MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Showtime4Lajf]

Really enjoying this. I never seem to be able to stick with my MAW for some reason, yet I love MAW diaries. I love the backstage segments and the straightforward writing of the cards. Keep up the good work.

[Rocksta]

...is Arachnid Jack Griffith?

[shamelessposer]

[QUOTE=Rocksta;459314]...is Arachnid Jack Griffith?[/QUOTE] Griffith's too old to fit in with the MAW crowd. Style doesn't seem right either, and with D+ popularity he'd be getting much better ratings in his matches.

[James Casey]

[I]Jack Griffiths? Well, that'd be telling. I know off the top of my head that he fits a lot of the clues, though...[/I] * [QUOTE][U]Who is Kid Arachnid?[/U] by Jason Reso As Mid Atlantic Wrestling gears up for its fourth Rip Chord Invitational, a constant topic of conversation online is the identity of the mysterious Kid Arachnid, one of the quarter-finalists in the Invitational, and the one about whom the least is known. We’ll get to that soon enough – but what about the Invitational itself? The brackets are as follows: [COLOR="Red"]Kirk Jameson vs. Black Eagle The Masked Patriot vs. Cameron Vessey Kid Arachnid vs. Casey Valentine Flash Savage vs. Fumihiro Ota[/COLOR] So, who’s going to win? Here at PWHits, we all have our favourites. Charles Wright is ready to curse Rip Chord that Antonio’s not in the final eight. Mark Callaway says that he’ll dig himself a grave if Black Eagle doesn’t win. Phil Brooks has put his reputation on the line by going for Flash Savage. Well, anyone could win – that’s the idea behind tournaments, and generally when you get to this sort of stage the less likely candidates are eliminated. Saying that, Flash Savage is still in there. Phil may have picked him because he’s the most unlikely contender – a worker who’s spent his whole MAW career in tag matches and tag feuds, but he’s the most unlikely contender for a reason. I don’t see Eagle winning, either – he’s too big a name to benefit from the rub an RCI win should give. He’s there to put someone over – probably in the final. Vessey? Valentine? The latter is more likely – he’s Rip’s protégé, after all, and Antonio won the tournament last year. Rip can play favourites – even if rumour has it that James Casey has booked the whole thing this year. You have to imagine Rip is favouring his student. And Valentine is better than Antonio – in my opinion, anyway. The MAW management don’t seem to be behind Kirk Jameson, who has practically zero momentum. I’d go so far as to say that Savage is a more likely winner – but I don’t expect either to make the final. Although Jameson has undoubted talent, it seems that Casey, Chord or both aren’t seeing what the FCW fans see. Fumihiro Ota seems to be in for the same reason as Black Eagle – he doesn’t need the rub a win would give. If anything. I’d say he’s there to put Savage over. Their styles should complement each other enough to put on a good match, and there’s always the possibility of Hugh Lee (don’t get me started) getting involved somehow, after all. My choice is Masked Patriot. We all know that it’s Brandon Smith under there. We all know what he’s capable of. We all know that he could be a huge name one day very soon. Why not this weekend? Pull the trigger on a Patriot main event run and MAW will finally have that prominent, dominant face it’s lacked since Mainstream Hernandez moved to Puerto Rico. But then, there’s the small matter of Kid Arachnid to consider as well... * Arachnid made his MAW debut in July last year, and has had a mixed record, winning three of his eight matches. However, the last two of those wins came against Antonio, the reigning RCI champion, and one of MAW’s most featured performers. Arachnid also shared mic time – sort of – with Rip Chord himself in October. Okay, it was just Rip chasing KA out of the Battle Royal, but it was something. It seems like MAW may be building something with this guy. So, what do we know about Kid Arachnid? Well, we know that he’s about six foot tall, and is probably a middleweight, allowing for a little leeway given how much of him his costume disguises. He also has some pretty sick tattoos – but those could be temporary. Remember the fake Skull De Bones angle in SWF a few years back? We know that he uses a pretty generic style – I’d even say carefully so. Nothing about his moves stand out – other than his finisher, a variant of Joey Poison’s Antidote Web. Is it Poison under the hood? I doubt it – Poison is not the kind of guy Rip would be keen on pushing. In all likelihood, it’s just a riff on the Arachnid theme. Those who know their bad 80’s cartoons will recognise the music used for Arachnid as being... inspired by the Arachnaman and his Astounding Buddies theme. We know that Arachnid is fundamentally sound, as well – which is why I rule out Poison. Arachnid is athletic, and comfortable in the ring. It’s probably not a rookie under the hood – it’s someone who knows wrestling. Maybe Arachnid is just an avatar – a testing ground for heels to work against faces. With matches against Casey Valentine and Cameron Vessey under his belt, it’s possible that Arachnid was, on those occasions, Vessey and Valentine, working against each other. The size and build would be about right. My gut feeling says that it’s someone we know under the hood. The unmasking, when it comes, may be a shock to unsettle Jean Cattley before Arachnid unseats him for the MAW title. Or it may be a ploy by The Firm – Valentine and Vessey working under the hood for a reason known only to them. Maybe it’s just MAW being cheap – saving the cost of a worker by having someone pulling double duty. But then, Rip has never been shy to splash the cash, as the recent appearances of Fumihiro Ota, Black Eagle and Ultimate Phoenix show. Still, if costs have to be cut... Then again, maybe Ota and the others are under short-term deals, and Arachnid is just an attempt to ride their coattails and set up MAW’s own masked star. One other thing: 85 – 57 – 29 – 0. The countdown concludes at the RCI. Are we going to have a big debut? Will someone be unmasked? Might those internet rumours of a Mainstream Hernandez or Steven Parker return actually come true? Hell, maybe it’s all a joke. It could be Shane Nelson, or Thom(as, but that’s a whole ‘nother column) Morgan, or Joe Benning under the hood. Maybe Antonio did something to upset Rip or James Casey, and did the job to the joke character as punishment. Maybe Arachnid is going to get splattered by Casey Valentine on Friday night, and Valentine’s going to get the political megapush that Antonio never quite made the most of last year... We’ll find out the answer to some, if not all of these questions, at the Invitational. I’ll be watching – and I know that my peeps will be watching with me. See you there! -Jay Kid Arachnid’s record to date: Kid Arachnid def. Ricky Douglas - Beach Blast, 26th July 2008 Jefferson Stardust def. Kid Arachnid - MAW On Tour, 3rd August 2008 Oscar Golden def. Kid Arachnid - MAW On Tour, 10th August 2008 Casey Valentine def. Kid Arachnid - MAW On Tour, 17th August 2008 Cameron Vessey def. Kid Arachnid - MAW On Tour, 24th August 2008 Ricky Douglas def. Kid Arachnid, Shane Nelson and Jefferson Stardust - Iron, 26th August 2008 Kid Arachnid def. Antonio - Fall Of The King, 26th September 2008 10 Man Battle Royal - Did not compete - Where It All Begins Again, 26th October 2008 Kid Arachnid def. Antonio - Remember November, 26th November 2008[/QUOTE] * [CENTER][U]MAW The Rip Chord Invitational[/U] RCI Quarter-Final: Kirk Jameson vs. Black Eagle RCI Quarter-Final: The Masked Patriot vs. Cameron Vessey RCI Quarter-Final: Kid Arachnid vs. Casey Valentine RCI Quarter-Final: Flash Savage vs. Fumihiro Ota Shane Nelson vs. Raphael Kirk Jameson vs. Antonio Shaffer & Grayson (c) vs. The Gauge Brothers for the MAW Tag Team titles Ultimate Phoenix vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley (c) for the MAW Heavyweight title Plus: The Rip Chord Invitational semi-finals and final![/CENTER] * [I]Your KA clue for the day - although if you read Reso's column carefully, you might have got it anyway: KA is a Regular Wrestler. Predictions, comments and praise are always welcome. Nitpicky comments about misnamed tag teams I'm neutral about... ;) The next show will be up sometime this weekend - I might wait 'til Sunday to build the suspense :p Oh, and 100+ responses? This is by some distance my most successful diary ever. My thanks to everyone who's taken the time to comment, preidtc and otherwise respond.[/I]

[Astil]

RCI Quarter-Final: Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Black Eagle[/B] RCI Quarter-Final: [B]The Masked Patriot[/B] vs. Cameron Vessey RCI Quarter-Final: [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Casey Valentine RCI Quarter-Final: Flash Savage vs. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] Shane Nelson vs. [B]Raphael[/B] Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Antonio[/B] Shaffer & Grayson (c) vs. The Gauge Brothers for the MAW Tag Team titles Ultimate Phoenix vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley (c) for the MAW Heavyweight title The Masked Patriot over Black Eagle Kid Arachnid over Fumihiro Ota The Masked Patriot over Kid Arachnid Heel turn for Dozer, as he unmasks himself AND Arachnid.

