) SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH MATCHES Ultimate Phoenix def. Clark Alexander in ten minutes via finisher (C-) Barry Kingman def. Clark Alexander in ten minutes via finisher (D) Lauren the Lion def. Clark Alexander in ten minutes via finisher (D-) MAIN EVENT: CZCW Ladder Fox Mask def. Matt Sparrow in twenty-six minutes (C) Fox then cuts a promo about the Zone: Love it or Leave It. He begins to make an open challenge for Spring Break Bash, but Emma interrupts him... someone has already been signed to the title match. A hype video rolls. Wolves find their strength in packs. Foxes don't fight -- they run and hide in holes. If you want strength in a single being... you don't pick something wild. You pick something that has hunting and killing in it's bloodline, and has been trained to accept their destiny. You want a pit bull. You want... P-Dawg. (D+) Show rating: D+ Hrm. Well, I guess that's proof Clark wasn't the be-all and end-all we hoped he might be. Ah, well, it's for the best. Title hotshot completed, and yes, SBB is now Fox Mask vs Frankie 'P-Dawg' Perez. Should be able to get a good show out of that. On the next Coastal Zone: We've lost two main eventers, and brought in one new one. How does this effect our plans?

[FINisher]

Oh man, that's harsh, Alexander and Sparrow out.. Altough Perez could steal the show! ^^ EDIT: Yeah, keep it in the same thread :)

[Editor6]

[QUOTE=infinitywpi;527844]Also, if I could get some opinions: This is currently the third-most-read dynasty for TEW08 (there's others that're more read, but they came out before TEW08 did, so I dont' count them). When I hit Cult, I'm probably going to change diary styles and go with more of a write-up than the bare-bones I've been doing, but still let gameplay be the focus (If you figure right now my Gameplay Percentage is 90%, I'm thinking of dropping it down to 70% or so). So... with a change like that, should I start a new diary (Welcome to the Cultal Zone?), or just keep going on this one?[/QUOTE] I think you should keep going here. It's nice seeing the progression (or the ups and downs, in your case) in one place.

[infinitywpi]

C'mon, people, I almost never ask for feedback and so far I've only got threeresponses to this. When I hit Cult, do I start a new thread, or not?

[teakle]

[QUOTE=infinitywpi;529224]C'mon, people, I almost never ask for feedback and so far I've only got threeresponses to this. When I hit Cult, do I start a new thread, or not?[/QUOTE] No! That would just confuse us lurkers...

[Kainlock]

keep the same one, i really see no point in making a new thread. Plus it will be easier for new comers to see the whole dynasty.

[eayragt]

[QUOTE=infinitywpi;529224]C'mon, people, I almost never ask for feedback and so far I've only got threeresponses to this. When I hit Cult, do I start a new thread, or not?[/QUOTE] Personally I always want the Zone to stay the way it is (maybe that includes struggling to make Cult), but that's just me being selfish.

[smurphy1014]

Definitely keep it in this thread.

[infinitywpi]

