TCW: A Quiet Retirement

[Phantom Stranger]

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TCW Presents Saturday Night Showcase

 

Saturday Week 1 July 2009

 

Live on CBA (Rating 14.94)

 

Held at the New Hampshire Garden (New England)

 

Attendance: 23,436

 

Announcers:

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Duane Fry – Jasmine Saunders – Alanis Springsteen

 

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As the show begins Wolf Hawkins and Phil Vibert stand side by side in the ring, Wolf in street clothes, the belt nonetheless around his waist. They have microphones.

 

Hawkins raises his microphone to his lips. “I'm going to make this short and sweet,” he says. “I. Want. Tommy. Cornell. I want him right in front of me, in the ring, in a match, where I can beat his ass down, make damn sure everyone knows I'm better than him, and, you know what, then I don't care. Then you can throw anyone you damn well want at me. Then you can do whatever you want.

 

“But this ends, Tommy. This has to end. You need to stop running, and you need to stop running now. Face up to the facts; you found someone better than you and he realised it eventually.

 

“It's time you faced the music.”

 

Vibert then steps forward. “Generation Omega have other issues at the moment,” he says. “But funnily enough, they come back to Tommy Cornell, too. Less than a week ago, now, Sean McFly and Marc DuBois faced off with some major stakes on the line.

 

“Now the record books say Marc DuBois lost that day. But who counted the pinfall?

 

“Was it Sam Sparrow, TCW's head referee? Well, why, no it wasn't. How about Ray Johnson? He's got a TCW contract, he's got a referee's licence, he's an authorised match official, and it wasn't him... And you know something, that's two down, and that surely means it was Eugene Williams, right? The only other man you can say has the credentials...

 

“Except no.” He glowers at the camera. “The man who counted three was Tommy Cornell. The man who counted three does not hold a referee's licence. The man who counted three was not added to the match contract as an authorised official. He wasn't even on the paperwork as a licenced enforcer for the match, let alone a referee.

 

“You know something, that means I see no damn reason I should abide by the terms of an illegal loss. I see no damn reason, in fact, that I should not be able to lobby for Generation Omega's match ban to be overturned.

 

“So that starts now. Give us our rightful opportunities, Midden, give us our rightful paydays, or we're going to take them.”

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Breakin' The Law hits, and not very long after at all, out come Tommy Cornell and Mayhem Midden. Cornell takes a few moments to look around him; by now, his theme tune draws nothing but cheers, nothing but approval, and it really looks like he can't quite believe it.

 

Midden, on the other hand, is straight to work and all business.

 

“Some hope, Phil,” he says. “You can stall all you want, but you were trying legal action to begin with. You knew it was going to be sticky getting what you wanted through. But me? I've got a contract for a match, your signature on it, and legally binding obligations on the result of that match. I've got the match itself in the record books, too. I've got all I need – and I can guarantee you, your man on the Board is going to have to sell.

 

“And as for Wolf...”

 

“Right,” Cornell grins. “Wolf, you don't get me. See, I hate to say it, but I haven't had a PPV match in a while, so I haven't had a chance to prove myself on that level. But there are quite a few people ahead of me... for one thing, I've started the ball rolling on advertising your next World Heavyweight Championship match, coming up at Summer Showdown; because the man you took the championship from had a pretty fresh contract, and that contract had a rematch clause in it.

 

“Johnny Bloodstone has every right to face you again, one on one, for the title. And considering it took Remo and Joey Minnesota to stop him last time... and considering how pissed off you've made the Submission Demon... and actually, considering that you use so much you learned in the Syndicate, and Sam Keith is willing to advise Bloodstone, you have a hell of a match up ahead of you.”

 

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Cornell and Midden leave the stage, and Runaway starts to play, leading swiftly to Freddy Huggins coming down. Hawkins and Vibert exchange looks, and Hawkins shrugs, unsnapping his belt from around his waist.

 

Phil Vibert has the last word. “You know something, Ken, I told you what the alternative was. You aren't giving us what's rightfully ours, so we're going to take it. Starting with our right to a match... and our right to a winners' payday.”

 

Hawkins sails over the top rope to hit a diving forearm on Huggins. A beatdown ensues – a vicious beatdown, entirely devoid of announcer discussion and other such commentary. Huggins ends up tossed over the top rope and Vibert speaks again. “Phoenix, you have a match booked. Come on out and make a name for yourself.”

 

Ray Johnson shakes his head, refusing to enter the ring, and Vibert grins. “Thought not,” he says. “Well, Tommy wasn't a legal ref, neither am I. Seems fair.”

 

At that, and at last, Ultimate Phoenix heads toward the ring.

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/UltimatePhoenix.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/WolfHawkins.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/PhilVibert.jpg

Ultimate Phoenix vs. Wolf Hawkins w/ Phil Vibert

These two just can't quite get together and find a rhythm in the ring, but the contest is still well-received, with Phoenix taking it to Hawkins and actually having an opportunity to show what he can do, including a massive Firebird Splash following the 450-degree rotation at around five minutes in.

 

Nonetheless, the champion kicks out, with Vibert not even having to appear an unfair ref to ensure it. In the end, Hawkins turns it around, nailing Phoenix with the Full Moon Rising full in the face.

 

To hammer the point home, Vibert's count is a hair slower than normal, emphasising that he's not cheating.

Wolf Hawkins defeated Ultimate Phoenix

Rating: B

 

 

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British Lions & Jaime Quine w/ Laura Huggins

vs.

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New Wave & JeriLynn Stone

Two very fine teams. Two hungry young women. This one is excellent from the off, despite not having the kind of heat it might. A series of exchanges quickly shows just how good most of these wrestlers can be right from the beginning, and Jaime Quine gets a small pop when she corners Scout and explodes into a sequence of stiff kicks.

 

Stone breaks it up with a charging knee to the back, and shortly afterward the combat looks likely to start breaking down, with all six participants heavily involved. In the end, however, Walter Morgan gets taken down with a Guided Missile and kept down with the Wave of Mutilation, while JeriLynn Stone hits Merle O'Curle with the Girl's Best Friend to make sure he doesn't interfere in the pincount.

New Wave & JeryLynn Stone defeated British Lions & Jaime Quine

Rating: B-

 

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Backstage goes the camera, and Autumn Gleeson is, as ever, standing by in the interview room. With her is Chris Rockwell. She smiles cheerfully at the camera. “Another great match,” she begins, “which is only to be expected from those teams – and from those women. But now, let's talk about what could have been a great match.

 

“Chris, you've had a lengthy series of matches where your passion to win has cost you the victory. Your skill is undisputed. Lately, though, other people have been taking an interest in your matches, seemingly settling them by actions outside the contest itself.

 

“That led you to the Hard-Hitting Championship belonging to Texas Pete, and on Sunday your bid to win it from him was interrupted when Matthew Keith made his presence felt.

 

“You've gotta be more than a little annoyed with that?”

 

Rockwell nods, frowning slightly. “Look, I'll be honest. I've been out of sorts and short tempered for so long, I need to kick that to the kerb, remember what I used to be.”

 

“Used to be?”

 

Rockwell grins. “I don't expect you to know, Autumn, you weren't even in this country when I was really hitting my stride, and the last decade derailed me hard. But I was... I set myself up as the man to beat, the proving match, the big challenge, and the number of people who could beat me was a small one.

 

“I asked people if they had what it took to beat me, I asked people if they had what it took to me me. And no one did.

 

“Now, it's ten years on, and maybe I'm a mite slower – but I've got ten years' more experience, ten years' more practice. I've also got this monkey on my back of a losing streak and this temper I can't get back under control.

 

“But I can beat that. I will beat that. And when I do... I will be the man to beat again.”

 

He nods. “I want to deal with Matthew Keith to help prove that. I want to put Texas Pete away to help prove that.

 

“Understand, Autumn, I'm not talking about proving it to you. I'm not talking about proving it to the fans.

 

“I'm not even talking about proving it to the rest of the wrestlers.

