Back in Business XVII (Jul '23).

Promo reviews and Comments.

Originally posted by Man.

The match I am most looking forward to is Jeremy Best and Krash. Both promos absolutely killed it and to grade I need to read them both again at least one more time. Dubb and Wolfie have absolutely killed it with this build up and I can’t wait to see how this concludes and where both go next.

I’ll not go for the obvious answer when saying what match is absent based on everything that has been going on and I’ll instead give a name of someone who I think should always be on show cards and that’s Uncle. Honestly, I’d have loved it if we were able to get Uncle vs Konchu in some way.

The commentary team should be all four commentators because I’ve already started writing my stuff with all four of them and I also have a say in deciding. IF it HAD to be two, then JLW and Price >>>>>>>>

I’ll not answer the last one because I’m planning on dropping some reviews next week so I’ll give proper thoughts then once I’ve read more.

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Originally posted by Rosie

As per a challenge by SS, a little deep thoughts with Rosie post:

Which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why (at least one sentence). can't be your own.

For this, I have to say the Buried Alive match is probably the one I have the most excitement for. Despite it being announced on the go-home show, it is one of the more longer-term builds and after reading both promos, which I'll mention after, I can see the result going either way.

Which match absent from the card would you have most like to have seen? can't involve your own character.

This answer is easy for me: Alyster Black vs Danny Toner. Take the scene from King of the Deathmatch, him returning and costing Aly his X Championship. A follow up would have not just been ideal, but a hype match after their barnstormer at Lights Out. But instead, Danny has his open challenge, Black goes into something with WP (I mean dragonperson is going to), and then there's this strange thing where Alyster Black announces "I'm going to be a CDW exclusive" but then appears the next week. Then gets the tag title match he wants the week after. Although the CDW show made that match make sense and FTN as tag champs was a big moment, I feel as though Toner v Black could have potentially been a straight-forward, yet still heated build. Things worked out in the end with an insane moment of a tag title change and the wonderful fever dream that was the Rawr and Bark off, but it also makes me think "What if?" What if there was a heated build between them, revisiting that feud and having it blow up at BIB? Would potentially be a contender for a Night One Main.

What should the comms team have been and why.

It may sound like a cop-out answer, but I wouldn't mind the idea of two commentators night one and two on night two. Thinking the Meltdown crew night one, Fallout team night two. If you want, add a guest commentator and have a play-by-play, a face colour, and a heel colour, because I think through my experiences watching wrestling, a four-man team is very chaotic and hard to flow. Even if it is written, that's what my head is thinking.

Which FIVE (+) promos did you enjoy and why did you enjoy them? can be one sentence reasons or more. can't be your own character or your character's opponent.


There's more promos I need to read, but there's some I have read already and found enjoyment from.
Jeremy Best: Krash and Jeremy: This is just a great yet chilling insight into Jeremy's obsession with Krash, turning from innocent to darker and darker. Multiple letters to Krash, him imagining them winning the tag titles, then a cold eulogy to end, playing into the stip. I think Best might be a contender for character of the year and that wouldn't be a controversial statement to make.
Krash: Para/Social/Site: This, much like Jeremy, was an engaging look into Krash's entire mental state with his death/near death experience and Jeremy's goddamn torture. It's gripping with great narration, not even needing Krash to talk much, but you just feel sympathy for him. You feel bad. Between both promos of this match, it's a masterpiece to me and it is a genuine SHAME that one of them will have to lose (or both get buried)
Trixie and Coven: Trixiana Jones: A fun parody promo with some great presentation (DANGIT! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE POSTED MY PROMO EARLY!, joke) and I think the moment which makes the promo is the "Who do you hate most?" moment, sort of just putting Trixie's insecurities out in the world (which I think the handler sometimes suffers from sadly <3) this is one promo where, if I "lose to it" yeah, zero complaints.
Speed Dating with the UX: Another trios promo I had a laugh with. Them being on "dates with the various opponents was fun. I think the only thing I wish for is maybe to see it expanded from slightly more. I think you guys only had half your word count, so you had room to pepper it with extra details and make some extra "pop."
Cyrus Truth: Exile Chronicles (Volume 5) The man who Tells the Tale: This promo I enjoy, almost loved because it is just a throwback promo to something that was common in most feds I've been in, yet just still grand. We have so many people go off the wall with creative story ideas (which is encouraged since it is worth one quarter of a promo score), but ironically, he breaks the mold a bit by going back to basics in a way. Just a character pouring his heart out, showing a lot of passion and that makes you connected to the character. He breaks the fourth wall a bit, almost saying "Hey, this over the top BS is a thing." But he strips it all down to the most simple part of the story, a man wanting to win his championship. I had several moments in this promo where I went "Oh snap!" with burns or just narrative points where I go "OH SHIT! HE'S RIGHT HE DOES SPEAK THE TRUTH!" Like, when a promo makes me yearn for nostalgia without even being there, a "simpler time," you've done well. Win or lose, fantastic work CT, and I guess I learned even with my match against you "You still got it," *clap clap clap*
Great work by a lot of people. I'm sure I'll read more promos sooner rather than later, but these are five of the ones I read and felt I could give some thoughts on.

Edit: I realized technically two are "opponents" (though opponents in a massive multi-man) I'll add a couple now:

Darius Wright/Death Walker:

First, something I always like is the accompanying of music to his promos. I think some auto storytelling can go a long way. But what I enjoyed about this promo was showing the connection to Darius, the "man" under the mask. The guy who is seemingly "dead" but just lays dormant. I think each promo from him generally has good to great development, expanding his lore which fits well in FWA.

Tommy Bedlam's promos: I'll just do general comments to the three, but I enjoyed them. The judge setting for the Western promo was a good start with it ending in a showdown at HIGH NOON AT THE ALAMO! HICKENBOTTEM! LE- Wait wrong place. The second felt just like him wrestling with the thoughts in his head. The last one.

Shawn wore a Houston Astros hat. Well played. For context: The Houston Astros in the year they won their first Championship were discovered later to have used a camera in center field of their home ballpark as a way to relay what pitch is coming to their batters. They signaled it with a bang of a trash can. Even if they won another world series with (hopefully) no shenanigans', they have been labeled as cheaters ever since.

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Originally posted by Dubb.

Match I'm Looking Forward To Most: Bedlam vs. Summers.

As many have stated over the past couple weeks (and even leading up to the reveal), this could've easily Main Evented Night 1. It's been an awesome, long running feud that I've enjoyed being able to watch develop over the weeks. I think we've seen some great character development from both guys during the course of this and capping it off with some mouth watering stipulations... can't wait for this.

Match I Would Like To Have Seen:

The Friendship Wrestling Alliance defending the tag titles...



But in all seriousness, I, like Beavie, expected Aly vs. Toner to be the match after Toner's return and the whole Fake Aly stuff. But I don't want to repeat something already said (yes, I already did, hush).

Maybe it's a bit of a copout answer because I know the behind the scenes of how we got to this point, but I think my biggest disappointment for the card is that I wish the tag title match had a little more development to it. I am not discounting the teams in it because they each deserved to be there, but for the last couple years the tag titles have been true main event level titles, including main eventing BiB N1 a couple years ago, so it's a bit disappointing to me that there wasn't more of a story involved instead of just a mostly random tag team match with a ladder thrown in to make it more interesitng.

What should the comms team have been?

I once again agree with Beavie - we have two nights of shows, no reason we couldn't have done Price & JL one night and Anzu and Sterling the other.

FIVE PROMOS (still working my way through them, but I'll highlight some here)

Tommy Bedlam: As I mentioned above, the build for this match has been awesome and I really enjoyed all three of Tommy's promos. I actually had his cowboy western theme the lowest of his three, which is not to say I didn't like it because I certainly did, but it's more of a testament to how much I enjoyed the other two. My favorite of the bunch was The Monster Inside Me because I loved the dive into Tommy's pysche and learning more about what he's capable of. We've seen some darkness in him in the past and this was a great way to dive into that some more as he prepares for a match for the X Championship. And circling it back to the dearly departed Bobby Ray was an awesome way to come back to that and again, remind us of what he's capable of. Then I also think his take on a Summers promo was really fun. I'd say the images in that one could've done with some resizing though.

Shawn Summers: Disappointed (but understand how it goes) that CBK didn't get to give us his spin on a Tommy promo because that would've no doubt been a lot of fun. But what CBK did give us was more of the usual really strong stuff. I'd say of the two, the standout for me was his take on the western theme and felt he really hit that one hard. Summers makes such an amazing villain that it can translate so well to any genre, and CBK captures him so well once again in the Old West.

Lizzie: Always have a soft spot for the Lizzie character, and I loved this grounded effort from AON, bringing a lot of fire from her here while also diving into some more character development as well. Knowing the torment she's had is an interesting mirror in a way almost to Krash's current situation to a certain extent actually. Similar to the Cyrus promo, I actually liked the more grounded, fiery content.

Keres: Keres meanwhile takes us on the high seas and, I have to say, Keres is certainly terrifying. The high seas adventure was a lot of fun and enjoyed the Dead Vessel metaphore throughout. The switch to the toddler Keres playing with her pirate ship and wanting to go play with her friend Lizzie was such a nice, creepy way to cap it off. Both of the promos for this match were nicely executed and certainly well suited for each of the characters.

FTN: Fuck these guys.

Unrightful tag champs.

But yeah, laughed a lot in this one. First and foremost, loved the 4th wall nod to the CYOA promos one of your opponents has such an affinity for. Legitimately laughed out loud at the first options especially. Then who knew a promo designed around Peacock figuring out how to climb a ladder could be so entertaining. But I also really liked that around the comedy was some character work between the two. This is still a developing friendship and I like the acknowledgement of that here and especially the continued confronting of the whole 'Krash' issue, especially after the developments this week.

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Originally posed by Cyrus Truth.

Which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why?
Krash verses Best. A feud born of a wicked heel turn, a year since the brutality of Krash and Ramon killing each other? Bring the violence.
Which match absent from the card would you have most like to have seen?
The All-Nephews Apocalyptic Battle, where we finally see the Nephews kill each other in a series of increasingly amazing stunts until one is left.
What should the commentary team have been?
Night One is Meltdown's team, joined by Uncle. Night Two is Fallout's team, joined by Konchu Hao in his absolute BEST tuxedo and mask.
I'll try and get some promos reviewed in a bit.

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Originally posted by SupineSnake.

#1 - Reagan Cole.

I'll start out by stating the obvious: there wasn't really a huge amount (to put it mildly) of focus on your opponents here at all. But, given the nature of the match, with a huge amount of potential combatants in the Trios Battle Royale, I think it made sense to focus on your own character. Character was where this promo was at its strongest, in my opinion: this piece really encapsulated a self-loathing attitude that I can relate to. It's minimalist scorn in itself is an astute comment on the apathy that often results from such feelings of inadequacy: Fuck Reagan Cole, as a concept, is one that cuts to the very bone of what it is to be alive, to be human, and to be insufficient.

It's important to remember that the Quality of Content category isn't just about match focus or even opponent focus. I always think the realism and truthfulness (lower case t) of a roleplay are important, too. The central thrust of the promo is one that I feel everyone can relate to. It's a feeling that I'm sure everyone has experienced at some point during their time in the FWA, elsewhere on the internet, or in the North-West at a GCW event. The universality of the promo is a testament to the writer's ability to evoke empathy and derision in equal measures.

From a presentation perspective, everything was spelled correctly and I couldn't spot any grammar errors (though I must admit, as I'm not grading this match I only skimmed the promo so there might have been some that I didn't spot). I also think an overlooked part of the category is how the words look on the page, how the letters interact with one another and the reader's retinas, as the information pours through their eyeholes and into their brain. I particularly liked the use of a 'curly c' and a 'kicking c' in partnership- the c-connection as it's known in traditional phonics systems. I thought words two and three were a little less aesthetically pleasing, but considered this to be a part of the writer's intent to evoke feelings of unease, anxiousness, and shame in their reader, something accomplished throughout the duration of the promo.

If I had to pick out some negatives, and I am being really picky here, I'd say that the promo was a little bit wordy in parts. I think sometimes less is more, and it's important to remember that when planning a roleplay like this one. Cutting one or two or even three words might've added to the promo in its totality rather than detracted from it. Also, it's obviously a shame that your two partner's no-showed.

Still, really good work, keep it up!

*

#2 - Trixie and the Coven.

Enjoyed the Indiana Jones theme of this one, but I wish that Trixie's assertion that it's always Nazis was true, which would mean only three films existed in the franchise. Three movies and a promo is more than enough. I thought you captured the adventure spirit of the source as well as some presentation elements whilst not going overboard with pastiche, which made this very much its own thing as opposed to a retread of the source material. It was definitely a good thing for creativity that this was a twist on a familiar theme, using recognisable elements, whilst telling its own story. Both this promo and the Yokai Death Squad promos had an adenvture-ish/quest vibe about them, which makes sense given the nature of the match and the multitude of adversaries to address. Both of them did a good job of using this structure to provide focus on opponents whilst also developing their own character.

Character was probably where this roleplay was at its most successful. I think you did a really good job of developing both the individuals within the trio and the dynamic between them (along with the peripherals not in the match). The individual focus was most clear during the climactic sequences, where each of the women are asked to confront what they hate the most after becoming separated. It was interesting to see the contrast in answers between Trixie's very internalised reply and the Ravenwood sisters, who were both very externalised in their responses. Thought Trixie's semi-monologue here was well done and retained some subtlety even if going for something quite emotive, and would like to have seen this built upon if the word count limit had allowed for it. Perhaps this is something we will see developed in future promos. The character has definitely come across as low on self-confidence but thought this self-loathing was more extreme in the roleplay than what we've already seen, progressing the character along nicely and giving us some more insight into what makes the characters tick.

The conversational dynamic was strong throughout the promo between the characters, and again implied some subtle contrast and conflict between Bordeaux and the Ravenwoods, as well as between the sisters as a direct result of it. Blair's reluctance to accept Trixie, and her inability to suffer her perceived foolishness, as a catalyst for general mistrust of KDS and in the stable as a whole was really well done. Good to see the development of the mechanisms within the group and perhaps suggestions of the hierarchy also. Excellent that you managed to weave in so much character work (both in terms of portrayal and development) whilst working within the three thousand word limit.

Presentation was helped out by the formatting of the PDF for sure, both in terms of the background and the opening banner (which, as I've already mentioned, helped place us within your chosen context). Enjoyed the images dotted throughout, thought these added to the tone of the promo (along with the font choice). These elements conspired in creating an almost child-like feeling to the adventure, which fits well with the Trixie character and the general sense of awe-struck wonderment with which she walks around during her interactions with the rest of the Coven. Think presentation would've improved with an additional proofread - a handful of small mistakes riddled throughout, one or two character names also which snapped me out of the dialogue when it happened. The instance with Ethel/Ethal was the most prominent one here.

I enjoyed the cameo of Kleio and Ethel at the end, and thought this had humorous foreshadowing with the Ravenwoods pondering where she has been. More development of these dynamics between the group's members. Coven and Trixie are both benefiting from this relationship, super interested to see the stable progress.

*

#3 - Chris Peacock vs. Cyrus Truth.

Excuse the rambling.

This very much felt like a climactic piece for both characters. For Peacock, it's an obvious closing chapter (except for the promised DLC, which I'm looking forward to and will feel cheated if we don't get) of the ongoing video game narrative Man's been running. This has obviously been an extremely creative thing - obviously longer running story arcs isn't a new thing entirely in efedding, but the way that Man has done it and how invested his writing has been in this one setting is something I've not seen before. Finishing the arc here gave you ample opportunities for resolution in your promo story, which maybe you could argue is lacking from the on-screen ones for the characters. For Cyrus, this felt like a climactic episode in a much grander sense, particularly through the ultimatum that Truth is placing upon himself in his 'do or die' attitude towards this match. Difficult to imagine an FWA without Truth in the upper echelons so I hope that doesn't come to pass in either result scenario, but playing heavily on that in the promo gave conclusiveness to the Truth roleplay to match Peacock's.

An image that stuck out to me in the Cyrus RP that exemplifies this: Cyrus sitting at his desk, surrounded by hand-written volumes. Certainly felt like direct allusion to Cyrus the handler doing the same thing, surrounded by the countless promos that he's done for the character, perhaps at the end of it all. Thought this image and others like it sprinkled throughout the promo made this a lot more creative than it might originally seem. I remember Jam and I did a promo for the Elite Classic tournament that had a similar stripped back vibe, discussing a meta that has become even more integral and amplified in the FWA in the years since. It's one that I've thrown myself into, too, as has almost everyone by this stage, and I liked that Truth addressed this within the text. The general approach was interesting and creative, you promised a deconstruction of the FWA meta and gave us one in a way that I thought was very fitting for the character. Loved the promo director guy pitching a western and how this was used to transition into Cyrus' discussions of the prevailing style in the fed. Don't know if this was done deliberately because of the stipulation in the X/TV title match but was well worked eitherway.

Have mentioned that this felt very true to Cyrus' character in that you've sort of made the monologue your own in the FWA in a manner where it has become synonymous with Truth almost. Guess that can be considered a good or bad thing, but think you're playing on that here which was very effective. Although it was a lengthy piece with mostly just Cyrus talking it was engaging throughout, mostly because of the routinely insightful and thoughtful ways that you deconstruct your opponents during these speeches.

Cyrus' character work was strong, particularly character portrayal I thought, and was thinking through the first half of Man's promo that maybe it was suffering on account of splitting its focus between the Christopher character and the Watcher character. This allowed for some good opponent focus in Man's promo but felt a little fragmented, as if we were being dragged away from Peacock just as we were beginning to get beneath the surface of the character. I think this was rectified in the sequence with multiple Peacocks, which for my money is the strongest part of the whole roleplay. Whilst fighting the battle within is a theme that’s maybe commonplace within the FWA (and was used by Cyrus as part of his CC promo amongst other examples), and representations of ‘dark sides’ manifesting as replicas initially felt a little ‘Shawnathon’, I thought the sequence found its feet as a deconstruction of Peacock’s character and the manner in which he fought them out of fear (fear for what he might be, almost in denial of himself) rather than courage was very unique and fitting. Felt the emotions/attributes chosen to represent Peacock by these replicas were excellent and just thought Christopher’s reaction to the entire situation felt so in keeping with what you’ve built. Self-acceptance was obviously a feature of my roleplay but you approached it in a very different way and with extremely different resolution. Usually I’d maybe feel this level of self-acceptance, almost a u-turn in comparison to where I felt the character was going into the promo, was a little unnatural and unrealistic, but think this sequence was so well-written as a sort of catalyst moment that it gave this climactic realisation enough realism to see it through.

I did think that after the strength of this interlude, we climbed back down a little from those heights for what should’ve been the climactic battle of the promo. I guess it still was, and was well-written enough (particularly enjoyed the ending and its use of short sentences to drill home the progression, something often employed by your opponent) to hold my engagement. It definitely felt like the true climax had already just happened (within Christopher’s mind, within a video game) in the prior sequence.

I thought the Cyrus Truth promo was cleaner in terms of overall presentation, although to pick out errors in the Peacock promo would be splitting hairs. A few sentences seemed to run away from Man (stuff like ‘Chris did X as he did Y as he did Z’, or just too many clauses for clarity), whereas Cyrus’ use of language felt more concise whilst still retaining flair (which was necessary, given that the flair had been quite deliberately removed from the rest of the promo). I do think than Man went a little more ‘above and beyond’ in terms of the overall look of the roleplay, although this is perhaps slightly dampened by the fact that it has now become expected as part of the Flight of the Peacock series.

I alluded earlier to Cyrus’ way of deconstructing his opponent, and think this was overall the strongest thing about his promo. Dwelling upon one line that Peacock delivered during the contract signing segment on the go-home Fallout, and from there unravelling both the character and his attitude towards the world championship that he carries, was a really clever way of approaching the match. It made the piece feel very relevant to events on-screen (not normally essential for me in a promo, but given the nature of this one and the theme I thought it was additionally important in this case) whilst also allowing you to feed into some of the key elements of Cyrus’ own character, specifically his attitude towards the FWA World Championship. I thought this promo was unbelievable for match focus. Flight of the Peacock had it, most obviously in the Watcher scenes, but it definitely felt more sprawling in its focus and a little fragmented in the first half. I thought the Truth promo was able to deftly negotiate character work and opponent focus in a very stripped back but subtly creative way.

