MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Mattlore Devious]

MAW Fall Of The King El Heroe Mexicano and Phoenix vs. [B]The Mentor and Raphael[/B] [I]By nefarious means[/I] [B]The Canadian Blondes (c)[/B] vs. Two Smoking Barrels vs. The Second Sons vs. The West Texas Lawmakers – MAW Tag Team titles – ladder match [I]Champ retains[/I] Alicia Strong vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [I]Next challenger?[/I] [B]Suzanne Brazzle[/B] (c) vs. Jaime Quine – MAW Women’s title [I]Champ retains[/I] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] [I]I'm going to keep going against Powell until I get it right :)[/I] “Machine” Jean Cattley (c) vs. Ruin – MAW World title [I]I dunno - not feeling a title switch here - so a DQ or Dusty finish of some type[/I]

[DeBones]

MAW Fall Of The King El Heroe Mexicano and Phoenix vs. [B]The Mentor and Raphael[/B] The Canadian Blondes (c) vs. Two Smoking Barrels vs. [B]The Second Sons[/B] vs. The West Texas Lawmakers – MAW Tag Team titles – ladder match Alicia Strong vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] [B]Suzanne Brazzle[/B] (c) vs. Jaime Quine – MAW Women’s title [B]Eddie Powell[/B] vs. Tim Westybrook [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] (c) vs. Ruin – MAW World title

[Bigpapa42]

[B]MAW Fall Of The King[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano and Phoenix[/B] vs. The Mentor and Raphael [B]The Canadian Blondes[/B] (c) vs. Two Smoking Barrels vs. The Second Sons vs. The West Texas Lawmakers – MAW Tag Team titles – ladder match [B]Alicia Strong[/B] vs. Joanne Rodriguez [B]Suzanne Brazzle[/B] (c) vs. Jaime Quine – MAW Women’s title Eddie Powell vs. [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] (c) vs. Ruin – MAW World title Plus: Swoop McCarthy will be in action

