Toxxic

Heh. Seen her around a few times. Cradle of Filth come from Hadleigh, which is about 5 miles from Ipswich. When you've seen Danny Filth out at a teenage disco in a blue wig... with his mum... you've seen it all. His missus is nice though. And Crowe, why would i want to cover my eyes (if I was the Mike you meant). What's wrong with looking at attractive girls? As for me, it has to be Alyson Hannigan this is the best I could find: http://www.naked-porn-stars-and-celebritie...n-Hannigan6.jpg She's not actually naked. Sadly.

[The screen fades in from black, focusing on the back of a figure seated on a stool in front of a television. The figure has spiky black hair, baggy black trousers and a t-shirt that follows the established colour scheme apart from the large white question mark emblazoned on the back, with the word “Irony?” inscribed underneath. The TV shows the final climatic moments of the ladder match between Wildchild and Tom Flesher from Clusterfuck as Wildchild grabs the briefcase that will later be revealed to be holding the Cruiserweight Title. A black-nailed hand raises the remote and pauses the video, and the figure raises its head to face the far wall, still not showing his face to the camera, and starts to speak in an English accent] Gentlemen... Clusterfuck saw the demise of the SJL and its final integration into the SWF. With all that new talent flooding in, the Smarks Wrestling Federation is undoubtedly a hotbed of talent, with competition raised to a new level. But the fact that the SJL is gone doesn’t mean that this is the end of newcomers into the SWF. In fact... you’re looking at one of them. [The camera shot changes so that the speaker’s mouth fills the entire screen] I’ve had no initiation period. I haven’t had the chance to settle into the small leagues. I’m being thrown straight into the deep end and I have to hope like hell that I can swim.[The mouth twists into a lopsided grin, the right side creasing up and the left barely moving] But then again, that gives me an advantage too. [The camera shot changes again, so the screen is dominated by an eye, grey in colour and surrounded by eyeliner] You see guys, I’ve had the luxury of scouting you out. I’ve watched the fabulous matches you’ve treated the SWF fans too, and I’ve marvelled at your abilities. But all the time, I’ve been learning as well. I’ve seen what you can and can’t do, what you will and won’t do, and thanks to the wonderful commentary team the TV audiences enjoy I’ve found out about your histories, your old injuries, your strengths and your weaknesses. [The camera shot changes to a shot of the front of the t-shirt, bearing the logo “Therapy?” with the words “Heavyfuckingmetal” underneath. Both the speaker’s hands are in the picture, one wrapped around the other fist, squeezing until the knuckles crack] Whereas I, on the other hand, am an unknown. You don’t know my name, you don’t know my style, and most importantly of all - you have no idea what I’m capable of. I could tell you, of course, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. [The camera shot changes back to the original shot, the figure still facing the far wall] Now, I imagine most of you are thinking that I’m just some jumped-up punk kid who won’t last ten seconds in the ring with the big boys, but to that I have just on thing to say... [The shot switches to a frontal shot, and for the first time the figure is revealed in full. He suddenly grins again, and the screen cuts to a black background onto which writing flashes up:] TOXXIC Prepare To Be Proved Wrong

I think Toxxic may make friends quickly due to the fact that he's always going to be sober and can therefore always drive...

You have Ace Rimmer as your avatar. You have my automatic respect.

(Y)(Y) @ forklifts And believe me, Dace is right. The back of that semi is not an apartment. Not too comfortable either, I still remember my return to the fed sitting in there I've got this picture of Dace driving, hunched a few inches away from the wheel while Aecas and Janus bicker over legroom.

Oh I know the deal - whether I'm any good or not, we'll have to see. But rest assured I'm going to be giving it a go, so even if I'm not I'll be hanging around to job to you a few times.

Well, bearing in mind I have NEVER WRITTEN AN E-FED MATCH BEFORE... yeah, I'm expecting we'll see a squash. You could probably write yourself as beating me via DQ from a shot with a teddy bear and you'd still get the nod. We shall see. Perhaps my grasp of the English language isn't as tentative as i believe.

Yeah well I'm originally from Ipswich, but go ahead and knock yerself out. Didn't see anyone resembling you at the Rig last night. Basement DJ played a big bunch of great punk tunes all in a row and I nearly died from heat exhaustion.

