MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Mattlore Devious]

[B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Toxin [I]Ota will defeat Toxin, setting up more matches vs the Fallen[/I] Amazing Fire Fly & Internet Favourites vs. [B]Nelson Callum & Glamour And Devastation[/B] [I]Who knows?[/I] [B]Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Sharp [I]Singh probably needs something else to do[/I] Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [I]He's a monster[/I] The Bailey Boys vs. Morgan & Benning vs. Antonio & Raphael vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [I]Anything could happen[/I] Steve Flash vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] [I]Hugh is rising and Flash, while being Flash, is a tad old[/I] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]Firebird for the win[/I] “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Casey Valentine[/B] [I]Jean as a face? Unless Casey is leaving[/I] [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Jay Chord [I]Aaron's turn[/I]

[mad5226]

and for the first time in a long time I'm going to pick that's how much I'm looking forward to this card. [B] Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Toxin I've always liked Ota, and it could be a nice feud. Amazing Fire Fly & Internet Favourites vs. Nelson Callum & Glamour And Devastation I love the Internet Favorites, I pick them to go to the top next year =) Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] Allen is a monster and I'm like McMahon when it comes to monster heels. The Bailey Boys vs. Morgan & Benning vs. Antonio & Raphael vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] No real reason here. Steve Flash vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] Hugh needs the rub a lot more than Flash “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Firebird[/B] He seems to be getting a nice push “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Casey Valentine[/B] Thats hard for me to pick, however I can see a turn coming and perhaps the Firm breaking up. Either way I think in terms of Storyline this is the best going. [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Jay Chord I'm thinking old school WCW Hogan Vs. Sting. Jat has gone threw EVERYONE in the company and there's only one shining light left for MAW Aaron Andrews...unless Rip gets invovled

[D-Lyrium]

Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Toxin[/B] [B]Amazing Fire Fly & Internet Favourites[/B] vs. Nelson Callum & Glamour And Devastation [B]Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Sharp Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [I]- Perez hasn't set the promotion on fire so far, so I don't see him getting anything against a now-established MAW name.[/I] The Bailey Boys vs. Morgan & Benning vs. Antonio & Raphael vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [I]- Come on boys... If you can't win, at least stop the Bailey Boys from doing so.[/I] Steve Flash vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Firebird[/B] “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Casey Valentine[/B] [I]- Casey wins, Cattley turns. You'll need a new top face, because...[/I] Aaron Andrews vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] [I]- This would probably be the least popular decision in Cornellverse history, but I can't help thinking that after having the babyface chasing the title for nine months, having him still fail in the big match would be fantastic.[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Good [U]lord[/U] it's taken a while to get here. May want to take a break before the main event - it's pretty lengthy... Thanks for all the comments, too, as it's always a pleasure seeing how people react to the stories going on.[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Where It All Begins Again Friday, 26th October 2010[/CENTER] Fumihiro Ota vs. Toxin[/B] It was nice to kick off with a stormer, even if only 1,100 people showed up for the show. What did I do? Anyway, the two stars got things off to a hot start, barely pausing to take as they flew around the ring and tried to tear each other part with complicated exchanges of holds and counter-holds that had the fans applauding. The high quality on display. It came down to a single mistake, as Ota tried for a Ninja Strike, but Toxin caught the blow and reversed it into his seemingly airtight cradle pinning combination, from which Ota could not escape. Toxin drew first blood for The Fallen. Winner: Toxin (C-) * Primus Allen came down to the ring and announced that he had personally handpicked his challenger for the evening – someone guaranteed to give him a tough match, if his last name was any indication: Jonnie Perez. * [B]Jonnie Perez vs. Primus Allen (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] This match, disappointingly, featured a complete lack of chemistry. That it was still pretty watchable was a decent indication of how talented these two are. Allen was at his powerful best, pitching Perez around without much trouble, but Jonnie fought back hard, displaying a keen lack of care for his own body that I always find useful in a youngster. It was an unorthodox match that we sold as a clash of styles, which handily also accounted for Primus’ inability to put the youngster away, resulting in the champ losing his cool and running himself shoulder-first into the ringpost. Perez was on the spot to take advantage and clamped on a P-Clutch, tearing at Allen’s wounded shoulder. Trapped in the centre of the ring, and left with no choice, Allen shockingly tapped out, giving Perez the huge upset victory and the Traditional title in only his third MAW match. Winner: Jonnie Perez (D-) * Jay was backstage, pacing back and forth, the USPW National title prominent in one corner, the MAW title strapped securely around his waist. Turning to the camera, he began to speak: [COLOR="Red"]“Andrews, I don’t know who it is that you have pulling the strings backstage for you. And after tonight, it won’t matter. You see, tonight is your second chance at my title. There are no third chances. When you lose tonight, it’s over – and no amount of crying to the Board of Directors is going to change matters.”[/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly & The Internet Favourites vs. Nelson Callum & Glamour And Devastation[/B] in a [COLOR="Purple"]Trios match[/COLOR] This was just sort of there. Enlivened by the antics of Dawn (on the face side of the ring), Kristen Pearce (on the heel side) and Jefferson Stardust (in the ring – when he couldn’t avoid it) there was some enjoyment to be had from the match, but it was another indictment of just how far the undercard in this company has to come to be worth investing much ring time in. The faces won the first fall when Stardust ate a Sky High Fire Fly. Callum evened things up via an Ankle Lock submission on Lee, while Findlay scored the winner with a Choke Bomb on Mayhem. Winner: GAD and Callum (E) * “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith had something to say: [COLOR="Blue"]“Firebird, you listen to me now, you hear? You’ve been running around this company these last six months talking about your fall, and the darkness, and how you want us all to join you. Now that’s just a bunch of horse feathers, plain and simple. Ain’t no-one ever did any good getting caught up in evil like you’ve done. It’s time to wake up, my friend. I’ve tried appealing to your better nature, and got myself a chair between my eyes, so ah guess I’m just going to have to go out there tonight and beat some sense into you. It’s tough love, Phoenix, but ah promise you, you’ll be thanking me when you realise what an idjut you’ve bin. ”But maybe you’re too far gone. Ah know that it can happen. A man can become so poisoned that there’s just no bringing him back. And Firebird, if that’s the case here, then ah apologise – ah truly do. But if that’s the case then this ends here, tonight.”[/COLOR] * Rip entered the ring, looking preoccupied: [COLOR="purple"]“This next match is for the MAW Tag Team titles,”[/COLOR] he announced. [COLOR="Purple"]“We’re not blind to the existence of other companies offering alternative products to wrestling fans, and we’d be damn foolish not to take a look and see if their ideas can make it here in the Mid Atlantic. So this match will be contested under ladder rules – the belts will be suspended fifteen feet above the ring, and whoever retrieves them using one of the ladders at ringside will be the MAW Tag Team champions.”[/COLOR] * [B]The Bailey Boys vs. Morgan & Benning vs. Antonio & Raphael vs. The Canadian Blondes (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] in a [COLOR="purple"]ladder match[/COLOR] This one was simple enough. We put a couple of ladders in the aisle and told the eight guys to go nuts. Unfortunately, Antonio and Raphael were way out of their depths in this kind of match, and were reduced to a spectator role for much of the contest. We sold this as their wanting to stay fresh, as they focused their attacks on the guys who injured themselves on the ladders, but the fans didn’t appreciate it, and it dragged the match down a bit. The other six competitors, however, gave it their all, even if ladders are a rarity in this company. TJ and CB Bailey took the really big risks, while the champs and Morgan and Benning used the ladders as much as weapons as anything else, employing strategic thinking, bar the odd rush of blood to the head – such as when Morgan went airborne from the top of the ladder to the arena floor in a move I suspect he’ll regret in the morning. Amidst the chaos, however, the champs worked the hardest, fighting to retain their gold at any cost – to the other teams. Although both men took hefty bumps, they insured that they did so in a way that would inflict significant damage on their opponents, and in the end the strategy paid off as Flash Savage was able to mount one of the ladders and retrieve the belts to ensure that the Blondes made it past their first defence. Winner: The Canadian Blondes (D) * [B]Kashmir Singh vs. Sharp[/B] This was a rematch from a couple of weeks back, capitalising on the competitors’ chemistry. Although they were asked to not overdo it after the previous match, they seemed to realise the need to get the crowd buzzing again after the tag match fell a little flat. Sharp used his brawling skills to try and offset Singh, but found the Indian to be fairly adept at fistfights himself. Singh took control with some impressive chain wrestling that earned the crowd’s approval, and before Sharp knew what had hit him, Singh clamped on the Bombay Duck to earn a submission victory. Winner: Kashmir Singh (C-) * Firebird was backstage, in a darkened room, sitting in a grand-looking chair: [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Brandon Smith... You call me your friend, and once that was so. Yet you stand against me. You pit yourself against The Fallen. And this cannot be allowed to take place. Truly, I regret what I am forced to do – but Brandon, I have no choice. A flame is burning in me. It is a flame so bright, so powerful, so clean and pure that I must spread its light among those with whom I deal every day. Brandon, there was once a time that we fought for what we thought was right against those we perceived to be in the wrong. I truly believe that in your heart you feel that you have not changed. But I assure you, I have seen the truth. It is you who are in the wrong. “Brandon Smith, you talk of beating sense into me, but that cannot be. You cannot show me anything I do not know. The fire burns, Brandon Smith, and it burns so brightly that I can see into your very soul. I know all about you, Brandon. I know your strength, I know your pride, I know your honour and I know your fears. There is so much I can teach you, Brandon. There is so much that I can teach all of you. “In one sense you’re right, Brandon. Tonight will be the end of my attempts to convert you. If you do not fall tonight, then I will move on. I will broaden my search. I will take over this company, and then spread my wings still further. But know that my loyalty to you also extends beyond tonight. Brandon Smith, I will always be watching. I will always be waiting. And when the day comes that you fall, as all men do, then I will be there, and I will help you see the truth.