MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[D-Lyrium]

Awww, I miss one little predictions form and the Blondes lose the titles. :'( Oh well... When you hinted at the 'match of the year', I was almost certain it was sarcasm and it'd turn out to be a typical Jay Chord D+. B- is staggering, especially with a relatively throwaway Poison/Kirk match getting C+ earlier in the same show. Great card. Although... yeah... with the writeup for aforementioned Kirk match, plus the 'special guest apperance' by Tommy... can't help feeling that was Kirk's last match in MAW for a while. JUST as he was finding some character. Still, we've got Allen-Andrews to look forward to, and guys like Hugh and Matt Gauge to back that up with. And the Blondes, of course! So... MAW'll survive ;)

[Nightshadeex]

I'd been away for a few weeks and realized I had about 6 or 7 pages to catch up on. Well, I did, and I'm glad I did so. You're entertaining me.

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Astil;491135]To steal away Kirk Jameson?[/QUOTE] [I]That'd be a bummer...[/I] * [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]Well, I just read this entire thing. And it's pretty awesome.[/QUOTE] [I]Thanks. And welcome![/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- The back story between your character and Rip is great, and it works into the C-Verse history in a way that makes complete sense and sets up Rip's character going forward. Even as the story's evolved, there's still the feeling that James genuinely doesn't trust him completely.[/QUOTE] [I]Not quite. More on that soon...[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- I was only ever a real fan of The Firm when they were kicking people out - Cattley's schtick during that era got old quickly for me. I was hoping someone would ask him, "If you're so damn good, what the hell are you still doing here?" but no one did.[/QUOTE] [I]Anyone who dares suggest that to Jean will get my cane around his head - he really is much better than this level, and given that he's pretty entertaining, his apparent lack of a big-time chance is baffling. But then, he's not a very good looking guy, so...[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- I think my favorite moment was James just tearing Rip and Jay to pieces backstage after their match. Would have been [I]really[/I] interesting to see what would've happened if Jay had taken that swing at him.[/QUOTE] [I]He'd have probably laid me out. I'm a cripple - not Oscar Golden :p[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- The e-mail from Tamara McFly :eek:[/QUOTE] [I]It's not often that I go off on a tangent in this story (well...) but that was one time I gave my imagination free reign... Besdes, I like to think Tamara's got steel in her spine to have survived in the business as long as she has.[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- Speaking of that, I didn't realize Rip was so universally reviled. There was a line somewhere about Jay having to pay for Rip's sins "until all the people (Rip) pissed off are dead" that I both loved and couldn't believe.[/QUOTE] [I]Rip isn't - Any resentment between him and Eisen is storyline stuff - the consensus seems to be that Rip handled his demons in a pretty professional way. Who knew?[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- Why the Ash Campbell hate?[/QUOTE] [I]In my '07 game, I hired him twice, he cost a fair chunk of change, and despite his apparent skills was unable to get above a C - even when paired off with superior opposition. He was a major disappointmentfor me - and for others. In scapino's MWA diary he even gets fired by his own father - and has made me very weary of hiring unproven youngsters based on pedigree and potential alone. Which, in this company, is a bad thing...[/I] [QUOTE=Editor6;491136]- B-!!!!![/QUOTE] [I]I know!!!!! :D[/I] * [QUOTE=BuddyGarner;491217]I just read the whole diary too.[/QUOTE] [I]Cool. Welcome as well![/I] [QUOTE=BuddyGarner;491217]I can't believe you don't hold emergency shows to job people out who leave your fed![/QUOTE] [I]Only if they have titles - I'd say we've run at a loss more often than not so far, and that strategy wouldn't help :)[/I] [QUOTE=BuddyGarner;491217]Not enough talent trades or japenese fighters.[/QUOTE] [I]One trade coming up. But I have no-one the Japanese feds are interested in, alas, and even if I did, I'd probably only be able to get the equivalent of Curtis Jenkins in exchange, so...[/I] * [QUOTE=D-Lyrium;491262]Awww, I miss one little predictions form and the Blondes lose the titles. :'( Oh well...[/QUOTE] [I]Cause and effect, dude, cause and effect...[/I] [QUOTE=D-Lyrium;491262]When you hinted at the 'match of the year', I was almost certain it was sarcasm and it'd turn out to be a typical Jay Chord D+. B- is staggering, especially with a relatively throwaway Poison/Kirk match getting C+ earlier in the same show. Great card.[/QUOTE] [I]Yeah - in this diary I swerve you with [B]good[/B] shows. Who'da thought it? :D[/I] [QUOTE=D-Lyrium;491262]Although... yeah... with the writeup for aforementioned Kirk match, plus the 'special guest apperance' by Tommy... can't help feeling that was Kirk's last match in MAW for a while. JUST as he was finding some character. [/QUOTE] [I]Consensus seems to be that Jameson's going to TCW... And he is... :eek:[/I] * [QUOTE]I'd been away for a few weeks and realized I had about 6 or 7 pages to catch up on. Well, I did, and I'm glad I did so. You're entertaining me. [/QUOTE] [I]Cool - thanks for getting caught up, and still being entertained.[/I] * [I]See - when you comment - I reply. In depth. When I should be, er, writing the next post... Hmmm... Fun to know what people are thinking, though.[/I]

[James Casey]

