King Cucaracha

Let's not forget Jeff Hardy's 6 day title reign. I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Test's Alliance reign yet. Unless it's been forgotten. I forgot he'd even held it.

As far as why the Handicap Match was so short, it was totally because of the match itself rather than my situation. There was no way I could write it no matter how I tried to have Landon win and make it remotely believable. And I wasn't going to write 3-4k putting over characters who never show anyway, so I just came up with something to advance my storyline, scrambled a promo together to make it make some sense and threw it in.

Boy, that Triple H sure is grateful to the guy that totally killed himself in the name of getting HHH over when it was looking like he was going to be a total dud main-eventer. Most people on this board ask the same thing everytime Foley returns. But when HHH says it..

Leon Rodez returns to HeldDOWN~!, which may or may not lead to a wrestling match. I can neither confirm or deny these rumours. But, what do you think? Also, if anyone has a character they'd like me to put over then PM me. Heel or face, doesn't really matter.

Jay, stats edited.

Well, I watch the NBA myself, so I'm happy to concede. BALLIN'! EDIT: This has the potential to become really long and boring. But, point is, American soccer is pretty bad. The pitches aren't maintained well enough, the players aren't top quality and the fans aren't as into it. If you watch a European football game with something riding on it like the Chelsea-Liverpool game the other day, the difference is huge. As far as boring to watch, American Football strikes me as just that. I've only watched it twice, two Superbowls, both times I was really struck by how stop-start it all is. Maybe it's because I watch Rugby and see it in comparison. Still, that and baseball just seem to rely so much on razzmatazz. End angry Englishman rant.

Everybody in the world loves football, apart from Americans. Nobody else cares about basketball, or hockey (Canada doesn't count), or baseball (except Japan I guess) or American football, apart from Americans. Anyway, Pure Rules is pretty much correct. The DQ for a closed fist only comes when the puncher has no rope-breaks left, other than that looks about right.

Any idea how long the contract Aries has is? And the terms... like, can TNA stop him from taking any indipendent bookings or just stop him taking ROH bookings? The thing with the names is, corny as it sounds, Ring Of Honor is as much about the company concept as it is the people in it. Aries not being around just when the gang wars storyline was picking up is a blow, but they can easily regroup and find another group to run against NRC (Jack Evans?) Homicide not being around is a blow, but at least they got through the World Title storyline. Losing to Morishima so quickly kinda knocked him down the pecking order real quick, it's nowhere as big of a loss as it would have been 4/5 months ago.

Somewhere after the Blindfold stuff please! ---------------------------- We suddenly find ourselves transported to Detroit, Michigan and a rather lavish looking house. And, to LEON RODEZ, sat on the porch (wow, those OAOAST contracts must be pretty lucrative if he's got a porch, huh?), looking skywards for a moment before his eyes scan down into the camera. LEON It's not every day your little sister slaps you in the face on national TV. [QUOTE] JADE ...well, let's see if you can see this... [i]*SLAP~!*[/i] "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"[/QUOTE] LEON And Theodore Moneymaker, I hold you directly responsible. Yeah, I packed my bags. I walked away. See, I came back home hoping to clear my head. And everywhere I look in that house, I see my sister. My sister's toys. My sister's clothes. My sister's photos. My sister... the sister that suddenly doesn't seem to exist as I know her anymore. The person who slapped me, that wasn't the little sister I grew up with. [QUOTE] [i]*SLAP~!*[/i] "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"[/QUOTE] LEON Everytime things have got too heavy in the OAOAST, I knew I could come back here to clear my head. When Christian Wright showed up and tried to wreck my career, tried to run me out of the OAOAST, I came back to Detroit... and by the time I returned, I was able to keep a clear head and deal with him in my own way. When Todd Cortez put me on the injury list, damn near broke my neck, I convelesed in the house behind me... and by the time I returned, I'd gained some sense of perspective and I was able to keep my cool at AngleMania. But this... this goes beyond personal. I can't just kick back, watch TV all day, listen to music, whatever it takes to clear my head. Moneymaker, you've poisoned my sister's mind, turned her against me, turned her against everything she ever believed in and loved! This house used to be my solace. And now, even here, there's no escape from what's happened. [QUOTE] [i]*SLAP~!*[/i] "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"[/QUOTE] LEON Being here used to ground me. Now, it's just making me angrier and angrier with every passing day. So, if I can't release that anger here, I know where I can. Moneymaker, I'm coming back next week... and I'm coming for you! [b]FADE OUT[/b]