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Firebird[/B] We got back on track with this match. Smith has had more than his share of troubles with Firebird, including some nasty chair shots, and more than anyone had taken his friend’s turn badly. The rivalry culminated in this match, with Firebird using his veteran wiles to stay one step ahead of the hot-headed Smith for much of the match. But when Smith did catch his former partner, he caused some serious damage, nearly snapping Firebird in two with a thunderous turnbuckle powerbomb that moved the ring six inches towards us at the announcers’ table. Firebird tried to rally, but Smith was like a wild beast, untamable and unstoppable, and he powered through his opponent’s offence, shrugging it off as though he were being hit with paper. Firebird did manage to take Smith off his feet with a diving crossbody press, but Smith rolled through with the move, rising to his feet and planting Firebird with an Inverted Piledriver to score the victory. Winner: Brandon Smith (C-) * Casey Valentine entered the ring. [COLOR="Blue"]“This is my time. I shall remove the one obstacle in my path – the founder of The Firm, and the millstone around its neck. Jean, get out here, and let’s get this over with.”[/COLOR] Jean Cattley emerged, looking stern. [COLOR="Navy"]“Casey, you don’t understand. Through being a member of The Firm, you’ve won two tag team titles – titles that you wouldn’t have won as some schmoe nobody. No-one cares about your name, kid. Your pedigree ain’t worth squat compared to that of a Vessey or a Chord. And as for being trained by Rip? It took me a lot of time to undo the damage he did to your chances of making a success of yourself in this business. “So here’s what it comes down to – you lose tonight, and you’re out of The Firm, and I can go back to making tomorrow’s stars – a legacy I can be proud of. You win tonight, and you’ll have The Firm under your control, and I’ll enjoy watching you crash and burn as you set yourself goals you’ve got no chance of achieving. Win or lose, I get rid of you. But make no mistake, Casey, I want to win to try and teach you one last lesson – that you’re nowhere near as good as you think you are.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Casey Valentine[/B] for [COLOR="Purple"]control of The Firm[/COLOR] MAW fans don’t much like heel/heel matches, but in this case, with the respected Cattley against the upstart Valentine, most found someone to cheer. The action was decent, but Valentine’s injury is still hampering him, and held back what promised to be a decent match, even with Cattley doing his best to cover up for him. Perhaps in a month or so we can come back here – in the meantime, Cattley brought things to an end with a Mood Swing to re-assert his control over The Firm. Winner: Jean Cattley (D) * Furious at the result, Casey tried to ambush Cattley as he celebrated, but Jean saw him coming and sidestepped the attack, sending Casey into the corner chest first. Jean paced back and forth in the ring as Valentine regained his bearings, but he looked a little worried as Primus Allen and Jared Johnson came down the aisle. Casey, on the other hand, was all smiles. Allen and Johnson entered the ring and flanked Valentine. Jean, to the crowd’s booming approval, refused to back down, beckoning the three of them forward. Valentine rubbed his chest, and ordered the other members of The Firm to attack. Allen did just that – snatching Valentine up and planting him in the centre of the ring with a thunderous sit-out powerbomb. Standing up, he took a microphone and turned to Jean. [COLOR="Blue"]“I don’t like being played, ‘specially not by a little ----- like Casey. “Jean, it’s been fun running with The Firm. But I think it’s time for me to do my own thing.”[/COLOR] Jean nodded, and offered Allen his hand. Primus shook it, and pulled him into a quick hug. [COLOR="blue"]“I’m going after the Heavyweight title. I’m due a shot. I know you’ll want the same thing, so if you get in my way I’ll have to put you down.”[/COLOR] Jean nodded, and took the mic. [COLOR="Navy"]“I’d expect nothing less. Primus, you’re going to be something special in this business, kid. I’m proud to have helped – but if you get in my way... There’s still a few tricks I never taught you.”[/COLOR] Primus cracked a grin, and then left, nodding to Johnson as The Firm began to go its separate ways. [COLOR="navy"]“Jared?”[/COLOR] Jean asked. Johnson took the mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“Jean, I’ve got no problems with you, but it’s time for me to leave The Firm as well. It’s been great to run with you guys. I won’t be working with Casey any more, I think – I’m looking for a partner who doesn’t always have one eye on the next big score.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Jared,”[/COLOR] Jean said. [COLOR="navy"]“Good luck – and one day, I look forward to facing off against you.”[/COLOR] The two shared a respectful handshake, and Jared left as well. [COLOR="navy"]“And that leaves you, Casey,”[/COLOR] Jean said, looking down at his former teammate’s unconscious form. [COLOR="navy"]“I’m sure someone will show you the video later. Just to make it official, you’re out of The Firm.”[/COLOR] Then Jean left, leaving Casey alone, down and out in the centre of the ring. * The camera cut to ringside, and focused on Rip at the announcers’ table. [COLOR="Purple"]“Three guys came up to me today, looking for matches for tonight. Well, I had better things to do than sort out contracts and contacts and all that garbage. I had to prepare my boy for a fight. Still, I did put them all together and I figure this ought to make for a heck of an entertaining match – we’ll see it next. “And speaking of Jay, let me assure all of you that tonight will not be the last time we see my boy with the Heavyweight title. I’ve got something ready for our main event that will make sure Aaron Andrews doesn’t have a chance.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson vs. Masked Patriot vs. Ricochet[/B] Really just a cooler match – although, as always seems to be the case when I book these things, it ended up being better than the preceding match. Pish. Anyway, each man had a spell of dominance, but it was by-the-numbers stuff, brought to an end when Ricochet forced a submission from Patriot with a Cross Arm Breaker. Winner: Ricochet (D+) * Backstage with Hugh de Aske: [COLOR="Blue"]“Yarr, every man jack on the seven seas knows about Steve Flash – the lubber’s got a fearsome reputation for holding a man down despite his best intentions – or worst, in my case. So Steve, there’s been a few people I know what’ve fought ya, and what’ve beat ya, too. So although I respect what you can do, I know ye’re not unbeatable. And where there’s a chance of stealing a win... Well, stealing’s what I do best – among other things.”[/COLOR] To prove his point, Hugh began to make out with Sienna, who responded enthusiastically. We had to quickly cut to the ring in case things got x-rated. * [B]Steve Flash vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] I’m slightly worried this might overshadow the main event – these two tore the house down. I’d given them free license to put together their own match, as these two really deserve that level of trust. Flash is just the kind of guy de Aske needs to work with in order to fulfil his incredible potential, while it’s good for Flash to have lengthy matches against superior opponents to keep his stamina up without having to carry the whole load of the match. The fact that these two have got pretty good chemistry is simply an added bonus, frankly – it made a very good match into something simply tremendous. The story was simple, with the roughhouse pirate against the refined Flash, with their respective skills telling the tale as they went back and forth, exchanging the advantage over and over as both men were so evenly matched. Ultimately, it was Flash’s experience that told as he was able to smartly reverse an attempted Cutthroat Driver into a Flash bang for the win. Winner: Steve Flash (C+) * Aaron Andrews came down to the ring, to a suitably enthusiastic response. He smiled as he stood in the centre of the ring, and saluted the crowd. [COLOR="blue"]“We’re finally here. Six months since I last had a chance at Jay Chord, and the day has arrived that I get my rematch. It’s been an interesting few months – I got to hold the Traditional title for a spell, I had some tremendous fights, and I got to see Rip and Jay shaking in their boots while they tried to think of yet another reason I didn’t get to take the Heavyweight title away from them.