The Warrior’s Journey - The Story of Warrior’s Road Championships

Janpei · July 30, 2019

But first a little exposition...

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Zuffa, LLC (/ˈzuːfə/) is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after they purchased it from the Semaphore Entertainment Group. The word "Zuffa" is an Italian word (pronounced [ˈdzuffa]), meaning "fight". On July 11, 2016, Zuffa announced that it would be purchased by WME-IMG for the price of $4.025 billion.

On May 1, 2017, Fertitta Capital, a private investment firm, was launched with an initial seed investment of $500 million from Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III. The Firm has a permanent capital base and invests throughout a business' lifecycle and across the capital structure in consumer-facing companies in the technology, media and entertainment sectors. Nakisa Bidarian, former CFO of UFC, will lead Fertitta Capital as CEO and co-founder and be responsible for the deployment of the Firm's capital

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The week of August 31st, 2019 is when it started. Perhaps it was no coincidence that the starting point would happen on the very same week that All Elite Wrestling, a newly formed United States wrestling promotion with the financial backing to take on the titan that was WWE, would be hosting their Champion crowning mega event All Out. That week, the week when all eyes in the world of pro wrestling would be on All Elite Wrestling, was when the rumor started its circulation. Someone else was spending money on professional wrestling.

The journalists weren’t left with much time to speculate; first CBSSports.com coverage of pro wrestling completely stopped. Not shortly after that, a few names were announcing that they would be unavailable for bookings starting in February 2020. Most suspicious of all: a cryptic Tweet from former UFC Fighter Chael Sonnen where he told his 612k followers that a change was coming in February punctuating the statement with a mention to CBS network’s Twitter page.

In early September, the announcement finally came. Former UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Feritta had partnered up with CBS to deliver a new brand of professional wrestling to the American television consumer. Later that month, Chael Sonnen would then make the rounds, doing features with CBS Sports, ESPN, Wrestling Observer Radio, and a myriad of television, radio, and podcasts spots to discuss what was coming to CBS. From his interviews it was learned that:

-On the question of why wrestling and why now? Chael Sonnen indicated that the Fertittas see pro wrestling as a long term investment. Believing that the industry is on the verge of a boom. ”Look, Frank and Lorenzo want to make money. They’re smart business oriented guys. They’re not blind. You have Saudi Arabia paying millions for shows. You have Fox offering top dollar for wrestling on their primetime. Live content is in demand it’s what’s keeping eyeballs on these networks. So we came to CBS with the golden ticket. Look, this thing isn’t going to cost a lot to produce. Wrestling fans are some of the most dedicated consumers out there. Once they see our product, they’ll be at their TV every Thursday. We’re all looking at this as an opportunity to make some real money here.”

-The promotion is being branded as Warrior’s Road Championships. ”We like the name because there’s ambiguity to it. We’re not just looking for wrestling fans with this thing. We want the sports fan. We want the general consumer. That’s why we’re premiering in February. People will want something to watch with the NFL being over. Let us entertain you. So that’s where the name comes in. We want the TV viewer who’s flipping through his channels and his Guide reads ‘Warrior’s Road Live on CBS’ now their first thought isn’t wrestling. They’re thinking combat sport. They’re thinking some gritty tough man competition. They’ll give us a peep and with our brand of wrestling, we’re hoping they’ll stick around.”

-As mentioned, the show will premiere on Thursday February, 6th 2020 on the CBS Network.

-Chael Sonnen will serve as the brand’s president. While not entirely clear how much of this is a legitimate executive role and how much of it will be an on screen presentation, but he described his duties as chief matchmaker, signing of talent, scouting of talent, and event promoter. ”Get used to this mug because you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”

-Sonnen was very clear with their intentions. ”Make no mistake about it. We’re not looking to be an alternative. We’re not looking to be the other show you watch when the other guys aren’t on. We want to be number one. Lorenzo and Frank aren’t going to invest their money in a product to be second or third place.”

-With that, AEW is viewed as opposition no differently than WWE.

-Knows that Warrior’s Road Championship won’t be number one right away. He and the Ferittas are preparing for the long game.

-Described the project as a marriage of new and old school. There will be a strong focus on in ring, outright guaranteeing that the matches happening in Warrior’s Road will be the best you’ll see of everything on TV. This leads Sonnen to talk about how he’s been scouting out the United Kingdom wrestling scene as well as the independent wrestling scene. He then announced that on the premiere episode of their CBS show, that he has designs to showcase two incredibly talented tag teams by announcing that Ortiz and Santana of LAX will meet Chris Brookes and Jonathan Gresham now known as The Catch Kings in another installment of their exciting rivalry.

-The revelation of Jonathan Gresham signing with Warrior’s Road led to Sonnen to discuss how Gresham signed with the promotion. Sonnen flat out revealed that ”We’re not above buying out contracts. If you have someone we want and you’re willing to do business, let’s make a deal.”

-The conversation also caused Chael Sonnen to confirm that they have signed some pretty well known names but that he wasn’t revealing anything to anyone until the time came. ”But yes, if you’re watching wrestling on Monday and Tuesday you’re gonna be pretty familiar with some talent on our roster.”

-The detour also caused Chael Sonnen to compliment his tag team division. Sonnen believes Warrior’s Road will have the deepest tag team division in the United States and also announced the signing of tag team Aussie Open who he believes will be big stars on CBS.

-Going back to the marriage of styles, while Sonnen promises that the in ring, wins and losses, match history, and momentum will all matter, they still believe that to succeed on television and to gain the interest of the casual TV viewer, they need characters, feuds, and moments their viewers can identify with. “I’m talking Captain U-S-of A kicking Evil Russian Commie butt! Okay maybe not THAT on the nose but you get it.”

-Warrior’s Road already has a main title designed and it will be unveiled on the premiere episode. Sonnen then reveals that the second episode will kick off a two month playoff series called the Warrior’s Road Gold Series Challenge. The Gold Series Challenge will be a twelve man round-robin style tournament where the wrestlers will be divided into two blocks of six. Each match will have a 25 minute time limit. Wrestlers will be awarded 2 points for every match they win and one point for each wrestler if they go to a draw. The wrestler with the most points in the first block will meet the wrestler with the most points in the second block in the finals. The finals will happen live on pay per view sometime in April or May and the winner will be the first ever Warrior’s Road Champion.

-In an intriguing bit of news, Sonnen revealed that they were able to work out a deal with New Japan where Kazuchika Okada would be available to participate in the Gold Series Challenge. Made no hesitation in confirming that New Japan’s G1 Climax served as inspiration for the Gold Series Challenge. He refers to Okada as one of the best in the world and says they wanted the Gold Series Challenge to start the company off right and by having one of the very best names in wrestling, but that American fans don’t get the opportunity to see him wrestle as often. He draws similarities between Warrior’s Road and Okada to how WCW used to import names such as Jushin Liger or The Great Muta indicating that he views it as something that will set Warrior’s Road apart from the competition.

-Behind the scenes wise: they’ve hired former UFC event coordinator, Burt Watson, in a similar capacity. Sonnen described him as an extremely likable people person and he’s going to help to make sure these shows go off without a hitch. He also confirmed that they have several people with experience in production and agency roles and while he didn’t want to give out a lot of names, Arn Anderson was one he did confirm.

-Finally, he will be doing a nationwide promotional tour starting in Las Vegas, Warrior’s Road’s home location, at the end of September. From there, they will make a stop in Sacramento, California in October. Houston, Texas in November. Chicago, Illinois in December. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January. Each tour stop, he’ll reveal a little bit more about company structure and plans for television. More importantly, however, more signings would be revealed at each location.

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Now the road begins...

Janpei · July 30, 2019

Tour Stop #1 - Las Vegas, Nevada. September 26, 2019

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Chael Sonnen started the event by welcoming journalists and fans to the press junket. ”As of right now, the journey of the Warrior begins. The road starts here.”

-A few more details were given concerning television. The show would simply be known as Warrior’s Road Championships on CBS. The show will air live every Thursday from 8:00pm - 10:00pm ET.

-Sonnen once more confirmed that a tag match between LAX and The Catch Kings would be a featured match on the premiere episode.

-Sonnen also revealed that the Warrior’s Road Championship belt would be unveiled on the debut episode.

-They -- being Sonnen, the Fertitas, and whoever else is involved in the production, writing, booking -- already have both blocks filled out for the Gold Series Challenge. ”We’re going to use these tour spots to reveal a couple of names who will be participating for a chance to be our first ever Warrior’s Road Champion.”

Which leads to...

Wrestler Spotlight

-While Chael Sonnen was speaking on how excited and nervous he was for Warrior’s Road Championships a loud “Shhhhhh!” could be heard over the PA system. Sonnen used this opportunity to make a joke toward the opposition, stating that they weren’t in a library. A figure in sweat pants and a generic black hoody appeared on stage. With a microphone held up to his mouth, it was quite obvious this mysterious character was the one responsible for the shhhiiing but with the hood up, who he was couldn’t quite be made out.

-The anonymous figure removed his hood and it was revealed to be former WWE competitor, Buddy Murphy. He held one finger up to his lips, suggesting that the room be quiet. He then lifted the microphone back to his mouth. ”The secret is out."

-Chael Sonnen confirmed that Buddy Murphy now known as “The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer has signed with Warrior’s Road Championships and will be competing in the Gold Series Challenge. Chael Sonnen touted Mercer as the best kept secret in professional wrestling and that he envisions Mercer being a breakout star in the new promotion.

-Matthew Mercer cut a brief promo where he put anyone else competing in the Gold Series Challenge on notice.

-Sonnen played up the Gold Series Challenge a little more. “I can say with the utmost confidence that you’re not going to see the quality of wrestling that you’ll see during the Gold Series Challenge on any other wrestling television program.”

Wrestler Spotlight

-Chael Sonnen began by stating that when looking for names to fill out their roster, they looked at names who they believed could be cornerstones of the company. He cited Matthew Mercer’s youth, athleticism, and personality as being huge selling points. Then Sonnen said that the next guy he was bringing out has movie star quality written all over him. Sonnen then told the audience to give it up for “The Ass Kicking Machine”, “The Real Life Terminator” and the newest signee to Warrior’s Road.

