RISE: Pro Wrestling

[Texasrangers13]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;">Chapter 1: The Birth of RISE</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p>

</p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Somewhere 35,000 feet over the heartland of America, in the wee early Morning hours, Patrick Dwyer sat comfortably, feet stretched out before him, pressing gently against the bulkhead of the American Airlines Airbus A321. Most of the plane was asleep on this early morning flight, but he had a burst of energy. Enthralled by what he had seen the night before in a small warehouse in Tacoma, Washington. He tapped away on the keyboard, effortlessly penning a letter to a friend of his from his travels.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Though still in his late 20’s, traveling 200+ days a year was a drag on relationships, friendships, and life in general, but it had provided him with the opportunity to explore the country and reconnect with an old passion. Always a scholar, he’d actively sought the most interesting aspects of each city he’d visited. He’d seen small-town America charmed by Minor League Baseball, he’d seen cities were the military was the lifeblood of the economy. He’d been places were racial tensions were higher than ever. Yet through all of it he found himself coming back to one thing. His computer, a trustee MacBook Pro from the year he graduated. The computer was an all-knowing, all-providing piece of equipment that could constantly update him on the best things to eat, the best activities and the things that might just be a little bit off the beaten path. It was the computer that led him back to Wrestling. </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

As a child Patrick had grown up as an only child, like most only children he had a wild imagination. When friends weren’t around he’d occupy his time with make-believe sporting events where he was the star of his own sports universe. He called it PSports, and PSports controlled everything in this made-up world. They had a baseball league, a basketball league, a football league and of course the crown-jewel, a professional wrestling company. All housed, in his mind, in a sprawling sports complex in the center of Dallas, Texas. He fancied himself as the champion, but created characters to do battle with, and while the characters were typically in the form of a small doll, the visions were vivid. In the few moments he wasn’t too busy trying to ward off the challenges of Johnny Lightning and co.,.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

He’d never liked cartoons, he found them too fake. Sports were always real, there was a winner and a loser. He liked that about them, they were pure. While he tended to favor the sports you could find on SportsCenter he still had a soft-spot for his uncle’s favorite, Professional Wrestling. On Monday Night’s he enjoyed bouncing between the WWF and WCW and had favorites like Shawn Michaels and for some reason, La Parka. But more than that he loved the entrances, the promos, the music, the gear… It was a show, a show meant to stimulate your whole palette. It wasn’t all about the winning or losing, sure that was part of the story, it was entertainment. It was an escape from reality. He “grew up” in the heart of the 90s and the heart of wrestling’s Monday Night Wars. And then, like many, admitting you liked wrestling wasn’t cool anymore and in the early 2000’s he stepped away from watching it closely, preferring instead to keep a casual eye on it via the newly proliferated internet. That carried through to college, though he’d occasionally check the websites to see who was champ and that would inevitably lead to a rabbit-hole where he’d wind-up learning way too much about companies trying to step in and take the helm as the new WCW. Companies like NWA:TNA, MLW, and WWA all tried but had all failed. On these trips down the memory lane he found himself drawn to two small companies on opposite coasts that were doing things differently. He liked their websites, the roster pages were unique and he liked the look. Although he never say an actual match he could envision the characters they played based on the pictures the company posted. Somewhere inside of him that image stuck with him. Those companies, Ring of Honor (founded 2002) and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (founded 2003), still stand today. Though Ring of Honor has expanded to a larger, touring presence, PWG is still housed in Reseda, CA. Polar opposites of the same spectrum. And in some small way, the impetus for this journey. </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

You see as he graduated college Mr. Dwyer took his first major opportunity with his new firm and was moved from his west coast home, down to Florida, a place where Kayfabe was still very much alive. It was in 2010 that he first caught the bug again. During a company “retreat” at Universal Studios he snuck away and caught a TNA taping with a couple co-workers. That night over a couple beers he admitted to always having an interest in wrestling. His co-workers seemed non-plussed by the admission and just like that, he was hooked again. He spent that evening crawling through the realms of the internet and learning, all over again, about the world of wrestling. That’s not to say he was completely out of the loop, but to say he was an expert would be a massive lie. With the proliferation of the streaming he began to casually follow the so-called Indies. They all did things slightly differently, but the theme was the same. Provide the audience with a show they will remember. He liked that, it was pure, and well-intentioned. He set a goal to attend some shows locally while he traveled, and then in November 2016 he was promoted again, and for the next five months would be sent onto the road for what they called a “season” AKA 165 days of hotels in a 180 day span. Armed with his MacBook Pro, Patrick took it upon himself to use those 165 days to learn all the names, the stars and the companies. He’d stream shows by all the major players taking detailed notes on who and what he liked and disliked. He caught up on Lucha Underground via Netflix, and watched as NJPW became an actual global-challenger. He’d watch as Ring of Honor continued to expand and tried to catch them on whichever towns Sinclair Affiliate. And he’d attend a few shows live. He was becoming a fan armed with more knowledge than he needed, a true “smark” without the pension for ruining things for others. Night-in and night-out he brimmed with ideas. In his mind independent wrestling was growing and there was a captive market for what he’d term a “Super Indy”. Ring of Honor was beginning to capture that market, but were held back by poor booking and a corporate overseer. NXT essentially was a Super Indy as well but it was the Super Indy that you loved until Anheuser-Busch bought them and now they weren’t craft enough. And so the notebook began.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

A simple black, leather-bound, notebook, he began to fill all the pages with details from what he’d seen and learned. He spent time getting to know people, fans mainly, but the occasional performer as well. Writing it all down on paper seemed more pure than typing it up. Strange, he knew, but it felt right. Armed with some preliminary knowledge he filled out estimated financial projections for a small start-up wrestling company, and then… like a lightbulb being flicked on. It hit him. Why not? He turned the page and scribbled “RISE”…</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div><p></p><p>

</p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><a href="</p><a href="https://ibb.co/dOizUk" rel="external nofollow">https://ibb.co/dOizUk"><img</a> src="<a href="https://thumb.ibb.co/dOizUk/IMG_9871.jpg" rel="external nofollow">https://thumb.ibb.co/dOizUk/IMG_9871.jpg"</a> alt="IMG_9871" border="0"></a></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

(((OOC)))</p><p>

I had a complete computer failure last month and then work took me away for a bit. New machine, new TEW install. I can still salvage the old one, but it feels wrong. Start anew. This is a real-world diary using the phenomenal RWC July 2017. I've written out the full backstory chapters and just finished the first show. It's going to be a different style (I'm always tinkering) so I'll be curious to see how it goes. This all started while my old computer was down and I was on the road. A lot these ideas were tied together into this backstory and I began writing a bunch of concepts and ideas that I'd like to play out in this diary. It is intended to be a creative outlet but I hope the story will at least intrigue some.</p>

[Texasrangers13]

Chapter 2: So... How Am I Going To Fund This?

