ACPW: Into the Great White North

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I shook the snow from my coat as I walked backstage. It was late December, and the Saskatchewan winter had already been making its presence known. I took a look around at the sour faces before me; the cold wasn’t limited to being outside, so to speak. [COLOR="SeaGreen"]“Man, this is gonna be a long winter if we keep pulling bomb scares like this.”[/COLOR] Valentine was right, of course. Despite not having much experience in the business, he seemed to have a knack for understanding when business was down. If it wasn’t for the sponsors, we’d have gone under already. [COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]“That’s what we get for having a show on Boxing Day, man. Leroy is an idiot,” [/COLOR]“Leroy”, as Alan Parent referred to him as, was veteran Canadian wrestler Jon Jetson. It was a nickname that Parent had coined that had taken up roost with the younger guys in the locker room. Jetson had been the head booker for All Canada Pro Wrestling since it opened six months ago, and things had been going south ever since. Truth be told, if any of these guys had been able to get work elsewhere (well, except the few rookies from 4C), they would’ve left by now. But then, there was another reason they all stayed around… I was thrown off my train of thought by shouting coming from down the corridor. I heard Jetson arguing, failingly, about the direction he had for the company, but it was no use. Everyone was silent as Jetson came into the main room slowly, shuffling his feet as he grabbed his bags, and left without saying a word to anyone. A large bearded man in a snow cap cut through the mess of bags and wrestlers about the floor. He headed straight for me, his long strides eating up the distance quickly before stopping in front of me. Biff laid a hand on my shoulder, and uttered the words that everyone in the room knew were coming. [COLOR="Red"]“Ed would like to speak with you.”[/COLOR] [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] [COLOR="Navy"]“Well, what do you think, kid?”[/COLOR] It was a simple enough question, and one that I had mulled over in my head countless times in the past few months. Still, the answer now wasn’t as forthcoming as it had been in my car driving back from every show in the boondocks of the Prairies the past six months. [COLOR="Sienna"]“I don’t know, Ed. Do you really want me to take the reigns? Don’t you think Thom or Biff would be better suited for it?”[/COLOR] Ed Monton leaned back in his chair, his hands interlaced and resting across his chest. [COLOR="Navy"]“You know that Morgan and Biff are the meat of this company. We need them to focus their attention on the ring, and nowhere else.”[/COLOR] I did know it. Since the company had been started, Thomas Morgan and Biff the Bruiser had been the backbone of this company. Mammoth and Murderous Mikey may have been the stars that had drawn the small crowds, but Biff and Morgan were the reason that the same small crowds came to every show. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Alright, Ed - I’ll do it. But you know that some of the guys aren’t going to like it.”[/COLOR] Ed nodded. [COLOR="Navy"]“But the rest of them will be doing cartwheels. Especially the young guys.” [/COLOR]My thoughts immediately went to seeing Warren Technique doing a completely straight-faced celebratory somersault. I tried to suppress a chuckle. [COLOR="Navy"]“Next show is on January 18th. Come up to my ranch on Monday and we’ll go over your ideas.”[/COLOR] [I]On the Next Episode: I almost get fired on my first day![/I]

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[COLOR="Navy"]“Are you out of your ****ing mind?!”[/COLOR] It was pretty much the reaction I was expecting, and Ed didn’t disappoint. I waited a moment as I watched the big angry Canadian pant with anger. Even with his bad back, I still wouldn’t have a prayer if he made a move. Still, I had to stand true to my convictions. [COLOR="Sienna"]“It’ll work, Ed. And now is the perfect time to do it. We’re still pretty much ghosts, so we might as well make changes for the long term now. What do we stand to lose?”[/COLOR] The question, it should be noted, was regarding my plans for a revamping of the company. The product needed to change to suit what my booking plans were, and what I thought could work for the long haul. Ed wasn’t too keen on that. [COLOR="Navy"]“We stand to lose our entire fan base!”[/COLOR] Ed fired back. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Ed, I’m pretty sure the fifty people that actually show up to our shows will still be there.”[/COLOR] I wasn’t exaggerating. [COLOR="Sienna"]“Face it - this isn’t CGC.” [/COLOR] That struck a nerve with Ed. He had been one of the company’s longest serving members up until not long ago, when he ruptured a couple of disks in his back during a match, courtesy of a Shooter Sean Deeley German suplex (I still hadn’t asked Monton about bringing Deeley into the company - that argument would have to wait for another day). George DeColt had been pretty cold in releasing Monton after his retirement, basically telling him that they didn’t have a role left for Ed in the company. Ed took it in stride, but I knew that it crushed him. Ed sighed deeply and rubbed his hands against his brow in defeat. [COLOR="Navy"]“Fine. We’ll make your changes. Just don’t forget what happened to Jetson.”[/COLOR] I swallowed hard and set about trying to avoid that fate. [QUOTE][I]From the pages of Pro Wrestling Hitz Magazine [/I] [I][B]The New ACPW![/B][/I] In a bit of news from our friends due north, it is being reported that Jon Jetson is gone from All Canada Pro Wrestling! Jetson is probably best known for his long-running tag team with partner Ed Monton, and once Monton opened up ACPW, it was no shock that he brought Jetson in as his right hand man. However, sources close to the company say that Jetson’s lack of vision for the company’s booking lead to many heated arguments between the two, and Jetson was reportedly fired backstage following the company’s most recent show! A young former manager for the company, Art Ramses, seems to be taking up the reigns of the company’s creative direction, and has been allowed near-complete freedom by Monton. Ramses has already made many changes to the product of ACPW, hoping to bring in a larger fan base. We spoke with Ramses earlier in the month, who had this to say: “My goal is to make ACPW a place where wrestlers want to wrestle, where young wrestlers can come to hone their skills and learn their trade. We’ve got a good mix of rookies and veterans, and my goal is to get this company to a place where we are producing quality wrestling on a nightly basis, as well as being a profitable company.” When asked about the changes made to the company’s image, Ramses replied: “I’m trying to bring the territorial promotion back to Canada, where the local hometown promotion seems to have gone by the wayside. My hope is that a few years down the road, when a father and son are watching NOTBPW or CGC on television and they see Valentine or Warren Technique wrestling, they can say ‘Remember when we saw him wrestle in that Elk’s Lodge in Saskatchewan?’” Ramses also made sure to mention the upcoming show that ACPW was putting on, which would mark his debut as head booker for the company. Anybody in the Yorkton area should mark the date on their calendar, especially because the Short Film & Video Festival isn’t for another five months! [/QUOTE] [CENTER][B]ACPW Canadian Showcase[/B] ACPW Tag Team Title Match: The Rock City Stars © vs. Nomas and Valentine Cal Sanders vs. K-Squared Thunder & Lightning vs. Chris Flynn and Warren Technique Bob Casey vs. Alan Parent Mammoth vs. Biff the Bruiser ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Ted Brady vs. Thomas Morgan ©[/CENTER]

