HGC The Rise and Fall of Hollyweird (Cverse '97)

Derek B · June 22, 2011

I was going to wait until the next set of predictions to make a post but I figure I'll just post now and say that I'm really enjoying this so far. Lots of good characterisations and some fun angles are making this a lot of fun to read.

arwink · June 25, 2011

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"It's a risky business," Strong says, "and injuries have always been part of it. I understood that. Dread understood that. Everyone understood it, I think, except JK Stallings.

"I'm pretty sure it happened on that spinebuster, the one Dread did on the concrete after the match. My arm was numb as soon as I landed; the pain didn't start until three hours or so after the show, and then it hurt like hell. There was this burning sensation in my neck and shoulders – that lasted for a few weeks – and even after that went away it still hurt when I tried to do to much.

“And it happens. It's one of the risks. I’m not saying neck nerve damage is something you take lightly – I sure as hell didn't – but I could move and I could still work and Stallings had fronted up the cash for the best medical team he could get backstage. When you’ve been in the business as long as I had, you learned how to identify the injuries that should keep you out of the ring and the ones you can work through.”

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“The legendary Churchillian Neck-Nerve Damage,” Dundee says. His gap-toothed grin shows through the tangled beard. “You know, I don’t think there’s ever been an interview about HGC where I wasn’t asked about it.

“Like there wasn’t already tension between Strong and Stallings before it happened.” He pauses and shrugs, smile fading. “Look, mate, I know what you guys want to hear and all, but it’s one of those stories that’s not mine to tell. There’s too many players, too many people with reputations who could be damaged.

“My part in things was pretty small, really. I was the guy who knew how to use e-mail, so I was the guy who got stuck delivering Stallings’ messages.”

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Anger and Spite sit on the big red couch, inseparable even during their shoot interviews. Spite’s expression is faintly amused, but Anger outright laughs in response to a question. “F—king Aussie Jack,” he says. “God f—king bless him, he frets about professionalism the way a teenage girl frets about getting herself a prom date.

“It wasn’t that big a deal. Near as I can remember, Stallings had demanded Hollyweird start testing urine that January. He sent out a memo via email, which no-one but Aussie Jack bothered reading, and he had the piece of mind to print out copies and get them distributed. Can’t really remember what it said, but the gist of it was all—”

Spite cuts in with a surprisingly accurate Southpark impression for a guy in his fifties. “Drugs are bad, m’kay?”

“Yeah,” Anger says. “Something like that. No-one took it real serious, ‘cause this was wrestling, and look at who he hired to be his flagship name, right? Then after that show a couple of us got flagged and Aussie Jack comes around with these printed out emails from Stallings, all apologetic and s—t, telling us that our pay will be docked the next time we test positive for juicing. You could tell the poor guy hated doing it, ‘specially given everyone he was chasing down had been in the business 'bout as long as he'd been alive, but I didn’t really have the heart to give him grief.”

“If I remember right,” Spite adds, “Larry Vessey wasn’t so polite about it.”

“True that,” Anger said. “Larry was kinda pissed off with the whole thing. Probably figured if it was that big a deal, they’d have sent Strong to bawl him out instead of this kid who was just a couple of years into his career. I hear he flipped the kid the bird on his way out of the meeting.

“But that was the start of it. The first indication we had that Stallings was paying attention to the medical reports that came his way, and those memos Aussie Jack gave us weren’t just pieces of paper. Stallings wanted his company clean, and he wanted it safe, and I just figured the contracts were good enough that I’d do what he wanted.”

arwink · June 26, 2011

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Eric Tyler leans against a ring up in Canada, giving the camera the same cold-eyed glare that made him famous during his run with DAVE. He wears a faded School of Tradition shirt from his time with the failed hardcore federation, but the banners behind the ring makes it obvious he’s in DeColt territory.

“I got the phone call a few days before new years,” he says, “letting me know HGC was kind of interested in working with me. They were paying attention to the war, I guess, picking up some of the names that were in the process of breaking out. Me, Hill, Eddie Chandler, a couple of the underneath guys from places like Philly Pro who showed a little potential.

“People like to talk about the big money contracts Stallings was throwing around at the start, but those were basically gone by the time the first TV taping aired. We’d get phonecalls telling us to be at a show, along with flight details and booking numbers, usually a few days before you needed to be there. It wasn’t pretty backstage. There was a real us-and-them vibe between the guys working full-time and the guys who were there week-to-week.

“Occasionally they’d sign someone from the dark ranks to a written, usually ‘cause someone who was around full-time was campaigning to get you there. The Beagle got one…sorry, that’d be Black Eagle, or Plague, I guess, these days…but Beagle got himself a contract after he had a three hour flight with Terry Stein and they discovered exactly how many times they’d both seen Rent on Braodway. I’m not saying signing the Beagle was a bad call – they needed guys like him in the cruiser ranks, I guess – but that’s how it worked.

“It gave the place a weird vibe, and the fact I was tagging with Dundee only made it weirder.”

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Joel Bryant rolls his eyes, his fingers tapping an irritated pattern on the side of beer can. “The way I heard it, second-hand and all, was that Stallings wasn’t willing to ink any deals with other companies,” he says. “And to me, to Sam, hell, even to Dundee, that just sounded crazy. Hollyweird was new, it needed to push guys and push ‘em hard, and it needed guys who could go under without getting damaged in the eyes of the fans.

“Ideally we would-a just inked deals with someone and traded; the guys on the low end of the card get some more experience working in front of a live crowd, we get a bunch of guys who can get cosy with the canvas for boys like Tyson Baine and Liberty. Or we would-a stolen a page from Supreme’s book and set up our own training territory, like Rhode Island, and borrow guys from there when we needed someone to make a new talent like Hill look dangerous as hell.

“Without those, well, there were lots of names on the books. Guys we weren’t running through the lawyers or signing on as full-time employees, but guys who were willing to work on a conversation and a hand-shake so long as they got paid.

“I bet you anything they sighed with relief when Dusty started talking about retiring and opening up a school. All things considered, they probably wish he’d done it even earlier than he did.”

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Larry Wood is sprawled across the big red coach, hands behind his head. “I never really noticed any tension,” he says, “but I doubt me and Billy were in the same position as guys like Eric. They wanted us on-board full-time, locked up on five year deals, but Billy wasn’t willing to sign for that long. Even getting him to come down to America and work there turned out to be a pain in the neck. Bill always preferred what he knew to taking chances, and he knew his place in Canada. The thought of being pushed as one of the top tag-teams in the States seemed to freak him out a little. Going to Japan, well, I ended up putting on a mask over there and working on my own.

“Fortunately, Billy’s reluctance didn’t seem to put a damper on our push. We were week-to-week, sure, but they had there every week even if we didn’t work the main show. We did what we did, possibly better than anyone on their roster, and then we went back to Canada and worked shows for Dan Stone Senior. And we were making a fair paycheck like that, probably more than we would have gotten from either place on a written deal.

“So, yeah, no tension, not that I remember, but they liked having me around so all the lucha guys and Juniors could learn English a little faster. Plus, when it got right down to it, if you were part of tag-team who had some experience behind you, you were pretty much golden when it came around to putting together the card.”

arwink · June 27, 2011

TCW Legacy Archive Presents

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- Episode 8 Preview -

Coming up our latest HGC Archive installment:

It’s the final episode of Hollyweird TV before our first PPV, and all the buzz is focused on the final Four Way Dance qualifier, with Rip Chord and Cowboy Ricky Dale squaring off to determine who will claim the final spot in the four way dance. It’s a match with particular importance to Cowboy Ricky Dale after losing to Chord in the first ever episode of Hollyweird TV under dubious circumstances, but Chord is at his most dangerous when fighting for a chance at championship gold.

The Vessey Brothers will be in action against Shadow Clan members Ota and Ronin, with the mysterious Awesome Thunder at ringside. Both teams are well-trained in the art of striking and technical matwork, but the Clan’s ability to bend the rules behind the referee’s back is almost magical. Could the ninjas step up and take the mantle of best tag-team of the world away from the undefeated Vessey Brothers?

An irritated Dread has laid out an open challenge for the show, and he’s been answered by rookie wrestler Ramon Paez. The lightweight Paez has had a number of impressive pre-show outings, and he sees a match with Dread as his chance to earn a regular spot on the main show.

The Tag-Team Specialists will face the team of Mr Lucha and Spanish Superfly in what’s sure to be an explosive contest. HGC’s luchadores were collectively insulted when the Untouchables tried to remove the mask of the respected Mr Lucha in last weeks match, and they’ve requested this match to avenge themselves on tow of the perpetrators.

BLZ Bubb will be in action again, facing the debuting Canadian rookie Tom Gilmore. It’s unlikely to be a pleasant night for Gilmore; the Demon Seed suffered his first loss at last weeks show and he’s known to vent his temper in the ring.

And our show kicks off in style with a first-time meeting between the Blazing Flames and the Demons of Rage. The big news backstage is that the Demons have signed the contract for their Malice in Wonderland match with the Vessey Brothers, and a victory over opponents the calibre of the Flames will send them into the PPV with considerable momentum.

