Well, god damn people.
So yours truly didn’t do a Power-X for the final show of the 2012 year, and now I’ve got a bonafide monstrosity on my hands. Fifty-nine women qualified for this weeks Power-X, and a lot of them are newcomers. I decided to lump the December 14 Velocity in with this cycle, which made the eligibility list extend clear back to the PPV. And of course, When Worlds Collide matches (which, like I said earlier, count), making this one of the few rare times that you’ll actually see a woman on here before she’s officially had her debut match (Both women in question debut at Cold Blooded, so that’s not going to last for long.)
Anyways, unless I want to be typing this shit well into 2014, I better get a-cracking. So without further ado, the first Power X of 2013!
DROPPING OFF:
Sarah Richardson (Last Ranked 47th)
Christelle Gillet (43rd)
Melanie Avilo (38th)
Summer (15th)
#59- ELEIGHA CIRCOLONE [NEW]
Well, I didn’t say everyone on here was going to be GOOD, did I? Anyways, this will probably be Eleigha’s only ranking, as I’m sure she’s going to be shown the door after that disaster of a debut against Vanessa Bynum. But I haven’t heard it official yet.
#58- ELLIE STARR [NEW]
And another one and doner, as Starr faceplanted against Ashley Whitmore, and was never heard from again.
#57- TRISTI TAYLOR [NEW]
Tristi at least got ran out of the company in her first match by an established FFW wrestler, so she gets the top nod of the three washouts here.
#56- ARIEL STARR [NEW]
Now we’re actually looking at ladies who were actually impressive enough to stick around after their debut. Even though Ariel took a tough fall in her debut, she showed a lot of heart in that triple-threat match. It’s going to be fun to watch her develop herself in the coming weeks.
#55- MAIA LOPEZ [NEW]
Actually, I’m not sure why Maia’s on here. She hasn’t had an FFW match yet- she was one of the ones to debut at When Worlds Collide. That match actually never technically happened. So, uh, yeah.
#54- ASHLEY WHITMORE [NEW]
Ashley’s already gotten herself TWO victories. Although one was by disqualification because her sister kicked her ass for beating her up a couple months ago. Confused yet?
#53- VANESSA BYNUM [NEW]
Decent, albeit short debut win over Circolone. We’ll probably get a better measure of her worth after Cold Blooded
#52- ALEXIS [NEW]
Why is Alexis ahead of several other women who actually won their debut matches? Because she put up a hell of a fight, and came within inches herself of winning. Put a star next to this one, kids. I think she’s going to have a good run here.
#51- AIMEE EASTER [NEW]
The other woman who made her debut at When Worlds Collide, pulling out a tainted victory over an old manager in his first match since before I was born. I’m sure she’s proud.
#50- CRYSTAL HATE [Returning]
Welcome back, Crystal! Unfortunately, she picked up right where she left off before dropping off for a while, extending her FFW losing streak to four with a loss to Kinsey.
#49- CANDI [NEW]
Impressive debut for Candi, pulling off a hard fought victory over two other newcomers at Breaking Point. Another one you might want to keep an eye on.
#48- SOPHIA BLACK [-3]
The first woman who was on the last Power X. Needs to get her temper and focus in check if she ever wants to rise up from where she is.
#47- KINSEY ROBINSON [NEW]
Easily the most impressive debut of the slew of women who did so. Can she sing her way up the ladder? No. But she can sure wrestle her way up :)
#46- KARA HARRINGTON [Returning]
Will go down in history as the first woman Misty Whitmore ever pinned. Remember that. It’s going to be on a Trivial Pursuit card one day.
#45- DANIELLE ARISU [-4]
Yeah... I had forgotten she was still here too.
#44- ALLISON WILLIAMS [No Change]
Believe it or not, she’s won three of her last four. Of course, that’s over Sophia Black twice (once by DQ), and Elizabeth Showtime (by LMAO). But still, it’s a nice thought.
#43- MISTY WHITMORE [+3]
Thanks to attempted fratricide, she’s on a two match winning streak! To get to three, she’s going to have to end Jodie’s 8-match streak. Good f’ing luck.
#42- TABATHA BELMONT [-3]
Gee, you don’t think she’s going to be at Extreme Envy, do you?
#41- SHELBI LYNN CARTER [+1]
Up and down month for her- win over Sabra, loss to Jo. Ultimately, I’d say that’s a net gain for her.
#40- UNDINE [Returning]
Pinned the No Surrender Champion, which could prove interesting should Diney actually ever decide to stick around long enough to pursue that belt.
#39- KATE STEELE-WARREN [+1]
Got flat out robbed during the Steeles/Whitmores match. As much as I love Lyn, with the upside this girl has, he’s about to completely regret kicking her out of his school.
#38- PENNY BUCHANAN [-1]
Cold Blooded is pretty much a must win for Penny. She got duped by Payton once. She cannot afford to let that happen again.
#37- MARISSA KANE [+2]
First time, she lost to SLC. Can she get the win the second time around? I wouldn’t bet against it.
#36- MISS DEMEANOR [-5]
First time Miss Demeanor’s missing a PPV in three such shows. Her revenge quest against Samantha Star has cooled considerably.
#35- SAMARA STEELE [No Change]
Bullshit DQ loss is a shame, as it breaks a three match winning streak for Steele. Should be able to get another one going against Ashley, right?
#34- ARABELLA BLACK [-4]
We haven’t seen her since Anarchy when she became victim number seven of Jodie’s win streak.
#33- SOPHIE RICHARDS [-5]
We haven’t seen her since Anarchy either, when she became the victim of the Crystal Hilton machine.
#32- CLAIRE BLACK [+1]
Pulled off a nice move trying to pin Kara, but inexperience made her forget she was the legal man. And for the first time in history, a referee actually managed to keep track. What a tough break.
#31- HANNA ELLIOT [+1]
Match with Stephanie Sanderson ended in a double countout, something that had to have been a disappointment for Elliot. Rematch comes at Cold BLooded- with a No Surrender shot on the line.
#30- HAYLEY DARK [-3]
Well, the good news is, she and Ignis reunite to take another stab at the Unity Belts. Bad news is... they’re gonna lose to the Fair. Such a shame.
