Mark Cuban Does DaVE!

[Jaded]

Cool show, and you HAVE to mark out for blowgun usage :)

[Gozer]

Okay, I like this journal and don't want it to stop, so I'm gonna give a little unsolicited advice... Your write-ups are stellar, man, but your ratings are dropping, and I think I know why. Remember that first show you did? The PPV? It was all hardcore matches, table matches, etc... you're running a lot of straight 1-1 or 2-2, and if your product hasn't changed, that exclusively will never get good ratings from a DaVE audience. You NEED to throw in some higher risk stuff or you're gonna be stuck in the C's. I don't think it's even really possible to start getting steady B's without some risky matches. I know that Cuban don't like it, but unless he's edited the product, you got to bring the blood a bit more, you know? Anyhow, this is my favorite dynasty on the board right now, so don't quit! But don't go broke either! ;)

[Monkeypox]

[QUOTE=Gozer;188525]You NEED to throw in some higher risk stuff or you're gonna be stuck in the C's. I don't think it's even really possible to start getting steady B's without some risky matches.[/QUOTE] That's well taken, Gozer. I'll try to work it in, but I've been disappointed with ratings too, and cold shocked that BCB and Gonzales put on such a weak showing - maybe it should've been a cage match or something, but I guess I still have trouble with the idea that they'd try that on a one hour TV show. But you're right, I think the decline in ratings is a function of matchtype more than talent. Gotta love the resurgent old men, though! I was about ready to fire Tanner and Century but they're managing to make themselves useful... for short matches, anyhow...

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]"The Future Is Now"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] Followed the usual routine today... drove in to the office at about 10 AM, brewed a big cup of coffee, said hi to the secretary, sat at my desk, and immediately booted up the DaVE on-line message boards and ran my usual google searches for industry or blog coverage of last night's TV show. As soon as I logged on, I could tell something was up. The board was buzzing. Consensus was that last night's show wasn't all that great and a lot of the hardcore purists were spilling a lot of cyberink and calling for more blood and/or Mark Cuban's head, but that debate had been a daily function of my life since Cuban took over, and I didn't think it'd be stopping anytime soon. No, the story of the morning was [b]The Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b]. Consensus on the net was that the Gray Dragon was the coolest stable DaVE had debuted since the glory days, with long-time fans making favorable analogies to the great Nemesis led stables of yesteryear. It was clear from the fan reaction that [b]Fumihiro Ota[/b] and [b]Black Eagle[/b] hadn't only been embraced by DaVE fans, they were probably effectively midcarders already, after only one actual match. But even that wasn't the real shock. Every week, the website automatically holds a poll asking DaVE fans to name their favorite wrestler. For the last five months, the answer has been [b]"Eddie Peak"[/b] or [b]"Big Cat Brandon"[/b], every week, week in and week out (though [b]Nemesis[/b] kept winning for a few months after his retirement - we eventually had to remove him as an option). Today, though, there was a new favorite. Not a run-away favorite, by any means... but it was clear that the most over wrestler in DaVE right now wasn't Peak OR Brandon, or [b]Eric Tyler[/b] or [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b] or [b]Chris Caulfield[/b] or [b]Shawn Gonzales[/b]. It was [b]Acid[/b]. How soon is now? Pushing Acid was part of a long-term priority, a gradual strategy, a phased-out integration of older workers for younger talent. But this process was supposed to take months, and the board was bursting with debate about whether Acid would make a better [b]Unified Champion[/b] than Brandon, Peak or Geidroyc [b]right now[/b]. Of course, it wasn't a consensus on the board that he would, but Acid had never been a part of that conversation before. The future, it seemed, had already arrived. I didn't get to feel good about it for very long, as Nemesis showed up for work only a few minutes later and immediately took a seat across from me and started talking. "That's a pissed off [b]Eric Tyler[/b], man. He didn't like getting jobbed out last night." I leaned back in my chair, lacing my fingers behind my head. "Sure, but he's pissed off every time he loses to anyone. Acid isn't a jobber by any means." Nemesis nodded. "You're right. [i]Acid[/i] isn't a jobber. [i]Acid[/i] has paid his dues. But these other guys haven't even been in the Fed for a week... these skinny boys, Ota and Black Eagle... and they're already taking out established tag teams and main eventers. FIRST OF ALL, those boys ain't hardcore. You're talkin' about a matmonkey and a cruiserpansy, here, and all the blowguns in the world is just you blowin' smoke for how SOFTCORE them boys really are. SECOND OF ALL, [b]they ain't put in their time[/b]. Eric Tyler's been with this company longer than you. You need to respect him. I understand that you and Cuban are all about pushing the new blood or whatever... but you push too hard and somebody is likely to push you back." I kept quiet, unable to come up with anything to say that wouldn't make things worse. Nemesis stood up and headed for the door, but paused at the threshold, not turning around. "You're booking some sort of match-up between [b]The School of Tradition[/b] and these [b]Gray Dragon[/b] cupcakes at [COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Impact"]DaVE: March Into Battle[/FONT][/COLOR], right?" "You need to think real hard about who wins that fight. Real hard." He didn't slam the door behind him, exactly, but he didn't need to. I turned back to my computer, listening to the fans contradict everything he'd just said, not knowing whether it mattered. Nemesis was right on one key point: According to the fans, the man Acid had effectively bumped out of the main event was none other than [b]Eric Tyler[/b].

