Feedback: Forsaken Destiny V Options

[Tequila]

Feedback please.

I don't want any remarks on the lateness of the show and such because I am well aware it was late. Oh, and I would appreciate if it if you included the opening video in your reviews. They do tend to get ignored but I do actually think about the type of videos and performances open the show rather than "I like that" and sling it in, as I do with most of the other 'little' things.

I would appreciate full reviews but I understand it's a long show, so I'll take any feedback from you guys.

So yes, hit me.

[Crystal Deymonaz]

I will make a full review when I've had time to read it properly, as you know I've been "K-kinda busy", but I am very anxious to read it once my schedule allows.

[Veronica Valiant]

I couldn't get the opening video to work when I tried it. It said something about needing to accept the sender's friend request before it'd play. SAD FACE!


But yeah, anyways. I'll try and break this down item-by-item.

Intro: Getting the lateness jokes out the door early, I see? Nobody takes the piss out of themselves quite like Dan. :)

Katie vs. Mercedes, the rematch: Erm...Katie won the belt back after Divacide? When did this happen? On the limited-release Exile broadcast from the Twilight Zone? Anyways; lots of aggression from both girls right from the start. That spot with the MacBook was genius, as was the bicycle face-grind. Burrrrrn!

Leah: What the hell? She looks like Optimus Prime!

WIN.

JLT: Ouch, right between the eyes!

Leah: …so, the nose, then?

Couldn't have said it better myself.

On first read-through I thought this one was a tad short, given how well the rivalry had been built up over previous Exiles, but after a second read-through it's actually near enough note-perfect. A cracking way to start things off.

Tecky's Party: Loved seeing the old trashcan joke get redone; that's like my first real memory of DU. I wish I could still remember Clueless well enough to recall those lines; yeah, I really did watch that show once, along with Sabrina the Teenage Witch and, uhm, Sweet Valley High. *coughs* Hey, my statue got mentioned! Moving along...

Lilith vs. Luna: The Clash of the Titans reference made me LOL, but this one didn't really get off the ground. 'Course, I know the circumstances behind it and can understand the reason, so what the heck. Could've done with some sort of post-match angle.

Krysta Interviews Herself: Hilarious, especially with Holly's endearingly warm interruption at the end. For some reason, makes me think of a Dalek barking "WOULD YOU CARE FOR SOME TEEEAAAA?"

Krysta vs. Holly: Not a particularly long or technical match, but the cattiness came across well, and the little details really sold it for me, like Krysta not wanting to touch Holly long enough to pin her, and Holly winning thanks to one big ol' botch.

Girls Aloud backstage: Aww, the ginger one gets left out. Mind you, she is a bit of a minger, isn't she? PCD had the same problem...why can't these groups ever find a redhead that looks like, say, Karen Gillan? The Cheryl and Nadine accents crack me up, obviously. Bandit has no luck with celebrities (and why do I get the feeling this night will not become much better for him?) and neither, it seems, do Team Tara. And Radd's blasé attitude towards the whole thing makes her a little more sympathetic in my eyes.

3WL Folks at the Party: Aw, poor Nicky. I'd probably make the same mistake in her position, but surprise-surprise, nobody leaps to her defense. Probably because she's a DIRTY FOREIGNER.

Askai Title, Kitty vs. Roxie: Kitty sold dope? I KNEW she was hiding something with that do-gooder persona! Anyways, this was a pretty well-written affair, though it lacked the dynamic sparkle of various other matches on the card. Maybe it's just that there wasn't so many LOL-worthy commentary quotes, or that there wasn't really much in the way of a feud building up to this one. I probably wouldn't criticise it on an Exile show, but for a PPV I think the barrier should be a little higher.

Veronica & Mercedes arrive...in the past?: A lot of this (but not all of it, natch) was my work, so I'm not going to criticise because I AM PERFECTION. Not exactly sure what I was going for with that ominous foreshadowing near the end, but...well, I wrote it in, like, December. There probably was a plan back then...

Bandit interviews Veronica, take 1: Me again. Hopefully, this running joke didn't piss the rest of you off.

Aphrodite/Radd vs. Crystal D./Kibby: The references checklist bit must surely go down in history as one of DU's best in-jokes ever, IMO. And I think I at least got the Gaga references afterwards, if not the other ones. As to the match itself, it's very good; there's clearly a lot more 'heat' involved in this one than in the last. Did seem to end rather abruptly, though; there was only one tag made for each team, which seems wrong somehow. Also, random note: Kibby's new profile shot? Ug-er-lee.

Bandit interviews Veronica, take 2: Just think; there's still 2 more of these to go. Heartbreaking, I know.

Felicity vs. Star: Battle of the Bitches? Can't we call it Hag-a-Mania '10? Again, well-written back-&-forth stuff, but there's not quite as much drama and heat as Star's rare few matches really deserve, methinks. Maybe a touch short as well.

Bandit interviews Veronica, take 3: *sigh*

Battle Royale: In-joke frenzy! I'm not even gonna try and name them all, just like I'm not gonna try and name every competitor, 'cause some of them I've honestly never heard of before. But this really felt like a proper event, a true clusterf*** in the best sense of the word, and really deserved its high-card placement. And congrats to Meggie for winning; she really went beyond the call of duty with her RPs for the thing.

Bandit interviews Veronica, take 4: It's finally over! Hurray!

Tara Lee vs. Tequila: This is actually the match I was most looking forward to. Total fluff all the way through, but hilarious fluff so it hardly matters. Yes, 'Avocado Moonlight' is a stupid name for...anything. Pleased that Tara won, too. She deserves it for being the BEST GENERAL MANAGER WE'VE EVER HAD. Yeah, I went there.

Hall of Fame Induction: Victoria again fails to remind me why I fancied her when I was 10. And I'm actually quite surprised that Kibby wasn't already in the HOF; she might not be the most successful of Divas, but she is basically the walking embodiment of the DU spirit. Still, better late than never. And not giving a speech in favour of just shrieking "OMG! HUGE!" is soooo Kibby.

Stripped Championship London Dungeon Match: Makaze being sent to the wrong address is really clever, 'specially since she's another one of those foreigners and logically wouldn't know her way around.

Crystal lies on the canvas, holding her face,

Canvas? This isn't in a ring...both girls going to town on all those poor aspiring actors amuses me greatly. Lots of knowledge of the exhibit being displayed, and it all feels authentic (though I can't really confirm that - haven't been down to London since high school).

The three women run through the Great Fire section, causing some surreal images for the viewers at home like they’re running through hell.]

Leah: Whoo, how high am I?

High enough to be watching Benny Hill...or was that just me? Ay-yay-yay...actually trying to deconstruct this stuff is nearly impossible. Christine disappearing, Makaze flirting, Crystal with a rolling pin, the Bloody Mary disguise, and finally Makaze narrowly beating a topless Crystal out the door. Madness, but in a very good way.

Blonde Ambition Reunion: Aww, we knew they couldn't stay apart for long!

