Temes1066 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="arwink" data-cite="arwink" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46815" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><strong>CURRENT GIMMICPrima Donnama Dona (Above Average)</strong></div></blockquote><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> I like the Booker Spotlights Segements you have going on. Even, if this one is slightly broken.</strong></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaded" data-cite="Jaded" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46815" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Just read through this entire dynasty in one go and wow, it’s fabulous! Love what you’re doing with the Cornells, Matravers and Phoebe in particular, but you’ve developed so many interesting characters in the show so far.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Welcome aboard. I'm looking forwardd to the next few weeks on the character front--I feel like I've got a handle on most of the main event, which means it's time to start developing the midcard a little. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="neslo024" data-cite="neslo024" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46815" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Sorry for your losses. It is good to have you back on the boards as this was a very enjoyable diary. Another great couple of shows. Looking forward to more.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Thanks. It's good to be back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Temes1066" data-cite="Temes1066" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46815" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I like the Booker Spotlights Segements you have going on. Even, if this one is slightly broken.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Thanks. Seems the new grammar checker I'm using for work is trying to "fix" some forum formatting it doesn't understand--thought I'd caught them all, but I fear they're going to sneak through from time-to-time.</p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 <p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-family:Impact;">THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR – PART TWO</span></span></strong></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><img alt="RoxbpuH.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RoxbpuH.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> Thursday, Week 1, February 2016</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> Old Kent Road Arena (South England) – 12,376 People</strong></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>COLD OPEN:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We open with some post-show footage of Adam Matravers in a hostpital waiting room a few hours after Cornell’s attack on his wife. Matravers is torn between distress and anger. He informs everyone that Phoebe Plumridge is in surgery after Edward Cornell’s attack, trying to repair the damage he did to her shoulder. The doctors say that’ve never seen anything so vicious done to another human being…but its going to seem like a walk in the park when Adam Matravers gets his hand on Edward Cornell. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>ANNOUNCE TEAM: </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">Smith and Nova welcomed the fans to our show for another week, and put over the fact that Matravers is at the hospital taking care of his wife this week. That hasn’t stopped a slew of other wrestlers requesting matches against the champ, looking for an outlet for the distress and disgust they feel. The Champion and his Cousin have actually decided to answer one of those requests…and tonight’s main event will be Crouching Storm, Hidden Sifu against the Cornell Family. But first, we go to the ring where we kick tonight off with some furious six-man action…</div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CURTIS JENKINS & MEN OF STEEL vs. MARK MISERY & THE COCKNEY REBELS (w/Vicki Company):</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The rookies team with newcomer Curtis Jenkins, taking on the veterans trio of Misery, Patterson, and Harley Neill. The results are what you’d expect—a plucky performance by Jenkins and the MOS, but one in which they are largely outclassed. Jenkins and Hulk are pulled to ringside and forced to brawl with Patterson and Neill, leaving Mark Misery to secure the pinfall with the Pain Killer. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Mark Misery wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 7:40; RATING: C-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>POST-MATCH CONFRONTATION:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Vicki Company grabs a microphone and climbs into the ring with her boys, asking everyone to feast their eyes on the ticking timebomb at the heart of 21st Century Wrestling: the technical ability of Mark Misery, the power of Danny Patterson, and the ultra-violent tendencies of the veteran Harley Neill. “These boys have been ticking away for years, being overlooked and ignored by those in charge, and now they’re ready to detonate. We’re going to change the face of 21CW, and take our rightful place at the top with the titles, the money, and the respect we—”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> She’s cut off by the arrival of the man the Detonation Point beat down last week…and as the trio move to attack Kevin Jones, he’s immediately backed up by The Men of Steel and Curtis Jenkins. Jones points out that competition against the best is what he lives for, and last week Detonation’s attack did the last thing you want to do with a man like Kevin Jones: set themselves up as a challenge. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I put some thought into kicking your asses here and now,” Jones says, “but that doesn’t prove a damn thing that needs proving, and it doesn’t get me any close to another shot at the World Title. But we got World War coming up, and the title shots are spoken for…so I’m challenging all three of you to a War of Attrition match.”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Harley Neil smirks at the idea, and Danny Patterson seems guideline pleased. Only Mark Misery seems hesitant, pointing out that Jones is standing alone and a War of Attrition needs six men.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Hones looks around at the Curtis Jenkins and the Men of Steel, all eager to get into this match and secure a little payback. “Brother, if I need partners, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to find them.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Melanie Florence is backstage with Edison Silva, interviewing him about his upcoming match with Luke Cool. Edison’s in the midst of doing a plucky-rookie-babyface spiel when he’s cut off by Jackie Goldstein, who insists the young kid pack his bags. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Florence presses Silva for details, and Silva introduces Goldstein as his sports agent—a man who books Silva in MMA and wrestling matches and guides his career to the top. Silva makes pointed mention of the fact that Goldstein isn’t </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>meant</em></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> to be here, and Goldstein points out that he’s here because Silva isn’t listening to sense. “We’ve got a big opportunity here, bubelah, and you’re blowing it to fulfil your commitments to a company that doesn’t know your value. This Podunk outfit puts you in a tournament for rookies…and I’m offering you a shot at the big time, righting in the cage.”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Eidson Silva points out that he does’t have time for this—he’s got a match—and Goldstein gets the final word: “make it your last one, baby. There’s bigger fish for us to fry.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: D</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>EDISON SILVA vs. LUKE COOL:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Edison Silva is an impressive young athlete with a big upside, but much is made about his decision to split his focus between professional wrestling and MMA. His training focuses on securing knock outs and submissions, rather than the traditional wrestling three-count, and that leaves him open to a quick roll-up by Luke Cool. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Luke Cool wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 7:44; RATING: C-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>TAG-TEAM SUMMIT:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We start this segment with a short recap video of the Ivanoff brothers laying out Red Menace and Crouching Storm, Hidden Sifu before making off with the title belts, which leads Jeff Nova calling the Ivanoff’s out to explain their actions.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Ivan Ivanoff handles the mic for the two brothers, pointing out that everyone is obsessed with the new tag-teams on the block. Whether it’s the Red Menace, Storm and Sifu, The Pride, or Hot Stuff, everybody always puts the new guys in a position to earn themselves title shots. Meanwhile, Igor and Ivan—the best damn tag-team in this company, and hell, on the damn planet—get overlooked and excluded time and again because they’ve been kicking ass, taking names, and winning tag-team titles since before punks like Storm and Sifu were lacing up their boots. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “You want these titles back, Nova, here’s how it’s going to go. We don’t want you to hand us a title shot—we just want what we’re due. Put us up against your number one contenders, and we’ll show you that Igor and Ivan are the more deserving contenders, and—”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The request is interrupted by Kathleen Lee, who marches down to the ring with Martinez and JB-Cash. Lee is vaguely impressed by the Ivanoff’s initiative, but eve more impressed by their delusion. “If you really think you can can beat Hot Stuff, then you’ve been drinking too much vodka and it’s muddled your brains.”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> This brings out The Pride, and Leigh Burton wastes no time getting in everybody’s face, pointing out that he and Leo Price are the best damn tag-team in this company, and the only victories Hot Stuff hold over anyone are even cheaper than Kathleen Lee. If the Ivanoff’s think they’re challenging the challengers without beating Burton and Price, then they’ve got another thing coming.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Which finally brings out Storm and Sifu, who repeat their goal from last week: they’re here to put the tag-team division on their backs and push it to greatness, and the disrespect the Ivanoff’s have shown the belts angers them almost as much as their recent sneak attack. “Sifu and I are men of focus,” Storm says. “Men of discipline and drive. If we’ve got to fight you all to prove we’re the future of this division, then we’ll do it…one team at a time, or all six of you at once.”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Tensions escalate as all four teams start gearing up for a brawl, but Jeff Nova cuts them off. He’s not happy with the chaos in the tag-team division right now, and he’s loathe to reward the Ivanoff’s for stealing the titles…but our security ain’t interested in tangling with the Russians, and we can’t afford to lose the minutes of airtime it would take for all of you to start throwing fists.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “So here’s what we’re going to do, boys: next week, there’s going to be a gauntlet match—the four of you, plus any other team we decide is worthy of being in the mix. Whoever comes out the end with the win gets to challenge Red Menace at World War…and everyone else can shut their mouths and remember they’re professionals, aye?</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But all this is predicated on the Ivanoff’s handing over those belts to our referees…and if they don’t, then we’ve got a whole lot of airtime we can spend watching all of you beat the snot out of them.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Melanie Florence is in go-position, conducting an interview with the Cornell’s as their allies prepare to hit the ring for a match. Tommy Cornell talks about the blatant manipulation of booking Bantom and Absolutely flawless in a match tonight—everyone knows Matravers is coming after Edward this week, and no doubt Pit Bull is thinking long and hard about what it means to be in the ring with Tommy. 21CW is setting them up to be attacked by booking all of their allies in a single bout, and that’s the kind of unprofessionalism that drove Tommy out of England all those years ago and robbed the UK of the best damn wrestler in the world for nearly two decades.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Florence objects to Cornell’s use of the word professionalism, given that Edward attacked a woman in a hospital bed last week…and Edward immediately leaps in, pointing out that anyone who can’t play at the level at the same level as the World Champ doesn’t actually deserve to be World champion. “If you’re not willing to do anything necessary to keep this gold around your waist…well, you probably don’t know what it means to be a champion.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>DJ REASON & THE PARTY ANIMALS vs. BEAST BANTOM & ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The Party Animals impressed last week, but 21CW is still up in the air about giving them a contract. Fortunately, they get another chance to strut their stuff this week, teaming up with an old friend from raves gone by in the form of DJ Reason. They put on an impressive showing, but neither the Animals or DJ Reason have an answer for the incredible strength of Beast Bantom, and Bantom ultimately locks in the Beast Bear Hug on Rave to pick up the submission. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Beast Bantom wins via submission; MATCH TIME: 11:20; RATING: C</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>EARLIER TODAY:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Phillip Cooper is preparing to pre-tape a promo about his bodyguard, Doomsday, squaring off against Sebastian Koller later this evening. He’s interrupted by Kelvin Badberry, who suggests that Cooper has backed the wrong guy if he really wants Koller taken out. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>IN-RING PROMO:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> A hush falls across the arena as Cliff King leads War Machine down to the ring. King does his usual introduction, hyping himself as the mouthpiece for the most unstoppable force in wrestling today, putting over Machine’s strength, power, and nigh impeccable record. Which is why he was surprised to tune into last week’s episode and see Daniel Black Francis running his mouth about losing their bout because of some kind of personal failure.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> King plays the footage from last week’s interview, then shakes his head. He points out that Daniel Black Francis must be one of the stupidest men on the face of the planet—he’s a guy who not only survived ten minutes with War Machine, but actually earned the unstoppable monster’s respect with his guts and determination…and then he comes out and pokes the bear, trying to get himself another fight.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Make no mistake, Daniel—you didn’t lose because of something you did wrong. You lost because everyone placed before the War Machine is destined to lose. Because there’s no-one who can match this physical specimen and the training invested in making him unstoppable. But War Machine likes you, so he’s going to give you one opportunity to make this right—walk back your claims, admit you were beaten, and accept the moral victory of lasting as long as you did as the best you can hope to achieve.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Because if you make War Machine prove it in the middle of the ring, he won’t treat you as a man who earned his respect. No, if you make him prove it, War Machine will unleash the kind of hell that no man should experience in times of peace.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Melanie Florence chases down Kevin Jones backstage, eager to find out who his partners will be when he clashes with Detonation at World War. Jones points out that a true competitor doesn’t tip his hand any sooner than he needs to…but promises that it’s going to be one hell of a fight. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>SEBASTIAN KOLLER vs. DOOMSDAY (w/Phillip Cooper): </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">With everyone so high on Koller, I decided to gauge where he’s at with a match against the biggest lump on the roster. Doomsday gives a handful of tools for building a good match—a great look, some decent aggression—but his psychology is limited and his moveset even moreso. Koller does his best with it, walking a balance between putting over Doomsday as a threat and getting his own flashy, showy offense, before putting Doomsday with the Hamburg Rock City. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Sebastian Koller wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 7:40; RATING: D</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>POST-MATCH CONFRONTATION:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Koller grabs a microphone and calls out Phillip Cooper, pointing out that he doesn’t want to jam with the up-and-coming act when he could rock-out with a headliner and recapture the United Kingdom Championship.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Cooper responds by climbing into the ring and holding up the title belt, staring Koller down…exactly long enough for Kelvin Badberry to ambush Coller from behind and beat him down. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>IN THE LOCKER ROOM:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Cliff Wilson is hyping up his brother, Dark Angel, for a match against one of Jonathan Faust’s Hell Hounds, Nightmare. Cliff promises that he’s going to have Angel’s back, that he’ll be there to help out if Faust and the rest of his goons try to interfere. In fact, he’s got a surprise that will help even the odds. Dark Angel says nothing, displays no real emotion…but he does lay a hand on his brother’s shoulder, accepting the help silently.