#29- JO MCFARLANE [+5]
Started 2013 off on a positive note with her win over SLC. A good start after a very disappointing 2012 for her.
#28- VANESSA CADE [+1]
Final ranking for Cade, which is a shame, since she was one of the hottest rising wrestlers in the company. Hopefully she’ll come back soon.
#27- STEPHANIE SANDERSON [Returning]
Winless in her last three matches, but two of those were draws. So at least she isn’t losing... that’s a plus, right?
#26- RORI MACKENZIE [No Change]
Same old story for Rori. Fought in a match. Pulled off a bullshit win. Bragged about it like she actually accomplished something. No one actually believed it. Things will be changing- for the worse- for her at Cold Blooded.
#25- RAQUEL FAIR [-2]
FINALLY the Fair is on the verge of achieving the tag team title shot they’ve long deserved.
#24- MICKEY SCARBOROUGH [-2]
I almost wish it wasn’t Bounce And Pounce they were steamrolling to get it, but such is life.
#23- SERAFINA REYNOLDS [-1]
*NO SURRENDER CHAMPION*
Hasn’t won a match since her win over Wendy, and now faces one of the hottest wrestlers in the company. A very rare occasion when the champion goes into a match a heavy underdog.
#22- EMMA MACNAMARA [-2]
Fun Fact: There were five pure FFW vs. SVW matches at When Worlds Collide. FFW went 4-1 in them. Is anyone here shocked that Emma was the one that lost?
#21- SABRA NIKOLAYEV [-6]
Final ranking for the Russian, as she’s stepped away for a bit. A shame too, she seemed like she was just hitting her stride.
#20- CASEY ATHERTON [-1]
*UNITY TAG TEAM CHAMPION*
Is there any way to make her the participating Season 3 Champion in the Future Shock Season of Champions? It’s only the best thing to do for the sake of competition.
#19- STACEY ALLEN [Returning]
I hope Stacey’s not thinking her recent actions are going to merit her getting another title shot, because Samantha Star would have to be an idiot to disgrace the belt so badly by letting this sellout anywhere near it.
#18- PAYTON ST. PIERRE [+3]
In an ideal world, she’d get the living fuck pummeled out of her by Penny in that cage. It’s not an ideal world though, and Pay has a really annoying habit of squirreling out of the asskickings she has coming.
#17- TRINITY [+8]
Okay, now that she’s proved her worth against Serafina... what’s next? Television title run, anybody?
#16- EILEEN AMARO [No Change]
New year for 2012’s Winningest Wrestler, and that hopefully means a new Eileen, who lost several critical matches down the stretch to create a disappointing finish to an otherwise remarkable year.
#15- KELLY MCGUFFIN [+3]
Like Eileen, very successful, but can’t seem to convert in a big match. She’s going to have a huge chance to turn that around after the PPV.
#14- LIGHTNING [-6]
Loss to J-Will was Lightnings first time taking a fall. Now that the carapace is breached, can Justine patch it up, or has she been exposed?
#13- STARLA MCCLOUD [No Change]
*UNITY TAG TEAM CHAMPION*
The only thing standing between this woman and an FFW Championship shot is Valerie Lamb. God help us all.
#12- CAMILLA PAZZINI [+5]
Final ranking for the time being for Chunks, who pulled off a monster win at When Worlds Collide over her sister, but then suffered an injury that’s going to keep her out for a while.
#11- JODIE GRAY [-1]
Looks to extend her streak to nine at Cold Blooded against Misty Whitmore. With her holding a win over the current TV Champion, a rematch on those terms doesn’t seem long away.
#10- CRYSTAL WILLIAMS [-3]
Tough break against a red-hot Kat Stryfe. But this does give Crystal an opportunity to become the first ever 3 time Evolution Champion.
#9- VALERIE LAMB [No Change]
She’s getting a second chance at a shot at the grand prize, but she needs to capitalize this time. This is one woman who deserves to get over the hump.
#8- JENNIFER WILLIAMS [+4]
*TELEVISION CHAMPION*
She’s only won three out of her last nine, but god DAMN she knows how to pick those three. One of the most unlikely title runs in wrestling history.
#7- KATHERINE STRYFE [+4]
*EVOLUTION CHAMPION*
For the first time since February 21, 2012, Kat finds herself in the top ten, thanks to a four out of five match run that got her to and claiming the Evolution title. She’ll lose it back to Crystal on the rematch, but it was a nice story while it lasted.
#6- CARA STONE [No Change]
*ULTRAVIOLENCE CHAMPION*
We saw what Cara did to Emma at Anarchy. Now that she’s had two months to stew over Anders’ betrayal, and is in a thoroughly bad mood, what do you think she’s going to do to Emma this time around?
#5- SCARLETT KINCAID [No Change]
I actually really like the Fight Or Flight tag team, so it will be fun to see how Scar and Kelly perform in action when they face Club CK VIP. I don’t like CCKVIP’s odds, that’s for sure. Both of Eddie’s kids seem as focused and prepared as they’ve ever been.
#4- TARA THUNDER [-1]
For the first time ever, Tara’s on a multiple match winless streak, although one was a double countout. No shame to her, though. Only falls in the past year have been to Wendy and Caroline.
#3- CAROLINE DALLINS [+1]
She finally got her title shot, and I think she has Serafina in her sights. The one question is, can she handle the unique and difficult role of a favorited challenger? She’s going to have to if she wants to bring the gold back to Tampa.
#2- COLLEEN [No Change]
This is the moment Colleen’s been waiting for. She’s at the doorstep, and all she needs to do is shove Isabella aside, and get into the temple. Easier said than done, to be sure, but she’s come this far.
#1- ISABELLA PAZZINI [No Change]
*FFW CHAMPION*
Simple as this. If Isabella can repel Colleen without resorting to petty tricks, she cements herself as the greatest female wrestler in history. If she has to cheat, or, even worse, loses, well... the debate rages on.
And there you have it! 59 women, all ranked up nice and orderly. Just don’t forget that, like with all PPV’s in FFW, immediately after will be another FAN POWER X! So get your voting pencils ready, kids!
