POW by Aquinas

[Overman]

POW Melee -- Countdown to POW Rising
Pleaides Star Stadium

-- Tonight, we will determine 2 of the 3 MMA #1 contenders. Who will Stigma and Hanuman defend their titles against at POW Rising?


Mad Jester -vs- Absalom
-- This one wasn't close. Absalom put down the bizarre clone in just under two minutes with a flurry of strikes
Absalom wins by KO via looping left hand


Rubicon -vs- Gordo
-- The Pleaides faithful were sorely disappointed here. Why? Rubicon never showed up! No one reported seeing him at the stadium even. His bizarre behavior keeps getting worse. Gordo gets a "victory" without breaking a sweat.
Gordo wins by technicality due to Rubicon's no show


Excalibur -vs- Dread Knight
-- Dread Knight may have the fans behind him, but showings like this run the risk of making him the MMA equivalent of a jobber. Excalibur got the job done in less than a minute, with a couple blistering punches
Excalibur wins by KO via right jab, left elbow punch

For the Cruiserweight #1 Contention
Zed Marlowe -vs- Ahnu
-- After two routes and a no-show, the antsy crowd finally had something to get into here. This one was a nice match. Marlowe continues to show an aptitude for MMA, and Ahnu quite simply is becoming the hottest star in all of POW.
-- Already the Wrestling Cruiserweight Champion, the Jardiil warrior put himself in the position to make POW history. A sudden, solid backfist crumpled Marlowe and stopped this one....and gives Ahnu a shot to become the first dual champion (wrestling and MMA)
Ahnu wins by KO via rolling backfist


For the Super Heavyweight #1 Contention
Mensar -vs- Puma
-- This one almost immediately became a grappling affair, which always bodes well for Puma, who may be the greatest grappler in all of POW. The already two-time Super Heavyweight MMA champ had troubles applying any meaningful submissions on the Mensan behemoth, who desperately tried to get this one back to a stand and strike match.
-- Puma didn't relent, and ultimately applied an inescapable choke. Mensar refused to tap out and tried to escape, and seemed to wrench his neck badly for his troubles. The referee stopped the fight then and there.
-- Puma will get a shot for a three-peat, when he takes on Hanuman at POW Rising!
Puma wins by SUB via crucifix choke


POW Rising is coming in two fight cards, and thus far:Hanuman (c) -vs- Puma for the Super Heavyweight MMA Title
Stigma (c) -vs- Ahnu for the Cruiserweight MMA Title
Shylock (c) -vs- the winner of Saboteur-Indigo for the Heavyweight MMA Title
The Punks (c) -vs- Darwin's Legacy for the Tag-Team Wrestling Titles
Jack of Diamonds -vs- Raven in Jack's final wrestling match

[Overman]

POW Underground - Countdown to POW Rising
Io Arena

-- Tonight will be a mix of wrestling and MMA -- with four matches of the former; one of the latter....that one being the #1 Contender's fight between Saboteur and Indigo. The winner will take on Shylock for the Heavyweight MMA Championship!
-- Also tonight, in what Dr. Barnabas is arrogantly calling a "tune-up fight", Darwin's Legacy -- who at POW Rising will challenge the Tag-Team Champions, The Punks -- will take on Hanuman and Quetzal. Quetzal, a recent re-addition to Gila's team, will pair with the Superheavyweight MMA Champion against the hated Species foes.


Cypher -vs- Crucible
-- Cypher, favoring MMA, hasn't wrestled much lately, but you wouldn't have guessed it from this match. Crucible was no match for him. The Io fans carried on what is becoming widespread -- huge support for the once-hated Cypher!
-- Color commentator Janus the Overman, a longtime friend of Cypher, said at one point, "The fans are finally figuring out what has been clear for years -- Cypher is the greatest all-around star in this business. He's not charming like a Dante....he just takes care of business."
Cypher wins by submission via CYPHER STRETCH

-- After the match, Cypher was met by ringside reporter Dynamo and snapped, "You've got my attention, Conundrum....or should I say Leto K’Jahnda. I guess I should be scared or something, that you've toiled away for years in prison hell-bent on exacting revenge on me? Or that you've roped in Stigma and taken to sneak attacks? Do I honestly look scared to you? Do I ever look scared?"
-- He grabbed the microphone away from Dynamo and went on, "You can hate me all you want. Get in line with the rest of them. You can hold your little grudges and make dramatic speeches about this and that. There's lots of talkers around here. But twice now you've suckered me. And then you say you're going to mess with my career and my success? That's where you get me a little annoyed. You want my attention? Like I said, you've got it. Let's cut right to it -- MMA or wrestling, I could care less....but let's settle this in the ring at POW Rising. Bring all your little pent-up anger -- it won't matter when you actually have to deal with me face-to-face without sneak attacks."