[theoutlaw321]

Another solid entry into no offense to anyone else is my favorite diary. I love how you take feed back and intergrate it into your entries.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]"Mark Cuban and the Case of the Burgeoning Billionaire Bloodlust"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] "Yeah, sure, but since you've taken over, ratings are actually DOWN." Mark had just finished a rant about how he felt he was ready to enter the ring. I haven't seen the guy in two weeks, really, and when he finally DOES show up, he brushes right over the financials and starts marking out... for himself. He tells me he's ready, he wants to do a dark match tonight prior to [b]Danger Zone TV[/b]. I change the subject. Mark looks over the printouts and sees that I'm right - so far, the three week old Cuban regime has been characterized by a sequentially increasing loss of viewers and diminishing match quality. Most industry feedback has been negative - having failed to capitalize on the initial big buzz generated by the takeover, we've found ourselves largely back where we were in the Vibert era, with one exception - Vibert didn't share Cuban's aversion to risky matches. And this was exactly the point I needed to drive home. "Mark, listen - I know you don't like bloody, high risk matches, but DaVE's audience does. We can slide towards the mainstream if you want to, but you haven't made any attempt to remarket us that way. You said that we were gonna reinvent hardcore, not erase it completely. When you came onboard, you promised new matches, big changes, and for the most part, we haven't delivered. And at the same time, we've mostly stopped providing the sort of hardcore matches that DaVE fans expect. I know you don't like risky matches and I know you're going to introduce a new matchtype tonight at [b]Danger Zone TV[/b], but I need you to go a step further." "I need you to let me start booking high-risk matches on [b]Danger Zone[/b] again." To my surprise, he doesn't argue with me. "Okay, Jack, I'll make a deal with you. You can go ahead and start booking hardcore matches, cage matches, table matches, whatever kind of match you want, short of a flaming barbed wire guillotine match. And if ratings go up, I'll be the first one to toast your success. But if anyone gets hurt in one of those matches, [b]you and I are going to have a [i]very[/i] unpleasant conversation.[/b]" I sputtered a bit before answering. "Mark, that's unrealistic. This is a dangerous business! Guys get injured in normal matches, doing everything right! Sometimes it's just a question of bad luck and nothing else! You can't book your way around an injury. It just doesn't work that way." Mark smiled back at me. "Better buy a rabbit's foot for yourself then, Jack." [QUOTE][B][SIZE="3"]This week on [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV...[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/B] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [b]The Wolfpack[/b] takes a shot at softening up defending champion [b]Eddie Peak[/b] in the run-up to [FONT="Impact"][COLOR="Red"]DaVE: March Into Battle[/COLOR][/FONT] as submission specialist [b]Art Reed[/b] gets his shot at the big man in a non-title match! [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/TravisCentury.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] On the other side of the coin, [b]Menace[/b] works to defend Peak's deathgrip on the title as [b]"The Devil's Right Hand" Travis Century[/b] looks to take it out on the challenger, [b]Shawn Gonzales[/b]! [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Angry at the interference that cost him the #1 Contendership, [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] has challenged [b]Joey Minnesota[/b] to a tag match - both men will be bringing a surprise partner! [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/NathanColeman.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JohnnyMartin.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JDMorgan.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] In a [b]#1 Contender Match[/b] for the [b]Dave Brass Knuckles Title[/b], [b]Nathan Coleman, Johnny Martin and JD Morgan[/b] will meet in an Elimination Match for the right to face [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b] at [FONT="Impact"][COLOR="Red"]March Into Battle[/COLOR][/FONT]! Also -[b]Mark Cuban[/b] in non-televised action! Very, very non-televised action! [b]Shortform: [i]#1 Eddie Peak vs #10 Art Reed #4 Shawn Gonzales vs Travis Century #2 Big Cat Brandon plus partner vs #9 Joey Minnesota plus partner Nathan Coleman vs Johnny Martin vs JD Morgan - #1 Contender Match[/b][/i] [/QUOTE]

