Texasrangers13
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Posts posted by Texasrangers13
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'The Disco Stud' Robbie Retro [vs] 'The African Assassin' Makutsi
ZWB & Jungle Lord [vs] Jimmy Hernandez & Spencer Spade w/ Dulce Moreno
Masked Patriot w/ Matty Faith [vs] 'The Con Man' Sammy Smoke --- Though the Con Man's offer to double his salary was intriguing hah.
American Machine [vs] 'The Beast' Remo Richardson
Oliver Kobb & Brett Biggins [vs] The Pain Alliance (Scott & Laramee)
Non Title Match:
SWF World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Golden [vs] 'The Eighth Deadly Sin' John Greed
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Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Show Report (First Pilot Episode of The Collective)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
November Week 2, 2020
Show Report: The Collective: Fight Club (Pilot Episode #1)
We’ve got our hands on the first pilot episode of The Collective, dubbed Fight Club, this show featured four matches in a tournament style with the eight announced fighters.The show got off the hot start with Stephen Amell laying out the vision for The Collective, he spoke about what these pilots were meant to show and that the aim of this was to see the feasibility of this concept. He mentioned that the crew worked non-stop for the last two months to get us to this point; he mentioned that Cyrus Fees would be the play-by-play announcer, and for this pilot episode only Amell would be joining him as color guy on a couple matches. He said he was ready to see some new stars born, and that prompted Junior Fatu to march out to the ring with his cousin Afa Jr in tow. Fatu cut a quick promo saying that the Samoan Bloodline is stronger than ever…
Match One (Afa Jr vs. "Big" Sean Studd)
The first match of The Collective saw two men with wrestling Hall of Famers as their fathers. Afa Jr and “Big” Sean Studd started this new company with an absolute DUD of a match. The presentation was unique and new, but these two just don’t go in the ring. Studd’s big size was a challenge for Afa Jr, but Afa’s experience was a major advantage and ultimately he hit the Samoan Spike to the throat and downed Studd for the victory.
Promos
Post-Match they showed our first two cinematic promos, this one was vague, showing what appeared to be a deteriorating asylum type facility with a swinging sign that said “Blackwood Sanatorium” … the doors swung open and a big physical man started to walk out of the doors, someone trailed him but was concealed in shadows as the promo cut away say “The Freak Beast” is here… that promo ended and transitioned to a man standing in a snow covered field, likely outside the studio but it makes for a good look, the camera zooms in and shows former Ring of Honor Tag Champion, TK O’Ryan… he's more rugged, and worn than he did in ROH…
TK O'Ryan Promo "The Man With No Country Debuts at Flight Club"
he looks up and speaks directly to the camera. Saying he was forgotten the second he risked himself for the greater good. He said he was always the one to make the sacrifices. He said he went above and beyond for others and never did enough for himself. He’s the “Horse With No Stable, The Man With No Country”, he says, "Cold winds of change blow,Nowhere to go — Destination? ... I don’t know." but it is clear TK O'Ryan here for himself… You’ll see that at Flight Club. So with that we saw our first promo for Flight Club, the second pilot episode with a currently unnamed roster.
Leading into our second match we saw one more promo type video, this one starts at a log cabin in the mountains, the door swings open and the fireplace is on, there is a large Grizzly pelt on the floor, but no one in the cabin… the camera pans back and a graphic says “Grizzly” Kal Jax is next.
Match Two: ("Freak Beast" Nick Comoroto vs. "Grizzly" Kal Jax)
That led us into the next match… which was worse than the first. “Grizzly” Kal Jax and “Freak Beast” Nick Comoroto both have a great look and with the proper build-up they will be fine. They fit this promotion and the concept but this match just didn’t do it for us at all… Thankfully that is what these pilots are for, building characters and figure out what works and doesn’t. Comoroto brought the majority of the violence but also damaged himself with some reckless actions. Jax used his amateur wrestling background to wrap up and takedown the Freak Beast and won this bout when he locked Comoroto into an Ankle Lock and forced him to tap out.
Promos
The next cinematic promo featured a steampunk look as a blond wearing a long white coat and looking like Elsa from Frozen spoke for her man who stood in the back wearing a steampunk jacket and glasses. She identified herself as Lady Frost and her man as the “Savage Gentleman” Victor Benjamin. She said Benjamin is a former MMA fighter and he’s ready to bring the fight to Flight Club. Good, grunge-type look for these two, will be curious to see if Lady Frost is used in-ring at all as she isn't a bad wrestler herself but we've had no indication of a women's division.
