WZCW Show Reviews

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Dynamite's Kingdom Come Review (Ya Heard)​

Opening - Standard stuff, national anthem, opening hype and recap of all the matches. Well done as always, hard to fuck that up.

Live Mas vs. Triple/Keaton - Entrances were very creative. The personality of all the characters shined through. The match itself was quite fun too. The use of a replay was nice as I haven't seen that done in a while, though I could be wrong. The winners were unfortunately never in doubt for me, but that's besides the point. Not sure where either of these four men go from here but Live Mas works in that you can plug either Tastic or Stormrage (separately or together) in just about anywhere and it works. I hope Keaton finds solid footing as I've wanted to him to go much farther ever since he broke away from being Cooper's protege. Triple X is a solid upper mid card hand as well who seems to be lost in the shuffle, hope that changes.

Segments - I'm skipping any that don't involve promos from characters or recaps or anything that's just NPCs. Not much for me to say on them.

Holmes/Consty/Mikey - Nice little reunion with some WWE like comedy, I dig it.

Elite OpenWeight Fatal Fourway - Felt like it went by sort of quick but that doesn't take away from the match quality. I know multi-man matches can be a bit tough to stretch out. Callie is Alexa Bliss in more ways than one, and I feel she may be the sleeper champion in the company, it'll be interesting to see who can take the belt off of her. All the other's involved seem like they have may to go to the end of line, chase another title, or possibly find a feud because the Elite League felt draining.

Blades/Taylor - Interesting to have the World title competitors face to face before they're match with no shenanigans. Bitches love shenanigans.

Batti/Flex Recap - Stuff like this is always great. Lots of us really gloss over stuff on the shows we're not a part of or weren't there for stuff that happened years ago. This showed just how important history was in this feud.

Batti vs Flex - Hard to rate a match I'm involved in fairly but I did enjoy it. Particularly the wheelchair stage spot was really cool. I thought the ending was quite abrupt. As soon as Flex was declared the winner things seemed kinda rushed. But it's whatever, I'm just sad to see Batti go, I was hoping to inflict more pain and sexism upon her.

Garth Backstage - Is Garth still an alcoholic? I lost track of his gimmick after the conspiracy theory stuff.

Titus Eurasian Accolades - Incredible reign, nice to recap the victims.

Kagura vs Garth Black - Far and away the most technical and thrilling written match on show so far. For a sleeper match that I think fell under the radar for a lot of people this kicked ass. Garth is a former World champion and now easily claim to a potential shot at least something in the future, though it seems like this feud might not be done, and with everything being so crowded everywhere else that might be for the best.

Mayhem Competitors Segment - Ace Stevens should have been bigger than he is.

Mayhem Title Match - A fun chaotic mess is the perfect way to describe this match. Similar to the Elite match in my opinion of it. Congrats to Harald. The Mayhem title isn't defended in every match the champion is in anymore right? I think that should change, to at least all singles matches. Make the Mayhem Division great again damnit.

Hall of Fame - By the numbers, ain't nothing wrong with that.

Taylor/Miles - Announcing the World title won't main event was cool but it could have been revealed in the earlier Taylor/Blades segment. One or the other just felt unnecessary.

World title Recap - The second of the three marque matches to receive a promo. Good stuff, sprinkle in that old show content like salt bae into open wounds.

World Title Match - I really had no clue Jason Mamoa was Tyrone's rep and have completely lost track of who is Eve's. Unrelated but still important to state. Probably only the second match of the night where I was really captivated by what I was reading. It really felt like these two were in pure competition to beat the hell out of each other and beat the best. I'm never a fan of repeating the same World title match on the next B-show PPV but since this technically didn't main event I wouldn't mind seeing these two go at it again with a stipulation. Since one of them is eventually losing to me it's all good.

July 4th Comedy - Poor Keaton.

Eurasian Tale of the Tape - This was a really good way of really getting the gravitas of this match and just how big of a deal both these legends are. On some Undertaker shit this felt epic.

Eurasian Title Match - Easily match of the night based off it's scope, feel, and basically everything surrounding this match. I didn't really feel the weight of this feud until this show but this went hard. Mixed in with the double post this match was phenomenal.

Overall Thoughts - With the graphics and worked that was put in this was a great show, but I'd say only three matches really felt like they were KC levels of quality. I'm obviously not putting down anyone's work and not every match has or needs to be super long I'm just pointing out where it felt like more work was put in. It's hard to fuck this up though, everyone on creative are very capable writers with experience so I would expect nothing less. I think this has hopefully motivated us all to do our best to continue allowing shows like this to be made so the fed can prosper, because things can really get even better if we collectively keep going.

 

[Dave]

Meltdown 152

I like the new graphics that Killjoy made. They make the show look a little more unique and a bit more personal. I am saddened, on a personal note, that you aren't using the decade graphic that was made. It celebrated 10 years of hard work but that's more a personal thing than anything else.

The opening to Meltdown was really good. I think it's a great idea to summarise what happened on the last set of shows at the start of a show. Raw and SD do that all the time to remind people of what they should know and it really helped after such a long time since the last show. Well done to whoever thought of that. In terms of the meat of the segment, I think Ty could have been given more time to talk about his accomplishment. It seems a little quick to me but I know you guys had a lot to get through.

Really disappointed that El Hijo was done in this way. I'd really like to know the story behind that because that's not how I imagined it going at all. The handler seemed very keen to be involved and it seems odd to me that they would no show the first match. Still, a good win for Stetson Hayes. I got a laugh from him arriving on a horse too.

Again, I think more could be made of Batti going away but if that's what Spidey wanted, then so be it. The Titus line got a laugh out of me again.

I'm glad that you realise that Kagura lost to Black and the roles should have been reversed with regards to the title contender match. It all plays in to Black's wheelhouse, so I'm not upset about it. It looks as though it'll be Black versus Titus at the next PPV - that ought to be a good match if built correctly. I didn't see a great deal of reasoning in that segment other than "I want Titus" really. I'm hoping that gets meatier as we go forward.

The gauntlet match was a cool idea to write off Blazing Tiger and the rest of Remix's characters in one go. A lot of it was quite funny and I have to give you credit for remembering some of the characters that I couldn't. Remix burned his bridge once and for all and deserved this. That said, you guys have crossed a line if you used his real name at the end. If you have, you should remove that. It's not on. If you haven't, ignore that last part. I sense a shift in behaviour with Titus too. It's only natural after his lengthy reign that the fans should appreciate it. Watch this space, I guess.

Decent segment from the Live Mas team. Intriguing shift of character from Tastic from the opening to the middle of the show though. Maybe he's acting one way for the crowd and another with Mikey. He was almost heelish in the opening and a face in the middle. Odd but I'll allow it until I see more.

I'll try and keep the feedback on my match brief because there's a tendency for bias when talking about your own characters. I really enjoyed Broon towelling off Studd - that's exactly the type of thing Broon would do. He's got no time for pretentiousness or nonsense. That was a good idea. The match itself was really good, so all credit to Jeff for writing it. I like when you think about characters and make the match revolve around their personalities. This was a great example of it. The soda spots and the beard stuff, really good.

Decent segment from Callie that explains her absence and does some good heel work with her character.

Flex being a shifty, manipulative bastard? Aye, sign me up for that.

I thought the next match between Vega and Blades was a little bit short for my liking. Vega is a bit name with a lot of pedigree and this could have been much more of a slog between two great superstars. The match itself was decent though, I don't have any complaints other than the length. Good win for Blades in front of his home crowd. I think Vega could have been protected a bit more though.

The next segment was literally a waste of a post. Nothing happens.

