RAW: I Come From A Land Down Under

[gingarob]

RAW

I Come From A Land Down Under

 

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Backstage at my first show as head booker of Revolution Australian Wrestling and I can’t quite believe how nervous I am. My boss, Tristam Day, comes across to check with me that all plans are in place for tonight’s show. He’d already approved the plans so I guess this was him just trying to reassure himself that he hadn’t made a mistake in hiring me. As the man behind RAW, Tristam has a lot riding on its success so a terrible show on my first night of the job could have huge ramifications for him. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself here. I should really explain how I even got to this position because, honestly, I’m still not quite sure how I managed to land a job running Australia’s biggest wrestling promotion...

 

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My name is Rob Dixon and I’ve been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the United Kingdom but my wrestling diet was strictly American. As a kid I loved the glitz and glamour of SWF. Watching the matches of Rip Chord and Sam Strong I was entranced and it became my dream to become a professional wrestler. Unfortunately that dream died when I blew my knee out during training and tore my ACL.

 

Last year I moved from England to Australia to help establish my company’s new Sydney office. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Australia wasn’t completely devoid of any wrestling industry and decided to make an effort to follow the scene and attend any live shows in my area. Due to this I was reading a wrestling magazine, around the start of December 2009, when I discovered the following advertisement:

 

 

Do you sit at home watching wrestling thinking “I could do better”?

 

Do you come up with ideas for how you’d run the show?

 

Could you be RAW’s next head booker?

 

To apply, send us a few quick storyline ideas to newbooker@revauswres.com. The person we deem to have the best will be offered the book at Australia’s #1 Promotion.

 

 

After reading that I remember chuckling to myself and thinking “no-one else but RAW would do such a thing”. Yet later that night all I could think about was that advert. For a long time it had been my desire to one day run a wrestling company, I’d always been the kind of guy who would watch the shows and come up with ideas for what should be happening. Here was an opportunity to make that dream a reality and it was staring me in the face. So I logged onto my computer, opened up Word and started typing out some of the ideas I’d formulated while watching RAW on TV. I sent the e-mail, thinking there was no chance of me even being considered anyway, and forgot all about it.

 

That is until later that month, around 10 days later, when I received a phone call from none other than RAW head honcho, executive producer Tristam Day, asking me to come in for a meeting with him...

[gingarob]

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I turned up to the offices of The A.S.N Network, Australia’s premiere sports channel and home – as well as owners – of RAW. Nervous and with my portfolio of ideas with me, as requested, I wandered into the building and straight over to the reception desk. I must admit though, I was distracted by the huge fountain; as South Park taught us – the bigger the fountain, the more success. I asked the smiling receptionist for directions to the office of Tristam Day and she directed me to the 10th floor. Stood in the lift I could feel beads of sweat forming on my brow and my collar felt increasingly tight, I didn’t expect to be this anxious. His secretary pointed me to a brown leather sofa and told me Mr. Day would see me as soon as he’d finished his current meeting. I wasn’t too surprised; I was 15 minutes early after all, so I sat down and began reading through my notes. I couldn’t sleep the night before so I’d jotted down a few more ideas. I figured everyone else they were interviewing would’ve done so anyway, I didn’t want to be left behind by the competition.

 

Tristam’s door opened and none other than well-respected RAW wrestler Molokai Milk stepped out of his office. I couldn’t see what they were talking about but Tristam looked pleased about it, he shook Molokai’s hand and then gestured for me to join him in his office. As I sat down in the seat he offered me I started to thank him for the opportunity to meet with him but he held his hand up to stop me.

 

Tristam: Before we start I should tell you that I’ve gotten you here under false pretences. You won’t be interviewing for the role of head booker today.

 

Me: Oh?

 

I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice but I don’t think I did a very good job of it.

 

Tristam: Sorry about that. I met earlier today with the network executives and presented all the ideas to them, including yours. We agreed unanimously that we shouldn’t interview you for this position. No, we decided that the right move would just be to offer you the job straight away.

 

Me: Well, thank you for the opportunity. I-- what?

 

Tristam: Yes, we all agreed that you were by far the best candidate for the position. What do you say?

 

I was completely flabbergasted, but managed to just about croak out the words “I accept, thank you.”

 

Tristam: Good, good. Now, let’s talk business. I’m sure you saw Molokai leaving my office right now?

 

It took me a second to register that he was asking me a question, my mind was still racing from the news I’d just received. It seems his reputation for making snap decisions was well founded, I hadn’t expected this at all.

 

Me: Er...yes, sir, I did.

 

Tristam: Please, Tristam. Right, well Molokai and I were finalising some plans which will hopefully help sustain the company for many years into the future. Apart from myself, Molokai and the board, you’re the first person to be informed about this particular venture. We’re going to fund the setting up and running of a wrestling school, run by Molokai. We’re calling it the Revolution WrestleFactory and the hope is that we can mostly pull from the pool of students for our future talent to supply our roster.

 

He shot me an odd look, probably a little confused at my quiet demeanour. Little did he know that he’d just fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams and all I wanted to do was jump on his desk and perform a celebration dance, Chandler style.

 

Tristam: Right, unfortunately I have a packed schedule for the rest of the day and another meeting pencilled in with the board in 10 minutes. I’ve prepared a dossier with everything you need to know about RAW in it. Would you be able to read over it tonight and come in tomorrow to discuss any changes you want to make as well as discussing this week’s upcoming show and what storyline’s we’re going to run going forward?