"Savage Gentleman" Victor Benjamin and his wife Lady Frost debuted in a promo showing off their unique look
And with that we transitioned into our first major surprise of this pilot. We see an old-school microphone hanging from the ceiling of a room in the studio, the exposed concrete looks like a basement or a comedy club…
nZo debut promo clip, he'll be main eventing Flight Club
“My Name is nZo and I’m a Real1” The former Enzo Amore shows up in a shock, he’s not a great fighter or a flier so he really doesn’t fit the concept, but he can really talk and he showed that in this promo. He said that he was here to prove people wrong and show that he can still go. He reminds the audience that he’s not just a former champion in the “biggest show in the world” but he’s a former College Football player… and a “World-Famous recording artist”… he’ll be on the next pilot joining TK O’Ryan and Victor Benjamin as confirmed names for that one.
Up next we see a promo for the “Baddest MF’er in Professional Wrestling” there is a death metal soundtrack and we see SCHAFF in a gym with chains wrapped around his body going through a powerlifting routine. He’s putting up big weight… he screams as his name, SCHAFF shows on the screen.
Match Three: (Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs Cezar Bononi)
Our third match moved us in the right direction as Davey Boy Smith Jr and Cezar Bononi; these two men are solid catch-wrestlers and they brought a different level than our first two matches. Davey Boy Smith Jr has to be the favorite to “win” this initial tournament, but Bononi showed out as well and both earned some respect here. Smith won the bout with the Bulldog Bomb.
As the match ended… Junior Fatu and Afa Jr stepped back out onto the main stage, he said that Davey Boy Smith Jr was going to be a problem for anyone here in The Collective… But Davey Boy was going to face Afa Jr in the next round but before that… “The Problem” was standing behind him… Davey Boy turned into a Super Kick from a tattooed young Samoan with a very familiar look, albeit younger, that guy went up top and delivered a massive Samoan Splash to Davey Boy… Fatu and Afa Jr made their way to the ring where Junior officially introduced “The Problem” Sefa Fatu to the viewers.
He's "The Problem" Sefa Fatu; Junior Fatu's debuting son leveled Davey Boy Smith Jr; and has officially Joined The Collective
Promos
We get a promo of two young guys who just seem hyped to be here. They introduce themselves as Adrian Alanis and Liam Gray, they are “The Skulk”… Well at least for now… as they mention that while they’ll be at Flight Club, they are well-known as Hypemen and are more than happy to rep the “highest bidder”… So we have two “hypemen” who will compete on the next pilot… looks like these guys were added to help build a faction/unit of some sort, color me partially intrigued…
We know the main event is between the last two guys we haven’t seen yet; but prior to it we see a great cinematic promo for Odinson. He is shown destroying opponent after opponent across the globe, sending some flying off the screen… the last scene is a clear call-out to the film industry as Odinson is in a "gladiator" style combat scene destroying everyone... he hits a pounce that sends someone through a wall and steps out of the scene through the hole he made, stepping over his fallen foes… this guy is strong… point made, point sold… over the top promo… nailed.
Main Event: (Odinson vs. SCHAFF)
Main Event time. So on the surface I would have thought Davey Boy Smith Jr was the obvious main eventer here, but they clearly had a plan and it delivered as the match of the night was SCHAFF vs Odinson after all. These two men both have powerlifting backgrounds and both are gifted athletes. This was a slugfest from the get go and it could have gone either way, in the end though, the babyface SCHAFF got the upper-hand and scored a pinfall after hitting the Inverted TKO on Odinson. Big win and I suspect we just saw two future stars of this program go at it for the first, but not last, time.
Promo
Now keeping in mind this is a pilot, they may clip or edit things differently, but the copy I was shown didn’t end after the main event, instead Scott and Rick Steiner made a surprise debut, together. They said they’ve never backed down from a fight, but this time, they were drawn in by the concept and by the atmosphere of The Collective… they aren’t here to fight, but rather promote, and in 2021, they’ll be debuting the future face of the entire company…
Match Recap:- Afa Jr defeated Sean Studd (DUD, don’t seek this out)
- Kal Jax defeated Nick Comoroto (DUD of a match, but two interesting characters, cautious optimism)
- Davey Boy Smith Jr defeated Cezar Bononi (moving in the right direct, solid bout, two strong fighters)
- SCHAFF defeated Odinson (Solid main event, two future stars, worth watching)
Overall opinion:
The presentation here was exciting and new, the names were a mix of new and old and a refreshing look at all of them. Cyrus Fees handled the announcing just fine, but I’ll be curious to see who they pair with him long-term. The big surprises here were some of the “debuts” or soon to debut. nZo will be on Flight Club, that’ll be intriguing… can’t tell if they are playing off his character from his run on 205 Live as the best Cruiserweight or going with something totally different. One thing is for sure, give him a microphone and things will be golden. The Steiner Brothers are in The Collective and it is as Promoters. We’ve heard how this group is trying to slant more towards the style of professional fighting/MMA and having a more emphasis on training clubs, factions, etc, well the Steiners are good stewards of that… so too is the group headed up by Junior Fatu as he’ll be in the corner for both his cousin, Afa Jr, and now his son who debuted tonight, “The Problem” Sefa Fatu.
