4C: The Origins of the Underground (C-Verse '97)

FINisher · July 14, 2009

Keita Fukao vs. Brad Kelley

Daniel Gallant vs. Prince Jafar

Lefty Jensen vs. The Natural

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Tayler Morton & ?????

Andy Otto vs. The Toronto Terror

Frank Tucker vs. Joel Kovach

Phantom Stranger · July 14, 2009

Keita Fukao vs. Brad Kelley

Daniel Gallant vs. Prince Jafar

Lefty Jensen vs. The Natural

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Tayler Morton & ?????

Andy Otto vs. The Toronto Terror

Frank Tucker vs. Joel Kovach

The Celt · July 15, 2009

Keita Fukao vs. Brad Kelley

Daniel Gallant vs. Prince Jafar

Lefty Jensen vs. The Natural

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Tayler Morton & ?????

Andy Otto vs. The Toronto Terror

Frank Tucker vs. Joel Kovach

foolinc · July 15, 2009

Keita Fukao vs. Brad Kelley

Daniel Gallant vs. Prince Jafar

Lefty Jensen vs. The Natural

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Tayler Morton & ?????

Andy Otto vs. The Toronto Terror

Frank Tucker vs. Joel Kovach

arwink · July 15, 2009

<div style="text-align:center;">4C Presents…X-Factor Taped at Windsor Hall Arena, Windsor, in front of 49 people</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">FRANK TUCKER vs. JOEL KOVACH http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobinDaLay.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">Result: Joel Kovach defeated Frank Tucker in 9:44 by submission with a Kovach Kripper</div> Notes: Frank Tucker has charisma and a goofy gimmick, but not much in terms of ring ability. The fact that Kovach turns in such a entertaining match with him says volumes about why Kovach’s is a future superstar. The big lesson here lies in just how fast Kovach can move – he basically kips up to a standing position and sprints across the ring in the time it takes Tucker to climb the turnbuckles, surprising Tucker with a running leap to the top rope and a superplex to the floor. That ends badly for Frank, as everyone expects it too, and seconds later Kovach’s locks in the Krippler while my stomach does little happy dances of joy at the way the crowd responds. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: D-</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg</div> Kovach’s demands a microphone and cuts a short, easy promo at ringside. “It appears that I’m suffering from the Kovach’s Curse again,” he says, “I make no secret that I come from money, that my family’s wealth gave me the time and resources I need to devote myself to this sport and become the athlete I am today. And for years it cost me chances to wrestle because people thought I was just a dilettante, a rich kid having some laughs. Then I went to Japan and fought some of the best in the world. I proved to everyone that I’ve got the drive, the commitment, and the desire to be a champion. “And yet the curse remains. Every time I debut I’m asked to prove myself, to face men who simply cannot challenge me. I take no pleasure in crushing a man like Frank Tucker, it’s simply what needs to be done in order to get where I’m going. I know I’m better than him. He knows I’m better than him. Hell, even you people know I’m better than him. But once again I pay my dues; I embarrass men who don’t deserve it simply because my family has money. He is a child with ambition, but I am a phenomenon. “Brad Kelley, you’ve got what I want, the 4C championship. And when I’ve finally proved myself to the officials who run this promotion I guarantee you and I will be facing off. And when that happens I make you this promise – You. Will. Tap. Out.” The big man dumps the microphone and stalks off in disgust, not even acknowledging the jeers of the crowd. <div style="text-align:center;">Angle: Kovach’s Threatens the Company. Rating: E</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">ANDY OTTO vs. THE TORONTO TERROR</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/AndyOtto.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">The Toronto Terror defeated Andy Otto in 7:20 by pinfall with a Running Big Boot.</div> Notes: This is an ugly, ugly match that struggles to rise above the level of a basic slugfest. I gave the boys pretty simple marching orders for this match, which basically existed purely for the commentary team to talk about Terror’s assault on Babylon and the masked kid’s absence from the show to sell his injuries from the last show. Terror worked Andy Otto’s head for much of the match, battering him senseless, before setting Otto up in the ring-ropes and smashing him in the face with a big boot identical to the kick that bust Babylon open at the last show. Unfortunately Otto has none of the crowd support that Babylon does and doesn’t yet know how to sell the assault well enough to buy any love from the fans, so it all comes off a little flat. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: F+</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg</div> The match may be over, but Terror isn’t done. He rolls out of the ring and demands a chair, intimidating the audience into giving him one. Then he’s back in the ring and beating down his prone victim, striking Otto three times before wedging Andy’s skull between the chair and building up a head of steam using the ring-ropes before hitting a big leg-drop on the chair that splits Andy’s head open. The crowd responds to the colour better than they did the match, booing the Terror as he gets up close to the floor camera and mouths two words: Babylon falls. <div style="text-align:center;">Angle: Terror Busts Otto Open. Rating: E-</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">THE GILBERT BROTHERS vs. BRIAN BOUNDS & TAYLER MORTON</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarcelLeFleur.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">The Gilbert Brothers defeated Brian Bounds & Tayler Morton in 9:40 when Jesse Gilbert defeated Tayler Morton by pinfall with a Slap Shot. </div> Notes: The Gilberts hit the ring in hockey jerseys, immediately making them Auguste Lazure’s favorite wrestlers and doing everything that needs doing in terms of defining their characters for the rabid Canadian fans. Tayler Morton sneers at them and talks strategy with his partner, but he’s a bland kind of heel until the match starts and we get to see the kid in action. Three of the people in this match are a dream to watch – Morton because he’s simply a great cruiserweight who understands how to make himself a heel while still being flippy as heck, the Gilberts because their less-impressive aerial talents are bolstered by their utter brilliance as a tag-team, working together like veterans who’ve tagged for twenty years rather than a pair of kids. Their Slap Shot finisher – a stereo flying fist drop from opposite corners of the ring – is impressively natural given the set-up required of it. The weak point is Bounds, who is given as little ring-time as we can get away with and still manages to drag everyone down to his level. He looks great while he’s delivering a suplex and he mixes it up on the ground, but these brief moments of glory are largely aimless assaults rather than carefully crafted elements of the story. It works, given the approach used up by the other three, but it’s very much a means of minimizing Bounds’ limitations rather than making him look good. Morton manages to get some heat out of abusing the amateur wrestler, but there isn’t much else there that recommends putting Brian in anything other than dark matches for the time being. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: E-</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg</div> The Natural comes out a few minutes early for his match and claims the ringside mic. “For three months I’ve been coming out here and being the Natural,” he says, “the man with natural talent, natural charisma, and a natural winner. And naturally, that got me noticed by a very important family who have a talent for spotting great wrestlers, the same family who gave me an opportunity to wrestle in a company that forms the very bedrock foundation of quality in Canadian wrestling. “That got me thinking: over there, surrounded by quality, I need to advertise my natural awesomeness. Over here, surrounded by wannabes, and rookies and men who never made it big, it seems like a waste. So you don’t get to call me the Natural anymore, because I don’t need to tell you. In fact, it’s an insult to think you need the reminder when it’s obvious I outclass, outwrestle, and out-talk everyone in this locker room. From here on in you people call me by my name, Damian Carvill, or you show some damn respect and call me sir. “If you don’t, well, naturally we’ll have a problem and that won’t end well for you.” <div style="text-align:center;">Angle: The Natural changes his name. Rating: E</div> <div style="text-align:center;">LEFTY JENSEN vs. DAMIAN CARVILL</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">Damian Carvill defeated Lefty Jenson in 13:11 by pinfall with Nature Calls</div> Notes: This was basically Carvill’s chance to prove he’s ready to hang in the main event, taking down a recognized veteran. And lets face it, it’s not like it was a difficult decision to put him there - he matches Lefty Jensen move for move as the pair put on a fast-paced technical display that frequently sees lulls in which Jensen offers a handshake out of respect for his opponent. This wasn't edge-of-the-seat exciting, but it had a slow build and its merit gradually accumulated in the series of even exchanges between the two men. Jensen fights on the defensive, countering everything Carvill's got, and Carvill continues to find small innovations and gap that give him a new line of attack. There's a steady build in the pinfalls, a slow-burning fusing of excitement, and just when the crowd's ready to see the exciting series of false-finishes from the two technicians Carvill sneaks in a low blow. Lefty sells it like his private parts have been put in a vice and Carvill hits Nature Calls for an easy pin. The hungry crowd explodes, their desire for an athletic finish thwarted, and in one move Carvill and Jensen get Carvill enough heat to elevate the kid to the hottest heel in the company. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: E+</div></div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg</div> Brad Kelley is backstage with the 4C championship across his shoulder. “I asked for this time to talk about Keita Fukao, the rookie kid from the land of the rising sun. Everyone’s talking about how Fukao had a run with Burning Hammer, how Fukao’s like the guy from Kung Fu who walk’s the earth to hone his skills, and how the kid will put his body on the line in order to pick up the win. This is the kid coming after my title. And I couldn’t be happier. “You see, I’m Brady Kelley, your champion. I am the 4C Franchise and I beat four other men in the Champion’s tournament to prove it. If there’s a body on the line in my match, you can be damn sure I’ll take the opportunity to break that body in two. Keita Fukao may be a great wrestler, but he’s not me and I am the best there is. So bring it on, Burning Hammer. Lets see what you’ve got.” <div style="text-align:center;">Angle: Kelley isn't worried about the challenger. Rating: E</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">DANIEL GALLANT vs. PRINCE JAFAR</div> <div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PrinceJafar.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">Daniel Gallant defeated Prince Jafar in 13:55 by pinfall with a Gallant Splash. </div> Notes: This plays out much the way you’d expect when you put a young, flashy cruiserweight in a match with a veteran technician. Jafar tries to ground Gallant with little success, Gallant goes for the high-risk moves that pay off with increasing dividends. It’s an old formula, but it works spectacularly here because of Gallant’s flashy showboating and Jafar’s well-established arrogance. The flaw here lies in Gallant’s inability to carry the match – Jafar is doing all the heavy lifting in terms of psychology, and event then it remains pretty basic stuff. Given time Gallant’s probably got a good career in front of him, but I suspect he’s not going to get it together in time to save his contract here by the time it comes due in a few months. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: D-</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="23606" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">KIETA FUKAO vs. BRAD KELLEY 4C CHAMPIONSHIP http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KeitaFukao.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg</div> <div style="text-align:center;">Brad Kelley defeated Keita Fukao in 14:54 by pinfall with an Inverted Wrist-clutch Death Valley Driver.</div> Notes: The psychology mirrors the previous match in many ways, but Fukao eschews the flashy showboating of Daniel Gallant in favor of flying strikes, acrobatic top-rope moves, and rapid pinning combinations that seem to come out of nowhere. The crowd is hungry to see Fukao in action, but Kelley always seems to have an answer to the BHOTWF alumni and implacably works on Keita Fukao’s leg until the oriental cruiserweight is disabled. After valiantly fighting out of two leg submission attempts, Keita eventually falls prey to a surprise Inverted Death Valley Driver from Kelley. <div style="text-align:center;">Rating: D-</div></div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center;">Overall: D-</div> And coming up tomorrow: the first backstage drama of the 4C era.

arwink · July 16, 2009

<div style="text-align:center;">Troubletown: Stop One</div>

I was outside making a phonecall, watching the last of the crowd climb into their cars and disappear into the night. My call was still going through when Frank Tucker came tearing out of the backstage doors, visible rattled as he frantically searched the car-park for me. “Hey Aussie,” he yelled. “You better get in here.”

I clamped my phone shut and skedaddled. Once I got inside I heard the sound of someone hitting a locker hard and I ran that little bit faster.

Turns out the guy hitting the locker was Shane-O. The guy throwing him into it, jamming a fore-arm against his windpipe, was Kovachs. Everyone else was kinda standing around, looking bewildered. I covered the length of the locker room and pulled Kovach’s off just as Shane was turning blue. “Hell, kid, what do you think you’re doing?”

“That *******…” Kovachs lurched forward, but I had my body between him and Shane now. I blocked him, pretended it didn’t rattle me as bad as it did to have someone his size crash into me, then repeated the question.

“That ******* put a needle in my locker,” Kovachs said, the words seething out through clenched teeth. “Then he came in and made a ****ing joke about getting off the juice before my balls shrivelled.”

I nodded, looking Kovach’s over. He was a big kid, and he was stacked. He knew what I was thinking. “Screw you, Aussie. I worked hard to get here, and I’ve got the time to maintain it. I don’t juice.”

There was anger in his voice, the kind of real anger you get when someone’s insulted you about something you know isn’t true. I backed off. “Yeah, I believe you kid,” I said. “But in this industry, looking like you do, getting here like you did, you better be ready for people to make jokes about it. I suggest laughing it off, otherwise you’re going to be real unhappy a lot of the time.”

Kovachs tensed up and I got ready for another outburst, but he thought better of it. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said. “Just tell that **** he isn’t as funny as he thinks.”