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[CENTER][B]ACPW Canadian Showcase Saturday, January 18th, 2008[/B][/CENTER] [B]Dark Match: Murderous Mikey vs. Bob Casey[/B] This one was more for my benefit than anyone in attendance, as it gave me a feeler out on how good Mikey could be. The answer: not very good at all. He and Mammoth seem to have what I like to call "anti-stamina", and therefore don't seem like they'll be of much use to me. Mikey gets the win with a Debt Collection. [B]Winner:[/B] Murderous Mikey (E) * [B]ACPW Tag Team Title Match: The Rock City Stars (c) vs. Nomad and Valentine[/B] A decent match for an opener, considering neither team really has much in the way of experience or talent just yet. This was a standard face vs. heel tag team affair, with Nomad and Valentine cutting the ring in half for most of the bout, keeping Turner away from Manna most of the contest. Valentine wasn't able to keep his eyes off of Persephone at ringside, sadly, which lead to Manna hitting him with a Rockin' Roller for the pinfall. [B]Winners:[/B] The Rock City Stars (E) * K-Squared made his way down the aisle to a chorus of boos. He grabbed the microphone from the ringside attendant and took the opportunity to tear into Cal Sanders. [COLOR="Purple"]"I can't believe that I have to come out here in front of you peons and wrestle some nobody like Cal Sanders. I was in CGC, for God's sake! This is an insult to me as a wrestler, working in a second-rate promotion like this! Sanders, get out here!"[/COLOR] * [B]K-Squared vs. Cal Sanders[/B] Predictably, this was a good bout. Sanders is a tremendous young talent, and K-Squared is no slouch himself. A good back and forth battle, with both men getting their fair share of offense. Sanders eventually took the win with a Skookum Death Lock for the submission. [B]Winner: Cal Sanders (D-)[/B] * [B]Thunder & Lightning vs. Chris Flynn and Warren Technique[/B] Thunder, Lightning, and Flynn were three guys I signed to fill out the tag team division, and I figured that Technique would be a great partner for Flynn, as well as bringing a bit more skill and experience to the tag ranks. This one was a solid, if unspectacular, affair, with Thunder picking up the pinfall victory. [B]Winners:[/B] Thunder & Lightning (E) * "Parental Abuse" Alan Parent strutted down to the aisle, looking like a kid with a new bicycle as he climbed into the ring. He grabbed a microphone from the ring announcer and began to speak about why he was so happy. [COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]"You folks here are in for quite a treat tonight. You should feel lucky. Years from now, when I'm holding the BHOTWG Burning Junior Championship above my head, you'll be able to say 'Hey, I saw that guy beat up Bob Casey in some dump in Saskatchewan!"[/COLOR] * [B]Alan Parent vs. Bob Casey[/B] Not a bad match, much better than I had hoped, but then that's what good chemistry will do for you. Casey wore himself out in this one, thanks in part to pulling double duty in the dark match, which leads me to believe this one will be even better somewhere down the line when Casey is fresh. Parent gets the win with a Parental Lock. [B]Winner: Alan Parent (E+)[/B] * Backstage, Mammoth is livid as he tears into Biff the Bruiser, so angry that he bounces in place, sweat pouring down his face as he yells. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Bruiser! You may think you're strong, but I've got news for you! All the strongman competitions in the world can't prepare you for a match against me! I'm 460lbs of pure anger, and I'm coming right at you! I hope you've got good insurance, Biff, because you're gonna need a chiropractor when I get through with you!"[/COLOR] * [B]Biff the Bruiser vs. Mammoth[/B] *whistles* Yikes. This one was a stinker, and I blame it largely on Mammoth. I tried to keep this one short, but evidently it wasn't quite short enough, as Mammoth gassed early. Throw in the fact that neither wrestler has any idea about psychology, and you've got the worst match of the night. Biff mercifully wins it with a Lariat Clothesline. [B]Winner: Biff the Bruiser (E-)[/B] * [B]ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. Ted Brady[/B] Now this is how main eventers should perform. This one was a good, solid wrestling bout, without much in the way of fanfare or frills. Brady tried to keep the champion off balance by taking to the air early, but Morgan was able to keep Brady in trouble when the action took to the mat. The two seemed to be fairly evenly matched, until Brady started sucking wind around the ten minute mark. The lack of conditioning allowed Morgan to take the upper hand, and he wrapped things up with an STF for the victory. [B]Winner:[/B] Thomas Morgan (D+) * [B]Overall Rating:[/B] D * [I]OOC Notes: I'm well aware that some of you are a bit leery going into this dynasty after the quick collapse of both my SCCW and PGHW dynasties, but let me assure you that this one will not suffer the same fate. I already have a few months of shows written up, and this new strategy of actually planning things out ahead of time is already making writing this much easier and, frankly, interesting. Also, it should be pointed out that the format for this dynasty is heavily influenced by (that is to say a near rip-off of) James Casey's MAW. This is quite intentional as A) I'm a huge fan of Casey's dynasty, and B) it provides a good, clean presentation, and is much less code-intensive than my previous dynasties, which makes it a boatload easier to write. Still, I hope that anyone reading will feel free to comment on style, the way things are playing, or to just berate me for putting another dynasty on this board :D.[/I] * [I]On the Next Episode: Somebody's causing trouble...[/I]

