BREAKING FROM THE DESK OF THE GENERAL MANAGER: It has been determined that at the Royal Rumble, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions The Wyldhearts will defend the titles in a Fatal Four Way match against the Royal Effect, the Future Foundation, and the Love Connection.

Felt sick for a bit and when I'm in that position, I can't focus on getting ANYTHING done, much less writing up the shows. I have to try to get back in the groove. I'm so close to the Rumble. :o

I'm largely at the point where I just can't be bothered :( my problem with doing real-world booking is I invariably end up having to stop for a while because life getting in the way and by the time I come back to it, the real-world landscape has changed so drastically it's tough to get back into it

I mean here I was building towards Punk vs. MJF at Wembley Stadium and in real life Punk (probably deliberately) got himself fired and then waltzes back into WWE doing corny "I'm home" speeches. Kinda tough to go back into a happier timeline.

If I give a sim game another go I might opt for the historical route since I won't really care about taking breaks

Years and years ago I gave a go at re-doing the Invasion in a less shitty manner and that was fun but the storyline is only a finite period of time

Picking up WCW at Starrcade 1997 or something made for a fun time since they were still largely top of the charts but the goal was to stave off the real-life decline

Guess we can eventually start a wrestling sim topic on https://tpww.freeforums.net/ and enjoy being the only ones posting there :lol:

I'll probably start it up over there myself. Damn holidays and other distractions keeping me from progress. :o

Superstars: January 17, 2041

Opening Match: Quinten McDaniels, Chet Morris, and Hugo vs. Nigel Gallagher and The British Infection
Quinten gets on the mic and tells everyone to not let something like Butch Fleming returning distract from the real important matters at hand. "Quite frankly, if Butch wants to make a nuisance of himself I'll remind him that he, too, qualifies as baggage from the past and the Royal Rumble is the perfect place to dump baggage!"

Chet takes the mic and calls out his cousin, Lyle. "Lyle, I know that short of ending your career you're far too full of yourself to know when to quit. Like I said, I'm going to deal with you, but on my terms and my terms alone. So I'm offering you your chance. You and me, one-on-one at the Royal Rumble! The sooner we can get deal with this, the sooner I can forget about you and leave you behind!"

I say opening things with a six-man is a great way to kick off the show. The Stable That Isn't a Stable look good here against a team like the Brits. After a "Katy, bar the door!" scenario, things end with Chet hitting Nigel with the Backwoods Bomb after catching a crossbody attempt. That's going to be enough to give the heels the pinfall win. ****1/2, 91% overall.

In-Ring Super Special Talky Time with the WWE Women's Champion, the 2040 Woman of the Year, Sonya Braddock! This will be Braddock's first opportunity to speak about the challenger waiting for her at the Rumble. She's asked by Josh Matthews on her thoughts on the matter as she begins a new year with someone whom she's not familiar. Sonya responds by asking everyone how familiar they are with the story of the Pied Piper. "I'll give a brief summary for anyone who doesn't know the story. There was a town with a massive rat problem. There was no solution in sight for this infestation and the people were desperate. One day, a stranger comes into town offering to take care of the rat problem, for a fee, of course. The people agreed and sure enough the stranger played a song on his flute that mesmerized the rats and they followed the stranger out of town into a river and they drowned. The stranger asked for his fee that was promised to him, but the people of the town, now that they got what they wanted, went back on their agreement and refused to pay. So the stranger decided to play his flute and use the music to lead the children of the town away. Now that's a pretty grim and dark story, no? But see, what people take away from that story, what they think is the lesson, is don't trust strangers. Well, they're wrong. The moral of the story is KEEP YOUR DAMN PROMISES! Carmella Costello, I understand that you've been fed a lot of beautiful words and promises from your manager Brooke. Brooke has this master plan and strategy that's promising you the world, in other words, all the things that you want to hear! Carmella, I'm not here to tell you what you want to hear. That's not my job. My job is to hurt people and beat them and be the best women's wrestler, no matter what anyone else tells you! So understand, Carmella, that Brooke is making promises that she can't keep and you're going to be one to take the brunt of the consequences. At the Royal Rumble, you want to be led by everything that Brooke is putting in your head? Well, that's where you pay the piper, in suffering and humiliation!"

This is going to cause Brooke to come out to respond. She's smart enough to not get in the same ring as Braddock and chooses to speak to the champion from the stage. "Sonya Braddock, I hope you understand that, much like with Seth Von Kamp, none of this is personal. As someone who was once in your position, I get that any threat, especially a threat like Carmella Costello, is going to make you agitated and insulted and uneasy. But I made a vow, Sonya. It's fortunate for you that you weren't around during my heyday. You wouldn't have stood a chance with me in the way as champion and you would have never reached the mythical level you're at now. Oh, there's no way I could out-power you, and certainly some of your contemporaries have failed at that. I certainly couldn't out-technique you. Again, there have been failures at that endeavor. But as far as outthinking you? I've always been at the top of the class in that department, then and now! Knowledge is power, Sonya, and at the Royal Rumble, Carmella is going to wield it. You saw what ended up happening to Seth Von Kamp. That's your future, Sonya, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Sonya grabs poor Josh's hand to take control of the mic as she offers her rebuttal to Brooke's rant. "Here's something for you to ponder, Brooke, and you can tell your girl Carmella the same thing: the only thing about brains that concerns someone like me, is they can get bashed in!" Brooke merely glares at the Women's champion as she considers this statement, but ultimately decides to withdraw to the back as Sonya Braddock stands defiant in the ring.

Backstage, Luscious is with CRACK LEGAL TEAM Galino & Farnes! Luscious is disappointed to have to tell all of Michael Hotbody's great fans that the search for any sort of blemish on Neil Quint's record hasn't been going great. But dilligence is the name of the game in the arena that is Galino & Farnes. There's a simple solution to all of this and that is if Neil Quint were to suffer a loss right now, then the WWE can't promote this match as it would be guaranteed that Neil would have to give up his title shot. "So here's the deal, Neil: find yourself a partner and go out to that ring right now so that Galino & Farnes can make this easy on everyone!"

Second Match: Clubber Harris and Neil Quint vs. Galino & Farnes
Well, this is no surprise. Harris is eager to do what he can to continue being a thorn in the side of Zed Jones. Speaking of which, both Zed and Michael Hotbody decide to make themselves known as this match goes on. Things break down and Zed is up on the apron. Neil dives over him to hit Michael Hotbody on the outside. Zed is distracted by this and he doesn't see Freddie Galino coming his way after Clubber ducks an attempted lariat from him. Zed and Galino collide, sending Zed off the apron. Galino falls victim to the Club Pain and that's going to give the faces the pin. Guess that means Neil is still on track to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title! ****1/2, 93% overall.

Third Match: Debra Phillips vs. Ainsley
I'm hoping to bring this little scuffle to a close to hopefully move Debra on to something fairly major I'm planning for her. Ainsley would make for a solid addition as a solo player in the women's division game. The overall rating reflects Debra bringing things down with her lack of charisma, but it's nothing to sneeze at. I bet the major promotions would kill for something like this. I'm not blowing this off just yet so we'll ends things this way. Debra is on the outside and she pulls Ainsley over to the corner post. It looks like she's going to try to slam one of Ainsley's knees into the post in an attempt to really hurt her. Ainsley, fortunately, is quick to the punch and pulls her leg in, taking Debra along with the momentum, and Debra hits face first into the post. That looked ugly. The ref reaches a count of 10 as Debra fails to make it back into the ring and that's going to be a win for Ainsley. No doubt that's going to stick in the craw of Debra as this moves along. ****1/4, 87% overall.

More In-Ring Super Special Talky Time this time with Cameron Harper. We're shown the dispicable actions he took back on Monday when he apparently turned his back completely on Ethan Lang. Cameron takes the mic and declares he's going to bare his soul to us all. "You need to forgive me, but this is something that needs to be said. What happened on Raw between Ethan and myself HAD to happen! I needed to punish him and get rid of him! Ethan, as talented as he is, was someone I didn't need. All Ethan was doing was getting in the way! He was getting in the way of the special relationship that Jake Connelly and I have! I'm the only client that Jake Connelly needs! Ethan Lang was jealous and threatened by me ever since the beginning! He did everything he could to undermine me and get in between Jake and me! Just look at what he did for Christmas! Ethan knew that Jake was going to love anything I gave him so Ethan took it upon himself to go out of the way to go overboard with his present! But it wasn't going to last, Ethan! You didn't count on me having enough of your underhanded tactics and you didn't count on the strong bond between Jake and myself! We don't need you, Ethan, and I hope you got that message loud and clear on Raw!"

