TCP1

Hey there, Can anyone help make some event/show logos for me using the below awesome logo from Willrock? All Star Wrestling Empire Royale Starclash Summer Slamboree Battle Games Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

If you can keep hold of Hogan and run him against Bockwinkel long term you should be able to make some bank. I’m not sure if you’ve checked the different world and wrestling events I added. If so; don’t. Hopefully they’ll be some fun surprises in there. 😁 I’ll be reading regardless.

Well I am thoroughly enjoying this. Especially the characterisation of Nick Bockwinkel. Am I right in saying you’re using the DOTT data beta I sent out last year? Pretty sure I recognise the images. If so, I’d love to hear how it plays as time progresses. Buck Zumhofe VS. Randy Savage Jerry Blackwell VS. Koko B. Ware Jerry Lawler VS. Steve Regal Main Event Number One Contendership Tito Santana VS. Bockwinkel's Choice

TCW Presents Total Wrestling: Madman Boone vs Matthew Keith Matty Faith vs Findlay O’Farraday Doc Hammond vs Matt Hocking Sifu Storm vs Human Arsenal and Benny Benson Aaron Andrew, Freddy Huggins, Lenny Brown and David Stone vs Mighty Mo, Joshua Taylor and The New Syndicate Mr Nuclear and Edd Stone vs Jay Chord and Wolf Hawkins

Yoink! Continued excellence my man, I'm going to find a use for all of these.

Absolutely wonderful. Exactly what I was after. Amm coming soon to a diary near you.

New York City… we’re on a roll… It was baffling to me that everything, so far, had gone pretty well. Considering the size of the re-branding and the massive re-shuffle of everything we were doing. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by that, but I am naturally a pessimist. With two shows until Genesis, we had a few more match-ups to sort and some more storylines to get rolling. EEE All Star Wrestling #3 Friday, Week 3, February 2024 The Empire Ballroom, New York City, New York Attendance: 9,087 [*]ANGLE: The show kicks-off with Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan escorting new signing Monty Trescarde to the ring. They make it clear that while Monty may be new to some of you, he has a lot of history with a lot of the boys in the back. He’s not here to make friends however. He’s here to make a statement. And today’s statement is; Angry Gilmore should retire. Rating: 73 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Garry the Entertainer vs. Monty Trescarde In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd but sub-par wrestling, Monty Trescarde defeated Garry The Entertainer in 9:45 by pinfall with a Cash Bonus. Rating: 53 [*]ANGLE: Thom Barrowman is backstage with The Biggins Boys who are looking to take out their frustrations on their ‘old friends’ The Fantastic Express, but will settle for the big Samoans. Rating: 75 [*]TAG TEAM MATCH: The Biggins Boys vs. Samoan Wrecking Crew In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd but sub-par wrestling, The Biggins Boys defeated Samoan Wrecking Crew in 7:51 when Bart Biggins pinned Loa Afu with a B-Dropper. Rating: 48 [*]ANGLE: Honest Frank Jr and Big Jon are out and they have an open challenge for anyone who wants a piece. Turns out that new EEE Intercontinental champion Danny Hagman doesn’t just want a piece, he wants the whole Goddam thing. Honest Frank Jr warns him that he’s got Big Jon on his side and in a second Hagman can see exactly what he’s dealing with. Rating: 72 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Bradley Blaze vs. Big Jon Walker In a bout that didn't have much heat and terrible wrestling, Big Jon Walker defeated Bradley Blaze in 7:32 by pinfall with a Monster DDT. Rating: 42 [*]ANGLE: Cross River Connection are with Barrowman and they’re sick of being jumped by the oversized lugs Bulldozer and Harper. Perfect questions whether they should’ve joined Keelan, but Prime Time is still convinced that they don’t need him. Pep seems happy with the response and challenges the two of them to a match at Genesis. Titles and all. Rating: 85 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Chip Martin vs. ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus In a decent match, Riley McManus defeated Chip Martin in 9:32 by pinfall with a Slingshot Suplex. Rating: 58 [*]ANGLE: Aaron Andrews launches a blistering attack on McManus after the match. Rating: 75 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Angry Gilmore vs. Trent Shaffer In a bout that had fantastic heat and good wrestling, Trent Shaffer defeated Angry Gilmore in 10:09 by pinfall with a Heart Burn. Rating: 76 [*]ANGLE: Monty Trescarde attacks with rest of the Keelan Family. But CRC and George Trapesi make the save. Rating: 85 [*]OVERALL RATING: 77 - 0.49 (424,109 viewers) That was a solid show with a couple of hiccups. Monty Trescarde is a good signing for us, and he’s got history in NYCW, which is always good. Big Jon’s in-ring ability is… limited. So while we keep him on the outside, he looks dangerous. So we’d probably aim to keep doing that for now. We may be doing too many post-show attacks. It’s already becoming an unexpected staple of our shows and we’ve only had three. I’d look to incorporate more variety. Monty did get his online profile though: Monty Trescarde Entrance Music: Taxman by The Beatles Accountants are known for their love of money. And the only people who love it more are accountants who’ve become tax men. That’s who Monty Trescarde is. A former NYCW star who moved on to become one half of the popular team Power and Money. He has now returned to the New York area with a view to clamping down on anyone he considers a tax cheat or a money thief. To help him in his goal, he has enlisted the expensive-but-worth-it management skills of Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan, perhaps the only man who cares more about money than Trescarde. While chatting with Sam Keith backstage about the Aaron Andrews situation, he mentioned that all the vacated COTT titles had now been won; Teddy Powell won the COTT World Heavyweight Title, while John Greed claimed the vacant COTT United States Title and Deathwish & E-Soteric won the COTT World Tag Team Titles. It occurred to me how little I cared about the alliance these days. What a difference a complete overhaul of a company makes. But they really were small-minded creatives and that choice of champions just highlighted it. EEE All Star Wrestling #4 Friday, Week 4, February 2024 The Empire Ballroom, New York City, New York Attendance: 9,035 [*]ANGLE: George Trapesi and Trent Shaffer square-off and then sign the contract for their rematch at Genesis. Shaffer promises to regain what is rightfully his. Rating: 90 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Papa Swoll vs. Honest Frank Jr In a decent match, Honest Frank Jr defeated Papa Swoll in 10:03 by pinfall with a Roll The Dice. Rating: 67 [*]ANGLE: Honest Frank Jr challenges Danny Hagman for the Intercontinental Title at Genesis. Hagman accepts via videolink. Rating: 83 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Fro Sure vs. ‘The Stud’ Phil Anders In a bout that had good heat and decent wrestling, Fro Sure defeated Phil Anders in 12:15 by pinfall while using the ropes for leverage. Rating: 67 [*]ANGLE: After the match Charlie Corner wanders the ringside area, to ‘chill out’ with members of the audience and have a good time. Phil Anders argues with him, as he sees him as unprofessional. Rating: 70 [*]SINGLES MATCH: The Eagle vs. Monty Trescarde In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Monty Trescarde defeated The Eagle in 12:06 by pinfall with a Cash Bonus. Rating: 72 [*]ANGLE: Angry Gilmore is with Barrowman and he’s angry. Angry about never getting to tear down the house against his old enemy Barrowman, angry about the lack of bees in the world. But mostly angry about some jumped-up accountant who dares speak his name. Monty, you’re on. Rating: 75 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Garry the Entertainer vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith In a decent match, Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Garry The Entertainer in 6:08 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. Rating: 63 [*]ANGLE: The Fantastic Express and The Biggins Boys argue and then fight. Rating: 70 [*]TAG TEAM MATCH: The VCC vs. The Fantastic Express In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, The VCC drew with The Fantastic Express in 9:45 following a double disqualification following interference from The Biggins Boys. Rating: 71 [*]OVERALL RATING: 76 - 0.63 (477,923 viewers) So we debuted a new worker in Papa Swoll, who is close friends with Fro Sure. He was on a short-term contract to see if there was space for him in the roster and the show. His initial impression given is quite positive. There wasn’t enough selling in the main event between The VCC and The Fantastic Express. We’d have to find a way to work on that. But all in all, the show was a success and we had our first major event card sorted: EEE Genesis EEE World Heavyweight: Trent ‘The Talent’ Shaffer vs. ‘The Star’ George Trapesi © Aaron ‘The Ace’ Andrews vs. ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus Fro Sure vs. Davis Wayne Newton EEE Intercontinental: Honest Frank Jr vs. Danny Hagman © EEE World Tag Team: The Twin Powers (Smith and Harper) vs. Cross River Connection © Angry Gilmore vs. Monty Trescarde The Biggins Boys vs. The Fantastic Express Charlie Corner vs. ‘The Stud’ Phil Anders The Eagle vs. Spike Sylvain Bradley Blaze vs. The Masked Mauler Next time… the first big show of the new company…