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I rushed into the locker room as soon as I heard the shouting. I cast a glance over at the scene, with a number of wrestler restraining Stan Manna from jumping all over Mikey. I glanced over at Biff, who was standing next to me, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall watching. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Fill me in, Biff."[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]"Mikey was running his mouth, saying that Manna and Persephone's relationship was a bit more than 'professional', if you catch my drift. Word got back to Manna, and he went straight after Mikey."[/COLOR] I could tell already that Biff was gonna come in handy for more than wrestling. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Is this true, Mikey?"[/COLOR] I asked, staring the big man down. His eyes were burning, although I had a feeling that it might have something to do more with me than the situation with Manna. [COLOR="Gray"]"Yeah, it's true. I was just having some fun, and this little punk just took it too seriously."[/COLOR] Manna started his charge anew after hearing Mikey call him a punk, but I put my hand up and Manna seemed to calm down a bit. [COLOR="Sienna"]"That's because Manna has class, Mikey, something you clearly lack,"[/COLOR] Mikey bristled at that one, and I knew I had his full attention. [COLOR="Sienna"]"The truth is, Mikey, that tonight was my first night as booker, and you took what was a successful night for us for once and ruined it with your bit of 'fun'. I have no patience for middle school shenanigans. You're a grown man, now act like it!"[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]"Gotcha boss, you made your point loud and clear."[/COLOR] Mikey grunted out. I couldn't shake the feeling as I left the locker room that this wouldn't be our last run in with each other. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Despite my little spat with Mikey backstage, I couldn't help but smile to myself as I walked to my car that night. The show had been a good one, much better than the stinkers Elroy used to put on, and I felt like it would've quelled some of the concerns that Monton had when we talked at his ranch last month. Still, I was surprised when I got to my car and saw Monton leaning against my trunk waiting for me. I got somewhat of an uneasy feeling as I got closer and saw that there wasn't a smile on his face. [COLOR="Navy"]"I heard about what happened with Mikey and Manna."[/COLOR] No congratulations, not even an 'ataboy. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Yeah, but I managed to take care of it."[/COLOR] I retorted. [COLOR="Navy"]"Glad to hear it, considering you caused it to happen."[/COLOR] I was dumbfounded. How could I have caused Mikey to run his mouth like an immature child? [COLOR="Sienna"]"What are you talking about? I wasn't even back there when it happened? How could I have had anything to with it?"[/COLOR] Monton chuckled to himself a bit at my indignant reply. He got up and threw a heavy arm around my shoulder as he spoke. [COLOR="Navy"]"Mikey wouldn't have pulled that stunt if you hadn't put him in the opening match on your first show. ****, he wasn't even on the main card, Art. He's one of our biggest stars, and really besides Mammoth the only one with any kind of name value, and you have him curtain jerking against Casey?"[/COLOR] I sighed a little as Ed spoke. I suppose it did make sense in a way. [COLOR="Sienna"]"So you're saying that Mikey took out his anger at me on Manna, then?"[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]"Of course. He couldn't take it out on you, afterall. You're in a position of a lot of power, kid, and there's some people in that locker room who are worried about their jobs - not just Mikey. You gotta remember that."[/COLOR] Ed walked off, and once again I felt like my glorious night wasn't so spectacular afterall.

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I walked into Ed Monton's office with a tape in my hand. I put it down on his desk authoritatively, and Ed raised an eyebrow up from his newspaper. [COLOR="Navy"]"What's this?"[/COLOR] Ed asked, picking up the tape. He looked at the label on the side, which read "David Acid". [COLOR="Sienna"]"It's a new kid that just graduated from the House of Stone this month. You need to watch the tape - I want to bring him in as soon as possible."[/COLOR] I blurted everything out like a kid waking up his parents on Christmas morning. Ed chuckled a bit as he popped the tape into the VCR. The smile went away from his face once the tape started rolling, showing highlights of Acid's training sessions with Jeremy Stone. [COLOR="Navy"]"Get him in here as soon as you can,"[/COLOR] was all Monton uttered as he sat in awe the kid's Acid Drop finisher. I gave Ed the list of the other guys that I wanted to bring in to round out the roster for a while on a trial basis, and Ed glanced at the list and nodded. [COLOR="Navy"]"Just get this kid in here."[/COLOR] [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Our next show would be a rather ambitious one, but at least Murderous Mikey was talking to me again after seeing himself towards the top of the card, taking on Biff, who was really turning into a lifesaver for me as far as the backstage was concerned. I may be in charge, but I'm only 24, and I didn't exactly have the stroke that a head booker usually has. Biff had taken a shine to me, though, and that helped me gain some type of influence over the locker room. We had brought in a few new names for this show, after seeing that our roster was a bit weak on the babyface side of things, easily shown by me having to put Casey into two matches in the same night just to fill out the show. David Acid had agreed to work for us for the next few months at least, and I had big plans for him down the line if his stay turned into a long-term gig. We also brought in White Angel from 4C, and it was starting to look like we should look into a kind of working agreement with the company, as a good chunk of our undercard was already working for them as well. We also brought in Raphael, who I had some big plans for, seeing dollar signs on a possible feud between him and Sanders somewhere down the line. All in all, things were coming together pretty well. I just had to make sure not to screw them up. [CENTER]* * * [B]ACPW Let It All Hang Out[/B] Chris Flynn vs. David Acid White Angel vs. Alan Parent Bob Casey vs. Warren Technique Nomad vs. Valentine ACPW Tag Team Title Match: Thunder & Lightning vs. The Rock City Stars (c) Biff the Bruiser vs. Murderous Mikey Ted Brady vs. Cal Sanders ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. K-Squared[/CENTER] [I]OOC: For those confused, David Acid is a randomly generated worker that graduated from the House of Stone in my game. You can check his stats here.[/I]

[Midnightnick]

That's a bit odd, considering the actual Acid is also from the House of Stone. Chris Flynn vs. [B]David Acid[/B] [I]More talent.[/I] [B]White Angel[/B] vs. Alan Parent [I]Frankee Dee, is rather rad. [/I] Bob Casey vs.[B] Warren Technique[/B] [I]Not a question.[/I] [B]Nomad [/B]vs. Valentine [I]Favoritism[/I]. ACPW Tag Team Title Match: Thunder & Lightning vs. [B]The Rock City Stars (c)[/B] [I]And they retain.[/I] [B]Biff the Bruiser[/B] vs. Murderous Mikey [I]He bruses. He's cool.[/I] [B]Ted Brady [/B]vs. Cal Sanders [I]Most likely wrong.[/I] ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: [B]Thomas Morgan (c)[/B] vs. K-Squared [I]Retention[/I].

