Mark Cuban Does DaVE!

[sebsplex]

Brilliantly written as always Monkeypox. Despite his portrayal in the ring, you've given Peak such a likeable character behind the scenes to the extent that I actually felt a happy warmth inside when I scrolled past the pause and two the final paragraph. Also on the subject of the show prior, I love the idea of the DaVE playoffs... icing on the cake following the announcement was Tyler just butting out Cuban and taking the belt. Looks like we're in for an interesting time in the happy land of hardcore.

[Payne]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/logos/dfdc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Well, thank heavens for some things, Eddie is staying. I don't mind being wrong on this for 2 reasons. 1 is that I am VERY glad I was wrong, and the second being that Eddie's behaviour is so out of whack, that it is nearly impossible to predict what he is going to do. I am glad he is here, though. That, sadly, leads us to the DaVE Playoffs. Liks that isn't a stupid f**king name in the first place, I can see the up side of it. Having a tournament for the title gives anyone a chance, it's time to shine. In other news, it is a fact that Jim Force will be making an appearance in DaVE very soon, and that should be an interesting storyline. Also confirmed is Fumihiro Ota being traded out for a talent as-of-yet-unamed. I do know that it is a "big name", but it is still unconfirmed. Spoiler warning for the future: I love when I mess with people's plans. It is accepted that Eric Tyler is a heel, and Mark Cuban is a babyface. With recent events, though, Tyler has been booked as the role of face, and Cuban the heel. With everything that has come to pass, a variation of the current storyline will be playing out. Look for Tyler to officially turn Face before the end of the month, with Cuban going officially heel. It's not like anyone didn't see that coming, though. Acid is not going to be in title picture, as it seems he is the doghouse. It seems the Canadian pretending to be Japanese working in America doesn't know how to hold his liquor. After the PPV, the boys went out drinking, apparently, Acid was seen with a number of women, which isn't all a bad thing, really, but one of the women has pressed charges that Acid, while engaging in a sexually explicit act, used his "mist" on the woman, and burned her face. More on that as it comes in.

[Pampero Firpo]

Great writeup, 'pox - I always look forward to reading your diary. Your characters are excellent, both in their "on-screen" roles and in their "real-life" personas. It's a sad commentary on reality when your Eddie Peak, Nemesis and Eric Tyler are more believable as real people than Cena, Bautista, Jarrett and most of the rest of WWE and TNA. Keep up the good work.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][SIZE="5"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]"The Playoffs"[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER] This is the announcement of the power rankings for April, expanded to 12 slots and simultaneously announced on Vendetta and released on the internet. The Vendetta write-up will follow, but the movie of Cuban's announcement hits the internet almost immediately. This may be the only show in DaVE's history where Cuban makes it through his opening monologue uninterrupted. Cuban explains the format of the tournament as follows: The best sixteen wrestlers will advance into a four round, single elimination tournament. In keeping with the "PLAYOFF" model, the wrestlers will be seeded by their power rankings, and for this reason, the power rankings will be extended from their usual ten spots to twelve for the month of April. The remaining four slots will be considered "wildcard" spots, and will be determined by a ten-man royal rumble to take place at [FONT="Impact"]Vendetta[/FONT], with the last four men to survive earning spots in the tournament. The matches will begin in earnest and will all be televised live, with the first four matches scheduled to take place on [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT]. The semi-finals and finals will take place at an upcoming PPV, location and name to be decided. [QUOTE][CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="4"][B]APRIL POWER RANKINGS[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG][b]#1. EDDIE PEAK.[/b] (-) It's inaccurate to say that Eddie Peak lost his match against Big Cat Brandon at Day In Hell. It may be an overstatement to say that they legitimately drew. What is clear to everyone is that the psychotic Great White Shark still can't be stopped or contained. Soaked in the blood of half of the federation and ever hungry for what he hasn't tasted, the former Unified Champ has no weaknesses, no humanity, and no mercy. [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG][b]#2. BIG CAT BRANDON.[/b] (-) The only man yet to survive a direct assault from Eddie Peak, Big Cat Brandon came within millimeters and milliliters of stealing the title from Eddie Peak, and walked away from the match on his own two feet when most men would've been carried out on a stretcher. [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG][b]#3. ERIC TYLER.[/b] ([COLOR="Lime"]+1[/COLOR]) At Day In Hell, Tyler put Acid down in high style and High Life, using two bottles of the wretched stuff to lace Acid's noggin' with broken glass and liquid tradition. Smart, sneaky and full of tricks and sharp elbows, how better to further his personal mission of destroying DaVE's owner, Mark Cuban, than stealing the highest title in the land? [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG][b]#4. ACID.[/b] ([COLOR="Red"]-1[/COLOR]) Acid may have lost a match, but he hasn't lost a step. Dark, shadowed and incomprehensible, Acid strikes without warning and without reason. Razorsharp, vicious, and nearly impervious to pain, Acid's motives are obscure and unexplained. Could the Unified Title be the next destination for the menacing leader of the Cult of the Gray Dragon? [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG][b]#5. JACK "The Wrath of God" GIEDROYC.[/b] ([COLOR="SeaGreen"]+1[/COLOR]) Is he crazy? Is he actually the Wrath of God? Is his unique combination of adrenaline and hysteria Divinity or Insanity? Does it even matter when you've got that much talent at that young of an age? Are you as excited as I am to see his segments with [b]Jim Force[/b]? [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG][b]#6. JOEY MINNESOTA.[/b] ([COLOR="SeaGreen"]+1[/COLOR]) The win over Giedroyc was a statement for this young star, who will use his acquisition of the Brass Knuckles Title as a springboard to chase glory on a bigger stage... but as his ego grows on pace with his reputation, might young Mr. Minnesota's head simply explode in a bloody burst of self-congratulation? [b]#7. CHRIS CAULFIELD[/b] ([COLOR="SeaGreen"]+1[/COLOR]) [b]#8. GUIDE[/b] ([COLOR="SeaGreen"]+5[/COLOR]) [b]#9. SCOUT[/b] ([COLOR="SeaGreen"]+7[/COLOR]) [b]#10."Bulldozer" BRANDON SMITH[/b] (n/a - rookie) [b]#11.SHAWN GONZALES[/b] ([COLOR="Red"]-6[/COLOR]) [b]#12.ART REED[/b] ([COLOR="Red"]-3[/COLOR]) [i]Biggest Gains: Guide, Scout, "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith, American Elemental Biggest Losses: Shawn Gonzales, Fumihiro Ota, Sammy Bach, Hell's Bouncer On The Bubble: JD Morgan, Nathan Coleman[/i] [/QUOTE] The remaining four spots will be decided by a 10 Man Battle Royal still to come tonight on Vendetta! The contestants, in no particular order, will be: Sammy Bach - Teddy Powell - Alex Braun - Fumihiro Ota - Black Eagle - American Elemental - Hell's Bouncer - J.D. Morgan - Nathan Coleman - Cammy Vessey! Stay tuned as the DaVE PLAYOFF BRACKETS are resolved! [i]OoC: I think a tournament is just what DaVE needs... I've looked at the projected match-ups, and I think the ratings and match quality, especially in the later parts of the tournament, will be like nothing this federation has ever seen. Prepare for some dream match-ups over the next few shows! And just because I'm curious, a special prediction question... Complete the following two sentences:[/i] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]1. The Next DaVE Unified Champion WILL BE: 2. The Next DaVE Unified Champion [i]SHOULD[/i] BE:[/FONT] [i]Next: Vendetta, now with [b]More Forchlorians![/b][/i]

[chris caulfield]

1. The Next DaVE Unified Champion WILL BE: Eric Tyler 2. The Next DaVE Unified Champion SHOULD BE: Eddie Peak

[sebsplex]

1. The Next DaVE Unified Champion WILL BE: Eric Tyler 2. The Next DaVE Unified Champion SHOULD BE: Eric Tyler This is probably Tyler's last real chance to get his hands on the top gold and he's been well established as a DAVE traditionalist, opposing Cuban's changes and the novel concept's he's introduced since buying the promotion. With Peak having resigned, he can wait in the wings for now, making Tyler more of a transitional champion if anything before either Peak or Big Cat Brandon taking the belt off him following a fairly short reign.