 

Me: Of course sir, er...Tristam.

 

Tristam: Great, I look forward to it. Give Danielle your contact details on the way out and she’ll send you the details of our meeting. Some of your preliminary ideas have gotten me very excited and I look forward to working with you to take RAW forward.

 

Then, suddenly, it was over. I was shaking his hand and exiting his office, my heart racing. I jotted down my contact details for his secretary, Danielle, and left the building. There was only one thing on my mind – getting home and reading the documents he’d provided for me. That night was surely going to be another sleepless night, I had a show to plan and it was taking place in four days time!

[gingarob]

I got home and sat down, straight away opening the dossier that Tristam had provided with me. If he wanted Friday’s show planned by tomorrow then I had a lot of work to get on with.

 

 

 

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Revolution Australian Wrestling

 

Size: Regional

Location: Western Australia

Prestige: D+

Momentum: C+

 

 

 

Roster

Heels = Red

Faces = Blue

 

 

Main Event

(Grades indicate popularity)

 

Captain Wrestling II – D+

Kerry Wayne – D

Loxley Robbins – D

Luke Steele – D+ – RAW TELEVISION CHAMP

Montgomery Croft – D

Rahmel Goode – D

 

 

Upper Midcard

 

Echo – D

Frogue Element – D-

Manhunter – D

Molokai Milk – D-

Pookie Possum – D-

Skyscraper – D

 

 

Midcard

 

Heath Murdock – E

Horton Ravenwood – E

Isaac Taylor – D-

Mark Misery – E+

Monday Next – E+

Mortimer Pyle – E+

Quiz Master – D-

Quizzical Mark Question – E+

 

 

Lower Midcard

 

Artemis Eyre-Rochester – E

Blaze Maximum – E-

The Kipper – E-

Thurston Darcy III – E-

 

 

Opener

 

Crazy Train – E-

Gregory Grace – E-

Vincent Victory – E-

 

 

Enhancement Talent

 

Dazzler – E-

 

 

Managers

 

Autumn Gleeson – E+ – Mortimer Pyle / Horton Ravenwood

Brittini Burke – E+ – Artemis Eyre-Rochester / Thurston Darcy III

Spin Doctor – D – Quiz Master / Quizzical Mark Question

Vicki Company – D- – Monday Next

 

 

Commentary Team

 

Garfield Harth – E+ – Play-by-Play

Rebecca Richey – D – Colour / Backstage Interviewer

 

 

Referee

 

Wayne Schimmelbusch – F+

 

 

Road Agent

 

Captain Wrestling – E

 

 

 

Tag Teams

(Grades indicate experience)

 

Dark Reign (Mortimer Pyle / Mark Misery) – E+ (Occasional)

Heath & Horton (Heath Murdock / Horton Ravenwood) – E-

Modern Warriors (Captain Wrestling II / Kerry Wayne) – E- (Occasional)

The A-Listers (Gregory Grace / Vincent Victory) – E+

The Brat Pack (Artemis Eyre-Rochester / Thurston Darcy III) – E+

The Master Minds (Quiz Master / Quizzical Mark Question) – E – RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPS

The RAW Giants (Manhunter / Skyscraper) – E

 

 

 

Requirements / Goals

 

#1 – RAW cannot fall into debt at any point.

#2 – RAW must not fall below Regional size.

#3 – You cannot hire or extend the contract of any wrestler with less than D- charisma.

#4 – You cannot hire or extend the contract of any wrestler with less than D- psychology.

#5 – You cannot hire anyone who works the style of a Japanese Junior.

#6 – The product must not be changed in any way, shape or form. The network likes the product the way it is and it’s your job to book it, not change it.

#7 – The following storylines must be continued or brought to a conclusion on screen for the sake of continuity:

 

- Captain Wrestling II vs. Rahmel Goode

- Montgomery Croft vs. Loxley Robbins

- Luke Steele vs. Kerry Wayne

 

 

 

After finished reading it all, including bios for each roster member, I watched the provided DVDs of RAW’s last few shows, all the time jotting down notes of how I wanted to move forward, and realised that some members of the RAW roster were better wrestlers than I first imagined, which was a huge relief. There were still some people who were definitely lacking in certain areas but plenty of fun characters and people oozing with star quality that it somehow worked. I did have one guy that I had decided needed to go, and noted to speak to Tristam about it in tomorrow’s meeting. Another thing I noted was the lack of face teams, and ran down the roster for people I could potentially pair together. Finally, I jotted down a short list of names, people I wanted to bring in.

 

I looked at the clock by the side of my bed and was shocked to realise it was now 5am. I decided I’d better get at least a few hours sleep. I had a lot to discuss with my new boss during tomorrow’s meeting. I just hoped he would be receptive to my ideas.

[gingarob]

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I walked into the building of The A.S.N Network and headed straight up to the 10th floor. I was running slightly late after sleeping in. I’d drunk a couple of cups of coffee in the taxi on the way to the building and I could finally feel the effects of the caffeine coursing through me veins, giving me much needed energy. I was sure it would be worth it though. I had my notepad with me containing many ideas for gimmicks, characters and segments for the shows as well as the next month of shows planned out, providing that Tristam agreed with who I wanted to sign.

 

I was summoned straight into his office and even though he was friendly and inviting I got the distinct impression that he was annoyed at me even though I was barely 5 minutes late. I made a mental note to myself that this guy clearly had a bit of a short fuse and decided to invest in a new, louder alarm clock. I then kicked things off.