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“I thought of one more,”[/COLOR] Rip interrupted, standing up from the announcers’ table and spitting Andrews with a ferocious glare. [COLOR="purple"]“Tonight’s match isn’t just a normal match. You see, you’re good, Andrews. I’d even say that you’re the best in this company – apart from my son, of course. And so there’s a chance, just a chance, that you might just beat Jay tonight.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Not just a chance, Rip. I guarantee it.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Confidence is good, kid, but you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Because, you see, tonight isn’t just a normal match. Tonight it doesn’t matter if you just manage to sneak out a pin on my boy. Because tonight’s match is an Iron Man match – thirty minutes to the finish. And you might be able to beat my son once, Andrews, but do you think you can beat him twice? Do you think you can stop him getting you?”[/COLOR] Rip smirked as Andrews looked concerned. Jay’s music played before the fans’ favourite had the chance to reply. * [B]Aaron Andrews vs. Jay Chord (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] This match exploded out of the blocks, with Chord nearly scoring with a Super DDT inside of ten seconds as Andrews’ eagerness got the better of him. Andrews was able to block the move, but Chord had the offensive and refused to relinquish it for the first several minutes, putting his all into wearing his challenger down. On commentary, Rip noted that Jay was in the best physical condition of anyone on the MAW roster – that he was capable of wrestling all night if needs be. It certainly didn’t seem that this would be necessary, as at the six minute mark Chord was successfully able to drill Andrews with the Super DDT to go up, 1-0. Rip crowed on commentary about his son’s brilliance, but Rock noted that Andrews seemed to concede the point relatively easy – and was using the thirty second rest period to gather his wits about him. This proved to be the case, as Andrews once again exploded out of the blocks as the bell rang, this time successfully catching Jay with a feinting enziguri that laid Jay out, and allowed Andrews to press his advantage. With Rock exulting on commentary, Andrews spent the next several minutes in charge of the match as Rip willed his son onwards. I tried to maintain a balanced outlook on the match, but any time I complimented Andrews, Rip accused me of bias, so in the end I settled for pretty much just enjoying the match. Andrews dominant spell came to an end when he was caught with a deliberate low blow that left him doubled over. Referee Bret Graveson warned Jay – but the champ signalled that he’d caught Andrews on the inner thigh, despite where Aaron was holding in pain. Jay pressed home his advantage, going for a Cradle Piledriver, but Andrews reversed it as he had done in their first match, floating over and booting Jay in the gut as he turned around. Hoisting Jay up, Andrews nailed the Standing Hot Shot, and went for the pin that would have equalised matters – but before Graveson could count the pin, the bell rang. Everyone looked around in surprise, which quickly turned to anger as Rip once more stood at ringside, ring bell in hand, a smug grin on his face as Jay groggily crawled to a corner of the ring to regain his senses. Rip’s expression quickly changed to horror as Andrews took a two-step run up and launched himself up and over the ropes, nailing a perfect plancha on to Rip and flattening him. Andrews rained down a series of hard punches on the MAW owner, before snatching up the ring bell and setting himself up. As Rip rose, he turned groggily to face Andrews and, to booming approval from the crowd, Andrews nailed him between the eyes with the ring bell, just as Rip had done to him six months before. Andrews’ satisfaction was short lived, as Jay had used the distraction to clear the cobwebs and climb the turnbuckle. As Andrews turned, Jay soared, landing with a thunderous double axhandle on Andrews head. Jay quickly checked on his father, who was down, out, and bleeding heavily, before turning back to Andrews, and rolling him into the ring, where he scored a two count. Jay tried to pursue his advantage, hauling Andrews upright and setting him up for a Super DDT, but Andrews charged him into the corner, driving the wind out of him. He followed up with a series of hard kicks, leaving Chord down and gasping for ait, before taking a run up and launching himself into a low dropkick that snapped Jay’s head back. From there, it was a relatively simple task to land a second Standing Hot Shot, and finally Andrews had a clean pinfall on Jay to take it to 1-1. There were now just under ten minutes left on the clock, and both men were drenched in sweat, and despite Jay’s superior conditioning, both were clearly feeling the effects of the long match. Their tie-up was somewhat sloppy, with neither man cinching it in tightly. They struggled for advantage, but eventually broke. Jay slapped Andrews hard, and Andrews retaliated with a boot to the gut to try for another Standing Hot Shot – but Chord was quick to block, and a hard elbow to the back of the head allowed him to try for first a Super DDT, and then a Cradle Piledriver, neither of which worked. The two fighters circled each other, each glaring balefully at the other. Jay sneered at Andrews, relishing his championship advantage – he only had to hold out for a draw to retain his title. Andrews beckoned Jay to move in, and when that didn’t work he feinted forwards, following up with a superkick that caught Jay in the chest as he darted to one side. Andrews tapped his head and laughed at Jay, before pressing on with a series of stomps. Looking to inflict some damage, Andrews tried to throw Jay over the top rope, but Jay blocked the move, and instead slipped behind his challenger, hoisting Andrews up and planting him with a hard back suplex. Andrews cradled his head in pain, and Chord followed up with a series of kicks and stomps to the injured head. Andrews rose unsteadily to his feet, unwilling to give up, but unable to effectively fight back. As the clock ticked into the twenty-eight minute of the match, Andrews was peppered with a series of hard strikes – kicks, punches and elbows all rained in on the challenger’s head as he struggled to protect himself. But suddenly Andrews roared into life, firing back with a high, high dropkick on an Irish Whip reversal that nearly took Chord’s head off. Jay fell against the ropes, and on the rebound caught Andrews with a clothesline. Both men were down, and neither was moving. Bret Graveson began the ten count, and with neither man moving at six we began to wonder if a draw was on the cards – especially with less than a minute left. At eight, Andrews began to stir, pulling himself upright using the ropes. On nine Jay stirred, and rose groggily, turning to face Andrews just as the challenger fired off a superkick aimed square at Jay’s jaw. But Jay weaved drunkenly to one side, and Andrews had to haul himself up short to avoid hitting the turnbuckles. Jay was right there with a back suplex, hammering Aaron into the mat head first, and bridging up, holding Aaron down as Bret dropped to the mat and counted to three. The bell rang, and Jay released the hold. Chest heaving, he raised one arm slowly in victory as the timekeeper handed the MAW title to Graveson. Jay stood shakily, reaching out for his title. Graveson looked at the title, and then at a groggy Rip, and then handed the title over... ...to Andrews. As Rip sputtered on commentary, Jay looked as though he’d seen a ghost and Aaron stared at the belt in shock. Graveson dropped down to the arena floor and spoke quickly to Rock, who nodded and picked up the house mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ladies and gentlemen, referee Bret Graveson has informed me that during the last moments of the match, Jay Chord’s shoulders were on the mat for the full three count, while Aaron Andrews raised his shoulder on the count of two. Therefore, your winner and NEW Mid Atlantic Heavyweight champion... Aaron Andrews!”[/COLOR] Winner: Aaron Andrews (2-1, C-) [B]Overall: C-[/B] * [I]OOC: Yeah... I really couldn't go with Jay in that last match, could I? :p Fallout in the next post...[/I]

