A two-week year of exper(Wi)imentation
My holidays are about to end (choke, sob) but I've well and truly made the most of them. Lots of time spent relaxing, reading, playing with LJ, having romantic nights in with stareyednight and, when I've been at a loose end, playing Wii wrestling.
That last one's been a bit love/hate at times as I've slowly gotten used to the way the program works. I've learned, for example, never to give a character a winning streak, as it makes them the number one contender for every belt and means they wrestle two or three times on the one pay-per-view (which is just silly). By using DragonTail, I've learned how hard it is to keep hold of a championship and, by using Justice (stareyednight's character), I've learned how hard it is to win one in the first place.
Two weeks of solid play-time means I've worked my way through 12 calendar months of the in-game schedule - from Backlash to WrestleMania. It's been, on the whole, a lot of fun with only the occasional swearing/screaming fit at the television (what must the neighbours think?). And, having finished the in-game year, I've reached a perfect place to leave the game while I return to work and get back into the swing of things.
For those with only a passing interest, here ends the entry. For those who like the nitty-gritty, read on!
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World Heavyweight Championship
DragonTail began the year as the standard-bearer for the newly-merged WCW Smackdown, and finished the year the same way - though not for lack of trying on the part of his rivals. The fiery champion was besieged on all sides by the best and worst the blue brand had to offer - and by his new arch-nemesis, Edge.
The Rated-R Superstar had jumped ship with one goal in mind: being the champion. His single-minded determination to capture the World Heavyweight title was a major part of the show's first four months. Edge decimated the locker room to claim the number one contender's spot in time for Extreme Rules, but came up short against DragonTail, a ringside area full of weapons and a "flame-thrower" off the stage.
Despite his defeat, Edge's status was enough to place him and Christian near the top of the tag-team rankings. He was, however, so focused on singles glory that he abandoned his brother during their number one contender's match. Christian gained his revenge at The Bash, where he turned face, stood in DragonTail's corner and gave the champ the psychological advantage he needed to win.
Edge became ever more manic. He repeatedly attacked DragonTail backstage, stalked his wife Justice, interfered in the matches of his allies (MVP, Rey Mysterio) and made life on Smackdown a living hell. He was determined to prove himself the better man, and so accepted DT's challenge for a "last man standing" match at Night of Champions. With 60 unrestricted minutes to beat on one another, the bitter rivals put on a hellacious match that ended with Edge submitting to the "dragon sleeper".
DragonTail thought his problems were over. In truth, they had only begun. Now deranged, Edge renewed his attacks while armed with chairs, tables and barbed-wire baseball bats. He refused to be controlled, even attacking the security crews who tried to restrain him. Wanting to restore order, DT took the biggest gamble of his career. He challenged Edge to the most dangerous competition in all of wrestling: an Inferno Match! For two weeks, Edge dithered and dodged the challenge but, on the final show before Summerslam, gave in to his ego and accepted.
The "hottest party of the summer" truly lived up to its name as DT and Edge battled in a ring surrounded by 500-degree flames. The heat sapped the men's stamina and, multiple times, it seemed as if the Ultimate Opportunist would force the champ face-first into the inferno. He went one step too far, however, when he dropped DT with his own finisher - "the flame thrower" - and dragged him toward the fire. Incensed, DragonTail rallied with the same move, then threw Edge into the conflagration. The villain finally got his comeuppance - second-degree burns and several months on the injured list.
The rest of the year saw DragonTail becoming embroiled in the disputes of others. The tag-team war between the Straight Edge Society and Jeri-Show spilled into the singles ranks, as CM Punk and Big Show battled to be named number one contender for the World Heavyweight title. At Hell in a Cell, Bragging Rights, Survivor Series and TLC, DragonTail clashed with one or both of them under various stipulations, fending off interference by Chris Jericho and Luke Gallows.
