"UBL Live"

[OrochiGeese]

Note: I discussed the format of this show when discussing the future of UBL shows.

UBL Live: These are weekly house shows limited to the local audience. They will rarely be written up and if they are, it will be summary results only. They will only be acknowledged when things happen relevant to other shows or when I am preparing a larger show and need a smaller, easier show to write to keep momentum going.

Due to my plans for a part-time handling of UBL, I need this promotion to move forward on it's own at times. These Live shows reflect it's silent progress without my having to write every second of continuity. As a result, I can decide to do one of the below show formats at any time I want (rather then every month as I used to) and not need to have the show follow in continuity from the previous one I posted. The assumption being that the UBL Live shows moved things along in the meantime. These are the same type of local, regular shows that carried the UBL in 2012 through two leagues outside of worldwide recognition until Re-Crowned.

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - February 8th, 2013


What: UBL "Live". Basically a slightly more important house show.
When: Friday night at 8pm on February 8, 2013.
Where: Royale Wingate Hall. London, England.
Who: 10 wrestlers and about 1000 paid fans.
Why: I have less time then I used to but still want to run shows.
How: Text summaries via internets through ocular absorption.


1. Golden Tiger vs. Thomas Mills

Fans tonight got a preview of an upcoming Basic Training encounter as well as the exciting debut of the Golden Tiger. After 10 minutes of a match largely controlled by Thomas Mills, Golden Tiger got a surprising win with the "Tiger Attack." This occurred when Mills attempted a back body drop, not realizing that the lightning quick Golden Tiger had already jumped over him and rebounded the ropes waiting for him to stand up again. When he did, Mills was so surprised to see Golden Tiger launch into him that he got knocked off balance, and rolled backwards, easily getting caught in the Neihan. The fans chanted for Golden Tiger to introduce himself on the microphone but he simply bowed to them and walked back to the locker room.


2. Fantasma Verde vs. Kazuo Saji

Someone must be going through a 'dry spell' as Kazuo dominated the young luchadore in this match with only a few hope spots by Verde. Repetition of one of those maneuvers turned into the easy "spot of the night." Verde attempted, for the second time in a row, a rebound cross body press which got caught and mangled in mid-air by a last second counter roundhouse kick by Kazuo! This maneuver actually knocked Verde out of the ring to the reaction of shocked awe and concern by the fans. The medics made sure that Verde could continue and even though no one would have thought less of him for standing down, he showed his fighting spirit and continued. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and it just took one more kick to put him away. Of course, that one kick just happened to be the "Chrome Splitter" (Buzzsaw Kick), Kazuo's finisher. Kazuo apparently had something to prove as he shouted out "Who's got the tightest game now?" to a confused crowd response.


3. Canada Brothers (Doug/Bob) vs. "EuroSmash" (Mickey Revell/Algernon LeBlanc)

It was announced at the start of this match that the winner would challenge JET Hamada and the Marauder for their Battalion Tag Championships at the Basic Training show in a few weeks. Despite his opponents being fellow countrymen, Algernon LeBlanc showed no mercy whatsoever in utterly dismantling and demoralizing them. Mickey arrogantly grinned at the display of Algernon's pure power against a team that is probably past their prime (and mysteriously missing their valet, Meg). But then Mickey tagged in to put the finishing touches on the match by submitting not just Canada Doug, but also inviting Canada Bob into the ring and making him tap out as well. Two Canada Bros, dual jujigatame woes. Eurosmash is ready for the Champs!


4. NEXUS Championship: Jasper Woodruff vs. Matt Rivers (c)

This match was originally an exhibition but Matt put his Title on the line anyway, eliciting enthusiastic cheers from the audience. Despite Jasper's excitement at the opportunity to win "GOLD! SWEET MCGILLICUDDY, GOLD!", this was not much of a contest. Other then some early roughhousing and tosses by Jasper, Matt easily controlled him throughout the match with submissions too confusing for the former coal miner to understand or comfortably breathe in. After 12 minutes of being wrapped up, spun around, and choked out, Jasper fell to the "Flow Lariat" -> "Stop Valve" (360 lariat -> Arm Trap Necklock) combination and soon lost consciousness. Matt seemed more frustrated by the lack of a real challenge here then Jasper actually did when he finally woke up and realized he lost...and that everyone else had gone home about three hours ago while he slept like a baby in the ring.


The Universal Battle League returns in a few weeks with the next Basic Training show. Who will be the new Field Leader!?

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - April 12, 2013


1. Bones vs. Thomas Mills

The "Street Styl'd Samurai" makes his debut tonight and stares a hole through the face of his first opponent in the UBL, Thomas Mills. Thomas tentatively offers his hand which Bones slaps out of the way and continues his swinging momentum into a nasty looking uraken. He smiles and yells out, "That's for you, Geese!" then immediately mounts Mills with punches. The ref breaks the situation up due to the use of closed fists being illegal on this particular alternate Friday in her majesty's time zone. The damage and trauma of Bones' sudden attack has already done it's damage to Mills though. He staggers back to his feet and tries to balance himself using the turnbuckles and ropes. Big mistake. Bones runs full speed into the corner and hits a rolling koppou kick that he calls "CANNONBALL~!" The pin is academic and the fans are shocked at this record breaking time victory for the newcomer. Bones nods his head and walks to the back with successful street style samurai swagger stoicism.


(Did Naja Mask get new work as faceless narrator here?)


2. JET Hamada vs. Mickey Revell

Marauder has advised JET not to ignore his singles career. And after the Tag Team Championship match between Marauding Army and "Eurosmash," the fans wanted to see JET back in the ring with Mickey. The two did not disappoint as they put on a clinic that would make Sandy Morton teary eyed with nostalgia everyone clear on why the UBL has returned to the pro wrestling scene. Describing this match would require a scientific calculator to parse out all of the holds and reversals. Suffice to say, both men were favoring their arms quite heavily. The end came in the 19th minute of action and resembled the finish of last month's tag match where JET beat Mickey with the "G-Force" (Original STO). This time, Mickey expertly tucked his head under JET's arm during the "G-Force" and used a Northern Lights Suplex transition into the jujigatame! But JET, not one to allow his judoka enhanced body to fall victim to a jiu-jitsu maneuver, found a way to keep his arm bent like an iron rod ("In rod JET trusts") for thirty seconds until the bell rang. Time limit draw! The crowd chanted "five more minutes" but Drake Yoshida ran out and assured everyone that we would see a rematch at some point in the future. After a few seconds of JET offering his hand to Mickey, the arrogant one actually accepted it. They each walked to the back with a newfound respect for each other and a zest for life.


