Mark Cuban Does DaVE!

[Monkeypox]

Oh man, and now we've hired the Bulldozer. ...not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, not gonna change the plot, (etc) :D

[Jehovah]

I was marking in my pajama pants for Tyler's opening promo, loved it all. I'm digging how he's got the anti-authority, f***-everybody, my-way-or-the-highway vibe as a [I]heel[/I]. And I'm very interested to see where you'll take Jack Giedroyc.

[Payne]

What the hell!!!???? A DQ in DaVE!? And, since when is a "Hardcore match" a special attraction in [B]Danger and Violence Extreme![/B] This booking guy needs to go. Cuban needs to go. We need Nemesis back in the ring. Who is thinking this stuff up? SMART MARKS UNITE!!! OOC: Great stuff, again. I can't wait to see what you do with Bulldozer.

[Actarus]

Awesome stuff, such a great read in fact, that you've actually inspired me to use DaVE, a fed I've avoided in the past. As for Jack's gimmick...I honestly have no clue. A hint or two would be nice, unless someone knows where it came from. Finally, I also love your editting reasons, from doubly distended anuses to fruity haircuts. Keep up the great work. Latah. Oh, I forgot to ask: what are Cuban's stats like? Zeros across the board (except maybe business).

[Gozer]

Lol regarding the Bulldozer. I love those "Adam Ryland" moments. Also... man, hate to say this, but it isn't a good sign when your world champion's plotline is like the... what... fifth most interesting plot you have going? I mean, I don't know about the rest of the guys here, but while I like Eddie Peak's sharkman character, he doesn't seem to have much going on. You put a lot more airtime into Acid and Eric Tyler - I almost wish one of them had the strap, you know? This is like Rock and Triple H if the champ was... oh... I dunno. Someone else. You can tell how much I follow wrestling. Also - I'm ready for Tank Bradley and Alex Braun to split. Tank Bradley heel turn, anybody?

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="5"]"MARCH 2007 POWER RANKINGS"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] Of all Mark's ideas, the one I've really been able to get behind is the implementation of a monthly "Power Rankings" system. A combination of skill, momentum, overness and "storyline importance", the Power Rankings system has actually had a pretty big effect on how shows are booked. For #9 to beat #2, for example, (which happened when Joey Minnesota beat Big Cat Brandon) is a much bigger deal than #1 beating #10 (although Art Reed was able to have a very good match with Eddie Peak). For me, as a booker, Power Rankings are brilliant - a good way to see who is getting pushed and who is making the most of the push they're being given. Despite my impression of Shawn Gonzales as a sporadic worker who failed to capitalize on a title push, the fans continue to respond to him and he remains one of our most over workers (third, probably). So his current ranking represents a compromise between his overall popularity and my perception that he doesn't make the guy he's wrestling look very good. Similarly, Big Cat Brandon stays at #2 for plotline reasons even though an honest appraisal of the last month would probably put him in third behind Acid, who has literally taken off like a rocket with the fans since the introduction of The Cult of the Gray Dragon. My only regret about Power Rankings, in all honesty, is that they aren't adjusted more frequently. [Quote][I]From [U][url]www.dave.com[/url][/U][/I] [CENTER][FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="4"][B]POWER RANKINGS - MARCH 2007[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/center] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]#1. [b]EDDIE PEAK[/b]. ( - ) [i]An easy choice for top ranked worker, [b][u]DaVE Unified Title[/b][/u] holder Peak has dispatched all challengers convincingly lately, destroying [b]Shawn Gonzales[/b] in a ladder match at [FONT="Impact"]DaVE: March Into Battle![/FONT] and not relying on [b]Nemesis[/b] to defend his title for him.[/i] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG]#2. [b]BIG CAT BRANDON[/b]. ( - ) [i]Harassed throughout February by upstart challenger [b]Joey Minnesota[/b], [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] feels he was cheated out of the [b][u]#1 Contendership[/b][/u] by Minnesota's interference, and has stated his intention to resume his pursuit of the title in March.[/i] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG]#3. [b]ACID[/b]. ( [COLOR="SeaGreen"]+7[/COLOR] ) [i]Attacking from the shadows, avoiding retaliation, and dictating the pace and style of his match-ups, [b]Acid[/b] has been virtually unstoppable since the formation of [b]The Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b]. Pursued by a furious [b]Eric Tyler[/b], the masked man continues to spread fear throughout the Federation.[/i] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG]#4. [b]ERIC TYLER[/b]. ([COLOR="Red"]-1[/COLOR] ) [i]"The Traditionalist" is, as usual, angry... angry about his PPV loss to [b]Acid[/b], angry at [b]Mark Cuban's[/b] tinkering with what he sees as the old-school, hardcore style of DaVE, angry that everyone else is acting like such a goddamn [u]girl[/u]. In the eyes of some fans, Tyler has been eclipsed by [b]Acid[/b] and his position in the "Power Rankings" has been adjusted accordingly. Count on Tyler to demonstrate that the old dog still has a few tricks.[/i] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG]#5. [b]SHAWN GONZALES[/b]. ( [COLOR="Red"]-1[/COLOR] ) [i]February found Gonzales make a compelling push at the [u][b]DaVE Unified Title[/u][/b], only to have his title hopes dashed by an overwhelming offense from Champion [b]Eddie Peak[/b]. Gonzales has subsequently expressed an interest in forming a tag team partnership with [b]Wolfpack[/b] member [b]Art Reed[/b], a pairing that could take the division by storm.[/i] #6. [b]JACK GIEDROYC[/b]. ([COLOR="Red"] -1[/COLOR] ) [i]February was a slow month for Giedroyc, who successfully defended his [b][u]DaVE Brass Knuckles Title[/b][/u] against lukewarm competition but saw less on-screen time than most of his fellow main eventers. This all ended after [FONT="Impact"]DaVE:March Into Battle[/FONT], and the month begins with a revitalized Giedroyc on the hunt and referring to himself as... [b]The Wrath of God?!?[/b][/i] #7. [b]JOEY MINNESOTA[/b]. ( [COLOR="SeaGreen"]+2[/COLOR] ) [i]Even though he eventually lost, [b]Joey Minnesota's[/b] PPV match-up against [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] was an impact match for this young competitor, who took Brandon to the limit and left the ring on his own power at the conclusion of the match, not easy when you find yourself in a cage with the big cat! Minnesota's star is still on the rise/[/i] #8. [b]CHRIS CAULFIELD[/b]. ( [COLOR="Red"]-2[/COLOR] ) [i]Caulfield continues to dance on the perimeter of the main event scene, playing the savior at various times for [b]Sammy Bach, Emma Chase[/b] and [b]Mark Cuban[/b]. Something of the "good cop" of the DaVE world, Caulfield continues to work to thwart the wrongdoing of DaVE's less savory characters.[/i] #9. [b]ART REED[/b]. ( [COLOR="SeaGreen"]+1[/COLOR] ) [i]By his own admission, Champion [b]Eddie Peak[/b] considers [b]Art Reed[/b] to be one of the most dangerous characters he's ever run across, and the match between the two electrified [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT] and took the show's award for "Match of the Month". With news spreading that Reed is considering a move into the tag ranks, champions [b]Adrenaline Rush[/b] should be nervous indeed.[/i] #10.[b]FUMIHIRO OTA[/b]. ( n/a ) [i]Fumihiro Ota was introduced to DaVE as a lower midcarder in early February. Not quite a month later, he's knocking on the door of the main event. An instant hit with the fans due to his shadowy visage and use of weapons (particularly the blowgun), Ota teams with [b]Black Eagle[/b] and [b]Acid[/b] to form [b]The Cult of the Gray Dragon[/b], perhaps the most feared stable in all of DaVE.[/i] [i][b]Biggest Gains:[/b] Acid, Fumihiro Ota, Black Eagle. [b]Biggest Losses:[/b] Travis Century, Guide, Teddy Powell. [b]On the Bubble:[/b] Vin Tanner, Sammy Bach.[/i] [/Quote] [i]Next Up: Introducing a new show...[/i]

