Brief Synopsis: After accidentally murdering a man, Laela Shay discovers she is a succubus. For her safety, she moves to a special university made for training and protecting people of demonic descent like herself. But when a string of murders happen on campus, Laela may not be as safe as she thinks.
[Urban fantasy/paranormal/horror with a deaf lesbian lead and an eventual lesbian romance.]

Laela Shay started her work day with a broken heel.
She sat at the dressing room table, clutching her broken seven-inch stiletto like a stillborn baby and blinking away tears to keep her eyeliner from running. She had already broken her other pair—these were her spares—and didn’t have time to buy a new pair before she had to clock in. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Perhaps the manager would show mercy upon her, but with the amount of backrent on her contract currently, she wasn’t counting on it.
A coworker, who she had gotten to know as Alice, approached her, clutching PVC thigh high boots. From the size of the platform, Laela deduced they were eight inches—a whole inch taller than what she was used to dancing in.
“Here,” Alice said, handing them over. “I think we’re the same size. Just give them back when you get a new pair.”
Laela sniffled and took them from her. “You really don’t need to—”
Alice held up a well-manicured hand. Laela had long nails on a good day, but Alice’s were a good five inches long and bedazzled to the point Laela wasn’t sure how she did anything with her hands. “It’s really fine. Go make your money, girl.”
Hesitantly, Laela slipped them on, doing a few test walks in the mostly-vacant locker room. She felt a little like a baby deer first learning how to walk, but the more she paced, the more she got used to it. “These are amazing,” Laela said.
Alice lifted her head from her locker so Laela could read her lips. “They should be. They were almost two hundred dollars.”
Laela winced, then did some shoddy mental math to figure out if affording these was in the cards for her. Deciding she didn’t have time to muse upon it, she gave Alice a thank-you hug, took out her hearing aids, gave her makeup a final touchup, and headed into the club.
In hindsight, Laela wished she hadn’t taken the shoes from Alice. She could’ve eaten the extra one hundred fifty missing today’s shift would’ve tacked onto her backrent.
It would have been better than what she was about to face.
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hi everyone so for context meron akong bpo voice expi for 2 yrsplus, pero di talaga ako pwedesa voice since ang bilis ko mapaos and sore throat.
nagapply ako ng nonvoice sa ortigas w the promise na magiging wfh after training (pero di permanent) pero taga cavite ako. 3hours byahe ko pauwi everyday if itutuloy ko siya.
or dito sa cav/alabang lahat ng company halos ang offer is puro voice account pero wala pang 1hr ang byahe.
what do u think should i do?? im jus rlly confused ano pipiliin huhu or if u know any company around cavite or alabang that offers nonvoice account pls let me know :((

Just can't sleep lang kahit na im tired and really wants to rest na. Mej frustrated/naiinis din and stressedt? Idk na.
For starters, baka naninibago siguro ako sa bagong lipat ko na bedspace? Nahihirapan mag adjust? Im 25F btw, working sa Manila. Ang liwanag kasi dito sa upper bed (eto naman mga roomies ko mga nag aaral pa hays. Tas 12am pa nagpapatay ilaw).
Naiinis din ako dun sa admin/boarder din dito. Kasi pinapatanggal nya yung chair na ginagamit ko pag akyat/baba ng bed. Hirap kasi talaga ko since di ako sanay + maliit din ako. Pumayag lang naman ako sa upper bed temporarily kasi may mavevacant na lower bed naman next month. Hays. Mej nag reregret na ko pauti uti na dito ako lumipat 🙃 dahil sa mga other maliliit na small inconvenient utos nya. Alam ko ugali ko, pag inconvenient ang isang rule, naiinis talaga ko pag pinipilit ienforce sakin. Kaso di naman ako basta makamove out kasi 6months lock in ako dito and 5k din deposit ko here. Im hoping lang sana things will be better if nasa lower bed na ko.
Nakakastress din yung fact na di ako makatulog maaga dahil talaga sa ilaw. Gusto ko sana magpahinga agad para sana may energy ako tomorrow for our training. High expectations pa naman samin na pumasa kaso sobrang layo talaga sa field ko nung courses na wala ako masyado maintindihan sa tinuturo 🙃 I feel tired but hindi talaga makapahinga.
Another thing, makes me think din what if di ito yung pinili kong work, instead yung isang offer sa private? Oh well, I know naman wala point ang what ifs pero makes me think lang if mas better kaya situation ko kaysa rn na parang it never gets better.
Siguro maliliit na bagay lang mga yan, I know. Idk. Gusto ko lang din siguro ng kausap. I kinda miss omegle lang din sa mga gantong times. Hays.

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Chapter 49
Master General Kirain Yith
Adventurer Level: N/A
Half-Breed Drow - Balushenian
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"The enemy has done nothing more than lob the occasional fireball at us, sir," General Smarn informed me. "They have encamped in the wooded area to the southwest, though, which hinders our visibility."
"So we don't know what they're planning, or even the full disposition of their forces," I grumbled.
"Yes, sir. I do have some good news, though."
"Out with it."
"You were right about their caravan, and we were able to successfully ambush it," he said with a hint of a smug smile. "Our forces returned today and reported that we managed to capture eighteen slaves, and even secured the equipment the orcs were escorting."
"Excellent. Put the equipment to use and put the slaves with the others. Dismissed," I absentmindedly waved him toward the door.
He bowed and left as I returned my attention to the map. While I was glad that I had successfully predicted the enemy caravan's movements, their lack of action against us here has me concerned. I expected at least one heavy assault before they laid siege. Yet it has been a week since our scouts confirmed their presence and they haven't tried anything serious yet.
Are they waiting for reinforcements? That would be foolish. A bird sent by my own reinforcements informed me that they had made contact with a small enemy host and weren't able to completely eliminate it, which means that the enemy knows about my archers. Even with all of the forces of the entire Unified Chiefdoms they would have difficulty taking this position, and once the archers arrive I can go on the offensive.
Even foreign aid won't arrive before my archers do, so what are they planning? Have they decided against an assault altogether? Our defenses were designed to look ramshackle, but a discerning eye would be able to tell how solid they really are. They would know that they require better equipment to launch a successful assault, but if my ambushers returned today the ambush had to have happened at least two weeks ago. It's unlikely that they're still waiting on their caravan. So what ARE they waiting for?
I stared at the map, trying to glean a clue as to what the enemy is up to. No matter how hard I stared, though, nothing came to mind. I scoffed and turned to my bed. I had just fed, so I wasn't feeling particularly tired, but it's important to remain on a schedule when one can. I removed my boots and armor, then slid under my covers.
As I lay there, I couldn't help but feel like the orcs were up to something and I was missing a key piece of information. I tossed and turned, my mind fighting over whether to think or to sleep. After what seemed like hours, I finally grew tired and fell into slumber.
'Well... you tried,' A hauntingly familiar voice forced its way into my mind. 'It was a valiant attempt to subvert the will of the divine, if nothing else.'
My eyes snapped open and caught a glimpse of the dawn's early light shining through my curtain before my ears had a chance to register what had awakened me. Once they caught up, I heard screams, crashes, and the clanging of metal striking metal. The sounds of a battle taking place nearby.
I leapt from the bed and quickly donned my armor, nearly forgetting my boots in the process. Once I was dressed, I grabbed my sword and flung open the door and promptly froze in shock. There were orcs within my barricades, but I had already realized that was the case.
There was a hole in my barricade which had allowed the orcs access to my camp. The creation of this hole had to have been extremely violent, judging by the distance in which the logs had been thrown. The reason for my shock, though, was because my mind was trying to figure out how this happened while my eyes were simultaneously providing the explanation.
Orcs and drow were fighting tooth and claw while mages rode by them on hnarses, flinging the occasional spell to horrid effect. My soldiers had been taken by surprise, and hadn't yet recovered or formed up. In the middle of all of this was a great and terrible beast. Its red and yellow hide was covered in arrows and its massive, fang filled mouth was ripping my soldiers apart like they were made of paper. A Nahalim, and it was fighting alongside the orcs. How? Where did they get it? Did they tame it? HOW?
Once the Nahalim finished decimating a group of my soldiers it rose up to its full height, standing at least twice as high as the tallest orcs. Then the beast roared, a deafening and blood-curdling sound even from my distance. Its bellow made me wince, and this finally struck me from my stupor. I began to run toward the battle, determined to rally my men and push these bastards back. We would figure out what to do about the Nahalim once we'd killed a few orcs.
"FORM UP!" I shouted, trying to be heard over the clamor of battle.
I raised my sword and shouted again. A few of my soldiers heard me, and began to form their lines. A mounted mage rode past them, narrowly avoiding a swipe from a sword. An arrow narrowly missed his head, but that didn't stop him from locking eyes with me. I knew for certain what his target was.
I began to ready my blade to try to cut him down, but his staff was already pointed at me. The spell that slipped his lips formed at the tip of the staff and rushed toward me at blinding speed. Just before it hit me, I realized that this was wind spear. I sighed at the triviality of the magic being used, and then the spell hit me.
I flew backward and felt a crunch as I was forced through the wall behind me, then another as I continued through the next wall. I slammed into the ground alongside a load of rubble and tried to get up, but flopped back to the ground. My eyes weren't able to focus and I could no longer breathe properly. I felt my chest and checked my hand, barely registering that the blood covering it was my own. Then the abyss took me.
'We do not have a lot of time,' the familiar voice once again rasped in my mind. 'You remember our agreement?'
I tried to speak, but no air left my mouth. I vaguely recalled our previous conversation and nodded.
'Good. You are smart enough to know that there is nothing further you can do, and the orcs will take your camp. Once they do, it will not take them long to figure out that you are the commander, and that you are also a half-breed vampire. This will result in a rather unfortunate demise for you.'
'Then what do you want me to do?' I asked.
'Flee to the west.'
'Not home?'
'No. After you flee, the orcs will find your sister and she will tell them all about you. Once the orcs learn of your heritage, they will gleefully inform King Lofin. Your home and family will be destroyed before the end of this week, despite your contingencies. If you are with them, you will also perish.'
A slew of emotions played through my mind. At first, I doubted this being's words, but quickly realized those doubts were likely wishful thinking. Even if the orcs didn't manage to capture Esmira alive, there are the slaves that have been converted. With some clever magic, the will that Alurgas imbued into them would dissolve, leaving them to their own devices. It would be foolish to believe that they would keep my secrets.
The contingencies that I put in place to prevent Lofin from targeting my family in my absence would also fail once my vampirism became public knowledge. No one would be stupid enough to be caught helping a vampire. Moorn and my trusted servants will die. My grief nearly overwhelmed me. Everything that I had built, everything that I have loved, gone. And there's nothing I can do.
'You will flee, then,' the voice rasped. 'You must go west. You will be pursued, but if you keep fleeing to the west they will eventually give up. You mustn't stop until you're certain they aren't following you.'
'Where am I going? What awaits me?'
'I would like to tell you, but...'
I awoke, gasping for air. I instinctively grabbed my chest, feeling a hole in my armor and the cloth beneath it. The bare skin that I felt assured me that the wound had healed. I stood and looked for my sword, but it was nowhere to be found. Swearing under my breath, I looked to the sky to get my bearings. The sun was still rising, so my destination was in the opposite direction.
I paused for a moment, gazing at the hole in the wall I had left. Esmira was in there, and I couldn't help but think about killing her. While it would better my mood to feel what meager life she has left leave her body, it would cost me precious time. I decided against it and began to run. If I'm lucky, King Lofin will find a way to kill her for me.
Before I could get far, a hnarse stopped in front of me. Atop the hnarse was an orc spell-caster with a very familiar face. He looked at me with surprise, not expecting me to be standing. His shock caused a moment of hesitation that when combined with his proximity to me spelled his doom.
Before he could raise his staff I leapt, landing behind him on the hnarse. I grabbed his skull and pulled his head to the side hard enough to hear a crack, and tore into his throat with my fangs. He began to seize as a sweet, coppery taste filled my mouth. I gulped it down greedily, but I couldn't have my fill. I had to get moving.
I threw him from the saddle and grabbed the reins, urging the hnarse to the west. It began to gallop as I heard shouting from behind me. A wind spear flew past my head, taking a small portion of my ear with it. I pressed the hnarse faster and lowered myself to avoid more close calls.
The gate had been left open, indicating that a portion of my forces had abandoned their posts and fled. Typical of King Lofin's finest. An explosion hit the gate as I cleared it, sending splinters in all directions. A large one took residence in my left arm, but I quickly removed it. The wound began to heal as I continued into the trees as fast as the hnarse could take me.
I continued to dodge both foliage and spells for most of the day, and eventually my hnarse tired. It was well-trained, though, and it kept going until it finally collapsed. I leapt from its back and continued running, nearly as fast as the hnarse had. A few minutes later, my pursuer's hnarses also tired and I finally lost them.
I kept running until the sun was in front of me, and finally slowed my pace. My heart was pulsing in my ears, and my breath was heavy. I wiped sweat from my brow as I continued to walk toward wherever my goal happened to be.
As the sun began to set, I found a small cave. After determining that it was empty, I decided to take a rest. I grabbed some nearby branches from a bush to mask its entrance, then crawled inside. After adjusting the camouflage a little, I made myself as comfortable as possible. Then, I was finally left alone with my thoughts.
I've lost everything. My family, my friends, my home, my career, and even my dreams. All I have left is my body and the clothes on my back. Which have a conspicuous hole in the chest. I felt my anger build up within me, but it was the cold sort of anger. What do people normally do to cope with loss and grief? Cry?
Crying would waste water, though, and I am in a survival situation. No, the best way to cope with my grief is to analyze what went wrong and learn from it. Unfortunately, I have no idea how I can learn from whatever mistake it is that I made.
A beast of the wastes had laid low my plans for conquest. Did they capture it in the wastes and bring it here? No, that would have taken them far too long. Could they have already had it tamed and ready to fight? If that's the case, why wasn't it used against my forces to begin with? Could it be that they stumbled upon the Nahalim, managed to capture it without killing it, and one of them knew how to tame it?
While it sounded ridiculous, that hypothesis resonated within me. The separate and unlikely coincidences happening all at once, culminating in my defeat. It absolutely reeks of divine interference. The question is, which divine? The one claiming to help me, or one of the other ones? Which of the little bodiless worms had decided to meddle with reality and force my failure?
'It was a group effort, actually. And I had no hand in it.'
I was so exhausted that I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep. I glanced around the abyss, trying to locate the god that had spared my life.
'Why me?' I demanded. 'Why would I be targeted like this?'
'They do not see it as you do. To them, you are nothing. They didn't see a half-breed vampire trying to conquer the Night Kingdom and become king. Instead, they saw the vampires about to make a return to power. Obviously, they decided to prevent that from happening.'
'But why?'
'Their motives are as unknown to me as they are to you. They likely acted upon a whim,' it said with a cruel laugh. 'Yet, this is precisely what I wanted to demonstrate to you. As a mortal acting on your own volition, you are powerless against the meddling of the beings known as gods. If they care enough about your plans to dislike them, your plans will fail. Regardless of the thought or effort you put into them. All it took this time was a whisper to a beast and an orc.'
'Like you are whispering to me now?'
'No, I am speaking to you. A whisper is much more subtle. Your hearing suddenly becoming clear enough to make out what someone is saying in a busy marketplace. A sudden craving for a specific dish at a specific restaurant that a certain someone happens to be at. Even something as simple as fatigue can be used to guide you to where we want you to be, as you'll recall.'
And recall I did. I remembered the first time I had heard this being's voice. I'd become so tired so quickly that I thought I'd been poisoned. That was a whisper, then.
'As you can infer from our current conversation, we're capable of more direct interference. If you had managed to somehow disrupt their scheme with the Nahalim, one of the other gods may have spoken to the enemy commander and told him about the escape tunnel your orc slaves were digging. If the enemy commander failed, then a lightning storm may have formed and stricken your barricades, causing them to explode.'
'So why didn't you stop them? I thought you are trying to help me?'
I knew the answer to this question and felt foolish for asking it, but my anger and indignation forced it out of me.
'I am helping you in such a way that allows us both to achieve our goals, as was agreed. It should be obvious that I have no interest in your petty ambitions outside of what they can do to achieve my goals. And that's the point. If you listen to me and do as I bid you, I will help you achieve your goal. You will gain power and purpose, and no being will be able to look down on you again. If you do not, I will leave you at the mercy of the other gods to do with as they please. It is very unlikely that they will aid you.'
I allowed myself to calm once more, and thought about my situation. This being is promising to help me gain power, but not help me do anything except gain power. So what's stopping other gods from eliminating me once our bargain is completed?
'They will try, but not because they want you dead. They have another goal in mind, and you will be an obstacle to that goal. However, we can only interfere when we are allowed to. There is a greater being at work here that will make certain the coming contest will be fair. And if you survive, you will be allowed to do as you please, free from the meddling of beings like me.'
'Then what would you have me do?'
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Hi! Since the beginning of Pandemic, I have been a subject of online discredit and character assassination. Though the latter was not that clear, but all comments are pointing at me. I usually rebut but for the sake of my inner peace, I never responded. Although a friend of mine clarified. Mind you it was pandemic, family got COVID, I was the only one who can go out to buy supplies and meds, and I am at home with my nephews and nieces who are also susceptible on the disease. I was so stressed working online, we were not trained naman on that set up.
I though the mockery, as I describe it, gonna end there. Pero syempre its PH, we dont want to see you successful and happy haha jk lang. So, it came back again. This time, malicious news about me spread. I could not defend myself, coz the info were somewhat true — they were just shared maliciously. What hurts me even is the fact that its my friends who sell me out in exchange.
Ever since that day, I very seldom open my facebook account and I feel anxious whenever I do. Makita ko lang homepage kinakabahan nako. Ang safe lang sakin yung mismong profile ko, dun lang ako napapanatag.
So I guess its true, that other than Social Anxiety is happening, it also translates into the socmed platform.
I am just sharing. I hope we can be fine someday 😊😊😊

Hi everyone. Nagtatangka po akong mag apply ulit sa BPO pero napanghihinaan ako ng loob due to my work history.
May 2 work experienced ako before as CCA but 2 mos lang the reason was immediate resignation and that was a long time ago pa. Wala din akong maipakita na ibang work experience kasi for a very long time nasa bahay lang ako at tumutulong sa maliit na business namin. So, meron Malaking gap talaga at di pa maganda ang work history ko due to few months, few months lang.
Ang kagandahan lang sakin is time conscious ako at never na late at zero absents nung nagte - training pa ako.
May chance pa ba for me. Napapanghinaan ako ng loob kasi naiintimidate ako sa mga kasabayan kong nga bata pero marami ng work experiences kesa sakin.
Need advice TYSM 😊

Was traveling from college back to home. My reservation was there in 2nd AC and I got a Lower Berth on preference. I had three units of luggage with me as I was gng back home. Soon as I boarded the train, a Muslim uncle very politely asked me if I can exchange my seat with his seat because his entire family was traveling and they had seperate seats. He offered me a lower berth seat so I had no problem exchanging the seat and got to his seat and was about to settle my luggage.
Suddenly a man around 27, came and asked me, "brother can you exchange ur lower berth seat with my wife's upper berth seatg, because she has problem climbing up, and u are young and can climb up easily." I politely said no because I had fever that day and didn't wanted directly AC over me. The irritating part begins now, she started talking in a very very very irritating and cranky tone to his husband saying, kabhi kisi ka achha nahi karna chahiye nahi to khud ke sath koi achha nahi karta. And his husband was telling her, Maine to ek baar apni AC ki ticket hi kisi or ko de di thi. To which his wife said sab log tumhare jaise nahi hote hai matlabi log hote hai. And she went on and on and on. At a point it got so irritating, I put on my headset and started listening to music.
How can people be like that? If someone has declined there request, simply accept it, why tf ur talking such bullshit that too in a very irritating cranky voice.