3. "Swashbucklers" (Jack Flint/Henry Bailey) vs. "Golden Pair" (Charles Langford/Jasper Woodruff)

The Swashbucklers are re-debuting in the UBL, having briefly competed in the Tag division when it was under Geese's ownership. The Golden Pair is out to avenge each member's recent losses to Matt Rivers, the one by Jasper (see above show) being particular embarrassing. Although the Swashbucklers are cheered by a large segment of the fanbase, they do not exactly wrestle "the Queen's style" if you get my drift. If you don't, imagine dirty pirates fighting dirty poker players. This match was a direct contrast to the previous "scientific" battle (I did say a calculator was necessary so scientific is a valid word) of holds and reversals. What we got here was just straight up fisticuffs, dirty tricks, and brawling. And unfortunately for the Swashbucklers, the dirty tricks of Jack Flint paled in comparison to the misdirection and deceit of a master poker player. The finish came when Charles actually talked Henry into believing that the Golden Pair had already won and the Swashbucklers could walk backstage. Henry did just that, despite the protests of Jack, as the referee counted to 20. The fans did not know what to make of this but Charles was laughing harder then a pants-less pig on the Bayou. (Did I mix metaphors? A trouser-less Turtle on the Bayou?)


4. NEXUS Championship: Juan Leche vs. Matt Rivers (c)

Matt gladly offered a Title shot to his old Front Lines co-trainer, Juan Leche. This was not the first time Leche got in position for a NEXUS Title shot either having been a top contender in the past. And he showed that there was not an inch of ring rust on him as he brought the lucha inspired fight to Matt. Luckily for Matt, this wasn't his first lucha-styled opponent given his "Match of the Year" candidate victory over La Barba in late 2011. But it was still difficult for Matt to face a man with even more speed and lucha experience then La Barba had. And on a few occasions, it appeared that we were going to have a new Champion after holds and pins which threatened to twist Matt into a pretzel. (luckily for Tenshi's sanity, that never actually happened!) But our Champion never lost his sense of purpose and ring awareness. He somehow found a way to counter an attempted avalanche shiranui by Leche into a "Mattagara Falls" (Avalanche Backdrop) for the spot of the night and a subsequent pinfall to retain his Title!

After the two men dusted themselves off (the ring was literally dirty and dusty on account of the presence of each pirate and Jasper in the previous match!), we got another post-match handshake and a mutual raising of hands in great victory!


The Universal Battle League returns in a few weeks with the next Basic Training show. Will Darius be able to retain his recently won Field Leader Title against the newfound ambition of Kazuo "Chrome" Saji? Only time and number generators will tell!

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - June 9, 2013


1. NorthStarLion vs. Grant Thumb

NorthStarLion (NSL), an athletic marvel from the FPCPP, makes his unannounced UBL debut against Grant Thumb to the delight of the fans. Said delight resulting from the huge surprise of the former competitor rather then the latter. In fact, they were none too pleased that Grant managed to sweet talk Drake into giving him another match after the Second Chance Battle Royale. Sometimes second chances aren't for everyone though as Grant had no real answer against a member of the new UBL Front Lines generation: a group of wrestlers much more adapt at precision strikes, torque-based submission holds, and controlling mat wrestling then the previous crop of primarily humor based wrestlers. As a result, Grant's "Horsey-riding" maneuvers were, amazingly, no match for NSL's "Limb twisting" style of martial combat. Grant's limbs and spirit were taken apart in this match and his only real offense was jumping on NSL's back. (again, "horsey-related" stuff). NSL easily countered this with a counter ipponzei (shoulder under arm judo throw) transitioned into a jujigatame for the easy submission.

Sometimes a fella gets the feeling that UBL is a no horse town. Grant may want to get that feeling about now.


2. Big Jim vs. Canada Doug

And if horses aren't desired, bears should absolutely run from the UBL after recent events.

Jim slowly walks out to the ring and the crowd gasps at his sheer size and demeanor. Unfortunately, Canada Doug (Fun fact: he is called "Canada Douglas" by Arthur Wingate) isn't smart enough to realize the danger he is in. Instead, he thinks Jim is a lumberjack and tries to get him to join the Canada Brothers stable (Canada Meg is still MIA for those who still care). Jim smiles widely which elicits a dumb grin from Doug. But then Jim snap suplexes Doug. And when I say snap suplexes him, I mean the force of the move actually sends Doug from one side of the ring to the other and then to the outside! After being blasted like that by just one move, Doug thinks long and hard about getting back into the ring...and then makes the wrong decision in deciding to do so. Jim is unfazed by an attempted low dropkick but Doug thought it connected. So he runs the ropes and attempts a flying body press but gets caught in mid-air by Jim who turns it into a bearhug. There is no struggle. The match ends immediately. The crowd doesn't know whether to cheer Jim, boo Jim, or take out of focus pictures to send to conspiracy magazines.


3. Bones vs. Orochi Gus

The participation by Orochi Gus at the "Second Chance Battle Royale" was just intended as a message by Arthur Wingate to make sure the fans knew that Orochi Geese was not coming back. But Bones had a message of his own that he wanted to send to Orochi Geese, who he accused of being too cowardly to come back to the ring to face him. Wingate agreed to allow Gus to wrestle this match with the understanding that Bones would owe him a favor in the future as a result.

Unless the favor was buying Arthur a stick of gum, Bones may have 'overpaid' here. Gus was in no shape to wrestle this match. After a few poorly executed and whiffed overhead chops by Gus which led to Bones laughing, Gus tried to run away. But he tripped over his own boots and landed on his face. As he started to roll over (think turtle), Bones ran the opposite ropes. By the time Gus was on his back and picking his head off the mat, Bones DRILLED him with the "Wailing Dark" (PK) for the win. It was hard to figure out who was more disappointed, Bones or the fans. Luckily, no Orochi Guuse came out to make things worse.



