MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Mustn't get out of the habit of updating... :p[/I] It’s always slightly odd when backstage problems arise between two workers who are on-screen allies – in this case, Phil Roberts and Thrash. Roberts has form in spreading rumours, and in the absence of Jonathan Taylor is probably the chief pain in the neck backstage. Still, he may be a pain, but this is only the second time he’s gone overboard to such a point that warrants action from me – in this case, a slap on the wrist. He acted suitably contrite, although over seven years dealing with egos like his have taught me a lot about how likely such a person is to stay contrite. In any case, I can’t help but wonder how much offence Phil would cause if he had a more lively voice? I’ve heard Raphael backstage chuntering away and spewing out a lot worse than Roberts came out with, and no-one takes offence. But then, Raphael is a funny, funny guy and my failure to capture that charisma and make the most of it over the years is a continuing annoyance. Roberts, on the other hand, couldn’t tell a joke if you pulled the Christmas cracker yourself and handed him the bit of paper inside. Incidentally, we have Josh Jones backstage, who may as well be Roberts’ son, so alike are they in that way. But Jones is a quiet guy who’s well respected by everyone as he takes the business seriously and always goes out of his way to make his opponents look good, while striving to perfect his own game. Roberts ten or fifteen years ago was much the same, as I recall. Along the way, though, I think he heard too many jokes about his lack of charisma – jokes from workers who came and went, while Roberts endured. Still, it must have stung, and kept on stinging, and Roberts developed a aggressive defensive stance of presumptive retaliation – in other words, delivering his ‘zingers’ before anyone else gets the chance. I almost feel bad disciplining him. Almost – but the locker room perceived that there was a crime, and where there’s crime, there must be punishment. * We’ve decided to try something a little different with the On Tour show this week. A few more stars, more promotion in the local area... We’re trying to see if more investment will pay off at the box office. If so, then it’s another source of revenue to help us each month. If not, well, we can bare it in mind for the future. * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: On Tour Saturday, 13th July 2014[/CENTER] Fumihiro Ota vs. Cobra[/B] Just shy of four thousand fans in attendance at the Huntsville Fairgrounds in Alabama as MAW hit town for the first time. They were treated to an enjoyable opener as newcomer Cobra took on the self-proclaimed gatekeeper Fumihiro Ota. Ota took Cobra to school, controlling much of the match. Cobra used fast strikes to pull back some momentum, but eventually fell to a Ninja Strike for the pin. Winner: Fumihiro Ota (D+) * Jared Johnson made his entrance. He took a mic, and proclaimed that he was proud of Lassana Makutsi making it to the top of the company. He, Johnson, was going to follow soon enough, and in the meantime he wanted to continue the fight against those without honour – the Rule Of One. * [B]Jared Johnson vs. Null[/B] This was a technical encounter that the fans didn’t especially get into – I guess mat wrestling at a fair ground isn’t quite the thrill ride it could be... In the end, Johnson overcame the Rule Of One man with a Carolina Crossface for the win. Winner: Jared Johnson (E+) * A short video for Dirty Elite played, highlighting the beating they’d handed out to various teams and MAW stars. * [B]The Young Americans (0pts) vs. The Canadian Blondes (0pts) vs. Dirty Elite (0pts) vs. Platinum 12”[/B] They may have had six opponents arrayed against them, but Dirty Elite wasted no time in charging straight into the fray. The non-champions each stood to gain two points if they could beat either title holder, but with Thrash and Leadfoot dishing out hurtin’ bombs to anyone who came within range – including each other, to no apparent discord – Odam and Stardust quickly bailed from the ring. That left the experienced Blondes and up-and-coming Young Americans to try and cope with the size disparity. When the four men managed to work together, they were able to keep the Dirties at bay, but with both sides desperate for the win, the Dirties could take advantage of their lack of cohesion and catch Hocking with a New York Calling to score the win and gain a point. Winners: Dirty Elite (D-, 1pt) * Kashmir Singh cut a promo on Scythe, stating that while the masked man was big and strong, he didn’t have the soul needed to be the shining star that Kashmir was. * [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh vs. Scythe[/B] Singh is freshly back from injury, and could be forgiven for not knowing enough about Scythe to be able to fight him properly – that, or Scythe just demolished him without giving him a chance to defend himself, eventually pinning him with a Underworld Spike. Winner: Scythe (E+) * Wendy Summers was minding her own business backstage when Nadia Snow and Amber Allen walked up to her and begun abusing her verbally. Summers was mortified and seemed to be on the verge of walking away when an unknown woman cut in front of her and began firing back at Snow and Allen, eventually challenging the duo to a tag match. She introduced herself as Ashley Grover as they walked away, telling Summers that she’d come to MAW as she’d heard it had the premier Women’s division in the country and she wanted to test herself against the very best. * [B]Ashley Grover and Wendy Summers vs. Nadia Snow and Amber Allen[/B] Wendy Summers started the match by going straight after her opponents, showing no fear. Allen slapped her foe around, but Summers would have none of that and she kept at Allen until she was forced to tag out. Snow was more successful, but in turn Ashley Grover’s high-flying acrobatics tipped the balance back in her and Summers’ favour. The momentum see-sawed back and forth, and in the end Snow nailed Summers with a Strong Arm Tactic for the win. Winner: Snow and Allen (D-) * Davis Wayne Newton stood in the centre of the ring. He declared that he would make everyone in the company respect him – even if he had to beat everyone to achieve it. On commentary, Rip suggested that would certainly help. Newton then called out his opponent, Amazing Fire Fly, and told him that flashy acrobatics wouldn’t help him – that he was the ‘Triple Threat’, the supreme all-round talent in MAW and the wrestling business, and that Fly had no chance against him. * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] This match pitted the stunning speed of Fire Fly against the all-round talent of Newton. It was an even contest that could have gone either way. In the end, Newton scored with the win with a Fisherman’s Suplex. Winner: Davis Wayne Newton (C-) * After the bell, Joss Thompson emerged from the back to congratulate his International colleague, while El Heroe Mexicano checked on his fallen partner. Slightly overenthusiastic about Newton’s success, Thompson challenged Heroe to a match there and then, which Heroe quickly accepted. * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. Joss Thompson[/B] The second Firm/Internationals match of the night, this was a contest between two all-round talents with considerable charisma, which fans really got into. It was once again an even contest and either man could have had the match won on a number of occasions. In the end, Heroe came out on top when he forced the submission from Thompson with a Mexican Mutilation. Winner: El Heroe Mexicano (C-) [B]Overall: D+[/B] * [QUOTE] [CENTER] [B]MAW.com special report: The Women’s Division[/B] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AliciaStrong_alt6.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Alicia Strong[/COLOR] (part of Elite) [B]“I’m better than you.”[/B] Comments: Former Women’s champion has taken something of a back seat of late ... Involvement with Elite keeps her visible, but feuds with Lauren Easter and Joanne Rodriguez are totally played out ... Starting to get involved with the rest of the division [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AmberAllen.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Amber Allen[/COLOR] [B]“I am pure – and you will lose.”[/B] Comments: Relative newcomer has quite a lot of experience ... Once considered hugely promising, but has never quite met that potential ... Still young enough to make it big ... Exponent of the straight-edge lifestyle has little time for anything but fierce competition [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ArielBreaks.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Ariel Breaks[/COLOR] [B]“It’s all about having fun.”[/B] Comments: Young and promising, like a lot of MAW talent ... The very best tend to rise, but could get lost in the shuffle ... Decent technical skills are a solid base to work from [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AshleyGrover.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Ashley Grover[/COLOR] [B]“I’ll see you above the ring.”[/B] Comments: High-flying tomboy fears no-one and nothing ... Never met a risk she didn’t like ... Acrobatic performer offers something different to most of her opponents [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BrookeTyler.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Brooke Tyler[/COLOR] [B]“My pedigree means I’ll break you – one way or another.”[/B] Comments: Daughter of Eric, but doesn’t trade on it much ... A sound technical wrestler, who’s had good matches with the right opponents ... Possibly the best of the young women on the roster [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JoanneRodriguez.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Joanne Rodriguez[/COLOR] (current MAW Women’s champion) [B]“I welcome any challenge.”[/B] Comments: Experienced veteran still has that ‘wow’ factor ... Captured the Women’s title after a year-long chase ... Vanquished the curse of Alicia at the same time ... Always seeking new challenges, but the spectre of Strong will likely linger long [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KristabelPlum.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Kristabel Plum[/COLOR] [B]“I never give up.”[/B] Comments: Long-time roster member has taken time to find her feet ... Solid fundamentals but not necessarily a breakout star ... A main draw On Tour, she is a leader of the babyface females alongside York [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LauraFlame.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Laura Flame[/COLOR] [B]“No-one hits harder than me.”[/B] Comments: High-kicking martial artist with a mean streak ... Stronger than almost any other woman in the business, and can use that power very well indeed [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/LaurenEaster.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Lauren Easter[/COLOR] [B]“I will always find a way to win.”[/B] Comments: Former Women’s champion exploded onto the scene with a quickfire title win ... Couldn’t maintain momentum and has fallen back somewhat ... Young enough and talented enough to be a keystone of the Women’s division for years to come ... Possibly the best all-round female competitor in America [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/MariaGuest.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"][COLOR="Blue"]Maria Guest[/COLOR][/COLOR] [B]“I’ll show you what I can do.”[/B] Comments: Bubbly newcomer could be in the dictionary under ‘girl next door’ ... Plucky youngster doesn’t have much experience, but plenty of enthusiasm [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/NadiaSnow.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Nadia Snow[/COLOR] [B]“I am an icon.”[/B] Comments: Glitzy fashionista has a mean streak ... First Women’s champion also had a brief All Action reign ... Small, but talented ... More likely to serve as a gatekeeper to the uppercard now [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SaraMarieYork.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Sara Marie York[/COLOR] [B]“I’ve got your back.”[/B] Comments: Newcomer is one of the best women’s workers in the US ... Very good entertainment skills, and can carry a match as well ... All-American, pro-fair play persona is proving popular [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SimonySentinel.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Simony Sentinel[/COLOR] [B]“I can prove myself.”[/B] Comments: Not yet debuted ... Something of an elevated fan, out to show she can be a wrestler too ... Promising youngster has a long way to go, but has solid foundations [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/TracyBrendon_alt2.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Red"]Tracy Brendon[/COLOR] [B]“I deserve to be the centre of your universe.”[/B] Comments: Ultra-arrogant, and very experienced ... Knows every trick in the book, and probably wrote a few pages herself ... A threat to anyone she faces, with hundreds of matches under her belt, she’s seen it all [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/WendyAnderson_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR="Blue"]Wendy Summers[/COLOR] [B]“I believe in myself.”[/B] Comments: Highly optimistic and ready to believe the best of anyone ... Is learning that not everyone is as nice as her ... Surprisingly talented wrestler, with impressive agility ... Easy to underestimate, although her opponents seem to be learning too[/CENTER] [/QUOTE] * Gino Montero picked up another title while absent from us last night: The Campeon de Menor in SOTBPW. Montero has now won the titles six times in just over four years, and has really made the title his own, having held the belt for over three years in that time. * Do you expect me to knock SWF for attempting to re-sign Big Smack Scott? No dice. The Smacker is one of the best-known members of the SWF roster right now, and his unbroken eight year run with the company marks him down as something of a loyalist, even if he does put his commitments to CGC and USPW ahead of SWF nowadays. He’s even had some decent matches along the way in the last couple of years, and his short series with Lobster Warrior was so amazingly good that it was a big factor in Lobby’s World title run. Would I sign him to MAW? No. Would I re-sign him if I’d been given that job at SWF? Absolutely. * The Stomper is set to retire from wrestling in a month The 65 year old has owned and operated NYCW for more than twenty-five years, so it will be fascinating to see what happens with the company after this. Who will dare follow in the Stomper’s deep footsteps? * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] El Heroe Mexicano vs. Leadfoot Ashley Grover vs. Tracy Brendon KC Glenn vs. Davis Wayne Newton Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong Amazing Fire Fly vs. Ernest Youngman[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Leadfoot Ashley Grover vs. [B]Tracy Brendon[/B] KC Glenn vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B]