As Royal Rumble approached, a new element was added - Sheamus. The Irish bully moved up from Intercontinental Championship contention to chase the "big gold belt". He won dozens of matches in odd circumstances, most often thanks to outside interference. It soon became clear Sheamus was part of a new stable, led by The Miz and including Vladimir Kozlov, Chavo Guerrero and Drew McIntyre. This "Axis of Awesome" wanted control of Smackdown placed in their internationally-themed hands, and Sheamus was their "world-title warrior". The pay-per-view match was announced as a "fatal four-way" between DT, Sheamus, Punk and Big Show, but went to a no contest when the Axis interfered. Similar problems dogged the first solo DT/Sheamus match at Elimination Chamber, resulting in a double count-out.
All that was left was WrestleMania. Sheamus vowed he would end "the reign of the dragon" before it made the record books, and the Axis did all it could to assist. In the lead-up to the "grand-daddy of them all", DragonTail competed in a series of two-on-one, three-on-one and gauntlet matches against the heel faction. He lost most of them, leaving the fans to wonder if his dream of being a 12-month champion had already died. DragonTail came into WrestleMania bruised and battered - but with a secret weapon.
When the Axis inevitably appeared, they were cut-off by a force from the crowd. MVP, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison and Kofi Kingston stood up for WCW, ensuring the main event went right down the middle. In the end, DragonTail forced Sheamus to submit to a neck-wrenching "dragon sleeper", then celebrated in the ring with his friends. The dream had come true! The Axis, meanwhile, watched from the stage and then physically kicked Sheamus out of the group for his failure. The war would continue into the new year.
Intercontinental Championship
He claimed, loudly and repeatedly, that he was "awesome" - but The Miz's accomplishments paled in comparison to those of MVP and Kofi Kingston. Each felt they had been robbed of a championship - Kofi by the unification matches, MVP by his ego and The Miz - and decided the IC belt would be their redemption. All year, WCW Smackdown's mid-card revolved around the two men, their friendship and the inevitability of a clash between them.
To start with, the belt went back-and-forth between The Miz and MVP. Kofi remained in the mix thanks to number one contender and triple-threat matches. The African superstar, unfortunately, always seemed to come up short, narrowly missing out time and again. The stalemate was broken when Sheamus defected from WWE Raw, explosively announcing his presence by mauling MVP. The "ballin' superstar" and his ally, DragonTail, fought Sheamus and Edge over successive weeks. Their combined efforts failed to fatigue the Irish brawler, who claimed the Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam.
Badly injured, MVP was unable to compete for the rest of the year. He didn't stay away from the ring, though - he became Kofi Kingston's permanent second, manning his corner as he took the fight to Sheamus. History, however, seemed destined to repeat as Kofi repeatedly came achingly close to victory without snagging the belt. Prior to TLC, he vowed he would never again challenge for the title if he lost. With his future on the line, the high-flyer rose to the occasion and toppled Sheamus in the titular match. His Cinderella story at last complete, he immediately found himself facing a new challenger - a healed and refreshed MVP.
Kofi successfully defended his title at Royal Rumble but, at Elimination Chamber, he had to face both the titular structure and a phalanx of rivals. MVP, the Big Show, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin and Drew McIntyre all wanted the victory. All the competitors, however, were eventually eliminated - save for Kofi and MVP. The fans in attendance split down the middle as the friends faced one another, shook hands and then fought with all their might. Kofi had been in the match much longer than MVP, however, and it was only that freshness that allowed the "ballin' superstar" to emerge victorious. MVP was given the belt by Kofi himself and the men embraced, leaving everyone in attendance salivating at the thought of a post-WrestleMania rematch.
Unified Tag-Team Championship
In order to be a successful tag-team, pro-wrestling superstars must put their individual egos aside and aspire to a greater goal. Unfortunately for WCW's locker room, such selflessness was very hard to come by over the year. On two occasions, the coveted titles were lost to Raw competitors because of selfishness, jealousy and betrayal. It was only at the very end that true co-operation arose within the blue brand to show the rest how it's done.
The belts started the year around the waists of the Hart Dynasty. The young guns thought they had the world at their feet - instead, they had targets on their back. CM Punk and his "straight edge disciple", Luke Gallows, wanted the gold as proof of the superiority of their lifestyle choice. To the roaring disapproval of the Extreme Rules crowd, they won the belts... only to themselves become targets.
