SZW - Sydney Zone Wrestling (CVerse 2020)

[Aura]

Vortex vs Peril ©

I'm choosing to believe in Vortex. Admittedly, part of it is because I picked him to join the company. However, I feel like it would be a waste of all of his build-up if he came out and lost his debut after the last few months were spent hyping him up.

Toasty Bonnar vs Dizzy G

Sorry Toasty. I like you, but Dizzy G's in the process of getting his momentum back. I'm hoping for good things in Toasty's future, but I don't see him taking this one.

Michel Bernard vs Lee Bawes

It kind of hurts to vote against Michel due to how good he's been in the ring this whole time. However, not only is Bawes on a hot streak, but with Trehawke slowing down, he could take up that role of being the grizzled vet that's a serious threat. 

Blackwell Bush vs XS

There's no way that Blackwell Bush is losing his eyebrow piercing. Also, XS is good, but Bush is on a whole other level. Keep building him up.

The Kipper vs Warren Lydecker

Is it bad if I had to look up who Warren Lydecker was? Regardless, The Kipper is an SZW mainstay, so he's not losing on PPV.

Smoker & Suplexes vs The Devoted Souls ©

I like Smokers & Suplexes, and I'd like to see them have a title reign at some point. However, with Adrian losing his title, and me expecting Peril to drop his as well, I think that The Devoted Souls will hold on to their tag belts for a little while longer.

Adgee Cross vs Lone Rider ©

Lone Rider just got the title back and there's no way that Paul's going to stand for his kid losing it again immediately, so I feel like despite Adgee's rise, the belt's staying right where it is.

(Tie-Breaker) Who has the highest rated angle of the night?

I think that Delbert DeGeorge is going to continue being the MVP on the mic and have a great interview.

(Tie-Breaker) Who are the top 3 rated matches?

First is Blackwell Bush vs. XS, Second is Michel Bernard vs. Lee Bawes, third is Smokers & Suplexes vs. The Devoted Souls

[HiPlus]

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Backstage

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Saul Rubennick after so long of not causing issues decided he wanted to irritate Lee Bawes to the point the two almost came to blows with one another. A stern warning for him. While Banky Bremner failed to show up to a meeting with Max Langstrom, another stern warning.

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On some positive notes Delbert DeGeorge arranged a backstage party of sorts to get the atmosphere in the right place heading into our biggest show of the year. We also had Paul dishing out some wrestlers court towards Vortex and Johnathan Wesker.

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We also went a bit overboard this month spending a few extra thousand on building a fancy set for the event and even getting a minor celebrity out in the crowd as well as a local band playing music during the pre-show and the band putting on a show after the match as we run a meet & greet of sorts at the end of Final Chapter.

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[HiPlus]

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Final Chapter 2021

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Vortex

“My time is now.”

The words linger in the air of the arena loudly as the entire arena is plunged into darkness. Vortex’s entrance music begins to play and the challenger for the SZW Sydney Championship makes his entrance before the crowd. It wasn’t as receptive as his vignette’s or appearance previously but the crowd still bought in on the lightweight high flyer who made his way down to the ring with a microphone in hand.

“I am here now.”

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SZW Sydney Championship

 vs 

Vortex vs Peril ©

I made my own entrance not long after, and for the opening matches it was one I was in and the first of my own double duty matches. The plan for it was simple with me keeping my offense strong and powerful but not going overboard. Until Vortex would quicken the pace with his high flying moves and speed, letting him do the heavy lifting to help preserve my own stamina for later in the night.

I never like booking championship matches to open shows, as it gives less credence to other undercard matches that are set to follow it. It is something I had to do, and we put in a really strong performance together setting the stage for the rest of the night. Vortex certainly did well in that regard and picked up his first win in a debut match against myself winning the SZW Sydney Championship.

Rating: 49

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Dizzy G

Although the SZW Sydney Championship match was finished and Vortex and I had gone to the back, the focus in the ring would stay on the title as a former champion Dizzy G made his way out with a microphone. He didn’t come out sooner to face down Vortex, but instead got some microphone time in front of the crowd.

“I am the first SZW Sydney Champion. I am the first person to force someone to retire from this company. The only time I have come up short was against that big lunk of meat Peril, and he couldn’t get the job done against someone quick and fast. I know how to beat Peril now, and guess what I don’t even have to. I am out here to challenge Vortex. He wants to announce “he is here” well so am I.”

The crowd are buying in on Dizzy G at this point, but a small section of the crowd chant for Toasty which Dizzy G quickly cuts them off. Reminding them that Toasty was a joke, is a joke and always will be a joke and he will deliver the “punch”line tonight.

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 vs 

Toasty Bonnar vs Dizzy G

Toasty Bonnar was back in action, and he got given a match he had been wanting since before his injury occurred. Not only that, the match was on the biggest show of the year. Something that certainly wouldn’t have happened without the injury occurring. Because of that delay there was less stipulations with the match not being for a championship, but instead it was a match of redemption for both men. I hadn’t given Toasty any time to work off his ring rust before shooting him into a hot match and it showed as he struggled from about the mid-way point ending up quite tired by the end of it all. The result was written though as Dizzy G captured his first win since losing his title and did it in a convincing fashion.

