King Cucaracha

To be fair to the ref in the Italy/Aussie game, on the first replay I saw it looked like Neill went to ground and then lifted his arm up into the Italian's path. Of course, he didn't...but for a moment it looked like it.

A reply to my PM maybe? Or on a serious note, we should maybe get a wider opinion on the announce team situation. Something about people writing more matches for HD maybe with the new PPV schedule, if you can find a way to phrase it without saying 'WRITE MORE MATCHES FOR I AM THE BOSS MAN!'

Untrue, he's been pretty decent for Real despite them having a mediocre season. *looks around* I'm the only one who actually cares, right?

One day in and it pours with rain. Man, isn't England great? With Henman winding down his career and Rusedski half-Canadian, this year is MurrayMania year, the first of many I'm sure. He's still only a kid though and he doesn't have enough big tournament seasoning, so all the pressure that's going to be heaped on his shoulders and the expectation is going to be typically English- over the top and desperate. Finger crossed for him though, he seems like a decent guy.

He should be used to it by now, what with spending half the season on the bench at United. Well, England bucked the trend. Usually they smash whoever's in the Second Round. Maybe it's a good omen that this time they scraped through rather than get everyone's hopes up with a 3/4 goal salvo. Then again, maybe not. I'm one of Beckham's strong defenders and his goal proved that even with a mediocre performance he's a potential asset to the team. But even I'm willing to admit that Lennon's 10-15 minutes pretty much eclipsed everything Becks did aside from the freekick. I don't see Beckham being dropped for the Quarters but I'd like to see Lennon get a better run out at some point.

Punk is a very good wrestler, but his style simply doesn't blow people away on first viewing like an AJ Styles or a Joe or a Jack Evans does. He used to be more of a cruiserweight wrestler in his IWA days, but even then he wasn't a blow-you-away worker. It's only really when you see him a couple of times and get to know what he does that you really see his potential. On the mic, he's one of those guys with the vaunted 'money promo' inside him waiting to come out. I never got the 'he can't work WWE style' arguement, because his style always struck me as one which would fit in quite comfortably.

THE MAIN EVENT - HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH Insane Luchador vs. Jimmy the Doom vs. Spike Jenkins vs. Scott Rageheart - DOOM! DOOM! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Cruiserweight Exhibition - Non Title Match Michael Cross © vs. Landon "La Cucaracha" Maddix - I'm going to start writing any minute. So, Cross. Read The Great Angle Bash (when it's posted)~! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Special Welcoming Committee Match #2 ??? vs. Manson - Manson will take the question mark and straight it into an exclamation point. Then he'll beat it. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Special Welcoming Committee Match #1 Tom Flesher vs. Kerry Staunton - Taamo. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Opening Bout Ghost Machine 3.0 vs. Ced Ordonez - Ghost Machine. My prediction of who it is this time...err...Muzz.

Six Man Tag Team Match Christian Wright and The South Central Militia -VS- Bohemoth and NRG

Ugh, I'm sorry guys. England won again and one thing lead to another and hey-presto, I finally get my ass in gear 8:50 Monday morning. Apologies all round. Everything is going up in GCF as we speak for Tony to pick up as and when.

The Styles/Sabin/Petey Ultimate X is probably the best of the UX Matches, so I'd put that on your list.

Nice to see Graham Poll flying the flag for England and keeping the run of terrible second half performances going. France this evening, fingers crossed for a Togo victory.

In other news, we need eight writers for the tag matches, knowing that you won't neccessarily be writing for your own characters (I think, that's how it worked last time IIRC). So, volunteers here please. I (or Alf or whoever) will edit this list as and when. Tag Match Writers: 1) Bruce Blank 2) KingPK 3) Adam 4) Alf 5) PFL 6) NYU 7) EWC? 8) Battle Royal Writer: King Cucaracha

Also, Does this mighty techno world not have a date recognition system of some sort? For shame.