[Actarus]

RCI Quarter-Final: Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Black Eagle[/B] RCI Quarter-Final: [B]The Masked Patriot [/B]vs. Cameron Vessey RCI Quarter-Final: [B]Kid Arachnid [/B]vs. Casey Valentine RCI Quarter-Final: Flash Savage vs. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] Shane Nelson vs. [B]Raphael[/B] Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Antonio[/B] Shaffer & Grayson (c) vs. [B]The Gauge Brothers[/B] for the MAW Tag Team titles Ultimate Phoenix vs. [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the MAW Heavyweight title

[d_w_w]

MAW The Rip Chord Invitational RCI Quarter-Final: Kirk Jameson vs. [B]Black Eagle[/B] RCI Quarter-Final: [B]The Masked Patriot[/B] vs. Cameron Vessey RCI Quarter-Final: [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Casey Valentine RCI Quarter-Final: Flash Savage vs. [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] Shane Nelson vs. [B]Raphael[/B] [B]Kirk Jameson[/B] vs. Antonio Shaffer & Grayson (c) vs. [B]The Gauge Brothers[/B] for the MAW Tag Team titles Ultimate Phoenix vs. [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the MAW Heavyweight title Plus: The Rip Chord Invitational semi-finals and final! Just guessing about the rest: Masked Patriot over Black Eagle Ota over KA Masked Patriot over Ota

[James Casey]

[I]You final clue (in white text so you don't guess if you don't want to be spoiled): [COLOR="White"]KA is 21 or under at the start of the game. And if you follow all the clues (and I've got them right) you will now have four possible workers to be under the mask, all of them connected to MAW in some way. How about that?[/COLOR][/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: The Rip Chord Invitational Saturday, January 27th 2009[/CENTER][/B] A sell-out crowd of 300 people had packed into Stanley Hall for the 2009 Rip Chord Invitational. The hot ticket was the RCI final, which the seeding indicated would involve Black Eagle (#1) and Fumihiro Ota (#2). [B]RCI Quarter-Final: The Masked Patriot vs. Cameron Vessey[/B] Patriot kept half an eye out for Primus Allen throughout this match, which nearly cost him dearly. But Vessey seemed to overestimate this factor, and ended up paying the price when Patriot nearly snapped him in half with the Backdrop Driver. Winner: The Masked Patriot (D) * Backstage, and Sienna LeNoir approached the locker room of Kirk Jameson, wearing a satiny robe. Entering without knocking, she found him getting ready for his match with Black Eagle. Peeling off her robe, she revealed a miniscule bikini underneath, and proceeded to attempt to seduce him. Jameson was polite but firm in his rebuttal, pointing out in a very earnest manner that he would be glad to spend some time with her – after he won the tournament. * [B]RCI Quarter-Final: Kirk Jameson vs. Black Eagle[/B] Jameson pitted his wits against the vastly more experienced Eagle in this match. Eagle may have been annoyed at Lenoir’s failure, but it’s hard to tell – sometimes he’s too implacable for his own good. He did sell Jameson’s offence, but come the end of the match he still looked barely tested as he nailed the New Jersey Turnpike to advance to the semis. Winner: Black Eagle (D+) * Casey Valentine was in The Firm’s locker room: [COLOR="Blue"]“Kid Arachnid... It’s all been a fairytale for you, hasn’t it? You’ve beaten Antonio and qualified for the biggest night of the year. I’m happy for you – truly! But it ends now. You’re going up against The Firm, and when that happens, you know you’re going to lose.”[/COLOR] In the background, Cameron Vessey was visible, complaining about his sore neck. * [B]RCI Quarter-Final: Kid Arachnid vs. Casey Valentine[/B] Arachnid wasted no time in this match, and was all business in the ring. Valentine seemed somewhat taken aback by this, and on commentary Rip betrayed something of a bias by urging his protégé on. It was all for naught, though, as Arachnid’s surprise progress continued, a Cradle Piledriver taking him through to the next round. Winner: Kid Arachnid (D+) * Flash Savage was up on the roof, wrapped up against the January cold. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ota, you weirdo. Today, of all days, you’re not down in the boiler room?”[/COLOR] [I]Bong.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"] “Great. Where the hell are you?”[/COLOR] Silence. Savage muttered under his breath, and stalked around the roof until he found Ota meditating on a ledge, shirtless despite the bitter wind whipping through the air. [COLOR="Blue"]“Listen, I just wanted to say, there’s nothing personal about this, okay? I know everyone else has tried to make this a personal fight with you, but it’s just about the tournament with me. I don’t care about the ninja thing, although it’d be nice to know how Huey’s doing. I barely see him these days. Is he okay?”[/COLOR] [I]Bong. Bong.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]“Oh. Well, good. See you in the ring, okay?”[/COLOR] [I]Bong. Bong.[/I] * [B]RCI Quarter-Final: Fumihiro Ota vs. Flash Savage[/B] Savage once again used his speed to his advantage in the early going of this match, avoiding Ota’s surgical strikes by inches. But eventually Ota was able to catch him cleanly, and although Savage tried to haul himself back into the match, Ota eventually blasted him with the Ninja Strike to advance. Winner: Fumihiro Ota (D-) * Rip entered the ring: [COLOR="Blue"]“Now, my dear departed mother used to say that I had a streak of mischief in me a mile wide. And I can’t deny that. So I think it’s time to mix things up a bit. Tonight’s semi-finals will not be Patriot/Eagle and Ota/Arachnid, as the brackets indicate. Instead, they’ll be Patriot/Arachnid and Ota/Eagle. I like to see how my employees react when the ground shifts under them.”[/COLOR] * [B]Shane Nelson vs. Raphael[/B] This was just a short match to give the semi-finalists a chance to freshen up, with no other real reason to be here. We pretty much picked out two dependable undercarders to get an extra payday, and happily they had pretty good chemistry, which always helps. Raphael picked up a quick win with the Italian DDT. Winners: Raphael (D) * Backstage with The Masked Patriot: [COLOR="Blue"]“Hey Kid Arachnid. I wasn’t planning on meeting you until the final. Funny joke on Rip’s part, huh? Well, no matter. I know that tonight is going to see a good, clean fight – I’d expect nothing less from you after all.”[/COLOR] * [B]RCI Semi-Final: The Masked Patriot vs. Kid Arachnid[/B] A very good match from these two as the fans got behind both men from the get-go. Patriot seemed more confident with Allen’s non-appearance, while Arachnid was still focused. The match was a back and forth display of good wrestling, with Arachnid having to b smart to stay out of the clutches of the much larger Patriot. It seemed that Patriot might finally get his win as he caught Arachnid with a series of clotheslines, but then Allen made an appearance at ringside. The referee chased him away, but Arachnid seized the advantage with a quick roll-up to advance via pinfall, although Rip claimed that Arachnid had used the tights to hold Patriot down and go through to the final. Winner: Kid Arachnid (D+) * As soon as the bell rang, Kid Arachnid left the ring, leaving Patriot at the non-existent mercies of Primus Allen, who hauled the big man upright long enough to turn him inside out with a Flying Lariat, before getting in his face and talking trash as he lay there, insensible. * Backstage, and Fumihiro Ota and Black Eagle were face to face, their eyes blazing over their face masks. They stood motionless, but tensed and ready for action at the slightest sign of movement from the other. Only the intervention of Sienna LeNoir, dragging on Eagle’s arm, separated them long enough that they could make it down to the ring for their match. * [B]RCI Semi-Final: Fumihiro Ota vs. Black Eagle[/B] The second semi-final had the crowd buzzing as the two masked rivals came face to face. It was a high-paced, hard hitting affair, with both men narrowly escaping defeat at the last second on several occasions. In the end Ota was able to avoid the New Jersey Turnpike and blast Eagle with the Ninja Strike to reach the final Winner: Fumihiro Ota (D+) * Erik Strong took the mic as he stood in the middle of the ring: [COLOR="Blue"]“I’ve lost my title. I’ve lost my shot at the Invitational. These last months haven’t been a career highlight. But I’m still here. I’m still MAW’s number one go-to guy when they want someone brought down to earth. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Primus Allen run around and attack whoever he wants, whenever he wants to. So Allen, get yourself down here now – it’s time you learnt how we do things here in the Mid Atlantic.”[/COLOR] * [B]Erik Strong vs. Primus Allen[/B] Allen isn’t quite over enough to work this high a match just yet, but the story was sound with Strong showing some of his old focus in bamboozling the Rookie Monster. He avoided Allen’s clutches with some ease, but eventually Allen caught him, and in just a few power moves left Strong reeling. Hobbled and slowed, Strong was easy picking for Allen, who crushed him with a Running Powerslam to take the upset victory. Winner: Primus Allen (E+) * Rip, Marv and I quickly ran down the stats for the Tag Title match. * The tag champions came down to the ring, accompanied by Jenny and Dawn. The challengers also had company, a single young woman, slim, her face almost wholly hidden by large glasses. Rip commented that she looked familiar, but wouldn’t say who he thought she was. Matthew Gauge was more informative, introducing her to the crowd as Lisa Bowen. [COLOR="Blue"]“Bowen, Bowen...”[/COLOR] Marv said. [COLOR="Blue"]“It rings a bell, but...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“She’s Runaway Train’s daughter,”[/COLOR] Rip said, at last. [B]Shaffer & Grayson (c) vs. The Gauge Brothers[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] There were periods during this match that us announcers just had to stop and admire. The brothers took the advantage early, and used their near-telepathic understanding to their advantage. Shaffer and Grayson rallied and impressed themselves, with some clearly well rehearsed combination attacks as Chad Brent wisely let events unfold without too much interruption. In the end, though, the superior teamwork of the brothers told, and Greg caught Trent in a Depth Gauge to crown the new Tag Team champions. Winners: The Gauge Brothers (C-) * Ultimate Phoenix came down to the ring and took a mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“Since I came to the Mid Atlantic, I’ve heard an awful lot about The Firm. How they’re the most dominant force in professional wrestling. How they’re the future of the business. How they will rule for years to come. “I don’t believe in ruling through intimidation, and that’s how The Firm is trying to do things. With Primus Allen attacking whoever he’s pointed at, and Vessey and Valentine mocking good, honest people, I could choose any target. But I’ve always believed in aiming for the top, and that means going after the leader of The Firm – Jean Cattley!”[/COLOR] On cue, Jean appeared at the top of the ramp: [COLOR="Blue"]“Phoenix, you’re a faded symbol of a bygone age. You claim to be some kind of hero, but the last person to need a hero was Mariah Carey, and she doesn’t spend a lot of time in Stanley Hall. You need to be shown that standing against the might of The Firm is a fools’ choice, and if that means that I have to beat the realisation into you with my fists, then that’s what I’ll do.”[/COLOR] * [B]Ultimate Phoenix vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] I can only hope that the main event isn’t a letdown. The story of the desperate champ and his simon-pure challenger had the crowd enthralled throughout this match. One by one, The Firm made their way down to ringside to cheer their leader on, and once again Phoenix found himself trapped by them. Although he tried to ignore them, you could tell that he was struggling, and it nearly cost him dear. In the end, he was able to blot out the distractions and score a desperately close near fall with a Phoenix Firebird Splash, but when he went up top again, Cattley caught in on the way down and nailed a modified Mood Swing, the added momentum allowing him to score the title-retaining pinfall. Winner: Jean Cattley (C-) * The production elves earned their pay, as we played a hype video showing off the respective routes to the final of both Kid Arachnid and Fumihiro Ota. * [B]Rip Chord Invitational Final: Fumihiro Ota vs. Kid Arachnid[/B] A slight drop in quality for the final, but not a bad match by any means. Both Ota and Arachnid had fought long and hard to reach this point, and both left it all in the ring. They battled back and forth for twenty minutes, asking and giving no quarter as they brutalised one another. In the end, Ota missed a handspring elbow into the corner, and Arachnid was able to catch him with a lightning fast DDT that made Rip gasp, before adding the exclamation mark with a Cradle Piledriver for the win to be crowned the Rip Chord Invitational champion. Winner: Kid Arachnid (D+) * Rip entered the ring slowly, bringing the RCI trophy with him. He shook hands with Arachnid, who stared at him imperturbably from behind the mask. Rip went to hand Arachnid the trophy, but then the lights went out, and he dropped it. I commented that Rip seemed really spooked – more so than I’d ever seen him before. Oh the screens, a thirty second countdown began as the crowd buzzed. As the countdown reached zero, the voice, free of static and distortion, echoed through the arena: [COLOR="Blue"]“You must face your consequences!”[/COLOR] The lights came up – but there was nothing different. Arachnid and Rip stood in the centre of the ring, looking around, seeking out whoever the mastermind of the interruption was. Then Arachnid kicked Rip, hard, in the gut, doubling him over. Wrapping his arm around Rip’s head, Arachnid stared out across the crowd before nailing a picture perfect Rip Chord DDT, driving Rip’s head down and onto the Invitational trophy, crushing it and splitting Rip’s head open. The crowd was in shocked silence as Arachnid stood up slowly, stomping once on Rip’s head, bloodying him still further, before signalling to the back. The Gauge twins, accompanied by their manager, came down to the ring. The Gauges knelt down on either side of Rip, hauling his head up so that he was looking at Arachnid, who took a mic from Bowen. [COLOR="Blue"]“Have you recognised me yet?”[/COLOR] Arachnid asked, his voice clearly that which had been interrupting segments for the last several months. [COLOR="Blue"]“Do you know who I am? The truth you’ve always known?”[/COLOR] he yelled. [COLOR="Blue"]“The consequences you must face? It’s time to pay the piper, old man.”[/COLOR] Arachnid undid his mask, and stared down at Rip, whose face betrayed a mix of anger, frustration, and sadness. [COLOR="Blue"]“You know,”[/COLOR] Arachnid said softly, as though he were speaking to Rip alone and had forgotten about the mic. [COLOR="Blue"]“You brought this upon yourself...”[/COLOR] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... He pulled off the mask, and the crowd once more fell into silence. [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JayChord.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR="Blue"]“...Dad.”[/COLOR] [B]Overall: D+[/B] * [I]So... Any questions? Did I fool[/I] anyone[I]? Fallout and shenanigans next post, of course ;)[/I]