New York City… when does the talking stop again… Larry had been in a foul mood for days. Something about the hiring of Aaron Andrews didn’t sit right with him. Or anyone for that matter. But the over-arching ‘best for business’ argument came up time and again. The idea that any company is reduced by having someone of his talent on it was plainly ridiculous. He had initially been given a handshake deal, which he accepted just to get back in the ring. Since his debut, Andrews had made a point of going around to everyone in the locker room and answering any questions anyone had. It was a smart move and hearing the softly-spoken, and obvious remorseful Andrews talk about how he’d got into it and apologising to anyone offended by his actions was actually a refreshing experience. Some of the heat from Andrews’ arrival was taken away by the press statement announcing the formation of the first new wrestling promotion in America in some time; Pro Wrestling Max had been opened by Greg Sluchinski, who’d then hired Pistol Pete Hall as head booker. As a combination the two promised some hard-hitting professional wrestling glory and we happily paid a little towards their initial press releases and marketing. Anything to smother the Andrews’ story. With show one underway, we had three to go before Genesis and some match-ups to arrange. EEE All Star Wrestling #2 Friday, Week 2, February 2024 The Empire Ballroom, New York City, New York Attendance: 9,378 [*]ANGLE: The Fantastics and The Biggins Boys get into a slanging match about whose to blame for costing the others a shot at the gold. Rating: 71 [*]TAG TEAM MATCH: The VCC vs. Samoan Wrecking Crew In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd but sub-par wrestling, The VCC defeated Samoan Wrecking Crew in 8:10 when Ray Cavalero submitted Loa Afu. Rating: 48 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Porkchop Patterson vs. ‘The Stud’ Phil Anders In a bout that didn't have much heat and terrible wrestling, Phil Anders defeated Porkchop Patterson in 5:58 by pinfall with a Hangman's Neckbreaker. Rating: 41 [*]ANGLE: Fro Sure introduces himself as a star of EEE in a promo with Thom Barrowman. He apologises for retiring him, but they’re cool. Fro Sure is not cool however with Davis Wayne Newton. Not cool at all. Rating: 81 [*]EEE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: The Razorbacks vs. Cross River Connection (c) In a decent match, Cross River Connection defeated The Razorbacks in 8:01 when Perfect Pepper Pelton pinned Jamarr Green with a Prime Time Perfection. Cross River Connection make defence number one of the EEE World Tag Team. Rating: 62 [*]ANGLE: The Cross River Connection are looking for revenge on the Keelan Family and they’ll wait in the ring all night if they have to. They don’t have to as they’re jumped again by Harper and Bulldozer and the four men brawl to the back. Rating: 80 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Angry Gilmore vs. Spike Sylvain In a bout that had great heat and decent wrestling, Angry Gilmore defeated Spike Sylvain in 8:14 by pinfall with an Anger Management. Rating: 69 [*]ANGLE: After the match, Billy Keelan appears at the top of the ramp with Bulldozer Brandon Smith and Andrew Harper. Keelan it here to introduce the newest member of the Keelan Family. Out walks Monty Trescarde in a dress shirt with braces. He’s heard a lot about EEE and having the opportunity to work with Keelan was too good to pass up. Rating: 68 [*]SINGLES MATCH: Aaron ‘The Ace’ Andrews vs. Andrew Harper In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Aaron Andrews defeated Andrew Harper in 22:11 by pinfall with a Flying Body Press. Rating: 75 [*]OVERALL RATING: 78 - 0.41 (354,867 viewers) Another good show as we’ve clearly come out of the gates like a rocket. The crowd seemed very invested in seeing Aaron Andrews (wrestling fans are very forgiving), so we would remain with us for at least a few months. *** Later that week, back at headquarters, I received a call from The Masked Mauler VI. He wanted to personally invite myself and Larry to come and see their first monthly show under the new NYCW banner. Keen to see how the next generation of workers were performing, I jumped in a cab and went over. NYCW Brooklyn Brawl 2024 The Ministry – 1,000 (SOLD OUT!?!) Denny King defeated Geoff Borne – 56 Pablo Rodriguez defeated Crockett Tubbs – 41 Sandman Winks defeated Rayne Man for the NYCW Nationwides Title – 37 The Wild Dogs (Ace Youngblood & Billy Chase) defeated The Latino Kings for the NYCW Tag Team Titles – 46 Marco Gonzalez defeated Bowden Snoop – 41 Leonardo Fry defeated Derrick Crump – 31 Christian Plotcheck defeated Blue Dragon – 27 Clarence Chambers defeated Carlos Imes – 18 Overall Rating: 49 The decision to put the tag team titles on the themed Native American team of The War Dogs seemed like a great idea. It was also lovely to see Denny King and Geoff Borne doing their thing in the main event. Although quite why it wasn’t for the still-vacant NYCW Tri-State Regional Title was beyond me. Still I watched the youngers workers do their thing and was impressed by how far they’ve already come. The slew of veterans could only have helped and I was keen to keep an eye going forward in case I needed anyone brought up quickly. Having fought the urge to change the booking of Brooklyn Brawl, I returned home to my apartment. It looked a little dusty as I hadn’t ever really spent all that much time there; choosing to sleep in the office more than at home. Life was strange in the world of professional wrestling. Next time… were things going... well...