UPDATED 24 JUNE: New finisher~! Smarks Board Name: MikeofEvil Wrestler's Name: Toxxic Wrestler's Real Name: Michael Stephens (never used) Acceptable Nicknames: Straight-Edge Sensation (thanks to Flesher - Funyon will throw this in the introduction if you have the spare words for it), The Hot Commodity (generally only used by Riley) Height: 6’0’’ Weight: 218 lbs Hometown: Nottingham, UK Age: 21 Face/Heel: Rule-abiding heel. Tag Partner: None again Stable: None Ring Escort: His girlfriend Jet Weapon(s): Nothing in particular, although ladders are always good. Has been known to slip a pair of brass knucks into his big side pockets too. But Toxxic in an inventive chap, and has used such bizarre things as waterpistols and ball bearings in the past. If you're going hardcore, be inventive. Quote: “Prepare to be proved wrong!” Taunts: Puts his head back and snaps his head once each from side to side so his ears nearly touch his shoulders. Particularly does it when recovering from a big spot, or when about to hit a big move on an unsuspecting opponent. His “straight edge” symbol, sweeps his arms wide into a crucifix pose like Raven but done with the palms flat and face down. Looks: Has a build and muscle definition somewhere between Randy Orton and Brad Pitt from Fight Club - ripped, but not that bulky. Shortish (a couple of inches) blue/black spiked hair, grey eyes. Relatively good-looking, vaguely pretty-boy face, an impression heightened by eyeliner and black nail polish (he doesn’t look gay, just like a goth/punk cross). Now has several thin, fading scars on his face and back from where Kibagami threw him through glass doors. Wears New Rock-style wrestling boots, bulky Tripp trousers (as seen here: "http://www.fuckthemainstream.com/products/tripp_digitalispants2.jpg)". On the way to the ring he wears one of his "Hardcore Punk" T-shirts (Black, with “Hardcore Punk” written on the front in a barbed-wire font) or, if the England soccer team are playing/have played recently, an England shirt with the letters 'sXe' over a number '9'. Toxxic has no tattoos, piercings or anything else invading his body. Outside of the ring environment he’ll either be wearing his Hardcore Punk shirt, his personalised England one, a D.A.R.E To Resist Drugs And Violence one, or a shirt of a punk or metal band (like Nine Inch Nails or Strung Out) and obscure British rock bands (like the Wildhearts). Ring Entrance: The heavy guitars of Lostprophets’ “We Still Kill The Old Way” kicks in, and the words “Prepare To Be Proved Wrong” flash up one after another on the Smarktron, jagged white letters on a black background. The picture then cuts to footage of Toxxic taking Mike Van Siclen off a balcony and through a table with the Toxxic Shock Syndrome, the landing timed to coincide with... ‘GO!’ BOOOM!! ...the blast of red pyro announcing the arrival of the SWF's premier straight-edger! The Smarktron cuts to a shot of Toxxic's lopsided grin before moving onto other match clips such as hitting the Glass Jawbreaker on Aecas, clips of the all-show brawl with Insane Luchador and dropping Kibagami on his head with the Caffeine Bomb. [Funyon does his bit here] As the main riff hammers out through the speakers Toxxic comes out towards the squared circle, visibly worked up for the match and accompanied by Jet (if he has a title, she'll be carrying it). He stops a short distance from the ring, cracking his neck and talking to himself before rushing it, scaling a ringpost and making his crucifix-ish symbol to the crowd. He might get a reaction from the girls when he takes his shirt off and throws it out to Jet, but generally he's not going to be popular. Stats: ¯¯¯¯¯ Strength: 3 - Anyone getting towards 300 lbs is going to give Toxxic real trouble - his muscle means he’s strong for his size, but not that strong. Other cruisers and lower heavyweights will give him no problems, however. Speed: 7 - Quick, and able to pull off the flashy aerial stuff without many problems although without the consummate expertise of someone like Wildchild. Easily able to outmanoeuvre the big guys, and he needs to. Vitality: 4 - Toxxic is well-conditioned (as you’d expect from a straight-edger) and the muscle percentage means that he can take a bit of punishment, but he’ll only be kicking out of anything impactful once in a blue moon, and muscle don’t mean anything when you’re dropped on your head... Charisma: 6 - Good on the mic and able to switch from joking and laid-back to intense and determined. His signature spots pop the crowd, even now he's a trash-talking heel, and against another heel he might even get (some) face support (see Toxxic vs Said) due to the fact that he doesn’t cheat. His heelishness comes from his attitude, not his actions. Style: Head and neck work. LOTS of it. His moves (and all three finishers) are tailored to it, so it's fairly easy. He'll also concentrate on the right arm, not only to damage his opponent's offence but also to set up the Repeat To Fade. He'll use lots of roll-ups, schoolboys and small packages against big guys to frustrate them, or catch his breath. He likes to outbrawl small guys