So in order to do things much easier, for both my part, and because I’ve got two weeks to do feedback, I’m going to do segment by segment by handler, and then at the end I’m going to tell them what I thought of their contributions to Omega Effect V in general (or in Freeman’s case how great his contributions could have been if he had actually written instead of AK doing it all. >_>) This will be added to over the course of the week so if you are interested, do check back.Jack Jefferson:He gets to go first because ol’ Dicko there was going out and was keeping me from watching my new furnace get installed which I’m quite enthralled with actually, from the sounds of it there destroying half my house in the process. (I also swear that Cody is one of the people, I mean they fuckin’ look identical.)
It’s Some Pre Match Hype-- A short but sweet segment, there wasn’t a lot he could really say at this point that wouldn’t sound corny or that he was trying to hard in an interview. It served the purpose of showing the mindset of Jefferson walking into this match. Something I may have suggested was something a lot more like my first segment, where I didn’t bring in the interviewer. He could have been walkin’ the streets of Manchester, at his gym, pacing back in forth in front of an assortment of weapons. Add something’ a little extra which could have given this segment a little more depth, which in turn would have given him much more of an opportunity to physically tear into LyCoS.
Jack Jefferson vs. Andrew Black vs. LyCoS. No Holds Barred Match-- Not the longest match, especially in comparison to some of the marathons that were written for Omega Effect. While I would have liked to have seen more, there were some good qualities in the match. LyCoS not resorting to wrestling and maintaining his animalistic tendencies, the ending was solid with Black stealing the win from Jefferson which should advance both characters. Few things I would have changed was maybe have some more brawling back and forth, use the ramp, maybe even the backstage area or through the crowds. I would have also liked to see a little bit more involving all three men trying to duke it out but I do know how complicated that is too write. I also would have liked to have seen some more early saves, and maybe some more late kickouts. While the saves where used to add some suspense, I think a time or too where the guy was either out cold, or crawling through the ropes but wouldn’t have gotten their in time.
It’s Time-- A lot of people decided to work an overarching story angle into Omega Effect and quite frankly I enjoyed this one a whole heck of a lot. Maybe it fits into where my interests lie more IRL, maybe it’s because it was so great to see Rob return and not really miss a beat. Whatever it was this conclusion to the entire story I think really showed the new no nonsense nature of Jack Jefferson, as well is the reason I enjoy ACW the most because you can work angles like this and not be penalized for it. Kudos to you Rob for a great read, and best of luck in the Upper Mid Card, you deserve it. (Unless Jonny’s reading this, then shame on him for stealing your push
)
Overall Thoughts-- Rob’s contribution to Omega Effect I think may have been over looked with the abundance of high quality angles that were worked. While a lot of people did rave about his work and talk about why it’s so good to see him return. I think in the grand scheme of things, he added that extra element to Omega Effect which I think would have otherwise been missed. He was able to provide for the drag it out, beat ‘em down style feud. I think it could have been far much greater if LyCoS had have contributed to it like Rob and Andrew did, but alas that is beyond our control.
Grade: 8/10
Jonny SpadeMy friend who’s name I consistently want to put an H on his name, he gets to go second mainly because when I asked him to name an ACW member he said himself, so here we be.
Tag Team Parking Lot Brawl-- Once again, a lot like Jack’s match and that I wanted a little bit more out of it, but more so I understand this one as there were two none wrestlers involved. There was a lot of nice things with this match bringing an end to the entire storyline Jonny was working, the fact that he kept it simple with Wilmington and Gooey, and the fact that he did use the cars for offence. What I would have liked to see more though is a little bit more of bare knuckle brawling inside the circle, make it like a real dustup. I would have also like to have seen maybe a few more common weapons, maybe something through a sun roof or windshield (though I‘m a sucker for shattering glass). The one thing I will comment on that I actually really liked about this match, something I didn’t notice initially, is that this match came off a lot like a really well done segment.
This Is The End-- Not a whole lot to comment about this segment, all though I really thought it was a fitting way to end things with Gooey walkin’ away. The addition of the fedora, almost kind of as a signal of the mystery of Gooey was a nice touch at the end.