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: No-one felt good about Ruin? Hmmm...[/I] [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Fall Of The King Saturday, 20th September 2013 [/B][/CENTER] Swoop McCarthy stood in the centre of the ring, Traditional title secure around his waist. [COLOR="Teal"]“Swoop McCarthy stands before you tonight ready to fight. Swoop’s challenge to Aaron Andrews stands. Is he here? No – he’s somewhere out west pretending that he thinks some Pom is king of the hill. Maybe he hasn’t heard that the future of wrestling is here, now, and ready to do what Australians do to Poms whenever we go against them – cream ‘em. “So there’s no-one to prove my dominance against, which is a cryin’ shame, but it does make Swoop two and oh against Aaron Andrews. Maybe on Friday Aaron can-“[/COLOR] Music familiar to some of our fans began to play, and to the shock of our fans a new face appeared on the stage... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RickyDeColt.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR="Blue"]“I would love to say that, as a fellow representative of the Commonwealth, that you were a credit to Her Majesty,”[/COLOR] Ricky said, after taking in the crowd’s reaction. [COLOR="Blue"]“But you see, my father brought me up to be something else apart from a wrestler – he brought me up to be an honest man. “Swoop McCarthy, I’m only visiting backstage, and normally I wouldn’t care less about what you say, or how you act... But I spoke to Mr. Chord today, and he invited me to have a match tonight as I was here to announce my entrance into this year’s [B]King of the Indies[/B] battle royale anyway. And with that invite, and you wanting a match, well, it seems like a good idea to see what you can do, eh? And don’t worry about your title, champ, I wouldn’t want to spoil your evening completely.”[/COLOR] * [B]Ricky DeColt vs. Swoop McCarthy[/B] A blistering start to the show – at least by our usual standards. The lightweight Ricky has been seen by some as the ‘lesser’ of the DeColt brothers, but he put forward a sterling performance against the bombastic Swoop. The Traditional champion made the mistake of taking his opponent lightly, mussing his hair and taking an inordinately long time to deliver a series of chops as he held DeColt in the corner by one hand. This allowed the Canadian to break free of his grasp and unleash his varied offence, his greater experience pushing the relatively callow Australian up to and beyond the limit, capped with a DeColt 45 to score the win over the arrogant McCarthy, to the crowd’s delight. Winner: Ricky DeColt (C+) * The Mentor was shown backstage. [COLOR="Olive"]“Heroe, Firebird, I’m looking forward to our match,”[/COLOR] he intoned. [COLOR="Olive"]“But you did say I could bring anyone I wanted along, so in the corner for myself and Raphael will be this man.”[/COLOR] The Mentor pointed with his cigar, and the camera panned to one side to reveal Ruin looming in the background. * [B]Alicia Strong vs. Joanne Rodriguez[/B] As the fourth match to be held recently between these two, this needed to offer something different. Fortunately, these two were able to rise to the occasion. Rodriguez was aggressive from the bell, seeking to finally score a win over Alicia. Strong, for her part, took advantage of Rodriguez’ overenthusiasm, keeping her at bay with quick counters and hard blows – and taunting her by waving four fingers in her face, to signify her four victories. This actually resulted in some members of the crowd taking against Alicia, slightly, which was deliberate on her part to provide something different. Rodriguez fiery temper prevented her taking advantage as Strong mocked her, but the match was contested on a largely even keel from that point. Rodriguez attempted to cheat on a number of occasions, but when the referee didn’t catch her, Strong was able to counter effectively, including avoiding an attempted choke by grabbing J-Ro’s hands and monkey flipping her into the corner. The match was perfectly poised when Jaime Quine made her way down to the ring. On commentary, we speculated about her reasoning as she’d had issues with both competitors in recent weeks. However, the two women in the ring ignored her and continued their match, neither woman seemingly able to gain the advantage. From nowhere, J-Ro scored with a bruising lariat to put Strong down. Reactingly quickly, she grabbed Strong by the hair and attempted to drag her upright. Just as quickly, however, Strong rolled her into a small package, snagging the tights as she did so to keep J-Ro down for the three. After the bell, Rodriguez protested to the referee that Strong had cheated and, when she was given short shrift, went after Strong. The two got into it once more and, to the crowd’s delight, Jaime Quine dived into the ring to get involved. Rip left his seat to join the referee and backstage workers trying to hold the three women apart and, eventually, they were able to hold them apart long enough to cool things down. Rip glared at the three women. [COLOR="Purple"]“My office, now,”[/COLOR] he growled, before leading the three women up the ramp. Winner: Alicia Strong (B) * El Heroe Mexicano emerged from the back, to the adulation of the crowd. He entered the ring and took a microphone. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Normally this is the ring announcer’s job – but tonight it is my great pleasure to introduce to you my partner in this next match... [B]Phoenix![/B]”[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/UltimatePhoenix.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Phoenix emerged, at first looking a little unsure of himself. But the crowd reaction brought a slow smile to his face, as he adjusted the famed blue and white mask, a little self-consciously. * [B]El Heroe Mexicano and Phoenix vs. The Mentor and Raphael[/B] Before the bell, The Mentor dropped to the ringside area and approached the announcers’ table, where he pointed at Rip’s empty chair, and then at me. He slid back into the ring as Rock asked what this was all about, but once again I couldn’t enlighten him. Raphael handled the bulk of the match for his side. A significant part of the contest involved him acting as a crashmat for the two fan favourites, but for all that he had his own moments of dominance as he showed off his well-rounded skills. Although not on the same level as Heroe, he was able to hold his own for spells against Phoenix by outbrawling the white-masked wrestler. When The Mentor deigned to tag in, it was generally when Heroe or Phoenix was down, and he was able to put the boots to them, or use a resthold to risklessly inflict some punishment on the masked duo. However, this wasn’t enough to keep their opponents down, and Raphael found himself on the defensive against Phoenix, staggering groggily in the centre of the ring as Phoenix went for a second rope springboard moonsault directly in front of Ruin, who flicked out a hand to knock the masked man from the rope. Heroe went ballistic as Phoenix crashed to the mat, but this only distracted the referee as he tried to get into the ring, allowing Ruin to drag Phoenix out of the ring and pitch him hard into the ringpost. He rolled Phoenix back into the ring just as the referee turned to see Raphael haul him upright and drill him with a Turnbuckle Exploder to pick up the deeply unpopular victory. Winners: Mentor and Raphael (C+) * A short hype video was played for the tag team ladder match, with all four teams (and their managers) highlighted. * [B]The Canadian Blondes (c) vs. Two Smoking Barrels vs. The Second Sons vs. The West Texas Lawmakers[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] in a [COLOR="Purple"]ladder match[/COLOR] Rip had rejoined us for this match. He seemed displeased, and would only say that the situation between the three women would be clarified on the next Nationwide – but that Quine was being allowed to compete in her match before he made a final decision about their fate. Not quite a spotfest – I made sure to put some actual psychology in there when I was laying the match out with the competitors – but probably as close as we’re likely to get in MAW. Ladders were pitched around the ring with considerable abandon. Kristen Pearce and Haley Buck stood out at ringside, rather outclassing Ernest Forthdyke-Hume and The Mentor, curiously. Casey Valentine stood out in the ring as he adapted to the presence of the ladders, using them on his own and in tandem with Antonio to beat down their opponents. However, when they thought that they had eliminated everyone, the Blondes slid into the ring and, with the aid of the Sons’ own ladder, dispatched their foes with a perfectly-timed double dropkick that cracked the ladder into their faces. Savage quickly set up a ladder that Golden scrambled up to recover the title belts as The Mentor looked at the fallen forms of Antonio and Valentine, his expression unreadable beneath his cowl. Winners: The Canadian Blondes (D) * Backstage, and Jaime Quine was getting her wrists and ankles strapped by a trainer. [COLOR="Blue"]“Suzanne Brazzle, you can see for yourself that there’s no gimmicks, no horseshoes, nothing like that.”