From a Nation to a Universe

This article is part of #ATPW24, in aid of MIND Charity. You can help support the cause by going to www.justgiving.co.uk/acrossthepondwrestling

As soon as I set eyes on Uhaa Nation it was clear he was a special talent. And that's before I'd even seen him step in the ring. Uhaa's just got that look I mean... look at him...

That's that look that send Vinny Mac into involuntary spasms. It's the look that's got many a WWE superstar hired. But it's also the look that's been all a lot of those superstars have had. And as we've learnt the majority of fans won't take to big muscly blokes with no wrestling skills.

But here's the thing. Alongside that look, Uhaa has been one of the best wrestlers on the independent scene in recent memory. From mixing it up in Japan for Dragon Gate, England for Preston City Wrestling or America for EVOLVE, Uhaa has proven to some of the toughest fan-bases in the world that he's deserving of their affections. Many wrestlers have found the formula to appeal to one market, it takes a special talent to find it for three.

That formula for Uhaa is a combination of impressive power and mesmersing speed, that come together to create something very special indeed. Uhaa is equally comfortable hitting a standing shooting star press as he is a power slam. That's something that a bloke who rocks the scales at over 260 lbs just shouldn't be able to do. Uhaa Nation is a freak of nature. A glitch in the matrix.

So what kind of impact can we expect from Uhaa when he makes his debut on WWE NXT in the near future? There's an endless line of dream matches for Uhaa to run through. 

A battle with Hideo Itami would surely ruse the interest of the Japanese market with each man's history, whilst also offering an intriguing dynamic between the two, with Itami perhaps unable to use his pace to his advantage against the bigger man. Finn Balor would offer a similar situation, and again it's surprising that no one has ever booked these guys opposite each other!

Current NXT Champion Kevin Owens would surely have some to say about the arrival of Uhaa. The two's styles could clash, but Uhaa's not afraid to brawl and we've seen Owens loves a flippy flip from time to time also. Owens adversary Sami Zayn would make an interesting opponent, but perhaps an even more interesting tag team partner. The pair have similar demeanours and the mixture of power and agility could make them one of the best teams to watch in WWE. 

The list goes on... Kalisto...Adrian Neville...Solomon Crowe...Tyler Breeze...heck why not even Enzo Amore could all make for terrific opponents for The One Man Nation. That's before we even start looking at the main roster...Cesaro...Daniel Bryan...Seth Rollins...Dean Ambrose...Randy Orton all would offer different styles of opponents and matches. But I'm getting ahead of myself and getting the wrestling equivalent of a chub on.

Of course, very soon Uhaa Nation will be no more and TAFKA Uhaa Nation will be rechristened. We'll get used to the name, we'll get used to seeing him on our TV and I'm certain he'll fit right in with the talented crop that's currently residing in the Performance Center.

All that's left to do wish Uhaa the best of look in the next chapter of his career.

Live Review: Dragon Gate UK X

Baby Jesus and the orphans, this was a good show! 

This was my first Dragon Gate UK show, I'd heard rumours that their shows were kind of alright, but I don't think I was ready for just how good this show would be. The only guy on the card I'd seen live previously was Uhaa Nation (and Wild Boar, if you include the pre-show), and whilst I'd heard a lot about everyone on the show, there was only a handful that I'd seen footage of also. It was a very strange feeling going into a show, really not knowing what to expect. 

So, that's enough wittering, let's take a look at the show.

Pre-Show Match - Masato Yoshino (Monster Express) defeats "Wild Boar" Mike Hitchman (Team UK)

We actually ended up missing the start of this match, which seemed to start very early. Even taking into consideration what we missed (which couldn't have been much longer than two minutes), this was a short match. It did, however, do it's job very well, setting up the kind of hard-hitting and crisp action that would be on the menu for the rest of the evening. This one was all Yoshino, with Hitchman's only real offence being a tasty T-Bone suplex and a running senton. The finish saw Hitchman kick out of Yoshino's Lightning Spiral, before another Spiral got the win for Yoshino. 

I can't help thinking that this match was supposed to involve someone other than Yoshino, I'd imagine another UK wrestlers to face off against Hitchman, as it did seem strange that 'Yoshino would be working double duty. I expect we could have seen a very different match if this was the case.