[Tigerkinney]

Got to say I'm with Sebsplex on this one, both in terms of picks and reasoning. Anyway really looking forward to the DAVE Play-offs...should be a great tournament.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="5"]"Picking Your Heroes"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] Eric Tyler. How does this happen? The results, on some level, didn't make any sense. Once a month, I make it a habit to start a poll on the DaVE bulletin boards asking the same question, month after month: Who is your favorite wrestler in DaVE? The information comes in as a raw figure and a percentage, but there's a lot of behind the scenes deconstruction. I can break that information down any way I want to - by region, by age, by race - and I do, compulsively. So I can tell you with confidence that Alex Braun is most popular with 40-50 year olds living in the rural parts of the East Coast, or that Acid is our most popular character with teenagers. But it doesn't necessarily mean I can [i]anticipate[/i] it. Eric Tyler hasn't been the subject of a sustained push, necessarily. He's old. He's grumpy. He hasn't changed his gimmick in years. But the arrival of Mark Cuban has also corresponded with the second coming of Eric Tyler. He isn't the most "over" guy in DaVE. That's still Eddie Peak. But he's the dark horse favorite, the guy who suddenly finds himself bumping out guys like Giedroyc and Acid to take that coveted spot as "up and coming", remarkable for a guy in his late 40's. Four months ago, Eric Tyler couldn't even smell the main event and most of the industry heads were talking graceful retirement, riding off into the sunset. Now the guy is a legitimate contender, and nobody handed it to him. [i]... from [u][url]www.dave.com[/url][/u]... [QUOTE] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ven3.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Garamond"]Live from Perry Hall, Kentucky for a crowd of 1,700![SIZE="3"][/SIZE][/FONT] Cuban announces the tournament as described in the above entry - he isn't interrupted by Tyler for once, and manages to get through his explanation of the terms of the tournament and the four wildcard slots to be determined by a 10 man royal rumble, which is coming next on [i]Vendetta![/i]. He seems legitimately hyped about all of the possibilities that could come from this tournament and having a vacant title, and I'm just as hyped. The idea of some of these possible second and third round match-ups are literally making me drool. Apparently, the crowd is hyped for it too, as they cheer about as loudly as I've ever seen them on Vendetta. There are smatterings of a variety of chants while Cuban is making his presentation, mostly for [b]Eddie Peak[/b] and [b]Eric Tyler[/b], but neither man makes an appearance. [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: B[/COLOR] [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]10 Man Royal Rumble[/B][/FONT] -featuring - [FONT="Arial"][B]Sammy Bach - Teddy Powell - Alex Braun - Fumihiro Ota - Hell's Bouncer - J.D. Morgan - Nathan Coleman - Vin Tanner - Black Eagle - American Elemental - Cammy Vessey[/B][/FONT][/CENTER] Result: [b]Sammy Bach[/b] wins the Royal Rumble. Final four finishers are [b]Cammy Vessey, JD Morgan, Alex Braun[/b] and [b]Sammy Bach[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: It's chaos from the opening bell, as a full-to-the-brim ring erupts in undirected violence immediately. The three tag teams stick together along partisan lines and direct their attack accordingly. [b]Hell's Bouncer[/b] is clearly viewed as the biggest threat and [b]Adrenaline Rush[/b] go after him immediately, taking him off balance with a dual dropkick combo from which he never really recovers - he goes over the top rope shortly thereafter. [b]The Old Dirty Bastards[/b] pair off against a quickly formed duo of [b]Alex Braun and Vin Tanner[/b], with losses on both sides. Tanner takes the spill after missing a diving clothesline, while [b]Nathan Coleman[/b], distracted by Braun's onslaught, gets strung up by an [b]Americanrana[/b] from [b]American Elemental[/b] and sent over the side. By the five minute mark, [b]Fumihiro Ota[/b] has eliminated [b]Teddy Powell[/b] with a side suplex, [b]JD Morgan[/b] has suckered AE into going for a foolish cross-body chop that sends him over the ringropes when he misses, and the ring is looking much clearer. [b]The Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b] is still intact but find themselves up against a sustained attack from a cooperating [b]Sammy Bach[/b] and [b]Alex Braun[/b], who has stayed in the ring mostly by forming smart alliances. The other two competitors, [b]Cammy Vessey and JD Morgan[/b], follow similar strategies, staying out of the way and letting the two [i]de facto[/i] tag teams gut it out, though Vessey never throws a punch and JDM eliminates [b]Ota[/b] a few seconds later with a blindsiding lariat that catches the masked man in the back of the head and sends him over the side. [b]Black Eagle[/b] rushes to his partner's defense and the two heels dive into a brawl that culminates with JD Morgan simply outbrawling the earthbound [b]Black Eagle[/b], who is not nearly as effective without room to maneuver, and the Englishman sends Eagle out of the ring with a fallaway slam.. [b]Braun and Bach[/b] seem to notice the dawdling [b]Cammy Vessey[/b] as if for the first time, and exchange a long and exasperated look before sending the youngster over the top with a tandem hiptoss. Cammy Vessey finishes fourth, which secures him the [b]16th and final seed[/b] in the tournament. JDM tries to send both Bach and Braun over the top with a double clothesline, but both men are able to recover and lay a vicious beating down on JDM, who can't cover his head quickly enough and practically dives over the toprope himself. He finishes third, good for the [b]15th seed[/b]. This leaves [b]Sammy Bach[/b] and [b]Alex Braun[/b] to round out the event. The two men nod to eachother and briefly touch fists, and the fight is on... such as it is. Braun is clearly exhausted, slick with sweat and looking every bit his age, and Bach is able to use his superior speed to stay one step ahead. Braun's lariats and counterattacks are slow, a feature common to a lot of DaVE's brawlers, and Bach takes advantage of such a miss by rebounding into a convincingly crisp swinging neckbreaker. From there, Braun is disposed of quickly as he comes up dazed and meets a missile dropkick and, shortly thereafter, the floor of the arena. Bach wins and manages to look good doing it, but the match is an uneven affair, lacking occasionally in both requisite stamina and requisite psychology. DaVE's "B-Listers" don't do enough to show me that they don't deserve the label. Perfectly acceptable for an opener on Vendetta, though.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: D+[/COLOR] At the end of the ring bell, Cuban jumps up from the announcer table, throws off his headphones, and goes bounding towards the ring with the capriciousness of a lottery winner. The camera pans to catch Cuban helping Vessey to his feet. Vessey is still somewhat redfaced and rubbing his forehead from where he ate the floor of the arena. Cuban is panting heavily as he breaths into the mic. Cuban: I told you, Cammy! Hard work and positive thinking really DO pay off! You made it! You've qualified for the playoffs! (Vessey squints at Cuban, still a little glassy-eyed) Vessey: So... what happens next? Cuban: Next week on Danger Zone, you'll be on TV throughout the nation! It's the biggest match of your career! And you're the 16th seed, which means next week on Danger Zone, you'll be facing... (Cuban's face suddenly goes white) Vessey: Who? Cuban: (rushed) Don't worry about that now. Vessey: Who am I facing next week? Cuban: (long pause, gnawing lower lip) Vessey: WHO? Cuban: .... [b]Eddie Peak.[/b] (Now it's Vessey's turn to go white) Vessey: Eddie Peak? EDDIE PEAK? If I'd known that, I never woulda signed up for this thing. No ****ing way, count me out! Cuban: I can't count you out, you've already qualified. No, don't WORRY. It's okay! Eddie Peak is totally beatable! You just need to review the tape! We've got plenty of time, I'll put together a video package for you to scout and... Vessey: (near hysterical) A [i]video package?[/i] He's gonna split me open! What the hell does reviewing video have to do with anything? Cuban: Listen, seriously! If there's one thing I've learned from owning an NBA team, it's that nothing is so complicated that you can't figure it out by reviewing enough tape. That's how the Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals against the Heat and - Vessey: Didn't they lose? What, did they not watch enough tape? Cuban: (frowns) No, we watched plenty of tape. Pat Riley just watched more. Vessey: Please kill me. (meanwhile, an enthusiastic crowd has started screaming for Eddie Peak as all the color drains from Cammy Vessey's face...) [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C+[/COLOR] Jack Giedroyc is in the bathroom, taking a leak. The camera catches him from behind, still wearing his helmet, whistling to himself as he lets loose a stream of God's Wrath. As the camera pulls out, we see a large, very heavily muscled man with the worst sort of feathered hairdo come into the bathroom and position himself at the urinal next to Giedroyc. Giedroyc looks over and nods at this man as he adjusts himself. Giedroyc: Hello, strange sir. I am the Wrath of God. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JimForce.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Jim Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]I AM THE FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRCEEEEEE! I AM ALSO JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMM! THESE NAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMES GO TOGEEEEEEEEEEEEETHER TO FORM THE NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE OF ALL NAAAAAAAAAAAMES! [/COLOR] Giedroyc: My name is also Jack, but... (squints in a very invasive direction...) hey... are you... are you... ARE YOU URINATING IN THAT BOTTLE? Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]THE FUUUUUUUUUUUURY OF THE FOOOOORCE IS FEROOOOCIOUS EVEN WHEN FLUUUUUIIIIIID! MY GUUUUSHING GALLLOOOONS OF GODLY GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASOLINE WOULD FLARE THROUGH YOUR FEEBLE FINGERS WITH THE SEARING HEAT OF A THOUSAND SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNS! [/COLOR] Giedroyc: So you... bottle it? Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]THE ESSENCE OF FOOOOORCE IS FLUSH WITH FORCHORLIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS! THE WORTH OF MY MOLTEN GOLD IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOOOOOOOLD! THIS IS MY YELLOW GOD LAAAAAAAAAAAAAVA! THIS IS MY AMBER WAVES OF PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN! THIS IS THE SECRET TO MY MERCHANDIIIIIIISE!!!!!! [/COLOR] Giedroyc: (blanches) Wait... you put... uhm... your "yellow god lava" in your merchandise? How? Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]THE INFUSION IS DONE IN SECLUSION AND DELUSION IN HIGH AND SACRED TEMPLES LOCATED IN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS OF TAIWAN AND MALAYSIA AND ALSO DALLAS/FT. WOOOOOORTH! THERE MY DIVINE CULT OF SWEATSHOP WORKER MONKS TOIL IN HOLY MATRIMONY TO BLESS MY MERCHANDISE WITH MY ESSENTIAL ESSSSSSSSSSSSSENCES! BUY MY MERCHANDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE![/COLOR] Giedroyc: (now horrified) So it's in your... uh... your... god, it isn't in your [b]"JIM FORCE" COLOGNE[/b], is it? Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]MY COLOGNE IS SCENTED WITH MY TRUE ESSENCE! MY ACTION FIGURES ARE ANOINTED WITH THE COSMIC FRUIT OF MY MASCULINE EXERTIONS! MY JIM FORCE BRAND CEREAL IS FILLED WITH THE FIBROUS FIBERS OF MY FORCEFUL FROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! [/COLOR] Giedroyc: (pauses) God is displeased. Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY MY MERCHANDISE![/COLOR] Giedroyc: Take no other God before Him, He says. Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY IT! BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY![/COLOR] Giedroyc: Can you imagine the scandal if HE marketed Himself that way? And please, WASH YOUR HANDS. Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]WASH YOUR HANDS WITH JIM FORCE BRAND HANDWASHING SOOOOOOAP! MADE WITH THE CLEANSING ABRASION OF VITAMIN RICH JIM FORCE NASAL BUTTERS![/COLOR] (Force turns to wash his hands and the camera pans away from Giedroyc. When it pans back, the clear bottle full of suspicious yellow fluid is gone. Force immediately flashes a menacing shade of purple and begins beating his chest and puffing out his cheeks. His roided muscles ripple as he bellows:) Force: [COLOR="Magenta"]GIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDROOOOOOYC! YOU MAY BE THE WRATH OF GOD BUT I AM THE GOD OF FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORCE![/COLOR] (His hair streaming out behind him, Force charges the ring.) [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#5 Jack Giedroyc vs Jim Force[/B][/FONT] [FONT="Arial"][B][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]*HARDCORE MATCH*[/COLOR][/B][/FONT][/CENTER] Result: Jack Giedroyc d. Jim Force after braining Force with a [b]urine soaked chair[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Officially the worst match in Giedroyc's history, he looked like he was wrestling a three toed sloth out there. Force came out with a head full of steam, cheeks puffed out like a rabid chipmunk, demanding the return of his "liquid forchlorians" still fermenting in their plastic prison in Giedroyc's corner. Giedroyc refuses and the fight is on. Or whatever you want to call it. Force no-sells everything Giedroyc does, just shaking his head and beating his chest, then levelling Giedroyc with a charging lariat, then another, then another, then another. Giedroyc finally starts ducking, and ducking, and ducking, catching Force with a kick to the stomach and drilling Force with a [b]Crashing On[/b] at the three minute mark... ... and the bastard no-sells that one too, and the crowd starts booing. Giedroyc ducks a few more dinosaur non-lariats and nails Force with a diving shoulderblock that sends him back a few steps but doesn't knock him down. He continues to beat on his chest and Giedroyc shrugs, rolling out of the ring and retrieving a chair. Force shows no fear as Giedroyc rolls back in, squares up, and lands a solid chairshot right between his beady, bulgy eyes. ... and the bastard no-sells. Giedroyc looks confused more than frustrated, but he smiles, bends over, uncorks the bottle of FOOOOOOORCE brand urine, and splatters it across the chair. Suddenly, Force is wide-eyed and retreating, terrified in the face of the undilute concentrate of his power. The crowd screams in support as Giedroyc swings the pee-pee chair in a wide arc and catches Force on the chin. Force oversells the chairshot hilariously, launching himself in the air and spasming like a fish. Giedroyc gingerly pins the now unconscious Force with a boot for the threecount. [b]And so ends Jim Force month, with the man himself unconscious and urine soaked in the center of DaVE's ring, the horrible secret of both Forchlorians and Merchandise exposed to the critical public.[/b] Jim Force is dead. Long live Jim Force.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: D-[/COLOR] And we return to normalcy with the remainder of Vendetta. Joey Minnesota is stalking around the locker-room in that uneasy, hypercompetitive manner of his, when Bulldozer Brandon Smith enters the locker-room with a huge smile and walks right up to Minnesota carrying another one of his steaming desserts. Dozer: Hey, Joey Minnesota! Hey! I heard you won the Brass Knuckles Title and, well, me and the missus were just pleased as punch that another Minnesota boy is doin' so well for themselves out here in the big city and so she whipped you up a little something delicious, I tell you what! (Bulldozer hands a pie to Joey Minnesota, who is stone-faced as he glares at the pie, then at Bulldozer, then back at the pie) (Minnesota's voice is smug and dismissive) Minnesota: You're from Minnesota, I'm from Minnesota. Big ****ing deal. You're new, so I'll tell you this once. We ain't friends. I don't have friends. Only obstacles. And you're in my way, fatman. (Minnesota slams his palm down into the pie, overturning it and scattering it across the floor of the lockerroom. With a snort, he walks around a frozen Bulldozer. The camera lingers on the face of Dozer as his jovial features darken into a mask of almost terrifying fury - his ruddy face deepens to an angry purple as he stares at the ruins of the pie. After a long hesitation, he storms out after Minnesota) [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C+[/COLOR] [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#6 Joey Minnesota vs #10 "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/B][/FONT] [FONT="Arial"][B][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]*DaVE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE MATCH*[/COLOR][/B][/FONT][/CENTER] Result: Joey Minnesota d. Bulldozer Brandon Smith following a pinfall with his legs on the ropes for leverage. [i]Jack's Notes: Dozer storms the ring in a rage, flattening Minnesota with a running lariat and scoopslam that sends Minnesota out of the ring. Dozer charges and Minnesota runs far enough to snag a chair and nail Dozer as he rounds the turnbuckle. After that, Minnesota keeps control with a wide array of underhanded tactics, looking sharp and dominating the pace of the match, keeping Dozer off of his feet. Dozer manages a late charge and one very impressive backbreaker out of a full vertical press position, but Minnesota rolls through the attempt at a [b]Hail Mary[/b] and rolls Dozer up with a foot on the ropes for a win. This match does something to establish the flavor of Joey Minnesota as the new Brass Knuckles Champion, as Minnesota matches his usual flawless technical execution with a dirty attack aimed at the eyes, throat and nutsack of Dozer. Dozer, for his part, gets more exposure, more opportunities to show his strength, and an explainable loss to the champion in his first defense.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#8 Scout vs #12 Art Reed[/B][/FONT] [FONT="Arial"][B][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]SUBMISSION MATCH[/COLOR][/B][/FONT][/CENTER] Result: Scout d. Art Reed with a [b]Shock and Awe[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Perfect main event for the B-Show... two guys who aren't going to get the chance on [b]DANGERZONE[/b] anytime soon but deserve more than they're getting. This match was booked as a technical showcase, with the match given a full 20 minutes to develop and play out, and strict instructions to [b]Guide[/b] not to accompany his tag partner to the ring or interfere. This match doesn't connect to anything - there's no storyline being developed here, and not a whole lot of overness. No, this is a match for the real marks, for the purists, for those rare fans who actually give a **** about the quality of the wrestling. And that's all we had here. Neither of these guys are authentic stars at this point in their careers, and there were no weapons or gimmick finishes on display - just a slow-paced, reversal driven match with some legitimately nasty moments. Scout nearly breaks Art Reed's arm with a hammerlock suplex before locking him into the [b]Shock and Awe[/b], a fullnelson legsweep with a continuation on the hold on the ground. Reed never taps, but blacks out after a minute in the hold and is declared unable to continue by the referee. Good showcase match. I make a note to myself that these matches should be a regular occurrence on Vendetta. In fact, taken as a whole, this is an episode of Vendetta I can absolutely live with. And the crowd response to the main event actually ends up being a lot more than I've anticipated - one of the better matches of recent memory... and the best on Vendetta since Jack Giedroyc went up against... [b]Art Reed.[/b] There's that name again. As the show goes down, I make a mental note to revisit Art Reed's file. The possibility seems ridiculous, but it seems suddenly plausible that over the course of the last month and a half, Art Reed has been getting better match ratings than either [b]Eric Tyler[/b] or [b]Eddie Peak[/b].[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C+[/COLOR] [FONT="Impact"]Show Rating: C[/FONT] (perfectly respectable for this part of the country) [/QUOTE] [i]Next: Let the tournament begin! Match-ups and seedings to follow![/i]

