HRTVAndrew

I'm going to avoid the back-and-forth about prior comments and solely focus on my own experience/subject matter. Dynasty diaries are best when the following circumstances line up: 1) The writer is having fun. If you're not enjoying your game, why should anyone else expect to? If that means you need to experiment with certain settings within the game or tweak a couple of things in the setup, that's fine. If you're maximizing your setup to where you're having a blast playing and writing about it, chances are others will enjoy reading about it. 2) The writer is using his/her organic voice. If you're trying too hard, it's not going to reflect well. Be you. 3) The writer provides appropriate detail. This one's going to take some time because that sentence is incredibly vague for a reason. Some of the best diaries I've ever read are ones where match summaries are 2-3 sentences. They're concise, but they tell stories well, they keep things moving, and they often last much longer than diaries where every show is a novel. If you want examples, TCP1 wrote "Welcome to New York" diaries for the 2016 and 2020 games that were wildly entertaining despite no graphics and no match summaries longer than a paragraph. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't write longer stuff if that's what you're good at/passionate about. "Appropriate detail" means different things to different people. Find a format that agrees with you/won't burn you out, and you'll be off and running. 4) Last but not least, the writer makes sure links work, images (if used) are sized correctly, and typos are not published. The "preview post" button is your friend and should be used liberally. Happy writing! Hopefully, that helped.

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">SCW Slings and Arrows</span></strong></p><p> February 2020, Week Three</p><p> Attendance: 515</p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:</strong> #1 Samoan Pit Bulls vs. #8 American Flash and Kip Keenan</p><p> </p><p> We waste no time diving right into the action, as the two teams in the first match fit tons of action into eight minutes. The Samoan Pit Bulls, however, are the top seed for a reason. Slowly, their immense power wears down their opponents, and Akima Brave pins American Flash at 8:26 following a Dog Pound.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Samoan Pit Bulls, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 63</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:</strong> #4 Going Coastal vs. #5 The Rock City Stars</p><p> </p><p> The bad news: California Love Machine doesn’t get much of a reaction deep in the heart of Texas. The good news: This match still proves to be pretty solid. All four guys involved work hard, but Going Coastal advances after Frankie-Boy Fernandez pins Rockin’ Ryan Turner at 7:49 following a Coast-Liner.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Going Coastal, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 59</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> We see <strong>Christian Faith</strong> walking backstage, clearly pleased with the first two matches of the tournament. He strides towards the gorilla position, but immediately his shoulders slump and it looks like the air has come out of his body.</p><p> </p><p> CF: “…who let YOU in here?”</p><p> </p><p> The camera pans right…to reveal a smiling <strong>VINNY CRUZ</strong> standing with <strong>El Jaguar</strong> and <strong>Tigre Salvaje, Jr.</strong></p><p> </p><p> VC: “Your talent. El Jaguar and Tigre Salvaje needed a manager as they embarked on a new journey here in SCW. I offered my services, and they wisely accepted.”</p><p> </p><p> CF: “Why, you little…”</p><p> </p><p> VC: “Careful! I’m not talent. I’m merely a business manager. You lay your hands on me, I’ll have you drowning in the kind of paperwork that ensures a merry Christmas for the children of lawyers everywhere.”</p><p> </p><p> CF: “…all I’ll say is, if you inject yourself into situations where you aren’t welcome, our roster will see to it that you’re treated accordingly.”</p><p> </p><p> VC: “ME?!?! Inject myself into situations? Surely, you jest! I’m here to advise El Jaguar and Tigre Salvaje…who, by the way, WILL be your new SCW Tag Team Champions at the end of the night. Guys! Let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p> Cruz and the Wild Cats head to the ring, leaving Christian Faith behind as he shakes his head.