MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Guest codey]

I vote for Sensitive and Diamond to stick around.

[James Casey]

Not for the first time, I found myself surrounded by a group of men – and, now, women – who were being released from MAW. Rip and I had given each of them the news individually, Amazing Fire Fly – This wasn’t really a release, but it felt like one. The energetic, agile Fly had been seen as a hot prospect by me since his much heralded debut on the Mexican scene. He’d made his way up the rankings, slowly but surely, and my plans had included a small push in the near future, with a view to scaling up that push. The obvious plan would have been for him to work with Phoenix and El Heroe Mexicano, but his American popularity had never kept pace with his Mexican popularity, particularly in view of the way he’d taken off in recent months. Ultimately, there was a lot more money available for him south of the border, particularly as he was only intermittently used by us. Atlas, Bear Bekowski and Findlay O’Farraday – Had we decided to run with the Moment Of Madness shows beyond this trial period, then these three would have been dubbed The Three Towers, possibly even resulting in the revival of the Trios title. As it was, Bear had a terrible attitude and neither Atlas nor Findlay showed any signs of promise in their time back with us. Incidentally, we tried to re-sign Titan with a view to reuniting him with Atlas. Too bad for him that he wanted midcard money, in spite of sitting out the last several years on the indies. Burn, AKA Acid II – Signed as a result of his pedigree. The kid reminded me of an Easter egg – it looked great, and there was a lot there to like... but ultimately he lacked the substance you’d expect for a worker notionally worth a spot in the uppercard. Cal Sanders – The ‘Leaping Lumberjack’ was a black hole of charisma. I had half a mind to pair him with Josh Jones to see if we could achieve a state of negative entertainment, but it never quite worked out. Ultimately, his reviews promised a lot more than his performances ever delivered, even allowing for ring rust and a lack of recognition. Christian Price – The ‘Tennessee Stud’ was a tough cut, as he had undeniable promise, and in terms of sheer in-ring ability was probably the most talented of the MOM crew. Ultimately, however, it was felt by Rip and myself that he wasn’t quite worth what he was being paid, and with better prospects identified he was cut – but with a view to coming back to him if roster space opened up in the next year or so... Curtis Jenkins – A hard decision to make. We’re probably now in a position where CJ could slot into the uppercard, his talents not so poor that he couldn’t be covered for. However, he’s just never struck me as someone who, even if he were wrestling Heroe every night, would improve that much. DC Rayne and Eddie Howard – Natural Storm got cut because they weren’t all that good in the ring, simply enough. Considering what they were earning, they should have been the standard bearers of the tag division – not merely treading water. Debbie Rose and Deborah Young – Aside from bringing in the occasional loanee, we’re not minded to have more than eight women on the roster at any one time. Debbie suffered from the signing of Suzanne Brazzle, making her fifth in the class of four on the babyface side. Young was intended to be the monster heel for the women, but suffered the same problem as most monster heels – she wasn’t that good in the ring. A recent acquisition put her in the same place as Rose and, thus, surplus to requirements. Greg Ford – I’ve never really... got Greg Ford. He was signed to be part of the original Fallen, and I never especially got behind him. His tag work with Speed was okay, but not outstanding, and while he had a few high points, and was young enough that he could theoretically improved, I just had a tendency to overlook him. Besides, when a tag team splits, it’s rare that both go on to better things – and I’m a lot higher on Marc Speed’s prospects then I’m ever likely to be on Ford’s... Jackpot Jordan and Jake Idol – These guys have tended to work with each other as Rich And Famous, and I had no objection to promoting them as a tag team if they worked well together. Ultimately, they were again earning a bit more than I was comfortable with, and weren’t an obvious improvement on our other lowcard face tag team, The Wilkes Brothers, so despite their experience working together, they were reluctantly let go – although, again, I’m not ruling out the possibility of a return in the future. Kentucky Bill – Ah, the possibilities of writing promos for Kentucky Bill. He’s also not a bad wrestler. He was just... there. He was so nondescript in the ring that even with his wacky non-Kentuckian Kentuckian gimmick, he managed to not attract any attention at all – including from me. Ricky Douglas – Another ex-MAW worker who’s ex again. It’s a shame, as he has some talent, but just can’t seem to get over anywhere. Spike – He was available. He worked a few shows. He didn’t impress. A bit harsh, perhaps, but what can you do? He was a longshot signing at best, as I had some hope that he might work out with the similarly-gimmicked Tempest Appleby and/or Jefferson Stardust, but it wasn’t to be. Tempest Appleby – Like Sanders, he had a great reputation from the indies, but the ‘Mover From Vancouver’ just couldn’t deliver in-ring to match. As a result, despite his low wage expectations, it was felt that he wasn’t worth retaining – especially as he required travel expenses as well. Warren Technique – He’s just bland. He’s average. He’s okay at everything, with good performance skills. He’s young enough that he could improve. He has talent... But really, there’s just nothing he can do that can’t be done by anyone else. The workers to be retained are: Dazzling Dave Diamond, Justin Sensitive, Jorge and Michael Wilkes, GB Wood, Remmy Honeyman and Jefferson Stardust. Stardust was the result of extensive discussion between Rip and myself. We both agree that in-ring he’s not worth much, being by some distance the least talented member of the roster... But he’s also got good performance skills and entertainment skills. He’s only twenty-five, but we’re already thinking in terms of making him a road agent/announcer along the road. His psychology needs some work, but frankly he costs so little that he could easily work every show we have in dark matches and so on. Besides, I love his gimmick. Whacked out rock gods are few and far between – the world needs more of them. I shook hands and exchanged hugs with a couple of the workers. Most took their releases phlegmatically. Greg Ford, DC Rayne and Eddie Howard, who were the ‘names’ of the group were less than impressed – but then, I was less than impressed with how they had performed while taking several hundred dollars a time from the company. On the whole, the Moment Of Madness shows were a nice idea – but we needed the money more than we needed to be performing charitable works right now. That, ultimately, is what employing the likes of Atlas and Tempest Appleby came down to. Here’s the roster as it currently stands (barring Deborah Young’s replacement). The key is as follows: R = Rumble ability of C+ or greater; r = Rumble ability of D+ to C T = Technical ability of C+ or greater; t = Rumble ability of D+ to C F = Aerial ability of C+ or greater; f = Aerial ability of D+ to C * = Entertainment skill of C- or greater P = Psychology of C+ or greater; p = Psychology of C- or C [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/roster0913.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [I]Next: On Tour, TCW continue to conquer the world, and a Nationwide preview...[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Whoa Lassana has improved lots in your game. TB about Warren personally I feel hes a good dark match trainer and can improve. For the rest it all looks good lots of promising workers too who could go higher given the right exposure on tv.