[b]The [COLOR=red]Great[/COLOR] Angle [COLOR=blue]Bash[/COLOR]~! [i]25th June, 2006[/i] We're gonna powerplay a homerun through the defence zone of ACTION![/b] COACH So obviously wrote by an Englishman. Damn punks, can't be bothered to learn our language. They've gots some nerve yo, ya understands? Holla! CABOOSE Shouldn't it be 'written' by an Englishmen, not 'wrote'? More proof if proof were needed, we invented the language, you stole it and bastardised it. COACH Wait...you're English!? CABOOSE Bloody hell. Let's go to Michael Cole, a line which I'd never say if it weren't on my autocue. We return to hard camera view and see Michael Cole standing in centre-ring, microphone in hand. COLE Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, the OAOAST 2005 Rookie Of The Year... CHRISTIAN WRIGHT!! *BREEEAAAK!* "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" "Tear Away" by Drowning Pool blasts out through the arena prompting the crowd to jeer and heckle, as they're prone to do when Christian Wright appears through the HeldDOWN~! sliding entrance doors. Without a hooded jacket to tear away, the plain clothed Wright simply strolls down the rampway with his nose turned figuratively up at the reception he's getting. Rolling into the ring, a similarly destain filled look greets Michael Cole, as Wright breezes past him and grabs another microphone from ringside. But before he even has chance to use it... "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" ...the crowd begin to show their support for Wright's former bodyguard. COACH These people need to show some respect! CABOOSE They are, just not for your 'boi'. Agitated with the crowd, Wright paces around the ring, as Cole raises the mic to his lips, hoping that'll restore some order. Of course, nobody respect Michael Cole so he's left to wait until the fans agree among themselves to quieten down. COLE Christian, you've been asked out here tonight by OAOAST officials to address the challenge that was made to you almost a month ago. Your former tag team partner Bohemoth laid the gauntlet down to you back at School's Out and as of yet, you haven't answered. And with The Great Angle Bash just three days away, you don't have much longer to stall for time. WRIGHT Michael Cole, just as one would suspect, your ignorance knows no boundaries! First and foremost, you refer to Bohemoth... "YYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAA... WRIGHT SILENCE!! "...BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" WRIGHT You refer to Bohemoth as my former 'tag team partner'. In that particular statement Michael Cole you are very much mistaken. Bohemoth was never my tag team partner. Due to his questionable wrestling accument, Bohemoth was classified solely as my [i]bodyguard[/i]! That was his official job description. Only via my common decency did Bohemoth ever progress to the status of professional wrestling, a fact which deserves reminder from yourself and your coadjutors. COACH What did he just call us? CABOOSE Beats me. WRIGHT Point number two that I take particular exception towards is the mere suggestion that I am 'stalling for time', purely because I have not seen fit to respond to intimidatory tactics. Because someone decided to incommode my air-time on The Body Shop, I am expected to placate him and his hostile tactics? I find that to be unjust. While Bohemoth's transgression has been well noted in the annals of my mind, I do not respond to threats. This wrestling arena should not be reflective of, as my more contemporary friends would say, 'da hood'. Wright completes the last sentence with finger quotes, drawing eyebrow raising from even the nerdiest of nerds...who, co-incidently, is standing in the ring with him. COACH YAY! He meant me! I say that, I say that all the time! WRIGHT It may be very well for the uneducated, impoverish youngsters, weened on the crude telecasts of 'Music TeleVision', to confront someone within the confines of a darkened alleyway and threaten to bust some caps within them...but the majority of the real world does not and should not act in that manner! Bohemoth, my less fortunate friend, may have grown up with these immoral values. For him, they may be second nature. But, I personally refuse to be drawn in by them. If Bohemoth were to have proceeded through the proper channels, then maybe his challenge would have been met with more immediate response by myself. COLE So, you're saying you're NOT accepting Bohemoth's challenge? "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" Stopping to glare into the crowd, Wright dismisses their attempts to change his mind with a shake of the head. WRIGHT You realise Michael Cole, I expected just this kind of reception. For you see, for some incomprehensible reason these fickle, misguided people seem to...[i]respect[/i] Bohemoth. "YYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" WRIGHT And yet...he has done NOTHING to EARN their respect as I have! It was I who fought the good fight to combat that putrid excuse for a human being, Leon Rodez! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" WRIGHT I am a former holder of the prestigious HI-YAH Promotions Heavyweight Worlds Championship! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" WRIGHT If not for this 'vaunted' Bohemoth, I may still be in possession of that very belt today. Indeed, it is fortunate that I hold one accolade he could not bungle from me...that being, the sobriquet of OAOAST 2005 Rookie Of The Year, as voted for by these very OAOAST patrons! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" How he got those votes isn't obvious from the reaction he's getting, but Wright doesn't seem to care. COLE I understand you're proud of that Christian, but we're really getting off of subject here. Are you accepting the challenge or not? WRIGHT And now [i]you[/i] see fit to hasten my decision making process? Michael Cole, I believe it is my human perogative to decide upon my own time period for renderring decisions. To have you, a corporate jobsworth, showing the impudence, the effrontery to press me such...to show this type of contemptuousness towards I, 2005 OAOAST Rookie Of The Year! It exasperates me so! I suggest you cease before I am compelled to cast you aside from my prese... *BbwWbAhmotherfuckerLlIiiBbbEErRrAATtTeeyYyOUUurRrMmmMmMiIInNnDddDd!!