My ex is so kind and supportive to me... sobrang bait nya talaga, and lagi nya akong inaassure na hindi niya ako iiwan. Just recently, she broke up with me. According to her "pagod na syang intindihin ako. Pagod na syang mahalin ako. She wants to break up for me to 'heal'." And it's probably my fault, since I tend to get jealous and insecure. This was supposed to be the message I wanted to send to her, pero ayokong i block niya ako, ayoko siyang i-annoy, and I really don't her to block me.
First off, I'm really sorry sa ginawa ko... I'm sorry if you felt disappointed in me, and I'm sorry for everything.
I'm sorry hindi ako nakapunta sa birthday mo... I know na dapat gumawa ako ng paraan, despite the heat, pero no. I was dumb for not even forcing myself to go just because sa init. I'm really sorry that you felt so betrayed and you think I'm a coward. Feel free the call me that, kasi that's probably what I am for not doing a thing para gumawa ng paraan na puntahan ka nung time na yon.
Secondly, I'm sorry for lashing out at you sometimes. Lalo na pag naiitress ako, or pag inaasar mo ako. I have no excuses here, I should've been more open to talk to you about it since hindi naman kita kaaway. I guess masyado lang akong sensitive, and to be honest, naiinis lang talaga ako sa sarili ko because of how soft I am.
Thirdly, I should've been considerate about your feelings about me being jealous. And by that, I'm sorry if I was too insecure... Natatakot lang talaga ako at some point iiwan mo ako and..... well, nangyari na. I really really want to trust you, kaso ang problema lagi ka nalang late umuuwi during your trainings. You keep saying 10 PM ka uuwi, and minsan umaabot na ng 11 PM uwi mo, and that lead to my overthinking if anong mangyayari sayo, if naaksidente ka ba, nakidnap or what... I just don't want to lose you and my doing made it worse. And tuloy... nawala ka na...
Fourthly, I'm sorry for ranting about my parents. Lalo na pag minumura ko sila... Akala ko kasi you'll listen pero mali din ako kasi I lashed out on you lalo. I just wanted to rant to my safe space which is you, but unfortunately, I made an unsafe space for the both of us...
Fifthly, I'm sorry if nagkikita tayo, I've been saying some things na you think na nakakasakit na... I know, I hurt you and I'm sorry... I'll mind my words from now on... If hindi ko pa kaya, I'll do my best to improve on that... And next time, I'll be more considerate on how I talk to you...... if may next time pa...
I haven't been doing well ever since you broke it off with me. I understand na pagod ka na, what you said hit me like a truck. I'm very sorry for taking you for granted... I'm sorry for not trusting you enough. I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate... I haven't been eating well since the last time we talked. Nawalan ako ng gana bumangon sa kama ko, or even eat kahit tinapay lang. Despite my body wants food, wala talaga akong gana... Hindi ako nakakatulog ng maayos, having only 2-4 hours of sleep... I've been crying every night sa dorm room, forcing myself not to whimper or make any noise para lang hindi ako marinig dito... I miss you. Sobra... I became so distant sa dormmates and sa pamilya ko... I'm tired of everything, I couldn't even focus on doing my schoolworks anymore. I can't enjoy the things I used to enjoy... I wanted to give up on life...
I'm not blaming you for what's happening to me... Sobrang sakit lang talaga ng nararamdaman ko sa puso ko. Parang binugbog at hindi na makabangon... Pero gustong gusto kong ayusin sarili ko... Gusto ko talaga. Sana wag kang mag hanap ng bago... Sana hintayin mo akong maging maayos... Please, let's continue where we left off in the future... Kasi I'm really willing to commit to you... I'm willing to trust you... I'm willing to be yours... I'm willing to be the perfect partner that you wanted in me na hindi mo sinasabi saakin at hindi ko ginagawa for the sake of you... I want to be the perfect partner na nagimprove ang sarili niya para sa sarili niya talaga at hindi dahil sinabi mo...
Pwede mo akong kausapin if you want to talk about this once more, or if you're considering to change your mind. I don't want this relationship to end and I don't want your final answer to be "no"... If you still need time, take all the time that you need... I'll be focusing on myself kahit hirap na hirap na ako without you... Please, wait for me...
You're probably thinking na corny tong mga sinasabi ko... But totoo nga tong sinasabi ko tong ngayon... I love you so much, I couldn't let you go... I want to fix everything... No matter how much the cost. I'll fix it...

Hi everyoneeee!! last time i posted about 2 companies and now nakapasa me dun sa inaantay ko!!! Malapit na po training ko and TMUS / Ticketmaster yung account, ask ko lang po meron po bang familiar sa account na tooo and usually what time po start ng shift for this account hehe,, thank u so much ask ko na rin po usually what time start ng gy shift thanks so much po

With Bini's soar to fame, I now root for Alamat to reach theirs, and cement a name in the music scene.
Thought#1 There had been a debate about whether or not they should stick with this ethnic-modern fusion in order to gain fame..? in which I could stand firm that they should N.E.V.E.R leave the concept.
Sa lahat ng mga PPop groups na napakinggan ko since I got introduced to the genre, Alamat lang yung from the beginning, clear-cut na yung concept. And I'm so glad they are consistent with it to this day, kasi yun yung talaga edge nila.
In fact, it always makes me smirk whenever non-fans accuse PPop to be "KPop wannabees", laging Alamat songs yung unang-unang pang counter.

1. Their agency hiring a Social media manageGraphic Designer is one of the best decisions they made this year.

Their publication materials really improved (may mga konting sablay not gonna lie), but they are willing to listen to the fans kung merong need ayusin or baguhin.
Props to the team👏
Their official account has been active as well, so malaking tulong rin sa online visibility.

1. With all these, I now think na there are 2 major things that they need to improve on

-- their dancing. Dont get me wrong, individually they are good, but as a group, hindi pa talaga. Iba iba sila ng 'pitik', if you know what I mean.
This dance concern has been raised a few times here but here is my take:
If my memory serves me right, their creative director, JPL, has once said in a vlog na his goal was not to train them for so long unlike with Korean-style of training na years, if not more than a decade, as a trainee. Reason is he wants the fans to see the growth of the artists as it happens in real time.
I completely agree with the idea na Korean style of training is too much - not to mention, sa KPop, hindi guarantee sa kanila yung pag debut.
Harsh, in short. You could allot your entire childhood to train as an idol, but only to end up not having gotten into the final cut.
Not conforming with Korea training is good as we see the idol grow as it happens H.O.W.E.V.E.R, I hope they at least adopt the (korean) standards.
Most PPop fans seem to be KPop fans din, so they are more likely used to seeing groups who move "as one".
I remember JYP, a ceo of Korean agency, said that he would ask for a recorded dance practice of the group tapos he would pause the video at random, then doon niya makikita kung iisa ng galaw yung grupo.
Im not sure how strict Alamat's agency/coaches on this matter but, I do hope they would polish this and at least make the team dance as one.
I understand, hindi madali at hindi rin pangkaraniwan yung sayaw ng Alamat dahil fusion nga siya ng ethnic at modern dance, but that doesn't mean they can't do better.
Marunong na silang sumayaw, di lang talaga sabay sabay. You can even see it sa Dayang Music video
(Side note: sobrang laki talaga ng panghihinayang ko sa Dayang MV. I know JPL had his problems, but sana siya na lang yung naghandle and nagdirect nung music video kasi magaling and edge niya yung mga Easter eggs/hidden messages sa MVs. Not to mention the concepts he had that are tailored-fit for Alamat.
Maharani was his and I rooted he'd direct Dayang as well, since they initially claimed na the song was inspired by Maharani
YouMeUs is better for MVs that are heavy in graphics and effects)
-- speaking skills. I've watched their latest Vlog, the one about Slumbook. I felt na may kulang sa pagsagot nila
I guess it's the idea na Speaking ≠ communication... Hindi lang siguro sila coherent sumagot...? If you know what i mean.
Like some of their answers just don't make it across, type of thing.
With this, I hope they do Podcast. I'm not familiar lang how it works with Spotify, like need lang ba ng account or may intricate process pa na involved?
Anyway, reason is Podcast could be one of the best training when it comes to the development of their communication skills.
They could learn how to handle conversations, open up, banter to each other, form thoughts spontaneously, and more importantly build confidence in speaking.
Communication skill is one of the hardest things to learn pero natutunan siya with practice and exposure.
With podcast din, they could talk about random things in-depth, from Training Memz, how they ended up becoming a trainee, MV Shooting Memz, to song production, to life advices. Basta ang daming pwedeng topic. This is basically hitting 2 birds with one stone nga kung iisipin.
Then if this happens, they could add weekly vlogs like random fun games na mauunleash yung kakulitan nila sa Youtube and TikTok. Of course with Behind the scene of MVs, and song recording vlogs pa rin.
Yun lang hahah

I'm so glad I found this subreddit omg. I just want to share that as part of my training (first job, licensed chemist + chem tech) I have been asking questions to my SRA superiors about the procurement of lab equipment since we work in a state univ and the lab is fairly new.
One day they were about to leave to meet with some higher-ups for pre-bidding, and I asked what it was for out of curiosity (idol ko na ata sila kasi ang babait at talino huhu). They answered, and then, "Bakit di ka na lang sumama para ma experience mo?"
So it was that I got to listen and observe how millions worth of lab stuff were negotiated between our party and bidding suppliers. Ang astig. They even talk about sending me for training in the manufacturer's training facilities huhu since they will need a highly technically trained personnel to operate the coming equipment (they are food tech with chem tech license kasi, so my chemist license is much needed in our lab). Budget for certain instruments includes training pala.
Tanong ko lang po, chemist or not, did you also experience being sent abroad for technical training? I know it may happen next year pa, if ever nga, but I'd love to read your advice, tips, and stories. Thanks!

Lifetime - Staked: 892.4u, Profit/Loss: +12.04u, ROI: 1.35%, Parlay Suggestions: 171-67 Dog of the Week: 13-16
2024 - Staked: 245.3u, Profit/Loss: -21.32u
As always, scroll down for UFC Vegas 92 Breakdowns. The following is just a recap of last event’s results.
~UFC St. Louis (PREVIOUS CARD)~
Staked: 15.75u
Profit/Loss: -15.75u
Parlay Suggestions: 3-3
I’m not really sure how to write a review of a card where you go 0-11 in bets and lose 15.75u. All I know is I’m currently going through an awful year and results have been shocking, and mentally it’s becoming quite taxing. The records are cool and all, but I’m obviously losing money here also and suffering that much of a loss just doesn’t sit well. Mentally I’ve taken a bit of a hit, I can’t lie. Thankfully I’d done most of my research for this upcoming card before UFC STL took place so it shouldn’t cloud my decision making too much. Grateful we’ve got a break week coming up, I need some time to lick my wounds after this one.
I’ll save characters and just direct you to last week’s post if you’d like to see the disasterpiece that was my betting slate for that card.

~UFC Vegas 92~
Bang average card, and even worse from a betting perspective from the looks of these money lines! Honestly I don’t even know why anyone would read this from someone who just took as many consecutive Ls as I just did, but thanks for sticking around if you did. It probably won’t be a massive slate for me here anyway.
(also all breakdowns were written before UFC STL so the self-loathing stops here)

~Edson Barboza v Lerone Murphy~
Full disclosure, all my betting life I have been very keen to fade British fighters, despite being from the UK myself. The talent pool is just objectively smaller, the lack of combat sports in our school curriculum means fighters have less overall experience and years in competition, as well as the media’s and the UFC’s infatuation with hyping up any fighter from this country overall means that fading has been a net positive investment over the years. When it comes to betting lines, the oddsmakers in this country always hang the UK fighters out at slightly shorter prices too, because obviously that’s where the money is almost always going to go. I know I always did that.
Whilst we’re talking about betting, I’ll take the opportunity to get in a quick victory lap about Edson Barboza, who I confidently bet as an underdog to Sodiq Yusuff. The reads I made in for that fight almost looked like I’d seen it before, and it was probably my best bet of 2023 from a pure analytical perspective. Good times.
Edson Barboza has managed to turn incredibly underrated in recent years, mostly due to the fact he’s old and has been mauled a few performances lately. The blueprint to beat him is very clear - you either to go balls to the wall, crowd/pressure him and finish him early, or you cardio-wrestle him for 15/25 minutes.
It sounds quite simple, but both of those lanes require quite specific skillsets. They are obviously skillsets that Khabib, Tony Ferguson, Bryce Mitchell, Kevin Lee and Gaethje possess naturally, which explains 5 of his eight losses in recent years. The losses to Dan Ige and Paul Felder were scored terribly and should have been wins for Edson…and the remaining loss was to Giga Chikadze, which is the only time I think he’s been outclassed in what could be called an “even” fight on paper. Another key thing to note is that Edson is so explosive and dangerous that he has also managed to still score wins against fighters that do fit the stylistic blueprint to be able to make life difficult for him. People like Benny Dariush, Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo. But he finished all three of them. Another thing to note is that the calibre of every single name mentioned is very high.
So how does Lerone Murphy measure up against these blueprints? Well right off the bat his record shows he’s capable of a KO win, but it’s not a super reliable method and isn’t particularly process driven (IE it doesn’t come from him smothering his opponent with suffocating pressure early). In fact, his finish of Ricardo Ramos came from some surprisingly effective ground and pound, and the knee against Amirkhani was a fortuitous impact, in a fight where he was expected to find the finish against a guy with the ‘1 round of resilience’ curse.
So how about the wrestling/top control route? Well as previously mentioned Murphy showed some dangerousness in the way he finished Ramos in a grappling position, and his performance against Josh Culibao also shows that it’s his best chance of beating Edson. I have been impressed with his grappling ability in the UFC so far. He’s not a pure takedown artist though, and has averaged just 1.29 takedowns per 15 minutes inside the UFC. In that Culibao fight he was keen to clinch up, but took advantage of Culibao turning his back in the second. The third round was dominant for Murphy in regards to the grappling, but it all stemmed from him landing a body shot that pretty much compromised Culibao and turned him into a ragdoll for more than three minutes in the round. If all you do is look at UFCStats for that fight, then Murphy looks like Khabib…but the tape shows a very different story. He also probably should have gotten the finish there if we’re being critical!
I understand that Lerone Murphy is undefeated (although if you ask me he lost that Tukhugov debut, not that it matters), and has shown good moments from top position, but does doing that against a compromised Josh Culibao and Ricardo Ramos really justify you being the favourite against Edson Barboza? Edson’s fought the cream of the crop in the UFC since day one – his three most underwhelming results were losses to Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone and Michael Johnson…that’s how ELITE the competition he’s faced has been. And even though he’s a bit long in the tooth he’s showing that he can still hang with guys at this level, like he did with Sodiq. Personally I think Yusuff is a more dangerous fighter for him than Lerone, who doesn’t appear to have that kind of imposing and dangerous striking style.
I think this betting line is putting so much unwarranted faith in Lerone Murphy. Yes, he could turn out to be a great prospect that enters the top 5 of the division one day, but we have not seen him show anywhere near the level of competence to be expected to beat Barboza more times than not. Stylistically, he doesn’t have anything that gives an immediate advantage against Barboza (at least nothing I could trust him to lean on for 25 minutes), the only angle there is age. Yes Barboza is getting a bit old and shopworn, but he’s still beating younger guys consistently. Also, whilst we’re talking about intangibles, Barboza is very experienced in five round fights, and the extra two rounds allow him back into the fight should his weakness towards early pressure show itself.
I’d say Edson should be around -150 here. The line available feels unsubstantiated and purely based on the age dynamic, as I have not seen anything from tape that implies Lerone Murphy is up to the task. He barely got past Gabriel Santos last year.
I had a great time betting Barboza as a dog last time, so I’m doing it again. 1u on Edson Barboza to Win at +125 or better. The line looks to be moving in Lerone’s favour at the moment so I will wait to bet this.
How I line this fight: Edson Barboza -150 (60%), Lerone Murphy +150 (40%)
Bet or pass: 1u Edson Barboza to Win (+XXX)
Prop leans: None