[Mattlore Devious]

Yes! Dazzling Dave Diamond survived!

[Dragonmack]

I can't speak to the 2008 version as I havent gotten that far, but AcidII was really starting to take off near the end of my NYCW diary in 2007. Got really nice ratings out of a feud between him and Ota over his right to carry on the Acid legacy, and then a money feud with Acid himself. He was on his way to making the main event in a cult fed on the verge of national for me. Maybe give him a few months then bring him back and see what you have to work with. Or stick him in the tag ranks for a year or so like I did before the big singles push.

[Candyman]

Hooray for the Wilkes Brothers sticking around, and not just because I named their manager. Ok, that actually is the only reason, but I think it's valid. And I didn't get to mention earlier that I really enjoyed all the backstage stuff with Jerry Eisen. Keep up the good work, as always.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: A couple of them, as noted, I was unsure about releasing... but then I saw whose contract had come up, and [U]bang[/U] - I was good to go. That cash was needed elsewhere.[/I] [QUOTE][I][CENTER]MAW.com Show Report – On Tour in Puerto Rico Thursday, 25th September 2013[/CENTER] Hello fans, I’m Rip Chord. Welcome to MAW On Tour! We kicked off the show with action from Kristabel Plum and Nadia Snow. Neither woman has had much exposure in Puerto Rico, but the quality of match was enough to make some instant fans here in the islands. Snow, the former Women’s champion, worked hard against the sharp Plum, employing some impressive submission moves in a bid to keep Plum down. When that didn’t work, however, she took a leaf from the book of MAW visitor Alicia Strong, scoring with a Strong Arm Tactic for the win. Next in action were newcomer Justin Sensitive, and Marc Speed. Speed nowadays is dressed in black pants and jacket, his sole focus being his opponent between the bells. This meant that, for once, Sensitive’s opponent ignored the newcomer’s simian companion as much as Sensitive does. The match was a fast-paced technical affair, with the fans quite taking to the two fighters. In the end, Sensitive was caught in Speed’s Cross Armbreaker, and had no choice but to submit. Backstage, Dazzling Dave Diamond threw a length of chain at the feet of Lenny Brown, challenging him to a Dog Collar match. Brown, in accordance with his status as All Action champion, had to accept. The resultant match was a wild brawl, with the chain coming in to play as Diamond used it to turn Brown inside out when he tried for a Star Treatment. Brown seemed to struggle with the restraints of the match, but was able to catch Brown with a lucky chain shot to enable him to hit the Star Treatment for the successful defence. Backstage, and GB Wood talked down to Bradford Peverell, who admitted having done some tough things to escape the streets where he grew up. Wood so angered Peverell that he challenged him to a match. The two men tore into one another with wild abandon, Wood trying to bring his superior technical skills to bear, but for once finding himself outmatched by the often underrated Peverell, who unleashed a barrage of hard punches, culminating with a Dream Left Hook to pick up the win. The Mentor then issued a challenge on behalf of his client, Raphael, to “Machine” Jean Cattley. Cattley emerged looking as though he should still have been in the hospital, not fighting, but he appeared to want to exact some vengeance on Ruin’s allies. The match itself was more even than might be expected, given Cattley’s experience advantage, but his injuries slowed him down enough that Raphael was able to capitalise. Even Cattley’s impressive will to win was only enough to keep him on even pegging with Raphael, and as the match grew longer the toll it was exacting on Cattley wore him down enough that he made a critical mistake, charging the turnbuckles too slowly to catch Raphael. Instead, he charged into the corner, leaving him in prime position for a Turnbuckle Exploder, giving Raphael a second big win in under a week. Alicia Strong def. Kristabel Plum – E Marc Speed def. Justin Sensitive – D- Lenny Brown def. Dave Diamond in a Dog Collar Match – E+ Bradford Peverell def. GB Wood – D Raphael def. “Machine” Jean Cattley – D Overall: D[/I] [/QUOTE] * TCW continue to stake their claim to having the strongest roster in the world, as they have poached Zimmy Bumfhole from USPW and CGC. Bumfhole impressed hugely in his last run with us, and I would have loved to bring him again, but it’s likely his new TCW deal will put him financially beyond us. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Aaron Andrews vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Rudy Velasquez Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. Rodriguez & ??? Phoenix vs. Ruin – non-title[/CENTER]