 

Me: Firstly, I’d like to say thank you for the information you provided, it proved to be very useful. After studying the roster, I had a few changes in mind.

 

Tristam: Oh, really?

 

The tone in his voice wasn’t completely supportive, and it seemed like he was still somewhat irked by my late arrival. I continued regardless, pushing my doubts to the back of my mind as simply paranoia.

 

Me: Yeah, the first problem I wanted to address was the cutting of some talent. I had a few names noted down but on reflection I whittled it down to one name. Crazy Train.

 

Tristam: Why would you wanna fire Train?

 

Me: Well it’s simple really. He’s terrible. He has a fun gimmick that masks his lack of talent slightly but it is still noticeable that he can’t put on a match and can’t even perform on the stick. I’ve heard he’s a really nice guy but he doesn’t belong in Australia’s biggest promotion.

 

Tristam: Decisive, straight to the point. I like it. You remind me a little of myself. Consider Train gone, did you have any other changes you wanted to make.

 

Me: Well, I noticed that our tag division is very biased towards the heels. In fact, there’s only one regular face team on the roster. I think we could turn the tag team division into a real jewel in our crown so I came up with a new team. Isaac Taylor and Pookie Possum – Mission Impossumble. These are both fun guys that the fans love to get behind. They’re both competent in the ring and Pookie can handle himself on the mic. Really, I think they could do some entertaining stuff together. Pookie could probably protect Isaac in terms of mic-work too. He’s got a tonne of charisma but he needs more experience talking on screen before he can make full use of it.

 

Tristam: Sounds good, any other teams in the pipeline?

 

Me: Not right now, but I’ll be looking into introducing at least one more face team to balance things out slightly. No, my next change is that I want to hire some people to the roster. Two of which would feature heavily in storylines from the get-go.

 

Tristam: Ok then, who did you have in mind?

 

I handed him my list of prospective hires. The list that contained 15 names at one point last night until I realised that not only would my roster become ridiculously bloated but it would also water down what RAW is. Finally I managed to cut it down to four guys. This was my list (I’d included justifications to help persuade Tristam they were worth paying for).

 

Swoop McCarthy: A complete no-brainer. Probably the premiere talent in Australia right now. Solid in the ring and absolute dynamite on the mic. At the age of 21 well on his way to being a bonafide superstar. With the right direction he could easily carry RAW on his back.

 

Dumfrey Pinn: A big guy with real ring presence who can actually wrestle and talk. Would slot straight into the roster with ease, and I already have a fun plan for his character on the shows. Could be a big star for us.

 

Boo Smithson: Not the most marketable or entertaining guy in the world, but brilliant between the ropes. Not someone who will really get a push here in RAW but someone we could definitely utilise to strengthen our in-ring product and help improve the people we are going to push.

 

Maurice Jackson: Relatively unknown, with only a few matches on the indy scene but the man has the aura of someone who could become a star eventually. Competent in the ring and well on his way to being a fantastic talker. One to build towards being a star in the future; I picture a feud between him and Swoop a couple of years down the line and can practically smell the money.

 

He looked over the list, an extremely serious expression on his face that didn’t give me any clue about which way he was leaning on this. He must’ve read that list 3 or 4 times, or maybe it just felt that way because this was one of my first big decisions as head booker. He eventually looked up at me, placing the list on his desk, and smiled.

 

Tristam: Must say, I agree that these guys certainly seem like talent we could utilise. I’ve never seen this Maurice Jackson guy but I’ll trust your judgement. As for the others, especially Swoop and Pinn, they’d be perfect signings for us, not least because we’d be taking top tier talent from our competition. I’ll get someone on this and we should have them all available for Friday’s show, barring any unforeseen problems which I’ll inform you of should there be any.

 

Me: Brilliant. Speaking of shows, here is what I have planned out for the month. I’m glad you approved those signings because Swoop and Dumfrey feature prominently in these plans. Right now I’ve planned as far as The Stars of RAW event at the end of the month.

 

Tristam: Great, let me have a quick browse.

 

I handed over my notebook and hoped he wouldn’t mind my frankly messy style of booking, with post-it notes stuck on the pages where extra information is needed and constant arrows pointing to items for improvements. He skims over it all relatively quickly before handing me back my book.

 

Tristam: Well that all looks great, I’m glad to see you followed my instructions regarding existing storylines. I don’t really see much need to change anything. Just get everything for the next show organised for Friday’s show and send me through the finalised running order by 5pm on Thursday so I can arrange which talent we actually need present at the show.

 

Me: Ok, will do. Once again, thank you for this opportunity. I won’t let you down.

 

Tristam: Make sure that you don’t. I’ll see you at the arena on Friday, make sure you arrive early so we can ensure everything is in place for the show to go ahead. We’ll be running the show in the Family Entertainment Complex, do you know how to get to it?

 

Me: Yeah, I’ve been to a few shows there.

 

Tristam: Brilliant, see you Friday then. If there are any changes to the plans I’ll contact you.

 

I shook his hand and that was it, my first booking meeting of my tenure as RAW head booker over and done with. As I left the building I felt extremely pumped up. Not only had I got my way with the hirings and firings but he actually seemed to like my plans for the promotion. I couldn’t wait for Friday to roll around.