[Rayelek]

[B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Leadfoot [B]Ashley Grover [/B]vs. Tracy Brendon [B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B]

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Leadfoot Ashley Grover vs. [B]Tracy Brendon[/B] KC Glenn vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. Ernest Youngman [I]Draw[/I]

[foolinc]

[B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Leadfoot [B]Ashley Grover [/B]vs. Tracy Brendon KC Glenn vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B]

[Tigerkinney]

[B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. Leadfoot [I]May be by DQ, but seeing as Mexicano is probably second in comand for the faces and Leadfoot is a just a 'goon' for the heels, the high flying masked man should go over.[/I] Ashley Grover vs. [B]Tracy Brendon[/B] [I]Brendon's experience and willingness to resort to dirty tricks will see her come through here.[/I] KC Glenn vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [I]Two highly talented, young performers who are very evenly matched, this one really is a coinflip.[/I] Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] [I]You know my thoughts on York, Elite for the win.[/I] [B]Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman [I]I'll go against the grain here and say that Fire Fly scores the mild upset on Youngman, with Shaffer gone he's Elite's designated fall-guy. [/I]

[MaxMoon]

[B]El Heroe Mexicano [/B]vs. Leadfoot [B]Ashley Grover [/B]vs. Tracy Brendon KC Glenn vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. [B]Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Thanks for all the predictions - I do read them all, and pay particualr attention to the logic behind them where presented.[/I] [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, July 19th 2014[/CENTER] El Heroe Mexicano vs. Leadfoot[/B] This was a rather better match than the reverse fixture between the two teams last week. Heroe was better able to keep Leadfoot on the back foot, and controlled the tempo of the match. Leadfoot did get in some hard shots, and seemed to be on the verge of taking control, but then Heroe wrapped him up in the Mexican Mutilation for the win. Winner: El Heroe Mexicano (C) * After the bell, Leadfoot was nursing one injured arm, but when Heroe made the mistake of turning his back he used the healthy arm to knock him down with a hard clothesline. The fight resumed as Leadfoot tried to pick Heroe up with one arm, but the masked man fought back and it seemed like the rivalry would continue until I stood up and called for their attention. [COLOR="Green"]“I’ve enjoyed the last couple of weeks, with the matches between the four of you. You’re doing a lot to call attention to our tag team division. So let’s make a tag match for Summer Heatwave on Monday night. It’ll be Luchas De Mascaras,”[/COLOR] I pointed at Heroe, [COLOR="Green"]“against Dirty Elite!”[/COLOR] I pointed at Leadfoot. The two men continued to glare at one another as we cut to commercial. * [B]Ashley Grover vs. Tracy Brendon[/B] Mainly in this match we talked about Brendon’s upcoming title match against J-Ro – anything but the match itself, which may be the worst televised anywhere this year. Grover and Brendon couldn’t get on the same page at all, and the fans had zero tolerance for the ‘action’, culminating in an early go home as Brendon nailed an Idaho Crunch for the win. Winner: Tracy Brendon (E-) * We needed something hot after that match, and to my delight the next segment delivered. Alicia Strong was leaving the Elite locker room when she was confronted by Sara Marie York. [COLOR="Blue"]“I know that you cheated last week,” [/COLOR]she said, blocking Strong’s path. [COLOR="Blue"] “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You were the one who gave Brendon the blackjack last week. You cost Joanne and me our match.” “So what if I was?”[/COLOR] Strong smirked. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m Elite. I make my own rules.”[/COLOR] York scowled. [COLOR="Blue"]“We all fight by the same rules, Strong. That’s fair.” “Who cares about fair?” “I do – and so do all the people who watch us fight.” “As if I care. Listen, small-time, in case you didn’t get the memo, Elite are here to destroy this company. One by one we’re taking out anyone who stands against us, we’re taking all the titles, and generally making MAW a place where it’s impossible to thrive – unless you have our permission. And we don’t give permission easily. But I’ll tell you what: If you’re a good girl and run along now, I won’t make you suffer for trying to cross me.”[/COLOR] York’s face took on a determined expression. [COLOR="Blue"]“Alicia, all it takes in this world for evil to flourish is for good people to stand silent. I won’t let you bully your way through this company. Bad enough that Nadia Snow and her pack of harpies do that for selfish reasons – you and Elite want to put dozens of people out of work just to satisfy this boss of yours in New York.”[/COLOR] Strong smiled. [COLOR="Blue"]“Not ‘just’. Our employer’s favour is well worth earning, believe me.” “Well, let’s make sure that you’ve earned it, then,”[/COLOR] York replied. [COLOR="Blue"]“You and me will fight at Summer Heatwave. You’re trying to deprive people of their basic rights, and I won’t let that happen.”[/COLOR] Strong looked York up and down disdainfully. [COLOR="Blue"]“You’re no Rodriguez. You’re not even in Easter’s class. You don’t have a chance against me, but... I respect your guts, York. And when I beat you senseless you’ll serve as a wonderful example of why you shouldn’t stand against Elite.”[/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Ernest Youngman[/B] I’m beginning to detect a theme... The small Fly must have felt like it was déjà vu all over again here as the thickly muscled Youngman pitched him around the ring with little real effort. Fly was able to land some hit, but mainly he was taking them, and ultimately took The Hit from Youngman to end the match. Winner: Ernest Youngman (D+) * Davis Wayne Newton stalked down to the ring in high dudgeon. [COLOR="Blue"]“Where’s the respect?”[/COLOR] he demanded. [COLOR="Blue"]“I am the best young wrestler in the business today. In a couple of years no-one will be able to touch me. I demand that I be shown the respect due to someone of my ability!” [/COLOR] The crowd responded predictably. [COLOR="Blue"]“Shut up! All I hear around here is Elite, this, and Firm that. The Internationals are not getting the respect we’re due. I want someone from either of those groups to come out here now so I can show that making a big noise is not the same as being a big talent!”[/COLOR] KC Glenn’s music played and Newton’s fellow young star made his entrance. [COLOR="Blue"]“Davis, Davis, Davis, you make a lot of noise. It’s a shame that it don’t really translate to much of anything worth hearing. You want a match? I’ll take you on. I’ve got your buddy Deeley on Monday, and I figure that it’ll be good preparation for that.”[/COLOR] If anything, Newton seemed even angrier that Glenn viewed him as a warm-up for Deeley rather than an opponent he was eager to face in and of himself. * [B]KC Glenn vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] We were back on track with a proven match here. The two young competitors gave everything they had in search of victory, but neither could find the final move needed to put the other down. In the end, the match rolled to a close with a time limit draw. Winner: No-one (B-) * Kid Arachnid stood in the centre of the ring, smiling lopsidedly. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“In just a few days time my friend Gino Montero will face Jean Cattley with the World title on the line. I hope he wins, really I do. The Firm will have that title soon – and if not us, then one of the other members of the MAW roster. The malicious assaults carried out by the so-called Elite cannot be allowed to stand.[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“But mainly, I want to talk about Jean Cattley. Win or lose on Monday, Jean, I want to fight you. You really kick-started this whole thing by betraying MAW to join Elite. Your boss paid you your thirty pieces of silver, and it seems like you couldn’t wait to jump. That don’t sit right with me, Jean. So next week I want to face you so I can teach you all about what’s right and what ain’t.”[/COLOR] Cattley’s music played and the World champion stepped out onto the top of the ramp. [COLOR="Navy"]“No. “You don’t get a shot at this title, Arachnid. It’s the champion’s prerogative to refuse a challenge, and I won’t face you. You haven’t earned your shot, and I have no interest in fighting you.”[/COLOR] The crowd booed – they wanted the match. [COLOR="Navy"]“Shut up!”[/COLOR] Cattley snarled. [COLOR="Navy"]“Arachnid, you don’t deserve a match with me.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“What if you lose the title?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Not even then.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“What if I went through every member of your little gang to earn that shot.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Not even-“[/COLOR] Cattley stopped. He looked down the ramp at Arachnid, his eyes narrowed. [COLOR="Navy"]“Every member? Every last one?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Yes.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“And if I want you to face Dirty Elite?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“One on one? That’s fair, Cattley.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Just another chance for you to screw up, Arachnid.”[/COLOR] He smirked. [COLOR="Navy"]“You’re facing Joe and Alicia tonight, is that right? Well, that’s a taster – it don’t count, win or lose. The answer’s yes, Arachnid. If, and only if, you can defeat each member of Elite one on one then I’ll agree to face you. Otherwise you can continue your sad little assault on us in the vain and misguided belief that what you do makes any difference to anyone, anywhere.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“And you can start on Monday night, against... the Enforcer, Phil Roberts.”[/COLOR] Cattley smirked and left without a backward glance. Arachndi was left in the ring, but he wasn’t done yet. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“And now to introduce my partner for tonight’s match: Sara Marie York!”[/COLOR] York made her entrance to some acclaim from the crowd, who appreciated her standing up to Alicia Strong. When Strong and Sexy made their entrance, the two women glared at one another, and Rip wondered just how seriously Strong was taking her opponent for Monday night. * [B]Kid Arachnid and Sara Marie York vs. Joe Sexy and Alicia Strong[/B] Both teams worked smoothly together in this match, although the fans popped at Strong calling out Arachnid in the early going, leading to a few sharp words from Sexy in the Elite corner. Arachnid blew the challenge off – he wanted Sexy in the ring after the previous week’s shenanigans cost him against Phil Roberts. The two sides put on an entertaining match which see-sawed back and forth in momentum. Strong kept getting distracted by Arachnid’s presence, seemingly wanting to have him tagged into the match, but the rules prevented that. In the end, after York scored a succession of near falls on the distracted Strong, Sexy yelled at her to get her head in the game, and she managed to land an Angel Driver almost from nowhere to score the pin – just. Winner: Sexy and Strong (C+) [B]Overall: C[/B] [I]Next: More on the Women's division, and the Summer Heatwave preview...[/I]

[James Casey]

