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

[DarK_RaideR]

10 hours ago, alpha2117 said:

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.

Wasn't feeling particularly inspired to write a flashy show, but I had to get it out and move on one way or another, so I guess his vibe is a reflection of my own. But yes, he's the type who'd roll his eyes at all this and he's got awful chemistry with The Wolverine, both of which are in the booking team with Redwood (who's also being penalised for being an Egomaniac) so I tried to shed some light on this too.

[DarK_RaideR]

Few in-game days after the previous post/show, I got a mail that Rick Sanders dropped from Average to Flabby. Them coping mechanisms clearly taking their toll. 😅

I also noticed several people already like or dislike others, but it only shows if I go into their Personal Details tab, when I'm used to picking up this kind of stuff from the Backstage screen. Guess none of those are significant enough to influence locker room morale, but they're still there and they're plenty. Still curious when the proverbial shit will hit the fan.

Next show should be up soon, hopefully within the next couple of days.

[willr0ck]

Okay so this just came to me; what if BSS became a prophet and started randomly "healing" fans in the audience?

 

 

[DarK_RaideR]

I will not spoil any surprises, but you'd be amazed at the potential crossover of wrestling and religion.

 

 

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN presents

in association with @willr0ck

Broadcast live (10.052 viewers, 266 attending in Little Rock, AR) on Sunday, 29 May 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

The bass heavy riff of a song that's totally not an AI produced Depeche Mode rip-off opens the show. A smart dressed woman holding a mic makes her entrance, followed by Giant Redwood towering over her few steps behind. The big man is holding a bag and the pair head to the ring as curiosity peaks and the music subsides.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen... my name is Hayley Buck and I am here tonight to make a big announcement. The Commissioner of AMEN, Mr. Giant Redwood right here, has seen your warm reception of the Christian championship, your loving embrace of the concept and the reigning Christian champion, Mr. Teddy Powell. It has been a successful launch so tonight, we are introducing a brand new title!"

 

Slightly out of sync, Giant Redwood opens the bag and reveals the belt. Somehow, it looks even more of a jumbled mess than the Christian title, and that's saying something.

"Behold, the Holy Trinity championship! In honour of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, this title shall always be contested in matches with three competitors! Starting tonight, with three qualifying matches to determine the three contestants who will wrestle for this title next month, at Act of God!"

Holy Trinity qualifier match

Egon Merowitz vs Vincent Vampire

A pretty standard stand and bang situation with the two men trading blows. It's like a match straight out of the 70s, only the competitors look less like dads who'll fire up the barbeque on a sunny day and more like actual athletes. It doesn't help that neither man really sells. Somehow, the monotonous action makes a Reverse DDT feel exciting and convicing enough to be a finisher in compariosn.

Winner: Vincent Vampire, by pinfall (23)

 

Haley Buck: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am here backstage with Jason, looking to get his thoughts on recent developments. So Jason, last week we saw your friend Harvey express his admiration towards the AMEN Christian champion, Teddy Powell. It's been confirmed the two of them will team up tonight against Ragnar Rock and Smashing Sven Sleaze in the main event so I have to ask, what does the future hold for you now?"

Before Jason can answer, someone walks into the frame.

Jerry Pepper: "Listen man, you and I have seen it both, us younger folks need to stick together if we are to make it here in AMEN. I understand your buddies have left you alone, no offence, but they've gone their separate ways. I figure we could do better if we had each other's backs. You and I, we're cut from the same cloth. Honest, hard working guys. Salt of the earth. We understand each other. So what do you say we give it a go, see how we fare against those Security types next month?"

Pepper offers his hand and after a moment of hesitation, Jason accepts and the two shake on it.

Holy Trinity qualifier match

The Demon vs "The Mennonite Monster" Jebediah

Very much a character driven match, the crowd does come alive to boo the masked fiend. Jebediah mostly takes the hits to garner sympathy, but sells them with restraint, like every big man should. When he does respond with some big power move, it pops the crowd. Basic but effective, it's an entertaining ten or so minutes that ends with the Demon getting flattened with a Sundown Splash by the massive 320 pounder who advances to next month's three way title match.

Winner: Jebediah, by pinfall (26)

Holy Trinity qualifier match

 

Texas Terry vs Nathaniel Ca$ino (with "Dirty" Don)

The significantly larger Texan controls the early part of the match thanks to his power advantage. Ca$ino needs to use his speed, technique and ring smarts on more than one occasion to gain control of the match, or just get out of a setup for what seemed to be a devastating slam. With a little help from "Dirty" Don distracting the referee from outside and throwing Terry off his game, Ca$ino zones in for the kill and after a risky Double Or Nothing, comes away with the pinfall win.