[gingarob]

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SHOW PREVIEW

 

 

- The new tag team of Mission Impossumble (Isaac Taylor and Pookie Possum) have a tough test in their first match as a team, facing off against the formidable team of The RAW Giants. Will they be able to overcome this huge obstacle or will the size of The Giants be too much to cope with?

 

- Fan favourite Blaze Maximum goes head-to-head with RAW newcomer, Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn. The Don claims to have big plans for his time in RAW, will he be able to get off to a winning start?

 

- RAW Television Champion, Luke Steele, takes on new arrival Boo Smithson. Will Boo be able to cause an upset and instantly inject himself into the Television Title scene or will the champ continue his dominance?

 

- Rahmel Goode has been on a tear recently and that looks like it might just continue against relatively unknown RAW new guy, Maurice Jackson. Jackson, however, is a former rugby player classed as one of the hottest prospects in Australian wrestling and at 6’5 275lbs might just have the size to hold his own against the formidable former bodyguard.

 

- Swoop McCarthy has joined RAW but he faces an extremely tough challenge in his debut match as he squares off against none other than RAW’s resident man of mystery, Echo. Often seen lurking in the shadows, Echo is a man about whom little is known. What we do know, however, is that he can get the job done in the ring and Swoop will definitely face a stern test here.

 

- The money man of RAW, Montgomery Croft, considers himself to be worthy of a shot at the RAW Television Title. A win against Molokai “Full Phat” Milk would certainly back up such a claim. Milk, however, will also have his eyes on becoming a top player in RAW. This match will surely be a fantastic one, with the title hopes of the winner skyrocketing as a result.

 

ALSO:

- Molokai debuts his talkshow, The Milk Round, and has a very special guest scheduled to appear. In his first ever interview on television...Echo!

- Quiz Master and Quizzical Mark Question hold a tag team special of “Mind Master” featuring the Modern Warriors facing off in a battle of wits against Heath & Horne.

- Plus, The Brat Pack venture into the film industry.

 

Catch RAW Attitude! every week on The A.S.N Network at 10.30pm.

 

 

Quick Picks:

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

 

I’ll keep a tally of the result of these and after a couple of month’s worth of shows I’ll give the winner some kind of prize. I’ve not decided what yet.

[Midnightnick]

Mission Impossumble vs. The Raw Giants

The Giants really shouldn't be the team to start off with to face I think, but new teams have to start strong.

 

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Law of new workers in play again. Shame it's Blaze.

 

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

No upset at all.

 

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

See above.

 

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

This is where an upset comes.

 

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

Aussie Rich Money wins it.

[QFresh]

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

I agree with the new team starting strong, and putting all the heel teams of RAW on notice.

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Dumfrey comes in, and makes it happen!

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

You don't beat the champ your first night out. It'll be close, but Steele FTW.

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

I have a good feeling about Maurice, and this night is only the beginning.

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

I think this goes no contest, and a fued between the two start up... Hopefully.

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

Don't know why, maybe just a hunch.

[Guest Bolton]

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[drmacbeth]

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[Jaded]

I haven't really looked at RAW yet, but I really like your introduction to the fed - keep up the good work!

 

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[Waghlon]

Good start.

 

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

The Giants are just a plain awesome team. Regardless of what faces you can create to go against them.

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[Jingo]

Mission Impossumble vs. The Raw Giants

Big start for the new team

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

The debut guy takes it

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

I like Smithson but i sence no upset

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Again no upset here

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Swoop gets a good start

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

I like Milk (the wrestler that is ..) so he gets my pick

[benjacko]

Mission Impossumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[Rathen4]

Interesting amount of matches considering the sheer amount of angles this promotion needs!

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants - You wouldn't create a new team just to job them out!

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn - Blaze could be massive.

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title) - You won't job your champion out, but Boo will still look good.

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode - I want to bring MoJo in to my APW game, so it'll be interesting to see you push him.

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo - SWOOOOOOOOOP fits perfectly here.

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft - He's too good to lose.

 

How did you get the APW guys in? I can't sign RAW guys due to "The War". Is this because RAW is bigger?

[gingarob]

How did you get the APW guys in? I can't sign RAW guys due to "The War". Is this because RAW is bigger?

 

Yeah, pretty much. They're quite a bit more popular (D's across all of Australia) and they have more prestige (D+).

 

Thanks a lot for all the predictions guys, I wasn't expecting so much interest. Show will be up some time tomorrow or later on tonight.

[TheKenwyne]

Aren't the majority of RAW workers on Exlusive PPA contracts, too?

 

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[Huntman]

Quick Picks:

Mission Impssumble vs. The Raw Giants

Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

[gingarob]

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RAW Attitude!

 

Friday, Week 1, January 2010

Family Entertainment Complex, Western Australia

Attendance: 1,000

 

 

 

 

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The crowd boo disapprovingly as Montgomery Croft swaggers to the ring. He carries with him a huge wad of notes, waving it in the faces of the fans at ringside with a smirk.

 

“2010. A new decade, a clean slate...and time for a NEW Television Champion. You are looking at that new champion. I, clearly, should be next in line for a title shot because...”

 

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“According to who exactly?”

 

The crowd go wild as Loxley Robbins walks out to interrupt Croft before he can get into a long rant about why he should be the next champion.

 

“According to the fact that the cream always rises to the top. Everyone knows that the elite members of society all have one thing in common – they have money. The fact that I have more money than everyone in this entire arena, combined, makes me a clear cut choice for a shot at the title!”