[/COLOR] She pulled on her boots, fastening the snaps quickly before pulling on her gloves. [COLOR="Blue"]“It’s all just me, Suzanne. I beat you once. I was good enough to knock you out. Tonight won’t be any different.”[/COLOR] * [B]Suzanne Brazzle (c) vs. Jaime Quine[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Women’s title[/COLOR] Quine entered the match looking distracted, but when we tried to draw out Rip on what had happened backstage, he refused to comment on it. The match consisted of Brazzle avoiding Quine’s strikes, only being drawn in when Quine offered a tie-up. The two women then worked their way around the ring, tussling for advantage. Quine was able to score with a hiptoss, before smacking the champion in the back of the skull with a dropkick. Sensing an advantage as Brazzle flopped bonelessly to the mat, Quine tried to follow up with a KO Kick, but Brazzle deftly avoided the attack, revealing that she had been playing possum, and scored with a Miracle Connection for the successful defence. Winner: Suzanne Brazzle (C) * Sara Silverman was shown backstage, as Tim Westybrook loomed in the background. [COLOR="Gray"]“My client is offended at the idea that Eddie Powell believes he can win this upcoming match. Powell has talent – but consider my client. The “Iron Man”. The unstoppable force. Undefeated in MAW in more than six months... Eddie Powell, you’re a very talented competitor, and my client and I respect you. We know that you’ve been a champion in many promotions. If you were wrestling in another promotion tonight, you would probably win. But tonight, Mr. Powell, just do your best to earn yourself and my client that entertainment bonus we discussed, okay?”[/COLOR] * [B]Eddie Powell vs. Tim Westybrook[/B] Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite on the same level as their last encounter, rather shooting my expectations of a truly great match in the foot. In fact, it was something of a retread of the last match, following the same pattern of Powell staying out of range of Westybrook’s hold as much as possible, striking quickly and fading – but Westybrook was still able to inflict some damage, particularly when he caught Powell with a big boot that folded the lighter man in two as he crashed to the mat, head first. Powell tried to rally, but was unable to make up the difference from that single, devastating move, and eventually succumbed to a TNT Whirlwind to give Westybrook the win. Winner: Tim Westybrook (C) * Backstage, and The Mentor exited the shower, clad in a long bathrobe and still wearing his hood. Ruin stood in the centre of the room, gaze fixed unblinkingly on the camera. [COLOR="Olive"]“So much for Heroe and ‘Phoenix’,” [/COLOR]Mentor declaimed. [COLOR="Olive"]“Jean Cattley, you’ve served this company well over the years, so I want you to understand that this is nothing personal. If it weren’t for the fact that you are the reigning World champion, then Ruin would ignore you in the same way he’d ignore roadkill. You’re past your best, you’re clinging on to past glories, and while you’ve somehow held that title for some months now, you won’t leave this building tonight with it in your luggage. Take some comfort, though, in knowing that Ruin will be finished with you after tonight. He has no need nor any desire to prolong your punishment...”[/COLOR] He tailed off, and looked over his shoulder at Ruin. Although the larger man’s expression hadn’t visibly changed, some shift of light had given his face a markedly predatory appearance. [COLOR="Olive"]“I will be able to convince him that no further action will be required after tonight, Cattley,”[/COLOR] The Mentor said. [COLOR="Olive"]“This will only be as difficult as [I]you[/I] make it.”[/COLOR] * Jean Cattley was shown with Heroe and Phoenix, who was having his neck iced. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“This won’t be easy, amigo. That Ruin is one tough man,”[/COLOR] Heroe was saying. [COLOR="Navy"]“I know, but I’m the champ.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Jean, listen, no-one respects you more than me, but have you really recovered from the beating he put on you a few weeks back?”[/COLOR] Jean looked annoyed, and didn’t reply. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“That’s what I thought. Look, just take care of yourself out there, okay? I’ve been in the ring with Ruin. I know what he can do. Sooner you walk out of that ring without that belt then be carried out with it, yeah?”[/COLOR] Jean grimaced. [COLOR="Navy"]“You talk sense, Heroe, but this isn’t a business where logic comes into it.”[/COLOR] Heroe sighed. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“You’re right, you’re right. Look... We’ve got your back if something happens, okay? But you gotta know that with you being banged up, Ruin doesn’t have to take it easy on you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“I know, I know,”[/COLOR] Jean said. [COLOR="Navy"]“Look, I’ve seen what he can do. I saw him against Bradford, and Brandon, and you... But with all due respect-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“You’re the champ. Yeah, I know, but he’s just vicious, esse. You go out there, and he’s going to try and tear you apart.”[/COLOR] Jean smiled, grimly. [COLOR="Navy"]“Let him. I’ve fought the best in the world. I don’t lose easily, hurt or not.”[/COLOR] Phoenix lifted the icepack for a moment to look up. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Jean...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Yeah?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Take care. You’re needed back here – even I know that. People look up to you. If you get injured badly-”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“There’ll always be someone to step up. You two have been doing a good job, but...”[/COLOR] Cattley tailed off. The two masked men waited patiently. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Yes?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Maybe we need to present a united front,”[/COLOR] Jean said, thoughtfully. [COLOR="Navy"]“I’ll have to think about this.”[/COLOR] There was a knock on the door. [COLOR="Navy"]“I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later.”[/COLOR] Picking up the World title, he left the room. * [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley (c) vs. Ruin[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW World title[/COLOR] Ruin wasted no time in going after Cattley in this main event, exploding out of the blocks and going straight after Cattley’s head, trying to reinjure the champion where he had caught him with a series of strikes three weeks before, culminating in a pair of Descents Into Hell. The approach seemed to pay immediate dividends, as after just a few minutes Cattley was staggered and seemed unable to focus, swinging wildly at a space to Ruin’s left. Ruin proceeded to dismantle the champion, either having learned from previous matches not to take an opponent lightly or, more likely, not caring to do anything other than hurt his foe anyway. Cattley tried to rally, and when he was in close to Ruin, he was able to grab him and deliver strikes and even suplexes and slams, although these only seemed to slow Ruin momentarily as he rose swiftly to his feet after each one. But when Ruin stepped back out of range, Cattley was deprived of his ability to find his foe. Although he came close on a few occasions, Ruin displayed impressive agility for a larger wrestler, moving swiftly aside and on one occasion even grabbing the back of Cattley’s head and throwing him into the turnbuckles. Eventually, Ruin seemed to grow weary of the contest and went for a Descent Into Hell. Before he could hit the move, however, Cattley reversed into a Mood Swing, sending Ruin crashing to the mat. Cattley was spent, however, and even had he been able to move to make the cover, on previous evidence he wouldn’t have been able to find Ruin to do so. Ruin rose smoothly to his feet, almost seeming to rise upright in a ghost-like manner. Cattley was just rising to his hands and knees as Ruin stalked closer to him, deliberately stepping on the champion’s fingers. Cattley recoiled, clutching his hand, but this just set him at the perfect height and angle for Ruin to grab him and deliver a Descent Into Hell. The champion was down and unmoving, and for the first time Ruin seemed to take his time, savouring the moment as he rolled Cattley onto his back and made the cover for the pin to become the new MAW World champion! Winner: Ruin (B-) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I]Next: Motorbikes and a tempting challenge...[/I]