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>SEGMENT RATING:</strong> 62</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:</strong> #3 American Cobras vs. #6 Wild Cats</p><p> </p><p> These four fliers were sent out with the instructions to fit as much into eight minutes as possible, and that’s precisely what they do. Fans are treated to a CZCW-style spectacle of high spots, one after another, and most stay on their feet from start to finish. Unfortunately (and predictably, given what we’ve just seen), Vinny Cruz gets involved in the ending, as he whacks Marvel Malloy with an old-fashioned roll of quarters to help Tigre Salvaje score the pin at 8:12.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Wild Cats, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 62</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS:</strong> #2 Texas Rangers vs. #7 Texas Hangman and Jason Patterson</p><p> </p><p> Harry Allen and Bradley Blaze make their debut as a tag team here, and while this is the worst of the first-round matches, much of that has to do with the relative greenness of their opponents. Allen and Blaze are never seriously threatened here, and they finish Hangman off at 7:55 with their new finisher: A nod to Chuck Norris known as the Roundhouse Kick Party.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Texas Rangers, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 43</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Frederique</strong> arrives at the arena, SCW World Championship in hand. However, he’s greeted outside his limo by <strong>Doug Peak</strong>, who’s in no mood to entertain theatrics from his tag team partner in tonight’s main event.</p><p> </p><p> DP: “Listen, pal. I’ve got good news and bad news.”</p><p> </p><p> F: “Why so serious, Doug? We got this.”</p><p> </p><p> DP: “That’s the good news. I’ve got your back if <strong>Frankie Perez</strong> and <strong>Masked Cougar</strong> gang up on you. I want to send them back down the pecking order just as much as you do…so I have no doubt we’ll get the win tonight.”</p><p> </p><p> Peak’s lips form a wry smile as his eyes dart to the prize on Frederique’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p> DP: “The bad news is that you seem way too comfortable with that belt. And after I leave Perez and Cougar laying tonight, it’ll be my mission to make you as comfortable as humanly possible. I sincerely hope you know what’s coming.”</p><p> </p><p> Peak exits as Frederique rolls his eyes.</p><p> </p><p> F: “What’s coming next month is me on a beach somewhere sipping a Mojito as everyone else fights to see who gets to lose to me in April.”</p><p> </p><p> <strong>SEGMENT RATING:</strong> 60</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS:</strong> #1 Samoan Pit Bulls vs. #4 Going Coastal</p><p> </p><p> This tells a really simple story, with the CZCW mainstays flying around the ring while Akima Brave and Toma try to ground them with impressive power moves. The crowd eats up the story-telling of the match and even gets some hope late, but the Pit Bulls catch Frankie-Boy Fernandez with a soul-crushing Dog Pound, and that’s enough for the pin at 8:08.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Samoan Pit Bulls, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 64</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS:</strong> #2 Texas Rangers vs. #6 Wild Cats</p><p> </p><p> Vinny Cruz wasted no time earlier in the night in becoming one of the most hated men on the SCW roster, and he wards off taunts from the rabid crowd throughout this match. Allen and Blaze, by contrast, continue to win over the crowd with their blend of experience and potential, but get undercut by cheap shots from their opponents whenever they attempt to gain momentum.</p><p> </p><p> However, this backfires in a big way at 7:32. Referee Dwight Kumas gets bumped, and Cruz once again grabs his trusty roll of quarters with Jaguar holding Allen. However, Allen ducks, and Cruz’s fist rams into his client! Blaze clears the ring and wakes Kumas up, and Allen earns the pinfall.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Texas Rangers, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 63</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>TOURNAMENT FINALS:</strong> #1 Samoan Pit Bulls vs. #2 Texas Rangers</p><p> </p><p> Unlike the prior tournament matches, this one gets a lot of time and is built slowly. Once again, the Texas Rangers are up against a formidable foe, and once again they inspire the crowd to believe in them. Bradley Blaze, in particular, is given many chances to shine, and the crowd gets drawn into the encounter…before Akima Brave catches Allen coming off the top rope and hits a Dog Pound at 18:10. That’s good for the pin and the titles.