Backstage after the show, Tracy Brendon and Ashley Grover looked down in the mouth. [COLOR="Green"]“What’s up?”[/COLOR] I asked, dropping into a seat beside them. [COLOR="Blue"]“That match,”[/COLOR] Brendon replied. [COLOR="Blue"]“We just stank out the arena. Have you seen the recap reports online?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I don’t look at them,” [/COLOR]I lied. [COLOR="Green"]“I suggest you don’t, either. There’s only one way to tell if you’re doing well, and that’s the crowd reaction.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Which was non-existent,” [/COLOR]Grover said. [COLOR="Green"]“Well, that’s not unexpected,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“You only debuted last week, and it was your first time on TV. There’s only so many times I can pair newcomers off with Joanne or Lauren. Sometimes you get thrown in at the deep end, girls. We do what we can to protect you, for want of a better word, and second match of the night is usually pretty safe, but yeah. It was a poor match. I don’t think the two of you will be going one on one again – not unless we’re trying to bump merchandise sales.”[/COLOR] Brendon smiled. Grover blushed deeply. I put a hand on her shoulder. [COLOR="Green"]“Ashley, you have no idea how many back-alley gyms and community centres I cleared out when I was young. You’ve shown you can do okay, but you just fought before two thousand people on national TV. Granted, there weren’t that many people watching, but still: TV, a sell-out crowd, a [I]singles[/I] match. We have faith in you, okay?”[/COLOR] She nodded, and looked a little better. I left her with Tracy to go over their match and work out if there was any way they could salvage anything form the wreck. Meanwhile, I went to my office and flicked through the various reports of the show. The new approach to the Women’s division – basically we’d signed almost anyone with a pulse and their own pair of boots, which at least made us choosier than Jay on a Saturday night – was uniformly slammed. Ratings were down when the women were on screen, and although we could mix them up with more over competitors, equally we had to see who could stand on their own. There was little to be gained from multi-woman tag matches, quite apart from the potential for them to tank our bank balance if overused. Something to think about, but mainly I’m hoping that we can just keep putting the women out there and they’ll gain in popularity along the way. There is one other route to take, although I’m loathe to consider it, bearing in mind how poor the reaction was last time... * [QUOTE] [B][CENTER]MAW.com Summer Heatwave preview[/CENTER][/B] Kid Arachnid vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts The challenge has been set: The leader of The Firm will get to meet Jean Cattley... if he can beat all of Cattley’s Elite colleagues first. That’s certainly not an easy challenge, particularly when he has to start against possibly the most formidable of all those opponents, the technical wizard known as the Enforcer. Roberts has no personal stake in the match, of course, apart from wanting to put a major spoke in the wheels of the Elite resistance – for the Enforcer, that’s more than enough motivation. Sara Marie York vs. Alicia Strong Sara Marie hasn’t been in MAW long, but her push for fair play and decency has put her directly at odds with Elite’s Alicia Strong, the former Women’s champion being keen to promote the Elite way forward at any costs. We don’t imagine that the two have much in common, although this Monday night they’ll at least be united in their goal of destroying one another. Luchas De Mascaras vs. Dirty Elite The war between the masked warriors and the brutal bikers has evolved from the ongoing Firm/Elite war to take on added meaning – with the future goal of a shot at Platinum 12” Tag Titles at stake. The two teams could hardly be more different – the graceful, aerial style of the two Mexicans against the simple, brute force approach of the Dirties. In addition, the two teams have faced off in singles matches in the last two weeks, with each squad taking one win, and one loss. Who will take the rubber match? Tune in this Monday night to find out! Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Tracy Brendon – MAW Women’s title Joanne Rodriguez has been a fighting champion, and is keen to welcome any and all challengers. Her open door policy has seen an influx of new talent arriving in MAW, including the veteran #1 contender, Tracy Brendon. Brendon showed her ring smarts in scoring a tainted win over the champion in a tag match two weeks ago, earning her shot, and the champion will want to retain the title not just for its own sake, but also to make the point that crossing her is not the right way to go about your business. Bradford Peverell vs. Ernest Youngman Bradford Peverell recently made his return to the ring after an absence of several weeks, having been put on the shelf by Elite. He targeted Ernest Youngman, one of his attackers, feeling particularly aggrieved that the younger man acted as Elite’s catspaw in bringing in the invaders. Youngman, for his part, is Elite through and through – and a win over the hard-hitting Peverell would be further vindication of the Elite way. KC Glenn vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Traditional title No faction warfare here – other than what could be a growing antipathy between The Firm and the Internationals. Swoop McCarthy has only himself to blame for this match, as it was his interference in a match between the two contenders that has landed him with two challengers, rather than just one. Gino Montero vs. Jean Cattley (c) – MAW World title Jean Cattley won the World title one month, but shortly beforehand he failed in a bid for the All Action champion when Montero pinned him clean in the middle of the ring. Montero was the clear favourite for a shot at the gold, and this Monday night we’ll see a rematch of one of the hottest contests in MAW all year. Fans, we’ll be at Centrepiece Bridge this Monday at 8pm, and if you can’t make it live, you can catch us on pay-per-view! [/QUOTE] * [CENTER][B]MAW Summer Heatwave[/B] Kid Arachnid vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Sara Marie York vs. Alicia Strong Luchas De Mascaras vs. Dirty Elite Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Tracy Brendon – MAW Women’s title Bradford Peverell vs. Ernest Youngman KC Glenn vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. Jean Cattley (c) – MAW World title[/CENTER] [I]OOC: I'll do my best to get the show up before Christmas, but if not then I hope everyone has a great few days. Normal service will resume early next week. And just to quash any rumous before they get started: I may be taking Christmas off, but I am [U]not[/U] Adam Ryland... :p[/I]

[foolinc]

[B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Sara Marie York vs. [B]Alicia Strong[/B] Luchas De Mascaras vs. [B]Dirty Elite[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Tracy Brendon – MAW Women’s title Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] KC Glenn vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts [I]Simply for the fact that with TEW 2010 due out soon(ish) this diary will be winding down, so I can't see you dragging out this feud for much longer. Arachnid will run through Elite and get his shot with Cattley.[/I] Sara Marie York vs. [B]Alicia Strong[/B] [I]I should be booing Strong and her arrogant 'snobby' attitude, but York and her 'goody two shoes' attitude irritates me more. No logic here, I'm just choosing Strong on the fact I dislike York with a passion.[/I] Luchas De Mascaras vs. [B]Dirty Elite[/B] [I]Could got the other way, but I see the Elite Goons picking up the win by living up to their name and playing Dirty. [/I] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Tracy Brendon – MAW Women’s title [I]At the end of the day, despite Brendon pinning J-Ro in the tag match, this has 'routine' defence written all over it.[/I] Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] [I]I know I said Youngman is the lowest ranked member of Elite, but after he beat Fire Fly, I just don't see him losing out to Peverall.[/I] KC Glenn vs.[B] Swoop McCarthy (c)[/B] vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Traditional title [I]About time Swoop's reign with this belt was brought to an end, I don't know how much more you can squeeze out of him keeping the belt round his waist by any means but yet despite being at a disadvantage, I see Deeley and Glenn cancelling each other out and Swoop escaping with the belt intact yet again. [/I] Gino Montero vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title [I]Ultimately it all seems to be heading towards a Cattley-Arachnid showdown, then again you might be leading us up the wrong path and you'll shock us with an unexpected swerve. [/I]

[Bigpapa42]

[B]Kid Arachnid [/B]vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Sara Marie York vs. [B]Alicia Strong[/B] Luchas De Mascaras vs. [B]Dirty Elite[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] (c) vs. Tracy Brendon – MAW Women’s title Bradford Peverell vs. [B]Ernest Youngman[/B] KC Glenn vs. [B]Swoop McCarthy [/B](c) vs. Sean Deeley – MAW Traditional title Gino Montero vs. [B]Jean Cattley [/B](c) – MAW World title

