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Pro Wrestling APEX: From the beginning...
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/20/08 at 20:17:25 The Prologue Summer 2008 With a slumping economy and general interest in pro-wrestling down significantly, the WWE devises an almost unheard of proposal. The company announces a search for a new promoter for an offshoot promotion. The winner of this "contest" would be granted a significant amount of money to hire the necessary talent and to get the promotion off the ground. Not only that, but they also offer the new promoter access to a certain portion of their talent to use in this venture. The winning individual would be able to hire four wrestlers under WWE contract from this list, though the wrestlers chosen would be limited to a list of talent provided by the company. This list excludes all of the top name talent in the promotion, but would provide a wealth of talented mid-card wrestlers in the pool available for selection. The only catch to this whole deal - the person selected to control this new promotion must not have any experience in the wrestling business in any capacity. They also made a set of criteria for who would be eligible; all applicants would be required to have a Bachelor's Degree or higher and be under the age of 35, stressing the company's desire for a fresh, youthful face loaded with new ideas to make this venture a success. October 2008: WWE chooses 10 finalists to come for interviews in Stanford, CT - one of these ten individuals would be granted the job to head up this new promotion. At the completion of the interview process, the WWE shocks the industry by selecting one of the two 24-year old men as the head of their offshoot company - Xavier Alves, an unexperienced production assistant based out of Boston. WWE says very little as to why they selected the individual who was seen as the weakest of the 10 finalists, only saying that their selection's ideas best met the criteria in what they were looking for. The company hands Alves the funding and access to the materials needed for his new promotion... and nothing else. The company gives Alves a mere month to come up with all the required staff and be prepared to hold a press conference to announce the details of the promotion's first event. November 2008: Representatives from WWE travel to Boston and hold a press conference with Alves with no idea of what he planned to present. The lights dim as a black cloth drops from the ceiling unveiling a banner which identified the name of the new promotion - Pro Wrestling APEX. Alves walks out with a pairs of title belts draped over each shoulder and places them down as on the podium. With a smile on his face he announces makes his declaration to the world: "This is where best of the best come to compete... where the brightest come out to shine under even brighter lights... and where the true apex of professional wrestling will be defined." And with that simple statement Alves lifts his arms, raising the lights as the doors of the room open and a group of men dressed in cobalt blue track suits, each emblazoned with the new PWA logo, enter the room from three directions: From the door on the left... Brent Albright, Chuck Taylor, and Trevor Murdock. From a door in the back of the room... Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Shuji Kondo. And from the door on the right... Elijah Burke, Low-Ki, and Paul London. As the nine initial members of the roster line-up behind their new boss Alves goes on to announce PWA's inaugural event scheduled for November 29th. It will be on this event that a 12-man tournament will begin for the APEX Crown - the pair of belts Alves entered the room with in hand, the top championship and the pinnacle of success in Pro Wrestling APEX. The press conference ends with Alves handing a list of four names to the WWE representatives, a sign of the last official contact between WWE and PWA. A flyer is passed out as people begin to file out of the room detailing the card for the 29th. Pro Wrestling APEX: Chapter One November 29, 2008 6 Opening Round Matches in the Climb to the APEX tournament! Brent Albright v. Chuck Taylor WWE Representative #1 v. Claudio Castagnoli Bryan Danielson v. Elijah Burke WWE Representative #2 v. Paul London Trevor Murdock v. Shuji Kondo Low-Ki v. WWE Representative #3 PLUS one of PWA's main attractions is unveiled! --- First card will be coming soon... |
| Hey Boner | Posted on 12/20/08 at 21:54:45 Nice back story looking forward to the 1st card |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/20/08 at 22:56:37 I really like this idea. A good perspective, a fresh circuit. The roster is a little "indy circuit favorites" but that's not necessarily a bad thing as they're all really talented. Curious to see what WWE reps are chosen. |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/21/08 at 00:53:40 Pro Wrestling APEX: Chapter One November 29, 2008 The show opens with a video package of all the events leading up to the night's event, from the announcement of WWE's expanded venture to the press conference held just days earlier. Clips of the 9 known participants in action are shown spliced between interviews about their hopes for their own futures and the company on a whole. The package ends with a scene from the press conference - Xavier Alves holding up both titles of the APEX Crown flanked by the nine wrestlers, five kneeling and four standing with their new boss. The scene opens up with wide shot of the ring and the commentator table set up with two people sitting at it. A cut to the table shows Xavier Alves, officially confirming his role as PWA's play-by-play man - for the time being any way. He is joined by Jerry Lynn who announces that he has joined the PWA roster and will be serving as the color commentator for tonight's event. The two run through the night's matches and the mystery of which WWE wrestlers will be involved in PWA. Alves promises Lynn and the fans that his choices will not disappoint. They also give mention to the fact that PWA has made an agreement with the Gaora TV, giving them an outlet to reach Japanese fans in an attempt to truly make Pro Wrestling APEX a global phenomenon. All matches are being held with the standard 20-minute time limit. [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] Brent Albright made Chuck Taylor submit to the Crowbar in 0:13:11. Rating: **** PWA's first match is a memorable one as Brent Albright was able to make Chuck Taylor submit to his finisher. Chuck Taylor, however, demonstrated he was no slouch on his first step onto the global wrestling stage. Taylor actually controlled much of the match, taking every opportunity to use less-than-honorable means to keep Albright on the defensive. His strategy actually backfired, though, as he was caught grabbing a handful of Albright's tights after a roll up. The opening was just enough for Albright to land a half-nelson suplex on Taylor and then lock the Crowbar on to advance. In post-match interviews Albright declared that he has brought his "Gun for Hire" mentality into PWA telling the rest of the roster that he only takes sides one night at a time and he is not looking to make friends. Taylor spent his post-match interview in complete denial that he even had