Flying High: An AAA Diary

[NathanielKern]

[B]December 26th, 2007 Vancouver, B.C.[/B] Before the phone call, the week had been something I could only describe as less than stellar. My script had been rejected by the latest in a long line of one-act play competitions, and another agent had informed me that due to the writer's strike, they weren't taking on any new actors for representation. And New Year's hadn't even happened yet. So you can understand that when I got a call at 6 in the morning on Boxing Day, I was less than impressed. Annoying ringtones and hangovers don't lend well to each other, and as I scrambled for the phone in the debris that was my apartment I swore that never again would I use a ringtone from a movie, even if Rob Zombie did do a remake. Finally, after much searching and foul language I found the phone where I'd left it, on my bedtable where I'd drunkenly left it the night previous. “Hello?” I croaked, stumbling over to my kitchen looking for blessed Alka-Seltzer. “Ianna Severn?” asked a female voice, far too chipper for 6 AM. I immediately wished a great deal of suffering upon them. “This is Carol Reese from the Angel Athletic Association. We spoke a few weeks ago about possibly booking you in our upcoming show?” Plop Plop fizz fizz...suddenly the blue gatorade didn't look quite so appetizing with foam permeating it. I took a gulp anyway. “Oh, yes, of course. Is there a problem?” I didn't need another problem. I'd been working in the women's wrestling business for a few years, more to make some money and stay in shape than for anything else, but at this point anything to take my mind off of the fact that I was unemployed and unproductive would be a blessing. A booking with the AAA, even if only for a dark match, would keep the hounds of despair away for a while. Unless there was a problem. “Well, it depends on how you want to look at it.” Crap. “You see, we were wondering if you could come down to Seattle for a meeting in the next few days, to discuss a more long-term relationship with our promotion.” I froze in surprize, and nearly choked on the foamy Gatorade. After about 30 seconds of coughing, I went back to the phone. “Well, uh, I think I could clear up my schedule for, uh, tomorrow, if that would be convenient...” “I'm sure Miss Ferguson would be happy to see you tomorrow. Oh, and be sure to keep the receipt for whatever travel expenses you make, we'll be happy to reimburse you, within reason.” There was the downward jingle of my phone registering a severed connection, and I was alone in my kitchen with blue gunk staining my shirt from the night before. I didn't know what else to do, so I took a shower. [B]December 27th, 2007 Seattle, Washington[/B] Gail Ferguson, also known as Anne Stardust to those people who watch women's wrestling, sat across from me in her small office in the corporate HQ of the AAA. Calling it that was being a bit grandiose, seeing as how we were a corner section of one floor of a larger building in Seattle's core, but it was still an office, and it was where my possible future employers were based. So I thought of it as the Corporate HQ and kept my snarkiness out of it. Gail is a small woman, standing at about 5'4”, 5'5” on the outside, but she knows how to make herself more imposing, especially in her office. Surrounded by photos chronicling her career throughout the wrestling world, she positively radiated authority. And then there was me, a 21 year-old wannabe-actress who'd wrestled a couple dark matches and done a little on-the-side booking for some friends. The only thing that had kept me from calling her 'Ma'am' and bobbing my head each time she spoke to me was the knowledge that they appeared to be offering me a job. “Here's the deal, Ianna, we at the AAA are committed to providing quality women's [I]wrestling[/I], not the token undercard junk USPW and NOTBW try and sell, and certainly not the T & A party down in Vegas. Do you understand?” I nodded, takin note at the venom in Gail's eyes and voice at the mention of Vegas. “Good. Here's where you come in. We need workers, and unfortunately North America doesn't really provide a decent quantity of female workers with any actual wrestling talent. So, when we see someone who might have potential, we have to snap them up, if only to see what they can do. So congratulations, welcome to the AAA roster.” You can probably imagine my excitement. A steady paycheck (admittedly it wasn't going to pay the rent, but a PAYCHECK) and only having to work one night a month. I could definitely work with this. “We also want you on the the booking team.” This was a shock. Like I said, I'd done a couple booking gigs for some friends in the industry, but they were one night things. Heel kidnaps Face's valet, Face chases Heel, Face gets valet back, blah blah blah. I was by no means prepared for anything beyond a local setting. Gail could clearly read my feeling about this, and continued. “Don't worry too much, you're not THE booker. Catherine Quine will be staying on as head booker, but she's getting burned out being all alone up there and she needs some help.” I relaxed a little. At least I wasn't going to be holding the fed up by myself. “Okay, so what exactly would my duties entail?” “Pitch ideas, match ups, storylines, etcetera, and Catherine will roll with them. The gig does include an extra 500 dollars, as you'll have to be available more than if you were just a wrestler.” I couldn't believe my ears. Okay, it wasn't going to win a Tony, but with a booking job I could stay creative as well as perform in an industry that I'd always enjoyed. I couldn't see a reason to say no. So I signed the contract that was provided, and got in a taxi to take me back to the train station.

