MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Bigpapa42]

Damn, how did I miss making predictions? Sorry, JC! Good show as always. Looking forward to Cattley-Westybrook.

[Tigerkinney]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;757260]Damn, how did I miss making predictions? Sorry, JC! Good show as always. Looking forward to Cattley-Westybrook.[/QUOTE] Apologies from me too, to be honest I didn't realised you had posted up the preview for that show. Anyway I'll make sure I'll grt my predictions in for the big show, there the one's that really matter.

[James Casey]

[I]No problem, guys - I've been missing shows of late, and my update schedule is pretty erratic thanks to little miss C :p[/I] * [QUOTE] [B][CENTER]MAW.com preview: Fan Festival[/CENTER][/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Joe Sexy Brandon Smith has taken up the banner of everyone who’s suffered at the hands of Elite. He sees Joe Sexy as the emblem of all that is wrong with Elite, and all the damage they’ve done to this company, not the least of which is putting Smith’s tag partner Kashmir Singh on the shelf! Sexy is always keen to impress Elite’s superiority, and will want to squash this uprising before The Firm move against the invading group. Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title These two best friends have been at loggerheads at times this year, but of late seem to have settled their differences. However, Easter remains one of the best wrestlers in the company, and that’s put her directly in line for a Women’s title shot here. Can their friendship survive this match, or will their natural competitive streaks kick in, resulting in an all-out clash that forces them to leave no stone unturned in their quest for the Women’s title? Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson Several weeks ago, Ruin blasted Fly with a chokeslam that put the masked man on the shelf for several weeks and turned the attention of The Firm on the Internationals. This Saturday, Fly gets his chance for revenge after several matches involving members of the groups. Swoop McCarthy defends the MAW Traditional title Swoop doesn’t seem to care who he faces – just that he gets a chance to big himself up in front of thousands of fans. At Fan Festival we’re predicting a sell-out 5,000 crowd for MAW’s debut on pay-per-view, and for that reason Swoop has thrown out an open challenge on MAW.com, saying that anyone who has held the Traditional title is welcome to enter the ring and challenge him for it. Could this be Swoop’s ego at play? The only former Traditional champions on the roster right now are Bradford Peverell and Sean Deeley and, with one injured and the other not around on Saturday night, Swoop could add to his treasured 22-defence record by claiming a victory by forfeit. However, MAW.com have learned that one former Traditional champion currently plying his trade in USPW could make a special appearance this Saturday in an attempt to show up the self-obsessed Australian. Kid Arachnid vs. Davis Wayne Newton No-one seems to know who Kid Arachnid is – maybe not even his partners in The Firm. All we know is that he’s here to stop Elite... eventually. Right now, he wants to take down Davis Wayne Newton and his fellow Internationals. As for Newton, he wants to solidify himself as the premier young talent in wrestling today. A run at the All Action title held by Gino Montero was unsuccessful, but a win over Arachnid would make a big impression as, whoever is under the mask, he’s clearly a very talented wrestler. Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Jean Cattley – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match For more than nine months the conflict and uneasy union between these two men has been one of the big stories in MAW. The World title lies at the heart of the conflict, and these two stars have battled several times to inconclusive results. This Saturday there will be thirty minutes to settle matters. With everyone else banned from ringside, and both men’s careers on the line, we are guaranteed that this rivalry will come to an end. One man will leave the ring the reigning World champion, the other will leave the company. We couldn’t ask for a bigger match to headline our first ever pay-per-view, so be sure to contact American Option if you can’t make it to Centrepiece Bridge this Saturday night! Plus: Trent Shaffer will be at the show, and it seems like Elite will be out for answers! [/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW Fan Festival[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Joe Sexy Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson ??? vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title ??? vs. Trent Shaffer Kid Arachnid vs. Davis Wayne Newton Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Jean Cattley – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Joe Sexy [B]Joanne Rodriguez [/B](c) vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Ruin and Joss Thompson[/B] [B]???[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title ??? vs. [B]Trent Shaffer[/B] Kid Arachnid vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Tim Westybrook (c) vs. [B]Jean Cattley [/B]– MAW World title in an Iron Man career match I don't see Jean taking the belt, but I also don't see him losing. So he wins via some type of shenanigans...

[foolinc]

[B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Joe Sexy [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Ruin and Joss Thompson[/B] ??? vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title ??? vs. [B]Trent Shaffer[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton Tim Westybrook (c) vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Fan Festival[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title [B]Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson ??? vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title [B]???[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton Tim Westybrook (c) vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match

[Timber]

MAW Fan Festival “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Joe Sexy Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson ??? vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title ??? vs. Trent Shaffer Kid Arachnid vs. Davis Wayne Newton Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Jean Cattley – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match Smith over Sexy. J-Ro over Easter Ruin and Thompson over Fly and El Heroe. ??? over Swoop. Trent over ??? Kid over DWN (DWN fan but Kid has to go over) Jean over Tim( DQ or no contest)

[Tigerkinney]