The Formula-- I know what this is about and quite frankly, I’m psyched. Like when I saw this segment I was ecstatic. Not a lot to really feedback here, only thing I can see is it should have read Sorry this might be important
I’ve got to take this (that’s being totally nitpicky though)
Overall Thoughts-- I know Jonny was really psyched ‘bout this angle, and I was too, but as is the position of Omega Effect it often coincides with the end of term and I know there were things Jonny wanted to do that never got done due to his abundance of and of year work. Alas I still liked what I did get, and would like to make a suggestion to some of our newcomers to give this man a good solid feud over the summer.
Grade: 6.5/10 (Would be higher but for the missed shit I had to deduct points)
Jake SteeleAnd Justice…for All-- When Rep told me him and Jake had a plan for an opening segment for Omega Effect I immediately knew that it was going to be good. I liked how it set the table for the nights actions (or what would have been if someone had written the bloody segment). I also liked how they talked about Steele was once on top of the world, but now he’s seeking the help of trash to maintain what little he has left. There’s not a lot to complain about, the only thing that comes to mind is the fact that I thought for the opening segment, it might have been better for it too be a collective thing like we had at Fallen Heroes but that’s not really a knock on this segment itself.
The Top of the Mountain--Being brutally honest here, I didn’t like this segment. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it just didn’t do it for me. I think really it was more of the fact that after the entire build up, everything that has happened over the past month and a half, that Jake was only able to muster up a paragraph about each man. I understand that he was trying the K.I.S.S. method but for me at least that didn’t work. I would have liked to have seen more OOMPH out of Steele as he prepared for this match.
Thunder Train vs. Dave Shadow 45 Minute Iron man Match--I know you put in some work on this, but because I’m not certain what parts you did as opposed to Train, I’ll save my comments for Train’s work considering it’s “his”” match
Overall Thoughts-- Being in the main event at the biggest event of the year has to put some pressure on you to make it the best possible, to try and steel the show. Where as I don’t think it was the number 1 feud for Omega Effect, I think it was the second best in terms of what actually went down. The addition of Jake Steele turning added a little bit of the shock factor, but in being fair here I think it honestly cost you the title. You were feuding with two heels, who will bill themselves as tweeners and I think if you played the face who was standing up to them, who wasn’t going to act like a pushover as the two vets put it all on the line. I think it would have been if you were seen as more being used for the title, and everything was about Senator and TK and you wouldn’t let that happen. There was however a lot of good that came out though, as I think in even not retaining the belt, you gave us a great show over all, and the turn should be interesting, especially seeing how Jake now reacts to not having the belt.
Grade: 9/10
The ReprobateThe Kevin Federline to ACW’s America, I’ve been slacking off as of late and he asked to be next so here we be.
And Justice…For All--I’ve already covered this promo from Jakes perspective and where as I liked it from Jakes perspective, I absolutely loved it from Rep’s perspective. If you actually know Rep’s character (read his bio) you know he’s sloth to a “t” making other people do his work. This seems exactly that, making sure he gets into Jake’s good graces in a way, by taking advantage of him. He knows Jake’s at the top and know he’s found an in much the same way that I did it with Senator. I’m also very, very interested to see the continuation of this. Once again no complaints from me.
Christina Hernandez and Mystique vs. Baron Trotter and Pistol Pete--Once again this match read a lot more like an intricately crafted segment. Personally I am not a fan of NPC based matches at the biggest PPV of the year and I think this would have worked a lot better next show during the “comedown” from OEV. Throwing that out the window though I see this match for what it was and solely to advance the angles Rep is working.
Vortex vs. Stan Vishis--Another NPC match, however this one is a lot more understandable as I know Rep had everything under a timeline and Stan was supposed to be an active promoer for this feud. With it being an NPC match it was just ok, the fact that the entrances themselves were longer than the actual match itself is off putting, but once again like the previous match it was more served to advance the storyline of Rep taking on VorteX, which personally I think would have been much better at Omega Effect instead of this match. Never the less it must not fit the time line so I can live with it.
Overall Thoughts: Rep had his entire angle drawn out, and for what we got I really really enjoyed it. There are definitely a few things over the course of time I would have changed, and I would have much rather have seen Rep vs. VorteX at Omega Effect than Omega Effect be the vault for the final leg. I see it very much as HBK vs. Kozlov being at Mania fighting to face Taker at backlash, it didn’t make sense to me. Alas there was a lot to like, the fact that Rep was able to keep everyone entertained without showing up at the arena, and the Reprobate Roundups made things interesting.