[Ghoul]

well that was pretty good, honestly i like those backstage storys a lot and its really well written from my point of view. so keep it up could be good.

[NathanielKern]

[QUOTE]Before I go any further I do want to give a nod to Dragonmack whose dynasties have been a very large influence on my 'booking' material, as will be pretty clear with this post. Yes, it's not exactly original on my part, but it's a solid set up, and frankly I couldn't think of anything quite so effective as the heel/face colour code.[/QUOTE] [B]December 29th, 2007 Vancouver, B.C.[/B] I hadn't touched my script since I'd come back from Seattle, I was so focussed on my new job. Being utterly unused to most of the women I'd be booking, I'd asked Catherine for a rundown of the AAA roster and had spent the last two days and half a bottle of Hendrick's working out a rundown of my new crew. So far, I had very little to go on, but at least now I could put faces to names. [B]Main Event[/B] [COLOR="Red"]Wanda Fish[/COLOR] – The AAA Femme Fatale champion and top Heel. Currently on her fifth reign, tying Anne Stardust for most title reigns. She's got solid all around skills, and performance ability second only to Joanne. Great on the mic, and flying high with a solid amount of momentum I can't see a reason to take the belt from her just yet, aside from the fact that Catherine Quine is more over than she is. [COLOR="Blue"]Raven Nightfall[/COLOR] – One of the top babyfaces for the AAA, Raven is third in terms of performance, but decidedly average in her ring skills. Still, she can work a mic, and enough time spent at Sanctuary Sundays had given me some solid storyline concepts. [COLOR="Red"]Suzue Katayama[/COLOR] – Our resident Japanese import, with above average rumble skills and passable technical, as well as solid performance skills albeit somewhat inconsistent. Her Bully gimmick is solid, but without a face as champion she's doesn't really have anything to do on her own, especially with her mediocre skills on the mic. [COLOR="Blue"]Joanne Rodriguez[/COLOR] – Joanne's a solid babyface, with good technical and flying, and the best performance skills in the main event. She's got history with Wanda and decent momentum, but with her contract with 5SSW she's unreliable for event appearances. [COLOR="Blue"]Catherine Quine[/COLOR] – My effective boss, as well as the most over performer on the roster (I was starting to wonder if I'd been brought onto the team to do more than assist Catherine.) A very good flyer, but her other ring skills leave something to be desired and she has the worst performance rating in the Main Event. [B]Upper Midcard[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Suzanne Brazzle[/COLOR] – Current Top Contender's champion, and most over wrestler next to Catherine Quine. Ironically she's actually BETTER than Catherine, albeit with a technical focus over high flying. Very good entertainment skills and great performance leaves me certain that she's just a few decent angles away from the main event. [COLOR="Red"]Grace Harper[/COLOR] – Just as good as Suzanne with performance, but not even close in terms of ring skills. Coupled with the fact that her NOTBPW is of higher importance than us she's unreliable for appearances. Unfortunately, as she's the only upper midcard heel that could complement Suzanne, I'm probably going to have to square them off against each other. Fortunately she's pretty over, and has pretty decent entertainment skills; at least enough to handle a interview. [COLOR="Red"]Black Widow[/COLOR] – I loved watching Black Widow on AAA DVDs while going through college; sure kayfabe is dead, but I still winced every time she went for a Spider's Kiss. Unfortunately, as much as I loved it, I could tell even then that she's at the best an average worker. She's handy with a mic, and has good performance skills, but I seriously doubt that she's got skills that achieve the quality needed for the Main Event. I think this is her ceiling, as much as it breaks my heart, especially as she's supposed to be the leader of The Darkness. [COLOR="Red"]Devil's Daughter[/COLOR] – The most well-rounded member of The Darkness, Double-D is also the youngest member, which means that she'll probably outshine all of her stablemates eventually. Unfortunately, she's also one part of Wild Times and I can't break up a tag team, what