4. "We Have Beards" (Tenshi/Lucha La Barba) vs. Mills Incorporated (Thomas Mills/Calvin Corbett)

This match was to determine who will be facing the Golden Pair at the upcoming Circuit Show for Battalion Title #1 Contendership. After the past few matches, the fans became very excited as this encounter was actually competitive. In fact, it was downright brutal as Calvin Corbett made his presence felt against his smaller opponents. However, Lucha La Barba doesn't take no guff and Tenshi doesn't even know what guff is. This became a real challenge for Calvin as his usual method of guff winning matches is to intimidate his opponents into submission. He became victim to his own frustration as Tenshi began to nimbly dodge his slower attacks and La Barba showed no fear in performing a variety of impressive gold- medal worthy cartwheels. Calvin finally got so frustrated that he actually tagged in Thomas Mills. To his credit, Mills used his improved technical skills to keep Tenshi on the ground but only for so long. Eventually Tenshi used his uncanny flexibility, which he learned while turning himself into a pretzel, to get out of BOTH of Mills' signature submission holds (Torture surboard hold and Sharpshooter). He made the hot tag to Lucha La Barba who hit the Ultimo Rizo (Blazing Tornado) for the victory!!

Everyone seemed confused as to why Calvin Corbett didn't break up the pin but that got clarified when he came into the ring wielding a chair and started swinging it at Tenshi and La Barba! But before he could do any damage, Helmar Hammerstrom made the save!! The crowd rose to their feet as he punched the chair out of Calvin's hands. Tenshi and La Barba then dropkicked Calvin out of the ring! We do not know exactly why Helmar came out here but he celebrated with "We Have Beards" afterward.


The Universal Battle League is back in a few weeks with the first Circuit Show under Arthur Wingate's ownership. Matt Rivers faces Kazuo "Chrome" Saji and we get contendership matches for both the NEXUS and Battalion Championships!

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - July 26, 2013


1. Chester Willougby vs. Agua "Wet Samoan"

The fans are surprised to see both men here, assuming they were relics of the old comedy based division of the Front Lines. Apparently Chester got a try-out match tonight due to his English heritage but the re-appearance of Agua is initially vexing. There has already been some grumbling from the crowds recently about a "watering down" of the roster and no one's presence can prove that argument better then Agua. However, he leaves the absurdity aside and goes at Chester with the force of 1000 water-logged Samoans. Four years ago this may have been an even match but tonight Agua is bringing his A-game and appears unstoppable. Chester attempts to use his frisbee throwing prowess but you can throw a frisbee arena at a Samoan's head and it won't do any damage! Agua wins easily with the "Water on the Knee" (Go To Sleep) in five minutes, catching Chester who tried to run away.

Agua does not appear to be in any hurry to go backstage. And he even pauses in the aisle as Big Jim comes out. A brief stand-off occurred as Agua appeared to be looking Jim up and down, and vice versa. Cooler heads prevailed (that being arena security who seperated them) but it appears Agua has Big Jim on some soggy list. Jim refocuses and prepares himself for...


2. Big Jim vs. Ralph "Pot Belly" Ferguson

"The Pot" has come back to ubble! Big Jim asked for more 'robust' competition after last month's walk through a Canadian national park. And you don't get much more robust then "Pot Belly" Ferguson. This is a painful match to watch for anyone who just ate, as Ralph's digestive tract is making horrendous noises. That would put off any normal opponent but it appears that Big Jim had just recently eaten something wild that may have even put Ralph's diet to shame. The "battle of the bulge" occurs with multiple belly bumps, bear hugs, and even a brief interlude in the match where the two shared recipes. I'm not making this up, FPR totally simmed this. After Ralph apparently was offended by the lack of bacon in Big Jim's "Big Bacon Bandolier" (a bandolier with easy access bacon), Ralph went on the offensive with gasses that offended everyone in the arena. Jim, seemingly oblviious after wrestling bears, went in for the kill with a devastating lariat. He covers but only gets a 2 count. The spot of the night then occurs when Big Jim comes up behind Ralph and attempts to german suplex the 400 pounder. The fans initially doubt this yelling "You can't F-5 the Big-" "You can't German the Paht Bellah" but then realize once again that Big Jim wrestles bears. After a few seconds, Jim has Ralph substantially off the ground for a german suplex and ready for the final drop behind him, but instead elects to dump Ralph front-wise instead, effectively flapjacking a man who eats those for breakfast. Big Jim covers for the easy 3 and the crowd is still silent from the feat of strength. One rather unkempt looking man in the front of the crowd is seen clapping (and sweating) vigorously but is soon removed by security due to frightening the other members of the audience.

Well, that was an ordeal for everyone involved.


3. Fantasma Verde/Captain OK vs. Hannibal/White Dragon

We turn to a match that won't upset the crowd. While this encounter also appears to be a "blast from the past", it harkens back to an early Front Lines rivalry between Verde Fantasma and Hannibal. Verde is hoping to get some more mojo in his current program against Golden Tiger and goes back to his roots in facing quick opponents. This is also a "re-signing" match for the other three wrestlers as Arthur believes they can still go but wants them to prove it. They do just that in a match that almost goes the 30 minute time limit. White Dragon has not lost a step, having kept his edge in Kirin Dojo. Hannibal and Captain OK have a bit of ring rust but Hannibal's rivalry with Verde gets him back into the right mindset. With the amount of fast paced action in this match, it's practically impossible to call and the heroic move is to not even try. However, the highlight of this match was when Captain OK hoisted Hannibal up onto his shoulders about 3 feet away from the corner and Verde launched into the air with his "Vuelo Fantasm" (Corner Grapple Shirarnui) for the win! The crowd rose up on their feet for that with many chanting: "That's improbable" *Clap clap clapclapclap*" There was some pushing between Hannibal and White Dragon after the match but Verde broke it up.