-Brian Cage stepped out on stage and shook hands with Chael Sonnen. He grabbed a microphone and looked over to Matthew Mercer who was seated to Sonnen’s right. ”Here’s your notice: I’m going to kick your ass." Mercer bounced from his chair and immediately got right in Cage’s face, neither man backing down. Sonnen and event security eventually pulled the two apart and when cooler heads finally prevailed, Cage and Mercer took their seats. Cage to Sonnen’s left. Mercer to Sonnen’s right.

-Chael Sonnen wasn’t done with the big news yet. A question that had been asked by several pundits that Sonnen had masterfully dodged had finally been answered: ”Warrior’s Road will have a huge emphasis on women’s wrestling.”

-Warrior’s Road is looking to have what Sonnen referred to as the Summer Heat Series to crown their first ever Warrior’s Road Women’s Champion. He then indicated that he didn’t want women or fans of women’s wrestling to wait until the summer and that now would be the perfect time to announce the main event for the first ever Warrior’s Road CBS show.

Wrestler Spotlight

-At this, Tessa Blanchard came out on stage, greeting Chael Sonnen with a handshake. She took a seat next to Matt Mercer, taking a microphone with her. She revealed that at first she was a little skeptical when she was approached about this opportunity toward the end of 2018, but that Lorenzo, Frank, Chael, and Burt have really put in the extra effort to make this thing happen. She tells the audience that she has no butterflies, no apprehension about being in the main event for the first time ever on primetime television. ”If anything. I’ll just show the world what they’ve been missing.”

-Chael Sonnen offered major compliments to Tessa even outright calling her the future of women’s professional wrestling. Sonnen then said, he wasn’t done. ”After all, if it wasn’t for the revolution...I wouldn’t be up here talking about all the things Tessa can do.”

-A perfect finale for Chael Sonnen welcomed Sasha Banks on stage who was now being addressed as Mercedes KV. She took the mic and made no qualms in correcting Sonnen. ”Tessa may be as good as you think she is, but the future of wrestling is standing right here. My legacy isn’t going to start and end with the women’s revolution. My legacy will be me being the greatest wrestler, man OR woman, to ever step foot in the ring so Tessa, you have five months to prepare for the fight of your life. You better be on your absolute A-game because anything less and your girl, Mercedes KV, is ending the show with her hand raised.”

-Sonnen turned it over to the media for a Q & A followed by reminding everyone that the next stop of the tour would be in Sacramento, California on October 26.

Janpei · July 30, 2019

What We Know So Far

Confirmed Roster

“The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge

Tag Teams

LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham)
Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)

Women’s Division

Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series
Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series

Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode

LAX vs. The Catch Kings

Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV

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Janpei · July 30, 2019

With the first two chapters out of the way, I just want to stress that this is an extremely rough rough rough idea. I'm still tinkering with the database and playing around with a couple of trial saves.

I have a ton of ideas written down across a couple of notebooks as well as four or five word documents. I hope you guys enjoy reading future installments!

Janpei · July 30, 2019

Tour Stop #2 - Sacramento, California. October 24, 2019

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-Posters and banners were on full display showcasing Tessa Blanchard and Mercedes KV engaged in a face off along with an advertisement plugging Live on CBS February 6, 2020!.

-The Gold Series Challenge will officially take place starting with the second episode of their CBS program. On the subject, Sonnen indicated that if everything goes according to plan, the series should wrap up toward April with the plan to have the finals take place in May.

-Sonnen complimented California for having a very strong pro wrestling and mixed martial arts scene and that making a stop in Sacramento as part of their nationwide tour was a no brainer.

-Sonnen referenced a statement he made during the first wave of interviews: that he wanted to grab the attention of the casual sports fan and that he had just the person in mind to do that with.

Wrestler Spotlight

-”Filthy” Tom Lawlor was brought out to the stage after an introduction from Chael Sonnen. Chael complimented Lawlor, calling him one of the fastest rising stars in pro wrestling and that Lawlor was one of the first names that came to mind when everyone was at the drafting board with the Warrior’s Road concept.

-Sonnen confirmed that Lawlor would be one of the names competing in the Gold Series Challenge.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Two men came walking out on stage. One, with a smaller stature, though finely dressed in a suit jacket, vest, and pants. The other, meanwhile, in a plain black tracksuit but based on size, the one who would obviously be in the ring.. By no means was either man an established, household name. The small reaction from a pocket of fans in attendance, however, indicated that the more die hard wrestling fan would at least recognized them. The one in the suit grabbed a microphone, while the larger man in the track suit cranked his neck, snarling all the while.

”You may not know who I am now, but I promise you that when February comes around, you will never forget ”The Mastermind” Stokely Hathaway and Hathaway Enterprises, the premiere talent management agency in all of pro wrestling. This man behind me is ”The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher. There is no one, NO ONE, anywhere in the world who can out wrestle this man, who I so proudly represent.”

-Already asserting himself as a classic smarmy, conniving heel manager, Stokely Hathaway walked toward Tom Lawlor handing him a business card.

”If you should have the unfortunate task of encountering Mr. Thatcher during the Gold Series Challenge. Call me. I assure you I can help get your career on the right track.”

-Lawlor used very little discretion in doing away with Stokely’s business card and while it did get a brief reaction out of Hathaway, he chose to ignore the insult. The cool and collected Thatcher then took a seat next to Sonnen opposite of Lawlor.

-Sonnen announced that they had some success in signing a few more women to the roster but that he was choosing to hold off on revealing who those names were until they drew closer to the summer.

-Sonnen followed that up by stating that there are some big names signed that no one is even going to know about until they see them live on CBS.

-On the subject of other companies, Sonnen indicated that Warrior’s Road would be open to the idea of working with other companies as long as made sense for everyone involved. This led to a discussion on the relationship with New Japan which Sonnen refuted any claims of a partnership between the two that as of now, Kazuchika Okada was sort of a goodwill gesture involving a lot of money and multiple meetings. ”A year down the road, though? Who knows...I’d personally love to do a huge show together with them.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Chael Sonnen said only an idiot would come to California and not talk about PWG or BOLA. ”After all, who would be a better choice for a tournament than a BOLA tournament winner?”

-”The Hawaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb joined the stage and before he could even make his way to Sonnen or the center of the stage, he was approached by Stokely Hathaway who attempted to butter him up with a handshake and a series of compliments. Much like his attempt with Lawlor, Stokely punctuated the conversation by offering Cobb his business card. Cobb smacked it from Hathaway’s hand, causing Hathaway to recoil first in shock then in anger.. Hathaway would have no need to react for Thatcher had now placed himself between Hathaway and Cobb. Cobb and Thatcher had an intense but altercation free staredown but thankfully both men found their seats without needing event security. Hathaway would add some last minute barbs promising that Thatcher would break Cobb in February.

-Chael Sonnen closed out the event, telling everyone they had three more stops to make before the big show debut. ”Next stop is Chicago! November 21st and trust me when I say you will not want to miss that one!”

Janpei · July 30, 2019

What We Know So Far

Confirmed Roster

“The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher - Represented by Mr. Stokely Hathaway - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Haiwaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge

Tag Teams

LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham)
Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)

Women’s Division

Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series
Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series

Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode

LAX vs. The Catch Kings

Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV

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Janpei · July 30, 2019

Tour Stop #3 - Chicago, Illinois. November 21, 2019

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-Chael Sonnen cited Chicago as being a historical site for pro wrestling in America and that The Windy City had to be a destination during the national tour.

-Heavy promotion of Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV for the premiere CBS episode.

-Chael Sonnen formally introduced the audience to Warrior’s Road’s CBS announce team. Rich Bocchini and Nick McNeil, formerly known as ”Showtime” Percy Watson, then joined Sonnen on stage.

-Sonnen will occasionally join McNeil and Bocchini as the third man in the booth. This will typically be done for larger events or special occasions. Sonnen will be on commentary for the premiere episode.

-CBSSports.com will host a live 30 minute program titled After the Bell. The show will be similar in structure to the old MMA Live format that used to be on ESPN’s website or Inside NBA . The half hour production will take place immediately after the airing of each CBS episode. ”We’ll have a panel of analysts. We’ll discuss that night’s show. We’ll preview next week’s show. It’ll be a fun way for the viewer to further immerse themselves in our brand of wrestling.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Quinn “Moose” Ojinnaka joined Chael Sonnen on stage. Sonnen touted his NFL accolades before complimenting Moose on his successful transition to pro wrestling. Moose declared his participation in the Gold Series Challenge and told those in attendance that this was his opportunity to show to the world that he was the real deal.

-LAX and The Catch Kings were confirmed to join Sonnen on the Houston leg of the tour and that Aussie Open will be in Philly.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Nick Aldis sauntered out on stage, finely dressed in a three piece suit and a pair of aviator sunglasses. He approached Sonnen and the two broke off into a conversation that did not appear friendly. When Aldis was expected to say a few words, he chose instead to sit down. The look from Sonnen indicated that he was both confused and that he did not appreciate Nick’s actions. Regardless, Sonnen went on to tout Nick Aldis as being one of the best NWA World Heavyweight Champions of the modern era and that he too was someone that Warrior’s Road see a lot of potential in.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Sonnen was then prepared to drop a major bombshell. ”This next signing...the Fertittas and myself personally reached out to this man. We had several meetings. Several discussions. We knew that if we wanted the casual and die hard wrestling fans alike to take us seriously, we needed him. Now there were some major bumps in the road. Namely a major name competitor tried working out a contract too. They were close. This whole thing almost fell through. So you know what I did? I got on a plane. I flew from Oregon to this man’s house to talk to him personally. We talked and talked and talked until we exhausted ourselves but we finally came to an agreement. Chicago, give it up for your very own son, CM Punk!

-Miseria Cantare from AFI played over the PA system and CM Punk stepped out on stage to a very audible ovation. He shook hands with Chael Sonnen and shortly afterward was met with a ton of questions from the press in attendance.