“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [I]On one hand this could be just about the right time where BBS finally gets his breakout singles win, but I just think you want to keep the Elite dominance going for a bit longer and really establish them as this major heel threat for the PPV audience.[/I] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title [I]Don't see the womens champ dropping the belt in her first PPV defence.[/I] Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]Ruin and Joss Thompson[/B] [I]Too much size, too much willingness to resort to dirty tricks will see the Internationals pick up the win here[/I] [B]??? [/B]vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title [I]Swoop's arrogance will finally get the better of him, as the mystery returnee become the one to end his long Traditional Title reign.[/I] [B]???[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [I]Two and O for Triple ? tonight, as Shaffer's failure to get the job done here further puts him in the bad books of the rest of the Elite.[/I] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton [I]Arachnid wins to give the Firm so hope, that they can actually come out on top in this faction warfare with Elite and The Internationals.[/I] Tim Westybrook (c) vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match [I]Really tough one to call, but I don't see the Elite storyline being over yet so Cattley retains the title and Westybrook is sent on his way from MAW (maybe he's signed a written deal elsewhere). I just don't see you wanting to book a non finish for your first PPV main event.[/I]

[James Casey]

A few more hours to go before the show goes up. In the meantime, I've been trying to think of a new finisher for Swoop McCarthy to use. I gave him a move called the Swoop Stunner, but I seem to have set it up wrong (maybe as an uber finisher, maybe the weight limit's too low) as he never uses it. The only thing I can think of is Swoop Slam/Swoopslam, so if anyone has anything to throw out, please do!

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=James Casey;758810]A few more hours to go before the show goes up. In the meantime, I've been trying to think of a new finisher for Swoop McCarthy to use. I gave him a move called the Swoop Stunner, but I seem to have set it up wrong (maybe as an uber finisher, maybe the weight limit's too low) as he never uses it. The only thing I can think of is Swoop Slam/Swoopslam, so if anyone has anything to throw out, please do![/QUOTE] He was a babyface in my Gen-S diary, and if I had gone on long enough to get him properly over, I envisioned fans doing a "Swoop! Swoop! Swoop!" chant as he did something "unlikely" to finish off a match. I know he's not an overtly athletic (that I recall) big man, but I always say him doing something just cool up on the ropes - whether a shooting star press, or maybe an "Old School" style top rope walk move... Just something unlikely from the big guy. Picturing him doing a slightly awkward moonsault while fans scream "Swwwooooppppp!!!" brings a grin to my face...

[smurphy1014]

[B]MAW Fan Festival[/B] “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Lauren Easter – MAW Women’s title [B]Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson [B]???[/B] vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title [B]???[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton [B]Tim Westybrook (c)[/B] vs. Jean Cattley – MAW World title in an Iron Man career match

[NoNeck]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;758926] Picturing him doing a slightly awkward moonsault while fans scream "Swwwooooppppp!!!" brings a grin to my face...[/QUOTE] Raise that grin total to two. :)

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=NoNeck;758935]Raise that grin total to two. :)[/QUOTE] And boom, there's your finisher. An awkward looking moonsault called "Daaa Swwooooppp!!!"

[ReapeR]

[QUOTE=Bigpapa42;758936]And boom, there's your finisher. An awkward looking moonsault called "Daaa Swwooooppp!!!"[/QUOTE] I like this as well, however, my first thoughts were of the Swoop Stunner renamed. Maybe a STO Backbreaker out of nowhere, or set-up with Swooop chants from the crowd. "Oh my GAWD! Swoop is going for the DUS!!! The Down Under Stunner..." I don't know, it sounded better in my head. R

[FINisher]

Or 'Thunder From Down Under' which was BHOTWG's Aussie veteran Connor Thompson's finishing move from Cornellverse 1975.

[Bigpapa42]

[QUOTE=ReapeR;759685]I like this as well, however, my first thoughts were of the Swoop Stunner renamed. Maybe a STO Backbreaker out of nowhere, or set-up with Swooop chants from the crowd. "Oh my GAWD! Swoop is going for the DUS!!! The Down Under Stunner..." I don't know, it sounded better in my head. R[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=FINisher;759774]Or 'Thunder From Down Under' which was BHOTWG's Aussie veteran Connor Thompson's finishing move from Cornellverse 1975.[/QUOTE] Like both of these. So why not have all three? The Down Under Stunner is his basic finisher slash set up move for the "Swwooopp!", and the "Down Under Thunder" could be something like a leaping shoulder block or maybe a Hogan style legdrop...? Or maybe the Stunner is his regular finisher and the moonsault is his rarely used uber-move? Endless options on how you can set it up. Maybe the "Swwooopp!" moonsault isn't a great idea... but I can just see it being the kind of move that fans dig when its broken out and could help gradually turn him into a babyface (If that's in the cards).