Rip and I exchanged glances as the phone rang. We knew exactly who was on the other end of the line. The show had been the last one that we were going to put online for a while as we sought to make a little more cash from selling DVDs of our shows. I pressed the speakerphone button, and motioned for Rip to be quiet. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Hello, Tommy,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Orange"]“Hello, James,”[/COLOR] Tommy Cornell replied, his broad Liverpudlian accent sounding utterly foreign in the middle of North Carolina. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“How’s things out west?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“Could be better, could be worse. I saw your main event tonight.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Oh, good. I wondered who our subscriber in Hollywood was. I was hoping for Amy Adams, but I guess I’m not on screen enough to make it worth her while.”[/COLOR] Rip smirked, and Tommy grunted in a faintly amused way. [COLOR="Orange"]“That’s really funny. Do you mind telling me what the ---- that was in your main event?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“A bloody good match,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="Orange"]“Don’t come the innocent with me, you little ----er,”[/COLOR] Tommy snarled. [COLOR="Orange"]“I didn’t let you sign Andrews so he could get mangled in your DaVE rip-off.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“[I]Let[/I] me sign? [I]Let[/I] me sign?”[/COLOR] I gripped the edge of the table in both hands, my fingers whitening between the knuckles as I squeezed. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Tommy, if I remember correctly, he showed up here looking for someplace to fall back on in case TCW went tits up – which it was on the verge of doing while you chased Eisen’s arse down the rabbit hole.”[/COLOR] Rip’s shoulders shook, but he composed himself and held up a hand to warn me to calm down. I nodded, and stood up, focusing on the pain in my leg to distract me from the pain in my neck. [COLOR="Orange"]“Listen, you snotty little ----, I’m pulling Andrews out of your company. I need him for my shows-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“You’re in worse trouble than I thought, Tommy, if you need one of our guys for your shows. We have an agreement, and I would strongly suggest that you consider seriously the implications of breaking it. Jay, Aaron, Stevie, Ota, be very certain about where those guys will choose to work in the event that you start picking on us. Because it won’t be great public relations, will it?”[/COLOR] I could almost hear the scowl on Tommy’s face. [COLOR="Orange"]“Ota and Grayson I could care less about. Jay’ll come running to me when Rip croaks. But Aaron... I’ll be telling him to come back home when his contract runs out, James.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Then you’ll have a long wait, you daft ----. Because I’m delighted to say that before tonight’s show, both Jay and Aaron put pen to paper on new deals with the company – and Aaron was good enough to sign on for a full year. Something about liking working for us, and how he wants to make the company a success because we’ve put so much trust in him... I don’t know. Kids today, huh Tommy? “Anyway, mate, I’ve got to go. Listen, I know Aaron’s got a match with Guide tomorrow. He’s not going to be in the best of shape after tonight’s match, so I’d appreciate it if you’d let Guide do most of the work. Jay should be fine in a few days, too, but I’m pleased he’s not booked on the show. Take care, Tommy.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“I-“[/COLOR] I hung up. I actually liked Tommy, and generally wanted good things for TCW, but he had a tendency to look on his company as being as big a powerhouse in the business as he himself was – which wasn’t true. Besides, as a southerner I considered it my duty to needle the northerner occasionally. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“That was fun,”[/COLOR] I said. Rip nodded. [COLOR="Purple"] “Thanks for letting me sit in, kid. But I could have spoken to Tommy – he’ll be gunning for your blood now.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Let him. Tommy’s a hothead, but he’ll calm down. He’s smart enough to know that the only way he can really hurt us is by burying our guys on TV – and frankly, that’ll hurt him a hell of a lot more than us.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Besides, you’re ----ed off about him scheduling a show opposite the Invitational?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“That’s not restricted to Tommy. The world and its mother is running against the Invitational, no matter what night we hold it. Why USPW are running two shows on consecutive nights I don’t know – but they are. FCW have moved their January show to run against us – and we’re still second choice for everyone we share with them. Tommy, the Stones, CGC... January’s a mess. We could push it back to the second of February, but January’s a tradition – and not one I’m going to miss out on because of scheduling issues.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“So, who are me missing?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Robert Thomas – and Jenny, but I don’t think she was scheduled. Thomas and Cattley will just have to have their match on one of the touring shows – there’s no way around it. We’ll book it as a bonus and throw in something else as a sweetener for the fans.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Like what?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I’ll let you know when I think of it...”[/COLOR] * I’d been in two minds about the outcome of the Kirk/Poison match – but then Joey turned up for his contract talks asking for $1,500 per show. Decision made – Joey can head back up North, with our thanks for an entertaining nine months. Shame he couldn’t stay around longer, though. * [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“...and tell him to shave that goatee off – Max is doing a Star Trek gimmick already, and I’m not having anyone ripping it off. Yes, good. Okay.”[/COLOR] I hung up the phone, and smiled at the vision in the doorway. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Problems?”[/COLOR] Katie asked. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“None that your appearance hasn’t cleared up,”[/COLOR] I said, laughing as she smiled at the corny line. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I’ve just worked out a way to compensate the fans for the missed Cattley/Thomas match at the Invitational. But remind me to let Fly know that he made the show – we can’t start things off until February, thanks to a scheduling issue.”[/COLOR] The last few words were laden with a heavy bitterness that was mostly feigned. Katie smiled. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Who’d you bring in?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“An old boy – someone who’s going to have turned over a new leaf since his last appearance here...”[/COLOR] * MAW On Tour Thursday, 18th January 2011 – Great Lakes Amazing Fire Fly def. Jefferson Stardust – F Riley McManus def. Evil Spirit – F Max Mayhem def. Curtis Jenkins – F+ RCI Quarter-Final: Jean Cattley def. Robert Thomas – D- Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Second and last matches lacked chemistry ... A parade of jobbers to try and counteract the money laid out on Cattley/Thomas ... The crowd hated the no-names in matches one and two[/I] * [QUOTE][CENTER]The tew.com Rip Chord Invitational preview by Jason Reso I may be new to totalextremewrestling.com but I have been doing this job for some time now – and one of my trademarks is my love for Mid Atlantic Wrestling. The house that Rip built continually puts out a solid product, and the highlight of their year is the finals of the annual Rip Chord Invitational. In the last year, MAW have expanded from one show a month to six shows a month, with the fed’s finest playing in Delaware and North Carolina every fortnight, and that makes them the fastest growing promotion around – certainly at their size. The cornerstone of the company’s year is the Rip Chord Invitational, and the three month build-up that forms the short ‘half’ of the MAW calendar (the other half, of course, being the period between the RCI and Where It All Begins Again in October). This year’s RCI is the most star-studded ever – the six quarter-finalists and one semi-finalist comprise three bona-fide main eventers in Firebird, Steve Flash, and Jean Cattley, a former RCI winner in Antonio and three rising stars in Kirk Jameson, Hugh de Aske and Masked Patriot. Long-time readers of my columns may know that I tipped Masked Patriot for the last two tournaments. But that, of course, was The Masked Patriot, the definite article – the guy better known nowadays as Brandon Smith. He wasn’t even entered in the tournament this year, and instead is lined up for a tag match with the Canadian Blondes on the card. Wacky booking ahoy – his partner is one half of the MAW Tag Team champions. One has to wonder how Smith will react to being robbed of his title shot by the Blondes – and, in a way, by Singh and Cattley... But back to the tournament: Steve Flash and Firebird square off in a battle of veterans, which could well be the match of the night. The two have – to my knowledge – never faced off before, and this should be a treat for wrestling fans everywhere as both have been on sterling form since singing on with Rip. Firebird in particular has used his heel run as the catalyst for some of his best ever in-ring performances, and on a show that should be free of Fallen shenanigans (please?) this match could be a classic. It’s a tough one to call a winner on – but with other result fairly set in my mind, I think Firebird sneaks it. Kirk Jameson and Antonio square off in possibly the most intriguing quarter-final. Antonio’s had a rough run since picking up the trophy two years ago, as he was quickly overtaken by an influx of new names, such as Jameson. This could be the Italian maestro’s chance to make a point – but then, it could be a step towards legitimacy for Jameson, who booker James Casey seems to be warming up to. After two years of indifferent showings, Jameson’s recent matches have been against opponents at the upper end of the card, and he’s responded with strong showings. His interactions with Aaron Andrews at the last card could point towards a permanent alliance with the champ in the coming months, which can only help keep him in the spotlight – although they also suggest that he won’t win tonight, as the MAW fans won’t want a face/face match anytime soon. And then there’s Masked Patriot against Hugh de Aske. What to do here? Patriot’s blown hot and cold since debuting a year or so ago, and yet he has a lot of promise. With the right opponent (such as Jay Chord) he’s shown himself capable of very good matches indeed – and as we all know, Hugh de Aske is just brilliant. The Dread Pirate has assembled a string of great matches since signing on with MAW, and is one of their most consistent workers. I suspect that Patriot might sneak through here – but that pirate Hugh might just end up the winner in the long run. And who do I think will win? Well, I think Firebird will make the final, and that it might be Jean Cattley he faces. Neither man needs a win in the tournament, exactly, but MAW has done a good job building up the youngsters in the last year, and this year’s tournament might be seen as a way of giving Firebird some added momentum as his personal crusade gathers pace. But what do I know? This is the fifth RCI, and I’ve been wrong with all my picks so far – I went for Steven Parker first time out, Des Davids in the second and TMP/BBS in the last two, so my record doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. But if I’m right, Firebird could just be at the start of a roll that could see the whole of MAW Fall in the coming months... And if I‘m wrong, well, the show might be Steve Flash’s last hurrah. Who knows?[/CENTER] [RIGHT]~Jason Reso[/RIGHT][/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW The Rip Chord Invitational[/B] Quarter-final: Steve Flash vs. Firebird Quarter-final: Kirk Jameson vs. Antonio Quarter-final: Masked Patriot vs. Hugh de Aske Semi-final: “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Patriot/Hugh Jonnie Perez vs. Matthew Gauge Smith & Singh vs. The Canadian Blondes Aaron Andrews vs. Primus Allen Plus the semi-finals and final of the Rip Chord Invitational tournament![/CENTER]