-On the subject of retirement: ”Yeah, look, it’s no secret that I lost my lust for the business. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Matt and Nick Jackson had been in contact with me for a couple of years on working together and we discussed some things that, I gotta be honest, seemed very promising. I’ve worked with Lorenzo and Frank. I respect the hell out of Chael Sonnen. So when they came to me with their vision, I just knew. This was something worth checking out.”

-On matchmaking: ”It should come as no surprise to anyone here when I say a match with Kazuchika Okada is most appealing. That’s always been a dream match of mine.”

-Sonnen jokingly indicates that his job as Warrior’s Road president is to make dreams come true. Confirms that Kazuchika Okada vs. CM Punk will headline the first night of the Gold Series Challenge. ”I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Warrior’s Road will have the best wrestling on television.”

-The questions keep coming, but Nick Aldis snatched up a microphone cutting the answers off. ”This is why I didn’t want to do Chicago, Chael. I told you. I could do Philly. I could do Vegas. I could do Houston. I cannot do Chicago. This media circus…the CM Punk show. Let me tell you folks something...and dirt sheet writers, I want you to hang on every word I say. Do you remember a couple of years ago when Punk whined and cried about how unfair it was that the part timers were coming in taking his spotlight and taking his money? Well, I did a little research myself into his little partnership with Warrior’s Road. He’s not working a full time schedule here and only a fool wouldn’t be able to work out what concessions Sonnen and the Fertittas made to make signing Punk possible. He’s a hypocrite. He’s a fraud. He doesn’t care about wrestling. He’s not back because he got the wrestling bug. He’s broke. He’s looking for a quick payday with minimal work. Meanwhile, I’ve brought the NWA to heights it hasn’t seen since the ‘80s. In this very city, I defended that Championship in front of 10,000 people. I’ve put in the work around the world. I’ve earned every single accomplishment through my hard work, commitment, professionalism, and respect for the business. What’s Punk done? Got beaten up by a couple of mixed martial arts nobodies. Yet he has the red carpet rolled out for him. Music playing on the speakers. His very own Q&A. You’re the thing you say you hated most about this sport, Punk.”

-Punk was very quick on the reply with a few barbs of his own. “YOU elevated the NWA Championship? Let’s get one thing straight, Nick, it wasn’t you 10,000 people paid to see. They paid to see the son of a son of a plumber continue his family’s legacy. You were a footnote. An afterthought. You’ve created this world where you’ve developed a higher opinion of yourself than you really deserve so I’ll ask you this, when Chael Sonnen announced your name, where was your reaction? Where are the Nick Aldis fans? You and I both know the truth. That every single fan here and watching online said ‘Who? Oh, the guy who lost to Dusty’s boy!’ the Nick Aldis fantasyland is over. I’m your reality check.”

-In response, Nick Aldis removed his sunglasses, placing them on the table before him. He grabbed his microphone, stood up, and addressed Chael Sonnen. ”I want in the same block as this fraud. I want to show the wrestling world that their favorite anti-hero is everything he tries to claim he detests. You’re going to work for your money, you fake.”

-Nick Aldis then left the stage Punk and Sonnen restored order in the building by thanking everyone for joining them for this leg of the tour. Chael closed out tonight’s showcase by announcing that they would be in Houston, Texas on December, 19.

Janpei · July 30, 2019

What We Know So Far

Confirmed Roster

“The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher - Represented by Mr. Stokely Hathaway - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Haiwaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Moose Ojinnaka - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Nick Aldis - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
CM Punk - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge

Tag Teams

LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham)
Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)

Women’s Division

Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series
Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series

Broadcast Team

Rich Bocchini
Nick McNeil (formerly Percy Watson of WWE)

Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode

LAX vs. The Catch Kings

Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV

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Janpei · August 1, 2019

Tour Stop #4 - Houston, Texas. December, 19 2019

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-More promotional posters and banners for Mercedes KV vs. Tessa Blanchard on the premiere CBS episode were on full display.

Wrestler Spotlight

-Chael Sonnen announced another match for the CBS debut. The signings were just inked and made official over the weekend and that while neither man will be competing in the Gold Series Challenge, he’s hoping both men become prominent fixtures in Warrior’s Road. With that, Chael Sonnen announced that top British prospect Chris Ridgeway would face legacy talent Davey Boy Smith Jr. live on CBS. With the deals being made only days ago, neither man was available to join him on this leg of the tour but Chael was very excited for what they could bring to Warrior’s Road.

-LAX and The Catch Kings joined Chael Sonnen on stage. Both teams made a couple of brief comments discussing their series of matches over the last year. Both teams then did a face off for a photo op.

-Stokely Hathaway came out and judging from Chael Sonnen’s reaction, this wasn’t part of Sonnen’s itinerary. When asked why Stokely was there, Mr. Hathaway simply replied: ”I’m here to make business transactions. Hathaway Enterprises is always looking to groom new talent and take them to the top.”

-LAX and The Catch Kings received business cards from Hathaway.

-Chael Sonnen plugs the main event meet up between Mercedes KV vs. Tessa Blanchard. Stokely Hathaway offers up his own take on the match. ”I’ll be paying close attention to that match. In fact, I’m going to take this opportunity to announce that the winner of that match will receive my managerial expertise! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Wrestler Spotlight

-Kevin Sullivan stepped out on stage who Chael Sonnen announced as one of the backstage producers for Warrior’s Road. However, given Sullivan’s black eye liner and the elaborate black robe he had on, it was very apparent he wasn’t here in any sort of producer capacity. ”Evil. All my life, evil has consumed me. I thought I left it behind. I thought I had renounced it. But it has consumed me. It has shaped me. It has given me a gift. It said to me ‘Kevin, take this gift. Be a harbinger of my chaos. Use it to destroy those who believe themselves to be incorruptible to evil.’ this gift will destroy everything. It will burn everything to the ground. It has a name. Frankenstein’s Monster isn’t a work of fiction. He exists. He will lay waste to the Warrior’s Road.”

-Loud grunts followed by maniacal laughter could be heard as PCO came charging out on stage tossing the chairs and tables that were laid out before him. Chael Sonnen stepped out of harm’s way while Stokely Hathaway ran and left the stage entirely, never to be seen for the rest of the tour stop. Sullivan, who was finally able to get PCO under control gave the monster one command: ”Destroy!”. At that command, PCO picked up a steel chair and demonstrating his immense strength, he manipulated the steel chair with his hands until the metal bent and folded into itself. Kevin Sullivan called PCO indestructible and promised that evil would reign over Warrior’s Road. Kevin Sullivan then commanded PCO to follow him as the two men exited from the stage.

-Chael Sonnen, who appeared to be shaken up from the ordeal eventually came to his senses and announced that PCO would be competing in the Gold Series Challenge but he had no idea that Kevin Sullivan was mentoring him and that that partnership was...concerning…

-Chael announced that the Gold Series Challenge blocks would be revealed on the premiere CBS episode and that he has designs to have all participants in the ring that Thursday for a photo op. ”But it’s pro wrestling. So I’m probably out of my mind for trying to get all these personalities in the ring.”

Wrestler Spotlight

-Tama Tonga struts out on stage completely disregarding The Catch Kings, LAX, and Chael Sonnen. He took a seat, grabbed a microphone, and in his words told it like it is: ”I don’t need to come out here and gas myself up and destroy chairs and I don’t need to come out here and do these fake ass photoshoots. I’m just a cold ************ who handles business.”

-Chael Sonnen admonishes Tama Tonga for his language. Tells the press that Tonga will not use that kind of language on CBS. Does confirm that despite the rough introduction, Tama Tonga has that indescribable it-factor and it’s about time that American audiences get better introduced to him. Tama Tonga was also announced as a competitor in the Gold Series Challenge.

-”One more stop and it’s showtime! I’ll see all of you in Philly on January 16th!”

Janpei · August 1, 2019

What We Know So Far

Confirmed Roster

“The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher - Represented by Mr. Stokely Hathaway - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
“The Haiwaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Moose Ojinnaka - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Nick Aldis - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
CM Punk - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Chris Ridgeway
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
“Frankenstein’s Monster” PCO - Represented by Kevin Sullivan - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge
Tama Tonga - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge

Tag Teams

LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham)
Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)

Women’s Division

Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series
Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series

Broadcast Team

Rich Bocchini
Nick McNeil (formerly Percy Watson of WWE)

Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode

Chris Ridgeway vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

LAX vs. The Catch Kings

Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV

*Gold Series Challenge Competitors Spotlight*

---

Texasrangers13 · August 1, 2019

Just opened this up and really enjoy what your doing. Like the roster build out and how you are doing it. Piqued my interest for sure.