[theoutlaw321]

Jim Force just got knocked out by a chair soaked in his own yellow God lava. LMAO!

[Carlzilla]

best Jim Force moment short of Arctarus' diary. Kudos to you.

[Beeker]

Who should win... [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b] - simply because his gimmick is pure brilliance and he can match up against any one the roster under the flimsiest of divine reasons. Besides, he went up against Jim Force and so deserves this reward. Who will win... [b]Cammy Vessey[/b] - quit laughing. This is brilliant. THINK of the heat. Think of it! Cuban's Cammy brings the belt back to Marko and immediately finds himself beseiged by Peak (screw job win for Cammy,) Eric Tyler (screw job DQ loss to Tyler) and pretty much ANYone else on the roster. Oh, and while I'm here. Just to let everyone know that in the not too distant future I'll be doing an ITC review of 'pox's take on DaVE. And as yet I have no insider knowledge of DaVE since pox and I combined are the equivalent of a Commodore 64 with a 1200 baud modem. And while I'm also here... nyah nyah Payne. :P

[Actarus]

"yellow god lava"..."pee-pee chair"...LMAO!!! God, I can barely write here. Great job w/ Jim Force, as you went where no one has gone before. And it's a miracle Giedroyc managed to drag a D- match out of him. You gave away the secret to Jim Force cologne, Jim Force soda, Jim Force vitamin water... At least you didn't reveal what Jim Force does with his turds of golden brown brilliance, pungent in Force beyond measure. :eek:

[J Silver]

... That wasn't Jim Force brand lemonade, was it? :( Hard to believe I haven't posted in here yet. Well, let's change that. As far as your question about the next champion, I agree with most here about Tyler. It would be nice to see the guy get in one last run with the belt before he retires. It can't be that long before that happens, now can it? And Actarus, I wouldn't eat the brownies if I were you. You don't want to know...

[Jehovah]

That was an almost poetic end to Force Month--JF is finally felled by his own ego, by which I mean his yellow god lava. By the time I get around to using him, the Jim Force one-nighter is going to be older than a Brokeback reference. Maybe I'll have to keep him around... Just kiddin', y'all. Great show, Pox.

[Monkeypox]

First of all, you guys are awesome. About half of my favorite people responded to this post (Payne, Chris Caulfield, Pampero, Tigerkinney and etc, not trying to hate and you are all missed). It makes me very happy. But there are a couple of things I want to respond to: Beeker, your idea is golden (and not like urine) but unworkable. I like to think of the dynasty in two ways: Reality overness and game overness. The readers of the dynasty would probably find a Cammy Vessey push really hilarious. But the computer would be merciless, and he wouldn't ever get more than a C-, and DaVE would be in trouble. If I wanted to push a rookie, Bulldozer Brandon Smith would make all the sense in the world. Cammy might be able to make an underdog run at the Brass Knucks Title, but you're asking me to have him bump off Eddie Peak in the [b]FIRST ROUND[/b]? I love ya, Beek, but no can do. Secondly, for J Silver. I have no idea why you haven't commented yet. I think your USPW dynasty is about as good as anything, and you ain't given me a shout-out YET. But better late than never. Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I appreciate the support through the numerous bull***t delays and non-entries, and I intend to keep this thing going. Okay, enough with the OoC BS. Back on the clock in no-time.

[Beeker]

[QUOTE=Monkeypox;241259]Beeker, your idea is golden (and not like urine) but unworkable. I like to think of the dynasty in two ways: Reality overness and game overness. The readers of the dynasty would probably find a Cammy Vessey push really hilarious. But the computer would be merciless, and he wouldn't ever get more than a C-, and DaVE would be in trouble. If I wanted to push a rookie, Bulldozer Brandon Smith would make all the sense in the world. Cammy might be able to make an underdog run at the Brass Knucks Title, but you're asking me to have him bump off Eddie Peak in the [b]FIRST ROUND[/b]? I love ya, Beek, but no can do. [/QUOTE] 'pox, Oh, I understand that giving Cammy the belt would be DaVE-icide. Of your career and the promotion itself, but with everyone making the sensible choice of Tyler, I opted (obviously) to go the complete other way. And if not for Eddie Peak and the low seed, it would have been far more plausible. And it could easily be gimmicked up so that it's a 'technical showcase' as Eddie gets DQ'ed for using a closed fist a minute into the match... then spends the next 12 minutes doing his best to eviserate Cammy. Ok ok... since Cammy Vessey is apparently impossible and implausible... The Next DaVE Unified champ will be... [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] - he reups and immediately receives his bribery... er reward. Yes, the game wouldn't understand the anti-computer-logic push of Cammy but I just thought it needed to be planted as an idea. :P

[Oregano Jensen]