I love them. Thank you my dude, absolutely beautiful.

In all honesty I did not notice a hit. I was expecting something horrific, but I actually couldn’t find a downside. Perhaps I missed what the effect was.

Empire Elite Entertainment… Sat in my office later that day, the buzz and throng of people flitting past the glass door I thought back briefly to my first show in charge. Rush Hour 2020 was the show. Headlined by two now-departed stars in Brutus Milano and Tennessee William, the show featured a number of workers who are still associated with our company. George Trapesi; then one half of The LA Stars lost in an attempt to get the tag team titles from The Boys from the Yukon. Spike Sylvain (then The New York Doll) lost to Crockett Tubbs, who we’d just brought in to help the newly re-formed NYCW. Denny King won the NYCW Tri-State Regional Title from Masked Stranger. Geoff Borne and Brooklyn’s Finest defeated The DiMeo Family. Borne was another re-signing who’d been sent to NYCW, while Freedom Eagle had become The Eagle and was still with us. And there it was, in the semi-main event; ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus vs. Andrew Harper. Both men in their own ways had helped in the rise of the company and the recent birth of Empire Elite Entertainment. I’d been keeping track of all the stars we’d lost over the years, making sure to offer contracts to them when the time came and found myself being rebuffed. I couldn’t blame them. They were earning more than Larry would pay in TCW, SWF and USPW. But one day, if we did it right, we’d have the chance to get them back. They (along with a number of others) were on my list. What can I say, I’m nostalgic. *** The first Friday of February 2024 and the crowd were filing into the Empire Ballroom. We’d had to change some structural elements of the building (which cost a fortune) to allow us to fit in all the booms and swing arms for the high-def, 4k cameras. Now that we were finished; we had an industry-leading production setup and would properly announce ourselves to the world. I was stood in what had been informally dubbed ‘DWN’s Balcony’ and looked down at the ring. Larry joined me, dressed unusually in a three-piece suit. Still no tie of course. “This could be a mistake,” he said. “I think the switchover is going to be awesome,” I said honestly. “We’re going to make this company a success, like we always do.” “I didn’t mean EEE,” Larry said darkly. I knew he didn’t. But it was too late now. It was showtime and I had a locker room to get ready. EEE All Star Wrestling #1 Friday, Week 1, February 2024 The Empire Ballroom, New York City, New York Attendance: 9,561 ANGLE: The opening music for the show blares around the arena and the crowd go nuts. It ends with a huge pyrotechnics display all around the VesseyTron and steel rampway area. Southern Flavor then kicks in and… here’s ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus with Fern Hathaway and a mic in hand. “New York City, New York. A city so forgettable, they named it twice. I gotta say, as a proud Georgia native that being in this cesspit of sin, surrounded by you stupid, liberal elitists, well… it makes the Bulldog pretty sad. I grew up having to work for everything I wanted. But it seems that around here people are just given it if they’re good boys. George Trapesi, given the World Heavyweight Title. The Cross River Connection, given the World Tag Team Titles. But what does the Bulldog get? Nothing. Because he doesn’t kiss the right boots. Hey, you can all shut up with your booing. Because say what you like, but The Bulldog built this place; brick-by-brick. And I ain’t going nowhere. So if you’ve got an accolade you don’t deserve, watch your back. The Bulldog is on the hunt.” Rating: 84 EEE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: The Biggins Boys vs. The Fantastic Express vs. Cross River Connection (c) In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Cross River Connection defeated The Biggins Boys and The Fantastic Express in 10:17; the order of elimination was The Biggins Boys first, and then The Fantastic Express. Cross River Connection make defence number one of the EEE World Tag Team. Rating: 76 Riley got the honour of opening the first show, but it’s these three teams who compete in the first official EEE match. And really who else could be choose. The tag team division was to be one of the key pillars of success for EEE and we needed the audience to know exactly what we had. There’s likely be additions at some point, but for now these were the three teams we were pushing. ANGLE: After the match, the Cross River Connection are celebrating, but are interrupted by Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan. “Woah woah woah. That was a really, really impressive display. I haven’t been this impressed since I saw a young Rocky Maziano training in a gym. And I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. You’re good kids, but with me, you could be the best. I’m looking to expand the Keelan Family and I want you guys. Both young, both charismatic and both full of upside. What do you say? Want to come with me and change the face of professional wrestling?” Perfect looks at Prime Time and weighs up imaginary scales. Prime Time shakes his hand dismissively. The two then appear to have a small dispute and finally they play rock, paper, scissors. Prime Time wins that and grabs a mic. “Thanks for the offer… whoever you are. But we’ve made it this far with just each other. I don’t think we need… whoever you are, to help us.” From behind them the Cross River Connection are assaulted by Bulldozer Brandon Smith and Andrew Harper. They beat them down brutally and Harper goes under the ring to grab a table. Together they perform stereo powerbombs and plant the World Tag Team champs through the tables. Rating: 78 EEE INTERCONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT SEMI: Danny Hagman vs. The Masked Mauler In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Danny Hagman defeated The Masked Mauler in 8:09 by submission with a Steel Curtain. Rating: 70 In the first of two battles between two emerging stars, it’s The Pittsburgh Kid who gets the clean victory and a showcase of talents. The Masked Mauler is a tough prospect as he stands. Because he’s arguably too popular for the secondary title, but not popular enough to truly contend for the World Heavyweight Title. He needed a long-running and completely engaging story to help get him over that hump. For now though, he could take the role of upper midcard heel. ANGLE: Backstage is Thom Barrowman dressed in a suit. He approaches the trio of Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan, Andrew Harper and Bulldozer Brandon Smith. “Billy Keelan, Billy Keelan, you have some explaining to do to the company and all the fans.” “I’ll tell you Mr. Army, these two are a couple of the finest in-ring talents I’ve ever seen. The moment I was free of that turncoat Trent Shaffer, I immediately came to them both and signed them up. The Keelan Family is going to be the premier stable in professional wrestler. This is only the beginning.” “It sounds an awful lot like you’re bitter about being fired by Shaffer.” “Now listen to me you has-been…” At that comment Barrowman grabs Keelan’s lapels, but Bulldozer and Harper step in-between them and Barrowman backs of. “You see! The signings are already paying off. I’m going to speak to your manager too. You unprofessional nobody.” Rating: 80 EEE INTERCONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT SEMI: Charlie Corner vs. Davis Wayne Newton In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Davis Wayne Newton defeated Charlie Corner in 8:30 by submission with a STF after blatantly cheating. Rating: 70 DWN is definitely one of the top heel stars in the company, whose star only continues to rise and rise. Charlie Corner is still finding his feet. This was a good introduction to both men in Empire Elite Entertainment, but it’s DWN who gets the nod to setup a final match against Danny Hagman. ANGLE: Thom Barrowman is backstage with Honest Frank Jr and Big Jon Walker. “Frank, you’ve grown up around the New York City independent scene and are one of the first members of the new roster for Empire Elite Entertainment. How does it compare?” “It’s Barrowman isn’t it? Didn’t I retire you?” “No you did not.” “Oh my mistake. But congrats on getting out. This ring is no place for old men. As for how EEE compares. Well, it’s basically the same isn’t it. You’ll notice I don’t have a match tonight. Absolutely typical of the powers that be to hold me down. They’re scared of my success. Because they know if I ever get my hands on a title, I’ll never let it go.” “I don’t think that’s true,” Barrowman replies. “I just think they only have time for champions.” “What the Hell is that supposed to mean? What, because I don’t have a title, I’m not important? I’m Honest Frank Jr, the only second generation star worth talking about. You need to put some respect on my name.” “My apologies. Who do you think is going to win the Intercontinental Title tonight?” Honest Frank Jr looks at Barrowman with outrage, “I don’t care!” Rating: 84 EEE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH: Danny Hagman vs. Davis Wayne Newton In a bout that had fantastic heat and great wrestling, Danny Hagman defeated Davis Wayne Newton in 10:22 by submission with a Steel Curtain. Danny Hagman wins the EEE Intercontinental. Rating: 79 What a match. These two are old enemies and while Davis Wayne Newton losing clean to Hagman could be seen as something of an upset, the reality is their rivalry is personal and therefore losses mean less. DWN would bounce back and Hagman is a perfect choice as the first Intercontinental champion for EEE. ANGLE: Sirius by Alan Parsons Project plays through the arena and Empire Elite Entertainement’s World Heavyweight Champion ‘The Star’ George Trapesi comes out with Cheerleader Nicki. He aims the finger gun at the camera when he’s at the top of the ramp and fires it, while behind him pyros go off. Rating: 83 Gotta make sure people know that the champion is The Man of our promotion. EEE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Denny King vs. George Trapesi (c) In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, George Trapesi defeated Denny King in 7:38 by pinfall with a Star Maker Lariat. George Trapesi makes defence number two of the EEE World Heavyweight. Rating: 70 It seemed a nice idea to give the main event of our first tv show to two men who were their at the very start of this run. While Trapesi lost then and King won, this time they swopped results to highlight the staggering change to the former LA Star #1’s career. ANGLE: With Trapesi celebrating his win, Trent ‘The Talent’ Shaffer and ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus charge the ring. Trapesi tries to fight them off, but the two-on-one is too much for him. Trent holds up the beaten Trapesi, while McManus grabs a chair. “This is a travesty,” Mitch Naess says on commentary. “What can we say Mitch, these two are angry and looking to take it out on the champ. I can’t say it’s fair, but this is professional wrestling not ballet.” “That is not an excuse for this sort of duplicity.” “It’s not duplicity. They’ve been honest about their hatred of Trapesi for months. Plus if you want to be The Man, then you’ve got to expect this.” “It’s just not right!” Getting ready to swing it, there’s a flicker of lights in the arena as DEVIL by Shinedown starts to play. “Hang on a moment…” “No Mitch, it can’t be…” “I think it is…” ‘The drama, the trauma, don’t pay the prima donna!’ Through the entrance steps… Aaron ‘The Ace’ Andrews. “He’s here, he’s here, he’s here,” Mitch says. “He should be in PRISON,” Emma retorts. Andrews storms the ring, beating down Shaffer and McManus with ease. The crowd are going absolutely ballistic. Rating: 82 Well this is the definition of sink or swim. We’d allowed a toxic individual into the locker room. OVERALL RATING: 78 – 0.41 (309,565 viewers) You can’t say that’s not kicking things off with a bang. The immediate aftermath was brutal, with a number of trade mags and even Pro Wrestling Reporter running stories about what a gamble it was and how bringing in someone like that sets a bad example. Larry had read them all and didn’t look too happy. But the facts were, he was a ‘Name’ performer, on a cheap contract and in the words of Oscar Wilde; “The only thing worse than people talking about you, was people not talking about you.” Aaron ‘The Ace’ Andrews Entrance Music: DEVIL by Shinedown The former top star, or Ace, from Total Championship Wrestling, Aaron Andrews is arguably one of the top stars in the world of professional wrestling. That was until he found himself embroiled in a criminal smuggling cartel’s attempt to bring in illegal drugs to the US. Having been fired from TCW, despite being proven ‘Not Guilty’ by a group of his peers, Andrews found himself out of wrestling for the first time in a decade. That was until the powers that be at Empire Elite Entertainment signed him up. He is a top-level in-ring talent with plenty of experience in the main event scene of any company he works for. Well they were definitely talking now. Next time… We continue the new show and get ready for EEE Genesis…

