Luchador Corner
THE TEMPLE
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Jack Standard - See my enjoyed segments below. I think the 'self-loathing' luchador in a lucha libre fed can go far as a concept. Hope the solid intro carries through into a good first program.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
Not Finished Yet - Hell of a way to jumpstart a feud between two fresh faces! Popped for Marvolo II & Jr., natch.
Sundae - I've enjoyed this low-key build. No drama, no arguments, no blood - just a kind soul showing a good-intentions hardass that she can go.
No Eggspectation of Success - Puns, multiple!? I'm in. No freakin' idea what this is, but I'm in.
Ladies Night, Oh What a Night! - Shaft meets Eddie Guerrero. Dig the antics and Ram's... Jam?
Consequences - Brilliant theatricality building a sense of dread around Morcant. RIP Lost Boy.
Introductions - Fun intro for an "I hate this place and everyone in it" gimmick. Early Kurt Angle vibes. The reluctant luchador could be a great dynamic.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
Main event sometimes feels like a copout answer because of the (usually) longer length, but this one really did a great job weaving in the story and interplay between Newton and Cube. Throw in the schmoz finish and champion/contender staredown, it was the perfect ending to a go-home Slam. Good shit!
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Edward Newton - Frees Ziggy, having bluffed Cube last week. His chicanery as special guest referee made me pop, and he still stood tall despite being lawn-darted by Mars. Great showing.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Great lead-in to Turbo Violence. This was always going to be an interesting cycle - trialling just 2 TVs until a PPV. I think this maiden voyage has shown it totally works. If anything, the punchier pace works well with the wider presentation.
I continue to adore Warlord's portrayal. He's pitch-perfect, 1:1 promo:results harmony.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): Dr E VINELL
I loved the segment with him and Aranza, and I love the cold, calculated nature of the guy when whatever he did to her took effect. There's something so brilliant in the way his lines came across that makes him seem just so dangerous. Like he would poison you... for science, without batting an eyelid.
Honourable Mention: Jack Standard - I think that's a character that will get some real legs moving forward. A great opening segment there.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): A GAME OF PAWNS
I really like the intensity here and particularly gets the nod here for one key reason - Dr Cube putting the stipulation of it counting as a title defense for Pixelshift on the line. This new belt has some real potential to create these types of '3D chess' moments, where there's a real stake at hand for winning a match that goes beyond a title changing hands. This is cutting edge stuff. I love that, and building the feud around that cutting edge stuff really gets me excited as an OSW fan.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?): 24/7 CHAMPIONSHIP
It's almost a bit of chaotic comedic relief during the show, but with some real stakes. Man, that had everything. I love the idea behind this belt and the opportunities that arise from a belt that can be defended at any time and any place.
Luchador of the Night (and why?): WARLORD MARS
Defending the Hardcore Championship is a good shout. To take an actual run with that will mean being consistently good week in and week out, as anybody could topple you at any time. Good to see somebody actually defend it!
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Some great segments here this week. i'm loving so many of these characters. Especially like seeing the debuts!
ACADEMIUS - We get to see why Grimm was in the crowd last week, or at least his response to what unfolded. There's a few things that are a tad jarring in the segment, mainly Darkwish's presence in the classroom itself. Did he follow Academius there? Is he stalking him, or does he have other reasons for putting him on the path towards targeting Grimm and saw an opportunity. I thought soome of Academius's lines could have sounded a bit more 'academic asshole' but there was definitely enough attitude in his actions to suit the character. The scoff at the end was definitely en pointe.
I really liked FORMING A PLAN - it had all the scheming and wheeling and dealing that I'd expect out of these guys. The justification for working together, however tensely, made total sense and it makes me really intrigued as to what happens next.
LUX - Just simply love this storyline. The perfect feud to kick things off for this reiteration of Lux. There's stipulations on the line that are real for him and at Turbo Violence, the match really means something. This is great, high intensity and really gets the Family over, which is awesome.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): ZIGGY ROBBINS
Ziggy keeps being a compelling character for me. I loved the revelation of, “Turns out I love swimming”. As a guy who’s going through a bit of crisis myself seeing how Ziggy can keep being positive under pressure helps uplift me. I really do enjoy the character and how he continues to be a high point of the show.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): NO EGGSPECTATION OF SUCCESS
This hit me hard, I’m a lover of puns and this was hilarious. Especially with the sight gags as well with Marvolo being coated in egg by Roughkut friggin’ hilarious. I can only wonder what will happent when Roughkut gets this Chicken Man.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):24/7 HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
This whole match read like something that would happen with Goldust as the Hardcore Champion. Enough, all the oil and everything, how it eventually led to Glitter’s downfall. Loved the match itself and it is why this was such a good idea to have the Hardcore Championship as a 24/7 title under the rules it has.
