Charasmatic Enigma

Year 2 is in the bag. For my end of year roll I got 23. "Quick Learner" - which added +10 to my experience. Not exactly what I wanted, but a decent roll at this stage. My UC had 24 matches again this year, with her average rating improving slightly from a 49 in 2022 to a 52 in 2023. Her best match was a 66 defeating Remmy Skye, so I may need to start bringing in some higher quality opponents if I want a chance at hitting that 75 rated match for the next roll. Ruby's stats have improved across the board, with Selling and Psychology the two I really want to improve a little more. In terms of GLW - We hit Tiny in October, but Wrestling Industry is now Very Weak and still falling which is limiting our growth. Now that we are Tiny I've moved our 'Tour' shows to the Mid South to avoid being dragged into a Regional Battle in the South West. I have enough money in the bank now that I'm going to splash out on some bigger names to try and train up my UC and fish for tag chemistry. Since moving to Level 4 merch, we are making thousands of dollars a month so we're building a nice little money pot to spend. I think if a Small company became available I would look to move. GLW are only 18 pop in the Great Lakes and growth is limited by the Wrestling Industry, so it would be a long climb to Small if I stayed,

I had this happen with Luke Steele in my save. He wanted to move from $30 a show to $2,400 a show. For him it was when he signed a touring contract with PGHW, which moved him out of region for the period of the tour. I'm thinking that is what caused him to ask for the increase.

Are we okay to apply these retro-actively? i.e. If I've had two booking achievements in my save, could I now go and add +10 to my booking rep?

Great start @Boltinho! My only criticism so far is that I'd picture Wade Orson as a warm ale drinker rather than a cold lager. They don't drink that piss up North...

For Darin Flynn I was going to run with The Network offering him the treatment a 'prodigy' deserves. He'd enter The Network with a ready made feud with Moore and his agency, and he'd be a great foil for Landon Mallory as champ. Dastardly would absolutely have moved up to the main belt, and would have been a challenger for Landon in 2022. He definitely has the skills to be the main heel in the company - more so than Edison Silva actually. I think if this diary had gone another 18 months, he would likely have been my top Heel by that point.

Finished up my first year with 9 pop in both the Great Lakes and the South West. During the year my UC had 24 matches, with 19 wins and 5 losses and an average rating of 49. My best match was against Remmy Skye in October, which got a 61 thanks to a Creative Finish idea. My ratings in the South West are definitely higher than in the Great Lakes, mostly because of the higher pop of the workers I'm facing. This means at the end of year one, despite my promotion being nominally based in the Great Lakes, my pop is higher in the South West. While this is great in the short term, I will eventually have to stop running shows in the South West once I hit Tiny or get dragged into the Regional Battle with CZCW/IPW/GSW which I can't win. For now though, it's giving me access to lots of talented workers. For my 50 rated match roll I got 35. "Whose line is it anyway" (Add 'Improv Training' attribute, +10 Microphone) For my end of year roll I got 37. "Acknowledge Me!" (Add 'Easily Marketable' attribute, +5 to Star Quality) Two good rolls, I think the SQ will be especially helpful down the line. The screenshot below was taken before I added the end of year roll. My current plan is to continue as I am until we hit Tiny, then move my South West shows somewhere else to avoid the regional battles. I'm thinking the Mid South may be where I go, but will see where makes sense when we get there.