I mean, it could be a giant monster which comes out and devours me, or a bomb, or a horrible virus which infects everyone in the room with your stupidity, or a copperhead snake like in Kill Bill or WORSE…a new line-up of the Sugababes!

Lulz.

The Main Event: Finally!

Leah: T’aint no big thing, to wait for the bell to ring.

Nice Roxy Music reference. No, shut up, Dan. SHUT UP. I know what you're gonna say, but it's MY match so it's Roxy Music, OKAY?!

Love the stare-down at the beginning, really helps sell the mutual resentment. Nice beginning exchange, with Veronica logically trying to keep Laura down before Laura starts dominating with her power game.

Leah: Psychology plays a big part in these matches.

An astute observation...from Leah?

Cool outside-the-ring brawling before spoilsport Laura drags Veronica back in. Laura with her awesome chokeslam...

JLT: Wow! I’ve never seen Laura do that move before!

Erm...she did that last time at Divacide, I think. Moving along...the momentum changes, very unique turnbuckle choke by Veronica before she falls on her arse. Love how Laura sees through Veronica's plea for mercy - only to get smacked in the face big-time after shoving the ref away. Succession of close near-falls, really shows Laura's grit and determination. Ew, referee chest hair! We need female refs, we have female everything else! Double 'Perfection' is epic, and now of course starts the chaos, with Mercedes running in...and paying for it, before poor Takada gets squished for the second time tonight. Of course, that distracts the ref, and...belt shot! Pin! Near-fall! Whew.

Veronica then tosses the belt out of the ring, where it happens to accidentally smack a rising Madison Seton in the back of the head.

Am I the only one who finds that to be the height of comedy?

And then it's the final stretch, with both ladies realistically knackered, hitting each other with glancing, almost drunken blows, before a last slip-up and a final sexual insinuation from Leah lead to Veronica getting the pin and crawling away smugly.

Yeah, couldn't help but give my own match more attention. Seriously, however; this was properly epic, with some gripping near-falls and inventive spots, one of those times where the interference and ref bump(s) actually heighten the drama rather than distract from it, and was a worthy sequel to an awesome first match. Much praise to Dan for writing it, and to Aaron of course, for having me shitting bricks over the result. Last time I felt this unsure was at Terror in Tokyo, and well, we know how that one turned out...

Overall: Y'know, I seem to have made an awful lot of nitpicks here, but on the whole, this show was great. Maybe not our best PPV in the time I've been here, but the fact that it still held up as an entertaining, eventful show even after the prolonged wait speaks volumes of its quality. So I think what we're dealing with here is an example of a show that's more than the sum of its parts, really. There were a fair few weak links, but the good parts papered over those cracks. I loved it!

[Meggie]

Alright here's mine. I'm going to copy sir Craig here with the piece by piece review. I'm not up to date with storylines, but nevertheless. I'll give it my best shot. Here goes. (btw, the new Exile layout is completely amazing ;) )

The Intro: Girls Aloud descend from the sky like Angels and the song is completely amazing! (that and "call the shots" are the only two songs I know by them) I think it was extremely fitting, because this video actually looks like there is a wrestling ring right there in the middle of the arena after they lift off stage. I know that's not what you were thinking when deciding but I found that hilarious. The jokes towards yourself were crazy. You really like to punish yourself alot for being late. It happens, we're human.

Katie vs. Makaze:

Leah: I think Katie is prepared because of that feud with Makaze, everything after her will seem like a walk in the park. I’m just praying that hot tamale of a man Travis comes out here with her.

LMAO at the end. Poor Travis.

I'm not sure on what has happened with the feud so far. As I was MIA at divacide and haven't had a chance to backtrack just yet, but the hype that is made with JLT and LEAH makes me want to see what happens anyways, just by knowing there is history. This match is a good first start.

Leah: What, like Mercedes’s cooties?

LMAO this woman is a genius with quotes.

I like that Katie picked up the microphone mid-match. I've never seen that done before. At least results wise. That was a nice touch.

Leah: I can’t believe my man hits women! Half of me is pissed…the other half is thinking about how exciting it will be to talk about his wifebeating on Maury!

Seriously golden! lmao.

These divas are really vicious. Possibly one of the more vicious matches i've seen compared to some others.

o.O John Roe's announcing confused me at the end. with the "and STILL" part, I thought Katie was the champion at first. lol. oh well.

Odd ending for a no-DQ match, but it was actually legal in this one. The contest was somewhat extreme. I enjoyed it.

Tequila's VIP party

Can I just say, thank god I wasn't invited this time? LMAO.

Holly with the self help book, nice touch. The Clueless moments I instantly noticed lol. That movie is amazing. 'cause i'd be "buggin'" too.

Lilith vs. Luna

I love Lilith's entrance, Although I'd never let her watch my children. (just saying)

The rivalry between these two characters seems familiar. They look like they just match well together. Moster vs. Monster, that sort of thing. Although I don't suppose Luna is a monster. A monster can't dance to spice girls, or skip for that matter.

Luna is definitely strong lifting above her body weight. Which doesn't surprise me. She has the power of the moon. <3 lmao. kidding.

Anyways this one was very evenly contested. I like the power moves, it's rare we get to see those in DU as most girls are lighter and sort of use hurricanranas and junk like that now. Alot more daredevils these days.

Top notch match here.

Krysta interviews. . . Krysta

signature Krysta right there lmao. I always admire her bitchiness. She never grows old. really. The interview was fun, I enjoy self promotional interviews they hardly ever happen, except in that EWR game when you want to use one haha. I enjoyed the interview alot. Especially the ending with Holly. You have to love her, even if she is bringing the Trashy punch.

Holly vs. Krysta

I love that this is actually happening. I always like to take aspects of non-wrestlers and put them on screen. It makes for a good time. With these two it's like Happy Feet vs. The Queen of England, in only that people aren't aloud to touch her. haha. (at least I think that's right. Correct me if i'm wrong)

I like the sloppy suplex and the nearly missed punches. These divas are inexperienced, but fun to read. lol.

I was rooting for Krysta, but that's ok. The match was funny.

Tequila's Party Round II

Oh wait I was invited. Serena and Nicky will get a piece of my mind I tell you lol.

Meeting Girls Aloud, i'm surprised no one fainted. Or actually understood what they were saying I understood Cheryl, the other one lost me, but I like the contribution to accents xD. that was nice.

Hating Beyonce. I can almost join her on that one, but not really. lol. It was a good segment. Especially the interlude with Team Tara.

Kitty vs. Roxie

"I ain't in Checota Anymore" I had to sing that. I saw it in the entrance.

This match was extremely nice. I liked the technical skill of Roxie, but Kitty was able to win in the end. I like the annotation to her inexperience. that makes it that much better.

Congrats to Kitty.

