MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[James Casey]

Rip had called me into his office early on the morning of February 1st, with strict instructions not to be late. I could guess the reason, and thought it best to be on time. In truth, that wasn’t difficult. Katie had passed the point of morning sickness, and was now full of energy and vigour, meaning that instead of getting up at six am to throw up, she gets up at six am to clean. By six thirty, I’d had enough of the vacuum cleaner – good job my house is detached – and was on my way into the office, with coffee, tea, and even the morning papers. I passed Jenna, Rip’s secretary, who nodded to me professionally. I frowned. No doubt Rip wanted to talk money, but were things that bad? [COLOR="Purple"]“Hey kid,”[/COLOR] Rip said, as I walked in. He appeared engrossed in an employee file, and accepted my offer of a cup of coffee with barely a nod. [COLOR="Green"]“Who’re you looking at?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="purple"]“A new signing – that is, if you’re interested in him,”[/COLOR] he said, offhandedly. [COLOR="purple"]“How do you think we did in January, kid?”[/COLOR] I shrugged. I looked at the monthly financial statements, but part of my agreement with Rip all those years ago was that he’d handle the finances. [COLOR="purple"]“We’re up almost thirty thousand dollars,”[/COLOR] he said, his face splitting into a grin as he dropped the file onto the desk. It landed with a heavy thud, and I spared it a second glance as my mind whirled. [COLOR="green"]“Thirty thousand?”[/COLOR] I asked, scarcely able to believe it. [COLOR="purple"]“Yep,”[/COLOR] Rip said, still grinning. [COLOR="purple"]“Which means after five years you’ve finally doubled the initial balance that you started off with.”[/COLOR] I smiled, a little ruefully. I was well aware that I wasn’t the most financially prudent of bookers, and that there were probably others who could’ve done better for less. [COLOR="purple"]“Now, given that we’re a wrestling company, do you know what we’re going to do with that money?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Spend it,”[/COLOR] I said immediately. Rip’s grin widened, and I felt like his prize pupil for a moment. [COLOR="purple"]“You’re damn right, kid,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Purple"]“Look who’s on the market.”[/COLOR] I picked up the file with some difficulty, as it was several inches thick. [COLOR="purple"]“He keeps it up to date himself. You both must have learned from the same guy how to keep your files.”[/COLOR] I was about to respond when I turned to the first page, which featured a headshot of the man in question. [COLOR="Green"]“No way,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“He’s interested in coming here?”[/COLOR] Rip nodded. [COLOR="purple"]“He never got the same break here in the States that he did in Canada, which means-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“-that he’s not too popular to turn down work from a Regional fed,”[/COLOR] I finished, feeling slightly awed. I’d heard that the guy had left his last employers, but figured that he’d be moving to Japan, or even getting snapped up by one of the big three here in the States. [COLOR="green"]“We’re first on the scene?”[/COLOR] Rip nodded. [COLOR="green"]“We won’t have him for long – no chance,”[/COLOR] I thought aloud. [COLOR="green"]“But even one or two shows would be amazing. How much...”[/COLOR] I tailed off as I looked at the dollar amount. I looked up at Rip, who beamed. [COLOR="green"]“Really?”[/COLOR] I asked. He nodded. [COLOR="Green"][I]“Really?”[/I][/COLOR] I asked again. [COLOR="green"]“That’s not a misprint?”[/COLOR] Rip shook his head. [COLOR="purple"]“$2,000 a show, $2,000 downside, merchandise, and travel expenses. And...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“...no title run,”[/COLOR] I finished for him. Genghis Rahn might have been kept around, had he not wanted a title run there was just no chance to give him. There were at least three others who had title run promises in their contracts as well, quite apart from anyone I’d forgotten. They were a pain, and it meant that the All Action title would be having a wild night again, before too much longer. Once every six months or so seemed to be sufficient to keep people happy, although I didn’t necessarily get the logic of it myself. [COLOR="purple"]“So, do we take him?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Hell yes,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“Bite his arm off. Literally, if you think it’ll stop him being poached. I mean, he’s not as big as a Rich Money, but he might actually stick around-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Don’t finish that thought,”[/COLOR] Rip said, a warning note in his tone. [COLOR="green"]“-long enough to build a storyline around,”[/COLOR] I said. Rip shrugged. [COLOR="purple"]“Well, if that’s all, then maybe,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="purple"]“Stranger things have happened. This is a gift, kid. Let’s make the best of it, and be ready for him to move on. Lesson learned, right?”[/COLOR] I nodded. Our new signing may not have been the biggest name in the industry, but he was solid – and in MAW he was on a par with Aaron and Kirk in terms of popularity. That made him valuable and, to be honest, we’d have paid him more than he’d asked for, even taking travel into account. January had been a bit flat, without a single show rising above what I now considered to be an average rating. Hopefully we could improve on that in February... * That didn’t take long: Marc DuBois has signed a written deal with TCW. He left SWF in October last year, and has worked a string of CGC shows in the meantime. I expect DuBois to do fantastically over the coming months – in him and Remo, TCW have probably got their main event covered for the next ten years. * Joanne Rodriguez is set to leave NOTBPW. J-Ro is one of the world’s most popular female workers, and it seems odd that she’d to be released. But then, she’s more over in the US and Japan, which may mean she’s asking for more money than she’s worth in Canada. * Still, in fantastic news for NOTBPW... he’s back. At 38 years of age, and after a five year Japanese excursion, Duane Stone has signed back up with the Canadian fed. While in Japan, he’s far surpassed his previous achievements, picking up four Burning Junior titles, as well as two Best Of The Super Juniors title in 2007 and 2012. Interestingly, the departure appears to have come as a shock to BHOTWG, Stone’s current employers. He is the current Junior champion, and Burning’s schedule does not allow for any matches between now and Duane’s departure. It’s possible, incidentally, that Stone’s departure is linked to a feud that has been running between himself and Sensational Dragon over the last eighteen months. The two have been at or near the top of the Burning Junior division for several years now, and the professional rivalry appears to have boiled over to a personal one that has affected their careers. * Rats. Rich Money is the latest worker to leave CGC for TCW. They really have the monopoly now, and that’s one less worker we can borrow from the Canadians who’d be advantageous for us to have. Remo, incidentally, continues to be the star of TCW’s shows. * Genghis Rahn and JD Morgan have left the company after their contracts expired. Both would be welcome back, under the right circumstances – we certainly hope to have JD back when his knee heals up. * Going into contract negotiations, Marc Speed was on $800 a show, and Greg Ford was on $700 a show. Coming out of negotiations, Marc Speed was on $700 a show, and Greg Ford was on $800 a show. I guess maybe they share? * WLW have risen to Global status. They have overtaken BHOTWG as the biggest Japanese promotion, and are now #3 in the world. How they’ve managed that with no PPV or TV deal outside Japan is unknown... * Long-time TCW midcarder Clark Alexander has won his first ever career title, snapping up the International title by beating Edd Stone in the Canadian’s first defence. * Now there’s friendly: Harry Allen signs for PSW on the 24th, and by the 27th Tank Bradley was on radio and promoting his friendship with the new boy. * Long-time TCW midcarder has Clark Alexander has lost his first ever career title. Seriously. He dropped it to Steven Parker at Malice in Wonderland in his first defence. Elsewhere on the show, Freddy Huggins defeated Tyson Baine for the World title, and The Almighty Dollar went to a double count out with Wolf Hawkins and Eddie Peak. Tommy Cornell was notable by his absence – indeed, he’s only had two matches so far this year. * We finished second in the regional battles... again. NYCW keep shading us by a few cheers worth of popularity. Not, I suspect, this month. * Over Rhode Island way, Nevada Nuclear ended the eighteen month reign of Jim Force to collect the RIPW Championship. Yes, Jim Force held a title for eighteen months. Incidentally, the man who held the title before Force was Bradford Peverell, who was champion for nearly two years. Yes, Bradford Peverell held a title for nearly two years. * [CENTER][B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. Sean Deeley (c) vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title Scarlet Strike vs. Rudy Velasquez Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Jaime Quine and The Second Sons Lassana Makutsi vs. Primus Allen “Sensational” Kashmir Singh vs. Raphael Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title “Dogfight” Donnie J vs. Aaron Andrews[/CENTER]