COLE Welcome back to HeldDOWN~!... where, before the break, we saw the quote-un-quote Blindfold 'Match', which turned out to be not so much a match as a beatdown at the hands of Theodore Moneymaker and Christian Wright. Thankfully Chicks Over Dicks were on hand to run The Enterprise off and during the break, one of our many hidden cameras picked up this... [b][COLOR=red]**DURING THE BREAK**[/COLOR][/b] Still wielding their croquet mallets, Alix Maria Spezia and a visably shaken-up Krista Isadora Duncan have made it through the 'go' position on their way back to their locker room and more importantly the free-bar mandated by their contracts (P.S. Krista likes to drink!). However, their progress and their inevitable hangovers are hampered momentarily as D*LUX drag themselves through the curtains behind them. KRISTA Oh... yeah, you guys. I told you we forgot something. Well, actually, I told you we forgot something important, I guess I was half right at least. No offence meant, it's just nothing feels all that important to me right now. Life itself doesn't seem the great, incomprehensibly complicatedly crafted gift from above some people believe it to be. So, anyway, sorry for leaving you. ALIX Slaps forehead. KRISTA I agree. But, isn't that really more of an action than a piece of dialogue sweetie? Shouldn't you have actually slapped your forehead? ALIX Wouldn't that hurt? KRISTA Good point. *slaps forehead* There. Much better. D*LUX look a little disturbed for a moment at the self-abuse being dished out to Ms. Duncan by Ms. Duncan, before realising they should talk advantage of the lull in talking while they can. SHAYNE Miss Krista, we wanna thank you helping us. For a moment, I wasn't sure anyone was going to save us. ALIX Well, we would have swooped to your rescue sooner, but we let Team Jamaica borrow our croquet gear so we had to take a detour. KRISTA Listen dumplings, your buddy Leon might be a spineless dweeb who's to afraid to fight when a battle comes a knockin', but my spine was voted the 3rd hottest in the entire world and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let it go to waste! Plus, am not a dweeb. I don't even know what that means. Infact, I've never even heard that word before. Trust me, if you need someone to rely on in the field of potentially and Buddah-willing one day successfully castrating Theodore Moneymaker, look no further than Chicks Over Dicks! Brushing aside their considerable anguish, the boybanders perk up with excitement at Krista's somewhat vulgar offering of assistance. SHAYNE Oh, we surely won't! Nobody kicks BUTT liked you do. TYLER And by the way, thanks for not hurting Jade when you had the chance. That was really noble of you. Krista scoffs. KRISTA Trust me, I didn't do it for you and I sure as sugar didn't do it to be 'noble'. TYLER Well, whatever the reason, thank you. An awkward pause follows, as Shayne begins to gather the requisite amount of courage needed to extend an invitation to the former beauty queens. SHAYNE And, if you ever want to talk about your feelings with us, we'd love to lend an ear to you and listen. And...well, maybe, perhaps write a song about it. ALIX :wub: KRISTA (dryly) I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you don't mind, I have an appointment with my friends Jack Daniels and Joe... uhm, Joe Vodka? Look, I'm gonna get drunk, okay. Badda bing badda boom, I'm out. And with that Krista and Alix, with a swoop of her imaginary cape, leave and we return to Sofa Central! COACH Yeah, extra anchovies... huh? We're on already? (hangs up cellphone) That was the shortest COD promo in history! COLE You're not kidding. Cole finishes painting his final toenail before tucking his boney legs back under the announce table. COACH Green? Ew. COLE Shut up.