[Monkeypox]

Okay, OoC Comment Response Post... [QUOTE=Actarus;197719]Oh, I forgot to ask: what are Cuban's stats like? Zeros across the board (except maybe business).[/QUOTE] Not quite zeros. Letsee... he's got various Fs in most things, he's a little higher in selling and matwork, but yeah, he's bad. He's somewhere around a "B" on the mic and he's okay for charisma, but... yeah. So far, he's getting reasonable matchratings on a combination of overness and working with much better, safer workers. And he's got good chemistry with a whole lot of my guys, which doesn't make any sense at all but I'll roll with it..." [QUOTE=Payne;197636]What the hell!!!???? A DQ in DaVE!? And, since when is a "Hardcore match" a special attraction in [B]Danger and Violence Extreme![/B] This booking guy needs to go. Cuban needs to go. We need Nemesis back in the ring. Who is thinking this stuff up? SMART MARKS UNITE!!! OOC: Great stuff, again. I can't wait to see what you do with Bulldozer.[/QUOTE] Dude, if it's alright with you, I might use this "character" you've developed. What do you want your first name to be? [QUOTE=Gozer;197765] Also... man, hate to say this, but it isn't a good sign when your world champion's plotline is like the... what... fifth most interesting plot you have going? I mean, I don't know about the rest of the guys here, but while I like Eddie Peak's sharkman character, he doesn't seem to have much going on. You put a lot more airtime into Acid and Eric Tyler - I almost wish one of them had the strap, you know? This is like Rock and Triple H if the champ was... oh... I dunno. Someone else.[/QUOTE] This ain't a bad point. I dunno... I think when any of us start writing dynasties, we don't really get a sense of where we wanna go with 'em from the get-go. I mean, I knew I was gonna push Acid, but I didn't have any idea he'd end up being this important to the diary, and honestly, [b]I'm[/b] more interested in Eric Tyler vs Acid than I am in Eddie Peak right now... but this will improve now that he's not feuding with Shawn Gonzales. That feud just didn't do it for me, mostly because I don't think I had a solid enough idea about how I wanted to write Gonzales, and because the matches were never very good. His next opponent is much stronger. [QUOTE=Jehovah;197614]I was marking in my pajama pants for Tyler's opening promo, loved it all. I'm digging how he's got the anti-authority, f***-everybody, my-way-or-the-highway vibe as a [I]heel[/I]. And I'm very interested to see where you'll take Jack Giedroyc.[/QUOTE] Uh. Thank you? But yeah, I'm with you... I didn't much care about Tyler until I started this dynasty, and now I'm a pretty unapologetic Eric Tyler mark. And I don't hate Vin Tanner [i]nearly[/i] as much now. It's funny how much writing is different than playing, in terms of who you end up appreciating. Okay, last one... [QUOTE=mad5226;195996]Great show man. I like the Warehouse match, did you actually make a match and put it in the game or did u just use a preset match and call it something else?[/QUOTE] I actually designed it, mad5226. High prestige, medium physical risk, medium content risk. I've got another one coming that I'm more excited about. Anyhow, thanks everyone for the comments and keep 'em coming! I definitely take your feedback into account!

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][SIZE="5"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][B]"The 'B' Show"[/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER] Today we sent out a press release announcing the debut of [FONT="Arial Black"][B]DAVE:[/B][/FONT] [FONT="Verdana"][B]Vendetta![/B][/FONT], a new, non-televised travelling show billed as the opportunity to "see DaVE live in your hometown". This show is different from a houseshow insofar as it will actually feature title defenses, storyline advancement and marquee hardcore matches, but is really just the continued reflection of our increasing desperation to rapidly juice up both our exposure and our income stream. The biggest structural limitation of DaVE is in the contracts we continue to carry from the signing orgy of the Vibert days... guys like [b]Chris Caulfield[/b] are on the books for 12k a month, and we have to pay them no matter what, so we figure we'll work them twice as much. In a very real sense, this cuts their price per show down by half, though this figure is somewhat reduced by the overhead for each additional show. Of course, there's the increased injury and fatigue factor, but that's where the booker comes in. I'd already received E-Mails from [b]Alex Braun[/b], [b]Nathan Coleman[/b] and the ever-youthful [b]Vin Tanner[/b] about the heavy workschedule (once a week!), which makes sense, as those three workers have a combined age of 416. But the other, younger workers were going to see a lot of action, and balancing Cuban's prohibition against injuries with the need to put on a frequent show was likely to keep me up on my toes, like a hairy ballerina. Anyhow, [b]Vendetta![/b] will be held in a different location every week, scattered throughout our three strongest areas on the East Coast. The show is scheduled to receive a medium sized publicity push - mostly newspaper ads and limited local TV spots - and will run about an hour and a half. Because this is a definite "B" show, it will receive somewhat less attention from me and my write-up will reflect that. We've wasted no time with this [b]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/b] fellow. He's been inked and added to the roster as an opener, and will get a dark match tune-up against [b]Guide[/b] at this week's [b]Vendetta![/b] Time to see how much of what I was blowing at Cuban really was just so much chicken-stick n smokes smelling hot air... [i]Next... Vendetta debuts![/i]

[Payne]