[Tigerkinney]

[quote=James Casey;592460]Elsewhere on the show, Freddy Huggins defeated Tyson Baine for the World Title. [/quote] Funny how people's games can greatly differ, because in my FCW diary game Huggins has just been released by TCW. [I]Anyway going to make sure I get my predicitions in this time, after missing the last round[/I] [B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley (c) [/B]vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title [I]Deeley's not quite ready yet to step up to the main event, so he continues his run with the secondary belt. [/I] Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] [I]Scarlet's purely a tag wrestler right now, and a Tag jobber at that.[/I] Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] [I]Not unthinkable for the face trio to go over in this one but I just think that Quine will get one over on her partner again.[/I] [B]Lassana Makutsi[/B] vs. Primus Allen [I]In the bizarro logic of wrestling, the big african dude beats Primus to earn the former tag champs a shot at winning their belts back from the current tag champs.[/I] [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Raphael [I]Singh's a solid hand and deserves the odd win occasionally[/I] [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title [I]Routine defence for Jameson against one half of the tag champions[/I] [B]“Dogfight” Donnie J[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews [I]Donnie J with a roll up victory to make Andrews wait for his re-match even longer.[/I]

[smurphy1014]

[B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley (c)[/B] vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Raphael [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title [B]“Dogfight” Donnie J[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley (c)[/B] vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Raphael [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title [B]“Dogfight” Donnie J[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews

[Hyde Hill]

Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley (c)[/B] vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] “Sensational” [B]Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Raphael [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] (c) vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title “Dogfight” [B]Donnie J[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Leap Into The Unknown[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley [/B](c) vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh[/B] vs. Raphael [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] (c) vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title “Dogfight” Donnie J vs. [B]Aaron Andrews[/B]

[Motive]

Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Sean Deeley (c)[/B] vs. The Great Ota – MAW Traditional title I just have a feeling that neither of these two would be the next Traditional Champ if you were going to move Sean up to the main event! Scarlet Strike vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] Always saw potential, just never seen it fully realized. Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] Cheats To Win Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Primus Allen[/B] Tag Champs start the dominant part of their reign. “Sensational” Kashmir Singh vs. [B]Raphael[/B] You've given him the Marc DuBois picture, he's got to start winning big soon! [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Lenny Brown – MAW Heavyweight title Test to see how Lenny does! “Dogfight” Donnie J vs. [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] Build him up just for Kirk to knock him down!