"JUST ONE ON ONE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT BABY! JUST ONE ON ONE, THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT! JUST ONE ON ONE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT BABY! JUST ONE ON ONE, THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT!" "First To Believe" by A1 thumps through the arena to the traditional reaction of wild, girlish screams from the crowd. But for once it's a solitary entrance as Shayne Brave walks to the ring alone and not all that cheerfully, despite his bright and sunny orange denim outfit. Shayne manages to find it in him to tag a few hands on his way down the aisle get other than that he's distinctly glum. BUFFER The following contest is a BLINDFOLD MATCH, scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Detroit, Michigan. He weighs in tonight at one hundred and eighty two pounds... one half of D*LLLLUUUUUUUUXXXXX... this is "SHOWTIME" SSHHHAAAAAAYYYYNNEEEEE... BBRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAVVEEEEEEE!!! "YYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" COLE And as you can see, Shayne Brave coming alone tonight... COACH LOL! COLE ...very mature, Coach. All outside parties have been banned from ringside here tonight to prevent any outside help in this Blindfold Match and of course, Jade Rodez wouldn't be by Shayne's side anyway. But not Tyler Bryant with him, Shayne is going to have to rely on this Nebraska crowd to guide him tonight. COACH Poor guy. COLE Boy you're a riot tonight, huh Coach. Shayne slides into the ring and immediately finds himself confronted by referee Mike Chioda, brandishing a pair of black hoods. Not looking altogether convinced about this idea (and who can blame him, really?), Shayne stoops down and allows the blindfold to be put on... [b]"BREEEAAAK!!"[/b] ...while "Tear Away" by Drowning Pool hits and the good feeling around the arena drains out the front door. Emerging through the sliding entrance doors comes Christian Wright, carrying his trusty black briefcase incase of any urgent paperwork that should arise during this match. Wink wink. Straightening up his fancy red polyester jacket with a big smile on his face, Christian strolls down the aisle with his head held high in the face of all the derisory and in some cases, frankly grotesque signs being brandished at him BUFFER And, his opponent. Now residing in Washington, D.C... weighing in at eight and one-third BARS of GOLD! He is the Chief Financial Officer for THE ENTERPRISE... "THE NATURAL" CCHHHRRRRRRIIIIISSTTIIIIIIAAAAAAANN WWRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIGGHHHHHTT!!! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Wright sets his briefcase on the top step of the ring steps and removes his jacket, biding his time as referee Chioda keeps the as-yet not blindfolded Shayne Brave back. "WOO - DY!" "WOO - DY!" "WOO - DY!" "WOO - DY!" COACH What the hell are these rednecks chanting Woody for? COLE Well, I believe they're referring to Christian's little friend, who of course joined us briefly at AngleMania. COACH Now, why would they do that? Hasn't the man suffered enough!? COLE Evidently not. With his face turning red from a combination of embarrassment and rage, Wright paces on the outside, yelling at the Omaha crowd to pipe down. Which of course doesn't work. So Wright smartly gives up on the crowd and slides into the ring, demanding that Chioda hurry up with the blindfolding of his opponent. Chioda first ensures The Natural is safely in his corner, before going back over and lacing up the rope tie on Shayne's blindfold. "WOO - DY!" "WOO - DY!" WRIGHT SILENCE! "WOO - DY!" "WOO - DY!" COLE This may well be a first in OAOAST history. COACH And not a good one either! I hope it doesn't catch on, that's all I can say. COLE I was talking about the Blindfold Match... COACH Oh, yeah, that too. With Shayne dealt with, Chioda now walks back over to Christian with the second blindfold and gestures for him to put it on. Wright seems pre-occupied with the crowd still, ignoring Chioda's demands to put on the blindfold. Eventually the referee does foist the hood on Wright though... only for The Natural to just hold it in his hand dumbly. "HANG ON A SECOND!" COLE What the... "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" All of a sudden, the crowd's attentions turn to the entrance way, as THEODORE MONEYMAKER appears with microphone in hand, wagging his finger in the direction of the confused referee. Jade Rodez is at Moneymaker's side, scowling a little but showing no real signs of emotion. MONEYMAKER I think there's been some sort of a misunderstanding here. "AAASSS - HOLE!" "AAASSS - HOLE!" "AAASSS - HOLE!" "AAASSS - HOLE!" MONEYMAKER And if you common inbreds would just shut the hell up, I'd be glad to explain! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" MONEYMAKER Luckily, Jade Rodez alerted me to the error, having of course signed off on the contract for this match. The contract which, apparantly, the incompetent officials of this company neglected to properly read. See, this IS a Blindfold Match. But, it never said that BOTH competitors would be wearing blindfolds. COLE Oh no... Following the direction of the voice, the protesting Shayne lumbers his way across the ring... ...little realising that Christian has tossed the second blindfold away and is now creeping around behind him. MONEYMAKER The rules of this match state that only whichever one of those manufactured nobodies it is under that hood needs to wear a blindfold. And as you nickel n' dimers know, The Enterprise ALWAYS follow the rules! So, now that that has been cleared up... Right on cue, Wright sneaks up from behind, just as Shayne realises he's in trouble and tries to untie his blindfold. But he doesn't get there in time, as Wright CLUBS him down with a brutal clothesline to the back of the head!! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COACH OH! He blindsighted him! HAHA! *DINGDINGDING!* Referee Chioda is left with no choice but to call for the bell, as Wright leaps up and puts the boots to the fallen Brave amidst a venomous response from the crowd. Moneymaker can be seen in the background laughing at the top of his lungs on the stage watching all this while Jade remains pretty much emotionless next to him. Pulling Shayne off the mat, Wright lays into the blindfolded boybander with a European Uppercut, sending him staggering across the ring! And a second! Shayne hits the turnbuckles and comes darting out, not sure of what exactly he just hit, past Wright who follows after him with a third European! COLE This is bull! I guess we should have known The Enterprise had something up their sleeves, but this is ridiculous! It wasn't enough to force D*LUX into a Handicap Match last Saturday night... Blindfold Match my ass, this is a mugging! COACH You heard Teddy, they're just following the rules. COLE Rules they made up! COACH The benefits of being rich. As Wright backs away, Shayne suddenly finds himself completely isolated in one corner of the ring. Shayne reaches out and starts to fumble at the air in front of him, trying to reach out for anything or anyone to tell him where he is and where his opponent is. That'd be an okay strategy in a normal Blindfold Match. In a Blindfold Match where your opponent isn't blindfolded, it's just making yourself a sitting duck. "LET'S GO SHAYNE!" "LET'S GO SHAYNE!" "LET'S GO SHAYNE!" "LET'S GO SHAYNE!" Not particularly helped by the crowd, Shayne wanders out into the centre of the ring and into a boot to the gut from Wright. Wringing out the arm, an irish whip then follows from The Natural, setting Shayne up... ...for nothing as it turns out, Shayne unable to see the ropes coming and bouncing harmlessly off them chest first. Wright is left standing dumbly as Shayne collapses to the canvas, pulling himself right back up but finding himself even more lost than before. COLE Shayne should just pull the blindfold off now and be done with it. COACH Ah, but that's not following the rules. And we all know you how you love to preach about certain people and their respect for the rules, Mikey. Shayne now looks for the help of the fans in telling him which direction to turn. To their credit, the people of Omaha manage to convey to Shayne just by 'NOOOO's and 'YYAAAYYY's that he should turn around. Unfortunately, they don't convey to Shayne that Christian Wright is right behind him and set for a Superkick. *SMACK!* "OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" COACH HE DIDN'T SEE IT COMING!! COLE Oh brother. You've been saving these up all week, I bet. COACH Well, it beats doing a real job. COLE Amen. Shayne's head SNAPS back from the completely unexpected kick and he flies back into the ropes, the lower two bouncing him back and saving him from spilling out to the floor. In hysterics on the stage, Moneymaker claps his hands in glee before giving the "money fingers" to Christian when he looks to the stage. Wright returns the gesture, as all the while Shayne lies motionless on the canvas. "C - O - D!" "C - O - D!" "C - O - D!" "C - O - D!" COLE This crowd want the World Tag Team Champions to end this massacare. But, I'm not so sure they're even here tonight! COACH They probably saw the word Arkansas on the schedule and ran in the opposite direction. The chants begin to fade out when the Princesses Of Penis Pain fail to answer their cries, all the to the amusement of Moneymaker on the ramp. Back in the ring, referee Chioda is trying to convince Wright to end this beating. But it barely even registers with Wright as he brushes the referee aside, pulling Shayne up by the blindfold and turning to the entrance way. From there, Moneymaker shrugs his shoulders and tells him to "go ahead", which is the only real signal that will put an end to this. Wright sets up for a suplex, hanging Shayne's ankles across the top rope and leaving him hanging for a couple of drama-enducing seconds, before twisting to the side with the CONVERSION RATE!! COACH CHA-CHING! Dragging the limp boybander away from the ropes, Wright hooks the leg... 1... 