[Dragonmack]

I can't say I was fooled, as I never tried to guess, but it was an excellent story and great reveal. those are the kind of moments that make wrestling as exciting as it is!

[Condors]

good stuff

[MrOnu]

I honeslty had no clue about the identity of Kid Arachnid, but I gotta it was a great story.

[d_w_w]

Bah! You fooled me, with your Rip/Jay back story. Good job though, that was a fun write-up. The more I read your diary, the more I want to play MAW. It's rather unfortunate, as I'm not focused enough to play more than 2 games. Also: I've come to the conclusion that every diary needs a masked worker angle.

[James Casey]

This was going to go down as one of the key moments in my tenure as booker and road agent for MAW. [COLOR="Blue"]“Jay, what the ----?”[/COLOR] I snarled. Jay shot me a proud look. You’d almost think that having Ultimate Phoenix and Riley McManus holding his arms was nothing worth noticing. Across the room, Jean Cattley and Joe Benning were tending to Flash Savage, who was nursing a rapidly swelling eye. [COLOR="blue"]“Things got a bit rambunctious,”[/COLOR] Jay drawled. [COLOR="blue"]“Sav here thought I was being serious, and we ended up scuffling. Nothing to worry about,”[/COLOR] he added, almost as an afterthought. [COLOR="blue"]“Walk with me, Jay,” [/COLOR]I said. I felt the locker room‘s eyes upon me. By rights, I should have been going ballistic – a backstage fight was far and above the transgressions of Jez or Marv. Instead I was settling this privately. It wasn’t my usual style, but Jay was young – going crazy with him would likely just make him act up even worse. [COLOR="blue"]“Listen to me, Jay,”[/COLOR] I said, as we moved slowly through the corridors.[COLOR="blue"] “People know you’re here because of your name. Over the next few months, you’ll be getting equal billing with The Firm. But to keep things going well for the company, I need to know that things aren’t going to kick off backstage, do you understand? You’ve seen the list on the locker room door. You know how we do things in this company.”[/COLOR] He shrugged. [COLOR="blue"]“They’re your rules. Dad just took them because he thought they sounded good. They don’t mean anything.”[/COLOR] I bit back my first response. They meant something to me. [COLOR="blue"]“Look, you’re eighteen and in the top program for this company. That’s big. Don’t kid yourself it’d happen in TCW, or if you went to work with the Stones. If anything, you’d be buried there because of who you are. Here you have a chance to really make a difference, and I’d hate to see you mess things up before you have a chance to get going.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Yeah, OK,”[/COLOR] Jay said, sounding a bit bored. “It won’t happen again, alright?” He headed off, faster than I could follow. I frowned. Something told me that my problems with the Chord family hadn’t finished with Rip. * Housekeeping issues Jay Chord really did go to Japan rather than sign on for MAW. Fortunately, that was right after his debut in May – I was somewhat disingenuous when I wrote the passage implying that he didn’t join in November. I could have done with Rip stepping in on negotiations back in May, as they really did break down after just two offers. As a result, I sat and stared at the screen for something like a minute as I tried furiously to come up with a way of reconstructing a storyline I’d been plotting for something like six months. Jay’s lack of patience and general selfishness will probably affect how I portray him – offscreen at least. He did sign on in November – and I copied my save game in case negotiations broke down [I]again[/I]. The original plan was to debut Jay as a face under the Kid Arachnid gimmick, with him turning heel during his attack on Rip, who would turn face as a result. When the negotiations broke down, plan B saw Thomas Morgan put under the hood until we could get Jay back – it amused me that I was using a 34 year old Canadian to replace a seventeen year old American, but I figured that if Morgan could use an American patriot gimmick as one of his alter-egos, why not a teenage spider-fan? The switch to the ‘proper’ Kid Arachnid was made prior to KA’s win over Antonio at Remember November. Morgan’s reward is a tag team run that seems likely to bear fruit if he and Benning can develop a persona in my mind. I have some thoughts on that. We’ll have to see. I did drop a couple of hints along the way regarding the person under the Kid Arachnid hood – the name itself (he’s Rip’s kid, after all) a very subtle one. But then, Rip calls everyone ‘kid’... I think the most obvious one came when Rip replaced Arachnid in the October battle royal. Rip’s precise words were “Beat it, junior.” I half-expected someone to guess there, but at that time it was still Morgan under the mask, and if asked I could have been honest and said, no, it’s not Jay Chord. Anyway, I know that I don’t always read (or, at least, absorb) every word in every diary I read, so I figured there was at least an evens chance that no-one would notice. Having the ‘Who Is Kid Arachnid?’ article written by [U]Jay[/U] Reso was another hint, too... Incidentally, Jay debuts with the Super DDT (A Rip Chord DDT by any other name) in his default move set. He apparently ‘got’ the limitations of the Kid Arachnid gimmick, as he never used it – adding it to the finish of the RCI Final match was strictly artistic license on my part. Lisa Bowen is a legit worker – but at $500 ppa she’s the most expensive manager I’ve ever come across, and may not be around for long. I couldn’t resist bringing her in, though – she’s talented and fits this second generation stable perfectly. Oh, and January cost the company exactly $5,001 dollars. I was hoping to break even in February. * SWF Supreme TV has fallen to Cult, sacked Peter Michaels, gone off the air in Canada, the States and Mexico and Citizen X has had a single (awful) match since getting called up to the big leagues in October last year. But on the plus side, the too-gorgeous-to-be-true Hannah Potter has signed on for another stint in Rhode Island, and is sure to be called up sooner rather than later. * [CENTER][B]February – All Or Nothing[/B] The Masked Patriot vs. Primus Allen Riley McManus and Shane Nelson vs. Antonio & Raphael Morgan & Benning vs. C-V-2 Max Mayhem and Hugh Lee vs. Jefferson Stardust and Findlay O’Farraday ??? vs. The Gauge Brothers for the MAW Tag Team titles Erik Strong vs. Jay Chord Fumihiro Ota vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley[/CENTER] [I]2009 is where things start to click for the company, with Rip and Jay running for some time come. Plenty of twists along the way, of course - this isn't a storylien that could [B]ever[/B] run straight and true...[/I]

[Dragonmack]

Bowen is an excellent manager, at least she was for me in 07 when she was running one of my top stables in my 07 nycw diary. But you have to utilize her looks and overness as opposed to her promo skills, as those are merely average.

[Actarus]

You know, early on Jay did cross my mind, but I eliminated him, because I believe Kid Arachnid debuted in an E+ rated match against...uh...whoever he was up against. I don't associate E+'s with Jay Chord. Jim Force, sometimes, Jay Chord, never. But I guess Morgan was under the mask at the time, so it makes sense now. [B]The Masked Patriot[/B] vs. Primus Allen Riley McManus and Shane Nelson vs[B]. Antonio [/B]& Raphael Morgan & Benning vs. [B]C-V-2[/B] Max Mayhem and Hugh Lee vs. [B]Jefferson Stardust and Findlay O’Farraday[/B] ??? vs. [B]The Gauge Brothers[/B] for the MAW Tag Team titles Erik Strong vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B]

[James Casey]