T.K. -vs- J.J. Smooth
-- Smooth unexpectedly came down with his former tormentor, the Mad Jester! The two seemed quite amicable, having a good time and high-fiving fans.
-- T.K. was his usual self however -- all business. This was another route.
T.K. wins by pinfall via ONWARD SOLDIER


-- The cameras all turned their attention to the back, where there was a situation.
-- Hanuman and Gila (with Mollock of course) were seen standing over a crumpled and unconscious Quetzal! "Did anyone see what happened?" Gila kept yelling.
-- The nearest person was Dante, preparing for his upcoming match. The Italian gestured to a dark corner nearby and said, "All I saw was some sort of light, like a stun gun, from that general area. I ran over there and whoever it was had left."
-- Hanuman let out a low whistle. "My money's on the good doctor....unless my cousin has finally decided to show his face."
-- Gila sighed. "Mandrill? Here? You've been convinced for months now he's the one after you....but why take out Quetzal?"
-- Hanuman pointed towards the nearby curtains. "Because he and I are supposed to take on Darwin's Legacy in minutes. Now I have to take them on alone...."
-- Gila looked troubled. "We've got enough troubles with Barnabas' crew, now this."
-- Hanuman rubbed his chin. "Well, you've been saying the itch to get back in the ring is strong....it's never easy against Darwin's Legacy, but I could use some help against them."

Hanuman & Quetzal Gila -vs- Darwin's Legacy
-- Hanuman, Gila and Mollock made their way down for this match, where Barnabas and his tandem were already waiting.
-- Hanuman started things off, but had troubles with Nero and made a rather quick tag to Gila. The lizard made a valiant effort, but not surprisingly was quickly taken down by Nero.
-- At one point, Gila made an effort to tag out, but Hanuman seemed distracted by -- of all things -- Mollock. Even Mollock made gestures towards the desperate Gila....but Hanuman seemed oblivious.
-- It didn't last long after that.
Darwin's Legacy wins by pinfall via EXTINCTION

-- Mollock came into the ring and fretted over the dazed and battered Gila, who was struggling to his feet. Hanuman came in too, looking concerned.
-- Suddenly, a loud pop erupted from the rafters, and a stun gun energy blast shot down and nailed Mollock! The crowd gasped, all eyes upward.
-- A voice called out over the sound system, "Sorry to disappoint you all, but this isn't Mandrill. It was never Mandrill."
-- Familiar music started playing....and a figure rapidly dropped to the ring via a hover device -- it was Raven!!! Hanuman backed away to the nearest corner, looking defensive. Gila still was recovering.
-- Always an opportunist, Dynamo rushed into the ring, but the second he got his microphone out, Raven snapped, "I didn't choose this moment to be questioned by some third-rate ex-jobber. Get out of here. I'll answer to Marco or Overman, people I respect."
-- Dynamo looked supremely annoyed, but left....Gritty Marco and Overman shrugged at each other, and Janus decided to enter the ring.
-- Overman: "What's this all about?"
-- Raven: "That's better, one of my top rivals when we were on top of the wrestling galaxy. You and I, two legends standing here. Mandrill was a legend too, but he's not part of this. Never has been."
-- Overman: "What's your problem with Hanuman?" This prompted Hanuman to step closer, beside Janus.
-- Raven: "Problem? I didn't spend the past years plotting against Hanuman. Did you see me shoot him tonight? No, I shot Mollock. One down. Next up -- Gila...."
-- He turned to the lizard, who had finally gotten to his feet and was looking baffled. Abruptly, Hanuman lunged forward, at first seemingly intent on Raven, but he veered and absolutely devastated Gila with a clothesline! The crowd started booing.
-- Overman: "What the hell?"
-- Raven: "Relax, Janus. I'll tell you what's going on. What's going on is a war. Do you think I came back for a feel-good swan song for Jack of Diamonds? Sure, I'll honor that and wrestle him at POW Rising....but that's not why I'm back."
-- Raven: "Dr. Barnabas nearly brought my long, illustrious, legendary career to an embarrassing end, when he and his minions almost crippled me. As I sat there, stewing and recovering, I watched as some pathetic lizard flailing around trying to take down Species."
-- He looked down at the fallen manager and laughed. "Gila! Taking on Dr. Barnabas! That's like fighting a war with rubber knives and BB guns! Hanuman is one of the most promising stars in POW, and he's been saddled with this idiot."
-- Hanuman snorted and kicked Gila and Mollock for good measure.
-- Raven: "Hanuman and I both want Dr. Barnabas brought down once and for all. He and his monsters need to be stopped. It's time to fight a real war. Gone are the days where this pathetic excuse for a strategist is calling the shots. Get out of the way, Gila....Quetzal....you're not helping. Gila's allowed Barnabas to only get stronger. That all stops here. Hanuman now has a REAL manager....and you'll see the difference at POW Rising when he has to defend his title against Puma."