Winner: Nathaniel Ca$ino, by pinfall (31)

After the match, Don heads to the timekeeper's table to get a microphone.

"Dirty" Don: "Alright, that's more like it. Listen up, my boy. We have an arrangement, you and I. It didn't work out immediately, I understand, but I promised to help you manage. I've been by your side and I made sure you had a chance to qualify for the Holy Trinity title. Tonight, you did just that. Next month, these people as my witnesses, you better be winning that title!"

 

Desert Storm vs Alejandro Vargas (with Carlos)

The buildup of the storyline really helps this match, because it feels like a final showdown despite the sub-par wrestling on display. Between the moralistic/patriotic undertones of the story and the characters, fan reaction makes the action more palatable. For the finish, Carlos loses his cool and blasts Desert Storm with a headbutt, right in the referee's field of view. It's a disqualification, but Vargas doesn't seem to distraught about it; in fact, he almost looks glad to take the loss and be out of the ring.

Winner: Desert Storm, by disqualification (28)

Desert Storm is shown backstage after the match, probably heading to the locker room as he's contemplating the match he just had. Lost in thought, he bumps into a suited man, who flashes an FBI badge at him.

"Mr. Storm, my name is Agent Reid. I need to ask you a few questions..."

Teddy Powell & Harvey vs Ragnar Rock & Smashing Sven Sleaze

Another case of the in-ring action not being exactly stellar, but fans are still invested in the characters and story. Rock and Sleaze are the experienced team that function like a well-oiled machine, whereas the faces bring a mix of Powell's veteran acumen and Harvey's youthful enthusiasm. The mentor-student dynamic is played up, with Harvey even going for a couple of Powell's signature moves and essentially making up for the champion's age depriving him of his more athletic arsenal. That aside, the match breaks down to the heels cutting off the ring and doing a number on Harvey, who gets cheered on so he can escape for the hot tag to Powell. The AMEN Christian champion cleans house to a roaring applause, but a diving chop block from Sleaze slaps the breaks on hard. Harvey gets knocked off the apron and the heels quickly gang up on the wounded champion, who they hit with their Cover Version tag finisher for the shocking win.

Winners: Ragnar Rock and Smashing Sven Sleaze, by pinfall (34)

As Sleaze calmly looks over the fallen bodies on the battlefield, Ragnar Rock, who scored the pinfall win, grabs a microphone and leans over Powell, screaming in his face as he speaks on the mic.

Ragnar Rock: "Let this be a warning for what's to come, Teddy. Next month, I'm taking your title!"

Overall Rating: 30

[alpha2117]

And so the infestation begins

You called?

 Hell No!

 You were too lame to make the cut at Chi-town!

 Like the new style ... wish we looked like that!

One flash of eerie red light coupled with the stench of sulphur later

Wow that was quick ... Yeah we look totally evil ... Thank our dark lord.

"Thank You Mr Mosca"

 "BZZZZ You're welcome little ones!"

  " You might want to move with the times"

 " Bzzzz Better?"

 "Amen"

[alpha2117]

Loved the show - love the new art style.  Loving the subtle differences in the backgrounds.  Your stuff is always a great read.

[DarK_RaideR]

24 minutes ago, alpha2117 said:

Loved the show - love the new art style.  Loving the subtle differences in the backgrounds.  Your stuff is always a great read.

Thanks. AMEN are still finding their footing with the roster, booking etc and so am I with presentation, format etc.

Still waiting for the release of the RockVerse before I import anyone from there, but I'm a big fan of the comic book style renders. Good thing willr0ck taught me how to "make" my own* so now I can meet my diary needs instead of waiting for him to render my entire roster as part of his CVerse-wide project. Plus it takes some weight off his shoulders if he wants to take my renders for his mod instead of doing his from scratch.

 

*putting "make" in quotes, because AI was involved.

[knkmaster69]

Honestly I love this, the shows are super engaging and creative and a pretty unique roster. Love that everyone has a very clear character, makes it easy to get invested quickly. Can't wait to see more.

[DarK_RaideR]

If you've been hanging around the re-render threads long enough, you might have noticed that there are certain characters that really seem to inspire people, producing several alternate editions of their portraits. Scythe immediately comes to mind, a while back it was almost a meme to do "another" portrait of the man.

So here I am, doing the comic book portraits on Bing for AMEN's roster. Every prompt yields 4 results, of which I'll usually get at least 1 that I'm going with. Sometimes there's more and I need to pick, but since most of the alternatives turn up black and white somehow, it helps me to stick with the colour version.

