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| Don't forget before you guys get mad after reading this. You guys BEGGED for me to finish this story, so don't get mad at me for finishing my side of it and it hurts a lot of people's feelings and opens old wounds. |
I. The Infection Spreads
After MCB's departure, all of the hostile threats and uproar over her retirement mysteriously vanished. At this moment, my staff consisted of the following:
Administrator - myself
Co-Admins - Raven, Pinky (Kirsten)
Misc. Staff - Sam (Samuel), Justice, Kameron (Kam), Adam
Immediately following MCB's departure, Kam began requesting to allow her to come back. Of course, I turned him down. Despite of him being homosexual IRL, they were close in-character. Naturally, I allowed him to pick up Melina since that would have ruined the Motor City Machine Guns' team (Melina was acting as their manager and still caught up in the feud/rivalry with Amiee Vaughan), especially with the program that Shine It On Mew as still doing off and on with them. I didn't think much of it at the time, but over time Kam and I began to chat regularly.
As I reflected on this matter over the years, I think the one catalyst that urged my staff to stab me in the back was that I allowed Litablaze (or her so-called roomie) to return, under the handle of Psycho-Shaman. Go ahead and soak that tidbit of information in for a second as I'm sure not many members were aware of that. Mind you, I didn't this from my staff members. I openly told my staff that I would have him/her under a microscope at all times and would instantly have the boot out of the door if he/she caused any trouble. Apparently, I guess the Fanclub shouted "Treason" on me and devised a plot of their own to bring MCB back on their terms.
Why did I let this poison back into my federation? I'm a firm believer in second chances and my fed had grown a lot since those humble beginnings and being the perfectionist that I am - I wanted to remedy my previous mistake as a rookie fed-head. I ended up finding out the hard way that not everyone deserves second chances, but at the same time, my staff members don't have the right to 'override' me and make that decision for themselves either. Last time I checked, this was an e-federation not the damn Supreme Court...
II. Changing of the Guard
One major secret that I never told any of my members at the time was that as I was getting closer to graduation, I was urging to quit all of this and TRY to live a normal life. I was at the point of my life where everything was looking to go my way - I was dating a nice girl IRL, graduation was right around the corner and as naive as I was at the time, thinking that everything was going to end like those Hollywood love stories (Sue me, people - hopeless romantic here) where everything ends happily ever after.
Boy was I ever wrong about that... To save you guys the melodrama about my personal life, things didn't go according to plan. Sure, I graduated but all of that BS they tell you in college about the rest of your life is laid out for you afterwards is a load of horse shit. But yeah, I was still in the mindset of thinking that if I got away from all of this, I could do something better with my life.
Regardless, I sought out to see who would be best suited as my successors in running my federation. Naturally, I was down to Pinky and Raven as they helped me enough as it is with the ongoings around the forum and match writing. At this point, ZXWWF had 2 brands. Xplosion (RAW/main roster) then VWA (our own mock developmental territory, dubbed the "Virtual Wrestling Alliance"). This is when and where the egos came out, as most people who were drafted to the VWA considered it a sign of disrespect. Others took it as the golden opportunity to reinvent themselves or try new things with their characters.
Lesson 12: As a roleplayer, don't be afraid to evolve and more importantly don't be afraid to fail.
That's one thing that all wrestlers (fictious/RL) should strive for, is to continue to evolve your craft in and out of the ring. Otherwise, your characters will become flat, stale, and boring.
I have seen and known several roleplayers for years and many of them are VERY talented but just limit themselves for the most part, sticking with the same mold of character that they are most comfortable with, just because it's easy and they are use to succeeding with that recycled gimmick. Much like fans' increased boredom with John Cena as face, you can't play the same type of character on and on and on without injecting any new elements to that character. "Oh I'm a prima donna bitch who hates everyone" or "I'm the douchebag that fell off the CM Punk or Team Xtreme bandwagon" - yeah, you're REALLY original there, kiddo. You and EVERYONE else (Insert sarcasm).
It was about this time in ZXWWF's history that I decided to help Cheeka with an angle that I'm sure that no one who has been part of that federation has forgotten - the infamous Cheeka brainwashing a comatose ZX and convincing him that they are to be wed, instead of Mariah. This drove Mariah to into a Mariah Carey-like insanity. Cheeka and ZX ruled ZXWWF like HHH and Stephanie McMahon with it leading to Cheeka even capturing the VWA Divas title in the process.
"But why did you give Cheeka all of these opportunities, Z? Looks like favoritism to me, bro..." Common assumption here when I decide to take a moment out of my free time of running a federation to take a few members underneath my wing and give them a push in the right direction. I did the same thing with the X-Terminators, The Legion (more on this later...), and several other stables throughout my e-fed career and I'm proud to do it again. One thing I can't stand to see is members getting caught up into their own successes in a federation and neglect to help out their aspiring and fellow members of the fed. Just like with RL wrestling, you're only as good as who you beat. If you don't make your opponents and adversaries look good then your character(s) looks like chicken fodder as well. Oh, you're some big shot because you beat a bunch of random losers in a federation that no one hasn't heard about? Big freakin' deal. I'll care about your 'successes' in my federation when your storyline and/or feud literally steals the show.
Before I go further, I guess I should say a bit about Cheeka herself. Much like majority of the members in the fed, I met her through Caws.ws. She initially joined under a masked luchadora gimmick by the name of Yuki Suzuki before getting unmasked and going with her character that was more heavily influenced by her RL self and wrestled like a hybrid between Lita and New Jack, going by the name of Katrina "Cheeka" Mendoza. About the handler herself though? Cheeka's one of the most sweetest and kindest individuals I have come to known during my tenure as a fed-head, but if I could name one flaw she has it's a lack of confidence in her own talents. It really hinders her from doing a lot of great things with her incredible degree of creativity in roleplaying for e-feds. Over the years, it really frustrates me to no end to see her continue to doubt herself, and literally drop the ball on storylines and angles as a result. If I can get any message into her head and drive it in there with a nail and a hammer, it's that to stop F'N doubting yourself. You have the ability to hang with the best with this and anything else you put your mind towards. You're only failing yourself if you give up without even trying at all. I honestly don't have the patience to keep being a broken record and keep constantly repeating that to you, but I hope you see that someday.