* "YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" COACH Oh crap. The roaring sounds of "Liberate" by Disturbed bring a similar roar from the crowd as, much to the shock of The Natural, the sliding doors part and make way for The Meterosexual Monster~! Suited and booted as usual, Bohemoth strides stoicly down the aisle, sending CW into a panic in the ring as he leans out of the ring trying to call security from the crowd into the ring to protect him. Nobody comes to Christian's aid though, prompting him to flee from the ring as Bohemoth jogs up the steps. COACH See, this is what CDub was talking about! Maybe if somebody gave him some time to make a decision then he'd accept the challenge, but here everybody is hastling him for an answer... CABOOSE He's had five minutes to answer the challenge and all he's done is drone away about nothing. COACH He's just giving the people their money's worth. CABOOSE Nobody paid to come to HeldDOWN and hear Christian Wright talk, I can guarantee that. Bohemoth glances out at Wright as he cowers at ringside, pressed up against the barricade incase he needs to make a sudden exit. Slowly pulling away his insanely expensive sunglasses, Bo holds a hand behind his back, not taking his eyes off of Wright for a second as he eventually gets the microphone from the slow on the uptake Michael Cole. "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" BOHEMOTH Jesus do you love the sound of your voice or what? Wright takes exception to the suggestion, as well as the whole 'taking names in vain' part of Bohemoth's insult. BOHEMOTH It's a real simple question. You and me, at the Bash...Yes or No? And if I don't get an answer, then we'll forget the Bash...and I'll just kick your ass tonight instead. "YYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" The crowd apparantly approve of Option B, if only because they won't have to pay extra to see it. Wright seems even more flustered now than before and looks to appease Bohemoth, holding up his hands in a show of peace as he begins to approach the ring and the microphone he had dropped in his frenzy to get out of the ring. Stoicly, Bohemoth watches on, patiently waiting for Wright to join him. Not seeing Michael Cole running for his life, as suddenly two bodies pile into the ring. From behind, Vincent "Whitey" Ford and Marcellus "One Eye" Wallace, the South Central Militia, pile into the ring and attack the Meterosexual Monster from his blindside, bringing a smirk to the face of The Natural! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" CABOOSE What the hell Coachman? COACH I dunno...but I like it! Ford and Wallace pound away on Bohemoth with wild forearms and punches across the back, the two street brawlers able to beat the trained bodyguard down. From the apron Wright directs traffic, yelling at the South Central Militia to "destroy him!", which they seem intent on doing. "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" "BO - HE - MOTH!" COLE (breathless) This is a set-up! Damnit it was all a set-up! CABOOSE No kidding King Courage. With Wright continuing to direct traffic, The SCM bring Bohemoth up to his feet and set him against the ropes. Ford slams a succession of knees to the gut while Wallace rains in some punches. Together the Militia then set Bohemoth up, sending him off the ropes with a double whip...and getting MOWN down with a double clothesline by The Meterosexual Monster!! "YYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Bo has lost his trademark out of the ring cool now, storming across the ring towards Wright who jumps to the safety of the arena floor. In from behind rushes Marcellus Wallace again, but Bohemoth turns around in time to see him coming and drops a shoulder, backdropping "One Eye" over the top and to the floor, with a hard bump across the ring apron on the way for good measure. Bo then whips around and catches "Whitey" coming in, ducking low and drilling him with a Front Spinebuster!! COLE Bohemoth is running through the South Central Militia... *CRACK!* "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COLE ...OH, MY! Caught up in his rage, Bohemoth doesn't see Christian Wright sneaking in and cracking him in the back of the head with one of the South Central Militia's billy clubs! Bohemoth collapses with a hand clasped to his head as The Natural throws the club away, grabbing one of the discarded microphones laying on the mat. WRIGHT Bohemoth, tonight I have proven beyond all reasonable doubt what I proclaimed weeks ago. Your physical demeanour may be impressive...but you lack the intelligence to pose a threat to myself. So, you wish to know if your challenge shall be accepted? Bohemoth, I shall be delighted to outsmart you once more for all to bear witness on Sunday night! And on that fateful June evening...the ends shall justify the means!! Throwing down the microphone, Wright stands over the fallen Bohemoth with a smug look on his face CABOOSE So, did he accept the challenge? COACH I guess. COLE Christian Wright laid a trap for his former bodyguard and although the South Central Militia didn't quite get the job done, Wright had a back-up plan and he's laid Bohemoth out, just three days from The Great Angle Bash. And I tell you what, I wouldn't want to be Christian Wright when Bohemoth wakes up. Come Sunday night he's in line for some serious payback. COACH Phooey! CDub showed us all what'll happen at the Bash. He'll outsmart Bo, just like tonight. COLE It's officially on. Christian Wright vs. Bohemoth, former partners collide for the first time ever, live at The Great Angle Bash this Sunday night on Pay Per View!