The Big Show and Chris Jericho had bitterness to spare, thanks to their individual misfortunes, and decided to take it out on the Straight Edge Society. Their bitterness was unsurprising, given the teams' history. Jericho had brought Big Show into WCW as his weapon - his way of avenging himself against Tommy Dreamer, and his protection against CM Punk and Gallows. Long-standing resentment manifested into a full-on feud that, at Night of Champions, saw the belts go home with "Jeri-Show".
Taking the top spot seemed effortless for the duo - keeping it was, however, much more difficult. The increasingly paranoid Jericho demanded more and more of his massive partner, who came to resent the way he was treated. The bitterness escalated to the point where, during a non-title match against Undertaker and Kane, Jericho abandoned Big Show to suffer a beating alone. Furious - and much smarter than Jericho had ever guessed - Big Show returned the favour at Hell in a Cell, ensuring the belts went to the Brothers of Destruction. Jericho and Big Show went on to battle in singles competition, with the Canadian playing spoiler during his former friend's World Heavyweight Championship matches.
Meanwhile, two Smackdown superstars had formed an alliance during singles competition. Rey Mysterio and John Morrison proved to be incredibly effective as a combination, and their high-flying offence was the envy of the rest of the WWE. Many referred to them as "the imminent champions" and, by Royal Rumble, they had earned number one contender's status in the tag-team ranks. At the pay-per-view, they pulled off a literal "David and Goliath" victory to topple the Brothers of Destruction and claim tag-team gold.
Their success attracted the attention of Luke Gallows. Realising his "saviour" was rapidly losing interest in him, Gallows fought to have the SES named as the next contenders for the belts. For a time Punk seemed amenable to the idea, given his recent disputes with Mysterio. Gallows, for his part, saw a chance to avenge his losses to Morrison from the year before. Their mutual villainy came to naught, however, at Elimination Chamber - they were unable to defeat Morrison and Mysterio. Gallows begged for - and was granted - a WrestleMania rematch but it was too little, too late. With the writing on the wall and their loss inevitable, Punk walked away from the match - and the SES - leaving Gallows to face his fate alone. Morrison capped off his first year as a good guy by taking out his original bad guy with "starship pain" to retain the titles.
Women's Championship
Just before the night of title unifications, Justice had lost the Women's Championship to a fellow French-Canadian - the devious Maryse. Covetous, jealous and, above all, cowardly, Maryse used her newfound "stroke" within the company to have Justice demoted to last place on the Women's Championship ladder. Refusing offers to have matters put right, Justice vowed to earn her title once again, the old fashioned way - by going through the rest of the roster.
For a time it seemed she would achieve her goal thanks to some serious muscle in her corner. Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon, was a staunch ally in the early days. When the time came for the friends to face off for the number one contender's spot, however, everything changed. Phoenix attacked Justice from behind before their match began, putting career ahead of friendship. Though she went on to win the match, Justice was unable to pursue the belt without first dealing with her erstwhile ally.
When Melina and Mickie James joined Smackdown, things turned back Justice's way. Both women gladly accepted her offers of friendship and stood by her against Phoenix, Maryse and Michelle McCool. Eventually there was nothing standing between Justice and her title match... except Maryse's conniving ways. Instead of facing off at Bragging Rights, Maryse "volunteered" them to act as a tag-team in an inter-promotional match against Raw's Natalya Neidhart and Eve Torres. Unsurprisingly, Maryse left Justice to fend for - and lose by - herself.
The dirty tricks galvanised Justice, and she resumed her campaign at full-speed. Tag-teaming with her husband, DragonTail, she scored several wins over her nemesis and CM Punk. At TLC, Maryse ran out of excuses and had to face the fighting-mad former champion in a Tables match. Justice took great delight in driving her fellow Canadian through a piece of solid wood and taking the belt - and the crowd loved it too. Victorious, she went on to defend the belt successfully through to WrestleMania, where she avenged her Bragging Rights embarrassment by defeating Natalya in another inter-promotional contest.