4. Jin Onusurai vs. Yamashita Goro

And we get right into the main event where two members of the NEXUS roster get a chance to show their skills. Goro has split his time between training for in ring competition and being the head of Security but he appears well prepared. Jin Onusurai has recently gotten more press from UBL having returned full time to the roster. And we see shades of Jin's potential as he looks much more polished then he did during the last run, where even then he remained highly competitive with Matt Rivers during a Field Leader Title match. The main difference here is the bulk that Jin has put on which has added to his power but somehow not detracted from his speed. Now that he is about an even weight with Goro, his suplexes have a lot more impact then they used to. While Goro still has the speed advantage with his boxing, he appears to have trouble returning to his feet after Jin's higher impact suplexes. And he has trouble fending off Jin's submission offense, which seems tailor made to weaken Goro's arms. Jin applies the Onusurai Special (Standing Cross Arm hold) every chance he gets and so, by the time Goro finally does hit one of knockout punches, it is considerably weakened and Jin survives. Even Goro's Tempest has been tamed by Jin's submissions and resiliency. With no clear answers left, Goro rushes into Jin somewhat haphazardly with an attempted jumping knee but is side-stepped, lifted up, and put away with the "Last Resort" (Miracle Ecstasy). A huge win for Jin Onusurai. The fans cheer for both men but seem especially impressed with what they just saw from Jin. They are even chanting "Hot Ice" in Jin's honor. (or perhaps as a criticism to the soda vendor who is serving lukewarm beverages). After both men have a few seconds to recover, Goro goes up to Jin and offers his hand. Jin nods and shakes it and the show ends on a note of mutual respect and competition....the memory of Chester Willoughby's performance seemingly purged from memory until this unfortunate reminder. Oh, sorry.


See you at the UBL Circuit Show and/or Silent Knight and/or Basic Training and/or Destiny stuff!

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - August 23rd, 2013

Tonight six wrestlers debut in front of a Live UBL audience. Will you be one of them?


1. John Matthews vs. Thomas Mills

Some of the fans chant "Des-tiny" as John Matthews walks down to ringside. He tries to ignore them while acknowledging the other part of the crowd (generally younger people) who seems a lot more welcoming and less snarky. Thomas Mills gets his customary: "oh it's you...all right then" reaction which is disappointing given his enthusiasm to be here.

That enthusiasm does not last after being thrown around the ring by Matthews. John isn't just big, he isn't just built, he's strong as (an animal of your choice. But don't pick "bear" as we need that later). Mills tries to get some semblance of technical based offense targeting John's leg but he is unable to hold on as he keeps getting pushed off. At one point, it almost seemed like Matthews used his captured leg to body slam Mills. But that had to have been our collective hallucination as I'm not sure that's possible.

The end came when Mills gave up all semblance of strategy and just jumped on Matthews back in a desperate attempt to bring him down by thrashing about. Matthews merely smiled, then readjusted Mills into the Torture Rack position, leading to an easy submission for the newcomer. Many of the audience members who were chanting "Des-tiny" before were now chanting "Best-Iny" as in "best in ye ring" (We are in England, after all). That or I just misheard their chant.


2. Solar Surfers (Monty/Larry) vs. The Eruptshunned (Geyser/Magma)

We get a break from confusing crowd chants and transition into crystal clear ones. The fans were loving the enthusiasm of the young Solar Surfers team, clapping along with their theme music and accepting these charismatic youngsters into the UBL fold. When the Eruptshunned came out, the crowd immediately quieted down, clearly petrified at not just the physiques on these men, but the grim expressions on their faces. Their body language suggested: "we are other". People fear what they don't understand and no one had the foggiest of clues as to what brought Geyser and Magma to this ring tonight or to UBL.

They soon found out that the word is "dominance". Try as they might, the Solar Surfers could not get an angle on their bigger opponents. It almost seemed as if they truly were surfing...in the air...as they got thrown by the Eruptshunned. While the Surfers did use their speed advantage to get some impressive kicks in, any offense did not do the type of damage they were expecting. The Eruptshunned, as a unit, merely absorbed all of the offense that were handed to them then returned it to the Surfers: no cash, only store credit. And the Surfers wanted no further business in this particular establishment of pain.

The Eruptshunned won in around 12 minutes with two double powerbombs. The first double powerbomb was used on Monty Niles. More disturbingly, the second double powerbomb was used with Larry Rixx driven onto Monty Niles. The Eruptshunned didn't even think to pin. The Suffers were down for the "Hang 10" count as the referee ended the match.


3. Tetsu Gushiken vs. Hannibal II

We go from power-based devestation and bad surfing analogies to a far more technical match-up. Tetsu Gushiken comes to the UBL highly recommended by Drake Yoshida whose scouts highly recommended Tetsu...to Drake Yoshida. Clear on that? Good. Hannibal II is trying to jump start his stalled advancement in UBL and hopes to do so against the more subdued Tetsu.

Unfortunately for Hannibal, he confused "subdued" with "easily bullied". Unfortunately also for Hannibal, Tetsu confused Hannibal's leg with a thin pencil, and just about broke it in half. After about 9 minutes of clean ground based offense by Tetsu being frustrated by dirty tricks and thuggery by Hannibal, Tetsu had had ENOUGH. Note to UBL wrestlers: Do not, ever, try to bite Tetsu from behind as a counter to his grabbing your leg. He will not respond kindly to your unsportsmanlike behavior. Hannibal refused to tap out even though his leg was torqued the f*ck out by the "Tetsu HOOK" (counter rolling Heel Hook).

After an audible snap and a few agonizing moments for Hannibal and the squeamish audience, the referee stepped in to end this match. Tetsu wins in his second match against a tricky, dangerous, and now hobbled opponent. Tetsu scanned the audience and then pointed down, shaking his head dismissively at Hannibal: clearly showing that he is not a fan of shenanigans or dirty play.


4. Wang Gom-Bu vs Big Jim

And we come to the main event. We get yet another battle of the bulge involving Big Jim. That's twice in the last two months that Jim has gone against someone that matched his size and power! Last time, Jim defeated Ralph "Pot Belly" Ferguson in a whirly mammoth battle. This time, it's the debuting Wang Gom-Bu who challenges the largesse of Jimnicity. And in Jimnicity, the population is always just 2: Jim and a defeated bear. (Note to audience: he wrestles bears.) Wang is not a bear so, therefore, Jim did not see fit to give him the key to his city. However, Jim soon learned that it is a risky move to be inhospitable to a man who climbs giant mountains while hauling entire families of people and load-bearing animals on his back.