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[I]OOC: Thanks for the predictions, Midnightnick. Good to see somebody taking an interest. :D[/I] [CENTER][B]ACPW Let It All Hang Out Saturday, February 20th 2008[/B][/CENTER] [B]Chris Flynn vs. David Acid[/B] The rookie from the House of Stone is already proving his worth, bringing fellow rookie Chris Flynn to a great opening bout. The fans seem to be taking to Acid early, not the least of which is probably due to his amazing Acid Drop finisher, a cut-throat reverse Death Valley driver. Acid clearly takes the win here, the first of many sure to follow. [B]Winner:[/B] David Acid (D-) * [B]White Angel vs. Alan Parent[/B] I have hopes for doing a program between these two somewhere down the line, due in large part to their similar styles, with Angel hopefully helping to improve Parent's skills a bit to get him to a respectable midcard talent. Both men showed good form in this one, and Angel picked up the submission victory with a Dragon Sleeper. [B]Winner:[/B] White Angel (E+) * [B]Warren Technique vs. Bob Casey[/B] Gotta love Casey. He knows what his job is, and that is to lie down to younger talent while simultaneously helping get their skills up. He does that very well here, although to be fair Technique's skills are probably a few notches over anybody else in the undercard. Technique gets the submission with an STF. [B]Winner:[/B] Warren Technique (D-) * Valentine comes down to the ring, looking smug as always. He flirts a bit with some ladies at ringside who, in all fairness, are probably old enough to be his mother, but the age gap seems to have no effect on the youngster's growing ego. He grabs a mic, and proceeds to lay down a challenge. [COLOR="SeaGreen"]"Ladies, I know that the winter this year has been a cold one, but never fear. Your favorite heartthrob, Valentine, is here to heat things up for you."[/COLOR] Valentine pauses to allow time for the women in attendance to whistle, as well as the men they came with to give them dirty looks. [COLOR="SeaGreen"]"You see folks, I'm easily the sexiest man here in ACPW, although to be fair that's not much of a contest. I mean, have you seen these guys? Half of them dress like lumberjacks. Still, it's a title that I take seriously, so if anyone in the back thinks that their looks rival mine, feel free to come out here and try your luck against me."[/COLOR] The challenge is answered by Nomad's music playing, and the mysterious one makes his way through the curtain to the shock of Valentine and the curious delight of the women in attendance. Valentine, feeling his hold over the ladies slipping away, rushes Nomad as referee Gregory Chapman signals the bell. * [B]Valentine vs. Nomad[/B] I'll be honest - I don't as of yet have any idea what to do with Nomad. He's definitely talented, but in terms of booking strategy, I'm still at a loss. The one good thing about him is that he seems to be a tailor-made tweener, and that might be good to think about for somewhere down the road. He gets the win here, pinning Valentine with a Drift Shift for the victory. [B]Winner:[/B] Nomad (E) * Backstage, Cal Sanders is in the locker room getting ready for his match later on. Suddenly, Ted Brady busts in and attacks the youngster, knocking him down to the ground before laying heavy boots into him. Officials finally arrive on the scene to restrain Brady, but not before the damage had obviously been done. * [B]ACPW Tag Team Title Match: The Rock City Stars (c) vs. Thunder & Lightning[/B] A little bit premature in the showdown between these two teams, but being that our tag division isn't what you'd call well-rounded, I pulled the trigger early. Not a bad match, all things considered, as these are both young teams without much in the way of experience. A pretty even matchup for the most part, with Jason Thunder and Ryan Turner in particular having a good exchange in the ring for a few minutes, before Manna sealed the deal to retain the titles. Persephone also was noted as doing particularly good in the corner of the Rock City Stars, which helped the rating a bit. [B]Winner:[/B] The Rock City Stars (E-) * [B]Biff the Bruiser vs. Murderous Mikey[/B] Man, Biff cannot catch a break. Two straight matches against two terrible opponents, and Biff cannot save things. This one was slightly better than his contest against Mammoth, but only slightly. Mikey needs to improve a lot before he can complain about not being higher up the card. Biff ends things with a Lariat Clothesline for the pinfall victory. [B]Winner:[/B] Biff the Bruiser (E+) * Following the match, Biff celebrates his victory in the ring, before out of nowhere (preseumably the Esther's Apple Pies next door) Mammoth comes charging down the aisle and blindsides the Canadian strong man! Mammoth beats Biff from pillar to post, before squashing Biff with a big 460lb Splash. Officials break up the melee before any further damage can be done, with Mammoth shouting at Biff that he's not strong enough to stop a monster. * After clearing out the carnage in the ring, Ted Brady makes his way down the aisle, ignoring Biff the Bruiser as he's being helped backstage. Brady rolls into the ring to the disdain of the crowd in attendance and grabs a microphone from the ring announcer. [COLOR="DarkRed"]"Sanders, you may be wondering why I attacked you earlier. Well, my boy, the reason is that you do not have respect for those that came before you. I was the standard bearer for high fliers in Canada long before you popped onto the scene, but you don't seem to care. So I've decided to teach you some respect."[/COLOR] * [B]Ted Brady vs. Cal Sanders[/B] A surprisingly good bout, and Brady has been much more valuable so far than I would have thought he would be. Sanders was banged up following the attack, but still managed to put up quite a fight, using his superior speed to take the advantage in the early going. However, the experience of Brady proved to be quite the weapon, as he turned his attention to the already injured ribs of Sanders after dodging a running splash in the corner. After a few more minutes of punishment, the pinfall was academic. [B]Winner:[/B] Ted Brady (D) * [B]ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. K-Squared[/B] This one was more of a trial match for K-Squared than a real title defense for Morgan, but I wanted to see how K^2 would do in a high profile matchup. The results weren't too bad, as this one was a good clash of styles, with K-Squared taking to the air throughout most of the contest, and Morgan trying to keep things on the mat whenever possible. K-Squared looked to have the champion in trouble following a tornado DDT, but the youngster showboated a bit too long on the top rope, which allowed Morgan to get back to his feet. Morgan rushed the corner, crotching K^2, before busting out a nice standing dragon screw leg whip that sent K-Squared crashing to the canvas clutching his knee. Morgan wrapped things up with an STF, which is quickly becoming the lariat of Canada. [B]Winner:[/B] Thomas Morgan (D-) * [B]Overall Rating:[/B] D- * [I]On the Next Episode: What are we doing?[/I]

[Midnightnick]

I'm always right with my predictions. Damn it feels good. Great card, and surprised to see how well the opener did, considering Flynn is incredibly green.

