MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: How to start a malaise... Having booked ahead a bit, I know the next few shows aren't, well, classics. To put it mildly. Anyway, there's some backstage fun and sundry bits and pieces. I think it still reads okay, but if you want to skip a few posts and come back when I post the Invitational, well, I wouldn't hold it against you. Still, 600 posts. Not bad for four and a half months... Thanks to everyone for chipping in![/I] * [COLOR="Blue"]“I have to go, James,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Green"]“I know – I wouldn’t try and stop you,”[/COLOR] I replied. We shook hands. [COLOR="Green"]“But we’re short on the face side. I can’t even remember how the Invitational was laid out originally, but with you, Chance, Ernest and Hugh all leaving it’s fair to say that it looked pretty different.”[/COLOR] He shrugged. [COLOR="Green"]“I’m not blaming you. What the SWF have offered you is amazing – especially at your time of life.”[/COLOR] He smiled slightly. [COLOR="Blue"]“Especially at my time of life, yeah. I’m forty-five, James. I gave up dreaming of the big leagues more than ten years ago. I don’t know what Richard and Peter have planned for me, but for what they’re paying... I’m a grandfather, James. A year of SWF money will keep the kids in diapers and Christmas presents for a long time to come.”[/COLOR] We sized each other up. [COLOR="Green"]“Steve Flash, SWF champion...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Don’t,”[/COLOR] he laughed. [COLOR="Blue"]“It’ll never happen.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Imagine the storyline, though. It’s the ultimate underdog story. The ultimate. I mean, who’s the champion there nowadays? Steve Frehley? He's nearly twenty years younger than you!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Bigger, stronger, more vicious... I don’t think I could cope with a match with him – let alone a feud. It’d be like trying to fight Primus or Knuckles every night.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Well, good luck Steve. Whatever happens, it goes without saying that you’d be welcome back here.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Thanks,”[/COLOR] he said. We shook again, and once more I watched as another of our stars drove northwards. The dust had barely settled before Rip appeared at my side. [COLOR="Purple"]“We’re in trouble, kid,”[/COLOR] he said, softly. [COLOR="Purple"]“Any ideas?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Well, I’m thinking of calling Tommy and seeing if that job offer is still open,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“But apart from that... We need to bring someone in for the Invitational pretty soon. Primus needs a challenger.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Have you written the shows up to then?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I have – but there’s room to bring someone in. But with Richard hoovering up everyone and anyone with any chance of getting ratings, well...”[/COLOR] My shoulders sagged. [COLOR="Green"]“We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Someone fantastic might debut in the next few days – but equally, they might not. I think I’ll call Tommy and see if he can lend us anyone.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“We don’t have many people to send back.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Kirk or Wanda...”[/COLOR] I stopped as a lightbulb went off in my head. [COLOR="Green"]“Wait one second.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“You’ve thought of something?”[/COLOR] I looked at the idea from every angle I could think of. [COLOR="Green"]“Maybe. I need to make some calls. Tommy, Sam... Give me a couple of days, Rip. Monday morning, hopefully, I might have something.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Sure thing, kid. We can look at the finances then, too.”[/COLOR] I grimaced. At least the departures meant good news on that score – the guys leaving mean we would be saving around five grand a show. On the whole, it wasn’t a trade-off I was comfortable with, but it was a small silver lining. * [B]MAW On Tour[/B] Wednesday, 3rd December 2011 – Great Lakes Amazing Fire Fly and Max Mayhem def. Jonnie Perez and Hugh Lee, Nelson Callum and Curtis Jenkins, and Raphael and Jared Johnson – E+ Oscar Golden def. Riley McManus – E+ The West Texas Peacekeepers def. Roderick Remus and Jefferson Stardust – E Kid Arachnid def. Flash Savage – E+ Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: I'm thinking of going up to Medium shows ... And using more popular workers[/I] * [B]MAW On Tour[/B] Wednesday, 10th December 2011 – South East Raphael and Jared Johnson def. The Young Americans – E+ The Canadian Blondes def. Internet Favourites – E- Citizen X def. Amazing Fire Fly – E Kid Arachnid def. Roderick Remus – E Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: No chemistry in main event ... Does Arachnid have chemistry with [B]anyone[/B]?[/I] * [CENTER][B]MAW Season’s Beatings[/B] RCI: Kirk Jameson vs. Jared Johnson RCI: Lassana Makutsi vs. Providence Wanda Fish vs. Citizen X Riley McManus vs. Primus Allen Smith & Singh vs. The Dark Raptors vs. Ford & Speed The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. The Canadian Blondes Randy Bumfhole and Kid Arachnid vs. Nathan Coleman and JD Morgan Jonnie Perez and Bradford Peverell vs. Lockdown Fumihiro Ota vs. Aaron Andrews[/CENTER]

[Astil]