And of course, we leave you with a meme. Stacey Allen may be a bitch and complete disgrace to pro wrestling, but she is occasionally funny. This would be one of those times.
And with that, we’re off! See you after Cold Blooded!
Four more brilliant nuggets of wisdom coming from the mind of Daniel Pollaski
1. REMATCH? REMATCH
I'm not going to make excuses here. Katherine Stryfe wrestled a hell of a match, and she eeked out a very tight, but clean win over Crystal Williams to become the new Evolution Champion. As a result, she becomes the first woman to Grand Slam the FFW Championships, and she continues to resurrect a career that was on a surefire downward spiral just a handful of months ago.
But even if there wasn't an automatic rematch clause to give Crystal a chance to win her third Evolution Championship, this is a match that needs to be made. As close and fierce as that first contest was, there is absolutely no reason to believe that a second contest wouldn't be as close- or would go the opposite way. I said earlier that if they fought ten times, Crystal would win 7, and I stand by that.
This rematch needs to happen, and if FFW is smart, they'll make it happen not too long after Cold Blooded. The rematch has show main event written all over it, so let's make it happen.
2. THE LIGHTS ARE BACK ON THE NO SURRENDER DIVISION
I'm not going to go so far as Wendy here, and think that Caroline's ascension to the #1 contendership is the "salvation" the No Surrender division needs- or that it even needs saving, but it is certainly nice to see what at one point was the hottest division in FFW finally getting back into gear.
Caroline's walking into a tricky situation here. She made it very clear that when she went for this title, it was Wendy she wanted to be going up against. But Serafina pulled the upset back in September, and Caroline's had to bide her time while the title sat on the shelf because... well, I really don't know why the title's sat on the shelf.
What I *do* know, though, is that we are looking at one vulnerable champion heading into this match. Serafina has not won once since her contest against Wendy, going 0-4 since then, including a defeat to Club CK VIP at the last Velocity (yes, they cheated, but a only moron wouldn't have been expecting THAT to happen). Caroline's gotta be tasting blood looking at her, but remember, we already had one woman underestmate Cupcake, and pay the price. But I have a feeling that Caroline is not going to make the same mistake.
3. THIS IS WHY YOU LISTEN TO ME
So, Thursday afternoon, while we were all waiting for the sun to go down and the atmosphere to get right for the go-home Velocity, I made the comment to Samara Steele that she should pay Misty Whitmore $100,000 to stand up her sister, or hell, even turn on her and join the Steele's in kicking the "Above Average" one's ass. Misty immediately declined, spouting off every goody-two shoes cliche I've ever heard, can't let the fans down, can't abandon family, yada yada yada.
So, now to Miss Whitmore, I have the following two words.
Told ya.
TOLD YA TOLD YA TOLD YA!
Okay, maybe I didn't actually know that her tag partner was the one who attacked the third Whitmore sister (Nicole), but I had a feeling that she was somewhat of a rotten bitch. I was right (I tend to be about these things. Remember how I saw Rori being fake a mile away?). Ashley is a rotten, backstabbing bitch who simply used her sister as bait to pick a fight with the Steele family, for no discernable rational reason whatsoever.
Misty could have been a little bit richer, and been on the winning team, giving Ashley exactly what she deserved. Instead, she had to fight her best friend, got her knee damn near torn up by said best friend, then had to realize she'd been siding with the exact woman who knocked her sister out of wrestling for several months, and then got disqualified by that other sister because she came running in like a bat out of hell and decided to take on the world.
I don't know what they call that in Canada, but down here... I call that a bad day. A tragic, so easily avoided, bad day.
Listen to Uncle Pollaski, Misty. He knows what's good for you.
4. DID AIMEE EASTER JUST TRY TO RHYME FINISH WITH BITCHES?
Yes. Yes she did. She also tried to rhyme "beautiful" and "kill". Maybe she should stick to ripping off the masters of the art. Or limericks! Everyone loves a good limerick!
You want a meme. I has a meme.
Alright, that does it for this edition fo the Four Corners! Stay tuned for some RANKINGS!!!
Once again, four brilliant nuggets of information coming from the greatest analytical mind in the wrestling world today.
1. FUCK YOU, MARK HORTON
No, I'm not doing my best attempt at a Maia Lopez impression. Try Samantha Star instead.
Confused? You shouldn't be. Let's go back to New Year's Eve, at When Worlds Collide, when Camilla Pazzini beat her sister in the middle of the ring. It was a great way to close the book on 2012, and it certainly set up an interesting prospect for 2013. After all, in FFW, if you beat a champion, that immediately puts you on the contender list for their title. And who wouldn't want to see the Pazzzini Sisters duke it out over the greatest prize in Female Wrestling- or, even better- a rematch of one of the best matches of 2011 when Pazzini and Colleen clashed?
I'd certainly buy into that more than I would Starla McCloud being a #1 contender.
Of course, that's all a moot point now. Thanks to Stacey Mackenzie's continued quest to turn herself into a snivelling lackey, Camilla was injured, then Isabella got her kangaroo match with a battered Camilla, "won", and Camilla's gonna be out a couple months as she heals up.
But this isn't about whether or not Camilla's deserves a shot at the FFW Championship. Not quite.
This is about the opening segment of the show, when Isabella stood in the ring like the whimpering little coward she is, shrilly trying to go on about how she shouldn't have to face her sister. Of course, her lord and master Samantha Star was happily standing beside her, trying to help out, by telling the world that the match at When Worlds Collide didn't count, because it wasn't under the FFW banner.
Think on that, kids. When Worlds Collide didn't count.
Never mind that 17 of the 34 wrestlers on the show- a full half- were under the FFW banner, and another 3 are FFW alumni. It didn't count.
Never mind that FFW officials refereed a large selection of the matches. It didn't count.
Never mind that the show had been in the making for a goddamned year, and was widely looked forward to by the fans of FFW more than any other company. It didn't count.
Never mind that the show was assembled and booked by a Production manager and lead announcer for FFW. It didn't count.
So fuck you, Mark Horton, your little end of the year extravaganza doesn't count. Not when it exposes our paper champion!
What a douchey way to treat one of the leading figures of this business, and an all around standup guy.