----------
And, just for my edification and use going forward...
----------
Out of the flames: the history of DragonTail
Titles held:
WWE Championship (2 times)
World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
WCW Championship (2 times)
ECW Championship (1 time)
World Tag-Team Championship (1 time) - with Finlay
Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
Royal Rumble (2007)
22nd Triple Crown Champion
Backlash 2006 --> WrestleMania 2007
Rookie year. Debuted on Smackdown in low-card feuds. Met and teamed with rookie Diva, Justice, for the first time. Partnership developed into romance. Won and lost the Intercontinental Championship, then moved on to heavyweight ranks. Won the 2007 Royal Rumble, went on to the main event at WrestleMania and defeated Triple H to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Backlash 2007 --> WrestleMania 2008
Began year as champion, feuding with JBL over the title. Sidelined by injury following Summerslam and stripped of the belts, which were subsequently split between the brands. Missed the rest of the year because of injury; married Justice during his recovery time.
Backlash 2008 --> WrestleMania 2009
Returned, with Justice by his side, soon after WrestleMania and began working his way up the rankings once more. Won tag-team gold with Finlay. After losing the belts, spent time on the fledgling ECW brand and won its version of the world championship. Moved to Raw at the start of 2009 with CM Punk, sparking a feud with JBL and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Defeated Orton for the title at WrestleMania.
Backlash 2009 --> WrestleMania 2010
Retained the title against Orton, unified that belt with the World Heavyweight Championship once again at Vengeance. Sided with Ric Flair in the controversy over the re-born WCW; surrendered belts so he could champion that cause. Guaranteed the brand's existence at The Great American Bash, fought off JBL's "hostile takeover" through to Survivor Series, finally claiming the WCW Championship. Dropped the belt to Finley at No Way Out, reclaimed it at WrestleMania.
Backlash 2010 --> WrestleMania 2011
Feuded with Edge and MVP, became the face of the newly-merged WCW Smackdown and had the 12-month championship run detailed above.
----------
I repeat: bat-shit insane hobby, but a lot of fun.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
That last one's been a bit love/hate at times as I've slowly gotten used to the way the program works. I've learned, for example, never to give a character a winning streak, as it makes them the number one contender for every belt and means they wrestle two or three times on the one pay-per-view (which is just silly). By using DragonTail, I've learned how hard it is to keep hold of a championship and, by using Justice (stareyednight's character), I've learned how hard it is to win one in the first place.
Two weeks of solid play-time means I've worked my way through 12 calendar months of the in-game schedule - from Backlash to WrestleMania. It's been, on the whole, a lot of fun with only the occasional swearing/screaming fit at the television (what must the neighbours think?). And, having finished the in-game year, I've reached a perfect place to leave the game while I return to work and get back into the swing of things.
For those with only a passing interest, here ends the entry. For those who like the nitty-gritty, read on!
----------
World Heavyweight Championship
DragonTail began the year as the standard-bearer for the newly-merged WCW Smackdown, and finished the year the same way - though not for lack of trying on the part of his rivals. The fiery champion was besieged on all sides by the best and worst the blue brand had to offer - and by his new arch-nemesis, Edge.
The Rated-R Superstar had jumped ship with one goal in mind: being the champion. His single-minded determination to capture the World Heavyweight title was a major part of the show's first four months. Edge decimated the locker room to claim the number one contender's spot in time for Extreme Rules, but came up short against DragonTail, a ringside area full of weapons and a "flame-thrower" off the stage.
Despite his defeat, Edge's status was enough to place him and Christian near the top of the tag-team rankings. He was, however, so focused on singles glory that he abandoned his brother during their number one contender's match. Christian gained his revenge at The Bash, where he turned face, stood in DragonTail's corner and gave the champ the psychological advantage he needed to win.