One of the reasons that contributed to me getting sick of this federation was Cheeka literally bailing on our angle. Maybe I put too much pressure on her to deliver or maybe I was more pissed off at myself that wasted a lot of my own creativity and free time collaborating on this angle, but that was one of my last straws that broke this work horse's back. Rarely I get really excited about an angle that requires a lot of collaboration with other members in feds, but it's even more frustrating to have all of this excitement for the success of this angle only for your dancing partner to drop the ball and kill your buzz completely. It's a complete shot to the knee.
Another reason that I was getting sick of this federation came from a different flavor, known as The High Rollers.
The Dead Man's Hand - The End of the High Rollers
Figured that theme was appropriate for this chapter...
By this point in the efed's history I was really butting heads with the last two head-cheeses that were part of the High Rollers, Jericho and Ashley Massaro (Lina). The common argument between us was the complete failure of the Resistance vs. The Legion angle in the federation when the 'veterans' of ZXWWF faced off against the 'new breed' of sorts. Justice was in a role similar to Sting, playing off both sides while the veterans honestly couldn't get on the same page to pull through over The Legion. While The Legion played the part of TNA's Main Event Mafia while "The Resistance" (consisting of several ZXWWF veterans, including Amanda Cortez, Victor Philips, and Chris Jericho) played the part of TNA's Frontline. Much like TNA's Frontline the group flopped - hard. The Rollers blamed it on me that I didn't give them 'free reign' of control of the stable like with my own.
Here's what people really don't get about "large" stables in e-federations: They will NOT work out unless they are handled by staff members of the e-federation. The last thing you want is a D-Generation X/nWo style stable that does whatever it wants in your e-federation without your approval. That lack of 'control' shows how little control you have as a fed-head. Stables can be done, but at the same time there has to be communication.
Lesson 13: A lack of communication in e-federations speaks volumes. If you don't reach out and get to know your fellow members you are missing out limitless storyline and feud potential. Even in RL no wrestler is a one man/woman show. For every great performer in this sport, there's someone next to them to helped them shine as well.
That was the issue that hindered the Resistance and made it look like The Legion were wiping the floor with them with ease. Is it my fault that my group was a single unit while the other group (for the most part) acted like individuals? No, it was the lack of communication on their stable's behalf that lead to the stable to be 'squashed' by The Legion. No, I wasn't playing favorites, no I wasn't taking out my distaste for the Rollers on the Resistance. It honestly came down to the fact that Victor, who was pretty much the closest thing they had to a leader, couldn't hold the frontline alone.
Now there was another argument with Lina I used to my advantage to test my successors. Shortly after VWA got off the ground, Lina and I got into an argument over AIM. Some rather 'harsh' and 'colorful' things were exchanged between us, namely with her obviously pointing out all of my shortcomings as a fed-head up to this point. I'm pretty sure she was on that time of the month as even Jericho was scared at her after this exchange. Sure, what she sad stung I'll admit that, but I wasn't going to sit there butt-hurt about it. Just hearing someone flat out call me a failure just solidified my decision on putting my exit strategy into motion.
Here's what I said in-character and OOC after VWA/Xplosion (5-21-10):
Justice smiles proudly and claps as ZX makes his entrance on the stage.
“Good evening, ZXWWF nation, we’ve had a spectacular showing for our first show in the road to ZXWWF ‘Mania, but unfortunately, I have decided to not join everyone along for that ride. Going into effect immediately, I’m stepping down in control of the two feature brands on a leave of absence. I thought the vacation would have helped after Nowhere to Run and I even had Sensational Mary attempt to make sense of what’s going on around here. I tried… I really did… but you know, I just can’t take this anymore. And for the record, this isn’t a shoot or a work for the cameras. To prove how serious I am, I’m naming Kirsten and Raven officially in charge during my leave of absence. ‘Pinky’ will completely run the business and housekeeping matters related to Friday Night Xplosion – match cards, scheduling skits, etc. while Raven does the same for VWA. Yes Baby Rae, after breaking all of my TVs and nuking my cars, you win. So tell D-Mob to stay at home. Pinky, don’t have too much fun. And my dear Legion, I have not forgotten about all of you… after all we have strived for over the past few months, I can’t just abandon you all. Just call this me recharging my batteries. That iswhy I’m leaving the group in the hands of the one person who has kept my dream alive from day one. Justice, you’re officially the leader of the Legion from this day forward. I know you won’t let me down.”
Justice jaw hits the canvas about the same time as the microphone.
“ZXWWF Nation, I hope you enjoy the build-ups on the road to ZXWWF ‘Mania V but that is all from me here tonight. And no I’m not taking any questions… that is all.”
As ZX heads backstage, Justice runs out of the ring and back up the ramp after the "Fighting Dreamer".
Don’t worry, I’m not losing my mind, Katie. Let’s just get out of here.
A small mob of wrestlers are seen storming towards ZX's office, demanding answers and explanations. One of the backstage interviewers grabs a camcorder and follows. When the mob gets to the office, they start shouting and banging on the door. The interviewer tells everyone to relax and he pushes in front of them to knock gently on the door. After knocking, the interviewer quietly opens the door.
Inside the office, sitting lengthwise on the leather couch is Justice. In her lap is a visibly distressed ZX. He is leaning back against Justice, with his head nestled comfortably in her cleavage while Justice massages his temples. Justice hears the interviewer get ready to speak and responds with a curt Sod off!
As the interviewer gets ready to speak again, and a few of the wrestlers start pushing their way into the room behind him, Justice lashes out.
Bloody hell! I said SOD OFF!
Justice's right arm quickly whips around to the end table behind her and grabs the telephone sitting there. With impressive force, she launches the phone directly at the interviewer's head. He ducks but the phone bouncesoff the door, ramming some of the wrestlers standing there. Everyone decides that it is best to leave for now as tonight’s show comes to a close.