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Tough main event to write. Went slightly differently than normal, so see what you all make of it. Not something I'd want to use every show, but for adding flavour to the PPVs, it may have potential... As for Swoop, I've gone with Daaa Swooooppp!!! (a top rope uber finisher yet to be decided) and the Stunner From Down Under as a combination of ReapeR and FIN's suggestions. Thanks for the input, all! Oh, and pictures will follow tonight - I just wanted to get this posted now.[/I] * [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Fan Festival Saturday, 20th June 2014[/B][/CENTER] An opening video played, introducing MAW to those watching for the first time, and explaining the storylines behind the night’s matches. * Brandon Smith stood in the centre of the ring to start things off. [COLOR="Blue"]“Joe Sexy, you like to beat down those less able than yourselves. You and your followers put my tag team partner out of action for weeks, and when I tired to exact a little vengeance, you robbed me of my chance. So tonight you’ve got me in this ring. You must think that you’re so clever, but Joe, I’m just going to show you what a big, big mistake that was.“[/COLOR] * [B]“Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Joe Sexy[/B] Not the start that I would have hoped for in this show, but I guess from here things can only get better. The exchanges between these two were more awkward than I might have thought likely, but at least in part can be explained away by Smith being a puro-style wrestler, which always seems to throw his matches off slightly. The two had a spirited brawl nonetheless, and even brawled out at ringside in a bit of a rarity for MAW. That was where the match effectively came to an end as Sexy avoided a spear from Smith that saw the former football star smash headfirst into and through the steel crowd barrier, knocking him cold. His forehead already swelling and colouring a vivid purple, Smith was relatively easy prey for Sexy to drag him into the ring, where the Elite leader pinned him for the win. Winner: Joe Sexy (D+) * Swoop McCarthy stood in the centre of the ring, having issued an open challenge to any former Traditional champion to face him on MAW’s first ever pay-per-view. [COLOR="Teal"]“The list of former champions that have held this belt is actually sort of impressive,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Teal"]“Aaron Andrews, JD Morgan, Hugh de Aske... Swoop welcomes the challenge that a performer of that calibre could bring. Whoever you are, come out and be prepared to become just another statistic in the reign of Swoop.”[/COLOR] After that build-up, the return of Primus Allen to MAW came as something of an anti-climax... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/PrimusAllen.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] * [B]Primus Allen vs. Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] If I say that Allen was the best I can do, you can imagine the lack of talent readily available to throw in against Swoop for this show. Allen showed all the hallmarks that frustrated me during his lengthy tenure with the company, doing everything he could to make his performance look great, and nothing to help his opponent. Swoop did his best, but in the end it turned out kinda flat – not helped by Swoop suddenly realising at the end that he couldn’t hit his finisher on the much larger Allen, and having to improvise a finish for his twenty-third successful defence. Winner: Swoop McCarthy (D+) * [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AmazingFireFly_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ElHeroeMexicano_alt.jpg[/IMG] [I]Credit to jtlant for the amazing alts[/I][/CENTER] Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano – Luchas De Mascaras – were in the ring ahead of their match. They were watching the entrance ramp, awaiting the arrival of their opponents, when instead Joss Thompson and Ruin boiled out of the crowd and into the ring, ambushing the masked man and trying to gain an unlawful advantage. Unfortunately for them, Fly and Heroe seemed more than ready for this as they responded quickly to the attack, pitching Thompson into his partner with a hip toss and then, as Ruin struggled to hold on him, nailing the pair with a double dropkick before the referee restored order and sent the teams to their corners. Thompson glared daggers at the masked duo, and even Ruin looked a bit annoyed at the failure of their plan. * [B]Amazing Fire Fly and El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ruin and Joss Thompson[/B] Hopefully this match got the show on the right track. Ruin and Thompson dominated the early minutes of the contest with Thompson directing from their corner and Ruin smacking heads whenever they came in range. However, Heroe and Fly caught onto Ruin’s hesitancy as he followed the orders – which didn’t always play to his strengths. They were able to use their dazzling speed and intuitive teamwork to take the bigger man down before unleashing a barrage of strikes and attacks that left Ruin down and dazed in the corner – Fly taking particular delight in overcoming the former World champion. Thomspon tagged in reluctantly as, without Ruin to back him up, he struggled to hold his own against the Mexican duo. Thompson is certainly talented, and at times seemed like he might turn the match in the International duo’s favour, but he was outwrestled at the last by Heroe, who set him up for a Sky High Fire Fly as the Firm pairing took a big win. Winner: Fly and Heroe (C+) * Davis Wayne Newton was in the International locker room, and as previously noted it did look a bit nicer than The Firm’s. Rip speculated that Haley Buck and Lisa Bowen made the difference – a woman’s touch and all that. I dared him to say that in front of Katie, and he growled in a non-committal manner into the mic. Meanwhile, Newton turned to the camera. [COLOR="Blue"]“We Internationals can do a job as a tag team,”[/COLOR] he began. [COLOR="blue"]“But we’re best off as singles wrestlers. Kid Arachnid, I told you I’ve been targeting you because you’re good. I want the world to know what I’m capable of, and you’re a handy target for that.”[/COLOR] * We jumped to The Firm’s locker room, which if anything looked a little more Spartan than it had before. Kid Arachnid was intent as he faced the camera. When he spoke, his tone lacked its usual semi-humorous tone and much of its southern accent. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Jean, enjoy your match tonight. Trent, you have one more night to make your mind up. Joe, congratulations. Ernest, Phil... even you, Alicia. After tonight, you have my – and our – undivided attention.