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I wandered in out of the cold into Ed Monton's office, and I was greeted not by Ed, but by his eldest son George. He had a big grin across his face as he saw me enter the room. [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]"Hey Ram. Pop should be in shortly. He's on the phone with Ted."[/COLOR] I knew, of course, that he was speaking about Ted Brady. I was not aware of the nature of the phone call. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Is something up?"[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]"Don't know,"[/COLOR] George replied. [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]"He doesn't seem too happy though."[/COLOR] Ed sauntered in before I could inquire any further. [COLOR="Navy"]"It's nothing too major, yet. Ted just wanted to voice some concerns about the direction of his character. He's worried about getting lost in the shuffle."[/COLOR] Ed raised an inquiring eyebrow in my direction. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Brady's got nothing to worry about. He's been one of our best performers as of late, even if he doesn't have the gas to go too long in the ring. And besides, I've got a nice program lined up between him and Sanders."[/COLOR] I replied, hoping to soothe my boss. [COLOR="Navy"]"Alright,"[/COLOR] Ed paused briefly, then continued. [COLOR="Navy"]"Brady's not the only one that's worried."[/COLOR] Something in Monton's voice gave me an inclination that he might not be exempt from that group. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Attendance has been steady, Ed. And no one can argue that we're putting on better shows. I'm still trying to work out the roster and see where everybody fits in,"[/COLOR] I was hoping that the conversation didn't need to go any further. It did. [COLOR="Navy"]"You've been bringing in quite a bit of talent lately. A lot more than Jetson ever did. The past two months have seen a bigger influx of talent than any other period since we opened. We have payroll to consider."[/COLOR] Ed replied, manner-of-factly. I winced at what was coming. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Honestly, Ed, yeah. There's gonna have to be some cuts. I'm trying to put it off as long as I can, but some people aren't going to make here. I've been trying to assess the surplus, but it might take me a few more shows until I'm sure that I'll make the right cuts."[/COLOR] I stared at the floor, trying to avoid Monton's gaze. [COLOR="Navy"]"Mikey?"[/COLOR] I said nothing. Monton sighed a bit and shifted in his chair, but didn't seem too upset by the thought of Murderous Mikey causing trouble elsewhere. [COLOR="Navy"]"What do you think the problem spots in the roster are?"[/COLOR] I paused, trying to put the thoughts in my head into words. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Well, for starters, the main event scene is a bit lopsided. We have two franchise babyfaces, but nobody really worthy of going against them, especially where Morgan is concerned. Aside from Brady, there's nobody in the top of the card for heels that I can see putting on any kind of watchable match. Biff fares a bit better as far as opponents that suit his style, but not by much."[/COLOR] It was a mouthful, but I think I managed it out in fairly coherently. Ed thought it over a bit, nodding to himself a bit. [COLOR="Navy"]"Any ideas?"[/COLOR] [COLOR="Sienna"]"Well the big choice is going to be whether we want Morgan or Biff as the face of the company. I'm afraid there's only room for one of them, unless we turn one of them. I've got plans for either way you want to go, but they'll most likely involve bringing in more outside talent."[/COLOR] I don't think that Ed was too keen on the idea of more lines on his checkbook, but luckily we had been turning quite a decent profit lately with the new sponsors I had brought it. [COLOR="Navy"]"Well, Ram, we'll work on it. Just make sure whichever one you turn, it's a slow burn. It's gonna take a bit to make the crowd turn on either one of them."[/COLOR] We ended it on that, thankfully, before he inquired any further into which CGC star I was looking to bring in. * [CENTER][B]ACPW Classic Wrestling[/B] Chris Flynn vs. White Angel Raphael and Valentine vs. Thunder & Lightning David Acid vs. Mammoth Rockin' Ryan Turner vs. K-Squared Nomad vs. Bob Casey Alan Parent vs. Stan "The Man" Manna Cal Sanders vs. Warren Technique Biff the Bruiser and Thomas Morgan vs. Ted Brady and Murderous Mikey[/CENTER] [I]Predictions welcome, card should be up sometime tomorrow night, provided I get out of work at a decent hour.[/I]

[Midnightnick]

Chris Flynn vs. [B]White Angel[/B] [I]More losses for Flynn[/I] Raphael and Valentine vs. [B]Thunder & Lightning[/B] [I]They have a name.[/I] [B]David Acid[/B] vs. Mammoth [I]Major upset.[/I] Rockin' Ryan Turner vs. [B]K-Squared[/B] [I]No reason.[/I] [B]Nomad [/B]vs. Bob Casey [I]Casey jobs to all[/I] Alan Parent vs. [B]Stan "The Man" Manna[/B] [I]He's the man afterall[/I] Cal Sanders vs. [B]Warren Technique[/B] [I] I just enjoy him more[/I] Biff the Bruiser and Thomas Morgan vs.[B] Ted Brady and Murderous Mikey[/B] [I]Brady's pure talent.[/I]