[Dragonmack]

Is it just my imagination , or has Jay not been able to get above a C- in any match? If so that is a far cry from '07 when i could routinely get B matches out of him and even an A match occasionally. It sounds like you ended up with one of those rare 'Jay Chord kinda sucks' destiny games. ;) :D

[D-Lyrium]

Booooooo :p The finish was kinda screwy for the revenge spot, but can't complain too much. I did mark for the bell shot. The Firm thing was nicely done too, although it does mean that Valentine has succeeded in usurping Cattley, as now there's no Firm left for Cattley to run. :p Also, you spelt just about everyone's name with an intial V during that segment. :D We had Jean Vattley and Vasey Valentine, at least. :p Interested to see where you go from here. I'd guess that with Cattley being a babyface now (?), he might try some sort of alliance with Andrews, who'll need some help now that he's enraged his boss and the only wrestler on the roster better than him in one fell swoop. Rip and Cattley aren't exactly best mates either. Let's hope the Andrews Era can produce better main events than the Chord era did. Edit: Also, now that it's all begun again, any chance of some sort of roster overview type creative meeting shenanigans? Starting to lose track of who's still here.

[Hyde Hill]

[QUOTE]: Also, now that it's all begun again, any chance of some sort of roster overview type creative meeting shenanigans? Starting to lose track of who's still here.[/QUOTE] I second that notion and also real names for the guys you changed so we can remember. Great show as always, the finish had me thinking MVP vs Finley tough a while back.

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Dragonmack;486996]Is it just my imagination , or has Jay not been able to get above a C- in any match?[/QUOTE] [I]It's as much the opponents - Erik Strong, Amazing Fire Fly - as anything else. However, he did only get a C against Steve Flash which is his high (tied with the first match against Andrews) for the year in MAW. I don't know if he's necessarily going to be the saviour of wrestling, but he's a solid main eventer at this level.[/I] [QUOTE=D-Lyrium;487004]The finish was kinda screwy for the revenge spot, but can't complain too much. I did mark for the bell shot. We had Jean Vattley and Vasey Valentine, at least. :p Let's hope the Andrews Era can produce better main events than the Chord era did. [/QUOTE] [I]1. I'm going somewhere with that ;) 2. I wrote in the bell shot as the match was going on - it just fit. 3. Vixed :p 4. Looks good so far...[/I] [QUOTE=Hyde Hill;487005]I second that notion and also real names for the guys you changed so we can remember.[/QUOTE] [I]Working on it... Will have it posted tonight, hopefully. Thanks for all the comments, guys - keep them coming :)[/I]

[Pampero Firpo]

I don't post often or make predictions, but I want to say that I read your diary religiously and enjoy it thoroughly. It's very well done and I love that you update regularly. I hate it when I really get into a diary and then the writer loses interest and only posts once a month. It's nice to know I'll get my MAW fix regularly from you. Keep up the good work!

[Astil]

Absolutely loving the storys so far. Would be happy to see Cattley pick up 3 new workers for his Firm, so that it doesn't die. Maybe Rod Remus. Maybe a little bit of Rod Remus. Perhaps Rod Remus. Maaaaaaaaybe Rod Remus? Just saying...

[Hyde Hill]

or the can blondes to make d-lyrium happy.

