King Cucaracha

Oh crap, I got it the wrong way around, didn't I? I thought it was up to three in and as many out. My mistake, how I made it I don't know. My bad. If it's a problem let me know and I'll re-do my team.

To be also fair, the arena wasn't filled up yet either. There was still a lot of empty chairs as people were still filing in. The arena really didn't fill up till the Smackdown taping started. Even so, I don't think it was a bad reaction at all. People need to remember, Christian was a career midcarder, with the ocassional push beyond and he's been gone for years. If he'd come back involved with Edge and The Hardys, maybe he'd have got a huge pop. If he came back at somewhere like the Garden, maybe he'd have got a huge pop. Considering he came out on his own to confront Jack Swagger I'd say that was a decent reaction. I'm kinda surprised they brought him back on ECW like most people. Don't neccessarily think it's a bad move long-term. But using his comeback and any potential reaction for his return on Jack Swagger!? Suffering succotash!

Plus the moment Liz hit the mat from the slap, there'd be a "Bobby Dempsey" chant. But, yeah, I'd say that post is right on the money. I think the kind of wrestling fans we're talking about are every bit as emotionally invested in professional wrestling as the fans that preceeded them. The problem is how they're invested. Instead of being good-guys and bad-guys based on storyline, too often wrestlers are pegged good-guys and bad-guys based on their wrestling ability or backstage politics or how entertaining their character is. Wrestlers still get the same kind of heat or the same kind of adulation. The fans will still react at huge extremes at both ends of the spectrum. It's just for different reasons. I think that's the big impact of the unmasking of kayfabe from wrestling. Fans are fans. They react to what they like and don't like. The difference is where they're drawing those reactions from, the emotion of the product or the inner workings of the product.

Anyone see his BAFTA speech though? THAT'S the guy you want in a program on your child marketed wrestling program, for sure!

Maybe they did listen to the chants at the PPV after all. God help us all.

What about all those PPVs with 14 matches on them we used to have a couple of years ago? Anyway, when I make a promise, I deliver a week later. And here was me thinking the Angle Awards didn't matter. Oh, wait, they don't? Okay. But it made a nice prop for the Ragdoll stuff. Made total sense for it to be Ragdoll, yet not the guy you'd neccessarily have expected if you weren't in on the ideas like I was so I'm just guessing on other people's thoughts maybe I'm right maybe not who knows. Should be an interesting feud, nice change of pace from Moneymaker's usual feuds. The grudge match of the century gets cancelled! People would be demanding refunds if I hadn't done such a good job of making MGHWC look worthless in the past 6 months. I did half wonder if Patty had abandoned the makeover when he started splitting them, oh me of little faith. I thought Tony's tag match was one of his best matches for a while. Which doesn't look like as much of a compliment as it sounded in my head. But it's supposed to be, honest. The non-handshake was a refreshing twist. Match had a good flow to it. Obviously tag matches are Tony's thing, so we'll call this Vintage Tony. Very enjoyable. The Terry/Dicaprio skit was amazing. As I told Patty, Spencer's promo pretty much did my work for me without even having to ask. It was as if he read my mind. Which is slightly unnerving, but if it gets my work done for me then read away! The Beach Bunny Brawl was pretty amazing too. Krista/Malaysia was like the craziest (well, not the craziest, trust me, but by OAOAST standards) erotic fanfic ever. This had it's moments. First off, Jivin' JR might be the most bizarre and greatest thing we've ever done. Secondly, Patty absolutely nailed Melody and made me feel bad for not being able to write her that well. And third, Duncan guest commentary equals many bonus points. Oh, fourth, facepalm. Nothing funnier. Not sure about the electricity finish, but hey, lots of fun regardless. The TT segment was just crazy, simple as that. I'll be honest, I kinda had a hunch about Alf getting kicked out a little while ago. Very well done anyway. Should be a great run-in to Anglemania with that angle. I hate entrances. Unless Patty writes them for me. MOTN: VICE vs. Citizen Soldiers L(s)OTN: COLE Who’s ever heard of wearing combat boots to a beach? MAYA Actually the German youth group De Kinstien, known for outfitting themselves in aggressive military wear, is often seen wearing combat boots to the beach. COLE I like Sponge Bob! Do you like Sponge Bob, little girl? MAYA Your ignorance shames the broadcast profession. But most importantly, it shames yourself.