Match 1 -  Akira Tozawa (Monster Express) defeated Will Osprey (Team UK) 

After a short break, the show proper started with a bang, in the shape of this good, crisp and clean encounter between Akira Tozawa and Will Osprey. With both wrestlers gaining favourable reactions from the crowd (Tozawa was clearly the majorities favourite however), this was a back and forth encounter, with some clever spots, such as a chop battle between the two, leading into a feigned chop by Tozawa, who prompty punched Ospreay in the face. 

Ospreay looked comfortable in the ring with the much more experienced Tozawa, impressing with his agility and speed, with a stunning moonsault plancha kicking off the night's high flying action perfectly. My only complaint about Ospreay was it didn't feel like he was fully commited to his "turn", in the middle of the match, as he called Tozawa a "pussyole", generating a modicum of heat. I would have like to have seen Ospreay really go for it at this point, as it was clear Tozawa was the favourite amongst most of the crowd. 

The finish was based around Tozawa's Bridging Delayed German Suplex finishing maneuvre, with the two trading holds as Tozawa attempted to hit move, whilst Ospreay attempted to evade it. Eventually Tozawa hit not one but two Germans to pull out the victory. I would have liked to have seen this match go at little longer, maybe another five minutes, as I think Ospreay and Tozawa had only scratched the surface of what they could do together within the squared circle, however with Tozawa also pulling double duty on the show, it's no real surprise. 

Match 2 - Uhaa Nation (Monster Express) defeated The Lion Kid

I think Uhaa Nation could be entertaining against pretty much anyone. Despite this being his Dragon Gate UK debut, the crowd certainly knew who he was, from his previous forays on the British Wrestling scene and bought the songs along with them. Nation seemed to lap up the attention, wrestling with a big smile on his face as the crowd sang classics like "Uhaa Just A Little Bit" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You...Uhaaaa" 

The match felt like it designed to show Nation off to anyone who hadn't seen him before, with Lion Kid spending a lot of the match bumping around for his bigger opponent. This was absolutely fine with me, as the majority of Kid's offence was sloppy and awkward looking. For a guy, who is supposed to be a highflyer, he looked very uncomfortable with a lot of the highflying moves, including a dangerous looking springboard to the outside. Maybe it was just an off night for Lion Kid?

Uhaa looked like a star throughout however, with an impressive array of moves demonstrating both his power and agility as he his Uhaa Combination to pick up the quick victory. A man his size should not be able to pull out such a beautiful standing shooting star press like that, should he? 

Match 3 - Susumu Yokozuka (Jimmys) & CIMA (Team Veteran) defeated Naruki Doi (Mad Blankey) & Masato Yoshino (Monster Express)

 

 

If the other two matches had been appetisers, the first half main event was a very satisfying main course. 

Following on from some solid chain wrestling from Yoshino and CIMA early on, this match escalated quickly into a series of incredible maneuvres and breath-taking near falls that had the crowd eating out of the hands of all four guys in the match. The pace of this one was incredible as it headed towards the finish, so quick in fact, that I stopped even trying to write notes as I didn't want to miss another move! 

By the finish I'm not sure there was person in the building who wasn't oohing and ahhing with each move and reacting to each near fall as it seemed to be over on a number of occasions. There was a time when someone near by said something to the effect of "This match is never going to end!" with a joyous vivre. By the time the finish came with CIMA hitting his Meteora (Diving Double Knee Drop) finishing move on Yoshino to pick up the victory for his team, the crowd was completely wrapped up in the match, as if nothing else in the world existed. Top, top quality. 

What stops this match ending up as Match of the Night for me, was the early attempts at psychology that were quickly dropped. Such as Doi & Yoshino working Yokozuka's arm, and Yokozuka and CIMA systematically picking apart Yoshino with a series of submission holds, which made a lot of sense as Yoshino had already wrestled one match in the evening. I think if these things hadn't been included early on, I wouldn't have been too bothered about the lack of any psycology later on, as it hadn't really been what I was expecting anyway, but I think using it early on, to not use it later on in the match felt like a bit of a waste. Either way this was still a superb way to close out the first half. 

