ShadowedFlames Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THERE ARE TWO **** MATCHES ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY. TWO (2) **** MATCHES IN ONE SHOW. THE ACTUAL MATCH OF THE NIGHT RUNS FOR ABOUT 23 MINUTES. EDITED TO ALSO ADD: While I will only do commentary for the actual MOTN, y'all will be getting two additional matches with full game log play-by-play. One is the other four-star match, the other will remain a mystery for now. Edited February 21 by ShadowedFlames 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMcG Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Money’s on Monty/Hida, but zero chance that goes 23mins 😂 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croquemitaine Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 WEEK SEVEN CARD ALPHA DIVISION (1) Nuclear Templeton (5-1, OVR 552) vs. (5) Brian Blackfield (3-3, OVR 577) - That wall everyone says Blackfield is going to hit? It's name is Nuclear Templeton. (2) George Mastachas (4-2, OVR 542) vs. (3) Jean-Paul Ouilette (4-2, OVR 536) - JPO has earned my respect, but defending champion is still defending champion. (4) Brandy McDonald (3-3, OVR 530) vs. (6) Mel O'Hallister (3-3, OVR 540) - They've been trading wins, and it's Brandy's turn. (8) The Mastodon (1-5, OVR 528) vs. (7) De'siree Mitchell (1-5, OVR 507) - I wanted to pick Mitchell here, but I suspect an adrenaline rush will be the difference maker. BETA DIVISION (3) Christian Priest (4-2, OVR 588) vs. (6) Reverend Johnny Gross (3-3, OVR 517) - I predict a glorious evening for the First Church. Possibly even a return to MOTN territory? (7) Blood River (1-5, OVR 507) vs. (5) Billy Norris (3-3, OVR 523) - This time it's River's turn. (8) Angela Wassermann (1-5, OVR 482) vs. (2) Yoshii Nakamatsu (4-2, OVR 526) - Wassermann always puts up a good fight and always loses. Maybe a spell in Gamma will rejuvenate her career. (4) Pulsar (3-3, OVR 492) vs. (1) Lucas Molina (5-1, OVR 497) - Pulsar is on an impressive run, but he's about to be grounded. GAMMA DIVISION (1) Monty Dhillon (6-0, OVR 546) vs. (2) Kichi Hida (5-1, OVR 482) - By all rights this should be a clash of two undefeated wrestlers. I give Monty the edge because he's actually more versatile. (8) Terrance Stevens (1-5, OVR 491) vs. (3) Diego Rodriguez (4-2, OVR 524) - Both need it, but Rodriguez is just better. (4) Markus Clay (3-3, OVR 491) vs. (7) Indigo Rose (1-5, OVR 498) - Absolute must-win for Rose, but Clay's been making the most of his relegation reprieve. HARDCORE MATCH: (6) Lance Heartilly (2-4, OVR 453) vs. (5) Big Scott Weathers (2-4, OVR 500) - Both men are still too close to the relegation zone for comfort. Could go either way. DELTA DIVISION (6) Diamond (3-3, OVR 492) vs. (7) Mickey Steele (2-4, OVR 410) - Optimism springs eternal! (3) Nocturne (4-2, OVR 445) vs. (5) Scott Stevens (3-3, OVR 431) - A few weeks ago I'd have said this was a lock for Nocturne. Now I'm not so sure. (2) Leon de Ramos (4-2, OVR 418) vs. (4) Sterling Silver (3-3, OVR 457) - Going with experience. (1) Rock Sheridan (5-1, OVR 423) vs. (8) George Stevens (0-6, OVR 403) - Two rookies heading in opposite directions. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 (edited) I am putting predictions in my spreadsheet from what’s currently in the thread. On 2/20/2024 at 11:07 AM, SeanMcG said: (1) Rock Sheridan (5-1, OVR 423) vs. (8) George Stevens (0-6, OVR 403) [First Career Matchup] - Big Ol' Hoss Fight. Picking the biggest hoss with hair @SeanMcG, you still haven’t made the pick official even though I can tell you’re picking Rock. On 2/18/2024 at 6:20 PM, Jman2k3 said: (1) Nuclear Templeton (5-1, OVR 552) vs. (5) Brian Blackfield (3-3, OVR 577) [First Career Matchup] (2) George Mastachas (4-2, OVR 542) vs. (3) Jean-Paul Ouilette (4-2, OVR 536) [First Career Matchup] (4) Brandy McDonald (3-3, OVR 530) vs. (6) Mel O'Hallister (3-3, OVR 540) [Career: Tied 2 - 2] (8) The Mastodon (1-5, OVR 528) vs. (7) De'siree Mitchell (1-5, OVR 507) [Career: The Mastodon, 4 - 2] @Jman2k3, just FYI, you currently have no picks in the entire Alpha Division. EDIT: So…I might have something worthy of replying to the First Church of Wrestling. Expect something later this afternoon local time. Edited February 22 by ShadowedFlames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 The Man Behind the Pulpit [FADE IN: CHURCH INTERIOR. Once again, the piped-in recording of Rescue the Perishing on pipe organ is heard. Instead of being zoomed out to start, the camera is instead focused on a tight shot of the altar and pulpit, where REVEREND JOHNNY GROSS stands in full pastor regalia, calmly staring at the camera. The music fades to silence before GROSS addresses the camera directly.] REVEREND JOHNNY GROSS I speak these words to the man who styles himself as the head of the First Church of Wrestling. I speak these words to the man who grovels at the feet of the false idol, Maven Deltzer, and seeks supplication in the form of match rating stars. I speak these words to the man I named a heretic just five months ago. I speak these words to you, Christian Priest, and to you, Pastor Abe Richards. I speak not as a preacher, though I dress as one now, for the truths of the LORD thy God fall on deafened ears when they are addressed to you. I will not unleash a sermon, for you refuse to listen. I speak not as a wrestler, for my actions will speak for me this weekend when our paths finally cross in the squared circle. I will not cut a full-on wrestling promo on you, because you do not deserve as such from me. Instead…I speak to you, as a man, to reply to the very words you wrote to drag me down to your depths. You think that I drowned in the deep waters, that I rose above my position and a Faustian deal has corrupted me. That my position in the Alpha Division was “ripped away” by Brian Blackfield. No, sir. For you see…I knew last season, even as I wrestled my first match in the Alpha Division since Season Eight. It was not my time yet. I was placed in the position I was to ensure that those who would follow would be deemed worthy, something that could not be claimed of anyone in Season Nine’s Beta Division. Myself included. No, I knew I was coming in as a person to fill out the roster and nothing more. There was little chance of success against the likes of Templeton, McDonald, and Mastachas with the form they were in. So…no. I still competed as best as I could, and was found wanting. That was to be expected, as I was cast back into Beta. Brian Blackfield has nothing to do with ripping a spot from me. He won his division cleanly; there was nothing I did to shape the events there in any manner. Your delusions deceive you, Christian, for there is no strife between Blackfield and myself. We were as two ships passing in the night, our paths crossing but never coming together, as he moved into Alpha and I back into Beta. But, I knew once again that I had been put here, this time in the Beta Division, for a reason. That reason was you, Christian. You see…while the LORD may say that vengeance is His, I admit that I am a man, and flawed in the eyes of the LORD. Vengeance, or even revenge, may be the LORD’S…but being the one to show you that you are not ready for Alpha? No, Christian. That is not vengeance. That is not revenge. That is some good, old-fashioned comeuppance. So, please. Choose violence. Choose destruction. Choose to not show mercy. For you will find none in my presence. Five months ago, I named you damned, in a sermon that would be prophetic as you failed to reach the finals of Tag Team Turmoil. This weekend, there is no avoiding what is to come. This weekend, Christian Priest, you will find that when the doors to the First Church of Wrestling open, I will be the first one waiting to enter. Not to bow to the whims of the false idol Maven Deltzer, nor to threaten you with mere words in the face of a maelstrom of violence, and not to show Pastor Richards how a proper sermon should be conducted. I do not come to visit another place of worship as the Right Reverend Johnathan W. Gross, pastor of the Upper Grove Gospel Tabernacle. No. I come to the First Church of Wrestling with a single goal in mind: to tear it down, blow by blow, brick by brick. I come simply as Johnny Gross, professional wrestler…and I come to show you, Christian, that you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. For if you think my God--our God--has chosen you over me…what does it mean when you lie in the center of the ring, a beaten and broken man and hearing the angelic voice call from the heavens “Here is your winner…Reverend Johnny Gross?” It means that your false idols damn you to a fate worse than hellfire, Christian. It means they condemn you to mere mediocrity…a more fitting punishment for the man who believes he can outwrestle the LORD thy God Himself. [GROSS continues to stare into the camera, unblinking for a few more seconds before the camera slowly FADES TO BLACK.] 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 24 Author Share Posted February 24 THE LEAGUE: SEASON ELEVEN, WEEK SEVEN DELTA DIVISION (1) Rock Sheridan (5-1, OVR 423) (Favorite. 59.23%) vs. (8) George Stevens (0-6, OVR 403) Many presumed this was a foregone conclusion. After all, Sheridan was leading the division and George had yet to pick up a win. This match ended up playing the complete opposite of that. Stevens managed to get the bulk of the offense in this one, surprising Rock and putting him on the back foot early. While Stevens would not be able to connect with the Texas Size Slam, he did hit a piledriver on at least two occasions to soften Sheridan up for the eventual low blow that put the giant down for three. First match of the night, and already an upset! George Stevens (1-6) def. Rock Sheridan (5-2) via Pinfall (low blow) in 7:28. Rating: ** Changes for George Stevens: OVR + 3.37, XP + 483.58, no notable damage Changes for Rock Sheridan: OVR + 0.38, XP + 120.9, no notable damage DELTA DIVISION (2) Leon de Ramos (4-2, OVR 418) vs. (Favorite, 51.46%) (4) Sterling Silver (3-3, OVR 457) An early Match of the Night contender, and deservedly so. This was back and forth throughout. Silver would get to a lead, only for de Ramos to fight back and take a slight edge himself, only for Silver to respond in kind. Leon seemed ready for a lot of Silver’s high-speed offense as he avoided a couple slingshot moves and almost constantly had an answer for Silver’s top turnbuckle offense. However, after Silver stunned him with a top rope bulldog, she followed it up with her 450, and earned her fourth win of the season to tighten the race in the upper half of the Delta Division! Sterling Silver (4-3) def. Leon de Ramos (4-3) via Pinfall (On Wings of Silver) in 12:21. Rating: *** Changes for Sterling Silver: OVR + 4.82, XP + 526.42, minor damage to head Changes for Leon de Ramos: OVR + 1.22, XP + 131.61, minor damage to head DELTA DIVISION (3) Nocturne (4-2, OVR 445) (Favorite, 56.70%) vs. (5) Scott Stevens (3-3, OVR 431) With the upset at the start of the show, the door was open for Nocturne to claim the Delta Division lead at the halfway point…if she could defeat the brother of the man who gifted her this opportunity, that is. Stevens was looking to add to the logjam in the center of the division; if he won there would be four people tied at 4-3 with a possible fifth to be added. This ended up being competitive, but not terribly exciting, as Nocturne looked to whittle down the much larger Stevens. The Scorpion hit a Toxic Sting about eight minutes in, but he was unable to capitalize on the opening. Nocturne, though, had no troubles in applying the Midnight Solstice on the first go, and with the submission victory, it is Nocturne who will enter Tag Team Turmoil as the leader of the Delta Division! Nocturne (5-2) def. Scott Stevens (3-4) via Submission (Midnight Solstice) in 11:53. Rating: ** Changes for Nocturne: OVR + 3.59, XP + 485.70, no notable damage Changes for Scott Stevens: OVR + 0.41, XP + 121.43, minor damage to head DELTA DIVISION (6) Diamond (3-3, OVR 492) (Favorite, 51.35%) vs. (7) Mickey Steele (2-4, OVR 410) In a fair and just world, this would have been over about seven minutes in. In a fair and just world, Mickey Steele would have pressed the tremendous advantage he had from the opening bell and scored the win. However, we do not live in a fair and just world, which is why men like Mickey Steele are constantly employed—to try to bring Steele Justice to the corrupt in this world. It is because we do not live in a fair and just world that Diamond found a way to come back from the precipice of defeat and stun Steele with a Jawjacker to score the quick pinfall, when Steele had the match dead to rights just minutes before. Diamond (4-3) def. Mickey Steele (2-5) via Pinfall (Jawjacker) in 11:57. Rating: ** Changes for Diamond: OVR + 3.6, XP + 485.74, moderate damage to head Changes for Mickey Steele: OVR + 0.41, XP + 121.43, no notable damage GAMMA DIVISION HARDCORE MATCH (6) Lance Heartilly (2-4, OVR 453) (Favorite, 52.44%) vs. (5) Big Scott Weathers (2-4, OVR 500) Heartilly started out decently enough in this one, but after a lengthy Weathers series of offense, Lance struggled to get back into the matchup. Many say the actual end of the match came at the nine-minute mark, when Weathers went into his tights and blasted Heartilly with a brass knuckle punch. It took Heartilly a good forty seconds to even get some semblance of awareness back, even as he tried to fight back on ato-pilot, and by then it was too late. Weathers threw on the sleeper hold and that was all for Lance, as Weathers picks up a critical win in the lower half of the Gamma Division. Big Scott Weathers (3-4) def. Lance Heartilly (2-5) via Submission (Welcome to Dreamland) in 10:29. Rating: ** Changes for Big Scott Weathers: OVR + 3.52, XP + 557.79, no notable damage Changes for Lance Heartilly: OVR + 0.40, XP + 139.45, minor damage to head GAMMA DIVISION (4) Markus Clay (3-3, OVR 491) vs. (Favorite, 55.69%) (7) Indigo Rose (1-5, OVR 498) At least for one night, Indigo Rose fans got to see Season Ten Rose perform once again. She dominated this one from the opening bell in a complete one-sided squash. Clay never even got out of the starting blocks before Rose decided that failing to apply her submission finisher once was enough and nearly drove Clay’s head through the mat instead. Indigo Rose (2-5) def. Markus Clay (3-4) via Pinfall (full nelson legsweep) in 10:17. Rating: * Changes for Indigo Rose: OVR + 2.34, XP + 511.20, no notable damage Changes for Markus Clay: OVR -0.39, XP + 127.80, minor damage to head and legs BETA DIVISION (4) Pulsar (3-3, OVR 492) vs. (Favorite, 61.55%) (1) Lucas Molina (5-1, OVR 497) Now, those of you who skipped ahead and saw the match rating are probably asking yourself, “HOW is this not Match of the Night?” To which the author says, “keep reading.” For being as high-rated as it was, this was a rather short and fast-paced match. Lucas had no trouble playing defense against the speed of Pulsar, and the luchador likewise was able to weather the best holds that Molina could throw out in succession. Pulsar’s last chance at offense came at the seven-and-a-half-minute mark, as he countered Molina’s attempt at the Puerto Rican Pinch with a legsweep. Despite this, the luchador was unable to get to the turnbuckles fast enough, allowing Molina the chance to go on the offensive. With only one mistake that amounted to nothing in the end, Molina would not relinquish control of the match for the remainder. Over four minutes of grinding technical offense later, focused mainly on the legs of his opponent, Molina applied the Maunabo Crab and finally got the submission to seal the deal on the win. This ensures that Molina will be the Beta Division leader after this week, and that he is in the driver’s seat for promotion to the top flight! Lucas Molina (6-1) def. Pulsar (3-4) via Submission (Maunabo Crab) in 11:53. Rating: **** Changes for Lucas Molina: OVR + 5.99, XP + 736.65, minor damage to head Changes for Pulsar: OVR + 2.01, XP + 184.16, minor damage to head and legs Quote For the sake of posterity, here is this match’s in game play-by-play in its entirety: Pulsar vs. Lucas Molina (00:00) *** The match began (00:07) Pulsar hit an Estacas (00:14) Pulsar hit a Knee Pull (00:18) Molina fought back against being picked up (00:34) Molina applied a Top Wrist Lock To Hammerlock (00:41) Molina hit a Rear Amateur Takedown (00:45) Pulsar broke a Legdrop To Arm (00:49) Molina blocked a Lucha Swinging Arm Drag (00:57) Pulsar hit a Lucha Swinging Arm Drag (01:03) Molina got a rope break to stop a Knee Pull (01:10) Pulsar hit a Legsweep Kick (01:14) Pulsar hit a Knee Drop (01:24) Pulsar picked up Molina (01:31) Pulsar hit a Legsweep Kick (01:39) Pulsar picked up Molina (01:46) Pulsar hit an Estacas (01:55) Pulsar picked up Molina (02:02) Pulsar hit an Arm Drag (02:11) Lucas Molina moved out of the way from a Running Senton. (02:16) Pulsar broke a Rear Chinlock (02:22) Molina avoided a Springboard Clothesline. (02:25) Molina hit a Forearm Blow (02:32) Molina hit a Single Leg Trip (02:52) Molina applied a Rear Chinlock (02:59) Molina hit a Legdrop To Arm (03:13) Molina applied an Arm Bar (03:20) Pulsar countered a Legdrop with a Legsweep Kick (03:30) Pulsar climbed the turnbuckles (03:40) Pulsar hit a Top Rope Flying Forearm Strike (03:47) Pulsar used a Lucha Senton Pin (03:52) Pulsar got a two count (03:56) Molina blocked a Flying Inverted Rana (04:04) Pulsar hit a Flying Rana (04:11) Pulsar hit a Half Senton (04:18) Pulsar climbed the turnbuckles (04:26) Pulsar hit a Second Rope Knee Drop (04:35) Lucas Molina moved out of the way from a Quebrada. (04:39) Molina hit a Knee Drop (04:53) Molina applied a Body Scissors (05:02) Pulsar moved out of the way from a Measured Knee Drop after both wrestlers failed in their attacks. (05:06) Pulsar hit a Measured Knee Drop (05:14) Lucas Molina moved out of the way from a Running Half Senton. (05:21) Molina hit a Knee Pull (05:25) Molina hit a Knee Drop (05:39) Molina applied a Knee Bar (05:47) Pulsar got a rope break to stop a Knee Pull (05:52) Pulsar blocked a Swinging Neckbreaker (05:56) Pulsar blocked a Standing Arm Bar (06:06) Pulsar hit a Springboard Clothesline (06:10) Pulsar hit a Running Knee Drop (06:19) Pulsar hit a Springboard Splash (06:23) Pulsar got a one count (06:30) Pulsar hit a DDT (06:47) Pulsar hit a Quebrada (06:55) Lucas Molina moved out of the way from a Springboard Guillotina. (07:02) Molina hit a Knee Pull (07:16) Molina applied a Knee Bar (07:23) Pulsar countered a Puerto Rican Pinch with a Legsweep Kick (07:27) Molina fought back as Pulsar tried to climb the turnbuckles (07:53) Pulsar gets taken down, and Lucas Molina has that Juey de Tierra locked in... (08:15) And Pulsar gets sent to the canvas courtesy of a Puerto Rican Legsweep! (08:29) Molina applied a Knee Bar (08:34) Pulsar broke a Molina Heel Hook (08:38) Molina blocked a Lucha Spinning DDT (08:47) Molina avoided a Springboard Rana. (08:57) Molina hit a Belly To Belly Suplex (09:17) Molina goes to the leg, and has his patented Heel Hook locked in on Molina! (09:28) Molina got a near submission (09:54) Lucas Molina with a trademark Patillas Leglock, and Pulsar has to fight to get out if it! (10:05) Molina got a near submission (10:12) Molina hit a Knee Plant (10:20) Molina picked up Pulsar (10:30) Pulsar just received some cold Greetings from San Juan! (10:36) Molina picked up Pulsar (11:02) Lucas Molina with a trademark Patillas Leglock, and Pulsar has to fight to get out if it! (11:16) Molina got a near submission (11:42) Lucas Molina has got Pulsar held up in the Maunabo Crab! (11:53) *** Molina submitted Pulsar BETA DIVISION (8) Angela Wassermann (1-5, OVR 482) vs. (Favorite, 75.66%) (2) Yoshii Nakamatsu (4-2, OVR 526) Angela Wassermann cannot seem to catch a break this season. The first eight minutes were mostly in her favor—she had Yoshii near the range for her cross arm breaker, had barely taken any offensive strikes herself, and looked ready to end the match at any moment. But a series of mis-timed strikes opened the door for Nakamatsu, and he would not squander the opportunity. It only took him three minutes to set Wassermann up for the DEVASTATION Knee, and that would be enough to keep her down for the count. Wassermann pulls defeat from the jaws of victory, and Yoshii remains hot on the heels of the division leader, Lucas Molina! Yoshii Nakamatsu (5-2) def. Angela Wassermann (1-6) via Pinfall (DEVASTATION Knee) in 11:47. Rating: ** Changes for Yoshii Nakamatsu: OVR + 3.59, XP + 631.35, minor damage to head Changes for Angela Wassermann: OVR + 0.41, XP + 157.84, minor damage to head GAMMA DIVISION (8) Terrance Stevens (1-5, OVR 491) vs. (Favorite, 66.57%) (3) Diego Rodriguez (4-2, OVR 524) If this isn’t a first, it’s still a complete rarity for the author. How often does the game explicitly say that this was nothing more than a lengthy squash, and still give the match a two-star rating? The author can only think it got that rating due to the sheer doggedness of Rodriguez, who went from judo leglock to stump puller to another judo leglock to a judo arm lock before finally applying a Discordant Melody. By then it’s no wonder Stevens tapped out, he was nearly a full Gordian Knot at that point! Diego Rodriguez (5-2) def. Terrance Stevens (1-6) via Submission (Discordant Melody) in 10:15. Rating: ** Changes for Diego Rodriguez: OVR + 3.51, XP + 557.66, no notable damage Changes for Terrance Stevens: OVR + 0.40, XP + 139.41, minor damage to head and legs BETA DIVISION (7) Blood River (1-5, OVR 507) vs. (Favorite, 65.97%) (5) Billy Norris (3-3, OVR 523) There was almost a sense of common knowledge for this one—the first one to allow his opponent to utilize the ropes for springboards and slingshots was going to lose the match. Both men seemed to realize that and came out swinging. It was Norris who started to get the upper hand, despite River’s best efforts. Sure enough, River was worn down enough first, and before River could do the same to Norris, the Aussie had come off the rope for a springboard splash, only netting one on the exchange, and a springboard senton followed a stump piledriver. That would be enough to keep River down for three, and allow Norris to enter the midpoint of the season with a winning record! Billy Norris (4-3) def. Blood River (1-6) via Pinfall (springboard senton bomb) in 7:53. Rating: ** Changes for Billy Norris: OVR + 3.39, XP + 628.92, no notable damage Changes for Blood River: OVR + 0.38, XP + 157.23, minor damage to head ALPHA DIVISION (8) The Mastodon (1-5, OVR 528) (Favorite, 61.69%) vs. (7) De'siree Mitchell (1-5, OVR 507) Frankie Garnett: Okay, Bob, I’m conflicted. Bob Sinclair: How so, Frankie? Frankie Garnett: On one hand, this is a match with the bottom two people in a division, which means it’s not one I’m interested in. On the other, it’s De’siree Mitchell, who has been putting out banger after banger each week this season, in a pace that would bring honor to the First Church of Wrestling a couple of seasons ago. Bob Sinclair: And the whole idea of “just doing your job” doesn’t fit here? Frankie Garnett: No, no it does. It’s just that I find it difficult to get invested in a mid-season match with the bottom-most people in a division. It’s more exciting closer to the end of the season. Bob Sinclair: So…you’re advocating for shorter seasons? Frankie Garnett: No! I’m advocating for more interesting things to happen in the middle of a season to keep my interest going through matches like these! Bob Sinclair: …you do realize the boss watches the shows, right? Frankie Garnett: Of course I do! That’s why I’m saying it, so he can take notes! Bob Sinclair: Folks, let’s just get to the ring before Frankie says something that is going to get him fired live on YouTube. Quote (00:16) Mitchell hit an Arm Wringer Smash (00:23) Mitchell hit a Snap Mare Takedown (00:32) Mastodon got a rope break to stop a Body Scissors (00:37) Mastodon broke an Inverted Drop Toe Hold (00:40) Mastodon hit a Punch (00:54) Mastodon applied a Side Headlock (01:04) Mitchell got a rope break to stop a Front Facelock (01:13) Mitchell avoided a Running Clothesline. (01:20) Mitchell hit a Single Leg Trip (01:24) Mitchell hit a Stomp (01:31) Mitchell hit a Legdrop To Arm (01:35) Mitchell hit a Stomp (01:42) Mitchell hit a Knee Pull (01:49) Mitchell hit a Legdrop To Arm (01:53) Mitchell hit an Elbow Drop On Knee (01:57) Mastodon rolled through an Arm Bar (02:07) Mitchell avoided a Forearm Blow. (02:14) Mitchell hit a Side Headlock Takedown (02:22) Mastodon got a rope break to stop a Body Scissors (02:27) Mastodon broke a Snap Mare Takedown (02:30) Mastodon hit a Punch (02:37) Mastodon hit a Running Clothesline (02:42) Mitchell rolled through an Arm Bar (02:56) Mitchell applied a Side Headlock (03:03) Mitchell hit a Snap Mare Takedown (03:07) Mastodon broke an Elbow Drop On Knee (03:14) Mitchell avoided a Kick To Thigh. (03:28) Mitchell applied an Arm Wringer (03:32) Mitchell hit a Headbutt (03:39) Mitchell hit a Single Leg Trip (03:48) The Mastodon moved out of the way from an Elbow Drop. (03:52) Mitchell rolled through an Arm Bar (03:56) Mitchell hit a Headbutt (03:59) Mitchell hit a Jab Punch (04:03) Mitchell hit an Open Handed Chop (04:06) Mitchell hit a Punch (04:13) Mitchell hit a Single Leg Trip (04:17) Mitchell hit a Leaping Elbow Drop (04:32) Mitchell hit a Stomp Flurry (04:39) Mitchell hit a Knee Pull (04:50) Mitchell hit a Mounted Punch Flurry Frankie Garnett: Bob, how often have we seen The Mastodon just be utterly manhandled and bombarded like this? Bob Sinclair: Not often at all, Frankie, which is surprising that an opponent smaller than him in Mitchell is getting away with it here. Frankie Garnett: If he doesn’t get his head in the game quick, Bob, this could be a short night! Quote (04:54) Mitchell hit a Measured Knee Drop (04:58) Mitchell hit a Leaping Elbow Drop (05:08) Mastodon avoided a Stomp Flurry. (05:12) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (05:15) Mastodon hit a Forearm Blow (05:19) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (05:22) Mastodon hit a Forearm Blow (05:30) Mitchell got a rope break to stop a Front Facelock (05:33) Mastodon hit a Punch (05:47) Mastodon applied a Front Facelock (05:50) Mastodon hit a Punch (06:04) Mastodon applied a Front Facelock (06:11) Mastodon hit a Running Clothesline (06:29) Mastodon hit a Slingshot To Corner (06:37) Mitchell very easily avoided a Corner Knife Edge Chop. (06:44) Mitchell hit a Corner Elbow (07:02) Mitchell hit a Corner Ten Punch (07:09) Mitchell hit a Corner Forearm Blow (07:27) Mitchell hit a Corner Stomp Flurry (07:31) Mitchell hit a Leaping Elbow Drop (07:38) Mitchell used a Spirit Roar (07:51) Mitchell used a Stalk Grounded Enemy (07:57) Mitchell hit a Roundhouse Punch (08:04) Mitchell hit a Women's DDT (08:13) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (08:18) Mastodon slipped out the front of a Japanese Power DDT (08:21) Mastodon hit a Kick To Gut (08:25) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (08:29) Mastodon hit an Open Handed Chop (08:39) Mitchell very easily avoided a Stomp. (08:46) Mitchell hit a Women's DDT (08:53) Mitchell used a Slit Throat Motion (09:07) Mitchell used a Get Up Taunt (09:13) Mitchell hit a Roundhouse Punch (09:17) Mastodon countered a Spinning Back Fist with an Open Handed Chop (09:22) Mitchell blocked an Elbow Drop On Knee (09:26) Mitchell slipped out the front of a Side Headlock (09:33) Mitchell hit a Running Knee Lift (09:38) Mastodon blocked a Short Arm Knee Lift (09:50) Mitchell hit a Triple Forearm Blow (09:55) Mastodon fought back against being picked up (09:59) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (10:13) Mastodon applied a Side Headlock (10:16) Mastodon hit a Forearm Blow (10:23) Mastodon hit a Running Clothesline Bob Sinclair: It only took about ten minutes, but Mastodon is finally showing some signs of life in this match. Frankie Garnett: I don’t want to claim “too little too late,” Bob. Not when Mastodon has an adrenaline rush as well that, while not as potent as The Juggernaut’s, is still capable of being unleashed at the right moment. But it’s quickly approaching that point. Quote (10:27) Mitchell blocked a Knee Bar (10:41) Mastodon applied a Front Facelock (10:44) Mastodon hit a Forearm Blow (10:58) Mastodon applied a Side Headlock (11:05) Mastodon hit a Running Clothesline (11:11) Mitchell very easily avoided a Stomp Flurry. (11:15) Mastodon countered a Roundhouse Body Punch with a Kick To Thigh (11:20) Mitchell broke a Biel Throw (11:27) Mastodon avoided a Spinning Back Fist. (11:37) Mastodon hit a Samoan Drop (11:41) Mitchell broke a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (11:46) Mastodon broke a Women's Face Plant (12:02) Mastodon hit Trapping Headbutts (12:09) De'siree Mitchell very easily moved out of the way from a Posing Elbow Drop. (12:16) Mastodon avoided a Stomp Flurry. (12:23) Mastodon hit a Running Forearm Blow (12:38) Mastodon hit a Stomp Flurry (12:47) De'siree Mitchell very easily moved out of the way from a Posing Elbow Drop. (12:55) Mitchell hit a Stomp To Groin (12:59) Mastodon broke a Mounted Punch Flurry (13:15) Mastodon hit a Standing Spinebuster (13:19) Mastodon hit a Running Knee Drop (13:25) Mastodon picked up Mitchell (13:29) Mitchell broke an Over Shoulder Backbreaker Drop (13:43) Mitchell applied a Top Wrist Lock (13:50) Mitchell hit a Knee Plant (13:57) Mitchell hit a Running Forearm Blow (14:07) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (14:17) The Mastodon just nearly got cut in half by the All Out Blitz of De'siree Mitchell! Frankie Garnett: Oh, boy. Now you’ve done it, De’siree. Bob Sinclair: Only a few have managed to weather out the adrenaline rushes of The Mastodon or The Juggernaut. Let’s see if Mitchell can add herself to that list tonight! Quote (14:21) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (14:35) Mastodon applied a Front Facelock (14:49) Mastodon applied a Side Headlock (14:52) Mastodon hit a Forearm Blow (15:08) Mastodon hit a Press Powerslam (15:12) Mastodon got a one count (15:19) Mastodon hit a Strong Charging Forearm (15:35) Mastodon failed to get a count out (15:47) Mitchell countered an Over Shoulder Backbreaker Drop with a Forearm Flurry (16:03) Mastodon countered an All Out Blitz with a Gorilla Press Slam (16:08) Mitchell fought back against being picked up (16:15) Mitchell hit a Women's DDT (16:19) Mastodon broke a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (16:24) Mitchell blocked a Japanese Power DDT (16:28) Mitchell slipped out of the back of a Stump Piledriver (16:44) Mitchell hit a Spinning Arm Breaker (16:53) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (17:09) Mitchell hit a Japanese Power DDT (17:13) Mitchell hit a Seated Kick (17:21) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (17:31) Mitchell hit a Spinning Elbow Blow (17:31) Mitchell spent a few crucial seconds recovering before going for the pinfall (17:36) Mitchell got a near pinfall Frankie Garnett: That was three, ref! Bob Sinclair: It almost looked like it from our angle, Frankie, but I see a replay here. Mastodon got a shoulder up just before three. Frankie Garnett: I stand by my statement! Quote (17:42) Mastodon countered an All Out Blitz with a Roundhouse Punch (17:47) Mitchell blocked a Double Axe Handle Smash Flurry (17:54) Mastodon hit a Knee Pull (18:00) De'siree Mitchell very easily moved out of the way from a Measured Knee Drop. (18:04) Mastodon fought back against being picked up (18:07) Mastodon hit a Punch (18:14) Mastodon hit a Running Forearm Blow (18:31) Mastodon hit a Double Axe Handle Smash Flurry (18:42) Mastodon hit a Mounted Punch Flurry (18:47) Mitchell broke the Mounted Elbow Smashes (18:54) Mitchell hit a Women's DDT (18:58) Mitchell hit a Seated Back Kick (19:02) Mastodon blocked the Rear Crossface Blows (19:11) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (19:27) Mitchell hit a Japanese Power DDT (19:31) Mitchell hit a Measured Knee Drop (19:41) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (19:47) Mastodon countered an All Out Blitz with a Roundhouse Body Punch (19:59) Mastodon hit a Triple Forearm Blow (20:03) Mastodon hit a Seated Back Kick (20:11) Mastodon hit a Splash (20:23) Mastodon hit Mounted Elbow Smashes (20:30) Mastodon picked up Mitchell (20:34) Mitchell slipped out of the back of a Misery (20:41) Mitchell hit a Chop Block (20:48) Mitchell hit a Knee Pull (20:59) Mitchell hit a Mounted Punch Flurry (21:10) Mitchell hit a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (21:17) Mitchell used a Face Rub Taunt (21:25) Mitchell picked up Mastodon (21:33) Mastodon avoided a Spinning Back Fist after both wrestlers failed in their attacks. (21:37) Mastodon hit a Japanese Binta (21:41) Mitchell blocked a Backbreaker (21:57) Mastodon hit a Japanese Power DDT (22:08) Mastodon hit a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (22:17) Mastodon picked up Mitchell (22:33) Mastodon hit a Stump Piledriver (22:39) Mastodon picked up Mitchell (22:45) LARIATO! The Mastodon just leveled De'siree Mitchell with a Rampage! Bob Sinclair: Cover by the big man…one, two, three! Mastodon survives a war to emerge with the victory here! Frankie Garnett: You know, Bob, it’ll almost be a shame for Mitchell to get relegated to Beta. She’s been up here since the start, and actually went undefeated in the preseason seeding period before Season Eight. But at the same time, maybe finding competition that’s different will help her out of the slump she’s in. Bob Sinclair: She’s not lacking in quality matches, Frankie, but you’re right. It could be that a change of scenery may be needed, unless she goes on a tear in the second half. Coming from 1-6 to avoid relegation is going to certainly be an uphill fight! The Mastodon (2-5) def. De'siree Mitchell (1-6) via Pinfall (Rampage) in 22:50. Rating: **** Changes for The Mastodon: OVR + 6.90, XP + 1009.18, major damage to head Changes for De'siree Mitchell: OVR + 2.32, XP + 364.80, moderate damage to head, minor damage to body This was the Match of the Night (8 [2 this season] for The Mastodon, 7 [5 this season] for De'siree Mitchell) GAMMA DIVISION (1) Monty Dhillon (6-0, OVR 546) (Favorite, 63.76%) vs. (2) Kichi Hida (5-1, OVR 482) This had all the makings of being a blockbuster type of match. Battle for the Gamma Division lead, two of the hardest hitters in The League regardless of division, Hida as the undersized underdog facing the far larger Dhillon in a classic David vs. Goliath encounter. Then the previous match happened, and it was going to take a lot for these two to live up to that sort of expectation. Though it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying. This was close throughout, with Dhillon keeping just enough of a lead on Hida at all times that a sustained burst of offense from Kichi wouldn’t be disastrous for Monty. It would be that cushion that would be the decider, as Hida may have avoided a Blockade Lock ut got caught off-guard by a Livewire Lariat and dropped for the three-count. Dhillon’s completed the first half of the season undefeated. Now comes the hard part—doing it again when everyone has put a target on Monty’s back, front, head, and wherever is convenient for them…. Monty Dhillon (7-0) def. Kichi Hida (5-2) via Pinfall (Livewire Lariat) in 9:15. Rating: ** Changes for Monty Dhillon: OVR + 3.46, XP + 557.11, minor damage to head Changes for Kichi Hida: OVR + 0.39, XP + 139.28, minor damage to head ALPHA DIVISION (4) Brandy McDonald (3-3, OVR 530) (Favorite, 54.97%) vs. (6) Mel O'Hallister (3-3, OVR 540) This match, in most other weeks, would have been the Match of the Night. It was very close throughout, and neither competitor got to such a large advantage that their adversary was beyond hope. McDonald only started to build any serious momentum at the end of the contest, as she landed Detox on O’Hallister, sent him out to the floor via a blindside high knee, then went from the turnbuckle to the floor with a flying clothesline before letting Mel exert his energy to get in to beat the count. A spear followed this, leading to a short two, and then a DDt lead into Brandy’s bulldog choke finisher, which finally caused Mel to tap out. A match that could have gone either way in the end goes to McDonald, who is still within shouting distance of the Alpha Division lead at this juncture. Brandy McDonald (4-3) def. Mel O'Hallister (3-4) via Submission (Hair of the Dig) in 19:11. Rating: *** Changes for Brandy McDonald: OVR + 5.28, XP + 794.96, moderate damage to head Changes for Mel O'Hallister: OVR + 1.33, XP + 198.74, minor damage to head and body ALPHA DIVISION (2) George Mastachas (4-2, OVR 542) (Favorite, 60.12%) vs. (3) Jean-Paul Ouilette (4-2, OVR 536) How many people had this one pegged as a match to determine second-place in the division at the halfway point of the season? Even more baffling to the author—even after seeing it earlier in the show, this is the second match on this card that had the same “two-star squash match” message. This time the extra star can be attributed to Cecile Corine doing everything in her power to try to slow down Mastachas. It would be to no avail, though, as Ouilette only barely got going before a Wrath of Zeus ended the proceedings rather abruptly. George Mastachas (5-2) def. Jean-Paul Ouilette (4-3) via Pinfall (Wrath of Zeus) in 11:09. Rating: ** Changes for George Mastachas: OVR + 3.56, XP + 728.03, no notable damage Changes for Jean-Paul Ouilette: OVR + 0.40, XP + 145.61, minor damage to head BETA DIVISION (3) Christian Priest (4-2, OVR 588) (Favorite, 67.14%) vs. (6) Reverend Johnny Gross (3-3, OVR 517) In some corners of the internet, the more cynical League followers would claim that the person who designed the schedules did this on purpose, to put both Priest/Gross and Nuclear/Blackfield on the same card in order to draw bigger numbers on YouTube. The League’s front office wishes they could claim that; this was all the whims of RNG determining the order of the schedule. The first half of our double main event of the evening saw a grudge match over a season and a half in the making. After nearly winning Tag Team Turmoil together in Season Eight, these two men had a falling out in Season Ten and went their own ways, with Rev. Gross winning the event with Brian Blackfield. This would be the first time these two have been across from each other in the ring, and a “big fight feel” was certainly in The Aerie as the bell sounded to start this one. Gross came out more aggressively than anyone had seen him all season, as if the words bandied about by Priest and Pastor Abe Richards lit a fire under him that his own words understated. And for all we know, maybe it had. Gross pummeled away at Priest, looking to batter down the face of the First Church of Wrestling with brute force. Force, however, is Priest’s game, and he gave back as good as he got. It was Priest who went to his stockpile of signature moves first—which, to be fair, he has far more than Gross’s pair—and began to narrow the gap between them in terms of damage received. However, Gross put his former partner on the mat with a simple leg trip, and soon thereafter (after some kicks to the chest and back) applied the dragon sleeper in the center of the ring. He kept the hold tight as Priest tried to get out of the hold, but in the end Priest’s efforts slowed and then stopped, and he simply passed out instead of tapping out, refusing to even give Gross that satisfaction. The last thing the cameras caught before going to the final ad break of the night on YouTube was Gross standing over the head of Priest, making the sign of the cross and then spreading his arms, looking heavenward as he stood victorious in the ring. Reverend Johnny Gross (4-3) def. Christian Priest (4-3) via Submission (Come to Jesus) in 17:15. Rating: *** Changes for Reverend Johnny Gross: OVR + 5.15, XP + 687.66, minor damage to head Changes for Christian Priest: OVR + 1.30, XP + 171.92, minor damage to head Quote I know, I know. This isn’t a four-star match. But it was entertaining enough watching it play out that I felt everyone else should get to see it too. I get that right as the person who runs these matches for everyone’s entertainment! (00:00) *** The match began (00:07) Rev. Gross hit a Single Leg Trip (00:13) Christian Priest moved out of the way from a Fist Drop. (00:23) Reverend Johnny Gross very easily moved out of the way from a Fist Drop. (00:30) Priest got a rope break to stop a Body Scissors (00:34) Rev. Gross hit a Slap To Chest (00:39) Priest blocked a Single Leg Trip (00:46) Rev. Gross applied a Standing Arm Bar (00:51) Priest blocked a Single Leg Trip (00:54) Rev. Gross hit a Jab Punch (01:08) Rev. Gross applied a Front Facelock (01:17) Priest avoided a Begging Off Eye Poke. (01:31) Priest applied a Cravate (01:35) Priest hit a Begging Off Eye Poke (01:44) Rev. Gross avoided a Forearm Blow. (01:48) Priest wasn't fazed by an Open Handed Chop (01:52) Rev. Gross hit an Open Handed Chop (01:55) Rev. Gross hit a Jab Punch (02:09) Rev. Gross hit a Side Headlock Closed Fist (02:09) The referee warned Rev. Gross (02:16) Rev. Gross hit a Single Leg Trip (02:23) Rev. Gross hit a Knee Pull (02:32) Priest got a rope break to stop a Rear Chinlock (02:46) Rev. Gross applied a Side Headlock (02:50) Rev. Gross hit a Slap To Chest (03:04) Rev. Gross hit a Side Headlock Closed Fist (03:04) The referee warned Rev. Gross (03:09) Priest broke a Knee Plant (03:13) Priest hit an Open Handed Slap (03:16) Priest hit a Handshake Kick To Gut (03:20) Rev. Gross blocked a Slap To Chest (03:23) Priest hit a Begging Off Sucker Punch (03:37) Priest applied a Front Facelock (03:40) Priest hit a Punch (03:44) Priest hit a Slap To Chest (03:58) Priest applied a Side Headlock (04:12) Priest applied a Cravate (04:17) Rev. Gross broke a Standing Head Scissors Twist (04:31) Rev. Gross applied a Side Headlock (04:34) Rev. Gross hit a Handshake Kick To Gut (04:41) Rev. Gross hit a Single Leg Trip (04:56) Rev. Gross hit a Stomp Flurry (05:15) Rev. Gross applied a Rope-Assisted Choke Hold (05:15) The referee gave Rev. Gross a stern warning (05:28) Rev. Gross hit a Posing Elbow Drop (05:35) Rev. Gross used a Face Rub Taunt (05:39) Priest blocked a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (05:48) Christian Priest easily moved out of the way from a Leaping Elbow Drop. (05:52) Priest hit a Stomp (05:56) Rev. Gross fought back against being picked up (06:02) Rev. Gross hit a Roundhouse Body Punch (06:08) Rev. Gross hit a Strong Open Handed Chop (06:12) Rev. Gross hit a Seated Back Kick (06:16) Priest blocked a Headbutt To Groin (06:20) Priest broke a