[Guest codey]

Aaron Andrews vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] – non-title [I]I say Swoop puts his money where his mouth is, despite this being non title.[/I] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez [I]Velasquez surprised me by being in the main event, but I think Cattley takes the win. He needs one, having just a match in his feud against the Mentor.[/I] Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. [B]Rodriguez & ???[/B] [I]I'm gonna be honest, this is a toss up for me, as I don't pay much attention to the women. Going with ??? is probably a mistake, but I'm doing it anyway![/I] Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title [I]Ruin's still supposed to be unstoppable, and while I see Phoenix putting up a good fight, he won't get the job done.[/I]

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title [I]Andrews probably wasn't willing to do the job here, so hence the non title stip.[/I] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez [I]Cattley needs to bounce back from a couple of tough losses to continue looking a threat.[/I] Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. [B]Rodriguez & ???[/B] If you had a three sided coin, this would be a three sided coin flip. ??? seems to be the wild-card, so I'll stump for J-Ro and her mystery partner. Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title [I]Unlike the other non title match, I see another win for Ruin, as he continues to look dominant[/I]

[foolinc]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez [B]Strong & Davis[/B] vs. Quine & Snow vs. Rodriguez & ??? Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=Tigerkinney;647615][B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title [I]Andrews probably wasn't willing to do the job here, so hence the non title stip.[/I] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez [I]Cattley needs to bounce back from a couple of tough losses to continue looking a threat.[/I] Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. [B]Rodriguez & ???[/B] If you had a three sided coin, this would be a three sided coin flip. ??? seems to be the wild-card, so I'll stump for J-Ro and her mystery partner. Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title [I]Unlike the other non title match, I see another win for Ruin, as he continues to look dominant[/I][/QUOTE] I'm going to back TK's picks here. And the logic as well. I could see Swoop going over AA if it was a title match, though Swoop is still on a midcarder... And even if the main if non-title, I just see Ruin going over...

[Phantom Stranger]

[B]Aaron Andrews[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. [B]Rodriguez & ???[/B] Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Aaron Andrews vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy [/B]– non-title [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Rudy Velasquez Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. [B]Rodriguez & ???[/B] Phoenix vs. [B]Ruin[/B] – non-title

[Hyde Hill]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;647625]I'm going to back TK's picks here. And the logic as well. I could see Swoop going over AA if it was a title match, though Swoop is still on a midcarder... And even if the main if non-title, I just see Ruin going over...[/QUOTE] Ditto.

[FINisher]