This is going to call for Jake Connelly himself to come out to address the matter. He looks incredibly confused and unsettled as he enters the ring and takes a mic to talk to Cameron. Cameron looks overjoyed and he thanks Jake for joining him in discarding Ethan Lang. Jake is quick to fire back.

"Cameron, I hate to burst your bubble here, but you're fired!" The crowd cheers at this as Cameron looks incredulous. Jake continues. "You seriously expect me to stick around with you after what you did? After I took a chance on you?"

"Jake, what the hell are talking about? I'm the only client you need! Being mentored and managed by you has been a dream come true for me!"

"And why is that, Cameron? Did you really want to learn from me or were you just being selfish and hoping to get your name out there by associating with me? You agreed to follow my lead and time and time and time again, you kept straying from my path. You want to do things your way? Then so be it! I'm done with this and I'm done with you!"

Cameron can't believe what he's hearing and he looks visibly shaken as he tries to respond. "Jake, come on, you don't mean that! Everything I did, I did because I thought it was right and it was what needed to be done! You can't get rid of me! This would be the biggest mistake of your life!"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, Cameron, but I've learned a long time ago that mistakes are forks in the road. There are lot of ways to go from this point. And let me tell you where we're going, Cameron. You see, you are in fact fired, but before I came out here to make that call, I talked things over with Ethan and Lisa Benton. As your final match booked under my watch, you will be at the Royal Rumble and you will face Ethan Lang! You think you're better than him? Well, now you can prove it!"

Jake Connelly drops the mic and turns to leave, but the revelation of all of this is apparently too much for Cameron to take and he once again flips his shit. He demonstrates this by nailing Connelly from behind, knocking down his now former manager. This doesn't look good for Connelly as Cameron is just beside himself, looking betrayed. He throws Connelly to the outside and continues to assault him. Cameron gets his hands on the steel steps and stalks Connelly who's trying to get back to his feet. Connelly turns around and is greeted with the steel steps right into his face. That's going to cause some color from him as Cameron continues to look deranged with rage. He's not done and he goes to the mount, pounding away at Connelly's face. Officials come on down to try get Cameron off of Connelly, but it's a struggle as Cameron is just too far gone at this point. We go to break with this chaotic scene continuing to play out.

Fourth Match: The Youngbloods vs. The Dillingers
I feel bad for the Dillingers, seeing as they're not really in the thick of anything major and just last year they were on their way to WrestleMania, feuding with the tag champions. They still have their uses, notably here where they boost my overall rating for the night with a fucking awesome match. The Youngbloods might have to get split as they've been directionless and I don't think that name applies anymore. But, yeah, this rocks all kinds of ass. Ben is up on top ready to come off onto Sully Lane. Matt Riley tries to make a save while on the apron, but Joey drop kicks him off sending him into Stephan Sterling on the outside. Ben hits Sully with the Dillinger Escape Plan off the top and that's going to give the Dillingers the win via pin. *****, 97% overall.

Fifth Match: Kerry Cemenko vs. Azazel
Hey, look, it's another guy I've completely overlooked! Er, I mean, wow, look! Azazel is back from his vacation. He looks good. Very well rested. *ahem* Anyway, we're shown Brandon Reigns in the crowd again, still being a douche about not having to actually do anything until WrestleMania with his briefcase. Cemenko gives him the stink eye throughout this contest, but Reigns doesn't care. Anyway, we keep the momentum for Cemenko going as he survives a hard-fought encounter here. Cemenko avoids Azazel coming off the middle rope with an attempted forearm smash and that allows Cemenko to hit the Curb Stomp to score the pin. ****1/2, 92% overall.

Backstage we go again where Eddy Clash is under the microscope, so to speak. He's asked about his experiences so far since being in the WWE. Eddy claims that he's struggling to come up with anyone on the roster with a whirlwind bunch of months like his. He came in against Michael Hotbody and all of his goons. Then there was that whole Money in the Bank briefcase situation with Brandon Reigns. Then he gets blindsided by this lunatic named Hugo. Then he's teaming up with the likes of Haven. Now he's looking at his first Royal Rumble appearance. "It's all I ever dreamed of and then some! But there's one big part of the dream still missing. The main event of WrestleMania is calling my name and as the biggest and baddest man in that Rumble, I'm looking to make more of that dream a reality. There have been some curveballs, for sure, but I've wanted to be part of the WWE since I was a little boy so any of this extra nonsense from the like of Hugo and Quinten McDaniels and Chet Morris and anyone else, I'll take the bad with the good. The bodies are going to be flying all over the place in the Rumble. Prepare the best way you can because I'm bringing the thunder!"

Sixth Match: Jenna Kyle and The Perfections vs. Dusk and the Southern Belles
Naturally I can also count on my girls to deliver some much needed high ratings. Six of them in one match should suffice. We're reminded of the title match at the Royal Rumble with the Perfections defending against the Southern Belles in a tornado style No DQ match. Bonnie's head is bandaged after suffering an El Kabong back on Raw. Jenna ends up playing face-in-peril after some solid opening work from everyone. Dusk is more than happy to wreck her shit up. Things come to an end after Leah gets the hot tag off of Jenna and we naturally get a BONZO GONZO storm of shit from everyone. Leah has Dusk in position for a Sultry Splash, but as she runs to the ropes Hannah jabs her in the ribs with another guitar. That's going to stun Leah enough to where Dusk recovers and hits Leah with the Final Sunset and that's going to give the heels the win via pin. The dance continues. ****1/4, 90% overall.

MAIN EVENT: Simon Bennett vs. Jason Sorola
Jason Sorola isn't having it tonight and rips into Simon Bennett for being named the number one contender to the Unified World Title. He calls Bennett a man out of place and that he's no better than Ryan Pattillo or anyone else who ignores and overshadows someone like himself. "While Simon Bennett was off doing who knows what and abandoning all of this, I was on the top of my game and fighting to break through! I actually gave a damn about making a name for myself, being a free thinker, unlike another sad sack of crap like Michael Haywood. Michael is feeling the sting of choosing to remain docile and that sting is coming out as resentment and jealousy towards me. Well, you can feel however you want to feel, Michael. I'm about to take down the so-called number one contender and embarrass him!"

Bennett is all about shoving those words down Sorola's throat and thus we get a pretty awesome physical main event here. Both Michael Haywood and the Unified World Champion Wrakk make their way out to ringside to observe. I'm sure that's not going to ruin anything. Well, Wrakk is ready to prove me wrong. He hops up on the apron as both Bennett and Sorola fight to get up to their feet to stop a potential double countout. Haywood is on top of that shit and holds on to one of Wrakk's legs. Wrakk isn't having it and fights him off, but turns back to the action to see Bennett shoving Sorola off of him causing a collision. Bennett hits a German suplex with a bridge and that's going to be a pinfall victory for Bennett. Business still isn't over as Wrakk steps into the ring to get face-to-face with his challenger. They trade some choice words between them. Sorola is still bitter so he drop kicks Bennett from behind sending him into Wrakk. Wrakk is offended at this and nails Bennett, triggering a little brawl between them. Michael Haywood joins the fray by sliding in to get him a piece of Jason. Sorola rakes the eyes of Michael after a bit of that to give him an opportunity to escape while officials come down to break things up between Wrakk and Bennett. *****, 94% overall.

Overall show rating: 90%

Hey this thread lived to see its 20th birthday and then some. Wish I could access the old sim thread on the OG boards.