Legacy = Mouth breathers

The bitch was just lucky she didn't get put in the armbar.

Backstage, we find the OAOAST World Heavyweight Champion, still not exactly revelling in that title at the moment. He walks glumly through the hallways, passing the interview setup on his way. Among those gathered off camera are Zack Malibu and Maggie Nerdly, the former breaking away from the OAOAST's It Girl and jogging up behind Leon. ZACK Hey! Hey, are you okay Leon? LEON Oh yeah, never better. Sensing the exact opposite, Zack pulls Leon up. LEON Did you see what happened out there? ZACK Yeah, I saw. LEON I mean, hey, I guess I should be happy. No easier way to defend a title than having your challenger walk out right in the middle of the match! But, really, what the hell is that all about? ZACK I don't know. Kid's got a bad attitude. Anyway, listen, I was hoping we could talk. LEON You too, huh? Not having been privy to Leon's conversation earlier, Zack looks confused for a second, but soon shrugs it off. ZACK Look, I know you're feeling a little frustrated at how things are going recently and this is no reflection on that. This has been something I've been waiting to ask for a while. So, here goes. If you're game, how would you feel about defending the title against me? Not quite what he expected to hear Leon just stands silent for a few seconds. ZACK Leon? LEON Sorry. Just, caught me off guard. You're challenging me for the Celtic Spectacular? ZACK Not 'challenging', as such. But I'm asking, friend to friend. Nothing to do with you, it's just now I've got Moneymaker out of the way, I'm looking at the Rumble and I'm looking at AngleMania coming up and thinking, "what if", you know? I don't want you to take offence or anything... LEON No no, don't be stupid. It'd be my honour to defend against you. ZACK Really? LEON Absolutely. And not just because we're friends. You've earned it, having to put up with Moneymaker, all that garbage. You stood up for what was right and you came out the better man, that's reason enough in my book. Plus, maybe I'll get a fair and reasonable title defence for once dealing with you. So as long as you promise not to go walking out on me, friend to friend, consider it done. Leon offers his hand and the two shake on it. LEON So, shall we go talk contracts? ZACK I'd rather go grab a beer. LEON I can deal with that. The old friends walk off and we go back to the arena. COLE Wow, can you believe that Coach!? What a match made for the Celtic Spectacular in Boston, Zack Malibu challenging Leon Rodez for the OAOAST World Heavyweight Championship! A dream match in Beantown! COACH That's going to be something, no doubt.

Seriously, I hate ice. Didn't want to risk my neck making the walk across town until now. BO PROMO GOES HERE!