Empire Elite Entertainment Headquarters… The offices of the Flat Iron Building were buzzing. For years we’d resorted to working from locker rooms, broom cupboards and basically anywhere that had space for humans to sit and talk. Yet here we were, suited and booted strolling through a premier office building in Manhattan. I entered the boardroom, which Larry had refurbished to look more like the Confederation of the Territories than I cared to mention to him. Larry was in the large wooden throne-like chair at the head of the table and either side of him sat Sam Keith and Mitch Naess. The fact that each of them had their own quite successful businesses didn’t seem to stop them taking a seat here too. And why not, they’d contributed more than enough in the last six months. On the table were branded EEE folders, some piled up, some laying open. Inside each was a photo of a wrestler and a series of sheets highlighting their matches, character and history. These were the character notes on the inaugural EEE roster. Almost all were very familiar faces to us now, with some young stars added in there too. Elsewhere around the table, dressed in suits which didn’t really fit their frames were: Emma Chase, Masked Mauler VI, Rick Sanders, Whistler, Honest Frank, Thom Barrowman, Coyote Dynamite, Wiley Steinway, Rock Downpour, Ron South, Ernie Turner and Angry Gilmore. A who’s who of New York City Wrestling history. The sixteenth space at the table was mine. I was positioned in the prominent central seat with representatives of EEE and NYCW either side of me. This… was new. “We’re discussing the initial steps to creating a lasting impression,” Honest Frank said, catching me up as I took my seat. “I think we should move on,” Whistler said. “What are we doing about titles?” “Simple; the EEE Intercontinental and tag team titles will be considered completely new achievements, with a tournament to crown the first IC champ on our first show and the tag team titles having been considered won by the Cross River Connection. The EEE World Heavyweight Title will retain the lineage of the NYCW Empire Title,” Larry said. Coyote Dynamite and Wiley Steinway didn’t seem all that impressed having their accomplishments wiped away, but they accepted it. “And we’re getting the old tag titles and Tri-State Regional for the new NYCW?” Mauler questioned. “Correct,” I interjected. “Tri-State will retain its history and will be your main title. The tag titles…” and I nodded respectfully to Wiley Coyote, “will retain their lineage too. Your new title; NYCW Nationwide, will be a secondary belt.” “We’ve got quite a lot of guys on the roster,” Honest frank said and he slid the singular NYCW folder across the table. I looked at the roster and there must’ve been around forty on there. We had gone a bit mad. “We may struggle to give everyone time on the main show, especially with the veterans.” “We trust you guys implicitly,” I said. “Exactly; the agreement we’ve reached is that NYCW will be run like the other independent companies,” Sam added. “Whereas for the launch of EEE, we need some names.” “We have names,” Larry said with some bite in his voice. I felt a surge of affection for the old guy. You can take the boy out of the locker room, but you can’t take the locker room out of the boy. “We’ve got to where we are, with the boys we have. I don’t see any need to spend a lot of money on a past-their-prime ‘name’ performer.” “That’s not what I’m suggesting,” Sam replied firmly. “I just mean it would be good to have a big surprise for the end of the first show. Someone to get tongues wagging.” “Any suggestions?” Larry said with narrowing eyes. “You know I do,” Sam said and Larry slammed his fist on the table. The room fell silent. “That’s enough of that.” *** The production department was a completely different beast to the boardroom. Dark room, cables everywhere and people in casualwear looking at camera angles, lighting and sound of the Empire Ballroom. I watched some of the pre-taped footage and the cameras were so crystal clear as to be quite distracting. Larry, in a fit of peak had thrown a large chunk of our monthly profits into increasing all elements of our production to the absolute best in the entire industry. If we were going to start competing with the big boys, he argued, he needed to be armed like them. Our merchandising department, small though it was, had been charged with raising sales through various individualised performers t-shirts and blu-rays. We had a new website ready to go to and the online team took me through the high-def images of the workers with small explanations of who they are where they’ve come from for any new fans; Champions ‘The Star’ George Trapesi EEE World Heavyweight Champion Entrance Music: Sirius by Alan Parsons Project The breakout star of the hugely successful LA Stars tag team, George Trapesi is a young performer from California who travelled across country to New York City to make a name for himself. Originally most famous as LA Star #1, he lost his mask in a match to ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus. Then choosing to come to the ring under his true name and giving himself a moniker relating to his own personal history, ‘The Star’ George Trapesi is the premier talent in Empire Elite Entertainment. The current and first EEE World Heavyweight Champion, he is arguably the most talented man on the entire roster, with a killer instinct to match his incredible in-ring talent. He is accompanied to the ring by Cheerleader Nicki. Cross River Connection Prime Time Jack Pryde & Perfect Pepper Pelton EEE World Tag Team Champions Entrance Music: Even Flow by Pearl Jam The Cross River Connection have dominated the independent tag team scene for years now. A combination of speed, technique and charisma, the two compliment one another magnificently in and out of the ring. They are named in honour of the river which separates their home states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. They successfully defeated both of their greatest rivals, The Biggins Boys and The Fantastic Express to claim the right to be the inaugural EEE World Tag Team champions. Roster Trent Shaffer Entrance Music: Something for You by Highway Saints ‘The Talent’ has had the most rollercoaster career in New York. A former Empire Heavyweight and World champion, he has lost both to fellow main event stars Riley McManus and George Trapesi. In a fit of anger he fired his agent Billy Keelan, who has now marked his card. As one of the top singles stars in the company, he will be able to invoke his rematch clause for the EEE World Heavyweight Title at Genesis if he so chooses and it’s tough to imagine we wouldn’t considering his enormous self-confidence. ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus Entrance Music: Southern Flavor by Versatyle tha Wildchyld Multiple time World Heavyweight Champion and one of the stars of EEE, ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ Riley McManus has known success all through his life. From high school, to Georgia University as a top collegiate wrestler, his toughness and in-ring skill can’t be overstated. A mainstay of New York, his career really took off when he engaged in a blood feud with veteran Denny King which caused him to snap and helped create the unbearable character he is today. Accompanied to the ring by the beautiful and deadly Fern Hathaway, the two form a powerful duo. Bulldozer Brandon Smith Entrance Music: Slaves and Bulldozers by Soundgarden Brandon Smith is truly the Bulldozer of Empire Elite Entertainment. Big in strength and stature, he is a relentless battler with clubbing blows and big power moves. Anyone tackling this walking monster has to bring their best game or risk being finished by the lethal Backdrop Driver. Having spent a large part of the last year battling the likes of Angry Gilmore and Danny Hagman, he may be looking for something new to sink his teeth into. Angry Gilmore Entrance Music: Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit The middle-aged-and-crazy veteran of Empire Elite Entertainment; Angry Gilmore is a former World Heavyweight champion who is tougher than a two dollar steak. Blending his natural charisma with an impressive in-ring style, the aging star shows no signs of hanging them up as there’s still young wrestlers to beat within an inch of their lives and plenty of things to get angry about. The Fantastic Express Rafe Sashay & Zippy Deverell Entrance Music: Industry Baby by Lil Nas X The Men, the Myths, the Legends. The Fantastic Express are one of the premier tag teams in professional wrestling. Having struck gold with their fast-paced, hard-hitting style; Rafe ‘The Style’ Sashay and Zippy ‘The Lip’ Deverell have formed such an effective team that tag gold is rarely far from their grasp. Their long-running feuds with the Cross River Connection and The Biggins Boys threaten to leak into Empire Elite Entertainment and audiences are in store for a treat of entertainment. Davis Wayne Newton Entrance Music: Dvorak Symphony No. 9 The Canadian Hero from… Toronto… Ontario… Canada… is