Khaos Williams v Carlston Harris
Pretty awful Co-Main Event. It’s a fun fight but neither man is really considered one-to-watch and they’ve barely fought once each in the last year. You telling me they couldn’t have found a better fight to go on the poster for this one?
Anyway, both men are a little bit wild on the feet, but Harris is clearly the less technical and defensively sound of the two.
Williams kind of forged his path in the UFC with KO victories, but when forced to be technical across 15 minutes he gives a decent enough account of himself (I’ve tried to fade him twice in that type of bout, against Randy Brown and Matt Semelsberger). He’s clearly going to look much better when he can find finishes, but I think I still expect him to be the more eye-catching fighter if this one is a 15 minute kickboxing affair.
But that’s the problem here…Carlston Harris’ grappling game is the strongest skillset that either man possesses, and it’s whether or not he can get it going that will likely determine who wins this one. Unfortunately, we have only seen Williams taken down twice in the UFC, both times by Michel Pereira (who isn’t even much of a wrestlegrappler himself). To make matters worse, they both came in the 14^th and 15^th minutes of the fight and we barely got to see anything, so they really are low quality examples.
I’ve been watching MMA long enough to know that a guy like Khaos Williams probably isn’t a particularly amazing grappler, but of course that’s still a huge assumption to make. With no knowledge of how Khaos is going to fare working off his back, I really do not think this fight is one that you can have any degree of confidence in. The books had initially lined it around a pick’em, which could well imply that they feel the exact same way. It’s unfortunately a pass from me, because a Williams with great TDD and process on bottom could end up being -300…but white belt Williams could look +300.
How I line this fight: Impossible to line with any confidence, so a pick’em is fine.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Angela Hill v Luana Pinheiro~
After chasing it for quite some time, MMA bettors finally managed to catch the fade on Luana Pinheiro. When she entered the UFC she was discredited for her exclusively R1 finishes, with people predicting her cardio would not be up to scratch. Things got worse when she took the coward’s way to a win against Jessica Penne – seemingly blowing her gas and then milking the extent of the damage done from an illegal strike and winning by KO. As we know from the MMA community, doing stuff like that will make you one of the most hated fighters on the roster. She then moved to 2-0 with a split decision win as a favourite against Michelle Waterson…which many people think she lost. Basically, not a very impressive stint in the UFC so far.
Finally she went up against Amanda Ribas, who went on to expose that dodgy cardio of Pinheiro, melting her in the third round with a beautiful wheel kick when Pinheiro was death gassed. Now we know it’s possible, the third round of Pinheiro’s fight against Waterson-Gomez makes a bit more sense, seeing as Waterson took over and clearly won it.
Nothing kills a hype train quicker than realising that a fighter has bad cardio, and it’s safe to say that whatever hype there was on Luana (minimal) is dead…because she’s a +125 underdog to Angela Hill here.
In my opinion, Angela Hill has been an incredibly underrated fighter for such a long time and absolutely deserves her flowers as one of WMMA’s most respected journeywomen. She’s had 24 UFC fights, and she’s still showing up better than fighters much younger than her and doesn’t appear to even be slowing down.
The blueprint on Hill has been pretty clear for some time – if you want to beat her relatively easily, you take her down. Otherwise, you’re going up against technically impressive striker that has the durability, a sneaky bit of power and seemingly limitless cardio to keep you honest. Really, if you manage to have success against Angela Hill on the feet, the best thing you can really hope for is about 55% of dominance (typically where two judges score one way, and another goes the opposite).
As I often say, statistics for MMA are best used when comparing WMMA strikers, and the figures here are quite eye-opening. Hill’s strike differential is vastly superior, and their defensive rates are very close. In short, if they stay on the feet for 15 minutes I think Hill should be expected to out-volume her opponent. When you factor in Pinheiro’s cardio deficiencies, that’s even more likely.
Therefore, Pinheiro has two routes to success here in my opinion – her typical R1 finish, or by going the grappling route. Firstly, Hill has never been finished via (T)KO in 29 professional fights (most of which have come at a high level), so I think it’s fair to say she deserves trust in being able to stay safe. She’s also quite an intelligent fighter, so I assume she’s going to be aware that her success will come in the latter half of the fight.
In terms of the grappling, Pinheiro landed five takedowns in the opening round against Markos, and that’s what forced her to gas out…so I don’t really think she’s going to be comfortable enough to lean on that skillset for 15 minutes straight. Hill is defensively quite sound on the mat as well, so as long as she can avoid getting stuck in a position I think she’ll be fine.
So in short, the only skillset I think Luana Pinheiro deserves credit for at this level is her R1 explosiveness, and Angela Hill is one of the worst opponents to pit that style against. Hill’s last victory proves that, as she survived the early barrage of another R1 finisher and took over in R2/3. I think the exact same mission statement applies here, and I think Angela Hill should definitely be trusted to do that. I’d personally line Hill somewhere like -175 to -200 here, so the -137 available at the time of writing was an easy bet to make. Let’s go Angie! 2u Angela Hill to Win at -137.
How I line this fight: Angela Hill -188 (65%), Luana Pinheiro +188 (35%)
Bet or pass: 2u Angela Hill to Win (-137), 0.25u Angela Hill to Win by Decision (+125 or better)
Prop leans: Hill couldn’t finish her dinner, so the decision prop will be one to look out for.
Live Betting Leans: If Pinheiro wins R1 and goes a bit crazy in trying to find a finish, betting Hill on the stool before R2 is a good move as the cardio fall-off could be live.

~Adrian Yanez vs Vinicius Salvador~
This feels like a weird mismatch and I don’t know why it’s happening.
Adrian Yanez is a classy and technical striker that I feel has become a bit overrated. The fans love him and put him on a pedestal as some sort of elite fighter’s fighter – I get that he’s fun to watch and a good boxer, but I’d argue he’s had more underwhelming performances than good in the UFC. He got styled on by Font and Martinez, was competitive against Davey Grant and lost more minutes than he won against Randy Costa. There’s not much shame in that and I’m not trying to say Yanez is bad, but I don’t think those performances warrant him being regarded as one of the most popular unranked fighters on the roster.
He faces Vinicius Salvador, who looked like an exciting fighter from his DWCS victory, but there was always a suspicion that he would have very little to offer outside of barn burners and very early KOs. The UFC pissed away the chance for a fan-friendly prelim guy by putting him up against two of the scrappiest and most durable guys at Flyweight – Victor Altamirano and CJ Vergara. The path to victory for both men was very clear there, and they grinded out long-distance victories after Salvador had nothing to offer after five minutes.
The UFC should have instantly viewed Salvador the same as they do Trevor Peek. Someone who is hilariously flawed but scrappy and entertaining to watch nonetheless. His striking style is unorthodox and weird, which looks great when he’s the hammer but awful when he’s the nail. Against a fighter as scrappy and technical sound a boxer as Yanez, this obviously seems like a tall order.
But ironically, whilst this is the toughest opponent Salvador has faced so far in his career, it’s probably his most winnable fight too. Yanez will oblige him in providing a war for the fans, which will give Salvador his chance to land that early KO. Yanez also been pieced up twice in a row so durability could also be a bit more questionable. Yes there is a massive gap in technique and overall skill…but one clean right hand can trump all of that, and Yanez can be hit by one.
Yanez is a -350 favourite here, which is a very easy way to put that final nail in the coffin of considering betting him. Whilst I do think he probably deserves to be close to that number in terms of his overall winning probability, it really won’t take much for the tables to turn massively here, so risking -350 seems like a terrible idea.
A bet on Salvador on the return is too ugly to stomach though, because he could also get absolutely styled on. It’s an easy pass all round.
How I line this fight: Adrian Yanez -250 (71%), Vinicius Salvador +250 (29%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: FDGTD very likely but doubt the price is at all playable.

~Oumar Sy v Antonio Trocoli~
We’re all jealous of Antonio Trocoli, AKA Mr Mackenzie Dern. I’ve probably got more to say about her than I do about this fight.
I’m obviously not going to do any tape for this fight, so the only thing of note from their records is that Trocoli has regional loses to Dhiego Lima (pre-UFC) and Jacob ‘Christmas’ Volkmann (post-UFC), both of which are pretty concerning losses. He also popped for steroids on DWCS, so who knows how good he actually is when he’s clean.
Sy is a terrifying specimen of a man, with a 9-0 record by KO/SUB/DEC. I suppose this is a good time to remind you that William Knight also looked like a god.
Why would you bet this fight? Just pass and take the info we get here into their next appearances.
How I line this fight: I’d have more confidence in my ability to hook up with Mackenzie Dern than my ability to accurate cap this fight.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: Over 1.5 Mackenzie Dern sightings (-200)

~Emily Ducote v Vanessa Demopoulos~
Two very middle-of-the-road WMMA fighters that I am quite familiar with.
Demopoulos got to the dance via her grappling and submission ability, but has spent time honing her skills on the feet that she actually seems to have abandoned a grappling based approach entirely, having landed an average of 0.49 takedowns per 15 mins in her UFC/DWCS career so far. On the feet, she’s scrappy and actually does hit kind of hard, but the technique is still very much a work in progress. She makes up for the lack of finesse with pure enthusiasm and grit, and will stay in her opponent’s face and swing until the final bell. She’s also pretty durable too, having never lost by finish in 15 fights with striking that’s that sketchy.
Emily Ducote is kind of the polar opposite. She’s a dedicated striker that has decent enough grappling defence. She has little to no power in her hands, but she’s reliable to rack up decent volume and can keep it up across 15 minutes. She has landed 100+ significant strikes in 3 of her 4 UFC bouts, but she’s also absorbed 100+ in 3 too.
The summary of this one is that Ducote is just the cleaner striker of the two, but I think this -330 price tag is a bit ridiculous. Yes, comparing the stats makes it seem that Ducote will win easily, but Demopoulos has faced quite a few opponents that have wanted to grapple her, and her Strikes landed per minute figures are skewed as a result. Given that Ducote absorbs a similar number to what she lands, I think Demopoulos’ enthusiasm should see her land far more than she has done before. Also, Demopolous’ fight metrics are often inferior to her opponents in all of the fights she loses, so the stats do her a major disservice to how competitive she can be.
I always say that there’s a real ceiling in regards to how much you can favour a striking based WMMA fighter if they have no power or finishing ability. The judges do not score technique, so the 50+ pitter patter punches they land can easily be trumped by any instance where it looks like they get hurt on the return, so in this instance I think Vanessa’s power and forward pressure could be enough to make rounds closer than the odds suggest they should be.
In short, Ducote price is nuts but she should probably win so definitely deserves to be favoured. I wouldn’t bet anything here other than FGTD, which could be a decent parlay piece anywhere less than -400. I’d be interested to see what Ducote by Decision looks like because I do rate Demopolous’ durability and see it going the distance quite frequently…so +100 or better would get my money.
How I line this fight: Emily Ducote -250 (71%), Vanessa Demopoulos +250 (29%)
Bet or pass: 1u Emily Ducote to Win by Decision (+100 or better)
Prop leans: See above

~Ramiz Brahimaj v Themba Gorimbo~
Stylistically this is a very funny fight, because it’s between two guys whose strengths and weaknesses are exactly the same. They’re both aggressive grapplers with average to bad striking, and they’ll hunt for the finish from the opening bell…and fall off a cliff at the halfway point if they can’t find it.
Themba Gorimbo is unfortunately completely unbettable at this stage in his career, I think. He’s obviously got this narrative with The Rock going on, and it’s somehow managed to turn him from a sub-par, barely UFC quality fighter that can’t beat AJ Fletcher, to someone whose fame actually manages to transcend MMA a little bit. Just goes to show how important those post-fight interviews can be! That popularity obviously swells his betting line as he’s likely to garner more money and attention from bettors, whereas Brahimaj is a nobody unless you’re a hardcore with a good memory. Couple that with the fact Themba’s style is not sustainable across 15 minutes, and you’ve got a fighter with a very limited path to victory that you can rely on, who comes with an eye-watering price tag.
Whilst Brahimaj’s betting line would lean towards the value side due to Thema’s popularity, this is the first time we have seen him compete in over two years. He was a fighter that came in during COVID times, and immediately got thrown into the deep end when matchmaking was difficult. I bet Max Griffin against him due to Max’s durability (IE my bet was ‘Max to survive and turn the tables’), and it resulted in Griffin slicing Ramiz’s ear in half with an elbow (one of the more gruesome moments we have ever seen in the cage). Ramiz managed to hit is PTV against Micheal Gillmore (the runt of the litter in a season of TUF who had no right competing in the UFC. The only interesting thing about him was that his parents couldn’t even spell his own name ), as well as Sasha Palatnikov. When facing a veteran grappler like Court McGee, I also won a bet backing the experience and durability of a guy like Court (which is ironic given I’ve bet on Court to be KO’d in his last two).
So basically, my summary here is that Thembo deserves to be favoured simply by being more proven and in the better recent form. He’s got good enough grappling all round to be able to stop Ramiz from being so dominant as a round one buzzsaw, and unless Brahimaj has made some major changes in the two years off, Themba’s probably got the slightly superior cardio (by a bit) and therefore should still be around once his opponent fades.
The -275 betting line is absurd though, as I mentioned earlier, because there’s a likelihood that Themba gasses out himself too, and it could easily be Brahimaj that’s fresher in the latter stages, should we get there. Therefore, it’s a very easy pass. I will take a look at the round props as there could potentially be an angle on some sort of combination, but we will see.
How I line this fight: Themba Gorimbo -200 (67%), Ramiz Brahimaj +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: Fight to End in Rounds 2 or 3 (price dependent), or something like that
Prop leans: See above

~Tom Nolan v Victor Martinez~
I’m bored of saying it, but Jesus Christ the calibre of a ‘UFC Fighter’ is just so low these days. Tom Nolan just got knocked out in 63 seconds as a -350 favourite to Nikolas Motta (shoutout to me for sort of predicting that), and Victor Martinez’s UFC debut saw him get knocked out cold by JORDAN LEAVITT.
So what do you do, bet at -350 on an unproven fighter who shat the bed at the exact same price tag last time? Or trust a guy who got put to sleep by the hands of Jordan Leavitt?
Obviously, you pass. If I see a single parlay screenshot with Nolan in it this weekend I will lose all hope.
How I line this fight: I like my chances of pulling Mackenzie Dern for a second time, more than I like my chances of lining this fight accurately.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: See above

~Abus Magomedov v Warlley Alves~
Abus Magomedov needs to fire his manager. He started off his UFC career with a highlight reel KO inside 20 seconds, and had the world at his feet. Then he gets a main event spot against Sean Strickland. Fair enough taking an opportunity, but trying to speed run the rankings is a terrible idea when you consider all they want to do these days is play monopoly and generate stars. It’s much better to KO bums in the prelims and get paid a 50k bonus a few times than do what he did against Strickland…because look who he got for his third fight after losing in embarrassing fashion - Caio Borralho, who is lowkey one of the best prospects in the UFC at the moment in my opinion. Abus basically went from prospect to fodder when he lost to Strickland, and I wouldn’t expect him to stick around in the UFC for too much longer if he doesn’t start delivering early KOs again.
He should be able to get the better of Warlley Alves though. Alves looks hella old and shopworn, despite only being 33 years old somehow. He has ridden the coattails of having a win against Colby Covington on his record for his entire career, because he’s done nothing remarkable with it since. His loss to James Krause was the fight where it was apparent Alves was on the decline, and a ‘loser leaves town’ win against the equally old and frail Sergio Moraes was the only thing keeping him afloat. He scored a shock upset KO via body kicks against Mounir Lazzez (who turned out to be a bit of a fraud anyway), but the writing has been on the wall for Warlley for some time. Fast forward a few years and he's on a threefight losing streak again, having been beaten down pretty badly and finished in under 1.5 rounds in four of his last five losses.
That’s a key piece of info for this one, because we know Abus’ limitations revolve around him being a great early fighter with terrible and unsustainable levels of cardio. When looking at Abus’ fights, you need to decipher the chances of him winning early, and that will explain the rest.
Given Alves’ frailty, I think this is a pretty generous fight for Magomedov – possibly the most appropriate and tailor-made matchup they could have found for him!
His winning probability relies heavily on doing work early, so naturally betting Abus R1/2 KO would be the obvious go to. I’m not sure there will be any value on that prop though, because it’s a pretty obvious angle that everyone’s going to try and take. However, I’ve long known that Bet365’s Bet Builder product is broken when combining Winner + Total Rounds, especially before they release the rest of the props as it’s completely out of context…so Backing Abus to Win and Under 1.5 Rounds at the right time could produce a valuable price before it gets corrected. That’s all I’ll be looking to play for this fight, assuming those early Abus props are rubbish. Be careful what price is available if you’re considering this, it’s going to be much shorter than normal and it’s a very limited window to be betting on.
How I line this fight: Abus Magomedov -250 (71%), Warlley Alves +250 (29%)
Bet or pass: Abus Magomedov to Win & Under 1.5 Rounds (+125 or better)
Prop leans: See Above
Live Betting Leans: I’d take a look at Alves on the stool after R1, but I don’t think I could trust him really.