This was pretty much half the truth. I wanted to "test" my staff in the driver's seat and see what changes around my federation. Plus, I figured if they thought they were in full control, the rats would come out of hiding to greet the new 'head cheese'. The sad part is, staff never was in full control as I was watching through several members' own accounts without their own knowledge. Seriously, those folks really need to stop using such easy to figure out passwords...
OOC: I guess after these results
I have some explaining to do, huh? To staff, I apologize for the
suddenness of this announcement without any prior warning, but to
everyone I apologize. What I said in character was the truth. I’ve tried
to keep up and follow what’s been going on and it’s just not sticking
in the least. I’ve tried to let some of you on staff know that but you
took it as a joke and didn’t hear my pleas of help. I can only blame
that on myself though. Those of you concerned about Mariah’s future need
not worry as I’ll continue playing her like a normal member of this fed
while I get my bearings back. I’ll be still around to ‘advise’ and help
Pinky and Rae where I can and I ask that you all show them the same
respect that you all show me as the figures of authority.
For a
future note, there will be NO draft/trading Superstars/Divas until AFTER
ZXWWF ‘Mania V which is scheduled to be up on June 18th.
My RL
is hell right now and the stress of dealing with that while attempting
to fathom what to do here is too much for me to handle. I thought the
vacation would’ve helped but I’m more behind, lost, and just plain out
of it completely. I dunno guys, maybe it’s b/c I don’t watch WWE and TNA
anymore and I need to find my spark in wrestling again, but something’s
definitely missing in me where I can’t click with this stuff anymore.
I'll come clean and say I did the same thing in UFWA too to see how my 'successors' were carrying on with my so-called legacy, but that's a story for another day I suppose...
Back onto the Rollers, after my 'vacation' I come back to find that the Rollers, Psycho-Shaman, and G are all in this huge he said-she said bullshit drama that was pouring out of the roleplay boards and into storylines. I quickly nipped this in the bud by suspending everyone involved for two reasons: 1) I wasn't up for sorting out the full details of this immature drama and 2) all of the individuals involved were already skating on thin ice within the fed anyway. Of course that didn't sit to well with the Rollers.
Sam exposes the High Rollers:
jericho, lina, g, they were ganging up on morrison and talking about me & you. chee has honestly been out of it at least with me. but now they are doing the same kabooki dance talking to rhino and i'm not going to have it again. mater and i don't even talk any more behind this stupid crap and i'm sick of it.
those three are poison and their "i'm your friend" act is killing me. this is twice that i've heard about jericho and lina talking to people and it's the same song and dance each time. it's sad when i can finish their sentences when talking to others.As a result, I put them all into a feud to hopefully iron this mess out for good. Apparently that was Lina's last straw:
Lina's departure
I've known you've been tired of me for a while and it's pretty obvious you don't want me around here. My time here is done I'm not wasting my time with this match as it's schemed to be a get out of here or bow down to me match. I've been tired of being jobbed by you whenever I get a title shot anyway and the bitter person you've become. Bye.I didn't regret seeing her leave in the least. She expected everything in the federation to be handed to her on a silver platter and when it wasn't she turned into a prima donna bitch. It's not my fault that she didn't actually start working for her wins until she dropped Ashley Massaro (Seriously how are you whining about losing when you are handling her of all people...) and picked up Raven (not Rae but the male wrestler of the same name). Her roleplays improved tremendously but by this time it was too late as her attitude held her back.
Mischief Makers
Now I would be selling this story short if I didn't mention Underneath and G in this story at this point. Underneath I met through Caws.ws via Michaela Ouellet (read: rip-off of Maryse) handler known as Aimee (don't confuse her with Aimee Vaughan's handler as they are two totally different people). This Aimee currently acts as co-admin for ICW, Caws.ws' official e-federation off their forum. Before that, she had a short period in ZXWWF, offering to help with match writing. Of course, she was one of those 'unique' individuals who think they are only good enough to write their own matches and burying whoever is involved in the process.Over my time running ZXWWF, I noticed a LOT of my writers doing that over the years, but at the end of the day, I'll take the full blame for that bullshit. Like I said several times in this chronicle, I don't mind using my own original CAWs to put my members over if they deserve it, but if people are jobbing out their fellow members just to get themselves over, then we have a problem. To this day I still find that rather shady of people who ask to be match writers in my federations when 90% of the time they only request to write the matches they are involved in. Sure, I get that you know your character(s) and angles better than me, but at the same time, you can't sell your dancing partner (opponent) short.
But yeah, back to Aimee... When I noticed what she was doing and stopped acknowledging her requests, that's what made leave, claiming that she was 'too good' for this federation. No honey, you left because I didn't spoon feed your ego like the fools in ICW do. To her credit, she's a remarkable roleplayer but at the same time, that alone isn't going to force me to allow her to have her way in my federation.
That's another common trait I tend to notice in federations. The more talented the roleplayer, the bigger the ego OOC (out-of-character). It's not the norm for everyone with talent, but it's enough to notice that huge ego overshadowing the rest of your roster.
Underneath was a HUGE Mickie James fan, but started things off in the federation playing Daffney. Yes, one of my top 5 all-time favorite female wrestlers. Was I biased? No, the dude had a knack for playing her. Daffney would feud with Amanda before he dropped her to resume the federation as Mickie James, who he wanted all along. I believe Mickie was taken when he first joined up so wanted to kill time until she was free later down the road.
Underneath was a really nice guy, but most people would remember mainly as a kiss-ass. He reminded me of that one guy we all know from school who goes out of his way to please everyone and tries to be their friend in anyway possible. To his credit, I felt that he deserved all of the success his characters garnered. He did what I expect most of my members to do - take the initiative on approaching/engaging other members for potential angles and storylines and put everything he had into his roleplays and promos.
I'm always going to be skeptical to overly-friendly people as my experiences from life in general has taught me not to trust most people as far as I can throw them. Sue me - the older I get, the more dark my thought process has become when it comes to life. I've seen a lot more bad come from this world and it's people than good.
My biggest issue with Underneath didn't come from him directly, it was mostly from his brother, G. G has a reputation from Caws.ws from being its resident wise guy and smart ass of the mouth. You know, that one kid who acts like a douchebag online on every message board just to look like a bad ass or cool to everyone else. G's mouth got him in trouble on several occasions until his brother and good friend, Cheeka, encouraged him to behave himself.