Matches featured on this streaming video include:

Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Rip Chord

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Shadow Clan

Ramon Paez vs. Dread

Mr Lucha & Spanish Superfly vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Tom Gilmore vs. BLZ Bubb

The Blazing Flames vs. The Demons of Rage

Jingo · June 27, 2011

Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Rip Chord

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Shadow Clan

Ramon Paez vs. Dread

Mr Lucha & Spanish Superfly vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Tom Gilmore vs. BLZ Bubb

The Blazing Flames vs. The Demons of Rage

Derek B · June 27, 2011

Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Rip Chord

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Shadow Clan

Ramon Paez vs. Dread

Mr Lucha & Spanish Superfly vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Tom Gilmore vs. BLZ Bubb

The Blazing Flames vs. The Demons of Rage

Midnightnick · June 27, 2011

Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Rip Chord

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Shadow Clan

Ramon Paez vs. Dread

Mr Lucha & Spanish Superfly vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Tom Gilmore vs. BLZ Bubb

The Blazing Flames vs. The Demons of Rage

arwink · June 30, 2011

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Tuesday, Week 4, January 1997

The Ranch of San Antonio (Mid-South) – 10,000 people

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“No need to go to the computer tonight,” Jason Azaria says. “We have our main event for this evening predetermined, folks. The last chance to earn a spot in our first Pay Per View main event comes down to Cowboy Ricky Dale and Rip Chord!”

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The three finalists are all in place, looking on. Ricky Dale stares across the ring, intently focused on Chord. The veteran grins and walks over, offering a hand-shake. Ricky Dale accepts, and the pair pull each other in until they’re standing nose to nose.

“Brother, you’re between me and the Championship,” Chord says, “and we already know you can’t beat me.”

Rip tries to walk away, but Ricky Dale refuses to let go. “Chord, you may have beat me in California, and you may be a legend, but tonight we’re in Texas, in the historic Ranch of San Antonio…” He pauses for the cheap, home-town pop. “This here is my backyard, partner, and if you want to put me down for the one-two-three here, you’re going to damn near have to kill me.”

Rip Chord just grins. “Brother, that’s fine by me.”

He goes for the cheap shot, but Ricky Dale blocks it and immediately responds with a discus clothesline that put Chord on his ass. Charlie Thatcher intervenes, nailing Rick Dale with a punch of his own, and Thatcher’s power is enough to create some distance. The Insurance Polic rushes to help his boss up and guide him backstage, leaving a joyous Ricky Dale to grin at the heel’s exodus.

Rating: B+

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http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ProfessorNero.jpg

The Blazing Flames vs. The Demons of Rage w/Professor Nero

The Demons of Rage emerge with a manager at their side, and Professor Mycroft Nero induces a kind of fevered anger in the southern wrestling crowd. The veteran barks orders at the two monsters, cackling as the Demons proceed to dismantle their opponents.

The Blazing Flames don’t go down easy – they counter the Demon’s power with speed and fluid teamwork – but Professor Nero’s presence makes a decisive difference. He distracts Teddy Flame long enough for the Demons to put him down with the Double Demon Down.

The Demons Of Rage defeated The Blazing Flames in 8:41 by pinfall.

Rating: C

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Nero climbs into the ring with the Demons, a microphone in hand.

“Everyone assumes these two men are stupid,” Nero says. “They look at the size, the strength, the string of decisive victories…and they assume that Anger and Spite are stupid. It’s an easy mistake.

“Coach Pangrazzio believes he’s trained the ultimate tag-team in the word today, but the truth is that as good as the Vessey Brothers are, they’re made better by the fact that Pongrazzio’s in their corner. The Demons realise this, and so they sought out a man who could give them the same edge.

“They sought out Professor Mycroft Nero, the greatest wrestling mind the world has ever seen.

“A challenge has been made, and tonight it gets an answer. The Demons of Rage have signed the contract – the two best tag-teams in the world today will meet at Malice in Wonderland.

“And it will not be two against three, as Pongrazzio and his wrestlers were hoping. The Demons of Rage are not stupid, they will not relinquish the title of best tag-team in the world without a fight.

“And Pongrazzio may be one of the best coaches in the world, but there’s at least one man whose better.”

Rating: C+

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Tom Gilmore vs. BLZ Bubb

Gilmore is only have the demon seed’s size, but the younger wrestler doesn’t back down. He meets BLZ Bubb in the centre of the ring, staring the big man down, and paint-brushes his opponent when the bell is rung. It’s followed up with a series of big right hands, chasing Bubb into the corner where Gilmore launches a series of kicks into the big man’s midsection.

It’s a good start, but it’s all Gilmore gets. BLZ Bubb reverses their position, bounces Gilmore’s skull off the top turnbuckle, then flattens the Canadian with a clothesline. Not long after, the demon seed unleashes the Hades Bomb and the match is over.

BLZ Bubb defeated Tom Gilmore in 4:12 by pinfall.

Rating: D+

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I’m Too Sexy hits and Romeo Heartthrob makes his way out to the ring, clad in a leopard print jacket and a bow tie. He’s accompanied by a beautiful woman clad in a mini-skirt and low-cut top, leading her by the hand until he reaches the ring.

“There’s this kid named Monty Walker backstage,” he says, “and he’s got a lot to learn; a lot to learn about wrestling, a lot to learn about life.

“And a lot to learn about women.

“Now Monty, I know you think you’ve got something to prove to this mystery girl of yours, and I know you think you can provoke me into giving you a match, but I’m going to do you one better. I’m going to show you how a real man hooks up. Watch and learn. Lesson one, never take no for an answer”

Romeo leans in and whispers something in the girls ear. She blushes and giggles, looking away, trying to resist his advances. Heartthrob persists, and after a few moments she permits him to kiss her on the hand.

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They’re interrupted by the opening chords of Walk This Way. Monty Walker slouches his way down to the ring, a half-smile on his lips. He climbs in and stands toe-to-toe with Romeo.

“Listen man,” he says, “I appreciate that you’re trying to help, but I can get girls. I mean, I can get really hot girls.”

“Yeah?” Romeo steps away from his conquest. “So prove it.”

And Walker does, giving the girl little more than a smouldering look before stepping and kissing her. The girl goes week at the knees, melting at his kiss, and Heartthrob looks considerably out of sorts.

“The problem is, the girl I’m chasing is seriously hot,” Walker says. “We’re talking, you know, thermo-nuclear. And that means going above and beyond the call, man. I need you and me, in the ring, at Malice.”

Heartthrob looks smug, aware that he’s got the high ground again. “Not going to happen, kid. You’re not in my—”

And that’s as far as he gets before Walker’s superkick takes his head off. “Don’t take no for an answer,” Walker says. “It’s good advice.”

Hearrthrob pushes himself off the mat, clutching at his jaw. “Fine,” the veteran says. “You want to do it the hard way, kid, we’ll do the hard way. I hope your girl still likes you once you’re missing a few teeth.”

Rating: C+

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The Silver Screen flares to life, the guitar riff to touch me, I’m sick, playing in the background. “We’ve got a letter here from Dean Kelly in Missourie,” Grunt says, “he wants to know if we really think we’re a better team than the Teddy and Joey Flame.”

“*BEEP* the Blazing Flames, man,” Stink says. “They ain’t nothin’.”

“I heard they fornicate with animals,” Grunt says.

“I heard they listen to Britney Spears,” Stink says

“I heard they fornicated with Britney Spears.”

“Nah dude, that was me.” Stink leers at the camera. “The Flames fornicated with the other Spears. What’s the name…Randy.”

“You don’t mean…”

“*BEEP*in’ A.”

“At least they landed themselves a porn-star,” Stink says. “But that sure as hell don’t matter to me and G. The Nation of Filth are two of the nastiest, craziest, most hard-core f—kin’ fighters to ever step out of Trash Heap, USA, and we don’t step into the ring unless we’re promised a fight.”

Rating: D+

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Mr Lucha & Superfly vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

It's a nice, solid match that plays the speed of the luchadors against the traditional mat work of Oxford and Bryant.

There's tension between the two teams after last weeks brawl, and Superfly in particular seems to be taking it personally. Azaria launches into the explanation as the action unfolds, tracing the history of Superfly’s own masked persona prior to losing a mask versus hair match two years earlier.

There's some great action towards the end of the match, much of supplied by Mr Lucha as he demonstrates why he's one of the best high-flyers in the world today. He picks up the victory when he hits the Master Drop on Joel Bryant.

Lucha & Superfly defeated The Tag Team Specialists in 8:27 by pinfall.

Rating: C-

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Burn starts to play, and the Blazing Flames emerge onto the stage with microphones in hand. The veteran tag-team are dressed in identical jackets with flame motifs, and they take their time heading down to the ring.

“It seems there’s two teams out there making a fuss about being the best tag-team in the world,” Joey says. “The Vesseys think they’re the best, and they trot their coach to say it every chance they get. The Demons think they’re the best, and now they’ve got a Professor Nero in their corner - now I ain't saying that's the only reason those lunkeheads got a victory over the Flames earlier tonight, but I figure you guys know the score, right?”

The fans immediately roar their response, showing their love for the veteran tag-team.

“The thing is,” Teddy says, taking over from his brother, “there’s one thing both these teams have forgotten. The Blazing Flames have twenty-years fighting together. We’ve held tag-team gold more times than the Demons and the Vessey’s combined. If you want to talk about the best in the world, then the line starts right here, with us.”

“Now it seems the Vesseys and the Demons have got themselves an engagement this Sunday,” Joey says, “and the powers that be aren’t interested in letting us get in on that little dance, so we’re putting a challenge out there. Anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to step into the ring with the greatest tag-team in the world, feel free to step up.”

Teddy high fives his brother. “Come Malice in Wonderland,” he says, “we’re going to remind the world why we’re the best there is at what we do.”

Rating: D

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The return from the commercial break shows us the locker room for the trio the teams have dubbed “Team Strong.” Strong and Liberty are studying a series of photographs spread across a small table, while Valentine pumps iron in the background.

