The opening segment is exactly the kind of thing that should've happened with only 2-3 shows left before the PPV. Seeing all of the guys (sans Hart) in the ring is an image that sells One Night in Hell all by itself. However, I'm a sucker for Gates and Noble, so anything involving them has me sold, really. It's the small things in this segment that impressed me though, like Gates not having anything to say for a moment while he reflected on his history with Noble, and all of them sharing the microphone so there wasn't confusion with 4 guys speaking at once. Something I noticed though is, lately Biggs doesn't seem like much of a heel. He's honest, and yeah, he says things that the general public absolutely does not want to hear, but what he says isn't necessarily heel-ish. It just doesn't match the opinions of the good guys, or supposed "good guys." Overall, superb segment, and not only made me excited for ONIH, but for the main event.
Brilliant match between Delikado and Dionysus. I know how fun it is to write matches for Deli, and every movement his character made in this was methodical, and sold his current storyline-- just through wrestling and commentary. THAT is how you create a character. Likewise, John Dionysus has the perfect face-personality and moveset for quick-paced, potentially violent matches. Delikado bites another one! Hopefully Dionysus gets back on the winning side of things soon, but Deli needed this win heading into a title defense at ONIH. That match could very-well steal the show.
Superb Kurt Noble promo. He utilized Shane West in a way that very few people ever seem to. Everything Noble said had merit to it, and as a heel(?), that's a powerful weapon-- the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear. The security for West was a nice touch.
Good back-and-forth match between Saint and Watson. As I read it, there's not too much I have to comment on. The match was well-written, but neither of these men had a real story with one another so unfortunately it's easy to get overlooked. Both of these guys should be fighting Heels right now, to push their characters further. With that said, I see why Jeff added the Envi interference at the end-- this thing just needed a dose of "bad guy."
But congrats to Watson for picking up the win, even if via DQ. I look forward to seeing what Saint does in the near future. PLEASE get this man a high-profile feud.
LMAAAOOOOO Mania/Deli. I was literally laughing out loud, eyes watering at the segment. Delikado continues to try to gain trust from his opponents, and Mania continues being the perfect foil to his antics. Rabies-laced lehmunaids? I'm sold. And I'm glad that the raccoon has become a staple in the storyline.
Strong segment between Biggs/Gates and it sells their history (and the main event) quite well. The following segment with Terry and L1 was also strong, but L1's promo knocked it out of the park. I love the continued teases of Chris Hart being unable to compete at ONIH and a new entrant being considered. If a new entrant is put in, it'll be huge, and if Hart returns to the Elimination Chamber, it'll be gigantic.
The A.C. Smith segment elaborated on what he touched on in his RPs this week, so that continuity was nice. Watch the quotations next time, bro-- if you read the other segments and commentary on the show, you'll notice that they're non-existent. Also, apparently Rivera and Harris have reconciled based on their actions over the past week or so on Twitter. However, Harris STILL threw the chick off a stage, so that worked well in fueling A.C. Smith's fire. Like Nick Watson and similar to Marvin, Smith has turned himself into this chivalrous savior of sorts, but with more of a mean streak to him than the others. That's what makes him stand out right now.
Credit to Smith for the inspiration to do the promo during the entrance of his match. It helped sell the idea that the heels think APW presents an unsafe work environment. I didn't want to have Harris get basically squashed despite no-showing, but I think under the circumstances it worked. Quick, but fun match to write.
The segment with Jeff after once AGAIN did a good job at showing that the heels(?) think this is an unsafe work environment. Maybe this story will evolve into something huge, fed-wide. Who knooows?
I enjoyed writing Mark Mania vs Evan Envi, and the segment between Evan and Jeff. I kind of wish there had been another small segment between the two, so it didn't look like Evan hauled ass to his locker-room after his loss, grabbed his stuff, and prepared to leave while bitching at President Jeff. This was my fault though since I deviated from the segment I told Jeff was coming his way and whipped something else up last-minute. It doesn't seem too out of place if you imagine there was an exceptionally-long commercial break. ;D HopefullY everyone else enjoyed reading it. Also... UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
Main event... What can I say? We all knew it was going to be exciting, and it was going to tell a story, and it fucking
delivered. Biggs is the perfect guy to take the kind of bumps and spots he was taking in this match, and I sincerely hope he remains a presence in the main-event scene even after One Night in Hell. To be honest, before tonight I didn't see him walking away with the Undisputed Title because of all the focus on Noble, Marvin, and more recently Level-One. But I see how much work Biggs puts into this place, and I'm pulling for him.
(Though the fanboy in me wants Kurt to get that strap again.) I normally don't like such huge, epic spots to be used weekly on Overdrive, but it worked here considering what these guys are preparing for. Kind of bummed to see it end in a Draw though. Maybe I was the only one that saw it coming, but it did not take away from the match itself. Well-done.
Post-match, my worst fears were confirmed. Kurt seemed to go full-on heel.
As a mark, it was upsetting to read, but as a fellow writer, it was splendid. I legitimately thought Gates' brains were gonna be on the ring apron.
As Level-One said, this was an amazing show. It felt like a go-home show at times.
But congrats to Watson for picking up the win, even if via DQ. I look forward to seeing what Saint does in the near future. PLEASE get this man a high-profile feud.
As a mark, it was upsetting to read, but as a fellow writer, it was splendid. I legitimately thought Gates' brains were gonna be on the ring apron.
