Two of a Kind - Royal Flush Wrestling (C-Verse)

[eayragt]

Blaine

Fro Sure

Queen

Taylor

The Franchise

Swoll by DQ

Grace

[John Lions]

Jay Silver will fight Cassidy Blaine

Fro Sure takes on Original Sinner

Stuntman faces Quentin Queen

Sarah Taylor wrestles Sabrina Wells

Party On! takes on The Franchise © for the RFW Tag Team Championship

Papa Swoll © defends the RFW Championship against James Diaz

Grace “Diamond” Kil © will face Abigail Thompson for the RFW Women’s Championship

[Scapino1974]

RFW All In

Thursday of Week 2, November 2022

Held at the Civic Center in Rochester, MN (Mid West Region)

Broadcast on WrestleWorld (30,756 viewers)

547 in attendance

 

The audience seemed a little rowdy as Martin and Curt welcomed them to the show.

 

1) That was probably because Grace was in the ring already with a microphone. She paced back and forth, looking like a cornered animal. But she didn’t say anything. Instead, she would pause every now and then and glare at the audience or at the ring entrance. And the crowd ate it up.

 

After a few minutes of her silently whipping up the audience, she stopped in the middle of the ring and said, “Well, look who decided to come crawling back to the RFW.”

 

The crowd practically exploded. Several of them started to shout Abigail’s name, only to be drowned out by a bunch of the audience booing.

 

“That’s right, Abigail Thompson is back. Let’s review, shall we? Six months ago, Abigail almost ends my career in this very ring. But rather than face me afterwards, she ran. She took off and hid for six months. Six. Months. I came back right away. I didn’t let my injured knee hold me back. And because her feelings were hurt, she goes off somewhere to cry and cower and not face me? Ridiculous!

 

“Only then she comes back when all of these competitors have come out of the woodwork? Yeah, I’m sure that’s a coincidence.

 

“So I know there’s a line forming to go after my title. And that’s fine. But tonight, I want Abigail Thompson. I want her in this ring. I want to make her pay for what she—”

 

The champ was interrupted by Abigail’s entrance music. Abigail came out in new, edgier ring attire and with a really bad attitude. She shouted some abuse at the crowd before getting on the mic herself.

 

“Oh, boo hoo, Grace. You got hurt, but the way you’re carrying on, you’d think I broke your neck or something. Your career wasn’t almost ended. Your knee got a little twisted. But none of us should be surprised at any of this. After all, this may be called ‘Royal Flush Wrestling,’ but we might as well call it the Grace Kil Show. It’s all about you. You get a hangnail, and everyone has to stop what they’re doing and cater to you, don’t they?”

 

Grace started to protest, but Abigail didn’t let her talk.

 

“So yeah, I’ll wrestle you tonight. No problem. And what I started six months ago, I’m going to finish tonight. Count on it!”

 

RATING: 75

 

2) JAY SILVER vs. CASSIDY BLAINE

 

“So we go from the best to the worst, huh?” Curt asked as Jay and Cassidy made their way to the ring.

 

This really wasn’t that bad of a match, but you wouldn’t know it from the way Curt called the match. He kept complaining the whole time about both Jay and Cassidy being given any amount of time in the ring. Pretty soon, Martin got sucked in, quizzing Curt about who he thought the better wrestler was. Curt said they were both awful.

 

They spent so much time arguing about it that they almost missed the fact that Cassidy surprised everyone by picking up the win on Jay.

 

WINNER: Cassidy Blaine in 14:56

RATING: 32

 

3) Sherry Smart was backstage with Charlie Corner and Chip Martin. They seemed excited but nervous about their title shot against The Franchise. Sherry does her best to psyche them up, using an elaborate dowsing rod and a bunch of playing cards to “accurately” predict how the match is going to go. She confidently predicts that “her man” Charlie is going to pick up the win and that she was talking to the brand new tag team champions!

 

As they left the locker room, Curt once again scoffed and he made a prediction of his own: “The titles aren’t going anywhere. If they change hands tonight, I’ll eat my hat.”

 

RATING: 27

 

4) PARTY ON! Vs. THE FRANCHISE © for the RFW Tag Team Championship

 

Mark and Jack looked completely unworried as they made their way to the ring. They even took a few moments to make fun of Sherry to her face, waggling her fingers and making spooky “oooo-eeee-ooooo” noises at her. Charlie tried to go after them, but Chip held him back.

 

“They may wind up regretting that,” Martin observed.

 

Out of everyone, Martin turned out to be the most prophetic. The champs’ behavior had lit a fire under the challengers. As much as Mark and Jack tried to fight back, Charlie and Chip were simply too much for them. Mark tried to pin both challengers using a handful of tights or his feet on the ropes, but it didn’t help.

 

But much to everyone’s surprise (especially Sherry’s), it was Chip who picked up the win for his team by hitting Jack with a Super Kick.

 

WINNERS: Party On! In 12:32

RATING: 34

 

5) James Diaz came out to the ring with Original Sinner in tow. He got on the mic and taunted Fro Sure, pointing out that the former champ didn’t have a title shot this month at all.

 

“Instead, you’re facing Original Sinner. And here’s the thing: my court is going to make sure that you’re done. By the time your match with Sinner ends, you’ll be broken. A husk of your former self. Your time here is done.”

 

RATING: 50

 

6) FRO SURE vs. ORIGINAL SINNER

 

In the early moments of the match, Sinner seemed to be in control, knocking Fro around the ring and overpowering him with his offense. But Martin was the one who noticed it first: “Fro is playing with him.”

 

It became more and more obvious as the match wore on. Fro simply wasn’t bothered by what Sinner was doing to him. He was absorbing the abuse and wasn’t letting it stop him. As if a switch had been flipped, Fro suddenly took over, knocking Original out of his momentum before finally putting him down with a Sure Thing.

 

WINNER: Fro Sure in 9:47

RATING: 46

 

7) As soon as the ring was cleared, Quentin Queen stormed out from the back. He got into the ring and went on a rant about Stuntman jumping the line last month. “Some of us have been here since Day One. We’ve paid our dues, we’ve put in our time, and somehow, we keep getting overlooked for title shots. There’s no way that’s fair. And some guy who just showed up gets to go after Papa Swoll? Stuntman, you’ve got to get in line! And I’m ready to put you back in your place.”

 

RATING: 38

 

8) QUENTIN QUEEN vs. STUNTMAN

 

This was easily the best match of the night. Quentin was focused and looked determined to put Stuntman in his place. Stuntman, as near as we could tell, was not at all concerned about the threat. He almost looked lazy before the bell rang, like he wasn’t worried at all.

 

But once the bell rang, it was like Stuntman threw it into overdrive. He simply overwhelmed Quentin with his offense. Quentin managed to defend himself a few times, but it soon became clear that Quentin had underestimated the newcomer. Quentin did manage a last minute rally and looked to be setting Stuntman up for a Q-Ball, only to have Stuntman slip out of it and then put Quentin down with a move Martin identified as the “Black Ice Driver.”

 

WINNER: Stuntman in 18:29

RATING: 53

 

9) Sarah Taylor came out to the ring and she seemed particularly upset.

 

“Quentin Queen has illustrated a problem that’s been plaguing RFW for months now. While having someone new go after the title, Stuntman clearly hasn’t spent enough time paying his dues. We have champions making matches on their own. This is a ship that’s not going to survive for long. And it’s time for a new captain.

 

“The Power That Be have been fighting us behind the scenes, but they’re going to lose. My business partner will be here next month to introduce himself. And believe me when I tell you: he has the power to back up what he’ll do to make this a better company.”