Of course it is alright, that was the point. And, the gimmick name is Payne, but, real name is Brad McLeod. Take your pick. I do love this stuff, and, with the way you have incorporated r/l with this before, I figure I would do that. All good, and looking forward to....well....everything.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="5"]"Bulldozed"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] [i]Because [b]Vendetta[/b] is a "B show", the write-up will be less detailed. This show is oriented most of all towards momentum building, then to trying new matchups and diversifying screentime. [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT] will continue to operate as the vehicle that drives the company. Hopefully this will stop the bleeding, but I'm not optimistic... after all, paying Chris Caulfield 12k a month is a lot of blood to lose... not to mention the contracts of [b]Eddie Peak[/b] and [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] both coming up for renewal, with [b]Emma Chase[/b] and both members of [b]The New Wave[/b] to follow not long after that. Here's to hoping I don't come to remember February as the "Glory Days..." Writeup from [u][i]dave.com...[/i][/u] [quote] [CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DaVE:[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT="Century Gothic"][B]Vendetta![/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER] [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Saturday, Week 1, March 2007, Held in front of 1,700 fans at Arkansas Coliseum...[/FONT] [CENTER][B][u]Dark Match: Steve Flash vs Black Eagle[/u][/B][/CENTER] Result: Black Eagle d. Steve Flash w/ a [b]New Jersey Turnpike[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: No good reason not to put this one on the main show. This match was allowed to give the booking crew some time to isolate Eagle's performance outside of the tag arena, and it was felt that Flash would maximize his positives and give us a sense of his ceiling from a purely skills-oriented point of view. As expected, he performed beautifully, dominating the match from above and putting Flash away in the seventh minute.[/i] [b]Rating: C[/b] [CENTER][B][u]Dark Match: Guide vs "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/u][/B][/CENTER] Result: Guide d. "Bulldozer" Brandon Smith w/a [b]Guided Missile[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: Nemesis was still sitting next to me when this match started and while we usually maintain a more or less unbroken stream of commentary and derogative, sarcastic chatter, during this match he spoke only two words, and I spoke only one: "Holy ****." "Yeah." We gave Guide instructions to take his cues from Brandon, to put him through his paces and give him plenty of opportunities to show his stuff, and then put him away relatively quickly, especially if he felt the match was starting to drag. Guide let it go for a full nine minutes, and we wished it had gone longer. It was probably after the atomic drop/clothesline from hell combination that we realized Brandon could wrestle. The perfectly executed stall suplex demonstrated that he could wrestle well. The knee tackle/ankle lock chain showed that he could link brawling with matwork. He used submission moves, rest holds, strong slams.... at the end of it, I was sure we'd seen the match of the night. Nemesis had tried to explain to me that this kid was something special, but it was clear to both of us that "special" wasn't gonna cut it. This kid was a star.[/i] [b]Rating: C+[/b] (Highest rookie debut rating in my booking career, especially when debuting against a midcarder!!) [CENTER][B]**MAIN SHOW**[/B][/CENTER] [i]Still sitting motionless with my notepad blank on my lap, it occurred to me that no matter what happened over the course of the rest of the night, it'd likely be remembered as an afterthought. DaVE had changed, just like that. Even if no one knew it yet but me, Nemesis, Guide, and a few of the more attentive fans. As the backstage workers set up for the next match, I could barely concentrate. My brain was humming, trying to figure out how high the ceiling for this Brandon guy might really be. One thing was already clear - the usual "wait and see how he does for six months" strategy wasn't going to work... we needed to get this guy on TV. I resolved to call Mark after the show and set up a meeting, and forced myself to focus on the rest of the show.[/i] [CENTER][B][u]#7 Joey Minnesota vs Johnny Martin[/u][/B][/CENTER] Result: Joey Minnesota d. Johnny Martin w/a [b]Minnesota Salute[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: Ah, that [b]Minnesota Salute[/b] jawbreaker is painful looking, and Johnny sold it like it knocked most of his teeth out. Pure momentum builder for Minnesota and exposure builder for Martin. We're still unclear on how to use Martin... he seems like he'd best fit as some sort of a midrange tag wrestler, but we haven't been able to decide on a partner for him. Minnesota, on the other hand, is destined for big things in the very near future and puts another win under his belt with this one.[/i] [b]Rating: C[/b] Mark Cuban hits the ring and welcomes everyone to [FONT="Century Gothic"]Vendetta[/FONT], which he promises will be real, hard-hitting action every bit as gripping as what DaVE fans are used to with [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV[/COLOR][/FONT], and to prove that anything can happen on Vendetta, he's going to offer one lucky DaVE wrestler a title shot tonight in this very ring. I never fail to get irritated when authority figures make reference to something happening in "this very ring". I always wanted to book a segment where the authority promises something really great, and then says "But it won't happen in THIS very ring! It'll happen in some OTHER very ring! And you will very not be able to see it! Eat a ****!" But I'm a bad man. Anyhow, Mark unveils the [b]"Wheel of Fortune"[/b], which is a name I couldn't talk him out of no matter how much I explained that he really didn't need the Vanna White jokes chasing what has already been a rapidly increasing number of internet forum jokes about his sexuality. But he's the boss. Anyhow, the wheel is divided into different slices based on Power Rankings, with Big Cat Brandon occupying the biggest chunk of the board. Mark explains that this is further proof that the Power Rankings matter, and that those who do well will be rewarded. With that, he spins the wheel to determine who will face [b]Eddie Peak[/b] in a match for the [b]Unified Championship[/b] later tonight! The wheel spins, spins, spins... slows down on [b]Acid[/b], almost stops in [b]Big Cat Brandon's[/b] massive chunk of real estate, and finally stops in in the comparatively slender sliver of the wheel dedicated to [b]Chris Caulfield[/b]. The crowd pops, but not nearly as large as they would've for one of the other two. [b]Angle: Match Announcement. Rating: B[/b] [CENTER][B][u]#4 Eric Tyler vs Vin Tanner[/u][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]**HARDCORE MATCH**[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Eric Tyler d. Vin Tanner w [b]The Weight of Tradition[/b] [i]Jack's Notes: Shaking his head, glaring at Cuban on his way down the ramp and ranting about that "***-***ed wheel thing" on his way to the ring, a clearly fired up Eric Tyler does a thorough job of putting away a somewhat tired-looking Vin Tanner. Tanner has been relying on wily veteran moves (predominantly playing possum and using his cane as a weapon) to defeat younger opponents, and has absolutely no luck deploying these tactics against the crafty Tyler, who generates huge heat by taking "Old Man" Tanner's cane away and busting him open with it. Tyler lays a totally unnecessary choke down on the old man that has the crowd chanting "A-Hole", dismissively pins him and poses on the turnbuckle with his cane, leering at Cuban and spouting threats.[/i] [b]Rating: C[/b] Jack Giedroyc has a title defense against Travis Century, and he hits the ring first. He's stomping around with his belt and his strange helmet, when Century hits the ramp with a mic and orders the back to stop the music. Glaring at Giedroyc, Century raises the mic to his lips. "Giedroyc," he begins in a growling baritone, "I hear you've started calling yourself [b]"The Wrath of God."[/b] Well, as [b]"The Devil's Right Hand"[/b], I don't take so kindly to that." Giedroyc peers back at Century. "You are right. There is a logical inconsistency to your being the Hand of the Devil and my being the Wrath of God. But I think you are lying. For one, you don't have any hair." Century: "What does that have to do with anything?" Giedroyc: "You can't claim to be popular with your diety if he has chosen to take your hair. Also, God has shown me that you have a very small peni - " Century: "ENOUGH. You will taste HELLFIRE!" Giedroyc: "AND YOU WILL TASTE RED LICORICE!" (the two men charge eachother) [b]Angle: Jack Giedroyc is ****ing NUTS. Rating: B-[/b] [CENTER][B][u]#6 Jack Giedroyc vs Travis Century for the DaVE Brass Knuckles Title[/u][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]**HARDCORE MATCH**[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Jack Giedroyc d. Travis Century w/ a [b]Crashing On[/b] to retain the [b]DaVE Brass Knuckles Title[/b] [i]Jack's Rating: This match was closer than the previous, but still not that close. Jack's fighting style has changed - he's much meaner than before. He pulled his helmet off several minutes into the match and nailed Century with it, which split him open almost immediately, then straddled him and continued to hammer away with it. The match was weak from a technical perspective and got most of its pop from strong psychology rather than strong wrestling, mostly due to the continually weak repertoire of moves from Century, who continues to underperform and has found himself a bit in the doghouse with the booking team lately. The crowd seems solidly behind this new, meaner, crazier Giedroyc and continued to cheer him as he rolled the bloody Century from the ring at the conclusion of the match and posed for the crowd.[/i] [b]Rating: C-[/b] [CENTER][B][u]The Wolfpack vs The McWades[/u][/B][/CENTER] Result: The Wolfpack d. The McWades when Art Reed d. Dean McWade by submission w/a [b]Dreadlock[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Crappy match. ANOTHER crappy tag match. I know I can't blame Art Reed for this one, who seemed like he was moving in doubletime compared to the plodding McWades and the continually disappointing Shawn Gonzales. I don't know what to make of the Reed/Gonzales debut effort. No real bad chemistry to speak of (though they weren't exactly popping as a team either), but unquestionably poor results. The McWades are two more wrestlers having a hard time transitioning into Cuban's leaner, faster-moving version of DaVE, and came off like a pair of sweating hippos in this ugly grapple-fest. This is an unacceptable effort, especially this far up the card, and the McWades are officially on my blacklist.[/i] [b]Rating: D[/b] Nemesis and Eddie Peak do a joint hype session threatening Caulfield, who Nemesis describes as a "perennial loser" and "low weight also-ran". Peak, for his part, takes the mic and goes on a bit about "fins slicing through dark water" and "the smell of blood and panic". It's scary and makes no sense, as per the usual. Eddie has really gained credibility in this character, and the crowd responds as much to his physical characteristics - the dead eyes and bright teeth - as much as his scary smile and understated, almost purring delivery. [b]Rating: B[/b] [CENTER][B][u]#1 Eddie Peak vs #8 Chris Caulfield[/u][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]**CASKET MATCH**[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Eddie Peak d. Chris Caulfield by putting him in a casket. [i]Jack's Notes: Cuban gives me an inch and I take a mile. Since he was generous or foolish enough to let me start booking wrestlers in gimmick matches, I've pushed it further and further out. And the fans respond. Caulfield isn't a good wrestler, but he knows how to work this sort of a show. Most of the match takes place outside the ring near where the casket is located and features a lot of apron work and steel step-related moves, with Peak nailing a great snap DDT into the steps and Caulfield following a backdrop onto the casket with an elbow drop off of the apron that Peak dodges and leaves me almost entirely sure Caulfield has shattered his elbow. Caulfield gives Peak a good challenge before the Peak of Perfection leaves him in the casket and out. The show closes with a victorious Peak in the ring with Nemesis, and the announcers again speculating whether he can be stopped.[/i] [b]Rating: C[/b] [b][u]Show Rating: C-[/b][/u] [i]This show could've and should've done better, though a "C-" rating is more than acceptable outside of the Tri-Cities, but the crap tag match really dragged us down. Additionally, the total absence of "plotline" matches is something we probably don't want to repeat - I was so excited to try out new pairings that I pretty much threw away the opportunity to build some heat. Next week. There is always next week. At least until I get fired or thrown under a bus. In this business, sometimes those can happen at the same time.[/i] [/quote]