And just like that, in a Flash he was gone :(

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: I'll handle the puns... ;)[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Season’s Beatings Friday, 12th December 2011[/CENTER] RCI: Lassana Makutsi vs. Providence[/B] One thing that Lassana does better than many of the workers in MAW is control the flow of a match – his understanding of the psychology of a fight is very good indeed. Despite notionally being an opener in this company, he carried this match like a seasoned veteran. He made Providence look like a star, before succumbing to an Eye Of Providence to send the masked man into the quarter-finals. Winner: Providence (C) * [B]The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] Actually not a bad match for these teams, and benefited from the heat generated by the previous contest. The four men performed pretty well before the sell-out crowd, before Flash Savage scored the pin on Marshall Dillon after an O, Canada! Winners: The Canadian Blondes (D-) * [B]Riley McManus vs. Primus Allen (c) [/B]for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] At least this was short. Neither man brought their a-game for this match, and while I wasn't expecting a main event calibre match (Riley McManus?) I was hoping for something a bit more worthy of making the big shows. Primus might benefit from a spot on tour to get more matches and improve quicker... Anyway, the semi-squash was ended by a Flying Lariat from Allen. Winner: Primus Allen (D) * [B]Smith & Singh (c) vs. The Dark Raptors vs. Ford & Speed [/B]for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] So far, we're working on the 'all comers' principle when it comes to the tag titles – we have a couple of feuds in mind for the champs, and those should develop given a little time. This match existed to keep them in people's minds, and the high quality was a useful bonus of the quality of competitor. The match itself was wild enough that neither losing side lost heat from the result, with the notional Fallen allies clearly not trusting one another – and breaking down into a spirited brawl that gave Singh and Smith the chance to snatch the win when Singh pinned Firebird after a Cal Cutter. Winners: Smith & Singh (C) * Kirk Jameson was in the ring, awaiting his RCI qualifier with Jared Johnson. Suddenly Lockdown appeared among the crowd and vaulted the security railing, diving into the ring and catching Jameson with a double clothesline. As Knuckles put the boots to the reigning RCI champion, Shady K slid out to the arena floor and turfed a couple of ringside staff from their seats, before carrying the chairs back into the ring. K slipped one of the chairs under the fallen Jameson’s head, before handing the other to Knuckles, who wound up and unleashed a con-chair-to on Jameson with a crack that reverberated around the arena. Laughing at their handiwork, Lockdown bailed from the ring, taking their chairs with then and sitting down in front of the announcers’ table to watch the match. * [B]RCI: Kirk Jameson vs. Jared Johnson[/B] After the beatdown, Jameson was in no condition to compete. He miraculously offered a token defence, but it only took a few seconds for Johnson to break it down and clamp on the Carolina Crossface – long enough, sadly, to see that there was no chemistry here. Winner: Jared Johnson (D-) * As soon as the bell rang, Lockdown swarmed into the ring again and resumed their assault on Jameson. Johnson watched for a few seconds and then grabbed Knuckles, pitching him overhead in a release German suplex that left the bigger man folded in two on the back of his head. Shady K leaped at Johnson with a lariat, but Johnson avoided the move, grabbing K’s arm and twisting him around and down into a Carolina Crossface that had K tapping quickly. Johnson let go of the hold and Lockdown bailed from the ring, leaving Johnson to help Jameson upright, the new allies warily watching Aaron Andrews’ employees spit defiance at them from halfway up the ramp. * [B]Jonnie Perez and Bradford Peverell vs. Lockdown[/B] A decent tag match, I guess, given that the face side comprises two singles who've never worked together before – or are likely to again. Lockdown played the thugs, Peverell the protector, and Perez... well, I don't want to say damsel in distress exactly, but he was the guy in peril. Anyway, he ended up getting planted with a Stay Of Execution from Knuckles for the Lockdown win Winners: Lockdown (D-) * Randy Bumfhole emerged from the locker room, an unusually serious expression on his face. [COLOR="Blue"]“So, mob rule is in place here in the Mid Atlantic? I don’t like that – and I doubt very much that anyone else here does, either. Aaron Andrews, after beating you in our match a few weeks ago the championship committee here in MAW agreed to grant me a rematch for your title. I could cash it in at any time, but I figure stopping your paranoid ravings sooner rather than later has to be the way forward. So here’s the deal, Aaron. At the Rip Chord Invitational I want you in the ring for the Heavyweight title. “But there’s something else, as well. I know you’ll want your buddies around as back-up, so here’s the deal: We have a six-man match. I find two partners and you bring your gorillas. If I win, we have a match where interference is banned. If you win then Lockdown can accompany you to ringside. Think about it, Aaron.”[/COLOR] * [B]Wanda Fish vs. Citizen X[/B] This was kind of Wanda's big test, facing a man in a non-ambush setting – and she did okay. X is a decent enough worker – although not likely to start any fires. He benefits from the occasional appearance on SWF TV, but is mainly here to be a midcard backup to Providence, and lose important matches like this one. It was an open match, emphasising that Wanda is coming in at a disadvantage against almost any male fighter – and needs to be at her best to beat even the midcarders. She managed this in a gruelling thirteen minute battle with a Dish Of The Day. Winner: Wanda Fish (C-) * [COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]“That’s one more step – and at the end of the road is the ultimate challenge: A shot at the MAW title. Make no mistake, Aaron. Randy may have that first shot at you, but I’ll beat everyone in this company if that’s what it takes to make you give me a shot!”[/COLOR] * [B]Randy Bumfhole and Kid Arachnid vs. Nathan Coleman and JD Morgan[/B] Nathan Coleman has arrived without any fanfare – just the way he goes about his job. There is no sizzle or flash about him, just an economy of movement that's deceptive, as he can rip apart any opponent with just a few moves. The remnants of The Firm were paired off against these two in a match that saw four great talents collide. It made for a highly entertaining match, as all four men had their turn in the ring. Randy was using the match to show off his talent ahead of the match with Andrews, Morgan to get himself over still further with the MAW support. Coleman, who's here on a short term deal until we decide if we're keeping him around or not, did a lot of damage on the heel side as he had no agenda beyond winning the match – and this he achieved as he flattened Arachnid with a Pioneer Twist. Winners: Coleman and Morgan (C) * Backstage, Lockdown were lurking behind some packing crates. Fumihiro Ota was making his way down the corridor and was taken by surprise as the two thugs jumped out and hammered away at him, beating him to the ground despite his best efforts to evade their blows. Things would have gone very badly indeed for him had Randy Bumfhole not charged down the corridor, wielding a chair and scattering Lockdown with a couple of wild swings. [COLOR="Blue"] “Tell your boss that there’s no mob law in this company,”[/COLOR] he growled. [COLOR="Blue"]“And he can try and hold the title to ransom as long as he likes. One day, someone will take it off him, and he’ll be shown up for the coward he really is. Remember, he has to be lucky every time he puts the title on the line. Everyone else only has to be lucky once.”[/COLOR] * [B]Fumihiro Ota vs. Aaron Andrews (c) [/B]for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] With Ota hurt, Andrews largely had things his own way for the first several minutes. Ota gained his second wind and scored some points through sheer ingenuity, including a rebound roundhouse kick that was easily move of the night, and gained a near three count that had Andrews in shock. But Lockdown's beating was taking its toll, and as the match passed the fifteen minute mark, Andrews began to assert his dominance, and though Ota's guile kept him in the match, Andrews eventually scored with a Twisting Face Crusher to earn himself the win over the respected veteran. Winner: Aaron Andrews (C+) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I](I'll say it again: Must do better...)[/I]

[FINisher]

No rating for "Randy Bumfhole and Kid Arachnid vs. Nathan Coleman and JD Morgan"? :p

[foolinc]

[QUOTE=FINisher;526269]No rating for "Randy Bumfhole and Kid Arachnid vs. Nathan Coleman and JD Morgan"? :p[/QUOTE] I just assumed it meant the match was too awesome to get a normal grade. :cool:

[James Casey]

Yeah yeah yeah... :p Some of the matches on these shows could have done with me leaving the ratings off - at least that wasn't one of them...

[FINisher]

If the two last matches rate as C and C+, how can the overall rating be C-? Drop the promo between the last two matches and you should be fine. How did the promo rate? D-, D, something like that? And I guess it was atleast 6mins long?

[Blackman]

Great writing dude. :)

[James Casey]

Thanks all for the comments. To be honest, I suspect it's more that a decent uppercard is not compensating for a sucky undercard. I've noticed for a while now that there's a definite gap in my roster where the main eventers and upper midcarders are capable enough - but once you drop down to midcard and below there's not much beef. With the greater emphasis on the undercard in the recent shows (albeit mixing with the uppercard to an extent) the ratings have been down, and the recovery towards the end of the show is not sufficient to offset that. That said, I was disappointed that this show didn't at least pull a C - I can't recall a bigger disparity between main event and final grade. As for the promos... Rip, Aaron (sometimes), Randy and Wanda are the only ones who can do worthwhile promos with any regularity. That said, I love the promos that I write for guys like Firebird and Providence, so I'll keep putting them in - just in story terms what might seem like a five minute segment will in game terms be a minute or so :p

[James Casey]