Glad I don’t have to grade this one oh shit.

*

#4 - Katsu

Don't think there's any single setting that's as likely to immediately put me off a promo than a zoo but I stuck with it. I enjoyed the set up, with Katsu meeting all of the animals that happen to follow an FWA theme. Thought this was an entertaining introduction to the promo but would maybe have liked to have seen the focus more on characters with more of a direct link to Katsu? I don't know if that's quibbling, this was only the set-up to the promo and I enjoyed it. The focus shifts onto Vengador and I wondered how you were going to elongate this focus for the duration of the promo. The way you did, with the lion escaping the zoo, was a really inventive idea. I liked how this played on the Vengador character, using the lion - this creature that becomes hunted for what he's done to the police officer (yay) and then the lamb (boo) - to represent the bounty hunter. This was a novel way of portraying the predator-becomes-prey trope, which in itself was super in context for the upcoming match.

I enjoyed the revelation of Katsu's 'mentor', thought this was suitably enigmatic considering what we've seen from (or more accurately heard of) this side character so far, answering some questions whilst also asking some more. I think it is maybe true that Katsu has a large number of peripheral characters now, which I realise may be quite ironic for me of all people to point out. Think I'd like to see the ones you have developed further for the timebeing: this is something you've started to do well with some characters, particularly the Yokai Death Squad, but maybe (currently) less successfully with some of the others (i.e. Ririko (sp?) et al). Gotta avoid the dread Nephew fatigue.

Presentation-wise I thought this was a super clean promo, generally. It probably lacked some of the immediate flash of the YDS trios promo, but think there was much more clarity with the text here in terms of font colour and background choice. Maybe there's a middle ground that can be struck there between the two. But this was a noticeably clean effort in terms of spelling and grammar and one of my highest scoring promos (so far) on this card on that specific characteristic.

I think from a 'character' perspective, we are now really starting to get Katsu and her anxieties, insecurities, etc. Some of the best parts of this promo were her internal thoughts (which I think is a part of your game that has really developed - I get much more of a sense of the character's thoughts and feelings alongside her actions from these descriptive parts) as well as through the dialogue. This comes through her interactions with the mentor and then, at the promo's conclusion, with the lion itself. I thought this was quite a bold choice and could've come across as maybe clumsy but think you did more than a good enough job on that section to see the difficult scene through. I do think maybe Katsu having such difficulty putting the lion down was maybe insincere if just viewed through the lens of the Vengador metaphor: I don't believe that they've built up enough of a relationship to justify this yet, but think this indulgence can be forgiven on account of the portentousness that accompanies Back in Business.

This promo definitely felt like a step outside of the box for you whilst also remaining true to your individual writing style. For the first half of the promo, I felt certain that it was going to drop into a pretty standard structure of off-screen for the first half and then on-screen monologue for the second. There was a moment when the soliloquy started that I felt vindicated in this assumption, but then the swerve that led to the hunt section completed these formulaic fears. This felt like more of a uniquely structured and paced promo than recent Katsu pieces, which led to a less predictable and more engaging character piece. Really good work.

*

#5 - Krash vs. Jeremy Best

Given the intensely personal story that you’ve developed on-screen over the past year, I think it comes as no surprise that these are two very emotional promos that primarily consider the two characters involved and the relationship between them. In the Jeremy promo, that means viewing (through Jeremy’s eyes, which we now know are corrupted and perhaps even unreliable) Krash morph from hero into colleague, and then from there the relationship sort of takes on two dual routes. One is fantastical, viewing Krash as a partner, whereas the other, ‘real’ route sees Best turn his back on his friend and vow to destroy what is left of him. I thought this device - although in itself one that’s been employed a few times, sort of envisioning an alternate history within the fed - did well in contrasting Jeremy’s expectations with reality. We’ve seen him develop into someone who is definitely obsessive and quite manipulative, and it was interesting to look back at key events in this ‘friendship’ (some familiar, like the CIBERNETICO!, and other older memories that are new to the reader) with the warning signs for this progression highlighted.

When reading the first two thirds of the Dubb promo, I was reminded more than a little of Rupert Pupkin in the King of Comedy. In that film, Pupkin is an aspiring comedian who hosts a talkshow in his bedroom that he records, until eventually he kidnaps Jerry Lewis and holds him hostage to get on his show. Jeremy Best planning as a young man to be Krash’s tag team partner and eventually losing a part of his mind in order to make that a reality is an almost tragic story, and although you’d have a hard time fully convincing an audience to be sympathetic towards Best I think you did a great job here of providing background for this mental slide. I definitely felt like I understood Jeremy’s side of things more after reading this promo.

Whilst I envisioned Best as Pupkin during the Best promo, there were periods in the Krash one where this kidnapper is almost pitched as a Dahmer-type figure, a shrine made from his fallen enemies. I think Wolf did an amazing job of describing the terror that the character has undergone at Jeremy’s hands: the descriptive sections revolving around Him were amongst the very best in the roleplay. The capitalisation of these pronouns helped to reinforce what Jeremy has become in the White Wolf’s mind. These sections read, at times, like fragmented half-thoughts, like the meandering rambles of a mind now addled. Krash being unable to enjoy things that he used to enjoy (like in the video game scene), and throughout the promo unable to pick up where he left off with old relationships, helped to create a perfect picture of depression and abstraction.

This idea of old relationships now leaving Krash numb is something that runs through the promo and where a lot of its emotional punch lies. Seeing that with Alyster Black had force considering the long history between the pair and the closeness we’ve observed before Krash’s fall. The imagery around the journals amongst the gold was really powerful and again helped to reinforce this new frame of mind. I liked how the job fell to Violet to deliver the promo’s climactic monologue, doing so in order to try and convince Krash that the match is a good idea and might help him overcome his expressed difficulties. This was well written and Dreyer's points were in keeping for her character, but I thought Krash was perhaps dragged around from his nihilism to accepting the match a little too quickly. I actually thought sudden resolutions was an issue in both promos: Jeremy's also seemed to flip to reality from fantasy and then ended rather abruptly. Would've perhaps liked to have seen this section expanded upon rather than the sort of summary of the last few paragraphs.

Both promos took a straightforward approach towards presentation which I thought was fair enough given the raw and personalised content of both of them. The Dubb promo was noticeably improved in terms of presentation. Think it was clear this had undergone more careful proofing which helped keep me believing in the promo. The Krash roleplay was a little less clean, probably due to the time it was posted. The spelling and grammar was fine generally but a few formatting errors crept in here and there, particularly during Violet's speech.

Thought both promos were very creative whilst remaining (mostly, except for the dream sequence scenes in Dubb's) within the 'real' world. Krash mostly accomplished this through his impervious use of language, particularly during the aforementioned 'He/Him/His' scenes which were amongst the best written on the card. I liked the letter sections in Dubb's promo, although the device itself isn't new I thought the biggest fan style content was fresh (and enjoyed reading the one from Krash as Steve Zissou). Both could've seemed quite fragmented given the structures you chose but were well tied together by that common thread running throughout the two, namely the relationship between Jeremy and Krash.

This match really saw unequaled character work on this card in my opinion. The primary focus, as I've said, of both roleplays was firmly upon the shifting dynamic between Best and Krash. I think it was telling that you both dwelled upon the same sorts of seemingly innocuous phrases (like 'i've been a fan of yours for a while', delivered in the excellent Luis scene, which is a paraphrasing of a lot of the highlighted dialogue from Dubb's promo) as warning signs or as catalysts for what may seem from one angle seismic character shift, but from another have maybe been inevitable all along.

*

#6 - Keres.

I thought the biggest strength of this promo was definitely the rich imagery, which is well-drawn and densely packed, described extensively in such a way that draws these vibrant pictures of purple-masted ships and entangled flowers in the reader's mind. I thought these latter images, with peripheral characters entangled in roses amidst Keres' carefully planted gardens, were exquisitely drawn and really vividly described. We've been introduced to the character and this Avant Garde style mostly through your work with Princess Nova, with the TORN universe in itself an abstract and unique construct within the FWA, and I think you really run wild with this semi-surrealistic, semi-symbolic style when working individually. It felt at times like you were painting the images themselves, aided only slightly by the pictorial elements of the promo - in fact I think the strength of your description made these more direct images a little redundant.

Although the quality of the descriptive passages was high throughout, I did at times feel like you focused on what was occurring at the expense of the thoughts and feelings of those participating in the scene. Of course, this could very well be a deliberate choice by the writer, given that Keres is a new character (still), and maybe the author wanted to preserve some of that mystique. I can understand wanting to keep their thoughts somewhat guarded, but at times I thought the promo became a list of descriptive acts that, whilst rich in imagery and symbolism, perhaps came at the expense of the thoughts and feelings of Keres.

I loved the figures, still being developed, with which Keres surrounds herself in this promo, from Somber and Solace to Eden to those aboard the Dead Vessel. I thought that these peripheral characters added to the overall tapestry that you wove here without ever distracting or detracting from Keres herself, who remains the overall focus of the promo. Although Lizzie remained a prominent strand throughout the promo, this was achieved in ways that were less direct and, maybe as a result of this, less emotionally satisfying than the Rose promo. As a result, I felt whilst character portrayal was strong in this roleplay, the development mostly lay in the world surrounding Keres, which although worthwhile could've been re-centred on the primary character.

This was a very clean promo in terms of presentation, with a few things that could have been sorted with another proof but mostly spelling and grammar was in order. Certainly one of the cleanest promos posted in that regard, and aided by carefully chosen formatting that was unique and interesting without being intrusive on the text itself. Also thought this was an extremely creative piece, mostly down to the strength of the evocative imagery and the rich university you're continuing to create with Keres. Reading this promo, there was a clear sense that it was unlike anything else posted on the card, both in terms of the writing style and the mystique surrounding this character.

#7 - Tommy Bedlam.

I will preface this by saying I haven't yet read part three of the trilogy. Will get to that early next week. From the title of that it suggested maybe it is a follow-on in part to the first installment. Can't comment on any extension or resolution that might be found there.

I enjoyed the western themed promo from number one and thought there was some old school western vibes there, along the John Ford interpretation of the genre (specifically Liberty Valance maybe, with the inclusion of lawmen as well as the judiciary). You did a good job of linking your story and the appointed context to the FWA world in a fun and inventive way, with the three central characters of Tommy, Shawn, and Randi being particularly well realised. I think she in particular has become a really strong part of your roleplays recently. You've found her voice really well and think the way that her and Tommy play off each other is engaging and endearing. I wasn't sure about the extent to which Randi should become embroiled in this feud, but it's been perfect considering the nature of the characters involved and think the way that Randi becomes entangled in the narrative during part one is a good representation of that.

I would've maybe liked to have seen the Summers characters become a little more prominent during scenes involving the one-off peripheral characters. This is perhaps hampered by the word limit but think it's possible the representation of Summers in part one could be read as a little one-dimensional. Think there was more scope for outside the box thinking on the Shawn stand-in here given the nuance of that character. Also the climactic scene descended into the sort of climactic showdown - where the focus is heavy on action description over character work - we almost always get in these sorts of promos (there were other examples on this card and it's something I'm often guilty of in JANA promos). Summers shooting first and then Tommy overpowering him was sort of how I was expecting the duel to go down so maybe some subversion of that would've been good.

I think the second promo was the stronger one of the two that I've read so far. I'm glad that Lucien, as a concept and theme even if the character himself was (sort of) absent from the roleplay, is continuing to have an effect on your work. Think this is a really interesting plot strand that you've got going and an interesting way of you addressing Tommy's violent, heelish past. Probably important that you address that whilst writing him as a face and think the Lucien character is a neat way of doing that. This whole promo in many ways seemed like a study of Tommy's violent past… almost an ode to it. The Monster within trope is one that is run out an awful lot in the FWA, but I think the fact that your opponent had a lengthy and notable run doing the Shawnathan thing which had a lot of similar elements makes it a relevant device to use here. The theme of violence, and Tommy's shifting relationship towards it (flitting between shame and acceptance of it throughout the sweeping roleplay), seems particularly fitting given that this match is for the X Championship. It seemed that both part one and part two attempted to in some ways seem relevant to the championship being contested in that fall. This was a nice touch, but I thought some of the ways you achieved this in part one (such as the name of the town) were maybe a little surface level, whilst part two's analysis of the violence associated with the X title was a lot more meaningful and impacting.

Your character work was strong throughout both parts but for very different reasons. In part one, I appreciated the translation of Tommy and some of his key attributes (including his inner struggle with regards to his relationship with violence, which provides some interconnectivity between the two) into the unfamiliar western setting. I think part two certainly has a more inherently direct approach to Tommy as a character but was equally as effective, probably moreso. The sprawling nature of the promo, taking place over a series of key moments in Bedlam's life, allowed you to clearly show the shifts in the character over time and (perhaps more importantly in this particular piece) the things that have remained constant. This promo definitely served to add a lot of layers to Tommy as a face and as a character generally.

#8 - XYZ and the Ménage.

I echo Rig's sentiments that it's wonderful to get a TGO promo this Back in Business: in fact we got two, and I appreciated the links between the two promos. That they sort of operated in tandem was in itself quite unique on this card, with moments and events from the Ménage promo (namely their entering of the trios tournament) popping up and influencing events in the XYZ piece. Was nice to see the Ménage getting a roleplay entirely separate from XYZ without him popping up for even a cameo, although his shadow is obviously always over his peripheral accomplices. I probably wouldn't have chosen these three from the Ménage if you'd told me they were entering the battle royale and asked me to pick who, although perhaps this is the point. I love the suit character - think he's a good contrast from the rest of the group with his sort of straight-laced attitude and I appreciate the continuity you've shown in gradually building the group up around X. I think maybe defining some of the characters by their nationality when introducing them each time undervalues the characterisation you've done with these peripheral characters.

As for XYZ himself, I think he's one of the most underrated characters in the fed in terms of the work you've been doing for the last year. A lot of this is probably him being overshadowed by Golden and the dizzy heights you reached with him at the end of his career. Through the troubles experienced in his childhood, his relationship with his dog, and the trauma of Al's cancer travails, I've built a real emotional attachment to XYZ since his reintroduction to the fed. I think at times it is true that this character work has come at the expense of focus on your opponent, with X quite often flippantly dismissing the other people in the match as unworthy of his time or thought. I am glad you didn't do the same thing here. The feud with Death Walker and now Jason Randall has been low-key awesome and actually one of the longest running stories in the FWA right now, so some focus on them - albeit dragged out of him by the Ménage - was a necessary component of the promo.

I think this idea of focusing on the wrong things is clearly a central theme, with XYZ more interested in the events on Giggleton Prime 2.4 than his upcoming grudge match with Death and Randall. Was very fitting that it's those around XYZ that push his focus back in the right direction, and this idea that they are as much the protagonist as X is further pushed towards the end of the promo when they are all dubbed leaders in their own right. This theme was well integrated into the promo and I think has been something that's run through a lot of your work with him: XYZ is an embodiment of the everyday hero, with his ragtag followers far from the sheen of your standard superhero squads (or indeed the blockbuster Nephews).

I'm obviously generally a mark for science fiction based stuff and I am glad to see that element featuring strongly in this promo. I think you've written just enough ambiguity in how much of X's adventures are an invention in previous roleplays but not too much so as to rob these sequences of their impact. The presentation of the promo was obviously generally good, as it invariably is, though a few spelling/grammar/word choice issues were present here and there. Think this was quite creative in its zany, freewheeling plot, as well as X's typically bombastic and semi-comprehensible monologue. Stuff like that is why X is the most difficult character in the fed for me to approximate.

*

#9 - Aka Manto.

I really like that you're sticking with the footnotes within your promos, even if you're not using them as extensively as you were when they first debuted. I think this helps to make your promos stand out as unique, giving them your own style and distinctive structure that is different from what everyone else is doing. You seem to use them mostly to expand upon a point or to analyse the main text in a somewhat philosophical way, which gives these annotations a different feeling to the rest of the promo. It feels like the same narrator's voice but maybe speaking in a more candid way, addressing the audience directly and outside of the primary narrative. I think this device has settled down into something that adds value and difference to the piece without being intrusive or adding an additional layer of difficulty to its reading.

I think it's fair to say that the primary focus of this promo was your own characters, and even then there was more emphasis placed upon Aka than Keiko for large stretches. The result was a promo that felt heavy on character development and progression, specifically for Yurei. This was done in an interesting way, with the ladder obviously very relevant for the match type here. I felt that outside of this central image and a few throwaway lines about FTN or dayspring/nightfall there wasn't a huge amount of opponent focus throughout this one. I would've maybe liked to have seen a little more on the champions and the other challengers amongst the excellent character work. It was interesting to see some familiar faces from Aka's past show up, as well as less familiar to Aka in the climb's later stretches. These sections were well-written and helped punch home Aka's insecurities and the internal struggle that was so prominent during her last run.

The ladder metaphor was relevant and the conclusion of this theme was thoughtful enough, though part of me did stray towards reading that part of the promo in Littlefinger's voice. It's interesting that the promo features foreshadowing about the pitfalls of climbing such a greasy ladder, and wonder if this - along with the central theme of betrayal stemming from the flashback to Aka Manto's prior experience in ladder matches - is hinting at what to expect from a Yurei/Hirabayashi title reign. I think this flashback in general certainly adds a layer to Aka Manto as a team, suggesting some jeopardy here in what I'd previously assumed was a pretty steadfast relationship. That they've dealt with such a drastic event that would split most teams apart and then patched it back together certainly seems notable, though I'm unsure if this gives me more or less faith in the duo as a team.

I like that many of the promos for Back in Business felt like continuations of longer running themes or narratives, rather than standalone pieces. This also fits into that category, both because of the footnotes I spoke about earlier, but also with the Victorian mansion setting in Oregon that was introduced a couple of promos ago. Thought the description of this place and its position amongst the mountains was well done, and maybe pointing at Aka and Keiko finding themselves out of place in their current environment more generally. The dynamic between the characters also continues to develop, with greater contrast now becoming apparent between the two. This was really strong work and the latest in a string of excellent promos for this team.


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Originally posted by Grim.

Which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why (at least one sentence). can't be your own.
Krash/Best, easily. It's the culmination of one of the best storylines going on in FWA at the moment, and I've been hooked on it ever since Krash came back. Such a shame one of them has to lose here, but it'll be interesting to see where everyone goes from here.

Which match absent from the card would you have most like to have seen? can't involve your own character.
Alyster/Toner, could have been a really good match between the two and I think it has the makings of a main event kind of match. Feels like both guys really need a key victory here but it'll be interesting if we get this match in the future.
what should the comms team have been and why.
Tbh, it's not really difficult to have the Meltdown crew be N1 and the Fallout crew on N2. Or could do it vice versa. Interestingly, I've thought about doing it in the Auld style of perhaps switching the commentary teams off each match, perhaps? Maybe add some guest commentators here and there.

which FIVE (+) promos did you enjoy and why did you enjoy them? can be one sentence reasons or more. can't be your own character or your character's opponent.
Krash - Probably the best promo I've read this year, might even be the new gold standard here. It's this coming to terms with what he's been through, this possible brainwashing and manipulation by Jeremy Best. Krash continually going through these episodes of complete dissociation and blacking out is fantastic because this guy has been through, what I believe to be at least, a hugely traumatic experience. It doesn't just go away. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with Krash after this.

YDS - Talk about creativity. Between this and the baseball promo, Rosie's been on a great creative stretch. There are some good comedy bits in the promo but I do enjoy the main point that all three girls are equivalent to the Triforce, as together they can overcome any obstacle. I thought it was a very good promo, especially since this is technically FWA's formal introduction to Cali Hayama. Having her quickly talking about her ambitions and raison d'être works well here. Good stuff as always.

Jeremy Best - Spectacular promo work by Dubb. It's the slow descent from a deep fandom to an obsessive need for the "real" Krash that really interests me. Best has been one of the more interesting characters in FWA and this does feel like the culmination of someone's complete break from reality, kind of escaping into his own version of reality where the "real" Krash is still dead despite the contrary. He refuses to accept it, he can't accept it, otherwise, his whole philosophy is wrong.