*DINGDING!* BUFFER Ladies and gentlemen, this contest is set for one fall with a fourty-five minute time-limit... and it is for the OAOAST WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!! "YYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" As the expectant cheers of the crowd die down, "The World Is Mine" by David Guetta hits. A wealth of flickering and flashing spotlights alternate between entirely red and entirely white across the entrance stage. The lights on the floor then turn blue cutting through a thin haze that fills the stage. Stepping into this tranquil mist, Spencer Reiger with hood up nods his head confidently. He flicks the hood back and strolls to the ring with a big grin plastered on his face. BUFFER Introducing first, the challenger. From Manhattan, New York... he weighs in tonight at two hundred, ten pounds. Looking to mark a meteoric rise to the top of the OAOAST in his rookie year, tonight he makes his first challenge at the World Heavyweight Championship. Ladies and gentlemen, he is "THE ONE MAN TRIPLE THREAT"... SSSSPPPEEEEEEEEENNCCCCCEEEEEEERRRRR... RRRREEEEEEIIIIIIIIIGGEEEEERRRRRRR!!! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Reiger saunters down the ramp, cloaked by a bright white spotlight to contrast the flashing blue and red "SR" shaped illuminations on the entrance ramp. The rookie stops at the bottom of the aisle for his usual dose of public humilation. But it looks like the fan in the dreaded seat is ready for Spencer, producing a sign that reads "DON'T EVEN TRY IT WITH ME REIGER!" Amused, Spencer asks to take a closer look at the sign. He then snatches it away, lifting up the ring apron and throwing it where he'll never have to deal with it again, under the ring! COACH Well, that was 3 hours with the marker pens well spent! Climbing the steps, Spencer draws the ire of the rest of the crowd on his way into the ring. COLE Last week on our 300th episode extravaganza, Spencer Reiger was extremely outspoken against the World Champion, going so far as to call him a "fraud" and a "phony", claiming he was taking "the coward's way out" as World Champ. When Leon Rodez heard those comments, he took offense to those suggestions. And tonight, he's calling Spencer's bluff. If Spencer said what he said to get a shot at the OAOAST World Title, he got what he wanted. If he was just blowing hot air, or even if he wasn't, he may now be regretting running his mouth. COACH Oh yeah, a World Title shot, some punishment huh? Not enjoying having to put up with Spencer's abuse, the crowd are brought to their feet by "Rock The Casbah". Spencer gives the World Champion's arrival the thumbs down, but the St. Louis crowd are all thumbs up for Leon Rodez. Head down, Rodez shows off the World Title belt in his left hand, then thrusts a finger to the skies on the other side as he begins a very determined march to the ring. BUFFER And the opponent. From Grand Rapids, Michigan! Weighing two hundred, eighteen pounds. He is the reigning, defending, OAOAST WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION... "THE GRAND RAPIDS GOLDEN CHILD"... "SILKY SMOOTH"... LLLLLLEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOONN... RRRRRRRROOOOOOODDEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZ!!!! "YYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Leon climbs into the ring and raises the finger to one side of the arena. He hands over the title belt and goes over to his corner, only the faintest flicker of a smile to the crowd as he's getting himself warmed up. COLE Despite what Spencer Reiger says, Leon Rodez has been a true fighting champion as World Champion. This is his third title defence in three shows. And after the way the last two have ended up, I can tell you he's in determined mood tonight. COACH Determined not to have somebody save his ass this time, you mean? COLE Determined to make a controversy free defence. Robe off, Leon is ready to go and so is Reiger as the belt is taken to ringside. *DINGDINGDING!* As the bell sounds, Leon hounds Spencer looking to lock up and not happy with the pressure he's finding himself under Spencer dives out of the ring. "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Spencer dismissively calls a timeout, with Leon staring over the ropes at him with a shake of the head. Referee Mike Chioda backs him away while Spencer stalls for time. COLE Spencer Reiger maybe not quite as determined in the early going. COACH He's pacing himself. That's not a lack of determination, that's an abundance of intellect. COLE Like you'd know anything about that. Taking his sweet time over getting back inside Spencer makes some more friends on the outside, taunting a young fan in the front row. His pre-occupation with the crowd soon costs him as he gets caught napping on the ring apron and brought in THE HARD WAY~! by the World Champion! Landing on his tailbone Spencer tries to beg off, but gets nailed with a right hand by Leon. A second. And a third. An irish whip then sets him up for a BAAAAACK bodydrop and another painful landing on the tailbone! Leon turns away from the cheers of the crowd ready to attack again, only to find Spencer rolling outside signalling for another timeout. This time though, Leon has other ideas. He follows Spencer over to his latest fan target, waits for that fan to start pointing out what's waiting for The One Man Triple Threat, then dumps Spencer up and over the guardrail with a clothesline! "YYYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" COLE Spencer likes riling up the fans so much, how about a front row seat to make his job a little easier? Leon dishes out some high-fives while he waits for Spencer to emerge. Open mouthed, Reiger for once can't summon any insults from inside and is brought back over the rail to ringside. Right hands send him back towards the ring and he's dumped in... but recovers to catch Leon sliding in with a boot to the back of the head. COLE Oh, Leon got caught there though. COACH See, everybody keeps labelling this kid a rookie. He's no ordinary rookie. He's got all the tools already, natural talent, natural intelligence. Don't hate on him cause he's young and hot. After a couple more stomps, Spencer picks Leon up and delivers some forearms. He then turns Rodez against the ropes and chokes him over the top. "ONE!" "TWO!" "THREE!" "FOUR!" Breaking on five, the apologetic Spencer guides himself over the top to the apron snapping Leon's neck across the top rope. As Leon staggers away, Spencer cuts past him running into the ropes. But Leon cuts him off with a big diving clothesline! COLE Wham! What a shot that was! Staggering back up, Spencer walks into a knifedge chop that knocks him right back off his feet. A right hand decks him again. And then he takes an inverted atomic drop. Knees weakening Spencer pleads for some mercy with further damage done to his coccyx and Leon accepts his handshake, only to whip him into a corner. Rodez follows up with DOUBLE KNEES~! in the corner, bundling Spencer onto his back for a lateral press... 1... 