Jacob The Mantis OGrady

Surely, one dreads to wonder just what her "entertainment" career might entail...

Well...if I might be honest, a format violation might not quite be off the table. I had wrote those particular bits, and some of Bourne's for that matter, with their associated action parts in the same paragraph, since it seemed to generate less clutter that way than if there were double-enters after each transition. Bourne, to his credit, did call me out on that. I was basically wrangling the writing for what I thought looked good, and not necessarily what the webshow asks for.

Ah, yes, that. We had submitted it with the bold text in the correct spots, and both Bourne and I proofread it before submission, but it came out looking ugly on the actual webshow's page. Not quite sure what happened, maybe the site sees bolds only once per paragraph, then doesn't add them back in until a new one starts. Definitely something to remember going forward.

Immediately following the opening match of the night, The Mantis was observed crawling out of the ring under his own steam and kneeling on the ring floor, clutching his throat as Belakor celebrated his victory. During the following commercial break, however, The Mantis then suddenly collapsed, face up on the ring floor. The OCW Universe stood in tentative, nervous silence as training staff quickly rushed to his side, but The Mantis was initially unresponsive, and would have to be lifted onto a stretcher and hurried to a local medical facility for emergency treatment. Belakor simply watched from the ring as his defeated opponent was wheeled away, seemingly indifferent to the unfolding events. Upon arrival, it was determined by medical staff that he had fallen unconscious as a result of Belakor, during his submission hold, pinching both The Mantis' carotid arteries in either sides of the neck, obstructing the flow of blood into the brain. Had Belakor not released The Mantis for just a few more seconds, we are told, the incident could very well have turned tragic. The Mantis himself has not been able to speak since his collapse. Due to the uniqueness and severity of the injuries sustained, it is considered highly unlikely that The Mantis will be released from medical care in time to attend Turmoil 326 Friday. Whether Belakor shall face any ramifications from this incident remains to be seen. More on this story as it develops.

Wow. You've certainly got a lot more mercy than I could ever muster. I'd have thrown him to the dogs if he broke into my place.

I don't expect you to enjoy my work, but I do expect you to use correct punctuation. Or perhaps that's wishful thinking?

Veteran fans of Riot are all too familiar with how hot and heavy the action can get on any given Friday night, but nobody in the OCW Universe could've expected it to get quite nearly as hot as it did last night at the Barclays Center. According to an anonymous eyewitness' report, The Mantis was conducting a meet-and-greet with fans in the venue's food court, aptly named: "Meet The Mantis!", where he was posing for pictures, signing autographs and offering merchandise. The incident in question allegedly began when "The Iceman" Nate Mac came across the event and snuck up behind The Mantis, before getting his attention and asking for what seemed to be an innocuous picture, much like any other taken that night. The two were then said to have had a brief exchange of words before Mac suddenly began attacking The Mantis, sending fans scrambling away in panic, with both men assaulting each other with whatever was to hand. The brawl continued for several minutes, after which The Mantis was forcefully led by Mac down the stairs from the concourse into the seating area, and down into ringside where his attack continued further. Mac retrieved a table from underneath the ring, and then, after quickly assembling it, proceeded to slam The Mantis' head against the ring's apron, throwing him into its LED board, before delivering both a Sister Abigail and then Mac's signature move, The Curse of Hoth. Then, as The Mantis lied on the ring's concrete floor, dazed and powerless, Nate Mac did the unthinkable: using a hidden match to set the table on fire. The crowd exclaimed in horror, knowing full well what was about to happen. Mac's assault would finally culminate with him sending The Mantis into said flaming table, in a manner not at all dissimilar to The Last Blacksmith some time ago. Nate Mac was then reportedly seen exiting the ring area, while The Mantis remained unmoving on the ring's floor. OCW training staff were quick to evacuate the stricken Mantis and send him to a nearby medical facility to be treated for severe burns, numerous lacerations, and a possible concussion. As of this editorial, no word of The Mantis' medical condition has surfaced out of respect for his privacy, nor has any official statement regarding the matter been made by any OCW personnel, nor any charges filed. However, later on in the show, The Last Blacksmith himself appeared in the ring, condemning The Iceman's brutal attack on The Mantis, saying that he had gone too far, and would, as an act of vengeance, go on to challenge Nate Mac to a Last Man Standing match at Summercide, to which Mac has yet to accept or refuse. With all the above considered, one does have to wonder how it is that The Mantis has been the victim of so many recent unfortunate incidents. Some testimonials from within the business reveal that he has been a source of divisiveness of late, particularly among other OCW Superstars, allegedly by way of overstepping his bounds, and being a general nuisance. One anonymous fan was quoted as saying that "everything Mantis got tonight, he had coming". Others claim that he had become a sort of resident pin-coushin, being the target of extended physiological abuse by other wrestlers, seemingly exacerbated by the loss of his mother a couple of months ago due to a stroke, for which he had received little to no sympathy. The Mantis himself, nor OCW management have made any public statements confirming or denying the existence of this apparently hostile working environment. We at OCWFED News wish The Mantis a swift and full recovery, and will keep you informed of any and all developments as they become available.