Being friends with Underneath created an annoyance between me and G honestly. Since him and Underneath were brothers and lived together, they shared the same computer. So here's my pet peeve in motion here: You would start a conversation with Underneath but when it was his time to get off the computer, G would come on and continue that conversation as if he was eavesdropping and vice versa. I doubt there's any internet etiquette about online conversations but I would assume most people would like the respect that if I start a conversation with you and only you, then you would keep it between me and you.
Other than that, that was really my only big deal with G as I had to keep him underneath the microscope like the Rollers and Psycho-Shaman, but at the end of the day, I should have been looking at my own staff members at bit more closely.
The Last Few Pieces of the Puzzle
I started this chapter mentioning that Kameron and myself were chatting regularly and hit it off as friends, but the Diva Search contest for that year really had me beginning to doubt his loyalty. We both were fans of Shelly Martinez and that's who he entered into the contest that year. Ironically, the roleplays for her in the contest were too familiar. It was too familiar to Mrscenabatista's style. So I began to doubt if she was really gone. Plus, the irony of the matter was that Shelly looks like the picbase that MCB was using prior to her departure.On a side note, ironic that I got this shortly before ZXWWF 'Mania V in my inbox. Note the date and time:
Jun 22, 2010 at 2:48amProboards' IP banning system is weird I'll say that much, or maybe staff (only people with enough admin power to do so was me, Pinky, and Raven) was doing it behind my back. I thought it was rather odd that TammyLynnSytch (Willo) had her IP banned randomly. I wouldn't have known about that until she contacted me via AIM and told me. I never questioned my staff members about that, but I kept a note about that then more coincidences were occurring.
Sigh. Okay, I really, really, really am sorry for bringing this up again. Final time I'll do it, I swear. But MrsCenaBatista can actually access the forums, so her IP address isn't banned. And so in that case, I just want to ask again if there would be any chance of letting her back?
It wasn't no secret that if you weren't part of the several cliques across the forum you weren't going to get into any feuds or angles on ZXWWF unless I set it up, but after I allowed both Pinky and Raven to run the shows independently it was then when I started getting PMs from several individuals who were not part of those affiliation of cliques that they would submit in segments and skits for the shows but they would never air as part of the results. I didn't take it to heart after the first 1-3 messages but when it was an ongoing issue that's when I started to wonder what was really going on.
I can't remember who I was chatting with exactly but I just remember a newer member tipping me off by saying that Candi (MCB's real name) showed them the ropes and was helping them out on staff. That's when I removed all doubt that my staff members were playing me and started matching MCB's IP to not just 1-2 accounts, but majority of the individuals on staff and it's not hard to figure out who either. At this point, I was done trusting them at all as I was pretty much surrounded by a pack of liars.
We Are Legion
The Legion was hands-down my favorite stable out of my entire tenure in ZXWWF to be a part of. It came to me after the episode of Justice League Unlimited by the same name, whereas the Legion of Doom unofficially debuts in the series' final season. At this time in ZXWWF's history, I was noticing that if certain members weren't in a particular clique of friends (the Fanclub, of course) they would not find themselves to be involved in any storylines or angles.For example, Justice and Kirsten were set to feud over the Gen-NeXt division title, but Kirsten just randomly flakes out on the feud and pairs off with one of her friends in her own angle, leaving Justice with nothing to do on the shows thereafter. We would find out after ZXWWF closed its doors that Kirsten was bitter about Justice ending the partnership between her and her sister, Nicole, to pursue singles endeavors. I thought that was pretty fucked up (in both scenarios honestly) so I asked Justice to work with me on an angle. At the time, TNA Wrestling was doing their Main Event Mafia angle and I thought it was cool that they were running with the idea that the stable consisted of all former champions. Of course, we didn't go with that route. Instead, The Legion were mostly portrayed as heels but metaphorically were we were unsung heroes, setting out to correct the wrongs in ZXWWF. Yeah, we thought of that WAAYYY before the boys in WWE's The Shield cooked it up.
Since I haven't said anything about Justice throughout the duration of this chronicle I'll say it now. Justice may have had our differences on perspective and opinion over the years, but at the end of the day Justice has my undying respect and faith for sticking with me in e-federations for so long. Besides, only Justice could work that magic with that character no like any other. I still laugh at her 'accent' though when I read the roleplays but I guess that's always going to be part of the fun with her.
The Legion consisted of myself (ZX), Justice, Lise Starr, Dean Maddoxxx, and AJ Styles (handled by Pinky at the time). Why let Pinky in? To be honest, to make her think she still had some sense of control and eavesdropping on what I was doing creativity in the fed when she didn't. The Legion was Justice and I's baby in a sense and it was definitely a blast to work with Maddoxxx and Lise for the first time as they were looking to re-establish themselves (Maddoxxx had recently rejoined and Lisey was fairly new coming from Caws.ws' RPG boards).
My Last Hurrah
By this point I was fed up of constantly trying to encourage my members to keep their shit together and keep their storylines going but if you go back into the records and look but EVERY angle leading into 'Mania V that year was related to or circulated around getting laid or being in a relationship. So, I honestly gave up with trying - I made up my mind to end this shit. Besides it was the lesser of two evils. I could have easily release/suspend EVERYONE on staff (along with their non-staff friends in the several cliques across the board) without question for allowing MCB to participate in the fed behind my back along with everyone associated with them, but no I rather let those individual dig their own graves while I focused on the positives. There you have it folks - months in advance prior to ZXWWF's closure I had already emotionally checked out.Over the last few months, I have gotten rather close to Karen Beth Zurich (KBZ or Karensene on Caws.ws) and Lise Starr, so naturally we devised an angle between all of our girls. After the angle with Cheeka, I really thought I didn't have it in me to do another in-depth Mariah-related storyline, but I was more than honored to work with Lise and KBZ.