[Jaded]

Acid rocks! Acid rocks! Acid rocks! BTW, if you put the title on him, can we PLEASE have the crowd chanting "ACID REIGNS, ACID REIGNS, ACID REIGNS!"? Another awesome entry, looking forward to the next show :)

[Monkeypox]

[QUOTE=theoutlaw321;188849]I love how you take feed back and intergrate it into your entries.[/QUOTE] Well, this diary is feedback driven, and that doesn't need to be O.O.C. Jack constantly canvasses the DaVE boards looking for good material, so it's a short leap to make any suggestions in RL into good DaVE angles - the bit about [b]Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b] being the best heel stable ever was partially a reaction to in-game demography, but partially a quote from around here - I'm pushing 'em partially cause y'all seem to like 'em.... but mostly because I mark out for Acid. [QUOTE=Jaded;189141]Acid rocks! Acid rocks! Acid rocks! BTW, if you put the title on him, can we PLEASE have the crowd chanting "ACID REIGNS, ACID REIGNS, ACID REIGNS!"?[/QUOTE] [b][i][u]ABSOLUTELY.[/b][/u][/i]

[Gozer]

You haven't posted anything in three days. PLEASE don't tell me this thing is dead.

[Payne]

3 days doesn't mean anything. Mainly just means school/work was tiring. Complain after 3 weeks, lol. Anyway, Monkey, I don't even know who Mark Cuban is (I don't follow sports) but I find this VERY entertaining. I just picture Ted Turner or Eric Bischoff in the place of Cuban, and it still works. You know, someone who doesn't really know THAT much about wrestling, but owns a "rasslin'" company! Either way, excellent work.

[Monkeypox]

Payne nailed it... Gozer, relax yoself. It's just been a bad week. This dynasty isn't dead - it's napping! But your point is taken and I'll try to get the next show up soon. (thanks for the kind words, Payne)

[Payne]