I enjoyed that Taylor was on commentary for the main event. I also enjoyed the initial interaction with the other commentators. She should be in the match given her loss to Blades, so I'm glad you guys didn't ignore that. The match itself is really good and is probably the best match in the show. There's a few spots in there that really help the match along, notably the Matt Tastic injury. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out between Tastic and Mikey. Having Flex win is then right decision and having Taylor do the dirty work on Blades is a good call too. If that's the main event for the upcoming PPV, colour me interested. A lot of history between all three of the competitors to work with.

Overall, decent show. The matches were hit and miss but mostly hit. The same goes for the segments too. Really good show this round, guys. Keep it up.

 

[Infinity]

I wrote my first show review ever last cycle for Kingdom Come and I thought I'd make it 2 PPV reviews in a row with R-Awakening.


Show Open
I remember the show open for Kingdom Come doing a very good setting the atmosphere for the event. There was an effort to make sure the location of the event influenced the show introduction. I didn't feel that as much for R-Awakening, but given the fact that KC was in Spain and this event was held in Tampa, Florida... I give creative a complete pass. Nobody can make Tampa seem interesting.

Now, I know I have a reputation for not being around or active on the boards much... so at the risk of perpetuating that rep, I must say I was floored by the announcement made by Cat Connor at the start of the program about it being Tyrone's final match. It also seemed like it was almost a throw away statement.

Jabari Kasim vs Grindhouse - No DQ
I must begin by admitting that the Jabari Kasim character makes me feel a little uncomfortable at times... like when he's brought out to the ring in chains. It reminds me of the way Harlem Heat debuted back in the 90s... lead to the ring in chains by Col. Parker. It doesn't really age well, and Kasim in the chains is a little rough for me personally. Grindhouse, on the other hand, is a very intriguing character. Ramparte serves as a wonderful mouthpiece. Seeing the way Spidey write Ramparte in his present RPs makes me wish I was around for his run.

As for the match, hell of a way to start off the show. Immediately the tone was set for both men. It was a unique match for both where neither has found themselves in the ring with someone that is equal in size to them. Perhaps the only other character in the fed that compares in size would be Harald Var Krigare. There was confusion and adaptation that was necessary from both these big men in the beginning of the match, and it was a clever way of approaching the bout by Echelon. The match read much like fight a fight scene in a novel with the amount of writer insight infused throughout. Great way to start off the PPV. Congrats to Spidey, a strong showing by Yaz and great match writing by Ech.

Callie Clark Interview w/Stacey Madison
Sometimes it's hard to fully grasp what a character is about in WZCW. Perhaps nobody is more guilty of this than myself, with Vega. However, Callie Clark may be the antitheses of that. I believe a large reason for Matrix's success with Callie is how easy he makes it for us to realize what makes her character tick. Callie has a clear cut personality that always shines through. This segment is a perfect example. Short and simple, and classic Callie Clark.

Xander vs Kagura
I wrote this match so I won't go into it in detail much. I just wanted to point out this is my second time in a row getting to write a Kagura match and it has been a pleasure both times. Kagura is a small character that relies more on technique than strength, and I find it fun to write for having a similar traits in my own character. I've never written a BK match and am glad to have finally gotten the chance. I've always been a huge fan of Triple X's, and a major reason I'm bummed about the rep being gone is not being able the give BK rep basically every round. All I was told before writing the match was who went over, and have it be by cheating. I always appreciate the amount of creative freedom the guys give me when writing a match, and I had an absolute blast writing this one. I hope Ech & BK enjoyed it... I have an immense amount of respect for both of those guys. Two of my favorite writers in the fed.

Vega Interview w/Leon Kensworth
I thought sprinkling real life truths within Vega's promo was a touch of genius. Whoever wrote this segment did a great job encapsulating how not only my character should be feeling at the moment, but truly how I'm personally feeling myself. Stellar job by whoever wrote this. Sorry, but the credits didn't specify who wrote which segment. Either way, thank you for what may have been Vega's best promo in WZCW.

Harald Var Krigare vs PC Stevie Broon - Mayhem Championship
I'm a big fan of Harald Var Krigare. It was a lot of fun getting to write his match last round versus Kagura. Likewise, it looks like this match was a lot of fun for Jeff to write. Harald dominating the early portions makes sense, and it's easy to imagine Stevie bumping all over the place for HVK. Obviously, the highlight of the match is when Stevie Broon crawls under the ring and emerges on the other side in full police riot gear... and a Lightnings jersey to boot. I genuinely laughed out loud. Kudos to Jeff for the spot, as well as to Dave for coming up with a character that allows for that much comedic flexibility. I know Dave had a difficult time this round getting the RP he wanted up, and wishes he could have done something better... but regardless, kayfabe, this is a huge win for Harald Var Krigare and does a lot establishing the Mayhem Championship a bit before the changes coming up on the horizon. I think the riot gear spot and the amount of fight Stevie had until the very end will serve the character well in defeat nonetheless. Nice execution by Jeff, and congrats to Fallout.

Flex Mussel/Eve Taylor Interview w/Leon Kensworth
This was a decent segment to heighten the animosity between Eve and Flex going into the Main Event. Flex's character is one of, if not, the most entertaining to read on shows and in RPs. King Mussel segments on shows and PPVs usually lead to a good read. Eve Taylor's boob line about Wasabi Toyota was uh... alright I guess.

Matt Tastic vs Vega
It's unfortunate that AB didn't have the opportunity to RP against me this round. After the confusion early on this cycle, and after the couple of come to Jesus conversations I had with some of the guys in creative, I became genuinely excited for this match. I was prepared to have the match end on some type of count out or DQ, and in all honesty I would have been completely fine with it. I victory over AB like this isn't the same for obvious reasons, and I hope to one day face him again to give him a proper opportunity. Regardless, I thank creative for the night my character had. Between the interview earlier on in the night and the somewhat quick and decisive victory over Matt Tastic, there is obvious momentum building. Thank you, Ech, for giving Vega the strong showing. AB, I hope our paths cross once again.

Mikey Stormrage/Matt Tastic Segment
I thought it was a little weird having this segment directly follow Tastic's match. There was mentionof Matt breaking his nose towards the end of the match, and it seemed a little jarring to me to see him in the very next segment, especially a light hearted segment involving Mikey's philosophy on hot dogs... but hey... that's basically the perfect example of what this duo is like.

Alice Adams vs Keith Cole vs Annie Halloway
This was a sleeper match of the event I was looking forward to... mostly impart to the fact that I went out of my way to try and acclimate myself with these three characters after my ignorant display on Discord. I was a little underwhelmed by the match itself. Just about the time I started getting into the match, it ended. The final sentence of the match was a bit clunky and took some re-reading to understand, which unfortunately lead to a slightly more lackluster finish for me personally. This is no knock against Milenko. I thought he did an incredible job writing Batti vs Flex @ Kingdom Come. Either way, I thought this entire cycle was a strong showing for all three of these characters, with this match in particular being vital to not only Annie Halloway but Alive Adams as well. Sawa did a kick ass job this round. Kudos. And props to Wildcat for being able to transition from a monster male to cerebral female and come out with this much success. Congrats on the strong cycle and big win.

Titus Avison & Garth Black Segment
Just both guys arriving to the arena... but Titus arrives a lot earlier than Garth. Nothing much, but showing these guys enter the arena is a nice and easy way to build up for a big match.