a match and demanded to know why he was not included in the tournament. He then put Japanese fans on notice indicating that if they were scared of guys like Bruiser Brody and Leatherface running through the crowd then they are going to be terrified should Sexy Chucky T ever find himself there. [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] The Brian Kendrick pinned Claudio Castagnoli with the Kendrick in 0:10:55. Rating: *** 1/4 [Mike Knox and Paul Burchill interfered against Claudio Castagnoli.] The first WWE wrestler to appear was certainly not a disappointment - at least not with his ability. The fans seemed legitimately surprised that Kendrick had come to PWA and perhaps even more shocked when he came to the ring without Ezekiel Jackson. By the end of the match it was clear that Kendrick had covered his back. As Castagnoli had Brian Kendrick in what appeared to be a set up for the Swiss Water Slide from the top turnbuckle, Burchill ran down the aisle but was stopped by head referee Howard Layne. As he did this, Mike Knox came out of the crowd and jerked Claudio down. This was enough for Kendrick to gather himself and hit The Kendrick on his distracted opponent. Post-match interviews: The Brian Kendrick refused to reveal how he knew Knox and Burchill were two of the WWE representatives also coming to PWA, but it was clear he knew ahead of time. He went onto explain that he and his associates were already big stars, wrestling on national television and declaring that this had bound them together feeling somewhat slighted for not being protected by the WWE in the first place. Castagnoli only said that the three would be foolish to think they were going to get away with what they did and that he would get his payback... sooner than later. [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] Bryan Danielson made Elijah Burke submit to an achilles tendon hold in 0:13:46. Rating: **** The appearance of Elijah Burke, along with Paul London and Trevor Murdock, had initially raised a lot of questions at the initial press conference. Many suggested that Xavier Alves had cut some kind of deal, either with someone within the WWE office or with the wrestlers themselves, to help strengthen his own organization. Tonight none of that mattered, though, as two of PWA's best athletes went toe to toe to take one step closer to the APEX Crown. Both men impressed the crowd with their ability and perhaps come extra praise should be put on Burke for holding his own on the mat against one of the world's greatest technicians. In the end Danielson showed just why he has earned such a distinction catching his opponent with a basic, but effective submission hold smack dab in the middle of the ring. Post-match interviews: Danielson expressed how much of an honor it is to be recognized as a cornerstone of PWA, revealing that he was the first wrestler that President Alves approached and signed to his new promotion. Danielson went on to explain that everything else he had to say would be done so in the ring. Burke acknowledged his opponent's skill, but insisted that Danielson simply got lucky tonight. Burke then went on to frame himself in the same light as some of the important civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, noting that they did not let one defeat set them back. He finished his interview saying the next time he faced off with this "pasty white boy" that he would be victorious by, in the words of Malcolm X, using "any means necessary." Before the next match Xavier Alves mentioned that tonight PWA promised to reveal a crucial part of its roster tonight and now was the time to deliver. Cut to a video package with a montage that goes through all the revolutionary high-flyers from the past few decades. Scenes are shown of Tiger Mask, Jushin Liger, Ultimo Dragon, Rey Mysterio Jr., and Hayabusa in action. Spliced in between is a wrestler in various costumes performing the very same moves of these early innovative high-flyers. Japanese characters are then super-imposed atop Jushin Liger being pinned in a cradle and a voice in the video confirms that Yoshitsune has come to PWA! The video continues with another montage of Yoshitsune in action, ending with an announcement that Yoshitsune would make his PWA debut at the company's next event - "Fire in the Skies." [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] Mike Knox pinned Paul London after a lariat in 0:15:45. Rating: *** [Claudio Castagnoli interfered against Mike Knox.] [Paul Burchill interfered against Paul London.] Well it wasn't much of a surprise to see Mike Knox in this spot given his earlier impact on the night's event. Paul London certainly gave it his all in this match, but the sheer size of Knox and the continuing interference of Paul Burchill were just too much for him to overcome. At least one of those factors was neutralized as once Burchill showed up mid-match, Claudio Castagnoli made good on his promise of payback. Still, the chaos that ended up ensuing on the outside may very well have given Mike Knox the opening he needed to clobber London with a lariat for the win. Post-match interviews: Mike Knox simply shoved the camera out of the way as he made his way to the back. The Brian Kendrick waited at the door of the locker room to congratulate Mike Knox on a job well done and further this developing alliance's chances of bringing the APEX Crown into their camp. London appeared hunched over with Claudio and one of the trainers over him. The two agreed that this alliance of Kendrick's highlights the importance of other wrestlers to stand together in resistance. With a handshake the two seemed to forge an agreement that they would have each other's backs from here on out. [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] Trevor Murdock pinned Shuji Kondo with the Ace of Spades in 0:14:21. Rating: *** ½ Though the announcement of Yoshitsune's PWA signing was saved for tonight it should not take away from the importance of another one of Japan's rising stars involvement with the company. Though Kondo ultimately dropped the fall to the sour-faced Murdock, the fighting spirit he displayed could not be ignored. It should be noted that Kondo is coming from Japan where he is used to being able to outsize and overpower much of the competition. Wrestling in PWA will regularly put him against opponents where that advantage is minimized, and in some cases, reversed. Still, the fire shown here tonight may be unmatched and will certainly make Kondo one to watch in the coming months. Post-match interviews: Murdock went into a rant about American products being superior to Japanese ones and that tonight it was his big, super-charged pick-up truck that "squashed that little Toyota just like Godzilla." He also didn't see what the big deal about Yoshitsune was and mocked the spelling of his name. "Yo-sheeet-soone? Sounds like what's gonna happen if he ever crosses me!" Through his translator Shuji Kondo expressed disappointment in not being able to advance in the tournament. When asked if the extra attention paid to his fellow countryman made him angry in any way, Kondo indicated that it was quite the opposite. He talked about how he had worked Yoshitsune in the past and that he is actually excited that they will work together again. Together, he