 

“Rick knows. Rick saw what I used to be. Rick believes in me. Rocky... I don't know that Rocky believes, but he's a friend, and he'll stand by me, he'll help me be what I can.

 

“The problem I have is that right now I don't believe in me. But I'm going to, again. Mark my words, I'm going to again. I'm going to prove to myself that I still have what it takes to be Chris Rockwell, and when I've proved it, I'll have the belief I need to never... again... stop.”

 

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Young Guns vs. Ian Harris & Zimmy

The fans aren't hooked into this the way they're hooked into Generation Omega, but really, no one expects them to be. Nonetheless, the Darkwave duo bring something new to this tag match, and the Young Guns bring what they always have; dedication, hard work, a certain dynamism, and an uncanny timing on double-team moves distilled from years of hard work.

 

It's indisputable from the first few minutes that Harris and Zimmy are both more innovative competitors, and arguably better wrestlers on an individual level. But the Young Guns have weathered the best part of a decade as tag team wrestlers, and that is, here, a true game changer.

 

The Guns keep it close, keep it clever, and when the time comes, Steve Gumble ducks a charge by Zimmy, sending him over the top rope, and Harry Allen comes off the apron with perfect timing to drop an elbow an instant after Zimmy lands.

 

Back in the ring, Allen assists Gumble in landing the Blitzkrieg Bop on Ian Harris, and Steve covers to score the fall.

Young Guns defeated Ian Harris & Zimmy

Rating: B-

 

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As the match ends, Charlie Thatcher is already heading for the ring at a full sprint.

 

He grabs Zimmy, delivers a stiff punch to keep the Darkwave man off-balance, and rolls him into the ring, following and heading straight past Harris at speed, hitting the far ropes and coming off with a speedy big boot to put Harris back down.

 

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A second later, as Fry reminds viewers of the stipulation last Sunday, Shout at the Devil begins to play, and Mayhem Midden emerges.

 

The Board's Representative climbs into the ring and gets set to face off and deliver the mandated headbutts, with Thatcher holding Zimmy firmly in anticipation of his.

 

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Then Jack Bruce emerges, walking slowly down.

 

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Midden turns to watch, and Fury of the Storm begins to play, with Troy Tornado and Amber Allen walk out. Bruce stops in his tracks; Midden smirks, delivering a stiff headbutt with the steel band to Zimmy, followed by one for Ian Harris.

 

Tornado then raises his microphone to his lips.

 

“Glad I caught you out here, Jack,” he calls, somewhat mockingly. “See, I've got a proposition for you... You and me have our own groups, and we've got our differences in the ring, but so far as I can see your lot won't give up just because the record books ain't on your side.

 

“But you've got this new song... and I've got a way in with a record label. So here's what I suggest.

 

“You and me, we both have our latest songs released this coming week. And at Summer Showdown, we check the numbers and see which song's sold best. You say Harry taking a stand, making a name for himself, all that's started giving people problems with us?

 

“Well, maybe it has. Course, I say interfering in a promising young wrestler's career just to sneak a win is gonna give people problems with you... but we both seem to be fighting for the right to say the fans are with us. And this way, they can put their money where our mouths are.

 

“So. Darkwave get a shot at the charts, on me, for free... or we keep on bitching. Your call, Jack. You think you've got any fans left? You think what you're playing is music? Prove it... or puss out.”

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/AmericanBuffalo_AJA.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/MaratKhoklov.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ChanceFortune.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ElLeon.jpg

M.A.D. vs. Chance Fortune & El Leon

Fortune and Leon don't look particularly keen on the upcoming contest, and as the wall of muscle facing them emerges, the reason for that is all too clear.

 

Nonetheless, the All Action division reps do their best. There just doesn't seem to be much they can do, and Khoklov eventually nails El Leon with a thunderous Moscow Lariat to score the win.

M.A.D. defeated Chance Fortune & El Leon

Rating: C

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/TommyCornell_alt1jt.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/UKDragon.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/LauraCatherineHuggins.jpg

Tommy Cornell vs. UK Dragon w/ Laura Huggins

UK Dragon doesn't have a size, experience, or fame advantage on Cornell. Still, he's fast and to say that he's not on Cornell's level still allows a lot of skill, and early on this contest is as even as it gets. Little by little, though, Cornell goes to work on the Dragon's knee, slowing down his offence, minimising his mobility.

 

In desperation, the Dragon shoves Cornell away. A limping charge later he delivers a cross body that takes out Ray Johnson.

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Even as Fry is doubting Springsteen's claims that this might have been deliberate, Frankie Dee is in the ring, and seconds later, so is Acid.

 

The beatdown begins, and as the crowd's objections become more and more vocal, Cornell starts to fight back. A lucky duck sees Frankie Dee's Sinanju Kick nail Acid, not Cornell, and a Rough Ride puts Dee down too.

 

A recovered UK Dragon promptly nails Cornell with a shot to the gut, hooks the arms and sets up for the Dragon Drop, but Cornell blocks that, countering to a DDT and making the cover as Ray Johnson revives. Against the odds, he picks up the win.

Tommy Cornell defeated UK Dragon

Rating: B

 

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Wolf Hawkins rolls into the ring and nails Cornell with the championship belt immediately on the match finish. A second later, Remo is in the ring beside him, both men having come over the guardrail.

 

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Remo plants Cornell with the Destroyer as Phil Vibert, too, hops the crowd barrier, collecting a microphone, getting close and personal with Cornell as the two active wrestlers continue to assault the company owner.

 

“Let me do you a favour, Tommy,” Vibert sneers. “Let me suggest we settle this properly. You get your new BFF McFly in the ring Tuesday. We'll put Joey Minnesota in the ring. We'll put that stipulation back on the line, and you can see who wins with a real ref to decide it.

 

“Or, of course, we can beat on you some more.”

 

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Ricky Dale Johnson and Sean McFly are on their way down to the ring. Remo hoists Cornell back up for the Destroyer, but before he delivers it Hawkins flies from the second rope, catching his former mentor in the head with the Full Moon Rising. Then, and only then, does Remo smash him back down to the canvas.

 

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Vibert backs off, with Generation Omega staying between RDJ and McFly and their mastermind, leaving Cornell down and apparently broken in the ring. Mayhem Midden emerges after a long moment,

 

“You want a rematch?” he growls. “Well, Phil, it's your damn funeral. Because what you're putting up for this isn't going to be your buddy selling out, no way. What you're putting up for this is going to be a lot more serious.”

 

EMTs are heading down to check on Tommy Cornell, who is, eventually, stretchered out.

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/GreaseHogg.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/LeadBelly.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/CarlBatch.jpg

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch

vs.

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Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell

The bell rings with Art Reed and Peter Hopper in the ring. Immediately both men lunge forward, but Reed is going for a collar-and-elbow, Hopper for a massive boot, and the result is that the Kreed man finds himself down on the ground from the off.

 

Hopper stomps once, twice, then hauls Reed up, whipping him to the Riders' turnbuckle. A running avalanche follows, and Hopper tags out to Fonda, holding Reed in a powerful abdominal stretch.

 

Billy measures the trapped Kreed man and delivers a volley of punches until, the five count elapsed, Ray Johnson chivvies Hopper from the ring.

 

A backdrop suplex follows, creasing Reed, and Fonda tags out. Hopper comes in, hoists his partner above his head, and powerslams him onto Reed.

 

Another big suplex and Reed finds himself in the corner again as Hopper tags out, with Fonda setting to whip his partner in for a splash – but Reed rolls clear, rushing across the ring. Fonda moves to intercept, but he's met by Greg Keith coming in and the Kreed get a hi-lo on Fonda, dropping the big man. Greg climbs back out of the ring and Johnson allows the tag.

 

Greg tries to rush Fonda again, but he gets backdropped over the top and Fonda tags back out. In comes Reed and – in a move that shocks the crowd, to judge by the sound, Hopper grabs an armbar. He holds it for a good twenty seconds before Reed finds a counter that can still work against the bigger man's strength – he monkey flips him.

 

As Hopper recovers, he charges and Reed ducks down, grabbing the top rope to send Hopper tumbling out, flying far enough that he catches his chin on the guardrail.