What transpired between KBZ, Lisey, and myself was an angle that no one saw coming. It started with Lise eliminating Mariah out of the Diva Riot match (think Royal Rumble for Divas). This sparked a heated rivalry between the two. If you want to read about the angle in-depth, you can read it off of Mariah's wikia here. In the end, KBZ was playing both girls as fools as KBZ was playing off her and Lise's rivalry from other fictitious federations while this was golden opportunity to make our rivalry into a triple threat. Unknown to the masses in ZXWWF, Lise Starr and Mariah's heated rivalry would be the kayfabe reason why they signed on to joining GZWA as KBZ had signed her contract to join the company before embarrassing them both on the last broadcast of ZXWWF.
Curtain Call
When ZXWWF 'Mania V came around, there were only a handful of people who knew that I was going to announce the federation was closing. I didn't ask for any extra help as I was pretty damn sure that uproar on this metaphorical atomic bomb that I was going to drop during this broadcast was going to blow up in my face. I only told the following that I was ending the federation in advance: Shine It On Me, Lise Starr, KBZ, Justice, and Bella. That's it, and I was impressed that no one spilled the beans prematurely. No offense to anyone else at the time, but those were the only individuals I was 100% sure who weren't 'tainted' in a sense, by what the Fanclub were doing behind my back. I could have told more people but I honestly wanted to see how people would react - both good and bad. The individuals I did tell in advance I told them to keep their mouths closed as I was ready to embrace the full responsibility as the villain this matter.
The event itself went off without a hitch. And to be honest, I did NOT simulate not one bit of this damn PPV, even though I told my staff members otherwise. I was already mentally checked out on the federation before even the match card went up. Instead, I went down the line of people involved in angles/feuds building up to this event and I went across the board and rewarded the individuals that I felt deserved to be recognized on ZXWWF's last broadcast.
Genesis won the Money In The Bank briefcase
Back in ZXWWF, I didn't get to know Genesis at all, unlike I have now that he's part of my current federation. Regardless, he was a talented roleplayer and always distanced himself from the cliques and the Fanclub. I'm pretty sure he didn't know the bulk of this drama was going on behind the scenes when he joined those last few months prior to this federation closing. Contrary to popular belief, I do reward hard work when I see it.
I had an issue with Storm's handler before for playing far too many characters under one account and after I exposed him/her on that folly, Storm really came around. Solid roleplays on a consistent basis and didn't cause not an ounce of trouble - that I knew of anyway.
I'm not a McCool fan, nor a fan of Trish at all, but McCool's handler was talented at her craft. She definitely deserved this one.
Despite all of the past issues that I had with this individual (Litablaze/Psycho-Shaman), I wanted to show my appreciation for him turning himself around in the last few months of the federation.
Despite all of her interesting storylines and angles, none of Shine It On Me's characters never won the 'big one', so this was my departing gift to her at the end of ZXWWF. Debra's handler (Old School Kane) and Talia Summers were both very talented handlers as well, but it was far past due for crazy Amiee Vaughan to wear the gold.
TBH I didn't care how this one ended at all if I'm coming clean on events on this card... Looking back, the whole connection of Def Jam Vendetta characters to my own in the e-federation was pretty lame now that I'm reflecting back on it.
Oh wait, this isn't over yet...
From what I have heard, Kirsten was mad as fuck that her sister (who was handling Magnus at the time) was 'robbed' out of the title here. As a result, I was told that she made Amanda's life a living hell in UFWA after ZXWWF ended. I don't get why Kirsten was so upset, everyone knew that Amanda had a title shot in the air waiting to cash in MITB style. Pinky do us all a favor and get over yourself hun. If your sister put in the work instead of expecting everyone to 'carry' her to the top, then maybe she would have been as successful as you here. From all of the crazy shit that Amanda has gotten herself into over the years, from forfeiting the Women's Tag Team belts immediately after winning them (that was sooooo damn double facepalm worthy on my end) to marrying Gabriel Wingue to putting her body on the line in so many insane and death-defying matches over the years, she deserved to finally win the big one.
The irony of this situation right now is that I'm playing CM Punk in my current federation, whereas the individual who literally called me the lowest scum of this planet after this federation ended was handling him at the time in ZXWWF. Sam really helped me out a lot over the short time that he was part of my federation and I figured a good send-off match was the least I could do, especially since I didn't let him know about my 'exit strategy.'
I'm going to be completely honest on this result - I absolutely hated it. I let staff do this decision here as they 'claimed' to have an angle lined up for this. Maryse wins fair and square, then Kirsten screws her out of the title, granting her RL friend who was handling Natalya at the time, the title. For the record, Nattie's was damn good at roleplaying, but was she ready for a title win? No. Then we have Raven reversing that decision, naming Rose the champion. I don't have anything against Rose's handler at all, but my disgust in this match comes from this rivalry between Kirsten and Raven who seem to always have to one-up each other. Kayfabe or not, it's getting old ladies. Your poor decision making took everything away from the ladies who busted their asses in this match.
I'm pretty sure this was the shocker of the night and the last slap in the face for Kirsten I bet. Jericho had stepped his game up since Lina's departure and really stood out on his own. Kirsten was doing a mediocre effort as Styles at this rate as she wasn't even pulling her weight in The Legion at this point. I don't regret putting Jericho over and rewarding him for sticking around in the least.
The Beautiful People (Angelina Love & Velvet Sky) def. No Remorse (Casey Cortez & Shelly Martinez), Tough Love (Jasmine & Melanie Storm), and Vicious Fury (Victoria & Ivory) to retain the Women's Tag Team Champions
Throughout ZXWWF last few years, many have claimed that I played favoritism on TBP's handlers. If you actually read their roleplays they were amazing. That's not biased, that's truth. If I'm honest, Tough Love were more popular in the fed for their HLA theme than actually wrestling, then the other two teams didn't manage to make as strong of an impact as TBP were doing on a continuous basis.
Underneath (Mickie James' handler) had a reputation for ass-kissing his way to the top of roleplay-based federations. Did he get over with that here? No, he actually had to work for it like everyone else. I would be lying if I didn't admit that this was a hard match to call. Nicole (Kirsten's sister who was handling Daizee Haze) did start pulling her weight as Daizee Haze so I won't discredit her from that as her roleplays were pretty solid as Ms. Haze.