“…all I’m saying, man, is that I didn’t need to win like that,” Liberty says. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the assist, but—”

“What can I say, brother? When you’re friends with a guy like Pete, he’s got your back no matter what. Don’t focus on the past, brother. Malice in Wonderland is right around the corner, and we’re going to be in the biggest match of the night. Four way dance for the gold, brother. The first World Heavyweight Championship on the line.”

“I know that, man.” Liberty frowns and lifts a photograph of Dread preparing to deliver a Dreadbomb. “And I know I haven’t been doing this as long as you have, dude, but I want to forge my own path. I appreciate everything you’ve done, taking me under your wing and all, but when I win that title, I wanna be free to win it my way. I don’t want you to take it easy on me, I don’t want Valentine showing up to help out—”

“Valentine has better things to do at Malice.” Peter Valentine puts down the weights and steps into the foreground of the shot, covered in sweat. “Valentine’s got a date with Dusty Streets. Seems someone in the office is listening to his bull about teaching me a lesson.”

Liberty grins. “Good.”

“And as for me, brother,” Strong says, “make no mistake, there are no friends when you and I climb into that ring on Sunday. Someone is walking out of Malice the first World Heavyweight Champion, and if it comes down to you and me, brother, we let the best man win.”

Rating: B

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http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RamonPaez.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg

Ramon Paez vs. Dread

A nicely received squash, with the debuting Ramon Paez getting the crowds interest with his initial flurry of offense before Dread cuts him off. There is little doubt the rookie is heavily overmatched here, and Dread puts Paez away with ease using the Dreadsault.

Dread defeated Ramon Paez in 6:19 by pinfall.

Rating: C+

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Dread throws his stunned opponent under the bottom rope, then collects a microphone. “When I took the name Dread, I devoted myself with a singular ideal: total and utter domination.” The juggernaut speaks simply, impassively, as though this is an afterthought. “Everywhere I go, every opponent I face, domination is the goal. Let lesser men settle for hard-fought victories, the name Dread would mean decimation. The name Dread would be feared above all others.

“I spent years shaping myself, preparing myself, learning everything I needed to know about myself and my opponents.

“Then, in Japan, I faced a man named Strong; a man who possessed physical gifts to rival my own, a man with years of experience, a legend of the sport. We fought, several times, and he became one of the few men Dread could not dominate.

“He became the only man I’ve never beaten.

“At Malice in Wonderland I shall rectify that mistake. I will step into the ring with Strong and two other men, and Dread shall do what he does best. I return to singular ideal that makes me who I am: I shall enter the ring, I shall dominate, and I will be the World Heavyweight Championship.”

Rating: B+

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http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg

vs.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TroyTornado.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/FumihiroOta.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/YosukeNarita_alt.jpg

The Vessey Brothers w/Coach Pangrazzio vs. The Shadow Clan w/Awesome Thunder

It’s a short match, but full of frenetic energy. The Vesseys do what they do best, grounding the match and unleashing their fists, but the Shadow clan quickly prove that they’re not helpless on the mat. Ronin happily brawls with Larry Vessey, while Ota’s talent for incapacitating opponents with wrist and elbow locks comes to the fore.

Not that any of this stops the Vessey Brothers from pounding the hell out of their opponents, but it keeps the Clan looking respectable, especially since Awesome Thunder’s interference remains beneath the referee’s radar. Larry Vessey takes care of the problem with the simple expedient of hip-tossing Thunder out of the ring, clearing the way for Bryan to pick up the victory with a Sick Cycle on Ota.

The Vessey Brothers defeated The Shadow Clan in 6:01 by pinfall.

Rating: C+

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

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ProfessorNero.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg

Professor Nero leads the Demons of Rage through the curtain, offering the Vessey Brothers some mocking applause. The two Demons sneer, glaring at the ring, obviously waiting for a signal from their manager.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg

The trigger they’re waiting for never comes. Bryan Vessey breaks ranks and charges up the ring, crashing into Demon Anger with a series of forearm shivs. Larry Vessey follows his brother, crash-tackling Spite onto the steel.

The two teams brawl across the stage, out of control from the moments the fists start flying, but Hollyweird Security quickly swarms out to separate the combatants and keep them apart. The Demons are hustled backstage first, both monsters roaring their rage, followed by the echo of Nero’s mad cackle as the stage is finally cleared.

Rating: B-

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

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg

Action Jackson is backstage with Cowboy Ricky Dale, the young wrestler dressed to compete.

“Looks like there’s one hell of a donnybrook forming in the tag-team division at Malice,” Jackson says, “but I’m here with a man whose been spoiling for a fight since the very first Hollyweird TV. Ricky Dale, do you think you’ve got what it takes to win a spot in the four way dance tonight?

Ricky Dale leans back a moment and nudges his hat away from his eyes. “Chord may have beaten me once, but once is all he gets. Now Chords a legend, AJ, I ain’t disuptin’ that, but being a legend doesn’t much in this business. Legends have the skills, they have the experience, but even legends can have themselves a bad day.

“And this the Ranch of San Antonio. This is the building where I won my first championship, and it’s the place where I lost them. It’s where I learnt the one thing every champion learns – the only thing between holding gold and losing it is three simple seconds. Chord’s a legend around the world, but I’m the legend around these parts, partner, and no-one beats me here.”

“What about Charlie Thatcher?” Jackson asks. “Do you have a plan to counter the Enforcer?”

“Partner, I came up with several,” Ricky Dale says, “but in the end they just weren’t needed. Words come down from the management committee that they want tonight’s match to be clean as a whistle, and Charlie Thatcher’s been banned from ringside. If he shows up, if he lays hands on me or the referee, he’s getting a fine so big his great-great-great grandchildren will still be paying it off long after he’s dead.”

“Certainly good news for you,” Jackson says, “and I’d wish you good luck in your match, but from the sounds of this crowd you may not need it.”

Rating: B+

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

A video-package airs, featuring highlights from the tournament spliced together to focus on finalists in the four-way dance. There are multiple shots of Dread crashing into Mr Lucha, Liberty rolling up BLZ Bubb, and Sam Strong laying Paul Steadyfast out with the Strong Arm Tactic. The final couple of shots focus exclusively on Rip Chord and Ricky Dale, tracing their paths through the qualifiers to tonight’s semi-final match.

Rating: B+

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

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg

Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Rip Chord

At this early stage of his career you’d be hard-pressed to call Cowboy Ricky Dale the favourite in a match with Chord, but the response from the Texas fans might very well be enough to convince a casual viewer otherwise. Rick Dale is the home-town boy, trained and honed in the Texas Wrestling League, and as the match progresses it’s obvious he’s feeding on the energy of the eight-thousand strong crowd.

Chord’s in his element in this kind of match, at home with the sheer hatred of a crowd that’s firmly behind his opponent. His first major offensive move is sending a charging Ricky Dale over the top rope with backdrop, and from there he works hard to keep control: slowing the pace; fighting dirty; grinding Ricky Dale down by degrees.

When Ricky Dale begins his come-back the crowd erupts, going berserk as the home-town boy tees off a last desperate burst of offense. A splash to the corner is missed – Chord ducks out of the way at the last minute – but Ricky Dale still has the wherewithal to fight free when Chord sets up for his famous DDT. Rip feigns injury in the moments that follow – he staggers to the ring-ropes, clutching at his knee, yelling for the referee.

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

Rick Sanders moves in and leaps onto the ring apron, verbally abusing the Cowboy, and Jason Azaria immediately rattles off the newcomers list of achievements in the East Coast Wars. “Still,” Azaria says, “I have no idea what he’s doing here.”

Kyle Rhodes makes an educated guess. “I think he’s serving as a distraction.”

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

It works. Ricky Dale makes the mistake of giving Sanders his full attention, allowing a second man to come in from the crowd. The stranger nails Ricky Dale with a lariat from behind before rolling beneath the bottom rope, joining Ricky Sanders at ringside.

And, magically, Rip Chord is fine after that. He breaks free of the concerned referee’s attention and makes the cover, picking up victory and the first berth in the Four Way Dance for the HGC World Heavyweight Title at Malice in Wonderland.

Rip Chord defeated Cowboy Ricky Dale in 27:37 by pinfall.

Rating: A

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

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickSanders.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheIdahoPunisher.jpg

Rip Chord smirks as he studies the downed Ricky Dale. With the match over he calls the two newcomers and the Insurance Policy, Charlie Thatcher, into the ring. Sanders and Punisher immediately haul Ricky Dale over to the corner of the ring, holding him in place while Thatcher heads to the opposite corner. The big man charges across the ring, building up a head of steam for a running boot to Ricky Dale’s jaw. The impact is audible, even in the cheap seats, and Chord claims a microphone before getting in the semi-conscious Ricky Dale’s face.

“Unlike you, Ricky,” Chord says, “I don’t rely on luck.”

He nods to his three cohorts, who throw Ricky Dale onto the mat so Charlie Thatcher can finish things with the Crusher Legdrop. Chord climbs to the top rope and gestures to his waist, making it clear where his attention is focused on Sunday.

Rating: B+

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

Overall: B-

Stennick · July 2, 2011

How cool is it that one of my favorite dynasty writers is doing the same company I'm doing, a company that very few up until now have done? Answer is very cool. I especially like that Charlie Thatcher guy as Rip Chords body guard

I'm reading man.

arwink · July 21, 2011

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

“It’s still one of my favourite matches. We had the crowd right there, you know?” Ricky Dale Johnson points to the palm of his hand, grinning all the while. “Everything just kind of came together, and we tore the damn roof of the Ranch, just like they used to in the good ol’ days of TWL. Best match of my career for a really long time, and the fans kept voting into the top ten HGC matches of all time for a few years afterwards.