Backstage after the show, Black Eagle was spreading rumours about Jared Johnson and how he got to be the focus of a high profile segment. Eagle’s a constant source of annoyance backstage, and while most of his schtick is low-level niggling (and so beneath my notice) this one annoyed me. On top of his previous transgressions, it earned him a full dressing down in front of the locker room. I’m normally a softly spoken person, and so this was the first time that a lot of the roster had seen me lose my temper – but Eagle is a jerk. A talented jerk, who’s worth the trouble he causes, but a jerk nonetheless. Anyway, Eagle promised to be more considerate in future. The problem with that kind of promise is that if he even slips up once I would be justified in slapping him down – really, from here it’s fine or fire. I suppose that one could say that Eagle has compulsive ----head syndrome – but then I have compulsive ----head firing syndrome, and I keep it under control... * Jay's agreed to tour with INSPIRE until March. I wouldn't have expected to be able to pick him up again until at least the Spring anyway – so that's quite good news as it keeps him out of the clutches of the Eisens... * MAW On Tour Wednesday, 17th December 2011 – Great Lakes The West Texas Peacekeepers def. Jefferson Stardust and Curtis Jenkins – F Antonio def. Lassana Makutsi – D- Riley McManus def. Nelson Callum – E Casey Valentine def. Jonnie Perez – E Jared Johnson def. Roderick Remus – D- Ford & Speed def. Kid Arachnid and Amazing Fire Fly – E+ Overall: [COLOR="red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: Chemistry in matches two and three ... No chemistry in match four ... Nowhere near good enough to be worth the extra money[/I] * Here’s a move that I didn’t see coming: The SWF have approached Aaron Andrews with a view to signing him to a long-term deal. Aaron’s loyalty to TCW prevented him taking Eisen’s money, but it’s interesting that Richard and Peter Michaels are apparently still keeping tabs on our company – certainly Aaron’s done nothing in TCW or NYCW of late to attract their attention. I checked his record for matches in TCW in 2011 – and he's only had 24 of them. And he's lost 17 of them. * MAW On Tour Wednesday, 24th December 2011 – South East Casey Valentine def. Hugh Lee – E+ Roderick Remus and Jefferson Stardust def. Amazing Fire Fly and Matt Hocking – E Citizen X def. Max Mayhem – D- Jared Johnson def. Nelson Callum – D Joe Benning def. Raphael – D- Greg Ford def. Lassana Makutsi – E+ Kid Arachnid def. Marc Speed – D- Overall: [COLOR="Red"]E+[/COLOR] [I]Notes: No chemistry in the main event ... South East fans only managed a 118 attendance – for a Medium show[/I] * [CENTER][B]MAW End Of Days[/B] RCI: Wanda Fish vs. Nathan Coleman RCI: Kid Arachnid vs. Citizen X The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. The Second Sons Jonnie Perez vs. Providence vs. JD Morgan Lassana Makutsi and Amazing Fire Fly vs. The Dark Raptors Bradford Peverell and Riley McManus vs. The Canadian Blondes Smith & Singh vs. Ford & Speed Jared Johnson vs. Primus Allen Randy Bumfhole, Kirk Jameson and Kid Arachnid vs. Aaron Andrews and Lockdown[/CENTER]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Echo, echo, echo... :p[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: End Of Days Friday, 26th December 2011[/CENTER] RCI: Kid Arachnid vs. Citizen X[/B] Something I should have remembered about X before I brought him back in – he hates to lose. I guess being the go-to guy for mediocre losses in SWF has inflated his ego even further as he complained about this match before it got going. Newsflash, X: One of the men in this match is getting a push, and it isn't you. Sheesh. Anyway, the match was decent as Arachnid managed to work around X's snotty mood, before scoring with a Cradle Piledriver to advance to the quarter-finals in something of an upset. Winner: Kid Arachnid (C-) * Backstage, and Fumihiro Ota was meditating in the boiler room. Randy Bumfhole approached. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ota?”[/COLOR] Ota’s eyes flicked open, almost glowing in the gloom. [COLOR="Blue"]“Listen, I have my Trios match with Aaron tonight. Do you think you could be on my team? I know you’d like a little justice after what he did to you last time.”[/COLOR] Ota beckoned for Randy to carry on. [COLOR="Blue"]“He’s got Lockdown on his side.”[/COLOR] Ota spirited his gong from nowhere and tapped it. [I]Gong. Gong.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]“Good. Now, we’ve got one more guy to sign up – and I know just who to ask.”[/COLOR] * The Second Sons were backstage. [COLOR="Sienna"]“It’s funny how things work out,” [/COLOR]a serious Casey Valentine said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“We brought Erik back from SWF to help us make a bang, and used Jay Chord to open doors for us. We didn’t forget how you treated us when you arrived here, Jay...” “But now they’re gone,”[/COLOR] Antonio carried on. [COLOR="Sienna"]“And it’s just us. That’s fine. We know we can rely on us. We know we’ve got the talent to be a success in this company. And we know that we can beat anyone, on any given day. That’s all that it takes in this business. And soon we’ll be in the ring, on that given day, with the champions... And then we’ll have the success we deserve.”[/COLOR] * [B]The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. The Second Sons[/B] This match was basically the Casey Valentine show, with both Marshall Dillon and Antonio looking at times like they wanted to be elsewhere. But then, we were back in Delaware for the night as attendance has been down lately. The Auditorium isn't as nice as the old Biker Museum, oddly. Anyway, the match was average – what more can I say? Antonio picked up the win with an Italian DDT. Winners: The Second Sons (D-) * JD Morgan came down the ramp for his match, but he was trailing a somewhat familiar woman behind him. She was dressed in a power suit with a jacket with padded shoulders and a floor-length skirt, and looked confident and composed as she accompanied the burly Morgan. As he entered the ring and carried out his pre-match stretches, the woman took a mic. [COLOR="Magenta"]“I don’t think we were ever properly introduced. My name is Haley Buck. The last time you saw me I’d just been taken on by Hugh de Aske as his ‘wench’. Well, that didn’t work out. The things he expected of me...”[/COLOR] She shook her head. [COLOR="Magenta"]“So I arranged for Hugh to be fired, and decided to take control of my life.” [/COLOR] She beamed, as the fans booed her announcement that she was responsible for the departure of a crowd favourite. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Well, how would you put up with someone who insisted on you doing their laundry? That is not why I am in this business. No, he had to be got rid of. Instead, I’ve aligned myself with one of the premier stars in this business – JD Morgan!”[/COLOR] Morgan showed no reaction to this, instead focusing on limbering up ahead of his title defence. Fortunately, Haley’s sole appearance with Hugh de Aske a couple of months back was such a non-event in people’s minds (although it did lead to the glorious but short-lived Team OMGsplosion) that her sudden heel turn didn’t harm the crowd’s impression on her – she effectively got a second chance to make a first impression. * [B]Jonnie Perez vs. Providence vs. JD Morgan (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW All Action title[/COLOR] This was a strong showing from these three, with Perez taking it in turns to bounce for twenty as he was pummelled from pillar to post by the heels. Haley Buck yelled at Morgan to keep an eye on Providence, who acted innocent but who was clearly waiting on his moment to ambush the champ. Morgan is far too canny to fall for that, though, and kept one eye on his sometime ally while he continued to lay a beating on Perez. When Perez was done, the match broke down to Providence and Morgan laying into each other, as both men tried to score the win over the barely conscious youngster. But the wild Providence also seemed to want to prove himself to Morgan, keeping after the veteran even when a chance at a win presented itself – and that cost him, as Morgan nailed the masked man with A Shot Of JD to score the pin and retain his title in a very good match. Winner: JD Morgan (C) * Backstage, and Aaron Andrews was shown entering Lockdown’s dressing room, a thick wad of cash in his hand. * [B]Lassana Makutsi and Amazing Fire Fly vs. The Dark Raptors[/B] My ongoing quest for something for Amazing Fire Fly to do that might get him over goes on – neutral chemistry with Makutsi in this match, as the Raptors picked up a fairly easy win. Firebird and Makutsi were the stars and, indeed, they were involved in the finish as the relative newcomer ate a Phoenix Firebird Splash for the loss. Winners: The Dark Raptors (D) * The Dark Raptors made their way backstage, looking pleased with themselves under their masks. Black Eagle stopped short as they passed the curtain, his eyes widening. The camera panned around to reveal Sienna LeNoir, her garb restored to the full Mistress of the Night regalia. [COLOR="Gray"]“Eagle... I return... I have searched my soul... and seen the pirate king depart these waters... I need...”