 

RATING: 71

 

10) SABRINA WELLS vs. SARAH TAYLOR

 

Sabrina Wells came out to the ring and she did a pretty good job facing off against Sarah. It was pretty clear that she was trying to send a message to the newcomer as well. But Sarah was able to power her way through the offense and finally put Sabrina down with a Newton’s Cradle.

 

WINNER: Sarah Taylor in 14:09

RATING: 58

 

11) PAPA SWOLL © vs. JAMES DIAZ for the RFW Championship

 

Papa Swoll and James seemed focused on each other. Swoll, who normally is composed and collected, looked a bit concerned. This especially was true when Dreadmask came out to the ringside and stomped around for a good chunk of the match. Eventually, though, the ref ordered them away from ringside, much to their consternation. Even James looked a little upset about that.

 

Once that was done, though, the match really got started. Swoll seemed to set aside his unflappable demeanor and really got into the fight. James actually looked worried several times, especially after Swoll nearly pinned him. He kept looking toward the ring entrance, almost like he was expecting someone. Martin speculated that he was probably expecting his court to come out and help, but Martin said that was unwise given that Dreadnought got ejected.

 

But then Fro Sure raced out of the back and vaulted the ropes, attacking James and beating him down. Swoll looked absolutely shocked by this, but the ref quickly called for the bell. It took several guys from the back to wrestle Fro out of the ring, leaving us all to see that James was actually laughing.

 

WINNER: James Diaz by DQ in 19:54

RATING: 36

 

12) GRACE “DIAMOND” KIL © vs. ABIGAIL THOMPSON for the RFW Women’s Championship

 

This match turned out a whole lot better than I expected it to. Abigail looked focused and determined, not the least bit nervous. And Grace looked furious as she made her way to the ring.

 

Once the bell rang, they went after each other, trading punches and tossing each other around like they wanted to kill each other. Grace took early control of the match and made it look like she was going to put Abigail away easily.

 

But then Abigail managed to poke Grace in the eye with her thumb and took control of the match. She spent some time working Grace over and she seemed more interested in hurting Grace than pinning her. She passed on some opportunities to pin her, seemingly content to keep up the abuse. Martin wondered if that was a smart idea. “I understand Abigail wants to punish Grace, but she’s passing up a chance to become the RFW Women’s Champion. That doesn’t seem like a wise trade-off to me.”

 

Once again, Martin proved prophetic. Eventually, Grace came back to life and took control of the match, finally putting Abigail down with a Diamond’s Edge.

 

WINNER: Grace “Diamond” Kil in 17:29

RATING: 48

 

13) Grace sneered at Abigail, but her celebration was short lived. Alice Pellerton and Marie Punnen rushed the ring and attacked Grace. Abigail got up off the mat and joined the fray. Soon all three women had battered Grace and left her lying in the middle of the ring.

 

RATING: 33

 

***

 

There was still some tension in the locker room between Abigail and Grace. Freddie quietly told me that there would be until everyone was used to them being here again. “As for whether or not they’ll ever bury the hatchet, well, that’s up to them.”

 

In my post-show speech, I decided to skirt the tension. I highlighted Quentin & Stuntman and Sarah’s matches and thanked them for their effort.

 

With another year about to end, I hoped that we were going to get even better. I really wanted to end 2022 with a bang.

 

FINAL RATING: 54

 

Quick Results:

 

From RFW.com...

 

Here are the results from tonight's explosive All In!

 

Cassidy Blaine defeated Jay Silver

Party On! defeated The Franchise © to capture the RFW Tag Team Championship

Fro Sure defeated Original Sinner

Stuntman defeated Quentin Queen

Sarah Taylor defeated Sabrina Wells

James Diaz defeated Papa Swoll © by DQ, so Swoll retains the RFW Championship

Grace "Diamond" Kil © defeated Abigail Thompson to retain the RFW Women's Championship

[Scapino1974]

Hey, everyone. Just an OOC note.

 

I'm not done with this yet, but life has kind of gotten away from me at present. I'm hoping to have a new post up soon. Just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned the diary. Just haven't had the time to work on it.

[Scapino1974]

QAW Titan Clash #98

Sunday of Week 2, November 2022

Held in Colorado Springs, CO

 

I stopped short as I entered the arena. I stared up at the ceiling, hardly believing what I was seeing.

 

“Is that…is that a cage?” I asked.

 

I mean, I knew the answer to my question already. It was hard to miss the steel cage hanging over the ring. We had never used one at RFW; the few times I jokingly suggested it, Ace would simply point out the expense of getting one and storing it and all that. And most of the guys in RFW had never been in a cage match either, so just being in the same room as a cage sent a thrill through me. So who was the poor victim who would get locked inside?

 

“That it is, little lady,” Jackson stepped up next to me. “You up for it?”

 

My head snapped around. “What?”

 

He shrugged. “We need a big splash tonight, and Farrah thinks the time has come for you to get into a cage. You and Raquel going up against Darkness Cat and Little Miss Perfect.”

 

My mouth went dry. I looked back at the cage and my mind reeled. A cage match? Really? Part of me was thrilled at the idea. Let me in there and let me shine! But at the same time, my knee twinged. A cage match could be brutal. What if I got hurt again?

 

Jackson patted me on the shoulder and stepped in close. “Look, you’re still kind of green and if you’re at all nervous, you just say the word and I’ll swap someone else in. But if you agree to do it, you’re in all the way. You’d have good workers in there with you and I think you’d have a great match. But it’s up to you.”

 

How could I say no? “Let’s do this.”

 

And it was a great match. Sarah and Cat did their best to keep me safe, but Raquel and I did our best. We lost (I mean, how could we not?), but when I rolled out of the ring and slipped out of the cage, I knew. I knew.

 

I had just taken a huge step and there was no going back.

 

***

 

QAW Thanksgiving Thunder

Friday of Week 3, November 2022

Held in Wichita, KS

 

I had lost. I. Had. Lost.

 

And Emma May still held the QAW World title.

 

I know, right? I guess Jackson and Farrah had liked what the saw the week before in the cage. They had booked me into the main event to take on Emma May for the QAW World title. And in some ways, it had all been by the book. They had me play the cocky heel, hyped up on the fact that I had a title “up north.” Emma shot back that that title meant nothing since this was QAW, yadda yadda yadda. And then we had our match to see who the better worker was.

 

And I gave it my all. And I sold for Emma May like I had never sold before. The crowd seemed to get into it and yeah, I lost. But another big step. I knew something was starting to click for me in a way it hadn’t before.

 

***

 

QAW Titan Clash #99

Sunday of Week 3, November 2022

Held in Denver, CO

 

What’s the old saying? “Two steps forward, one step back.” Kind of felt like that. I got put in a trio match with the San Diego Girls to take on Darkness Cat and Anderson & Snyder. It was an okay match. I mean, we lost, which kind of stung. Three losses in a row. And yeah, the audience got into it, but the stakes felt so low.

 

But even as I left the ring, I had to remind myself that I couldn’t be petty. Ups and down. Wins and losses. Just because I was pretty much undefeated at RFW didn’t mean that I would have the same kind of momentum at QAW. I just had to be patient.

 

***

 

QAW Titan Clash #100

Sunday of Week 4, November 2022

Held in Denver, CO

 

And that patience paid off finally. I rounded out November by having another trio match with Tex-Mex. We fought Darkness Cat and The Globetrotters, which was actually kind of nice. Cat and I were kind of gelling as opponents. She and I spent a lot of time in the ring for this match, fighting each other.

 

And here’s the thing: this match was a main event and my team got the win. I mean, granted, it was Teresa Perez who picked up the pin on Felicia Luck. But still. Main event for QAW, and I was on the winning team.

 

I think November has officially become my favorite month.

[Eternal Phoenix]

Return of The King. Yes, I've read the whole thing now.