Match 4 - BxB Hulk defeated YAMATO (Mad Blankey)

The single best match I've seen live. A pretty much perfect wrestling match, that ticked off all the boxes that I look for when watching a pro wrestling match.

It was a simple enough story being told, as Hulk worked YAMATO's arm, whilst Yamato took control of one of Hulk's legs. This made for a very happy reviewer, it helped how precise and crisp both men's offence and selling was as well. I was completely engrossed in this one as soon as YAMATO hit impressive Double Ropehung Dragon Screw Legwhip, before attempting to Irish whip Hulk into the corner, only for Hulk to fall to the ground clutching his leg before making it to the turnbuckle. 

As the match progressed, the pair became more aggressive, with the pair unleashing a series of stick kicks (YAMATO) and forearms (Hulk) that played nicely into the developing storyline and really got over what this match meant to the characters. The pace certainly picked up at this point, with a lot of fast-paced offence on either side, it did for a time seem like the previous psychology had been forgetten about, but luckily Hulk and YAMATO managed to add the subtlities in their selling that kept those previous injuries in the back of my mind. 

It all payed off with a tremendous submission sequence, as Hulk locked in an arm bar that made Alberto Del Rio look like Drew Carey. With astounding smoothness, YAMATO transitioned into an Ankle Lock, before Hulk regained momentum as YAMATO attempted to drag him back to the centre of the ring, locking in a Crossface/Armbar combination. As soon as YAMATO had made it to the ropes, both men were up and selling their respective body parts. I'd entered some kind of dreamland, by this point I think, as I neglected to write any more notes!


The pair did however launch into a blistering series of stiff strikes and near falls with a Canadian Destroyer thrown in there somewhere for good measure. By the time BxB Hulk hit his First Flash Superkick to pick up the victory, there had been thunderous and well deserved "This is Awesome" chants ringing out around the Broxborne Civic Centre. Just a top, top draw match. 

There are two things that could have made this match better...1. Have it as a rematch for Hulk's Open the Dream Gate Title 2. Have it as the main event of the show. There isn't much more the competitors themselves could've done for me here.  

Main Event - Monster Express (Ricochet & Akira Tozawa) defeated Team UK ("Party" Marty Scurll & "The Star Attraction" Mark Haskins)

 

 As you may be able to tell by the picture above, this match was not originally scheduled to contain Akira Tozawa. However, after Rich Swann's flight from Canada was cancelled Tozawa stepped in, recieving a tremendous pop from the audience when he walked out as Ricochet's partner for the evening. 

After the psychology heavy bout before, this was a spot fest, certainly all about the big moves with not much in the way of story telling, minus Haskins working Ricochet's arm for a short period. Luckily, those big moves were fairly impressive and came thick and fast. There were plenty of chances for those at ringside to get landed on, as the four took a number of dives to the outside, including a pair of stereo suicide dives to either side by Team UK and Tozawa's trademark multiple suicide dives, with a superb corkscrew plancha from Ricochet thrown into the mix as well. 

Marty Scurll seemed to enjoy the quite violent reaction that the crowd had towards him at time (He was probably the only wrestler on the show to garner heat for a sustained time), really playing up to the chants and basking in the attention he was receiving. Despite the heat, Scurll, alongside partner Haskins, was crisp throughout, with a Tornado DDT from Scurll into a Superkick from Haskins on Ricochet being a particular highlight. Not forgetting a silly Double Tombstone Piledriver! 

I thought the match was building rather nicely, with both teams having chances to win the match and both looking very comfortable working each other. Therefore, and I know this sounds a little strange, I was a little disapointed when Ricochet picked up the win with a Shooting Star Press. Of course, a Shooting Star Press is a terrific move, that many wrestlers could only dream of being able to use, but I was just expecting more, I think. It was one of the only near falls in the match, where I hadn't thought it was the actual finish, which left it feeling a little flat. Maybe an extra five minutes and a 630 Senton and I would've felt this match justified it's main event spot ahead of BxB Hulk vs YAMATO...

Finally...

