Overdrive Feedback and Discussion

[T-Marv]

Alright, the show is posted.

Thanks to Evan Envi, Gooch, Rebel, and Biggs for matches

Thanks to Evan, Gooch, Delikado, HAvok, AC Smith, Amy Zing for Segments.



I apologize for the results going up so late. I also apologize if I missed something in them. I got running behind with stuff going on in my life and the deadline push back. Anyways... enjoy.

[Jules]

Just a small piece of feedback from this week.

I don't think anyone would dispute how good Evan Envi is, and there is a remarkable symmetry between the way Evan Envi is building his main event status right now and how Terry Marvin set-up his 2012 tour de force. For me there is an inevitability about this character's rise to the top, just like Marv's last year. The last two shows really highlight why for me: Overdrive feels in a bit of transition right now, with a number of notable retirees from the upper card and a quiet few weeks from Overdrive's top-line talent, and Evan is really taking the show by the scruff of his neck and making it is own. It's said in pro wrestling that the top belt shouldn't be the making of the man, but the other way: the man gives the title prestige. I don't think Evan Envi needs the belt anymore to be considered top-line, but when he does eventually win the WHC it will be grateful to have him as champ.

Speaking of the WHC, somebody commented last week that it seems to have taken a back seat to the Overdrive Title. I have to agree with this. Even though there are niggles happening, the Mayhem hype does feel a little low key. I think Delikado is doing a stand-up job, but it's disappointing that Level-One and Callahan haven't been on top form.

But listen, this isn't me busting the balls of these guys. I got plenty of respect for their talent and their work-rate. I expect there must be external factors limiting their time because they are both work horses when it comes to segments and building their angles. So please don't take this as me dumping on you both, I'm just saying it's a shame, for whatever reasons, you guys haven't yet hit the high notes in this feud. Hope you're both okay.

Lastly, well done to the match writers again for showing why APW is the best for results, and a huge pat on the back and thanks to Terry for his continued sterling work as GM.

["The Real Deal" Ellis Graham]

When I read, I had to agree that this week was the Envikado show. But, I think that it's a good thing because that's two new heels that are unquestionably main event right now.

I'm glad to see Gates added to the title fight. I agree that in the actual show itself, there hasn't exactly been a saturation of segments for the main event, but, after Terry Marvin's "reign of terror" over Overdrive, anyone - theoretical fan or real player of the game, has to be completely pumped up to see two OD legends and two new to the Thursday Night spotlight compete to fill the void officially at Mayhem. Segments or not, that's gotta be one of the most anticipated main events Overdrive has sent to a PPV in quite some time.

[Level-Two]

You're 100% right Jules. I owe the APW an apology here. There's never been a time where I didn't give it my 100% but for the past few weeks, I haven't minus the RP's and that's my fault.

I was hoping to return to form this week but then I got bogged down with a website (I wasn't planning to do all this coding for it) a couple of days ago and I have been doing that in my spare time. Yesterday, I started writing a segment but I was too tired and couldn't get Delikado's character down the way I felt it needed too.

Multi person feuds need more co op and it takes a bit more work then usual - so this week, I will be taking care of segments early. I won't put a date on it but it WILL be done.

[C.J. Gates]

This Overdrive show reminded me of early Meltdown shows where Evan Envi was the only one sending in segments. Not that it was a bad thing for this Overdrive, because there were other segments littered throughout, it just was dominated by Envi. With good reason. He's trying to move his way to the Main Event picture (title wise) and the one way to do that is to get your face out there through segments. I'm sure that when this whole 'war' idea shakes out, the multitude of segments will become clearer (since he's interacting with nearly everyone on the roster).

As Jules said, the Overdrive title feud is getting a lot of play more so then the World title, but I think this week did a lot to give the World title a bit more of a push then it might have gotten in weeks past. Delikado is doing a good job of promoting it, and the ending/post match of the Callahan/Gates match did the same. Sure, a few more segments could help it, but then we hit the point of there being too many segments total on the show. Though I guess too many is much better then there being not enough on one side. Now that I have managed to slide into the match, perhaps we can kick it all up a notch.

I liked the ending to my match, if only because it gave everyone in the Mayhem match a lot to work off of and showed how some of them would react in the long run. Gives Gates a bit (more) of an underdog feel to him going into this match now.

The rest of the matches were well done. Found the Gooch/Delikado match pretty interesting with the Callahan involvement and Envi's commentary. Lots of good points throughout the show where the matches were concerned.