OCWFED.COM EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE Following the events of the Turmoil show last night, controversy and confusion reign supreme, and nowhere were those more prevalent than after the match between The Mantis and Just Derek. As we recall from last week's Riot show, The Mantis had arrived at Madison Square Garden in order to compete against Danny Watts, but was then suddenly attacked by Just Derek in the venue's parking bay, culminating in The Mantis being thrown into the windshield of the very limousine he had used to arrive there, resulting in the match being declared a no-contest in favour of Danny Watts. Following Derek's attack, The Mantis was transported to a medical facility in Brooklyn where he underwent surgery to remove over fifty separate pieces of glass from his back. The Mantis was then declared medically sound to compete in the Turmoil match against Just Derek less than 48 hours before showtime, which some in the community argue had played a factor in The Mantis' landslide loss to Derek last night. Spectators at the show last night reported The Mantis looking especially pale and ashen, and perhaps not in full control of his faculties. Another point of contention is that no official statement had been made regarding The Mantis' condition or recovery at any point leading up to the Turmoil show, save for a short video testimony from the man himself that he uploaded to social media two weeks ago. Some are perceiving this as a lack of foresightedness on the part of OCW management and questions as to why the match was ever allowed to go ahead, or at the least, have been delayed to allow The Mantis more much-needed recovery time. Since last night's Turmoil show, we have received word that The Mantis has been readmitted to a local medical facility for treatment of as of yet unknown injuries sustained in the aforementioned match. It is unclear whether any charges against Just Derek have been or will be filed. We have attempted to reach all relevant parties to give their thoughts on this story, including several prominent members of OCW management and other Superstars, as well as The Last Blacksmith who has been acting as a mentor of sorts to The Mantis for several weeks prior. All were unavailable for comment. With all this in mind, one does have to wonder if the well-being of their Superstars, especially their aspiring young talent, is truly at the forefront of OCW's thinking, or if they are simply pawns in the great game of sports entertainment, where their sacrifice is merely par for the course. We will keep you informed of any new developments as and when they become available.

The scene begins inside a recovery room at a Brooklyn medical facility. Lying on the patient bed is The Mantis, draped with bandages around his chest and back, with a heart monitor steadily beeping in the background. The Mantis stares upwards at the ceiling for a while before, with great pain, reaching over to the bedside tray and picking up his phone. He opens up the camera app and begins to record himself. The Mantis: Afternoon, Mac. I saw your little video from your mom's basement, where you insinuated that I'm some sort of puppet for The Last Blacksmith. So how does that look after you sent Derek out to attack me before last night's show?! Because of you, my match against Danny Watts was declared a no contest in his favour! The Mantis: While you were sitting at home paying a visit to Johnny Redeye, the doctors here just had to extract over fifty shards of glass out of my back! So how's this for a laugh? If I'm apparently Blacksmith's little puppet, then what does that make Derek to you? Why would, of all people, he take marching orders from you? I always knew you were a treacherous slug, Mac, but I never took you for a hypocrite. The Mantis: Once I'm cleared to compete again, whenever that may be, you can be damn sure that you'll pay for this. I am enslaved to no man. I am my own free spirit. I wander this earth of my own accord! And the next time we meet, I'll see to it that you'll be buried under that same earth. For I am The Mantis...and I've got your number. The video recording ends and cuts to black…

It was such an honor to sit down with Mr. Sensation, thank you so much for having me on. Hopefully this will have cleared the air a bit. Can't wait until next time. :)