if he can but he's no martial arts expert, and though his European uppercuts pack a considerable wallop he'll come off worse against someone who knows what he's doing. He'd like to be able to outbrawl the big guys too - but he's a realist, and is quick to resort to flashy fast-paced stuff against anyone who's giving him problems. Signature moves: ‘Role Reversal’: When whipped into the turnbuckles Toxxic vaults to the top and, twisting in mid-air, comes flying back at his opponent with a clothesline or, if they’re a big guy, a leg lariat. Both men end up on their backs, and if Toxxic’s on top of the match and feeling a little cocky he’ll kip up from this (about the only time he will). If he’s already used this once in the match expect him to pull a Brian Pillman Feint (fakes going back at them, the opponent hits the deck giving him time to turn round on the top buckle and set up something like a ‘rana). ‘Detoxx’*: Often set up by side-stepping a charging opponent, Toxxic catches them in a rear headlock and drops to one knee, driving the other into their neck. He then pops straight up again taking the opponent with him and spins the opponent and himself round to deliver a Diamond Cutter. [Toxxic won’t use the Diamond Cutter part against anyone who’s finisher is a Diamond Cutter or variation thereof. Instead he’ll use a Rude Awakening neckbreaker or turn them over in the headlock and DDT them, or something like that. In kayfabe, this is because such an opponent would know the perfect counter, in reality it’s to protect the integrity of his opponent’s finisher]. 'Mondo-Akimbo-Ago-Go': Triple Jump Moonsault that the heel section of the crowd chants along with - Apron to top rope facing inwards ("Mondo!"), to top buckle facing outwards ("Akimbo"), MOONSAULT! ("AGO-GO!") ‘Straight Edge’: Running, RKO-like neckbreaker. He charges from the side and as he reaches his opponent Toxxic hooks them around the neck like he’s about to deliver a 3.0 backbreaker, but instead his momentum brings him and his opponent spinning round and slamming to the mat, their bodies at right angles to each other and making a rough ‘T’ shape. ‘Radford Roll’: Slingshot Oklahoma Roll (Toxxic’s from Nottingham, and there’s a district of Nottingham called Radford, OK?). Normally just after the opponent has missed a charge to the corner - Toxxic slips out to the apron then slingshots himself back in, grabbing the opponent’s back and taking them over with an Oklahoma Roll for the pin as he does so. It’ll bring you down heavily on the neck he’s been working on all match, so a pin off this won’t be a “fluke” pin anymore than it would be off a Fisherman’s Suplex. Spanky uses this as a finisher in Japan, I’ll have you know. ‘Sobering Thought’: Triple H-style facecrusher using the knee immediately followed by an Evenflow-style DDT. (He won’t use the DDT part against an opponent who’s finisher is a DDT and will replace it with the Diamond Cutter). ‘Underkill’: Edge-o-matic - behind the opponent, grab them around the forehead with both hands and sit out, pulling the back of their head down to the canvas with you. Easy to reach forward and hook the leg for the pin too. ‘Final Shine’*: Tornado reverse DDT out of the corner, or occasionally using the ropes as a springboard like the Stratusfaction. ‘Hangover’*: Booker T’s Harlem Hangover (somersault legdrop) ‘Toxxic Shock Syndrome’*: Former finisher, now moved back here. Basically, a spinning sit-out Pedigree. While it’s open to the same counters as a regular Pedigree the fact that it will have usually been set up by a soccer tackle will mean the opponent’s legs will (hopefully) be buckling under them, preventing them from powering out... Also can be hit from out of the corner in a manner similar to a tornado DDT. If the opponent is small this move will be performed like Chris Daniels' Angel's Wings. If they're big then Toxxic will use their own mass to pivot around them himself. This CAN get a win sometimes these days (think how Jericho's enzuigiri sometimes gets one) and is the biggest "non-real finisher" move in the arsenal. If desperate Toxxic can float over into The Bends afterwards. * - May occasionally get a pin against an opponent with low vitality, or in a long match like a 2/3 falls or Ironman. Common moves: Super kick (usually a desperation momentum-changer, but it still targets the head so Toxxic will sometimes work it in anyway) Soccer tackle: Whips his opponent off the ropes, then slides in and launches his feet and shins at theirs. Takes them off their feet, and when they get back up again they’re stumbling round. Only really used to set up the Toxxic Shock Syndrome or the Caffeine Bomb, in a similar (but less silly way) to Dude Love using the Sweet Shin Music to set up the Double-Arm DDT. Ranas (any sort). A particular favourite is a springboard rana to the outside - the opponent is standing on the apron and Toxxic will run to the corner, vault off the second buckle, fly OVER the top rope and take them down to the arena floor. This HURTS. But it’ll hurt Toxxic too. Neckbreaker Punch/discus clothesline combo: Left, right, left, right, winds