Cyrus Truth - A good old classic promo from the days of Auld. It's all business, and I honestly really appreciate the basic simplicity of it. It's not a crazy parody promo, it doesn't have to be either. It's just a man and his wish to become a World Champion one more time. Always loved Cyrus's promos for nearly a decade, and he never ceases to amaze me how consistently he manages to put out banger after banger. I think my favorite segment is Cyrus's walk down memory lane, going through the many opponents he's faced in the past, and how it ties into the match with Chris.

Coven/Trixie - Honestly, similar thoughts to the YDS promo, a nice parody promo with lots of legs to it. Trixie is such a treat to read; almost too innocent or dim to really get nuance sometimes, meanwhile I love that the Coven are a bit goofy here. Everyone has their own little troubles here and it's interesting to see how they deal with them when they're by themselves. Each person has different responses, but I think Trixie got the most character development out of the three.

I'm bad at expressing my opinions regarding other people's works. :lol

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Originally posted by TGO.

Which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why (at least one sentence)?
Best vs. Krash has the longest amount of build, going all the way back to like Mile High of 2021 when Krash won the World title and Jeremy was in the match and viewed Krash as a friend (if I am misremembering, please correct me). Then the stuff with Krash "dying" at last year's BIB and Jeremy on a quest to find him. This feud has been brewing for more than a year. That type of long-term storytelling is really great and a lot of fun to see culminate in a very effective -- although not all that surprising -- heel turn, plus some other twists and turns along the way.

Which match absent from the card would you have most like to have seen?
I do think the fed deserves a 1v1 between Aly and Toner (I forget if they had one after the triple threat match). However, after Toner's turn on Rondo, I think I would like to see that match. I don't think we got to see it.

What should the comms team have been and why?
I'm going to give an answer that includes what might seem like hyperbolic and dramatic statements. Please know this is just my opinion after being in the FWA for 15 years, being a mod for 9-10 of those years, and being head mod for like 6 or 7.

I couldn't give a shit less who is on commentary. It means nothing to me. Most of it is filler. Truthfully. It's just "there" because it's a known entity in every wrestling show we've ever watched, but to me, it doesn't really add anything 99% of the time. Even when I'm watching WWE or AEW, it feels like background noise. I wish they'd talk a lot less.

That being said, there are some instances where the commentary adds value: a really major moment in a show, such as a significant heel turn or a cash-in, or a big title change. I can think of a few moments when I was on mod teams and we incorporated the commentary effectively (Ramon and Toner winning the tag titles is the first of these moments coming to my mind). However, I can remember many many other times of just "adding" commentary to fill gaps and it feeling very hollow.

If the commentary is just recapping what happened and inserting their predictable analysis, then I usually skim over it. Even when the commentators have personalities or alignments, it often doesn't resonate with me and I feel it could be less of the show. One announcer is face and the other is slightly heel? How revolutionary. Actually, I might pay more attention momentarily if all the commentators were heels and they regularly got into shouting matches with the fans.

It's the same thing for me with match write-ups. I haven't read a full match write-up (that I didn't write myself) in such a long time that I couldn't accurately tell you when it happened last. If it's XYZ's match, I skim to the finish and read the last paragraph or two. Any others and I just go to the result.

That's not to diminish or disrespect the hard work of the match writers themselves. They probably do a great job with every single match. It just isn't for me. I personally find most actual wrestling (like, the moves themselves) pretty boring, even when I'm visually seeing it on my TV. So you can only imagine what I might think of the written-out, non-visual form of it. This is why I prefer the most bombastic matches in e-feds at this point (such as a triple cage match, lol).

However, I KNOW for certain that some people read every fuckin' word of their characters' matches, and even every word of other matches on the show. I know this because I've had handlers PM me when I was a mod saying stuff like, "Hey, I saw you had my character do an arm drag, but he does a hip toss." Nothing wrong or bad about someone saying that. Just proof that there are people who are the opposite of me, who really do care about the moves used in match write-ups. For me, I couldn't care less if you had XYZ do 50 foot stomps and take a Cleveland Steamer on his opponent's chest.

To be clear, this is just my personal opinion. I don't know if I'm in the minority or the secret majority on these. But just answering the question posed as truthfully as I can.

I couldn't give a shit if it was Mickey Mouse and Napoleon Dynamite on commentary.

I'm gonna read and then make a separate post with reviews.

*

I'm going to try and read/review God-knows-how-many promos. Please know that I haven't read more than maybe 3 FWA promos in months and if I am missing a backstory or context, I'll try to keep it in mind before shitting on your work.


Tommy Bedlam (tommy Bedlam )

First thing's first. In my opinion, if you're gonna use a picture in your promo, then it needs to be impactful and have purpose. Using a visual for the title of the promo is different. It adds visual color to the presentation and whatnot. But if it's just a pic design of a human on one side and the Terminator machine on the other to match with the monster inside of me theme? I think you could pull it off with words instead of the image. I also think the quote was unnecessary.

Which you did! The opening part of this promo was very effective, with Tommy hoping he is in a dream state but 99% sure that isn't the case. The whole "look in the mirror and see someone other than yourself or another version of yourself" is an overdone gimmick in storytelling, but I haven't read it in a promo in a while, so it gets a pass!

Tommy caring for Randi and her perception of him during the opening of the convo with the monster is a nice touch. It adds some development to their relationship for me (again, someone who hasn't read any of the promos lately!).

The monster leaving and returning in the computer screen was unexpected, so another point for you! I like when I am surprised by the events of a promo. I was expecting this to be a convo between Tommy and the monster in the mirror. Also enjoyed getting the monster's background/context, although I do think it went a bit too long. Probably didn't need all four examples of when the monster appeared. That was a significant crux of the promo.

Everything else was solid but nothing mind-blowing. Seeing the match play out before it happens is not a revolutionary idea, but it is always pretty effective. I wish we had seen more from the actual match, maybe a real moment of conflict for Tommy as he struggles with whether to listen to the monster's coaching or not, a possible change compared to past interactions. I didn't get the Lucien/Satan incarnate thing, and it felt sort of silly/goofy.

The ending was fine. Solid. Overall, the promo was solid. It probably just needed to be redirected away from so much of backstory with the monster and more towards how the monster would help in the X title match. To me, that was the biggest flaw.

Edit: I didn't realize this was P2 of 3. I think most of my feedback still applies. I'll read and review the other 2.

Edit x2: Now that I know the rules for each promo: I still think you could've shifted the focus away from the monster's background to how the monster helps Tommy in this futuristic view of the X title match.



Lizzie Rose (aon ):
I don't know what "insert promo promo" is. There's a "His timing is good" in reference to 2018 Lizzie Rose. Stuff like that throws me off my groove when reading.

I enjoyed the intro here to establish that Lizzie can take one hell of a beating, even when she was a rook. That's needed as I get a landscape for her BIB match and the probably violence in front of her.

Sitting in the arena prior to the show and watching everything get set up is not revolutionary or anything groundbreaking, but it is often effective. It's simple and clean. It allows for a lot of thoughtfulness and easy monologue'ing (new word I made up).

Which there was a lot of in this promo. Not a bad thing. I like the Divine Comedy analogy for Lizzie. I think Lizzie does a great job of building up Eternal and how powerful they are, etc. Same with Keres. "When it comes to Keres, NO ONE escapes her wrath. Try to run, and she will hunt you. Try to fight, and she will break you. Try to put her down. She gets back up. Put her down again? She gets back up. Keep putting her down? SHE KEEPS GETTING BACK UP. She will keep coming back, and she won't rest until she delivers whatever the hell she thinks people deserve." Good shit here.

Then flipping it around to the "she's not magical" turning point was really well done. This is a pretty classic "build an opponent up and then explain how you'll overcome them" monologue promo. It works. It's solid.

"Single moms, working 18-hour shifts for minimal wages, struggling to make ends meet for their family. A homeless man is trying to find a warm place to sleep at night. A recovering drug addict fighting each and every day to get that monkey off their back. WHAT ARE YOU KERES, COMPARED TO THAT?! I'VE SEEN PEOPLE BATTLE DEMONS SCARIER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN KERES AND NOVA COMBINED EACH AND EVERY DAY. How can I ever go back to Brooklyn, where they fight demons and monsters ten times more powerful than anything ETERNAL can possibly imagine and tell them I'm afraid of someone that bleeds just like I do?"

I liked this bit the most. Had some XYZ vibes here.

It definitely didn't feel (in present tense) like the goofy Lizzie who I've always known and read. In the flashbacks, there was some of it. Like the Ground Zero interview. But the present tense felt like a major shift, which is good! It really puts over Keres/Eternal and the match itself.

One thing/one criticism:
I would've ended with "Love you mom." That phone call was VERY effective. I don't think it was better than the ending with Lizzie walking into the cage. You didn't need to put over the match or the Garden of Eden "structure" any further than you already had. Ending it with the phone call would've been a really impactful last moment. Instead, the walking up to the structure and saying those lines felt a tad too much/silly.


I'll edit this with more reviews.


UA and XX:

I'm not one to usually review my opponents' promos, but I won't review Randall so this will do. The speed dating thing is a nice idea. I honestly have no clue who Xperienx Xtacee is, though. Regardless, he is pretty funny right from jump street. The Super Smash Brothers bit was good.

"The blow-up doll doesn't respond because it's a blow-up doll, and those don't speak." I chuckled.

Having the date partners be opponents from the match was also pretty good. I laughed at a few of them, like the furry and the clown. Monica with Nasty Nate was lighthearted but somewhat distracting. Anyways, this was just a light promo. There isn't much more to discuss in full here. Had some laughs. Good vibes.


Coven:

The presentation is a 100/100. The Indiana Jones shtick is a little "timely" but hey, that's fine. The presentation of the .pdf is off the charts great. I enjoy the banter with Blair and Celestia, and then Blair thinking Trixie can be a sacrificial lamb on the quest. The collaboration among two handlers is obviously awesome and I think this deserves an extra bump just for that fact alone.

"Trixie nods just as angry 'Nazis...' she says under her breath." LOLOL.

Good use of some of the opponents as obstacles on the quest. Damn, Celestia learns of Blair's plan and just lets Trixie go ahead anyways. I know we get some development here but the first moment was ice cold.

I think the interactions between the three of the characters really prop the promo up (aside from my initial reaction to the outstanding presentation). The quest and amulet story is good but it's not revolutionary or anything. The characters here (especially Blair and Trixie interactions) carry the day. Celestia saying she hates Blair the most was interesting. Also a good way of mentioning other announced teams to check off the boxes. Trixie saying she hates herself after all the goofy moments is very Lizzie Rose-like. Blair saying she hates Kleio was expected.

I had a feeling Kleio would show up at the end.

If I had any criticism, it's that I think I'd want to get reactions from Celestia, Trixie, and, most importantly, Blair after Kleio's little speech. Like, what do they think about what she said, etc.? I know there's a word count here, but that's what I felt was missing, especially after getting invested in Blair's feelings regarding Kleio and Trixie.

Would be a deserving winner if it did win.

*

Reviews P2

Big Bryan Baxter (@dubble J )

I enjoyed the ghosts or visions of Peacock and Aly coming and then the nod to how there are multiple (3) double champs while Baxter is the lone outlier in the title landscape currently. Hadn't thought of or realized that until just now. The flashbacks with Kristy as a way of showing how BBB has overlooked opponents in the past was effective. Nothing revolutionary here. It's a simple concept. The whole time reading, though, I am expecting to see some way that BBB overlooked and took for granted his relationship with Kristy (to explain them not being together, etc.). Like, I'm searching for that second layer of the theme.

I understand why you had the detailed flashback with the match and the flow, but it definitely weighed down the promo here and sort of dragged. You had this to do the paranoia thing with the crowd chanting for "Fury" in BBB's mind when you'd later reveal they were really chanting for "Seth." So I get it. Just ... the road to get there took too many words.

Glad we got the explanation of losing Kristy. Kind of beating the nail(s) in here by being so literal with it in BBB's and Kristy's dialogue at the end. I liked him looking for and presumably finding Kristy's contact in his phone.

There's definitely the appearance of a slow-burn face turn happening here, which is fun.


Michelle von Horrowitz (supinesnake )

I appreciate the level of detail in the geography and population of Tretyakova. It's always an integral part of your intros: the where you're heading, or where you've come from. The map should've opened in a new tab.

You're also v good at giving some depth to even the most fringe of side characters, such as Mikhail and Ivan. I didn't really give too much thought to "reviewing" the promo while reading it. I just got immersed in the story. The boots/skates falling off in the parallel scenes was a nice touch but otherwise tiny. Michelle dying was a surprise but since it's 2032 and I know you're fascinated with confronting the idea of death, it shouldn't be that surprising.

I don't really know if we're getting a character-creator conversation here. It's not "on the nose" enough for me to know for certain, but it's certainly emotional and makes me feel something, which is always the objective of a promo. This promo made me feel something, even down to the memoriam of Charlie the "good cat." That's the highest praise I can give a promo. It's what I always aim for when writing my own. I want to feel an emotion. This one presented that for me effectively, especially at the close around the fire. Any other positives or criticisms would be fleeting after giving that feedback.

I hope this is not the true end of Michelle's story. It feels like the end, because that's mainly how I feel from reading the promo. It's what I primarily feel, that we as the reader got some closure, or that Michelle got some closure. Referencing "Goldensiblings" seems like a nod to it all, in a way, if that verbiage is what I think it is. Anyways, this feels like an ending, but there's a lot of time between 2023 and 2032, so maybe not. I'd be intrigued at how you could continue with Michelle considering this promo's conclusion.

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Originally posted by Tommy.

My first group of reviews just because I'm eager to post something.

Back in Business 2023 Reviews:

@dubble J
Baxter: As I’ve said before, I love the BBB character; big fan, and love how you’ve evolved him over time. Really enjoyed the deeper dive into Baxter’s psyche, but I’m always a sucker for learning why characters are the way they are. The flashback to the bar where he accidentally hit Kris really clicked with me. As far as a critique, I think it’s possible that you could’ve spent more time focusing on facing Parr, but it’s certainly nothing that detracted from the promo for me.

Jeremy Best: This is probably one of my favorite promos I’ve ever read. There’s no critiques for me on this one, and I’ve already put it on my list of POTY candidates for when the award cycle rolls around.

El Vengador: This is the character of Dubb’s that I know the least about, so my take on this promo is minimal. I like how you did the whole teacher/student setup for a match between a coach/protege. The alternate universe stuff was well-done. Suppose I would’ve liked to see a bit more match-specific content, but I definitely still get where you were going with it.

Cyrus Truth:
@cyrus Truth
If I could get a promo to come across as genuine and raw as this one did, I’d be a happy man. First, I love how you blurred the line, acknowledging that we’re doing vignettes, over the top scenes, etc. I like when people play on the edge of the fourth wall, and this fucking nailed that. You conveyed how much taking the title would mean to your character, and it felt like the words of a handler who wants to be back on top.

Lizzie Rose:
aon
“But I know places that are haunted. Not by spirits. But events, by experiences, you can visit any place in history where bad stuff happened...sites of massacres...places where battles and wars were fought....if you go to them....you can practically feel the horrible things that happened there like the walls absorb it..."

Perhaps my favorite line from the promo. Felt like it cemented Lizzy overcoming her ditzy/cute/happy persona as she realizes that she’s about to step into something absolutely heinous that she’s never seen before. I would imagine it’s hard to develop a character like Lizzy beyond being what she is, and you did it in this promo. I don’t have much on critiques here outside of maybe you could’ve trimmed up some of the flashback scenes, but much like I said in an earlier review, it didn’t detract from the promo for me.

@starlight Kid
Katsu (Singles Match):
The zoo thing is a really fun/creative play IMO. Obviously, I’m biased toward the horse and the jackass bit, but you know…I’m the horse, so why wouldn’t I be?! Actually had several LOL moments during the introductory parts in the zoo. “Crispy Co—” “OH!” was another good one. Overall, there’s no glaring holes in this promo, and I think it’s very well-constructed. As far as a critique, I’d say maybe the interactions with all the other animals may have gone on a tick too long, but it’s not detrimental IMO.

@nostradamus
Keres
Holy shit, this was some good stuff. The whole Dead Vessel thing was incredibly well done. When I was reading it, I was thinking, “How is he tying all this into the match?” Then, BOOM! You dropped it on me, and it was great! Really quality stuff. I think you probably could have gotten by without the stuff at the beginning, but you still managed to tie it into the main part of the promo. Excellent work!

mandalorian
Chris Peacock
Holy shit, the levels of creativity in this promo were insane. How you took a guy who’s on top of the company and peeled back the layers to his own insecurities was top-notch.The way that you broke down every negative part of what makes Peacock Peacock turned a promo into a psychological thriller. I have no critiques here. Every line seemed to perfectly build on what came before it. Loved the interaction with Christopher and The Exiled One. Loved the whole damn thing, and I’m so glad I don’t have to cast a vote in that match.

@solo Sikoa
Aka/Keiko
Details. Details, details, details. You absolutely crushed the details in this promo, and that made it all the more real to me. Down to the footnote at the bottom of a page that set up the dialogue colors for the rest of the promo, I loved how you got the “little” things right in order to hold the big things together. We briefly discussed how hard it is to tackle hard topics in a good way in these promos, and much as I suspected, you nailed that, too.

@jimmy King
Jason Randall
I’m stoked for this triple threat match. In fact, it's one of the three matches I'm most looking forward to on this show. Love the build, love what you guys have been doing. The Fallout segment with Jason’s promo had me amped up for him. This didn’t disappoint. First, I love a good first-person promo. I tried to do one for this show and realized…I can’t LOL. I liked how you separated the opponents into their own phases, which I feel like allowed you to really describe how Randall feels about both of them. Could there have been a little more about how Randall feels or the fights with them? Maybe. I wanted more when we got to the end, which is always better than doing too much. More high-end stuff from Jason Randall, who (IMO) is one of the most enjoyable characters in the fed right now.

@prison Dom
Reagan Cole
DUDE! I’m not supposed to review the trios promos, but this one spoke to me. Never have I read a promo that summed up how I feel so eloquently, so powerfully. Thank you. Thank you for saying what I’ve been wanting to say for so long.

supinesnake
MvH
I feel like lauding an MvH promo is gonna lead to me saying what’s been said a million times before, but screw it. My review, I guess I can do what I want. The way that you weave symbolism into these promos never fails to impress me, and this one’s no different. The amount of detail that you put into these things is top-notch. The fact that this is a retirement match has me incredibly invested, as I can’t really picture an FWA without MvH. When I signed up, she was the pinnacle, and with promos like this, I suspect she probably will be going forward.

*

@weaselperson
Jon Snowmantashi
Wait…JON IS WEASELPERSON?!?!? Now that I’ve got that bombshell out of the way, let’s get into this. First, it’s important to note that I read this as someone who wasn’t around for the Snowmantashi “prime.” Outside of some conversations in the Discord, I didn’t know a lot of the history between MvH and Snowmantashi, and this promo did an excellent job of setting it up. I think we’ve all kind of accepted the fact that Jon didn’t put everything into these promos, which is incredible considering how damn good this was.

Weaselperson
This is probably one of the most…enigmatic characters that I’ve seen in my FWA time. I’m gonna come out and say that I’ve never totally “understood” weaselperson, but as usual, Jon can take something that looks ridiculous on the surface and manage to make it work. It’s a testament to his ability as a writer. Tying it altogether, giving me a story of how Kazadi was weaselperson, all of it came together here. This was another case of Jon knowing how to make readers invest in a match.

@the Golden One
XYZ
I think it’s clever that you tied the Trios promo into the XYZ promo since they all exist in this alternate, acid-trip of a reality. I also appreciate the way that the Magic School Bus is such a staple of XYZ and this world that he exists in. It’s all a very well-done thematic style of writing that carries over from one promo to the next. The look into how XYZ is feeling insecure about his leadership qualities, especially while the people who he leads are prepping for a title match, is a very real look at another enigmatic character. (No, enigmatic was not on my “word of the day” calendar, but it’s a term that applies to multiple characters). Do I feel like the promo could have benefited from some focus on the Triple Threat? I do. But by and large, this still worked as an abstract approach to XYZ and his abstract way of existing.

