SZW - Sydney Zone Wrestling (CVerse 2020)

[newbiezness]

A throwback to Armando's classic segments, great fan service for people like me 😂

The Kipper completely out of touch, makes his match at Final Chapter more valuable. His opponent didn't help to be honest.

Spacing Vortex's matches makes them so special.

Another spectacular graphic 🔥

 

[619]

A shame to lose Buckminster Snark given his interesting character, but at least he hadn't been figured into anything too deeply yet, which should make it easier to pick his story back up once he's available again. Vile behaviour from Vincent Victory as @Aura said.

This show set up a lot of interesting stuff on the horizon: Adgee Cross v Warmonger, the Rusty Mills v Lone Rider rubber match which is sure to deliver and Vortex v Blackwell Bush, which between Vortex's character work and Bush always performing in ring is going to be great. You managed to keep Lifeline hot too coming out of their Final Chapter loss, while Armando Guerrero has us all craving kangaroo tacos.

[John Lions]

Definitely a "building" show, especially when you busted out all the stops for Final Chapter - it was always going to fall short of that.

The renders look great - the only nitpick I have is that I wish they were more consistent size-wise, but on the other hand I like seeing the render to the chest for guys with unique looks like Lone Rider and Armando.

Peril can't have a good match with Jake D'Angelo, you should cut him. On a more serious note, that match up was always going to be ugly - heel/heel, Peril is more of an intangibles guy than a show stopper at this point in his career. My bet is Jake's stats are way more skewed on the psychology/performance side, so he can get great results from a dance partner who's great in the ring, and not so good with a guy who needs a bit of help in that domain.

From Ashes seems a bit cold because most of your big stars and storylines were mostly off-screen - Blackwell Bush and Vortex's parts pulled the best ratings, but Kipper, Rider, Peril and The Runway were just in basically squash matches, while Adgee, The Devoted Souls, Lifeline were all in angles and Warmonger, Rusty, Golden Grapplers, Smokers and Suplexes all had the night off.

I'm pretty shocked with how big Vince worked out for you in his short run. Him and Greg have been nothing but stellar vets, 2x tag champs and beloved babyfaces for me. They've both always put guys over without much fuss and I can count on 2 occasions in my 3 year game where they got given a story (and a 2nd title reign) because I ended up with great storylines for them. Now that I think about it, the two of them got "The Kipper" treatment in my tag division. One of the things I love about TEW the most is how much saves can vary once you get a couple of years in!

 

[HiPlus]

Backstage

_____________________________________

 

YEPW

The formation of YEPW has occurred with London Platten being the one to open the company. They have a small budget but are located in our backyard of New South Wales. Some of their biggest signings are Damian Dastardly & Trevor Feather from ZEN, Dexter Mattell from APW, and finally Matt Stoppard & Tye The Innovator from RAW. All still working with their previous companies.

_____________________________________

 & 

Michel Bernard & Austin Tahere

Two of our younger guys have gotten signed by YEPW. Michel will be an instant asset to the company as he is easily in their Top 5 over guys. While Austin Tahere hopefully can make an impact and continue to grow. Speaking of growing Austin was backstage again working with New Zealand Pit Bull, working on his psychology.

_____________________________________

@Aura I can definitely see the look and why you would say that. Vincent Victory may be the new champion, but he also got the boot right away. I may try and sign him and bury him but I don't know if he will want to work for me in the future. He certainly is my most disliked character from this diary. I hope you found that cuisine and it was good. 

@newbiezness They are certainly still around and will be. They are fun segments and nice to roll with. I like the little backstory for him. He has one of the more over the top characters so I love using him. All the graphics from @John Lions have been so amazing. 

@619 He was going to be my guy, his story was one of the only I had outlined for a long while and putting it on ice for a year. I have no idea where he will come back or if he will be as heavily featured. I love Buckminster after my short lived ZEN diary. 

@John Lions I agree, a part of me wishes I went with someone a bit more solid in the ring than Peril (Not like A-Star talent, but someone who can stay in the company long term and compete well enough against the majority of the roster) Still I am glad I didn't as I have enjoyed having to make Peril a focal point. I agree, going to a TV show format will mean the event wont feel like a "reset" button following Final Chapter. 

It is crazy how guys can be drastically different across diaries and that is something I love. Unlike Vince, who I don't love. I can see me bringing him back to bury him. but he wont ever be the guy. Speaking of Greg he becomes the Australian Champion over in APW recently which is good for him.

Edited November 13, 2023 by HiPlus

[DinoKea]

Really exciting to see a TV Show coming in, should be interesting to see what you can achieve with that.

Not sure if this is a shared thing or not, but most of the images for the wrestlers just aren't working for me (except Drucker, DeGeorge, Guerrero, Rubennick & Lone Rider)

[HiPlus]

 

_____________________________________

 ~ 

Bruce the Giant ~ Adgee Cross

Bruce the Giant was out in the ring tonight and he bought out the Australian Champion Adgee Cross.

Bruce wanted to talk about how this was planned to be the final event shown on WrestleWorld for SZW. The crowd boo the idea of it not continuing to be broadcasted before Bruce the Giant announces it is the final event this year!

We announce we have officially signed a deal to continue to air SZW Events, and on top of that SZW would be announcing they will have a weekly show. SZW Eclipse! Getting a lot more cheers from the crowd, the first show will be next month, on the 1^st Wednesday of January.

Bruce now addresses why the champion is out here tonight. Adgee Cross will be in the first Main Event of SZW Eclipse defending his title. There are a few fans who yell out for Warmonger before Bruce dismisses that. Warmonger must have a title match in the first six months of his contract. That will not be at Eclipse. Instead Warmonger will face the winner of that title match two weeks later at SZW New Year Riot. Adgee grabs up the microphone and says that fans waiting two weeks to see him in action, is two weeks, too long. Instead asking for an opponent to come out and face him.

_____________________________________

 vs 

Adgee Cross vs Austin Tahere

The protégé of New Zealand Pit Bull would get a chance to show how good he is, up against the Australian Champion no less. Adgee Cross had a lot to prove here after the beat down he suffered at Final Chapter he put on a display tonight. Adgee Cross put on a good display, but still showed Austin Tahere had a lot of development to complete.

Winner: Adgee Cross

Rating: 42

_____________________________________

  

 Golden Grapplers

The award-winning music played as Lee Bawes and Christian Blithe came out to the ring. An elaborate entrance from the two men before Lee Bawes got on the microphone.

“At Final Chapter I had tunnel vision and cost us the match. I saw someone perform a suplex, and it was a great suplex. It was a finishing suplex. BUT IT WAS NOT BETTER THAN MINE! I had to beat that man to show him how good a suplex can be. I will show him. Brown Snake, I hope you are watching tonight. Because I will show you a great suplex.”

Christian Blithe didn’t perform a thank you speech tonight it seemed. He took the microphone, yelled at the crowd calling them “PEASANTS!” before throwing it down on the ground.