SmackDown!: January 18, 2041

Opening Match: Quinten McDaniels and Hugo vs. Lyle Morris and Eddy Clash
Lyle begins things by taking the mic to address his cousin, Chet, and what he said last night. "Let me just set the record straight for everyone here. This was supposed to be Eddy and me against that giant tub of gumbo Hugo and my piece of crap cousin right here, right now. But word travels fast around here and apparently Chet wants to pull his 'on my own terms' card and got himself replaced. Chet, I don't care what you have to say about this whole matter between us. As long as I'm able to get my hands on you, that's on my terms. The point of all this is to smack you around and making you pay for being a backstabbing swamp dweller. If family don't mean anything to you, so be it! I accept your offer for a match between the two of us at the Royal Rumble. It's high time this nonsense comes back around to boot you in the ass! Backing out of this match right now might have been the smartest thing you could've done, Chet, but showing up at the Rumble is going to be the dumbest!"

With that said and done, this is a great way to start things off tonight. It's all intense stuff and full speed the whole way through. Chet Morris makes his way out in the middle of the match to get in the head of Lyle. Things end in a rotten way, though, when Lyle has Hugo in position for an attempt at his Cajun Spice off the ropes. Chet decides to intervene and shove Lyle off. The ref sees this and calls for the DQ against Hugo and Quinten. Three against two is a bad situation here, even with Eddy holding his own somewhat. The balance is restored with Orlando Kincaid running down, chair in hand, to unload on the heels. The Stable That Isn't a Stable decides to bail. Lyle isn't having it and takes Orlando's chair away and goes off on his own to chase Chet who breaks off from his pack to run away in another direction. The remaining 4 men shout at each other, with Orlando and Eddy still looking to fight. ****1/4, 89% overall.

To the back we go where we've got Kyle Jacobs standing by. He's asked about his chances at winning the Royal Rumble. "Listen, if I wasn't confident and didn't think I could win it, I wouldn't have been the first person to throw my name in the ring, so to speak. Last year at WrestleMania, I pulled off an incredible moment, one that no one thought was possible. I'm itching to do it again. I'm itching to shove the doubt down the throats of anyone not giving me a chance." Kyle gets asked if that includes Chris Collins. "Oh, it most certainly does. He's right at the top of the list. Look, more power to him if he's getting a second wind and re-establishing himself here in the WWE. The more top guys I can toss out of that Rumble, the better it is for me. When everyone is out of that match and I'm the last man standing in the middle of that ring, everyone is going to be able to say that Kyle Jacobs went through hell and that Kyle Jacobs is ready for that WrestleMania main event. Why? Because I stood up to the biggest and the best and I didn't flinch. So bring it all at the Rumble, Chris. Your bitterness, your anger, your disgust, your chip on your shoulder...for all the good it's going to do."

Also elsewhere, Brooke is with Salvatore Scabbia and the new WWE Intercontinental Champion Ronnie Costello. She dismisses Kyle's comments and claims that what he did last year at WrestleMania ultimately did nothing to stop Salvatore Scabbia and his ascent. "Salvatore ended up being the biggest threat to the Unified World Title and he'd be standing here with that title if not for the absurd amount of bias and incompetence permeating in the WWE. But things are looking up. The WWE Women's Title is within reach and just last week Ronnie planted the flag of Brooke by taking what he deserves in this WWE Intercontinental Title. And the really scary thing about of all of this is that I'm not stopping. Salvatore and Ronnie are in that Royal Rumble and they're going to be the force with which everyone's going to reckon. The two of them can accomplish anything. They'd even make better tag team champions than the ones we have right now!"

Speaking of which, Madison and her clients, the WWE Unified Tag Team Champions themselves, are walking by and they catch what Brooke just said and take offense. Madison is quick to give Brooke some lip. "You know, Brooke, there's something to be said about what Sonya Braddock talked about last night on Superstars. You need to be really careful about what you're promising. My boys, the Wyldhearts, beat the Tag Team of the Year. They're on their way to beating 3 teams at the Rumble in order to keep these titles. Your reach exceeds your grasp, Brooke. This is all going to blow up in your face in a really ugly way if you're not careful."

Brooke isn't about to just take that and fires back. "Nothing about me is ugly, Madison. But if you and your boys are so confident, pony up and put those titles on the line tonight against Salvatore and Ronnie here. We were coming for those titles anyway. We might as well take them off your hands now and get it over with!"

Madison looks back to the Wyldhearts, looking for approval to go ahead with this proposal. Neither Robbie or Blaine seem to mind and Madison turns back to Brooke and tells her that she's on. "We'll see you in the main event!" And with that, the Wyldhearts and Madison go off on their own way. Is Brooke's camp going to collect another championship tonight?

Second Match: The Perfections vs. The Glamour Brigade
Speaking of champions, time to give the Women's Tag Team Champions some shine. Given the stats for C.J. and Arianna, they should be the ones I'm pushing as the main heel threat to Leah and Bonnie, but such is life. Maybe down the road. The Southern Belles are in the back watching the match on a monitor. This ends up rocking all kinds of ass. Things come to an end when Arianna sends Leah to the ropes looking to set her up for the Nose Dive. She launches Leah into the air, but Bonnie comes in to tackle Arianna, essentially breaking up the sequence, allowing Leah to land relatively safely. C.J. comes into try to take out Bonnie, but Leah sends her over the top to the outside. Arianna is down and Leah takes advantage by hitting the Sultry Splash on her and that's going to give the faces the win via pinfall. MOMENTUM has been created for the champions. ****1/2, 93% overall.

In-Ring Super Special Talky Time as Cameron Harper comes on out with a bag and a metal bin to the ring. What's this all about? The crowd reaction says it all as to how well-received his actions as of late have been. He asks the crowd to reconsider their negativity, especially once they hear what he has to say. "Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, if it comes down to Jake Connelly and me and you're pondering who deserves your trust and adulation more, I'm here to tell you that I'm the one you can actually count on when it comes to decency and honesty! I, unfortunately, had to learn a very harsh lesson, one that I'm going to pass on to all of you. Never meet your heroes! Let me show you all something."

Cameron proceeds to open the bag and dump its contents out in the ring. "Take a look at all of this. Two weeks ago, I would've called all of this some of my valued possessions. Now, I'm free to call it what it is. It's a pile of garbage and a symbol of how much I've wasted! I was as big a fan of Jake Connelly as you could get! He was one of the, if not the biggest, highlights of the WWE as I was growing up and I patterned myself after him. I surrounded myself with all of this memorabilia and merchandise. Look at this poster! This was the first thing I ever hung up on a wall the moment I got my own room! This shirt, this shirt right here, I wore to the WrestleMania where Jake Connelly returned after two long years to win the Unified World Title in the main event! All of this stuff in this pile right here represents the passion for this business that was formed with the admiration I had for Jake Connelly! But it turns out Jake isn't the man I thought he was! He'd rather embrace mediocrity with a guy like Ethan Lang! Was Ethan Lang ever a fan of Jake Connelly?!? NO! And then he had the gall to try to elbow me out of the picture purely out of spite and jealousy! Quite frankly, I should have seen this coming long before all of this. Jake, I should've been the first person you came to when you were starting your new career as a manager! I swallowed my pride and I practically had to beg and parade around for you just to give me a chance. And where did it all get me?!? Jake and Ethan, you're going to reap what you've sown and it's going to happen at the Royal Rumble. And if you have any doubts as to how serious I'm going take this, watch and learn because this is the perfect metaphor for all of this." With that said, Cameron drops the mic and proceeds to gather up all of the stuff in the ring and dump it in the bin. He then proceeds to pull out some lighter fluid and matches, igniting the contents. He stares at it for a while before taking his leave, shouting at the camera that he'll be waiting at the Royal Rumble.

Third Match: Zed Jones vs. Neil Quint
Zed is accompanied by Michael Hotbody who gets on the mic to address Neil Quint. He says he's on board with the idea that Galino & Farnes had to get rid of Quint's status as number one contender. So he came up with the idea of Neil Quint having to go through Zed Jones here tonight. "Surely if Neil was so confident and so worthy of a title shot, he'll have no problem coming out here and dealing with the man here. I mean, I believe in you, Neil. These people here all believe in you! What's the problem? Come on out here if you really feel you deserve to face me at the Royal Rumble!"

