Every decision I've made in my life for the past decade has revolved around trying to get my book to see the light of day... and overcoming my own cowardice and lack of self-esteem to make that happen.

I finally, finally, put the first piece of it out there publicly. The first book is 100% complete, but I'm holding off publishing it on Amazon until I record it as an audiobook. As a companion piece to it, I wrote a short story years ago; I recorded the short story earlier this week, and the “video” is up on YouTube for you to listen to. Hopefully Rick doesn't mind a little HTML code here, but here's a link, and here's an embed:
 

It's a single, self-contained story that hopefully you'll enjoy listening to. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and I rather guess that most of the audience at a professional wrestling website will not cross over to a dramatic reading of a story set in a typical Tolkien-esque fantasy timeline (though magic and monsters aren't part of the short story). I hold no illusions of grandeur; I post the link here not because I think I'm the second coming of fantasy writers, but because it also helps convince myself that my writing (and me personally) is not a total piece of shit. Baby steps for my self-esteem and -confidence, I suppose.

So, enjoy that, then enjoy the recap! Or... enjoy the recap first? Whatever you wish to do. Let's roll.

Segment 1: We're opening the show with Maryse, who is standing in the ring, which is coated in the black carpet and has a couple director chairs. You know what this means, and she announces The Miz, who makes his full entrance for Miz TV.

Miz and Maryse verbally blow each other in a wonderfully over-the-top way that would even a romantic comedy would fine overdone (meaning it's perfect in context). They end up kissing with unnecessary lip and neck action, turning it gross; also perfect in context.

Then Zack Ryder hits the ring to interrupt them. After he lightly mocks them, Miz defends himself by pointing out that he took Ryder's WrestleMania moment less than 24 hours after it happened. Ryder counters that while Miz took the title, Miz can't take away the moment itself, and all us fans were going batshit for it when it happened. Ryder confidently says he'll get the title back eventually, but in the meantime, it'll be fun for him to see Cesaro (the current #1 contender) to beat him down. But Miz is afraid of him, Miz could always take on Ryder right now.

The fans are on board, but... wait, Miz agrees? Wait, no: Miz stops in mid-angry-robe strip to say that Ryder already has a match tonight against “this man.” Ryder looks confused, but he's not backing down from...

Uh... who? Oh, it's Baron Corbin. I haven't seen this guy in action yet since I don't watch NXT (since I'm an idiot), but I guess this is happening after ads.

Segment 2 [Singles Match]: Baron Corbin extend-squashes Zack Ryder by pin. This happened. It's back to business as usual for poor Ryder.

Post-Segment 2: After the match, Corbin chucked Ryder out of the ring and wanted to add insult to injury. Dolph Ziggler hit the ring to make the save, and Corbin just bailed rather than fighting back. But he's got his debut win. Hopefully Ryder isn't actually done, but this doesn't look for the guy, especially if the rumors are true and he's going to let his contract lapse when it runs out.

Segment 3: Renee Young interviews Kevin Owens in the back, who says that Sami Zayn was lucky he was escorted out of the building on Monday; tonight, there is no one who can help him when he (Zayn) faces Chris Jericho tonight in the main event. Interference, ahoy.

Segment 4 [Singles Match]: Emma defeats Paige by pin. Decent match, nothing special. After a stalemate tie-up, Paige gets the advantage by stomping the crap out of Emma in the corner. Paige backs off to charge, and Emma counters by tripping her head-first into the corner. From there, Emma just goes for head-targeted offense by slamming Paige's head into the corner a dozen times before lifting her and hitting a reverse guillotine on the top rope.

Rest holds from there though it doesn't last long, and Paige gets her hope spot with kicks and knees that Daniel Bryan would be proud of. Paige can't close the deal, so she sends Emma to the corner and puts her on the top rope. Emma fights off however, slips down, and cuts down Paige's legs to make her fall off the top rope and smash her face on the top turnbuckle. Emma covers from there, and it's enough to get the pin.

Paige sort of sold her nose like it may actually have been something serious, but there wasn't blood; hopefully she was just selling really well.

Segment 5: RAW recap concerning Roman Reigns's activities.

