Mark Cuban Does DaVE!

[markish]

Damn, that Flash post nearly had me choked up. That's just great writing right there. I'm gonna predict a few upsets in the tournament for storyline reasons, but not really here. Should be an interesting time. I see Reed shocking everyone and getting DAMN far... [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] #5 Jack Giedroyc vs [B]#12 Art Reed[/B]

[Tigerkinney]

[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 vs[/B] #12 Art Reed

[Beeker]

#1 Eddie Peak vs [b]#16 Cammy Vessey[/b] - if anyone gets this wrong they've not been paying attention to what 'pox has been writing. Despite that, I happen to like my booking better, so Cammy by Cuban Chumming with the Great White Shark. [b]#3 Eric Tyler[/b] vs #14 Alex Braun - part of me wants to go with Braun here, just to see if he can up his game on this bigger stage, but doing that essentially castrates Tyler as a viable performer in DaVE and not even 'pox (or I) is that crazy. [b]#7 Chris Caulfield[/b] vs #10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith - Caulfield's a high rated underdog. I'm not sold on Smith's monster push. Plus I think Caulfield's intensity will surprise Smith and let Caulfield survive the Bulldozer's onslaught and eke out a victory. Caulfield compliments Tyler in this respect, a nod to the history of DaVE. [b]#5 Jack Giedroyc[/b] vs #12 Art Reed - since I feel Giedroyc deserves the belt I'd be hard pressed not to pick the Wrath of God here. This will likely be the match of the opening round, in which Reed actually gets a boost in overness from pushing Giedroyc to the limit. Oh... and since I'm here... I don't find the Wrath of God gimmick to be comedic necessarily. I think 'pox has balanced the inherent silliness of the gimmick combined with the God-given abilities (pun intended) of Giedroyc to make a very dangerous character. Something (potentially) akin to the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels. It's all in the presentation. If Giedroyc seems to be playing it for laughs then it's a comedy gimmick, if he goes on a crusade or jihad then suddenly no one's laughing any more. PS: Although... shouldn't Tyler being facing the number 14 seed JD Morgan and not Alex Braun... or have I misremembered the ending of that battle royale?

[theoutlaw321]

[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 Further more I see: Acid over Bach in the 4/13 match. Big Cat over Morgan in the 2/15 Minnesota over Gonzalez in the 6/11 And because it really doesn't matter in the next round I'll hold seed and say Guide over Scout in the 8/9. 2nd round: Peak over Guide Jack over Acid Brandon over Smith and Tyler over Minnesota. 3rd Here's where it gets to be a crap shoot and Cuban really sticks his hand in. Brandon over Tyler and somehow some way (Brandon) Jack over Peak Finals Jack over Brandon. Okay there. After being without sleep for almost 48 hours are my predictions. Of course I could go easy money and say Peak.

[sebsplex]

#1 Eddie Peak vs [B]#16 Cammy Vessey[/B] [B]I blame Beeker for sewing seeds of doubt in my mind, but whilst Cammy isn't going to take the whole thing, I can somehow see him getting beyond Peak (by hook or by crook).[/B] [B]#3 Eric Tyler[/B] vs #14 Alex Braun [B]Legend... needs to advance beyond the dependable but oh-so-unspectacular Braun.[/B] #7 Chris Caulfield vs [B]#10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] [B]With Tyler winning, Caulfield isn't needed for the DaVE legend/original quota.[/B] [B]#5 Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs #12 Art Reed [B]The man made Jim Force look more like Kim Force by scrambling his brains with a urine-soaked steel chair... I can't see him slipping up against Art Reed.[/B] Also seconded on the Flash post, very good as well as the quest to find the 'leak'.

[Actarus]

[B]#1 Eddie Peak[/B] vs #16 Cammy Vessey - Because you're such an Eddie Peak mark! [B]#3 Eric Tyler [/B]vs #14 Alex Braun - The Living Legend Eric Tyler must prevail! Unless Cuban sabotages his chances...wait a sec...blast; now I'm second guessing myself! #7 Chris Caulfield vs [B]#10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] - 'Dozerino will bulldoze his way out of the first round. [B]#5 Jack Giedroyc[/B] vs #12 Art Reed - If the Wrath of God can defeat the Force, who else can come close to defeating him?

[theunholyicon]

[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 -Woulda been nice to see Reed paired somewhere where he could make it out of the 2nd round, but I just don't see it against Jack.

[Oregano Jensen]

Thanks! I've been following this diary (and some others -- this is my favorite, I think) for a while now, just haven't registered. Planning out my own diary -- still not sure what direction to take it in. Anyway... Hm -- I thought Brandon had already re-signed. In that case, I say Tyler, on the theory that of the legitimate title contenders, he's the only one you have to give the belt to [I]now[/I]. Peak can lose now and regain it later. So can Brandon, or Acid, or Giedroyc. But if you ever want an Eric Tyler title run, you'd better have one soon. And given how much Tyler matters, I can't see him not getting a chance. Eddie Peak over Cammy Vessey ...though this does map awfully well to the rumored Cuban heel turn -- the biggest name in the promotion facing Cuban's lackey. (Plus, if blatant cheating's involved, that would be an excuse to get Peak out of the title picture without having him record a clean loss.) It is [I]so[/I] easy to get into this kind of conspiracy-theory zone. But I'm still going with Peak. Eric Tyler over Alex Braun With a combined 53 years of wrestling experience, and a hundred different moves... 97 of which are Tyler's. (Poor Vin Tanner -- not even in the battle royale? I mean, speaking of old guys...) Bulldozer Brandon Smith over Chris Caulfield I didn't realize Caulfield was still [I]that[/I] over. Classic power transfer here, as the young guy who needs overness siphons some from the washed-up old guy who has too much. Jack Giedroyc over Art Reed As the guy said, Reed is dangerous. There are a lot of people I'd take Reed over, but Giedroyc isn't one of them. Just out of the Brass Knuckles title and looking to establish himself as a legitimate main eventer, he can't afford to lose this one. I'd watch Reed in the coming months, but as I said, I don't think now is [I]quite[/I] his time.