Seriously, it's just a flesh wound. Welcome to the Coastal Zone! Well, I guess Clark felt he needed to carry the show last night... he managed to give himself a hernia, and is out for two months. Amazingly, we don't feel bad about this at all. Serves him right. So, we had decided not to job the crap out of Sparrow, sincce he more-or-less can be credited with keeping the Zone going during his title reign. As much as we love Fox, the phrase 'CZCW Champion Fox Mask' doesn't really get attention so much as it gets comments like 'oh, again?' We'll have to see if Fox can give us a few good mathes before SBB and then decide if we want to make him a transitional champion or not. Given we only have three shows before SBB, well, we'll have to make a snap decision without much info to work with. Frankie is already at work backstage; he's become friends with Harrison Hash, aka Panda Mask I. That's an interesting combination right there... CZCW Coastal Tour March 2013, week 2, Sunday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA Dark Match: Acid II def. Whippy the Clown in ten minutes (D-) We open with Insane Machine sayingg he feels gypped that he didn't did the title shot, and that the little Frankie Perez he remembers from five, six years ago certainly doesn't deserve a title shot. Out comes P-Dawg to tell Machine that if he needs to prove himself, then he'll prove himself... against Machine... tonight (D+) OPENING MATCH Kingman, Remus & Patriot def. Jonnie & Team America in eighteen minutes via submission (D+) Machine cuts a promo on P-Dawg, about knowing how time in Japan can change you, but not every change is for the better... (D-) SECOND MATCH Lauren the Lion draws Ultimate Phoenix in thirteen minutes via double count-out (C) Frankie cuts a promo on Machine (C-) before talking about how much he can't wait to get back in the ring with Fox (D+) MAIN EVENT Frankie 'P-Dawg' Perez def. Insane Machine in thirty-three minutes via Perfect Parity (C+) Show rating: C Awwww, yeah, the P-Dawg is back in the Zone and it looks like all will be right with the world! No way we could possibly screw this one up... right? Next time, on the Coastal Zone: With two weeks to Spring Break Bash, it's Fox vs P-Dawg in a pick-your-partner match. We know Fox'll take his partner in Fox Force Five... who will Frankie pick to join him? His brother? Another Original Zoner? Who?

[pepper2008]

keep the thread this is one of the easiest diaries to read. Love your updates. But hope you wont go bankrupt after reaching cult, hows your finances?

[MattQ2607]

Keep it in this thread.

[infinitywpi]

Okay, if/when the change ever comes, it'll be kept in this thread. Maybe with a one-shot topic post whoring myself out... erm, I mean, advertising the change in writing styles. *glances at the forum* Great. If it happens in the next week, it'll look like a shameless bid to get more nominations for the year-end awards. Times like this, I wish I simmed ahead a lot more than I do...

[infinitywpi]

Feelin' good, feelin' fine, tail is waggin' all the time... Welcome to the Coastal Zone! Dontcha hate when old dog food commercials get stuck in your head? Right to the action, so this'll probably be a two-show post. But first, a couple announcements: Spring Break Bash will now feature as sub-main events: Lauren vs Phoenix and Kingman vs Machine CZCW Coastal Tour March 2013, week 3, Sunday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA We open with Fox Force Five in the ring to hype the main event. out comes P-Dawg, who says they sure look confident... maybe he shouldn't reveal his partner. It would just break their spirits. See, his partner is someone he met while in Japan thise last few years. Maybe they've heard of him... Akima Brave (C-) OPENING MATCH: Tag Titles Remus & Patriot def. Team America (c) in ten minutes after Jonnie Perez attacks Flying Jimmy Foxx (D-) Foxx cuts a 'curse you, Jonnie Perez promo (d). Hype promos from Machine (D) and Phoenix (D+) SECOND MATCH Insane Machine & Lauren the Lion def. Barry Kingmaan & Ultimate Poenix in twenty-four minutes via finisher (C) Hype promos from Lauren (D+), P-Dawg (C-), and Fox Mask (D) MAIN EVENT P-Dawg & Akima Brave def. Fox Force Five in twenty-eight minutes when Brave attacks Force outside the ring, preventing him from getting a tag (C-) Show Rating: C- Okay, not as goodd as last week, but then we -did- put Jim Force in a twenty-four minute match. Well... his match as Spring Break Bash will be shorter. CZCW Coastal Tour MArch 2013, week 4, Sunday Grissom Auditorium, Southwest USA OPENING MATCH Jim Force def. Marc Speed in fourteen minutes via Full Force (D-) Promos from Jonnie (D) and Lauren (D+) SECOND MATCH Harrison Hash def. Capitao Brasil in eleven minutes via submission (D-) Promo from P-Dawn (D+) THIRD MATCH: Tag Titles Remus & Patriot (c) def. Machine & Phoenix in fifteen minutes via pinfall after interference from Lauren and Barry (C-) Promos from Machine (D) and Barry (E+) MAIN EVENT The Foxes (Fox & Foxx) def. The Perez Boys (Frankie & Jonnie) in twenty-three minutes via Foxhunter (C) Show rating: C- Well, Frankie's certainly showing some Sparrow-potential, and Fox is... well, Fox is Fox. So, do we switch titles at SBB, or not? This might be one of our harder-to-book shows in quite a while... especailly since tonight, everything changed. On the next Cultal Zone: ... wait, did we mean to say that? Yes, yes we did. We just had a hell of a two weeks. Be warned: A style change is coming!