[/COLOR] She paused. [COLOR="Gray"]“If you will have me, my lord... I will speak your words once more...”[/COLOR] Eagle walked forward and took Sienna’s arm. The couple were joined by Firebird, and the trio headed off into the night. * [B]Bradford Peverell and Riley McManus vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] Before Richard got grabby and ravaged our roster, I'd planned out the shows through to the end of January – and this match should have seen Team OMGSplosion toppling the four-time tag champions. Instead, we get a rush job win for the former champions, as they wisely targeted the weak link, Savage forcing a submission from McManus with a Canadian Crab. Peverell looked good when he got the chance, but this was okay only because it was short... Winners: The Canadian Blondes (D-) * The Blondes celebrated their victory in the ring. Golden took a mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“The tag division in this company is hotting up. But we’re still the top dogs. Champs, we’ve never received our rematch. We’ll be cashing in our clause soon enough, believe me.”[/COLOR] * Backstage, Lockdown were lying in wait behind some boxes. They were passing the time by counting the thick wad of cash Andrews had given them. Suddenly, Knuckles slapped Shady K on the arm, and pointed down the corridor. They took off running, and the camera followed them, catching up just in time to see them blindside Randy and Ota, putting the boots to their opponents before a dressing room door and Kirk Jameson stepped out. Taking in the scene, he reached back inside the room and brought out a chair. He took a swing at Knuckles, catching him across the back, and lunged at Shady – but the hired gun avoided the attack and grabbed his partner, the two men hightailing it before Jameson had a chance to do more damage. * [B]Smith & Singh (c) vs. Ford & Speed[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] A much stronger tag team effort, appropriately with the titles on the line. I don't know what to make of the challengers – they're talented enough, but they complained about the outcome of the match. I can't conceive of a way they might have expected a win. All four men did well in the match, despite grumbling, and it was a good give-and-take fight with neither side especially dominating. The end came when Greg Ford tried to get clever, going to the air from the top turnbuckle – but the move backfired as he was caught in mid-air by Brandon Smith, who nearly broke him in two with a Backdrop Driver for the win. Winners: Smith & Singh (D+) * Primus Allen’s hype video played. Really, in the absence of notable mic skills, it’s the best way for him to get over. * [B]Jared Johnson vs. Primus Allen (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] The newly-turned Johnson is one I have my eye on for the coming months, although his push is likely to be a more gradual one. Still, he did a reasonable job in this match, pitting his guile and technical skill against the strength and athleticism of the reigning champion. It was an intriguing mix, if not an especially reactive one, and the two men saw out a fifteen-minute draw with the fans still reasonably interested. Winner: No-one (D) * Jared Johnson took a mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know I have a long way to go before I can be considered a top star in this company, but I’ve been a tag team champion, and a Trios champion as well. I want to add to that list. I’ve just gone fifteen minutes with the Traditional champion – the strongest man in the company! I’m putting down a marker: I’m in the hunt for gold, and sooner or later I’ll be laying my hands on it once more.”[/COLOR] * Backstage, and Randy was speaking to Kirk, as Ota watched on, gesticulating in agreement. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know you want a piece of Andrews – that’s only natural. You came up short in your big match, but your grievances were just. I’m offering you a chance to get your hands on him.” “And I appreciate it. But I never wanted to fight Aaron. I wanted to try and set his head straight. I tried, and it didn’t work. I don’t think that fighting him will do any more good. I have to think of a way to make him see straight.” “Do you really think that’s possible? I mean, he had his thugs attack us today. He must have known that we’d come to see you.” “If that’s the case, then it just shows that Aaron is worried about setting foot in the ring with me. He must know, deep down, that what he’s doing is wrong.”[/COLOR] Randy and Ota exchanged looks. [COLOR="Blue"]“You’ll help us, then?” “I’ll help you. I know I sound crazy – but Aaron is my friend. I’m not ready to give up on him.”[/COLOR] * [B]RCI: Wanda Fish vs. Nathan Coleman[/B] I must admit to being slightly disappointed by this match. Coleman should be the sort of guy that MAW fans eat up, while Wanda is just a straight-up tremendous wrestler – whichever bathroom she uses. And yet this was just lacking the spark of greatness – or maybe the crowd was just not ready to get behind the match after a couple of lacklustre contests. Whatever the reason, the match moved along quite nicely, getting a good (not great) response from the crowd, before Fish scored with the Dish Of The Day to reach the quarter-finals. Winner: Wanda Fish (C) * Wanda took a mic: [COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]“Everyone in this company wants a shot – and I’m no different. Aaron, I know you’ll only defend your title against the best. The elite. I’m got the skills to join that group. I don’t care how long it takes – I’m going to show you why everyone who’s ever doubted me has ended up with egg on their face.”[/COLOR] * [B]Randy Bumfhole, Kirk Jameson and Fumihiro Ota vs. Aaron Andrews and Lockdown[/B] This wasn't good. Or, rather, it was – but it shouldn't have been the main event. What can you do? Part of the problem lies in trying to build up worthwhile contenders to the Heavyweight title. Previously, I had Chance, Hugh and Steve I could put out there, and there was at least some variety. But with Kirk and Aaron having just finished a year-long storyline (they were kept apart in the match for that reason) and Ota already having done the job, the only other conceivable challengers to Aaron right now are Randy and Wanda – so what can you do? I don't want Aaron to be the kind of champion who needlessly squashes Hugh Lee or Riley McManus, but I need to finish my shows strongly – and that means, I think, that I'm going to have give some consideration to changing things around. The match? Well, Lockdown fought like tigers for the right to back u their boss at next month's match. Andrews did damage quickly and precisely, but left the dirty work up to his employees. The faces rotated in and out with reasonable teamwork, but the whole thing was so telegraphed – we don't book interference in matches, so why would we have Lockdown at ringside anyway? – that the fans were all packed and ready to go home by the time Bumhole nailed Knuckles with a Bumfhole Buster for the win. Winners: Bumfhole, Jameson and Ota (C-) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I](I was expecting a D+. Something has to change...)[/I] [I]Next: End of Year review[/I]