Rawr
Dragonperson
Building this entire concept around Alyster’s own internal struggles is top notch. To my knowledge, there isn’t any sort of history between Black and Kaizen (boy, if I’ve missed something, I’m gonna look like a dumbass in public), but you still presented this in a way that made me believe that this match deeply matters to Aly in his dragonperson role. Feels like you struck the balance perfectly between setting up what’s going on with Alyster and him stomping weasels. Excellent work per usual, Rawr.

mandalorian
Alyster Black and Chris Peacock
I think Choose Your Own Adventure promos are incredibly difficult, even in the best of situations. I tried one once, and immediately realized how differently I could’ve set it up. Overall, it worked here, but I’m not entirely sure how much it actually added to the promo. That’s not to say it was poorly done, I’m just not sure that it really drove anything home, but it was fun to read, and I particularly enjoyed the result when you clicked on a couple of them and got some humorous responses. Setting up the dichotomy between Black and Peacock early really set the stage for the rest of the promo to me. Black’s CA home is lonely. Chris has his home set up for entertaining. It’s just a subtle way of further establishing how different their team is. The way that you both have these characters so intertwined while keeping them so independent of one another takes a lot of skill as writers IMO. Really like the play where Chris is constantly reminded that he’s “nothing more than a Krash replacement.” Per usual, you guys presented both characters wonderfully and reminded us all why Black/Peacock are at the top of the heap.

@death Walker
Death Walker
I’m not sure how much we’ve gotten to talk about this fact, but the Death Walker character is one of my favorite characters that we have right now. You came into a highly competitive fed, and have hit your stride. I mentioned in the Discord recently that this triple threat match is one of the matches that I’m looking the most forward to. I’ll assume you likely got good marks for character portrayal on this one, as I feel like you do a good job of giving us layers to this character. As far as a critique, I feel like we could’ve had more focus on the match itself. You mentioned “both of these guys” and “these miserable fucks,” but I would’ve liked to have seen some focus on XYZ and Jason Randall. I especially think that Randall’s willingness to inflict pain, even if it means suffering pain, could’ve provided some fodder here.

@jazz Wolf
Krash
It’s been talked about at length both here and in the Discord, but WOW. The way that you captured Krash’s trauma after the last year was powerful. You brought this whole thing to life with a level of description that is hard to pull off. The way that you bolded Krash’s internal dialogue which revolved around Jeremy was a nice touch. Seems like one of those things that is painfully obvious to do, but I would’ve never thought to do it. Loved the video game scene, which I assume is a reference to Krash “respawning” and coming back after what he’s been through. If that’s not what you were going for there, don’t tell me, because I read it that way and I loved it. The final conversation between Krash and Violet was absolutely flawless. You managed to make a wrestling match not about wrestling or wins and losses, but about a man who has to overcome the worst thing that he’s gone through. I have no clue how graders are going to come to a decision in this one, as it’s two of the best promos I’ve read. Excellent work, my friend. Excellent work.

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Originally posted by Sully.

which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why (at least one sentence). can't be your own.

Oh so many, but I think there two biggest ones I'm excited about are Summers vs Bedlam and Peacock vs Truth. Simply because in both matches both RPers really brought it, and I have no idea what the outcome is going to be.

Peacock vs Truth feels really good because it brings a lot of different factors. An Old Gen vs New Gen vibe first of all between the classic Cyrus Truth and the new style of Peacock (Both kayfabe and writing styles). But also there's a lot on the line...Cyrus Truth hasn't had a title since he lost it to some asshole back in 2019. A return to the top has been a LONG buildup for Cyrus. Where as, I think if Peacock establishes this huge win at Back in Business, it pretty much solidifies him as having the best World Title reign SINCE that asshole who beat Cyrus Truth. The world title has been a hot potato the last couple of years, and I haven't counted the days up but I feel like Peacock is already close to if not already having established the longest reign in a good while.

So yeah that main event has a lot on the line and I'm excited to see the outcome.

which match absent from the card would you have most like to have seen? can't involve your own character.

I agree with Beavie that Alyster Black vs Danny Toner felt like something that should've happened if everyone involved was available for it, and it's a bummer it didn't but maybe in the future?

It's also disappointing not having Chris Kennedy on the card. He was always sort of established as the Undertaker of the FWA when it came to the biggest show of the year, but I think Kennedy's boots are finally hung up for good.

what should the comms team have been and why.

Broc Lobster and Daiquan Andrews. They killed it on Ground Zero S4.

which FIVE (+) promos did you enjoy and why did you enjoy them? can be one sentence reasons or more. can't be your own character or your character's opponent.

The Shawn Summers promo was great. I'm not sure which one I liked more between Book One or Book Two. The details in both are amazing, and I love the concept of Shawn being this chased out of town outlaw with a bad reputation. The way Tommy is portrayed as this young naive bounty hunter who thinks that he can take Shawn down and fix the west not only did a good job of attacking the Bedlam character but also defining the feud. However I think I like the second promo better only because, while the first one is great, the second one showcases a skill in a unique way, and that is the stipulation of descriptive writing with little dialog. CBK is one of the best at it, and book two really proved that.

The FTN promo that parodied CYOA promos was hilarious. We've seen CYOA adventure promos before, but it's been enough times through now that when I saw it I sort of raised my brow like really? We're going to do this again? The creativity of it doesn't have AS much of punch as it did when it first got debuted and was critically acclaimed (Can't even remember who did it first? Golden Rock?). But then when I realized this was essentially just a middle finger to the CYOA adventure promos, I loved it. It's solid commentary on the gimmick, but still gives the same effect CYOA does in that it keeps the reader engaged. I did like the first one with the Disco/Black parallels. But each option got funnier and funnier as it went on.

Anytime that an RPer forces me to cross a promo idea off my list of future ideas, I resentfully give them a nod of respect. A high compliment considering people say that I was one of the originators of the current era of really creative promos. I wrote in my little notepad app "FWA zoo. Mabe twist is the visitors are actually the zoo people. Idk. Or just animals are FWA stars". Got it when I was watching Rick or Morty one night. But yeah, anyway, Katsu did it. And nailed it honestly because each little animal exhibit with the picture and description was just perfect. I think this promo would've been better suited for something that wasn't a 1v1 match, and rather something bigger like CC or the Trios Tournament (maybe flip that and the Zelda promo around?). But overall I loved everything about this promo from presentation, to creativity, and just overall a great commentary on Vengador and the background that Katsu and he have going back to Ground Zero.

The MvH White Bear promo I think is one that normally would be getting critically acclaimed, but its getting buried underneath some other killers like Best, Krash, Peacock, etc. I was hoping for some callbacks to that piece you wrote in the News Section a few years ago, when Michelle was on leave and ran into Snowmantashi. It made sense. I can't recall it as much, and I tried to look in the archives but I couldn't find it to compare. Overall I think this piece showcases that you can write a beautiful story that works and tells the narrative of the feud, without actually mentioning your opponent or the match. Something that isn't easy to pull off, but great storytellers can do it.

I owe Weaselperson for a review because he reviewed my KODM promo. Plus he mentioned Saint Sully, and my egotistical ass caught it scrolling past and it forced me to read. Obviously this plain text inner monologue isn't going to get a lot of style points, and I wouldn't put money down on it winning either, but I can appreciate what it does do and that's tell us the history of WP/Kazadi. From his fall against Cyrus Truth, to conquering Sully, to become the Weaselperson we know him as today. Calling Alyster out for his third place finish in CC was a good observation. Coming short is demoralizing, and it doesn't often get recognized in promos how much morale plays an effect. I think overall the raw material for a winning promo was here. It just wasn't glossed up and wrapped in a pretty bow with an engaging story, and at Back in Business it's something that you gotta do. But I mean...when did we ever think WP was going to conform to the standard?

---

Originally posted by Welshy.

Which match are you most looking forward to at BiB and why?

For me, it’s one of two. Jeremy Best vs. Krash, and Shawn Summers vs. Tommy Bedlam…both purely from the standpoint of everyone involved brought nothing but absolute fire, and of all the matches on the show, these are the two that I’m least sure of result-wise.

- I haven’t been in the FWA long, and because of that, I haven’t really seen the meat and potatoes of the Best vs. Krash feud. I know it’s a massive feud just on word of mouth, and the fact that it was placed as the Main Event of BiB Night One, but I haven’t witnessed the relationship between these characters myself. Those two promos, however, are more than enough to justify the hype around the feud for me. Fucking marvelous stuff.

- It's a different story for the Tommy vs. Summers match, in that I have actually gotten to witness the build myself, and man, these two guys are about as evenly matched as you could get…their match at the last PPV is a testament to that. The stipulation of the match may be the most intriguing I’ve seen in an E-Fed, TBH. 3 Falls, 2 championships, and one VERY PERSONAL stipulation in the 3rd fall…I honestly have no clue who’s gonna be leaving with what when this match is all set and done, lol.

Which match absent from the card would you have most liked to have seen?

Honestly, this is purely down to just wanting an opportunity to see these two guys for myself, but Chris Kennedy vs. Ryan Rondo. I’ve never had the chance to see either guy in action, and I only know of how great they were from word of mouth and their accolades in the history section, but yeah, just purely based on wanting to see each of them at some point, I’d like to see that match, lol.

What should the comms team have been and why?

Not going to lie, I can’t even remember of the top of my head, the names of ANY of the commentators in the FWA…fuck it, I’ll just say Steve and Ratin. Seems like a hilarious turn of events if it were to happen, lol.

Which FIVE (+) promos did you enjoy and why did you enjoy them?

I shall do much reading today since I’ve only read a few promos due to working 12-hour days every day since the deadline and this is my first day off, so I shall read, and read, and read...and then I shall review, and review, and review, lol.

*

Review 1/5: @dubble J

A Ghost From The Past

Holy shit, dude, this promo was fucking brilliant, and actually pretty fucking heartwarming at the end. I loved the Peacock and Aly appearances, and it was a great touch to have Bax think about the threat that they pose before thinking about the threat that Parr represents...also, I may be reading a little too much into it, but the idea that Besty and Scorpane weren't there for Bax when he felt as though he needed them most gives me hope for a future Baxxy face turn Loved the interaction between Baxxy and Kristy, and the flashbacks to moments in Baxter's life that resemble his current predicament, with Seth Tempest acting as a metaphor for Parr, were outstanding. Honestly, though, my favorite part of the entire promo was just the relationship/dynamic between Baxxy and Kristy, and given the ending of this promo, here's hoping we get more of that down the line, but ya know...not in Baxter's insomnia-induced hallucinations, lol.

Bravo, Dubbster. Bravo. :Clap:

*

Review 2/5: aon

Lizzie Rose Promo

WOW. Deadly serious Lizzie is something else...I am now afraid of Keres's safety after reading this :lmao I enjoyed that there were still snippets of the fun-loving Lizzie that we've all come to know and love, from the flashbacks to earlier in her career. I really enjoyed learning a bit more about her origin story in wrestling. "I can do this all day." says the plucky underdog from Brooklyn...just waiting for the promo where Lizzie gets injected with copious amounts of super serum and becomes the new Captain America :lmao except, ya know, Lizzie would be WAY BETTER than Steve Rogers! The Ground Zero interview was all laughs, lol. Loved up...but obviously, the meat and bones here is Lizzie confronting The Garden of Eden, and man...Lizzie has pretty much always been my favorite character in this Fed, but now...I'm pretty sure she's uncatchable in that regard. The amount of depth she's gained from this storyline with Eternal, and the form you've been on since this storyline started. Dude...you're the fucking best. Amazing stuff. :Clap:

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Originally posted by SJW.

Righto.

Match I'm looking forward to the most is undoubtedly Steve the Techno Vampire vs Ratin Mikichin. A pair of jobbers, intertwined within each other, outmaneuvering an uncaring boss? That's a true underdog story. That speaks to me on a molecular level. The twists, the turns, everything, I am so on board and I'm not even kidding.

In terms of 'okay wolfie shut the fuck up and name a match', I like battle royals, so-

alright fine. I've really enjoyed the build for Lizzie Rose vs Keres, because this has been a powerfully built story of one of the purest hearts in FWA being tormented into surrender, and valiantly fighting through it. It's been phenomenal, with unique segments and worldbuilding and I can't wait to read Lizzie punting that child into the sky. Honorable mentions to Snowmantashi vs MvH, which has been YEARS into the marking with two absolute top their writers, Peacock vs Truth, one of the consistent greats and a guy who has been on a fuckin' roll all year, and Bedlam vs Summers for having an extremely personal story and unique promo stipulation to really add that spice.

There's two matches that come to mind that are potentially missing, and interestingly both include Alyster Black. Vs Danny Toner, obvs, and vs weaselperson. Both seemed teased at certain points but I guess plans changed, and I get it. I suppose if things were different we could've had FTN vs TxR to continue that Black/Toner tease, with Aka Manto & dayspring/nightfall battling for no.1 contendership status, but dunno how available Rondo would be for that. Characters like Uncle, Ceasar, Diamond, Konchu, Kennedy, Gabrielle, Ramon being on the outs is a bummer, even though them being not available makes sense, with the handlers having other commitments.

For the commentary team, as long as Anzu is there it's fine. She can drag a mime into a good commentary team.

And finally, five promos in no real order that I enjoyed. Because I enjoyed a LOT of the stuff here and I've only just begun to get around to reading them. Disclaimer that as per usual I suck at reviewing.

Lizzie Rose's effort was top notch. How the hell did AON birth out so many promos for this show? Dude's a beast. Lizzie doing the regular ol' ditzy lizzie schtick would've hurt this story, so her being actually attempting to be serious about it shows massive gravitas, and I enjoyed the flashbacks - god I love flashbacks - not just showcasing Lizzie's unlikely journey to this moment, but how this story is effecting her so much to the point where she hasn't contacted her own mother - shoutout to Lizzie Rose for having one of the only healthy positive parental relationships in the entire cast - in months, and Daphne Shelly is worried sick. It was a tremendous promo, super enjoyable, and if there was anyone to really put forth how much of a horror threat Eternal is, it's Lizzie.

It was touched on in the discord a few days ago, but there's a select few talents who always put forth an A+ promo, to the point where it's not really commented on because that's the expected standard of them. For me, Cyrus Truth has always been in that select few. he's always been the gold standard. This promo just reflects it. From the sheer, sheer WANT of Cyrus to be back on the throne, because he's so tired of being considered the 'old flavor' so to say, because the title has been bounced around for more than a year now and it needs that steady hand to hold it, because he feels Peacock doesn't really appreciate the top prize, content enough with holding it and putting his name in the books rather than defending it to his last breath. I did get a little chuckle out of Cyrus being absolutely furious at the suggestion of a Western theme for his promo, knowing that just a little bit further down the thread there'd be two more Western themed promos, before he adjusted the idea to be a sort of subtle spectacle promo. Sure there's still presentation and effects involved but they serve as a backdrop, as a curtain behind the plot for added emphasis, rather than revolve around. I thought that was a great touch and a great added indicator of the 'Performer vs Entertainer' debate. Absolutely fantastic stuff, Cyrus.

Undisputed Xtacee Alliance had a very delightful promo, very comedic. Jackson & Nate have turned into some surprisingly enjoyable babyfaces whilst still being themselves, and Xtacee being the pivoter of this particular promo was a great way to give Xtacee some leadership points while Nate & Jackson followed their lead. The idea of utilizing speed dating to swivel through your opponents for some quick thoughts was unique and very well done. Much like the discord I laughed at the 'The blow-up doll doesn't respond because it's a blow-up doll, and those don't speak' line. Dry humor lemony narrator stuff like that just tickles my fancy. If anything, I was disappointed the speed dating was limited only to a few teams, but I do understand that you probably wanted to break off before it became routine. Enjoyable stuff, well done.

FUCK YEAH CESAR PINEDA. You have no idea how much I smiled when I saw him pop in in the tail end of Shawn Summer's promo. I thought you did wonderfully with the staged restrictions given, and dide a wonderful job pouring gasoline on the fire of this rivalry. A unique take on the Western genre and what it REALLY means to take the title from a gunslinger and be another spoke on the wheel of the eternal chase, and a descriptive piece that works surprisingly well, with Summers being such a fuckin' creep. God. I kinda wish there was the third stage promo of this, feel like it would've been a great choice for you to outline exactly how much of an unlikeable stain Summers is from the eyes of someone about to face him. My attention is still drawn to the Pineda appearance because fuck yeah - You know I popped for that guy.

FTN. Fuck you this is amazing, this is brilliant, this is funny as fuck. Something about CYOA stories that I feel is understated, is that there's either only one correct path with the rest being dead ends, or every path is pretty much the same with only minor variations. The best CYOA stories tend to invert this, with reader choices having some kind of effect on the story in one way or another, whilst still trying to have the core characters act in a way that reaches the desired conclusion. This said 'fuck that noise' in a lovely way, and I think, in a way that really resonates with a certain point. Because the core concept of a CYOA story is that the reader has some kind of power or control over the story. Even if it's minimalised or just for show, it's supposed to give the reader the illusion of control. Which means, FTN going anti-CYOA is essentially saying 'fuck that, you have no control here, you can't say how effective or believable our connection with each other is, we're the writers of our own story', more or less. It works, in a meta-sense from a convo on the discord, to a canon sense of Black & Peacock wanting to do their own thang and not feel like they have to go through a series or prearranged drama and building so they can hang out. Promo concept aside, the dialogue in this is just... Chef kissing noises. It's fun, it's earnest, it's fucking to-the-point, it's grand stuff. FTN fucking rules.

Bonus #1: Poor Sting Ray. I hope he has a good weekend ahead of him.

Bonus #2: I like Reagan Cole, and I hope he also has a good weekend ahead of him.

---

Originally posted by Nostradamus.

Alright, let me throw my hat in this:

-Which match am I looking forward to the most, and why?
Three Stages of Hell. I'm just a mark for this match type and I really want to see Tommy Bedlam pull out a W here.

-Which absent match do I wish was on the card?
I know storyline directions dictated otherwise, but I would have just loved Princess Nova in a match with some stake behind it.

-Who should have been on comms?
JLW and AP simply because those are the ones I used for the match I wrote.

-Which FIVE promos did I enjoy and why? (In no particular order)
1. Jeremy Best:
This was just captivating. You really get the feeling of someone progressively losing their fucking marbles over an obsession as time progresses. A mind fracturing and disassociating from reality and creating their own warped world is right in my wheelhouse and I absolutely loved it. I think I know of a few people that know how to make someone reshape their broken reality and come back at their fullest potential *rubs chin mischievously*

2. Regan Cole:
Two words - "I agree."
I really feel like this promo had a lot of heart and I could get behind every word of it. Seriously brought a tear to my eye. Give it a perfect score, damn it.

3. Katsu (On Exhibit):
As per usual, Beavie puts forward what I consider a perfect promo. I'll admit to being a little "ehhhh" when I first heard her idea, simply because I was trying to work out how I would have done the zoo idea, but then I realized it wasn't something I could have pulled off in the way she did, and BOY did she pull it off. The literal usage of description plaques you would see at a zoo is probably one of the most clever/creative things I've ever seen in a promo.

4. MvH:
Is there much that even needs to be said that hasn't been said dozens of times by probably everyone else here? I will say that this promo has given me a fucking stellar idea for a (long into the) future Keres promo, so thanks for that. Always top notch, nuff said really. Really looking forward to the retirement of MvH though!

5. Weaselperson:
I will never fucking understand weaselperson. That said, this did a decent job of explaining what the fuck weaselperson is to me, or at least his motives and what he thinks. Lastly, bark.

Honorable Mention: Lizzie Rose
Won't say anything that could be considered a review, but I am very happy with how your promo turned out and I look forward to see how you, and everyone else, like our banger of a match.

Back in Business is rocking through the entire night. The entire crowd is on fire and electric as they wait for more action from the FWA roster. However, there is a person in the back whose demeanor is just a little different. Tommy Bedlam sits in his locker room counting the minutes until his life altering and much anticipated, Three Stages of Hell match against Shawn Summers. His face is very stoic and focused as every second brings him closer to his match against Shawn Summers. Just then there are a few knocks on the door.