[Payne]

I can't believe this was on page 5. UPDATE!!!

[sebsplex]

[QUOTE=Payne;245983]I can't believe this was on page 5. UPDATE!!![/QUOTE] That's right Monkeypox, the natives are growing restless. ;) Due to my car being in out of action for the next few days, it looks like I'll be having a fairly quiet weekend. So just for you, I busted open Poser this morning and had a go at rendering up Mark Cuban himself. I worked off a couple of older pics from this dynasty as to keep the same theme and I improvised with the DaVE jersey somewhat... [IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j178/sebsplex/HGC/Cuban.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j178/sebsplex/HGC/MarkCuban.jpg[/IMG] I'm reasonably pleased with how it came out (without spending an insane amount of time on it), although I don't think he looks dislikeable enough. I made the headshot so if you feel like using this instead of the real life one for your game, you can. *Goes back to waiting for updates whilst quietly sharpening pitchfork.*

[theoutlaw321]

Good job sebsplex

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Century Gothic"][SIZE="5"]"When The Devil Comes A'Knockin'..."[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] I'm relieved to get myself away from the drama and actually settle down to the booking of a show. Strangely, it feels like it's been more than a week. Regardless, DangerZone comes up like an old friend, and the McGraw Arena is the closest thing I really have to home. I put my feet up on the chair and get ready to take notes. Of course, I'm not totally without anxiety. The card I've booked is solid but not overwhelming, and the [b]DaVE PLAYOFFS[/b] will pretty much eat up the card at DangerZone for the next month, so any miscalculations will be hard to adjust on the fly. Worse yet, I'm virtually positive that despite the relative starpower present on this side of the First Round, tonight's show will have the lowest ratings of the entire tournament... a lot would depend on the main event between [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b] and [b]Art Reed[/b]... funny how only a month ago I was nervous about letting those two main event on [i]Vendetta![/i] and now they're my shining hope for pulling out a decent main event on my flagship show. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Danger1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Live from the McGraw Arena for a crowd of 4,088...[/SIZE][/FONT] [CENTER][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]DARK MATCH: Black Eagle vs American Elemental vs Teddy Powell[/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Black Eagle d. American Elemental w/a [b]New Jersey Turnpike[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: A little advance scouting on several potential future match-ups, here, and the early returns are good, as the three underrated high-fliers collaborate for a good ten minutes of legitimately entertaining action. American Elemental is awesome, though I still wonder how much DaVE fans "get" him - his mask, what he's name-dropping, the heredity of his outfit and gimmick - but they enjoy him regardless. Even if he's still essentially being pushed as a spot-monkey, his spots are incredible. Black Eagle gets to do most of the psychology and pace-setting of this match, and he's really the one in control even though the fans are cheering for Powell throughout. Powell, for his part, looks comfortable and capable of functioning in the absence of his somewhat well-known partner, though he ends up falling to the [b]New Jersey Turnpike[/b] to hand Eagle the win. A lot of potential feuds here, with strong results coming from not a lot of overness... even Powell, the most over of the three, is currently a lower-midcarder. Hard to believe it, given how long he sat on the tag titles.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/MarkCuban.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Cuban opens the show with a brief rundown about what to expect, saying that each match will be a different matchtype, and that he will pick them by throwing darts at a dartboard. He does so without interruption, and briefly hypes each of the four matches scheduled for the night. He takes a verbal swipe at Eric Tyler for stealing the Unified Title last week, but Tyler doesn't appear (despite a pretty significant pop from the crowd and a bit of chanting). Cuban does a good job of selling the card, and the show starts off with a solid hype segment. [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: B-[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]#1 Eddie Peak vs #16 Cammy Vessey[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]LAST MAN STANDING MATCH[/COLOR] (winner faces either #8 Scout or #9 Guide) [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/CameronVessey.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Eddie Peak d. Cammy Vessey after Vessey is knocked unconscious following a [b]Widow's Peak[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Alright, you insane swerve junkies, nothing to see here. Peak wasn't ever going to lose this one. That doesn't mean the match was boring, but it was booked to serve a few purposes, none of which were as monumental as something like "The Start of Cammy Vessey's meteoric rise to SuperStardome." That was never going to happen. Here's what DID happen: Vessey hits the ring right after Cuban finishes his opener. He doesn't look hyped up, exactly... he more leaves that to Cuban, who bounds up and down in the ring like an overactive mother, dispensing useless advice and looking totally pleased with himself. Vessey looks nervous but determined, and manages not to retreat too obviously when the lights go dark and the overhead plays the usual footage of sharkfins slicing through dark red water. Peak appears at the ramp bathed in the usual red light, teeth too big, smiling down the ramp at the much smaller Vessey. Halfway down the ramp he pauses, however, slapping at the side of his head as if trying to clear it and muttering something to himself. The match is almost entirely one-sided with two exceptions: Peak starts slow, and Vessey is able to stay away from him for a few minutes, showing a lot of agility and quick reflexes in dodging a few overhand punches, and even staggering the bigman with a well-executed spinning heel kick. It's only