What strangely violent shoe!

Probably the first show where throughout the FPR breaks, small production blurps, and other small things this was a REALLY good show. This really had an Ultra Riot, Go Home Show type vibe to the entire thing all night. All the matches really played hard and well even with the small hiccups whether it's FPR, selective ethics whether good or bad is up to you. The segments as well really just had a nice vibe to them all, so I'll go on a random little thing because why not.

 

EMP Opening Segment:

 

The run that EMP is currently on is something that is just about rivaled in terms with what Deborah has done. Both of these women are totally unstoppable, no matter who steps in front of them they both continuously come out victorious. Some might say the The Irresistible Force meets the Immovable Object, and that's what is making this feud + segment all the more interesting. Obviously Deborah as of late is trying to rectify her past sins and just overall be a better person while EMP is not about that life and is gonna keep reminding everyone that this is her company and she gets what she wants. The segment was real well done in terms of production and what it relayed for the story, people should take note on the aesthetics selling from Deborah and how both Deborah + EMP sold each others stuff and it wasn't just ah I'll beat your ass and BOW I'm back up. When you make your opponents/feud partners look like threats it just makes it all the more worthwhile since no one wants to see total domination from any side, the build for this is only gonna get more intense and I'm all for it. 

 

mab vs. Zoe Cohle: 

 

Really fucking insane opening match, you can tell both of these women wanted the win no matter what which really gave us an intense match for about 90% of the match until a few hiccups happened near the end. While normally I'm understanding of people not wanting to win off of subs because of how the look, especially if the character doing so isn't a total sub artist, I would've rather seen the match end there than the really forced/awkward ending sequences we got. You can tell both handlers are comfortable with one another which really adds into the match but when you're breaking up subs, doing a rollup that is an FPR break, and just forcing the match to keep going because you didn't pay attention to your fin meter/special bars is small things that just take me out. Jay mentioned in VC how OCW isn't a full on comp fed in the sense where you always gotta rush to the finish which I totally agree with, when you tow the line of trying to win but also put on a good match/performance it gets a bit mucky, I don't really put too much negative on it for what the two were trying to do I just would've rather seen one or the other at a certain point bite the bullet and just eat the fin & call it a day since the match didn't hurt anybody's momentum after a certain point. I know that may be a bit "controversial" of a take but eh, oh well. There's nothing wrong with cutting out some of the filler and just getting the moment you want so you can have that crisp ending instead of taking a few extra steps to eventually getting there. Had those little blips not occurred this easily would've been my MOTN.

 

Jordan Trance Gets Hit:

 

Lil Trance has shown that losses really won't define him after such a huge win at Lution against John, I'm content seeing him and Tre getting mixed up with one another because this is a good stepping stone feud for both guys. This let's Tre get back into the mix with a credible opponent while not immediately torpedoing himself into the Main Event / Title Scene (even though I highly doubt that would happen respectfully), Jordan has the opportunity to help create a baby face with Tre and then squeeze that once the two inevitably clash. I like the start of this, especially the comedic value of Trance getting fucking socked and just not getting up for the rest of the night. Simple, easily digestible, content like this is all you can ask for when it comes to a feud so I'm keen on seeing where they go.

 

Marisa x Nate Divorce:

 

Seeing Nate back into the prime of OCW is a really nice thing that I've personally been missing. While I'm sure some might not agree with this, I'd really like for this whole Marisa x Nate x Mad Dawg thing to fully end, I want Marisa focusing on herself again and not being intertangled within the Nate x Mad Dawg x DNS saga. Marisa for the last few months has played an extremely key support piece for the mixed tag match + the Nate/MD stuff as well but it's time for her to be the centerpiece again. I'm not saying she can't have these interactions still but I want her primarily focus / energy to now be applied to her progression and not being stuck as this support role, you're a main character, be that bitch and start your conquest to the Women's World Title again. the Marisaverse is obviously always entertaining with the fits, skanky attitude, and all the other fun elements so this made for a fun watch, I'm ready for all parties to now move on to bigger and better things for themselves. 

 

Claudio Stardom vs. Joe Deaver:

 

Catering's favorite client found himself working tonight which while I can't stand that attire / colorway it was nice to see Joe back in action and actually on the screen. While OCW's #1 Gaslighter has been sitting in the trenches and sulking in catering, Claudio Stardom has found his edge again battering rookies and anyone who really gets in his way. Claudio becoming this angry, resentful vet is an approach I initially wasn't anticipating but I think it fits his current attitude just right. The man at one point had the entire world in his hand and he essentially has gotten fucked time and time again whether it's by his own mistakes or outside factors, so seeing him become more and more angry is a story while simple to tell is intriguing to unfold when the weeks go by because you never know where it's gonna go next. Claudio obviously has his sights set firm on Rory Miller and the two large men when they inevitably clash I'm sure will make the ring crew work extra hard that day. Claudio has direction, now I wanna see Joe get some direction as well. Keep showing up on my screen and make me care about you, don't just do this match and fuck off back to catering.