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Angel heads down to the Go Position as Cliff digs through his bag and produces a baseball bat. He takes a few experimental swings, obviously pleased with himself…and completely misses Stoat and Faust closing the locker room door and locking it shut, trapping Cliff Wilson inside. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>DARK ANGEL vs. NIGHTMARE (w/Grave Digger): </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">The numbers game is against Angel from the outset, with Grave Digger in Nightmare’s corner and wasting no time in providing distraction. The absence of Cliff Wilson registers on Angel as the match goes on, although fans at home see picture-in-picture footage of Stoat holding the door to the locker room closed as Wilson tries to kick his way free. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Recognising that he’s alone, Angel pours on the speed—out pacing and outwrestling the bigger man, eventually putting him away with the Descent Into Hell. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Dark Angel wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 11:41; RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>POST-MATCH ATTACK: </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">Jonathan Faust assaults Dark Angel from behind, beating him down with a chair after the match. Grave Digger joins in, and together the pair stomp the hell out of the veteran.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Meanwhile, backstage, Cliff Wilson has kicked a hole in the door to his locker room, but a desperate Stevie Stoat is holding it in place, making sure Wilson isn’t able to come out and make the save. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BACKSTAGE: </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">Jackie Goldstein is backstage, locked in a conversation with the tag-team champions, Red Menace, while he waits for his client Edison Silva. The Russians are talking a mile a minute in their native tongue, and it’s clear from Goldstein’s responses that he’s asked why they aren’t carrying their belts. Finally, he declares 21CW a dangerous place to work, and suggests what Red Menace might need is representation that can get them the respect champs deserve. Silva slips free, pushing past his manger and heading for the exit…and Goldstein offers Red Menace his card before hurrying after his existing client. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CROUCHING STORM, HIDDEN SIFU vs. THE CORNELL FAMILY:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> These two teams have become part of a close-knit clique behind the scenes, and it shows in the generosity of the Cornell’s as they wrestle the junior team, going out of their way to make Storm and Sifu look like a millions pounds and a team who can hang on the Cornell’s’ level.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> It gets a good, long stretch of time to build things up and Tommy holds the entire thing together, trapping Sifu in the Cornell’s corner and letting him play babyface in peril to a tee. The Hot Tag comes almost twenty minutes in, stting off a furious come-back that gets the fans hot for a Storm and Sify win…but the match doesn’t get a chance to go the distance, courtesy of Adam Matravers charging through the crowd and coming over the guard rail to get his hands on Edward Cornell. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: The Cornell’s win when Crouching Storm, Hidden Sifu were disqualified by Matraver’s interference; MATCH TIME: 23:34; RATING: B</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>POST-MATCH SHOWDOWN:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> An enraged Adam Matravers is beating the piss out of Edward Cornell, laying in like a man possessed. Tommy Cornell uses the distraction to throw Storm and Sifu out of the ring, calling in the cavalry of Absolutely Fabulous and Beast Bantom. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Matravers my be angry, but five-on-one isn’t the kind of odds that anger can help you fight through. He’s pulled off by the Martins, speared out of his boots by Bantom. It’s not enough to lay hi low—Matravers tries to struggle to his feet and keep fighting with everything he’s got—but it’s clear he’s not going to win.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Of course, that’s the moment Pit Bull Brown decides to strike. He hits the ring to make the save, starts throwing punches at Tommy Cornell, and Tommy’s got no choice but to give ground and calls his allies in to help blunt the fury.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> For a moment, it seems like momentum might swing Brown and Matravers’ way. There’s big punches. There’s a diving swanton to ringside that takes out both Martins in one fell swoop. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> And then Bantom blasts Pit Bull from behind, and Edward Cornell grabs Matravers and wipes him out with the Black Lightning Bomb. Camp Cornell stands triumphant over their attackers, posing as we go off the air and the crowd starts throwing garbage. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>FINAL SHOW RATING: B</strong></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="tyhvsiZ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/tyhvsiZ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><img alt="KOPQOsL.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/KOPQOsL.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> Friday, Week 1, February 2016</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> Edgeware Hall (Southern England) – 2,000 People (Sold Out!)</strong></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>COLD OPEN: </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">We open the show with footage of Phillip Cooper and Doomsday heading up the stairs to Edgware Hall, and finding themselves face-to-face with Kelvin Badberry. Doomsday’s ready to throw down after the trouble the pair have had, but Cooper explains that he asked Badberry to meet them so Doomsday and Kelvin can bury the hatchet. “We owe him after last night,” the United Kingdom Champion says, “and right now, neither of you will win a damn thing in this tournament unless you leave the past in the past.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: B- </strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>ANNOUNCE DESK:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Des and Dale welcome the fans to the show after the credits, and take a moment to quickly run down the card and the points awarded in the A-Block. Tonight, we’ll see:</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • Mass Hulk versus Doomsday in a battle of the recent School of Wrestling graduates. Neither man is on the scoreboard yet, but someone wil walk away with two points in their pocket tonight.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • Micahel X versus Edison Silva—the MMA-trained Silva will be looking to his early two points, but X is already sitting on three and last week’s draw isn’t sitting well with him. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • BW Eddie versus Kelvin Badberry—both sitting on two points and looking for a win to get them into the game.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • And our main event—our point leader, Apollo Prince, on four taking on the tag-team champion that’s nipping at his heels, Yuri Iliakov. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cross now to Colin “The Steamroller” Chalke in the control room to break down our opening contest. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: D+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CONTROL ROOM:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The Steamroller, Colin Chalke, gets the tough job of putting over Mass Hulk versus Doomsday in our opening contest, and to his credit he almost succeeds in making it seem like a match getting excited for. They may be green, but they’re both built and know how to throw a hell of a punch…and Doomsday seems to have traded his services as a bodyguard to United Kingdom Champion Phillip Cooper, getting some additional training and advice on the side. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “We’re two rounds into this tournament and both these men need to pick up points,” Chalke says. “One way or another, someone is getting onto the scoreboard for the first time tonight.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>MASS HULK (0 Points) vs. DOOMSDAY (0 Points): </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">These two are big, strapping monsters who are also green as hell, so we keep the match as short and simple as we can to make it easy for them. Mass Hulk wins the opening lock-up, and an early test of strength. Doomsday gets thrown into the ropes and comes tearing out with a big spear. Big shots, a couple of power slams, and the advantage traded back-and-forth ultimately culminate in an Apocalypse Drop to get Doomsday on the scoreboard. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Doomsday wins via pinfall; MATCH TIME: 6:48; RATING: E</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut backstage where Melanie Florence is standing by with Edison Silva. He’s scheduled to fight Michael X in tonight’s tournament match-up, but there’s rumours Silva’s manager is looking to pull him from the bout and the tournament as a whole.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Silva goes to answer…and gets interrupted by Jackie Goldstein, who assures Florence that he’s attempting to do exactly that. Goldstein puts over Silva as a phenomenal athlete and submission specialist, with the potential to do great things in either wrestling or MMA. But, like all great fighters who show promise, he’s more inclined to focus on the fight in front of him than the fight that will bring him closer to making a living. That’s why the employ a manager—to make the smart decisions when their pride won’t let them.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I have nothing against pro-wrestling,” Goldstein says, “but it’s a stupid way to make a living. You work twice as hard for the same money. The wear and tear on your body is ten times worse. To make it as a wrestler you’ve got to be tougher, harder, and in better condition than any MMA fighter ever will be…and the rules are so poorly policed that even if you win yourself a championship, it could get stolen and the company won’t do a damn thing to---hey, Edison. EDISON! GET BACK HERE!” </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Goldstein chases after his client, who seems to have ignored orders and headed down to the ring for his scheduled match-up. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: D+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CONTROL ROOM:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Colin Chalke runs down the next match-up, analysing the styles of the spark-plug brawler, Michael X, against the MMA-trained submissions specialist, Silva. In his opinion, this match is going to end in one of two ways—some taps outs, or they get knocked out. “These boys are driven by pride and a hunger to be the best—they’re going to go until someone can’t go no more. Trust me on that.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>MICHAEL X (3 Points) vs. EDISON SILVA (2 Points): </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">the brawler against the submission specialist is a classic wrestling match-up, but it’s rarely played this clean. As Chalke predicted, this one’s all about pride and honor—modern gladiators trying to stake their claim and prove that they’re both tough. X has the experience edge, and it pays dividends here. Every time Silva locks in a submission, X has positioned himself close to the ropes and uses them to get free. A frustrated Silva starts making mistakes, trying to get some focus back…and walks into the hard right from Michael X, which leads into the XDT. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Michael X wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 12:11; RATING: D</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CONTROL ROOM: </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">Chalke starts running down the next match-up, talking up the styles clash as the belligerent street-thug Badberry comes up against the explosive suplexes of BW Eddie. Chalke throws to clip showcasing the prior matches of the two men…then cuts it short when BW Eddie crashes into the Control Room, demanding an opportunity to speak to the people. He puts himself over as “Born Winner” Eddie, a kid from the housing estates, and he’s known guys like Badberry all his life. He invites everyone to go round to the estates and talk to the guys who tried to bully Eddie. Ask ‘em what happened when they tried to get in BW’s face, sucka! Kelvin Badberry is going down, fool. You heard it here first! </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>BW EDDIE (2 Points) vs. KELVIN BADBERRY (2 Points): </strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">Eddie comes into this one full of bluster, trash-talk, and explosive power, but it doesn’t translate into a victory. He’s got the speed and the technical expertise to outclass Baberry and looks like he might pick up the points, but the Mad Hatter, Phillip Cooper, hits ringside and throws an enormous Cat-In-The-Hat topper against the ropes, causing a distraction that allows Badberry to hit the Berry Crush. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Kelvin Badberry wins via Pinfall after a distraction; MATCH TIME: 7:58; RATING: D</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>CONTROL ROOM:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> At last, Chalke says, we hit the big one. The two wrestlers sitting in positions 1 and 2 on the scoreboard clash, with the fast-moving footwork of Apollo Prince coming up against the power of Yuri Iliakov. We get some footage of the pair’s journey in the tournament so far, with a reminder that a victory here has implications for the tag-team titles belts as well, setting Prince up for a potential shot down the line. At the same time, Apollo Prince is largely regarded as the one to beat</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “If you’re not excited by this match, then you haven’t been paying attention,” Chalke says. “These boys are the hot favourites of this block, and if they perform at their potential for the next few weeks, the results of the tournament may well hinge on who gets the two points here.” </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: C+</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>APOLLO PRINCE (4 Points) vs. YURI ILIAKOV (3 Points):</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> A classic speed-versus-power match-up, with the fancy footwork of Apollo Prince setting him up for a strong opening, only to be cut short when Iliakov connects with a back elbow and goes on a rampage. Iliakov relies on heavy strikes—bone crunching forearms and knife-edge chops that echo across Edgeware Hall—eventually wearing Prince down and putting him away with the Kiev Krush to take first place on the leader board. </div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RESULT: Yuri Iliakov wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 13:20; RATING: C-</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>FINAL SHOW RATING: C-</strong></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46815" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">THE NEWS FROM BACKSTAGE</span></strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Cornell took another young wrestler under his wing this week, seeing something in Mark Adonis that he thinks he can sculpt into a great wrestler. It’s a development that may cut Adonis’ excursion period much shorter than intended—he’s green as hell at the moment, but the moment he can be counted upon to carry a match, a mentorship by Tommy will do more than a year-long stint elsewhere. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> On the other hand, Tommy isn’t a big fan of Adonis’ partner, Mass Hulk. “He looks great, but the kid can’t move. He’s not an athlete—he’s a lump. And that’s not what you’re aiming for here, right?”</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Both Nightmare and the Party Animals are splitting time with our mains shows and the training centre attached to Evolve. It’s a state of affairs that Nightmare seems unhappy with—he’s made a formal request to be left to work on TV alone—but I’m not quite ready to pull him out. He’s still got value to us, if we can get him to a point where the boss doesn’t want him fired…</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> In a considerably better mood was Joe Simpson. The smallest guy on the roster has a cousin who works as a party and events promotor—a woman who’s done a bunch of planning for us at various launches and celebrations. He showed up at the Showcase tapings with a gift from his relatives—a crate of vodka celebrating Showcase’s steady ratings since launch. </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> On the other hand, it’s a week for booking problems. The match between Koller and Doomsday lacked the spark I wanted, and not all of that can be laid at Doomsday’s feet. The pair simply failed to click in the ring, which meant the rookie got exposed a little more than I wanted.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Meanwhile, Stevie Stoat is looking more and more like the odd man out in Jonathan Faust’s burgeoning stable of nightmares and horrors, and it’s not like the fans were all that into his gimmick before this angle started. Stevie’s been playing a low-key bad-ass for years—he claims that he’s channelling Karl from Die Hard, playing sidekick to Faust’s Hans Gruber. It may be time to suggest he thinks less 80s action and more 80s slasher when he searches for inspiration.