2... No! Reiger retreats, backing into a corner and again using his aching BUTT as a reason to try and force a timeout. Having none of it, the World Champion again goes for a whip. This time Spencer reverses, sending Leon into the far corner. As he charges Spencer is sent up and over the top by a dip of the shoulder, but lands safely on the apron. A clip to the back of the head sets Leon up, Spencer grabbing him by the back of the singlet to pull him down, then slingshotting himself back in with a double stomp... MISSED! Leon rolls out of the way, onto the apron himself. Landing, a frustrated Spencer swings for the fences, but Leon blocks and lands a right hand of his own. Worried about his boyish good looks more than his opponent, the challenger then finds himself flattened by a Crossbody Block from the top! "YYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" 1... 2... No! Back up, Spencer is caught rushing in with an armdrag, into an armbar. COLE The World Heavyweight Champion one step ahead of his opponent tonight! Impressive as Spencer has been in his short time in the OAOAST this is a massive step up in competition, facing the very best in the OAOAST today! COACH Reject? COLE No. COACH Mister Dick? COLE No. COACH Zack!? COLE No! Leon! The World Champion! COACH Pah! He may be the World Champion, but that doesn't make him the best in the OAOAST. COLE Uhm... yes it does. That's the POINT of having a champion! Climbing back to his feet the armlocked Prodigy doesn't waste time looking for a fair escape and takes the easy way out, via the eyes. Spencer lands a couple of jabs on the blinded World Champ, then comes off the ropes with a back elbow attack, pinning Leon down... 1... No! Reiger stays on top of Leon, clubbing him across the back, only stopping to give an 'up yours' to the crowd. He pulls Leon back up. But still pre-occupied with the crowd, he allows Leon to swat away from his clutches... *SLAP!* "WHOOOOOOOO!" ...and swat him with a knifedge chop! *SLAP!* "WHOOOOOOOO!" And a second. An irish whip sends Spencer to the corner again, Leon jogging into the opposite corner and motioning out to the crowd, as he takes off with the SUPERMAN SPEAR... ...which Spencer AVOIDS by pushing up on the ropes, causing Leon to dive headfirst into the middle turnbuckle pad instead!! "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!" COACH #Oh, you're the best around and nothing's gonna ever keep you down!# COLE Would you quit that? Waiting for Leon to pull himself up Spencer sits poised out on the apron. He measures him up, charging down the apron and connecting with an enziguri from the outside! Leon hits the mat in a heap and eager to capitalise, Spencer dives back in over the middle rope and makes a deep cover... 1... 2... NO! Spencer questions the count briefly, before spotting Leon trying to get up and giving him a punt to the ribs. COLE What a shocker it would be if this youngster were to become World Heavyweight Champion tonight, not even two years into his pro career. And don't bet against it. It [i]could[/i] happen, the talent is there for all to see, the only problem is his lousy attitude. COACH The way I see it, Spencer's got a winner's attitude. COLE You mean egotistical and disrespectful? COACH Exactly. When you hear a guy being complimented on being 'nice', you know it's cause they ain't producing shit on the field so you gotta find something else to talk about. Dragging Leon across the ring, Reiger sets him up against the bottom turnbuckle and lays in a couple of stomps. Grabbing hold of the top rope he then elevates himself to drive a knee into the chest. And a second time. Backed off by the ref, Spencer starts to adjust the leg of his board shorts. He produces a drawstring and uses the elastic to choke Leon up against the buckle! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COLE Hey, come on ref! Reiger taking the cheap way again, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Spencer eventually gives up the drawstring, having done the damage. Grabbing Leon by the arm he whips him to the opposite corner, following him in with a corner dropkick! Another cover... 1... 2... No! Keeping Rodez pinned down, Spencer goes up to the middle rope to drop a quick knee. As soon as he sits up the World Champion is then trapped in a figure four necklock and re-grounded. "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" COLE This crowd in St. Louis trying to get behind the World Champ. As soon as Leon reacts though, the pressure is intensified as Spencer reaches back latching onto the middle rope for leverage! "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Caught in the act, Spencer is forced to break the hold and does so, although not without bitching out the referee in the process. Slowly he picks Leon back up, driving his hip into the side of the head. But Leon fights back with a right hand. Spencer lands a punch. And so does Leon. A fistfight ensues, champion and challenger going back and forth. It's Rodez winning out, which forces Reiger to go to the eyes. COLE Another cheapshot! With Leon blinded Spencer smacks him in the stomach with a trio of right hands. Coming off the ropes Spencer delivers a facecrusher and goes for the cover... 1... 2... No! Spencer pulls down his kneepad, measuring Leon with a measured kneedrop. The measurements add up to a painful shot to the temple and pain for the World Champion, who finds himself pinned again... 1... 2... No! Slapping the figure four necklock back on Spencer raises his hands in premature celebration. COACH I think this proves one thing. Some guys just don't suit being a World Champion Michael. COLE Are you suggesting Leon is one of those people? COACH I think the sight of him flat on his ass wondering where the hell he is says more than I could. Kicking his feet Rodez gets the crowd back behind him and starts to try and fight to his feet. Managing to turn over, Leon still finds himself trapped but Spencer knows he's in a precarious position and starts waving his hands in a panic. A couple of seconds later, panic turns to... well, more panic, as Leon slips his head free. Keeping hold of the legs he then goes to apply the Liontamer, forcing Spencer to make a quick crawl for the bottom rope! COLE Fighting from the bottom, Leon almost had Spencer in a dire situation! After answering the referee's count Leon moves back in, but Spencer catches him with a shot to the gut to regain control. COACH Yeah, but that was just a glimmer of hope. More hope than expectation. Only thing we've come to expect from Leon as World Champ is somebody running out and attacking the challenger when he needs help most. COLE Well at least we won't see Tim Cash interfering in other people's matches. Smiling to himself Spencer flicks his neck back, spitting a wad into the air. But he misses with his clothesline attempt and Leon scores with a dropkick out of nowhere! "YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" COLE That was a timely move from Leon. Can the World Champion get some momentum going now? COACH Better late than never. "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" "LE - ON!" Both men stay down recouping their energy reserves, using the referee's count up to the count of 6. Spencer is up first and loads up a right hand, but it's blocked and Leon lands with a right of his own. Another block and another right hand, allowing Leon to take a step back and knock him down with a clothesline. A second clothesline has Spencer staggering. The Prodigy is able to duck a third clothesline, but is so busy crowing over how smart he is, by the time he turns around Leon is in mid-tuck and unleashing the Shack Attack! RODEZ COME ON BABY! "YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" COLE There's the momentum! Leon is kicking into gear and this crowd in St. Louis loves it! Staggering back up Spencer walks into a boot from Leon, who quickly lifts Spencer's head back up to snap off a jab! A jab! A jab! A jab! Rodez turns, blowing the kiss, before turning back on his heels... ...and Spencer ducks, scouting the enziguri. Unfortunately, he ducked too early and Leon just stands and waits for the rookie to wonder why he hears no crashing and burning and stands back up... *SMACK!