[quote=Hyde Hill;647775]Ditto.[/quote] Seconded aswell.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Just goes to show, TK ain't perfect... Writes a good show, though :D Oh, and incidentally, this diary just recently passed 1,000 pages in Word. Shortly after, the spellcheck gave up the ghost, no matter how many corrections I allowed it to make that 'amended' my writing style to more formal practises. I'm not using a second document containing just 2013 - and it's already closing in on 300 pages. 2013 has been [U]long[/U]...[/I] * [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 26th September 2013[/B][/CENTER] There were just shy of two thousand fans in the Arksansas Coliseum for this show, which is encouraging. Swoop McCarthy came down to the ring with his usual swagger intact, despite losing to Ricky DeColt at the previous show. [COLOR="Teal"]“Once again, Aaron Andrews ignored Swoop’s challenge last week. Until such time as he dares to accept the challenge of your Traditional champion, it seems like he’s running scared. Mark another win up for Swoop – it’s getting to be a big lead, and-“[/COLOR] Aaron’s music began to play, and Swoop stopped talking as the former MAW franchise made his way down to the ring. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“I don’t appreciate being called out,” [/COLOR]Aaron said, as he stood toe to toe with Swoop. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“Challenged, okay. Offered a match, sure. Called out... No. And doing that when I’m not even in the same state, let alone the same building?”[/COLOR] Aaron shook his head. [COLOR="DarkRed"]“I guess that you didn’t know I was here tonight, or you would have taken your little game and gone home. But you’ve issued a challenge, and now I’m accepting it. I hope you’re as good as you say, Swoop – I’d hate what could be my last ever match in MAW to be a let down to the fans...”[/COLOR] * [B]Aaron Andrews vs. Swoop McCarthy[/B] Swoop began the match by trying to laugh off his actions in the last few weeks. Aaron feigned laughter – until he slapped the taste out of Swoop’s mouth. The match was on, as Swoop seemed to realise that his only way out of the match was through Aaron – one way or another. The contest was a spirited brawl, with Swoop discovering to his horror that Andrews had the experience to counter his almost every move. Swoop was able to really late on, but was visibly shaken by the difficulty Aaron was giving him. He tried for a leaping corner splash, but a neat sidestep from Andrews saw him flatten himself in the corner, before he was pinned after a Twisting Face Crusher. Winner: Aaron Andrews (C+) * After the match, Rip entered the ring. [COLOR="Purple"]“Aaron, on behalf of myself, everyone backstage, and every fan who’s ever come to on of our shows... thank you.”[/COLOR] Aaron looked surprised, but pleased. [COLOR="Purple"]“We’re here tonight because of what you, more than anyone else, managed in your two years as champion. We may not always have seen eye-to-eye, but you did a lot for this company, one way or another. If this was your last match with us, then thank you for everything – and if you ever want to come back, then you’ll be welcomed with open arms.”[/COLOR] Aaron and Rip shook hands, and then Rip led the applause as Aaron made his way up the ramp, turning to take one last look at the fans before vanishing backstage. For a moment, Rip stood in the ring, looking a little emotional, but the mood was shattered by the appearance of The Mentor and Ruin, who was carrying the MAW World title by his side in one gloved hand. [COLOR="Olive"]“Boohoo,”[/COLOR] Mentor said. [COLOR="Olive"]“Waaah! The big name is leaving. We’re stuck on our own again. How will we survive without you, Aaron?”[/COLOR] The two men entered the ring, Mentor getting in Rip’s face as Ruin took up position behind MAW’s owner. [COLOR="Olive"]“This is everything that’s wrong with this company, Chord. You built a company that you claimed would be all about the future, about training the best wrestlers in the world. And what happens? The first sniff of Hollywood glamour and you bend over.”[/COLOR] Rip, whose face by now was an alarming shade of purple, raised his mic to speak. [COLOR="Purple"]“That’s what you think is wrong with this company? As far as I’m concerned, what’s wrong with this company is people like you, cheating hard workers out of their big moments.”[/COLOR] The Mentor laughed. [COLOR="Olive"]“You honestly believe it, don’t you?”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Olive"]“You’ve been corrupted that much – or maybe it was all a lie to begin with. That would fit your history, Chord. You’ve never met a promise you didn’t break. When was the last time you went to an AA meeting?”[/COLOR] Rip didn’t respond. [COLOR="Olive"]“That’s what I thought,”[/COLOR] Mentor said, with a laugh. [COLOR="Olive"]“Casey Valentine, Antonio and Raphael have rotted under your so-called guidance. I rescued them. I gave your protégés focus. I taught Raphael one of the most devastating moves in the whole o wrestling.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“And what about him?”[/COLOR] Rip jerked a thumb backwards at Ruin. [COLOR="Purple"]“He’s not some twenty-two year old fresh out of training.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Olive"]“No – but like the rest of my students, he needed guidance. Ruin is a special case, one who has the talent to be the greatest wrestler in the world. For ten years that potential has been squandered, but in a few short weeks I’ve been able to help him realise that potential. More is to come, I assure you.”[/COLOR] Rip scowled. [COLOR="Purple"]“Is there a point to all this?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Olive"]“Oh yes,”[/COLOR] The Mentor replied. [COLOR="Olive"]“Ruin.”[/COLOR] The World champion brought up one thickly-muscled arm and clamped his hand around Rip’s throat. Rip’s eyes opened wide. [COLOR="Purple"]“You wouldn’t dare,”[/COLOR] he said, his voice raspy as he tried to break Ruin’s grip. [COLOR="Olive"]“That all depends,”[/COLOR] The Mentor replied, looking past Rip at the announcers’ table. [COLOR="Olive"]“Mr. Casey, you have had time to think. Aaron Andrews suffered the first time. Your great friend Mr. Chord will suffer next. What is your answer?”[/COLOR] I stood up, looking surprised. [COLOR="Green"]“I don’t know what you mean.”[/COLOR] The Mentor shook his head. [COLOR="Olive"]“It should surely be fresh in your memory, Mr. Casey – it was only a few days ago.”[/COLOR] It was my turn to shake my head. [COLOR="Green"]“Just come out and say it,”[/COLOR] I demanded. [COLOR="Green"]“I don’t know what you want, Mentor.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Olive"]“Very well, then,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Olive"]“But first...”[/COLOR] He turned to Ruin. [COLOR="Olive"]“Do it.”[/COLOR] Ruin hoisted Rip high up in the air, holding him one-handed some eight feet above the mat. His expression not changing, he slammed Chord fluidly into the mat. Rip jerked a couple of times, and then lay still. [COLOR="Olive"]“Again,”[/COLOR] Mentor said, quietly. Ruin picked Rip up, and set him up for a Descent Into Hell. [COLOR="Green"]“Mentor!”[/COLOR] I yelled, stumbling out from behind the announcers’ table. [COLOR="Green"]“What the hell do you want?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Olive"]“Let me tell you a story,”[/COLOR] Mentor said. [COLOR="Olive"]“About what happened a year ago. You see, Rip Chord made a silly mistake – he made a bet against someone who knew more than he did. And when he lost, his good friend James Casey, a man who was able to forgive Rip ending his career, well, James Casey lent him a lot of money.”[/COLOR] Outside the ring, my face fell. [COLOR="Olive"]“And then, just last week, there was more gambling. Only this time, it was James Casey in the know – and he was the winner. He won... not a lot of money. No, this time he won an amount of money that most people won’t see in a lifetime. But James Casey, so selfless, gave it all to his friend here. “Rip Chord is a proud man. He doesn’t like being dependent on others – so he gave Casey something back in return. He gave Casey half his shares in this company. Now do you know what I want, Casey? Just a few weeks ago, you had a handful of shares in MAW. Now, you own as much as the man who... oh, before I forget, Ruin, proceed.”