up similar to a baseball pitcher (a concession to the American crowd) - Discus Clothesline. He won’t attempt a clothesline on anyone too big, even though the mental image of him trying to take down Janus is amusing... Sitout jawbreaker Whirl neckbreaker (fireman’s carry, throws their legs over his head as he drops to one knee and drives their neck into his other knee) Armbars/cross armbreakers/jumping armbreakers/hammerlocks - anything that’ll weaken that right arm Mounted punches, either on the mat or in the corner Dropkicks Spinning heel kicks European Uppercuts - They don’t have the power of a Dace or Danny elbow smash, a Flesher Shotei or a Kibagami kick, but they’ll still make you sit up and take notice. Enough of them will leave you feeling like your brain is rattling around your skull Lots of roll-ups Running somersault senton to the outside. If the opponent moves before he gets there then Toxxic will balance on the top rope for a second and then backflip back into the ring before flipping off his opponent, the crowd or whoever. Rare moves: Regal Stretch: Taught to him by fellow Brit Regal - 3/4 Nelson facelock with leg lace. Toxxic doesn’t quite have Regal’s strength or technical expertise, but he’ll bust it out if there’s a good chance of a submission or if the opponent can counter the Repeat To Fade. ‘The Bends’: A variation of the Repeat To Fade, only really used against smaller guys or someone who’s REALLY pissed him off. Opponent is set up as if for a Mexican Surfboard, but is only pulled up until both competitors’ torsos are vertical. Toxxic then locks in the dragon sleeper/hammerlock combo while the legs are trapped. Very painful, virtually inescapable... basically, you’re tapping. ‘Inglorious’: Springboard Shooting Star Legdrop. Toxxic doesn’t have quite enough agility to pull this off from the turnbuckle, hence the rarity and the use of the top rope for added “bounce”. ASK ME BEFORE USING. It might not keep you down for three, but it can, and if you DO kick out then it’s going to be a while before you can put any concerted offence together. ‘Dangerlust’: Joker Driver. Toxxic started using this after Nathaniel Kibagami defeated him for the number one Contendership to the World Title by dropping him on his head with the Demonstar Driver - this is Toxxic’s response. The opponent is picked up in an Electric Chair position, then Toxxic reaches up and hooks both hands behind his opponent’s neck before sitting out and pulling them down. They land on their head, and in a pinning cradle. You will NOT kick out, and this is so rare that I’d like you to contact me before you even TEASE this one. Finishers: ‘Caffeine Bomb’: LSD II - Get opponent in front facelock, hook the left leg from the inside (as opposed to the outside as for a Fisherman's Suplex), lift vertical and then twist and drop like a Ki Krusher. Rarely used on people over 240 lbs, never on anyone over 260 lbs, but if you’re small enough for it to be done on you it should be enough to put you away, especially if it’s been preceded by lots of head work - and it will have been. (note: Toxxic has now found a new way to do this move, which is to have the opponent up in a Fireman's carry and then spin them off his shoulders to the front (see Toxxic/Kibagami’s first encounter). It's a bit sloppier and doesn't quite have the head-dropping nastiness of the original, but it's still pretty hard-hitting and can be used on opponents up to the 300lb mark. Yes, 300lb. If Cena can F-U the Big Show, Toxxic can spin a 300lber off his shoulders). 'Intoxxication': Shinobi/Ninja/Spanky's 'Sliced Bread #2' - Grab the opponent for a Diamond Cutter, run up the turnbuckle and flip over backwards, bringing them down HARD in a sort of Inverted DDT position. For someone Toxxic's size the major advantage of this is it can be done on ANYONE, from Landon Maddix to Janus. ‘Repeat To Fade’: A hammerlock worked into a dragon sleeper - the sleeper is applied with the left arm, which then grips the opponent’s right hand which has been twisted up behind their back. The move is completed by falling back and trapping them in a leg scissors (hopefully trapping their left arm by their side) leaving Toxxic‘s right arm free to wave at passers-by. Or, if you’ve been a bad boy, punch you in the ribs. Notes: Even now he's a heel, Toxxic WILL NOT CHEAT since his desire to "prove them wrong" means he wants to leave his opponents no excuses - his inferiority complex is also becoming more developed, and if he cheats he will view himself as weak. He HAS to win, and he HAS to win cleanly. If for some reason someone else breaks the rules on him first however, he will retaliate in like kind as often as he can get away with it. His new sour attitude means that he's quite prepared to push his luck with the ref and do severe damage to an opponent - he takes the view that by getting in the ring with him you know what you're letting yourself in for, and for his small size he's a determined little bastard, unwilling to either let go or stay down. Oh, and remember how 'you can't powerbomb Kidman!'