[James Casey]

[I]Thanks for the further comments :D I have ideas for storylines for another year of the game, and then we'll see. There's one inevitable event that [U]will[/U] take place in game that could drastically affect how the diary turns out, of course...[/I] [QUOTE=Astil;487092]Would be happy to see Cattley pick up 3 new workers for his Firm, so that it doesn't die. Maybe Rod Remus. Maybe a little bit of Rod Remus. Perhaps Rod Remus. Maaaaaaaaybe Rod Remus?[/QUOTE] [I]A qualified yes - Remus signs on soon, but not as a member of The Firm. I've not decided who, when, how or even if The Firm will return just yet...[/I] [I]Anyway, as requested:[/I] [CENTER]Roster Overview – October 2010[/CENTER] [B]Singles[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Aaron Andrews[/COLOR] – Face, Main Event – Andrews is my franchise player, a National star who’s getting hotter by the day in TCW. He’s the most popular character in the company (apart from Rip) and is a tremendous all-rounder. You may notice me referencing his brawling skills a bit – this is because I had it in my head that he was a flyer for a long time, probably because he uses a Flying Bodypress as his finisher. [COLOR="Blue"]Amazing Fire Fly[/COLOR] – Face, Opener – This guy became one of the best wrestlers in the world in my ‘07 MAW game, alongside compatriot El Heroe Mexicano. I want more of the same, and if EHM ever debuts for us, expect to see a long, long tag title reign. In the meantime, Fly is slowly picking up his game. Long term, I expect great things of him. Short term, he’s going to be a jobber to the stars. And possibly everyone else, as well. [COLOR="Blue"]"Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/COLOR] – Face, Midcard – Consider this: Masked Patriot (#21) debuts and is signed up as BBS’ protégé for a passing-of-the-torch storyline. But autopush puts MP above Smith on the roster. BBS should be a star. He’s good in the ring, can carry his half of a match, and is decent on the mic... But in three years of appearing on pretty much every show, he’s not really progressed. [COLOR="Red"]Casey Valentine[/COLOR] – Heel, Midcard – As you were again. In fact, Valentine has regressed since I joined MAW. A key member of the Firm, tag team champion, and upper-midcarder when I started, three years later he’s bereft of friends, title, and has dropped down the card. I don’t want to say Billy Gunn, but... In part, I think this is down to his loyalty to Rip – he won’t sign for anyone else while that’s in place, so is not developing at the same rate as the rest of the roster, almost all of whom above lower midcard have at least one other contract. I may have to play with the editor a bit, as Rip won’t let him leave... [COLOR="Red"]Curtis Jenkins[/COLOR] – Heel, Opener – Under my guidance, this guy works maybe four or five shows a year. No-one else wants to sign him. If it weren’t for my need to have some cheap guys around for the tour shows, I might have cut him long ago – but, equally, I like a challenge. And it’s not like he’s Jefferson Stardust bad or anything... [COLOR="Red"]Firebird[/COLOR] – Heel, Main Event – The former Ultimate Phoenix turned heel after the end of the thoroughly meh stable, The Watch. It proved to be a masterstroke on my part (pimping myself never grows old) as despite not being a natural heel, Firebird kicks ass in the role. He’s put together some of out best matches of late, and working with the likes of Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson will only do the youngsters good. [COLOR="Blue"]Fumihiro Ota[/COLOR] – Face, Main Event – I came up with the gong gimmick as Ota can’t talk. Ota also can’t lose – or, at least, not without chucking a paddy when he does. However, he’s very talented, and is an important part of this coming year’s major storyline. And he’ll lose when I tell him to, blast it. [COLOR="Red"]Hugh de Aske[/COLOR] – Heel, Upper Midcard – Oh Hugh, how I love thee. A pirate can fight anyone – no need for a storyline. Although he’ll get one of those in the next few months, just for fun. Hugh might actually be my best all-rounder, or, at least, the one capable of putting together the best matches with the biggest number of people. Alas, he has no chemistry with Amazing Fire Fly, as otherwise that’d be a match I could watch again and again... [COLOR="Red"]Jared Johnson[/COLOR] – Heel, Midcard – Another favourite from '07, this guy brings rock solid fundamentals to the table. A great technician, and only 20 years old, he really is everything that MAW could hope for. Trained by Johnny Bloodstone, too... [COLOR="Red"]Jay Chord[/COLOR] – Heel, Main Event – He’s battered his father, and had a run on top. What now for Jay Chord? To be honest, he’s not progressed in-ring noticeably since signing with us, which makes me think low destiny stat – and I’m fine with that. I have no problems with Jay floating around the upper mid/main event bracket for the rest of his MAW career. He’s rock solid, can carry a match just fine, and has the all-round skills to tie it up with anyone. Not putting my faith in him will make it that much easier when and if I upset him so much he just ----s off. Could happen... [COLOR="Blue"]Jonnie Perez[/COLOR] – Face, Midcard – The new Traditional champion is actually at the right level to hold the belt. And likely to stay there. Jonnie’s okay, but I don’t see him outclassing his brother or anything. He’ll chug along indefinitely unless I can come up with a storyline for him that doesn’t involve people pinching his cheek and telling him how young he looks. That said, his '08 picture is a vast improvement over last year’s... [COLOR="Blue"]Kashmir Singh[/COLOR] – Face, Upper Midcard – Were you surprised by how high up the card he is? I was. Sensational Singh would be a fantastic heel in MAW, but as the company starts with about five faces and fifteen heels, Singh got drafted to the good side. While here, he’s formed a great tag team with Brandon Smith that will get some attention in the coming months. But I do want to have a Sensational run at some point... [COLOR="Blue"]Kirk Jameson[/COLOR] – Face, Main Eventer – Thanks to Hyde Hill, by the way, for confirming that Jameson has great potential – 2010 was the year he really convinced me. The clean-cut youngster is going to get some serious exposure in 2011, courtesy of a partnership with a certain someone, and being the cause of interest in a certain someone else. [COLOR="Red"]"Lone Wolf" Robert Thomas[/COLOR] – Heel, Midcard – Bobby Thomas has arrived. Now I just have to find something for him to do. Too expensive to work the touring shows, and lacks the star quality to crack the top of the card, but his brooding loner role (yes, I know you haven’t seen it – but he’s not had much exposure yet) should at least make for some fun angles as he and Ota squabble about who gets to use the boiler room. [COLOR="Blue"]"Machine" Jean Cattley[/COLOR] – Face, Upper Midcard – If you’ve read any of this diary, you’ll probably guess I adore Jean Cattley. This stems from a 31-month title reign that he had in my '07 game (31 months!) that saw him put on match of the night again, and again, and again. He’s a solid competitor who no other company seems to rate, has decent mic skills, and is generally a perfect worker for this sort of company. His recent face turn will see him make some new friendships. [COLOR="Blue"]Masked Patriot[/COLOR] – Face, Upper Midcard – Great matches, decent talker, love the gimmick, very tidy skills... I just wish that MP could better than average ring talent in any of the fighting skills – it makes it hard for me to push him. Saying that, what he does have is an almost-guaranteed good match against almost anyone on the card. With a bit more seasoning, he could be a star. [COLOR="Blue"]Matt Hocking[/COLOR] – Face, Midcard – I... don’t like his sunglasses. An import from FCW, he has some talent, but really he’s just painfully average in all categories. Doesn’t excel, doesn’t suck, doesn’t scream out that he’d be suitable for any specific role... Let me put it this way: He’s using a Dude gimmick right now. Why? Because he has long hair and glasses. That’s the best I have for him... [COLOR="Red"]Primus Allen[/COLOR] – Heel, Upper Midcard – On the up, as you might expect. The one-time Rookie Monster has the highest star quality of anyone on the roster, I believe. I like his look, I like his gimmick, I like the fact that Menace angles will allow me to make him look like a star without opening his mouth... Really, there’s a lot that I like about this guy. [COLOR="Blue"]Riley McManus[/COLOR] – Face, Opener – Getting some love on the tour shows, this guy is a decent technician with reasonable promo skills. With fewer faces incoming at the start, he might even have got a mini push. Heck, if it hadn’t been for Hugh Lee rolling a Ninj in the gimmick reshuffle, teaming up with Ota in a face turn and then landing with Max Mayhem in a ‘we can’t think of anything to do with these guys’ tag team... Well, McManus could have been an Internet Favourite. Funny how that goes, huh? [COLOR="Red"]Ricochet[/COLOR] – Heel, Midcard – Also known as Marc Speed. He’s a fantastic technician with a good look. He’s currently teaming with Sharp, but I suspect that the day will come that he’ll strike out on his own. I have a feeling (now that contract renewals don’t automatically mean a pay rise) that Rico might be around for a long time to come in the game. [COLOR="Red"]Sharp[/COLOR] – Heel, Midcard – The lesser of the three evils brought to MAW by Firebird, Sharp also goes by Sammy The Shark. And Greg Ford, when Sammy The Shark is considered to be too gimmicky a name *cough*. A decent brawler with average technical and flying skills, his overness is good enough to keep him in the midcard, but I suspect long-term he’ll drop down – and maybe even not last to long with the company. However, he has good promo skills and excellent performance skills, which are always useful in a training fed. [COLOR="Blue"]Steve Flash[/COLOR] – Face, Main Event – It’s Steve Flash. I’ll use him the same way that every diary nor written by mcsharock does. He’ll be awesome, get little or no mic time, and be worshipped by everyone. Some traditions are too strong to fight... [COLOR="Blue"]Stevie Grayson[/COLOR] – Face, Main Event – Flake! Flake! Honestly, I can’t push this guy. I don’t care if he’s back with TCW and getting national exposure. I don’t care if he’s one of the most popular names on the roster. He wears a stupid baseball cap, has never progressed beyond ‘decent, competent’ (from his own bio!) and his overness is lower in the Mid Atlantic than anywhere else in the states. All that, and he’s horribly, horribly inconsistent as well, despite what his skills may suggest. [COLOR="Red"]Toxin[/COLOR] – Heel, Upper Midcard – The occasional Joey Poison is a top-notch performer who’s a good all-rounder. Capable in the ring, he’s also comfortable on the mic. Bringing him in was something of a coup for me as he’s a popular guy and I believe we caught him between contracts elsewhere. Under a mask as Toxin he adds some legitimate star power to The Fallen. As Joey Poison he could be a superstar. Except for one thing... But we’ll get to that soon enough. [B]Tag Teams[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]The Bailey Boys[/COLOR] – CB (Cheetah Boy) Bailey and TJ Bailey – Lightweight jobbers to whom I throw the occasional bone. If I wanted to go nuts, I might compare them to a young Hardy Boys. But they’re already both well older than the young Hardys (by about ten years) so forget that – they bump pretty well, though. [COLOR="Blue"]Morgan & Benning[/COLOR] – Thom Morgan and "Regular" Joe Benning – ‘Unlikely champions’ was the storyline of choice for this duo, and they never really shook off the tag. They tried to better themselves, but it didn’t work out so well. Besides, a veteran/rookie team isn’t supposed to have the rookie be the better worker – ye that’s what happened here. I suspect Morgan is another one with a low Destiny stat – although he did recently jump up from Opener to Upper Midcard in one fell swoop, so who knows? [COLOR="Blue"]Internet Favourites[/COLOR] – Max Mayhem and Hugh (Huey Cannonball) Lee – I covered a lot of this above: two goofy guys with smark-friendly gimmicks get a minor push as a tag team. Neither is a particularly good worker, neither seems to have progressed much under my watch, and yet they make for a fun team. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Fun fact: In my ’07 game, Mayhem was paired off with Erik Strong, while Hugh got canned early on. [COLOR="Red"]Antonio & Raphael[/COLOR] – Antonio and Raphael – Okay, so Antonio is one of Rip’s golden boys. A promising youngster with reasonable talent. Giving him a partner/lacky was supposed to lead to the occasional tag match to further Antonio’s high profile feuds. But when Jay Chord came along, Antonio sort of dropped out of contention as Rip’s favoured child, and without The Firm to fall back on, a la Casey Valentine, Antonio’s sort of been spinning his wheels. It’s not fair on him – or Raphael, for that matter, who I always underrate – and I really will try and do well by them. [COLOR="Red"]The Canadian Blondes[/COLOR] - Oscar Golden and Flash Savage – MAW’s premier tag team, the reigning champions, and inspirers of passionate fandom. I recognise that the Blondes are a very good team, but I find them limited as wrestlers. If they ever crack a C- in a match, I may faint. But they’re good enough for their midcard berth, will always be viable champions or contenders, and thanks to the contract changes in ’08, re-signing them indefinitely at the same wages is a real possibility. [COLOR="Red"]Glamour and Devastation[/COLOR] – Jefferson Stardust and Findlay O'Farraday – Random pairing to keep FO’F in the picture, as I have a good feeling about him. Ditto Stardust, who I love writing for but hate booking in matches. This team basically gets two of my more annoying roster members in one place so I only sacrifice match ratings once a night. And keeping Kristen Pearce around to manage them is a good thing. [I]There's a few names missing - guys I've signed since October, one guy who leaves in the next post, but otherwise this is the roster at the end of WiABA '10[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Thanks mate good overview seems Ota hadn't used his ninja tricks this time. Hope Jameson delivers if he doesnt you may lay the blame on me. And then I will crush you in the BWA in retaliation lolz