[Showtime4Lajf]

Sucks that your cards seem to be stuck in a rut, as far as grades go. I always have a period like this too, when I play as a small company, so I guess it's just a natural thing. Obviously it doesn't help that you have to be even more careful with your booking because of it being a diary. Looking forward to seeing how you deal with the crisis and what the new year will bring for the Mid-Atlantic. Keep up the great work.

[Candyman]

Hopefully the new year will bring betters grades, but the diary's a good read either way. I bet Tommy Cornell is enjoying your rcent struggles. ;)

[ReapeR]

It could just be me, but I got goosebumps with the return of Sienna. You make her so alive with her conflicted "love" interests. I actually felt bad for her. I'm loving this. ReapeR

[Mattlore Devious]

Yay, it feels like we havn't seen Otas gong for a while

[juggaloninjalee]

Im glad to see this diary is still going strong. I just read the last couple of pages.

[Pampero Firpo]

I'm glad you're keeping this going, James. With the recent spate of talent losses and the conclusion of the big Andrews/Jameson feud, it's understandable that you're in a bit of a rut and are looking for the next direction. But I still find the diary very entertaining and hope you keep at it -- I'm confident you'll come up with some good stuff to propel MAW forward (and keep your readership happy).

[Hyde Hill]

[QUOTE]certainly since the emergence a short time later of Kirk Jameson as a worker of genuine promise[/QUOTE] from Wiaba. Glad I was of help in that department and that he lived up to his promise in your game same as in mine. I am up to page 38 and doing a roster rethink before I will comment any further. Another MMorpg (Lotro) and real life have kept me absent but back and reading again. Good stuff man.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Thanks for the comments, all - all help is gratefully appreciated. I'm recharging a little by playing a TCW game which I'm considering doing as a diary. It's a 'What If?' scenario that uses the same backstory as this one, but puts me in charge in Hollywood rather than MAW. After the Invitational, I'll be putting up PDFs of the diary so far for people who want to get caught up offline. They'll be broken into phases - basically February-October and November - January as appropriate. Anyway, on with the show![/I] * [COLOR="purple"]“Hello kid. What’re you drinking?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Just a coke, Rip. I’m not in the mood for anything hard tonight.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Still upset about the last few shows?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Yeah.”[/COLOR] I set my empty glass on the bar, and turned to look out at the room. There were plenty of people away from the Mid Atlantic this night. Between other commitments and other parties, the room wasn’t all that full. [COLOR="purple"]“You’ve got plans. I know you have plans. You always have plans.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“I am the man with the plans,” [/COLOR]I said, taking my new drink and sipping it. [COLOR="purple"]“So, what are your plans?”[/COLOR] I led Rip over to a table and sat down. He took the chair opposite mine. Out on the dance floor, some of the guys and girls were moving, but the majority of those in attendance seemed to be deep in conversation. [COLOR="green"]“I have a few plans, and not all of them work together.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“I’m listening.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“The South-East shows are killing us,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“We’re going out and giving our all, and getting nowhere. We had a hundred people show up at the last one – that’s four-hundred less than we’d have got almost anywhere else with the same show.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“What else?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“We’re not bringing in new people in Great Lakes anymore. We’ve got the diehards, but that’s it – we’re not selling the shows because we’ve got no-one on them who can put on the great match to send the fans home happy. We’re nearly at the point we need to be putting on a Biker Museum show to please the fans at the Rainbow Bar and Grill – and that’s a nonsense.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Go on,”[/COLOR] Rip said, apparently recognising that I had more to say. [COLOR="green"]“Here are my thoughts – and I’ve not sat down and worked out the maths yet. I’m just thinking aloud.”[/COLOR] Rip nodded, and gestured for me to continue. [COLOR="green"]“We cut down to four shows a month – with the Invitational and Where It All Begins Again as the super shows – the annual extravaganzas. The four shows are weekly shows that we alternate between the Great Lakes and Mid Atlantic, and the occasional spot show elsewhere.”[/COLOR] I took another drink, and looked around the room. [COLOR="green"]“We’ve always booked to the end of the month – but at the end of the month, people have no money left. We should move to a mid-month peak. “We’ve plateaued. I was counting on having Chance, Steve, Hugh and Ernest around to do the job of building up the younger guys. Without them, we have plan B. It’s not bad – Wanda, Arachnid, Kirk and Ota, but it’s not what I had in mind for those guys.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Your four show plan... You want those shows to shine?”[/COLOR] I nodded. [COLOR="green"]“There’s no point running mediocre shows. Our last couple of efforts would work out on the road, but in the Mid-Atlantic... no, they just don’t. Now, we’re popular enough in the Mid-Atlantic that we can have a period of standing still... but it doesn’t look good to the fans. We’ve built up a lot of momentum in recent years, but I can feel it ebbing away because we’re in no position to replace the guys we’ve lost. And maybe we were too reliant on them, and we should have been building up the other guys before now – but we’re here now, and we need to work out what we’re going to do.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“So?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“So we could go all out in the Mid Atlantic. Have shows featuring nothing but the best talent – one on one matches unless we can guarantee a great match-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“We’d need to use the Raptors for that.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Or two main eventers, yeah. You know I’ve spent the last month trying to find some loan deals that we can afford – but there’s no point bringing in people from FCW or CZCW or whoever – and TCW and the Stones charge too much for their guys. But I’m still thinking, Rip. We’re booked until after the Invitational in a month, anyway, so we don’t need to make an immediate decision...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“You know, I’d be happy just developing young talent and sending them off. It’s how we’ve always worked.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“We can’t stop people leaving, Rip,”[/COLOR] I said, suddenly tired. [COLOR="green"]“But the bigger we get, the more people we can help. But we can’t get bigger working the way we are now. We’ve-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Plateaued. Yeah, kid. You said. How are we doing, money-wise?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“It could be worse.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“A bit more detail would be nice, kid.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“We lost over twenty grand this month,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“Rip... I think we need to drop the touring shows – at least for a while. I want to keep growing in the Great Lakes region, and we can do an odd show there, but for the next few months I’m suggesting that we stick to the Mid Atlantic – and consider switching things around so that the big shows come at the start of the month, not the end.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Can we arrange that with the way people are spread around?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Yeah. One or two guys won’t be able to make the shows, but that’s okay.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Kid, if we drop down to two shows a month-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Shorter shows, as well – two hours, or maybe even just ninety minutes.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“That doesn’t leave a lot of room for the younger guys.”[/COLOR] I nodded soberly. [COLOR="green"]“Rip, a lot of the younger guys suck. We’ve had Jenkins, Huey... even the Blondes for five or six years, and they still suck, to a greater or lesser degree. Workers like Jefferson, Jonnie... Look, I love the guys – but right now, we’re in no position to keep them around. It’s Catch-22, Rip: We can only afford to keep them around by having them wrestle each other – but if they do that they don’t improve. If we had a development territory we could send them down to, sure – but we don’t.”[/COLOR] Rip looked around the room, and I followed his gaze. [COLOR="purple"]“I’m not ready to cut the roster again,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="purple"]“But I take what you’re saying about the finances on board. Drop the touring shows for a month or two.