I'm going to be biased for a second and admit that this was my favorite match on the card. Not because this was the angle that I put the most effort in, but how this magic that Lisey, KBZ, and myself finally came to its conclusion. Many people saw this as another point in Mariah's career where she couldn't win the big one, but I saw it as the one time she was pushed beyond her limit and then some. The reveal at the end of Raisha Saeed's true identity is still my favorite part to this match.
As much as people tried to slap the reputation on me that I didn't like Marcus Brett, that's not the case at all. By this point, I was just sick of Pinky's friends only feuding with each other as if they were the only ones in the federation.
Two of my most loyal members going at it for the gold in the last championship match for the federation. This was another one that was really hard to call. In the end, it was pleasure seeing them both going at it for the coveted jewel of this promotion.
The results ended with the following message from myself:
ZX's Post-Mania SpeechYes, ladies and gentlemen, this was my formal curtain call to ZXWWF.
ZX: For four years, ZXWWF has been proud to bring you, the ZXWWF fans, the best competition available in the wrestling world. Tonight, after sitting amongst all of you and watching the entire show from start to finish, I don't think we have disappointed in the least. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just speaking for the Legion, either.
Before I arrived here tonight, many people kept asking me, "Z, who's being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year? Who's it gonna be? Is it gonna be TriXie Callaway? Gabriel Wingue? Mistress Amy?" I have a better answer for that question - who isn't being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year?
The crowd has a mixed reaction from the ZXWWF Founder's words as Chief Investor Sensational Mary ushers the crowd to allow him to continue.
In my eyes, the ENTIRE ZXWWF roster -- BOTH Xplosion and VWA -- are legends in their own right, and they should be remembered and recognized for their worth for their parts on the ZXWWF roster tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, join me in giving the roster an applause.
At that moment, the locker room floods out down the entrance ramp and around the ring, everyone from the General Managers, Interviewers, Superstars, Vixens, and Divas beaming with pride from the applause given to them by the ZXWWF Founder, Chief Investor, and thousands of fans in attendance.
Thank you, everyone, for you time, commitment, and faith you have put into my small dream that has exploded into a phenomenon. No, AJ, I'm not just talking about you -- everyone in ZXWWF is a spectacle to behold. But the time has come for me to stop being selfish and keeping you all to myself. As of tonight, I'm formally ending all ZXWWF programming and releasing all ZXWWF contracts.
The crowd erupts into chants of "Please don't do this!" as Sensational Mary has already ordered security to keep some the raging fans and roster members at bay.
For those wondering why, no, I'm going crazy or have amnesia again. This isn't a work or some clever, traditional ZX ploy to get you to watch the shows next week. A few months ago, the lovely "Voluptuous Vixen" and ZXWWF's last Heavyweight Champion Justice, and myself, formed a group called the Legion, with the intent in mind to remind the wrestling world that there will always be a "legion" of REAL wrestlers who won't be ignored or pushed out of the way for the modern-day shenanigans found in "other" promotions. That legion has become my "legacy" that I'd like to pass onto the rest of the wrestling world. Let's face it - my Legion has brought out the best in everyone they have encountered and faced, whether they like it or not. If you want proof, look no further than tonight's PPV matches and around this arena - the ZXWWF roster is my legacy that I'm proud to say I've watched grow and flourish.
I look around this arena and I look at my legacy with faces of sadness, anger, and disappointment, begging me to answer their questions of what happens next?
I'm only human, ladies and gentlemen, and I'm going to answer that with one of my favorite quotes -- "The only way to live a good life is to act on your emotions." The path towards the future is in each of your own hands. Now for me, I'm taking this lady's hand and settling down...
The ZXWWF Founder pulls Justice into the ring, with his arm around her waist.
I think it's long past time due for that... I do want to add one more thing. If any of you need another leader to follow, you don't have far to look for them... Kirsten and Raven... each play the part differently but effectively. Their remarkable leadership on Xplosion and VWA is proof enough of that. While sitting back at home for the past few months, I see they could run their own companies better than I've done this one myself. I'm more than confident in that fact.
But again... your future's are in your own hands now. ZXWWF nation, friends, and family, I would formally like to bid you all adieu and good-bye at this last ZXWWF taping. Thank you for your time and faith in us over the years and good night.
To this day, I'm still laughing at some of the foul and nasty things that people have said to me when I announced the end of this federation. I would be lying if I said there was nothing but bad things said to me. For example, Rhino (also played) PMed me and literally put it that I was the lowest creature on this planet for ending this e-federation after everything people have put into it. He wasn't the only one who showed complete disgust for my actions and as a result, I was pissed. I don't regret my decision for one damn second if that's the gratitude I got for running this e-fed. In the end, I got the last laugh. All of the egos are left to consume each other in the spin-off promotion to ZXWWF while I was left to start over in peace.
If I'm honest for a moment, I'll say this - I don't owe anyone anything after what has transpired. I gave my fellow fans of wrestling a part in my characters' world, gave up my free time on multiple occasions to deliver the best results of my ability, sacrificed my sanity on multiple occasions babysitting some of the monsters in that federation, and the only thanks that I got was a spit in the face by the majority of the members? Yeah, I don't regret trashing that entire federation only to start over anew for an instant. To say that I was so bad at being a fed-head and how horrible my federation was, there were enough people flocking back to it like roaches, even when I kicked them out on several occasions.
Oh, what the heck, why not let you guys imagine, I'm going to take the opportunity to let you guys see what one person told me first hand:
From alexfailingatlife (Samoa Joe):
BTW, I never got to thank you. I mean, for letting me be a part of such an incredible fed. I loved the time I spent here and I felt I was given great opportunities. So thanks man.
Not all of my inbox messages were this pleasant. You can go look at the ZXWWF forums' last few topics for proof of that...
Last but not least, do I have any regrets?
Yes and no. I mainly regret losing a lot of members who were not caught up in the thick of this drama from behind the scenes. Off the top of my head, Jillian Hall, Michelle McCool, and that kid who picked up Cody Rhodes all were showing promise prior to ZXWWF's closure. I don't know what happened to them afterwards.