 

“Oh and here was me thinking that earning a title shot was based on your performances as opposed to your bank balance. So far I haven’t seen you do anything of note or win any important matches. I, however, am the perfect example of the kind of person who should be receiving a title shot. Unlike you I am a man of the people; not a low-down, good-for-nothing, cheating scumbag!”

 

“Please, you are not even in my league. I am not only rich fiscally but I am the richest man in talent dollars in all of Australia. I would destroy you inside the squared circle.”

 

“Oh really? Well how about you put your money where your mouth is and face me next week one-on-one? Let’s see if your bark is as loud as your bite!”

 

The crowd cheers their approval for a #1 Contender’s match, chanting “Kill him Loxley!” Inside the ring, Croft smirks as if he’s gotten exactly what he wanted.

 

“You’re going to regret making that challenge, mark my words.”

 

Rating: C

 

 

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Mission Impossumble vs. The RAW Giants

 

With the new duo looking to impress in their first match as a team they started with a fast and furious pace, running rings around The Giants. As the match wore on, however, the size and power advantage held by Manhunter and Skyscraper began to pay with the ending coming when Manhunter caught Isaac Taylor coming off the top ropes with a Diving Crossbody and threw him over the top rope with a Fallaway Slam. It was followed up by The RAW Giants hitting a Chokeslam/Powerbomb combo on Pookie Possum, allowing Manhunter to get the 3 count.

 

Winners: The RAW Giants

Rating: E-

 

 

The RAW Giants added insult to injury by beating down Mission Impossumble, hitting each of them with the Chokeslam/Powerbomb. The crowd really got on their backs for this but they seemed to enjoy the disapproval.

 

Rating: D+

 

 

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Brat Pack Films Incorporated presents...

The Spiderman Kiss

 

Artemis Eyre-Rochester is dressed up as Spiderman with Brittini Burke wearing a red wig, playing the part of Mary-Jane. He has rope tied around his feet, hanging upside down. The rope wraps around a pulley with the other end being held by Thurston Darcy III. Thurston is also holding a hose and spraying water over in a shoddy attempt to simulate rain.

 

“Action!”

 

“Mary-Jane” moves close to “Spiderman”, who is handing upside down in front of her. She pulls his mask down slightly and plants a kiss on him. The rain suddenly stops...wait, what? That never happened when I saw this on pirate DVD.

 

“Dammit!”

 

Thurston has dropped the hose, stopping the rain, and quickly scrambles to pick it back up as a pool of water forms around his feet. Unfortunately he releases the rope, causing Artemis to crash into the floor and land on the top of his head whilst dragging Brittini down with him as he attempted to grab onto something to stop his fall. Their scene is in disarray, with Artemis out cold on the floor and Brittini now in a mood for ripping her top open. There’s only one option...

 

“Cut!”

 

Rating: D-

 

 

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Blaze Maximum vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

 

The Don was on the receiving end of the fans’ displeasure as he took control of this match from get get-go but they soon started to enjoy things a little more as Blaze began to fight back into things. Unfortunately it was short lived and The Don ended things quickly with a Boss-A-Nova to pick up an extremely unpopular victory.

 

Winner: Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

Rating: D-

 

 

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Quiz Master and Quizzical Mark Question are in the ring, which has been transformed in order to look like the set of a quiz show. There are two contestant’s tables with scoreboards attached to the front directly behind The Master Minds. Quiz Master is the first one to address the crowd.

 

“Welcome to the inaugural episode of...

Mind Masters

...where we, The Master Minds, will test the general knowledge of members of the RAW roster.”

 

Mark Question takes over.

 

“Tonight, to celebrate our first show we have something very special for you...a tag team show down! We will pit two of RAW’s tag teams against each other in a battle of wits. First up we have a team whose competitors are both concentrating on singles pursuits right now but assure us that they’re still very much a team. Captain Wrestling II and Kerry Wayne...Modern Warriors!”

 

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The crowd go wild for two of RAW’s top stars and a team that many regard as the best team in all of RAW. It’s been a while since they’ve formally been recognised as a team as the fans are delighted to see it.

 

“And their opponents for this war of the mind; Heath Murdock and Horton Ravenwood...Heath & Horton!”

 

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The crowd cheer for the former RAW Tag Team Champions who come down to the ring all smiles and hand-slapping. Until they look at The Master Minds that is, they reserve a cold stare especially for them. When both teams are sat behind their respective desks, Quiz Master starts the questions.

 

“Number 1, what is the name of the world's longest reef?”

 

A buzzer noise sounds and Kerry answers.

 

“The Great Barrier Reef.”

 

“Correct. Number 2, what is the capital of Australia?”

 

There is a bing noise and Heath jumps right in, a look of confidence on his face.

 

“Sydney!”

 

“Incorrect, it is of course Canberra. Number 3, Darwin is the capital of which state?”

 

Captain Wrestling II chimes in with an answer.

 

“The Northern Territory.”

 

“Correct. Number 3, what is the world’s most spoken language?”

 

Heath answers again.

 

“English.”

 

“Incorrect, the answer is Mandarin. Number 4, Peter piper picked a peck of what?”

 

Horton takes his first shot.

 

“Peppers.”

 

“Incorrect, the answer is Pickled Peppers. Number 5, I scored over 10,000 runs in my test career and finished with an average of 51.06. Who am I?”

 

Captain Wrestling rings the buzzer.