Tony Mancini vs "Remarkable" Mark Keaton
Tony is one of the characters I'm rather familiar with due to our interactions in the cycle leading up to KC, and I have seen a steady improvement from him throughout that time. Mark Keaton won me over with his entrance at Kingdom Come as I was a little unsure about him before that. Since then, it feels like Jeff has found a renewed focus. I'm not sure, but it's felt like a solid cycle for him leading up to this match. The quick victory solidified the cycle. An unfortunate bit of a step back this cycle it seems for Milenko. I'm not really sure where he stands with the fed right now between leaving creative and the weird way Mancini tapped to a sleeper and then walked right out of the arena. I do, however, look forward to see what heights Jeff will take the "Remarkable" one post R-Awakening. Fair showing by Spidey writing up the match, but like the last one, it's brevity may have left some wanting more... but I get it. Not every match on the card can be a long epic.

Becky Serra Gold Rush Announcement w/Stetson Hayes
First of all, kudos to whoever wrote this segment. I had to google the word "jingoism." Thank you for expanding my vocabulary. I haven't read all of Spidey's RPs as Stetson, but I've definitely read a couple. I remember reading the first one and feeling amazed at how familiar it seemed Spidey felt writing the character. With that being said, this segment with him interrupting Becky Serra may be the most effective moment of the cycle in terms of defining the character's persona. Coming out to upstage the Gold Rush and EurAsian Title announcements got over huge with me, especially his bit with the flag over the belt. Regarding the title... it's amazing how a vacant title can hold so much prestige, but it truly feels like a prestigious prize at the moment, and we have Lee and Dave to thank for that. With that being said... I was a bit confused whether there was going to be 1 tournament or 2... but I believe I got more clarity with the WZCW.com post later on. Either way, this is the most excited I've probably ever been about a GM announcement, and Stetson ruined it. Awesome job.

Titus Avison vs Garth Black
When I returned to WZCW, 2 things surprised the hell out of me. 1 was Titus' ridiculously impressive reign as EurAsian Champion, and 2 was that Titus was a heel. As I read his RPs I saw how effective he was as a heel, and how it must have helped him through his reign. Titus was a perfect heel, but the match he had vs Constantine at KC was legitimately beautiful, and I love this story arc of that match somehow dragging the honor back out of Titus. It seems to have influenced him to change his ways throughout the cycle, and this match seemed like an emphatic stamp on this notion... from the very start with Garth connecting with a low blow before the bell and once again later on in the match. chuckled at the line "Titus collapses. Once again with pain in the crotch." That tickled me, not sure why. This set up the finish beautifully, with Titus not falling for the low blow a third time, countering, and going into the final flurry for the win. Big win for Lee to get Titus back to his winning ways. I was very curious to see the outcome of this match. Although I found Lee's video RP quite entertaining, I wasn't sure how creative would vote for it. It's nice to see the creativity awarded. Great job by both Lee and Tasty this round... truly great. Killer match writing, KJ.

Elite Openweight Championship Video Segment
I think it was a clever idea to have a hype video revolving around the Elite Openweight Championship. The World Title always gets a spotlight, and the EurAsian Championship just had it's own stand alone segment... sometimes as great as Callie is, the Elite Title may go overlooked sometimes. Making the Elite Openweight Title Match the Co-Main coupled with this hype video did a lot in establishing it's credibility. The quick history lesson of the belt was great, especially for people like me who have gaps in their tenures here, or for new arrivals to the fed. I definitely remember when it was called the Elite X Championship. I've always kinds wished it was just the Elite Championship... because, isn't every title an openweight title? But, whatever. It's still a championship I desire, and I feel like most of the fed should as well after tonight.

Callie Clark vs Mikey Stormrage - Cage Match - Elite Openweight Championship
Mikey "running" to the ring, lol. Math equation to start off the match also made me chuckle. The Child's Play foreshadowing in the Callie Clark interview earlier on in the night pays off with her Chuckie cosplay. A bunch of little entertaining bits before the match even starts. Nice job, Lee. The match was thoroughly entertaining. A bunch of fun spots. Mikey knocking Callie off the cage, catching her and nailing the Game Over was sweet. When Mikey decided to not go for the pin, submission, or door... and started climbing, I thought for sure he was losing the match. I thought it was setting up a perfectly heelish victory for Callie... she gets to walk out the door barely making it before Mikey climbs over to placate the fans. But I did not see the finish coming. Mikey's crazy ass just fucking moonsaults off the cage through the Spanish Announce table, sacrificing his damn life for the victory, and championship. Awesome finish. Hold your head high, Matrix. You're awesome for the Elite Openweight Championship's legacy. Huge congratulations to Yaz on the amazing victory. And thank you to Lee for the dope match.

Locker Room Segment
Tyrone, Eve & Flex in their locker rooms. Big fight feel right here for sure.

Tyrone Blades vs Eve Taylor vs King Mussel - World Championship
Man, where to start with these three? Falkon is easily one of ,if not, the most talented pure writers in the history of this fed. I find his writing more artistic and beautiful than most others in the fed. That's not to say other RPs aren't as effective. Dynamite's RPs are just as effective, is not more so, but his style is completely different. His is a more blunt and comedic style that leaves me just as entertained. And Ty is perhaps the embodiment of what most people in this fed wanna try to be both as a writer and as a character in terms of legacy. The introductions with all three people in the ring add to the big match feel of this main event. An early kick out by Flex from the Click Clack is a great way of establishing his strength. Tyrone selling the leg still saves his finisher though. Nice stuff. I definitely thought for a moment there that Tyrone and Eve were gonna double team Flex for a while, but I was wrong. Flex's strength and near dominance early on was impressive.

Often times in triple threats, a character may always seem lost or unaccounted for. I thought Yaz did an incredible job with ensuring we always had a clear visual of what was going on with all three characters at all times. It helped add to the suspense in the final sequence of the match. I thought the ending was great. Flex tosses in a chair, takes Eve out with the 2nd chair on the outside before tossing that one in too... sets them up, Tyrone nails the Click, Flex counter the Clack into the Mussel Bomb through the chairs... 1, 2, 3... new champion. Awesome. Just awesome, Yaz. Congratulations to Flex... you deserve it dude. Your RPs are consistently entertaining. Falk, continue doing what you do and I believe you'll end up on top sooner rather than later. And Ty... if it's true that you're leaving, it saddens me very much but I wish nothing but the best for you. I want to sincerely thank you for being a huge help this past cycle. You've helped guide me to a better place in this fed, and I truly thank you.

Final Thoughts
There was a couple of amazing matches on this card. I thought the final 3 matches were absolutely superb. If I had to choose, I may call the Cage Match or the Main Event the Match of the Night. I had a blast writing Kagura vs Xander... and the opener was awesome, too. I think R-Awakening did an incredible job picking up the pieces of Kingdom Come and setting WZCW on an extremely interesting path for the very near future. The Gold Rush Tournament, the EurAsian Tournament, and a 24/7 Rule to the Mayhem Championship along with new World and Elite Champions are going to give the fed a lot to work with and a lot to get motivated over. I want to thank everyone that put this card together. Shout out to KJ, Spidey, Lee, Yaz, Milenko, Ech, & Jeff. Amazing job as always. R-Awakening was a blast to read. Can't wait for the next cycle.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

Jabari vs Grindhouse:

I thought this was a good hoss fight between the two absolute behemoths of the roster. I liked that even though it was mayhem rules match there wasn't much of anything you'd expect in a mayhem match. These two guys don't need weapons, they are weapons. I don't really have much to complain about here, except for the way the commentary lines were put in, it felt odd to me that they came after a paragraph of action, instead of maybe breaking up the paragraphs and being put in as the things they were talking about were happening. But really it's a minor gripe and hardly something that ruins the flow of a match. I'm glad Grindhouse won because to me, he's the more interesting character.