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“I won’t be able to book the underneath guys on the shorter cards,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“If we’re dropping the touring shows, we need to explain to them that things are getting tight.”[/COLOR] Rip drummed his fingers on the tabletop. [COLOR="purple"]“Tell them – but there’s spaces opening up soon enough anyway, right?”[/COLOR] I nodded. A few guys were running down their contracts, and they wouldn’t be renewed. [COLOR="purple"]“Well, we’ll avoid bringing in new guys – unless they’re real prospects.”[/COLOR] I nodded. I had feelers out among the indies. One or two guys coming up were real prospects – all I had to do was convince them to go professional. [COLOR="purple"]“Damn, kid,”[/COLOR] Rip sighed, staring into his glass of club soda. [COLOR="purple"]“You know how to spoil a New Year, don’t you?”[/COLOR] I shrugged. [COLOR="green"]“If we want to be here to see in 2013, Rip, we need to take action.”[/COLOR] Rip made a noise of vague annoyance in the back of his throat. [COLOR="Purple"]“You already won, kid. I want my money back.”[/COLOR] * I had two e-mails in my account when I logged on the following morning. The first was the annual year-end awards, the second something about good news from Rip. [B][U][CENTER]Year End Awards[/CENTER][/U][/B] Wrestler of the Year: Brent Hill – After ending last year in style with a Match of the Year award, Hill's 2011 was a stormer. Wrestling 48 matches (a near 50% increase on 2010) he had an A average, including seven A*s, the last of which was possibly the best, as he toppled Tommy Cornell at TCW's New Year's Eve show to retain his greatly deserved World title. Young Wrestler of the Year: Matthew Gauge – No longer an MAW worker, Gauge is the two-time winner of this award – and I like to think that we had something to do with it as he had a handful of matches with us at the start of last year. The truth is, he's a hugely promising youngster, just 22 years of age, and capable of flying up the rankings. Although his consistency was questionable – more down to the quality of opponents than any fault of his – he was often the best worker on the card, and when he signed on with WLW in an exclusive deal at the end of the year, he hit a run of B+, A and even A* matches that all-but-guaranteed him this award. Veteran Wrestler of the Year: Jeremy Stone – What’s a WotY poll without someone from Canada? This is Stone's third time with this award – he's truly immense in the ring. Female Wrestler Of The Year: Fuyuko Higa – This is Higa's second consecutive victory in this category, and she continues to be one of the most consistent workers in the world. Wrestling in 66 matches in 2011, she was kept away from the 5SSW title scene and instead was used as the go-to girl for high match quality. A sustained main event run is surely just around the corner, after her five week, thirteen defence All-Asian title run in 2011 showed that she can go. A tilt at 5SSW World champion Dragon Assassin could be next on the agenda. Promotion of the Year: NOTBPW – Comfortable in Canada could have been the theme for the Stones' company in recent years, but 2011 saw them branching out. One of only two Global companies in the world now that SWF have tumbled again, company head Victoria Stone can be proud that her family concern continues to grow. They could do with making some new stars, though, as 29 year old Joey Minnesota is the youngest uppercarder in the company, with half the main eventers and upper midcarders 37 or over. Most Improved Promotion of the Year: TCW – A year of steady improvement for the Hollywood group. After hitting Global in the summer of 2010, Tommy Cornell's company put on consistently entertaining shows headlined by some of the best matches around. If there's a concern, it's that a lot of their headliners are well past thirty (only Wolf Hawkins can realistically be expected to be around beyond a couple of years time) but underneath the top spot there's a host of younger workers like James 'Mainstream' Hernandez, Jay Chord and Rick Law who are still yet to peak. Match of the Year: Shimedzu def. Eisaku Hoshino at BHOTWG Everlasting Mission – This was a world title match held during their mid-November super show. The two veterans wailed on one another for the entire match – no small feat as it was their 44th and, incredibly, 89th match of the year, respectively. The intensity level was astonishing and while the ending was no surprise, for Hoshino is only on a short term deal, the match was just stunning. And three days later they put on another match very nearly as good. Show of the Year: PGHW Forsaken Tour, Tuesday 4th August 2011 (A*) – A controversial winner with a weak undercard, but with two A rated matches and one A* rated match in the last four, this was a show that finished strongly. Featuring Li Bingci defeating Yoshimi Mushashibo in the main event, one can only wonder how big PGHW could get with greater consistency, as this is the second year they've taken this award with a random tour show. * [QUOTE][I]From: Rip < [email]RChord@mawrestling.com[/email] > To: JCasey < [email]booker@mawresling.com[/email] > Subject: Good news![/I] Hey kid, I was up early after the party last night, thinking about all that doom and gloom you brought with you. I figured this article might interest you, though. Rip[/QUOTE] I opened the attachment, wondering idly who had taught Rip some more about computing. [QUOTE][B][CENTER]SWF fall to Cult – Again![/CENTER][/B] In what is rapidly becoming a self-destructive cycle, the Supreme Wrestling Federation have crashed back to Cult level just eight months since they last dropped – and just two months after rising once more to a Global level of popularity. The latest fall comes on the back of a series of good, but not great, shows which have seen the company unable to maintain popularity outside of their key areas. Competition from NOTBPW, TCW and even the often ignored USPW has seen fans drifting away from Richard Eisen’s company after they failed to capitalise on their momentum after regaining their Global standing. Although it is not thought that head booker Peter Michaels' job is in immediate jeopardy as a result of the fall, Richard Eisen is known to be an admirer of MAW head booker James Casey. If Michaels is unable to recover SWF's form, then it is possible that the company will change its writing crew for the second time in under a year. This is the latest blow for Eisen after a troubling twelve months that saw his son leave the company, and their television presence severely reduced as a result of their previous drop. It remains to be seen how the fall will affect business in the coming months, but we are informed that any new or renewed contracts will be pay-per-appearance only, in order to cut down on guaranteed money being paid to workers. It is also possible that this will see an exodus of lower-card talent, as when big companies take a fall they tend to focus more on the established workers, leaving less time for the developing wrestlers to prove themselves. More news as we have it. [RIGHT]~Anthony Carelli[/RIGHT][/QUOTE] * I'd been pushed into rearranging our shows, anyway, as the first and second Fridays of January were the only days when I was guaranteed to have all my workers available. That would give us four weeks off between the Invitational and our next show, which would be a luxury. I was already making plans to whisk Katie away for a holiday – my first in four years. * [CENTER][B]MAW New Year, Old Rivalries[/B] RCI: Fumihiro Ota vs. Black Eagle RCI: Riley McManus vs. JD Morgan Smith & Singh vs. Firebird and Citizen X Internet Favourites vs. The Canadian Blondes The Young Americans vs. Nelson Callum and Raphael vs. Ford & Speed The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Lockdown Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson vs. The Second Sons Amazing Fire Fly vs. Providence Kid Arachnid vs. Primus Allen Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson vs. Aaron Andrews and Nathan Coleman[/CENTER]

[FINisher]

MAW New Year, Old Rivalries RCI: [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Black Eagle RCI: Riley McManus vs. [B]JD Morgan[/B] [B]Smith & Singh[/B] vs. Firebird and Citizen X [B]Internet Favourites[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes The Young Americans vs. Nelson Callum and Raphael vs.[B] Ford & Speed[/B] The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Lockdown [B]Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson[/B] vs. The Second Sons Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Providence[/B] Kid Arachnid vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [B]Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews and Nathan Coleman Just a quick round of predictions. For me it's kind of hard to predict with these long-going diaries: I can't really know how popular the wrestlers are in 2011, or skilled for that matter. Maybe I've just been lazy reading this, but this is still one of the diaries that I continue to follow. KUTGW Casey, I'll be reading.