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS, AND NEW SCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS:</strong> Samoan Pit Bulls, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 53</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>MAIN EVENT:</strong> Frankie Perez and Masked Cougar vs. Frederique and Doug Peak</p><p> *If Perez/Cougar win, there’s a three-way match for Frederique’s title next month. If Peak gets the pin or submission, he gets a title shot. If Frederique gets the pin or submission, he gets the month off.</p><p> </p><p> In a happy accident, this match revealed Frederique and Doug Peak could have a real future as a tag team, as their chemistry was on-point. The crowd makes no secret how much it hates the SCW World Champion, and he’s roundly booed every time he tries an underhanded tactic. However, he gets his just due at 18:04. Peak has Perez pinned, but gets tagged in the leg by Frederique before the count of three. Frederique comes in, Peak takes exception…and Perez pops up to hit a P-Clutch for the pin.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>WINNERS:</strong> Frankie Perez and Masked Cougar, pinfall</p><p> <strong>MATCH RATING:</strong> 56</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> After the main event, <strong>Doug Peak</strong> waits for <strong>Frederique</strong> to get to his feet. The champion does, and lays into Peak blaming him for the loss. Peak responds in typical fashion, choke-slamming the champion as <strong>Frankie Perez</strong> and <strong>Masked Cougar</strong> smirk. Peak, however, makes no secret of his disdain for next month’s challengers, taunting them with shouts of, “YOU’RE NEXT!!!,” as he goes back up the ramp.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>SEGMENT RATING:</strong> 49 (Perez/Cougar underperformed)</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> <strong>SHOW RATING:</strong> 58</p><p> </p><p> - - -</p><p> </p><p> Neslo, you win the pick-em by default! Let me know who you'd like to see a profile on, and I'll make that happen.</p>

TROUBLE ON THE HORIZON FOR SWF? Still reeling from the retirement of longtime head Richard Eisen, the Supreme Wrestling Federation has seen its stature decrease within the wrestling world. Now considered merely a Medium-sized promotion, those within the industry wonder if a bloodletting is in the company's future. At a minimum, the pressure is squarely on Richard's sons to right the ship. PGHW ALSO ON THE ROCKS The Japanese wrestling scene hasn't been the same since the tsunami of 2016 and the Yakuza scandal that rocked WLW. Pride Glory Honor Wrestling hasn't been immune to this downturn, and word has it that several longtime stalwarts (including at least one main-eventer) will be departing the company in the near future. PGHW officials were tight-lipped, but we can confirm several calls have been made by agents of concerned PGHW employees to promotions in Australia and the United States. KILLER SHARK RE-SIGNS WITH TCW One of Total Championship Wrestling's brightest prospects will remain in the fold for several more years. Killer Shark, a behemoth with considerable potential, opted to sign a new written contract rather than test the waters and entertain offers from the likes of SWF and United States Pro Wrestling. It's incredibly competitive at the top of the U.S. wrestling scene, so TCW will need all the help it can get. - - - - - SLINGS AND ARROWS PREDICTION CARD Tournament quarterfinals: #1 Samoan Pit Bulls (Akima Brave and Toma) vs. #8 American Flash and Kip Keenan COMMENTS: Tournament quarterfinals: #4 Going Coastal (California Love Machine and Frankie-Boy Fernandez) vs. #5 The Rock City Stars (Rockin’ Ryan Turner and Stan Manna) COMMENTS: Tournament quarterfinals: #3 The American Cobras (Marvel Malloy and Storm Spillane) vs. #6 The Wild Cats (El Jaguar and Tigre Salvaje, Jr.) COMMENTS: Tournament quarterfinals: #2 The Texas Rangers (Harry Allen and Bradley Blaze) vs. #7 Texas Hangman and Jason Patterson COMMENTS: Tournament semifinal A: #1/#4 winners vs. #4/#5 winners COMMENTS: Tournament semifinal B: #3/#6 winners vs. #2/#7 winners COMMENTS: Tournament finals: Semifinal A winners vs. Semifinal B winners COMMENTS: Frankie Perez and Masked Cougar vs. Frederique and Doug Peak* *If Perez/Cougar win, there’s a three-way match for Frederique’s title next month. If Peak gets the pin or submission, he gets a title shot. If Frederique gets the pin or submission, he gets the month off. COMMENTS:

Thanks for reading! I'm hoping I got lucky and can get some mileage out of Allen. He was a good, solid, steady midcarder in a few 2016 games, and if he can shepherd Bradley Blaze along while providing me with my "token cowboys" team, that ticks a bunch of boxes. I'm hoping to have the next entry/full prediction card up tomorrow. I'm really excited to see if I can keep this going!