I'll finish the rest later =)

[Felicity]

It was a well done show, I was glad to be able to read it

[Mercedes Vargas]

Well, this is it...the final curtain call of this historic pay-per-view that is called Forsaken Destiny, Divas Unleashed's own Wrestlemania so to speak. For those who took part in this series from the very beginning and for those who even made their debut here, the end result was that this night in London, England would be unlike any other in DU's history. Let us pray...I mean, let's us review, shall we?

Opening and Commentary: Dan was right all along, the video itself really did pump me up for this event. I, for one, did not know that the ladies of Girls Aloud had the gift of flight, what an entrance. The choreography was very impressive and Cheryl and co. did one hell of a job in opening the show. Opening commentary was made possible by the willling contributions of JLT and Leah who, I must admit, did a superb job. And yes, I, too, noticed the overtones here as well, Dan. Don't worry, we'll get through this.

Match Number One: Rockford State Championship No DQ Match
Katie Kooper versus. Mercedes Vargas ©
Was there a DU board meeting I wasn't told about? I mean, Katie Kooper won the Rockford State Championship!?! In what universe? Okay, so it was a slight miscue, but that's not what's important here. This re-match for the Rockford State Championship had everything you wanted in a no DQ match: blood, weapons, and yes, Leah's snarky commentary.

JLT: Is it me or does it seem like these two women aren’t really that intent on winning…they just want to cause as much damage to each other as possible?

Leah: I get that vibe too, both would love to win but they don’t seem to be in a rush to end this match anytime soon. They want to kill each other. Well, I know Mercedes does. That’s what they do over there in Brazil.

JLT: Argentina.

Leah: Brazil!

Someone please, please, PLEASE give this woman her own show! It's comments like these that make the matches that much enjoyable, almost as enjoyable as the bicycle and Mac book spots. Of course, these objects were used beyond it's normal intentions but it's all legal in this environment. Absolutely loved how Mercedes was portrayed in this match, especially with the cigarette spot, her interaction with the fans, and of course her nonchalant pin attempts whilst Katie was trapt in the garbage can, and I liked how Katie added insult to injury in taking pictures of Mercedes while she was out at the moment. Maybe those pictures will be on Facebook, lol! Overall, I didn't mind that the match was short to begin with but it did the job it was supposed to and I'm pretty sure the fans got a kick out of it. In the end, John Roe said it best: "Here is your winner...and STILL Rockford State Champion...MERCEDES VARGAS! I say: VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!

In Focus

Katie Kooper: This was another tough loss for K2 in her fourth pay-pay-view apperance (2-2) and for the second time, she is once again defeated by Mercedes, the first time at Divacide. Coupled with the losses at Divacide and Crystal Deymonaz on the Exile ahead of this event, the loss here results in Katie's third consecutive defeat overall.

Mercedes Vargas: Since losing to Totally Radd at Control of the Knife, Mercedes has now won three consecutive pay-per-view in four such apperances (3-1) and has now won six consecutive singles matches overall since that loss to Radd in February. In addition, this is her sixth overall victory following her loss in the Thrilla in Manila battle royale back in April.

Tequila’s party segment: Uh-oh, Tequila and punch is like oil and water, they just don't mix. This segment was pretty funny in that pop culture is one of the things that DU prides itself on. And, yes, Clueless, is amongst one of the 90's classic TV shows. Surprised it lasted for only three seasons though.

Match Number Two: Grudge Match
Lilith vs. Luna
This match was, for the most part, interesting and I'm glad that we got a recap of how this rivalry came to be. This was one of the matches I was anticipating and whilst reading, I was not disappointed. Luna wanted to prove a point and that second Eclipse powerbomb to Lilith was an exclamation point to what was a very physical match. For some reason, I don't want this rivalry to end.

In Focus

Lilith: For Lilith, this was her 14th apperance at a pay-per-view overall (7-7) since debuting at Masacre at the Orient. This was also her third apperance at the Forsaken Destiny event, following her debut in Forsaken Destiny 3 and Forsaken Destiny 4, which both resulted in victories.

Luna: Following her loss to Mercedes on the last Exile before this PPV, Luna seems to be back on track in her first pay-per-view victory since her loss at Terror in Tokyo. This was her third apperance at a pay-per-view (Control of the Knife, Terror in Tokyo).

Krysta Taylor segment: Krysta cut a very good promo here and I liked how she directed us from the lockerroom to the arena. Does Holly knows how to make an entrance or she know how to make an entrance? Ladies and gentlemen, to the match!

Match Number Three: Grudge Match
Holly Wentz vs. Krysta Taylor
This was DU's version of Sharmell vs Jenna Morasca, but in a unique way, this was another winner.

Leah: Have you seen those youtube videos called Botchmania? I think this match will have it’s own special tribute.

That is gold!

In Focus

Holly Wentz: Holly wins her first pay-per-view match in only her second apperance since Xiax Xande (1-1).

Krysta Taylor: Her pay-per-view debut is something I'm sure she isn't going to forget anytime soon. Hoping we'll see another match between these former journalist in the immediate future.

Tequila’s party segment 2: Looks who's coming to party...it's Girls Aloud, minus one member who is left out in the cold, thanks to Crystal D. And now it's time for...another quotable quote:

Tequila: Girls! It’s so lovely to see you, your opening performance was fantastic! We just love you here at Divas Unleashed!

Sarah: Aww, thanks. Where's the booze?

Tequila: Here, we have some punch for you. Are you enjoying the evening? Have you met any of the other divas yet?

Cheryl Cole: We met Laura at this sherbiz paoty an she was lovalee, coz despeet hor reputation she didden deck none a the paps ootside.

Nadine: Aym reuhally ehngray. Naht beycers ahf may drank burt beycers ahl thays peoypul hev bugger dressing rums theyn may. Aym un Gerrls Aloid dehmmut!

[Tequila nods with wide-eyes a fixed smile on her face. She slowly turns around with the same expression locked on.]

Tequila: …HOLLY!!!

That was right there is why I couldn't stop laughing. This segment was just that good!

Team Tara segment: Meanwhile in their ultra-secret, secret lair, the members of Team Tara seeth with jealousy at the ongoing festivities.

Aphrodite: I just…I just want to meet Cheryl Cole. Is that too much to ask?

Tara: Fine, if you win tonight then as a reward, we’ll go and meet her. Okay?

Aphrodite: YAY!

Totally Radd: …who the hell is Cheryl Cole?

Wow, just wow. That had to be the most awkward thing that was ever said.

Tequila’s party segment 3: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone! Nicky Silver and Serena Royale?!? Really? REALLY?!?

Nicky: Ugh, I HATE Beyonce!

[HRRK! The music halts and the party stops. Holly Wentz drops her cup of punch, it spilling on the floor, with the sound of clinked glasses and gasps are heard as the whole room turns to face Nicky Silver with absolute horror. Nicky glances around, confused. Some divas begin to talk quietly amongst themselves, as Nicky is confronted room of divas looking at like she had comitted the ultimate crime. Through the sea of people, Tequila brushes her way to the front, her lips snarling up in anger.]