Rating: 41

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Lee Bawes

Lee Bawes came out to talk about how disgruntled he was at not having a match for the last three months on the main card and that he was sick of having to fight perennial losers on the pre-show. He was better than that, after all he is the Master of the Suplex. He can deliver the most devastating, and varied amount of Suplexes than anyone else in the ring.

He was going to showcase that tonight; he was going to show everyone on the biggest stage SZW has how perfect a suplex can be. In fact, he would do it right now, against anyone backstage. Then when he shows everyone how dominant he is, he would be primed to take on anyone in the company including the new SZW Sydney Champion. He wasn't the greatest on the mic, but got his point across in the end. 

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 vs 

Michel Bernard vs Lee Bawes

I hate to use the term, but in some sense, this was a throw away match. There weren’t any real stipulations leading into the match. In fact, it was only planned a few weeks out from the show, but it would allow me to get one of the more talented guys on the roster involved. Michel Bernard, and I hate saying he was in a throw away match because like he always does, he performed amazingly well to carry the match and Lee Bawes was able to lift his game against Michel. Bawes finally put away Michel with an impressive german suplex, and with Michel out on the mat Bawes locked in an ankle lock before powering up and delivering an ankle lock german suplex hybrid to Michel Bernard and holding it in a bridge for the pin.

Rating: 47

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Jake D’Angelo

Jake D’Angelo wasn’t someone who had had any in-ring time to cut a promo leading up to tonight, and while he got some time here it wasn’t going to be much. After the ring emptied out, he climbed in the ropes saying he had heard all the people throwing their name in the ring for an SZW Sydney Championship match and he would cut in line and place himself at the front of the queue, because he was ready. The crowd got a small chant going calling for a match before Jake laughed as he climbed out of the ring saying they don’t deserve it at all. He showed why he normally doesn't get time on the microphone but filled the segment. 

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 vs 

 

Blackwell Bush vs XS

A match planned last month between Blackwell Bush and XS. Blackwell Bush had shown to put on impressive matches and was able to carry the likes of Johnathan Wesker to a watchable affair. This would be yet another chance for him to showcase his skill against lesser opponents, but with XS he at least had an opponent who could also deliver in the ring. This time there was an air of expectation for Blackwell Bush to deliver and it was going to happen on the biggest stage that SZW could deliver. The pressure didn’t matter in the end as Blackwell Bush and XS both put on great performances to lead to an incredibly good match for the night, and Blackwell Bush came away with a strong win.

Rating: 50

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Blackwell Bush

Blackwell Bush kept it short and got on the microphone after his match.

“I want Vortex first.”

He didn’t ruin his lines, thank God and keeping it to a short delivery with him only pacing around the ring looking at his fallen opponent, it looked like he was going to have more to say before he dropped the microphone and left the ring.

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SZW vs APW Showcase Match

 vs 

 

The Kipper vs Warren Lydecker

This was an exhibition match before we head into the other two big matches of the night. The Kipper was facing off against a man of APW fame in Warren Lydecker, albeit it was quite a little of APW fame with him not doing too much within the company other than a reasonably forgettable tag-team run with his partner. Not much else to say about this match as The Kipper was slated to win, but he looked like he struggled tonight not putting in the best performance he could, whether it was due to the lack of build up or just a bad night, who knows. Warren was able to make up for it and help deliver a good match for the night.

Rating: 44

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SZW Tag-Team Championship

   vs    

Smokers & Suplexes vs The Devoted Souls ©

Making our entrance both Adrian and myself were distinctly lacking titles we had been carrying for the last few months together still firmly on our shoulders was the SZW Tag-Team Championships. It was clear that whatever this match may have planned to be, it was going to be nothing more than a brawl, no matter how much Brown Snake and Fuzzy Freeman tried to make it more technical.

Smokers & Suplexes had looked great in recent months, but reality hits hard sometimes and in the case of Adrian McGhee he was hitting harder. Adrian had the performance of the night before he delivered The Loaded Glove to Brown Snake to keep at least one of our undefeated streaks intact.

Rating: 50

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Smokers & Suplexes

After The Devoted Souls leave not wanting to celebrate their victory or continued title reign tonight, clearly more bothered about the recent losses that both men had taken than their dominant display. Brown Snake had finally managed to recover after looking like he may have been knocked out at the end of the match.

He got on the microphone to call out the champions once more. Declaring that Smokers & Suplexes still are Number One Contenders for the SZW Tag-Team Championships. After all they have beat every other tag-team back there anyway, so they are the best option to fight for the title. They will do exactly that at SZW New Year Riot in three months.

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 ~ 

 

Adgee Cross ~ Lone Rider

Before the start of the final match we played a video highlighting the journey both men had taken to get to this point. The intro started at the same point for both men, one year ago Adgee Cross was laying on the mat staring up at the ceiling before the camera panned over to Lone Rider who was celebrating his first ever championship reign as he successfully captured the SZW Australian Championship last year at Final Chapter.

The parallels between both men was shown as the first two defences of Lone Rider’s championship reign were up against Michael Rheur to close out last year and then Trehawke Phillips the following month before showing Adgee Cross beat the same two men earlier this year starting with Trehawke Phillips and ending with Michael Rheur.