[/COLOR] In one fluid motion, Ruin picked up Rip and smashed him down into the mat with a Descent Into Hell. The impact was sickening, and Rip was left lying on the mat, folded in two as Ruin and Mentor turned their back dismissively on him. [COLOR="Olive"]“Give me those shares, Casey, and no-one else need suffer.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“You sick freak, he’s an old man!”[/COLOR] I snarled. [COLOR="Olive"]“And yet I did this anyway,”[/COLOR] Mentor replied. [COLOR="Olive"]“Just imagine how far I would go to make you give away those shares. Imagine what I would do to make Rip Chord pay for his sins.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Who are you?”[/COLOR] I demanded. [COLOR="Olive"]“I would say that was unimportant... but who I am is someone who has a great deal of unfinished business with Rip Chord. Like you, my life and my career were blighted by him. Unlike you, I am not so willing to forgive him.”[/COLOR] I waited as the audience all seemed to reach the same conclusion at once. [COLOR="Green"]“...Jay?”[/COLOR] The Mentor laughed. [COLOR="Olive"]“The second generation superstar? No – hardly. The kid is off living his dreams, and everyone else’s nightmares. Rip must be proud of what he is becoming.”[/COLOR] I scowled. [COLOR="Green"]“I’m not giving you my shares, Mentor,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="Green"]“Not now. I don’t give in to bullies.”[/COLOR] Mentor chuckled. [COLOR="Olive"]“So be it. Next time I will convince you, James. Next time, you will say yes. And to show you that I am serious...”[/COLOR] With a wave of Mentor’s hand, Ruin picked up Rip once more and threw him across the ring, making him crash back-first into the turnbuckles, before he flopped flat onto the mat. I slid into the ring, putting myself between Rip and his attackers, but they had already turned their backs on us both as they walked away, passing the medics on their way down the ramp to tend to my beaten friend. * After the commercial break, Rock and myself were still visibly shaken by events in the last few minutes, and our discussion of the upcoming triangle match was somewhat stilted – not least because Rip wasn’t there to cover things up. Fortunately, Joanne Rodriguez came to the ring and took the microphone. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know you all saw what happened on Saturday night,”[/COLOR] she said, looking angry. [COLOR="Blue"]“You could hardly have missed it. So here’s the thing: I was on the verge of defeating Alicia Strong when she cheated – she held my tights to get the win! “I won’t assume that you’re shocked, or offended by this. You’re all sheep, and no doubt you think that whatever precious Alicia does is just fine. Maybe you even think I deserve it. I don’t care. What I do know is that I need back-up around here to keep people in line. And to make sure that’s the case, I’ve brought back an old friend who’s going to be working with me for the foreseeable future.”[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LaurenEaster.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Lauren Easter emerged from the back to a mild reaction from the fans, some of whom clearly remembered her alliance with Rodriguez earlier in the year. * [B]Strong & Davis vs. Quine & Snow vs. Rodriguez & Easter[/B] Given the tension between Snow and Rodriguez, and Rodriguez and Strong, and Quine and Rodriguez, and Easter and everyone who’s not Rodriguez... This was never going to be an easy match to control. The referee was forced almost by default to allow the match to be contested under tornado rules, with all six women wailing one another – including a funny spot that Reese had suggested where Quine and Snow, hardly great friends, locked up for several seconds before remembering that they were on the same side. In the midst of the chaos, there were a number of mini stories being played out. Davis seemed to take particular pleasure in going after Snow, for reasons we were at a loss to explain on commentary. Jaime Quine was stalking Strong, and we wondered whether she was out to make a name for herself. But Rodriguez was after Strong as well, and when Quine stuck with a high roundhouse kick after Strong turned her back, Rodriguez actually made the save – before grabbing Strong for a reverse DDT. Quine bailed and grabbed a chair, but in the confusion was hesitant to enter the ring. Spying her, Easter also grabbed a chair before sliding back into the ring at the same time. The two made a beeline for one another, the chairs slamming into one another as they duelled. As the other four women continued to brawl, the referee threw up his hands, signalling for the bell as the match was thrown out. Winner: No-one (C-) * Rudy Velasquez hit the ring. [COLOR="Blue"]“Seems like The Man is intent on making my family suffer,”[/COLOR] he growled. [COLOR="Blue"]“I beat that clown Primus – and what’s my reward? A short paycheck, and no more matches for weeks. Either book me, or lose me – there’s a lot of places that’d take on a guy like me, who knows how to fight, and will beat on anyone so long as there’s a pay check in it, you get me?”[/COLOR] Jean Cattley emerged from the back, bags around his eyes, and a mean look on his face. [COLOR="Navy"]“All you care about is your paycheck?”[/COLOR] he demanded. [COLOR="Navy"]“One of the sport’s legends gets carried out of here on a stretcher, while the mob is at the gates... And all you care about is your paycheck? That’s fine, Velasquez. I needed someone to take my frustrations out on, anyway...”[/COLOR] * [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Rudy Velasquez[/B] In short, these two just don’t have any chemistry in the ring. We played off the awkward clash of styles by hyping up Jean’s worn-down status, having lost to Ruin and Raphael in recent matches – and this match made a trifecta as the exhausted former champion was caught with a Street Cutter to give Velasquez something to brag about. Winner: Rudy Velasquez (D) * Phoenix was shown backstage. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“I think that it’s fair to say that I have my problems with Ruin and his group. I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason for the attack on Mr. Chord was to prevent matches like tonight’s one being booked in future. After all, it’s what I would have done, not so long ago. “If that is the case, then I intend to ensure that tonight is as difficult for Ruin as any match he’s faced since arriving here in MAW. I might not be able to take your title, but I’ve seen how much pain Jean Cattley is in, and you may be good at hiding it, but I don’t think you’re in much better condition somehow...”[/COLOR] * [B]Phoenix vs. Ruin[/B] This wasn’t a bad match. It’s just that, once again, the two were hampered by a lack of chemistry. Ruin threw Phoenix around the ring with comparative ease, while Phoenix came back with lightning-quick strikes and aerial assaults. But it all looked... stilted. Better that this was a TV main event then the cap on a big event. We wanted to show Phoenix off as someone capable of going up against Ruin, and this seemed to work, but it’s not a match we’ll repeat in this prominent a setting. The two were toe-to-toe for fifteen minutes, with Phoenix staggering Ruin again and again, but unable to put him down. In contract, Ruin did put Phoenix down – several times. But he wasn’t able to hit the moves to put him down for long enough to score the win, and in the end the time limit was reached. Winner: No-one (C-) [B]Overall: D+[/B] ([I]Should have guessed that Aaron/Swoop would be hotter than the other matches – but for both the last two matches to be between workers lacking chemistry? Ouch.)[/I] [I]Next: What about me, James?[/I]