He reigned in the anger and stomped out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind him. The tension eased a little after he left, but people took their time drifting out and cast some concerned looks our way as they left. I waited until was gone before I pulled up Shane and chewed him out for the prank. “What the hell were you thinking, man?”

Shane looked surprised, like he’d expected the entire thing to blow over. “It was a joke, Aussie. Nothing but a joke."

"Screw jokes, Shane, that was just stupid. We're trying to get these kids to look past your past and build something here, and then you go play this **** for a cheap laugh?"

"Well..." Shane stopped short of shouting at me, trembling as he tried to reign in his irritation. "Jesus, Oz. I mean, look at the kid, if it wasn’t a joke then he needed the warning, and if it was I figured he could take it. You know how it is.”

I felt a sudden flash of irritating, remembering all the pranks Shane pulled on the road and the ruffled feathers I’d soothed on his behalf. I smoothed the feeling down, counting back from ten. “You’re nearly fifty, Shane-o,” I said. “Aren’t you a little old for practical jokes?”

He grinned like a naughty school kid who realised he'd gotten away with murder. “Guys like you and me, we’re kids forever Aussie. We’re never too old for a joke.”

“Fine, whatever,” I said. “But we’re in charge of these kids now. We need them to trust us, and we certainly need kids like Kovachs to think well-enough of this place that he’ll stick around after other people start offering him gigs. How about you settle on pranking people who will actually understand they’re being pranked, yeah?”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right buddy.” His smile dropped, replaced by look of forced contrition. “Sorry about that.”

It was only later, when we got back to Shane's town-house and I was settled in on the fold-out sofa-bed, that I let myself wonder exactly why Shane had a syringe handy for his prank.

arwink · July 20, 2009

Getting Hardcore

I spent most of March thinking about the title scene and how we were going to handle. Specifically, I thought long and hard about having two belts and what that meant. The conclusion I came to was this: I wasn’t a fan of the Hardcore Belt. Given that we were leading up to a show dubbed “The Hardcore Brawl” that was something of a problem.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I didn’t enjoy the style, and I understood why the strap was there. Troy had built 4C based on the simple expedient of looking at what was happening down on the East Coast and stealing the best bits of the federations taking part in the war. Most of that was being driven by the Hardcore revolution – XFW thrived on it, DaVE featured it on most shows, and even places like RPW and Philly Pro were forced to let the extreme in if they wanted to stay competitive.

I’m not a fan of having a lot of belts in general, especially when you don’t have TV. I mean, Supreme seemed to be breeding the damn things, launching a new title every couple of years, but it made sense there. Fans like title changes, and more titles mean you can do a switch on the lower tiers while still having a dominant world champion. Hell, it meant you could switch titles on TV and still have something to sell for the PPV.

We didn’t have TV or PPV. Hell, we could run a 4C Title match every show and it’d seem like a reasonable pace for things. The Hardcore title was just kind of superfluous, a secondary belt for the midcard that existed because Hardcore was popular down south and we were copying them. It needed something else, something to differentiate from the Championship belt, make it worth fighting for in and of itself, and to make it more than East Coast Wars lite.

It took me a few weeks of puzzling it out before I came up with a solution, something that’d give the belt its own identity. I pitched it to Shane-o over drinks, just to make sure I wasn’t completely crazy. He had his doubts, but he was willing to run with it and see how it panned out. “If it doesn’t work, we drop the rules,” he said. “Beauty of a growing fanbase and all that – fewer people to remember the mistakes.”

The week before the show I put together a feature on the Hardcore title for the company website.

From the “Hardcore Championship” page on

http://www.4C.com

FAQ: What’s the difference between the Hardcore Championship and the 4C Championship?

The most obvious difference is that matches for the Hardcore Championship are contested under Hardcore rules – essentially a no-disqualifications form of wrestling that allows for any kind of tactic the wrestler can think up. We at 4C like to think that Hardcore is a statement rather than a style, which means that there’s a little more to being the Hardcore champ than the ability to swing a chair. Therefore the following guidelines apply to any match involving the current holder of the Hardcore belt:

All His Matches Are Contested Under Hardcore Rules – whether the champs involved in singles competition, a tag match, a four-way or even a battle royal the presence of the Hardcore Champion immediately eliminates the possibility of a disqualifications finish and creates an environment of relaxed rules. The involvement of the Hardcore Championship is the only way in which the Hardcore rules will be sanctioned in 4C.
The Hardcore Championship is Always Up for Grabs – while the 4C champion may be involved in non-title clashes and tag-team bouts, the Hardcore belt is always being contested if the current holder is a part of a match sanctioned by 4C management. Anyone who pins the Hardcore champion in any kind of sanctioned match – singles, tag, scramble, elimination, or otherwise - becomes the new Hardcore Title Holder. This should not be taken to mean the belt is up for grabs twenty-four-seven – simply that it is contested in any sanctioned 4C match involving the current holder.
The Hardcore are Rewarded – Any hardcore champion who successfully defends the belt in ten singles matches will be rewarded with the option of relinquishing the Hardcore title and immediately becoming the number-one contender for the 4C Championship. The title shot against the 4C Champion may be fought under Hardcore conditions as the challenger’s discretion. If the Hardcore belt is relinquished in this manner a new champion will be crowned via a Hardcore Gauntlet at the next 4C show. The Hardcore Champion is not required to take this option upon reaching ten successful defenses, but may do so at any point after meeting the ten defense requirement.

To make it work we had to put a moratorium on Hardcore matches that didn’t feature the champ, but I was okay with that. It felt right – a way of giving the belt character and opening up different kinds of programs than we’d be telling with the Championship strap.

arwink · July 21, 2009

Coming Up at Hardcore Showdown

4C debuts its annual night of extreme at Windsor Hall Arena, Windsor, on the Last Monday in March. Featuring bouts between:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EddiePeak.jpg

Big Trouble vs. Eddie Peak

4C’s king of hardcore main events the first hardcore brawl against a champion from the home of hardcore in America – XPW. Eddie Peak is getting rave reviews from fans of the extreme for his violent and bloodthirsty battles on his home turf, but he comes to 4C in order to challenge the former XPW legend, Big Trouble

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BobCasey.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

Bob Casey vs. Joel Kovach

Kovach has demanded competition and 4C officials have given it to him in the form of Cowboy Bob Casey, the old-school grappler who can snag a pinning combination from nearly anywhere in the ring. Kovach has bulldozed through his earlier challenges, but Bob Casey may be his toughest challenge yet.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KeitaFukao.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg

Keita Fukao vs. Tayler Morten

The hot property from the East takes on the hot property from the West Coast of America. Both these men work the super-junior style made famous in Japan. Morten is eager to prove he deserves to retain a spot on the 4C roster after meeting defeat against the Gilberts and he’s chosen the touring Burning Hammer veteran as the man to make his name.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Babylon vs. Damien Carvill

A rematch from Anarchy Unleashed, only this time Babylon isn’t coming into the match with a face full of stitches and Carvill has moved beyond his Natural persona. Carvill still claims that victory comes him naturally, but he may well find a fully-healed Babylon a different challenge to the man he faced two months ago.

Complete Card

Big Trouble vs. Eddie Peak

Daniel Gallant vs. Nathan Black vs. Plague

Bob Casey vs. Joel Kovach

Matty Phatty vs. The Toronto Terror

Keita Fukao vs. Tayler Morten

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Andy Otto & Marcus L. Reinoso

Babylon vs. Damien Carvill

The Celt · July 21, 2009

Big Trouble vs. Eddie Peak

Daniel Gallant vs. Nathan Black vs. Plague

Bob Casey vs. Joel Kovach

Matty Phatty vs. The Toronto Terror

Keita Fukao vs. Tayler Morten

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Andy Otto & Marcus L. Reinoso

Babylon vs. Damien Carvill

arwink · September 1, 2009

4C Presents…Hardcore Showdown

Taped at Windsor Hall in front of 55 people

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Damian Carvill stands in a stairwell backstage, still dressed in the CGC sweater he wore when he showed up for the show. He spends a few seconds adjusting the camera, making sure it’s looking in the right direction, then settles in to cut a promo.

“Tonight Damian Carvill takes on Babylon for the second time, a rematch that no-one wanted to see, when naturally we all know that I’m the obvious number-one contender for the 4C Championship. Unfortunately Brad Kelley isn’t here. No-one knows why. It’s not like he has other commitments, unlike some of us. Maybe he’s sick. Maybe his kid had a birthday. Hell, maybe he’s just ducking me. I don’t care – whatever the reason is, it was a bad call. Brad, you should have come and defended that belt tonight while I’m otherwise distracted by an otherwise pointless match. Then, maybe, you might have had a shot at pinning me while I’m tired. Now, whenever you come back, you’ll have my full attention and I’ll be right there inline waiting for my title shot.”

Angle: Carvill wants Brad Kelley.

Rating: E

BABYLON vs. DAMIAN CARVILL

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Result: Damian Carvill defeated Babylon in 9:36 by pinfall with the Nature Calls.

Notes: We pitch this rematch as a chance for Babylon to get some vengeance now that he’s not carrying a face full of stitches, and the kid does an okay job of carrying that concept off despite the limitations of his move-set. It’s Carvill who really sells the psychology of the match though, putting more of the match on the ground this time so he’s exploiting a completely different weakness in Babylon’s fighting game to keep if from seeming stale. And it works. Possibly a little too well, since I’ve got a feeling that no-one’s going to follow this with anything remotely as good for the rest of the show.

Rating: D-

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg

The opening strains of the Toronto Terror’s industrial sound-track start the moment the three-count finishes, but this time Babylon is upright and ready as the tattooed monster hits the ring. Terror cops a flurry of punches as he climbs through the ring ropes, but it doesn’t faze him – he pushes Babylon away and immediately smashes the kid in the face with a Big Boot without any of the set-up. Babylon goes down and once again the white hood is stained by bleeding underneath, but it isn’t enough to satisfy Terror. He lifts Babylon onto his shoulders and charges at the ring-post, ramming Babylon into the turn-buckles face-first with all the power Terror can muster.

Angle: Terror Assaults Babylon.

Rating: E

THE GILBERT BROTHERS vs. REINOSO & OTTO

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KidFantastic.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/AndyOtto.jpg

The Gilbert Brothers defeated Reinoso & Otto in 12:04 when Joe Gilbert defeated Andy Otto by pinfall with a Slap Shot.

Notes: Jesse Gilbert came out of this match looking like a star by default – everyone else undersold, drifted from big spot to bit spot, or simply didn’t have the puff to keep pace as the match dragged on. I try to tell myself that basic competence isn’t enough to consider pushing someone, but look at Bob Casey. Mental note: give Jesse a couple of singles matches and see if that elevates him a little faster than spending every match tagging with his spot-blowing brother.

Andy Otto is supposed to be playing the bigger brawler amid the crowd of cruiserweights but he doesn’t have the chops to make it work to his advantage, nor the selling abilities to make it look legitimate when he’s cut off by the quick tag-team tactics of the Gilberts. Lots of messy work and heads not in the game here, with the only real pleasure in this match comes from watching the Gilberts dismantle their opponents with the kind of tactical understanding of a tag match that few teams ever actually master.

Rating: F+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg

Tayler Morton comes charging into the ring after the Gilbert victory and starts assaulting Jesse Gilbert with one of the hockey sticks the Gilbert’s keep at ringside. He doesn’t swing the stick wildly, instead using it like a spear and jabbing it forward in a rapid flurry of blows that sends Jesse scampering across the ring, trying to protect his face as the stick is whips towards him again and again.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg

The fury of the assault stuns everyone, but Joe Gilbert eventually collects himself and comes to his brother’s aid with the second hockey stick. Joe does swing the hockey stick like a club, but Tayler ducks just in time to avoid having his head taken off by the blow. Morton knows he can’t win a two-on-one brawl and leaves the ring, but the damage is done – Jesse Gilbert is lying on the ground, clutching at his stomach, as Morton backs away pointing at his brother.

Angle: Morten beats on Jesse until Joe makes the save.

Rating: F-

KEITA FUKAO vs. TAYLER MORTON

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KeitaFukao.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg

Tayler Morton defeated Keita Fukao in 12:45 by pinfall with the shiranui.

Notes: This is a nice, convincing cruiserweight spot-fest that’s aided by Morton’s ability to mimic the Japanese style and improve upon it. Lots of kicks and flying elbow shots, lots of going to the top rope, and the for the first time the Canadian fans see Morten’s finisher. And then, well, then they pop. The shiranui’s one of those moves that looks impressive and has the right set-up – lock the head, run for the turnbuckles, flip over once you hit the top and plant the opponent. It’s a solid move if you’re a small guy - lots of ways of tease I, easy to hit on bigger opponents, and you can hit it out of no-where and pick up a convincing win..