The parallels continued between them continued to show throughout the last year as both men had their biggest challenge Adrian McGhee for Lone Rider and The Kipper for Adgee Cross. Both men had come up short, with Adgee Cross unable to get the job done and Lone Rider losing his title.

Finally, the biggest moment for both men came just last month, both men were able to rid themselves of that challenge. Adgee Cross was able to finally beat a man who for the better part of two years he had been up against on numerous occasions. Lone Rider recaptured the SZW Australian Championship and being able to stand tall in the centre of the ring.

The closing frame a still showing both men celebrating after their victories last month.

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SZW Australian Championship

 vs 

Adgee Cross vs Lone Rider ©

It was time, all the hype and anticipation had been building up to this tonight. Of course, the two men hadn’t had an actual feud to build up to the Main Event instead they both had separate journeys to get to this point.

With this being a marquee match of the night between two of the biggest stars the company has produced, it was able to deliver. The two men got the most ring time for the night and put on a hard-hitting showcase as the match told two stories. Lone Rider was impactful, he was dominating most of the contest but regardless of what big impact move he used he couldn’t put down Adgee Cross for more than a two-count. On several occasions it looked like Adgee Cross was done but was able to get a shoulder up barely. While on the other side of the equation Adgee Cross struggled to get any momentum, every time he rallied and looked to mount an offence it was cut down by Lone Rider with a vicious strike, or powerful slam to put an end to it.

Both men delivered in their performances of the night, both men put on near identical level of success and just as they had last year in the Main Event of Final Chapter, both men stole the show putting on the match of the night.

Taniko Jo was faithfully at Lone Riders side once more and screamed at him it was time, it was time for him to hit that punishing discus clothesline that he debuted last month to recapture his title, and it connected sending Adgee Cross to the mat. Taniko Jo called for it again, a second time to ensure that the challenger would not be getting a shoulder up this time, let alone getting up from the mat at all. Lone Rider called for a second Dusty Trail Takedown to the crowd, in a flash Adgee Cross was able to reverse the manoeuvre and pick up a quick pin fall in surprising fashion.

Rating: 52

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 ~  & 

Adgee Cross ~ Lone Rider & Taniko Jo

The show finally ending allowed the newest SZW Australian Champion to celebrate in the ring with his had held high and the championship title held higher. Adgee Cross had done it, he had captured the SZW Australian Championship.

The whole time slouched up against the barricade sounded by fans and Taniko Jo but paying them no mind was Lone Rider. His focus was clear, his eyes were burning a hole through Adgee Cross as he celebrated in front of him. Adgee Cross didn’t even notice as he celebrated in the ring.

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[HiPlus]

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@John Lions, 6/7 -Hitting the nail on the head to a degree, while Peril was sort of a transitional champion I gave him a few matches to build a little, but you're right if Pitbull was still around with the Tahere brothers I don't think Peril would have ended up with the title at this stage, at least not yet. You make a good point that Toasty unfortunately for him his injury came at the worst time as so many new talent were able to be signed and folks like Bawes, Vortex and Bush had been able to establish themselves in the roster. As you say Bawes definitely finds himself more in a veteran role as he pushes close to 40 years old. 

 

At the conclusion of Final Chapter Blackwell is in three of the Top 5 matches for the company, beating out Lone Rider, Adgee Cross and Adrian McGhee all on two (There is a tie for 5th so really its a Top 6). You were right Lydecker may be underrated with his performance helping carry Kipper tonight. Again you read my booking mind as Adrian McGhee delivered after losing his title last month. Although I didn't build the match, I hoped the lead in segment and Main Event helped sure up the challenge of Adgee Cross and his eventual win, the only match you got wrong, which to be fair it certainly was a swerve when compared to the other matches on the card. 

 

@Tiberious 4/7 - I definitely see a reason that storyline wise I could have had a nice little crease in there  to perhaps hint at cracks in The Devoted Souls building, but sadly as much as Peril had delivered he knew he was doing the job to a debuting guy. The Suplex Master made a statement tonight. I definitely am hot shotting the title around a bit, and to be honest it probably doesn't do justice to the championship, but this was always the plan since after last year's Main Event. I think I could have probably handled it differently though letting Lone Rider run wild for the year with the title. You weren't the only one to suggest Delbert DeGeorge for the segment of the night, and the moment I saw that I realised I totally forgot to get him somewhere on the card and quietly kicking myself for that oversight.

@KyTeran6/7 - Gotta hype up a guy and have him win, it would have felt wrong to spend so much time on vignettes and videos for a guy who never wrestled only to have him lose. You were spot on for your predictions other than the slight swerve with Lone Rider catching everyone out at the end of the night. Unfortunately Adrian McGhee wasn't in the mood to talk to the fans after his loss last month. 

 

@DAVEFAN95 4/7 - I agree the booker, booking themselves wrong always seems like a horrible play, but sometimes the booker is just that damn good. I mean, not really in this case but surely sometimes. I think your personal preference with Michel matches my own, but for now he is waiting in the wings. Again like everyone else the swerve at the end catches you out. Which, ya know makes me kind of regret the sudden change more and more. You were 100% correct on Dizzy G having the segment of the night and in actuality it was probably one of if not the best segment in company history. He hit a new level tonight. 