[FINisher]

Ricky DeColt and Ultimate Phoenix? Wow. Great additions to your MAW after the big leavings of.. The guys who left a while ago :D

[Bigpapa42]

Blood good show, mate! Love the additions, short term or not. Enjoyed the storylines. Nice to get a B match from the ladies. And I can't really say I expected to see Ruin take the belt.

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=FINisher;642597]Ricky DeColt and Ultimate Phoenix? Wow. Great additions to your MAW after the big leavings of.. The guys who left a while ago :D[/QUOTE] Erm... Phoenix has been around quite a while, FIN.

[FINisher]

[quote=Phantom Stranger;642599]Erm... Phoenix has been around quite a while, FIN.[/quote] I'm not that active reader I'm afraid :o

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=FINisher;642602]I'm not that active reader I'm afraid :o[/QUOTE] He was Firebird.

[Hyde Hill]

Great show mate. Just wondering in what way you have changed the product and could the region and attendance info be added again?

[FINisher]

[quote=Phantom Stranger;642608]He was Firebird.[/quote] Of course he was. Darn it.

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Hyde Hill;642758]Great show mate. Just wondering in what way you have changed the product and could the region and attendance info be added again?[/QUOTE] I've upped Mainstream one notch (to Medium, I think) so that I can use cheap finishes. Otherwise, it's MAW default. Attendance is steady at 2k in the Mid Atlantic (about a C pop), I've just hit 1,800 in South East (around D), and have been at 1,000 in Great Lakes (D- or so) for a while now - that'll be the next one to go up, and I'm hoping that happens pre-Cult. Puerto Rico and... Tri-State, I think, are the next highest - 2 or 300. Everywhere else is around 50 or so. * DeColt is strictly a loan deal. I'll reveal a couple of new faces a week until the next big show. Right now, I'm thinking it'll be seven loans and three MAW workers (likely Velasquez, Windameer and Peverell) in the battle royal as well. We'll see how that goes. * And before I forget, don't forget to vote in the DOTM polls. The CV one is stacked, in particular. * Phoenix has now been in the fed for over five years - a testament to how well he produces in ring, as he's been a featured worker, one way or another, throughout that time. He turned heel in June 2010, so this is the first time in over three years he's been a face. I was impressed with how hell he performed as a heel, but as the perfect mentor for Heroe, and given my heel/face imbalance (about 6 or 7 more heels than faces before the turn) it was time for a switch.

[James Casey]

Texas “Ruin” Pete and Jean Cattley were central to the party being held in the viewing gallery of the Biker Museum. The gallery overlooks the museum collection – lit at this time by artfully channelled moonlight – and the arena, which was now in darkness. Ruin and Cattley were sharing a laugh and a beer, the World title propped up between them. The various members of the MAW roster who’d made the show were mingling with the other companies workers, and I thought I saw the odd bit of business being conducted. Heroe for one seemed to be attracting a lot of attention – but I suppose I had no-one to blame for that but myself. One of the big feds seemed likely to take a flier on him sooner rather than later. I was of the firm opinion that he had the talent, charisma, dedication and athleticism to be one of the best wrestlers in the world over the next two decades. I just hoped that it would be spent with us. I walked over to Tommy, who shook my hand like an old friend. As often as I’ve upset him, one way or another, over the years, Tommy doesn’t hold a grudge. It’s one of the things I like the best about him. [COLOR="Green"]“What have you done with Jay?”[/COLOR] I asked, pulling up a seat and watching Tommy Jr. chain wrestling with Giant Redwood. It was noticeable to everyone – Redwood included – that the kid was a real talent, and more believable than the veteran already. [COLOR="royalblue"]“Stop making eyes at my kid, James,”[/COLOR] Tommy said, with a smirk. [COLOR="royalblue"]“Even for MAW, he’s too young for a contract.”[/COLOR] I laughed, self-consciously. [COLOR="green"]“Yeah, I know – but bloody hell, Tommy, have you been training him already?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“Nah, just messing around, like,” [/COLOR]he said. Tommy’s wandering accent – his parents being an Eastender and a Scouser – was always a source of amusement to me. It never ceased to amaze me how few people commented on it. But then, he always played the East End hardman on screen, albeit a cultured one. [COLOR="royalblue"]“No, he’s gifted, and right now he wants to be a wrestler – but who knows? Tomorrow he might want to be a doctor, or an architect...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Or a lawyer.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“I’ll kick him out if he does,” [/COLOR]Tommy said, with a grin to match my own. [COLOR="royalblue"]“What about yours?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“They’re only three months old, Tommy. Give them time.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“Never too soon to start thinking, James. If ever you want to walk away from here, just let me know...”[/COLOR] I sat up a little straighter, aware all of a sudden that I was the one discussing business with a – sort-of – rival. [COLOR="green"]“The answer’s the same as it was last year, Tommy.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“And I respect that – but the offer’s always there. Who else than you has got as good a record of nurturing young talent? I wish we’d got a chance at Hugh de Aske, and that KC Glenn is every bit as good as Joey’s been saying.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Anyone else?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="royalblue"]“They’re the main two, I think,”[/COLOR] Tommy said, laughing as his son slipped out of a Redwood Chokeslam, reversing into a Crossface to Redwood’s considerable surprise. I nodded to myself. It wasn’t guaranteed by any means, but Ernest Youngman’s contract was coming due with Supreme in the next few weeks. It was too late for us to have him back for Where It All Begins Again... But as best as I could tell, he’d be available for the sprint to the Invitational thereafter, and if he agreed to come back, then he was high on my list of potential winners. I wondered sometimes if I was the only one who saw something in him. He was languishing in the Supreme undercard, bereft of the promo time that could have made him shine like Hugh and Steve Flash had. Tommy scarcely seemed aware of his existence... I shook my head. I could hardly claim to be a master of talent spotting, given some of the clunkers we’d signed over the years. At least I was still managing to avoid Nemesis – whose son Ash was hovering somewhere as well. Ash had a full load of contracts nowadays, but I was sure that Nemesis would love for him to join MAW, if for no other reason than to pay me back for handing him a crying baby the night before. I left Tommy to coach his son, who was now on the wrong side of an impromptu handicap match against Redwood and Bruce The Giant. The Stones were cheering him on indiscriminately as I walked away, then turned laboriously in place. [COLOR="green"]“Tommy?”[/COLOR] He looked up. [COLOR="green"]“Where’s Jay?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“I dunno,” [/COLOR]he said, with a one shoulder shrug. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“He didn’t make the plane.”[/COLOR] He went back to working over Peter Valentine, who had joined in the match on the side of Team Giant, while Sam Strong had lined up with the father-and-son duo. I shook my head as I wondered how much a match like this might have made on pay-per-view. [COLOR="purple"]“Hey, kid,” [/COLOR]Rip appeared as though from nowhere, Reese close by with a notepad and pen in her hands. I could see that Rip had been canvassing opinions about upcoming storylines, and I nodded in agreement. Getting some outside input from the people in this room – especially people like Richard or Vibert – could only improve matters. [COLOR="green"]“Hey Rip,”[/COLOR] I said, surreptitiously checking the drink in his hand. He sounded a bit morose, and it pays to be careful. [COLOR="purple"]“Jay couldn’t make it. He’s got a girl he’s seeing out west,” [/COLOR]he said. [COLOR="purple"]“Some singer – Lady something...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“That’s a shame. We’ll catch up with him next time our paths cross,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“Hey, you’re not going to play cards, are you?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“No, I learned my lesson last year. What about you? Someone was saying they were hoping you’d sit in.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Maybe a couple of hands...” [/COLOR]I said, thoughtfully. My eyes rested on the round table, at which were seated five of the most recognisable faces in wrestling. There was someone that I wanted to talk to. [I]Next: The game...[/I]

