While I might be brief, I will try to "Read N Feed" for this. Reading as I give Feedback. Easier to do on my end and it covers a little of everything in an overall setting. Bare with me.
-- Opening not having a big speech is kind of cool. Sometimes that in itself becomes too common and expected that when the show jumps right into action, it's a nice change of pace. Biggs/Pagan was cool, I actually like the Pagan character. Not my favorite Danielson brother but hands down my 2nd favorite. Nudge Nudge at Billy being 3rd.. Biggs grabbed a mic post match. I like how Biggs is so.. pesty for lack of a better word. He is a weasel with in ring talent. Always been a fan of Biggs because he was so different than a character I could play myself. It's hard being that nerdy and I applaud him for it!
-- Saint/Creed. I haven't heard from Saint in a bit. Good dude, was a huge help when I was doing Destiny Crown way back when. With that said, I figured he wasn't around anymore. Creed put in the initial introduction match. I have known the handler for a long, long time.. Our love dates back to the MySpace days so I have a special place in my hardened heart for Creed and hope he is able to own the dance floor with time. That backfist from Creed was a good spot, I can see him doing that.
-- Those that might not like Manny or don't value what he does enough? Hands down one of the best people in this game. Everytime I read his segments or matches, I think how he wants to be done soon. Wants to retire from this game and really, popularity contests can suck dirty dicks because Manny is someone who will be missed as a character and handler. At least to me..
-- Echo involving herself in the Blake O'Riley and Bryan Ford match was great! Someone should have blasted her with a chair.. Don't tell her I said that. Ford losing felt like a Razor Ramon/123 Kid moment but with an Echo twist. Interesting to see how it plays out from here.
-- AJ Knight has always been intriguing to me for reasons I feel are the wrong reasons. Since I have been around, he has either been in Tag Teams or been a Star B behind a Star A. I believe Knight is one of the more established names in Mainstream or any of the connecting companies like UWL or Lions Road and he just doesn't get the same value placed on him as a Danielson, Hammerstein or Buchanan might. I like that he kept it short and sweet, highlighting the feud with IA and the match with Zodiac. Did what was needed without the extra fluff.
-- Knight/Zodiac. Right away I feel we need to overly point out that Mainstream uses a 20 count for outside the ring. If that has changed then someone can correct me but the start of this match has them getting in the ring at 9 as if it was the last second. Kind of threw the match off track a bit for me but it picked back up. I really see a high ceiling for Zodiac! He makes the character his own instead of just a slightly different version of his PB while still keeping that brawler base style. Knight to me is HBK when HBK was working with Sid, Vader, he can brawl with the brawlers and make every match no matter the style against him look good!
-- I will always love Cyrus Riddle. He is The Dude "cool" to me and the way he words shit just connects with me. I feel his struggles, his pain and his determination to change the direction when things go off path. To play on his Devil inside comment, he should become The Devil's Heart. When he beats, you sleep.
-- Poppa DiMaria is a Diiiiick! Hahaha! If this was real wrestling on TV, that was the makings of a face turn. You felt bad seeing or "hearing" what her own Father had to say about her and her upcoming Title match. Like damn..
-- With Children of the Moon gone, it will be interesting to see what transpires from here. Euphoric is a creative twist on the two girl power team. As were Children and when they were feuding, it was a back and forth trade off that only did good things for the Tag Division! The next chapter can either push the bar higher or see it peak from what it was.
-- Charles Hudson needs to not tell people he seen Cashe in a dumpster. What had happened was.. Fill in the blank.
-- Healy had a good segment here. From the Horse references to seeing Madison as a pest that won't leave her alone. She plays the character well and does a good job at not being just the same character with a new name as too many who run multiple characters end up being. And the match up screen pic is maybe the best one. The belt looks and fits the PB so well that it's like Goldberg when he wore the WCW World or US Titles, just fits perfectly in appearance. If that makes sense..
-- There were a few times I really thought the US Title would change hands. The sequences came together perfectly here as if they co-wrote the match together instead of sending in their separate spots. I like Keeton and don't believe for a second that this is the last we will see of him looking good. Winning or Losing.
-- Cartier essentially is saying that all white people look alike! Hahahaha I just like Cartier! I think she as a character has evolved without losing what makes her "her" and that is hard to do when at every turn there are people who knock your hustle and look to just tear what you do down or discredit. I loved and agree with a lot of the points she made in the segment. Lady Liberty had me dying tho!
-- Emma and Maureen. Short match but I think Emma needed a win like this. The Emma character doesn't really NEED the extra bits of her gimmick because the character is hard hitting, hulk smash beastly without all the extra. Maureen is someone I don't know but the "no show" line in commentary makes me think she didn't send in sequences or didn't do something so it's good she got squashed if that's the case. I am glad Emma got a good win here!