Dante & Euritar -vs- The Reformation (Absalom & Benedict)
-- The ever-popular singles stars Dante and Euritar came down, and as the match was ready to start, seemed to disagree over who would start things off. Dante was insistent, and finally Euritar threw up his hands and agreed.
-- Benedict had troubles with the charismatic Italian, who dazzled the crowd with his agile mastery of the newcomer. He paused at times to fire up the crowd more.
-- Euritar called out a couple times, asking to be tagged in, but Dante seemed not to notice, totally caught up in the moment as he dominated the rookie. He did his thumbs up/down thing, and chose HEAVEN to put the finishing touches on this route.
Dante & Euritar win by pinfall via HEAVEN

-- Euritar shook his head in irritation as Dante was totally absorbed in the fan attention. As the Italian went to each ring post to posture to the crowd, Euritar decided to just leave on his own.


MAIN EVENT -- MMA Match for Heavyweight #1
Saboteur -vs- Indigo
-- Indigo may be on a hot streak lately, but he was the decided underdog against the dangerous masked man.
-- For good reason -- this one wasn't even close. Saboteur dropped him early, pounced, and proceeded to smother Indigo, trying submission after submission.
-- Indigo was able to break free and get to his feet, but Saboteur was on him again, and an uchi mata ended this one with a thud
Saboteur wins by KO via uchi mata

-- Anyone who though POW Underground would be a little Countdown to POW Rising affair was sorely mistaken. This turned out to be one of the biggest moments in POW, thanks to Raven and Hanuman's betrayal of Gila.
-- Plus, we'll get Saboteur - Shylock to headline what is already going to be a phenomenal supercard!

[Eliath]

A very good series of cards Overman!

Like Trent Lawless love the way you are developing the Conundrum-Stigma/Cypher-Pendekar angle.

Truely excellent writing! Great job!

[Trent Lawless]

It's almost like seeing an alternate universe rendition of what I wrote, same outcomes, different approaches. Both pretty darn cool!

[Overman]

Thanks! I'm trying to incorporate the main storylines without too much sidetracking, since I really just want to get down to the action.

I struggled with setting up Raven's direction, until it just was easier to lay it out before Jack's retirement match.

[Overman]

POW Round Table
Countdown to POW Rising

Qualitar: Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we'll tackling a few issues facing the upcoming supercard, POW Rising. With me are Janus the Overman, Gritty Marco, and Dynamo. Let's get right into it. Topic number one -- Raven and his stunning power play. Janus?

Janus: I have to admit I was shocked. Everything about his friendly return to face Jack of Diamonds seemed plausible....and yet he apparently staged this whole thing, from the rumors of Mandrill's return right down to setting up Gila's in-ring team up with Hanuman.

Dynamo: And let's not forget that Hanuman was part of this all along. What a betrayal these two plotted out against Gila.

Janus: You know what, let's just call it for what it is -- Raven is right. Whatever good intentions Gila has always had, he's like a mall cop trying to stop an interstellar invasion. He has never been able to compete with the machinations of Dr. Barnabas.

Marco: No kidding. I admire his resolve, but Barnabas has been running all over this league, from Puma attacking just about everybody months ago, to Darwin's Legacy bullying around the tag team division. It was slimy of Raven and Hanuman to sucker Gila, but you've got to believe these guys are more equipped to actually stop Species.