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Six predictions in eight hours - I'm impressed. I'm also spoiling you with two updates in a day, but you knew that already, right? :p[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Leap Into The Unknown Friday, 5th February 2013[/CENTER] Bradford Peverell vs. Sean Deeley (c) vs. The Great Ota[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] You want a hot opener? We got your hot opener right here. On commentary, Rip noted that Deeley had to defend against two men as he had avoided putting the title on the line against Quentin Queen. It was a fantastic effort from all three men as they threw each other around the ring and across the mat with wild abandon. Ota ghosted in and out of the match, unleashing ninja fury at will, while Deeley struggled to cope with Peverell’s flying fists. The champ seemed unsettled by the three-way rules, and focused in too closely on Peverell, allowing Ota to drill him with a Ninja Strike. But before Ota could score the pin, he was blasted with a Dream Left Hook by Peverell, who scored the upset pinfall to win the match and become the new Traditional champion! Winner: Bradford Peverell (C+) * Deeley snatched a mic and snarled at the fans who were laughing at his loss. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“I didn’t lose! Peverell didn’t pin me... but you know what, I don’t care! It’s time to move up, anyway. Kirk Jameson, next Tuesday, I want you in this ring! I’m cashing in my title shot, and soon you’ll all be laughing on the other side of your faces when I become the Heavyweight champion!”[/COLOR] * [B] Scarlet Strike vs. Rudy Velasquez[/B] Just curious about this one, to be honest. Glad to have tried it, as Scarlet is a worker who – unmasked – has real potential. Rudy took the win with a Street Cutter. Winner: Rudy Velasquez (C-) * Jaime Quine was backstage with The Second Sons. She glared down the camera lens, before saying: [COLOR="Blue"]“Thea, I’ve got some new friends. I suggest that you meet us out in the ring. I’m sure you can find some partners... after all, we know how you got Kirk to go to bat for you.”[/COLOR] * [B]Thea Davis and The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Jaime Quine and The Second Sons[/B] This contest mostly followed inter-gender rules, with the men facing the men, and the women facing the women. That meant that the burgeoning feud between the former XX Factor partners got some decent air time, while the experienced tag teams got on with their business as well. In the end, Thea Davis gained a measure of revenge as she put Quine down with a Flying Elbow Drop. Winners: Davis and Peacekeepers (D-) * Thea and the Peacekeepers were celebrating their win when they were jumped from behind by their opponents. They fought back valiantly, but before they could gain an advantage, they were jumped from behind by a trio of unknown women, and the sheer weight of numbers resulted in the babyface threesome being overwhelmed. Eventually, Jaime Quine stood over the beaten trio with a mic in her hand. Two of the women grabbed Thea Davis by the arms and hauled her upright. [COLOR="Blue"]“I told you that I had friends,”[/COLOR] Jaime said, glaring at her former partner. [COLOR="Blue"]“Not just Casey and Antonio, either. Let me introduce you to the people who will help me become the most dominant woman in wrestling today... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/HuntressMakiko.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “... Japanese legend Huntress Makiko... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DeborahYoung.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “...the 240 pound beast, Deborah Young... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/NadiaSnow.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “... and the queen bitch, Nadia Snow. “These three women have agreed to help me eliminate you, and share in my dominance of women’s wrestling.”[/COLOR] Quine punctuated her statement with a backhand slap to Davis’ face, before dropping the mic and leading her group out of the ring. She was walking up the ramp when Davis picked up the mic and pushed herself upright. [COLOR="Blue"]“One problem to your plan, Jaime. I have friends too, and when I heard about your little plan, I decided to ask them to give me a hand. Please allow me to introduce Debbie Rose... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DebbieRose.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “...Brooke Tyler... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BrookeTyler.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “...and Kristabel Plum!”[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KristabelPlum.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The three women emerged from backstage, and stood at the top of the ramp. Brooke was wielding a chair in a pointed fashion. [COLOR="Blue"]“You might recognise Brooke’s name – she’s the daughter of Eric Tyler. She may not be as wild as her old man, but she’s picked up a few tips along the way.”[/COLOR] Quick as a rattlesnake, Brooke swung the chair and caught Antonio in the stomach as he stepped forward. Casey took a boot to the stomach from Plum, leaving his back wide open for a second wild swing from Tyler that brought him crashing to the ground. Rose took advantage of the distraction by leaping at Deborah Young. The much larger woman caught her assailant easily, but Rose was tenacious, raining fists, elbows and forearms down on Young’s head, staggering the Amazonian. Huntress Makiko stepped forward, and beckoned Tyler forward. Tyler stepped forward with the chair, but then dropped it as she tackled the joshi star bare-handed. Nadia Snow stepped in front of Jaime Quine, and stared down Kristabel Plum, as Rock noted that the two had history together dating back several years in a number of other promotions. The two women charged at each other with wild abandon, and for a second it looked as though Jaime Quine might escape as the other six women tangled with one another. But then Thea Davis made it from the ring to the ramp, and grabbed her ex-partner in a headlock. [COLOR="Blue"]“Jaime, it seems that there’s four of us, and four of you. I’d say that the next few shows are going to be very interesting indeed...”[/COLOR] * [B]Lassana Makutsi vs. Primus Allen[/B] I was sort of hoping that this match would cover for the previous – expensive – segment, which I had a feeling would go down poorly with the crowd. Apparently, it killed the momentum going into the match. I should have anticipated that... Anyway, the match pitted one of the new tag team champions in Allen, against one of the men from who he took the belt in Makutsi. It was an entertaining enough brawl, with enough technical overtones to keep the crowd entertained before Makutsi scored a mild upset with a Lassana Stunner. Winner: Lassana Makutsi (D) * Aaron Andrew was shown backstage, on the phone. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“So you can be here when?” [/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Next Friday... okay, I guess that’ll have to do.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]“No, that’s fine. I was hoping for a little sooner, but I understand that you’re busy.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Yeah, Jameson’s not going to like this.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]“No, I told you, that’s all I’ve got. I’m counting on some win bonuses to cover your fee, so just make sure you do your part. Once I get that belt back, I’ll be back in clover.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Yeah, see you next week.”[/COLOR] He hung up, and laughed as he rubbed his hands together. Rock commented that whoever it was that Andrews had hired, Kirk Jameson ought to start watching his back. * Raphael was backstage, and had something to say ahead of his match. He peered out from under his hood, before saying: [COLOR="Blue"]“Do not believe what you have been told.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh vs. Raphael[/B] As has been previously noted, Raphael’s mic skills are coming along nicely. His in-ring talent has never been in doubt. I’d call the rating for this enjoyable match a success, considering that neither man is especially over with the crowds – Raphael is still an Opener, after all. It was a good technical encounter, with the two men trading hold and counter-hold before Raphael scored an upset with a Turnbuckle Exploder. Winner: Raphael (D+) * Before his match, Kirk Jameson took the mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know as well as anyone that there’s one challenge that I can’t refuse, and that’s the Invitational champion cashing in their title shot. Sean Deeley, you’ve named the time, you’ve named the place... Next Tuesday, whether you face me or Lenny Brown, you get your shot at the Heavyweight title.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Lenny Brown[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] Another match where I tested a worker with potential, and I think it came off okay. Brown’s status as tag champion means he can (I think) be pitched into singles title matches that someone like Antonio can’t, and it also furthers Kirk’s rep as a fighting champion. This was an entertaining match, with Haley Buck at ringside taunting Jameson about how Deeley would get him if Lenny didn’t. At one point, Lenny yelled at her to shut up, which caused her to quieten down momentarily – but then she started shrieking as Jameson took advantage of the distraction, and scored with The Bullseye for the win. Winner: Kirk Jameson (C-) * Donnie J came to the ring and took the mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“Every which way we look, there’s challengers coming out of the woodwork for Kirk’s title, for the Traditional title, for the All Action title... Now, I’m a guy who’ll fight anyone, at any time. I enjoy proving myself against the best in the business. Tonight, I’ve got a match with Aaron Andrews, who certainly fits that description. But I want to be clear about something: If you have gold, then expect me to be standing across the ring from you one day soon – I’ll even find a partner and go for the tag team gold if needs be. Because when you’re a champion, you find yourself facing the best of the best – and that means when I become a champion again, I’ll be able to prove myself as the very best.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Dogfight” Donnie J vs. Aaron Andrews[/B] Main eventers + Great chemistry = Barn-storming match. It’s not rocket science, and I have no problem exploiting it here. These two can almost read each other’s minds in ring, and the result was a blistering contest packed with close falls, tight chain wrestling sequence, wild brawling and some jaw-dropping acrobatics from the smaller Donnie. In the end, Andrews scored with the Twisting Face Crusher to pick up the win. Winner: Aaron Andrews (B-) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I](Must have been close to a C+) Next: Meditations on some former champions...[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Glad to see you back on high grade track. Be intresting to see what you do with the women's division especially as you haven't hired the usual suspects. And 6 predictions in so short a time damm I have had 0 on my last shows after getting between 2 and 3. (Plug, Plug, Plug, LoL)