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[I]Better late than never :D[/I] [CENTER][B]ACPW Classic Wrestling Saturday, March 18th 2008[/B][/CENTER] [B]White Angel vs. Chris Flynn[/B] This one was more or less an extended squash, with Flynn getting in small flashes of offense against Angel's onslaught. The mysterious one got the win with a Dragon Sleeper for the submission victory. [B]Winner:[/B] White Angel (E+) * Backstage, Jason Thunder and Lightning Lomas are seen getting ready for their match, when Raphael and Valentine burst into the room unannounced. Lomas and Thunder spring to their feet, staring down the ravishing pair. Raphael held his hands up in a surprising act of peace, although it might have had something to do with two eager to pounce lads before him. Raphael spoke to the pair. [COLOR="YellowGreen"]""My boys, please don't bring this to violence. I come here not as a foe, but as a friend. My associate Valentine and I are not prone to violence, I assure you. We are lovers, and not fighters. However, we are being forced to compete in a match against you both here tonight. Valentine and I have both agreed that it would be for the best if you boys just lie down tonight, so there won't be the need for any violence."[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]"Not a chance. The only way we'll end up laying down for you clowns is if we're dead."[/COLOR] Lomas laughed, before Raphael got in close. [COLOR="YellowGreen"]"That can be arranged, young sir. Valentine and I are not prone to violence, but we also do not shy from it. You have made your choice it seems, let us hope that you can wake up tomorrow not regretting it."[/COLOR] With that, Raphael turned on his heels, with Valentine smirking at Thunder & Lightning before following. * [B]Thunder & Lightning vs. Raphael and Valentine[/B] This one wasn't too bad, considering that Thunder & Lightning are so inexperienced, and this is Raphael and Valentine's first pairing. Still, a good contest, with Raphael in particular looking good, and I have a feeling that he has a good future in ACPW, provided he sticks around for a while. The heels get the win after Raphael hit Lomas with The Masterpiece, a fisherman's buster into a cradle. [B]Winner:[/B] Raphael and Valentine (E) * [B]Mammoth vs. David Acid[/B] Come and take your lumps, David. While a star in the making, he still has to pay his dues, and one of those dues is trying to drag a watchable match out of Mammoth. To be fair, it was a valiant effort, with Acid's heavy strike-based offense rocking Mammoth a bit, but inexperience told as Acid started his natural progression to trying to suplex the giant Canadian, and nearly threw his back out. After a few minutes of lumbar assault, Mammoth sealed the deal with a 460lb Splash. [B]Winner:[/B] Mammoth (E+) * Following the match, a winded Mammoth stood celebrating his victory in the ring, before being greeted by Biff the Bruiser standing at the top of the entrance ramp. [COLOR="Red"]"Mammoth, you giant waste of space - you may have thought that you had put me out with your attack last month, but as you can see, I'm still standing here. Now, what you [I]have[/I] successfully done is make you my mission from here on out. That's right big man - I will not rest until I rid ACPW of your ugly mug. In fact, I think I'll start with the removal process right now."[/COLOR] To the delight of the fans, Biff began to stalk towards the ring, but Mammoth managed to clumsily make himself scarce in the ring, leaving the fans in attendance awaiting the eventual showdown between these two. * [B]K-Squared vs. Rockin' Ryan Turner[/B] A simple matter of making the numbers, this one put Turner in the odd singles bout against K-Squared, who I'm still feeling out at the moment. Still, the similar styles of the two men made this one surprisingly good, with lots of high flying action throughout. Turner looked to have things under control late in the bout before catching nothing but mat on an attempt at a guillotine legdrop, and K-Squared was able to seize the opportunity and quickly put things away with a flying neckbreaker, much to the chagrin of Turner's manager Persephone. [B]Winner:[/B] K-Squared * [B]Bob Casey vs. Nomad[/B] Not a bad match, with Casey gladly doing the job yet again to an up and coming talent. I have something in mind for Nomad, but I don't quite know what it is yet. Nonetheless, I'm doing my best to keep him in the fold in the meantime, and he got the win here with a Drift Shift. [B]Winner:[/B] Nomad * [B]Stan "The Man" Manna vs. Alan Parent[/B] Yikes. The other half of the Rock City Stars didn't pump out quite the performance that Turner did. Parent showed more of his Japanese-influenced offense, at one point hitting a beautifully bridged dragon suplex for a near fall, but Manna proved to be far more resilient than many would have thought, and was able to weather the storm and finish Parent off with a Rockin' Roller. [B]Winner:[/B] Stan "The Man" Manna (E-) * Ted Brady is shown backstage, sitting on a bench preparing for his upcoming match, and takes the time to address Cal Sanders. [COLOR="DarkRed"]"Sanders, I hope you learned your lesson last month. You may be good, son, but you've got a long way to go still. But now you've learned your first lesson: respect those that came before you, those that paved the way for kids like you to make it in this business. It's just the first of many lessons that you'll be learning here. No worries, though, because I'll be the teacher that the eager young student needs. School's in session, Cal. I hope you've done your homework."[/COLOR] * [B]Cal Sanders vs. Warren Technique[/B] This one was (not surprisingly) the match of the night, with Technique and Sanders representing possibly the two best of the younger stars. This one was a tremendous bout of technical wrestling, with both men trading counters for the better part of a quarter hour. The edge was the speed advantage of Sanders, who was able to take to the air and catch Technique off guard with a springboard flying clothesline that nearly took Technique out of his boots. From there, all it took was a Skookum Death Lock for the submission victory. [B]Winner:[/B] Cal Sanders (D) * As Sanders made his way back up the ramp, he was caught by Brady, who was making his way down for his tag match. Sanders froze, staring down Brady, who just laughed lightly to himself. Brady reached out to put a hand on Sanders' shoulder, but the young lumberjack pulled away sharply. Brady laughed again, and just began clapping as Sanders walked by him, looking somewhat downtrodden. * [B]Biff the Bruiser and Thomas Morgan vs. Murderous Mikey and Ted Brady[/B] An easy enough booking job - put the company's two top faces against the (sadly) two top heels. Despite Mikey's involvement in the match, this one was shockingly quite good, as Brady continues to prove himself as quite the ring general. Both sides matched up fairly evenly, with Biff and Mikey trading hammers and Morgan and Brady matching up with sweet science. Mikey was able to gain the upper hand on Biff, although he didn't do it alone - Mammoth made his way ringside during the contest, and Biff turned his attention towards the giant Mammoth, allowing Mikey to hit Biff from behind with a clothesline that sent Biff tumbling to the outside. His victory was short lived, though, as he turned around to find a dropkick across the jaw that sent him tumbling out as well. Brady tried the hat trick on Morgan, but Morgan saw it coming and was able to dodge Brady's dropkick attempt and wrap Brady up with an STF for the submission. [B]Winner:[/B] Biff the Bruiser and Thomas Morgan (D-) * [B]Overall Rating:[/B] D-