* ...before nailing Reiger in the back of the head with the enziguri! "YYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" COLE MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! Leon drops down and hooks a leg... 1... 2... NO! Picking Spencer back up, Leon drills him with a couple of quick bionic elbows before shooting him into the ropes. He leapfrogs Spencer on the way back, then catches him off the ropes with a Sitout Hiptoss! 1... 2... No! Spencer backs into a corner, but the World Champ is cooking now and stays right on him. *SLAP!* "WHOOOOOOOO!" A knifedge chop leaves Spencer clutching his chest and shaking his head. *SLAP!* "WHOOOOOOOO!" Leon chops him a second time despite his opponent's pleas. *SLAP!* "WHOOOOOOOO!" And a third chop lands. With Spencer hurting Rodez pulls him out of the corner and into an Exploder Suplex in the centre of the ring. COLE The class is beginning to tell now Coach, Leon is looking better and better as this match goes on. COACH But he hasn't put Spencer away yet. Climbing up the turnbuckles Leon lines Spencer up and comes soaring with another crossbody from the top... ...but this time Reiger has the answer, dropkicking Leon in mid-air!! "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" COACH There we go, cover him kid! Spencer does and hooks the leg tight... 1... 2... NO! Cursing to himself, Spencer drags Leon back up and hooks up the arm. COLE Uh-oh. Spencer looking for the pedigree and nobody kicks out of the pedigree! COACH Reiger Counter. COLE Yeah, that too. As Spencer goes to hook the other arm Leon escapes, backdropping the challenger overhead! COLE Rodez had it scouted though. Getting to his feet, Spencer is caught with a Rolling Sole BUTT kick in the gut, so forceful that he's taken about a couple of inches off the mat. Rodez wrings the arm and reels Reiger in by it, hoisting him up onto his back. Carrying Spencer into mid ring Rodez then sits out... but Spencer pushes off, escaping the backpack stunner! Having jammed his tailbone Leon sits prone as Spencer brushes past him, coming off the ropes in front with Blood Is The New Bla... ...NO! Leon counters the knee strike, catching hold of Spencer's leg and rolling him through INTO THE LIONTAMER!!! "YYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" COLE WHAT A COUNTER! The crowd rise to their feet as Leon applies the boston crab and sits back, unable to place the knee with Spencer wriggling and squirming to avoid being trapped. Spencer is frantic and starts to make progress towards the ropes. In an effort to stop him, Leon allows Reiger to turn over in an attempt to get a better grip before re-asserting the hold. And he manages to turn Spencer back over. But by that time, Spencer has made ground. With a last lunge forward his hand clips against the bottom rope, before he reaches out and clings onto the rope like he were on the edge of a cliff hanging on for dear life. "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" COLE Spencer getting to the ropes, not many people are able to do that when caught in the Liontamer. Credit where it's due. COACH You better save some of that credit over for when he's carrying that gold strap outta here! Because your boy Leon is struggling. The weight of pressure is weighing heavy on those shoulders and he's about to crumble underneath it, I'm tellin' ya! Leon lets The One Man Triple Threat go and walks out into the middle of the ring with his hands on his hips. Whether it's disappointment or fatigue, he shrugs it off to deliver a clothesline, sending Spencer up and over the top to the outside. COLE It looks to me like it's Spencer who's crumbling. Another big shot and he's trying to take a breather. That breather looks like it might be an extended breather, perhaps with a nice warm shower and a cup of coffee, because once Spencer picks himself up he decides he's had enough and says to hell with it, heading to the back! COLE ...hey, where's Spencer going? Is he leaving? "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" The referee's count isn't enough to convince Spencer to turn back, he's definately on his way, to the disapproval of the crowd. Leon turns around with the count already at five and once he realises what's going on, he yells at Spencer to come back and fight. But The Prodigy is already halfway up the aisle, showing no signs of turning back. COLE I don't believe this. Spencer Reiger is walking out, he's abandoning this shot at the OAOAST World Title! And Leon can't believe it either! COACH When the World Title isn't worth somebody's time, you know your champion is a chump. Leon tries to convince referee Chioda to stop counting, but with Spencer gone he doesn't have much choice. And, reaching ten, he calls for the bell. *DINGDINGDING!* "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" An unpopular decision, not least with the Champion himself who holds his hands on his head. BUFFER Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has made his official decision and your winner, as a result of a countout... and STILL OAOAST World Heavyweight Champion... "SILKY SMOOTH"... LLLLEEEEEEEOOOOOONN... RRRROOOOOOOODDEEEEEZZZZZZZ!!! A small cheer goes up as "Rock The Casbah" hits, but it's hardly a celebratory mood as Leon takes the title belt from Chioda. Shaking his head, Leon barely seems to want the belt under the circumstances and paces around the ring for a while. COLE You want to talk about bad attitudes, this is exactly what I'm talking about in regards to Spencer Reiger. This kid is given the opportunity of a lifetime, a shot at the World Championship and he just ups and leaves in the middle of the match!? He walks out on the biggest match of his life because he doesn't like how it's going!? Unbelievable! COACH Think of it like this. It's like a quarterback stepping out of bounds... COLE He didn't step out of bounds, he stepped out of the entire arena! He kept stepping until he got to the locker room! Even Tony Romo didn't do that! COACH Maybe he should have done. Leon eventually leaves the ring, clearly conflicted over how the match went down. He doesn't reach out to the hands held in front of him, hands firmly on hips. COLE Safe to say, not the title defence Leon had in mind. You won't see a World Champion this disappointed in retaining his title for a long time, that's a proud man right there ladies and gentlemen. COACH Proud man, poor champion. As Leon disappears through the curtains, we disappear into commercials.