Now the Japanese cruisers have been using it for a couple of years now, but it hasn’t really caught on in the west. Then this kid Morton comes along and finds his own twist – this low-angled horizontal kick-off from the final turnbuckle where his body folds in half like he’s got a double-jointed spine and develops some sick-looking momentum as he drives the back of his opponent’s skull into the canvas. I swear to god I’ve seen the move done live about half a dozen times by various wrestlers and Morton’s the first guy to make it seem like a definitive end, like an exclamation point at the end of the match, and Fukao sells it like he’s Old Yeller and Morton’s put a bullet in his head. He just lies there, unmoving, for about forty seconds after the three-count and he visibly sags and staggers after being helped to his feet and escorted out.

Rating: E+

MATTY PHATTY vs. THE TORONTO TERROR

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MattyPhatty.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Result: Matty Phatty defeated The Toronto Terror in 9:53 by pinfall with the Monkey Business following interference from Babylon.

Notes: Neither of these wrestlers is built for a long match, so they cut lose with their signature spots early. Phatty continues to entertain the fans by capering madly about the ring during his matches, jabbering at his opponents with a series ooks and eeks that disorient them. It leads to a bunch of comedy spots where an irate Terror charges in to hit the same big boot he’s used to bust open Babylon of late, only to have Phatty roll out of the way and mock him. This continues for a while, with Terror getting more and more irate, until he finally sends Phatty into the ropes and the monkey gets strung up between them as the force causes him to tumble over. Entangled and helpless, Phatty shrieks as the Terror paces back to the far side of the ring and prepares to charge.

And that’s when Babylon appears, coming out of the crowd with a hoodie over his mask to conceal his features and a chair in his hand. Babylon slides into the ring while Xavier Summer is trying to free Phatty, clocking Terror across the back of the skull with the chair before rolling out. Terror lies helpless on the ground as Phatty is freed, giving the tumbling monkey all the space he needs to hit his finisher and make the pin.

Rating: E

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EddiePeak.jpg

We go backstage to a locker room in which a tall, fair-haired man is standing with the XFW Blood Brother’s title over one shoulder and a black bag over the other. When he speaks, it’s almost like a dreamy child trying to read themselves a particularly nasty picture book: “Hello. I am Eddie Peak. I hurt people. I hurt them very badly. Back home they like it when I hurt people. It makes the people happy when the little men scream. It makes me happy when the people are happy. There are many people at XFW. I have hurt them all, one by one by one. I have popped their little eyes. I have squeezed their little throats. I have made them scream like little fishies out of water, hungry for air.

“Except the one that got away. The big fish. The one that they call Trouble. He moved to Japan before Eddie could face him. Ran away, bye-bye, and no-one knew how to find him. It made me sad. I wanted him to come back, but he didn’t. He came to you, though. Little Canada. I heard it on the internets. They said he was here. I have come here to find him. Hello, Big Fish [waves]. I know you’re out there. I’ve brought a little slice of home for you.”

Eddie drops the black bag off his shoulder and opens it, reaching in and pulling out a handful of thumbtacks. “You want to come home, don’t you Big Fish? I’d like to take you home.”

Angle: Eddie Peak is a freak.

Rating: E-

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ShaneVandross.jpg

Shane Vandross is backstage in a dark hallway with concrete walls, lit only by the bare bulb dangling in the middle. “Welcome to intermission folks. I’m Shane Vandross, backstage in search of the scoops, and I’ve got it on good authority that the Toronto Terror just passed this way.”

Vandross leads the backstage camera team down the hallway and around the corner, where they discover the Terror taking out his aggression against the concrete.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Shoulder’s ripple as he lashes out, fist smashing against the concrete, and sweat gleams in the dim light. Vandross starts to ask a question about Terror’s match with Matty Phatty and the big man instantly turns and snatches the colour commentator by the throat. He lifts Shane off the ground and slams him against the wall. “Babylon Falls.”

Angle: Vandross fails to interview the Toronto Terror.

Rating: E

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

Joel Kovach’s is in a locker room, stretching and warming up for his match. “Tonight we see the first signs that the Kovach Curse is starting to break and 4C officials have recognized my abilities. Tonight I take on Bob Casey, the master of the pinning combination – an opponent I can respect, even if his considerable talents aren’t on par with my own. I am Joel Kovach, the crippler, and I’m the best young talent in this industry -“

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Damian Carvill steps into frame, undaunted by the fact that Kovach looms over him. “You weren’t about to say you were the best young talent in this industry today, were you? I mean, naturally, you’re not going to say that, because you’re not a liar. You might be the best young talent in America, but this is Canada bud and there’s only one Natural Talent worth talking about here.”

Kovach stops stretching and stands. He’s got a good six inches on Carvill in terms of both height and width. “And what makes it a lie if I say it’s me?”

Carvill’s smile is all menace. “Well, naturally, you’re good, but I’m better.”

Kovach shakes his head. “Better than most, Carvill, but you’re not the best.”

Carvill takes a step forward, getting right up in the big man’s face. “You want to put money on that, Joel?”

Joel holds Carvill’s gaze for a few moments, then dismisses him with a smile and steps around him. “Later, kid. I’ve got a match.”

Angle: Kovach and Carvill bicker.

Rating: E

BOB CASEY vs. JOEL KOVACH

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BobCasey.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

Joel Kovach defeated Bob Casey in 15:26 by submission with a Kovach Krippler

Notes: Casey gives Kovach’s the most even match the Crippler’s had since arriving, largely courtesy of Bob Casey’s old-school approach which focuses on controlling the pace of a match, fighting on the counter, and cheating when neither of the other options are available. Kovach’s is subjected to several pinning combinations but always uses his raw power to kick free of them, often ejecting Casey from the cover by the simple expedient of throwing him halfway across the ring. It makes for an interesting battle and clash of styles, but Kovach’s starts to puzzle out the gaps in Casey’s game and play by the same rules – and once that happens the advantage is lost and Kovach’s underrated technical ability sees him take control. Less than two minutes later Bob Casey makes a mistake and gets locked in the Kovach Krippler, enduring the pain for a matter of seconds before desperately tapping out.

Rating: D-

Kovach’s gets all of six seconds to celebrate before Damian Carvill is in the ring, literally flying through the bottom rope and launching a furious flurry of chops and punches. Kovach’s is rocked by the surprise assault, giving ground until he manages to orient himself and get the traction he needs to swing, but Carvill’s got the familiar clothesline scouted. He ducks, hooks the arm, and uses the momentum to dump Kovach’s on the mat. Kovach’s goes to rise but his face meets Damian Carvill’s boot halfway up and he crumples back onto the canvas as a rain of stomps fall on him.

Angle: Carvill Assaults Joel Kovach.

Rating: F

DANIEL GALLANT vs. NATHAN BLACK vs. PLAGUE

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/NathanBlack.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BlackEagle.jpg

Daniel Gallant defeated Nathan Black and Plague in 15:08 when Daniel Gallant defeated Nathan Black by pinfall with the Gallant Splash.

Notes: This match was built around speed and big spots, with Plague and Gallant providing the flash while Nathan Black filled in the gaps with some solid mat work. The fifteen minute time-limit draw between Black and Plague plays a big part of the psychology here, since both were more focused on-, and wary of-, each other than they were Gallant. Gallant takes advantage of their distraction and eventually catches them both with a springboard crossbody, forcing them to take him seriously as a threat. In some respects this backfires – the heels spend the next five minutes one-upping each other by hitting their best moves on Gallant – but eventually their cooperation wanes and Gallant snatches the victory.

Rating: E+

BIG TROUBLE vs. EDDIE PEAK

4C HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EddiePeak.jpg

Big Trouble defeated Eddie Peak in 15:38 by pinfall with the Trouble Powerslam. Big Trouble makes defence number 2 of his 4C Hardcore title.

Notes: As he promised, Eddie Peak brings a little slice of XFW to Canada – he produces a bag of thumbtacks and proceeds to spread them throughout the ring while Big Trouble is making his entrance. By the time BT actually climbs in to start the match at least half the ring is covered by tacks and Peak is grinning as he surveys his handiwork. Peak extends one hand, palm up, and signals that Big Trouble should bring-it. Big Trouble obliges, charging the challenger and letting size and momentum do the job of forcing Peak into the corner where Trouble can batter him with a series of hard chops before snap-maring him to the match. Peak manages to twist as he lands, just avoiding the patch of tacks he was heading for, and scrambles to his feet quickly enough to take control of the offense.

After that the two battle to see who’s going into the tacks first, throwing each other across the ring without much success until Eddie Peak finally catches Big Trouble with a backdrop that dumps the champ straight into the largest cluster. Trouble sells it well, but he’s a hard man and a veteran of the deathmatch so he’s upright not long after and finishes the match with hundred’s of tacks caught between his shoulder-blades. Eddie Peak shows a sadistic streak unlike anything the 4C fans have seen, but it’s impact is slightly lost after the absolute carnage of the Hardcore Gauntlet back in November and the impressive bloodshed that occurred. While Peak does XFW proud, the experience and size of Big Trouble is too much for him to overcome – Big Trouble picks up the victory after hitting the Trouble Powerslam and pinning Peak into a pile tacks while simultaneously grinding at Eddie’s face with an elbow.

Rating: E+

Overall Show Rating: E+

1PWfan · September 1, 2009

That Eddie promo was awesome. Probabyl the best character he's had since M-Pox back in 2k7.

arwink · September 2, 2009

Troubletown: Part Two

I’m still backstage and musing over the weak show twenty minutes or so after the final bell, lingering in a quiet corner of the locker room as a bunch of boys start talking about where they’d like go to celebrate. Primarily I’m thinking about the Hardcore Title and whether it really needs to be on the Big Trouble; on one hand it makes for an interesting alternative to the main event, allowing us to put on a spectacle, but on the other there’s so few of our roster who are in Trouble’s league when it comes to Hardcore that it’s even harder to conceptualize someone taking the title off him than it is getting the Championship strap off Kelley.

Fortunately for me I get a panicked Frank Tucker tearing through the locker room before I get too maudlin. The kid is pale and his mouth is running at a hundred miles an hour, barely comprehensible, but the three words I catch – Shane, Eddie, Fight - don’t bode well for my mood.

I follow Tucker outside, tearing after him as he scampers at high speed, and the sight that greets me is enough to turn my guts to ice-water. Shane-o’s squaring off against Peak, the pair of them circling one another like a pair of fighters sizing each other up, and Shane’s got that look that says he’s willing to take a swing despite the fact that Eddie’s got seven inches over Shane, alongside about eighty extra pounds of muscle, thirty-odd years, and a significantly higher propensity for violent insanity.

This time I don’t **** around trying to get between them. Instead I just wander over and grab Shane by the ear, dragging his head down and pulling him away from Peak. When I let go he straightens, eyes blazing with anger, but I’m plenty pissed myself and he backs off the moment he sees my expression. “You,” I tell him. “Stay.”

Then I turn and look up into the scary, ice-cold blue eyes of Eddie Peak. The big man smirks, the barest hint of a fang appearing, and I have to tell myself not to back away. “You stay too,” I tell him, then I turn on Frank. “Tucker, what happened?”

“We-e-e-ll…” Tucker looks around, like he’s suddenly wishing he hadn’t gotten involved, and given the way Peak’s studying him like Tucker’s a curious puppy whose head could snapped I don’t really blame him.

“The truth, Frank,” I tell him. “No-one’s going to hurt you as long as you tell the truth.”

“Well, I *think* it was meant to be a joke,” Tucker said. “

“Okay, Eddie, what’s this about?”

Eddies eyes narrowed. “He stole my bear, man.”

I nodded. One of Peak’s quirks is his tendency to bring a stuffed bear into the locker room with him, a ratty little thing he’s probably carried around since he was six. Shane looked guilty when I turned on him. “Shane-o?”

“It’s in Troy’s car,” he said. “I just wanted to rib him a little.”

I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, Shane.”

“It was just a joke.”

I held up one hand. “Frank, go get the bear. Eddie, I’m really sorry. What can I say, Shane’s an idiot.”

Eddie shrugged. “You don’t mess with a man’s bear, Oz.”

I keep my face steady. “No, Eddie, you don’t.”

We get him his bear and send him on his way. Turns out he’s crashing on Tucker’s place that night, rather than driving back to New York, and I hope Frank’s ready for an evening of agitated Eddie. Me, I fume the entire way back to Shane’s apartment, and he sits there in the driver’s seat looking uncomfortable most of the way.

“Listen, man, I’m sorry.”

He knows me well enough that the anger is burned out by the time he says it.

“Wrong ****ing response, Shane,” I said, but it’s more of a sigh of exasperation than the hiss of anger it would have been. “Hell, forget about the stupidity of messing with a guy like Peak – you were ribbing the goddamn boss.”

“Troy can take it.”

“You sure?”

“Sure I’m sure.”

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the passenger-side window. “I’m not so sure, Shane. Two shows in a row, brother, two goddamn shows where you’re pissing people off. This isn’t the big show anymore, where the boys have to live with each other on the road day in and day out. This is small scale, all local, and the stakes are much lower. This kind of **** will piss people off.”

“Aw, come on Oz.”