[Scapino1974]

Sunday of Week 4, November 2022

 

I was glad for Grace. Really. I was.

 

Really.

 

I mean, how could I not be excited for her? She had sent me her first ever t-shirt, one made by QAW. I mean, it wasn’t much: just her picture and her name. The QAW logo loomed behind her, making it clear who she worked for. But it was her t-shirt. People could buy it and wear it. Thankfully, RFW was finally catching up on that front. This month, we finished upgrading our merchandise, which meant that we would have worker-specific merch as well.

 

But it wasn’t just the merch. A cage match? A title shot? A great main event? She was doing so well! And yeah, I really only had myself to blame. I could easily throw myself into the title hunt at RFW, but I didn’t feel like I had the momentum to be a credible contender at that point. Maybe someday.

 

I was just being stupid. Jealous of my best friend? I mean, I had my role in the company too. I had to keep paying the bills. I had to handle pay negotiations, like giving Sabrina Wells a raise. Or giving Papa Swoll a bonus for taking the loss in his last match. Or figuring out that we somehow made over $6,000 during the month.

 

But I still couldn’t help but feel just a little jealous.

 

Well, maybe we had to keep going big or go home. I decided that for our last show of the year, I would splurge a little. I found a local rock band, Squealing Mud, to put on a mini-concert to open and close the show. And I also paid out a little money to have Harrison Mack, a retired movie actor who happened to live in Rochester, to show up as a special guest. It might not do much to move the needle, but maybe we could keep going. Onwards and upwards.

[Scapino1974]

From RFW.com...

 

It’s been two years! So how is RFW rounding out 2022?

 

• Texas Hangman will take on Mark Latrell
  
• In a six-way scramble match, it’ll be John “Ace” Hart vs. Roger Monteiro vs. James Diaz vs. Quentin Queen vs. Dustin Deuce vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde to determine the #1 Contender for the RFW Championship
  
• Sarah Taylor will fight Talia Quinzel
  
• Party On! Will defend the RFW Tag Team Championship against Dreadmask
  
• In a 3-on-1 handicap match, Grace “Diamond” Kil will fight Abigail Thompson, Alice Pellerton, and Marie Punnen
  
• In a three-way dance, Papa Swoll will take on both Fro Sure and Stuntman to defend the RFW Championship
  

 

All this, plus live performances by Squealing Mud, an appearance by Harrison Mack, and rumor has it that Sarah Taylor’s business partner will be in attendance as well! You won’t want to miss this show!

 

As always, comments, questions, predictions...

[eayragt]

Mark Latrell

James Diaz

Party On

Sarah Taylor

Not Grace

Papa Swoll

[John Lions]

Texas Hangman will take on Mark Latrell

In a six-way scramble match, it’ll be John “Ace” Hart vs. Roger Monteiro vs. James Diaz vs. Quentin Queen vs. Dustin Deuce vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde to determine the #1 Contender for the RFW Championship

Sarah Taylor will fight Talia Quinzel

Party On! Will defend the RFW Tag Team Championship against Dreadmask

In a 3-on-1 handicap match, Grace “Diamond” Kil will fight Abigail Thompson, Alice Pellerton, and Marie Punnen

In a three-way dance, Papa Swoll will take on both Fro Sure and Stuntman to defend the RFW Championship

[Herrbear]

Texas Hangman will take on Mark Latrell

In a six-way scramble match, it’ll be John “Ace” Hart vs. Roger Monteiro vs. James Diaz vs. Quentin Queen vs. Dustin Deuce vs. Prime Time Jack Pryde to determine the #1 Contender for the RFW Championship

Sarah Taylor will fight Talia Quinzel

Party On! Will defend the RFW Tag Team Championship against Dreadmask

In a 3-on-1 handicap match, Grace “Diamond” Kil will fight Abigail Thompson, Alice Pellerton, and Marie Punnen

In a three-way dance, Papa Swoll will take on both Fro Sure and Stuntman to defend the RFW Championship

[Scapino1974]

RFW All In

Thursday of Week 2, December 2022

Held at the Civic Center in Rochester, MN (Mid West Region)

Broadcast on WrestleWorld (32,793 viewers)

569 in attendance

 

As Squealing Mud wrapped up their opening set, Martin and Curt welcomed the audience to the show. They hyped up how the crowd was already buzzing, especially since local celebrity Harrison Mack was in the house. The audience offered him some cheers and applause, and he stood up at his ringside seat to wave, but it was pretty clear that most of the crowd weren’t all that familiar with C-List celebrities from the ’80s.

 

1) Grace’s entrance music hit and she stormed out to the ring. She spent a few moments holding the RFW Women’s Championship over her head, then got on the mic.

 

“I know all of you have been paying attention to what’s happened here the past couple of months. It seems like the challengers are coming out of the woodwork. Every time I try to stop one, another pops up and attacks me. First Marie, then Alice, and now Abigail? It’s pretty clear they all want one thing: my title. They’re all here to end my winning streak. So let’s take that out of the equation.”

 

She tossed the belt aside.

 

“That’s why I requested the handicap match tonight. That’s right, I asked for it. Why? Because I realized something. No matter who I fought in the ring tonight, I would wind up fighting all three of them in the end. So why wait? I want to keep all of my enemies in front of me so I don’t have to watch my back.

 

“So this is what’s going to happen. Those three cowards are going to be in the ring with me. And they’re going to learn the hard way: this Diamond doesn’t break!”

 

RATING: 82

 

2) TEXAS HANGMAN vs. MARK LATRELL

 

The opening match was pretty decent, if a bit by the book. Hangman looked dangerous in the ring, leading to Mark doing his best to level th playing field by using some underhanded tactics to slow Hangman down. He jawed at the crowd who booed at him whenever he did something the ref didn’t notice. And for a while, it looked like Mr. RFW might actually pick up the pin, but then Hangman rallied and finally put Mark down with a Choke Slam.

 

WINNER: Texas Hangman in 14:53

RATING: 38

 

3) As Martin and Cassidy continued to talk about the previous match, Cassidy Blaine came down to ringside and got in Curt’s face. Cassidy yelled at Curt about how he had been bad-mouthing him the past few months and finally demanded that Curt get into the ring and fight him, man-to-man.

 

Curt blew off the challenge, pointing out that he didn’t have to fight someone to prove his masculinity. “And besides, I’m working here. Color commentary? Who’s going to do that if I get into the ring?”

 

Before Cassidy could answer, someone hopped the rail and plopped down in an empty chair that just happened to be sitting next to Curt…

 

 

He introduced himself as MC Motormouth. He said that he just happened to be in the arena and he couldn’t help but overhear Curt’s dilemma. It turns out Motormouth has done color commentary in the past and he’d be more than happy to take over for a match or two so Curt can actually wrestle.

 

Curt tired to back out of it, but Motormouth and Cassidy rallied the crowd to demand that he get into the ring. Martin joined in as well and finally, Curt grumbled something and took off his headset and followed Cassidy to the ring.

 

RATING: 48

 

4) CASSIDY BLAINE vs. CURT MERITT

 

This turned out to be a decent match as well. Curt played up being uncomfortable in the ring, clearly upset that he wasn’t in any sort of wrestling gear. Cassidy took full advantage of that, using his button down shirt and tie to tangle Curt up at different points. Within the first few minutes, Curt’s nice clothing was pretty much in tatters.

 

But eventually, Curt started to fight back, much to the surprise of Martin and Motormouth, was actually doing pretty well. As much as Cassidy tried to fight back, it was clear that he had been taken by surprise by Curt’s skill as well. In the end, Curt managed to hit Cassidy with a DDT and picked up the pin and the win.