Qualitar: A nice little side feud that may be developing -- if you listened to Quetzal's bold words this afternoon -- is the luchador versus Raven.

Marco: Could be a career-launching situation for him, if Raven bothers to wrestle him. Raven may be a couple notches below his prime, but he's one of the most accomplished wrestlers in wrestling history.

Overman: One of....but not THE most accomplished. But that goes without saying.

Qualitar: Ahem, yes Janus. Let's run quickly through some predictions. Quick-fire style. Raven-Jack.....

Janus: I'll go with Raven. I know he's probably rusty, but even an old Raven is still great. This guy was one of my biggest foes back in the day, and he'll surprise some people still.

Dynamo: Jack of Diamonds. I can't see him ending one heck of a career in defeat.

Marco: I'll go with Dynamo on this. Jack has done it all, and even in the twilight of his career, he has continued to look good.

Qualitar: Conundrum - Cypher

Marco: We haven't seen much from this newcomer, other than one impressive win and a lot of anger. I've got to go with Cypher -- which is usually a safe bet.

Dynamo: Revenge is a powerful motivator. I'm calling the big upset -- Conundrum

Janus: Cypher has a chip on his shoulder, first from another loss to Shylock, second from getting jacked twice by this new guy....he'll win here. Conundrum's day may come -- but not in match #2.

Qualitar: Stigma defending the Cruiserweight MMA strap against Ahnu

Janus: Ahnu is on a crazy hot streak, but Stigma has a vice grip on this title. Could be a classic. I'll go with the champ. I don't see Ahnu being a double champion at this point.

Dynamo: Stigma. Warding off Pendekar like that...twice....he's the real deal.

Marco: Ahnu impresses me a lot, but lately he seems preoccupied with not only Thayne but the newcomer Konari. Stigma has gotten embroiled in Cypher-Conundrum, but he'll be more focused here. Stigma retains.

Qualitar: Darwin's Legacy challenging The Punks?

Marco: Darwin's Legacy. Greatest tag team in all of wrestling -- you heard it here.

Dynamo: Agreed. Hands down.

Overman: The Punks have made a career of overachieving....but I agree. New tag champs after this one.

Qualitar: Hanuman defending against Puma for the superheavyweight crown....

Overman: I'm going with Hanuman. Raven has been coaching this guy, perhaps a reason why he's been so hot lately. Puma is sensational, but the plucky monkey man will prevail.

Dynamo: Monkey man....nice. I'm going Puma. He'll get this one on the mat -- and that never goes well for his opponents.

Marco: Hanuman may have a better mentor, but I think this whole hatchet job on Gila is going to be a distraction. Puma is 100% a machine. He'll win this one, and I think it'll be a route.

Qualitar: And of course....Shylock, the dominant Heavyweight MMA Champ, against hated foe Saboteur. Gentlemen?

Marco: It's awfully hard to pick against Shylock, isn't it? He's all-around solid. So I won't....Shylock will retain.

Dynamo: I agree. Saboteur is good, but seems perpetually a notch behind his bitter enemy.

Overman: Sort of like when you and I wrestled, eh Dynamo? Except that notch was more like a canyon. Heh heh. This'll be my big upset pick. Saboteur has been quiet, and that never lasts.....he's due, and due in a big way. Shylock has been great, but this is where he falls.

Qualitar: Thank you gentlemen.....POW Rising is poised to be an instant classic. Be there!

[Eliath]

That was a terrific post!

It is a great way to get your picks out there & develop deep characterization in your experts. I love it!

Two thumbs way up on this one!! Great job!

[Overman]

POW Rising II
EarthDome


-- It was a sell-out crowd at the EarthDome, once a bastion for the GWF but now POW country. The irony there being, if ratings trends continue on their projected path, POW Rising II could well be the pivotal card that puts this fed at #1 in all of the galaxy!
-- Janus the Overman, Gritty Marco, and Qualitar kicked things off with a run-down of the card, complete with its four title matches (3 MMA, 1 wrestling). Tonight, we could witness history. Both Puma and Ahnu are looking to add MMA titles to their waists, where they already possess wrestling titles.