~Piera Rodriguez v Ariane Carnelossi~
Ariane Carnelossi returns after two years on the sidelines. I’ve always jokingly been a fan of her, because that fight against Na Liang (the first UFC Fight back with fans after COVID) was genuinely one of the highlights of 2021 and it was such a fun fight with a crazy energy. Also helps that I bet her heavily in that.
Carnelossi’s a decent striker that actually hung with Angela Hill back in the day, but her wrestling defence is a clear weak point. She got absolutely ragdolled in one of the best UFC performances I can remember when she faced Loopy Godinez, and even Na Liang had some success in that opening round. She’s not a fish off her back or anything, but if you can’t defend takedowns and your opponent has the cardio and ability to chain takedowns together…you’re going to struggle.
Piera Rodriguez is a pretty well-rounded fighter, she’s decent enough in the striking realm and has a diverse arsenal with kicks and a whole lot of feints, but she’s also a decent enough grappler that can commit to that multiple takedown approach. She’s landed three or more in each of her UFC/DWCS victories and just generally does a good job of showcasing herself to be a well-rounded mixed martial artist. My biggest criticism of her is that she does look to have slight signs of bad cardio, as her third rounds against both Hughes and Hansen were a bit laboured and slow.
So initially this fight was lined as a clear pick’em, which I didn’t agree with at all. Whilst Carnelossi should be able to show some competitiveness, her inability to defend takedowns should see her on the back foot for a fair bit of this fight, and her desire to land the knockout with every punch she throws could even see her lose moments on the feet to Piera’s kicking game and more technical style. Carnelossi does have a bit of a cardio advantage though, which Piera will have to navigate, but other than that I think the Venezuelan should be given the nod as a moderate favourite, probably around -175. Considering I got Piera at -120, I thought that was worthy of a 2u bet. If the line continues to move though, I may arb out as I think -175 is a very fair number.
How I line this fight: Piera Rodriguez -175 (64%), Ariane Carnelossi +175 (36%)
Bet or pass: 2u Piera Rodriguez to Win (-120)
Prop leans: Probably a decision win for Piera, Carnelossi is dedicated and Piera not much of a finisher.

~Alatengheili v Kleydson Rodrigues~
I write the same synopsis for Alatengheili because the guy never changes. Here’s a paragraph from his last fight that I wrote:
Alatengheili is one of the most frustrating talents I’ve seen in MMA in recent years. He was once the number three freestyle wrestler in China and looks to actually have a really promising wrestling game…but he just doesn’t fight like it! In his UFC debut, he faced a clearly superior striker and waited until round 3 to start shooting religiously (no attempts in R1 or 2, 7 attempts in R3). After that, he did exactly the same again in a split decision win against Ryan Benoit (1 TD attempt in R1, none in R2, and 12 in R3). He then faced Casey Kenny, who is a great defensive grappler…and decided not to attempt a takedown. Then he faced Gustavo Lopez, who took HIM down three times from eight attempts, and none from Alatenheili. He went on to beat Kevin Croom in under a minute on the feet, then went back to his regular style of waiting until R3 for takedowns when he beat Chad Anheliger. In the Gutierrez fight that followed, he attempted four takedowns and landed two. These all came in – you guessed it- round three.
So I think it’s fair to assume that we can’t call Alatengheili much of a wrestler anymore. When he’s striking on the feet, he’s clearly got some power in a big wind up shot, but other than that it’s quite flat footed and low volume stuff. Those aren’t particularly good qualities, as he’s hardly demonstrating a clear killer instinct that makes up for bad minute winning fundamentals.
Kleydson Rodrigues is a guy I was quite excited about when he got to the UFC. He looked great on DWCS, but immediately had a tough test against CJ Vergara in his debut. I do personally think he won that fight, but CJ’s pace, pressure and tenacity got the better of him down the stretch and made that fight close. He returned and obliterated Shannon Ross, before being steamrolled on the mat by Farid Basharat. A real mixed bag of results, overall.
The thing is, I don’t exactly think that the losses Rodrigues suffered are directly relevant here, as Farid’s topside grappling is way way better than Alateng’s. The Mongolian also doesn’t have the forward pressure or pace of CJ Vergara, due to how flat footed he is.
On the flipside, Alatengheili has struggled against fighters who technically outclass him on the feet, or those with good takedown defence. The Mongolian has proven to be a tough fighter to put away, which should give him a chance to take over at the midway point.
Comparatively, I think Kleydson Rodrigues has shown himself to be a higher calibre striker than Alatenheili, and clearly the more diverse one. Kleydson also throws a lot of low kicks, which are a key weapon when trying to nullify the grappling threat of the already flat footed power puncher.
In conclusion, I just think Kleydson Rodrigues outclasses Alatengheili in the striking, whereas I don’t think the Mongolian outclasses him anywhere on the return. The Mongolian has proven he is keen to stay on the feet for the majority of fights, which should leave the door wide open for Kleydson to win minutes. The cardio advantage does lie with Alateng, but I don’t think he pushes enough of a pace in the grappling or striking department to make Kleydson fade like he did against CJ (who is one of the more suffocating guys in the division). Also, Alateng’s grappling threat in R3 may well be nullified by the 10 minutes of leg kick investment that Kleydson has already made.
So as you can probably tell, I favour Kleydson Rodrigues in this one. I personally thought he should be a -200 favourite, so I was expecting to pass on this one…but it looks like the BetOnline moneyline is moving towards -150. For some strange reason the fight is barely available in the UK for now, but I’m hoping that -150 would be available for me to bet for 2u.
How I line this fight: Kleydson Rodrigues -200 (67%), Alatengheili +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: 2u Kleydson Rodrigues to Win (-160 or better)
Prop leans: None
Live Betting Leans: If it’s 1-1 going into the third and there’s been a pace…I’d recommend betting Alatengheili.

~Tamires Vidal v Melissa Gatto~
Melissa Gatto is a competent and well-rounded fighter. She went to competitive decisions with Tracey Cortez and Ariane Lipski. She is UFC quality.
Tamires Vidal is a plodding fighter that doesn’t appear to be very good at defensive grappling. She went to a competitive decision against Montserrat Rendon. She is not UFC quality.
Gatto is -400. It’s a very steep price to pay but I don’t think it’s too far off where it ought to be – she should be able to point strike on the feet and have very decent grappling success, where she can definitely fish for a submisison. I’d be interested in seeing what the price on Gatto by Submission is though, so I may be looking to play that.
How I line this fight: Tamires Vidal +300 (25%), Melissa Gatto -300 (75%)
Bet or pass: Xu Melissa Gatto to Win by Submission (+300 or better)
Prop leans: See above

Bets (Bold = been placed)
2u Edson Barboza to Win (+130)
2u Angela Hill to Win (-137)
2u Piera Rodriguez to Win (-120)
2u Kleydson Rodrigues to Win (-150)
Xu Emily Ducote to Win by Decision (+100 or better)
1u Abus Magomedov to Win & Under 1.5 Rounds (+100 or better)
Xu Melissa Gatto to Win by Submmission (+300 or better)
0.25u Parlay Pieces (not bet yet)
Parlay Pieces: Angela Hill, Emily Ducote, Abus Magomedov, Kleydson Rodgriguez, Melissa Gatto
Dog of the Week: Edson Barboza

Context: I think we can all agree (if not all, then most) that Nick Aldis has been doing an exceptional job as being the Smackdown General Manager since joining the WWE in this role. He feels like a true authority figure that commands respect and doesn't back down, which is a nice change of pace. While I don't want Nick Aldis to necessarily stop being the Smackdown General Manager, the man is only 37 years old and is a very good wrestler himself and I personally would like to see him wrestle at least once (and I would be surprised if he doesn't wrestle at any point during his WWE tenure in real life). For this booking, I want to attempt a story that will go from where we just left off with Smackdown (5/10/2024) and end with his in-ring debut. This will be a long post, so be prepared.
The Build to King and Queen of the Ring:

• There's only one thing that I want to change (or just make clear since I was a little confused about it on this past Smackdown) about what they have done so far and that is the match between Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul is NOT title for title, but rather the WWE Undisputed Championship is the only championship that is on the line and Logan Paul is the only one that could potentially be a double champ if he wins this match. Throughout the build to the PPV, we will mainly focus on the Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul feud/match for King of the Ring. On the next episode of Smackdown, Logan Paul continues to talk about how he has had the greatest rookie year in WWE history and that he is the best and longest reigning champion in WWE today. Logan continues to put himself over as he talks about that not only is he the greatest champion in WWE today but is the biggest star that WWE has (putting over Prime and social media engagement). Logan says that after he beats Cody at King and Queen of the Ring, he will do what nobody in their first year has done, be a double champion, and says that Cody's story as champion will end, before it even had a chance to begin. Cody Rhodes says that while Logan Paul has done extremely well for himself, he has not achieved nearly enough yet to talk the way that he has been talking. Cody says that while Logan may achieve that someday, King and Queen of the Ring will not be that day. Rhodes finishes by saying that, he earned everything that he has ever achieved and did so through going through the trials and errors of his career (brings up Stardust, tearing his pec, losing to Roman to Wrestlemania 39, etc) and that has made him the man and champion that he is today, Logan hasn't gone through that yet, but it'll start when he loses at the PPV. Cody goes on later that night to defeat Santos Escobar in the main event. The next week, Logan Paul learns that he is scheduled for a match against Angelo Dawkins that night and Logan is not happy about it. Paul goes to Nick Aldis's office to complain and says that as a champion and future double champion, he feels as though he should be being treated better and expects better in the future, after he beats Cody Rhodes. Nick Aldis tells Paul that he may be a big star and a champion, but that does not mean he gets to be treated favorably over anyone. Nick continues by saying if Logan plans on being a double champion (both the WWE and United States Champion), he needs to act like a champion, that means showing up to work, that means showing respect to his opponent (and puts over Cody's accomplishments that he has done in WWE and outside of WWE that he has personally witnessed), and it means to respect the brand that he represents. Logan smirks at this, as he tells Aldis "You talk about all these things that come with being a champion, but how could you know anything about that when you haven't been a champion here yourself?". Aldis tells Paul to watch his mouth and to make no mistake about it, Aldis does view Paul very highly, especially when it comes to the future of Smackdown, but to not think for a second that means he is untouchable. Aldis tells Paul that he should leave and prepare for his match, as he has to attain to other matters. Logan Paul later that night, defeats Angelo Dawkins after hitting him with the lucky punch with the brass knuckles. The rest of the build is focused on Cody and Logan and on the final go-home show, Logan lays Cody out with the brass knucks and holds both the WWE and United States Championships in the air to close the show.

King and Queen of the Ring 2024:

• Cody Rhodes (c) def. Logan Paul to retain the WWE Undisputed Championship
  • This is a back and forth match as Logan once again tries to cheat with the brass knuckles multiple times but the ref sees him. On the final attempt, as the ref is distracted, Logan goes for the punch but it's countered into a Cross Rhodes and Cody gets the pinfall victory, retaining his championship.

Build to Clash at the Castle 2024:

• On the next Smackdown, Logan Paul barges into Nick Aldis's office, interrupting a meeting he was having to someone that we can't see on-screen. Aldis isn't too pleased with this as he tells Logan that he's in the middle of something. Paul cuts him off, asking him when his next championship match against Cody is. Aldis just looks at him and tells him that for now, there is no second opportunity for the WWE Championship in Logan Paul's future. Aldis continues on explaining that Logan had his shot and came up short, he doesn't get an automatic rematch just because he demands it. Aldis finishes by saying "and besides, you already are the United States champion on Smackdown, and I think you have gone long enough without defending it.". Before Aldis can continue on, Logan expresses his displeasure, saying that he is outraged that he isn't getting another opportunity to wrestle Cody, saying that there is nobody on this roster that is better than he is while also berating Aldis, calling him a horrible GM. Aldis tells Paul that maybe if he quit relying on taking shortcuts with the one lucky punch and focused more on his craft, he maybe could have beaten Cody. After Paul's outburst and tense stare with Nick, he finally asks who he's defending the United States Championship against. Nick tells him that will be determined later on tonight between Shinsuke Nakamura and the man that was in the office talking to Aldis before Paul interrupted. The camera pans over to reveal that Nakamura's opponent is Andrade. Logan, again, doesn't look happy. Andrade smiles and takes off his shades, introducing himself to Logan as he extends his hand. Logan storms off. Andrade just smiles and puts his shades back on, thanking Nick Aldis for the opportunity. Later on that night, Andrade pins Shinsuke Nakamura to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. The match is made official that Logan Paul will defend against Andrade at Clash at the Castle. The rest of the build focuses around Logan Paul trying to use dirty tactics to attack Andrade, weakening him before their upcoming match, but Andrade is always one step ahead of Logan. In a vignette promo, Andrade tells Logan "I know all of your little tricks. I've done them too. Try them if you want but it will not matter, because at Clash at the Castle, I will dethrone you, and become the new United States Champion".

Clash at the Castle 2024:

• Logan Paul (c) def. Andrade to retain the United States Championship
  • Andrade does really well here as this is a showcase to remind the WWE Universe just how good he is while Logan finds ways to cut him off and take control at times. At one point, Logan looks to use the knucks but as he goes for a swing, Andrade counters with a spinning back elbow as he then goes for the pin but Logan kicks out at 2. Andrade goes for his finish but Logan counters by ramming Andrade into the referee. Logan capitalizes by nailing Andrade with that lucky punch with the brass knucks and gets the slow 1...2...3. Logan Paul retains.

Build to Money in the Bank 2024:

• We're on the road to Money in the Bank and Logan Paul is as abrasive and annoying as usual and during an in-ring segment, wants to let it be known that he is officially declaring to be part of Money in the Bank this year, and when he wins the briefcase, he will be looking to come after Cody Rhodes and become double champ, like he should have last time. Nick Aldis comes out to interrupt and tells Logan Paul that he must not have been listening last time when he (Nick) told Logan that you can't just demand things around here, not on his brand. He tells Logan that he did however have Logan in mind to compete for Money in the Bank and booked him in a qualifying match. Logan begins to protest this but Nick Aldis tells him to shut the hell up (he's starting to get fed up with Logan's shenanigans plus he has been dealing with the Bloodline causing chaos on Smackdown, he's starting to become pissed). Aldis tells Logan that not only is this match to determine who qualifies for Money in the Bank, but since Logan continues to cheat in every match, this will be for the United States Championship as well AND, if Logan uses the brass knuckles, he will be disqualified and face serious consequences. Logan is furious, but before he can say anything else, Aldis says that Logan's match will take place right now. At that moment, Johnny Gargano's music plays as he is revealed to be Logan Paul's opponent. Gargano and Paul have their back and forth match and Gargano looks as if he's actually about to finish Logan after he's caught with the brass knuckles and is hit with a superkick after the ref takes the knucks away. Gargano gets Paul in the Gargano escape. Logan reaches for the ropes but is out of reach. Logan starts to tap out BUT WAIT, the referee doesn't see the tap as both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have showed up at ringside to take out Tommaso Ciampa. As the ref is distracted and dealing with Grayson Waller, who is standing on the apron now arguing with the ref, Theory will slide the United States Championship into the ring. Gargano superkicks Waller off the apron and as he turns around, he is hit with the title belt and Logan gets the pinfall victory before the ref can see the belt. Backstage, we see Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and Grayson Waller walking together, laughing and celebrating about Paul's victory until they run into Nick Aldis. Aldis begins to scold Logan, telling him that he's starting to get really sick and tired of Logan taking short-cuts and disgracing the United States Championship (and begins to put over past champions that held the belt). Logan cuts him off, saying that he doesn't care what Aldis thinks, and that he now is in Money in the Bank, and when he wins it, Logan will be WWE Champion very shortly after. Logan says to prepare to cater to the biggest star on the show, because he will soon have no choice. Logan Paul then shoulder checks Nick Aldis as he walks past him, continuing to disrespect him. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have huge grins as they try to walk past but Nick holds his arm across, stopping Theory and Waller from walking past. Nick Aldis says that since they decided to be dumbasses and get involved in something and with someone they shouldn't have, they will be defending the Tag Team Championships at Money in the Bank against DIY. The rest of the build is about establishing the rest of the Money in the Bank match and building up each competitor. On Smackdown, Carmelo Hayes defeats Bobby Lashley to qualify and LA Knight (YEAH!) defeats Solo Sikoa to qualify thanks to a returning Jimmy Uso distracting the Bloodline. On RAW, Jey Uso defeats Damien Priest to qualify (Judgement Day is falling apart and are at odds), Finn Balor defeats Rey Mysterio to qualify, and Bron Breaker defeats Braun Strowman to qualify.