Segment 6: Enzo and Cass hit the ring, with Enzo being Enzo. I knew I'd have to recap these guys talking at some point, and I already planned how I'm going to do it: I won't, at least not verbatim. Because if I tried, I'd be dedicating full pages to them. Enzo can cram in more words-per-minute than a court stenographer. So instead, I'll give you the gist, though I encourage you to always check them out yourself.

They're facing The Ascension tonight, and Enzo absolutely dismisses them as any real competition, which is the grandest insult he could give. Cass follows it up by calling them Sawft, of course.

Then we go to ads.

Segment 7 [Tag Match]: Enzo & Cass defeat The Ascension by pin. Good match, nothing overly special, but worth a watch. Konnor gets the first knockdown with a huge lariat that Enzo properly oversells. But Enzo is able to contain Viktor when he tags in, and then the faces' quick tags keep him fully contained. But that doesn't last long when Enzo gets back in, and he quickly falls to the heels' power.

Enzo gets a prayer when he slips a corner charge, sending Konnor shoulder-first into the ring post. Double hot tags, and Cass goes house of fire, making both members of The Ascension look like cruiserweights. A Pier Four Brawl breaks down when Cass tries to end the match, but the Ascension is quickly dispatched. Konnor eats a big boot to fly off the apron, and Cass helps Enzo with the Rocket Launcher to keep Viktor down.

Segment 8: Jojo, sporting a new look, interviews AJ Styles, who is full of confidence that he'll beat Roman Reigns when they finally have their title match. Alberto Del Rio then appears to basically dismiss AJ and his supposed skills. He's sure that the hype can't be real, which is why he requested a match for tonight. But now that they're face to face, ADR can see that AJ doesn't belong here.

AJ actually agrees: he doesn't belong “in this setting”; that is, talking in the back. He belongs in the ring, and when he's there, he's going to prove to ADR that he does deserve to be there. ADR dismisses that, but leaves without incident.

Segment 9 [Singles Match]: AJ Styles defeats Alberto Del Rio by pin. Solid match and definitely worth a watch if you dig workrate.

Slow build for this one, since the guys spend the first minute just circling around each other. ADR scored the first couple knockdowns, but Styles was quick to answer with rapid strikes and a stiff dropkick out of nowhere. ADR bailed from the ring to catch his breath, but Styles followed him and hit a running knee along the apron before throwing ADR back in. Shot the half, only a one.

Styles shoved ADR to the corner and attacked with several chops, but ADR reversed an Irish Whip and delivered a few kicks, including a low dropkick. Pin, only two. Styles bailed from the ring then to catch his breath, but ADR followed him out, threw him into the barricade, then threw him back in the ring. As Styles got up, ADR came off with a flying double ax handle. Pin, only two.

Styles then took advantage by retreating to a corner and slipping a charge. Styles continued with the chops and forearms to keep ADR controlled in a corner. ADR reversed a charge to a back body drop to send Styles to the apron. Styles landed clean, but ADR followed up with his step-up enziguri, sending Styles to the floor. ADR followed up once more with a baseball slide, and that took us to ads.

Back, and ADR is using power and roughneck offense to keep Styles contained. But it doesn't last long as Styles gets his hope from ADR whiffing an enziguri. Styles hits all his trademark moves but can't close the deal, especially when ADR hits a Backstabber out of nowhere. ADR can't follow up though: Styles dodges a low superkick and counters with a Pele Kick out of nowhere. Pin, only two.

Styles went up to the top rope for... something, but ADR pulled his foot and wrapped him in the tree of woe. ADR quickly took advantage and hit a sick super belly to back suplex, except Styles landed on his face and forehead instead of his back. We got a single fist of health, but it was still pretty scary.

ADR failed a pin from that, but put Styles back in the tree of woe for his trademark double stomp. But ADR preened too much, and Styles dodged it, answering with a kick of his own before retreating to the apron. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but ADR dodged it and countered with the Cross Arm Breaker. However, Styles rolled through it, countered with an Oklahoma Roll out of nowhere, and put basically his entire body weight into holding the pin. Three count, and he took the win while ADR argued with the ref.

Segment 10: R-Truth is in the back and texting, uh, someone. Oh, here's Goldust to say that while Golden Truth may happen at some point, it's not tonight. But Goldust does have a partner for the tag team tournament. Enter Fandango, who leads Goldust into ridiculous hip swivels. Truth stays in shocked silence as Goldust and Fandango exit stage right.