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kid Arachnid vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Hmm. Could be hard to follow this. These two just left it all in the ring. I’d told them to do so, but I figured that we were looking at a B-, maybe. They edged that out with one of MAW’s matches of the year, going from bell to bell at full pelt, and barely putting a foot wrong in the between. Newton wanted to show his credentials to be named the rising star of the company, but to his considerable frustration he found that every time he stepped up a gear, Arachnid was there already and had an answer for anything and everything that he threw at him. In the end, Newton tried for a Fisherman’s Suplex, only for Arachnid to reverse into a Cradle Piledriver for the win. Winner: Kid Arachnid (B) * Joe Sexy and Jean Cattley were backstage, discussing strategy ahead of the main event. [COLOR="Blue"]“...look, it’s a good plan, but I think it could stand a little more involvement from us.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“No. Tonight I beat Westybrook and we’re on top of the company. From there, no-one can stand against us.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“What if you lose?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“I won’t. Look, the boss has agreed to this.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Really?”[/COLOR] Sexy looked surprised. [COLOR="navy"]“Would I lie about something like that?”[/COLOR] Cattley demanded. Before Sexy could respond, the locker room door banged open. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Well, ain’t this special,”[/COLOR] Kid Arachnid demanded. He was still caked in sweat from his match, his black and gold mask somehow conveying a radiating anger directed at the members of Elite. [COLOR="slategray"]“The two of you back here, all conspiring and such.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“And what are you planning to do about it, Arachnid?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Nothing. Square root of nothing, even. Westybrook’s a big guy, gotta figure he can look after himself. If not, well, that’s his loss. Truth be told, a little bit of me’s hoping you do win the title tonight. If you do, then there’s me, and KC, and Heroe and Fly all lined up to take it off you. That’s be a pretty sweet cherry on the pie when we send you all out of here.”[/COLOR] Cattley laughed. [COLOR="navy"]“Not going to happen, Arachnid. And who the hell are you under that mask, anyway? I’m sure your voice sounded familiar earlier...”[/COLOR] Arachnid made a circular motion around his face. [COLOR="slategray"]“Mask. Means you don’t get to know who I am. Hell, it don’t even matter all that much. Matters what I do, not who I am. And what I’m about to do is kick you all square in your asses as you head out the door marked ‘Exit’. Maybe you even want to settle it right now? What’ll it take for you to leave this company alone?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“Maybe you didn’t get the memo, Kid. We’re here to close this company down. We’re going to break anyone who stands against us, take any titles that come to hand, and ultimately make sure that no-one wants to wrestle here because we’re too much for anyone to handle. Maybe when we’re done, we’ll even sow the ground with salt to make sure out point gets across.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="slategray"]“Well,”[/COLOR] Arachnid said, after a moment’s consideration. [COLOR="slategray"]“Seems like there’s no common ground there. Good thing this is the wrestling business, and we can settle these things the way God intended – by beating each other senseless.”[/COLOR] The three men glared at one another, before Arachnid turned and walked away. [COLOR="blue"]“Yeah, about that,”[/COLOR] Sexy said at last. [COLOR="blue"]“The boss thought we might need some extra help. So this week we’re getting a couple of his best guns coming down for a spell.”[/COLOR] Cattley nodded. [COLOR="Navy"]“So long as they know who to take orders from down here.”[/COLOR] Sexy nodded. [COLOR="blue"]“Me.”[/COLOR] The two men exchanged a long, loaded glare of their own as the camera cut back to the arena. * At the commentary table, Rip shook his head. [COLOR="Purple"]“Kid, I accepted it when you won this company off me. I’ve lost money, I’ve lost titles, and now I’ve lost my own damn company. But I don’t want to see it killed off by Elite.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="green"]“Me either,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="green"]“But I think Arachnid has things in hand. I helped him out by bringing in the people he wanted, but this fight is in his hands now.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“And what if it goes wrong?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Then at the very least we’ll have had some spectacular matches out of it...”[/COLOR] * [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Lauren Easter[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Women’s title[/COLOR] This is about what I expected of this match, as I asked the two competitors to tide the crowd over between the big matches. The result was a respectful technical contest, not exactly playing to either woman’s strengths, but at the same time eschewing the high-impact style that could have caused a sharp fraying of tempers and endanger their friendship once again. The two women were clearly playing it softly, keen to leave the match as friends, and even when their competitive instincts took over, they were still holding back somewhat. In the end, Rodriguez scored with a J-Rocker to retain the belt, and after the match the two women embraced and left the ring arm-in-arm. Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (C+) * Trent Shaffer was in the middle of the ring as on commentary I revealed that I had been approached by a well-known wrestler who had wanted a chance to face the Elite man in the ring – and deliver a message as well. Music instantly familiar to anyone who watched SWF back in the early-mid 2000s hit the PA, and the mystery opponent was revealed to be none other than Brett Biggz. [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BrettBiggz.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Biggz entered the ring slowly, looking as though a lifetime of big parties had begun to catch up to him. [COLOR="Blue"]“Where’s Biggz working nowadays, anyway?”