_____________________________________

   vs   

Golden Grapplers vs Groovy Tokers

Golden Grapplers were aggressive, they had lost their chance to challenge the tag-team champions and according to them, it was their own bravado that cost them the match. They weren’t going to let that happen again and looked like a well oiled machine tonight. Everyone in this match did great, particularly Christian Blithe. Golden Grapplers win with their Oscarplex.

Winners: Golden Grapplers

Rating: 55

_____________________________________

Diesel Dan

The Bad Trucker came out solo tonight with a microphone in his hand.

“I just wanted to come out before my next match and let you all know. Unlike last time I was here with my tag-team partner I have signed an ongoing contract with SZW.”

“Everyone must be wondering why I did it, and the answer is simple. I love being out here in front of this crowd. The three matches I had last time in this company were great. All of you, even if you weren’t cheering on The Bad Truckers. Made the crowd electric, made it an enjoyable even if I was on the losing side of things. When I competed on my own, I got to experience that. I got to know how it felt winning and hearing you fans cheer. I want to do that again.”

“Don’t get it wrong, I am the BAD ASS TRUCKER. I have travelled across this great country, in my Big Rig. I have seen how hard working this country is, how great this place is. You all reminded me of that. I want to give back to you all, I want to show you hard working folks. I am here to fight for you.”

_____________________________________

 vs 

Diesel Dan vs Johnathan Wesker

Diesel Dan is out in this match against Johnathan Wesker. It was clear Diesel Dan wasn’t going to wait long to experience being on the winning side of SZW again. Johnathan Wesker was the person he beat in his final match for SZW back in July. The match result was still the same. The duo had pretty good chemistry and Diesel Dan made Wesker look decent, not as decent as Adgee Cross had made Austin Tahere, which could be seen as a direct comparison.

Winner: Diesel Dan

Rating: 40

_____________________________________

   ~ 

Rusty Mills & Stephanie Drucker ~ Delbert DeGeorge

We get a backstage interview of Rusty and Stephanie with Delbert providing the story prompts for the husband-and-wife duo. Initially starting with congratulations for the success of the big win at Final Chapter. Rusty tried to play it off as Stephanie tried to hype her husband up.

The interview turned to the fact tonight would be a last man standing match between Rusty Mill and Lone Rider. Rusty took the moment to say he thought “Final Chapter” would be exactly that, but they both have a win over each other. They would finally put an end to this rivalry when Rusty wins his match tonight. Delbert then bought up the fact Stephanie wouldn’t be at ringside.

She reminded Delbert at Final Chapter she wasn’t at ringside until the very end because Rusty has the support of his fans. Rusty can do this; he can win this match. Stephanie would agree to the rule that she can’t attend the ringside area. The segment closed with the couple sharing a small kiss in a show of support for each other.

_____________________________________

 vs 

Armando Guerrero vs Saul Rubennick

A bit of a throw away match allowed me to really assess the potential opponents that Armando could have faced. It was clear Two-Face Tucker, Michael Rheur and Warlock were all quite past it at this stage of their careers. Saul ended up being the best option at 47 years old to put in the match. Armando put on a good display himself in this match.

Winner: Armando Guerrero

Rating: 44

_____________________________________

Warmonger

The imposing man made his way out to the ring.

He was massive and intimidating, he finally had a chance to talk about why he attacked Adgee Cross.

“Adgee, you will be putting your title on the line at SZW Eclipse. I hope you’re the one to win that match. I marked you at Final Chapter. I have chosen you as my next opponent. Painted across your chest was the symbol of my war paint.”

“I want to make it clear, I did not attack you out of malice. Earlier that night you told The Kipper “If you don’t give me your all tonight, you have no hope in beating me.” Well Adgee, I wanted to show you it doesn’t matter how beaten up or tired you are. When you face me! When you face WARMONGER!”

“You will always get the most dominant, brutal, aggressive display every single night.”

_____________________________________

Last Man Standing Match

 vs 

Rusty Mills vs Lone Rider

This match had a lot less build up than their previous match at Final Chapter, but not being in the Steel Cage seemed to suit both men. Even though Lone Rider was off his game he and Mills put on a great match as both men battered each other. Lone Rider had a good spot using his branding iron to beat down Rusty on several occasions. Rusty was always able to rally back after several attempts at counts. Rusty getting to his feet each time left a frustrated Lone Rider. Both men trying and failing to put their opponent down for a ten count. Rusty attempted and hit a Northern Lights Suplex, while Lone Rider hit Dusty Trail Takedown. Neither putting an end to the match.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large monster of a man slid into the ring helping Rusty Mills to his feet. Rusty looked confused by his arrival, as did Lone Rider. The man then approached Lone Rider yelling at him “GET THE JOB DONE!” before suddenly spinning around delivering a monster of a right elbow into the head of Rusty Mills collapsing the Hometown Hero to the mat.

Lone Rider looked confused as the large man left the ring. Seeing his opponent out cold on the mat, Lone Rider pulled him up and hit another Dusty Trail Takedown once more. This time Rusty Mills wasn’t getting up, the finisher from Lone Rider was probably unnecessary at that point and Keith Goggins counted the ten count and called the match. Keith checked on Rusty Mills as a confused Lone Rider looked down the ramp at the big man who stayed to make sure the match was over.

Winner: Lone Rider

Rating: 61

_____________________________________

Edited November 13, 2023 by HiPlus

[HiPlus]

18 minutes ago, DinoKea said:

Really exciting to see a TV Show coming in, should be interesting to see what you can achieve with that.

Not sure if this is a shared thing or not, but most of the images for the wrestlers just aren't working for me (except Drucker, DeGeorge, Guerrero, Rubennick & Lone Rider)

Have a look now, I tried reposting the entire show as I had the same issue on my phone but not on the webpage. 

[John Lions]

13 minutes ago, HiPlus said:

Have a look now, I tried reposting the entire show as I had the same issue on my phone but not on the webpage. 

I'm getting the same issue on desktop, no idea what the issue is...

[HiPlus]

No idea what the issue was, but third times the charm. Any feedback if they show up now is greatly appreciated. Is the title screen showing up?

[DAVEFAN95]

Had the same problem.with the links and no images but you seemd to.have fixed it now. The post before the show is still imageless for me. 

However, that Lone Rider Rusty Mills match was awesome, interested to see what this "Big Man" does going forward.

Nice to see my promotion, YEPW open up. With London Platten no less (he's my announcer). Course different company as I edited the product and location But nice all the same. 

Wesker seems to be doing reasonably well recently, how has he improved since you brought him in? 

[John Lions]

16 minutes ago, HiPlus said:

No idea what the issue was, but third times the charm. Any feedback if they show up now is greatly appreciated. Is the title screen showing up?

Everything's showing now except for the images in the backstage post before the show itself.

[HiPlus]

Alright should be all better no idea. 