[Guest codey]

[QUOTE=James Casey;643958] I nodded to myself. It wasn’t guaranteed by any means, but Ernest Youngman’s contract was coming due with Supreme in the next few weeks. It was too late for us to have him back for Where It All Begins Again... But as best as I could tell, he’d be available for the sprint to the Invitational thereafter, and if he agreed to come back, then he was high on my list of potential winners. I wondered sometimes if I was the only one who saw something in him. He was languishing in the Supreme undercard, bereft of the promo time that could have made him shine like Hugh and Steve Flash had. Tommy scarcely seemed aware of his existence... [/QUOTE] A testament to how much games can be different. As soon as SWF stole Youngman from me (right after I made him the winner of my yearly tournament, I might add), he rocketed up the card. It's 2016 in my game now, but he's been main eventing since 2011 or so.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: One of the things I love about this game - despite signing some of the same talent who excelled in my '07 MAW career game (Fly, Morgan, Nelson) the guys who've got over this time are completely different...[/I] * [COLOR="Green"]“Deal me in,” [/COLOR]I said, dropping into a seat just as Jerry Eisen scooped up the cards from the last hand. [COLOR="sienna"]“Buy-in is five hundred,” [/COLOR]he said, not looking up. I’d come prepared – just in case. My notes dropped into the centre of the table, and for a moment Jerry hesitated in his shuffling. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Well, that makes six. Any objections?”[/COLOR] One by one, Eric Eisen, Phil Vibert, Alex DeColt and Remo Richardson shook their heads. [COLOR="sienna"]“We’ll play a little blackjack as there’s so many of us,” [/COLOR]Jerry said, tidying the cards smoothly. [COLOR="sienna"]“At least until we’re down by one or two.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Sure,”[/COLOR] I said. I took my cards, and kept my mouth shut for a few hands. Remo was on a losing streak to match his hot streak in TCW, and had to keep buying back in. But then, he had the money. Alex was a very cautious player, more than once sticking on a low hand that ended up costing him in our winner-takes-all game. He did take a couple of hands where the cards were kind to him, Eric was as inconsistent with his cards as he was in the ring. He seemed to determine whether to stick or twist via some kind of random number generator, and I wondered at first if he’d had too much to drink. But I noticed after fourth time he’d twisted on seventeen that he was responding to his brother – not some kind of faulty collusion, but rather Jerry was subtly needling his brother, and Eric was rising to it, to his own cost. And that left Phil Vibert, who was cool and calculating, wisely abandoning hands he had no chance of winning, and only once striking out on a chancy twist. He was well ahead of the game. When, by my calculation, he’d won an extra ten thousand, he excused himself politely and went to the bar, where he was soon surrounded by former DaVE workers. [COLOR="sienna"]“So, anyone for poker?” [/COLOR]Jerry asked, glaring at Vibert. [COLOR="Blue"]“Not me, my luck’s out tonight,” [/COLOR]Remo said, holding up a solitary hundred dollar bill. [COLOR="blue"]“I came in here with five grand, and most of it’s in Phil’s pockets.”[/COLOR] He grinned. [COLOR="blue"]“Guess I need to work on my poker face, huh?”[/COLOR] I smiled. [COLOR="green"]“Might be worth trimming the eyebrows, Remo,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="green"]“They’re easy to read.”[/COLOR] He mock-scowled at me, nodded to Eric and Alex, and left us to play. [COLOR="sienna"]“So, poker?”[/COLOR] Jerry asked, apparently not noticing that Remo had ignored him. [COLOR="green"]“Sure,” [/COLOR]I said. I was down by a thousand or so, but then, I had plenty where that came from. Tonight was just getting started. We played a few hands. Eric was getting worse, the little asides from his brother clearly getting under his skin. Once or twice I cut Jerry off, innocently enough, to save Eric from blowing his stack. Honestly, I think I could have been more blatant – Jerry had had a couple of drinks, and that seemed to be making him more belligerent, and less aware. I wanted to tell the younger Eisen to leave – before he made a show of himself. On the other hand, if he did, it would make my job for the evening that much easier. After my second intervention, Jerry switched targets. Alex DeColt had earned a few hundred by cautious play that had cost him little and resulted in a couple of small wins. He seemed to specialise in winning on the back of a pair, or three of a kind, when everyone else had nothing. This really seemed to get to Jerry, who tried to provoke him into betting more aggressively, but Alex placidly played the cards he was dealt and, if anything, was even more defensive with his gambling. He also started to drum his fingers on the table, which Jerry seemed to think was a sign of nerves, and so he ran his full house into a straight flush that Alex had spent the last ten minutes building, costing him more than four thousand dollars. Scowling, Jerry waited another three or four hands until Alex started drumming his fingers again. He immediately folded, and Alex held his cards to take the hand. As dealer, I checked the cards and wasn’t surprised to see that where Jerry had been holding three of a kind, Alex had a pair. Jerry stood up, looking sour. [COLOR="sienna"]“I need a drink,”[/COLOR] he said, and stalked off to the bar. Eric let out a deep breath. [COLOR="sienna"]“I think... I’m going to call it a night,”[/COLOR] he said, seemingly released from captivity. [COLOR="green"]“Me too,” [/COLOR]Alex said, adroitly scooping his winnings up. [COLOR="green"]“At least, I don’t think I ought to push my luck any further.”[/COLOR] He shot me a smile, and slipped into the crowd. Eric scraped up his small pile of notes and left in the other direction. Jerry chose that moment to return to the table, a large glass of whiskey in one hand. [COLOR="sienna"]“Where’d everyone go?”