Tomorrow they are filming the Flight Club episode and it appears they won’t be promoting the names as heavily from that taping. It looks like they are testing things out, and I’m not sure if that one will be shown or not… Stay tuned. If we can get our hands on it, we will be sure to have a report here.
Odds and Ends:
Remember this is just a pilot episode, we've heard through various reports that they'll be shooting two pilots in November and two in December, while they'll be looking to start telling a story, it is also a chance to get a feel for some competitors and looks; we've heard the Showrunners behind the show have taken some calls from potential broadcasters who have expressed interest, but they want to see things fully fleshed out. Overall, I'm impressed by the concept, and early fan interest has been strong. We've reached out to The Collective and they've confirmed these bouts will count towards overall records so that is a step in the right direction. Additionally, we've been told they'll be sending us the the Flight Club pilot they are shooting today, but that they are doing it in a bit of a different style than this one as they are testing things out and want to see how it works rather than putting a true show on.
They've also confirmed that the third pilot episode (first in December) will be an "Open Fight Night" a concept they plan to rename/expand upon as they progress; we will see the semi-finals and finals of this initial 8-man tournament but that the fourth match on the card will be an open call for anyone to join "Fight Club" and it is expected to be the spot they'll sign new talent from. We've heard some rumors of guys interested in the promotion, but let's see who will show up.
- Afa Jr defeated Sean Studd (DUD, don’t seek this out)
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Odinson is dope
Can't disagree; I've enjoyed his work for awhile. Just has the look that I feel fits this really well. I pushed him pretty heavily in my ROH diary that ran for 2+ years in TEW 16; so he was a natural fit over here.
Man what a really cool concept and set-up! I'm hooked!Appreciate it BigJ; was looking to do something a bit different and do some different type story-telling/concepts. Should be fun to try to convey moving forward.
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Made our initial eight signings for the premiere pilot episode and there will be four matches on that pilot. The flight club pilot (lightweight and under also has eight guys, but I'm less committed to that group/moving forward with the initial pilot group) but that was taped the day after the Fight Club show. Really happy with how all four pilot episodes (two additional episodes in December) came through and the story is going to begin in January 2021...
Updated the eight individual signing announcements with "vitals" and theme songs because I felt they might give these guys personalities.
Working on a couple graphics for the initial debut show and also some stories to get to that point with the backstory. Should be a fun little build-up and run through. Appreciate the early views!
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Just wanted to say love the time and effort you put into your graphics and content for the shows. Really enjoy the read. I had fallen a bit behind, but I'm catching up currently! Great work.
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Final Signing Announcement for Pilot Episode "Fight Club"
Davey Boy Smith Jr
Likely the most “well-known” of the first eight men to join The Collective, Davey Boy Smith Jr has made his name in the WWE, overseas in the NJPW, and recently in MLW where he captured the 2019 Opera Cup. The son of the British Bulldog, DBS Jr is a built for the Fight Club. He’s been fighting since he was 14, and he’s more than ready to continue to prove his point. Like his father DBS Jr will deliver a mean Running Powerslam, but the younger Davey Boy is known for his Bulldog Bomb finisher, and like most Hart Family members DBS Jr will occasionally finish off an opponent with the Sharpshooter. He’s the odds of favorite to stand atop the mountain here at The Collective and defeating him in this initial pilot taping will surely make someone stand out.
Vitals
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 265
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Theme:
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Seventh Signing
Cezar Bononi
Miscast by the WWE, “Bad to the Bone” Cezar Bononi is a trained fighter with good looks and a mean streak that was hardened on the streets of Sao Paulo. He’s frequently been referred to as a V8 due to his size and power output and now the ripped Bononi is looking to put his name on the map for something other than his failures in the WWE and the fact that he was named 2017's NXT One To Watch. He’ll finish off men of all shapes and sizes with his Gutwrench Powerbomb and is none to use his size to create additional torque on the way up, resulting in even more damage than usual.