Tequila: ...GET OUT!

Okay, I take that back. This had to be the most awkward thing that was ever said.

Match Number Four: Askai Championship Match
Kitty Cummings vs. Roxie Rebel
In our second title match of the evening, we have former tag team champeens face off for the vacant Askai Championship. A good match between the two and I really did enjoy seeing Tori Marie again in support of her former tag team partner. Congrats to Kitty Cummings who becomes the 17th woman to hold this prestigious belt.

In Focus

Kitty Cummings: Although she failed to win the Stripped title at Divacide and lost to Tori Marie on the Exile in Las Vegas, all is well between the Teen Spirit duo as KC finally wins her first title in DU in her second pay-per-view apperance (1-1). Now, if only Tori Marie can be reinstated, maybe Teen Spirit can challenge once again for the Tag Team titles.

Roxie Rebel: In only her second singles match since Rebel & Roades broke up, Roxie suffers her first defeat in her pay-per-view singles debut and a second consecutive loss overall (1-2), the first loss being at Divacide when R&R was defeated by BA 2.0 for the Tag Team titles.

Mercedes/Veronica segment: Hey! I remember this segment, just not being this good!

Gay Bandit/Veronica segment, take 1:

[We cut backstage, to find Gay Bandit skipping through the halls, wearing a Santa hat, a sequinned waistcoat, shocking pink cowboy chaps and a sky-blue thong underneath, with 'PEACHY' printed across the crotch.]

Leah: Urk!

JLT: Are you about to throw up? Don't turn towards me! THE OTHER WAY!

Leah: [loud retching noises]

ROFL! I think we all fondly remember when it was JLT, who, um, threw up on her broadcast partner, during the Mercedes/Luna match at Terror in Tokyo, yes? But I digress. You know, it must be difficult being a backstage interviewer, as this segment shows. Veronica is one class act all by herself.

Match Number Five: Tag Team Match
Aphrodite & Totally Radd (Team Tara) vs. Crystal Deymonaz & KibbyD (Team Tequila)

JLT: I think they get along well. I’m not so sure Crystal Deymonaz can trust KibbyD though because not too long ago, Tequila and Kibby hated each other. Crystal seems unpredictable and Kibby lacks focus, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Team Tara is able to sweep this.

Leah: Aphrodite and Radd are both former models so they should gel well but Crystal and Kibby are different, I mean, Kibby releases soulless pop music and Crystal releases shitty rock songs, so to me, it’s like apples and oranges teaming up.

JLT: We need some better analogies. Maybe we should hire a ghost writer to provide us with philosophical musings to relate to a DU context?

Leah: Hmm, I’ll give Tyra Banks a call.

Who writes this stuff? This is genius I tell you, genius!

It's showtime, ladies! In the opening match featuring Team Tara versus Team Tecky, this had classic written all over it. I wanted a good fight and that is exactly what this was. Unfortunately, communication issues between Aphrodite and Totally Radd costs them the victory here, but kudos to Crystal Deymonaz and KibbyD for their trickery and pulling off what was a surprising upset. It's now Team Tequila 1, Team Tara 0. Can Felicity even the score for her team later tonight against Star?

In Focus

Team Tara: The loss here means that Team Tequila has a 1-0 advantage in this best-of-three series between the two factions. Individually, Aphordite suffers her first loss at a pay-per-view in seven consecutive apperances (6-1) since her debut at Nuclear Pussy 3 onwards. As for Totally Radd, Forsaken Destiny V marks her fourth apperance at a pay-per-view (1-3), yet she has not won a match since defeating Mercedes at COTK, as this results in her ninth loss overall.

Team Tequila: Following victories at Terror in Tokyo and Divacide, Crystal Deymonaz remains perfect at 3-0 with this much needed win for Team Tecky. This was KibbyD's second apperance at Forsaken Destiny since last year's event and this was her sixth apperance at a pay-per-view overall (3-3). The win also marks her second consecutive victory at a pay-per-view since defeating Tiger Lily at Terror in Tokyo.

Gay Bandit/Veronica segment, take 2: Okay, now I almost feel sorry for Mr. Bandit, I really do, but Veronica on the other hand? She deserves a round of applause.

Match Number Six: The Battle of the Bitches Match
Felicity vs. Star
Quite arguably the second most anticipated match I wanted to see. Two legends going at it with both of these ladies having something to prove. Star continuing her legacy atop the apex of DU; Felicity in wanting to put an end to the streak and somehow improve her standing among her peers (especially after that heartbreaking loss at 3WL's Anniversary Show). Something has got to give here and in the end, it is Star who walks out of the 02 Arena unfazed and unchallenged. Still, I give credit where credit is due, the match itself was hotly contested throughout.

Oh and...

JLT: Felicity’s just taunting Star now!

Leah: What is Star there for if not to taunt? Come on, her name is Star. She’s begging for it.

JLT: I thought you loved her?

Leah: I did. I’m all about Crystal Hilton now.

Leah strikes again!

In Focus

Felicity: Forsaken Destiny V marks her 16th pay-per-view apperance (5-11) and fourth apperance in this event overall (Forsaken Destiny, Forsaken Destiny 3, Forsaken Destiny 4). She has now lost her third match in this event and her fourth pay-per-view in a row following her last victory, a triple threat match at Every Bitch But Me versus Tiger Lily and Yuku Shiro for the Unleashed Championship, winning the title. With this being the final chance to draw even, Team Tara is now 0-2 and now must hope that Tara Lee can win her match against Tequila to avoid the team losing all three matches.

Star: There is just no stopping her! In her 19th apperance at a pay-per-view, Star improves her record to 15-4 with her ninth consecutive victory overall and, most importantly, she kept her winning streak intact as she is now an unprecedented 5-0 at Forsaken Destiny.

Gay Bandit/Veronica segment, take 3: Third time lucky, perhaps? No! Jun Takada now makes his apperance and from what we can tell, it seems as if he was very busy at the moment. Blink and you missed it, but Gay Bandit is again denied his requested interview!

Match Number Seven: Battle Royale of the Icons
Former Divas vs. Former Divas
Now this is what you call an epic match. There's nothing like a gold trophy and cash prize money to hype up an event such as this. Everyone that was everyone that has ever competed in a DU ring was featured and I'll be honest, I had no idea who was going to win. The match throughout was very good and as we got down to the final three divas left, the tension was almost defening as to who would ultimately win this contest.

JLT: It was a brave effort from all those women, especially the final five, they did well to make it into the top 5 yet alone to win the thing! Meggie is 25k richer!

Leah: You know what that’s going to be spent on don’t you? Tanning lotion.

That was my second guess.

In Focus

Meggie Skyfyre: This was Meggie's fifth apperance at a pay-per view (2-3) and this victory makes up for her lost at COTK. Now that she is also $25,000 richer, one must wonder if FDV really was the last we've heard of the Bronze Assassin as she'll have to defend her crown at some point.