[/COLOR] he said, throwing a scowl at Eric’s empty seat. [COLOR="green"]“The game got too rich for them,”[/COLOR] I said, shuffling adroitly. I’d picked up some shuffling tricks the year before, in conversation with a blackjack dealer from one of the casinos. This was my first chance to try them out for real – if Jerry deserved it. [COLOR="green"]“So, what do you want to play?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“Five card draw,”[/COLOR] he said, with a shrug. [COLOR="sienna"]“Might as well keep it simple. I’ll probably head off myself soon.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Sure, no problems,”[/COLOR] I said, taking a moment to check my money. I was up about three thousand, the last couple of hands having been won mostly at Jerry’s expense, handily putting me back in the black. Jerry’s eyes narrowed, and I could tell that he was ready to play a bit more – if I convinced him. [COLOR="green"]“What do you say to raising the limit? A thousand a time?”[/COLOR] Jerry shrugged. He’d done okay for the night, taking most of Eric’s money. The first deal brought me a pair of threes. I dropped a two and a five and got nothing in return. Jerry’s face was almost unreadable. I chanced another round to get one more card, and ended up with two pairs – threes and sixes. I looked at Jerry, and folded. He smiled as he scooped up my money. [COLOR="green"]“Another hand?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“Sure – I’m on a roll tonight,”[/COLOR] he said. I dealt the cards quickly, before he had a chance to pick up the deck. I had nothing – a high card of eight being as good as it gets. Opposite me, Jerry’s shoulders twitched as he looked at his cards. Clearly, what he had was worth having. I took a long time over the cards – long enough to make Jerry start counting under his breath. Eventually, I folded. [COLOR="sienna"]“Not even going to try?”[/COLOR] he asked, after scooping up his winnings. [COLOR="green"]“Not on that one. Sometimes the cards just aren’t right, you know?”[/COLOR] He took a swing of his drink, and watched me deal again. This one was better, with three jacks from the off. The other two cards were discarded, and from that I got a pair of queens. I kept my cards, and Jerry looked at me curiously. [COLOR="sienna"]“You don’t have anything,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="green"]“You’ll have to call to find out,” [/COLOR]I said. [COLOR="sienna"]“There’s no way you have anything. No-one gets that lucky on their first draw. I call.”[/COLOR] He put down his two pairs, and his eyes shot open as I laid down my cards. [COLOR="sienna"]“You don’t bluff, do you?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Sometimes,” [/COLOR]I said. He looked at the money I had before me. I was about level from where I’d started. His eyes narrowed. [COLOR="sienna"]“Another hand?”[/COLOR] he asked. [COLOR="green"]“I should be going.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“Play another hand,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="sienna"]“No limit.”[/COLOR] I quirked an eyebrow. [COLOR="green"]“No limit?”[/COLOR] He shook his head. I hesitated. [COLOR="green"]“I haven’t got that much money, Jerry – I can’t afford to get cleaned out by you.”[/COLOR] He smiled. [COLOR="sienna"]“I saw your wallet when you joined us. You’ve got enough in there to cover one more game.”[/COLOR] I hesitated, but then nodded, cautiously. [COLOR="green"]“Okay, Jerry, one more hand.”[/COLOR] I collected up the cards, and shuffled them quickly. I was acutely aware that there were people watching us, now. The hour was late enough that more people were gone to bed ahead of the early flights tomorrow than were lingering, and those that were sticking it out were starting to pay more and more attention to the game. I dealt, and kept my face still as I looked at my cards. There were four diamonds, which wasn’t much, but could be useful. I kept my eyes on my cards as I played the first two rounds, taking one card each time, getting a spade and a heart. [COLOR="sienna"]“You’ve got nothing,”[/COLOR] Jerry said. [COLOR="green"]“Taking one,”[/COLOR] I said, slipping a card from the top of the deck. I slid it into my hand, the red diamond making me blink as it crossed my sight. [COLOR="green"]“And I’ll see your two thousand, and raise you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“You’ve got nothing,”[/COLOR] Jerry said again. He took a swig of his drink, looking very pleased with the way things were going. [COLOR="sienna"]“Do you want to know how I know you’ve got nothing?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“I’d rather you just place your bet.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“I’m sure you would. You’re not comfortable when the stakes are this high, though,”[/COLOR] he went on. [COLOR="sienna"]“You’ve gambled big, in the hopes that I’ll back off – but that’s not going to happen. I’m calling you,”[/COLOR] he said, shoving his pot into the centre of the table. [COLOR="green"]“You’re willing to gamble...” [/COLOR]I looked at the pot. [COLOR="green"]“Over forty thousand dollars on the assumption that I’m bluffing, when I’ve only got four thousand on the table.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="sienna"]“It’s a measure of my confidence,”[/COLOR] he said, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. I shrugged. [COLOR="green"]“Flush, king high,” [/COLOR]I said, laying my cards down. The smiled faded from Jerry’s face slowly. His eyes lost their expression of superciliousness last, as though they couldn’t believe what lay in front of them. [COLOR="sienna"]“No way,”[/COLOR] he said, dropping his cards on the table. An ace-high straight lay between him and the pot. He took a steadying gulp of his drink, which was nearing empty. [COLOR="sienna"]“You... you...”[/COLOR] I collected my winnings. [COLOR="Green"]“I won,” [/COLOR]I said, standing up, Jerry’s former money sticking out of every pocket. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You cheated,”[/COLOR] he spat. I froze, and the conversation hushed. [I]Next: Repercussions...[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Flush vs Straight the classic showdown hehe. Man that was a lot more fun then the Casino Royale game. Wonder what is going to happen now.

