MAW: The Path Towards Greatness

[benjacko]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/bj_stfc/MAW-1.jpg

 

I parked up, took the key out of the ignition and opened the car door. As I stepped out of the car and stood looking at the MAW training center, I took a minute to take in a deep breath. It had been a while since I had thought about wrestling since the accident happened and all my troubles had started.

 

If it hadn't been for Rip's generosity and help, I doubt I'd be alive today, let alone set to take on a job with Mid Atlantic Wrestling again.

 

I entered the training center and was met by a couple of young bleached blonde males who I couldn't remember the names of but then my memory is very blurry over the past couple of years. They both said hello and pointed me in the direction of Rip's office.

 

I knocked on the office door and a familiar bellow said "COME IN!". I entered the office and Rip stood up and we shook hands as he asked me to sit down.

 

“Good to see you looking so good Christian, looks like rehab went well” said a smiling Rip. “They had a great bar next to it when I had my stint there”.

 

“I didn't notice that” I replied, although I thought to myself that Rip had missed the point of rehab but then he was one of those people that couldn't function without a couple of beers. “I'd just like to say that I'm extremely grateful for you sponsoring my rehab and also for this chance to get back into the business”.

 

“Sure thing youngster, I still feel partially responsible for what happened in that match where you got dropped on your head...” said Rip apologetically.

 

“Rip, you were the one that dropped me on my head!” came my swift reply as I struggled to hold in my anger.

 

“Was it? my memory must be going in my old age...” was the response from Rip, as he looked to be in pain as he tried to recall what happened. “Anyway, let's get down to business and talk about the plans for the Rip Chord Invitational show. You had any thoughts on it?”.

 

I had expected Rip to have some names but writing wasn't a strong point of his and remembering names was out of the question with his memory problems being worse than mine somehow, which considering i'd been dropped on my head and having both drink and drug problems was some accomplishment. Saying that, Rip's mind for the wrestling business was still as sharp as ever as I'd been reading up on the great past show results and virtually all positive reviews whilst recovering in rehab.

 

“I've worked out the people we'll use in the tournament which will not include Erik and Jean as they'll close out the night with a MAW Championship match main event”.

 

Rip looked a bit surprised at me leaving Erik and Jean out of the Invitational tournament as he replied “You sure about this? They're our two best wrestlers and it has the potential to destroy the tournament...”.

 

“I'm sure it'll work Rip, I've sounded out a couple of wrestlers to bring in to take their places and if they do well, we can look at bringing them in permanently if that's ok?" I said with a confident look on my face, although inside I was crossing everything that it'd work.

 

“I'm not happy about it but just remember, if it goes wrong it's all on you so let's hope it works out” said Rip, looking like he needed a drink at that point.

 

“No problem, I'll just have to make sure it doesn't go wrong” I replied back but Rip couldn't have missed the slight nervous stammer in my voice.

 

“Sounds good to me, kid, show me the finished line-up when it's done and then we'll run through planning out the show”.

 

I nodded as I stood up and shook Rip's hand again before leaving his office.

 

This is my big chance but will I hold together long enough to not screw things up?...

[benjacko]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/bj_stfc/MAW-1.jpg

 

I spent most of the afternoon sat with Jay Fair, working out the Rip Chord Invitational Tournament and also planning out the Main Event between Erik and Jean for the MAW Championship.

 

Rip's office door opened and his head appeared around the door frame “Christian, bring the show plans in here so I can look them over”.

 

“Sure thing” I replied as I looked nervously at Jay, picked up the run sheets and walked into Rip's office. I handed him the run sheets and sat down.

 

Rip looked them over, nodding when he liked something and slightly growling when he saw something he didn't.

 

“You sure about the outcome of the tournament? I like the brackets but not sure about the winner. I do like the main event though, keeping it nice and simple” Rip remarked.

 

Nice and simple? That took me all afternoon to work out I painfully thought to myself.

 

“Thanks Rip and you'll have to trust me on the Invitational tournament, it'll help to build a storyline off the outcome hopefully”.

 

“You'll be the death of me, Navarro. I'm willing to go with it as you need to prove yourself to me and it'll be the ideal way to show if you're any good or not. That's not to say i'm comfortable with it though”.

 

“You don't need to worry Rip, i'm sure that'll it'll work out fine for everyone” was my strong reply back but Rip was on the money, this could be the shortest head booker tenure in wrestling history if it didn't go right.

 

I was about to stand up when Rip said that he had some more business to talk about “I think we need to set some ground rules for how I want the company run”.

 

I took in a deep intake of breath as Rip was notoriously a tough boss to work for so this could be interesting.

 

“We've got $100,000 in the bank so I'd like that be doubled in two years time. I also want you to stop MAW from dropping below the 31st biggest promotion in the world”.

 

“That sounds reasonable...”.