 

American flight 432 cruised effortlessly through the sky as he fished into his briefcase and pulled out his “Black Book”. The ideas continued to flow from his pen. He knew the vision, he wanted to highlight the performers not the audience. This was about the wrestlers after all. In the notepad he scratched comments on how the ring would be the center focal point. Lighting would be used to highlight the ring and only the ring, like a broadway theatre where the screen was the only focal point. He didn’t want bright lights or flashy pyro, he wanted pure wrestling. He drew a basic entryway with a 10 ft structure as the focal point, in the middle of the structure he wanted a screen with gaps on the sides, the wrestlers themselves would have basic entrance videos and would enter from behind the screen. He didn’t want to look “cheap” but he also didn’t want to be extravagant. Again the focus was on the ring. If the facility would permit it he envisioned a spotlight highlighting the entryway and anything that happened outside the ring. He wasn’t looking for perfect, he was looking for one of a kind.

 

He turned his attention back to the letter he was typing up on his laptop. He’d addressed it to Scott, but wasn’t quite sure if that was the best “intro”. Ultimately, he settled that it would have to be ok. The Scott in question was one Scott Levy, the man better known in the wrestling world as Raven. He’d met him a year earlier during one of his early voyages to a local independent wrestling show. Raven had been hosting a seminar on character building for local wrestlers, something he’d been doing a lot more of lately, and Patrick took the chance to sit in on the seminar, take some notes and ultimately introduce himself to Raven. The two would exchange notes here and there and eventually ran into each other again later that year. While Patrick would hesitate to call them “friends” he knew that if this vision in his head was possible, Scott “Raven” Levy would be the guy to help execute it. He put in the details of how they were going to fund it, start it, and the growth plan behind it. The vision wasn’t to become the next big thing, it was to become “The Super Indy”. The place where the best of the best came to showcase their skills, the place where the stories mattered and the wrestling helped carry the day. He was giddy, but he hesitated to press send. He knew that he needed more than an “idea”. He needed proof. Oh, and money.

 

Throughout his brief career Patrick had met a lot of interesting people, Scott was certainly one of them. But he knew that if he wanted to get something off the ground he’d need a lot more than just blind-faith. He began drafting another email to David Gray. David was the principal of “Angel Vision Ventures” a small venture capital firm that provided Young, Under 30, entrepreneurs with access to funding up to $25,000 in exchange for 25% equity (a $100,000 valuation). The catch to it was two-fold, if you matched the $25,000 with your own check, Mr. Gray would bump his funding to $50,000 for 12.5% (same valuation, more money, less equity give). He’d also give you the option to buy his share out for $65,000 if you paid it off within 6 months, or $90,000 within the year. In essence he gave you immediate capital with limited downside. Of course the catch was if you didn’t buy it back after a year, he could increase his equity share to 75%. He’d had some interesting successes with his model. It wasn’t particularly risky for him, it put the burden on the entrepreneur to make it work. Patrick looked over his financial projections again. Feeling like he needed a hobby… or a new path… he took the plunge. As the plane descended into Philadelphia, he pressed send on the email he’d drafted to David Gray. He asked David if Angel Vision Ventures would put the $50,000 into “RISE: Wrestling”. He outlined his financial projections and his buy-back equity plan. He also agreed that he’d fund the first $25,000 out of his own pocket before touching their share. He suggested they meet at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia (David’s firm had an office in downtown Philly) to go over his plan and even offered to take him to a Ring of Honor show that weekend at the historic 2300 Arena to show him why he believed this vision would work.

[Texasrangers13]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Chapter 3: The Sales Pitch</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p>

</p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">He was bound for Philadelphia, the heartbeat of Independence. As the Boeing 737 touched down, Patrick Dwyer had an odd-sense of control about him. During a 5-hour cross country flight he had decided to take the leap and draft up the pieces necessary to start a wrestling company. Mind you, at the moment he had a limited idea of what it would actually take. He knew he had $25,000 and hopefully would have $50,000 more by the end of the week. Once he had the funding he could send his email with his notes and plans to Scott Levy, oh and hopefully he could get him to commit to being the creative mastermind behind the wrestling component. Walking through the terminal he felt his phone vibrate. He glanced down and saw "David Gray”. He stopped dead in his tracks, forcing agitated passengers to walk around him in the middle of the terminal. He answered the phone and was shocked to here David’s simple response. Angel Vision Ventures had been interested in a non-traditional media venture. They’d looked into Drone Racing, E-Sports and just this week had been pitched RC Boat Racing. When he saw Patrick’s message and read wrestling, he picked up the phone and agreed to send one of his Junior Partners to meet with him for lunch… in two hours.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Patrick hurriedly picked his rental car up and drove to the Navy Yard where his hotel was located. He showered quickly and changed into his business clothes. He knew that he had an actual business meeting downtown at 2:30, so this lunch meeting was a convenient excuse to get ready for it earlier. As he headed down the freeway his mind wandered toward what could be happening. Never one to get too high, or too low, Patrick could feel his heartbeat racing just a touch. This was it. He pulled into the 11th St Garage, parked his car and hoofed it the block over to Reading Terminal Market. With the quick stroke of the phone he’d connected with Jon Richmond, the Junior Partner at Angel Vision. Jon was a young, but confident, guy, right around the same age as Patrick. He’d gone to Wharton School of Business and like Patrick had risen quickly within his field. They hit it off right away. Patrick walked Jon through his business plan. Jon asked solid questions throughout. “How are we going to monetize this?” “How do we anticipate distributing this?” “Who will be the designer behind the vision?” “What is the end game?” Not every answer was perfect, but it as good enough for a start and with a simple phone call Jon called David and told him he felt like there was enough here to warrant the small investment. In the end the three men agreed to meet Saturday night at the 2300 Arena to watch Ring of Honor, and discuss the future.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

It was a clear night, just east of the freeway the crowd anxiously awaited to enter. Looking a bit out of place, Patrick, Jon and David, as well as David’s 12-year old son Stevie, waited as well. Stevie was a big WWE fan and when his dad told him he was going to see a wrestling show Stevie begged him to take him. As they entered Stevie recognized former WWE star Cody Rhodes and insisted they wait in line for an autograph. It was there that the business pitch started. Patrick explained how many of these wrestlers had created their own merchandise and would sell it prior to the show to help cover costs. David asked “do these guys have a big following?” As they milled about the autograph stations Patrick showed David each of the guys Twitter followings. Cody Rhodes, 684,000. Bully Ray 276,000. The Young Bucks 183,000. Marty Scurll 64,000. Tetsuya Naito 109,000. Christopher Daniels 247,000. David was impressed. Beyond that he was impressed that they all seemed to connect with fans and “drive their own self-promotion”. As the men heading into the arena for the War of the Worlds tour David said to Patrick they’d be happy to provide the $50,000. Now lets enjoy the show.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