Some time passes but eventually Neil Quint comes on out, smiling and pumped and ready to go. He goes a few steps before suddenly doubling over and grabbing his stomach. He looks like he's in pain. Lisa Benton is quick to come out to the stage to check on Neil. She has a mic and questions Neil as to what's wrong. Neil claims that his tummy just started to hurt. Lisa is SHOCKED AND APPALLED and looks concerned, questioning Neil if he thinks he can go through with the match. Neil puts on a brave face and tries to assure everyone that he thinks he can manage. He goes a few more steps but then grabs his stomach again. Lisa again is "concerned" and declares that, by golly, it doesn't look like Neil can go through with this match. "Gosh, this looks serious! Neil, I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to participate here tonight. And I know just how badly you wanted to and I know Zed and Michael were looking forward to having a match, also. Well, Zed, don't worry. I have a replacement for Neil and he's in top form so don't worry. You're getting a match after all. You two enjoy and poor Neil here is going to get checked out in the back. Zed, you look ready to go, so here's your substitute opponent."

Actual Third Match: Zed Jones vs. Clubber Harris
Well, duh. Zed and Michael are furious and beside themselves. Neil and Lisa head to the back and Clubber looks eager to kick some ass. We get another power match as you'd expect from these two. Things spill to the outside, triggering a ten count as both men fail to make it back in. That's going to go down as a draw. Michael Hotbody tries to intervene as Clubber has the advantage as he's just pounding away on Zed. Clubber merely pie faces Hotbody and shoves the Cruiserweight Champion over the barrier. Zed recovers and tackles Clubber, sending them both over the barrier. They brawl out of sight through the crowd with officials on their tail. ****1/2, 92% overall.

Fourth Match: Ziggy Styles vs. Isaac Wolff
Ziggy declares that for the first time in history, the Royal Rumble is going to get Ziggy with it because he's going to be part of it this year! The power of positivity is coming to the main event of WrestleMania and Ziggy Styles is the gatekeeper, fighting valiantly to stave off the stench and blight of negativity coming from everyone else in that Rumble!Gloom and doom has had its day and it's high time that someone like Ziggy Styles gets to shine! Pretty words, but maybe there's something to it? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Until then, Ziggy certainly shines here. A fantastic mid-card bout to keep everyone engaged. It's definitely a far cry from the previous bout. Things come to an end with Ziggy catching Isaac in the air, dropping him into a power bomb and then proceeding to stack him up using the ropes for some leverage. Positive leverage! That's enought to give Ziggy the cheap win via pinfall. ****1/2, 92% overall.

Once more to the back where we've got Paul Andrews, ready to talk about his client, Simon Bennett, challenging for the Unified World Title at the Royal Rumble. "Unfortunately, Simon isn't here tonight, but just know that Simon has been using every minute of off-time to prepare and perfect his craft in order to be 100% ready for what's coming at the Royal Rumble. And when you consider that Simon has always been at the top of his game, either years before or since coming back, that should make Wrakk very, very worried. The end result of the situation with Adam Hail should be looked at as an example as to what Simon is capable of when he's laser focused and determined to right a wrong. Believe Simon when he says that he's looking to make this return mean something."

Who should make himself known but the WWE Unified World Champion Wrakk. He gets in Paul's face and asks him if he's been totally honest with Simon Bennett. "I can kind of forgive Simon for being naive, seeing as he was gone during the time I ascending to where I'm at now. But you, Andrews? You've been here every step of the way. Hell, you've been a victim, haven't you? I don't think you've completely conveyed the reality that's going to go down at the Rumble to Simon. Otherwise, he wouldn't be such a confident, wide-eyed idiot coming out here, week in and week out, spouting off the nonsense of hoping to be the champion one more time. If you were any kind of manager, Andrews, you need to start being honest with your guy."

"I don't doubt you're going to give Simon a fight to remember, Wrakk. What I doubt is if you've got enough in you to finish it. Haven't all of your title defense ended in someone coming in to bail you out? Yeah, they have, haven't they. From Haven to Ryan Pattillo to Orlando Kincaid just a few weeks ago. I'm starting to believe you've built this title reign on a house of cards and Simon's the big bad wolf coming to knock it all down at the Royal Rumble."

Wrakk takes a moment to ponder this, then responds. "Well, Paul, if you're not going to give him the message I asked you to, maybe Simon can get this one." With that, Wrakk boots Paul Andrews in the gut and proceeds to pound him down into the ground, continuing the assault by stomping away at the manager while he's down. Wrakk picks up Andrews and sends him into some equipment. Officials come onto the scene to get in between the champion and the fallen Andrews. Wrakk looks like he's satisfied and backs away, shouting some more at Andrews as he leaves.

Fifth Match: Moses McKay vs. Caleb Greene
Representatives of two of the teams involved in that four-way for the Unified Tag Team Titles at the Rumble are going at it here. The Future Foundation make their way out to the announce table to give their thoughts on the matter, as they, too, will also be involved in that match. We get a great "big man-little man" match here, as Greene has a lot of experience in this department. Things end when Moses shoves Caleb off of him and Caleb bumps into the ref slightly. The ref stumbles, but that's enough for Moses to deliver a quick low blow, undetected, to Caleb and then he follows it up with the Mass Effect. The ref recovers and counts the pin, giving the cheap victory to McKay. MOMENTUM has been built. ****1/2, 93% overall.

Again to the back where Sophie Waters is with Cordelia Capriati. They want to rip into Carmella Costello, telling her they're not impressed with the fact that she basically lucked her way into the title match at the Rumble. Cordelia declares that she's not going to just go away if that's the hope that Brooke and Carmella have in their heads. "You know what, Carmella? I actually hope you manage to buck the odds and somehow walk out of the Royal Rumble with the title in your possession. In just a few short weeks, you know what's coming? The Queen of the Ring. And I can't think of a better way to ruin this whole design than by winning that tournament this year and breaking Carmella Costello like the fragile little bitch she is at WrestleMania and taking the title for myself. Have a fun time at the Rumble, Carmella. I'll be watching."

MAIN EVENT: WWE Unified Tag Team Titles
The Wyldhearts (c) vs. Salvatore Scabbia and Ronnie Costello
Brooke and Ronnie dismiss Cordelia's comments. Brooke claims that the gears are in motion and they're not to be stopped by a freaking tantrum. Ronnie puts all of his support and faith behind his sister. He says that it will be an honor to wear gold alongside his sister and he's more than happy to do what he can to make that a reality. Hell, right now, he has an opportunity to be a double champion! "Unlike a bunch of ingrates walking around here, I'm not the least bit sorry in casting my lot with Brooke. Sal and I are standing here in the main event, while all of the other whiners are back there kicking dirt around, feeling sorry for themselves. All I can say is get ready to feel even more pathetic because we're walking out of here with those tag team titles!"

Naturally, we get a fucking awesome closer here. The Wyldhearts are just perfect to play the role of pretty boy underdogs getting beat down by the big bad heels. Madison does what she can to neutralize the Brooke factor on the outside. Things break down as the ref does what he can to get in the middle of Brooke and Madison. Salvatore decides to get involved by heading over to the scuffle and stalk Madison, leaving Ronnie to fend for himself. Brooke takes this opportunity to slide Ronnie his Intercontinental Title belt while the ref is busy with Salvatore. Ronnie has Blaine in his sights and is ready to nail him with the belt. WAIT A MINUTE!!! HERE COMES SETH VON KAMP!!! The former champion yanks the title belt out of the hands of Ronnie. Ronnie turns around to see what is happening and freezes in place, totally shocked by Seth's appearance. He fails to see Blaine coming of the top to nail him with a drop kick. Seth takes his leave as Robbie Greer takes out Salvatore with a baseball slide. The Wyldhearts regroup and hit a dazed Ronnie with the Heartstopper! The ref is back in position and counts the pin on Ronnie! The Wyldhearts retain the titles!!! Brooke is livid! Seth tosses the belt to her and shouts at her that he's coming to take it back for real. We go off the air with Brooke stewing and the Wyldhearts celebrating. *****, 94% overall.

Overall show rating: 90%

Raw: January 21, 2041

The Royal Rumble is this Sunday! Let's hope nobody fucks things up tonight...or the rest of the week!