[Tigerkinney]

Can't believe it's taken me this long to read up on this one, it passed me by the first time ..I think I read the first page and thought who's the hell is this Mark Cuban ? (Since read up on him in Wikipedia) , thought it sounded kind of intriguing but never really went back to it, then I saw it pinned but it was finding the time to sit down and read through all 9 pages of this thread. Last night and today, I made the time and I'm glad I did, as I'm sure you don't need me telling you this... thi is an absolute gem of a diary. You've made DAVE, which I thought was a bit of a stale hardcore fed interesting. And you've given a major push to ACID !...major props for that :) This diary is so good, I'm weeping inside as to how I can remotely get my one up to this level.

[Wallbanger]

[QUOTE=Monkeypox;198961] Century: "ENOUGH. You will taste HELLFIRE!" Giedroyc: "AND YOU WILL TASTE RED LICORICE!" [/QUOTE] I haven't laughed that hard in years... I freaking LOVE this gimmick!!!

[D-Lyrium]

Bwaha, I love the new Giedroyc. Great debut for Brandon too. Might want to change his name for TV though, so as to not be confused with a certain large feline. Not that there's any real similarity. Vendetta is probably a good idea, in the long run. Have to say though, Deranged Psycho vs Tommy Dreamer... in a casket match? A bit random, methinks. Maybe I'm just too used to casket matches being reserved for guys with gothic gimmicks. Doesn't necessarily have to be the case.

