MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: I enjoyed writing War Games (even if having ten men in the ring is a continuity nightmare) - and Jean's surrender will be picked up on. Rest assured he won't be in the best of moods come Friday night...[/I] * Two shows into a three show deal, and it became clear that MAW was, for Jay at least, a place to let off some steam. Jay took issue with KC Glenn’s performance during the War Games match which lead to a confrontation, and then a fight. Jay has no friends backstage – even Rip wasn’t going to back him up on this one. With something like thirty men and women arrayed behind Glenn, and having already taken a fairly hard kicking from Joey Minnesota’s protégé, Jay was hardly in a mood to talk when I cornered him, blowing past me without even meeting my eye. Have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to the day Rip retires, and I have to work with Jay every day? * I couldn’t remember a time when we’d ever had a conference call before. As it was, the office phone system had taken some convincing, and in the end we had Victoria Stone-McFly on Rip’s phone, Peter Michaels on mine on a very long extension lead, and Davis Wayne Newton on my mobile. Rip, Reese and I were in Rip’s office. Unfortunately, Rip’s phone didn’t have a speaker function so Reese had to relay the conversation back and forth. It was all most unsatisfactory. Someone had leaked NOTBPW’s accounts to one of the online dirtsheets a few days before End Of Days. It was now known that the company had cash reserves in excess of US$19 million, but also that the figure would have been substantially higher but for the perks awarded to various high-up workers in the company – effectively the Stones and their friends. Private jets, 5* hotel rooms, limousines, restaurants... Oddly enough, this sort of preferential treatment had largely gone unnoticed for the Stones’ employees, in what I can only attribute to a prolonged case of mass Hysterical Blindness. Workers like Sayeed Ali and Eddie Chandler were believed to be on the verge of revolting having been signed up on the promise of equal opportunities for all. NOTBPW had somehow attracted an almost communist reputation for being a workers’ paradise over the last decade or two. Apparently some workers were more equal than others. Backstage was rumoured to be an unpleasant place at the moment, and to no-one’s surprise there was a lack of cohesion in passing messages from place to place. In this instance, Davis had been told first that he had to be at TV on Monday night, and then had been told that he was on loan to us for our next show... which he’d taken to mean End Of Days, but which in fact the Stones etc. had intended to be Nationwide. All in all, someone had screwed up. Peter Michaels, who’d had to rebook on the fly after the planned Steve DeColt/Newton match fell through, was rumoured to be furious about the substandard match Eddie Chandler had put on with DeColt in its place. I wasn’t quite sure why Reese, Rip and myself were being let in on the call, but somehow we were – possibly so that we could be treated to the sound of Peter Michaels swinging his influence around. [COLOR="Blue"]“Davis, this is just unacceptable,”[/COLOR] Peter ranted. [COLOR="Blue"]“Have you seen the ratings that the show received? People were switching off halfway through the Chandler match.”[/COLOR] I grimaced. Eddie Chandler, it seemed, was taking the blame for the match. [COLOR="Blue"]“You should have been there. Why would you even think that MAW takes precedence over us?”[/COLOR] Rip and I exchanged a Look. Apparently this was why Peter wanted us on the line. [COLOR="Blue"]“Davis, you’re a talented kid, but actions like this, particularly in light of the current climate... you’re not leaving me with a great deal of choice, do you understand?”[/COLOR] I did. I wasn’t sure if Davis did, though. [COLOR="Blue"]“Mr. Michaels, I-“[/COLOR] There was a blast of static – apparently this was Victoria’s contribution to the discussion, although given our rickety setup, we weren’t privy to exactly what she said. Whatever it was, she didn’t say much of it as Michaels angrily came back: [COLOR="Blue"]“No, Ms. Stone. You gave me complete control over this company’s hirings and firings when I came in, and that’s a power I fully intend to use in this instance.” “Mr. Michaels, please! I’ve just signed a new contract with you. I’m happy in Canada. I’ll make this up to you. I-“ “Davis, I’m sorry. I cannot have anyone flouting this company’s rules. Effectively immediately-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Michaels, wait,”[/COLOR] Rip cut in. “You can’t fire the kid. He’s a great talent, and a good person. If you do this, you’re just kicking yourself in the balls to spite your face.” I looked at Rip. For once, the mixed metaphor seemed absolutely genuine. [COLOR="Purple"]“Newton can be the future of your company. Hell, I’m surprised that he’s still a midcarder. I would have thought that he’d be main eventing by now.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Chord, your own son is a rampant egomaniac because he got a main event push from you out of the blocks. If you think that I’m going to listen to you on how to handle talent, then forget it.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Fine, forget that. But the kid’s, what, twenty-three? He made a mistake. He’s not the first, he won’t be the last. It was a genuine error, with no malice intended. It’s not like he’s some rebel ringleader in your own locker room, is it? What harm is there in keeping the kid on? Fine him, or suspend him even – but don’t cut him.”[/COLOR] There was silence. I counted one... two... three... [COLOR="Blue"]“Davis, you’re fired.”[/COLOR] I shut my eyes. Across the room, I heard Reese let out a long breath. There was a click from the phone as Michaels hung up. Victoria’s voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Davis, I’m sorry. We did give Peter full power over hirings and firings when he was made head booker. I don’t have the authority to bring you back... but I’ll keep working at him. In a few months you can come back, I’m sure. “Davis?”[/COLOR] We all looked at each other. We knew that we had to do something. [COLOR="Purple"]“Davis,”[/COLOR] Rip said, gently. [COLOR="Purple"]“Turn the car around, kid. You can come back here and work as long as you like. It’s not your fault, kid, and you won’t get any comeback on it, do you understand? We’ll let everyone know that this wasn’t your fault, and by the end of the week there’ll probably be a dozen companies chasing after you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“I...”[/COLOR] Davis’ voice was weak. The kid sounded lost. [COLOR="Blue"]“I need to think. I’ll... I’ll give you a call, okay?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Sure. Just let us know if we can help in any way,”[/COLOR] I said. There was a click, and Davis was gone. [COLOR="Green"]“Victoria?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="Magenta"]“I’m still here.”[/COLOR] Her voice was tinny, but recognisable. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Before you say anything, Peter’s done very well as booker. We’ve put our trust in him, and that’s absolute trust. We can’t sack him because he sacked Davis.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I wasn’t going to suggest that,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“It’s not my place to meddle in other companies.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Sure. Just ask Jerry Eisen.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“That was different. If Peter was here now, I’d do the same thing. That’s one to one – not trying to mess with a Global company from the outside.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“It’s a fine line,”[/COLOR] Victoria said. [COLOR="Magenta"]“How other companies operate isn’t up to you, James. I know people say you’ve got strong morals – especially for someone who’s been around this business as long as you have, but...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Yes?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Look, just take care of Davis, okay? I can trust you to do that, at least.”[/COLOR] She hung up, and I looked at Rip and Reese in bewilderment. [COLOR="Green"]“What was that about?”[/COLOR] Reese avoided my gaze. Rip grinned. [COLOR="Purple"]“It’s... complicated,”[/COLOR] he said, his smile widening. [COLOR="Green"]“Go on.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Have you noticed how well Supreme have been doing lately?”[/COLOR] I nodded. They’d been on a roll of late, putting on some great shows. Even with the imminent departure of Liberty, they looked set for another rise to Global status. [COLOR="Green"]“So?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Well, that’s all since you had that word with Jerry Eisen,”[/COLOR] Rip said. [COLOR="Purple"]“Now, someone looking in from the outside might think that you were somehow responsible for Supreme’s improvement – which, of course, is bad for NOTBPW as their closest competitor.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“That’s what’s upset Victoria?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Victoria and Michaels, by all accounts.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“And so they got back at us by... loaning us one of their hottest prospects and then firing him so he can come and work for us?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Michaels was always a hothead,”[/COLOR] Rip said, settling back in his chair with the air of an avuncular grandfather about to spin a tale for his descendants. [COLOR="Purple"]“That’s why he was in and out of the booking position at Supreme – he kept arguing with Richard instead of knuckling down and getting the show back on the road when it hopped the tracks. He’s got a great mind for the business, most of the time, but he has a tendency to get carried away with himself and try and come up with too-clever storylines that just don’t work. Wrestling fans can cope with complicated storylines, sure, but not every minute of every show. We’re an escapist pursuit at the end of the day. We want to offer sensible, coherent and consistent storylines – not [I]Lost[/I].”[/COLOR] I raised an eyebrow. Granted, it was six or seven years since Lost had been prime-time viewing, but for Rip to have heard of it at all was worth noting. [COLOR="Purple"]“Anyway, Michaels has come up with some great stuff, no question, but the very best of it was developed with help from Richard monitoring and pruning the more out there aspects. Of course, Peter has always been quick to take credit when he’s been interviewed, and it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it – it’s just not the whole story.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“So, he goes to NOTBPW, and because of his excellent reputation he’s got the works – full creative control, oversight of hirings and firings, everything.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“So do I.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Yeah, but we were backyard compared to NOTBPW, kid. You wouldn’t get that now if you went there. “Anyway, Michaels is putting on good shows for NOTBPW – but he’s not made the breakthrough they were hoping for. Meanwhile, Farrah Hesketh and Richard and Jerry Eisen are in control at Supreme, and the shows they’ve been putting on have put them ahead of the Stones.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“And they think it’s because of me?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“You got involved, therefore you’re at fault. We know that the Stones aren’t the most sociable of families. Nice, don’t get me wrong, but they’re so close knit that it’s hard to tell where Jeremy ends and Dan begins. Only Edd’s really made the break. They won’t accept that the fault lies at home, because they’ve built their utopia, and nothing can possibly be wrong.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Wow.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Like I said, they’re nice people, no stranger than most people in this business and a lot more normal than some... But they have their quirks, and that’s one of them. It’s nothing to worry about, kid. Just remember if you ever get a shot up there, or else you might wake up with a horse’s head in your bed one morning.”[/COLOR] Rip grinned, and I shook my head. I’d always thought of the Stones as being good folks, and I suppose that it wasn’t exactly a black or white issue. Rip hadn’t suddenly flipped a switch and now they were evil or anything. Still, it was another example of why, if possible, I preferred to avoid politics in this business. * [QUOTE] [I][CENTER]MAW.com Show Report – On Tour in Great Lakes Thursday 25th December 2013[/CENTER] We’d like to take this opportunity to wish a very merry Christmas to all our MAW fans around the world. This is Reese Paige bring you a festive On Tour report from the Asylum – although one lacking in goodwill to all men, as we shall see. Jefferson Stardust was in typically ostentatious form ahead of the opening contest, attempting to convince ringsiders that they should buy his latest album. Bradford Peverell seemed to consider this to be harassment, and the resultant match saw the rangy biker peppering the eccentric rocker with a blistering series of blows before putting him down with a Dream Left Hook. Four tag teams took to the ring next – Team Honor, the Blondes, the Lawmakers and Two Smoking Barrels. It was wild action from bell to bell, brought to an end when Lassana Makutsi caught Sherrif Blaze with a Lassana Stunner for the win. GB Wood proclaimed to all and sundry that his clean living, hard working lifestyle made him the superior of anyone else in the company – and he was willing to prove it to anyone who walked down the aisle there and then. The first to emerge was newcomer Greg Rayne, who respectfully challenged Wood to prove himself – and to allow Rayne to assess the calibre of competition in MAW. The two had a close-fought battle that could have gone either way. Rayne is a strong, technically sound competitor, and had Wood in trouble on several occasions. In the end, however, he found himself trapped in a Anaconda Vice and was forced to submit. Still, Rayne has nothing to be ashamed of, as he made a good showing of himself in defeat. Phil Jerome is the antithesis of Greg Rayne. No respecter of his elders, in recent months he’s got in the faces of a number of veterans in an effort to make a name for himself. This time, Kashmir Singh was his target of choice. The Indian party animal seemed genuinely upset at the suggestion that he cared more about having a good time than winning – the best times, he claimed, came after he’d won. He showed his determination to have a great time by putting Jerome down with a Cal-Cutter, leaving the youngster to rue his tactics – although somehow I don’t think he’ll have learnt his lesson just yet. Brandon Smith next challenged Swoop McCarthy. Smith claimed that he had his eye on the Traditional title, and McCarthy was standing in his way. McCarthy responded by saying that Smith had his chance at End Of Days, but blew it – why should Swoop give him another chance? Smith had to earn it instead – by beating Swoop in a non-title match. The two had a thunderous contest, delivering blows to one another that would have shattered bones in a weaker man. When Smith was still fighting after ten minutes, Swoop seemed to realise that he’d bitten off more than he could chew – and reverted to stalling tactics to see out the remaining minutes until the bell went for the draw. Finally, the Asylum crowd was next treated to the return to action of Eddie Powell, absent for several weeks after an attack by The Cult Of Chord. He tackled Marc Speed in a fast-moving contest highlighted by a match winning Motion Censor for the returning Firm member. Fans, this has been fun. Enjoy the new year, and we’ll be back next week with more On Tour action. Bradford Peverell def. Jefferson Stardust – D- Team Honor def. The Canadian Blondes, The West Texas Lawmakers and Two Smoking Barrels – D- GB Wood def. Greg Rayne – D- Kashmir Singh def. Phil Jerome – D- Brandon Smith and Swoop McCarthy fought to a time-limit draw – C- Eddie Powell def. Marc Speed – D+ Overall: D[/I] [/QUOTE] * [CENTER]MAW Rip Chord Invitational 2014 Official Brackets [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RCIQuals.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Kristabel Plum vs. Joanne Rodriguez RCI: Remmy Skye vs. Swoop McCarthy Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell vs. The Second Sons – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. Sean Deeley[/CENTER] [I]OOC: Let me know if that picture is too small - I can easily enlarge it, but I don't know how big people's monitors are, so I went for relatively small...[/I]