“I’d like to say I had something to do with it, something beyond just being there and doing what I was told, but it was Chord’s match. I’d been around for a few years, I wasn’t exactly green, but Chord just…I dunno, at the time I thought he had the entire thing planned out in his head, more or less, this near-perfect match he’d been thinking about since our first meeting in case we had a rematch.

“Turns out he’s just that good. That blew my mind back in ninety-seven. It was the first time I realised exactly how big the gulf was between guys like me and guys like him. I used to think I was pretty good at working a crowd, but working with Chord taught me more than working any dozen other matches you’d care to name from my career."

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

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

Rip Chord sits in the MAW offices, nursing the bottle he uses for his spitting tobacco. "In a lot of ways, I saw HGC as my last shot to redeem myself in the eyes of the fans," he says. "Sam wanted to go back to Supreme for one last run, but I knew I'd burnt that bridge. Richard Eisen will forgive a lot, but when you break a guys a knee in the middle of the ring 'cause you're high…"

Chord trails off, obviously unwilling to finish that thought. He spits into the coke bottle and shrugs.

"Anyway, I saw a chance, a place where I could make sure that Rip Chord wasn't remembered for being a f*** up. I knew I'd start out on top, 'cause they needed a name, and I wanted to be the guy who made the first generation of Hollyweird stars. And I took it real serious, had this list in my head of guys I thought I could go somewhere: RDJ was on it, so was the Colonel"

An interviewer, off camera, asks the question: "The Colonel?"

"Rick Sanders," Chord says. He grins. "I don't really need to explain how that nickname came about, right?"

The interviewer asks: "Who else?"

Chord frowns, thinking about his answer. "Those Canadian kids the stones trained," he says. "Brent and Charlie, pretty much anyone who sided with Team Chord that first year. I still feel bad we couldn't do more for Idaho, you know?

"Point is, I was there to put people into the top spot, and that's how I saw my job. I wanted to make the next superstar, and I figure I did a pretty good job of it." He leans back, crossing his arms over the MAW Invitational T-shirt he's wearing. "Still do, when you consider some of the names we've sent out into the world."

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

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

"No-one's mentioning the Red Air incident, are they?" Brent Hill leans forward, eyeing someone off-camera, then he grins. "Nah, I thought not. I think most of us trying to forget it, but there are just some memories that don't go away.

"Rip Chord's a wrestler from the old school, a real man of the territories, and he's really fond of ribbing guys that deserve to be taken down a peg or two. There were plenty of targets in Hollyweird, especially in the early days when guys were getting their first taste of TV, but the worst of them was probably Redwood.

"I mean, these days Big Red's attitude is legendary and everyone's youtubed those clips of him throwing a hissy-fit backstage, but in ninety-seven he was worse. Really throwing his weight around backstage, bitching about the fact that he was paired with Joshuya and they were stuck in the dark. Red had a big money contract and he was making all this noise about getting a hundred bucks per pound every month, so Rip basically slipped a laxative into his meal before the crew flew out of San Antonio for the house show the following night.

"Took the lax about three hours to kick in and we were all in the air at the time – I was there because I had a RPW show the next day and HGC used to be really good about organising transport for everyone, even the part-timers – and we're a couple of thousand feet in the air when suddenly Red needs to go. And I mean, really go.

"Unfortunately Rip didn't think about what happens when a seven-foot, five hundred pound man needs to go potty on a plan with very small bathrooms. There just wasn't any way to fit him in, so the poor guy ended up, you know, forcing the staff to improvise with trash bags or something. And we could smell it for the rest of the flight, and it wasn't pretty.

"Didn't bother Rip any, 'cause his contract was first class, but those of stuck down the back like sardines weren't real happy with Red or Rip for a couple of weeks after that. I think the powers that be sent Jack Dundee to have a few words with Rip, which didn't really phase him either, 'cause if they were serious they wouldn't send Aussie Jack.

"But man, it was a horrible flight, really horrible. Ask anyone on the roster around that time about the Red Air incident and there's a good chance they'll flinch…"

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

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

Giant Redwood glares at the camera, barely controlling his anger. "Rip Chord's a f*****g p***k."

arwink · August 14, 2011

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

"The lead-up to Malice in Wonderland got a lot hype," Bryant says. "For years there'd been one show in town - Supreme - and then Stallings came along with the money and the star power and the connections to get things done. Stallings PR boys made a lot of noise with that, names like Strong added to the momentum, and suddenly we were on televisions outside our usual demographics.

"I think, for a lot of the guys, it was the first real sense of exactly how big HGC could be. It's one thing to know that there's five hundred million dollars behind the company, it's another to see it put into action. Even the guys who'd worked pay-per-view before, guys like Thom Morgan who came out of the Stone camp up north, hadn't seen what could be done with money and a media-savvy owner.

"On the other hand, the wrestling press was more interested in some of the backstage rumors. Sam Strong's neck injury wasn't really secret anymore - if you knew what you were looking for, you could see him protecting it during matches - and there were rumblings about the tensions forming between Strong and Stallings. We were trying to keep it quiet - and doing a pretty good job - but…"

He smiles and leans back in the chair, screwing the top off another beer.

"Look," he says, "Stallings wasn't part of the industry. Most guys you work for, they've been around a while, they've been smartened up by years in the locker room. Stallings barely came to the locker room. He visited for the first show, he was coming to the pay-per-view, but the rest of the time he basically looked at reports and made decisions based on the numbers. He wanted to be hands off, to leave it to the professionals, but that wasn't the way he worked out.

"If you look at his history, JK's hands on. The way he approached his computer company, the way he approached his charity work, the way he started poking his nose into HGC, they're all based around taking an active role and changing the definition of 'business as usual.'

"Sam's injury was a sore point, particularly given Strong's place in the main event. Guys work injured all the time, it's business as usual for the wrestling industry. Guys bulk up using steroids 'cause history says size sells, and that's business as usual too. I'm not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it's the industry we inherited from the territory days.

"A few days before the first Malice in Wonderland, Stallings met with the booking committee and got very hands on for the first time, and after that there wasn't any real chance of keeping the tensions between him and Strong secret…"

arwink · August 16, 2011

TCW Legacy Archive Presents

HGC Malice in Wonderland 1997

Coming up our latest Archive installment:

It’s Hollyweird Grappling Company’s first Pay Per View, and main events don’t get much bigger. Sam Strong, Dread, Liberty, and Rip Chord will meet in a four-way dance to determine the first ever HGC World Heavyweight Championship. One man will have to outlast three opponents in this elimination match-up in order to walk away with the belt.

The Vessey Brothers went in search of the biggest challenge they could find for Malice, and they’ve found it in the form of the Demons of Rage. These two teams are among the best going today, and the Vesseys see a victory over the Demons cementing their status as the best tag-team in the world. Coach Dick Pongrazzio has honed the Vesseys into a seamless unit, but with the Demons hiring the legendary mad professor of wrestling, Mycroft Nero, as their corner man they’re certain to be more dangerous than ever.

Monty Walker’s one of the hottest rookie prospects in HGC, and he’s been targeting Romeo Heartthrob as the opponent who’ll make his name in the company. Heartthrob’s been avoiding the match for weeks, but after being embarrassed by Walker on the last Hollyweird TV he’ll be looking for some payback.

Paul Steadyfast spoke with HGC officials after our last show, requesting a match against the man who currently holds two victories over the Untouchables in tag-team competition – Mr Lucha. The leader of the Untouchables is looking for prove a point and reclaim some momentum for his stable, while striking a blow against the HGC luchadors who have become a thorn in the Untouchable’s side.

The Dallas Wrecking Crew’s interference allowed Rip Chord to defeat Cowboy Ricky Dale and take the final spot in the four way dance. Ricky Dale is looking for some payback, and he’s recruited the back-from-injury Dark EAGLE as his tag-team partner.

Peter Valentine’s assault on Dusty Street’s tag-team partner provoked an impassioned outburst about the wrestlers code, one that Peter Valentine’s chosen to see as a sign of disrespect. Streets sees Malice in Wonderland as his chance to teach Valentine a long-deserved lesson, something Peter Valentine’s is viewing as the ultimate insult given his years of experience in the industry.

Finally the Blazing Flames open challenge has been accepted by the Tag-Team Specialists of the Untouchables. Both tag-teams will be looking for an opportunity to turn their fortunes around after losing their last outings, especially with rumours that the management committee will be scouting for teams to go into consideration for the first HGC Tag-Team Championship.

Matches Features on this Streaming Video Include:

Sam Strong vs. Dread vs. Liberty vs. Rip Chord in an elimination match for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Demons of Rage

Monty Walker vs. Romeo Heartthrob

Mr Lucha vs. Paul Steadyfast

Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE vs. The Dallas Wrecking Crew

Dusty Streets vs. Peter Valentine

The Blazing Flames vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Jingo · August 16, 2011

Sam Strong vs. Dread vs. Liberty vs. Rip Chord in an elimination match for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Demons of Rage

Monty Walker vs. Romeo Heartthrob

Mr Lucha vs. Paul Steadyfast

Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE vs. The Dallas Wrecking Crew

Dusty Streets vs. Peter Valentine

The Blazing Flames vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Midnightnick · August 16, 2011

Sam Strong vs. Dread vs. Liberty vs. Rip Chord in an elimination match for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Demons of Rage

Monty Walker vs. Romeo Heartthrob

Mr Lucha vs. Paul Steadyfast

Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE vs. The Dallas Wrecking Crew

Dusty Streets vs. Peter Valentine

The Blazing Flames vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

Derek B · August 16, 2011

Sam Strong vs. Dread vs. Liberty vs. Rip Chord in an elimination match for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Vessey Brothers vs. The Demons of Rage

Monty Walker vs. Romeo Heartthrob

Mr Lucha vs. Paul Steadyfast

Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE vs. The Dallas Wrecking Crew

Dusty Streets vs. Peter Valentine

The Blazing Flames vs. The Tag-Team Specialists

arwink · August 18, 2011

<div style="text-align:center;">HGC Malice in Wonderland

Sunday, Week 4, January 1997

Plum Park (Tri-State) – 15,000 people

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

The show kicks off with a live performance from Rage Against the Machine, with footage of the contenders in the four way dance spliced in among shots of the band performing Bombtrack.

