MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Bigpapa42]

Nice show, JC. Looks like we should get a nice Cattley-Westybrook feud.

[Hyde Hill]

Aye good show and if ya want any help/advice on which workers to cut I would be glad to help. I was right about Jameson afterall wasn't I hehe.

[ShadowedFlames]

Very well done indeed, JC. Like the bit with Rip and "Who the hell writes this ----?" :D

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Hyde Hill;611349]Aye good show and if ya want any help/advice on which workers to cut I would be glad to help. I was right about Jameson afterall wasn't I hehe.[/QUOTE] [I]You were at that. I have six names on the list right now, so we'll see how we go...[/I] [QUOTE=ShadowedFlames;611548]Very well done indeed, JC. Like the bit with Rip and "Who the hell writes this ----?" :D[/QUOTE] [I]Just occasionally, I write myself into a corner like that - of course, with Rip it's easy to get out of :D[/I] * The timing could hardly have been better. I arrived backstage after the show to find a scene of frantic confusion, and wondered briefly if Jay had somehow arrived unnoticed and pulled one of his more memorable pranks. Then Phoenix and Jean, who have been through this themselves, emerged from the crowd. Jean handed me the bag that had gone everywhere with us for the last two months. Phoenix clapped me on the shoulder and smiled. They didn’t need to say anything. Katie made a point of travelling to the shows even when she wasn’t on commentary duty. I’d wondered, in idle moments, whether there was a role for a nursing mother at our shows – but of course there was. The more time I got to spend with my family, the better, as far as I was concerned. She was surrounded by the female talent. None of the wrestlers had been through this particular process, but a few years back, Kristen Pearce had taken a hiatus from the business that we’d initially passed off as a clerical error in renewing her contract. In fact, she’d been pregnant and had taken a year out to be at home before and after the birth. She’d returned looking hotter than ever, and I doubt anyone knew that she had a baby outside of the locker room – but little Jessie was a frequent favourite visitor backstage, doted on by her myriad uncles and aunts, and fascinated by the primary coloured outfits and larger than life babysitters. This was the life I was preparing for – and I couldn’t wait. I helped Katie to the car and drove as calmly as possible to the local hospital. There’d been a few trips over the years, but I’d somehow never expected it to happen like this. For some reason, I’d assumed that we would be at home, but at least I had the birthing bag to hand. [COLOR="Green"]“How long have you been in labour?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="magenta"]“Since about four o’clock,”[/COLOR] Katie replied. I glanced across at her as we waited on a red light. Her face was bathed with sweat, and as I watched it contorted into a fierce grimace. I glanced at the clock. It was nearly eleven. I thought about this, and shrugged. Really, what could I have done? Better for me to be busy with the show, and better still for me not to be worrying while I was working. The show had been one of our best – albeit with a smaller crowd than I’d hoped... I stopped. Show analysis? Now? [COLOR="magenta"]“What are you thinking about?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“The show,”[/COLOR] I said, sheepishly. [COLOR="green"]“But I understand why you didn’t tell me.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="magenta"]“I nearly did,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="magenta"]“But I barely see you on show nights, and today was busier than usual.”[/COLOR] I smiled ruefully. [COLOR="green"]“Well, I’m here now. Is everything okay?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“It seems to be – I had the doctor back at the arena keeping an eye on things.”[/COLOR] We fell silent as we arrived at the hospital. The midwifes took us in and got us set up. We’d sprung for a private room from the start – the website I have an interest in has been doing well of late. Then I settled in for the wait. I would never pretend that men have the worse of the deal when it comes to pregnancy. Nine months of hard physical labour, followed by a day or so of discomfort scaling up to excruciating pain... Yeah. We have it easy. But not that easy. The wait is worrying. The midwifes wear professional masks to hide their feelings throughout the process – and while it’s because they’re worried of giving the wrong impression to the expectant parents, it scared the ---- out of me having all these sombre women walking around. Eventually, it was time for the delivery. By this point, the midwifes start to relax – pretty much anything that can go wrong would go wrong before that... but they’re alert for problems anyway. It’s not an easy thing, but I tried to remember that Katie was getting by far the worst of it. She had all the waiting and, while she did have something to occupy her, I wasn’t going to offer to trade or anything. But as with all things, the waiting was the worst part. Even seeing Katie in pain... well, it wasn’t pleasant – but we knew what waited at the other end. In this case, a baby girl... and a baby boy. We’d been careful about letting people know that we were expecting twins. Katie’s not the most robust of people and for some reason I’d been terrified about the prospect of losing one – or both. We’d allowed people to think that we were having one baby, not lying, exactly, but not telling the whole truth. I sat there with my daughter in my arms as my son had his first feed. We were tired. Katie looked like she’d gone five rounds with Hassan Fezzik, back in his prime. Nonetheless, we were happy. * Brandon Smith's contract has come up for renewal. After his last