Does Luger's keyboard have a Caps Lock key? I DON'T KNOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!

That spinner belt deal is the most amusing thing RVD's done in 5 years.

The trouble is, internet fanbase or not, Punk just isn't big enough to be wrestling the main star in the entire brand (and yes, I consider Angle bigger than Van Dam) straight off the bat. Punk/Dreamer writes itself. You have Punk show up as the newest ECW signing and stick him in against someone he knows, like Stevie Richards, give him a win on Sci-Fi. Next week maybe another win against someone like Mamaluke (failing there being anyone else he knows from OVW or ROH), then a simple promo the week after. Now he's established, have an in-ring presentation or ceremony of some sort for Terry Funk. In mid-speech Funk is interrupted by Punk, who cuts a promo about the old and the new and all that jazz. He then lays the legend out, destroys whatever Funk was presented with. Instant heel. Then, more promo-time. Have Punk say he's going to run through whatever ECW established name he likes, whenever he likes, until he's the man. Dreamer takes exception, challenges Punk, kicks off the feud. Step 1, people know who Punk is. Step 2, people give a crap. Have Punk say he's just doing what Dreamer did 10 years ago, making his name off of the vets. Dreamer fires back that he earned his reputation by taking beatings, not jumping retirees. Hell, you can even have Punk continually reference that he's dating "Raw Diva Maria", just to be a dick. Angle/Punk are capable of a good/great match. Punk/Dreamer would be a legitimately memorable blood feud. And Punk stands more chance of going over and looking strong against Dreamer than he does against Angle.

Just for clarification: Cruiserweight Addenda is just 20 counts on the floor, right?

The MLS is pretty stagnant as it is. I've seen a couple of games before. There aren't enough top quality players because all the money is in Europe, obviously. But the big problem I had was the pitch. The couple of games I've seen, plus the handful of games England played in the U.S a couple of years ago, the playing surfaces were terrible. Bobbly, hard, it's too hard for teams to play exciting football.

I'd rather see Punk/Dreamer. Have Punk play the young upstart like he did against Steamboat, maybe have him attack Funk or something similar to draw Dreamer out. The matches wouldn't be classics but they'd draw more emotion than Punk/Angle.

Nope, all I see is restholds too.

What's un-straight edge about being in ECW? Nevermind that Punk even showing up on an ECW show and bitching at Angle for being 'extreme' would be a total contradiction from the get-go, but unless Angle goes out and drinks himself stupid between matches that would make no sense what-so-ever with the straight-edge character. Just have him pound some jobbers and try to prevent him crippling himself. Good enough for me.

Plus, we saw the return of Roon Rage~! If football were a 45 minute game, we'd be World Champions. Another game, another competent first half, another stinkfest in the second. Joe Cole was superb and Hargreaves had his best performance in an England shirt ever, but other than that not a lot of positives. Going by trend, we should crush Ecuador in the 2nd Round and build everyone's hopes up, then go out in the Quarters.

I here-by decry that the theme song for this PPV will be "Pure Morning" by Placebo. And the only reason we ever have a theme song is that I've got a vid package I'm writing for the opening, assuming that's not treading on toes.