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg</div>

It’s immediately obvious that HGC has spared no expense with their first PPV. The custom set makes Plum Park seem like an apocalyptic nightmare zone, while the giant Silver Screen sitting above the entry ramp is easily three times the size of the one used in the regular broadcasts. Images of Strong, Chord, Dread and Liberty fly by, culminating in a single shot of the prize their all vying for in the main event – the Hollyweird World Heavyweight Championship belt.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: A

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobertOxford.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">The Blazing Flames vs. The Tag-Team Specialists</div>

It’s a solid opening for the PPV, pitching two mat specialists against a team known for their speed and veteran teamwork. The Flames are perpetual crowd favourites, showmen who know how to get the crowd onside, and they’re both on the top of their game as they dart back and forth across the ring.

Oxford and Bryant search for ways to slow the Flames down, and they find it when Robert Oxford takes out Joey Flames knee with a chop block. Jason Azaria is the first to note the move, rattling off a history of knee injuries the younger Flame has suffered over the course of his career, using it as a counter-point to the beat-down that follows as both Specialists focus on the injured limb.

It’s still not enough to completely shut down the veterans. Joey rallies, gets the hot tag, and the Flames come-back is on. They even break out something new for the finisher – an assisted Shiranui on Robert Oxford that Azaria dubs the Inferno Crusher.

<div style="text-align:center;">The Blazing Flames defeated The Tag Team Specialists in 11:52 by pinfall.

Rating: C-

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Stink.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Grunt.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg</div>

There’s a blur of movement in the background as the Flames have their hand raised in the air, the camera angle switching just in time to see The Nation of Filth sliding into the ring. The duo move in unison, booting both flames in the stomach before dropping them to the mat with a DDT.

The crowd immediately starts expressing their displeasure, and Grunt climbs the turnbuckles and starts shouting back. “We warned you, and we warned you,” he shouts, “and then we just got bored.” He drops off the turnbuckles and shoves his partner in the chest. “Stinky!”

Stink pauses in the middle of stomping a mudhole in Teddy Flame long enough to scream, “What?”

Grunt’s expression is filled with sinister rapture. “Get the trash cans!”

Stink immediately drops out of the ring and complies, throwing a trash can into the ring where it's neatly caught by Grunt and applied to Joey Flame's skull. A second can is thrown into the ring and the Nation of Filth slide Teddy inside it, proceeding to stomp the aluminium into a flat sheet with a head-shaped indentation in the centre. The Blazing Flames are left, laid out in the middle of the ring, as the Nation of Filth dust their hands and walk away.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: C

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg</div>

The camera cuts to the interview stage, where Liberty is pacing and Action Jackson is momentarily distracted by the events down by the ring. “Jesus,” he says, then realises the camera is live. “Hi folks, it’s Action Jackson backstage, bringing you the scoops, and right now I’m here with one of the men in tonight’s four-way dance to determine our first World Heavyweight Champion.

“Liberty, tonight you’re in there with three of the worlds best, including your own mentor Sam Strong. Would you care to share your thoughts?”

Liberty stops pacing and flashes the camera a confident, easy-going smile. “You know what, AJ? I’m trying not to think to much tonight, I’m trying to be kinda zen about it all, you know? I mean, you ain’t joking when you say those names are big, man. I’ve been watching guys like Rip Chord wrestle since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I don’t think he’s ever stopped getting better.

“The way I figure it, if I stop to think, I’ll start freakin’ myself out, man. So I’m doing what I always do, brother – chillin’ out, following my instincts, and seeing how things go once I step into the ring. One I get there, well, whatever happens…happens, you know?”

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: B+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Dusty Steets vs. Peter Valentine</div>

Short, violent, and just as poor as you’d expect given the talent involved. It’s heavily carried by the genuine heat between the two men, but neither man is a stellar in-ring talent and Peter Valentine in particular is openly mocked by the crowd.

The sole high-point of the match, in terms of crowd engagement, comes when a knee from Valentine doubles Streets over and the King of Hearts goes for the same elbow shot to the neck that put Dark EAGLE out of action. Streets avoids the blow, but he can’t avoid the Heart Breaker that follows. Valentine lifts him into the shoulder breaker, makes the cover, and picks up the victory.

<div style="text-align:center;">Peter Valentine defeated Dusty Streets in 9:07 by pinfall.

Rating: D+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg</div>

Cowboy Ricky Dale sits in his locker room, a towel draped over his shoulders, a grim stare directed at the camera. “The first time I met Rip Chord in the ring, things went awry, so I went and got myself a rematch the only way I could. I got permission from the powers that be to make sure things didn’t go awry a second time.

“Turns out Rip Chord is smarter than that. Turns out he had more than Charlie Thatcher watching his back.

“Underestimating Chord cost me a spot in the four-way dance, but that don’t bother me none. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to bide my time. How to keep working and make sure I get what’s coming to me.

“But tonight ain’t about Rip Chord, much as I’d like it to be. Tonight I get some payback on a coupl’a good ol’ boys on his payroll. Rip, I want you to watch this match real careful like, partner. I want you to remember what happens in that ring.

“’Cause it’s rare that a man gets a chance to glimpse his future, Rip, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s a beating in your future that’s just like the one I’m about to deliver.”

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: B+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DarkEagle.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickSanders.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheIdahoPunisher.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE vs. The Dallas Wrecking Crew</div>

Cowboy Ricky Dale and Dark EAGLE are an incongruous pairing, but they quickly gel as the match gets moving and their natural chemistry quickly makes the experience of the Wrecking Crew redundant. Ricky Dale squares off with the Punisher to kick things off and things devolve fast, with both men throwing wild haymakers. The chaos looks entirely unplanned, but Ricky Dale sets up the blind tag with EAGLE and the masked man catches Punisher with a head scissor as he vaults into the ring.

Rick Sanders makes the save, and together the Wrecking Crew start showing the Hollyweird Fans what they can really do. They cut the ring in half and focus their attention on EAGLE, working the neck and taunting Ricky Dale as the Cowboy bounces on the ring ropes, begging for the tag.

Dark EAGLE proves a difficult man to contain – he’s fast, he’s agile, and he hits incredibly hard for a man of his size – and when the hot tag is made Ricky Dale proves to be even more problematic for the Wrecking Crew. The incensed cowboy hauls off with a series of big lariats, getting some payback for his loss to Chord, and the crowd eats it up. A Southern Justice on the Punisher gets the final pinfall, with Dark EAGLE cutting Rick Sanders off as he comes in to make the save, both men tumbling over the ring ropes as the three-count is made.

<div style="text-align:center;">Ricky Dale & Dark EAGLE defeated The Dallas Wrecking Crew in 8:50 by pinfall.

Rating: C

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg</div>

Ricky Dale celebrates in the centre of the ring, but after a few moments he realises that he’s enjoying the moment alone. He turns, searching for EAGLE…

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DarkEagle.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg</div>

…and sees his partner lying unconscious on the concrete floor, with the insurance policy Charlie Thatcher standing over him. Thatcher grins at the ring, holding up the bloodied brass knuckles he used to lay-out EAGLE, then casually reaches down and hoists a rattled Rick Sanders back to his feet. Thatcher snarls something and points, throwing Sanders towards the ring.

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickSanders.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheIdahoPunisher.jpg</div>

Ricky Dale charges, but he doesn’t get far. The Punisher latches onto the Cowboy’s leg and trips him. Ricky Dale lands hard, and the Punisher is immediately on him, hammering elbows into the back of the Cowboy’s leg. Sanders and Charlie Thatcher climb into the ring and join the beat-down, and together the three men stomp the hell out of their victim.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: C

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Elctrico.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobertOxford.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Mr Lucha w/ Electrico vs. Paul Steadyfast w/The Tag-Team Specialists</div>

Both men walk out to the ring with their team of seconds in tow. Steadyfast takes position in the centre of the ring, staring impassively at his opponent; Lucha quietly kneels and prays before meeting Steadyfasts gaze, a grin toying the corners of his mouth.

The lucha legend explodes the moment the bell is rung, darting forward and taking Steadyfast's legs out with a low drop kick. It's followed up by a second kick while the leader of the Untouchables is on the ground, but Steadyfast rolls free as Lucha comes in for the senton. The technician promptly boots Mr Lucha in the stomach and slaps on a headlock, aggressively cutting off air-supply until the luchador makes it to the ropes.

From then on, the pace of the match is set. Lucha fires up, building towards a high-risk move, and Steadyfast keeps going back to the headlock, wearing down his opponent's neck. Neither finds the combination to put their opponent away for good, and as the match ticks past the twenty minute mark it’s Paul Steadyfast’s irritation starts to show. The eagle-eyed Kyle Rhodes notices Steadyfast signalling his cohorts, and immediately afterwards he telegraphs a clotheline that Mr Lucha ducks but the referee doesn’t.