match, I think we might just take up that option... * SWF have extended Hugh de Aske's contract. I expect Chance Fortune to follow suit in the coming days. Ernest Youngman and Steve Flash still have a few months to go on their deals. * [QUOTE][I][CENTER]Big Trouble in Little SWF[/CENTER] The tale of Supreme Wrestling Federation is a cautionary one in today’s industry. Richard Eisen has created a modern day behemoth, but one with fragile foundations. The recent years have seen the company cycle through a series of Global to Cult to Global changes, and this weekend tew.com is in the unfortunate position of reporting on their most recent fall back to Cult status. Leaving aside the debate on whether we as an independent and self-appointed should hold any power over the world wrestling business, the simple fact is that the companies have accepted our ranking system seemingly as gospel – with few dissenters. Our rankings have made and broken careers. It’s not easy to live with, and that is why we have to be careful with our assessments, trying to avoid sensationalism or unreasoned judgments. That is why we have the six month cooling off period before we promote a company back up a level after they fall. However, there is no cooling off period for a company that has reached the level – simply put, they should be ready for the jump. SWF have shown time and again that they aren’t capable of sustaining operations on a Global scale. The shows they put on, in contrast to perennial rivals such as NOTBPW and TCW, are never good enough. They don’t elevate talent, and continue to rely on the same collection of stars they’ve had for a long time – a pool that’s dwindled significantly over the years with defections and retirements The continued failure of Richard Eisen’s company to capitalise on their popularity frustrates us at tew.com. Not everyone views them as the anti-Christ, and they can put on some fantastic shows. But they play to such a populist audience that one or two bad shows can really kill their momentum. More than any company, SWF live or die by their ratings – Eisen wants to be a success at entertainment, and too often he seems to forget that in this business, you live or die by what happens in the ring. That’s why a talent like Jean Cattley – a fine technician, but never likely to appear on the cover of TV Guide – works under the worthless Mean Machine gimmick, a character that the comparatively obscure MAW dropped as too bush league several years ago. Ultimately, we expect a certain standard of Global (and even International and National) companies. Their shows have to perform to a certain quality, they have to possess a certain star power, they have to be recognisable... SWF tend to manage the last of those fairly well. They’re good at getting workers over in the mainstream... but that doesn’t always translate to interest in the product – look at Jack Bruce, retired in the prime of his career to focus on business outside the ring. Workers in SWF tend to hit a peak but, rather than pushing on from there, the company fails to capitalise and those workers end up leaving, as Steve Frehley, Rich Money, Remo and many others have shown over the last few years. And this is where the match quality comes into it. Remo Richardson has, by any standards, had a phenomenal 2013 – if he’s not Wrestler of the Year, it’ll only be because he deliberately sets out to sabotage his chances from this point on. A home-grown SWF product, he’s one of the most exciting talents in the business today, wrestling a high-impact style that makes his matches downright thrilling. He’s been the MVP on his company’s shows time and again, and his recent reunion with Rich Money has seen his character – and potential – expand exponentially. The problem for SWF is that he’s doing all that for TCW. Having left Supreme in early 2012, Remo sat on the sidelines for almost a year, having grown disillusioned with the business. Tempted back to the industry by Tommy Cornell, he’s rediscovered his fire and is finally fulfilling his potential. In SWF, Remo was the champion – but he never came across as the star that he is after just six months in TCW. In his matches, he looks incredible. In his interviews and segments – traditionally the one area where SWF has led the industry – he’s been outstanding. The story of Remo is almost the story of SWF and TCW. So what does all this mean? Well, SWF are back to Cult for the next six months. Despite putting on good-to-strong shows since hitting Global, a bomb of a show on Sunday night undid the good work of several months. Simply put, SWF tend to skate along the edges when it comes to show quality. When they exceed the minimum, it’s not by much. When they fall short, it’s too much. And that’s cost them, time and again. SWF’s stars are losing their shine. Their reputation within the industry is at an all-time low – and if what we’re hearing is true, they could be ripe for pillaging by a slew of companies, NOTBPW and TCW not the least among them. It’s premature to predict the end of SWF – they have far too much money for that, and they will be back, but their’s is a rocky road, and right now they don’t have much in the way of cushioning to ease the ride. Of course, they still have Hugh de Aske freshly signed to a written deal, so it's not all bad news for them... [RIGHT]by Dwayne Johnson[/RIGHT][/I][/QUOTE] * Our B- show was enough to put us top of the regional battles in Great Lakes, Tri-State and the Mid Atlantic for June, our first clean sweep in months. I think that it also jumps us ahead of NYCW in the promotion rankings – at least, our prestige is pretty decent now. NYCW’s show (and it drives me nuts that we put on nine shows a month and can get out performed by a company running one. I may understand the logic of TEW.com’s best show theory, but really...) pulled a B- rating, with their best