a matter of time before Peak boxes Vessey into a corner and catches him in a legitimate grapple. Vessey frantically tries to muscle his way out with a pair of kneelifts to Peak's midsection, but the monster no-sells them and sends the rookie flying with a fallaway slam that nearly finishes the match. Peak proceeds to put on a display, slamming, suplexing and crushing Vessey with a series of powermoves, but his attention seems to drift. First he hesitates after slinging Vessey into the turnbuckle, hesitating for a long time with his hands on his head before resuming the attack. After a stall-suplex a few moments later, Peak is very slow to get up, pausing on one knee and actually clutching at his head with both hands, pulling at his hair and muttering to himself. Vessey is able to recover, runs to the ropes, and hits a springboard plancha that takes the bigman down and sets the crowd popping. Vessey scores with a missile dropkick, but Peak catches him on a cross-body chop attempt, inverts him, and drills him with the [b]Peak of Perfection[/b]. That would be enough to end it, but over the protests of a screaming crowd and a terrified Mark Cuban, Peak drags the poor kid to his feet, locks him into the [b]Widow's Peak[/b], and headbutts him into bloody oblivion. Vessey stays down long after the mandatory tencount, and Eddie Peak decisively wins the first match of the tournament, to no one's great surprise.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]#3 Eric Tyler vs #14 Alex Braun[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]COAL MINER'S GLOVE MATCH[/COLOR] (winner faces either #6 Joey Minnesota or #11 Shawn Gonzales) [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/AlexBraun.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Eric Tyler d. Alex Braun w/a [b]Weight of Tradition[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: It occurred to me, at roughly 5 minutes into this 11 minute display of extremely old school wrestling, why it's so damned easy to like Eric Tyler. Tyler doesn't really do anything that spectacular. Yes, he'll set himself on fire or take a barbed wire bat to the face, but you'll never see him hitting a 720 splash or putting a military press on a heavyweight. He just does what he does, old school, simple, but he invigorates it with so much character. Consider the armbar: Take Acid, Tyler, Art Reed, and then compare everyone else on the DaVE roster. Most guys just take the arm and whip it over - simple. The move is easy to sell, easy to execute, everyone uses it (except for Eddie Peak, who just rips the arm off, but whatever). Only Acid, Reed and Tyler have the skill and [i]style[/i] to take such a simple move and make it their own. Acid turns the arm over with almost no motion of his own, not turning, feet planted - an economy of motion that is as scary to watch as it is robotic. Art Reed whips the arm around fast, pulls it way up, locks in the wrist, bounces on his toes - he does the selling for you. Tyler cranks the arm in slow motion with a look on his face that is both rapturous and pained, like he fully understands the contortions of every ligament and joint as he's rotating that arm around, and that's the joy of it. His balance is perfect, his feet planted, his motions totally believable. His basics are off-the-charts solid, and for all of his nastiness and elbows to the face, you can be damned sure that if he elbows you in the face, he's going to do it in the safest way possible even while he snaps your head back on your neck and sends you out on your ass. I put Tyler up against Braun in the first round because I wanted to know, in a general way, what Braun is capable of at this point in his career. Tyler would never dream of throwing a guy like Braun under the bus and making him look bad - Tyler respects veterans, and he does everything in his power to keep the match paced and styled in a way that Braun can relate to - slow and old school. And the match isn't bad, but Braun is mostly going off of fumes. The years tied to Tank Bradley hit his overness, the years of hard core hit his physique. He puts in a good effort, but there's literally nowhere for him to go from here - I can't think of another guy on the roster he matches up better against than Tyler... and you know, this match isn't bad. But it's slow, and by the end of it, Braun is moving at two-thirds speed. The only real drama comes at the 9 minute mark... Tyler came to the ring with the [b]Unified Title[/b] (which he stole last week) wrapped around his waist, and Cuban decides to make a run at getting it back. Tyler has Braun in a camel clutch in the center of the ring, but he releases it to dive for the belt. Cuban manages to yank it halfway out before Tyler catches the other end. He pulls it loose in a massive heave, but Braun catches him with the [b]Ice Cutter[/b] as he turns, and nearly picks up the three count (though the moaning of the crowd as Tyler kicks out shows that Braun still has some overness left). Tyler is able to reverse the momentum shortly thereafter, drilling Braun with a piledriver into the [b]Unified Title[/b] and taking him out with the [b]Weight of Tradition[/b] for the pinfall. The Glove doesn't come into it much at all - Tyler uses it to slap Braun in the face at the start of the match, but what the hell are you supposed to do with a damned glove?[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Peak is staggering down the hall way, waving his hands in front of his face and muttering to himself. His eyes are tightly shut, his forehead is glossy, his face tight and contorted. Nemesis catches up with him a few steps later. Nemesis: What the **** was that? Peak: (mumbles, doesn't respond) Nemesis: HEY. EDDIE. WHAT THE **** WAS THAT? You looked weak out there. You're lucky you were up against that Vessey brat - anyone else would've put you down. You were begging to be put down. Peak: (shakes his head hard, as if to clear it) It's... urgh... it's the Eddies. All of my Eddies are talking at once, I can't think over all of the Eddies, they all want different things. Blood, sharks, it's in my ears too loud, too loud. TOO LOUD TOO LOUD TOO LOUD! (Eddie starts giggling, horribly, his teeth still too big and too white) (Nemesis stares hard at Peak for a long second, then stomps off, his boots thundering off of the narrow walls of the arena hallway.) Nemesis: Stay here. DON'T LEAVE. (As Nemesis rounds the corner, Peak continues to giggle.) [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: B+[/COLOR] [i](I love these guys! Instant ratings!)