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Clearly not the hardest show to predict! Have a good Christmas, all - see you in a few days[/I] [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Summer Heatwave Monday, 22nd July 2014[/CENTER][/B] [CENTER]Your commentators: [COLOR="Purple"]Rip Chord[/COLOR] – [COLOR="Blue"]Jerome Turner[/COLOR] – [COLOR="Green"]James Casey[/COLOR][/CENTER] [B]KC Glenn vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) vs. Sean Deeley[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] We started strongly with this contest, as the three men teased alliances before the competitive spirit surged through the contestants. All three men came close to snatching the victory, but equally all three men were quick to break up pinning predicaments that came close to ending the match – until Swoop nailed Stunner From Down Under on Deeley just after Deeley had pitched Glenn over the top rope. The three-count duly followed. Winner: Swoop McCarthy (C+) * Swoop McCarthy stood in the centre of the ring, chest heaving as he held the Traditional title aloft. [COLOR="Teal"]“To tell you the truth, I’m starting to lose count of how many times I’ve defended this title. I think it’s about twenty-five – something like that, anyway. “All you Yanks have got to admit, I’m about as big a deal as you’ve ever seen. I know that secretly you’ve wanted to cheer me on. You can’t help but recognise greatness. “And greatness has a new name: Swoop!”[/COLOR] McCarthy dropped the mic and walked away. Rip snorted. [COLOR="Purple"]“It’s taken a year, but I think Crocodile Dundee there just learned about the word ‘I’.”[/COLOR] * [B]Bradford Peverell vs. Ernest Youngman[/B] Youngman treated Peverell with very little respect in the early going, pushing Peverell into lashing out with big left hooks that Youngman laughingly avoided. However, a big right hook knocked Youngman on his rear, and the match took on a more even keel. Youngman struggled to contain the energetic Peverell, and it was clear that he was getting angrier and angrier. The two tussled until Peverell swung wildly, and this time Youngman was right in place to nail The Hit. Rather than make the cover, however, Youngman nailed the move a second and a third time, bellowing at Peverell for his ‘affront’ in pushing him so hard, before making the pin. Winner: Ernest Youngman (C) * With Peverell down, there was no resistance as Youngman pitched him into the corner and nearly snapped his neck with a running dropkick. Phil Roberts appeared from the crowd and joined in the assault, trapping Peverell in the RCT while Youngman kicked and punched the hapless brawler. The ambush was interrupted as Kid Arachnid charged down to the ring, carrying a chair with him. He took a couple of swings at the Elite duo, who bailed from the ring before Arachnid could get too close. They made their way up the aisle, Youngman pointing and yelling at Arachnid as Roberts watched on stoically. Arachnid was left to watch over Peverell as the medical staff made their way down to the ring. What could be seen of his face showed grim determination as Peverell was stretchered out of the ring. * Alicia Strong was backstage, looking like the cat that got the cream. [COLOR="Blue"]“That’s what happens when you cross Elite,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="blue"]“And Sara, you’re next. I’ll destroy you tonight. Let’s face it, your face makes a nice big target for me to hit...”[/COLOR] It was a cheap shot – but the fans reacted big to it and it wasn’t entirely clear whether in support of the mockery, or against it. * [B]Sara Marie York vs. Alicia Strong[/B] Like Youngman before her, Strong didn’t take York too seriously in the opening going. However, she was quicker to appreciate York’s talents as she was reversed and reversed again when she attempted to tie York down. York, however, lacked the stopping power of Peverell and had to try and match holds with Strong. There were signs that Strong might not be able to keep York down, but the Elite representative seemed driven to keep innovating in the ring, and eventually after a series of hard strikes that left York groggy, Strong nailed the Angel Driver for the win. Winner: Alicia Strong (C) * El Heroe Mexicano and Amazing Fire Fly were in the ring awaiting their match when Dirty Elite boiled out of the crowd, trying to ambush their opponents. However, the masked duo were quick to respond to the attack and met their aggressors in the middle of the ring, starting the match early. [COLOR="blue"]“Thrash and Leadfoot should study their tapes. That didn’t work last month, and it hasn’t worked tonight!”[/COLOR] * [B]Luchas De Mascaras (1pt) vs. Dirty Elite (1pt)[/B] The Dirties seemed a little thrown by their failed assault, and that gave Fly and Heroe the chance to take control. Their acrobatic, speed-based offence left the Dirties looking somewhat flatfooted, and it seemed like the Firm duo might wrap this up quickly. Thrash and Leadfoot, however, endured the punishment and began unloading with their hardest strikes and most clubbing blows. Fly in particular seemed to take the worst of the punishment, as the Dirties singled him out and kept him grounded. In the end, Thrash and Leadfoot dropped Fly with a New York Calling to take the win and move another step closer to a title shot. Winner: Dirty Elite (C+, 2pts) * Joanne Rodriguez was stalking through the halls with a furious look on her face until she came to the locker room door of Tracy Brendon, which she kicked open with an almighty bang. Brendon was inside, half-changed into her ring gear, half in her street clothes. [COLOR="blue"]“Listen, Brendon. You cheated your way into this title shot – and that’s fine. I should have been more careful. But you won’t take this title from me that way. I know what to watch out for.”[/COLOR] Brendon laughed. [COLOR="blue"]“You know one thing. But Joanne, that’s all you know. You may have been around the block a few times – and you look like it, by the way – but you have no idea how many tricks I have up my sleeves.”[/COLOR] * [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Tracy Brendon[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Women’s title[/COLOR] Oooh, should have checked this before now. These two have no chemistry – funny how you can never really tell in a tag environment. Anyway, they put on a basic match, not really being able to push on to anything more intricate without struggling with a basic lack of co-ordination. In the end, J-Ro took the win and the successful defence with a J-Rocker. Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (D) * Kid Arachnid was sat on a packing crate backstage. He smiled lopsidedly at the camera. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“The Enforcer is a genuine legend in this business. He has a near-unbreakable submission hold, and he’s beaten me with it before now. So what’s different? It’s simple: This is one-on-one. This is a chance to take down someone who’s a threat to this company. This is a chance to deal a blow to Elite by damaging their aura. “Elite say that they want to make MAW uninhabitable to anyone they don’t approve of. That stinks – this company is all about open competition, where anyone can take a chance and make themselves a star, fairly or slightly unfairly. But it’s the same chance for everyone. It always has been. Ah don’t rightly care for anyone trying to take that away from us. “Enforcer, maybe out of all of Elite Ah dislike you the least. You’ve always been a puppet – a goon for others to order around. Heck, Ah don’t reckon you’ve had an original thought your whole career. Still, you’re getting in the ring against me. Ah have to figure you aim to do me some mischief. So there’s no mercy, and no second chances tonight. You’re my next step towards ridding this company of Elite, and of paying that traitor Cattley his dues. So tonight ain’t about you... it’s just you’re in my way.