Grade: 8/10
Danny MainerOne of my feud partners for the month. He basically wrote 9/10 of the Crucible feud and for that I owe him big time. It was really good to see him come out on top at the end as he deserves it.
Final Words--Where as I didn’t like Jake Steele’s segment because it seemed too short for the buildup, I liked keeping this one short as he really didn’t mention people involved. Reading this segment for the second time, I personally thought it was a better opening segment than the one Jake and Rep wrote. I would have maybe liked to have seen Mainer add in as he went climbing up the ladder as he spoke. Each paragraph representing a step or two until he reached the pinnacle. Never the less, a really good segment for my English friend.
Family Fortunes--The first thing that hit me was the way Mainer had the title set, and quite frankly, I really, really like it set over there. Don’t know why, just looks better IMO. As for the contents, I followed this angle closely as I asked Mainer if I had missed something with his family and he told me he was going to work the angle. I really liked the ending as it fit the Mainer character to a t. The one thing I didn’t like however was how innocently Felicity walked in. She heard the conversation, then the raised tone and didn’t come in to see what was happening or try to intervene. It just seemed out of human nature but it is a small detail in an otherwise fluid segment.
King of the World-- Can anyone aside from me see Mainer as a hippy just after the smoke cleared in this promo. Never the less there wasn’t a lot of substance here but that wasn’t needed. This promo was cleverly crafted to express the sheer emotion of Danny Mainer after winning his creation and having his life swing around. I personally think he’s the top face in the company at this time and this segment all but cemented it. Not a lot to not like here.
Crucible Contest-- Mainer did a really, really great job with this match. He drew out an awesome plan that put this together and I hope told some form of story as opposed to a cluster fuck of spots. The Rocky ending was perfect, made the match all the sweeter and really showcased that it is Danny Mainers time to shine. There’s not a lot I can really complain about reading this match, I actually like my part the least out of all of them but alas it was an excellent read from both Hughes and Mainer.
Overall Thoughts: Mainer came to me about three months ago with this big plan and I was a wee bit sceptical, I’ve seen some ladder matches extremely well done, seen some TLC’s extremely well done and others that are the pits. I didn’t have anything planned so I agreed for it, and man did Mainer impress with this feud. He was responsible for nearly everything that went on, was able to pick up the slack when shit hit the fan, and in the end was responsible for a great match. While the feud would have been a wee bit better if things had all panned out (Rawt not leaving, me havin’ to bail at the last minute one week, a secret plan we had falling through) but alas this was some top work from Danny Mainer.
Grade: 9.0/10
Michael SmartSmart gets to go next because he asked, so for everyone I haven’t done yet, ask and I’ll throw you into the cue (Train your next so no Journey videos’ or memes asking for feedback)
No Rest for Those With Cousins-- Once again Smart showed something that I didn’t see from him in our time in CIW and that’s comedy to go along with the straight laced nature of Smart. This segment was really good for setting the tone for later in the evening, and not making the talk show seem out of the blue and generic. The fact that Daniel admitted he was living vicariously through Michael was a fitting touch that set up for later in the night.
The Smart Report--Another comedy segment, that really I think gave a further body to Smart not really wanting to go along with the shenanigans of Daniel. Emo guy was a nice touch although everything there was a little clichéd but alas it served the purpose when it was revealed he was just an actor. The finishing touches with the firing of Daniel was cool but on first reading I had mixed feelings about it. I really hoped that it lead to someone else coming in as Smarts manager because I don’t see him as being a guy that is going to have a lot of words, think back to Undertaker with Paul Bearer at the beginning where he only delivered the final blow to really punctuate the promo. I thought that was initially what was going to happen with Daniel being the mouth for Smart until Smart was ready to fly solo but I guess not. Alas I was happy with the end result overall.
Leaving-- Once again mixed feelings. The return of Daniel I think will be cool as long as Smart keeps this character turn and tries to keep him somewhat serious so he isn’t the big focus of the segments, people tuning into see “that funny guy“, but also not betraying the character he’s established. I liked the no hugging part adding to the no nonsense nature of Smart
Overall Thoughts-- Smart is a tough one to talk about because he joined right in the middle of the stretch run towards OEV. While he has draw rave reviews for his segments over the past bit, I’m not certain what to say here because he didn’t “contribute” to Omega Effect because he wasn’t on the “show” I really enjoyed each piece and think he’ll work well in ACW once he gets a solid feud going, as well as his future work with Daniel. A final word of advice would be to not let everyone influence your writing, to listen to ideas but not feel obligated to use them and shape the character how you want him to.