 

@619 As always i love all the feedback that you give for the shows. The top of the card is close, while we have no "Major" stars, we do have a few stars and it has certainly shaken up a bit after Final Chapter. Adrian McGhee, Adgee Cross and The Kipper all sit there with a pop of 28 just making the cut. While guys like Lone Rider, and Peril have dropped just outside of the "Stars" bracket this month with pop of 25, and a few others like Blackwell Bush, Fuzzy Freeman and Dizzy G all are above the 22 pop threshold to be considered Well-Known as well. Look I hate the guy, but I am buying in on Blackwell as well. 

 

You sort of touch on the small builds on the undercard outside of the titles, and thats one thing I feel I struggle with sometimes is having stakes or storylines not centered around the titles, which is why every other match on the card for Final Chapter do end up being pieced together quickly. As you said, it is such a shame the two men chose the second biggest event in my eyes to have an off night. 

 

You're the only one to bring up the year long build Adgee has had approaching the title, I think perhaps I should have closed the show with the segment that I had leading into the match at Final Chapter. I hope the overall show lived up to your expectations. You weren't wrong best show in the company's history. 

 

@Aura 6/7 - 100% correct about the Vortex plan, the guy waited until 10 months into his contract to have his debut match, and while it certainly delivered I couldn't let that build and hype just go to waste. Definitely correct that Lee Bawes is the vet to carry that torch so to speak. If I was better at graphics Bush would have lost that damn eye brow before he signed with the company Dammit! Paul and Lone Rider to his credit with the creative control actually aren't impossible to work with. I mean, I have to justify it with future plans about how great it will be for Lone Rider.. but hey I make it work. 

 

 

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With none of the thee who got 6/7 correct getting the best angle correct, it comes down to the Top 3 matches. With the Top 3 matches being Adgee v Lone Rider, Smokers & Suplexes v The Devoted Souls, and finally Blackwell Bush vs XS. Everyone also got two of those 3 right. I need to be less predictable damn. 

For all the good work, I am going to go hard in a roster shake up for the new year. 

@Aura @KyTeran @John Lions  Each get a reward.

- You can sign an unemployed wrestler from the Oceanic region. If you do, you can also release someone from the company (I will adjust it for storyline purposes how they leave). (Not counting champions, backstage staff or Lone Rider) [If you want a list of people who have been released by RAW, DIW, ZEN, or APW let me know.]

- You can sign someone working for another promotion, except those from RAW who are under exclusive deals. 

- The double firing. The same as before not counting champions, backstage staff or Lone Rider, but you get to select two options. 

I currently have a roster of 25 guys, and I am not planning to exceed that outside of short term contracts, so I will keep it around that number come the new year. So could end up releasing some guys as a result myself. 

[HiPlus]

General question, does everyone use dark mode, or does my diary just look janky as hell. 

[newbiezness]

5 hours ago, HiPlus said:

Vortex certainly did well in that regard and picked up his first win in a debut match against myself winning the SZW Sydney Championship.

👏👏👏👏👏 I liked how you introduced Vortex in SZW. Now I'm intrigued to see what kind of champion he will be.

By the way I use dark mode and it looks fine.

Edited October 8, 2023 by newbiezness
to answer to the general question

[619]

A very enjoyable show as expected and I like that Cross got the win. Lone Rider was already established as your first two-time champion so it doesn't damage him too much to lose it straight away, and it makes sense to use your biggest show to create a new star.

I'm intrigued by what's next for Lone Rider. I feel like the ingredients have always been in place for a heel run with a manager who works in that role and his dad being the boss, but I imagine it might be a tough sell with his creative control and his dad seeing him as a heroic figure.

Nice insight into the roster's popularity. I love the fluidity of your top 8 or so wrestlers all being within a few points or one another as it means any of them can credibly get to the top of the card with a few wins as McGhee did this year. No wonder the title picture has felt so alive.

I think you're hard on yourself in terms of the undercard. A monthly show model limits how much you can build every match on a single card, even the biggest one. Here you had three well built title contenders, Dizzy-Toasty with a strong backstory, a simple but effective Bush stipulation and then the APW showcase was another way to make an undercard match feel special, so I don't think you could've done more.

[DAVEFAN95]

I get Vortex winning the belt but his first match being for a title is just something you don't see very often. I wouldn't have switched it but you hyped it up to the point where you kinda had to pull the trigger, so I get it. 

 

Michel is a really good talent, but this midcard is a bit jumbled right now. Soooo many players, jostling for main show screen time. If you aren't in the tag scene, or one of the two single title scenes, you really have to be doing good stuff to get a chance to do a promo or win a match which I like. 

 

Bush going for Vortex is a great match but Bush should be going for the big belt. He challenged for it only recently. Maybe it's a personal thing between them, interesting.

 

Adgee Cross, huh. Thought Lone Rider was gonna be champ for awhile after  he won it the second time, looking forward to see who rises to challenge Cross first. It could be one of, I dunno, 6 challengers. You've really built a shark tank for your main title scene, and that ain't easy to do. 