[DinoKea]

Working perfectly now, such a weird issue. Great final show for the year, with some really interesting threads to lead into the new year

Edited November 13, 2023 by DinoKea

[619]

Exciting development with the new weekly show, and a strong way to end the year by wrapping up a long-term feud with a cliffhanger ending to kick off a new story.

[Aura]

Diesel Dan coming back was a surprise, and a face turn was an even bigger surprise. I've never used him in a sav before, so I don't know his maximum potential, but I think that the blue collar Australian hero gimmick could have some legs under it. The fact that SZW doesn't really have a lot of giants is probably going to help him stand out as well.

I'm already really invested in seeing Warmonger get a real match. He made a massive impression already, and I think that giving him a debut match against someone who can sell really well will get him over as a HUGE threat and serious powerhouse. Honestly, I'm already imagining what the eventual showdown between him and Adgee could look like.

Also, does Delbert's new look remind anyone else of Teddy Long?

[newbiezness]

I'm a bit confused about the "big man". I understand that we shouldn't know who he is by looking at his pic, but I'm not sure about that because my knowledge of Oceania in TEW is very limited.

If the identity of this big man should be a complete mystery I like the idea very much. If we should have an idea of who could he be it isn't working for me 😅

I wasn't very excited about Warmonger, probably because I don't know him well and only his name sounds familiar to me, but I must say that I'm getting on board and the big segments he's been given are working nicely.

[John Lions]

Diesel Dan as a singles babyface is awesome, big fan of that - The Bad Truckers are, IMO, probably one of the better indy tag teams that people don't know about, but they are both older and limited so unless you get some good destiny rolls, they jump head first into time decline. You're starting to get some more "big" guys, and you can really use a physically large babyface. 

He's also a guy with a TON of history with Warmonger - The Bad Truckers and The Apocalypse are the two tag teams I think of when I think about DIW. A meaty clash of the titans might be on the cards in 2023.

No idea who the mystery man could be, which is awesome. Another big meaty boy to throw down. I do have a theory - given Lone Rider's confusion, my bet is that the big man is some way connected to his dad. Who else would be so insistent that Lone Rider "finish the job"? He's the only character I think has a motivation to try and help Lone Rider win, that Lone Rider wouldn't be openly working with. Excited to see how it all plays out.

You've done a great job of integrating Bruce The Giant into the show. He's a big deal in wrestling (he's one of the only people who has won gold outside of SZW, and the only one to have held a World title) and he feels like a big deal, and I anyone who interacts with him gets a rub. He's helped Adgee out a lot, and as a whole I think Adgee did a great job as establishing himself as THE guy in SZW.

[HiPlus]

SZW 2023

_____________________________________

***Quick Note: This has taken so long as I went on a holiday and sort of hit a wall with the company. Needing to do a few different things. Hoping to get back into the swing of it all. ***

This will be a bit of a big post talking about the changes for the company, the success of last year and the few roster changes heading into the new year. Finally, a new roster breakdown will occur in the next post, which I am still writing up so may be delayed.

_____________________________________

New Show Schedule

Firstly, the great news we held a consistent 10000 viewers for all three shows on Wrestleworld Australia to end the year. Which, were one of the stipulations for Wrestleworld picking up the tv show instead of events for the next year. Prematurely we announced we had signed the contracts for SZW Eclipse and SZW Events, but they were signed the day after. Imagine if Wrestleworld rejected us at that point. That would have been fun dealing with the fallout of that issue.

Additionally, we will have a new schedule for the upcoming year with SZW Eclipse being held weekly we are moving to a bi-monthly event schedule. SZW New Year Riot (January), --- (March), ---- May, --Fully Loaded (July), Final Chapter (September), ---- (November). The blank events will be a rotation of all the events we have with no set order. That way we can use the promotional material (Thanks @John Lions) and not necessarily have dedicated events allows the theming for them to work a little better. The current events on rotation are listed below.

This will result in a 8 week turn around between events. I did weigh up a 6 week turn around but sorting out the schedule seemed annoying, and this was an easier plan. The fact that we are going to a weekly product does mean title reigns are going to be less lengthy in general just so I can keep things fresh for the company. Below is a list of all the hard work from @John Lions with all our event posters.

_____________________________________

Roster Releases

Speaking of keeping things fresh, Paul and I have discussed the roster and performed a clean out of sorts at guys who just won’t be able to give it their all week in week out. A change we felt was coming but also necessary at the moment.

So it is with the heaviest of hearts we say goodbye to SZW Foundation Members Trehawke Phillips and Two-Face Tucker.

Trehawke Phillips was a person who almost became the first SZW Australian Champion. He was a guy I hoped could eventuate into more at the SZW but being in the later half of his career, he perhaps gave us the last good year he had in the ring. He performed in 20 matches for the company (Not counting preshow). Throughout our first year of 2020 he was actually quite prominent. He had 10 matches and 8 wins. The highlight of career sadly were all losing affairs. With his three best matches being a loss to Lone Rider at Fully Loaded (2020), a loss to Adgee Cross at Eye of the Storm (2021), and finally his best match a loss against Lone Rider in a Strap match for the SZW Australian Championship at New Year Riot (2021).

Two-Face Tucker was a stable of the tag-team scene working with Johnathan Wesker. He teamed up with Wesker as a part of the team Two-Faced Bombers for 20 matches (Including Preshow). Unfortunately, the team could never pick up their first win as a pair. Highlights of his career were Two-Faced Bombers taking on The Runway at The Showdown (2022) and From Ashes (2022). While as a solo act he had an impressive match against Lone Rider at Recipe for Disaster (2021).

 

 & 

As well as long standing wrestlers Michael Rheur & Warlock. Michael Rheur had a rather successful beginning to his career, that hit a speed bump as age caught up with him and Warlock unfortunately wasn’t able to ever hit his strides or get consistently booked outside of random tag-teams.

____________________________________

Roster Signings

        

We have signed a few members to help fill the lower card out with Frankie Robertson, Custard, Lance Lott, Reed Buckfield, Luke Pope (FKA Surfer Dude Lucas), “Nasty” Nathan Rigger, Jelly, and Francis Burke. I also have started talks with Sulphur who came out to start the year saying he is frustrated after not being booked in the last 6 months and wants to end his career on the right note.

____________________________________

Roster Divisions

I have also wanted to try breaking down the roster a little bit more into what I label as Top 8, and the next 8 for the year as they will be primary focuses. I forget where I saw this but it was a term used by a booker in real life. I took it and adapted it by fleshing out the idea of them.

The Top 8

Adgee Cross, Warmonger, Vortex, Lone Rider, Rusty Mills, Adrian McGhee, Peril, The Kipper

These are the guys the shows should be built around. With weekly shows I will breakdown how it runs but at least 2 of these guys should be feuding for each other, ideally they should have 4 feuding at time. That way if for whatever reason a match flops or an injury happens. We have another strong storyline going on for them to capitalise in that event. This is where the Australian Championship should be involved in.