 

Reed tags out. Greg runs around the outside and looks to weaken the injured neck with a charging lariat. Back in, and he goes for a neckbreaker before tagging out, keeping Hopper held in a front facelock as he does so.

 

Art promptly vaults the ropes, grabbing the facelock off Reed on the way down to deliver a DDT with thunderous momentum.

 

He hoists the downed Rider up and uses the ropes to add emphasis to a slingshot backbreaker.

 

Fonda promptly charges across the ring, getting a massive lariat. Johnson shoos him back to his corner, but the momentum has been broken; Hopper gets up, knocking Greg from the apron with a single solid punch, then turning to attack Reed again. He goes for a powerbomb, but Reed takes a leaf out of a joshi legend's playbook, rolling through to a pinfall before Hopper powers out.

 

The Rider takes Reed's head off with a charging boot after that, but Greg tags himself in blind and comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick to pop the crowd. He looks for a suplex, but Hopper counters it to his own and dumps him before tagging in Fonda.

 

Fonda comes in strong, flooring Greg again and then military pressing him into his partner.

 

Carl Batch runs over and rolls Greg back into the ring for his team to capitalise, but Johnson's checking on Reed after that bad spill.

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/SayeedAli.jpg

And then Sayeed Ali takes advantage, diving into the ring and holding Greg with a full nelson while Fonda delivers a series of bodyshots. Eventually he nods, and Ali spins Greg around to deliver, for the first time on TCW screens, the G.B.H. Driver.

 

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To a roar of approval from the crowd, however, Brent Hill arrives, tossing Batch into the crowd barrier. Hopper and Ali promptly go after him for the attack on their manager; the grin on the Machine's face as he backs off suggests this is exactly what he'd been hopping for, a major distraction.

 

By the time Ray Johnson moves to make the count on Keith, Reed is in position to break the pin, soaring from the top rope with a legdrop to do it; as Fonda climbs back to his feet, Reed nails him with a dropkick that sends him to the ropes.

 

Art leaves the ring as Greg catches the rebounding Fonda into a small package in one fluid motion, and that's enough to score the win after 19:35 of solid action.

Kreed defeated Easy Riders

Rating: A*

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JohnnyBloodstone_alt2.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/BlondeBombshell.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/MatthewKeith.jpg

Johnny Bloodstone w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Matthew Keith

From the off it's clear just how comfortable these two are with each other; timings are perfect, delivery of moves is excellent, and they just gel.

 

Lots of jockeying for the upper hand early as Keith slaps Johnny around, but Bloodstone isn't one to just let himself get slapped without delivering a few of his own.

 

Keith backs him to the corner and hits a chop that even referee Sam Sparrow sells. They trade chops, and Keith falls all the way to the floor.

 

Matthew holds off on returning to the ring, playing on his knowledge of his former stablemate as Johnny starts to get pissed. Back in, Johnny calls for and wins a test of strength before turning it into an armbar.

 

Keith whips him off but gets shoulderblocked and armdragged right back down into the armbar. That segues to a hammerlock. They trade moves back and forth until Bloodstone goes all the way over the top to the floor off a missed crossbody.

 

“Well, if I were in a position to advise the former champion,” Fry begins, only to be cut off by an amused Saunders who offers “You're not, unless you can beat his win record.”

 

Fry continues nonetheless. “Even so, he needs to stay away from the weaker areas of his game when he faces someone as good as Matthew Keith.”

 

Keith delivers a few chops to Johnny before getting distracted by one of the signs at ringside (KREED OWN THE KEITH BROTHERS) and getting into an argument with a guy in the crowd.

 

Johnny attacks, but Matthew counters clear and goes into a series of roll-up pins. Most of these get two, and as Bloodstone rises from one, sure he'll be facing another quick pin, Matt kicks him in the gut and hits a butterfly suplex.

 

He goes for his own cross-body and Bloodstone counters, dumping him throat-first across the top rope.

 

Johnny goes for a pin and finds Keith ready, rolling through to a pin of his own. One, two – no!

 

Matt moves to argue the call with Sparrow, his shin across Bloodstone's throat as he does so. “Getting his own back,” Springsteen says mildly. “Not that sporting, but smart.”

 

The fight goes back to the outside, with Bloodstone delivering a suplex across the guardrail. As Keith struggles to get back to his feet, the camera catches the fans, their faces twisted in sympathy for Keith. Another exchange of chops drive them back to the apron as the count nears ten, and Matt climbs in first. He looks to suplex Bloodstone back in, but Johnny reverses to an O'Connor roll! ONE, TWO, T- NO!

 

They back off each other, taking one another's measure. Keith hits the crossbody, and they BOTH go over. By now, though, both men are focused on victory, not on inflicting pain, and it isn't too long before they both roll back into the ring.

 

Back in, Bloodstone catches Keith on top and slams him off. BLOODSTONE MUTILATION…but Matt gets his foot on the ropes.

 

Johnny goes up, but Keith rattles the ropes, sending Johnny all the way to the floor, injuring his knee on the landing.

 

“Bloodstone has to stick to his game!” Fry yells. “This one-upping isn't going to work when you let it take you out of your element!”

 

Matthew gets his opponent back in the ring as soon as he can, stomping on the injured knee before dropping a knee of his own into it. He goes for the Proton Lock, but Johnny's able to block him from locking it in and twist clear.

 

Keith grabs Johnny's leg and just starts pounding away at the knee. Johnny, hopping on one leg, reaches out and grabs Matthew's head, improvising his way into something like the ugliest Party's Over ever. Clutching his leg, he looks for the Bloodstone Mutilation but he can't get it. Keith powers up and hits a Neutron Plex, but Johnny's able to grab the rope and break the pin once again.

 

Infuriated, Matt starts stomping away, then kicking as Bloodstone pulls himself up the ropes. Johnny, now just about standing, grabs the incoming kick and shoves forward, knocking Keith off his feet. Bloodstone goes into the Stone Ankle Stretch, and Keith has nowhere to go – Johnny can steer him away from the only close ropes. It's enough to finally win a tapout.

Johnny Bloodstone defeated Matthew Keith

Rating: A*

 

Show Rating: A*

[Eidenhoek]

The hell did you manage an A* overall with a...did I see a C-rated match in there? Sure, it's only...2% or so of the rating, but...

[Regis]

The hell did you manage an A* overall with a...did I see a C-rated match in there? Sure, it's only...2% or so of the rating, but...

 

One C and two B-. It does go to show how heavily weighted the ratings are towards the main and semi-main event, and what a difference good angles make.

[James Casey]

I'm gonna guess that the last two matches each ran 20+ minutes, and the early matches were around the 7 minute mark.

 

Either way, I can't wait to unleash the Keith twins in my game. Given that Cornell and Hawkins had B matches, it's clear who's really carrying TCW right now...

[Phantom Stranger]

The hell did you manage an A* overall with a...did I see a C-rated match in there? Sure, it's only...2% or so of the rating, but...

 

One C and two B-. It does go to show how heavily weighted the ratings are towards the main and semi-main event, and what a difference good angles make.

 

Pretty much. Bear in mind an A* show is 96+, an A* match is 99+, and the final two matches were A*.

 

I'm gonna guess that the last two matches each ran 20+ minutes, and the early matches were around the 7 minute mark.

 

Either way, I can't wait to unleash the Keith twins in my game. Given that Cornell and Hawkins had B matches, it's clear who's really carrying TCW right now...

 

My main events are always near 20, as are most 'big' matches on the way there. It's rare I run a <6 minute match, though.

 

Hawkins had bad chemistry with Phoenix, which is a real shame. It has to be said that when Kreed finally do go on to singles, TCW is likely to have some very, very strongly-selling DVDs; that said, they're so good as tag already and they're not yet at a point where experience will enhance that. I do kinda want to see what happens.

 

Realistically, I think Art Reed is a likely future TCW champ.

 

Actually, I screencapped something regarding this episode. I think it's appropriate now. Half a moment...