Grade: 8/10
Thunder Train:Our resident comedy expert who nearly gave me a heart attack when the show was being posted by saying he was quitting. Needless to say I’m not sure what Omega Effect, or even ACW for that matter would be without our comedic crooner.
Any Last Words--I think if there were two people who worked the best together this month it was Dave and Train. There storyline was off the wall and yet you could see how everything would work if you were watching it on TV, something that is lost in e-fedding sometimes. This segment was no different and the split screen was awesome. My only qualm was where as a lot of the segments done for Omega Effect I could see on a pay per view, the stuff with Jefferson, my own, Thunderkiss etcetera, this one seemed like a TV promo, not something for a pay per view. I think it would have been cooler to do a split screen with two guys talking at once, kind of like the NBA did but that’s my opinion, which mirrors Reps.
45 Minute Ironman Match--This feedback goes for Jake Steele as well. First thing’s first, entrance of the night goes to Thunder Train, I don’t think anyone else could have pulled half of that off and yet with Train doing it, it just seemed perfect. I read this match three times and I liked a bit and disliked a bit. I really liked the opening with the quick rollup pin, really made kicked the match off in the right direction with Dave using his cunning early on as his only way of “winning.” The second thing I liked was Dave going up 2-0 and even the way he did it, a quick move and using his quickness to get back to Train quickly. My first dislike though was how quickly the match got back to two one. I would have much preferred to see Dave run away for the next ten minutes, trying to tire Train out, maybe even going up three nothing. Throwing that out the window I did like the fact that Train tied it with the Caramel Clutch, a great use of it in a match where Dave could survive longer in it but rather risk it, he taps out and saves himself for later. The fifth fall was great, something I haven’t seen personally and with the Ginger screwing Train angle, this worked great, and I REALLY, REALLY hope Train does something with this, and doesn’t discard it. I think a mini feud between Train and Donovan would be cool. The sixth fall to tie it up I really, really didn’t like. I liked the set up, but would have rather seen Dave be up two for this, as then I would have been in doubt with a few of the more common iron man options, whether Dave would run away with eight minutes left and try and run out the clock and succeed, Train not able to win. Whether Train would tie it up at the last minute and force an overtime, something along the sorts. Hell the ref bump spot would have worked good with Train getting a fall and it not counting, and then later on, right at the end the ref coming to but taking six seconds for a three count….hmm maybe I should save that for a iron man match. As soon as it was tied here I knew it was going to have a last second pinfall or submission. Moving past that though, the popcorn bit was awesome, almost as good as the Shadow Sonic bit from earlier. The ending was good all in all with Gingerdude screwing Train, which I know will continue. Everything aside this match was really good, it’s tough to write an iron man match but Jake and Train did good, wasn’t MOTN but it wasn’t a slouch either.
Getting My Job Back--I can’t feedback this segment so will say the first three words that came to mind, FULL OF WIN!
Anti-Climactic, But You Laughed--The segment title was bang on. The I’d hit that line was perfect, as was Train not recognizing his own sister. Mickie as a poser is awesome as well, so all around win.
Overall Thoughts--Really, really enjoyed Trains work this month and that’s reflected in him receiving the highest grade I’ll give for this month. I really enjoyed his two separate angles and then the way he merged them into one. I felt his IN title reign was a little short, although I think he did a lot, the Fallen Heroes stipulation and then the match with Mainer to go along with the iron man match. My only problem was the fact that a gimmick match was used to in every match and didn’t let Train wrestle something that would have been good to see. Train did a lot for the title, and then for Omega Effect, putting on with Dave in my opinion the best feud for the month, and thus earning my highest grade.
Grade: 9.5/10
AK and FreemanThese two go together because they followed the Reprobate formula and only had their match and like Train and Steele I can’t tell who wrote what so it goes together.
First things first, is it wrong that I can just imagine Mainer/TK reading AK’s entrance and getting a stiffy over it, it was that detailed which I liked because I always envisioned AK to be like a witch doctor IC, her hair toussled and shit, kinda like a voodoo priestess.