I really miss having Jasmine (Cheerleader Melissa) and her sisters who handled (The Beautiful People and Natalya) respectively. Tons of talent between those girls, then I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I miss Jasmine doing those amazing PPV banners for ZXWWF's match cards. I'd kill for someone to do that regularly for GZWA...
Debra (Old School Kane), James Storm, and Samoa Joe (alexfailingatlife) were great roleplayers too. I believe they are still affiliated with UFWA. Really hurt to see them go.
I didn't get to know Genesis (friend of Shia Storm) prior to ZXWWF's closure, but fortunately, fate brought him to GZWA currently.
Last but not least, I miss having a full match writing staff (laughs), writing the bulk of everything yourself is pretty damn taxing. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I love the small, but determined and talented group of individuals I have in GZWA, but I'd love to have a full-time writing staff again.
Well that's a story that some of the other former ZXWWF members can tell better than me. For me, I opened my new federation, Ground Zero Wrestling Association, shortly after closing ZXWWF. Why "GZWA" you ask? Much like ZXWWF's name, GZWA's is a joke of sorts too. It's literally "ground zero" from the ashes that the mess that those clowns who ruined ZXWWF left it in. It's my fresh start in my role of being a fed-head again.
As for the others? The bulk of my former members went Kirsten and Raven to start up a new federation to continue where ZXWWF left off, called Ultimate Future Wrestling Alliance, or UFWA. It's no secret that I laughed hysterically for a LONG time when I heard it was called UFWA. Apparently no one told them that UFWA stands for United Farm Workers of America. Dead serious there, look that shit up.
Mrscenabatista coming 'clean' and my 'acting' (read: sarcasm). Please note, that she had a clever excuse for everything I tried to make her come clean about:
After reading this chronicle from start to finish, I hope I have enlightened my former members about the situations they 'thought' they known about so well. As for my fellow fed-heads, I hope you have learned from my mistakes and strive for the best in your own e-federations.
If anyone has any questions or feedback on anything that happened that was mentioned in this chronicle or anything not mentioned, just leave a comment below.
Last but not least, do I have any regrets?
Yes and no. I mainly regret losing a lot of members who were not caught up in the thick of this drama from behind the scenes. Off the top of my head, Jillian Hall, Michelle McCool, and that kid who picked up Cody Rhodes all were showing promise prior to ZXWWF's closure. I don't know what happened to them afterwards.
I really miss having Jasmine (Cheerleader Melissa) and her sisters who handled (The Beautiful People and Natalya) respectively. Tons of talent between those girls, then I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I miss Jasmine doing those amazing PPV banners for ZXWWF's match cards. I'd kill for someone to do that regularly for GZWA...
Debra (Old School Kane), James Storm, and Samoa Joe (alexfailingatlife) were great roleplayers too. I believe they are still affiliated with UFWA. Really hurt to see them go.
I didn't get to know Genesis (friend of Shia Storm) prior to ZXWWF's closure, but fortunately, fate brought him to GZWA currently.
Last but not least, I miss having a full match writing staff (laughs), writing the bulk of everything yourself is pretty damn taxing. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I love the small, but determined and talented group of individuals I have in GZWA, but I'd love to have a full-time writing staff again.
So... What Happened Next?
Well that's a story that some of the other former ZXWWF members can tell better than me. For me, I opened my new federation, Ground Zero Wrestling Association, shortly after closing ZXWWF. Why "GZWA" you ask? Much like ZXWWF's name, GZWA's is a joke of sorts too. It's literally "ground zero" from the ashes that the mess that those clowns who ruined ZXWWF left it in. It's my fresh start in my role of being a fed-head again.
As for the others? The bulk of my former members went Kirsten and Raven to start up a new federation to continue where ZXWWF left off, called Ultimate Future Wrestling Alliance, or UFWA. It's no secret that I laughed hysterically for a LONG time when I heard it was called UFWA. Apparently no one told them that UFWA stands for United Farm Workers of America. Dead serious there, look that shit up.
| That's exactly what I think of MCB coming 'clean'... |
mrs.cenabatista says:Let me explain how this chick is full of shit on 'needing to login' and get her old roleplays back. She saves them all on her personal website, coded and everything. So take this as a heed of warning for anyone from ZXWWF who wants to talk to me like you've done no wrong and you're CLEARLY blowing a smokescreen of bullshit in my face, then I'm going to do the same. I can feed you just as much bullshit to satisfy your little egos.
05:06:59
I know im late & probably the last person you want to talk to, but I saw th closing and I just wanted to give you an overdue thanks for opening the world of roleplaying to me & for being a great shoulder to cry on
I say:
05:13:51
thanks...
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:15:14
I get it still bad blood, but yeah after being away I realize a lot of things and kids put a lot of stuff into perspective so, I apologize for acting immature. I'l leave you be now, sorry for bothering
I say:
05:16:06
kudos and props for being mature enough to even say something
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:17:31
well, like I said having kids throws a lot into perspective so once I got into the rp game again and heard you were closing I felt the need to say something
I say:
05:19:41
I don't regret my decision for one second... like the killer Jigsaw said, so many people are so ungrateful for the gifts they have been given
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:20:14
decision for closing?
05:20:49
I don't blame you, maybe my opinion but people are more selfish these days and some aren't lucky enough to snap back from it
I say:
05:21:15
that decision and every last decision I've made in my life... why live with regrets? I've come to terms that I'm going to hell a LONG time ago
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:22:09
well im young it's barely hitting me now haha
I say:
05:25:05
when you've IDed several friends coming home in body bags and had others' brains scattered on your body... you wake up on how black and white this world is
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:26:03
well are you atleast happier now that the fed stress is gone?
I say:
05:26:52
50/50
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:27:12
meaning?
I say:
05:27:42
50% happier 50% about the same from the heat I get from closing
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:28:08
fuck'em they'll never understand
beside the fed heat have you been good?
I say:
05:28:37
peachy
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:30:16
a hint of sarcasm there?
I say:
05:31:41
??