The Network The Network entered February more divided than they had been since the groups inception. ‘Big Mac’ Nathan McKenzie is currently solely focused on gaining revenge on Evan Alpass and his girlfriend Marbella – as he feels they helped Leo Price get a spot in his title match at last orders. Frank Finkleton and the network board’s focus is solely on the recent FCW integration to WrestleWorld GB (kayfabe). Finkleton would would demand Big Mac focus on “what’s important” (i.e. the FCW launch) and forget about Alpass, but Big Mac goes against Finkleton which leads to friction between the pair. Big Mac would try to get The Northern Lights to leave Finkleton – as he felt the pair had been sidelined by the introduction of Juggernaut Jones and Davis Wayne Newton as a tag team. However, the pair would spectacularly betray Big Mac and remain in The Network, as they cost Big Mac a rematch with Evan Alpass that Frank Finkleton had set up on the premise of “getting it out of Big Mac’s system”. With Big Mac out of the group, the group would need a new leader… and Finkleton quickly identifies his guy. The Network wanted a leader who was young, a dynamo in the ring… a “Prodigy” if you will. With Darin Flynn feeling sidelined by his agent Mark Moore after ANOTHER month not appearing on the PLE at Clash of Champions or March Madness, the former 21CW star was easy pickings for The Network – turning as he cost his former stablemates The Foundation in a tag match against new stablemates The Northern Lights. Flynn would obviously be positioned as a key threat to new champion Landon Mallory, and was probably the obvious pick for the man to take the title from the South African. Frisby’s Foundation For Fitness With Stuart Wilson having failed to win the British Heavyweight title, his attention turned back to Chuck Frisby. Knowing Wilson was injured, Frisby sent his monster Iggy Riot after the Scotsman. Trying to seize his moment, Frisby offered Wilson a deal – if Wilson beat Riot then Frisby would agree to face Wilson, but if Riot won then Wilson had to leave Frisby alone forever! Obviously Wilson overcomes the injury and wins, meaning he finally gets his hands on Chuck to throw him around the ring. Around the same time we have the debut of the Power of Positivity – comprised of a repackaged Lewis Duckworth (Max Power) and a newgen I’d been training in dark matches (Will Power). Their gimmick would be brothers sharing the message of the power of positive thinking. Their first interaction would be with Chuck Frisby in the lead up to his match with Stuart Wilson, but the personal trainer could only respond with that he was POSITIVE that Wilson would kill him! This would lead to a multi-month feud between the new pair and Dark/Riot on Frisby’s behalf. Dylan Drama @lieon02 chose Dylan Drama to receive a push in 2022 as a prediction prize, so I feel I should outline my plans here… Drama has recently began talking about how his ancestors were ‘Great Men’™ who conquered the world. After his loss to Landon Mallory, Dylan Drama goes on a quest to prove that he too is a ‘Great Man’™ by challenging wrestlers from all over the world in an open challenge – saying he will ‘conquer’ all seven continents just like his ancestors! He has the best training, equipment and education money can buy… nobody can stop him! The open challenge goes well for a while, until we are promised a “big” new wrestler from the European circuit would debut the following week. Drama laughs off the challenge, until his opponent is revealed as a 7 foot tall Spaniard (a Super Heavyweight newgen who is awful in the ring, but has 72 Charisma, 72 Microphone, 88 acting and 95 Menace). Dylan Drama was in shock as he looked up at the Spaniard, who told him that Drama may have been educated at Oxford, but he was seven feet tall… and you can’t teach that! On the 7 foot tall guy – he would later face Damian Dastardly, who would demand a height and weight measurement before the match (like he did as Crusierweight champion) – and the height measure would reveal that the Spaniard was actually only 6’11 ½! This would shatter the Spaniard’s confidence and end his winning streak. Without his unteachable height, the Spaniard would go on a losing streak… until The Professor offered to teach him how to gain back that ½ an inch. The Spaniard was at first skeptical, because “you can’t teach that”… but after many weeks under the Professor’s teaching, the Spaniard would remeasure at the full 7 foot and start winning again. The Force & Padraig O’Hearne We entered February with Padraig O’Hearne’s training nearly complete. Jase Cole was happy with his padawan’s progress, but Christopher Lister was not. Not wanting to put their trust in a padawan, Lister would go after Lone Wolf alone – and lose. Jase Cole would run out and try to save his partner, but get taken out as well. Lone Wolf stood tall over The Force, when the lights dropped and a thin beam of light illuminated the face of… Paddy Wan (terrible pun I know) Paddy would use his training to overcome the darkside and gain the rank of Master from Cole & Lister, which would see The Force go back to Europe – with O’Hearne the new master for the British Isles. 2022 World Cup Event The final thing I wanted to talk about was the 2022 World Cup Event, as I purposefully hadn’t given away the title. Build up to the event would begin with Edison Silva looking for something to reassert himself at the top of the company after losing his rematch to Landon Mallory. The show would open with Melanie Florence and Frank Finkleton making a huge announcement on behalf of the network. As soon as Melanie Florence reveals the announcement is about this years World Cup, Silva immediately interrupts and proclaims that as reigning World Cup winner he was putting his name in the hat and would win again this year! Melanie told him that may be difficult, which Silva laughs at – he was a two-time British Heavyweight champion… he wasn’t scared of anybody, and he would bring the trophy home for Brazil once again! Seeing she wasn’t getting through to him, Melanie offered to introduce Silva to the first competitors… Thea Davis and Lucy Stone-McFly! So yeah, a Womens World Cup – a pre-cursor to establishing a full Womens division, with the World Cup winner also being named inaugural NWF British Womens champion. I was flip-floppping on the idea, until I asked Lucy Stone-McFly to consider working in the British Isles… and she agreed! Once I had the chance to get Lucy Stone-McFly (even if just for a short while until one of the big companies realised she existed) I committed to the idea. Lucy would obviously win the tournament and reign as Womens champ until she got poached. I talked another Canadian newgen with 88 Charisma and 88 Microphone into working in the British Isles too, so I would have brought him in as mouthpiece/boyfriend for Lucy. And I think that’s it. I’ve written these as they came into my head, so if anything doesn’t make sense or you want something clarified let me know. Otherwise thank you so much for reading, and hopefully I’ll see everyone around the boards!