The Fun Bunch (Macro, JJ Smooth, Mad Jester) -vs- Dramatis Personae (Brainstorm, Crucible, Matinee Idol)
-- This proved to be a raucous, highly entertaining intro.
-- Brainstorm go pummeled early, at the hands of Macro and Jester. He was able to tag out, and needed to spend most of the match recovering while Idol and Crucible buoyed the team.
-- JJ Smooth got in a surprising amount of offense, but Matinee Idol figured him out and took control for good.
Dramatis Personae by pin via running powerbomb


Excalibur -vs- Gunnar
-- This was a short, but heavy-hitting affair. Excalibur came out blazing but in his zeal he made some mistakes. Gunnar made him pay for them with repeated uses of his finishers.
Gunnar by pin via SAFETY OFF


Conundrum -vs- Cypher
-- Oh my - the match itself didn't settle anything, since it was over in 2 moves. Conundrum connected with a vicious left high kick, then pounced by locking on his headlock, whispering something to Cypher (who responded amidst his struggles with a string of profanities), and then clocking his opponent with his gloved hand.
-- The referee gestured to some studs in the glove and immediately called for the bell!
Cypher by disqualification after LOADED QUESTION

-- After the match, Conundrum got in the referee's face and berated him for getting the call wrong. Meanwhile, Cypher recovered.....and was soon joined by Pendekar! The two double-clotheslined Conundrum....and then it got ugly.
-- Cypher applied his CYPHER STRETCH while Pendekar executed kick after kick after kick on Conundrum, bloodying him badly. The fans, solidly behind Cypher from the get-go, even got uncomfortable by the brutality.
-- After several minutes of this, Cypher and Pendekar left a pummeled Conundrum behind and left triumphantly.
-- Dynamo stopped Cypher, who merely shrugged and said, "I'm sure he got worse in prison. I thought maybe he was getting nostalgic."
Conundrum is injured 11 fight cards!


Jack's Retirement Match
Jack of Diamonds -vs- Raven
-- There was an intermission of sorts, as several highlights of Jack's career were displayed on the bigscreens. This was followed by Jack coming out to deafening cheers, with Killer Queen at his side. The two legends spent several minutes shaking hands and taking a long route to the ring.
-- Raven came out to boos, which didn't seem to phase him. When he got to the ring, Jack scowled at him and called for the bell.
-- This turned out to be a fine match. Raven looked shockingly sharp despite age and the layoff. Jack threw everything he had at him, but the former GWF/CPC notable kept coming back.
-- In the thrilling finale, Raven landed his BROADSWORD, threw Jack in for a pin, but the Royal One kicked out at 1. The crowd went crazy. Raven wasted no time though, going for a top rope elbow....to a 2 count....then another elbow....and this time scored the pinfall!
Raven wins by pin via top rope elbow drop

-- The fans were sorely disappointed, but started chanting Jack's name. Raven offered him a hand, which Jack used to help himself up. Raven held Jack's arm up, gave him a nod then left to give the legend his due.
-- Jack spent several more minutes taking in the crowd one last time. Janus the Overman and Gritty Marco came out to shake his hand, and of course Killer Queen's.
-- Marco: I've called many of Jack's top bouts in the GWF, and all I can say is that he's truly a class act. Thanks for the memories. You certainly did more than live up to Exo-King's proud heritage.


THE TITLE MATCHES

MMA Super Heavyweight Championship
Hanuman (c) -vs- Puma
-- The fans didn't support either guy here. The champ came down with his new manager, Raven.
-- Hanuman shocked everyone by slamming Puma down immediately and making this a mat affair....not a good move. Puma took control and overwhelmed him. Just like that, Hanuman was tapping out and saying goodbye to his title.
-- Puma becomes the three time MMA Super Heavyweight Champion, to go along with the Wrestling Heavyweight Title he also possesses! This guy is on top of the galaxy.
Puma by SUBMISSION via savage neck crane - NEW CHAMP


Wrestling Tag-Team Championship
The Punks (c) -vs- Darwin's Legacy
-- This was a great match. Taurine was taken out relatively early by an onslaught, complete with EXTINCTION....but Romulus managed to hold his own and turn this into a thriller.
-- The Punks came extremely close to pulling off the huge defense, as Romulus wore down both Hadrian and Nero (with some limited help from Taurine)
-- However, tonight would be Dr. Barnabas' night. Romulus faced EXTINCTION....and couldn't recover.
Darwin's Legacy by pin via EXTINCTION - NEW CHAMPS