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:32:16
the peachy bit, sorry when I usually hear that it's meant with sarcasm or irony
I say:
05:34:36
its neither actually... don't try to analyze or play shrink on me, not worth your time
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:35:13
I'm not...I was just asking how've you been
I say:
05:36:55
peachy = slang term for being "just fine"
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:37:20
well im glad you've been good
I say:
05:37:35
Btw, you didn't have to ask Kam to campaign to get you back into ZXWWF
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:38:57
thing is I didn't ask him, the first time yes, but that last round wasn't on me. I'd been talking to kam and he said he wanted me back at zxwwf, I told him you'd already said no but if he wanted to ask again to go for it
I say:
05:39:19
it was about 2-3 more times
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:39:44
really?
I say:
05:39:55
only thing you had to do was had the gusto to properly ask yourself
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:40:14
well like I said I didn't go around asking anyone to campaign after the first time.
05:40:35
As I recall I did ask but you denied me
05:41:00
hence why I told kam you'd said no
I say:
05:41:15
and it turned into a campaign as an end result
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:42:03
well I'm sorry about that
I say:
05:42:27
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:42:49
?
I say:
05:43:15
^clapping as that's the gusto I'm talking about
05:44:02
You told me before that you didn't have a good bone in your body... and the kindness was just a mask
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:44:21
like I said I do remember asking you straight out to come back but you'd turned me down
I believe that statement stands
05:45:05
Not a good bone at all, but those bad bones enclose around a halfway working heart
I say:
05:46:46
answer this question... why let the plague back into the village while it's already quarantined?
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:48:34
thank you for comparing me to the plague, but the point I was trying to make was that I had asked it wasn't as though I was sniveling behind others do my dirty work
I say:
05:49:39
truth be told my trust and faith in countless people in that fed are just gone or near zero
05:50:04
all prolly have worse to say about me, I'm sure you're thinking it right now
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:51:01
no in all honesty I was thinking about king of the hill, but im sure they do. People always have something to say and 90% of it not positive
I say:
05:52:12
at the end of the day we had our fun and it was good while it lasted... we should all just keep it at that and go our own separate ways
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:53:44
well I did have fun whilei was there
I say:
05:54:37
still wanna kno why I denied you?
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:54:50
sure
I say:
05:54:59
2 other people beat you to it
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:55:10
huh?
I say:
05:55:24
kinda went in order of a pre-campaign before the main event
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:55:49
what do you mean?
I say:
05:56:24
2 other people... who names you should know already campaigned for you back before you said anything
so 3 strikes and you were out
05:57:02
IMO caving into a popular demand is a sign of weakness
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:57:23
so becaused 2 people asked for me back before I did, you denied me?
05:57:40
Ha, you know me i'd hardly say I was popular demand
I say:
05:57:49
in the same day within the span of a few hours
05:58:14
just too convenient for my taste
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:58:35
convenient?
I say:
05:59:00
same demand/request back to back in one day 3 times just screams a no
mrs.cenabatista says:
05:59:19
I can honestly say I could prolly guess who the people were but I only asked one person to ask for me back
06:00:17
may I ask why you instilled such policy? just because of the caving/popular demand bit?
I say:
06:01:49
no at least 7 others I've kicked out did similiar methods
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:03:17
No use dwelling on the past I suppose
06:04:01
well at least you're doing well since you closed up shop
06:04:43
Did you go back to school or are you completely through with it all
I say:
06:04:58
working on the masters
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:05:24
have you started this semester yet?
I say:
06:06:27
nope
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:06:45
ah well good luck in school
I say:
06:06:55
good luck being a mommy
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:07:38
yeah i'll need all the luck I can get twins are a handful
I say:
06:08:04
no they aren't you just need to wear a bra
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:08:30
lmao nice one
06:08:51
but my minis are quite a handful
I say:
06:09:22
that's what the kids are calling boobs and cocks now? Damn I'm getting old...
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:10:20
I know I told you I was pregnant, but yeah I had twins back in april
I say:
06:11:40
congrats
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:11:58
thank you
I say:
06:15:00
Not trying to be offensive here or blunt in the least, but seriously what were you expecting from me talking to me tonight
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:15:54
Acceptence of an apology & thanks
06:16:33
Like I said I really put things into perspective
I say:
06:16:44
you've gotten what you wanted
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:16:54
not like I'm going to get anything out of trying to kiss your ass or anything
06:17:06
is that your way of brushing me off?
I say:
06:17:21
no just replying to the statement
06:18:14
Not brushing you off just stating the obvious
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:18:50
well that's all I was expecting, I'd seen that you had said you were getting nothing but shit from everyone else so I figured even though you probably didn't want to talk to me I might as well show some sort of appreciation
I say:
06:19:45
where did you see that at?
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:20:01
on zxwwf
I say:
06:20:19
how so? everything is hidden from non-members
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:21:16
I know you don't want to hear it but if I ever needed one of my old roleplays kam would let me log in
06:21:45
so towards the end afteri heard about the closing I scrambled to get the last of my stuff for my archives and had seen that post
I say:
06:22:34
not surprised really... I have a list of everytime someone else used someone else's account to login along with the IP addresses of anyone else who were in the fed previously/recently a member
06:22:47
doesn't hurt to have hacker friends....
06:23:08
just wanted to see if you were gonna be honest with me
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:23:32
it's me
I knew you knew
06:23:51
what'd you expect? me to lie?
I say:
06:24:16
no, I knew you couldn't stay away
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:24:47
stay away?
06:25:02
it's not like I salivated over the new stuff
06:25:23
I was reading my backstage rps or getting my promos
I say:
06:26:58
no crime there at all
mrs.cenabatista says:
06:27:16
I thought not
I say:
06:44:30
heading to bed... good chat, good luck in whatever you plan on doing in RPs and such, and tell the vultures to wait up I'm gonna walk into traffic for they can finish me off. I have nothing to say, no excuses or regrets
After reading this chronicle from start to finish, I hope I have enlightened my former members about the situations they 'thought' they known about so well. As for my fellow fed-heads, I hope you have learned from my mistakes and strive for the best in your own e-federations.
If anyone has any questions or feedback on anything that happened that was mentioned in this chronicle or anything not mentioned, just leave a comment below.
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