 

“Steve Waugh.”

 

“That is correct and that ends the Mind Masters quiz. Mark, can you give us the scores please?”

 

“Modern Warriors have 2 and Heath & Horton have -3.”

 

“Oh, unlucky to you Heath & Horton that score is certainly going to prove difficult to top...or should I say bottom? But congratulations to this week’s winners and first ever Mind Masters champions...Captain Wrestling II and Kerry Wayne!”

 

Rating: D

 

 

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Boo Smithson vs. Luke Steele (Non-Title)

 

Using his renowned technical ability Boo Smithson quickly took control of this match, managing to tie Luke Steele into knots and completely baffle the current TV Champion with a series of chain wrestling manoeuvres. Smithson was almost able to make Steele tap early to a Cattle Mutilation but he wasn’t beaten down enough and managed to power out. Things took a turn for the worse for Smithson as Steele launched him out of the ring and proceeded to drop him face-first into the guardrail. From that point on Steele showed why he was champion, repeatedly smashing Smithson back down to the canvas whilst the plucky newcomer repeatedly kicked out. Boo almost managed to lock in his patented Crossface Chicken wing but he couldn’t quite synch it in and Steele was able to escape and hit the Steele Crusher to end the bout, much to the chagrin of the fans.

 

Winner: Luke Steele

Rating: D-

 

After the match was over Steele picked up Boo in order to hit him with another Steele Crusher and signify his dominance. Luckily for Boo some familiar music played and distracted Steele and he awaited the former champion’s entrance.

 

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Coming through the crowd, Kerry Wayne slid into the ring unnoticed and behind Steele. He pulled a pair of brass knuckles out of his pocket and slipped them on before tapping Steele on the shoulder and nailing him right between the eyes with a big right hand. Steele went down like a tree and blood began trickling from his head as Wayne retrieved the RAW Television Title. He held it aloft in triumph as he stood over the sleeping Steele.

 

Rating: D

 

 

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Monday Next vs. Mark Misery

 

This match started out as quite the technical affair with both men going hold for hold with each other. Surprisingly, to me anyway, the fans didn’t seem that into it and one small group even started chanting “Boring.” I facepalmed as I heard that and then noted Misery did a good job by slapping on a Sleeper Hold and asking the fans if this was exciting enough. From that point on the crowd seemed to get quite into the bout as Monday upped his pace, mixing in the odd high flying move, as Misery sought to keep him pinned to the mat in submission holds. The end came when Monday hit his Flash Forward finisher and picked up the pinfall victory.

 

Winner: Monday Next

Rating: E+

 

 

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The Milk Round

 

There is a brown leather sofa and a matching armchair in the centre of the ring. Occupying the armchair is our host, Molokai Milk, and sat adjacent to him on the sofa is his guest for tonight, Echo.

 

“Welcome, everyone, to The Milk Round. I am your host Molokai Milk and tonight I am joined by RAW’s resident man of mystery. In his first ever televised interview...Echo! It’s great to have you here Echo, is there any particular reason you decided to break your silence and join me tonight?”

 

“The more you ignore me

The closer I get

You're wasting your time”

 

“Erm...ok then. Moving swiftly onwards, tonight you face a RAW newcomer and a former APW Commonwealth Champion in Swoop McCarthy. Do you have any words for your opponent and are you confident of walking away with a victory?”

 

“In our lifetime those who kill

The newsworld hands them stardom

And these are the ways

On which I was raised”

 

Milk looks directly into the camera and raises an eyebrow, he’s clearly as confused by Echo’s words as everyone in attendance. He shrugs his shoulders as if to say “oh what the hell” and attempts another question.

 

“There are many members of the RAW roster who have staked their claim for a shot at the Television Title; will you be throwing your hat into the ring, so to speak?”

 

“Trudging slowly over wet sand

Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen

This is the coastal town

That they forgot to close down

Armageddon - come Armageddon!

Come, Armageddon! Come!”

 

“I’m sorry folks but it seems Echo is unwilling to answer my questions with answers that actually make sense so it appears that is it for this week’s edition of The Milk Round. Join us next week where we’ll hopefully have someone who isn’t a complete and utter raving lunatic!”

 

Rating: D+

 

 

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Maurice Jackson vs. Rahmel Goode

 

Maurice Jackson chose a bad night to make his RAW debut as Rahmel Goode seemed in an even worse mood that he normally does. The second Jackson stepped into the ring with this monster of a man he had a big boot driven into his face and things seemed to continue in that vein for the rest of the match. Jackson did manage to get in a couple of shots and even took Rahmel over with a Hiptoss but that was the extent of his offence and it seemed almost merciful when Rahmel delivered the Goode Bye and covered Jackson for the inevitable victory.

 

Winner: Rahmel Goode

Rating: E+

 

With Maurice Jackson being scraped off the canvas, Rahmel demanded that he be given a microphone, threatening the members of the ringside crew until he was handed one.

 

“That was a mere example of what I am capable of in this ring. I am the single most dominant in force; there isn’t a single person in this organisation that could stand in my way. Captain Wrestling II, not only are you a poor imitation of the original but it has come to my attention that you doubt my credibility. The punishment I just delivered tonight is a fraction of the devastation I will rain down on you. Consider yourself warned!”