The Next 8

                Armando Guerrero, Diesel Dan, Blackwell Bush, Dizzy G, Jake D’Angelo, ----, -----, -----               

These are a mixture of guys. They are either the next in line to join the Top 8, have recently fallen from the Top 8 and are declining. Ideally these are guys who should get in short/mid length feuds with the guys above them. I should have at least 1 – 2 storylines involving these guys. They can incorporate others outside of the Top 8/Next 8 groups for their feuds. These guys can be in the process of developing their characters. They should be expected to win against anyone in the roster not in either of the groups.

 

As you can see we have a decent balance so far, but the last three spots are open. I have avoided guys I want primarily in the tag division for the next year in either spot here. So, the rest of the guys have to impress to try and force their way into the Next 8. Now I use these groups loosely so people will float between the two groups throughout the year, but look for the majority of storylines to come from these 16 guys for the year with very little stories outside of that. They definitely could look entirely different by the end of the year.

____________________________________

 

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by HiPlus

[John Lions]

I feel you 100% on that feeling of hitting a wall, I've been there plenty of times. Don't feel like you have to push out shows just for us readers - if you need to take a break, don't just push through it because then you'll just burn out even harder. One thing I've toyed with doing if I ever get my dynasty running (might be a while until I get all the graphics done first) is "taking a break" by just talking about the game world at large while the save sits. Just do write ups on regions or promotions - you've got 3 years of a "watcher save" so there's tons of content to pull from, and it might just start giving you ideas and getting your creative juices flowing again.

When it comes to the schedule for the year, I think the "best" way to do it is weekly TV and an event every 6-8 months. I was running 6/year until my PPV broadcaster demanded 12 events/year in game, which is a cool feature while also frustrating... I think 2023 SZW takes a big step up - the past 3 years you've had stand out events mixed with ones that have a lot of "predictable" matches, and now you can focus on your events all being the level of Final Chapter which will be great in the long run.

The four vets making their exit all make sense, there wasn't really much for any of those 4 left to do in SZW and they were just getting worse with time. Of your signings, I think Frankie Robertson, Francis Burke, Lance Lott, and Reed Buckfield all slot in to that veteran gatekeeper role the four men before them leave, all while being better wrestlers and not in decline yet, so all four of those guys have the chance to break out like Lee Bawes did. Funny enough, all but Burke were some of my core guys in my KCCW diary from nearly 15 years ago, so they have a special place in my heart.

Custard and Jelly seem like a fun tandem of big young rookies, not sure where they fall but they likely take the spot the Taheres would have had a couple years ago if not for their backstage issues. Luke Pope is a stud, and it almost feels remiss to list him with the rest of the 7 - I think he walks in as one of your top 5 wrestlers, he's a complete package with time on his side. I can see him being involved with Jesse and Armando, it's a natural pairing that I find impossible NOT to do whenever I sign those guys. Nasty Nate is a solid young guy with some upside, he's good a good starting skill set and I believe he's a tag specialist, so I can see him floating around with a lot of teams, taking losses and getting experience, until he hits it big and finds a partner with some chemistry.

Jake D'Angelo making it in the Top 13 of the singles division, that's not something I ever expected to see. Without having the whole roster in front of me, I can see Luke Pope jumping into one of those vacant spots. I can see Michel Bernard possibly joining these guys - he overshadows his partner in skill and experience atm, and if he breaks out in singles with YEPW he could end up earning a singles run. Jesse Tasman always an option if him and Pope stay singles guys, too.

As for guys breaking into and falling out of the "Top 8" this year? I think The Kipper slides down for obvious reasons. IDK is Peril is ready to be in "top 8 singles focus", so if his first half of the year his singles matches look like his one against Jake, I see him dropping down a peg. Armando has never been a star for me, but he's really broken out this past year and I think he's the closest to cracking that top 8. Blackwell Bush has the in-ring skill and Dizzy-G has the character, bodyguard, and title history to crack it with a strong year as well.

[newbiezness]

15 minutes ago, John Lions said:

I feel you 100% on that feeling of hitting a wall, I've been there plenty of times. Don't feel like you have to push out shows just for us readers - if you need to take a break, don't just push through it because then you'll just burn out even harder. One thing I've toyed with doing if I ever get my dynasty running (might be a while until I get all the graphics done first) is "taking a break" by just talking about the game world at large while the save sits. Just do write ups on regions or promotions - you've got 3 years of a "watcher save" so there's tons of content to pull from, and it might just start giving you ideas and getting your creative juices flowing again.

I agree with you. In my first diary around the 3rd year I started to run out of ideas and I felt that even if in-game the future was promising, in diary terms it became stale. Or at least that's how I felt. In LAP I'm trying to not repeat the same things that went wrong that time in my opinion but you never know because I'm still just in mid-2021. By the way, your graphics are great.

6 hours ago, HiPlus said:

This will result in a 8 week turn around between events. I did weigh up a 6 week turn around but sorting out the schedule seemed annoying, and this was an easier plan. The fact that we are going to a weekly product does mean title reigns are going to be less lengthy in general just so I can keep things fresh for the company. Below is a list of all the hard work from @John Lions with all our event posters.

I like that you are going to a weekly product because it's a big challenge and we'll see a different SZW, although some segments were already TV material, think Armando. I can't say anything about the new signings because I'm not familiar with them, that will make things more interesting for me haha

[DAVEFAN95]

I feel your pain with the whole hitting a wall and things not feeling "right" or being the way you want them. It happens. I've read diaries that have gone on hiatus and come back a few weeks later, just to clear the head and I think this is a great way to reset and start from where you want to go next. I'll be following SZW and your work regardless. That being said I am very excited to see where SZW goes from here.

Big salute to @John Lions for those superb graphics and the event rotation idea is actually stellar. Allows you to come up with traditions or show gimmicks that won't go stale as they don't come around every year. I like how seriously you are treating the switch to a weekly show. It's a big deal and you've put a lot of effort into understanding how big a deal it is, massive props to you. Looking forward to the shenanigans weekly shows usually provide. 

I really enjoyed your breakdown of the roster and how that effects your booking. I've heard a similar strategy before of "Pick 6-8 guys, make feuds with them, fill in the blanks with the rest of the cast of characters you have" which is a really excellent way to look at things. You breaking down how Tier 1 and Tier 2 fit into how you book things is a really cool insight into how you see your roster aswell as giving us and indication of how you jump up or down tiers, very interesting. I've never used the model myself but I probably should, it seems to be a much more streamlined story making it make a lot of sense from show to show. 

[619]

I really enjoyed the breakdown of the new schedule, the roster ins and outs and the booking philosophy you're carrying into the weekly era, and of course the beautiful @John Lions graphics.

Echoing the three excellent comments above not to put any pressure on yourself and go at a pace that keeps things fun for you. I'm sure your audience will be here whether your next show is tomorrow, next month, next year or in a different dynasty altogether: wherever and whenever your creativity takes you.

I sympathise with the situation of finding it hard to pick back up after a holiday as I struggle to recover momentum after time away from a save. On the positive side, my experience was that it's much easier to dip back into a save you've written a dynasty on than a standard save just as everything you've done is fully documented, so less ideas slip through the cracks. This was a pleasant surprise to me as I'd never been able to pick a save back up months later before.

[HiPlus]

_____________________________________

SZW 2023 Roster

(Wrestlers)

_____________________________________

Adgee Cross

The current Australian Champion. He has done everything the company has needed this past year. Not the most over guy, or best in the ring. But he is easily in the Top 5 in those regards. On the microphone could use some work. But this isn’t a who can do better spiel about him. Adgee Cross didn’t necessarily carry the company, but he never faltered. He elevated the main championship after Lone Rider and Adrian McGhee struggled to do the same. Now with some big new names signing in the last year. He will be looking to leave his legacy.

_____________________________________

Adrian McGhee

Adrian McGhee is my tag-team partner. We have held the title for the last three years, in fact over three years. It is our title and Adrian McGhee is the reason why. He held the Australian Championship for a short while a credit to him that he did well with it in a short time. He is in conversation for future title reigns and is still only 33 years old so has all the time in the world. A cornerstone of the company. He has carried me for the last three years, I can’t say more good things about this man.

_____________________________________

Armando Guerrero

Armando is a crowd favourite, he may not be the most popular guy but his segments are a perfect way to cool down between matches and let the fans enjoy the comedy aspect of wrestling. Armando has been coming up with his ideas on his own, and originally pushed for Armando’s Amigos. I love Armando and he has become one of my favourites in the company. I can see him easily slotting in a feud with anyone and willing to put guys over. He has enough big wins and support, that beating him is valuable in the company.

_____________________________________

Austin Tahere

Austin Tahere is a young guy I signed, the sad thing is he isn’t actually much younger than a lot of the guys on the roster. He certainly isn’t as polished as the other guys. He is improving though and the fact he works so regularly with New Zealand Pit Bull makes me want to keep him around. I doubt he will be anything special any time soon. But who knows extra tv time could change those fortunes. Being picked up by YEPW is a good sign for his growth so hopefully that helps him out.

_____________________________________

Banky Bremner

I have to be honest I was hesitant about his return. We could have easily written him off as an injury or a backstage attack. Instead, we kept it honest and the fans appreciated that fact. It was so heartwarming to see the fans get behind him. A part of me wishes I pulled the trigger on Lifeline winning the tag-team titles at Final Chapter, but weighing up a three year reign. Something that will live in the history books, while Lifeline could win the titles at another time for the same good feeling moment.

_____________________________________

Blackwell Bush

Blackwell has been strong for me in the ring. He hasn’t dominated the storylines, and more been an accent piece for the Sydney Championship. Heading into the new year he gets his shot against the champion and I expecting an incredibly good match between the two men. Hopefully with some more time and getting involved in some stories he can break out this year.

_____________________________________

Brown Snake

My roommate, he is great in the ring and honestly heading into last year he and Fuzzy were going to win the tag-team championships. Sadly, the two men got overshadowed by the likes of Lifeline and Golden Grapplers so I never gave them the championship. Still a strong in-ring team and with Fuzzy being so popular Smokers & Suplexes are a staple of the tag-team division. He is young and if he sticks around with SZW will eventually have success in the company. It is sad though because the first year I had him work with Lance, and then was going to get him a decent single run but ended up putting him back in the tag-team division. If he leaves, he would be my biggest missed opportunity, plus it would make living with him a lot more awkward.

_____________________________________

Buckminster Snark

He was my project, my guy. He looked great, his segments were different. He had an actual character. I had big plans for him, that he could have bought in some new talent and eventually got over enough to get into the Sydney Championship discussion. 9 months is going to be a long time with a new television show. I doubt I will want to continue his storyline or have no idea how to kick start it. But we have a lot of time before that will matter.

_____________________________________

Christian Blithe

One half of Golden Grapplers Christian Blithe could be anywhere on the card. He was involved in the best match of last year against Rusty Mills, and a Top 5 match with his tag-team partner. He is probably too good for the tag-team division, but it is a nice place for him to set up shop alongside his ageing tag-team partner.

_____________________________________

Custard

Looking at him, you can tell how he got his name. He loves his custard, and so does his uncle Bob Shrunkle! That is right, the long term DIW talent has family taking up the throne. Bob retired a few years ago but I plan to bring him in. Maybe to help teach his young nephew. Speaking off Custard has found a tag-team partner in fellow big man called Jelly!

 _____________________________________

Diesel Dan

Diesel Dan I was excited to bring back. Honestly, I wish I had signed him from the outset. He is the only guy to be signed while working for another company to a long-term contract. Being 38 he still has some in the tank, but lengthy matches won’t be his forte. He is a seven time DIW Tag-Team champion, seeing him solo will be big for his long tenured career.

_____________________________________

Dizzy G

The first Sydney Champion looked great during his short stint with the title, but after losing it to me. He hasn’t really found his footing. More recently the team up with Maelstrom seems to have helped his fortunes but he has been treading water. Which being so young he can do, he already has a big accolade. He is one of the better guys on the microphone.

_____________________________________

Francis Burke

Burke is a highflyer guy and has been good on the independent scene. Although he never has clicked with me he certainly has some value. Planning on using him as a tag guy with Frankie. I don’t necessarily think their ceiling will be all that high. He should be solid in the ring which is why he was bought in to the company.

_____________________________________

Frankie Roberston

I actually know Frankie from back over in Perth. He always talked about how he liked working with RAW. How they would fly him out, get some catering and hang out at the show before doing 5 minutes of work in the ring. Well imagine how excited he was when I offered him the same deal, but told him he could actually have a character and walk down the entrance ramp. His RAW locker room stories were always something I loved. It will be good to catch up with him.

_____________________________________

Fuzzy Freeman

Fuzzy has been one of the most over guys when I was initially pushing Smokers & Suplexes which is crazy to think about that I squandered that opportunity. He still is well known by the fans and has good chemistry with his real-life partner Taniko Jo. I look forward to what he can do long term but I doubt he will go beyond the tag-team division.

_____________________________________

Gareth Case

He came in with an impact. It is really hard to pinpoint the value that Gareth Case will have in the future but being thrown in beside Lone Rider is a good starting point for anyone. The only problem I have is, he essentially fills the same role that I could. A part of me hope he flops, but Paul really likes the guy.

_____________________________________

Jake D’Angelo

Perhaps one of the biggest bright points of 2022. While he never got himself that big win, he showed he can be the measuring stick. Which for me isn’t great as he wasn’t able to pull out a solid match from me. But he has impressed me greatly. A guy who will be staying around long term. He earned his spot in “The Next 8” based on his performance this year.