[/COLOR] Jerome asked. [COLOR="purple"]“Some little fed down in Florida,”[/COLOR] Rip replied. [COLOR="blue"]“Trent,” [/COLOR]Biggz said. [COLOR="blue"]“You need to listen to me. You need to look at me. I was one of the brightest stars in the business a few years ago, and then he got hold of me.”[/COLOR] Shaffer looked on, unmoving. [COLOR="blue"]“I was a star, I was on the rise, the sky was the limit...”[/COLOR] Biggz, for a moment, was lost in happy memories. [COLOR="blue"]“Then I crashed. One day, I was no more use to him. I got dumped, and the fall is hard. That’s what happens. Joe and Phil in tight, and Ernest has signed up for life. Jean? Well, it’s working for him. You’re like me – you’re not what he’s looking for, not really. You get taken for everything you’re worth, and when he doesn’t want you anymore... “Maybe I was lucky,”[/COLOR] Biggz said. [COLOR="blue"]“There’s been people who’ve had it worse than I have. But it taints you, Trent. You’re always known as ‘that New York guy’. You’re always the guy who signed on with the big man, who took the money and did what he was told – whatever that involved, whatever it costs you personally. “Trent, I’ve been watching. I know what’s in store for me tonight. Your buddies aren’t going to let me get away with this... I had to try, though. I had to try and reach out to you. Maybe you can walk away now. Maybe you’re not in too deep. Think about it.”[/COLOR] Trent’s expression hadn’t changed although, in fairness, it never changes much. He stared at Biggz for a long moment before turning to the referee and asking him to call for the bell. * [B]Brett Biggz vs. Trent Shaffer[/B] Ooohhh... I should have known better than to trust a Biggz. Based on crowd reaction to hints of Biggz’ appearance at the show, we’d set this match as the semi-final, but I can’t help but feel it should have been lost in the midcard – or even the opener, where it would have worked well. As it was, Biggz looked sloppy but dynamic, while Shaffer seemed at times to be reluctant to get into the match – something we sold as being caused by his apparent conflict. Ultimately, the match was determined by the appearance of Joe Sexy, who caught the ref off-guard and slammed a roll of quarters into Biggz’ jaw. An unhappy looking Shaffer caught the former SWF man with a Heart Burn for the win, but you could tell that he took no great pleasure from the result. Winner: Trent Shaffer (C) * After the match, Sexy followed Shaffer back up the aisle, badgering him about something that the microphones weren’t able to pick up. * Tim Westybrook and Jean Cattley stood facing one another across the centre of the ring. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]“You were the greatest this company’s ever seen... And now you’re going to destroy it?”[/COLOR] Westybrook demanded. [COLOR="darkgreen"]“You know what, I don’t care. All that matters is that this ends tonight. All that matters is tonight. Thirty minutes, and come the end, this is over.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“It’s over. It’s all over,”[/COLOR] Cattley replied. He stared up into Westybrook’s intent features. [COLOR="Navy"]“You say that you mend quick, champ? It doesn’t matter. Tonight, now, I’m going to hurt you so badly you’ll never have a chance to heal up. You’ll beg for mercy, Westybrook. You’ll beg me to take your title.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="darkgreen"]“Not going to happen,”[/COLOR] Westybrook said, shaking his head. [COLOR="darkgreen"]“You’ve beaten me, Cattley. You’ve used a chair, and you’ve used a baseball bat, and that hurt – but I kept fighting. And tonight there’s nothing new you can do to me. There’s nothing you can do to beat me that you haven’t already tried, and I’m still standing here, ready to fight, to keep this title, and to end your career.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“Nothing new?”[/COLOR] Cattley smiled grimly. [COLOR="navy"]“If you really think that, you have no idea. That title is mine. Your career is mine. I am... supreme.”[/COLOR] * [B]Tim Westybrook (c) vs. Jean Cattley[/B] for the [COLOR="purple"]MAW World title[/COLOR] in an [COLOR="purple"]Iron Man career match[/COLOR] If in doubt, Cattley/Westybrook. As mottos go, it could use some work but an up-and-down show was saved by this titanic contest. The first few minutes were slow-paced, with Westybrook staying in mind-ring, and Cattley circling just out of arm’s reach, licking out punches and trying to break through Westybrook’s guard. One slipped through, landing flush on the champion’s nose and drawing blood immediately. Westybrook didn’t seem to notice, but Rip wondered whether Westybrook had recovered as much from Cattley’s attack with the baseball bat as he claimed. Cattley drew Westybrook into over-committing, and tied him up, trying to roll him onto his shoulders for a pin, only to be overpowered by the Iron Man. Westybrook used his strength to deliver several punishing strikes to Cattley, staggering the challenger and forcing him back into a corner. As Cattley sagged against the turnbuckles, Westybrook took a run-up and flattened him with a leaping splash. Dragging Cattley out of the corner, Westybrook hefted him up onto his shoulders and spun him out into a TNT Whirlwind to score the first pin of the match. [I]Westybrook leads 1-0 (6:37)[/I] Cattley rolled out of the ring, landing by the announcers’ table. The referee prevented Westybrook from following and the champion was unable to press his advantage as the 30 second rest period between falls counted down. Eventually, Cattley climbed to his feet, his back to the ring. As the bell rang for the match to restart, Westybrook reached through the ropes to grab Cattley by the hair and pull him back into the ring, but Cattley spun in place and planted the World title belt into Westybrook’s face. The champion toppled back into the ring and Cattley slid in, making the cover as the oblivious referee counted the pinfall. [I]Scores level 1-1 (7:14)[/I] Cattley paced back and forth as the thirty seconds passed, and immediately dived back onto Westybrook for another pinfall attempt. The crowd howled as Westybrook raised his shoulder – [COLOR="Blue"]“Two and seven-eighths!”[/COLOR] Jerome announced – just in time to avoid the count. As Westybrook made his way groggily to his feet, Cattley attacked in earnest, throwing everything he had at the big man, even tossing in a couple of roaring elbows before trying to powerbomb Westybrook. However, that was clearly never going to work so after a couple of failed attempts, Cattley tried instead for a stump-puller piledriver. Westybrook crumpled to the mat but, as Cattley moved in for the kill, the champ smartly rolled him up for a close fall. [COLOR="purple"]“He was shamming! Westybrook was able to gather his wits and block the piledriver!”