Vitals:
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 265
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Theme:
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Introducing Sixth
Nick Comoroto
Known as the “Freak Beast”; Comoroto it has been said has recently been released from mental health facility that he was checked into following his release from WWE developmental and subsequent spiral. Now unchained, both figuratively and literally, Comoroto is ready to run wild on The Collective. Some have called him the "Wrecking Ball" and he has a tendency to do damage to both his opponent and himself as he seeks a way to win the bout. Comoroto will brawl, but he’s more of a neutral style worker who will do whatever it takes to win. His finish is a modified Iron Claw Slam that sees him plant his opponent and then hold the grip on their forehead using his massive hands. In the Fight Club he won’t be the only big man, but he might be the most certifiably insane. The question remains, who signed him out of the facility?!
Vitals
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 275
Hometown: Blackwood Sanatorium
Theme:
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Eli Drake & Tim Storm vs. SoCal Distancing -- Drake and Storm seem to be set-up to win, but maybe just maybe this is a chance to move Tim Storm away from anything of prominence.
Mike Bennett vs. Ken Shamrock -- Shamrock feels like the winner just to set-up the big clash; but maybe a dirty finish.
The Briscoe Brothers vs. Aron Stevens & The Question Mark --- The number one practitioner of Mongrovian Ka-ra-tay just can't get enough offense in on Dem Boyz.
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Love the shot at Living Dangerously; haha, fun read here!
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Fifth Signing Announcement
"Big" Sean Studd“Big” Sean Studd is the son of the late Hall of Famer, John Studd. He stands nearly seven feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds. He came to wrestling later than many sons of stars starting at 25 under the tutelage of Booker T. A major knee injury slowed him down and he missed nearly a year recovering before returning to the ring right before Covid shut him down again. Only 30 years old, “Big” Sean Studd still has the potential for greatness. Unlike most of the other men in this initial batch of fighters, Studd is more of a true pro wrestler, utilizing his size to his advantage rather than his power and strength. His signature Big Boot knocks guys down and sets them up to deliver a huge Pumphandle Powerslam that he delivers it with real force.
Vitals
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 305
Hometown: Burke, Virginia
Theme:
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Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Late October 2020
The Collective Gains Steam Leading Into Pilot Tapings
The somewhat mysterious group behind The Collective has announced their first four signings in a series of posts this week. We’ve heard that they will be taping their first pilot episode focused entirely on their “Fight Club” (that is Middleweight and Above) division with four one on one bouts in a tournament style and that the semi-finals and finals will take place during a later pilot taping. It sounds like this isn’t where they will be awarding a title but instead establishing some names and storylines for the premiere in 2021. We’ve heard that they’ve made contact with a number of names from across the industry and picked a pretty select group of eight for this debut, there will also be some promos and backstage work taped involving some of the Flight Club members that will take part in the second show of the week. Thus far we’ve seen four announcements of talent and in those we don’t have any names that jump off the page to casual fans, but hardcore fans will recognize at least some of them. The most recent signing Afa Anoa’i Jr has a familiar last name, and his family legacy proves he’ll be one to watch here. It was over a decade ago when Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase kicked the then-called Manu out of The Legacy and his career has faltered since then. SCHAFF has been deemed one to watch by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and was recently the Champion in the well-respected Pacific Northwest Indy DEFY, losing the title just before the pandemic hit. SCHAFF isn’t that well known outside of the Pacific Northwest but he’ll be one to watch here. Odinson has primarily been seen as a tag team force, teaming with Parrow as The End in EVOLVE, FIP and AJPW but he brings a great look and some real power to the show, stateside he’s most known in the Southeast and many have been surprised that WWE or AEW haven’t at least used him as enhancement talent during the pandemic. Lastly, “Grizzly” Kal Jax has an extensive amateur wrestling background and his modern day mountain man look fits perfectly with the aesthetic that the company is going for.We’ve heard the final four fighters will be announced in the coming days and there are former champions from the the WWE and in Japan among that group; we’ve also heard that there is at least one son of a Hall of Famer to be announced in the coming days and while he isn’t that well known for his in-ring work, this will mark a big return after missing most of the last two years with a major knee injury. Among the non in-ring gossip we’ve heard a number of rumors that the group has contacted and potentially made agreements with a couple former Hall of Famers that will act as promoters/managers and potentially even as color commentators or backstage talent.