[Candyman]

Of course you know, now that you've mentioned this "What if" TCW game, you have no choice but to turn it into a diary! I would definitely look forward to it...at least you wouldn't have to worry about the owner's son's ego for a looong time.

[MattQ2607]

MAW New Year, Old Rivalries RCI: [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Black Eagle RCI: Riley McManus vs. [B]JD Morgan[/B] [B]Smith & Singh [/B]vs. Firebird and Citizen X Internet Favourites vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] [B]The Young Americans [/B]vs. Nelson Callum and Raphael vs. Ford & Speed The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Lockdown[/B] [B]Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson [/B]vs. The Second Sons Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Providence[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid [/B]vs. Primus Allen Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Aaron Andrews and Nathan Coleman[/B]

[Hyde Hill]

RCI: [B]Fumihiro Ota [/B]vs. Black Eagle RCI: Riley McManus vs. [B]JD Morgan[/B] [B]Smith & Singh[/B] vs. Firebird and Citizen X Internet Favourites vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] The Young Americans vs. Nelson Callum and Raphael vs. [B]Ford & Speed[/B] The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Lockdown[/B] [B]Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson[/B] vs. The Second Sons Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Providence[/B] Kid Arachnid vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [B]Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews and Nathan Coleman Nice with SWF dropping to cult again should give you more workers available again. As you are in 2012 hard to say who good hires are as no idea whos available. Maybe make a prospect list? Good luck with the finances btw was a feat keeping the tours running for as long as they did and still not going broke and aining popularity.