[Bigpapa42]

Are you going to war with the SWF, JC? Because that would be [I]awesome[/I]...

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;644680]Are you going to war with the SWF, JC? Because that would be [I]awesome[/I]...[/QUOTE] [I]OOC: Alas, alas, they'd slaughter me - but it would be fun, wouldn't it? Maybe if I ever play that TCW game...[/I] * [COLOR="Green"]“It’s been a long, busy day, Jerry,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“You’ve had a few drinks, and you’ve just lost a lot of money. So I’ll let that go – but don’t call me a cheat. It’s not nice, and more to the point, it’s not true.”[/COLOR] I turned to walk away, my knuckles clenched white on the handle of my cane. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Another hand,”[/COLOR] he barked. [COLOR="Sienna"]“And this time, I’m dealing.”[/COLOR] I turned, leaning on the cane. [COLOR="Green"]“Why would I want to do that?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“To prove you’re not a cheat.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I know I’m not a cheat. My family know I’m not a cheat. My friends know I’m not a cheat. Beyond that, I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Like hell. You’ve dealt every hand, and all of a sudden you take all my money?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“You weren’t complaining when you were winning.”[/COLOR] Jerry paused, then his face contorted into a grimace so sour it looked like he’d been force fed a dozen lemons. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You set me up,”[/COLOR] he snarled. [COLOR="Green"]“No, I didn’t,”[/COLOR] I replied, calmly. I brushed a speck of dust from my jacket sleeve. [COLOR="Green"]“Besides, Jerry, you’ve got no money left – I’ve got no reason to gamble again.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“I’ve got more than money to play with.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“What?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“I don’t care about the money. Let’s do business.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“What sort of business? I don’t want your contract, Jerry – Rock’s a better announcer than you. So am I, come to that.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“You want rid of this agreement between our companies? I’ll put that on the table.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Who cares. We’ve done well enough without your ‘Supreme Stars’, Jerry – in fact, considering that they made your company tank, I’d say we’re doing better than okay.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Then why did you go after Alex DeColt?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Because I wanted to work with one of George’s kids, and because they’re good to have around backstage.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Play me again,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“I’ll wager free trade with our workers, against... your top five wrestlers.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“There’s nothing in that for me. Come on, Jerry. Richard did better than that last year. Is your dad a better gambler than you, as well as a better owner?”[/COLOR] I thought for a moment I’d overdone it. Jerry turned purple, before snarling [COLOR="Sienna"]“Damn it! Sit down!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I’ll play you, Jerry, on one condition,”[/COLOR] I said. I let the words hang in the air, as the others in the room took in what Jerry had tacitly admitted. [COLOR="Sienna"]“What?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“If you win, you get your money back. I didn’t cheat, but fine – if that’s what you want to believe, knock yourself out. “If I win, you cancel this deal between us – and you match every dollar I put on the table. By my calculations, that’ll be about forty-seven thousand dollars.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Done, damn it.”[/COLOR] I sat back down. [COLOR="Green"]“You won’t mind if I request a new deck of cards.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“I wouldn’t trust any deck you’ve been shuffling anyway,”[/COLOR] he said. I almost laughed, but he was deadly serious. He shuffled, spilling several cards onto the table in his agitation. Once he was playing with a full deck, he dealt us both hands. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Now let’s see,”[/COLOR] he said. I smiled a little, and didn’t touch my cards. [COLOR="Sienna"]“How many do you want?”[/COLOR] he asked, glaring at me. I shrugged. [COLOR="Green"]“I don’t know. Why don’t you go first, and I’ll think about it.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“O-,” [/COLOR]he stopped. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Wait. You go first – unless you know something about the cards...”[/COLOR] I frowned. [COLOR="Green"]“What would I know about the cards? You shuffled them, you dealt. I’m just taking my time.”[/COLOR] Jerry’s brows tightened, and he took another gulp of his drink. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Fine,”[/COLOR] he said. He took two cards. I looked at mine for the first time, and took one. [COLOR="Sienna"]“What now?”[/COLOR] Jerry asked. [COLOR="Green"]“Normally, we’d bet – but we’re already all in. Do you want any more cards?”[/COLOR] He hesitated. [COLOR="Sienna"]“I’ll take one,”[/COLOR] he said, doing so. His eyes never really left mine as he checked his cards. [COLOR="Green"]“I’ll take one,”[/COLOR] I said. His face twitched. He downed the last of his drink. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Call,”[/COLOR] he said. I set my cards down, one at a time. [COLOR="Green"]“Something for you to consider, is that you’re your father’s son,”[/COLOR] I set, putting down a nine of diamonds. [COLOR="Green"]“You’re not your father, you can be your own man,”[/COLOR] I set down the ten of diamonds. [COLOR="Green"]“You took Kirk from us, and Donnie, and that’s fine. You’re Supreme, we expect it,”[/COLOR] I set down the jack of diamonds. [COLOR="Green"][COLOR="Green"]“Just don’t insult us by waving your ---- in our faces when you do, Jerry,”[/COLOR][/COLOR] I set down the queen of diamonds. [COLOR="Green"]“Because the time’s coming that one of us small feds will overtake Supreme, and when we do,” [/COLOR]I held the fifth card over the table. Jerry’s eyes were fixed on it and his mouth was hanging slightly open. His ears, though, were straining at my every word, [COLOR="Green"]“think about whether you want us to be gracious, whether you want us to be your friends, or-”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“I fold,” [/COLOR]Jerry said. I waited, my eyes fixed on his. [COLOR="Green"]“You fold?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“I do.”[/COLOR] I set the card down on the table, face down. [COLOR="Green"]“I expect that the time will come when our stars will move on to Supreme anyway, and that’s fine. But a phone call first would be appreciated,”[/COLOR] I said, my index finger still on the card. [COLOR="Green"]“And we look forward to working with you. We’re not a development territory, Jerry. We’re just trying to make our way in the world, same as you.”[/COLOR] He nodded, and took a deep breath. [COLOR="Green"]“You’re not a bad man, Jerry, and neither is your father. Don’t try and be like the Richard Eisen you hear the stories about. Look forward, not back. I know you’ve been taking over more of late. I’ll send you a copy of the ten rules we work to around here – they might be useful.”[/COLOR] He nodded, and stood a little uncertainly. Enforcer Roberts appeared by his side. [COLOR="Blue"]“Come on, Jerry. I’ll get you back to the hotel.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Thanks,”[/COLOR] he said, a little thick tongued. [COLOR="Sienna"]“James, good luck.”[/COLOR] The two men walked off, and I shook my head. Rip appeared by my side. [COLOR="Purple"]“Kid, that was one of the biggest loads of horse---- I’ve ever heard,” [/COLOR]he said, not unflatteringly. [COLOR="Green"]“I actually feel kind of guilty about it,”[/COLOR] I said, as the rest of the revellers began to make preparations to leave. [COLOR="Green"]“He can’t handle his drink, so that was easy. But that stunt he pulled with Jean, Kirk and Donnie last year didn’t sit well with me, so if I‘ve talked him into knocking that ---- off, then all the better. He may have wanted to show his dad that he can fill his shoes... but frankly, his dad was never the type to try and get someone on their good side before he gutted their roster. What Jerry did made it personal – he thought he could make a fool out of me. Out of us. If he’s learned his lesson, then good. If not, whatever happens, we’re ninety thousand or so to the good.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“We?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I’m making a donation to the company bank account.”[/COLOR] Rip looked stung. I held up a hand. [COLOR="Green"]“We had this discussion last year. MAW will go under without more money, and I’ve got just as much invested in it now as you do. You’re still the owner, let’s just call it... my stake. You can pay me back whenever. We’ll get Reese to draw up a contract tomorrow, if it’ll make you feel better.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“What about Jerry?”[/COLOR] I looked at the door through which Jerry and Roberts had left. [COLOR="Green"]“Who knows? I would wager he’ll be easier to work with than Richard, but Supreme will always be Supreme. We’re not going to compete with them any time soon – but at least we’ve got that ban lifted. Next time someone decent becomes available, we’ll have a chance at signing them.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“It was a lot of effort to go to,” [/COLOR]Rip said. [COLOR="Green"]“After last year, it seemed poetic to do it this way.”[/COLOR] Rip half-shrugged, and then smiled slightly. [COLOR="Purple"]“It did feel good.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“There you go, then,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“We’re a lot richer, Jerry got a small humbling from one of the little guys, and no-one got hurt. Not a bad day, then.”[/COLOR] Rip nodded, and turned to leave, before stopping and turning back. [COLOR="Purple"]“Just one more thing,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Green"]“Yeah?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“What was your last card?”[/COLOR] I looked around, but we were pretty much the only people left. I flipped over my fifth card, revealing the three of clubs. Rip shook his head, admiringly. [COLOR="Purple"]“I knew it,” [/COLOR]he said. [COLOR="Purple"]“Horse----.”[/COLOR] I grinned, and was about to follow him out of the door when I stopped. I headed back to the table to check Jerry’s cards. I stared at the hand for some time. Disregarding the four of spades, Jerry had all four aces. Eventually, the chiming of the clock on the wall brought me to my senses. I decided to enjoy my victory while I could – tomorrow, I knew, it would be business as usual between the SWF and MAW... [I]Next: The last Moment Of Madness...[/I]