Honestly, I'm impressed with Mark's professionalism after listening to Samantha Star pull down her pants and shit on his baby in the middle of the ring. Had that been me, I would have slid into that ring, and strangled that spoiled ginger debutante to death with my headset cord. It'd have been great television, and there's not a jury in the world that would have convicted me.
And as far as I'm concerned, fuck YOU Samantha Star. When Worlds Collide counts. When Worlds Collide counts a LOT.
Because it's a perfect indication of what's going to hapen to Isabella when you aren't around to carry her.
2. DYNASTY WARRIORS!
Well, chalk this one up for being a rare time I'm wrong. Less than two months ago, in a moment that defined "WTF", the Williams Dynasty was formed. I, along with most sane rational people, tended to roll our eyes. After all, the Williams family seemed to be more akin to the television show "Dynasty" than any actual perennial dominance.
Not anymore.
Sure, we'll still get our "hunh?" moments from the family, but that's not to take away from the fact that these guys can have their moments. Crystal Williams is entering her fourth consecutive month as the Evolution Champion. And then there's Jennifer Williams, who, despite finishing 2012 with a losing record in official FFW matches (seriously!), still managed to win Future Shock VII and Chase for the Crown III.
Oh, and the Television Championship in the first show of the year.
Once Team Adonis returns to defending their titles again, the Williams Dynasty would have to be considered a good bet to take their shot after the Scarborough Fair gets theirs. Even with the SF as champions, I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of Crystal and Jenny ending up with another set of belts to go around their waist.
3. SHOW ME POTATO SALAD!
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'm probably not the only one who is looking forward to Thursday, strictly for the sole purpose of Misty and Kate putting all this stupidity behind them, becoming friends again, and leaving Ashley and Samara to kill each other by themselves in this ridiculous Whitmore vs. Steele family feud.
Here's the deal: anyone who judges someone else strictly based on their last name is as stupid as someone who judges people strictly based on the color of their skin, their ethnicity, or their gender. There's plenty of examples of family members being nothing like each other in FFW- the Pazzinis and Leavenworths being examples numero uno and dos on that list. Look at Wendy and the family she came from. Hell, look at mine. (Believe me, you do not want to meet my cousin).
So yeah, let's hope for a good match Thursday between the Montagues and Capulets, but for the love of god, let it end then. Or at least let Ashley and Samara end each other. That'd be an ending far happier than the one the legends tell us we'll get.
4. NOT A BAD NEW CROP
To kick off 2013, we had four new wrestlers debut at Breaking Point, and I have to confess- I was impressed with all four of them at a first glance. Most notable of those was Kinsey Robinson, who's been more or less known to a lot of FFW/SVWers for a while now, and the singer made a fine debut with a win over Crystal Hate. Indeed, so far, the only flaw I've seen in her would be her eyesight and character judgement, considering she actually loved Robbyn Helmsley.
But I think the match that had us all talking was the triple threat opener. All three women (Ariel, Candi and Alexis) pulled out all the stops in a very entertaining match, with Candi being the one to pull out the win at the end. Still, I see a TON of potential in all three, and I look forward to seeing the woment develop here. Just a warning though- FFW is a tough as nails fed. It's a long, hard climb to the top.
Two more women will be debuting at Velocity this week too, in Vanessa Bynum and Eleigha Circolone. And shortly therafter, all six women will receive their true initiation to Femme Fatale Wrestling- their first ranking in the Power-X!
Before I leave you here tonight, I've heard the clamoring for MOAR MEMES, and, I'm happy to say, I'm not going to disappoint you guys tonight. Here we have a new game that's hitting the trends- involving, who else, but the Queen of Games!
Alright, stay tuned for later this week, as I unveil the Ultimate rankings of 2012- the Power X-Travaganza. Final tallies are being... tallied as we speak. Then of course, Velocity on Thursday, followed by another Four Corners and the First Power X of 2013 as we steamroll towards Cold Blooded!
Normally I use this column to write about in-character e-wrestling stuff, and that’s something I enjoy doing lot. But right now, for just this one entry, I have to go OOC. Just a lot on my mind, and maybe writing in a column might be the best way to sort all through this.
By now, everyone knows about the horrible things that happened in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. Twenty first-graders are dead, along with six adults who perished trying to protect them. All at the hands of an insane madman who somehow thought the best way for him to take his own life was to take twenty-seven other people, including his mother, and little children, with him.
In a tragedy such as this, there’s always three things that happen. People first are horrified, which is fairly understandable. A parent’s worst nightmare is to outlive their child- especially when their child is so young. Twenty parent’s worst nightmares came true Friday. That’s horrible by any stretch of the imagination.
The second is to ask why. How the hell could something like this happen? Police are trying to piece together a motive, and I’m sure we’ll all try to grasp some attempt at wondering why a someone themselves to kill defenseless children. I don’t know specifics, nor am I going to try and guess any. The only thing I can say is in a broad term- that evil is alive in the world today. The person who did this was evil. Not “mentally-ill”, “not right in the head”, or any other term that gets thrown around when something like this happens. The creature (not even a man) who did this was evil. That’s the only explanation I have, and thats the only one that’s needed.
The third instinct we all have is to blame. Point fingers. Find something that we can all zero in on and say “IF IT WASN’T FOR THIS, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!”. I do it to. And after two days of thinking here’s my list of people and institutions who should be blamed for what happened.
1. The monster.
That’s it. Had it not been for this piece of shit, I wouldn’t be writing this, and, more importantly, there’d be twenty-seven more people alive in the world today.
You’ll notice who’s not on there. The mother. Society. The NRA. The media. Video Game companies. Athiests. Churches. Our mental health institutions. None of them pulled the trigger. None of them asked, or even wanted this to happen. One of those is dead because of this. The others, I promise you, are just as horrified as the rest of us, and sure as hell don’t deserve people screaming in their face “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” Because it isn’t. So if you’re blaming any of the above, do us all a favor and kindly shut the fuck up, because you’re not helping matters one bit.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t take a look at everything, and see what along those lines could have been done better, and could be done better in the future, so that something like this could be prevented- or at least stopped once started.