For the Flight Club group we’ve heard they’ve already had to scramble to replace who they intended to likely be the focal point of that division. AR Fox (known by many as Dante Fox in Lucha Underground) sustained a Broken Neck this week during a show for Combat Zone Wrestling, this injury may end his career, and will at the very least keep him out for the next year plus. Rumor had it the original plan was for Fox to bring a mixture of his Lucha Underground character and his EVOLVE character (the leader of The Skulk) to The Collective to run the high-flying, death-defying Flight Club division, but his injury has forced some rapid rewrites to that script. They’ve now turned their focus to a former WWE star who is bound to ruffle some feathers… we will see if that comes through or not.
The last bit of gossip we’ve heard from the company thus far is that they intend to have some “Open Fight Night” type events or matches were guys will debut and fight for a right to Join The Collective.
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Fourth Signing Announcement
Afa Jr
When you watch the big shows you’ll see Roman Reigns, and the Usos, but before they made their names there was Afa Anoa’i Jr; wrestling as Manu. For the last 12 years Afa has wrestled in relative obscurity in the northeast, banking on the family name and the pedigree to get him bookings. He comes to The Collective with a bone to pick and a mean streak that reminds of his headshrinker brother and uncle and his Wild Samoan father of the same name. Could the Samoan Dynasty be rising in the west?
Vitals
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 250
Hometown: The Isle of Samoa, but now fighting out of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Theme:
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New Signing Announcement #3
Kal Jax
Speaking of beasts, they call him “Grizzly” Kal Jax is a former All-American Wrestler who spent some time in WWE Developmental after being discovered by Gerry Briscoe, before returning to the mountain west where he remade himself into his true mountain man persona. Kal uses his amateur wrestling background to ground and pound his opponents to a pulp. Fighting out of Reno, Nevada, Kal lives in the mountains and carries a bearskin with him to the ring. Rumor has it the pelt is a trophy he took in the mountains of Tahoe, but Kal tends to keep to himself and let his actions do the talking.
Vitals
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 282
Hometown: Somewhere in the Mountains outside of Reno, Nevada
Theme:
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New Signing
Odinson
Though not from Asgard, Odinson looks much like you’d expect the son of Odin to look, physical and fierce with piercing eyes and a chiseled physique. He’s made his name in the southeast as part of the team known as The End, including a late 2019 run in Japan with AJPW. Odinson is a physical brawler who carries his 6’4” 282 frame with the ease of a gymnast. He’s fierce and uses a combination of deadly maneuvers to finish off his opponents, pairing a Pounce with a Lariat and a Backbreaker to weaken his foe before dispatching them with the F-10.
Vitals
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 282
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Theme:
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First Signing Announcement
SCHAFF
The Baddest MF’er in the room, SCHAFF has been tearing up the Pacific Northwest since debuting in late 2017, the 26-year Navy Veteran oozes charisma and his background as a powerlifter is bound to come in handy in the fight club. He’s a brawler and has already been linked with a Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer. In-ring his style is fast and furious, with hard brawler and the occasionally tendency to go up top for a Frog Splash. He’s known for his corner to corner Cannonball to set opponents up, and will finish them off with a Sit-Out Powerbomb or Inverted TKO that few will kick out of.
Vitals
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 274
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Theme:
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Backstory / Company Info
In the peak of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace had changed. More and more people across the globe began to work from home and more areas imposed strict restrictions on crowded gatherings. While this presented a very challenging time for many, the performance industry was knocked flat on its face with no immediate sign that recovery was coming. Major motion pictures lost their traditional venue, theaters and were forced to premiere on streaming platforms. The recently bustling independent wrestling scene was virtually shut down overnight, and despite some ability to pull together shows in the Heartland, and in Florida the industry in America was virtually shutout of the ability to run events in the West entirely, grinding a booming market to a halt. While WWE, and AEW and even to a lesser extent Impact, ROH, and MLW were able to restart; the full depth of the industry was slowed. During the same timeframe, the entertainment industry has been constantly seeking to evolve and find new content for an audience that suddenly had more available "eyes-on" time, Actor, and renowned wrestling fan, Stephen Amell, saw this first hand during the middle of the pandemic when he was approached by showrunners for the Starz drama based on wrestling, "Heels", that he had signed on to join in the Summer of 2019. The showrunners for "Heels" called him mid-pandemic and pitched him on a gritty, live-action, wrestling program that would be unlike anything on the air currently but they needed some help getting it off the ground. Fortunately for them, he was all ears.Over the last five or so years there has been a much greater emphasis placed on a cinematic style production to wrestling, first with Lucha Underground and then with the matches produced by the major companies, many felt this was a inflection point in the market and something a new group could lean into. With fans trapped at home they could give a more personal, gritty look to the performers and provide a look at more than just the in-ring action. With film studios seeking content there was ample space to film and produce new content and some of these studios were located in states without lockdown restrictions that would prevent performers from coming and going as necessary to film some pilot episodes and pitch them to television networks. The showrunners already had an in with Lions Gate Entertainment (the parent company of Starz, which will air Heels in 2021) which was better than most trying to enter the industry could say, but nothing was guaranteed; they knew that a four-episode pilot would be the best way to pitch a new show and they had a plan; now they just needed some resources. Amell was in and together with the showrunners they self-funded the four-episode pilot and floated a small line of credit to get the show off the ground.