[D-Lyrium]

Aha, so it was the other half of the match that was leaving. Good, good. Don't know that I'll ever be able to take Tommy seriously in this diary now with him being a dirty Scouser though. "Never walk afookin' lone now like will yeh, yeh little bastad yeh, like, yannowwaddamean? Ruuff joostice like, enet, yannow?" I guess it could be worse, he could be a Geordie. Quarter-final: Steve Flash vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]- Neither has been up to much lately, and I reckon the 'one last time' schtick for Flash would be lame and predictable, especially lame since he's done piss-all in the buildup to it. So yeah.. it'll happen now, won't it? ¬_¬[/I] Quarter-final: [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Antonio [I]- Pfft, Antonio... he got lucky in the last round. Yeah.[/I] Quarter-final: Masked Patriot vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] [I]- Because it be a proper tournament, with real booty. Gyar.[/I] Semi-final: “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Patriot/[B]Hugh[/B] Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] Smith & Singh vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Primus Allen [I]- Not yet, Primus. Not yet...[/I] Plus the semi-finals and final of the Rip Chord Invitational tournament! [I]I reckon Jameson over Firebird, then... wow, that's a tough final to call. Uhhh.. Jameson.[/I]

[Astil]

Quarter-final: Steve Flash vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Quarter-final: Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Antonio[/B] Quarter-final: Masked Patriot vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] Semi-final: [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley [/B]vs. Patriot/Hugh [B]Jonnie Perez[/B] vs. Matthew Gauge [B]Smith & Singh[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Primus Allen Antonio over Cattley?

[Mattlore Devious]

Quarter-final: Steve Flash vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Quarter-final: [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Antonio Quarter-final: Masked Patriot vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] Semi-final: “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Hugh[/B] Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] [I]He's still a Keith and its his second? shot[/I] Smith & Singh vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [I]To set up the re-match. Smith to go crazy, but not in the match[/I] [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Primus Allen [I]Champ.[/I] Plus the semi-finals and final of the Rip Chord Invitational tournament! [B]Jameson[/B] to df Firebird & Hugh [I]Don't really see Firebird winning.[/I] My run of left-field predictions continues!