The Tag-Team Specialists roll into the ring, catching Mr Lucha from behind, and it’s a matter of seconds before Joel Bryant nails the masked man with the One Shot Drop. Electrico is there a few seconds after, flying off the top rope with a cross body that takes both Specialists out. The three Untouchable’s rally, beating down the masked rookie, gloating as they dominate the young lucha star, and a second One Shot Drop takes Electrico out of commission.

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SpanishSuperfly.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ElBandido.jpg</div>

Spanish Superfly and El Bandido charge the ring, evening out the odds. They drive the Specialists out of the ring, their brawl spilling out into the crowd, buying Mr Lucha time to recover. Lucha and Steadyfast square off again, both fighting with a little more urgency now. Mr Lucha gets the upper hand with a twisting moonsault, but Steadyfast kicks out just after two.

Steadfast responds by attempting the slingshot suplex, but Lucha succeeds in squirming free and bounces off the top rope and into the ringside area.

In the final moments of the match Steadyfast goes back to the sleeper. Lucha blocks the hold, refusing to let his opponent cinch it tight, so Paul Steadyfast changes takes - he starts pulling on Lucha's mask, unlacing it at the back. Jason Azaria explodes on commentary, explaining the insult of being unmasked just moments before Mr Lucha desperately tries to stop Steadyfast from ripping the covering free.

The distraction creates an opening. This time Steadyfast applies a sleeper with a vengeance and Mr Lucha doesn't have the leverage to break free. The masked man starts of fighting, then trying to reach the ropes, and finally he simply sags beneath Steadyfast’s weight. Eugene Williams raises the arm for the first time, and it drops.

He raises it a second time, and there’s still no sign of life. Steadyfast grins and demands the referee perform the final test.

Eugene Williams reaches for the limp arm, but the bell rings to mark off the thirty-minute time limit allotted to the match and the draw is declared.

<div style="text-align:center;">Mr Lucha drew with Paul Steadyfast in 30:00 when the time limit expired.

Rating: C+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</div>

The giant Silver Screen flares to life, showing Action Jackson backstage with the legend, Sam Strong. “We’re just three matches away from our main event,” Jackson says, “and the moment we crown our first Hollyweird World Heavyweight Champion. I’m here with the man hotly tipped to be the favourite in the four way dance, the man, the legend, Sam Strong.

“Sam, there’s four men in the main event tonight, but it seems likely that you’re more concerned with one opponent above all else. What’s you’re plan for dealing with the human juggernaut?”

“Ever since I came to Hollyweird, brother, people have been asking me about Dread. Every I go, brother, the same questions over and over; how am I going to stop Dread? What kind of plan do I have to counter the human juggernaut? Exactly how many twinkies can big dready-Dread actually fit in that oversized mouth of his? And I’ve gotta admit, Action Jackson, me and the Million Strong Army are getting a little sick of it, brother.

“Dread wants me in the ring because he’s never beaten me, brother, not the other way around. He fought me back in Japan and he lost. He fought me two weeks ago in the mystery partner tag-team match, and he couldn’t get it done back then either. And it’s not because he’s a bad wrestler, brother, ‘cause I’ll admit Dread’s one of the best there is. It’s not because he’s weak, ‘cause I hurt like hell after every bout we have.

“My plan for beating Dread is the same plan I’ve always had, brother – go out there and fight for the Million Strong Army, and accept that defeat is unacceptable. That’s the only different between me and the Dreadster, Action Jackson, and it’s the only difference I’ve ever needed to beat him.”

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: B+

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<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RomeoHeartthrob.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Monty Walker vs. Romeo Heartthrob</div>

The match starts with an impromptu pose-down challenge initiated by Romeo Heartthrob, and from there Heartthrob and Walker engage in a prolonged game of one-upmanship. Both seem confident they’ve got what it takes to win, and while Monty Walker is a little more aggressive about going for the pinfall, Heartthrob has years of experience on his side.

The pace picks up towards the end, ending with a furious exchange, and Heartthrob’s veteran instincts prove the deciding factor. He catches Walker with a backslide and gets a quick three-count to pick up the victory, with Walker getting his shoulder free a half-second too late to save the match.

<div style="text-align:center;">Romeo Heartthrob defeated Monty Walker in 8:56 by pinfall.

Rating: D+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RomeoHeartthrob.jpg</div>

For a moment it seems as though Walker doesn’t realise the match is over. He bounces back to his feet, unleashing a superkick that catches Heartthrob on the jaw, then immediately drops to make the cover.

It’s only when the referee doesn’t count that the Walk realises what’s happened. He looks up, surprise writ across his features, then immediately starts registering his objections, claiming his shoulder was up.

Referee Sam Sparrow explains his decision, and for a moment it looks as though Walker is going to explode. Then Walker shrugs and grins for the crowd, rolling out of the ring and leaving an unconscious Heartthrob behind him.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: D+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg</div>

Coach Dick Pangrazzio starts down the ramp, leading the Vessey Brothers out to the ring. All three men are dressed in sweat shirts, but the Vessey’s wear their tights underneath.

“Hey! Listen up,” Pangrazzio begins, and there’s an astonishing roar of approval from the crowd. “We came to this company to prove one simple thing: that the Vessey Brothers, Larry and Bryan, are the best tag-team in the world today. We’ve let nothing deter us, not even the promise of singles gold when they booked my boys into World Championship qualifiers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no belt on the line tonight, but make no mistake – my boys are fighting for the only title that really matters.”

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ProfessorNero.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg</div>

The opening notes of A Season in Hell starts up and Professor Nero leads the Demons of Rage through a storm of red and silver pyro. The Demons eyes are locked on the ring, focused intently on the Vesseys, and Nero’s familiar cackles underscores the music as the trio make their way down.

“There are those that age makes wily,” Nero says, “and those who are merely rendered feeble by advancing years. I fear the latter has been your lot, Pangrazzio, for there are clearly delusions at work here if you think any team survives their bout with the Demons, let alone thrive amid the havoc these men wreck.

“I would offer your team mercy, but mercy is for lesser men.” Nero pauses and lets loose with his trademark cackle, the laughter echoing off the walls of the Plum Park Arena. “Let the carnage begin!”

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: C+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ProfessorNero.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">The Vessey Brothers w/Coach Pongrazzio vs. The Demons of Rage w/Professor Nero</div>

Two accomplished babyfaces whose teamwork combines the power-moves of Larry Vessey with the all-around excellence of his younger brother. Two monstrous heels whose raw power and menace is backed by sinister intelligence. Both teams are among the very best at what they do, and what they do here is beat the holy hell out of one another in the name of being the best tag-team on the planet.

Both managers work overtime in the match, responding to every move and counter, selling the importance of every spot as the teams begin feeling one another out. They add a vocal component as well: Pongrazzio’s barking orders compliment the Vessey’s in-ring action, while Nero’s cackle is a constant distraction.

The first advantage of the match goes to Larry Vessey, courtesy of a Sick Cycle backhand blow to Spite about ten minutes in. Nero pulls Sam Sparrow out of the ring to break up the count, saving the match, and a quick tag puts Anger into the ring. The Demons get their first close-call about eighteen minutes into the match, nailing the smaller Bryan Vessey with a Double Demon Down, but Larry Vessey makes the save to keep the match alive.

After twenty minutes of action, things start to break down in the way that all tag-team matches inevitably do. There is a flurry of desperate double-teams, both sides searching for the definitive three-count, and somewhere amid the chaos Bryan Vessey lands the Vessey Driver on Anger and makes the cover.

Sam Sparrow dives over and starts the count. One…two…

Professor Nero breaks the count once again, pulling Sparrow out of the ring. This time the mad professor isn’t content to just save the match – he unfurls a leather strap and proceeds to whip the hell out of referee.

There is something utterly unsettling about the joy in his cackle as Nero inflicts pain.

Anger and Spite both take that as a signal, and within moments both Vesseys are being whipped with straps as well, and the DQ is called as any sense of the match being brought under control is lost.

<div style="text-align:center;">The Vessey Brothers defeated The Demons Of Rage in 23:46 by disqualification.

Rating: C+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickSanders.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TheIdahoPunisher.jpg</div>

The camera crosses to the interview stage, where Action Jackson is standing next to Rip Chord and the looming trio that serve as Chord’s back-up. “We’re just minutes away from our main event,” Jackson says, “and I’m joined by the most controversial participant in the four-way da—“

“Controversial?” Rip Chord seems to be trying the word out for size, and from his grin he seems to find it amusing. “You know what, Action Jackson? If a desire to win is controversial, then Rip Chord is controversial. If wanting to be Heavyweight Champion above everything is controversial, then I’ll accept the title with grace and humility, brother, because I want that belt the way a starving man wants water.

“I came here to prove the great one is still the smartest, most dangerous, most decorated wrestler going. I’ve won more titles than you’ve had hot dinners, brother, and I won all of them exactly the same way – I outsmarted the other guy, I was better than he was, and I wanted it more than he did.”

“Nonetheless,” Jackson says, “HGC officials have decided they will levy heavy fines against you if either Charlie Thatcher or the Dallas Wrecking Crew get involved in tonight’s match, and they’ve suggested they’ll do the same if anyone found to be in your employ makes their way to ringside. Will the absence of your entourage change your strategy?”