Tommy Bedlam: “Come in.”

Tommy’s demeanor doesn’t change and his focused gaze doesn’t budge an inch as he continues to stare intently at something in front of him as the door opens. From the opened door appears none other than Johnny Johnson. Johnny has a huge smile on his face and is dressed in a designer plaid burgundy suit, with a lavender shirt underneath it and a black tie to go with it all. Johnny makes it inside of the locker room and closes the door behind him. Clasping his hand in pure excitement with who he sees right before him, Johnny can’t make the smile from his face disappear.

Johnny Johnson: “Tommy, mother fucking, Bedlam. How the hell are ya, Cowboy?! It’s been forever and a year since I’ve seen you.”

Johnny then abruptly stops speaking and has a confused look on his face. He then turns his head to see what exactly Tommy is staring at and then looks back at Tommy, confused.

Johnny Johnson: ”Is this not the best time?”

Then Johnny moves a step closer and waves his hand in front of Tommy’s face, trying to divert his gaze, as if Tommy isn’t aware of the fact that Johnny stepped into the locker room. Then all at once Tommy speaks up.

Tommy Bedlam: ”Not at all, I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen you earlier than tonight. Given the rumors swirling around that you returned and what you have been trying to do.”

Johnny’s face then lights up once again with a sly sneer.

Johnny Johnson: ”Excellent to hear. So you know why I would bless you with my presence. But listen, I can see it in your eyes already. You can’t wait to say yes to me offering you a spot in my crew. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to quelch that excitement just for a little bit. I know at one point there were many talks between you, me and my father about the three of us putting together a group and running through this place.

With that being said, giving you that opportunity was actually my father’s idea. Whom we all know couldn’t tell his ass from a hole in the wall. Since this is my dream, my creature I’m going to build it as I see fit and frankly if you had any ambitions to set foot in it I’m going to see a little of the old Tommy Bedlam that I used to know. Because frankly, this Tommy Bedlam, the one I see before me, doesn't have a chance getting through this match tonight, let alone stand shoulder to shoulder and dominate this place like my creation will.”

Tommy’s face grows a little agitated and at that point he stands up and looks right into Johnny’s face. Still holding a calm demeanor, Tommy looks straight into Johnny’s eyes.

Tommy Bedlam: ”Alright, I think it’s time for me to say my peace. Truth be told Johnny, I couldn’t give a damn that you’re back. When I joined up with you and your father, it was all about accomplishing the most I could in this place, taking the easiest route possible. Not only that, but DSI wasn’t even you and your father. You might have been there in the beginning, but then you two turned tail and left this place, leaving me and Crowe high and dry.

At first, the two of us weren’t sure what to think of it. But, truth is, it was a blessing to the two of us. Crowe and myself could have just floundered, with a bullseye on both of our backs with no real allies to speak of and we smashed it out of the park. I’m going to tell it like it is Johnny, I don’t need this group you're trying to form, and I have no desire to be a part of it.”

Tommy then looks Johnny up and down for a second.

Tommy Bedlam: “And as far as what I’m looking at before me, all I see now is a dick in a fancy suit that knows he is in over his head when he steps inside of a wrestling ring. So what does he do? Does exactly what you’re doing, try to find an army to stick in front of you and have them fight your battles like some power hungry dictator.”

Johnny’s slightly cheerful manor changes quickly with the last few words of Tommy and he gets within inches of Tommy. Standing face to face, Johnny begins to talk to Tommy in a low, very direct manner.

Johnny Johnson: “Don’t get it twisted Tommy. I came here tonight, extending an olive branch to someone I thought could use it. I’ve been watching what has been happening around here. I’ve seen with this little spat between you and Shawn Summers, at every turn he’s one upped you. I’ve seen that he has you so damn twisted that he’s even bringing your family into it all. And I know that makes your blood boil, so damn hot.

So being the class act that I am, I came here tonight to ensure that Randi and that awful brat she’s about to push out of that gap between her legs was going to have you in their life after this match tonight. I didn’t knock on that door thinking, “oh the great Tommy Bedlam, he’s done so much and he’ll protect me from the big bad wolves of FWA”. Not in the slightest, I came in here believing you were smart enough to know that if you weren’t going to join me on this next journey of mine, that it would mean you were going to be a barricade that I was going to have to tear down like your hopes and dreams at obtaining either of those pieces of gold tomorrow night.”

Tommy chuckles a little bit under his breath, as Johnny speaks his usual bullshit. But he then takes a deep sigh and puts a little more bass in his voice.

Tommy Bedlam: ”First things first, keep the name of my wife out of your trap. You must really think I’m some kind of idiot, don’t you? I know what you’re doing Johnny and it has no chance of working. You came here tonight with this idea, putting out a handshake and getting me all riled up, right before the biggest match of my FWA career. All to get in my head, making sure that I lose this chance and come crawling to you. As if you're some kind of guardian angel that will protect me from the big, mean bulls of FWA.”

Johnny Johnson: ”No, no, no, Tommy. I came here tonight because I thought you may want that little bastard of yours to be more proud of you than you ever were of that piece of shit dad of yours. I guess you wanna be just like him. Forget being a has-been, you're on the fast track to being a never-was. Looks like you're on track to be a father just like the one you had.”

Tommy draws back and slaps Johnny Johnson across the face, staggering his former stable-mate.

Tommy Bedlam: ”That's twice. That's twice that you came in here and talked about my family, Johnny. I gave you the first one because I know your mouth has always worked faster than your brain. We'll call that slap a warning shot. I don't know if you recall, but DSI formed when I kicked Reagan Cole in the face and joined up with you and your dad, who is obviously so proud of you that he's nowhere to be seen. But do you remember what happened before that? I kicked your ass all over that ring, JJ. So, if you wanna walk out of my locker room, I suggest you start moving. If not, we can take a little stroll down memory lane and somebody can pack you out after I beat the shit out of you again.”

Johnny stumbles back, holding the side of his face that Tommy slapped, with a horrified look on his face. Cowering back towards the door, he reaches behind him fumbling for the door knob as he stares at Tommy with daggers in his eyes. He begins to yell at Tommy with a screeching voice.

Johnny Johnson: ”You think you can just do that to The Legend you neanderthal! You will pay for this Tommy, maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow. But there will be a day where you will regret that you ever raised a hand to The Legend!”

Johnny finally grabs a hold of the door knob, opens the door as he slides his way around it, never diverting his gaze from Tommy.

Johnny Johnson: ”This isn’t over Tommy Bedlam, there is a great wave coming and you will be buried under it, just like the rest of them!”

Johnny then slinks behind the door, closing it behind him. Tommy just shakes his head and begins to divert his focus to where it was earlier before he was interrupted by the parasite that is The Legend.

A closeup of Kurt Harrington graces the screen as he gets ready to introduce the next match.

Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and Gentlemen, if there are children in attendance, or watching at home, please take a moment to turn their attention away from this next contest.”

The camera fades to show the commentators looking directly into the camera with worried looks on their faces.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “While the crew prepares the ring, let’s take a moment to talk about what’s going on. Well, folks, while this is the first Garden of Eden match in the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance, this is not the first time this structure has been used for a match in general.

Rod Sterling: “That’s right, this is actually the fourth Garden of Eden match to ever take place in any promotion, and its use has been rare for a reason. Listen to this fact – the very first Garden of Eden match resulted in one of its competitors being declared legally dead for several minutes, and he was the WINNER of that match.”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “The loser of that match never wrestled again and has barely ever been seen in public since that match took place. The other two Garden of Eden matches, one was for a title, and the other actually involved two current FWA competitors going against one another in a different company. Those competitors were Reagan Cole and, fittingly, the TORN Angel herself, Princess Nova.”

Anzu Kurosawa: “Oh we forgot a small detail about the guy that legally died and was brought back to life in the first one… that man was Keres’ father. So now his twisted seed is going to show that she was literally born for this. My god, just look at that thing, get the camera off of us, show that dangerous monstrosity.”

The ropes and turnbuckle padding have been removed from the ring. All that remains is the canvas, four metal posts, and the apron. The camera focuses on the structure hanging above the ring. A steel cage that comes directly out of a deathmatch fan’s greatest dreams and a normal person’s nightmares. Befitting the name; intricately woven between the steel of each cage wall are the vines and thorns you’d see in an actual garden, but these are not for the purpose of beauty, as intertwined with these vines and thorns is sharp barbed wire. One of the walls has a barbed wire wrapped table tied to it. Atop the cage are wooden platforms – just sturdy enough to barely hold the weight of two grown men – and attached to these wooden platforms are hooks holding various weapons. Amongst the multitude of weapons is a steel chair, an old looking cloth bag, a hammer, a fire extinguisher, and… the rose staff Eternal had presented to Lizzie Rose, no longer broken.

Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time for the Garden of Eden match! The only way to win this match is by knockout, saying I quit, or otherwise submitting if a competitor is unable to speak. In order to keep things fair, neither competitor is permitted to wear gloves during this match or otherwise use any outside protection. Leaving the cage will result in a forfeit. In the event of an unforeseen, unintended, and/or catastrophic conclusion to this match, both competitors have waived the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance of any legal liabilities. Welcome to the Garden of Eden!”

SPOILER: Click to show

{DANCE IN THE DARK|| AU/RA }[MEDIA=youtube]OKV2KoKRtSk[/MEDIA]

Rather than her usual entrance music, the hypnotic tones of "Dance in the Dark" play over the loudspeakers of the Stadium. The lights dim around the stage. Then there are sudden flashes of white light in tune with the music. The screens show Lizzie Rose standing in a dark room with a lone spotlight that reveals she is clad in a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey. Images flash on the screen of everything Eternal has put her through the past several months. Her being cost the North American title, losing Joe Burr, her crying backstage, lost.

"If you're afraid...

It's okay..."

A black rose is in Lizzie's hand, and she tosses it away-

"Everybody's afraid, it's okay, so Dance-"

And begins to groove to the music. The room slowly becomes more illuminated. She's dancing the darkness away-

The fans cheer as they see Lizzie Rose making her way out on the stage. She has a captain's style hat decked out in proper rave style. A special flashy attire made up of dark blue and neon green bearing the logo of the city. Brooklyn turns her back to the fans. As the intro song fades…

SPOILER: Click to show

{THE KEY, THE SECRET|| URBAN COOKIE COLLECTIVE }[MEDIA=youtube]2wyv52Ahry0[/MEDIA]

Kurt Harrington: “Introducing first, from Brooklyn, New York, “The Rave” LIZZIIIIIIEEEEEEE RRRROOOOOOSSE!”

And wearing that flashy version of her attire Lizzie Rose walks briskly onto the stage and paces halfway down the aisle before tossing the multi-colored cap to the crowd and taking a moment to look around the massive Stadium. Her eyes almost seem…teary? The reaction is overwhelming, but Lizzie sucks it up and begins her stoic walk down the aisle.

Rod Sterling: There's no dancing tonight. No raving. Not even a smile from Lizzie Rose. Because she knows full well that even by her standards, win, lose or draw, she's going into the most violent match of her life, and years of her career are about to be cut off.

Anzu Kurosawa: But to her, it'll be worth it to stop ETERNAL. I know she's made a career out of being an underdog; this time last year in Rio, she pinned Hall Of Famer Gabrielle in one of the biggest upsets I've ever seen, but now she is stepping into this demented playground that her opponent has called for. God knows what we're about to witness.

Jean-Luc Watkins:; "Nothing good..."

Lizzie takes a few extra moments on the outside as she takes a long look at the incredible Garden Of Eden structure that hangs above the ring. Lizzie walks around ringside, making her way to the steps. She climbs onto the apron and proceeds to the corner, where she turns her back to the rest of the ring and plants her head on the top of the post, getting herself in a peaceful mindset and preparing for what's to come. She looks up and eyes the Cell walls from below and takes one more look around the arena. In a strange move, she gets down low on her haunches, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before turning her attention back towards the stage.

Kurt Harrington: “And her oppon-“

The microphone makes a loud and unsettling screeching sound. The lights in the arena go black and then slowly turn into an extremely dark purple. Foreboding and eerie violin strings begin to echo throughout the arena over a steady hum in the background.

SPOILER: Click to show

{CREEPY VIOLIN}[MEDIA=youtube]vl9xPqkv9pY[/MEDIA]

Smoke begins to fill the arena. A single blinding white spotlight shines on the left side of the stage to show a man wearing a navy-blue suit. His face is covered by a white mask depicting a dove. In his hands he holds a bouquet of flowers. A second blinding white spotlight shines on the right side of the stage to show a woman covered in tattoos and wearing a black dress. Her face is covered by a mask depicting a skull. In her hands she also holds a bouquet of flowers, but they are all dried up and dead.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “What in the world…”

A third spotlight, this time a faint yellow, shines on the middle of the stage revealing an absurdly large black crib. The two masked figures walk over to the crib and place their bouquets inside of it. A large cloud of smoke begins to rush out from the crib as the two masked figures step out of the light and recede into the darkness.

SPOILER: Click to show

{CLOCK TOWER: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA MAJORAS MASK MUSIC EXTENDED}[MEDIA=youtube]LS7QUH54ufY[/MEDIA]

An ominous, weirdly comforting, yet threatening, tune begins to play in the arena as the Daughter of Demise begins to rise out from the crib. Through the smoke we can see Keres wearing a large black ball gown that is covered in small silver gemstones. Covering Keres’ head is a black hood and over her face is an incredibly realistic raven mask with slits that show her own eyes underneath. The silky material of the feathers causes it to shine in the yellow spotlight. The outer portion of the mask has feathers that flare out and dance as she slowly moves her arms and head to the gentle music and steps out of the crib.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “This… this is almost peaceful. She’s moving gracefully, and with care, like she’s healing the world. But I… but I- ”

Allen Price: “But you can’t shake the heavy feeling of horror and fear either, can you?”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Exactly that.”

With his microphone working once again, and Keres having made it to ringside, Kurt Harrington finishes the introduction.

Kurt Harrington: “Residing in The Residence, representing Eternal, she is the “Daughter of Demise”, Keres!

Standing in the middle of the ring, Keres removes the ball gown to reveal a solid black, sleeveless, body suit that is complete with black boots made of black feathers. She removes the raven mask and hood, holding it in her left hand, and reveals her running eye shadow, as if she had been crying. Holding the mask above her head, she stares at it and snaps the fingers on her right hand causing the lights to go out and the top of the mask to catch fire and start burning in the dark, illuminating her face. Quickly, Keres shakes the mask and whips it to the floor, extinguishing the flames, as all the lights turn back on. The whole time Keres was making her entrance, a confident and defiant Lizzie Rose never let her tormentor leave her line of sight, staring at this soulless husk.

Allen Price: “What was this? What is Keres?”

Rod Sterling: “I have a feeling that her entrance is nothing compared to what’s about to happen in this ring.”

Anzu Kurosawa: “To her credit, Lizzie Rose doesn’t seem to be letting this display get to her. She looks ready to rip Keres apart, just look at the intensity in her eyes.”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, but it’s matched by the dead look in Keres’ eyes. And that smirk… I think I’m choking on my own heart.”

The cage lowers. The bell rings.

Rod Sterling: “Here we go, FWA’s first Garden of Eden match has officially started.”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “If you believe in a deity, pray to it now.”



SIXTH MATCH || 1/?.
Lizzie Rose vs. Keres.
Garden of Eden Match [Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match - with winner decided by KO or ‘I Quit’].
Match writer: StarlightKid and Nostradamus.



The two women stare at each other from opposite sides of the ring, neither making a move for the other. The tension in the air is thick. The arena somehow feels colder, and the steel of the cage is almost glistening under the bright lights. Feeling excited and foaming at the mouth with anticipation, the crowd begins chanting “This looks awesome!” at the image of these two women inside one of, if not the most, sadistic cages ever utilized around a wrestling ring.

Still not breaking from their death stare, the two women slowly begin circling around the ring extremely close to the cage walls. For a moment, Lizzie’s eyes gaze around the structure, surveying the weapons that hang from it. Keres does the same, except she stares knowingly at one specific weapon… The rose staff she and Princess Nova had gifted to Lizzie Rose before it was broken in two by its recipient.

Anzu Kurosawa: “There’s that staff, of course it’s here. We know Eternal is always a step ahead. How’s it even in one piece?”

Lizzie stares at the staff as well. It’s calling to her… but she ignores it and runs at Keres while she’s trying to play mind games and hits her with a hard front dropkick, sending her back first directly into the barbed wire covered wall of the cage! Lizzie pops back up to her feet and looks at Keres as she stands pressed against the cage wall with her face red from pain and anger. Her face slowly changes back to its neutral state as she grips the cage wall with both of her hands and squeezes down on the barbed wire and releases, showing her bare hands absolutely soaked in blood.

Allen Price: “What is wrong with this girl?!”

Lizzie Rose, trying to brush off the antics of Keres, runs at her again and lays in repeated strikes to the stomach and head of Keres. The Daughter of Demise tries to get away, but Lizzie stays on her with strike after strike, only stopping momentarily to let out a primal yell that gets the crowd on their feet. Keres is lightly dazed from the barrage of offense and stumbles around the ring, stopping in front of one of the bare ring posts, where she is met by a flying Lizzie Rose, who nails her with a European Uppercut that makes the back of Keres’ head bounce off of the post!

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Oh my god, Keres’ head!”

Allen Price: “That might be a knockout right there!”

Evidently, everyone slowly realizes this is not a knockout as Keres sits on the mat, leaning against the post, and chuckles at Lizzie. Rose stomps back over to Keres and reaches down to grab her by the pigtails, but Keres reaches up with both of her bloody hands and covers Lizzies face, digging at her eyes at the same time. Lizzie holds her face and turns around, blinded by both Keres’ hand blood and the eye rake, and is unable to avoid being pulled by her hair and dragged down with a neckbreaker. Keres quickly gets to her feet, positions herself on the side of Lizzie, and drops down with an elbow to her face! Lizzie kicks her feet and rolls away from Keres while covering her face. Having scurried away, Lizzie looks at her hands and can’t tell if the blood on them is from Keres or Lizzie’s own nose after that elbow. Not giving her time to think about it any longer, Keres grabs Lizzie by the leg and drags her back towards the center of the ring and locks in a Kneebar.

Using her other leg, Lizzie kicks at Keres and forces her to let go of the hold after a few seconds. Both women get to their feet and Keres attempts a Super Woman Punch, but it is sidestepped by Lizzie Rose who waits for Keres to turn back around and catches her with a sudden Brooklyn Flash!

Rod Sterling: “Lizzie hits her version of the Slingblade out of nowhere!”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “And I don’t think she’s about to make a call as well! Calling Mr. Vain!”

Lizzie Rose drills a seated Keres in the side of the head with a low roundhouse kick. The crowd can’t get enough of seeing Keres get what they believe she deserves. Using this moment of Keres being down to her advantage, Lizzie jumps up and knocks a weapon off one of the hooks like it was a basketball stuck in-between the hoop and the backboard.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Smart move there, she avoids having to climb up the barbed wire wall by jumping.”

Allen Price: “And look what her hops got her.”

Lizzie reaches down and picks up the hammer she knocked off of the hook. She holds it in her hand and looks at Keres as she gets to her feet. Once Keres is facing Lizzie, she swings the hammer at Keres’ head!... and stops before she even gets close, still not willing to sink that low even in the face of the woman that has been making her life a living hell. Taking advantage of Lizzie’s wholesome nature, Keres grabs Lizzie’s likely broken nose and squeezes it, causing her to yell in pain. She follows this up with a knee lift to the gut, a forearm to the back, and ends this sequence by grabbing Lizzie by her hair and driving her forehead into The Rave’s forehead!

Anzu Kurosawa: “Keres with a bit of Horrible Sanity! Ironic since that headbutt was anything but!”

Lizzie drops down to the mat, visibly struggling to keep herself awake... and she’s suddenly given a potion of awakening as an excruciating jolt of pain shoots up her leg because of Keres bashing the side of her knee with the hammer Lizzie couldn’t use a few moments ago!

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Jesus Christ, the sound of that!”