“No,” I said, “No ‘come on Oz.’ I know this is your deal, that you brought me in to help you out, but I can’t do that unless you’re willing to help yourself brother. Get your goddamn **** together, yeah?”

We drive in silence for a few minutes before he agrees.

NoNeck · September 2, 2009

That Eddie promo was awesome. Probably the best character he's had since M-Pox back in 2k7.

Agreed, 1PWFan.

Although that's where I thought it came from, to be honest.

In either case, I enjoyed it; the highlight of your last show.

arwink · September 3, 2009

Although that's where I thought it came from, to be honest.

Me too

____________

Beware of Smiling Dwarves Bearing Beer

Shane and I showed up at the offices for our monthly meeting with Troy, a folder full of notes under one arm as well as the calendar marking off the availability of all our talent as well as the phone-numbers for some new possibilities. It was getting to be a struggle to balance it, mostly because of the catch-22 most small feds operated under – the guys who drew the most, cost the most, and that meant we weren’t giving the guys who needed show experience as much time as we could because we were already cutting costs back to the bone.

Shane and I had talked it over – in an ideal world we’d have run longer shows with more talent, working in more tag-teams to give the guys who drew real hatred from the crowd time to develop while the uppercard carried the shows and drew money. It wasn’t the kind of thing you did when you had crowd of less than a hundred people – with so few fans in attendance you really needed the word of mouth to be as good as possible. I know Troy had commissioned tag-team belts and wanted a division running asap, but the fact was that it’d take time to build one up and actually give it some credibility. Hell, we were struggling to keep programs running for the Hardcore Belt and the 4C Championship simultaneously given the cost of the two champions. Having both on one should could quickly become a deal-breaker and push the monthly debt to unacceptable levels.

Troy answered the doorbell with a grin on his face so wide you probably could have flipped the top half of his head open like a rubbish bin. Troy never looked happy during our monthly meetings, so we knew something was up.

“Come in,” he said. “We’ve got news.” Like that was a surprise. I looked over at Shane in case he had some idea about what was happening, but Shane-o just shrugged and stepped over the threshold. I followed him in.

“You want a drink?” Troy said, yelling over his shoulder as he disappeared into the kitchen. “I’m having a beer, if you want one.”

“Yeah, beer for me,” Shane said, and I agreed as well. Troy came back with a round of drinks and the same smile plastered on his features. He handed them out and raised his into the air. “Cheers.”

We knocked back our drinks, waiting. Troy teased it out like he was practicing some of the mic techniques Shane had been running him through, in case Troy ever needed to become an on-air talent. Finally the waiting got to me – I hate being treated like a mark. “Christ, Troy, what the hells up.”

“We got a new round of sponsors,” he said. “Three new deals went through this week, largely because the good word is spreading about the shows.”

He pulled the black folder of doom from its place in his bookshelf, the one with the monthly budgets worked out. Troy had made a point of showing us the projections for the last two months, making sure we understood we were running at a loss. This time there was a whopping great chunk of change in the sponsorship column and the bar-graphs he’d printed out were in the black.

“I checked with GDS online,” Troy said. “We are, officially, upgraded in the electronic rankings to a small company. No more ‘local federation’ for us, boys. Good work, eh?”

He drank, smiling, as if the possibility of this wrestling thing working out had suddenly shown itself to be more than just a pipe dream. Shane-o and I traded a look, pleased but utterly aware of how little this meant at this stage of the game.

“Sooooo,” Shane-o said, “that extra sponsorship money?”

Troy winced. “You’re going to convince me to go into the red again, aren’t you.”

It didn’t really come out as a question, which is probably just as well. “It’s like this,” I said. “You’ve got all these talented kids, but they gotta work regularly and get themselves over if you want them to be ready to carry things by the time vets like Jafar stand down...”

arwink · September 3, 2009

COMING UP AT WRESTLING SHOWCASE

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TempestAppleby.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

TEMPEST APPLEBY vs. BRAD KELLEY

4C CHAMPIONSHIP

The Mover From Vancouver returns to 4C in an effort to the Championship away from Brad Kelley. Last seen back in January, Tempest has taken some time-off to train and hone his craft after a shocking loss to Bob Casey on a simple roll-up. He returns now on top of his game and claims the title-shot he’s been promised since Brad Kelley cheated to defeat him back during the tournament during the very first 4C show. Kelley has already been pushed to the limit once by Tempest, and you can be certain their second meeting will be just as intense.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PrinceJafar.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

BIG TROUBLE & DANIEL GALLANT vs. PRINCE JAFAR & THE TORONTO TERROR

HARDCORE RULES

Jafar has recruited the Toronto Terror in an effort to get some revenge on Daniel Gallant for the defeat at X-Factor, prompting to Chivalrous One to recruit the hardcore champion, Big Trouble, as his partner. Unfortunately for Gallant this choice comes with unexpected side-affects – the hardcore champion’s mere presence in a match eliminates any possibility of a DQ and opens up a range of brutal options to the opposing team. Finally, the Hardcore Championship will be on the line if either Jafar or the Terror pin Big Trouble to end the match.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

JOEL KOVACH vs. DAMIEN CARVILL

The two best natural athletes and the hottest prospects in 4C today clash to determine who truly is the wunderkind and future of the company. Carvill has impressed everyone, including the DeColt family, since he debuted with 4C and Kovach is undefeated in singles competition since arriving in Canada. While an argument can be made that they both deserve a shot at the title, its certain that only the victor of this match is going to be in line for one.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg

JESSE GILBERT vs. TAYLER MORTON

The issue between Tayler Morton and the Gilbert Brothers has followed them from CZCW to 4C, culminating in an attack on Jesse Gilbert at our last show that set up this singles clash between the two men. Morten has submitted a request that Joe Gilbert be banned from ringside to ensure this is a true singles match-up and 4C officials have agreed.

Complete Card

Tempest Appleby vs. Brad Kelley

Joel Kovach vs. Damien Carvill

Big Trouble & David Gallant vs. Prince Jafar & The Toronto Terror - Hardcore Tag Match

Lefty Jensen vs. Bob Casey

Keita Fukao vs. Brian Bounds vs. Joe Gilbert vs. Plague

Jesse Gilbert vs. Tayler Morton

Babylon vs. Nathan Black

Tucker & Banks vs. The Peak Brothers

Matty Phatty vs. Dean Daniels

FINisher · September 3, 2009

Tempest Appleby vs. Brad Kelley

Joel Kovach vs. Damien Carvill

Big Trouble & David Gallant vs. Prince Jafar & The Toronto Terror - Hardcore Tag Match

Lefty Jensen vs. Bob Casey

Keita Fukao vs. Brian Bounds vs. Joe Gilbert vs. Plague

Jesse Gilbert vs. Tayler Morton

Babylon vs. Nathan Black

Tucker & Banks vs. The Peak Brothers

Matty Phatty vs. Dean Daniels

Liked that Eddie promo aswell.

arwink · September 5, 2009

4C Presents…Wrestling Showcase

Taped at Windsor Hall in front of 53 people

Week 4, April, 1997

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Brad Kelley pulls up the venue in a beat-up sedan and steps out of the car carrying his sports-bag and the 4C Championship belt. The backstage camera crew is there to catch him walking towards the venue, prompting a sour look from the champion. “What are you people, vultures?”

The camera man says something about Tempest Appleby that can’t quite be heard. Kelley laughs. “Appleby? Really? Storm in a tea-cup, man. Look, the kids got some talent, but he’s all high risk-high reward. It’s flashy and it looks good on the tapes, but it doesn’t win matches, you get me? So no, I’m not worried about Tempest tonight. I may not be pretty, but I get the job done. Let the fans chant the kid’s name - as long as I’m the one walking out with the belt on my shoulder, then I don’t give a damn whether the idiots in the crowd like me or not.”

Angle: Kelley cuts a promo on Tempest Appleby.

Rating: E

MATTY PHATTY VS. DEAN DANIELS

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MattyPhatty.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DeanDaniels.jpg

Matty Phatty defeated Dean Daniels in 9:46 by pinfall with the Monkey Business.

Notes: Daniels is an ultra-serious grappler, intent on locking up and crippling his opponent, so the story of this match is set the moment Matty Phatty starts capering around and mocking Daniels in his incomprehensible barrage of ooks and monkey calls. What could easily get overplayed works because there’s actually a pretty reasonable cruiserweight under Phatty’s act – possibly one of the best in Canada at present – but the man beneath the mask isn’t willing to put in the kind of cardio training he needs to justify giving him the push his talent deserves.

Good chemistry gives this match a crisp edge that makes both wrestlers look good, at least until Matty’s complete lack of stamina means he starts puffing around the ring and getting sloppy. Daniels covers well and shows the fans he means business, earns some real heat for the way he slaps Phatty around. The ending is an obvious set-up – Daniels hoists Matty to the top rope and purposely botches when he climbs to prepare for the suplerplex, letting Phatty leap on him and hit the Monkey Business for the win – but it seems to satisfy the crowd at this point.

Rating: E+

TUCKER & BANKS VS. THE PEAK BROTHERS

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobinDaLay.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeftieWilkes.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EddiePeak.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DougPeak.jpg

The Peak Brothers defeated Tucker and Banks in 9:48 when Doug Peak defeated Frank Tucker by pinfall with the Peak and Valley (Decapitation Leg Drop).

Notes: This one starts off as another comedy match as Frank Tucker lures his partner into a little MC hammer dancing as they make their way into the ring, but the comedic undertone disappears immediately when Eddie Peak takes Frank Tucker’s in-ring boogie as an invitation. The big psychopath grabs Tucker and starts waltzing, staring off into the distance with a blissfull expression all the while.

For a few seconds it’s funny, then there’s a strange glint in Peak’s eye…then there’s the look of panic in Tucker’s face as he realizes he can’t break free and start the match…and then the headbutts start. Regularly. Brutally. In time with every dip of the waltz step. Banks comes in to break up the dance, but he’s met with a shoulder block by Doug Peak that blasts him through the ropes. Doug starts yelling at Eddie, demanding that he stop playing around.

Eddie blinks a few times, his expression beatific, and then the real brutality begins.

Banks gets a little offence as the match rolls on, Tucker only a little more after he recovers from the opening assault, but all of it is largely attributed to the Peak Brother’s lack of familiarity with standard wrestling rules after years in XFW. Referee Xavier Sumner gives off multiple warnings and teases the DQ finish several times – but in the end this is an extended squash and everyone knows it.

Rating: E-

BABYLON VS. NATHAN BLACK

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/NathanBlack.jpg

Babylon defeated Nathan Black in 13:04 by pinfall with the Ishtar Stomp.

Notes: Shane-o kicks off the commentary with a single phrase – 4C is all about the wins – and that sets the tone for this story. Neither Babylon nor Black have picked up enough victories to really elevate themselves, despite the support of the crowd, and it’s obvious that one of them will be moving up the card.

Fans are hungry for either to win and the good chemistry they exhibit helps the match considerably. Nathan Black continues to have a dream run of matches in which he bats well above his weight, catching everyone off-guard with his ability to hang with an opponent who is bigger and far more focused on brawling than Black’s usual opponents. It makes for an interesting inversion – the larger, brawl-oriented face battering around the smaller, technically oriented heel – but the pair make it work with their exchanges and make it look like a significant achievement when Babylon finally hangs Black in the tree of woe and hits a running drop-kick to the face.

Rating: E+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Babylon doesn’t celebrate his victory, he just rises and drops into a defensive stance in anticipation of what’s to come. The Toronto Terror doesn’t disappoint – the big man comes barreling out of the backstage with murder on his mind. Babylon tries to cut the attack off at the pass by making a suicide dive through the ropes as Terror approaches, but Terror makes a clumsy catch and steadies himself enough to ram Babylon back-first into the ring apron. Babylon screams in pain as his back makes contact with the ring apron twice more, then he’s spun and slammed into the concrete floor with all the strength at Terror’s disposal.

Angle: Terror is Unstoppable.

Rating: E

JESSE GILBERT VS. TAYLER MORTON

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpg

Result: Tayler Morton defeated Jesse Gilbert in 14:06 by pinfall with a shiranui.

Notes: It’s a bad sign for the long-term future of this feud that the competent half of the Gilbert brothers is an awkward singles opponent for Morton. Bad cruiserweight chemistry is ugly to watch, especially among flippy-floppy tandems like these two, with all these little moments where people miss queues and have to rush under their opponents in order to make the needed catch showing off the lack of sychronicity far more than you’d get if they were straight-out brawling. These two get by on the quality of their work rather than the competitive nature of the match – some fans aren’t noticing to the almost-subtle shifts, and the rest are simply appreciative enough of the abilities of these two men that they don’t crap on the entire bout simply because of the blown spots.

Rating: E-

KEITA FUKAO VS. BRIAN BOUNDS VS. JOE GILBERT VS. PLAGUE

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KeitaFukao.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarcelLeFleur.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BlackEagle.jpg

Results: Plague defeated Brian Bounds, Joe Gilbert and Keita Fukao in 11:54 when Plague defeated Keita Fukao by pinfall with a New Jersey Turnpike.