The show was a great one. All three men and one child thoroughly enjoyed themselves though only one person really knew any of the characters. They all found it to be larger than life, they enjoyed the farewell of Adam Cole, and the crowning of KUSHIDA as the new TV champion and together they placed the TV schedule onto their phones so they could see how it translated on TV. Just a few weeks later the men reconnected and watched one of the shows together over a number of beers. It was at that point that David Gray handed over a check for $50,000 and said, let’s do this… who can we get on-board? With that Patrick pressed send on the email he’d drafted to Scott “Raven” Levy a few weeks earlier and formally offered him $1,500 plus travel costs to join the new, upstart, RISE: Pro Wrestling for their debut show on July 29, 2017. Two months was plenty of time they reasoned. Plus with Patrick’s travel “season” wrapped up he had a few months where he could do just about anything he wanted as long as he had his laptop with him.</div><p></p>

[Texasrangers13]

<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;">Chapter 4: Quoth The Raven Nevermore</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p> </p><p>

</p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">As the men continued to drink and chat, Patrick’s phone rang. It was Raven. He chuckled at the thought of a few businessmen with no real entertainment background running a wrestling promotion, but he said he liked the vision they had laid out there and would be happy to be a part of the first show. Patrick ran an idea by him that involved paying him a couple thousand extra to help with the connections and contacts portion as well as filming a couple early promos for the federation. They’d do them all in the Northeast and Raven agreed. </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

David and Jon reminded Patrick that after tonight they’d be a lot more hands-off. They suggested he hire some “qualified” interns to really help get this going and together they drafted up an informal job posting seeking 5 interns. They gave the interns superfluous titles like “Graphic Artist”, “Marketing Coordinator”, “Video Production”, “Business Operations” and “Director of Ticketing”, they posted the jobs offering $10/hr. Patrick would handle the logistics, planning and financial aspects as they all tied into his actual job and the interns would handle most of the on the ground aspects. Within a week they had 100 applications and ultimately hired five freshly graduated college students with various backgrounds… the fun was just beginning.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

(((OOC))) I have the first 10 chapters written out, and that includes the first show. Chapter four/five will begin to introduce some of the roster and chapter six is in essence a show preview. I realize this is long backstory, but I think that's part of the fun here.</p>

[Texasrangers13]

Chapter 5: The Quest For The Best

 

The calendar turned over to June and Patrick had set about searching for a venue. He wanted his first show to be a success and he also wanted it to be a venue that was capable of handling his production vision. After all with no broadcasting and no streaming set-up, this show would be the marketing piece they needed to create the vision he had. Much like PWG, this show would be recorded and then produced and sold as a DVD. As he searched he remembered a venue he had seen concerts at while in college. Landmark Theatre in Richmond, VA. It had recently been renovated and reopened as Altria Theatre and fit everything he wanted in a theatre. It had a large stage with plenty of room for a ring. The audience would be seated around the ring with plenty of seats in the back. He made the call and after a brief negotiation $10,600 was committed to the theatre. They’d provide the stage crew and the security. He’d keep the majority of the ticket sales. They agreed that the upper deck would be roped off so that the theatre which could hold up to 3,500 would feel much more intimate that that. They would place the ring centerstage, with small bleachers around the left and right of it for the VIP fans. The rest of the audience would be below the stage, like a typical play. The feel was different than that of most wrestling shows and that is exactly what he wanted. By using a theatre they could easily set-up cameras for recording the show and easily have the spotlight and hard lighting design that he had envisioned. Now with a venue, and one wrestler. Plus five interns on board. Patrick set out to build the rest of the card.

 

He’d sent

Raven

his first payment of $1,500 and Raven had spent some time lining up some talent. They’d agreed that Raven would be the visceral villain that RISE needed to garner some hardcore fans. Patrick had given Raven free-reign on who he wanted as his followers and was pleasantly surprised when Raven called him to confirm he’d need contracts for not one, but four wrestlers. He’d given Raven $3000, plus travel, to work with and for that exact amount he’d managed to sign indy superstar

Sami Callihan

and his henchmen,

Jake and Dave Crist

. Plus ROH star

Punishment Martinez

. Patrick smiled knowing that he had the now five wrestlers confirmed, though that smile turned to a bit of bewilderment when he read the next line, “I’ve been hyping the show a bit on my podcast and I’ve had some guys reach out to me interested in what we are doing. Let me know what the budget is for the rest of roster and we will have it filled in the next week.” Patrick called Raven immediately and thanked him for the hard work. He also explained that they needed to have a joint vision, and a name for the show. Patrick told Raven the first show would be titled “RISE: Of The Super Indy” and he wanted it to feature some of the biggest names in Independent Wrestling. He envisioned the first show featuring a couple distinct styles of wrestling. He told Raven he wanted a Lucha Libre style match, a match starting young stars and then a division of Hosses. Patrick knew that the hardcore fan had been drawn to the relatively recent trend of Hoss Fights between big brawlers and he wanted to feature that front and center on the first show. He also told Raven that he’d made a couple calls himself and had secured

Shane Strickland

, the DEFY Champion he’d found incredible last month in Tacoma, as well as

Joey Ryan

. Over the next few weeks both men made calls and worked together to secure the initial lineup of 29 men. In an effort to differentiate RISE from any of the other brands Patrick had agreed up front to paying all 29 men for the show regardless if they were used or not. He wanted everyone in Richmond for the first night and expected everyone to put a full day in. After all, he needed content for the DVD and future branding of the company. Money was going down the drain, but as July rolled around the company was closing in on the first show.