explained, they would make an impact across the world and show that Japan's wrestlers can stand up against the best wrestlers from any other country. [Climb to the APEX: Opening Round Match] Low-Ki pinned Hurricane Helms with the Ghetto Stomp in 0:13:40. Rating: *** ¾ With Paul Burchill already appearing twice in the night, it seemed like he would be the last of the three mystery men in the tournament. He even waited in the ring as Low-Ki was announced, but it was now that Xavier Alves finally stood up from his position at the commentator's table and confronted Burchill. He informed Burchill to remember that there were four wrestlers brought over from the WWE and obviously his unit missed this one. Alves also notified Burchill that since Kendrick and Knox will still be involved with the tournament at "Fire in the Skies" that Burchill would have to take on Claudio Castagnoli by himself or his comrades would be risking disqualification from the tournament. As President Alves went back to his position the announcer continued with the introductions and the fourth representative from WWE's roster was none other than Hurricane Helms. Low-Ki immediately locked onto Helms once he learned it was Helms who would be his tournament opponent. The match itself was a back and forth contest with each man exchanging move for move, but in the end it was Low-Ki who took the fall and the final spot in the next round of the tournament. Perhaps it could be chalked up to ring rust since this was one of Helms' first matches since returning from his long-term injury and recovery, but Helms isn't going to be one to make excuses. Disappointed in his loss, Helms offered his victorious opponent a handshake. Low-Ki looked at the extended hand and only gave it a quick slap, leaving Helms unsure of whether Low-Ki had just accepted his gratitude or literally smacked it right back at him. Post-match interviews: Low-Ki stuck to his M.O. offering little to say after his match. When asked about the ambiguous reaction to Helms' handshake he reacted by staring down the interviewer and walking away. Helms explained his gesture as trying to figure out where Low-Ki stood as sides began to form between Kendrick's faction and those willing to oppose it. Helms stated that he had absolutely no interest in joining them and becoming associated with "arrogant punks." He vowed his full allegiance to his new promotion knowing that he will be looked to as a locker room leader and has the potential to be one of PWA's biggest stars. --- PWA's next event "Fire in the Skies"will be held Saturday December 13th. Three matches will determine who will advance in the Climb to the APEX: Brent Albright v. Brian Kendrick Bryan Danielson v. Mike Knox Trevor Murdock v. Low-Ki At the end of the night three men will remain in the tournament which begs the question of how the rest of the tournament will be run. Will someone receive a bye? Will the match be a Triple Threat? President Alves will be sure to address this situation and we will know exactly how the Climb to the APEX will play out. Also Signed: Grudge Match: Claudio Castagnoli v. Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) Plus Yoshitsune makes his PWA debut in 6-man tag action. While the teams have not been announced, President Alves has indicated that Yoshitsune would not be the only Japanese wrestler involved. Does this mean Shuji Kondo or someone entirely new to PWA? If he is in the match, will he enter the match as a friend or a rival? Only time will tell! |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/21/08 at 01:12:11 Just to kind of address things so far I'm glad to already see some early interest. This is the circuit that I've really shared since the old boards. I'm on Winter Break for the next month, so I have some time to get it started. I have no idea if I'll be as detailed in the future, but the first few cards should follow this format. I'm open to any ideas to make it better, though. The idea with the back story is really necessary to make me put effort into this. I always have trouble running circuits that are in a vacuum; there's nothing wrong with those that don't focus so much on what is going on in the "real world," I simply have a hard time starting without that base. The WWE guys I chose are obviously not essential to the company - all four could be let go and things really wouldn't be affected. But I wanted to get this circuit started once the latest wave of WWE cuts happened so I could keep my reliance on WWE to a minimum. It is assumed here that these four guys haven't been totally moved by WWE and that they still have an active role there. They are just under contract to both promotions. Of course, that is for now... it could change. Just to make the relationship between PWA and WWE clear, it basically ends once the first card happens. The idea is that WWE has done this to stimulate the market, so instead of taking a certain percentage of PWA's profits, they hope to make more money by revitalizing the interest into pro-wrestling on the whole. From this point forward what happens in WWE is completely irrelevant to the circuit - hell I'm not even sure that all my WWE castaways were all released by November 29th. That was simply about the time that I started I putting this circuit together. I've actually already have ran five of the cards so far, but I won't be running any more until I've written through the winner of the APEX Crown. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this. I certainly welcome any feedback - for now, I'm keeping the whole thing within this one thread. I don't know if we're keeping up with the whole "circuits with their own subforums" thing since a lot of them seem inactive, but I'd ideally like to eventually move this to something like that. If not that, then at least set up my own forum for it - you know, just so people who want to keep track of it don't miss out because this thread gets pushed to the second page or something. |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 01:44:59 And here... we... GO! Jerry Lynn as color man is a good choice. Also sets him up to be able to do what Jerry Lawler does and occasionally wrestle if needed. Chuck Taylor rules. Albright was the right guy to go over, and Taylor is still green, but his gimmick is fun and allows him to lose matches like this and still get over. Good way to start. THE Brian Kendrick... excellent choice. This even makes real world sense too because it would be a perfect opportunity for WWE to sort of gauge how Kendrick could do with a big program. Burchill is also a great choice, and I have a soft spot for Mike Knox and think this stable has great potential. This also gives Claudio a program right away. Again, good booking. Danielson and Burke is a good match. Right man goes over. Danielson is low on charisma but high on skill, so he needs to be protected like this. Not sure if I like the Black Panther-esque direction of Burke, but I'll give it a bit to develop before I write it off. Not familiar with Yoshitsune, but a good video package. Smart to associate him with those guys. Mike Knox wins as he should, even though I like Paul London a ton. Good to see he will be getting a push though with his alliance with Castagnoli. Murdock rules, and glad to see some Japanese talent getting a chance to shine in the states. I just never liked Low-Ki. He's impressive, but he just rubs me the wrong way. Plus, I'm a huge Hurricane Helms mark (I even have a Hurricane tattoo, which is probably pretty sad). It makes sense he'd lose though since this is his first match back. A good match to end the night. Keep up the good work. |