Notes: There’s a very tiny part of me that believes we’re obligated to try and leave Brian Bounds in a better place than he started by the time his contracts over, but he seems to be determined to make me regret that decision. The best thing that can be said about his performance is that it gave the crowd someone to crap on more than they crap on Joe Gilbert, especially since Joe does a pretty good impression of someone whose paying attention the entire match rather than looking a little surprised every time he’s tagged in. Keita and Plague? They’re good, but you’d expect that. Plague goes over for his first real victory in 4C after landing the New Jersey Turnpike. The pop the move earns is substantial, but it seems to come out of nowhere in the match and feels like an odd way to be adding the full-stop to the match.

Rating: E

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BlackEagle.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KeitaFukao.jpg

Despite Plague’s victory, the crowd chants for the departing Fukao as a thank-you for his time in 4C over the last six months. Keita doesn’t really have the English to deliver a farewell promo, but he bows at all four sides of the ring before calling for quiet and claiming the microphone. He says one word, three times: “Plague…Plague…Plague…” to start the crowd chanting for the victor of the match before walking over to shake Plague’s hand. Plague accepts the hand-shake and the two celebrate Keita Fukao’s final night in 4C for a minute before leaving the ring.

Angle: Fukao celebrates with Plague.

Rating: F

We cut to a hallway backstage where Damian Carvill is standing under a bare lightbulb wearing a CGC sweatshirt and sunglasses. Behind the camera someone asks about his attack on Joel Kovach at our last show, and Carvill offers the camera a calm, easy smile.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

“For a month now people have been asking me why I’d mess with Joel Kovach. The man’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast as hell, and he’s probably one of the best of wrestlers to pass through 4C since it opened. What people don’t seem to get is that I’m just doing what comes naturally to me – a man gets in my face, and I make him regret it. A man gets between me and what’s rightfully mine, and I make sure he’s eliminated. Joel Kovach is a great talent, but I’m Damien-freakin’-Carvill, the Natural One, the future of the industry. I’m better than Kovach, I’m better than Brad Kelley, and I’m better than everyone else in this promotion. Everyone thinks I’m crazy to be stepping in the ring with Kovach tonight, but they’ve got it wrong – Joel Kovach is crazy to be stepping in there with me.

Angle: Carvill is better than Kovach.

Rating: E

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

From there we go to Kovach’s locker room, but the big man is anything but calm. He paces back and forth like a caged animal, occasionally punctuating his movements with short bursts of shadow-boxing. “Ever since I arrived in Canada I’ve been looking for a challenge, and last month 4C provided me with one in the form of Bob Casey. It was a good fight, a solid fight, an opponent I could respect. That’s all I’ve ever wanted – the opportunity to pit myself against the best and beat them.

“The Kovach’s Curse is all about the past, about getting people to forget where I come from, to forget about the money and the privilege and the fact I don’t have to sleep in my car while paying my dues. Ever since I arrived in Canada I’ve been looking for a challenge worthy of me, and last month 4C delivered in the form of Bob Casey. Casey had a lot of fight in him, we put on damn good wrestling match, and I earned myself the first victory in 4C that I’m actually proud of. Then Damien Carvill comes along and tries to split my goddamned head open, all because he’s got his panties in a twist about the fact that I’m better than him. Big goddamn mistake, Carvill – tonight I’m not going to be content with beating you. Tonight, the Krippler lives up to its name. Tonight I put you in the goddamn hospital.”

Angle: Kovach Threatens Carvill

Rating: E-

Lefty Jensen’s music hits and the crowd pops as the easygoing Jensen heads towards the ring, doing a quick lap of the crowd to high-five his fans before rolling under the bottom rope.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg

“You’ve probably noticed it – plenty of people have – but things aren’t exactly going well for old Lefty here in 4C. I got knocked out of the Championship race; I lost to tooth to that crazy bastard Big Trouble during the Hardcore Gauntlet; and last month I lost the first singles match 4C gave me since the start of the year. Loses happen in the wrestling game, it’s just a fact of life. Anyone who claims to be unbeatable is lying to you or they’re really, really good friends with Richard Eisen. Me, I just look to fix the problem before it gets out of hand. So tonight I’ve got myself a match against the Canadian Cowboy, Bob Casey, and I’ll take a look at getting this thing turned around.”

Angle: Lefty Jensen cuts a promo about his losing streak

Rating: F

LEFTY JENSEN VS. BOB CASEY

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BobCasey.jpg

Bob Casey defeated Lefty Jenson in 13:33 by pinfall with a Roll Up.

Notes: This match is like something straight out of NYCW, a real old-school versus neveau-old-school clash as Casey takes on a veteran who actually wrestled during the era Casey holds as the inspiration for his style. There’s lots of solid work on the mat, a nice exchange of holds and reversals, and some really solid chain-wrestling leads to a slow build. There’s lots of homage’s to wrestlers of old and the wrestlers get the smarky 4C fan base to buy into moves that would otherwise be disregarded as outdated. At one point Casey even goes for the Claw and clamps it in hard, to the point where Jensen gets color and the fans can see blood seeping through Casey’s fingers, and the crowd is solidly behind the easy-going Jensen as he fights out.

In the end, this is all about the roll-up. Lefty has a nice stretch of dominance, settling in as the wily veteran who knows Casey’s style inside and out, and they time the moment perfectly when the crowd has bought into the fact that a Jensen victory is inevitable before Casey drops out of a full-nelson and picks up the victory, tipping Jensen backwards and holding him for a quick three-count before anyone’s really sure how it happened.

Rating: E

BIG TROUBLE & DAVID GALLANT VS. PRINCE JAFAR & THE TORONTO TERROR

HARDCORE MATCH

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PrinceJafar.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Result: The Toronto Terror and Prince Jafar defeated Big Trouble and Daniel Gallant in 13:51 when Prince Jafar defeated Daniel Gallant by pinfall.

Notes: There’s two clear storylines going on here – Jafar is looking for payback on David Gallant for the loss two months ago while Terror seems to have taken the job for the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the Hardcore Champion. Much is made of the heel’s chemistry on commentary, but Shane makes a point of noting that such team-work is likely to stop the moment Jafar realizes he’s got a chance to hold 4C gold if he pins Trouble instead of Gallant. That moment comes the second Big Trouble brings the belt into play as a weapon, whipping Jafar across the face with the strap before laying into him. Terror makes the save, tackling Trouble and hammering him with elbows, but there’s a shrewd expression beneath the welt rising up on Jafar’s face as he pulls himself upright using the ring ropes.

The thing is, this doesn’t lead to dissention in the heel camp. Instead, it transforms them into a unified team that plays on their solid chemistry and simply mows down the cruiserweight Gallant like he was a minor road-block. From there the two men are all about Big Trouble, and although the giant Deathmatch veteran holds his own for a long stretch even his experience isn’t enough to stop the two-on-one mugging that results. He’s double-teamed time and again, his strap taken away and used against him, until finally the heels have beaten him into a bloody pulp.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg

BT is hanging by a thread when Babylon staggers out of the backstage area, moving towards the ring at an unsteady pace with a garbage bin full of weapons in one hand. The bin goes flying into the ring, knocking Prince Jafar loopy, and then Babylon rolls in to get some vengeance of The Toronto Terror, smashing Terror across the face with a baking tin before slamming the garbage bin over his head and kicking the crap out of him. A bloodied BT crawls for ringside, rolling out of the ring where he can’t be pinned, and by the time Jafar recovers the only real option left is pinning the groggy Daniel Gallant. The match ends with a victory for the heels, but the title still in Big Trouble’s possession, and the steady sound of Babylon kicking the s**t out of a dented garbage bin with Terror inside.

Rating: E

JOEL KOVACH VS. DAMIEN CARVILL

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Results: Damian Carvill defeated Joel Kovach in 14:10 by pinfall with quick a roll up with his feet on the ropes (after a low blow).

Notes: This is one of those matches you can generally get when you put two hot young bucks in the ring and let them have at it. Kovach wrestles face here, primarily because the 4C fans will happily back anyone capable of the kind of hard-hitting impact Kovach’s delivers, especially in light of Carvill’s ability to ground the big man and eliminate the strength advantage.

This match is all about two things – giving the audience a chance to see the underrated mat abilities of Kovachs and letting Carvill draw heat when he once-again turns a competitive bout sour by cheating. This time he’s doubling-up on the cheap heel tricks – a low blow isn’t quite enough to take out Kovach, so after tipping the big man and rolling him up it still takes feet on the rope for leverage in order for Carvill to score the three-count.

Rating: D-

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

Even the combination of the two oldest heel tricks in the book is barely enough to keep Kovach down. The big man is on his feet the moment Carvill lets go, spinning round and cold-****ing an unprepared Carvill with a huge lariat clothesline. The blow catches Damian Carvill on the chin and knocks him cold. Carvill lays there, unconscious, while the referee tries to figure out what to do and Kovach stalks from the ring with thunder writ across his face.

Angle: Kovach’s expresses his displeasure.

Rating: E

TEMPEST APPLEBY VS. BRAD KELLEY

4C CHAMPIONSHIP

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TempestAppleby.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Brad Kelley defeated Tempest Appleby in 14:34 by pinfall with the Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Brad Kelley makes defence number 2 of his 4C World title.

Notes: I’d heard good things about the Appleby/Kelley clash at the first show – Shane referred to it as the only sensible match that took place before we replaced Jafar – but it was still unexpected when we threw the two of them together and got this fast-paced clash between the high-flying face and the heel who desperately needs to ground-and-pound him.

Tempest Appleby rocks the Kasbah in this one. No, seriously. The scrawny little cruiserweight with no wins to speak of in the company comes back in a big way and sets the pace of the match, pulls off a litany of big high-risk spots, and basically blows all of Kelley's defenses away. Kelley has become the company franchise by eliminating the gaps in his wrestling game, leaving few gaps for an opponent to exploit and no real style he can’t match or counter. We pushed this match as the point where he’d finally be pushed – Kelley’s general competence falling to pieces when matched against someone as specialized at Tempest – and the pair pulled off the approach perfectly.

Seeing Appleby positioned as a possible equal of Kelley opened a lot of eyes, but the high-risk style the kid favours still has it flaws. All it took was Kelley hitting the ropes as Appleby prepared for a shooting star press and the entire thing crashed-and-burned in a spectacular way - Kelley was there to take advantage as the woozy Appleby struggled to his feet, throwing him halfway across the ring with the suplex, and after that the cover was a given. The crowd give did Tempest a standing ovation in the aftermath though, recognising the rookie's part in giving us one of the best matches 4C has seen in its young life.

Rating: D

Overall Show Rating: D-

arwink · September 7, 2009

Coming Up at No Limits

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Damian Carvill vs. Brad Kelley

4C Championship

Two of the most hated men in 4C are slated to face one-another with the Championship on the line. The young Carvill has talent to burn and victories over some of the best 4C has to offer, but Kelley has proved time and again that he can pull out all the stops when his title is on the line.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Babylon vs. The Toronto Terror

Babylon has been routinely busted open and put on the shelves due to the Toronto Terror's harasment, eventually snapping when he assaulted the tattood Terror during the Hardcore Championship last month. 4C officials have decided this issue needs to be settled and finally agreed to put the men in the ring for the first time since the Hardcore Gauntlet to see if they can work out their issues.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PrinceJafar.jpg

Big Trouble vs. Prince Jafar

4C Hardcore Championship

Last month Prince Jafar came within moments of claiming the Hardcore title, beating the deathmatch veteran bloody in tag-team competition. After coming so close to claiming the title due to the tag-team stipulation, Jafar has decided to try his luck in singles competition. Trouble, for his part, welcomes the opportunity to pick up another victory, aware that there are only 7 more successful defences between him and the guarenteed shot at the 4C Championship.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RaymondDiaz.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BobCasey.jpg

Raymond Diaz vs. Bob Casey

Raymond Diaz is the hard-hitting Strong Style Monster whose been making waves in Japan with his work as part of the Team Strength Rush duo in both GCG and PGHW. Bob Casey was first to volutneer to face the monstrous Diaz when it was announced that 4C had signed him for a run of shows, promising that Diaz's stiff kicks and monstrous frame are no match for a well-trained grappler who has mastered the art of the pinning combination.

Full Card

Daniel Carvill vs. Brad Kelley

Ramond Diaz vs. Bob Casey

Daniel Gallant vs. Joel Kovach

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Tayler Morton & Plague

Babylon vs. The Toronto Terror

Tempest Appleby vs. Lefty Jensen vs. Nathan Black vs. Brian Bounds

arwink · September 8, 2009

Card Subject to Change

I woke up the morning of the show to the sound of the phone ringing. I checked my watch: 3 am. That wasn’t a good sign.

The sinking feeling that’d settled in my gut got worse as I picked up the phone and heard the pips that always accompanied OS long distance. I’m not sure if I even registered Raymond Diaz’s apologies for the first few minutes, or the explanation. I just knew he was still in Japan and there was a hubbub behind him, the kind of noise I associated with phonecalls from shopping malls and…

Damn.