with my limited tag roster. Plus she can't work a mic worth crap. [COLOR="Red"]Vixxen[/COLOR] – The other half of Wild Times, and while she's an above average technical wrestler, she's also lacking in entertainment skills. I doubt she'll ever leave the tag team scene without a pink slip. [B]Midcard[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Kristabel Plum[/COLOR] – With solid momentum, good technical and flying skills as well as respectable mic and performance skills Kristabel definitely fits her Blue Chipper gimmick. It's only a shame she's a babyface, otherwise I'd be pushing her for the Top Contender's belt. Instead I'll have to wait a while. [COLOR="Red"]Steph Blake[/COLOR] – An innovator when it comes to the DDT, but Steph apparently stopped watching wrestling in the late 80's as she seems to think that's all a match consists of. She has potential, seeing as how she understands how to put on a half-decent promo, but until she breaks out of her DDT schtick, I don't know what to do. [COLOR="Blue"]Sara Marie York[/COLOR] – Sara's another bright light in the midcard, with excellent flying skills and solid technical work. She can cut a mean promo, and at only 23 she's got a huge career ahead of her. I just have to push her properly. [COLOR="Blue"]Michelle Brendon[/COLOR] – No matter how much I try to deny it, Michelle is stuck in the midcard. She has average - albeit well-rounded ring skills and only slightly better training on the mic. On the plus side she's solid in general performance, but that's only acting as another nail in the coffin of dark match territory. One problem though; she's got the tag straps, and just taking them in our first show is going to hurt the title prestige more than it's already at. [COLOR="Red"]Gorgon[/COLOR] – The monster of The Darkness, Alison Rush has better than average brawling skills and knows how to do some basic chains although overall she's a squash machine. However I can see some really solid potential in her, and not even being 30 I think she's got a lot of growth ahead of her. Only problem; she's my other shared signing with 5SSW, and they're her priority. [COLOR="Red"]Helen Bach[/COLOR] – I should probably be grateful that Helen's the only member of my roster who's really showing decline in her abilities, but they have REALLY declined. She's basically become reliant on her slightly better than average brawling skills, but it's just not enough to keep a match exciting. On the plus side, she's tough, safe and consistent, so as a trainer for the lower ranks she's perfect. And I bet she could put on a solid hardcore match too, if Gail lets me book one. [COLOR="Blue"]Katherine Goodlooks[/COLOR] – Michelle Cox is the first breath of fresh air in the tag scene; a solid technician who can work a mic and has great performance abilities, there's no doubt I want to get the tag straps back on her and her partner. But like I said, the Brendons have them now, and if I want to maintain the strong heel/face divide Gail is so obsessed with, she's going to be in the pre-show for a while. [COLOR="Blue"]Jessica Bunny[/COLOR] – Serena Sutton is...not as good as her partner Michelle. She's only an average technician, and while she's better than some on the acting side of things she usually keeps quiet during her teams interviews. To make matters worse, she's pretty brittle and so risky angles become that much more risky. Still, Good Lookin' Bunny is the only face alternative to the Brendons, so she's still around. [B]Lower Midcard[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Tracy Brendon[/COLOR] – While in terms of overall skill Tracy isn't as good as Michelle, she's the main mouthpiece for the Brendon tag team. I hate to send her back to the pre-show once the straps are off her and her sister, but she's got a load of potential and I think she has a very good chance of surviving in the singles division. [COLOR="Blue"]Jaime Quine[/COLOR] – Ah the golden girl; Catherine's kid sister. The lockerroom rumour is that she got the gig through the classic nepotism game, but believe me, Jaime deserves to be here. She has solid skills across the board, and while there's no way I'm pushing her any time soon she has the potential to overshadow anybody else in the AAA. [COLOR="Blue"]Wendy Anderson[/COLOR] – The other face of the new generation, Wendy Anderson is one of