[Aura]

I'm honestly stunned that Lone Rider lost the belt so soon after picking it up. However, with the way that he reacted after losing, I feel like we're on the verge of a big character switch for him. I'm not sure if he'll take on a harder edge, or if Paul was convinced to let him do a full heel-turn, but I feel like he's about to evolve into something more than the Original Lone Rider's son.

Also, I've been looking into free agents, but I'd be interested in knowing who has been released from the other companies.

[John Lions]

I underestimated Adgee and it cost me the perfect score (for his win and match rating). I think I lowered both him and Kipper a peg after their long feud didn't live up to the billing in-ring or on the mic, but I'd wager Kipper was the weak link through it. I think it's a good thing to throw in a couple of short title changes in a short span of time - if all of your titles reigns are long and everyone gets multiple defenses, then there's no suspense for the start of any one champion's reign. I do think that SZW as a company have yet to have one guy with a defining top title reign to bring some real prestige to the belt, but hopefully Adgee can be that guy.

Vortex winning was great, I'm a sucker for any creative way to bring in a newly signed guy, and winning the title on debut is a great way to give a guy a ton of notoriety from the get-go. Lone Rider getting some edge makes a lot of sense - it's something I've done every time I've hired him. He's a 2nd generation wrestler who can't get out of his dad's shadow and isn't good enough to run a nostalgia act as his dad despite sharing the name. Always good to see Blackwell Bush get the W, and him interacting with Lee Bawes is great - I think they could make a killer tag team, a young guy and a veteran with a similar skill set, disposition, and demeanor.

Devoted Souls win is great as always, but I feel like the one thing holding them back is a lack of a real foil. Neither Adgee nor Peril are experienced as a team or individuals [Adgee's a 10 year vet, but only worked indies], but as a team they haven't really faced any adversity yet in SZW as a team. Right now it feels like there's a clear gap between the Devoted Souls and the rest of the division - I'm excited to see where you go with the tag division going forward.

For the reward, I'll go with: "You can sign someone working for another promotion, except those from RAW who are under exclusive deals."

I have three choices, assuming they still work for the companies they started with. I'll leave the final decision up to you between the three, as I'm not sure what your budget looks like because 2/3 of these might be a bit too expensive:

1) Mace Mueller. Mace is a guy I've never used before despite only playing in Australia since TEW2010. I brought him in and he's been amazing. He's a veteran with a pedigree (former champion), a good wrestler who brings great hardcore skills for some different gimmick matches, and he's an archetype that doesn't exist in SZW right now. He's a brawler first so he matches up with a lot of your current top guys and vets like Lone Rider, The Kipper, and Trehawke and can be a big guy to bully around your smaller babyfaces and an achievement to beat.

2) Jimmy Stratosphere. Jimmy Stratosphere in TEW2005 was the best high flier in all of Australia. He's always been a great wrestler than I think could have been a singles star in the Cverse but never got the chance, and has stayed a tag team guy his whole career. You have a lot of smaller high fliers on your roster, and Jimmy Stratosphere is the final boss of high flying indy Aussies, I'd love to see him get a chance as the top guy, I've hired him a number of times but never been able to give him a singles run.

3) Rad Masteroff. If the above two options are too expensive, then a cheap guy who should still be hired by DIW is Rad Masteroff. He fits the same mold as Mace, but is younger with a lot more room to grow and better intangibles. 

[HiPlus]

@Aura released talent from each company.

RAW:

Brodie Lachlan, Will Beaumont, Rose Wills

APW:

Rusty Mills, DIngo Devine

DIW:

Chopper Rourke, Cesar Sionis, Bob Shrunkle

ZEN:

Deathwatch Beetle (Formerly known as - Surge), Booster Boy, Man O'War, Buckminster Snark, Lerone Slim

[John Lions]

RAW released Beaumont?? Was there a scandal or falling out with management? You could build a successful promotion with just those guys, even if Devine's in time decline.

[KyTeran]

After seeing the list of released talent, I would like to see Man O'War in SZW.  I can't think of anyone that I would release since there isn't any wrestler that I find boring or flat-out dislike so far.

[HiPlus]

1 hour ago, John Lions said:

RAW released Beaumont?? Was there a scandal or falling out with management? You could build a successful promotion with just those guys, even if Devine's in time decline.

No drama, no nothing. Just walked out on them. You're right he is such a good talent. Between the A-Listers, Beaumont, Monday (Who is now at ZEN), Devine, Rusty and Lachlan. There is a wealth of Free Agent guys that going to DIW, ZEN a new company or even APW could make waves. 

 

Still happy with your selection? 

[John Lions]

As tempting as Brodie is, I'm still locked in with the three - pick the one you think fits best after your roster shuffle. If you don't have a preference, I'm leaning towards Jimmy - Mace always has a place in DIW, but Jimmy Stratosphere is too good to have never had a real singles run in Australia.

[HiPlus]

42 minutes ago, KyTeran said:

After seeing the list of released talent, I would like to see Man O'War in SZW.  I can't think of anyone that I would release since there isn't any wrestler that I find boring or flat-out dislike so far.