EBEZA · August 1, 2019

This presentation is terrific! <img alt="

" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Janpei · August 2, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">End of the Tour - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. January 16, 2020</div></div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center;">---</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">-Happy new year! Chael’s New Year’s resolution: ”To take Warrior’s Road to the top! -Introduces Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis of Aussie Open who join Chael on stage. Chael cites them as being one of the hottest tag teams in professional wrestling, says they’ve been showcasing their talents all across the UK independent scene and can’t wait for them to show what they can do on CBS. Wrestler Spotlight -Chael Sonnen announces that on the second episode of Warrior’s Road on CBS, Aussie Open will face Harlem & Lance Bravado a tag team who has spent the last decade making their name in the indies. -Shane Helms and Allison Danger have been confirmed to join the Warrior’s Road production team. -Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard make a surprise appearance. The women promote their main event match on CBS. Both confirm that they have the Women’s Championship tournament happening over the summer in the back of their mind, but right now, February has all of their attention. Wrestler Spotlight -Chael Sonnen uses the opportunity with Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard to announce some women signings. ”One thing I liked about WCW is they always had this international element when compared to their competition at the time. I want Warrior’s Road to have that element. I’m happy to announce, joining Warrior’s Road: Japanese talents Meiko Satomura and ”Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto. -When asked about the possibility of a women’s tag division, Sonnen replied: ”Right now, we have no plans to incorporate tag team championships. One thing I don’t like about the competition, too many belts. Makes them feel less important. At the moment, Warrior’s Road plans to keep our championships confined to the Warrior’s Road Championship, the Women’s Championship, and the Tag Team Championships. If our women’s roster deepens and we feel that we can create a tag division organically, we’ll reconsider. At the moment, though, no. I just don’t want to dilute our women’s division.” -When asked if there will be any big surprises for Warrior’s Road on CBS: ”I guess you’ll just have to watch and see.” -Reaffirmed that the show format would focus on bringing exciting in-ring action that would be character and story driven. ”Most promotions now either have the sizzle or they have the steak. Warrior’s Road wants to give you the complete experience.” -Chael Sonnen surprised the Philly audience. ”Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause for “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada!” -Okada joined Sonnen on stage. The two shook hands and Okada briefly addressed the audience in his native language. An interpreter was on hand to translate, basically stating that Okada was excited to compete in the Warrior’s Road Gold Series Challenge and declared that he would be the company’s first ever champion. -When asked how a scenario like that would work Chael, did not dodge the question: ”To be honest, I want our Champions used like they are in the UFC or Bellator. They’re the best in the world. That’s why they have the belt. They’re an attraction. If you can see the Champion every single week on TV, they’re no longer an attraction. So, hypothetically, if Okada were to win the title, his commitment with New Japan wouldn’t make him as available to us. That works in our favor. Okada could only defend our Championship so many times in a calendar year. It makes each appearance must watch..” -Sonnen doubled down: ”Champions will not be on Warrior’s Road every single week. Our Champions aren’t going to be dropping losses in non title matches every other show. They’re attractions. They’re going to be featured in that capacity.” -Another surprise: ”Ladies and gentlemen, let’s bring Okada’s opponent out here for the first night of the Gold Series Challenge. Give it up for CM Punk!” -Cult of Personality played on the PA this time instead of Miseria Cantare which indicated to the pro wrestling journalists that the Feritita’s were not only able to work out the licensing rights with the band Living Colour but that they were strategically choosing to associate CM Punk with music that the average WWE viewer would identify him with. -Punk cut a brief promo on how he has always called himself the best in the world but that since taking time off from wrestling, Okada has been gunning for that title. Punk then said that this was a match up he was always interested in and that he’s ready for February. -Okada and Punk both did photo ops while Chael Sonnen closed out the tour stop: “February 6th live on CBS. I promise you will not want to miss it. This is the future of professional wrestling. Don’t get stuck in the past!” </div></div></blockquote>

Janpei · August 2, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">What We Know So Far Confirmed Roster “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada - On loan from New Japan Pro Wrestling - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge “The Australian Elite” Matthew Mercer (formerly Buddy Murphy of WWE) - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge “The Terminator” Brian Cage - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge “Filthy” Tom Lawlor - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge “The Master Technician” Timothy Thatcher - Represented by Mr. Stokely Hathaway - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge “The Haiwaiian Juggernaut” Jeff Cobb - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge Moose Ojinnaka - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge Nick Aldis - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge CM Punk - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge Chris Ridgeway Davey Boy Smith Jr. “Frankenstein’s Monster” PCO - Represented by Kevin Sullivan - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge Tama Tonga - Competing in the Gold Series Challenge Tag Teams LAX (Ortiz & Santana) The Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham) Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lance Bravado) Women’s Division Tessa Blanchard - Competing in the Summer Heat Series Mercedes KV (formerly Sasha Banks of WWE) - Competing in the Summer Heat Series Meiko Satomura “Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto Broadcast Team Rich Bocchini Nick McNeil (formerly Percy Watson of WWE) Warrior’s Road CBS Premiere Episode Chris Ridgeway vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. LAX vs. The Catch Kings Tessa Blanchard vs. Mercedes KV *Gold Series Challenge Competitors Spotlight*</div></div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center;"> ---</div>