Callie Interview:

Amazing, best thing on the entire show. Next.

(But really this was a good little way to give Callie mic time and it captured her personality well.)

Kagura vs Xander:

A good match here and I loved the story of Kagura having to overcome every underhanded trick Xander could think of to try and win, only for Xander to end up finally getting the better of Kagura in the end with the ring bell hammer coming back into a play, as it should when he stuck it down his pants. My biggest gripe here is I felt this match might have been a little too long for the second match on the card, it didn't drag on by any means but could have benefited from being a little shorter.

Vega Interview:

Simple and fine here, set up what Vega wants next after he's done with Tastic, and really this doesn't feel like a feud that would need multiple cycles, so that's good that it's not.

Mayhem Championship Match:

This was a nice change of pace from the previous mayhem rules match having a lot of weapons, which makes me even more glad we didn't get much weapons in the opening match as it would have taken away from this match if so. Broon coming out with the riot gear on was funny, and Harald breaking the handcuffs in the end was a good little way to showcase how strong he is. I thought overall this match was pretty good and I don't think I have any gripes with it.

Vega vs Tastic:

Alright match, the ending was sudden but obviously that was the point. I liked seeing Vega pick up a win as I felt he was in need of one, and it gives him momentum heading into the Gold Rush Tournament. Tastic having a reason to lose his temper was nice too, rather than him just being angry to be angry. After the last two matches this one being a little short was a nice change of pace.

Triple Threat Match:

This match was pretty much everything it needed to be and the double 619 to end it was good. The writing of Kole seemed very in character for him which is always a good thing, and I wouldn't mind seeing Annie and Alice feud a little longer as it seems might have been set up here.

Tony vs RMK:

First off, RMK jumping the gun and attacking Tony before the match could officially start made sense. I was hoping that would happen and wasn't disappointed. The conversation with Keaton and the girl in the crowd was weird, maybe I missed something but it was just weird. I'm a little surprised how short this match was, and the fact it ended off a simple sleeper hold, but at the same time it's nice to see a regular move end a match sometimes and there's nothing wrong with that. Not much else to say about this match, it didn't do much for me.

Good to see the Eurasian Championship back, and I'd say Stetson might just be the favorite to win it. I enjoyed the segment here too.

Titus vs Garth Black:

Pretty good match here and I'm not surprised to see Titus pick up the win. I'm wondering when Garth Black turned into Shinsuke Nakamura though with all the low blows? The story was a little similar here to the Kagura match with the heel cheating often to try and win, except this time the cheater didn't end up getting the win. I kind of thought Titus was going to win by cheating, but considering how much commentary talked about Titus not cheating and not taking the easy way out I'm glad that didn't happen.

The hype video for the Elite Title was great, really helped the title feel more important and that's always good. Wouldn't mind seeing more things like this for the midcard titles to help them feel more important.

Cage Match:

I'll be honest I wasn't a fan of this match, outside of the ending and Mikey catching Callie with Game Over as she dived off the top of the cage. I would have liked to see more using the cage as a weapon, like grinding each other's face into it, or throwing them into it, things like that. More wrestling in general rather than just escape attempts and finisher attempts would have been good too. Again the finish was great, and a good way to show Mikey is reckless and doesn't care about risking his own health, and sets me up with Callie suffering a heartbreaking loss. Plus I don't think I've ever seen someone willingly throw themselves off the top of the cage to win, so that was good for something different. The commentary was pretty funny during this also.

One small note: when did I change the name of the Calliesault?

World Title Match:

I loved the fast pace we got right out of the gate on this one, it set up what ended up being a really good match, easily my favorite of the night. I thought it really showcased how good all 3 really are, and I wasn't sure who was going to walk out with the win up until the very end. If this is the end of Ty for good, then thanks for all you did for the fed over the years and enjoy retirement. Congrats to Dynamite as well on the big win.

Overall it was a good show, while I wasn't a fan of a couple matches I thought the rest more than made up for it. I thought the show could have benefited from a slightly different match order, but that's not a huge deal. I know this review is mostly positive, but unless something really sticks out to me I never really know what negative things to say. Good work guys.

 

[Infinity]

Meltdown 155

Show Open
I've noticed that most shows open in a similar fashion. Somebody usually comes out to the ring to cut a quick promo to set up the rest of the show. This one involved Becky Serra inviting all members of the MD portion of the Gold Rush Tournament to come out to have their quick moment, only for it to be interrupted by Garth Black. Garth is a character I find intriguingly difficult for me to fully embrace, and I think it is in part to Randy Studd. Perhaps unfairly on my part, I question which character I should fully get behind. Maybe I should try and stop making myself choose 1 and just appreciate both. With that being said, in terms of an open, it was noting out of the ordinary. I wouldn't mind some different approaches to getting a show started. Don't be afraid to stray away from an in ring promo to kick things off.

Matt Tastic Interview w/Stacey Madison
The asshole within Matt Tastic comes out in flames in this short segment. The snowflake in me was offended. The evil side of me enjoyed it. Curious to see Tastic's direction after his loss @ R-Awakening.

Alice "Baby Doll" Adams vs Tony Mancini vs Matt Tastic
Early double team on Tastic appropriately sets him up as the biggest threat in the match. There was a point in the match where Alice & Tastic went face to face alone in the ring that I thought did a great job at helping establish "Baby Doll" as a competitor. In my opinion, little moments like these are crucial in matches to help get characters over. A good match writer give every character involved in a match something to build off of in the next round. Kudos to Spidey for his match writing here. In the end Matt Tastic gets a big bounce back, and the slide of Tony Mancini continues. Sawa, you impressed against Annie and Kole last round, and you continue to impress as "Baby Doll" this round.

Eve Taylor Promo
Alright. Nothing crazy here. I understood later on they were just giving all members of the tournament some quick air time before their matches. It was fine.

EurAsian Championship Tournament: PC Stevie Broon vs Garth Black
I actually thought the Mayhem Championship would be defended here, but I guess it wasn't Not really sure how it works, but I'll just go along with the flow. It's early on into the 24/7 era of the Mayhem Championship, and I think it'll be interesting to see how long the title or it's new rules will last. I hope nothing but great things for the Mayhem Championship. Now, for the match... a great match for PC in my opinion. He came out looking strong against an established veteran. Broon doesn't advance to the finals, but shows yet again that he is a viable threat in the company. KJ & Ech did a great job here.

Callie Clark Promo
Another Gold Rush Promo... cool.

Keith Kole Promo
Gold Rush Promo... alright.

Gold Rush Tournament: Keith Kole vs Callie Clark
Big pop for Callie in her hometown. I enjoy when the match writers realize things like this. Personally, I thought Annie Holloway deserved this spot, having won the triple threat against Kole & Alice Adams @ R-Awakening, but I didn't cast a vote in time so perhaps I am partially to blame. Either way, Keith Kole won the spot fair and square. Going into the tournament, Keith Kole would have probably not have been a betting favorite, but this match did a good job at not making Kole feel like an underdog. The finish, Kole being caught grabbing the tights and getting caught in a roll up while arguing... only for the ref to miss Callie doing the very same thing and grabbing the tights... it was a stellar way of getting out of a match where both competitors have zero problems with breaking the rules to secure a victory. Callie is only getting cheered because she's home... it doesn't mean she won't cheat. Callie advances and Keith Kole will look to bounce back next round vs Titus. Good luck!

Vega & Xander Segment w/Leon Kensworth
I reached out to BK and pitched him this idea a earlier in the round, he was all for it. I pitched it to creative, they were all for it, and asked me to write it up... so I did. I love the Triple X/Xander character and look forward to working with him in the future.

