MAW: 10 Simple Rules...

[Bigpapa42]

[B]The Masked Man[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton [B]The Firm [/B]vs. Elite [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] (c) vs. Grace Harper – MAW Women’s title Antonio vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Alicia Strong Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] (c) – MAW World title Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite Tag Team[/B] (c) – MAW Tag Team titles

[Rayelek]

[B]The Masked Man[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton The Firm vs. [B]Elite[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Grace Harper – MAW Women’s title [B]Antonio[/B] vs. Cameron Vessey [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Alicia Strong Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite[/B] Tag Team (c) – MAW Tag Team titles

[Tigerkinney]

[B]The Masked Man[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton [I]Another mystery man eh ? - Think I'll have to stump for him too, despite DWN being a great talent.[/I] The Firm vs. [B]Elite[/B] [I]I see Elite coming out on top here, just to further their vibe of being almost unstoppable.[/I] Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. [B]Grace Harper[/B] – MAW Women’s title [I]Women's division could do with a shake up, and it looks Harper may just be the one to give it that, so I can see the belt changing hands here.[/I] Antonio vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] [I]I'd be surprised if Casey Valentine did not get involved here to swing the match for one of them. I'd say he decides to stay loyal to Cameron Vessey. [/I] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Alicia Strong [I]Who knows what could happen here, but I just don't see Strong coming out on top.[/I] Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title [I]You have done well to build Swoop us a legitimate contender and it's possible the road we all though was happening with Kid Arachnid being the one to bring down Elite, could be a swerve and Swoop would be the hero all along, that being said I'm sticking with the original theory.[/I] Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite Tag Team (c)[/B] – MAW Tag Team titles [I]Easiest pick of the night, just can't see any of these jobber tandems being the one's to take the belts off the Elite Goons.[/I]

[Candyman]

[B]The Masked Man[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton The Firm vs. [B]Elite[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Grace Harper – MAW Women’s title Antonio vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Alicia Strong [I]I definitely think a swerve is possible here, and you'll end up giving El Heroe the World title at WIABA, but I'm not going to call for it.[/I] Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite Tag Team (c)[/B] – MAW Tag Team titles

[TakerNGN74]

Glad to see that you are continuing this with the new game. The Masked Man vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] The Firm vs. [B]Elite[/B] [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c)[/B] vs. Grace Harper – MAW Women’s title Antonio vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] Kid Arachnid vs. [B]Alicia Strong[/B] Something tells me that somehow Alicia Strong is going to pull out the win on this one. Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley (c)[/B] – MAW World title Always gotta go with the champ! Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite Tag Team (c)[/B] – MAW Tag Team titles Again have to go with the champs on this one but being that there is four teems involved it could go either way really. I will definately be interested to find out what happens.

[James Casey]

OOC: Thanks to Adam for moving the diary over. I'm still running on '08 - I can't imagine how much work it would take to transfer this database over to '10. Ignoring the stats work in updating the wrestlers, stuff like title histories and so on would be horrific. That said, maybe one day... :p Anyway, just a quick note to say that The Clash graded out as my best show ever in-game, and I want to have it come out that way on-screen. In all likelihood, it'll probably be the best show in the diary, grade-wise. For that reason, and because of family stuff happening over the next few days, I don't know quite when I'll be able to get this posted. If it doesn't appear tonight or tomorrow, then it'll likely not show up until sometime into next week. I think I've discussed this before, but the process of writing a show for me goes like this: - Outline of show, matches first, then angles. I have this down to a fine art now, and the outline can be put together in a couple of minutes, even for a long show. - Run the show. - Write up matches as they're on-screen. I don't use the booking notes too much for this - I generally have a clear idea of what I want to see, but if one wrestler gerts singled out a lot, then I'll make a not of it. With few exceptions I don't move onto the next match until I've finished writing them up. Longer shows (like The Clash, where the last two matches got Cliff Note'd) get their screen notes copied into Word, and I'll refer to them as and when I get to the match. - Later on, I write up the angles. There're a few exceptions to this. I wrote the masked man unmasks angle at The Clash (told you he wouldn't stay secret for long) with the angle on-screen because it graded really well (a B, I think) which speaks volumes for his momentum, entertainment skills and popularity. Generally I tailor the angle writeups to the story I want to tell - not every 'all of Elite' angle features all of Elite, becasue they're too expensive :D. The show usually gets posted a couple of days after I run it, although in terms of writing it's typically as soon as I finish it :p So there you go - a little insight into writing while you wait for The Clash, and hopefully keep making predictions :)

[Guest HalloweenKnight]

ten simple rules but five well earned stars. This along with Inifity and Ramaenos diaries have inspired me to come out of hiding and finally join the community. I've been a huge fan of EWR/TEW dynasty forums for a very long time... I just never wanted to join the community...preferring to stay in the background, just reading (boring desk job, loads of time to kill) but with the release of TEW2010 and the growing community and popularity of Grey Dog Software I decided my time was now. I dont know that I will give it a crack (i'm way too self conscious about my writing) but I will definitely be chimming in my two cents to my three favorite reads so far this season. James keep it up! five stars ***** for you!!!!

[Editor6]

[B]The Masked Man[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton [B]The Firm[/B] vs. Elite [I]The tide starts to turn[/I] [B]Joanne Rodriguez[/B] (c) vs. Grace Harper – MAW Women’s title [B]Antonio[/B] vs. Cameron Vessey [I]They're fighting over [B]Casey Valentine?[/B] Really, guys? Really? Also, I'm calling a swerve here - Casey rejects the winner.[/I] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Alicia Strong [I]I can see Alicia trying too hard to prove herself and making a mistake[/I] Swoop McCarthy vs. [B]Jean Cattley[/B] (c) – MAW World title Divine Intervention vs. The Me In Team vs. Platinum 12” vs. [B]Dirty Elite Tag Team[/B] (c) – MAW Tag Team titles

[James Casey]

[QUOTE=HalloweenKnight;811949]I've been a huge fan of EWR/TEW dynasty forums for a very long time... I just never wanted to join the community...preferring to stay in the background, just reading (boring desk job, loads of time to kill) [/QUOTE] Welcome! And I know all about the desk job issues. Been there, done that - one of the ways I got into writing, incidentally. Hope you make yourself at home! [QUOTE=Editor6;812665] [B]Antonio[/B] vs. Cameron Vessey [I]They're fighting over [B]Casey Valentine?[/B] Really, guys? Really? Also, I'm calling a swerve here - Casey rejects the winner.[/I] [/QUOTE] Hard to believe, isn't it? I brought Vessey back about a year ago, quite forgetting that he was injured for months, but the intention was always to have him get involved with the two of them and have [I]something[/I] happen... But yeah, they're feuding over [B]Casey Valentine[/B]. At least I've avoided too much HoYay, hopefully... Anyway, showtime!

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Where else can I work a quote from 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' into dialogue?[/I] [CENTER][B]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: The Clash Monday, 15th September 2014[/B] Your commentators: [COLOR="Blue"]Jerome Turner[/COLOR] – [COLOR="Purple"]Rip Chord[/COLOR] – [COLOR="Green"]James Casey[/COLOR][/CENTER] The Firm were shown backstage, heads bowed, stood in a circle in a moment of unity. The camera moved around them, showing each man between his allies. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Ah don’t much belief in some higher power. Always relied on myself, hell, when Ah’ve had friends, Ah reckon they always knew Ah was looking out for myself first and foremost. “Now Ah got myself a tight group of friends, people Ah trust with mah back. Can’t remember that happening before – not for a long time. Even so, tonight Ah find myself fightin’ on mah own. An’ worse, ah’m up against a woman. “Ah don’t know how Ah can win this. Ah can’t hit a woman, not for anything. Ah’ve taken a beatin’ in the last weeks. Those Elite mooks ain’t held back none. Ain’t no secret I’ve got some banged up ribs, an’ I figure someone as canny as Strong knows mah arm’s hurting to. If not, Eisen’s got the smarts to know an’ tell her – if they’re talkin’. “But tonight ain’t just about me. Hell, whether Ah beat Alicia is kinda irrelevant. Tonight Gino, KC, Fly and Heroe are takin’ on the real threat. Maybe tonight Elite will learn their place at your hands. If that’s gonna happen, whatever Ah do tonight is kinda irrelevant. “Maybe later Ah get that title shot, maybe not. Maybe these boys’ll take out Elite and we can all go out for pizza. Maybe not.”[/COLOR] Arachnid looked up into the camera, which stopped moving to focus on him. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Whatever happens tonight, I won’t stop. We won’t stop. Elite can threaten all they want, but we will fight. We will fight, and we will save MAW!”[/COLOR] * Speaking of Elite, their locker room was shown next. Prominent in the centre of the room were the Dirties, with Thrash sharpening a cut throat razor on a leather strap while Leadfoot tinkered with a piece of bike engine. Jean Cattley looked on in obvious disdain while Roberts and Sexy sparred lightly in the background. The door opened and Eric Eisen and Ernest Youngman walked in. [COLOR="Sienna"]“No, I don’t know who’s under that mask. And he doesn’t matter. Tonight you’re on Elite time, Ernest. I’ve been generous about allowing you to do your own things, but tonight this is about the team.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“I gave the team an in,”[/COLOR] Youngman snapped. [COLOR="Blue"]“You should remember that.”[/COLOR] Thrash, Leadfoot, Sexy and Roberts all stopped what they were doing to look at Eric. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You’re new, Ernest,”[/COLOR] he said in calm and measured tones. [COLOR="Sienna"]“So I'll let you get away with questioning my authority. Only once. Only once can I, or shall I let you get away with that.”[/COLOR] Youngman appeared cowed. [COLOR="Blue"]“Yeah, ok.”[/COLOR] Eric raised an eyebrow. [COLOR="Blue"]“Yes, Mr. Eisen,” [/COLOR]Youngman said, more sharply. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m sorry.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Good. All friends again, that’s what I like. Now, has anyone seen Alicia? Joe?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Sorry, boss, not a word. I put it on Tommy the Peepers over on forty-fifth, but nothing.”[/COLOR] Eisen looked at him. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Tommy the Peepers?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“He’s Billy Spotlight’s kid. Moved down here to be with his ma, and he’s got his eyes on the street, same as his dad did.”[/COLOR] Eisen shook his head. [COLOR="Sienna"]“This kind of thing is what I want to move away from,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Nonsense like Tommy the Peepers and the other old-timers still clinging to the coattails of sports entertainment like they have a role in the modern business. Back in the day maybe we had to pay protection money, but this is my business, and it’s too big to be chased out of town by a couple of two-bit thugs-“[/COLOR] He stopped, and looked around the locker room. [COLOR="Sienna"]“What are you all looking at?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“If Alicia doesn’t show, who have you got lined up?”[/COLOR] Cattley asked. [COLOR="Sienna"]“No-one. She’ll show.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]“No-one? You’re planning to hand Arachnid this match against me?”[/COLOR] Eisen frowned at him, but Cattley was unaffected. [COLOR="Navy"]“I didn’t ask for much when I sold out on this company, Eric, but my being the last champion was part of the deal. I started on top, and I’m sure as hell going to end on top.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“And you will. Look.”[/COLOR] Alicia Strong was standing in the doorway, dressed to wrestle. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’m here,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR="Blue"]“I’ll be getting ready in another room.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“That’s fine,”[/COLOR] Eric said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Listen, so that you know, I saw Casey today. We’ve agreed that tonight’s going to be a lumberjack match.”[/COLOR] Alicia stared blankly at him. [COLOR="Blue"]“Why?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Just in case.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“You don’t trust me.”[/COLOR] It wasn’t a question. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Just in case,”[/COLOR] Eric repeated. [COLOR="Blue"]“You know what? Whatever. I’ll show you what I can do soon enough.”[/COLOR] She left the room. Thrash stood up and followed her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of folded bills. [COLOR="Sienna"]“What-“[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Now she’s back on the market,”[/COLOR] Leadfoot said, already back to tinkering, [COLOR="Blue"]“he’s going to tell her how much he likes her wrestling gear.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“And the dollar bills?”[/COLOR] Leadfoot looked at Eisen blankly. [COLOR="Blue"]“How else do you tell a woman you like what she’s wearing?”[/COLOR] There was a crash from outside the door, and Thrash shortly staggered back into the room, without his money and with a black eye rapidly colouring on his face. Eisen looked to the heavens before beckoning the other members of Elite in close. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Okay, listen. Jean, I know you can handle Swoop tonight. In the tag match I want Montero, but if any of you want to stick the boot in, feel free. As for Glenn and the masked idiots, we’ll...”[/COLOR] * [COLOR="Purple"]“You agreed to a lumberjack match?”[/COLOR] Rip demanded as the camera cut to ringside. [COLOR="Green"]“It keeps everyone in plain sight,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="Green"]“Something’s going to happen. This way Arachnid and Strong might be able to see it coming.”[/COLOR] * [B]The Masked Man vs. Davis Wayne Newton[/B] Hot opener? Yep. Newton tried to take out the newcomer immediately, but the masked man had a counter for everything. Every time Newton was put down, the masked man stood over him, not pressing his advantage. Instead, he let Newton come to him, eager to prove his claimed superiority – but again his opponent was able to counter his attacks. Newton backed off, cautious – but that spurred his foe into the attack for the first time, unleashing a blizzard of precise strikes and blows, before nailing a thunderous jawbreaker that snapped Newton’s head back, and allowed his opponent to score the pin with surprising ease. Winner: The Masked Man (B) * After a quick break, we returned somewhere within the depths of Centrepiece Bridge. The masked man was lurking in semi-darkness, his already hooded features even more obscured by the shadows. [COLOR="Indigo"]“I was sent to this company to bring light to the shadows,”[/COLOR] he announced. [COLOR="Indigo"]“To show the true path to His glory, His favour.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Indigo"]“The path is not smooth, nor is it easy to walk. To earn His grace...”[/COLOR] A light flared, and for a split-second you could see that the masked man, in fact, had unmasked – but then the screen whited out from the magnitude of the light. [COLOR="Indigo"]“...you must face his wrath.”[/COLOR] Back to ringside, and Rip and myself exchanged glances. [COLOR="Green"]“Was that...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“...Toxin?”[/COLOR] * Divine Intervention, Platinum 12” and The Me In Team were all in the ring, and a small shoving match erupted as they fought for control of the house mic. However, before anyone could take control, the sound of revving bikes filled the arena and The Dirties roared down the ramp on their steeds, Leadfoot even popping an impressive wheelie before they parked up and stormed the ring. The referee called for the bell, kicking off the match before anyone had a chance to say anything – exactly the way the Dirties like things. * [B]Divine Intervention vs. Platinum 12” vs. The Me In Team vs. Dirty Elite (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW World Tag Team titles[/COLOR] Brute force was the order of business here, with Thrash and Leadfoot just brutalising anyone who came close. Their six opponents were each much smaller than the champions, and just couldn’t get their act together to get both Dirties down at the same time. Although each challenging team had decent moments of teamwork, they would each get in the others’ way. Thrash and Leadfoot are no stranger to multi-man brawls, be it in the ring, in bars, in back alleys or wherever. That experience proved crucial as they waited on their moment, punking out anyone who came too close, but then a Jefferson Stardust crossbody took Phil Jerome out of the ring, and Ashington Odam and Josh went down with a clash of heads, the champions zeroed in on Raphael and Quentin Queen, taking first one, then the other out with Dirty Bombs, and covering both for the win. Winner: Dirty Elite (D) * Antonio was backstage. [COLOR="Sienna"]“So this is a pay-per-view? Five thousand fans? It’s a paycheck. Every ally I’ve ever had, every chance I’ve ever had, it’s all gone. I survive. I endure. I thought I had one thing I could rely on, my friendship with Casey Valentine. I’ve had enough, and Cameron Vessey will realise that long before I’m done with him.[/COLOR] Speaking of Vessey... [COLOR="Blue"]“Antonio’s on his own? So are we all. We’re born alone, we die alone, and maybe in the meantime we have a few fleeting moments where we find a friend. I had that, Antonio, and it got taken from me. I figure that I was there first, so if I beat you, Valentine’s my partner again – and your little emo rant will be as pointless as the rest of your career.”[/COLOR] And as for Valentine... He was backstage, watching a monitor of the two interviews, an unreadable expression on his face. * [B]Antonio vs. Cameron Vessey[/B] We were building this story for a long time, with Vessey’s return to MAW causing problems between Casey Valentine (Vessey was his original partner) and Antonio. However, Vessey then spent a month in Japan, and any momentum the storyline had rather fizzled. In the end, it was a low-interest match, between two heels, fighting over the alliance of a third heel. A storyline that had, at times, bordered on High School Musical territory at least delivered somewhat in the ring. Not to say the fans were that interested, but there was enough on display here to suggest that Cameron Vessey has real potential – and a fire under him coming from his eighteen month injury enforced break from the business. The two men put on a perfectly respectable match, enlivened by flourishes from Vessey that made him stand out that bit more than his opponent, and which led to a Vessey Driver for the win. Winner: Cameron Vessey (D) * After the bell, Vessey picked up Antonio was set to deliver a second Vessey Driver when Casey Valentine came down the ramp and entered the ring. [COLOR="Sienna"]“That’ll do, Cameron,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You won. He’s done.”[/COLOR] Vessey dropped Antonio to the mat. [COLOR="Blue"]“Maybe you’re right.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Right. Let’s just get backstage and get back up to speed as a team.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Maybe. Or-“[/COLOR] Vessey lashed out, booting Valentine in the gut and snapping him into a Vessey Driver almost before he could blink. [COLOR="Blue"]“Or maybe I’m above that. I’m a Vessey. My legacy is real. I wasn’t trained by a washed-up hack like Rip Chord. My family didn’t top out as the biggest jokes in a laughable fraud of a promotion. I was always the best that this company had to offer. Always. You threw me out of The Firm, Casey – or you allowed it to happen. It’s taken me four years, but revenge is sweet. Go back to your pathetic little ambitions of being a tag team, or making rent, or whatever losers like you dream of. I’m destined for bigger things.”[/COLOR] * El Heroe Mexicano, Gino Montero, Amazing Fire Fly and KC Glenn were backstage. Gino was staring at his All Action title. Montero was strapping his wrists. Glenn was lacking and relacing his boots. The mood was sombre, their expressions solemn. [COLOR="Blue"]“This, my friends, is the beginning of the end,”[/COLOR] Amazing Fire Fly said. [COLOR="Blue"]“We all know it. We all feel it. What we do tonight could decide our fates. Saviours of MAW, or ferrymen [I]para el Diablo en infierno[/I].”[/COLOR] He bowed his head, and made a quick sign of the cross. [COLOR="Blue"]“Whatever happens, we fight until we can’t fight any more.”[/COLOR] * The mood in Elite’s locker room was different. The Dirties were in a partying mood, and had found a couple of willing young ladies from somewhere to join them. Joe Sexy was cosying up to one, while Leadfoot regaled the other with a long joke that, you just knew, had a filthy punchline. Thrash, meanwhile, was sat in his chair, counting through a fistful of dollar bills. Roberts, Youngman and Eric Eisen were in the front of the picture. Roberts, like Glenn, was lacing his boots, muttering low under his breath. Youngman, like Montero, was staring at his Traditional title. Eric was taping his fists, but at the same time talking on a cellphone. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Yeah, yeah, yeah,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Sienna"]“No, twenty per share is fine. No more than twenty-one, and if you can keep it under fifty cents we’re good. No, forget Wisney. They just bought the right to Idano Punisher’s book. That’s not going to sell. Look, I have to go. I’ve got a match.”[/COLOR] He hung up, and beckoned his three partners in close. Sexy brought the girl with him, until Eisen shot him a glare and he shooed her away. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Gentlemen, it’s important not to underestimate your opponents. However, let’s be clear here: Tonight we’re facing three luchadores and a guy so Southern that third-generation inbred Alabamians think he’s stupid. I won’t pretend they don’t have some talent, but really. “We’re from New York, and after the show the jet is ready to get us back there. Keep that in mind, and The Firm has no chance.”[/COLOR] * [B]The Firm vs. Elite[/B] With eight men in the match, and a relatively short period of time for the match to play out, this wasn’t going to be a classic. At times there was a sensation of chaos akin to the tag team match earlier as everyone fought with everyone else, the referee barely able to restore order with so many bodies in the match. There was cheap shots galore from the Elite quartet, or at least three of them, as it was clear from Ernest Youngman’s performance that he was somewhat distracted. Amazing Fire Fly even mocked him a little, half-covering his face with his hands to mimic the masked man who had been preying on Youngman in recent weeks. As the match ebbed and flowed, Elite seemed to realise that their youngest partner was a burden on their side, and worked to keep him out of the ring as much as possible. But that left them at a numeric disadvantage as their foes were able to exploit their youth and speed advantage, with only Eric Eisen really able to keep up with the four fast workers on the other side of the ring. Roberts in particular seemed to be in trouble whenever he found himself against Montero or Fly. However, the match really seemed to heat up when Eisen and Montero were in the same ring, as Eisen seemed to have a clear dislike for his fellow second-generation star. Eric allowed himself to show disrespect for the All Action champion, while with Glenn and the others he had been focused on winning. That didn’t seem to go down well with the other members of Elite, as even Youngman called for Eisen to finish Montero off when he had him in trouble. Instead, the New Yorker chose to bend over the downed man and slap him once, twice, thr- Montero grabbed Eisen’s waistband and catapulted him into the Elite corner, knocking Sexy clean off the apron and stunning Eisen. Youngman tagged in with bad grace, having grown more frustrated with Eric, and clearly having gotten past his ‘issues’. Youngman tore into Montero, pitching the smaller man around the ring in a show of his considerable strength. An almighty lariat nearly turned Montero inside out, and allowed Youngman to make a rare ascent of the turnbuckles as he lined Montero up for what seemed likely to be a flying clothesline. However, KC Glenn entered the ring and blocked the move, standing before his downed colleague. As the referee tried to move Glenn from the ring, Heroe darted along the apron and shoved Youngman from the turnbuckle. Youngman soared through the air, but rather than the crashing impact of a clothesline onto Montero, there was the more sickening impact of body onto guard rail. Roberts tried to even the score by entering the ring, but he was tackled down by Glenn, who took him out of the ring. Meanwhile, Fly had hopped off the apron to grab Youngman and drag him back into the ring as Heroe checked on Montero. With the All Action champion back up and moving, Heroe charged at the Elite corner, diving through the ropes and nailing a picture-perfect plancha onto Eisen and Sexy as gathered their wits on the outside. Back in the ring, Fly rolled Youngman into the ring as Montero scaled the turnbuckles, taking a long pause to ready himself before leaping high into the air with a Montero Press before pancaking Youngman and scoring the pin to end the match. Winners: The Firm (C+) * The senior members of the Elite team backed up the aisle, Roberts and Sexy glaring at the victorious team. Eisen actually applauded their victory, albeit somewhat mockingly. Before they reached the top of the ramp, though, the lights shut off, and the arena was plunged into darkness. When the lights came back up the masked man was standing at the top of the ramp, and suddenly Ernest Youngman appeared to be all alone in the world as he struggled to rise in the centre of the ring. [COLOR="Indigo"]“Ernest Youngman,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Indigo"]“Every morning your mother logs onto the Internet, and after checking her twenty-three year old neighbour’s Facespace profile for new naked sunbathing pictures, she goes to MAW.com and reads the latest diatribe to come from her son. “’I am the greatest’, ‘I am King Midas’, ‘I deserve a World title shot’. “Ernest, your mother is embarrassed, but that is nothing, nothing, to how He feels. “I am here to teach you the lesson that your mother could not. I am here to show you the righteous path. “Your sin, Ernest, is lust. You embody the soul-twisting craving for respect and glory, for attention and recognition. “You have taken His gifts and become corrupted – and He is angry. And when He is angry... “...you shall meet his Wrath!”[/COLOR] The masked man ripped away the coverings of his face, revealing none other than... [CENTER][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [CENTER]“Wrath of God” Jack Giedroyc![/CENTER] [COLOR="Indigo"]“Ernest, your craven desires have corrupted you, and they have corrupted those around you. For thirty pieces of silver you opened the gates to an invading force. This shall not do, Ernest! He will have his pound of flesh, and He has sent me to fetch it for him – preferably to be presented on the Traditional title.”[/COLOR] Finally recovering enough to speak, Youngman snatched up a microphone. [COLOR="Blue"]“That’s it? That’s it?!? You freak! You want a shot at my title? You earn it, Giedroyc. I’m not afraid of your mumbo-jumbo!”[/COLOR] Giedroyc smiled, and Youngman faltered. Something about the smile was... eerie. [COLOR="Indigo"]“I do not want your title belt for myself, Ernest. He has led me in the crafting of a suit of holy armour, as glorious as Joseph’s coat, as entrancing as the dance of Salome. And your title belt will serve to hold my holy sword when I am not using it to smite unbelievers.”[/COLOR] Youngman stared at him in disbelief. [COLOR="Indigo"]“And also it will complement the boots I have chosen.”[/COLOR] Giedroyc smiled once more, and the lights flickered. When they returned to full strength, Giedroyc was gone. [COLOR="Green"]“The ‘Wrath of God’ in MAW?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Wherever Giedroyc goes, it gets interesting. If anyone can be described as unpredictable, it’s him – but wherever he goes he makes an impact...”[/COLOR] * Grace Harper was shown backstage. [COLOR="Blue"]“Really, Joanne. You persist in believing that you’re leaving here tonight with the gold? Hardly. You underestimate me because I allow you to do so. I imagine that you believe our recent tag team match told you all there is to know about me? Not at all. Tonight you face the real Grace Harper. No holding back, dear. Just me being the best in the ring tonight.”[/COLOR] * [B]Joanne Rodriguez (c) vs. Grace Harper[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Women’s title[/COLOR] This was an open match, with Harper proving herself a decent contender for the Women’s title. Harper fought hard, and wasn’t shy to cheat when she got the chance. But Rodriguez didn’t seem fazed, bouncing back from each attack with increasing intensity and knocking Harper nearly out of her boots with a thunderous clothesline, and then nailing her with the J-Rocker for the win. Winner: Joanne Rodriguez (B-) * Swoop McCarthy was shown backstage. He had his shirt pulled up a little, and his trousers were sitting around his hips. [COLOR="Teal"]“What you see here is a bare waist. A few times I’ve done this to titillate. There’s a lot of lust been focused on the abs of Swoop. Tonight, though, it’s about what’s gonna end up around my waist. A World title. Screw Newton and the others, Swoop McCarthy is the true international star in this company. I’ve come all the way from Australia to take my chance here. I held the Traditional title for almost eighteen months, and survived everything thrown at me, by hook or by crook. I haven’t got too involved in this thing between Elite and MAW, but I’m an Australian. I believe in giving folks a fair go. So with that in mind, anything I can do to put a dent in the plans of Jean Cattley seems like she’ll be right, right?”[/COLOR] He smirked at the camera. [COLOR="Teal"]“Either that, or I’m just usin’ this whole war thing for my own good, but a rogueish thing like that’d be pretty rank, wouldn’t it?”[/COLOR] The smirk vanished. [COLOR="Teal"]“Either way, in just a few minutes Swoop McCarthy hits the ring. And if the last eighteen months have taught you anything, it’s that Swoop does whatever he needs to, whenever he wants to. I’m here for myself. I’ve come halfway around the world, mates. I ain’t gonna get stopped by Jean Cattley.”[/COLOR] * Jean Cattley was alone in the Elite locker room, sitting in the largest chair, the World title propped up on a table to one side. [COLOR="Navy"]“I didn’t listen to McCarthy’s little speech. I had better things to do, and I’ve heard it all before. You see, McCarthy’s got a big mouth. I can’t argue that he’s earned the right to talk for his country – not that his country’s much to talk about. But the thing is, it’s irrelevant. I am Jean Cattley. I am the four-time MAW champion. Once you could argue was a fluke – like Jay Chord, or Aaron Andrews. But I’ve held this title four times. That’s because I’m a great wrestler, but more than that, I’m a great champion. No-one in this industry knows how to survive as champion better than I. No-one can stand with me when the ---- hits the fan. I am the consummate survivor, because no-one has found a way of coping with me, of living with me, of competing on the same level as me. Swoop McCarthy, you’re a good wrestler, but I am the best. I am Elite. I am supreme. I am Jean Cattley, the Machine. And tonight I’ll be walking out as the champion.”[/COLOR] * [B]Swoop McCarthy vs. Jean Cattley (c) [/B]for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW World title[/COLOR] Cattley barely had time to take off the title belt before Swoop pounced, raining punches in on the World champion. Swoop was clearly keen to show his opponent no weakness and allow him no way to capitalise on his famed resilience and cunning. For the first several minutes Cattley was knocked around the ring as Swoop dominated their exchanges. One thunderous leaping clothesline turned Cattley inside out, while a running powerslam earned the Australian a desperately close near fall. Cattley struggled manfully, but couldn’t seem to get any traction against his larger opponent. However, Swoop couldn’t seem to find the solution to put the champion down. Unlike a lot of fighters, however, he didn’t grow flustered, rather redoubling his efforts to claim World gold. Rip complimented him on his focus, citing it as a true mark of a champion. As well as Swoop was performing, however, his high-impact offence was taking its toll on him. When Cattley narrowly avoided a corner splash, Swoop landed hard on the turnbuckles with a sickening thud. Although Cattley was slow to capitalise, he seemed to gain in strength as he targeted Swoop’s ribs, putting his challenger down on the mat with a series of hard kicks to the injured area. Swoop fought back, but now Cattley was ascendant. He led Swoop into an exchange of punches, and while Cattley is far from the strongest, Swoop’s blows were much weaker than usual due to his injury. Cattley, in turn, landed his blows on Swoop’s chest, causing more pain to his opponent. However, as Swoop had been unable to put the champion away earlier in the match, so now Cattley couldn’t put his challenger away – and he did get flustered over this. A sloppy backslide was reversed by Swoop into a second powerslam, but the Australian was too badly hurt to make the cover. Cattley was clearly thrown by the mistake, and for a couple of minutes neither man could get a foothold on the match. However, Cattley’s experience allowed him to settle quicker, and a wicked hook kick to Swoop’s side left him curled up on the mat, clutching at his ribs as Cattley stood over him. The champion sneered down at his challenger, before putting the boots to Swoop, stamping repeatedly on his ribs. Swoop tried to roll away from the onslaught, but was unable to get clear as Cattley pressed his advantage home. Eventually Cattley backed away, turning slowly in a circle with his arms raised, drinking in the jeers and catcalls of the crowd as though they were a warm balm washing over him. As he completed his circle, Swoop struggled to his feet, one arm clutched over his ribs, unable to defend himself as Cattley measured him for a Mood Swing. Then Swoop raised his free hand into Cattley’s face, middle finger held aloft in defiance as he snarled [COLOR="Teal"]“M... A... W!”[/COLOR] The crowd roared as Cattley reacted as though slapped, before grabbing McCarthy and planting him with the Mood Swing. He scored the pin to retain the title, but as he got to his feet and took the title it wasn’t boos and jeers being aimed at him, but a constant, unrelenting chant of [B][COLOR="Blue"]“MAW! MAW! MAW!”[/COLOR][/B] – and Cattley made a dash for the locker room rather than hang around to soak up this crowd response. Winner: Jean Cattley (B-) * Kid Arachnid was backstage, sipping at a cup of coffee as he worked on a crossword. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Ah know what you’re gonna ask,”[/COLOR] he said, not looking up. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“How does Kid Arachnid beat Alicia Strong? How does a fightin’ man like me go up against a woman and win? “Truth is, Ah don’t really know. So Ah’m takin’ a break, tryin’ to think about somethin’ else in the hope that the answer’ll just jump into mah mind somehow.”[/COLOR] He tilted the coffee cup at the camera. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“An’ Ah needed mah caffeine.”[/COLOR] He forced a smile at the camera, but the usual levity wasn’t there. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Sorry. Ah’ve bin workin’ for months to get mah shot at that traitor, an’ if Ah beat Strong then it’ll even be for the title now... But ah can’t. “Can I?”[/COLOR] He stood up abruptly, walking out of frame. * Alicia Strong was binding her wrists in a grim little room with bare brick walls backstage, a far cry from the opulence of Elite’s locker room. She was staring at her wrists, the anger radiating off her almost tangible. [COLOR="Blue"]“I don’t care,” [/COLOR]she spat, ripping the tape, [COLOR="Blue"]“about Elite, or The Firm. Frankly, if I was fighting a woman, I’d throw this match just to spite them.”[/COLOR] She began work on the other wrist, snapping the tape around it in sharp, jerky movements. [COLOR="Blue"]“I can’t, though. I’ve given a lot to my career. I moved to Japan when I was still only a child. I’ve sweated blood. I’ve broken bones. Any semblance of a normal life was left behind when I followed my father into this business... And it’s been worth it. “Joining Elite, I thought I’d found people who recognised my ability. I am the best female wrestler in the world, I have no doubt of that. I want to see how I can compete against men. Am I fit to fight against Kid Arachnid? We’ll find out. I have to know – but to get that chance as a trap, to only fight because Eric and Joe and the others think Arachnid won’t fight me...”[/COLOR] The tape snapped again. [COLOR="Blue"]“Arachnid, forget about your morals. I’m not a woman, I’m your opponent. I’m the obstacle you have to clear to get your hands on Cattley. This isn’t about the greater good, this isn’t about a man beating up a woman. This is about who wins this match, this main event tonight.”[/COLOR] For the first time she looked at the camera. [COLOR="Blue"]“Bring your A game, masked man. If you give me a single chance, if you make a single mistake, I’ll beat you. But I want to beat the real Kid Arachnid, the talented wrestler under the mask, the man who scares Elite more then they’ll ever admit. Give me everything, Kid, and maybe it’ll be enough to get you the match you want so much.”[/COLOR] * [B]Kid Arachnid vs. Alicia Strong[/B] in a [COLOR="Purple"]Lumberjack match[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“I don’t approve of the World title match not being on last.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Normally I wouldn’t either. But tonight will tell us a lot about the future of this company.”[/COLOR] Before Arachnid or Stone entered the ring, the ringside area filled up with members of Elite and The Firm. Almost a dozen men patrolled the outside of the ring, a tenuous truce existing between the two sides as Arachnid’s music played and the masked man made his entrance, coolly sliding under the bottom rope midway between the two sides. Arachnid paced back and forth in the ring, watching his allies, then his enemies as he waited on Alicia’s entrance. After a long, long pause that saw Eisen reaching for his phone, seemingly to call whoever he’d arranged as backup, Alicia appeared from backstage. The expression on her face spoke volumes as she looked at her Elite ‘allies’. [COLOR="Green"]“I guess Alicia and Elite have come to a parting of the ways.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“She still seems to want to fight Arachnid, though.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“The Strongs don’t have it in them to back down. Besides, if she can beat Arachnid her value will skyrocket. That shouldn’t be ignored.”[/COLOR] The match began with a tentative tie-up, Arachnid not eager to overload Strong, Strong not eager to be drawn into a test of strength with her much larger opponent. It resulted in a stalemate as the two regarded one another warily. They tried again, but met the same result. Whiplash quick, Strong threw a clothesline that knocked Arachnid back a couple of steps, but when she tried a second she bounced off as Arachnid braced himself. He followed in with a hiptoss and watched carefully as Strong landed with a bang, but was quickly on her feet, not much the worse for wear. Arachnid nodded shortly, seemingly satisfied with the result. [COLOR="Blue"]“Seems like Arachnid’s found the answer. Some moves are fairer than others when you’re fighting a woman. Don’t look for him to hit her, but if he can find the right level of force then slams and throws might get the job done without her taking too much damage.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“What about the damage Alicia can do?”[/COLOR] Strong feinted left, darting right as Arachnid tried to grab her. A wheel kick caught Arachnid in the back of the head, and Alicia followed it with a sweep that took Arachnid’s legs out from under him. Alicia maintained her advantage by stamping on Arachnid’s head, clearly seeking to disorient her opponent. On the outside, Eric Eisen and the other Elite members looked smug – although Cattley was baying for blood as Alicia’s foot caught Arachnid in the face. On the other side of the ring The Firm watched pensively, silent as they watched their leader covering up as he tried to find a way to take down Alicia. Finally a stray blow landed on Arachnid’s shoulder, and he quickly grabbed Alicia’s foot, twisting as he rose to drag Alicia to the mat and lock in a heel hook. [COLOR="Blue"]“A painful move, no question, but...”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Yeah, Arachnid doesn’t have it locked in all the way.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“He doesn’t want to hurt her.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Then he’ll lose. Strong wanted this match, and there’s a lot of ways he can win without beating the crap out of her. Without hurting her, though? Forget it.”[/COLOR] Arachnid seemed to hear Rip, and visibly cinched in the hold tighter, causing Alicia to cry out in pain. The crowd made their displeasure clear, but they were raining their catcalls down on Eric, Jean, and the rest of Elite who were taunting Arachnid – and not cheering on Alicia. Alicia struggled hard against the hold, but she wasn’t able to pull Arachnid’s greater mass towards the ropes. However, she wouldn’t submit either, and it was clear from what could be seen of Arachnid’s expression that he was deeply unhappy that he was continuing to cause her pain – so much so after a few more seconds he released the hold and backed into the corner. [COLOR="Purple"]“Stupid. How’s he going to win if he does that?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Some things are more important than winning, Rip.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“But look at Jean Cattley!”[/COLOR] The World champion had climbed the ring steps and was right in Arachnid’s face, taunting and snarling at his nemesis as Arachnid looked straight ahead, watching Strong struggle to her feet until- [COLOR="Blue"]“Oh!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I think Cattley’s nose is broken!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Cattley should have known better than that.”[/COLOR] Arachnid had lashed out, spinning in place and launching his forehead into the bridge of Cattley’s nose, sending the World champion flying off the ring apron and crashing back first into the crowd barriers. He stayed down, clutching his face as blood seeped between his fingers. It was the spark that ignited the powder keg as Elite streamed around – and in Thrash’s case through – the ring, going after the members of The Firm, who were ready for the attack. Thrash, though, paused to nail Arachnid with an almighty clothesline before executing a credible dive through the ropes onto everyone on the other side – Firm or Elite. [COLOR="Purple"]“Fat guy outta control! [I]Now[/I] we gotta fight on our hands!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Of course, this match has no disqualifications.”[/COLOR] In the ring, Strong dragged herself across the ring and covered Arachnid, gaining a close two-count as the brawl continued on the outside. Arachnid pushed Strong off him and slowly rose as Alicia pushed herself upright. She smiled slightly as she shook her leg, apparently having not take too much damage while trapped in the heel hook. [COLOR="Green"]“It could be that Strong has the advantage now. Arachnid really got creamed by Thrash.”[/COLOR] Strong pushed Arachnid back into the ropes with a series of quick jabs that Arachnid leant back to avoid. With no way back, however, he had to cover up to stop the punches landing, although he didn’t seem too hurt by them. [COLOR="Blue"]“Just biding his time,” [/COLOR]Jerome suggested. Finally Arachnid grabbed Alicia’s arm as she threw a left hook. Twisting her around, he hefted her easily into the air and dropped into a back suplex that drew gasps from the crowd. [COLOR="Purple"]“Now we’re getting somewhere.”[/COLOR] Arachnid, however, didn’t follow up on the move, instead giving Alicia space and time to sort herself out. She stood up again, clutching her back, but seemed to shake off the hit. Raising her chin, she looked Arachnid dead in the eyes and nodded. [COLOR="Green"]“I guess she’s giving him permission to really go for it – she’s saying she can take whatever Arachnid dishes out.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]“Maybe not the smartest move ever, but as her dad used to say... I’m rough, I’m tough, I’m Strong!”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Always used to hate when he said that.”[/COLOR] As The Firm and Elite ripped into one another on the outside of the ring, Alicia and Arachnid went at it between the ropes. Although Arachnid restrained from kicks and punches, the rest of his offence remained unaltered. Alicia, of course, used every trick at her disposal, including grabbing the tag rope in one corner and using it to choke out Arachnid for a four and a half count, only breaking when the referee dragged her away. Outside the ring, Montero and Heroe had combined to work over the Dirties. Thrash ate the announcers’ table when he was pitched headfirst into it, knocking him senseless. Leadfoot, meanwhile, was taken out of the game when Heroe caught him a drop toehold and Montero landed a superkick on his jaw as he toppled forwards. Back in the ring, Arachnid went high, trying to take Alicia out with a flying bodypress. However, Alicia leapt up at the last second, showing off her fabulous athleticism as she caught Arachnid with a dropkick, but Arachnid’s momentum carried them both into the mat, folding Alicia up and giving the masked man a very rough landing. They lay on the mat, unmoving, Alicia crumpled in the centre of the ring, Arachnid curled in a ball in one corner, clutching at his gut. Outside the ring, things were going badly for The Firm as, despite the loss of Thrash and Leadfoot, Elite still had the numbers advantage. Jean Cattley was hanging back, nursing his nose, but with Eisen, Roberts, Sexy and Youngman each singling out one of their opponents, he was able to step in and help his allies as needed. Heroe was the first to take a big hit as Cattley and Roberts pitched him hard into the steel ring steps, before picking him up and throwing him headfirst into the steel ringpost, causing a vivid red stain to appear across the forehead of his mask. Meanwhile, Alicia was the first to stir in ring. She pulled herself up on the ropes, and walked on shaky legs over to Arachnid. As he pushed himself up onto all fours, she kicked him in the gut. He rolled over onto his back, and when she tried again he caught her leg and took her down with a dragon whip, catching her injured leg and wrapping it around his own to apply pressure. But Alicia was too close to the ropes and he was forced to release. She came up swinging, and this time Arachnid fended off her strikes more aggressively, getting inside her range until he was able to grab her and plant her with a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. [COLOR="Blue"]“Alicia knows how to take that move – it’s one of Lauren Easter’s favourites.”[/COLOR] The two fighters stared at one another for a long moment, before Arachnid pushed himself upright. As Alicia tried to rise, however, Arachnid smartly rolled her up for a near fall. Alicia was able to reverse, though, and scored a near fall of her own. But Arachnid reversed that for yet another count of two. At last they broke apart, but immediately Strong launched a Strong Arm Tactic that caught Arachnid flush on the jaw, sending him staggering backwards and tumbling through the ropes to the outside. [COLOR="Purple"]“Not enough to put him down, but enough to hurt.”[/COLOR] Arachnid shook his head clear and was about to scramble back into the ring, but the plight of his allies distracted him: Roberts and Sexy were working over Amazing Fire Fly, Eric Eisen and Gino Montero were tussling, while Cattley and Youngman had Glenn cornered. Arachnid went to help Glenn, with Strong following him closely. Arachnid grabbed Youngman and hauled him off Glenn, but Youngman fired off a hard elbow into the masked man’s throat. Arachnid sprawled to the mat, but before Youngman could press his advantage, Strong put herself between the two men, yelling at Youngman that she didn’t need his help. Youngman snarled at her, and shoved her to one side, but stopped short as he caught sight of someone in the crowd. Jack Giedroyc. The “Wrath of God” was standing on the other side of the crowd barrier, slowly shaking his head as he looked at Youngman. Youngman responded by charging at the former SWF man, but Giedroyc lashed out with a punch that span Youngman around and dropped him to the ground – out cold. Giedroyc looked on impassively, before lifting his hand to show the set of brass knuckles he was holding, turning, and disappearing into the crowd once more. [COLOR="Green"]“No secret where Giedroyc learned to handle weapons.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]“Youngman will learn that DaVE old boys tend to have weapons close to hand.”[/COLOR] Strong grabbed Arachnid and half-lead, half-dragged him back into the ring. She dropped a leg across the back of his head before scaling the turnbuckles for a flying clothesline. She pulled up short, however, as Joe Sexy slid a chair into the ring, and shoved it away. Her hesitation cost her, however, as Arachnid rolled her up for a close two count, and rolled with her kickout into a full nelson. Alicia was trapped again, held in the centre of the ring by her larger, stronger opponent – and this time Arachnid was sparing little or no effort in the hold. [COLOR="Blue"]“With everything going on outside, and the spirit Alicia has shown, he can’t afford to waste an opport- Oh!”[/COLOR] Sexy had intervened once more, this time taking matters into his own hands by delivering a chair shot to Arachnid’s back. The masked man let go of the full nelson and dropped to all fours, an inviting target for a second swing as he knelt on the mat, his breath coming in gasps. Sexy beamed at Alicia, and wound up for a second swing, but once again Alicia moved between Arachnid and a member of Elite, blocking the swing. Instead she gestured to Sexy for the chair, even batting her eyes at him. His smiled widened as he handed it over. Alicia turned to face Arachnid, who was facing her on his knees. They looked into one another’s eyes as Alicia wound up her swing. [COLOR="Blue"]“MAW!”[/COLOR] The last letter was punctuated with a metallic clang as Alicia brought the chair around and down onto Sexy’s skull, wiping out the veteran Elite man in one almighty crash. Alicia looked at the dented chair with an expression of satisfaction. Dropping it to the mat, she turned to Arachnid and nodded, before dropping to the mat and laying down on her back. Arachnid crawled over to make the cover, and the referee dutifully counted to three to bring the end to an eventful match Winner: Kid Arachnid (B) * After the bell, Arachnid helped Alicia to her feet and watched as she left the ring and walked up the aisle without a backward glance. When she’d disappeared backstage, he turned in place, seeking out Jean Cattley. The two men’s gazes locked. Cattley’s face bore a sour expression beneath the blood from his broken nose. Arachnid’s expression, as much as could be seen beneath his mask, was triumphant and, as he made the belt gesture around his waist, clearly anticipatory of what was still to come as he mouthed [COLOR="SlateGray"]“MAW”[/COLOR] before Cattley disappeared from view. [B]Overall: B[/B] [I](Best MAW show ever. Not that the main event was chosen with anything else in mind...)[/I] [I]Next: Bloodpumpingbodypoppingheartpoundingpulseracing...[/I]

[James Casey]

[B][CENTER]Who is Kid Arachnid?[/B] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KidArachnid.jpg[/IMG] Kid Arachnid is... ...a man ...based in the United States ...a middleweight ...an American caucasian ...a regular wrestler[/CENTER]

[Sagitta]

[QUOTE=James Casey;814909][B][CENTER]Who is Kid Arachnid?[/B] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/KidArachnid.jpg[/IMG] Kid Arachnid is... ...a man ...based in the United States ...a middleweight ...an American caucasian ...a regular wrestler[/CENTER][/QUOTE] I'm suspecting who he could be. Is Arachnid a veteran of a certain defunct southern promotion?

[Candyman]

Awesome show. Great writing, especially the main event.

[Xlimey]

Impressed with this diary and the amount work you have put into it.

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Arachnid has never worked for any defunct promotion - unless you count the ones that have died in my game. Even then, I don't think so. I was PM'd about a slip of the fingers I made in referencing Arachnid in the main event of the last show. Without giving too much away, I'm sure more than a few of you have noticed the incresing number of clues being offered about Arachnid. I did do this previously with the first unmasking, and of course J Silver did it with [U]his[/U] masked man angle in USPW. Once all the clues have been given out (there are eight in total) you'll be able to narrow the list of workers in the database down considerably. More than that, you'll just have to wait and see. Or you can just wait until Where It All Begins Again, which I guess will be posted in about two or three weeks time. One way or another, Arachnid will be unmasked then...[/I] * After the event ended and people had begun to leave the arena I walked backstage, not a little sweaty myself after an intense two hours of wrestling. The reveal of Giedroyc, Alicia’s emphatic departure from Elite – although not a turn, as would be shown in the upcoming weeks – Arachnid’s victory and the very enjoyable tussle between Eric and Gino that had gone almost unnoticed at ringside... There had been a lot to enjoy on the show. [COLOR="Blue"]“Jack, how was that?”[/COLOR] I asked, shaking hands with our latest hire. Giedroyc’s contract had come due a few days after the last PPV and he’d chosen to leave SWF. Privately he’d confided in me that it was a chance take a break from the company after almost eight years – eight years in which he’d never had the chance to show what he could do. [COLOR="Indigo"]“I have to admit, I was worried when you suggested bringing back the Wrath,”[/COLOR] he replied. [COLOR="Indigo"]“I didn’t think I could still find him – not after all this time. But bloody hell, the crowd was ready, wasn’t it?”[/COLOR] I nodded. Something I’d noticed about Jack was his tendency to refer to his alter-ego as a separate person. Unlike a lot of wrestlers, Jack’s most famed character was not an extension of his own personality – Jack was more likely to be held up by fundamentalists as a bad example than anything else. Still, he played it well. He was convincing, and the crowd loved him. “The Wrath”, as Jack always referred to the gimmick, had been a major hit in the waning days of DaVE and led directly to his signing by SWF. However, the sponsors there had overruled any possibility of a fundamentalist Christian character along those lines, and Jack had never quite managed to find another character as good. We’d always been successful at hosting big fishes in our small pond, but Jack – “Wrath” – was a shark in a fishbowl. Still talked about almost ten years after DaVE vanished from the airwaves, we had to get the character right. Still, the promos would right themselves. It was all a matter of how risqué we could make things before MAW fans would react. For that matter, would Runaway Train be too upset if Giedroyc started making suggestions about what his daughter got up to after hours? Speaking of which... [COLOR="Green"]“Hey, Heroe. Where’s your boss gone? I wanted to say well done to him and Alicia after that match.”[/COLOR] Heroe grinned, and a few of the others chuckled. Thrash, who really isn’t too far removed from his character at all, started laughing wheezily as he wasn’t wholly recovered from his splat landing early in the main event. [COLOR="Green"]“Am I missing something?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Alicia and Kid headed off as soon as they could,”[/COLOR] Heroe said. [COLOR="Green"]“That’s not like them. Well,”[/COLOR] I said, after a moment’s thought. [COLOR="Green"]“Not like Alicia, anyway.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“I think they had something to get done.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Together?”[/COLOR] I wondered for a moment what the two could have in common. I’d never noticed them interacting that much. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Boss, do I have to spell it out to you?”[/COLOR] I stared past Heroe and into the grinning, guffawing, male-dominated locker room. Reese was wandering around, unconcerned as ever about being one of the boys, but the absence of any of the other girls suggested that they’d retreated to their own locker room rather than be around men being men. If I listened carefully, I thought I could catch the sound of giggling and excited voices coming from that direction. [COLOR="Green"]“Oh.”[/COLOR] Heroe grinned. [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]“Guess all that full-on contact got their pulses racing,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Green"]“Well, I hope they’re being careful,”[/COLOR] I said, feeling oddly like a parent coming to terms with unequivocal evidence of their offspring’s maturity. [COLOR="Blue"]“Yeah, no worries. He was going through my stuff when I got back,”[/COLOR] Leadfoot said. [COLOR="Blue"]“He knows I’ve always got a few. Life on the road.”[/COLOR] I froze. An image of Arachnid and Alicia in my mind – which was bad enough – was now replaced by one of Leadfoot and... anyone, really. I [I]really[/I] needed a shower now. [COLOR="Green"]“I wonder if he’ll leave his mask on?”[/COLOR] I asked, as I turned to leave. The reaction from the boys suggested it wasn’t a bad exit line. * [CENTER][B]MAW Nationwide[/B] Lassana Makutsi vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts Kid Arachnid vs. Thrash Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. Cameron Vessey Fumihiro Ota vs. Eric Eisen “Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy Jack Giedroyc vs. Joss Thompson T-Bone Bright vs. Ernest Youngman (c) – MAW Traditional title[/CENTER]

[Timber]

Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Thrash Flying Jimmy Foxx vs.[B] Cameron Vessey[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Eric Eisen[/B] “Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy[/B] [B]Jack Giedroyc [/B]vs. Joss Thompson T-Bone Bright vs.[B] Ernest Youngman[/B] (c) – MAW Traditional title

[Bigpapa42]

Good show, but awesome backstage segment. Love the exit line... Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Thrash Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Eric Eisen[/B] “Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy[/B] [B]Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs. Joss Thompson T-Bone Bright vs. [B]Ernest Youngman [/B](c) – MAW Traditional title

[bgbuff]

[B]Eddie Powell & El Heroe Mexicano[/B] vs. The Second Sons (c) – MAW Tag Team titles Alicia Strong vs. Suzanne Brazzle vs. Joanne Rodriguez vs. [B]Lauren Easter [/B](c) – MAW Women’s title Thea Davis vs. [B]Nadia Snow[/B] [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. ??? “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Raphael[/B] (c) – MAW All Action title [B]KC Glenn[/B] vs. Ernest Youngman vs. Swoop McCarthy (c) – MAW Traditional title Remmy Skye vs. [B]Ruin[/B] (c) – MAW World title

[WxRobbie]

MAW Nationwide [B]Lassana Makutsi[/B] vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Thrash Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Eric Eisen[/B] “Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy[/B] [B]Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs. Joss Thompson T-Bone Bright vs. [B]Ernest Youngman (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title

[Tigerkinney]

Lassana Makutsi vs. “[B]Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [I]Apart from Cattley retaining the world title, Elite were left a bit wounded after The Clash, so I expect them to sort of bounce back here starting with Roberts taking the Kenyan to school.[/I] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Thrash [I]Arachnid though will continue to be a major thorn in the side of Elite though.[/I] Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] [I]Vessey continues on the winning track, especially considering his turn on Valentine to fly solo.[/I] Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Eric Eisen[/B] [I]The boss of Elite isn't going to lose to someone who has basically settled into a gatekeeper role.[/I] “Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. [B]Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy[/B] [I]Strong night for Elite (Arachnid match apart) continues[/I] [B]Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs. Joss Thompson [I]Wrath of God's in ring debut results in a victory.[/I] T-Bone Bright vs. [B]Ernest Youngman (c[/B]) – MAW Traditional title [I]Routine title defence for Youngman, Bright is probably too green to be carrying gold right now, especially a belt at the level of the Traditional Title.[/I]

[bgbuff]

sorry the wrong card..thats what happens when your absent for over a year..... Lassana Makutsi vs. [B]“Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] [B]Kid Arachnid[/B] vs. Thrash Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. [B]Cameron Vessey[/B] Fumihiro Ota vs. Eric Eisen [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy [B]Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs. Joss Thompson T-Bone Bright vs. [B]Ernest Youngman (c)[/B] – MAW Traditional title --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[James Casey]

[I]OOC: Welcome back, bg...[/I] * [B][CENTER]Mid Atlantic Wrestling presents: Nationwide Friday, 19th September 2014[/CENTER][/B] The show opened with Kid Arachnid in the ring. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“In four weeks time, at Where It All Begins Again, Ah will be facing Jean Cattley. It’s signed, it’s sealed, it’s agreed. “Ah know the history of this company. It may not be the oldest company in the world, but this October will see its ninth anniversary. Ah propose that at the next show we have ourselves a little contest. Ah’m takin’ on Jean, Ah know that Gino wants Eric in the ring, an’ after the last show Heroe and Fly want Sexy and Roberts in the ring. Ah figure that from that we can work out whether MAW deserves to survive or not based on that.”[/COLOR] Eric Eisen’s music played, and the ‘Crown Prince’ made his way down to the ring. He stood face to face with Arachnid. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You want us gone?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Yep. Thought Ah’d made that pretty clear over the last few months, but Ah guess if you’re just getting’ it now then that’d be why you’re still hangin’ around like a bad smell.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“So, what are your terms?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“It’s simple enough. We fight, you lose, you leave.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Best of three, then?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Nah. It’s been done. You say that we can’t stand up to you, so you’ve gotta prove it. You all are sneaky, an’ I’m sure you could beat us by cheatin’, but this is MAW. These people,”[/COLOR] he pointed around the crowd, [COLOR="SlateGray"]“won’t accept it. So if you cheat, you lose, and you invaders leave this company.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“You think we’d need to cheat to beat you?”[/COLOR] Eric sneered. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“You fought Heroe three times, and you couldn’t beat him until you cheated.”[/COLOR] Eric scowled. [COLOR="Sienna"]“You know, this company only has one thing going for it: It never went public. If I wanted to destroy the Stones, I could. If I wanted to break Cornell, it’d be even easier. The funny thing is I never used to like the old tactics of getting my hands dirty in matters like this. I was born into money, and until I came here I never met a problem that money couldn’t solve. However, Arachnid, since coming here I’ve come to loath you and your arrogant band of rebels. You won’t recognise the natural order of things. You parade this company around as though tradition and honour mean anything. “Move into the real world, Kid. Your down-home, traditional values died the day that New York became the centre of this business. In the last few years there’s been a lot of small companies appearing, hell, they tried twenty years ago out on the East Coast. But anyone who tries to compete in the same sandbox as the big boys will learn that their existence may be tolerated, but if they try and compete then they get broken.”[/COLOR] Arachnid looked at his wrist, checking a non-existent watch. [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Eric, we know who you are. We know why you’re here. You’re enjoying fighting with us? Great! You’ve come down here and given us a chance, and that’s right decent of you. Now we’re giving you a chance, because you’re right. Your presence here is an irritant. You’ve taken out almost a dozen wrestlers, and there’s not many folks who want to come to MAW to take their place, not while you’re here. Jack Giedroyc... is a special case, always has been. He goes where he wants, and I know you know that. “But for this company to get back to doing what it does best, for it to start building the stars of tomorrow, well, folks can’t be worrying about you appearing from nowhere and beatin’ the hell out of them. You lost last week, and you’re still here, so I’m offerin’ you the big chance: You outperform us in four weeks, and we close. We won’t deserve to be here. However, if you can’t compete, if you can’t beat us clean... Then you have to admit that this little company deserves its place on the food chain. And then you and the rest of the invaders leave for good.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“That’s not a challenge,”[/COLOR] Eric said, grinning. [COLOR="Sienna"]“That’s an invitation to a slaughter. I’ll agree on one condition, Kid.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="SlateGray"]“Name it.”[/COLOR] “Sometime between now and your match with Jean, you and I step in the ring for real. One on one.” [COLOR="SlateGray"]“So long as your goons are banned from ringside, Ah accept.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“So long as yours are as well.”[/COLOR] The two leaders looked one another in the eye, and nodded. * [B]Flying Jimmy Foxx vs. Cameron Vessey[/B] Hmm. Whoops. It turns out that Foxx isn’t over in Huntsville. Who knew? Vessey largely carried this match as he bossed the CZCW import around the ring before finishing him with a Vessey Driver, in spite of some spirited efforts on the part of the flyer. Winner: Cameron Vessey (D+) * I took my place in the centre of the ring. [COLOR="Green"]“Normally this is Rip’s job, but as the owner of Mid Atlantic Wrestling it’s my turn. “Every October we host the King of the Indies battle royal as part of our anniversary event, Where It All Begins Again. “Tonight I’ll announce nine of the entrants in the match, with one of the entrants reserved for the night itself. “Representing Mid Atlantic Wrestling this year will be Cameron Vessey, Swoop McCarthy, “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith, Joss Thompson and Sean Deeley! “Representing California’s Coastal Zone Championship Wrestling will be the man you’ve just seen competing against Vessey, Flying Jimmy Foxx! “Representing Puerto Rico’s FREEDOM Caribbean Wrestling will be the man himself, Puerto Rican Power! “From Pittsburgh Steel Wrestling will be an old MAW favourite: Harry Allen! “And from Canadian Golden Combat one of the most famous wrestlers to ever emerge from the Great White North... Alex DeColt!” [CENTER] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/CameronVessey.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/SwoopMcCarthy_alt1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/BulldozerBrandon_alt1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/JoseThompson.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/ShooterSeanDeeley_alt4.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/FlyingJimmyFoxx.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/PuertoRicanPower.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/HarryAllen_alt3.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/jamescasey_photos/AlexDeColt.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] “Over the coming weeks we’ll be seeing all of our contenders taking part in matches in the build-up to our next pay-per-view to give you a taste of the action that we can expect from this year’s King of the Indies!”[/COLOR] * [B]T-Bone Bright vs. Ernest Youngman (c)[/B] for the [COLOR="Purple"]MAW Traditional title[/COLOR] Ah, great chemistry. Even with Bright still only a grass-green neophyte in the ring, Youngman was able to show him the ropes sufficiently well to get a good match out of him. Youngman largely played matador to Bright’s charging Bull, and was able to level him with some surgical strikes that whittled away at the former NFL star’s strength, before Youngman nailed The Hit for the win. Winner: Ernest Youngman (C-) * Joe Sexy was backstage, looking confident. [COLOR="Blue"]“Heroe and Fly in four weeks. Couldn’t ask for better. The idea that we’d need to cheat to beat them is just ridiculous, insulting even. See, Fly and Heroe? They’re mooks. They’re goombahs. Them challenging us is just a case of bruised egos after we handed them their asses last week. So Alicia threw that match? Dumb broad never knew a good thing anyway. It just means that Cattley gets to hand Arachnid his head on a plate. And that’s a good thing, because it means that MAW gets closed down with Elite on top.”[/COLOR] * [B]“Sensational” Kashmir Singh and “Bulldozer” Brandon Smith vs. Jean Cattley and Joe Sexy[/B] This was a decent tag match, with Smith having enlisted the help of his old partner in his one-man war on the turncoat Cattley. Smith showed no regard for the World champion’s status or his wounded pride, and left Sexy to his partner for the most part. However, this proved to be a mistake as the canny veteran was able to hobble Singh with repeated strikes to the legs, and when Cattley entered the match he blasted Singh with a Mood Swing from which Singh was unable to kick out. Winners: Cattley and Sexy (C-) * Joss Thompson was in the ring ahead of his match with Jack Giedroyc. [COLOR="Blue"]“Freaks like Giedroyc are the reason I left America to make my name on the international scene,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="Blue"]“Head games and special effects – it’s pathetic. “Giedroyc, if you were as good as so many people backstage believe, you’d have been entered in the King of the Indies match. Instead you’ve been drawn into this whole business between MAW and Elite. Elite have a point: The strong will survive, and the only people fighting that know they aren’t good enough to make it anywhere else. Davis, Sean and myself will survive, will thrive, outside of MAW. Kid Arachnid? Amazing Fire Fly? Who knows? It could be anyone under those masks, and there’s not many places where you can try and pull that sort of thing outside of Mexico. No wonder they want to keep this place going.”[/COLOR] Giedroyc’s music played, and the Wrath of God stepped out on the stage. [COLOR="Indigo"]“Joss Thompson, He knows the real reason that you left America. It was nothing to do with wanting honest competition. “Do you remember 1999? The West Lubbock Military Academy? He does, Joss.”[/COLOR] In the ring, Thompson suddenly looked a little pale. [COLOR="Indigo"]“The Glee club, Joss. That tape of the Golden Girls episode with the Elvis impersonators. And then the cheerleaders...”[/COLOR] Giedroyc shook his head sadly. [COLOR="Indigo"]“No wonder your father requested that posting overseas. No wonder it was fifteen years before you dared to return. “But He always knows, and He always remembers. Joss, that lazy Thursday afternoon... pained Him. And tonight, for that, you will feel His wrath!”[/COLOR] * [B]Jack Giedroyc vs. Joss Thompson[/B] Ooh, this will be a blow to Giedroyc’s momentum. The Wrath of God tried to overwhelm Thompson from the bell, but it just didn’t click. Everything was a split second out, resulting in a match that was awkward and unconvincing. Giedroyc picked up the win with a Crashing On. Winner: Jack Giedroyc (D+) * Jean Cattley was in the Elite locker room backstage, relaxing in the nicest chair, his World title on a side table, gleaming in the light. [COLOR="Navy"]“Nine years. I’d actually forgotten until Arachnid mentioned it, but he’s right. October 2005 was the first ever show for MAW. I wrestled that night. I won this title, and here I am, nine years later... The champion again. “Rip Chord and I built this company, and when I moved to the big time I thought that I was leaving it in safe hands. Then Rip went crazy, and I came back to defend this company that I built. Then the whole company went crazy, thinking that it could compete at the very top level with the very biggest names. “When a horse breaks its leg, you put it down. When a dog gets rabies, you put it down. I’ve given a lot to this company, but it’s gone wild, out of control. It’s Old Yeller. I made this company. The reputation of this company for excellent matches, for making the stars of tomorrow... It wouldn’t have been possible without me. I made it, and I’m going to end it. In four weeks time Elite will wipe away the feeble resistance offered by The Firm, and when I defeat Arachnid, and unveil his true face to the world, MAW will be a thing of the past.”[/COLOR] * [B]Lassana Makutsi vs. “Enforcer” Phil Roberts[/B] This was an enjoyable technical contest, exactly the sort of thing that MAW fans love. While Makutsi had the edge when the match strayed outside the tight technical confines, the guile of Roberts allowed him to easily pull it back within his comfort zone, and in doing so stifle Makutsi’s offence. The young Kenyan gave a very good account of himself against the wily Roberts, but in the end one slip was all it took for the Elite man to clamp on the RCT and take the victory by submission. Winner: Phil Roberts (C+) * Eric Eisen was shown backstage. [COLOR="Sienna"]“My colleagues have said a lot of what needs to be said tonight, but for those who haven’t got the message let me say this: With just four weeks on the clock, we won’t be holding back. If you’re in the way of Elite, we will end you. We will break your bodies, and whatever chance you might have had of finding work in this business will be gone. I have a lot of contacts, and one word from me will see you blackballed for ever. Stay out of our way. Run. Now.”[/COLOR] * [B]Fumihiro Ota vs. Eric Eisen[/B] Fumihiro Ota staggered Eric in the early going, firing off hard strikes and quick kicks to keep the ‘Crown Prince’ on the defensive. Still, as good a showing as Ota gave of himself, no-one seemed to think he could win the match, which seemed to sap the drama somewhat, and in the end Eric delivered a sneaky low blow to stop Ota in his tracks, and leave him prone to a Silver Spoon Shock for another Elite win. Winner: Eric Eisen (C) * After the bell, Eisen dropped a groggy Ota with a roundhouse kick. Jean Cattley vaulted the crowd barrier and dived into the ring, going after the veteran ninja. The two men kept Ota on the mat and helpless, but only a few second passed before the ring was charged by Arachnid and Brandon Smith, who took Eisen and Cattley down with hard clotheslines, Cattley nearly being turned inside out by Smith’s lariat. The Elite duo bailed out of the ring as Arachnid and Smith helped a groggy Ota upright. Cattley and Eisen made their way up the ramp as the fans chanted [B][COLOR="Blue"]“MAW! MAW!”[/COLOR][/B] at them. The cameras followed them backstage where the duo stopped short at the sight of the massed ranks of the MAW locker room aligned before them. There were very few missing faces – notably the Internationals – in the lineup. Eric and Jean were silent and somewhat cowed as they made their way along the corridor, enduring the angry looks from the assembled roster, to where Thrash was waiting. Eric clapped him on the shoulder, looked back down the corridor, and walked away with Jean in his wake. Thrash was left on his own to walk the gauntlet on the way to his match as the camera caught Eric and Jean joining Joe Sexy in a limo that pulled away, leaving Thrash to face Arachnid on his own. * [B]Kid Arachnid vs. Thrash[/B] A show somewhat lacking in star power did at least feature a very good main event. This match was the pleasant surprise of the Arachnid vs. Elite series, and deserved reprising here. Thrash was the epitome of thunderous brawling, one-dimensional but so good at that one dimension that Arachnid couldn’t stand against him. Instead the masked man had to use his superior speed to hit and fade against Thrash, who was just too powerful to hold down for very long. It was a game of cat and mouse, with the larger Thrash trying to herd Arachnid into a corner to limit his mobility, and making the masked man suffer whenever he was able to lay his hands on him. However, Arachnid displayed impressive nimbleness in evading Thrash’s grasp for much of the time, landing hard strikes that slowly wore away Thrash’s reserves, leaving him struggling and clutching at his head and neck, which had been the target of Arachnid’s repeated strikes. Thrash tried to rally, but a drop toe hold planted him face first into the mat, and when he staggered upright on shaky legs, Arachnid drilled him with a Cradle Piledriver to take the win for MAW. Winner: Kid Arachnid (B-) [B]Overall: C+[/B] [I](And it would have been better if half my main event hadn’t been away with CGC and others)[/I] [I]Next: That time of year again...[/I]

[James Casey]

Friday night saw us taking the red-eye from Huntsville to New York, home of this year’s gathering of wrestling promoters. When it became known that SWF would be hosting this year’s event, Eric had grown even more reluctant to attend as a representative of MAW, but in the end he’d agreed. It was standard practise for a company to be represented by its two or three biggest names, in addition to the suits, and Eric was certainly that. Accompanying us were Jay, who’d been in the area and chosen to travel up with us, Jean and Arachnid – who’d shed his mask the instant he’d got backstage. Katie Junior and Patrick had taken up much of mine and Katie’s time since boarding, and we were well into the flight before they finally fell asleep. In fact, I only had a few minutes to look around the small plane before the announcement was made that we were approaching LaGuardia What I noticed was an almost tangible tension between Rip and Eric, so much so that when Jean passed along the aisle between their seats he frowned slightly as he passed them, apparently picking up on whatever existed between them. From my seat I could see Rip, sitting tensely upright in his seat, staring straight ahead and not risking a look around, not even looking out of the window. I knew the pitch-black outside would make the window almost as good as a mirror, and across the aisle from Rip was Eric, notionally reading the in-flight magazine, but throwing the occasional glance in Rip’s direction, a slightly curious look on his face. We landed, and were whisked by limousine to the hotel where the event was taking place. Rip rode with Katie, the twins and I, but wasn’t in a talkative mood. The party was still going when we arrived, and the twins were swept up into the arms of the largely female group of spouses and work widows. Sean McFly, the only male spouse, was not part of the group – instead he was knocking back beers with Tommy Cornell and The Stomper, while Chris Caulfield kept their glasses filled. I nodded to Chris, who had become the head booker of NOTBPW and owner of NYCW since leaving the Mid Atlantic, and who seemed to be thriving on the responsibility and pressure. Whatever tension had existed between Rip and Eric was as nothing to that which blossomed in the ring as Richard and Jerry Eisen entered the room – the last arrivals, in spite of Supreme One only being five blocks away. It seemed that the whole room came to a stop as I shuffled a half-step to one side, putting myself between Eric and his family. But Eric is a grown man, and walked around me and up to his father and brother. He and Jerry exchanged a terse handshake – cool, but not unpleasant. Richard, however, cut Eric dead with a look. The moment passed as Richard and Jerry walked on, neither man favouring Eric with a second glance as they circulated. Eric’s face was unreadable as Richard shook hands with Tommy and Chris – handshakes the significance of which was clearly not lost on the prodigal. [COLOR="Green"]“You okay, Eric?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]“Yeah. It’s Dad. I’ve disappointed him, and it’ll take a while for him to get over it. I wanted to do it now, though, because if I apologised when he’s had a few drinks, he could always accept and say he didn’t mean it later.”[/COLOR] He shook his head. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Dad’s not a bad guy, James, but this is the first time one of us has gone to work somewhere else. He’s having difficulty coming to terms with it.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Okay, Eric. Try and have some fun tonight. Edd Stone’s been going shot for shot with Bruce since they got here, apparently, so that should be good for a laugh.”[/COLOR] Eric forced a smile, and I left him to it. I’d spotted Arachnid and Jay having a slightly heated discussion over by the bar, but even as I approached Rip cut in front of me and separated the two. I ended spending the remainder of the night up with Sean McFly and Jeremy and Duane Stone, apparently confiding in them how I would have been the best wrestler on the planet except for the knee injury, and how Gino Montero would have been ‘Casey MkII’ if things had turned out different. Not that I’m bitter or anything. * [I]Next: A talk with Richard...[/I]

[James Casey]

Saturday dawned brighter and earlier than I would have chosen. It took all my willpower to force myself down to breakfast, although it was worth it as the spread on offer was amazing. Anticipating the needs of his guests, who’ve largely spent their adult lives eating at any greasy spoon café or grime-ridden diner that’s open when they reach town, Richard had organised a simple breakfast. Five star hotel with a three Michelin star chef perhaps, but eggs, bacon, toast and sausages went a long way with the assembled crew, especially when supplemented with bottomless cups of coffee (or, in my case, milky tea). By nine in the morning, I was feeling mostly human. Then Richard Eisen took the seat opposite me. I actually didn’t notice at first. I was chasing the last bit of yolk around my plate with a slice of bread, and it wasn’t until Richard cleared his throat that I looked up. I’ve met Richard many times over the years, of course. He was my boss for a spell, and our dealings since I joined MAW have been fairly common. Nonetheless, I’m always slightly surprised to remember that I’m taller than him. Richard is around 5’8 and although he keeps himself in good shape, probably only around 160lbs soaking wet. In this business, he’s almost a midget. However, there is the small matter of the aura that surrounds him. Even in SWF’s current reduced straits, he’s the most powerful man in the business, and any time I talk to him I’m conscious that he knows that better than anyone. [COLOR="Green"]“Hello, Richard,”[/COLOR] I said, cautiously. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“James. Your Elite stable is... amusing. Some of the veiled references, I imagine, have the Internet very excited.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“We’ve tried to avoid being too specific,”[/COLOR] I said, pouring myself another cup of tea. I offered the pot to Richard, but held a hand up. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Thank you, but no. Only when I’m making deals in Britain.”[/COLOR] I shrugged, and gratefully accepted my next plate of fried food. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“You know, that stuff is hell on the arteries,”[/COLOR] he said as I attacked the bacon. [COLOR="Green"]“I’m accepting your hospitality with extreme enthusiasm,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="Green"]“And after last night, the need for something in my stomach to soak up the remaining alcohol is acute. You throw a good party, Richard.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“I’ve had a lot of experience.”[/COLOR] We sat in silence for a few minutes as I made my way through my third plate of food. Whatever Richard wanted to say, it seemed he was content to wait until I was finished eating. And while I wouldn’t normally care to keep him waiting, for once there were more important things to consider. A short distance away I noticed Rip and Katie walk in with the twins. They saw who I was breakfasting with, and sensibly stayed away – although I could have sworn that it was Katie who pulled Rip away. Maybe he finally had something to say to Eisen? They’ve not exactly been exchanging correspondence over the years. At last I sat back in my chair with a sigh, and immediately a waiter appeared to whisk away the plate. When he asked if I wanted more, I nodded – but said that I’d wait a few minutes. I picked up my cup and took a sip of tea, looking at Richard over the rim. [COLOR="Green"]“So, Richard, what can I do for you? Or what can MAW do for you? Do you want us to train someone up? Or are you here to let me know you’re hiring Amazing Fire Fly away from us?”[/COLOR] Richard smiled. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“James, I think it’s safe to say that Amazing Fire Fly doesn’t have a place in the Supreme Wrestling Federation. His partner, perhaps.”[/COLOR] I took a swallow of tea. For once, I felt like I was in a strong position. Inside the month we’d be bringing the Elite/Firm storyline to a close, and with it there’d be a slew of roster changes. If there were to be raids, let them be now. To add to that, I knew that Emma Chase and Robbie Retro had just re-signed with SWF on deals that left them open to approach. Neither one of them appealed to me particularly, but I was willing to play the game if Richard was. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Actually, I just wanted to thank you.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“Oh? What for?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“For taking Eric in. I must admit, when he walked away I thought that his first port of call would be Hollywood.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I don’t think he ever intended to do that,”[/COLOR] I replied. [COLOR="Green"]“I think that he just wanted to give back a little. Eric didn’t get to do much wrestling with you, Richard. In MAW he’s on almost every show – even some of the On Tour ones.”[/COLOR] Richard nodded. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Frankly, Eric is a decent wrestler, but not in the SWF style. I’d always thought that might hold him back, so I was reluctant to throw him out there in the very top matches and see what he could do. The fans didn’t take to his North American title reign, after all.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I remember,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“Perhaps a run with the tag titles might have been better. Or even just a midcard role. I think Eric knows how any title reign of his will be viewed. A disproportionate number of the fans who come to shows know enough about the business to see the problem with the boss’ son getting a title.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“What happens when Patrick and Katie debut, James?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“They’ll start at the bottom. If they’re good enough, they might work their way up. That’s if they even want to get involved, which they probably won’t. Most kids don’t grow up as wrestlers.”[/COLOR] Richard shrugged. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“I haven’t given Eric anything he hasn’t earned. The fans responded to him.”[/COLOR] I wondered if the fans responded to Eric because he was a middleweight acrobat in a land of heavyweight brawlers, but held my peace. [COLOR="Green"]“I’m sure that you didn’t come here to talk about the perils of being a parent-booker, Richard, so what’s up?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Actually, that [I]is[/I] why I came here. Eric seems happy, which is good. He wasn’t a good presence in the locker room this last year or so. When he comes back in a few months, I think he’ll be a benefit to have around.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“You seem very sure he’ll come back.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Supreme, James,”[/COLOR] he said. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Will all due respect to MAW, we’re still the biggest company in the world.”[/COLOR] I held my tongue again. [COLOR="Green"]“Well, perhaps so,”[/COLOR] I said. [COLOR="Green"]“Our contract with Eric allows him to talk to other companies, though. He could go to work for Tommy tomorrow.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“He won’t. He’s just out and finding himself. I took a Grand Tour when I finished university. Admittedly back then I had less money than most hobos so I didn’t make it much further than the west coast, but I learned a lot about myself. Eric has always had money, he’s always been on the biggest stage. I think it’s good for him to go out and learn a bit more about the way the world works.”[/COLOR] I signalled for my next plate of breakfast, and chewed over Richard’s words as I waited on its arrival. [COLOR="Green"]“What if he finds out that he and SWF aren’t suited after all? He’s still young enough to be a big star somewhere else. You may raid our talent more than most, but Tommy and Victoria both watch our shows, I know.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“I don’t anticipate him making that kind of mistake.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“What if he does?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“He won’t. He’ll come home.”[/COLOR] Home. I chewed thoughtfully, wondering at Richard’s attitude to family and business. The one, it seemed, was the same as the other. Maybe once Eric started drawing a paycheck from his father, that’s all he was to Richard? Or maybe there was personal, and there was business, and Richard didn’t mix the two at all? He hadn’t referred to Eric as his son at all – just a worker who’d left the company, and who Richard was expecting to return. I took a mouthful of tea to wash down the bacon. I’d spent more of the last seven years then I cared to think about leading the blind leading the blind with Rip and Jay. I wasn’t about to take on Richard and Eric as well – even if my help would have been welcome, which I knew well that it wasn’t. I swallowed, and set my cup down. [COLOR="Green"]“Well, when Eric moves on I’ll put in a good word for you.”[/COLOR] He snorted. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Funny.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“We’re always happy to help, Richard. If we weren’t then you might have put us out of business a long time ago.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“It’s been a long time since I did anything like that.”[/COLOR] Talking business with Richard Eisen was like playing chess with a grandmaster when you couldn’t see the board. Now that the painful family business was dealt with, he was on firm footing once more and there was no way I was going to get past his defences. [COLOR="Green"]“It’s a good habit to break. Now, are you sure I can’t get you a cup of tea?”[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Thank you, but no. Give my regards to Katie and the children, James.”[/COLOR] [COLOR="Green"]“I’ll pass them on to Eric as well.”[/COLOR] For a split second I thought that I saw something, but as quickly it was gone. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]“Tell Eric that we expect him for Thanksgiving, same as always,”[/COLOR] he said, before standing up and walking away without even a backward glance. [I]Next: A quiet Saturday night...[/I]

[James Casey]

Chaotic? Yeah. Letting wrestling folks loose in New York will do that. It could be worse – Rip told me about the 2004 trip to Philadelphia when DaVE hosted the event. Every wrestling fan in the state seemed to know about the event, and by all accounts there was a lot of drink, a lot of cocaine, a lot of ring rats and a lot of trouble for Phil Vibert with the Philly PD in the aftermath. The SWF version is more sedate, but I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the write-ups in the mainstream and wrestling pressed carried big pictures of Tommy, the DeColts and the Stones, among others, tagged with the news that they were at ‘an SWF-organised event’. I imagine that cost Richard some points, but it’s his business, so what can you do? I took Katie and the twins for a horse carriage ride in Central Park, and pointed out Supreme One, the umpteen storey skyscraper on the south-east corner of the park that’s the business headquarters of Richard’s empire. Sean and Victoria were also on the tour with their daughter Lucy, who’ll be a teenager in a few weeks and who by all accounts is a serious prospect for the 2020 Olympics gymnastics squad. Heading back to the hotel we dressed for dinner, which was the full three Michelin star deal, and therefore delicious and about as substantial as an anorexic worm. Bruce went through six courses, downing in three mouthfuls plates of food that come in at around $100 a time. Tommy made great show of going through four plates, although part way through the third it was clear that he was struggling. Still, SWF had fronted the lion’s share of the money for this weekend, and every little hurts. Only a few of the slimmer people – including Katie – seemed satisfied after their main courses. If they’d anticipated a greater volume of dessert, they would be disappointed. The chocolate pudding was labelled as containing over 1,500 calories, but was only three teaspoonfuls, at a push. After that, the alcohol was bound to flow freely. It did – freely and plentifully. Once again Bruce was at the head of the queue. He was onto his third beer before most of us had even started. I had no intention of joining any card games this year, and I’d checked to make sure that Rip would stay clear as well. Jay was a law unto himself, of course, but even he had agreed to leave his owner’s certificate at home. Whatever he lost gambling – and Jay likes a flutter – was his own money, not the company’s. I’d taken great pains to stress the importance of this, and to be fair he seems to have realised that betting against the others here would see him, and the company, in trouble. In fact, I think I’m getting old. Well before midnight I was feeling tapped and ready for bed. Edd Stone and Steve DeColt had been the first to leave – but they’d left with a pair of waitresses, so that probably doesn’t count. Big Smack Scott, here as one of the stars of Alicia Strong’s USPW, was surrounded by a rotating bevy of local beauties, but one by one they drifted away as the undeniable attraction of the Smacker was worn away by the undeniable egotism. Elsewhere Phil Vibert was taking the poker school for all their money once more. SWF’s head booker has always been a talented player, and this year he seems to have regained a lot of the confidence that DaVE’s demise cost him. Hand after hand went down, and Phil’s shrewd judgment of other people played true time and again as he folded on the losing hands, bet high on the winning ones, and only once called wrong when he ran four kings into Rich Money’s four aces. Money, truth be told, has so much cash lying around that he just doesn’t get excited about winning more, so he doesn’t have any tells. I looked around the room. Tommy was on one side, chatting idly to Cliff Anderson. Sam Strong was on the other, talking to Sam Keith. Rip was in a corner, telling war stories to Remo and Ricky DeColt. Richard and Jerry Eisen were engaged in a ruthless hand of bridge with Alicia Strong and Wanda Fish. For once there were no crises. No struggles to the death over a hand of cards, or shady dealings. Even Jay seemed to be engaged in an undoubtedly fruitless – but harmless – attempt to endear himself to Emma Chase. Whatever might happen later, I didn’t know, and didn’t care too much. Right now things were probably about as peaceful as they’d ever get, and I took that as my cue to go to bed. [I]Next: On Tour...[/I]