[smurphy1014]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] RCI: [B]Remmy Skye[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell vs. [B]The Second Sons[/B] – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B]

[Bigpapa42]

Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] RCI: Remmy Skye vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell vs. [B]The Second Sons[/B] – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B]

[Phantom Stranger]

I do hope Jay Reso's gonna predict again?

[D-Lyrium]

The image is fine. Although I don't get how Remmy is seeded 6th and Deeley 1st, after Skye just beat Deeley last show... Also, who's GB Wood, I forgot?

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Kristabel Plum[/B] vs. Joanne Rodriguez [I]My track record is terrible on these womens matches. I'll got J-Ro but in doing so it'll probably be a Plum victory[/I] RCI: [B]Remmy Skye[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy [I]Skye just got a mildly surprising win over Deeley, so I don't see him losing to Swoop. The Traditional champ isn't quite ready to break out of the mid-card just yet. [/I] [B]Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell[/B] vs. The Second Sons – non-title [I]Second Sons are the champs, Ota and Powell could provide a useful challenge be it a one off or a full programme, so they grab the non title win here.[/I] El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B] [I]Deeley needs to justify his #1 seeding in the RCI. A win here against Heroe would go a long way to doing that.[/I]

[Hyde Hill]

Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] RCI: Remmy Skye vs. [B][B]Swoop McCarthy[/B][/B] [B]Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell[/B] vs. The Second Sons – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B] I don't think the numbers are actual seedings ala tennis D. More just to keep track of em he could have went with ABC etc.

[James Casey]

They are seeds. It's a combination of form, talent, WDL record, the booking team's preferences :p... Deeley is seeded #1 at least in part because he's the reigning champ, but also because of his overness and all-round ability. Skye gets a high seed because of popularity and talent, but lower than he might because of his record in MAW. GB Wood is CH Threepwood, aka Jason O'Conner. He's another of Acid's proteges, and someone who's under serious consideration for moving up the ranks given how well he's done against our bigger names On Tour.