Segment 11 [Tag Match]: The Vaudevillains defeat Fandango & Goldust by pin. Short match, nothing special. Aiden English started by pearl harboring Goldust before the latter got fully ready. English delivered a dozen kicks and stomps both to start and when Goldust retreated in panic to the corner. Rapid tags among the heels keep Goldust contained until Goldust hits a power slam out of absolutely nowhere. That leads to a hot tag to Fandango, and he quickly puts Simon Gotch on defense with rapid strikes, an enziguri, and a spinning heel kick.

Fandango wants a pin from there but English runs interference. Goldust clotheslines English over the top rope but can't keep him contained, and English runs distraction from outside the ring. Goldust is never to be seen again, so the Vaudevillains hit Fandango with a Whirling Dervish without much effort.

Segment 12: RAW recap of Dean Ambrose's activities with Chris Jericho on Monday. Transition from there as Jericho is interviewed by Jojo. Jericho says that all his opponents lately—Styles, Ambrose, and Zayn tonight—have no respect, making them all jerks. Lest we all forget, he's totally the one who beat The Rock and Steve Austin to be the first WWE Undisputed Champion. So we should drink him in, since a talent like him is like Haley's Comet and comes around once every 76 years. Sami Zayn is a talent that comes up like once or twice a week, and Jericho is going to prove it tonight. We'll see, buddy.

Segment 13 [Singles Match]: Sami Zayn defeats Chris Jericho by disqualification. Several exchanges to open with Zayn getting the best of it, so Jericho exits the ring just to attack an office chair. No, really.

As Jericho started to reenter the ring, Kevin Owens's music hit, and KO himself sauntered down to the ring... shortly followed by Dean Ambrose? Huh, okay. Ambrose has fliers advertising Ambrose's Asylum, and he starts handing them out to everyone, including Owens. This takes us to ads, thoroughly confused.

Back, and now we know why that spare chair was out there, since Ambrose and Owens have joined the commentary table. In the ring, Jericho has the advantage with technical moves and a little high flying. The match pretty much takes a backseat to Ambrose and Owens arguing on commentary.

Zayn gets some momentum in the match with rapid clotheslines and a flying cross body off the top, but he can't close the deal. Jericho tries to fight back and finally gets a double underhook powerbomb-to-backbreaker, which was pretty sweet. Jericho continues the offense with chops and a forearm, but then goes for a top rope double ax handle that Zayn counters. Zayn follows up with a tornado DDT; pin, but only two.

Both guys jockey for position, and it's Jericho who hits a one-handed bulldog to take momentum. But when he tries a Lionsault, Zayn blocks it. Zayn then goes for the Helluva Kick, but Jericho slips it and counters it into the Walls of Jericho. Zayn manages to claw his way to the ropes to force a break, then rolls to the apron. Zayn then tries a springboard something or other, but Jericho counters it by shoving Zayn to the floor. When Zayn gets to his feet, Jericho delivers a baseball slide, sending Zayn flying into (but not over) the commentators' table.

Jericho exits the ring and circles Zayn... then just cold-cocks Ambrose for no reason. While that's going on, Zayn positions himself near Owens, who shit-talks him. Jericho, done with Ambrose, charges Zayn, who just back body drops him into Owens.

Bodies are everywhere as Zayn chucks Jericho into the ring. Jericho recovers first and slaps Zayn and talks more shit, until Zayn nails him with a suplex to the corner. Zayn heads to the opposite corner to tease the Helluva Kick, but then it's Owens to clothesline his head off and draw the DQ.

Jericho helps Owens attack Zayn. Ambrose arrives to make the save and after the Pier Four Brawl, it's the faces who stand tall in the ring as Owens retreats up the ramp and Jericho licks his wounds behind Eden Stiles. Heh.

Final Thoughts: Pretty decent night for sustainable episodic TV, with storylines like the tag title tournament advancing and the right people getting pushes. Everything was pretty straightforward, and I'm not prone to have as much expert analysis as our Rick, so... I'm going to end it here. Check out my short story if you have 40 minutes to kill, and I'll see you next week, hopefully in better health.

Episode Grade: B