Janpei · August 5, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">All show reports will be told from the perspective of an unnamed producer’s assistant. Personally, when writing past diaries, I always found that I had a better time writing if I could communicate with my readers the thought process behind my decisions. I borrow heavily from TheFinalCountdown’s style. Years and years ago, I stumbled upon his Ring of Honor diary. The way he used production notes and segment grades to influence his writing style made his work standout from the handful of things I had read back in the EWR days. You can even go back to my short lived WCW Diary and see how his style influenced mine. I’ve spent a lot of time making some tweaks to Fleisch’s mod. I mostly did an overhaul on the popularity of a lot of the wrestlers in the game. I’m not looking to give myself an unfair advantage but I’ve done the rags to riches thing. If I wanted to use the group of workers I had in mind and use them effectively, I would be climbing out of a very steep hole right from the onset of the game. So my take on things: Chael Sonnen, the Fertittas, and CBS have been promoting this company and the CBS show since August. While there may not be any household names, I look at a company like AEW. A core of the wrestlers the company has introduced us to so far aren’t what I’d consider household commodities. Despite that, I think it’s fair to say that with a couple of exceptions, AEW has had no issue getting their talent over. Look at Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. The crowd ate them up at Fight for the Fallen. AEW has done a superb job presenting Jungle Boy as a star and the crowd perceives him as one. That’s essentially how I’ve constructed the popularity of some of my workers. Chael, Lorenzo, Frank, and CBS have been presenting my roster as the next big stars of professional wrestling. The viewers may not necessarily know who some of the names are, but if they’ve been advertised as the next big things in wrestling and have been advertised that way since the beginning of the promotional tour, then I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the audience will probably buy into them more readily. I didn’t do any major buffs. The workers that I plan on featuring prominently in my title scene have a starting popularity of C to C+. Everyone else got minor bumps ranging from D to C-. With all of that out of the way. Let’s get to the show!</div> </div></blockquote> --- <div style="text-align:center;">Warrior’s Road Live on CBS Live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center Thursday, February 6 2020 (Thursday, February Week 1 2020) Attendance: 9,100</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Pre-Show Notes -Warrior’s Road staff had been instructed to arrive to the Mandalay Bay Events Center three hours before bell time. Burt Watson, our events coordinator, informed the road agents and creative that Chris Ridgeway was late. It ended up being nothing major. Chris got caught in Las Vegas traffic and just mismanaged his time. The situation was water under the bridge. Chris wasn’t in trouble. He apologized immediately once on site. Everyone agreed to just sweep this instance under the rug. -The locker room was on edge. For some of the workers involved, this would be their first time on a major television network. On top of that, it’s live television, and working in front of 9,000+ people is one thing, working live for potentially millions of viewers at home is another. Davey Boy Smith Jr. lightened the mood and calmed nerves by running some light ribs on some of the other workers in the back. Everyone needed the laugh.</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Showtime The show opens with Mercedes KV, formerly known as Sasha Banks, lacing up her boots in preparation for tonight. Stokely Hathaway approached her for another one of his business transactions. ”Mercedes, my girl! Listen, you didn’t return any of my calls over the weekend. Hathaway Enterprise can you make you a bigger star than you already are. Girls like Tessa are beneath you. I can get you marquee matches with marquee names.” (Stokely) ”Let me stop you there. First off, I know your type. The weaselly con-artist, willing to throw his own momma under the bus to make a few dollars. Secondly, I don’t want OR need your help!” (Mercedes) Mercedes held her hand up to Stokely’s face and then walked off. An incensed Stokely watched Mercedes walkaway. Not really the strongest way to open the show, but we’re looking at Stokely Hathaway as being a centerpiece for a few of our storylines. In the opinions of some of the producers and members of creative, he’s one of the best mouthpieces we have so the plan for the moment is to use him to help get over a few choice workers. We also wanted to start the show with a talent that a more casual wrestling fan could recognize. Slotting Mercedes in that position was a choice we felt best. ©</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Chael Sonnen, Rich Bocchini, and Nick McNeil were the focus of our next segment. Welcoming everyone to the first episode of Warrior’s Road on CBS. Chael Sonnen, the best talker of the three, did most of the heavy lifting. He hyped the two featured matches of the night and also spoke on next week’s Gold Series Challenge tournament. “Rich, Nick, I’m telling ya I have waited for this night for months. There’s just so much to talk about. We have LAX vs. The Catch Kings, two of the best teams anywhere in the world, in action. We have a Pay Per View quality main event in Mercedes KV taking on Tessa Blanchard. Guys, I told myself to make the people wait, but I just couldn’t do it. I’m dropping a surprise announcement right now: Meiko Satomura will face ”Lady Godzilla” Hiroyo Matsumoto tonight and if you’ve never seen these women before, you’re in for a treat. That’s just tonight. Next week begins our road to crowning the first ever Warrior’s Road Champion. We’ll have three matches featuring the competitors in the A Block of the Gold Series Challenge. CM Punk will headline against pro-wrestling prodigy Kazuchika Okada which brings me back to tonight. Guys, call me crazy, but anyone could put a graphic on the screen to show you the tournament brackets. Instead, I’ve chosen to have all the men competing in the Gold Series in that ring tonight. I know I’m inviting disaster, but no one has ever won playing it safe. Okay, I’m done talking! Davey Boy Smith Jr. a wrestler with a very rich legacy in professional wrestling. Chris Ridgeway a guy who I had been scouting while in the UK last summer and I’m telling you guys, he is something special. Let’s take it to the ring!” Chael is a strong talker, point blank. He showed energy, he was enthusiastic. He gave this segment a lot of energy. Bocchini and McNeil were pretty good in their own right. McNeil complementing Sonnen with his own energy while Bocchini talked up all of the workers’ professional accolades. (B-)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Chris Ridgeway via pinfall - the two men were given a decent amount of time, clocking in at 13:23. Arn Anderson was very careful in his producing of the match, wanting both men to get equal amounts of offense. Smith Jr. utilized a Saito Suplex to pick up the victory. (D+)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">The show takes us backstage for another segment featuring Stokely Hathaway who was attempting to court Tessa Blanchard this time around. He tried the same speech and manner as he did with Mercedes, but this time also tried a bit of psychological manipulation by trying to convince Tessa Blanchard that Mercedes is only an ink pen away from making the best decision of her life and that all Tessa needs to do is say the magic word and she could be the one on all the posters and programs in the featured spot. Tessa didn’t fall for it. “Who the hell do you think I am? I’m Tessa BLANCHARD. I was born into the industry. My bloodline IS wrestling. And I know Mercedes, much like me, saw right through your little act. So take your business card and all your promises and get the HELL out of my face” Tessa got her point across decent enough; with that said, she took virtually no pauses during her speech and it made her come across as nervous as opposed to confident and assertive which is what we were really aiming for. (C-)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Meiko Satomura defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto via pinfall - For two ladies that this crowd was mostly unfamiliar with, they did more than deliver. Matsumoto and Satomura showed great chemistry. Satomura had a real strong showing displaying her technical prowess and complementing it with some beautiful strikes. Matsumoto’s character work shone, getting really animated with her power offense and playing up the “Lady Godzilla” moniker to the crowd who were beginning to become invested in what they were seeing. At 15:02, Meiko Satomura would earn the win after spiking Matsumoto with a Death Valley Driver. These two ladies delivered way more than we expected. We know they’re talented, but having predominantly worked in Japan, they were two relative unknowns to the American audience. Neither woman let that stop them from delivering with a quality match and after tonight, we on the creative end of things have no doubts that the audience will want to see more of both women. (C+)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">A video reel played that showcased Warrior’s Road’s tag team division. Highlights from Aussie Open’s, LAX’s, Harlem & Lance Bravado’s, and The Catch King’s work in the independent wrestling scene was largely on display, but a voiceover suddenly contradicted what was being displayed. “Did somebody tell these no names that their flips and tricks really mattered?” The highlight reel dissolved and it didn’t take long to figure out who the voice belong to for two men appeared side by side. The sweat jackets, the towels draped around their necks, the smug grins immediately gave away who they were. Warrior’s Road was looking at two men who used to go by Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson a pair who were collectively known as The Revival. ”You talk about having the best tag teams in the world and those are the guys you show? A bunch of string beans and nobodies? We have headlined all over the globe. We have beaten the best, so we are the best.” (formerly Dash Wilder) “Here’s a message for you circus attractions. We’re four time WORLD tag team champions. Not just champions of some rinky dink circus promotion that nobody’s heard of where they give out belts just for participating. We’ve sold out arenas. Not gymnasiums. Arenas.” (formerly Scott Dawson) “Warrior’s Road, the tag team division lives and dies at our say so. You other guys, you’re just big fishes who lived in a small pond. Now you’re in the ocean with sharks and we’re out for blood. Enjoy your little 15 minutes of fame because when we arrive, the show’s over.” (formerly Dash Wilder) “KC McKnight. Steve Walters. Top guys signing off.” (formerly Scott Dawson now KC McKnight) ©</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">The Catch Kings defeated LAX via pinfall - We intentionally under delivered in this match because we want this feud to go long term leading up to our introduction of the Warrior’s Road Tag Team Championships. The plan is to pepper these two teams throughout future shows, with The Catch Kings avoiding any encounters with them while LAX would play the chasing babyfaces. We started that storyline with tonight’s match. The contest started off as a fair bout, with both teams getting in their signature offense but when the match entered into its final act around the 18 minute mark, we had Chris Brookes purposely kick Santana between the legs while Gresham had the referee’s attention by showing signs that he had been accidentally poked in the eye. Once Gresham saw Brookes connect with the kick, he instantly recovered and picked up the pinfall at 18:45. The Catch Kings were quick to make an exit, avoiding any potential wrath from Santana and Ortiz. (C-)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Stokely Hathaway was backstage with Warrior’s Road on-screen personality, So Cal Val, going by her full name Valerie Wyndham. This interview was set up to antagonize Stokely Hathaway with Val asking about his failed attempts at signing Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard. Stokely Hathaway cut her off with a biting reply. ”Val, you silly, simple girl. They call me the mastermind for a reason. I always have a plan.” ©</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Mercedes KV defeated Tessa Blanchard via submission - Honestly, we weren’t counting on Hiroyo Matsumoto and Meiko Satomura to go the way it did, otherwise Mercedes vs. Tessa would have been the best match on the show without a doubt. We budgeted for a fifteen minute match and producer Al Snow wanted to make sure both women got in their signature offense. He even factored in some suspense by having both women struggle out of very close near falls. At 14:58, Mercedes locked Tessa in the Bank Statement, which the broadcast booth was was now calling The Bailout, a tongue in cheek reference to both her former ring name Banks and a slight nod to her friend Bayley. Tessa struggled to reach the rope but Mercedes used her foot to spring both women further away from any potential break. Tessa was left with no choice other than tapping out. © </div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Stokely Hathaway came out on stage, flanked by a hulking woman who wasted no time in hitting the ring. Mercedes, who tried fighting the woman off with a series of punches, was ragdolled by a fallaway slam. The monster woman then moved over to Tessa, placing her in a seated position before drilling her with a series of clubbing blows. Stokely just stared and smiled at all the carnage before grabbing a mic. “Ladies...I tried to tell you. You thought you knew better. Since you won’t be my knights, I’ll make you pawns. Warrior’s Road. I introduce to you the Alpha Female! (C-)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Jeff Cobb, Nick Aldis, Matt Mercer, Moose, Tom Lawlor, Tama Tonga, Brian Cage, Timothy Thatcher with Stokely Hathaway all joined Chael Sonnen in the ring. Absent was PCO who Kevin Sullivan stood in place for instead. He told Chael that he couldn’t guarantee anyone’s safety with all these people in the ring and that it was best if PCO not be out here. Nick Aldis took the opportunity to air his grievances about CM Punk, pointing out that his absence is indicative of the special treatment he thinks he deserves. At that moment “Cult of Personality” played over the speakers and CM Punk came out. Punk and Aldis traded barbs again. Aldis citing Punk’s lack of professionalism and respect for pro-wrestling. Punk telling Aldis that the fans don’t know nor do they care about him and his “historic” NWA Championship reign. Stokely Hathaway, meanwhile, declared that not a single man in this tournament could out wrestle the man he proudly represents, Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher stood front and center, gripping at his wrists and cranking his neck. Hathaway then challenged any man in that ring to see for themselves and while it looked like everyone was up for the task, Chael intervened and got everything back under control. Finally, Tama Tonga took a microphone and cut down every person in the ring, citing himself as the baddest man in the ring and in all of pro wrestling and that he doesn’t care about professionalism or the NWA or being an expert wrestler. “I don’t need none of that. Not spending all of my time in the gym because it makes me feel like I’m a badass when I know I’m not. Not the tattoos and cool guy attitude fronting like I’m not here just for the paycheck. I don’t need to act like I’m some devil worshipping monster. All that fake shi...I’m sorry...stuff. Leave me out of all that. I’m the realest, coldest dude in the game right now. I don’t use empty threats. I say what needs to be said. And when this Gold Series Cha--” Tama Tonga was cut off because in view of the camera, behind Tama Tonga appeared Randy Orton who turned Tama Tonga around and immediately floored him with an RKO. Orton looked at the other competitors, doing his signature pose as the show went off the air. From a producer standpoint, this angle did everything we wanted it to and then some. Tama Tonga shone brilliantly here, proving that he had the chops to bring it on the microphone. This segment also allowed us to continue stirring the pot on the Nick Aldis and CM Punk story beat, a feud that we intend to make a prominent fixture on our show. The segment generated more interest in our Gold Series Challenge. Most importantly, however, we shocked the world with a major debut of one of the competition's biggest stars. (A)</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Show Rating: C-</div></div></blockquote> --- <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">After Show Meeting -During our post show meeting, the Fertittas told everyone that while they were hoping to make a bigger splash, they were not at all disappointed with the show citing that we displayed a lot of new and unknown names on our television and fans warmed up to them. They believe that when the Gold Series Challenge starts and feature names like Orton and Punk will be prominently featured on our television that things will fall into place. Wrestling Observer Match Ratings (Ocassionally I’ll add this bit to further immerse the reader into my game world. I won’t do it all the time. Only for big shows.) Chris Ridgeway vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. - **¾ Meiko Satomura vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto - ***½ LAX vs. The Catch Kings - *** Mercedes KV vs. Tessa Blanchard - ***¼ </div></div></blockquote>

Janpei · August 5, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">After the Bell - The Warrior’s Road on CBS Post-Show Chael Sonnen, Rich Bocchini, Nick McNeil, and Valerie Wyndham were all seated in what was designed to look like an elaborate studio set. The four discussed some of the highlights of the show. Emphasis was particularly put on Stokely Hathaway and his new charge Alpha Female. Nick McNeil complimented the two women matches between Meiko Satomura and Hiroyo Matsumoto and Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard. McNeil asked Chael if he was eyeing any of the four women for the summer tournament to which Chael revealed that he did indeed have plans. Bocchini admitted that he was disappointed in The Catch Kings for choosing to win they way they did and discussed the potential for a rematch. Chael Sonnen agreed that the outcome was disappointing and that if they continued antics like that much longer they would need to find another place to work. On the potential of a rematch, Chael expressed that he wanted to smooth things over with LAX and then figure things out from there. Valerie Wyndham spoke on the surprise debut of Randy Orton and told Chael that as exciting as all of that was, he never got time to reveal the Gold Series Challenge divisions. The four of them laughed and Chael cued for a graphic to display on the monitor behind them. Gold Series Challenge Block A Kazuchika Okada CM Punk Nick Aldis Moose Timothy Thatcher Tama Tonga Block B Randy Orton Brian Cage Tom Lawlor Jeff Cobb Matt Mercer PCO A graphic then transitioned to a new image displaying the first set of matches. Block A - February 13 CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada Nick Aldis vs. Moose Tama Tonga vs. Timothy Thatcher Block B - February 20 Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer PCO vs. Jeff Cobb The four expressed excitement at the match announcements and potential matchups to come. Valerie Wyndham then signed the viewers off, indicating that she would see everyone next Thursday for the first night of the Gold Series Challenge.</div></div></blockquote> --- <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #1 CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada Nick Aldis vs. Moose Tama Tonga vs. Timothy Thatcher Bonus -Aussie Open vs. Lance & Harlem Bravado will be on that same show - who ya got!? </div></div></blockquote>

joshspicer · August 5, 2019

Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #1

CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada - Might as well give your guy a rub. Okada's on loan and these two are both main eventers. Make sense to give it to Punk

Nick Aldis vs. Moose - He's a top heel and this is the first match. Nick winning seems obvious.