_____________________________________

Jelly

Real name Rhodes Clementi Is a young heavyweight Australian who trained under New Zealand Pit Bull at Headlock Wrestling School. He has a decent look and good size, but is still very green in the ring. He is teaming up with Custard and should be a fun tag-team together. Even though they have impressive size

_____________________________________

Jesse Tasman

Jesse was bought in by one of those Armando segments and the two worked well together. I did think about making them a tag-team but I liked what Armando was doing. He is good in the ring and has a good character. I doubt he will crack “The Next 8” this year but it is something that could be on the cards for future success for him.

_____________________________________

Johnathan Wesker

Wesker got to close out the year in a big match and gets to start the year with a big match. Beyond that, he is losing his tag-team partner. This is the time for him to break out and show his value to the company, now is his chance. Otherwise, you could see him being swallowed up by a lot of the newer talent that have also signed with the company.

_____________________________________

Lance Lott

I really like Lance. I am surprised he never went to Japan to be honest. He is quite smooth in the ring but lacks personality despite what I think is a great name. I could see him being similar to Jake D’Angelo where he is the in-ring measuring stick for the company. One thing I do like is, he was skinny and has been working on his physique. (Honestly when I genned the render I forgot he was skinny, so I am asking him to increase his muscle now.)

_____________________________________

Lance Maddigan

Maddigan is my other roommate. He has found his niche, and that is being Banky’s partner. He has done well at letting his tag-team partner take the spotlight and play a supporting act. I alluded to it awhile ago but I did always promise Lance a title at some point, he was pretty angry with me after I told him it wouldn’t be Final Chapter. As long as he sticks around, I have a lot of time to give him that promise that was made after far too many drinks.

_____________________________________

Lee Bawes

Lee was a guy I always have rated and this past year he has shown it. From competing for both singles titles to finding himself in the tag-team division. He is another bright spot who earned his place in the company. His career has felt like something of a “never going to be able to do it.” He has changed that since signing with the company.

_____________________________________

Lerone Slim

He looks so damn good. I love that, and he has improved nicely in the ring alongside his tag-team partner. They were definitely not people I could see even getting wins but lately they have been performing well in the ring and could definitely get the chance to have those matches and wins under his belt.

_____________________________________ 

Lone Rider

In the last two years he has had his second Australian Title run that only lasted for a month. He has been a prominent fixture since the opening of the company and Paul assures me that will continue to be the case. To his credit he is one of the better in-ring talents and has done well not to be overshadowed by a lot of the new talent.

He has also been working for DIW the past year. He has 6 wins and only 4 losses. With those 4 losses, one was his debut match. He lost two Australian Championship matches against Milton Hittlespitz and Gyula Lakatos and finally finished the year losing to Dumfrey Pinn. Which other than that loss, shows he is certainly making an impact in DIW. I look forward to see how the next year shakes out for Lone Rider as his career continues to grow.

_____________________________________

Luke Pope

He is probably the biggest new signing from the guys listed. He is a solid in ring talent, he has good star quality and charisma. He could certainly develop into a star for the company and that is my hope. The plan was to get away from the surfing style gimmick that he normally runs with as we have Jesse Tasman, but that may change.

_____________________________________

Maelstrom

While not a “signed” in ring talent, he has made his impact felt and his destiny is definitely tied to Dizzy G. Likewise he has a lot of time on his side. I doubt this will be his breakout year, he will continue to grow in dark matches and get decent time with Dizzy G on the main show.

_____________________________________

Michel Bernard

Michel was the original “great in ring talent” deserving of a bigger push. He has been great in the tag-team division and it allows him to happily give matches up against guys in singles competitions. Now he is on the cusp of his first SZW Championship. With that said, it wont be his first title. He has started off the new year in a big way. He recently captured the YEPW Heavyweight Championship to become their first champion ever. I will be keeping a close eye on him over there.

_____________________________________

Nathan Rigger

Not sure what to think about him, or what to do with him.  He probably won’t be anything more than a beat stick starting out in the company but at 26 years old he can hopefully accomplish something. He hasn’t done anything to talk about outside of the company.

_____________________________________

Peril (That’s ME!)

The last two years I have certainly have had a wild ride. I had a short run as the Sydney Champion, secondly I have continued to carry one half of the Tag-Team Championship having held the title for 1 year. I definitely have struggled in the ring when performing by myself, but there is a clear improvement from myself. I have a lot of years in the tank to keep growing in the ring and that is what this next year will be about. I want to work with some of those really refined in ring talents.

_____________________________________

Reed Buckfield

Reed is a high flyer who had some exposure almost ten years ago back at ZEN. He definitely won’t be making a big splash but is hopefully going to be a solid in the ring and I am actually excited by having him come to the company. I wouldn’t expect great things though, or even wins potentially.

_____________________________________

Rusty Mills

Rusty has been amazing for the company, and certainly helped elevate the in-ring expectations of the company. He was picked up after he left APW, and to kick of the year he has resigned with APW. It gives me some hesitation, but we have been working well with them. Though a big wrinkle is his former tag-team partner Donovan Boon had signed with RAW to start the year. Becoming a singles star, he will look to continue that in his APW return. He was involved in two of the Top 3 matches and will certainly continue to elevate the company.

_____________________________________

Saul Rubennick

He is still here, one of the guys I think many would have expected to be released. He managed to avoid the cut of wrestlers and I think it is more because of my own nostalgia, even if he has been a complete pain for me throughout his time with SZW. He is just winding down the career so I wouldn’t expect much from him.

_____________________________________

Sulphur

Sulphur is a monster of a man. Someone I could have picked up sooner, I doubt he has much left in the company. A story from the start of the year pulled at the heart strings and is the reason he got signed is because he hadn’t wrestled in some time and wasn’t adjusting well. While he isn’t getting a shot to say, he is going to get some time in the ring.  

_____________________________________

The Kipper

The statesmen of the company so to speak. He was the inaugural Australian Champion. The last two years he has definitely taken a step back and tried to elevate the rest of the roster, particularly Adgee Cross something I feel he has done incredibly well. The Kipper was picked up by DIW so he has officially worked for three major companies within Australia. Look forward to see how he progresses. 

_____________________________________

Toasty Bonnar

The best thing for Toasty was his injury when he was primed to challenge for the Sydney Championship at the start of the companies second year. While Toasty hasn’t rocked the card at all, the 33 year old has developed nicely and I feel more comfortable with his efforts in the ring particularly when with his tag-team partner.

_____________________________________

Vortex

The cosmic force that is Vortex has done so incredibly well with the Sydney Championship. He is one of my favourite characters to come in the company and has seen probably the best success outside of Adgee Cross since his arrival. It is warranted with two of his three matches in the company being in the Top 10. I look forward to the future of him. He is such a different character and really established himself.

_____________________________________

Warmonger

Leaving APW he was a big signing for the end of 2022 and came in instantly making waves in the company. He has just started talks with DIW, which it is very clear that SZW are happy to work with other companies and share out the stars. Making him one of three big guys in the company working elsewhere. Warmonger is a guy I am excited to see what he can do outside of the tag-team picture.