 

Neither of these guys started 2008 and the diary with any HoI points:

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/oneandahalfyears.jpg

 

Art's is entirely match ratings. Johnny's includes a 100% overness ding and a world championship too.

[Phantom Stranger]

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/bookbanner.jpg

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/book_open-2.jpg

Saturday July 6th 2009

I'm not altogether keen on this idea; selling music singles rather than wrestling tickets isn't something I particularly like. There are a whole bunch of business reasons for it, apparently, and Harry Allen was lobbying hard for the twist in the feud despite it not creating a match – or not immediately.

 

Of course, the reason for that is simple; royalties.

 

Still... it's not wrestling. It's not really even that related to wrestling.

 

Spoke to Cliff Anderson earlier today, off the back of the latest DVDs sent up from Coastal Zone. We've been rotating our bottom-tier jobber teams in and out, looking to combine some polish from the trainers down in developmental and some exposure to the bright lights of TV, because ultimately, until you get in front of the cameras, you don't realise how much being broadcast changes wrestling.

 

As a matter of fact, I think this is a pretty good system, all told; sometimes, a low-level team just gets some traction and explodes, and a little while later you have a duo that you're looking at and quietly considering a push for, but when they don't, they've been trained to a much higher standard than before they signed the contract and, just as importantly, they've had some serious exposure.

 

We like to brand TCW along the lines of 'if you make it to TCW, even if you lose, you're better than people who don't'. And obviously, that's not always true – but it's also true that if you've spent time in TCW, even time mostly losing, fans elsewhere want to see you again.

 

It's a simple fact of being familiar to them; if you take, say, the Balcony Express, their short-term future here, with Painful Procedure, is assured. But if they do leave, then they're still likely looking at a much easier time getting hired elsewhere, for more money than otherwise, and probably getting a better push than otherwise – and they should have had the training needed to run with that.

 

So I tell myself, anyway. At any rate, one of the teams currently spending time in the Zone is Kazuma & the Kid. Both of these guys were already used to TV, but their problem was, simply, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

I can't guarantee that won't happen to them again; that being said, judging by what I've seen, both of them have taken some serious strides toward broadening their in-ring skillset. It's time to give them another chance in the big leagues.

[Guest cmdrsam]

I'm just wondering if Art and Johnny will be naming you to introduce them when they go to the HOI. . Seriously, great job on bumping those two, and for this diary. I have always enjoyed your Taking it Home boys posts.

[smartman]

Yeah, I love the Take It Home posts too. I'm beginning to think that you will have a bunch of wrestlers demanding tag matches with Kreed though. "Man, I get 4 or 5 matches with them I can coast the rest of the way to the Hall! Come on booker man, make it happen!"

 

Oh, and it looks like the Keiths, Reed, and Bloodstone have joined my chant of FOUR MORE YEARS! They'll all be HoI inductees by then along with 20 other of your guys.

[Oregano Jensen]

Hey, here's a question that hasn't come up of late -- how are Richard and Adrian Dangerous doing in SWF?

 

(Kazuma and the Kid need a better team name... they sound like a jobber team now. They sound even more like a bad '70s sitcom, but in wrestling terms, they sound like a jobber team.)

[Phantom Stranger]

Hey, here's a question that hasn't come up of late -- how are Richard and Adrian Dangerous doing in SWF?

 

(Kazuma and the Kid need a better team name... they sound like a jobber team now. They sound even more like a bad '70s sitcom, but in wrestling terms, they sound like a jobber team.)

 

I'm happy for people to give K&tK name suggestions.

 

Richard and Adrian left the SWF a while back, around when I signed Kate Dangerous. Both signed to WLW, where they recently main evented a show, pulling a B-, the best result of the show.

[Phantom Stranger]

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/totalwrestlingbanner.jpg

 

Another week enters the record books, another comes up, and not without its share of controversy.

 

On Total Wrestling this week we have a total of seven matches and every one promises to be a gripping contest, so let's start running them down.

 

After some time away to train up and become better, Kazuma & the Kid return to TCW. Their opponents on their return are the effective if idiosyncratic duo known as Eternal Party. Can the dynamic pairing make a statement on their return, or will they find the tag team division as strong as ever?

 

As if to illustrate the strength of the division, our second match is one previously requested by Carl Batch - his men, the Easy Riders, will be taking on Natural Talent.

 

Floyd Goldworthy also has designs on championship gold, and his chosen first stem on the path is to take on Team VIPER with the Fly Boys. Can the Boys begin a real return to form against a team which includes an opponent from their days of cruiserweight glory?

 

DaVE collides once again as Eddie Peak takes on Darkwave's Sammy Bach later. These two have a history of great matches, and both men are assuredly winners - so which will triumph today, power or speed?

 

A six-man contest is set to follow; an invitational set up last week backstage by Tommy Cornell rapidly found volunteers, and Canadian Elemental, Freddy Huggins, Frankie Dee, Giant Tana, Marc Speed and Zimmy will all be in competition. Will the School of Tradition have an advantage here, or could we see issues coexisting?

 

The Excessive Force match between Sean McFly and Marc DuBois has created more than its fair share of controversy, and in an effort to redress the situation, McFly is set to take on Joey Minnesota with Generation Omega's right to wrestle on the line - and Generation Omega's stake will be announced on Tuesday.

 

In the main event, however, the Kreed enter into a family battle. On the one side, the Kreed; on the other, Greg's twin brother Matthew and Art Reed's trainer, Jeremy Stone.

 

Prediction Key:

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

[Bigpapa42]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

[Zergon]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

Kazuma & the Kid make a good showing but no way for them to win here.

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

Easy Riders are higher on ladders.

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

Could go either way with Fly Boys getting some wins lately but I still don´t have much faith on them.

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

Again might go either way but Peak seems stronger to me.

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

No idea here as pretty much anyone could get the win. I go with Zimmy simply because he has more things going on than rest of these guys.

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

Minnesota wins via cheating.

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

Jeremy is still the top guy here though others must be pretty close by now.

[Oregano Jensen]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

 

Couple of tag squashes. I actually think the Kazuma storyline is going to go a lot like what you said: perfectly good veteran tag team shows up, jobs a lot, establishes that the level of competition in TCW is so high even perfectly good tag teams struggle to find a place. Natural Talent, by contrast... they're just not very good.

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

 

Via Jack Marlowe?

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

 

He's twice the size of Bach. Honestly.

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

 

Still awaiting the payoff of some Huggins-related storylines from last year. That is, unless Wolf Hawkins beats him up and replaces him again.

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

 

You don't tease some exciting big stake for Gen Omega and not bring it up. (How is this not the main event?)

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

 

Two main eventers > tag title contenders. The long-awaited Art Reed Singles Push... does not begin tonight.

[SWF Fan]

I'll never understand why its taken me this long to realize the Easy Rider references in the Fonda and Hopper names (and the first name Billy too).

 

Amazing what college can teach you about films, helps me realize this **** and appreciate the genius of PS more.

 

Guarantee its already been talked about before in here though haha, but its Midnight, I'm awake and amazed

[Phantom Stranger]

I'll never understand why its taken me this long to realize the Easy Rider references in the Fonda and Hopper names (and the first name Billy too).

 

Amazing what college can teach you about films, helps me realize this **** and appreciate the genius of PS more.

 

Guarantee its already been talked about before in here though haha, but its Midnight, I'm awake and amazed

 

Peter too, actually, by a slightly longer route, that being the actor Peter Hopper.

 

But yeah... sometimes you need to change a name, for whatever reason, and I think this one went well for me.

 

(Oddly, Bigpapa's old SWF diary used a name that's closer to my prime modern inspiration for these guys.)

[Tigerkinney]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

 

Eternal Party are made up of two established names, I'm afraid to say for Kazuma & the Kid they will be competition too tough.

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

 

Another competitive squash in the time honoured TCW tradition. The Tag division to me has two tiers, Easy Riders are hanging on in the top tier, Natural talent are in the second tier.

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd JOBworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

 

Two second tier teams going at it, and unlike Zergon I'm going to show more faith in the Fly Boys. Yeah I'm backing a Jobworthy backed team.