Money in the Bank 2024:

• Money in the Bank ladder match: Jey Uso def. Logan Paul, LA Knight, Carmelo Hayes, Finn Balor, and Bron Breaker to win the Money in the Bank briefcase
  • This match is just chaos as everyone gets their moment to shine. In the final stretch of the match, Bron Breaker spears LA Knight, he spears Uso out of the air, he rolls to the outside and spears Finn Balor through the barricade, he comes back into the ring after seeing Hayes climb the ladder and try to grab the briefcase and pushes the ladder, sending Hayes flying and going through a couple of tables to the outside. Bron then goes for the spear on Logan Paul but it's countered into the punch with the brass knucks on, knocking out Bron Breaker. Logan starts to climb the ladder but LA Knight follows as they go blow for blow, Logan stumbles and before LA Knight can grab the briefcase, Waller and Theory pull Knight off the ladder and hit him with a double team move. Jey Uso spears both Waller and Theory and begins to climb the ladder. Jey Uso eventually pulls down the briefcase and wins the match, last knocking Logan Paul off the ladder.
• Also on this show earlier in the night, DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) def. A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller & Austin Theory) to become the NEW WWE Tag Team Champions

Build to Summerslam 2024:

• Post-Summerslam, Logan Paul and A-Town Down Under have an in-ring segment where they all express their frustrations. A-Town Down Under demands a rematch for the Tag Team Championships as they felt they were punished for supporting their friend and Logan Paul feels as if there has been a ceiling placed on him by Nick Aldis and feels that Aldis is trying to hold him down. Paul says that despite this, all three of them will overcome and rise above the odds as he (Logan Paul) will continue to be the greatest United States Champion that WWE has ever seen and his boys A-Town Down Under will reclaim the WWE Tag Team Championships. Nick Aldis interrupts and tells them that he is beyond fed up that they have to meet like this all the time. Aldis tells A-Town Down Under that they will in fact be getting a rematch with DIY for the tag team championships in 2 weeks on Smackdown. Aldis then tells Logan Paul that he came out here to inform him of his next opponent will be determined later tonight in a triple threat match, with the competitors being Andrade, Tama Tonga, and LA Knight. This does not please Logan Paul one bit as he, along with A-Town Down Under, start to argue with Aldis until you hear LA Knight's entrance music play. As LA Knight enters the ring, he tells Paul that he (Logan Paul) has been ducking him for a long time. LA has been wanting to fight Logan for quite some time and Logan thought that he could go an entire US title reign without facing him? NAH NAH! He tells Logan that when he wins later tonight, he will go on to face Logan Paul at Summerslam and not only will he take his US Title away, but he will beat Logan so bad that he will come running back to his awful podcast and leave the WWE. Logan doesn't say a word, he looks like he's going to say something in the mic, and then just drops it and leaves, looking furious. Later that night, LA Knight wins the triple threat match and is the number one contender for the US Title. The next week, LA Knight and Logan Paul have a face-to-face as Logan runs down LA for saying that as popular as LA Knight is, he has no gold to show for it. Logan continues saying that he doesn't give a damn if fans boo him because the fact of the matter is, they boo him because he is more successful, rich, famous, and great than any of them could dream of. He mentions all of his accomplishments and compares himself to famous sports teams that are hated heavily but very successful like The Chiefs (He mentions the Chiefs when he is in San Francisco). Logan Paul finishes by saying that the WWE fans love LA and he knows it, and after Summerslam, the world will only be talking about Logan Paul and end the hype train of LA Knight. LA Knight says that Logan Paul is an entitled, self-centered, little bitch who has been spoon fed and has been given so many opportunities to be great while he has had to scratch and claw and bust his ass to achieve all of the success that he has had. LA Knight says that the biggest difference between he and Logan, is that when they experience hardship, it makes LA better, when Logan faces hardship, he bitches and moans about it. LA Knight finishes by saying that the whole world will be talking, and it'll be about LA Knight showing the world how damn good he is. He says when the world is talking about LA Knight, they talk about his greatness, when the world talks about Logan Paul, it's usually because of controversy that makes him have to make a public apology after. After that is said, A-Town Down Under come down and three men beat LA Knight down. It looks as if Logan is going to hit Knight with the brass knucks until DIY makes the save. The next week during the tag team match, Logan tries to aid A-Town Down Under to help them win the tag gold, until LA Knight's music hits and brawls with Logan. In the end, DIY hit Austin Theory with their double team finish and retain. On the go-home show of Smackdown before Summerslam, we have a trios match between Logan Paul and A-Town Down Under against LA Knight and DIY. Logan Paul and A-Town Down Under win after Logan uses the brass knucks and pinning Ciampa.

Summerslam 2024:

• LA Knight def. Logan Paul (c) to become the NEW United States Champion
  • This will open the Summerslam card as despite Logan Paul doing all of his dirty tricks, it is not enough. A-Town Down Under try to interfere on Logan Paul's behalf but it's Nick Aldis that ejects them from ringside after. In the final stretch, after a ref bump, Logan Paul again attempts to hit the one lucky punch with the brass knuckles, but, LA Knight counters the one lucky punch with the brass knucks and turns it into his finish BFT, and gets the pinfall victory over Logan Paul. LA Knight (YEAH!) is the NEW United States Champion.

Post-Summerslam:

• It's been 3 weeks since Summerslam and there has been no sight of Logan Paul during that time. Week-after-week, Nick Aldis has been trying to call and get ahold of Logan Paul but there has been no answer. When Nick Aldis asks A-Town Down Under where Logan has been, they coldly say that they have no idea and haven't heard from him either. On the go-home show of Smackdown before Bash in Berlin, we see a backstage segment in Nick Aldis's office as he is talking with Cody Rhodes until all of the sudden, Logan Paul appears on screen and he looks ROUGH (like, I want to imply that he looks hungover or just down on his luck. Wearing shades, smells bad, all of that. It looks as if he's been down in the dumps since his loss to LA Knight). Nick asks Cody for some time alone with Logan and Cody obliges. Nick asks Logan where he has been as he's been trying to reach him since Summerslam. Logan takes a sip of his Prime and tells Aldis that he has been busy with other obligations and was recovering from Summerslam (he's clearly hungover or something) but assures Aldis that he's back now. Logan asks Nick when he's getting his rematch with LA Knight. Nick Aldis tells Logan that he still doesn't get it. Aldis continues by saying something along the lines of "While you've been gone handing your 'obligations', we already have a number one contender set for LA Knight at Bash in Berlin. You can't just be MIA for 3 weeks and expect an automatic rematch. Had you been here, we could have discussed a potential rematch but now, you have to earn that opportunity again. We can discuss a potential number one contender's match after Berlin". Logan wants to hear none of it, absolutely enraged that he is not being treated favorably and again starts to run down Nick. They start to have a back and forth with words until Logan tells Nick that he did a little research on him during his time away. Logan says something along the lines of "I was curious to know about your in-ring career because I didn't know and I must admit, it's a pretty impressive resume. You've wrestled around the world, won championships in different promotions, and you've beaten some good competition. That's not too bad. But even with all of that, I know you wanted to wrestle here didn't you, Nick? You've always imagined yourself as being able to do what you did in other places here in the WWE didn't you, Nick? How has that worked out for you?". Nick tries to tell Logan to stop but Logan keeps going, saying "I now understand why you don't like me, it's because I'm living your dream and doing everything that you wished you could do, right Nick? It must eat you up inside knowing that despite your resume, it can never measure up to the resume I've established here already, in the best pro wrestling company in the world". Logan begins to start to talk about Nick's wife, Mickie James, and then all of the sudden, Nick pushes Logan up against the wall and has his forearm against his throat. He tells Logan that he has had enough of Logan's bullshit. Nick tells Logan that he has tried to reason with him, but Logan has been ungrateful and has disrespected him at every turn. He continues, saying that he knows how good Logan is, but even with that, he will not tolerate these antics anymore. Nick finishes by saying that if Logan ever brings up his personal life and loved ones again, he will seriously live to regret it. Nick lets go of Logan and Logan rushes out of the office.

Post-Bash in Berlin:

• On the first episode of Smackdown after Bash in Berlin, Nick Aldis is out in the middle of the ring as he plans on making a couple of announcements regarding Survivor Series regarding Cody Rhode's next opponent and other matches. Before he can, we see Logan Paul interrupt, looking just as rough as we last saw him, again sipping on his Prime bottle and saying that before Nick says anything more about Survivor Series, he would like to say a few things first. Logan continues, saying that he hates Smackdown, he hates that he feels held down, and that he hates Nick Aldis. Nick tries to tell Logan that this is not the time or the place and that they can have this discussion later and Logan wants none of it as he slaps Nick's hand away as he tried putting it on his shoulder. Logan says that since Nick put his hands on him, all bets are off and he is going to say whatever he wants. Logan continues to go off being just as disrespectful as before. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are there too, recording the whole thing (on like Instagram live or something). Logan gets in Nick's face, and begins to lightly shove him. Nick tells Logan to stop but Logan keeps instigating. Eventually after splashing his Prime in Nick's face, Nick Aldis SLAPS the shit out of Logan Paul, sending Logan down to the mat. Austin and Grayson grab Nick, getting him away from Logan as they shout at him for putting his hands on Logan. Nick tries to cool down, looking regretful about what he's done as he let his anger get the better of him. Before he can try to do anything else, Logan Paul walks over and kicks Nick Aldis in the groin, hitting him with a low blow! Logan looks pissed while also looking relieved, like has wanted to do that for a long time. Grayson and Austin pull their phones back out and record the action looking beyond excited. Logan however, doesn't stop there. He begins to reign down punches to Nick Aldis and stomping him, putting on a serious beating. Nick starts to fight back, reversing the positioning and attempts to reign down punches on Logan but is pulled off by Austin. Nick shoves Austin to the mat and Logan nails Nick Aldis with the brass knuckles. Nick is busted open and bleeding, trying to get to his feet but before he can, Logan boots him in the face. A couple of security guys come down to the ring to try to stop the assault but Logan lays them out too. Grayson Waller looks incredibly excited as he continues to record but Austin Theory is starting to look concerned, thinking that this is starting to go too far. Nick stumbles, trying his best to get to his feet but not being able to. Logan looks like he has lost his mind, grabbing Aldis by the hair as he shouts at him. Austin tries to tell Logan to stop but Logan shoves Theroy away, and before the rest of security and members of the roster can get to the ring, Logan hits Nick Aldis one more time with the brass knuckles and Aldis is out cold. Logan is escorted out by security and members of the Smackdown roster, along with medical personnel and the CCO, Triple H rush down to the ring to check on Nick Aldis. WWE later announce on their social media that Nick Aldis has been taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries and Logan Paul has been suspended indefinitely. A week after the incident, Logan Paul posts a public apology to WWE, to Triple H, and to Nick Aldis (but the Nick Aldis portion of the apology is very short and comes off as insincere). Logan even comments about it on his podcast "Impaulsive", once again making an apology but also making excuses for why he did what he did. Triple H says that while Nick Aldis is away, the WWE Board have appointed an interim GM to run Smackdown while Nick is away, and Triple H will be the Smackdown GM until Nick's return or an Interim GM is selected.

Build to the Royal Rumble 2025:

• Survivor Series and Crown Jewel has passed and there has been no word on the status of Logan Paul. However, we do learn that Nick Aldis has stepped down as the Smackdown GM (it's not a segment on TV but rather it's posted by WWE on the Social Media and mentioned by commentary during Smackdown). As we begin the build of the Royal Rumble, Triple H opens a show of Smackdown to build the Royal Rumble, saying that it is an event that has made careers for those who are able to win it and get an opportunity at the showcase of the immortals, Wrestlemania. Triple H continues by saying that he has a couple of announcements regarding the Royal Rumble, with one of those announcements being, that a certain wrestler will be making their return and be in the Royal Rumble match. Triple H announces that this wrestler is none other, than Logan Paul, who arrives to a chorus of boos. Commentary talk about how this is a surprising decision and they wonder why Logan is even allowed to step foot back in the WWE after what he did. Logan looks happy and smug as he shakes Triple H's hand and thanks him for bringing him back. Triple H tells him to not thank him, it wasn't his decision but that while he is back and able to compete again, Logan will be competing in the main event in a trios match. Triple H says that because of what Logan did, he has made quite a few enemies and there are members in the back that want to take their shot at Logan. In the main event, it will be Logan Paul, Grayson Waller, and Austin Theory, against Kevin Owens, LA Knight, and Cody Rhodes. The main event of that match ends in a no-contest after Cody looks to hit Logan Paul with three consecutive Cross Rhodes but is hit with a Samoan Spike before the third one is hit. The new Bloodline (along with "The Tribal Chief", The Rock) attack. Logan gets out of there and the new Bloodline lay everyone out. The rest of the build on Logan's side for the rumble is more members of the Smackdown roster wanting their chance to get a piece of Logan to avenge Nick Aldis. Logan wrestles Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, and Dragon Lee on Smackdown and is able to beat all of them (thanks to a bit of cheating and a new ruthless side of Logan at times). Logan Paul has also has Grayson Waller and Austin Theory there to help him in the Rumble and promised to put them on the podcast if they do. Grayson agrees without hesitation because he's a stooge (in this story!) and Austin Theory agrees but it's evident that he's starting to get tired of Logan Paul and Grayson Waller.

Royal Rumble 2025: The Royal Rumble Match

• Later in the Royal Rumble match, Logan Paul will enter at #23 and teams up with Grayson Waller and Austin Theory in the match. At #25, as Logan Paul is standing tall, you hear theme music that nobody is familar with. All of the sudden, everyone realizes that at #25, Nick Aldis enters into the Royal Rumble match and looks to have revenge on his mind as Logan looks as though he has seen a ghost. Nick makes his way to the ring and immediately tackles down Logan Paul, throwing a barrage of punches. Logan is unable to amount any offense during this initial exchange as Aldis is destroying Paul. Nick finally looks to attempt to eliminate Logan from the Rumble until both Theory and Waller stop him, beginning to beat him down and as Logan gets back to his feet, all three men begin to lay the boots to him. Finally, both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have Nick's arm's trapped as they pick him up, setting Logan up to punch Nick, however, Nick is able to get Austin off of him and pull Grayson in his place as Logan Paul nails Grayson instead. Nick then hits Logan with a lariat and eliminates Austin Theory as Theory charges at him and Nick back drops him out of the ring. Grayson Waller stumbles to his feet and Nick clotheslines him out of the ring, eliminating Waller. Nick Aldis then looks at Logan Paul and puts him in the King's Cloverleaf (Texas Cloverleaf) and wrenches on Logan's knee, not trying to eliminate him but just make him feel pain. However, as Nick has Logan in this submission, he is met by a Samoan Spike from Solo Sikoa, saving Logan from enduring any more of the submission. Solo then picks up Nick Aldis, and throws him out of the Rumble, eliminating him from the match. Logan smiles and laughs at Nick being thrown out until he is turned around and hit with a Stunner from KO and then immediately followed up with an RKO from Randy Orton. Both men throw Logan Paul out of the ring to eliminate him from the Rumble and Nick Aldis begins to brawl with Logan again until the refs have to seperate the two, sending them both to the back. (In my fantasy universe, the winner of this years Royal Rumble is CM Punk).

(Now yes, I know I said I would end this booking after Nick Aldis's debut which was technically here, but nah, we're going to end it at Wrestlemania instead. Sue me.)
Build to Wrestlemania 41:

• On Smackdown after the Royal Rumble, there's a backstage meeting between Logan Paul and Triple H and Logan threatens to sue the WWE over being assaulted by an authority figure. However, Triple H tells Logan that Nick Aldis is no longer an authority figure in WWE and hasn't been since he was assaulted by Logan. Triple H then tells Logan that if he wants to do something about it, he should fight Nick Aldis and do something about it. Logan initially wants no part of it, but Triple H plays up to his ego and gets Logan riled up to the point where he says he will fight Nick whenever he wants. After saying that, Nick Aldis comes out and formally accepts Logan's challenge. Logan leaves after realizing what he has agreed to. At one point in the build, they have a contract signing making the match official as the two men share and tell each other how much they hate the other person. Logan says that Nick should have never messed with Logan Paul, and that if he had just treated Logan as the global superstar that he is, none of this would have happened and maybe they could have had a good working relationship. Logan says that Nick doesn't belong here in WWE, not as an authority figure, and not as a wrestler and he will prove that at Wrestlemania. Logan finishes by saying that Logan is going to crush Nick's dream of wrestling on the biggest stage in the biggest company and embarrassing him in front of the entire world. Nick tells Logan that despite how much he dislikes Logan, he acknowledges how good he is at such a young age (and he has always said that throughout this build). However, at Wrestlemania, he (Nick) is going to make Logan pay for all of his disrespect and for all the times that he has thought that he was better anyone. Nick says that he has seen the most talented wrestlers from all over the world have the world in the palm of their hand, and they ruined it for themselves by self-inflicted mistakes. Nick says that Logan is just like those people because his self-inflicted, career-risking mistake, was to cross the boss, and not just any boss, but Nick Aldis. Nick starts to try to get in Logan's head and get him frustrated to which he succeeds and Logan signs the contract as he throws the pen at Nick. Nick just smiles and tells Logan that he should have read over the contract because the contract he just signed, just made their match at Wrestlemania, a street fight. Nick tells Logan that he will see him at Wrestlemania, and to prepare for the biggest night of Hell he has endured in a WWE ring. Also, during this build, Logan starts to treat A-Town Down Under horribly and Austin Theory is fed up with Logan at this point while Grayson is still trying to be a leech and benefit from Logan's star power.

Wrestlemania 41: Nick Aldis def. Logan Paul (Street Fight)

• The only notes to make about this match is that this is on night 2 of Wrestlemania and both men beat the hell out of each other. All the weapons are used but Nick is also to use his technical abilities in the ring and works over Paul's knee. At one point, KSI (or some other YouTube/social media personality) tries to aid Logan Paul but is stopped by Austin Theory as he is done with Logan and Grayson (Grayson Waller argues with Austin Theory as they go to the back). At one point, Logan Paul tries to hit the frog splash onto Nick Aldis through the table but misses, crashing through the table himself instead. In the end, after hitting Logan Paul with the brass knuckles (making Logan pay for all the times he has used them in matches, it finally backfires on him), Nick Aldis puts Logan Paul in King's Cloverleaf (Texas Cloverleaf) and makes Logan Paul submit in the middle of the ring.

The end.
What did you think? Did you like it? Did you not like it? What specifically did you like or dislike? I'm open to all feedback
If you liked this booking, feel free to check out some others that I've done on here before
Booking Mercedes Mone in AEW part 1: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1ciup71/booking_mercedes_mone_in_aew_part_1/
Booking Mercedes Mone in AEW part 2: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1cnnzbh/booking_mercedes_mone_in_aew_part_2/
Rebooking Brock Lesnar's WWE return 2012: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1c95b4b/rebooking_brock_lesnars_2012_wwe_return/
Rebooking CM Punk's 434-day WWE Championship reign part 1: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1ccbouu/rebooking_cm_punks_434day_wwe_championship_reign/
Rebooking CM Punk's 434-day WWE Championship reign part 2: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1cdorlrebooking_cm_punks_434day_wwe_championship_reign/
Booking MJF's AEW return: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1cesd9z/booking_maxwell_jacob_friedmans_mjf_return_to_aew/
Rebooking the End of The Undertaker's Wrestlemania Streak: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/comments/1c47cba/rebooking_the_end_of_the_undertakers_wrestlemania/

Share ko lang feelings ko sa biglaang turn of events ng buhay ko na akala ko planado ko na. Ika nga, a lot can happen in a year.
Achiever ako, pero ung usual goals ko ay quite predictable. After HS, nagsumikap ako makapasok sa dream university ko, sumali sa org ng interests ko and sana makakuha ng trabaho sa pinili kong kurso. Nasa creatives ang aking course, pero may iba din akong hobbies na sinisideline ko. Anyway, yung isa ko kasing hobby d ako masyado magaling, medjo mabagal matuto pero love ko pa rin.
One day nagka opportunity na makasali ako sa isang grupo abt a sport. Nung una wala ako balak, friend ko meron. Introvert moments sorry haha. Pero sabi ng friend ko if pwede ako pumunta sa sign-ups for her kasi d siya makapunta sa first day. Sabi ko ok. Ito palang desisyon ang magbabago ng future ko. To some curiosity, ako lang ang nakapunta friend ko d na tumuloy. Nameet ko yung mga tao dun na mababait and made a good learning environment for me sa bagong member na to.
Let's just say hindi ako magaling from the start, legit. Palagi ako ang weakest. Lagging behind. Pero ineffortan ko umattend palagi. Soon, nahanap ko ang love ko for the sport and ...first love ko din pero lets not talk about that hindi nagwork sa first love ko haha.
Anyway, dahil nagustuhan ko yung sport sabi ko try ko maghanap ng actual classes for it kahit magbayad ako. Surprisingly enough, nahanap ko ay class ng world champions. Best of the best. Pero kakastart pa lang nila magturo sa lugar na yun. Onti pa lang sila. Legit hindi pa hasa ang galaw ko and gawa ko pero...linapitan ako ng coaches and told me nakikitaan nila ako ng potential. Inofferan ako ng scholarship basically. Sobrang gulat ko, kasi d ko akalain sa age ko na to (bata pa naman pero early 20s) kaya pa humabol sa pagiging national athlete (akala ko kasi u havw to start younger) and sa group ko very slow ako, how come dito may potential ako?
Anyway, tinuloy ko pero at some point may nangyari, naheart broken ako gusto ko na magquit pero sabi ko isa pang chance. Kung malungkot ako sa personal life ko, sana man wag ko iwanan tong sport na to. Bumalik ako, and nagdasal. Nakakita ako ng isang person na bago sa pinagtrtrainingan ko at nagdasal. Asa lowest ako nun, sabi ko sana, siya ang makasama ko.
Hello dumating coach namin at pinagsama kami?? 5 minutes after ?!! Mabait si Lord. Siya nagmentor saakin din. Ang galing. Tapos, naging seryoso na talaga pagka atleta ko. Mas strikto na schedule ko, kailangan ko.mag effort dahil madami pa ako hindi alam. Madami tumutulong saakin.
Madami din ako sinakripisyo.
Kung dati akala ko.magiging academic achiever ako kasi mahal ko course ko well, ayun nga. May days na hindi ako nakakapasok dahil may laban, may training, may performance at may bayad ako. Kumikita din ako sa sport ko. Binibigyan akong parangal sa achievemenrs ko sa sport pero medjo lowkey na ako sa course ko.
Pati rin ang mga gala ko.with friends. Super naging matipid na ako, need ko maginvest sa equipment. Yung free days ko nagiging for training.
Shuta what I thought my life would be...hindi ito. Don't get me wrong, sobrang blessed and thankful ako nagkapath ako na ganito na hindi ko inexpect. Natakot lang ako, dahil kailangan ko din balansihin yung life na binuild up ko before. Gusto ko parin magawa pareho. Pero grabe, the way the world works.
As of now lumakas lang will ko to keep going. Oo nangangapa pa and andaming risks and mistakes pero part yun ng progress eh. I only pray kakayanin ko to.

Hi! I am a newbie coach. Currently building my portfolio of success stories from clients.
If you're interested, I'll be happy and excited to work with you.
The goal of the program is to help you overcome your food addiction and binge-eating. Be craving free. Not be a victim and slave to your cravings and leaving you sedated and lethargic from binge-eating. Ending up demotived.
We also aim for good energy so you actually get to live the life you want to live and pursue your passion.
Yung totoong rason naman bakit tayo malakas kumain dahil sa cravings natin. Kapag nawala na cravings natin, hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self-control kasi wala ka ng kailangan labanan. Effortless na ang weightloss kasi ikaw na mismo aayaw sa dating unhealthy habits mo. Gumawa kana ng bagong ikaw.
As a former fat guy that shared the same struggles with their relationship with food, I understand how hard it is sticking to a diet. But narealize ko kaya karamihan satin nag fefail or pumayat na dati tapos na-gain ulit lahat ng pinayat at mas tumaba ba, kasi hindi talaga natin na address yung root cause kung bakit tayo tumaba. A part of the reason is yung burn out ng pag pigil ng cravings. Kahit may cheat meal/day tayo sa diet, wala tyong ibang iniisip kundi yung oras na mkakain ulit natin yung favorite food natin. Ang naging problem ko din dati, after ko kumain ng cheat meal, minsan magiging cheat day, tapos cheat week. Hanggang sa tuluyan nakong hindi naka balik alindog. Balik nanaman sa dati. Pag natikman ko na yung paborito kong pagkain, hindi ko na kayang huminto.
The goal of the program is not to manage cravings, but remove cravings. Hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self control kung ikaw na mismo aayaw sa mga guilty pleasures na pagkain.
"Food Freedom and Fitness" program
What can you expect in the program/ebook: 1) What is food addiction 2) How to overcome food addiction 3) My journey, struggles, and how I overcame my food addiction 4) Introduction to Running as a Hobby and How to Start 5) Training Schedule for Body Sculpting 6) Daily Journaling 7) Accountability Tracking
In this program, all of the knowledge I feel necessary is in here. Apart from the program, you get access to a support system to track your progress and accountability
Introductory Price : Php 500 with 4-week support/partner. You can message me 24/7 if you're having troubles with your cravings. Think of me as more of a sponsor and guide through your food freedom journey. And someone you can confide to in your daily struggles.
What to do after the 4 week period? Rinse and repeat the entire program. There are unlimited potential variety inside the program on how your day will be like.
Feel free to send me a DM if you are interested.

Hi! I am a newbie coach. Currently building my portfolio of success stories from clients.
If you're interested, I'll be happy and excited to work with you.
The goal of the program is to help you overcome your food addiction and binge-eating. Be craving free. Not be a victim and slave to your cravings and leaving you sedated and lethargic from binge-eating. Ending up demotived.
We also aim for good energy so you actually get to live the life you want to live and pursue your passion.
Yung totoong rason naman bakit tayo malakas kumain dahil sa cravings natin. Kapag nawala na cravings natin, hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self-control kasi wala ka ng kailangan labanan. Effortless na ang weightloss kasi ikaw na mismo aayaw sa dating unhealthy habits mo. Gumawa kana ng bagong ikaw.
As a former fat guy that shared the same struggles with their relationship with food, I understand how hard it is sticking to a diet. But narealize ko kaya karamihan satin nag fefail or pumayat na dati tapos na-gain ulit lahat ng pinayat at mas tumaba ba, kasi hindi talaga natin na address yung root cause kung bakit tayo tumaba. A part of the reason is yung burn out ng pag pigil ng cravings. Kahit may cheat meal/day tayo sa diet, wala tyong ibang iniisip kundi yung oras na mkakain ulit natin yung favorite food natin. Ang naging problem ko din dati, after ko kumain ng cheat meal, minsan magiging cheat day, tapos cheat week. Hanggang sa tuluyan nakong hindi naka balik alindog. Balik nanaman sa dati. Pag natikman ko na yung paborito kong pagkain, hindi ko na kayang huminto.
The goal of the program is not to manage cravings, but remove cravings. Hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self control kung ikaw na mismo aayaw sa mga guilty pleasures na pagkain.
"Food Freedom and Fitness" program
What can you expect in the program/ebook: 1) What is food addiction 2) How to overcome food addiction 3) My journey, struggles, and how I overcame my food addiction 4) Introduction to Running as a Hobby and How to Start 5) Training Schedule for Body Sculpting 6) Daily Journaling 7) Accountability Tracking
In this program, all of the knowledge I feel necessary is in here. Apart from the program, you get access to a support system to track your progress and accountability
Introductory Price : Php 500 with 4-week support/partner. You can message me 24/7 if you're having troubles with your cravings. Think of me as more of a sponsor and guide through your food freedom journey. And someone you can confide to in your daily struggles.
What to do after the 4 week period? Rinse and repeat the entire program. There are unlimited potential variety inside the program on how your day will be like.
Feel free to send me a DM if you are interested.

Hi! I am a newbie coach. Currently building my portfolio of success stories from clients.
If you're interested, I'll be happy and excited to work with you.
The goal of the program is to help you overcome your food addiction and binge-eating. Be craving free. Not be a victim and slave to your cravings and leaving you sedated and lethargic from binge-eating. Ending up demotived.
We also aim for good energy so you actually get to live the life you want to live and pursue your passion.
Yung totoong rason naman bakit tayo malakas kumain dahil sa cravings natin. Kapag nawala na cravings natin, hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self-control kasi wala ka ng kailangan labanan. Effortless na ang weightloss kasi ikaw na mismo aayaw sa dating unhealthy habits mo. Gumawa kana ng bagong ikaw.
As a former fat guy that shared the same struggles with their relationship with food, I understand how hard it is sticking to a diet. But narealize ko kaya karamihan satin nag fefail or pumayat na dati tapos na-gain ulit lahat ng pinayat at mas tumaba ba, kasi hindi talaga natin na address yung root cause kung bakit tayo tumaba. A part of the reason is yung burn out ng pag pigil ng cravings. Kahit may cheat meal/day tayo sa diet, wala tyong ibang iniisip kundi yung oras na mkakain ulit natin yung favorite food natin. Ang naging problem ko din dati, after ko kumain ng cheat meal, minsan magiging cheat day, tapos cheat week. Hanggang sa tuluyan nakong hindi naka balik alindog. Balik nanaman sa dati. Pag natikman ko na yung paborito kong pagkain, hindi ko na kayang huminto.
The goal of the program is not to manage cravings, but remove cravings. Hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self control kung ikaw na mismo aayaw sa mga guilty pleasures na pagkain.
"Food Freedom and Fitness" program
What can you expect in the program/ebook: 1) What is food addiction 2) How to overcome food addiction 3) My journey, struggles, and how I overcame my food addiction 4) Introduction to Running as a Hobby and How to Start 5) Training Schedule for Body Sculpting 6) Daily Journaling 7) Accountability Tracking
In this program, all of the knowledge I feel necessary is in here. Apart from the program, you get access to a support system to track your progress and accountability
Introductory Price : Php 500 with 4-week support/partner. You can message me 24/7 if you're having troubles with your cravings. Think of me as more of a sponsor and guide through your food freedom journey. And someone you can confide to in your daily struggles.
What to do after the 4 week period? Rinse and repeat the entire program. There are unlimited potential variety inside the program on how your day will be like.
Feel free to send me a DM if you are interested.

Hi! I am a newbie coach. Currently building my portfolio of success stories from clients.
If you're interested, I'll be happy and excited to work with you.
The goal of the program is to help you overcome your food addiction and binge-eating. Be craving free. Not be a victim and slave to your cravings and leaving you sedated and lethargic from binge-eating. Ending up demotived.
We also aim for good energy so you actually get to live the life you want to live and pursue your passion.
Yung totoong rason naman bakit tayo malakas kumain dahil sa cravings natin. Kapag nawala na cravings natin, hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self-control kasi wala ka ng kailangan labanan. Effortless na ang weightloss kasi ikaw na mismo aayaw sa dating unhealthy habits mo. Gumawa kana ng bagong ikaw.
As a former fat guy that shared the same struggles with their relationship with food, I understand how hard it is sticking to a diet. But narealize ko kaya karamihan satin nag fefail or pumayat na dati tapos na-gain ulit lahat ng pinayat at mas tumaba ba, kasi hindi talaga natin na address yung root cause kung bakit tayo tumaba. A part of the reason is yung burn out ng pag pigil ng cravings. Kahit may cheat meal/day tayo sa diet, wala tyong ibang iniisip kundi yung oras na mkakain ulit natin yung favorite food natin. Ang naging problem ko din dati, after ko kumain ng cheat meal, minsan magiging cheat day, tapos cheat week. Hanggang sa tuluyan nakong hindi naka balik alindog. Balik nanaman sa dati. Pag natikman ko na yung paborito kong pagkain, hindi ko na kayang huminto.
The goal of the program is not to manage cravings, but remove cravings. Hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self control kung ikaw na mismo aayaw sa mga guilty pleasures na pagkain.
"Food Freedom and Fitness" program
What can you expect in the program/ebook: 1) What is food addiction 2) How to overcome food addiction 3) My journey, struggles, and how I overcame my food addiction 4) Introduction to Running as a Hobby and How to Start 5) Training Schedule for Body Sculpting 6) Daily Journaling 7) Accountability Tracking
In this program, all of the knowledge I feel necessary is in here. Apart from the program, you get access to a support system to track your progress and accountability
Introductory Price : Php 500 with 4-week support/partner. You can message me 24/7 if you're having troubles with your cravings. Think of me as more of a sponsor and guide through your food freedom journey. And someone you can confide to in your daily struggles.
What to do after the 4 week period? Rinse and repeat the entire program. There are unlimited potential variety inside the program on how your day will be like.
Feel free to send me a DM if you are interested.

Hi! I am a newbie coach. Currently building my portfolio of success stories from clients.
If you're interested, I'll be happy and excited to work with you.
The goal of the program is to help you overcome your food addiction and binge-eating. Be craving free. Not be a victim and slave to your cravings and leaving you sedated and lethargic from binge-eating. Ending up demotived.
We also aim for good energy so you actually get to live the life you want to live and pursue your passion.
Yung totoong rason naman bakit tayo malakas kumain dahil sa cravings natin. Kapag nawala na cravings natin, hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self-control kasi wala ka ng kailangan labanan. Effortless na ang weightloss kasi ikaw na mismo aayaw sa dating unhealthy habits mo. Gumawa kana ng bagong ikaw.
As a former fat guy that shared the same struggles with their relationship with food, I understand how hard it is sticking to a diet. But narealize ko kaya karamihan satin nag fefail or pumayat na dati tapos na-gain ulit lahat ng pinayat at mas tumaba ba, kasi hindi talaga natin na address yung root cause kung bakit tayo tumaba. A part of the reason is yung burn out ng pag pigil ng cravings. Kahit may cheat meal/day tayo sa diet, wala tyong ibang iniisip kundi yung oras na mkakain ulit natin yung favorite food natin. Ang naging problem ko din dati, after ko kumain ng cheat meal, minsan magiging cheat day, tapos cheat week. Hanggang sa tuluyan nakong hindi naka balik alindog. Balik nanaman sa dati. Pag natikman ko na yung paborito kong pagkain, hindi ko na kayang huminto.
The goal of the program is not to manage cravings, but remove cravings. Hindi mo kailangan ng discipline at self control kung ikaw na mismo aayaw sa mga guilty pleasures na pagkain.
"Food Freedom and Fitness" program
What can you expect in the program/ebook: 1) What is food addiction 2) How to overcome food addiction 3) My journey, struggles, and how I overcame my food addiction 4) Introduction to Running as a Hobby and How to Start 5) Training Schedule for Body Sculpting 6) Daily Journaling 7) Accountability Tracking
In this program, all of the knowledge I feel necessary is in here. Apart from the program, you get access to a support system to track your progress and accountability
Introductory Price : Php 500 with 4-week support/partner. You can message me 24/7 if you're having troubles with your cravings. Think of me as more of a sponsor and guide through your food freedom journey. And someone you can confide to in your daily struggles.
What to do after the 4 week period? Rinse and repeat the entire program. There are unlimited potential variety inside the program on how your day will be like.
Feel free to send me a DM if you are interested.

I've just come across this fantastic article from Sports Illustrated, 1956. Aside from some wonderful 1950s prose, I think it also has quite a bit of interest to anyone interested not just in Patterson but in that era of boxing, its expectations and its place in society.
Do read it all, but for those who don't have time here's a few highlights:
On Patterson's Professional Position Prior to Winning the Title

• "it is now as clear as anything can be in the future books of boxing that a lithe young Brooklyn Negro named Floyd Patterson—who celebrated his 21st birthday this month by challenging Rocky Marciano—will be the next heavyweight champion of the world."
  
• recently "outclassed" the #5 heavyweight in the world to the point where the referee stopped the fight (a rarer thing back then!)
  
• had 9 fights in 1955, all of the KO or TKO wins
  
• Ray Arcel calls him "best young fighter of any weight in the world", and will "outclass" all heavyweights within a year
  
• Patterson's own trainer (who also trained Jersey Joe Walcott) speculates about a Moore fight (which of course ended up happening, after Marciano retired in part to avoid fighting Patterson): "It'd be no contest" (which was true!)
  
• Same trainer, about how older fighters get tired in the ring: "if you get tired in there against Patterson, then God help you... I've trained 500-600 fighters and I've never seen anything like this boy."
  
• "There is still a gangling, faintly schoolboyish air about him, but he fights with the expressionless eye and violent gracefulness of a large cat hunting its dinner."
  
• points out that Patterson's only loss was a close decision to former world champion Joey Maxim, when Patterson was only 19. Maxim says "he had my tail dragging after the fourth round".
  
• the biggest problem for Patterson is his weight. His handlers were "tormented" by the fear that he might stop growing too soon - "the awful struggle" for more poundage, requiring a diet of yams. By 1956 he was nearly 180lbs.
  
• Constantine D'Amato is cited as only his "manager", not his "trainer" (who is someone else, the guy who also trained Walcott). Given the mystique around Cus as this genius of boxing who personally devised and taught every facet of peekaboo technique to Floyd, Jose and Mike, I thought that was interesting!
  

On Patterson's Character and Private Life

• Patterson is "a fellow who sleeps a lot", according to D'Amato (which he approves of). He sleeps in the dressing room before fights (partly to deal with nerves) - something the writer says was also true of Louis and Tunney. He also sleeps every morning after his run.
  