You are more than welcome. NOW WRITE AN UPDATE!!! Just kidding.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]"The Inactivity Buzzkill"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] This would be a challenge. The way I parsed it, Cuban had authorized me to start booking hardcore and high risk matches again, but intended to saddle me with some sort of unidentified punishment if anyone was injured during any of them. This was clever. Running a hardcore federation without injuries was a little like running an ice cream shop without whipped cream. Yeah, you could make something approaching what the customer wanted and at the end of the day, he might not be able to figure out [i]exactly[/i] what was so unsatisfying about his experience, but he wouldn't come back for more and he shouldn't. The way I read it, the prohibition against injuries wasn't absolute. If I threw Tank Bradley into a hardcore match with Hector Galindo and someone pulled a groin muscle, I don't think I'd be expected to lose any sleep over it. The message was more that Cuban considered some of the guys to represent a long term investment, an investment that I would be devaluing by... dinging the car on the way out of the lot. Nemesis didn't think much of Cuban's tendency to view his wrestlers as commodities capable of appreciating or depreciating, but it's Cuban's world - we're just working in it. I'd have to watch my step. [CENTER][FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="3"]DANGER ZONE TV[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT][/CENTER] [FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]February, Week 4 in front of 1,700 people in the Arkansas Coliseum (South East)[/CENTER][/FONT] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]DARK MATCH: Mark Cuban vs Vin Tanner[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Vin Tanner d. Mark Cuban in 4:12 w/ a [b]V for Victory[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Wow, did we catch a break on this one. Mark Cuban's in-ring debut is an outstanding success, not because he has any real sense of match psychology (he doesn't) or stamina (not remotely), and certainly not because he has any wrestling ability too far beyond a guy who did some wrestling in high school and had a few refreshers... I give Old Man Tanner all the credit in the world for this one. This match had been rehearsed and rehearsed, and they did a great job of playing it for comedy (with Cuban getting his only hit of the night on Vin by stepping on his toe), and all that backstage work really paid off - Vin and Mark Cuban have... [b]phenomenal chemistry![/b] And this after Vin's sudden leap into luchadore country! Vin Tanner finds another way to make the head booker smile by pulling raw ring rookie Mark Cuban to a not-horrible match.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: D-[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]DARK MATCH: Adrenaline Rush and Chris Caulfield vs The Latino Kings[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Sammy Bach d. Hector Galindo in 8:22 w/ a [b]Flat On Your Bach[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: It's okay when Mark Cuban and Vin Tanner lurch to a better than expected but still lousy dark match. It's much MUCH less okay when established ring veterans with several decades of ring experience between them accomplish the same wad of nothing. And I can't really blame Caulfield or Adrenaline Rush for that - they looked as good as they could, selling the b******t that Galindo and his boys were tossing. Rudy Velasquez remains the sole bright spot of what I'm starting to think of in my private moments as the [b]Latino Dung Stable[/b].[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: D-[/COLOR] [CENTER][B]***MAIN SHOW***[/B] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Guide.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Scout.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The show opens with a meeting between [b]Eric Tyler, Guide[/b] and [b]Scout[/b], the heel stable [b]The School of Tradition[/b]. Eric Tyler is stomping around the room while Scout and Guide sit in their usual positions of lazy lethality, with Scout absentmindedly shaving with a huge bowie knife while Guide leans against a locker and picks his teeth. Tyler is angry, foaming at the mouth over last week's loss to [b]The Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b], and how "blowguns have no place in the ring". He notes that the Cult of the Gray Dragon aren't scheduled to wrestle tonight but that he wants to get revenge before next week's PPV [FONT="Impact"][COLOR="Red"]DaVE: MARCH INTO BATTLE[/COLOR][/FONT]. He orders Scout and Guide to split up, locate a member of the Cult, and get the drop on them... opening the door up to use them as bait to lure out and confront the remaining members. Eric Tyler: Just remember - you men are trained killers, sharpened by our country's finest military and strategic minds. You can track white mice through snow - you can find these cowards. Bring them back to me. GO. (Scout and Guide nod and leave the locker room while Eric Tyler cracks his knuckles and grins) [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: The School of Tradition discuss Acid. Rating: C+[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]Nathan Coleman vs JD Morgan vs Johnny Martin[/COLOR][/CENTER] [COLOR="DimGray"][CENTER]DaVE BRASS KNUCKLES #1 CONTENDER ELIMINATION MATCH[/CENTER][/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/NathanColeman.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JDMorgan.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JohnnyMartin.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: JD Morgan draws w/ Johnny Martin after the ref loses control of the match. [i]Jack's Notes: Great long-term potential here, as three of my better all-around wrestlers put on a solid three-way dance to open the show. Great psychology limited only by relatively low levels of overness... Nathan Coleman and Johnny Martin are both has-beens, where JD Morgan is more of a never-was. Good, old school match with lots of Vibert style brawling and cheapshots, and the crowd responds to the recognizeable product, and I inwardly wince at the idea that the core fanbase is so desperate for something they see as authentically "DaVE". This match wasn't supposed to pop like this. Anyhow, Nathan Coleman is eliminated relatively early, but interferes and draws JDM and J-Mart out for a double count-out chairfest.