one of the most gifted professional wrestlers of the era. Combining exceptional technical, brawling and high-flying talents with a buzzing and arrogant persona; Davis Wayne Newton (DWN to most) is set for a break-out year ahead of him. It seems that whenever he dains to leave his own personal balcony seat at the Empire Ballroom; he tends to win, using absolutely every tool in his arsenal to achieve success. Danny Hagman Entrance Music: Renegade by Styx ‘The Pittsburgh Kid’ Danny Hagman is one of the true underdog success stories of recent years. Having debuted under a mask as Warpiece, he was convinced by his mentor and friend Thom ‘One Man Army’ Barrowman to ditch that gimmick and just be himself. It turns out that he is a fired up good man, fighting for truth, honour and fair play. While often the underdog, he has increased his size and strength to compensate and is now one of the pound-for-pound toughest competitors in Empire Elite Entertainment with more upside than almost anyone else on the roster. Andrew Harper Entrance Music: Mean Man by Wasp New York City’s very own Bully Enforcer has been a fixture of the independent scene for years. Known for his impressive power moves and his tendency to hurl opponents through a table if they anger him, he’s one of the most impressive physical specimens on the entire Empire Elite Entertainment roster. A man of few words, he was at his best working alongside his former manager Honest Frank. It will surely not be long before he finds his place and once again goes on the hunt for success and titles. Fro Sure Entrance Music: You Sure by Fro-Zen Funk and the Rainbow Collective New York most fabulous and funk-a-delic performer; Fro Sure is a supremely entertaining and charismatic performer whose talent on the mic is equally matched by his talent in the ring. Acting as the de facto hero-in-waiting, he must be in line for another amazing feud to follow on from the success of his ones with Perfect Pepper Pelton and latterly with Thom ‘One Man Army’ Barrowman, who he had the honour of sending into retirement. The Biggins Boys Bart Biggins & Brett Biggins Entrance Music: Rock and Roll is King by ELO The legendary brother tag team with a history of success wherever they go. The Biggins Boys (formerly Quadruple B) are multi-time tag team champions in a number of promotions who have been locked into a long-running feud with The Fantastic Express and the Cross River Connection. While it seems Cross River Connection have taken the overall win and become the inaugural Empire Elite Entertainment World Tag Team Champions, the Biggins Boys will be plotting a shot at the gold at their earliest opportunity. Although they’ll likely meet resistance from The Fantastic Express in the process. Entering the final stages of their long and illustrious careers, there still plenty in the tank for the two high-flying Biggins Boys. The Eagle Entrance Music: Iron Man by AC/DC One Tough SOB. That’s the only way to describe the face-painted warrior known as The Eagle. From low-key beginnings as the masked Freedom Eagle; one half of Brooklyn’s Finest. Eagle saw his then-partner depart for pastures new and began a solo career. After some moderate success he delved back into the tag team ranks; first with Animal Harker and then with The Juggernaut as one half of the Powers of Pain. Again his success stalled somewhat and he is now looking to branch out into singles competition once again. The Masked Mauler Entrance Music: None There has been a Masked Mauler creeping around the New York scene for approximately sixty years and this latest incarnation follows a number of the now well-known conventions. He wears a plain black mask. He has no entrance music. He performs basic moves. He speaks in gibberish half-phrases and declarations and uses the Iron Claw (!?!) as his finisher. A long-time title holder with clean wins over the likes of Davis Wayne Newton and Angry Gilmore, there’s unplumbed depths to the Mauler’s career which could be reached with the right programme against the right competitor. Honest Frank Jr & Big Jon Walker Entrance Music: Perfect Strangers by Deep Purple Legacy is a key facet of modern professional wrestling and in Honest Frank Jr, Empire Elite Entertainment have one of the most impressive and talented second-generation superstars on the planet. The son of legendary New York mainstay Honest Frank, Jr has proven to be every bit as charismatic as his dad, but with some incredibly sound in-ring fundamentals and impressive power. Having had the ‘honour’ of being originally managed by his dad, he soon took umbrage with his lack of immediate success and destroyed his father’s stable of workers to branch out alone. Further obstacles were placed in his way, forcing Honest Frank Jr to hire a personal bodyguard. The massive and equally impressive Big Jon Walker. Little is known about him other than he’s big, imposing and has a habit of destroying anyone who threatens to stand in the way of Honest Frank Jr’s success. Charlie Corner Entrance Music: California Love by Tupac California Cool Charlie Corner is one of the most laid back dudes in professional wrestling. Naturally likeable with a mixture of surfer dude and rock star looks, Corner is a consistently popular performer in professional wrestling. His career has not taken off as others expected it to, perhaps because of his lack of personal drive, but he’s entertaining and engaging, which keeps him busy with work. A step-up could be on the cards if he finds reason to get motivated. Spike Sylvain Entrance Music: Hey Ho! By The Ramones The former New York Doll is a veteran New York City performer. One of the most visually recognisable workers in North America, he has dyed red hair and is covered in tattoos like any true punk would be. While his most successful days are likely behind him, his talent and in-ring basics mean that he’s a fantastic addition to any roster. Denny King Entrance Music: Surprise! You’re Dead by Faith No More Formerly known as Dermot O’Logical; Denny King drastically reinvented himself under his real name as a vicious heel. Riding the wave of momentum to even greater success, he is now perhaps best known as the man who pushed ‘The Georgia Bulldog’ to his actual limit and then broke him. It did not work as planned however, with McManus coming out of that feud and fighting and clawing his way to a World Heavyweight Title, while King has languished in the midcard. Still a talented in-ring performer despite his advancing age, there’s plenty left for Denny King to achieve and young performers should be careful around him. The VCC JP Barnham & Ray Cavalero Entrance Music: Running by Onlap The leg-twisting, bone-crunching, arm-breaking duo known as The VCC are one of the premier teams in professional wrestling. Ray Cavalero and JP Barnham don’t need to talk, they let their actions speak for them. Previously a part of the underground combat club designed by Larry Vessey and including international superstar Magnum Kobe. The team have now branched out on their own to find willing victims whom they can inflict pain and punishment upon. ‘The Stud’ Phil Anders Entrance Music: Scars by Ghosts of August Hailing from the mean fields of Nebraska, ‘The Stud’ Phil Anders is a big, bruising rookie whose been finding his feet in the big city. Packed with upside and a mean attitude, there’s plenty for him to achieve in the right environment. He’s hoping that being one of the original members of the Empire Elite Entertainment roster will give him the bump he needs to achieve his goal of complete domination. Enhancement Talent & Backstage Bradley Blaze Entrance Music: Blaze of Glory by Bon Jovi Gimmick: Man’s Man Cowboy Porkchop Patterson Entrance Music: In Hell I'll be in Good Company by The Dead South Gimmick: Ultimate Underdog Garry the Entertainer Entrance Music: In the Hall of the Mountain King by Lopez & Grieg Gimmick: Smiling Babyface Chip Martin Entrance Music: Walk by Pantera Gimmick: Second Generation Tough Guy Samoan Wrecking Crew Loa Laki & Loa Afu Entrance Music: Le Manu by Shepherd's Reign Gimmick: Savage Samoan Fury The Razorbacks TJ Brown & Jamaar Green Entrance Music: You Want It by The Fallen State Gimmick: High School Jocks Managers: Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan The top sports agent in all of professional sports. Billy ‘The Brain’ Keelan is an over-bearer, ultra-confident, loud-mouthed manager who always, always gets the best for his clients (and himself). A reminder of managers of old, Keelan has the keenest wit and sharpest tongue in the sport. His first client of note was Trent ‘The Talent’ Shaffer who he lead to multiple World Title reigns. Having been recently fired, he’s made it clear that he’ll be signing multiple, top-level stars to join his family of wrestlers. Announce Team: Mitch Naess & Emma Chase Road Agents: Larry Vessey Sam Keith Thom Barrowman Troy Tornado Referee: Francis Long Matthew White And there we were. All facets of the business created and ready. Well-staffed, hopefully well-managed and with the utmost talent and investment in the production side.