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="5"]"Upside"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/center] Mark was able to fit me into his schedule a few days later, as basketball had held him down in Texas for most of the week. Even though we only had seven minutes of video to work with, I took it to the limits of deconstruction, teaming with Nemesis to explain [i]exactly[/i] why we're so excited about [b]"Bulldozer" Brandon Smith[/b], how sophisticated his footwork is, how much upperbody strength he shows, how quickly he's capable of crossing the ring and how well he changes direction for such a big guy, and, most of all, the intangible but indisputable presence of the "It Factor", that unidentifiable thing that gets the crowd behind some guy with a bad peroxide job that they've never seen before. It was clear by the end of the match that they liked this guy and they wanted him to win. From a wrestling perspective, he was way ahead of the curve. From a charisma perspective, he was pulling his weight. The short version of the long story was that [b]Nemesis[/b] and I were in agreement that this was the most promising rookie DaVE had seen in a long time, and that we had a unique opportunity to lock up what could eventually be a star in exactly the DaVE mold - big, tough, brutal and charismatic. In essence, this guy could be [b]Nemesis[/b] all over again. Mark listened for a long time without comment, tapping his fingers against his chin and nodding at most of what we said. It's never easy to tell how much of the technical stuff Mark actually follows, but he swallowed the main point: This guy looked like something special. We wrapped up our presentation and waited for him to react. He stared at the ceiling, rocked his chair back and forth for a moment, and exhaled. "Okay, so what's the ceiling on this kid? I mean, how high could his upside really be?" I thought about it for a second before answering. "Well, on the one hand, he was in the ring with [b]Guide[/b]. That's a guy who knows how to pull off a good match and make other people look good. If we put [b]'Dozer[/b] in a match with someone less polished, he'd likely perform more predictably. A match with Hell's Bouncer or Tank Bradley might be better for sizing up what we should think of as "normal" expectations for a Dozer match." "On the other hand, he got that match rating without any special chemistry with Guide, without any momentum, without any push, without anyone even knowing WHO HE WAS, and we told both he and Guide to hold back and not give it their all. It was a dark match, for crying out loud." Mark nodded. "Okay, you've got... what... 48 hours until the next show? Book him in a match and figure out a gimmick. He's going on TV." I sighed. That was a lot of work to do in 48 hours. The guy was still an opener. Mark continued. "And Jack, I want you to give him the sort of match that will let us know how high the ceiling really is. I want to see the best this kid has to offer, and I want to see it soon. We don't have time to wait - I want to know if this kid is the future or the present." I smiled. "Roger that. I could have him in a plotline with Giedroyc or Minnesota tomorrow if we needed. And I could make it fly." Mark nodded. "That's good, but first I need you to show me what we really have. Then we can talk about Giedroyc and Minnesota." [i]From [u]dave.com[/u]...[/i] [QUOTE][SIZE="3"]THIS WEEK ON [FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="DarkRed"]DANGER ZONE TV![/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE] [CENTER][u][FONT="Arial Narrow"]CONFIRMED MATCHES[/u][/FONT] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] It's a tape trader's dream as [b]#9 Art Reed[/b] and [b]#3 Acid[/b] square off on [FONT="Arial Black"]DANGER ZONE[/FONT] in a match with major implications in the power rankings! Even more.. will [b]Acid's[/b] enemies, who have unsuccessfully pursued the masked man throughout recent weeks, seize on this opportunity to strike? [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/HellsBouncer.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [b][i]DaVE Brass Knuckles Champion[/i] Jack "The Wrath of God" Giedroyc[/b] has been drawing attention to himself for increasingly erratic behavior following a head injury at [FONT="Impact"]March Into Battle![/FONT] Will this newfound intensity translate to another win as he faces young monster [b]Hell's Bouncer[/b] in a title match? Also in action.... [b]Eddie Peak! Adrenaline Rush! Some guy named Bulldozer![/b] [b]BE THERE.[/b] [/QUOTE]

[Monkeypox]

(thanks for the nice comments, guys... esp. you, Tigerkinney! Your NOTBPW diary is nothing to sneeze at! Even if I needed to sneeze, I would hold it in, as not to offend what I think is a very fine effort!) (and I like Giedroyc too... to answer the earlier question, his character is a loose parody of [b]Aguirre: The Wrath of God[/b]...) (If you don't know what that is, you need to wikipedia it...)

[Payne]

Oh boy, a Brass Knuckles Championship on Danger Zone. Too bad "The Child of Nepotism" is going to defend it with the dumbest gimmick ever against The Wall that is Hell's Bouncer. No, kids, I didn't mean that he is built like one, I meant that he [I]moves[/I] like one. Three steps and he's blowing like the Big Bad Wolf. In a bad way. And, what's with the Wrath of God character? I mean, look at what DaVE has become, stealing gimmicks from crappy German movies!!! This new booker is really out of his element. And the only "hardcore" Cuban knows about is, maybe, the porn he rents at his hotel room when his team loses another game. Come to think of it, that's a lie. The Mavericks suck more than any porn star I have ever seen. And, stinking up a TV near you, the most original thing to hit wrestling: A washed up football star thinks he can wrestle. Ooooh, the drama. And, you have to love the fact that Eddie Peak is going to be at the show. Thank God for small favours. Mind ya, he'll probably just put over the new DaVE Golden Boy, Acid. HA! There's a scenario. A Canadian trying to do a Japanese "Me so Mystical" gimmick, trying to be a Super Junior, in [I]DANGER AND VIOLENCE EXTREME!!![/I] Christ, this guy should go to OLLIE, just to get his ass handed to him, then sent to WEXXV for killing the legitimacy of Masked wreslting. Who comes up with this stuff? Oh, yeah, Jack Avatar. BTW, who the hell is this guy? And what "Greater Power" decided he is better than Nemesis at booking? Man, I have seen Nemesis at shows. He's a really nice guy. And now his legacy is getting trampled by a Billionaire Rich Kid and a nobody hack. Don't even get me started on Tyler. Somewhere, the Lord of Hardcore, Phil Vibert, is weeping.

[Payne]

Just so everyone knows, I am writing posts like the last one as a gimmick. You'll see.

[Monkeypox]

Hi everyone... I'm saddled with an ultimate TEW destroyer in the form of [b]HOUSEGUESTS[/b]. The show will go up on Monday. Sorry for the delay but I just... can't... get... away from these people. :(

[Payne]

Oh, man. I hate TEW wrecking house guests. Don't they know something more important is going on!?!?!@?!

[Gozer]

Can't you get Ryland to do a mass anal distention or something?

[ccgmacc69]

Jack Griedroyc's gimmick also reminds me of the movie Frailty. this is a freakin brilliant diary man. I just started reading this yesterday and I'm kicking myself for not jumping in sooner.

[Gozer]

Dude, it's so totally TUESDAY now. I understand you have houseguests and all, but kick them out and POST!