[/COLOR] Rip yelled. Westybrook sprang upright, brushing away the blood trickling from his nose and planting a big boot in Cattley’s gut as the Elite man tried to stand up. Westybrook pressed home his advantage, firing in big right hands before landing a big elbow smash that spun Cattley around and left him prone to a bridging back suplex for two. Cattley kicked out but gained no respite as Westybrook kept pushing on. Jerome remarked that the champion looked almost relaxed. [COLOR="Blue"]“And why not? This is just him and Cattley – everyone else is banned from ringside!”[/COLOR] Cattley took a hellacious beating over the next several minutes, finally ending up in the corner with Westybrook hoisting him up for a superplex. As they came off the top rope, however, Cattley was able to shift his weight and land on top of Westybrook, knocking the wind out of the champion. Cattley once more sought refuge on the outside, but this time Westybrook followed him. The two brawled around the ring, given latitude by the referee to fight without a countout. The fight briefly spilled back into the ring, before Westybrook clotheslined Cattley over the top rope to the outside once again. When he followed Cattley was prone – but dead weight, and he sandbagged any attempt by the World champion to lift him back into the ring. Cattley gained vital seconds as Westybrook struggled with his uncooperative form, and in the scuffle Cattley was able to shove Westybrook hard into the ring post, the back of the champion’s head meeting the cold steel with a clang audible in the nosebleed seats. Back in the ring, the advantage was Cattley’s. He toyed with Westybrook, who seemed to be having trouble maintaining his balance. A boot to the face put the champion down for a two count that could have been more had Cattley not made the pin with just his foot on Westybrook’s chest. [COLOR="green"]“You can only imagine what Elite think of moments like that,”[/COLOR] I commented. Cattley eventually stopped fooling around and set Westybrook up for a Mood Swing. Westybrook struggled though, which made the former champion rethink his actions and settle for a thumping DDT that spiked Westybrook’s injured head hard into the mat. Cattley made the rare move of scaling the ropes, coming off the second turnbuckle with an elbow to Westybrook’s face, further reopening the healed wounds to his nose. With his opponent hurting, Cattley put the boots to him before dropping an elbow once more to the face and making a cover for another two count. Cattley’s expression was cool, calculating. He stalked Westybrook as the champion struggled to get his bearings. On commentary, Rip wondered if the match would be stopped if Westybrook couldn’t carry on. I replied that there had to be a winner – and the match wouldn’t stop until at least one man was in the lead, even if the full thirty minutes wasn’t reached. Back in the ring, Westybrook was upright. Cattley charged at him with a clothesline, but he was met with a sloppy boot to the stomach. Cattley staggered back, and almost as if on instinct alone Westybrook grabbed him and lifted him up and over, dropping into a powerbomb. No second powerbomb followed, instead both men lay still on the mat. Belatedly, the referee seemed to realise that Cattley’s shoulders were down, so sudden had been the reversal, but it made no difference as the three count duly followed, and it was several seconds more before Cattley stirred. [I]Westybrook leads 2-1 (15:36)[/I] Stir he did, though, and with a few seconds left of the break period, Cattley rolled over onto Westybrook and when the bell rang again, this time it was Westybrook’s shoulders that were down for the three count. [I]Scores level 2-2 (16:09)[/I] Westybrook came too just before the thirty seconds expired once more, and got out from under his opponent. He made his way to the ropes, shaking his head, clearly trying to regain his focus. Cattley was in little better condition as he dragged his way into a corner and lay there, glassy-eyed. From opposite sides of the ring, it wasn’t even clear if the two could see one another, let alone take further part in the match. [COLOR="blue"]“What will it take to separate these two men?”[/COLOR] Jerome demanded. [COLOR="blue"]“On paper, this match should be Westybrook’s, but Cattley has that sheer animal desire to win, to be the best... Somehow, just as it always has been through their series, it’s still all square!”[/COLOR] It took almost two more minutes, but Westybrook was first to his feet. By the time he made his way across the ring – slightly drunkenly, but seemingly improving – Cattley was upright as well. The two exchanged punches, a trade that Cattley definitely came out worst from. Westybrook drove Cattley into the corner, before hipstossing him out into the centre of the ring. As Cattley came back to his feet, he was plastered with an almighty lariat that spun him around in midair. He crashed to the mat, and Westybrook began to rain a series of knee drops down on him. [COLOR="green"]“Good God! Westybrook is trying to crush Cattley’s throat!”[/COLOR] After six or seven knee drops, Westybrook seemed to feel that Cattley was sufficient pacified. He hauled him upright by his hair, and hoisted him up in the air for a stalling vertical suplex which he held for ten... twenty... thirty seconds before toppling backwards with an almighty crash that echoed through the arena. He rose to his feet, and stared down at Cattley. [COLOR="purple"]“Look at the champion’s expression. He’s enjoying this! Have we ever seen that before?”[/COLOR] Even the crowd seemed conflicted by the punishment that Cattley was taking. Westybrook picked him up again and lifted him onto his shoulders before toppling backwards with a Samoan Drop. Before the referee could consider counting, Westybrook picked Cattley up and threw him bodily into the corner. [COLOR="green"]“Eight minutes left. Surely now Westybrook will start to rack up the points?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“It’s not about beating Cattley anymore. It’s about hurting him. And maybe Westybrook wants the draw – that way neither man loses their job, and Cattley will still be there tomorrow, kid.”[/COLOR] It seemed like Rip was right. Cattley was offering Rip no resistance as he dragged him upright once more. A spinning powerslam left Cattley on the mat, back arched in pain as Westybrook this time climbed the turnbuckles. He sat on the top turnbuckle, measuring Cattley carefully, before landing a sloppy legdrop from the second rope. [COLOR="blue"]“Not the champion’s natural domain – and it looks like he hurt himself doing it!”