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]#2 Big Cat Brandon and Steve Flash vs #9 Joey Minnesota and Dean McWade[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/SteveFlash-1.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/DeanMcWade.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Joey Minnesota d. Dean McWade after Dallas McWade interferes. [i]Jack's Notes: I admit, I rolled the dice on this one. The Big Cat Brandon/Joey Minnesota plotline needed another match to get rolling and I was pleased to find a good way to give toughguy tandem [b]The McWades[/b] some airtime while giving BCB an excuse to lose. Of course, I'd never put Joey Minnesota with Dean McWade before. Note to self: Dean McWade is REALLY used to wrestling with Dallas McWade. Dean absolutely failed to adapt his game to the new partner and tried to pace the match like a McWades outing. There was absolutely NO chemistry between the two, and the timing was terrible. Big Cat Brandon salvaged the match after an extensive period of awkward-to-watch doubleteams on Steve Flash by Minnesota and both McWades, clearing the ring with two Big Cat Pounces and roaring. Clever ending to this match as well, as Dallas McWade takes the place of Dean McWade after the latter is speared out of the ring and the ref misses the switch, allowing a fresh (non-participating) McWade to pick up the pin on Steve Flash. Still, any match involving Big Cat Brandon and a reliable talent like Flash should be better than this.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Scout.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Eric Tyler is still sitting in the locker room when Guide shows back up. Eric stands up, grinning and rubbing his hands together. Tyler: Well? Coming in with good news? Guide (totally unsmiling): I can't find him. Tyler (frowns): Well, keep looking. They're here somewhere, smoke them rats out! Guide: No. [b]I can't find Scout.[/b] He's vanished. [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: Revelation that Scout has disappeared. Rating: C+[/COLOR] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]#4 Shawn Gonzales vs Travis Century[/COLOR][/CENTER] [COLOR="DimGray"][CENTER]HARDCORE MATCH[/CENTER][/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/TravisCentury.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Shawn Gonzales d. Travis Century by submission w/a [b]Latino Crab[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: Oh god, what a horrible match. I'm starting to have my reservations about Gonzales. I knew that "The Devil's Right Hand" would play it the way he always does - lots of posturing, lots of thanking "his Dark Lord" and giving Gonzales lots of time to come from behind, lots of chair-shots and uncreative brawling. That's what he does. But Gonzales, as a #1 Contender, needs to use this match to show his stuff... instead, he seemed disinterested, drifting through the match listlessly, not really bringing any *wow* moments. Travis Century actually provided the only real laugh of the match, screaming for his Dark Lord to save him in the seconds before tapping out to the Crab. After the match, there was a short stand-off between [b]The Wolfpack[/b] and [b]Menace[/b], but no blows were exchanged.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: D ([i]grrr....[/i])[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Looking substantially more nervous than before, Tyler is pacing back and forth in the locker room, mumbling to himself. He jumps as the door bangs open, and a smiling Guide comes through the door, pulling a heavy, inert body behind him. The body is Acid, face down, in a strange, featureless outfit but with the same typical Acid mask. Guide drops him in a heap on the floor. Tyler rubs his hands together. Tyler: Alright! Let's see who this bastard ratfink really is! Leaning down, Tyler rips the mask from "Acid"s face. It's [b]Scout[/b], visibly beaten. Guide and Tyler look at eachother, eyes widening. In that moment, the room rapidly begins to fill with smoke. In the instant before the door slams shut and the screams start, the camera catches the vague outlines of three figures descending on wires from the ceiling, cutting invisibly through the haze. [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: The Cult of the Gray Dragon attacks. Rating: B- [/color] [CENTER][COLOR="SlateGray"]#1 Eddie Peak vs #10 Art Reed[/COLOR][/CENTER] [COLOR="DimGray"][CENTER]HARDCORE MATCH[/CENTER][/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Eddie Peak d. Art Reed w/ a [b]Peak of Perfection[/b] after [b]Nemesis[/b] interferes. [i]Jack's Notes: Wow. And like that, the evening is saved. These two men don't really "click", and I usually hesitate to put them together for that reason, but the plotline really demanded it and I give them both credit for working through their issues and putting on a worthwhile match. Art Reed actually manages to get the upperhand, and focuses exclusively on the left leg of the big man. From there, the match is a see-saw... an increasingly badly limping Eddie Peak uses brute strength to force his way out of an array of mat-based submission moves and chairshots to the knee, doing some great powerspots on an angry and resurgent Art Reed. Art goes for the [b]Dreadlock[/b] and Eddie manages to kick him in the back, throwing him forward into the ropes and a waiting [b]Nemesis[/b], who catches him in the head with the ringbell. After the match, both stables spill into the ring and brawl until the cameras go down. A great finishing match that really gave Art Reed a chance to showcase his stuff against the champion going into the PPV.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: B-[/color] [B]SHOW RATING: C+ [/B] [i]Show was considered a success[/i] Short Form: [QUOTE][i]Vin Tanner d. Mark Cuban: D- Adrenaline Rush and Chris Caulfield d. Latino Kings: D- JD Morgan draws w/ Johnny Martin and d. Nathan Coleman: C #9 Joey Minnesota and Dean McWade d. #2 Big Cat Brandon and Steve Flash: C- #4 Shawn Gonzales d. Travis Century: D #1 Eddie Peak d. #10 Art Reed: B-[/i] [/QUOTE]