[foolinc]

Booking wise that wasn't your best show, but it was still a good read. :D And if you have it, I highly recommend Microsoft OneNote for diaries. Works perfectly.

[Bigpapa42]

Well, the match ratings might be meh, but the show was pretty sweet in terms of writing and storyline. Loved the Rip/Ruin/Metor/JC segment. That segment left me wanting more as a reader, which is not easy to do and really the whole goal. So kudos on that one.

[1PWfan]

I've got to ask this, even though I like your dynasty a whole lot: what the hell is Ruin doing with a job? Unless things have changed a lot, he sucks. And he's a sports entertainment kind of guy, which isn't the same thing as MAW at all. Fair enough with the whole Mentor thing- I'm not a huge fan of the whole mystery heel thing (I find it kind of old hat, tbh), but as a story it's mostly working pretty well and it gives Antonio and Casey something to do- but Ruin's completely the wrong guy to be using in that spot, surely?

[Mattlore Devious]

Bah, two matches without winners - how unsatisfying! :p

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;648393]Loved the Rip/Ruin/Metor/JC segment. That segment left me wanting more as a reader, which is not easy to do and really the whole goal. So kudos on that one.[/QUOTE] [I]Thanks! More to come in that storyline...[/I] [QUOTE=1PWfan;648423]I've got to ask this, even though I like your dynasty a whole lot: what the hell is Ruin doing with a job?[/QUOTE] [I]Overness, basically. Menace, too. He's not great in the ring, but he's on a par with Westybrook as my most over worker. MAW isn't quite SWF or USPW, but equally a lunk like Texas who's been on TV regularly for the last several years is a big star by MAW standards. He serves a purpose although, I'll admit, if I'd had the chance again I might have reversed him and Westybrook in their roles...[/I] [QUOTE=Mattlore Devious;648471]Bah, two matches without winners - how unsatisfying! :p[/QUOTE] [I]Refunds are available on production of a ticket stub at the Biker Museum... :p[/I]

[James Casey]