[Nightshadeex]

Fox Mask is God. Hell, he carried my Zone title for over a year. Making him a transitional champion is lunacy! Oh, and good luck with Cult. It did me in fairly quickly. It's a good thing my game was about reaching goals. Have you looked into Mikey James recently? He and Frankie Perez were my go to guys in the midcard when I was nearing the end.

[infinitywpi]

April 2013. Week 1. William "The Grand Avatar" Peers. Week 1 of April. Week 1 of the rest of our lives. For years, Cliff Anderson had been the owner and booker for a promotion called Coastal Zone Combat Wrestling. Never the most popular, it nonetheless carved out a niche for itself, shocasing fast-paced action and workers who could fly through the air as easily as flying through submission manuvers. Focusing strictly on action, the Zone was the place young up-and-comers went to showcase in-ring skills... but often were left without a character, a way to connect with the fans. If you didn't have one going in, you didn't have one going out. That all changed, five years ago. I was... let's say, desperate. Mad, perhaps. There's days I can still swear my delusions were real. But that day, just over five years ago, was the start of my salvation. I happened to be in the building when some of the Zoners told Cliff they wanted to grow as a promotion. Cliff was reluctant to agree, prefering to play things safe, to make sure everyone could be paid. "We'll never be the next TCW. We'll be lucky if we're even the next DAVE." The implication being, look what had happened to DAVE. I ws there. I offered my services. I don't know why they accepted. But they did. It was a long, hard struggle. The guys didn't know how to work with characters, and what they had wasn't that strong. They learned on the fly, cutting promos, doing backstage segments, setting up matches with reasons to happen beyond 'two guys who fight good decide to fight.' The economy and interest in wrestling faded; at onee point, the Zone under my leadership had two, three months of funds at most. Then, slowly, things turned around. Losses turned to break-evens turned to profits... turned to larger profits. Talented workers began figuring out what they were doing, using their characters to enhance their ring-work. There were problems, of course. Champions left for other companies, requiring hot-shotting the titles off them. Old friends decided to move on to bigger and better things. But for every Jimmy P or Matt Sparrow, there was an old Zoner willing to return, like Insane Machine or Frankie 'P-Dawg' Perez. Big names would come to visit the Zone, like Jungle Jack Marlow or Genio Verde. NEwcomers would stake their claim to greatness and hold on with both hands, like Lauren 'The Lion' Easter and Eric 'The Masked Patriot' Lee. Old veterans began to flock to the Zone, either seeking to teach the next generation, or seeking to change their game, make one last shot at superstardome. Ultimate Phoenix, Harrison 'Panda Mask' Hash, Jim Force all call the Zome home. There's a constant sense of unease here in the Zone. Any week could bring news that someone important was leaving, and the next card would turned into a Job-Em Special. But every week also brought with it a sense of urgency, of drive, of striving for the top. March in particular had been a bad month; two main eventers, including the urrent CZCW Champion, both left for greener pastures. The CZCW Title was hot-shotted onto Zone keystone Fox Mask, while another former Zoner, Frankie Perez, resigned after recovering from a nasty concussion. Things were on track for their next big show, Spring Break Bash, to be their biggest show... well, ever. And then the news came in. First, from dirtsheet websites asking for quotes. Then from other wrestlers, some seeking jobs, some giving their best wishes. It was now official. We had managed, after five years of struggle, of adjusting to new products, of booker mistakes, of poor economy and poor industry, to reach Cult status. The game had changed for us, and we were going to do our damndest to take it with both hands and hold on. Welcome... to the Coastal Zone.