? Well, you can't 'German' Toxxic - he'll backflip out of them unless he's nearly dead. The only two people who've managed to hit one so far have been Dace and Kibs, so you'd better be a master like Danny Williams or someone if you're going to do this. Bio: Michael Stephens grew up in Nottingham in the UK, and was a big pro wrestling fan all the way through high school. However he was continually picked on by his classmates for his skinny build and only got through by being the class clown. Gradually he got more and more determined to “prove them wrong”, and started getting into bodybuilding. However, his straight-edge beliefs meant that any “chemical” help was out of the question and his natural build is rather smaller than his ideal form, meaning that despite all his efforts Stephens is still a relatively slim figure. When he felt that he had got the right physique he started training to become a professional wrester, even travelling the States to be trained at Dave Taylor’s Bluebloods Academy in Georgia. It was there that he ran into the visiting William Regal and with his help perfected the Regal Stretch STF variation. Having wrestled in the UK indy leagues under the name Toxxic - naming himself after the effects of all the substances he avoids - he made the full-time move to America looking for employment in the big time. Finally noticed by the SWF, the closure of the SJL meant that there was to be no “easing in” for the Straight-Edge Sensation; instead, he was to be thrown straight into the deep end. In an environment where he is outweighed by plenty of people Toxxic's former inferiority complex has resurfaced again, leading him to view those of his new federation colleagues who are larger than him with a mixture of envy, dislike and for those who have flagrantly used drugs to achieve their physique, contempt. Following his entry to the SWF Toxxic went on something of a winning streak. In a brutal match at From The Fire he won the Hardcore Title from Aecas, but on the following show he lost his temper with what he sees as his misuse by Mark Stevens. Taking the ICTV title from Insane Luchador, ironically with the title shot granted to him by Grand Slam, Toxxic's ego and unpopularity reached new heights. Although he and his partner Jimmy Liston (picked on the spot) lost to the team of Tom Flesher and a mystery opponent (who later turned out to be Grand Slam himself) Toxxic got his revenge by attacking Grand Slam after the match, then went on to cement his place in the fed by retaining the ICTV belt against Dace Night. Toxxic later lost the ICTV belt to the third Trinity member, Terrence Bailey, but after pulling off a huge upset by defeating returning veteran Nathanial Kibagami he regained it (albeit losing the HGC title) in the infamous Tag Match From Hell at Battleground, which also saw him take a Gravedigger through a table from Aecas and end up in hospital. Toxxic then got beaten in a rematch by Kibagami who went on to capture the world title, and that loss has been eating away at the Brit since. Jet Name: Jet Height: 5’10, although the thick soles of her boots give her an extra inch. Weight: 177lbs Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Face/Heel: Heel Stats: Strength: 3 - Jet is a pretty tall for a girl, and she’s well-toned without being overly buff. Speed: 5 - Jet is pretty agile, but she’s still training. Vitality: 4 - Jet can take a bit of a knock-around. Charisma: 6 - She doesn’t speak much but Jet has a laid-back and sultry attitude, not to mention is pretty damn fine. Looks: Pretty, punk-rock lookin’ girl with red and black dreads and nose, eyebrow and lip piercings. She wears lady-fit versions of Toxxic’s “Hardcore Punk” T-shirts or punk bands like a Bad Religion “Crossbuster” top. Bulky skate trousers and army-style boots with fairly thick soles. Moves: Jet is still training - consider her to be able to do simple lucha-ish stuff like ranas, some springboard moves and basic wrestling stuff plus Toxxic’s ‘Hangover’ legdrop. But as noted in the Notes, she won’t really get involved much. Bio: Jet was training and working the Philly indies when the SWF came to town. She sneaked backstage hoping to bump into someone and get a job, but instead blundered into the Toxxic vs Insane Luchador All-Show Brawl. Here she mugged a Girl Scout for her uniform before ambushing Toxxic and giving the then-Hardcore Champion a surprise kiss during a break in the fight when both men had been separated (due to escaping the screaming Girl Scouts). Toxxic managed to catch up with her after the show and the two hooked up and began their relationship. When Jet isn’t on the road with her boyfriend she is training at the SWF academy. Notes: Jet is purely there for moral support, although she can weigh in if the stipulations allow or if the fight continues after a match. Generally, however, she respects her boyfriend’s wishes and doesn’t interfere - the only time she has done is by pushing the ringrope into Toxxic’s hand when he was stuck in a hold; both times unbidden by him and indeed without his knowledge (at the time he thought he’d reached them on his own), and both when he was facing Kibagami.