Over the next few months calls were made and locations virtually scouted. Ultimately, the group settled on a film studio in the Utah mountains known as Utah Film Studios. The studio was a three stage studio that offered state tax incentives for new productions, was located only a short drive from an international airport, and was located right near wide open space that would provide an ample/unique background for production. That all seemed like a good start; the studio was receptive to the business and cut the group a deal, having been relatively quiet since their last production wrapped just before the on-set of the pandemic the crew was able to rent Stage 3 of the studio for a weekend of taping, with an agreement to move production there full-time in 2021 if the show was picked up. They bootstrapped a small crew of production and cameramen and started to make calls to talent.
The plan for the two shows they'd tape in early November was for one to be titled "Fight Club" and to focus on wrestlers in the middleweight and above category, and one titled "Flight Club" that would focus on the lighter, more apt to fly and risk-taking. The plan for the shows would be a gritty, ring-focused presentation sort of like an underground fight club. With no audience, the focus was to be on both the in-ring action and the story-telling that would be told through cinematic and backstage promos. The ring itself would be lit with a heavy overhead spotlight and the walls of the facility would be grimy, gritty and reminiscent of the temple in Lucha Underground. The "entrance way" would be more of an access point with a mid-sized screen above it to display information for the broadcast but limited "fancy" factors you might see on a different show.
The product would focus much more on wins and losses, as well as a fighters pride than typical programs. There would be distinct rankings that actually made sense for both divisions. The top of the table would be the champion (obviously) but the next five would be ranked appropriately at all times; everyone else would constantly be looking for ways to break into the top five. Title challenges would always try to make logical sense, and most matches would shoot to be for a reason, either wins and losses or a rivalry, not just thrown together for the sake of it. Beyond that, there would be no interplay between divisions (Fight or Flight) in one on one contests, but there would be an emphasis on factions and working together. In tag or multi-man bouts competitors can and will come from any division and the results of the match will impact their individual rankings regardless of if it was a tag or multi-man match. While not necessary, it is expected that many workers will align themselves with others and form clubs, factions, units and brotherhoods to help further their own cause and their training (much like you'd see in the UFC). While the focus would be on wins and losses, this was still professional wrestling and this was still story-based entertainment.
Gimmicks and "nicknames" (again like UFC) would be a thing, and using some of the cinematic skills of Hollywood there was a plan to give some workers a persona that was perhaps a bit more larger than life then you'd usually see. It wouldn't be a huge factor, but it would give a bit more life to some characters that otherwise might fall through the cracks. The inspiration for this was the success of gimmicks from the 1990's but also the recent resurgence of characters that were a bit "different".
To get things off the ground the company agreed to hire Cyrus Fees, an MMA announcer, to provide the Play-By-Play; Justin King, a former NXT official signed on to be the referee, and CW Anderson agreed to be the match producer (road agent) for the pilot. Stephen Amell would provide some on and off screen support and a couple other former WWE/WCW types including a couple hall of famers were reached out to about joining the production. Together this group worked for hours on Zoom calls to try to come up with a roster. Initially they had a list of 100 names. The next step was whittling it down. It was obvious they wouldn't be signing anyone from the WWE or AEW. They also avoided contacting anyone with ROH or Impact. With Court Bauer's MLW and Billy Corgan's NWA seemingly on shaky ground and the WWE releasing a number of wrestlers during the pandemic, plus AEW using their YouTube show Dark to showcase some names, they did see some opportunities to bring in some talent that might be a bit more known, but they also wanted to focus on some names that weren't necessarily known outside of the Southwest and Northwest and that made for a fun project.