MMA Cruiserweight Championship
Stigma (c) -vs- Ahnu
-- Ahnu came in looking to emulate Puma by adding MMA gold to his wrestling gold....while Stigma was hoping to continue a very impressive title run.
-- Stigma is certainly the classic maker. Every defense has been great, and this was no exception. Back and forth these guys went, countering moves and never able to do any serious damage.
-- The big moment came when Ahnu, fatigued and leaning on the cage, pushed himself forward and connected with a right, then a left, into the champ's ribcage. Stigma dropped to his knees gasping....and the referee stepped in!
Ahnu by TKO via right, left combo to ribs - NEW CHAMP
Stigma broke his ribs and is injured for 4 fight cards


MAIN EVENT for the MMA Heavyweight Championship
Shylock (c) -vs- Saboteur
-- Shylock got the second biggest pop of the night (no one was taking that away from Jack), and Saboteur got the loudest boos.
-- The crowd was into this one....and was fortunate to see yet another classic. This one was a marathon in length, which is amazing considering how heavy the fighters struck each other in the early minutes.
-- Both men rocked each other with blistering punches and kickes, which led to several times when it looked like a KO was about to happen....but these guys had incredible stamina and vitality.
-- Saboteur kept trying to take down Shylock, hoping to use the one area where he is superior (grappling)....but Shylock kept most of the fight where he wanted it.
-- It finally got to a grappling affair, where Shylock kept trying to apply kimura armlocks, which kept getting countered. The normally brilliant Shylock tried a fourth time, and it cost him. Saboteur got into a full guard and rained down fists. Shylock tried to block but more and more got through. His defense evaporated until he was absorbing all the shots....and that's when this one was called!
-- Shylock's reign is over, at the hands of his most hated foe.
Saboteur by pinfall via repeated punches - NEW CHAMP


-- Every championship changed hands tonight, in a truly monumental POW Rising II!
-- Faustus Grael made an appearance, profusely thanking the Earth crowd....and announced that the next card would kick off the third annual Soul of Sol Tour!
-- Soul of Sol will go for seven cards, ending with this year's POW Undisputed! Once again, six wrestlers will wage war against each other in MMA and wrestling action to crown the Undisputed Champion for 2109. Cypher is the only confirmed name, having won last year's.

[Overman]

POW Newsbreakers

-- Commissioner Jack Hood has fined Cypher and Pendekar undisclosed amounts for their vicious attack on Conundrum. In response, Cypher stated, "The commish has to do what he has to do. So do I. You attack me with a knife, I attack you with a laser rifle. Conundrum learned a painful lesson. Stay out of my face next time....criminal."

-- The galaxy is abuzz over Shylock losing the Heavyweight MMA title, after a long reign. The dominant fighter was sorely disappointed, but calm, after the match. "Saboteur may have beaten me, but don't think for a second he's going to have a long, happy reign. We'll be meeting again soon....and I'm going to pummel his faced mask in."

-- Dr. Barnabas is feeling on top of world, with Puma now holding two major titles and Darwin's Legacy reasserting themselves atop the tag ranks. The POW is seeing a resurgence of quality tag teams these days -- but who can stop Nero and Hadrian? Euritar and Dante remain a compelling tandem, but their obvious spat at POW Rising coincides with reports of unrest on the dynamic team.

-- POW fans are ecstatic about the announcement that POW Undisputed is returning. The popular, grueling event from last year saw 6 combatants fight it out in a points system format that crowned Cypher as the first Undisputed Champion. Who will be the gladiators called upon to do battle this time?

-- Farewell to a true class act and legend, in Jack of Diamonds. He may have ended his run in defeat, but there is certainly no shame in that. Jack has many, many accomplishments in his long wrestling career, including: CPC Heavyweight Champion (twice); CPC Tag-Team Champion (twice); GWF Interstellar Champion (thrice); GWF Universal Tag-Team Champion (four times); GWF Interplanetary Champion

[Trent Lawless]

I'm pretty excited about Undisputed, too!

And I'm also glad that you and others are writing Cypher as the anti-hero he is. Shylock's pretty much moved into the hero camp, so someone needs to take over that role.