Edge became ever more manic. He repeatedly attacked DragonTail backstage, stalked his wife Justice, interfered in the matches of his allies (MVP, Rey Mysterio) and made life on Smackdown a living hell. He was determined to prove himself the better man, and so accepted DT's challenge for a "last man standing" match at Night of Champions. With 60 unrestricted minutes to beat on one another, the bitter rivals put on a hellacious match that ended with Edge submitting to the "dragon sleeper".
DragonTail thought his problems were over. In truth, they had only begun. Now deranged, Edge renewed his attacks while armed with chairs, tables and barbed-wire baseball bats. He refused to be controlled, even attacking the security crews who tried to restrain him. Wanting to restore order, DT took the biggest gamble of his career. He challenged Edge to the most dangerous competition in all of wrestling: an Inferno Match! For two weeks, Edge dithered and dodged the challenge but, on the final show before Summerslam, gave in to his ego and accepted.
The "hottest party of the summer" truly lived up to its name as DT and Edge battled in a ring surrounded by 500-degree flames. The heat sapped the men's stamina and, multiple times, it seemed as if the Ultimate Opportunist would force the champ face-first into the inferno. He went one step too far, however, when he dropped DT with his own finisher - "the flame thrower" - and dragged him toward the fire. Incensed, DragonTail rallied with the same move, then threw Edge into the conflagration. The villain finally got his comeuppance - second-degree burns and several months on the injured list.
The rest of the year saw DragonTail becoming embroiled in the disputes of others. The tag-team war between the Straight Edge Society and Jeri-Show spilled into the singles ranks, as CM Punk and Big Show battled to be named number one contender for the World Heavyweight title. At Hell in a Cell, Bragging Rights, Survivor Series and TLC, DragonTail clashed with one or both of them under various stipulations, fending off interference by Chris Jericho and Luke Gallows.
As Royal Rumble approached, a new element was added - Sheamus. The Irish bully moved up from Intercontinental Championship contention to chase the "big gold belt". He won dozens of matches in odd circumstances, most often thanks to outside interference. It soon became clear Sheamus was part of a new stable, led by The Miz and including Vladimir Kozlov, Chavo Guerrero and Drew McIntyre. This "Axis of Awesome" wanted control of Smackdown placed in their internationally-themed hands, and Sheamus was their "world-title warrior". The pay-per-view match was announced as a "fatal four-way" between DT, Sheamus, Punk and Big Show, but went to a no contest when the Axis interfered. Similar problems dogged the first solo DT/Sheamus match at Elimination Chamber, resulting in a double count-out.
All that was left was WrestleMania. Sheamus vowed he would end "the reign of the dragon" before it made the record books, and the Axis did all it could to assist. In the lead-up to the "grand-daddy of them all", DragonTail competed in a series of two-on-one, three-on-one and gauntlet matches against the heel faction. He lost most of them, leaving the fans to wonder if his dream of being a 12-month champion had already died. DragonTail came into WrestleMania bruised and battered - but with a secret weapon.
When the Axis inevitably appeared, they were cut-off by a force from the crowd. MVP, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison and Kofi Kingston stood up for WCW, ensuring the main event went right down the middle. In the end, DragonTail forced Sheamus to submit to a neck-wrenching "dragon sleeper", then celebrated in the ring with his friends. The dream had come true! The Axis, meanwhile, watched from the stage and then physically kicked Sheamus out of the group for his failure. The war would continue into the new year.
Intercontinental Championship
He claimed, loudly and repeatedly, that he was "awesome" - but The Miz's accomplishments paled in comparison to those of MVP and Kofi Kingston. Each felt they had been robbed of a championship - Kofi by the unification matches, MVP by his ego and The Miz - and decided the IC belt would be their redemption. All year, WCW Smackdown's mid-card revolved around the two men, their friendship and the inevitability of a clash between them.
To start with, the belt went back-and-forth between The Miz and MVP. Kofi remained in the mix thanks to number one contender and triple-threat matches. The African superstar, unfortunately, always seemed to come up short, narrowly missing out time and again. The stalemate was broken when Sheamus defected from WWE Raw, explosively announcing his presence by mauling MVP. The "ballin' superstar" and his ally, DragonTail, fought Sheamus and Edge over successive weeks. Their combined efforts failed to fatigue the Irish brawler, who claimed the Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam.