match being Sean Deeley beating Stevie Grayson to retain the Empire title (B). PSW, meanwhile, had a C- show, with their best matches being the semi-final (Tank Bradley def. Harry Allen) and final (Johnny Martin beat Nevada Nuclear for the PSW title) both of which scored Cs. Finally, RIPW – who aren’t exactly competition, but who still compete for the same dollars we do – offered a D+ show, with the semi-final and finals both pulling D+ (Honest Frank def. Shady K, and Nuclear retaining the RIPW title over Ekuma the Hawaiian Strong Man respectively). It's not all good news, however, as we lost a shade under $50,000 in June. Simply put, if finances don't improve then we won't be able to renew our television deal beyond September. Sponsorship and ticket sales were up, but worker and show costs jumped greatly. I can try and cut back on worker costs – and the departures of Allen, J and Jameson will help there – but only so much. One possibility is running the Nationwide shows in the mid Atlantic three times a month. Avoiding the South East and its oft-disappointing attendances makes sense to me. I’ll have to see what I can come up with. Another possibility lies in moving the monthly event forward in the calendar. SWF, for one, run their pay-per-views in the middle of the month, which seems to be good for them. We’ve always run these shows at month-end unless circumstances demanded otherwise, but that was just for convenience sake – building to the end of the month seemed logical to me. I have no particular objection to moving to the middle or even the start of the month. Our workers’ other commitments will affect just how much we can move, of course, but in theory we could run any day except for Friday – we could even run on Mondays (except we’d lose out on Firebird to OLLIE) and move the On Tour shows to another day. One other possibility is that we could ditch the shows all together – at least until we get pay-per-view. Having a rolling, TV show based, narrative has its limitations... but it would be less money spent. Sacrificing shows that we’ve put time and money into building up would be a shame, though. * [QUOTE] [CENTER][I]MAW.com show report: On Tour in South East Monday, 1st July 2013[/CENTER] Hello, grapple fans and welcome to the MAW.com report for our latest show to come from the South East. We kicked off in ring, where new Traditional champion Swoop McCarthy tied with the African prodigy Lassana Makutsi. McCarthy dethroned the former champion through a combination of strength and the ability to take punishment. The latter was put to the test in this contest, as the experienced Makutsi had the better of the two men's exchanges. Swoop is nothing if not resilient, though, and was able to fight back and put Makutsi down with his effective Running Powerslam. After the match, I had a chance to talk to Swoop, who had this to say: [COLOR="Teal"]"MAW, consider yourself on notice. Everywhere that Swoop goes, Swoop's a roaring success – and this federation won't be any different. This Traditional title is just the start – 'cos when Swoop sees something that he wants, Swoop always gets it."[/COLOR] Jaime Quine and Debbie Rose were in action next, with the two women putting on an entertaining contest. The slight Rose showed great heart in keeping up with the stronger Quine, but ultimately Quine used her greater strength to her advantage, scoring with a vicious KO Kick that saw Rose having to be carried from the ring. Backstage, and Greg Ford and Marc Speed were arguing over who would make the bigger impact that night. They agreed to find opponents, and try and prove which one could cause the bigger splash. Elsewhere, Jared Johnson was offended by Michael Ferdinand's persistent attempts to hit on a staff member, eventually challenging him to a match. Johnson's honourable stand paid dividends, as he forced the confident youngster to submit with a Carolina Crossface. Marc Speed sough to make his impact by demolishing DC Rayne backstage. In the subsequent match, Rayne fought valiantly but the early damage from Speed was enough to make the difference, as the former tag team champion tapped to a Cross Armbreaker. Greg Ford sought to make a huge splash as he challenged World champion Jean Cattley. The champ accepted, and the two had a thrilling contest. But where Speed last week was able to match technical skill with Cattley, Ford was confined to a wild brawling approach, and Cattley was able to use his superior technical skill to derail the challenge with a Mood Swing. Swoop McCarthy def. Lassana Makutsi – D Jaime Quine def. Debbie Rose – D- Jared Johnson def. "Twilight" Michael Ferdinand – E Marc Speed def. DC Rayne – D- "Machine" Jean Cattley def. Greg Ford – D+ Show overall: D+[/I][/QUOTE] * After the show, Michael Ferdinand had to be dragged away from a shouting match with a fan. As he's previously got into fights with Jean and Antonio, there's no denying he has previous – we can be grateful it didn't go further. Ferdinand doesn't see it that way – he stormed out of my office when I gave him a warning, complaining that it had been blown out of proportion. I'm working my way up the scale for Ferdinand. He's a precocious talent, but never seems to have been shown any discipline. This is an area where I haven't excelled in the past, so I want to try and be as fair as possible. Equally, though, I don't want to set a bad precedent for the rest of them. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] ??? vs. Firebird Amazing Fire Fly vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title "Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle vs. Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez Eddie Powell vs. Aaron Andrews[/CENTER] [I]OOC: In RL, we're just having one baby. In the C-verse, twins means that in eighteen years time I'll have headliners for both divisions :p[/I]