Tama Tonga vs. Timothy Thatcher - A part of me expects an upset, but the rational side sees Tama as a potential main eventer.

Bonus

-Aussie Open vs. Lance & Harlem Bravado will be on that same show - who ya got!? - Same thing here. A part of me thinks an upset, but I'll go safe and say Aussie Open.

Janpei · August 6, 2019

Warrior’s Road Live on CBS
Live from the TaxSlayer Center (Moline, IL)
Thursday, February 13 2020 (Thursday, February Week 2 2020)

Attendance: 8,925

Broadcast Team

Rich Bocchini
Nick McNeil
Chael Sonnen

Pre-Show Notes

Last week’s Warrior’s Road on CBS garnered 4.7 million viewers.

Showtime

A recap of last week’s show aired to kick off the show. The major highlight being Randy Orton’s surprise appearance where he ended the show by being the twelfth member of the Gold Series Challenge as well as RKOing Tama Tonga. (B)

Aussie Open defeated The Bravado Brothers via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: Tag teams will not be treated as an afterthought in our company so it was imperative to give these two teams some time. We’re not really sure where we stand with Harlem and Lance Bravado on the creative end of things. They’re good looking talents, but maybe a little plain. Despite that, they’re good hands in the ring and why it’s taken the two this long to get this far in their careers is beyond us.

Aussie Open, meanwhile, are a team that we want positioned prominently in our tag division. Kyle Fletcher has the pretty boy, heart throb look that can reel in a female audience. Mark Davis is the fun loving, heavy heater who plays the muscle. There’s something about them that stands out, that something being very akin to a team like The Hardys or more recently, #DIY. They’re natural crowd favorites.

So it was no surprise that they had to win this match. We gave the teams twelve minutes to work with and allowed both teams to get in a fair amount of offense, but ultimately we wanted Kyle Fletcher to use some of his aerial offense to score the pinfall victory over Harlem Bravado. (C-)

Aussie Open celebrated on stage when they were suddenly attacked by two big brutes. The men beat on Aussie Open all around ringside and while Davis and Fletcher tried fighting back, they were completely outsized and overmatched. From commentary, McNeil nor Bocchini had any idea who they were while Chael indicated that they were a team he had scouted in Japan but that he didn’t approve of this nor did he know that they were even here.

The two brutes tossed Fletcher and Davis in the ring where they dispatched Aussie Open entirely with a super collider. The two surveyed their chaos before making an exit. The two hulks had done such a good job looking like complete monsters and Davis and Fletcher did such an excellent job of selling the beatdown, that the angle went over with the crowd in a big way. (B-)

(also - here’s an image to show you who these two men are https://s3.superluchas.com/2018/12/ajpw-041218.jpg. they’re a tag team in all japan who go by the name the end.)

Chael Sonnen announced that it was time for the Gold Series Challenge. He announced that up first it was the A block looking to score their first points tonight. A graphic displayed on screen showcasing tonight’s match-ups: Timothy Thatcher vs. Tama Tonga, Moose vs. Nick Aldis, and CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada.

The graphic then transitioned to a rules and guidelines breakdown:

-Each match would have a twenty five minute time limit.

-The winner of the match, whether by DQ, referee stoppage, countout, pinfall, or submission would receive 2 points.

-In the event of a draw or a no contest, the competitors would earn one point each.

“If I said it once, I’ll say it again: this is the best wrestling you will see anywhere on television. Mark my words!” (B)

Gold Series Challenge
Timothy Thatcher defeated Tama Tonga by Countout

Producer’s Notes: We decided not to deliver on Tama Tonga and Timothy Thatcher. We knew it would send the wrong message, especially when juxtaposed to Chael’s declaration on this tournament providing the best set of matches, but we wanted to highlight Tonga’s bad boy, devil may care attitude.

Within minutes of the bell sounding, Tonga paced the ring like he was going to lock up with Thatcher and then shrugged and made his exit. As the referee was finalizing his count, Tama Tonga chose to instead make his way to the broadcast booth near the entrance stage. (C-)

Tama Tonga approached Chael Sonnen and made it very clear what he was doing.

“I don’t care about none of this. Give me “The Viper”. I’m not doing anything until I get his bitch ass in that ring.” (his words obviously muted out on CBS) (B-)

When things finally cooled down, Stokely Hathaway angrily paced around in the ring.

“Mr. Timothy Thatcher didn’t spend all of these months to have a two minute match. When I said he could out wrestle anyone in pro wrestling, I meant it. So how about one of the gentlemen in the back, if they really believe themselves man enough, come out here and fail to prove me wrong?”

Davey Boy Smith Jr. appeared on stage to respond to the challenge and while the referee was hesitant to agree to an impromptu match, he eventually okayed it. (C-)

Timothy Thatcher defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: Nothing too detailed to say here. We’ve all just grown fond of Davey Boy Smith Jr after his positive attitude during last week’s premiere episode so we wanted to get him on television again. Plus, as early as two weeks ago, we knew this was the direction we were going with Tama Tonga, so we wanted to come through on our promise by delivering matches you wouldn’t be able to watch anywhere else on TV.

The match itself was pretty good, too. The audience is still warming up to Tim Thatcher, but Stokely Hathaway did his job in making sure that the crowd knew who was the heel and who was the face. Any time Davey Boy Smith Jr, got some offense, Hathaway was quick to hurl insults the referee’s way. Hathaway also traded insults with fans anytime they rallied in Davey Boy Smith Jr’s favor. At 12:34, Hathaway was able to get an audible “OOH” from the crowd after knocking Davey Boy Smith Jr. senseless with a thunderous headbutt that would earn him the pinfall victory. ©

Stokely Hathaway joined Valerie Wyndham on stage who was in full jubilation over Thatcher’s victory. He looked right into the camera and held up four fingers.

”Four. That’s how many points Timothy Thatcher just earned on the first night of the Gold Series Challenge. To the other gentlemen in this block, even if you win your matches tonight, you’re still two points behind the man who I consider to be the greatest wrestler in the world!”

Valerie argued that that wasn’t how the scoring system worked, but it was futile.

“What do you mean ‘that’s not how it works’? Did Thatcher not just beat two men in back to back matches? Don’t you get two points for every victory? You know what...I’m done arguing with you. The point is, Hathaway Enterprise is the most dominant talent agency in all of professional wrestling. Tonight, you just saw Timothy Thatcher win not one but two matches. Next week, I inked a deal for Alpha Female to completely obliterate, not just win, but completely obliterate a legend in women’s wrestling.”

At that moment, the two brutes who attacked Aussie Open earlier in the show appeared at Hathaway’s side.

“Now if you don’t mind, I have some business to attend to. Gentlemen, I told you that you should make an impact on your debut. Did you hear that crowd when you destroyed those poor boys? Now, let’s head back to my office and discuss an opportunity of a lifetime.” (C-)

Gold Series Challenge
Nick Aldis defeated Moose via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: I don’t think it should come as a surprise to anyone that we envision Nick Aldis as being one of the top heels of our company. That’s why we planted the seed with the confrontation between him and CM Punk as early as the November press conference. If anyone could get Aldis over, it’s Punk.

So we agreed that we had to protect Aldis during the early stages of the Gold Series Challenge. It was unfortunate that it had to come at the expense of Moose, a guy we believe will have a bright future in the company, but that’s a consequence that comes with putting all of the guys you see vast amounts of potential in into a tournament.

We gave the men roughly 14 minutes because we don’t want too many matches going too long in the opening stages of the tournament. Moose showed some decent power offense, but a failed spear attempt and a Michinoku Driver from Aldis, which was now being called The King’s Crown, would see Nick Aldis as the victor. (C-)

Valerie Wyndham caught up with Tama Tonga who was seething at this point. When asked why did he just walk out from his match, he took the mic from her hand offering an immediate reply.

“That Championship will still be there when I decide that I want it. Right now, I don’t want it. That punk ass Randy Orton thought he’d embarrass me on live TV. Guess what, Vipe? I don’t get embarrassed. I get pissed. I get vindictive. But Chael and whoever else is playing matchmaker here ain’t giving up their golden goose. So it’s simple: you think Randy Orton is too good to fight me? Find someone else to compete in your little tournament.” (C+)

Gold Series Challenge
Kazuchika Okada vs. CM Punk

Producer’s Notes: This match was quite literally a match that could headline any arena on any show in any company in the world. Kazuchika Okada for the past several years has been by and large considered the best in the world. While CM Punk was one of a very small crop of guys who was able to penetrate the mainstream threshold.

We had no doubts that this main event would succeed. We had our most experienced referee, Chris Roberts, as the third man. We partnered the two up with Arn Anderson who Punk had experience in working with before during their time together in WWE. Plus, no one knows how to construct a 20+ minute match with a slow beginning and hot end like “The Enforcer”.

Arn Anderson, CM Punk, and Kazuchika Okada came together to lay out only crucial spots but Punk and Okada called the rest on the fly and we all agreed in creative that the two men created some wonderful music together. As previously indicated, the three men envisioned the match having a slow start. So for the opening minutes of the match, the two showed off their chain wrestling prowess, though Kazuchika Okada’s looked cleaner, but when it came to a striking exchange, it was Punk who had the advantage.

The second act is where the excitement happened. Punk and Okada both traded their signature elbows at different moments in the match. Then Punk would counter a Rainmaker Clothesline only for Okada to turn around and fight out of a GTS. When the two men finally did connect with their finishers, they both wowed the crowd by kicking out of nearfalls.

The match was pushing 22 minutes, the commentary team fell under the impression that the first night of the tournament would also host the first draw of the tournament. Punk, however, knowing that time was not on his side pressed the advantage by hitting Okada with a running knee in the corner of the ring. Punk then transitioned from the knee by hooking his arm around Okada setting up for a running bulldog. Punk charged with Okada in tow toward the center of the ring, but Okada slipped out from Punk’s grasp, grabbed hold of Punk’s wrist, pulled him back in, and floored him with an absolutely devastating Rainmaker. Okada collapsed on top of Punk, earning the pin.