the only cruiserweights in the roster and it shows. She has shown some pretty fantastic high-flying moves in the past, although she still needs plenty of work especially while on the mic. She's with Jaime in the pre show for now, but she'll be in the real thing soon enough. [COLOR="Red"]Miss Mexico[/COLOR] – She may be one of the most consistent and reliable wrestlers in the world, but she's got no momentum and below average entertainment skills. Still, she'll be a great teacher for the younger roster. [B]Openers[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Missy Masterson[/COLOR] – Catherine messed up with Missy; she's in the momentum equivalent of the doldrums, and being what is generally accepted as a glorified jobber it's going to be very hard to give her any kind of push. Which is unfortunate, as she's a decent flyer with some really good mic skills. Plus the ever changing outfit gimmick really entertains the fans. Since we moved her out of the Enhancemt pool, she needs some kind of push. [COLOR="Red"]Debbie Rose[/COLOR] – One half of the Lilly & Rose tag team, and Wanda's protege. A high flyer, which mirrors her partner (not quite as good, though), she's being groomed to flesh out the tag division. [COLOR="Red"]Kate Lilly[/COLOR] – Debbie's partner, and considered by many to be the better of the two despite not having Wanda Fish's tutelage. According to scuttlebutt, this has been eating at Debbie, but things seem pretty solid right now. As for the claims that she's better, it is true, but not by much. [B]Enhancement Talent[/B] [COLOR="Red"]Ianna “Spitfire” Severn[/COLOR] – And finally there's me. Catherine made it pretty clear I wasn't going anywhere on the card until I'd put in some time. Not the meteoric rise to stardom I was hoping for, but we all have to start somewhere.

[Dragonmack]

[QUOTE]Before I go any further I do want to give a nod to Dragonmack whose dynasties have been a very large influence on my 'booking' material, as will be pretty clear with this post. Yes, it's not exactly original on my part, but it's a solid set up, and frankly I couldn't think of anything quite so effective as the heel/face colour code. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the props, although I do have to admit I borrowed the idea myself originally. :D Of course all good bookers 'borrow' ideas from others, it is wrestling tradition. ;) Looking forward to see where you take AAA. It is definitely a promotion that hasn't gotten a lot of diary attention and is ripe for someone to make an impact with it. :)

[NathanielKern]

[B]January 1st, 2008 Seattle, Washington[/B] I'd spent New Year's Eve down in the states, as Catherine wanted to hold our first booking meeting on the first. Seeing as how the second was going to be our first show I was a little uncomfortable, but Cat had assured me that she had things under control. I decided to trust her, and let loose a little bit too much while Dick Clark's animated corpse counted down another year until doomsday. The next morning, I was a tiny ball of pain as I met with Catherine at her apartment. Unlike Gail's office, Catherine didn't seem too interested in showing off her achievements, at least to the extent where I felt like I had no right being there. Seeing my face, Catherine pointed me to her couch, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I gratefully collapsed, holding the cold plastic of the bottle against my throbbing temple. Grabbing a bottle for herself, Catherine slid into a chair and waited for me to end my hangover theatrics. “So Gail called me.” she said, simply, cracking open her water and taking a sip. “She thought it would be...helpful if she gave us some goals to work towards during your tenure as my assistant.” “Well, that's awfully helpful of her.” “Not really.” Catherine replied, her face stony. “She wants the company to be standing at 750 grand withing two years.” I was going to have to stop drinking things when I spoke to people in the company. Catherine handed me a towel. “Now, it's not as bad as all that. I did the math, and we only need to make a little over 20k each month in order to achieve that goal. Unfortunately, it royally snafu's my plans to start a weekly show, not to mention the fact that we're unlikely to improve our exposure as we need every ticket and DVD sale.” I grimaced, fumbling with my now