[Tigerkinney]

??? vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]I've no clue who Triple Question Mark is, as I have no clue I'll go for the safe pick and go for the established Firebird[/I] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [I]Swoop's only just won this, so he retains.[/I] "Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [I]Heels need to take this in my opinion as you look to add further build to Westybrook as the main challenger to Cattley.[/I] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews [I]Andrews is on his way out, so Powell gets the rub and you could do with some of those borderline main eventers like Powell making that step up with the departures/imminent departures you have been dealt of late.[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

[B]??? [/B]vs. Firebird Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title "Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews I would go with the just tv shows and write down the prestige percentage of your monthlies and reinstate them at that percentage once have ppv otherwise move em to the start of the month as you can then use em to finish fueds of the last month and/or start new ones for the upcoming month. As for cutting talent; order of keeping imho: 1. Talented and over 2. Talented 3. Over 4. Pet Projects leech of the overness of group 3 to group 2 and 4 (if you keep any) and then ditch them (group 3) except if their overness remians high due to other company work (windameer) or high destiny. Talent consists of good performance stats (Basics being paramount) coupled with either good/decent technical skills and/or brawling with flashiness, charisma and star quality being added bonuses. Aerial without brawling and/or tech to at least a decent level doesn't work because of your product if you are still using the default one. PS same rules aply for signing of new talent. Further way of cutting costs is focussing more on 1 vs 1 matches and do camera training with mostly the same guys in the dark time that will be on the main show. Plus the standard of 2 person anounce team, 1 ref, 1 ra with people doing double duty. You as anouncer with rip and rip as ra would be fine, have wrestlers co commentate to raise their overness and mic skills and maybe prelong fueds.

[praguepride]

Man, I remember when this diary first started. A year later and you're still going strong. Kudos, JC. Even though I'm starting on page 1, I'll try and do picks anyways ??? vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]Always go with the known over the unknown[/I] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [I]If you don't know the story involved, current champ is the safe bet :D[/I] [B]"Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle[/B] vs. Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez [I]In my first CCW diary, Suzanne Brazzle won the Hanson Invitational. I'll give her the win here too :D[/I] [B]Eddie Powell [/B]vs. Aaron Andrews [I]Eh, seems like the thing to do.[/I]