[I]Time to get caught up some - double posts for the next few days as I aim to hit 200 responses by month-end ;)[/I] [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: All Or Nothing Friday 26th February 2009 [/CENTER][/B] [B]The Masked Patriot vs. Primus Allen[/B] Patriot looked confident going in to this match, and as the bell rang charged straight at Allen – but Allen swatted him over the head with a mighty swing of his fist, sending him crashing to the mat. Allen proceeded to overpower Patriot, normally the strongest man in the match, even clotheslining him over the top rope in a move that took him over as well. Patriot mounted only token offence, being completely overwhelmed en route to being flattened with a Running Powerslam. Winner: Primus Allen (D+) * The Firm gathered in the ring, looking as ****y as ever. Casey Valentine took the mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“What you’ve just seen is proof that The Firm is complete. We have the MAW champion, the incomparable Jean Cattley, the Rookie Monster, Primus Allen – and it even scares us that this guy is just going to get better and better. And you have C-V-2 who one day soon will claim our rightful place as MAW Tag Team champions.”[/COLOR] Cameron Vessey took the mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“One person you don’t see here is Ultimate Phoenix. That’s because he’s at home, boo-hooing on his blog about how hard it is to be a super hero. News flash, bird-boy: You’re not a hero, and there’s nothing super about you. You can’t stand against The Firm. No-one can. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get on with your miserable life.”[/COLOR] * I entered the ring. Rip was off selling the beating he’d taken at the hands of his son and the Gauges, and so by default I’d inherited the Authority Figure role. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ladies and gentlemen, due to the injuries suffered by Rip Chord during last month’s attack, he is unable to be here tonight. He has asked me to make a number of announcement in his place. “The first is that next month MAW will be introducing a new singles title – the Traditional title, in honour of the great success stories of the past, and the wisdom that be learned from them. We hope that those who hold the title will one day go on to be the success stories that inspire the superstars of ten, twenty, even fifty years or more time. The first champion will be determined by a battle royal to be held right here in Stanley Hall in four weeks time. “The second announcement concerns the Tag Team titles. Trent Shaffer and Stevie Grayson have decided that they are not going to exercise their rematch clause – yet. So the first challengers to the Gauge twins will be determined by a series of matches tonight. Whichever team wins their match the quickest will go on to face the Gauge brothers later this evening.” “Finally, Jay Chord has stated that he will not be exercising his right as winner of the Rip Chord Invitational to a shot at the MAW Heavyweight title tonight. In his stead, the MAW Board of Directors has decided that the other finalist, Fumihiro Ota, will receive the shot.”[/COLOR] * [B]Riley McManus and Shane Nelson vs. Antonio & Raphael[/B] The first tag match of the night saw the Italian duo looking supremely confident as they came down to the ring. As McManus and Nelson entered, Antonio and Raphael attempted to bribe them with a fistful of twenties. McManus took the money and pocketed it, before spinning into a discus punch that took Raphael down, before shrugging as Antonio looked furious. McManus and Nelson had the better of the following exchanges, but when McManus went to the ropes around the ten minute mark, Raphael pulled the top rope down, sending McManus over and leaving Nelson to the heel teams’ mercy, before Antonio put him down with an Italian DDT. Winners: Antonio & Raphael (E+, 12:29) * A short video aired, showing Fumihiro Ota and Hugh Lee training together. Ota showed off his wall-running skills, while Lee crashed and burned repeatedly. * [B]Max Mayhem and Hugh Lee vs. Jefferson Stardust and Findlay O’Farraday[/B] Hugh Lee tried to do some wall running on the huge Farraday early in the match, only to get caught and chokebombed. Mayhem tried his best, but with Lee effectively incapacitated, he was relatively easy meat. Stardust eventually took him down with a Star Burst, as Lee’s comeback was stopped short when Farraday clamped on a Choke Sleeper for the win. Winners: Jefferson Stardust and Findlay O’Farraday (E-, 10:38) * As Casey Valentine stretched, Cameron Vessey faced the camera: [COLOR="Blue"]“Some guy who calls himself Regular Joe, and a Canadian who’s twice our age and never won anything. You know, it’s not exactly a terrible challenge in front of us. And while we’re all for second generation stars succeeding in this business, I know the Gauges will understand that there’s two second generation wrestlers who we want to succeed over all others.” [/COLOR] * [B]Morgan & Benning vs. C-V-2[/B] The Firm duo came out firing in this final timed match. Their superior experience told in the early going, as they employed excellent teamwork and double-teaming. But Morgan and Benning proved to be resilient, coming back with a blistering display of skill that ended when Morgan caught Valentine with a Morgan’s Finest. Winners: Morgan & Benning (D-, 9:50) * Morgan and Benning were confirmed as the quickest winners, but they didn’t have a chance to celebrate before the Gauges slid into the ring and attacked them, starting the match immediately. * [B]Morgan & Benning vs. The Gauge Brothers (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] The Gauges had it easy in the early going, dominating the challengers and taunting them. At several points, they seemed to have the match won, only for them to gleefully break up the pin. The brothers laughed with each other, but Morgan rallied and knocked Matthew from the apron and into the announcers’ table. Greg turned in surprise and was caught with a back suplex from Benning. Morgan went up top to hit a Morgan’s Finest, and Benning followed up with a Joe and Behold for the shock win as Matthew slid under the ropes, a second too late. Winners: Morgan & Benning (D) * Before Morgan and Benning could celebrate their victory, Jay Chord ran down to the ring and slid in under the bottom rope, joining the Gauges in beating their opponents down. The Gauges tried to apologise to Jay, but he waved them off. [COLOR="Blue"]“Clearly my father was behind this scheme to rob you of your titles. It’s a shame that he couldn’t be here to take action himself, but apparently Daddy dearest has a boo-boo,” Jay cooed into the house mic, before turning serious. “That or he can’t bear to face up to me. That’s a shame. You see, dad, until you walk down that aisle and admit to everyone here what a lousy father you are, were, and always will be, I’m going to take out my father issues on your precious company – starting with your former champion, Erik Strong!”[/COLOR] * [B]Erik Strong vs. Jay Chord[/B] Jay at first seemed as arrogant as the Gauges at the start of this match, mocking Strong for his recent losing streak. But every time Strong seemed placed to take advantage, Chord stepped up his own game, taunting the former champion with his superiority. Eventually, he put Strong away with the Super DDT. Winner: Jay Chord (D+) * Jean Cattley came to the ring and had something to say: [COLOR="Blue"]“It’s ridiculous to think that I can’t operate on my own. I do not need The Firm to back my every move. I’ll prove this tonight when I take on Fumihiro Ota. You see, Ota lost to Jay Chord last month, and while Jay is good, he’s not me. Ota lost – he won’t be any kind of challenge to me.”[/COLOR] * [B]Fumihiro Ota vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] Despite Jean’s ****iness, he and Ota could barely be split in this excellent match. The Firm stayed away from ringside as Cattley tasted a beating in the early going, before he regained control with a series of leglocks that limited Ota’s striking ability. With Ota hobbled, Cattley was able to enjoy greater success, but had to remain wary of Ota’s guile until he was able to successfully hit a Mood Swing to retain the gold. Winner: Jean Cattley (C-) [B]Overall: C-[/B] [I](That’s why Jean has the belt)[/I] * [I]Next: Yes, the Gauges really did just job to Thomas Morgan and Regular Joe...[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]Short update - main post this evening[/I] * As much as I hate short title reigns, Matthew Gauge signed on to his third PPA contract shortly before this show and was approached by a fourth company that he turned down when he signed with company no. 3. Greg, meanwhile, has one other contract. The Gauges are hot property and I dislike fudging the titles the way I did with Grayson/Shaffer/Perez even more than I dislike short reigns. The intention was always that Morgan & Benning would get the belts eventually – neither is popular enough to worry about them walking out on me any time soon. * I looked down the list I’d prepared, several long hours before. Jenny ‘Perez’ Playmate had re-signed with us, and would be managing Trent Shaffer and Stevie Grayson, although would be dropping the Perez. Persephone, who had been working as Dawn (her real name) had been set for the cut, but when it occurred to me that circumstances would soon see at least one more team in need of a manager, I decided to keep her around. Sienna LeNoir had also re-signed. The voice of Black Eagle was too important to let go. Jakki White Trash, who had subbed for Kristen Pearce as Jefferson Stardust’s manager, was superfluous to requirements – because Kristen had agreed to rejoin us. Jakki would now be leaving in the near future. Duke Hazzard, all $500 per appearance of him, had been informed that he would not be used again for the remaining few months of his contract. He was an old hand, and didn’t take it personally. Jacob Jett had extended an apology for not coming back to MAW, but it was too soon since he’d left and he wanted to keep exploring his other possibilities. While I admired his willingness to keep pushing himself, I had to wonder about his unwillingness to work with his girlfriend, though – Katie could have led me into a volcano and told me to work a match with the lava. Not that I was obsessed or anything – but I had enjoyed negotiating her contract extension more than anyone else’s. I made a mental note to avoid temptation. Finally, Marv Earnest had agreed to sign on again – for a $100 pay cut. He understood that MAW needed to cut costs – and wasn’t about to rock the boat by asking for a pay rise when there was still a lingering distrust of him backstage. I sighed, and crossed Jett off the list – he was the last one of the group that I’d spoken to * [CENTER][B]MAW March Madness[/B] Riley McManus vs. Primus Allen Morgan & Benning vs. C-V-2 Mayhem Battle Royal for the MAW Traditional title Kirk Jameson vs. Black Eagle Trent Shaffer vs. Jay Chord Ultimate Phoenix vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley for the MAW Heavyweight title[/CENTER]

[James Casey]

[CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: March Madness Friday 26th March 2009[/B][/CENTER] [B]Riley McManus vs. Primus Allen[/B] A short, high-speed match that saw Allen decimate his overmatched foe, before putting him away with a Running Powerslam. Winner: Primus Allen (E+) * The Firm were ready once more to talk themselves up, when Ultimate Phoenix’ music interrupted them. Phoenix came out to the top of the ramp, flanked by Morgan & Benning, Kashmir Singh and The Masked Patriot. [COLOR="Blue"]“You’re right,”[/COLOR] Phoenix said. [COLOR="Blue"]“I wasn’t here last month. I was busy recruiting. Gentlemen, you see before you The Watch. We will be monitoring you closely to ensure you stick within the rules. For every transgression, you can expect a reaction from ourselves. But we won’t just be watching you – we’re watching everyone. Play it straight, and you have nothing to fear. Try and take advantage of other people, and we will mete out justice."[/COLOR] * [B]Morgan & Benning (c) vs. C-V-2[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] Valentine and Vessey looked surprised to have Phoenix and Patriot at ringside for this match, and this clearly threw them. Neither man could manage to maintain their offence, as they were continually looking out for interference. The lack of concentration cost them dearly, to Marv Earnest’s delight, as Morgan caught Vessey with a Morgan’s Finest for the successful defence. Winners: Morgan & Benning (D-) * Backstage, Stevie Grayson was warming up for the Battle Royal. * [B]Mayhem Battle Royal for the MAW Traditional title[/B] The rules of match were simple – elimination occurred only via pinfall or submission. All ten men were in the ring at the same time. The smallest four heels in the match – Jefferson Stardust, Curtis Jenkins, Antonio and Raphael – hid behind the fifth, Findlay O’Farraday, who laid out Shane Nelson and Max Mayhem with hard punches. Stevie Grayson and Hugh Lee staggered the big man with simultaneous dropkicks, and it fell to Masked Patriot to fell him with a running spear. With their shield gone, the heels had to attack, and Antonio and Raphael targeted Max Mayhem, snaring him in a twin Italian DDT. But before they could make the cover, Hugh Lee hit a Cannonball Run on Raphael to eliminate him from the match, only to taste an Italian DDT from Raphael, with no-one to make the save. O’Farraday was the target of a triangle of offence. Curtis Jenkins was driving repeated blows to his chest, complete with cries of [COLOR="Blue"]“Leeerrrooooyyyy!!!”[/COLOR] Max Mayhem was nailing him in the back with dropsaults, savate kicks and spinning elbows, while Jefferson Stardust – inspired by the presence of Kristen Pearce in his corner, went low with a chopblock to take the big man down. Mayhem was already airborne, hitting a Shooting Star Press, followed by a Star Burst as Jenkins and Stardust helped hold him down to score the third elimination. The fourth and fifth eliminations came in rapid succession, as Shane Nelson was caught with a Leeerrrooooyyyy!!! that sent him into an Italian DDT as Antonio scored his second pin of the night. That was the end of his night, though, as Stevie Grayson was on hand to blast him with a 460 Degree Splash as he rolled off Nelson. The remaining five tangled for several minutes, with Stardust cagily sitting out the action as Mayhem and Patriot sparred, and Jenkins and Grayson exchanged blows. Spotting an opening, Stardust dived at Patriot’s legs and tried to upend him, but Patriot wasn’t to be budged – instead he picked up the much smaller Stardust and hammered him with a Backdrop Driver. Curtis Jenkins took advantage of Mayhem’s distraction by clubbing him from behind with a Leeerrrooooyyyy!!! that put the sci-fi fan down for the three. Patriot took offence to this, and hauled the beleaguered Jenkins – who had just scored his first victory in over a year – upright and planted him with another Backdrop Driver to eliminate him. Grayson and Patriot were left alone in the ring. They shook hands briefly, before exploding into action. Grayson was lightning fast, holding back nothing as he tried to down his powerful foe. Patriot retaliated with slower, but harder-hitting, offence that at one point turned Grayson inside out and upside down as he tried to catch Patriot with a top rope leap. But as hard as Patriot fought, he could not put Grayson down, and when Grayson slipped out of a Backdrop Driver, Patriot stumbled and left himself in the perfect position for a Shining Wizard that earned Grayson the honour of the first ever MAW Traditional champion! Winner: Stevie Grayson (D) * Black Eagle was staring into the camera. Sienna LeNoir made her way around her client, and, as usual, began to whisper huskily: [COLOR="Blue"]“Kirk Jameson, there are those who say that one day you will be a star. But tonight you will face the darkest light in the heavens. Tonight you will face the man who will outshine you with the night. Tonight you will fall before the Black Eagle.” [/COLOR] * [B]Kirk Jameson vs. Black Eagle[/B] Kirk Jameson put on a spirited display in this match, tangling horns with the mysterious Black Eagle. At times, he seemed to have Eagle in trouble, but the constant murmuring of LeNoir at ringside seemed to drive Eagle on – at the same time as it distracted Jameson, who asked the referee to have her barred from the ring. The distraction was enough to allow Eagle to down his opponent, and hit the New Jersey Turnpike for the win. Winner: Black Eagle (D+) * Stevie Grayson was putting a shine on his Traditional title belt when Trent Shaffer walked in: [COLOR="Blue"]“Dude, big win!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Thanks, man. I’m afraid this kinda means that the team’s on the back burner for a while.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“No biggie. Any time you want to hook it up again and go for gold, it’s cool. In the meantime, we all gotta do our own things – you with your gold, me with Jay Chord.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“You’ve got a match with him?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Yeah. We’re up next. I gotta teach the dude to chill out, man. He’s got all this anger he’s putting out, and you can tell it’s eating him up. A man should just relax. Take what the world throws at him, and just keep on going.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Well, if you get Jay to buy into that, I imagine the old man will owe you one,”[/COLOR] Stevie said. [COLOR="Blue"] “Nah, this is a freebie. Rip’s been good to me – both of us. I’ll be pleased to show Jay how to be cool.”[/COLOR] * Jay Chord was in the ring and ready to talk: [COLOR="Blue"]“How to be cool? Shaffer, you freak, you’re not a surfer, or a Californian, or whatever the hell you think you are. You’re just some pantywaist Canadian who looks up to my father. That’s all the reason that I need to ruin your night. Dad, I hope you’re watching. Another idiot who thinks that the sun shines out of your ass is going to get hurt because you’re hiding someplace. Face me like a man, Dad, and stop letting others pay for your mistakes.”[/COLOR] * [B] Trent Shaffer vs. Jay Chord[/B] Jay and Trent assembled an entertaining match that allowed both men to showcase their skills. Shaffer looked at home in the ring with Jay, but in the end Jay stepped it up a notch to take the pin with a Cradle Piledriver. Winner: Jay Chord (D+) * Phoenix and Jean Cattley were making their way to the ring when they came face to face with one another. Before the match could start backstage, several workers dived between them, and they were separated until they could meet in the ring. * [B]Ultimate Phoenix vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] The referee was quick to take action after LeNoir’s distraction proved effective in the earlier match, and C-V-2, Morgan, Benning and Patriot were all banished from ringside. The match itself was a back and forth affair that saw Phoenix trying to keep one step ahead of Cattley, avoiding the champ’s repertoire of holds and locks after they proved so effective against Fumihiro Ota in the last show. Cattley grew frustrated, and although he scored hits, was unable to put Phoenix down – that is, until Primus Allen made his way through the sold-out crowd and got Phoenix’ attention, allowing Cattley to nail the Mood Swing for the win. Winner: Jean Cattley (D+) [B]Overall: D+[/B] * [I]Next: Roster overview and sundries Thanks to everyone who voted/nominated me in the June diary awards, by the way, and well done to infinitywpi on winning - as well as the Real World and Rookie winners (whose names momentarily escape me :o)[/I]

[James Casey]