[Pampero Firpo]

Good show, James. I'm shocked you gave Peverell the title -- that's probably the only win he's gotten over the past year. O.K. that's a slight exaggeration -- but only a slight one.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: There's a method to my madness in giving Peverell the title - I certainly intended for him to have a better record thus far, but as he never complains, I never noticed :o Anyway, you'll see at the next show why I made that decision...[/I] * I was finishing up some paperwork after the show when Aaron Andrews stuck his head around the door. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“James?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Hello Aaron, what can I do for you?”[/COLOR] I was cautious. Aaron had been in a snit the last few weeks after his most recent disciplinary indiscretion. [COLOR="darkred"]“I just wanted to say thank you for sticking with me,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="darkred"]“I do enjoy working here, and I know that I’m not the easiest person to deal with.”[/COLOR] I nodded, non-commitally. [COLOR="darkred"]“Anyway, just wanted to say thanks.”[/COLOR] He smiled, and with a nod he walked off. I shook my head. Stevie Grayson may have been the biggest flake in-ring I’d ever worked with, but Aaron had to be the biggest diva backstage. Jay Chord may be worse – upset him and it’d take him months to forgive you, if at all – but Aaron was far and away the most unpredictable. Honestly, he’s worth it when he puts on great matches, but when he doesn’t, I do wonder whether we’ll even try and renew his deal when it comes up. * Backstage in NOTBPW, Kirk Jameson and Frankie Perez have become fast friends. They’ve worked in MAW together, and apparently this was enough to convince the powers-at-be up north to pick Kirk as Frankie’s helper in settling down north of the border. Long time readers may remember Frankie as being one-half of a former title holding team here in MAW with Trent Shaffer. Frankie’s departure remains something I regret, as he’s a tremendous talent. He was my first significant loss (I think he and Citizen X left in the same week, but X never really did it for me) and I can’t help but look at him and wonder ‘What If?’ Ah well – he’s also joined Davis Wayne Newton up there. I knew I’d never keep Newton for long, so when he left it was no surprise. But I wouldn’t be surprised if DWN and Frankie become the next main event pairing as the Stone and Sean McFly start to fade out of the top matches. * Over in FCW, Teddy Powell has beaten Kirk Jameson for the FCW title. It’s a straight swap, and it’s no surprise that the belt has moved as Kirk’s reign was actually longer than average for the title. * [CENTER][B]MAW Inconceivable[/B] Eddie Powell vs. Raphael The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. The Second Sons Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. ??? vs. Providence (c) – MAW All Action title Jared Johnson vs. Lenny Brown Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Heavyweight title[/CENTER]

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Inconceivable[/B] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Raphael The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] vs. The Second Sons Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]???[/B] vs. Providence (c) – MAW All Action title Jared Johnson vs. [B]Lenny Brown[/B] [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Heavyweight title

[foolinc]

[B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Raphael The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. [B]The Second Sons[/B] Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. ??? vs. Providence (c) – MAW All Action title [B][B]Jared Johnson[/B][/B] vs. Lenny Brown Kirk Jameson (c) vs. [B]Sean Deeley [/B]– MAW Heavyweight title

[Hyde Hill]

[B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Raphael The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Spectrum Infinity[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. The Second Sons Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]???[/B] vs. Providence (c) – MAW All Action title [B]Jared Johnson[/B] vs. Lenny Brown [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Heavyweight title Dammit I knew you would pull the belt of Deeley whi didn't I see it in the three way. Too early to take it off Kirk though altough Deeley will probably be the man or the new signing.