half-empty bottle as I tried to think of something to say. “But aside from that, we're in good shape. Gail wants to promote the idea that the AAA is a tough promotion, so she wants to be sure that everyone on our roster knows how to sell a hit, as well as is resilient enough to take one.. I can tell you right now that's already the case, so all we have to worry about is new hires fitting this criteria.” “Well, that's not so bad.” I said, letting relief wash over me as the sword of damocles got sheathed. “And finally, Gail's got some...issues with non-american wrestling styles. She's an old-school girl, and the only reason she puts up with Japanese styles is because of our history with 5SSW. But forget about hiring a luchador.” I didn't know about any women who used a luchador style, so it was another shrug goal. “So what you're saying is that we've been saddled with a bunch of guidelines that we already follow, and a giant money goal that basically prevents us from seeing any real growth in the company.” “Yeah. That's about right.” “Do you have any gin?”

[NathanielKern]

[B]Tuesday, January 2nd, 2008 Portland, Oregon[/B] The Portland Center is a somewhat strange location for a wrestling event; its outside facade is that of a marquee theatre, all glitz and lights. Inside the image is retained, with red velour seats and gilded frames everywhere. No wonder the AAA used this as their preferred event location. In the backstage the glamour disappeared however, with concrete halls and wooden walls with flaking paint and the growing suspicion that the insects were using the building as a beachhead for world domination. Still, the green room felt like every other one I'd been in except for the fact that it was filled with women who were going to beat the crap out of each other in less than an hour instead of, say, talk about their sexual organs or bemoan the fact that Uncle Vanya was no longer with them. Catherine stood up from the ratty couch she was sharing with her sister and greeted me with a smile before leading me out into the cold hallway for a quick pow wow. “Okay Ianna, here's the deal. I've told everybody that you're assisting me with the booking, but nobody knows you from Eve in there so for now I'll be giving everyone their finishes. In fact, for now at least you should stay as far away from the public side of the job until people know who you are.” I nodded in understanding. I'd probably be less than pleased if somebody I didn't know told me I'd have to do a job for someone beneath me in the card. Fortunately that wouldn't be happening any time soon, as nobody was lower than me. “As for how we'll deal with the after-action report, I'll be writing you some notes and pointers for the future, which I'd appreciate if you look over. If you want to add your own comments, feel free.” She smiled again, before turning to head back into the green room. After a deep breath I followed. [CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]AAA Pretty Amazing January 2nd, 2008 The Portland Center 1,000 in Attendance (SELL OUT)[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER] [B]DARK MATCHES[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]Wendy Anderson[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Miss Mexico[/COLOR] in 3:46 by pinfall with a Flying Cross Body. [B]E+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: A lacklustre dark match, but you did book 2 low-level workers. Take this as a learning experience. Ianna's Notes: With the promotion's popularity in this region on par with the match's rating I'm not kicking myself, but I can't let myself get complacent with 'acceptable' matches.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Good Lookin' Bunny[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Lilly & Rose[/COLOR] in 4:39 when Katherine Goodlooks defeated Kate Lilly by pinfall with a Pretty Fly. [B]E+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: Another weak match, although it was nice to see almost everyone learning something out there. I just wish they'd learned it in the gym when a thousand people weren't watching. It also would have helped if Jessica wasn't staring off into space for half the match. Ianna's Notes: I didn't see squat, I was in the bathroom trying not to throw up out of nervousness.