The way I see it, you can plot DAVE on a face/heel axis, or you can plot DAVE on a traditional brawler/not a traditional brawler axis. Now, the title's been stripped from Eddie Peak, so I don't see him getting it again... it could go in a Peak-Brandon rematch direction, which would be acceptable, but both of those guys are straight-ahead brawlers. I don't see either of them bringing anything new to the title. Anyway, Brandon is so [I]boring[/I] -- I can't tell you a thing about his character, except that he is maybe kind of a cat? And you don't strip the title from Peak just to give it back to him. That's a waste. So, I say it's someone else. Let's look at this by seeds. - 3. ERIC TYLER. It's odd, because he doesn't have the skill set of a traditional brawler -- he's way more technical than a Peak or a Brandon. But he's been written as an old-school hardcore guy and Cuban's worst enemy... so again, what will he bring to the title that he can't do without it? I'm a huge Tyler mark, dont get me wrong, but your champion's biggest feud should be with another wrestler, not with his boss. - 4. ACID. I think Acid's being overlooked here -- much like Tyler, he represents something. He represents the new DAVE, the acrobatic style loved by Cuban. The big problem with putting the title on him, though, is that he just lost that huge feud with Tyler. Does he have title credibility? Eventually, sure -- he'll get it back. Now, no. - 5. JACK GIEDROYC. I've got a good feeling about Giedroyc. He's riding a huge wave of momentum, he has the skills, he has a killer character. No reason NOT to give him the title -- except that the "Wrath of God" thing is kind of a comedy gimmick. And a great one, too, but I tend to think of DAVE's champions as being a little less talky. Still, he's got as good a chance as anyone. - 6. JOEY MINNESOTA. Already has the Brass Knuckles title, and is being positioned (it seems) for a feud with Bulldozer Brandon Smith. Looking forward to that! Not expecting him to contend much in the tournament picture, though. - 7. CHRIS CAULFIELD. You know as well as I do that Caulfield doesn't have the skills to main-event. - 8 and 9. GUIDE and SCOUT. If either of these guys breaks out as a singles worker, you might as well just pack up the tag division. I don't think you'll be packing up the tag division, so I say neither of them wins. 10. "BULLDOZER" BRANDON SMITH. Gosh, I love this guy. The ol' Dozerino. [I]Yes![/I] That much having been said, we don't know NEARLY enough about him to put the strap on him yet. The frightening temper he showed in the last show against Minnesota, for example, is a new thing -- it seems like there's a lot going on with him that we don't know about, and that means he's not ready for the title. But I predict he'll be pushed heavily here before he bows out -- I say he definitely goes over Caulfield, setting up a great match with his friend the Big Cat, which... he [I]probably[/I] loses, but I could definitely see the upset as a storyline (which could be taken in a few ways). Really, the feud I want (and expect) to see is Dozer-Minnesota for the Brass Knockles Belt. 11. SHAWN GONZALEZ. His career's clearly on the wane -- why, WHY, would he take the belt now? I've got a weird feeling that he might upset Joey Minnesota in the first round, but more as a way to get Joey out of the tournament than anything else. (Despite his flaws as a worker, Gonzalez is popular enough that it doesn't seem TOO weird to have Joey losing to him.) Then again, I say Tyler takes out either of them in the second, so it doesn't matter. 12. ART REED. Let me just say this: I mark out for Art Reed, both in general and in this diary. If he's not the most skilled worker you have, he's damn close, and he's got a pretty great understated character. But he's been relegated to a supporting role for so long that he CAN'T take this title now. I hope he breaks out of that place someday, but today ain't it. And as for the last four: Sammy Bach's a perennial underachiever, kind of a jerk, and a tag wrestler. He's probably gone when his contract is up, so why push him? I like JD Morgan, but I'm not at all sure why, and nothing he's done has suggested to me that he's going to get much of a push in the near future. Alex Braun will go gracefully into retirement -- I see him picking up some respectable wins in the next few months, but not here. And as you say, Cameron Vessey is more of a representation of Cuban's ego at this point than an actual wrestler. Peak's going to tear him [I]apart[/I]. So where does that leave us? SHOULD WIN: Tyler or Giedroyc. WILL WIN: I'm calling Brandon -- the Cat, not the Dozer. I know I said neither of them, but you're obligated to him, and you probably want to get that over with. I say he gets the title he was promised, but it's a transitional one, and he loses in the next couple months (maybe to Tyler?)

[Tigerkinney]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Dear Sir/Madam,[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]My 15 year old son an I attended one of your DAVE shows recently, and I must say I've never been more offended in all my life. Not only were these so called wrestlers freely hitting each other with whatever they could get their hands on but my son and I also had the displeasure of witnessing two men urinate , this not what I consider to be entertainment.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]The straw was broken over the camels back, when one of these 'wrestlers' poured a bottle of what looked like Urine onto to a chair and then preceeded to swing it at the other so-called wrestler. At that point I had seen enough and I took my son and I out of the arena.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]My son begged me to take him to one of your shows, but what I witnessed at the show that we attended, we will never be attending one of your shows ever again[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Yours Sincererely,[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Lucida Console][FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I]Disgusted of Hopkinsville.[/I][/SIZE][/FONT] [/FONT]

[sebsplex]

I only popped into the thread for a quick peak before reading in full later, but after seeing the comments about the Jim Force segment and had to check it (and the following match) out. As a result, the cup of tea I was drinking (and quite frankly enjoying) is now considerably lower with a third of the content now residing inbetween the keys of my keyboard due to near uncontrollable laughter. Tis truly a fitting end to a month of Force-inspired insanity. *tips cap* Now back to the melodramatics. :cool:

[Payne]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/logos/dfdc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] What, you thought I was gone? You thought that Cuban's hitmen finally got me? You thought that the ORIGINAL bitchy smart-mark went the way of kayfabe? Think again! First, I want to shout out to all the wanna-be's. I am the first. I am the best. Know it, love it, respect it, and BOW DOWN, BITCH! Suddenly, all over the internet, there are "smarky bloggers", thinking they gots the ins. Son, the last time you were in something, the idea for American Pie was born. You guys think you can watch a TV show, turn on a computer, and play God inbetween whacking it to Emma Chase, and trying to haxor th3 1a7357 copeee uf World of Force!! U 1337 j@ck0ff!!11!! There ain't nothing you can do to copy me! I spent a long time talking to the actual people you drool over onscreen. Your sources are the guy who lives in the basement next door, and the old "former pro wrestler" who was on TV once, jobbed to Sammy Bach, then went on an "I'm famous" bender for 2 years. Me? I got a real source. An ACTIVE member of the DaVE roster. Now, let's get back to the wrestling. [B][U]The News:[/U][/B] Acid's charge of "lewd conduct" is still in the beginning phases. The lady, whose name shall not be revealed as of yet, is still undergoing the preliminary phases of the court process. I wll have more as it becomes available. Steve Flash's condition is still unchanged. The family is hesitant to pull the plug. The piece of bacon that Eddie Peak put on Flash's bed just sold on eAuction for $245 USD. The Playoffs are a hair away from being the most ridiculous things in pro-wrestling. At least the name is, anyway. To be truly DaVE, each match should have a different gimmick, with the Finals being some sort of Death match. DaVE marketability and mark outs galore, there. I do, of course, have some information on the seeding. I do know that the Wrath of God will be pulling second place, and will be feuding with the winner. The winner, at this point, looks to be Big Cat Brandon. And that's the view from here.

[theoutlaw321]

Haha. That's why you are the best, my man!