[Mattlore Devious]

MAW Nationwide Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] RCI: [B]Remmy Skye[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy [I]Bah, Swoop should be #1 seed :p[/I] [B]Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell[/B] vs. The Second Sons – non-title [I]Non-title[/I] El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B] [I]He needs his momentum back..[/I]

[jesseewiak]

MAW Nationwide Kristabel Plum vs. [b]Joanne Rodriguez[/b] RCI: [b]Remmy Skye[/b] vs. Swoop McCarthy [b]Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell[/b] vs. The Second Sons – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. [b]Sean Deeley[/b]

[AzzMartin]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Kristabel Plum vs. [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] RCI: Remmy Skye vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] [B]Fumihiro Ota and Eddie Powell[/B] vs. The Second Sons – non-title El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Sean Deeley[/B]

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 26th December 2013[/CENTER] Kristabel Plum vs. Joanne Rodriguez[/B] Joanne Rodriguez continued her self-appointed quest to prove herself the equal or superior of every woman presently competing in MAW as she took on crowd favourite Kristabel Plum in this match. She was able to control Plum with relative ease, and dispatched her with a J-Rocker inside eight minutes. Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (C-) * [I]Ace of Spades[/I] hit the PA, and Rip led The Cult Of Chord down the aisle to a torrent of boos. Ruin, as always, had the World title dangling from one hand, trailing behind him as he stalked towards the ring. Antonio and Casey Valentine had broad grins, and waved their Tag Team titles over their heads. Raphael, limping and looking banged up, followed silently in their wake, his All Action title secure around his waist. Ernest Youngman had no title, but looked even more smug than The Second Sons in the wake of their victory over The Firm. The four youngsters each took up position in one corner of the ring. Rip stood in the centre of the ring, smirking at the cameras, with Ruin looming behind him. [COLOR="Purple"]“You’ve all seen it. Tim Westybrook, KC Glenn, El Heroe Mexicano and my own son Jay decimated, bleeding, unconscious... and Jean Cattley, trapped and unable to help, giving up to save his colleagues from further harm. It was touching – and gratifying. “You see, I make no secret of the fact that, when Jean Cattley was a young buck, I took him under my wing. He was my first trainee, you might say – I saw talent and potential in him, and I’ll be the first to say that he worked hard to get where he is today. “Of course, it means that I know him inside and out. I know how his mind worked. I knew that, during the match, we only had to be in a position where Cattley could save his friends by giving up – and we got there. It’s funny, really. Westybrook and Jay couldn’t give two ----s about him or his cause, and Glenn and Heroe are young enough that they can shrug off a beating... but Cattley’s a good leader, a solid man. He couldn’t let others suffer through his own inaction. “Success in this business is about knowing your opponents’ weaknesses as much as it is about knowing your own strengths. Jean Cattley couldn’t let his team-mates suffer. In the same position, my team would have kept going – which is why they will make it to the top, and jean Cattley and his allies never will. “Of course, my team would never find itself in that position in the first place.”[/COLOR] Chord smirked, and the crowd jeered his arrogance. [COLOR="Purple"]“Moving on. In a few short weeks, it will be time for the Rip Chord Invitational. Over the next few weeks, MAW’s shows will be playing host to the qualifiers for this event, beginning tonight when Remmy Skye takes on Swoop McCarthy. Next week-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“I suppose you’re happy?”[/COLOR] Jean Cattley emerged from backstage. He moved stiffly, but looked otherwise unharmed. [COLOR="Navy"]“I shouldn’t be surprised. Being locked inside a cage wasn’t enough for you – you brought in steel chairs and used them to beat my team into unconsciousness. And now your own son is suffering from a concussion. Tim Westybrook, that tough b---ard, is under doctor’s orders not to wrestle this week – but it’s a miracle he’s even conscious right now. KC Glenn is in physio – two weeks minimum until he can step into the ring again. God alone knows if he’ll ever be the same. As for Heroe...”[/COLOR] The masked man stepped out onto the ramp, his expression intent. Rock commented that his mask looked bulkier than usual, as though his head had been bandaged underneath, but otherwise he looked fine. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Some say I got lucky,”[/COLOR] Heroe said. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Or maybe my mask protected me.”[/COLOR] The smile was absent. Instead, he glared at the men in the ring with a ferocity not seen in the cheerful youngster before. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“All I know is, I’ve been cleared to compete – tonight. And Youngman, I remember that you did this to me. You’re the one who grabbed my head and slammed it into the wall of the steel cage. You’re the one who I want in that ring, right now!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Well that’s not going to happen,”[/COLOR] Rip cut in. [COLOR="Purple"]“Forget it, kid. Ernest took a beating on Monday as well – he’s not cleared to compete. Besides, I don’t see any reason to put you in the ring with him just because you want it. I’ll tell you what, Heroe. Tonight you can fight Sean Deeley – then we’ll see if you deserve a match against Youngman or not.”[/COLOR] Jean shrugged. [COLOR="Navy"]“Fine. We can’t force you to make a match. There is something we can do, though...”[/COLOR] Rip looked guarded. [COLOR="Purple"]“What?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“You’ll remember than when KC debuted, I mentioned that there were some timebombs that James left lying around the place. Now seems as good a time as any to set off some more. “So, for example, when Eddie and Ota joined us, they were promised a Tag Title shot. You see, out in Puerto Rico, the two are quite the team – they’re called The Gatekeepers, appropriately enough. So when the RCI comes around, it will be The Gatekeepers against The Second Sons with the belts on the line. But that’s not all...”[/COLOR] Cattley smirked, and all his aches and pains seemed to have vanished as Powell and Ota emerged from the back, flanking Cattley and Heroe. The Firm suddenly looked much more dangerous, despite their problems with The Cult. [COLOR="Navy"]“Of course, that’s not all. We were all given a blank match contract when we joined The Firm. Can you guess whose name I’ve just put on my contract, Rip?”[/COLOR] Chord turned to look at Ruin, who was glaring up at Cattley, his fist tight around the World title strap. [COLOR="Navy"]“No. This is about more than the World title for me. At the Invitational, it will be you and me, Rip... In a Last Man Standing match!”[/COLOR] The crowd roared their delight on hearing this. [COLOR="Navy"]“But wait! That’s not all. There’s one other match that’s been signed for the Invitational – and this one is for the World title. It will be Ruin defending the gold...”[/COLOR] He paused. The Cult had gradually grouped together around Rip and Ruin during the course of Cattley’s speech, and now seemed to be hanging on his every word. [COLOR="Navy"]“...against Tim Westybrook!”[/COLOR] The crowd, if anything, were even louder for this announcement than they had been for Cattley/Chord. The Cult pitched a fit, Antonio and Casey demanding that Rip find them a way out of their match, Youngman looking like someone had stepped on his birthday cake, and even Rip looked pale as The Firm headed backstage, looking triumphant. Raphael, for his part, looked unmoved – whether because of his non-involvement in the announcements, or because he only seems to have one expression was unclear. Ruin, however, was showing as much emotion as he ever had in his time in MAW. The camera zoomed in on him before we cut to a break, and it was clear that the World champion was looking... uneasy. * [B]The Gatekeepers vs. The Second Sons[/B] The Sons were clearly unprepared for this match. Rip noted that he thought it was a good idea for the champions to face off against Powell and Ota now, and get any surprises out of the way. Antonio and Valentine seemed not to agree, judging by the reluctant way they tackled their opponents, and Rock wondered whether they enjoyed the even odds of a tag match, rather than sneak-attacking their opponents. Reese noted that Ota and Powell’s greater experience gave them the edge and, considering they’d scarcely teamed before in MAW, it was clear they’d learned a lot in Puerto Rico. In the end, with the Firm duo dominating, Rip scowled and got up, clothesling Powell as he charged around the ring after Valentine and drawing the DQ for his side. Rip and The Sons left ringside quickly as Powell rose swiftly to his feet, while Ota looked like he was ready to take on all three – even without his partner. Winners: The Gatekeepers (D+) * Remmy Skye paced back and forth in the ring. Rock commented that he seemed uneasy or impatient. Rip said that he had a big reputation to live up to – and winning the Invitational might help with that. [COLOR="Blue"]“Swoop McCarthy, you and I have been drawn against each other. Now, I see that you’re a talented fighter. No-one in their right mind would deny that. So here’s the deal: You come out here now and give me your all. At the end of the match, one of us will be show to be better. If it’s me, I’ll have taken another step along the road to proving myself. If it’s you, then I know I have more work to do to be the wrestler that I want to be.”[/COLOR] Swoop made his entrance and picked up a mic. He stared down Skye, waiting for several long moments before raising the microphone to his mouth. [COLOR="Teal"]“It [I]won’t[/I] be you.”[/COLOR] * [B]RCI: Remmy Skye vs. Swoop McCarthy[/B] For some reason, these two just couldn’t settle in the ring. I’m largely settled on Skye not being an ideal MAW talent, although with the right opponent he’s as good as anyone on the roster. It’s clear that Swoop is not the right opponent, and my hopes of delivering a classic year-end show died as they failed to capitalise on the opportunity for a great performance. I’ll put it down to nerves, I guess. Swoop took the win after twelve minutes with a Swoop Stunner to advance to the tournament finals. Winner: Swoop McCarthy (D) * Sean Deeley made his way to the ring, accompanied by Haley Buck and clad in his Canadian flag jacket. In the ring, he stretched out his legs, staring along the aisle as Heroe made his entrance. The two went nose to nose, jawing at each other beyond the reach of any microphone. Rock noted that the two were high seeds in the Invitational tournament – Deeley at #1, and Heroe at #4. [COLOR="Blue"]“This could be a preview of how things turn out in a few weeks time!”[/COLOR] * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. Sean Deeley[/B] Deeley wasted no time in going after Heroe’s wounded head, and Rock commented that the strategy seemed to bear immediate fruit – the usually double-tough Heroe was forced into retreat in the early going. As talented as Deeley was, however, Heroe refused to go down, and after several minutes of punishment he caught a break and exploded into a wild ride of slams, flying attacks and even some brutal suplexes that Deeley himself would have been proud of. As the match wore on, however, it grew clear that Heroe was fading, and was struggling even to hold off Deeley. Although his athleticism and agility allowed him to fight back way past the point that most people would have succumbed, Rip took a measure of delight in proclaiming the match a done deal, and indeed Deeley clamped in the Seated Stretch Armbar in the centre of the ring, Heroe had no choice but to surrender the match. Winner: Sean Deeley (B-) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: We begin the Year in Review...[/I]