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div></blockquote> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaded Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 Goldstein’s characterisation is AMAZING; great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 THE LIMITATIONS OF A BAD NAME The hardest thing to get used to, when I first started working in the UK, was listening to wrestlers complain about the travel. As schedules go, the UK loop is surprisingly easy on the body—even the European dates are a relatively short flight, and you rarely get the marathon treks that occur in America or back home in Australia. Everything in this part of the world is small countries with long history, which is odd when you’re used to sprawling terrain and hundred years being enough to get a building declared “old.” Still, there’s something nice about working the Southern part of the country, finishing up a show and realising that I’ll get a chance to go home and sleep in my own bed. Of course, not everyone does that. Plenty of our boys are spread around the nation, rather than situating themselves close to Heathrow. That means a lot of them end up staying the night at the Hyatt out near the airport, picking up an overnight stay on the company rather than taking late flight out. It’s easier if we need ‘em to do any post-production promos, even if we try to keep that kind of thing to a minimum. Over the years, everyone started drifting to the Hyatt after shows when they wanted to party with the boys. It started when DJ Reason first joined the company, back when he ran an after-party as a way of selling his gimmick. It’s been a few years since he’s been eager to go from wrestling to spinning records—he’s getting on in years, and the wear-and-tear means he’s usually hurting after a match. Not so you’d notice it while he’s out there—Reason’s always been one of those guys who turns it on when he’s in front of the crowd—but you’ll see him before and after a match and he’s strapping up injured shoulders and icing down a tricky knee. These days, most of the guys prefer to set up in the Hyatt bar, and I’ve made a pint of stopping in for a pint in the name of fostering a sense that we’re on the same team. It’s a tricky balance, sometimes—as a booker you’re not really one of the boys, but you need their trust. You want them onboard with the idea that you’re working to make the most cash for everyone involved, and that their push will pay off down the line even if they aren’t on top right now. And sometimes its just being there, when the boys are letting their hair down, is a chance to see a glimpse of something that will eventually push them up the card. I found my way to the Hyatt Bar after the Showcase tapings because I wanted to watch Joe Simpsons and Michael X for a while, try and pick up something we can use to rebrand the pair. Their tag-team name—The Underdogs—is a little too on-the-nose for me, especially since they’re moving out of the rookie phase of their career and becoming a relatively seasoned midcard act. They may be lightweights, but lest be honest—if 21CW ever launched a dedicated Super Junior division like Burning Hammer, Joe and X would be the two talents positioned as division anchors and top babyfaces. So we’re looking for something new to give them, a new angle to build upon. Something that captures the utter confidence that Joe Simpson carries himself with as he moves through the bar, reasonably sure that he could take down any butthead who decided to cause trouble even if they’re twice his size. It’s not there yet, but I can see the need for it. And the time is rabidly coming up where the duo need to be seen in a whole new light, rather than being the division whipping boys who pick up the occasional lucky pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 THE BOOKER TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT ON… “THE MAD HATTER” PHILLIP COOPER AGE: 30 (12 Year Pro); BUILD: Lightweight; STYLE: Entertainer; NATIONALITY: English (White); CURRENT GIMMICK: Egomaniac (Very Good) FINISHERS: The Cooper Fly Splash (Frog Splasy), Cooper-Man Clutch (Standing Cloverleaf); SIGNATURE MOVES AND SPOTS: Diving Senton to the outside; Monkeyflip from the corner; Tiltawhirl Backbreaker; Tornado DDT; Rolling Vertical Suplexes; Breakdance Legdrop THEME SONG: Smooth Criminal, Alien Ant Farm NOTES: Current 21st Century United Kingdom Champion (January—Present); One Previous 21st Century United Kingdom Championship Reign (November 2007 – December 2007); 2 x21st Century Tag-Team Championship Reigns (December 2008—February 2009 with Luke Cool; April 2010—September 2010 with Adam Matravers); Ranked #238 in the 2015 Power 500 Phillip Cooper’s eccentric, unpredictable, and considerably smarter than people give him credit for. A flamboyant young cruiserweight from Manchester, he caught people’s attention with a flamboyant array of hats and a tendency towards egomania that sees him write checks his arse can’t cash. Cooper doesn’t get that he’s a small guy in a big man’s sport. He’s loud, brash, and willing to talk trash about anyone, then backs it up by going toe-to-toe like a manic chihuahua trying to take down a pitbull. He’s got the biggest mouth on the roster, and a great belief that he’s both indestructible and unstoppable in the ring. As an undercard gimmick, this worked to perfection—Cooper could come out, mouth off, and the fans would pop for whichever babyface came out and delivered a beating him on it. For many of our young faces, a feud with Cooper was a rite of passage—his 2014 and 2015 feuds with Leigh Burton and Wade Orson marked their respective push as viable midcart talents after their rookie days were over. The great fear has always been what happens if Cooper started playing things smarter…and his recent push to the United Kingdom Championship has come off the back of Cooper playing things smarter and securing back-up. The hats a no longer just an affectation—they’ve become tools for pullig off the win against a larger opponent. His threats are no longer hot air and ego--the yappy chihuahua i now the leader of a small pack of young, aggressive rottweilers who can benefit from his mic skills, and they’re increasingly willing to back the small dog up in a fight. IN THE RING: Phillip Cooper lacks that little voice that warns you that you’re about to do something stupid. Whether it’s picking a fight with a six-eight monster or taking an insane risk in order to injure an opponent, there is no pause or hesitation between instinct and action. This often means that Cooper can hold his own against guys much larger than he is, simply because he’s impossible to predict and willing to cross lines that most wrestlers wouldn’t dream of. When that process works, and catches people off-guard, it tends to work spectacularly well. When it crashes and burns…well, that’s just the price of wrestling the way that Phillip Cooper does, and it’s not like he’s going to learn from it. Introspection is for suckers, and Cooper prefers to live in the moment. Of course, it’s hard to take that seriously given the forethought that goes into sneaking weapons into the ring, often hidden in his hats or secreted before a match starts. Cooper has come up with some truly innovative ways to tip the scales in his direction, befuddling referees who are on alert for his tricks…but then, perhaps that’s part of the fun for Coop. If sneaking weapons in were easy, he’d soon lose interest and focus his style around something else entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR.- PART THREE Thursday, Week 2, February 2016 Leamington Spa Arena (Central England) – 10,000 People (Sold Out!) COLD OPEN: We open the show with Hot Stuff, Luke Cool, and Kathleen Lee rolling up to the arena in a limo. Luke Cool isn’t happy—he signed with Lee to elevate his profile, but a punk like Wade Orson is getting pushed into the main event tonight? Hell, Lee can’t even stop them from making Hot Stuff defend their title shot in a gauntlet match tonight. Lee assures him it’s aberration aberration, and swears that Hot Stuff will retain their title shot despite Jeff Nova’s manipulations. RESULT: B- ANNOUNCE TEAM: Steve Smith welcomes the fans to the show, and put over tonight’s card. We’ve got an important main event tonight—Tommy Cornell will step into the ring for his first singles match in 21CW, and his hand-picked opponent is rising star Wade Orson. But first, we’ve got a special five-team gauntlet, with a shot at the tag-team titles on the line…RATING: B- IN-RING SEGMENT: We kick off with Red Menace and the Ivanoff’s out in the ring, Jeff Nova adjudicating the return of the tag-team titles to the champs before the gauntlet starts. There is a tense moment as the four Russians stare each other down, and for a moment it seems like the Ivanoff’s might attack, but finally they hand them over and the Red Alert clear the ring. Nova breathes a sigh of relief, then announces that the Gauntlet is going to begin…right now! And he hopes the Ivanoff’s are ready to face the first team added to the mix. The Underdogs, Joe Simpson and Michael X, come down the ramp, and the Ivanoff’s look irate that they now face a team they weren’t expecting to be in the gauntlet. Nova just shrugs and retreats to the commentary desk. “Told you it wasn’t going to be a reward, fellas. If you want a shot at those bells for real, you’re going to have to work for it.” RATING: C+ THE UNDERDOGS vs. THE IVANOFF BROTHERS: Classic tag-team action here, with the speed of the Underdogs coming up against the powerful veterans of the Ivanoffs. The Underdogs get a good, even