[/i] [CENTER][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]#7 Chris Caulfield vs #10 "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]FIRST BLOOD MATCH[/COLOR] (winner faces either #2 Big Cat Brandon or #15 JD Morgan) [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ChrisCaulfield.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Bulldozer Brandon Smith d. Chris Caulfield after Caulfield starts bleeding. [i]Jack's Notes: Smith's coming out party continues with another big win. Caulfield and Smith don't click particularly well, and Caulfield stays on top for most of the match by capitalizing on Smith's inexperience and tendency to charge blindly at his opponent. Caulfield uses a variety of drop toe holds and hip tosses to capitalize on the big man's lack of body control, but Caulfield isn't strong enough to really lift the much larger Dozer, and the match suffers from a certain lack of variety. Dozer does wow the crowd with a few more huge power moves, especially a standing dropkick that most men his size could never pull off. In the end, Dozer wins the match after splitting Caulfield with a sit-out piledriver, though Caulfield comes up swinging and is still very much in the fight when the ref calls for the bell. For a long second, it looks like Caulfield is going to keep taking the fight to Dozer, but after a tense pause, he lowers his fist, clasps the rookie on the shoulder and whispers something in his ear. Dozer nods and the two briefly embrace before Caulfield hits the ramp. It's a nice, "passing of the torch" moment that does a lot to rehabilitate a mediocre match this far down the card.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: D[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] When Nemesis returns to Eddie's side, he's leaning against the same wall with his eyes wide open and staring straight ahead. His forehead is red and raw, presumably from being slammed into the brick, his hands are at his sides, fingers twitching as his gray lips mouth something silent. Nemesis says his name and his head whips to the side. His eyes are red and glassy as he takes two quick steps towards Nemesis, his hands coming up shaped like claws, outstretched in front of him. Nemesis actually takes a step back before recovering himself and glowering at Peak. "Wake up, Eddie." Peak seems to snap out of it a little, dropping his hands and smiling... a little of the fire goes out of his eyes. "Ah... you. It is harder for me to keep track now, of who is not food." Nemesis shakes his head, and cautiously extends a hand. "I brought you something. It will help." In the palm of his massive hand, Nemesis is holding three large, brown pills - very large, larger than quarters. "Now, I want you to take these. They might be hard to swallow but it's important that - " Nemesis is interrupted as Eddie reaches forward and snatches all three pills, shoving them into his mouth and chewing them noisily. After a few seconds, he seems to relax, slumping against the wall and smiling emptily. "That's better, isn't it, Eddie?" Nemesis slips his arm around Peak's shoulder and begins to lead him down the hall towards the lockerroom. Eddie's head is lolling on his shoulders and thick ropes of drool are leaking down his chin and throat from his slackjaw. As the two men disappear into the locker-room, one practically dragging the other, the camera catches the writing on the bottle of pills Nemesis has left on the bench in the hallway: [b][u]HORSE TRANQUILIZERS.[/b][/u] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: B[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]#5 Jack Giedroyc vs #12 Art Reed[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR="Purple"]TABLE MATCH[/COLOR] (winner faces either #4 Acid or #13 Sammy Bach) [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Match Results: Jack Giedroyc d. Art Reed after Reed is put through a table. [i]Jack's Notes: Not the best I've seen out of these two, but still a good match. Reed loses another close one, staying toe to toe with Giedroyc and using a smart, leg based attack to try and take some of the spring out of the Wrath of God. Giedroyc is as manic as ever, coming out to the usual massive pop and fighting his way through everything. Reed is a reversal expert, and Giedroyc's attempt at a potentially match-winning superplex is reversed into an equally impressive sunset flip off of the top rope that nearly sends both men through the table. Reed is given a full 16 minutes, a very long match for Danger Zone, to show the world why he deserves a higher match position, before falling to Giedroyc's inexorable attack. Giedroyc continues to comport himself like a potential champion, though, as I said in the overview, this wasn't the best I've seen from either man. After a seesaw of a match, Giedroyc is able to duck a superkick to hit the [b]Crashing On[/b]. send Reed into the ropes, and nail him with a charging dropkick that sends him over the side and through a table. The show closes with Giedroyc on the turnbuckle, helmet back on, posing to the crowd and shouting admonitions at the ceiling.[/i] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"][B][U]SHOW RATING: C-[/U][/B][/COLOR] [QUOTE]Short Form: DARK: Black Eagle d. American Elemental and Teddy Powell: C- #1 Eddie Peak d. #16 Cammy Vessey: C- #3 Eric Tyler d. #14 Alex Braun: C #10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith d. #7 Chris Caulfield: D #5 Jack Giedroyc d. #12 Art Reed: C[/quote] [i]Cammy Vessey and Alex Braun exceed expectations, though I think in both instances they probably profited more from who they were wrestling than what they brought into the ring, though Vessey in particular should enjoy a nice popularity bump from his turn as Eddie Peak's squeeze toy. Caulfield shows that he can't carry a young talent to a good match as Bulldozer turns in something of a stinker. The headscratcher of the night goes to Reed and Giedroyc, who put in a serviceable main event made puzzling only by their repeated B- rated collisions. Not quite enough to justify the main event slot, but also the only time they're likely to have it together for awhile. Average show.[/i] [i]Next up: Art Reed, deconstructed...[/i]