[Payne]

Was it something I said? lol

[Monkeypox]

[CENTER][B][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="5"]"1000 Ways To Say I Told You So"[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] Weird news coming over the wire today. Tommy Cornell made a rare press appearance to cop to rumors that his company, TCW, is in serious financial trouble, and in recognition of their declining influence in the wrestling market, he's been forced to let a few of his wrestlers go. Of course, me, Danny Jilefski and Richard Eisen were glued to the TVs like the soulless vultures we are during the news (even if our TVs are much different sizes), waiting to hear who was dropping. Of the workers getting the axe, we're only really interested in a few (sorry, [b]Frankie Huggins[/b])... some guy who calls himself [b]The Iceman[/b] and long term favorite [b]American Elemental[/b] are both suddenly available. AE isn't necessarily a good fit, especially for the "old" DaVE, but the sleeker, Acid-dominated new model might have room for such a high quality high flier. We wouldn't be able to match him up with half of our roster, but he might be worth a look. We'll at least see what he's asking for, and put both men on our shortlist. In other news, blogger [b]Doggerall Payne[/b] has struck again. This guy [b]Payne[/b] was a huge DaVE mark during the high water moments of the Vibert years, and he started what was, at the time, the best known of the "unofficial" DaVE websites. We liked him enough that we gave him all sorts of special perks - interviews, promotional materials, free tickets, whatever. But when we started running out of money and ratings started dropping, he gradually picked up his level of criticism. Eventually, Vibert tried to shut him down. It got really ugly, really fast, and the lawyers sided with him. He's still out there, taunting us, calling for my head. Cuban didn't know about him until today, when he zinged us with another post from his blog, calling me a nobody hack and calling for Nemesis to take over, which is something a lot of guys in the industry would like to see. Including Nemesis. Anyhow, Mark is p***ed and calling for the guy's head. Too bad we tried that already - he was too slippery. [CENTER][SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Arial Black"]DANGER ZONE TV[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER] [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Week 2, March, 2007, Live from Pennsylvania Park (Tri State) in front of a sold out crowd of 2,000![/FONT] [CENTER][B][U]Dark: Adrenaline Rush vs JD Morgan and Nathan Coleman [/U][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]DaVE Tag Title Match[/COLOR][/CENTER] Result: Sammy Bach d. JD Morgan with a [b]Bach on your Back[/b] to retain the titles. [i]Jack's Notes: This edition of DANGER ZONE may go down as the "reality episode". Basically, the new booking theory is simple - if I think you're gonna put on a good match, you get a booking. If you can't give me that sort of security, I'll see you on [b]Vendetta[/b]... or here, in dark match land. It's a real sign of my lack of confidence in the current tag champs that they find themselves defending the belts during a dark match, but there you have it. Of course, as soon as I move away from them they manage a serviceable match with two veteran heels who I'm considering making fulltime fixtures in the sagging tag division. JD Morgan, in particular, put on a good and convincing show as a cottonmouthed British heel, grinding his bootheel into pretty boy [b]Sammy Bach[/b]. The heels fall for the usual Emma Chase boobie routine and the champs retain in a solid opening match.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [CENTER][B][U]Dark Match: Guide vs Steve Flash[/U][/B][/CENTER] Guide d. Steve Flash w/a [b]Guided Missile.[/b] [i]Jack's Results: Guide continues to quietly build up momentum with another very solid dark match win, this time over Steve Flash, who I have come to think of almost automatically as [b]Steve Nash[/b], a veteran Canadian pointguard who also features the ability to make everyone around him look better despite a very bad haircut. Too bad I can't work that into a gimmick. [b]Scout[/b] and [b]Guide[/b] are screaming for another big push, but I've already sent them up against [b]Adrenaline Rush[/b] twice at PPVs and I can't really justify doing it again.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [CENTER][B]***MAIN SHOW***[/B] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The show opens with Jack Giedroyc alone in the ring with his helmet on and a mic in his hand. He addresses the audience to start the show. "Hello, Pennsylvania, brothers beloved of the [b]Wrath of God[/b], who I am and will continue to be. I have been informed that today I will be defending my title against the individual known as [b]Hell's Bouncer[/b], who continues to refer to himself by this name even though he is now a full 19 years old, and both of his parents agree that he should've outgrown this name by now." Jack pauses, squinting into the camera. "Many people think that "Hell's Bouncer" means the man who stands at the Gates of Hell itself, checking IDs and keeping out the underaged girls." [b][i]"This is not the case![/b][/i] The name "Hell's Bouncer" actually refers to something else... the favorite nickname of a very lonely boy for his favorite pogo stick! So I will not be calling you by this name tonight, sir, but by your real name.... [b]RAYMOND PICKLEPUMPER[/b]!" The music of [b]Hell's Bouncer[/b] hits the jumbotron in growling baritone and the lights go red as the trenchcoat wearing behemoth appears at the top of the ramp, lit demonically from below. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/HellsBouncer.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [b][i]"MY NAME IS HELL'S BOUNCER."[/i][/b] His voice is grating and deep. Jack laughs. "Whatever you say, Raymond. Come get yourself some of God's Wrath." (Hell's Bouncer runs to the ring and the match begins) [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: Giedroyc ain't getting any more normal. Rating: B-[/COLOR] [CENTER][B][U]#6 Jack Giedroyc vs Hell's Bouncer[/U][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]Hardcore Match for the DaVE Brass Knuckles Title[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JackGiedroyc.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/HellsBouncer.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Jack Giedroyc d. Hell's Bouncer w/ a [b]Crashing On[/b] to retain the [b][i]Brass Knuckles Title[/b][/i]. [i]Jack's Rating: Reality night continues as I let Giedroyc loose on Hell's Bouncer, using his superior speed to stay out of the big man's reach and lay in hits of his own, ducking a clothesline and landing a neckbreaker that set up a wide variety of nasty chairspots, ending with a bulldog onto a chair that sets up the finisher and the win, and all in eight minutes. I've been displeased with Hell's Bouncer lately, and while I have no doubt that he's a fixture of the future of DaVE, I've decided to send him a not-so-subtle message by letting Giedroyc outclass him on live TV. Predictably, Giedroyc looked like a star while HB continues to look... slow.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C[/COLOR] [CENTER][B][U]#7 Joey Minnesota vs #5 Shawn Gonzales[/U][/B] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/JoeyMinnesota.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ShawnGonzalez.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Joey Minnesota d. Shawn Gonzales w/a handful of tights. [i]Jack's Notes: Reality continues to bite disappointing wrestlers... this time Shawn Gonzales does the lie-down duty for his underwhelming recent outings, but seems to have gotten the hint, as he and Minnesota carry the crowd to a main-event level match that does a lot to extend Gonzales' chances of extending his lease on the main event scene, as he finally finds his rhythm against the younger worker and takes him to the limit before getting rolled up with a handful of tights in a clear robbery that leaves the audience booing and keeps Gonzales from taking much of a momentum hit in this very close loss against a surging Joey Minnesota. Minnesota, for his part, continues to overperform and make his case for a bump up to the main event. I'm starting to wonder how he might look wearing the [b]Brass Knuckles Title[/b] around his waist. Any takers?[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: B-[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Nemisis.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Eddie Peak and Nemesis are lounging together in the backstage area, biting the heads off of bats or whatever they might do in their spare time together, looking huge and menacing and not at all welcoming. The door opens, and in walks [b]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/b], carrying what seems to be a casserole dish in this hand. With a huge smile on his ruddy, All-American face, he strides right up to a shocked Eddie Peak and sticks out a hand for shaking. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Dozer: "Hi! I'm Brandon Smith, but you can call me the Bulldozer!" Eddie Peak (rises slowly from his seat with that hungry, dangerous smile on his face and answers in a flat, almost purring voice): "Hello. I am Eddie Peak. You can call me Eddie Peak." Dozer: "That's great and nice to meet ya! I like that you use your real name, that's classy. Me, I go by [b]The Bulldozer[/b], mostly, but you can call me [B]Dozer[/B] or [B]B-Doozie[/B] or [B]Big Dozer Bee[/B] or even [B]El Dozerino[/B] if you aren't into that whole brevity thing..." Eddie: (smile widens) Dozer: "So hey, the missus whipped up some casserole and I gotta say, she knows her some casserole! Here, have a taste! That's right, don't be shy!" (shoves the casserole dish towards Eddie) Eddie: (stares at the casserole for a moment, then extends a thick finger, scoops up a handful and mashes it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully) "I like little marshmellows. They are like little children." Dozer: (totally doesn't notice) "Right, well, I've just moved down here from Minnesota and I got a stomach full of butterflies, you know? It's a big day for ol' Dozerino and - " Eddie: (puts an arm around Bulldozer) "You are new and I want you to visit me in my home. Do you want to visit me in my home, my little marshmellow?" Dozer: "Hell, that's a new one for me, ain't no one ever called me little anything on account of my being so big and all, but I suppose Tiny Lister got called Tiny and he was pretty darn big, you know? They musta meant it all sarcastically and - " Eddie: (purring) "Come to my home. Come to my home." Dozer: "Okay, I'll come to your house any time! Hey, it sure was nice to meet you!" (walks out) Nemesis: "What's it gonna be, Eddie?" Eddie: (smiles, licks casserole from his fingers) "Blood match." [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C-[/COLOR] [CENTER][B][U]#1 Eddie Peak vs Big Bulldozer Smith[/U][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]First Blood Match[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EddiePeak.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BulldozerBrandonSmith.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Eddie Peak d. Big Bulldozer Smith when Bulldozer starts bleeding following a [b]Widow's Peak[/b]. [i]Jack's Notes: Well, Mark asked me to see what the kid can really do, that's what we're gonna try to do. Smith comes to the ring with absolutely no idea what he's in for - I'm not even sure he understands the match stipulations - and spends an awfully long time waving to the crowd and playing like a hometown hero. He again extends a hand to the still grinning [b]Eddie Peak[/b], who takes it, shakes, and absolutely flattens him with a lunging headbutt that scores on the bridge of the nose and almost sends Brandon home early... from there, it's all Peak for the first few minutes until Brandon suddenly gets his feet under him and reverses a piledriver attempt into a vicious powerbomb that sends Eddie scurrying to the outside of the ring in shock. From there, it's more of a back-and-forth affair but an absolutely brutal one, with Bulldozer shaking the entire ring with a turnbuckle avalanche on Eddie that leads to a long two count (with an absolute explosion of "I can't believe this is happening! It's a revolution in DaVE RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES" style commentary from the shocked announcers). Dozer takes Peak to the edge before Nemesis manages to nail him with a chair and he stumbles into the [b]Widow's Peak[/b] a bearhug/headbutt combination that leaves him bloodied and Peak standing triumphant in the center of the ring, badly wounded but victorious after a surprising 19 minute slugfest. We find out where the ceiling on this guy really is, as his match with Peak as an opener gets the same pop as Peak's epic PPV match-up with [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] at Vibert's farewell. This kid is real.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: B[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/BigCatBrandon_alt.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] After the match, Nemesis hits the ring and the two lay boots into a badly bloodied [b]Bulldozer[/b] as the crowd boos. There's a huge pop as [b]Big Cat Brandon[/b] charges the ring without any warning, sending Nemesis over the side with a nasty [b]Big Cat Pounce[/b] and driving Peak out of the ring with a roaring, high-octane offense. Big Cat Brandon paces through the ring and stares at the champ before helping [b]Bulldozer[/b] to his feet as Peak and Nemesis retreat up the ramp, smiling and plotting. [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: Brandon saves Dozer from a Peak/Nemesis Assault. Rating: C+[/COLOR] [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/markcuban.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] After the blood as been scoured from the ring, Cuban comes down the ramp to a moderate pop and explains that [b]Acid[/b] will be in action against [b]Art Reed[/b], and warns [b]Eric Tyler[/b] that he doesn't want to see any interference from him or any other members of the [b]School of Tradition[/b] during the match, and that any interference will result in suspension. [CENTER][IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/EricTyler.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Tyler hits the ramp to a mix of pop and heat... ([i]despite our best intentions, the DaVE purists in the audience (and influencial bloggers like [b]Payne[/b]) have started marking out for Tyler in a big way... I warned Mark that this might happen but he insisted on pushing Tyler as his on-screen Nemesis despite the off-screen animosity. As a result, both Cuban and Tyler are starting to become more and more like "tweeners".[/i] Tyler stares at Cuban, shakes his head, and laughs. "No problem, pretty boy. Me and my boys won't do anything during the match. We'll sit on our hands and eat cupcakes and braid eachother's hair... well hell, I ain't GOT no hair, but that's about the story, ain't it? You have your little hugging matches while we just sit in the back and pig out on the buffet, huh, tough guy?" Cuban stares back, speechless. "And would it kill you to get some goddamn Budweiser back there, Cubano? All your sushi is makin' the locker room stink like a ten dollar whore." Cuban is still speechless as Tyler heads backstage, still laughing. [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: C+[/COLOR] [CENTER][B][U]#3 Acid vs #9 Art Reed[/U][/B] [COLOR="DimGray"]Table Match[/COLOR] [IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/Acid.jpg[/IMG]-vs-[IMG]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p44/monkeypocks/ArtReed.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Result: Acid d. Art Reed with an [b]Acid Rain Bomb[/b] through a table. [i]Jack's Notes: That was rewarding. And the billing was right, this match was a tape-trader's dream. Acid and Reed both built their careers partially based off of a now famous series of matches on the indie circuit that I'll still occasionally YouTube when I'm feeling especially down about something and need a pick-me-up. This match was billed as a revisitation of those glory days, with both men thrilled to finally get the chance to let loose against an opponent of equal talent as Reed, in particular, has frequently been mired in recent matches by having to carry either his partner or his opponent. And I'm glad I gave them the chance. While Acid kept things interesting with an airborne assault, this was a very technical match, especially by DaVE standards, with a high number of reversals and chained moves. A lot of near misses on either side and a stint in the crippling and feared [b]Dreadlock[/b] for Acid, but Acid eventually manages to hit a long and high arching Acid Rain Bomb across a table-sprawled Reed to put the thing away. Stellar match and one of our best main events on DANGER ZONE.[/i] [COLOR="Sienna"]Rating: B[/COLOR] As Acid's creepy music plays and he prowls around the suddenly steamy and smoky ring awash in green and silver lights, [b]Eric Tyler[/b] hits the ramp with [b]Guide[/b] and [b]Scout[/b] flanking him and Acid's music cuts out. [CENTER][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] Tyler: "So... the way I figure it, we ain't supposed to interfere during your match, right? I got no problem with that, gives me more time to sit backstage and eat that stank-assed sushi stuff with my boys, here. But see, now I'm thinkin' that you ain't wrestlin' no more, so I can get with the interferin', butt-stompin' part of the evening. Get yer butt ready, freak, cuz I got my BIG boots on." (As Tyler and The New Wave start down the ramp, Acid calmly stands in the center of the ring, crosses his arms in front of him, and drops his head. Immediately, the ring fills with thick, billowing smoke and Acid is obscured from view.) Tyler (running forward): Oh no you don't. Not this bull**** again. (drops the mic, all three men charge the ring) (As the smoke clears and the show ends, the three men are alone in the ring, coughing, waving their arms to clear the smoke, and loudly swearing as Acid eludes them again) [COLOR="Sienna"]Angle: The School of Tradition attacks Acid but Acid escapes: B-[/COLOR] [b][u][COLOR="Sienna"]Show Rating: B[/color][/b][/u] [QUOTE][b]SHORT FORM[/b] [i]Adrenaline Rush d. Nathan Coleman and JD Morgan to retain the Tag Titles: C Guide d. Steve Flash: C #6 Jack Giedroyc d. Hell's Bouncer: C #7 Joey Minnesota d. #5 Shawn Gonzales: B- #1 Eddie Peak d. Big Bulldozer Smith: B #3 Acid d. #9 Art Reed: B[/i] Show Rating: B[/QUOTE] [i]Man, how many ways can I find to say "I told you so?" All those haters that said I should use the old guys, that I was bringing up the new guys too slowly, they can eat a ****. And Mark Cuban, look at these ratings, think real hard about what it meant to have a First Blood Match and a Table Match on TV, and then you go and eat a **** too. Just not my ****. **** equals... uh... taco? Foot? iPod?[/i]