 

On that note Rahmel tossed the microphone out of the ring, nearly managing to hit the ring announcer, and stormed out of the ring. The chants of “Captain Wrestling” rang out but this only seemed to enrage Rahmel more, even brandishing his fist at a fan at ringside before smirking as they shut up and backed down.

 

Rating: D+

 

 

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The mammoth duo of Manhunter and Skyscraper are stood backstage chatting. They look pretty pleased with themselves after not only winning their match tonight but also humiliating them by beating them down after the match. Walking down the corridor comes Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn, now changed out of his wrestling attire and wearing a sharp suit, who doesn’t seem perturbed by having his path blocked by The RAW Giants. In fact he actually looks pleased.

 

“Ah good, just the guys I’ve been looking for!”

 

“Us?”

 

“Yeah, you two. I’ve been wanting to talk to you since I watched your match.”

 

“...why?”

 

“Well I was incredibly impressed by what you two did out there. You two have got a lot going for you. As a team you have the potential to be an unstoppable force the likes of which no-one has even seen. We could make a lot of money together. So, I have a business proposition for both of you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Easy, protection money. Everyone will be scared of you two if you’re organised and know what you’re doing – that is exactly what I’m good at. Not only that but we could rule this entire promotion; me as Television Champion, you two as Tag Team Champions. Just picture it! Are you in?”

 

“Er...yeah!”

 

A smile breaks out on The Don’s face as he shakes hands with both members of The RAW Giants. The Don teamed up with these guys? Something tells me that spells a lot of trouble for the rest of RAW!

 

Rating: C

 

 

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Swoop McCarthy vs. Echo

 

This was a highly competitive match between two men regarded as having extremely bright futures in this industry. The action was extremely even, back and forth all the way. The second one man would grab an advantage the other would claw it back and it made for very entertaining viewing. Eventually, Swoop was able to utilise his size and strength advantage to hit a devastating Running Powerslam, turning out Echo’s lights and picking up the victory.

 

Winner: Swoop McCarthy

Rating: D

 

 

It seems that Swoop has something to say to the RAW fans because as soon as his match is finished he beckons for a microphone. The fans are already chanting his name, and this brings a huge smile to his face as he slips on his trademark sunglasses.

 

“SWOOOOOP! There it is!”

 

The crowd join in by yelling “SWOOOOOP” in time with him.

 

“Swoop McCarthy has arrived in RAW and he couldn’t be happier. Swoop is the best known wrestler in Australia and he decided it was time that he left the small time behind and came to take a look at where the big boys play!”

 

The brings another pop from the crowd, lapping up the praise he’s lavishing on their favourite promotion.

 

“Now Swoop just gave y’all an example of just what he is capable of by taking it to Eckersly. Swoop knows that the sheer sound of that one pimp slaping reverberated around the world. Swoop knows the world is aware that Swoop is in RAW and Swoop knows the world knows Swoop is excited. Put everyone on notice, Swoop McCarthy has arrived...and it is good!”

 

With crowd on their feet and chanting his name, Swoop slides his glasses down the bridge of his nose and raises his right eyebrow as he poses for the camera.

 

Rating: C-

 

 

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Molokai Milk vs. Montgomery Croft

 

With both men potentially in the frame for a shot at Luke Steele’s Television Title they both went all out in this match and it was non-stop action from bell-to-bell. Molokai Milk looked great from the very start, utilising his impressive brawling skills to overwhelm Croft, much to the joy of the fans. Croft, however, was able to sneak his way back into the match by raking Milk’s eyes and following up with a chop block as Milk attempted to regain his sight. Croft, wisely, worked on Milk’s leg for the rest of the match but that didn’t stop a resurgence from the Full Phat one, leading to him nearly grabbing a roll-up victory. Victory was achieved, however, when Croft nailed Milk with a low blow and sealed the deal with a Money To Burn, picking up an important win.

 

Winner: Montgomery Croft

Rating: D

 

 

Overall Rating: D

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREDICTION RESULTS

 

 

Show # 1

 

benjacko: 6/6

Midnightnick: 5/6

Bolton: 5/6

Waghlon: 5/6

BHK1978: 5/6

Jaded: 4/6

Jingo: 4/6

QFresh: 3/6

drmachbeth: 3/6

TheKenwyne: 3/6

Rathen4: 2/6

Huntman: 2/6

 

 

Overall

 

benjacko: 6

Midnightnick: 5

Bolton: 5

Waghlon: 5

BHK1978: 5

Jaded: 4

Jingo: 4

QFresh: 3

drmachbeth: 3

TheKenwyne: 3

Rathen4: 2

Huntman: 2

[gingarob]

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After the show I walked to the back (I had been sitting in the high reaches of the arena with the production crew so I could watch the show) to a pleasant greeting from Tristam. He seemed pleased with the production and proceeded to congratulate me for a job well done.

 

Tristam: That was a great first show, the fans seemed to enjoy it and we set some really nice seeds for your storylines. Pairing up The RAW Giants with The Don was a good move, I can see that being a big angle for us.

 

Me: Yeah, I was reasonably happy with it. It’s not going to win any awards but like you say the fans seemed to enjoy it and it definitely got things moving with some of the characters I was working on.

 

Tristam: Exactly. The preliminary ratings are looking good; we’re drawing a 0.04 rating which is consistent to what we were pulling in towards the end of last year.

 

Me: Good to hear, hopefully we can begin to increase that number as time goes by.

 

Tristam: That’s the aim Rob, that is most definitely the aim! Now, go home and get some sleep. You look terrible!