Glorious.

Not at all. I thought for ages on it and was happy with the choice. I'm a firm believer that names become popular based on diaries. I didn't like Coastal Zone Championship Wrestling, and then I read a diary about it and now I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm just happy you're reading and taking some enjoyment from the writing. Also, thank you too.

The tag titles are the highest prestige titles for sure. But for now the shows are run by Rick Sanders, not me. The results of that are… interesting. As you’ll see.

Only other Co side ration was Empire Championship Wrestling. But that makes the initials ECW, which comes with its own baggage. I actually quite like the name personally. Lol. In a world with the big three being a Federation, a Championship and a plain Pro Wrestling; Entertainment was the one missing moniker. Nationwide title was auto-generated by the game. But I’ve grown to like that too. I was going for a more corporate feel, which is reflected in the upcoming story.

VC Productions along with the board of directors from New York City Wrestling announce formation of a new multimedia conglomerate. Owner of New York City Wrestling; Larry Vessey has announced, in partnership with OnDem and East Coast Today the formation of a new brand of professional wrestling and entertainment provider; Empire Elite Entertainment. The group will begin running shows in February 2024 and have appointed Thomas Patrick as Director of Entertainment, Thom Barrowman as Head of Talent Relations, Emma Chase as Chief Operating Officer and Sam Keith & Mitch Naess as Creative Consultants. Following the success of New York City Wrestling, all relevant shareholders have agreed to the creation of a new conglomerate with the aim of revitalizing and re-energising the wrestling industry. The lynchpin of the new company will be the 90-minute prime time television show ‘All Star Wrestling.’ Episodic PG-friendly sports entertainment will be presented on All Star Wrestling Friday night every week. Accompanying the new show will monthly events with thousands of fans in attendance, exclusively streamed on OnDem. The first of which will be titled Genesis and will take place at the end of February. There will be four key shows throughout the year thereafter; The Grande Royale in March, Empire Showdown in May, Summer Smash in August and Thanksgiving Day Survival in November. Alongside these key events will be monthly Supershows to complete the calendar year. More will be made available on these events at a later date. Centrepiece of the new brand will be the EEE World Heavyweight Championship, currently held by break-out star and top merchandise seller ‘The Star’ George Trapesi. Alongside this title are the EEE World Tag Team Titles, currently held by the team of Prime Time Jack Pryde and Perfect Pepper Pelton (Cross River Connection) and a soon-to-debut EEE Intercontinental Title, the four-man tournament for which will occur on the inaugural episode of All Star Wrestling. The trademarks, event names and historical data for New York City Wrestling, the NYCW Tag Team Titles and the NYCW Tri-State Regional Title will be retained by the shareholders of Empire Elite Entertainment and will be used into a separate company working under the EEE umbrella. These events run as NYCW will use a mixture of veteran and young workers, will replace the traditional pre-show format and will be streamed exclusively on WrestleWorld. Larry Vessey has appointed The Masked Mauler VI as the CEO of the company and Rick Sanders as Head Booker. Alongside them in a creative and production capacity will be Honest Frank, Whistler, Arnie Plummer, Wiley Steinway and Coyote Dynamite. The action will be called in the ring by the announce team of Rock Downpour, Ernie Turner and Ron South. The first show will see the crowning of new NYCW Tag Team Champions and the newly created NYCW Nationwide Title. With the wrestling world constantly changing, Larry Vessey wants to establish Empire Elite Entertainment as the most forward thinking, family-friendly wrestling show since the 1980s.

It’s only momentary. I plan to switch back once the next week of the game and the various happenings all gets resolved. 😁

Got to be The Ace right? God this whole description was such glory. I am fired up.