Opening Match: ???
WTF IS THIS??? It's Adam Hail making his return and kicking things off here! We haven't seen him since his brutal chain match against Simon Bennett at Bragging Rights. Well, he's looking in top form here at least. Let's hear what he has to say.

"Sorry, but I'm not letting anyone else taken any more thunder from where it belongs. Forget all of what's gone down these last few weeks. The real story is right here. I'm over the hell that I went through at Bragging Rights and I'm ready to carve out my own piece of 2041! Now I bet you're all thinking that I'm bitter over losing to Simon Bennett and now he gets to go to the Royal Rumble and challenge for the Unified World Title. You're only half-right. Losing to Bennett is an insult, but I want him to know that I'm rooting for him this Sunday. Yeah, that's right, I hope he walks out of this Sunday the new Unified World Champion! You want to know why? Because you're looking at the winner of this year's Royal Rumble! That's right, I'm entering that Rumble this Sunday and I'm going the distance. Then, in that main event of WrestleMania, I hope that Simon Bennett is in this ring with me on the other side because it's going to be so satisfying and so fitting to embarrass him and beat him and take that Unified World Title for myself. It's what he owes me for what he did to me! In the meantime, I'm in the mood to put the fear of God into the rest of the field. So I'm issuing an open challenge right now. Anyone back there who thinks I'm not 100% and ready and focused, feel free to come on out and test that theory!"

Opening Match: Adam Hail vs. Stone Walsh
Ask and you shall receive. As Hail alluded to in his rant, we need a match to get him some traction and put him on the radar going into the Rumble. He does look in good form with no signs of rust. Things come to an end when Walsh tries getting Hail up for the Stone Cutter. Nathan Quinn hops up on the apron and grabs Hail's legs, pulling him until he's able to escape and land on the apron himself. Hail drops Walsh throat-first on the rope, sending him down to the mat. That leaves Walsh vulnerable to a Hailstorm off the top rope from Adam and that's going to give him the win via pinfall. Adam Hail has made a statement with this return. ****1/2, 93% overall.

To the back we go where Neil Quint is being interviewed about his match at the Royal Rumble for the Cruiserweight Title. He says that he feels bad not being able to have that match against Zed back on SmackDown!, but Michael has to understand it was a VERY serious tummy ache. It was probably something he ate. It could've been poisoning! "No matter the issue though, things are still on track for me to head into this Sunday and finally put an end to the nonsense that is Michael Hotbody and the stranglehold he has on that Cruiserweight Title. I've beating men better than him and he knows it. Nothing is getting in my way."

Things take a turn when Brooke of all people interjects herself into the interview and addresses Neil. "Excuse me, but I believe proper introductions are in order, even though you SHOULD know who I am. Neil Quint, this is your lucky day. You see, not only am I the greatest Women's Champion to ever grace this industry, but I'm sure you've become aware that I, Brooke, am on track to being the greatest manager ever. I've embarked on a quest to claim every championship there is to win in the WWE. I already have the Intercontinental Champion under my umbrella. Carmella Costello is going to dismantle Sonya Braddock at the Royal Rumble and bring the Women's Title into the fold. Salvatore Scabbia is on track towards winning the Rumble and headlining WrestleMania where he can finally capture the Unified World Title. He and Ronnie make an unstoppable team to where they can take the Tag Team Titles anytime from any team! One thing I am missing, though, is someone who can win that Cruiserweight Title. You see, Neil, I actually believe you can beat Michael Hotbody this Sunday and win the belt. I also believe that without the proper guidance behind you, it's going to blow up in your face and be a disaster. I'm here to provide that guidance, Neil. I know winners when I see them, but I also know where my hand and mind are needed. This is the right move, Neil, and really the best move you could make. What do you say? Will you let me be your manager and help you be the best Cruiserweight Champion that you can be?"

Neil Quint thinks this over for a bit before offering his reply. "You know, from where I'm standing and what I've seen, it looks like you need me more than I need you. If Cordelia and The Academy are anything to go by, I think I'll take my chances doing things my way."

Brooke is aghast at this answer. "Uh, excuse me? Neil, I think you need to understand something here. I'm not exactly one that takes 'no' for an answer very well."

"See, that's the problem with people like you. You're so used to everything being handed to you and people fauning at your feet. You're just going to have to go try and leech off someone else."

"Neil, I'm only going to warn you once and I hope you reconsider, especially once you see all of what I said come true. You will regret pissing me off."

"Feel free to tell me that again when I have that Cruiserweight Title around my waist." And with that, Neil Quint leaves and Brooke is left to stew in this dejection.

Second Match: Lyle Morris vs. Cameron Harper
Harper gets on the mic and declares that he demanded this match. "Isn't it funny how I can now go off and demand and get what I want now that I cut myself loose from Ethan Lang and Jake Connelly? I wanted a piece of Lyle Morris ever since he insulted me by slapping me in the face. Lyle, you thought you were going to avoid this, didn't you? Well you didn't count on me stepping up and standing up for myself and being my own man! First you and then Ethan at the Royal Rumble! And to Jake Connelly, I hope you watch and you feel it in your gut how bad you messed up by casting me aside!"

Strong words, but we have this match to deal with first. Lyle stands firm here, not phased by Harper's tantrum. It's a good "big man vs. little man" encounter. Of course, it just has to get ruined by Chet Morris coming on out to shove Lyle off the ropes when the latter is in position to come off the top with Cajun Spice. That's going to be a DQ, but that's a mere formality as Chet Morris gets in the ring to deliver some more abuse to his cousin. He takes time now and then to stop and yell at Lyle, asking his cousin why he can't understand. Business is ready to pick up as Ethan Lang comes running down and gets in the ring, too! Lang tackles Harper and just unloads on his former partner. Actually, this whole scene is a portrait of former partners at each other's throats. Chet is distracted by Ethan's appearance and subsequent flurry. Lyle takes this time to fight his way up to his knees and low blow Chet. Lyle takes himself and Chet to the outside and he continues his assault there. Eventually both Cameron and Chet manage to shove their respective attackers off them and they shift into retreat mode. Hopefully all of this can get settled at the Rumble this Sunday! *****, 94% overall.

Third Match: Jenna Kyle vs. Debra Phillips
We're told that Jenna Kyle vs. Dusk has been signed for the Royal Rumble pre-show. Jenna declares that she's all about that, hoping that she can get a measure of justice in the name of Faith and because women like Dusk are just flat out annoying. "It's not about dark vs. light, Dusk. It's about who's the better woman and if you can't recognize that I've got you beat in that department, you've been spending way too much time in that abyss of yours. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be more than happy to send you back there so you can mope some more!" Nothing wrong with some solid women's action for this night...or any night. Debra isn't really figured into anything major...yet, so losing here shouldn't be too bad for her. Jenna tilt-a-whirls her way out of a backbreaker attempt and turns it into a Kyle Driver to get the pin and the victory. Afterwards the lights go out temporarily and when they come back on Dusk is in front of Jenna! Jenna is caught off-guard by this and is easy prey to Dusk taking her down with a hell of a lariat. Dusk proceeds to hit Jenna with the Final Sunset, following that up by picking Jenna up by her face and mockingly stroking it, pretending to be enthralled by Jenna's beauty. She releases Jenna and stands tall over her as we got to break. ****1/4, 89% overall.

Fourth Match: Robbie Greer vs. King Kavovit vs. Stanley Coleman vs. Rick Hilton
We're getting a preview of the four-way tag match for the Unified Tag Team Titles this Sunday as a member of each participating team is present here. It's chaotic as you'd expect. I'm hoping to pull a 99% rating out of these guys for the PPV. I think the only weak link would be the Love Connection due to their low charisma rating, but maybe the other teams will pick up the slack. Either way, Robbie has Rick Hilton down on the mat in a vulnerable position and decides to head to the top to try to finish things off. Unfortunately, the other half of the Royal Effect, Moses McKay, comes running down and pushes Robbie off, right into the arms of King Kavovit who rolls with the momentum and stacks up Robbie, putting his feet on the ropes for good measure. That's going to give him the cheap win and the much needed MOMENTUM as we head into the PPV. ****1/2, 93% overall.