Commentary absolutely sold the match quality with all three men standing up and applauding at what they had just watched. Chael Sonnen used the opportunity to gloat, once again stating that Warrior’s Road will have the best wrestling on television. Given the reaction from the audience, it was hard for anyone to disagree.

Kazuchika Okada defeated CM Punk via pinfall at 23:48 (B)

The show ended with a graphic displaying the Block A leader board.

Block A

Kazuchika Okada - 2
Nick Aldis - 2
Timothy Thatcher - 2
CM Punk - 0
Moose - 0
Tama Tonga - 0

Chael then closed out the show by advertising next week’s episode.

“Block B next Thursday! Matt Mercer vs. Tom Lawlor, PCO vs. Jeff Cobb, and Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage. You’re not going to want to miss it!”

Show Rating: B-

---

After Show Meeting

-Tonight it was all high fives and congratulations. The Fertitta’s were right. The show would turn around once our feature competitors would be more spread out across the show. Heavy praise were given to Okada and CM Punk. Both men being applauded for their work. Gregory Helms, also received heaping amounts of praise for his work with Odison and Parrow, the two men responsible for the attack on Aussie Open, and Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis. The beatdown gained Aussie Open, two relative unknowns, a ton of sympathy. While Parrow and Odinson, two absolute non-entities looked like merciless monsters.

Wrestling Observer Match Ratings

Aussie Open vs. The Bravado Brothers - ***

Timothy Thatcher vs. Tama Tonga - DUD

Timothy Thatcher vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. - ***¼

Nick Aldis vs. Moose - ***

CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada - ****

Janpei · August 6, 2019

After the Bell - The Warrior’s Road on CBS Post-Show

Before going to the studio, the camera stayed on CM Punk and Kazuchika Okada who were still in the ring. The two, who were breathing heavily from their fantastic match shook each others hands and soaked up the applause from the audience.

Chael Sonnen, Nick McNeil, Rich Boccini, and Valerie Wyndham were all present on the studio set prepared to discuss tonight’s show. First up for conversation was the mystery assailants who made their debut by attacking Aussie Open.

”All I can say is they’re two guys that I happened to come across during a tour of Japan. They have a very old school, Legion of Doom, Demolition kind of vibe. They’re heavy hitters. You see them in a bar, they’re the last ones you want to start something with. I introduced them to the Fertitta’s. Showed them some footage of some stuff they had done in Japan. They agreed, they’d be a good fit with our vision for the company but I told them I’d be in touch in a couple of weeks. I have no earthly idea how Stokely Hathaway knew about my agreement with those two, but he did, and I guess he made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. I’m not happy about it but it is what it is.”

They then discussed Stokely Hathaway’s cryptic announcement for next, wondering what he meant by a legend of women’s wrestling.

”Stokely contacted me minutes after the show, when I was on my way to this set to talk about that. He has a contract drafted and he’s emailed it over to me. I don’t know what he’s worked out, but he told me it’s something I’d want to put on the show. Look, I don’t trust Stokely Hathaway but if he says this is a money making opportunity, I’m not going to ignore it. I’ll look over the contract when I leave this set and if I see the dollar signs, he and I will talk.”

On the subject of Tama Tonga, Chael Sonnen made it clear.

“I’m not opposed to giving Tama Tonga any match he wants, but we’re in the Gold Series Challenge stage of the game right now. I’m not going to increase either man’s potential for injury when they still have four matches to go. If Tama wants the match, he needs to meet me halfway; finish the Gold Series Challenge, actually make an effort, give the paying an audience a show they won’t forget, then we can talk about Randy Orton”

All four panelists agreed that the winners in tonight’s Gold Series Challenge looked impressive with the four also throwing plenty of praise Okada and CM Punk’s way. At that moment, Nick Aldis stepped into the frame and addressed the four individuals.

”Did you see that fraud!? I love it! He really thought after turning his back on the business that he could just waltz in here and take MY main event spot. I thought about turning my back on your vision Chael, but man, watching him eat that Rainmaker...just beautiful. Hey, Punk...pretty soon you and I are gonna have to meet in this thing. You thought what Kazuchika Okada did to you was bad? Wait until I spike you on your head with my King’s Crown.”

Nick Aldis left the studio while Valerie Wyndham segued into the Gold Challenge Series Block A Bracket followed by next week’s Block B match-ups and finally Block A’s next set of matches two weeks from now

Block A

Kazuchika Okada - 2
Nick Aldis - 2
Timothy Thatcher - 2
CM Punk - 0
Moose - 0
Tama Tonga - 0

Block B - February 20

Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage

Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer

PCO vs. Jeff Cobb

Block A - February 27

CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga

Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose

Timothy Thatcher vs. Nick Aldis

“That’s it for us tonight. This is Valerie Wyndham on behalf of CBSSports.com. Thank you for watching After the Bell. See you next week!”

---

Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #2

Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage

Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer

PCO vs. Jeff Cobb

Bonus (Two Points)

-Stokely Hathaway - will he be introducing a women’s wrestling legend as Alpha Female’s opponent

-If yes - who is it?
(If you answer no and Stokely Hathaway ends up not delivering - you automatically earn two points)

Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #1 Results

joshspicer - 2/4 - I can’t argue with any of the logic you employed but unfortunately you came up short. Very glad that you see I have long term plans with Nick Aldis. Means I’m doing something right with my writing. Thanks for reading!

joshspicer · August 6, 2019

Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage - I can see Tama Tonga costing Orton the match for shenanigans. And Brian Cage is a good talent as is.

Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer - Unless you wanna really push Mercer, Lawlor has this in the bag.

PCO vs. Jeff Cobb - Much like the last one, unless you wanna give PCO a monster rub, Cobb's got this locked in.

Bonus (Two Points)

-Stokely Hathaway - will he be introducing a women’s wrestling legend as Alpha Female’s opponent - Yes.

-If yes - who is it? - Aja Kong

EBEZA · August 6, 2019

Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage

Like joshspicer, I think Tonga will get involved. However, I think he'll just straight up give Orton the DQ victory - Tonga's not exactly one for subtlety.

Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Mercer

#PushMercer

PCO vs. Jeff Cobb

Coin flip. PCO's had more story emphasis, but I personally think Cobb has more upside.

Bonus (Two Points)

-Stokely Hathaway - will he be introducing a women’s wrestling legend as Alpha Female’s opponent Yes.

-If yes - who is it?

Madusa - complete wild stab in the dark

Janpei · August 6, 2019

Warrior’s Road Live on CBS
Live from the PPL Center (Allentown, PA)
Thursday, February 20 2020 (Thursday, February Week 3 2020)

Attendance: 9,171

Broadcast Team

Rich Bocchini
Nick McNeil
Chael Sonnen

Pre-Show Notes

Last week’s Warrior’s Road on CBS garnered 5.8 million viewers.

Showtime

The show opens up with Tama Tonga walking toward the camera in an unknown location. Despite the whereabouts being a mystery, the chatter of people in the background, and the night time sky revealed that he was outside in some sort of parking lot.

“Hey, Vipe. I know your type. I’ve seen your type all my life. You put on these tattoos and strut around with a cocky attitude. You’ve created this aura that you’re a lone wolf, bad ass, but it’s an act. You’re just like all these other clowns playing at something they’re not. Me? I’m all real. I’m everything that I say I am...but I guess you’ll just have to see for yourself…”

Tonga pointed in a direction and the camera turned around to reveal that Tama Tonga was in fact on-site at the PPL Center. Kevin Sullivan and Gregory Helms came together to layout this segment with Tonga and the work from all three gave us an excellent result. Tama Tonga is slowly starting to stand out from the crop of new talent as a man with a defined character and plenty to say. (A)

Stokely Hathaway and Alpha Female hit the ring to set up what Hathaway alluded to last week. He wasted no time in cutting down Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard saying they blew the biggest opportunity of their careers and indicated that Alpha Female will reap those rewards. Stokely Hathaway then motioned toward the entrance stage where he would reveal Alpha Female’s opponent for the night.

“Mercedes...Tessa, this could have been you in this ring. I told you both, if you stick with me, you’ll be in money matches against marquee names. You didn’t trust me, so now I’m partnering with a woman who knows how to make wise business decisions. I promised you all that I was bringing in a real pioneer in women's wrestling for Alpha Female to annihilate. She’s back there pacing around right now, thinking she’s going to be a spoiler, that she’s going to relive past glory but this isn’t a Cinderella Story. This is an opportunity, no...a moment...a moment for Alpha Female to share the ring, and wipe the canvas, with a woman who’s made her name all around the world. So come on out, so Alpha Female can show the world just how dominant she is!”

Lisa Marie Varon appeared on stage, slapping hands with fans as she made her way down the ring. Rich Bocchini played up her accolades, mentioning that she has been Women’s Champion in every promotion she’s worked for and that Stokely Hathaway really did deliver on his promise.

The segment itself wasn’t the best. The primary issue was that we gave Stokely Hathaway too much to say. He didn’t have an issue with his delivery, he didn’t stumble or fumble with his words...it’s just that midway through his promo, the fans were tuning out. Short but sweet next time, got it. (C-)

Alpha Female defeated Lisa Marie Varon via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: This match primarily served as an Alpha Female showcase. Lisa Marie did get in small spurts of offense, but we wanted to display Alpha Female’s arsenal of clubbing blows and power offense. Despite that, the women were given close to fourteen minutes to work with Alpha Female ultimately picking up the win at 13:54 by dropping Lisa Marie with a stiff clothesline followed by an elbow for a pinfall. It wasn’t the best match, but the instruction was for Alpha Female to have a dominant performance. (D)

A recap of last week’s Gold Series Challenge matches aired. The primary focus highlighted the match between CM Punk and Kazuchika Okada. The camera then transitioned to last week’s After the Bell segment where Nick Aldis made scathing remarks about Punk.