-- The Emma segment after the match seemed almost like she lost. One step forward, two steps back. Just the little things said but the mysterious phone call is a nice seed planted to grow roots with. So I am interested in seeing where she goes with that.
-- Madison is just a badass! His ability to match every roster, every level of competition at every turn I have seen him do it for is just.. Amazing! He juggled Healy and Cartier so well here, using things Healy has said about Cartier and exposing it how he sees it as being. Between this segment and Cartier's seggo, I am more excited for the match. Not having read it yet.. Shhh no spoilers!
-- Kicking her to the head while she was down.. This is America! Geezus! I love how Cartier is avoiding submissions and grapples with Madison throughout. It's a styles clash that is often not used in match writing very well anymore. It's all about high spots over storytelling and that is a loss for the game itself and sport of pro wrestling. Imo. This was a great match of styles and I wasn't sure which way it would go. After the necktie and rope break, I was sure Cartier was winning. EAT THAT ASS! Hahaha! Close calls should never be seen with a 1..2.. kickout because it removes the OHHH feel. Space that count out some so the reader can feel the match more. In the end, Cartier wanted her ass eaten one too many times. Congrats to Madison! Does this mean Cashe can call him Gov'na with a British accent? Fingers crossed.
-- Only thing that could have worked better for the Blaze Missing Poster and Hotline would have been to add a secret word into the number. Like 1-800-Fat-Chicks but in number relation. Could have decoded out to 1-800-AIH-AsHim (AI Has Him) but I am overthinking things now.. Moving on..
-- I need a Boo Crew T-Shirt and feel the PR/Marketing Team should make this happen. It won't outsell "Besties with Testies" merchandise but not everything can be BwT ya dig?
-- Eli owns his narrative. He has a vision and makes it happen and you can either be apart of it or you can watch it from afar and be a fan. He is always doing SOMETHING that you as a fan of efeds and/or Pro Wrestling can enjoy. That is what makes him have value as a member of this game. Loved the stapling of Blaze!
-- The name drops alone in Hammerstein's segment was like a who's who of Mainstream past. Minus Cashe who might have gotten his first compliment from Hammer since he won the title. This was a typical Hammerstein segment. I don't mean typical in a bad way, you just have come to expect intensity and the feeling of strength behind his segments and words. Giving casual Hammersteiners (fan base) a jog down his falls and rises of life and career before saying she will be another victim. It's like ECW Taz meets Brock Lesnar of efedding, that is Hammerstein.
-- Stellar match as one should have assumed. DiMaria is someone I think has climbed the ladder the proper way. Working up the ranks instead of just being another "look at me, I'm a badass, give me wins" approach to so many. To have her moment and reign begin with not just a win over Hammerstein (which I still have never had) but also winning the Pinnacle earlier in the year. Own your moment. Congratulations!
SIDE NOTES: Pretty sure I wrote a segment and somehow it wasn't on the show. No biggie, less of Cashe isn't a bad thing at all but it was supposed to further a storyline so it's a touch ugh.
Mainstream has a lot of creative people and characters. We might not all get along but we have shown to work through that and for the most part, we all have a fed first mentality. If the overall is great then you can be great in the overall. It's like a great Album. That album as a kid you listened through front to back, if you can read a show front to back. Find a reason to be entertained by a little bit of everything going on then you have exactly what is the purpose of playing this game. I think we have that here.. Maybe I am just biased and enjoy getting high on the fumes of our bath house.. Let me pretend we have one ok?
This is written in a liveblog format, as I read each segment and then write about it so everything is fresh in my mind.
Here's the segment by segment review of Mainstream 63, from Boise, Idaho!
- Biggs vs. Pagan: I hope everyone enjoyed the match. I always have a blast working with Billy and his characters, because we just seem to click. Loved the aggression seen from Pagan. There was an editing snafu in Biggs vs. Pagan, where it transitions from Pagan clobbering Biggs to the middle of the Bow & Arrow Lock spot, which was repeated later in the match. Just a small nitpick, as I know first hand how much goes into putting these shows together. The fact that Robb is able to do it all on his phone blows my mind, so this isn't a gripe, it's just an honest assessment.
- Biggs and Jason Cashe segment: As Madison put it on Twitter, No More Mr. Nice Guy Biggs. I like the fact that Robb made this after the break, as it allowed Biggs to catch his breath before a long promo. Nice touch from the boss man. Hope y'all enjoyed it.
- Desmond Creed vs. JT Saint: I don't think JT got any offense in except the low blow and the inside cradle. This made Desmond Creed look like a star, though the match being written in the past tense instead of present tense was slightly jarring. Still, it put over how powerful and strong Creed is, his dynamic with Echo Layne, and how crafty JT Saint is, so a successful match.