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

 

Neither guy has quite broken into the upper tier, but given how stacked the TCW roster is, should that be of any surprise. Saying all that Peak, seems to have always been pushed slightly stronger.

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

 

These six man's are always a lottery...it's about time Zimmy actually did something, but I keep tipping him and he keeps failing me...so I'm going for the guy I like best and that's Canadian Elemental.

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

 

Considering what is on the line, I think Minnesota gets the win here through cheap methods.

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

 

Could easily go the other way but I see Stone and heel Keith sneaking this.

[Hashasheen]

I truly envy your deep roster at times, PS, though I might have ticked off the roster penalties and just gone with a TNA-sized roster personally.

 

Though I'll admit sometimes I silently rage at the screen and wonder why you haven't done a brand extension yet.

[Phantom Stranger]

I truly envy your deep roster at times, PS, though I might have ticked off the roster penalties and just gone with a TNA-sized roster personally.

 

Though I'll admit sometimes I silently rage at the screen and wonder why you haven't done a brand extension yet.

 

Well... Because I don't necessarily have two main-event level programs at a time.

 

There are always two top programs in TCW, by default; the title picture, and whatever Tommy Cornell is involved with. The thing is that sometimes these are the same program, and indeed, sometimes they SHOULD be the same program. On the other hand, if I have the Title brand, and the Cornell brand, that presents certain... potential oddities.

 

On top of that, my heels are almost all factionalised, my faces almost as commonly in alliances of one kind or another, but while I have (say) two midcard heel stables I don't have two main event heel stables. And while I could split the Generation Omega program across two brands, at that stage, why have two brands?

 

...

 

I've thought, occasionally, about doing a brand split. I almost certainly have the breadth of talent to do it - though I'd like a few more jobbers dotted around the place (but then, there's the folks in dev, if I wanted to yank them up early) - but I don't have the talent in position.

 

Go back near the beginning and you'll see Horatio kvetch about the seeming face = brawler, heel = technician divide at the top of TCW. Well, by late 2008 that was sorted, with a number of turns and some strong signings. Similarly, the everyone's-in-stables nature of TCW could change - will, most likely, though the diary may not progress far enough to show it depending on when the next TEW arrives - but until that happens, a brand split is either meaningless (in which case I'd rather not bother) or becomes the dominant angle, which... I don't want to do.

 

If I do a split, it will likely come in as the program that accomplishes the last bit of positioning for the roster to make it possible; an obvious thing to do might be to have stables battling for the right to stay together, losing some members as a result, maybe even get a turn or two out of it...

 

At the moment, however, my stables aren't in a situation where that's a good next step.

[legendkiller13]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

[Regis]

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid (Kazuma Narto & the Cannonball Kid)

JOBBERS!

 

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

JOBBERS!

 

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy vs. Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

I predict that Floyd continues to rack up debt with Marlowe, which will pay off later.

 

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

Sorry, Sammy. Maybe interference here.

 

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

Giant Tuna is running wild!

 

Joey Minnesota w/ Phil Vibert vs. Sean McFly

A huge win to continue Joey's push and get over his heel turn.

 

Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

JEZZA!

[Phantom Stranger]

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http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Wrestling/Main/Other/Playegg_28207.jpg

 

TCW Presents Total Wrestling

 

Tuesday Week 2 July 2009

 

Live on GNN Total Sports (Rating 16.08)

Rebroadcast on Continental Sports X1 (Rating 0.08)

 

Held at the Gardens of North Dakota (Mid West)

 

Attendance: 24,412

 

Announcers:

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JasonAzaria_alt1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/HoratioDangerous_FIN6a.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ShawnDoakes.jpg

Jason Azaria – Horatio Dangerous – Shawn Doakes

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ChampagneLover.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/EddStone_alt6.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/KazumaNarato.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/TheCannonballKid.jpg

Eternal Party vs. Kazuma & the Kid

The announce team sell this one all the way as touching on the question of whether the 'refreshed' Kazuma & the Kid can cut it in TCW's intensely competitive tag team division. And from the looks of things, they very much can.

 

If anything, they're faster than Eternal Party; perhaps a little less innovative, but nonetheless what they achieve in the air is remarkable and grabs the crowd's attention from early on, when both men fly from the ring onto their opponents with simultaneous corkscrew somersault dives.

 

In addition, they seem to actually strike a chord with Edd Stone; at one point an armbar by the Cannonball Kid sees Edd throw in a little dance before he knuckles down to the counter; the Kid promptly drops into a dance routine of his own and locks the armbar back down.

 

Kazuma, too, shows some innovation, dropping when Champagne Lover blocks a kick, spinning out into a breakdancing move that converts into a legsweep.

 

Lover looks annoyed by this, but Edd almost seems overjoyed, spurred on to new heights of goofball craziness.

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/CanadianElemental.jpg

Of course, he's snapped back to seriousness when Canadian Elemental takes advantage of the ref's attention being focused elsewhere, running along the top rope to nail Edd with a flying dropkick that sends him to the outside before vanishing back up the entrance ramp.

 

Furious, Champagne Lover manages to save the contest with a pair of double-quick Lover Stunners – but Kazuma & the Kid have made a statement.

Eternal Party defeated Kazuma & the Kid

Rating: B+

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/totalbanner.jpg

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/EddieHoward.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/DCRayne.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/GreaseHogg.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/LeadBelly.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/CarlBatch.jpg

Natural Talent make their way down to the ring, and then out come the Easy Riders, with Carl Batch present as always. In his hand, he carries a microphone.

 

“Machines,” Batch offers, grinning. “You three need to watch this match carefully.

 

“You need to think about this, and you need to tread soft when you've thought.

 

“We're giving you a warning. We won't be that polite twice, dig?”

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/totalbanner.jpg

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/GreaseHogg.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/LeadBelly.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/CarlBatch.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/EddieHoward.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/DCRayne.jpg

Easy Riders w/ Carl Batch vs. Natural Talent

There's nothing pretty, or pleasant, about this. The Talent look to fight this as if it were a typical wrestling match, showing that burst of confidence and fire that's become characteristic of their matches. D.C. and Eddie are fast becoming TCW's favourite underdogs – you know the outcome of their matches, but you wish it would be different.

 

This match is different, however. Inside of a minute Peter Hopper doles out the first big impact. Natural #1 crashes to the mat, and Hopper clearly doesn't even consider covering for the pin.

 

The Riders seem to have no interest whatsoever in picking up the win. They exercise the bare minimum of restraint necessary not to be disqualified before they've accomplished their goal, but they're out here to injure, as seriously as possible, both of their opponents.

 

The Talent are bleeding from two or three minutes in. They don't let that, or the systematic assault, stop them from trying to win the match, trying to outwrestle the big men, but in the end, they're just worn down, destroyed.

 

Sam Sparrow eventually calls for a stoppage, awarding the Riders the match simply so he can prevent more violence being doled out. The arena is silent in respect as the EMTs carry the Talent out on stretchers – and the Talent are in good company; it's not long since Cornell was taken away the same way.

Easy Riders defeated Natural Talent via ref stoppage

Rating: B-

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/totalbanner.jpg

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/DonnieJ.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JamesPrudence.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FloydGoldworthy.jpg

Fly Boys w/ Floyd Goldworthy

vs.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FumihiroOta_PS.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ShingenMiyazaki_alt2.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/QueenEmily_FS2.jpg

Team VIPER w/ Baroness Emily

Once again, the lower lights of the tag division show exactly what they can do here, and the crowd slowly wake up as the Boys bombard VIPER with fast moves, quick tags, and high-risk assault, while VIPER look to ground them, confident in their superior mat game.

 

As you might expect with that particular pair of strategies, control of the match passes backward and forward regularly as both teams work hard to stake their claims in the division. The Boys gradually start to target All-Action champion Miyazaki more specifically than his partner, however, and it looks like they're working over the back and the back of the head.

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JungleJack_alt1.jpg

And then Jack Marlowe arrives, sporting – for some reason – a black eye. This doesn't stop him, however, from yanking Ota from the ring apron, proceeding to beat him down – and when the Baroness goes after him with the bokken, Marlowe takes shot after shot before he's willing to stop.