Keres, with a sadistic smile on her face, again bashes the hammer into the leg of Lizzie Rose, this time hitting higher up on the thigh. Lizzie lets out a pained yelp as she kicks the hammer out of Keres’ hand using her good leg. Luckily for Lizzie, she manages to kick the hammer through an opening in the cage and it falls out of the ring. With Lizzie holding her leg in pain on the ground, Keres looks at the referee and points at Lizzie Rose. The referee goes over to ask Lizzie if she wants to quit, but Lizzie just pushes the referee away from her. The smirk on Keres’ face grows as she climbs the barbed wire cage wall, face turning red as the barbs dig into her hands.

Rod Sterling: “Her back has been shredded from the start of this match and she continues to put her own hands through hell by grabbing the cage wall. Barbed wire doesn’t care who or what you are, if you can bleed, it WILL make you humble!”

Keres reaches up for the cloth bag and takes it off the hook. As she was doing this, Lizzie Rose managed to hobble on one leg over to the wall with the barbed wire wrapped table.

Anzu Kurosawa: “Lizzie refuses to let Keres get the upper hand, she’s got a toy of her own. Although, we don’t know what’s in the bag Keres is holding.”

Keres hops down to the mat and turns around to see that Lizzie has setup the barbed wire wrapped table. Putting her weight on mostly one leg, Lizzie motions at Keres to bring it and taunts her for only having a bag. Keres holds the bag in front of her and begins to untie the string that closes it. Once it’s open, the fear from everyone in the arena is heard as they all yell at the sight of the item in Keres’ evil, bloody hands.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “IS THAT A [bleep]-ING BLOWTORCH?!”

Keres, holding the blowtorch out in front of her, presses down on a button which makes a large and steady stream of fire come out from it.

Allen Price: “Eternal did something to that blowtorch, they aren’t made to produce flames THAT big! Ref, get that out of her hands!”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “He can’t! There’s no rule against it!”

Keres comes at Lizzie and wildly swings the flame of the blowtorch at her, but Lizzie is dodging and ducking for her life. She manages to get some distance between herself and Keres, enough to provide her with some time to figure out how to neutralize the blowtorch in Keres’ hand. Fighting through pain and worry, Lizzie Rose hits a Spinning Back Elbow square on the jaw of Keres, sending her down to the mat and the blowtorch next to the barbed wire wrapped table. Lizzie drops to a knee, still feeling the pain of the hammer shots to her legs, and Keres rushes up from a kneeling position and lunges at Lizzie… who reacts by taking Keres off her feet for a Flapjack but slams her face and torso first into the cage wall instead of the mat! This impact with the barbed wire has torn open the gash on Keres’ cheek caused by Lizzie Rose during their last encounter, but Lizzie does not go unscathed as the back of her shoulder is also shredded by the barbed wire wall. The shaking of the cage wall causes a second bag to fall from the top of the Garden of Eden Structure.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Oh man, not another bag.”

Allen Price: “What does this one have, a landmine?”

Noticing the bag, Keres crawls over to it and places her hand on the string keeping it closed… but she’s soccer kicked directly in the face by Lizzie Rose, sending a trail of blood flying across the mat! Keres rolls away from Lizzie, trying to put some distance between them. Lizzie now reaches for the bag, opens it, and peeks inside. She likes what she sees, and she walks over to the barbed wire wrapped table, emptying the contents of the bag on top of it.

Anzu Kurosawa:: “Not a landmine, but we got some thumbtacks in play now!”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “As if a table covered in barbed wire wasn’t enough, now it’s covered in tacks too!”

Lizzie walks to Keres and drags her by the pigtails, bringing her over to the table. Lizzie picks Keres up and holds her in powerbomb position in front of the table and goes to put her through it! But she fails as Keres reverses it into a Hurricanrana, sending The Rave through the table, leaving her mixed up in a bed of barbed wire and thumbtacks! The pained wail of Lizzie bounces off the walls of the arena as her upper body lays in the table and her legs rest against the cage wall, leaving her at a ninety-degree angle. Keres crawls away and tries to regain her composure while the referee runs over to check on Lizzie Rose. From within the debris, the referee hears Lizzie say she doesn’t quit, and he backs on in disbelief and concern.

Rod Sterling: “You have to wonder what either of these women are thinking at this point and what condition they’ll be in after this match. This match has been absolutely barbaric.”

Allen Price: “I’m seriously worried for- OH MY GOD!”

He is cut off mid-sentence at the scene in the ring as we see Keres clearing the debris off of Lizzie only for Lizzie to reveal she had grabbed the blowtorch and used it to set Keres’ black feather covered boots on fire! Keres screams, showing fear for perhaps the first time in her entire existence, and jumps away from Lizzie Rose. Keres falls to the mat and feverishly shakes her feet, trying to put the fire out to no avail. The referee, who is wearing gloves since he is not an active competitor in this match, reaches up the cage wall and retrieves the fire extinguisher. Keres has managed to kick her boots off, leaving her in just black socks, and the referee puts the fire out. The boots are no longer in wearable condition. A battered and bloody Lizzie Rose rips the fire extinguisher from the referee’s hands and stares at Keres, who has a surprised look on her face.

Lizzie Rose: “What’s that thing you always say, Keres?”

Lizzie Rose holds the fire extinguisher horizontally by her shoulder.

Lizzie Rose: “Be not afraid?!”

And with that Lizzie Rose LAUNCHES the fire extinguisher directly at the head of a seated Keres and it hits with an extremely loud CLANG. Keres’ body shoots backwards and her head bounces off the mat. Her hand twitches a bit, but her eyes remain open. The referee goes to check on Keres but does not call the match as Keres is still able to verbally communicate defiance. Despite this, the crowd is in an absolute uproar and cheering for Lizzie Rose as she shows her vicious side to a level that hasn’t been seen before in the FWA. Lizzie Rose drags Keres’ almost completely limp body away from the corner she was in and then brings her to her feet, which seems to reactivate Keres’ brain, as she suddenly hits Lizzie with Oscurità! The darkest Spinning Backfist you’ve ever seen connects with the temple of Lizzie Rose! Both women fall to the mat exhausted. They both slowly roll away from each other and use the cage wall to help themselves up, either ignoring the barbed wire going into their hands or just numb to it at this point.

They both breathe heavily, quickly, and angrily, as they rush at one another and meet in the center of the ring, locking up and letting their fists fly! Shot after shot to the head of each woman, then blow after blow to their torsos, followed by a big Backhand Chop from Lizzie Rose.

Keres responds with a Knife Edge Chop of her own.

Lizzie hits Keres with a Spinning Heel Kick that sends her stumbling back first, again, into the barbed wire cage wall! Once Lizzie stands back up from hitting her move, Keres runs at Lizzie and attempts to nail her with Realtà Contorta!... But Lizzie somehow leaps above an airborne Keres and drives her into the mat with the Goomba Stomp!

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Lizzie Rose hits the Goomba Stomp in miraculous fashion! That’s got to be the kill shot right there!”

Allen Price: “It very well could be!”

The force of the Goomba Stomp has not only taken all the air out of Keres’ body, but it may have also taken all that Lizzie had left in her leg. Lizzie clutches the leg that Keres brutalized with a hammer earlier in the match. Keres slowly recovers from the Goomba Stomp and crawls towards a ring post, showing that the stomp did not have everything behind it because of Lizzie’s hurt leg. A smile is emblazoned across the face of Keres as she pulls herself up using the post. She goes over to Lizzie Rose and puts her incredibly surprising strength on display as she pretty much deadlifts Lizzie off of the mat, holds her in a backdrop position, but runs across the ring instead, and drives Lizzie’s hurt leg into the other ring post!

Allen Price: “One of these women is going to end up crippled!”

Anzu Kurosawa: “I think Keres’ goal is to make sure one of them ends up like her father did, but maybe permanently this time, this chick is insane!”

Keres climbs one of the cage walls again and retrieves a metal chain from one of the hooks. She also knocks down a steel chair. Keres climbs back down the wall, gets her feet on the mat, turns around… and is met with a flying chair to the face! Lizzie Rose had seen the chair on the mat and rushed to grab and throw it at Keres. The impact of the chair makes Keres drop the chain as she goes back first into the wall again. Lizzie, not hesitating like she had done with the hammer earlier, picks up the chain and goes unhinged as she whips Keres across the stomach, arms, and back with it!

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Lizzie has had enough!”

Allen Price: “The longer this goes, the more violent she gets! I don’t know, I think she’s losing herself in there.”

Anzu Kurosawa: “This match changes people, and I think all it’s done is show Lizzie that she’s done with Eternal! That she can stand up to Eternal! That she can dish out what they’ve given to her!”

Keres gets away from Lizzie Rose and starts to climb the cage wall.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wait, is Keres going to forfeit? If she leaves the cage, that counts as quitting the match.”

Allen Price: “I don’t think that’s what’s happening, look.”

Keres has made her way to the top of the wooden platforms on the top of the cage. An unsettling smile is on her face as she looks down at Lizzie Rose and beckons her to join her at the top. Laughing, Keres lifts her hand and holds it next to her head. She snaps… and a pissed off Lizzie Rose starts climbing the cage wall!

Rod Sterling: “I guess the action’s going up!”

Now on top of the wooden platforms, both women are trading punches, with neither having a concrete advantage. After a few shots, Lizzie gets thrown off balance and stumbles. She avoids falling by steadying herself with her hands, but this allows Keres to act on Lizzie’s moment of vulnerability by locking in a standing hammerlock and guillotine combination!

Allen Price: “I can’t watch this, they’re so high up, this is dangerous!”

Lizzie struggles to release Keres’ grip but is unable to do so as Keres’ submission holds are almost always airtight. The struggle causes the wooden platform to shake, throwing both women slightly off balance. This is enough to make Keres stumble and step on the bit of barbed wire on the edge of the board with her sock-covered foot, leading to her starting to fall off the platform! But she grabs Lizzie by the arm and drags her down with a very sloppy arm drag-like maneuver! Both women fall to the mat below with an absolutely sickening thud.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “No! Dear god no!”

Allen Price: “They’ve got to be dead, there’s no way they survived that, somebody send some help!”

Contrary to the reactions of the commentators, the two women are somehow still awake. Their bodies have been visibly broken and destroyed by this grueling match. The referee kneels between them, checking on both women to make sure neither has been gravely injured and that they are both still willing to compete. They both slowly get back to their feet and stare a hole through one another. Lizzie puts most of her weight on one leg and holds her midsection. Keres stands as if she is hugging herself, each hand on the opposite shoulder. Keres’ gaze moves next to Lizzie, on the mat, and Lizzie responds by looking at the ground next to herself as well. Their bodies crashing to the mat caused every remaining weapon to fall off the hooks at the top of the cage. A kendo stick rests by one wall, a cheese grater by a second wall, a light tube by a third… and by Lizzie’s feet, poetically, is the rose staff.

Keres: “Remember, Elizabeth…”

Lizzie looks back at Keres. She watches as Keres walks over to the kendo stick and picks it up with her left hand. She watches as Keres walks over to the light tube and picks up it with her right hand. Lizzie allows Keres to retrieve and dual-wield these weapons.

Keres: “T̳̮̙ḥ̮͓̭̫̖͆ͯͫ̄͋̑e̪̺̳̯̓̃ͦ̇̀ ͛ͣ̆ͭ̾̄c͖̠̘̝̝͔̽ͦ͐̀h̷̩̙̟͓̣̰̄̃̐̈o̘̹̥̤̩̊ì͖͓̿̍ͭͭ͋ͥc̺ͥͬế͕̦̙̼̌ͪ͟ ̛͍͇̃h̚ằ̹̲̖̺̔ͭ̃̓s̞͂̕ a̻̳̝͓͞l̷̲ͭ̿w̌̈ͤ̚a̷͇͓̘̺̓͒̔̈́ͭ̍y̟̭͇͕̅ͯ͂ͅs̩̰̤ͅ ̟͖̹̼̮͉̎ͣ̋͛͋ͦͨb̏͑ͨ̽̚e̟̰ͭͣ̇͟e͎̮͉̯̺͇͎͡ṇ͖͙̋̊ ̰͕͆̒ͯ̔ͬ͊̂y̤̰̭ͧ̅o̢̺͓̘̱̜ͨ̐ͅù̯͓͚̦̯̹̉́̉r̘̝͎̜̹͋ͨͥͫ̆̃s̡͖̙̲͈̭̙̐.”

Keres holds the kendo stick and light tube in a martial arts fashion. The stick is in front of her, and the tube is by her head. Lizzie Rose looks back down at the rose staff. The staff is yearning for her… and she is yearning for it. The rose on the staff appears to be glowing only before her eyes, speaking words only she can hear. Lizzie Rose reaches out… and she grabs the cheese grater.

Cheese grater in hand, Lizzie goes at Keres, but is severely mismatched as Keres snaps the kendo stick on the midsection of Lizzie Rose, leaving her with just the light tube. They both turn to face each other and Keres swings the light tube, misses, and is rewarded with Lizzie introducing a cheese grater to the chest of Keres! She digs it in and slowly drags it across Keres’ chest as they both yell out, most likely a mix of anger and pain from both. With Lizzie still being in close and using Keres’ chest as a block of cheese, Keres swings the light tube around Lizzie and destroys it over the back of Lizzie’s head!

Anzu Kurosawa: “Just end this already, you’ve both damn near killed each other!”

Allen Price: “We all knew what we were getting into, but I don’t think we fully understood exactly what this entailed.”

[/B][/color]

Both women drop to their knees, holding themselves up only because they are forehead-to-forehead. Blood, sweat, and tears run down both of their bodies after all they’ve put themselves and one another through in this match. And then… Keres suddenly hugs Lizzie.

Allen Price: “Oh no. No, no, no, no.”

Rod Sterling: “That hug is dangerous. Lizzie’s felt that hug before, well, sort of. It was a different Keres.

Allen Price: “This is so weird; I’ll never fully understand the intricacies of this TORN Universe stuff or Keres herself. But like you said, we do know that hug is nothing good for Lizzie.”

Keres lets go of the hug and Lizzie is almost frozen. The two women stare at each other again and both slowly rise to stand. Once again, Keres looks down at the rose staff, and so does Lizzie, but this time… Lizzie reaches down and picks it up.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Woah, she actually picked it up?”

Allen Price: “I’m… I’m somehow more scared and worried now.”

Lizzie Rose stares at the rose staff in her hand. She feels the power it can give her. The ability to be what she’s truly meant to be. The chance to finally reach her true potential and show everyone that she isn’t a weak, selfless, spineless afterthought.

Keres: “You can feel it. I know you do… Elizabeth… regardless of what is about to happen… I’ve already won. It’s time for you to make your choice. I have waited for this moment for so long. Let us not play this game any longer.”

Keres momentarily smirks before her face goes back to its normal, cold manner. Covered in blood, both her own and Lizzie’s, Keres has never looked more pleased, even if her emotions don’t necessarily show it. The Daughter of Demise closes her eyes, turns around, and slightly tilts her head up.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “What… what is Keres doing?”

Allen Price: “She’s… leaving herself vulnerable for Lizzie, I think?”

Lizzie’s eyes go between Keres’ head and the rose staff. Keres is right, Eternal has already changed her. Lizzie is not the same person that she was before all of this started. The Rave has proven just that inside the hellish structure ironically named the Garden of Eden... but she must make a choice.

Keres: “Lizzie… make your choice. It’s ok. I will love you like a sister, no matter what.”

Lizzie Rose’s heart is racing. She is hyperventilating. Her mind is all over the place. The rose staff in her hand feels so light, as if she could literally do anything she wanted with it… like it is the solution to all her problems… like this moment, here, with Keres, will be her salvation… Lizzie Rose knows what she wants to do, here and now, inside the Garden of Eden…

Anzu Kurosawa: “Come on Lizzie…”

The rage. Months of torment, torture, reshaping, and “care” from Eternal. The gifts, the pain, the metal anguish. Lizzie Rose has gone through several layers of hell before even stepping inside of the Garden of Eden. She’s been a toy in Keres’ playpen for so long that she doesn’t know how life can possibly go back to normal. She’s reached levels of violence she’s never hit before, done things that she’s never done, experienced feelings that she’s never had before. The crowd is going crazy chanting Lizzie’s name… so she has to give them something to rave about.

Lizzie clutches the rose staff in her hand, squeezing it tightly. She wriggles her arm, moving it towards and away from Keres, conflicted. Lizzie finally lets out a loud primal scream, grabs Keres’ arm to turn her around, raises the beautiful rose staff above them both…

Then she lowers it and pulls Keres in for a hug of her own!

Allen Price: “Damn it, no!”

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Lizzie, what are you doing?!”

The two women tightly embrace in the middle of the ring. The raucous crowd rains their disdain at the scene playing out before them. Lizzie Rose has embraced her true potential.

Lizzie Rose: “Thank you”, Lizzie mutters close to Keres’ ear, “Thank you so much.”

They release the hug and Keres gently holds Lizzie by her arms, looking into the face of a bloody, teary-eyed, and happy looking Lizzie Rose.

Keres: “No, thank you. For seeing your potential. For seeing how great you can be. For freeing yourself… Now Elizabeth, let us fully cleanse you of what is left of Lizzie Rose.”

Elizabeth Rose: “Yes, sister.”

Keres releases Rose’s arms… and swiftly brings her hand around the throat of her new sister, gripping her in the Clutch of Woe. She walks forward as Rose walks backwards, pressing against the barbed wire wall of the Garden of Eden. Keres smirks and squeezes with deathly intent. The face of Rose goes from red to blue and she smiles as her eyes start to roll back in her head. She grips the cage wall with both of her hands much like Keres did at the beginning of the match.

Rod Sterling: “She’s squeezing the life out of Lizzie Rose!”

Anzu Kurosawa: “I don’t think Lizzie’s here anymore.”

Rose’s arms fall off the cage and hang at her sides. Her head and body go limp, and she falls forward into Keres’ arms. Keres gently places her face up on the mat and puts the rose staff between her hands on top of her chest. Smiles are still on the faces of both women. The referee goes to Rose’s side and, upon seeing that she is unconscious, calls for the bell.



Keres snaps her fingers. A legion of her servants, all clad in raven masks, surround the ring and take apart the garden of Eden structure. Two of them enter the ring and offer their hands to Keres to carry her as usual, but she declines, and instead points at her new sister. The two servants lift the unconscious body of El̵̦̟̤̺̦̫̣͒̀͗̅i͙͆͛͠zͩ͊͛ͧ̅̐å̖͙͙͖͍b̟͔̲͇̫ͤͨ̂e̟͇̘̘ͥ̾̇͋͑͛͗t̠̘̱͕͇̼͡h̒̃ͬͦ͐ͮ Rose and carry her out of the ring. Leading her servants, two of them carrying the newest member of the TORN Universe and the rest carrying pieces of the Garden of Eden, Keres walks up the stage and they all disappear behind it.

Allen Price: “I… don’t know what we just witnessed.

Jean-Luc Watkins: “Lizzie… or I suppose Elizabeth Rose… has given herself over to the TORN Universe… I… for once… feel much like Allen, at a complete loss.”

Rod Sterling: “What an intense match… and it’s not only going to get even more intense, because our Main Event… is up next.”

[/center][/center][/font]

The feed shifts to somewhere else in the arena. Somewhere that's not ringside. No, no. This is actually high above the ring, up on the overhead, enclosable roof that currently is not enclosed. And standing atop this roof, some hundreds of feet above the ring and the fans, staring out into the Mexico City night sky, is none other ... than XYZ.

How did he get up there? What is he doing there? Why is he there? These are unanswered questions that really serve no purpose to answer. The real question ... is why is the camera on him right now. And, well, who is really going to reject a 5-minute diatribe from arguably the most enigmatic person in the FWA, if not just the most difficult to comprehend.

XYZ: "I'm not one to cuss. Not one to swear. I don't like it. I hear the people around here doing it often. They say the F-word. They say the word for butt. The word for heck. The word for poop. They say this, that, and the other. It has never been something ... I've believed in.

But when I won the match last night, when I defeated the Walker of Death ... and Jason Randall of the Wildcard Clan ... you best believe I let out a 'DAMN YEAH!' I was elated. Ecstatic. Over the moon that you see up above me right now. I was feeling ... like a hero ... a leader ... an inspiration ... yet again."

A pause.