[Texasrangers13]

<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>Chapter 6: Branding And Building (Introducing The Debut Card For RISE: Of The Super Indy)</strong></span></span></p></div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">As with all pro wrestling companies, RISE needed a brand. They needed a simple logo that people would immediately recognize. Patrick, with no graphic design background, and limited money, assigned his Graphics Intern to design one. To his surprise the result as subtle, yet perfect. He immediately ordered it be placed on shirts, posters, everything they could possibly find. He sent it to all the workers that had committed to the companies first show and asked if they’d tweet it out. Many obliged and slowly, but surely they began to receive the first ticket purchases for RISE: Of The Super Indy. With no card formally announced, they turned to the web to begin a promotional campaign. Raven continued to hype the show on his podcast and Patrick even called in one day to hype the IndieGoGo campaign they had started. The campaign was simple, donated $30 receive a T-Shirt and a copy of the DVD when it came out. It wasn’t much, but within a week 300 people had donated and that $9,000 cash was the infusion they needed to cover the cost of the marketing materials and the cost of purchasing and shipping the 18’ x 18’ ring. As the night wrapped up, the final logo was designed and approved.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="</div><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow">https://imgbb.com/"><img</a></div><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"> src="</div><a href="https://image.ibb.co/jNciQQ/Logomakr_9v_Cou_N.png" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://image.ibb.co/jNciQQ/Logomakr_9v_Cou_N.png" rel="external nofollow">https://image.ibb.co/jNciQQ/Logomakr_9v_Cou_N.png"</a></div><a href="https://image.ibb.co/jNciQQ/Logomakr_9v_Cou_N.png" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"> alt="Logomakr_9v_Cou_N" border="0"></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The RISE: Pro Wrestling website was very modest, but on July 8th, 2017, exactly 3 weeks before the first show it stirred to life with an announcement of the card. The first ever card checked all the boxes for what Patrick had wanted in his debut show. The main event featured two men who combined for over 200,000 twitter followers and were two of the hottest free agents on the market. </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Adam Cole</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> and </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Joey Ryan</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. The </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Hoss Fight “Tournament”</span></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would kick-off with three heavyweight battles. Former WWE stars </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Trevor Murdock</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would do battle with a favorite of Raven’s </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Bull James</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> (the former Bull Dempsey). Another former WWE star, </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Mike Knoxx</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would do battle with a Texas hoss who had reached out to Patrick named </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Ryan Davidson</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. Davidson was a definite wild card as neither Dwyer nor Raven had ever seen or heard of him prior to his email. Lastly two more former WWE performers </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Cliff Compton</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> and </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Martin Stone</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would do battle in what promised to be a bare-knuckle brawl. For the Lucha Libre showcase they’d contracted</div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> Rey Horus, Fenix and Tigre</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> for a three-way dance that was certain to electrify the crowd. For the Young Lions showcase Raven brought on a kid that he said “HAD IT” named </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Maxwell Jacob Feinstein</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. Feinstein had been recently tearing up CZW and was making a name for himself on the indy circuit. His opponent would be another young CZW wrestler who had a brief stint with the now-named GFW before cost-cutting measures led them to releasing him in early July, </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Dez Xavier</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>DEFY</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> agreed to send their championship belt for a defense on the show as </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Shane Strickland</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would defend his DEFY championship against another recently released GFW star named </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Caleb Konley</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. Finally in the initial announcement they announced that </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Lio Rush</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">, who recently had been linked to NXT, would be appearing in a battle of David vs. Goliath as he’d take on Raven’s hand-picked monster </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Damien Martinez</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">. </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RISE: Of The Super Indy</strong></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Card Subject To Change</em></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><ul><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Main Event</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: “The Hottest Free Agent In The Game” Adam Cole vs. Joey Ryan</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Bull James vs. Trevor Murdoch</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Mike Knoxx vs. Ryan Davidson</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Cliff Compton vs. Martin Stone</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Lucha Showcase</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Rey Horus vs. Fenix vs. Tiger</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Young Lion Showcase</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Maxwell Jacob Feinstein vs. Dez Xavier</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>DEFY Championship</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Shane Strickland vs. Caleb Konley</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Lio Rush vs. Damien Martinez</div><br /></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></blockquote>

[Herrbear]

I like the build-up.

[Texasrangers13]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Chapter 7: Was This A Dream Or Was This A…. SUPERKICK PARTY</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

$35,000 later the entire roster was paid out for the first night. For many of the workers this was the largest pay day of their careers. The excitement was palpable in the backstage area as the workers rolled into Richmond around noon. The RISE staff was all set, green screen and all. Every worker that entered the building first went to get some promo shots done. Then they were asked for a quick promo hyping the company. Finally for a select few it was out to various locales in the Richmond area where they would film promos for the show. Once that was all wrapped up the workers milled about and chatted with each other about the planned spots and the ways they wanted to impress the crowd. </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Raven</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> worked with some of the younger guys on their promos and even encouraged young </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Ryan Davidson</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> to reshoot his. At around 5:00 the first fans arrived, anxious to see their favorite stars... and then the tweet came…</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="</div><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow">https://imgbb.com/"><img</a></div><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"> src="</div><a href="https://image.ibb.co/g6spX5/Matt_Jackson_Rise_Tweet.png" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://image.ibb.co/g6spX5/Matt_Jackson_Rise_Tweet.png" rel="external nofollow">https://image.ibb.co/g6spX5/Matt_Jackson_Rise_Tweet.png"</a></div><a href="https://image.ibb.co/g6spX5/Matt_Jackson_Rise_Tweet.png" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"> alt="Matt_Jackson_Rise_Tweet" border="0"></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>The Young Bucks</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> were a “surprise” guest and with the viral timing of the post they announced they’d be signing autographs and selling merch in the Altria Theatre lobby all night. Patrick had made the call to book the hottest tag team in Indy wrestling late in the week when he saw they had a weekend open. Knowing their popularity he booked them, but wanted to use them as a surprise… oh and not use them in an actual show for the DVD (though the fans locally would get to see them compete). Rookie booker mistake, or sadistic genius... we shall see but by 6:00 fans in Bullet Club gear packed the lobby. Lio Rush, a relative local from Maryland, had a solid line of “in the know” fans, and of course Adam Cole was popular… Bay Bay. At 6:30 most of the workers headed backstage to prepare for the show.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