I feel a bit bad, I actually bought Man O'War in for a short contact and had him work the pre-show before deciding to cut him. Now he doesn't want to work with me. Was there anyone else you enjoyed?

[HiPlus]

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Backstage

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 ~  ~ 

Johnathan Wesker ~ Lance Maddigan ~ Saul Rubennick

A few things to get though, starting with Wesker backstage causing issues with Blackwell Bush. He tried to get a rumour started about Blackwell thinking he is better than the rest of the guys backstage. When Blackwell called him out it almost resulted in a fight between the two men. While Lance Maddigan had been causing issues as well, complaining about his booking and the fact he had been promised things when the company opened yet I hadn’t delivered. Finally on the negative front Saul was antagonising Michel Bernard to the point a fight occurred between the two men.

 

Everyone had a stern warning about their actions with no real attitude changes or issues arising post the conversation. Still, it did remind me I made Lance a promise.

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 ~ 

Vortex ~ Austin Tahere

 On more positive notes Vortex was bought into wrestler’s court by Paul for a slight indiscretion and made to buy the first round of drinks for the night, while Austin Tahere was seen backstage working closely with New Zealand Pit Bull to develop his psychology.

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@newbiezness Cheers, I am glad you're enjoying Vortex story thus far. He is one of my favourite to sort of write vignettes even though they are short to try and play into the mystery of him to a degree. Yeah I think most people use Dark Mode it seems. No one else mentioned the diary looking janky. 

@DAVEFAN95 I normally agree with not booking guys to win the title in their debut match due to it being harder for them to invest in the guy. I did book myself into a corner with Vortex getting a lot of hype. It was either going to be a win, or he would lose and not look like a threat in the company. I am glad you're enjoying the mixture of talent. It is something I am very aware of, I have so many guys i'd like to push up the card or could use as a champion but it does feel a bit bloated in the middle. I hope Adgee's run as champ can impress. Assuming he holds the title for awhile. 

@619 Yeah as you say having no clear cut guy above the rest of the group makes it a lot easier to get them to mix it up with one another. Hopefully I will look at doing weekly shows in the new year, or the following year to help build up the shows a little more and give other stories time to develop. I actually really like your booking of 8 shows and then a big event, instead of the usual 4 shows like WWE use. It just gives more time for things to brew. Thank you again for the kind words.

@Aura Yeah it seems like it threw everyone for a spin having him win and then lose so quickly, but as 619 pointed out I got him to be the first two-time champion and as you point out definitely on the verge of a big character change for him. 

@John Lions Thanks again for the image, god Adgee looks good with that title. It is interesting that you bring up that no one has had "The Run" so to speak with the title and looking back I can definitely why you see that. With nearly every feud a person with the Australian Championship gets that has any build results in the title swapping hands. When I initially was looking at it, I was going to take your first pick in Mace and I wasn't sure how I would lead him in. He would be a big threat being a lot more popular that others on the roster. He would have come in as a bully. While Rad Masteroff was a big surprise as he isn't a guy I have ever looked at before really. Still you settled on Jimmy and so will I, even if I am more of a fan of Motty Kuroda. Jimmy can certainly put on big matches.

@KyTeran Upset I can't bring in Man O'War as he was someone from a previous diary that I enjoyed quite a lot and would have bought him in with the same gimmick as I had last time. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. 

 

[HiPlus]

_____________________________________

From Ashes

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Adgee Cross

The opening segment of the night saw Adgee “The Boss” Cross come out with the SZW Australian Championship strapped around his waist. The newly crowned champion getting a good reaction from the crowd as he came out.

“I just wanted to come out and thank every single one of you people. You had all been involved in the journey with me. Each and every single one of you have been able to watch from the beginning of SZW until now. You were all there cheering me on as I beat the likes of Max Langstrom, Saul Rubennick and Johnathan Wesker. Moving up to start a long rivalry with The Kipper.”

Speaking of The Kipper my very first loss to you, then our long series of matches taught me so much. It is why I was ready for Final Chapter and ready to fight Lone Rider, but it was you fans that are the reason I was able to pull through that match, because I got put down quite a lot. Each time it was your cheers that carried me through and made me push through my own limits. “

“I just wanted to come out here and thank every single one of you. It is because of you I am here, it is because of you I am the Champion. We aren’t stopping here, we are going to make this meaningful.”

Adgee closed the segment holding the title up to the cheers of the fans. As he went to step out the ring the distinct whistling at the start of Lone Riders entrance music hit causing Adgee to pause before it as abruptly as it started, stopped.

_____________________________________

 vs 

 

The Kipper vs Two-Face Tucker

The opening contest was straight forward. When making his entrance The Kipper had the chance to walk past Adgee Cross giving him a nod of acceptance. The only important moment during the match before The Kipper put on a dominating display against Two-Face Tucker who heavily hampered the performance of the match.

Winner: The Kipper

Rating: 31

_____________________________________

 ~  ~  ~ 

 

Dizzy G ~ Lee Bawes ~ Blackwell Bush ~ Jake D’Angelo

Four men who all claimed they wanted to be next in line for the SZW Sydney Championship had made their way out to the ring pushing their claims once more. First Dizzy G, followed by Lee Bawes, then Jake D’Angelo and lastly Blackwell Bush to keep his mic time short. This time it was Lee Bawes who struggled on the microphone.