 

Rip cut me off mid-sentence “I'm not finished yet, kid. As far as the roster goes, I want you to book Antonio and Casey as strong performers and to keep their momentum up as high as possible. Finally, I don't want you bringing in or re-signing anyone that's not got reasonable stamina and charisma”.

 

I nodded in agreement as I replied “I'm comfortable with all those goals but wanted to impose another rule if it's ok by you? I want to put a limit of 30 years old on active wrestlers as your vision is to be a breeding ground for the next generation of wrestling stars”.

 

That made Rip sit up his chair “I'm not sure that'll sit well with Jean as he loves working for us and with him being 29. I'd still have the final say if someone is over 30 years old about keeping them on but otherwise, the rule sits well with how I envision MAW”.

 

“You're the boss Rip but I feel it'll help establish us as the premier breeding ground for up and coming wrestlers in the business”.

 

I was feeling confident now so decided to push my luck as there was one more thing I wanted Rip to agree to.

 

“One more thing, I feel a slight adjustment to our product would give us that bit extra. Toning down the realism and going more mainstream...”.

 

Rip's mouth gaped open before he replied “Change our product? Are you crazy? We've been this way for a few years and it's done us no harm at all...”.

 

“Rip, we need to move with the times and it's only a small change. It's worth a try for a couple of months at least, if it goes wrong then it's my neck on the line”.

 

The vein on Rip's neck started bulging and he looked like he was either going to have a heart attack or he was about to jump the desk and knock me out.

 

“If I didn't feel I owed you something Kid, there's no way I'd be this flexible. You just better know what you're doing otherwise there'll be no Mid Atlantic Wrestling for much longer”.

 

I felt I was fighting a losing battle as even though Rip agreed to the changes, I couldn't help feeling he was only doing so through guilt over what happened in that career ending match.

 

“Don't worry, I've got everything under control” I reassured Rip as I stood up and walked out of his office.

 

Everything under control? If this didn't work, it'd be the end of my chance of redemption in the wrestling business.

[benjacko]

MAW The Rip Chord Invitational

Friday, Week 4

Stanley Hall (Mid Atlantic, USA)

 

Rip Chord Invitational Tournament

Antonio Veccio vs. The Masked Patriot

Cameron Vessey vs. Oscar Golden

Citizen X vs. Max Mayhem

Ricky Douglas vs. Roderick Remus

 

Mid Atlantic Championship

Erik Strong © vs. Mean Jean Cattley

[benjacko]

MAW The Rip Chord Invitationall

Friday, Week 4, January 2008

Stanley Hall (Mid Atlantic, USA)

Attendance: 220

 

Quarter Final #1

A good match to open the Invitational Tournament as Antonio Veccio came up against The Masked Patriot. Their excellent chemistry was evident as the match went back and forth until Masked Patriot went for the Inverted Piledriver which Veccio reversed into the Italian DDT for the pinfall to advance.

Antonio Veccio defeated The Masked Patriot in 10:13 by pinfall with an Italian DDT.

Rated D-

 

 

Oscar Golden is getting ready backstage for his match when Cameron Vessey and Casey Valentine jump him and start unloading with punches and kicks. Valentine and Vessey look like doing a number on Golden until Flash Savage comes running over to even up the odds and send them packing.

Rating F+

 

 

Quarter Final #2

Despite being a bit banged up after the attack, Oscar Golden was more than willing to try to gain some revenge facing Cameron Vessey. Vessey dominated most of the match until Golden got on a roll and with the aid of the distraction by Flash Savage, hit the Golden Shower for the three count.

Oscar Golden defeated Cameron Vessey in 10:16 by pinfall with a Golden Shower.

Rating E+

 

 

Quarter Final #3

Max Mayhem put up a brave fight but Citizen X barely broke a sweat as he swept Mayhem aside, picking up the victory with the Flaming Anarchy.

Citizen X defeated Max Mayhem in 5:35 by pinfall with a Flaming Anarchy.

Rating E+

 

 

Quarter Final #4

With his brother Remmington doing a great job of putting over him over on commentary, Roderick Remus had a tough debut match in MAW going up against Ricky Douglas. Douglas didn't give an inch as he looked determined to put Remus in his place but his overconfidence got the better of him as Remus locked on the Remus Clutch to make Douglas tap out for the submission.

Roderick Remus defeated Ricky Douglas in 9:48 by submission with a Remus Clutch.

Rating D-

 

 

Semi Final #1

The attack and match earlier in the night looked to have caught up with Oscar Golden as Citizen X took full advantage, hitting several big spots including a missile dropkick straight to the jaw. Golden tried to fight back but Citizen X hit the Flaming Anarchy to seal his place in the final.

Citizen X defeated Oscar Golden in 11:51 by pinfall with a Flaming Anarchy.