To the locker rooms, where we find World Champion Leon Rodez getting prepped for his latest title defence. Thank goodness for poor security and privacy. Also thank goodness for the door not being locked, which also allows Bohemoth to walk in a couple of seconds later. Not noticing Bo at first, Leon eventually glances around to him. BOHEMOTH Hey. Leon nods, then continues lacing his boots. BOHEMOTH Can we talk, or is this a bad time? RODEZ Well, it's not the [i]best[/i] of times, unless you make it quick. Besides, I don't even think we've got that much we need to talk about. BOHEMOTH It's about me and Jade. Abruptly stopping in mid-knot, Leon glances up at his big friend. RODEZ Okay. Maybe we do, after all. BOHEMOTH Listen, you've probably started hearing some crap already and if you haven't, I'm sure you will eventually. This place is like that. You oughta know that. So I thought I oughta talk to you man to man and clear the air before you get the wrong idea about what's going on between us. If you know me like I think you do, you know I'm not the kind of guy who's gonna mess her around... RODEZ Look, uhm... I appreciate you coming to speak to me, but do we really have to do this now? I've got a match in like five minutes. BOHEMOTH So, later? Leon finishes off his knot and pulls his foot off the bench with a sigh. RODEZ What more is there to say? You said it yourself, I know you and what kinda guy you are. I'd be lying if I said the thought of you and her dating is something I'm... you know, entirely comfortable with. But she could probably do a lot worse. BOHEMOTH Thanks. Glad to have your blessing. RODEZ Hey, it's not [i]my[/i] blessing you need to worry about pal. Trust me, if you step out of line I'm going to be the least of your worries! BOHEMOTH Good point. Picking up his World Title belt Leon slings it over his shoulder, patting Bo on the back as he leaves. Bo's eyes track him and his voice causing Leon to pause in the doorway. BOHEMOTH Hey, good luck tonight. RODEZ Thanks. COLE The World Title on the line, next!