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] [B]???[/B] vs. Firebird Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title "Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: I'll be making my decision on the roster in due course - the interviews for potential firings should be fun, at least... And I was going to mention when the diary got to 800 pages, just 'cos I thought it was quite impressive, but I forgot. However, we've just passed 900 pages (admittedly the last 30 or so are just notes...) which is that bit more impressive. Next stop 1,000![/I] [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 5th July 2013[/CENTER][/B] Firebird stood in the centre of the ring, sneering as he looked around the crowd. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“It’s been too long since I was before you. I have been sidelined. I have been maligned. I have been forgotten. “No more. “MAW has seen departures of late. Many have walked, following their wallets and betraying the principles that they claimed to hold dear. But I remain. “I am constant. I am supreme. I am the nadir, the lowest point, the darkest darkness. I am Firebird – and there is no-one who will go further than I to show the darkness of the depths of their hearts.”[/COLOR] [I][URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwX-KS1816c"]Jessica[/URL][/I] hit the speakers, and a masked man stepped out onto the ramp. [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Who are you?” “Some say that I’m the finest masked wrestler in the world,”[/COLOR] the newcomer replied. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Or that when I want a win badly enough, the heavens and the earth conspire against my opponent to give me what I want.”[/COLOR] He shrugged, and smiled at the crowd. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“All I know, is that I’m El Heroe Mexicano – and tonight, I have come to MAW. Firebird, you speak of the darkness, but I will shine a light on you. You speak of evil, but in challenging you, I become a force for good. Firebird, show me this darkness of yours. Let us see tonight if that which you claim as your strength is equal to my own.”[/COLOR] * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. Firebird[/B] This is why we've been watching El Heroe – as debuts go, this was right up there. The two masked men flew around the ring, Firebird seemingly energised by facing an opponent as fast and fluid as himself. The two men fit seemingly every move in their repertoire into the confrontation, and yet it was also clear that there was more they could bring to the ring with a longer time limit, as in this case they ran out of time, the match coming to a draw. Winner: No-one (B-) * Swoop McCarthy stood in the ring, Traditional title settled around his waist. [COLOR="Teal"]“Now you can’t say that you weren’t warned,”[/COLOR] he declared. [COLOR="Teal"]“Swoop McCarthy arrives, and things start to change. You’ve got a new champion, and soon he’ll be a double champion, a triple champion... If there weren’t rules against it, then Swoop would be fighting for the Women’s championship as well – although there are better things to do with a woman like Nadia Snow. “Get used to seeing gold around this waist, to seeing gold adorning this perfect body. Let Swoop set your mind at ease: This is the start of a long era of domination.”[/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] A cool down match, but still a notch above a lot of matches we've had of late. The power and presence of Swoop made for an interesting contrast to the sheer pace and flair of Fly, who bounced around the ring like a rubber ball. However, Swoop was able to catch him in the end and drill him with a hard clothesline that turned him inside out, landing him on his head. Fly tried to go airborne once more, but he was off target with his attempt, and Swoop was able to catch him and plant him with a Runnng Powerslam for the successful defence. Winner: Swoop McCarthy (C-) * A hype video played, showing some of the numerous highlights of the Cattley/Westybrook match from the previous weekend. It ended with the announcement that a rematch had been signed for Beach Blast on the 20th. * [B]"Machine" Jean Cattley and Suzanne Brazzle vs. Tim Westybrook and Joanne Rodriguez[/B] There was a lot of energy in this match, with Cattley and Westybrook seeking to build on their previous strong match, and Brazzle and J-Ro meeting for the first time in MAW. The two pairings left nothing in their lockers, with a series of high tempo exchanges highlighted by a stunning tope from J-Ro to Brazzle and Cattley on the outside – but it wasn't enough to earn her side the win, as she was planted with a Brazzle Dazzle to take her first pinfall loss in MAW. Winner: Cattley and Brazzle (C+) * Aaron Andrews stood backstage. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“It’s nothing short of shameful that I am not a champion. But if this is the state of the company, then there is nothing more to be said. I shall simply take out my frustrations on my opponents over these coming weeks.”[/COLOR] * [B]Eddie Powell vs. Aaron Andrews[/B] This was a slightly disappointing end to an otherwise strong show. The two men have never enjoyed the best results in the past, but I was hoping that on TV they could turn it up a notch. Alas, there was no such luck – the match was good, and on another night would have been acceptable for a main event, but tonight the solid exchanges comprised just the third best match of the night. In the end, Aaron began his farewell tour – four more shows after tonight, I think – by lying down to a Motion Censor. Winner: Eddie Powell (C) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I](Disappointing – but who's to know it would go that way?) Next: Big Smack Scott in Supreme Challenge Match of the Night shock![/I]

[James Casey]