Gay Bandit/Veronica segment 4: Now here comes Veronica and to our surprise, and Gay Bandit's, she wishes Laura a Merry Christmas. Aw, how cute. What's next, a Hallmark card?

Match Number Eight: Grudge Match
Tara Lee vs. Tequila
Catfight, bitchfight, whatever you want to call it...the battle for control of Divas Unleashed is the theme here and surprise, surprise, Tara Lee comes out on top! Commentary once again flowed beautifully as the match itself was well done.

Leah: Can you believe Tara has like 156 children? She better not embarrass herself.

The more you know...

In Focus

Tara Lee: This was her second apperance at this event (Forsaken Destiny) and 11th pay-per-view apperance overall (6-5). Following losses at Forsaken Destiny and Demonology II, this victory ends a two match losing streak at a pay-per-view.

Tequila: This was her eight apperance at a pay-per-view and third apperance at this event (Forsaken Destiny, Forsaken Destiny III). Has now lost past two pay-per view's, following lost at Nuclear Pussy V.

KibbyD Hall of Fame Induction segment: This was a surprise to me. KibbyD, a lot of fond memories. Who can forget about the Stripped Championship Doughnut on a Poll match on the first Exile of 2009? Or the Inagural Brawl? or the COTK main event between KibbyD and Meggie Skyfyre for the Unleashed title? She will sorely be missed!

Match Number Nine: Stripped Championship London Dungeons Match
Christine McQuisten vs. Crystal Hilton vs. Makaze ©
Christine and Crystal was amongst the five challengers vying for the then-vacant title at Divacide, so this should be an interesting match. I liked how Christine and Crystal unleashed their devious plan in tricking Makaze in the opening moments of this match. In the end, Makaze finally shows up and is the first to escape the dungeon and retain her title.

In Focus

Christine McQuisten: Second consecutive pay-per-view loss since debut at Divacide and third loss overall following tag team loss on Exile from Las Vegas. I quite like McQuisten and I really do see a bright future ahead for her as well as Roxie Rebel.

Crystal Hilton: This was her ninth apperance at a pay-per-view (4-5) and she has now lost three in a row following loses at Control of the Knife and Divacide respectably. Following loss to Mercedes in Houston, has now lost two matches overall.

Makaze: Since debuting at Nuclear Pussy V, Makaze makes her fifth pay-per-view apperance (3-2). Makaze wins her second consective pay-per-view since becoming Stripped Champion at Divacide.

Blonde Ambition segment: They're baaaaaaack! Carley Monroe and Tiger Lily makes their grand returns to Divas Unleashed and that alone has made my day. With that said, it looks like the motley crew of Blonde Ambition is ready to return to their zany antics. Question now is, where does Lisa Richardson fit in? And, most importantly, for BA 2.0, just who is going to challenge for the Tag Team Championships?!

Match Number Ten: Unleashed Championship Match
Laura Seton vs. Veronica Valiant ©
And now it's time for our main event! Crystal ball? Check. Magic eight-ball? Check. Sandwhich? Uh...I'll be right back. Okay, I'm back. So, where was I? Oh yeah, our main event of the evening! As a reminder, this is the tournament final of the Tara Lee Invitational that started way back in Portland. Both competitors have had stiff competition and has managed to weather the storm in getting to this point. And now...we find out who will leave London as the Unleashed Champion of the World.

My first impression of this match? Priceless. Back and forth this match went and we even got an appearance from everyone's favourite foreigner, Mercedes Vargas. LOL at how Laura wasn't even fazed by her and quickly throwing her out of the ring only to collide with Mr. Takada and being escourted from the arena. Overall, this was a great match and I agree wholeheartedly that this was a see-saw battle that deserved a standing ovation.

In Focus

Laura Seton: 16th pay-per-view apperance overall (5-11) and fourth apperance in this event (Forsaken Destiny, Forsaken Destiny II, Forsaken Destiny III). Following her victory at Terror in Tokyo, this is Laura's second consecutive loss at a pay-per-view, courtesy of Veronica Valiant.

Veronica Valiant: Fourth pay-per-view apperance (3-1) and second consecutive pay-per-view victory since loss to Star at Terror in Tokyo. This is also her second victory over Laura Seton overall.

Overall: I'll say this, the card for Forsaken Destiny V was as good as advertised and the results is proof of that. I am looking forward to the first Exile of 2010 (I still feel a bit odd in saying that) and Honolulu, Hawaii. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some leftover eggnog to finish and Christmas presents to unwrap (Cue Hawaii Five-0 theme).

[Felicity]

Felicity: Forsaken Destiny V marks her 16th pay-per-view apperance (5-11) and fourth apperance in this event overall (Forsaken Destiny, Forsaken Destiny 3, Forsaken Destiny 4). She has now lost her third match in this event and her fourth pay-per-view in a row following her last victory, a triple threat match at Every Bitch But Me versus Tiger Lily and Yuku Shiro for the Unleashed Championship, winning the title. With this being the final chance to draw even, Team Tara is now 0-2 and now must hope that Tara Lee can win her match against Tequila to avoid the team losing all three matches.

Seriously? I haven't won on a PPV since I won the title?

[Mercedes Vargas]

Seriously? I haven't won on a PPV since I won the title?

Seriously.

FORSAKEN DESTINY IV: Tiger Lily def. Felicity to win the Unleashed Championship.

NUCLEAR PUSSY 5: Katia def. Darla Daniels, Felicity, Melissa Evans, Sammantha Moore, Totally Radd and Trish Newborn.

DIVACIDE: Crystal Deymonaz def. Felicity.

FORSAKEN DESTINY V: Star def. Felicity.

[KibbyD]

Working on a full detail on the show, but if I never get back to it the show was totally GLAM....I so cannot believe KibbyD is a HALL OF FAMER. She should be a trending topic on twitter like now. Loves it HUGE!

[Katrina]

I loved it. Very well done and well worth the wait Dan.


Kat and Kaci catfight... just love it and how we just eliminate each other. lol.


I cannot wait for Glam and Project Diva.

[Tequila]

Thanks for the reviews guys, especially the full show reviews, I do appreciate them. The reason I ask for feedback is that I don't know whether some matches turn out shit and I'm my own worst critic so it's good to know whether it was alright or not and where I can improve. I was going to do a full review of my own and explain why I did certain things but with the feedback trickling in a little slowly this time, I think the moment has passed.

[Felicity]

Seriously.

FORSAKEN DESTINY IV: Tiger Lily def. Felicity to win the Unleashed Championship.

NUCLEAR PUSSY 5: Katia def. Darla Daniels, Felicity, Melissa Evans, Sammantha Moore, Totally Radd and Trish Newborn.

DIVACIDE: Crystal Deymonaz def. Felicity.

FORSAKEN DESTINY V: Star def. Felicity.

There was an Exile Christmas Special that was originally a PPV where me and Kibby D teamed and beat Blonde Ambition and Tequila, that counts

[Laura]

OMG! It's more feedback!