[hrdcoresidebrns]

I was sitting my office quietly working on next month's show, when Ed Monton burst into my office, trying in vain to contain his laughter. Morale had been high since last month's show, which saw our attendance more than double over our usual numbers, putting us well over a hundred fans. Still, I had that this gigglefest had less to do with our booming business than the fax that Monton held in his hands. [COLOR="Navy"]"Hey Ram, get a load of this - it looks like word of your booking has reached the far East."[/COLOR] He tossed the paper across the desk, and I took a look. Turns out that it was addressed to me, and from the desk of Eisaku Hoshino. [COLOR="Sienna"]"What is this? A booking offer?"[/COLOR] Ed chuckled and nodded. [COLOR="Navy"]"Seems that when old man Jimbo retired from running PGHW, he worked out a deal that put Hoshino in charge. Hoshino immediately kicked Tatsuko's *** out of the driver's seat, and he's been putting out feelers all over the world for a new head booker. Seems that you're on his list, kiddo."[/COLOR] I couldn't help but laugh a little bit myself, thinking about running Pride Glory Honor Wrestling, one of the largest and most prestigious companies in all of the world. I began to fantasize about a year long feud between PRIDE Koiso and Yoshimi Mushashibo, about turning Masaru Ugaki into a star, being heralded as the king of pure wrestling... Ed, still laughing, cleared his throat to bring me out of my fog. [COLOR="Navy"]"Should I be worried? Am I going to have to call Jetson back in here so you can drool over running this year's Elite Series?"[/COLOR] I shook my head, embarrassed by being caught in a daydream in front of my boss. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Of course not. Why would I need Bryan Vessey and Eisaku Kunomasu when I have Nomad and Valentine?"[/COLOR] Monton burst out full out laughing now, his face turning bright red as he slapped his thigh. [COLOR="Navy"]"****ing A, Ram. You're gonna kill me one of these days."[/COLOR] I shook my head as Monton left my office, dreaming about booking a Hoshino vs. Tatsuko and Monton being such a potty mouth. * [CENTER][B]ACPW Live From Saskatchewan[/B] Valentine vs. Lightning Lomas ACPW Tag Team Title Match: The Rock City Stars (c) vs. The Traditionalists (Chris Flynn and Warren Technique) Bob Casey vs. Raphael Alan Parent vs. Jason Thunder K-Squared vs. David Acid Nomad vs. White Angel ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. Murderous Mikey Biff the Bruiser and Cal Sanders vs. Mammoth and Ted Brady[/CENTER]

[hrdcoresidebrns]

[CENTER][B]ACPW Live From Saskatchewan Saturday, April 21st 2008[/B][/CENTER] [B]Valentine vs. Lightning Lomas[/B] A decent opener, considering who was involved. Neither one of these guys can really carry a match on their own quite yet, but this one was at least watchable. Valentine showed some improving technical skills in this one, and got the win with a Heartbreaker. [B]Winner:[/B] Valentine (E) * [B]ACPW Tag Team Title Match: The Rock City Stars (c) vs. The Traditionalists[/B] This one was somewhat disappointing, as I expected a better match due to Technique's involvement, but his being upset about doing the job in this one may have taken some of his enthusiasm out of it and hurt the rating. Still, it wasn't a total loss, as all three of the others in the match experienced growth of some kind in the contest. The Rock City Stars retained when Manna hit a Rockin' Roller on Flynn. [B]Winner:[/B] The Rock City Stars (E) * Backstage, Ted Brady is seen watching a video of Cal Sander's match last month against Warren Technique. He seems mildly amused, chuckling to himself before addressing the camera. [COLOR="DarkRed"]"Sanders, I have to hand it to you - you catch on quick. You've shown yourself to be a worthy pupil, even if you're a bit rough around the edges. But that's why I'm here, Cal. To help you along, to teach you the way of things. I know that you're not too keen on my techniques, Sanders, but I know you're going to enjoy the results. You've learned your first lesson well, and I know you'll be even better after I give you another little lesson in our match tonight. Assuming you make it out in one piece, that is. See you ringside, sport."[/COLOR] * [B]Bob Casey vs. Raphael[/B] Now this is more like it. Leave it to Casey to bust out a good match. Raphael seems to be quite the good signing as well, as his skills seem to be a notch above nearly everybody else on the good side of 30. Both men traded counters back and forth in a fairly even contest, with Raphael's inexperience almost costing him the win on a couple of occasions. Luckily for him, he was able to regain his composure and seal the victory with a Raphael's Masterpiece for the pinfall. [B]Winner:[/B] Raphael (D-) * [B]Alan Parent vs. Jason Thunder[/B] Yikes. This one may have been a misjudge on my part, and coming after such a good match certainly didn't help it any. Both men struggled with psychology issues, and this one had the tendency to get somewhat choppy in spots. Parent got the submission with a Parental Lock. [B]Winner:[/B] Alan Parent (E-) * [B]K-Squared vs. David Acid[/B] Unsurprisingly, this one was quite good. K^2 can produce good matches against the right opponents, and Acid is easily the most talented wrestler on the roster. An interesting mix of styles in this one, with Squared being more of a high flier and Acid showing more of Japanese puro style to his work, but the clash saw both men gain a little bit of experience in the style of the other. After a hot exchange in the later moments of the match, Squared was able to flip out of a released German suplex attempt, and caught Acid with a bulldog that kept the youngster down just long enough to fall victim to a springboard legdrop for the pinfall. [B]Winner:[/B] K-Squared * White Angel is seen standing in the ring, before Nomad's music hits, causing Angel to look somewhat confused, despite wearing a mask. Nomad addressed the masked man from the entrance ramp. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"You know something, Angel? I admire you. I really do. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that I envy you a bit. Not because I envy your talent, or I want one of those wonderful masks, but because you're such an idealist. You came here to ACPW, and you've fought with nothing but honor, dignity, and respect. AND YOU'RE A FOOL! Honor has no place in wrestling, Angel! There are no prizes for adhering closest to the rules, for treating your opponent curteously. As a wise man once said, the ends justify the means, and tonight, Angel, I'm going to show you how far fighting with "honor" will get you here!" [/COLOR] * [B]Nomad vs. White Angel[/B] A good match between two of our younger talents, albeit two with almost nothing in the way of storyline momentum. Still, with performances this consistently good (considering our size), they'll both definitely have spots on the roster until they start hitting us up for money. Nomad showed a bit more of a mean streak in this one, taking the fight to the outside and sending Angel crashing through the guard rail at one point with a Russian leg sweep. In the end, it seemed as though the unorthodox style of Nomad was too much for Angel, as the masked one fell victim to a Drift Shift just after the ten minute mark. [B]Winner:[/B] Nomad * [B]ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. Murderous Mikey[/B] Mikey may not be a horrible talent, but he's shown that he's not main event material. This one was you standard technical wizard vs. reckless brawler, and Morgan held the upper hand through most of the early stages by simply out wrestling Mikey. Still, Mikey managed to turn the tides by catching Morgan off guard with a heavy clothesline that nearly took the champ's head off, and stayed fairly strong on the attack. Morgan managed to get a second wind as Mikey had lost his, and was able to catch Mikey in an STF for the submission, although to be honest he might've been able to wait another minute or two for Mikey to pass out from sheer exhaustion. [B]Winner:[/B] Thomas Morgan (E+) * [B]Biff the Bruiser and Cal Sanders vs. Mammoth and Ted Brady[/B] For being the main cause of the substandard show (being that two tag matches caused a bunch of inexperienced and/or under conditioned workers having to wrestle much longer than they should have), this one should have been better. This one played more as simultaneous singles matches than a real tag bout, with neither team showing particularly good chemistry working together. The match started with Brady and Mammoth arguing over who would start the contest, as Mammoth seemed uncharacteristically nervous to go in against Biff, and in truth only seemed eager to tag in when Brady had the upper hand, and tagged out repeatedly when Biff entered the fray, leaving Brady to carry most of the workload. Still, Brady seemed to set the tempo in this one, and really shone as he mixed things up with both Biff and Sanders. Sanders seemed to be wrestling with a new fire, taking the fight to both the giant Mammoth and Brady when his "teacher" was in against him. The end came when, despite taking a beating at the hands of Mammoth, Sanders was able to make the hot tag to Biff. Mammoth panicked, and turned to tag to Brady, who had stepped down off the apron, clearly tired of Mammoth's cowardice. After sizing Mammoth up as he hurled insults towards Brady, Biff drove the big man down with a Lariat Clothesline for the victory. [B]Winner:[/B] Biff the Bruiser and Cal Sanders (E) * [B]Overall Rating: E+[/B]