And there comes the nine-hundred pound elephant in the room. The gun-control debate flared up a couple weeks ago, when another piece of shit who happened to play football decided to murder his girlfriend, then himself. It only intensified from there, thanks to another shooting at an Oregon mall. So it was already on the tips of many tongues when Newtown happened, which means we can expect a massive debate on the issue in the coming weeks, probably overshadowing even all the fiscal cliff posturing that’s going on.
So here’s the first thing I have to say about this. If your first thought concerning this tragedy was to gun control, whether “BAN GUNS NOW!” or “OMG, THEY’RE GONNA STEAL OUR GUNS!,” instead of to the victims and their families (many who probably didn’t even know their loved ones lay dead when you started your political diatribe)- shame on you. There’s time for debate after a tragedy, like, you know, maybe a few days afterwards, NOT WHILE THE DAMN THING IS STILL GOING ON. Whether or not twenty dead kids validates/invalidates your political position, and exploiting/defending said position should be the LAST thing on your fucking mind at that moment.
Hell, maybe even talking about it now, on the other side of the weekend, may be too soon. But like I said, maybe writing this all will be good for me, and, like it or not, this is going to spark a debate on the issue.
I’m someone who believes that the US Constitution was written by a bunch of pretty damn smart people. And the fact of the matter is, when they wrote that document 230 years ago, they did a pretty darn good job with it. One of the best things they did was adding the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the document, which allowed for all kinds of various freedoms (as well as putting an amendment system into place that enabled us to change the document as needed, such as giving equal rights to minorities, women, and lowering the voting age). The Constitution got a LOT of things right, far more than it got wrong.
The second amendment is included in the former. The right to bear arms has long been proudly touted as a symbol of American freedom. After all, the whole American Revolution started because British Troops rode out of Boston to confiscate the munitions of a colonial militia. Our Fathers recognized that barring citizens from owning weapons was a step on the road to tyranny, and they put measures into the law of the land to ensure that right would never bee taken away. A good thing too, considering guns were needed as both a source of food, and protection. Even during some of America’s bloodiest non-military moments (i.e. Bleeding Kansas), the rights of citizens to own guns was hardly in jeopardy.
"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.” - George Washington
"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."- Thomas Jefferson
"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
Obviously, times have changed. We no longer live in frontier times, and the weapons we hold have grown steadily more efficient, and, by extention, more dangerous. But should that truly make the second amendment obsolete? Should firearms be eliminated, or even restricted, because evil people can use them to slay innocents? Or is it because of that very reason that it’s even more necessary to have guns than ever? After all, what is a man who is stripped of his ability to protect himself or his family from someone wishing to harm them?
I personally do not own a gun, but I fully believe anyone who wishes to arm themselves has that right. Gun control advocates insist that weapons- particularily automatic one- are not needed. They say that even under times of attack, someone firing back would only add to the chaos and destruction, not help prevent it. And, more than anything, they use the ever touching “even if just one life is saved, wouldn’t it all be worth it?”
Except how many lives have been saved by citizens with firearms? http://www.akdart.com/gun3.html (special thanks to fellow FVSports poster DaCat for providing this link). provides several articles and studies (a note that some of the top links are obsolete), as well as numerous specific cases where a citizen with a firearm stopped a crime in progress. Guns are, like so many other things in this world, capable for being a tool for good or evil. Would a gun on the premises in Aurora or Newtown have stopped the shootings, or at least lowered the number of victims? I don’t know. I don’t know what it was like in that movie theater or school, and God willing, I never will. But there are other cases where they DID save innocent lives, and, like we’ve heard, isn’t one life worth it?
But just because gun owners should be allowed to keep their guns, that sure as hell doesn’t mean we oughtn’t take a step back once in a while and examine how we go about it. But knee jerkily passing a law- any law- is an absolute mistake, and will only hurt responsible, law-abiding gun owners, not the people we truly need to stop. If we look at this closely, and there IS something we can do to prevent this from happening again, then yes, we should take it. But- and this is a scary truth of society that will never go away- if someone desires to commit murder badly enough, they will do it, no matter what laws are in place. After all, “don’t murder anyone” is one of the most basic, essential laws of our society, so if you’re willing to violate that, what law isn’t going to stop you?
That’s not to say that there’s nothing we can do. Gun ownership is a right, and just as with any other right we have, exercising that right entails some responsibility. This is something that most conservatives tend to talk about a lot, after all. If you exercise your “right” to have sex with whoever you want, then you’re responsible for any pregnancy/diseases that are a consequence. We fully know and advocate that, so for a second, let’s flip it around on us.
Gun ownership is the same way. Owners have the responsibility to make sure their firearms are maintained, secure, and, above everything else- respected, by everyone in their family. And that means education, on the danger of guns, the value of human life, and how none of this situation should ever be taken lightly. This isn’t a one time deal to be mentioned in passing either, but something that needs to be ingrained into everyone over and over, so that there is no doubt the seriousness of the subject matter.
If anywhere the ball was dropped, it was probably this. I never knew Nancy Lanza, but from all accounts she seemed like a good, charitable person. But while she certainly exercised her right to own guns, it doesn’t seem like she fulfill all her responsibilities. Knowing full well her son’s mental state, she kept multiple guns in the house, and even took him to the firing range. In short, she taught him much about guns, but she was never able to convey that respect to him. It was a tragic combination, as she, and the rest of us, found out all too well.
So yeah, I know the gun debate is going to rage as a result of this. I know some will echo my view points, and some will echo the opposite. And I’m sure those in support of the second amendment will be callously accused of “not caring about the victims”. Which is bullshit, of course. We care, and every single one of us would have loved the opportunity to have stopped this sick bastard from doing what he did. Not wanting a knee-jerk law that will harm good, responsible people and be ignored by bad people doesn’t change that.
One thing that saddens me the most about this is that there will never be any justice for the children at Sandy Hook. The killer is dead, yes, but on his terms. He’ll never have to stand in court and face the families of those he murdered. In that effect, he was no different than a Hamas suicide bomber, or the al Quaeda operatives who flew planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. There was no exit strategy- they were expecting to die, and it was just a matter of how many people they took with them. That’s a scary thought- when you’re dealing with someone who’s willing to sacrifice their own life to spread evil, how can you prevent it?