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Crazy to think we're past 350 posts in, what, three months? It's not quite up to ECW Worldwide just yet, of course... :p Thanks to all who've voted for me in the diary awards thus far, as well - if you haven't voted yet (even if you vote for someone else) then it's always worth doing, to show you're enjoying all the different stories being told here on the boards :D I'm not going to be posting for a couple of days at least as I'm away until Wednesday. At least it'll give me a chance to get a few more shows written up - if my wife lets me have any time to write :o Anyway, without further ado, it's time for the 2011 Rip Chord Invitational![/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: The Rip Chord Invitational Sunday, 21st January 2011[/CENTER] Quarter-final: Steve Flash vs. Firebird[/B] Pretty much the definition of a hot opener, this match was as good as any non-main match we’ve hosted in my time with MAW. The two veterans knew exactly what to do, and how to do it, giving the 1,556 fans in attendance a thrilling battle to welcome them to the show. Flash kept things on the mat as much as possible, but to Firebird’s chagrin he was able to keep up as the match went airborne as well. Firebird had to step up the pace to try and wear the older Flash down, and eventually the effort paid dividends as a winded Flash fell prey to the Firebird Splash to put the masked man through to the semi-finals. Winner: Firebird (C+) * Backstage, and Kirk Jameson was pacing the locker room, muttering [COLOR="Blue"]“Believe in yourself, believe in yourself, believe in yourself...”[/COLOR] over and over. * [B]Quarter-final: Kirk Jameson vs. Antonio[/B] Holy out-of-left-field, Batman. Antonio’s best ever match proved a worthy successor to our opener. The former RCI champion showed that he is not to be underestimated as a singles competitor, taking the fight to the crowd favourite from the bell. Antonio showed his pedigree, using every cheap trick in the book to keep Jameson on the back foot, as Rip called them on commentary in delight. But Jameson is made of stern stuff, and was able to claw his way back into the game as Antonio’s frustration grew from his inability to put him down, and eventually he was able to score with The Bullseye to advance to the semi-finals. Winner: Kirk Jameson (C-) * Backstage, and Hugh de Aske was lying on a table, getting a massage from Sienna. [COLOR="Blue"]“Arrr... Even a pirate knows to rest up before a gruelling battle, and tonight Hugh de Aske will be fighting three times. First up I’ll tackle Masked Patriot, after that, Jean Cattley, and then... who knows? Now, Patriot, unlike some people around here, I don’t care that you wear a mask, laddie. You might be ugly as a barnacled hull, or handsome as a hundred dollar hooker after I’ve been six months at sea – all I care about is how to beat you. And laddie, I’ll be doing that in double quick time. ‘Cause I’ve got the finest wench around waiting for me when I get back here. And that’s the kind of motivation a man understands!”[/COLOR] * [B]Quarter-final: Masked Patriot vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] This match was Patriot vs. Pirate, and Rip had flashbacks to the days of Jack Sparrow. Patriot excels in ring when really pushed by an opponent of Hugh’s calibre, and push Hugh did. It was a down and dirty brawl, with both men living up to their give-no-quarter reputations. Patriot showed tremendous strength, pressing Hugh high above his head and threatening to pitch him over the top rope to ringside, but Sienna put herself in harms way, blocking the throw, and giving Hugh the chance to slip out of the gorilla press and nail the Cutthroat Driver for the win in an excellent match. Winner: Hugh de Aske (C+) * Jay Chord strode down to the ring, a foul expression on his face. [COLOR="Red"]“I don’t know who the hell is booking this show,”[/COLOR] he snarled into the house mic. [COLOR="Red"]“But they seem to have forgotten a key element – me! At the very least, I should have been booked in the tournament. Hell, I should have been put in the main event as recognition of my value to this company. Instead, I’m just going to have to take out my frustrations on whatever idiot thinks that he can come out here and give me a decent match. Someone, man up! I want a fight!”[/COLOR] A pulsing Latin beat marked the appearance of Amazing Fire Fly, the young luchadore looking focused and confident as he approached the ring. * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Jay Chord[/B] An inevitable down turn after the three superb openers, this was still a better than average contest as both men are very talented. Fly dominated Jay in the early going, as Jay took the masked youngster none-too-seriously. However, a near fall off a springboard senton shook the former champion up, and Jay quickly began to pick up the pace. Fly lived up to his name, soaring around the ring with a series of aerial moves that ranged from impressive to, well, amazing. But Jay weathered the storm, and when Fly tried for a moonsault cross bodyblock, Jay was able to counter with a dropkick that almost bent Fly in two – backwards. The crowd groaned in sympathy, but Jay merely smirked in satisfaction, before proceeding to deliver a series of devastating attacks against which Fly had no counter, ending with a punishing Cradle Piledriver for the win. Winner: Jay Chord (D+) * Matthew Gauge entered the ring for his match: [COLOR="Blue"]“I only came back here for one reason: Gold. I’ve been all over the world in my career, and I know that the champions get all the respect. You want to make an impression in this business, then being the owner of ten pounds of gold makes all the difference. Now, I came up short against Aaron Andrews, but I know for a fact that I can beat Jonnie Perez. Last time out, I scouted his strengths and weaknesses – and tonight, I’ll get that golden passport strapped around my waist!”[/COLOR] * [B]Jonnie Perez (c) vs. Matthew Gauge[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] We’re on a roll tonight – another C match, as the two family stars tied it up for the second time with the Traditional title at stake. Gauge looked unbeatable, really showing off his skills as Perez battled to keep up. The two have a natural chemistry that really boosted the match, with Gauge selling enough to keep Perez hopeful, but making it clear that he had the match well in hand – right up until Perez clamped on the little-seen P-Clutch, which had Gauge wilting in the centre of the ring. It seemed as though Gauge was out, and Perez slackened his grip slightly in delight – but that was all it took for Gauge to twist loose and snatch Perez up in a Depth Gauge to score the win – and take the title. Winner: Matthew Gauge (C) * Taking his newly-won belt, Matthew Gauge celebrated his victory atop the announcers’ table, but as he glanced back at Perez he rubbed his throat and winced. It seemed that he had learned his lesson. * [B]Semi-final: “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] I’ll be honest – I fiddled with the brackets to the tournament until this match got thrown up at some point. And boy, am I glad I did. These two are possibly the hardest working men in the company, with Hugh always giving his all in every match and Jean, well, the same. This was full throttle action from bell to bell, with the two men so well matched that there was nothing to choose between them. Counter followed counter, strike followed strike – it was a little like watching one of those cartoons where two characters roll around, punching each other non-stop until they’re swallowed up in a cloud of dust from which only the winner emerges. On commentary, we were pretty much reduced to silence as the two went back and forth for over twenty minutes before Hugh managed to nail his umpteenth attempt at a Cutthroat Driver to snatch the win and reach the finals. Winner: Hugh de Aske (B-) * Firebird stood in the centre of the ring, awaiting his opponent. Before Kirk Jameson appeared, however, Firebird took the mic: [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Victory in this tournament is irrelevant to my goals. All that matters is that my message continues to spread. It is strange how people can fail to see what is right in front of them, however – for my opponent is seeking answers to questions that he may not know that he has. Kirk Jameson, I assure you, believing in yourself will not make you any more intelligent, any more gifted, any more right... You must walk my path. Embrace the darkness, that you may be rescued by the light!”[/COLOR] Kirk emerged from backstage: [COLOR="Blue"]“Firebird, it’s clear that your beliefs are important to you – and who am I to try and take a man’s beliefs from him? But I don’t think that you can claim your way is superior to mine. Neither of us has been a champion since we came to this company. We’re both at the same stage of this tournament. In fact, I’d say that my way is every bit as good as yours.”[/COLOR] Firebird looked put out. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“So be it, my young friend. If you choose to turn your back on your redemption, that is your choice. But the day will come when you face the darkness – and you will know at that time that I am right. Only through embracing it can you hope to overcome it.”[/COLOR] * [B]Semi-final: Kirk Jameson vs. Firebird[/B] Pick your poison, ladies and gents – this match was every bit as good as the last, but while that was an all-out scramble, this was a tactical war where both men had a counter for almost everything the other tried. I’d almost call it balletic, but I don’t want either man getting angry with me. Throughout the match, Firebird taunted his opponent to give in to the darkness and take his fall – but Jameson remained stoic. Slowly, but surely, the crowd favourite edged ahead, but Firebird kept escaping from near falls at ever more impossibly short notice, until Jameson let loose with an almighty bellow of frustration and rushed Firebird as the masked man scaled the top rope. Jameson scored with an almighty Bullseye from the top, and from there the pinfall was academic. Winner: Kirk Jameson (B-) * As Jameson trudged wearily up the ramp, Firebird had a parting shot: [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Jameson! Do not deceive yourself. You may see yourself as some kind of white knight, defending the light. But when you fight the darkness it stains you. And before you know it, there will only be the darkness. Embrace it, and you can see the truth – and only then can you hope to overcome it.”