Yes, this is basically the 2013 version of 'irresistable climbing force vs. immovable object that wrestles bears.' These two went at it with such force that the ring noticeably shook. When that ring is a shookin, only a fool would come knookin. (?)

And such a fool did indeed come knookin do what I sloppily alleged he would do.

Agua, the Wet Samoan, came down to the ring and started taunting Big Jim. We heard such insults as: "Agua AGUA AGUAMANOS!" which could only mean trouble for the linguistic community. Big Jim went to confront him but Wang held him back, seeming to take personal offense that his match was being interfered with. However, Agua gave the tongue lashing to him too, with a "Aguam-bu stupid-u" epic burn, the likes of which this arena has never heard before. Tears were seen.

Tensions were high and finally Wang invited Agua into the ring. The ref made this a "triple threat" match and crazy-ass brawling (TM) ensued. Unfortunately for Wang, he was no longer a going concern for Big Jim who was furious that Agua (a non bear) would confront him for his second match in a row. Jim and Agua brawled on the outside, each getting counted out, as Wang towered above them from the ring, like a mountain ghost __ ghost goat _ mountain ghost goat _ mountain of wang _ mountain and shook his head disapprovingly at each of his opponents. This was certainly not the way Wang wanted to get his first UBL victory. But in a rare moment of honesty, the further Wang is from whatever absurdity is going on between Jim and Agua, the better for him.

The UBL will see you next at the September Basic Training which will be 99% free of the shenanigans you saw here tonight!!

[OrochiGeese]

"UBL Live" - June 29, 2014


In the lead-up to both Basic Training and Destiny Drive, the show that was almost forgotten rises from the ashes!  It was an auspicious night at Royale Wingate Hall in front of a live (but not broadcast) crowd for some UBL Front Lines action! Let's see how the rookies are doing!


1. Eoghan O'Donneill vs. Thomas Mills

This was one of the matches of the night, according to UBL fans polled after the show. The striking and suplexing ability of Eoghan went up against the newly renovated technical acumen of Thomas Mills. The fans were impressed at the efforts of both men, especially at the surprising competence of Mills who controlled most of the match. However, even after cycling through all of his finishing moves, Mills couldn't put the spirited Eoghan away. This led Mills to become frustrated and make a big mistake, going for a second consecutive frog splash after the first one didn't get the job done.   Right before Thomas was about to land the splash, Eoghan actually launched his elbow, while lying on his back, to the face of the vulnerable and completely shocked Mills. This elicited a roar from the crowd and pumped Eoghan up. And while this wasn't enough to put Mills away, a subsequent "Elbow of the masses" (rolling elbow) knocked Mills into the corner, where Eoghan capitalized on the positioning to hit an avalanche double arm suplex for the exciting comeback victory.


2. Tsaoring Chou vs. Tetsu Gushiken

The audience was waiting a few months for this match to finally happen. Both Chou and Tetsu have both collected quite a following so far. Although neither of these men have said one word to the fans since debuting, they have garnered tremendous support due to their in ring abilities and competitive efforts.  They also have been riding a lot of momentum recently, each having won the last few matches that they have been in.   This match up was to be each of their undoing, as their styles' clashed preventing either man from taking the initiative.  Chou's quickness evaded Tetsu's ground game, and Tetsu's striking neutralized Chou's aerial offense.  Neither man could gain a decisive advantage over each other and the match stayed a virtual stalemate for the first fifteen minutes.  The crowd was interested to see how each man would adapt and, to their credit, they did so by kicking things into a higher gear.   But as very little damage had been done at this point, their respective attempts to put the match away did not have the usual effectiveness.  However, it did lead to interesting counters. Chou's various Rana attempts (Hurracarana, Cyclone Rana, Tropical Storm Rana) were caught and turned nto submissions by Tetsu.  And, in the clear spot of the night, judging by crowd reaction, the "Tetsu SHOCK" (Hyper Knee KUGA) was countered by a jumping frankensteiner by Chou. However, the twenty minute time limit had expired right before Chou was able to go for the pinfall, and the match ended in a draw. The two men shook each other's hands, to the delight of the audience, and went backstage without any further incident. 


3. Canada Brothers (Doug/Bob) vs. "Watanabe Kai" (Kenichi Naito/Mr. Shikori)

The big news of the night was the unexpected debut of "Watanabe Kai" from the GORE promotion in Japan. Even the dirtsheet readers in the crowd were shocked when Kumicho Watanabe, the manager of Watanabe Kai, came out to the entrance ramp with a big smile on his face. The Canada Brothers, which is a tough bet to make on a good night for them, did not seem prepared for this surprise team.  Kenichi Naito and Mr. Shikori made very short, and violent, work of Doug and Bob.  Kenichi is a stiff kicker and Mr. Shikori just shouldn't be trifled with at all.  In fact, Mr. Shikori hoisted up both Canada Brothers on each of his shoulders, where they fell victim to an impressive dual-wielded Shiranui Kai by Kenichi for the pinfall...on each one. 


4. Big Jim vs. Agua "The Wet Samoan"

This was a blow off match to a year long rivalry that saw everything from arm-wrestling contests (Big Jim won) to swimming contests (Agua actually lost this, trying to foot race a swimming Big Jim who was trained to catch trout in his mouth) to swimming arm-wrestling contests (results nullified by the Queen on account of 'silliness'). We never really found out why Agua had such beef with Big Jim, but the fans didn't seem to mind as the matches were surprisingly stiff and competitive.  That trend continued here as the two wrestled a very physical match that almost went to the twenty minute time limit.  Agua had Big Jim up on his shoulders, preparing for a "Water on the Knee" (Go2Sleep). But as Agua tried to complete the move, Big Jim actually BIT Agua's knee. This surprising, and painful (to each man) counter, caused Agua to start hopping on one foot, looking at the gash that Big Jim caused. This elevation by Agua allowed Big Jim to creep up behind him and land a much stronger version of his usual "Mountainplex" specialty, called a "Delayed Mountainplex." (Uproot Saito Suplex) Big Jim got the win and the cheers of the crowd, and hopefully a justification to finally move past the feud with Agua.