The fact that I went to Trent has nothing to do with it. The fact that I chose such a useless degree might have done. But I can see it's pointless talking to you. If you're thinking of going to Proper then you must obviously be rich, posh, far too clever or all three. So what if my girlfriend went there and earns nearly twice as much as me? Coincidence I tell you, coincidence!

I hope you mean Trent. If you mean Nottingham Proper then as a Trent graduate I have to legitimately hate you. However, if you happen to visit Ye Olde Trip To Jeruslam (the oldest inn in England) during the day then you will find me doing what I do best - carrying plates of food out to students who shouldn't be able to afford it and middle-aged people who should know better.

To be exact, that's the Nottingham Ice Arena. The Raw tour stopped there last year. To be EVEN more exact it's the Notitngham Arena at the National Ice Center. And I live about 50 yards from it And I was there in my England shirt and Union Jack Bandana. OK, so assuming my wrestler (the stats for whom I have just sent off) gets approved, there will be two SWFers from Nottingham. That's damn freaky. You're going to turn out to be Rob Bob, aren't you...

To be exact, that's the Nottingham Ice Arena. The Raw tour stopped there last year.

Just FYI - the WWE broadcast Raw here tonight, ended about half an hour ago. Orton's original botched RKO on Jericho was edited out (very well, actually), making it look like the only attempt on it was the successful one. And they say the WWE don't care about the international market. Oh, and... GO FOLEY~!

If that was what HHH was like in D-X then I'm sorry I missed it. Basically HHH had me in stitches, and indeed actually had me INTERESTED in what he had to say for the first time since I restarted watching just prior to SummerSlam '00. Unfortunately the next week he was back to his long... drawn-out... speech that takes too... damn... long to get to the... point.