Next holy long match batman. I’m all for going into detail and crafting a great match but on first glimpse this was just a wee bit intimidating. Made sure I had me some sustenance before reading it, never the less with all AK works please give it a read, even if Freeman wrote part of it (probably that part that put me to Sleep >_< sorry Freeman, it was late.) I read this match not once, but twice and I think it was easily the MOTN, nothing against Senators work but this one really out did itself. Back and forth was the only way to describe this, one person with the advantage, then the other, then the other, back and forth back and forth leaving me litterally on the edge of my bed. It’s not often that I get that way when reading an E-fed match, or even when I’m watching wrestling but this one had me fully up and at it, and I’m glad Freeman kept on my ass to read this (even if it is after midnight and I need my beauty sleep) The middle was excently paced and while usually matches that end up being this long reek of cheesyness or the fact that there are fourty minutes of spots this match didn’t do it. It was written to a T, pure science. I’m usually not a fan of people kicking out of finishers but with the way this feud went I would have been disappointed in it if there hadn’t been. AK and Freeman wrote quite possibly the best match I’ve ever read and to that I provide big, big ups. Freeman despite the loss came out of this match a winner and the end promo by AK was awesome to cap off this angle, I’d like to thank each of you for such an enjoyable read, and Freeman, we’ll smoke some hashish one these days.
Overall Thoughts: This was a tough feud to evaluate as both people were extremely busy during it, and so there were weeks where we got nothing and it would have been nice to see even a glimpse into what they were thinking. I would have loved to see AK writing another segment or two about what all Freeman has done to her (I think everyone would love to see more AK) and I would have liked to see Freeman go a little bit more over the cuckoos nest but that’s alright. Based on what we got this was an excellent feud that propels Freeman into the main event even with a loss, which really was the only way this match could go as there was a riot planned if Freeman one. I think this feud also gave us the two best segments on the road to OEV, with both Freemans contract signing and then the first part of the Oblivion sage (I think that’s what it was called, I’m too tired to look.) I can give this a perfect score, something it had a chance to get, and I don’t think it quite reached the Main Event, a lot like Jefferson time reaked havoc on this feud, which is entirely understandable, even if I don’t get the diference between 1800 and 2370 on the SAT but alas, I’m balls tired.
Grade: 8/10
Dave ShadowThe man who I feel I owe a lot of my success to in the e-fedding world, it was his Castle Island Wrestling that really gave me that extra little boost that I needed with my writing and for that I’m really grateful for, not grateful enough though to make him the first half dozen feedbacks.
Practice Tolerance---To be honest here I didn’t like Dave’s involvement in this segment. I know why it was done to give closure to Zero Tolerance but I think this segment would have been a lot more powerful if it was just Thunderkiss and Ginger. I think a better blow off would have been to have Dave celebrating and then get into a spat with Thunderkiss. Judging on Dave’s involvement though he did provide some comic relief I guess being entirely oblivious to the situation, although once again there was so much more that could have happened to make this segment better. It seemed to me to be very much a table setter but there was never any dinner afterwards.
45 Minutes--To be fair the first time I read the table and thought it was 4 minutes (loved that song far more than I should have) and could see how this segment was going to be about saving ACW from people like Train. Alas upon relooking at the title my hopes were dashed for Kendrick dancing with Madonna. Onto the segment, and I was crushed by my island being burned, (RED TEAM FTW) but I think it fit perfect for this scene. Seeing the rubble of what happened when Dave had power kind of leads you to root against him, not wanting him to do that to ACW. The repetition at the end was well done emphasising the point. Finally the glimpse into the history of Dave Shadow was nice, maybe during some free hours on that vacation you can write a few autobiography chapters.
Pre Match Warm Up--One of my favorite segments of the entire show as Dave really drew me into the scene with it being something I could relate to. I also liked the fact that it worked along with the entire power complex of Dave’s that for so long he’s been a lackey and now he wants a chance to control things but he can’t. He recoginizes the significance of what’s at hand and is trying to get ready for the match. A solid promo that really worked for Dabe, my only qualm with this was the fact that Dave afterwards had another segment with Train as I think they probably shouldn’t have been switched.