A strange unkempt man, who has been in the audience during just about every show. was shouting accolades at Big Jim as he was leaving.  He was heard saying, "Yes, you'll do just fine, takes all kinds in this world. But you'll do just fine."  Big Jim ignored him and walked backstage.


We'll see you in a few weeks for Basic Training, the show where the higher tier Front Lines wrestlers compete for your eternal love and adulation!

[OrochiGeese]

UBL Live - October 24, 2014

A week removed from Destiny Drive, UBL Live comes to you with renewed focus on story lines!


1. White Dragon vs. The Summit

The Summit made his official UBL debut tonight, accompanied by a furious Ruby Moreno who was wearing her entire left arm in a sling with her wrist and forearm in a hard cast. Along with having protection for her wounded limb, four Gauntlet Security members rotated around her like planets to a sun as she guided the masked man known as the Summit to ringside. They were met by a chorus of boos and taunts which seemed to get to her more than usual. What didn't seem to negatively affect her was the match itself. White Dragon used his speed at the start to catch the Summit off balance but could not take him off his feet despite an array of strikes. This caused White Dragon to raise the stakes and attempt a very impressive rope rebound cross body block after baiting Summit near the corner. However, the Summit easily caught Dragon, then immediately hoisted him up on his shoulders and hit a Hawaiian Smasher. The sudden speed and impact of the maneuver knocked White Dragon out and the referee awarded the Summit with the victory. The fans were shocked at how quickly and violently this ended but the Summit and Ruby possessed no such look of surprise on their faces.


2. Thomas Mills vs. Kazuo "Chrome" Saji

Saji got a heroes welcome tonight, likely due to his long-awaited UBL return and his recent 'match of the year' candidate with FPCPP World Champion Allen Riggs,  The fans gave Kazuo Saji a standing ovation* which seemed to genuinely touch him, even causing him to remove his Chrome sunglasses to take in the adulation. But while Thomas did shake Saji's hand to start the match, Mills' idea of a 'welcome back' was a concentrated assault on Saji's main offensive weapons, his legs. Mills did not back down here, refusing to be intimidated by Saji's recent success and really took the fight to him. To Mills' credit, his sudden and early explosion of technical based offense allowed him to take control of the match and neutralize Saji's dangerous striking. As the match went on, Mills came close to victory using his array of submissions and also with an impressive frog splash.

But Kazuo was not going to have his UBL homecoming spoiled and was able to resist all of Mills' submission moves. Saji finally turned defense into offense when he scored with a vicious DDT as Mills was attempting a single leg takedown, likely intending to transition into a sharpshooter. Saji must have sensed that he would need a little more to seal the deal, or he wanted to show off and remind the fans what he was capable of. Instead of attempting to pin Mills, Saji got up on the top turnbuckle. As a woozy Mills got to his feet, checking for blood after the DDT, Saji launched off the post with a vicious high front kick to the back of Mill's head that put him down for the count. The fans chanted along with the 3 count and cheered Saji for the victory. He left the Battle Chamber with an expression resembling something in between a smirk and a genuine smile. Thomas Mills left with considerable more difficulty.

* Saji later went on to refer to this ovation as an entire arena of "O-faces" that he took responsibility for.



3. Solar Surfers ( Monty Niles/Larry Rixx) vs. "Watanabe Kai" (Kenichi Naito/Mr. Shikori)

Watanabe Kai returned to the Live arena and got the 'cool heel' response from the fans. But there's no one in UBL cooler than the SOLAR SURFERS so the fans gave them the bigger accolades. This did not please Watanabe Kai, especially Mr. Watanabe. He ordered Kenishi and Mr. Shikori to make short work of the Surfers. However, given how competitive the Surfers were against "WE HAVE BEARDS", they aren't the pushovers that the Canada Brothers were for Watanabe Kai. The Surfers put up quite a fight before ultimately succumbing to the brute force that their "tattooed organized businessmen" opponents wield. We also witnessed more innovation from Kenichi and Saito. Last time we saw them finish a match, they utilized a dual wielded Shiranui Kai. Mr. Shikori appeared to seal this match the same way, hoisting both Monty and Larry on his shoulders. (For their part, Monty and Niles had already been hit in the head so much during this match by Naito's stiff kicks that they didn't resist here, and assumed they were surfing a big wave). Rather than approaching Naito, who had climbed on the post, Mr. Shikori fell backwards, causing both Surfers to have a nasty 'wipe out'. Kenichi then followed up with a leg drop on both men, with Mr. Shikori pinning them. It appeared that Watanabe Kai's penchant for violence is equaled by their ability to innovate: a dangerous combination.   Mr. Watanabe's ability to manage is equaled only by his enjoyment of gloating: a frustrating combination for fans.


4. Matt Rivers vs. ...

If the applause for Kazuo Saji's return was intense, the crowd practically lost their collective minds for the return of Matthew Rivers: a man who disappeared from UBL for 9 months only to reemerge at Destiny Drive to win the NEXUS Championship back from the man who defeated him, Joachim. There was a full five minute ovation for Matt and plenty of "Wel-come back" chants. Matt looked genuinely touched and took a microphone. Just as it looked like he was going to say something heartfelt, he said: "Back to business, I want a match." The fans erupted in response, happy that Matt hadn't lost any of that "fighting Champion" desire, that has defined his career up to this point, in his time off.

To everyone's surprise and excitement, RYOMA came out, holding his Universal Battalion Championship, But to everyone's further surprise, he did not seem to want a match. Rather, he walked into the ring, and shook Matt's hand, clearly welcoming him back. He even raised Matt's hand in the air, signaling that our Champion was truly back. This also got a huge reaction from the fans. Then Lucha La Barba came out and did the same thing. Having two of Matt's greatest UBL rivals welcome him back elicited a rarely seen emotional public reaction in him. Over the next five to ten minutes, the majority of the UBL locker room emptied out and joined Matt in the ring, giving him a welcome back ceremony. Marauder and JET Hamada came out last, hugged Matt, then hoisted him up on their shoulders as the fans got the first sustained glimpse of optimism that they've had since last December.

Unfortunately, that was just a bit too much optimism, as Joachim came out next. The fans immediately grew silent as Joachim and Matt stared each other down. Joachim nodded at Matt, pointed to the belt, and gestured as if it was coming back around Joachim's waist. Matt put his belt down on the floor, and gestured for Joachim to get in the ring to face him. But rather then take Matt up on his offer, Joachim left. No other competitors came out for a match and the fans enjoyed an extended "welcome home" party for their NEXUS Champion, Matt Rivers, in the main event slot.


