Scraping the bottom of the Barrel: Can I get an AMEN?

[TheBro]

This is so metal hahaha 

[WalterSobchak]

On 7/31/2024 at 2:08 PM, willr0ck said:

Did someone say Jesus?

 

That creep can rolls man…

[willr0ck]

5 minutes ago, WalterSobchak said:

That creep can rolls man…

Yeah, but he's a pervert, Dude. When he moved to Hollywood he had to go door to door to tell everyone he was a pederast.

[alpha2117]

19 minutes ago, willr0ck said:

So the Black Metal guys are heels and the guy coming out to Creed is a face?!? I'm so confused...

The real question is are they grifters trying to con and bilk religious conservatives or are they true believers who are trying to con and bilk religious conservatives?

[DarK_RaideR]

3 hours ago, alpha2117 said:

The real question is are they grifters trying to con and bilk religious conservatives or are they true believers who are trying to con and bilk religious conservatives?

This person 👆 gets it

  

4 hours ago, willr0ck said:

So the Black Metal guys are heels and the guy coming out to Creed is a face?!? I'm so confused...

Well they're cool heels, but Mosher said it already, their fans could get beat up and they'd still love it (bit of Dethklok inspiration there). This type of shine is the lure of Devil's music, corrupting the misguided youth like Harvey, Lucas and Justin. Oh and they're not black metal, they're a religious nut's idea of "rock is evil", a mix of metal and rock, with various subgenres and lots of satanic imagery thrown into the blender. You'll also notice they have European names and accents (despite all of them being Americans and Canadians) because of course they're evil Europeans. Wait till you find what E.V.I.L.S. stands for  

[DarK_RaideR]

"So Jethro, how much d'we have to pay for the talent?"

*sound of shuffling papers*

"Uhm... something like over ninety thousand?"

"WHAT? OVER NINETY THOUSAND?"

"Assuming the numbers here are correct..."

"THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE, AND THEY SPELL DISASTER FOR THIS PROJECT IF WE KEEP ON LIKE THAT!"

   

(Some motel room in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday the 10th of January 2022. One day after AMEN's first show, Born Again)

It took exactly one show for me and Scott to butt heads. Everything sounded nice and dandy when setting things up, but no plan survives contact with reality. It was the same with my "Booking Team", but that's a story for another time. In that moment, the tiny motel room felt even tinier for the both of us to be there. It was like the walls were closing in. I could feel the sweat on my forehead. Scott's veins were popping on his, plus another one on his neck. Safe to say, he wasn't happy.

"It's the damn fees for the drug tests, Scott" I began. "They account for $85.500 actually. Remember, part of the deal was that we run extensive tests on every member of the roster". I knew I'd done nothing wrong, so I had nothing to apologize for, but technically, he was still my boss, in charge of the whole project. "Sucks, but we had to take it so they'd actually consider our pitch, remember? All that stuff about hiring and rehabing wrestlers to give the world an actual redemption story, not just the scripted bits in the ring."

Scott tightened his fist, barely restraining his anger. If he was going to throw it, I was hoping he'd direct it at me. Last thing we needed was more expenses to repair a hole in some crappy motel's drywall. "Guess the sooner we do that, the sooner we can get rid of the testing" he responded, clearly trying to form rational thoughts about the situation. "So, did we get our money's worth? What about the test results?" I knew it'd come to this eventually, so I'd prepared some deflections ahead of time just in case.

"Well the big news is Lucas, really. You could tell he was messed up during his match, and he's not that great an actor. It works for his whole 'misguided youth' schtick, but it's all fine and dandy till he breaks someone's neck. Or his own." Scott gave me a stare that could punch a hole through a wall just as easy as his fist could. "Guess what I'm trying to say here is he wrestled high as a kite, and I don't mean weed. There's a bunch of hard-to-pronounce substances on his lab results. So, as is contractually agreed company policy, I checked him in for rehab." Scott's words poured out of his mouth before he could properly formulate any sentence with them. I could hear him stumble over several rapid-fire thoughts causing a thunderstorm inside his head. My best guess is he was conflicted between 'eh, not that big of a loss that kid' and 'that smackhead's gonna cost us so much money for nothing Imma smack the colour out his hair myself'. I decided to keep talking before he risked suffering an aneurism.

"There's a reason I said 'big news' though, because there's smaller too. Fiasco Fierce has also been committed to rehab for a while. Marijuana." I blurted all the information out as fast as I could. This was like ripping a band aid, best do it quick and suffer through the initial pain. Scott was struggling again, but this time to pull his thoughts together instead of trying to externalize them. "Wait, shouldn't he be in jail if he... awww shit, you don't mean possession do you? Rehab? For weed? Seriously?". His intensity had suddenly turned into a more 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' kind of stance. This clearly didn't make sense to him. "I know, I wasn't happy about it either, but again, it's in the contract. And before you say screw the contract, hear me out. I might have thought a way out of this."

 

"Here's what we do: Lucas already gave us the redemption story, so we roll with it. Investors get a real life feel good story they can put out on the media, then we also spin a storyline out of it. Blur the lines. Bet you it'll hook people in and make us money. And then, once we have them all happy and buttered up, we ask for a looser drug policy."

Scott needed a moment to wrap his head around my proposal. Clearly, me appearing to have a way forward made him feel better, so his head wasn't about to explode this time. "Alright. But then, while you're at it, why not ask them to drop the testing altogether?"

"Because they never would, it's too much to ask for" I answered. "And if we changed it ourselves, they could tell from the sharp decline in testing expenses. But here's an easier to swallow pill for them. We've already extensively tested the roster. We caught two people, they're in rehab and one's gonna be the poster boy. So we tone down the testing for the guys who already tested and came clean. It's still happening to keep appearances and maybe catch someone who picks up nasty habits down the road, just looser. And cheaper. Then anyone we sign on top of this, we put through a one time extensive medical test before they join. It's a win-win situation, really"

Finally, the tension seemed to leave Scott's face. The initial anger, replaced by thought and then curiosity, was finally blooming into excitement. "Jethro, you f**king genius!" he said. I'm pretty sure that, for a moment, he had the urge to kiss my bald head to put emphasis on that statement, but thankfully, he didn't.

 

It was true, though. I am a f**king genius.

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN Special One Time Charity Show, Sunday January 30th 2022!

Now with reduced addmission tickets, so the difference in price can be donated to drug rehabilitation centers!

Featuring all your favourite AMEN stars like Michael Mosher, Jebediah and The E.V.I.L.S.!

Plus

We hear from Jerry Pepper!

Big Smack Scott hosts a sit-down interview with The Cartel!

Nathaniel Ca$ino's debut match in AMEN!

A rumored appearance by The Force we can neither verify or deny!

And many other exciting surprises! (card subject to change)

[DarK_RaideR]

[Excerpt from the Calvin and Jerry podcast]

Calvin: Okay so now it’s time for one of my favourite parts of the show, say it with me children, Shovelling the Wrestlecrap(™)!