We got a 0.01 rating once more – I wonder what we'd have to do to break into 0.02? * Aaron was spreading rumours about Jean backstage. That’s sad. The orphanage down the road got a cut of his pay for the show. They're happy. Equal and opposite reactions, I guess. * [QUOTE] [CENTER][I]MAW.com show report: On Tour in Tri State Monday, 8th July 2013[/CENTER] Hello grapple fans, and welcome to your weekly dose of MAW on the road with your host, Rip Chord. Today we were hailing from the Weston Gymnasium, and things kicked off with Raphael scoring an upset win over DC Rayne with a finisher that he's dubbed the Turnbuckle Exploder – fans, you have to see this move in the flesh! Of course, I don't know if he'd be able to hit it on someone like Tim Westybrook... After the bell, Raphael treated us to a few choice words, proclaiming: [COLOR="Blue"]"This is not a test."[/COLOR] I never said that it was. It was mixed tag team action next, with Jared Johnson and Debbie Rose taking on the dangerous pairing of Jaime Quine and Michael Ferdinand. The latter pairing seemed to have the better understanding although individually I'd say that Johnson and Rose gave the better showing. Still, teamwork won out as Quine nailed Rose with the KO Kick while Ferdinand hustled Johnson from the ring like a lion with a thorn in its paw. Lenny Brown, who seems to view the On Tour shows as a way of bringing his Hollywood style to the masses, was up net, taking on the youngster Sheriff Blaze. It was a wild brawl, with Blaze getting the crowd behind him as he went up against the long-serving tag champ – but in the end Brown was able to nail the Star Treatment for the win. Backstage, and Casey Valentine challenged Lassana Makutsi to a match. Sometimes it really is that simple, folks. This battle between former tag champions was evenly contested, as the two know each other well from their battles over the tag belts. Ultimately, it was Makutsi who put this knowledge to best use, dropping Valentine with a Lassana Stunner for the win. In the night's final match, "Sensational" Kashmir Singh responded to taunts from Antonio by facing off with his tormentor. My boy can get the job done in the ring when the need arises, but Singh is an international star and on this night, had too much in the tank for the former Invitational champion, taking the win with a Bombay Duck. Overall: Raphael def. DC Rayne – E+ Ferdinand and Quine def. Johnson and Rose – E+ Lenny Brown def. Sheriff Blaze – D- Lassana Makutsi def. Casey Valentine – D- Kashmir Singh def. Antonio – D-[/I] [/QUOTE] * I have to give mention to the 33rd Supreme Challenge here for a couple of reasons: The first is that the semi-final (James Justice def. Big Smack Scott) was match of the night, scoring an A. Yeah. BSS. A. I know. The second is the man chosen to lose to World champion Troy Tornado in the main event (B+). None other than then 47 year old, Cinderella story-living, Steve Flash. Dreams can come true, kids – even if he lost, it's still the main event of the biggest show on the calendar. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Eddie Powell, Bradford Peverell and Suzanne Brazzle vs. Swoop McCarthy, Rudy Velasquez and Nadia Snow Thea Davis vs. Joanne Rodriguez El Heroe Mexicano vs. The Great Ota “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Tim Westybrook[/CENTER]

[AzzMartin]

Big Smack Scott managed an A. Wow, Justice must be doing something right. [B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Eddie Powell, Bradford Peverell and Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy, Rudy Velasquez and Nadia Snow[/B] Thea Davis vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]The Great Ota[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Tim Westybrook[/B]

[bak42]

[QUOTE=James Casey;613072]We got a 0.01 rating once more – I wonder what we'd have to do to break into 0.02?[/QUOTE] Get more viewers.:p

[Comradebot]

[QUOTE=bak42;613093]Get more viewers.:p[/QUOTE] Admittingly, it seems to take awhile to up the viewership... especially if you happen to have your show on a smaller network and a rough hour. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Eddie Powell, Bradford Peverell and Suzanne Brazzle[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy, Rudy Velasquez and Nadia Snow [I]Eddie Powell leads the faces to victory, whilst Peverall and Brazzle get some heat back following some recent losses.[/I] Thea Davis vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [I]Despite not being the champ, J-Ro is still a class above everyone else in the womens division. [/I] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. The Great Ota [I]It's clear you have plans for Mexicano and I expect him to follow up a strong debut with a win over Ota.[/I] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] [I]Westybrook is currently the top challenger for the top belt in MAW and should continue to look strong until another genuine title challenger emerges.[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Eddie Powell, Bradford Peverell and Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy, Rudy Velasquez and Nadia Snow[/B] Thea Davis vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano [/B]vs. The Great Ota “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] Hell be glad it's a 0.01 better then all 0 just give it time and try moving to better timeslot/network once you hit cult.

[Hyde Hill]

[QUOTE]and/or brawling [/QUOTE] make that and/or brawling, purosu.