 

Clickbait #AD Segment:

 

Clickbait is definitely a first for the type of character it is, at least while I've been here. I gotta admit I'm on the fence because while I enjoy the meme-ry and the silliness Clickbait does (cause how the hell are you gonna do a Rick Roll'd in 2024?) I am waiting patiently to see sorta the "true" identity of Clickbait so whether we get that in x weeks, months, years, never who knows. But the comedic value for these segments are a nice switch-up in terms of content that usually happens in OCW, part of me wants to see true chaos and have Clickbait as Pride Champ + Tag Champ.

 

JynX + C-Note NA Champ Segments:

 

I'm gonna bunch these two together since they obviously are tied into one another for each guy. JynX is showing the effort and trying to become a more proficient video editor which, practice makes progress and I've already shared my thoughts to the handler, however. I want to see more of JynX's actual personality, we get it you can win matches and you won a championship, but I wanna see you go back to the type of stuff you were doing when you and Paul Harris were feuding. Show me the witch doctor side, show me how crazy and fucked up JynX can be especially now since he is a champion and would want to keep that championship as long as he can. Onto C-Note, that segment was fantastic, the small things I REALLY need from you is please lord audio control, make that bitch a bit louder so that I don't gotta crank my volume to 100% and the very next segment ear humps me. I loved just about everything that segment encompassed and tbh, I'm cool if C-Note wants to get rid of the Prince Mamon alter ego/personality, I wasn't really a huge lover of it in the first place and if we wanna just put the blame on him and shove him out I'm totally good on it. I will say I need more to be convinced on this rematch, mainly from JynX I wanna see him take that next step into being his own champion and showing the audience + C-Note that he means business.

 

Sue Plex vs. Kira Nightingale:

 

Very very back and forth match from both of these women. I wasn't hugely in love with Kira standing in the ring when Sue is at a 9 count on the outside, you're a baby face (or I assume at least) go out there and get the woman who is trying to hide from you and avoid fighting. She is a champion, the momentum you could obtain from beating her is nothing to fuck around with and I will not accept the whole "I played her like she's newer" that's a very lame cop-out to me. Whether you were nervous, confused, etc it is what it is but just go get her and try to win by any means necessary. I'm also not in love with the whole claiming not to know you can win a match by sudden death at any point, that was another hot topic that was discussed in the VC, I feel it's been so normalized to just win matches by however that when I <- literally me, Brian, see the let outs or w/e that it does take me out a small bit. Back to mab v. Zoe, I understand wanting to get a crisp finish but if the win is right there, just take it at times so the match looks cleaner and not like eh. Sue obviously got the better of Kira by fucking her over and throwing a chair in her face which is hilarious heel heat, this is one of those times where I yearn for a baby face to emerge and come take the championship from Sue to give her that comeuppance.

 

Sheldon x John Segment:

 

Sheldon has been very up and down in terms of his momentum + alignment for the past couple years in OCW. The momentum part is one thing but alignment is another, while Sheldon is being positioned as a baby face against El Parca, we do see these glimpses of the resentful, frustrated part of Sheldon peeking out which I'd say is fine since you can't expect a person to immediately change their personality over night. I want to see this relationship with John grow and adapt more since these guys have a storied history together on how much they clashed against one another throughout their entire careers, John is also slowly but surely becoming another big emerging baby face in OCW that at this point in time is desperately needed. John v. Sheldon is 100% a world championship match down the road and these two are going to be tied to each other for quite some time especially with their crusade against El Parca, I just expect them both to continue this branch and not just ignore it after these few interactions.

 

Claudio Upset Backstage:

 

Simple and to the point, Rory needs to watch his back as he has truly angered the Tribal Cheeks. This just continues to build upon Claudio and his turn back to being the Tribal Cheeks and continuously being more and more frustrated with what has been happening to him in OCW the past couple of years as well. 

 

Dragana Saves Hifumi:

 

Uniformity for segments is a good thing but it's an extra special/good thing when select characters have that extra razzle dazzle and spice to their segments. I love the Draganaverse and the overall vibe to the segments that we get from her, the music, camera angles, the emotions that are told through the segments while mainly just utilizing things in the game just goes to show the finesse and effort that is being put into them when they get created. I assume we eventually will get Sue vs. Dragana? Whether this is a PPV match or a TV match I'm cool with either as it ties back into my point of wanting a baby face to emerge and take the title from Sue. I'm sure Jay is somewhere crying that I back this but it'd be cool to go from a bitch heel to one of if not the most beloved woman on the roster as champ. I love these segments and it's always a nice palette refresher from our typical pro wrestling approached segments.