| ROH, Indy, and Puro Mark69 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 01:58:28On 12/21/08 at 01:44:59, Snabbit888 wrote:And here... we... GO!You may, or may not have seen Yoshitsune's work as El Blazer or Shanao, the guy's had at least 10 different gimmicks http://www.puroresucentral.com/yoshitsune.html |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 02:04:20 Well after looking at that... Impaler, I demand he be brought in as The Catfish Man! :) |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/21/08 at 03:48:30On 12/21/08 at 02:04:20, Snabbit888 wrote:Well after looking at that...You know I was torn between doing something like I decided to and doing something that would essentially be DDT-American Style. There would be a Takuya Sugi 15-Man Battle Royal (I did the math and figured he would have had 3 new gimmicks by then) in which all the participants were Takuya Sugi. It would come down to Yoshitsune, Catfish Man, and AHII until 15 Ed Leslie gimmicks would run in. All of this would of course naturally culminate in the Torneo Cibernetico Barber Shop Edition with an impromteau dance off between AHII and the Booty Man. Then I saw some dude's circuit on here that had Hornswoggle as a shootfighter and decided this board has enough absurdity for now. |
| ROH, Indy, and Puro Mark69 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 06:01:26On 12/21/08 at 03:48:30, TheImpalerTMX wrote:Could do worse than Hornswoggle as a shootfighter though. Think Kelly Kelly. |
| 91 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 15:22:27On 12/21/08 at 01:44:59, Snabbit888 wrote: (I even have a Hurricane tattoo, which is probably pretty sad).Woah, woah, stop the presses people... WHAT? On 12/21/08 at 03:48:30, TheImpalerTMX wrote:That's it, I'm stealing this. Anyway, now I've written stuff, I ought to write something about the card (it speaks volumes about my procrastination that I read everyones circuits but the only guy I've replied to for months is SuperstarJimi C). Well, the star name on the card in terms of WWE representatives seems to be Brian Kendrick. I'm not sure at this stage whether he, Knox and Burchill are working together as a stable or whether it's more of a "hey, let's all make sure the WWE guys advance so we can prove we're best" sort of deal. Obviously Helms isn't on board in any case which makes for some nice little dynamics. Also, highlight of the show would be Trevor Murdochs little rant. Taking full advantage of the redneck character there, and I'd like to see more of that. And as you noted, not sure (without looking it up) that the likes of Elijah were released or not prior to Nov 29th but let's face it, he was going to be anyway. Which is a shame as I likes me some Elijah (maybe I should do like Snabbs and have a tattoo of him done... though unlike Snabbs, I won't have it done on my penis). Anyway, despite the loss for Burke here, at least he's not going to be lost in the shuffle since you gave him some mic time which is good. And Low-Ki is a dick. |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 22:31:03 In all fairness, I got the tattoo because a) the symbol looks cool, and b) I thought it would be better than getting like a WWE tattoo. It's more a symbol of my overall like of wrestling. Which, still sad and pathetic, I know, but at least it was thought out. And 91, the tattoo isn't on my penis. There wasn't room with your name already tattooed on there. |
| 91 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 22:50:53On 12/21/08 at 22:31:03, Snabbit888 wrote:And 91, the tattoo isn't on my penis. There wasn't room with your name already tattooed on there.You had '91' tattooed on your penis and from that alone you're now out of room? |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/21/08 at 23:02:11 I am not an impressive man. |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/24/08 at 20:55:50 Pro Wrestling APEX: Fire in the Skies December 13, 2008 The show kicks off with a video package, this one of the highlights of all the opening round matches from Chapter One. A few of the key moments in each match are displayed along with the finish; after each pair of winners is shown a graphic appears with the two opponents, going through this sequence for each of the second round matches. The ending screen shows a 6-window split screen of each man left in the tournament. The camera goes live to Xavier Alves who is standing by himself by the commentator's table. He lays out the story for tonight: the continuation of the tournament, Claudio Castagnoli attempting to get revenge against Paul Burchill, and the debut of Yoshitsune in an exciting 6-man tag match. Jerry Lynn will be joining him at the table for color commentary again, but first Lynn has a match against Paul London to get through. Paul London pinned Jerry Lynn with a slingshot Oklahoma side roll in 0:10:32. Rating: ** ¾ Tonight's opener was a fine display of sportsmanship and athleticism as Paul London was able to bounce back from his tournament loss with a victory over the veteran Lynn. The match began and ended with a handshake, each man acknowledging the skill of his opponent and the spirit of friendly competition that this match was held under. While London was just a half-step quicker tonight, Jerry Lynn showed he is still in top form and will prove as a tough obstacle for any newcomer to PWA to overcome. Post-match interviews: London praises Lynn for a hard fought match and then says he will be watching the tournament closely tonight, especially the two involving Knox and Kendrick. No post-match interview with Lynn as he prepares to join Alves at ringside. President Alves talks about the press conference held in Japan earlier in the week where he personally arrived to retrieve Yoshitsune. He explains things did not go down without incident, however, and goes to the tape. Footage shows the highlights from the press conference including a ceremonial contract signing, Yoshitsune being given a set of prayer beads from Michinoku Pro president Jinsei Shinzaki, and Yoshitsune himself talking about how grateful he is for the opportunity to go the United States to display his exciting brand of high-flying and how humbled he feels to receive such special attention. As if those words were a cue for disaster a commotion arises as the camera switches over towards the back of the room and someone has barged into the room. As if the collection of photographers and reporters was the Red Sea, the man's booming voice parts them to each side revealing Magnitude Kishiwada. He walks up to the podium and twists the microphone as Yoshitsune looks up. Kishiwada informs the room that he is headed to PWA as well and questions President Alves as to why such extravagance has not followed his signing. Alves confirms that his trip to Japan had a dual purpose and that Kishiwada had indeed signed a contract with the promotion. Kishiwada proceeds to verbally run down Yoshitsune and then