I would imagine that to be the TNA mindset; dismiss it as the crowd being collective smartasses and ignore that they might simply be registering dislike of something. Well... isn't it? (I'm going to have to prefix this next point by saying I'm not a Russo fan or really a TNA fan because you took the last post I made in here out of context as me bashing Lance Storm and sympathising with TNA and so on. With that said...) It's like any chant. The first time it's a genuine outburst. I don't think anyone can begrudge chanting "Fire Russo" after the Abyss/Sting match, or "You Can't Wrestle" during a terrible Khali match. But then fans latch onto it once it becomes 'cool'. And sooner or later, the chants lose their real meaning because certain people are looking for an excuse to use them. Putting a newcomer on PPV against Chris Sabin, hoping that Sabin will make him look good, barely counts as naive booking, let alone bad booking, let alone "Fire Russo" worthy. If people didn't like the match and chanted "Boring", that's understandable. But "Boring" isn't the cool chant of the moment. I don't think "the fans thought they were being cool" is the TNA mindset, it should be the mindset of any wrestling fan who's not a numbskull mark for wrestling fans.

Update- Arik Cannon and The North Star Express in, plus the return of The Soul Touchaz, with an alternate member.

How do you know that? The InVasion, a show featuring scrubs and Booker T got an insane buyrate. Now imagine they keep running invasion shows, but with real WCW wrestlers and stars. They'd have enough matches to cycle through months or years. No matter who the stars were, I'd say a large portion bought the PPV on WWF vs. WCW alone, just the concept. Having the bigger names might have attracted a few more buyrates, but I think the majority of the people who were going to buy the show on the concept did. And the majority of those who would have bought it on name value wouldn't have, because by that time the casual wrestling fan had given up on WCW (and when the casual fan gives up, they don't usually come back easily). And with WCW's demise being so fresh, WCW's fanbase who still cared about the Hogans and Goldbergs would have been at a premium. So, it probably would have been a bigger buyrate, but I don't know as it would have been as big as you do, personally. As for them having more matches to cycle through, that's true. But the law of diminishing returns says that the buyrates would have progressively dropped in the same kind of way. Outside of the big matches, if you're selling every PPV on the WWF vs. WCW concept, the concept would become less of a draw with every succeeding PPV. Invasion was pretty much sold on being 'never before seen'. By the time you got to Wrestlemania, that'd be 8-9 PPVs. Again, it all depends on how they booked it, which is the stumbling point. Even with the big names you're talking about, it never would have happened. Invasion angles never really work because everybody's got an agenda, not least the guy overseeing the booking. For every fantasy booking scenario of Hogan vs. Austin, there's one where Vince decides since he made Hogan the star he is Hogan should be on the WWF's side and he turns within a couple of months, just like the WWF NWO angle. WCW would probably still get the raw deal because Vince would naturally be more loyal and protective of his brand. If the WCW guys got over, the heel-face ratio would have been skewed and you'd probably have guys switching in a desperate attempt to right it all. The big name WCW guys probably would have made it a political minefield the same way they always do. The WWF side was largely made up of jobbers and midcarders anyway, so they probably would have looked even worse off. So maybe the big names would have helped, but I don't think it's as simple as people make out, "if they had Hogan and Goldberg the Invasion would have been HUGE!"