[Purple Cowboy]

[QUOTE=James Casey;487190] [COLOR="Blue"]Kashmir Singh[/COLOR] – Face, Upper Midcard – Were you surprised by how high up the card he is? I was. Sensational Singh would be a fantastic heel in MAW, but [b]as the company starts with about five faces and fifteen heels,[/b] Singh got drafted to the good side. While here, he’s formed a great tag team with Brandon Smith that will get some attention in the coming months. But I do want to have a Sensational run at some point...[/QUOTE] It's actually 4/13, and I only know this because your excellent dynasty inspired me to play MAW these last couple of weeks! I don't think I've commented before but as an unabashed WoWhead I loved the WoW reference regarding Curtis Jenkins. Lots of great stuff here, I didn't even get the chance to nominate you again this month for DOTM because you were already nominated and seconded by the time I saw the thread! :)

[mad5226]

Yeah great show man even of I did get nearly every pick wrong lol. As already stated it will be intresting to see what you do with Jean at this point, looks like the sky is the limit for him. I was a little disappointed to see a ladder match in MAW though, even if it's only one a year I just can't see Rip ever allowing it. You know tradition and all that, plus the high risk...I don't know, anyway awesome show

[James Casey]

[I]Ladder matches are low risk - especially the way A&R play them... :rolleyes: Besides, it's only one in three years - even Rip can't argue too much about that And I needed [U]something[/U] to get a match with that much, uh, developing talent in it out of the E range... :D[/I] * In hindsight, three hours would have been plenty for this show – a lot of matches ran a little too long, and my plans for a 60 minute Iron man match were scrapped when I realised that Andrews and Jay just couldn’t keep up the necessary level of performance across an entire hour. * Despite the attendance crash for WIABA, we made a 14k profit in October. It was enough to allow me to convince Rip to run another month of weekly shows – small ones, limited to our lowest earners. We’ll be running on Thursdays, opposite the NOTBPW and TCW shows, but that’s the only day apart from Sunday that the whole of our undercard is available. We could have gone on Monday, when only Amazing Fire Fly from the whole roster is unavailable – but I want him on as many shows as I can get him on. I’ve got a feeling about this kid... The shows will be hitting the Great Lakes and South East markets. Rip likes heading to the South East as he grew up around there. I like the Great Lakes. And as both territories border the Mid Atlantic, the people there have heard of us – slightly. It’s a good place to start our expansion – even if (like last time) we give up after a month. * Jesse Christian has left the company – it just wasn’t working out. Whatever rub he had to give wasn’t going to be given to anyone in MAW – and while we could have benefited from his popularity in the South East with our new plans to run shows there, I didn’t see us benefiting that much from it. Besides, the guy complained about losing too much. * [B]MAW On Tour [/B] Thursday 4th November – Great Lakes Antonio def. Amazing Fire Fly – E+ Jonnie Perez (c) def. Raphael to retain the MAW Traditional title – D- Jared Johnson def. Joe Benning – E+ “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith def. Hugh de Aske – D+ Overall: [COLOR="DarkOrange"]D[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Good start for Perez ... Smith/de Aske about what I was expecting ...[/I] Thursday 11th November – South East Jonnie Perez (c) def. Curtis Jenkins to retain the MAW Traditional title – E- Nelson Callum def. Riley McManus – E Casey Valentine def. Matt Hocking – E- The Canadian Blondes (c) def. Brandon Smith and Joe Benning to retain the MAW Tag Team titles – E+ Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Two title matches do not equal one Hugh de Aske ... Callum and McManus have great chemistry ... Valentine and Hocking do not ... Valentine still troubled by injury ... Bret Graveson prank on Flash Savage backfires ...[/I] * [CENTER][B]November – Eleventh Hour[/B] Aaron Andrews vs. Toxin Ota, Singh & Smith vs. Johnson, Callum and Remus Stevie Grayson vs. Jay Chord Kirk Jameson vs. Firebird Morgan & Benning vs. Ricochet & Sharp Steve Flash vs. Primus Allen Amazing Fire Fly vs. Evil Spirit[/CENTER] [I]OOC: Yes, Evil Spirit. He's here, and ready to do some damage. EVIL!!!![/I]

[Hyde Hill]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Toxin [I]champ wont loose on first defence[/I] JJ trialling partners – [B]Ota, Singh & Smith[/B] vs. Johnson, Callum and Remus [I]He wil choose remus because they loose due to Callum[/I] PA challenges AA – at RCI [I]???[/I] Stevie Grayson vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] [I]Getting Jay's momentum back up[/I] Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]love kirk but the bird needs fire(aka momentum)[/I] Morgan & Benning vs. [B]Ricochet & Sharp[/B] [I]tossup but at the moment the fallen are being pushed[/I] [B]Steve Flash [/B]vs. Primus Allen [I]Keeping Flash strong and teaching Primus some performance skills[/I] [B]Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Evil Spirit [I]whats with people and Evil Spirit apart from the name and mask?[/I]

[smurphy1014]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Toxin [B]Ota, Singh & Smith[/B] vs. Johnson, Callum and Remus Stevie Grayson vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Morgan & Benning vs. [B]Ricochet & Sharp[/B] Steve Flash vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Evil Spirit[/B]

[D-Lyrium]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Toxin [B]Ota, Singh & Smith[/B] vs. Johnson, Callum and Remus [I]- I'm gonna go for the faces, after one of the potentials screws up and costs Jared's team the match. I'm hoping for Remus, because he'd work better as a face. Callum is kinda boring, a bit of a Kirk Jamieson-lite. 'Hello, I'm a rather bland technical wrestler. Watch as I wrestle technically in a bland fasion'. Of course, he wouldn't actually say that, because it'd get a poor rating ¬_¬[/I] Stevie Grayson vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] [I]- Possibly one of the easiest predictions ever? :D[/I] Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Morgan & Benning vs. [B]Ricochet & Sharp[/B] Steve Flash vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [I]- Flash can teach just as well while he loses, and I don't really see Flash as a viable contender, especially with a babyface champion. Allen is obviously destined for greatness, and while that doesn't make him invincible, losing to Flash won't help eitherof them much unless they're going to feud for a bit.[/I] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Evil Spirit[/B] [I]- You have to ask, Hyde?! Pfft. Spirit is awesome. It's people like you who've held him down all these years :p I've loved the guy ever since his LDW days.[/I]

[mad5226]

I say you have Evil Spirit curse Jay Chord and have him running around in a leatard =)