Then there's Bjorn the Bat, as portrayed by Aldous Blackfriar. He too is one of those characters that seem to provide so much inspiration for people, which has resulted in an abundance of alternate portraits for him. Seeing what the 4 results for my prompt were, I kinda get it now:

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN presents

Broadcast live (10.407 viewers, 286 attending in Montgomery, AL) on Sunday, 26 June 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

AMEN Holy Trinity title match

 

Jebediah vs Vincent Vampire vs Nathaniel Ca$ino (with "Dirty" Don)

The show goes straight into a match, with the three competitors that qualilfied for the brand new Holy Trinity title (wasted name if you ask me, should have been used for a trios title). Jebediah is up against two heels, but he's the big man in the match and powers through at first, until Vampire and Ca$ino realize they need to work together to neutralize him. This practical alliance collapses of course as soon as the common enemy is reeling outside the ring. "Dirty" Don offers a bit of comedy when he tries to stomp down Jebediah, only for the Mennonite Monster to hulk up and no sell the blows, to an over the top shocked reaction from Don that gets launched several feet up in the air for a hard landing on the floor. Still, Ca$ino sees his opportunity and with Vampire down after a frog splash, he catches the big man as he enters the ring for a roll up pin out of nowhere!

Winner and AMEN Holy Trinity champion: Nathaniel Ca$ino, by pinfall (29)

 

Ca$ino is celebrating his win holding the title in the air. Haley Buck enters the ring with a microphone to get a statement from the new champion, as "Dirty" Don is slowly pulling himself back up in the background.

Hayley Buck: "What a victory, Nathaniel. How are you feeling, any first thoughts about your win?"

Nathaniel Ca$ino: "Feels like I hit the jackpot, baby!"

Hayley Buck: "AMEN fans want to know, your manager made a statement last month about some sort of arrangement you two have. What's up with that? It almost sounded like he was threatening you."

Nathaniel Ca$ino: "Oh come one, coaches have to get rough sometimes. Don is a great man and he's helped me a lot. He got me a deal with AMEN, he made sure I was in the qualifying matches for this title after I was unfairly excluded from the tournament for the Christian title, I owe him a lot. But now I'm the Holy Trinity champion and it's time to hit that pay window, baby!"

Jason Patterson & Jerry Pepper vs Security

Jason is actually given a surname and off to the races we go. The babyface team puts on a good show of textbook grappling, but the heels are no pushovers. Slowly but surely, the two big security men use their size and power advantage, initially to block slams and throws, until they are firmly on the driver's seat beating down their opponents. Bonecrusher looks particularly good in the finish, crashing onto Patterson on the apron with a Lariat that eliminates him, clearing the field for some big power moves on Patterson, before a big Chokeslam takes him out for the three count.

Winners: Security, by pinfall (28)

The Cartel make their entrance first, Vargas smug as always while Carlos looks like he's just about to snap. The faces come out next, stern and serious. The match is about to start, but then Vargas motions for a microphone.

Vargas: "Actually, we're not doing this. I'll be coaching from the sidelines, but fear not, I got a replacement to take my place!"

 

A rather muscular man in a black mask comes out. If the song wasn't enough of a hint, the titantron confirms his name as Asteroid.

   

Agent Reid & Desert Storm vs Carlos & Asteroid (with Alejandro Vargas)

The change is actually a good one, as Asteroid turns out to be just as good a wrestler, plus much more athletic and entertaining thanks to his rolling aerial offence. Meanwhile, Agent Reid in his in-ring debut proves to bring a lot of power to his side of the team, a much needed addition for Desert Storm to be able to stand up to the maniac that is Carlos. Vargas is quite contempt just shouting warnings and tactics, but he does provide some (admittedly kinda sloppy) assists. Still, it's not enough for his team and Asteroid takes one risk too many, which sees him on the wrong side of a Termination Slam from Reid.

Winners: Agent Reid & Desert Storm, by pinfall (32)

 

AMEN Christian title match

  

Teddy Powell vs Ragnar Rock (with Smashing Sven Sleaze)

Main event time and you can tell these old timers know how to do it. Not a single slip, everything is tight and consistent, the action well worthy of a main event title match. Sven also is there mostly for moral support and doesn't really interject himself into the match, which allows for a better flow of the in-ring narrative without interruptions. Furthermore, Ragnar's flashy attitude means he does not slow things down like a traditional heel, but rather tries to outperform Powell, while also heavily interacting with the audience. It makes for an exciting match, but Powell is able to perservere and hit the Motion Censor to retain the strap.

Winner and still champion (2nd defence): Teddy Powell, by pinfall (32)

After the match, Powell has no time to celebrate as a furious Ragnar blindsides him. Sven slides into the ring to join the beatdown...