This was, most definitely, the best show I have attended live. There wasn't a bad match on the card, with BxB Hulk and YAMATO taking Match of the Night with a near perfect match, that should've main event, a terrific All-Star Tag Match and the main event all delivering far and above my expectations. 

I would urge any British Wrestling fan who hasn't attended a Dragon Gate UK show to grab yourself some DVDs and book your tickets for next year, as this was a truly World-Class show on British soil.

TV Recap (14th-21st July 2014)

Here's all the TV and PPV results for the week commencing 14th July 2014.

Monday

 

Dragon Gate Rainbow Gate - Night 7

 

Osaka Bodymaker Colleseum #2
Osaka, Japan
Gaoro TV

1. Tag Team Match

Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi HAGeeMee, Jimmy Kanda & Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin) defeated MAD BLANKEY (Cyber Kong, Kzy & Naruki Doi) (11:16)

2. Falls Count Anywhere Match

Don Fujii vs. Mondai Ryu - No Contest (5:09)

3. Tag Team Match

Jimmyz (Jimmy Kagetora & Jimmy Susumu) defeated We Are Team Veteran (Gamma & Masaaki Mochizuki) (13:02)

4. Tag Team Match

Flamita & Masato Yoshino defeated We Are Team Veteran (Dragon Kid & K-ness) (11:50)

5. Six Man Tag Team Match

Monster Express (Akira Tozawa, Ricochet & Uhaa Nation) defeated Millenials (Eita, T-Hawk & Yosuke Santa Maria) (17:40)

6. Tag Team Match

BxB Hulk & Shingo Takagi defeated CIMA & YAMATO (21:05)

WWE Monday Night RAW 1103 (Review - http://www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk/2014/07/wwe-raw-14th-july-2014-review.html)

Richmond Coliseum
Richmond, Virginia, USA
USA Network

1. Non (United States) Title Match
The Miz defeated Sheamus (10:45)

2. Singles Match
Dolph Ziggler defeated Fandango (3:02)

3. Singles Match
Alberto Del Rio defeated Rob Van Dam (4:30)

4. Two on One Handicap Match
Alicia Fox & Cameron defeated Nikki Bella (3:35)

5. Singles Match
Big E (with Kofi Kingston) defeated Cesaro (4:35)

6. Non (Diva's) Title Match
AJ Lee defeated Eva Marie (2:22)

7. Singles Match
Bo Dallas defeated The Great Khali via Countout (1:46)

8. Three on Two Handicap Match
John Cena & Roman Reigns defeated Kane, Randy Orton & Seth Rollins by DQ (14:36)

Tuesday

WWE Main Event 94 (Review - http://www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk/2014/07/wwe-main-event-94-review-sheamus-vs-miz.html)

Crown Coliseum
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
WWE Network

1. Singles Match
Emma defeated Cameron (2:35)

2. Tag Team Match
Big E & Kofi Kingston defeated RybAxel (11:35)

3. Non (United States) Title Match
Sheamus defeated The Miz (7:35)

Thursday

TNA Impact Wrestling 523 (Review - http://www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk/2014/07/tna-impact-wrestling-episode-523-review.html)

Manhattan Center
New York City, New York, USA
Spike TV

1. Tag Team Match
 Ethan Carter III & Rhino defeated Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer (6:50)

2. TNA X-Division Title Gauntlet Match
Austin Aries (C) defeated Crazzy Steve and Davey Richards and DJ Z and Eddie Edwards and Manik and Sanada and Tiger Uno (16:43)

3. Tag Team Match
Bobby Roode & Eric Young defeated Kenny King & MVP by DQ (6:20)

4. No Disqualification No Countout Match
Madison Rayne defeated Brittany (6:41)

5. TNA World Heavyweight Title Match
Bobby Lashley (C) defeated Jeff Hardy (12:51)

WWE NXT 107 (Review - http://www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk/2014/07/wwe-nxt-episode-107-review-kidd-vs-zayn.html)

Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida, USA
WWE Network

1. Tag Team Match
The Vaudevillains defeated Colin Cassady & Enzo Amore (2:30)

2. Singles Match
CJ Parker defeated Xavier Woods (4:30)

3. Singles Match
Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss (2:50)

4. Singles Match
Adam Rose defeated Jason Jordan (3:15)

5. Singles Match
Sami Zayn defeated Tyson Kidd (10:20)

WWE Superstars 275 (Review - http://www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk/2014/07/wwe-superstars-episode-275-review-r.html)