“Listen, Mister Ryan, I’m really sorry about this,” Diaz was saying. “I should be back on my feet in a couple of months, after a little rehab. If you still want me…” He trailed off, letting the question hang there for a second. I let it go on longer than I should have, largely because I wasn’t quite caught up on what he was saying. Words floated around my head, refusing to settle into a recognizable pattern. Eventually they settled in. Scyclads Bicep Disorder. Damn.

“Mister Ryan?”

I snapped out of it. It seemed like an innocent question, but from what I’d heard Diaz was a pretty humble guy. Most of the time, if you’re an international star who stands six-eight and you're capable of shattering a cinder-block with a roundhouse kick, you don’t worry about being asked back, but it seems Diaz assumed nothing.

“Call me Aussie, kid,” I said. “Everyone does when they work here.”

“Thanks, Ossy,” Diaz said, mangling the accent the same way every American did when they attempted my nickname. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. It’s just, well, you know how it is, I guess.”

“Sure, Ray,” I said. “Call us when you’re rehabbed and we’ll look at another launch. We're eager to work with you, kid, remember that.”

I hung up the phone and swore for a bit. Losing Diaz wasn’t a big deal, given it was meant to be a debut, but his presence was all about legitimizing the promotion as the place that international wrestlers came to fight. It might sound trivial, but when you consider the kind of people who travel over to work with the Stones it’s one of those low-key, subconscious signs of future greatness you want to have in the show whenever possible. By bringing in Diaz we were putting our own spin on the Stone Family tradition of bringing in Japanese stars in the making. Hell, half the logic of putting him up against Bob Casey in his first match was all about putting the Japanese striker against a traditional Canadian technical wrestler.

I spent the next couple of hours going over my notes on the show, resorting the details one way or another to determine how we’d cover the gap. Nothing I was coming up with felt right; I really wanted Bob in that clash-of-styles showcase.

It was around six am when I finally came up with a solution, although it largely involved leaning on Cliff Anderson’s good will. We’d been talking pretty often over the last couple of months, trading phone-calls as a courtesy gesture once I’d made the decision to bring in guys like the Gilberts and Tayler Morton while trading on their status as CZCW stars (and their CZCW storyline). We’d been kicking ideas around, idle thoughts about trading some talent back and forth during the King of the Indys in July, and I think we’d settled on the idea of working together.

If he was open to trading talent a little earlier than expected and we could get the guy I was thinking of on a flight in time, things might just work out…

arwink · September 9, 2009

4C Presents…No Limits

Taped at Windsor Hall in front of 60 people

Week 4, May, 1997

TEMPEST APPLEBY VS. LEFTY JENSEN VS. NATHAN BLACK VS. BRIAN BOUNDS

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TempestAppleby.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/NathanBlack.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarcelLeFleur.jpg

Result: Lefty Jenson defeated Nathan Black in 9:15 by pinfall.

Notes: As a general rule, the four-way is pretty lazy booking on my part – there’s enough bodies in the ring to ensure everyone gets a chance to hit their big spots and it hides the worst of a wrestlers flaws. Even Bounds ends up looking okay in this as we let all four men go at it, with the four-way seeing a lot of well times throws, holds, and counters from the technicians while Tempest Appleby sets up a bunch of highspots. There’s not much by way of story here – more a showcase of the best all four men have – but the commentary team push Lefty Jensen’s seeming comfort in this style of match and his superior experience in professional wrestling. Bounds blows spot after spot, just as we’ve come to expect, but the match hides the worst of it in the end. It makes for a nice, solid opener that doesn’t make any of the participants look bad.

Rating: E+

BABYLON VS. THE TORONTO TERROR

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Result: Babylon defeated The Toronto Terror in 8:26 by disqualification.

Notes: It starts as a brawl, both men going at it with all they’ve got, and it isn’t long before the fight leaves the ring and starts representing a hardcore match more than a traditional wrestling bout. Xavier Summer calls them back in a few times, trying to stay in control, but Babylon hammers Terror with everything he’s got and the bigger man returns the favor. We hit about six minutes before the Toronto Terror gives in to his barely-concealed psychotic streak and stops focusing on the victory. In the end he gets Babyon in a corner and starts hammering him with uncontrolled strikes to the face, keeping the assault going until Babylon’s head is lolling on his shoulders and the only thing keeping him upright are the ropes he’s leaning against. Referee Xavier Summer tries to pull Terror off him and double T turns and clocks the ref in the mouth. Xavier gets knocked on his butt, spitting blood, but he’s still got enough left in him to call for the DQ and award the match to Babylon.

Rating: E

THE GILBERT BROTHERS VS. TAYLER MORTON & PLAGUE

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TaylerMorton.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BlackEagle.jpg

Result: The Gilbert Brothers defeated Morton & Plague in 8:45 when Jesse Gilbert defeated Plague by pinfall with a Slap Shot.

Notes: The storyline for a Gilbert/Morton tag is set in stone by this point – Tayler and his ally wrestle their hearts out, but never seem to be able to match the tag-team experience and chemistry shared by the Gilberts. Joe Gilbert continues to get static from the crowd for his rough performances, especially since both the opponents in this match show up the rough edges in Gilbert’s performance far more than most opponents. Morton remains driving and focused throughout the match, intent on finally defeating the Gilberts, but he’s frustrated by the Gilbert’s superior ability to cut the ring in half and keep the Morton/Plague tandem from fully utilizing tags.

Morton and Plague are still trying to find their rhythm when the Gilbert’s institute one of their trade-mark set-ups for the Slap Shot - Jesse Gilbert barrels across the ring and knocks Morton off the apron with a drop-kick; Joe lays Plague out with a leg-lariat; then both Gilberts are up the turnbuckles and airborne before their opponents can recover, crashing into Plague with tandem fist drops from opposite sides of the ring.

Rating: E

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

We go backstage where Joel Kovach has bailed up Damien Carvill as he enters the building. Kovach looms over the smaller man, but Carvill just grins at him. "You got a problem, Krippler?"

"What do you think."

Carvill shrugs it off, refusing to be intimidated. “I think you should have worn a cup. I know you like to pretend this is all about the battle, man, but it's business, pure and simple. The champ makes the money, and that means I'm going to be the champ. If I have to beat you, then I beat you, by any means necessary. You were just the thing between me and greatness, big man, I got no real beef with you."

“Yeah, you think?” Kovach slaps Carvill across the face, the blow hard enough to leave a red mark. “How about now?”

That’s all it takes – Carvill drops his gear and unloads on the bigger man, throwing punches with enough aggression to put Kovach on the back foot. Soon the two of them are tangled up, throwing each other across the locker room, and it takes both me and Shane to pull them apart and separate them.

“What the hell, lads,” Shane yells. “Save it for the ring. In fact, Kovach, you should be there now. You’ve got a damn match, right?”

Kovach and Carvill stare at each other for a few moments, but eventually Kovach nods and walks off. “This isn’t over, Carvill.”

Carvill smirks. “Whatever you say, Kovachs. Whatever.”

Angle: Kovach and Carvill fight.

Rating: F

DANIEL GALLANT VS. JOEL KOVACH

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

Result: Joel Kovach defeated Daniel Gallant in 15:25 by submission with a Kovach Krippler.

Notes: This match got a better rating than it deserved, primarily because the combination of hard-hitting monster and death-defying cruiserweight is about as definitive as you can get if you’re looking for the 4C style. Kovach’s professionalism ends up being the deciding factor here – Gallant seemed to have given up on the match early on when the poor chemistry became obvious, and it was only Joel’s dogged determination to steal every card regardless of what we give him that makes this a bearable exchange. His frustration is evident as he starts laying into Gallant, possibly working a bit stiffer than Dan would have liked, but Joel’s smart enough to keep Gallant looking strong despite that.

Rating: D-

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The Canadian Cowboy, Bob Casey, moseys on down to the ring with a Stetson hat and his wrestling gear on. He climbs in, nods to the crowd, and says “Howdy.”

The response from the fans is mixed. There’s a lot of heat, sure, but Casey gets a weird kind of heat from the 4C fans. The lack of Charisma means he can’t make people hate him and our audience actually appreciates his ability to wrestle heel more than they hate him for it.

“I was supposed to be wrestling Ray Diaz tonight, the six-gun kid Bob Casey versus the Ray Gun Warrior. ‘Cept it turns out ol’ Ray ain’t exactly ready to come over here from Gee-pan yet, probably because he’s afraid of walking into the ring with yours truly. But since I’m here, and I got my wrestlin’ duds on, I figured I’d make a challenge – if there’s anyone out there willing to to step into the ring with the Canadian Cowboy…”

Angle: Casey makes an open challenge

Rating: F

Unfamiliar music washes across the Windsor Hall Arena – the opening chords of the Sex Pistol’s Anarchy in the UK – and there’s a small pop as JD Morgan steps out into the ring. We’re close enough to the Tri-State war for fans to recognize DaVE’s British shooter and a loud chant starts up as he climbs into the ring and gets in Casey’s face.

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“’Ello, sunshine, did I hear you say anyone?”

Casey opens his mouth to say something to that, but JD shuts it for him with a Liverpool kiss before a word gets out. The bell is called for and the match is on.

Angle: JD Morgan Accepts the Challenge

Rating: F

JD MORGAN VS. BOB CASEY

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Result: Bob Casey defeated JD Morgan in 11:58 by pinfall with a Roll Up.

Notes: This match is all about the ring-work and we make no attempt to hide it, giving both men their heads and letting them lay it all on the mat for twelve straight minutes. JD comes off looking like the dangerous aggressor here – he’s got a rep for toughness and an intensity that shows through – while Casey tends to underplay his counters and let the moments he’s in control seem to come out of nowhere. It’s here that his real talent as a heel manifests, in the moments where he’s on-top without matching his opponent’s intensity or skill, driving the fans crazy as they try to figure out why he’s suddenly getting two counts when he’s wrestling such a pared down, basic, cartoony style. Morgan will try and break Casey in two with a powerbomb, and Casey will counter with an eye-poke or a headlock after he’s finished selling the move. By the end there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Morgan should pick up the victory, but Casey breaks the Cross-Atlantic Stretch with a hidden low-bow and rolls his opponent upfor the three.

Rating: D-

DAMIAN CARVILL VS. BRAD KELLEY

4C CHAMPIONSHIP

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Brad Kelley defeated Damian Carvill in 15:10 by pinfall. Brad Kelley makes defence number 3 of his 4C World title

Notes: It’ll surprise no-one that this is the best match that 4C has put on to date – a fast-paced battle between two men who can switch-up their styles when needed and maintain a steady built throughout their match. They start things off by playing a little game called “who does the crowd hate more,” both of them airing out their arrogant heel personas, but Kelley is a long-term heel in Canada and Carvill finds himself wrestling the match as a face after it’s clear the crowd want the youngster to take the title away from the champ.

The story here is one of natural skill versus veteran mentality, with Carvill outwrestling the champ in many exchanges but falling prey to Kelley’s ability to manipulate the situation. Both men cheat, but somehow it’s always Carvill who gets caught and cautioned, causing frustration for the younger wrestler that eventually sees him slip up and allow Brad Kelley to take control. Carvill stays strong even when the match goes against him, countering or kicking out of all Kelley’s usual finishes and stretching the champ to the limit, but finally he falls prey to a sick Piledriver.

Rating: D

Overall Show Rating: D-

arwink · September 9, 2009

Best of Luck in Your Future Endeavors

We’d run a pair of dark matches at the show. It wasn’t something we did often – given the size or our audience, it didn’t make much sense to hold things back on the main show – but it turned out that Keita for one more date due to some scheduleing irregularities in getting this show together. Putting him on the may show seemed counter-productive after his farewell last month, so we had him put one of our new hires through his paces.

The other match was basically a test for some of the younger guys, figuring out whether they’d show me something to make me fight for them when their contracts came due and Troy Winner demanded we let them go. I could forgive guys for being green at this level, as long as I could see some promise in them, and we put a bunch of rookies in the ring with the Peak boys to see how they gelled as tag-teams in a triple-threat. With Troy aggitating for a tag-division in the near future, pointing to the vacant belts he'd already commissioned when he first put the company together, it made sense. Two guys who could be built as a unit while hiding their flaws had more value than a singles wrestler who didn't know how to work yet. We let the rookies pick their gimmicks to a certian extent, and if it worked they had my word I'd go to the mat for them when it came time to resign their ocntracts; if they didn’t, we weren’t going to have the time or money to develop them to the point where they’d be kept on.

The results, all in all, were surprising. In one case we settled in on a permanent tag-team in the form of Frank Tucker and Claude banks – they’d had a run in the previous show that impressed me and they’d actually put some thought into how they’d work a comedy disco-duo gimmick in order to get themselves over while we jobbed them out for a time.