[Jehovah]

"It is harder for me to keep track now, of who is not food." GOLD! But horse tranqs--could that mean Nemesis is in bed with Ota and that blowgun of his? Jokes aside, I do see Nemesis turning on Peak at some point, maybe having enough of his insanity. Peak needs a really good villain to hunt down and devour, and in my opinion Campbell be him. And yeah, sweet render Sebs. I'm glad you opted to leave off the stupid-looking goatee Cuban's been rocking recently.

[sebsplex]

For a DangerZone that probably featured the weakest of the Playoff matches, you should be in for some good events and ratings in the weeks ahead. Peak continues to shine as one the most developed characters in this dynasty, perhaps only topped by the additional work in defining Nemesis... so the continuing storyline between them is very intriguing and always a highlight. I still hate Brandon Smith and hope he gets fed to Big Cat Brandon (literally is fine) once the latter has sent JD Morgan packing. Good start for the Playoffs overall. [QUOTE=Jehovah;246242]And yeah, sweet render Sebs. I'm glad you opted to leave off the stupid-looking goatee Cuban's been rocking recently.[/QUOTE] Thanks. Yeah I saw that when Cuban did that brief cameo on RAW, I can't imagine him sticking with it for long, it just looked plain wrong.

[Payne]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/logos/dfdc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] *We open to a scene where the office is empty. The leather chair in front of the computer is old, greying, and cracked from use. The impression of a rather rotund person is left in the seat, and the arms are stretched from carrying a heavy load. In the background, we hear soft moaning, followed by a slight squeaking sound. This lasts for 2 minutes, after which, Payne and a very attractive blonde walk into view. The blonde looks bored, and Payne looks entirely dishevelled. A voice comes from off-screen "Bryon, do you and your little friend want some lemonade" [CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/people/Cut0826.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/people/237.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Payne hollers back "No, mom, and my name is Payne!" The blonde lights a cigarette, looking even more bored. "Yeah, baby, you rocked my world. You're the man *yawns* I couldn't get enough." she mumbles, barely audible. Payne is grinning "Yeah, honey. I can't believe someone as hot as you would be interested in me. I always knew I was pretty sexy...." the chair creaks in defiance as Payne lowers his over 350-pound frame into it. "But, just to hear about me and want me. Man, I didn't think I was that popular. The guys at ImNotAGeek.com are never going to believe this!" The blonde looks at her watch, "Yeah, baby. But, I have to know, how did you get into Mark Cuban's files and stuff? Do you have a leak? I think that's cool....oh, and sexy. Yeah" The blonde couldn't look more bored if she tried. "Oh, yeah? Sexy huh?" Payne says, his brow beading sweat from the exertion of breathing. "Yeah, sweetcheeks, I got a source, and you won't believe who it is. It's....." *fade to black* The camera fades back in to reveal another person, tall, well built, with long blue hair. The blonde and the fat guy are in the background, each with a beer in their hand. [CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Payne666/Payne2.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Blue-hair looks into the camera, "What you have just seen is an enactment. An enactment of a very cliche scene. Sadly, this is the only thing that someone like Mark Cuban can think up. See, his little world revolves around some dream he had a few years ago. Basically, this is what he wanted. Egomaniacal as he is, he thinks that just because his name is attatched to something, it is made of gold. Well, for starters, I would like to thank indy pro wrestler MegaTron for playing the part of me." The big guy tips his beer. "And secondly, I would like to thank my wife for playing the part of a woman Cuban only wishes he had." The blonde comes over and kisses Payne on the cheek, then flips the bird to the camera. She laughs and walks away. Payne: "Hey, keep that outfit on, we'll use it later. Back to the subject at hand. Yeah, Cuban, I heard what you said about me. I know your big, grand scheme to get me to confess my secrets. You wish. Now, I am going to to piss you off some more, you fat-headed bastard! For all my fans out there, you know that I just wished the best for Dave. Cuban is NOT that. I also like to have a bit of fun. I am not perfect. I have been known to mess up a news tidbit from time to time. But, now, the war is on. Here's the news: Jack [B]will[/B] come second place in the tournament, but I am not aware of who will win. Eric Tyler [B]will[/B] be turning soon. But, that is expected. As I reported before, Mark Cuban is so full of his own s*** that he thinks he is a face, while Eric Tyler has been officially labelled a "heel". The problem is, everyone and their dog wants to see Cuban get his head kicked in so bad that Tyler has been the face since this clusterf*** of an idea of Cuban's came into fruition. The big plan is to have the roles reversed and trying to accomplish the "Double Turn" that so few have actually pulled off. This is going to fall very, very flat, as when you, Cuban, finally get an advantage over Tyler, you aren't going to turn, YOU ARE JUST GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE PIECE OF CRAP YOU REALLY ARE! No one has any sympathy for you, you are not the face. Nay, you are the evil villian of the wrestling world. Oh, and nice try getting your face on that other show for "Appreciation Night". Like anyone gives a rat's ass what is on your mind. We have to sit through that drivel every DaVE show, and now you think you're a player? I got news for you guys, I BLEW UP THE DAMNED LIMO!! That was actually Cuban's limo, but the other guy was so messed up, he got into it accidentally. But, I digress. Let's look at the "Playoffs", still the dumbest name in professional wrestling: [QUOTE]#1 Eddie Peak d. #16 Cammy Vessey: C- #3 Eric Tyler d. #14 Alex Braun: C #10 Bulldozer Brandon Smith d. #7 Chris Caulfield: D #5 Jack Giedroyc d. #12 Art Reed: C [/QUOTE] Did you people really think that Cuban would be smart enough to let Vessey actually go over Peak? That would be a "swerve", and I doubt Cuban is bright enough to understand the concept in wrestling. Brandon is a great up-and-comer, and even I have to give credit where it's due. This is a HUGE win for the former football player. I didn't really see this coming, as I didn't think he would be getting this big of a push so fast. Eric Tyler is my pick to win this. This should set up the "Turn of the Century" I mentioned before, all the while, still keeping Cuban as a main player. Because we don't want to see wrestling, we want to see Cuban shoot his mouth off. Giedroyc is a lock for second place, so this should surprise no one. Future Predictions: Guide vs Scout: I don't know, but this is wrong in the first place. These guys are the heart and soul of the Tag Division. Now, we have to see who the better man is. So, I guess teamwork is out now, right Cuban? Big Cat Brandon vs. JD Morgan: Sorry, Morgan, but you know what they say, "Pin me and pay me". Look for Brandon to make it far, before going with TCW. Joey Minnesota vs. Shawn Gonzales: I am torn on this one, as I like both of them, but, hey, I am going for Joey. Acid vs. Sammy Bach: Ah, the golden boy makes his return. I don't know what to say. I [B]DO[/B] have new news that Acid will [B]NOT[/B] be in the title picture anytime soon. Look for Acid to win this one, but lose to Giedroyc. Remember, The Wrath of God is coming in second." The big guy has left, and we hear the blonde's voice coming from off-screen. "Are you done yet? I'm getting lonely!" Payne looks up from the camera, and his face changes from annoyance to almost elation. "Well, my friends, that is it for my first, and probably only, video blog. And, man, you only wish you could see the View From Here!" Payne stands up and the camera fades out.