I was told that Nationwide pulled a 0.02 rating on National Pride. That was good news – we were holding steady after some variable quality shows. I walked into my office and flipped the switch for the lights, nearly dropping my files in surprise at finding half-a-dozen wrestlers perched on the various bits of furniture. [COLOR="green"]“If this is a surprise birthday party, you’re about five months early,”[/COLOR] I said, carefully. Brandon Smith shook his head. [COLOR="Blue"]“No, it’s not that,”[/COLOR] he replied, with a sheepish smile. [COLOR="green"]“What’s the problem?”[/COLOR] I asked, looking from Thea Davis, to Brooke Tyler, to Quentin Queen, and on to the others in the room. [COLOR="blue"]“James, we’re here because we’re concerned about our recent lack of appearances on the shows,”[/COLOR] Paul Huntingdon, AKA Lord Geoffrey Windameer replied. [COLOR="blue"]“With the whole Windameer’s Wonders segment, I thought that I was going somewhere. Then you introduced this Mentor character, and every promo on every show seems to involve him in some way.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“We understand that new characters need time to set up,”[/COLOR] Thea said. [COLOR="blue"]“But we don’t want to be overlooked entirely. He’s even showing up on the Tour shows, which can’t be cheap.”[/COLOR] I paused, aware that my next words had to be carefully chosen. [COLOR="green"]“And you all feel like this?”[/COLOR] I asked, looking around. Most nodded, but one of the invaders seemed reluctant to go with the crowd. [COLOR="green"]“Quentin?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“I’ve been losing a lot of matches, James,”[/COLOR] Quentin Queen said, with a sigh. [COLOR="blue"]“I know that comes of being paired with Josh, and I know that I’m young, and I guess I have to put in my time, but...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“But?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“You know this business is weird. If I’m not getting the odd win, my value goes down. We’re online, and people can see me getting my ass handed to me in California, or Florida, or Tokyo, or London... What value do I have as someone who gets punked out all the time?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“You’ve got more value as someone who knows that when they’re young, they lose matches,”[/COLOR] I said, slightly more acerbically then I had intended. [COLOR="green"]“I was wrestling for more than a year before I got my first win here in the States, Quentin. Right now, the Barrels aren’t going after the tag belts. You’ll pick up some wins, but mainly you’re there to put other teams over. You’re not losing to people below you in the card-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“We’re not beating [I]anyone[/I], though,”[/COLOR] he cut in. I looked at him, not saying anything, and his shoulders slumped. [COLOR="blue"]“Sorry. But it’s frustrating.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“I understand. I’m aware that the situation isn’t ideal, I can assure you. I have no intention of preventing any of you from working... but with only sixty minutes of TV, and ninety minutes On Tour, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to manage. However,” [/COLOR]I said, holding up a finger to stop them speaking for a moment longer. [COLOR="green"]“I’m open to any ideas you may have – short of booking six or eight person matches on every show. They add nothing apart from getting you paid, and I’m running a business, not a charity. Besides,” [/COLOR]I said, letting my gaze fall on the sixth member of the group, who so far had said nothing – not unusually. [COLOR="green"]“Some of you are in my immediate plans.”[/COLOR] He nodded. [COLOR="green"]“As for the rest of you... Paul aside, you’re mostly On Tour talent. I have considered going out to two hours on those shows, but bear in mind that would mean people having to step up their game. I’m not sacrificing show quality so that more of you get paid. If anything, now we’re back online, I need to improve show quality – that way we’re not harming our popularity in our key areas.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“So, will you be putting more of the big names On Tour?”[/COLOR] Thea asked. I shrugged. [COLOR="green"]“Not the very big names, not someone like Tim or Suzanne... But Heroe, or Nadia, or Eddie could work the odd Tour show. And Jean earns less than some of you, so expect to see him around a lot.”[/COLOR] The group looked at one another. [COLOR="green"]“I certainly won’t be advocating putting the big names out there when we’re not pulling the crowds to pay for them... But the odd bigger name to go in the main event will help to get the crowd to leave happy.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Perhaps some of us could get the chance to work with the bigger names?”[/COLOR] Brooke asked. I nodded. [COLOR="green"]“Absolutely. In fact, over the next couple of weeks we’ll be ironing out the details – and then you can expect to see them appearing in the locker rooms around the country, the same as the rest of you.”[/COLOR] They filed out, not entirely happy, but not exactly fuming either. I waited a couple of minutes, then called Reese into the office. [COLOR="green"]“Find out who we can afford to put out On Tour from the TV crew,”[/COLOR] I said. “[COLOR="green"]It looks like we’re going to two hours, and we need a star name or two to bring up the ratings.”[/COLOR] She looked surprised. [COLOR="Magenta"]“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="Green"]“Yeah, me too...”[/COLOR] [I]Next: More on money and our expansion plans, bad news for the Stones, and On Tour with Reese and DDD...[/I]

[James Casey]