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Raphael [I]Powell's gradually being groomed into being one of your top faces, even if he doesn't quite make it there you are at the very least cultivating a solid upper mid-carder[/I] The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. [B]The Second Sons[/B] [I]Leaving this one up to Rip by any chance ? Any of these four teams could win and it wouldn't really makes a blind lot of difference to the rankings/storylines. [/I] Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] [I]Looks like you're starting up a women's division, could go either way but I'll swing for the heels in this one.[/I] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. ??? vs. [B]Providence (c)[/B] – MAW All Action title [I]I know the last belt to have a three way resulted in a title change, but I don't see you repeating the trick on two consecutive shows[/I] [B]Jared Johnson[/B] vs. Lenny Brown [I]Another singles win for Team Honor over a member of ABH, would really cement their claim for a shot at the tag belts[/I] [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Heavyweight title [I]Exactly as Hyde Hill said, I really should have seen the Traditional title change coming with the three way match, as it's a trick I often use myself to move someone up. However I don't think Deeley's going to be the one to end Jameson's reign with the title.[/I]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]MAW Inconceivable[/B] [B]Eddie Powell [/B]vs. Raphael [B]The West Texas Peacekeepers[/B] vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. The Second Sons Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] [I]Adding the ladies is an interesting move. looking forward to seeing how this works for you.[/I] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. ??? vs. [B]Providence (c) [/B]– MAW All Action title So many possibilities for ???, but its not always a great bet. Going to stick with the champ on this one, unless its a loss where he doesn't lose the belt... [B]Jared Johnson[/B] vs. Lenny Brown Kirk Jameson (c) vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B] – MAW Heavyweight title [I]Going out on a limb here... I think Deeley won the Invitation for a reason. [/I]

[smurphy1014]

[B]MAW Inconceivable[/B] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Raphael[/B] The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. [B]Spectrum Infinity[/B] vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. The Second Sons Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]???[/B] vs. Providence (c) – MAW All Action title [B]Jared Johnson[/B] vs. Lenny Brown Kirk Jameson (c) vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B] – MAW Heavyweight title

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Inconceivable[/B] [B]Eddie Powell [/B]vs. Raphael The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes [/B]vs. The Second Sons [B]Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum [/B]vs. Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. ??? vs. [B]Providence[/B] (c) – MAW All Action title Jared Johnson vs. [B]Lenny Brown[/B] [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] (c) vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Heavyweight title