[/COLOR] Jameson looked back at his fallen foe in annoyance: [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m not setting myself out to fight any darkness, Firebird. I’m just here to prove myself.”[/COLOR] Firebird started to laugh. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“But the darkness, Kirk Jameson, will find you. And soon that is all there will be!”[/COLOR] Firebird’s laughter echoed throughout the arena. Looking confused and a little bit spooked, Jameson shook his head and headed backstage. * Backstage, and the Canadian Blondes were looking furious: [COLOR="Blue"]“Some stupid loophole robs us of our titles,”[/COLOR] Golden snarled. [COLOR="Blue"]“We weren’t ready for Jean Cattley. He’s never had any interest in the Tag titles before he got the chance to have them handed to him on a silver platter.” “That’s right,”[/COLOR] Savage said. [COLOR="Blue"]“You know, back when he was in The Firm, we had an agreement with the group that we wouldn’t go after the belts if they had them, and vice versa. Even when Rip tried to push into matches with them, we stuck to that agreement. But now it’s fair game for Jean Cattley, eh? Well that’s just fine – we can play that game too.”[/COLOR] * [B]Smith & Singh vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] There was an inevitable come-down to this match, as the Blondes tore into their opponents from the off. Smith, returning from injury, was the particular target, and the Blondes exploited his weakness mercilessly. Unlike his previous match against the duo, Singh was forced to watch helplessly as his partner was worked over, and whenever he tried to intervene, the Blondes were able to leave Smith to focus on him, as the Bulldozer was so effectively beaten down by their quickfire double teaming and rapid tags. In the end, Savage caught Smith in a Canadian Crab to squeeze out a submission victory – but this failed to satisfy the Blondes, who continued to abuse their opponents both physically and verbally after the bell. Winners: The Canadian Blondes (D+) * Hugh de Aske sailed down to the ring for the third time, with Sienna on his arm and his trusty crew pushing his boat. Entering the ring, he did a full turn, coat-tails billowing around him as he grinned up at the crowd. Taking a mic, he addressed his opponent: [COLOR="Blue"]“Kirk, ye’ve had some trouble, I see. I hope it’s not taken your mind off things – I’d hate to be fighting a distracted opponent, naturally...”[/COLOR] He grinned, and the crowd as always were torn between booing and cheering the charismatic pirate. [COLOR="Blue"]“But seriously, Kirk. The whole of the wrestlin’ world will be watchin’ tonight’s match. Whoever wins can expect fame, fortune, women – not something my trusty sidekick Sienna will allow me, but it’s nice to be wanted – and the loser... Well, the loser’s a loser, isn’t he? And where’s the fun in that?”[/COLOR] Kirk emerged, looking serious: [COLOR="Blue"]“Hugh, you’re right. Tonight is our big night – the biggest of our careers. I know you’ll be doing everything you can to win. I’ve had a lot of chance to study you tonight. And I’m ready for you. I guess the question is, are you ready for me?”[/COLOR] Hugh grinned. [COLOR="Blue"]“Nothing like self-belief, is there, lad? To answer your question... Of course I’m ready for you. But I guarantee you this, lad. Whatever you think you might know about me, I’ve always got a few spare tricks up me sleeves. Now, get down here, and let’s give these good people a hell of a show, before I make off with the booty at the end of it all.” [/COLOR] * [B]Final: Kirk Jameson vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]Rip Chord Invitational Challenge title[/COLOR] With both men competing in their third match of the night, there was a slight air of weariness about both as they locked up. Jameson seemed to suffer the worse, as the Dread Pirate had much the better of the opening exchanges. Jameson was able to fight back slowly, but Hugh scored several near falls in succession after a punishing series of strikes capped off with a Skull and Crossbones that left Kirk just close enough to the ropes to break the referee’s count. The break gave Kirk a few valuable seconds to gather himself, and he was able to go on the offensive as the match resumed. He was firing on maybe two cylinders, but as moves were countered and strikes dodged, it became clear that both men were feeling the effects of their hard night’s work. Kirk was able to claw back some of the lost ground when Hugh countered a Bullseye attempt into a Cutthroat Driver – but was unable to complete the move as his grip on Jameson slipped and he stumbled on rubber legs into the corner. If he thought he was safe, Kirk had other ideas – charging his opponent, he nearly decapitated de Aske with a thunderous high boot. As the match passed twenty minutes, both men were left down and out in the centre of the ring on a double clothesline, and the count reached nine before Hugh was able to make it to his feet. Staggering slightly, he picked up Jameson, but as he lifted his opponent up, Kirk leapt, countering into a Bullseye that put both men down again. But on the count of four, Kirk rolled painfully onto his stomach, and dropped an arm across de Aske’s chest. The referee dropped to the mat, and his hand slapped the canvas three times to crown Kirk Jameson the new Rip Chord Invitational champion after the most gruelling tournament in MAW history. Winner: Kirk Jameson (C+) * An exhausted Kirk knelt in the centre of the ring, barely able to raise one hand above his head in celebration of his victory. Rip entered the ring, a carefully neutral expression on his face as he shook Kirk’s hand and handed him the trophy. Kirk stood on wobbly legs and raised the trophy above his head, beaming wearily as the crowd acclaimed him. * A video played, hyping the lengths that Aaron Andrews and Primus Allen had gone to in preparation of this match. Allen’s remarkable rise over the last year was highlighted, with particular attention paid to his holding of the RCI, Traditional (won from Andrews) and Trios titles. Likewise, Andrews’ victories over Jay Chord with the Heavyweight title at stake were given special attention. The clips were spliced with footage of the two men training, with Andrews working on his endurance in a gym, while Allen was tearing up a deserted stadium, doing laps around the outer rim of the seating, and sprints up and down the steps. The video ended with tale of the tape – Andrews giving up several inches and something like sixty pounds to Allen, but having a lot more experience. It was clear that it was going to be an even fight. * [B]Aaron Andrews (c) vs. Primus Allen[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] This was yet another lengthy contest, as both men came to the ring fresh and ready to fight. The size difference clearly favoured the challenger, but on commentary we noted that Andrews would fight to his last breath – and that a motivated Andrews might be something that Allen was not yet able to fight off. The match began with an extensive feeling-out process, structured a lot like an amateur contest with neither man willing to risk an attack that might be countered to the other man’s advantage. The fan’s, having enjoyed a considerable variety of matches throughout the night, watched enthralled as yet another alternative was offered up with catch-as-catch-can action from the two competitors. It was Allen who snapped first, trying to level the champ with a thunderous clothesline, but Allen telegraphed the move enough that the savvy Andrews was able to duck and, when Allen turned around, struck with a lightning-quick superkick that put him up on points. But if Andrews thought that would give him a definitive advantage, he was wrong: An angered Allen retaliated with frightening ferocity, no-selling the strike (which I’d approved) and tearing into the champion as though his life were on the line. Andrews remained on the defensive for a long spell, weathering the best Allen had to throw at him. He mounted brief rallies, and focused on Allen’s legs, trying to cut the mighty challenger’s wheels out from under him and, as Rock noted, take the Running Powerslam out of Allen’s inventory. But mainly, Allen pounded, and Andrews took the punishment, evading defeat apparently through sheer willpower alone. However, the strategy seemed to work, although Andrews took a hellish beating in making it so. When Allen was satisfied that the champion was now only so much dead weight, he tried to heft him up for the finish – but his knee buckled under him. Shocked by the development, Allen went for a second time – but again his knee buckled, and this time Andrews had recovered enough to fire off a second superkick. This time, Allen toppled backwards like a giant redwood (not Giant Redwood – he would have no-sold this one, too), and Andrews smiled, for the first time in the match. From that point, the positions were reversed. Andrews was on the attack, trying to render all of Allen as beaten as his knees. Allen managed brief spurts of offence, his sheer strength enough to keep him dangerous. But the challenger’s spurts of offence grew further and further apart until, in a staggering display of strength, Andrews nailed a Standing Hot Shot and, as Allen staggered shakily around the ring, scaled the turnbuckles to take flight from the top rope. He bore Allen to the mat and snared both legs securely. Unable to kick out, Allen was done. The referee counted to three, and Andrews successfully defended his Heavyweight title. Winner: Aaron Andrews (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] * [I]OOC: I must be getting predictable - I think Mattlore and D-Lyrium both got 100%...[/I]