 

In the meantime, the Fly Boys cooperate, ensuring they have the ref's attention and setting up a Spanish Fly on Miyazaki to score the pinfall.

Fly Boys defeated Team VIPER

RatingL B+

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/totalbanner.jpg

 

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FumihiroOta_PS.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ShingenMiyazaki_alt2.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/QueenEmily_FS2.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/KoshiroIno.jpg

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/Hidekazu_jtlant.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/SuzanneBrazzle_jhdPS.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/HellMonkey_jhdPS-1.jpg

The remainder of Team KOBRA emerge, Jack Marlowe having left the moment the ring bell struck for the end of the match. Team VIPER get into the centre of the circle but Thunder Snake steps forward, head bowed, to speak with Miyazaki.

 

Ino tilts his head at this; he seems amused, and with a hand gesture he sends the Baroness to the outside for a microphone, offering it to Miyazaki once Thunder Snake appears to have ceased his talking.

 

Shingen speaks, his eyes locked on the masked form of Thunder Snake, who in turn keeps his own gaze steady.

 

“When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line.”

 

Snake says something else, out of range of the microphone – which Ino does not offer him.

 

Miyazaki replies: “People think that they can clear up profound matters if they consider them deeply, but they exercise perverse thoughts and come to no good because they do their reflecting with only self-interest at the center.

 

“It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness. In confronting a matter, however, if at first you leave it alone, fix the four vows in your heart, exclude self-interest, and make an effort, you will not go far from your mark.”

 

As he finishes the quote, Ino gives a signal, and the Baroness brings the bokken down hard against Miyazaki's back. The All-Action Champion's expression does not waver. Ota takes his shot in turn while Azaria notes that Marlowe had cost Team VIPER a match against the Fly Boys already, last month.

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/EddiePeak.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/SammyBach_alt1.jpg

Eddie Peak vs. Sammy Bach

It's a brutal little battle, as it always is between those two, and they really shine opposite one another, as they always do.

 

Bach seems to revel in a chance to show he can take what Peak can dish out. Nonetheless, this match could be the dictionary definition of lopsided...

 

Sammy fights back as well as he can for the first ten minutes, managing along the way to stun the monster and even deliver his springboard cross-the-ring bulldog. But Eddie has the power, and any time he hits it staggers his opponent.

 

A tornado DDT attempt is blocked, and Peak throws Bach up vertically, looking for a flapjack, but the athletic, acrobatic Darkwave member twists in the air and catches Ray Johnson with a decidedly non-accidental diving elbow.

 

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That immediately brings out reinforcements in the shape of Ian Harris and Zimmy. The three Darkwave men unleash on the Bloody-Handed God; an Adrenaline Rush by Bach, a Blood Rush by Zimmy, and a New Jersey Turnpike stacked on the top bring the big man first to his knees, then crashing to the mat. The trio seem to know that this won't be enough, so the beatdown continues.

 

The three men take it in turns; first Harris loops Peak's chain around his leg, then slingshots back into the ring for a chain-enhanced corkscrew leg drop. Zimmy takes the chain next, bloodying Peak with a Blood Rush assisted in the same fashion, and finally Bach loops the chain around Peak's neck for a Bach on your Back with additional leverage on the choke, keeping his arm around the throat to conceal the advantage as Johnson recovers to see Peak bloody and almost unconscious. The arm drops three times.

Sammy Bach defeated Eddie Peak

Rating: B+

 

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The camera turns to the announce table next, and Shawn Doakes explains, solemnly, that what fans are about to see is not footage from a TCW technical crewmember but fan-shot footage taken some thirty minutes before the show began, which this public-spirited individual has offered to the company's authorities.

 

Doakes goes on to say that the announce team received word during the previous match that Mayhem Midden had ordered this shown, so that whatever discipline is eventually decided upon will be something the fans can understand.

 

With that portentous introduction, the big screen comes to life with footage from somewhere in the public areas of the Gardens. The footage has a different quality to the TCW cameras, lower resolution; it might even be camphone footage.

 

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Whatever the case, it depicts Jack “the Enforcer” Marlowe, in his usual leathers, stood near the door to the men's lavatory. At this point in the evening, he did not yet have a black eye.

 

“Look, kid,” he's saying as the footage starts. “It's great that you wanna talk to me and all, but I just came out here for one thing, and you aren't it. You wanna-”

 

“There you are!”

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/DavisWayneNewton-1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FrankiePerez-1.jpg

GenOme barge past the fan and into shot. “We need to talk,” Perez says. “Midden's got security assigned to all of us once the show starts so we can't interfere. You want to make some fast money?”

 

Marlowe grins, then shakes his head slowly.

 

“Why the **** not?” Perez demands, affronted.

 

Marlowe shrugs. “Fast money's right,” he says. “But considering you're trying to pay back a massive fine, considering your buddies are probably having to pay your mortgage and your hotels and your flights until you clear it, and considering anything else you got is tied up in lawyers, it can't be enough to justify damaging my revenue stream.”

 

Newton snorts. “Revenue stream? Big words...”

 

“I'm a businessman,” Marlowe says, unfazed. “Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm stupid.

 

“Look, you boys are big names. You and your buddies, when they step in the ring, it's a money match. But you've only come to me because your usual backup's been cut off. Far as I'm concerned, the longer you stay off the books, the more matches there are I can make my money off.”

 

“So the answer's no?” Perez asks, his tone flat. Marlowe just shrugs, turning away slightly.

 

Perez nails him with the hook kick, then the young tag team lay into Marlowe in earnest. The Enforcer fights back, ready and willing to lay out his shots in return.

 

Nonetheless, the tide is turning against him -

 

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Rick Law comes out of nowhere. Davis is turned inside out by a Long Arm of the Law. He steps inside the reach of Perez' hook kick and delivers a spinebuster onto the arena's concrete floor.

 

Marlowe, one eye shut after the kick's impact, has just about recovered his wits by this stage.

 

“Thanks,” he says, a little curt. “But don't think this means we're buddies.”

 

Law promptly catches Marlowe with a big right hand. “Got that right,” he says simply.

 

Then he looks around, seeming suddenly to realise the presence of the camera. “You OK, son?” he asks.

 

“Y-yeah,” comes the fan's voice. It's young; mid-teens at the latest. Law smiles that winning smile.

 

“Good,” he says. “Hey, how much of that did you get on there? If you saw how it started, I think we might be able to work out some kind of deal.

 

“You want a Golden Rules T-shirt or something?”

 

That's where the footage ends.

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/CanadianElemental.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FrankieDee.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/LauraCatherineHuggins.jpg

Canadian Elemental vs. Frankie Dee w/ Laura Huggins

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/FreddyHuggins.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/TanaTheMighty.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/MarcSpeed_FIN4.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ZimmyBumfhole_alt1.jpg

vs. Freddy Huggins vs. Giant Tana vs. Marc Speed vs. Zimmy

The pace of this thing is astonishing, with even Giant Tana moving somewhat quickly for his size. Canadian Elemental gets targeted early on by the two Canadians within the School of Tradition, who for now are working as a duo. Zimmy, meanwhile, seems to have something of a rivalry with Marc Speed; Tana is willing to pick off whoever happens to be a target at the time, and he's eager to play to the crowd, win them over with his enthusiasm and his sense of humour.

 

This is the kind of match where the rules are often relaxed due to referees being unable to follow everything, but nonetheless Eugene Williams takes a pretty big impact at some point, which is what brings in the allies and the enemies.

 

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Marc Speed, having run roughly even with Zimmy to this point, finds himself targetted by Sayeed Ali, who once again gets a chance to show off his offence against a target who isn't given a chance to defend himself.

 

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Also present is Edd Stone; two of his current potential opponents are in the ring, and he goes for both of them, drilling Tana with an Edd-Renaline Shot and countering a Phoenix Firebird Splash that the Elemental is going for on Freddy Huggins into a Party's Over, the impact leaving both CanEl and Huggins out of it for long moments.