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kid Arachnid vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] From bad chemistry to pretty good, this was an even contest of Arachnid’s brawling talent against Roberts’ near-peerless technical technique. It was a lengthy battle, but Roberts’ has the stamina of a man half his age, and was able to keep pace with the livewire Arachnid throughout. However, the difference maker proved to be Arachnid’s wildfire innovation on the fly, as on a number of occasions he found counters to Roberts holds that not only aren’t in the book, but not even Rip could quite work out how Arachnid managed them. It was one of these counters that decided the match as Roberts tried to tie in the RCT for what would surely have been a certain victory, only for Arachnid to twist and drop and somehow end up behind Roberts, a boot to the back of his knees dropping the veteran to the mat where Arachnid finished the match with a picture-perfect Rip Chord DDT for the win – and the first step towards a possible World title shot. Winner: Kid Arachnid (B-) * After the bell, Arachnid celebrated his victory, holding up one finger to signal that the first challenge in his path had been taken out. He was joined by Gino Montero, and pointed to the Mexican star’s waist as though to say that Montero was about to add to the gold there. The two embraced, and Arachnid left the ring. Montero took the mic: [COLOR="Blue"]“Ah, Jean Cattley,”[/COLOR] he began. [COLOR="blue"]“Our new World champion, eh? He won that fair and square within the rules of his match last month, no question. So Jean, tonight I’m sure you’ll be sticking to the rules of the match. No interference, no chairs, no cheap shots... Just a straight-up wrestling match like we had the last time I fought you. Now, who was it that won that match? Eh, was it you... or... No, I remember now. “It was me. I beat you in the centre of the ring, and tonight I’ll do it again. Jean, [I]mi amigo[/I], the five-time champion... Soon to be the former five-time champion. Seeing you with the belt has been a blast from the past, Jean, but let’s be honest: if it’s not me, then one of my colleagues will take it from you at some point.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="navy"]“In your dreams, Montero,”[/COLOR] Cattley snarled as he came out from backstage. [COLOR="navy"]“This belt is staying where it is. It makes Elite the supreme group in this miserable hole of a company, and makes me the leader of that group.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“The leader? And what does Joe Sexy say about that?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Joe knows what the score is, you little punk. You’ve been here five minutes, and you think you can talk to a legend like me the way you do?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="blue"]“No, [I]esse[/I]. I think I can talk to you that way because I beat you... and Joe Sexy... and Phil Roberts... and ‘most everyone else I’ve been up against since I came to MAW. And I talk to you this way because by the end of tonight’s show I’m going to be the new World champion!”[/COLOR] Cattley fumed as Montero played to the crowd, who lapped up the All Action champion’s words. * [B]Gino Montero vs. Jean Cattley (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW World title[/COLOR] The war of words between the two saw them tearing into one another from the bell. [COLOR="purple"]“You shouldn’t let your opponent get you riled up. Cattley should know better,”[/COLOR] Rip said However, it seemed that Jean didn’t know better. In the early going it was all about Gino as he unloaded with some impactful and innovative offence that had the World champion staggering. [COLOR="blue"]“Could it be over this quickly?”[/COLOR] Jerome wondered. Not quite. Jean scored with a low blow on the referee’s blindside that stopped Gino in his tracks. The World champion took control, and spent the next several minutes stopping Montero in his tracks whenever the younger man tried to mount a comeback. Around the ten minute mark, Cattley seemed to have Montero set for a Mood Swing, but the challenger was able to scramble clear and take a breather outside as he tried to clear his head. From inside the ring, Cattley taunted him, even going so far as to turn his back on the youngster. [COLOR="Green"]“That can be so damaging psychologically,”[/COLOR] I said. Montero made his way back into the ring, but seemed fired up by Cattley’s taunts rather than anything else. The two men laid into one another with real venom, and Jerome wondered if maybe a vicious new rivalry was being born as we watched. If so, further fuel was added to the fire as Cattley once more tried to go low – only to be caught by the referee and stop himself just in time. Montero pasted him with a roundhouse kick as he was distracted. [COLOR="purple"]“That could make a difference – that kick can really mess with your balance if it’s hit right.”[/COLOR] Indeed, Jean seemed groggy for the next few minutes, and even had trouble standing upright. Montero pitched him around the ring with suplexes galore, before going for the Montero Press – but all he got was Cattley’s knees. The two men were physically drained, and rolled into opposing corners rather than try and resume their fight. They glared at one another as they regained their breath, and circled one another before tying up once more. The next several minutes established the parity between the two. While Montero seemed to have the superior skills, Cattley was the more experienced and time and again was able to break Montero’s rhythm with the right move at the right time. [COLOR="green"]“Cattley is hitting moves that count – it’s conservation of energy, and it’s taking its toll!”[/COLOR] Montero seemed to lose the thread of his game plan as he was stopped time and again by the World champion, who was focusing his attack on Montero’s legs. [COLOR="purple"]“Sound fighting – take away his speed, and the Montero Press as well.”[/COLOR] Not that Montero was done – he surprised Cattley with a rolling neckbreaker for a desperately close two count, and followed that with a springboard dropkick that sent Cattley out of the ring to a hard landing. When he got to his feet, Montero was there with a baseball slide to send him into the crowd barriers. The referee prevented him following Cattley to the outside, though, giving the Elite man a chance to gather his wits and nurse his injured body back into the ring. Montero pounced immediately, and tried to monkey flip Cattley, but the champion caught his feet and dropped back into the ropes, countering the momentum. Dumping Montero unceremoniously onto the mat, Cattley turned him over into a Boston crab. Montero was trapped, unable to make the ropes as Cattley had him positioned perfectly. He grew still, not responding to the referee’s calls. [COLOR="green"]“But he’s not out – you can see in his face that he’s conserving his strength, not wasting it by fighting. He’s trying to wait Cattley out!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="purple"]“Very risky. Cattley might just break him in two.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Montero is at home taking risks, though. Will this one pay off?”[/COLOR] It did – sort of. Cattley eventually broke the hold, but Montero was clearly hurt. He struggled to his feet, and was just able to turn aside the first attempt by Cattley to nail him with a Mood Swing. He grabbed Cattley around the neck and dropped back into an inverted mat slam, but the jolt on landing seemed to hurt Montero more than Cattley as he rolled sideways, clutching his back. [COLOR="purple"]“One impact too many. This is where Cattley’s tactics will come through.”[/COLOR] The champion was first to his feet. As he caught sight of the wounded Montero, a feral smile spread across his face. He stalked the All Action title holder, even going down on all fours and getting in his face as Montero struggled to stand. As he did, though, Cattley was right there and drilled him with a Mood Swing to take the win and retain his title. [COLOR="purple"]“When it matters, when it really counts... I’ll back Jean Cattley over anyone,”[/COLOR] Rip said, as Cattley celebrated his win while sneering down at his fallen opponent. Winner: Jean Cattley (B) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I]Next: Goodbye to...[/I]