showing with Joe Simpson playing babyface in peril and Michael X getting a big roar when she starts dishing out hard strikes. They push the Ivanoff’s hard, but ultimately they’re here to make the Ivanoff’s look good. Simpson falls to the Red Curtain, and ivan gets the pinfall. RESULT: Ivan Ivanoff wins via pinfall; MATCH TIME: 8:21; RATING: C THE PRIDE vs. THE IVANOFF BROTHERS: The Pride are the second team out for the gauntlet, and they immediately take the fight to Ivanoffs. The fresh team gets an early advantage, but the Ivanoff’s have been a team too long for energy alone to take it—they cut the ring in half and work Leo Price with a vengeance, leading up to a hot tag that sees Leigh Burton come in like a house of fire and delivery big, high-impact suplexes as he throws the big Russians around. An attempt to cut The Pride off stalls and Burton picks up the pinfall with a Bad Day at Black Rock on Igor. RESULT: Leigh Burton wins via pinfall; MATCH TIME: 7:41; RATING: C+ RINGSIDE ATTACK: The Ivanoffs are far from happy about being eliminated, and immediately get in Jeff Nova’s face on the commentary desk. Nova points out they lost fair and square…and the Ivanov’s make a point by demolishing Storm and Sifu as the young pairing come out for the next match in the gauntlet. The Pride come down to make the save—a questionable choice, Nova says, given they could take a breather—and the Ivanovs wipe them out with chairs during the fray. It’s only when everyone involved in the next match is lying at ringside that the Ivanov’s finally leave. RATING: C+ THE PRIDE vs. CROUCHING STORM, HIDDEN SIFU: For a moment, it seems like this match will not happen—neither time is quick to recover from the attack, and it’s only when a ten-count kicks off that Leigh Burton and Ricky Storm crawl into the ring to start the match proper. They go at as singles competitors for about three minutes before their teammates make it to the corner, and things resolve into a passionate and hard-fought tag-team contest featuring two teams battering through the aftermath of the result. Leigh Burton picks up the submission victory when he locks Sifu in a powerful Sleeper hold. RESULT: Leigh Burton wins after making Sifu submit; MATCH TIME: 12:02; RATING: C PRE-MATCH PROMO: Kathleen Lee leads Hot Stuff down for the final match of the Gauntlet, but she grabs a microphone and makes The Pride an offer before it begins—walk away. Don’t try and wrestle this match against Hot Stuff while they’re fresh. Know when you’re beaten and live to fight another day. The Pride…do not seem interested. RATING: C+ THE PRIDE vs. HOT STUFF (w/Kathleen Lee): Leigh Burton paintbrushes Buff Martinez with a big right-handed slap to start this, with The Pride going on a tear as the match starts. Steve Smith points out that the Pride have been wrestling for nearly twenty minutes now, with a beat-down from the Ivanoff’s their only break, and they’re obviously trying to finish this before fatigue sets in. Hot Stuff take the obvious tactic—slow things down, drag the match out, and focus their attention on the veteran Leo Price who is feeling the effects of two hard bouts. They get heat on Price for a good five minutes, the veteran always keeping things alive with well-placed hope spots, but it’s not until Hot Stuff get confident and talking trash that the hot tag finally comes. Leigh Burton’s been on the apron catching his wind and hits the ring like a Mack Truck. Big throws, bit slams, which lead a cut-off by J-B Cash via a kick to the balls. Things break down and Hot Stuff take control…only for Burton to rally and roll Buff Martinez up with a quick pinning combination to take the number one contender’s spot. RESULT: Leigh Burton wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 12:06; RATING: C POST-MATCH ATTACK: Buff Martinez is on his feet in an instant, irate at the loss. Leigh Burton doesn’t back down, and it takes but a moment before both members of Hot Stuff and The Pride are nose-to-nose in the ring, trading barbs and staring one another down, J-B Cash vocally yelling about how this is goddamned bullshit. Red Menace hit the Pride from behind, using the title belts to lay Burton and Price out. The Russians and Hot Stuff join forces to beat down the new number one contenders, stomping them into the canvas. A few moments later Sifu and Ricky Storm are in the ring, clearing house with a series of lightning fast kicks and strikes. They take down Hot Stuff and Red Menace ducks free of the ring, grabbing the belts and backing up the ramp as Storm and Sifu stare them down. RATING: B- SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW: The Steamroller, Colin Chalke, is called in to perform another sit-down interview and analysis. He introduces his guest tonight—War Machine—and spokesperson Cliff King. King barely lets Chalke get a word in edgewise, pointing out that they have no desire to be here this evening, but Chalke gave Daniel Black Francis a platform two weeks ago and assisted him in spreading misinformation. King suggests that Chalke was irresponsible, goading DBF into calling War Machine out for a rematch, and that will invariably cost a talented young wrestler and cut short his career. Chalke tries to get King to talk through the pair’s match, asking King to point out the points where DBF was lying—and an angry War Machine eventually gets out of his seat and launches himself at the veteran. RATING: B IN-RING PROMO: We cut back to the ring, where DJ Reason is dressed to compete and has a microphone in hand. He talks up spending a good chunk of the last few years fighting alongside Kevin Jones and Pit Bull Brown, putting together the Defence Force to stand up to threats like Hot Stuff and Edward Cornell. Now there’s a new group rising, making noise about throwing out the rules and pulling 21CW down…and DJ Reason is ready to back up his friend in the War of Attrition at World War. RATING: B- DJ REASON vs. DANNY PATTERSON (w/Mark Misery, Vicki Company, & Harley Neill): Reason goes toe-to-toe with the veteran powerhouse Patterson, doing a good job of holding his own using speed and veteran instincts. Patterson doesn’t run alone these days. Detonation don’t bother with subtlety—Misery and Harley Neill hit the ring and beat Reason down. RESULT: Danny Patterson was disqualified; MATCH TIME: 7:41; RATING: C+ POST-MATCH PROMO: Reason gets taken out with a trio of finishers, one after the other. Danner Patterson hits a chokeslam, Harley Neill picks him up and delivers the East End Piledriver, and Mark Misery utelizes the Pain Killer to finish things off. Vicki Company grabs a microphone as her boys stand tall, informing Kevin Jones that his challenge is accepted…then she casts a scornful glance at the downed DJ Reason and suggests Jones might find it harder to find back-up than he thinks. RATING: C BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW: We cut backstage, where Melanie Florence has cornered Edward Cornell as he walks into the arena with the Martins and Beast Bantom. She alerts him to the fact that Adam Matravers isn’t in the arena this evening—Plumridge is scheduled for surgery this evening—but there’s rumours that 21CW officials will be naming him as the challenger for Edward Cornell’s title at World War. Cornell smirks at the news and says that he’s been expecting something like this. Fortunately, he doesn’t think Matravers cares about a title shot right now—what Matravers wants is a chance to take Edward Cornell apart. “So, Adam,” Cornell says, “I’m here to offer you a choice. 21CW officials say you can have a title shot and I’m happy to give that to you…but a title shot comes with all these pesky rules and regulations. You can’t hit me in the face. You can’t beat me with a chair. A title shot means you have to go out there and wrestle…and personally, I think you just want to fight. “So here’s the deal I’m willing to offer you, Adam, when your wife gets out of surgery—you can have that title shot, or you can refuse to accept the officials ruling and you can have me one-on-one in an unsanctioned light-out match. No rules. No regulations. Everything is legal. We just go out there and fight until there’s a one winner and one loser. It won’t get you a title…but it will get you that vengeance you keep saying you really, really want.” RATING: B- DARK ANGEL, HARRY WILSON, CURTIS JENKINS, & ANDREW LEE vs. JONATHAN FAUST, STEVIE STOAT, & THE HOUNDS OF HELL: Lee and Jenkins have both stepped up to stand beside the Wilson brothers in this one, and Jenkins kicks things off with a short exchange with Nightmare. It’s been a rough debut for the Chord-trained wrestler, whose early showings in the Showcase Tournament haven’t resulted in victory, but he gets a big response as he outwrestles the bigger Nightmare and throws him around with side suplexes. That lasts right up until Grave Digger tags in and nearly kicks Jenkin’s head off his shoulders. From there, the match escalates through the ranks: Andrew Lee comes in to replace Jenkins, making news with some big kicks before displaying his freakish strength with a powerslam on Digger. Stoat comes in on the heel side, showing his customary affinity for throwing people into turnbuckles. Wilson comes in to negate Stoat; Faust comes in to negate Wilson. The heels cut