Our first profit in nine months. Only $630 – but hey. We’ll take it. No backstage trouble, either. Rip was smiling. Jay was behaving himself. Marv was happy, backstage was harmonious... It was surely all too good to last – but in the meantime, I was going to enjoy it. * As there wasn’t much else to do this month, I decided to review our roster: [U]Main Event[/U] [B][COLOR="Red"]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The reigning and two-time champion, Jean is probably the most consistent worker in the company. A firm favourite of our fans, his headline role as leader of The Firm should see his entertainment skills finally improve to match his technical ability. [B][COLOR="red"]Black Eagle[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The enigmatic Eagle doesn’t talk because of his Noo Joisey accent. Instead, he plays the silent destroyer. A constant threat, his reliance on Sienna LeNoir is something of a pain for us, as it effectively means we’re paying him an extra $100 a show. A big part of me thinks that his contract won’t be renewed. Also works for CZCW. [B][COLOR="red"]Jay Chord[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The future of MAW. He’s carrying his half of the family feud beautifully, and apart from nearly sparking out Flash Savage has behaved himself backstage. One of our most over workers, as well. Also works for USPW. [B][COLOR="blue"]Stevie Grayson[/COLOR][/B] – Face – It’s not that I don’t like Grayson – I do. I can just see why he was cut by TCW as well. Flaky in the extreme, he should be a lot better than he is. I’m just grateful that he turns up for shows and has some name value. [B][COLOR="blue"]Ultimate Phoenix[/COLOR][/B] – Face – A consummate professional, talented, versatile, comfortable behind the mic and over to boot. We could do with more like Phoenix. He’s also managed to turn his Comic Book Hero gimmick into something a bit more rounded than it otherwise might have been. Also works for CZCW. [U]Upper Midcard[/U] [B][COLOR="red"]Cameron Vessey[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – So much potential, such a stupid beard. I’ve tried hinting to Cameron that shaving his goatee would make him look meaner, but he won’t go for it. I think he thinks it makes him look older than it does. But then, being stick thin when your family has specialised in tanks must hurt... Also works for NYCW and CZCW. [B][COLOR="blue"]Erik Strong[/COLOR] [/B]– Face – MAW’s franchise is in danger of being its nearly man. He’s nearly as good as our best workers in most skills. He’s a good all-rounder. He’s quite consistent, pretty entertaining... Perfect for the upper midcard, really. Unless he shows a spark in the near future, he may have peaked already. [B][COLOR="red"]Greg Gauge[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The next company that makes an offer for Greg, he’ll be gone. With that in mind, we’re getting the most out of him we can – and maybe making him less attractive as we do. A hugely talented worker, and probably too good for MAW right now. Also works for MHW and CZCW. [B][COLOR="blue"]Kirk Jameson[/COLOR][/B] – Face – A talented, but bland, worker with decent technical skills. Should have matched up well with Jean Cattley in their feud last year, but doesn’t seem to have the gumption to carry a feud. Has all the potential in the world – but is a bit lost in MAW. Also works for NOTBPW and FCW. [B][COLOR="red"]Matthew Gauge[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – As with his brother, is probably too good for MAW. Also works for CZCW and MHW. [B][COLOR="red"]Oscar Golden[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The technician of the Canadian Blondes, Golden is promising and has great cheek bones. The Blondes have probably suffered more than most from the recent influx of talent to MAW. [B][COLOR="blue"]Trent Shaffer[/COLOR][/B] – Face – The man with the biggest lips in pro-wrestling is a highly talented flyer who is big news north of the border. If I had to pick someone who’s most likely to be stolen, it would be Shaffer – a little polish and he’ll be a superstar. Also works for 4C and CGC. [U]Midcard[/U] [B][COLOR="red"]Antonio[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – A constantly evolving character has seen Antonio staying relevant in MAW. Started out as an Underworld hood, before evolving to a Don and now plays a City Slicker who may – or may not – still have ties to his old job. In reality, he’s a decent technician who’s one of Rip’s favourites, and is therefore as untouchable as Elliot Ness, ironically. [B][COLOR="red"]Casey Valentine[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – Nephew of Peter Valentine, but don’t hold that against him. An entertaining all-rounder, surprisingly adept at brawling in spite of his lightweight frame. [B][COLOR="red"]Findlay O’Farraday[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – MAW’s resident monster. Beats people up. Enjoys it. Not much else to say, really. Has some natural charisma, and if he ever learns to channel it he could be something pretty impressive. [B][COLOR="red"]Flash Savage[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – The Blondes’ flyer, Savage’s skills may be more suited to a non-wrestling role as he’s really pretty entertaining behind the mic. Still, The Blondes will always have a place in MAW – so long as they don’t let their wallets do the thinking for them. [B][COLOR="blue"]Kashmir Singh[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Talented, entertaining, powerful, Singh should be a star in MAW. If I didn’t have plans for Masked Patriot, they’d be tearing up the tag division. Also works for NYCW. [B][COLOR="red"]Primus Allen[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – Really and truly, he does everything Findlay does, better than him, and is four years younger. He’ll get hauled off to one of the big companies at some point. In the meantime, we’ll settle for his being here. Also works for NYCW. [B][COLOR="red"]Raphael[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – A very talented technician benefiting from working in RIPW. Plays Antonio’s gofer for now, but with a bit of polish (and maybe a manager) he could be going places. Also works for RIPW. [B][COLOR="blue"]The Masked Patriot[/COLOR][/B] – Face – His mask hides his face, which helps. Patriot should be a fearsome force of nature, but he’s really just a goofy lunk with incredible physical skills. Has incredible brawling skills, but his heavy Japanese influence means that he doesn’t fit in all that well with the MAW scene so he hasn’t progressed as well as I’d hope. [U]Lower Midcard[/U] [B][COLOR="blue"]“Regular” Joe Benning[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Another one who’s just kind of there. I have an image of him as Kirk Jameson’s younger brother, as they travelled up from FCW at the same time to sign with us. He’s a decent technician with little in the way of mic skills and is a generally nice guy. We could do with more like him – but more entertaining on the mic, please. Also works for FCW. [B][COLOR="red"]Curtis Jenkins[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – If I hadn’t spent a lot of time prior to Rip’s phone call playing World of Warcraft, I doubt Curtis would have any gimmick. Instead, his oblivious overmatched idiotic heel schtick is just about amusing enough to keep him employed – albeit mainly because he doesn’t expect much payment. [B][COLOR="blue"]Hugh Lee[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Goofy ninja character has given Hugh a bit more to do than Canadian Blonde run-in boy. His occasional appearances with Fumihiro Ota have helped him get over a bit as well. Occasional tag team with Max Mayhem is in line for a full-time run. [B][COLOR="red"]Jefferson Stardust[/COLOR][/B] – Heel – His egomaniacal rock star gimmick has a lot of legs, and he plays it perfectly. My personal favourite character in MAW, but he really, really sucks in the ring. Considerable potential – although if you put him and Benning together and split them in two you’d have two prospects with decent skills in and out of the ring – rather than one of each. [B][COLOR="blue"]Max Mayhem[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Feud with The Firm did nothing for his career. Similarly goofy gimmick to Hugh Lee makes a pairing fairly logical. Talented high flyer could do with improving his basics – but regular work will help. [B][COLOR="blue"]Riley McManus[/COLOR][/B] – Face – A good athlete, or so I’m told. Decent technical skills and has time to improve, and is already pretty entertaining. He may benefit from becoming involved in the Watch/Firm feud as a lesser ally to the good guys. [U]Openers[/U] [B][COLOR="blue"]Thom Morgan[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Morgan is talented, charismatic and a champion at last. Success on a grand scale may never be Morgan’s, but his skills deserve something better than match one for a small fed. Time is not on his side, as he’s already in his mid-thirties – but I consider him something of a project and would love to see him on top one day. [U]Enhancement Talent[/U] [B][COLOR="Blue"]Shane Nelson[/COLOR][/B] – Face – Nelson is an outstanding talent who has skill to burn. He is one of the most well-grounded workers on the roster, who could carry almost anyone to a decent match. Flying skills are his particular forte, but has underrated entertainment abilities as well. * [CENTER][B]MAW Spring Fever[/B] Stevie Grayson vs. Jay Chord Morgan & Benning vs. The Canadian Blondes Kashmir Singh & Fumihiro Ota vs. Cameron Vessey & Primus Allen Shane Nelson vs. Antonio Ultimate Phoenix vs. Casey Valentine Erik Strong vs. Black Eagle The Masked Patriot vs. Jean Cattley[/CENTER] [I]Echo, echo, echo... Is there anybody here, here, here... :p[/I]

[machinesxe]

[B]Stevie Grayson [/B]vs. Jay Chord Morgan & Benning vs. [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] Kashmir Singh & Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Cameron Vessey & Primus Allen[/B] Shane Nelson vs. [B]Antonio[/B] [B]Ultimate Phoenix[/B] vs. Casey Valentine Erik Strong vs. [B]Black Eagle[/B] [B]The Masked Patriot[/B] vs. Jean Cattley