Any Last Words--My opinions on this piece are reflected in my feedback for Thundertrain up above.
Overall Thoughts--Dave worked well with Thundertrain and I was glad to see him walk out with the title. While I didn’t like the way the match was necessarily written for Dave it did serve a purpose all though I see him as a face a wee bit more, which I don’t think Dave wants to be quite just yet. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes with the title. AS far as Omega Effect, once again I think he was the best writer overall in terms of his segments with both TK, Train and solo’s which helped craft more than one feud. I would have liked a little more involvement from Dave in the ME title feud, as well as I think things were set up for more happening with Dave and TK but alas that is life and in the end, I think Dave was the top performer for Omega Effect, but I can’t give him a perfect score.
Grade: 9.5/10
The Senator*Gasp* I got too Senny’s feedback, which consists solely of my thoughts on his match. All Omega Effect Weekend we talked about our matches and whose was going to be better and in the end we somehow got out done by Freeman of all people. Apparently you can catch lightning in a bottle, anyways.
First thing I noticed was apparently Omega Effect was just a special edition of Monday Night Warfare which for some reason made me chuckle. I liked Thunderkiss entrance with the motorbike (not as good as a boat though) but can’t stand Swagga Like Us. The opening was excellent with the striking but I wasn’t a fan of Senator ducking out as it seemed very clichéd. I would have rather seen him try and get both me to attack him, and then pit them off against each other by overselling a simple jab and having them both go for the pin. I also liked how Steele was put over by standing up to Senny’s chops, something you don’t see all that often and added a little bit to the opening to make it stand out.
The second page was really good at the start, I especially liked not settling for the traditional ram him into the turnbuckle spot but didn’t think it was the right time for a low blow early. The one thing I got early on in the match was that Senator seemed to be really cowardly, avoiding conflict which was more the way Steele was portrayed during the feud. The train wrestling that then preceded it was really good, something that isn’t often capitalized on anymore because it’s so tough to convey in words as opposed to seeing everything play out in front of you.
Third page was a lot more of the same, with high quality action and so many big words .
The Rampage bit made me laugh and added on a nice bit of involvement in this match with the crowd. I can just see Steele yelling “Black Power” during the match as he takes out the racist Senator with the chain. I also liked how Senny captured Thunderkiss’ realization that he would very little feeling in that hand from the nerve damage and is thus willing to use it for whatever purposes, especially to catch the steel chain.
The Fourth page the Victory Driver spot was nuts however with the hype of it all having Jake beat Senator into the ring was a lil far-fetched for me, even though I understand the thought behind it of trying to make Jake look tough as nails which once again kind of betrayed the feud as he was more of the cowardly sneak attack kind.
Moving on I really liked the positioning of the finisher kick out by Steele as it worked really well, especially with Kiss’ reaction of non surprise to it, knowing the young buck would not be put away tonight like a mere mortal. I liked the AIG Knee to Right In Yo’ Face combo but didn’t like the proximity of the two finisher kicks out, and then a third right after. I always think it’s hokey seeing it in real life. I would have rather seen a little bit of action to break up the AIG Knee, Right in Yo face from the Heavens Door, but kept the deadline right after as it came out of nowhere which would have worked great, although I woulda preferred to see a “break” by TK on the Deadline, but that’s personal preference. The rolling elbow finisher was perfect, something so simple yet elegant putting an end to the match.
The final thing is Senator did a masterful job utilizing the commentary as between this and his OEIII match you should be able to pick up on how to write the guys within the bereft of the parameters set. Although there was a lot I would have done different, juding this match on it’s on it was a masterful performance and had Freeman not written the match of his life would’ve been an obvious match of the night contender to go along with mine. (Personally I’d love to do a poll to see who thinks which was the best)
Overall Thoughts: Senny worked a masterful job with Ken and Mike for Omega Effect, the second best feud in my opinion. They also did a good job of giving throughout the feud a couple of secondary characters a rub off their feud, (me, Dave and even Lee to an extent.) This feud will probably go down in Dan White’s top 20 feuds whenever he gets down to writing it as it was steller especially for an Omega Effect where I’m presuming some people in this situation might try to be a little more grandiose than needed. It’s sad to see TK go because I think with the way this match and feud went there rivalry is far then over but as has been said before, no one truly leaves ACW.
Grade:: 9/10