[Monkeypox]

[center][FONT="Century Gothic"][SIZE="5"][B]"Deconstructing Art Reed"[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/center] There's a story worth telling, that I didn't tell before because it didn't strike me as important, but sitting here, four months later, I realize how heavy that routine conversation was with significance for the future. I spent this afternoon at my desk, looking over the spreadsheet results of last night's DANGERZONE TV, but returning over and over to the dossier folder of the arguably most overlooked and underappreciated man in DaVE: [b]Art Reed.[/b] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] I noticed a few days ago that Art Reed sported one of the generally worst match %'s of anyone we're ostensibly "pushing", but kept coming away with some of the best match ratings. Not long ago, he'd actually dropped a match to [i]Scout[/i], of all people. Sure, it was a great match and it was the main-eventer of that particular episode of Vendetta, but it was also a meaningless match with absolutely no significance, and the decision to put Scout over Reed and not the other way around was almost totally arbitrary - but it underscored something. This was not a man I had any idea what to do with. Part of this was structural. With Giedroyc, Acid and the newly resurgent Eric Tyler all firmly ahead of him in line for a shot at the [b]Unified Title[/b], Art Reed was very much in the second echelon of DaVE wrestlers - potential up-and-comers mixed with diminishing has-beens. Most of those guys got used in one of two ways - as fodder for the bigger guys to occasionally munch up (ala Shawn Gonzales), or as guys with a future building momentum in the Tag and Brass Knuckles arenas (Bulldozer, Ota, Black Eagle, Joey Minnesota, JD Morgan, etc). Reed didn't really fit in either location, and moved awkwardly between both, pairing variably with Shawn Gonzales, Vin Tanner, or anyone else if it was required of him. He usually lost those matches, and they were always among his worst rated. In singles competition, he was glorious to watch but undirected, with his finest moments coming as an add-on in what was honestly more of a Jack Giedroyc/Joey Minnesota series. That made for good ratings, but it took Reed out of where he'd probably be most credible now - in the hunt for the [b]Brass Knuckles[/b] title against [b]Joey Minnesota[/b]. But Reed would be destined to lose that series, most likely, and I don't like the idea of jobbing him out to the same guy twice in a row. The real problem wasn't any of this, though. Reed clearly had the talent, and blaming his lack of opportunities on structure and not booking was irresponsible. But it was, in a way, somewhat his fault. And that started when we resigned him. The conference to extend Art Reed's contract wasn't considered a big deal to anyone - me, Reed, Cuban or Nemesis. Reed was happy with us, we were happy with him, and industry insiders were correct in assuming that he would resign with us with a minimum of fuss or drama. But it's never that easy. Reed was literally bent over the contract, pen in hand, before setting the pen down and looking back up at Mark Cuban, who happened to be in the office. Art Reed was sharply dressed in a purple button-down and black slacks - a lot of guys would come in for a contract extension in T-Shirts. Big Cat Brandon had come in wearing a Jayhawks jersey, last time. But Reed was stylish - fresh shave, shiny shoes, the man respected himself and thought of himself as a professional. On that level, he was just the sort of guy we wanted to resign. He fixed Cuban with a stare. "Hey Mark, you know I'm happy to work here, and the offer is fine, just fine. There's just one thing. You guys book, right? Pick who is gonna act like a clown and who has to wear a dress and etc? I'm only gonna ask you for one thing. One damn thing. And you do this one thing for me, I'll work here forever and never ask for anything again, no problem." Cuban nodded and smiled agreeably, while Nemesis frowned from his seat in the corner, feigning indifference but clearly listening. Reed nodded. "Thanks for listening. Alright, here's the thing. It took a long time to get here, to get to DaVE, I mean. I've had to do a lot of lame ****. I've played a pimp, a voodoo magician, a rapper, a disco king... hell, I don't even want to know how many times I've played a f***ing GANGSTA, and I'm sick of it. You wanna dress me up like a woman or a pirate or whatever, that's fine. But I'm tired of doin' this jive-talkin', bugaboo s*** y'all keep asking me to do. I mean, not YOU personally, but Vibert, And the rest of 'em. I wanna work here, but there ain't a lot of opportunities for African-American wrestlers as it is, and I don't want to be remembered by the next generation as a guy who made things worse for them, you understand? All I ask is this... if you feel the need to book me as some sort of racial joke, do it in a positive way, alright? No thugs, no rappers, no gang members." "So we can book you as Stevie Wonder, but not Dr. Dre? Is that it?" Nemesis sounded irritated, his voice gravel from the corner. Art Reed half-smiled, not sure how to respond. "Uh... yeah, I guess, but Stevie Wonder was blind. But hell, it shouldn't even come to that - I'm sure y'all can find something positive. I just don't want to be part of the [i]problem[/i], you know?" I took a deep breath and glanced at Nemesis, who had already half-risen from his chair and opened his mouth to speak. Mark saw him rising and quickly started talking. I watched Nemesis darken as he did so. In fact, I remember this as being one of the first incidents that really signaled the beginning of the tension between Cuban and Campbell (Nemesis' real name). Mark's response was enthusiastic. "Art, that's a great point and a great idea. If DaVE is going to be the federation of the future, we can't be caught up in the prejudices of the past. Here, I'll tell you what I'll do. If we're going to change your gimmick, we'll let you know first. If you think it disparages your race or your heritage, you just come tell me, and I'll make sure we change it to something more socially responsible. I look forward to continuing a dialogue with you on this in the future." Reed stood up, beaming, shook hands with Cuban, signed his contract, and practically skipped out the door. Cuban sat at his desk and began typing like nothing had happened. Nemesis looked at me with stunned, furious eyes, and hooked a thumb at the door. We headed out of the office and down the hallway, not stopping until we were in the parking lot. Nemesis slammed his fist into a car, badly denting the back trunk. "WHAT THE **** WAS THAT? Did he just give Art ****ing Reed creative control over his gimmick? Nobody has that! You have to be Tommy ****ing Cornell to have that! [b]I never had that![/b] And Reed? What the **** was that about? If you want to argue about stereotyping, go to ****ing grad school. This isn't about race. This is pro ****ing wrestling. We don't talk about our f***ing feelings here. Do you think I liked every f***ing character Vibert asked me to play? No, but I did it, because it's f***ing BUSINESS and because it wasn't f***ing UP TO ME! GODDAMN IT!" Nemesis slammed his fist into the car again. As he stomped off, I noticed the license plate was "CUBN9". Left alone in the parking lot, I sat on the dented rear fender of the forest green Jaguar convertible and sparked a cigarette. Art Reed was right, of course. Opportunities for African-American wrestlers were already limited in the Caucasian dominated pseudo-sport, and I didn't have any problem with him noticing and even resenting that he's been typecast as a gangsta or thug or rastafarian for most of his career. But what did he expect? Do you think Marat Khoklov gets many gimmicks not essentially reducible to "scary foreigner" or "scary communist"? Or hell, the Latino Kings? Shawn Gonzales? The "gay" wrestler, the "Russian" wrestler, the "Sheikh", the "Patriot", the various iterations of "Samoan"... the reality is, wrestling is written around the repetition of easy, ugly stereotypes, and it always has been, and it's probably better than it used to be. And while I've tried to migrate away from that with creative booking, for a wrestler to demand exemption from the old standards and stereotypes is just unheard of. I understand why Nemesis was furious, since Cuban's P.C. response was as dismissive of us as it was indulgent of Reed. But I can't blame Reed. He's proud, he's smart, he respects us and he respects himself and he expects both of those things to be reciprocal. But what I realize now, three months later, is that I was never able to recover from the paralysis of that first conversation - never able to come up with a gimmick that would fit, so he's stayed "no gimmick" since then, lost between storylines, jobbing to guys like Scout. I looked at my plans for the next month, the three biggest story arcs. He wouldn't be in any of them. And I swear, I'm not doing it to punish him - he just keeps getting lost, tacked on at the last minute, overlooked. All that talent. I didn't know who to be mad at. Reed, Cuban, or myself. But as for how to push Reed, I was open to suggestions. Hell, I don't want to be part of the problem either.