2... 3!! *DINGDINGDING!* COLE And, mercifully, it's over. Chioda wastes no time with the count and raises Christian's arm in a token gesture, before making a move to remove the blindfold from Shayne's head. Meanwhile, heads turn to the aisle, as Moneymaker is on his way to the ring with Jade in tow! BUFFER Your winner of the match... CHRISTIAN WRIGHT!!! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Applauding as he climbs the steps, Moneymaker dips into the ring and holds the ropes for Jade... before PUTTING THE BOOTS TO SHAYNE BRAVE!! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COLE Oh come on... enough is enough! You've aready beat the kid, what more do you have to prove damnit!? As Chioda finds himself flung out of the way, the beatdown resumes as Christian adds his boots to the equation! Jade watches all this from a far-away corner, showing no signs of compassion for her former charge as he gets the bejeezus kicked out of him by The Enterprise duo. All the time Moneymaker howls with laughter, until suddenly the crowd erupt, due to the arrival of "TREMENDOUS" TYLER BRYANT at full speed down the aisle!! Tyler slides headlong into the ring... but slides too fast and too far in his exuberance! And by the time he scrambles to his feet, Moneymaker is waiting on him with a Lariat from the left side, clubbing Tyler down and setting the other D*LUX member up for a stomping! COACH Well, so much for the cavalry! Moneymaker and Wright stomp away on Tyler now, with Shayne both physically unable to help and unable to even see what's going on with the blindfold still over his head! COLE This is ridiculous! The Enterprise, trying to systematically destroy D*LUX... and for what!? What did D*LUX ever do to deserve this!? Not a thing! COACH They stood in the way of progress, that's reason enough. COLE That's a crock of... WAIT A MINUTE!! The crowd again rise to their feet, as more help is on the way. And this, it's in the form of KRISTA ISADORA DUNCAN and ALIX MARIA SPEZIA, the OAOAST World Tag Team Champions running to the ring armed with CROQUET MALLETS!!! "YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" In the middle of their kicking, Christian notices the eruption from the crowd and the vengeful women charging their way, quickly alerting Teddy before bailing out of the ring! Moneymaker bails out too, just in time as Alix and Krista come in swinging, narrowly missing Moneymaker with the mallet! In all the chaos, Moneymaker and Wright don't even seem to notice that they're one short, frantic to get the hell out of dodge as Krista and Alix suddenly notice Jade Rodez, trapped in a corner like a dear in the headlights! COACH Oh no... Alix's ADD draws her away from the really juicy confrontation and to D*LUX, checking the two boybanders are still breathing. Meanwhile, Krista and Jade come face to face, Jade trying to stay composed but her eyes telling a different story. Christian can be seen contemplating making a move to save her, but Moneymaker holds him back, noticing that Krista has stopped in her tracks. Dropping the unorthodox weapon in her hands, Krista just looks at Jade. A long, awkward look. (You know where you've kind of got your mouth partially open, head cocked to the side, eyes water, as their lids try to flutter away the sight of person who hurt you so bad. Patty knows. Thanks Patty!) Realising that her former mentor has no intentions of hitting her, cautiously Jade begins to leave. She doesn't take her eyes off of Krista, just incase, until she makes it through the bottom rope to the floor, at which point she turns her back and simply walks away. "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COLE Wow... was that... [i]compassion[/i] from Krista? COACH First time for everything I guess. "Money Talks" plays through the P.A again as Moneymaker, Wright and now Jade leave. COD look on, daring them to stay and fight, as D*LUX start to drag themselves back to life around them. COLE D*LUX taking a beating here tonight but one thing is for sure, if not for Chicks Over Dicks' intervention, it could have been a lot worse. Thank goodness they arrived when they did. COACH And thank goodness they managed to get those croquet sticks through customs. Cause you know Arkansas ain't cultured enough for them to have bought them here. COLE Did you just say croquet [i]sticks[/i]? COACH Uh... gotta go! [b]COMMERCIALS!![/b]