All four men argued amongst each other before the arena was plunged into darkness and on the monitor read the words

“I will address you next month.”

_____________________________________

   vs   

 

The Devoted Souls vs Warlock & Michael Rheur

This was the first show where The Devoted Souls had only their tag-team titles with them, and like last month they took it out on their hapless opponents dominating the put together tag-team of Warlock and Michael Rheur. After the end of the match where Adrian McGhee hit the Loaded Glove on Warlick. Both Adrian McGhee and I took our leave not getting on the microphone at all, snatching out titles from the ringside hands and heading straight to the back.

Winner: The Devoted Souls

Rating: 32

_____________________________________

   

 

The Runway

Backstage both members of The Runway appeared to be talking about their losses last month with XS reiterating he just wanted Blackwell Bush to lose his stupid eyebrow piercing. While Michel Bernard said they needed to change. They should be the team people want to be tag-team champions, both throw out ideas how to get their name back in lights before a pause occurs and they look at each other at the same time announcing their plan “More Catwalk Competitions”.

_____________________________________

 vs 

 

Lance Maddigan vs Saul Rubennick

Lance came out to the ring without his tag-team partner to take on Saul Rubennick. This was going to be a throw away match but a strong win for Lance Maddigan to keep up his momentum after a rather quiet year thus far. Unfortunately for him Saul wasn't keen on taking the loss and put in another shocking performance to further hamper what has been a very poor night compared to the lead in shows to The Final Chapter. 

Winner: Lance Maddigan

Rating: 27

_____________________________________

 

Armando Guerrero

On the prompter showed a video of Armando Guerrero out in the streets of Australia exploring Sydney Culture. Dressed in his spandex ring attire adorned in the colours of the Mexican flag he certainly gets a few odd looks. He cheerfully spots a bakery and makes his way inside buying a meat pie.

“The pinnacle of Australia.”

He says delighted as he bites into the pie which is clearly too hot for him as he puts on a painful smile for the camera man who had been tasked to follow him.

“Mm! ¡Delicioso! This is like a fiesta in my mouth.”

The camera man can be heard laughing a little as he takes another large bite of the piping hot pie clearly struggling with the temperature of it.

“This is the first of Armando’s Aussie Adventure! Amigos!”

_____________________________________

 vs  

 

Johnathan Wesker vs Lone Rider

Without the title Lone Rider looked a lot more aggressive, this match was dominated by Lone Rider, but he didn’t even attempt to put away Wesker early. Instead, he drew out the match and the finish was a call back to last month where he hit Dusty Trail Takedown and just waited for Johnathan Wesker to get back to his feet. Taking almost an entire minute for his opponent to get back to his feet before nailing him a second time with the Dusty Trail Takedown.

Winner: Lone Rider

Rating: 36

_____________________________________

  

 

Smokers & Suplexes

Brown Snake and Fuzzy Freeman came out, they had declared themselves the number one contenders for the Tag-Team championship last month and while Fuzzy Freeman hung out with the crowd Brown Snake was focused getting back in the ring. He reiterated they have beat everyone else backstage other than the champions. He bought up how The Devoted Souls had bought in outside talent when they faced that issue of defeating the rest of the locker room. Tonight, they would do the same and introduce SZW crowd to a new tag-team for a one night special. Outside the ring Fuzzy Freeman looked excited and as if he had no idea this would be happening, cheering with the crowd for Brown Snake to announce their opponents.

 Tonight they would challenge former APW Tag-Team champions Whirlwind Lee Wilkes & Warren Lydecker.

_____________________________________

    vs   

Wilkes & Lydecker vs Smokers & Suplexes

This match saw Lydecker who impressed me last month have a second appearance for the company, this time the plan was for them to put over the tag-team division. The former APW Tag-Team Champions got a decent pop from the crowd. The finish saw Smokers & Suplexes hit what they called the Hotbox Suplex which required Brown Snake to hold Lydecker up for the suplex, before Fuzzy Freeman took a hit from his e-cig blowing it into the face of Lydecker. This match performed well saving the night after some incredibly uninspiring performances.

Winner: Smokers & Suplexes

Rating: 44

_____________________________________

[John Lions]

 

Completely forgot to strap up Vortex for you, so here's that. I got to say I am digging the direction you are going with him - I love how he delivers the most mundane response in the most over the top way.

Is the Loaded Glove that Adrian uses a cheating finish or an actual move? I've liked Brown Snake and Fuzzy Freeman together, but I don't know how I feel about them as your #1 babyface team. I was a little confused why Brown Snake got on the mic to adamantly say they are still #1 contenders right after they lost to the champs last show, unless the champs beat them dirty.

The Runway remind me of the Breeze/Fandango pairing, where Bernard/Breeze is a very competent wrestler in their own right. The more I think about it, the more I think it's probably the best way to turn Bernard into a star and develop XS. Bernard can wrestle main event caliber matches, but he's lacking in charisma and mic work and this gives him the opportunity to work on that while beefing up your midcard.