This was at Survivor Series 2002. The match was an Elimination Table Match: Bubba Ray Dudley, Spike Dudley, & Jeff Hardy vs. 3 Minute Warning & Rico. Hardy had just done his MSG table dive. Rico about 2 minutes later had climbed up to the top rope like he was going to do a moonsault and just started teetering on it like a retard with Jeff nowhere to be found. After about 20 seconds of this (!!!), Rico yells out, "COME ON, JEFF, GODDAMN IT" and Jeff finally wakes up from wherever he was and does what he was supposed to do. Was pretty much straight after the table dive as I recall. Jeff might actually have been in a bad way, although I'm not ruling out the possibility of him being too fucked up to remember the spot.

You don't think that'd be fun?

Would work for me. Bischoff isn't exactly a full heel. Yes, he's incredibly vindictive if someone pisses him off, but he can be just as bad to heels as faces (Coach vs Goldberg, for example). Generally (and I say generally) Bischoff's character goes for good matches that help Raw (ok, ok - matches that the character *believes* would help Raw. Otherwise it would just be Jericho vs Matt Hardy each week), or if he does book it badly it's because someone's annoyed him. Faces don't tend to get short shrift just through being faces. Austin, on the other hand, complains loudly about anyone "flapping their gums" and does his best to make their lives a misery.

I hope to God he goes soon. I'd rather watch a Randy Orton match than an Austin appearance, because if Orton is on (ala vs RVD or indeed for most of the Rumble) it'll be watchable, and if he's not I can laugh at him. Austin just bores me and offends me. The guy's promos are repetitive, he has consistently been involved in burying all lower-tier talent through then either being scared of him or him just Stunnering them, he Stunned Stacy Keibler for NOT DRINKING BEER when the guy was arrested for domestic abuse and banned from drinking for a year as a result... Just fuck off. Yes, he was a good wrestler in his day, a great entertainer and the driving force of the entire WWF for a fair while. But his time is over. He needs to leave while he still has some semblance of respect left.

I like Jeff and i was digging the way his character was going (shame about the workrate and drug habit). I always thought that the way forward was to turn him from a frustrated babyface who couldn't win into a vicious heel who made up for his lack of size by a simple refusal to lay down and die (this is Jeff Hardy remember; the guy already took insane risks to hurt his opponents, so if his opponents are recognised faces - uber-heel heat) and an attitude that he no longer CARED if he won - he just wanted to hurt someone. And in the process, he found he was now able to win matches. The whole "now I've lost everything you can take nothing from me" idea.

If you want your lasting memory to be how you got broken in half by a near-300 lb amateur wrestling champion in the three seconds it took security to break it up - then yeah. Personally, I don't get the point of going to a British show. It doesn't get shown on American tv, so nothing will happen. It'd be like going to see a taping of EastEnders that will never make it to the air and doesn't have any bearing on actual plot developments. Even American house shows have only had one title change in recent years (Booker/Christian, and they were forced into that one). If I knew for a fact they would be showing something really quality like 100% Angle vs Eddie, or something of that ilk, then maybe. Otherwise... meh.

I was using this paragraph as my basis for that statement. One thing: You're not one of those "Shamrock should come back and feud with Angle!" people, are you? Uh... no. It's not like I've even seen Shamrock wrestle - he was (just) before I started watching again. I just know the anklelock was/is his finisher.

Kurt... Ken Shamrock just called. He wants his anklelock back. They're not in the same company. Yeah, I know. But the fact that it's not as bad as nicking Benoit's string of suplexes because they're in the company together at the same time is downplayed by the fact that a string of suplexes is just that - one move repeated to give it more impact from the same initial position. However, Angle uses the Anklelock as a finisher, as did Shamrock when he was in the WWF. So he's "stolen" a finisher, which I'd view as worse that "stealing" a mid-match spot. [Cue restart of the arguement over the German Trio should be a match-ending spot]

Watched a Zero-One tape yesterday and for the briefest of moments it had an advert for an upcoming TAKA Michinoku match. I was just wondering why the TAKA bit was in western capitals and the rest in Japanese writing? Same for CW Anderson. And can anybody tell me why some wrestlers have one name all in captials (like NOSAWA)? Cheers

I'm intrigued by the SWF. Not sure what it is. But when I try and click on the link, it tells me the page cannot be displayed. Repeatedly. *Gary Oldman voice from Fifth Element* Anyone care to explain?