[infinitywpi]

So, who, and what, is The Coastal Zone? CZCW has just reached Cult size, with D Importance in the Southwest and Midsouth. They are a 'shades of grey' promotion; face, heel, it's all the same and can change easily based on personality quirks and who rubs who the wrong way. In addition, women are welcome to compete against the men; to date, only four women have accepted this challenge, and three of them remain on the roster. Two have held gold. CZCW Roster MAIN EVENTERS Frankie 'P-Dawg' Perez -- #1 Contender -- P-Dawg left the Zone years and years ago to go work in Japan. After suffering a concussion several months back, he was released from his Japanese commitments, and the timing couldn't be greater, as we quickly scooped him up. Ultimate Phoenix -- Phoenix is the resident Master Luchadore of the Zone; while few buy him as a serious title threat, in non-title matches he is not to be underestimated. Although slowing down in his old age, he still has turned out some of the best singles matches of his Zone career lately. Jim Force -- Yes, -that- Jim Force. Originally signing with us for a much-needed paycheck, Force quickly won his way into the hearts of the Zone fans for his character. While his brawling style is a severe contrast to the usual Zone fare, he serves as a breath of fresh air or as comic relief... and has been slowly coaxing his body to get up the courage to try some of that 'flying stuff'. Lauren 'The Lion' Easter -- Originally brought in to be Jungle Jack's female sidekick, Lauren was thrown into the frying pan when Jack left after just a few weeks... and has never been far from the main event since then. The Zone gives both her skills and personality a chance to shine, and she has held every title in the Zone at least once. Akima Brave -- Akima's just visiting. When Frankie Perez came in, he gave us some much-needed 'leverage' with Japanese promotions as far as talent trades go. Akima is the first result of those trades, and he has two more appearances to go. UPPER MIDCARD Barry Kingman -- A relative newcomer to the Zone, Barry plays the 'outsider' role. He's here to show that the Zone isn't the be-all and end-all of this style of wrestling, and that people from the outside world can succeed here. Insane Machine -- Another on the list of 'Zoner who went to Japan and came back', Machine's return coincided with a distinct rise in match quality as he forced everyonee to up their game. Occasionally brutal, always fun to watch, the Machine is there to encourage others to rage against him, thriving on conflict. Flying Jimmy Foxx -- Xtreme Contender -- Even the management are unsure why Jimmy rates so highly with the fans; while he has been steadily improving, he's not spectacular. He is, however, a five-time tag champion. Masked Patriot -- Tag Champion -- He's more of a typical wrestler than a Zone wrestler, but this man has managed to hang in the ring with some of the best the Zone has to offer, usually dominating the tag team ranks with his partner, Rod Remus. Fox Mask -- CZCW Champion -- The man synonomous with the Zone; rumor has it, in cliff Anderson's will, Fox gets the Zone because nobody else deserves it more. Sometimes he's a champion or contender, sometimes he's almost forgotten about or put into a tag team with Jim Force to give him something to do, but he's always there, he's never complaining, and provides the foundation the Zone is built on. MIDCARD Jonnie Perez -- Xtreme Champion -- Younger brother of Frankie, he was hired simply because Frankie wasn't available. Since then, he's proven himself a capable midcarder and the best suited to holding the Xtreme Title. With the arrival of his brother, it remains to be seen if he'll rise to the occasion to join him in popularity, or fade into the background. Marc Speed -- Speedball is one of those guys you don't notice until they're gone... and sometimes not even then. He was let go from the Zone previously because we realized we had horridly misused him; upon his return, he's managed to avoid the lack of momentum that plagues most Zone middcarders. However, an inability to turn out really great matches is holding him back. Brooke Tyler -- Yes, that Brooke Tyler. While her flying fits the Zone to a T, this young woman has yet to really do anything to stand out from the