[D-Lyrium]

Woo, my first 100%, your best ever RCI by a mile... Good times. Sort of leaves me gagging for Jameson/de Aske II, without the fatigue.

[Mattlore Devious]

And theres the two B- matches that could be re-done, heres hoping your wave of momentum can carry all the way through to October

[hrdcoresidebrns]

2011 is going to be a heck of a year... I can't wait to see Jameson vs. Andrews :D. Gauge vs. Aske wouldn't be too shabby either. I'm just throwing that out there.

[mad5226]

Great show althoug I was hoping for Aske to get the victory Arr...

[Astil]

I'm now a Hugh de Aske fan.

[James Casey]

Posting on my phone so apologies for grammar, spelling etc Thanks for all the votes. Nice to know people are enjoying thestory. Hugh/jean is our best match ever - Aaron/jay lasted two weeks. This one lasts... A bit longer:p

[hrdcoresidebrns]

Congrats on winning DOTM. It was richly deserved.

[James Casey]

We let Kirk and Hugh have a fair amount of mic time on the show, just to see how the fans would react. With the matches carrying the show – and most of them being one’s we’d run before, and knew would work – we could afford to take a chance with the angles. The fans didn’t mind a lot of Kirk, but weren’t so happy with the excess of Hugh. That, and possible peak-in-the-middle syndrome is the only thing I can think of for the overall rating... * Interestingly, after the show, Firebird needed time to heal. Fair enough, he took part in two gruelling matches. Matthew Gauge, with his ridiculous schedule that saw him arrive back from Japan just in time to take part in the show, needs time to heal. Hugh de Aske, with his three matches weighing in at nearly an hour of action, needs time to heal. Kirk Jameson... doesn’t. Woah. * On the same night as the RCI, CGC – whose superior reputation convinced Robert Thomas to head north rather than take part in out show – held a bomb of a card which scored worse than the RCI. Robert? He lost to Ricky DeColt in the semi-final match. Granted he’d have lost to Jean at the RCI, but I bet that he would have felt better about it afterwards... * Over in USPW, Sam Strong and Shane Sneer have decided to pair up Primus Allen on a full-time basis with... Brendan Idol. USPW: Where IQs 65 and lower... Nah, I can’t say anything: I’ve got Glamour and Devastation on the books... * 18th January 2011 – Zimmy Bumfhole leaves SWF due to contract expiry 25th January 2011 – Zimmy Bumfhole signs a developmental deal with RIPW Something’s wrong there, surely... * [B]MAW On Tour[/B] Friday, 26th January 2011 – South East The Triple Threat (c) def. Amazing Fire Fly and The Bailey Brothers to retain the MAW Trios titles (E) Joe Benning def. Raphael (E+) Casey Valentine def. Jonnie Perez (E) Hugh de Aske def. Kashmir Singh (D) Overall: D- [I]Notes: Valentine and Perez lack chemistry ... Remus finally seems to have shaken off his ring rust[/I] * Told you: Remo is the new SWF World champion. It makes me slightly sad to see that in the three years since I started in MAW, there doesn’t seem to be a single new face in the SWF main event scene. * Over in CZCW, Masked Patriot has bagged his first ever title, teaming up with Matt Sparrow as the Midday Express to snatch the Tag Team gold from Caliornia Love Machine and Masked Cougar * [QUOTE][CENTER]Cuts rumoured in MAW? After the Rip Chord Invitational, rumours have reached us from a reliable source that MAW owner Rip Chord and head booker James Casey have been considering trimming the fat from their roster. Although it is believed that there may be a drive to bring in new names accompanying the cull, overall it is thought that the idea is to bring about a reduction in numbers. Although MAW are currently running six shows a month, we are told that this has seen them run at a loss of late, and some high profile names may be the victim of the cuts. Our source, who did not wish to be named, said that the cuts are unlikely to have a big effect on the roster – but that one or two bigger names may be on the block. A quick look at MAW’s roster suggests that the lowercard workers would largely be safe from the cut due to their smaller salaries, but that Stevie Grayson could be in trouble. Short of a storyline or direction since the departure of Trent Shaffer, Grayson has been largely making up the numbers of late, and with his contract due to expire in the near future he may be allowed to leave. Thom(as) Morgan has also been suggested as a possible cut, as he is on a sizable salary more reflective of his Canadian popularity than that of his standing in the States. This may mean a singles run for Joe Benning, who has largely been operating as Morgan’s partner for the last two years, but who has worked a number of one-on-one matches on the touring shows because of his lower per-show cost. Other names suggested include Jefferson Stardust, Findlay O’Farraday, Matt Hocking, Raphael, The Bailey Boys, Riley McManus and Curtis Jenkins, although head booker James Casey is understood to view the last two at least as personal projects, so may use his influence to protect them. The team of Raphael and Antonio is considered by Rip to be holding his former student back, while Casey is cool on the idea of giving Antonio a significant push. Stardust and O’Farraday have been getting some reactions from the crowd for their fledgling team, so may be given a stay of execution. Hocking, however, is seen as expendable, as he hasn’t done much to show his potential in his sporadic appearances for the company, and Casey in particular is thought to have a low opinion of him. The Bailey Boys are cheap, but garner little or no reaction from the crowd. It may be the case that they will be allowed to work out their contract, but then allowed to leave. One name that is something of a shock inclusion on the list is Casey Valentine. This possibility is said to have caused heated discussions backstage, as Chord is very loyal to his former student, while James Casey is said to believe that his partial namesake has progressed as far as he can in MAW. Previously, Rip has let workers like Mainstream Hernandez and Steven Parker leave the company when they had better opportunities elsewhere, but Valentine has steadfastly refused other offers of work to stay with MAW, and Chord wishes to match this show of loyalty. Privately, MAW’s head booker is thought to want Valentine to branch out more and work for other promotions to accelerate his development, with a possible return to MAW in a year or so, but Rip is prepared to fight his corner. MAW has traditionally been a company with a fairly low turnover. Workers departing have tended to be leaving because of a better offer (Davis Wayne Newton, Darryl Devine), or occasionally a contract has expired (Trent Shaffer, Ricky Douglas) but since Casey became head booker, no-one has been fired apart from Marv Earnest – and he got the boot for being an ass backstage. Everything seems to indicate interesting times ahead for MAW, as the relationship between owner and booker has been felt to be becoming increasingly fractious since the flat end to the father/son feud between Rip and Jay over a year ago. It may be the case that James is looking for an excuse to leave the company – or Rip may be looking for an excuse to fire him. Whatever happens, tew.com will be here to report it – as it happens![/CENTER] [RIGHT]~Scott Colton[/RIGHT][/QUOTE] * [B]MAW On Tour[/B] Thursday 4th February 2011 – Great Lakes Antonio def. Jonnie Perez – E- Flash Savage and Raphael def. Amazing Fire Fly and Joe Benning – E+ Casey Valentine def. Matt Hocking – E- Brandon Smith def. Kashmir Singh and Hugh de Aske in a triple threat match – D+ Overall: D- Notes: Poor chemistry in both singles matches ... Fun main event ... Bret Graveson pranks Antonio, gets a -------ing ... Record attendance of 76 fans for a tour show * TJ and CB Bailey have left MAW after their contracts expired. Originally brought in as tag team candidates, they worked eleven shows for us over their nine months in their company, never rising above the level of jobbers to the stars. * Okay... What the hell? 27th January 2011 – Citizen X leaves SWF 5th February 2011 – Citizen X signs for RIPW on a development deal 11th February 2011 – Citizen X is called up to SWF Seriously: What? * [COLOR="Blue"]“Uh, boss?”[/COLOR] I looked up, and sighed. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“You know, no-one ever calls me boss unless they’re leaving,”[/COLOR] I said, wearily. I gestured to the seat in front of my desk. Matthew Gauge came in and sat down, sheepishly. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m sorry. You know I love working here, but I have to think of my career.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Yeah, I know,” I said. “No harm, no foul. It was only ever going to be a short title reign for you, anyway.”[/COLOR] Matthew pulled a face. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Hey, you keep asking for a title reign in your contract, I’ll keep giving you them – but you can’t specify how long you hold the belt, can you?”[/COLOR] He rolled his eyes, and shook his head. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Where are you off to, anyway?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Japan – Burning Hammer this time.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“That’s everyone, isn’t it?”[/COLOR] I asked, only half joking. Having worked for no less than seven companies in 2010, Matt was something of a legend in the locker room. [COLOR="Blue"]“Nah, I was with them a coupla three years back. They’re good people.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Well, I hope that you have fun,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“And as always, you’ll be welcome back whenever. I can pretty much guarantee you a spot – ‘though maybe no title run right at the start of your contract next time.”[/COLOR] He smiled, and we shook hands. As he left, I turned back to my plans for the next show, trying to work out how to get the title off him when I’d been planning for him to have a lengthy reign to build him up as a legitimate contender to the Heavyweight title. * [B]MAW On Tour[/B] Thursday, 11th February 2011 – South East Antonio def Joe Benning – E+ Roderick Remus and Nelson Callum def. Max Mayhem and Riley McManus – E- Hugh Lee def. Jared Johnson – E+ Casey Valentine def. Kashmir Singh – D- Overall: D- [I]Notes: Nothing to see here ... Seriously[/I] * Jacob Jett picked up his second Streetfighting title in WLW around the same time that we were entertaining the Florida fans. He seems happy in Japan, which is nice. Katie’s happy over here, which is also nice. * 12th February 2011 – Zimmy Bumfhole called up to SWF Anyone else think that Richard Eisen (or, perhaps more to the point, Farrah Hesketh, SWF’s head booker) might be losing the plot? * [CENTER][B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Masked Patriot vs. Firebird Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson vs. Ford & Speed Jay Chord’s open challenge “Regular” Joe Benning vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Oscar Golden “Machine” Jean Cattley and Kashmir Singh vs. Antonio & Raphael Jonnie Perez vs. Matthew Gauge[/CENTER] [I]OOC: Might be on tomorrow, might not - either way, predict away (although once more it's out of order - sorry).[/I]

[D-Lyrium]

At least Gauge leaving means one less person you have to fire. Don't see why you should have to fire anyone anyway unless they have downsides in their contract... Masked Patriot vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Ford & Speed Jay Chord’s open challenge “Regular” Joe Benning vs. “Lone Wolf” [B]Robert Thomas[/B] “Bulldozer” [B]Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Oscar Golden “Machine” Jean Cattley and Kashmir Singh vs. [B]Antonio & Raphael[/B] [I]- Is this the first time Cattley's faced ex-Firm members since the breakup? I mean, ex-Firm members that he hasn't kicked out personally of course.[/I] Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Matthew Gauge[/B] [I]- I call shenanigans, possibly Jay's open challenge being accepted by Matt after he beats Jonnie. Possible alternative tag lines: 'Well, I wouldn't want to keep getting 100%, would I?', 'I really should read the rest of that last update one day', 'It's not like Gauge will be leaving any time soon'.[/I]

[Astil]

Masked Patriot vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]Thought he needed rest[/I] [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson [/B]vs. Ford & Speed [I]Well, this isn't obvious or anything.[/I] Jay Chord’s [B]open challenge[/B] [I]I say a big name[/I] “Regular” Joe Benning vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas [I]tie[/I] [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Oscar Golden [I]He needs some wins, right?[/I] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and Kashmir Singh [/B]vs. Antonio & Raphael [I]It's Cattley![/I] [B]Jonnie Perez [/B]vs. Matthew Gauge [I]Perez god push, please.[/I]

[D-Lyrium]

[QUOTE=Astil;492544][B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson [/B]vs. Ford & Speed [I]Well, this isn't obvious or anything.[/I][/QUOTE] Now you've gone and buggered it. :p Remember what happened when I said that about Chord vs. Grayson? ¬_¬

[Astil]

[QUOTE=D-Lyrium;492649]Now you've gone and buggered it. :p Remember what happened when I said that about Chord vs. Grayson? ¬_¬[/QUOTE] aw, damn it...

[hrdcoresidebrns]