Gold Rush Tournament: Eve Taylor vs Xander
Big, big match. Before the brackets were revealed, I thought Eve Taylor vs Xander was a favorite for the finals of this tournament, but instead we get it as an opening round match. Rightfully so, it serves as the Main Event of Meltdown. This is a huge match for both characters. Eve Taylor is at a crossroad right now, coming off back to back losses in World Title matches now and Xander coming off perhaps his biggest two victories ever against Tyrone Blades and Kagura. This was my personal match of the night, and I think Xander finally getting a victory using his "Fade Away" submission is a significant point for his character. Up until now, all of his victories have been riddled with rule breaking. This one wasn't. Where does Eve go from here? She faces Stetson Hayes next week. I think it's important for Eve to return to her winning ways next round. As for Xander? How many rounds in a row can a character have their greatest victory yet? In my opinion, Flex is the #1 superstar in the company right now, and Xander is #2, with Titus coming in to round up the top 3. Huge win for Xander to end the show.


Ascension 132

Show Open
It felt like there were a lot of moving parts to the opening here. So how many people had Keith Kole opening the show in the pool? I know I didn't. It was definitely interesting to see him to start things off by demanding respect one day after he lost to Callie Clark. Even more surprising was Keith Kole being interrupted by Flex Mussél, the World Champ, of all people. So Flex cuts to the chase and extends an invite for Keith Kole to join Flex America. Personally, I don't find the humor in making the first letters in "Flex America Great" bold and hope to not see it again, but that's just me. I believe anything can be funny if done right... this fell flat for me.

Moving on, I find this development very intriguing. I think being associated with the World Champion can only bring forth positive things for Keith Kole. I wish the reasoning behind the invite and the acceptance were fleshed out a little more, but undoubtedly this will give KWeb a lot more to work with creatively speaking. It has already showed in his latest RP, IMO. He has a steep task facing off against Lee, but KWeb put forth one of his strongest RPs as of late if you ask me. Whether Keith Kole wins or loses next round against Titus, his stock has already risen and should only continue to rise from here.

The reason Keith Kole is facing Titus next week? Well he was announced, by Mr. Jones (Tyrone Blades' best friend), to be the new #1 contender for Flex Mussél's World Championship. With Keith Kole's recent addition to Flex America, he seeks to defend King Mussél's name next round @ Meltdown 156. Mr. Jones coming out was a nice touch, a throwback to the days when Titus was a part of the Hollowed Ones w/Tyrone Blades, the man Flex Mussél defeated @ R-Awakening to become World Champion. I think the entire fed was in agreement with Titus being deserving of the next title shot after losing perhaps the Match of the Year in the Main Event of Kingdom Come and bouncing back with a win over Garth Black @ R-Awakening. Can't wait to see what happens with Titus and Flex, these are certainly the two superstars I want to see feud most in WZCW right now.

Great opening. Much better than Meltdown's.

Annie Halloway/Stetson Hayes Segment
The "Loading" screen is a nice touch for Annie Halloway segments on the show. It's a minor detail but I hope it continues. It immediately helps Annie feel a little unique from other characters. In come her opponent for later in the night, Stetson Hayes... who, in my opinion, has quickly become one of the more despicable heels in the company right now. His successful run so far, along with the egotistical way he continues taking over other people's segments such as Becky Serra's Gold Rush & EurAsian Announcement @ R-Awakening and now Annie's backstage promo... Stetson has become a character very easy to root against.

Annie Halloway vs Stetson Hayes
Annie actually had control of this match for the most part, which I found quite surprising. Early on she got two quick pinning predicaments on Hayes. Stetson had control for a bit in the middle, and went after Ezekiel unprovoked. Eventually, Annie regains control and locks in the headscissor armbar and actually puts Stetson Hayes to sleep, but his arm falls on the bottom rope, saving him from defeat. Annie's premature celebration leads to her demise, and she taps to the Cloverleaf in the center of the ring. I strong showing for both competitors... Stetson gains the victory breaking the rules every step of the way, and Annie nearly put away perhaps the scariest new face in the company. Nice match writing, Jeff.

"Remarkable" Mark Keaton Promo
Yup...

Kagura Promo
Like Meltdown, the promos are there. The segments with wrestlers interacting with eachother are usually more fun and interesting... but I get it. At least this one kind of did... with Mikey Stormrage. I feel a segment like the one Stetson Hayes & Annie Halloway had do more to advance characters than simple promos. Too often they feel like filler. Sometimes it's more than just filler, and I understand that. This round, they didn't really feel to have much substance.

Gold Rush Tournament: Kagura vs "Remarkable" Mark Keaton
This match really made it seem like Kagura was back running on all cylinders, which is something she needed after losing to Xander @ R-Awakening. Keaton seemed to have had a final glimmer of hope there at the end of breaking out, but with this loss comes the end of the character, as his release was announced on WZCW.com shortly after this show aired. Jeff has already introduced his new character, Zanashi, and I cannot wait to see more of him. His bio has already won me over, and after reading his RP battle versus PC Stevie Broon & a no-showing/retiring Tony Mancini, I believe he'll be debuting with a victory. That being said, that's next round. This match was about Kagura, and she looks strong as she advances in the Gold Rush Tournament.

Vega Segment
This is just Vega warming up backstage... but I'm in it, so it's easily the best segment on the entire card. =P

Gold Rush Tournament: Harald Var Krigare vs Vega
Unfortunately, this is the second round in a row that my opponent has not been able to RP against me. It has lead to 2 decisive victories for Vega in a row, but I certainly wish I was more battle tested going into my match this past round. Either way, I was sad to see Fallout go... I rather enjoyed the HVK character. With that being said, perhaps it was a little fitting that the former Mayhem Champion, and last one before the 24/7 rule came into effect, loses his final match to Vega, who made his name in the Mayhem Division long ago. Vega redeems his Kingdom Come loss in decisive fashion, doing away with the giant in in front of his hometown crowd. I rather enjoyed Killjoy's style of writing for this match... it felt as if he decided to make Vega some sort of video game or anime character in the way he was linking together attacks one after the other, much like a fighter fighting a "Perfect" match in Street Fighter or something. It all culminated with Vega nailing his Springboard Kill Shot (V-Trigger) and posing confidently while the giant slowly fell to the ground. Thank you to KJ for making Vega look so strong in this match. It is very much appreciated.

& with that... the final 4 of the Gold Rush Tournament is set
Callie Clark
Xander
Kagura
& Vega.

However, instead of Callie Clark vs Xander & Kagura vs Vega as originally dictated by the brackets, creative has decided to switch things up by booking Callie Clark vs Kagura on Meltdown 156, & Xander vs Vega @ Ascension 133. 2 enormous matches nonetheless...

Flex Mussél & Wasabi Toyota Segment
Flex & Wasabi in their locker room talking about the Main Event, when a knocking is heard. Flex calls it his insurance policy... hmm.....???

Flex Mussél & Wasabi Toyota w/Keith Kole vs Mikey Stormrage & Titus
Seeing Keith Kole involved in this match as much as he was solidifies my sentiments from earlier on... this move is already benefiting the character greatly. This match made me want to see Flex & Kole team up instead of Flex & Wasabi. Hopefully, we get to see that soon. I thought Mikey Stormrage and Titus looked outstanding in this match, and it did loads to showcase Stormrage as a deserving Elite Openweight Champion. Him, tagging in the Main Event w/Titus vs the World Champion is a great position to be in, and does great things for the Elite Title's image. The finish, Titus nailing the Red Comet on Toyota for the 3, is about as fitting as could be for this tag. It's a perfect way to kickstart this feud, and I look forward to seeing what happens with Titus, Keith & Flex.