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Thanks to D-Lyrium for the suggestion[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Eleventh Hour Friday, 12th November 2010[/CENTER] Amazing Fire Fly vs. Evil Spirit[/B] Evil Spirit is a spooky looking Japanese worker in a heavily stylised mask bearing a demon’s face. To add a twist to proceedings, he wears leather ring gear and a heavy greatcoat to the ring, making him look altogether much more impressive than his slight frame warrants. Spirit’s debut was heralded with haunting Japanese music – in complete contrast to his brutal savaging of Fly. The fans hated seeing two nobodies in the ring – but the point was made: Spirit is vicious... Winner: Evil Spirit (F) * After the decision, Spirit continued to beatdown Fly until the referee was able to physically pull the masked man away, as on commentary we speculated about Spirit’s intentions in brutalising the young luchador. * Jared Johnson came out to the ring, flanked by two young men dressed in ring gear. [COLOR="Blue"]“These two stars of the future are Roderick Remus and Nelson Callum,” he said, pointing to them in turn. “After The Firm broke up, I knew that I’d have to find a new partner, and these two were by far the most impressive applicants for the post. Over the next few weeks, they’ll be taking part in matches together and separately as I try and decide who the best choice for my new partner is.”[/COLOR] * [B]Ota, Singh & Smith (c) vs. Johnson, Callum and Remus[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Trios titles[/COLOR] I like the trios division, such as it is. A guy like Rod Remus gets a chance to work off ring rust and learn from someone like Ota – even if he did seem distracted, with his teammates having to yell at him a couple of times. Everyone gets the chance to throw down a bit, and no-one gets overtired. It seems like everyone’s been working hard since their last appearances, with Johnson, Singh and Callum all in particularly fine form. Alas for the heels, Johnson’s first interview ended in a straight two-fall defeat, Smith pinning Callum and Singh dropping Remus to mark a successful defence. Winners: Ota, Smith & Singh (D+) * Jay Chord came out to the expected round of boos, jeers and catcalls. He shrugged them off, and looked unexpectedly ****y as he entered the ring. [COLOR="Red"]“Ah, boo yourself,”[/COLOR] he yelled, as the crowd noise increased still further. [COLOR="Red"]“I lost my title on a fluke, but when I get it back there’ll be no luck involved. Andrews, get your sorry --- out here now – I’m cashing in my rematch clause. You beat me by one second last time. That won’t happen again.”[/COLOR] Aaron Andrews appeared, a can of metal polish in one hand, the MAW title around his waist. [COLOR="Blue"]“Hello Jay, I wanted to speak to you, actually. I’ve spent the last two weeks polishing this belt. Gold’s not supposed to tarnish, but somehow you’ve managed to do it.”[/COLOR] Andrews smirked, as Jay fumed. [COLOR="Blue"]“And as for your rematch? No, sorry – It’s the champion’s prerogative to refuse challenges. Or so I heard, anyway. No, tonight I’ve got someone else in mind for my first title defence. As for you... well, I figured you’d be spoiling for a fight, so I’ve lined someone up for you.”[/COLOR] Stevie Grayson’s music played, and the former tag team champion sprinted down to the ring, surprising Jay and getting a jump start on the match. * [B]Stevie Grayson vs. Jay Chord[/B] I forgot these two have no chemistry. A match that was supposed to fire the fans up actually cooled their interest – it just wasn’t very good, and everyone was pleased when Grayson hit a 460 Degree Splash on Jay to score the surprise win. Winner: Stevie Grayson (D) * Firebird came down to the ring and looked pleased with himself. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“The first stage of my plan is complete. I have infected this company. My word will spread. My Toxin has been chosen as challenger for this company’s highest honour tonight. Sharp and Ricochet will soon rule as tag team champions. And I... “Two weeks ago, I fought my onetime ally, Brandon Smith. It was a match that I lost, but that is meaningless. For after the match, the key to my true goal was handed to me. I would ask The Fallen to join me now.”[/COLOR] Toxin, Ricochet and Sharp appeared as ordered – as did the newcomer, Evil Spirit. Firebird embraced all four men as they entered. Spirit stood on one side of Firebird, the other three on the other side. It was to them that Firebird turned first. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“My friends, my comrades, my fellows... You have shown your willingness in these past months to fight for my cause. Now, I release you – fight as you will. But remember the darkness – and remember the light. “I know there have been those who have wondered who lies underneath these masks. It was not important – but now they must unmask, for their works from this point must not detract from that of The Fallen. The purity of my quest must be untainted and unsullied by lesser pursuits, even as they serve my own goals.”[/COLOR] He walked up to the first man in line, the black man in the white apparel. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“You know this man as Ricochet. This is a man who lived life as though it would last forever. Who burnt the candle at both ends – and in the middle for good measure. This is a man who dared to defy the limits placed upon him by his own body. “He crashed. He burned. He fell. And at his darkest point... I was there. And now, Marc Speed, show the world your face. Go forth, and spread my word!”[/COLOR] He turned to the next man in line, wearing the silver clothing. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“This man gambled. Any chance, any wager – he was there. He gambled everything, and won. And then, for the thrill of it, he gambled everything again, and again, and again. “One day, of course, his luck deserted him. But it was not bad luck that cost him everything. It was good luck – for on that day he fell. And I was there. Greg Ford, known to some as Sammy The Shark, unmask, and continue my work in your own name.”[/COLOR] He moved to the last man in line. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“My Toxin. Tonight you fight this company’s champion. Of your future success, I have no doubt. You are a man who risked everything for a few momentary thrills... From the heights that you had ascended, you fell as far as any man I have known. And you saw the truth, you saw the light. Joey Poison, go forth and spread my word.”[/COLOR] The three men, each immediately recognisable to wrestling fans, stood unmasked before him. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Go, and prepare for your matches. You are free to act as you wish – but remember the darkness, and remember the light. Do as you will – but there may be times when I need your assistance. For now...”[/COLOR] He turned away, dismissing them. They left without a word. Firebird faced Evil Spirit. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“You, I would never expect to unmask. You are as pure a representation of the light as I. You, who will help me to achieve my ultimate goal. “You, who are Fumihiro Ota’s former student, abandoned by him for seeking the darkness, and who will help be to bring my target into darkness – a darkness that I know his soul cries out for.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson vs. Firebird[/B] With Evil Spirit at ringside, Jameson had more than just his opponent to keep an eye on in this match. Firebird seemed to take offence to this, verbally abusing and taunting Jameson throughout the match, while on commentary we speculated about what it was that had got the flame-masked wrestler so mad. Whatever it was, the fans disapproved, really getting behind Jameson and willing him to victory even as Firebird’s brutal assault wore him down and left him prey to the Firebird Splash. Winner: Firebird (C) * [B]Morgan & Benning vs. Ford & Speed[/B] Not a bad match for the ‘debut’ of the team of Ford and Speed. These two teams are likely to be a main focus of the tag division in the coming months, and it’s gratifying to know they can perform to the minimum standard required – even if I am hoping for improvement as their experience mounts up. In the end, Speed cranked out a submission victory from Benning with a Cross Ambreaker. Winners: Ford & Speed (D-) * [B]Steve Flash vs. Primus Allen[/B] An up-and-down card appears to have resulted in the slightly below-par offering in this match. Designed to keep both men strong, this battle went all the way to the time limit without ever being a particularly entertaining contest – even with Flash calling all the shots. Winner: No-one (D+) * With the match over, Allen took a house mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“A little over nine months ago, I became the Rip Chord Invitational champion. It still bothers me that I had help to do that. I could have done it on my own. But that doesn’t matter now – what does matter is the prize that comes with victory in that tournament. That prize is a guaranteed title shot. Aaron Andrews, I’m not going to ambush you. I’m not going to jump you after a match. I’m giving you fair warning. I’ve been the Traditional champion, the Invitational champion, and I’ve been the Trios champion. Last month I lost my Traditional title. A lot of people would go mad trying to get it back. They’d use up their rematch clause in a minute. But I’ve always believed in moving forward. So here’s the deal – I always get what I want. I always beat whatever’s in my way, somehow, some way. Right now, I want the Heavyweight title. Aaron Andrews, you’re in my way. I’ve got one year to cash in my shot – and on that one year anniversary, that’s what I’ll be doing. At the 2011 Invitational, I won’t be defending my crown – I’ll be taking yours!”[/COLOR] Aaron Andrews came out and nodded. [COLOR="Blue"]“Primus, we don’t see eye to eye on a lot of issues – but I do agree that you’re a hell of an impressive wrestler. So I’m looking forward to facing you for the belt. It should be a great match.”[/COLOR] * [B]Aaron Andrews (c) vs. Joey Poison[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] Sigh. Remember what I said about Grayson/Chord? Same here – I do have a list of who does and doesn’t work well together, but somehow two matches with zero chemistry made it through. It was still okay – the equal of our semi-final, in fact, but as a showcapper it was lacking, and didn’t get Andrews’ reign off to the best of starts. At least he won, putting Poison down with a Flying Bodypress for the win. Winner: Aaron Andrews (D+) [B]Overall: D (D?!?)[/B] [I]Next: More touring - and a stacked card[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

The d is because of the job match if you have one of those no matter how short or where it is placed they drag the whole card down altough the ra notes wont say it. Still nice show tough.

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Hyde Hill;488309]The d is because of the job match if you have one of those no matter how short or where it is placed they drag the whole card down altough the ra notes wont say it. [/QUOTE] Nope - I've led with job matches in ROF and seen the card still score what I'd expect without that low grade.

[Hyde Hill]

hmm maybe depends on the promotion then. And those ROF get the penelty at all?

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=Hyde Hill;488424]hmm maybe depends on the promotion then. And those ROF get the penelty at all?[/QUOTE] Yup, but it seems to be only EH/EH; once I add an Opener it vanishes.