[Oregano Jensen]

double post -- sorry

[Oregano Jensen]

Well, he's given you express permission to book him as "Art Reed, Lady Pirate"... But yeah, this is always a tough one. Most of the more over-the-top kinds of gimmicks are out -- if you want people to believe that Reed was a footballl player before he started wrestling, or that he has strong political beliefs which he wants to express all the time, well, it's probably too late for that. The fans have already seen him [I]not[/I] doing these things. And the "guy gets hit on the head, acquires sudden personality trait" route has already been taken with Jack Giedroyc. And as great as it was, that can't really be done again. So, setting race aside for a minute, what do we know about Art Reed? [B]- He's an excellent technical wrestler -- one of the best on the roster. He's not particularly suited to hardcore wrestling, though. - He was trained in Canada by (among others) Dan Stone and Sam Keith, and alongside... a lot of other guys who don't work for you. - He's fought a series of independent matches against Acid. - He has a very serious, professional approach to wrestling, and is almost universally liked. - He seems (in character, not offstage) not to like Jack Giedroyc: [QUOTE]Reed: Dude, SHUT UP. Seriously. Wrath of God. Whatever. See, I've been scouting you pretty close... and some of your **** is startin' to look real shaky. You do the same junk every week, man... you get in the ring and start talking a whole bunch of psychobabble nonsense, and you get under some stupid dude's skin, and they get angry and they get sloppy and they all but hand you the match. I ain't gonna do that. You can say what you want, Wrath of God, but I got you scouted. You ain't talkin' to God, you ain't talkin' to nobody. You're a con-artist, straight up. And after I beat Minnesota, I'm takin' your belt. I'll leave you your damn bible, but I ain't even beginning to think you ever read it. Wrath of God my ass.[/QUOTE] - The above quote is, as near as I can tell, the only extended speech he's made on a DAVE show.[/B] So, here's the question: what's important to Art Reed? Well, the traditions of technical wrestling are important to him. Note the similarities and differences between Reed and Tyler; both of them stand for tradition, but what Reed means by tradition is a bit different from what Tyler means. Difference between wrestling as athletic contest and wrestling as fight. Note also that both of them have had high-profile feuds with Acid, but that Reed and Acid appear to be friends outside of the ring. Fair play is important to him, maybe? Depends on whether his primary objection to Giedroyc is "he's lying about being a prophet" or "he's acting crazy for purposes of psychological gamesmanship". (Note that there's no question in his mind that Giedroyc's deliberately lying -- he doesn't say, for example, "Giedroyc, you're crazy.") Also note the implication that Reed's been reviewing film of Giedroyc -- kind of a "student of the game" edge to that notion. But if I had to use one word, the word I would use is "respect" -- I know you used it in your description of his appearance, but it bears repeating. He comes from a fairly rigorous background, and respects his mentors. As Acid demonstrates, he respects his rivals. He respects tradition, but not in a way that implies disrespect to innovators. (I hate to harp on Tyler, but think of Tyler -- who is obviously about tradition, but not at all about respect, except for a few very specific people.) He wants a gimmick that is worthy of respect, and that doesn't disrespect his race. And his main problem with Giedroyc is that he doesn't respect the sanctity of the competition or the intelligence of his opponents. Reed is an idealist. All of which adds up to... I don't know. Because on the one hand he has such a "solid citizen" kind of image, it's going to be tough to bill him as any kind of rebel. But on the other hand, the tradition he represents is not the DAVE tradition -- it's the Stone Family tradition. So there's a bit of a disjunction there. I think the question that hasn't been answered is this: what do Eric Tyler and Art Reed think of each other? And it may not need to be answered directly -- but it's the one I keep coming back to, and I think that once you answer it, it becomes a lot clearer where Reed fits in.