[James Casey]

Cross Swoop McCarthy off the On Tour appearance list – the ultra-charismatic Australian has negotiated a 70% payrise that sees him move into the top five earners in the company (admittedly around 30% of the pay is travel fees). Swoop has nine months to convince us that he’s worth the investment – that, or take a pay cut next time... * Rudy Velasquez has moved on. There’s no question that he has talent, but his attitude to putting in his time rubbed me the wrong way, and when h came in with a huge contract demand – as a result of his USPW exposure – it was felt best just to let him go. Our recent signings, and the hovering Lenny Brown who has a very similar skillset, mean that we won’t miss him too much. * 2013’s New Year’s Eve party was a somewhat subdued event. TCW, CGC and 5SSW were all running events so about half the main roster was away anyway. Rip and I chewed the fat earlier in the day, but he was catching a plane out west to watch Jay work for TCW at the Psycho Circus pay-per-view (Jay lost an average All Action title match to Greg Black, incidentally). Katie, Reese and I did the rounds during the night, but it was a generally quiet affair. What was interesting was seeing who was talking to whom. The Second Sons and The Gatekeepers were already talking over their RCI match. After the average effort on TV, I knew that they were keen to improve. I’d told them that if they came up with some cool ideas, I’d consider giving them a gimmick to work with – the obvious favourite being a ladder match to symbolise the ascent of the champions up the promotion’s rankings, or however we chose to symbolise it. Phoenix was there, now using a single crutch to get around. He was two weeks away from action, and his RCI qualifier was scheduled for the third Nationwide of the month, just before the event itself. Brandon Smith was there, with newcomer Greg Rayne. Bulldozer had taken Rayne under his wing backstage, and I was considering doing something with them on-screen as well. Rayne had something of a bad reputation, but Smith seemed intent on straightening out his fellow farm-boy, so who was I to argue? Leaning against the bar, I imagined how a conversation with Rip might go. This would be the year, I assured him, that MAW would rise to Cult. Yes, I did believe that. Yes, that would mean a lot of money – coming in, and going out. Money? December had been good, thanks to Arcadia’s financiers. We had banked more than $53,000 – a record profit. SWF? Yes – they would be on the lookout for new talent, and doubtless some of our workers would fit the bill. December had been good to them, and with the new year had come the announcement that they had once more risen to Global. The purse strings were to be loosened, and the offering of written contracts was inevitable – it was part of the reason we’d signed so many workers of late, and had feelers out to others. Provided Ruin and Westybrook stayed put for three more weeks, though, everything was fine – that was the one match we couldn’t realistically rearrange before the RCI rolled around. Rip’s voice was so vivid in my mind that I was startled when I turned around to find Casey and Antonio standing before me. [COLOR="Green"]“Hello, you two. What’s up?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Hi James. We were wondering what you had planned for us after the Invitational?” [/COLOR]Casey asked. Antonio nodded. I frowned. In truth, the RCI was the end of our year – or, at least, the end of the October – January spell in the MAW cycle. This year had been slightly unusual in that the Firm/Cult feud had run from Autumn onwards, but then, we’d been flailing around a bit in the summer after the loss of Kirk Jameson. In short, I had nothing planned for them – I didn’t plan tag feuds much beyond the next couple of months, and with the Sons being part of Rip’s group, I hadn’t planned them at all beyond the RCI. [COLOR="Green"]“Honestly, nothing,” [/COLOR]I said. It wasn’t much fun to see their faces fall. [COLOR="Green"]“Guys, seriously, you have the belts because of Rip. I need to see what happens over the next few weeks. Maybe we’ll go with Eddie and Ota, and in that case someone else might deserve the chance to step up.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“But we’re the top team in the division,”[/COLOR] Antonio said. [COLOR="Green"]“Top three, maybe,”[/COLOR] I countered. [COLOR="Green"]“Top four, sure. But we’ve got your opponents, we’ve got Team Honor, and we’ve got the Blondes... You might be the top heels, but who’re you ahead of? The Lawmakers and Josh and Quentin are prospects – you should be ahead of them.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Rip told us you had something for us,”[/COLOR] Casey said, looking a little hurt. [COLOR="Sienna"]“We’ve waited our turn, and-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“You see, that’s the problem right there,”[/COLOR] I said, feeling six years of frustration with the duo beginning to boil over. [COLOR="Green"]“You don’t wait your turn around here. You take the initiative. Swoop, Raphael, Brandon, Kirk, Ota, Phoenix... These are all guys who go out every night and give their all. They do everything they can to improve, including working every night of the week if they have to. You guys sit around and wait for your two or three matches a month and act like those belts are your birthright backstage as well as in the ring. I mean, for God’s sake, I loaned you to FCW as a hint – go work somewhere else and start improving your skills or, so help me, when Rip retires I’ll sign your releases before I sign his leaving card.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Uh...”[/COLOR] My expression softened. [COLOR="Green"]“Look, I’ll tell you what: It’s New Year’s Eve. How about you guys make a resolution to really get out there in the world – see if you can step up your game. You’ll make more money, you’ll improve your skills... And you’ll improve your chances of one day main eventing for us – or someone else. Think about it, kids.”[/COLOR] I limped off, leaving them to ponder my words. I’d spent too long indulging them. It was past time that they had a taste of the real world. Their approach to contract negotiations a few months back, in hindsight, been the last straw. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Problem?”[/COLOR] Katie asked, as she and Reese carried the twins over to me. [COLOR="Green"]“No,” [/COLOR]I said, taking Patrick from Reese’ arms. I smiled down at him as he peered up at me with his big eyes. [COLOR="Green"]“But I think it’s time we head home. Oh, Reese?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Yes?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Put some feelers out to Coastal, Freedom and the others. I want to see if they’ve got room to take on a couple of our guys...”[/COLOR] [I]Next: Year End Awards...[/I]

[ampulator]

It surprises me to no end that Casey Valentine hasn't improved. He's decent enough. Antonio... on the other hand...

[D-Lyrium]

[QUOTE=James Casey;679116]They are seeds. It's a combination of form, talent, WDL record, the booking team's preferences :p... Deeley is seeded #1 at least in part because he's the reigning champ, but also because of his overness and all-round ability. Skye gets a high seed because of popularity and talent, but lower than he might because of his record in MAW. GB Wood is CH Threepwood, aka Jason O'Conner. He's another of Acid's proteges, and someone who's under serious consideration for moving up the ranks given how well he's done against our bigger names On Tour.[/QUOTE] Ah, my bad, with all the Wargamey excitement I'd forgotten about Deeley's title win entirely! And Threepwood... hmmm... never really notice him much. Largely because he rarely leaves NOTPBW in my games, and he's so *boring*. I mean, his picture makes drying paint look a legitimate TCW All Action Title contender. :p Although I thought that about Greg Ford, so... Oh, wait, he was boring too. I still ended up signing him though... :P

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=ampulator;680839]It surprises me to no end that Casey Valentine hasn't improved. He's decent enough. Antonio... on the other hand...[/QUOTE] Valentine has improved quite a bit in my SWF game. To the point where I might demand a DNA test to prove he is actually related to Peter Valentine. Very much looking forward to the new year, JC. Interested to see how things go at Cult, and to see how a resurrected SWF affects things.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Valentine has moved up a single grade or less in each section of his quick view display - except for flying. There he's up a whole letter, from E+ to D+. That's [u]six years[/u] of being regulalrly booked. Maybe not against great workers or anything, but still...[/I] [B][U][CENTER]Year End Awards[/CENTER][/U][/B] Wrestler of the Year: Matthew Gauge – The former MAW starlet scores his second win in this category. The 24-year old took part in 70 matches in 2013, with an A average and an A* high. He was a WLW exclusive, giving him March, June, September and December off to recover as he scored two World Level Universal title wins and showed himself to be the outstanding talent currently in wrestling. Brother Greg was hardly a slacker, either, placing #43 on the top 100, at least partly because GCG don’t have quite the same prestige or roster quality as WLW. Young Wrestler of the Year: Amazing Fire Fly – The youngster was signed to MAW until mid-summer, but we can’t take much credit for his rise. Although we wanted to keep him on and give him the push he deserved, it’s Mexico where Fly has made his name. Don’t count against him making a return, though – the prospect of Fly and Heroe either teaming or feuding is a mouth-watering one. In 2013, Fly had 80 matches, averaging a B- with an A high, it was MHW where he truly excelled, 26 matches yielding no less than 17 As. Veteran Wrestler of the Year: Jeremy Stone – Five in a row for the Canadian legend. What more need be said? He continues to be the best reason for watching NOTBPW TV, and even with Duane back in the company, he’s the best wrestler in North America. Female Wrestler of the Year: DEVIL Karube – Dethroning Fuyuko Higa is no small task, but the 33 year old Karube managed it during a year in which she was absolutely dominant at the head of the Japanese women’s scene. Benefitting from great opponents and 5SSW’s touring schedule, she worked over sixty matches, and if her win:loss ratio was almost 1:1, the quality of those matches was so high as to make her the only viable candidate. Of interest is that once again this award has gone to a woman who’s been nowhere near a title all year – as was the case with Fuyuko Higa’s dominance in the last few years. Promotion of the Year: TCW – Who else? Despite rarely grading above a B for their shows, TCW have expanded world-wide and are enjoying a fantastic run of battering the SWF at every chance, keeping Richard Eisen’s company on the back foot and unable to mount a successful challenge to the Hollywood colossus. Most Improved Promotion of the Year: AAA – America’s premier women-only company had a fantastic 2013, rocketing to Cult via their domination of the North West. Match of the Year: Bairei Yasujiro, Eisaku Hoshino and Emerald Angel def. Jacob Jett, Acid and Matthew Keith (WLW Demonology Tour, Saturday 27th February) – WLW’s tremendously successful early-year tour was focused around a series of matches pitting the best of WLW against gaijin stars. The pick of these matches was this tremendous Trios contest. Every active worker who’s seen it has come away inspired to work harder at their craft. It is alleged that a copy even found its way into the USPW locker room, but Giant Redwood sat on it and cracked the disc. Show of the Year: An episode of NOTBPW Championship Wrestling (Monday, 15th April 2013) wins this award. Dark Angel, Dean McWade and Giant Khoklov def. Biff, Avalance and White Angel – C Duane Stone def. Harrison Hash – B+ Dan Stone Jr. def. Johnny Bloodstone – A* Joey Minnesota def. Jeremy Stone – A* In the top 100, MAW had interests in: #1 Matthew Gauge #8 Rich Money #18 Jacob Jett #35 Amazing Fire Fly (worked for MAW in 2013) #43 Greg Gauge #71 Steven Parker #72 Frankie Perez #89 Darryl Devine #95 Sean Deeley (present MAW employee) #98 Mainstream Hernandez It’s worth noting that Remo Richardson came in at #30. Many felt that he would have been top 5 or even in the top slot had his TCW World title reign not got off to such a slow start. Indeed, it’s felt that Remo is suffering from a bad case of nerves now that he’s the man – certainly his non-title and tag matches have been fantastic viewing. Of course, his opponents in those title matches – Freddy Huggins and Tyson Baine – aren’t necessarily the best available. His lack of direction seems partially to blame, too. His title win came from nowhere, and he suffered almost as many losses as wins in 2013, which in a fed like TCW is a big problem for someone like Remo who thrives off being the unstoppable force. We’ll have to see what 2014 brings for the 31 year old... [I]Next: The always popular roster review - and JC cries over having to input some 60 image links...[/I]

[James Casey]

[IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BulldozerBrandon_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 15-2-24 Average/High: D+/C+ Achievements: MAW All Action – October 2013 Notes: Has been gradually climbing the card in the last year ... Now 30, may be starting to fulfil his considerable potential ... Currently aimed at Swoop McCarthy, a Traditional title reign may be just what the doctor ordered [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/MeanJeanCattley.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]“Machine” Jean Cattley[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 30-7-11 Average/High: C-/B Achievements: MAW World – June to September 2013 Notes: Reigning SWF Shooting Star champion ... Perennial main eventer is MAW through-and-through ... Returned to promotion mid-year and has seen an upswing in SWF career as well ... Presently leading The Firm against The Cult Of Chord, and is set for a Last Man Standing match against Rip in at the next big show ... Reliable hand may be entering the autumn of his career, but can still go [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KashmirSingh_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 9-1-17 Average/High: D/C Achievements: None Notes: Fun-loving veteran always enters a capable performance ... Is considered to be best suited in the backup role, or as support, but is unlikely ever to be a key player in a storyline ... A capable and experienced worker with a lot of talent who can be a useful teacher [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AliciaStrong_alt6.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Alicia Strong[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 10-6-4 Average/High: C/B Achievements: None Notes: The most talented women’s wrestler in the world ... Except for Fuyuko Higa, anyway ... Legitimate contender to the Women’s belt will be champion sooner or later ... Long-standing, unresolved issues with Joanne Rodriguez are likely to boil over again and again [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AnnieHitch.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Anne Lee Kubrick[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Reasonable manager coupled to poor team ... Potential to improve, if she ever sheds the Wilkes boys [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/Antonio.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Antonio[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 16-1-23 Average/High: D/C+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – October 2013 to present Notes: Average worker, average grades ... Doesn’t raise his game when given quality opposition ... Lifetime contract is a perennial thorn in my side ... Loyal to Rip, though ... Cult Of Chord membership gives him exposure on TV and is his best chance of stepping up a notch ... Not actually a bad worker, but not that good, either [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BradfordPeverell.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Bradford Peverell[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 19-1-19 Average/High: D+/C+ Achievements: MAW Traditional – February to June 2013 Notes: His record is much improved from last year (3-1-16), but there’s a lot of undercarders who’ve padded that record ... Perennially on the verge of stepping up, but never quite makes it ... Supreme professional who does what he does well enough and with a minimum of fuss, so will always be welcome in MAW [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BrookeTyler.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Brooke Tyler[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 5-1-15 Average/High: D-/C Achievements: None Notes: Low woman of the Women’s division ... Heel turn on Kristabel Plum probably went unnoticed On Tour ... Playing more to her innate strengths, and has had a couple of good matches ... Could move up the ladder, but Easter, Snow and Rodriguez comprise a pretty solid glass ceiling [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/CaseyValentine.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Casey Valentine[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 12-1-22 Average/High: D/C+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – October 2013 to present Notes: Have talent, won’t travel ... Loyalty to Rip has stunted Valentine’s career – he should be willing to move to other promotions and get work ... The more talented Second Son, but that’s not saying too much [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DavisWayneNewton.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Davis Wayne Newton[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 1-0-0 Average/High: C/C Achievements: None Notes: Stunning young talent had only worked 14 matches in NOTBPW in 2013 before his abrupt departure ... Slots into the main event in MAW without any fuss ... Likely only to be with the company for a short time – SWF should snap him up straight away [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/Random_Female051.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Dawn[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Manager of Kashmir Singh and Brandon Smith ... Adds a bit to both men, but isn’t a key player like a Haley Buck or Sara Silver [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DazzlingDaveDiamond.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Dazzling Dave Diamond[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 8-0-7 Average/High: E+/D+ Achievements: None Notes: One of the MOM success stories ... Veteran brawler did enough and has enough about him to retain a lowcard spot for us ... I’d love to push him, but he’s probably not got enough about him to justify it [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/Delirium.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Deliirum[/COLOR] Push: Enhancement Talent Record: 3-0-10 Average/High: E/D Achievements: None Notes: He’s there, he’s cheap, he doesn’t mind losing most of his matches ... Exists in stark contrast to El Heroe Mexicano, although not many could stand that comparison [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DwightKumas.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Dwight Kumas[/COLOR] Push: Referee Notes: One of the best referees anywhere in the world ... Unsurprisingly, has outgrown MAW and is now seeing out his contract [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TeddyPowell_alt7.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Eddie Powell[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 22-6-16 Average/High: C-/B- Achievements: MAW All Action – April 2013 and October 2013 Notes: Career nearly man seems to have found his niche ... One of our most consistent performers, and also cheap enough to use On Tour regularly ... Set to challenge for tag titles at next big show with sometime partner Fumihiro Ota [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ElHeroeMexicano.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]El Heroe Mexicano[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 16-2-9 Average/High: C/B- Achievements: None Notes: Mexican star joined MAW mid-year and quickly established himself as a superior performer ... Non-national status may save him from poaching by a bigger company – although that’s not a guarantee ... Would probably win a ‘Most likely to succeed’ poll, if we ever ran one [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ErnestYoungman.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Ernest Youngman[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 4-1-6 Average/High: C/B Achievements: None Notes: Recently returned to MAW after SWF release ... Also quickly snapped by USPW and FCW, continuing our trend of sharing workers ... Tremendous talent who’s still a long way from his peak, being just twenty years old ... Might just be the worker MAW rises on the back of – and he’s cheap enough to work On Tour [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/FelipeCaballero.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Felipe Caballero[/COLOR] Push: Enhancement Talent Record: 0-0-1 Average/High: E+/E+ Achievements: None Notes: Young Mexican talent is a prospect for the future, although even I wouldn’t say he’s likely to ever be a success with us ... Could work with Delirium as another low card tag team ... Only nineteen, so he has plenty of time to improve [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/FlashSavage_alt.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Flash Savage[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 10-0-13 Average/High: E+/D+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – July to October 2013 Notes: Career tag-team specialist has probably hit his ceiling ... As good as any team in MAW ... Past and probably future tag champion, but little to no prospect of a singles run [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/FumihiroOta_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Fumihiro Ota[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 10-1-10 Average/High: C-/B- Achievements: None Notes: Lost his way slightly following break-up of The Fallen ... Ultra-reliable veteran has shed all his gimmicks and is now playing up his age and experience as a member of The Firm ... Can still go – and can probably outperform 90% of the roster on any given day ... Tag team with Eddie Powell is familiar territory for both, but untested in MAW [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/CHThreepwood.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]GB Wood[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 6-0-8 Average/High: D/C- Achievements: None Notes: Sometime CZCW standout has shown flashes of potential in MAW ... MOM signee has progressed to the midcard and doesn’t look out of place ... On the borders of a more sustained push, and may make a TV appearance at some point for a test [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/GregRayne.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Greg "Right As" Rayne[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 0-0-1 Average/High: D-/D- Achievements: None Notes: Just a good old boy ... The midcard lunkhead role is now his ... Potential to act as Brandon Smith’s partner/protégé could be explored ... Basically a cheapish, reasonably talented, fairly young kid who may still have it in him to break through [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/HaleyBuck.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Haley Buck[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Talented manager is now reunited with Sean Deeley ... Always adds something to her clients’ act [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JamesCasey.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]James Casey[/COLOR] Push: Road Agent Notes: Had first match in almost twenty years against his last opponent, Rip Chord ... Could have been a lot worse ... Off-screen since then; Does not believe in pushing self at expense of active workers [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JaredJohnson.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Jared Johnson[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 13-1-23 Average/High: E+/D+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – September 2012 to January 2013 Notes: Long-term team with Lassana Makutsi has kept him on the bubble ... A good talent, and in terms of skill should probably be higher ... Could do with more singles matches against higher calibre workers to make the next step, though [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JayChord.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Jay Chord[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 0-0-1 Average/High: C+/C+ Achievements: None Notes: Only here on loan ... Nice to have him around the place. It’s been too quiet since he left ... Contrary to my knee-jerk reaction to anything Jay related, he has improved since his debut ... A lot less than most people after four years in TCW, but still, he has improved [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JeffersonStardust.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Jefferson Stardust[/COLOR] Push: Opener Record: 5-0-27 Average/High: E+/C- Achievements: None Notes: My pet project, Stardust has tons of charisma and mediocre talent ... He can improve, though, and throwing him in against workers like Heroe et al will help that happen [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/Random_Female040.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Jenny[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Manages Team Honor ... Makes ringside a bit prettier ... Does add to the team’s act, but probably no-one would notice if she wasn’t there [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JoanneRodriguez.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Joanne Rodriguez[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 14-5-14 Average/High: C/B Achievements: None Notes: I must admit to being surprised how many matches she’s lost ... Teasing friction with Lauren Easter ... Would make a great champion [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JonathanTaylor_alt.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Jonathan Taylor[/COLOR] Push: Referee Notes: Newly signed and has taken on some low-profile matches ... Will be expected to improve quickly to limit any drag on matches ... Should be reffing anything up to twenty matches a week, so improvement should be quick [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/DuberryExcess.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Jorge Wilkes[/COLOR] Push: Opener Record: 2-0-10 Average/High: E/D- Achievements: None Notes: At the bottom of the card for a reason ... The sometime Duberry Excess actually isn’t too bad, but is only on board because he has a brother he can team with [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JoshJones.