 

WINNER: Curt Meritt in 13:41

RATING: 37

 

5) As Curt settled back into the announce table, Papa Swoll came out. He was just as laid back and mellow as ever, but he spoke about how he was ready to face both Fro Sure and Stuntman for his title. “I know everyone thinks that this is a big deal, but it only is if you make it. And I know Fro. And I think I have Stuntman’s number. It’s time for people to see why Papa Swoll deserves to have the title.”

 

RATING: 37

 

6) PARTY ON! © vs. DREADMASK for the RFW Tag Team Championship

 

Another decent match. Dreadmask didn’t seem to care if they won the title or if they just hurt the champs. Motormouth said that this made sense: “This Monster’s Court business is still pretty new. They have to establish their dominance in RFW in one of two ways: either by capturing gold or by making people afraid. Either way works.”

 

But as much as Dreadnought and Masked Mauler tried, they just couldn’t quite get the upperhand over Chip and Charlie. In the end, Chip managed to hit Dreadnought with a Super Kick and made the pin. When Mauler tried to break up the attempt, Charlie tackled him and kept him from interfering.

 

WINNERS: Party On! In 15:58

RATING: 38

 

7) JOHN “ACE” HART vs. ROGER MONTEIRO vs. PRIME TIME JACK PRYDE vs. QUENTIN QUEEN vs. DUSTIN DEUCE vs. JAMES DIAZ in a scramble match to determine the #1 contender for the RFW Championship

 

Martin explained the rules of the match: it would last 35 minutes and the participants would try to pin each other. Whoever picked up the most pins would be declared not only the winner of the match, but the #1 Contender for the RFW Championship.

 

Quentin Queen practically exploded out of his corner, taking down Roger Monteiro who couldn’t quite kick out in time, giving Quentin the early lead at one pin to everyone else’s nothing. But once everyone recovered from their surprise, we all collided in the middle of the ring. It was barely contained chaos as everyone fought to hit their finishers and pick up pins. Unfortunately, Jack looked a little lost in the ring and he wound up getting pinned most often by the rest of us.

 

While most everyone else managed to score two or three pins, James, Quentin, and myself started to pull ahead. By the twenty minute mark, we had each picked up four pins. As we realized that we were the frontrunners, Quentin and I seemed to decide that we had to score our final pins on each other and we focused pretty much exclusively on each other. That proved a bad strategy as the others would break up our pin attempts or try to pin us.

 

James, however, kept working, quietly pinning the others until, when the final bell rang, James had picked up eight pins with Quentin coming in second at six, me at five, and the rest of the competitors still at two or three.

 

WINNER: James Diaz in 35:00

RATING: 42

 

8) Sarah Taylor came out to the ring and once again complained about the chaos both in the ring and backstage. She pointed to Cassidy’s impromptu match with Curt as a problem and said that that sort of thing shouldn’t be tolerated in a professional company. That’s why her until now anonymous business partner had finished his work in taking over the RFW. She said that she was sure that someone with his raw power and machismo would make a huge impact on our company’s atmosphere. It was her great pleasure to introduce…

 

 

Puerto Rican Power!

 

Power came out to the ring in a tight-fitting three-piece suit. He got on the mic and did his best to portray a harsh authority figure, but he came off a little lackluster. The fans who recognized him were thrilled. Martin really played up how Power was a hero in Puerto Rico and how his (recently folded) FREEDOM Caribbean Wrestling had been an up-and-coming promotion.

 

All in all, it turned out okay, but it was pretty clear that the fans weren’t all that thrilled with the reveal.

 

RATING: 58

 

9) TALIA QUINZEL vs. SARAH TAYLOR

 

With the introduction out of the way, Sarah waited for Talia Quinzel to join her in the ring. And this turned out to be a great match. Talia really took the fight to Sarah, unleashing some really vicious punches and kicks. But Sarah was able to weather the assault and slowly turn the tide in her favor. By the end of the match, Talia was on the defensive as Sarah kept after her, finally putting her down with a Newton’s Cradle.

 

WINNER: Sarah Taylor in 15:46

RATING: 62

 

10) GRACE “DIAMOND” KIL vs. ABIGAIL THOMPSON, MARIE PUNNEN, & ALICE PELLERTON

 

The challengers made their way to the ring first, and they paced and glared at the ring entrance as Grace made her way down the ramp. Once she was in the ring, she didn’t take her eyes off any of them, shooting venomous glares at all of them before the bell rang.

 

The moment the match officially started, Abigail, Alice, and Marie charged Grace and tried to overwhelm her with a combined attack, but Grace shrugged them off and fought back. She looked extremely dangerous in the ring, leading Martin to point out that this is why she’s been the women’s champ this whole time. “It takes a lot to stop Grace Kil. I’m not even sure if these three can do it!”

 

But those words proved incorrect. As the match wore on, it was clear that Grace had bitten off more than she could chew. As she dealt with one competitor, the others would swoop in and strike, then get out of the way before she could respond. Pretty soon, Alice, Marie, and Abigail had completely taken over the match. Even when Grace managed to rally and hit Marie with the Diamond’s Edge, it was too little, too late. After Abigail managed to drop Grace to the mat, Alice put her away with a Top Rope Legdrop, picking up the pin on a clearly exhausted and overwhelmed Grace.

 

WINNERS: Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, & Alice Pellerton in 16:52

RATING: 52

 

11) Even though the match was over, Marie, Alice, and Abigail clearly weren’t done with Grace yet. They continued their assault, even as the ref kept calling for the bell and ordering them to stop. They ignored it all, with Marie finally ordering Alice and Abigail to get a table and set it up in the middle of the ring.

 

But before they could do anything with it, Selina Svelte and Talia Quinzel rushed the ring and, much to Martin’s surprise, actually chased off Grace’s attackers. While Talia watched them retreat up the ramp, Selina checked on Grace and helped her get to her feet again, then limp her way backstage.

 

RATING: 30

 

12) PAPA SWOLL © vs. FRO SURE vs. STUNTMAN for the RFW Championship

 

This was a pretty good match. The crowd was really into it and the wrestling was really awesome as well. The only downside was, surprisingly, Papa Swoll. While the champ tried to play it all off like he was unconcerned and that everything was fine, there were moments when it was clear he was kind of lost in the ring.

 

Fro, for his part, looked hungry and very dangerous. He didn’t seem to care that Swoll was supposedly his friend. With the title on the line, he was clearly out to recapture it.

 

Stuntman was kind of the wild card in all of this. He would interject himself in Swoll and Fro’s confrontations, trying to use attacks of opportunity to take out the others. That worked some of the times, but others, he would wound up getting caught by Fro or Swoll and knocked out of the ring.

 

As the match wrapped up, it was pretty clear that Swoll was starting to take control. He wound up for the Pounce, only to have Fro catch him and reverse it into the Sure Thing. But before Fro could get the pin, Stuntman came out of nowhere with a move that Motormouth identified as the “Black Ice Driver” and picked up the pin and the win!

 

Fantastic heat, great wrestling. Swoll the weak link, Fro looked dangerous. Stuntman hits Fro with Black Ice Driver and captures the title!

 

WINNER: Stuntman in 23:01

RATING: 47

 

***

 

There was some palpable energy in the locker room as things wrapped up. We could all tell that this had been a great show. I made sure to thank Grace and Fro for their performances (in the hopes that it would lessen the blow of them losing their matches), and I thanked Sarah for her hard work as well.

 

Stuntman pulled me aside and thanked me profusely for giving him the title. I knew his win would rankle Swoll a little, but Stuntman was sufficiently over in the Mid West Region that I knew I had to take a chance. We had to bring on bigger names if we could, and he was well known enough to be a good gamble.

 

I helped clean up the locker room with everyone else before I headed home. And then I waited for the reviews to come in. Because I knew. I just knew…

 

FINAL RATING: 53

 

 

Quick results:

 

From RFW.com...