Ahead of SCW Awakening, Christian Faith has spent his time doing two things: Filling up a notebook with match/angle ideas and brainstorming theme music for his entire roster. Below are the chosen tunes for each worker at the start of their SCW careers. Note that Faith has made a house rule out of having no more than one entrance theme per artist. Christian Faith: “Faith,” George Michael Frederique: “Sexy and I Know It,” LMFAO Doug Peak: “Mississippi Queen,” Mountain Frankie Perez: “Trampled Under Foot,” Led Zeppelin Masked Cougar: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” The Tokens Akima Brave/Toma: “Paranoid,” Black Sabbath Marvel Malloy/Storm Spillane: “Kickstart My Heart,” Motley Crue El Jaguar/Tigre Salvaje, Jr.: “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns n' Roses California Love Machine/Frankie-Boy Fernandez: “California Love,” Dr. Dre/Tupac Shakur Rockin' Ryan Turner/Stan Manna: Whatever garbage song their band wants to promote that month American Flash: “Stars and Stripes Forever,” John Philip Sousa Bradley Blaze: “Feel the Heat,” Henry Paul Band Desert Storm: “Radar Love,” Golden Earring Harry Allen: “Life in the Fast Lane,” The Eagles Jason Patterson: “Wrong Thing to Do,” Mudcrutch Jay Silver: “Fuel,” Metallica Joffy Laine: “Ramblin' Man,” The Allman Brothers Band Kip Keenan: “I Was Made For Lovin' You,” KISS Texas Hangman: “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” AC/DC ???: “Sympathy for the Devil,” The Rolling Stones - - - - - SCW Awakening January 2020, Week Three Attendance: 519 “Well, I guess it would be nice...” The crowd comes to its feet as SCW CEO Christian Faith appears at the top of the ramp, microphone in hand. It's not a gigantic crowd, but the gathering of 500+ people certainly represents a good first impression for the owner/booker. CF: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Southern Championship Wrestling!” Big pop. CF: “Fans in this area of the country are some of the best in the world. It's my honor to bring you this promotion, one that figures to have something for everyone. We've got cowboys. We've got names any wrestling fan will recognize. We've got some of the best young workers in the world, and we think you'll love what they bring to the table. “We're going to kick things off with a bang. If you've seen anything about this show, you know we have a mystery man in the first match. It's my pleasure to introduce to you one of the brightest young stars in Japan...MASA KURATA!!!” “Sympathy for the Devil” begins to play as Masa Kurata walks out for the first match in SCW history. SEGMENT RATING: 48 - - - MATCH #1: Jay Silver vs. Masa Kurata Kurata isn't well-known in the States, so this acts as his official introduction. Jay Silver, while promising, is only 19, so he's in the “paying his dues” portion of his career. That includes bumping his butt off for Kurata, who finishes him with ease in 6:23 following a K-HD. WINNER: Masa Kurata, pinfall MATCH RATING: 33 - - - We cut backstage, where a limo pulls up outside the arena. The back door opens, and out walks Frederique to a rousing chorus of boos and catcalls. F: “Tonight, I give Southern Championship Wrestling a touch of class. This cesspool needs something to be proud of. It needs a champion who carries himself a certain way, not some washout who came home from Japan or some coward who wears a masks and cosplays as a lion. “No, SCW desperately needs someone classy as its champion. Someone who looks the part, dresses the part, acts the part. There's only one man they could have called who fits that bill...and it's the man you see before you.” SEGMENT RATING: 65 - - - MATCH #2: Bradley Blaze vs. Texas Hangman SCW has high hopes for both of these guys, and fans should expect to see them a lot (because of both their potential and their willingness to work cheap!). Blaze does a lot of the dirty work here in carrying the match, but gets only a chair shot for his troubles as he gains the upper hand and sets up for his finishing move. That's enough to draw a DQ from referee Dwight Kumas at 7:55. WINNER: Bradley Blaze, DQ MATCH RATING: 43 - - - Backstage, Frankie Perez loosens up ahead of the main event, but encounters Masked Cougar. FP: “...listen. Frederique is an arrogant punk. He's going to try stuff out there tonight. I'm all for doing things the right way, and if he tries any nonsense on you, know that I've got your back.” Perez extends his hand. Cougar takes it, but pulls Frankie in close. MC: “I appreciate that. But when push comes to shove, and it's the two of us fighting it out for the title, know that I'm holding nothing back.” FP: “Someone of your stature shouldn't be getting the food chain this wrong.” A slow clap is heard off-screen, and we hear a heavy set of footsteps belonging to Doug Peak. DP: “Look at the little people fighting for table scraps. Frederique isn't the guy you have to worry about. What you SHOULD be trying to figure out is how to get past SCW's resident mountain. I've traveled the world, run with the best, and beaten the best. Tonight's gonna be no different.” MC: “Pretty sure coming out of the same womb as your brother doesn't equal 'running with the best,' Dougie.” Peak comes closer to Cougar and Perez, towering over both of them before security arrives on the scene to break up the brewing situation. SEGMENT RATING: 41 - - - MATCH #3: Rock City Stars vs. Samoan Pit Bulls Akima Brave and Toma are two of the biggest stars on the roster, and they were put with Rockin' Ryan Turner and Stan Manna as a way to display what they can do. The crowd gets really into this, and the faces more than hold up their end of the bargain. Somewhat predictably, though, Manna falls victim to a Samoan Suplex from Brave at 12:48, and that's enough to give the WLW invaders the victory. WINNERS: Samoan Pit Bulls, pinfall MATCH RATING: 58 - - - Akima Brave and Toma celebrate their victory, but they're interrupted by Christian