the ring in half and proceed to work Wilson over, which finally culminates in a hot tag to his brother…and Dark Angel drops away from the apron and leaves his brother hanging. Lee and Jenkins do their best, getting back into the match and trying to hold their own against the various members who have accepted the Faustian Pact, but it’s not enough. Grave Digger spikes Andrew Lee with the R.I.P. piledriver in order to pick up the win. RESULT: Grave Digger wins via pinfall; MATCH TIME: 12:21; RATING: C+ BACKSTAGE CHALLENGE: The Rock ‘N Roller, Sebastian Koller, blocks Phillip Cooper’s attempts to enter the arena this week, pointing out that he defeated Doomsday on last week’s show. “I’ve sat through the opening act, now I want to face the headliner,” Koller says. “You and me, United Kingdom Championship on the line.” Doomsay snarls, eager to launch an attack, but Cooper holds him back. He informes Koller that he might have jumped through the first hoop, but Phillip Cooper’s got a second lined up and waiting. “Next week, if you beat Kelvin Badberry, I’ll give you a title shot.” RATING: C+ IN-RING PROMO: Tommy Cornell heads down to the ring ahead of the main event, collecting a microphone as he goes. He puts over the fact that everyone’s been asking him who his first one-on-on match will be in 21CW, and it’s a question he’s been asking himself for weeks. He knew the terrain when he wrestled in America. Knew the players and which victories would position him for greater things down the line. He knew which up-and-comers he watned to get a measure of, and which threats needed to be neutralised before they could build up the momentum that made them a threat. When he came here to 21CW—came back to London to face some of the best the UK had to offer—Tommy Cornell found himself in unfamiliar terrain. He didn’t know the players by anything more than reputation, and that meant taking his time getting to know the lay of the land before he accepted singles challenges. At World War, he’s going to go out there and face a man whose been the backbone of 21CW since its very first show. A man who can legitimately claim to be the heart and soul of the company in Pit Bull Brown. Never mind that he’s a thug, But that’s a match against the best of 21CW’s past…tonight, Cornell is interested in the man they dub the bright future of English Wrestling. Tonight, Tommy Cornell plans on seeing just how bright that future may be…because there’s no way he’s letting a bully and a thug like Pit Bull Brown go down in history as Tommy Cornell’s first real opponent in 21C. RATING: B+ WADE ORSON vs. TOMMY CORNELL: We give this one plenty of time and let Tommy do what Tommy does best—get young talent over via the medium of a nice, open match littered with close-calls that suggest Orson might actually have Cornell’s number one day very soon. You can tell a lot about a young talent by the way they respond to the opportunity. Orson and Cornell have about twenty minutes for this match and Tommy is at his best delivering this kind of story, knows exactly how to pace things to deliver maximum impact. He has off-nights from time to time—I believe the last one was in 2013 some time—but for the most part you know good things are going to get for the younger based on the crowd reaction. Wade Orson gets a pretty good response, but it never really builds the way I’d hope in a match with Cornell. Orson may have a bright future, but given the way he’s been positioned in the company, I’m not sure he’s ready to move into the top spot without a little more seasoning. He puts in a strong effort, but ultimately falls to the Guilt Trip. RESULT: Tommy Cornell wins via Submission; MATCH TIME: 20:06; RATING: B- FINAL SHOW RATING: B- Friday, Week 2, February 2016 Hall Green Cricket Club (Central England) – 1,974 People COLD OPEN: Red Menace are making their way into Hall Green Cricket Club when they come face-to-face with the new number-one contenders to the tag-team titles, The Pride. The two teams stare at one another, then Leigh Burton reaches out and pats the title slung over Victor Beskov’s shoulder. “Good luck tonight champ.” RATING: C+ ANNOUNCE TEAM: Des and Dale welcome the fans to the show, and run through tonight’s matches and the current B-Block rankings. Coming up tonight, we’ve got: • The Russian Sambo Monster, Victor Beskov (3 Points) will take on Brickhouse Balder (2 Points) • Mark Adonis (0 Points) is up against Curtis Jenkins (0 Points) • “Little J” Joe Simpons (1 Point) will take on Grave Digger (2 Points) • And in our main event, Andrew Lee (4 Points) will take on the Master of Anarchy, Beldam (4 Points) We cross now to our analyst, Colin Chalke, to take a closer look at our opening mach-up… RATING: D+ CONTROL ROOM: Colin Chalke puts this match over as a battle between the unstoppable force of Victor Beskov coming up against the immovable object, Brickhouse Balder. Both men have an incredible power game and Balder has incredible size and reach advantages…but the big mans one weakness in the tournament has been his submissions, and Victor Beskov’s Sambo training has made him a dangerous grappler and submission wrestler. “You can never discount a man with Balder’s size and power, but I suspect this one will come down to Beskov’s ability to get things onto the mat. RATING: B- VICTOR BESKOV (3 Points) vs. BRICKHOUSE BALDER (2 Points): It’s a match that goes down almost exactly as Chalke predicts—an opening lock-up that favours Balder’s strength, leading to an extended attempt to put the big man on the mat and neutralize his power. Victor Beskov is exceptionally good at what he does, eventually picking up the win via the Red Devil Lock. RESULT: Victor Beskov wins via submission; MATCH TIME: 6:17; RATING: D+ CONTROL ROOM: We cut back to Chalke in the control centre, but his role is less analysis this time. Our next bout is two young prospects who came into this tournament with an enormous amount of hype and potential, but neither has made it onto the scoreboard next. Chalke introduces a short hype video featuring brief words from both competitors. Mark Adonis talks up the sheer amount of promise and natural gifts for wrestling he exhibited at the National School, but acknowledges that potential and training is a very different thing to being out there, fighting for points and the winner’s purse. His goal is to go out there and do everything he can every match, but if he loses…well, that’s just a learning opportunity. A chance to figure out where he went wrong, and how things will go differently next time. Curtis Jenkins talks about being unwanted in his homeland. No schools would take him on. No companies were taking chances on him. So he went to the United States and trained under the legendary Rip Chord, always intending to come home and conquer the united kingdom with his superior training. “That was the dream of an arrogant young boy,” Jenkins says. “The man who fights out in the ring tonight is man enough to admit that the UK scene is filled with some of the best wrestlers ever—top talent and promising rookies alike. What separates me from the pack is the fact I had to fight for every opportunity I got, and I had to go further and fight harder to get here. RATING: D+ MARK ADONIS (0 Points) vs. CURTIS JENKINS (0 Points): The match opens with Mark Adonis throwing his smaller opponent around, taking advantage of his physical superiority. It’s a strong start, but not something he can sustain…particularly when Curtis Jenkins fakes a low blow to set up for an elbow to the jaw, rattling the big man enough to land the Fisherman’s Suplex which ends things. RESULT: Curtis Jenkins wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 7:58; RATING: D- CONTROL ROOM: Colin Chalke’s analysis of the next match is cautious. On one side of the ring you’ve got Grave Digger—a six-eight powerhouse who moves like a man half his size, recently allied with 21CW’s resident master of mind games, Jonathan Faust. His opponent is five-seven, a hundred and seventy-pounds. A kid who openly calls himself an underdog in any fight, but has spent the last five years stepping up to fight anyone and everyone who’ll agree to a match…and if he hasn’t won many of those bouts, it’s not for want of trying on his part. If Joe Simpson has taught us anything over these last five years, it’s that he’s a tenacious wrestler with a rock-solid understanding of the fundamentals and the ability to exploit any mistake to its utmost. Two weeks ago Joe Simpson took one of the tag-team champions, Victor Beskov, to a time-limit draw and kept Beskov away from the top of the rankings. “The numbers say there’s no way Simpson is getting past Grave Digger, but they said exactly that about Beskov two weeks back. My money is still on Grave Digger, but I think the great lesson of this year’s tournament may be that you underestimate the underdog at your own peril.” RATING: C- JOE SIMPSON (1 Point) vs. GRAVE DIGGER (2 Points): We’re used to seeing Joe Simpons hit the rings and use high-risk to even the odds against an opponent Grave Digger’s size, but he surprises everyone by coming in with a very different strategy. He uses speed to keep out of Digger’s reach, peppering him with kicks and short bursts of offense, and pushes the pace of the match to the point where