Ultimately, the initial roster shortlist was whittled down and somewhere between 20-25 performers were contacted for the initial pilots. All told, flights were booked and the first two pilots were scheduled to be shot shortly after the US Election, each show would feature four matches in a pseudo tournament style; to drum up interest the pilots would be available for purchase online and the first episode "Fight Club" would be posted on YouTube. The showrunners and Amell knew these pilots would be money losers, but as they say... that's the cost of doing business.
This Is The Collective. Join Us.
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Full-Time Members of The Collective: Fight Club
(Middleweight and up)
"Freak Beast" Nick Comoroto "Da Pope's" Sanctuary
"The Problem" Sefa Fatu The Bloodline
"The Future" Lance Anoa'i The Bloodline
Full-Time Members of The Collective: Flight Club
(Lightweight and Under)
"Entertainment's Hottest Free Agent" nZo Real1 Krew
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Finally dove into the mod, one thing I'm noticing quickly is that a lot guys ages are odd (Brody King is 33 not 27 as an example, Mat Rogers is 36 not 26, Lucas Calhoun is not 28 etc.). Was that intentional? Like the stats and overall balance I'm seeing.
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The presentation here is TOP NOTCH. Must take awhile to knock out a show, but it really feels like 1997. A+.
Raven
Taz
RVD
Dreamer/Beulah
D'Von
Gangstas
Tommy RICH!
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The Collective: Coming Soon
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Slammiversary Quick Post
It's been almost three months since the last post but I wanted to get a quick update out for Slammiversary so we can head down the tracks towards Bound for Glory. Moving into a quick recap post here to get things back on track // Remind myself what I'd booked as I hadn't touched the game since August. Wanted to post this and see if I could get the creative juices flowing again. Plus, I've got some downtime after a hectic couple months, so this could be worth exploring more!
Slammiversary Quick Recap
Show opened with the champ, Eddie Edwards telling Ace Austin this was personal and tonight he'd be stomping him out.
First match of the night saw The Unkindness (Trey Miguel and Madman Fulton) defeat Trey's ex-mates The Rascalz in a fun back and forth match. Fulton's strength overwhelmed but this was a great opener.
Kylie Rae escaped the Undead Realm but that prompted Mitchell, Nevaeh and Havoc to appear at the studio... as they chased down Kylie Rae; Susie runs in and grabs Rosemary, who in turn drags Taya and Bravo with her for the big save...
The X-Division title was on the line a three-way bout as TJ Perkins defended the title by pinning Willie Mack, Chris Bey looked strong but not quite yet like a champion.
Moose is backstage and walking with his TNA World Championship, Heath shows up wearing an "I'm a Free Agent" shirt and Moose says its great to see him... but damn, you aren't a former Impact champion, or champion material...
Backstage, Taya is screaming at Bravo for forcing her to spend time around Rosemary. Bravo insists "She's not that bad, you'll probably love her"
Tenille Dashwood became the new Impact Knockouts Champion when she rolled Deonna Purrazzo up out of nowhere and stole the victory. Jordynne Grace the reigning champ was on the verge of tapping when Dashwood rolled her ally up to steal the belt.
Backstage, Ace Austin blows a kiss at Alisha who is seen talking to the other Knockouts.
The Bad Girls Club is back on Locker Room Talk and they tell Rayne and Swinger that they've invited some "Baddies" to the show... RVD and Katie Forbes show-up and we have a worthless promo.
We get a Raven/Tommy Dreamer career retrospective video, it includes a lot of archival footage and is really well put together. A+ segment that leads into the final in-ring appearance for either man...
The match itself was slow-paced, but bloody and fun. Raven delivered an Evenflow DDT to Dreamer squarely on a steel-chair and then proceeded to choke him out with the Kendo Stick. Dreamer was out-cold as the referee called for the bell, giving Raven the win.
Raven exits the ring, bloodied, as the camera stays on Tommy Dreamer. The locker room comes from the back and applauds Dreamer as he leaves the ring for the final time as an active competitor.
Moose comes out and says any former Impact champion can challenge for his TNA World Title... out comes former GFW Tag Team champion Brian Myers... Moose and Myers have a relatively quick battle before Moose delivers the Gamebreaker and "defends" his championship...
Suddenly... "TROUBLE... TROUBLE... TROUBLE..." the lights cut off... and ECIII appears on the screen. He tells Moose, I control my narrative now... the feed cuts out and ECIII is in the ring behind Moose... He delivers a 1%er to Moose and walks out after grabbing the TNA World Title.