XYZ: "But then I remembered ... this is only the start. This is only the beginning. I've been close enough ... around a year ago. I didn't get there. Now ... I'm back."

Another pause.

XYZ: "Night 2 of Back in Business smells ... sublime. But that ... that ... is what winning smells like. The taste of victory from the smoke and fog of a battle. Night 2 is a follow to Night 1. It comes after. It is next in the timeline. So today ... on Night 2 ... it only makes sense that we revel in the smell of victory ... that was Night 1."

XYZ paces on the roof, making the watcher a little unsure whether this is entirely safe. Does he have a harness? Is there some sort of clip keeping him attached if he loses his balance? No. None. XYZ is a madman who laughs in the face of death.

XYZ: "When the snake enters the tanker carrying Ray ... it's the snake who must continue searching. When he goes down ... do you remember the Raiden who follows by phone? Do you remember the crawling past the soldiers in the theater? Do you remember the sneaking to the key in the port? Do you remember the snake slithering through the carrier in the sky? And when the radio goes silent, when you believe all hope is lost, he returns with a different name!

THIS IS THE PLIGHT OF THE SEALION! THIS IS THE PASSAGEWAY THROUGH THE METEOR SHOWER! I ... AM ... THE LIGHTHOUSE! I AM THE SINGLE LAMP POST ... GUIDING EVEN THE WEARIEST TRAVELER THROUGH THE NIGHT! I AM ... THE FLASHLIGHT IN THE CAVE! I AM ... THE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO TAKE DOWN DEAD CELL AND SOLIDUS!

And at Night 1 ... of Back in Business ... the light carried on. The XYZ Championship is ... in our reach. And after tonight ... Bedlam of the Tommies ...

I am waiting."

A pause.

XYZ: "BECAUSE THE DREAM ..."

The thousands of the crowd chimes in now from down below.

XYZ: "NEVER ..."

Crowd: "DIEEEES!"

But XYZ pauses, not finishing his catchphrase with the screaming crowd below. He allows for a dramatic interlude as he prepares to make a callback to the start of his soliloquy.

XYZ: "fucking ...

DIES!"



We return to the arena with Kurt Harrington standing in the middle of the ring with his microphone.

Kurt Harrington: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a battle royale to declare the first FWA Trios Champions, where all three members of a team must be thrown over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor, for a trio to be eliminated from the match-up."

A beautiful tree stands in the middle of the stage. A larch in case you're interested. As classical music starts to play in the background for us to fully appreciate the wonder of nature...

Until the music suddenly cuts off as both Dan and Doug approach the massive tree from both sides and with CHOP. AFTER CHOP. AFTER CHOP. AFTER CHOP, The tree began to lurch forward

TIMBER-!

and the tree came crashing down TO REVEAL LUCY WAS on ONTOP OF IT AND RIDING IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. She lands cat-like on her feet, where she joins her brothers as their music kicks in.

SPOILER: Click to show

{THE LUMBERJACK || JACKYL}[MEDIA=youtube]A52p9jc-gOo[/MEDIA]

Kurt Harrington: "Next, at a combined weight of fifteen hundred pounds… from the Yukon in Canada… Doug, Dan, and Lucy LuPone… The Lumberjacks!!"

The three siblings, after a swift march to the ring, climb into it. They are alone for now, and stare around the colossal arena before their eyes settle on the stage, just in time for…

SPOILER: Click to show

{TAKE ME TO CHURCH || HOZIER}[MEDIA=youtube]f4UhdgBVtVc:1[/MEDIA]

Blair and Celestia Ravenwood walk out onto the stage, Kleio De Santos appearing through the curtain with them but disappearing again after sharing a fist bump with each of the sisters. The Ravenwoods wait on the stage.

Kurt Harrington: "Introducing first, from Lock Haven in Pennsylvania, weighing in at a combined weight of two hundred and twenty pounds, Blair and Celestia Ravenwood… the Coven!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{FIREFLIES || OWL CITY}[MEDIA=youtube]QBgl4rVz3Ks[/MEDIA]

Trixie shares an uneasy glance with each of the sisters before leading the way down the ramp.

Kurt Harrington: "Anf their partner, weighing in at one hundred and twenty five pounds… from Baton Rouge, Louisiana… Bellatrix Bordeaux!"

The three women enter the ring and, after glancing at the Lumberjacks across the ring, look towards the stage. Their music fades out, and is replaced by…

SPOILER: Click to show

{NEPHEWS || PORRIDGE RADIO}[MEDIA=youtube]E47KQIL6ILk[/MEDIA]

The three Nephews arrive on the stage and, somewhat surprisingly, they are alone. They begin a swift walk towards the ring.

Kurt Harrington: "Next, at a combined weight of three hundred and ten pounds, from Everywhere… the Maid of Death, NOE-I, Kha’’rina Halruzh… THE NEPHEWS!"

The Nephews enter the ring, sharing more than a glance with the Coven before backing away into a corner. The lights go out and there's a buzz in the crowd before a familiar song starts to play...

"Like a moth to a flame
Burned by the fire
My love is blind
Can't you see my desire
That's the way love goes"

Three spotlights shine on the stage with Jackson Fenix on one side riding on the shoulders of a clown. On the other side in a spotlight is Nate Savage begrudgingly riding piggy-back on Monica and in the main spotlight in the center we see someone rising up through the stage. Xperienx Xtacee is in the arms of his beloved Antonio...

SPOILER: Click to show

{THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES || JANET JACKSON}[MEDIA=youtube]Khpb4yjL3Eg[/MEDIA]

The lights come back on as the song kicks in and the trio of Xperienx Xtacee, Jackson Fenix, and Nate Savage all make their way to the ring...

Kurt Harrington: ""Making their way to the ring the team of Nate Savage, Jackson Fenix, and Xperienx Xtacee...THE UNDISPUTED XPERIENX!"

[/b][/color]

They stop at the ring and Jackson is helped off the shoulders of the clown and gives him a hug. Antonio gently puts down Xperienx and the two share a brief embrace, and Monica lets Nate go and he nearly falls on his backside but Monica stops that happening. Monica looks like she might plant another kiss on Nate but she lets him go, and the trio enter the ring. Jackson and Xperienx do their hip thrusts in the center of the ring while Nate watches uncomfortably. Jackson gets too into it at one point and Nate has to stop him from embarassing himself while Xperienx is giggling in the background. They gather in their corner and wait for the rest of their opponents...



Those familiar with nGw recognise the next three combatants as they walk onto the stage. They don’t seem to be over-awed by their surroundings, instead presenting a confident air as they walk towards the ring.

Kurt Harrington: "From the Good Garage… weighing in at six hundred and ninety five pounds… Johnny Murdoch, Sonny Duzko, and Danny B. Goode… The Goode Fellas!!"

The three 50’s throwbacks slide into the ring, which has filled up considerably, and pose for the fans to moderate cheers. Their music fades out, and next we hear…



There’s a somewhat confused reaction at first, but this turns into cheers when three figures who are semi-recognisable (to varying extents) through their association with XYZ appear on the stage.

Kurt Harrington: "And at a combined weight of five hundred and ten pounds… Wild Jerry… Christian Howard… Sierra… THE MENAGE!!"

After walking down the ramp and slapping the hands with the front row fans, the Menage momentarily struggle to find an access point into the now crowded ring. Eventually, they find their spot and occupy a corner of the squared circle, looking around themselves somewhat apprehensively ahead of what is all three of their FWA debut. Their music fades out, and after a few seconds…



The lights of the stage flash a mixture of neon green, purple, with occasional flashes of red to the music. The screens flash an 8-bit skull logo repeatedly. After about eighteen seconds, the YOKAI Death Squad Trio makes their way out. Katsu keeps her hand to her side, cape flowing behind her. Ririko runs to one side of the stage, amped up, as Cali Hayama hops in place. Ririko joins her partners in the middle of the stage as there are sparks of pyrotechnics. Standing next to Katsu, Ririko spins around and holds up the MAYHEM "M," her masks "tongue" flopping around. Katsu crosses her arms in front of her, holding her hands in a "fox head” gesture as Cali Hayama kneels down in front of them, pointing her hand out like a sideways gun. The Canadian jumps up as all three begin to head down the ramp.

Kurt Harrington: "And next, representing MAYHEM, the Sky Devil, Cali Hayama, the Crazy Ghost, Ririko and the Kitsune Warrior, Katsu… YOKAI DEATH SQUAD!!!”

The three wrestlers head down the ramp, the rest of their well planned out entrance cut short by the sheer amount of people in the ring. They climb into it as their music fades, replaced by…



Three men walk out onto the ring: Reagan Cole with a motivated look of focus about him and, a little behind and one at each side, the masked TYLER and ‘the Saviour of Death’ Jeffry Mason. Whilst ‘the British Apprentice’ seems ready for action, his two compadres appear less than enthused about the task before them.

Kurt Harrington: "Next, weighing in at a combined weight of six hundred and eighty pounds… Reagan Cole, Jeffry Mason, TYLER… Necessary Evil!"

Reagan Cole slides into the now crowded ring, whilst the other two linger on the outside and exchange words before climbing up onto the apron. They warily enter the ring, staring almost down their noses at the sea of humanity (not to mention other species) around them.

Kurt Harrington: "And finally, already in the ring… Mike Stand, In-Sync, and the Backstreet Boy… the Bad Boys Band!"

The camera finds this last trio amongst the crowd. They beat their chests or raise a fist to little reaction from the crowd. Finally, the official calls for the bell…





SECOND MATCH || -/–.
Cthulhu’s Nephews (Maid of Death, NOE-I, and Kha’’rina Halruzh) vs. The Bad Boys Boy Band (The Backstreet Boy, In-Sync, and Mike Stand) vs. YOKAI Death Squad (Katsu, Cali Hayama, and Ririko) vs. The Undisputed Xperienx (Jackson Fenix, Nate Savage, and Xperienx Xtacee) vs. The Lumberjacks (Doug LuPone, Dan LuPone, and Lucy LuPone) vs. The Coven (Blair Ravenwood and Celestia Ravenwood) and Trixie Bordeaux vs. Necessary Evil (Reagan Cole, Jeffry Mason, and TYLER) vs. ??? (???, ???, and ???) vs...
Open Entry Battle Royale for the FWA Trios Championships.
Match writer: SS.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Twenty seven competitors are inside that ring, and you heard Kurt Harrington: only when all three members of the team are thrown over the top rope is a trio eliminated from this battle royale."

Allen Price: "Might want to count again, J-L! We’re down to twenty five!!"

Rod Sterling: "What on Earth are TYLER and Jeffry Mason doing?!"

Sterling’s confusion is shared by Reagan Cole, who watches with a perplexed expression on his face as his two partners - as soon as the bell is rung - leap over the top rope and onto the apron. They don’t glance back at him before hopping off it and onto the outside!!



Inside the ring, Reagan turns to face his two teammates, both of whom are already walking up the ramp…

Anzu Kurosawa: "Watch out! Now's not the time for a soap opera!"

Rod Sterling: "Here comes Trixie Bordeaux! She dumps her old rival unceremoniously over the top rope!!"



Cole lands in a heap on the outside and rises to dust himself. He turns around to face his eliminator and is nonplussed to find Trixie staring down at him. He silently seeths… as Mike Stand and In-Sync both simultaneously take Bordeaux by the scruff of the neck and fling her over the top rope… unlike Reagan, though, she lands on the apron and escapes back into the ring beneath the bottom rope.

Meanwhile, chaos is ensuing around the ring. The Ravenwood sisters are targeting the Backstreet Boy, taking it in turns to stomp him in the corner. The YOKAI Death Squad and the Nephews have fought to the outside of the ring, with Katsu flinging Kha''rina over the announce booth and Ririko working over the Maid with knife edge chops against a barricade. Cali, meanwhile, is the victim of a drop toe hold onto the steel steps from NOE-I. After incapacitating Sonny with a double choke slam and Johnny with a pair of big boots, Doug and Dan Lapone find themselves both subject to consecutive arm drags from Danny B. Goode… who is then in turn taken down by a hurricanrana from Lucy! She appears to be the last woman standing in the middle of a chaotic ring… but has her legs taken out from underneath her by Ririko and Katsu on the outside, who then proceed to run the Lumberjack head first into the steel post!

The Ménage have also retreated to the outside of the ring but keep themselves to themselves, exchanging words in a team huddle, redeveloping their strategy from the safety of the ramp.

In the ring, In-Sync is desperately trying to lay into Doug LuPone with straight rights, but the big Canadian isn’t budging under the strikes. After a dozen fists, Doug nails In-Sync with a big headbutt, dropping him immediately. He turns around, spotting the Backstreet Boy up on the top rope. The Bad Boy leaps off, going for a leaping double axe handle, but Doug catches him… and then throws him up into a powerbomb position…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "AWESOME BOMB!!!"

Allen Price: "The Backstreet Boy is hurled over the top rope and out to the floor! He’s out of here!!"



In-Sync and Mike Stand try to swap Doug in an attempt to avenge their fallen comrade, but can’t budge him when trying to drag him towards the edge of the ring. Doug nails each of them with overhand chops, each of the remaining Bad Boys turning around to eat big boots from Dan! The Lumberjacks momentarily stand tall in the middle of the ring, until each of them is nailed by aerial attacks from Katsu and Kha’’rina, returning to the ring on opposite sides of it! Katsu nails Doug with a springboard forearm, whilst Halruzh hits Dan with a springboard knee strike, each of the lumberjacks knocked over in turn. Katsu and Kha’’rina rise and share a momentary stand-off…

… which is interrupted by Lucy LuPone! She hits both of them with a shotgun dropkick, a foot for each opponent! Lucy gets up to her feet and pumps her fist, the Mexican fans getting onboard with this new addition to the Lumberjacks!

… but she’s blindsided by Nate Savage with a lariat to the back of the head! Savage slides into the ring for the first time since the early stages of the match, much to the chagrin of the crowd. Nate doesn’t seem to care, hoisting Lucy up and hitting her with a piledriver! Dan LuPone looks to be getting his feet to save his sister, but Jackson Fenix and Xperienx Xtacee both waylay him with a chopblock to each knee! Doug is on the mat incapacitated, but the two make sure he remains there by showering him with crotch chops and hip gyrations. Savage, meanwhile, hoists Lucy up, and dumps her unceremoniously over the top rope!



As the Coven take it to the Undisputed Xperienx in the ring, we cut to the outside, where Cali clotheslines NOE-I over the barricade and into the crowd! The Avatar lands on the front row fans’ laps, who scramble away from her. NOE-I looks to free herself from the chairs, but before she can Cali leaps over the barricade and hits her with a flying shoulder tackle!! The Avatar is knocked back into the second row, and Cali is on her in an instant with forearm and elbow strikes!

Back in the ring, Trixie Bordeaux and Celestia Ravenwood are trying to throw Jackson Fenix out together, with the UX member holding onto the top rope desperately to stop himself from going over. Blair, meanwhile, has Xperienx in a heel hook in the middle of the ring, releasing only as Nate Savage comes towards her and taking him down with a drop toe hold. Blair gets up and doesn’t see Dan LuPone coming! He nails her with a huge big boot! Dan helps his brother Doug up to his feet and then the two spy Trixie and Celestia, charging in with tandem big boots, sending both Trixie and Celestia over the top rope… with Bordeaux holding on, but Celestia fumbling the top rope and falling onto the outside!!



Celestia momentarily looks frustrated, banging her fists against the apron, but then ensures that Trixie is safely back in the ring as the officials crowd her to tell her to leave the ringside area. The brothers LuPone watch this from inside the ring, and Dan doesn’t notice the ramshackle team of Katsu, Kha’’rina, and Blair sneaking up behind him, each grabbing a hold of one of his trunk-like limbs and bundling him up and over the top rope!! Dan lands in a heap next to the ramp!!



Rod Sterling: "The Lumberjacks are down to just one member! Only Doug LuPone remains, and he charges at his brother’s eliminators…"

Kha’’rina ducks underneath Doug’s clothesline and hits him with a spin kick to the gut… followed by an enziguri from Blair! And then a shining wizard from Katsu! Doug LuPone rolls out of the ring… and immediately the three women turn on each other! Blair Ravenwood connects with a vicious forearm strike on Kha’’rina, before Katsu nails her with a superkick! And then has a standing dropkick for Halruzh! The Nephew stumbles towards the ropes, and Katsu charges at her, looking to clothesline her over the top, but Kha’’rina ducks it and hoists Katsu over instead. And then in comes Blair, looking to clothesline Kha’’rina over, but again the Nephew ducks it and back body drops Blair onto the apron too. She lands next to Katsu and the two trade blows on the apron.

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Blair Ravenwood needs to be careful! We’ve already seen her sister eliminated from this match. She doesn’t want to leave Trixie all alone."

Anzu Kurosawa: "But watch out! Here comes Kha’’rina!!"

The Nephew tries to knock both women off at once with simultaneous clotheslines, but both are blocked, and then Blair and Katsu instinctively pull Kha’’rina into a double front facelock…

Rod Sterling: "DOUBLE SUPLEX! Kha’’rina is lifted up and out of the ring, and out of the match-up!!"



Blair and Katsu admire their handiwork for a moment, before beginning to trade blows again on the apron! They notice that the Maid is back in the ring, charging at them to avenge her teammate. Both drop down and hit shoulder attacks through the ropes, sending the Maid stumbling back into the middle of the ring. Katsu lines up for a springboard attack, but as her boots hit the top rope, Blair simply swipes them out from under her! Fortunately for Katsu, she hits the ropes and then bounces back into the ring. Blair climbs in, too, before taking down the Maid with a swinging neckbreaker.

Cut to somewhere amongst the fans, where Cali has NOE-I in a front facelock, attempting to take her up and over with a snap suplex… but the Avatar blocks it, and then takes Cali over with a suplex of her own! Neither woman is quick to rise, their battle on the outside taking its toll on both of them.

Back in the ring, Blair Ravenwood is trying to cut Doug LuPone down as if he were a tree with stiff kicks to the side, but eventually LuPone is able to retaliate with a clubbing blow to the back which sends her to the mat. Doug seems to be readying himself to hoist her up and attempt an elimination, when he sees Mike Stand charging at him and instead hits the Bad Boy with a HUGE back body drop! Mike is sent across the ring, and is only half a meter from being eliminated by the move! In-Sync looks momentarily dumbfounded, but then dutifully charges at Doug too, only to be caught in a single-handed chokehold. Doug then hoists In-Sync up over his shoulders in a military press. He turns towards the hard-cam… and HURLS IN-SYNC INTO THE FOURTH ROW!!!



Rod Sterling: "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "I think Mike Stand did…"

Mike Stand has somewhat recovered from the back body drop, and caught the tail end of his friend being launched like a torpedo by Doug LuPone. He is up to his feet with his back against the ropes as the Lumberjack turns around to face him…

… and Mike Stand wastes no time in hopping over the top rope and eliminating himself!

Rod Sterling: "No, thank you, says Mike Stand!"



Doug shrugs his shoulders… but then turns around into a series of chops from the three members of the Undisputed Xperienx! They back him up into the corner, the trio beginning to attempt to lift him up towards the top rope. LuPone anchors his weight down.

Rod Sterling: "Fenix, Savage, and Xtacee all trying to eliminate Doug LuPone here, but the Lumberjack is stubborn…"

Allen Price: "Looks like they’re going to get some help, though…"

Indeed, Ririko, Katsu, and then later both Blair Ravenwood and Trixie Bordeaux join in the effort, trying to heave the much larger Lumberjack out of the ring…

… and then Doug released a war cry, resonating even above the cheers of the Mexico City audience…

’TIMBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!’

He finds a surge of energy, first simply forcing his way out of the corner and knocking all seven of his assailants down to the mat. They each charge at him, but not at once, to their downfall…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Big boot for Blair! And another one for Katsu!"

Rod Sterling: "Nate Savage looks to stop Doug LuPone in his tracks with a clothesline, but the Lumberjack ducks beneath it… release German suplex! Nate is thrown across the ring as if he’s nothing!!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "And then a flapjack for Xtacee! But Ririko leaps onto Doug’s back! She’s putting him in a sleeper hold – excellent strategy!"

Doug reaches up and grabs Ririko by the hair, dragging her over his shoulder and onto the mat!