...but Harvey runs down to the ring for the equalizer! The youngster jumps into the fray to save his apparent new mentor...

...but then Bjorn the Bat also makes his way to the ring. Presumably, Vincent Vampire has left the building after his match earlier in the night, or is just a wuss who doesn't want to take a chance by participating in this fight. The heels regain the advantage once more and no one new joins in after a few moments. It seems the villains will have the last laugh, but then...

 

LOOK IN MY EYES

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A STRAITEDGE PERSONALITY!

ermagherd it's (ex)TCW star Seth Whithead!

 

Whitehead rushes down to the ring and forces the heels to retreat, as the odds are now firmly against them. The show ends with the announcers going crazy, the fans a little less so and the babyfaces standing tall in the ring as they stare down the retreating heels.

 

Overall Rating: 30

 

[alpha2117]

16 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

If you've been hanging around the re-render threads long enough, you might have noticed that there are certain characters that really seem to inspire people, producing several alternate editions of their portraits. Scythe immediately comes to mind, a while back it was almost a meme to do "another" portrait of the man.

So here I am, doing the comic book portraits on Bing for AMEN's roster. Every prompt yields 4 results, of which I'll usually get at least 1 that I'm going with. Sometimes there's more and I need to pick, but since most of the alternatives turn up black and white somehow, it helps me to stick with the colour version.

Then there's Bjorn the Bat, as portrayed by Aldous Blackfriar. He too is one of those characters that seem to provide so much inspiration for people, which has resulted in an abundance of alternate portraits for him. Seeing what the 4 results for my prompt were, I kinda get it now:

Love the first iteration - he reminds me of Dave Navarro here which is sort of perfect.  They all look great though.

Edited August 31 by alpha2117

[alpha2117]

10 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

AMEN presents

Broadcast live (10.407 viewers, 286 attending in Montgomery, AL) on Sunday, 26 June 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

AMEN Holy Trinity title match

 

Jebediah vs Vincent Vampire vs Nathaniel Ca$ino (with "Dirty" Don)

The show goes straight into a match, with the three competitors that qualilfied for the brand new Holy Trinity title (wasted name if you ask me, should have been used for a trios title). Jebediah is up against two heels, but he's the big man in the match and powers through at first, until Vampire and Ca$ino realize they need to work together to neutralize him. This practical alliance collapses of course as soon as the common enemy is reeling outside the ring. "Dirty" Don offers a bit of comedy when he tries to stomp down Jebediah, only for the Mennonite Monster to hulk up and no sell the blows, to an over the top shocked reaction from Don that gets launched several feet up in the air for a hard landing on the floor. Still, Ca$ino sees his opportunity and with Vampire down after a frog splash, he catches the big man as he enters the ring for a roll up pin out of nowhere!

Winner and AMEN Holy Trinity champion: Nathaniel Ca$ino, by pinfall (29)

 

Ca$ino is celebrating his win holding the title in the air. Haley Buck enters the ring with a microphone to get a statement from the new champion, as "Dirty" Don is slowly pulling himself back up in the background.

Hayley Buck: "What a victory, Nathaniel. How are you feeling, any first thoughts about your win?"

Nathaniel Ca$ino: "Feels like I hit the jackpot, baby!"

Hayley Buck: "AMEN fans want to know, your manager made a statement last month about some sort of arrangement you two have. What's up with that? It almost sounded like he was threatening you."

Nathaniel Ca$ino: "Oh come one, coaches have to get rough sometimes. Don is a great man and he's helped me a lot. He got me a deal with AMEN, he made sure I was in the qualifying matches for this title after I was unfairly excluded from the tournament for the Christian title, I owe him a lot. But now I'm the Holy Trinity champion and it's time to hit that pay window, baby!"

Jason Patterson & Jerry Pepper vs Security

Jason is actually given a surname and off to the races we go. The babyface team puts on a good show of textbook grappling, but the heels are no pushovers. Slowly but surely, the two big security men use their size and power advantage, initially to block slams and throws, until they are firmly on the driver's seat beating down their opponents. Bonecrusher looks particularly good in the finish, crashing onto Patterson on the apron with a Lariat that eliminates him, clearing the field for some big power moves on Patterson, before a big Chokeslam takes him out for the three count.

Winners: Security, by pinfall (28)

The Cartel make their entrance first, Vargas smug as always while Carlos looks like he's just about to snap. The faces come out next, stern and serious. The match is about to start, but then Vargas motions for a microphone.

Vargas: "Actually, we're not doing this. I'll be coaching from the sidelines, but fear not, I got a replacement to take my place!"