Opening: Good video that puts me in the mood for the show. If people either take these for granted or don't bother viewing them—I guess I don't know what to say. Are you missing the greatest thing ever? Probably not, BUT it is a mood-setter and helps give the feeling of 'being there.'

Commentary was okay. I'm sure Dan wasn't exactly focused on doing opening commentary; just wanting to get the show done and up. Did enjoy the lateness jokes and the last line of:

Leah: I do...but I'm not sitting here being taken for a mug by some limey dickhead over the pond who hasn't even got the fucking decency to give us a quick update.

At least Dan has humility?

Kooper vs. Vargas: Great match. Enjoyed the creative spots with the laptop/webcam and the bicycle.

JLT: Is it me or does it seem like these two women aren’t really that intent on winning…they just want to cause as much damage to each other as possible?

Well done on putting that line in there. People who join the fed in the future and look back on this event for history may read and feel this match was too much brawling, not enough wrestling—but placing that line there shows that the lack of wrestling moves is done on purpose and not because of the higher entertainment value from the brawling/weapons stuff vs. an actual wrestling match. A brawling match WE knew would/should happen due to the hatred of these two towards each other. Great RP'ing job leading up this one too! Definitely set me up to want to read this one!

Tecky's Party: More trash can punch? Is Tecky that poor she can't afford a diamond-studded bowl or something high-end? Ah well! Nice lighthearted break from the action.

Lilith vs. Luna: Maybe it's just me, but going in this seemed like a Special Attraction match. Something you would see WWE do with a celeb vs. wrestler or bringing back a legend to faceoff against a current star. I'm not saying it's bad, don't take this the wrong way. It's just we haven't seen Lilith in quite a while and this match is basically made because both women (one's a woman anyways? Lol) are tall—but if such a match is to occur, FD is the perfect spot! That being said, since there was no real feud or any other pre-match hype besides RP's, it was hard for me to get in to this one. I'm quite surprised it was as short as it was. Not that it should be a long one like for the established feuds going on—but it took me by surprise suddenly seeing the “1 2 3” pop up.

Krysta: I liked this. It shows Dan wasn't just going to write a short match and be done with the Holly vs. Krysta thing—especially since there were no RP's for it. Not a surprise since Holly and Krysta aren't wrestlers and probably don't have enough depth to do an RP with. Typical heel interview—not anything eye-catching, but it at least says “hey, don't forget this match!”

Wentz vs. Taylor: Even more a Special Attraction match than Lilith/Luna and this match is only doable at FD. No sense in putting it on Exile. It's not that this a huge draw for a match, but using such a gimmick match at something other than the biggest PPV of the year just doesn't seem 'right.' At FD, it's okay to sneak in something like this—it isn't going to harm the credibility of the show. Match was the right length. Holly gets the victory, which I feel was the right choice. Does Krysta retaliate now? Hmmmm...

Girls Aloud: Holly sure got backstage quickly. Lots going on here...um, I guess the accents. I liked Dan's typing everything as it would sound instead of (in a heavy accent) and then proceeding with the verbiage in 'easier to read' format. Yes, it took about three or four reads through, but I got what was said And yeah—don't ever hate on Beyonce in DU.

Askai Title: I don't think Leah sees bright futures for high schoolers today. Back at one of the TX Exiles, she guessed at Madison being a drug pusher and now she accuses Kitty of being a dealer too. Oh, that Leah! Match was all right, could have been a bit longer since it was a title match BUT for what was there it was good. Kitty being the underdog and not having much of an upper hand during it made sense since she's rather inexperienced—but that doesn't mean she can't win! I look forward to seeing what the teen does with her new possession.

Recorded Earlier: Veronica and Mercedes still patient enough with each other to stay together, but not afraid to keep the tension between them at it's highest.

Gay Bandit and Veronica: Well that's awesome. A 'Funky Town' mention!

Team Tara vs. Team Tecky: JLT makes mention of fan feedback? Who the does THAT? (“That” referring to feedback leaving, not to the 'making mention' part) I'm liking this Tara/Tecky storyline and the RP'ing for this was good, so I was looking forward to seeing this. Radd and Aphrodite just don't seem to 'click' as teammates should, huh? I liked that story telling during the match. It wasn't just a simple 'one time' mess up/miscommunication between the two—it happened a couple times. Dan's mentioning of the reactions of Radd and Aphrodite and JLT's line that they aren't getting along was good. I've seen a number of times where the miscommunication happens and it's either “Oh, they messed up” and that's all or “They'll be on the same page.” I'm interested in seeing if Radd DOES get on that same page or if there's a split a-coming. Big win for Tecky's side; we'll see what happens later in the evening.

Felicity vs. Star: A legendary battle and one that, if both faced each other in their prime, could have arguably taken a ME at FD. Unfortunately things didn't go as hoped; causing a shorter-than-wanted match. I've discussed stuff with Dan—so the only real gripe here I'm going to make is that it seemed Felicity was too in control of the match. Star only had like what, 4 moves and a few kick-outs? Matches happen where people barely get a move in and yet still win (read: McMahon/Undertaker Buried Alive match)....but this is Star/Felicity. Star deserved more offense. But I do understand why what we got is what we got.

Battle Royale: LOTS of stuff going here, so I won't do a normal set of comments. I'll just say it was nice having a stroll down memory lane; seeing tons of names I hadn't seen since early in my initial term here and just about every one drew a “I remember HER!” from me. I had expected Yuku to stay in until one of the final, let's say, four. Same with Mystika. I pretty much expected Meggie to win this; even moreso once RP's started and she was posting and there was a comment made along the lines of “Some people won't be named so they'll be a surprise when announced in the match.” It was something like that. I figured if they were going to have a chance at winning, they'd be RP'ing and have their name released in the 'press release.' But yeah, Meggie was my pick and congrats to the 'Tan Tool' on winning

Gay Bandit and Veronica continued: Well after all that, wasn't that very kind of Veronica to wish Laura a Merry Christmas?

Tara vs. Tequila: As I said, I am liking this storyline—but I think this may have been a bit too early for even their FIRST match. I wouldn't assume that these two would just have their 'teams' fight for them, I figure they'd have at least a match or two before an eventual blowoff “Power of the Company” match. I just didn't think their first match would be this quickly. Regardless—I'm surprised this wasn't a full-on brawl. For this first meeting, the length wasn't too big a concern. I thought Tecky would have won but....

JLT: I wonder what this victory means?
Leah: Nothing. This is Divas Unleashed.

Exactly.

HoF: Well, there's the official “mention Queen....but we mean Posh” reference. I'm just glad Queen the music group itself didn't show up. FD means a new Hall member—and it's Kibby! Yay Kibs!

London Dungeons Stripped Title Match: Makaze can't even get to the right spot? Never trust an opponent for directions! For the “JLT/Leah exchange of the night”:

JLT: Both women have to go through the exi-
Leah: We fucking know!