Tag Team Titles We entered February with Leo Price having just won the sixth set of Tag Team titles of his storied career, alongside his protégé Dangermouth. However the young grime artist is already showing frustration at the focus being on his mentor rather than him. As mentioned in the British Heavyweight title wrap up, the February PLE was Clash Of Champions. The title match would initially be announced as a fatal four way including both Price and Dangermouth, but Damian Dastardly would attack Dangermouth with a chair the week of the PLE to take him out of the contest – meaning only Price was involved in the Main Event. On TV in the lead up to Clash Of Champions, Price would have his protégés the Black Country Boys a title shot – much to the annoyance of Dangermouth as they’d “just won these”. Following Clash Of Champions was March Madness. As explained in the previous post, the challengers would be decided by a ‘fan vote’. I was hoping/expecting people to vote for State of Mind here. If any other team won the vote, then Price/Dangermouth would retain and this story would be repeated next month. After State of Mind were announced as fans vote winners, we get a backstage segment with Dangermouth clearly still showing the effects of Dastardly’s attack. Price is concerned for his protégé, and talks about delaying the match. State of Mind cut a promo about a ‘champions mindset’ – always being ready for a challenge, never backing down… being a champion is a State of Mind. Dangermouth immediately tells Price he’s ready to go. At the PLE, the match breaks down and Ultra Violence takes advantage of the situation to attack Dangermouth with his trusty cane and win the titles (taking advantage of the existing injury)! With Dangermouth now out injured, Leo Price chooses to give up their rematch clause to the Black Country Boys at Battle of Britain. Price says he does it to prevent Dangermouth from rushing back, but this move only infuriates the Grime Star more. State of Mind retain at the PLE. And that was as far as I had planned. There were some great feud options – the British Bangers immediately come to mind, and The Foundation were due a rematch at some point. I also had a vague idea of putting the title onto Frisby’s Foundation For Fitness (Dwayne Dark & Iggy Riot) towards the back end of the year, but nothing was finalised. Cruiserweight Title This was the belt I had the least plans for. I would just keep writing Dastardly as champ until I got bored of his antics, and then move the belt onto Martin Heath – as he’s too good a worker to not be doing anything. Once Dastardly was ‘free’ of the title, I’d have him campaigning to Finkleton to ‘move up’ to the British Heavyweight belt, as he’s “too good” for the Cruiserweight division… only for Finkleton to agree and put him up against a debuting monster- giving us the throw away line from Jackie Goldstein: “Well Dastardly’s got what he wanted, that is definitely not a Cruiserweight!” As I said, less meat on the bones for these. I’ll post up one final part with plans for stables/individual workers.