Badly injured, MVP was unable to compete for the rest of the year. He didn't stay away from the ring, though - he became Kofi Kingston's permanent second, manning his corner as he took the fight to Sheamus. History, however, seemed destined to repeat as Kofi repeatedly came achingly close to victory without snagging the belt. Prior to TLC, he vowed he would never again challenge for the title if he lost. With his future on the line, the high-flyer rose to the occasion and toppled Sheamus in the titular match. His Cinderella story at last complete, he immediately found himself facing a new challenger - a healed and refreshed MVP.
Kofi successfully defended his title at Royal Rumble but, at Elimination Chamber, he had to face both the titular structure and a phalanx of rivals. MVP, the Big Show, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin and Drew McIntyre all wanted the victory. All the competitors, however, were eventually eliminated - save for Kofi and MVP. The fans in attendance split down the middle as the friends faced one another, shook hands and then fought with all their might. Kofi had been in the match much longer than MVP, however, and it was only that freshness that allowed the "ballin' superstar" to emerge victorious. MVP was given the belt by Kofi himself and the men embraced, leaving everyone in attendance salivating at the thought of a post-WrestleMania rematch.
Unified Tag-Team Championship
In order to be a successful tag-team, pro-wrestling superstars must put their individual egos aside and aspire to a greater goal. Unfortunately for WCW's locker room, such selflessness was very hard to come by over the year. On two occasions, the coveted titles were lost to Raw competitors because of selfishness, jealousy and betrayal. It was only at the very end that true co-operation arose within the blue brand to show the rest how it's done.
The belts started the year around the waists of the Hart Dynasty. The young guns thought they had the world at their feet - instead, they had targets on their back. CM Punk and his "straight edge disciple", Luke Gallows, wanted the gold as proof of the superiority of their lifestyle choice. To the roaring disapproval of the Extreme Rules crowd, they won the belts... only to themselves become targets.
The Big Show and Chris Jericho had bitterness to spare, thanks to their individual misfortunes, and decided to take it out on the Straight Edge Society. Their bitterness was unsurprising, given the teams' history. Jericho had brought Big Show into WCW as his weapon - his way of avenging himself against Tommy Dreamer, and his protection against CM Punk and Gallows. Long-standing resentment manifested into a full-on feud that, at Night of Champions, saw the belts go home with "Jeri-Show".
Taking the top spot seemed effortless for the duo - keeping it was, however, much more difficult. The increasingly paranoid Jericho demanded more and more of his massive partner, who came to resent the way he was treated. The bitterness escalated to the point where, during a non-title match against Undertaker and Kane, Jericho abandoned Big Show to suffer a beating alone. Furious - and much smarter than Jericho had ever guessed - Big Show returned the favour at Hell in a Cell, ensuring the belts went to the Brothers of Destruction. Jericho and Big Show went on to battle in singles competition, with the Canadian playing spoiler during his former friend's World Heavyweight Championship matches.
Meanwhile, two Smackdown superstars had formed an alliance during singles competition. Rey Mysterio and John Morrison proved to be incredibly effective as a combination, and their high-flying offence was the envy of the rest of the WWE. Many referred to them as "the imminent champions" and, by Royal Rumble, they had earned number one contender's status in the tag-team ranks. At the pay-per-view, they pulled off a literal "David and Goliath" victory to topple the Brothers of Destruction and claim tag-team gold.
Their success attracted the attention of Luke Gallows. Realising his "saviour" was rapidly losing interest in him, Gallows fought to have the SES named as the next contenders for the belts. For a time Punk seemed amenable to the idea, given his recent disputes with Mysterio. Gallows, for his part, saw a chance to avenge his losses to Morrison from the year before. Their mutual villainy came to naught, however, at Elimination Chamber - they were unable to defeat Morrison and Mysterio. Gallows begged for - and was granted - a WrestleMania rematch but it was too little, too late. With the writing on the wall and their loss inevitable, Punk walked away from the match - and the SES - leaving Gallows to face his fate alone. Morrison capped off his first year as a good guy by taking out his original bad guy with "starship pain" to retain the titles.