Faith, who appears at the top of the ramp. CF: “Boys! Very impressive. I'm happy to have you here in SCW, and I've got a big announcement you're going to like. “Next month at Slings and Arrows, we're going to have a tag team tournament. The winners of this tournament will win...these.” Faith goes into a duffel bag at his feet and pulls out...two title belts! CF: “The winners will be the first SCW Tag Team Champions. And Samoan Pit Bulls? By winning tonight, you've ensured the #1 seed. “You should be proud of yourselves, but don't get cocky. We've got a bunch of talented teams here in SCW, and they all want these just as much as you do. Good luck...you might need it.” SEGMENT RATING: 56 - - - Backstage, Bradley Blaze is being tended to after being assaulted to end his match earlier in the night. He looks up, and we hear a familiar voice from off-screen. “Howdy, partner.” The camera pans left, and we see Harry Allen standing in the doorway. HA: “You just hear that? They're doing a tag team tournament next month.” BB: “I heard. Why are you here? You've got a match.” HA: “Because I see a lot of myself in you, kid. You've got a ton of potential. You carry yourself the right way. You just need someone to get the best out of you to get you to the level you want to get to.” Blaze stands up off the table and waves off the medical professional tending to him. BB: “You could tag with anybody in that locker room. Why me?” HA: “I'm no young buck anymore, kid. This is probably my last stop. All I have left to do is mentor the next generation. Maybe I can help you...while you help me.” A pause. HA: “Think it over. I think we'd make a heck of a team riding into town and going up against the bad guys.” Allen leaves for his match as Blaze winces in pain from the earlier assault. SEGMENT RATING: 39 - - - MATCH #4: Harry Allen vs. Desert Storm Fans hadn't had a whole lot to cheer about to this point, but Harry Allen changes that in a big way. He's one of the more recognizable faces on the roster, and judging by this effort, he may still have plenty of gas left in the tank. He controls most of this match and prevails at 10:26 after a Flying Fist Drop. WINNER: Harry Allen, pinfall MATCH RATING: 48 - - - MATCH #5: SCW World Championship Frankie Perez vs. Masked Cougar vs. Frederique vs. Doug Peak The main event for SCW's ultimate prize more than lives up to the hype. While Doug Peak may be feeling the effects of a long career, Frederique turns back the clock with a vintage performance to keep up with Perez and Cougar. In true “top heel” fashion, Frederique capitalizes on Perez and Peak fighting outside by rolling up Cougar at 11:39 with both feet on the ropes. Kumas doesn't see it, and Frederique gets his hand raised to loud boos and catcalls from every corner of the building. WINNER, AND NEW SCW WORLD CHAMPION: Frederique, pinfall MATCH RATING: 62 - - - Frederique celebrates with the title, but out walks Christian Faith. CF: “I'm not at all surprised, Frederique. You may have escaped with the title this time around, and I can't find it in me to reverse the decision, but I think I've found a way to put your skills to the test. “The tag team turmoil coming up next month? Well, it'll include the main event. Frederique, you and Doug Peak will team up to face Frankie Perez and Masked Cougar. If you get the pinfall, you get March off. However...if Peak gets the win or submission for your team, he gets a title shot, AND if Perez or Cougar win, you'll have to defend against BOTH of them in a triple threat match.” Frederique throws a temper tantrum in the middle of the ring, but backs into Perez and Cougar. The duo chase him out of the ring, and he ends the show with the title belt over his head and his mouth going a mile a minute. SEGMENT RATING: 57 - - - SHOW RATING: 60

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="willr0ck" data-cite="willr0ck" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51900" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Welcome back! Good stuff so far</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Great to hear from you! Happy to be back.</p><p> </p><p> I'll keep predictions open until midday tomorrow, at which point I'll have the writeup ready to go. If you're interested in playing along, get those picks in!</p>

<p>Howdy, everybody!</p><p> </p><p> You may remember me from my TEW 2016 diaries and drafts, specifically the WIRE project with southsidehitmen, Uncrewed, and willr0ck. I've finally, FINALLY, gotten the chance to dive into TEW 2020, and I've kickstarted a sequel to one of my TEW 2016 projects: Southern Championship Wrestling.</p><p> </p><p> Backstory: Christian Faith starts an independent promotion in Mid-South, which inexplicably does not have one despite as rich a wrestling tradition as any area of the country. This time around, he represents a consortium of investors who will make random appearances as they see fit (mostly when bad stuff happens). One of them has already shown up ahead of the company's first show!</p><p> </p><p> Here's the thread, complete with a prediction card for the maiden voyage: <a href="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?t=549931" rel="external nofollow">http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?t=549931</a></p>

OK, predictions are open for the first show of this diary! Winners of each round get to pick someone on the roster. I'll do a profile of them in this space; this is stolen directly from Historian's thread, which is pretty awesome. Faces are listed first unless otherwise noted. SCW World Championship Frankie Perez vs. Masked Cougar vs. Frederique vs. Doug Peak COMMENTS: Harry Allen vs. Desert Storm COMMENTS: The Rock City Stars vs. The Samoan Pit Bulls COMMENTS: Bradley Blaze vs. Texas Hangman COMMENTS: Jay Silver vs. ??? COMMENTS: TIE-BREAKER: Who's the mystery man in the opening match? PLUS: Christian Faith has a big announcement for February's show!