 

Here are the resuts from the latest All In!

 

Texas Hangman defeated Mark Latrell

Curt Meritt defeated Cassidy Blaine

Party On! © defeated Dreadmask to retain the RFW Tag Team Championship

James Diaz defeated John "Ace" Hart, Roger Monteiro, Prime Time Jack Pryde, Quentin Queen, and Dustin Deuce in a scramble match to become the #1 contender for the RFW Championship

Sarah Taylor defeated Talia Quinzel

Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellertson defeated Grace "Diamond" Kil

Stuntman defeated Papa Swoll © and Fro Sure to capture the RFW Championship

[Scapino1974]

Friday of Week 2, December 2022

 

I don’t think I slept a wink after I got home from the Civic Center. I knew I had to. I had a ten hour shift the next day, helping a local car dealership transfer their records from one computer system to another. They probably could have come up with an algorithm to do it automatically, but hey, the pay was a bit above decent and they had lots of data to move, so at least I’d do well by it.

 

But in spite of the fact that I knew I’d have a mind-numbing day ahead of me, even though I knew that staying up could mean that I’d fall asleep at the keyboard the next day, I spent most of the night lying in bed, staring at my ceiling. I tried to will myself to sleep and, when that didn’t help, I kept checking the clock to see how much longer I had to pretend.

 

Finally, when the clock reached six, I figured I had waited long enough. I rolled out of bed and immediately felt the effects of both the match and my sleepless night almost drop me to the floor. But I stumbled over to my desk and booted up my laptop. I fumbled with the mouse as I clicked over to the TEW website to check the news feed. I had to sift through the usual stories about other promotions’ shows and the gossip about who was sleeping with who. But then, there it was, plain as day, just as I hoped:

 

“RFW RISES TO SMALL”

 

I leaned back in my chair with a satisfied grin. I had suspected we were on the verge of breaking through to the next level for the past couple of months. And with each show, I felt like things were moving in this direction. We had been tiny for so long and now…

 

Wait, what was that? According to the article, rumor had it that we were going to go on a hiring spree? I snorted at the idea. No way we were going to do that. We had too many workers on contract as it was. I suspected that a bunch of them were pretty frustrated with me since I couldn’t give them consistent work. Why would I add more people to the mix?

 

After skimming the rest of the article (which turned out to be pretty standard nothing), I checked my email. Sure enough, I had a few congratulatory messages from people who had seen the article. And one email from Papa Swoll asking for a raise. I was in a good enough mood, I decided to go ahead and give it to him. I mean, why not? RFW was on the way up. Best to keep our workers as happy as possible.

[Sabu]

Just binged this diary last night and I’m hooked. There’s so many plot points I want to see where they end up!

[Scapino1974]

Friday of Week 3, December 2022

 

Monica started squealing the minute Abigail and I walked through the door. Patrick shot me an apologetic look. I waved him off. My soon-to-be brother-in-law was a stand up guy, but even he couldn’t reign in some of my sister’s habits. Monica was a sucker for anything romantic, and the fact that Abigail and I had been together for so long was like catnip to her. I had prepared both Abigail and myself for the fact that Monica would be dropping huge hints about how a ring was in our future.

 

Abigail took it all in stride. Me, I was a bit unsettled.

 

Carson, my older brother, came over and gave Abigail a quick hug before slapping me on the back. “Bringing her to family Christmas? What were you thinking?”

 

I shrugged. “She was free and Mom insisted.”

 

Carson guffawed. “Dude, you’d be better off setting yourself on fire. Why do you think I’ve never brought a girl home for anything?”

 

Because you got emotionally stalled in college? Somehow I doubted saying what I really thought was a wise idea, so I just smiled and shrugged.

 

“No hassles from the parents or the siblings, man.”

 

I glanced at Abigail, who was trapped in a huge hug from Monica. Laughter shone in her eyes and I rolled mine in return. Her family hadn’t been quite as rabid when I visited them earlier in the week, and there were more of them!

 

Thankfully, Dad put an end to Monica’s gushing when he ordered us all to the table for Christmas dinner. Once again, Mom had outdone herself, cooking enough food to feed us and the next two or three generations to boot. Dad and I would have leftovers for weeks, but we all oohed and aahed over the meal and dug in.

 

We spent most of dinner getting caught up with everyone’s lives. Carson had taken on some additional duties at work. Unfortunately, he hadn’t gotten a raise to go with them, but he saw it as a way to build trust with the company. An investment that would pay off down the road, he said.

 

Patrick and Monica regaled us with stories of wedding plans. Everything was coming together for their May wedding. When Monica talked about the bridesmaids dresses, she kept throwing pointed looks at me. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I caught her meaning easily enough. When Monica was choosing bridesmaids, she wanted to include Abigail, but I asked her not too. We had just gotten back together and things were still a little too raw at that point. I hadn’t known how things would work out and the last thing we needed was for Abigail to not be there. So I had insisted and Dad had backed me up. But now, so many months later, and Abigail and I were still dating, I could tell that Monica was still sore over that.

 

But what could I do? Yeah, we were doing pretty good, all things considering. We saw each other two times a week when we could. We talked on the phone every day. But we both skirted around the topic of the future whenever it started to come up. Neither of us wanted to put a word to what we might be. I shot a glance at Dad to see if he was picking up on the subtext. He shook his head and motioned for me to back down. Apparently he had and apparently he thought we were fine.

 

When it came time for Abigail and I to share, we didn’t have much. Abigail was still attending classes in the Cities and she was doing okay. I was still picking up temp work when I could. I shared a little about what we were going through with RFW, but that caused just about everyone’s eyes to glaze over. Carson tried to give me some financial advice, but much of what he said didn’t really apply.

 

Eventually, dinner and dessert wrapped up and it was time for presents. We crowded around Mom and Dad’s tree, which was once again decked out with ornaments from our childhood: old gifts from relatives, class projects that were barely holding together, plus a few nicer ones that had been peppered in over the years. Our tradition was to go from youngest to oldest, so that meant, technically, that Abigail went first.

 

And at first, everything was fine. Carson (being Carson) gave her a gift card to Target for twenty bucks. My Dad bought her a sweater that…well, probably wouldn’t fit her in terms of size or style, but Abigail acted like she loved it anyway. Mom got her some nice earrings they had apparently seen on a shopping excursion I hadn’t known about. But before I could give her my gift, Monica shoved a box into Abigail’s lap and practically vibrated as she opened it.

 

Abigail smiled as she tore away the wrapping paper and popped the box open. Then she frowned as she pulled a large, white three-ring binder out of the box along with a stack of magazines. But then her expression froze and she shot a worried look in my direction. Why? What was she—?

 

“It’s your own wedding planner!” Monica squealed. “Well, not the magazines. Those are mine, but I don’t need them anymore and I figured you might want to start putting some ideas together. And I included the cards for the dress shop that I used. It’s a small one off of downtown, and while they may not have the biggest selection, Cindy is such a sweetheart and she was able to work with us.”

 

Monica kept gushing about all of the stuff she had crammed into that box, not really talking to Abigail but to the rest of us. So she didn’t see the way Abigail’s expression turned brittle. She mouthed a few words, cast another worried look in my direction, and then, while Monica rambled about cakes, she shoved the box and its contents aside and hurried out of the room. Mom called her name and Monica gaped at her as she left.

 

“What?” Monica asked.

 

“Really wished you would have asked me about that,” Patrick mumbled.

 

I hauled myself out of the chair and motioned for Mom to stay where she was and I followed Abigail. She had slipped out the front door and stood in the cold, hugging herself as the wind whipped some snow past the house.