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Sara Marie York[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Ianna Severn[/COLOR] in 5:07 by pinfall with an Energy Burst. [B]D+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: Not bad, a solid dark match, and something to kick off the real show. Sara showed some nice improvements, and it should give her a bit of a push for later.[/I] [B]MAIN SHOW[/B] “This Time” by Lullacry blasts over the PA as the crowd pops to [COLOR="Red"]Wanda Fish[/COLOR] walking down to the ring, mic in hand. Ignoring all hands stretched over the barricades, she glares at anyone in the audiene who would deign to enter the space of the AAA Femme Fatale champion, the belt signifying the position hanging over her shoulder. Leaping up onto the ring apron she slides through the ropes gracefully and then waits until the boos finally begin to die down. “So, the New Year has passed, and this town hasn't gotten any better. Same idiots who cheer for no-talent wannabes who shouldn't be in the same BUILDING as me, let alone in the same ring, and yet SOMEHOW events have conspired to have that black-clad loser [COLOR="Blue"]Raven Nightfall[/COLOR] facing me tonight for MY Femme Fatale belt!” The crowd cheers at the mention of The Angel of the Dark, and Wanda becomes even more riled at the popularity of her opponent. “Let me tell you something, Raven, because I know you're back there listening to this, back in high school, while you were listening to your death music and pretending to be a hobbit, I was actually spending time with friends and people who mattered! You secretly dream of being me, and only paint your face and act all high and mighty because you need to be a freak in order to explain how much of a loser you are! Well let me tell you something, you were a loser, you are a loser, and when you get in the ring with me, you'll BE a loser!” With that, her music kicks in again and Wanda leaves, to a chorus of boos and “Raven! Raven!” cheers. C- [COLOR="Blue"]Jaime Quine[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Helen Bach[/COLOR] in 4:32 by pinfall with a K.O. Kick. E+ [I]Ianna's Notes: Okay, this one wasn't my fault. According to the locker room there was a discrepancy in the estimated time we had, and Catherine snuck this match into the show with half an hour before curtain. Not a real surprise it tanked then, as Jaime and Helen had practically no time to prepare. I'm starting to see where the whole nepotism rumour got started. Catherine's Notes: conspicuously absent.[/I] In the backstage area, the imposing figure of [COLOR="Red"]Gorgon[/COLOR] stands behind the Queen of the Abyss herself, [COLOR="Red"]Black Widow[/COLOR]. Staring dead into the camera, her mismatched grey and brown eyes blurring madness and total dedication, the leader of The Darkness begins to speak. “A new year is upon us, and once again the time has come for The Darkness to remind the foolish little girls of the Angel Athletic Association that they need to be afraid of the dark. Afraid of the things most at home in the night, where the Abyss is strongest.” She motions to Gorgon who growls menacingly, before continuing. “Gorgon here is the Abyss incarnate; cruel, unrelenting, impervious to the concept of mercy. She simply finds her victim, and strikes. And strikes. And continues to strike until nothing remains but the broken remains of her opponent, and the ever growing hunger of the Abyss. And just as Gorgon will destroy everything in her path, so will the rest of The Darkness. With the Sisters of Sin Devil's Daughter and Vixxen taking back the AAA Tag titles, and I, well...I have my own designs. And for those of you who doubt this promise, we shall prove it with the sacrifice that the AAA has conveniently provided us.” Gorgon smiles viciously, baring her vicious fangs for the camera before it fades to black. D+ [COLOR="Red"]Gorgon[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Blue"]Missy Masterson[/COLOR] in 4:44 by pinfall with a Hydra Bomb. [B]E+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: A squash match, plain and simple. Still, it helps us in our push for Gorgon, and gives Missy some needed time in the spotlight. Ianna's Notes: Long term, this match was worth it. Missy seemed cleaner in her performance than I'd seen her before, and everyone got a little momentum. I just wish it had been better as a match.