Women's Championship
Just before the night of title unifications, Justice had lost the Women's Championship to a fellow French-Canadian - the devious Maryse. Covetous, jealous and, above all, cowardly, Maryse used her newfound "stroke" within the company to have Justice demoted to last place on the Women's Championship ladder. Refusing offers to have matters put right, Justice vowed to earn her title once again, the old fashioned way - by going through the rest of the roster.
For a time it seemed she would achieve her goal thanks to some serious muscle in her corner. Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon, was a staunch ally in the early days. When the time came for the friends to face off for the number one contender's spot, however, everything changed. Phoenix attacked Justice from behind before their match began, putting career ahead of friendship. Though she went on to win the match, Justice was unable to pursue the belt without first dealing with her erstwhile ally.
When Melina and Mickie James joined Smackdown, things turned back Justice's way. Both women gladly accepted her offers of friendship and stood by her against Phoenix, Maryse and Michelle McCool. Eventually there was nothing standing between Justice and her title match... except Maryse's conniving ways. Instead of facing off at Bragging Rights, Maryse "volunteered" them to act as a tag-team in an inter-promotional match against Raw's Natalya Neidhart and Eve Torres. Unsurprisingly, Maryse left Justice to fend for - and lose by - herself.
The dirty tricks galvanised Justice, and she resumed her campaign at full-speed. Tag-teaming with her husband, DragonTail, she scored several wins over her nemesis and CM Punk. At TLC, Maryse ran out of excuses and had to face the fighting-mad former champion in a Tables match. Justice took great delight in driving her fellow Canadian through a piece of solid wood and taking the belt - and the crowd loved it too. Victorious, she went on to defend the belt successfully through to WrestleMania, where she avenged her Bragging Rights embarrassment by defeating Natalya in another inter-promotional contest.
----------
And, just for my edification and use going forward...
----------
Out of the flames: the history of DragonTail
Titles held:
WWE Championship (2 times)
World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
WCW Championship (2 times)
ECW Championship (1 time)
World Tag-Team Championship (1 time) - with Finlay
Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
Royal Rumble (2007)
22nd Triple Crown Champion
Backlash 2006 --> WrestleMania 2007
Rookie year. Debuted on Smackdown in low-card feuds. Met and teamed with rookie Diva, Justice, for the first time. Partnership developed into romance. Won and lost the Intercontinental Championship, then moved on to heavyweight ranks. Won the 2007 Royal Rumble, went on to the main event at WrestleMania and defeated Triple H to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Backlash 2007 --> WrestleMania 2008
Began year as champion, feuding with JBL over the title. Sidelined by injury following Summerslam and stripped of the belts, which were subsequently split between the brands. Missed the rest of the year because of injury; married Justice during his recovery time.
Backlash 2008 --> WrestleMania 2009
Returned, with Justice by his side, soon after WrestleMania and began working his way up the rankings once more. Won tag-team gold with Finlay. After losing the belts, spent time on the fledgling ECW brand and won its version of the world championship. Moved to Raw at the start of 2009 with CM Punk, sparking a feud with JBL and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Defeated Orton for the title at WrestleMania.
Backlash 2009 --> WrestleMania 2010
Retained the title against Orton, unified that belt with the World Heavyweight Championship once again at Vengeance. Sided with Ric Flair in the controversy over the re-born WCW; surrendered belts so he could champion that cause. Guaranteed the brand's existence at The Great American Bash, fought off JBL's "hostile takeover" through to Survivor Series, finally claiming the WCW Championship. Dropped the belt to Finley at No Way Out, reclaimed it at WrestleMania.
Backlash 2010 --> WrestleMania 2011
Feuded with Edge and MVP, became the face of the newly-merged WCW Smackdown and had the 12-month championship run detailed above.
----------
I repeat: bat-shit insane hobby, but a lot of fun.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF