MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Hyde Hill]

The Gatekeepers vs. [B]Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson [/B]– non-title [B]Gino Montero[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title Phoenix vs. [B]Trent Shaffer[/B] Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Jean Cattley and “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B]

[Bigpapa42]

The Gatekeepers vs. [B]Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson[/B] – non-title Gino Montero vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] – non-title [B]Phoenix[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs.[B] Jean Cattley and “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Damnit, just call Deeley and Thompson "Bad Company"... You know you want to...

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] [B]The Gatekeepers[/B] vs. Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson – non-title Gino Montero vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy [/B]– non-title Phoenix vs. [B]Trent Shaffer[/B] Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Jean Cattley and “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B]

[Tigerkinney]

The Gatekeepers vs. [B]Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson[/B] – non-title [B]Gino Montero[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title Non Title wins for both, the belts aren't on the line and those without the belts are good enough for the win. Phoenix vs. [B]Trent Shaffer[/B] [I]Much as I like Phoenix, he does seem to have slipped into a sort of Gatekeeper to the Uppercard type role. [/I] Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Jean Cattley and “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [I]Would love the masked high flyers to win but I see Elite winning here.[/I]

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, April 12th 2014[/CENTER] The Gatekeepers vs. Sean Deeley and Joss Thompson[/B] This was a simple match that took advantage of the mass exodus of talent away from MAW on the second Friday of every month (thank you, USPW). The Gatekeepers went up against Deeley and Thompson, who looked in their first match as a team almost like they had long experience working together. The momentum see-sawed between the two teams, with all four men having moments to shine, before Thompson was trapped in The Fastened Portal Barred, allowing Ota to pick up the win. Winners: The Gatekeepers (C+) * Trent Shaffer came down to the ring, dressed in a sharp black suit. [COLOR="Blue"]“So, like, my boys have obviously got other interests up in New York,”[/COLOR] he began. [COLOR="Blue"]“And sometimes that means the mission here has to, y’know, take a back seat for the odd night or two. It’s fine – Elite has plenty of resources, enough that I can hang here and take care of business. Jean and Phil too – they’ve got Heroe and that Fire Fly kid tonight. Now, I could go after the All Action belt I guess, but I kinda thought that maybe Elite could be about more than The Firm, y’know? “So I know there’s plenty of folks who think of MAW as, like, home, sort of thing. So I figure I can go against one of them tonight. Elite’s mission is about the whole company, after all. “But I’m not ducking The Firm. In fact, I want Kid Arachnid in the ring at Americana, ‘cos I was here first time that mask got worn, and I’ve not seen too much to make me think the new guy is any better than the punk dude who used to wear it, y’know? “Tonight, though, I figured I’d try something different.”[/COLOR] Phoenix’ music played, and the masked man made his entrance. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“If you want a challenge, I’ll take you on,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“MAW fans have always been good to me – even after I turned my back on them. That sort of thing sticks with you, so tonight I can make a payment on that kindness.”[/COLOR] * [B]Gino Montero vs. Swoop McCarthy[/B] These two have no chemistry. Good to know – we’ll keep them apart in future. The match was a spirited brawl, with neither champion willing to cede advantage to the other. In the end, Swoop bailed out of the ring to catch a breath, but Montero followed him out with a stunning topé to the outside. Unfortunately for the All Action champion, his stunning move sent both men crashing into the announcers’ table, and the impact knocked both of them goofy, leaving them unable to beat the ten count. Winner: No-one (D+) * Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano were backstage, looking ready for their match. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Some say that our debut match was one of the most impressive of any team anywhere,”[/COLOR] Heroe began. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Or that with teamwork like that, we should be in contention for a Tag Team title shot.”[/COLOR] He smiled. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“All I know is that this man and I are fast friends. Anyone who wants to stand against Elite, I’ve got their back.”[/COLOR] Fly nodded. [COLOR="Blue"]“Mi amigo Heroe here, he’s a good man. We work well together. Cattley, Roberts... They’re not good men. They’re not the sort of people that my mother and father taught me to look up to. “The two of you can take tonight’s match as a statement of intent. The Firm will do anything in their power to stand against you, to protect this company that has been the birth place of so many of today’s stars. I owe my career to MAW, can I do any less?”[/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. Jean Cattley and “Enforcer” Phil Roberts [/B] How about that – Fly and Heroe have excellent chemistry teaming together. I guess the Los Luchas De Mascaras (anyone speak Spanish? Is that good?) may have a future together after all. Anyway, it was a strong tag match, one of the best that MAW has ever seen as the fans remained riveted to the action throughout. Roberts and Cattley showed veteran guile and experience in separating the masked duo, which was wise tactics as the two meshed very well as a team, scoring big with a series of double-team moves around the ten minute mark. Unfortunately for the duo from the Firm, a sneaky top rope pull by Cattley sent Fly to the outside head first, leaving Heroe trapped with two of the best technicians around, and they made short work of the isolated masked man, using cheap shots and questionable double-team moves of their own to wear him down. In the end, just as Fly was beginning to regain his senses on the outside, Roberts hooked Heroe into the RCT and forced the submission for the Elite win. Winners: Cattley and Roberts (C+) * Cattley smirked at their fallen opponents, before taking a mic. [COLOR="Navy"]“KC Glenn, you seem to think that you can stand against Elite. You can’t – it’s as simple as that. At Americana, I will show you exactly what happens when you try.”[/COLOR] * [B]Phoenix vs. Trent Shaffer[/B] Phoenix doesn’t get on TV much these days, so we took a flyer on him in the main event as a nod to his undoubted talents, and the sterling work he’s done since joining us all those years ago. He faced off against Shaffer in a match that the Elite man had clearly considered as a straightforward win for him, but Phoenix showed that MAW contains any number of rocky paths for the unwary traveller. In the early going, he matched Shaffer move for move, going to the air, the mat and toe-to-toe with the younger man. Shaffer’s superior conditioning proved to be his key to victory, however, as a split-second hesitation on Phoenix’ part as he climbed the ropes for a flying attack allowed Shaffer to catch him atop the turnbuckles and nail him with Heart Burn, before dumping him to the mat below for the win. After the bell, Shaffer nodded to Phoenix in a small display of respect before celebrating his win. Winner: Trent Shaffer (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: On Tour, and the return of an MAW Original...[/I]

[Candyman]

Shame you have to keep Gino and Swoop apart, but AFF and EHM could make a hell of a team.

[James Casey]

The odd thing is, way, way back in the diary (about three years ago, game time) I made a comment about teaming up AFF and EHM and giving them the belts for a long, long run on top. Now I have both of them... and right now a tag title run just isn't in the card for them. Anyway, not to bump unnecessarily, but I finally got around to re-doing the PDF files for this diary. Chapters 1 - 12 (up to the end of this year's RCI) can now be found [URL="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ROWYNUZ7"]here[/URL]. It's a 6.5MB download, so even on dialup (does anyone still have dialup?) it can be done in half an hour, and then you can have 10SR whereever you go :D I'll update the first post with the link as well.

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: On Tour Saturday, April 13th 2014[/CENTER] Lauren Easter vs. Nadia Snow[/B] This was a postponed match from the previous night’s Nationwide. Snow made her usual glamorous entrance, the fans enjoying her ‘striptease’ to reveal her ring outfit. Unfortunately for her, Easter wasn’t dazzled by the spectacle and took control of the match. Snow tried hard, but never quite got out of second gear – at least until Jean Cattley appeared at ringside and distracted Easter, allowing Snow to nail her with a Strong Arm Tactic and score a shock win over the last champion. Winner: Nadia Snow (D) * Jean Cattley sneered at Easter as he entered the ring, before saying that Alicia Strong had asked him to keep Easter away from her – beating her again would just be boring. Eddie Powell made his way onto the stage and tore into Cattley for getting involved in the Easter/Snow match. At first, Cattley ignored Powell, but eventually blew up at his former colleague, challenging him to a match after Powell accused him of being the Elite gofer. * [B]Smith & Singh (1 pt) vs. The Party Animals (1 pt) vs. The Canadian Blondes (1 pt) vs. The Adepts (1 pt)[/B] One of these teams was going to leave with two points, and be a step closer to a title shot. One of these teams... Oh, heck, Brandon Smith nearly killed Flash Savage with an Inverted Piledriver for the win. Winner: Smith & Singh (2 pts, D-) * After bell, the winners celebrated moving onto two points, and promised that after their next match, they’d have the three points needed to challenge for the titles. * [B]Team Honor (2 pts) vs. The West Texas Lawmakers (2 pts) vs. Platinum 12” (2 pts)[/B] Considering who was involved, the fans were pleasantly into this match, drawn on by finding out who the Gatekeepers next challengers would be. The smart money seemed to be on Team Honor, but the former champions were double-teamed by their opponents and despite dishing out some heavy hits, were taken down and out. Before the Lawmakers could capitalise, however, they were taken down by twin Shooting Star Presses from the Platinum duo who scored a stunning win to earn the title shot! Winner: Platinum 12” (3pts, D-) * Odam, Stardust and their ‘tour manager’ Gianna celebrated their win in the centre of the ring, before Gianna fetched their guitars from under the ring and the duo treated us to an impromptu, rocked-up version of the [I]Going For Gold[/I] theme tune. Backstage, Bradford Peverell announced that he had always set himself against villainy and evil-doing. The Rule Of One, he claimed, were representations of the worst of humanity’s faults: Avarice, Lust, Anger, Pride... He would take them out, and rid MAW of an insidious threat. * [B]Bradford Peverell vs. Raphael[/B] Peverell seemed determined to make a hot start – but Raphael caught him napping as he ambushed him from behind. From there, Raphael exerted almost complete control before nailing the Turnbuckle Exploder for the win. Winner: Raphael (E) * Backstage, Eddie Powell challenged Swoop McCarthy to a match at Americana for the Traditional Title, noting that Fumihiro Ota wasn’t going to be around that night, so he was free to go it alone. Before his match, Gino Montero stated that he was welcoming challenges for the All Action title. Even if he wanted to help his friends against Elite, he also wanted to show that he was worthy of the hype surrounding him. * [B]Gino Montero (c) vs. Joss Thompson[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW All Action title[/COLOR] Thompson has impressed since his arrival, and was granted an All Action title shot. He and Montero put on a thrilling clash, before the champ scored with a Montero Press for the successful defence. Winner: Gino Montero (C-) * After the match, Thompson looked put out – but he issued another challenge to Montero: For Americana, on behalf of Davis Wayne Newton. Montero accepted immediately. Backstage, and Casey Valentine taunted his opponent, Phoenix – he mentioned that he’d started his career as a singles wrestler, and intended to be a success in that discipline right now. * [B]Phoenix vs. Casey Valentine[/B] Valentine is a good all-rounder, but at times has seemed to lack the killer instinct. He showed that lack in this match, being unable to put the masked veteran away and eventually falling to a Firebird Splash. Winner: Phoenix (D) * After his loss, Valentine made his way back to his dressing room, disconsolate after another defeat. However, he found someone waiting for him: Cameron Vessey. [COLOR="Blue"]“Hello, Casey, have you got a minute?”[/COLOR] Before the next match, Jean Cattley spent a couple of minutes verbally abusing Eddie Powell. * [B]Eddie Powell vs. Jean Cattley[/B] Powell started the brighter, blitzing Cattley with a series of high-speed moves. But Cattley was able to take the match to the mat, where he bossed Powell around. The momentum shifted back and forth, but Cattley grew more and more dominant as he worked over Powell’s legs and drained his speed, before hitting a Mood Swing for the win. Winner: Jean Cattley (C-) [B]Overall: D+[/B] [I]Next: Bad news for USPW, great news for TCW, and Citizen X makes a familiar trip...[/I]

[James Casey]

I expected better of Alicia, although I suppose it was too much to think that Sam’s influence would be completely absent from USPW. Nonetheless: Peter Valentine’s contract has been extended. Why, Alicia, why? * From the file marked ‘Interesting...’, TCW seem set to allow both Fumihiro Ota and Edd Stone to leave the company. Stone is a shock, given his popularity and youth, but while Ota has been enjoying a relative resurgence of late, his age (39) counts against him. TCW do a lot of things right as far as running a successful business goes, and having over 60% of their uppercard being 35 or younger gives a good impression of the overall athletic talent in the company. And before the inevitable question arises, Stone has already said that he has no interest in working for a Cult level company such as ours. * From the file marked ‘We’ve been here before...’, SWF have once again signed Citizen X to a developmental deal. It’s his third time joining the Rhode Island league. X is 34 – whatever he has now, he probably had six years ago when he first made the move. Oh, yeah, and it’s only six weeks since X left the SWF from his last stint there. X’s record in SWF during his various stints reads as follows: 3 wins, 0 draws and 53 losses with an average of D+ and a high of C+. It’s not bad – but not great either, is it? I shouldn’t complain – a development deal for X means that SWF continue to overlook the Monteros and Heroes of the world. * Enforcer Roberts has picked up a knee injury that rules him out of Nationwide this week. In fact, he wasn’t booked – so it’s an injury I can be quietly pleased with. Sometimes you get lucky. * TCW’s Wrestling Clinic show this week was an absolute success – an A* show. Headlined by The Almighty Dollar (Remo and Money) going over The Tag Team Masters (Jay and Devine), MAW was also represented as Ernest Youngman got put down by Greg Black. Hmmm... thanks, Tommy. * [COLOR="Blue"]“Are you trying to earn yourself some more money, kid?”[/COLOR] John Campbell asked, as I guided him to his seat. He nodded absently to the fans who recognised him, his mind on the night ahead – and his son’s first title shot in several years. [COLOR="Green"]“Would it work?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="Green"]“No, don’t answer that – I don’t want to know.”[/COLOR] Campbell snorted in amusement. [COLOR="Blue"]“My son is going to be on nationwide American TV. I’m proud, kid.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Yeah, well,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="SeaGreen"]“He works well with Stardust, as it turns out. They’re performing better than I expected. And Powell and Ota are as good a team as we have, so it should be a pretty decent match.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“When are they on?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SeaGreen"]“Second, after the triple threat.”[/COLOR] Campbell nodded. [COLOR="Blue"]“The cool-down match. Can’t say I’m too surprised. I just hope that he doesn’t get ----ing stage fright,”[/COLOR] he added with a growl. For a second, John Campbell was Nemesis. I felt a little burst of sympathy for Ash Campbell – following that man into the business took a whole other kind of bravery. Or stupidity. And I didn’t think that our Ashington was stupid in that way. He might not have been the brightest spark in the world, but he must have known that following his father was difficult – why else use his real name, rather than a reference to Nemesis in some way? Anyway, hopefully John would be pleased with his son’s performance. Pushing Ash to this point had been something of a penance of mine. I’d been paid a lot of money, and I felt that I had to do something for it, even if it did mean that Nationwide was likely to take a blow in terms of match quality. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Joanne Rodriguez vs. Nadia Snow vs. Grace Harper The Gatekeepers (c) vs. Platinum 12” – MAW Tag Team titles Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly vs. Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin Tim Westybrook vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] vs. Nadia Snow vs. Grace Harper [B]The Gatekeepers[/B] (c) vs. Platinum 12” – MAW Tag Team titles Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin[/B][B]Tim Westybrook[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title

[Hyde Hill]

Joanne Rodriguez vs. Nadia Snow vs. [B]Grace Harper[/B] [B]The Gatekeepers (c)[/B] vs. Platinum 12” – MAW Tag Team titles [B]Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title

[Slim Jim]

[CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] vs. Nadia Snow vs. Grace Harper The Gatekeepers (c) vs. [B]Platinum 12”[/B] – MAW Tag Team titles [B]Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin Tim Westybrook vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title[/CENTER] I know it's a huge outside shot but if that one in a trillion moment happens and you actually give Ash Campbell a title, I want to have predicted it :p And I expect the Main Event to have some kind of screwy finish. Westybrook is obviously the bigger star but you clearly have a man-crush on Swoop! Alright, it's another big outside bet but that's where the fun is...

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] vs. Nadia Snow vs. Grace Harper [I]J-RO is still a cut above the other ladies here.[/I] [B]The Gatekeepers (c)[/B] vs. Platinum 12” – MAW Tag Team titles [I]Since when did Jefferson Stardust have the aerial ability or flashiness to pull off a shooting star press ?! Anyway I can't see the rock gods coming away with the belts here. [/I] [B]Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin [I]Could go the other way but I'm backing the masked men for the win.[/I] [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy – non-title [I]Main event champion > Upper Midcard Champion[/I]

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=Tigerkinney;729443] [I]Since when did Jefferson Stardust have the aerial ability or flashiness to pull off a shooting star press ?! [/I] [/QUOTE] [I]If that's your only problem with Stardust and Campbell getting a title shot... :p Stardust is at D for Aerial and D+ for Flashiness, with a C+ for Safety. Not ideal, but I figure he can do a SSP as his big finish :)[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 19th April 2014[/CENTER] Joanne Rodriguez vs. Nadia Snow vs. Grace Harper[/B] to become the [I]#1 contender[/I] Snow and Harper showed no compunction in the early going as they ganged up on Rodriguez. Rodriguez was able to get in some shots on the smaller Snow, but the arrogant Harper had the sense and timing to hang back – and jump Rodriguez. It seemed that all that would prolong Rodriguez’ chances would be her opponents’ bickering over who would take the pin when Alicia Strong calmly made her way down to ringside. Catching Grace Harper’s eye, she beckoned the USPW star over to talk. As Harper had her back turned, Rodriguez hit a desperation superkick on Snow to put her down and, before Harper had the chance to react, score the pin to move to the title match at Americana! Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (C-) * Alicia Strong stood on the outside, smirking at Rodriguez. [COLOR="Blue"]“Well, that all worked splendidly,” she said. “I’m sorry, Jo. I haven’t been around too much lately. I know you’ve been missing me, but I wanted to be in peak condition ahead of our match on Saturday. “Oh yes, I knew that it would be our match. I wanted to make sure of it – the only variable was whether you could win your qualifier earlier this month, but I had faith you had that much talent at least. We had to take Lauren Easter out of the equation, naturally – you might have felt some overactive sense of guilt about the way you treated her a few months ago, and let her win the shot, and I didn’t want that. “How are things between the two of you, by the way? Still BFF?”[/COLOR] She grinned, and Rodriguez’ look of loathing at her nemesis intensified. [COLOR="Blue"]“Having Nadia in the match made it that much easier for you to win, of course, but you still needed my help. It just goes to show that you’re an inferior opponent, Joanne. You always will be. I’ve faced you so many times, and beaten you so many times, that I know everything there is to know about you. And on Saturday, having beaten you so many times I’ve actually kinda lost count, I’ll add the final nail in the coffin by pinning you with the title on the line. Enjoy it, Joanne. This is as close as you’ll ever get to the title, because after Saturday, you never get another shot at it.”[/COLOR] Alicia spun on her heel and strutted up the aisle, looking very pleased with herself. Rip noted that with Elite backing her, Strong was in a comfortable position right now. Rodriguez glared at her as she left, but in the background it was also noticeable Nadia Snow didn’t look too happy about her treatment by Alicia either. * [B]The Gatekeepers (c) vs. Platinum 12”[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Tag Team titles[/COLOR] This was little more than a punking on the part of the champions. The rock star duo took a resounding beating in the early going before Odam managed to catch Powell with a low blow. As he was admonished by the referee, Gianna slid into the ring with a guitar, which she slid to Stardust before catching the referee’s attention. As the referee dealt with the 12”ers errant manager, Stardust cracked Powell across the back of the head with the guitar, before burying it in Ota’s gut. The challengers took Ota over the top rope with a double clothesline, before scaling adjacent turnbuckles and taking flight with a stunning Double Star Press. The referee turned around to see Stardust making the cover and while he looked askance for a moment, Gianna had swiftly cleared the guitar and herself from the ring, and he had no choice but to count the three and give the title victory to the unfancied duo of Platinum 12”! Winners: Platinum 12” (D-) * As Gianna strapped the title belts around their waists, Odam and Stardust celebrated as though they’d just led the charge to a Superbowl. With the belts securely fastened, they played to the crowd, really overegging it as the fans looked on in disbelief at their victory, and Powell and Ota tried to gather their senses. [COLOR="Blue"]“The supergroup collects another accolade,”[/COLOR] Stardust announced. [COLOR="Blue"]“Another trophy, another award... This one is so special to us because it’s voted for by the fans and not some suits in a boardroom somewhere...”[/COLOR] Odam took the mic from his somewhat spacey partner. [COLOR="Blue"]“They said it couldn’t be done, that we weren’t ready, but in this business which depends so much on having the right look, or the right people behind you, we’ve proven that pure talent can sometimes take you all the way to the gold!”[/COLOR] * [COLOR="slategrey"]“Well now,”[/COLOR] Kid Arachnid said thoughtfully, as he leaned against a wall backstage. [COLOR="slategrey"]“I came here, aiming to make a statement on behalf of this company. I figured Elite would make me jump through all kinds of hoops before I got a real shot at them. Now it seems like they’re being handed out like candy on Hallowe’en.”[/COLOR] Beneath the mask, the impression was that Arachnid was smiling. [COLOR="slategrey"]“I gotta say, I smell a trap.[/COLOR] [COLOR="slategrey"]“Still, I come in here, calling myself a big damn hero, and I guess I gotta live up to that. So Trent Shaffer... Okay. You got yourself a match. At Americana, it’ll be you and me, one on one. But if the rest of Elite are thinking about getting involved, well, I got my crew keeping an eye on you. I haven’t got them keeping an eye on me, though, ‘cos in my crew we know to trust each other.[/COLOR] [COLOR="slategrey"]“Just a thought I’m gonna leave out there for you to ponder before tomorrow night.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kid Arachnid, El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly vs. Joss Thompson, Davis Wayne Newton and Ruin[/B] Basic six-man action, with every man getting his spell in the ring. Ruin was the ‘secret’ weapon of the Internationals, being brought in to keep the Firm trio in check with some thunderous power moves. Heroe and Fly tried to keep him at bay with quickfire teamwork, while Arachnid bravely – if somewhat futilely – went toe-to-toe with the bigger man. The Internationals faired worse when Thompson or Newton was in the ring, as the Firm trio worked smoothly together, the three masked men switching in and out with an ease that belied their recent alliance. However, the decisive moment came when the match degenerated into an all-out brawl. Inevitably, Ruin had the best of the fight with Thompson and Newton sending Firm members his way for clotheslines, suplexes and a thunderous chokeslam on Fire Fly. The referee was able to clear the ring, but it was a simple matter then for Newton to snare Fly in a Fisherman’s Suplex to score the win for his team. After the bell, Thompson taunted Fly as the youngster lay unmoving on the mat, and Heroe shoved him away from his fallen friend. The two men went nose-to-nose, yelling at and shoving each other before Newton and Arachnid intervened, separating the two men as Ruin watched on unemotionally. Winners: Internationals (C) * Swoop McCarthy was shown backstage, pumping out an impressive number of reps on a bench press machine. He smirked as he sat up. [COLOR="Teal"]“Swoop’s workouts are synchronised. Right now, it’s multiples of nineteen. Nineteen title defences, nineteen reps, or thirty-eight reps, or fifty-seven reps – and so on. [/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“You see, Swoop is the greatest Traditional champion of all time. Swoop has held this title for ten months now – a record! Swoop has defended this title more times than anyone else. Swoop is the fastest-rising superstar this company has ever seen. MAW legend says that Kirk Jameson rose from nothing to World champion in five years. Five years![/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“Tonight Swoop McCarthy takes on the Iron Man. No titles are on the line, but a win for Swoop and she’ll be right, Swoop will have to be next in line for a shot at the big belt. The first ever Traditional and World champion? Swoop thinks that sounds worthy of one as great as he is.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“Don’t take Swoop the wrong way. Tim Westybrook is one hell of a fighter. He’s strong, maybe the strongest wrestler around. Swoop is plenty strong, but the champ is in a different class. However, Swoop is faster, Swoop is more athletic, Swoop is more charismatic, and in every other way, Swoop is better.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“Tonight Tim Westybrook will see the future – and the future is Swoop!”[/COLOR] * [B]Tim Westybrook vs. Swoop McCarthy[/B] This was a non-title match, but with both men holding titles that didn’t mean much at all – especially with Joe Sexy making his way down the aisle almost as soon as the bell rang and taking up residence at ringside. He watched the contest closely but silently, not taking the attention of either competitor beyond an occasional glance. The two big men threw thunderous blows at one another, cutting loose with their most powerful strikes as each tried to outdo the other. Swoop tried for a Running Powerslam and a Swoop Stunner, but Westybrook was able to escape both. Westybrook attempted a Powerbomb, but Swoop blocked it. When he went for a TNT Whirlwind, Sexy finally interfered, grabbing Westybrook’s ankle and tripping the World champion, bring McCarthy down on top of him for a two-count. Westybrook just avoided defeat by kicking out at the last split second, and pitching Swoop off him and halfway across the ring. Wesybrook grabbed Sexy and dragged him into the ring, and when the two began to brawl, the referee had no choice but to DQ Swoop, who seemed to know nothing much about it, Sexy and Westybrook continuing to slug away at one another as the show went off the air. Winner: Tim Westybrook (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: Why, James, why? And other stuff...[/I]

[Slim Jim]

HAHA! I knew it was the right call to make :p And Swoop getting DQed is a screwy finish. I'll take that as a clean sweep! ...except the match I got wrong.

[James Casey]

So, yeah. I put the tag team belts on Ash and Stardust. There’s a few reasons for that. Number one is that the tag belts belong to a division that’s dropped down the card since I joined. I don’t much like that, but there’s no point pretending otherwise. At one point, with the teams comprised of midcard and upper midcard workers, the prestige of the belts was bordering on main event calibre. Now, no question, it’s the least prestigious of the divisions. I may have canned the Wilkes Brothers, but they were just the embodiment of the deterioration in quality associated with the tag division. Two, there’s a great temptation with the tag belts to use them as a sop to the ‘midcard title run’ promise, which just derails the point of building tag teams at all. I want my teams to have a specialised skillset, and having them beaten by two singles guys tagging up fairly randomly doesn’t sit well with me. There are exceptions, of course – Fly and Heroe would beat most tag teams comfortably, but they have talent and chemistry on their side. Sexy and Roberts have experience and have proven themselves at the top. They would beat the Party Animals or whoever. But sending Deeley and Newton against Team Honor? Much, much closer – and to be honest, until D/N (or T/N or T/D – all three combinations have a low-level priority to build up teamwork) have greater team experience, Team Honor’s teamwork would be the great equaliser, as it should be. Finally... I want to see if I can make something of the two of them. I can’t promise they’ll enjoy a long run, but the idea is to see if having two mediocre workers with great experience (like The Canadian Blondes) can make a good thing of teaming. We’ll see. * Jay has entered negotiations on an extension to his TCW contract. Backstage, Rip is happy. Jay, when he deigns to put in appearance, is happy. In fact, he’s so happy that it’s almost contagious – he wants to be out west, although he drops in when they come by here. When he is here, the office girls – and there can be no more precise description of them, as a bigger collection of low-product, no-talent seat warmers it would be hard to find – are cheerful and giggly. This isn’t because Jay is an inspiring manager or anything like that. He just likes to use the company’s money (That part of the accounts labelled as ‘Misc.’) to throw lavish lunches where he plies the girls with decent drink, rich food and his ‘superstar’ status and proceeds to ---- as many of them as he can before it’s time for him to head back off to TCW again. Rip knows about this, but he turns a blind eye. There’s a couple of reasons for this: One, Rip was just like this back in the day. Let’s not forget that Jay was the product of a one night stand. Is it genetic? Is it cultural? Is Jay just a guy who can’t keep it in his pants? Second, Jay doesn’t drink. Ever. He’s not straight edge or anything like that, but to my knowledge no alcohol has ever passed Jay’s lips. He likes to party – and his consumption of energy drinks, caffeine pills and other legal stimulants has become something of a running joke among the girls, I’m told – but he keeps a clear head when he does so. When he was backstage at a recent On Tour that coincided with TCW’s schedule, he sat down with some of the other young workers and ran through his lists of conquests in the MAW and TCW offices, with names, dates, times (and time) and marks out of ten in various categories. Slightly queasy though it sounds – and there were some definite grumblings from some of the less open-minded members of the roster, which is nearly everyone – I was at least impressed with his memory. I have no reason to doubt that Jay’s version of events is true, and it’s a testament to his memory that he can recall so much. I wonder if Jay would still be like this if and when he officially takes over? I’ve given this some thought of late. If and when Rip retires (or the other thing), then Jay will be the owner of MAW, same as Alicia is for USPW. When that happens, Jay will have to be the boss – not the boss’ son, not one of the boys. A lot of people only know Jay as Jay, but he’ll have to be the new Mr. Chord. Of course, Jay isn’t around that much, and I don’t anticipate that changing when he takes over. His priority will always be TCW, or whichever other large fed takes a flyer on him. He’s a good wrestler, and will make his mark wherever he goes. We’ll have to see whether he’s content to let myself and Reese continue to run the day-to-day side of things, as we do under Rip. That’s assuming, of course, that Reese re-signs with us when her contract comes up in a few weeks. It’s not a given – she doesn’t seem to have found any common ground with her fellow women in the weeks since Jay expanded the company. [I]Next: Americana preview[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: It's not so much that I'm giving you all homework, but something to think about: I'm considering running a month-end show where I'd throw open the card to public participation. I have one particular match in mind (a World title shot for a midcarder, mainly to let me assess his potential), but the rest of the show would be up for grabs. I'm not certain on this, but I [U]have[/U] got one show in the calendar where I don't know for certain what I want to do with it, thanks to a case of bad chemistry spoiling my plans. If there's any matches in particular you'd like to see, let me know and I'll see if anything suggested takes my fancy.[/I] [QUOTE] [B][CENTER]MAW.com preview: Americana[/CENTER][/B] KC Glenn vs. Jean Cattley KC Glenn was out of action for weeks after what turned out to be an attack from Elite – the group that Jean Cattley revealed himself to be allied with last month. Glenn is, understandably, not pleased, and he wants to gain some revenge against his one-time mentor. Cattley, for his part, just wants a chance to beat on one of the members of the new version of The Firm. Eddie Powell vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Powell lost his tag team title on the most recent episode of Nationwide, but his record and talent mean that he’s a more than capable challenger for Swoop’s Traditional title, while Swoop will be looking to make his twentieth defence, something that would doubtless make him shout even louder about his achievements. Kid Arachnid vs. Trent Shaffer Arachnid is out to take down Elite, and he aims to start at Americana by beating Trent Shaffer. For his part, Shaffer almost seems likable – until you remember that he’s been sent by his bosses to destroy MAW. Shaffer may seem less than enthused about his task, but Arachnid is more than ready to hold him accountable. El Heroe Mexicano vs. Joss Thompson When Thompson mocked the defeated Amazing Fire Fly at the end of the Firm/Internationals six-man on Nationwide, he might have done well to remember that Heroe was right there, and doesn’t take kindly to opponents mocking his partner. The two have agreed to a match to settle their difference, and if the build-up has been short, it’s nonetheless heated. Gino Montero (c) vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title The All Action title almost guarantees an unusual match, and this Saturday should see no different. With the match stipulation yet to be announced, we do know that the title will be contested between the champion, who has been dubbed ‘McFly Mk. II’, and the man they call the ‘Triple Threat’. Two of the best all-rounders in the business: Whatever match they have, it should be a good one. Joanne Rodriguez vs. Alicia Strong (c) – MAW Women’s title Alicia Strong has said that this match is the last time she’s prepared to fight Joanne Rodriguez – she’s not interested in beating her anymore! However, can you ever count out the talented J-Ro? This is Rodriguez’ first one-on-one shot at Strong’s title, and you can be sure that if it’s to be her [I]only[/I] shot that she will want to make the best of it. Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title Sexy handed Westybrook his first defeat in MAW last month, something that Elite are very proud of. In doing so, he earned this World title shot, and is determined to win and speed the destruction of MAW. As for Westybrook, he’s not normally one to get caught up in causes, but this month Sexy has let his actions do the talking, and targeted the champ time and again, both by himself, and through his Elite colleagues. Westybrook isn’t impressed – and he intends to gain ‘personal and professional satisfaction’ by defeating Sexy. Be sure to join us at 8pm at Centrepiece Bridge as MAW brings you Americana! [/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW Americana[/B] KC Glenn vs. Jean Cattley Eddie Powell vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Kid Arachnid vs. Trent Shaffer El Heroe Mexicano vs. Joss Thompson Gino Montero (c) vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title Joanne Rodriguez vs. Alicia Strong (c) – MAW Women’s title Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

KC Glenn vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Joss Thompson [B]Gino Montero[/B] (c) vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title Joanne Rodriguez vs. [B]Alicia Strong [/B](c) – MAW Women’s title [B]Tim Westybrook[/B] (c) vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Americana[/B] KC Glenn vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Joss Thompson [B]Gino Montero (c)[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title Joanne Rodriguez vs. [B]Alicia Strong (c)[/B] – MAW Women’s title [B]Tim Westybrook (c)[/B] vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title

[Timber]

MAW Americana KC Glenn vs. Jean Cattley KC Glenn (likely a DQ) Eddie Powell vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Swoop with the win. Kid Arachnid vs. Trent Shaffer Kid with the win. El Heroe Mexicano vs. Joss Thompson El Heroe wins as he rocks. Gino Montero (c) vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title Gino stays the champ, though i'm becoming a DWN mark. Joanne Rodriguez vs. Alicia Strong (c) – MAW Women’s title Alicia wins. Though i'd like to see J-Ro take the belt. Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title I can't seem Tim loosing the belt to Sexy.

[Hyde Hill]

[B]KC Glenn [/B]vs. Jean Cattley Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Joss Thompson [B]Gino Montero (c)[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] vs. Alicia Strong (c) – MAW Women’s title [B]Tim Westybrook (c)[/B] vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title

[Remianen]

Matches I'd like to see: Easter-Strong-Rodriguez: TLC, Ultimate Submission, or House of Fun Westybrook-Sexy: Barbed Wire Death Match (American or Japanese) Swoop-Deeley (or Westybrook or Sexy): Folsom Prison match (Brawl based, steel cell, win by Knock Out only) Hell, for that matter, Deeley-Cattley: No Mas match (basically Ultimate Submission in a cell, 30 min minimum, falls count only if by submission) but only if Deeley wins and retires Cattley (can't stand that sumbitch).

[Tigerkinney]

MAW Americana KC Glenn vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] [I]Cattley wins here, to continue re-establishing himself as a top heel.[/I] Eddie Powell vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [I]Just don't see Powell being the one to end Swoop's long reign with this belt.[/I] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [I]Not sure who is behind the mask this time, but I feel he needs to continue winning to established himself as a major force on the babyface side.[/I] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Joss Thompson [I]In singles competion, I just see Heroe being a cut above Mr Thompson.[/I] [B]Gino Montero (c)[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton – MAW All Action title [I]Wouldn't be too shocked if it went the other way, as the All Action belt is basically the 'Title Promise' belt but feel Gino retains here.[/I] Joanne Rodriguez vs. [B]Alicia Strong (c)[/B] – MAW Women’s title [I]My heart says J-Ro as I would like to see her finally get that big elusive win over Strong, but with the backing of Elite my head says Strong. I'll go with my head and hope that I'm proved wrong.[/I] [B]Tim Westybrook (c)[/B] vs. Joe Sexy – MAW World title [I]Sexy won't be the one in Elite or any other stable for that matter to end Westybrooks reign as the World Champion.[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: So, funny story. You know how, when you have a TV deal, you can go into the show's details and adjust the show length? I didn't - I thought it had to be done through negotiations. I may have a bit more time available on Nationwide now I've worked that out...[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Americana Saturday, 20th April 2014[/CENTER] Kid Arachnid vs. Trent Shaffer[/B] I don’t often leave matches like this entirely in the laps of the gods, but on this occasion I sent Shaffer and Arachnid out with orders to enjoy themselves – but with these two I had a good feeling. They put on a great first match, pitching each other around the ring with abandon, popping the crowd with big moves before stalling just enough to let them get their breath back. It really could have gone either way, and both men were intent on showing their best without needing to resort to chicanery of any manner, and when Shaffer caught Arachnid with a Heart Burn for the win, even the crowd applauded the effort of the two. Winner: Trent Shaffer (B-) * After the bell, Shaffer made his way up the ramp, arms held aloft in celebration. Arachnid took the mic. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Trent, congratulations,”[/COLOR] he said, rubbing his chest. [COLOR="slategray"]“You, ow, got me – fair and square. Seems like I won’t be saying that much about your buddies, so I figure I oughtta call it when it does happen.”[/COLOR] He nodded to Shaffer, who looked slightly confused before he disappeared backstage. * We cut to the locker room area where Joss Thompson and Davis Wayne Newton were kibitzing about the show. Suddenly, the door burst open and El Heroe Mexicano stood in the doorway, glowering at the pair. He pointed at Newton. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Leave.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Yeah, er, I think you got this Joss. I’ll catch you later.”[/COLOR] Newton beat a hasty retreat, leaving Thompson alone. Almost unconsciously, he moved behind a table. [COLOR="blue"]“What do you want, El?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“You were laughing at my friend when he got hurt by your pet bruiser. Some might say I should have broken you in two there and then... All I know is that tonight I get to beat you in front of over three and a half thousand fans, and I know that all of them want to see you beg for mercy.”[/COLOR] Heroe leaned over the table, and Thompson stepped back. [COLOR="royalblue"]“Now, [I]el jefé[/I] agreed to the match, so tonight we’re going to see you suffer.”[/COLOR] Thompson scowled before leaning on the table himself, so that he was nearly nose-to-nose with Heroe. [COLOR="blue"]“That’s you, isn’t it El? A lot of talk – but no achievements. You see, I’ve heard a lot about you. Ever since you debuted, people have been talking about you as the best all-round wrestler in the world, but I’ve been studying you. You haven’t done squat.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“I haven’t done... squat? Thompson, three months ago I got in the ring at the Rip Chord Invitational, and I went through your buddies Newton and Deeley on the way to winning that title.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Yeah, and you know something? I wasn’t there that night – so it means squat. You see, El, us Internationals are united by one thing: Every one of us believes we’re the greatest in the world. Deeley is an American trained in Canada. Newton is a Canadian trained in America. I’m an American trained in Europe. We all do things differently, but we’ve all travelled the world. And one of us is the best in the world. You see, you beat Newton and Deeley – so you’re good. But you’ve never beaten me, El. And until you do that... you haven’t done squat.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="royalblue"]“Fine. Tonight, I beat you. I get your third man. I make my buddy sleep a little better in the hospital. And [I]amigo[/I], you’d better believe that after tonight all your big talk about how good you are won’t mean... squat.”[/COLOR] * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. Joss Thompson[/B] Thompson mimed shedding crocodile tears before locking up, which seemed to drive Heroe that little bit madder. Thompson wore a calculating grin as he slapped and jabbed at his angry opponent, even going so far as to pull at his mask in a lucha libre no-no. It was clear that his game plan was to infuriate Heroe into making a mistake, and his manager Haley Buck was in on the act as well, inserting herself into the match to the best of her abilities. Heroe seemed to catch on to the plan, and was visibly working hard to keep his cool, but suddenly the International pair switched gears as Buck pulled the referee out of position, allowing Thompson to pull a set of brass knuckles from his pocket and blast Heroe with them, putting him down for a lot more than three. Winner: Joss Thompson (C+) * Gino Montero and Davis Wayne Newton were both in the ring and ready for their match when I made my way around in front of the announcers’ table. [COLOR="Green"]“Sorry, sorry – I’ll forget my own head next. This is a match for the All Action title, and we need a stipulation. I saw some guys painting the backstage area, and I asked to borrow something from them...”[/COLOR] Reaching under the ring, I pulled out a ladder and set it up beside the ring steps. [COLOR="green"]“Well, you get the idea,”[/COLOR] I said, as the referee took the title belt and attached it to a rope hanging from the ceiling. * [B]Gino Montero (c) vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW All Action[/COLOR] title in a [COLOR="purple"]Ladder match[/COLOR] With The Firm 0 and 2 after two matches, it was clear that a lot of hopes were resting on Montero’s shoulders if the sole declared opposition to Elite’s reign of terror weren’t going to go down with a whimper at their first big show. In the early going, it seemed that Montero had the bases covered – he was clearly more at home going airborne than Newton, who’s hardly a slouch in that department himself. The two stayed in the ring for the first several minutes, with Newton trying to ground his opponent, only to discover that Montero is no slouch in that area either – he was able to take everything Newton threw at him, and give it back with some extra added for flavour. Indeed, it was only when Newton’s manager Lisa Bowen tried to get involved that Montero lost focus, staring her down until she climbed off the apron and backed away from the ring. But that was more than enough of an opening for the ‘Triple Threat’ to take advantage of. Jumping Montero from behind, he nearly annihilated him with a half-nelson suplex, dropping Montero hard on the back of his head and leaving him folded in two. Bowen, meanwhile, had grabbed the ladder from the aisle and was sliding it into the ring. Newton grabbed the ladder and set it up on top of Montero’s crumpled body before starting to scale the rungs, taking his time as he sneered at Montero and played to Bowen who, from behind her giant shades, looked very taken with the Canadian star. Newton, however, suddenly found that he had something more important to worry about as Montero began to stir and, improbably, began to rise to all fours, the ladder across his back, but moving inch by painstaking inch. Newton made a desperate grab for the belt but it was beyond his reach as he was tilted further and further away from the prize. Finally he had no choice but to drop free of the ladder, hitting the middle rope on his way down and bouncing out of the ring to the arena floor. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling for several long moments as a visibly distressed Bowen tried to tend to him. Rising groggily to his feet he turned back to the ring – as Bowen shrieked and dived for cover, and Montero shoved the ladder through the ropes, ramming the top of it into Newton’s face and dropping him like a stone. From there, it was a simple matter for Montero to set the ladder up himself and climb to the top, grabbing the All Action belt for another successful defence. Winner: Gino Montero (C+) * Swoop McCarthy and Eddie Powell faced one another across the ring. Swoop took up a mic: [COLOR="Teal"]“Now then mate, be honest, do you see yourself walking out of here with the title? You’re going up against a man one win shy of twenty defences. Swoop didn’t get that record by being easy to beat, and tonight you get to witness first hand the awesomeness that is Swoop. The future cometh...”[/COLOR] Swoop teased his sunglasses forward so that they sat on the tip of his nose. [COLOR="teal"]“...and the future is Swoop!”[/COLOR] * [B]Eddie Powell vs. Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] There was one other reason for taking the tag team belts off Eddie and Ota, and that’s that Eddie’s contract came up a few weeks ago. I have a lot of time for Eddie Powell. We brought him in on the back of a series of strong showings on the indies, and he’s impressed throughout. The man rarely puts on a bad match, and is capable of making diamonds from coal on occasion. But the simple truth is that he’s a fringe main eventer at best, and usually not even that. For that reason, when he asked for main event money, well, we couldn’t agree a deal. This, then, is likely to be Eddie’s swansong, and he leaves doing what he’s done for us on so many occasions: Putting over the other guy in a strong (but crucially not outstanding) effort, falling to a Swoop Stunner as the big Australian marked up defence #20. Winner: Swoop McCarthy (C) * Jean Cattley was backstage in the Elite locker room. He stretched out, looking confident. [COLOR="Navy"]“KC, you always had promise. Hell, if I remember right you even came up to New York and got shown around by some of the boys. Now, you couldn’t make it there, but there’s no shame in that – it takes the best to survive in the big leagues. “I’ve been there for years, KC. I made it. You didn’t. Maybe next time, huh? But right now, you just haven’t got what it takes to be supreme.”[/COLOR] * [B]KC Glenn vs. Jean Cattley[/B] This was a case of mentor and student, and throughout the match the recurring theme was that Glenn was a split-second slower to react, a fraction less skilled, and a lot less experienced than his opponent. He was able to make up ground with energy and speed of movement that Cattley doesn’t possess, and the result was a close contest, as on commentary we emphasised that Glenn was the least experienced member of The Firm – but still a former RCI champion, among other accomplishments. Cattley grew annoyed quickly at his former ally’s stubbornness in prolonging the contest, but seemed to feel that he had a point to prove as he resisted the temptation to cheat as others had done during the show. In the end, experience told as Glenn was suckered into going for a Sweet Sweet Heartbreak before Cattley was ready, and the veteran nailed him with a swinging neckbreaker before finishing him off with a Mood Swing for the win. Winner: Jean Cattley (C-) * A short hype video was played promoting the World title match: Tim Westybrook capturing the World title, Joe Sexy winning the All Action title, Cattley joining Elite as he cracked a chair over Westybrook’s head, Sexy handing Westybrook his first defeat, Westybrook’s manager saying how important defeating Sexy was, and finally Sexy attacking Cattley just twenty-four hours before. [COLOR="Blue"]“This is how we got here,”[/COLOR] Jerome Turner proclaimed. [COLOR="blue"]“But what will happen next?”[/COLOR] * [B]Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Joe Sexy[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW World title[/COLOR] Subtlety. Intricate technical exchanges. Airborne ballet akin to watching a WWII dogfight. If you expected any of that stuff here, you haven’t been paying attention. Mindful of their previous ‘match’ we took a chance on putting these two on second last, which is just as well – Sexy has a lot going for him, but chemistry with Westybrook isn’t one of them. It was a decent brawl, and Sexy enlivened it with his outrageous mannerisms, but never quite rose as high as I would have liked. Sexy did try some technical moves – clearly he’d been studying off his partner Roberts – to slow Westybrook down and blunt his incredible strength, but Westybrook powered through. Sexy had more luck working his usual brawling style, but even here he seemed outclassed by Westybrook, and on commentary Jerome speculated that Sexy might feel lucky that Westybrook was no longer a part of The Firm, as he seemed to have the Elite leader’s number. In frustration, Sexy bailed out of the ring and grabbed a chair, apparently willing to sacrifice a DQ loss – but when he swung, Westybrook simply caught the chair on the flat of his hand. Katie Cameron quickly called the ref over and explained that Westybrook wanted a decisive result, no DQ. He wanted to know if he could beat Sexy for his professional pride. Back in the match, and Sexy tried for a One Night Stand, but it was a desperation move, and Westybrook simply wasn’t ready. Instead, he blasted Sexy with a series of elbow strikes before delivering a Double Powerbomb for the win. Winner: Tim Westybrook (C+) * We had a split-screen of Joanne Rodriguez and Alicia Strong finishing up their preparations ahead of the main event. [COLOR="Green"]“We asked these two competitors for comments ahead of this match, but both declined as they wanted to focus on the contest ahead.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Smart move – a match like this will take it out of both of them.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Rip, you had one of the all-time classic rivalries with Alicia’s father, but did you ever have an opponent who had a hoodoo over you like Strong has had over Rodriguez?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Never. I managed it a few times myself, but I always believed I was going to win.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Could that be the difference tonight? Might J-Ro break through the block that’s prevented her beating Alicia Strong over the last year?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“It’s been an incredible seven matches without success for Rodriguez. Alicia must be feeling pretty good about her chances ahead of this main event.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“And don’t forget, Strong engineered events so she had her chosen challenger, just like her old man used to do back in the day. I always got my shot, though.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Strong against Rodriguez – it’s always a great match, that much we can agree on.”[/COLOR] * [B]Joanne Rodriguez vs. Alicia Strong (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Women’s title[/COLOR] Perhaps there was something in the air, or it was just the fact that these two are so very familiar with one another, or even maybe that they’re the best female wrestlers in America. Whatever it was, this was a classic match-up, even topping their previous efforts. Strong seemed certain in the early going that, as previously claimed, she had seen all that Rodriguez had to offer. She countered everything J-Ro threw at her, and in turn was able to land a series of hard elbow strikes before taking it to the mat and working over Rodriguez’ legs – a move that could take the J-Rocker from Rodriguez’ arsenal, I noted on commentary. However, at around the five minute mark Rodriguez exploded out of the blocks with a series of huge right hands, slipping in a few quick lefts as well to send Strong scurrying for cover. She made for the aisle, and for a moment she looked lost. Rip theorised that she was looking for help from Elite – but both the other representatives present tonight had fought hard earlier in the show. Rodriguez, in any case, was hot on her heels. She grabbed Strong by the hair and dragged her back into the ring, where she mounted her nemesis and began to slam her fists into her face once more, raising bruises quickly before the referee could drag her off and admonish her for unsporting behaviour. An opening like that might have seen Strong take advantage, but she seemed too stunned at the way Rodriguez was manhandling her to get her senses together. Instead, she waited cautiously for the fight to resume and tried to find a way through to J-Ro, but her challenger was displaying a cold fury – [COLOR="Purple"]“I hope you’re watching, Heroe,”[/COLOR] Rip remarked – that had her blocking all Strong’s attempts, before firing off a brutal headbutt that split the bridge of Strong’s nose open, in a decided rarity for women’s wrestling in the States. Seemingly energised by the sight of her own blood, Strong went on the offensive, displaying the skills that have seen her hailed as the best female fighter in the world. Rodriguez fell back in the face of the onslaught and was forced to cover up – but was ready for Strong to make a mistake, which she did when she turned to play to the crowd in anticipation of her win. Rodriguez lashed out and caught her in the gut with a big boot, and followed it up by dropping to her knees and unleashing the mother of all uppercuts, snapping Strong’s head back and knocking her flat on her back. Rodriguez scaled the turnbuckles and waited for Strong to rise, which she did slowly and unsteadily, taking almost a minute before she was on both feet. Rodriguez sprang out into mid-air, and Strong dropped to the mat, letting Rodriguez sail over and even giving a little wave as she did so. Rodriguez hit hard, rolling into the corner and Strong was quickly on her feet, a little unsteady after the uppercut, but the fire in her eyes burning brightly as she approached her fallen foe. Grabbing Rodriguez by the hair, she hauled her upright- -and was nailed flush in the face with a Strong Arm Tactic! Strong toppled backwards once more, hitting the mat in a boneless heap, clearly out cold. Rodriguez toppled forwards, landing on all fours and crawling slowly and painfully across to make the cover, but in all fairness she could have taken much longer. The referee counted the three and Rodriguez had not only beaten Alicia Strong for the first time, but also won the Women’s title! [COLOR="blue"]“In the end, Strong knew a lot of what J-Ro could do, but she failed to take one thing into account: Rodriguez knew just as much about her as well!”[/COLOR] Jerome proclaimed, as Rodriguez was handed the title belt and broke down in tears in the middle of the ring. [COLOR="blue"]“Congratulations, Joanne Rodriguez, our new Women’s champion!”[/COLOR] Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (B-) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I]Next: Dealing with some of Jay's fallout...[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Echo, echo, echo...[/I] * This had the potential to be awkward. Reese Paige was sat across the desk from me, an obstinate look on her face. It was time to negotiate her contract, and I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be the easy task it had been in years gone by. [COLOR="Green"]“So, Reese, are you willing to stay?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“You know that this company isn’t the same that it was six months ago, James.”[/COLOR] I nodded – there was a lot that was different. [COLOR="Magenta"]“I’ve been shunted aside, and you allowed that to happen.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Yes, I did,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“At the time all this work was done, three people had money invested in MAW. I was one of the three, and I had the least invested. I could have gone to bat for you, Reese, but I know which fights I can win and which I can’t. Jay doesn’t know and doesn’t care what you do around here, and Rip has pretty much left the running of things up to me for so long that I don’t think he wholly realises how much of it you do. “Yes, I could have probably got you more recognition, but for what? You want one of these offices? You have to kick one of us out. I’d love to see you usurping Jay, truly I would, but until such time as you have six figures riding on what goes on in this office, you don’t have a stake.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“But you still need me.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Yes.”[/COLOR] I did. Reese dealt with a lot of the day-to-day garbage that goes about as well with the creative process as bacon grease does with the arteries of a man awaiting a quadruple heart bypass. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Then I need more money. I’m just an employee. I can walk away at any time. I can move up north, and go to work for Tamara, or to Seattle and work for the Angels, or even to Vegas and work with Marilyn and Honey.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Yeah, you could. And do you know what the little buzz in the industry would be?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“What?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“That you couldn’t make it in a man’s world.”[/COLOR] She gasped, as though slapped. [COLOR="Green"]“Do you want me to mollycoddle you, Reese?”[/COLOR] I asked. [COLOR="Green"]“You’re damned good at your job, and yeah, you’d be hard to replace – but not impossible. You do everything I ask of you, and that’s great. I appreciate and value your efforts, even if the other two don’t. But you know what? I could bring in Katie and have her handle a lot of the stuff you do, and a bit more searching would probably turn up a candidate even more capable.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“Now listen here-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“No, you listen,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“You [I]are[/I] an employee, Reese. A gifted one, and one who certainly deserves a raise, but you have to understand that this company has three owners nowadays. So far, you’re beneath Jay’s notice and Rip seems to think you’re doing your job well enough. I know differently. That harem of bimbos and gaggle of yes-men out there is yours to rule. You don’t like Jay? You want his office? You think his choice in employees is tainted by how good their lips feel against his a---? Fine! Do something about it!”[/COLOR] Reese looked at me in surprise. [COLOR="Magenta"]“Like what?”[/COLOR] she asked, cautiously. I grinned. First the stick, now... [COLOR="Green"]“Well, we’re always looking for locker room leaders, aren’t we?”[/COLOR] She nodded. [COLOR="Green"]“I think that what we need right now is an office leader. I’m willing to give you a raise, Reese, because you certainly deserve one. Off the record, I’m also awarding you a bonus for all your hard work, on one condition.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“What?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I think you could do with a makeover. Nothing drastic,”[/COLOR] I said quickly, holding one hand up to forestall what looked like another angry objection. [COLOR="Green"]“But you keep yourself in good shape, Reese. The right clothes can really make a difference. And the next time Jay comes in and tries to take the typing pool off for an all-expenses paid jolly...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Magenta"]“My girls will be too busy working to go with him,”[/COLOR] she said slowly. [COLOR="Magenta"]“You’re putting me in full control of the back office here?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“It’s more work, but the pay rise should be worth it,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“And if, along the way, you happen to befriend those girls and teach them a little bit about independence, and the need to progress in this world rather than just coast along in the boss’s lap, well... That’s a lesson that could spread, right?”[/COLOR] Reese’s eyes gleamed. [COLOR="Magenta"]“What about the Harvard rejects?”[/COLOR] she asked, using the informal – and not inaccurate – nickname for the small group of males Jay had hired to oversee our production, advertising and marketing arms. [COLOR="Green"]“I have no problems with office romances,”[/COLOR] I said, lightly. [COLOR="Green"]“In fact, I think there might be some lovely couples just waiting to discover each other out there. I can trust you to make this a more pleasant place to work, I’m sure. And if, along the way, you feel the need to step on some toes as you teach them exactly how they should be doing things, well, that’s up to you.”[/COLOR] Reese nodded thoughtfully. [COLOR="Magenta"]“This could be fun,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="Magenta"]“I wonder how Jay will react?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“He can’t object to any changes that make MAW more productive and profitable,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“Look, here’s your contract.”[/COLOR] I slid it across the table for her. [COLOR="Green"]“And your bonus – whether or not you sign, you deserve it.”[/COLOR] A thick wad of fifties drawn from the Misc. account rolled across the table. Reese caught it and looked at it thoughtfully. [COLOR="Green"]“Why don’t you pop into Jay’s office, put your feet up, and think about it?”[/COLOR] I followed her out of the door. She turned right, and let herself into the young man’s fantasy office that Jay called home. I turned left, and cracked open the door to the general office. Jay would have been proud. A couple of the girls – barely out of school – were flirting somewhat cruelly with the Harvard rejects. Others were reading magazines, or surfing the web – Facespace, mainly – while others were doing their makeup or chatting on the phone. One girl was recounting – visually, in a way that was very distracting for the rejects not already distracted – her last date with Jay. It was chaos. Not a one of them produced anything of worth on any given day. I’d let Jay get away with it for a while, but with our TV negotiations coming up once more, it was time for MAW to be much more professional. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] El Heroe Mexicano vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Joanne Rodriguez vs. Grace Harper – non-title Ten Man Battle Royal: Chris Caulfield, Phoenix, Fumihiro Ota and representatives of Elite, The Firm and Internationals face off to name the #1 contender to the MAW World title[/CENTER]