In-Ring Super Special Talky Time as Haven makes his way to the ring. He looks like he's in a mood to say the least. "Victor Dark, your timing could not be more terrible. This is the season of focus and introspection. In just a few short days, the battlefield awaits, with the richest prize and the grandest stage hanging in the balance. Victor, having fought on that stage and having that prize snatched away from me through one method or another, I hope you can at least understand that I'm not in the proper frame of mind to deal with your perceived slights. I hope you witness the carnage and the destruction that I'm going to unleash this Sunday and you take stock of your life and your decisions that have led you here. I hope you witness my triumph and you come to the realization that you will always pale in comparison to me and you abandon this quest of yours, not for me but for you, and certainly for Andrea. You have a chance to turn around and do some introspection of your own. A war with you is not something I want nor care about, but it would be a war you would lose and lose horribly. I have not forgotten my past. I recognize it so that it helps me understand the present, and mold the future."

"I certainly hope you don't forget about the past because that would mean you've forgotten about me." This statement cuts through the arena, interrupting Haven. Who should emerge on the stage but Quinten McDaniels, being flanked by Hugo. Quinten continues his talking as the two move down the aisle towards the ring. "I'd hate to believe that you've completely overlooked me, Haven. The way I see it, our business still needs to be concluded. You don't get to live surrounded by a cesspool, crawl on out, and come out clean on the other side. No, Haven, I plan on leaving you a mess. In many ways it's personal, but in others, it's not. You and Orlando and everyone else who has been an anchor dragging me down need to be cut loose and cut loose in the most definitive fashion. Victor Dark isn't the problem, Haven. He's the answer. Those you let down? WE'RE the problem." With that, both Quinten and Hugo enter the ring from opposite sides, surrounding Haven. Haven looks like he's in trouble BUT HERE COMES ORLANDO KINCAID!!! Orlando manages to yank Quinten's legs out of from under him, tripping him up. Orlando proceeds to pull Quinten out to the floor and begins to brawl with him. Hugo is all over Haven in the meantime. Haven fights back as best he can while Quinten is getting his ass handed to him on the outside. Quinten tries to beg off, but when Orlando moves in, Quinten grabs Orlando's pants and yanks him into the barrier. Quinten grabs the ring bell and KOs Orlando with it, busting Orlando open. Haven has Hugo down and vulnerable and looks to finish him off, but Quinten slides in behind Haven and nails him with the bell in the back of the head. Haven is down on his knees and Hugo takes advantage of this by lifting Haven up and flattening him with the Moonsault Press. Haven looks hurt as he was just straight up crushed, not to mention that blow to the head. Quinten and Hugo stand tall over their enemies as we move on.

Our next inductee for this year's Hall of Fame class is...Cash Stevens! A pioneer in the world of Cruiserweights, this legend will take his place in the annals of history along with Lisa Benton and Jason Collins, being inducted by Mark Mason and Derek Standish.

Once more to the back we go as Luscious is with her man Michael Hotbody and Zed Jones. Luscious and Hotbody want to call out Neil Quint for being a BIG FAT LIAR AND A PHONY FAKER!!! They claim that Neil was afraid of Zed and he got Lisa Benton to help him pull a fast one on everybody! Hotbody goes on to say that none of us really should be shocked because Neil has been pulling the wool over the eyes of everyone since he got here! "It just makes me sick how somebody can use deception and lying and dishonesty to get one over on people! Who does that? On top of all that, he thinks he can do better than I can in this business. Well it's been a year since I first burst onto the scene and I've seen them all come and go and try their hand at being better than me! It's not happening, Neil! It's all going to catch up to you at the Rumble! I'm just going to have to beat you myself! And to Clubber Harris? Zed is going to have his eye on you in that Rumble and it's his mission to be the one to toss you out!"

Fifth Match: Salvatore Scabbia and Ronnie Costello vs. Seth Von Kamp and Alexander Piero
We're told that Brooke issued a challenge to Seth Von Kamp for this match right now. All he needed to do was get a partner and he'd get his opportunity to get destroyed as payback for screwing Scabbia and Ronnie out of the tag titles on SmackDown!. Brooke goes on to rip into Neil Quint, calling him incredibly short-sighted, but she has a feeling he'll regret his choice and come around once he witnesses what goes down here.

So Piero is offered up as a partner by Madison. She explains it's a 'thank you' of sorts for Seth being there on SmackDown! and keeping the tag titles with the Wyldhearts. This is an awesome hard-hitting affair. Things break down as Ronnie and Seth go off brawling into the crowd, leaving Scabbia and Piero alone. The ref is distracted with Brooke and Madison having a shoving exchange. Piero has Scabbia set up for a Flashpoint but HERE COMES BUTCH FLEMING! He proceeds to continue to be a dick towards Piero by hopping up on the apron and clotheslining him down. Fleming hops back down to the floor and Scabbia pounces by slapping on the Omerta on Piero. Piero is face-to-face with Fleming as he's locked in hold, struggling to stay in it. Fleming mocks him throughout the whole ordeal and the ref comes over once the ladies are done with their tussle. Piero ends up passing out and that's going to give the win to Brooke's camp. Fleming continues to glare at the fallen Piero as Madison slides in to check on her man. ****1/2, 91% overall.

Time for some more trash talk as the WWE Women's Champion wants to give some more thoughts on the matter between her and Carmella Costello this Sunday. "Carmella, what's the worst day of your life? Was it a bad report card? An injury? A bad break-up? A fight with a family member? I can tell you that whatever you pick, you're wrong. I bet you and your brother are already getting everything ready for the big celebration and photo shoots and interviews and blah-blah-blah. You believe you already have Sunday in the bag just because Brooke says so. Carmella, the worst day of your life is the day you realize you don't and can't hold a candle to me and you recognize that taking this Women's Title from me just isn't in the cards for you. And then the day after that is also going to be your worst day. Then the day after that. Then the day after that. Worst day after worst day stacking up until the reality drives you crazy and you leave this plane of existence knowing I'm better than you!"

Sixth Match: Leah vs. Hannah McCormick
Leah is kind of low on morale so I figure stick her in right here. Oh, I'd stick in her, if you catch my drift...ahem. Anyway, this rules all kinds of ass as you've got two women who know each inside and out...ahem. I'm not making this look good for me, am I? Back to the match, it's awesome as you'd expect as the announcers remind us of the stakes this Sunday between the respective teams of these two. Leah ends up getting a tremendous flurry that causes Hannah to shift into emergency chicken shit mode as she tries to back away. Leah isn't having it and she takes Hannah and herself to the outside over the top via a Cactus Clothesline. Hannah continues her desperate measures to create space between her and Leah. That's going to cause her to reach for her trusty guitar and shove it into the ribs of Leah. That's going to be a DQ against Hannah, but she just looks relieved to be done with Leah at the moment. She takes the time to get in a couple of boots in as Leah is fallen over clutching her sides. It looks like she's going to El Kabong Leah, but Bonnie Beckham comes running down to chase off Hannah and put an end to that idea. ****1/2, 92% overall.

MAIN EVENT: Wrakk, Chris Collins, Ozzy Mandias, Jason Sorola, Hugo vs. Simon Bennett, Kyle Jacobs, Jordan Demiras, Michael Haywood, Eddy Clash
Well this will be a delightful mess, no? Bennett gets on the mic to give some lip to Wrakk. He claims he's not looking to get a pound of flesh from the Unified World Champion in the name of Paul Andrews. "Andrews is a big boy, he's been through what Wrakk did before and come out smiling. No, I'm taking a piece of Wrakk because it's what's owed to me! The Royal Rumble is where Wrakk's new era ends before it ever begins!"

This is all wonderful chaos and a great way to end things for the night. We naturally get the big finisher flurry at the end. Eddy Clash and Hugo fight their way up the ramp and end up crashing into the set on the stage. It's down to Bennett and Ozzy as the legal men. Bennett ducks a big boot from Wrakk and the champion ends up hitting Ozzy by mistake. Jacobs tackles Wrakk to the outside while Bennett goes to work by slapping the Bennett Lock on Ozzy. No one is around to save Ozzy and he ends up tapping out to give the win to the faces. Bennett stands tall as he climbs the top rope and poses, lording over Wrakk as the two exchange glares. ****1/2, 91% overall.