Exactly. All these people saying "Oh, nut up or shut up poser!" about Carelli are fooling themselves. Whether it's because it's because they worship the ground Corny walks on or whether they're just deluded and trying to play the internet gangsta, whatever. For the record I love Cornette's work. But if your boss slaps you at work today, you're not going to slap him back because then you don't have a job. You're going to go over his head and tell someone about what happened. Doesn't matter if you're a professional wrestling or you're working at McDonalds, this isn't about 'tough guy reps'. This isn't the 1970s, the business simply isn't the same. Cornette was wrong. Carelli did what anyone would have done. End of story.

I think it's under the assumption that this is in some alternate universe and everybody is in their 'prime', although I guess you can make them any age you want. EDIT: Yeah, seems like anything you want. Clearly most are 'in their prime' but it seems like most of us are using Morton and Jannetty as washed-up veterans.

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes before TNA try and sign up people to exclusive deals before ROH can. It'll also be interesting to see how the booking of ROH as a whole changes, ie. the non-PPV events. Obviously there have always been shows that were promoted as 'bigger' shows than others. They'll be relying on the DVD revenue from the intermediate shows too and no doubt they'll do some promotion on the PPVs to go to the website. But, the big matches are going to be reserved for the PPV shows, naturally. I guess in reality, it won't make a difference to anyone who doesn't attend live events because everyone avoids the weaker shows on DVD anyway. But it'll be interesting, whether they use the non-PPV events to focus more on testing newer talent or whether they continue running as is.

Okay, here's a novel idea for you all. Listening to Skull Radio each week, it seems like every week Johnny and Alan mention not having any 'direction' or having any feud to run with. And they're obviously not the only ones judging from the state of the fed. I'm not sure anyone really has right now. At the moment, the fed seems like a junior school dance, with everybody skirting around each other too scared to ask anyone to dance. You can't rely on Tom or Raynor to grab you by the scruffs of the neck and force you all to kiss... uhm, write. See, there's this marvelous thing called the Private Message function. All those people wondering why they've got no feud and then wondering why Zyon and me are booked for 13th Hour, the answer is two simple letters, P and M. So... if you're active (or for all the vets and newbies, seeking to become active), don't have direction and are looking for a feud, post so here. And maybe, just MAYBE, when there's more than one person actively seeking a feud or a storyline they can get together via the magic of PM and do something! Or maybe someone'll suddenly not need this thread and PM you anyway! Don't ask, don't get after all.

That's arguably the best news. The last thing ROH needs is any more talent losses at the top of the card heading into something like this. Do TNA still have a working relationship with New Japan? Because if so, that'd theoretically mean the NOAH and Dragon Gaters wouldn't need the contracts (except in the unlikely event WWE signed them up).

Henry was supposed to be showing up this week, wasn't he? That Cage Match just screams Henry run-in.

Don't all start at once.

Btw, can't wait to see Khali tap to the STFU. That's gonna be a sight for sore eyes.

Batista might say different.

Well, putting him with Mark Henry is kinda the antithesis to keeping him injury free, surely?

Because it gives all those Smackdown main-eventers a chance to shine? Oh... wait.

Oh man, I've just had a terrifying thought. You don't think they'd have Mark Henry take out Taker, 'putting him on the injury list' next week as his comeback do you? Because, that was Henry's last gimmick. Then, the tournament someone mentioned above, culminating in Batista/Henry. That, Cena vs. Khali and Vince McMahon as ECW Champion, the Unholy Trinity of crap... I've suddenly got a very bad feeling.