picks up the prayer beads, hurling them at his adversary's head. This disgraceful act calls Yoshitsune to his feet shouting at Kishiwada as officials in the room split the two apart. The scene switches back to the live scene where Xavier Alves has now been joined by a freshened-up Jerry Lynn. President Alves expressed his apologies to everyone involved in the press conference in Japan stating that he had brought Kishiwada there to announce his involvement in the 6-man tag match. The president had a look of disappointment, shame, and embarrassment as he talked about the incident, prompting Lynn to forcefully chide Kishiwada for his actions. Lynn informs his boss and broadcast partner that he wants a match with Kishiwada soon; Alves nods and says he may just be able to arrange something, but for now it is time to move on. [Climb to the APEX: Second Round Match] Low-Ki pinned Trevor Murdock with the Ghetto Stomp in 0:12:04. Rating: ** ¾ Perhaps it was his final action at Chapter One or maybe it was because his opponent had done nothing to endear himself to anyone, but either way the fans of PWA were behind Low-Ki all the way and he responded positively to their reaction. Murdock tried to start the match by bullying Low-Ki, but quickly found out that his opponent was not someone to be pushed around. Perhaps this was a strategic move on Murdock's part, though, as it turned much of the match more into a wild brawl, a situation which would seem to favor Murdock. Indeed the two men put quite a beating on each other causing referee Howard Layne to forcefully interject himself and bring the action back to the ring on more than one occasion. Surely a double count out would only complicate the tournament even further with the next round being shrouded in a mystery as far as how it'd be played out. In the end Low-Ki was able to intensify his focus, a true trademark of his style, and tilted the advantage in his favor. Post-match interviews: Low-Ki states that as he made his way to the back he was informed that an announcement on how the rest of the tournament will play out will be made later. He seemingly had no problem with this going on to say that he is ready for any challenge that is put in front of him. Asked again about the "handshake" with Hurricane Helms at Chapter One, Low-Ki finally acknowledged his intent - he respected Helms, but wanted to make it clear that he will hold no allegiances in PWA - not with Helms and certainly not with Kendrick and his cohorts. Trevor Murdock had very little to say obviously still enraged over his loss. His perpetual sour-face seemed to say it all as he vowed his revenge and spit what appeared to be a mouthful of tobacco towards the camera. Claudio Castagnoli defeated Paul Burchill with a backslide in 0:10:25. Rating: ** ½ Claudio Castagnoli gained some sense of retribution as he was able to defeat one of the men who cost him his opportunity to advance in the Climb to the APEX tournament. Castagnoli came into the match with fury and anger, much different from his normal calm and collected approach. It was needed in this match as Burchill was just as tenacious at taking it to his opponent. Of course neither Knox nor Kendrick was allowed at ringside, risking disqualification from their tournament matches if they showed up. Still Burchill had the help of Katie Lea who proved to be a distraction on more than one occasion. Castagnoli would just not quit, however, and ended up picking up a victory with a backslide counter as Burchill attempted to hit his modified neckbreaker finisher. Post-match interviews: Castagnoli seemed to have his intensity dropped a notch as he spoke after the match showing that he was looking to let off some steam by taking it to Burchill. Claudio insisted, however, that he was not done with the whole group and although he could do nothing about it tonight (a similar no interference stipulation had been put in place for Claudio against Knox and Kendrick for the night) that he was in no means finished with his payback. Burchill offered no comments as he went to the back, passing Mike Knox who was headed towards the ring for his tournament match. [Climb to the APEX: Second Round Match] Bryan Danielson made Mike Knox submit to a cross armbreaker in 0:11:20. Rating: *** ½ Danielson proved once again that you can never count him out of any match given his extensive knowledge of submission holds. He certainly had no easy task in having to get by a burly, wild brawler in Mike Knox. Using his size to his advantage Knox really kept Danielson from gaining any momentum throughout the match. In fact it was a miscue on Knox's trademark front kick that enabled Danielson to hit one of his own trademarks - the cradle backdrop suplex. Knox was able to kick out, but Danielson quickly spun himself around to get his opponent locked into a cross armbreaker. Knox tried everything from trying to get to the ropes and even trying to power out, but Danielson would keep getting him back in the middle of the ring and Knox had no choice but to tap out. Immediately after the finish President Alves stepped into the ring with a microphone in hand. He congratulated Danielson on his win and said he wished he could inform Danielson who his next opponent would be in the tournament but he was unable to do that. Alves went on to announce that the original twelve wrestlers in the tournament would compete in a battle royal at PWA's next event. If a wrestler who was eliminated from the tournament wins, that individual will move on to the semi-finals, wrestling whichever of the first of the three semi-finalists is eliminated first. However, should one of the men already in the semi-finals win the battle royal that individual will get a bye into the finals and the other two semi-finalists will wrestle each other for the other spot in the finals. Shuji Kondo, Yoshitsune and Hurricane Helms defeated Chuck Taylor, Magnitude Kishiwada and Elijah Burke when Helms defeated E. Burke with the Shining Wizard 0:19:14. Rating: *** 1/4 To many people this match was the one to watch - even though only two of the participants were known. The debut of Yoshitsune was given a lot of hype and the young daredevil did not disappoint. The match began with Shuji Kondo charging right after Magnitude Kishiwada, obviously angered at the actions of his fellow countryman. For nearly 20 minutes the two teams battled each other - it was clear that Yoshitsune was going to be targeted by his opponents, hoping to kill some of his hype and perhaps put it onto themselves. As the match approached the 20 minute mark Helms hit the Shining Wizard on Burke. Kondo ran into Kishiwada with a spear and Yoshitsune hit a springboard rana on Taylor, leaving the ring clear and enabling Helms to pick up the win for his team. Post-match interviews: Helms did a lot of the talking for his team being the only English-speaker. He said he was impressed by both his partners and being in this match made him realize that the level of competition in PWA sets the bar very high. Yoshitsune, through his translator, said he was very pleased with how his debut went and how grateful he is to the PWA fans for welcoming him so warmly. Kondo, on the other hand, made his focus Magnitude Kishiwada, saying that he will not forget how disrespectful Kishiwada was and that