We'll see you in a few weeks for Basic Training where hopefully everyone will be cleared to compete despite partying!!

[OrochiGeese]

UBL Live - January 13, 2019

A month removed from "Lunar Eclipse of the Heart." the first UBL Live show in like 5 years is posted!

Arthur Wingate came out to give an impassioned speech to the fans about how UBL won't be defined by what Matt Rivers and Ruby Moreno did. He has many things to say to them in due time but his first reaction is to let the wrestlers come out tonight to wrestle for the spirit of competition and entertain the fans. He said that tonight every fan's ticket has been comped by Luke Kisiera on account of him and Jean Carter wanting to thank them for their continued support. This put the fans in an incredibly good mood and so it's not entirely fair to say their insane support of every match on the card was entirely objective. But hey, a hot crowd is a hot crowd and everyone seemed to feed off the energy.


1. Sirius Mask vs. Captain OK

The first match of 2019 saw the debut of new wrestler Sirius Mask against a long time Front Lines wrestler in Captain OK. Sirius Mask wears full body outfit of blue and silver and moves with as much agility as anyone currently on the roster. This made it difficult for Captain OK, who usually has the speed advantage over opponents, to get the upper hand. A number of move for move exchanges, primarily kicks, favored Sirius Mask. Captain OK used his strength advantage to ground Sirius and throw him around with suplexes. However, Sirius Mask stuck the landing on a belly to belly and vaulted up and back into a moonsault footstomp on the chest of the stunned OK for the debut pin victory in 12 minutes.


2. Kazuo "Chrome" Saji vs. Wang Gom-Bu

Fans were very excited to see Saji return to a UBL ring. He thanked them briefly, saying "All mah Peter Venkmans, where you at?" which elicited confusion from the fans. Was he looking for a Ghostbuster? Saji quickly turned the mood back to PARTY by saying he's got the full back of Matsuki Holdings this year, his family, cause he can tell things in the UBL are bout to get down'n'dirty. He told Drake to give him any opponent tonight to show that he's ready for anything.

The fans all IMMEDIATELY fell silent when Wang Gom-Bu came through the curtains. Some put their hands over their mouths since Saji was still holding a live microphone. Saji started to tremble. He began to say something, but put his hand on his face and stopped talking in a display of self-control. At first it looked like he was crying, perhaps out of fear of facing this monster Wang. But the unmistakable sign of muffled laughter was then picked up by the microphone.

[Saji:] "Look, Imma stop you right here. UBBLE just came back, I can't get 'em fined into the ground by the FCC.  Wan-Gomie, take the win, I'm beggin ya. I'm outta here before I say some sh*t that ends up on a new t-shirt of yours."

Saji left the ring laughing into his hand and saying jokes to himself with tears rolling down his cheeks. Wang shrugged his shoulders, looked mildly annoyed at the waste of time, but then left the ring without further incident.

Oh well...that was just bad match making, Drake. You really should have known better. Dangling a huge piece of comedic red meat in front of someone like Saji. Can't blame him one bit for taking the high road and getting out of Dodge.


3. JET Hamada/Barton Miller vs. "Swashbucklers" (Jack Flint/Henry Bailey)

Fans were surprised to see JET and Barton teaming together because it appeared last year that JET had chosen to focus on his singles career. However, as he didn't make it past the first round of the Universal Circuit Titl Tournament, returning to the success of his old Universal Battalion Champion tag team wasn't completely shocking. What was surprising was the frustration that was apparent on both men's faces. The usually joviality of JET was nowhere to be found and Barton, who seemed to have softened with age since taking off the Marauder mask, was more surly than ever. This was not welcome news fo the team of the Swashbucklers who were hoping to score one of their huge but occasional victories.

Although Henry Bailey is one of the few men that tower over Barton, he was being thrown around like he was the size of Jack Flint, who in this match was thrown around like he was an even smaller Jack Flint. (What? You want vivid metaphors, go read a novel. This is a write-up of an show I didn't even plan on an hour ago - a gift!)  When Barton wasn't throwing the pirate crew around the deck, JET was obliterating their arms. But the match didn't end with one of Barton's punishing powerbombs or JET's submissions. The match ended after Jack Flint started preparing his dangerous "Fire in the Hole" fire-breathing technique on Barton. JET, who had the move scouted, jumped into the ring and cupped Jack's own hand over his mouth, holding it for almost five seconds, causing Jack to nearly asphyxiate. Henry Bailey immediately threw in the towel from the apron...an actual towel with the jolly roger on it...and helped Jack to the medics backstage. So, while it's true that JET won the match (in 18 minutes) by securing Jack's arm, it wasn't the submission people were expecting. Nor were they expecting Barton and JET to have a negative interaction with a fan like they did on the way up the ramp. They passed a fan holding a (sadly misspelled) "El Exilio" sign. They grabbed it*, ripped it, and stormed backstage.   Either they are sticklers for spelling or we all just found the source of their anger tonight.

(*the sign, not the fan.) 


4. Universal Circuit Title: Mickey Revell vs. Tetsu Gushiken (c)

A belt-less Tetsu Gushiken came out with the rugged determination of a belted one. The crowd showed their support for his spirit and started a "Get sus-penders" chant which meant well but was received awkwardly. Kurt would have stolen those anyway, and probably given them to Jasper Woodruff who actually needs them. But despite physically lacking the merch, Tetsu still decided to put his newly won Universal Circuit Championship on the line against one of the best British technicians in the world today. We haven't seen Mickey in the past few years because he stayed behind in England when UBL resurfaced in the U.S. However, he did not slow down one bit since he last wrestled under this banner.

The two men started off the match with a display of "catch as catch can" grappling and "catch the can" due to a drunken (and soon removed) fan in the top row disposing of his beer cans in a parabolic arc into the ring. Neither man could get the advantage and then tested each other's ability to get peppered in the face with elbows. Once again, a draw. However, Tetsu seemed more aggressive at this point and went into a series of snaps suplexes. While catching his breath, Mickey grabbed the upper hand with his own display of backdrops. They spent the next few minutes twisting each other in submissions, with Tetsu focusing on the leg and Mickey further softening up the arm of Tetsu that Kurt had focused on during "Lunar Eclipse." Neither man could get the advantage but never stopped trying to. Never stop trying!