Luchador of the Night (and why?): DR. CUBE
I love the fact that it seems like there’s a secret game within the game he’s playing with Pixelshift. I really think there’s more subtle plan to Dr. Cube’s game at War Games. I cannot wait to see where this goes.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Highlight of the night is becoming the 24/7 matches overall things are starting to fall into place quickly for this Volume and I cannot wait to see how everything continues to develop.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Jack Standard for me. Dude comes across as a pretentious veteran of the game and I love it. He's one of those people you hope gets their ass kicked, but you know they won't because they're too damned good at what they do. I hope that attitude carries over well into the next shows, 'cause I want to see how well it plays off the other wrestlers who might or might not take wrestling as seriously as he does.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
A Game of Pawns will go here. Damn, Cube's really trying to up the ante on making Pixelshift turn on Newton, isn't he? Not that I can blame him, we knew what kind of person Edward was a few volumes ago, so it'd make sense for the doc telling Pix to be wary. At the same time though, he's sweetening up the opportunity to win the match by allowing it to count as one of the five defenses needed to challenge for the big belt. What is Cube's gameplan here? Is he right to try and warn Player One of Newton? I'm eager to find out in the shows to come!
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
I know it's just about cheating to do this, but I'll give it to the main event. This match had a beautiful setup for the War Games match at Turbo Violence, what with things going off the rails and the high spots near the end of the match. Ziggy gave a good fight too, but Cube was just one step ahead, and managed to pull off an amazing win, which Newton nearly managed to ruin by almost spiking him with a Nevermind. Fun match and I'm excited to see what's to come.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Dr. Cube for sure. Dude had the disadvantage of Edward Newton being the special guest referee and taking full advantage of that fact. The Riddler kept getting in the way, breaking up pins, and nearly cost the Gamemaster the match by attacking him before putting Ziggy on top. War Machine had to come out to even the odds and keep things "fair", which was awesome in and of itself. Great night for the faction overall, but an especially huge night for Cube, I'd say.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Ace - I see Ace is still being no fun to hang around, much to Dolly's chagrin. At least she's putting her foot down and telling him that she can be serious too when the time comes for it. I'm sure Benny will have a new best friend to play with if she can win this match too, so Ace better not allow Dolly to take over his role of Benny's protector. At least, that's the mentality I have when I read this story. Wonder what will end up happening after the match though? Will he show Daydream some respect, or will he continue to act cold and keep Benny on a close leash?
LB - Well we get to see what the consequences of stealing that goblet are for the kid. Apparently drinking from it cursed the kid to see visions from Morcant's past. At least I think that's what happened during the match. Not sure what Lost Boy can do or how he can recover from this predicament. Seems like he's pretty much fucked even if he returns the goblet back to the ship. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but I don't see the kid walking out of this feud without some form of permanent reminder as to why messing with Blacktide is a bad idea.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Ziggy Robbins: The way he reacts to situations is wild. With so many stories happening at once, this one is heading in a really strong direction. Ziggy is incredibly interesting, and I’m fully along for the ride.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
A Game of Pawns: such a cool segment that really makes you stop and think. What does Cube know? And should we be questioning Newton? I also loved the added stipulation; it raised the stakes and made the match feel even more intense.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
If my Luchador of the Night was Warlord, then the match has to be the Hardcore match vs Glitter. Such an odd pairing, but it worked perfectly and made for a great read. The lube down the hallway spot was hilarious.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Gotta go with Warlord Mars. He’s come in like an absolute force, and it’s been awesome to watch. I had to give it to him because i think he’s the first person to successfully defend a title here, right?
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
I’m super pumped to be facing Dawson again he always brings the best out of you. Much love to you, homie. OSW is going to give us another instant classic, haha.
Great show overall. There are so many storylines unfolding, and I’m really excited to see how they play out at Turbo.
I also hope Idolo’s voice is starting to come through more clearly. I’m really aiming for longevity with him. I took time to sit down and think this character through because I didn’t want him to burn out by week three and become stale. I’ve got a clear vision for him, and I’m excited to keep building.
Most Compelling Luchador:
Ziggy Robbins gets my vote here again - and for all the reasons I’m about to lay out.
Most Enjoyable Segment:
Shoutout to Nigel Powers and What We Do In The Shadows for the Austin Powers-style screen-silhouette comedy. That was a blast, but I’m giving this one to Turns Out I Love Swimming.
The sheer nonchalance of Ziggy Robbins in the situation he found himself in was incredibly endearing. Newton deliberately placed him there to test his mettle and Robbins passed without blinking. Not a flicker of doubt or a second of panic. It makes you genuinely wonder what it would take to rattle this guy...
He’s completely comfortable in his own skin - and in whatever chaos surrounds him.
Most Enjoyed Match:
The Main Event - which I suppose means Ziggy completes the hat trick and keeps the match ball this week.
Alright, so Dr. Cube got the win, but not before Robbins gave him the fright of his short OSW Championship reign. The odds were stacked heavily against him (especially with War Machine’s omnipresence looming throughout), yet The Motivational Speaker more than held his own - even before Pixelshift’s timely arrival.
It was a top-tier finale, capped perfectly by Newton reluctantly dropping to his knees to count the three. It gave me big Six-Pack Challenge vibes with Stone Cold as the enforcer, begrudgingly making the three count for Triple H to regain the belt... Same and theatre imo.
Luchador of the Night:
To avoid sounding like a broken record, I’ll pivot slightly here. While Robbins continues to impress, Pixelshift deserves recognition. He battled through a stiff Fatal Four Way against serious competition and still made his presence felt in the main event - even if it didn’t quite swing the outcome.
Player One has hit the ground running in Volume IV and continues to show up in the biggest moments. That earns him the nod this week for me.
Overall Feedback:
After stealing his ride last time out, Blackhand Moretti got a taste of his own medicine.
I loved the way Ram Jam handled his business - slipping under the radar and reclaiming control from a man who profits off controlling others. It was a clever, character-consistent response that didn’t just retaliate, but escalated.
Turbo Violence just got a whole lot tastier. Will Moretti come to collect, or will the Groove-ador slide out of the debt with that soulful swagger we’re getting more accustomed to every week?
Either way - I’m locked the fuck in.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): Ziggy Robbins continued to show that he was a fight from below underdog, that had amazing reactions despite the situations he was put through. It seemed to confound some of the people he dealt with like cube and newton or at least intrigue them. And by that extension made him interesting.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): A Game of Pawns, I loved the mind games that Cube seems to be playing with Pixel. The offer he made with the war games match doesn't seem to grant him any benefits so it leaves the lingering question of what does he have to gain from this. Which it seems Pixelshift also seems to have desciphered and struggles with.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?): 24/7 Title match, I'm actually loving these defenses. And I feel it needs to be encouraged and shouted out because the effort needs to be rewarded. It's chaotic and just feels fun. Which in turn feels right with the direction of the company at the moment.
Luchador of the Night (and why?): Pixelshift was all over the show, and not in a bad way. He jumped in when things felt right and escalated tension. It all tied back into the war games match. And I think that is a good thing for him this night. Having a shining moment in the main event. He's had a strong start and it worked out well.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Dr. Eric Vinell was portrayed very well, I think having the orderlies around to do his bidding while he watches and sprung a trap. It was a wonderful bit of storytelling. And he was a wonderful cheat during his match against Ace Starfield getting a cheap rollup I loved it. I think the only nitpick I would have is for the person who wrote his match to keep an eye on the spelling since his name was misspelled multiple times. Not a super big deal since I absolutely did switch up the spelling in between creation and debut. But yeah. Just a thing I noticed and figured I'd point out.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): Aranza, just wanna give her, her due. Another great match and her confrontation with the good doctor? Chills literal chills.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): though? I gotta say’s Game of Pawns. Cube is always thinking, I love pixel kinda trying to figure his game out. Big Ups!
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?): Glitter vs Mars. Loved it. Felt very raw hardcore match yet keeping the characters especially Glitter, true to himself.