• Patterson keeps in shape by running 2-5 miles in "heavy army shoes" in Prospect Park in Brooklyn (followed by a cup of tea and sleeping until noon). He then watches a movie every day, before training at D'Amato's gym.
  
• he also studies fights by use of "kinescopes" he replays on his home projector in his flat. He also has a film splicer, allowing him to study himself frame-by-frame.
  
• however, despite having been given free entry at will to Madison Square Garden, he doesn't watch live boxing, because he feels the crowd gets emotional and distracts him from the details of the technique on display
  
• "occasionally" he invites his girlfriend to a film on a saturday night. She's 3 years younger than him, and they've known each other for several years, having been "introduced". [spoiler: they married a month after this article, but divorced ten years later when Floyd refused to stop boxing; she took their four children with her. Floyd remarried and stayed married for another 40 years, with 3 more children by his second wife and one adopted. Fun fact: his first child, Seneca, was born the night he became world champion]
  
• "a shy and sensitive youth"
  
• not just few friends - few acquaintances. "You get an acquaintance and, the first thing, they start doing things for you—favors for you—and the next thing they want to borrow."
  
• he lives in "a lackadaisically furnished bachelor den in Brooklyn's rugged Bedford-Stuyvesant section, just a few hazy dreams away from riches and world fame, and just a few blocks from a crumbling Old Law tenement where his father, a hard-working garbage truck driver, and his mother live with nine of their 11 children."
  
• attends late mass on Sunday mornings. Otherwise "keeps to himself", mostly "holed up" in his flat
  
• "enjoys a heady solvency", and "contributes heavily to the support of his family"
  
• despite reclusiveness, he's "a youth with a secret inclination toward dudishness; he cultivates sideburns and treats himself to good clothes"
  
• owns a pet monkey called Connie, a "lively beast" that lives with his girlfriend, where it "runs up and down the curtains, takes the telephone off its cradle, turns on the family television set and, if not restrained, dabs itself with lipstick"
  
• occasionally attends a "rock-and-roll session" at the Apollo Theater in Harlem
  

On Patterson's Upbringing

• As a boy in the asphalt jungle, Patterson was a lonely, disturbed and defiant being—the third in a family of 11 children, whom his parents, for all their toil, could barely feed.
  
• broke into a store with a gang, truant from school, ran away from home
  
• "virtually refused to talk"
  
• "refused to learn"
  
• at 12, could not read or write (despite attempts of school). Something he had in common with Liston, who never went to school and never learnt to read.
  
• once stole a truck - he used to start the trucks parked opposite the school and sometimes move them back and forth a bit, but on one occasion a man started chasing him so he drove it all the way home
  
• liked to skip school to go to Coney Island. Not to go on the rides, but "to watch people going on the rides"
  
• his mother believed in early intervention: "the twig is bent early".
  
• his mother committed him to "an institution for problem children" (others say it was usually used as an alternative to jail for young offenders, but apparently they also took 'voluntary' students)
  
• Patterson thought the school would have bars on the windows, but instead he was allowed to "roam the woods" in an atmosphere of "kindness and understanding". This had a miraculous effect on him; he returned to New York two years later, by which point he had become a model student, a "star pupil and the school hero". At 21 he was still regularly phoning his teachers, and had donated a silver cup as a trophy for the students.
  
• fascinating that this sort of "enlightened", "modern" intervention was already being practiced by semi-penitential schools in the late 1940s. And Patterson, who went from criminal miscreant to pillar of the community, seems like a brilliant demonstration of how it can succeed. Fascinating to compare the lives of Patterson and Liston - both were introverted loners who felt marginalised, didn't want to attend school and got involved in petty crime. Patterson had that moment where he was put back on a positive track... and Liston didn't.
  
• D'Amato's gym happened to be a few blocks from his school. "There is a hole in the entrance door, patched by chicken netting, and when the gym is locked a vicious dog peers through, growling horribly at all callers. Only four people—D'Amato, two trainers and Patterson—are privileged to "know the dog" and the place cannot be entered until one of them arrives and ties the beast up in a back room. The space inside is bare except for a ring, two heavy bags, a light bag, a shelf with an opened jar of vaseline, a rubbing table, some cracked mirrors (for shadow boxing) a few folding chairs, a shower and some steel lockers. The grimy windows are kept tightly closed, the air is close and hot and the stench of sweat overpowering."
  
• ""I let any boy come in here and train," says D'Amato. "It costs them nothing. We teach them. They don't have to fight. But if they do, then they're my fighters. I'm like a prospector and here is where I look for gold—for a fellow like Floyd."
  
• Patterson boxed in the Golden Gloves (as a welterweight!) and was in for a shock: "I was surprised," he says. "I hit him and he fell down. I thought it was a lot harder to knock somebody out. I used to see lots of shoot-'em-up movies and those cowboys used to hit each other with their fists and break chairs over each other's heads and fall over the table and never seemed to get hurt. But it was easy."
  

-"This fellow had me on the ropes and he was hitting me and the lights started to go dim and I couldn't hear the crowd any more. Then I remembered that if a fellow's hitting you in the head you must throw a flurry to his belly. I did and he backed up and I knocked him out."

• At the Olympics: "One boxer, a Frenchman of excessive caution, stayed upright for three rounds, but he all but decapitated a Rumanian, a Dutchman and a Russian. He was fully as sensational when he mounted a dais to receive the victory award—he put one hand on his stomach, the other against his back, and gave the crowd a deep dancing-school bow."
  
• So, it seems D'Amato trained him as an amateur, but after he turned pro he got a new trainer for "advanced instruction", Dan Florio. Florio is implicitly not impressed by D'Amato's training, as Patterson "had to learn everything". Aside from not keeping his hands up, he "hopped around all the time. He bounced like a kangaroo".
  
• Patterson recalls a nasty experience against a tough, bigger fighter (175lbs). The man bullied him in the clinch, physically and mentally, repeating "why don't you punch me?" every time they were close. Patterson narrowly won a decision, but immediately began training infighting for the first time. In the rematch, Patterson insisted on infighting the entire match, while D'Amato yelled at him to box. "In the tenth round I said something to him. I said, 'Why don't you punch me?' He didn't say anything. Then I knocked him out."
  
• D'Amato: "Floyd is learning—he went to a lunch with the Mayor of New York a few weeks ago and I was proud of him. I try to make him independent of me. He decides how much work to do now, when he is training, and I accept his ideas about how to fight, unless I know he is absolutely wrong. Floyd is usually right."
  
• Talks about the importance of Charles Schwefel, owner of the Gramercy Park Hote. Schwefel had helped set up the schools for "backward boys" that Floyd attended after he made it back from the semi-penitential school, and was so impressed by Floyd that he "all but adopted him". He pressured Floyd into working at his hotel between fights until he was financially stable, and in 1956 was still employing all Floyd's sparring partners so that they would always be available for him. He was also Floyd's PR guy - he pressured the borough presidents of Brooklyn and Manhattan to attend Floyd's 21st birthday party, along with other politicians, journalists and "telecasters".
  

On Boxing in 1956

• "Fighters, like most other athletes, do not reach their peak of physical efficiency until they are mature, grown men (an Irish fighter, according to ring legend, may not develop fully until 25, 26 or even 27—Latins and Negroes are generally expected to mature at around 23)."
  
• it is generally agreed that the "big men" of the heavyweight division at at their "most efficient" at around 185lbs
  

On Boxing in Society

• when attending the Apollo Theater, he is given free tickets and always introduced to the (presumably Black) crowd, "which cheers vociferously".
  
• "professional boxing, for all its seamy background, its haremlike jealousies and its pitiful human flotsam, can be a power for good in shaping the character of young males—not all of whom are born for the ministry, atomic science or Wall Street" ["haremlike jealousies and pitiful human flotsam" seems like a great description of a lot of modern boxing social media...]
  

On the Patterson-Marciano match that never happened

• ""He looks sloppy in the ring. But he is a good fighter, a real good fighter. There are lots of ways you could fight him. I could make him miss—but Joe Walcott made him miss for almost 13 rounds. I think there is only one way. They say Marciano is the fighter who can't be hurt. But if you want to beat him you have to fight him and make him back up."
  
• *"I think of Rocky Marciano a lot." He smiled, faintly. "Maybe," he said, "Rocky Marciano thinks of me." [Marciano retired three months later, leaving Patterson to demolish Moore for the title]
  

On Patterson's Ambitions

• He hopes to buy his father and mother a house in the suburbs and to get his younger brothers and sisters out of the slums; he also hopes to make a million dollars and buy a farm. "I want to raise horses," he says. "I'd like to have a farm and animals." [spoiler: he did all those things]

Anyway, do read the whole thing - it's really well written and a great insight into the man and the era.

Hello, friends! I was looking to hire a dance teacher for full time training. Perferable owns a studio and can do strength training n body conditioning with me. Nepal ko rate kasto xcha? Mero plan bhanyeko for 6-8 hours everyday for 3-6 months. Thanks.

2.8. Saṅkhāra:

Saṅkhāra (Theravada glossary):
Formation, compound, fashioning, fabrication - the forces and factors that fashion things (physical or mental), the process of fashioning, and the fashioned things that result. Sankhara can refer to anything formed or fashioned by conditions, or, more specifically, (as one of the five khandhas) thought formations within the mind.

• Saṅkhāra: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental activities
• Saṅkhāra is construct. Construct is activity.
• Sight is a construct. Sight occurs as an activity composed of looking, seeing, light/image incoming, brain and mind functioning, etc.
• Sound is a construct. Sound occurs as an activity composed of listening, hearing, sound waves incoming, brain and mind functioning, etc.
• Smell...
• Taste...
• Touch...
• Thought is a construct. Thought occurs as an acivity composed of recalling memory, composing ideas, brain and mind functioning, etc.

Paramattha & Saṅkhāra

Existence is made of paramattha (reality, real things) and saṅkhāra (activity).
Four Paramatthas are Citta, cetasika, rūpa, Nibbāna.
Saṅkhāra is either natural or intentional.

The Four Noble Truths

The Catusacca (the Four Truths or Facts) are Ariya-Sacca (the Noble Truth, the Ultimate Truth). These four truths are the true nature (sbhāva) of paramattha and saṅkhāra.
The Catusacca Daḷhī Kamma Kathā composed by the Elder Revata (2491 Sāsanā Era) is a must-read:

The Buddha had to acquire the ten perfection (pāramis) over four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand kappas; a paccekabuddha, over two asankheyyas and a hundred thousand kappas; a Chief Disciple or Mahāsāvaka, over one asankheyyas and a hundred thousand kappas. To what end? To attain to the Four Noble Truths. Why? Because it is only knowledge of the Four Noble Truths that leads to the realization of Nibbana, which makes one secure against the hazards of repeated (birth), ageing, disease and death and the natural tendency of all worldlings to fall into the four miserable states (apāya). One should therefore follow the example of those Noble Ones who have entered Nibbana and strive for the knowledge of the Truth.

Two truths:

1. The paramattha-sacca (the ultimate truth, or reality that really exists in nature);
2. The samuti-sacca (the conventional truth, or the conventions and beliefs that really exist among us);

Sacca : truth; Truth also means a statement or speech is truthful or of a noble person.

TATHĀGATĀ
the Buddha uses to address himself. He is “thus come” (tathā āgata) in the sense that he is neither an emissary of any divine being (God, etc) nor prophets, but arises as the most highly evolved being amongst us as the natural process of spiritual evolution and awakening. He is “thus gone” (tathā gata) in the sense that, just like the truth he proclaims, he dies, thus authenticating the reality that he and we commonly are. (Sacca) Tathāgatā Sutta (Piya Tan)

Nāma and Rūpa

There are five aggregates of clinging.

• Nāma is the collective term for saṅkhata dhamma: citta (viññāṇa) and cetāsika (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra). Thus, nāma is the four mental componets (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa). Citta is also known as mano and viññāṇa. Citta (mind) and cetasika (mental factors) rise and fall together.
• Rūpa is the four mahābhūta (solid, liquid, gas and heat) and space. Space is the gaps between the particles (mahābhūta). Thus, rūpa is the corporeal body. Rūpa is often translated as form; i.e. the biological body.
• A being is a nāma-rūpa complex or a metaphysical being.

Saṅkhāra as the three built environments:

• Satta-loka is lifeforms and their systems/activities—Avijja-paccaya sankhara (delusion conditions/supports constructs/activities).
• Okāsa-loka is large objects like plants, rivers, mountains, seas, oceans, rocks, galaxies, stars, planets, moons, etc. and their systems/activities. Okāsa-loka houses lifeforms.
• Saṅkhāra-loka is the particals (mahābhūta) and their systems/activities. Saṅkhāra-loka is of particle physics and chemistry existing inside and outside the biological beings (Satta-loka).
• The Satta-loka is made of the five aggregates. Okāsa-loka and Saṅkhāra-loka are made of matters (rūpa or mahābhūta).
• Everything in the three worlds (Satta-loka, Okāsa-loka, Saṅkhāra-loka) is saṅkhāra or a form of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or thought.
• See Sabba Sutta (The All are these six senses only, no more.)
• Nibbāna is thus the other shore, relief from the burden of the natural activities (birth, aging, death) and intention (kamma saṅkhāra). Nibbāna is thus relief from the nāma-rūpa complex (the natural and intentional activities).

2.8.1. Three types of saṅkhāra:

• Mano-saṅkhāra (mental construct/formation/activity)
• Vaci-saṅkhāra (verbal...): words, comversation, cry, etc.;
• Kāya-saṅkhāra (bodily...): physical action and reaction (all physical activities, which are not vaci);
• These saṅkhāra can be natural or intentional.
• Kamma saṅkhāra (intentional activities) are led by the mind (viññāṇa and mano-saṅkhāra).

Kamma Saṅkhāra (Intentional Activity)

• Intention is kamma (mano-kamma).
• A mental activity with intention is mano-kamma.
• A verbal activity with intention is vaci-kamma.
• A bodily activity with intention is kaya-kamma.
• Intention forms in the mind, so it is a mano-saṅkhāra (mental construct).
• Intention is based on wholesome and unwholesome cetasika (mental factors)

In Samyutta Nikaya Sutta 12.25 the Buddha said “With ignorance as condition, either by oneself, Ananda, one wills bodily intentions (kāya Saṅkhāra), following which arises internally pleasure and pain; or, because of others one wills bodily intentions, following which arises internally, pleasure and pain.” [CONDITIONED ARISING OF SUFFERING (Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahāthera)]

• 'Bodily intention' (kaya-saṅkhāra): intention to act bodily;
  • Kāya: body, bodily;
  • Intention: mano-saṅkhāra
• Mental pain and pleasure; as intention is inside the mind, pleasure and pain are internal (inside the mind).

One casts three types of saṅkhāra (construct/activity) all day long.

• Kamma is volition, intentional action, which can be subtle or gross.
• The Buddha said, "Kamma is intention."

Saṅkhāra Examples:

Avijjā-paccaya saṅkhāra (ignorance conditions/supports construct/activity):

• Beauty is saṅkhāra (natural and with intent). Beauty exists because it is supported by other saṅkhāra-s, including but not limited to fashion, makecup, good health, young age, exercise, nutrition, perception, culture, cleanliness, and genetic conditions. Being propped up by various suitable supports, beauty exists. When suitable things come together, they create beauty. When these supports are affected, beauty is affected.

2.8.2. Cetasikas (Mental Factors):

Cetasika is a paramattha. It exists as it is.
A being is made of rūpa (solid, liquid, gas and heat), citta (viññāṇa) and cetāsika (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra). However, one does not need akusala-cetasika (avijjā). By removing akusala-cetasika (avijjā), one attains kusala-cetasika (vijjā) and the binding (saṅkhāra) is unbinded.

• saṅkhārakkhandha (m.) the aggregate of mental coefficients

Sankharakkhandha (the fifty cetasikas which are not vedana or sanna) is real; it can be experienced. When there are beautiful mental factors (sobhana cetasikas) such as generosity and compassion, or when there are unwholesome mental factors such as anger and stinginess, we can experience sankharakkhandha. All these phenomena arise and fall away: sankharakkhandha is impermanent. [Nina Van Gorkom. Chapter 2 - The five khandas]

• Cetasika are vedanā, saññā and saṅkhāra (feeling, memory/perception, and construct/activity)
• 14 kusala cetasika (wholesome) and 14 akusala cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors) associate with saṅkhāra and Kamma Saṅkhāra.
• Viññāṇa (consciousness) is citta, one of the four paramatthas. Citta and cetasika occur together and stated as Aññamañña paccayo (explained below);

Aññamañña Paccayo (PAṬṬHĀNA)

Aññamañña paccayo: Paccaya RECIPROCATES WITH paccayuppanna
paccayuppanna : (adj.) arisen from a cause.
paccaya : (m.) cause; votive; requisite; means; support.

• Citta and cetasika (saṅkhāra and vedana/ayatana) arise together or mutually supportive. Details can be read in Pa-Auk Sayadaw's Sampayutta Dhammayatana.
  • Ayatana: sense
  • Vedanā: feeling
  • saṅkhāra: construct
  • Avijjā-paccaya saṅkhāra
• No matter how one is well-behaved, these Anusaya Kilesās will not die out. Either kusala or akusala cetasika (wholesome or unwholesome mental factors) will arise when consciousness (citta) comes in contact with a convenience. Our problems are the unwholesome mental factors.

[Ledi Sayadaw] Lokuttara, or supramundane consciousness, is the noble mind (ariya-citta) which has become free from the threefold desire, and has transcended the three planes, kāma, rūpa, and arūpa. It is of two kinds, thus: noble consciousness in the path (of stream-entry, etc.) and noble consciousness in the fruition (of stream-entry, etc.). [Ledi Sayādaw Mahāthera. The Manual of Insight Vipassanā Dīpanī; The Wheel Publication No: 031/032]

• By means of practicing vipassanā, one can separate citta from akusala cetasika. When akusala cetasika are eradicated from the mind, ariya-citta arises.
• Anupàdisesa-Nibbànadhàtu is the final cessation of the five aggregates of clinging (Upādānakkhandha).
• Nibbànadhàtu: Santisukha (the ultimate-peace element); Nibbàna is an element (paramattha).