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: You guys are just showing off now... :p Much appreciated, anyway. As for the ladies, well, a lot of you guys weren't buying into Quine and Davis as legitimate threats in the tag division, so that's the answer. As we'll come to see, it may not be best one I could have gone for. Still, when life hands you lemons and all that...[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Inconceivable Tuesday, 9th February 2013[/CENTER] Eddie Powell vs. Raphael[/B] Flat opener. The fans just didn’t take to Raphael as a threat to the much more popular Powell, and for some reason Powell didn’t really have his working boots on tonight, so wasn’t able to make the best of it. He won a relatively even contest with a Motion Censor. Winner: Eddie Powell (D) * Raphael stood in the ring, and for a moment he looked cross about the defeat. But then he took the mic and said: [COLOR="Blue"]“I have only just begun.”[/COLOR] * [B]The West Texas Peacekeepers vs. Spectrum Infinity vs. The Canadian Blondes vs. The Second Sons[/B] This was a bit of a mess, with all four teams striving to wear the other three down to score the eliminations. There was no cohesiveness between the units, which would have made for a much more intriguing match up. The Peacekeepers were put out first, then Spectrum Infinity, and just to grind the fans’ gears a little bit more, we had a couple of minutes of heel-on-heel action before the Blondes took the win. Remind me to fire my road agent... Winners: The Canadian Blondes (E+) * Thea Davis was walking backstage when she was jumped from behind by Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko. Before the heel duo could do too much damage, Kristabel Plum stormed the scene and made the save. [COLOR="Blue"]“Get out to the ring,”[/COLOR] she yelled as Quine and Makiko backed off. [COLOR="Blue"]“If you want to fight, we’ll make it a match.”[/COLOR] * [B]Thea Davis and Kristabel Plum vs. Jaime Quine and Huntress Makiko[/B] Two things are probably clear by now. The first is that we want to have a competitive women’s division. The second is that the women involved just aren’t that over. The best of them is probably Japanese star Huntress Makiko – but she almost has negative overness in the US. I’m not about to cut my losses based on one sub-par (and heatless) tag match as two of the four were debuting in MAW, and their partners have never really been over here... But equally the fans are going to have to be educated on the women the same they have been about the men. Plum pinned Makiko with a Plum Tucker to give the face team the win, and I was glad inside that I’d kept the match short (although, I suppose, with more time there could have been more to the match...) Winners: Davis and Plum (E) * “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith slammed through a dressing room door, and came face to face with Providence, who regarded him curiously. [COLOR="Blue"]“You know, you’re making me look very bad,”[/COLOR] Smith said. [COLOR="Blue"]“People keep expecting me to do something about you, after Ah brought you into the company and everything. Ah say that you’re your own man, beholden to no-one – what you do is your own business, and Ah’m in no way responsible for you, am I right?”[/COLOR] “You are.” [COLOR="Blue"]“’Course, that don’t explain why I feel so bad about you. You’re wrong in the head, boy. Ah’m the first one to step forward and say that everyone’s got a right to live their life the way they want, but when someone’s sick, you get them help. And that’s what you are, Providence. You’re unhinged, you’re crazy, you’re doo-lally, and if Ah have to beat some sense into you, well, that’s just the way it’s gotta be.”[/COLOR] Providence stared at his former mentor for a long, long moment. [COLOR="DarkOrchid"]“So be it. You are, of course, right. By any normal definition or measurement, I’m certainly not ‘right in the head’. I mean, I like hurting people. Who does that? I fight here because it’s fun, and the gold is shiny and warm around my waist. If I didn’t fight here, well, I’d fight somewhere else. Hell, I do fight somewhere else. Anywhere else. I’m always looking to even the odds a little. And you say that I’m sick in the head, and maybe I am. But think of all the good I do, Brandon. Do you really not want me out there, helping people?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Helping people? Listen to me, last week Ah heard that two guys out jogging got beaten up by some guy in face paint. One of them’s still in hospital. Are you saying that was you helping them?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"]“Well, in my defence, they were very fat.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“So?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"]“So I was saving them from heart attacks. It was for their own good.”[/COLOR] Smith scowled. [COLOR="Blue"]“You and me, tonight. Ah’ve put this off long enough. You ain’t getting better, boy, and one way or another, Ah’m taking responsibility for you, the way I shoulda done a long, long time ago. Ah might never be able to make amends for not stopping you before now, but Ah can make sure you don’t hurt anyone else.”[/COLOR] * [B]Jared Johnson vs. Lenny Brown [/B] I think I hate the South East. The fans seem to show up to ignore the matches. I’m not claiming that this was a classic, but it was perfectly acceptable wrestling (if, again, on the short side) and Haley Buck did some great work at ringside, harassing Johnson and berating the ref. It didn’t work, though, as Johnson was able to trap Brown in a Carolina Crossface for the win. Winner: Jared Johnson (E) * Johnson celebrated his win, but before the party could get started, Primus Allen boiled out of the crowd and into the ring, nearly decapitating the smaller man with a vicious lariat. Lassana Makutsi sprinted down the ramp and flew at ABH, but for his efforts he was manhandled by Allen, who crushed him with a sidewalk slam. Before ABH could continue their beatdown, however, two more men flew down the ramp and under the bottom rope. They leapt to their feet, teeing off on the tag team champions and driving them onto the back foot as Haley Buck screamed at ringside. A hard clothesline took Lenny Brown over the top rope, before the two men joined forces to stun Allen with stereo dropkicks, followed by a double suplex that bounced the larger man into the corner, where he lay sprawled before the clean-shaven of the two attackers finished him off with a leaping splash. The two men stood in the centre of the ring, staring out at the crowd, beaming widely as Rip announced: [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/EddieHoward_alt6.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DCRayne_alt5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] “That’s Eddie Howard and DC Rayne! Natural Storm are back in MAW!” * Smith and Providence were in the ring and ready to start when country music hit the speakers, and another newcomer made his way out to the ramp. [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/HarryAllen.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR="Blue"]“Greetin’s, y’all,”[/COLOR] he drawled. [COLOR="Blue"]“Name’s Allen, Harry Allen. Jes’ a good ol’ boy from down south. Don’t mind me, folks,”[/COLOR] he said, with a gesture to Smith and Providence. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ah’m jes’ here to issue a challenge to your champeen, Kirk Jameson. Ya see, Ah hear tell from a friend of mine that he’s made a name for hisself in these here parts, and Ah got a hungerin’ to come out and pit myself agin’ him. Now, Ah know that there’s all sortsa people who’re thinkin’ they can match up agin’ the big man, but Ah reckon Ah’m the best man for the job. So, Ah’ll leave that challenge out there, ‘cos Ah know the big man hisself will be along in a bit, and Ah’ll see if he bites.”[/COLOR] At the announcers’ table, Rip stood up. [COLOR="Purple"]“Mr. Allen, I see you’re ready to compete.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Ah always am if there’s any chance of a fight, sir.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Then step this way, because I don’t appreciate you interrupting my show. You can join this match, which needed something different added anyway. We’ll make it a Triple Threat match.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Harry Allen v. Providence (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW All Action title[/COLOR] At this point in the show, I was beginning to realise that things simply weren’t going to work out tonight – and even the main event was looking shaky. This was an okay match, with the three men producing some decent exchanges. Allen at times seemed content to let the former mentor and student pairing tear into one another, but Providence was quite happy to try and take on two men at once, so he was dragged into the fight time and again. In the end, Smith and Providence actually had a moment of unity as they delivered an almighty double clothesline to Allen that took the newcomer over the top rope, before Providence snapped off an Eye Of Providence on Smith so quickly that we barely had time to call it on commentary, giving him the successful defence. Winners: Providence (D+) * Kirk Jameson emerged from backstage, the Heavyweight title secure around his waist. [COLOR="Blue"]“I have no shortage of challengers, it seems, from the west coast to the deep south, to Canada... It’s part and parcel of being the champion. I’ve accepted almost every challenge going, and I guess that even Aaron Andrews’ Southern-fried puppet can have a shot if he wants it. As for Aaron, well, it’s nice to have him dangling on a string. I’ll get to him in due course, I suppose, but there’s no hurry.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“So you say,”[/COLOR] Sean Deeley declared as he emerged from backstage. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“But you’ve made an error in judgment in overlooking me, champ. I’m cashing in my title shot, and I’m not walking away without your belt. I was going to let you off easy, and pin you, one, two, three in the middle of the ring. But as you seem to be assuming you’ll make easy work of me, I have something else in mind.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“What’s that?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“A submission match. Your Kirkhold against my Front Choke Lock. What do you say, champ? Care to meet me on my own terms?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“I don’t recall you having the right to name the stipulations, Sean, but... Why not? You’ve got a big mouth, Sean, and you’re talented – but no-one’s as talented as you think you are. So I’ll accept your terms, but just remember that when I beat you, you’ll have no excuses.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Sean Deeley[/B] in a [COLOR="Purple"]submission match[/COLOR] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] This, at least, was a decent finish to the show, although in the Mid Atlantic it would probably have been a grade higher. The two traded hold and counter hold, Jameson looking to weaken his opponent’s arms, while Deeley went for Jameson’s head. I noted that with his arms weakened, Deeley’s Choke Lock would be less effective. Rip countered by saying that with a battered head, Jameson would be slower and less able to think quickly. In the end, Kirk trapped Deeley in a Kirkhold in the centre of the ring, and forced the Canadian star to submit. Winner: Kirk Jameson (C+) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I](Okay... Almost everyone was used too much, and this despite booking an extra match. For some reason, a show that would have sold out in the Great Lakes or Mid Atlantic barely half-filled the South East venue. The women aren’t over anywhere, Raphael may be a vanity project I can ill afford, Natural Storm should have been saved for their ‘home’ crowd back in the Mid Atlantic... Oh, and this was Sean Deeley’s last show for us before he moves to Japan. With regard to the return of Natural Storm, they’re a clear replacement for The XX Factor. My intention is actually to slim down the tag division over the coming months, as trying to book eight teams over the course of three shows a month has been problematic. That being said, in my ‘07 MAW game Rayne and Howard were consistent performers for me, with Rayne actually being the MAW champion at one point. I’d had a few ideas for bringing them back in over the years, but I’d wanted to wait until their return might mean something, rather than just being me turning to the old favourites. Steven Parker’s return allowed me to close off the Parker/Cattley storyline to my own satisfaction. Mainstream’s return was part of the Rip/Jay storyline. Natural Storm were the only other departures of significant note – the Rock City Stars do not count – from ‘07and if their return doesn’t have the same impact as that of Parker or Mainstream, it has been six years since they left, and therefore a return combines nostalgia and what I hope will be an improvement in the average match quality of the tag division.) Next: Farewell to the man who could've been the champ...[/I]

[Bigpapa42]

Disappointed that Deeley is leaving. I was really wanting to see if you could turn him into a real star. Ah well...