crowd. The youngest member of the Zone, at 19, she still has plenty of time before she has to 'make it or break it', and could just be biding her time until she sees an opening for her. Acid II -- A prime example of a youngster coming to the Zone to learn hiss craft, he was recommended to us by the original Acid. While he's decent, he's not quite 'good' yet. Unlike some, he seems to lack the patience needed to hone his craft. Rod Remus -- Tag Champion -- An all-arounder with a bright future, Rod is one of two major failures in the Zone; blame him, blame booking, blame whoever, but he should be main eventing by now. Instead, he seems eternally stuck in the tag ranks, where he doesn't have to leave his comfort zone. Kirk Jameson -- What we said about Remus applies here as well. At one point, Kirk was tangling with Fox Mask and Lauren the Lion for title matches. Now, he's... forgotten, at the point where he's learned all he can here, but unable to tear himself away to focus himself elsewhere. Whippy the Clown -- We'll be honest. He's here as a sideshow act. He knows this, and is rather resentful because of it; he thought he'd get a chance to be a serious threat instead of just teaching the kids. LOWER MIDCARD Island Boy Apollo -- It's posssible that Zone mismanagement has caused this young man's Destiny to fade away. Brought in as part of a group of 'rumble-fliers', Apollo had the best hopes of all of them... the fact he's still here shows his dedication to his craft, although it may not be his best option. Harrison Hash -- The original Panda Mask, Harrison is happy to teach the craft to the youngsters in the Zone. He also occasionally teams with his quasi-protege, Panda Mask II, as Team Panda. Their finisher, Pandamonium, has to be seen to be believed. Lora "Eagle" Washington -- Inspired by Lauren's success, Ms. Washington joined the Zone and quickly captured tag gold with Jimmy Foxx as Team America. Always seen as the weak link of that team, she has struggled to find a solo identity for herself... mostly failing. Capitao Brasil Jr -- The lucha rookie sensation, Brasil made a huge splash upon entering the Zone, as he and partner El Mitico signalled the start of a new age of Lucha domination... and then Mitico left. Brasil quickly learned that the cheers they got were not for him, and has faded down the card much like his confidence has faded from him. JOBBERS Panda Mask II -- He has the skills, he just needs the exposure. And so far, he hasn't really been getting it. He hopes the addition of the original Panda Mask will at least lead up to a tag title run in his future. Justin Sensitive -- Amazingly bland. Rarely used. Ironicly, one off the three top technicians in the Zone. If he can just get our attention, there's a big future in store for him. Jared Johnson -- This guy's been a jobber for years. At one point, he was teamed with Jackpot Jordan as 'J4' and even got a title run out of the deal, but it failed to generate and lasting popularity for him. When Jackpot was let go, he had hoped for a singles push, but it never really materialized. George Wolfe -- Like Force, his brawling style isn't typical Zone fare. Unlike Force, he lacks a character or a way into the fans' hearts. STAFF Cliff Anderson -- Owner, Play by Play -- Owner of the Zone for, like, forever, Cliff reluctantly admits that aiming for growth may be the best thing the Zone has ever done. Thier money has doubled, more people are buying tickets in a week than used to buy in a month. But he's afraid the Zone is going to flame out and force him into early retirement. Queen Emily -- Color Commentator -- The very first show she was a part of, Emily was able to get a great announcing job out of Cliff, and has been a valuable member of the Zone almost ever since. At one point, she looked like she was going to settle into the 'heel authority' role, but that has been drasticly toned down. Pee-Wee Germaine -- Referee -- If Fox Mask is the foundation of the Zone, then Pee-Wee is the structural supports. Reffing every match, helping keep things orderly, the man deserves every penny we spend on him. Dylan Sidle -- Road Agent -- Barely older than some off the vets, Dylan is somewhat cynical of the fact he can't go in the ring like they can; but he'd dedicated to the idea of training the next generation.