Mauler Back in New York We begin this issue with some potentially big news. I’m hearing reports out of New York City that the long-standing NYCW promotion will soon be seeing a big shake-up. Larry Vessey, as owner of the entertainment group who owns the rights to the company has employed The Masked Mauler (sixth one, not the current seventh one) as the new CEO of Wrestling Production. He has in turn, allegedly hired his old running mate and tag team partner Rick Sanders as the new Head Booker and assembled a backstage staff including the likes of Wiley Steinway, Whistler and Coyote Dynamite. These even reports and images of a reunited announce team of Rock Downpour, Ron South and Ernie Turner as well as referee Michael Bull in the Flat-Iron building. The Sixth Masked Mauler The interesting thing is the sudden disappearance of Larry Vessey from day-to-day running. And the mystery of where the previous head booker is too remain unaddressed and multiple and repeated attempts to get a quote have been largely ignored. When something like this happens, all remains is speculation. But we are going to avoid that for now until we can gather more solid, factual, information. More as it follows...

BOOYAH!

:D

New York City… The end of the beginning? Unbelievably Brutus Milano had signed a written contract with USPW. He’d made it to the big time. I felt like I could at least take some of the credit. He’d have been nowhere without the booking which kept him improbably strong for three years. But somewhere, deep down, and away from public viewing… I was proud of the pastrami-slurping, pasta-spinning lug. Go get em Brutus. Pee Wee Germaine had wasted no time in revamping the new-look TCW. Marv Earnest was brought in as head booker, no doubt for stability, while Chris Flynn won the TCW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career. Larry had explained the details of each move in TCW in excruciating detail. I’d asked him about us holding all the major COTT titles, but he’d dismissed me without explanation. With no TV show to build Rush Hour, I just put together some aftermath matches from Showdown. Larry helped a bit, but I couldn’t believe what he was doing. What we were doing? Pee Wee Germaine. The tiny referee from the West Coast was about to finish what dozens had tried before. He was about to drive a stake through the heart of NYCW. A final blow. I supposed it was funny in its way. An awkward laugh slipped through my lips as I talked to the boys before Rush Hour. They looked confused and worried. They weren’t alone. NYCW Rush Hour 2024 Sunday, Week 1, January 2024 Greenwalt Dome, New York City, New York Attendance: 43,071 TAG TEAM MATCH: VCC vs. Denny King & Spike Sylvain In a bout that had good heat and decent wrestling, VCC defeated Spike Sylvain and Denny King in 9:47 when Ray Cavalero pinned Spike Sylvain with a Vessey Locks. Rating: 65 Can’t have a final show without Denny King and Spike Sylvain. We’d have chucked Brutus into this match if we could. But the team who missed the big show, get some sort of win here to open the next show. Good for them. SINGLES MATCH: Charlie Corner vs. The Masked Mauler In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Charlie Corner defeated The Masked Mauler in 10:24 by pinfall with a Corner Cutter. Rating: 66 Arguably the defining feud of both of these men’s careers. They had been paired with each other on-and-off for a few years now. The matches were always decent and they knew each other well enough to delivery exactly what we wanted. NYCW & COTT WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE UNIFICATION MATCH: The Biggins Boys vs. The Fantastic Express vs. Cross River Connection © In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Cross River Connection defeated The Biggins Boys and The Fantastic Express in 10:28; the order of elimination was The Biggins Boys first, and then The Fantastic Express. Cross River Connection make defence number three of the COTT World Tag Team. Cross River Connection make defence number one of the NYCW Tag Team. Rating: 80 And with that, the Cross River Connection drive one final stake in the feud which has lasted forever. They claim the Unified World Tag Team Titles and rightfully sit atop the incredible NYCW tag team division. They deserve it for their continued awesomeness and their particular feud with The Fantastic Express remains one of my favourites of my time with the company. SINGLES MATCH: The Eagle vs. Andrew Harper In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Andrew Harper defeated The Eagle in 10:28 by pinfall with a Spike Slam. Rating: 69 The Bully Enforcer does what he’s always done. Wins by brutalising his opponents. This was a relatively short, but awesomely delivered match between these two NYCW originals. SINGLES MATCH: Magnum Kobe vs. Honest Frank Jr In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Honest Frank Jr defeated Magnum Kobe in 10:04 by pinfall with a Roll The Dice. Rating: 71 Having finished the career of Brutus Milano, Honest Frank Jr finishes another career here in stunning fashion. Magnum Kobe has signed a deal to go back to Japan and we thank him for everything he’s done for us and the awesome story-telling he brought in his switch from Honest Enterprises to The Vessey Combat Club. GANG WARS MATCH: Angry Gilmore, Danny Hagman & Fro Sure vs. Riley McManus, Bulldozer Brandon Smith & Davis Wayne Newton In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Bulldozer Brandon Smith, Davis Wayne Newton and Riley McManus defeated Angry Gilmore, Danny Hagman and Fro Sure in 22:15 when Davis Wayne Newton submitted Fro Sure with a STF after blatantly cheating. Rating: 73 The bad guys have to get their heat back in this aftermath match from the singles affairs at the Showdown. Literally six of the best wrestlers on our roster, each with a potential shout to be top dog at any given time. Fantastic. NYCW EMPIRE & COTT WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION MATCH: George Trapesi © vs. Trent Shaffer © In an exceptional match, George Trapesi defeated Trent Shaffer in 28:23 by pinfall with a Star Maker Lariat. George Trapesi wins the COTT World Heavyweight. George Trapesi makes defence number one of the NYCW Empire Heavyweight. Rating: 77 George Trapesi becomes the one and only NYCW Empire World Heavyweight champion after defeating the COTT World Champion after only a single month with the belt. It’s the perfect end to the story which drove us through the entirety of the last year as George Trapesi is now the undisputed man of the company. ANGLE: Larry Vessey comes out to congratulate George Trapesi on an incredible victory. He then turns to the audience and thanks them too. Without them, the boys in the ring and the boys in the back would have nothing. Stories told to no-one, mean nothing. And he, like those before and those after, are story-tellers. He thanks the passionate crowds of New York City Wrestling for making this the greatest single run of an independent promotion in professional wrestling history. No matter what happens now, this was the greatest company to work for and the most amazing group of individuals to work with. Even when life gets tough, he knows, he’ll always have New York. Rating: 78 OVERALL RATING: 77 And with that, New York City Wrestling ended its run. We got a lot wrong, but we got so much more right. We lost friends along the way like Tennessee William, Whitehorse Whittaker and Hawkeye Calhoun. I mean, we even lost Brutus ‘Freakin’ Milano for crying out loud. But when all is said and done, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. New York City Wrestling stood for something. And for that I’ll always be proud. New York, it seems, is always worth it…

Just continued excellence from this thread. Between Bison, SMW and London I am truly spoiled. Thank you all.

Alas, I could not secure him for the long-term. USPW buying power too high.