 

Tag Team Battle Royal:

 

God bless and kudos to everyone who thought this match would've been an 8 man match. Not only would the game have said go fuck yourselves but I just know the playing experience for a match like that would've most likely been dog shit. I wasn't really too fussed with the match, there isn't a whole lot you can expect from an OTR match, however I'd have liked to see Nate / OMEN not just do their own forms of 1v1s until they eventually had to meet because of the breakers/reversals making them get closer. It's a small thing but idk, seeing the two big guys go and target a small dude each is a smart thing it just wasn't the greatest type of thing to watch as I'd have liked to see more variety from them, Gabriel going out first was def a bit of a bummer, I love Gabriel and I really wanna love Underground Elite as well. I'm ngl I am not a fan of throwing 4 potential teams into one match and then getting a number one contender from it, because we're sorta back in the spot we were before Paul & Amart really became a team but now with Mac + Samsin. I trust and hope/expect both of them to try and give us as much as they can in the time to the build up before the PPV to make the pairing make more sense and be more organic. I also need DNS to lock in and dedicate two people into the tag team, I'm tired of them just freebirding people in and out, find two guys who wanna do the team and have them represent the faction in the tag division. I don't really know where Paul/Amart go from here but I imagine they will recover and be just fine as well. 

 

Valk Visits Home:

 

It seems like Valks personal life is just a Blumhouse horror movie. The girl just doesn't seem to be able to get the type of personal life she truly wants, the segment was 3:35 but all that was covered + shown in it made it seem even longer in a good way. Perl really committed emotional damage to Valk on a level that I haven't seen like in quite some time. I assume Valk in time will recover from this and the build up back into that will be tremendous but I'm loving seeing this personal turmoil go on with her as it lets us explore more of who the woman is behind Valk. Also let me just say fuck her manager and fuck that woman who bought her parents house, Valk needs to surround herself with more positive people that aren't gonna lay salt into the damn wounds man, shits not cool. 

 

Aleksander Bolek vs. SAMSIN:

 

This hasn't been uploaded to the youtube yet so I almost forgot about it. This match was just violence dude, I don't know how SAMSIN was able to keep going in that match with all that blood coming from his head but that shit was insane. Both of these dudes DID NOT want to lose to one another which added a level of intensity that I can really appreciate since this was a big match for both of them, tbh this match was a PPV esque level match on how they delivered. I'd be proud if I was either guy since yet again, this is a match where neither one of them looked "bad" or truly "lost" anything from it. I love the new level of presentation and seriousness we got from SAMSIN and I hope he keeps it up in both singles + the tag stuff now. He's been here long enough where he is more than capable of breaking that glass ceiling and truly getting some highlight moments for himself. Bolek will recover and be fine I'm sure, I'm still just patiently hoping he tries to take DNS over from BASH as that would make my dark soul happy but alas, I'll keep waiting hopefully.

 

Samsin x Mac Segment:

 

Both Mac + Samsin being successful tonight is a huge momentum wave they can ride together. I loved seeing Samsin with the bandage on his head as he sold that match like hell which y'know aesthetics and they are everything. Mac definitely needs to slow down at times when he's cutting promos, I get being in the zone but there's just times where he's saying so much and going so fast where I'm like holy shit what is happening right now, but more or less it'll be the same like I said before. I want both guys to be successful and I anticipate to see how they build their tag team now considering they got themselves a dance at the PPV against Mass Effect.

 

 

I'll probably do the written stuff when I wake up or some shit but that's all I got in me for now, other people can talk about the Main Event and shit as well. But overall really good fucking show, everyone involved should be proud of themselves. Good shit people.

 

 

Pervy, you're a bad guy, and I'm telling you, you can't trust that other bad guy. He's from the streets, and he wants something. Getting Pervy is deep with the Cartel, and they sent a guy to protect their investment vibes here.

 

I don't dig the Jynx narrative—a bunch of telling instead of showing. I understand that Jynx is still looking for a voice in his delivery. This is wrestling, not Tolkien; we don't need the backstory of every tree branch laid out. And because this is wrestling, the simplicity of a message/action will get over better than the complexities of thought. 

 

Essentially, the same thing I said above applies to Skadi. Although most of the language was about setting the scene, it did get into the telling instead of showing aspects of fluffy writing. I also thought it was like a myth being told to someone, which would be cool, but I don't think that was the intent. 

 

Without any pomp or circumstance? Bullshit. Mugen is nothing but pomp and circumstance. No one talked about your tour, you delusional intergalactic fool. How dare you compare yourself to Tay Swift. Four men got their shit in, motivations are clear. Alliances....well, not so much. Muhahahah. 

 

The rest of the writing I was involved in so I won't comment on it.  

 

I agree with Pervy that I want the Marissa/Dawg/Nate thing to end. 

Weird Ep, the segments and words helped salvage it.  I always say even our worst show is miles ahead of the standard (and I stand by that) But it seems FPR is being broken more and more per show. Ya'll gotta be careful.

 

I will say for the love of Christ fix your trons.