People do that because they think they’ll gain something in death. For the terrorists, its a place in their sick version of paradise where they’ll be showered with virgins. For guys like the Newtown shooter, its something a little less concrete- they get notoriety. They become famous. Their picture is shown ad nauseum on every news organization. Do a quick exercise. Can you name either perpetrator of the Columbine Massacre? What about the Aurora Shootings? I’m sure by now you know the name of the Newtown shooter.
Now, off the top of your head, can you name a single one of their victims?
The number of people who can answer at least one of the first three questions, but can’t the fourth, is astronomical (and incudes me, sadly). When these happen, its the killers, not the victims, who go down in history. Which means, they end up getting exactly what they want. After all, infamy is better than obscurity, right?
And maybe, just maybe, that’s the true key to curtailing these trends of shootings.
There’s no law to pass here. I’m not advocating the restriction of the press, but any responsible news organization should do this. And that’s reward any mass shooter, whether they live or die in their crime, not with wall to wall coverage and pictures and publicity, but with eternal obscurity. Do not mention their names. Do not show their picture. Strip them of all identity. They’re simply a monster, a faceless animal who tore apart the innocent with their claws of evil, and is to be disposed of, never to be seen or thought about again, preferably in a nameless grave. Focus the coverage on those who truly deserve their lives to be known- the victims. Tell us who they were, what they were like. Show us THEIR pictures, even though seeing their smiling, innocent face is going to break our hearts.
Instead of their murderers, let the names of Kelly Fleming, Cassie Bernall, Alexander Boik, Veronica Moiser-Sullivan, Charlotte Bacon, Chase Kowalski, and Allison Wyatt be on our tongues, as we speak of lives taken too soon, of potential that was lost, of families with one less spot at the dinner table.
And most of all, just remember that, whether liberal, conservative, athiest, religious, libertarian, whatever, we’re all affected by this, and we’re all in the same boat here. We need to love, or at least respect each other. I know I’m guilty of this too... just earlier this week I made a joke about bombing “union thugs” in the wake of Michigan’s Right To Work act. That was shortsighted, and it took remembering what true horror and thugs are to make me realize what a stupid, selfish thing to say was, even in frustration.
We got a long way to go, everyone. And the time for us to take another step is upon us.
We just damn well better make sure we’re truly taking the right one before we take it.
Anyways, thanks for reading this, and hopefully I didn't piss all you off too much. Please stay tuned for the next post, which will be back in character, and likely as Pollaski-esque as I normally am.
Hey kids!
The votes are in and tallied, and the second ever FAN POWER-X (and first one with a corresponding column) is about to be revealed! Over 12,000 votes had been cast and tabulated by the FFW faithful (special thanks to accounting firm Feth, Hup, and Chartee for their assistance!). And now, the moment has come.
So here’s what you can expect to see in the column. As is done in most polls of this nature, 25 points are awarded for a first place vote, 24 for a second, all the way down to 1 point for a 25th place vote. As that’s quite a lot of points over a 12,000+ vote field (the #1 ranked wrestler took in over 300,000), so to simplify it, we put the totals in terms of percent of the maximum point a wrestler could receive (aka, everyone in the world gave them 1st place votes).
There’s one other rule- to be included in the fan rankings, wrestlers must get at least .5% of points possible, or an average of getting a 25th place vote at least once out of every eight ballots. It seems if you can’t muster that... well, sorry. Of course, those wrestlers are still included in MY Power X, so, in the order they were ranked on my own list, here are the 9 women who failed to qualify.
Note that there will be gaps here- such as #46. That’s because the 46th ranked wrestler on my list did meet the .5% threshold, and will be included in the fan rankings. Who is it? Well, read on!
#47- SARAH RICHARDSON (+3)
With the departures of Roxie Stevenson and Brianne Garza, the “Sarah Peek Award” passes to the Blonde Bombshell. Yes, kids, it’s okay to point and laugh.
#45- SOPHIA BLACK (+1)When I’m right, I’m right, eh? Like I said in the preview column, Sophia’s uncontrolled aggression was going to come back to cost her, and it did, as she had no choice but to tap out to Miss Demeanor.
#44- ALLISON WILLIAMS (+1)
Rumor has it she’s still smarting from the total asskicking Tara Thunder gave her at the start of the month. Now she has to tangle with the SSK?? This might not end well.
#43- CHRISTELLE GILLET (+1)
Speaking of still smarting, the French Connection has to be still steaming from the way she was betrayed at Firewall. But it won’t be until next year when she can do something about it.
#41- DANIELLE ARISU (=)
She didn’t take the pinfall (which somehow will still make her undefeated in some people’s eyes...) but coming up short in the Triple Threat at Anarchy has to be somewhat of a disappointment for Arisu.
#39- TABATHA BELMONT (-5)
Tabby-Cat’s gotta be hissing after her loss to Samara. Bad enough that the wily veteran dropped one to a rookie like that, but even worse that it was in a match that favored her- not to mention it coming to someone she so clearly despises.
#38- MELANIE AVILO (-3)
What has happened to the Season 5 Future Shock Champion? Mel hasn’t won a match since June 23, and found herself on the outside looking in at Anarchy.
#37- PENNY BUCHANAN (=)
2012 is not going to end on a happy note for the Pain Train in FFW. All she can do now is focus on the new year, and prepare to make it a year to remember.
#34- JO MCFARLANE (-5)
Jo was hardly out of sight during the month of November, appearing in four matches, but when it came time to vote, she apparently was out of mind of the voters. Her loss to Hayley and her absence from Anarchy could be notable factors, but still, this is probably the most notable snub of this edition of the fan rankings.
Sorry ladies, better luck next time!
Forty-two women DID get the .5% required to make the list this time. Of course, I can’t agree with all of them, but hey, the FFW Faithful will be the FFW Faithful. Let’s count them down!
===================================
#42- MISTY WHITMORE- 0.52% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 46th (+1)
Misty barely scraped out enough votes to make it onto this list, but it’s obvious this plucky young rookie is gaining over quite a few fans. Now to just capture that elusive first win...