[infinitywpi]

The wrestling world of 2013 is very different from that of 2008. There are three global promotions; America's TCW and Japan's PGHW and WLW. TCW has the edge on the others, as PGHW and WLW manage to snipe at each other every chance they get. The once-mighty SWF has been considered no more than a cult promotion for years now; the Eisens continue putting money into the promotion in hopes of regaining their former glory, but it's a long time in coming. Japan is home to a number of Cult-sized promotions, from 5SSW and Inspire to Exodus 2010 and BHOTWG. Canada and Mexico are both dominated by cult promotions, as GCG, CGC, and NOTBPW share the same status as OLLIE, MHW, MPWF, and SOTBPW. When it comes to the most popular wrestlers in the world, the answer is obvious: the flavor of the week is the Gauge brothers, Matt and Greg. Bruce the Giant has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and there's always the old standbys of Tommy Cornell, Champagne Lover, Marat Kholkov and Golden Scoprion. As far as champions, the world has some slim pickings right now. TCW's champion is Troy Tornado, at a B prestige. PGHW's Glory Crown is held by Nobuatsu Tatsuko, as B+ prestige. The biggest champion in the world is in the #3 promtoion, as WLW's Universal champion is Eisaku Hoshino, and that title is A* prestige. But he faces competiton in the form of Eric Eisen, who has managed to take the title to A* prestige less than a year after the year-long reign of Big Smack Scott. In America, the last year has been good for the wrestling industy; after being in the toilet for so long, it has come back and come back strong. With the economy rising as well, it's a boom time for promotions in the US. It's the opposite conditions in Canada; after a strong year, their economy and interest in wrestling is going down, boding poorly for those promotions that failed to manage to reach National. Mexico is, frankly, screwed, as they have hit rock bottom and begun to dig deeper... where the UK and Europe already are. It remains to be seen if the UK will fall until it hits zero interest, or if it can recover before then. Japan is begining to face it's own crisis; while things are fine there now, signs of weakness are begining to show. Finally, the closest thing to wrestling utopia right now is Austrailia, where the economy and industry are both strong, and getting stronger.

[infinitywpi]