The scene opens in the OCW Combat Center where we find The Last Blacksmith and The Mantis inside the ring, having a sparring match before this week's Riot show tonight. TLB: Is that all you got, Mantis? If I wanted to fight with something inanimate, I would have preferred the punching bag. The Mantis: Well, if I wanted to fight with some smart-arse Italian with more balls than brains, I'd fight that bloke off that cake show. That fire must've really done a number on you. The Last Blacksmith grimaces in surprise, after which The Mantis knocks him down with a running leg lariat. TLB: You are good at answering in words. Less when you have to answer with facts...that's enough for today. I have to fix a chatty Frenchman tonight. The Last Blacksmith comes out of the ring and sits on the edge, lighting up a cigarette. Shortly after, The Mantis exits with him. TLB: Tell me something. What led you to fight, Mantis? What is it you are looking for? The Mantis: I'm looking to give this company what it deserves. Transparency. Credibility. Dignity. Justice. Honour. What do you fight for? Your next championship, or your next pizza? The Last Blacksmith gives a hint of a smile. The Mantis: What're you smirking at? TLB: I should bury you just for this pathetic joke. And I'm not talking about the pizza one. Transparency, credibility, dignity. And then there's that ridiculous costume. This isn't some superhero movie, Mantis. Come on, tell me what you really want… The Last Blacksmith stares The Mantis in the eye as he takes a long drag on his cigarette. The Mantis leans against the apron. The Mantis: Alright, fine...I'm here because...I don't have anything else in my life. I got into wrestling because of my father, God rest his soul. I did it because I wanted to support my grieving mother, to give my family the life they deserved to have. The Mantis: As an only child, I knew that would be a tall order, but I had to do something for them, so that they wouldn't have to worry anymore, that they could be secure. Well, now, I can keep all that money for myself...though not exactly for all the right reasons. The Mantis: You remember way back when Allen gave you that first check? That sense of bewilderment and excitement? The possibilities? Well, when he signed off on my check, I just stared at it, thinking of what could've been. What should've been. He must've thought I had a stroke in his office or something. But, it's a cruel world out there, where you have to fend for yourself. Play the hand you're dealt and all of that. The Mantis: I think I finally realize it now...what good is fixing a world that is so fundamentally broken? Try as you might, you can't change people. Lord knows I've tried to, and you saw how that went...why do I even bother with all that rubbish anymore, you know? The Last Blacksmith nods his head. TLB: You know, I could just tell you that you are pathetic, that you are weak. And although that may be true…I want to be really honest with you right now. TLB: The sense of bewilderment, of distrust of everything around us, is something that each of us feels at least once. The question: "Am I good enough"...Do you know why I fight, Mantis? I fight to forget. The Mantis: Forget what? The accident? The Last Blacksmith takes a deep breath. TLB: No. I fight to keep my head busy. To keep my mind at ease. The pain I feel every time I face an extreme rules match, allows me to not face my worst enemy. My memory. Myself. This is what my secret is, Mantis. No one…no one can be a worse rival… The Mantis: Why, though? Why do you substitute physical pain in place of your past mental pain? Pain you willingly bring upon yourself to forget pain others have brought to you? How is that any more valiant than what I've been standing for? It sounds reckless to me. TLB: Heh, valiant…that's not the point. You said it yourself. The world is a bad place, you realized it. All your values ​​are worth nothing. You're alone. Fighting for others makes no sense, because no one will do it for you. The sooner you understand, the sooner you can move on. You can't trust anyone. Not even me... The Mantis: I guess...I guess I'm just a stubborn bastard like that. I get it from my father. He thought he could trust people too... TLB: And what happened to him? What did that trust give him in the end? A long silence hangs in the air. The Mantis: Death. They said it was a total accident, but...now I really know. Now I know why my mother was so afraid of me getting into this business... The Last Blacksmith throws the cigarette to the floor, stamping it out. TLB: Well, all I can say to you now? Don't make the same mistake your father did. The Last Blacksmith gets up and heads for the exit. The Mantis remains at the ring for a moment, still leaning against the apron contemplating to himself, before trudging his way out of the centre, each step heavy with revelation.

ah, I think that was from the editor app I used to trim the file down a bit from raw, I'm not sure how to turn that off

let me know if there's an error with this, we were unable to get it all edited and set before deadline

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B5inF70z6y16KywR7Aa4X6CGd0UpSOQZ/view?usp=drivesdk

If this is how hectic running your business can get, how the hell do you ever have time to wrestle?! lol