Rope-Assisted Choke Hold (06:34) Priest applied a Front Facelock (06:37) Priest hit a Punch (06:40) Priest hit a Handshake Sucker Punch (06:43) Priest hit a Forearm Blow (06:46) Priest hit a Punch (06:50) Priest hit a Slap To Chest (06:54) Priest hit an Eye Poke (07:02) Rev. Gross got a rope break to stop a Front Facelock (07:05) Priest hit a Jab Punch (07:12) Priest hit a Running Clothesline (07:17) Rev. Gross broke a Rope-Assisted Choke Hold (07:20) Rev. Gross hit a Handshake Sucker Punch (07:24) Rev. Gross hit an Eye Poke (07:29) Priest slipped out the front of a Spinning Arm Breaker (07:41) Priest hit a Forearm Flurry (07:46) Rev. Gross fought back against being picked up (07:50) Rev. Gross hit a Face Rake (08:06) Rev. Gross hit a Spinning Arm Breaker (08:25) Rev. Gross applied a Rope-Assisted Choke Hold (08:25) The referee gave Rev. Gross a stern warning (08:45) Rev. Gross applied a Boston Crab (09:06) Rev. Gross hit a Roundhouse Body Punch (09:15) Priest avoided a Roundhouse Punch. (09:19) Priest hit a Slap To Chest (09:26) Rev. Gross avoided an Eye Poke. (09:29) Priest countered a Spinning Elbow Blow with a Forearm Blow (09:43) Priest applied a Front Facelock (09:46) Priest hit a Forearm Blow (09:52) Priest hit a Roundhouse Body Punch (10:04) Priest hit a Forearm Flurry (10:12) Reverend Johnny Gross very easily moved out of the way from a Leaping Elbow Drop. (10:16) Priest broke a Rear Naked Punch Flurry (10:19) Rev. Gross countered a Test of Faith CP with a Punch (10:26) Rev. Gross hit a Knee Plant (10:30) Priest countered a Low Blow with a Kick To Thigh (10:36) Christian Priest extracts a Tithe of Pain from Reverend Johnny Gross! (10:40) Priest hit a Leaping Elbow Drop (10:47) Reverend Johnny Gross very easily moved out of the way from a Running Knee Drop. (10:55) Priest avoided a Seated Back Kick. (11:01) Priest hit a Strong Open Handed Chop (11:07) Reverend Johnny Gross very easily moved out of the way from a Running Knee Drop. (11:18) Rev. Gross hit a Mounted Punch Flurry (11:27) Priest got a rope break to stop a Single Leg Boston Crab (11:33) Rev. Gross hit a Begging Off Low Blow (11:33) The referee furiously berated Rev. Gross (11:37) Priest broke a Sermon on the Mount (11:41) Priest hit an Open Handed Slap (11:44) Priest hit a Punch (11:58) Priest applied a Cravate (12:05) Priest hit a Running Forearm Blow (12:14) Priest picked up Rev. Gross (12:19) Rev. Gross slipped out of the back of a Penance (12:23) Priest broke a Reverse DDT Neckbreaker (12:28) Rev. Gross slipped out of the back of a Stump Piledriver (12:35) Rev. Gross hit a Neckbreaker (12:39) Priest broke a Sermon on the Mount (12:57) Priest hit a Strong Forearm Strike Flurry (13:07) Priest hit a Ring Apron Slingshot (13:11) Rev. Gross fought back against being picked up (13:15) Priest blocked a DDT (13:20) Priest blocked a DDT (13:30) Reverend Johnny Gross is seeing the stars of Heaven after that Rite of Might! (13:44) Priest used a Get Up Taunt (14:00) Reverend Johnny Gross is forced to pay Penance as Christian Priest shows off his strength! (14:05) Rev. Gross stopped a Get Up Taunt by rushing Priest (14:09) Rev. Gross hit a Face Rake (14:09) The referee warned Rev. Gross (14:23) Rev. Gross applied a Top Wrist Lock (14:39) Rev. Gross applied a Top Wrist Lock To Hammerlock (14:44) Priest slipped out of the back of a Neckbreaker (15:00) Priest hit a Full Nelson Butt Bomb (15:10) Priest picked up Rev. Gross (15:16) Rev. Gross countered a Rite of Might with a Strong Open Handed Chop (15:23) Priest got a rope break to stop a Knee Pull (15:28) Priest broke a Snap Mare Takedown (15:40) Priest hit a Powerbomb (15:49) Priest picked up Rev. Gross (15:59) Rev. Gross avoided a Canonized. (16:03) Rev. Gross hit an Eye Poke (16:10) Rev. Gross hit a Single Leg Trip (16:17) Rev. Gross hit a Legdrop To Groin (16:17) The referee warned Rev. Gross (16:24) Rev. Gross hit a Knee Pull (16:36) Rev. Gross hit a Kneeling Kick Rush (17:02) There's the dragon sleeper! Reverend Johnny Gross is telling Christian Priest to Come to Jesus! (17:15) *** Rev. Gross submitted Priest ALPHA DIVISION (1) Nuclear Templeton (5-1, OVR 552) (Favorite, 60.08%) vs. (5) Brian Blackfield (3-3, OVR 577) Now for the second half of the double main event. This is a position Nuclear had been demanding for most of the season despite Blackfield being the far more popular—and thus, far more marketable—person of the pairing. This would also be a disappointment given some of the earlier matches on the card. For the first eight minutes, this was all Blackfield all the time as he had his foot on the gas throughout. The one time he let off, in order to set up Templeton for a bigger move, the former League Champion fought back and asserted control of the match. The next six minutes were largely under Nuclear’s control, despite a few flourishes of offense from Blackfield, and Nuclear put an emphatic end to the match in the form of a Radiation Spike into a Power Surge into another Radiation Spike into the Radiation Leak for the submission victory. Nuclear continues to lead the Alpha Division, and is the clear favorite to emerge as League Champion this season. Nuclear Templeton (6-1) def. Brian Blackfield (3-4) via Submission (Radiation Leak) in 14:00. Rating: ** Changes for Nuclear Templeton: OVR + 3.70, XP + 730.08, minor damage to head Changes for Brian Blackfield: OVR + 0.42, XP + 182.52, minor damage to head /\/\/\/\/\/\ STANDINGS AFTER THE FIRST HALF OF SEASON ELEVEN ALPHA DIVISION 1. Nuclear Templeton: 6-1, ATV 17:26, (AMR 2.286), OVR 555.97 2. George Mastachas: 5-2, ATV 15:12, (AMR 2.286), OVR 546.02 3. Jean-Paul Ouilette: 4-3, ATV 19:18, (AMR 2.286), OVR 536.39 4. Brandy McDonald: 4-3, ATV 15:34, (AMR 2.571), OVR 534.81 5. Brian Blackfield: 3-4, ATV 17:43, (AMR 2.286), OVR 577.88 6. Mel O'Hallister: 3-4, ATV 15:30, (AMR 2.857), OVR 541.40 7. The Mastodon: 2-5, ATV 20:15, (AMR 2.857), OVR 534.63 8. De'siree Mitchell: 1-6, ATV 11:12, (AMR 3.143), OVR 509.16 All ties are broken by simple H2H BETA DIVISION 1. Lucas Molina: 6-1, ATV 14:08 (AMR 2.857), OVR 503.39 2. Yoshii Nakamatsu: 5-2, ATV 11:53 (AMR 2.143), OVR 529.10 3. Billy Norris: 4-3, ATV 10:13 (AMR 2.571), OVR 526.30 4. Reverend Johnny Gross: 4-3, ATV 15:09 (AMR 2.571), OVR 522.07 5. Christian Priest: 4-3, ATV 10:38 (AMR 2.429), OVR 589.04 6. Pulsar: 3-4, ATV 8:44 (AMR 2.429), OVR 493.95 7. Blood River: 1-6, ATV 10:39 (AMR 2.000), OVR 507.46 8. Angela Wassermann: 1-6, ATV 9:54 (AMR 2.143), OVR 482.55 Everyone at 4-3 are a combined 1-1 against each other. Norris has the fastest victory time in those three matches, so he gets the first tiebreaker. Then Gross has H2H over Priest. All other ties are broken by simple H2H GAMMA DIVISION 1. Monty Dhillon: 7-0, ATV 9:06, (AMR 2.143), OVR 549.20 2. Kichi Hida: 5-2, ATV 10:43, (AMR 2.286), OVR 482.05 3. Diego Rodriguez: 5-2, ATV 10:19, (AMR 2.000), OVR 527.38 4. Markus Clay: 3-4, ATV 10:39, (AMR 2.286), OVR 491.07 5. Big Scott Weathers: 3-4, ATV 10:58, (AMR 2.143), OVR 503.57 6. Lance Heartilly: 2-5, ATV 12:45, (AMR 1.857), OVR 453.84 7. Indigo Rose: 2-5, ATV 11:51, (AMR 2.000), OVR 500.24 8. Terrance Stevens: 1-6, ATV 10:48, (AMR 2.429), OVR 491.78 All ties are broken by simple H2H. DELTA DIVISION 1. Nocturne: 5-2, ATV 10:13 (AMR 2.143), OVR 448.78 2. Rock Sheridan: 5-2, ATV 10:10 (AMR 2.571), OVR 423.08 3. Diamond: 4-3, ATV 10:27 (AMR 2.429), OVR 496.01 4. Sterling Silver: 4-3, ATV 7:52 (AMR 2.143), OVR 461.98 5. Leon de Ramos: 4-3, ATV 12:19 (AMR 2.429), OVR 418.77 6. Scott Stevens: 3-4, ATV 7:53 (AMR 1.857), OVR 431.74 7. Mickey Steele: 2-5, ATV 6:54 (AMR 2.286), OVR 410.81 8. George Stevens: 1-6, ATV 7:28 (AMR 2.143), OVR 406.48 Diamond has beaten Silver and de Ramos. Silver has beaten de Ramos. All other ties are broken by simple H2H. PREDICTION STANDINGS (Reminder: The official scores will have the lowest two weeks dropped at the end of the season, and will start to be shown as such after Week Eight.) 1. Eternal Phoenix: 76 (this week: 12) 2. Croquemitaine: 69 (this week: 11) 3. Derek B: 59 (this week: 11) 4. SeanMcG: 58 (this week: 6) 5. Jman2k3: 40 (this week: 7) TAG TEAM TURMOIL OFFICIAL GRAPHIC TO BE POSTED LATER THIS WEEK, DUE TO AN EYE EXAM YESTERDAY CAUSING ME TO HAVE BLURRY VISION FOR A GOOD SIX HOURS AFTERWARDS. AS A REMINDER, PREDICTIONS ARE NOT COUNTED FOR TAG TEAM TURMOIL AND AS SUCH ARE NOT BEING POSTED HERE. TRAINING DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024 AT 11:59 PM EASTERN US IN ORDER FOR SAID TRAINING TO BE APPLIED FOR TAG TEAM TURMOIL! PLEASE NOTE, TTT WILL BE POSTED A WEEK FROM TOMORROW (MARCH 3) IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL TRAINING FROM PCs IN ORDER TO RUN THE TOURNAMENT WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MISSING A TRAINING AND THUS NEEDING TO REDO A CHUNK OF TTT MULTIPLE TIMES (INSTEAD OF ONE MATCH HERE OR THERE FOR NORMAL SHOWS). 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 24 Author Share Posted February 24 Season Eleven Midpoint Musings Now, I mentioned somewhere upthread a while back that I’m using two different variants of an Elo system as power rankings now. One is updated weekly and is the basis for the “Favorite, X%” in the show posts, the other is longer term and is updated every half-season for the main roster and after a full cycle for Omega. Both sets are calculated to three decimal places for the sake of calculating odds and changes. It’s the longer-term rankings that I’ll be discussing here. THE BASIS Characters start with a base of 300 points. Each division has its own K-factor and divisor in the calculations, so that the lower three divisions don’t get as big a swing as an upper division victory. Anyone who is interested in recreating this themselves, based on the traditional Elo formula, can PM me and I’ll provide greater detail there. For the initial season (season 8), I took the five “preseason” rounds and awarded 40 points for a win, none for a loss. So the person who went 5-0 in the seeding preseason (De’siree Mitchell) started with 500, then 460 and 420 for the Alpha Division members, 420 for all of Beta, 380 for all of Gamma, and 380, 340, and 300 for Delta. OMEGA DIVISION The Omega Division has not started yet, as I still need to finish character entry for seven new characters (mainly movesets and traits). Of those currently in Omega, the “favorite” in terms of Elo is Sakura Uematsu. She enters this cycle of Omega play at a rating of 321.263. Right on her heels is Rhys Caddell, at 312.082. On the other end of the scale, Devil’s Delight has the worst rating coming in, at 181.038, with El Tornado at 186.076. If someone does the near impossible and goes 23-0 in Omega, they stand to gain at most between 107 and 130 points in the ratings depending on who does it. Someone like Sakura would end up in the 410 range, with is borderline Beta/Gamma levels. However, based on normally close levels, the expected win total hovers right around 12 for most people, with the bulk of the remainder at 11. Even Devil’s Delight is “expected” per these ratings to notch 10 wins in a 23-round cycle. Now we start getting to the more serious discussions. DELTA DIVISION Sterling Silver: Start 382.153 (Delta #1). Expected Wins: 3.950, Actual Wins: 4. End 383.150 (Delta #1). Rock Sheridan: Start 350.933 (Delta #2). Expected Wins: 3.714, Actual Wins 5. End 376.661 (Delta #2). Mickey Steele: Start 343.945 (Delta #3). Expected Wins: 3.660, Actual Wins: 2. End 310.738 (Delta #5). Leon de Ramos: Start 334.005 (Delta #4). Expected Wins: 3.585, Actual Wins: 4. End 342.313 (Delta #4). Nocturne: Start 332.162 (Delta #5). Expected Wins: 3.571, Actual Wins: 5. End 360.751 (Delta #3). George Stevens: Start 300.00 (Delta #6). Expected Wins: 3.325, Actual Wins: 1. End 253.496 (Delta #7). Diamond: Start 296.191 (Delta #7). Expected Wins 3.296, Actual Wins: 4. End 310.267 (Delta #6). Scott Stevens: Start 243.626 (Delta #8). Expected Wins 2.899, Actual Wins: 3. End 245.637 (Delta #8). Biggest Movers: On the positive end, Nocturne just ekes out Sheridan for the biggest positive gain in the first half, by just about three points. This shows how much of a boost placing well in the Omega Division can be for a person’s ranking to start. This doesn’t apply as much to Silver, though, as she had two full seasons of Delta to factor in that adjusted her rank accordingly (as seen by her basically 1-point gain). On the downward side, only two people lost ratings points, with George taking the harshest drop at -46.5 points. This system is not perfect—I’m not aware of one that actually is—but his woes echo that of his brother’s last season. The boost to a rating for doing well in Omega has its counter shown with Steele. After his finish in Omega he was expected to do well in Delta, but has underperformed and as such takes a bit of a hit in the rankings. RATINGS RANGE (AFTER WEEK 7): Min 245.637, Average 322.877, Max 383.150 Projected Win Totals for Second Half (based on above changes): Silver: 3.956 Sheridan: 3.907 Nocturne: 3.787 de Ramos: 3.647 Steele: 3.407 Diamond: 3.404 G. Stevens: 2.975 S. Stevens: 2.916 GAMMA DIVISION Monty Dhillon: Start 484.402 (Gamma #1). Expected Wins: 4.522, Actual Wins: 7. End 546.349 (Gamma #1). Diego Rodriguez: Start 403.875 (Gamma #2). Expected Wins: 3.818, Actual Wins 5. End 433.434 (Gamma #2). Lance Heartilly: Start 403.206 (Gamma #3). Expected Wins: 3.812, Actual Wins: 2. End 357.916 (Gamma #4). Indigo Rose: Start 400.312 (Gamma #4). Expected Wins: 3.786, Actual Wins: 2. End 355.671 (Gamma #5). Kichi Hida: Start 348.558 (Gamma #5). Expected Wins: 3.319, Actual Wins: 5. End 390.579 (Gamma #3). Big Scott Weathers: Start 324.590 (Gamma #6). Expected Wins: 3.104, Actual Wins: 3. End 321.990 (Gamma #6). Terrance Stevens: Start 308.667 (Gamma #7). Expected Wins 2.962, Actual Wins: 1. End 259.619 (Gamma #8). Markus Clay: Start 276.201 (Gamma #8). Expected Wins 2.678, Actual Wins: 3. End 284.261 (Gamma #7). Biggest Movers: Obviously, going undefeated will do wonder’s to a person’s ranking. Dhillon’s end rating of 546 and change puts him inside the top 5 of the entire League. The other people in the top four are all in the Alpha Division. (I’ll touch more on that later.) Hida is also making the most of her unexpected promotion, with the second-largest gain in the division. On the flip side, three different people have near-identical losses in the -44 to -49 point range: Terrance Stevens, Lance Heartilly, and Indigo Rose. They will have work to do to recover these losses in the second half. RATINGS RANGE (AFTER WEEK 7): Min 259.619, Average 368.728, Max 546.349 Projected Win Totals for Second Half (based on above changes): Dhillon: 5.006 Rodriguez: 4.078 Hida: 3.701 Heartilly: 3.411 Rose: 3.391 Weathers: 3.093 Clay: 2.764 T. Stevens: 2.555 BETA DIVISION Christian Priest: Start 558.212 (Beta #1). Expected Wins: 4.905, Actual Wins: 4. End 531.047 (Beta #1). Yoshii Nakamatsu: Start 477.609 (Beta #2). Expected Wins: 4.070, Actual Wins 5. End 505.516 (Beta #2). Billy Norris: Start 465.507 (Beta #3). Expected Wins: 3.938, Actual Wins: 4. End 467.374 (Beta #4). Reverend Johnny Gross: Start 428.261 (Beta #4). Expected Wins: 3.527, Actual Wins: 4. End 442.460 (Beta #5). Lucas Molina: Start 401.475 (Beta #5). Expected Wins: 3.230, Actual Wins: 6. End 484.572 (Beta #3). Blood River: Start 397.258 (Beta #6). Expected Wins: 3.184, Actual Wins: 1. End 331.751 (Beta #7). Pulsar: Start 355.168 (Beta #7). Expected Wins 2.726, Actual Wins: 3. End 263.402 (Beta #6). Angela Wassermann: Start 326.233 (Beta #8). Expected Wins 2.421, Actual Wins: 1. End 283.598 (Beta #8). Biggest Movers: Surprising a lot of people in certain internet discussion areas, Lucas Molina has carved out a 6-1 record in the first half of the season to sit atop the Beta Division, and his ranking thrived as a result. His 83-point gain was near 60 points better than the next highest gain (Nakamatsu). River and Wassermann’s terrible opening halves lead to at least a 40-point drop for Wassermann and a 60-point decline for River. The presumptive frontrunner at the start of the season, Christian Priest, is also the only other person to suffer a loss of rating in the first half in this division. RATINGS RANGE (AFTER WEEK 7): Min 283.598, Average 426.215, Max 531.047 Projected Win Totals for Second Half (based on above changes): Priest: 4.608 Nakamatsu: 4.345 Molina: 4.124 Norris: 3.939 Gross: 3.669 Pulsar: 2.816 River: 2.487 Wassermann: 2.013 ALPHA DIVISION Nuclear Templeton: Start 649.242 (Alpha #1). Expected Wins: 4.968, Actual Wins: 6. End 685.352 (Alpha #1). Brian Blackfield: Start 648.037 (Alpha #2). Expected Wins: 4.953, Actual Wins 3. End 579.668 (Alpha #3). George Mastachas: Start 590.395 (Alpha #3). Expected Wins: 4.198, Actual Wins: 5. End 618.480 (Alpha #2). The Mastodon: Start 541.088 (Alpha #4). Expected Wins: 3.508, Actual Wins: 2. End 488.314 (Alpha #6). Brandy McDonald: Start 515.806 (Alpha #5). Expected Wins: 3.151, Actual Wins: 4. End 545.516 (Alpha #4). Jean-Paul Ouilette: Start 532.811 (Alpha #6). Expected Wins: 2.806, Actual Wins: 4. End 532.811 (Alpha #5). Mel O’Hallister: Start 460.478 (Alpha #7). Expected Wins 2.394, Actual Wins: 3. End 481.685 (Alpha #7). De’siree Mitchell: Start 431.355 (Alpha #8). Expected Wins 2.022, Actual Wins: 1. End 395.600 (Alpha #8). Biggest Movers: By a margin of five points, the actual biggest positive mover is Jean-Paul Ouilette, as he is performing a full win and change above his expected. Sure, Nuclear’s doing the same thing, but Nuclear on average was slated to win 71% of his matches. Ouilette was only at a 40% clip. Therefore he gets the larger boost by the formula. The inverse is true for The Juggernaut. Brian Blackfield was just a smidge behind Templeton for expected wins, and being nearly two wins behind the pace actually moved him down a spot in the overall League rankings. He’s still in the top five, though. Mastodon also took a large hit due to being 1.5 wins off his expected pace. RATINGS RANGE (AFTER WEEK 7): Min 395.600, Average 540.928, Max 685.352 Projected Win Totals for Second Half (based on above changes): Templeton: 5.375 Mastachas: 4.562 Blackfield: 4.040 McDonald: 3.565 Ouilette: 3.387 Mastodon: 2.772 O’Hallister: 2.683 Mitchell: 1.615 LEAGUE OVERALL The Top 10 1. Nuclear Templeton: 685.352 (+0) 2. George Mastachas: 618.480 (+1) 3. Brian Blackfield: 579.668 (-1) 4. Monty Dhillon: 546.349 (+4) 5. Brandy McDonald: 545.516 (+1) 6. Jean-Paul Ouilette: 532.811 (+1) 7. Christian Priest: 531.047 (-3) 8. Yoshii Nakamatsu: 505.516 (+1) 9. The Mastodon: 488.314 (-4) 10. Lucas Molina: 484.572 (+7) The rest of the PCs 17. Kichi Hida: 390.579 (+7) 19. Rock Sheridan: 376.661 (+4) 25. Leon de Ramos: 342.313 (+1) 31. Mickey Steele: 310.738 (-6) 32. Diamond: 310.267 (+11) 41. Joslin Baroni: 293.482 (+3) 50. George Stevens: 253.496 (-15) 51. Scott Stevens: 245.637 (+0) NEXT SCHEDULED UPDATE: DURING OFF-SEASON, ONCE OMEGA DIVISION HAS BEEN RUN. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Phoenix Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Week 7 Quick Thoughts (Big Half Season Review Next Week!) Delta George Stevens def. Rock Sheridan Sterling Silver def. Leon de Ramos Nocturne def. Scott Stevens Diamond def. Mickey Steele Congratulations to George. He finally got his win. With a low blow, but as long as the ref counts three it counts. Silver’s comeback rolls on. Nocturne recovers from her two match skid. And Diamond’s right there with Silver. With Nocturne’s struggles and Rock falling back a bit, it’s almost anybody’s game down in Delta. Gamma Big Scott Weathers def. Lance Heartilly Indigo Rose def. Markus Clay Diego Rodriguez def. Terrance Stevens Monty Dhillon def. Kichi Hida Heartilly just can’t get it together. Rose finally makes a stand. Diego handles his business. Monty remains undefeated. Really does seem to be a three horse race at the top. Beta Lucas Molina def. Pulsar Yoshii Nakamatsu def. Angela Wasserman Billy Norris def. Blood River Reverend Johnny Gross def. Christian Priest Molina has his first 4* match…and it’s not MOTN. Sure, Jan. Yoshii handles his business and doesn’t get kicked in the face. Norris says “don’t forget about me”. And Gross (while working hard on his comeback from his terrible early season) may have just cost Priest the division title if things continue as they have. 1 & 2 may be clear, but 3-5 aren’t far behind. So it’s chaotic in Beta. Alpha The Mastodon def. De’siree Mitchell Brandy McDonald def. Mel O’Hallister George Mastachas def. Jean-Paul Ouilette Nuclear Templeton def. Brian Blackfield It’s a similar story in Alpha. Mastodon wants to dig himself out of his hole. It was in fact Brandy’s turn to win against Mel. Mastachas and Nuke handle their business. 1 & 2 may be sorted, but 3-4 and 5-6 are far from eliminated. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 So since my schedule is sort of inverted this week, I’ll likely put up an effort post over in the rules thread for more discussion on the OVR changes I’m looking into. Instead of getting the bulk of 16 weekly matches done tonight I might as well get some other League stuff out of the way. Heck, maybe I can even work on the bracket graphic tonight too instead of my current gaming obsession, Brotato. 😛 (Tomorrow is seven new movesets. Oh, boy!