Mid-January Another ranch in Texas “What is it about retired wrestlers and ranches?,” Christian Faith wondered to himself as he parked his pickup truck outside the gate. He'd been to his friend's house many times, of course. He'd come for poker games, or to Super Bowl parties, but he'd never come to discuss business because they'd never been business partners. That all changed when Faith founded SCW, of course, and the owner of the ranch became one of the company's more prominent investors. Faith jogged up the hill and rang the doorbell outside the brick house. The brick house's inhabitant dutifully answered. “What, no suit for the fancy businessman?,” Rip Chord said with a smile. “You know me better than that,” Faith countered as he sauntered through the door and walked past a wall full of pictures of Rip's son, Jay. “Come on. I'd like to get home before dark.” Rip followed in haste (well, as in haste as a retired wrestler can given the usual assortment of mobility issues), and the two sat down at his dining room table. Immediately, Faith pulled out a piece of paper with 27 names scribbled on it. “What's that one at the bottom?,” Rip asked, squinting. “He's a guy from Japan,” Faith said. “He's really good. You'll love him. He'll be in the opening match this week at Awakening.” “Nice name,” Rip replied with a smirk. “Let's see what else we've got here...” “These guys are our main-eventers,” Faith said. “Frederique's as close to a star as we're going to get. I don't know how many more miles he's got on the tires, but hopefully we can get something out of him.” “Peak's no spring chicken, either,” Rip replied, “but those other two can go, man.” “Wait'll you see the tag team division,” Faith quipped. “Whoa, whoa,” Rip said, his eyes getting big. “You got Akima and Toma to fly in, too? That's not gonna be cheap.” “We need star power, Rip,” Faith said, somewhat anticipating that response. “You know that as well as anybody. Between those two being over and the other guys being able to go, we've got some real possibilities here. Plus, it's not like I'm planning to fly them in every month, at least not until we're making some money.” “I miss the days when guys'd fly halfway around the world for a shot,” Rip reminisced. “Then again, I never did like Japan much. Sake never agreed with me.” “These are our lower-card guys,” Faith explained. “I don't anticipate using everyone, obviously, but a lot of these boys are locals, and they'll work cheap.” “You think Harry Allen's a lower-card guy?,” Rip asked. “I've got plans for him,” Faith responded. “He's another guy who's past 40, but I think he can give some good, old-fashioned Texas shine to one of the kids.” “And here's our staff,” Faith finished. “I'll be agenting the matches myself. Figure that helps cut costs, plus I know enough to get by.” “Flying guys in from Japan, getting Frederique on board, and you're JUST NOW concerned about cutting costs?!?!,” Rip said half-jokingly. “Look, I trust you, but you gotta know how ambitious this looks.” “Anything worth doing's worth doing well,” Faith said, folding up the paper and putting it in his pocket. “That's why you invested, right?” “Well, sure,” Rip said. “Also I figure maybe when we grow a little, you can get Jay into the fold and maybe he can swing by his old man's house every now and then. Gets lonely up here.” “Figured you'd enjoy the company,” Faith surmised, standing up from his chair. “How, exactly, do you plan on getting to everyone else?,” Rip asked. “It's not like...well, it's not like they're next door.” “Let me worry about that,” Faith said with a surprising amount of confidence. “There's four of us. I asked the other two guys for defined reasons.” “I'm still shocked you FOUND 'em!,” Rip laughed as he went to open the door. The two Texas wrestling legends embraced before Faith ambled down the driveway to his truck. When he got inside, he let out a gigantic sigh of relief. “One down,” he said as the engine roared to a start. “Hope the other guys are as receptive.” At that moment, an alert caused Faith's phone to vibrate. “FLIGHT 3721 FROM TOKYO DELAYED,” it read. “NEW ARRIVAL TIME: 10 PM.” Cursing his rotten luck, Faith punched the gas pedal and departed the Chord compound with a cloud of dust behind him. There would be bigger problems, but for now his quandary was simple: How would he kill time until Akima Brave, Toma, and the mystery man landed in the United States? UP NEXT: The card for SCW Awakening!