The fans filed into the theatre, the lights went down, the ring, with its distinct red ring mat with the rise “R” in the corner was highlighted by a single light. The logo was illuminated on the main video screen and in the corner video boards the theatre provided. A local radio DJ spun the hits and got the crowd into a tizzy. Without a real “face” of the company a relatively unknown Ring Announcer from Greenville, Texas by the name of </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Rob Moore</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> headed to the ring to welcome the fans, and introduce us to the first match-up. Though a relative unknown Moore has been a ring announcer for numerous independent promotions for the last 33 years. He brings a ton of experience to the company and to boot, he’ll join Lenny Leonard of EVOLVE fame as the voices on the first DVD. As he came out of the curtain the Young Bucks music hit and they took over the introduction to the dark match of the night and the </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Young Bucks</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would be taking on </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Dan Barry and Bill Carr</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">, Tremendous Investigations Inc. Though it was a dark match and only the fans in attendance got a chance to see it, the cameras were rolling just in case we wanted to make it a web-special in the future. It was a great match, and frankly got the company off to a phenomenal start. The Young Bucks won but we will definitely be seeing more of Carr and Barry, they are a fun team with innovation moves and a great buddy cop/detective gimmick. As the real show was about to get underway Patrick paced nervously around the command center. He heard Rob Moore’s voice introducing the first official match-up of the evening then the synthetic beat of Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody that Shane Strickland uses as this theme song… “The Following Contest in Scheduled for........ ONE FALL…… And represents “RISE: PRO WRESTLING’S" First Official Contest, introducing first, from Tacoma, Washington. He is the current DEFY Wrestling Champion… </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>“SWERVE” SHANE…….. STRICKLAND”</strong></span></div><div style="margin-left:25px;">…….. </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

With that Patrick knew this dream was now a reality. It wasn’t to say the night wasn't with issues, but the overall feedback was good and they had an official starting point. He couldn’t wait to get the footage and get it through post-production. They’d targeted a two week turn around on the DVD and they were hellbent on making it happen. He knew there would need to be production. They used a set-up of 7 cameras with only one actual cameraman, the other seven were mounted and recording the entire show. They’d need to blend the shows and produce the show all in post. They'd need to add Deco and they needed to add the promos that were shot this week, including the pieces that aired for the live audience. It would all come together but it would take time.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

The DVD officially finished and ready to ship, Patrick pulled 10 copies to overnight to people he trusted for reviews. The next morning when “Smark Mark” opened his mailbox he’d received a package from RISE: Pro Wrestling complete with an autographed t-shirt and a DVD of the first show. In it Patrick requested honest feedback…</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Smark Mark” sat down on his couch with a bag of chips and his Lenovo Thinkpad and popped the DVD into the player. The disk spun to life and gave him the option to “Watch Show In Full” or “Single Match" he picked the full show and the screen went black… As it came back to life he began to write his review…</div>

[Texasrangers13]