Anzu Kurosawa: "Oh… maybe not so excellent."

LuPone follows up by hoisting Ririko up into a fireman’s carry and walking over towards the ropes, intending to eliminate her… but then he spots Katsu charging at him. He drops Ririko and goes for a big boot on Katsu, but she ducks beneath it… both Ririko and Katsu work on Doug with stiff kicks, backing him up into the ropes with them. They back away, and Katsu grabs Ririko by the wrist, looking to Irish whip her at Doug. Ririko gathers pace, going to a leaping forearm… but Doug steps away from the ropes and collects her in a bearhug…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Belly-to-belly overheard release!! Ririko is tossed all the way over the top rope and onto the outside!!"



Doug has to be quick to his feet with Katsu charging at him, and he manages to lift her up and over the top rope with a back body drop! Katsu manages to land on the apron, almost loses her footing, steadies herself… and then takes down the stumbling Doug with a springboard dropkick!

Anzu Kurosawa: "Katsu is signalling to the crowd that this one is over for Doug LuPone!"

Allen Price: "Easier said than done. How’s she going to get the big man up?!"

Katsu bends down to grasp Doug by the scruff of the neck… but she’s blindsided by Jackson Fenix! Fenix cuts her in half with a spear, and then his partner Nate Savage takes over. He drags Katsu up to her feet in a sleeper, backs up to the ropes… and then throws her over the top rope with a sleeper suplex!! Katsu is dumped unceremoniously over the top rope and to the outside!!



Rod Sterling: "A huge surprise there in this chaotic match! Many would’ve expected Katsu to go far in this match, being the most experienced member of her team, but now Cali Hayama will have to go it alone!"

In the ring, following his elimination of Katsu, Sonny and Johnny of the Goode Fellas attempt to blindside him with straight rights and forearms, but Fenix and Xtacee arrive to turn the numbers back in their favour. After taking Johnny down with a snap DDT, Fenix and Xtacee succeed in getting Sonny over onto the apron. They take it in turns to connect with forearms, trying to knock him off and to the outside…

Allen Price: "That’s Danny B. Goode behind Fenix and Xperienx! They better turn around!"

Almost as if they heard Allen, the two notice Danny as he begins his charge at them. Fenix shoves Xperienx out of the way and dives on top of him… causing Goode to knock Sonny off the apron and onto the outside!



Danny has his head in his hands, but has enough where-with-all to notice the Maid of Death charging at him. He drops down and pulls the top rope down with him… causing the Nephew to throw herself over the top rope thanks to her momentum!



Danny breathes a sigh of relief, but then notices that Johnny is being manhandled by Doug LuPone, and goes to intervene…

Meanwhile, Cali and NOE-I have fought all the way to one of the entrances to the arena, way back amongst the crowd…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Both of these women are the sole representatives of their teams left in this match-up, and both are a long way away from the ring!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "Smart! Can’t be eliminated if you’re half-way across the arena!"

NOE-I seems to be getting the better of the exchange, backing Cali up with European uppercuts and knife edge chops. She winds up for a lariat, but Cali ducks it and goes behind, before connecting with a backdrop driver! Onto the unforgiving concrete!!

We get a quick shot of the Menage, still keeping a safe distance from the ring and discussing strategy before they introduce themselves into the match…

And then we see in the ring, where Danny B. Goode and Johnny Murdoch are having little success in trying to throw Doug over the top rope. The three members of the Undisputed Xperienx, meanwhile, watch the affair from across the ring, weighing up between helping the Goode Fellas or eliminating them instead…

And back up in the crowd, NOE-I is struggling to her feet, although it now seems that she’s alone… until we see a slightly wider shot, and notice that Cali is up atop the entrance to the arena! She is maybe four metres above the Avatar, the surrounding crowd going wild as Hayama pumps them up…

Rod Sterling: "What is Cali Hayama thinking here?! She’s the last member of the YOKAI Death Squad in this match! This could be disaster for her time!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "High risk, high reward, Rod!!"

After a deep breath and a check that NOE-I is in position, Cali turns her back, and then flies off the top top of the entrance with a diving moonsault!!! The crowd loses it for the move, both women sprawling to the floor amongst the fans!

And, back in the ring, we are just in time to see the Undisputed Xperienx launch their attack on Goode, Murdoch, and Doug. The Goode Fellas are still attempting to eliminate the last remaining Lumberjack from the match when UX come up behind them, each taking a man after careful strategising in the opposite corner. Fenix takes Goode, Xtacee goes for Murdoch, and Nate takes the big man, with all three of them using the element of surprise to throw their target over the top rope…

Doug just about clings to the bottom rope and remains on the apron…

Goode, too, lands on the apron, a lone foot sprawling towards the floor until he’s able to grab the ropes and steady himself…

Johnny Murdoch, though, has no such luck! He lands on top of LuPone, the Lumberjack having a firm enough grasp of the ropes to stay in the match, but Murdoch bumbling down onto the floor!!



The Undisputed Xperienx have no time to rest, though, with Trixie and Blair launching a sneak attack on them after their exertions with Doug and the Goode Fellas. They hit simultaneously dropkicks on Nate Savage, bundling him through the ropes - between the second and third ones, to the outside but safely so. Fenix lunches at Blair for retribution, but Ravenwood connects with a low dropkick to the knees, followed by a brutal roundhouse kick to put him down! Trixie, meanwhile, is struggling with Xtacee, who backs her up towards a corner with some quickfire kicks. Bordeaux is saved by Blair, who comes up behind Xperienx and hits a Russian Leg Sweep. Trixie and Blair hoist Xtacee up and throw him over the top rope, with XX hooking onto the bottom one. They put the boot in, trying to knock him out of the match, and only notice at the last moment that Fenix is charging towards them, trying to save his new friend… the Coven ducks his attack, and launch Jackson over the top rope and onto the floor with a massive big back body drop!! Fenix has an ugly landing on the ramp!!



It looks as though Blair and Trixie would both appreciate a moment to recuperate, but they notice Nate Savage is rising across the ring from them. Unfettered by their numbers advantage, Savage stomps across the ring to face them…

… but he’s waylaid by the Menage!!

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here comes the Menage! This rag-tag group of XYZites!"

Rod Sterling: "Chops from Sierra! Kicks from Christian! An eye poke from Jerry!! Nate Savage doesn’t know what’s hit him!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "Or who! Which is understandable. These guys have barely been on TV at all…"

Be that as it may, Savage is quickly overwhelmed by the three-on-one attack from the Menage, backing up all the way to the ropes… allowing Sierra and Jerry to hit a DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE and knock him over the top rope!!



The Menage spend a moment congratulating themselves, but then see the Coven glowering at them from across the ring. They glance at each other nervously, before sliding out beneath the bottom rope and retreating to relative safety on the outside. The Coven don’t get a chance to follow, as Doug LuPone and Danny B. Goode, forming perhaps an unlikely alliance, descend on them with boots to the midsection and right hands…

Meanwhile, on the outside, Cali dumps NOE-I over the barricade and then follows her over. Hayama looks exhausted, but waits patiently for the Avatar to get to her feet before hopping up onto the top of the barricade, balancing for a moment and then jumping off to connect with a tornado DDT! NOE-I is spiked onto her head on the outside, the crowd popping for Cali’s ongoing exploits on the outside…

In the ring, Doug and Danny eventually break their alliance, with Goode striking first with a right hand on LuPone that doesn’t have much effect… and the Lumberjack fires back with a big boot! He looks to follow up… but suddenly finds himself peppered by strikes by the Menage!!

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here they are again! The Menage re-introduce themselves to the match with a sneak attack on Doug LuPone, using the numbers to the advantage…"

Allen Price: "It’s certainly a strategy… and, given their limited experience inside an FWA ring, maybe it’s a wise one."

Jean-Luc Watkins: "You never let a lack of experience hold you back, eh Price?"

Doug is backed all the way up to the side of the ring, and the Menage even manage to lift him up and over the top rope. He lands on the apron, though, with Jerry, Sierra, and Christian following up with stomps to try and get him out, the Lumberjack clinging onto the bottom rope desperately.

Meanwhile, Cali has finally managed to throw Kha’’rina under the bottom rope, and is about to follow her in… when Danny B. Goode, freed from his tussle with the Lumberjack by the Menage, collects NOE-I and dumps her over the top rope!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, a little anticlimactic, but the Nephews are eliminated…"

Cali has slid into the ring, and Danny turns to face her with a smile on his face, clearly pleased with his handiwork regarding NOE-I. Hayama glowers at him, her own expression suggesting that he’s just stolen her elimination, considering she’s been tussling with the Avatar since the match began. Goode’s smile fades as Cali continues to glare at him… and then she puts him down with a spinning backfist!! Cali hoists Danny up…

Rod Sterling: "ETHER CALAMITY!! Cali’s finished many matches with that move elsewhere, and she might just have finished the Goode Fellas with it here tonight!"

Indeed, Cali follows up by dragging Danny to his feet, running him over to the ropes, and throwing his semi-conscious form over the top rope with authority!



Meanwhile, across the ring, the Menage decide that a change in strategy is needed with Doug. They each back away from him, Sierra the first to charge across the ring and nailing him with a baseball slide! It connects with his hands, the left one coming loose from the bottom rope to which he clings. Jerry is already charging across the ring, hitting another baseball slide to the same spot, the Lumberjack’s right hand now also loose from the ropes… just as Christian Howard hits a third baseball slide! This one catches Doug flush in the face… and the big man rolls off the apron and onto the outside!!



The Menage again take a congratulatory moment, but there is no time to scarper afterwards following this elimination like they did after the last. The remaining members of the Coven are waiting for them, with Blair hitting Jerry with a spinning wheel kick and Trixie knocking Christian Howard down with a running hip attack! Sierra is able to duck the attempted short-arm clothesline from Blair, but has no such luck with the mule kick from Bordeaux! And then she’s put on the mat by a bulldog from Ravenwood!

Allen Price: "Blair and Trixie both hoist Sierra up and drag her towards the ropes, looking to eliminate her… but here come Christian and Jerry for the save!"

Jean-Luc Watkins: "These three may lack wrestling experience, but they’re hunting as a pack if nothing else!"

Indeed, the Menage first swamps Blair with clubbing blows that send her reeling, and then attempts to back Trixie up into the corner with a series of kicks. This frees Sierra up, who joins her teammates, but soon Blair is back up and involved. She first takes Sierra down with a scoop slam, before battering Jerry with a half-dozen European uppercuts, followed by an inverted DDT. Christian, putting his fears to one side, charges at Blair, but she easily sidesteps his non-traditional lariat and puts him in a sleeper hold. Howard begins to lose consciousness as Trixie stands guard around the hold. Sierra charges at her first, but Trixie hits her with a dropkick, sending her into the corner. Bordeaux backs away before hitting Sierra with a cannon ball!

Rod Sterling: That’s Bundles of Fun!! Trixie starting to feel it here!"

Jean-Luc Watkins: "But here comes Wild Jerry…"

Jerry runs as fast as he can, which isn’t very fast, towards Trixie, who is rising in the corner, he goes for a corner splash, but Bordeaux ducks beneath it and heaves him up over the top rope! Jerry loses his footing and falls to the outside!!



Blair still has her sleeper hold locked in, Christian very close to unconsciousness, as Sierra crawls out of the corner towards them. Trixie cuts her off with a stomp, and then Blair instructs her teammate to hold her there. Trixie looks anxious but follows the order, pinning Sierra against the corner with a boot to the throat as Blair finishes the job, choking the airwaves of Howard and then dumping him to the mat.

Jean-Luc Watkins: "The Menage came here with a gameplan, but the Coven are having their way with them here. It looks like their time is running out…"

Rod Sterling: "For Christian it’s already run out, Jean-Luc. Only one thing left to do…"

Blair goes about doing it, hoisting Christian’s deadweight up with some difficulty, and then into a fireman’s carry. She dumps him as if he’s nothing over the top rope and then kicks him off the apron, watching him roll to the floor.



With Christian dealt with, Blair turns around with a smirk, barking orders at Trixie to get her up. Bordeaux obliges, dragging Sierra up to her feet and allowing Ravenwood to grab her by the air and run her towards the ropes…

… but, midway across the ring, Sierra reverses the momentum! She grabs a handful of Blair’s hair instead… and throws her over the top rope!! Trixie marches across the ring, a shocked look on her face, in an attempt to save her teammate…

… but she’s too late!! Blair falls to the outside and is eliminated from the match!!



Sierra wants to collapse after this exertion, but already Trixie is charging across the ring at her… and Bordeaux connects with a cross-body!!

Jean-Luc Watkins: "That move looked to do some damage to Trixie Bordeaux, too, but Sierra is laid OUT!!"

Allen Price: "And Trixie Bordeaux at least has enough where-with-all to lift Sierra up and throw her over the top rope! That’s it for the Menage!! We’re down to three teams and three competitors!"



Trixie is exhausted and collapses to the mat, and is fortunate that Xperienx and Cali lock eyes on each other before her. Cali thuds into XX with an elbow strike, who returns with a trio of jabs, before Cali can come back with a series of forearms. XX ducks under the last of them, grabs a wrist, and hits a wrist clutch back suplex! He quickly gathers Cali up and throws her over the top, turning his back on her as Hayama lands on the apron and rolls back in…

Rod Sterling: "Xtacee is already re-focussing his attention on Trixie, who is still recuperating in a corner, but here comes Cali again! Double axe handle!"

Jean-Luc Watkins: "XX is staggered, and Cali collects him in a front facelock…"

Anzu Kurosawa: "BRAAAAAINBUUUUSTAAAAAAH!!!"

Xperienx is driven right on the top of his dome with the move, and rather than try and hoist his dead weight she decides to climb the turnbuckles, perhaps looking for another moonsault… Trixie is stirring now, though, and charges over towards Cali as if to knock her off the top. Hayama grips onto the top rope to anchor her weight down, Trixie unable to force her over the top rope despite Cali being positioned precariously on the second one. Bordeaux instead decides to climb up with her, gripping her around the waist…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "This looks bad for both competitors! They might end up handing the match to Xperienx Xtacee!"

Rod Sterling: "Trixie is going for a German suplex, or maybe even a back drop driver, from that second rope…"

Allen Price: "Cali senses her peril, though, and fights out with elbow strikes to the back of the head."

Anzu Kurosawa: "Whatever Trixie is going to do, she ought to be quick… Xperienx is stirring in the middle of the ring after that vicious brainbuster."

Finally, the sixth elbow strike causes separation, Trixie releasing her rear waistlock. Cali delicately turns around on the top rope, Trixie still standing on the second one, and leaps over Bordeaux, slamming her down with a sunset flip powerbomb!!

After showing off her high-impact offence, Cali immediately gets a chance to show off her reflexes, with Xperienx Xtacee charging across the ring at her, looking to flatten her in the corner… she hoists him over with a big back body drop, XX managing to land on the apron…

… but then he’s knocked off by a triangle dropkick!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Cali Hayama eliminates Xperienx Xtacee, and we’re down to two!"

Cali spends a moment on the mat after the dropkick, sucking in oxygen before once more dragging herself to her feet for the final push. Trixie Bordeaux is still lying on the mat following the sunset flip powerbomb, and Hayama slowly drags her up, looking over towards the ropes as if she’s about to dump her out…

But Trixie stomps down hard on her foot! And then rakes the eyes! Followed by a back rake!!

Allen Price: "Desperation from Trixie Bordeaux!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "That at least succeeds in causing a little separation, but Bordeaux looks unable to follow up! She stumbles back into the ropes…"

Indeed, Bordeaux holds onto the ropes to keep herself up, and eventually Cali recovers from the series of underhanded attacks. Hayama charges, looking to knock Trixie over the ropes with a clothesline, but Trixie falls down and drags the top rope down with her! Cali falls over the top…

… but lands on the apron! Trixie tries to reach over and collect Cali by the hair, but Hayama brings Bordeaux down throat-first over the top rope! Bordeaux stumbles into the middle of the ring… and she’s caught by a springboard forearm smash!! Trixie hits the mat, and Hayama climbs up to her feet, pumping her fist and winning a significant proportion of the crowd over to her cause. Then, she begins to scale the turnbuckles…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Cali Hayama climbs up towards the top once more. She seems determined to hit that moonsault!"

Rod Sterling: "And this time there’s nobody else left in the match to cut her off at the pass. Cali steadies herself on the top rope…"

Anzu Kurosawa: "A beautiful moonsault!! BUT NOBODY’S HOME!!"

Allen Price: "Trixie rolls out of the way!!"

Cali hits the mat hard and skids across the ring. Trixie collects her by the scruff of the neck and HURLS her over the top rope… but Cali catches the top rope with an outstretched hand! She dangles above the ground and, before Trixie realises Hayama isn’t quite gone, steadies herself on the apron…

Trixie turns to see Cali clinging on, kneeling on the apron, and charges at her, but Cali thrusts a shoulder through the ropes and catches Bordeaux in the sternum. She collects Trixie in a front facelock…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Trixie’s in trouble, here. Looks like Cali’s trying to suplex her up and out of the ring…"

Anzu Kurosawa: "Or maybe she’s going for that brainbuster again?! I hope she’s going for that brainbuster again!"

Cali wrenches Trixie up, succeeding in lifting her up over the top rope, eliciting gasps from the audience. Bordeaux grabs the top rope with her hand, though, landing on the apron next to Cali and wrenching herself free of the facelock. Bordeaux hits an open hand slap, then a closed fist, and then a headbutt! Cali is staggered… but then fires back with three elbow strikes, followed by a spinning backfist! Trixie stumbles, but has a hold of the ropes…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "Cali collects Trixie, is she going for a Spanish fly?!"

Rod Sterling: "Trixie wants none of it! She desperately fights out with elbows to the side of the head… Bordeaux reverses into a front facelock, and then a snap DDT!! Onto the apron!!"

Anzu Kurosawa: "But SOMEHOW Cali remains there! She’s still in this match!!"

Trixie, after a few lung-fulls of oxygen are drawn in, gets to her feet, walks across the apron, and climbs up to the top rope. She stares back at Cali, still lying face down on the apron…

Jean-Luc Watkins: "WHISTLING TRIXIE!!"

Bordeaux nails the Coffin Drop, the angle of it sending her back under the bottom rope…

… and Cali Hayama out to the floor!! Trixie’s done it!!



Exhausted and somewhat austruck by the fact that there are no others left in the match than her, Trixie collapses into the middle of the ring, a smile spreading over her face as the bell rings…



Trixie remains on the mat, exhausted after the exertions of the match, as one of the officials at ringside rolls into the ring in an effort to lift her hand in victory. It’s no use, Bordeaux instead only interested in lying face down in the ring and attempting to regulate her breathing…

Kurt Harrington: "Here are your winners, and the NEW FWA Trios Champions… Blair & Celestia Ravenwood… Trixie Bordeaux… THE COVEN!!!!!"

There’s a mixed reaction for the announcement, but most of the fans are at least happy for the young woman in the middle of the ring. It’s only when her music begins to play that she lifts herself up to her knees…

Allen Price: "What a moment this is for Trixie Bordeaux! Her first taste of silverware here in the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance, and to do it on the biggest stage of them all?!"

Jean-Luc Watkins: "I don’t know if it’s really sunk in for Bordeaux yet. That match was a marathon, with Trixie outlasting twenty six other wrestlers to win the FWA Trios Championships for her team…"

Bordeaux stares ahead of herself up the ramp, the official checking over her and receiving only a vacant stare in response. Trixie gets to her feet when she sees her teammates reappearing on the ramp and making their way to the ring: not only Blair and Celestia Ravenwood, but also Kleio De Santos and even Ethel, who applaud Trixie’s efforts as they make their way to the ring.

With Blair and Celestia now joining Bordeaux within the ropes and the ringside area cleared, the brand new championship belts are handed to the official, one by one, into the ring. He first gives one each to the Ravenwood sisters, and then finally to Trixie Bordeaux.

Whilst the Ravenwoods hold their championships up proudly, Bordeaux continues to stare down at the gold plating, mesmerised by it. Maybe even hypnotised. She is broken from this malaise when the others in the ring decide it’s time to go. They drag her up to her feet, the Coven leaving as a unit, with three new trinkets in their possession.

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