Richmond Colliseum
Richmond, Virginia, USA
WWE Network

1. Singles Match
Naomi defeated Rosa Mendes

2. Singles Match
Ryback defeated R-Truth 

Friday

WWE Smackdown

Crown Colliseum
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
SyFy

1. Tag Team Match
Dolph Ziggler & Sheamus defeated Fandango & The Miz (12:28)

2. Singles Match
Chris Jericho defeated Luke Harper (12:41)

3. Singles Match
Alberto Del Rio defeated Kofi Kingston (4:48)

4. Tag Team Match
AJ Lee & Paige defeated Layla & Summer Rae (2:12)

5. Singles Match
Dean Ambrose defeated Kane by DQ (5:58)

Saturday

OVW TV 778

Davis Arena
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
ion Television

1. OVW Television Title Match
Adam Revolver (with Michael Titus) (C) defeated Robbie Walker

2. Singles Match
Raul LaMotta defeated Shiloh Jonze

3. Singles Match
Jamin Olivencia defeated Jason Lee

4. OVW Heavyweight Title #1 Contendership Fatal Fourway Match
Mevlin Maximus defeated Michael Hayes and Rump Thump and The Bodyguy 

Sunday 

Dragon Gate 15th Anniversary Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival

Kobe World Hall
Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
PPV

1. Six Man Tag Team Match
We Are Team Veteran (Don Fujii, Gamma & Masaaki Mochizuki) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, Stalker Ichikawa & Uhaa Nation (0:08)

2. Six Man Tag Team Match
We Are Team Veteran (Don Fujii, Gamma & Masaaki Mochizuki) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, Stalker Ichikawa & Uhaa Nation (3:08)

3. Tag Team Match
Jimmyz (Jimmy Kagetora & Jimmy Kanda) defeated MAD BLANKEY (Mondai Ryu & Punch Tominga) (4:51)

4. Open The Brave Gate Title Match
Flamita (C) defeated Dragon Kid (15:58)

5. Open the Triangle Gate Title Match
MAD BLANKEY (Cyber Kong, Kzy & Naruki Doi) (C) defeated Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi HAGeeMee, Jimmy Susumu & Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin) (14:19)

6. Tag Team Match
Monster Express (Masato Yoshino & Ricochet) defeated CIMA & Matt Sydal (14:17)

7. Open the Twin Gate Title Match
Millenials (Eita & T-Hawk) defeated Monster Express (C) (Akira Tozawa & Shingo Takagi) (30:03) - TITLE CHANGE!!!

8. Open the Dream Gate Title Match
BxB Hulk defeated YAMATO (C) - (32:15) TITLE CHANGE!!!

IGF Genome30

Fukuoka International Center
Fukuoka, Japan
Television Nishinippon

1. IGF MMA Rules Match
SHUNYA defeated Iron Horse Tanaka by Referee Stoppage (4:07)

2. IGF MMA Rules Match
Masatatsu Ueda defeated Takuya (3:43)

3. Singles Match
Atsushi Sawada defeated Keisuke Okada (2:16)

4. Singles Match
Manabu Hara defeated Koji Iwamoto (11:29)

5. Singles Match
Shogan Okamoto defeated Wang Bin (0:59)

6. Singles Match
Heddi Karaoui defeated Black Tiger (9:30)

7. Singles Match
Crusher Kawaguchi defeated Shinichi Suzukawa (5:21)

8. Singles Match
Kazuyuki Fujita defeated Daichi Hashimoto (2:22)

9. Tag Team Match
Minowaman & Naoyo Ogawa defeated Hiromi Amanda & Jerome Le Banner (7:54)

WWE Battleground Kick Off

Tampa Bay Times Forum
Tampa, Florida, USA
WWE Network

1. Singles Match
Adam Rose defeated Fandango (1:21)

2. Singles Match
Cameron defeated Naomi (3:12)

WWE Battleground

Tampa Bay Times Forum
Tampa, Florida, USA
PPV/WWE Network

1. WWE Tag Team Title Best Two Out of Three Falls Match
The Usos defeated The Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan & Luke Harper) [2-1] (18:50)