[Gozer]

One: I'm glad you're back. Two: I'm liking Acid's ascension to legit bad-***. The stalk n smash/fake n bake routine was nicely written. I don't even know what that meant. Still good. Three: No offense, but why are your earlier matches almost always better than your late matches? ;) Looking forward to more.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]"The Sky's The Limit, But Reality Is Floating In The Bowl And It Just Won't Flush... (or Wrestling Theory 101)"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/p1_cuban_629.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] I sat at a laptop in the quiet Arkansas hotel that we usually used when we did shows in the area. It was dim and smoky and the receptionist was missing a tooth - we'd been going there for a long time. He knew how to treat us. A gin and tonic had been melting untouched at my wrist for the last forty minutes – Nemesis was on his fifth beer. The usual cloister of tentative fans had already come and gone from his side – Nemesis never got tired of signing autographs, and you only had to talk to him for a minute to realize how much his reputation as the world’s meanest heel was just an act… but he never played it safe when fans worked up the courage to beg him to come back to the ring. The answer, polite but unambiguous, was always no. Mark came by around 11:00 while I was checking the DaVE internet boards to read how the last show had been received (lame, but saved by a solid main event… lots of pop for Acid’s ambush on Tyler), shiny like a new dollar. He sat at the bar and ordered himself something called a “Mojito”… neither me or the stubbly bartender had any idea what he was talking about, but he was too worked up to notice. “Man, that was AWESOME! The crowd, the ring, the rush… MAN!” He pumped his fist in the air, and then hit up the bartender for an awkward high-five. Nemesis rolled his eyes, returned to his beer. He turned to me, eyes sparkling. “All I wanna know is WHEN DO I GET TO DO THAT ON TV? And how ‘bout lettin’ me WIN the next one!” I lit a cigarette – they were a necessary calming agent when Mark came around. “Okay,” I started, “I’ll answer those questions in order. Not soon and no.” Mark shook his head at me and started to object. After only a moment of hesitation, I cut him off. “Mark, listen. Remember that speech you gave me about how you’re the guy who crafts the brand image and makes the hiring decisions, but I’m the guy who books the show? That’s what you trust me with, right? That’s what you hired me to do.” Mark nodded, opening his mouth to retort. “Mark, listen. It’s gonna go down like this. For the next three months or so, you’ll keep doing dark matches against all-around good guys like Vin Tanner, Steve Flash, Chris Caulfield and Johnny Martin. The problem with that strategy is that it’ll eat away at your popularity after awhile… you can play it for laughs a few times, but eventually it just comes off as a crap match with no real suspense. Anyhow, we’ll do that as long as I feel the fanbase can stand it, and then we’ll have you start getting ****ed with by a safe but low level heel – I think Nathan Coleman would be perfect for this, though you could even draw someone like Travis Century if the cards come down the right way. Anyhow, he’ll beat the **** out of you, night in and night out. He’ll split your head open. He’ll draw blood. He'll slap you around, call you names, humiliate you. And the crowd will root for you and WANT you to win, because you’re getting so ****ed up and disrespected. And then, when THEY want it, you’ll finally get a win – a nasty, pure-luck, come-from-behind sort of win.” I took a sip of my neglected gin and tonic, cleared my throat, and continued. “But if you really want to win, and REALLY want to wrestle, you’ll have to take a heel turn.” Mark looked confused. “The only way you’ll be credible as a winning wrestler with your current level of experience is if you cheat to win, and you can’t do that unless you’re a heel. We’ll pair you with someone big and uncharismatic, and they’ll interfere and help you win matches that you’ll take all the credit for, and the crowd will hate you for it. It’ll work. But it doesn’t make much sense to do it now… we’re still building you as a credible face, and there will be plenty of time after Emma leaves.” Mark sputtered into his drink. “What do you mean, after Emma leaves?” Nemesis laughed, looking up from his beer for the first time. “Oh come ON, man… you don’t actually think we’re gonna [i]KEEP[/i] her, do you?”