tonight was just a taste of what he had in store for Kishiwada. On the other side of things, Chuck Taylor and Elijah Burke argued about who should have been the leader of their team and how the other failing to follow that leader was what led to their loss. Kishiwada yelled over their bickering bringing them both to silence. In a mixture of broken English and his native tongue he indicated that he would destroy both Kondo and Yoshitsune and plans to embarrass them to the point where they will be sent back to Japan afraid to show their faces in public. Burke just walked away as Chuck Taylor explained to Kishiwada how he is able to do all the moves Yoshitsune can do. [Climb to the APEX: Second Round Match] The Brian Kendrick pinned Brent Albright with a small package in 0:14:54. Rating: *** 1/4 The Brian Kendrick had requested interview time prior to his match instead of after it and was in the back with Mike Knox, Paul Burchill, and Katie Lea. Kendrick made it official that the three WWE superstars have forged an alliance and have now applied a name to the group that will dominate all competition and "make everyone associated with PWA embarrassed to even think that it is even able to become the number two promotion in the United States." That name? Imperium. Kendrick expressed his disappointment with his stablemates in both losing their matches earlier in the night, but that he would salvage the night by winning his match against Albright. He assured everyone that Imperium would not have another night like this one ever again... and, staring at his teammates, he guaranteed that they would not fail him again. Fortunately for Kendrick he was able to back up his talk and score a win over Brent Albright, although it was certainly not the "dominance" that Kendrick promised. In fact it was a very evenly matches battle right up to the very end. It was here that Albright had Kendrick's arm locked and ready to apply the Crowbar. Kendrick slipped out of the attempt by getting to the ropes and as the referee backed Albright away, Kendrick slid in with a small package and snatched the win right out from under Albright. With the win Imperium marched down to ringside to celebrate with Kendrick. As they did, though, Paul London and Claudio Castagnoli followed them down and each start slugging with a member of Imperium. As Kendrick surveyed the situation Albright had risen, tapped Kendrick on the shoulder and delivered a half nelson suplex before Kendrick could even turn around. All six men were eventually in the ring and then the other men from the tournament came running down to join the fray. All twelve men brawled with one another until all the fights had spilled to the floor leaving only Low-Ki and Bryan Danielson left in the ring turned away from each other. They immediately went face-to-face and stared down each other, each with the realization that their road to the APEX Crown was very likely to collide. --- PWA's next event entitled "Vertigo" will take place on the last Saturday of 2008. By the end of the night the Climb to the APEX Crown will have its semi-final match(es) in places. Matches announced for Vertigo: Climb to the APEX: 12-Man Battle Royal Decision Match - Participants: Brent Albright, Elijah Burke, Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, Hurricane Helms, Brian Kendrick, Mike Knox, Shuji Kondo, Paul London, Low-Ki, Trevor Murdock, and Chuck Taylor - If the winner is Danielson, Kendrick, or Low-Ki that individual receives a bye into the finals and the remaining wrestlers will compete for the second spot in the finals. - If the winner is anyone not still in the tournament, the winner will face the first man eliminated out of Danielson, Kendrick, and Low-Ki in the semi-finals. The remaining two wrestlers will also take part in a semi-final match with the winners of both matches going on to the final match. Paul Burchill v. Yoshitsune Jerry Lynn v. Magnitude Kishiwada v. ??? - President Alves originally had Jerry Lynn ready to face the next newcomer to PWA, but after Lynn's challenge to Kishiwada he has now made it a Triple Threat. That newcomer's identity will remain a mystery until the 29th. |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/25/08 at 01:37:13 Yay next show! Right result for the London/Lynn match, but I don't know how much I like Lynn being thrown into essentially a throwaway, if not a fine match. I haven't read the rest of the show yet so maybe it leads to more, but off the top, he seems a bit lackluster to give Lynn away like that. I liked the Japanese angle. Yoshitsune is getting special attention, and the other Japanese guys are right to be upset. The prayer be toss was a nice touch. Low-Ki wins a good match, and Low-Ki is a loner! Given this circuit's layout, Ki's a good man to move on. Good match with Castognoli & Burchill, and the "cheap" finish ensures this isn't over yet. Lot more mileage on this one. Danielson wins over Knox, which kind of makes me sad. Knox has too sweet of a beard to lose. :( The rules for the potential 4th spot in the semi-finals are a bit too TNA-complicated for my liking. Like I get the concept and understand it, but it's just a lot of things to keep track of. KISS. Good 6-man tag that sets up a lot of future stuff. The puro feud should be good. Leads me to believe that Kishiwada is bringing in a partner to even the odds a bit. And Chuck Taylor still rules. With both Knox & Burchill losing tonight, Kendrick was a shoe-in for victory, which isn't a bad thing. Smart booking. He's the leader of the Imperium and thus he needs to be looking strong this early in the angle. Albright doesn't look bad in defeat, and the angle progression was nice. |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/25/08 at 03:53:57 It should be noted that all of this has been unbooked so far, save a couple of restarting matches where it would have made zero sense for the other guy to go over. I do have strict pushes on and have made a set-up that seems to work pretty well. I wanted to leave a little bit to chance so I could give guys a chance to establish their own roles rather than the ones they walk into having. Take a guy like Jerry Lynn - he has one of the lowest pushes of the guys signed to long term contracts, but no one who comes in after this point (and there are a few guys coming in under short term contracts over the next few cards) is going to start with a push over him. I liken his role much to that which El Samurai had with New Japan juniors for a long time He will end up being in a lot of opening card matches where he will win and you know the capability is there for him to be able to beat some of the top guys. El Samurai would be in a lot of opening tags with the young lions, but it wasn't unheard of him to beat a guy like Liger or Kanemoto. I don't want to explain my decisions in any way that is going to give what I have planned away, but Lynn's role will start to make more sense over time. You definitely have him pegged correctly as the veteran presence in the promotion, but that in no way diminishes his role. Keep in mind the first four cards of this were basically booked just to get everyone on the roster into matches. I had this idea to do tournament with that "second chance" match thrown in to make it a little more interesting. Now that I'm