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Josh Jones[/COLOR] Push: Opener Record: 7-0-19 Average/High: D-/C- Achievements: None Notes: Outstanding talent with zero charisma ... Gets the occasional workout on the mic and some improvement is there ... Latecomer to the pro game has a lot of ground to make up before he can breakout of the undercard [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JustinSensitive_alt.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Justin Sensitive[/COLOR] Push: Opener Record: 7-0-9 Average/High: E/D- Achievements: None Notes: Accompanied by a primate to the ring ... Owes most of his wins to his companion ... Moderate talent, but a decent hook, considering [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KatieCameron.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Katie Cameron[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Back on-screen with Tim Westybrook as her client ... Talented manager also performs colour commentary for On Tour DVDs – not that anyone’s buying them [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KCGlenn.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]KC Glenn[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 3-0-4 Average/High: C/B- Achievements: None Notes: A stellar young talent who’s two years removed from his Rip Chord Invitational victory ... Left in a heap after crashing though a table, returned almost exactly a year later and hasn’t missed a step ... SWF experience has provided seasoning, and the youngster looks like he could be the next superstar [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KristabelPlum.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Kristabel Plum[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 8-0-23 Average/High: D-/C- Achievements: None Notes: Reigning CWWF Top Contender – has been for over two years ... Only made six defences, though ... Seems unlikely to break out of her midcard niche in MAW [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KristenPearce.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Kristen Pearce[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Presently managing The Canadian Blondes ... Decent chemistry with team adds to their act [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LassanaMakutsi.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Lassana Makutsi[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 13-1-18 Average/High: D-/C Achievements: MAW Tag Team – September 2012 to January 2013 Notes: Tag worker is considered to have the most breakout potential of the current doubles crop ... Like his partner, could do with seasoning against the right opponents ... Might get his chance in the coming year [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LaurenEaster.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Lauren Easter[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 10-2-2 Average/High: C/B Achievements: MAW Women’s – October 2013 to present Notes: Super-talented youngster is well-placed as J-Ro’s partner ... Possible feud could put the Women’s division in the main event of the big shows ... Even allowing for the shorter career of female workers, should have ten years or more on top [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LennyBrown.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Lenny Brown[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 28-1-17 Average/High: D/C+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – January – July 2013; MAW All Action – August to October 2013 Notes: High impact brawler dumped his tag partner and got dumped by his manager ... Underrated all-rounder has talent and potential ... In the second rank of promising youngsters, but could move up once current top-line feuds come to an end ... Most likely to benefit from departure of Rudy Velasquez [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/MarcSpeed_alt.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Marc Speed[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 11-0-18 Average/High: D/C Achievements: MAW All Action – October 2013 Notes: Decent talent is just sort of there ... GB Wood is better, so Speed may get his chance to prove himself, but be shipped out if he doesn’t meet expectations [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/MarshallDillon.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Marshall Dillon[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 8-0-10 Average/High: D-/C Achievements: None Notes: Lowcard tag worker of moderate promise ... Brawler has a distinct role as one half of Haley Buck’s tag team, without much chance of breaking out [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LeftieWilkes.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Michael Wilkes[/COLOR] Push: Opener Record: 3-1-8 Average/High: E/D- Achievements: None Notes: Jorge’s brother ... Hired to provide low-cost, low-return undercard tag team ... Meets requirements, and is never expected to exceed them [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ErnestForthdyke-Hume.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Mr. Ernest Forthdyke-Hume[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: Southern gentlemen who manages two modern youths ... The incongruity pleases me [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/NadiaSnow.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Nadia Snow[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 18-2-11 Average/High: D/C Achievements: MAW Women’s – May to July 2013; MAW All Action – October 2013 Notes: Hollywood B--ch persona is fun, and helps her stand out a bit ... Women’s title reign was obligatory, as was All Action blip ... Reasonably talented, charismatic and popular, came out on winning side of a feud with Thea Davis that saw Davis elevated while Snow dropped, oddly [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/OscarGolden.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Oscar Golden[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 12-1-9 Average/High: D-/D+ Achievements: MAW Tag Team – July to October 2013 Notes: Forever linked to Flash Savage ... Transitional tag reign was the duo’s fifth in MAW ... Set the bar for tag teams in MAW, and will probably do so until they leave [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AustinSmooth.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Phil Jerome[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 3-0-13 Average/High: E+/D+ Achievements: None Notes: Losing his way up the card ... Mediocre record and match average should not be mistaken for lack of potential ... Unlikely to break out onto TV anytime soon, but is one to watch in the long-term [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/UltimatePhoenix.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/UltimatePhoenix_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Phoenix[/COLOR] (AKA [COLOR="Red"]Firebird[/COLOR]) Push: Main Event Record: 14-4-11 Average/High: C/B- Achievements: None Notes: Face turn has given masked veteran a new lease of life ... ‘Rescued’ by El Heroe Mexicano, he would have acted as Heroe’s mentor and a key Firm member had ankle injury not cost him the last two months of the year ... Badly missed, this true professional has a job for the rest of his active career in MAW [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/QuentinQueen.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Quentin Queen[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 12-0-13 Average/High: E+/D+ Achievements: None Notes: Aggressive young worker keen to break out ... Impatience and unduly kayfabe approach to win/loss record is not winning him any friends backstage ... Decent talent, but not so good that he’d be missed if he doesn’t shape up [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/MarcDuBois_alt2.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Raphael[/COLOR] Push: Midcard Record: 13-3-13 Average/High: D/B- Achievements: MAW All Action – October 2013 to present Notes: Canadian has worked hard, and is now reaping his rewards ... Initially a preliminary worker, his charisma and talent have seen him climb the card ... Current All Action champion has earned his increased exposure, and is well worth a bet for a greater rise [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ReesePaige.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Reese Paige[/COLOR] Push: Colour Commentator Notes: Jack of all trades is a useful person to have around [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RemmySkye.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Remmy Skye[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 5-2-5 Average/High: C-/B- Achievements: None Notes: Unpredictable but popular worker has blown hot and cold since joining MAW ... Long contract and hefty wage may come to be viewed as a mistake - but with patience and the right opponents he may mature into a solid uppercard talent ... Could be the archetypal stepping stone to the main event as well, of course [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RipChord.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TheGrandAvatar.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Rip Chord[/COLOR] (AKA [COLOR="Red"]The Mentor[/COLOR]) Push: Colour Commentator/Manager Notes: Back on-screen in an active role and loving it ... Has not embarrassed himself in matches, but has been carefully protected ... Last Man Standing match with Cattley should be something to behold [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/RockDownpour.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Rock Downpour[/COLOR] Push: Announcer Notes: Reasonably yalented announcer does okay for MAW ... Has chemistry with Rip ... Is somewhat outclassed by top-level matches ... Has not noticeably improved since joining, so may not survive jump to Cult if he can’t keep up ... To be honest, I’m better than he is – and I have chemistry with Reese [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TexasPete_alt5.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Ruin[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 14-5-5 Average/High: C/B- Achievements: MAW World – September 2013 to present Notes: Undefeated in singles competition ... Can carry his end of a brawl, but is one-dimensional ... Not your typical MAW champion, but all the same, he’s proved he’s worth his place [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SaraSilver.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Sara Silverman[/COLOR] Push: Manager Notes: On hiatus since being dropped by Tim Westybrook [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ShooterSeanDeeley_alt4.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Sean Deeley[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 9-0-7 Average/High: C/B- Achievements: MAW Traditional – October 2012 – February 2013; MAW Rip Chord Invitational – January 2013 Notes: Second go-round with MAW ... Precarious relationship due to the popularity of his other employers, but we’re better placed to survive his departure than we were a year ago ... Superior technician is a perfect fit for MAW product, and his entertainment skills are improving nicely, too ... Reigning CGC World and NYCW Empire champion [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BradleyBlaze.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Sheriff Blaze[/COLOR] Push: Lower Midcard Record: 8-0-12 Average/High: D-/C Achievements: None Notes: Solid in his lowercard tag team ... Was once considered a breakout prospect, but hasn’t noticeably improved so far as to warrant the larger push [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SuzanneBrazzle_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Suzanne Brazzle[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 14-0-10 Average/High: C-/B- Achievements: MAW Women’s – July to October 2013 Notes: Former women’s champion is second of the four face women on the roster ... Can produce good results with the right opponents, but not yet a catalyst for good results herself [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SwoopMcCarthy_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Swoop McCarthy[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 20-7-8 Average/High: D+/B- Achievements: MAW Traditional – June 2013 to present Notes: Powerhouse Australian has charisma to burn ... A great brawler, but other skills are lacking ... Possibly better suited to a fed like SWF or USPW, but they don’t seem keen to take a chance on him ... Has teased a face turn, and the suspicion is that the fans would love him [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TheaDavis.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Thea Davis[/COLOR] Push: Upper Midcard Record: 13-2-16 Average/High: D-/C- Achievements: None Notes: On tour with 5SSW every Thursday and Friday, so currently unavailable ... Her contract has come up, and she won’t be re-signed... Founding member of the Women’s division is a loss, but an acceptable one ... Expect her to return in a few years [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TimWestybrook.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Tim Westybrook[/COLOR] Push: Main Event Record: 23-6-10 Average/High: C/B Achievements: None Notes: Undefeated in single competition ... High-calibre heavyweight rarely has a bad day, and has put on some great matches ... Primed for a clash of the heavyweights against Ruin at the RCI ... Is being paid to stand on the side of the angels – for now * Of the current roster, 28 were present in January 2013 and survived the whole year. Sean Deeley was present then, but left and has returned. 31 members of the current roster debuted during the year, of which 6 (Cattley, Stardust, Glenn, Youngman, Forthdyke-Hume, Newton) had worked here before in some fashion. Jay, of course, is also a returnee – but only on loan. Heroe had been here on loan in 2012, but returned full time in 2013. Eight of the debuts, of course, were tied to the Women’s division (and let’s not forget Jaime Quine, Huntress Makiko, Deborah Young and Debbie Rose, all of whom took part as well). [I]Next: Where are they now?[/I]