 

That nearly gets a pinfall, but Zimmy is there to break it up, hauling Dee off CanEl and spiking him with something that, were trademark laws not restraining him, Azaria would probably want to call a Bumfhole Buster. He looks for the pin himself, but Tana has recovered by this time, breaking the pin and looking for the Big Fat Samoan Squash – except that Edd nails him again, this time with a flying headscissors before he can connect.

 

Speed promptly rides Ali's latest rush down into the crossface armbreaker, holding the interloper locked in a painful grip. But what Marc doesn't seem to have realised is that this does also take him out of the equation.

 

CanEl catches Edd with a dropkick and this time, as Stone stumbles forward, Tana lands the Big Fat Samoan Squash on a deserving target.

 

He high-fives CanEl and the two share a moment's praise before Frankie Dee drops Tana with a Sinanju Kick from behind, Freddy Huggins simultaneously drilling CanEl with a Huggins Kiss.

 

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Then Jack Marlowe enters the ring. He spins Frankie Dee around, punches him, and hits the Jackhammer before rolling clear.

 

Freddy Huggins' eyes are wide. He has such an opportunity -

 

Zimmy flies into shot, bulldogging Huggins into Dee, the two School of Tradition men's heads colliding. He pops up, hits the ropes, and comes off fast, nailing Speed with the Blood Rush. One quick cover later and the Darkwave man has pulled out the victory.

Zimmy defeated Canadian Elemental, Frankie Dee, Freddy Huggins, Giant Tana and Marc Speed

Rating: B

 

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/MayhemMidden.jpg

Shout at the Devil hits, and Mayhem Midden comes down to the ring. He has a microphone in hand, and the sour expression on his face tells the story.

 

“Let me start out by saying something I never, when I took this job, thought I might say,” he begins. “The good news tonight is that Tommy Cornell is recovering well and expected to be back in the ring soon.” He gives the fans a few moments to voice their approval of this news.

 

“Now. What I'm really here about.” Mayhem begins to pace, taking his time in getting to it. “I do not intend to see this whole dispute go further than it has to. Phil, you're batting from behind – like I said last week, you have problems legally, we've got a solid contract, and this morning the court endorsed it. Your man on the board has a legal obligation to sell and we can and will pursue this if he doesn't. That one isn't even in doubt; and because I know he's watching...”

 

Midden turns to the hard camera, locks eyes with it. “I'm giving you til Badge of Honor for the record of sale to be FedExed to my office. Do not disappoint me – you can still get out of this with your dignity intact, I won't name and shame, and you'll even make some money. I'm being absolutely as kind to you as I can be.”

 

He turns away, resuming his pacing. “Now, Phil, that doesn't leave us with a whole lot of reason to continue this whole deal... right now. So let's give ourselves that reason.

 

“I sat down and I looked at the contracts your Generation Omega boys have got themselves, and that wasn't the first time, either, but I keep coming back and I keep looking at them because I hope, Phil, I pray, that one of these days, I will reread something and see a big-ass loophole I can dropkick you pieces of **** out of.

 

“TCW prides itself on accepting the best wrestlers in the world, and your boys are right up there, no question. But we can do without you, and frankly you've been big enough *******s I'd be happy to.

 

“But I didn't find a loophole, just like I never find a loophole. But this time...”

 

He grins. “This time, I don't know why, but I took it into my head to look at your contract, Phil. It's a good contract, too. You do your work well; I can't fire you, I can't break your managerial contracts, I can't do much more than control your financial rewards...”

 

The grin is wide, now, malicious, a grin seen often in the SWF while Midden was a hated rulebreaker. “And the things you do to earn those financial rewards.

 

“I can book you in a match, Phil. And if your boy Joey can't pull out the win tonight, I will, just like if Sean can't pull out the win, then you boys are coming back.

 

“Let me be specific about that match, Phil. I will personally place Generation Omega under surveillance to prevent them from entering the ring. I will ensure that no one will be willing to take money to do the job for them. And you will wrestle, no disqualification, once he returns from injury... against Tommy Cornell.”

 

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JoeyMinnesota.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/SeanMcFly.jpg

Joey Minnesota vs. Sean McFly

Joey charges, riding Sean down, and goes for an armbar early, prompting a slick twist-out escape from McFly.

 

Joey slaps him right in the face as a rebuttal. They go for a test of strength, and Sean returns the slap. He grabs a headlock and won't let go despite Joey trying to whip him off the ropes and backdropping him. Sean goes to use the ropes, and Minnesota closes the distance and just destroys him with a lariat that sends them both over. They trade stiff blows and fight up to the entrance platform where Joey gives Sean a suplex.

 

Back to the ring, Sean sets up for the Party's Over, but after all that time as a Rising Star Joey has it scouted and chops him to cut it off. Sean settles for a snapmare into an inverted suplex. He tries a Northern Lights, but Joey reverses to a wicked DDT.

 

Joey gets two off an uppercut and looks frustrated. Sean reverses a whip and hits a Stone's Throw – ONE, TW- NO!

 

Joey boots him in the face and locks in a nasty looking leg lock, but Sean twists clear again. They slap it out, which leads to forearms, which leads to Sean getting knocked to the apron.

 

He tries a springboard, but Joey cuts him off with a dropkick and promptly German suplexes him into the turnbuckle. Sneering slightly, Joey smashes him to the ground with the Minnesota Salute! ONE, TWO, THR-NO!

 

Sean busts out a series of armbars, wristlocks, and hammerlocks to soften Joey and nails the Girl's Best Friend. ONE, TWO, THRE-NO!

 

A springboard kick leads to a From Canada With Love which also gets two. Sean sets up for a superplex, but Joey counters with a forearm, an underhook facelock, and soars out into the centre of the ring, dragging Sean out with him to deliver a cutter from the top rope!

 

For a long, long nine count neither man stirs. Vibert hops up onto the apron, interrupting Sparrow's count and buying time for the men in the ring.

 

Joey recovers and goes with an Empire Spiral! ONE, TWO, TH-Sean has the ropes.

 

Joey snarls and goes into a cut-throat German suplex. He measures his pace and gets another long two count off a lariat. Sean counters a second attempt to a side suplex and hits a second one when Joey scrambles back to his feet after the first.

 

Joey takes a punch by the ropes that flips him over the top to land on the apron, and referee Sam Sparrow gets in between the two fighters, keeping this one fair.

 

Sean shakes his head, doing an end run off the ropes to the side to fly over the top rope with a soaring forearm that sends both men to the floor. Back in, they trade blows back and forth until Joey hits the Empire Spiral! Both guys are out of it again, but they stagger up to their feet. SLUGFEST! Minnesota gets the advantage, eventually dropping McFly with a discus punch. He hauls Sean up but pays for it as Sean hits the Delorean Driver!

 

He covers, hooking the leg – ONE, TWO, THRE – NO! Minnesota, somehow, kicks clear. The two stare at each other for a long moment – Minnesota's head snaps forward in a crisp, textbook headbutt, then gets a Minnesota Salute. ONE, TWO -

 

The bell rings. Twenty minutes have elapsed, and despite both men's best efforts the contest stands as a draw.

 

The only thing stopping this being great is the time limit. It is, nonetheless, more than a tad awesome.

Joey Minnesota drew with Sean McFly

Rating: A

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http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/ArtReed.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/GregGauge-1.jpg w/ http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/BlondeBombshell.jpg vs. http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JeremyStone.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/MatthewKeith.jpg

The Kreed w/ Blonde Bombshell vs. Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith

Reed and Stone start out and provide the viewers with an astonishingly slick sequence of hold and counter-hold, leading to a sequence of pinning combinations seemingly designed purely to exhaust and overwhelm Ray Johnson – each man gets a series of two counts off roll-ups, cradles, sunset flips, backslides, bridges, and packages for almost a minute before Reed simply pops clear of Stone's latest attempt – a sunset flip – by hopping up and nailing him full in the face with a dropkick.