[Payne]

Wow, what a show. I don't even know where to begin. Did I miss something? I read in the spoilers that the Tag Champs defended their titles in a dark match before the show. This, first off, is where I get a little hazy. Aren't the Tag Team Champs supposed to represent the best tag team in the company? And, if so, can someone tell me why they [I]were defended in a dark match?[/I] Shouldn't something like a title match be on the main show? Or, aren't title matches worthy of getting ratings? And, uh, speaking of grabbing ratings, since when is the Brass Knuckles title meant for curtain jerkers? At least the "[B]Wrath of Nepot[/B]ism" put on a good showing. [B]Joey Poison [/B]would be happy. [B]Hell's Bouncer[/B] looked as good as ever, which isn't saying much. Although....Raymond Picklepumper!!!! Where the hell did they get that from? Mind you, what was seen next, in the form of my personal favourite new kid [B]Joey Minnesota[/B] had a good match againt [B]Shawn Gonzalez[/B]. Well, good for, say, TCW, or CGC. While it was a great match, I still don't think it was DaVE worthy. And, therein lies the problem with DaVE today. I don't want to be an armchair booker, and just complain about a product, while never saying anything productive. SO, I say this, DaVE was about the alternative. If we wanted to see Emma shaking her boobies, or spot-filled gimmick matches, we would turn to the aforementioned TCW, or NOTBPW. Lord knows Eisen is all about T&A. But, in DaVE, we wanted that little extra touch of reality. The guys we saw in DaVe were killers. Bar brawlers. The might not have had the greatest looks in the wrestling industry, but we all knew they were bona fide tough guys. That's what brought out the mark in us, in the old days. Now, everyone knows that I used to have an "in" with [B]Vibert.[/B] Now, [B]Cuban[/B] and [B]Avatar[/B] probably want my head on a platter. But, I don't care. They tried that before. They can't get to me. So, I am going to continue this critique until something changes! Who's with me???? Oh, yeah, a blog. I type this alone. Nevermind. Back to the show. Well, I guess I have to say this, I was down on [B]Brandon Smith[/B] before he showed up. That was my mistake. I was in a bad mood when I wrote that before. That's not an excuse. I have always tried not to let my mood affect my writing. I am man enough to admit my mistake, and I am going to try and make amends for it here. At first, when [B]Smith[/B] walked into the room with a damned casserole (???) I thought I was going to vomit. But, leave it to the Living Legend [B]Eddie Peak[/B] to save an almost stupid segment. I guess it kind of makes sense for that gimmick, though. [B]Smith[/B] was an All American Boy, although I was surprised to see it was casserole, and not Apple Pie. Mind ya, I am Canadian, so I am one to talk, right? When I heard it was a First Blood match, I didn't know what to say. [B]Smith[/B] getting a gimmick match right away seems to be a little of the path for the "new" DaVE, but, with all that aside, I would say this was the best match since [B]Vibert[/B] left. Dear God, [B]Bulldozer[/B] can GO!!! And, with [B]Big Cat Brandon[/B] showing up at the end, did anyone else hope that those smiles between [B]Nemesis and Peak[/B] meant a tag match and the big man coming out of retirement? Hey, I miss bringing my "Nemesis makes bitches cry" posters to shows. Tyler still rules. Period. I wonder if the sushi comment has anything to do with my hardcore comment from my last blog. [B]Art Reed[/B] and my arch-rival [B]Acid[/B] were in a table match in the Main Event of the show. Now, granted, they put on a good show, but I still hate everything [B]Acid[/B] stands for. PPV predictions: I hope that [B]Acid[/B] gets put in his place, and [B]Tyler[/B] stomps the living crap out of him. Acid, being the Golden Child for Cuban is the only thing standing in the way of Tyler getting his hands on the Multi-Million-Dollar-Chumpstain. But, when that happens, MARK OUT CITY. Overall, this was a decent show, with some reminants of the old DaVE. But, one thing leaves me with a REALLY bad taste in my mouth....[B][I]WHO THE HELL TOLD SMITH TO GO FOR A PINFALL IN A FIRST BLOOD MATCH? AND WHY THE HELL DID THE REF COUNT??????[/I][/B] Vendetta report up soon.