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=bak42;613093]Get more viewers.:p[/QUOTE] [I]OOC: Smart-arse... :p[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 12th July 2013[/CENTER][/B] [B]Eddie Powell, Bradford Peverell and Suzanne Brazzle vs. Swoop McCarthy, Rudy Velasquez and Nadia Snow[/B] There wasn't anything wrong with this match, exactly – it's just that six man matches don't tend to work too well in MAW. It was a bit crowded, with only ten minutes for everyone to get some time in – and no-one really able to stand out. At least the ending was memorable, with Suzanne Brazzle breaking out the Miracle Connection for the first time in MAW to score the pin on the Women's champion. Winners: Powell, Pevererell and Brazzle (D+) * After the bell, Suzanne stood in the ring with a microphone in her hand: [COLOR="Blue"]“Nadia, you don’t need me to tell you that your victory last week wasn’t the great triumph you’ve been crowing about behind the scenes. Let me make it nice and simple for you: I want a rematch at Beach Blast. And you can keep your pet J-Ro away from me in the meantime.”[/COLOR] * [B]Thea Davis vs. Joanne Rodriguez[/B] I toyed with the idea of putting this on first. I can't remember, now, why I didn't. I'm sure that I had a good reason... Anyway, this was an even contest, with Rodriguez mostly in control, but Davis showing significant promise as she kept fighting back against her veteran opponent. However, she couldn't break down Rodriguez' defences, and eventually fell victim to a J-Rocker. Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (C-) * Nadia Snow was shown backstage, clad in a satin robe, her lit mirror behind her. [COLOR="Blue"]“Dear Suzanne, I don’t understand what you mean about Joanne. Whatever problems you may have with her are your own. I would never dream of getting involved in your personal matters. “But you do make for an interesting opponent, Suzanne. And our match did generate some wonderful coverage for me. I think that a rematch could be good for my profile. So yes, darling, we shall have one more match.”[/COLOR] The camera cut back to the announcers’ table, and Rip looking thoughtful. [COLOR="Purple"]“Miss Snow, Miss Brazzle... I don’t often get involved in the personal issues between my employees, but on this occasion I’ll make an exception. Miss Rodriguez has inserted herself into the dispute between you, and the fans will want some resolution on that point. Therefore, I’m making the Beach Blast match a three way dance!”[/COLOR] * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. The Great Ota[/B] Heroe maintained his impressive momentum with a strong performance against Ota. As much as I like the veteran ninja, he's unavailable on the day of major shows, and is much nearer forty than thirty. He's always reliable, so I keep him around, and he always looks good, so he can go over lesser workers in matches... but for workers like Heroe, he's a litmus test – and one that Heroe was equal to. It was an enjoyable aerial contest, highlighted by the impressive airtime Heroe got on the Flying Headbutt for the win. Winner: El Heroe Mexicano (C+) * Victory complete, El Heroe Mexicano took up a mic: [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Some say that I should know when to leave well enough alone, and that if I avoid defeat against an opponent as dangerous as Firebird, I should count that as a good result.”[/COLOR] He smiled, and shrugged. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“All I know is that I’m El Heroe Mexicano, and when I give my word I intend to fulfil my promise. Firebird, I challenged you so that I could show that your darkness could not overcome the light. Last time, we drew. It was a great match, but it settled nothing. In eight days time, Firebird, we should fight again.”[/COLOR] * Tim Westybrook emerged from backstage. Tonight, however, he was followed onto the stage by a slim, leggy brunette in a shimmering, clinging skirt topped off with a smart jacket. [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SaraSilver.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR="Gray"]“My name is Sara Silverman. I am Mr. Westybrook’s executive assistant. My client is a man of action, but few words,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="Gray"]“In this business, it seems, you need both. Mr. Westybrook has always been very successful in defeating his opponents, in bringing in money for his expertise in delivering pain and punishment to those whom his clients select. He is also intelligent enough to recognise areas in which he requires assistance. Happily, as well as handling his finances, for a nominal fee I am willing to act as his manager in this company. To that end, I have detected a previously unmaximised source of revenue, to whit the MAW World title. Next Saturday, my client will defeat Jean Cattley for the title and begin to earn the money commensurate with his position as company figurehead. “Potential clients may rest assured that my client does not intend to forsake his employment as a freelance peacekeeping operative, however. Such are my client’s talents that he is more than capable of managing both without unduly exerting himself, I assure you. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Westybrook wishes to make it clear that everything that you have seen in the six months or so in which he has been employed by this company has merely served as a taster. My client is one of the most dominant men in this business, and when he takes the World title you will be privileged to witness the commencement of an era of domination such as this business has never seen.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Tim Westybrook[/B] I had half a feeling that this wouldn't match up to the previous contest between the two, but felt that it was worth trying – just in case. It was as brutal a contest as before, with neither man holding back with their blows. However, the drama was somewhat lacking with one man set for a World title main event, and the other not even scheduled for a match on the big show yet. At ringside, Sara Silverman took copious notes, and looked agitated when her client was in trouble, but unlike our other high-profile manager, Haley Buck, she didn't get too worked. As it turned out, she didn't need to as Westybrook was able to land an almighty TNT Whirlwind to take the win. Winner: Tim Westybrook (C) [B]Overall: C[/B]

[Bigpapa42]

I really really hope you turn Westybrook into a dominant force. That seems to be the obvious direct you're heading in, but I hope it comes through. Especially with a manager like Silver(man) in place... I love that you still manage to make the diary so intriguing at this point. Kudos, good man. Kudos.

[Phantom Stranger]

Aye, having had to tell T.I.M. he was dreaming if he wanted me to pay him that much at Philly Pro I'm having to hope he gets a solid push here...