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][FONT="Century Gothic"][SIZE="5"][B]"Performance Review"[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] With the Eddie Peak situation resolved and Power Rankings issued, the time had finally come around again for another monthly DaVE performance review... a tradition imposed on us by Cuban and his neo-corporate philosophy shortly after he arrived, but something I've come to appreciate as a time of objective reflection and assessment. With nothing else to do but brew up a big cup of coffee, sweep the netboards and head to the meeting, I find myself smiling... after all, this week's episode of [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT] would practically write itself, since all four matches were tournament matches and all four would easily pull ratings. The second round matches, as I saw them, were enough to give me goosebumps. Anything beyond that had the potential to be beyond anything I'd booked in months. Less smile-worthy were the financial statements. True, things HAD gotten better. Ratings were generally up, [i]Vendetta![/i] had been a success and was already an integrated part of DaVE's market strategy, and the PPV had been a financial winner. On the other hand, I had still managed to lose almost 200k last month... and while this represented the smallest monthly loss in 6 months, it would still be serious enough to put us under in another 6. Of course, if ratings and profits continued to rise, this period would be much longer, or maybe not at all. I wasn't fixing things overnight, but I was fixing things. The lack of negative feedback from Cuban about my financial performance seemed to confirm this. As I flipped through the on-line feedback, an entry jumped out at me, and I found myself staring at it for a long time. It had been written by some guy named [b]Oregano Jensen[/b]. We'd asked another of our usual weekly polls, this time asking who would win the DaVE title. The responses had ranged, though most people wanted to see the strap on Tyler, Giedroyc, Peak or Brandon. One loony wanted to see it on [b]Cammy Vessey[/b]. But Jensen's answer jumped out at me, both in terms of insight and detail. The guy had even taken the time to anticipate probable second round match-ups, which implied that he'd actually sat down and figured out, based on the seeds, the layout of the entire tournament. Even hardcore DaVE marks don't usually put in that sort of effort, and this is a guy who'd only ever posted twice! I decided to print it out, mark it up, and use it as the framework to produce my monthly report. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]1. EDDIE PEAK.[/b][/font] The way I see it, you can plot DAVE on a face/heel axis, or you can plot DAVE on a traditional brawler/not a traditional brawler axis. Now, the title's been stripped from Eddie Peak, so I don't see him getting it again... it could go in a Peak-Brandon rematch direction, which would be acceptable, but both of those guys are straight-ahead brawlers. I don't see either of them bringing anything new to the title. [i]Response: Peak certainly wouldn't bring anything *new* to the title, but think about what he did while he had it. For the last two months, I've been able to turn any level of mediocre show into a winner simply by putting Peak in the main event. He's pulled "C+" rated matches out of [b]Shawn Gonzales[/b] and [b]Johnny Martin[/b], and pulled a shocking "B" rated match out of [b]"Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/b] in his second appearance as a wrestler and first appearance on TV! Every segment that I put Peak in sells. He absolutely destroys people, but he's a very safe, controlled worker. He's crazy, but he's dedicated to DaVE. Honestly, he's a star. He's the biggest star we have. He always delivers, he never complains, and he sets the image of the DaVE mood more than anyone else (yes, even more than Tyler). I agree that putting the strap back on him runs the risk of "title fatigue", but what am I supposed to do with him if he doesn't have it? Can you really see him working as an underdog? Jack's Odds: 1 in 2.[/i] [center][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG][/center] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]2. BIG CAT BRANDON.[/b][/font] Anyway, Brandon is so [I]boring[/I] -- I can't tell you a thing about his character, except that he is maybe kind of a cat? And you don't strip the title from Peak just to give it back to him. That's a waste. ... I'm calling Brandon -- the Cat, not the Dozer. I know I said neither of them, but you're obligated to him, and you probably want to get that over with. I say he gets the title he was promised, but it's a transitional one, and he loses in the next couple months (maybe to Tyler?) [i]Response: I can't argue with you. Brandon is a great guy, but he doesn't have the skillset to carry many different gimmicks, and I don't think that's going to change. He's a menacing powerhouse whether a face or a heel. He's got no charisma, he can't connect to an audience on the mic, and it's hard to write a story around him. The best I can hope for is to pair him in feuds against charisma guys and hope they bring out the best in him. But I think Oregano missed a small but important point on this one... I took the belt off of Eddie Peak because I didn't know if he was going to resign or not, and I didn't want him simply dropping the title in an unrealistic way (and probably not even at a PPV) because he was headed out the door for NotBPW a week later. Brandon hasn't signed yet, and his contract runs in less than a month. Brandon is a good guy, a company guy, but his charisma limitations and contractual situation make him a bit of a longshot right now. Jack's Odds: 1 in 6.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]3. ERIC TYLER.[/b][/font] It's odd, because he doesn't have the skill set of a traditional brawler -- he's way more technical than a Peak or a Brandon. But he's been written as an old-school hardcore guy and Cuban's worst enemy... so again, what will he bring to the title that he can't do without it? I'm a huge Tyler mark, dont get me wrong, but your champion's biggest feud should be with another wrestler, not with his boss. [i]Response: Oh, he wouldn't be feuding with the boss and the boss alone. Cuban has minions... and he'll have a lot more of them when he completes the very-well telegraphed and already half completed heel turn that we all know is coming soon. I can reveal (since Payne already dropped it, but more on him soon) that Cuban has signed in a very special talent to block Tyler's run at the title, but the lid is down very tight as to who this talent is. The real worry with Tyler isn't the absence of plotlines - I've never matched him up against Giedroyc, Peak OR Brandon, and I think he could draw in a series against any of them. The real problem with Tyler isn't that he'll fail to draw as a champion, but that he'll hurt himself. Tyler is one of the safest workers we have, but he's EXTREMELY fragile at this point in his career (it's no coincidence that his last series was against Acid, who is extremely skilled and safe to work with). I'm terrified of giving him the belt and then having him break a leg or tear a rotator cuff, since an injury of any magnitude would probably force him to retire or semi-retire. But I also intend to hire Tyler as a manager and/or road agent as soon as he does. Jack's Odds: 1 in 4[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]4. ACID.[/b][/font] I think Acid's being overlooked here -- much like Tyler, he represents something. He represents the new DAVE, the acrobatic style loved by Cuban. The big problem with putting the title on him, though, is that he just lost that huge feud with Tyler. Does he have title credibility? Eventually, sure -- he'll get it back. Now, no. [i]Response: Perceptively read. Acid is lacking in momentum right now, and I have a plotline written up for him that might take him out of the title picture a bit but should ultimately both increase his overness and give him some important new allies and assets. I can say this with confidence: The Cult of the Gray Dragon is recruiting, and it's going to shake DaVE to the core. Acid is, right now, a gathering menace... but he's not quite ready to take it all the way to the main event. Subtextual problem: I'm worried that he has an overness cap and that it ain't far off. I noticed an alarming plateau in crowd reaction during the Tyler series... Tyler started that series behind Acid in overness and finished way ahead. Jack's Odds: 1 in 10[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]5. JACK GIEDROYC.[/b][/font] I've got a good feeling about Giedroyc. He's riding a huge wave of momentum, he has the skills, he has a killer character. No reason NOT to give him the title -- except that the "Wrath of God" thing is kind of a comedy gimmick. And a great one, too, but I tend to think of DAVE's champions as being a little less talky. Still, he's got as good a chance as anyone. [i]Response: No kidding. I have no good reason why I shouldn't put the strap on Giedroyc. He's young, maybe. And he just had the Brass Knuckles title, and that's an awfully quick transition. But he's got a great gimmick, the right look, and a ton of momentum. On the other hand, on a pure skill level, pound for pound he isn't quite on Tyler or Peak's level, particularly in terms of the basics and safety. But it's clear to everyone that the ceiling on Giedroyc is very, very high. I'm not worried about his comedy gimmick limiting him, either. If you look at DaVE's product, they lean very heavily on comedy. And his comedic effect hasn't much limited his in-ring dangerousness. Jack's odds: 1 in 3.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]6. JOEY MINNESOTA.