[/COLOR] Westybrook was shaking his leg as he stood, and Rip surmised he’d jolted the nerve. [COLOR="purple"]“Nothing to do but wait for it to clear up. If Cattley ever had an opportunity, it’s now – but look at him.”[/COLOR] Cattley was still on the mat, not having moved more than a few inches in the time it took Westybrook to hobble over to him. But Westybrook couldn’t get Cattley upright, his bad leg stealing the required leverage from him. Instead, he settled in with one knee on Cattley’s chest as he dropped a series of closed fists on the challenger, who was barely able to cover up. [COLOR="blue"]“Stop the match! Cattley’s done!”[/COLOR] But he wasn’t. As Westybrook stood up once more to try and shake some feeling back into his leg, Cattley rolled onto his front, his eyes narrowed, his face slightly puffy from the beating he’d taken, and a trickle of blood spilling from one side of his mouth. With Westybrook’s back turned, Cattley threw himself forward, his shoulder lancing into Westybrook’s knee and toppling the champion over. Cattley dragged himself upright by the ropes as Westybrook lay on the mat, rocking slightly as he clutched at his knee. [COLOR="green"]“Six minutes left! Can Cattley’s second wind see him through?”[/COLOR] Cattley glared down at Westybrook, the hatred etched as clearly on his face as it had been on the champion’s. He began to stamp on Westybrook’s knee, drawing cries of pain as he struck again and again. With Westybrook grounded, Cattley tried to apply a figure-four leglock, only for Westybrook to kick him off. His scowl deepening, Cattley went in once more, this time trying to turn Westybrook over into a single leg crab. Westybrook again tried to kick him off, but Cattley held firm and if he couldn’t quite get the champion over, he used his position to apply torque to the injured knee, twisting and tearing at it, before hooking it around his neck and straightening up, using Westybrook’s own weight against him. [COLOR="blue"]“Can the champion hold out? Four minutes left!”[/COLOR] For the first time in Westybrook’s MAW career, the champion looked wholly human as he vented his pain, clawing alternately at his knee and the mat, trying to drag himself to the ropes as he flailed wildly with his free leg. Cattley was holding him just far enough from the ropes to prevent the break but Westybrook’s free leg finally caught him across the side of his head, forcing the break as Cattley’s grip relaxed just long enough. [COLOR="purple"]“Three minutes left.”[/COLOR] Westybrook clung to the ropes, his breathing heavy, the pain scored deep on his face. Cattley stared at him before looking up at the clock over the aisle for the first time. A feral smile spread across his features as he left Westybrook in the ring, leaving once more and this time picking up a steel chair. Re-entering the ring, he pushed the referee out of the way and, winding up, delivered a full-force swing to Westybrook’s injured knee, drawing the disqualification as Westybrook crumpled against the ropes. [I]Westybrook leads 3-2 (27:36)[/I] [COLOR="blue"]“What the hell is Cattley- No!”[/COLOR] Almost as soon as the referee called for the bell, Cattley went mad. He began raining chairshots in on every available part of Westybrook’s body. Beginning with his legs, he worked his way upwards, crashing blowing in on his knees, his thighs, his stomach and his chest before standing over his opponent, a terrifying gleam in his eyes. The two men’s eyes met, Westybrook almost insensible, Cattley lost in the moment. Cattley swung again, and the chair slammed into Westybrook’s face, buckling noticeably. Cattley lifted it up once more and stared at it for a long moment, savouring the moment, before realising that the clock was live once more. Discarding the chair, he dropped to the mat and made the cover. The referee had no choice but to count the three. [I]Scores level 3-3 (28:15)[/I] [COLOR="blue"]“How can the referee allow that? In all my years in this business, I’ve never seen such blatant cheating!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“He doesn’t have a choice. During the thirty second break between falls there are no disqualifications. Cattley’s been in more Iron Man matches than anyone. He knew that.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“...I always knew that the kid was smart.”[/COLOR] For the duration of the thirty seconds, Cattley stood over the fallen champion, taunting him and slapping him across the face. There was no response from Westybrook. As the thirty second expired Cattley did a full turn in the centre of the ring, inviting a response from the crowd. The 5,000 fans in attendance, who only minutes earlier had been wavering in their sympathies towards the MAW stalwart, now heaped abuse on him as he completed his circle. [COLOR="blue"]“It’s now just a question of how, not if.”[/COLOR] The how was answered as Cattley grabbed Westybrook’s more badly injured leg and wrapped it up, almost as though going for a figure-four once again. Instead of locking in the hold, however, he rolled over Westybrook, forming a cradle and pinning Westybrook’s shoulders to the mat once more. [COLOR="purple"]“Not just that, but doing extra damage to Westybrook’s leg at the same time.”[/COLOR] The referee counted to three, and for the first time the challenger took the lead. [I]Cattley leads 3-4 (29:21)[/I] With no chance of Westybrook getting back into the match, the referee was about to call for the bell, but Cattley stopped him. [COLOR="navy"]“You don’t ring it until I tell you!”[/COLOR] For the final time in the match, Cattley left the ring and picked up the World title belt once more. Climbing back into the ring, the weariness from thirty minutes of hard fighting was clearly showing – but, as Rip pointed out, that no longer mattered. With only a few seconds left on the clock, Cattley stood over the motionless Westybrook, the World title clasped in his hand as he glared down at the departing champion. The tiredness did nothing to mask the hatred on his face, and as he signalled for the referee to ring the bell, his expression didn’t change as he raised the title aloft, the victorious new champion standing over the broken and bloodied body of the man he had not just defeated, not just stripped of his title, but forced out of the company. [COLOR="Purple"]“Never bet against Jean Cattley. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but no-one in this business is more devious.”[/COLOR] Winner: Jean Cattley (B) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I]Next: What measure is a PPV?[/I]