Luchador of the Night (and why?): I’m gonna say Ziggy. He’s just so easy to get around, and the opening of him just swimming having a ball? Had me in stitches.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks: for myself? Tropico looked p good. His mannerisms and some of the more bad aspects of his “cool” persona kinda coming up is neat.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): I will mix it up this week and go with Ram Jam. I've been enjoying reading your stuff, it's good and goes with an awesome character that I love seeing unfold in both your writing and the scenes you've been given so far! Keep up the awesome work!
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): Introductions - I liked this one because, well, it gave us a good introduction to Jack Standard! I like the way this character has come off in this one, arrogant old vet who has a disgusted taste in his mouth for what he's seen here in OSW. I am excited to see where this is going to lead!
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?): Hardcore Championship - The visual of Glitter and Warlord coming together for a match, let alone a Hardcore one, is too good. The lube at the start had me laughing, then squirting out of the bearhug due to the lube, was a nice touch. Of course, the lube being his (Glitter) ultimate demise in the end was the cherry on top, and I just enjoyed it for the laughs it gave me!
Luchador of the Night (and why?): For me it's a toss up on this one. I have Pixleshift (big win in a tough match) and Ziggy (with his story) are who I'd split it between this week. Both are showing they are top players here and are going to be a tough challenge for anyone. The character development for both of these guys has been awesome to read so far and I hope they continue to deliver their great stuff they've been putting forward each week!
Your Overall Feedback Remarks: Enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Seeing everything play out with Cube/Ziggy after the cliffhanger was a nice start, things flowed well from there. Loved the action in all the matches. Good segments to lead in to Turbo Violence, which has some fun matches on it! Well done all around to everyone who is involved, another great show (and showing)!
For The Crimson Eclipse, I enjoyed the introduction to this rivalry and that it gets to keep going forward. It was cool to see it happen, as I wasn't sure what to expect right off the bat, but here we go! Looking forward to Turbo Violence!
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Ziggy Robbins.
He won me over this week and I'm not invested. I view as somewhat of an underdog and it sure seems like he's being played. But somehow, I have a feeling he's going to come out the other side. The positivity, etc. He's one of the more interesting characters we have, I'll be curious as we learn more, what makes him tick? Why is he this way? I think there's going to be a lot more to this character.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
Turns Out? I love swimming.
Great segment, I enjoy the interactions between Ziggy Robbins and Newton, I found this one to be particularly great. Ziggy finding out that he 'loves swimming' when he should be terrified was pretty comical. I was unsure of my feelings on the character originally, but I'm quickly becoming a fan.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
Jurassic Colossus vs Crimson Eclipse
There wasn't anything that stood out to me, I just really wanted to get behind the giant dinosaur, I was disappointed he didn't get the W. Normally I go with the main event (because it usually has the most happening) but I decided to change it up this week.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Dr Cube. A big win in the main event, the mind games with Pixelshift regarding Newton and his lack of empathy. I felt it was a brilliant week for the reining world champion, built a lot of momentum leading into Turbo Violence.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Quiet show for Santiago, he seems to be coming across as the strong silent type, which totally works.
Someone else mentioned that it's tough to roll into a PPV with only two shows, but somehow its been done masterfully. Though I feel that we've got some nice momentum rolling into Turbo Violence. I'm still getting a feel for most of the characters, but there are a few who are really starting to grow on me!