 

A rather muscular man in a black mask comes out. If the song wasn't enough of a hint, the titantron confirms his name as Asteroid.

   

Agent Reid & Desert Storm vs Carlos & Asteroid (with Alejandro Vargas)

The change is actually a good one, as Asteroid turns out to be just as good a wrestler, plus much more athletic and entertaining thanks to his rolling aerial offence. Meanwhile, Agent Reid in his in-ring debut proves to bring a lot of power to his side of the team, a much needed addition for Desert Storm to be able to stand up to the maniac that is Carlos. Vargas is quite contempt just shouting warnings and tactics, but he does provide some (admittedly kinda sloppy) assists. Still, it's not enough for his team and Asteroid takes one risk too many, which sees him on the wrong side of a Termination Slam from Reid.

Winners: Agent Reid & Desert Storm, by pinfall (32)

 

AMEN Christian title match

  

Teddy Powell vs Ragnar Rock (with Smashing Sven Sleaze)

Main event time and you can tell these old timers know how to do it. Not a single slip, everything is tight and consistent, the action well worthy of a main event title match. Sven also is there mostly for moral support and doesn't really interject himself into the match, which allows for a better flow of the in-ring narrative without interruptions. Furthermore, Ragnar's flashy attitude means he does not slow things down like a traditional heel, but rather tries to outperform Powell, while also heavily interacting with the audience. It makes for an exciting match, but Powell is able to perservere and hit the Motion Censor to retain the strap.

Winner and still champion (2nd defence): Teddy Powell, by pinfall (32)

After the match, Powell has no time to celebrate as a furious Ragnar blindsides him. Sven slides into the ring to join the beatdown...

...but Harvey runs down to the ring for the equalizer! The youngster jumps into the fray to save his apparent new mentor...

...but then Bjorn the Bat also makes his way to the ring. Presumably, Vincent Vampire has left the building after his match earlier in the night, or is just a wuss who doesn't want to take a chance by participating in this fight. The heels regain the advantage once more and no one new joins in after a few moments. It seems the villains will have the last laugh, but then...

 

LOOK IN MY EYES

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A STRAITEDGE PERSONALITY!

ermagherd it's (ex)TCW star Seth Whithead!

 

Whitehead rushes down to the ring and forces the heels to retreat, as the odds are now firmly against them. The show ends with the announcers going crazy, the fans a little less so and the babyfaces standing tall in the ring as they stare down the retreating heels.

 

Overall Rating: 30

 

It's funny how a pic you like can make a difference - for some reason I hated Teddy Powell - actually I know why - he looks like someone who I legit hate because he did some really nasty stuff (and I dont hate anyone really).  Now I like him fine.

Another fun show.

[willr0ck]

"Now in technicolor", lol. What a great line. Great job on the worker pics as well.

[Rhysrob]

I'm caught up at last-- I get it but I don't get it in the best way 😃

The renders are great and this makes me want to change mine-- A good render genuinely helps the writing process!

[wshred13]

Such a breath of fresh air! I just finished reading the first show and look forward to reading the rest when I have time. When I saw this type of product in the database I thought it was intriguing but didn't have any interest in trying it for myself. You really nailed exactly what this would be and I look forward to seeing where it goes. 

[wshred13]

I got all caught up. The belts are really inspired. Love the idea of doing a Holy Trinity belt that has to be defended in triple threat matches. 

[alpha2117]

2 hours ago, wshred13 said:

I got all caught up. The belts are really inspired. Love the idea of doing a Holy Trinity belt that has to be defended in triple threat matches. 

Oh that is Gold!  Absolute Gold!!!

[DarK_RaideR]

On 8/31/2024 at 7:42 AM, alpha2117 said:

Love the first iteration - he reminds me of Dave Navarro here which is sort of perfect.  They all look great though.

They really do, that's why I had trouble picking one. Went with the last option because he looks like the lost member of the Misfits back from their brief stint with Vampiro in WCW...

 

On 9/1/2024 at 9:15 PM, willr0ck said:

Great job on the worker pics as well.

Thanks, your guidance has been most valuable in that.

 

On 9/2/2024 at 2:15 PM, Rhysrob said:

I'm caught up at last-- I get it but I don't get it in the best way 😃

Hello and welcome! Not sure what "getting it in the best way" is supposed to mean exactly, but I hope it's a good thing!

 

On 9/2/2024 at 4:59 PM, wshred13 said:

Such a breath of fresh air! I just finished reading the first show and look forward to reading the rest when I have time. When I saw this type of product in the database I thought it was intriguing but didn't have any interest in trying it for myself. You really nailed exactly what this would be and I look forward to seeing where it goes. 