We lost $16,000 in September. Cancelling the Moment Of Madness shows will save us a lot of money. Enough that we might just about make into the black this month. Almost all of the money lost can be put down to increased show costs from moving to the Arkansas Arena. While we make more money from it, it’s a relatively close run thing – an extra 20k in ticket sales, vs. 14k in rental costs for the two shows we’ve run there. If we can work up to a full house, it should work out at around an extra 5k profit a show, or thereabouts. That would be worth having, no question... Reese, Rip and I have been looking at a lot of ways of saving money in recent weeks. Favourite is renegotiating our TV deal when it comes up for renewal in four weeks. I’ve been tasked with that, as Rip has little time for men in suits – and especially women in suits. He wasn’t impressed when the last negotiation session was helmed by a female college graduate who used long words in place of saying anything of substance. All credit to Rip, though – some of the words he used may have enriched her vocabulary, although I’m not sure where she’d ever use them. I can’t see them coming up at a family reunion, for example. * Something that bugged me about television was how few stations extended their reach to Hawaii. We were considering running quarterly shows on the islands to try and build our popularity there, but in order to have any kind of decent crowd reaction, they were likely to be pricey... * It’s bad news for Johnny Bloodstone, as he has been taken out of action for the next twelve months with a Shattered Knee. Unsurprisingly, he lost his match to Bruce The Giant – his first defeat in almost four months. Bloodstone will now have to give up the NOTBPW Canadian title – a double blow, considering that after 51 matches in the last nine months, he was averaging an A in matches, with a high of A*, and had to be in line for a Wrestler of the Year award. * [QUOTE] [CENTER][I]MAW.com Show Report – On Tour in Great Lakes Thursday, 4th October 2013[/CENTER] Hello fans, I’m Reese Paige, and welcome to the On Tour report. In Rip’s absence, I’ll be filing reports here on MAW.com, and don’t forget if you’re not in the area, you can catch the live stream here as well. Tonight’s show kicked off with one of The Mentor’s students, Casey Valentine, going up against a one-time tag opponent, Kashmir Singh. The two fought one another almost to a standstill, as they are very evenly matched. Casey always seems to come up with something new when he gets in the ring, and that gave him the early edge – but Singh showed that under all the flash, there’s a lot of solidity. He fought back, taking advantage of Casey’s negligence in not putting him away when he had the chance, and scored with a Cal-Cutter for the win. Dazzling Dave Diamond, who has progressed from our Moment Of Madness shows to the On Tour roster after some impressive performances, got his first chance to really speak his mind before this Great Lakes crowd. [COLOR="Blue"]“You see three Ds, you know it’s me,”[/COLOR] he proclaimed. [COLOR="Blue"]“When I was at school, I got Ds for attendance, behaviour, and paying attention – but I was straight As when it mattered. That was when I was in the schoolyard, fighting – and when I was in the bars with a fake ID, picking up college cheerleaders... Good times, good times. Now I’m here in MAW, where you can see Triple D going to the top of the class for the first time in my life.”[/COLOR] Marc Speed was Diamond’s opponent in this match and Diamond made a decent fist of going up against the implacable technician. Diamond used barroom brawling to take the fight to Speed, but couldn’t keep Speed down, and eventually was caught in the Cross Armbreaker in the centre of the ring. Speed took a big step forward in his pursuit of the All Action title with this win – how long until he challenges Lenny Brown to a submission match? Jenny and her clients, Team Honor, then came down to the ring. They pointed out that they had been absent from last month’s title match, and wanted to stake their claim to a shot. With three weeks until Where It All Begins Again, they stated that they would face all three teams that the Blondes faced, and if they could win two out of the three... well, that had to be worth a title shot, right? First up in the impromptu challenge was Two Smoking Barrels, whose manager, Ernest Forthdyke-Hume seemed distracted by Jenny throughout. This seemed to catch the youngsters short and, without their manager’s advice, they were taken down fairly quickly by Team Honor, who went 1-0 in their challenge. We then headed backstage, where a man in a flashy suit was taking the Wilkes Brothers for all their money in a game of three card monte. The Brothers were on the verge of handing over their rent cash when GB Wood stepped in and dashed the cards to the ground. [COLOR="Blue"]“Don’t be fools,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Any more then you already are, anyway. This man is conning you.” “Well now, stranger, that’s not friendly, heh? Seems like ol’ Nate’s found himself a killjoy.”[/COLOR] The stranger looked up, twinkling eyes beneath a wide-brimmed fedora. [COLOR="Blue"]“Folks call me Nathaniel Casino, although for some reason the cops, they never seem to accept it as a real name. C’est la vie, no? What can I do for you, homme?” “Quit peddling this crap around me,”[/COLOR] Wood snarled. [COLOR="Blue"]“Some of us don’t go in for this fantasy that you can strike it rich. You either work hard, or you get nowhere.” “Oh, there’s ways of making it easy, if you know how... As for giving up my little games, well, I’m only here for a few days in the run up to the [B]King of the Indies[/B] match... So I’ll tell you what, homme, if you can beat me tonight, then I’ll keep my cards to myself – or, at least, where you can’t see them, n’est ce pas?”[/COLOR] Wood scowled. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m in the [B]King of the Indies[/B] as well – so I’ll welcome the chance to shut you up before then, and show everyone that there is no easy way.”[/COLOR] Out in the ring, Casino showed off some impressive skills in his MAW debut. The hard-hitting Wood had to work double time to keep up with the flashy Southerner, but it seems that clean living can pay off, as he was eventually able to catch Casino in the Stretch Plum for the win. Next, Brooke Tyler called out Jaime Quine. Tyler claimed that Quine was an embarrassment, that cheating your way to a win was worth nothing – and cheating your way to a loss was worth even less, if that was even possible. Quine demanded Tyler in the ring – which was clearly what Tyler was after anyway, but Quine does like to talk big. Once the match started, Quine was cagey in her approach to tying up with Tyler, at one point bailing from the ring and claiming that her boot was untied to get a few seconds respite. When she returned to the ring, she was a lot more aggressive, going for big kicks in an attempt to take Tyler down – but Tyler had her opponent scouted, and when Quine over-reached, Tyler was able to take her down with the Brooke Breaker to score what has to be considered something of an upset victory. Jean Cattley came down to the ring. He proclaimed himself ready to end his recent run of poor form, and that he wanted to take on one of The Mentor’s followers. Antonio quickly emerged, and pointed out that he and Jean were old-school MAW – going back to day one. Except Jean got all the breaks, while Antonio kept toiling away at the cliff face. Now it was Antonio’s time to shine – and Jean wouldn’t be the one to take it away from him. Antonio may one day be as good a wrestler as Jean Cattley. For some time in this match, he was able to keep up with the former World champion. However, as the match went on, Cattley was able to step things up a bit – even going to the air, in a rarity for the former champ. In the end, he was able to score with a Mood Swing to pick up the win. Kashmir Singh def. Casey Valentine – D- Marc Speed def. Dazzling Dave Diamond – D- Team Honor def. Two Smoking Barrels – E+ GB Wood def. Nathaniel Casino – D Brooke Tyler def. Jaime Quine – E+ Jean Cattley def. Antonio – D Overall: D[/I] [/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Suzanne Brazzle vs. Lauren Easter “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. Swoop McCarthy Plus: The Mentor and Raphael are laying out an open challenge, and there will be tag team action previewing the upcoming King Of The Indies match![/CENTER]

[foolinc]

[B]Suzanne Brazzle [/B]vs. Lauren Easter “Machine” Jean Cattley vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B]

[Phantom Stranger]

Suzanne Brazzle vs. [B]Lauren Easter[/B] [B]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy [B]The Mentor and Raphael [/B]are laying out an open challenge, and there will be tag team action previewing the upcoming [B]King Of[/B] The Indies match! ;)