Jerry: Oh boy, are we in for a treat. This one looks especially promising, because I kid you not, we’re looking at a promotion run by none other than Big Smack Scott… and booked by Giant Redwood. That alone should be enough.

Calvin: But wait! There’s more! Because these two are not just promotion wrestling shows, they’re putting on shows with, get this, religious undertones.

Jerry: And backed by religious donors, from what I understand.

Calvin: There’s so much to unpack here… Let’s get to it then, the promotion is called AMEN, which stands for “Atoning Men of an Evil Nature”...

Jerry: WrestleWorld really will put any kind of content on its platform these days.

Calvin: Oh yeah, they have a broadcast deal and we’re actually looking into their second ever show today, so you can catch both this and their debut on WrestleWorld.

Jerry: I’m guessing you saw that too, Calvin?

Calvin: I sure did Jerry. If nothing else, I figured that’d be when they were supposed to establish their main characters and storylines. It is literally an introduction to their product. But fear not, I shall provide the necessary context as needed, you don’t have to go back and watch it yourself. Unless you want to, of course.

Jerry: Think I’ll manage, thank you. Talk us through the show then, Wrestling with Addiction, you said it was called.

Calvin: That's the one. They said they will be donating all profits to charity for drug rehabilitation.

Jerry: Assuming they do make a profit, in the first place.

Calvin: So first thing's first, the reason for this special event, its name and the choice of charity was made public prior to the show. Apparently one of the company's employees, wrestler by the name of Lucas Mucus, failed a wellness test during their debut show and was committed to rehab.

It is still unknown whether he agreed to

Jerry: Bold move to admit it, but I guess it serves their moral message. Atonement, redemption, all that stuff.

Calvin: Indeed. So this one went down on Sunday, January 30th at The Magic Room in Orlando, FL. Fun fact I discovered about the place, it was originally built as a church in 1952, which would explain the impressive stained glass wall in the backround I saw. They said they'd sold out the place and I think it looked like 200 people give or take.

Jerry: Not a bad number. Was it justified, or was it only the name value of Scott and Redwood that drew?

Calvin: They certainly lack big names but it's not all terrible. So first match is this massive guy called Bonecrusher squashing some local talent. Really put himself over as a threat, he's 6'7" and an absolute tank, complete with the beard, mohawk, tattoos and muscle. Also, I thought he looked familiar and I did some digging, apparently he's the son of Primal Rage.

Jerry: Rage, from DAVE? Oh wow, flashback. Could be one of the boys in charge doing his old man a favour.

Calvin: Don't think so, although I've heard The Wolverine, another DAVE legend, is pretty big backstage for this company, maybe he had something to do wit this. Either way, kid's probably still paying his dues because you could tell he's green, but he sure has potential. And the jobber really bumped hard for him, made him look like a million bucks.

In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd (12) but terrible wrestling (21), Bonecrusher won in 8:24 by pinfall with a Choke Slam. (20)

Calvin: Okay so before I get into the next part, some context. I watched AMEN's first show and they seem to be running this storyline where a bunch of young kids are fascinated by a rock band and try to meet them, but end into all sorts of trouble. Also there's some supernatural undertones to all this, especially the band's bodyguards. It's all very 80s satanic panic. Anyway, our main heroes here are three kids; Harvey, Justin and Lucas.

Jerry: As in, Lucas Mucus, the guy they sent to rehab?

Calvin: Yes, and I'll get back to this because it put me off somewhat. So, last show, the three kids basically snuck backstage to see the band and they ran into security, which consisted of Bonecrusher and Hell's Bouncer, yes the one from FCW before you ask me, Jerry. I'm not sure if he's still called that in AMEN, but he's certainly portrayed as that. Long story short, they had a trios match and the heels had some guy in a demon mask on their side. If the faces won, they'd get to meet the band, but if the heels won, whoever took the fall would... more or less become their bitch for an undisclosed duration of time.

Jerry: That's not very religious... Oh wait, he sold his soul for rock and roll, is that it?

Calvin: I'm not sure, but I like the way you think. So here's my problem with this angle; Lucas lost and he's gone, now the other two guys followed Bonecrusher backstage after his match and demanded to know of their friend's whereabouts. Which makes sense in storyline, but I mean, come on, you announced earlier he's in rehab.

Jerry: Ruined your immersion then, did it? Bit of the ol' ludonarrative dissonance?

Calvin: That's a fancy way of saying the story contradicted known facts, but yes.

Jerry: Let me guess what next. Lucas is out, Bonecrusher just had a match, so the two of them agree to a tag match against Hell's Bouncer and that demon mask guy?

Calvin: Well, sort of. You see, the band themselves entered the frame and they joked about these kids not having learned their lesson from last show.

Jerry: I mean... they clearly didn't

Calvin: So the band tell Hell's Bouncer he was tasked with something else to see to. Hold that thought, because it will be important later. And then they chat with Harvey and Jason, who portray a shy choir boy and a jock, respectively. Oh and I should point out, these musicians all have these terrible fake Scandinavian accents, it's hilarious. But you were correct, they did end up challenging the two youngsters to a tag match. Said the drummer and guitarist wrestled last show, so it'd be the singer and bassist this time.

Jerry: Those are... Aldous Blackfriar and Deacon Darkhold from IPW, right? Weird to see them on the same side.

Calvin: Also they're Americans and the other two bandmates are Canadian, but then again, this is Big Smack Scott's company booked by Giant Redwood.

Jerry: Yeah just bear with it, I guess. So did they go ahead and have the match?

Calvin: Not yet, it was actually going to be the main event. But they did make another deal, if the youngsters won they'd get a 24 hour access all areas pass to hang with the band as equals, but if they lost they'd be their manservants for the same 24 hours.

Jerry: Well I guess they got their wish to hang out with their heroes either way. Just under different conditions. Actually makes sense.

Calvin: Of all the names they could have gone for with Texas Hangman, they had him renamed into "Texas Terry"

Jerry: It's giving souther wrasslin' vibes, as the kids these days say.

Calvin: He had a match against Ricky Turner, who if I remember correctly is one of those unspectacular but solid technicians that spent some time in Shane Sneer's SCCW. The interesting part though was that Texas was the face. None of that cowboy stuff as part of his entrance either, just a good looking guy who points to the heavens and crosses his chest before his no-sell babyface comeback. To his credit though, he pulled his weight in that ring with the veteran, as far as actual wrestling goes they were pretty evenly matched.

In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd (10) but terrible wrestling (22), Texas Terry defeated Ricky Turner in 9:34 by pinfall with a Choke Slam. (24)

Jerry: So far I'm hearing nothing spectacular, to be honest. Maybe the angles and storytelling parts, like you said, but the matches, not so much.

Calvin: Well they had The Force appear out of nowhere and wrestle in the main event of their first show, so I guess they're counting on things like that to keep viewers hooked in case another firework like that goes off without warning.