Overall show rating: 90%[/b]

Working on all the write ups now. Like I said, I've got the next three shows including the Rumble in the can already. Just need to focus.

Superstars: January 24, 2041

Inching closer and closer to the Rumble!

Opening Match: Victor Dark vs. Daniel St. Croix
Andrea gets on the stick, ready to heap tons of praise upon Victor. "Victor has taken great pleasure and pride in being responsible for the mood shift here in the WWE. The doubt that has been planted in your minds, the apprehension that runs down the spine of Haven, is all because of Victor. Nothing is certain anymore and Victor will continue being the cloud hanging over the room. I simply ask are you afraid of the dark? You should be. You WILL be!" Well, that sounds like fun. This match is fun, too. Not for St. Croix, of course, as he's just slaughtered and sacrificed at the Dark Altar. Victor puts things away pretty emphatically with the Darkness Falls for the pin. ****1/2, 91% overall.

In-Ring Super Special Talky Time, this time with former Intercontinental Champion Seth Von Kamp. He looks like he's in a mood, but that's understandable, all things concerned. He gets the mic and bares his soul. "So it's been two weeks since I 'lost' the Intercontinental Title. I'm not keen on being a complainer, but this whole situation is ridiculous. I put in almost a decade of blood and sweat in this company, not counting the 4 years before that struggling to get a break. All of the dues that I had to pay are stuck in my head permenantly, constantly reminding me of where I come from. All of that time and effort culminated in me finally acheiving one of the biggest milestones of my career and that was at Summerslam when I walked out the Intercontinental Champion. And where are we at now? We've got some pampered clown, managed by some diva with a chip on her shoulder, parading around with all of the pride in the world, born on third base and thinking he hit a triple. He steals everything that I worked my ass off for and he refuses to step up and give me my due. That's the world you're asking me to live in? Nope, sorry. Not having it. That's not going to cut it. Every day that's passed with Ronnie Costello walking around with my Intercontinetal Title has been a slap in the face. So I say this, and I hope you're listening, too, Brooke, because I don't give a damn about your plan. I'm standing right here, dressed and ready to go. If Ronnie isn't the tiny man I think he is, he'll bring himself and that title out here and we can do this dance one more time!"

The challenge has been laid down and Seth paces the ring, looking at the stage in hopes that he's going to get an answer. We get nothing and Seth gets back on the mic and eggs Ronnie on some more. We still get nothing as more time passes and Seth gets exasperated. "Yeah, this seems about right. Granted, I didn't know too much about you, Ronnie, before all of this, but one I thing I definitely did have figured out is the biggest thing going on between your legs is a piss stain! You can't hide forever and I want you to remember that I gave you a chance to do things the easy way!" And with that, Seth drops the mic and takes his leave looking furious.

Second Match: The Perfections vs. The Brooklyn Sisterhood
It's all about that sweet, sweet MOMENTUM as the Women's Tag Team Champions go into their title defense this Sunday. The Sisterhood are a great team for the champions to work off of as Emma and Billie do their big, bad bully schtick against the scrappy underdogs. We're shown the Southern Belles watching from the back. Things come to an end as we get a BONZO GONZO scenario. Emma has Bonnie in her sights for a Spear, but Bonnie leaps over Emma as she comes charging. Emma hits Billie as a result, taking her own partner out of the equation. Leah comes off the top with a heel kick to Emma's face and she goes reeling backwards into a schoolgirl from Bonnie and that's enough to give the champions the win and the MOMENTUM. The Southern Belles look unimpressed. ****1/2, 93% overall.

Backstage we go where Madison is with Alexander Piero. They're asked about the situation with Butch Fleming. Piero says that he's actually honored to have earned the attention of a guy like Fleming. "I just take it as Butch being threatened. This bragging macho routine he loves to pull every time he goes out there is nothing but hot air, all designed to make sure none of the attention is off of him. Well now I'm in that spotlight and I'm only willing to share it for so long."

Third Match: Cameron Harper vs. Patrick Dean Quartermaine
Harper wants a piece of that pre-match promo pie and thus gets on the stick to reiterate his grievances. "If there was any doubt about my decision to cut ties with Jake Connelly and Ethan Lang, they've all vanished. Now more than ever, I am confident that I did the right thing for myself. I deserve to be appreciated! I should've been the first person Jake Connelly came to when he was looking for clients! We could have had the world! Well, the ship has sailed and I'm charting my own course. What I build for myself will be a monument that Jake and Ethan will look at and feel shame and embarrassment and failure! It begins at the Royal Rumble when I prove my superiority! Ethan, you're on your own. Jake's not going to be there to hold your hand and I'm most definitely done with carrying you!" Once again we have a match where MOMENTUM is on the line. I hope this path I started paving for Cameron pulls him out of that limbo he was in for a long time and he gets to be useful enough to where I want to keep building on top of it. Anyway, this match is the goods. Cameron counters an attempt at a head scissors, turning it into a Cam Jam and that's enough to give him the pin. Ethan Lang comes running down to try to get a piece of Harper, but Harper isn't about that tonight and bails. ****1/4, 94% overall.

Once again to the back where Brooke is with Ronnie and Carmella Costello. Brooke wants to know who the hell Seth Von Kamp thinks he is. "I'm sorry, but when did Seth Von Kamp start calling the shots around here? Look, we know that Seth is 'owed' a match against Ronnie for the Intercontinental Title, but all of the power is over on this side of the fence. Ronnie Costello will face Seth when he feels like it and when he's ready. Right now, the really important issue facing these two is becoming champions as brother and sister. Carmella has a shot at making that history this Sunday, when she outshines that overhyped jock Sonya Braddock!"

Ronnie follows up with his own take on things. "It's going to be great. Our parents are going to be so proud and more importantly, everyone around here is going to be so jealous. My little sister is going to conquer the arena of women's wrestling as the Women's Champion and I'm going to embark on the greatest Intercontinental Title reign in history! We're an unbeatable team. Seth Von Kamp, I actually invite you to come to SmackDown! so you can come get a piece of what you deserve since you want some action so bad!"

Carmella continues with her thoughts. "Sonya Braddock thinks that she's going to get by this Sunday riding on her reputation. It's about time that she gets knocked down a peg. She has no idea what's in store for her. She has no idea of the power of this machine that Brooke has built. It's a synergy that Sonya hasn't dealt with before and one that she'll never forget. In fact, I invite her to the same party that Ronnie just invited Seth to so she can see first hand!" And with that, the three take their leave.

Fourth Match: The Academy vs. The Youngbloods
Time for solid tag team action. I know who I can count on anytime I need a fucking awesome match to boost my rating. I mentioned it before but I think I've gone as far as I can with the Youngbloods as a team. I should brainstorm what to do with them. In the meantime, The Academy puts this one away in a fairly strong fashion as Randy Ellis hits Sully Lane with Today's Lesson and that's going to give them the win via pinfall. *****, 94% overall.

Fifth Match: Xavier Cross vs. Kerry Cemenko
Brandon Reigns is shown at ringside still gripping his Money in the Bank briefcase and still choosing to not get involved in any proceedings. Xavier Cross gets on the stick and makes his own case for winning the Rumble. He declares that headlining WrestleMania 50 was a high. An unbelievable high that no one in the audience can ever understand. A high that Kerry Cemenko can never understand. "And that's simply because I'm better! It's high time that I return to that grand stage and that road is going to be built with the bodies of 29 other pretenders at the Royal Rumble!" I remember when these two got a Match of the Year candidate last year on a fucking PRE-SHOW. If this were real, I wonder how they'd feel getting passed over in favor of two women. Anyway, after another awesome match they tumble to the outside and the count is on. Cross shoves Cemenko away, causing Cemenko to crash into the barrier right in front of where Brandon Reigns is sitting. Reigns gets up from his seat. Cemenko recovers but he ends up being face-to-face with Reigns. They share a few choice words. Cross uses this opportunity to sneak back into the ring. Cemenko ends up shoving Reigns. Reigns responds by splashing his drink in Cemenko's face. The referee reaches the count of 10 giving the win to Cross, but that's not the main story here as Cemenko retaliates to his impromptu bath by jumping over the barrier to get him some of Reigns. We get officials out here to break things up. I mean, technically Cemenko is assaulting an audience member. The dance between these two continues. ****1/2, 93% overall.