Akusala Cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors)

Abhidhamma (Ashin Janakabhivamsa)

• Factor 1 - Moha (delusion)
• Factor 2 - Ahirika (moral shamelessness)
• Factor 3 - Anottappa (moral fearlessness)
• Factor 4 - Uddhacca (distraction, restlessness, wavering)
• Factor 5 - Lobha (greed)
• Factor 6 - Ditthi (wrong view)
• Factor 7 - Mana (conceit)
• Factor 8 - Dosa (hatred)

Factor 9 - Issa (envy)
Factor 10 - Macchariya (jealousy, selfishness)
Factor 11 - Kukkucca (remorse)

• Factor 12-13 - Thina and middha (sloth and torpor)
• Factor 14 - Vicikiccha (doubt, scepticism)

Among the akusala cetasikas are the ten kilesā (akusala cetasika) shown with bullet points.

Hetu paccayo

Lobha, dosa, and moha are called akusala hetus and alobha, adosa, and amoha are called kusala hetus. These latter 3 hetus if they arise with abyakata dhamma they are called abyakata hetus. Lobha is also known as tanha, upadana, samudaya and so on. Moha is sometimes called avijja. Alobha is sometimes refered to dana or offering but it is non attachment. Adosa is metta or loving kindness. Amoha is pannindriya cetasika and simply called panna and is sometimes called vijja. Htoo Naing. Patthana Dhamma: Chapter 5 - Hetu paccayo (or root condition). Htoo Naing. Patthana Dhamma (a different book): Hetu paccayo (page 15)

Kilesā occur in three levels:

1/ anusaya-kilesa: low level, latent, like sediments waiting to be stirred up. 2/ pariyuttana-kilesa: medium level arising only in the mind due to causes and conditions. 3/ vitikkakama-kilesa: coarse level, manifesting in unwolesome speech or action, breaking precepts. [Defilements (kilesā) (Thanh Huynh - Honolulu Dhamma Community)]

Anusaya Kilesas (latent tendency):

If you don’t remove or destroy [latent tendency or defilements (anusaya kilesā)] with Path Knowledge, the khandhas and samudaya (i.e., taṇhā) are always sticking together. [Buddhavada (Mogok Sayadaw); also see 4.2. ANUSAYA]

• Cetasikas are embeded in the formation of a being, including the arupa-brahmas.
• When something convenient (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or thought) is present to consciousness (Viññāṇa), anusaya kilesā (the latent tendency) grows like seeds.
• At the contact with the convenience, Viññāṇa and the cetasika co-arise simultaneously according to Aññamañña paccayo (Mutuality or Reciprocity Condition)
  • To think, one must be conscious; and to continue thinking, one must be conscious.
  • To see a sight, one must be conscious...
  • To smell a smell...

Comparing with Mahayanist concepts:

• Anusaya kilesās are not based on discrimination and erroneous reasoning (Lanka)
• Anusaya kilesās are not in the Ālaya-vijñāna (the Universal Mind, storehouse consciousness), nor are related to the buddha-nature (Buddha-dhàtu, Buddha-svabhāva). The Mahayanist Ālaya-vijñāna and Buddha-svabhāva are neither citta nor cetasika known to the Vibhajjavadis.

2.8.3. The Role of Saññā

Saññā is a type of cetasika. Other cetasika are vedanā and saṅkhāra. Cetasika is a reality (paramattha).
Saññā is memory (events) and perception (a form of mano-saṅkhārā). However, saññā and saṅkhārā must be different. Saññā must not be saṅkhārā (construct). Saññā must be a raw material. Although saññā and saṅkhārā are similar, saññā must not be saṅkhārā or a product of saṅkhārā.
Saññā as the past events is memory. Events are not imagined. Events occur at the present are reality (not memory).
Saññā can exist as the future events or future memory, like a plan. If a plan is possible to be carried out, then some future events are predictable. In that sense, some future events are knowable.
A Buddha can analyse an individual's mentality and potentials. Based on that knowledge, a Buddha can know and prophesies some major events about an individual or the world. However, a Buddha cannot know the potentials of all the individuals with weak mind (Iddhipāda) and faculties (indriya) who travel randomly any direction into the dark.
This is what the Buddha said about those going into the dark:

The chance for a being in a hell to be reborn as a human is less than that of a blind turtle, surfacing once a century, to happen to put its head through a ring moved by the winds across the surface of the sea. Even if a human rebirth is attained, the person will be poor, ugly and ill, and will tend to do evil actions which will send him or her back to hell (M. iii.169; Bca. iv.20)

PETER HARVEY. AN INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHIST ETHICS: Foundations, Values and Issues. Page 30 University of Sunderland
The Buddha advised the monks to go into the relief from the burden of nāma and rūpa:

“Monks, that’s how rare it is to get reborn as a human being. That’s how rare it is for a fully enlightened Buddha to be born into the world. That’s how rare it is for the Dhamma and training taught by a Buddha to shine in the world. Now, monks, you have been reborn as a human being. A fully enlightened Buddha has been born into the world. The Dhamma and training taught by a Buddha shine in the world.

Iddhipāda

iddhiyā pādo iddhipādo, i.e., root or basis of attaining completion or perfection (success or potency). [79] [The Venerable Ledi Sayādaw. The Requisites of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dīpanī), Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy • Sri Lanka, The Wheel Publicaton No. 171/172/173/174.]
4. Iddhipāda Sutta.-The path mentioned above should be practised, accompanied by concentration and effort, compounded with desire, energy, idea and investigation. S.iv.365.

Indriya

1. Faculty of faith (saddh’- indriya) [Nyanatiloka Mahāthera. Guide through the Abhidhamma Piþaka, Page 18]

Avijjā-paccaya saṅkhāra; Saṅkhāra-paccāya vinnānam;

• Avijjā and saññā condition the saṅkhārā. Avijjā is a type of kilesā cetasika (mental defilement). Avijjā exists in two forms: Delusion or the lack of right view; Heedlessness or the lack of mindfulness. Both forms of avijjā are always present in saññā (i.e. wrong view).

Saṅkhāra is construct and construction.

Mano-saṅkhāra can also be understood as percept.

• percept. noun. : an impression of an object obtained by use of the senses : SENSE-DATUM (Merriam-Webster)
• Percept: a mental concept that is developed as a consequence of the process of perception [Google/Oxford Languages].
• [percept:] Perception usually combines several sensations into one thought or percept. The percept, of course, is a mental state corresponding with its outside object. A Percept is the product of Perception, or in other words, our idea gained through Perception

Saññā and Vipassanā

Saññā can be understood as sense-datum, outside object, perception, and memory.

The sense-datum is an object immediately present in experience. It has the qualities it appears to have.
A controversial issue is whether sense-data have real, concrete existence. Depending upon the version of the sense-data theory adopted, sense-data may or may not be identical with aspects of external physical objects; they may or may not be entities that exist privately in the subject’s mind. Usually, however, sense-data are interpreted to be distinct from the external physical objects we perceive. The leading view, in so far as the notion is appealed to in current philosophy, is that an awareness of (or acquaintance with) sense-data somehow mediates the subject’s perception of mind-independent physical objects. The sense-datum is the bearer of the phenomenal qualities that the subject is immediately aware of. [Sense-Data (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)]

Lifeforms (nama-rūpa complexes) and the law of life (Paticcasamuppada) have existed in the past infinity. Saññā as memory can be recalled or accessed by anyone. Some arahants can recall the past 500 lives. Some arahants recalled several eons of the past Earths. A Buddha can recall with no limit in a very short moment. The Sakyamuni Buddha said, even if He spent His entire lifetime, He would not reach the beginning (of existence), which is considered non-existent.
Inthe Western thought, the natural memory can be improved by training [Javier Vergara / Procedia (Page 3513) - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 ( 2012 ) 3512 – 3518)]. In the Theravada teaching, a liberated mind (which attained arahantta phala) can recall at least the past 500 lives.
Saṅkhāra and saññā belong to cetasika, which is a paramattha (reality). However, they are impermanent. That begs a question: How can the impermanent saṅkhāra and saññā be accessed? They are impermanent in theory, as they will be forgotten. The physical destruction of the memory of the past events might not happen.
As though written down into books, the memories (including sense-data) seem not to have disappeared. The fact is each of us can recall the memory, which stays with us for a lifetime. We are forgetful and cannot recall our memories whever we want to; however, they are present, and our minds revisit them sometimes. Our inability to explain how memories exist should not prevent us from admitting the fact that memories exist and can be recalled. These noble ariyas can know others' minds and access the past memories and forsee the future events.
Avijja-paccaya sankhara (ignorance conditions/supports a construct; e.g. sakkāyadiṭṭhi).

• Avijjā (ignorance) is saññā (as memory, misperception or wrong view).
• Saṅkhāra (as activity) is misunderstanding/misperceiving nama-rūpa complex as an I-being, I am, he is, she is, it is, they are... Misperceiving the nama-rūpa complexes as individuals or as beings (I-beings).
• Saññā and saṅkhāra are always together as one's problems.
• Saṅkhāra-paccāya vinnānam: when saṅkhāra (e.g. idea) is present, consciousness arises. One begins to know the construct. Saññā-Saṅkhāra are the subject to know (be conscious about).
• Saṅkhāra-paccāya vinnānam: Saṅkhāra bridges between saññā and viññāṇa—perceiving is made of saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa.
• Sabbe saṅkhāra anicca—all constructs are impermanence;
• Construction: Saṅkhāra as activity (intentional or unintentional):
  • sankhara-paccaya vinnanam (Dependent on reaction (conditioning), consciousness arises);
  • Mano-saṅkhāra (Citta-Saṅkhāra), vaci-saṅkhāra, kaya-saṅkhāra—mental, verbal and bodily construct/activity which a being performs intentionally or unintentionally;
  • Cetana is also intention (volition).

Saññā (memory) is like the soil and fertilizer. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or thought acts like a signal (reminder).

• In vipassanā, one puts effort to block the reminder reaching the memory (saññā)—like a responsible person kills the fire before it reaches the gunpowder. Once a sense reminder (ayatana) reaches saññā, they give birth to kamma sankhāras. The sense reminder (ayatana) is too fast for the untrained minds to block. So one does not block it but avoid it. One must develop the mind to have this avoiding ability and skill through a gradual training which comprises the indriya-samvara-sila and vipassanā. Basically, it means to prevent mano-saṅkhāra (thought) because it leads vaci-saṅkhāra and kaya-saṅkhāra.
• As the kilesā are not fed or fertilised, they will become weak and suitable for jhāna development; however, they will remain as Anusaya Kilesās. Only the vipassanā-ñana can totally eradicate Anusaya Kilesās.

Indriya-samvara-sila and Vipassanā

"In seeing there is merely seeing. In hearing there is merely hearing. In sensing there is merely sensing. In cognizing there is merely cognizing. In this way you should train yourself. "Bāhiya, when there is only seeing in seeing, hearing in hearing, sensing in sensing, cognizing in cognizing, then you will not be 'with that.' When you are not 'with that,' you will not be 'in that.' When you are not 'in that,' you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering." [The Bāhiya Sutta (Douglas C. B. Kraft)]

Four Types of Capacity for Path Attainment

It is stated in the Puggalapaññatti (the “Book of Classification of Individuals,” (p. 160) and in the Aṅguttara Nikāya (AN 4:133) that, of the beings who encounter the Sāsana, i.e., the Teaching of the Buddha, four classes can be distinguished, viz.:
A padaparama is an individual who [...] cannot obtain release from worldly ills during this lifetime. If he dies while practising samatha (tranquillity) or vipassanā (insight) and attains rebirth either as a human being or a deva in his next existence, he can attain release from worldly ills in that existence within the present Buddha Sāsana.
niyata : one who has obtained a sure prediction made by a Buddha.
aniyata : one who has not obtained a sure prediction made by a Buddha.
aniyata neyya individuals can attain release from worldly ills in this life only if they put forth sufficient effort [...] within the present Buddha Sāsana.

(The Venerable Ledi Sayādaw. The Requisites of Enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya Dīpanī))

2.8.4. Our concern:

Our concerns are our own mental, verbal and bodily activities:
Due to delusion (avijjā), we do not know where we have been and what we should do during this lifetime. The purpose of life in general is to practice selfishness to ultimate level.
One builds a life only to lose it to the death. Nobody can reclaim his/her previous life, properties, wealth and works. Rebirth in dugati-loka does not allow rebuilding life. One must get another opportunity in sugati-loka.
Due to clinging (upādāna) to self, one cannot separate from the new life, which is now. One always clings to the new life because of sakkāyadiṭṭhi (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). The past life is like yesterday.

• Sakkāyadiṭṭhi: clinging to nāma-rūpa as I am—i.e. this body is me, mine; the major wrong view (mano-saṅkhāra)
  • Nāma: the four mental khandas (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa).
  • Rūpa: the corporeal body or the four mahābhūta.

Remember the following:

• Sakkāyadiṭṭhi is ego, egocentric and a very heavy burden to carry and climb uphill.
• Sakkāyadiṭṭhi extends beyond one's five aggregates.
• Sakkāyadiṭṭhi extends to others' five aggregates as well. So we can hear people say, this is mine, and that is also mine.
• Sakkāyadiṭṭhi only helps one to fall downhill.
• A chance of getting relief from this burden is rare.
• A chance to know true dana, sila, bhavanā is very rare.
• One day this body will be thrown away or buried somewhere; and that body, too.
• Truth is painful as long as one is clinging to the five aggregates.
• Thus, our true concerns are our own mental, verbal and bodily activities.

The Buddha warns us to reflect the following:

"The five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained..."
'I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.'
'I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.'
'I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.'
'I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.'
'I am the owner of my actions,[1] heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.'

[Upajjhatthana Sutta— AN 5.57 (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)]

Upādāna (clinging) manifests as mano-saṅkhāra (mental activity/construct):

We cling to live body and dead body. We have seen enough pain in society in good time and bad time.
Upādānakkhandha：[m．] the factors of clinging to existence．
The five upādānakkhandha: rūpakkhandha, vedanākkhandha, saññākkhandha, saṅkhārakkhandha, viññāṇakkhandha

We take the body for self; thus we cling to rupakkhandha. We take mentality for self; thus we cling to vedanakkhandha, to sannakkhandha, to sankharakkhandha and to vinnanakkhandha. If we cling to the khandhas and if we do not see them as they are, we will have sorrow.

Saṅkhārakkhandha (m.) the aggregate of mental coefficients

• Saṅkhāra among the five aggregates is mano-saṅkhāra. Saṅkhārakkhandha is also designated as upādānakkhandha as there is clinging.
• The upādānakkhandha rises from sakkāyadiṭṭhi (clinging to self and the five aggregates).
• Most beings cling to all these five. Some cling to either rūpa or nāma and are reborn in the arūpa-brahma worlds.
• Will is the intention to get a desired object. To will means to get something one desires. One wills, and as one is willing, one acts. In this process, will and dukkha (suffering) rise together spontaneously.

In Samyutta Nikaya Sutta 12.25 the Buddha said “With ignorance as condition, either by oneself, Ananda, one wills bodily intentions (kāya Saṅkhāra), following which arises internally pleasure and pain; or, because of others one wills bodily intentions, following which arises internally, pleasure and pain.” [CONDITIONED ARISING OF SUFFERING (Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahāthera)]

• 'Bodily intention' (kaya-saṅkhāra): intention to act bodily;
• Kāya: body, bodily;
• Intention: mano-saṅkhāra
• Mental pain and pleasure; as intention is inside the mind, pleasure and pain are internal (inside the mind).

Anusaya Kilesas: Bhava-Taṇhă to Bhava-Saṅkhāra

Three types of taṇhă: kama-taṇhă, bhava-taṇhă, vibhava-taṇhă.

'Wherever in the world, there are delightful and pleasurable things, there this taṇhă (craving) arises and takes root.' [...] By 'taking root' is meant that, failing to contemplate on the impermanent nature of pleasurable things, craving for them lies dormant, taking root to arise when favourable circumstances permit. This latent craving, lying dormant in sense-objects which escape being contemplated on, is known as ărammananusaya. [U Ko Lay. Discose on the Wheel of Dhamma - Part 5: Maha Satipatthăna Sutta. SukhiHotu Dhamma Publication,1998)]

The Effect of Anusaya Kilesās: Kāmataṇhā and Kāma-loka:

After the destruction of a world of beings, either by a cosmic fire, flood or storm, only darkness remains in space, completely empty and void.
After forever and an aeon, and after cosmic condensation and precipitation, at the same place another human world will be reborn as a body of liquid just like the previous ones. This water body, as big as a planet, will gradually become suitable to support life.
Some of the Brahmas, who have lived their lifespans, will be reborn as humans in that new human world. The first-ever generation of humans are sky-dwellers, with brahma-like body, brahma-like rays, brahma-like lifespan and brahma-like lifestyle. Their auras can shine like the moon and the sun.
Gradually, after passing forever and an aeon, the water mass will condense into physical nutrition. Seeing that beautiful physical food and breathing its nice smell for forever and an aeon, these beings will eventually lose control due to their anusaya kilesa stirring and rising in their minds.
One of them will taste it, eat it and persuade others to do the same—that is how eating is the first religion and politics.

1. ... It was endowed with colour, smell and taste. It was the colour of fine ghee or butter, and it was very sweet, like pure wild honey. [Aggañña Sutta (DN27 On Knowledge of Beginnings) (Pali Canon Online)]

All things must come to an end one day. This is the impermanent nature of everything, anicca. So also the world [...] During the destruction of the world, all living beings become Brahmas and dwell in Brahma which is not affected by [the destruction.] [Ashin Janakabhivamsa. Part 2 - How The World Came To An End.]