 

“I am so sorry,” I said.

 

I tried to step closer to her, but she flinched away. She swiped at her face and then cursed under her breath.

 

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. I mean, Monica was trying to figure out my ring size when I met her the first time. This is just on brand for her.”

 

“Even still, this wasn’t fair of her. She knows that we’ve only just gotten back together. She shouldn’t have done that because…” My voice trailed off as I caught myself before I actually said it.

 

But Abigail understood and she filled in the blank: “…because we don’t actually know where we’re going with this, right?”

 

I clenched my jaw shut. She nodded wearily.

 

“I get it.”

 

“No, Abigail…”

 

“John, it’s okay. I feel the same way. I…I don’t know where this is going either or even…where I want it to go.”

 

Oh. We stood in the cold for a few quiet moments, only to hear Carson’s laughter through the closed door.

 

I finally sighed. “Look, this is all I know for certain: I’m a lot happier now that you’re back in my life than I was when you weren’t. And I may not know exactly where I want us to go…but I’m willing to find out.”

 

“Me too.” She took a step closer to me.

 

I put my arm around her, feeling her body shiver.

 

“So what do I do with Monica’s gift?” she asked.

 

I considered it, then shrugged. “Keep it.”

 

She turned to look into my eyes. “Really?”

 

“Why not? You never know. Might come in handy someday.”

 

She smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. Then I popped the door open and we slipped back inside.

 

The conversation in the living room quieted as we rejoined everyone else. Monica started to say something, but Patrick nudged her in the side and she fell silent. Abigail thanked her for the gift and then turned to me with a small smile.

 

I handed her her gift, which she carefully opened. It as a small jewelry box. Monica latched onto Patrick’s leg, but he nudged her again.

 

I sighed and waited as Abigail opened the box, revealing the pendant I had bought (following Mom’s advice; apparently it was a matched set with the earrings, something she neglected to tell me). Abigail gasped and leaned over to give me a quick kiss.

 

The rest of the night was mostly drama free. My family stuck mostly to my Christmas list, which meant BluRay sets, some work clothes, and a few books. Abigail got me a jacket with the RFW logo embroidered on the back. And on it went.

 

By the time the evening was over, it seemed like everyone had forgotten Monica’s gift. But I knew Abigail hadn’t. And neither had I, because it brought up a bunch of questions I didn’t want to answer but I knew I’d have to eventually.

[Scapino1974]

Sunday of Week 4, December 2022

 

What a way to round out the year!

 

I found out about RFW’s rise to Small when I made it to Oklahoma City for that week’s Titan Clash. A lot of the girls were waiting for me to offer their congratulations and make some jokes about the supposed hiring spree we were going to go on. Thankfully, I could pass the buck to Ace on that one. After all, I was at QAW to wrestle, not poach talent. And when he shared that we didn’t need any new workers, I felt a whole lot better.

 

Unfortunately, my travel schedule kept me busy for the rest of the month. For once, I was glad that Mom knew about my double life. She was still running interference for me with Dad. And I needed that support. I hadn’t realize how much my job with QAW would keep me away from home during the holidays. I had been able to sneak home for Christmas itself, but then I had to skip out on the extended family so I could be in Texas to round out the year.

 

Maybe that was why I felt a little wistful as the year came to an end. December hadn’t been as good as November was in terms of my matches at QAW. I won two and lost two, three of them tag matches, one of them a singles match against Teresa Perez that a lot of folks said was the match of the night.

 

But as the year ended, I found myself in a cheap motel room. Some of the girls had invited me to go out bar hopping. As tempting as that was, I turned them down. It wasn’t the same. Normally, I’d be seeing my family. Or sneaking off to hang out with Ace. Or maybe kissing Mark at midnight. But all of them were on the other end of the country and I was…well, not.

 

I wound up sitting next to my room window, staring out at the other motel guests as they held a party out by the pool. I had bought a six-pack of cheap beer and was toasting the night when my cellphone started chirping…

[Scapino1974]

Sunday of Week 4, December 2022

 

I frowned as I waited for Grace to connect. I thought we had agreed to Facetime tonight. Mom and Dad were out with some friends and Abigail was with her family, so that had left me at home. I suppose I could have called some of the guys to come over, but I had so much work to do before the next All In and…

 

The phone finally beeped and the screen shook as Grace apparently fumbled with her phone. Then it steadied itself and I realized she was…sitting in her motel room in the dark?

 

“You okay?” I asked.

 

She made a dismissive sound and the screen shook again. “I’m fine. Good. Everything’s great. Had a great match and now it’s time to celebrate.”

 

Okay then. “Well, hey, we’ve got some things to discuss. For starters, I’ve been talking to Freddie and Tamara about what we need to do since we rose in prominence, and…well, it’s a lot. Apparently we need to upgrade just about everything. Our production values, the way we handle our live events, our broadcast quality, our music. Apparently there are expectations for how RFW is going to look now.”

 

“So what does that mean?”

 

“Lots of money, unfortunately. I don’t think we can do the music. According to my research, that would cost us $25,000 a month and there’s no way we can afford that. So I’m suggesting that we upgrade everything else and see how the money looks at the end of January.”

 

“Sounds good. How’s the money looking otherwise?”

 

I checked my notes. “Not too bad. We made a little over two grand, so we’re at $92,000 and some change.”

 

“Not too shabby.”

 

“I know. And we’re getting some good press as well. TEW named RFW its Most Improved Company of the Year. And one of us hit #432 in the Power 500.”

 

“No way! Who?”

 

I gave her a look. Who did she think it’d be? The guy who had been doing the job for other wrestlers in only one promotion, or the wrestler who was killing it in two different companies?

 

“Congratulations,” I said.

 

“Thanks,” she mumbled. “So what else?”

 

“Nothing in terms of business. I think we’re holding steady, all things considered.”

 

“So no Abigail tonight?”

 

“She’ll call me eventually. What about you? Mark couldn’t make it to Texas?”

 

“No.” Her voice was clipped and sharp, a definite sign she didn’t want to talk about it.

 

Okay then. We kept chatting for another hour or two. Eventually, Grace moved from her chair to the bed, where she stretched out and kept talking until she apparently drifted off. I waited to see if she’d wake up before signing off myself.

 

Abigail didn’t wind up calling me, but that was okay. I knew she was with her family and probably hadn’t been able to get away. I eventually went to bed and managed to fall asleep, although that was tricky. 2023 was right around the corner. Who knew what a new year would bring?

[Scapino1974]

From RFW.com...

 

It’s a new year of possibilities for TEW’s Most Improved Company of 2022. What can we expect at the first All In of the year?

 

• Texas Hangman will fight Quentin Queen
  
• The Kings will face off against The Good Ol’ Boys
  
• Joy Ryder, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart will take on Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellerton
  
• Grace “Diamond” Kil & the Uprising will face Modesty Pardor, DupliKate, and Ruby Reece
  
• Party On! Defends the RFW Tag Team Championship against The Scofield Index
  
• New RFW Champion Stuntman will fight James Diaz with the title on the line
  

[John Lions]

Texas Hangman will fight Quentin Queen

The Kings will face off against The Good Ol’ Boys

Joy Ryder, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart will take on Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellerton

Grace “Diamond” Kil & the Uprising will face Modesty Pardor, DupliKate, and Ruby Reece

Party On! Defends the RFW Tag Team Championship against The Scofield Index

New RFW Champion Stuntman will fight James Diaz with the title on the line

[Herrbear]

Texas Hangman will fight Quentin Queen

The Kings will face off against The Good Ol’ Boys

Joy Ryder, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart will take on Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellerton

Grace “Diamond” Kil & the Uprising will face Modesty Pardor, DupliKate, and Ruby Reece

Party On! Defends the RFW Tag Team Championship against The Scofield Index

New RFW Champion Stuntman will fight James Diaz with the title on the line

[Scapino1974]

QAW Titan Clash #105

Sunday of Week 1, January 2023

Held at the West Texas Coliseum (Mid South Region)

 

I knew that I should have my head in the game. I mean, Kira Lee and I had a match against the Pact (namely Mariana Torres and Raquel Alverado). And yeah, we were going to win and I was going to give it my all, but based on what Ace had been telling me about what was happening up north? I couldn’t wait for the next Thursday to get there. What would the new ring entrance look like? The stage? The ring? It was going to be so cool!