_____________________________________

XS

XS has been developing nicely just quietly. He has been growing, and although he probably has a ceiling. Developing into a suitable in ring talent, although still overshadowed by his tag-team partner. He has started to try and branch out by recently signing with APW.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

SZW 2023 Roster

(Backstage)

_____________________________________

Bruce the Giant

Bruce has been wonderful as an Authority Figure. He is so big no one is going to attempt to intimidate him, or push him around. Still shows enough weakness to listen to Paul at the same time. Bruce is slowly getting more over with the crowd which is great because he is such an international star something good for the company long term.

_____________________________________

Ceri Dordevich

She has done beautifully in being eye candy on the side of Lone Rider. Her annoying attitude has been a delight to see and she is a perfect foil for Lone Rider. She doesn’t end up being there all the time, but when she is. She helps make the segment more memorable.

_____________________________________

Craig Sturt

He has been a solid announcer. There isn’t too much to say about him, with him slowly getting more over with the fans. He has been a good play by play commentator and as we look to the future he will always be an integral part of the roster.

_____________________________________

Delbert DeGeorge

Delbert has been the voice of SZW. Between his colour commentary to the fact he has been in interview segments. Delbert makes others improve. I need to use him more and get him more over because he is so flexible and versatile as an interviewer.

 _____________________________________

Gregg Micheal

I was worried when we signed Gregg. He wasn’t a big name Road Agent but he has certainly filled the role well with no complaints. He doesn’t elevate matches but doesn’t detract from them either.

_____________________________________

Keith Goggin

The ref, he has been in every big match and every match since the beginning of the company history. With an increased work rate and a massive Final Chapter card we finally hired some support for him, but he will still be the one counting the Main Event.

_____________________________________

 

Max Langstrom

Max always impresses me since moving on from his in-ring days. He has been a solid backstage hand. Working well with the lower card matches and angles. Lot’s of respect for “carnage” I hope he sticks around for awhile now. Got a soft spot for the old guy.

_____________________________________

New Zealand Pit Bull

New Zealand Pit Bull has been doing great backstage, and is really kept around for the sake of Austin Tahere. That and he also gave SZW the very first ring. I have a lot of respect for him, because of that as well. He still keeps pushing his wrestling school and mentions every single guy to come from there. He still got his wish with us picking up Rhodes Clementi (Jelly).

_____________________________________

Paul (Original Lone Rider)

Paul has been a great boss, and I can’t fault him at all. He has been getting more involved as an on-screen personality which I love for me. He has such a strong presence and works well with his own son Lone Rider. Backstage he is definitely our locker room leader and a good one at that.

_____________________________________

Stephanie Drucker

She has been a gem for us, and a star for the company. I gave her the honours of opening our very first televised show and she knocked it out of the park. She has been attached at Rusty’s hip so far and while I love that, I want her to give that shine to the other talent so I could see her moving to a more personality, backstage role.

_____________________________________

 Taniko Jo

She hasn’t had much to do since her split with Lone Rider. She has formed a relationship with Fuzzy Freeman and their connection does seem beneficial for each of them as they do well together. Fuzzy is her limiting factor that is for sure, but again they work well together so it is the reason she has been kept around for now.

_____________________________________

Wayne Schimmelbusch

Wayne came in for Final Chapter and it actually played into a few of the matches and build up. Not much to say, a serviceable referee and will be staying on in the company for the long term unless he gets snapped up by RAW.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

SZW 2023 Roster

(Tag-Teams)

_____________________________________

   

Golden Grapplers

(Lee Bawes & Christian Blithe)

_____________________________________

  

Groovy Tokers

(Toasty Bonnar & Lerone Slim)

_____________________________________

 

Lifeline

(Banky Bremner & Lance Maddigan)

_____________________________________

  

Smokers & Suplexes

(Fuzzy Freeman & Brown Snake)

_____________________________________

  

The Devoted Souls

(Adrian McGhee & Peril)

_____________________________________

  

The Frankies

(Francis Burke & Frankie Robertson)

_____________________________________

  

The Runway

(Michel Bernard & XS)

_____________________________________

   

Trifle

(Custard & Jelly)

_____________________________________

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by HiPlus

[HiPlus]

Firstly, a big thank you to all for the kind words. The write up felt like a slog, but the past few weeks I developed some storylines in my head or plans where I want the company to go. That is nice as we reset for the 2023 and start a new tv show to debut the season. I definitely want to quickly touch on a few of the other companies. 

 

RAW

RAW made a a large haul of signings in the end of 2022 while in November. Signing a lot of talent that was in APW, a couple of DIW/ZEN guys as well. They picked up Nighthawk, SubUrban Legend, Donovan Boon and Chuck Everlasting from APW. They grabbed Anguish who had been working with DIW. They signed Steven Yale from ZEN. Finally they bought back Brodie Lachlan who was doing wonders in DIW and ZEN.

 

APW

APW lost four guys I would consider a core of the company and while they had recently signed Gregory Grace. For the new year Dazzler, Rusty Mills, XS and Writhe were bought in to replace the previous four guys who were signed away to RAW.

ZEN

The last few years ZEN have been signing the big guy from RAW. Firstly with Monday Next, then they picked up Brodie Lachlan and before Brodie had even finished his time and going back to RAW. ZEN bought in a massive pick in Will Beaumont and bought back Booster Boy who departed for over a year.

 

DIW

DIW had a bit of a full on end of last year losing Gregory Grace, Anguish and Brodie Lachlan. To help soften the blow they bought in The Kipper and Dingo Devine into the company. Dingo still can go and has some tread on the wheels so he could be a valuable signing.

 

 

@John Lions Definitely taken this advice on board to talk a little bit about the other companies based in australia. I agree going to a television schedule I will find a lot of those events can actually be unpredictable and have value while the predictability on the card can go to the television shows. You hit the nail on the head in terms of breaking down the new signings. There are four guys to be core of the show and eat pins, there is a new young tag-team who will do the same but hopefully develop. While finally Luke Pope will be a key or influential part of the company. At least that is the plan. 

 

I also always put Tasman and Luke together, whether that ends up happening or not remains to be seen but I have toyed at some gimmick and team name ideas for the duo as well. You nailed the whole Michel Bernard making a name for himself. He beat Paul Reinhold, Flip Buchanan, and Writhe a bunch of tag-team guys all competing for the top prize single title. 

 

I really liked the thoughts regarding the current roster breakdown, and the idea of who you see getting into that lower tier 8, and potentially pushing the top tier and those that may end up moving out of it as well. 

 

@newbiezness I am glad you are enjoying the graphics and enjoying the diary as a whole. Shedding a light on the Australian Scene for you. 

 

@DAVEFAN95 It does streamline booking for each year. I will also go into a bit more of how I plan to book weekly shows because I tend to divide them especially will for weekly shows. Dividing them between a week 1 and week 2 divide. So e.g. Lone Rider, Rusty Mills and Tag-Team Champs were on one rotation and Vortex, Warmonger, The Kipper with the main champion floating between to be in all the shows most of the time. 