[Tigerkinney]

Excellent stuff as always, it's not just the shows it's also the in depth back stage analysis like the recent Art Reed one, that give this diary a character all of it's own :) Perhaps you could give Art Reed a gimmick...where he is a pretentious artist ;) Pun very much intended !

[Beeker]

At the request of Monkeypox... you can find a link to my In This Corner report on Mark Cuban Does DaVE... [url]http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=247495#post247495[/url]

[mystic]

[QUOTE=Beeker;247527]At the request of Monkeypox... you can find a link to my In This Corner report on Mark Cuban Does DaVE... [url]http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=247495#post247495[/url][/QUOTE] nice job on the report, fun to read

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Century Gothic"][SIZE="5"]"The Internet Age"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] His words were like little icicles jabbing the sensitive belly of my hangover. "Distribution, distribution, distribution. You might not know this, but the secret to my billions is about distribution, not content. That's what the internet IS, you see - it's all about distribution method. People will BUY almost anything if you direct them to the content effectively." Unseen, my eyes continued their slow trajectory to the back of my head. Cuban would eventually arrive at his point. I sat across from his large desk and thought longingly about the cigarettes he'd forbidden me from smoking. "So you see, I've decided that we're going to try something special for Vendetta this week. Vendetta is a great program - your [i]content[/i] is brilliant. But the DISTRIBUTION is lacking. We need to work on the DISTRIBUTION. And I have an idea. We're going to try something different... we're going to try distributing Vendetta over the internet for free... see if it helps us generate some buzz. You know, put that fantastic booking on display." I felt my jaw drop. "Boss, that's a good idea. A great idea, even. But it's two days before Vendetta, and you're talking about booking something that the whole nation... hell, the whole WORLD is going to see. Especially with all of our elite guys and primary plotlines tied up in this tournament... I don't have a main event. Hell, I didn't even buy tickets for Giedroyc or Peak or Tyler this week." Mark leaned forward, sliding a slip of paper across the table. "You'll want to buy one for Tyler, at the least. Remember how I told you I was working on a talent trade to work into the Tyler plotline? Well... I found our guy. And I want you to debut him at Vendetta." I turned over the paper. My jaw dropped even further. "HIM? HOW THE **** DID WE GET HIM?!?!" Cuban smiled, clearly pleased with himself. "Ota. Just Ota. And I think I can extend him for Gonzales or Caulfield." I shook my head. "How the hell did you get the management to agree to that?" Cuban whistled, lacing his fingers behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, part of it is that TCW already has a positive relationship with Ota... but let's just say that Tommy Cornell loves some Texas basketball." I nodded. Our main event just got a hell of a lot more interesting. [quote] [i]Next week on: [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ven3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JDMorgan.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/NathanColeman.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The nascent tag team of [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] and [b]"Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/b] face their first real challenge as they go up against the [b]Old Dirty Bastards[/b]... [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG] -vs- [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/FumihiroOta.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [b]Brass Knuckles Champion Joey Minnesota[/b] faces a real challenge against the dark arts of DaVE's resident ninja assassin, [b]Fumihiro Ota[/b]. Can Minnesota retain the title against the man who knows how to cheat in seven different languages? ALSO: TUNE IN FOR A SPeCIAL GUEST APPEARaNCE THaT WILL SHaKE THE VeRY FOUNDaTION OF DaVE! [i]All of this and much more on [b]Vendetta[/b]...[/i] [/quote]

[Payne]

Okay, I don't even know the identity of this mystery guest. Damn my source for not being around!!!

[Beeker]

[QUOTE=Payne;252041]Okay, I don't even know the identity of this mystery guest. Damn my source for not being around!!![/QUOTE] I do thanks to ITC... but I'm not telling. In your face Doc Payne!!! :P (It's Dirk Nowitski) Honest!

[Guest The Aussie]

Texas Basketball eh? I call RDJ