2. WWE Diva's Title Match
AJ Lee (C) defeated Paige (7:02)

3. Singles Match
Rusev defeated Jack Swagger via Countout (9:45)

4. Singles Match
Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose via Forfeit

5. Singles Match
Chris Jericho defeated Bray Wyatt (15:03)

6. Intercontinental Title Battle Royal (Vacant)
The Miz defeated Alberto Del Rio and Big E and Bo Dallas and Cesaro and Curtis Axel and Damien Sandow and Diego and Dolph Ziggler and Heath Slater and Kofi Kingston and R-Truth and Ryback and Sheamus and Sin Cara and The Great Khali and Titus O'Neil and Xavier Woods and Zack Ryder - TITLE CHANGE!!! (14:11)

7. WWE World Heavyweight Title Fatal Fourway Match
John Cena (C) defeated Kane and Randy Orton and Roman Reigns (18:16)

Five Questions With...Marc Pearson

After last week's interview with SoCal Val, it's time to delve into the world of the wrestling Youtuber, as we speak to Marc Pearson.

Name: Marc Russell Pearson
Age: 31
Hometown: Congleton, Cheshire, England 
Known For: Being an average commentator and an awful wrestling reviewer 

1. When did you first get into wrestling and what was the drew you to the sport?

I've been told I used to watch World Of Sport while sat on my father's lap when I was very young  ( I was born in 82 so its plausible) but like most people in the UK I really got into wrestling when SKY got the rights to the WWF in the early 90's. Our group of friends had a mate who we didn't like too much but he had sky so once a month, usually on a Monday afternoon we would run to his house after school and watch the latest PPV. I was hooked good and hard, I had the trading cards, the blue plastic ring and the figures and still have some of those old ppv's on original vhs recordings. 

I was drawn in by the larger than life characters, by the excitement, the action and the drama of wrestling. As I grew older I began to appreciate the storytelling of wrestling and that made my appreciation of it increase tenfold. Outside a few blips (such as 1995, urgh what a terrible year!) I've been watching ever since

2. Tell us a little about your YouTube Channel  and how that came about?

Well, it pains me to say that I started on YouTube by uploading backyard wrestling videos. A few friends would get together and do backyard wrestling, but indoors!!! We thought we were the absolute greatest thing online and believe it or not we actually had quite a big following at one point. I watched a few wrestling q&a's at the time and a user called bigrob1991 (known today as Sarcastic Venom) said I should give it a try. He supplied me with a few questions and the rest is history. 

3. Where do you see British Wrestling heading in the next five years or so and why? 

If British Wrestling continues the way it has since I became aware of it, it can only get better and better. We're in a really privileged position at the moment as there are so many good promotions that put on great shows every month. My worry is that people see how good these promotions are doing and want a piece of the action. It would be very easy for the market to become over saturated. But at the moment there are so many good promotions out there and pretty much the whole of the UK is covered by a great promotion. So many WWE fans complain about the product and you can see people love of the business dying out but if they just went along to a britwres show I guarantee that love will come back tenfold, there is nothing like live wrestling. My passion for the business was almost gone when I discovered Futureshock in August 2011, these days it's never been higher and that's almost nothing to do with WWE!!!!

4. What are your Top Three matches of all time and why? 

Shingo Vs Yokosuka 3 from DragonGate's UK Invasion 3 in Nottingham in November 2011 is the single best match I've ever seen be it in person or on TV. A drag out knock down war which featured the best selling I've ever seen. Just an incredible match from an unreal night of action. 

The other 2 matches are very hard as they change all the time, so today one could be the Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels while tomorrow it could Rock Vs Stone Cold.

5. Where can our readers find your work and what have you got coming up?

The best place to find me is on my YouTube channel which is http://www.youtube.com/themarcrpears0n. I upload the latest WWE PPV and Raw reviews combined with reviews of old shows in my 10 years ago series where I look at the PPV from the corresponding month 10 years ago, so for example in December we will be looking at WWE Armageddon 2003. I can be found on Twitter @marcrpearson101