#41- CLAIRE BLACK- 0.71% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 33rd (Returning)
You may have heard me say that Claire was hardly a deserving challenger for the TV title- and I stand by it. Compared to some of the resumes in this place that haven’t even sniffed that belt, it was just an odd choice. But it’s not the end of the world for her- she’s got a lot of potential, if she can just get some more experience against tougher competition.
#40- KATE STEELE- 1.27% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 40th (=)
Pure Adrenaline’s got a chance to get their first win as a tag team against “Club CK VIP” (LMAO @ that name). But Kara and Undine aren’t going to be easy for these young ladies.
#39- MARISSA KANE- 1.40% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 36th (+6)
Marissa certainly turned some heads with her big win over Shelbi-Lynn Carter and Danielle Arisu at Anarchy. Her decision to referee while training for her career looks like it’s starting to pay some dividends.
#38- APRIL EVANS- 1.78% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: Not Ranked
Well, some people got a bit excited here. Technically, April isn’t eligible for the Power X yet, considering she hasn’t had an official match yet, but you can’t deny her impressive victory in the finals of Season 8 of Future Shock. Don’t be surprised if she’s higher once she makes her official debut.
#37- SHELBI LYNN CARTER- 2.01% (-1)
Power-X Ranking: 42nd (+1)
Yes, Shelbi’s ranked higher than the woman who just pinned her. No I don’t exactly understand how that works either. But I know this... if she really wants to launch herself up the ladder, beating Sabra is a surefire way to do it.
#36- MISS DEMEANOR- 2.21% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 31st (+7)
Coming off her strong win over Sophia Black, Demeanor’s got some momentum starting to build some serious momentum, taking four out of five. Now she needs to get a stronger test.
#35- RORI MACKENZIE- 3.47% (-11)
Power-X Ranking: 26th (=)
That awkward moment when “stupid biased Pollaski” turns out to be actually ranking her significantly higher than the average FFW fan does.
#34- IGNIS- 4.69% (-8)
Power-X Ranking: Not Ranked
Iggy’s actually on a three-match winning streak, but as the last one came back in September, she’s not eligible to be on the Power X rankings at the moment. Still, the amount of interest in her here shows that people are dying to get her back into the ring.
#33- HAYLEY DARK- 5.28% (+2)
Power-X Ranking: 27th (=)
Considering how Hayley’s been treating her partner lately (and her history), could someone just smack a “does not play well with others” sticker on her?
#32- SOPHIE RICHARDS- 5.54% (-4)
Power-X Ranking: 28th (+2)
Sophie is a living testament to just how hard the Evolution Division is. The woman who was nearly invincible in the TV title picture is anything but at the next step up.
#31- MICKEY SCARBOROUGH- 6.99% (-1)
Power-X Ranking: 24th (=)
Now that the SF has joined Club CK, these are the TRUE VIP’s of that organization, whatever crap Kara and Undine are spewing be damned.
#30- RAQUEL FAIR- 7.07% (+6)
Power-X Ranking: 23rd (+2)
Although I personally would have preferred it if they had steered clear of that bastion of mediocrity. Still, they’re keeping me as their manager, which means we’re in for some good times :).
#29- STACEY ALLEN- 7.94% (-16)
Power-X Ranking: Not Ranked
Perhaps you know her better as Stacey Mackenzie. Another ineligible wrestler who received a significant amount of support from the fans. Stacey wrestles for the first time since October when she teams up with Spectra Fantasia in the Velocity Main Event.
#28- SUMMER- 8.15% (-13)
Power-X Ranking: 15th (-6)
Bravo to those who remembered the rules, and that Summer was still eligible for one final ranking, since she competed in the last cycle. Future endeavors and all that, but you can’t help but wonder what might have been for her.
#27- WENDY BRIESE- 9.01% (-23)
Power-X Ranking: Not Ranked
Well, don’t bloody look at me! *I* sure as hell didn’t vote for her! Maybe I should start putting up an eligibility list for this thing...
#26- TRINITY- 9.62% (-3)
Power-X Ranking: 25th (-3)
Trinity’s three match winning streak will be on the line at Velocity, as she tries to down her rival Serafina once and for all.
#25- SAMARA STEELE- 13.51% (+8)
Power-X Ranking: 35th (+4)
WOW! Look who’s turning heads here after a big win over Tabby! Of course, she may have OTHER attributes that might have garnered her a few votes... or maybe this could be the start of something huge.
#24- HANNA ELLIOT- 13.88% (+14)
Power-X Ranking: 32nd (+1)
Coming up short against Cade at Anarchy didn’t cost Hanna too much, as she made a significant leap up the fanpoll this time around. 2013 could be a big year for her if she avoids wilting.
#23- VANESSA CADE- 16.74% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 29th (+7)
Cade is finally starting to live up to her hype and potential, erasing the bugaboo of her debut loss to Hanna. She’s probably got a few more wins to go before she starts poking her face into any title pictures, but she’s getting there.
#22- KELLY MCGUFFIN- 17.96% (-3)
Power-X Ranking: 18th (-5)
Kelly asked me if she would be in the top 10 once she beat Jennifer Williams, which indicated she might have been a bit overconfident coming into the Chase for the Crown Finals. She’s good enough to get a title, but she’s going to have to step back and reevaluate things going forward.
#21- PAYTON ST. PIERRE- 18.12% (+18)
Power-X Ranking: 21st (+11)
Payton managed to make a fair jump, after weathering a beatdown by Buchanan to steal a win at the end. And she’s ranked higher than Sophie Richards. That’s gotta make her happy.
#20- ARABELLA BLACK- 18.42% (DNRV)
Power-X Ranking: 30th (+1)
The highest ranking newcomer to the fanpoll, evidently her win in the Future Shock Cup won her some serious votes that the subsequent loss to Jodie Gray couldn’t take away. I think she’s got a little more ground than that, but she’s getting there.
#19- SERAFINA REYNOLDS- 22.91% (+1)
*NO SURRENDER CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 22nd (-1)Looks like that long-awaited title defense isn’t going to happen until 2013 for Serafina, which is good, because the line of credible challengers is stacking up. In the meantime, she absolutely HAS to beat Trinity, or she’s never going to forgive herself.