A graphic of the current Block A leaderboard was then listed.

Block A

Kazuchika Okada - 2
Nick Aldis - 2
Timothy Thatcher - 2
CM Punk - 0
Moose - 0
Tama Tonga - 0

We worked this segment in to both showcase the Block A workers as well as just to get that little bit of momentum going for our CM Punk and Nick Aldis program. Our editing team did one hell of a job of putting the entire package together. (B+)

Gold Series Challenge
Matt Mercer defeated Tom Lawlor via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: We were very disappointed to see that Tom Lawlor and Matt Mercer lacked chemistry. Some of us were fully expecting this to be the match that fans would leave the arena talking about, but unfortunately, Lawlor and Mercer just didn’t seem to gel. Not at all suggesting that it was awful, it just didn’t live up to our expectations.

Similar to past notes concerning Moose and Nick Aldis we really hated that one of these men winning would come at the expense of the other losing. We were real careful to make sure that both men got equal amounts of offense as a way hopefully offset a loss hurting either man, but a Mercy Blow (Kota Ibushi’s Kamigoye) from Matt Mercer at 14:08, earned “The Australian Elite” the first two points of the block. (C-)

LAX cut a promo on The Catch Kings in the backstage area, indicating that they were looking for a round two. Nothing special. We made it a very brief segment because we weren’t sure how well either man would do with a live mic. We had a lack of tag team emphasis on this episode, so we felt it necessary to include this segment. (D+)

Gold Series Challenge
PCO defeated Jeff Cobb via pinfall

Producer’s Notes: We’re driving home the fact that PCO is nigh indestructible. Jeff Cobb threw everything at him. Punches from Cobb - PCO ate them all while displaying a crazy half grin German Suplexes - PCO would struggle initially but eventually get back to his feet wanting more. The match eventually turned into a full on brawl with the two battling all around ringside but no matter what Jeff Cobb hit “Frankenstein’s Monster” with, the French Canadian would always get back to his feet.

Cobb would eventually use the ropes for an attempted lariat, hoping that it would be enough to dispatch PCO but instead the “Haiwaiian Juggernaut” found himself as a recipient of a pop up powerbomb from PCO at 11:03. From ringside, Kevin Sullivan instructed PCO to finish it so PCO covered Cobb and was awarded the pinfall. ©

The camera cut to the talent parking lot where Valerie Wyndham indicated that she had no idea what was going on but there was a lot of commotion and she wanted to get a cameraman with her. At that moment Stokely Hathaway came sprinting past Valerie with his briefcase in hand. The only thing Hathaway could even say was “Move, woman! There’s no time!” before hopping in the backseat of a car and shouting for the driver to go go go. The car took off and before confusion could fully set in the camera shifted to indicate who Stokely Hathaway was running from as Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard stepped into the camera’s focus. Blanchard and Mercedes both smirked before walking back into the arena. (C+)

Gold Series Challenge
Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage

Producer’s Notes: A lot of us weren’t sure how this match would turn out. We both know what Randy Orton could bring to the table, but we weren’t sure what Brian Cage could do if put in a position where he was required to work a long match with a slow build.

To put it simply, we were on eggshells. Why? This was Brian Cage’s litmus test. We see a ton of potential in him. There’s no one else in any of the televised companies who looks like him. Plus, he’s an extremely athletic talent, able to do moves that no one his size should be able to. If he couldn’t cut it with a seasoned veteran like Randy Orton...that’s it for the Brian Cage project.

So everyone in creative from writers to the producers had their eyes on this one and at first we were relieved, and then excited, about the end result. Though Brian Cage did appear gassed near the end of the match he and Randy Orton had one hell of a bout that kept the fans engaged. Brian Cage showed off his athleticism by hitting Randy Orton early in the match with a suicide dive and Randy Orton was able to hit his own signature offense, as well.

Randy Orton got the crowd roaring after countering an attempted discus clothesline from Brian Cage with an RKO, but “The Viper” was completely floored when Brian Cage kicked out at two. Finally, at 17:51, the crowning moment came. Orton set up for another RKO, but Cage came to life and instead spiked Orton with the Drill Claw. Cage moved slowly for the pin, hooking the leg, and while conventional wisdom would suggest a nearfall, Cage shocked the Warrior’s Road audience by picking up a pinfall.

This match delivered in a big way and while on a technical level not as polished as CM Punk vs. Kazuchika Okada, the energy from the audience made it feel just as important. Much like the Nick Aldis project, we have every intention of making Brian Cage one of our top babyfaces. Orton giving him the rub in the main event will go a long way.

Brian Cage defeated Randy Orton via pinfall at 17:51 (B)

With Brian Cage having already made his departure to the locker room, Randy Orton was left in the ring, slowly coming back to his senses, relying on the ropes to get back to his feet. Orton, who was now leaning against the ropes to recover from the Drill Claw, had absolutely no idea Tama Tonga was in the ring behind him. When Orton turned around, Tonga spat in his face and then planted him on the canvas with a Gun Stun. The final scene of the night concluded with Tonga taunting over the incapcitated Orton as the show went off the air. (B+)

Block B

Brian Cage - 2
PCO - 2
Matt Mercer - 2
Randy Orton - 0
Jeff Cobb - 0
Tom Lawlor - 0

Show Rating: B

---

After Show Meeting

A round of applause went around in the locker room, the show’s momentum is only continuing to increase. Brian Cage and Randy Orton received praise for their very entertaining match. Tama Tonga’s involvement in this show was a big highlight. We were reminded not to get comfortable. We’re still playing catch up with AEW and WWE. More shows like the most recent two, however, and the #1 spot will be ours.

Wrestling Observer Ratings

Alpha Female vs. Lisa Marie Varon - **½

Matt Mercer vs. Tom Lawlor - ***

PCO vs. Jeff Cobb - ***¼

Randy Orton vs. Brian Cage - ****

Janpei · August 7, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">After the Bell The team of Rich Bocchini, Nick McNeil, Chael Sonnen, and Valerie Wyndham were present in the studio again to discuss the highlights of Warrior’s Road on CBS. Valerie Wyndham, who couldn’t help but burst into laughter, asked for a replay of Stokely Hathaway running away from Mercedes KV and Tessa Blanchard. The production truck obliged, replaying the event several times in different styles, including slow motion and high speed. Chael Sonnen jokingly offered play by play, humorously explaining the technique Hathaway employed to pick up speed. With the jokes out of the way, the four panelists agreed that it was nice to see Lisa Marie Varon in Warrior’s Road. Chael Sonnen complimented her experience and tenure in the business and revealed that he pulled her aside after her match to work out some future dates with her. When discussing plans for next week’s show, Nick McNeil asked Chael if Warrior’s Road will be seeing the second chapter in the LAX and The Catch Kings’ story. Chael confirmed that in two week’s time, the two would meet in a tag team rematch. Chael made a major announcement for next week’s show: Meiko Satomura would return in what he called a blockbuster women’s match. “I’m calling it here! I’m calling it now! Next Thursday live ONLY on CBS - Meiko Satomura and Aja Kong!” To close out the show, the four reviewed the Gold Series Challenge standings as well as looked at the weeks ahead. Block A Kazuchika Okada - 2 Nick Aldis - 2 Timothy Thatcher - 2 CM Punk - 0 Moose - 0 Tama Tonga - 0 Block B Brian Cage - 2 PCO - 2 Matt Mercer - 2 Randy Orton - 0 Jeff Cobb - 0 Tom Lawlor - 0 Block A - February 27 CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose Timothy Thatcher vs. Nick Aldis Block B - March 5 Randy Orton vs. PCO Matt Mercer vs. Brian Cage Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor “That’s it from all of us on CBSSports.com. See you next week!”</div></div></blockquote> --- <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46869" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Gold Series Challenge Pick’em #3 CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose Nick Aldis vs. Timothy Thatcher Bonus Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura - who ya got!? Gold Series Challenge Pick’Em #2 Results joshspicer - 2/5 (4pt total) - You were one week early on the Aja Kong prediction, my friend. I can’t believe you knew she was coming, though. Again, your decision making is very sound and logical. I guess I exist to defy logic. <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> :D EBEZA - 2/5 (2pt total) - I hear you loud and clear on rallying for Jeff Cobb. When stringing together these round robin blocks, I had such a difficult time deciding who was winning what match as I planned each night out. That out of the way, I can’t believe there are two people denying the indestructibility of the French Canadian Frankenstein. Don’t. Doubt. PCO. Also, all the way with you on #PushMercer. How has not been on Raw or SmackDown yet? He, Alexander, Itami, Ali, and Gulak were my favorite things in all of WWE. I jokingly called them the Live Five as a nod to the SmackDown Six when I was growing up. They made 205 Live must watch TV every week. Also, I’ve decided that the winner of the pick’em will get a first class flight to Vegas, front row seats to the Gold Series Challenge finals, and will be apart of the championship crowning ceremony. Just remember, if PCO wins, don’t let Kevin Sullivan know you’ve been betting against him. <img alt=":eek:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/eek.png.0e09df00fa222c85760b9bc1700b5405.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Again, thank you everyone for reading!</div></div></blockquote>

EBEZA · August 7, 2019

<div style="text-align:center;">Gold Series Challenge Pick’em #3

CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga

Punk lost his first match, and Tonga clearly doesn't need wins to get over.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose

Gotta be, right?

Nick Aldis vs. Timothy Thatcher

Aldis is being built as a top heel. Give him wins.

Bonus

Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura - who ya got!?

Kong is a legend, but she doesn't have much left in the tank now. Give Meiko the rub. (Unless you build Kong up to feed to Jazzy, ofc)</div>

joshspicer · August 7, 2019

CM Punk vs. Tama Tonga - Punks need a win while Tama just wants Orton.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Moose - I can see Moose getting his win back given how this has gone so far. But I also see Okada winning to go undefeated. Hmm...

Nick Aldis vs. Timothy Thatcher - Aldis all the way.

Bonus

Aja Kong vs. Meiko Satomura - who ya got!? - Unless Aja is going to be a key feature, I can see Meiko filling that role.

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