Jerry: I guess it makes sense, but it's short-sighted. They better use that shine to build up their own draws.

Calvin: In a way, I guess they are. See, they had these two Hispanic guys wrestle as a team last month, they were announced as The Cartel and they cheated to win, so this time they had a sit-down interview to properly introduce them to viewers. An interview hosted by B.S. Scott himself!

Jerry: B.S. Scott?! Don't let him hear you call him that!

Calvin: Hey, those are his initials! But yeah, they had a pretty basic interview to build character. Small guy's the brains and probably the talker, he's like the slimy lieutenant while the big man is the muscle. Now that's Carlos Gonzalez, so I know from his FCW work that he can talk, they're just choosing to keep him mostly silent to preserve his aura.

Jerry: Sounds like they're playing it safe and by the numbers. Who's the small guy, by the way?

Calvin: That's another IPW guy, Alejandro Vargas. He plays the right hand man of the Mendoza Cartel boss in the West Coast. I think he's more or less the same character in AMEN, but I'm not sure if that's intentional or just a lack of inspiration. I'm hearing the booking committee is having some big creative clashes whenever they meet.

Jerry: Wait, so it's not just Redwood booking this? There's people doing creative with him? Even more, he did not withhold exclusive power to himself?

Calvin: Well technically he's still the head booker. I told you about the Wolverine. It's a three man crew, last one is Ricky Sanders. Heard he and Wolvie butt heads often.

Jerry: Speaking of butting heads and while we're at it, what the hell's been going on with AMEN's referees?

Calvin: Yeah there's videos of it all over on social media. They seemed to be having an argument of sorts. Some fan caught it on his phone and ref Clinton Edwards almost beat him up trying to get the phone out his hands.

Jerry: Too late to save kayfabe, ref. Also, not a good look for a Christian charity promotion.

Calvin: Ironically, they announced after the show that his pay for the night would also be donated to charity and he was suspended for 30 days because of the incident.

Jerry: Now that's the kind of moves I'd expect from Scott and Redwood!

Calvin: We'll see about that, back to the segment though, it was crashed by AMEN's permanent Tribute to the Troops character. He kept shouting something about fighting these guys and the War on Drugs and whatever. You know things are out of control when Big Smack Scott gives up and walks off. But hey, we got some setup out of this, because it seems this built into a match for the next show. I'm not sure I got it right, but it's probably gonna be that guy against Carlos, the bodyguard.

Jerry: Well they got the setup, they better deliver too.

Calvin: Back to the ring, it's the soldier's teammate from last show, Egon Merowitz, who apparently doesn't just wear a suit for the gimmick, we were told he's actually a firefighter as his full time day job.

Jerry: Sounds like something the company could build on for a babyface.

Calvin: His opponent was Nathaniel Ca$ino, stylized with a dollar sign. He was shown in a gambling segment last show and the guy he was playing cards with was also present here at ringside. Just watching though, not as his manager or anything.

Jerry: Is that part of another storyline? I mean, I guess there was a reason they paid him to be there. Maybe run interference?

Calvin: Actually no, he was just watching. And the match itself was good if we're honest. Merowitz is still a rookie and it shows, but Ca$ino carried him pretty well through the match. I dare say they even had some chemistry in there. Which was much needed, because Ca$ino is normally a high flyer and he had to tone down the flashy moves in order to wrestle as a heel. He's found a nice way to work around it though, he does few of them but as high risk as possible, playing up to his gambling gimmick. Also true to that gimmick, he cheated to win.

Jerry: Shocking. And what about the other man watching from the sidelines, what was his reaction?

Calvin: He seemed to be satisfied, but didn't stick around for the festivities. Ca$ino seemed distrcted by him too, he was watching him instead of celebrating his win.

In a bout that didn't have much heat (7) and terrible wrestling (18), Nathaniel Ca$ino defeated Egon Merowitz in 9:42 by pinfall, illegally using the ropes for leverage. (22)

Jerry: Digging the moustache. What's this guy's deal then? Let me guess, a cowboy? I don't see no hat.

Calvin: Not quite, but still appealing to that blue collar working audience. Maybe middle aged moms too. That's Jerry Pepper, he actually wrestled the opening match last time and got a victory over another DAVE alumni, Tank Bradley.

Jerry: I'm amazed Tank still gets booked. And you said he was in this company's first ever match? You go to see what they're about and you get Tank Bradley?

Calvin: Well they gimmicked it up, made him drink all the time and be a punk, so this blue eyed good boy could put him in his place. Now they showed a video of him to introduce his character. It was everything you'd expect really, hard manual labour, driving a pick up truck, hard but honest work, go to church on Sundays...

Jerry: Another babyface they could invest in, then. Seems a bit monolithic in their approach, but I guess they're throwing stuff onto the wall to see what sticks. Whoever pulls it off keeps the gimmick and the push, the others get fired or repackaged.

Calvin: Well there's one slightly different babyface and that's Michael Mosher. He's got a past with E.V.I.L.S., the band. Supposed to have been their lead singer or something, and now he's found Jesus. Now, remember when I told you earlier about the band sending Hell's Bouncer or whatever he's called to see to something? Well that something was ambushing Mosher, with the assistance of Bonecrusher. Pretty standard attack, heel stable getting one back at him for surprising them by bringing in The Force last time and winning the main event.

Jerry: Sounds like this is their main storyline. It runs across the show and it's got so many people involved.

Calvin: And I'm guessing it might involve more, because there's a bunch of heels on one side and Michael Mosher on the other, perhaps with Harvey and Jason. They need more babyfaces to help them and this guy, Jebediah, might be the one. He's the only massive babyface on the roster, so he'd probably balance the scales against the two security guys.

Jerry: Plus he's amish. Isn't he supposed to, like, hate amplifiers and electric guitars?

Calvin: That might be it, but for now they seem to be building him up still, he's on a run against west coast thug types. Last time he beat IPW alumnus Fiasco Fierce, this time he defeated GSW alumnus Cheech Kong, slightly repackaged to play up on his drug-related alias of course.

Jerry: Shocking to hear such a competitor lost. Especially on a show called "Wrestling with Addiction"

In a bout that didn't have much heat (9) and terrible wrestling (21), Jebediah defeated Cheech Kong in 9:41 by pinfall with a Sundown Splash. (22)

Calvin: So, more drama playing up on earlier developments, that guy watching Ca$ino's match was shown sitting in Giant Redwood's office like he owned the place.

Jerry: Were fans introduced to his character then?

Calvin: Yes and no. He was identified as "Don" last time he was on screen and there was also mention that he hooked Ca$ino up with this gig. But they left that bit on a gambling cliffhanger and this was the pay off, apparently Ca$ino gambled away his future winnings wrestling for AMEN and Don was here to collect.