TNA Against All Odds (February 8, 2009 from the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL) 1. Abyss vs. "The Blueprint' Matt Morgan 2. "Maple Leaf Muscle" Petey Williams vs. "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner 3. TNA Knockouts Title: ODB vs. Awesome Kong© 4. TNA Legends Title(?): Booker T© vs. Shane Sewell 5. TNA X Division Title: Eric Young vs. Alex Shelley© 6. TNA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed vs. Beer Money, Inc. © BONUS (1pt): Who will be pinned? Lethal 7. MAIN EVENT FOR THE TNA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Brother Ray vs. Brother Devon vs. Kurt Angle vs. Sting© BONUS (1pt): Who will be pinned? Brother Ray ADDITIONAL BONUS (1pt): If Samoa Joe appears, who will he attack? Steiner

Nope. I think the point is, he's supposed to be the BULLY~! who just beats the snot out of the weak kids because he can.

The Liverpool/Everton game, on the otherhand, is a snoozer. Then again, with one striker between them, I guess that's to be expected. (Dirk Kuyt doesn't count.)

Ice. Granted it was probably not a great idea to go for a walk today knowing what the weather's been like. And even less of a great idea to go in trainers with little grip to them. And yes, I managed to stay upright, more or less. But creeping across an icy bridge clinging on for dear life was hardly the most dignified 30 seconds of my life.

180

Yours sincerely, The Internet. I like how you explained why you didn't like what Storm had to say. That wasn't directed at Storm in particular, or Impact in particular, just the internet in general. Anyone will sit through anything if they can complain about it later. It was more a general statement.

I'm reading it now, and it's not. It's just people going: #248, WWE poster says this LOL THEY STOOPID AND SUCK. I think Slayer and Kinetic drop some funny lines in the beginning. Hoff returning to bitch me out is good. Ribbing Jericholic never gets old. At first, it was a light-hearted jab at some of the rampant stupidity that dominated the folder. After a while, it did turn into a bitchfest, which I find regrettable, but the end result was some positive changes in the WWE folder. A cross-forum call-out seems ridiculous in hindsight, but who knew it would spawn 48 pages of WWE folder discussion? And Bob, I've heard your stand-up... I don't think that we run parallel in our comedic tastes. Intentional?

What's with all this talk of plotholes and paradoxes lately? It's not CSI: Stamford, it's professional fucking wrestling.

The thing with Keane was, he took time to settle at first. Playing out of position probably didn't help. By the time he'd settled, Rafa had clearly given up on him. He started scoring goals, but Rafa stuck him on the bench straight after. People criticised him for it, so he starting leaving him on the bench all game. Clearly trying to make a point to someone. And yeah, Spurs signing back all the players they ditched will never not be funny. I know they didn't want to sell Keane in the first place, but Chimbonda? Talk about hitting the reset button in a panic. Pity Anderton retired this season, they could have had him back as well.

OAOAST World Heavyweight Championship Leon Rodez © vs. Spencer Reiger Plus an in-ring interview with Lethal Rumble winner Bohemoth. And other crap.