Thank you, glad you like it! I couldn't do a 100% "serious" moralistic church product with a straight face, but somehow it felt cheap to be absolutely blatant in the comedy as well. Think that middle line of tongue in cheek irony works best, although if I'm honest, I'm still trying to figure things out in terms of a core roster, storylines, style and where all of this is headed. Pains of starting a new company from the ground up without a 100% clear focused vision, I suppose.

 

10 hours ago, wshred13 said:

I got all caught up. The belts are really inspired. Love the idea of doing a Holy Trinity belt that has to be defended in triple threat matches. 

Not gonna lie, some of that credit should go to @Historian

 

8 hours ago, alpha2117 said:

Oh that is Gold!  Absolute Gold!!!

Actually, it's just plated with gold 😛

[DarK_RaideR]

AMEN presents

Broadcast live (10.919 viewers, 290 attending in Mobile, AL) on Sunday, 31 July 2022 and available On Demand on WrestleWorld

 

LOOK IN MY EYES

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A STRAITEDGE PERSONALITY!

Seth Whitehead's infectious entrance music signals his arrival to kick off the show. The man formely on national television via TCW's weekly show is now in AMEN and after doing his entrance posing to work the crowd, settles down to talk on the microphone.

"People have been asking me 'Seth, how did you decide to come to AMEN?'. I thought it was pretty obvious why a straitedge person such as myself would decide to join a promotion that has a clear message against drugs, alcohol and addiction. For months now, I've been observing this bunch of satanists who call themselves E.V.I.L.S. run roughshot like they own the place. And while you people rightfully despise them for it, some younger folks still find themselves drawn to this false promise of power and popularity. I saw people get seduced by that, and suffer for it, at the hands of those brutes that pass as band security. Some managed to escape it, like Jason Patterson. Some saw what truly awaits them behind the glitz and glamour, like Lucas, who I heard has been wrestling his demons in rehabilitation since the start of the year. And then there's Harvey. It's no secret we've wrestled before as teammates, so I felt compelled to come to his rescue last month. So the way things ended at Act of God, to me it's quite clear things should be settled in the ring: Teddy Powell, Michael Mosher, Harvey and myself, against E.V.I.L.S.!"

The crowd cheers, but "While you were shouting at the devil" cuts them off, cheers turning to boos as AMEN's resident heel stable comes out on the entrance.

Vincent Vampire: "Vell vell, it's the big star Seth Vitehead... Did I hear you say like ve own this place? Newsflash, idiot. We actually do. Ve call the shots here."

Ragnar Rock: "Which means you don'ts gets to set up the matches, Whiteheads."

Björn the Bat: "Höwever, the shöw must gö ön, as they say. We are peöple pleasers and we want tö give fans sömething tö be excited aböut."

Smashing Sven Sleaze: "Here's the deal, Seth... Three matches. If øur team wins at the end øf the night, yøu get the hell øut of AMEN. If yøur team wins, yøu get yøur match against us."

Vincent Vampire: "I call dibs on the first match! Me against Michael Mosher. I'm a better frontman than him and tonight I'll prove I'm also a better vestler than him!"

Ragnar Rock: "You know me and Svens like to team up in the rings, so how abouts you get your friend Harveys to face us?"

Björn the Bat: "As för yöur big Christian crusader, Teddy Pöwell, we've föund just the insurance pölicy..."

HOLY CANNOLI, IS THAT...

"THE INSURANCE POLICY" CHARLIE THATCHER!

Seth Whitehead stands in the ring, daring Thatcher to come down and throw hands, but fans don't get more than a staredown and an awkward end to this opening segment.

Security vs Stevie Grayson & The Crusader

Wrestling nerds might remember the high flying Grayson as the tag team partner of Zeus Maximillion in CGC and if you remember him in a Hollyweird Grappling Company ring it's high time you finally call to book that colonoscopy you've been postponing forever. He is paired with a fittinly high flying youngster in The Crusader here, but the duo barely manage to pull off a move or two, because it's all about their massive opponents throwing them around until a Damnation Drop on Grayson seals the deal.

Winners: Security, by pinfall (22)

 

After the match is over, Bonecrusher glares menacingly at the camera while his tag team partner grabs a microphone.

"I guess this would have been win #1 for E.V.I.L.S... if we were part of tonight's plans, that is. Let me refresh your memory real quick. In the seven months that AMEN has been around, me and Bonecrusher here are undefeated. But I guess that doesn't count for anything, we're just the security guys. We keep our heads down and do our part. But that doesn't mean we're happy about it. Consider this, a warning."