British Heavyweight Title We headed into February with both Landon Mallory and JK Lee’s bans from challenging for any title in the NWF being lifted, with Silva clearly agitated at the prospect of having to face Mallory again. Luckily for Silva, the next PLE was announced as Clash of Champions, meaning that non-champions wouldn’t be eligible to challenge for the title. Initially the network wanted Leo Price (as one half of the new Tag Champions) to challenge, much to the annoyance of Dangermouth. Price then outraged his protégé further by putting the titles up the following week against his other protégé’s the Black Country Boys. Once Price & Dangermouth defended, Price suggested Dangermouth as challenger – drawing Dastardly out to put forward his credentials. The argument ended with Frank Finkleton announcing a Fatal Four Way between ALL of the champions. Dastardly immediately began to get in Silva’s ear about working together against Price & Dangermouth, but Adebola told Dastardly he couldn’t be trusted. On the go home show, Dastardly was back to his usual tricks as he attacked Dangermouth with a chair to take him out of the match, making it a Triple Threat – Edison Silva vs Leo Price vs Damian Dastardly. Dastardly would use all of his tricks in the match, but Mo Adebola would thwart him and Edison Silva would sneak out with the title. March Madness was going to be the prize for the Out With The Old prediction contest. The top five predictors would all get a vote for who would challenge for all titles at this event. It would have been presented as a fan vote, but crucially Landon Mallory and JK Lee would not be eligible as the vote took place directly after Out With The Old, but BEFORE the midnight deadline! Whoever won the vote here would have lost because… The next event would be Battle Of Britain and the Battle Royal main event. Landon Mallory (now very frustrated at not being able to get at Silva) would declare that HE would win the Battle Royal, and then Silva would have nowhere to hide. Adebola tried all his tricks – and did manage to get Mallory moved to number one entrant – but that didn’t deter the South African, who said he would go through everyone to win! Panicking Edison Silva declared he would enter the match himself (against the advice of Adebola)! Adebola tried to secure his client the number twenty spot, but Frank Finkleton told him this was reserved for the NEW leader of The Network (more on that later). At the event, Mallory is able to battle his way through the field to leave a final four of Silva, Lee, Mallory and the new Network Leader. Silva is able to dump JK Lee, before being turned on by the new Network Leader. An exhausted Mallory looks a sitting duck, but the crowd roared him on and he battled back to go from number one to win the battle royal and earn his shot at Silva! London Calling would be the culmination of the story we’d been telling over the past ten months – Landon Mallory being prevented from getting his rematch. After overcoming the odds at Battle of Britain, Mallory was a physical wreck – something that Silva took advantage of in the weeks leading up to their rematch. However, much like his first title win – Mallory would overcome physical pain and defeat Edison Silva to become a two-time British Heavyweight Champion. And that was as far as I’d planned. Edison Silva would get his rematch at the next PLE For Queen and Country, and after that the next challenger would be the yet to be revealed new head of The Network. How long Landon’s second reign would last I don’t know, but he was the undisputed Figurehead for the NWF in this diary and the latter part of the diary was his story of trying to regain a belt that Silva stole from him. I would need to have found a new narrative once that goal had been completed. Sorry for the wall of text! That ended up being longer than I’d planned. Next I’ll do the Tag Team and Cruiserweight plans (they’re much less solid), and then I’ll probably do one final post wrapping up any non-title stories (such as The Network, Moore’s Sports Agency etc). As always if you have any questions/requests let me know and I’ll do my best to answer!

Great match Self! What size are you at now? Are you generating enough money to after any of the big names 21CW's death has left without a home?