developing all the stories there are alot of match-ups to be run that won't be seen until the sixth card. It kind of makes me wish I had stopped running cards earlier, but I wanted to have a few down to make sure I was interested with where this is going. I think you are going to like where the tournament goes from here and it will be pretty logical. Some of the midcard stuff may be out of sorts, but like I said, that'll get fixed once I start running new cards again. It will work in th esense that once I hit those cards you get the sense that the first few cards had to showcase everyone and once you get past those you are going to see storylines start to get fleshed out. Thanks for the input so far. I'm glad a few people are enjoying it because it does give me that little push to stay motivated and to keep writing. The next card will probably hit around real time as there are only the three matches listed on it. Yeah, the battle royal ends up taking as much writing as another three or four matches, but when everything is related like that I am able to sit down and not feel like I need to walk away for a bit because I'm moving on to something else. |
| TheImpalerTMX | Posted on 12/29/08 at 00:49:45 Pro Wrestling APEX: Vertigo December 27, 2008 Just as the first two shows have started off, tonight's broadcast begins with a video highlighting the further developments of the tournament. There are three men left in the tournament, but the face of it all could change tonight. Should one of those three men - The Brian Kendrick, Bryan Danielson, or Low-Ki - win the match, they get an automatic pass into the tournament final where the APEX Crown will be up for grabs. However, standing in their way will be the nine men already eliminated from the tournament; should one of them win the semi-finals becomes a traditional 4-man round. Will one of these men be able to seize their second chance and advance? We find out tonight. Live action opens with Xavier Alves sitting at the commentator table to explain that Jerry Lynn has passed on doing color commentary for tonight's event. Lynn will be involved in the first match which will be an elimination-style Triple Threat against Magnitude Kishiwada and a mystery opponent. This was of course due to Kishiwada's extreme disrespect shown towards Presidnet Alves and Yoshitsune at the press conference in Japan about a month ago. So tonight color commentary will be handled by... Stevie Richards. The camera zooms out and Richards immediately expresses how excited he is to be a part of tonight's event, how impressed he has been with PWA, and that he specially requested his ringside seat to serve as the "final demonstration" in determining whether he will be joining PWA in the future. Lince Dorado won a Triple Threat Match: x Kishiwada defeated J. Lynn after the Last Ride in 0:08:21 x Lince Dorado defeated Kishiwada after the Cartwheel Splash in 0:10:53 Rating: *** As soon as Lynn made his entrance in to this match, Kishiwada immediately attacked him as he entered the ring. Their brawling soon spilled to the floor where Kishiwada was able to gain the advantage and smashed Lynn's back against the apron and turnbuckle post. He rolled Lynn into the ring, positioned Lynn for a power bomb, and taunted the crowd. Before he could lift Lynn, though, someone came sprinting down the aisle and sprung into the ring with a cross body press - that someone was Lince Dorado of Chikara fame. Dorado was the mystery opponent! Even though Kishiwada was able to overpower him pretty quickly it gave Jerry Lynn enough of an opening to attack. The two then double-teamed Kishiwada; any time he would succeed in getting one opponent down, though, the other would prevent him from doing any further damage. Kishiwada showed his massive strength, however, and was able to lift each man with one arm and deliver a double backbreaker. He then picked up Dorado in a military press and threw him over the top-rope onto the outside floor. Kishiwada then went for Lynn, who able to fight off one attempt at the Last Ride, but just didn't have the energy to fight off a second and Kishiwada pinned him with one foot. Even after the bell rang, Kishiwada continued to stomp at Lynn's back. This would be his undoing in the end as Lince Dorado got back into the ring and was able to keep the beast down long enough to hit his Cartwheel Splash. A successful debut for The Golden Lynx! At the conclusion of the match Dorado went to tend to Jerry Lynn who was still lying under the ropes clutching at his back. As soon as Kishiwada recovered he attacked Dorado from behind and executed his Mandriller on the youngster. As he stomped away at both men as a slew of officials poured out from backstage. Right behind them was Yoshitune and he went right for Kishiwada! Officials were able to get Kishiwada out of the ring as Yoshitsune helped Dorado to hit feet. The two helped the more seriously injured Lynn up and proceeded to help carry him to the back. There would be no rest, however, as Paul Burchill appeared at the entrance way with Katie Lea. Referee Seth Stewart took Yoshitsune's side of Lynn and continued to on carry him as Burchill strolled down the aisle. Yoshitsune would not get any rest as his match was ready to begin... Yoshitsune pinned Paul Burchill after a 450 splash in 0:11:20. Rating: *** ½ ... and perhaps this was a bad idea by Paul Burchill. One could certainly not fault the logic of trying to take advantage of the situation and not allow Yoshitsune to collect himself, but it certainly backfired. Instead of being thrown off, Yoshitsune was even more focused than usual and attacked with great fighting spirit. The story of this match was Yoshitsune's pure refusal to stay down. Burchill certainly did not make it easy as he pulled out just about everything in his arsenal, but the adrenaline was simply pumping through Yoshitsune too fast for him to get counted down. Each near fall made Burchill more furious until it finally came to a faulty head - after whipping Yoshitsune into the corner Burchill charged, but Yoshitsune was able to slip out of the way. This was followed by a series of kicks to down Burchill and Yoshitsune leaped to the top turnbuckle to deliver a beautiful 450 splash for the win. Post-match interviews: In the back Yoshitsune and Lince Dorado looked on as the medical staff continued to tend to Jerry Lynn. All this was interrupted as Magnitude Kishiwada busted through the door once he learned Yoshitsune had returned to the back. The two yelled at each other in Japanese as the officials continued to hold them apart. From underneath the pile, Chuck Taylor slipped by and was signaling for Yoshitsune to stand back. Taylor went on to insist that Yoshitsune only knew half the moves he did because he stole them from Taylor himself. Taylor informed Yoshitsune that he would not be "this generation's Super Simon Nova" and allow inferior athletes to cash-in on his own innovation. Thus, he challenged the three - Yoshitsune, Dorado, and Lynn - to a six man tag match finishing "Oh look, I just happened to stumble upon my first partner." He backed up, slapped Kishiwada's chest and whispered to him. Kishiwada seemed insulted and was about to strike until Taylor aped out his intention to take on Yoshitsune and company with Kishiwada on his