CZCW Spring Break Bash 2013 April 2013. Week 1. Wednesday Gorski Ballroom, Southwest USA Johnathon 'Fox Mask' Sasune. I won't lie. I was proud as hell. The crowd was larger than we'd ever had, and that was a good feeling for me. But there was a bittersweet taste to it. All my life, I've wanted to be a star, to take what skills and talent I have an hone them to their utmost, maybe tour Japan... I had gone from being a champion in a little west-coast promotion and now... well, I was the champion of something bigger, but I hadn't really earned it. I didn't get this title by being the best, I got it by being the most reliable. There were guys here, like Kingman, like Machine, hell, even like P-Dawg, who deserved it more than me. If I had my way, I'd drop the title to Frankie tonight. Frankie was a great kid when he was in the Zone five years ago... he got to live the dream I never really got to. He spent years in Japan for WLW. I spent a single tour there with EX2010. He's... I'll never tell him this, but I'm amazingly jealous of him. He should be our champion. But I don't get a say in that. It's up to the booker, and the booker tends not to tell people his plans until the last minute. He's infuriating that way, because it's hard to give any feedback on his plans. But the man must know what he's doing. He kept us turning a profit in harsh times, and he's managed to grow us to this point. Now he's talking about television shows... we had one before, years ago, but I think we averaged a 0.0 rating and, well, that was the end of that. He's also talking about pay-per-view, but I keep thinking... it's a big country, and we're only somewhat known in two areas. I know we've got plenty of money now, but I'm worried he'll blow it too fast. After all... if the Zone goes under, where am I going to go? I put thoughts of the future out of my mind and concentrate on the here and now. We don't usually do two-point-five hour shows; we did one to cap off 2012 at Year In Review, but that was the first of that length in many years. AS people were filling in, Peers told everyone who wasn't already booked in a match to do a battle royal, then pulled me aside to let me know I'd be doing an opening segment with Frankie. He gave me a couple talking points... tradition, ability, that sort of thing. He said Frankie would be coming out, and to keep things amiable; the two of us are supposed to respect each other in-character as much as we do in real life. That's one of the things I like about working here; with the exception of Whippy, we all just play ourselves amped up to eleven. I stood backstage and watched the battle royal... nothign major, endig with our tag champs as the last two in the ring, then both leaving at the same time in a show of solidarity (D). Cliff and Emily welcomed everyone to the show and announced a Zone record attendance of nearly thirty-five hundred people, and the show was off. I strode out to the ring, title around my waist, an gave my speech. I mentioned how the tradition of the Zone was growing, and about how I was honored to be defending the title against one of our own, gone for so long, but back where he belongs. Frankie came out and told me the same thing he told Insane Machine a few weeks ago; he's not the same man who used to run around here all those years ago. And he intends on showing me a few new tricks before he takes my title. (D+) The kid's gotten good on the mic; I think that was one of the things he left to work on in WLW. God knows before Peers showed up, you ccouldn't learn that kind of thing here. We head backstage, and Peers fills us in on his plan for the main event. I mention how I think I should drop the title; Frankie, to his credit, thanks me but says we shouldn't change the title on our first big show. Peers overules one of us. I won't tell you who; you won't have a reason to keep reading. Frankie and I discuss our match as we watch the rest of the show. Well, we do after the first match. Frankie's intently watching his brother defense the Xtreme Title in a ladder match. On a few of the rougher spots, I can see him wince; little Jonnie takes a ladder to the face at one point, and even his opponent (Flying Jimmy Foxx) seems on the verge of breaking kayfabe and making sure he's okay... but JOnnie bounces back into things, and uses a ladder to wedge Jimmy against the turnbuckle while he climbs another one to get the title. (D+) It's not bad, but far from some of the great ladder matches the Zone is known for... part of that is, we do so many ladder matches, it's hard to keep them fresh. My often-times tag partner, Jim Force, is out next for a short promo. I admit, when Jim came to the Zone, I was as against it as anyone else. The man doesn't fly, he doesn't wrestle, he punches and slams. But if the rest of us play ourselves amped up to eleven... this man hit fifteen years ago and kept right on climbing. His promo consists of telling the his opponent that the Japanese have only one thing that can rival the sheer power of the Foooooorce... and since Godzilla isn't in the building tonight, that means the ending of the match has already been fortold by the oracles of old (D+). Out comes his opponent, Frankie's buddy Akima Brave. Another nice thing about having Frankie back; he's got some pull in the Japanese promotions and can convincce some friends to visit the Zone. Five minutes later, my jaw is dropping as Jim busts out a plancha. The man's been watching us youngsters. Frankie stops talking about our match and joins me in watching in awe as Jim pulls off a match that, quite possibly, rivals some of the best matches the Zone has ever put on. The crowd is eating it up, even as Force and Brave brawl into the crowd and fail to notice Pee-Wee's ten-count (C+). "Aw, hell," comes a voice from behind me. I turn, and it's Insane Machine. Like Frankie, he left the Zone years ago to tour