 

Thankfully, I had people to cover for my spacey nature. After all, QAW shared a bunch of workers with RFW. In between matches, Sarah and I talked about what RFW’s new status was going to mean for the future. Alice spent some time teasing me about getting my head out of the stars. But I think most everyone else seemed to understand.

 

Well, everyone but Farrah.

 

About ten minutes before my match started, I was doublechecking my outfit to make sure everything was in place. That’s when I heard someone cough behind me. When I turned around, Farrah regarded me coolly.

 

“Big night coming up, huh?” she said.

 

“Uh, yeah…I guess.” What was I supposed to say to that?

 

“You and Hart got big plans in the works?”

 

I shrugged. I supposed we did, but I didn’t want to say too much. First of all, ever since I started wrestling for QAW, I had let Ace run with most of the planning. And second, talking about it with the other girls was one thing. Sharing insider business plans with Farrah Hesketh seemed…disloyal. Unwise. Not something I wanted to do.

 

Once again, Farrah studied my face. “Well, I won’t keep you. Just make sure that when you’re with us, your head’s in this area code, not the 507, got it?”

 

I wanted to laugh at her. No one in Rochester referred to our area code like that. But I caught myself and nodded soberly.

 

Kira and I went on to defeated the Pact like we planned, but I’ll admit, I was still pretty distracted. Although, by the end of the night, I didn’t know if it was more from the big changes at RFW or Farrah’s cool demeanor.

[Theheel]

First off I’ve spent parts of the last week catching up on this diary. What a great story you have told over the first 3 years of RFW.

 

Texas Hangman will fight Quentin Queen

 

The Kings will face off against The Good Ol’ Boys

Will be interested to see how these guys do after some tension the last several months.

 

Joy Ryder, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart will take on Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellerton

Abby, Marie and Alice need a little more heat

 

Grace “Diamond” Kil & the Uprising will face Modesty Pardor, DupliKate, and Ruby Reece

Can Grace trust Talia & Selina? They get the win to match the others as we build to a big matchup soon.

 

Party On! Defends the RFW Tag Team Championship against The Scofield Index

The Index doesn’t seem to have much mo built up and since we just had a change the new champs probably retain.

 

New RFW Champion Stuntman will fight James Diaz with the title on the line

I’m a big Diaz fan but he keeps reaching for the big belt only to be denied. He gets it sometime this year but not quite yet.

 

Looking forward to the story continuing

[Peppermint Rage]

Texas Hangman will fight Quentin Queen

The Kings will face off against The Good Ol’ Boys

Joy Ryder, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart will take on Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, and Alice Pellerton

Grace “Diamond” Kil & the Uprising will face Modesty Pardor, DupliKate, and Ruby Reece

Party On! Defends the RFW Tag Team Championship against The Scofield Index

New RFW Champion Stuntman will fight James Diaz with the title on the line

[Scapino1974]

RFW All In

Thursday of Week 2, January 2023

Held at the Civic Center in Rochester, MN (Mid West Region)

Broadcast on WrestleWorld (28,194 viewers)

629 in attendance

 

New year, new set. A massive load of pyro went off at the ring entrance and driving music filled the arena as the show kicked off. Martin, Curt, and MC Motormouth welcomed the audience to the show.

 

1) And Puerto Rican Power started things off in the ring. He smirked contemptuously at the crowd.

 

“You see? You see what true leadership can accomplish? Last month, at the behest of Sarah Taylor, I committed myself to engage in a hostile takeover of Royal Flush Wrestling. It was clear to me that the old Power that Be had no idea what they were doing. After all, why is this promotion named after gambling? If we were in Vegas, that would make sense. But Rochester? It makes no sense. Better to call it Mayo Healthcare Grappling. Or Middle of a Cornfield Wrestling.”

 

Some of the audience booed at him, but he played it off.

 

“But look at the difference a few weeks have made! Under my management, we have already improved so much. Look at the arena. Doesn’t this feel like such an improvement from what you have seen? And I promise, more change is coming, change that the previous leaders of RFW were unwilling to—”

 

Unfamiliar music cut off Puerto Rican Power. People were confused for a moment until they saw who it was:

 

 

“What is Freddie Datsun doing?” Martin asked breathlessly.

 

Freddie got on the mic and waited for the fans to stop cheering for him. Once they settled down, he spoke:

 

“Power, you know I’ve got nothing but respect for you. You are a legend in this industry and rightfully so. Under any other circumstances, I’d be the first in line to shake your hand and welcome you to the RFW. But I’m not, and here’s why:

 

“Most people don’t know this, but I was the old ‘Powers that Be’ that everyone talked about. I was the one behind the scenes calling the shots. Making the matches. And yeah, I know that sometimes people didn’t like what I decided. But I was doing the best I could with what I had.

 

“And you know what? At first, I was okay with having someone else to help out. But you can’t claim the credit for where we are. The RFW was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the workers, not you. We’re here because of people like Fro Sure. Papa Swoll. Quentin Queen. Texas Hangman. Grace Kil.”

 

“You have a point, Freddie?” Power asked.

 

“Maybe you’ll help us. Maybe you won’t. But be respectful of the people who got us where we are,” Freddie said. “You might regret it if you don’t.”

 

RATING: 54

 

2) MINNESOTA AWESOME vs. THE HOT TAGGS

 

This may not have been the best match to start things off. Minnesota Awesome lived up to their name, but the Taggs were kind of struggling to keep up with them. The match itself was fairly by-the-numbers, with the Taggs cheating to try to win the match while Minnesota Awesome kept things above board. In the end, Minnesota Awesome hit a double flying elbows on Wolfie to pick up the win.

 

WINNERS: Minnesota Awesome in 10:22

RATING: 37

 

3) Backstage, Sherry Smart had set up shop with her crystal ball and tarot cards. A young woman who introduced herself as Erin Lopez showed up. She said she was hoping to join RFW as a wrestler. She wanted Sherry to look into her future and let her know how things would go.

 

Sherry seemed a little upset at the idea of Erin joining the company, but she dutifully started laying out tarot cards. She made thoughtful noises as she did so, before confidently predicting that Erin would definitely win her audition match tonight, that she would face Allie Perks, and that this would lead to Erin getting a contract.

 

But then someone cleared his throat and Puerto Rican Power stepped into the booth. He said that Sherry might claim to read the future, but he was the one who controlled everyone’s future. So he was making Erin’s debut match against Sarah Taylor, saying that if she didn’t win, she wouldn’t get a job.

 

As Erin scurried out of there, Power told Sherry to close up shop. She was in the next match after all. Or had she forgotten?

 

RATING: 35

 

4) JOY RIDER, SABRINA WELLS, & SHERRY SMART vs. ABIGAIL THOMPSON, MARIE PUNNEN, & ALICE PELLERTON

 

The announcers talked about how this unlikely alliance between Abigail, Marie, and Alice has formed over the past couple of months. Martin explained that one of the things Puerto Rican Power did after taking over last month was make a match with Abigail, Marie, and Alice facing off against Grace Kil, Selina Svelte, and Talia Quinzel next month. This match was a warm-up.