They nearly went to a 20 minute time limit draw in this display of oneupsmanship. At the 19 minute mark, Mickey applied "Revellation Road" (Minoru Special III) which Tetsu seemed completely trapped in. However, he used his powerful legs to kip up and jump into top guard on Mickey before grabbing an Achilles hold for the sudden submission victory. The crowd gave both men a standing ovation and they shook hands in the ring to end the show.

...

Five minutes after the show formally ended, Kazuo Saji ran out with a long piece of paper and a devious smile before being escorted backstage again.  The fans sighed but all agreed it was probably for the best.


*Stay tuned for the 2019 Tour Schedule coming soon!*

[OrochiGeese]

UBL Live - February 18, 2019


1. Sirius Mask vs. Jean DuBreil

Fans were excited to see Sirius Mask's second match and get further clues to guess his identity. Sirius certainly didn't make it easier for them though as he continues to mix up his style. The only constant is speed. Jean DuBreil also kept the fans guessing as whether the vials of "blood" were actually a condiment or a sauce. Some ambitious fan even suggested Worcestershire on their sign! How you gonna go and fit that whole word on a standard sized pro wrestling placard? Well, they did it! Even Jean couldn't help but stare blankly at the suggestion. But he was all business during the match as he attempted to work both the arms and legs of Sirius. It has been suggested before that he's sacrificing depth for breadth with his multi-targeted approach but he denies any criticisms of its effectiveness. However, Sirius Mask seemed very comfortable with defending against Jean's approach, almost like it was second nature. Sirius struck back with his own varied onslaught targeting the elbows and knees of Jean, before seamlessly transitioning into a lucha-based attack for the second half of the match incorporating complicated pinning predicaments. Jean was taken off guard and off balance by the sudden switch of styles throughout the match. Despite gaining some momentum off a few dirty tricks, Jean eventually succumbed to a "La Espalda" pin initiated as a brilliant counter to his Double-Armed DDT.


2. Dissmastah Droid vs. Chester Willoughby

Rumor is that Kazuo Saji was able to convince Drake Yoshida to hire Droid again by purchasing him a top notch computer with "SafeInterface" USB slots and a high end entertainment system. The fans were very happy to see both of these wrestlers returning to the ring...until they remembered them better. The match consisted of Chester futilely flinging floppy frisbees off of the hard metallic exterior (which undoubtedly contains a warm emotional interior) of Dissmastah Droid before being beat-boxed into oblivion with a flurry of punches. Droid picks up the victory in a little over two minutes after a dissaroonie (not to be confused with a popular brand of amaretto) followed by a Mach(ine) Punch Rush.   Droid rapped for the audience afterward letting ALL the suckas know that "He was here to stay, cuz Droid don't play."  Your move, suckas.


3. Colt 45 Express" (Rambui Jones/Hot Sauce McRoy) vs. "El Exilio" (El Pálido Fantasma/Yoshirozuna) (c)

Universal Battalion Title

The Universal Battalion Champions, "El Exilio," appeared to either want a fight or just not be outclassed by Tetsu Gushiken defending his Championship on a Live show. They put up their newly won Titles for the first time against two more fan-favorites in "Colt 45" Express. However, unlike the previous match, these two actually kept the fans cheering for them long after the nostalgia of their return faded. Rambui outmuscled Fantasma while Hot Sauce outmaneuvered Yoshirozuna at the start of the match. But the viciousness of the Champions turned the tide as both Fantasma and Yoshirozuna took every opportunity they had to attack their opponent's most vulnerable areas. Fantasma was particularly brutal in targeting the eyes and groins of each opponent. Whereas for a man the size of Yoshirozuna, just about every move is savage to endure. However, he seemed to particularly revel in delivering headbutts to Rambui in an attempt to mess up his fashionable hair. By the end of the match, Colt 45 Express managed a few near falls due to the martial artistry of Hot Sauce's kicks and the lightning quick bursts of power that Rambui displayed with his slams. However, it was El Exilio who picked up the victory when Yoshirozuna hit a running splash on McRoy immediately after a top rope hurracanrana by Fantasma.   

The Champions called out Barton Miller and JET Hamada after the match, saying that it was foolish to delay the inevitable. They know the match has been building up ever since Yoshirozuna returned after leaving the UBL and Barton's mentorship. They aren't going to duck them because they aren't afraid of a has-been and a never-will-be.


4. John Matthews vs. Tetsu Gushiken (c)

Universal Circuit Title

Although these two have not met in the ring for a while, they were regular opponents of each other when they each debuted in the Basic Training program. Since then, Tetsu Gushiken has gone onto great success and Championship gold while John Matthews has remained on the Front Lines. Some say that is because of suspicion that he may be part of Destiny while others say he just hasn't spoken up enough to push for opportunities. What is certain is that he's worthy of them due to his performance in this match. John pushed Tetsu arguably even harder than Kurt Sanders did at "Lunar Eclipse" due to his combination of power and speed. He appears just as strong as both Monroe brothers (he would later bristle at the comparison) but quicker than either one. John got Tetsu in trouble early with a sudden powerslam that almost ended the match at the 8 minute mark. But Tetsu fought back and targeted John's legs, a significant source of his power. However, John refused to tap out to any of Tetsu's leg submissions, most notably one that was applied right after a top rope dragon screw. Instead, he continued pushing Tetsu and executed his "Pillar of Samson" (Hercules Cutter). Tetsu kicked out of the resulting pin at the last split second which seemed to rattle John. This instance of uncertainty was enough for Tetsu to grab John in a Fisherman's Suplex. John was able to kick out but was too winded to defend against another Fisherman's Suplex: this one with a higher angled bridge that picked up the pinfall victory.

John appeared frustrated after the loss, but the negativity was focused on himself rather than at Tetsu. The two shook hands without incident and Tetsu celebrated with the fans to close out the show and his second successful Title defense.


*Stay tuned for the first show of the "Debasement Tour" coming soon!*