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: New Year, Old Rivalries Friday, 5th January 2012[/CENTER] Smith & Singh (c) vs. Firebird and Citizen X[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR]A few random observations on tag team matches in general – as this was supposed to be a barnstormer pitting the Dark Raptors against the champs. Then I remembered that Black Eagle was already booked. Anyway, the teams seem to produce better matches when they play to the crowd. With the best will in the world, Citizen X isn't an equal replacement for Eagle, never mind that Eagle and Firebird have great chemistry as a team. Anyway, work the crowd they did, and it went very well indeed. Oh, and Brandon Smith finally got a win over Citizen X to end the match – and put a cap on a feud that ended too abruptly three and a half years ago. Continuity, huh? Winners: Smith & Singh (C) * Backstage, and a familiar scene was revisited as Black Eagle hovered in the background while Sienna LeNoir addressed the camera: [COLOR="Silver"]“My lord, the Black Eagle... Tonight he competes against the masked man known as Fumihiro Ota... Ota, this is a match that has been fought before... My lord respects your ability... But tonight, the past is nothing... Tonight, the Black Eagle will soar...”[/COLOR] * [B]RCI: Fumihiro Ota vs. Black Eagle[/B] This was another good match, and while these two never quite produce on the same level as any two other uppercarders there's just something about seeing the two masked men whiz around the ring that appeals to me endlessly. Ota and Eagle have a long history together in this promotion, with matches going back almost as far as my involvement with the company. While they've never exactly feuded, they’ve locked up several times and know each other from the other indies, so they have long experience of working together. This all made for an entertaining match that see-sawed back and forth in a perfectly acceptable manner before Eagle went to the well too often and turned straight into a Ninja Strike to give Ota the win and send him through to the quarter-finals. Winner: Fumihiro Ota (C-) * Backstage, and the Internet Favourites were getting some screen time: [COLOR="Blue"]“The Canadian Blondes? Man, we’ve been fighting these guys since the dawn of time – or, at least, the arrival of Halo 3, when life as we know it truly began,” [/COLOR]Mayhem said. [COLOR="blue"]“That’s right. A long time ago, I was proud to call these men my friends. I’ve found superior company since then – and more attractive too,”[/COLOR] Hugh said, with a smile at Dawn, who looked back indifferently. [COLOR="blue"]“You’re right. Y-A-W-N,”[/COLOR] Flash Savage said, striding into the camera’s shot and smiling winningly at Dawn, who looked even less impressed than before. [COLOR="blue"]“Hey baby.”[/COLOR] Flash Savage followed his partner into shot. [COLOR="blue"]“Dude. Stay away from the geekette. You don’t know how many viruses she’s had downloaded into her. We’ve got a classier companion now, anyway.”[/COLOR] The Blondes were joined by Kristen Pearce, branching out from her long-time tandem with Jefferson Stardust. [COLOR="blue"]“Not cool,”[/COLOR] Max objected. [COLOR="blue"]“That’s no way to treat a lady.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Don’t worry, she’s not a lady,”[/COLOR] Kristen sneered. Dawn hissed in objection. [COLOR="blue"]“Now we’ve got a reason to fight,”[/COLOR] Hugh said, rolling up his sleeves. [COLOR="blue"]“Now get out of here, before I decide to start this thing right here.”[/COLOR] * [B]Internet Favourites vs. The Canadian Blondes[/B] As always, this match was less than nothing special. One of many matches whose promised existence pre-dated our decision to cut back on the shows, I doubt fans would have been too upset if we'd cancelled. Still, a promise is a promise, and the pre-match fun added to the tension. Oscar Golden scored the win over his former ally Hugh Lee with an O, Canada! Winners: The Canadian Blondes (E+) * Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson were backstage: [COLOR="Blue"]“It’s amazing what a change in attitude can do for you. For too long I’ve sat back and watched people use sneak attacks and intimidation to get what they want. Just a few weeks after standing up to the lowlifes, and I’m teaming with one of the legends of wrestling – Wanda Fish!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Thank you, Jared. But I can’t claim to be a legend – that’s something other people decide. All I can do is fight as hard as I can, and try and beat everyone put in front of me. In this company, Antonio and Casey Valentine are seen as big news – they’re direct descendants of the Chord legacy. Beating them would be impressive – and that’s what I’m here to do.”[/COLOR] * [B]Wanda Fish and Jared Johnson vs. The Second Sons[/B] I'd be interested to see what results Wanda would manage against either of the Sons individually. Johnson is good, but not quite ready yet to break out of the midcard. He shows promise, however, and of course Casey Valentine's Rumble skills are always improving, but Wanda was the star of the show, and it was she who took the win, putting Antonio down with the Dish Of The Day. Winners: Fish and Johnson (D+) * [B]The Young Americans vs. Nelson Callum and Raphael vs. Ford & Speed[/B] Kind of a nothing match. I've been toying with the idea of pairing off Callum and Raphael – but to be honest, I think Raphael is ready to fly solo as he has the skills and entertainment ability to be a reasonable midcard heel – even if he has spent four years in everyone else's shadow. In those four years, though, he's matured and improved significantly and while he's no Aaron Andrews he has very good psychology and is a decent cruiserweight competitor. Anyway, Ford and Speed took the win in this match, and on commentary we noted that their recent impressive form had earned them a shot at the Tag Team titles at the Invitational. Winners: Ford & Speed (D-) * Backstage, and Lockdown were seen lying in wait once more. The camera panned around to reveal that they were watching the dressing room door of Randy Bumfhole. [COLOR="Blue"]“Now look, Ah’m telling you, [I]Spamalot’s[/I] new Lady of the Lake is not a patch on the original.” “She did outstanding work in [I]Kiss of the Spider-Woman[/I]. She can excel as the Lady, my friend.”[/COLOR] Lockdown turned around, bemused expressions on their faces. [COLOR="blue"]“Well, perhaps. But she’s gonna have to go some to match her performance in [I]Seven Brides for[/I]...”[/COLOR] The tag champions rounded the corner, and stopped short at the sight of Lockdown, crouched behind their packing crates. [COLOR="blue"]“Well, what have we got here?”[/COLOR] Brandon Smith asked. [COLOR="blue"]“An unoriginal idea,”[/COLOR] Singh said. [COLOR="blue"]“I would suggest that you leave now, my friends. We don’t take kindly to ambushes – and if you persist in this habit of yours, well, we’ll have to show you what real toughness is all about.”[/COLOR] Shady K and Knuckles glared daggers at the champs, who returned the stare unmovingly. [COLOR="blue"]“Ah think what my friend here is saying is: Beat it, before we beat you.”[/COLOR] The hired thugs backed away, glaring at the champions the whole time. [COLOR="blue"]“Kashmir, Ah think we need to have a word with Mister Chord about setting us up a match with those guys.” “I agree. And soon. This is all much too gritty and urban for me.” “Just not Broadway enough. And where’s the fun in that?” “How wonderful it is, Brandon, that you have embraced Broadway as I have.” “Well, after we went to see [I]Hair[/I] that time...”[/COLOR] The two moved on, discussing the finer points of the famous musical. * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Providence[/B] How about this? Fly's best real match to date came against a guy you might expect would not be able to carry his weight in the ring. But Providence has come along quite a bit in recent months as his new character has allowed him to mix with the top tier of workers. And that in turn allows him to give back as he controlled the flow of the match, selling well for the lightweight Fly before taking control of the youngster and putting him down for the count with an Eye Of Providence. Winner: Providence (C-) * [B]The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Lockdown[/B] Lockdown were unhappy about being chased away from their boss' opponents. They took it out on the Peacekeepers, mashing the cowboys into the mat with brute force and no mercy whatsoever. Knuckles crushed Sheriff Blaze with a Knuckle Duster for the win. Winners: Lockdown (D) * [B]RCI: Riley McManus vs. JD Morgan (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW All Action title[/COLOR] Before the show, Rip had announced that this tournament match would also be for the All Action title – just part of the challenge of being the champion. Morgan took it in his stride, dismantling McManus with relative ease, although McManus did slow him down a little with some chain wrestling – only for Morgan to quickly reverse into the Cross Atlantic Stretch for the submission victory. Winner: JD Morgan (D+) * Backstage, Kid Arachnid was watching Primus Allen’s ‘menace’ video. [COLOR="Blue"]“Now that’s impressive,”[/COLOR] he said, turning to the camera. “[COLOR="blue"]There’s no denying that Primus Allen is an incredible physical specimen. Strong, fast, agile... He’s the prototype for the next generation of wrestlers. “It’s going to take a lot for me to beat him. “But that’s what I aim to do. You see, I don’t think that Primus Allen and the Traditional title are a comfortable fit. That belt belong around the waist of someone who is technically sound, someone who is able to twist and contort his opponent with skill, and not just brute strength. And that, not to blow my own trumpet, is me.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kid Arachnid vs. Primus Allen (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] These guys are around the same level, in terms of being able to compete in matches like this. This is probably the best they can manage against fellow midcarders, and that's not too bad – but pitted against superior opposition they can really shine. For Arachnid, I think I can manage that. For Allen... I'm not so sure. We'll have to see what the future holds. Anyway, the match saw Arachnid hitting and running, as whenever he tried to employ his technical offence Allen would just bull out of the attempted hold before unleashing a mighty, rib-cracking blow. Arachnid fought back to the best of his abilities, but he was caught time and again, and eventually fell foul of a thunderous Sit Out Powerbomb that earned the Traditional champion another successful defence. Winner: Primus Allen (D+) * Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson were seen emerging from their locker room, and heading for the ring. The view switched to a separate area, where Aaron was watching the scene on a monitor. He turned to look into the camera. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Randy Bumfhole has a match with me next week. Kirk Jameson had his chance. Tonight, my past and future stand against me. But let Kirk Jameson’s fate be a warning to you, Randy Bumfhole. He tried, and he failed – and now all he can think about is trying to save me from myself. Kirk, out of respect for our former friendship, I’ve gone easy on you so far. Can you imagine what will happen if you keep pushing me? “And Randy... The time is nearly here. You managed to beat me in a match that I wasn’t prepared for. But the last two months have seen me living and breathing our contest. We’ve faced off at almost every show now for the last several weeks, and I know your game inside and out. I’ve watched you. I’ve studied you. I know you. “And I know that when we tie up next Friday that I will have the unassailable advantage. I will walk out of the ring the Heavyweight champion, just as I have done for the last fourteen months, and just as I will do for as long as I choose.”[/COLOR] * [B]Randy Bumfhole and Kirk Jameson vs. Aaron Andrews and Nathan Coleman[/B] If I was looking for a partner for Aaron Andrews, I found one in Nathan Coleman. The pair have great chemistry working as a team, with rapid changes in the legal man and some apparently telepathic understanding between the two as they combined for some fantastic double-team sequences. For their part, Jameson and Bumfhole worked okay as a team when they had the chance, hammering away at their opponents to the best of their abilities. Eventually, the match broke down as Bumfhole and Andrews ended up brawling outside the ring, a scrap that took them away from the ring and up the ramp. Coleman looked somewhat lost without his partner, and when he turned around he was met with a belly-to-belly suplex that left him down and vulernable to The Bullseye from the top rope – giving Bumfhole's team the win, although he knew nothing about it as he and Andrews brawled at the top of the ramp, eventually being separated by security as they yelled at one another ahead of their big match. Winners: Bumfhole and Jameson (C) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I]Next: RCI preview - and the SWF fall even further...[/I]

[Mattlore Devious]

Bring on the RCI! And also; wow, I've never seen SWF fall below Cult - or do they just lose a star/tv show?