Jerry: You know what, that's actually not bad. Ties back to a lot of previous stuff, tells a tale about the dangers of gambling and sets a bunch of characters up.

Calvin: Indeed. Oh and they continued that trend, because there was mention of an upcoming tournament to crown a champion. Don loved the idea of milking a champ's paycheck without having to do much himself.

 

Jerry: Ah, main event time then. Like I said, still feels strange to see Blackfriar and Darkhold teaming up.

Calvin: That's Björn the Bat and Vincent Vampire to you, Jerry. But yes, they were pretty good. Especially Ald...I mean, Björn.

Jerry: So did the kids win? Did we have any surprises? Another Force appearance out of nowhere?

Calvin: Sadly no. Bit anticlimactic if you had any such expectations. Also, the other two members of the band were at ringside. No security though, but it's not like it was needed, the heels were still technically four on two and they made full use of the numbers advantage to mess with the faces from the sidelines. Weirdest part though, they just won. Clean as a whistle. No cheating, no outside interference. No cavalry to come out after for a save. Not even a beatdown or something to set up future things. Just... done, thanks for coming, bye.

In a bout that didn't have much heat (8) and terrible wrestling (22), Bjorn the Bat and Vincent Vampire defeated Harvey and Jason in 10:08 when Vincent Vampire pinned Jason with a Reverse DDT. (28)

Overall show grade: 24

Jerry: I can see how that might have felt a little anticlimactic. So what's the final verdict, then?

Calvin: Well it wasn't great, but no one expected it to be. It wasn't terrible either, in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. I think they could make something special out of this, but they're clearly still finding their footing and didn't exactly hit the ground running with a star studded roster or great ideas.

Jerry: So if you were called in to tell Big Smack Scott and Giant Redwood how to fix this, you'd tell them they need time, star workers and ideas?

Calvin: I wouldn't tell them anything because neither man is exactly known for listening anything besides the noise inside their head, but yeah, that's a good assessment. Oh and a ref, they're gonna need a ref while one of their regulars is suspended.

 

 

[Author's note: Still experimenting and having fun with ways to type out shows. This one's a nod to my Chi-Town Urban Combat diary] and how shows were narrated there. Calvin and Jerry are two RockVerse characters hosting a well known wrestling podcast. I'm using them and drawing inspiration from Wrestling Observer Radio bits to break down a show. Hope you enjoy!]

[alpha2117]

So Calvin and Jerry are anchor beings who exist across multiple Universes?

Is it too much to hope for an incursion by the Devils Playthings and the Sins?  The answer is clearly Yes it is too much but you have to admit the Playthings would be a blast in this.

Loving this.

 

Look at those sweet little faces 

 

We're the Good Guys?   Really?  Really?

 - Can I speak to you about Satan?

Edited August 6 by alpha2117

[willr0ck]

This is the biggest clusterf%&k mashup of render styles and backgrounds I have ever witnessed. I seriously mean witnessed, like can I get a witness. See what I did there? I'm following along with your Churchy Church Churchyness. 

[DarK_RaideR]

8 hours ago, alpha2117 said:

So Calvin and Jerry are anchor beings who exist across multiple Universes?

Step aside, EMLL and Marvel!

 

8 hours ago, alpha2117 said:

Is it too much to hope for an incursion by the Devils Playthings and the Sins?

Perhaps. The Sins especially would be perfect given the new TEW IX backstage drama mechanics. Two things tho, one, I'd rather wait for willr0ck to release the new RockVerse instead of converting my data from the 2016 version to 2020 and then IX, two, you might have noticed AMEN don't employ any women. Not even as managers or something.

 

7 hours ago, willr0ck said:

I seriously mean witnessed, like can I get a witness.

Me, booking AMEN, probably

[alpha2117]

3 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Step aside, EMLL and Marvel!

 

Perhaps. The Sins especially would be perfect given the new TEW IX backstage drama mechanics. Two things tho, one, I'd rather wait for willr0ck to release the new RockVerse instead of converting my data from the 2016 version to 2020 and then IX, two, you might have noticed AMEN don't employ any women. Not even as managers or something.

 

Me, booking AMEN, probably

Details!  😉

 

 

[DarK_RaideR]

16 minutes ago, alpha2117 said:

Details!  😉

None until The Rocverse IX edition is released!

[alpha2117]

I am of course kidding about them turning up here but a Chi-Town reborn dynasty would pop me when Rockverse actually gets released. 

[DarK_RaideR]

28 minutes ago, alpha2117 said:

I am of course kidding about them turning up here but a Chi-Town reborn dynasty would pop me when Rockverse actually gets released. 

Not at all, AMEN is quite similar to my Chi-Town and previous BWO diaries in the sense of them all being about a shady/wacky small indy promotion. They'd fit right in and I'm not exactly a database purist.

With every version, I always make a backup copy of the default database and turn the other one into the RaiderVerse a.k.a. CVerse+ which means I import stuff from my favourite mods. So far my TEW IX RaiderVerse includes Historian's mod (so also DerekB's Broadcasters from CVerse97, The Blonde Bomber's expanded venues and locations mod and the character's from willr0ck's Women's Revolution mod aged ahead for 2 years to catch up with the timeline) and also sockpuppet's expanded injury, gimmicks and match mods. Now the RockVerse is a TEW16 mod, which means I'd have to convert it twice -thus risking data corruption- and age the characters 8 years ahead (assuming the mod was set in 2016, don't remember for sure). On top of that, I'm hoping the new version of the RockVerse will have more than just US, plus a shift in rosters etc, so I prefer to wait for it to drop and then I'll import it on my custom database as well.

That said, AMEN began during the public beta, so it's the vanilla database, plus broadcasters and venues imported into the save file so far. Not really pressed to import the Women's Revolution mod, as AMEN is so far a sausagefest. I'm not against importing RockVerse guys when the new IX version drops though. I may have even been taking it slow with my game progress so far in order to give willr0ck some time to finish that mod, among the many other creative endeavours he's keeping himself busy with.

[Bad Collin]

Brilliant. I lost it at the crowd popping to bible verses.

[Taylor2020]

Big Smack Scott's render looks like a cross between Bron Breakker and Mac's dad from Always Sunny.

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN presents: Drug-Free for Jesus
Broadcast live (11.224 viewers, 250 attending in a sold out Pensacola Armory) on Sunday, 27 February 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

Big Smack Scott comes out to kick off the show, or at least the show proper, after any dark matches. He's got a mic in his hand and a sack over his shoulder, which means we're set for a promo/angle of sorts. AMEN's lack of major stars is still painfully evident in their use of the Smacker; if you really think about it, he's technically just a colour commentator. Yes he's also the owner, but then why also have Giant Redwood as the Commissioner. Makes you wonder who the actual authority figure is.

Big Smack Scott: "You know they say that all men are created equal, but you look at me and you look at the people in that locker room and you can see that statement is not true..."

Oh good, we're milking that promo again. At least the crowd pop for it. Let's hear the remix.