<div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;">Chapter 8: RISE: Of The Super Indy (Show Review by Smark Mark)</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>The “Smark Mark Reviews: RISE: PRO WRESTLING”</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>SMARK REVIEW KEY</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><ul><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F- (Do not waste a second of your time, they should pay me to watch this)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F (Do not waste a minute of your time, tune in only if you love the wrestler)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F+ (Do not go out of your way to see this, fast forward)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E- (Awful Indy Match. There is something redeeming but I’m not sure what it is)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E (Well Below Average Indy Match, The Wrestling here isn’t good)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E+ (Below Average Indy Match That Needs Work)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D- (Fringe Average Indy Match, has moments but its not special)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D (Average Indy Match, the performers have some cool spots but nothing special here)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D+ (Solid Average Indy Match, there are some moments that glimmer hope here!)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C- (Above Average Indy Match, the wrestling is good, the story is good, fun for its size)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C (Well Above Average Indy Match, watch this match when you get a chance)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C+ (Excellent Indy Match, Solid for any company)</div></div><br /></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> ———————————————————————-</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="color:#FF0000;"><strong>RISE: Of The Super Indy</strong></span></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Debut Show of RISE: Pro Wrestling</span></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Altria Theatre, Richmond, VA.</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em> July 29th, 2017</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> I didn’t really know what to expect when I heard about RISE: Pro Wrestling. They booked some nice names for their first show. But what makes it a Super Indy? What makes them special? I guess we will see. The DVD started with the slick Red Box logo with the R in the corner that represents the company. There was some voiceover work by </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Lenny Leonard</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> and </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rob Moore</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> welcoming us to RISE: Pro Wrestling and then we headed to the ring for the first match-up.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>“Swerve” Shane Strickland vs. Caleb Konley</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usJgrx0WSMk?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Shane Strickland via Handspring Back Elbow</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D (Average Match For A Indy)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Shane Strickland and Caleb Konley started rise off with some good lightweight action. Both men can fly and they showcased this here. Definitely not a bad match. Strickland won and he feels like a character they can build around. He’s a lean, mean, flying machine. Konley is a bit of a more average build in comparison, though still small. He had a brief run with GFW, primarily under a mask, so it was nice to see him in a bit of a normal character… though I’m not sure what that character is.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>MJF Promo: “My Name Is Maxwell Jacob Feinstein…….And I’m Better Than You”</em></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> MJF is a young 21 year old who has been tearing up the Northeast indy scene. He’s arrogant, he’s cocky and he’s a pretty damn good wrestler. I'm glad to see him in RISE, you can already tell they’ve put a premium on production values and promos and that’ll help. It also appears that MJF will have Adam Ohriner as his personal Bodyguard. The Big O has never had a major role, but he oozes charisma so that’s a nice fit.\</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Mike Knoxx vs. Ryan Davidson</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Mike Knoxx via TKO</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D (Average Match)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Probably the most surprising match on the card for me. Mike Knoxx is old and has never really been good. Ryan Davidson i’d never heard of but he dresses like a bootleg James Storm-type cowboy and has some intrinsic value. Knoxx beat him up in the first ever Hoss Fight, which appears to be a division of its own here in RISE. That could be fun to watch in the future as there are some great BIG men out there right now.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Trevor Murdock vs. Bull James</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Trevor Murdock via Lariat</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D- (Fringe Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: The second hoss fight was less exciting. Bull James just doesn’t do it for. Murdoch is a bit fun in a wild man Stan Hanson kind of way. Murdock won and for me is probably the Hoss to Watch.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Dr. Sami Callihan and OI4K Angle:</em></strong></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The DVD cut to a cutscene. We appear to be in a psych ward of some kind. There is no “color” in the scene. The whole thing was shot in a Film Noir, Sin City-esque style. It is unique and something we haven't seen in wrestling before. The scene starts with a metal table. You here voices as two men in demonic masks enter the image. I’ve seen those masks before and before long I realize why. A man in a full lab coat walks in. The lab coat reads “Dr. Callihan” and it is Sami Callihan. The men in masks are definitely his cohorts in OI4K Dave and Jake Crist. Interesting. They prepare the room for some sort of injection as Callihan uses an intercom to inform someone the room is ready for the patient. Definitely a unique angle… Interesting to see Sami Callihan as a maniacal doctor? Hopefully this isn’t Dr. Yankem all over again. I’ll reserve judgement.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Dez Xavier vs. Maxwell Jacob Feinstein</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfHSfIg3oto?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: MJF via Heatseeking Driver</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D (Average Match)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: These two guys are young and definitely future stars on the indy scene. Leonard and Moore did a nice job of setting us up for both men’s future and highlighted the things that both Feinstein and Xavier do well. They also mentioned both men have had success in CZW. I like the fact that the announcers don't shy away from mentioning other promotions. They aren’t afraid to let you enjoy the show, enjoy the story but also make your own mind up if you like someone. MJF won with his rope assisted Piledriver called the Heat Seeking Driver. During the match Adam Ohriner came down to ringside and “protected” MJF from the boos of the fans and also from most of Xavier’s aerial attacks. It was an interesting way to prevent Dez from flying, but it was a good story and match.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Adam Cole and Joey Ryan Main Event Promo</em></strong></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">: “I Am The Hottest Free Agent In Professional Wrestling. I’m just out here biding my time. I’ve been the Elite. I’ve been the best on the indies. I’ve been the Gaijin Rock And Roller. I’ve been everything man… except for a WWE SUPERSTAR. That's next… I’m ADAM COLE BAY BAY and Vinnie Mac… You’ve got my number…” Adam Cole cuts a solid promo. I love the fact that he is openly calling out Vince McMahon and asking for a job. It was a fun little bit and then the ridiculously charismatic Joey Ryan showed up to make it even better. “Adam, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’ve been on the otherside. I’ve been the Indy Darling. And Now I’m Me BABY. I’m Joey Freakin’ Ryan and I’m the best in the world at having fun and doing it right. Tonight, here in Richmond, Virginia, it’s you vs. me in the Main Event… And if you pin me, I’ll give you Paul’s (Triple H) cell so you can call him directly and make your NXT debut." Joey Ryan had the fans rolling and the main event was officially set. Should definitely be a fun match.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Round 1</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Cliff Compton vs. Martin Stone</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Cliff Compton via Fireman’s Carry</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D- (Fringe Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Martin Stone is a fun British brawler who you’ve seen lose a bunch on NXT. Cliff Compton is a no non-sense former greaser who doesn't do it for me. Compton won here, but he’ll need a better character for me to want to care.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Promo: Coming to RISE, Zack Sabre Jr., Will Ospreay and Ricochet</em></strong></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">. Pretty short and sweet package telling fans that three of Indy Wrestling’s favorites will appear on a future RISE show.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Lucha Showcase</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Fenix vs. Rey Horus vs. Tigre</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Rey Horus pins Fenix</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D+ (Solid Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Tigre is the former Tigre Uno from TNA, Rey Horus is an up and coming Luchador you may have seen on The Crash if your into Mexican Lucha Libre and Fenix is Penta El 0 M’s brother and recent star of PWG. Fenix didn’t have it in this one, thankfully he was carried by a stellar performance by Rey Horus. Horus is a lot of fun to watch and I think he'll be a solid addition to the RISE roster if he sticks around. Tigre is fun and hits his spots crisply. He’s not a star, but he's a solid Crusierweight ala Juvy Guerrera in 1990’s WCW.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Young Bucks Angle</em></strong></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">: “Hey Richmond, we heard that there was a party… but there ain’t no party like a Superkick Party. So RISE…… Guess what, next show The Young Bucks want in. If you are a super indy, you need the Indy Taker, The Meltzer Driver and of course… copious SUPERKICKS. It’ll be ALL FLIPS, NO FISTS… SO……….F*** The Revival” Gotta love the Bucks. Looking forward to seeing them on the next show.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Damien Martinez vs. Lio Rush</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpCoaPCWPHw?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbggnNVLndg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Damien Martinez via South of Heaven</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D (Average Match)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: This was a story-telling match. Lio Rush is a popular indy “flipper” but they appear to be either A) burying him or B) preparing him for a program. The monster Martinez won the match and then proceeded to drag Rush by his arm up the ramp. A blair-witch project esque cameraman followed them into the back where the scene transitioned into a promo.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Raven’s Darkness Promo</em></strong></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">: Raven makes his RISE debut here. We knew he was involved and have heard that he was give free-reign over his character and the stories he tells. The film noir promo style we saw with Dr. Callihan and OI4K makes a reappearance here as Raven thanks his protege Damien for the “sacrifice”. Prototypical eerie, overly educated, psychological Raven promo. It looks like he’s got a small stable built already featuring Damien Martinez and Sami Callihan with the Crist’s but we shall see. I’m certain this story isn’t over and I wonder if they chose Rush as the first sacrifice because of his potential WWE departure.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Main Event</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Adam Cole vs. Joey Ryan</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WVJCQby2QI?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62yVHEZXO6k?rel=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Adam Cole (Figure Four)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: C- (Above Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: What a way to end the show. Ryan and Cole had a solid 20 minute battle that really felt like either man could win it. RISE doesn’t have a title belt yet, but when they have one either of these men are respectable options for it. Adam Cole won the match with the Figure Four Leg Lock which prompted many WOOOOO’s from the crowd. He smiled into the camera and said “Call Me Vinnie” just as Ryan tapped. The DVD ended with Cole being showered in boos.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Overall: D (Average Indy Show)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Critiques: The production level of the Raven/Callihan promos was unique and I loved the feel. The rest of the production though was a bit lacking, especially when you compare it to the top indies like ROH and NXT. The announcer was average, they did a nice job of informing you who the guys were but they aren’t the most exciting crew. Overall RISE did a nice job for a debut. I’m looking forward to more.</div></div>

[Herrbear]

Good show.

[Frenchy_Tweest]

I'm really enjoying this format of dynasty! Well done, I'll follow this project. <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

[Texasrangers13]

Chapter 9: Drinking On The Job

 

The final fan left the theatre and Patrick and his rag-tag crew began to disassemble the ring and pack up the gear. All things told the show had been a success. They sold more tickets than they expected and the money they brought in would more than fund the next show. He was thrilled. He sent one of the interns on a beer run and the crew, as well as the couple performers who stuck around, threw back a bunch of beers and enjoyed themselves until 2:30 in the morning when everything was packed up, everyone was housed and the group could get on with their lives. During the packing, drinking, and loving life session the group as a whole had decided that RISE's second show would be titled

“Heart of Darkness”

. Those in the know, knew that the next show would continue the vision that

Raven

laid out, and those who stuck around tonight got to hear it directly from the source. They’d even filmed the necessary scenes while the parties were still in Richmond. With the success of the debut show, optimism was high. In the coming weeks it would only get higher.

 

Patrick went back to his normal job for the next few days, thrilled with the success of the first show but craving more he immediately set aside every evening for production and promotion purposes. As the DVD was produced and shipped out he knew they were onto something. When the phone rang on August 16th, mere days after the Smark Mark review came out, he knew they were onto something even bigger...