side. Kishiwada lowered his fist and laughed as the two exited the room. Over on the other side of the building Burchill tried to make excuses for his failure in defeating Yoshitsune to The Brian Kendrick, the self-professed leader of the Imperium group. Kendrick said that he didn't want to hear it and it would all be dealt with later as the more important matter of the battle royal was at hand. Kendrick explained that tonight belonged to Imperium as he and Mike Knox would eliminate the other 10 participants in the battle royal where Knox would "naturally" eliminate himself so Kendrick could go right to the finals. Knox, who had been standing behind Kendrick the whole time with a sneer on his face, suddenly snapped to and corrected Kendrick in saying that Knox would then eliminate Kendrick to earn a spot in the semi-finals. The two argued back-and-forth about which scenario would go down until Katie Lea finally stepped in. She yelled at both for bickering with each other and reminded them that even though she has entered PWA through her "brother" that she was just as much a member of Imperium as the rest of them. She explained that the group needed the insight of a strong, take-charge female like herself to prevent testosterone-driven arguments like this one to split the unit apart. She laid it out simply to them - no matter what happens a member of Imperium was going to the finals tonight. She gave them a choice of when to do their fighting - tonight in the battle royal or in the tournament's finals when both men had advanced ensuring the belts would come into their camp. Kendrick reacted with a mix of bewilderment, agreement, and almost disgust as he conceded Lea was right. He then motioned for Knox to follow him out to the ring as Burchill took hold of Katie Lea and the siblings. acted, well, very affectionate towards each other. Back at ringside President Alves and Stevie Richards explained the rules for the Battle Royal. Twelve men start out at once and eliminations occur by either pinfall or submission until one man is left. Whoever that man is he will have gained a huge advantage after winning, either by going straight to the finals or getting a second crack at going back to the finals. [Climb to the APEX: Battle Royal Decision Match] x S. Kondo defeated B. Kendrick after the King Kong Clothesline in 0:01:05 x S. Kondo defeated E. Burke after a short lariat in 0:04:47 x C. Taylor defeated Castagnoli with a sunset flip in 0:07:29 x B. Albright defeated C. Taylor with an armbar submission in 0:11:36 x P. London defeated M. Knox in 0:13:06 x B. Danielson defeated Murdock with the Cattle Mutilation in 0:14:16 x B. Albright defeated Helms after a half nelson suplex in 0:16:50 x S. Kondo defeated B. Albright after the King Kong Clothesline in 0:19:24 x S. Kondo defeated B. Danielson after a spear in 0:22:08 x Low-Ki defeated S. Kondo after a kick to the back of the head in 0:25:04 x P. London defeated Low-Ki after a moonsault in 0:28:32 to win the 12-man Battle Royal. Rating: *** ¾ Highlights: The PWA roster showed a little solidarity right from the opening bell. It was clear that almost all of them did not approve of Imperium's actions - or at least would rather advance themselves - as Claudio Catagnoli headed up an attack on Kendrick and Knox. After giving out Knox a knock out to the floor, Kendrick found himself at the mercy of much of the roster as each took turns in dispensing a beating, culminating with a huge lariat from Shuji Kondo and a pin by about 7 or 8 guys (entirely legal in this type of battle royal). Kondo would go on to have a huge night as he would eliminate three more men from the match with his raw, explosive power. One of the first big surprises in the match, aside from the beginning, was Chuck Taylor getting a pin on Claudio Castagnoli - albeit it with some help from Mike Knox's boot. Taylor would be the next man out, though, as minutes later Brent Albright got him to tap to an armbar. Albright also had an impressive showing in the match later helping to dispense of Hurricane Helms with Low-Ki - just going to show that Low-Ki was true to his word about having an allegiance to no one. Before this fall, though, both Mike Knox and Trevor Murdock were given their exits in the match; Knox was the victim of another "pile-on" pin and Murdock followed soon after with Danielson using his Cattle Mutilation to make him submit. That dominance of Shuji Kondo came into play a few minutes after that string of eliminations, as he was able to score pinfall victories on both Brent Albright and Bryan Danielson. The elimination of Danielson meant that Low-Ki was the only man left who could take a free pass into the finals by winning. It also brought the battle royal down to three men - Ki, Kondo, and Paul London. It is here where one has to wonder whether making a big splash in a match like this is beneficial or if the best strategy is to blend-in and time your impact. For Kondo his showcase of power may have put a big target onto his chest, or perhaps more appropriately, on the back of his head. Kondo was potentially going for his 5th victim when Low-Ki prevented him from doing so with a buzzsaw-like kick right to the back of his skull. It was a decision that may haunt Low-Ki for a long time to come as doing so enabled Paul London to remain in the match. London really hadn't done anything to stand out from the fray, save for his involvement in eliminations of the two Imperium members. Perhaps this was part of London's plan, to pace himself as such, or perhaps it was just a matter of chance. Either way London ends up being the last man standing and thus has re-worked his way into the tournament he thought he had lost out to for good when Mike Knox snatched a first-round win a month ago. --- London's win and Kendrick's early elimination will pair them off in the semi-finals leaving Low-Ki and Bryan Danielson left to squre off in the other match. The winners will square off later that night for the biggest prize in PWA - The APEX Crown! Announced line-up for PWA's "Coronation of the Soul" to be held Saturday January 10th, 2009: Climb to the APEX Finals: Winner of Kendrick/London v. Winner of Danielson/Ki Claudio Castagnoli & Shuji Kondo v. Imperium's Mike Knox & Paul Burchill Yoshitsune, Jerry Lynn & Lince Dorado v. Chuck Taylor, Magnitude Kishiwada & ??? Also scheduled to appear: Brent Albright, Elijah Burke, Hurricane Helms & Trevor Murdock A Happy New Year to all our fans on the behalf of Pro Wrestling APEX! |
| Snabbit888 | Posted on 12/29/08 at 03:19:43 Yay a new show! I don't like Magnitude losing, but at least he got his heat back. And now that I have a better idea of what you're doing with Lynn, it makes a little more sense at least. A good opening match, and Yoshitsune saves which is nice, going right into his next match. Chuck Taylor rules. The 6-man should be good. And in-fighting already in the Imperium. Good thing Katie Lea is there to keep them in line. Though they got eliminated early, Kendrick and Knox getting eliminated the way they did made perfect sense. Kondo also did well for himself and looked like the star of this match. Hopefully it translates to a bit of a push for him. And London winning is a good choice, and the title tourney matches should be awesome. Another good showing, friend. |