MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[WalterSobchak]

Great Show!

[Mattlore Devious]

Like smurphy1014, this bit was my favourite part; [QUOTE]“You could have just asked,” Rip said. “Pirate,” Hugh shrugged.[/QUOTE] September 19th is TLAPD, that's very soon :D

[James Casey]

We’d brought Darryl in before the RCI, but his schedule prevented him taking part in the show. With Matthew leaving, he’d picked a good time to sign. All the more so, since... [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“How is he?”[/COLOR] I asked, as Jay and Darryl helped Matthew out to the car. [COLOR="Purple"]“Broken tail bone,”[/COLOR] Rip growled, looking at Hugh and Jonnie, who in turn looked rather sheepish. [COLOR="Purple"]“He landed funny on a move. Nothing anyone can do about it.”[/COLOR] I nodded. It wasn’t our problem, really. We didn’t offer insurance for our performers, but encouraged them to take out their own coverage. Matt was lucky enough to be able to afford it. It did bring my thirty-seven month clean bill of health to an end, though – all that time without an in-ring injury was a minor record, even if for a big chunk of that time we’d only been running one or two shows a month. [COLOR="Purple"]“He’ll be fine, kid,”[/COLOR] Rip repeated. [COLOR="Purple"]“What’s the deal with Devine?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Standard three match series with Jay. They go well together in the ring, and I figure we’ll give them the main event at least once more. I’d like to see what Aaron can manage up top next month – maybe against Firebird. What do you think?”[/COLOR] Rip frowned. [COLOR="Purple"]“Didn’t you want the tag match with ‘bird next month?”[/COLOR] I frowned.[COLOR="DarkGreen"] “Oh, yeah... We’ve neglected the whole deal with Ota and Evil Spirit. It’s time to bring that up a bit. Okay, so it won’t be Firebird getting a shot next time...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“What about Casey?”[/COLOR] Rip asked. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“What about him?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Why not give him a shot? He’s not been on the shows much lately.”[/COLOR] I grimaced, feeling like a child caught with his hand in the sweet jar. [COLOR="Purple"]“We’re thin up top on the heel side with Matthew going. You’ve been saying for a while that you’ve got plans for Casey. Seems like the perfect time to put them into action.”[/COLOR] I avoided Rip’s gaze. My plans for Casey had involved him spending a long period of time improving on the weekly shows, away from the rather less forgiving gaze of the Mid Atlantic until I felt he was ready for the storyline I had in mind for him. Pitting him against Aaron could work towards the story I wanted, but it wasn’t what I would have chosen. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I do have plans for Casey... But I think we need to bring in a new face or two anyway. Putting one of them against Aaron first night out should guarantee a hot debut.”[/COLOR] Rip frowned. [COLOR="Purple"]“Kid, I want Casey to do well here-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“And he will. But just... Not yet. I think there’s mileage in his character, but I don’t think it’s time for him to go against Aaron.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“When, then?”[/COLOR] Rip asked, and I could sense the anger rising in him. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Around the summer,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Depending on how things play out.”[/COLOR] Rip’s eyes narrowed. [COLOR="Purple"]“And Antonio?”[/COLOR] he asked, his voice a low growl. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“What about him?”[/COLOR] I asked, nonplussed. [COLOR="Purple"]“Kid, you’ve been here three years – my kids haven’t done much in that time.”[/COLOR] My skin prickled, and I could feel the flush spreading across my cheeks. I bit back on my first response, and instead turned on one heel and limped away from Rip, letting him follow me to a place a little less public. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Your kids aren’t as talented as the guys above them on the roster,”[/COLOR] I said, when we found a more private spot. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Apart from Stevie, anyway. But Casey needs to shape up and work hard – he’s going nowhere fast. Antonio works hard, and there’ll always be a place for him, but I don’t honestly see him improving much beyond where he is right now. If Casey had Antonio’s work ethic, or Antonio had Casey’s potential, I would never have had to hire any of the others. But unfortunately, we’re living in the real world. Your loyalty to those two is admirable, Rip, but they’re going nowhere fast right now. I’ll give them every chance I can, but they’re not worth investing too much time at the top of the card.”[/COLOR] Rip’s face hardened into an obstinate scowl. [COLOR="Purple"]“Is that your final word?”[/COLOR] I took a deep breath before replying, and tried to provide a measured, sensible response. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I don’t do final words, Rip. I’ll be delighted if I’m proved wrong. But my short-term plans do not feature those two in any significant fashion.”[/COLOR] With a curt nod, Rip turned and walked away. * [COLOR="Purple"]“Okay, now the son of a ----- is just ----ing with me!”[/COLOR] I looked up curiously as Rip stomped past, his secretary Jenna fluttering after him with a pile of paper gradually working its way free from her grip. I counted to ten, and sure enough Heidi walked through the door. [COLOR="Magenta"]“The Natural’s gone to Rhode Island on a developmental deal.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“He’s 39. How much better does Richard think he’s going to get?”[/COLOR] I asked, mildly. Inwardly, I swore. The Natural was one of a few candidates I’d considered as short-term challenger for Aaron. Along with Citizen X and Zimmy Bumfhole, Eisen had snapped him up and dumped him in RIPW as soon as we’d made an approach. It was beginning to look an awful lot like more than just coincidence. Heidi ignored my rhetorical question. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Antonio’s contract has come up for renewal. Will you be dealing with it?”[/COLOR] I nodded. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Yeah, I don’t think Rip needs any more pressure right now. Ask Antonio to drop by in the next couple of days. Oh, any word on the other guys we’ve approached?”[/COLOR] Heidi shook her head. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Well, Keep me informed.”[/COLOR] Heidi tossed me off a mock salute, and left. * MAW On Tour Thursday, 18th February 2011 Riley McManus def. Curtis Jenkins – F Zeshin Makloka def. Yusuke Takahama and Ultimo Soetsu in a triple threat match – F- Jefferson Stardust def. Amazing Fire Fly – F Hugh de Aske (c) def. Jonnie Perez to retain the MAW Traditional title – D- Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Yeah – worst show ever ... Still boosted our popularity, though ... Graveson fined for prank on Hugh[/I] * Rip looked up at me as I entered. [COLOR="Purple"]“Got them?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Got them,”[/COLOR] I said, smiling a feral grin. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Now we just have to keep Richard away from them.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Any word from Jameson?”[/COLOR] I shook my head, my smiled fading slightly. Rhode Island, we had learned through channels, had approached Kirk Jameson. That was all we had – not what sort of deal it was, not whether he was going to take it... We were worried, as he had a big role in the unfolding storyline designed to take us through the next year or so. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“We could always speak to Richard,”[/COLOR] I said. I stopped. Rip’s eyes said all that was necessary. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I’ll get back to sorting Antonio’s contract out, then...”[/COLOR] I left the office, thinking things over. So long as Kirk had a contract with NOTBPW (the most prestigious company in the world, lest we forget), I wasn’t too worried about him being stolen – he wasn’t likely to ditch the Stones, and we benefited from him being settled. Still, with him also tied to FCW, it was one more reason for us to catch up with our Puerto Rican rivals. We were some way off that, but it was another goal on the road... * Eddie Peak is the new TCW World Heavyweight champion, having toppled Ricky Dale Johnson in a good match on Total Wrestling. It seems slightly odd to me to have the title change hands in that way, but what do I know? * Congratulations to Raphael, who’s been picked up on a PPA deal by 4C. The young Canadian deserves the break more than most – he’s consistent and doesn’t cause trouble backstage. * MAW On Tour Thursday, 25th February 2011 Brandon Smith def. Jefferson Stardust – E+ Evil Spirit def. Jonnie Perez – E- Kashmir Singh def. Findlay O’Farraday – E+ Greg Ford def. Matt Hocking – E Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Better than the last show on average, but no killer match to finish things off – if and when Hugh realises his worth and demands a pay rise, we’ll be stuffed, because he’s the only cheap guy on the roster who can drag a match above E+ outside the Mid-Atlantic ... Spirit pranks Bret ... Hard warning given out by mistake[/I] * [CENTER][B]MAW All Or Nothing[/B] Smith & Singh vs. Ford & Speed Fumihiro Ota and Masked Patriot vs. Firebird and Evil Spirit Aaron Andrews vs. ??? Stevie Grayson vs. VIP Wallace Internet Favourites vs. The Canadian Blondes ”Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Hugh de Aske Darryl Devine vs. Jay Chord[/CENTER]

[Mattlore Devious]

Smith & Singh vs. [B]Ford & Speed[/B] [I]Team implosion[/I] Fumihiro Ota and Masked Patriot vs. [B]Firebird and Evil Spirit[/B] [I]They're growing[/I] [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. ??? [I]Champ[/I] Stevie Grayson vs. [B]VIP Wallace[/B] [I]He's not Stevie[/I] [B]Internet Favourites[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes [I]They're our favourites[/I] ”Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] [I]Tough call[/I] Darryl Devine vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] [I]1-all, setting up the third match[/I]

[Pampero Firpo]

[QUOTE=James Casey;493042][COLOR="Purple"]“You could have just asked,”[/COLOR] Rip said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Pirate,”[/COLOR] Hugh shrugged.[/QUOTE] Let me add my name to the list -- I actually laughed out loud when reading this. It's one of those things you can just picture in your head. Anytime a wrestling diary can truly make me laugh, that's saying something. Great job. Also, I appreciate how frequently you update this diary. It makes it easy to remember what has happened and keep all the characters and storylines straight. Good stories, good characters, good writing, regular updates and great lines like the one above -- you've got a fan here.

[James Casey]

[I]MAW: Where we half-ass writeups when it all gets a bit much for us... Have I sold you the show yet? :o[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: All Or Nothing Friday, 26th February 2011[/CENTER] Smith & Singh vs. Ford & Speed[/B] It was clear from the separate entrances of the face duo that things are not as rosy as they could be backstage. Singh played peacemaker throughout – unfortunately, Smith was clearly in a foul mood, and this manifested itself in an attempt to take on their opponents on his own. It was a tactic doomed to failure, and even Smith eventually realised it, as he tagged in Singh, looking as though he’d just touched dog dirt (and, if you recall, Smith really doesn’t like dog dirt). Singh tried to make up the difference, using technical wizardry to hold off Ford, but in this department he was outclassed by Speed, and fell prey to Fallen Chances to take the loss of his team, as Smith watched on from the apron. Winners: Ford & Speed (D+) * [B]Internet Favourites vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] In deference to their long history together, the Blondes were a bit antsy about tying up with Hugh Lee. No such problems with Max Mayhem, however, who was pounded into goo by the vastly experienced Canadian duo. The Blondes staked their claim to a tag title shot with an impressive win, Savage forcing Mayhem to tap out to a Canadian Crab. Winners: The Canadian Blondes (E+) * Backstage, and the Internet Favourites were trying to dissuade Fumihiro Ota from his match with Firebird and Evil Spirit. Ota was adamant that he was going ahead – insofar as anyone can tell when he’ll only communicate via a gong. * [B]Stevie Grayson vs. VIP Wallace[/B] Rip and I have agreed that Stevie Grayson’s contract will not be renewed when it comes up for expiry. Matches like this are why. Granted, Grayson is a bigger name than Wallace (aka Air Attack Weasel) but at a non-televised show watched by 1200 people, who cares who wins or loses? In this case, Wallace made a flat start to his MAW career against an uninspired Grayson. More from Wallace soon – Grayson may have worked his last match for the company. Winner: VIP Wallace (D-) * [B]Fumihiro Ota and Masked Patriot vs. Firebird and Evil Spirit[/B] Fumihiro Ota was also out of sorts in this match – and for much the same reason. We played it off as unease about his first meeting with Evil Spirit, his former pupil. His partner has his own problems – continually second-guessing himself as he went after their opponents, who seemed to derive great pleasure from the confusion they had caused. Patriot was hesitant to let go and cause damage, and Firebird taunted him about this, daring him to risk falling to claim the victory. In the end, Patriot’s inexperience told as he let himself get dragged from the ring by Spirit and, as Ota looked on, Firebird attacked from behind, putting the ninja down and leaving him prey to the Firebird Splash. Winners: Firebird and Spirit (D+) * To add insult to injury, Firebird and Spirit continued beating on their opponents after the match was over. Ota was forced to resort to his bag of ninja tricks, unleashing some smoke bombs to try and get the upper hand – but as the Fallen duo reeled, a monstrous man clad in black leather vaulted the crowd barrier and slid into the ring. Grabbing Ota around the head with one massive hand, he lifted him easily into the air, and pitched him into the onrushing Patriot, taking both men out in a single move. To add insult to injury, he lifted Patriot effortlessly up into the air, before powerbombing him down on Ota’s prone form. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“This is Thrash,”[/COLOR] Firebird declared over the house mic. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Thrash embraced the darkness from birth. But I have shown him the light. And only when you accept the light, my masked friend, will you be free of your suffering.”[/COLOR] * [B]”Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Hugh de Aske (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] Halfway through the show, and business finally picked up. Although this match didn’t serve much of a purpose, the RCI rematch was a step above everything else on the show to this point. The match comprised of fifteen minutes of top-notch action, ended with a Cutthroat Driver from Hugh to retain the title. Winner: Hugh de Aske (C) * Backstage, The Canadian Blondes challenged Cattley and Singh, offering to relieve them of the millstones around their necks that the Tag Team titles had become. * Rip entered the ring, and claimed to have found someone who he felt would be a decent challenger for Aaron Andrews: JD Morgan! * [B]Aaron Andrews vs. JD Morgan[/B] The veteran Morgan dominated Andrews in this non-title match, pitching him around the ring with shocking ease. Andrews seemed confused about his inability to keep pace with the older man – every strategy he developed immediately countered and rendered useless. Andrews was able to mount the odd flurry of offence, but it was as though Morgan was merely studying his form and technique, before drawing on his many years of experience to apply the appropriate counter. In the end, Morgan caught the champ with A Shot Of JD to put him down for the stunning upset victory. Winner: JD Morgan (C) * After the match, Morgan continued his assault. He was joined at first by Firebird, and then Evil Spirit, and finally Thrash until the champ was the subject of a vicious four-on-one beatdown. Only the intervention of Darryl Devine brought the beating to an end as he swung a chair at the attackers and drove them off. Dropping the chair, he tried to help Andrews up – but was, in turn, attacked by Jay Chord, who slid into the ring and launched into a bulldog that brought Devine crashing down, chest first onto the steel chair. Rip barked at Bret Graveson, who reluctantly signalled for the bell to be rung before shepherding Andrews from the ring. * [B]Darryl Devine vs. Jay Chord[/B] This was a very good match, if not on quite the same level as their previous encounter. Chord grew increasingly frustrated at being unable to put Devine away, as even with the early advantage he could never quite get to a position where he could finish his opponent off. Devine, for his part, fought back gamely but was never quite able to make up the ground on Chord and turn the match to his advantage. In short, it was a battle of equals – and when the bell rang to mark a time-limit draw, the fans were only mildly disappointed with the result. Winner: No-one (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] * [I]OOC: I’ll be honest here... Back in EWR, sometimes you just had shows where things didn’t click. It was annoying, but you accepted it and got on with things. This was one of those shows for me. Between Devine refusing to job, a crummy undercard, an attendance fully a thousand short of predictions... If it hadn’t been for the debuts of Thrash (Grease Hogg, for those wondering) and JD Morgan (JD Morgan, for those... oh) then I might well have written this up in an On Tour style... As it is, with Hugh/Jean falling two grades short of the RCI grading, I just knew the rest of the card wasn’t going to live up to expectations. And it didn’t. Because of that... Yeah, crummy card, crummy write-up. Sorry - but I was hoping for this card to be my first to break into the B range given the quality involved in last three matches...[/I] [I]Next: Rip Chord dances the tango. [U]Really...[/U][/I]

[Nightshadeex]

It's not a bad write up, don't worry about it. You still got everything that you needed across.

[Astil]

I found it to be good. Save the great stuff for great shows :p

[mad5226]

i agree it got the point across thats all thats needed

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: For obvious reasons, the next few posts focus on the backstage element of the diary - but I hope you'll agree that it's worth it. It also helped me recharge after All Or Nothing :)[/I] * If there’s something you never want to hear, it’s Rip Chord doing a medley of songs from The Sound Of Music when you didn’t get much sleep the night before. And yet, somehow, by entering what I could only assume was some weird parallel dimension, this is the noise that greeted me as I entered MAW headquarters on the 1st of March. [COLOR="Purple"]“Kid!”[/COLOR] he greeted me, sweeping up our receptionist into a waltz as he switched from singing about his favourite things to the opening bars of Ding, Dong, The Witch Is Dead. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Hello, Rip. You’re in a good mood.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“SWF has crashed!”[/COLOR] he yelled, as he tangoed down the hallway, the receptionist firmly in his arms and, I suspected, rather indecent acts about to be committed. I shook my head, unable to suppress a smile as I logged on to the receptionist’s computer. My office was right across the hallway from Rip’s, and there’s no soundproofing to protect my innocent ears. TEW.com had the full story: [QUOTE][CENTER]SWF Fall to Cult Bad news today for Richard Eisen’s Supreme Wrestling Federation. The patented tew.com pop-o-meter has registered a steady decline in interest in the company in recent months. The retirement of Jack Bruce was the last straw for the company, as since that time, ratings have been down and attendance at live events has been in free-fall. Apparently, Richard Eisen has decided that enough is enough, and has made the decision to find a replacement for Farrah Hesketh as head booker of the company. Names in the frame include Catherine Quine, Peter Michaels, and James Casey. Neither Eisen nor Hesketh could be reached for comment, although an SWF insider was quoted as saying that Eisen wanted to hire someone who could be trusted to take SWF back to the top of the rankings as fast as possible. In the meantime, the SWF board of directors, on the advice of the company’s accountants are believed to have imposed a six month restructuring period in which the company will be restricting its expenditures, including making all new and renewed contracts pay per appearance in an attempt to reduce the monthly outgoings.[/CENTER][/QUOTE] * MAW On Tour Thursday, 4th March 2011 – Great Lakes VIP Wallace def. Amazing Fire Fly – E- The Triple Threat (c) def. Hocking, benning and Perez to retain the MAW Trios titles – E+ Casey Valentine def. Riley McManus – E Greg Ford def. Kashmir Singh – E+ Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Wallace still rusty ... Need a pirate or a Bulldozer to break into the D range, it seems ...[/I] * Locking up the arena at the end of the night was my job – and one I took seriously. There aren’t many sub-thousand seat arenas in the Great Lakes area, and only this little one in Ohio was willing to rent out to wrestling companies. They seemed to have the impression that every company was some sort of sub-DaVE hardcore wannabe, with fire, tacks and broken glass awaiting any idiot willing to step into the below-grade ring. There are a few backyard feds around like that – but at $200 a night, I doubt any could afford a venue like this. It’s a bit of a push for us, truth be told. Still, it was the only place going, and the locals were beginning to warm up to us. We still weren’t even filling half of the place, but that’s okay – we were pulling in more than when we started. Idly, I daydreamed of selling out two-thousand seat venues for the touring shows. By that time, I thought, we might even be able to sustain pay-per-views. But that was all the way off in the future – and you never know what’s around the corner. Case in point, I walked around the corner to find someone sitting on the nose of my car. I tensed, and winced as the movement made my knee twinge. But the person was someone I recognised – although I hadn’t spoken to him in a long, long time. [COLOR="Orange"]“Hello, James, how’s the knee?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Fine, thank you,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“And yourself? How’s the family?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“Getting along fine, thank you. Do you have time for dinner?”[/COLOR] I hesitated. But I did owe him that much, at least. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“OK, Mr. Eisen, I guess I can spare you an hour or two.”[/COLOR] [I]Next: You have to ask?[/I]

[Nightshadeex]

Oooh, this could be interesting. Will James screw over Rip? It's not like they're best friends or anything...

[James Casey]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JamesCasey.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RichardEisen.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The starter had been better than the main course, and the dessert had been better than both. The conversation, meanwhile, had been a strange animal. We’d caught up on each other’s lives, and discussed wrestling in general. What we hadn’t discussed was Eisen’s own company. It didn’t take a genius to work out why Richard was here, but whether out of some sense of loyalty to Rip, or perverse bloody-mindedness, or just because I was worried about being wrong, I was going to wait until he actually said it. [COLOR="Orange"]“So...”[/COLOR] he said, as the waitress poured him a cup of coffee. [COLOR="Orange"]“Tell me something, James. Are you happy, working for Chord? I mean, there was that whole business with him injuring you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Yeah, we don’t really talk about that too much,”[/COLOR] I said, with a half-smile. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“It’s a busy life, running a wrestling company. Not that I’m telling you anything you don’t already know.”[/COLOR] Richard chuckled. [COLOR="Orange"]“Nice answer. Let me try another question: What would you do if I put you in charge of my company for a day?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Depends what day it was,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I might sit around at home and scratch myself; I might be in charge of a multi-national TV show.”[/COLOR] Richard frowned. [COLOR="Orange"]“I didn’t come all the way to Ohio to play games.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“No. I didn’t imagine for a moment that you did. So, why did you come here, Mr. Eisen?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“Why do you think?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I can think of two plausible explanations. The first is that you’re touring the country, picking the brains of the finest minds in the business to see how you can drag your company out of the hole it’s in right now. If that’s the case, then I admire your optimism and faith in humanity, if not your sense of realism. To be honest, I would expect the same answer to be given to you – regardless of who you ask.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“And that would be?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Hire Nemesis.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"][I]“What?”[/I][/COLOR] Eisen looked at me as though I’d gone crazy. [COLOR="Orange"]“Seriously?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Seriously. There’s a lot of mileage in a feud between you two – even if you make it a fight between Eric and Ash.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“Okay... You’re yanking my chain, right?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Slightly, yes. I do think there could be something in the idea, although I suspect you’d never go through with it. Besides, it’s been, what, fifteen years since you and Nemesis had your falling out?”[/COLOR] Eisen nodded. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Even among wrestling fans, that’s ancient history. A year later, sure. Fifteen? Not so much. You couldn’t even market it as DaVE against the SWF – you’d never allow DaVE to look like it had a chance at winning, so it’d be flatter than Holland. Besides, DaVE’s dead – has been for years. You couldn’t relaunch it now.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“So what [I]would[/I] you do, if you had the chance?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“If I were in charge of your company? You really want to know what I’d do?”[/COLOR] He nodded, unable to disguise the curiosity in his eyes. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I’d make every damn company in the world my ---ch and turn them into developmental territories,”[/COLOR] I said, with an arrogant smirk. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Except MAW. They’re never going to hurt anyone – not with that dumb ---- Chord in charge.”[/COLOR] He smirked. [COLOR="Orange"]“You really think that?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“No. But you do.”[/COLOR] The grin vanished. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Actually, I would expand my development territories. I’d get Ring of Fire or 21CW in the UK, UEW in Europe, CZCW here in the States and CWWF, AAA or both to allow us to build up a top-notch women’s division.”[/COLOR] He frowned. [COLOR="Orange"]“Planning on an overhaul of my roster?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Hell yes. Your roster’s a joke. Your tag champions are Lobster Warrior and Big Smack Scott. Remo’s the only halfway decent guy you’ve got up top these days. Twelve months to get the best prospects up to standard, a bunch of tag teams to season up some rookies, and eighteen months plus for the youngsters...”[/COLOR] I stared off into the distance, lost for a moment in a reverie of what I’d do with that kind of talent. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“But that’s me. You’ve got six months to lick your wounds and carry out some emergency roster surgery. Forge a relationship with the Stones to get guys like Champagne Lover on your shows. Turn APW into a developmental territory so you can get your hands on Swoop McCarthy and give something back to them. Try and get the average age of your roster under 35 – and trim the fat. There’s a lot of guys on your roster who have no place there. Ship them out to TCW, where they can do some damage. Or USPW, because nostalgia is always in fashion.[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Oh, and push Steven Parker – but that almost goes without saying. He’s already your Shooting Star champion – he can do a lot more.”[/COLOR] Eisen laid his hands on the table, either side of his steaming cup. [COLOR="Orange"]“Are you interested in the job?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“What job would that be?”[/COLOR] I asked. Now I was just being stubborn – but so long around Rip taught me that some people needed to run into a wall every now and then. [COLOR="Orange"]“Head booker for the SWF,”[/COLOR] he said, resignedly. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“You sound like I’m pulling teeth, Richard. If you don’t want me-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“It’s not that. James... I’m getting old. I’m tired. I thought I had this whole thing worked out – but the last few years have been hard.”[/COLOR] I nodded. Losing Sam Keith, the election fiasco, twice falling to the cult level of popularity dreaded by wrestling insiders for the difficulty – and financial outlay – involved in escaping... After being on top of the world for so long, Richard had taken some heavy blows in the last four years. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I want to be clear about this, Richard: What are you offering me?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“I’ve prepared a very attractive financial package,”[/COLOR] Eisen began, drawing a thick bundle of papers from his jacket. I waved it away. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I have money, Richard. And I’m sure you’d pay more than Rip, so that’s not particularly relevant. How much control would I have over the company?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“How much control do you have under Chord?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Near-total. I didn’t have to hire Jay – I chose to. I don’t have to push him. I can hire whoever I want. About the only thing I can’t do is fire his favourites, and deal with you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]“Figures,”[/COLOR] Eisen said, with a huff of laughter. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“So, for me to leave a company in which I’m instrumental to the success, and take a figurehead role in a company where I’ll have your hand jammed up my arse twenty-four-seven... No. I won’t take that, regardless of the money. So, what’s it to be, Richard? Can you give up control of your company to me? Will you give me complete autonomy over hirings and firings? Are you prepared to accept that in six months time, your company will be unrecognisable from the one you’re running now? Because that’s what it’d take for me to sign on. If you want me to run your company, Mr. Eisen, then I have to be the one running it. Could you live with that?”[/COLOR] Eisen’s hands were still on the table, but they had balled into fists, the skin around the knuckles white as he dug his fingers into his palms. It was clear that my terms of acceptance would stretch him to his very limit – and maybe beyond. While I waited for Richard to make up his mind, I took a drink of water, and thought about how Rip was going to react when I told him...

[FINisher]

I'd rate that segment as A*.. A is for Awesome. :) Keep up the good work! I've been reading but hardly write any replys, now I had to.

[Astil]

:eek: But...but...but...:eek:

[Nightshadeex]

Wow. This is gonna be good.

[D-Lyrium]

annndd... SWERVE~! ... right? ... ... right?! :(

[mad5226]

Oh man I dont know what to say. Part of me whats you to take the job, but the other part says turn him down then go to war with SWF and put them out of business =)

[benjacko]

DON'T SELL OUT!!! :p

[Mattlore Devious]

*holds breath* either way, this diary is just getting better and better

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Seven responses - I think that's a record :p Especially as it's only been eighteen hours. I'll have to tease stuff like that more often. We're coming up to a fairly busy period for the diary. I've plotted out the main arc through to October, but if there's anyone you desperately want to see more of in the coming months, let me know. In the last week, I've simmed through to mid-May - including a new MotY candidate. There's a few guys arriving, and one [I]very[/I] big name leaving, but I'd be interested to know what you guys want, too - there's a lot of space on the shows that's yet to be filled. Anyway, did he, or didn't he...[/I] * [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Rip?”[/COLOR] Rip looked up from his computer. He likes to give the impression that he knows how to work it – and, to be fair, he’s improved. Mostly to the point where he plays Minesweeper a lot, but that’s progress, right? [COLOR="Purple"]“Yeah, kid?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I need to talk to you about something.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Just a second... Damn.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Mine?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Yeah. Damned things are always there somewhere.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Well, yes,”[/COLOR] I said. What else can you say? [COLOR="Purple"]“What did you want to talk about?”[/COLOR] he asked, turning to face me, but his attention still on the screen a bit. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I wanted you to hear it from me first,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Last night, after the show, Richard Eisen approached me about going to work for the SWF again.”[/COLOR] Rip’s attention was now wholly on me. [COLOR="Purple"]“What?”[/COLOR] he growled. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“He offered me the head booker’s job,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“He sounded me out about what I’d do to change the company if I was brought in, so I told him.”[/COLOR] Rip’s expression was unchanged and, worryingly, unreadable. [COLOR="Purple"]“What did you say?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Well, what could I say? I told him everywhere that SWF was going wrong – which is basically everywhere, you know that as well as I do. I told him that any chance I had of taking the job rested on him giving me complete control – more control than I have here!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“You said that to Eisen?”[/COLOR] I nodded, grinning. Rip didn’t grin. [COLOR="Purple"]“What did he say?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“He withdrew the job offer quicker than you can say screwjob finish,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Purple"]“Would you have gone to work for him if he’d agreed?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I- What?”[/COLOR] Rip leant forward over his desk. [COLOR="Purple"]“If Eisen had offered you the post, on your terms, would you have agreed to it?”[/COLOR] I blinked. It had never occurred to me that Eisen would agree to my terms. I’d just been hoping to plant a seed in him – one that might save his company. It made no difference to me whether SWF failed or succeeded, but personally I had no beef with the Eisen family. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Do you know, I have no idea what I would have said,”[/COLOR] I replied, thoughtfully. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“Honestly, I’m happy here, but the chance to run a company that big? I knew Richard would never agree to it – but he was good to me when I got injured. I thought at the very least I owed him an honest assessment of his company.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“I hear you,”[/COLOR] Rip said, sitting back in his chair. [COLOR="Purple"]“Well James, thanks for letting me know about your offer. Think you can get your head out of the clouds long enough to book the next show?”[/COLOR] I laughed, and Rip smirked. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“I’ll get on it now, Rip,”[/COLOR] I assured him, and with a nod I turned to leave. As the door swung shut behind me, I heard him on the phone, barking at Jenna to get Jay on the line. * Peter Michaels has taken the poisoned chalice – he’s the new head booker of the SWF. His first task is likely to be difficult: Keeping the SWF on TV. Already they’ve been warned by Japanese Sports Vision and America-Sports-1 that ratings have to improve for Supreme TV. AS1 is particularly upset as the show has dropped from around a 3.00 to barely half that in recent weeks. In addition to that, people are drawing comparisons between the product of SWF, and the two other North American giants: TCW and NOTBPW. It’s a fight that SWF is losing – badly. * Here comes trouble – Jay Chord is the new USPW World champion. Dear oh dear oh dear... * All eyes on... Puffy The Sand Iron Player. Right... * MAW On Tour Thursday 11th March 2011 – South East VIP Wallace def. Jonnie Perez – E- Joe Benning def. Antonio – E+ Hugh de Aske and Casey Valentine def. Internet Favourites – D- Brandon Smith def. Greg Ford – D- Overall: [COLOR="DarkOrange"]D-[/COLOR] [I]Notes: A strong show for a touring event ... Considering going up to ninety minutes to get more youngsters on ... Graveson pranks Hugh – on last warning[/I] * [CENTER][B]MAW Third Time’s The Charm[/B] “Regular” Joe Benning vs. Hugh de Aske Fumihiro Ota vs. Evil Spirit “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Primus Allen Kashmir Singh and “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. The Canadian Blondes Steve Flash vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson vs. JD Morgan and Thrash Darryl Devine vs. Jay Chord[/CENTER]

[FINisher]

MAW Third Time’s The Charm “Regular” Joe Benning vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Evil Spirit [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Primus Allen [B]Kashmir Singh and “Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes Steve Flash vs. [B]“Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas[/B] [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. JD Morgan and Thrash [B]Darryl Devine[/B] vs. Jay Chord

[D-Lyrium]

I'm sure Graveson's on about his eighth last warning now ¬_¬ “Regular” Joe Benning vs. [B]Hugh de Aske[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Evil Spirit[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] Kashmir Singh and “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [B]Steve Flash[/B] vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. JD Morgan and Thrash [B]Darryl Devine[/B] vs. Jay Chord

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=D-Lyrium;494432]I'm sure Graveson's on about his eighth last warning now ¬_¬[/QUOTE] [I]Oddly enough, I touch on that point next post...[/I] * [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Third Time’s The Charm Friday 12th March 2011[/B][/CENTER] [B]“Regular” Joe Benning vs. Hugh de Aske[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] A record – I think – crowd of over 1,800 nearly filled the Biker Museum for this show, which really wasn’t booked as anything special. But after a few months, I feel like I’m getting a handle on the little/big show split, so maybe that’s coming across to the fans? Who knows? What I do know is that this was a decent opener, as Hugh – who’s moving up in the world – faced off with Benning – who may have something new going on that we’ll see a bit of in the weeks to come. The new champ mostly controlled the tempo of the match, selling for Benning here and there. As usual it made for a decent contest that would shame some of our more egotistical stars – if they felt shame. Anyway, the Dread Pirate scored the win here with a Cutthroat Driver in a match that will have advanced both men’s stock. Funny how that can happen sometimes, isn’t it? Winner: Hugh de Aske (C-) * Backstage, and Fumihiro Ota and Evil Spirit came face to face. No gong this time, instead Spirit let fly with a stream of clearly vituperative Japanese, as Ota stared him implacably down. Ota responded with gesture he must have picked up in America – a single finger raised to the sky. * [B]Fumihiro Ota vs. Evil Spirit[/B] Master against student – and it turned up a case of excellent chemistry that on commentary we played off as totally expected. Who would know each other better than these two, after all? Anyway, it was a fairly short match as Ota showed off his superior skills, and while Spirit tried to resort to his brutal tactics, his former sensei was able to put him down with a Ninja Strike for the win and some sense of personal satisfaction. Winner: Fumihiro Ota (D-) * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Primus Allen[/B] We’ve been here a few times before, and it always gets much the same result. A recent roster re-shuffle with the help of Heidi, Flash and Rip put these two in the midcard – where they started their MAW careers and where they may well end their MAW careers. I know both are capable of more. They don’t have bad chemistry or anything... It’s just this battle between two heavyweight brawlers is not, I suppose, what MAW fans want to see. Just wait until Richard Eisen gets his hands on them, though... Anyway, even match, lots of great strength spots, some vicious kicks from Strong Style Smith – and a Running Powerslam from Allen to score the win Winner: Primus Allen (D+) * I wish I could think of something to do with Primus Allen, as he’s come along under our tutelage – case in point, he cut a promo here promising to tear up the competition that really got the fans going, proving that his mic work has improved as well. But, honestly, I’ve got nothing. He’s been to the top, been a champion... But he’s not a draw, and making him one isn’t in my plans any time soon. So for the time being, he’ll make occasional appearances and mostly pick up wins. It could be worse... * [B]Kashmir Singh and “Machine” Jean Cattley (c) vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] The Blondes were certain, going into this match, that the gold would be theirs once more. So certain, in fact, that Golden chose to spend as much of the time flirting with a pretty girl at ringside as he did monitoring the action. In fairness, for long spells of the match the Blondes were in control. And yet, by taking their eye off the ball again and again, the Blondes kept giving their opponents a way back in – finally culminating in Golden eating a Cal-Cutter as Singh made him pay for yet another missed opportunity to put the match away. The Blondes had botched their rematch, to their considerable frustration – and the champs, somehow, were still the champs. Winners: Cattley and Singh (D+) * Furious at the decision, the Blondes retaliate with a lot more focus than they showed during the match, attacking with a raw ferocity that overwhelms the champs and leaves them down and out. The Blondes pick up the belts and rub them in the champs’ faces, only to be surprised by the appearance of Brandon Smith, who nearly spears Savage out of his boots. Golden immediately tastes a heavy clothesline that takes him over the top rope, before Smith turns to his friends and helps them upright, their problems forgiven – or, at least, forgotten – in the face of the Blondes’ challenge. * [B]Steve Flash vs. “Lone Wolf” Robert Thomas[/B] Okay, this is just getting silly. I really want Robert Thomas to be a success here in MAW, as his style seems tailor-made to click with the fans – but he can’t click with anyone on the roster! In four matches, he’s turned up three cases of bad chemistry – surely a record. Still, the match was watchable as both men are talented, and shorn of his usual silly smooth chain wrestling exchanges, Thomas instead took a chance on experimenting with a more exaggerated, entertainment-style approach reminiscent of a Sam Strong-style wrestler, as Rip noted with a hint of admiration in his voice. It wasn’t quite enough to win the match – Flash scored with a Flash Bang around the twelve-minute mark – but it impressed us with his versatility. Winner: Steve Flash (D+) * Backstage, and Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson were getting ready for their match. [COLOR="Blue"]“Hey, listen, I’m sorry about last show – I wasn’t around to help you out,”[/COLOR] Jameson said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Don’t worry about it,”[/COLOR] Andrews said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Devine helped me, and it’s not like the champion needs too much help, right?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Hey, if you feel like that, you can take on these new Fallen guys on your own,”[/COLOR] Jameson said, with a laugh. [COLOR="Blue"]“Nah,”[/COLOR] Andrews shot back, with a toothy grin. [COLOR="Blue"]“You can get in and take your lumps.”[/COLOR] * [B]Aaron Andrews and Kirk Jameson vs. JD Morgan and Thrash[/B] Jameson’s old nerves resurfaced in this match, as he tried desperately to find a way past the massive Thrash and dominant Morgan. Even as Andrews implored him to work with what he knows, Jameson was instead trying to outthink the much more experienced Morgan – and while a stoned rock could probably outthink Thrash, you can outthink Mt. Rushmore too. It’ll still hurt if it falls on you. When Andrews was in the ring, balance was restored as he was able to keep Thrash mainly on the defensive – although he did taste a gorilla press onto the ringpost, in a spot that looked horrible, in the right way – while he seemed to have Morgan well-scouted after their previous match, and was able to hold his own against him. But even with this example to work with, when Jameson returned to the fray, Thrash in particular took great glee in chucking him around with abandon – resulting in a thunderous, ring shaking Grease Spot that put the Invitational champion down for the count, much to the evident frustration of the Heavyweight champion, who had to watch as Morgan and Thrash gloated over their victory. Winners: Thrash and Morgan (C) * Darryl Devine and Jay Chord entered the main arena and stood in the centre of the ring, nose to nose, exchanging taunts and curses as they postured and posed. The final match of their series came down to this – either Jay would prove himself Devine’s equal, or he would suffer a hefty blow to his confidence and standing as one of MAW’s premier competitors. * [B]Darryl Devine vs. Jay Chord[/B] Last month, Devine balked at losing to Jay – on Tommy’s orders, I might add. This time, I let Rip give Darryl an inspirational talk, and then sent him down to the ring with orders for the match to end on a pin after fifteen minutes or so. We didn’t say anything about who should win... These two are now so familiar with each other that Tommy’s put them in a team out west, possibly out of spite to me. But MAW fans are just wondering why they’re teaming in TCW – not why they’re feuding in MAW. I like that. The match itself was very good, with a back and forth flow that kept people guessing. I had toyed with the idea of gimmicking the match somehow, but decided against it after our relatively recent street fight. Instead, it was good, old-fashioned fighting, and appreciated as such buy the fans. In Darryl’s last match with the company for now, he put Jay over well, selling his offence like death, and making him look great. If it wasn’t up to their first match, it can only be because Devine’s appearance that night was a shock that set the fans afire – here they were familiar with what they were going to see. In the end, Darryl did the right thing, taking a Cradle Piledriver and lying down for his occasional partner. I can only hope Tommy doesn’t punish him for it... Winner: Jay Chord (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: Odds and ends[/I]

[Mattlore Devious]

Nice show, But can Thrash's Grease Spot be renamed to something that suits the new gimmick?

[James Casey]

Thrash is still Lead Belly - biker gear, chains and all. I quite like Grease Spot as a name for a finisher of a guy his size. Anyway, it's fair to say he won't get to use it much: Thrash is only in for three months, and he has a very specific purpose to serve along the way... :p