Announcer Dane O'Hare is left wondering if this is a sign of internal conflict in the faction, with Big Smack Scott outright telling him "don't be such a mark, this isn't a face turn". Smooth.

Backstage, the masked man Asteroid is shown sitting on a locker room bench, holding his head, twitching and sweating. Distorted sounds match the warped effects on the camera feed, then a man with a very much live snake on his shoulders steps into the frame.

"You seem to be struggling... Can I help?"

Asteroid: "No! Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Oh, I think I know what's going on here. You seem to be... missing something. Quite intently too, might I add. Bet I could get it for you"

Asteroid: "I said, leave me alone! Did the Cartel send you? I gave them my pay for that match. We're done."

"The Cartel, eh? No, I'm not with them, but this does provide me with some insight on what kind of... high flyer you are. Seems to me you're missing that high a bit too much. Feel of the air against your face, eh?"

Asteroid: "No! I'm done with that! I'm done poisoning my body with their product!"

"And what a body it is... You know, there are ways to keep it in such fine shape. Even improve it. Just swap one type of drug for another. After all, the addiction never really goes away, does it?"

Asteroid flais his hands, as if to hurt this person, or shove him away, but he catches nothing but air. There's no one there. Is this person gone? Was it all just a hallucination? Is this poorly produced moralistic television or a low budget high concept arthouse masterpiece? All open to interpretation from the viewer.

Michael Mosher vs Vincent Vampire

It's former versus current vocalist of E.V.I.L.S., a personal rivalry between the two on top of Mosher's current crusade against his entire ex band as a whole, plus each man now looking to score a win for their respective side of the moral fence. Mosher starts things off with some highly energetic brawling that gets the audience cheering for him, to which Vampire responds when able with some strikes of his own. It quickly becomes evident the babyface has the upper hand in this situation, so Vampire switches to a more mat based submission wrestling approach, slowing down the match, much to the dismay of the crowd who boo him for messing with their enjoyment. Mosher withstands the assault and gets a good chunk of sympathy from the fans, then after forcing a rope break, lariats his opponent over the top rope to initiate a ringside brawl. Again, Mosher has the upper hand but his own excitement proves to be his detriment; Vampire redirects a charge right into a ringpost, then ducks a second charge for a drop toehold that lands Mosher face first onto the ring steps. Vampire brings the action back into the ring and Mosher looks like he's about to make a comeback, but a sneaky eye poke puts the brakes on that. Vampire hits his DDT while Mosher is bent over rubbing at his eyes, then a foot on the ropes provides that extra leverage to keep the face down.

Winner: Vincent Vampire, by pinfall (30)

Haley Buck: "Ladies and gentlement, I am joined backstage by Jason Patterson. Jason, it's been a rough few months for you in AMEN and last time we spoke, you agreed to try teaming up with Jerry Pepper. Now that didn't work as you lost your match against the undefeated team of Security, so what's next for you?"

Yet again, before Jason can answer, someone walks into the frame.

Björn the Bat: "I will tell yöu what's next för yöung Jasön here. See, I am here but I dön't have a match för tönight, sö I had a nice discussiön with Cömmissiöner Redwööd and cönvinced him tö give me a shöt at the AMEN Höly Trinity title! Thing is, yöu need three peöple för that kind öf match, sö being the öbservant man that I am, I nöticed Jasön here döesn't have a match either. Well he döes nöw, and it's all thanks tö möi. Nö need tö thank me för this huge öppörtunity, Jasön. Just remember tö lie döwn and let me pin yöu, ja?"

Björn doesn't even wait to hear a response and walks off.

Haley Buck: "Well that's pretty big news. I bet you're excited."

Haley switches the mic to Jason Patterson, but he does not speak. He glares at the direction Björn walked off to, looking none too happy. Bjorn's music hits and we switch to the ringside aread for his entrance.

AMEN Holy Trinity title match

 

Björn the Bat vs Jason Patterson vs Nathaniel Ca$ino (with "Dirty" Don)

Soon as the bell rings, Björn rolls out of the ring to a reaction of boos, motioning for the other two to start the match. Patterson and Ca$ino lock up, with the youngster clearly having a power advantage. Few impressive delayed slams and suplexes later, Ca$ino reverses one into a roll up; the kick out is easy, but the message is there, the veteran is not someone you can get too confident and let your guard down around. The action continues while Björn is busy antagonizing the ringside fans. When Patterson hits his Oklahoma Slam finisher, Björn enters the ring again and the distraction is just enough for Ca$ino to roll out of the ring, his manager assisting a hasty exit to avoid the pin. Björn demands Patterson lies down and eats the pin; there is doubt and it's stretched for dramatic effect, as Patterson looks around to chants of "No! No! No!". Frustrated and impatient, Björn just kicks him in the gut and begins working on him instead. With the element of surprise to his side and having basically just now really entered the match, Björn is in control and would get the pin, if "Dirty" Don didn't distract the referee. Björn almost knocks the manager off the apron, but Don sees it coming and does a comic escape throwing his hands in the air as if to proclaim innocence. The spot gives Patterson some time to recover, but Björn yet again turns things around. Once he hits his own finisher though, Ca$ino comes in flying from the top turnbuckle to break up the pin. Björn rolls aside to recuperate, but "Dirty" Don grabs a leg and pulls him out of the ring altogether, as Ca$ino covers the fallen Patterson to score a pin and retain his title!