And to TMarv, don't worry about the show being up later. As I said in a past post, "on time" for me is the night that it's supposed to be due. Even the next morning. So don't get too worried that you might have gotten it up a few hours later, it still got up within 24 hours of it's projected post time, so kudos to you, especially with everything going on in your home life.

[Shadow]

Okay so this weeks round of feedback is a lot perkier. I want to say I'm glad that people did listen to the past couple of weeks feedback. I also want to say I spent yesterday at one of the SWF shows with Slade and Assassin we talked with the guys in back that do efeding and went over some points so I'm going to stress them here.

I feel I shouldnt need to comment on match writing skill. The people who write matches here know how to write a match. So first thank you for the work you put in.

Opening.
Both the opening segment and match sets the pace of any show. If you have a lackluster opening segment and match your show ends up sort of blase. Thats something to bear in mind when you write an opening segment. Evan Envi's opening was a crowd worker. Thats a good thing, because it is easy to forget the crowd when you work an efed. It incorporated the Mayhem storyline but the whole Lady Overdrive got dropped in favor of the King of Overdrive gimmick. What was up with that? Im not sure how I feel about the KoOD gimmick, I think the Lady OD set was a bit more eccentric and funnier. Just seemed too soon to make such a big switch.
The second half of this segment took a drop to me. Delikado's character development (IMO) has taken a weird turn that I dont really enjoy. This whole "pope" gimmick doesn't really work for me and I can't get into it so It really brought down the opening.
However the opening match, spot on. It helped to have Envi commentary too because commentary should push and develop storylines. The finish to this match was a good push for both the WHT and the OD title. Still I agree that the OD title is taking the spotlight.

Havok's line really stuck out to me

If Duvall would have respectfully come up to me and explained that I wasn’t going to win, because a Havok/Level-One match would create buyrates through the roof, I would have been fine with it. But the fact that I was completely ignored and left off the show AGAIN, really rubbed me the wrong way.

Thats a great line. I mean it. It's an indirect reference to the breaking kayfabe bit I was working for one but it was a great cover for why the battle royal was changed to a singles match.

I dont agree with pushing old federation alliances in APW because it makes it seem like someone is trying to make this place their old home. If you have history it's best kept in storylines (IMO)

The comment about heavy hitters not lasting long (I know due to the fact they nearly destroy one another) was a little bit of a bring down. It didn't damage the read, it just made the commentators seem stupid. Big guys have brutal matches that can last forever. It also (indirectly) undersold both megastars.
Now the match itself had a lot more than just the basic formula match. Drawing on a injury and targeting it and having it worked into the finish is good soap opera drama.

I dont really have a comment on the next segments. I will try to push myself to contribute more segments so the show isnt segment dominated by people. This knocking anyone. It's good that Evan and Delikado keep the show flowing. And its nice to see Zing get some facetime. I already made my comments on the Pope angle.

Callahan v Gates should have been Main Event. With everything that went on for it (ending and during), that would have pushed the Mayhem ME big time. Its an easy rework and can make Envi's KoOD gimmick that much more impactful to feel snubbed. However the downside to this match was the face on face bit. Thats kind of a problem APW has had as of late, the bookings shouldn't be pushing baby v baby and heel v heel. It really takes away from the dynamic the match brings forth. Baby v Baby would work if Duvall was behind it and really trying to squash the faces. And what would really sell all the characters would be the faces showing him up by succeeding. Keep that in mind. I liked the babies getting their shine, felt they could have had a little more though based upon the past few weeks. Had this been Main Event the shine would have been twice as strong.

The lack of Duvall's presence on this show helped my read. I really think as the big heel GM he needs a strong face opposition to bring out this who.

ME: Evan Envi always does a good job of selling the character's strength in the matches. Im not sure if he wrote it or not but the character taking the ass whooping he does. Still Evan's character needs a little more dirtiness to his matches. A heel like him should be cutting the faces off with rakes to the eyes, a hair pull etc. I liked the leg take down but to really sell Envi, he needs to be a little dirtier. There was one big drawback to this match, the aftermath. The fact that there was none was a bit of a let down. Its also another reason I felt Callahan v Gates should have been ME.

I think this show was a great improvement. A lot of you were upset with the past two weeks feedback but you have to understand it was hard for me to write that knowing what kind of backlash it would bring. This place is the shining city on the hill to me and like Rebel said it had become a bit of a drag to be here. I want to see this place beam again. Let's do that. Things to keep in mind for next week as we build to Mayhem, Faces shine, heels rub. This Overdrive should explode to build for the PPV. Think about what you think would sell your match the most, not your character.