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Having played Santa, I had the chance to play a few minutes today and I was delighted to see a worker I've wanted for a while become available, therefore...[/I] [CENTER][B]10 Simple Rules: Christmas Teaser[/B][/CENTER] At the next pay-per-view the 'boss' of Elite will make his debut. Who do you think it will be, and why? Only one clue: It's a total newcomer to MAW - although they've appeared in the diary before...

[Candyman]

Sorry I missed out on predicting. I was going to make the same predictions as...well, everyone. :p Good show, my favorite part was this gem: [QUOTE=James Casey;769947]McCarthy dropped the mic and walked away. Rip snorted. [COLOR="Purple"]“It’s taken a year, but I think Crocodile Dundee there just learned about the word ‘I’.”[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [QUOTE=James Casey;770155][I]OOC: Having played Santa, I had the chance to play a few minutes today and I was delighted to see a worker I've wanted for a while become available, therefore...[/I] [CENTER][B]10 Simple Rules: Christmas Teaser[/B][/CENTER] At the next pay-per-view the 'boss' of Elite will make his debut. Who do you think it will be, and why? Only one clue: It's a total newcomer to MAW - although they've appeared in the diary before...[/QUOTE] This should be fun. Eric Eisen fits the clue and would be awesome for the storyline for obvious reasons, but I'm not sure he qualifies as a worker you've wanted for awhile...

[D-Lyrium]

Surely not Eric Eisen? :O Edit: Bah. A bit late on that one.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Eric has been in the diary before, and has never wrestled for MAW. Any other guesses?[/I] * The contracts of Ruin and Haley Buck are coming up for renewal, and I’m inclined to let both go. Ruin hasn’t been on a show for the last month, and since his feud-ending match with Tim Westybrook has really had no direction. Putting him with the Internationals as a bodyguard is all well and good, but I think that he’s served his purpose here. I’d love to give him a decent send-off, but that just doesn’t fit with his character. It’s a shame that a guy as nice as Pete has held just one title in his career – but I’m glad we were able to give it to him. As for Haley, the Internationals having two managers (Lisa Bowen is the other) originally evolved from Haley having timing issues with either Davis or Joss. Bowen works well with all three, so now that Haley’s contract has come up, we don’t really need to keep her around. I hope to bring her back soon, as she’s a great manager – but cutting her could save us some $3,000 a month as she’s on almost every show. And $3,000 saved is $3,000 earned. * We scored a 10% increase in buy rates for Summer Heatwave, up to 0.11. That amounts to an extra $2,500, but every little helps – that’s an extra seven shows for Haley Buck, or would be if she weren’t on the way out the door. With Saturday freed up from the pay-per-view schedule, it seems likely that we’re going to run four On Tour shows next month. We need to make sure we don‘t over saturate the markets as running nine shows a month could be one too many – the last show of the month already shows signs of crowd fatigue. Still, we’re making a lot more money off the On Tour shows now we’re running larger venues, so I think it’s worth trying. A possibility would be moving the pay-per-view forward a week, which would mean one month with only three weeks between shows. Next month could be ideal for this, as there’s less build required towards the show. We’re bringing back MAW’s one true innovation in match types, and it pretty much builds itself. Besides, money is pretty much all right now, given how much we owe to various people. I’m not about to foreclose on my loans to MAW, and nor is Rip, but would Jay? Would Nemesis? * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Fumihro Ota vs. Leadfoot Amazing Fire Fly vs. Joe Sexy El Heroe Mexicano vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Lassana Makutsi vs. Davis Wayne Newton ??? and Gino Montero vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley[/CENTER]

[Bigpapa42]

Fumihro Ota vs. [B]Leadfoot[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs.[B] Joe Sexy[/B] El Heroe Mexicano vs.[B] “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley

[smurphy1014]

Fumihro Ota vs. [B]Leadfoot[/B] [B]Amazing Fire Fly[/B] vs. Joe Sexy El Heroe Mexicano vs.[B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley

[Candyman]

[B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Fumihro Ota vs. [B]Leadfoot[/B] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley

[Rayelek]

[B]Fumihro Ota[/B] vs. Leadfoot Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley Also, I think the force behind the Elite is going to be Jerry Eisen. He seems more likely to be free from SWF, if either brother, as he's less talented, and as he's pretty amicable to be working with you, I could see him coming in and doing it.