MAW Leap Into The Unknown Masked Patriot vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]I try not to bet against Firebird when I can avoid it, even though Masked Patriot has been quite good lately.[/I] [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Ford & Speed [I]This stinks to high heaven of an upset, but I'm still picking the favorites.[/I] Jay Chord’s open challenge [I]I'll go with Jay's opponent. I'm not sure why. But I am fairly sure it will be somewhere in the D+/C- range.[/I] “Regular” Joe Benning vs. [B]“Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas[/B] [I]Even though I imagine that Thomas to be one of the roster cuts, Benning isn't an incredible talent to warrant a win here. I see Thomas building momentum to do the job to a rising star.[/I] [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Oscar Golden [I]BBS hands down.[/I] [B] “Machine” Jean Cattley and Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Antonio & Raphael [I]Chord seems deadset on pushing Antonio, so I see a loss here to start up a mini feud between Antonio & Raphael before Raphael's exit.[/I] Jonnie Perez vs. [B]Matthew Gauge [/B] [I]I'm honestly stumped on this one, so it was literally a coin toss. Plus Perez is still a work in progress, rather than a polished product like Gauge.[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]I be back. Yarr... Anyone know when Talk Like A Pirate Day is? For some reason, I'm in the mood, me hearties.[/I] * I’d invested a bit of our spare cash in getting the ten rules of MAW inscribed on a brass plaque. We’d replaced the old bit of paper several times, and someone usually ended up scrawling something humorous, obscene, or a mixture of the two on the sheet. Brass, hopefully, would withstand that a bit better. I’d also taken the time to shuffle things around a bit, in reference to the issues we’d had in my three years here. Alcohol, strangely, had never been a problem for us. [QUOTE] [CENTER][SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]1 – We will treat everyone with respect 2 – We will do everything we can to make our opponents look good 3 – We will learn from our mistakes, and seek to prevent them happening again 4 – We will not encourage others in bad habits 5 – We will strive every day to be better than we were the day before 6 – We will promote talent based on potential first, ability to put on a good match second and youth third 7 – We will remember that the fans pay our wages 8 – We will arrive on time for every show 9 – We will not bring alcohol into in the locker-room 10 – We will present the future of professional wrestling today[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER] [/QUOTE] Looking down the list, It occurred to me that Jay Chord had broken at least five of the rules. Bret Graveson was probably second on the list – the lack of locker room leaders out on tour meant that he was a continual pain in the neck. I’d been keeping an eye on possible replacements for a while, and any more trouble would see him out on his ear. * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Leap Into The Unknown Friday, 12th February 2011[/CENTER] “Regular” Joe Benning vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas[/B] Hrrmm... Thomas’ third match in the company, and the second time that he’s had bad chemistry with his opponent. That doesn’t exactly bode well... This was an okay match, a bit below the average I’d expect for a bout between two midcarders, but the chemistry issue explains that. There wasn’t much of a flow to it, as the exchanges between these two technically sound workers just kept breaking down. In the end, Thomas brought the match to a close with a Specialist Touch, but it’s fair to say that the win wasn’t too impressive. Winner: Robert Thomas (D-) * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Oscar Golden[/B] Golden spent most of this match yelling at Smith about the Cattley/Singh team. He took his lumps as, at first, Smith ignored the taunting and concentrated on the task at hand, but it was clear that Golden’s words were finding their mark as Smith grew more and more wild with his attacks, giving Golden the chance to strike back. Eventually, Smith tried a corner avalanche as Golden’s taunting grew to be too much. Golden deftly avoided the attack, and Smith ran chest first into the turnbuckles. Staggering backwards, he was caught with a Golden Shower to give the Canadian Blonde the upset win. Winner: Oscar Golden (D+) * Earlier today, Jonnie Perez and Matthew Gauge were in Rip’s office, running through the contract for Jonnie’s rematch with Matthew. Suddenly, the door to the office burst open, and Hugh de Aske strode into the room with Sienna at his side. [COLOR="Purple"]“What the hell-“[/COLOR] Rip managed to growl, before Hugh drew his cutlass and positioned the tip of the blade below Rip’s chin. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ah ah ah,”[/COLOR] Hugh said, before swinging the cutlass in a wild loop. Rip closed his eyes and gripped the edge of his desk – but when the cutlass slammed home, it was buried in the top of Rip’s desk, and had cleaved the match contract in two on the way down. Jonnie and Matthew looked at Hugh in disbelief as he grinned proudly at them. [COLOR="Blue"]“Sienna, love, make with the writing.”[/COLOR] Sienna sashayed forward, winked at Rip – who had regained his composure – and proceeded to scrawl loopily across the front of each half of the contract with a quill pen that she extracted from her cleavage. [COLOR="Blue"]“Amazing where you can stash an inkpot,”[/COLOR] Hugh said to Jonnie, who was staring at the cutlass. Rip took the two halves of the contract from Sienna, who beamed proudly at him. [COLOR="Purple"]“She’s signed your name to the contract,”[/COLOR] he said, neutrally. [COLOR="Blue"]“Yer right, lad. Sir,”[/COLOR] Hugh corrected himself. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’ve been without a treasure chest for far too long, and this lad put it well last time – gold opens doors,” [/COLOR]he nodded to Matthew, who clasped the Traditional title possessively. [COLOR="Purple"]“You could have just asked,”[/COLOR] Rip said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Pirate,”[/COLOR] Hugh shrugged. [COLOR="Purple"]“Well, it does appear to be legally binding,”[/COLOR] Rip went on, with an eye on the cutlass. [COLOR="Purple"]“And what the hell, this is the land of opportunity, after all.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Good working under you, cap’n,”[/COLOR] Hugh said, with a salute. [COLOR="Blue"]“Now, we’ve got to go and get ready. If ye’ll excuse us...”[/COLOR] Hugh threw an arm around Sienna, who giggled and waved coyly at the other three as Hugh dragged her off, singing a sea shanty as they went. * [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and Kashmir Singh (c) vs. Antonio & Raphael[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team title[/COLOR] Singh and Cattley seemed to be on different pages in this match, and their challengers honed in on the lack of experience. Using quick fire tag-team exchanges, the duo worked over their inexperienced opponents with relative ease. It was only when Antonio got over confident that the champions were able to stage a comeback. Rip’s first protégé started slapping Jean around and taunting him for being a fluke champion. Jean answered with a Mood Swing that bounced Antonio out of the ring – leaving Raphael at the mercy of the champs. He struggled manfully, and even managed to exploit the lack of understanding between the two a little, but the writing was on the wall, and when Singh clamped on the Bombay Duck, the champs scored their first defence – in unconvincing fashion. Winners: Cattley and Singh (D+) * [B]Masked Patriot vs. Firebird[/B] It seemed as though someone had misprinted the posters for the show – the guys apparently thought that tonight was open mic night. This was the third match on the bounce to feature a lot of talk, as Firebird taunted and berated Patriot who, like his mentor, grew steadily angrier. At one point, Firebird was pitched over the top rope, and Patriot climbed the ropes to deliver what would have been a devastating flying attack to the outside. But something seemed to click when he stood atop the turnbuckle, and he slowly climbed down. As Firebird returned to the ring, the match resumed, but Patriot was a lot more cautious – and Firebird made him pay for it, as he was able to boss around the youngster with relative ease, before picking up the win with a Firebird Splash. Winner: Firebird (C+) * [B]Jonnie Perez vs. Matthew Gauge (c) vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] Gauge’s Japanese commitments had made the wrestling news sites, meaning that the more savvy of our fans knew full well that he’d be leaving the company – which meant that he had to drop the belt. With Jonnie and Hugh around, however, there was at least some question as to who’d be picking it up. With both men former champions, the title would be in safe hands, whatever the outcome. I hoped. The match itself was decent, but the fan’s unfamiliarity with such matches was a problem. The three men put on a very good performance, but the fans weren’t buying into it. Off microphone, Rock noted that on the occasions we’d held multi-team matches, they’d been elimination affairs. Whoops. That meant that when Hugh nailed Gauge with the Cutthroat Driver to end the match, the fans were just getting warmed up for a second fall that didn’t exist. I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it up to them. Winner: Hugh de Aske (C-) * [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson vs. Ford & Speed[/B] This was an excellent tag team match. Ford and Speed have possibly outgrown the tag team division, if I’m honest, but their steady hands were useful in guiding their inexperienced opponents through the contest. Of note, Andrews was the one who ended up in trouble, with the former Fallen duo beating him down with relative ease as the champ sold for twenty. But in the end, Andrews made the tag – and jameson entered the fray as though his dreams had come true. Tossing Ford from the ring, Jameson quickly battered Speed down, and drilled him with the Bullseye to score the win for his team. Jameson looked particularly delighted as he and Andrews celebrated together. Winners: Andrews and Jameson (C) * Jay Chord came down to the ring and took a mic, but before he could speak familiar sounding music started up – and to the surprise and delight of the crowd, Darryl Devine appeared from backstage. [COLOR="Blue"]“Jay, before you start... I know how this works. Time was, I even used to help you out with this sort of thing. But I’m sorry, I could let you beat up some poor guy who’s not really ready to face someone with your skills – hell, if I know you, you’d be happy doing that for the next six months...”[/COLOR] The camera showed Jay’s face flushing with anger, and it was clear that this was pretty much what he’d had in mind. [COLOR="Blue"]“But Jay, that’s just being lazy. No, I’ve come all the way down here to help you out. You see, Jay, I’m accepting your challenge – tonight, in this very ring, I’m going to teach you that in this business you have to be ready to face any challenge, at any time.” [/COLOR] * [B]Daryl Devine vs. Jay Chord[/B] Devine’s appearance totally threw Chord – as much a result of their former allegiance as his sudden appearance at all, Rip speculated as his son took a ferocious battering. Jay fought back, but was unable to put much of a dent in Devine’s relentless attack. In desperation, Jay took the fight outside, where he was able to slow Devine down somewhat – but when the referee threatened a double countout, Jay instinctively returned to the ring. He regretted the move immediately, as Devine once more put a beating on him. While Chord was able to rally sporadically, Devine bossed the match pretty much from start to finish, and the crowd relished seeing the hated Jay get his comeuppance for once – a fate sealed with a beautifully delivered Devine Dream Drop to give the sudden crowd favourite the victory. Winner: Darryl Devine (B-) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: Richard Eisen gets frisky...[/I]

[Astil]

Great show.

[smurphy1014]

[QUOTE=James Casey;493042]“You could have just asked,” Rip said. “Pirate,” Hugh shrugged.[/QUOTE] :D How soon until Hugh asks why the rum is gone? Great show as always.

[D-Lyrium]

I called shenanigans on the Matt Gauge match, so I'm claiming the point. ¬_¬ Not that it matters, since the ONE TIME I go against a Blonde to win, a Blonde wins. Pfft. Also, it be the 19th of Septembarrrrr.