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Raven Nightfall[/COLOR] sits in a chair in the backstage hallway, taping up her wrists in preparation for her match with [COLOR="Red"]Wanda Fish[/COLOR] tonight. The Angel of the Dark looks up at the camera, her eyes hard and determined. “Tonight, in front of the AAA's loyal fans and supporters, Wanda Fish will finally have that self-satisfied smile wiped off her face once and for all, by yours truly the Angel of the Dark, Raven Nightfall. Wanda, I heard your little speech earlier, and let me tell you something; you might have been a big shot however many years ago when you were some bimbo cheerleader, but how did you achieve that? By working hard? By EARNING people's respect? No. You got where you were by putting other people down, sucking up to others and sliding by. And what was true then is true now. When was the last time you didn't win a match through a cheap shot, or a distracted referee, or that beast of yours Suzue? You haven't earned that belt around your waist, and tonight, I'm going to prove it.” [B]D[/B] [COLOR="Blue"]The Brendon Sisters[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Wild Times[/COLOR] in 7:45 when Tracy Brendon defeated Vixxen by pinfall with an Idaho Crunch. The Brendon Sisters make defence number 1 of their AAA Tag Team titles. [B]D-[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: See, this is why I'm the one giving out the finishes. Wild Times were pretty unimpressed with having to put the Brendons over, and it took some very calm explaining to keep them from making a bigger deal of it than it was. It didn't help that Michelle was out of it for most of the match, it just irked Vixxen and Double D even more. Ianna's Notes: I can't wait to take the straps off the Brendons, but considering how much they learned from this match I might not be so quick to push them to the dark match scene quite so yet, as long as they keep on improving. And if Michelle can step up.[/I] As soon as the final 3 count hits, [COLOR="Red"]Devil's Daughter[/COLOR] is in the ring, kicking away at [COLOR="Blue"]Tracy Brendon[/COLOR] who falls back to her corner where [COLOR="Blue"]Michelle[/COLOR] has jumped in as well to aid her sister. Unfortunately, Devil's Daughter is waiting, and clocks her with a clothesline that leaves her down on the mat. Double D then continues her attack on Tracy, soon joined by [COLOR="Red"]Vixxen[/COLOR] as she recovers from the devastating Idaho Crunch. Finally, Wild Times end their assault, pointing at the Tag belts, then at themselves before leaving the Brendon sisters in a broken heap. [B]E[/B] [COLOR="Red"]Grace Harper[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Blue"]Joanne Rodriguez[/COLOR] in 11:33 by pinfall, illegally using the ropes for leverage. [B]D+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: Not a bad match, if it had been Grace and anybody else. But Joanne should have made this into at least a C-. At least Grace showed some improvement in her grappling. It'll help when she finally faces Suzanne. Ianna's Notes: I'm pleased to see that Joanne didn't make a fuss about doing a job to an upper midcarder. Hopefully it won't be too big a blow to her momentum.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Suzanne Brazzle[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Blue"]Kristabel Plum[/COLOR] in 11:47 by submission. Suzanne Brazzle makes defence number 1 of her AAA Top Contender's title. [B]D+[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: The crowd didn't get let down with this match, but a bit of extra hype beforehand probably could have pushed this into the C's. Nice to see Kristabel improving. Ianna's Notes: Argh, another average match. And I can't say that at least Suzanne got some more momentum, as this match actually ended with less of a pop than the one it started with. Not happy right now.[/I] As [COLOR="Blue"]Suzanne[/COLOR] celebrates in the ring, the newly affirmed #1 contender for the Top Contender's title [COLOR="Red"]Grace Harper[/COLOR] charges down to the ring and commences a vicious beatdown on the champion, screaming that the belt is hers, and it's only a matter of time. [B]D[/B] [COLOR="Blue"] Catherine Quine[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Red"]Suzue Katayama[/COLOR] in 14:35 by pinfall with a Cat's Cradle. [B]C[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: You're on your own for this one. Ianna's Notes: Well, proof right here why Catherine's our top babyface. A solid match throughout, and Suzue even got the hang of some new tricks during the match. Unfortunately it's another one of those diminishing returns stories, as the crowd, as excited as they were weren't quite as impressed as they wanted to be, and Catherine's momentum suffered.