Overall Thoughts: I think most of the excitement and intrigue this round came from the tournaments themselves. I felt like there was little advancement storyline wise besides the World Title picture, where we learned Titus would be the new challenger, and has already done battle with Flex while gaining a victory over his body guard in a tag match. Next round, Titus takes on the newest member of Flex's stable, Flex America... now, let's see what happens with the rest of the card. I'm guessing after this round, when the tournament finals are decided, the storylines will begin taking place even further. For now, the Gold Rush Tournament, EurAsian Tournament & World Title storyline are the stories of the cycle, and perhaps rightfully so.

Thank you to creative for putting forth another round of stellar shows. Props to everyone who RPs, and congratulations to all the winners. Looking forward to the next shows.

 

[Infinity]

Hey guys, sorry I've been gone for a bit as of late. I'm gutted I wasn't able to take advantage of the Elite Open Challenge... but alas here I am to deliver my reviews. This will be a double header, as I am reviewing TWO rounds, FOUR shows in this 1 post. I hope you all enjoy this.... here we go!

Meltdown 156​

Flex America Opens the Show
It's only fitting that WZCW's newest stable start things off this round. The addition of Keith Kole to the squad last round immediately injected some intrigue into the character and stable alike. Here we have Flex waxing poetic about being the Champion the fans need while denigrating the man who will challenge for his World Title... Titus Avison. He ends this promo by revealing a confusing surprise special referee, Everest. Everest was before my time in the company... so he's been more folk lore to me than anything. It'll be interesting to see where this goes, as I've always known Everest to be a face, so Flex welcoming him as the referee leaves some questions to be answered.

Eve Taylor vs Stetson Hayes
And the slide continues for Eve Taylor. I was quite surprised with how easy it seemed for Stetson Hayes to pick up the victory here. He controlled most of the match except for a flurry Eve had towards the end starting with the baited head butt. I wonder if this match says more about the fall of Eve Taylor, or the rise of Stetson Hayes. Regardless of where Eve Taylor goes from here, this is great victory for Hayes.

Flex America Backstage
After Flex berates the food at catering, he informs Keith Kole that Wasabi Toyota will be ringside for his match against Titus later that night. Would have liked it if Keith had a line or two... but nothing out of the newest addition to the stable yet. Maybe soon...

Callie Clark & Mjolnir
The scene begins with a close up of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Callie Clark is revealed in Thor cosplay while giving a promo exalting the power of the hammer and capping it off with "Excelsior," perhaps an homage to the late great Stan Lee who recently passed away. Having written Callie vs Kagura myself, I find this to be an excellent segment which properly sets up the importance of Mjolnir for their match later in the night. Smart thinking by Matrix here.

Kagura vs Callie Clark: Gold Rush Tournament Semi Finals
This may be the 4th time I've written a Kagura match in recent memory, and I have a lot of fun with them every time. I find her move set very flexible to work with. I enjoy the creative freedom the creative team allows me when writing a match. Often times they will just give me the winner, and whether it was a clean finish or not. This time all I was told was who would win, and that Callie was cosplaying as Thor as an homage to Stan Lee, who had passed away earlier that week. I'm not really into the Marvel movies, but even I know Thor... and wanting to make Matrix's cosplay a little more special this round, I decided to make the hammer a vital part of the match. This may be the most fun I ever had writing a match... especially playing around with Callie being the only person able to pick up Mjolnir. I don't see Callie's stock falling much at all with a loss to Kagura, and I tried my best to make it feel that way in this match with Callie never tapping out, instead having her lifeless hand fall on the hammer to end the match. I hope Matrix & Ech enjoyed this match as much as I did writing it. I have a lot of respect for both their characters, and them as RPers.

Burger King Commercial
The literal Burger King pops up to give Leon Kensworth a burger. An actual Burger King commercial plays. I agree with Cohen when he asks "Is there even a point to this?"

Matt Tastic & Mikey Stormrage... in another Burger King ad?
Tastic runs into Stormrage's locker room to tell him the Burger King is handing out burgers. Mikey is unimpressed because he already went to BK with Titus, which fills Matt with jealousy as he storms out.

Kagura & Garth Black
Kagura walks passed the Gorilla position after her victory over Callie Clark. People clap, and Everest gives her a thumbs up. Wait... hold up.... Everest!? Should there not be a camera and mic in Everest's face right now with someone asking him about being Special Guest Referee for the Main Event @ Gold Rush??? I'm not sure if this was an oversight by creative, but it seems very odd that Everest can go along his regular work day backstage with Flex Mussel dropping that shocking piece of news about him to open the show.

Anyways, as I was saying... Kagura walks backstage and is greeted by a slow clap from Garth Black. Kagura accepts Garth's handshake, albeit aggressively, while demanding he give Flex Mussel his best tonight, just like he did against her @ Kingdom Come.

Keith Kole vs Titus Avison
We immediately see some benefits of joining up with the World Champion... Keith Kole gets a shot against a marquee name in the legend, Titus Avison... except Titus doesn't come out. The God Damn Burger King comes out instead. So, I guess this is Titus dressed as The Burger King now, and he's raging against the Flex American machine by throwing Whoppers into the crowd, a food Flex certainly does not approve of. Even Wasabi Toyota engages in the gluttony.

Titus sheds the Burger King costume early on in the match. Toyota made his presence felt early on in the match, which lead to the Dusty finish in the end. As a non-creative member, I've always wondered if matches that end in a Double DQ or Double Count Out or No Contest etc. are votes that ended in a tie, or creative using their creative license to further a storyline. Perhaps it's both... who knows? I'd say Keith Kole not losing versus Titus Avison is a step up for the character.

Eve Taylor didn't tap?
We find Eve backstage claiming she never tapped. Instead, she was simply reaching for the ropes. She believes the conspiracy is continuing. I'm not sure whether she tapped or didn't, but the slide is definitely real. Stetson Hayes is nearby to rub some salt in the wound.

Garth Black vs King Mussel
No Keith Kole here. Instead, Mussel is accompanied by Wasabi Toyota as usual, and Charles. The two are kicked out of the match after helping Flex escape the Black Death. Although Mussel tapped, the ref didn't see it and the match continues. The match ends soon after this when Garth dives... over? Through? Not really sure, but either way he dives into Flex, who is holding the announcers chair in front of the the table. They crash into it. With the count nearing 10, Garth blocks an attempted Mussel Bomb on the outside by holding onto the ropes and getting flung in at the last second. Garth Black wins by count out in a relatively quick match. It's a fine way to end the match as a way to keep the champion strong, but the lack of after match shenanigans was a bit curious.

Ascension 133
​

Mikey Stormrage: The First Dual Champion in the History of the WZCW
Pretty impressive accolade for Mikey to boast about being both the Elite Openweight Champion & Mayhem Champion. He's a Champ-Champ. "Baby Doll" Alice Adams gets a nice spot here by appearing in the opening segment, informing Mikey that their match later in the night will be for his newly acquired Mayhem Championship. Mikey's got 2 matches ahead of him. Rough night or Stormy.

Tony Mancini is Fired
Mancini comes to the ring, but before he can say anything Maury Povich appears and tells him he's not the father. Kenneth Banks appears, says he adopted Mancini and was giving him undeserved title shots. Vance Bateman comes out... the new owner of the company? The police arrest Mancini as Bateman fires him. Tony is taken out in tears.