 

Joy and Sabrina seemed really focused on taking down their competitors. The fly in their ointment was Sherry, who looked positively lost out there. As for their competitors, even though it was clear that they were a little uncertain of what to do or how to work together, they were able to eventually gel as a team, blunting Joy’s high energy moves and Sabrina’s attacks. In the end, Abigail managed to get Sherry with a Fisherman’s suplex for the win.

 

WINNERS: Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, & Alice Pellerton in 9:31

RATING: 39

 

5) Stuntman is shining up his title belt when a shadow fell over him. Fro Sure glared down at him.

 

“I bet you think you’re really clever, don’t you? Coming in here, messing with Papa Swoll, getting him to give you a championship match. And now you’ve got the belt and you’re just happy as a clam, huh? Well, let me remind you of something, sunshine. That title is mine. I’ve held it the longest here in the RFW. So hold on to it while you can, because I’m coming for both it and you.”

 

Stuntman stared at him, then burst out laughing. “Fro—can I call you Fro?—listen. That speech was super scary and I’m sure that it sounded great in your head just now. But here’s the reality. The title isn’t going anywhere. Especially not tonight. Because you and that has-been Papa Swoll are fighting the Good Ol’ Boys tonight while I’m facing off against James Diaz. So…yeah. I’m not too worried about losing anything just yet.”

 

RATING: 51

 

6) THE KINGS vs. THE GOOD OL’ BOYS

 

For and Papa Swoll made their way out to the ring. Swoll was his usual laid-back self, almost as though he wasn’t at all upset about losing his title. He tried to get Fro to dance and have some fun, but Fro wasn’t having it. He was clearly focused on taking down the Good Ol’ Boys.

 

Cockroach and Adrian were not ready for Fro’s intensity and I think it may have spooked them a little. At least, that’s what Curt said, especially when Cockroach accidentally tripped up Fro and sent him face-first into a ring post. It was pretty clear that Fro got legitimately injured, but he waved off the ref and kept after Cockroach. Cockroach eventually tagged in Adrian, but Fro was ready for him, hitting him with a Sure Thing almost immediately and getting the pin.

 

“That was crazy, man!” MC Motormouth said. “You’d’ve thought this was a handicap match. Fro didn’t tag Swoll in once!”

 

WINNERS: The Kings in 12:21

RATING: 36

 

7) Texas Hangman came out to the ring. He got on the mic and said that so far as he was concerned, he was done with Wild Red Stallion. “I don’t know what his problem was with me, and right now, I don’t care. I put him down. I ended things. So far as I’m concerned, justice has been served by the Hangman.”

 

RATING: 41

 

8) TEXAS HANGMAN vs. QUENTIN QUEEN

 

Quentin didn’t seem all that concerned as he came out to the ring, even though the Hangman was clearly focused and determined to take out some latent aggression on him. As a matter of fact, in the first few minutes of the match, Quentin was clearly toying with Hangman, mocking his stern attitude and demeanor.

 

But a big boot to the face quickly snapped Quentin out of his joking mood. Before too long, a real match was under way, with Quentin trying to put the big man down quickly and cleanly. Hangman wasn’t having it; he kept fighting even after a near fall.

 

Toward the end of the match, Hangman started to rally and it looked like he was going to win the whole thing. But then Wild Red Stallion charged out of the back. Quentin saw him coming and quickly distracted the ref. That allowed Wild Red Stallion to attack Hangman from behind. Stallion rocked Hangman back and Quentin quickly caught him and dropped him with the Q-Ball.

 

WINNER: Quentin Queen in 12:45

RATING: 38

 

9) PARTY ON! © vs. THE SCOFIELD INDEX for the RFW Tag Team Championship

 

The champs came out to great fanfare, playing air guitar and generally having a good time. Scofield came out looking a bit amused by all of their antics.

 

All of that was set aside as soon as the bell rang. The two teams tore into each other and it was an okay match. At least it was until Pepper botched an atomic drop on Charlie Corner. Charlie looked like he may have been legitimately hurt, but he soldiered through. He then tagged in Chip just as Pepper tagged in Jerry. The two clashed in the middle of the ring, but Chip managed to Super Kick Jerry almost out of his boots, picking up the pin and the win.

 

WINNERS: Party On! in 9:48

RATING: 28

 

10) James Diaz appeared in a darkened room somewhere in the Civic Center. He spoke ominously about his upcoming match against Stuntman.

 

“You have clearly established yourself as someone to be feared and respected here in the RFW. But I feel I should remind you that monsters lurk around every corner. Some, like me, are obvious. But some are monsters of your own making. Beware, Stuntman. Your reign as champ might be shorter lived than you imagined.”

 

RATING: 38

 

11) ERIN LOPEZ vs. SARAH TAYLOR

 

This was a throw-away match and obviously so. Erin was okay as a wrestler, but everyone knew that she wasn’t seriously being considered for a spot on the roster. Her only job was to make Sarah look good, and from that perspective, she did her job admirably. Sarah took her seriously as a competitor, but it was clearly no contest. Sarah eventually put Erin out of her misery with a Newton’s Cradle.

 

WINNER: Sarah Taylor in 12:25

RATING: 51

 

12) GRACE “DIAMOND” KIL & THE UPRISING vs. MODESTY PARDOR, RUBY REECE, & DUPLIKATE

 

Once again, Martin explained that this was a chance for this new team to “kick the tires” before next month’s big match. Unlike the first match, it was pretty clear that Grace, Selina, and Talia had spent some time working out some cooperative strategies. They looked a whole lot more cohesive as a team until finally, Selina picked up the win on Modesty with a Prawn Armlock.

 

WINNERS: Grace “Diamond” Kil & The Uprising in 14:03

RATING: 51

 

13) STUNTMAN © vs. JAMES DIAZ for the RFW Championship

 

Stuntman seemed completely unconcerned as James made his way out to the ring. Much to Martin’s surprise, the Monster’s Court was not with him. James seemed just as collected as Stuntman.

 

The match started slowly enough, with the two of them circling each other and making feints in each other’s direction. Then they locked up in the middle of the match and really took each other to new heights. The crowd really got into the fight, with two groups cheering on each competitor.

 

But then, as it looked like Stuntman was about to sew up the win, Fro Sure vaulted the security railing and rolled into the ring. He attacked Stuntman with the title belt and the ref immediately called for the bell, ending the match.

 

WINNER: Stuntman by DQ in 14:46

RATING: 49

 

***

 

Not a great start for a new year. Fro had a fractured cheekbone and Charlie had a bruised tailbone. And from what the Posse told me, folks weren’t thrilled about the music choices. They loved the new set, the new production values, everything, but they felt that the music just didn’t match anything else.

 

But still, we had a decnet first show of the year. I made sure to thank Freddie, Stuntman, and James for their great performances.

 

Now all we had to do is see if we made enough money to keep this up.

 

FINAL RATING: 48

 

From RFW.com...

 

Here are the quick results from tonighit's All In

 

Minnesota Awesome defeated The Hot Taggs

Abigail Thompson, Marie Punnen, & Alice Pellerton defeated Joy Rider, Sabrina Wells, and Sherry Smart

The Kings defeated The Good Ol' Boys

Quentin Queen defeated Texas Hangman

Party On! © defeated The Scofield Index to retain the RFW Tag Team Championship

Sarah Taylor defeated Erin Lopez

Grace "Diamond" Kil & The Uprising defeated Modesty Pardor, Ruby Reece, & DupliKate

Stuntman © defeated James Diaz by DQ to retain the RFW Championship

[Theheel]

Might be a tough month on finances with the rise up. Attendance was up but viewership was down on WrestleWorld. With the increase costs and a big check (assumed) going to Power I’ll be interested to see how RFW did.