I have no idea why I find this so funny. Maybe it's just because we just heard the ref say the stip TWICE. Maybe it's because JLT's been saying the obvious all night and, after having put up with her for all these years, Leah hit a breaking point? LOTS happening in this one! Nice way to have Christine 'eliminated.' Not just a simple point of having her taken out with a move, seeing Crystal get hit with a move and then Makaze exits. It's this kind of stuff I like. Take advantage of the surroundings. I did like the descriptions of the settings so Dan did his part of bringing us his experience of having been to the site. My only thing, as a nitpick, is that we didn't 'learn' about the places. Like, Sweeney Todd; okay, we all know about that because of the movie. But stuff like the Labyrinth of London? I know I can just Google it, but I think it would have been cool to see JLT or Leah make a short remark or two about what each of the exhibits was about—and if it could be related to a move being performed, all the better! I'm sure this was a bitch to write, but to me it was one of the matches of the night.

Dear God help us all:

Tequila: And how do I know there’s really a present in there? How do I know that it’s really going to be a gift and not something I will hate?

It's Courtney Monroe, hon. Do you REALLY think anything she views as “great” is going to be the same as you view as “great?” And the fans get a present too? Why the charity? Hey, Lily's back! Not a massive surprise since she was hired for the training camp. So....”WHAT'S IN THE BOX!!??” Oh my God, it's Carley! Well, DU was sane for a few months, anyways!

Laura vs. Veronica, Unleashed Championship: Like Craig, I've concentrated more on this match, as opposed to the rest of the show, since I was involved in it so don't be offended!
I enjoyed that this was a legit back-and-forth. Neither had a distinct advantage and if one person DID gain a big edge (like Laura after the 2 Perfections)? There was a good way to have that edge lost—again turning to the Perfection-edge.....having a new ref come out and not just get in the ring right away, but sees to it that Takada and Mercedes are taken away from ringside. An action that's going to take a couple moments to see through and not be just a simple few seconds. One can argue that after suffering TWO Perfections Veronica shouldn't have gotten up at all—but it's safe enough to say she has no business getting up within a few seconds of taking the second hit. It's not like we're seeing someone get hit with two consecutive Stone Cold Stunners and then kicking out right away. Even if she's not in good health—I think it's realistic enough to see her have 'just enough' in her to get MV's title in her possession and then have 'just enough' to nail Laura in the face with the belt. Ah, the great equalizer—the title belt! So I have no problem with that.
I'd like to say that I feel sorry for Mercedes basically getting her ass handed to her in a span of probably 30 seconds but, uh....I don't! I DO feel sorry for Madison. OUCH! Poor kid! Kudos to Craig on the win! You earned it!

Couple of things and Dan, if you want clarification on something, feel free to IM me! I'm not nearly as pissy as I may come off as (which hopefully I don't!):

1. I do question Laura's kicking out of Veronica's Pink Slip, I've said in the past I'm not a fan of seeing finishers being kicked out of. That's why they're a finisher—they finish the match, lol. E-feds abuse that too much just so they can have an “OMG! (S)he kicked out of it!” en route to having an underdog beat a more-favored opponent. In my opinion, which isn't always right, if a finisher is to be kicked out of, it should be at a PPV. The match should have a huge center of emotion around it and the person kicking out has a lot to gain, be it physically with a title belt or just because the competitor wants to win that badly because her feud has taken such a toll on her. In this case, Laura has a deeply-rooted hate for VV since VV electrocuted her so her heart is bigger than ever, VV has the Unleashed Title, something Laura badly wants, AND we were at the flagship PPV—so if there EVER was a time for a 'finisher kick out,' this was it. There will be more times for more wrestlers in the future, I don't for a second expect this to be the last time someone in DU kicks out of an opponent's finisher.

2. There are times when Leah's commentary can be misguided. Again, I'm only coming down hard like this since it was my character's match, therefore it stuck out more than usual—but this IS something I've noticed upon reading past results—and going way back too, this isn't something that's come up recently. I know Leah's an asshole. I know she's also good for one-liners and gives DU it's image—that is, going off on small tangents of fashion or pop music or something during a match. But there's times when that comes off a different way than what's intended. For instance:

JLT: It’s finally here, the main event. Laura. Veronica. Round 2!
Leah: Great, then we can all go home!

Yes, Leah's character is also to play 'unexcited' at times—but this doesn't look right. Leah's excited because it's almost time to go home? It's the main event of the flagship PPV—so therefore it's presumably the 'Biggest Match of the Year'....and Leah doesn't care? Minus one part, her commentary the rest of the night is great. Like her being pissed at Laura for fighting at the table? That's fine because it doesn't take away from the match, and Leah's established enough so we know that while the fight is one thing, she IS interested in keeping her drink safe. I DEFINITELY could see Laura throwing the drink in Leah's face after being screamed at! Leah's first reaction of being pissed after the drink throwing was fine. She's obviously upset and it's at a point that, again, it doesn't take away from the action. I'm not saying to totally change Leah and make her an “I LOVE DU!!!1” fan-girl—I'm just saying sometimes what she says could be seen as upstaging a situation.

3. Two different spots in the match. First off, I don't think the ref chokeslam was necessary. We know Laura gets EXTREMELY hot-headed but I think in the midst of the match, just having her rip the shirt off would have sufficed. Now, if while arguing with Hank Krass, Laura had decided to chokeslam him INSTEAD of ripping his shirt off—I would have been okay with it. I did like Veronica's reaction with her rolling her eyes.
Second spot is, and I know I'm playing party-pooper or whatever phrase it is you kids use these days, when Madison took the belt to the head. I imagine Dan was shooting for a lighthearted/comic moment. Madison was just getting up and was ripe for the picking—a moment comic writers love. Well—I didn't mind Maddie taking the first shot. That was a great way to have Takada look like a dick while helping VV. I just don't think Madison's noggin needed to be hit a second time.

Yes, I'm getting nitpicky on commentary. Yes, I'm being nitpicky on minor spots in one match. Considering one or two lines of color commentary, a chokeslam to a ref, and a conk to the head of a (for that night) secondary character of mine are basically my only gripes for the show? I think you did pretty damn good, Dan!

[Tequila]

Thanks for your feedback Aaron, I appreciate it. I'll tackle some of your gripes (or 'gropes' as Tequila would call them) and I don't mind you pointing out your gripes like that as long as it's constructive because that's how I move forward and improve and that's why I bug you handlers for feedback. Sometimes I write things I'm unsure about and don't know if they worked until I hear from you.

So apologies if this turns into another one of my overbearing posts but I do have a thought process behind these things which I may as well share and some things I've been thinking for a while. So sometimes I will be speaking generally, Mr. A, so don't think I've not read what you've said properly...