Big Smack Scott: "Then you add God to the mix, importance of this title drastic go up."

Okay, so it's a blessed title or something. Let's see the... oh God, no...

I like the ambition of meshing crucified Jesus with the winged eagle, but there's three crosses there and none looks like any of the others. This... this abomination looks like it was randomly generated on AI and then 3D printed on some nerd's household setup. Knowing Scott and Redwood, that may actually be what happened here.

It's AMEN's premier stable come to interrupt. Or AMEN's only stable, for that matter. Also, isn't Scott supposed to be a heel too? Who's the crowd supposed to cheer for here?

Smashing Sven Sleaze: "That's a nice title yøu've gøt there... Nøw, my hearing is a little damaged frøm all the drum blasts, you said a tournament tø determine the champiøn whø gets tø høld that belt, ja?"

Ragnar Rock: "Tell me somethings, Big Fat Scotts... Have you heard the names 'Ragnarok Metals and Mining Ltd' befores?"

Björn the Bat: "Höw aböut 'Björnhammer Baseball Bats and Equipment Cö.' then?"

Vincent Vampire: "You see, ve are not children making noise in garage. Ve are rockstars. Ve have talentm, but ve also have a business mindset. Ve invest. And now you, and all of these people know, ve are also among those who invested in getting this company started. Ve are the stockholders you report to. And ve have a say in the decisionmaking."

Björn the Bat: "Yöu see, big man, the E.V.I.L.S. are nöt yöur emplöyees, we are yöur emplöyers. And öur genius döesn't stöp there. See, we dön't get into a fight we can't win, because we always stack the deck in öur favöur. At Börn Again, we were surprised. But it will nöt happen again. Tönight, we're making an executive decisiön in regards tö yöur little champiönship töurnament. We will ALL be in the quarterfinal matches, öne man in each. Sö yöu better rush back and tell yöur friend Redwööd tö change the brackets and bring us sömeöne tö entertain us, ör yöu're böth fired!"

Shocked and pissed off, Big Smack Scott exits the ring to place the belt on the timekeeper's table, before he takes his own seat at the announcers' table. Smashing Sven Sleaze stays in the ring, preparing to compete in the first match of the tournament. The other members of E.V.I.L.S. return backstage as their music comes on the speaker system. No need for Sven to make an entrance, yet someone does come out while the music is still playing...

This is... quite the sight. The two members of E.V.I.L.S. backstage security come out, followed by Harvey and Jason. Each bodyguard is holding a thick chain, which is linked to a metallic collar around Harvey and Jason's neck respectively. The two massive men lead what essentially looks like their slaves or captives, down to the ring. Fans are still somewhat dumbfounded and don't know how to react, even when the music changes and the first competitor comes out.

Quarterfinal match 1

Smashing Sven Sleaze vs Jerry Pepper

Jerry Pepper is all fired up coming into the match and immediately begins to brawl with his opponent. The presence of what can only be described as Sleaze's retinue at ringside is discreet; they do not interfere in the match, but just by being there they seem to distract Pepper's attention. Every time he tries to rally the audience behind him, he sees the scene outside and it gets him even more worked up. This gives a clue to his more experienced opponent and Sleaze manages to dodge a running big boot, which sends Pepper with a leg over the top rope. Sleaze shakes the rope to make sure the damage is done to his opponent's ball peppers, then gets to work on the youngster trying to play catch up. The few times Pepper seems to be making a comeback, Sleaze is able to use his own emotion and momentum against him, returning to the driver's seat until he hits the Rockin' Roller to end the match.

Winner: Smashing Sven Sleaze, by pinfall (27)

 

Quarterfinal match 2

Björn the Bat vs Jebediah

Jebediah has the early advantage here, given his size advantage. Björn plays defence as he clearly tries to formulate a plan. Remember, E.V.I.L.S. just inserted themselves into this tournament but didn't know ahead of time who they'd be facing, so it's not like the Bat came prepared, or that he'd pick the Mennonite Monster as his opponent if he had a say. Still, Björn proves himself both resilient and intelligent as he tries to focus his offence on the big man's legs so he can ground him and work them over with submissions. It's a bit awkward and probably not just because of the story being told here, clearly the two wrestlers' styles don't mesh that well.

The curveball comes when Michael Mosher makes an appearance, chair in hand as he goes after the two security men who attacked him at Wrestling with Addiction about a month ago. After landing a few good ones, Mosher tries to urge Harvey and Jason to escape now that they can. Weirdly enough though, the two youngsters, who spent most of their time out here with their head hung low and being subservient, or ashamed, now hesitate to run. Frustrated at this zombie-like response, Mosher takes it unto himself to rescue the kids and ends up dragging them backstage by the chain, without them offering any resistance but not really making a run for it either. This uncertainty gives the two security guys a chance to recuperate and they give chase, so all five guys disappear backstage, clearing the ringside area. All the fuss did distract a bit from the match and it also distracted Jebediah, allowing Björn to surprise him and hit the Batwing for the pin.

Winner: Björn the Bat, by pinfall (27)

 

Vincent Vampire comes out for his match next, fist bumping Björn as they meet halfway. Instead of a wrestler, Giant Redwood's music plays next.

"You know what grinds my gears about today's wrestling? You fans. See, I thought we had it bad back in the day with the dirt sheets exposing the business. If only I knew I'd live to see the age of the Internet and social media. Can't keep a damn thing under the sun anymore. So yeah, I needed an extra referee for tonight's show. And I got him."

*insert generic music theme*

"But I'm not just here to introduce referee Dale Kenney, no. See, I pulled a few strings to make tonight's show special and you bozos hijacking the tournament and everything I had planned for it may just be a blessing in disguise. For me at least, because I bet you won't like this..."

From DAVE and USPW to PSW and now AMEN, Teddy Powell!

Powell gets a pretty good reception from the fans, but he then turns and looks behind him. Clearly this isn't over then...

 

Powell's brought the Assassin of the Squared Circle with him!

 

Quarterfinal match 3

Vincent Vampire vs Ernest Youngman

From the opening lock up onwards, Vampire is clearly outclassed when it comes to pure wrestling ability. What he's got in his favour is familiarity with the setting against the newcomer, but there's only so much that can help him with. So, Vampire rolls out of the ring and manages to lure his opponent for a ringside brawl. The change of style temporarily favours the E.V.I.L.S. representative, but his greatest issue here is how little a promotion like AMEN will allow to happen in such a situation. Without the option to get truly hardcore, Vampire ends up walking into a back body drop onto the floor and from there it's all Youngman as he brings the action back between the ropes, building up to The Hit for a three count.