[Tigerkinney]

[B]Fumihro Ota[/B] vs. Leadfoot [I]Via DQ after being on a receiving end of a hellacious beating[/I]. Amazing Fire Fly vs.[B] Joe Sexy[/B] [I]As much as I like Fire Fly I can't see past a Sexy win in this one.[/I] El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [I]I'm tempted to say Heroe, but think Elite wins again here.[/I] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [I]The Internationals rep to pull out the win in this one[/I] ??? and Gino Montero vs. [B]Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley[/B] [I]Despite the prescence of a mystery man, I'm tipping the Elite pair to come out on top again. Just have this inkling that this will be one of the shows where the babyfaces take a bit of a beating.[/I]

[MaxMoon]

[B]Fumihro Ota [/B]vs. Leadfoot - [I]I have always had a soft spot for Ota, so maybe this is my heart rather than brain predicting.[/I] Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] El Heroe Mexicano vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero [/B]vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley - [I]I would never bet against a mystery partner.[/I]

[foolinc]

[B]Fumihro Ota [/B]vs. Leadfoot Amazing Fire Fly vs. [B]Joe Sexy[/B] [B]El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] [B]??? and Gino Montero [/B]vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley

[James Casey]

[I]OOO: Hmmm... [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68177"]24 days 'til '10 gets released[/URL]. I think we may be moving into overtime on this diary.[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, July 26th 2014[/CENTER] Fumihro Ota vs. Leadfoot[/B] It’s always nice to turn up a pairing like this, for whom great chemistry allows them to put on a show that’s far above my expectations. The two veritably danced around the ring, Ota leading the heavier-footed biker a merry dance as the two exchanged blows in what actually turned out to be an enjoyable slugfest, playing to Leadfoot’s strengths and Ota’s experience. In the end, annoyed at his inability to put Ota down, Leadfoot resorted to a boot to the groin to take the DQ loss – but leave his opponent down on the mat and in considerable pain from the assault. Winner: Fumihiro Ota (C+) * Ernest Youngman stood in the middle of the ring. [COLOR="Blue"]“I am the man who brought Elite to MAW. I was the soul and centre of the Cult of Chord. I am King Midas... I am many things, including one of the best wrestlers alive.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“But above all, I am the Assassin of the Squared Circle. If you cross me, your career is over. Ask Peverell or Cannon or Shaffer. “Elite are in the hunt for gold. Right now, I have my eyes on one piece of gold in particular: The Traditional title. Swoop McCarthy, come and join me.”[/COLOR] The Traditional champion made his way to the ring, a speculative look on his face. [COLOR="Teal"]“G’day, Ernie,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Teal"]“I seem to recall you came into this company and went straight after this belt. You screwed up then, so why should I give you another shot now?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“I don’t want a shot, Swoop,”[/COLOR] Youngman said. He was bristling slightly from being called ‘Ernie’, and his voice was several degrees cooler than normal – not that Swoop seemed to notice, or possibly care. [COLOR="Blue"]“I want that title. I am Elite, I am supreme. Give me that title, Kiwi, or-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“I’m not a Kiwi,”[/COLOR] Swoop cut in, his voice suddenly cold as well. [COLOR="Blue"]“Whatever. You’re not Elite, and that’s all that matters. Give me that title, or I will call hell down on you.”[/COLOR] Swoop slowly unclasped the belt from around his waist and held it between himself and Youngman. [COLOR="Teal"]“You just want me to hand over this belt?”[/COLOR] he asked. [COLOR="Teal"]“No fight? No sign that you deserve it? Nothing?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Deserve it? I am Elite. I am one of the greatest wrestlers on this planet!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“Yeah, well, I am Swoop! And you will recognise greatness!”[/COLOR] As quick as a flash, Swoop planted a boot into Youngman’s gut and nailed him with the Stunner From Down Under. Picking up the title belt from the mat, he held it in Youngman’s face. [COLOR="Teal"]“You want this belt, mate, you do it the proper way. Come and see me when you grow a pair, Ernie, and we’ll talk again.”[/COLOR] The crowd roared as Swoop stood in the centre of the ring, title belt held aloft, and then popped again as The Firm stepped out onto the top of the ramp and applauded the Traditional champion’s actions. Swoop stood coolly in the middle on the ring, but acknowledged their applause with a slight nod of his head. * [B]Lassana Makutsi vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Another match, another new pairing discovered with great chemistry. Actually, I knew that these two meshed well together, but for our TV audience this was a real treat as the two worked so well together. It was a tight affair, with both men being supremely talented all-rounders, able to switch styles and adapt to their opponent doing the same. It made for a thrilling cat-and-mouse contest, with both men playing both roles as adroitly as they played brawler, technician and flyer throughout. In the end, the hard-fought match culminated in Newton trapping Makutsi ring-centre with an STF for the decision, but after his victory Newton knew full well that he had been in a real fight. Winner: Davis Wayne Newton (B-) * Newton stood in the centre of the ring, chest heaving and face slicked with sweat. [COLOR="Blue"]“That was a tough match, I’ll give Makutsi that,”[/COLOR] he said, as though a king bestowing a favour on a commoner. [COLOR="Blue"]“But there’s one man I have my sights set on: Gino Montero. We’ve fought before, Montero, but someone else chose the stipulation that night. Next week I want to fight you for the All Action title in a submission match so I can show the world who the best young wrestler in the world is – and it’s not McFly Jr. – It’s the Triple Threat!”[/COLOR] * Kid Arachnid was backstage, leafing through a comic book. He looked up and noticed the camera. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Not got much to say tonight,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Congratulations to Swoop McCarthy for standing up to Elite. Ah hope there’s more people out there who’ll take the chance to make a stand. Speaking of Elite... Jean, Ah beat the first of your challenges on Monday night. In a couple of weeks Ah’m facing one of Dirty Elite. My dance card is free for our next pay-per-view, though, so feel free to pick someone to send against me then.”[/COLOR] * [B]Amazing Fire Fly vs. Joe Sexy[/B] This was a case of overness carrying the day. Fly has been a bit of a disappointment since returning to MAW. A huge star in Mexico, that hasn’t translated to the US, and of course a lot of that is down to his heavily lucha-based wrestling style – although he was debuting a new mask with antennae on, which made up for a lot. It’s difficult for a lot of wrestlers to cope with Fly’s style, but Joe Sexy here was able to work a decent match with him. In the end, Fly wasn’t quite able to overcome his experienced and evil opponent, but he came close on a couple of occasions before being taken down and out with a One Night Stand. Winner: Joe Sexy (C-) * After the bell, Sexy grabbed Fly’s mask and pulled him into a sitting position. With Alicia Strong egging him on from ringside, he tried to prise away the mask, antennae and all. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Leave him alone, Joe,”[/COLOR] Kid Arachnid demanded as he charged down to the ring. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Me and Fly have got a lot in common, and I’m not just talking about our names. Oh no. We’ve both got hearts so big, they get us into a whole heap a’ trouble. Like right now, I’m gonna challenge Joe Sexy to a match at Battle Of The Mid Atlantic... Oh, would you look at what I did?”[/COLOR] Sexy dropped Fly, leaving him to crumple to the mat. Arachnid checked on his colleague, who waved him on to continue his confrontation. [COLOR="Blue"]“Arachnid, it was only a matter of time before you lost in this quest of yours. You’re not about to get your title shot, but we’re having a lot of fun beating that realisation into you. You see, Kid, we wouldn’t even be bothering if you weren’t top-drawer material, I’ll admit it. There’d be no need. We’d put you in the ring with Cattley, and let him have his fun. But with you... See, there’s a chance you could do it. No-one knows who the hell you are under that mask, and that bothers us. So you’ve gotta walk the walk, Kid. And sooner or later, you’re gonna get found out. You ain’t gonna make the title match, no way. I ain’t even sure you’re gonna make it through to face me at the big show. If you do make it, then you know you’ll be in the ring with the best of the best: Me.”[/COLOR] * [B]El Heroe Mexicano vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] Ouch. I’d hoped this would be a show-stealer, but it might be a killer. These two just didn’t get on the same page at any point during the match, and it wasn’t even as though there was a lack of talent. In fact, the frustrating thing was that this was a good match – carried by the overness and sheer ability of the two men. It’s just every time it threatened to hit top gear, they’d fumble an exchange and the momentum would be thrown. We played it off on commentary as Roberts being overly ****y – that he’d dismissed the younger Heroe as a threat, and that Heroe kept surprising him with counters that a charged up Roberts would have been ready for. It didn’t much help, but it was something. In the end, Roberts resorted to pitching Heroe into an uncovered turnbuckle that he’d sneakily prepared moments before, and then clamping on the RCT for the win. Winner: Phil Roberts (C) * Youngman and Cattley made their way down to the ring, looking imperious as they regarded the fans in attendance. [COLOR="Navy"]“You are looking at Elite. The World champion, and the finest young wrestler in the world today,”[/COLOR] Cattley proclaimed. [COLOR="Navy"]“Forget Kid Arachnid – he hides his face behind a falsehood designed to try and deceive and intimidate. I am too intelligent to fall for such a worthless ploy. Anyone who thinks that he’s got under my skin, or rattled me... Forget it.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“And as for Gino Montero... Actually, Davis Wayne Newton, and KC Glenn, and anyone else who buys into their own hype: I am Ernest Youngman, I am King Midas. The only reason I am not World champion is that the belt lies around the waist of my colleague here. I am the best: No-one can compete against me.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“I wouldn’t bet on that,”[/COLOR] Gino Montero cut in, emerging from the back. [COLOR="Blue"]“I saw Swoop McCarthy lay you out earlier, [I]gringo[/I].”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“That was a sneak attack!”[/COLOR] Youngman yelled. [COLOR="Blue"]“No way he gets a clean win on me – no way you could, either!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“You see that’s in-ter-est-ing,”[/COLOR] Montero said, dragging out the last word. [COLOR="Blue"]“Considering who my partner is and all...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Oh, big surprise, it’s Arachnid, right? Any excuse to get in the ring with me and get his face on TV.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“No, [I]senór[/I] Cattley. Actually, when The Firm agreed to this match we knew I was available, and we thought maybe I could team up with KC... But then we something else happened and we agreed that maybe instead my partner should be...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“Yeah? Who?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Really, and you say you are intelligent,”[/COLOR] Montero laughed as Cattley snarled. [COLOR="Blue"]“Is it not obvious? My partner tonight is none other than the reigning Traditional champion, Swoop McCarthy!”[/COLOR] The big Australian emerged from the back as the crowd roared their approval. [COLOR="Teal"]“Yeah, that’s right! Swoop is in the house, and the massed ranks of Elite better watch out... Ah, I could never do that gangsta ----.”[/COLOR] The crowd laughed as Cattley and Youngman glared up at their opponents. [COLOR="Teal"]“Truth be told, I’ve been thinking about coming after Elite for a while now. I’ve had this belt for a year, and I’ve faced a lot of good wrestler. Now, I’m a pragmatic sort of bloke, and sometimes I’ve walked out of matches or cheated to stay champion... But I always gave respect where it was due. But the thing is, I look in the ring right now, and I don’t see anything much worth a damn as far as respect goes.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“I am the World champion-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"]“And I really don’t give a snowball’s chance in hell, you clacker. Cattley, you couldn’t beat a carpet – I’ve been watching your tapes on the old VCR, and I gotta tell you, I’m not impressed. About all you got going for you is low cunning and the ability to take a hell of a beating. Now, that’s not bad – My old man did a hell of a lot with not much more, but I am Swoop McCarthy and you will recognise greatness! Ten minutes in the ring with me, you great wuss, and that bit of shiny stuff around your waist would get added to mine!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“What language are you even talking?”[/COLOR] Youngman demanded. [COLOR="Blue"]“You think that suddenly you deserve a shot at the World title? Forget it, McCarthy. I’m a lot more qualified than you, so you can wait your turn.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Gentlemen, please,”[/COLOR] I said, standing up at the announcers’ table and holding up a hand for quiet. [COLOR="Green"]“I have an announcement to make, and it’s good that the four of you are in the ring because it concerns at least three of you. “Mid Atlantic Wrestling can lay claim to a lot of achievements over the last few years, including a few innovations. One of those achievements is a match we’ve dubbed the Gold Rush. “For those of you not familiar with the match, the male champions of MAW all compete in match in which the singles titles are on the line – World, All Action and Traditional. At the moment, that means you three,”[/COLOR] I pointed at McCarthy, Montero and Cattley. [COLOR="Green"]“On the 15th August we’ll be back at Centrepiece Bridge for our next pay-per-view, The Battle Of The Mid-Atlantic. I fully intend the show to live up to its name, so the main event will be a Gold Rush match featuring the reigning champions of MAW. Right now that’s you three, Jefferson Stardust and Ashington C. Odam-“[/COLOR] “What the hell are you doing, Casey?” Cattley demanded. “You want me to lose this title, is that it?” [COLOR="Green"]“Oh yes,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“I do. You betrayed my company, Jean, and you can hardly have expected me to take that lightly. So far I’ve let the roster handle that little matter. If you want me to take a personal interest, I can.”[/COLOR] Cattley subsided. [COLOR="Green"]“In any case you might have another Elite man in the match because in two weeks time it will be Swoop McCarthy and Ernest Youngman going one on one for the Traditional title on the last show before the pay-per-view.”[/COLOR] Youngman smiled. Swoop looked at him with disdain. [COLOR="Green"]“Of course, it’s not all good news for you, Jean. I like to see a little unpredictability, so on that same show you’ll be defending your title as well... against Amazing Fire Fly... and Phoenix... and Davis Wayne Newton! “Jean, Ernest and the rest of your crew: You’ve injured a lot of people since you came here. Bradford Peverell, Trent Shaffer, Sam Cannon... even Tim Westybrook. They’re all out of this company because of you.”[/COLOR] The Elite men nodded, looking pleased with themselves. [COLOR="Green"]"Don't think I'm pleased about that. Don't think I'm impressed. It may be that The Firm can handle things... but if not, if I think they could do with a hand, then I will not hesitate to do everything in my power to stop you. So far you've brought in the crowds and put on good matches. You've helped this company more than you've harmed it. But I know you have something brewing. You're here to destroy this company? We've fought that before - and won. Whatever your plans, we'll find a counter, and if needs be we've got more weapons up our sleeves than you can possibly cope with. Now start the match!"[/COLOR] * [B]Swoop McCarthy and Gino Montero vs. Ernest Youngman and Jean Cattley[/B] Hands down, this was the best tag match in MAW, possibly ever. Swoop clearly relished playing to a crowd that was behind him from the bell, although in truth he’d always had his supporters. Cattley and Youngman played the über-heels to perfection, trapping Montero in their corner and allowing him to come close to tagging in McCarthy, but never actually managing to – at least, until they got too arrogant about their dominance, and Youngman let Montero slip past him and tag in McCarthy to a booming crowd reaction. The big Australian knocked the Elite duo from pillar to post, unloading with intensity on them and delivering a huge clothesline to Cattley that knocked the World champion clean out of the ring. Youngman tried to ambush him from behind, but McCarthy broke up the assault with a headbutt that sent Youngman staggering back, setting him up perfectly for a Stunner From Down Under to give Montero and McCarthy a big win! Winner: Swoop McCarthy and Gino Montero (B-) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I]Next: A big promotion for a hardcore icon...[/I]