[Guest codey]

I gotta ask, where are you getting the average/highs? I've tried working it out, but some of them just don't add up.

[FINisher]

[quote=codey;683253]I gotta ask, where are you getting the average/highs? I've tried working it out, but some of them just don't add up.[/quote] Go to worker's match history, it shows the average and highest at the bottom of that screen :o

[Guest codey]

Oh, it's their match ratings! I thought it had something to do with their skills. :o

[James Casey]

[U][B][CENTER]Where Are They Now?[/CENTER][/B][/U] Aaron Andrews is presently active for USPW and PSW. He had decent ratings in TCW, but was released towards the end of the year having failed to progress beyond the midcard. Black Eagle is still working for FCW. The 39 year old is still one of the best wrestlers on the indies, but his attitude problems seem to have caught up with him as he’s lost a number of potential employers. Erik Strong is currently with SWF and FCW. He had a series of matches against Madman Boone in 2013 that plumbed the depths for what could be shown on national television without a government health warning. Hugh de Aske is still tied to SWF, and a little part of me dies inside every time I think that. The twenty-five year old had his second run with the Shooting Star title in 2013, but he seems to have stalled out in the lower midcard. Jaime Quine still works for USPW and BSC. It’s remarkable that she hasn’t been snapped up by AAA – she’d add a lot to their uppercard. She was really starting to get over for us, but with 70 matches under her belt in 2013, that’s not too surprising. Her contract demands ruled her out of re-signing for us, but if she’s still on the market in six months, she could make a return. Kirk Jameson is, of course, under contract to SWF. I didn’t know if I wanted him to be a success, and thus justify our faith in him, or a failure, and thus make his return more likely. In fact, he’s showing every sign of being a great signing – when they bother to put him in the ring. He joined SWF in June, and only wrestled 5 matches by the end of the year, not appearing until September, and then only in one match before four times in November and December. He had good ratings, but those seem to have disappeared in the new year as more matches have been gained at the cost of weaker opponents. Mainstream Hernandez is still with TCW, and he’s settled in the midcard there. The all-round good guy is a great all-rounder, and his popularity has really come along to the point he’d be main-eventing for anyone other than the top fed in the world. Primus Allen works for USPW, NYCW and FCW. None of them have found a way to get a better-than-average match out of him – except FCW, who teamed him with Puerto Rican Power. That doesn’t really count, though... Sienna LeNoir remains unemployed after leaving MAW. At 36, the former temptress’ best years may be behind her... Steve Flash is enjoying – another – Indian summer, this time for SWF. Having headlined The Supreme Challenge in a losing World title challenge, Flash is solidified in the uppercard. Even at the age of 47, he continues to put on great matches, even if the signs of age are finally starting to show a little. Steven Parker is with TCW, and had a lengthy International title reign lasting most of 2013. Twenty-nine year old is just hitting his prime, and seems set to make the ascension to the top of the ladder in the coming year. [I]Next: 2013 comes to a close, with 414 pages written compared to 738 for 2008-2012. What will 2014 have in store? Apart from more mangled metaphors, of course...[/I]

[WxRobbie]

Looking forward to everything you have planned JC.

[Sagitta]

In reading the roster review, it dawned on me that a Ruin/Swoop feud could be a beautiful thing.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Ah, but would it be a World title or Traditional title feud? Random thought while watching last night's Raw: Gail Kim is [U]smoking[/U] hot...[/I] * And so it begins (again): SWF have made an approach to Remmy Skye. Okay, so Skye hasn’t been worth that much to MAW since he signed – certainly not in comparison to what we’re paying him. Even so, we don’t want to see [I]too[/I] many people jumping ship to Supreme. * [QUOTE] [I][CENTER]MAW.com Show Report – On Tour in Great Lakes Thursday 4th January 2014[/CENTER] A very Happy New Year to everyone from us here at MAW. This year’s action began with a qualifier for the all-important Rip Chord Invitational, with Rip himself on hand to watch as his protégé Ernest Youngman took on Greg Rayne. Rayne bulled over Youngman several times in the early going, but Youngman righted himself and went to work on Rayne’s head, throwing off his balance and timing, before nailing him with The Hit to advance to the quarter-finals. Pep rally music filled the arena as we were treated to the arrival of newcomer Wendy Summers, who led the crowd in a rousing cheer session extolling the virtues of Lake Erie, which she claims to have swum in order to get in shape for her match. In January? Sooner her than me. Summers took on Brooke Tyler in her debut match. Tyler made the mistake of taking her opponent lightly, and in fact at first it seemed that Summers was fairly easy prey as Tyler controlled her without significant trouble. However, when Tyler tried for a ****y pin using only one foot, Summers came up fighting, becoming a relentless blaze of fury as she battered away at the suddenly retreating Tyler, before scoring the pin with a Flying Cross Body. El Heroe Mexicano took a moment to hype himself up – before running down Rip and his Cult. He then took on Josh Jones in a fantastic match that was far more competitive than many – including myself – had expected. Heroe isn’t one to underestimate his opponents, but even he seemed surprised by how much Jones brought to the table. In the end, however, the tag worker was laid out by a Flying Headbutt – but after the match he just shrugged and walked back to the locker room. Lenny Brown and Brandon Smith were about to get into it backstage when they were pulled apart by some brave security guys. Instead, they headed to the ring where they had a spirited brawl ending when Smith caught Brown with an Inverted Piledriver for the win. Heroe’s fellow Firm member KC Glenn also had something to say about Chord and The Cult... But he was interrupted by Marc Speed, who jumped him from behind, starting their match there and then. Glenn was able to mount the comeback in a fine technical encounter, scoring the win with a Tune Up The Sunshine Band. Davis Wayne Newton then entered the ring, making his first appearance since End Of Days. He revealed that he was now with MAW full time, having agreed to an alliance with someone who would ensure that he went places. He wanted to start off with a show of intent, so threw out an open challenge that was accepted by Lassana Makutsi. The two had a blistering confrontation, tearing into one another from bell to bell as Makutsi showed for the second time tonight how much potential there is in the tag division right now. However, Newton is the more experienced worker, both in singles and in general, and was able to score the win with a Fisherman’s Suplex to make a triumphant return to MAW. Fans, I’ve been Reese Paige and this has been a great show. Be sure to join us next time for more action On Tour! RCI: Ernest Youngman def. Greg Rayne – D Wendy Summers def. Brooke Tyler – D+ El Heroe Mexicano def. Josh Jones – C Brandon Smith def. Lenny Brown – D- KC Glenn def. Marc Speed – D+ Davis Wayne Newton def. Lassana Makutsi – C Overall: C-[/I] [/QUOTE] * Just a few notes from the show: First, Smith/Brown, Glenn/Speed and Newton/Makutsi were all affected by chemistry – the first two bad, the last great. Secondly, Heroe/Jones got a C based on nothing more than the talents of the workers in question. Let me reiterate: Josh Jones is an Opener. How many openers could get a C in any company anywhere, even allowing for the prodigious talents of El Heroe Mexicano in the opposite corner? Compare and contrast to the opener, incidentally, where Rayne/Youngman only drew a D – and that was Midcard/Upper Midcard... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/WendyAnderson_alt1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Thirdly, this is Wendy Summers (AKA Wendy Anderson) – the latest debutant for Mid Atlantic Wrestling (credit to Self for the alt). * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] RCI: “Sensational” Kashmir Singh vs. Sean Deeley Remmy Skye vs. Lenny Brown El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ernest Youngman vs. Davis Wayne Newton Alicia Strong vs. Joanne Rodriguez [/CENTER]