The other team consisted of Marcus L. Reinoso and Andy Otto – we’d let them run with the ball when it came to figuring out their concept and they’d shown up in a pair of Star Wars t-shirts and entered the ring to the sound of the theme song to Babylon 5. I’m almost entirely sure it was Marcus’s idea, because he slid into the role naturally and played to the crowd as the match went on. Andy Otto…didn’t.

This put me in a quadry. Reinoso was green, but he had the crowd building into his character in a big way during that match. The small group of early-arrivals popped big every time the kid got in there with the Peaks and he played it to the hilt. We still had some time to knock off his rough edges, but it was almost a good enough gimmick to keep him working as a singles jobber.

But Otto’s contract was up a few days after the show and there wasn’t much of an argument to be made for keeping him around given the way he'd slumped through the match and bristled every time Marcus made an SF reference during the match. Andy took the news well enough and I told him we’d be interested in bringing him back once he’d gotten a little more experience under his belt, but I’m not entirely sure where he’s going to get it without migrating south and finding some small promotion in his local area. The Canadian independent scene is good, but it’s a small country and there’s not as many shows as the local talent would like.

We had a joint farewell for Otto and Fukao at a bar after the show. The sight of Big Trouble standing on a table, belting out Sweet Caroline after a dozen beers, is something that stays with you. You wouldn’t pick it from a guy whose spent his career getting hit with light tubes, lit on fire, and busted open with golf clubs, but he’s actually got a pretty sweet singing voice.

arwink · September 11, 2009

Coming Up at Best of the Best

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Babylon vs. Brad Kelley

4C Championship

Ordinarily a DQ finish wouldn’t be enough to elevate someone to a title shot, but Babylon has earned the respect of fans and officials alike with his attitude and desire to succeed in 4C after his victory over the Toronto Terror at our last show. Babylon comes into this match as an underdog, giving up size and experience to Kelley, but no-one in the locker room doubts the young man’s desire and heart. Officials have warning the locker room that interference in a 4C Championship match is grounds for suspension or expulsion from the company – a clear message to the Toronto Terror to stay away from the match.

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New Blood Showcase 1: Daniel Gallant vs. Brent Hill

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New Blood Showcase 2: JD Morgan vs. Joel Kovach

Two of the hottest talents in the East Coast Wars come to Canada to pit their skills against some of the best of the 4C locker room. Morgan made his debut at the last show in a losing effort against Bob Casey, so he’s hungry for the victory that’ll prove his lost was a fluke. Brent Hill has twice tested himself against one of Canada’s best while chasing the world title in Rapid Pro Wrestling, but every time he’s come up short. He’s travelled to 4C in order to immerse himself in the Canadian style and prove himself against out best in preparation for his third and final shot.

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Plague vs. Nathan Black

These two men stole the show back at Anarchy Unleashed when they fought to a fifteen minute time limit draw. Since then the pair have tried to one-up each other in mutli-man matches without success, leaving the fans and wrestlers alike eager to see which of the pair is superior. Black claims that victory will be his in this match, pointing out that he was seconds away from forcing Plague to tap in their initial meeting, but Plague has grown rapidly in skill and experience over recent months courtesy of his tours of Mexico and his work for CZCW.

Complete Card

Babylon vs. Brad Kelley

Daniel Gallant vs. Brent Hill

Big Trouble & Left Jensen vs. Prince Jafar & The Toronto Terror

Tempest Appleby vs. Damien Carvill

JD Morgan vs. Joel Kovach

Jack Geidroyc vs. Bob Casey

arwink · September 14, 2009

4C Presents…Best of the Best

Taped at Windsor Hall in front of 61 people

THE GILBERT BROTHERS VS. THE IRON HAMMER VS. MUSCLE MACHINE

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JesseGilbert.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeGilbert.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LittleBillLebowski.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GrantTruman.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DeanDaniels.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MickMuscles.jpg

The Gilbert Brothers defeated The Iron Hammer and The Muscle Machine in 12:43 when Joe Gilbert defeated Mick Muscles by pinfall with a Slap Shot.

Notes: Two new debuts for the show – Iron Hammer get a good pop out of their entrance, heading into the ring to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song while throwing the horns to the crowd, and Muscle Machine make for a somewhat frightening pairing as the technical wrestler Dean Daniels emerges with a six-four slab biceps and rippling torso that Shane identifies as Mick Muscles, a champion body-builder from Montreal. This comes in conjunction with a lot of commentary work about the fact that 4C will become the home of great tag-team action with a title tournament coming up in the near future.

We give the new teams some lead time to establish themselves. Hammer is all about the heavy-metal insanity – they brawl hard, they play air guitar when things go their way, and they seem to come out of every dust-up enjoying themselves. Bill Lebowski earns some big points with the 4C crowd when he goes toe-to-toe with the much larger Muscles, even if it does result in him getting thrown across the ring and blasted with an elbow from Mick while stuck in the corner. Muscle Machine are a far more legitimate threat, all focused aggression and smooth transitions, with Dean Daniels swooping in to lock in a submission after Mick Muscles works over an opponent.

Despite the flurries of offence from the newcomers, this is still the Gilbert’s match. Fast paced, full of double-teams, and their experience as team allows them to swiftly capitalize on the mistakes of others. It’s pretty standard fare for a Gilbert match – high risk offense leading towards the set-up for the slap shot, but this time Tayler Morton runs in and throws Jesse Gilbert off the ropes before he can make his half of the tandem fist drop. Joe still hits hard enough to pick up the victory, but the fans are rabid and shout abuse at Taylor as he struts back to the locker room.

Rating: E

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We go backstage to a locker room done up with palm-fronds and a cheap lion-skin rug on the floor. Prince Jafar stands in the middle of this low-key opulence, clad in white-and-gold robes, Terror stands behind him with folded arms and a cold glare directed at the camera. The contrast between the big man and his surroundings is striking.

“Finally…finally…management in this company has decided to treat me the way a prince should be treated, ah? Prince Jafar and the Toronto Terror, the lion of my royal court, have been given a lock room of our own. It is a beginning, ah?”

He snaps his fingers and the Toronto Terror steps forward, reaching for the camera man. The camera falls during the struggle and we hear screaming off-stage as Jafar picks the device up and holds it in front of his own face.

“It isn’t enough. I am a Prince, I come from royal blood, I am the very definition of greatness, ah? And I am denied my rightful shot at the 4C championship, the very pinnacle of greatness, and have to chase down a belt drenched in blood and pain in order to earn my shot. If that’s the way it has to be, ah, then that’s the way it will be. Big Trouble, get yourself a partner, because tonight the Lions of the Sahara are coming for you belt. Last time we content ourselves with beating your partner, tonight we take you out.”

Angle: The Lions of the Sahara form

Rating: E+

PLAGUE VS. NATHAN BLACK

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Result: Plague drew with Nathan Black in 15:00 when the time limit expired.

Notes: These two set their dynamic back in January and they replay it here with the same chemistry and style they did back then. It’s fast-paced action with Plague going high-risk and Black grounding his opponent, all the near-falls kept brief as they pull more and more out of their bag of tricks. There’s no anger in it, not really, just two equal opponents doing everything they can to prove that they’re the better man this time around.

This time it’s Plague who comes close to picking up the rub, setting Black up for the New Jersey Turnpike as the clock counts down, but he lands it a few seconds too late. Xavier Summer actually calls the victory in Plagues favor, but it lasts for only a few seconds before the time-keeper calls him over and the second draw between the two men is announced.

Rating: E

THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE VS. THE PEAK BROTHERS

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Panda Mask and Matty Phatty defeated The Peak Brothers in 9:36 when Matty Phatty defeated Doug Peak by pinfall.

Notes: The Animal Collective teams Matty Phatty with Canadian export Panda Mask, a cruiserweight making waves in Rapid Pro Wrestling down on the East Coast of America. Once again we lean heavily on the “you couldn’t hope to see this match in America” as part of the storyline, pitting RPW versus XFW on Canadian soil in the hopes of attracting the interest of tape-traders.

The match goes pretty much as you’d expect – Animal Collective are all about the big spots and comedy antics, the Peak Brothers are all about hitting hard and fast with brutal double-team spots. Once again we play on their reckless disregard for the rules, teasing DQ’s and highlighting their hardcore background, and once again it works against them. Eddie

Peak goes for a chair and tries to cave in Phatty’s skull, Xavier Summer stops him and wrenches the weapon out of his hands. Eddie turns on the referee, ready to unleash hell, but the Animal Collective see the opening and take it. Panda Mask comes in and hits a low drop-kick that knocks Eddies feat out from under him, and Matty hits a standing moonsault on the prone psychopath to pick up the three-count from a relieved referee.

Rating: E

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Animal Collective are actually daft enough to stay in the ring to celebrate after picking up their victory, and that’s bad news for them. Eddie Peak rises off the mat like a vision of death, staring at the victors with an absent expression. There’s no menace in the look, just a vague curiosity, like a kid staring at a math problem in class. Then he reaches out and grabs Panda Mask by the face, his huge hand enveloping Panda’s features, and smashes the kid to the floor with a clawhold STO.

Eddie bounces to his feat after that, smiling to himself, but Panda doesn’t follow. He just lies there, a limp bundle of meat, as Matty Phatty monkey shrieks in anger and leaps at Eddie. There’s a few seconds of furious fists from the monkey but Eddie no-sells all of it – instead he looks over at his brother, shrugs, and wraps Phatty in a bear-hug. Phatty squeals, trying to escape, and Peak hammers a quick trio of head-butts into the captured monkey. When he lets go Matty drops to the mat, woozy and unconscious, and Eddie smiles as he stalks out of the ring.

Angle: Eddie Peak Massacres the Animal Collective

Rating: E-

JACK GEIDROYC VS. BOB CASEY

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Result: Bob Casey defeated Jack Giedroyc in 13:26 by pinfall with a Roll Up.

Notes: There’s a lot of potential in Geidroyc, but this is your basic 4C squash designed to showcase the ability of Bob Casey. A solid match with some good work on both sides, with plenty of near-falls set up by Casey’s ability to roll his opponent up out of nowhere.

Rating: E

JD MORGAN VS. JOEL KOVACH

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JD Morgan defeated Joel Kovach in 24:50 by pinfall with a roll up.

Notes: We bill this match as the true end of the Kovach’s Curse, the first time Joel Kovach faces a man whose skills and talent are the equal of his own. Both men are submission specialists with a talent for brawling, focusing on setting their opponent up for a submission victory by brutalizing the relevant body part with heavy punches and slams. We’re ten minutes in before the first submission attempt is made, Kovach locking in the Kripper after an ugly-looking hammerlock slam on Morgan. There’s a few excruciating moments when Morgan looks like he’ll tap, but the British vet finds a reversal and the match goes on.

By fifteen minutes the crowd starts to click that their in for something special – both men have broken their opponents signature moves and settled in for a real fight, and after realizing that the usual expectations of a fifteen minute mid-card match don’t apply here the crowd starts buying into the contest in a very real way. At twenty minutes both men are wearing the expression of battered and weary warriors, slick with sweat that makes maintaining a hold even more difficult than it has been, and the contest of wills seems like it could go on forever with neither picking up a victory. Kovach’s finally gets into the position to lock in the Kripper, standing over JD, but the veteran manages to find just enough leverage to twist and get Joel on his back long enough to score the three-count and an end to the long struggle.

Rating: D

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Auguste Lazure is backstage with the masked warrior, Babylon. He asks Bab’s if he has any comments for critiques who believe he hasn’t earned tonight’s title shot against Brad Kelley.

“People can think what they want,” Babylon says. “Grateful as I am for the opportunity, this isn’t the match I wanted tonight. It isn’t the match I *needed* tonight. It’s just the match I’ve got, big and better than expected, but beating Brad Kelley and claiming the title won’t mean a damn thing to me. You see, Brad Kelley’s never left sitting in a pool of my own blood in the centre of the ring. He’s never tied me to the ring ropes and tried to take my head off with a running boot to the skull. He’s never cost me matches, he’s never attacked me, he’s never done anything to make me doubt myself. ”

“You’re saying you’d rather have a match with the Toronto Terror? The may who has left you blood several times now?” Lazure looks surprised.

“Yeah, I want Terror.” Baylon steps closer to the camera. “Hell, I need Terror, but they won’t let me back in the ring with him – they say it’s too dangerous. He hates me too much, I hate him to much, there’s no way to settle things. They gave me a title shot to placate me, to calm me down, but when a man puts you in the emergency room it takes more than a title to make you feel better. That’s why I’m going out there to win tonight, because everyone comes after the champ, Terror included. If 4C won’t put me in the ring with him again, then I need to make it impossible for them to say no.

"And for tonight, well...Terror, tonight I'm you're worst nightmare. For six months you've been dogging me, beating me down after my matches, but tonight I'm untouchable. Tonight, coming at me will cost you your job in 4C...but there's nothing stopping me from getting a little more payback.”