[mad5226]

thats sad I love Emma she's my favorite female on the game. I mean sure she costs you like 7,000 a month and does absolutly nothing, but man I may cry if she gets the boot *tear*

[Payne]

Emmmmmaaaaaaaaaa!

[Monkeypox]

Hey! I love Emma too! But DaVE is probably going to lose her, Big Cat Brandon, Eddie Peak, Guide... I'm hoping that there's some game mechanic that will tell Emma to stay because of Sammy Bach (who is already an uppermidcarder - he can't say I'm not pushing him), but her past suggests she's a total mercenary. She's worked for everyone. I'll do everything I can to keep her, but I'm cynical about my chances. And I wouldn't say she does "nothing", mad5226. She's pretty much guaranteed to pull a C+ or better in every angle she's in, and that's something we need. It'll hurt if she leaves, for sure! (thanks for the comments - next post will be in character)

[mad5226]

agreed she can do great promo's I remember in 05 I played as Dave and I don't think she was ever in a spot worse than an A. But still a 7000 dollar manager...

[Dragonmack]

[QUOTE=mad5226;194599]agreed she can do great promo's I remember in 05 I played as Dave and I don't think she was ever in a spot worse than an A. But still a 7000 dollar manager...[/QUOTE] but it is a written deal which means you can use her all the time and it costs the same each month. really great if you have 2 or more tv shows and a weekly tour of outlying areas to raise pop and then a big main event as you can use her like 6-10 times in a month for the same total price. :D

[Jehovah]

Still so very impressed with this one. Your peeks behind the curtain are unmatchable, I love how you've done Nemesis, and you've made Mark Cuban undoubtedly more interesting than he actually is.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]"PPV Preview/Prediction Thread"[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] This, from [U][url]www.dave.com[/url][/U]... [QUOTE] [CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DaVE: March Into Battle![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [B]***ANNOUNCED MATCHES***[/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]#1 Eddie Peak -vs- #4 Shawn Gonzales[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]LADDER MATCH FOR THE DaVE UNIFIED TITLE[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] After defeating three other teams to secure the newly minted [i]#1 Contendership Title[/i], [b]Shawn Gonzales[/b] successfully challenged [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] for the #1 Contendership and the right to face [b]Eddie Peak[/b] at [FONT="Impact"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DaVE: March Into Battle! [/COLOR][/FONT] [CENTER][COLOR="DimGray"]#3 Eric Tyler -vs- #8 Acid[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]MATCH TYPE TBA!![/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] After rejecting the friendship of [b]The School of Tradition, Acid[/b] has launched a series of harassing attacks against his former allies and revealed a new, supernatural coalition with newcomers [b]Black Eagle[/b] and [b]Fumihiro Ota[/b]. [b]Eric Tyler[/b] and [b]New Wave[/b] will look for a measure of revenge of the Pay per View! [CENTER][COLOR="DimGray"]#2 Big Cat Brandon -vs- #9 Joey Minnesota[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]STEEL CAGE MATCH[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Rising star [b]Joey Minnesota[/b] has been confirmed to face a furious [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] after costing him the [i]#1 Contendership[/i]. [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] has promised the most violent kind of furry animal payback at [FONT="Impact"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DaVE: March Into Battle![/font][/color] It’ll be strength versus speed and anger versus determination as the two men collide in a steel cage! [b][i]ALSO IN ACTION...[/b][/i] [b]Adrenaline Rush[/b] will defend the [b]DaVE Tag Titles[/b] against old rivals [b]The New Wave[/b] and the suddenly dangerous [b]Gray Dragon[/b] team of [b]Black Eagle[/b] and [b]Fumihiro Ota[/b]! [b]Jack Giedroyc[/b] defends the [b]DaVE Brass Knuckles Title[/b] in a [COLOR="Teal"]THREE WAY DANCE[/COLOR] against [b]Johnny Martin[/b] and [b]JD Morgan[/b]! [b]Art Reed[/b] and [b]Vin Tanner[/b] continue their hunt for revenge against [b]Menace's[/b] team, [b]Hell's Bouncer[/b] and [b]Travis Century[/b]! ****** [i] [b]PREDICTION KEY: [/b] Eddie Peak vs Shawn Gonzales in a ladder match for the DaVE Unified Title Eric Tyler vs Acid – match type to be unveiled Big Cat Brandon vs Joey Minnesota in a steel cage Adrenaline Rush (Sammy Bach and Teddy Powell) vs The Gray Dragon (Fumihiro Ota and Black Eagle) vs The New Wave (Guide and Scout) for the DaVE Tag Titles Joey Giedroyc vs JD Morgan vs Johnny Martin in a Hardcore Match for the DaVE Brass Knuckles Title Art Reed and Vin Tanner vs Hell’s Bouncer and Travis Century [/i] [/QUOTE] [i]Next post is the PPV! Predictions encouraged, as always![/i]