[Texasrangers13]

Chapter 10: The Next Step

 

The voice on the other end of the phone was Anna Davis, she was a young “purchaser” for

Netflix

and had been sent the RISE: Pro Wrestling DVD by an acquaintance at Angel Vision Ventures. In the last few months Netflix’s model had been evolving and they'd added the first two seasons of

Lucha Underground

to a relatively successful launch. Then in late June they launched a scripted series based around the 1980’s women’s wrestling promotion,

GLOW

, and received acclaim. Anna explained to Patrick that they were impressed with RISE’s unique presentation and thought that they’d be a good partner for RISE’s desired growth. She suggested that RISE and Netflix (North America) enter into a 9-month partnership to test the water for On-Demand wrestling on the Netflix model. Netflix would acquire 20% of the company and provide all of the production and camera work. Being that the production was a big headache and a challenge for Patrick he felt the 20% was a fair deal. The contingency was that at the end of the contract if Netflix and RISE opted to continue the partnership then Netflix could acquire 5% more of the company. If they opted not to continue then RISE would have the right to buy-back the 20% for $100,000. Right away Patrick realized that after only one show companies like Netflix were valuing his “vision” and his company at $500,000. He was thrilled and told Anna they’d happily sign the contract.

 

Patrick excited called David and told him the good news regarding Netflix. David was thrilled for his partner, though he was quick to mention it was he who made the introduction. Patrick and David chuckled and then David delivered even better news. Initially sales for the DVD have been strong and that paired with the tickets sales, plus the reasonable worker rates has created a strong profit for the first month. Patrick now had some wiggle room, and with Netflix jumping on board to handle the production this show was just getting started. Before they hung up, David told Patrick he enjoyed the show and really enjoyed the high-fliers like Dez Xavier and the Luchadors. Patrick responded by telling him that on the next show he’d signed one of the best high-fliers,

Andrew Everett

! David tried to feint interest, but ultimately admitted to having no clue who that was. Regardless he was happy for his friend, and his wallet.

[Texasrangers13]

<div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Chapter 11: Making Yourself A Brand Name</strong></span></span></p></div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;">Fresh on the heels of the Netflix deal, </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RISE: Wrestling</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> had reached a new pinnacle. Now with the backing of a larger entity, like Netflix, Patrick knew that he could begin to look beyond the next show, and deeper into the future.The deal with Netflix ran for “one season” on 9 shows to start. Just knowing they’d have funding for 9 more shows allowed the team a bit more leeway that they normally would have. With only 18 days until the next show, Heart of Darkness, Patrick knew they could begin to plan out beyond that. In the meantime it became critical to shoot some promos and promote what would become the debut show on Netflix.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Patrick sat with pen and paper going over the potential match combinations and potential longer-term stories. As he did that he crossed </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Nick and Matt Jackson</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> off, he also crossed </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Damien Martinez</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> off. </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Ring of Honor</em></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> added a pay-per-view event, and all three men were obligated to attend that show. While it frustrated Patrick, he understood where ROH was coming from and didn’t hold it against the wrestlers or the company. With three big stars out, he got to work on the seven-match card.</div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RISE: Heart of Darkness</strong></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Tentative Card</em></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><ul><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Main Event; “Wrestling’s Hottest Free Agent” Adam Cole vs. Ricochet</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Andrew Everett vs. “The Lone Wolf” Davey Richards</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Caleb Konley vs. Tigre</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Hoss Fight: (1-0) Cliff Compton vs. (1-0) Trevor Murdock</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Hoss Fight: (0-1) Martin Stone vs. (1-0) Mike Knoxx</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">MJF vs. Shane Strickland</div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;">Adam Ohriner vs. Dez Xavier</div><br /></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> He knew on paper this card didn’t quite stand up to the debut card, but he also knew that there were some awesome story building promos and some great wrestling and trusted that the live Asbury Park, NJ crowd would react well to it. To further the local hype and flair, The former Little Guido, </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>James Maritato</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would be taking on </div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Zack Sabre Jr</strong></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"> in a non-broadcasted, live audience only match. The goal was to pop the audience organically and with the Bucks unable to make the show we had to rearrange some planned matches. As he glanced back down at the black book, he beamed with pride knowing that this was working. Shutting the leather-bound notebook he glimpsed the letterhead he'd been drafting for weeks... It could wait for another day...</div><p></p>