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Deeley's the first guy to leave in six months. I have a replacement in mind, who could [U]really[/U] make things hum... Props to the first person to guess him. Two clues: He's appeared in the diary already, and he can't come back to MAW until May or June.[/I] * An impromptu party was taking place in the venue’s sizable bar. Sean Deeley was getting a big send off. He’d proven to be a popular figure backstage since joining us six months or so back, and he would definitely be missed. For my own part, I was sorry that we’d had to hotshot the Jameson/Deeley ‘feud’, if one match counts as such. Another couple of months of Deeley showing his superior skills to the MAW crowd would probably have earned a much better match rating, but what can you do? Sean’s off to Japan with Burning Hammer, in addition to his other commitments with CGC and NYCW. Thanks to Nelson Callum’s antics, we’ve gone from being King of the Indies to a point where we have to book our way around half the small feds on the planet. Still, there’s one thing about MAW: We bounce back. With the new Women’s division, I’m hoping for a little more diversity, and if they’re not exactly raising match quality in the midcard just yet, it’s easier to gain overness when you have the skill that workers like Nadia Snow do, then to gain it when you have the sort of skill that workers like Antonio do. * Harry Allen should really have known better. Apparently he decided to try out his new plain-speakin’, pot-stirrin’ character backstage by suggestin’... suggesting that Providence and Brandon Smith had underperformed during their segment. Loudly, and in front of the whole locker room. Their response was the stiff double clothesline during their match – I mean, really, who upsets best friends like Prov and Brandon when they’re that size. My response was to give Allen a gentle warning that such behaviour didn’t fly backstage. Allen, through a swollen jaw, promised that it wouldn’t happen again. * [CENTER][B]MAW All Or Nothing[/B] Amazing Fire Fly and Donnie J vs. Providence and Aaron Andrews Team Honor vs. Always Breakin’ Hollywood (c) – MAW Tag Team titles “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Rudy Velasquez Natural Storm vs. Ford & Speed Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow Eddie Powell vs. Firebird vs. Lord Geoffrey Windameer Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Harry Allen – MAW Heavyweight title[/CENTER]

[Candyman]

Zimmy? [B]MAW All Or Nothing[/B] Amazing Fire Fly and Donnie J vs. [B]Providence and Aaron Andrews[/B] Team Honor vs. [B]Always Breakin’ Hollywood (c)[/B] – MAW Tag Team titles “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Rudy Velasquez[/B] [B]Natural Storm[/B] vs. Ford & Speed Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Nadia Snow[/B] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Firebird vs. Lord Geoffrey Windameer [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Harry Allen – MAW Heavyweight title

[foolinc]

[B]Amazing Fire Fly and Donnie J[/B] vs. Providence and Aaron Andrews Team Honor vs. [B]Always Breakin’ Hollywood (c) [/B]– MAW Tag Team titles [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith [/B]vs. Rudy Velasquez [B]Natural Storm[/B] vs. Ford & Speed Kristabel Plum vs.[B] Nadia Snow[/B] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Firebird vs. Lord Geoffrey Windameer [B]Kirk Jameson (c)[/B] vs. Harry Allen – MAW Heavyweight title