Winner: Ernest Youngman, by pinfall (37)

 

Quarterfinal match 4

Ragnar Rock vs Teddy Powell

Powell still moves around the ring a lot, proving his "Constant Motion" moniker isn't a relic of the past, even if he's no longer casually pulling off high flying moves like he used to. In the time since though, he's developed the other aspects of his game and it makes for a good match, against the equally solid all-arounder that is Ragnar Rock. It's a good thing AMEN doesn't exactly focus on the in-ring action, because the two men are of a certain age; this experience however means they know how to work the crowd and fans are really into the match, which ends after ten or so entertaining minutes with Powell naling the Motion Censor for a win that takes him to the next round in the tournament.

Winner: Teddy Powell, by pinfall (35)

 

Semifinal match 2

Björn the Bat vs Ernest Youngman

Björn immediately rushes his opponent, with a series of attacks and a few attempts to score a quick easy win, clearly taking advantage of the time he's had to recuperate from his own match as opposed to Youngman wrestling his bout some ten minutes earlier. Soon as Youngman survives the opening salvo though, he shows it's not actually a detriment, but an advantage: he's all warmed up so now -arguably with a better dance partner between the ropes- he's really showing what he can do. Things get quite competitive and when Björn abruptly ends the bout with a roll up that's maintained thanks to a handful of trunks, he gets a ton of heat from the audience for denying them what they were just getting into.

Winner: Björn the Bat, by pinfall (42)

 

Semifinal match 2

Smashing Sven Sleaze vs Teddy Powell

Much like in the previous match, the babyface is thrust into the match shortly after the previous one, while the heel had time to recuperate. Sleaze can't resist showboating and antagonizing the crowd though, so Powell has a chance to stay in the fight. Turns out to be another evenly matched, competitive contest with both men presenting a good variety of in-ring styles to keep things interesting. Things also end a little abruptly here (understandable really, given time constraints and having people wrestle multiple matches in one night) but this time it's Powell who pulls the rug under his opponent, surprising Sven with a schoolboy pin while the drummer was almost about to leave the ring and throw hands with a hot headed fan in the first row.

Winner: Teddy Powell, by pinfall (32)

Backstage, Alejandro Vargas is show walking around what seems to be a dimly lit army surplus warehouse. The show is, after all, being held at the Pensacola Armory.

"I look around at all the equipment in this place and there's something familiar about it. You know, it's not so different from a Cartel safehouse. Minus the coca*BLEEP* of course. And then it dawned on me. You see, the Cartel, just like the U.S. Military, we have very similar methods, we take what we want, even if it means we need to crack some heads. We just don't sugar coat it with hymns to Freedom and Democracy. We're the more honest business, but when you get down to it, both are in the same line of work. Not even competing all the time, if you remember Nicaragua, eh? So Desert Storm, you and all these people cheering you on, you think you're somehow better than everyone else. God bless America, you say, but God strike down everyone else, you mean. You're all hypocrites. But next month, when you get in that ring with my esse Carlos, there won't be anything hypocritical about what he'll do to you. You think war is hell? Wait till you see what happens when the consequences of your actions catch up to you."

Tournament Grand Final

for the AMEN Christian championship title belt

Björn the Bat vs Teddy Powell

AMEN is more about the showmanship than actual wrestling skill, but there's no question these two are some of the best in-ring workers on the roster this night (with the possible exception of Ernest Youngman, but if he was so good how come he didn't make it through to the finals huh?). They're also two of the most popular, which does create some dissonance considering Björn is the bassist of the group in E.V.I.L.S.  Fans love the showmanship, especially Björn acting so gleeful about inflicting pain on his opponent with submissions. Powell endures and yet again, it's a pretty open ended match where both men are able to give as much as they get. As things build into a climax, a series of roll ups and reversals leads to an exchange of big moves and near falls, creating the feeling this could go either way and be over at any moment. Fittingly enough, the final exchange sees Björn begin to lock in the Batwing, only for Powell to reverse and hit the Motion Censor.

Winner AND AMEN Christian champion: Teddy Powell! (38)

 

Wait, aren't Powell and Youngman surprise guests for tonight's show? Does that mean they signed with AMEN? Will Powell take the belt to PSW? Stay tuned to find out!

 

Show Rating: 41

[alpha2117]

Why does Jesus need free drugs?   Oh wait Drug-Free ... I get it now.

I popped for the dots above the letters in the promo - not going to lie.

Teddy Powell wins -sigh - I better not have to see his stupid face too much more.

 

[christmas_ape]

I could hear Bryan Alvarez for a lot of that 2nd show. 

3rd show Vargas was my star so will look forward to the cartel next week

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN presents: MessiahMania
Broadcast live (11.234 viewers, 260 attending in a sold out Rainbow Bar & Grill) on Sunday, 27 March 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

The show kicks off with the new AMEN Christian champion, Teddy Powell, making his entrance. The camera catches sight of a fan who bothered to make a "Constant Stupidface" cardboard sign, but other wise Powell is presented as a big deal, belt around his waist, yet he still takes the time to high five audience members on his way to the ring. At least any who care to.

"When I got the call to come and compete at the tournament for the AMEN Christian title, I didn't need to think this through before accepting. Yes, I'm a professional and I'm always looking to take more bookings. Yes it wasn't just for a match but there was a title to be won. I stand before you today as the first ever AMEN Christian champion and I intend to defend this title with the same hunger, integrity and professionalism that led me here. But that's not all of it. I came here because of my love for the wrestling business. I came here to give back to the business. I came to help a new promotion off the ground and teach a thing or two to younger talent. I see guys like Michael Mosher, or these youngsters, Harvey and Jason, I can tell they've got the desire, but they lack the focus. None of them are truly themselves. They define themselves through something else, through their connection to this band, E.V.I.L.S., like moons reflecting sunlight instead of shining their own. And I'm sure you fans want this promotion to be better, to see more than those satanic rockers dominate every show from top to bottom. As the AMEN Christian champion, it is my honour and my duty to bring the light of the Messiah, to cast out the wolves from amongst his flock... I am Teddy Powell and I pledge to take this belt, and this promotion, to new heights!"

 

Bonecrusher & ?? vs Harvey & Jason

Fourth show in AMEN's history and still no name given for the fiery haired chief of security for E.V.I.L.S. somehow. Also, seeing him next to Bonecrusher makes it even more evident how imposing he is, standing about 4" above his already massive teammate. Given the four men's appearance last month, it's easy to deduce the two youngsters are out for revenge against their former captors (in hindsight, was that really what winning "24 hours with the band" was supposed to be about?). The heels of course don't seem as passionate about the situation and given their significant physical advantage, look like they've mostly come to toy with their former prisoners. After a while, it starts to feel like it's only a matter of time, a foregone conclusion and the realization dawns on Jason, who blatantly walks into a chokeslam seeking to end this. Harvey rushes in to break up the pin, which ends up leading to an argument between the babyfaces; Harvey won't give up and scolds his opponent for not even trying to kick out of that move. The drama seems to finally get the audience into it as they start cheering one or the other man's approach, but the argument only allows Bonecrusher to charge in full steam. The big man tackles Jason, in the ring, onto his teammate, launching Harvey off the apron, then whips him into his even larger teammate for an impressive execution of his Damnation Drop finishing move. What's interesting is the big red haired man grabbing the microphone off the ring announcer; perhaps he is intentionally trying to keep his identity secret?