#18- CASEY ATHERTON- 27.35% (+4)
*UNITY CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 19th (+1)
Casey may have only gotten 18th in the fanpoll, but she did win the “Femme Fatale I’d most want to see in a skimpy Santa costume” poll I happened by the other day. So, um, yeah. Congrats.
#17- EMMA MACNAMARA- 27.76% (-7)
Power-X Ranking: 20th (-3)
It’s good to be in the Power Trip, since Emma sure as hell wouldn’t be going into the main event otherwise at this point. Luckily Team Adonis will be there to carry her, since she hasn’t won a singles match since May 26.
#16- SABRA NIKOLAYEV- 36.29% (=)
Power-X Ranking: 15th (+3)
It took a while, but Sabra has truly and utterly hit her stride in FFW. The last thing she’s going to want is for longtime rival SLC to screw that momentum up on Thursday.
#15- EILEEN AMARO- 35.84% (+2)
Power-X Ranking: 16th (-4)
It didn’t end the way she wanted it to, but Eileen still finishes the 2012 year with a VERY impressive 13 wins. The “One To Watch” lived up to her billing- we saw a lot of her, and for the most part, we liked what we saw.
#14- CAMILLA PAZZINI- 36.70% (=)
Power-X Ranking: 17th (-2)
Spectra Fantasia is obviously gearing themselves up for another run at the title, and hopefully this time Chunks can keep her ref abuse in check. Having sat out quite a bit lately, I bet she’s going to be busting some skulls come the main event of Velocity.
#13- JENNIFER WILLIAMS- 45.60% (+12)
Power-X Ranking: 12th (+16)
J-Will’s Chase-clinching victory ranks up there as one of the most impressive of Anarchy, and it finally stops her backslide. The question is, can she keep her feet on the ground, because if her head’s in the clouds when she faces Lightning, her balloon is going to be popped.
#12- STARLA MCCLOUD- 48.59% (-1)
*UNITY CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 13th (+3)
The matron of Team Adonis has been quiet lately, but that hardly makes her less dangerous. Still, we all know she hardly enjoys teaming with Casey. How’s she going to handle Emma being thrown in there too?
#11- KATHERINE STRYFE- 54.30% (+10)
Power-X Ranking: 11th (+12)
Kat’s win over Summer breathed new life into her, and it’s showing- this is the highest ranking she’s held since April. Expect it to go even higher as she zeroes in on Crystal Williams and the Evolution Championship.
#10- CAROLINE DALLINS- 67.33% (-2)
Power-X Ranking: 4th (+1)
As you can see in the gap- the voters certainly had the top 10 well separated from the rest of the pack. No respect for poor Caroline, however, who, despite being the One To Watch for 2013, didnt’ quite get the respect she deserves on here.
#9- JODIE GRAY- 68.37% (+21)
Power-X Ranking: 10th (+9)
Yup, you read that correctly. Jodie jumped twenty-one spots in the last two months thanks to her 7 match winning streak. A second victory over Arabella’s given her a chance to really put herself against some top flight competition. Can she handle it?
#8- VALERIE LAMB- 70.52% (+4)
Power-X Ranking: 9th (-3)
Her bid to win the Femme For All came up just shy, but she’s going to get another chance to get an FFW title shot, and I’m hearing sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Spectra Fantasia rides again Thursday night!
#7- SCARLETT KINCAID- 75.12% (-5)
Power-X Ranking: 5th (-3)
Scarlett’s never been out of the Top 5 on the Power X, and she keeps it that way- although not so much with the fanpoll, as Scar was hit hard in the wake of her loss to Isabella. And believe me, no one is kicking herself harder than the Ragin’ Cajun.
#6- LIGHTNING- 76.24% (+1)
*TELEVISION CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 8th (=)
The Future Shock Rookie of the year is actually NOT the highest ranked Future Shock rookie. But she’s still on quite the run, and she still hasn’t been pinned or submitted. She better be careful though- Jennifer Williams has a tendency to do the improbable.
#5- CARA STONE- 83.27% (=)
*ULTRAVIOLENCE CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 6th (+1)
It was a long-overdue first defense, but it was a damn successful one for Cara, who mowed through Emma to retain her title. It’s hardly a good thing for her personally, but professionally, you can’t deny that her schism with Anders has brought out a much more aggressive side.
#4- TARA THUNDER- 83.52% (-1)
Power-X Ranking: 3rd (=)
The Femme Fatale of the Year is a well deserved title, even if Tara managed to never gain the top belt, she went 9-2-1 on the year. 2013 will likely be more of the same for her.
#3- CRYSTAL WILLIAMS- 84.28% (+3)
*EVOLUTION CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 7th (+7)
Crystal’s successful retention of the Evolution Championship has squarely landed her in the Show spot in the fanpoll, as even I’m starting to find myself warming back up to her. She’s proven the doubters wrong, but how will she handle things as the likely favorite when Kat Stryfe cashes in?
#2- COLLEEN- 92.18% (+16)
Power-X Ranking: 2nd (+2)
It took thirteen months, but Colleen has finally worked her way back to the #2 spot. The support she’s going to find going into Cold Blooded is going to be overwhelming- but so will be the pressure. It’s time for Colleen’s story of redemption to write its final chapter, so a new, much happier book can begin.
#1- ISABELLA PAZZINI- 98.64% (=)
*FFW CHAMPION*
Power-X Ranking: 1st (=)
With over 80% of the first place votes, it’s safe to say that the FFW Faithful respect Isabella every bit as much as they hate her. But you can’t argue with her being #1. Not after winning that Hell in A Cell. Now all you can do is just hope that someone knocks her off.
And there you have it, kids! The second ever Fan Power-X! It was fun seeing what people thought of the talent of the best female wrestling promotion on Earth, and I can’t wait until we do it again after Cold Blooded.
In the meantime, be sure to watch Velocity Thursday night, with the awesome main event of Spectra Fantasia teaming with Stacey Allen against Team Adonis and Emma MacNamara. There will be (Power Trip) blood! Of course, the next Four corners isn’t going to be too far behind!