[/I] As [COLOR="Blue"]Raven[/COLOR] stands backstage waiting for her match to begin, [COLOR="Red"]Black Widow[/COLOR] suddenly appears from a shadowy corner, her eyes filled with a disconcerting hunger as she approaches her former tag team partner and stablemate. “Nightfall...” she hisses, causing Raven to turn swiftly to confront the Queen of the Abyss. “Your reckoning is coming. I remember your betrayal, how you turned your back on your sisters. You shouldn't be thinking about that platinum blonde with the useless piece of tin.” Raven smirks, and deliberately turns her back on Widow, watching the entrance curtain. “Oh? And I should be thinking about you, Widow? You have no power over me anymore; I've grown stronger than you and The Darkness. You. Can't. Touch. Me.” Suddenly Raven's music kicks in and she heads for the curtain, leaving Widow on her own. “We shall see...” she growls. [COLOR="Red"]Wanda Fish[/COLOR] defeated [COLOR="Blue"]Raven Nightfall[/COLOR] in 14:52 by pinfall with a Dish Of The Day following interference from [COLOR="Red"]Black Widow[/COLOR]. Wanda Fish makes defence number 1 of her AAA Femme Fatale title. [B]C-[/B] [I]Catherine's Notes: Well, I won't complain about this rating considering the fact that Raven and Wanda really couldn't get a sense of each other in the ring. That'll make things difficult later down the road if Wanda's the champion again, but for now we don't need to worry as Raven's got problems of her own. Ianna's Notes: I don't know what to add. A good match that improved our rating, plus another step forward in our Raven/Widow storyline. I wish we could have ended on a higher rating, but we can't have it all.[/I] FINAL SHOW RATING: D+

[NathanielKern]

[B]Wednesday, January 10th, 2008 Seattle, Washington[/B] I was starting to wonder if this job was really worth the stress as I sat in one of the cheap plastic chairs that littered the AAA reception area while Catherine and Gail had the first of what would be many screaming matches in Gail's office. I'd been trying to distract myself with one of the decade-old National Geographics that seem to appear in every reception whether anyone brought them or not, but the chief exports of Uganda weren't quite interesting enough to help me ignore the insults being hurled back and forth in the room next to me. “You already cut my arms off with the monetary goal, how am I expected to keep our ranking as well?” That was Catherine, clearly irate over the latest goal we'd received. “Find a way! I won't have our company gaining money but losing in popularity!” And that was Gail. “Well, that's what's going to happen! We're running one show a month, and projections show that we'll be barely hitting the minimum profit to achieve this ridiculous profit margin you so desperately want! We can't run shows in other regions, and forget about TV! We're stuck at the damn Portland Center for two years!” “We don't need to move! We're the only women's promotion in North America, people will come to US!” “Not if they don't know we exist; I can't even put our shows on the internet because we have to pinch every penny! You ARE aware that there are other promotions in the world, Gail. They didn't cripple themselves with monetary goals, and they're going to be growing while we stay stagnant!” The door to Gail's office flew open and Catherine stormed out, slamming the door after her. Seeing me, she only calmed down a little. “I'm not in the mood to talk business right now, Severn. If you've got notes, leave them with Carol.” As I nodded mutely, she turned and went into her office, slamming the door behind her. I suddenly missed community theatre. At least there everybody was focussed on the show, not the money or how we performed over other companies. I left my booking suggestions with the receptionist and headed to the elevator, trying not to think about what would happen if we couldn't reach the seemingly impossible goals Gail had supplied.