INTERLUDE January 1, 2020 Texas It's the beginning of a new year...and Christian Faith has a problem. The past few years have seen the wrestling business take several strange turns. SWF titan Richard Eisen has been forced into retirement. SOTBPW is now EILL, with changes in ownership leading to the ousting of successful booker Pablo Rodriguez. A tsunami that hit Japan in 2016 has created a scenario where the entire wrestling landscape in the land of the rising sun is on the verge of collapse. And all of this...brings an itch back to the old legend camped out at his ranch in Texas. He doesn't have the money himself to make a go of it. What he does have are street smarts and a wide assortment of contacts whose days as active competitors are done. Maybe they want no part of running a business first-hand...but perhaps they'll want a piece of the action. With a list of phone numbers in his hand, he sits at his desk overlooking the rolling hills of his ranch and frantically punches numbers into his phone. Some are old numbers long out of service. Others send him straight to voicemail...but a few answer. These few, Faith insist, can be part of something special, something that has the potential to bring no-strings-attached wrestling back to Texas in ways not seen since SCCW decades prior. Some say no. But a few say yes. The next few days of meetings at Faith's ranch prove to be very interesting, indeed. A few days later, the following press release hits news desks around Texas. CHRISTIAN FAITH LAUNCHES SOUTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING Hall of Immortals Member Begins New Journey With Upstart Promotion Fans of wrestling in the Lone Star State now have a hometown promotion. Multiple-time world champion Christian Faith has announced the formation of Southern Championship Wrestling. The new business is expected to start running shows as soon as this month, and Faith is bullish about the company's long-term prospects. “I've taken on the responsibility of bringing professional wrestling back to Texas in a way nobody else has for some time now,” he said from his ranch. “I know fans in this state are some of the most passionate in the country, and together with my group of investors, we're looking forward to giving them something to cheer for.” Faith did not elaborate on who his investors were, only saying that they were “friends of his from way back when.” He also adds SCW is already beginning the process of finding new young stars that can carry the flag of the promotion moving forward. “We'll have some names people may recognize, but our primary focus is making sure we get guys who can grow with us,” Faith said. “That may mean some short-term growing pains, but long-term, it'll get us where we want to be.” Stay tuned for more news from SCW headquarters! - - - - - It's good to be back!!! TEW 2016 players may remember me from a variety of projects. I did a bunch of drafts, as well as the WIRE project with southsidehitmen, Uncrewed, and willr0ck. I also, of course, did an SCW diary from that game as well, and I'm really excited to see if I can run it back with some success now that I've finally, FINALLY, got the chance to download the 2020 version. There will, of course, be some new wrinkles to this diary that weren't in the last one. Specifically, the group of investors will have several names you've heard of, and they'll make appearances as I see fit (usually when something's gone wrong or if I feel a sudden rush of creativity). There is one thing to keep in mind. I'm playing this game on a virtual Windows setup on my Mac (Wine/Wineskin/Wineskin Winery and I are no longer on speaking terms). This will definitely be more text-based, but I've gotten more experienced with Photoshop and will give the old college try at creating graphics where I can. I don't have the slightest idea how this is going to go. I haven't played TEW 2020 at all whatsoever before diving in head-first with this (blame a ridiculous work schedule that's kept me booked solid through the summer). Perhaps I'll be okay, perhaps I'll land flat on my face. Either way, it's gonna be a lot of fun to read (or so I hope!).

I just read the first 20 pages of this and loved every bit of it. A lot of my favorites show up; I'm a huge Koshiro Ino fan because there's SO much you can do with him, and John Blackfyre is an awesome character. Can't wait to see what comes next!