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croquemitaine Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) Points Rankings: The League - Season 11 Week 7 Cro's Thoughts: - Nuke breaks the 1,000 point mark! - De'siree Mitchell, despite her quality performances, is experiencing the "losing streak freefall". The upside is that she's positioned for big gains if she can pull off a few wins. - Mastodon holding his fourth place spot based on last year's strong performance and, ironically, a weak showing in season nine (minimal points dropoff). However, he's now got Lucas Molina coming up hard in his rear-view. - Speaking of... Lucas Molina has the momentum right now. If the second half of the season follows current trends, he should pass both Priest and Mastodon in short order. - Nocturne enjoying the "second season bump", where points are gained but never lost. Scott Stevens and Lance Heartilly are largely wasting their similar opportunity. - We have a clear Top Three in the League right now, and it looks like a clear pecking order has developed within that top three. My pre-season bet on Nuclear Templeton is looking very safe. Edited February 26 by Croquemitaine 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 The following announcement is paid for by some finely dressed Italian gentlemen As some stereotypical "Italian" music plays we get a series of dramatic black and white shots of Nuclear standing still and stoically flipping off the camera. And that's it, for like.... a minute The preceding announcement was paid for by some finely dressed Italian gentlemen 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 27 Author Share Posted February 27 23 hours ago, ShadowedFlames said: Tomorrow is seven new movesets. Oh, boy! Funny how being at half staff at work will drain all your will to do anything else interesting. Tonight’s a mental recovery night now and I’ll start the movesets in the near future. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 28 Author Share Posted February 28 So. I’ve been a productive member of society today—the Season 11 bracket graphic is (finally) done. I’ll post that tonight since I can’t really do it from my work computer. Company rules and all. Like last season, EP has a list of team names ready and he is free to post them if/when he chooses. There’s a couple of bangers in the mix this season that I may just appropriate for future seasons, just be warned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Phoenix Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 I've been waiting for the bracket, boss. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 28 Author Share Posted February 28 (edited) Then wait no longer! (Author's note: Yes, I know "Rigor" Tony Mortis is not shown on this graphic. Then again it's not like ever wants to be seen on camera, so are we really missing out? 😛 Translated into actual English--I didn't have the manager avatar saved to my flash drive so I had to make do without it for this presentation.) Edited February 28 by ShadowedFlames 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Phoenix Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 Aaaand here's all the super cool and mega rad team name I came up with (with a tip of the cap to the bossman for High Velocity). They're in convenient format for taking a guess at how all the matches will go. So have at it if you like. The prizes are bragging rights, and if you want it, I can point you in the right direction to upgrade one (1) of your PCs to achieve a bit more success than they've been having. There is no shade thrown. The RNG gods are ever fickle. I am certain that each and every one of you can handle it on your own if you so desire. If you turn out to be the best guesser, please feel free to decline this second prize at your discretion. But on the flip side of that, I just want to make sure everyone's having fun. And there's nothing like a prize beyond bragging rights to tempt you all into making a bracket. With that out of the way, off we go. Match 1 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 16. Team Friendship (Lance Heartilly and Terrance Stevens) Match 2 8. High Velocity (Billy Norris and Markus Clay) vs. 9. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) Match 3 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Vs. 12. Bloody Weather (Big Scott Weathers and Blood River) Match 4 4. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) vs. 13. The Stevens Dynasty (Scott Stevens and George Stevens) Match 5 2. Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. 15. Aria of Thorns (Indigo Rose and Nocturne) Match 6 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. 10. Hearts of the Zodiac (Jean-Paul Ouilette and Pulsar) Match 7 6. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. 11. Dissonant Grit (Diego Rodriguez and Rock Sheridan) Match 8 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) vs. 14. Steel Devastation (Mickey Steele and Yoshii Nakamatsu) Match 9 Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 Match 10 Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 Match 11 Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6 Match 12 Winner of Match 7 vs. Winner of Match 8 Match 13 Winner of Match 9 vs. Winner of Match 10 Match 14 Winner of Match 11 vs. Winner of Match 12 Tag Team Turmoil Championship Match Winner of Match 13 vs. Winner of Match 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted February 29 Author Share Posted February 29 I am not eligible for EP's additional prize (because I say so), but here's my blanket thoughts coming in. If this is TCW/SWF/USPW/etc., looking at the brackets makes you think there are two storylines being built up. On the left side of the bracket, The First Church and Divine Juggernaut can meet in the semis, and finally have the match they were denied last season. In a normal, scripted promotion that makes the most sense. In The League I also think that's what is going to happen, as I'm not sure any of the opposition will hurt either team's chances of making the semis. So I have a 1 v 4 matchup on the left side; how they get there is irrelevant to my thoughts. On the right, you have a similar storyline lined up for the semifinals. Emerald & Silver and the Grappling Geniuses could face off, that brings Mel and Molina to blows after the drama earlier in the season over the pairings. Unlike the right side, though, I think the Season Nine champs stumble against their projected opponents, and it's actually Hida and Mastodon who get into the semis to face Molina and Mastachas. Yes, I have them winning too--Templeton is a liability in tag matches and I think even a former TTT champ in Brandy isn't going to be enough to get him out of the second round. So you end up with a coinflip in Blackfield/Gross v Priest/Dhillonand another one in Mastachas/Molina v Hida/Mastodon. I'm rooting for maximum chaos for next season's pairings. My finals are Molina and Mastachas over Priest and Monty, 9 falls to 6. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Phoenix Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 Now it's time for my actual predictions. Obviously, I'm not eligible for my own prize because I have my help all the time. But bragging rights sounds cool. Match 1 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 16. Team Friendship (Lance Heartilly and Terrance Stevens) Heartilly and Stevens are struggling mightily in Gamma. Blackfield and Gross have dominated Beta in the past. This shouldn't be all that close. Match 2 8. High Velocity (Billy Norris and Markus Clay) vs. 9. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) We all know I'm not the biggest De'siree fan on the planet. That, however, is in comparison to everyone else in Alpha. She'd do very well in any other division. And Leon's technical skills provide a very interesting counterpoint to her brawling and power game. Match 3 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Vs. 12. Bloody Weather (Big Scott Weathers and Blood River) Two dominating powerhouses vs. a professional jobber and a Blood River in freefall since halfway through last season. Golly, I wonder how this'll go. Match 4 4. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) vs. 13. The Stevens Dynasty (Scott Stevens and George Stevens) This is the match to be on upset watch for. Diamond is carrying the seeding, and we all know what her record's been like the past few seasons. And we also know what Wasserman's been up to. Honestly this is a very tough call. Scott and Diamond seem to be on a similar tier, above the other two maybe? And Wasserman and George seem to be a similar tier, too, if below the other two in this match. So yeah, upset watch. Keep on it. Match 5 2. Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. 15. Aria of Thorns (Indigo Rose and Nocturne) Gotta go with the Irish Buzzsaw on this. Silver's not Molina, but she can rock and roll, too. Rose is having a terrible season. Basically Alpha+Delta>Gamma+Delta. Match 6 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. 10. Hearts of the Zodiac (Jean-Paul Ouilette and Pulsar) Is...is anyone serious picking against Kichi and Mastodon in a "who can do more violence faster" contest? And even if they were, who's picking JPO and Pulsar, of all people, to manage it? Match 7 6. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. 11. Dissonant Grit (Diego Rodriguez and Rock Sheridan) As much as I like Diego and Rock, lol no. The Reigning champ and Beta's leader take this. Moline proved himself better than Diego last season, and Rock managed to lose to Nocturne, a technican below Lucas's ability. And I believe that Mastachas would, currently, clean Molina's clock. Simple enough? Match 8 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) vs. 14. Steel Devastation (Mickey Steele and Yoshii Nakamatsu) Good Lord this is unfair. Listen, I like Yoshii a whole lot, and Steele's pretty cool too. But Nuke is friggin' Nuke, okay? He could drag Terrance Stevens to a W over this two. Having the Season 8 champ is just overkill. Match 9 Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) I think we have this match last season, when De'siree's partner was Pulsar. Shouldn't go any different, really. Leon's better than last season's Pulsar, but not enough to change the outcome. Match 10 The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) vs. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) Again, The Stevens Dynasty could easily be in instead of Wasserman and Diamond. The only difference that I think it'd make is in how much reinforcement the ring needs. George is a big man to powerbomb, y'know. Match 11 Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) The redemption run for Mel & Silver ends here. Mel has trouble with Mastdon sometimes. Kichi is every bit the buzzsaw he is. And I firmly believe that after her season off, Silver is the weaker of the two. But this one's gonna be goddamn violent. Whew. Match 12 Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) According to the current standings, this is a preview for Molina in Alpha. And with respect to the Rev. Gross, neither Brandy nor Nuke has dealt with a pure technican like Molina. Mastachas has an edge over Brandy and is still capable of beating Nuke one on one. So basically this is gonna be real good, and I'mma be a homer and pick my dude. That's it. Match 13 Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Denied last season, allowed this one. I think it's Monty that makes the difference, actually. He and Priest are two peas in a pod when it comes to inflicting violence. Match 14 Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) You know, I had a whole thing written out or this match...only to discover I'd screwed up and it wasn't Match 11. I'm not feeling recreating it. To summarize: Mastachas better than Mastodon. Molina on par with or better than Hida. Hida and Mastodon better in shorter matches. Matachas and Molina better in longer matches. Two out ot three falls are long. Tag Team Turmoil Championship Match The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) vs. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) 100% Pure Homer Bullshit. Hook that win directly into my veins. DO IT. No? Okay. Molina's 2-0 vs. Dhillion, 2-3 vs. Priest, with #2 happening this season. Priest is not entirely dissimilar from Mastodon (who Mastachas dominates), and Nuke (who he's capable of beating in any give match). And Priest has not looked like his usual dominant self so far this season. NOW GIVE IT TO ME. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croquemitaine Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 I'll take a stab at this: Season Eleven Tag Team Turmoil Bracket Match 1 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 16. Team Friendship (Lance Heartilly and Terrance Stevens) Match 2 8. High Velocity (Billy Norris and Markus Clay) vs. 9. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) Match 3 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Vs. 12. Bloody Weather (Big Scott Weathers and Blood River) Match 4 4. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) vs. 13. The Stevens Dynasty (Scott Stevens and George Stevens) Match 5 2. Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. 15. Aria of Thorns (Indigo Rose and Nocturne) Match 6 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. 10. Hearts of the Zodiac (Jean-Paul Ouilette and Pulsar) Match 7 6. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. 11. Dissonant Grit (Diego Rodriguez and Rock Sheridan) Match 8 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) vs. 14. Steel Devastation (Mickey Steele and Yoshii Nakamatsu) - bringing that "Lethal and Briscoe in the Continental Classic" energy 😛 Match 9 Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) Match 10 The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) vs. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) Match 11 Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) Match 12 - Match of the Night contender! Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) Match 13 Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Match 14 Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) Tag Team Turmoil Championship Match The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) vs. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) My overall thoughts are similar to SF's, except that I gave Nuke and Brandy the nod. Match 12 was the hardest pick for sure, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Grappling Geniuses took it and went all the way to the final (and probably winning it if they do). I also wouldn't be overly shocked if Rampage Carnival upset either of those teams. First Church over Divine Juggernaut is also definitely not a lock. So I expect the final winners to be one of Nuclear Cocktail, Grappling Geniuses, First Church, Rampage Carnival, or Divine Juggernaut. Then again, anything can happen in Tag Team Turmoil! Emerald and Silver may even raise the cup a second time. Wait, is there a cup? Some kind of trophy? A gift certificate from Walgreen's? Preferred parking for the remainder of the season? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 6 minutes ago, Croquemitaine said: Wait, is there a cup? Some kind of trophy? A gift certificate from Walgreen's? Preferred parking for the remainder of the season? I can give a canon answer to this. There are championship belts for TTT, just like for the League Championship. The TTT ones just aren’t as fancy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Match 1 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 16. Team Friendship (Lance Heartilly and Terrance Stevens) Match 2 8. High Velocity (Billy Norris and Markus Clay) vs. 9. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) Match 3 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Vs. 12. Bloody Weather (Big Scott Weathers and Blood River) Match 4 4. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) vs. 13. The Stevens Dynasty (Scott Stevens and George Stevens) Match 5 2. Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. 15. Aria of Thorns (Indigo Rose and Nocturne) Match 6 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. 10. Hearts of the Zodiac (Jean-Paul Ouilette and Pulsar) Match 7 6. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. 11. Dissonant Grit (Diego Rodriguez and Rock Sheridan) Match 8 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) vs. 14. Steel Devastation (Mickey Steele and Yoshii Nakamatsu) Match 9 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 9. Football Fanatics (De’siree Mitchell and Leon de Ramos) Match 10 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) vs. 4. Warriors of the Ring (Angela Wassermann and Diamond) Match 11 2. Emerald & Silver (Mel O’Hallister and Sterling Silver) vs. 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) Match 12 6. Grappling Geniuses (George Mastachas and Lucas Molina) vs. 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) Match 13 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 5. The First Church (Christian Priest and Monty Dhillon) Match 14 7. Rampage Carnival (Kichi Hida and The Mastodon) vs. 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) Tag Team Turmoil Championship Match 1. Divine Juggernaut (Brian Blackfield and Reverend Johnny Gross) vs. 3. Nuclear Cocktail (Brandy McDonald and Nuclear Templeton) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 Well. This is new, and yet familiar at the same time. I ran what bouts I could on Wednesday (all 8 of them), figured I’d try to start writing things out at work. Sometime in the last hour and 20 minutes, my documents on the flash drive apparently got corrupted and not only did it not save my work, it’s not even reading the documents on the drive anymore. So all the match summaries I had written out to save time tomorrow, gone. Unrecoverable. That’s five or six pages of work, including pre formatted headers and the like, gone. Document that had the play by plays for those matches, gone. (I have a backup on Google Docs, that’s not hard to replace. Mild annoyance at best.) The actual travel spreadsheet for The League, gone. (The main one lives on my laptop, so only thing lost between copies is TTT Spirit changes for those eight bouts. Also not the end of the world, just quite annoying.) My sanity and will to get this show out? Severely sapped. A similar situation is how I lost RRW (the immediate predecessor to this thread) a few years back. I didn’t have backups then. The fact that my backups are still functional and largely unchanged is the only reason I am choosing to go on right now. But this does mean that I’m making an executive decision on how the show is being presented. TTT will not be done in my “standard” style this season, of match summaries until the finals and then a normal MOTN write up for the finals. Instead, the finals will still be written out (since that’s being done tomorrow as I sacrifice a day from FF7 Rebirth to conduct League business), but the preliminary 14 matches will only be presented as in-game play by play, with my re-created headers like I normally do each week and end-of-match summary block. I admit, I am mildly peeved at this. I had some good stuff written, some bits about why certain teams are using EP’s names while some absolutely refuse to, and it’s gone. *sigh* Rant over, just wanted to give folks a heads up as to why the show is going to look drastically different on Sunday when it gets posted. We’ll continue on, I do not think my main files are in danger (though I will be making second backups on them now because I’m that paranoid) but the immediate will to press forward just took a shot. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eternal Phoenix Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 1 hour ago, ShadowedFlames said: I had some good stuff written, some bits about why certain teams are using EP’s names while some absolutely refuse to, and it’s gone. *sigh* First off, sympathy for you. Sorry this happened. It's gotta be frustrating as hell. Believe me, I know a bit about losing my work from time to time. With that firmly said, who I gotta sic the Carnival of Violence on? They're good names, you punks. Grr. (For clarity reasons, this is a joke to brighten your mood, maybe.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowedFlames Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 Trying to go by memory here… First Church and Stevens Dynasty were shoo-ins. I specifically kept Aria of Thorns as you know from our discussions in the past. Hearts of the Zodiac also made it (because of Cecile Corine, in-character). Steel Devastation made the list, though a reason was never given. High Velocity was in because there was a deliberate use of “high velocity offense” in a write-up that I even claimed was on purpose. Rampage Carnival made the cut because “Mastodon knew about Kichi’s temper and reputation, and he did not want any of that directed toward him.” (Paraphrasing) I think that’s everything that carried over. I’d have to remember the in-character reason some of the others went unused by the characters themselves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 If anyone has wrong you, chief, Nuclear knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy, if you get his meaning 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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