 

Azaria, naturally enough, retells the story of Reed's first day in the Stone training camp, when he connected with a dropkick that left the head trainer – Jeremy – with a black eye. Meanwhile, however, Stone has tagged clear; as Matthew enters, Art glances back to his partner, who has his hand out waiting for the tag.

 

Art glances toward the crowd, seeking their approval, and as the response swells – Matt nails him. Nothing special, nothing fancy, just a hard forearm shot to the jaw of an athlete in the instant he was distracted, and he follows it with a fast headlock takedown.

 

Not wanting to risk Art's squirrelly reflexes in the mat game, Matthew's back to his feet a couple of seconds later, delivering a dropkick to Reed's back.

 

He closes again, whipping Reed to the ropes and going for a backdrop – but Reed rolls over his back gracefully, dropping down into a schoolboy roll-up. One, t- Matthew kicks out and flattens Reed as he regains his feet with a brutal straight right.

 

Art looks for a chance to tag his partner from his knees, and in a surprising moment, Matthew prevents that by stepping to Reed's side and kicking upward, smacking his arm out of its reach; Keith promptly twists on the spot, dropping down in a kind of standing-dive lariat to Reed while the latter's on his knees.

 

Reed does something astonishing; he rolls back through the lariat, hands clasped around his opponent's torso, and rises in one fluid motion to dump Matthew with a powerbomb before diving for the tag.

 

The crowd noise starts to build as, oh so slowly, Greg enters the ring, his eyes on his twin brother.

 

Matt makes his way back to his feet slowly, testing the back of his neck after that powerbomb impact, and turns around to come face to face with his brother. His eyes widen for a moment.

 

And then, Matthew Keith breaks into a grin, a snarling rictus of a thing. Greg registers surprise – but that's all he has time to do; a chop, a European uppercut, a punch to the gut and a DDT signify Matthew's intent.

 

He turns toward the Kreed corner and, still grinning, drops to his knees, arm outstretch, face contorted in a parody of pain – then he turns back, finding Greg ready, off the ropes with a shoulderblock, mounting and going for the elbows – Matt rolls loose, twists, gains mount in turn and fires off elbows of his own – Greg manages to reach the ropes. Johnson calls for the break but has to use the entire five count to persuade Matthew it's time to break the assault off.

 

Greg gets back to his feet, blocks a charge with an elbow, hops onto the second rope and comes off with a springboard clothesline; Matt, as he regains his feet, decides to ignore his beckoning brother.

 

Instead he makes a tag of his own, allowing Jeremy back in the ring. Greg closes with Stone and takes a forearm shot to the back of the head from his brother once again.

 

Jeremy goes for a suplex; Greg blocks, tries for one of his own; Jeremy blocks it in turn. Greg goes instead for an inside cradle, but Jeremy somehow twists through, countering it into a backbreaker.

 

It's then that the eldest active Stone does something hard to believe; hauling Greg back to his feet, he whips him to the corner.

 

Greg gets his head driven face-first into the turnbuckle two or three times and Jeremy ascends to the second rope, hooking Greg Keith in an inverted facelock – and flipping forward.

 

Jeremy Stone nails the Girl's Best Friend.

 

Rolling to a seated position afterward, he tilts his head to one side, obviously simply considering the effectiveness of the move; after a few moments he nods thoughtfully, apparently in respect.

 

Jeremy doesn't cover, however; instead he picks Greg back up and sets for the Stone's Throw. Greg elbows hard enough to break the hold, twists in his grasp, and gets a DDT to buy time and tag out.

 

In comes Art and he charges across the ring. He tags Matt with a dropkick; he tags Stone with a corkscrew flying knee, and a backdrop to follow. As Stone goes through the backdrop, Matt tags himself back in, obviously furious.

 

Reed meets that, too, sending Matt flying with a hip toss, then another, then another. He shoots Matt into the ropes, looking for a backdrop, and nearly gets hit with a NeutronPlex instead – but Greg snags his tag partner's foot while he's in the air, hanging on and allowing Art to roll clear of the impact.

 

Infuriated, Matt hits a powerbomb, hops to the second rope, and hits a splash to follow up. ONE, TWO, T- NO!

 

He looks for a NeutronPlex again; this time, Reed blocks it and counters, hitting the Dark Matter. ONE, TWO, THRE- Jeremy Stone comes in with a baseball slide to Reed's head, nailing him smoothly to break it up.

 

Reed promptly bails and tags out again, allowing Greg another opportunity against his brother – but Matt immediately tags out with a smirk. In comes Jeremy and the two look for weaknesses in one another's armour, one looking for the Stone Hold, one for the Proton Lock, and there seems to be no clear way to decide -

 

What happens next has to be pieced together from replays. There's a blur of excitement at one side of the screen, then Greg is clutching his eyes, and Jeremy rolls him into a package, grabbing the top rope for leverage, and makes sure of the pin.

 

It's only later that the production crew are able to give fans watching the show a close-up confirmation of Matt's part in all this, as the spray of liquid from his mouth becomes visible – a spray of green, the feared Asian mist.

 

It's left to Doakes to give voice to the question running through most of the viewers' minds.

 

“Where the hell did that come from?”

Jeremy Stone & Matthew Keith defeated the Kreed

Rating: A*

 

Show Rating: A

[Oregano Jensen]

Oh, the dreaded Asian mist. When is the last time that mist yielded an A* for anyone?

[Phantom Stranger]

Oh, the dreaded Asian mist. When is the last time that mist yielded an A* for anyone?

 

Speaking as someone who really digs the Great Muta, I may not be the best man to answer that - but that's why it takes a replay to pick it out, on first use. Like the Marlowe/GenOme sequence, the reveal is more about setup than about that match.

[Phantom Stranger]

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TCW Presents Badge of Honor

 

Friday Week 2 July 2009

 

Live on GNN Total Sports (Rating 1.27)

 

Held at the President's Hall (Puerto Rico)

 

Attendance: 2,734

 

Announcers:

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/JasonAzaria_alt1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/SaraSilver_alt1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm75/trenchcoatbrigand/TCW/AutumnGleeson.jpg

 

Jason Azaria – Sara Silver – Autumn Gleeson

• As the show begins, Jack Bruce takes on Rhino Umaga. The Samoan's focused intensity makes him a dangerous opponent, but it also serves as his greatest weakness; Bruce is able to find a chink in his armour and put him away. (Rating: B-)
  
• A match that might have been expected to be good turned out to be excellent; Champagne Lover finally found his form again, despite losing to Troy Tornado. Zimmy and Cherry Bomb came after Tornado but were run off by Harry and Amber Allen. (Rating: A*)
  
• Painful Procedure's 'Balls to the Wall' single video was played, followed by Darkwave's 'iThink'. A graphic announced that both were due out that very day.
  
• Global Tradition did battle with Kazuma and the Kid, squeaking out a rare win when Bryant evaded a high-risk dive by the Cannonball Kid, rolling him up afterward, after the recent redebut act had been dominant. (Rating: C+)
  
• Aaron Andrews took on Frankie Dee, defeating him after an extremely competitive bout. (Rating: B)
  
• Andrews then took up the microphone and called out Joey Minnesota, telling his former partner that only Generation Omega's match ban was keeping Andrews from payback.
  
• In a great tag match, JeriLynn Stone and Kate Dangerous took on Raku Makuda and Tamara McFly. JeriLynn hit her aunt-in-law with the Girl's Best Friend to get the win. (R\ating: B)
  
• Prior to the announced six-man tag, Rick Law was seen backstage being beaten down by Jack Marlowe as the announcers speculated whether the “Enforcer” was doing this for money or for payback after Tuesday.
  
• With Law incapacitated, Eddie Peak filled in alongside Chris Rockwell and Rocky Golden. Their opponents were the men who'd beaten down Peak on Tuesday; Ian Harris, Sammy Bach and Zimmy. Marlowe intervened, attacking Golden, for which he was run off by Stephanie Wade, steel chair in hand, to something of a pop. Nonetheless, the damage was done; with Cherry Bomb lending an additional assist, Bach was able to make Golden tap without being interrupted. (Rating: B)
  

 

Show Rating: B