While we're talking about schedules, I thought I'd throw up something I've been testing. It's essentially a variation on what I used to use during the 'Cult' phase on I think TEW 13 (if anyone else has been playing that long). My company is based in the Great Lakes, and I run one annual event a month there (which down the line will form my 'PPV' events) - but I'm also running a monthly 'on tour' event. This essentially means I run 1x event in the Great Lakes and 1x event in the South West every month, using seperate 6 person rosters for each. By only using wrestlers based in the South West, I don't pay them travel for events in their home area - and the 'Give night off' function prevents anyone getting upset for not being used on shows not in their area. This method has proved surprisingly effective, and in November 2022 I am officially out of debt. I've updated merchandise to level 3, and by essentially doubling my early game pop (as I have both Great Lakes and South West pop) I have doubled by merch money. This approach has negated the early game money troubles, but similar to the above I'm not sure if it feels too 'gamey'?

Thank you for all of the kind words! It's been great fun writing this, and all of the predictions and feedback have been a big part of that. I'll try to get the first part of my plans for the rest of the year posted today!

Thank you to everyone who commented, predicted and reacted to Out With The Old. The final standings from the last prediction contest of the diary are below: Prediction Results from Out With The Old @alliegolem 4/5 + 1 Bonus @SomeLazyMagic 4/5 + 1 Bonus @Wrestling Machine 3/5 + 2 Bonus @smw88 4/5 @KyTeran 4/5 @scapegoat 4/5 @lieon02 4/5 @newbiezness 3/5 Combined Prediction Results @lieon02 24/25 + 3 Bonus @KyTeran 24/25 + 2 Bonus @SomeLazyMagic 21/25 + 4 Bonus @newbiezness 20/25 + 2 Bonus @smw88 18/25 + 3 Bonus @Wrestling Machine 17/20 + 4 Bonus @alliegolem 17/20 + 3 Bonus @scapegoat 19/20 Unfortunately, after a lot of thought, I've decided that Out With The Old will be the final show of the diary. Over the past couple of months, things have got really busy with work, and I just haven't had to time to sit down at write shows at the rate I used to. I find if I'm not consistent with these things then the motivation/quality drops quite quickly. This has been my favourite dynasty that I've run on these boards, and thank you to everyone who has followed along - it really does make the experience more rewarding. A particular thanks to @newbiezness, @KyTeran and @smw88, who all predicted on the very first episode of the diary! Also a massive thanks to @John Lions for the art work he did for the logos and events. I will post a wrap up of my plans for 2022, and I'm happy to answer any questions people had on particular workers. I'll probably not jump into a TEW9 diary right away, as I need work to calm down before I can commit to that - but I am enjoying playing the new game so far, so you might see me back with something down the line. Again, thank you everyone for following along! CE

Predictions for UNDER CONTROL 2020 Cage Match All-American Army (One Man Army, Valiant and Jack Giedroyc) vs Hollywood Uncensored (Hollywood Bret Starr, Mainstream Hernandez and Lenny Brown) Paul Huntingdon vs Sean McFly SWF World Tag Team The Awesomeness (Jefferson Stardust & Huey Cannonball) (c) vs Faith & Old Glory (Matty Faith & Masked Patriot) SWF North American Primus Allen (c) vs Steven Parker Lobster Warrior & ??? vs The Unleashed Bumfholes (Randy Unleashed & Zimmy Unleashed) Main Event: SWF World Heavyweight (Cage Match) Rocky Golden (c) vs Mikey Lau

Great overview of the roster @Boltinho! Really lays out the challenges/opportunities well. I had a quick mess around with them on the demo, and I think (more than any other company) that the rolls you get on time decline on your aging stars dictate how you will fare. Anecdotally, my current RTG save is the first time I've ever seen 21CW not haemorrhage money. Looking at their matches, Tommy Cornell is 37-1 for the year and still putting out 90+ rated matches regularly. This has kept their pop hovering around 81/82 - which seems to make their set up manageable. Most saves I seen they job Tommy out and he averages in the 70's, so he must have got a good time decline roll. Wade Orson is also averaging an 89 match rating, which helps! 21CW is a challenge I might jump into, but I want to get a bit more comfortable with the mechanics first.