Angle: Babylon cuts a promo on Kelley and Terror

Rating: E-

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Joel Kovach sits on a bench backstage, a towel slung over his shoulders. He still breathes heavily, trying to recover from his match. “For four months I’ve been here in Canada, seeking a real test of my abilities. Tonight I found one. Morgan, I’ve got nothing but respect for you man. You came, you fought hard, and for three quick seconds you achieved what no-one else has done in this company. You pinned me, clean, in the middle of the ring.”

“But you know what? It doesn’t mean a damn thing for guys like you and me, Morgan. Wrestling isn’t about the three-count, it’s about looking a man in the eyes and knowing you’ve proved yourself better than he is. Knowing you’ve taken everything he has and left him with nothing. Knowing you’ve made him quit because he can’t take the pain of being in the ring with you any more. You may have found an opening and exploited it, but we both know that doesn’t prove a thing.

“You aren’t the kind of guy who’s happy with the three-count Morgan. Neither am I. So I’ll make a proposal, warrior to warrior – next time you come to Canada, you and me in an Ultimate Submission challenge. No pins, not roll-ups, nothing but the test of skill against skill. The next time you come here, we make each other tap or we break each other in the attempt.”

Angle: Kovach Challenges Morgan to an Ultimate Submission Match

Rating: E

TEMPEST APPLEBY VS. DAMIEN CARVILL

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TempestAppleby.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheNatural.jpg

Damian Carvill defeated Tempest Appleby in 15:37 by pinfall

Notes: This is a fast, athletic contest that pits Carvill’s talent for mat work against the blazing top-rope assault of Tempest Appleby. The advantage was always with Carvill on this one – he controlled the pace, has the fitness to match Tempest’s speed, and remains the better wrestler – but everyone’s aware that it takes but one big move from Appleby to eke out the win and tension ripples through the crowd every time the young cruiserweight hits the top rope. In this respect, Appleby continues to be his own worst enemy – Carvill gets the knees up when Appleby tries to land the 460 splash and after that it’s a simple matter to hit the Nature Calls and pick up the victory.

Rating: D-

BIG TROUBLE & LEFTY JENSEN vs. The LIONS OF THE SAHARA

HARDCORE MATCH

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PrinceJafar.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheTorontoTerror.jpg

Big Trouble and Lefty Jenson defeated Jafar & Terror in 14:44 when Big Trouble defeated The Toronto Terror by pinfall with a Lariat Clothesline.

The problems with this match are apparent from the beginning – while Jafar and Terror continue to shine as a tag-team, integrating their signature spots, the pairing of Trouble and Jensen never quite manages to get on the same wavelength. Missed tags and miscommunication consistently disrupt the flow of the storyline they blocked out and force the competitors to improvise – and there’s only one man in the ring who actually stands a decent chance of improvising the match on the fly. Trouble calls the match as best he cant, setting up situations where Jafar and Toronto work over both faces, and eventually we get a repeat of the last Hardcore tag-team match where Trouble is left standing alone and the heels work him over until…

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…Babylon swoops into the ring with a steel chair in hand and waffles Terror across the back of the head. Terror staggers, obviously stunned, but this time it gives Big Trouble the opened he needs to rise up off the mat and lumber across the ring for the Lariat Clothesline. Prince Jafar tries to stop Summer from making the three count, pointing at the blatant interference, but Summer just shrugs and points out that it’s no DQ before awarding Trouble and Lefty the win.

Rating: E

DANIEL GALLANT VS. BRENT HILL

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Byron.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BrentHill.jpg

Brent Hill defeated Daniel Gallant in 16:48 by pinfall with a King Of The Hill.

Notes: Brent Hill is a phenomenal talent who has made waves on the East Coast with his no-nonsense wrestling-machine persona. Gallant makes the mistake of trying to open the match with some showboating and playing to the crowd and Hill makes him regret it immediately, beating Gallants chest raw with a series of stiff chops. The match continues in much the same way – Gallant gets some momentum on his side, tries to be flashy, and Hill immediately takes advantage of any hesitation or weakness to make Gallant regret it. Eventually Brent pounces on Gallant as the kid tries to climb the ropes and hits the King of the Hill – using the momentum generated by pulling Gallant away from the ropes to roll both of them over before planting him with a bridging German suplex on the second revolution.

Rating: D-

Hill snatches the microphone out of the ring-announces hand and addresses the crowd.

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“I’m pretty close to being the best wrestler in the world. In fact, there’s just one thing standing in my way – a blow-hard Canadian named Steve Flash who keeps going on and on about how great the guys he wrestles back home are. So I came here tonight to find the answer to one question – what’s so great about Canadian wrestling? If this is the best you can give, then I guess the real answer is ‘not much.’ And if you can’t help me beat Steve Flash and prove that I am what I say I am, then you’re just another obstacle that needs to be moved from my path to greatness.”

And with that Hill dives on Gallant, locking in a cross-face chickenwing. Officials ring the bell several times as Xavier Summer tries to get Hill out of the ring, but Hill just cranks the hold even righter until Gallant eventually passes out from the pain.

Angle: Hill tries to break Gallant’s arm

Rating: F

BABYLON VS. BRAD KELLEY

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Random_Male03-1.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Brad Kelley defeated Babylon in 19:49 by pinfall with a Small Package. Brad Kelley makes defence number 4 of his 4C World title.

Notes: Brad Kelley is clearly the better wrestler in this one, controlling the match from the outset and making it difficult for Babylon to chain together any real offense. Unfortunately for the champion Babylon is more than comfortable with taking a beating and keeps coming back - Kelley hits the kid with several finishers, but it’s nearly impossible to keep Babylon down for longer that two. The fans get behind him, applauding his fighting spirit as he kicks out of three successive Belly-to-Belly supplexes, then a big suplerpex from the top rope, then a crash-and-burn botched spot during a brief rally. Babylon eventually gets the upper hand through sheer stubborn will and frustration on Kelley’s part, laying the Champion out with a powerbomb, but when he comes in to make the cover a groggy Kelley catches Babylon in a small package that’s at least 80% instinct and picks up the three-count.

Rating: D

Overall Show Rating: D-

arwink · September 14, 2009

Trouble Town: The Third Stop

I’m chatting with Marcus Reinoso after the show, talking him through the dark-match he’d worked with Brian Bounds and offering some tips that might have improved things. He sat there nodding, grinning like a fool the entire time, obviously pleased that we’d let him pick up his first real victory. He’d added a few little tweaks to the character to make it work as a singles gimmick – he’d played the geek thing entirely for laughs the first time around, even going so far as to attempt a force-choke in the ring, but that wouldn’t fly in a solo match. He’d started toying with a more competent, direct approach to the character this time around. “The Alpha-Geek,” he told me, “like, the geek whose okay with being a geek, the one who doesn’t get beat up.” He saw the expression on my face. “Nah, man, not like that. I’m not saying I gotta win, just that I want to play it a little tougher.”

Whatever he was about to say next got lost in the stampede of guys rushing out of the locker room. My stomach sank as I followed them, dreading what I’d find there. Odds are it’d be Shane-o with another prank gone wrong, and I only hoped it wasn’t directed at someone we were trying to build a long-term relationship with.

In the end, it was worse than that. Much, much worse.

***

“Give me a good reason not to fire him.”

Troy had stopped pacing for a moment, giving me an even stare from the far side of the room. He packed a fair amount of menace into that stare – what Troy Winner lacked in size he made up for with sheer bloody-minded intensity.

“Hell, Troy, I’ll give you three. One: he was provoked; Two: this isn’t as big a deal as you’re thinking, not really – go ask the guys working heel what it was like in the old days, when the fans really would take a swing at you when they weren’t clued into how things worked; Three: we need him. He’s good on the damn mic and good in the damn booth, regardless of anything else. People like hearing him on commentary and he’s got as much heat as you can get when you aren’t active in the ring. He’s good, Troy, and he doesn’t deserve to lose his job over this. It’d kill him if he did.”

“He decked a fan,” Troy said.

“He ****ed up.” I shrugged. “People **** up, sometimes. You need to cut them some slack.”

“Jesus, Oz, I know he’s you’re friend and all-”

I stood up. “No.”

“No?”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that friendship’s got anything to do with this,” I said. “This is all pro-and-con, mate, and I thinking there’s a better solution to this than firing him. It’s not like this has hurt us yet, and I doubt it’s going to – the guy he decked was drunk and he was being an *******. There’s plenty of guys around who’ll defend Shane for what he was doing. It wasn’t an appropriate response, but it wasn’t as damaging as it could be.”

Troy fumed for a few moments, contemplating that. “And if I do fire him, what happens to you?”

“You mean, am I going to walk away?” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t be happy, but I’d stick around. If I walked away every time I disagreed with someone who didn’t get on with Shane…”

Troy thought about that. Finally he nodded. “He can stay.”

“Good.”

“But I’m fining him for that last show,” Troy said. “I’m not letting this slide Aussie.”

I held my tongue and stepped outside. Shane waited for me, leaning against the side of the building. He lit a cigarette and watched me approach, offered me a grin that was far too confident for its own good. “So did you talk the little guy out of firing me or what?”

I don’t remember attacking him, not really. One minute I was marveling that he said something like that, all ****y and arrogant, and the next I had him pressed against the wall with my teeth clenched. Shane struggled for purchase and I pushed myself away from him, frightened of what I might have done if we’d actually had to start struggling against him.

“Of all the stupid, arrogant, dick-headed things you could have done,” I said. “****ing with a fan, you idiot. I should have let him fire you.”

“But you didn’t, right?” Shane looked contrite.

“Not yet. But that’s got nothing to do with you, mate, that’s just business. I wouldn’t let him fire anyone over a barney with a fan, least of all against someone who provoked him, but I expected better from you Shane. You’re not a rookie who can get away with this stuff because he doesn’t know any better – you’re one of the authorities here, the example the younger guys look up. We’re in charge, you putz, and you’re ****ing that up.”

“The guy said something about-”

“I DON’T ****ING CARE WHAT THE GUY SAID.” I took a deep breath. “This isn’t about what the guy said or who you used to be, Shane. It’s about how you reacted. It’s about you, here and now, ****ing up a good thing.”

Silence settled in. Shane stared at me, anger waging war with friendship behind his eyes. “Yeah,” he said, “you’re right, Oz.”

“The hell I am,” I told him. “You’ve said that, what, a million times over the years? Every time I find myself cleaning up your mess? **** that, Shane.”

It was a long, tense ride back to Shane’s apartment. It got worse after that, slowly but surely.

Three days after the show I gave in and started looking in the classifieds to find my own apartment in the Windsor area.

arwink · September 14, 2009

Coming up at Iron Man Challenge

4C unleashes submission wrestling at its finest when we return to the Windsor Hall Arena, Windsor, on the Last Monday in July. Featuring bouts between:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JDMorgan.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelKovach.jpg

JD Morgan vs. Joel Kovach

Ultimate Submission Iron Man Match

Two of the greatest submission wrestlers in the world today meet in an iron-man match where the only way to win is to force your opponent to submit as many times possible. Morgan and Kovach put on a wrestling classic in their first clash, but this one promises to blow the first away.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeoPrice.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BradKelley.jpg

Lefty Jensen vs. Brad Kelley

4C Championship

Lefty Jensen is one of the most respected wrestlers on the 4C roster and a long-term foe of Brad Kelley in both Canada and the United States. Despite having a rocky beginning in 4C, officials have granted the veteran Jensen’s request for a shot at his old adversary and a chance to win the title.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BigTrouble.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BrentHill.jpg

Big Trouble vs. Brent Hill

4C Hardcore Championship

Brent Hill’s spectacular performance at our last show elevated him into title contention and 4C officials have pitted him against a difficult challenge – the imposing monster and death-match veteran who gets to perform in his natural environment. Hill refuses to back down to anyone, least of all a man like trouble, but how will the Wrestling Machine adapt to a more extreme environment than he’s used too?

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/VicWalker.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JackGiedroyc.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EddiePeak.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DougPeak.jpg vs.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LittleBillLebowski.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GrantTruman.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DeanDaniels.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MickMuscles.jpg

Hale & Giedroyc vs. The Peak Brothers vs. Iron Hammer vs. Muscle Machine

Tag-Team Gauntlet

4C Officials have announced that the company will host a tournament to crown it’s first Tag-Team tournament across September and October, resulting in a flurry of interest from young teams eager to secure their spot. At Iron Man Challenge we showcase four of the young teams eager to earn their spot in the first tournament, pitting them against each other in a tag-team gauntlet.

Complete Card

JD Mogan vs. Joel Kovach

Lefty Jensen vs. Brad Kelley

Babylon & Tempest Appleby vs. Damien Carvill & Bob Casey

Marcus L Reinoso vs. Prince Jafar

The Gilbert Brothers vs. Plague & Black

Big Trouble vs. Brent Hill

The Boogie-Woogie Express vs. Tayler Morton and Dario Shelton

Panda Mask vs. The Toronto Terror

Lucas Hale & Jack Geidroyc vs. The Peak Brothers vs. The Iron Hammer vs. The Muscle Machine

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