Lazy booking is argueable. There's only two or three sensible routes to go down with MITB really. This is the one that works with heels. Kennedy can just say he said it to lull everyone into a false sense of security and, assuming he wins the title, would therefore be proven to be smarter than all the champions. Throw in a few interviews with Cena and Taker and whoever being asked about Kennedy and saying 'Oh, he said he was gonna cash in at WrestleMania, I don't need to worry about him'. Have Vince asking Kennedy 'You're not really going to wait to WrestleMania, are you?' while he's still ECW Champion. Actually, not that I'd be all for the idea, but thinking about it you could easily make it MORE intriguing than just Edge's "I've got the contract, I'm gonna feud with Flair for a few months then surprise everyone when that's done with". Heels don't have to tell the truth all the time.

- We are live on FX for the latest venture in professional wrestling, the Elite Combat Project! Joey Styles and John Bradshaw Layfield welcome us to the show, in amongst thinly-veiled shots at each other, promising that ECP would deliver the Elite in Combat on this show. Plus, Giant Gonzalez! Tonight would be a proving ground for the ECP talent, with the Board watching on before making rulings on the title situations next week. 1. Six Man Tag Team Match Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and The Amazing Red defeat Marty Jannetty, Ricky Morton and Paul Roma in 5:20 (*3/4) The old versus the new in the opener. The agility of the new beats out the experience of the old, Jannetty taking the fall courtesy of the Code Red from The Amazing Red. - Backstage, The Coach has the 'fortune' to conduct an interview with Stan "The Lariat" Hansen ahead of his match with Vader tonight. All the while chewing a large mouthful of tobacco, Hansen proclaims that he's the biggest and the baddest in all of wrestling and warned that Vader shouldn't mess with Texas. JBL strongly agreed with Hansen's words, prompting Styles to remind him he's from New York now. - A promo airs, hyping the presence of 'pure wrestling' in ECP. Tonight, Kurt Angle versus Shelton Benjamin! 2. Tag Team Match The Powers Of Pain w/Bobby "The Brain" Heenan beat The British Bulldogs in 4:43 (1/2*) Dynamite started and held his own against both Powers. But the moment he tagged out, Davey Boy inexplicably turned on his partner, drilling him with the Running Powerslam! Bulldog walked off as Heenan instructed his team to finish Dynamite off with the Spike Piledriver for the 3! - As Davey Boy got through the curtains, Coach was waiting on him. Bulldog explained that 'blood was thicker than water', which is when Owen Hart walked into shot and hugged Bulldog, the reunited Hart Family members laughing as they walk off. - After their defeat earlier, the trio of Paul Roma, Marty Jannetty and Ricky Morton were in a locker room looking pretty down-hearted. Roma tried to cheer his new-found buddies up though, telling them that they'd bounce back. The threesome then tried to decide on a collective name to go by. The Rock n' Rockers Express And Glory was shot down in a hurry. At that moment the door creaked open, the shadow of Raven looming over the trio. Raven remarked that they all looked like "lost souls" before closing the door behind him. - Shelton Benjamin is seen warming up backstage. 3. Singles Match Finlay beat Tajiri in 7:13 (**1/4) A really hard hitting match (and not a midget in sight!), with Tajiri's patented kicks matched up against Finlay's all-round physical style. The ending saw Tajiri try to lock in the Tarantula for the 2nd time in the match. This time, Finlay had it scouted, pulling Tajiri off the ropes and right into the Celtic Cross to pick up the victory. - Next week, "Macho Man" Randy Savage will make his debut for ECP! 4. Showcase Eight Man Tag Team Match Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T and Mike Awesome defeated Roddy Piper, Sean O'Haire, Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes in 14:39 (**1/2) This was indeed a showcase, with everybody getting their chance to shine once the match broke down and referee Jack Doan lost control. With bodies strewn around and battles going on around ringside, Rey Mysterio and Roddy Piper were left in the ring. Rey connected with The 619, which set up Piper for a match-winning Guerrero Frog Splash. Post-match, Eddie and Rey celebrated the win. - Kurt Angle was going through his own warm-up routine in a secluded area backstage. Not secluded enough to be found by Paul Heyman apparantly, who took Angle aside out of camera shot. - Meanwhile, with Maria are Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, who announce their intention to go after the ECP World Tag Team Champions. VIVA LA RAZA! Maria dumbly asks "what about Dominick?", leaving an awkward silence in the air as Eddie and Rey leave. Joey admitted that Maria wasn't the brightest spark, but at least she made the place a little prettier. 