Backstage, Jake Crist jumps Sami Callihan which leads straight into our next bout as they brawl their way to the ring. Callihan wins the bout and walks out saying he still SEES EVERYTHING... As he goes to leave Chris Bey delivers a Superkick on the stage and screams "You Didn't See Me Coming BABY, The Ultimate Finesser is ready to make his mark"
Backstage, Made in Michigan (Rohit Raju and Rhino) run into Heath, Rhino tells Rohit that Heath is the man and that they go way back! Rohit looks a bit concerned that he's about to lose his new partner, but Rhino ultimately tells Heath "Good Luck man" and they leave.
The World Tag Titles are on the line as The North prepare to face a mystery team that the internet has been buzzing about. Most assume it'll be the Good Brothers but instead we are treated to the return of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Motor City Machine Guns are back in Impact!!! This wound up being the match of the night and it looked like we had new champions until Ethan Page bumped the official and "The World Class Maniac" Eric Young came running down. Young hit Shelley with his finisher and Page and Alexander made the cover as the official came to... The North defended yet again and Eric Young post-match reintroduced us to "Team Canada"... But this scene wasn't over as The Good Brothers made their presence known as they entered the venue and said that this is just the beginning.
ECIII is backstage with the title he stole from Moose. ECIII says it's time to bury the past, and control his narrative... he tosses the title aside and says he's got bigger and better things to do.
The main event is next and honestly this one was a bit disappointing given the build-up. Eddie Edwards and Ace Austin's feud has been bitter and this was no different. Late in the bout, Alisha Edwards made her way out to the ring and this proved a bit of a distraction to Eddie... It appeared that she was about to turn on her husband as he begged her to go to the back... Ace slid in and grabbed her for a kiss, but Eddie delivered the Boston Knee Party out of nowhere. Alisha fled to the back and Eddie continued his beat down of Ace. Ultimately, Eddie defends the title as he celebrates alone in the ring...
As the camera pans back, Eric Young walks out, flanked by The North... Young smiles and signals he wants the belt as we fade to black.
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Slammiversary Pre-Show
Been a bit of a hectic week, hope to have the full show later this week. For now, the preshow and "last" call.
The Lariat predicted the pre-show correctly, so he already has a 1 point lead on the prediction contest haha! I also have been tinkering with the Trey Miguel name returning... so I like that suggestion...
Quick Picks:
Impact World Championship: Eddie Edwards {C} vs. Ace Austin
Impact Tag: The North {C} vs. ???
Impact Knockouts Triple Threat: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Tenille Dashwood
Impact X-Division Triple Threat: TJ Perkins {C} vs. Chris Bey vs. Willie Mack
Moose vs. "Any Former Champion Of The Company" ???
Clockwork Orange House of Fun: The Last Stand; Dual Retirement Match: Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer
The Rascalz vs. The Unkindness (Madman Fulton and Trey)
Jake Crist vs. Sami Callihan
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Aramis & Laredo Kid
Tony Deppen
Jacob Fatu
PWG World Tag Team Championships: The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz) w/ Trey Miguel
Rey Horus
Chris Hero
King's Hawaiian (Brody King & Jeff Cobb)
The Lucha Brothers (Fénix & Pentagon Jr.)
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<p>Slammiversary Card Poster</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="pQSpBiA.jpg?1" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/pQSpBiA.jpg?1" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Impact Presents: Slammiversary live on Pay-Per-View</p><p> Quick Picks</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="49163" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><strong>Impact World Championship</strong>: Eddie Edwards {C} vs. Ace Austin<p> <strong>Impact Tag</strong>: The North {C} vs. ???</p><p> <strong>Impact Knockouts </strong>Triple Threat: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Tenille Dashwood</p><p> <strong>Impact X-Division </strong>Triple Threat: TJ Perkins {C} vs. Chris Bey vs. Willie Mack</p><p> Moose vs. "Any Former Champion Of The Company" ???</p><p> Clockwork Orange House of Fun: The Last Stand; Dual Retirement Match: Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer</p><p> The Rascalz vs. The Unkindness (Madman Fulton and Trey)</p><p> Jake Crist vs. Sami Callihan</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This card wound up being a bit "???" filled as this is the beginning of the roster refresh. There will be a number of debuts on this show, and I think it's a great show.</p>
ECW97: Survival on Swanson and Ritner
in Total Extreme Wrestling 2020 Dynasties
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