- Let's hear from Mariano Fernandez! I really like the pep talk Manny gave Robert Zodiac, and how he put over what a champion's role is. I've said it before, but Manny is the best pure babyface in Mainstream wrestling, and despite the fact that Zodiac in-character is a known bastard, Manny showing him respect helps elevate Zodiac.
- Blake O'Reilly vs Bryan Ford: Pissed off aggressive Bryan Ford is a fun Bryan Ford, and props to O'Reilly for showing his character well in the match. A nice little match that did what it needed to do, advancing the story between Ford and Echo, though personally, I think Echo was just trying to help, and Ford's being a jerk to not see that
- AJ Knight vs Robert Zodiac: Short and sweet promo from AJ before the match, selling his current feud and propping Zodiac up some more. Selling your opponent before a match makes It matter more when you beat them, or makes a loss less stinging. It's smart promo writing. As for the match itself, lots of good action. AJ pulling his chickenshit heel schtick at the beginning was amusing, and there was some great offense from both men. I love how brutal Zodiac is in the ring, with his Torpedo Headbutt being a highlight of the match for me. Neither man was afraid to take shortcuts to try and get the advantage, and it lead to an interesting dynamic. Had either one of them been a comedy character, I could see a game of cheating one-upsmanship taking place. Rock solid match, made both guys look great, and it'll be interesting to see where Zodiac goes from here after yet another loss. I feel sorry for his next opponent in kayfabe, because he's going to be out for blood! Also props to not having the Franchise or IA get involved, and just letting this breath and be its own bout.
- I loved Cyrus Riddle's promo. Nice reset for the character, and so much great content. “I keep saying “I was” as if I am not that man anymore. But no… inside of every man is a beast that needs to be exercised, not exorcised, and I am going to put that on display tonight.” SO GOOD! Riddle has seemingly been floating lately, so this focus should do the character good.
- Cyrus Riddle vs Amara Jo: Riddle followed up that banger of a promo by selling his more hostile aggression in the ring. Jo put up a good fight as a plucky underdog, but this match was a showcase for Riddle through and through, and a good one at that.
- Well done promo from Juliana DiMaria. Playing up the dysfunctional relationship her character has with her dad gives her character that much more depth and shows a tangible reason why Juliana has had such self doubt in the past. It was heartbreaking, but so raw and real that seeing Juliana overcome her demons and give a fired up and confident promo literally gave me goosebumps. Just fantastic stuff.
- Euphoric's Dayna Grace and Caroline Clarke have a great cadence between them. Their segments just flow really well. Looking forward to seeing who answers the open challenge!
- Jason Cashe vs Jack Gibson: Hot dog did I love this match! Gibson looked like a million bucks going toe to toe with Jason, and Jason is Jason! Biggs may hate the guy in character, but I have nothing but love for Jason's writing. Yeah, he's inherently silly (especially the dumpster bit in the commentary at the end of the match) but he's a silly ass kicker. Great rebound match for Jason, and both guys came out of it looking better at the end than they did coming in, which is something every match should strive for.
- You could adapt Cartman's song “Kyle's Mom” to be about Skye Healy and it would fit! I say that in the very best way possible, because Skye always, always is on point in showing Skye's arrogance and f-you mentality. This promo is interesting juxtaposed with Juliana's earlier promo, because while Skye doesn't focus too much on her dad, we have another female character who is motivated by father issues. Whereas Juliana is trying to overcome the doubt and insecurities caused by her father being a dick, Skye's motivation is proving that she's a better wrestler than her dad was, and these kinds of touches are fantastic for character building. It goes to show how two characters who have a similar trait can come at it from wildly different angles and it's just so satisfying as a reader to see that. It's also going to be interesting to see if any seeds were planted by her saying she was flat out more important than Maureen Phillips. Skye Healy is a horrible, flawed person, and I'm loving every minute of reading her.
-Skye Healy vs JC Keeton: Really solid match for the United States Championship. I particularly liked how Healy worked the leg throughout the match, and Keeton sold the leg throughout the match. The Skyfall is an absolutely nasty finisher, and a good showing by both competitors.
- Cartier is one of those characters who can either be a laugh riot or dead serious, and you can buy her either way. We get serious Cartier here, and the U.S. Grand Prix is better for it. Selling the importance of why somebody like her holding the United States Title would be more accurate in representing America itself was a powerful take, one very much informed by her character, which is why it worked so well. For what it's worth, if there were a Mainstream Online store, replica chalices would have to be for sell.