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Dr. Cube
Cube just has presence. He moves with purpose, wrestles with precision, and never looks overwhelmed. By the end of Slam, it felt like he’d left his mark on everything around the temple.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
Hardcore Championship
This is the kind of chaos that makes the 24/7 title feel alive. It was unpredictable and ridiculous, it perfectly balanced absurdity with impact. Mars looked like an unstoppable tank, and Glitter weaponized the environment like a greased-up play toy.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
Lost Boy vs. Academius vs. PixelShift vs. Glitter
That moment when Lost Boy was about to hit his move and the entire Temple just drops into darkness was unreal. It completely shifted the atmosphere from a wild fatal four-way to full-on horror in seconds. The storytelling during this match was top tier.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Ziggy Robbins
Ziggy may not have had everything go his way, but he absolutely won respect. He showed heart, toughness, and the kind of stubborn resilience that makes you want to rally behind him. Passing out instead of tapping says everything about who he is.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
After slam I'm looking forward to Turbo Violence. This show built momentum without sacrificing character work, and it feels like things are escalating naturally which makes what’s coming next at Turbo Violence feel earned.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
I'd say Ziggy Robbins for how endearingly positive he is even in the face of life threatening danger. He's a character who is very popular so far and I think it's for good reason with how he just seems to radiate underdog energy while maintaining that infallible positivity. Makes me want to see what WOULD break Ziggy.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
Honestly I'm giving this to No Eggspectation of Success because I think OSW benefits from goofy storylines like this. It's not something we got a lot of during Volume 3, or even really since Volume 2 so I think it's refreshing to see what feels like it'll become a fun recurring gag to read over the next few weeks/months.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
This goes to the Main Event for the fact that it was really just filled to the brim with chaos and character interactions that really felt evocative of an attitude era style match with all the run ins we got. I think it does a lot to make the members of War Machine involved feel like an unstoppable force.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Dr. Cube just keeps winning so far and I don't think that's something that's going to let up any time soon. His win in the main even really cemented him as the top of OSW I think.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
Glitter: I like how smarmy Glitter is with their interactions with Perdido. I'm curious what their long con for this is, if anything beyond simply wanting to cause problems for the former movie star.
Mr. Grimm: Grimm feels a lot like the Undertaker in this storyline, mainly in that he's kind of acting like a force of nature coming at his opponents. Admittedly I don't have much more to say beyond that, though as he's been hands off with the group this month.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?): ziggy is just an interesting guy. even in the face of adversity he finds the positive out of the situation. he has a good showing consistently every week at this point
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?): not finished yet was pretty exciting. i mean weve hit the ground running so far in this volume and for us to be getting an inferno match as well is crazyy. looking forward to reading that one.
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?): the main event was just all over the place. lots of story being told, lot of action. overall a very good read.
Luchador of the Night (and why?): i enjoyed mr. grimms presence in this show. i just like how everything is centered around him in his story, and kinda like dawson said himself, i feel like hes reallt operating like the undertaker. always looking forward to reading anything that has to do with him.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks: i’ve thoroughly enjoyed this story so far. i can see how it may be difficult to appease everyone and have everyones characters looking good but i think its been done nicely so far. just excited to be here in this position, and i cant wait for turbo violence to get here.
First of all I must apologise that my feedback is late this week. I had gotten it in to my head that I fedback before I promo'd this show, but when I came back to read the feedback "after" me, I have not. That is on me so apologies to Dean and the Matchwriting/Creative peeps who deserve timely feedback.
Most Compelling Luchador (and why?):
Ziggy continues to be compelling to me. It's just the general vibe. I also like his interactions with Newton. I think when we've had this kind of character before it's been with an undertone of creepiness, so to see an out and out motivational speaker who seems to have good intentions is something fresh. It will be a challenge for creative to keep it feeling fresh over a longer period I think, but for the short term it's working great.
Most Enjoyable Segment (and why?):
What We Do In The Shadows had my shoulders shaking with laughter this week. Well done writer, it is exactly the sort of scene you expect Nigel Powers to find himself in!
Most Enjoyed Match (and why?):
The Main Event! Although Pixel made an appearance, that isn't the reason. I really enjoyed the old school feel of the match, it really felt like it was there to sell the War Games match, and the interactions between all the various members of the teams in that match was really top notch.
Luchador of the Night (and why?):
Jack Standard made a solid first impression, so I think I'll give him the nod here. I must admit I did consider a similar kind of character before I settled on Pixelshift so I might be a bit biased in wanting to see how this plays out. I think there is a lot of mileage in a character like this, especially if you have them become a kind of mask collector in the same vein as Orton's Legend Killer era.
Your Overall Feedback Remarks:
I'm glad that people writing for PixelShift are getting behind the concept of the character in their writing. I've noticed that both in matches and in segments there are just little nods like referring to War Machine as an "evil speedrun faction" and the War Games match as "New Game Plus" that hint at his characters origins big time.
Cube's offer for the War Games match at Turbo Violence to count as a defence is certainly a cause for concern as Cube must be getting something out of it. I wonder if we'll see a segment with Cube and Marvolo at the PPV?
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