[/b][/font] Already has the Brass Knuckles title, and is being positioned (it seems) for a feud with Bulldozer Brandon Smith. Looking forward to that! Not expecting him to contend much in the tournament picture, though. [i]Response: Why not? He just kicked the tar out of Giedroyc and Art Reed at the PPV. The only limitation is that he's holding the Brass Knuckles title, and it's virtually impossible to see him have both titles at once. If I really wanted to demote Tyler, I'd put him in a feud with Minnesota for the Knucks title... in fact, that was the plan at one point before Tyler exploded and became a juggernaut main eventer. Minnesota is probably going to end up being "Giedroyc Two", as far as the Brass Knuckles title is concerned. I think he'll outgrow it and drop it to make a move into the main event, and I think it'll happen soon enough that he'll end up with a pretty short run as champion. Jack's Odds: 1 in 8.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ChrisCaufield.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]7. CHRIS CAULFIELD. [/b][/font] You know as well as I do that Caulfield doesn't have the skills to main-event. [i]Response: I do. I do. But he's got overness to spare, and just because he isn't credible as a title contender doesn't mean he's useless. I've got plans for him, just not Unified Title plans. Jack's Odds: 1 in 40.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Guide.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Scout.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]8 and 9. GUIDE and SCOUT.[/b][/font] If either of these guys breaks out as a singles worker, you might as well just pack up the tag division. I don't think you'll be packing up the tag division, so I say neither of them wins. [i]Response: Again, Oregano's analysis is absolutely correct. Scout and Guide are great wrestlers, but at this point I'm absolutely handing my hat on them in terms of whether the tag division survives. I've been fiddling with various combinations of guys who can start getting legitimate ratings out of this division... examples include: [b]JD Morgan + Nathan Coleman Big Cat Brandon + Bulldozer Brandon Smith Art Reed + Shawn Gonzales Art Reed + Johnny Martin Shawn Gonzales + Johnny Martin[/b] And I think that at least one of these combos will strike gold... particularly Brandon and Brandon. But Guide and Scout need to be the anchor that holds this division together, especially considering that Big Cat Brandon and Art Reed are probably both ultimately too skilled and too popular to stay in this division permanently, though I think either could really contribute in the short term to rehabilitating it. But still... that Scout vs Guide first round match-up is going to be fantastic, and the winner takes on the winner of Peak/Vessey in the second round. Call me crazy, but Guide vs Peak is a match-up I'd mark out for. Jack's Odds: Guide - 1 in 25. Scout - 1 in 30.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]10. "BULLDOZER" BRANDON SMITH.[/b][/font] Gosh, I love this guy. The ol' Dozerino. [I]Yes![/I] That much having been said, we don't know NEARLY enough about him to put the strap on him yet. The frightening temper he showed in the last show against Minnesota, for example, is a new thing -- it seems like there's a lot going on with him that we don't know about, and that means he's not ready for the title. But I predict he'll be pushed heavily here before he bows out -- I say he definitely goes over Caulfield, setting up a great match with his friend the Big Cat, which... he [I]probably[/I] loses, but I could definitely see the upset as a storyline (which could be taken in a few ways). Really, the feud I want (and expect) to see is Dozer-Minnesota for the Brass Knuckles Belt. [i]Response: A Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs Joey Minnesota feud is something any of us would like to see, but it will depend on something totally different - Big Cat Brandon. If Brandon stays on but doesn't either win the title or stay very much in the main event title picture (and I happen to know that Big Cat Brandon has EXCELLENT in ring chemistry with a certain Wrath of God...), I'll probably pair him up with 'Dozer on a semi-permanent basis and send them after the tag champs, who may or may not be New Wave. If, on the other hand, BCB ends up leaving DaVE, winning the belt or returning as the #1 Contender for the Unified Title, El Dozerino would probably end up in the Brass Knuckles division, and you'd get your match-up with Minnesota. You're right... we don't know enough about the Big Doze yet. His personality is coming together, he's already putting out a respectable gimmick, but he's got absolutely no overness to speak of (E+ average in the US) and isn't consistent yet. On the other hand, his B rated match against Eddie Peak was an instant classic, and arguably one of the best debut matches in the history of wrestling. Dozer is a legitimate, "come out of nowhere" threat to win the whole thing. Jack's Odds: 1 in 12.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]11. SHAWN GONZALEZ.[/b][/font] His career's clearly on the wane -- why, WHY, would he take the belt now? I've got a weird feeling that he might upset Joey Minnesota in the first round, but more as a way to get Joey out of the tournament than anything else. (Despite his flaws as a worker, Gonzalez is popular enough that it doesn't seem TOO weird to have Joey losing to him.) Then again, I say Tyler takes out either of them in the second, so it doesn't matter. [i]Response: I've never liked Gonzales. He shows flashes of potential, but he's basically a cipher - he does as well as his opponent and no better. He's popular and he's over enough that he's a natural person to help bring up some of the newer wrestlers, but you're right... I would absolutely never ever let him have the Unified Title at this point in his career. His series against Eddie Peak was the lowest rated DaVE main event exchange of 2007. I could've put Peak against 'Dozer in a PPV and done better. That's unacceptable. I think Gonzales could make a perfectly credible opponent in the Brass Knuckles or tag division, though. He's currently an uppermidcarder, which is about what he deserves. Jack's Odds: 1 in 100.[/i] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][b]12. ART REED.[/b][/font] Let me just say this: I mark out for Art Reed, both in general and in this diary. If he's not the most skilled worker you have, he's damn close, and he's got a pretty great understated character. But he's been relegated to a supporting role for so long that he CAN'T take this title now. I hope he breaks out of that place someday, but today ain't it. [i]Response: I want to talk about Art Reed. I'm not sure I accept that Art Reed is the most fundamentally skilled worker on the roster. By my reading, that designation would probably have to go to Acid or Eric Tyler. On the other hand, look at Art Reed's recent match history: [b]Eddie Peak d. Art Reed - B- Acid d. Art Reed - B Art Reed drew w/ Joey Minnesota - B Joey Minnesota d. Art Reed and Jack Giedroyc - B Joey Minnesota d. Art Reed and Jack Giedroyc for the Brass Knuckles Title - B Scout d. Art Reed - C+[/b] Looking at his match history, two things become very clear. First, Art Reed is averaging a solid B- in singles matches, putting him up there with Eddie Peak and [u]no one else on the roster[/u]. Secondly, Art Reed gets no love from the booking staff. When Mark Cuban arrived at DaVE, there was a young worker on the roster who was dawdling around the Brass Knuckles division with no real character or gimmick, putting on good matches but not getting hugely over because the booking crew hadn't figured out how to push him. That guy's name was [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b]. Art Reed is officially the most under-rated guy in DaVE. More to come on him. Jack's odds: 1 in 30.[/i] And as for the last four: Sammy Bach's a perennial underachiever, kind of a jerk, and a tag wrestler. He's probably gone when his contract is up, so why push him? I like JD Morgan, but I'm not at all sure why, and nothing he's done has suggested to me that he's going to get much of a push in the near future. Alex Braun will go gracefully into retirement -- I see him picking up some respectable wins in the next few months, but not here. And as you say, Cameron Vessey is more of a representation of Cuban's ego at this point than an actual wrestler. Peak's going to tear him [I]apart[/I]. Response: [b]BACH:[/b] Bach is all of those things, sure, but he's also talented. He's got incredible potential, and even though I don't much like him, I do think it's time he received a bit more targeted push. Plan on seeing more of him in the future. Jack's Odds: 1 in 45. [b]JD MORGAN:[/b] Should put on a solid first round match-up against Big Cat Brandon, but is a pretty serious underdog. Jack's Odds: 1 in 100. [b]ALEX BRAUN:[/b] The booking committee was happy to split him off from deadweight superloser Tank Bradley, but he's continued to disappoint in singles action, turning in a real stinker on DANGER ZONE against Hell's Bouncer. The best we've ever seen from Braun was a C+ rated match against Eric Tyler. Braun is just too old, too tired and too fragile to make more than spot appearances in the Brass Knuckles division, but can't work frequently enough to make a serious charge at any belt at this phase in his career. Jack's Odds: 1 in 1000. [b]CAMMY VESSEY:[/b] Is facing Eddie Peak in the first round. Jack's Odds: 1 in 10000000000000. Results from the monthly meeting: [b]WHO ARE WE OVERPUSHING:[/b] Jack: Big Cat Brandon Cuban: Eric Tyler Nemesis: Bulldozer Brandon Smith Emma: Scout and Guide [b]WHO ARE WE UNDERPUSHING:[/b] Jack: Emma Chase and Art Reed Cuban: American Elemental Nemesis: Johnny Martin Emma: Sammy Bach [b]WHO IS MOST OVER-RATED (CARD POSITION):[/b] Jack: Chris Caulfield (main event) Cuban: Vin Tanner (upper midcard) Nemesis: Fumihiro Ota (upper midcard) Emma: Chris Caulfield (main event) [b]WHO IS MOST UNDER-RATED (CARD POSITION):[/b] Jack: "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith (opener) Cuban: Cameron Vessey (opener) Nemesis: "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith (opener) Emma: Sammy Bach (midcarder), Black Eagle (lower midcarder) [i]Next: The tournament begins, Art Reed unplugged and Cuban brings the pain on the Payne...[/i]