I tend not to take segments like this too seriously, as I assume is usually the intention while writing it. It's supposed to be fun. A rough exit for Tony Mancini. I'm always sad to see talent go... but with an exit like this, I wonder if there were some ruffled feathers on Milenko's way out. I wonder if the ownership change means changes are on the way...?

PC Stevie Broon vs Zhanshi
Zhanshi makes his debut against the PC Stevie Broon. Zhanshi starts the match off with some nunchucks but the ref stops that right away. Zhanshi no sells 3 consecutive back breakers early on in the match. It seems Zhanshi is immediately one of the stronger characters in the federation as he picks up a relatively easy win here over a tough opponent in PC Stevie Broon. It'll be interesting to see if this new character will re-motivate Jeff. If so, I suggest we all steer clear of this man like the WZCW assistants and stage hands did at the end of the match.

Matt Tastic vs Annie Halloway
Video footage from before the match shows a car door opening near Matt. Matt kicks the door in anger, crushing Annie's hand in the process. There seemed to be a disconnect between this and the match writer, because the hand is not mentioned at all throughout the actual match. In a vacuum, the match was excellent. Props to Ech on this match, I enjoyed how Annie had Tastic under control the whole match by capitalizing on his mistakes, only to have Matt Tastic grab her in frustration and suddenly finish her off like The Hulk flinging around Loki. A strong showing for Annie Halloway in defeat, and another nice win to continue Tastic's re-emergence as a legitimate threat in this company.

Annie, Are You Okay? - Matt Tastic Interview
Leon Kensworth is set to interview Annie after commercial break when Matt Tastic barges in and throws her through the interview set. He cuts a scathing promo on the company and vows not to be a punching bag anymore before turning around and tossing Halloway through the set a second time. Matt Tastic comes out looking like a new danger in WZCW while Annie is left in the rubble. I'm equally as interested in seeing where both of these characters go from here. What can Tastic accomplish with this newfound attitude? & how will Annie respond to defeat and destruction?

Vega/Xander Promos
Both characters cut quick promos before their match later in the night. Xander reiterates his point from the last show... Vega's pandering to the fans will get him nowhere.

Xander vs Vega: Gold Rush Semi-Final Match
The match starts off with both men showing off their striking prowess. Vega ends up with the upper hand, forcing Xander to the outside. Eventually, after three shots to the steel post and some undefended closed fists from the full mount position, Xander opens up a nasty wound across Vega's forehead. Amazing back and forth ensues with pinning combinations and high spots, all ending with Vega blocking Xander's slap, landing a slap of his own and giving Xander the finger. I love when writers get creative with Vega's tightrope walking ability, and Jeff certainly had fun with it here, having Vega matrix to avoid an attack and then tightrope and front flip to avoid another, leading right into a leg sweep and moon knee to Xander's head. After a lucha styled rally, Xander rakes the cut to regain advantage. Xander removes the turnbuckle pad, and after another back and forth, he ends up countering Vega with a DDT into the exposed turnbuckle, and following it up with a piledriver on the top rope into the exposed turnbuckle once again. A gruesome way to finish the match. Xander stands on Vega's chest with his foot for the 3 count.

An excellent match by Jeff. Vega looked very strong throughout most of the match while Xander seemed to have his hands full. Ultimately it was Xander's ruthlessness early on and towards the end that got him the tough earned victory. The foot on the chest pin definitely hurt my ego, but I <3 BK and loved every moment writing against him. I hope to face him again in the future.

Zhanshi... dubbed over?
Stacey Madison is backstage to interview Zhanshi. Although it appears he answers her questions in a polite and mild mannered tone, a loud over dub can be heard yelling warnings of wrath and fury to come. Both Zhanshi and Stacey looked confused. Interesting caveat to the Zhanshi character.

Mikey Stormrage vs "Baby Doll" Alice Adams: Mayhem Championship Match
Things start off with a nice juxtaposition in size, Alice trying to do what most undersized wrestlers would do against a large man like Mikey. Mikey is easily able to use his size advantage to start off with an early advantage. After a quick offensive onslaught including blasting Stormrage in the knee with a chair, Mikey regains control with a Game Over. Adams, however, kicks out. Then he hits the Live Mas slam... and again, Baby Doll kicks out. Whoa. Alice eventually has a final flurry after escaping a bear hug with Vampire tactics and using the chair on the knee again. Stormrage kicks out of the Private Show DDT. Stormrage eventually counters Baby Doll in mid air with a falling uranage. After a couple of last ditch effort forearms, Alice Adams falls victim to another Game Over. Mikey defends the Mayhem Title.

What a match. Ech did a lot for the new female characters in one show, putting both Annie Halloway & "Baby Doll" Alice Adams over huge in their matches. Alice Adams had perhaps the performance of her young career here in the Main Event of Ascension vs Mikey Stormrage. Kudos not only to Ech for writing a terrific match, but to Yaz & Sawa for a great showing this week

Meltdown 157​

Merry Flexxxmas
King Mussel and Keith Kole enter the ring with ugly sweaters. Kole is carrying a Christmas tree. They introduce Santa Wasabi, who comes down to the ring dressed as Santa Clause. Santa Wasabi gifts Keith Kole a replica Mayhem Title (he challenges for the title @ Ascension) and Flex a Titus action figure, along with a hammer to destroy it. Suddenly they are interrupted by a returning Krypto wearing a Santa costume. Kole finally speaks.. by making an illegal alien joke. Krypto is quickly disposed of by FlexAmerica, who are then greeted by new boss Vance Bateman. Flex and Vance rehash their history before bringing up Everest. Vance questions why Everest hasn't responded to Flex yet... (but apparently works right at Gorilla!?) ... leaving Flex a bit concerned before Krypto makes a comeback and takes out all of Flex America. Very curious to have an opening segment that gets the champion's old character over. I'll hold my judgement and see where this goes.

PC Broon vs "Baby Doll" Alice Adams
After hugging the rope to start the match, Alice gains a quick victory with a school girl after a low blow the referee didn't see. A big, yet dastardly win for Alice Adams after a stellar performance a round ago vs Mikey Stormrage. "Baby Doll" is trending upwards going into Goldrush while PC's skid continues. Uncharacteristic no show aside, props to Sawa for her continued improvement with the character.

Matt Tastic takes it Despacito
Tastic appears on screen as the last match comes to an end. He goes on a rant about the commentary being slanted against him. Alice's cheating seems to be much more accepted by the company than his tactics against Annie Halloway last week. He advises PC to step things up & do whatever it takes, and warns the fans that they will hate him by the end of the night... which is fine by him, because he takes things slowly... or, as he put it in Spanish... "despacito." Can't help but think of the song, which is a weird way to end a menacing promo, but whatevs.

Sweet Baby Jesus - Brought to you by Powerade.
The silliness is bountiful in this next segment where we find Stetson Hayes leading a pre-meal prayer with a motley crew of characters backstage, including Theron Daggershield, Backstage Bob, Tony Mancini's Priest, the Ghost of Tony Mancini's Catholic Mother, and Becky Serra. Most seem to take issue with Stetson's desire to pray to a baby Jesus, as opposed to an adult Jesus. Sprinkle in a quick mention of Garth Black, top it off with a Powerade endorsement, and there ya go.

Alrighty then...