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Spring Fever Friday, 26th April 2009[/CENTER][/B] [B]Kashmir Singh and Fumihiro Ota vs. Cameron Vessey and Primus Allen[/B] This was an even match that saw The Firm duo a bit unsettled by their random pairing. Singh and Ota took as much advantage as they could, with Ota using his experience to good effect. But in the end the heels rallied, and Vessey put Singh away with a Vessey Driver. Winners: Vessey and Allen (D) * Max Mayhem and Hugh Lee were backstage, sitting in bean bag chairs, each playing video games. [COLOR="Blue"]“What are you playing?”[/COLOR] Lee asked. [COLOR="Blue"]“Force Unleashed. You?”[/COLOR] Mayhem replied. [COLOR="Blue"]“Ninja Gaiden. Master Ota wants me working on my skills.” “Max! Hugh! There you are!”[/COLOR] A long pair of legs walked into frame, and Max, Hugh and the camera all looked up to find Dawn beaming down at them. [COLOR="Blue"] “Uh, hi Dawn,”[/COLOR] Max asked. [COLOR="Blue"]“What’s up?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“You guys,” [/COLOR]Katie said. Hugh shifted nervously in his chair, controller in his lap. [COLOR="Blue"]“You’ve topped an internet poll for most entertaining wrestlers in the company.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“We did?”[/COLOR] Lee asked. [COLOR="Blue"]“Yes! People love the way you wrestle, and your personalities. With Jay Chord and The Firm being all serious, people enjoy seeing the two of you goofing around.”[/COLOR] Lee and Mayhem exchanged bemused looks. [COLOR="Blue"]“Well, listen, that’s good, but we’re serious wrestlers,”[/COLOR] Mayhem said. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know – but this gives you an extra dimension. Listen, I was looking to take on some new clients. I was looking to diversify my portfolio into the tag team division, now that Trent and Stevie have gone into singles. What do you think? We can call you the Internet Favourites!”[/COLOR] Mayhem and Lee exchanged glances, and shrugged. [COLOR="Blue"] “I guess we are top of each other’s friends lists,”[/COLOR] Lee said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Excellent! Oh, you guys are so perfect! I’ll talk to Mr. Casey after the show and get you a match for next month, how does that sound?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“You’ll be managing us?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Yes! I’ll be assessing your stamina, measuring your abilities, working you hard in the gym, pushing you to new heights of physical performance-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“We’re in!”[/COLOR] Lee and Mayhem said together. Dawn beamed. * [B]Morgan & Benning (c) vs. The Canadian Blondes [/B]for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] Flash Savage started the match with some out and out brawling that really threw Thom Morgan. The champs were kept off-centre for much of the match, as Ernest Forthdyke-Hume directed his team from ringside. The champs managed to rally, and Benning was able to snatch the win with a Joe And Behold, but they looked less than secure in their new reign. Winners: Morgan & Benning (E+) * Antonio was backstage, looking pleased with himself: [COLOR="Blue"]“People seem to have forgotten that I was the RCI champion last year. As much as I respect Rip, he didn’t give me much of a chance to make an impression. But Mr. Casey has agreed to give me matches at every show from now on. So today, it’s Shane Nelson. Next month, someone else, and so on. And I think that one day soon it’ll be me against the Traditional champion – or even the Heavyweight champion.” [/COLOR] * [B]Shane Nelson vs. Antonio[/B] A fairly short match, Nelson held his own for a spell by using his speed to stay out of Antonio’s reach, but eventually succumbed to an Italian DDT. Winners: Antonio (D-) * Backstage, and Casey Valentine barged into Ultimate Phoenix’ locker room: [COLOR="Blue"]“Are you ready to quit, yet?”[/COLOR] he demanded, as Phoenix calmly laced his boots. [COLOR="Blue"]“Why would I quit?”[/COLOR] Phoenix asked. [COLOR="Blue"]“I may have lost last month, but that was one match. My quest is for justice – not titles. It would have been nice to take the belt from your boss, an object lesson of sorts, but it’s not why I’m here.” “Oh, so you’re on a crusade?” “If you like. Decency, respect for authority, even basic manners, like knocking before you enter a room...”[/COLOR] Phoenix stood up, and unleashed a knife edge chop that sent Valentine staggering back out the door. [COLOR="Blue"]“Suit up, junior. You just jumped to the top of my list.”[/COLOR] * [B]Ultimate Phoenix vs. Casey Valentine[/B] Phoenix tore into Valentine from the bell, and the youngster looked like he’d rather have been anywhere else. But he got into the match, outbrawling the veteran Phoenix. At one point, he had Phoenix set for Sweet Sweet Heartbreak, but Phoenix ducked the move and caught Valentine with a pumphandle slam to set up the Phoenix Firebird Splash. However, Cameron Vessey made an appearance to distract Phoenix, allowing Valentine to score the win with a quick roll-up. The fans didn’t think much of the finish. Winner: Casey Valentine (D-) * Jay Chord was in the ring: [COLOR="Blue"]“Let me tell you all a story. It’s a story about a young boy who grew up, knowing that his father was special. His father was famous – a champion! His father was the greatest wrestler in the world. “Now, the boy’s father wasn’t always around. But that was okay. His Dad would say that he was working hard, building a future for them. He was making sure that his son would have somewhere to go when he got old enough. “Except that’s not how it happened. You see, that boy’s Dad was training young wrestlers. He was putting together a promotion. And even then, the boy thought that his Dad was making someplace for him to wrestle when he grew up. He thought that his Dad was missing all that time with him so that they could spend all their time together later. “But that’s still not how it happened, is it, Dad? You see, when I completed my training – which my Dad didn’t help with – I asked to join the company. Dad said no – he didn’t want his son wrestling. “So instead I went to Japan, just like my Dad did for years when I was growing up. And out there I came up with an idea. You see, a lot of Japanese wrestlers wear masks, and they never, ever tell anyone their real names. So I came home, made myself a mask, told Dad that I was Kid Arachnid, and when he saw what I could do he signed me up on the spot. And I fooled everyone. And then in January, it was too sweet to finally own up to my own father, to show him how I’d fooled him. How I’d torn his best wrestlers apart to win the tournament. How I’d outsmarted him. And then I put him down and out with his own DDT. “And since then, nothing. You don’t answer your phone, Dad. You don’t reply to your e-mails. You don’t answer the door when I come around. “Are you so proud that you won’t admit you were wrong? Or are you scared of the beating I’ll give you again when you step in the ring with me? Because you know it’s coming, sooner or later, I’ll find you – and I’ll give you the beating that nineteen years of neglect have earned you. “And in the meantime, I’ll give a taster of it to one of your favoured employees – and take the Traditional title for myself, just for ----s and giggles.”[/COLOR] * [B]Stevie Grayson (c) vs. Jay Chord[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] I should have guessed. I’d been anticipating this match since Jay signed on, and it flopped. The two were just on opposite pages, and while they managed to throw together something decent in spite of their lack of chemistry, the end result was disappointing and Grayson’s Shining Wizard was a relief for me. Winner: Stevie Grayson (D+) * After the match, Chord looked furious with himself. But he took his anger out on Grayson, snatching the title belt from him and blasting him in the face with it. * Erik Strong came out to the stage: [COLOR="Blue"]“It’s been a long time since I was last picked up a win. Since then, the whole of MAW seems to have changed around me. Well, tonight I start to get my head back in the game. I’m issuing a challenge to one of the most respected – even feared – competitors in the locker room. Black Eagle, I want you, tonight, in this very ring!”[/COLOR] * [B]Erik Strong vs. Black Eagle[/B] Eagle wasn’t happy about the booking for this match, despite everything being done to keep him looking strong. Ultimately, Erik needed a win – and Eagle is our go-to guy when we want a face to look good. I should remember that there’s an addendum: in defeat. Good, in defeat. Anyway, the match itself was decent – even better than average, but Eagle could probably have done more to get Erik over before falling to a Strongsault. Winner: Erik Strong (D) * Masked Patriot was backstage, warming up. Ultimate Phoenix was psyching him up to challenge for the Heavyweight title. Jean Cattley was in the ring: [COLOR="Blue"]“The conveyor belt places another target in front of me to be knocked down – the same as every other challenger I’ve faced in the last year. Patriot may have some new motivation now that he’s drunk Phoenix’s cool aid, but my motivation is the same as it has always been – to be the best damn wrestler in this company. And this proves it!”[/COLOR] he said, as he slapped the gold belt around his waist. * [B]The Masked Patriot vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Heavyweight title[/COLOR] This was a good end to an unspectacular card of action as we trialled a few different combinations. Jean made Patriot look good, selling his power moves like a pro before mounting his heelish comeback. Jean knows exactly how far to push the MAW fans when it comes to cheating, and he did his utmost to make it look like he had escaped Patriot by the skin of his teeth, eventually retaining with a desperation Mood Swing after avoiding a spear in the corner. Winner: Jean Cattley (D+) [B]Overall: D[/B] [I]Next: Someone's geting fired...[/I]

[d_w_w]

Nice shows. Sorry I've missed the predictions... I've been a bit busy this week and you're shows come pretty fast!

[MrOnu]

The Internet favorites, that's a good one.. hehe The Watch/Firm feud should be good, although it may be overshadowed by the Jay Chord story. That's two big storylines for a small company, I hope you don't burn any step with these people and lose them after a massive boost of pop.

[James Casey]

[I]My big problem with the Favourites is that I ran a game with WWE last year using Chris Hero and Colt Cabana as the Internet [U]Heroes[/U]. I decided that Favourites was a better name - but I keep writing Heroes anyway. Ah well...[/I] * Antonio had fetched me from my office after the show. He’d looked sombre, which had been my first clue about who was stirring things up backstage. I leaned on my cane in the locker room doorway. Black Eagle looked ready to cause some harm. Marv was sitting on a bench, looking fearfully around as though seeking support. There was none. All eyes save there’s were on me. [COLOR="Blue"]“Marv, is this true? Have you been spreading rumours [I]again[/I]?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Yes, but-“ “Marv, this is the fourth time I’ve had to discipline you in less than eighteen months. It seems like nothing’s going to work. I’m sorry, but you’ve had your last chance. Pack your things – you’re no longer welcome here.” “But James, I-“ “No, Marv. No buts. I wish you’d had the sense to keep your head down – but you’re a bad influence backstage. I don’t want to see any trace of you left in this locker room by the time I get back from dinner, do I make myself clear?” “I...” [/COLOR]Marv pulled himself together and stood up. He looked me in the eye, and slid into his announcer’s voice. [COLOR="blue"]“I think that you’re being unfair. But it’s your decision. I’ll be gone by the time you get back.”[/COLOR] I nodded, once, and went to find myself something sweet to eat to take the bad taste out of my mouth. * Some big moves this month, as Jack DeColt is leaving CGC. For MAW, we’re waiting on Matthew Gauge to make his mind up about joining UEW or INSPIRE – either would see him leaving us. Meanwhile, Rock Downpour had joined us – another NYCW star on our books. Jay Chord, meanwhile, has inked a PPA deal with TCW. This is somewhat annoying in that we now have to book around them as well as all the other feds we share talent with, and had been hoping to use Jay as collateral for a future trade deal. Still, the increased exposure he’ll gain should be a welcome bonus for us. Oh, and Curtis Jenkins has signed a new deal... [CENTER][B]May – Mother, May I?[/B] Morgan & Benning and The Masked Patriot vs. C-V-2 & Primus Allen Riley McManus vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Jefferson Stardust Max Mayhem & Hugh Lee vs. Jay Chord Ultimate Phoenix vs. Black Eagle Kashmir Singh vs. Antonio Trent Shaffer vs. Greg Gauge Stevie Grayson vs. “Machine” Jean Cattley[/CENTER]

[Emark]

May – Mother, May I? Morgan & Benning and The Masked Patriot vs. [B]C-V-2 & Primus Allen[/B] Riley McManus vs. [B]Curtis Jenkins [/B]vs. Jefferson Stardust Max Mayhem & Hugh Lee vs. [B]Jay Chord[/B] [B]Ultimate Phoenix [/B]vs. Black Eagle Kashmir Singh vs. [B]Antonio[/B] Trent Shaffer vs. [B]Greg Gauge[/B] Stevie Grayson vs. [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B]