[benjacko]

I haven't commented much during this diary but I have to say that the main event was superbly written :)

[Candyman]

Excellent show. Interesting style for the main event, I wouldn't have a problem with it showing up at the occassional pay-per-view.

[Bigpapa42]

Typically good show and I really liked the main event. I liked the way it was laid out as well, as it made what was a very long write-up not feel as long to read. Great work, JC!

[Rayelek]

Working my way through this entire thing, only to have just reached your convenient little summary on page 114. :p I should be caught up in the next couple days, but this has certainly been an enthralling read. EDIT: All caught up. The last show was pretty great, and if this diary is continuing (at least into the RCI where Kid Arachnid wins the trophy and unmasks?), I'm looking forward to doing some predicting.

[James Casey]

Thansk for all the comments, guys. For some reason, when I was writing the main event I kept coming back to the Foley/Taker HIAC match, and Foley's comments about how he remembers the match with Jim Ross's comments in his head. It felt kind of right to add the commentary in, and try and get different angles from it - Jerome as the neutral, Rip as the veteran, and myself as the authority. One thing that may show up a bit as 10SR begins to wind down (and we're probably not going to make it to the next RCI, although I gave it strong consideration) is that I'll experiment a little with wrie-ups. I can definitely see the commentary coming back in this and my next project, so we'll see if anything else occurs.

[James Casey]

The champagne corks were popping backstage, and Rip seemed to be so free and easy that he was overseeing the cork action, giving orders on how to best go about popping open the bottles. The figures made for pleasant reading: A 0.10 buyrate for the show, $25,000 extra from people buying the event, an extra $35,000 or so from the sell-out crowd – we’d almost halved our monthly deficit in one go. There were also rumblings from Reese’s backstage workers – she’s doing a good job getting them into shape, but they’ve still a way to go – that the merchandise and sponsorship figures looked pretty good this month as well. MAW wasn’t out of the woods yet, but it was promising. Very promising indeed. All I needed now was to see out the month without any nasty surprises – unexpected fees associated with holding PPVs, for one thing – and I’d be a lot more confident next time I saw the bank manager. Of course, there’s always someone and something, isn’t there? The party had hardly been going a few minutes before Jerome Turner and Joe Sexy got into a slanging match about some of the calls that Jerome had made during Joe’s match with Brandon. It had been unprofessional of Jerome, but I think we’d all felt the frustration as the show got off to a poor start that ended up costing us a great rating. I decided to let him off lightly – but resolved to keep an eye on him. Badmouthing the wrestlers can be a good thing for an announcer, but there’s a right way and a wrong way of doing it... * It’s taken almost two months, but Phil Roberts has finally shaken off his knee injury and can be expected to ‘go’ again. With Roberts closer to fifty than forty, I had worried slightly that the injury might bring an end to his career. He seems to be made of resilient stuff, however, and should be good to go from now on. In interesting news, it seems that SWF won’t be offering Roberts a new deal when his current contract expires in a few months time. * Benny Benson picked up a big win this week, toppling Jay Darkness for the North American title in SWF. It’s Benny’s second run with the title, as he had a seven month run with the belt in 2008-09. * Bad news for Aristocrat: The former Lord Geoffrey Windameer has suffered a Herniated Spinal Disc. The 29 year old will miss a year just as he should be entering his peak. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] KC Glenn vs. Trent Shaffer Lassana Makutsi vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Kid Arachnid vs. Ernest Youngman Lauren Easter and Sara Marie York vs. Alicia Strong and Tracy Brendon[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Kid Arachnid vs.[B] Ernest Youngman[/B] Lauren Easter and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Alicia Strong and Tracy Brendon[/B]

[foolinc]

[B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. Trent Shaffer Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman Lauren Easter and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Alicia Strong and Tracy Brendon[/B]