Winners: Bonecrusher & ??, by pinfall (24)

A shaky camera feed from what seems to be some sort of warehouse or backstage area immediately sets the mood of snooping on someone. There's muffled voices in a short distance, until the camera finds its target, then backs off a bit to ensure whoever's shooting doesn't get seen. From behind the hiding place, a stage is visible. Musical instruments have been set up for a performance, but the more striking feature is a massive pentagram painted on the floor with something red that hopefully is paint but certainly implies blood. Each bandmember of E.V.I.L.S. is standing on a tip of the pentagram star, with the fifth being out of sight, presumably where the drums must be set up.

Vincent Vampire: "...for vw are power. Ve are strength. Ve are ze European Villains In League with Satan. Master, ve humbly seek your guidance."

"YOU HAVE ALL FAILED ME..."

The voice responding is heavily modulated and distorted. Likely someone talking into a mic connected to a synthesizer, with all the sound effects turned on.

"THOSE CHILDREN WERE NEITHER FIT FOR CONVERTS NOR SACRIFICES. AND THE ONLY ONE OF THEM I HAVE MY CLAWS INTO IS FIGHTING TO REDEEM HIS IMMORTAL SOUL AT THE WHITESANDS ALCOHOL & DRUG REHAB PLANT FACILITY!" (open 24/7, call now at +1 877-640-7820)

Smashing Sven Sleaze: "And they were crushed accordingly by our underlings. We will find øthers før yøu, Master. Møre suitable ønes."

"YOU BETTER. I GAVE YOU MONEY, FAME, THREE PLATINUM ALBUMS, SEVEN HITS IN THE CHARTS, A SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDER SHARE IN THIS WRESTLING COMPANY AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN CAPTURE THAT TITLE FOR ME."

Ragnar Rock: "Masters, please, don't be mads at us!"

"I'M NOT MAD... I'M JUST... DISAPPOINTED. BUT YOU MAY YET BE OF USE."

Björn the Bat: "Yes Master. We are but yöur humble servants. What is it yöu ask öf us? Shöuld we sacrifice this Mösher tö yöu?"

"NO, I'VE ALREADY SENT MY DEMON TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. HE SHALL NOT PERISH YET. I NEED TO KNOW OF HIS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. CONTINUE THIS SEARCH. TEST YOURSELVES AND OTHERS. FIND ME THE PROPER VESSEL TO INHABIT. MY TIME IS NIGH."

There is a roar and a gout of flame and the camera feed abruptly cuts off.

  

Desert Storm vs Carlos (with Alejandro Vargas)

A welcome pallete cleanser from all the satanic stuff, this match is also kept simple, clean and digestible, nothing fancy but fisticuffs and pure brawling. Given the show is held at a bar, it really tries to get the "bar fight" feel right, given of course the product constraints that won't allow more realistic initiatives, such as the classic bottle smash on one's head. The only real issue here seems to be Vargas, perhaps due to inexperience as a manager, because at times he seems to forget he's supposed to be seconding Carlos, not be his tag team partner. Although not crucial in deciding the outcome, this issue does throw Carlos of his game (and turn the audience off as well) more than once and thus Desert Storm is able to build up enough offence for his Ground Strike finisher. After the match, he salutes the fans and gets a pretty good reaction, complete with ye olde "USA" chant.

Winner: Desert Storm, by pinfall (26)

 

DEMON vs Michael Mosher

Yes, the masked competitor is indeed introduced as DEMON (all caps) but at least we're spared anything cheesier like "from the fiery depths of Hell" or, God forbid, from Parts Unknown. Mosher is all fire though and he really goes in hard with the striking soon as the bell rings. DEMON takes a lot more than he gives, although at some point he just taps into his fighting EVIL Spirit, no selling the strikes and inviting his opponent to give him his best shot. Mosher complies and hits a pretty stiff penalty kick, from which he flows into a slick DDT for the pinfall finish.

Winner: Michael Mosher, by pinfall (21)

We are back at the dimly lit room where viewers were first introduced to Nathaniel Ca$ino and Don during a game of poker. This time they're not playing cards, but there is alcohol on the table and Don is yet again sucking on his comically oversized cigar.

Ca$ino: "I thought you said you had connections, Don. What the hell was that? You got played!"

Don: "No one outsmarts the Don. No one. It was just a... temporary setback. You heard it yourself, no one knew these guys had such pull in AMEN."

Ca$ino: "Well that's too bad, because there was so much money that could have been made if I held that title. Now I wasn't even in the tournament. Not even in some other match. How am I supposed to make money if I'm not booked, Don?"

Don: "I know, I know... Remember our deal, I get a big cut off that money, so I stand to lose too. I'm on your side."

Ca$ino: "Don't give me that, Don. We both know this isn't about sides, it's about money. So, are you gonna do something about it?"

Don: "Already have. Got myself a manager license."

Ca$ino: "A manag... Listen, I'm not a team player, okay? I don't need a manager."

Don: "Relax, it ain't about the cards in your hand, it's about your opponent's hand, remember? I don't care about managing, it's just an excuse to be around more. Gain access to places. It would appear this situation calls for a more... hands-on approach."

The E.V.I.L.S.

Jebediah, Jerry Pepper, Egon Merowitz and Texas Terry

The main event sees the four bandmembers of E.V.I.L.S. take on... basicaly a randomly thrown together quartet of babyfaces, likely put there to give them some exposure, experience and a paycheck. This dynamic of one team being a single force against another team of four individuals is not made the theme of the match though. Quite the contrary, instead of ganging up on their opponents, the heels go for one-on-one matchups, avoid pinfall attempts and only use the occasional eye poke or hair pull when they need to get out of a tight spot and tag a teammate in. It's almost as if they're trying to have each member wrestle each of their four opponents, which means... (Steiner math) sixteen different combinations. It does mess with a more natural flow of the match, but it also gives every babyface a good share of the spotlight to shine. Once satisfied, the E.V.I.L.S. convene and seemingly switch to a different gear. Charging all their opponents at once, Vincent Vampire flies with a suicide dive through the ropes onto Jebediah, Sleaze hits a spear on Pepper and Björn launches himself onto Texas Terry for a torpedo DDT, which he then chains into a sleeper hold. Egon Merowitz is left alone as the legal man and realizes what's about to happen, but he defiantly runs in to throw a few last punches, before Ragnar Rock shoves his away and hits him with his Six String Shooter finisher for the three count.

Winners: The E.V.I.L.S., by pinfall

 

Show Rating: 28

[Pteroid]

“I’m not mad, just disappointed” - Lucifer Satan, The Literal Devil

[alpha2117]

Constant Stupidface ...... BWAH HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!