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: I'd love to have Tim and Jean carry the company, but long-term they're both 'well past their prime', apparently. Considering the match they turn out at Beach Blast, I think they can cope for now, though. We'll have to see...[/I] * We pulled another 0.01 rating with the show. That’s six on the bounce, which is good – people aren’t switching off, at least... * NYCW's monthly show was headlined by Sean Deeley going over Tim Westybrook in a fantastic (B+) main event. Although the rest of the show was average, that was enough to give them a B-rated show. I don't think, somehow, that we can top that... * [QUOTE] [I][CENTER]MAW.com show report: On Tour in South East Monday, 15th July 2013[/CENTER] A sell-out crowd here in the Sweat Box had the temperature buzzing as Haley Buck opened the show. She announced that her clients, Always Breakin' Hollywood, would be putting their titles on the line in a gauntlet match at this weekend's Beach Blast event – and she was accepting applications for a spot in the match as of that moment. She also hinted that anyone who impressed in the night's matches would stand a good chance of making the show. In the first match of the night, former Traditional champion Bradford Peverell took on former Tag Team champion Casey Valentine. The two men contested an impressive brawl with my one-time protégé trying to match up to the famed flying fists, but falling just short when Peverell caught him with a Dream Left Hook. Next up, Antonio took on the masked Burn. Burn has been quiet of late, but showed some skill as he tackled his more experienced opponent. Eventually, though, he crashed out to an Italian DDT. Next up, "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith took on Marc Speed in a rare singles meeting between the two. Smith has been the more successful of these two in the past, but Speed showed that he is a skilful and dangerous competitor – although eventually he fell to a Backdrop Driver. A battle of tag title competitors followed, as Lassana Makutsi of Team Honor took on Speed's partner, Greg Ford. Ford seems to take part in fewer singles matches than almost anyone on the roster, but he showed that he may at least want to consider adding more to his schedule as he took the win with an Ace In The Hole. Finally, champion Lenny Brown – who argued with Buck all the way down the aisle – faced off with "Sensational" Kashmir Singh. The veteran Broadway fan was one of the men who lost the titles to ABH some months ago, so there was a measure of revenge in the clash. The two had a fine clash, with so little respite between the exchanges that I know that both will be feeling it in their bones come the morning. Ultimately, although the veteran had the better of the exchanges, Brown was able to score with the devastating Star Treatment to pick up the win. Fans, I've been Rip Chord from the South East. We'll be back here soon, and don't forget to catch us at 10pm Friday on National Pride, Nationwide! Bradford Peverell def. Casey Valentine – D Antonio def. Burn – D Brandon Smith def. Marc Speed – D+ Greg Ford def. Lassana Makutsi – D Lenny Brown def. Kashmir Singh – D Overall: D[/I][/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Suzanne Brazzle and Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow and Jaime Quine vs. Joanne Rodriguez and Deborah Young Bradford Peverell vs. Firebird Eddie Powell vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title “Machine” Jean Cattley and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Tim Westybrook and Aaron Andrews[/CENTER]

[Self]

Suzanne Brazzle and Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow and Jaime Quine vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez and Deborah Young Bradford Peverell[/B] vs. Firebird Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Tim Westybrook and Aaron Andrews

[Tigerkinney]

Suzanne Brazzle and Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow and Jaime Quine vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez and Deborah Young[/B] [I]With two heel teams the faces are going to be up against, i'll swing for J-Ro's unit.[/I] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Firebird[/B] [I]Don't feel you are ready to put Pev over Firebird[/I] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [I]Swoop holds onto his title[/I] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Tim Westybrook and Aaron Andrews [I]The Aaron Andrews job on his way out the door tour continues[/I]

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] [B]Suzanne Brazzle and Kristabel Plum[/B] vs. Nadia Snow and Jaime Quine vs. Joanne Rodriguez and Deborah Young Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith [/B]vs. Tim Westybrook and Aaron Andrews

[DeBones]

Suzanne Brazzle and Kristabel Plum vs. Nadia Snow and Jaime Quine vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez and Deborah Young[/B] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Firebird[/B] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Tim Westybrook and Aaron Andrews

[James Casey]

S--- I've just bought a new laptop. In the process of copying over TEW to the new laptop, I appear to have overwritten my most recent save game file. This is a significant problem - my most recent backup is a month old - both game wise, and RL wise. It's not going to take me anything like a month to replay the game month, of course - as I know exactly how to do it, I'll be able to do it in a couple of days. I'll book it as close to the first game as possible. I'll be back with you as soon as I can, but for once I don't have a stash of pre-written shows to hand to throw up while I work on this. Let this be a lesson to us all: Backup frequently. In fact, I do keep a regular backup on my USB stick. But that's what I've been using to transfer files, so that got wiped as well. *Sigh*