More backstage talking as the Unified World Champion Wrakk wants to get some more stuff off his chest. "When you're on a journey like mine, when you've suffered setbacks like I have, there isn't room for mourning or regrets. There are only obstacles in your way. Obstacles that need to be destroyed, not just conquered. This is something that Simon Bennett can't understand. But it's fine, because I will be the adversity that he's been sorely missing! Simon, your grand return to this stage doesn't entitle you to anything, certainly not at my expense. Allow me to introduce you to what you've been missing for all these years."

It's time for another edition of the Hot Button with everyone's favorite host, The Royal Rumble Winning Hero to Millions Around the World, the Host With THE Highest Rated Interview Show In All of Entertainment, The New Age Intellectual Savior to the Masses, The 2031 Fulton County First Place Conga Award Winner, The Luscious Lover of the Manager of the Year Slammy Award Winner and Undefeated Steel Cage Master and REAL 2040 King of the Ring, The Supreme Submission Machine, Mister Twenty-Forty, The Two Time Slammy Award Winner Including the Rookie of the Year and the Most Envied Superstar of the Year, the Man Who is the Rightful Winner of the Slammy for Cruiserweight of the Year, The Lord of the Ladder and Conqueror of Fears, Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion-Elect, the Cruiserweight Champion Michael Hotbody! "First things first, I need to apologize to all of the diehard, loyal, and clamouring fans of mine that have been deprived of the Hot Button for such a long time. I understand I haven't given you what you've been craving for these past weeks, but I hope to make it all up to you this Sunday by giving you what you really, really want! You all want to see me put an end to that big phony known as Neil Quint! Well, with this being a celebration of my first year, a year of awesomeness, I may add, it's only appropriate to put things into perspective for my overzealous opponent for the Rumble. Neil, I invite you to come on out here so that the full weight of what's ahead for you can sink in, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, you'll find it in yourself to do the right thing and pull out of this match on your own. So come on out and join me here on the Hot Button, Neil!"

Some time passes before the number one contender himself comes out and does indeed join Hotbody in the ring, looking exasparated as hell. Michael welcomes Neil to the show and continues with his spiel. "Neil, thank you for doing this. Quite frankly it's for your own good when you really think about it. You need to put things in perspective when you hear what I have to say and see what I have to show you. If you would do yourself a favor and take a gander at the big screen so that I can narrate this display of grandeur and dominance. Now this footage right here is from last year's WrestleMania, where I led my team to glorious victory and planted my flag as someone who everyone needed to keep an eye on. This next piece is my stunning underdog victory in the Cruiserweight Royal Rumble, a match where NO ONE gave me a shot at winning. But I believed in myself, Neil, because I knew I was the best. And that victory led me to this next bit. I didn't just beat Jordan Demiras, I beat him THREE TIMES, becoming the Cruiserweight Champion that we all know and love today! I even broke him in his own requested match inside a steel cage! And then it was on to Martyn LaSalle. I outdid him in every respect, making him tap out to the superior man! I even caught the attention of the hottest woman on the planet who was eager to jump on board the unstoppable express train that is Michael Hotbody! Then I moved on to overcoming not one, not two, BUT THREE challengers to my title, proving that I'm more man than people give me credit for. I led another team to glorious victory at the Survivor Series, walking out the sole survivor! And just last month, I conquered my fears, I suppressed all of my anxieties, and I overcame the deviousness of Gavin Jones when I climbed that ladder, courage building with every step, until I secured my title once again! So now that brings us to you, Neil, and the Royal Rumble. Stacked up against all of what you just saw, I have to ask where you get the audacity to think you stand a chance against me! You're in no position to change the course of my journey. I'm the Rookie of the Year, NOT YOU! I'm the rightful Cruiserweight of the Year, NOT YOU! What you need to do, Neil, is go deep into your heart and realize the truth of what I'm saying, do the right thing, and forfeit. No one will think any less of you if you just pull out of this, Neil! I site all of my accomplishments in my introduction not to brag. They may intimidating to some, but that's not their intended effect, either. They are there to inform people like you, Neil, in order to help you make wise decisions with your career. I have no doubt that down the road, once the sun has set on my dynasty, you'll be able to carry the ball in a very admirable and adorable fashion. But that can't happen if you walk into the lion's den this Sunday where I will devour you and add you as another notch in my belt! What do you say, Neil?"

Neil looks pensive as he thinks about all of this. He eventually meets Michael eye-to-eye and gives his reply. "Michael, I just want to thank you for showing us all that. It was very informative and it does help me out when considering your request. It served as a terrific reminder as to why I need to beat the crap out of you this Sunday and take that title!"

The crowd cheers and Hotbody is aghast at this reply, but Neil Quint continues. "No, no, don't give me this incredulous nonsense. For this past year you have been doing nothing but leaving a stain on that Cruiserweight Title. I didn't come this far to be scared off. So here's my anniversary gift to you, Michael. I'm going to give you another major highlight that you can add to your little show and tell presentation. It's the ass kicking of your life and it's the end of this circus!"

Michael Hotbody composes himself, looking extremely upset and annoyed at all of what Neil just said. "You know, I figured as much. You know what? That's fine! Don't say I didn't warn you! You're going to get everything you deserve! Speaking of which, Neil, I feel like you should know that Zed Jones was really disappointed with you not showing up to fight him last week!"

Just as Michael delivers that last statement, Zed Jones slips into the ring behind Neil Quint and drops him with a heavy blow to the back of the head. Michael watches as Zed delivers a beat down, choosing to provide play-by-play, all while insincerely asking Zed not to do certain things to Neil.

"Oh, Zed. Zed, no! Don't throw him to the outside and kick his ass there!" Zed proceeds to throw Neil to the outside and continues the beating.

"Zed, please! You can't grab a chair and bust Neil open with it!" Zed proceeds to grab a chair and busts Neil open with it.

"Oh, my God, Zed! You're going too far! You can't pick him up and send him into the ringpost!!!" Zed proceeds to pick up Neil and send him into the ringpost.

"Zed, don't you have mercy, bah gawd! Bah gawd, he's broken in half! Don't set up the announce table and send Neil through it!" Zed proceeds to prep the announce table and then power bombs Neil through it!

"OH, MAH GAWD!!! OH, MAH GAWD!!! GOVERNMENT MULE!!! GOVERNMENT MULE!!! AS GAWD AS MAH WITNESS, HE'S A SCOLDED DOG!!! RIGHT OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, BAH GAWD!!!" Michael eventually decides he's had enough and suggests that he and Zed go get dinner before hopping onto Zed piggyback style and heading to the back, leaving Neil a broken mess.

MAIN EVENT: Chet Morris and Quinten McDaniels vs. Lyle Morris and Orlando Kincaid
The heat is strong here and as a result it's a strong close to the evening. We're reminded of Chet and Lyle's one-on-one match at the Rumble in addition to Quinten and Orlando both being part of the Rumble match itself. It's another balls to the wall tag encounter, similar to the six-man back at Bragging Rights, with no one really playing face-in-peril. Things break down as Quinten and Orlando brawl to the outside, eventually crashing through the barricade, taking them out of play. Meanwhile, Lyle is finally in a position to be getting the better of Chet and he doesn't let up. Like to the point where the referee has to cut in multiple times, but Lyle isn't having it. Lyle shoves the ref down and that's going to draw a DQ. Lyle is too busy trying to break Chet's face to care. Eventually, Quinten makes his way back into the ring and saves Chet by pulling Lyle off and hitting him with the Great Depression. Quinten gathers Chet and the two make their way up the ramp as we go off the air. *****, 94% overall.

Overall show rating: 91%

Damn, it's been a spell since being able to post over in this version of the thread. Finished up the month of January by doing the last Superstars. The end of the month notes are the bigger issue than anything else.