 

   The Scandanavian Death Metal guys sound like the Swedish Chef!   BORK BYORK BEYORK!!!!!

  That Pentagram was so lame .... they couldn't even be bothered to sacrifice a Goat!  Or a child!!!!

   Whats with the Ole Anerson voice modulator? 

Next thing will be the debut of some sort of Shockmaster knockoff!!!!

      You summoned me?  Thank you ... nobody ever summons me.

   Hell No! Nobody ever wants to see your Wall crashing @$$!!!!

 How about me?

 Crap now there are two of them!!!   It's an infestation summon the Exterminators

 We're here!

  Sigh ... this day started off so well and now it's turned into a A.M.E.N style clusterfrak!!!!! 

[DarK_RaideR]

Show: AMEN Resurrection

Date: Sunday, 24 April 2022

Attendance/Viewership: 269 tickets, 11.667 on WrestleWorld

 

Dear Diary,

(an excerpt from the notes and diary of AMEN co-booker "Old School" Rick Sanders. Everyone else would never bother with this kind of stuff, but in case you didn't notice his nickname, he's old school. He even physically writes this stuff with a pencil, instead of typing it on a laptop like normal people these days do. I mean, just look at the man)

 

Anyway, onto his notes about the show:

 

I still hate Dil, no, excuse me, THE WOLVERINE. What kind of person sticks with that name even after they've retired? Anyway, our clashes continue and Giant Redwood refuses to take charge. Instead, he's like an abusive parent playing his children against each other. I keep reminding myself daily that I love this job and need the paycheck. By this point, I keep pushing for more Christian heroes and straight up technical wrestling, while my fellow co-booker can only spew "edgy" stuff that might have been catchy with his niche audience back when he was wrestling. By this point I'm the de facto babyface man and he's booking the heels.

 

The broadcast began, as it should, with our champion, now that we have one. Teddy Powell was shown wrapping up a discussion with Giant Redwood, who was fortunately kept in the background for most of this segment. All that could be heard at the end of the talk was confirmation that Powell would be defending his title in the night's main event. Basic setup and delivery. As he was leaving the office, Harvey walked up to him and had a fanboy moment, telling him how he looks up to him and how men like him are needed in this company to combat the evil, or should I say, E.V.I.L. around. Just testing the waters with these two really, I could see somewhat of a mentor-disciple dynamic between them being spun into a storyline.

 

First match of the night saw NYCW's Tennessee William drop by to face Vincent Vampire. I was trusted to put this match together, so I played up to the musician themes of both characters. Other than getting the fans going, there wasn't much point to this bout, except maybe to give Vampire a win. I'm told Big Smack Scott mentioned on commentary how William is a former COTT World Heavyweight Champion, to make the victory even greater. Anyway, toned down the wrestling for a bit of comedy, storytelling and fan interaction. As instructed, Vampire won and he won clean.

 

For Jebediah's first promo, I wanted to shoot a vignette of him in his community, maybe with a voiceover. I'm sure we had the budget for it, but then I remembered it would probably look strange to have cameras and microphones in such a place with no one reacting. Minor details, but I like to pay attention to this stuff. Instead, he was interviewed backstage but we went over my idea and how it could be incorporated into his character promo. That's actually what he began with, how most people think of the Amish as backwater people, when in reality their creed is about putting in the hard work, something which technology would undermine. From there, he went on to talk about working hard and also his faith's call for humility, both of which he wants to represent to send out a message and portray his community in a better light.

 

This was Wolverine's match to put together, seeing as it was about giving Hell's Bouncer a win. Rayne Man is a solid hand, somewhat of a recognizable face and an absolute professional. It wasn't a squash, but he bumped hard for our guy and ate the Damnation Drop like a champ.

 

The Cartel's video was another bit of character lore, first angle we actually came up with when putting the show card together. Using the venue once again, we showed Alejandro and Carlos outside the Pensacola Armory doing some sort of shady deal. We didn't go into detail there for obvious reasons, but I also want to think we leave things to the imagination. Were they selling (stolen) arms and military gear? Drugs? Something worse? Who knows! Anyway, this was the setup for the promo that followed, as Alejandro told Carlos it's these things that make them the real money. However, they still need the wrestling as a cover to travel around the country for their deals, so it's important they remain involved with AMEN, which provides them with the perfect cover.

 

 

Mosher cut a promo on E.V.I.L.S. next and I had no idea what it should be about. Sadly, neither did he, so lacking any better inspiration, we decided to pull the trigger and have him reveal he was the one who shot the footage of the group last month (before people forget about that segment). I mean, it makes sense if he was a former member of the band, that he could have made it through their security to that spot. He's not the best of talkers though, so the rest was pretty generic stuff about how he'll take them down and whatnot. Can't believe this guy was supposed to be AMEN's lead babyface. He better realize Powell was brought in due to his own shortcomings and get better, fast, or I see him on the chopping block by the end of the year.

 

So title match aside, this one was the first we booked for this show. And because it's about putting a face over, I was responsible. I came up with a great opponent for Desert Storm, a nasty punk with striking looks to go up against his army character. So of course THE WOLVERINE got lazy and copied my idea for the two matches he had to set up for the heels. Not only did he steal my idea and not put in any real work, but because of him, the entire show featured mostly throwaway matches where the local guy predictably beat the monster of the week. On top of that, Vendetta decided to give me attitude for not being the one to go over! Kids today have no respect and think they can skip paying their dues. At least he didn't crap on the match, or injure Storm. If he's sad about losing, he can go have a drink and be silently uspet about it like the rest of us grownups.

 

This last one was actually my favourite angle of the show, catching up with "Dirty" Don on the phone with Nathaniel Ca$ino, who had just arrived to the venue and was looking for him. Don said he already pulled some strings like he'd promised and now all Ca$ino had to do was make him some money: he's in the main event title match and it's up next!

 

AMEN Christian championship title match

  

Teddy Powell vs Nathaniel Ca$ino (with "Dirty" Don)

Now the reason I loved that last angle was because it continued the Don-Ca$ino storyline, delivered on the setup from last month, provided a bit of comedy with Ca$ino's shock on having a big match with literally the shortest notice possible but also, it gave him an excuse of sorts for losing. Because of course Powell wasn't losing the strap on his first defence, but it didn't need to be that obvious. Having Don at ringside also allowed for some sneaky comebacks on the challenger's part, so I like to believe things were kept interesting from bell to bell. This actually gave me an idea and fortunately, I got Redwood on my side for this one, Powell doing a suicide dive (which of course was called an "Angel Dive" by Dane O'Hara on broadcast) to take out Don so he could lead into the finish without interruptions. Made narrative sense and we also gave the fans a glimpse of the old Constant Motion for a pop. Motion Censor, one two three, Powell retains.

[alpha2117]

Loved that - having his tired cynical take on his own product and the rest of the workers was hilarious.  I imagine he's constantly sighing.