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: And now the answer to question absolutely no-one's asked: Did I really agree to pay Harry Allen $2,000 a show? No, of course not - someone [U]much[/U] more popular got that deal...[/I] * [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: All Or Nothing Friday, 12th February 2013[/B][/CENTER] Aaron Andrews and Providence came to the ring. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Kirk Jameson thinks that he understands things. He thinks that he’s fathomed my plan for him. Sorry, Kirk, but no. My machinations are a lot deeper than a noble and innocent soul like yours could ever understand. Still, good match on Tuesday. Very entertaining.”[/COLOR] Providence smirked. [COLOR="DarkOrchid"]“I enjoy being around this man. You see, I do love to... bring chaos into peoples’ lives. Everyone thinks that they have the situation figured out, but then I pop up and... I bring a little chaos with me. Whether for good or ill, well, I leave that to God to decide. My hand is guided by providence, and I accept my role as its instrument, but I love the chaos... and the only man who does that better than me... is this man right here...” [/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly and Donnie J vs. Providence and Aaron Andrews[/B] After a couple of weaker shows, I was intent on kicking things off hot. With the arrival of the women, and his burgeoning popularity in Mexico, Fly has moved up the card, and his inclusion in this match was a way of showing him as being of a comparable status as his three co-workers. Still, he remains the low man of the four, and played face-in-peril for a lot of the match. Even though he did manage to get the hot tag, Donnie wasn’t able to make up the deficit against the still-fresh heel duo on his own, and eventually Fly came back in only to fall to an Eye Of Providence. Winners: Providence and Andrews (C+) * [B]Natural Storm vs. Ford & Speed[/B] The returning Natural Storm are fondly remembered by long-time MAW fans, but when they were last here we were playing to sub-300 attendances in Stanley Hall. There were almost 1,500 fans here, a lot of whom had never heard of Eddie Howard and DC Rayne. I’d gambled on the fondly remembering fans giving them a decent pop, but I guess there weren’t that many of them here – explaining the comparatively low attendance I guess. Ultimately, this was a decent, but unspectacular, tag team match – and off mic Rip noted that Rayne and Howard hadn’t come as far as he’d hoped since they’d left MAW. Rayne pinned Speed with a Storm Damage to make the return a triumphal one. Winners: Natural Storm (D) * Haley Buck and Always Breakin’ Hollywood were shown backstage. [COLOR="Blue"]“So, the originals are back,” [/COLOR]Lenny Brown sneered. [COLOR="Blue"]“Natural Storm, who were a big deal back when MAW was playing to ten people in a high school gymnasium, couldn’t cut it anywhere else, so they’re here to try and relive old glories.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“The game’s moved on since you were here last time,”[/COLOR] Primus Allen growled. [COLOR="Blue"]“Maybe even a few months ago you could have come back here and made waves. But nowadays, it’s all about the bright lights and the glamour, and there ain’t nobody who delivers on those better than ABH.” [/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Natural Storm, we welcome you back to MAW. You see, there’s still a few people out there who might get excited about you, so you can bring in the box office where others can not. And when my clients defeat you, and they will defeat you, then our cut will be that much bigger.”[/COLOR] * [B]Team Honor vs. Always Breakin’ Hollywood (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] I’d worried that this match would outshine the preceding one, but on that score I was proven safe enough. These teams normally deliver to a higher standard, but even with Haley Buck up to her usual antics at ringside, it just wasn’t happening tonight. The champions put their challengers down at the ten minute mark when Jared Johnson fell to a Sunset Boulevard. Winners: Always Breakin’ Hollywood (D) * ABH made their way backstage, and found Natural Storm waiting for them. The four men stared each other down for several long moments, before the champions pushed on past. * Backstage, Nadia Snow and Kristabel Plum were shown having an argument, which degenerated into a shoving match before Kristabel challenged Nadia to a match. * [B]Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow[/B] Plum and Snow are our most over female workers, thanks to their work in USPW. That didn’t save them, however, from fan indifference, as they switched off in their droves from what was a perfectly acceptable offering, mixing aerial offence with technical exchanges before Snow planted Plum with a Superkick to take the win. Winner: Nadia Snow (E) * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Rudy Velasquez[/B] A heavy handed brawl, this match saw both men unloading on each other. The generally genial Bulldozer seemed content to give his all within the confines of the ring, but Velasquez dragged the fight to the ringside area, and the two tussled for a spell before the fans, Smith looking uncomfortable. This was to Rudy’s advantage, as he sent Smith into the steel ring post, before throwing him back into the ring and ending the match with a Street Cutter. Winner: Rudy Velasquez (D+) * Lord Geoffrey Windameer was backstage, receiving a massage ahead of his triple threat match. [COLOR="Blue"]“Thank you, Helga,”[/COLOR] he sighed, as the blonde woman kneading his shoulders applied more pressure. Windameer groaned pleasurably. [COLOR="Blue"]“That feels good – but not as good as when I land a High Society on one of my opponent’s tonight, and score the pinfall that will elevate me towards a title shot. After all, like calls to like, and believe me when I say that I have a great deal of gold in my home, quite apart from being the USPW World champion as well.”[/COLOR] * [B]Eddie Powell vs. Firebird vs. Lord Geoffrey Windameer[/B] The show picked up pace once more as these three men threw everything they had at one another. Powell was the frequent victim of double-teaming, but communications kept breaking down between the two heels, allowing the shaven-headed star to score with some offence and gradually weaken the two men down. When taking punishment, Powell seemed to be trying to roll with the punches, and position himself so that if either man missed with their strikes, they would hit the other. Ultimately, Powell was able to avoid a corner charge by Firebird that sent the masked man crashing into the turnbuckles, and left him stunned. Windameer tried to ambush Powell with a High Sociey, but Powell countered the hold and reversed it into a Motion Censor to put Windameer down for the count. Winner: Eddie Powell (C) * Backstage, and Kirk Jameson and Harry Allen stood nose to nose. [COLOR="Blue"]“Bringing in Harry Allen? I know that you two were tight out west, Aaron, but by the sounds of it you’re paying a lot of money for someone like him. If it’s intended to unsettle me, well, it won’t – I don’t get rattled by challenges. I welcome them – I consider it part of being a champion, and I want to be the best champion that I can be.”[/COLOR] Andrews smirked. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“You haven’t got a clue, have you? But don’t worry. By the end of the night, when you’re laying at my feet, you’ll realise what all this has been about. Enjoy your match... [I]champ[/I].”[/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson (c) vs. Harry Allen[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] Before the match, Harry Allen offered Kirk a handshake, leaving Kirk confused. Cautiously, he shook his opponent’s hand, but was clearly wary of it being a trap. However, Allen did nothing, and the match began without any other incident. The match was pretty good. We wanted Allen to look strong in his ‘debut’, but equally we couldn’t book him as being as strong as Kirk – everyone knows the guy as a jobber in TCW, and while we’re not yet ready to pretend we’re on that level, equally we don’t want Harry to be that well presented. The result was actually comparable to the Plum/Snow match earlier, as the two men traded aerial and technical offence. The fans cared about this one, however, and when Kirk shifted gears and started landing heavy punches to Allen, they were going wild, and when Allen took a piledriver to set him up for The Bullseye, the fans cheered as Jameson took flight, landing the elbow drop for the win. Winner: Kirk Jameson (C) * Jameson’s celebrations were cut short when Aaron Andrews slid into the ring and tackled the champion, and the two men brawled in the centre of the ring before a roundhouse kick put Andrews down. Before Jameson had a chance to react, however, a huge man leapt over the guardrail and entered the ring, nearly decapitating the champ with a lariat, before picking him up and planting him on the mat with not one, but two powerbombs. The big man helped Andrews to his feet, and the former champion took up the mic. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“You see, Kirk Jameson, I had no idea Harry Allen was coming to MAW. He was never the man I hired. That man is right here, and with his help, I’ll take that title from you – and destroy this company as I do so. Isn’t that right...” [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TimWestybrook.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [B]“...Tim Westybrook?”[/B][/COLOR] [B]Overall: C[/B] [I](Saved by the main event – it would have been nice if that had scored a C+)[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Nice I am a big Brook mark and find he is generally underutalized as he is one of the best big men out there. Be quirious what you do with him.