“Action Jackson, I should be insulted,” Chord says. “Do you really think I expected the geeks backstage to allow Charlie Thatcher at ringside tonight? Do you think I really need his help to take care of men like Liberty and Strong? Rip Chord is the great one, brother, and I’ve matured, like fine wine, into the man I am today. I’ve forgotten more about wrestling than anyone else in the four-way dance has ever learnt. When it comes to the World Heavyweight title, I am the man to beat, brother. I am, the man, to beat.”

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: B+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JasonAzaria.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KyleRhodes.jpg</div>

“Big words from Rip Chord in that interview,” Jason Azaria says, “and we’ll get the chance to see them in action right now as the first of our competitors in the four-way dance makes their way to the ring.”

“It’s the biggest match in our short history,” Kyle Rhodes says, taking over. “The chance to be something that very few men get to be – the *first* world champion of a major American wresting company. The wrestler who wins tonight's bout will be remembered forever as one of the true immortals of our sport.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rating: B+

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Sam Strong vs. Rip Chord vs. Liberty vs. Dread

Elimination Match for the HGC World Heavyweight Championship</div>

Dread sets out to dominate, clearing the ring with a series of rapid-fire punches as the opening bell rings. He paces around the ring, glaring down at the three competitors who retreated in the face of his ferocious assault, openly contemptuous of them all.

The ten count begins, and Liberty is the first man back into the ring, catching Dread from behind with a dropkick while the Juggernaut’s attention is focused elsewhere. Rip Chord rushes in, catching Dread in a drop-toe hold, and both Liberty and Chord do their best to wear down the monster while he’s on the mat. It’s a short-lived alliance, ended by a lariat from Chord, who then goes for the first cover of the match.

Sam Strong breaks up the three-count with a leg drop, following it up with a power slam on Chord, then gets caught by a forearm to the back as Dread reasserts his presence in the match. The two men brawl, culminating in a pinfall attempt on Strong, and this time it’s Liberty who comes in for the rescue. Strong and Liberty spend a few minutes working together, fending off both Dread and Chord, but gradually the unified front is split.

Liberty finds himself grappling with Chord, fighting his way free of holds, searching for the leverage to pick up the veteran for the Liberation Slam. Strong exchanges fists with Dread, and eventually sends him to the ropes to set up for the Strong Arm Tactic.

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg</div>

BLZ Bubb charges the ring, leaping onto the apron. He grabs Strong from behind and drops down, snapping the Legend’s neck against the ring apron, and Sam Strong is in obvious pain as he bounces off the canvas. Dread sees his opening and takes it, coming off the top rope with a Dreadsault before making the cover

<div style="text-align:center;">Sam Strong is eliminated.</div>

The medics hustle down to the ring, loading Strong onto a gurney and removing him from the ringside area. Rip Chord darts in and grabs Dread as he rises, attempting to drop the juggernaut back to the mat with a DDT. It’s a hasty attempt, lacking the precision of the Chord’s finisher, but it creates a chink in Dread’s armour that both Chord and Liberty attempt to capitalise on.

Dread fights back, seemingly prepared for anything Chord and Liberty attempt. He’s got counters for many of their usual spots, can see the set-up for their finishers well before they land, and unleashes hell with his heavy fists every chance he gets. Liberty adopts the task of cutting the big man down, charging at him time and time again, but all Liberty succeeds in doing is creating a distraction while Rip Chord exposes a turnbuckle. Chord sidesteps a charging Dread a few minutes later, sending the juggernaut into the exposed steel, and the opportunistic Chord quickly darts in to roll Dread up for a three-count.

<div style="text-align:center;">Dread is eliminated.</div>

That leaves Chord and Liberty to circle each other, trying to gauge the toll the match has taken. They lock up for a test of strength and Liberty comes up the victor, sending Chord halfway across the ring with a monkeyflip. The wrestling exchange that follows is punctuated by similar events – Chord easily outgrapples Liberty, but occasionally finds himself being overpowered and thrown around.

Liberty rallies, taking Chord down with a spear, then climbs to the top rope to set up for the Liberator elbow drop. Chord rolls out of the way and, after nearly thirty four minutes of action, hits his second successful DDT of the match. Chord makes the cover…one…two…three. Rip Chord is the first HGC World Heavyweight Champion.

<div style="text-align:center;">Rip Chord defeated Liberty, Dread and Sam Strong in 33:53. Rip Chord wins the HGC World Heavyweight title.

Rating: B

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">Overall: B</div>

arwink · August 18, 2011

Some OOC Notes

- Four months after I start the dynasty, I finally get to the first PPV. I'm amazed anyone is still reading at this point, let alone predicting, so thanks to Jingo, Midnightnick, and Derek B for sticking with it.

- There's a rough list of C-verse cannon I was planning on following fairly closely, but Sam Strong's neck nerve injury put the kibosh on him being the first world champion. I'm now debating whether or not this means I should relax my self-imposed ban on pushing Ricky Dale into the main event prior to his 2005 break-out run at the World Title.

- On the plus size, good chemistry on Dark EAGLE and RDJ. They're now on par with Super Joshuya/Giant Redwood (coming soon to dark matches near you) as my favorite odd-couple tag-team with good chemistry in this save.

- I made a point of getting a couple of posts ahead before I resumed the Dynasty, so there should be semi-regular updates until we hit The War to Settle the Score, at least.

20LEgend · August 18, 2011

Love HGC 97 great show. Great main event. PPV was awesome, and Rip Chord on yay!

arwink · August 19, 2011

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg</div>

"There was a booking meeting three days before the PPV," Dundee says, "and it sparked an argument that lasted right up until the opening bell. Maybe a dozen people were in on it - Sam Strong, obviously, the guys he trusted to weigh in like Rip and Peter Valentine. Me and Joel, doing the assistant thing, learning what we could from the old timers. A couple of guys like Archie Judge, Ray Kingston, and Panzie who were working backstage. Richard Phelps, our TV producer, JK and a guy from the marketing department. I can't remember his name, but the running joke in the locker room is that they were all named Ben. All in all, it was a crowd, and not the kind of crowd you'd want for this kind of decision.

"For two months there hadn't been much question about who'd be the first champion. Strong had the name value, he had the authority to make it happen, and pretty much everyone you threw into the ring against him would qualify as a fresh match-up. Then the neck strained happened and we were looking at few months, maybe more, of Strong being unable to go in the ring. JK got wind of it and suggested putting the kibosh on a Sam Strong title run, and so the arguments began.

"In the end Strong remained the best candidate, largely because the marketing Ben's wanted him in the top spot, then the match took place and, well, everyone knows what happens next …"

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg</div>

Tyson Baine occupies much of the interview couch, the demonic intensity of his in-ring persona absent as he grins, the wild hair pulled back into a neat ponytail that makes him look respectable. The only disturbing part of his appearance is the stare, courtesy of the two blood red contact lenses he's never seen without.

"At first I thought he was selling the neck snap," Baine says. "I knew I'd done it right, the same way I'd done it a thousand times before. When you're my size, it helps to stick the things you know how to do safely, mostly because you don't need much to make people think you're dangerous.

"It wasn't until I'd hustled backstage that I realised Strong was seriously hurt. The attack was just meant to be giving him a break, a reason to lie low while Dread and Chord beat the hell out of Liberty. Next thing I know, he's getting carted out on a gurney and they're changing the finish on the fly."

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg</div>

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg</div>

"Chord was the obvious second choice," Bryant says, "but it came with risks. He and Sam Strong were both icons, legends of the industry, but Rip Chord's star had a little more tarnish on it than Sam's. He'd lived harder, taken a few more injuries, built his legend through the territories rather than having a meteoric rise on Supreme TV. Chord was very much a wrestling fan's champion. Strong was the guy you put the belt on when you wanted the casual fans, the face you could put on the lunch boxes and t-shirts the marketing team pumped out every week.

"The only upside to the accident was getting Strong out of the match early, letting Liberty play the face in peril for twenty minutes, taking a beating from Dread and Chord. Sam may have been out of commission, but it made the Lib a star.

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The man seated on the coach isn't known as Liberty any longer, but there's no mistaking the long hair, tie-died shirt, and everpresent aviator sunglasses. He smiles for the camera, the same boyish grin that's flashed at the hard camera in almost every match he's ever had.

"It caught me by surprise," he says. "I was meant to show concern for Sam, a rookie mistake that'd let one of the other guys take me out of the match, but Eugene Williams caught me with the update and told me I'd be going the distance. I had about thirty seconds to process that before Rip Chord was in my ear, calling the next move, getting me over with the crowd so the rest of the match wasn't him and Dread beating one another after both the babyfaces went out.

"It didn't hit me until afterwards what Sam's injury meant. I wasn't just the guy getting the push anymore - I was the guy who had to step up and become Hollyweird's top babyface from that point on…"

arwink · August 21, 2011

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JK Stallings leans forward, adjusting his glasses. "I didn't want to run a company that was just like all the others," he says. "I didn't want to look the other way when guys worked injured, I didn't want to have guys getting jacked up on steroids. There's a lot of people who have told me I just didn't understand the way the industry worked, that Sam Strong could have headlined the company for a year with his neck injured.

"They were wrong. I understood that perfectly. I just didn't want it to happen.

"Sam Strong was a legend…is a legend…but he was also fifty, one injury away from retirement, and far too valuable to the company to let him aggravate a long-term injury by wrestling ever month. Working around his injury also meant protecting him when we had guys like Brent Hill and Electrico doing incredible things on the undercard. I recognised that Strong had the experience to make it work, which is why he was still in the Malice main event, but I had concerns.