 

Me: Ok, see you next week boss.

 

He had a point, I was utterly exhausted. This was my first week so I’d had so much to do that I spent most of the week surviving on a few snatched hours sleep and energy drinks. It all seemed worth it now that my first show was in the bag though, and that week I could spend catching up on my sleep because next week’s show was already planned out. I got the distinct feeling that I was going to enjoy this job.

[Jingo]

Can i get bonus points for recognizing that Echo has spent his spare time (much like me) listening to Morrissey!?

 

Very nice first show!

[gingarob]

Can i get bonus points for recognizing that Echo has spent his spare time (much like me) listening to Morrissey!?

 

Very nice first show!

 

Haha, maybe if it comes down to a tie situation with the predictions that could tip things in your favour.

 

Thanks, I'm enjoying this game so I hope to keep it going for a while. The next show preview should be up on Thursday evening after I get back from my lectures.

[QFresh]

Great first show sir, unfortunately I didn't predict as well as I would have liked, but it is what it is.

 

Like the direction of The Don with The Giants, and pretty much everything else thats going on right now.

[gingarob]

Updated the goals/requirements section to reflect the new goals after I had to start the game again. Grades on show segments too, final show rating was the same.

[gingarob]

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Paul Green, better known to people as the original Lone Rider, was a guy I was very happy to have on board. Paul is a true veteran of the Australian independent scene and he was one of Australia’s first real stars and despite the fact he never managed to break out of Australia and onto the International market he is still regarded as a man who had great talent. This, his talent, was the reason I was so pleased to bring him into RAW. Namely because I wanted him to work as a Road Agent and use his great psychology to help my talent construct better matches. Surprisingly Paul didn’t bring up the possibility of me signing his son Paul Jr, who has inherited the Lone Rider gimmick. To be honest, I was pretty pleased about that because Paul Jr isn’t quite the wrestler his dad was, nor does he possess his father’s charisma or size which were two key components to the character’s success.

 

It was also decided that Paul would take control of running the WrestleFactory due to his wealth of experience, Milk would remain in a trainer capacity. With Paul on board I felt quite pleased with the roster I had and I know Tristam was pleased I didn’t do too much chopping and changing. I very much kept the framework of RAW the same and just performed a couple of little tweaks.

[gingarob]

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SHOW PREVIEW

 

 

- The Don made his successful debut in RAW last week. This week he faces a sterner challenge in big fan favourite Captain Wrestling II. Will The Don continue to build his reputation here in RAW, will his new allies The RAW Giants be involved somehow, or will Captain Wrestling prove why he’s always near the very top of the RAW mountain?

 

- Echo suffered a close defeat last week to RAW newcomer Swoop McCarthy. This week he gets a chance to bounce back against the man from the outback, The Kipper. Kipper is a tough no-nonsense brawler and he should match up well against the strike-heavy Echo. One thing’s for sure, The Kipper is tough enough to give anyone in RAW a run for their money. How will Echo fare?

 

- Heath & Horton take on The A-List in a match which should prove they’re still one of the premier teams in the RAW tag ranks. The A-List, though, are as ****y and confident as ever, they think Heath & Horton have lost their touch since losing their tag titles at the end of 2009 and are ready to capitalise on it in order to prove that they are at the sharp end of the tag division. This should be another fascinating contest with huge ramifications for the winners.

 

- Molokai Milk is another man who narrowly suffered defeat last week with many people saying he was unfortunate to lose against Montgomery Croft. This week he takes on tag wrestler Mortimer Pyle, a man whose stock has been rising in RAW for some time now alongside partner Mark Misery. Will Pyle be able to heap some misery of his own on RAW’s own talk show host this week and prove he belongs on the couch and not in the ring?

 

- Montgomery Croft and Loxley Robbins both think they should be next in line for a shot at Luke Steele’s title. Tonight they get a chance to prove it and settle the score between them as they face off in a #1 Contender match, with the winner getting a match against Steele whenever they choose. Don’t miss this one folks, there will be guaranteed fireworks as these two step in the ring. Croft is coming off a big win last week and Robbins is consistently one of the top guys in RAW so it’s going be one to watch for sure.

 

- The man with the sweet afro, Frogue Element, is in action this week against certified heavy hitter Rahmel Goode. Goode has his eyes set on a contest with Captain Wrestling II and he could use this match to send him another message. Frogue, however, is another man who just needs one big win to catapult himself into title contention. Could he make tonight a Goode night for himself?

 

ALSO:

- The Milk Round returns, with the man who beat last week’s guest...Swoop McCarthy.

- Mind Masters makes a return, pitting Blaze Maximum and one half of Mission Impossumble, Isaac Taylor, off against each other in what should be another thrilling battle of wits.

- The Brat Pack takes another shot at conquering Hollywood with another Brat Pack Films Inc production.

- Plus! Last week we saw Kerry Wayne knock Television Champion Luke Steele clean out with a pair of brass knuckles. Our very own Rebecca Richey sits down with him as he explains his actions to us.

 

Catch RAW Attitude! every week on The A.S.N Network at 10.30pm.

 

 

Quick Picks:

Captain Wrestling II vs. Dumfrey “The Don” Pinn

The Kipper vs. Echo

Heath & Horton vs. The A-List

Molokai Milk vs. Mortimer Pyle

Loxley Robbins vs. Montgomery Croft (#1 Contender)

Frogue Element vs. Rahmel Goode