Armando Guerrero enthusiastically experiencing "Australian" culture, especially considering he's lived there for 10 years now, is awesome. I've never drawn the comparison before this, but Guerrero actually seems a pretty decent comparison to Santino - an established wrestling trainer who's character plays up his ethnicity to an 11, though the order is reversed for Guerrero.

Felt like a statement show with Saul and Wesker taking decisive losses - Saul seems to be on borrowed time.

 

One thing I wanted to add - Adgee's promo was great, and clearly the biggest segment on the card. It's the first time I've really connected with him. I think a long title reign would do both him and the title good, but I don't see Lone Rider letting Adgee off easy.

Edited October 10, 2023 by John Lions

[KyTeran]

2 hours ago, HiPlus said:

I feel a bit bad, I actually bought Man O'War in for a short contact and had him work the pre-show before deciding to cut him. Now he doesn't want to work with me. Was there anyone else you enjoyed?

Shame about Man O'War, but what can you do.  So, my second choice would be Buckminster Snark.  If Snark doesn't work out, I would go with Lerone Slim.  Looking forward to your future shows.  

[DAVEFAN95]

Think I have to agree with @John Lions in terms of Smokers and Suplexes. I mean I like them. They are such an oddball tag team but it works. I don't know why, but it does. I dunno about them being number one contenders though. Who else is there I guess? 

 

i always thought the 'Loaded Glove' finisher was like Lex Luger's forearm back in the day. McGhee (in my canon whenever I have used him) had get his hand surgically repaired due to a motorbike accident so now his hand is basically metal, he has to wear a glove over it now to prevent it from being illegal but the glive dorsn't provide enough protection and it's still a ko blow. 

 

I liked Cross' promo. I think he's a solid hand, if not world title material. Here it works though, think you've done well to present him as somebody who can kick ass and take names.

 

Speaking of the flooded midcard, maybe it's time to cut some dead weight. I see guys like Two-Face Tucker, Michael Rheur and Warlock as guys you could get rid of, though I know we do need guys to do the job. Chuck Saul in there too for being a collossul ass-hat. Speaking of ass-hat's Wesker must be getting on your nerves. Also, The Kipper must be getting to the end of his leash as well. Not the same guy as he was when the belt was around his waist. 

[619]

From Ashes was a great show for developing characters. Adgee Cross got to establish himself as the fans' champion, Lone Rider showed a more ruthless side, The Runway and Armando Guerrero have new skits to highlight their personalities more and your top two tag teams also advanced their stories. It's just a shame some of your veterans still won't cooperate like Saul Rubennick tanking his match, though it gives you an extra challenge to navigate.

[Aura]

Starting fights backstage and putting on the worst match of the night? Saul Rubennick is back, baby!

I think that Adgee being the champ is a good opportunity to experiment a bit. After all, I'm pretty sure that he's the first Australian Champion in the company that isn't a brawler, and with a lot of his opponents being bigger than him, he'll need to be a champion who relies on his skills and agility to protect the belt rather than a straight-up fistfight.I'm looking forward to seeing how his reign goes, especially since Lone Rider definitely isn't done with him yet.

I feel like SZW's entertainment factor is underrated compared to the in-ring product. Yes, we've had Delbert being a pro since the beginning, but this show really made me realize how much character potential we've got here. Between The Runway still being goofballs, Armando taking a step into the comedy scene, and Smokers & Suplexes still keeping their gimmick going, I'm pretty impressed.

As for my roster pick, my first pick would be Lerone Slim, due to him being pretty talented in the ring and on the mic with a ton of room to grow, so seeing him gone from ZEN was a big shock to me. I think that he could definitely be slotted into the roster as an effortlessly cool type of character.

He's already been mentioned though, so if that's already in the cards, then I'd like to go in a bit of an unexpected direction and suggest Pat Rigsby as a backup, who I ironically almost chose instead of Vortex last time. He's a decent brawler with strong fundamentals, and I can see him being the type of worker that would appeal to Paul. Plus, I do like the narrative of a longtime indy guy getting a chance on a bigger stage.

[Tiberious]

Great shows! Cross winning was a surprise, but it's cool to see an underrated journeyman of the aussie independant scene finally get his due; don't worry Francis Burch, you'll get yours one day too.

I'm really enjoying that the last few shows have given some promo time to some of your midcarders. It's cool to see so many guys wanting to challenge Vortex for the Sydney title since secondary titles often feel like afterthoughts and the little promos helped establish their characters a bit. I really enjoyed the Armando Guerrero segment and hope to see more of his adventures; the dose of levity certainly stands out given how serious a lot of the wrestlers in your promotion are and it's a good niche for him.

I like Smokers & Suplexes, but I feel like Brown Snake declaring that they were still the #1 Contenders and were getting another title shot in three months immediately after being knocked out and pinned was strange. Like saying you aren't giving up and want another shot is one thing, but my man hasn't even left the ring and he's already got a date set. Though given their match was the only one on the last show to deliver I guess who am I to argue if he wants to book his own matches.

[newbiezness]

Add me to the Armando Guerrero fan section 😆