"And, lets be honest, I was still sixteen. I hadn't quite figured out the best way to express my concerns just yet, especially to a guy like Sam Strong, a guy I'd idolized since I was six. And I was really pissed when the medical reports came in. I felt like it was my fault, letting Sam go out there injured, giving him the free reign to put together the spot with BLZ Bubb, letting him run things the way he wanted things run without letting my concerns influence him at all."

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

"Joey Flame failed a drug test after the show," Bryant says. "I don't want to say anything ill about the dead, but lets be honest - Joey and Teddy were part of the wrestling explosion back in the eighties and they adopted a bunch of bad habits. Three hours after the show Stallings gets a report - Joey tested positive for cocaine, hot on the heels of the company-wide email about the new drug policy, and the Hollyweird medical teams reporting that Sam's inflamed the neck-nerve damage, tacking another couple of weeks onto his rehab.

"Either of these things on their own probably would have been fine, but together they caused all kinds of trouble. Suddenly Sam Strong's being micromanaged by Stallings, whose insisting on travelling with the show until the next PPV. Suddenly the boss is right there, ever week, this sixteen year old kid trying to assert his authority over a man whose been promised total control of the book for at least a year.

"That was about the point that Sam started to take a less active hand in booking, foisting more of the detail work off to other members of the booking committee, letting us fill in the broad strokes."

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

"I felt…enormously disrespected," Strong says. "I'd tried to meet him halfway with the Malice match, let myself be the first man out of the elimination, set myself up for a feud with BLZ Bubb that wouldn't need to be the headline of the next Pay-Per-View. I'd taken a risk, but that's what needed to happen - everything in this industry is risky, even the really basic stuff. I wasn't happy about it, listening to the kid like that, but I did it because that's what needed to be done, because there were guys like Rip talking me into it.

"So we argued. Loudly. For about an hour.

"And at the end of it I'd been told, in no uncertain terms, that I wouldn't be wrestling until I received a clean bill of health. That the thing with Joey Flame was unacceptable. That letting the Demons juice wasn't acceptable. That a lot of things I was doing…well, you get the picture.

"Part of me wanted to walk. Screw the money, screw the authority, screw getting myself back into the Supreme landscape. I actually flew home after the show, plotting my retirement, but my wife talked me out of it. It was still good money, working for Hollyweird. I still had the potential to make something good out of the situation.

"So I stayed, sure, but the enthusiasm had more-or-less gone out of the situation."

arwink · August 22, 2011

TCW Legacy Archive Presents

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- Episode 9 Preview -

Coming up our latest HGC Archive installment:

The fall-out from Malice in Wonderland begins with one HGC star forced out the ring by injury and a top tag-team suspended for thirty days courtesy of their violence against a HGC official during our first PPV. Fortunately these absences create opportunities, leading to two big matches in Hollyweird's co-main event.

In the first Dread and Liberty clash, one on one, to determine who will be the man to challenge new champion Rip Chord for the Hollyweird World Championship belt at The War to Settle the Score. Both men have been stand-outs of HGC's first two months, and it promises to be one of the biggest matches to air on Hollyweird TV thus far.

In the second The Vessey Brothers will compete against Team Strength Rush in a our Tag-Team Tournament opening round match-up. The winner of this tournament will be crowned the first ever HGC World Tag-Team Champions, and you know the Strength Rush would love nothing more than to beat the Vessey Brothers. Wright and Raymond Diaz have followed the same path as the Vesseys over in Japan, earning critical acclaim and gold while touring Japan, and now they're looking to topple the best tag-team in the world and claim their place at the top of the ladder.

The remainder of the card won't be lacking in action either. Two weeks ago Brent Hill was victim to an in-ring attack by the Shadow Clan, fending off interference from Fumihiro Ota and Awesome Thunder during his match against Ronin. Now Ota looks to avenge the Clan's loss.

An irate BLZ Bubb has made no secret of his desire to wrestle Sam Strong, but once again the demon-seed is thwarted. Instead he'll be facing the Ultimate Phoenix, a stalwart of the East Coast independent scene whose made great waves in the HGC pre-shows.

After the thirty-minute broadway between their stable-mates at Malice, Electrico and Joel Bryant clash to break the deadlock between the close-knit HGC Luchador contingent and the Untouchable's stable. There's been issues between the two groups ever since Steadyfast and Lucha met in tag-team action a few weeks back, and Sunday night's time-limit draw has brought things to a head.

And in our opening match there's eight-man tag-team action as several aspiring young teams compete in the make-it-or-break-it wild card qualifier to secure a spot in the first HGC World Tag-Team Championship semi-final. It's an international affair as the Savage Fury meet up with the Ontario Kings, the Wood Boys, and the British Knights where there's a single pinfall between victory and defeat. It'll be fast, it'll be chaotic, and it'll be a chance for one of these young teams to advance and square off with the best teams Hollyweird has to offer.

Matches features in streaming video include:

Liberty vs. Dread

The Vessey Brothers vs. Team Strength Rush -HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Brent Hill vs. Fumihiro Ota

Ultimate Phoenix vs. BLZ Bubb

Electrico vs. Joel Bryant

The British Knights vs. The Savage Fury vs. The Ontario Kings vs. The Wood Boys - HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Midnightnick · August 22, 2011

Liberty vs. Dread

The Vessey Brothers vs. Team Strength Rush -HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Brent Hill vs. Fumihiro Ota

Ultimate Phoenix vs. BLZ Bubb

Electrico vs. Joel Bryant

The British Knights vs. The Savage Fury vs. The Ontario Kings vs. The Wood Boys - HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Derek B · August 22, 2011

I really enjoyed the PPV there, thought you done a good job building up some future matches and storylines with the way you played them out. I really like the Walker-Heartthrob rivalry so far too, it's an under-rated highlight of the show.

And I would neer try to stick to closely to canon in a diary like this... it's good to have a sense of history but as soon as you step in you've changed it already, and playing through the game is only going to change it more. Good to see Rip stepping up and your description of him as being a territories guy instead of a supreme guy is nice. A reminder of the good old Hogan/Flair debates from the good old days.

Liberty vs. Dread

The Vessey Brothers vs. Team Strength Rush -HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Brent Hill vs. Fumihiro Ota

Ultimate Phoenix vs. BLZ Bubb

Electrico vs. Joel Bryant

The British Knights vs. The Savage Fury vs. The Ontario Kings vs. The Wood Boys - HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match

Mostly picking favourites there as I've always had a soft spot for the Wood Boys in 97. The McWade brothers might get more long term plaudits from Adam in terms of their career but the idea of the Wood Boys always gives me more creative ideas for them so they get the nod in that one.

Briskout · August 23, 2011

One of my favorite diaries on the board. Just an awesome awesome set up. Love what you did with Rip Chord despite the plans. Honestly, if it were me I would've gone with Dread because it sets up Strong/Dread but unlike Dread, Chord already has something readymade with RDJ and now Liberty. Just smart smart booking. Can't wait to see where you go from here.

Liberty vs. Dread - As much as I love Dread, I just don't see it happening. Heel vs. Heel doesn't sell, but I don't think this is a clean win. Dread looks like a monster, irregardless of the loss.

The Vessey Brothers vs. Team Strength Rush -HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match - Greatest tag team ever!

Brent Hill vs. Fumihiro Ota - This isn't quite TCW. SE finish!

Ultimate Phoenix vs. BLZ Bubb - DEMON SMASH1!!

Electrico vs. Joel Bryant - Either way, in the end Bryant's a tag specialist.

The British Knights vs. The Savage Fury vs. The Ontario Kings vs. The Wood Boys - HGC Tag-Team Tournament Opening Round Match - Shot in the dark. Only know two teams but I think the Ontario Kings have something to do with NOTBPW... So why not?

arwink · August 23, 2011

I'm probably not going to make a habit of this, but since I'm dropping by to post stuff anyway...

The next show's going up in about twenty-five hours, give or take, should anyone still want to predict

And I would neer try to stick to closely to canon in a diary like this... it's good to have a sense of history but as soon as you step in you've changed it already, and playing through the game is only going to change it more.

True enough, but trying to hit the balance between game-play and history is an interesting challenge. There are plenty of things I'm willing to ignore - Brent Hill's getting hired nine years early in terms of canon, for example - but there are some things that are too good a meta-story to mess with.

Ricky Dale Johnson is one of those - an obviously talented guy toiling in the midcard with a crappy gimmick, suddenly transformed into a main-event powerhouse when he comes back from injury as a hard-as-nails street fighter. Take that history away from him and the character who appears in the documentary vignettes become much less interesting to write.

There aren't many characters and moments I feel that strongly about though: Nemesis and Cornell are on the list, as are the dates when HGC titles debut. The rest I kinda assess on a case-by-case basis.

One of my favorite diaries on the board. Just an awesome awesome set up. Love what you did with Rip Chord despite the plans. Honestly, if it were me I would've gone with Dread because it sets up Strong/Dread but unlike Dread, Chord already has something readymade with RDJ and now Liberty. Just smart smart booking. Can't wait to see where you go from here.

Cheers, and thanks for reading.

Strong/Dread was meant to be feud that defined the first six months of HGC, but Strong' absence made Dread a poorer choice. I mean, I dig the man, he's one of my favourite guys on the roster, but making him champ would mean back-peddling on the dominance theme he's got going, or simply having a championship run based upon being an unbeatable monster that no-one can stop until Strong returned.

The joy of Chord is that he's always beatable. He can make new stars just by working a title program with one of the midcard, and he gets over a whole bunch of heels who are long-term projects at the same time. It's a safe choice, but I'm okay with that

And I think I like the long-term plan for Strong/Dread even more, assuming Sam doesn't up and retire...

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