- Maureen Phillips vs Emma Douglas: This was short, but violent, which was exactly what this match should be. Douglas is an absolute beast in the ring, and this match sold that extremely well. Skye Healy sticking her nose in things at the end adds an interesting wrinkle which will be fun to see paid off on a future show. Douglas' follow up promo sold her rage well, and I wonder whom the mystery caller is. Good hook to continue the story.
- Chris Madison's promo sold the Grand Prix in a very different way than Cartier, but it was fantastic as well. Love that his character shows respect to his opponents, no matter their alignment, and plays up his history with Skye well. Loved the bit about how this wasn't his finale.
- Cartier vs Chris Madison: Holy smokes what a banger of a match, and a worthy finale to the tournament portion of the U.S. Grand Prix. Great character bits throughout, great action, and a great sense of urgency as well. Cartier is a made woman as a singles competitor after this tournament, and I'm so ready for the rematch between Chris Madison and Skye Healy! The fact that we get a couple shows to sell the feud will only help in building up even more excitement for that match!
- Eli's promo was delightfully dark and comedic. What else is there to say than it was great?
- Hammerstein getting the last word in before the title match is appropriate. Whereas last show, Julianna won the promo battle, this one is a lot more even. Both characters bringing up their past, saying how it should have broken them but has only made them stronger was a nice touch, one that I don't know if it was intentional or not, but still, just great storytelling. I also liked the bit about how talking wouldn't keep him down for three seconds.
- Jacob Hammerstein vs. Julianna DiMaria: One thing that is evident in reading this matchup is that Hammer and Julianna have a great chemistry as writers. The action just flows so smoothly and this was a darn exciting match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Big time congrats to Julianna for the title victory, but props to both for an extremely well written match. They sold the match coming in, and it lived up to the hype. Hammerstein presenting the belt instead of Bombay was a classy touch, though I would have liked a little bit more focus on Julianna in the post match. Still, a great end to a really strong show!
Final Thoughts: Mainstream Wrestling continues to roll along nicely. My pick for my favorite match of the night goes to Jason Cashe vs Jack Gibson, but you could also put the Grand Prix finals and the Main Event up there, and I wouldn't argue with you. Best promo goes to Julianna DiMaria, but honestly, everyone put forth great promos. It was an entertaining read throughout, and even though there were a few minor nitpicks, the promo work and match quality gives this show an easy A.
Post by HAMMERSTEIN on Mar 8, 2021 23:37:54 GMT -5
I wanted to do an in depth review of the show like Cashe & Biggs did, but I just couldn't. So, I'm going to do a less thorough feedback style review.
1. Favorite Moment: Dimaria pinning Hammerstein clean. I always want Hammer to lose clean, unless storylines dictate otherwise. When he won the title from Cashe under less than clean circumstances, I was cool with it because it kicked off the Cashe/Biggs feud (which I'm a huge fan off, but I digress.) Julianna's clean victory was the best way to cap off her impressive ascension to the throne.
2. Fighter of the Night: Julianna Dimaria. Dimaria's promos are intense and passionate, and the one for this show was no exception. It made me want to see her win, even against my own character, lol. Seriously, her story up to now has been tremendous to witness, and I think it's just the beginning.
3. Match of the Night: It's hard to single one out, because it almost feels like a slight toward the other matches. But, if I had to choose, I'd say Cartier vs Madison. I'm neither young nor hip enough to use the term "banger" like Biggs did, but if I were, that would be the exact term I'd use. What a fun, intense, match to watch/read. I'd like to say this match got Cartier over or it made her a main event caliber star in Mainstream, but I can't, because she has always been those things. She deserves a run at the World Title, imo.
And Madison winning the finals makes me so excited for his match with Skye. These two are great characters who play well off each other, and I look forward to the build to their match.
4. Segment of the Night: There were so many great segments to choose from, but I'm going to say it's a tie between AJ Knight's segment and Manny's segment. I liked the white bread babyface that AJ Knight use to be (if there were not babyface AJ, Heel Hammer would never had come to exist.), but I love Heel AJ.
Cashe was spot on in his assessment of AJ. He's no supporting cast member, he's a marquee name.
Another quality promo from Manny, but that's to be expected. I liked how he challenged Zodiac to step up, regain the belt, and represent the company. He's such a unique character,and a company man, both IC & OOC. I'm gonna miss Manny, both IC & OOC. He's one of the true good guys.
5. Favorite Small or Minor Detail: Pagan's Iron Claw/ Eyegouge combo on Biggs and this line from Cashe after the Pagan/Biggs match:
"They are but viewers and do not influence my direction."
For some reason that made me smile. It accurately embodies Cashe's independent streak.
Any nitpicks I have were covered already. An amazing show and a great way to start a new era in Mainstream. Great job everybody!