[markish]

I love it when diary-writers go into this kind of detail on the dynamics and mechanics of what's going on in the game. Gives an insight into how your (or Cuban's, I guess) DaVE works. Thankfully it doesn't give away to much and let us see the inner-workings of your mind. That'd probably be a very scary place. Always been a huge fan of this diary. It's always the first one I look for whenever I'm on the boards. Keep it up and put me down for a Peak title win. It should stay glued to him forever.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"][FONT="Century Gothic"]"The House of Payne"[/FONT][/SIZE][/B][/CENTER] The meeting broke up quickly and I smiled at the lack of acrimony this time around... the last meeting had been a disaster - Nemesis and Cuban in some sort of a pissing match that left everyone unhappy. The struggle over the direction of the control of DaVE had eased up considerably in the last month, with the matches becoming ever more hardcore and violent even while they retained their general hardcore feel, and the veterans (Peak, Tyler, Brandon) shared the screen with the newcomers (Minnesota, Giedroyc, Acid). There wasn't harmony, exactly, but there was balance. There was only one issue outstanding, and Cuban hadn't forgotten about it. He slid a picture across the table to me after Nemesis and Emma had left the room. "That's him." He said. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Payne1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] I looked the polaroid over. I'd never seen the guy before. "That's who?" I asked, sincerely interested. "Payne. The blogger. The [b]View From Here[/b] guy. That ****er who keeps trying to air our goddamn dirty linens all over the internet." Cuban seemed genuinely agitated, and that confused me. "Mark, listen. Yes, he's a blogger. Yes, he can be a little bitchy. But there are a million more just like him, and if you shut him down, there'll be three of them in his place tomorrow. And they'll be angry because we'll look like we're beating up our fans - like we're [i]punishing[/i] him for caring out our federation at all." Mark shot me a disgusted look. "No, Jack. It's not because he's a blogger. It's a hell of a lot more serious than that. I couldn't put a finger on what bothered me so much about this Payne guy for awhile... he clearly makes a lot of his stuff up, and some of what he says is totally ridiculous and unbelieveable... but the thing is, a lot of it is [b]true[/b]. Exactly true. Totally true. To true to be coincedental or lucky." [b]"Jack, I'm about 90% sure this guy Payne has a leak.[/b] Someone in DaVE. One of the workers. Someone is feeding this guy information. And we need to find out who." I leaned back in my chair, uneasy. "So you want me to ask around the locker room? That's not really my job." Mark nodded impatiently. "I know, Jack. And half the locker-room hates you almost as much as they hate me. No, if that's what I wanted, I'd have Nemesis do it. But I can't. For all I know, he's the leak." I thought about that possibility for a long moment, filed it away in my brain, and continued. "Okay, but I still don't know what you want me to do." Cuban stood up and began to pace. "Just DIG AROUND, Jack. Quietly. Keep your ear to the ground, and I'll see what I can do. Guys like Payne are usually guys who live with their mom. I'll just hire a hooker to go bump into him in a bar and pump him for information. I can do that. And the hookers I know aren't like the hookers you know, Jack. He won't have a chance." It didn't seem worth telling him that I didn't know any hookers, so I held my peace. Cuban continued pacing, talking as much to himself as to me. "But I think this Payne guy may have overextended himself with this stuff about Acid. If it turns out that stuff isn't true, he's committing libel. I might finally be able to catch his slippery ass in court." I cleared my throat uncomfortably, and Mark turned around, fixing me with a long, scrutinizing look. Acid was a good guy and a friend of mine, but he was a kinky guy. I'd never known him to do anything illegal, but the guy loved eye makeup, leather and women. It wasn't out of the question that Payne was right. Cuban held my stare for a moment longer and returned to pacing. "Well, what we do know for certain is that no one has filed assault charges against Acid in any of the states we've visited. That could just mean they haven't been filed yet, but it's a good sign and something he's clearly wrong about. We'll see. Anyhow, keep your ears open." Mark left my office and I grabbed my keys, heading out into the darkening light of the early evening, my breath foggy in front of me as I headed out into the parking lot. The drive across the city was short, traffic light, and I had no trouble finding a parking place. I strode down the stark, sterilized hallways of the hospital, marking off the rooms for the one I wanted. My heart lightened a bit as I heard the voices of children from within, and the weak but stronger voice I wanted to hear. There was, after all, one thing that Payne had gotten entirely wrong. I opened the door and he smiled at me, his youngest daughter frozen in the moment of showing him what she'd been scribbling in her coloring book. The arm that encircled her waist was smaller than I remembered, too pale, still blotchy and spiked with tubes of fluid, but the sparkle in the eyes was still there, and the smile he gave me was real. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/SteveFlash.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] "Hey Steve, how ya feelin today?" He didn't answer, he couldn't answer yet, but he raised his hand with trembling fingers and beckoned me into the warmth of the hospital room. I pulled the DVD of the most recent [i]Vendetta![/i] from my jacket pocket and slid it into the overhead player, settling into the bedside chair with his daughter on my lap, fidgeting with her coloring book. I looked over at Steve Flash as Jack Giedroyc brained Jim Force with a urine-soaked chair on the screen. Steve suddenly shook in his bed, and I half stood up, suddenly alarmed. He waved me off with a surer hand, and in the dim light of the TV screen, I could see he was laughing. [QUOTE] [CENTER][FONT="Arial Narrow"][SIZE="4"]NEXT WEEK ON[/SIZE][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Danger1.jpg[/IMG] Get ready for open warfare as the [b]DAVE PLAYOFFS[/b] start with a bang! [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#1 Eddie Peak -vs- #16 Cammy Vessey[/B][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/CameronVessey.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The #1 Seed opens the tournament as incumbent champion [b]EDDIE PEAK[/b] faces off against newcomer [b]CAMMY VESSEY[/b]! Some of you have asked for it and now you got it, as Mark Cuban's pet project goes up against Nemesis' pet monster. The question we should all be asking ourselves... is this the match that will jumpstart Cameron Vessey's career, or end it? [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#3 Eric Tyler -vs- #14 Alex Braun[/B][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/AlexBraun.jpg[/IMG][/center] It's a battle of experience as DaVE's most seasoned veterans meet in the first round. Will [b]ALEX BRAUN[/b]'s icy hand and steely resolve hold out against [b]ERIC TYLER[/b]'s hardcore repertoire and balanced attack? More importantly, will Cuban permit Tyler a fair shot at the title, or will the leader of the [b]School of Tradition[/b] find his nascent championship run over before it has even begun? [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#7 Chris Caulfield -vs- #10 "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/B][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ChrisCaufield.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/center] [b]"BULLDOZER" BRANDON SMITH[/b] was DaVE's biggest surprise last month, coming out of nowhere to take Eddie Peak to the brink on [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT], and has risen from nothing to qualify for DaVE's most elite tournament. He'll be facing one of the founders of hardcore in [b]CHRIS CAULFIELD[/b], who has proven time and time again that there's nothing he won't do to taste title gold. There is no question that Dozer can match Caulfield's strength... but can he match his sheer intensity? [CENTER][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][B]#5 "The Wrath of God" Jack Giedroyc -vs- #12 Art Reed[/B][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/center] [b]ART REED[/b] and [b]"THE WRATH OF GOD" JACK GIEDROYC[/b] have already met in some of DaVE's most electrifying matches of recent history, but never one on one. There's no question that Art Reed has something to prove as he finally faces Giedroyc alone on this week's [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT]! [/quote] [b]SHORT FORM[/b] #1 Eddie Peak vs #16 Cammy Vessey #3 Eric Tyler vs #14 Alex Braun #7 Chris Caulfield vs #10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith #5 Jack Giedroyc vs #12 Art Reed (predictions welcome and accuracy will be tracked throughout the tournament!)

[DodgyDavid]

The first round seems like there are alot of definite winners, yet I could be wrong :) [B]#1 Eddie Peak[/B] vs #16 Cammy Vessey [B]#3 Eric Tyler[/B] vs #14 Alex Braun #7 Chris Caulfield vs [B]#10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] [B]#5 Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs #12 Art Reed