Japan; like Frankie, he came back to the Zone when we needed some more manpower, and like so many in that position he forced the rest of us to step up our games to match him. "I've got to follow the best match in Jim Force's career? Well, here goes." He heads down to the ring and cuts a fairly generic promo, about how Barry Kingman is too orderly, too logical, too predictable. He promises to bring some chaos to their match (D). Out comes Barry, and Frankie and I go back to discussing spots we want to work into our match... scrapping one idea as Barry and Machine do a Superplex-turns-into-Neckbreaker spot. Kingman's crisp, fluid, definately a different style than Zone technicians... which makes sense. His dad's in the Hall Of Immortals, and Barry obviously inheritted some of his talent. We're a bit surprised at the ending, as Peers only informs the people who need to know. Frankie and I had both pegged Machine to win, but at the end he taps out to a harsh-looking coverleaf (C). With one match left before ours, Frankie and I ignore the promos in the ring and begin talking about how we want to bring the match home; we don't care so much about what Lauren and Phoenix will say, as these two have turned out great matches before and this one shoudl be no different. Lauren seems to be taking a bit more of a 'I deserve better' tact to her promos, and Phoenix is playing up the 'long-time veteran luchadore Zoner' in his (D+, D). Five minutes into the match, Frankie and I have the last of what we need for our match hashed out; we've got our ending and a handful of spots, and figure we can flow nicely between them. We get to spend the next twenty-five minutes with sinking feelings in our stomach as the two in the ring pull off something the equal of their previous work. At one point, Jim comes up behind us and jokes about he just lost Match of the Night, but in truth it's just a matter of style preference. Jim and Akima had a hell of a brawl; these two are putting on a risk-taking spotfest. One look at Frankie, and he's thinking the same thing I am... we have to follow this? Finally, Phoenix gets the pinfall after his Phoenix Firebird Splash (C+), and Frankie and I shake hands. A short video plays (D); it's a Coastal Zone tradition to do this before the main event. Even when they don't make sense, we keep to our traditions. Interviews and promos have their place; sometimes, nothign beats a quick recap video. I take a swig of water from a bottle, toss it to Frankie, and head out to the ring as I'm announced. Frankie follows. Apparently his new pre-match ritual involves taking a drink from a water bottle and then tossing the empty bottle into the crowd. The pressure's on us to perform, and as much as I love the guy, I can't bring myself to accept putting on a worse match than Jim Force. Frankie and I start with some basic indy-style mat wrestling, cut through some high-flying stuff, a little brawling on the apron, and then we go full-tilt puro style for twelve minutes before throwing a little lucha into the mix with planchas and ranas on the floor. We make sure we get in before the ten count... Pee-Wee gives us a slightly slower count than Jim and Akima got, he knows his stuff... and then spend the last ten minutes going 'Zone style'. That's what we call our own mix of puro, luha, 'American Cruiserweight' and 'indy spot-monkey.' The ending is something we're rather proud of; Frankie goes for his Perfect Parity suplex, andd I flip him into the turnbuckle, then lift him up to the top for my Fox Flipoff... only for him to shove me off and leap after me, hitting a Thez Press in midair (One day, I'll have to google who this 'Thez' person is... I've never heard of him... but Frankie has, and he's calling this move 'The Pitbull'). The impact of the landing knocks me loopy, and Frankie covers me... one... two... three, and like that, I've lost the Coastal Zone title again... but I've got every confidence in the man who holds it now. And from the ovation we're getting, there's four guys back there good-naturedly kvetching about losing the Match of the Night... (B-). I head to the back as Frankie celebrates, and I'm the first person there to shake his hand and give him a hug and pat on the back when he comes through the curtain. I've missed Frankie, and yeah, he's learned a lot... but the two of us? we didn't just get match of the night. We might've just put on the best match the Zone has ever seen. Hell, the way Peers is beaming, this may've been our best show ever. But I don't care. Frankie and me... we just had three and a half thousand people in the palm of our hands, cheering and wincing on command. Where entire casts of sit-coms work together to provide a half-hour of entertainment that sometimes pales next to commercials, Frankie and I (And, to be fair, Pee-Wee) just did a half-hour without commercials, and got a better reaction than any sit-com ever could. That's why I've never left the Zone. That's why I probably never will. Because here... I can be me. And people want me to be me. On the next Coastal Zone: Well, that didn't last long. We're not cult anymore! But we'll keep the writeup style for a while.

[foolinc]

Congrats on going Cult! Can't wait till you hit National (though it might not be for another ten years ;) !

[MattQ2607]

What was the grade of the show?

[infinitywpi]

[QUOTE=MattQ2607;530125]What was the grade of the show?[/QUOTE] Whoops, forgot to put that in the writeup. B-.

[FINisher]

[I][B]!!![/B][/I] Awesome. I have never before been this happy for someones diary. Congrats infinity, this is well deserved. Been a long time coming :P

[eayragt]

[QUOTE=infinitywpi;530087]On the next Coastal Zone: Well, that didn't last long. We're not cult anymore! But we'll keep the writeup style for a while.[/QUOTE] The typically perfect ending to a great show. Well done - now get back up to Cult again and stay there!