Rating D

 

 

Semi Final #2

Taking confidence from his debut victory, Roderick Remus was a whirlwind for the opening minutes of the match as Antonio Veccio tried in vain to gain some foothold into the match. That was until Remus went to the well once too often trying to hit a spectacular high risk move from the top which Veccio immediately pounced on. Veccio looked to set up for the Italian DDT but Remus suddenly rolled him up and got the three count and pinfall.

Roderick Remus defeated Antonio Veccio in 11:59 by pinfall with a quick roll-up.

Rating D

 

 

Erik Strong is stood backstage with the Mid Atlantic Championship across his shoulder.

 

"Tonight I defend my title against The Machine Mean Jean Cattley. I've been hearing that you think this is a walk in the park Cattley. I've heard that from many people in my career so far but I've always risen to the challenge and emerged victorious. I will show Cattley and everyone else in this locker room that I deserve to have this title around my waist!".

Rating D

 

 

Rip Chord Invitational Tournament Final

Struggling to hit the heights you might expect from them, Citizen X and Roderick Remus fought out a open match with both men getting their fair share of offense. Remus nearly made Citizen X tap out as he locked in the Remus Clutch but Citizen X somehow made it to the ropes. While the referee argued with Remus about not releasing the hold, Citizen X pulled some brass knuckles out of his trunks. Remus went to pick up Citizen X, only to get nailed in the face and slumped to the mat. As the referee checked on Remus, Citizen X quickly returned the brass knuckles to his trunks, picked up Remus and hit the X-Wave to win the Rip Chord Invitational Trophy.

Citizen X defeated Roderick Remus in 14:04 by pinfall with a X-Wave.

Rating D-

 

 

Rip Chord comes down to the ring, carrying the Rip Chord Invitational Tournament trophy. Chord congratulates Citizen X on his victory and presents him with the trophy. Citizen X goes completely over the top with his celebrations until he spots Roderick Remus being helped up by the referee.

 

Citizen X grabs hold of the trophy and smacks Remus over the head, smashing it into pieces. Citizen X stands over Remus with his arms held high, flashing an evil smile.

Rating E

 

 

Remmington Remus is stood in the middle of the ring as he makes the introductions for the main event Mid Atlantic Championship match.

 

"Introducing the challenger...The Machine Mean Jean Cattley!!!" which prompts the fans to boo extremely loudly which Cattley doesn't appreciate.

 

"Introducing the reigning Mid Atlantic champion... The Shooting Star Erik Strong!!!" Strong climbs the turnbuckle and holds his title high in the air as the fans show their love for him.

Rating E

 

 

Mid Atlantic Championship

Erik Strong looked to be on a mission to prove himself as he almost took Jean Cattley by surprise by going move for move with him. Cattley took control eventually as he used every trick in his playbook to gain the advantage in the match. Cattley hit the Mood Swing and covered Strong, only for Strong to kick out at the last possible moment. Cattley couldn't believe it which made him lose his focus as he nonchalantely picked up Strong for another Mood Swing but Strong reversed it into a Twist Of Fate. Strong climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the Strong Sault to retain the title.

Erik Strong defeated Mean Jean Cattley in 18:17 by pinfall with a Strong Sault.

Rating D-

 

 

Overall Show Rating D-

 

 

The main event seemed to lack something suprisingly which didn't sit well with Rip, who was in a foul mood afterwards. Erik and Jean were happy enough but they did agree they could definitely step things up next time.

 

Roderick Remus put in some great performances in the Invitational but the tournament final against Citizen X just didn't seem to get the fans going.

 

The face turns for Flash Savage and Oscar Golden went over well as the fans seemed to get behind Golden in both of his matches.

 

We made a profit of around $12,500 for the month which made Rip a very happy man.

 

Incoming

 

Agent 69 - Extremely talented in the ring despite her young age, Agent 69 will be going by her real name Zoe Ammis in MAW. It remains to be seen if she will be overwhelmed or flourish fighting the men. Rip remains to be convinced about this move but I wouldn't use her if I didn't think she could cope.

 

Jemma Griffiths - A very promising manager, Jemma has the looks and skills on the microphone to make her a viable rival to Kristen Pearce.

 

Remmington Remus - Having had to retire from active wrestling like myself, I can easily identify with Remmington but the main reason he was brought in is that he's got huge potential as an announcer so he'll fit perfectly with us in MAW.

 

Roderick Remus - Both Rip and I were impressed with Roderick's first matches in MAW which lead to us offering him a long term deal which he was more than happy to sign.

 

Velocidad - An exciting high flying luchador from Mexico, Velocidad has the potential to be a big fan favourite in MAW.

 

Departing

 

Marv Earnest - Having brought in Remmington Remus, there was only room for one announcer so Marv had to make way. This didn't sit well with Rip who felt some sense of loyalty to him but reluctantly agreed due to lesser costs, having the upside of youth and the room for improvement by using Remmington.