1. I do question Laura's kicking out of Veronica's Pink Slip, I've said in the past I'm not a fan of seeing finishers being kicked out of. That's why they're a finisher—they finish the match, lol. E-feds abuse that too much just so they can have an “OMG! (S)he kicked out of it!” en route to having an underdog beat a more-favored opponent. In my opinion, which isn't always right, if a finisher is to be kicked out of, it should be at a PPV. The match should have a huge center of emotion around it and the person kicking out has a lot to gain, be it physically with a title belt or just because the competitor wants to win that badly because her feud has taken such a toll on her. In this case, Laura has a deeply-rooted hate for VV since VV electrocuted her so her heart is bigger than ever, VV has the Unleashed Title, something Laura badly wants, AND we were at the flagship PPV—so if there EVER was a time for a 'finisher kick out,' this was it. There will be more times for more wrestlers in the future, I don't for a second expect this to be the last time someone in DU kicks out of an opponent's finisher.

I'm not sure if this is a complaint as you sounded balanced towards the end but I do agree and it is sometimes tricky. I try to mirror the epic matches I remember from the WWE and those did involve a lot of finisher kick outs and such because it made it unpredictable. Sometimes it is difficult to do because I feel like you'd get bored of your finisher by the end which is why Laura did her move twice in quick succession as it was like one mighty attempt. I do try and make it equal and I wouldn't have a kick out on an Exile and try to keep it fair.

I guess the problem is that it starts to become a case of "finisher means victory" and there are people here who want to see their finisher used every week yet sometimes they'll lose a match. I also suck at writing submission finishers because I can never find a way to make it exciting which is probably what happened in the Star/Felicity match. Do you guys have any tips for me on that?

2. There are times when Leah's commentary can be misguided. Again, I'm only coming down hard like this since it was my character's match, therefore it stuck out more than usual—but this IS something I've noticed upon reading past results—and going way back too, this isn't something that's come up recently. I know Leah's an asshole. I know she's also good for one-liners and gives DU it's image—that is, going off on small tangents of fashion or pop music or something during a match. But there's times when that comes off a different way than what's intended. For instance:

JLT: It’s finally here, the main event. Laura. Veronica. Round 2!
Leah: Great, then we can all go home!

Yes, Leah's character is also to play 'unexcited' at times—but this doesn't look right. Leah's excited because it's almost time to go home? It's the main event of the flagship PPV—so therefore it's presumably the 'Biggest Match of the Year'....and Leah doesn't care? Minus one part, her commentary the rest of the night is great. Like her being pissed at Laura for fighting at the table? That's fine because it doesn't take away from the match, and Leah's established enough so we know that while the fight is one thing, she IS interested in keeping her drink safe. I DEFINITELY could see Laura throwing the drink in Leah's face after being screamed at! Leah's first reaction of being pissed after the drink throwing was fine. She's obviously upset and it's at a point that, again, it doesn't take away from the action. I'm not saying to totally change Leah and make her an “I LOVE DU!!!1” fan-girl—I'm just saying sometimes what she says could be seen as upstaging a situation.

I agree with you that comment was, on reflection, probably a poor choice. Leah needs to stop being so cynical and negative sometimes. I remember the last time (Divacide?) that I wrote a big match, you and Craig both picked up on the commentary and said it was in the way so with this match I really tried to keep it to a concise minimum. I think that's why the commentary is slightly more brief than in other matches and I tried to keep it focused on the match because that's what you guys said before. So no pizza deliveries.

I think I've sort of hit a wall with JLT's commentary, and maybe her personality, because she is supposed to be the classic face to Leah's classic heel but sometimes she does really become useless and that's why I had Leah attacking her all night for being obvious. I try to use the commentary to break up the action because sometimes I wonder if people are entertained with the way I write matches and if things are going on too long. I think I need to listen to more wrestling commentary or sports commentary.

I need to hone both of them, mostly JLT, in a little more and make their characters a little 'tighter'. I had Leah go overboard on references (like getting out the checklist clipboard) on purpose because I think I will try and tone them down a little now so this was like her last big hurrah because I don't want them to get to the point where they become almost cartoonish where DU becomes Top of the Pops for realz instead of 'Joshi-lite in heels'.

I am going to try to reference things that you guys can better relate to which is why I stuck in the Optimus Prime line and also put in Roxy Music lyric (although the Grace Jones version IS better) because I figured that you'd both be able to get that line. But then a lot of people here seem very reluctant to post on the forums much to my dismay, so Leah's references becomes things that I post about like Tyra, girl groups and pop music, partly because that is DU's image, but it's also what is discussed a lot on the forums. I can easily do references to other things, MANLY things, if you guys put the material out there for to me to pick at.

However, I don't want to ever 'drop' these little tangents because, as I mentioned above, they sort of are a welcome relief in my opinion and they have become part of DU to me. They're like an essential part of the brand, like the 'Clueless' skit was, to me, 'so DU'. Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe they're annoying? But I feel like those tangents are a break from the action in a match and then sometimes they will make you laugh (hopefully?) and it makes the match more enjoyable. I do know that the commentary is supposed to compliment the match but I'm not really sure what I can do to improve it and would welcome any suggestions.

3. Two different spots in the match. First off, I don't think the ref chokeslam was necessary. We know Laura gets EXTREMELY hot-headed but I think in the midst of the match, just having her rip the shirt off would have sufficed. Now, if while arguing with Hank Krass, Laura had decided to chokeslam him INSTEAD of ripping his shirt off—I would have been okay with it. I did like Veronica's reaction with her rolling her eyes.
Second spot is, and I know I'm playing party-pooper or whatever phrase it is you kids use these days, when Madison took the belt to the head. I imagine Dan was shooting for a lighthearted/comic moment. Madison was just getting up and was ripe for the picking—a moment comic writers love. Well—I didn't mind Maddie taking the first shot. That was a great way to have Takada look like a dick while helping VV. I just don't think Madison's noggin needed to be hit a second time.

I thought having his shirt ripped off was actually a good spot because I don't recall seeing that in a match where the referee was literally 'stripped' of his status so that worked. I liked how you mentioned Hank Krass as he's like the only referee with a name that people know about. Maybe the chokeslam was unnecessary but I think when I was writing it, it was a good way to 'get rid of him' to have Mercedes interfere. I know that's quite cliche writing but I think that's why I did it.

I don't think when I was writing the second spot that I intended it to be a comedic moment, I think it just came across that way because of the way I wrote it and I can see how it is funny but I don't think it was my intention to be like 'let us LOL at Madison now'. But that's fine, Aaron, because it is your character and it is sometimes hard to grasp on people's characters exactly but I now know for the future matches what she would do and what she wouldn't.

I really don't mind when you criticise the way I write your character or have problems with their presentation, I just want constructive criticism rather than an "how can you be so STUPID?" atittude because I do have to write say, 20+ characters and remember all their styles and personalities and whatever else without upsetting any of the handlers so sometimes that can be challenging. I'm not whinging as this is part of the job as a fed head and I do enjoy it, I'm just not going to always get it exactly right even though I'll try to the best of my ability. So I appreciate things like this as it helps when I write matches in the future and feels like we're working together.