5. Singles Match Owen Hart w/British Bulldog defeated "Terrific" Terry Taylor in 3:03 (1/2*) Taylor put up a brief fight, but Owen scored with an Enziguri to earn the win. As Owen and Bulldog celebrated their victory over the KOed Taylor, out ran The Dynamite Kid looking for revenge for earlier. Suffice to say, Owen and Bulldog fled in a hurry. - Before the next match, Paul Heyman came to the ring, to introduce the man he was going to lead all the way to the ECP World Heavyweight Championship, Kurt Angle! Angle made his entrance and shook Heyman's hand before vowing to show he IS 'Elite Combat' by breaking Shelton Benjamin's ankle here tonight. 6. Singles Match Shelton Benjamin beat Kurt Angle w/Paul Heyman in 12:29 (***) After a mat wrestling display in the opening stages, Benjamin crashed and burned on an aerial move to gift Angle the advantage. On numerous occassions Angle went for his patented Ankle Lock, only for his former protege to have a counter to it, the last of which being a shock roll-up for the upset victory! - Post-match, Angle was furious and jumped Benjamin, pounding him mercilessly with mounted punches as Heyman kept the referee at bay. Angle then applied the Ankle Lock he was looking for, leaving Benjamin tapping like a madman while referees and members of the roster piled out to try and pull the crazed Angle off of Shelton. Nobody seemed to have much success, until Ken Shamrock shoved everyone aside, pulling Angle off of Shelton with a rear waistlock takedown! Angle jumped back up ready to fight but the bodies quickly piled in to hold Angle and Shamrock apart. - In the meantime we quickly cut away to an interview with Vader, who said he didn't fear 'The Lariat'. - Elsewhere, Madusa was with Maria and ran the loveable interviewer down, claiming that unlike her she deserved to be in ECP. The interview was interrupted by Rick Martel walking past, lowering his sunglasses and showing the ladies his oversized 'Yes I Am A Model' badge. Neither seemed that impressed. - Picking up from earlier, we see Raven leaving the locker room, announcing (to no-one in particular) that The Lost Souls of Wrestling had been cleansed. - Joey and JBL announced that next week, the Tag Team Title Tournament would begin. It would feature eight teams- Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, The Powers Of Pain, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin), Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire, The Lost Souls (Marty Jannetty and Ricky Morton), Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes and The Dynamite Kid plus a partner of his choosing! 7. Singles Match Vader beat Stan Hansen by DQ at 6:49 (**) As you'd expect, a really stiff brawl until Hansen suddenly wielded his cowbell and knocked Vader out in the centre of the ring. Hansen wrapped the bullrope around Vader's throat and started to choke him out as he called to the back. - And out ran Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes and Lance Cade! The four Texans put the cowboy boots to Vader, still being choked by the bullrope. The beatdown only stopped when "Bam Bam" Terry Gordy ran out and cleaned house with the aid of a steel chair. Hansen and his troops regrouped and walked off with pointed fingers and thrown threats towards Gordy. Before getting to the back, Hansen warned the world not to mess with the "Texas Wrecking Crew" as he tried to whip the cameraman with the bullrope. - And that's all for this week folks! Next Week: The first round of the Tag Team Title Tournament featuring Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, The Powers Of Pain, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin), Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire, The Lost Souls (Marty Jannetty and Ricky Morton), Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes and The Dynamite Kid plus a partner of his choosing! Randy Savage's in-ring debut! Rulings regarding the World and TV Titles! Madusa vs. Gail Kim! Plus more!