the big man needs to keep up. It’s not a seemless strategy—when Digger connects, he connects real hard and takes control of the match—but as the clock ticks past ten minutes and the big man’s lungs work like a bellows, the strategy seems like it’s going to pay dividends. Simpson secures the pinfall with a fast roll-up. RESULT: Joe Simpson wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 11:41; RATING: D- POST-MATCH ATTACK: Simpson gets a brief, shining moment to celebrate his victory before Grave Digger rises and stares down at his smaller opponent. The two lock eyes, neither man moving, and Simpson actually doubles down by offering Grave Digger a handshake. The big man doesn’t take it, choosing instead to kick Simpson’s head off. He pitches the smaller man to ringside and follows him down, throwing him into the guard rail before finishing things with the R.I.P. RATING: C+ CONTROL ROOM: We quickly cut to the control room as the medical team comes down to check on Simpson, and Colin Chalke is forces himself to look away from the monitor and start breaking down the bout between the two men at the top of the B-Block rankings—Andrew Lee and Bedlam. He starts putting over Andrew Lee’s power and unconventional style…only to get interrupted by Bedlam invading his set and pushing Chalke out of shot. Bedlam warns everyone that control is an illusion. You think walls will keep the danger out? The days of stone castles is long gone—your walls are plaster, your doors thin panels of wood. Easy to cut through. Easy to break. Your walls are easily permeable borders you simply hope no-one will be impolite enough to cross…and Bedlam doesn’t care for boundaries. RATING: C ANDREW LEE (4 Points) vs. BEDLAM (4 Points): Andrew Lee is out first for this one, pacing the ring like a panther as Bedlam heads to the ring with Colin Chalke’s headset held in a tight grip. He throws it to the crowd and launches himself at the opponent, and the pair put on the hardest hitting brawl of the tournament thus far. Lee is the technical stirker of the pair, all flying knees, spinning backfists, and high-impact kicks. Bedlam is the old-school brawler, clubbing blows and simple submission holds cinched tight to inflict, but it’s undercut by an unpredictable and psychotic determination. Andrew Lee puts up a hell of a fight and refuses to tap, but ultimately falls to the Bedlam Bomb. RESULT: Bedlam wins via Pinfall; MATCH TIME: 14:02; RATING: C- FINAL SHOW RATING: C- THE NEWS FROM BACKSTAGE We haven’t utilised The Steamroller as a road agents since moving him into an on-air role, and the transition hasn’t been an easy one. After years of being the guy who policed attendance at agent meetings, he skipped his ahead of this week’s British Wrestling taping. I gave him a warning, which seemed to please him—I think he just wanted to know that we were still paying attention and wanted him on the team. On the other hand, our new interviewer Melanie Florence blew off her own meeting ahead of the Showcase taping. I understand that these things happen—Melanie maintains her prior career as a rock journalist, as well as doing work for us—but I let her know that such clashes should be reported in and we can’t have it being a long-term habit. Andrew Lee has been working with Grave Digger on the house show loop for the last few weeks, and the pair seem to have found a lot of common ground outside the ring. Lee did an interview with a dirt sheet blog announcing Digger as one of his closest friends backstage. It feels kinda strange that the first contract I had to renew in my role as booker was that of former booker Pit Bull Brown. It was a relatively quick negotiation—we sign him for another two years, sans house show appearances, for an extra 2,000 a month. Jeff Nova looked askance at the increase, particularly given that a chunk of Pit Bull’s prior contract covered booking duties, but there are two good reasons to keep him onboard at the increased price. The first is that he’s simply more valuable now—his program with Tommy is one of the hottest in the company and our stats guys are showing a big leap in the number of mentions on social media, searches on Google and Youtube, and other markers showing Pit Bull’s simply attracting more attention. Couple that with his recent decision to mentor young prospects like Badberry and Pit Bull is still a steal at his pay-packet, booking or no, especially since it's less politically dicey to push him to the top now he's just one of the boys. It's definitely a last hurrah--he's unlikely to command such a price in two years time when we re-negotiate—but he'll more than earn the money until then. The second reason is even more simple—if we don’t value him here, there’s a good chance that he can find a job holding the book somewhere else. And for all his faults and stumbling blocks, I’d rather be working with Pit Bull Brown than trying to compete with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 OF NIGHTMARES AND HELL-HOUNDS Nightmare pulled me aside after his match on British Wrestling. “Me and the kid, I think we’ve got something, aye?” He’s right. Nightmare and Grave Digger are a visually striking tag-team—two big, aggressive heavyweights packed with muscle and a methodical style built around strikes and slams. A rookie full of potential and a journeyman who hasn’t quite lived up to his, but still has plenty of time left at the age of 29. “Yeah, mate. Definitely something,” I tell him. “Once you get the whole package working, we’re going to make some money together.” “And this Evolve thing, I’m not down there long?” “That’s entirely up to you,” I tell him. It’s not the answer he’s looking for, which is part of the problem. Nightmare is one of the guys on the chopping block courtesy of Jeff Nova’s vision—a big, strong heel with a powerful musculature, but no real athletic background. He got over when MOSC pushed him as a rookie monster—short, aggressive squash matches designed to play off his look and aggressive nature. Trained on the job, specialising on a five-minute match, all about the great look and the explosive physicality. It's a formula that works incredibly well in the short-term, but you need somewhere to go after it’s done. Nightmare had done his job the moment he bumped the buy rates on a few pay-per-views, and settled into the midcard of 21CW as a project. His team with Grave Digger, alongside Faust and Stoat, is the most excited the fans have been about him in years. Given free reign, I’d be leaving them together and making the Hell Hounds an integral part of Jonathan Faust’s nascent stable. Let them develop in dark matches for a time, play heater to Faust’s run to the title. Get the experience and the popularity, make the funs hungry to see them rise up to the top. But 21CW isn’t my company, for all that I’m responsible for getting it to the top, and Jeff Nova wants guys like Nightmare to either shape up or get cut. So the decision to send Grave Digger to Evolve for seasoning later this year means that Nightmare will be spending some quality time down there too. They can develop as a tag-team away from the public eye, and with luck Nightmare can built up the kind of athleticism that will impress Nova or the kind of popularity that makes it worth fighting the boss to keep him aboard. Naturally, he’s grumpy about going. This whole thing about hyping the tag-team is all about angling to stay on the main roster, because Nightmare sees the his trip down to Evolve as a demotion. He’s smart enough not to make a lot of noise about it, but it doesn’t stop him pushing. Thing is, right now Nightmare is splitting his time between the two feds. And K’lee’s been running him as a big league star whose come to Evolve because he doesn’t get respect from the 21CW management, and it’s positioned Nightmare at the top of the card. This is because K’Lee understands wrestling in a way that Nightmare doesn’t, and it’s really the thing that draws a line between the guys who’ll make it to the top and those who will be an also-ran. Right now, Nightmare’s in a great position to prove he deserves ore than we’re given. He just won the tournament to be named Evolve’s first champion, which means the next few months will see Nightmare performing in exactly the kind of matches he’s never been asked to deliver—long, main event bouts where he’s responsible for getting the challenger over instead of squashing ‘em and moving on. If he can make it work, then Grave Digger will seem like a similarly big deal when he debuts a few months down the line, walking in as the champions ally and heater. Nightmare will prove that he can headline a company, pull in a fanbase, work the politics. If he can’t make it work…well, Nightmare’s contract will be up in less than a year. And he’s a good guy—a valuable talent—but not somebody I can’t live without. Grave Digger is already primed to take his role, once he’s got some experience beneath his belt, and the rookie seems like he’ll have the kind of upside Nightmare’s never truly shown… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaded Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Still loving this; awesome shows and Nightmare post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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