 

@619 I really appreciate the thoughts and encouragement for future diaries. I would love to touch on ZEN again one day with the same theme as the previous diary. Rehashing that story. For now my focus is definitely on SZW for the long term as this is an outlet and a way to let out my creativity. I also agree that having stories and characters really fleshed out it is easy to jump back in to diaries. 

[HiPlus]

Episode 1

_____________________________________

  ~ 

Bruce the Giant ~ Paul

Bruce the Giant and Paul are the first guys out tonight. The owner and general manager not here to talk about the events of what is now last year. The pair of men take turns celebrating the fact that the last three events were streamed. While tonight is the first SZW Eclipse show. They bought up the fact tonight would be headlined by Adgee Cross putting his title on the line in the main event.

Paul finished the segment by saying that four wrestlers would be leaving the company tonight and he has asked Stephanie Drucker to introduce them all one last time for the SZW faithful in attendance and all of those watching SZW at home.

_____________________________________

    vs   

Golden Grapplers vs Lifeline

The first match was a big one in the tag-team scene between one of the most over and talented in ring teams vs a team that has been making waves in the title scene. This was a strong match between two of the more talented teams we have. Near the end of the match Smokers & Suplexes music hit distracting Golden Grapplers who had called them out at Christmas Clash. A distracting Fuzzy Freeman stumbled out on stage with a microphone and thought he had a match planned and apologised to the crowd. The distraction was enough to allow Lance Maddigan to pick up an unlikely win against Golden Grapplers. This was a really good match between the two teams.

Winners: Lifeline

Rating: 56

_____________________________________

 ~ 

Lone Rider ~ Paul

Lone Rider was without Ceri as he hit the backstage area and found his father Original Lone Rider. Lone Rider wanted to discuss the events in the Main Event primarily “why in the hell someone was involving themselves in his match.” Paul was stern in his answer and delivered the same statement the mystery man had given inside the ring last month. He was there to make sure Lone Rider “got the job done” against Rusty Mills which he was able to do.

 

That statement only seemed to anger his son before the mystery man himself came into frame standing beside Paul as if backing him up. Paul finally introduced the big man by the name of Gareth Case. Lone Rider said he didn’t care, and threatened Case to never involve himself in his matches again. Case just laughed in his face further antagonising Lone Rider who proceeded to storm off.

_____________________________________

 vs 

Diesel Dan vs Jake D’Angelo

I was looking forward to this match, Jake had a stellar run last year for the company. While Diesel Dan impressed enough last year to earn himself a long-term contract with the company. Diesel Dan was able to win the match after Jake D’Angelo attempted to rake at the eyes of Dan. The big man was able to hit a quick and surprising roll up against D’Angelo.  This wasn’t the best rated match but showed both men are as safe as each other in the ring.

Winner: Diesel Dan

Rating: 41

_____________________________________

 ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Stephanie Drucker ~ Trehawke Phillips ~ Michael Rheur ~ Warlock ~ Two-Face Tucker

Stephanie Drucker came out to the ring and firstly thanked both Original Lone Rider (Paul) and Bruce the Giant for the opportunity to come out here for the fans and introduce some wrestlers for the last time for SZW. Now everyone here were not necessarily the most beloved wrestlers from the locker room but Trehawke Phillips was still respected in the ring and Michael Rheur had some decent matches for the company. Each man had their entrance music played one last time and joined Stephanie in the ring for a final cheer within SZW.

_____________________________________

 ~ 

Adgee Cross ~ Johnathan Wesker

After the festivities and the men had made their way to the back Adgee Cross came out. The champion was full of energy and came out to the packed crowd. He started the segment off by thanking all four men who were just in the ring. Talking about the matches he had with each man. Including the one-on-one matches with Trehawke, Michael Rheur and Two-Face Tucker. Saying each one had pushed him to his limits on different occasions. Before Adgee could continue he is interrupted by Johnathan Wesker who accuses the champion of using his former tag-team partners name in an attempt to make himself look good. Adgee quips back that he always looks good. Which prompts Johnathan Wesker to challenge the Australian Champion in the Main Event tonight. The champion gladly accepts the match. This wasn’t the best segment but Adgee did his best which is all that matters.

_____________________________________

   vs   

The Runway vs Saul Rubennick & Austin Tahere

The Runway were in the ring against a pairing of heels. Saul who would routinely team up with other veterans on the roster found himself having to team up with the young Austin Tahere. Something he definitely didn’t want to be doing, and it showed in their teamwork. Michel and XS were able to captalise on it to win the match.

Winners: The Runway

Rating: 40

_____________________________________

   ~    ~   

The Runway ~ The Devoted Souls ~ Lifeline

The Runway were in the ring when The Devoted Souls entrance music hit. It looked like another beating would be happening from their hands but just like at From the Ashes, Lifeline came out on the entrance ramp. This time in the ring I got on the microphone and got to talk about the fact I have a match tonight and all four men should be watching. Because at SZW New Year Riot the tag-team championships would be on the line against both The Runway and Lifeline. Adrian McGhee closed out the segment by adding a stipulation, which ever team is pinned or submitted in the ring. They will not have another championship match, as long as the current champions reign.

Making it very clear after SZW New Year Riot, it will be the last time that he and I will ever have to face one of those other teams. Putting an end to one of their hopes and dreams in SZW for the foreseeable future. 

_____________________________________

 vs 

Peril vs Jesse Tasman

Although I had an uninspiring solo outing recently against Jake D’Angelo, I still booked myself a match against the nimble Jesse Tasman who was adjusting from the surf to the ring. Tasman outperformed me in the ring which.. hurt. Although him and I did have some great chemistry so that was really good to see. I picked up a strong win but the match lacked flow in the middle of it apparently hampering the rating.

Winner: Peril

Rating: 33

_____________________________________

 ~ 

Dizzy G ~ Maelstrom

Dizzy G came out tonight and it was his job to hype up the match between Vortex and Blackwell Bush. Unconventional approach seeing as he Dizzy G wouldn’t be in the match but he bought it back to the Fatal-Four-Way match at SZW New Year Riot a year ago that decided the challenger for Vortex. Every single man went on to become the Number One Contender for the Sydney Championship.

Except for Dizzy G, so he wanted to make it clear. Whoever walked out champion, would be taking on Dizzy G next. It was after all his championship. He just like all the fans should keep an eye on the match at SZW New Year Riot as it would be exciting. Spending the last moment of the promo putting over one of his future opponents to hype up their match.

_____________________________________

Australian Championship

 vs  

Johnathan Wesker vs Adgee Cross

This was going to be Johnathan Wesker’s time to shine. Losing his tag-team partner this was going to be a chance to show he deserves to be a singles star, or at least a singles wrestler. A main event match, against the top guy in the company, for his title. This was his shot to make a meaningful impact in the company or at least show that he could make that impact in the future. Unfortunately for him, not even the Australian Champion could make him look good. He couldn't make Wesker look like a star. 

Winner: Adgee Cross

Rating: 42

_____________________________________