[hrdcoresidebrns]

I was sitting in my office, going over the booking notes from the last show, when I was interrupted by a knock on my office door. I expected Monton to be there, dressing me down for the lackluster performance of the last show. Instead, I was greeted by the sight of Thomas Morgan, dressed casually in a red flannel shirt with some uncharacteristic stubble. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Ram, can I talk to you for a minute?"[/COLOR] I nodded and motioned for Morgan to take a seat at my desk. He seemed nervous, shifting in his seat slightly, so I took the opportunity to calm the man a bit. [COLOR="Sienna"]"You can say anything you want, Thom. I keep an open door policy here. Just say what's on your mind."[/COLOR] Morgan seemed to lighten up a bit, but he still seemed slightly apprehensive as he began to speak. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Thanks, boss."[/COLOR] I chuckled a bit at the thought of Morgan referring to me as his "boss", which drew a slight smile from the champ. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"I'm not one for complaining, but I have some doubts about your booking of me."[/COLOR] I nodded. [COLOR="Sienna"]"How so?"[/COLOR] Thomas avoided my gaze a bit as he continued. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Well, Ram, to be honest, I feel like I'm kind of being lost in the shuffle. I mean, I'm champ and all, but I don't get the feeling that I'm getting the opportunity to do much."[/COLOR] It was a valid concern - Morgan was our heavyweight champ, but he was the only one in the upper reaches of the card without a major feud. He simply went out and wrestled, which he did well, but that was all. [COLOR="Sienna"]"I know what you're saying, Thom. I haven't quite figured out an angle for you yet, and I'm putting off turning you. It'd give you more to do, but it would force me to make Biff the face of the company, and I think you have some go in you."[/COLOR] Thomas looked down at the desk as he nodded, understanding my position. He was a real class act, and it made me feel terrible that he was upset with how I'd been handling his reign. I continued trying to allay his fears. [COLOR="Sienna"]"The problem with the main event right now is that there's nobody that really wrestles your style. In fact, we're incredibly poor on technicians right now, at least those on your level. I've been thinking about bringing one in, but it's gonna be a hard sell..."[/COLOR] Thomas nodded again, and I knew that he read the words "Deeley" from the front of my brain. It would be an incredible feud, if I could ever convince Monton to bring in the man that ended his career. Still, it wasn't fair to Morgan that we had so much dead weight in the main event. Luckily, Morgan had an answer for our problem. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"What about Warren?"[/COLOR] I stopped, unsure on how to respond. Warren Technique was, quite simply, one of our top mat technicians, and easily one of the most consistent workers. The only problem, of course, is that he'd been taking his share of losses lately helping train up the midcard, so it was a question of momentum. Still, I had a heart, and if Morgan wanted to fight Technique, then I could live with that. [COLOR="Sienna"]"Fair enough, Thom. You'll have Warren this month. Don't let me down."[/COLOR] Morgan lit up like a fireworks display, and I knew they'd have a classic right there. [COLOR="DarkGreen"]"Thanks boss. You won't be disappointed."[/COLOR] [CENTER][B]ACPW Best in the North[/B] ACPW Tag Title Match: The Rock City Stars (c) vs. Works of Art Mammoth vs. Bob Casey Alan Parent vs. David Acid Murderous Mikey vs. Cal Sanders Biff the Bruiser vs. Nomad Ted Brady vs. White Angel ACPW Heavyweight Title Match: Thomas Morgan (c) vs. Warren Technique[/CENTER]