[Marcel Fromage]

Excellent. Normally I kind of skate through long backstage posts in diaries just trying to grab the gist of them. But that one I read every single letter. Your continued quality never ceases to amaze, JC.

[Bigpapa42]

Great follow-up segment. Those meeting segments are some of my favorites. Just so well-written and intriguing. I'm curious - did you need the financial boost? Because that was an absolutely brilliant way to do it.

[JerkyTurkey]

Excellent, Long Time Reader, First Time Poster, and the reason it's my first post... I wanted to predict in this diary :D

[ampulator]

James Casey, I think I learned something today.

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Marcel Fromage;645264]Excellent. Normally I kind of skate through long backstage posts in diaries just trying to grab the gist of them. But that one I read every single letter. Your continued quality never ceases to amaze, JC.[/QUOTE] [I]Coming from yourself, that's a heck of a compliment - thank you![/I] [QUOTE=Bigpapa42;645272]I'm curious - did you need the financial boost? Because that was an absolutely brilliant way to do it.[/QUOTE] [I]Yes and no - we've lost 2/3 of our cash reserves since going on TV. Although we're still in the black (and I haven't checked September's financials yet) it's clear that we'll be going into debt in the near future. I haven't added that money to the bank yet - but the option is there. Expect it to be referred to again, if the need arises. Above all, consider who might not be happy about it...[/I] [QUOTE=JerkyTurkey;645273]Excellent, Long Time Reader, First Time Poster, and the reason it's my first post... I wanted to predict in this diary :D[/QUOTE] [I]Welcome! I hope you're enjoying the show, and I believe that predictions will be available in a couple of posts time.[/I] [QUOTE=ampulator;645533]James Casey, I think I learned something today.[/QUOTE] [I]Oh? Do tell...[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: The end of an institution. I hope you're all as broken up as I am... :p[/I] [QUOTE][I][CENTER]MAW.com Show Report – Moment Of Madness in South West Sunday, 21st September 2013[/CENTER] Fans, this is James Casey reporting from Pipers Casino here in the South West. Well, close to the venue, anyway – the police have been very understanding about the whole thing, but it seems likely that this will be the last Moment Of Madness event for a while. The show started off promisingly enough. Dazzling Dave Diamond used all his veteran guile against Atlas, eventually scoring the win in a close encounter. Next up, the Wilkes Brothers took on the combined might of Remmy Honeyman and Delirium. The masked man and his strictly-focused colleague appeared remarkably well-balanced as a team, and could have picked up the win with a little more luck, but in the end, Honeyman was overwhelmed by the teamwork of the brother duo, and was forced to submit to an Excess Force. Finally, Justin Sensitive took on Phil Jerome in the night’s main event. Jerome appeared distracted by Sensitive’s simian companion, and at several times complained to the referee about it’s presence. Sensitive ignored this, however, and concentrated on wearing the youngster down, eventually catching him with a Full Sensory Experience for the submission win. After that, it all becomes a bit of a blur. The Wilkes Brothers’ manager, Anne Lee Kubrick, had some friends along to the show, and this time Atlas was much more interested in partying with them, and... Well, here we are. I’m free to go, but I think I need to stick around and bail out some of the others – they’re still helping the police with their enquiries. Speak to you soon, everyone – and be sure and catch MAW next time we hit your area. Dazzling Dave Diamond def. Atlas – E+ The Wilkes Brothers def. Honeyman and Delirium – E Justin Sensitive def. Phil Jerome – E Overall: E[/I][/QUOTE] [I]Next: Say goodbye to the cast-offs...[/I]

[Mattlore Devious]

bye bye, cast-offs