Eve Taylor vs Vega vs Callie Clark
Eve & Callie quickly take out Vega to start things off. They're out for blood with each other, and it's obvious. Vega reinserts himself into the match, only to get distracted by the cheering of the fans. It leads to a vicious steel chair attack from Eve Taylor. Vega's head has taken a beating the last two rounds, huh? Eve and Callie go at it again. Vega is kept on the outside by Eve who continues to rage against Callie. After a while, Vega returns to the action once again, tightrope walking back towards them and landing a flying forearm on Eve. Again, love the creativity with Vega's tightrope abilities. For a moment, Vega controls the match... nearly hitting his finisher until the women take over again, and Vega is on the outside. See a trend here? At some point Vega kicks out of the Spiral Tap, only to hit a Killshot on her right after. Eve follows it up with Fashion Statement... none of this leads to a finish... After a Killshot on Eve... Callie flurries late and ends up nailing the Calliesault on Vega for the pin, as Eve watches from the outside.

I must say this was a much better match than I deserved to have... I felt I didn't put up a great effort that round RP wise, with the deadline stupidly surprising me in the end. I thought the story of this match was stellar... essentially Vega kept getting in the way of this feud between Callie and Eve.. and now that Callie's cleared Vega out of the way, it's Eve vs Callie. Great job by Ech here in match writing, strong showing by Falk & congrats to Matrix on a big win after a stellar performance in defeat last round.

Callie Clark vs Eve Taylor @ Gold Rush = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Kagura & Garth Black vs Xander & Stetson Hayes
Big tag match right here... Garth & Xander start it off. Man what a singles match that'd be... huh? We get a nice teaser version of what that would be here for a bit before Hayes gets involved. Hayes and Black... that's another damn good match I wanna see. Damn. What a tag match. Anyways, Stetson and Xander are great opponents for Garth to have at a time like this. Many people may find his new attitude hard to accept... but Kagura reluctantly, and aggressively shook his hand last round... and now he goes against two of the worst heels in the company. Who better to make Hayes look like good? Juxtaposing Vega against Xander last round certainly helped him get over with the fans more, as was apparent the crowd.

Eventually Kagura gets in there to help Garth, and ends up entangled with Stetson Hayes. The two have an interesting showdown which makes me hope they meet again in the future as well. A lot of fun and new match ups here. The match ends with Hayes walking away from Xander, who gets pinned by his Gold Rush Tournament Finals opponent, Kagura. Nice finish to set up the PPV without hurting Xander's character or recent rise at all. Great job as always, Jeff.

King Mussell vs Matt Tastic
Not sure if it's just me, but this match had 2 different fonts. Weird. Anyways, I rather enjoyed this quick match after the last two epics. It was a fun way to show Tastic's newly reborn aggressive side while picking up a huuuge win. The finish, Matt Tastic being swung around 38 times before reaching up and rolling Flex into a dizzied small package was wonderful. The match and finish leaves a lot of room for the next time these two meet. Nicely done, Yaz.

Ascension 134​

Titus Avison will never forget the name of... Annie Halloway.
Titus starts things off with a standard Titus promo cutting down Flex, when Annie Halloway, of all people, interrupts. She challenges Titus to a match, and informs him that he basically has no choice because Chuck Myles already sanctioned it... so here we go!

Titus vs Annie Halloway
And after a rather quick back and forth, Annie transitions her Hallowed Road submission into a pinning predicament for the quick upset victory! It seems Lee was sick with the flu this round... regardless, after a great showing in a losing effort against Matt Tastic, Annie responds from the post match backstage beat down and shows the world she is indeed okay by challenging and defeating Titus in the opening segment of Ascension. Incredible. Neither Flex nor Titus are exactly steamrolling into their title match at Gold Rush... are they? Interesting build.

Keith Kole Aint Scared
Backstage Flex motivates Keith Kole for his Mayhem Match against Mikey Stormrage later in the night. Flex makes a wall joke... then a shut down joke.

Annie Halloway Promo
Pumped about her win, Annie unsuccessfully clamors to be in the main event of Gold Rush. Either way, she's determined to make a name for herself in the near future. Cool.

Dirk Buchanan vs Zhanshi
Dirk debuts with a super quick win over Zhanshi after another dubbed promo. Zhanshi's strong debut is quickly undone by a strong debut by Dirk Buchanan. Can't wait to see what this Dirk guy can do. Welcome to the fed, Atilla the Fun.

Keith Kole vs Mikey Stormrage: Mayhem Championship Match
Keith Kole was made to look pretty strong early on in this match, holding his own against the champion. Eventually, Wasabi Toyota made his presence felt with the steel chair. Regardless of the 2 on 1, Keith Kole actually kicked out of a lot of powerful offense from Mikey. With the string of upsets, a loss to Kole before Gold Rush wouldn't have been unfathomable. Eventually, Stormrage gets the Random Access Mutilation locked in and forces Keith Kole to tap. This was probably Kole's greatest performance to date, but Stormrage continues to, uh... rage on. Sneaky good match by Matrix.

Elite Openweight Open Challenge
Stormrage cuts a promo about feeling great and announces an Open Challenge for the Elite Title at Gold Rush. Matt Tastic interrupts and levels Mikey with the mic before beating him up and announcing that he will be challenging Stormrage for the Mayhem Title that same night. Matt Tastic delivers on his earlier promise. The fans hate him more.

The Contract Signing: Flexxmas is Ruined, a Merry Christmas to All
Both GMs, journalists, and Everest are present for the contract signing between Flex and Titus. Pretty cool stuff, definitely feels big. Keith Kole and Santa Wasabi are there, too. Of course, things don't go smoothly, and eventually punches are thrown. During the melee, Titus takes out Toyota and Kole before Flex attacks him, causing Titus to force Everest out of the ring and to the outside. The brawl leads to the backstage area, where eventually Titus gains the upper hand with the help of a Christmas tree, and an ornament. Towards the end, Everest returns to tackle Titue to the ground. As security drags Titus away, he laughs while wishing a Merry Christmas to All.


Final Thoughts: Man, a loaded 2 rounds. I'm very upset I wasn't able to participate in Gold Rush, but things happen. Either way, these 4 shows really built a lot of great matches for the event. The tournament finals leading to Kagura and Xander is sure to be off the charts. Can Xander finally reach the pinnacle he claims has evaded him his whole career...? Or will Kagura be 1 step closer to regaining what was briefly hers... the World Title?

Eve Taylor vs Callie Clark is gold, especially knowing now that it will be Falk's final match in the fed. What an honor for Matrix, and what a coup it could be for the Callie Clark character. Can Callie end Eve Taylor's career, or will Eve leave with one final victory?

Matt Tastic has responded from a down cycle by perhaps having the strongest cycle of all this time around. Can he continue the rise by taking the Mayhem Title away from Stormrage? Mikey Stormrage may be the only person with a better cycle than Tatt right now. Super intriguing match.

Speaking of Stormrage and intriguing... who's gonna step up and challenge him for the Elite Title???

Stetson Hayes vs Garth Black... that match was wonderfully teased in the tag match in the past round and should be a "barn burner."

This felt like a very strong cycle for WZCW as a whole. Some new faces have had some interesting debuts, and we saw the rise of young stars like Alice Adams and Annie Halloway take place while some vets like Matt and Mikey re-established themselves as stars. The final episode of Ascension came of best for me... I often enjoy when the ending of the show has a bit more going on to it. Most of the shows the past couple of rounds end rather abruptly after the final match ends. It doesn't have to always be as grand a spectacle as this last Christmas brawl was, but perhaps more post match involvement to progress a storyline would make the endings of more shows feel as strong as successful as that last one. That is perhaps my one critique for an otherwise amazing performance by creative this past cycle. I look forward to see the results of Gold Rush, and plan to coninue reviewing every show.... hopefully in a more timely fashion.

I hope you guys enjoyed these reviews as much as I do writing them. I truly appreciate the process of getting to comment while these character grow and change round by round. Continue the great work creative and RPers alike.

Falk... God Speed, brother. You're a fucking legend.