[Payne]

[B]Eddie Peak [/B]vs Shawn Gonzales in a ladder match for the DaVE Unified Title Eric Tyler vs [B]Acid[/B] – match type to be unveiled Big Cat Brandon vs [B]Joey Minnesota [/B]in a steel cage Adrenaline Rush (Sammy Bach and Teddy Powell) vs [B]The Gray Dragon (Fumihiro Ota and Black Eagle)[/B] vs The New Wave (Guide and Scout) for the DaVE Tag Titles [B]Joey Giedroyc [/B]vs JD Morgan vs Johnny Martin in a Hardcore Match for the DaVE Brass Knuckles Title [B]Art Reed and Vin Tanner [/B]vs Hell’s Bouncer and Travis Century

[Jehovah]

PREDICTION KEY: [B]Eddie Peak[/B] vs Shawn Gonzales in a ladder match for the DaVE Unified Title Eric Tyler vs [B]Acid[/B] – match type to be unveiled Big Cat Brandon vs [B]Joey Minnesota[/B] in a steel cage Adrenaline Rush (Sammy Bach and Teddy Powell) vs The Gray Dragon (Fumihiro Ota and Black Eagle) vs [B]The New Wave (Guide and Scout)[/B] for the DaVE Tag Titles Joey Giedroyc vs [B]JD Morgan[/B] vs Johnny Martin in a Hardcore Match for the DaVE Brass Knuckles Title Art Reed and Vin Tanner vs [B]Hell’s Bouncer and Travis Century [/B]This is my favourite one on here to read, I know you've got something great cooked up.

[Gozer]

[i]PREDICTION KEY: [b]Eddie Peak[/b] vs Shawn Gonzales - Gonzalez doesn't have much of a character going, and Peak is just too strong. [b]Eric Tyler[/b] vs Acid – Acid is being built up as a badass, but I don't know that you wanna cross Nemesis (by the way, that sort of fusion of on and off camera drama is why this dynasty is a constant read for me) [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] vs Joey Minnesota - Dude, you've got no reason to bury Brandon and you already gave Minnesota one build-up win. Adrenaline Rush (Sammy Bach and Teddy Powell) vs [b]The Gray Dragon (Fumihiro Ota and Black Eagle)[/b] vs The New Wave (Guide and Scout) - Bach and Powell are pretty boys, and Guide and Scout have been jobbers for you lately. Joey Giedroyc vs [b]JD Morgan[/b] vs Johnny Martin - Giedroyc is a bit overpowered for the Brass Knucks title, ain't he? I mean, I remember when I start playing as DaVE the booking team immediately tells me to put it on someone more suitable... maybe his overness has dropped because you only have him beating midcarders? [b]Art Reed and Vin Tanner[/b] vs Hell’s Bouncer and Travis Century - Dude, you could've had this as "Art Reed vs Three Old Men" and I woulda called it the same way. Even though Hell's Bouncer is like 13. Art Reed is the only quality wrestler in this thing and even though Vin Tanner is funny as "Old Man Tanner", you GOTTA find Art a real partner, man? Why not put the Brass Knucks title on him?[/i] Anyhow, I gotta agree with Jehovah, who also has a top-shelf diary. This is good. You emphasize the characters in a way that most other diaries don't - I like how I have a feel of what some of these guys actually act like, and I can't wait to see who you're gonna do next (ART... REED...). Keep it up, man!