[Texasrangers13]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="color:#FF0000;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Chapter 12: Packing The House</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"> With Heart of Darkness a mere week away the RISE crew knew they needed a packed house. Promoting an indy show was always a bit tricky. There was a delicate balance between wasting resources and accurately accounting for demand. To help counter this RISE implemented a relatively simple model. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook were all flooded with posts about the upcoming show. Leveraging the new partnership with Netflix they managed to get interviews on PWInsider and even hosted an AMA with Raven on Reddit. All of these little pieces added up and ticket sales were brisk leading into the show.</div><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><strong><span style="color:#FF0000;">Chapter 13: Smark Mark Reviews RISE: Heart of Darkness</span></strong></span></p></div><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>SMARK REVIEW KEY</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><ul><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F- (Do not waste a second of your time, they should pay me to watch this)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F (Do not waste a minute of your time, tune in only if you love the wrestler)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">F+ (Do not go out of your way to see this, fast forward)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E- (Awful Indy Match. There is something redeeming but I’m not sure what it is)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E (Well Below Average Indy Match, The Wrestling here isn’t good)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">E+ (Below Average Indy Match That Needs Work)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D- (Fringe Average Indy Match, has moments but its not special)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D (Average Indy Match, the performers have some cool spots but nothing special here)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">D+ (Solid Average Indy Match, there are some moments that glimmer hope here!)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C- (Above Average Indy Match, the wrestling is good, the story is good, fun for its size)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C (Well Above Average Indy Match, watch this match when you get a chance)</div></div><br /></li><li><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">C+ (Excellent Indy Match, Solid for any company)</div></div><br /></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> ———————————————————————-</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RISE: Heart of Darkness</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Second Show of RISE: Pro Wrestling</span></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Asbury Park Convention Center (As Part of WrestleCon)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>August 25th, 2017</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Knowing more about RISE and coming off a solid first show, I was optimistic this one would live up to the debut show last month. With the Netflix deal on board, I didn’t have to wait for the DVD, rather opting to watch it on Netflix as it premiered mere days after it was filmed. The Netflix addition made the camera work and production aspects tighter and more professional, but still held onto the vibe RISE was trying to get across. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>“Swerve” Shane Strickland vs. Maxwell Jacob Feinstein</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OK4k-20zYkg?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Shane Strickland via Handspring Back Elbow</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D- (Fringe Average Match For A Indy)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Shane Strickland once again represented the brand in the opening contest. He took on and took out the cocky and arrogant MJF in a match-up that frankly disappointed. Neither man seemed to be on their game, and it led to a bit of a sloppy match. Dez Xavier made he way onto the stage at one point and seemed to catch MJF off guard a bit. Strickland took advantage and won the match. Post-Match MJF was having a fit and that led into our first promo.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>MJF Promo: “I hired you to protect me…now take care of that dweeb.”</strong></em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> MJF seemingly frustrated at his bodyguard Adam Ohriner commanded him to take care of Xavier and that led straight into our second contest.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Adam Ohriner (W/ MJF) vs. Dez Xavier (W/ Shane Strickland)</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzt_V3ZcY9k?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tq0J_Cq-Q8?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Dez Xavier via 450 Splash</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D (Average Match)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: With MJF sticking around to support Ohriner, Shane Strickland stuck around to protect Xavier. In what was a clear battle of David vs. Goliath, Dez Xavier managed to come out on top with a series of hard hitting maneuvers and a demonstration of his aerial abilities. Strickland kept MJF at bay and this turned into a fun match-up. They appear to building to a fun little tag feud as MJF tossed a huge fit at watching Xavier get the pin. Xavier and Strickland celebrated with the crowd as the match wrapped up.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>Andrew Everett/Davey Richards Angle:</strong></em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Andrew Everett is seen backstage telling an unnamed assistant about all the success he’s had in his life and how he is clearly destined for big things. Just then Davey Richards walks into the building, suitcase in tow. Everett makes a sarcastic remark and Richards takes exception telling him that tonight the Lone Wolf needed a fight, and he’s just found it. Both men are a bit bland, but this angle did its part and it worked for the context of the match.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Night 2</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Martin Stone (0-1) vs. Mike Knoxx (1-0)</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Mike Knoxx (TKO)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D- (Fringe Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: The hoss fight concept continues to be a clever but odd executed story in RISE. This was another hard-hitting bout, but ultimately Knoxx got the win. I'm not sure if there is a long-term purpose here, but if there is I hope they begin to peel the layers of that onion as this will get stale quickly if they don’t.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>Adam Cole Promo:</strong></em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I’m Adam Cole BAY BAY and I’m the hottest free agent in the world. My phone has been ringing off the hook the last month and I’m here from companies from all over the world. You fans are blessed to be able to see me again and don’t worry VInny, I’m still waiting for you to call!!!” Cole’s arrogance seems to catch the attention of someone but we can’t quite tell who it is… as he walks up it becomes clear it is Ricochet. Ricochet tells Cole that in no uncertain terms he will beat him in tonight’s main event and that the call Cole wants…will never come. This promo was well done, it highlighted the main event and I’m hyped to see these two go at it.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Hoss Fight Night 2</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Cliff Compton (1-0) vs. Trevor Murdock (1-0)</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Cliff Compton</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: D- (Fringe)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Rinse and repeat here, big men, punching each other. I need a story here. This is boring otherwise… outside of the fact that it is semi-entertaining to watch big men punch each other. It’s like a failed attempt at Strong Style.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>Joey Ryan Promo:</strong></em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Wrestling is fun. I'm here to make Wrestling Fun Again”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Standard stand-alone promo for Ryan, he talks about the things that make wrestling fun and why he believes RISE needs him to make it fun again. I like Ryan but this was dull. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>Raven Promo:</strong></em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “All RISE, for the Heart of Darkness is here. Darkness isn’t a curse, but rather the cure and slowly but surely darkness will conquer this earth and lay waste to those who don’t believe.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> This promo absolutely nailed it. Best piece RISE has produced, the darkness, Raven, and a dimly lit room. I want to know more about the Heart of Darkness and what it is and what it means. Raven appears to be preparing to lead another group and this could be the making of a fun stable. I’m in.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Caleb Konley vs. Tigre</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErZf1YCs08?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="200" height="100" src="</div></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0"</a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCzK2H7M4go?rel=0&showinfo=0" rel="external nofollow"></a><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Tigre (Tornado Spike DDT)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: C- (Above Average)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: Color me shocked. This match blew me away. Konley and Tigre absolutely put on a clinic. There was a great mix of wrestling styles here and the fans really, really got into it. Tigre got the win, but both men really proved they had a chance to be stars here. I hope we see more… of both.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em><strong>Tremendous Investigations Inc. Promo:</strong></em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Dan, something fishy is going on here…”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Dan Berry and Bill Carr, known as Tremendous Investigations Inc. are a fun/Beverly Hills Cop styled team and they appear to be investigating the weird promo from last month that showed OI4K helping Dr. Sami Callihan. The promo ended with Berry circling an image of the Crist’s and promising a resolution.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Andrew Everett vs. Davey Richards</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Davey Richards</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Rating: C+ (Excellent Indy Match)</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: “The Lone Wolf” Davey Richards and Andrew Everett put on a phenomenal match-up that will go down as one of the best indy matches of the month. Both men went at it for well over 15 minutes and the fans were chanting “This Is Awesome” for the majority of the contest. While Richards got the win, Everett showed that he has the potential to be a major star.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><em>Angle: “I bring to you…. THE BLACKHEART”</em></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We get another noir film style promo with Dr. Sami Callihan and Raven. We what appears to be a surgical table covered in cloth with what appears to be a body underneath it… Callihan pulls the cloth back and reveals Lio Rush, unconscious, with a large black heart tattooed in the middle of his chest, the veins around his body are all blackened and he appears to be possessed by something… Raven and Dr. Sami laugh and introduce the world to their maniacal plan to rid the world of “evil” … They leave the scene and the camera pans back to Rush who suddenly opens his eyes revealing bright red lens… he smirks subtlety as the image fades away… YES YES YES, I love it, this was a great promo and I can’t wait to see where they go with this.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44034" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Main Event</em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Adam Cole vs. Ricochet</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Winner: Ricochet (630 Splash)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Rating: C (Well Above Average Indy Match)</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recap: This was a bit of a let down after the phenomenal Richards/Everett match and the reveal of the Blackheart. Nonetheless it was still a great match. Cole and Ricochet hit all the signature spots before ultimately Ricochet got the win and taunted Cole about his chances at “The E” going down the drain….The show went off the air.</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Overall: C (Well Above Average Show)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Critiques: The new partnership with Netflix really helped this show. The promos were on point and the final few matches were excellent. I am absolutely stoked to see where RISE goes next. My big critiques here is that the Hoss Fight concept is falling flat. It needs a direction and I hope it’ll show up in the next show.</div></div>