Winner, and still AMEN Holy Trinity champion (Defence #1): Nathaniel Ca$ino, by pinfall (38)

A montage video of Jerry Pepper doing all sorts of manly things is shown, with his voice narrating over the images. He is shown driving his truck, chopping firewood, grooming his moustache, feeding farm animals, shining his work boots, praying in church or proudly looking at a flag post with the star spangled banner on top.

"When you're salt of the earth, life is never easy. You gotta put in lots of work, every day, and success is not guaranteed. But it's this kind of hardship in life that builds character. It is what this great country was founded upon. No one is owed anything, we have to fight for everything tooth and nail. And more often than not, we have to make our peace with defeat and disappointment. Things don't always come up roses, but we do not give up because of it. We pick ourselves back up and we try again. This is the real path to success. Persistence. Hard work. And an indomitable spirit. God put us on this earth not to have it easy, but to make it despite the hardships. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. A loss here and there is no big deal. Some will rush to write me off, but sooner or later I will be where I want to because nothing can stop me. I'll keep putting in the work until I'm simply undeniable."

Seth Whitehead & Harvey vs Ragnar Rock & Smashing Sven Sleaze

Unlike the squash that was the previous tag team match, this one is actually very competitive, with both teams getting almost the same levels of offence. Both teams are well rounded and this means a lot of double team moves are thrown in to excite the audience, before things boil down to the classic formula of Harvey's youthful excitement causing him to take one risk too many. The veteran heels are quick to cut off the ring and isolate him, their bullying tactics causing fans to cheer Harvey on as we build to a Whitehead hot tag. When it finally happens, the audience pops and Whitehead cleans house, knocking Ragnar over the top rope to the outside. At the top of this offensive outburst, Whitehead goes to apply the Minnesota Stretch on Sven. Ragnar realizes it and moves in to break it up, but Harvey chooses to sacrifice himself as he charges through the ropes with a suicide dive to keep Ragnar away. Trapped in the Minnesota Stretch for more than he can manage, with no way to get out, dead center in the ring and with his partner reeling on the outside, Sven utlimately taps out and the match is over.

Winners: Seth Whitehead & Harvey, by submission (41)

AMEN Christian title match

"Constant Motion" Teddy Powell vs "The Insurance Policy" Charlie Thatcher

The opening segment of the show comes full circle in the main event, as both sides have a win each. Whoever wins this one walks away with the title and the all important victory for their team. Thatcher is a literal monolith in the ring, getting the most out of doing as little as possible: he simply no sells Powell's shots, doesn't move an inch when "Constant Motion" runs into him and occasionally just shoves him away with great force, thanks to Powell's selling that makes it seem like he's sent flying. Once Thatcher actually has to move around and hit his moves proper, it becomes quite apparent why he was acting the way he did; either due to age, weariness or ring rust, he's somewhat plodding compared to what people remember of him, but there's still enough posing and taunting to keep things interesting and distract from the actual move-to-move action. Overconfidence turns out to be the big man's weakness and after failing to put a quick end to Powell, the champion begins to pick up steam. The longer the match goes, the more it favours "Constant Motion" and the less is left in Thatcher's tank. Gradually, Thatcher goes down on one knee, then both, then eats a shotgun dropkick to the face that knocks him down to a massive applause. From that point on he's constantly staggering and Powell's on a roll, leading up to him figuring a rather creative way to hit the Motion Censor for a triumphant count that has people join in at the top of their lungs.

Winner, and still AMEN Christian champion (Defence #3): "Constant Motion" Teddy Powell, by pinfall (42)

 

Still reeling from a hard earned win, Powell celebrates but also calls for a mic to speak his mind.

"Next month, the 4 on 4 match is happening! And E.V.I.L.S., if you want to play games, how about we make things real interesting. I don't speak for my teammates, I don't know what they'll put on the line, but I promise I'll give a title shot to whoever of you manages to pin me. But, if we win... you four disband FOREVER!"

Overall Rating: 39