Update time, as Southern Championship Wrestling is into March of 2020. God, I'm going to miss this game when the new TEW comes out. Ross Henry and Koshiro Ino had several ridiculously good matches in early-2020. Ino's final match in the company was supposed to be a Last Man Standing match with Henry, which he lost. However, his Burning Hammer contract came due, and for whatever reason (maybe because he was on loan to me at the time), they only signed him to a PPA deal, not a written one. I jumped at the chance to sign him to a PPA deal of my own, and bam, all of a sudden I have one of my favorite workers in the CornellVerse on my full-time roster. He's 42, but has yet to enter time decline, and I'm already mapping out a storyline with Scythe. Sonny Wildside, unfortunately, tore his quad in a PSW match and has missed the past few months. With surgery, though, he'll be back in late-April. In his absence, Logan Wolfsbaine and High Flyin Hawaiian have moved up the card as viable faces. Wolfsbaine has been working with John McClean, who has thrown fits when asked to lose. However, Logan's getting over by osmosis, and I'm stretching the feud out as long as I can until he gets over enough to win without McClean getting cranky over it. Old friends Buddy Garner and Sean McFly have both announced their retirements. Garner still insists he's done with us (sigh...), but McFly's open to a return, which I may have to make happen. Rogue is also open to coming back, but he's on a significant time decline, so I'll need to be careful about how I do that should I pursue it. Elsewhere, GSW decided they were hostile towards us in late-2019, but this proved to be a horrible mistake. They were bleeding money so badly that I was able to engineer a takeover. This brought Fro Sure, Brother Grimm, and American Flash into the fold while pillaging everything else. NYCW also doesn't like us, but they're in a far more stable financial situation. We're running weekly shows now and bringing in profits well north of $100k a month. Weeks 2 and 4 are the big shows in Mid South that draw about 10,000 people, and weeks 1 and 3 are secondary shows in the South East that draw 2,000. SCW may very well hit "cult" in the next year or so. If and when that happens, it will bring some interesting scenarios into play. The next step after that is locking down talent to written contracts and seeking some TV distribution. Can we get there without losing any of our biggest players? Stay tuned!

<p>Ohhhhh, this one's gonna be fun.</p><p> </p><p> I'm just finishing 2019 in the game I mentioned a few days ago (the one where Christian Faith runs a company in the Mid-South area). The big show is in December, W2, and we're in as good a position as we can be at this point.</p><p> </p><p> Ross Henry just regained our World Championship by vanquishing the evil Scythe after a feud that lasted about six months. Both are at A popularity in Mid-South, and I've been expecting one or both of them to get poached for quite some time. Thankfully, it hasn't happened yet, partially due to some foresight on my part. I signed working agreements with both NOTBPW and BHOTWG, which eliminates two potential suitors from signing him to written contracts and also allows for some fun talent trades. Specifically, I'm hoping to bring Koshiro Ino to the States to feud with Henry in early-2020.</p><p> </p><p> The angle that made my #2 babyface, however, may be my favorite one that I've ever put together. So Christian Faith and John McClean had been picking on Sonny Wildside for months. They even went so far as to chase Edd Stone out of the promotion (I got him in a trade with NOTBPW, but I got annoyed when Stone invoked his creative control clause). Finally, Wildside couldn't take it anymore and summoned...Jack Bruce. Yes, THAT Jack Bruce, who was somehow open to working with us prior to retiring. They worked a tag match where Wildside pinned Faith clean as a sheet, and all of a sudden, Wildside (who begins 2016 as a spot monkey with only a small modicum of technical skill) is at B popularity in the region and is a legit main-eventer.</p><p> </p><p> Raids have, of course, hurt me, and my midcard took a bunch of big hits. RAW is growing out of Australia, and they poached three of my top prospects (Brodie Lachlan, Kian Owens, and Grave Digger) in one fell swoop. SOTBPW took Jormungand (who I'd been grooming as the early-2020 challenger to Ross Henry) and El Hijo Del Zonk, TCW took Petr Novak and multiple-time tag champion Angel of Mercy, and USPW took Floyd Goldworthy, who had recruited The Ring Generals and Logan Wolfsbaine to a fun stable I coined the Gold Club. Also, Peter Michaels's contract is up, and he's decided not to renew with us. Thankfully, I secured the services of Mitch Naess to replace him in the announcer's booth.</p><p> </p><p> The Ring Generals are my tag champs. Logan Wolfsbaine turned face by beating up Goldworthy at the big show. BISON Yano and Killer Shark have teamed up with manager Carl Batch to form a tag team I'm calling Surf and Turf, which may be my favorite TEW creation ever, and Atlas and Beast Bantom make for a fun monster tag team as well. I've also gotten a few 21CW rejects. Of note, Darin Flynn is a huge prospect for us, provided we get lucky enough to keep him around for a while, and Assassin and Pinfall Peters are kicking around, too.</p><p> </p><p> There are a lot of bullets to dodge with this game, but I'm having a blast right now. Having said that, ask me again once Ross Henry gets a call from one of the big boys, and chances are my response is quite different!</p>

<p>Been a LONG time since I've had the chance to post here, but I just picked up my old CornellVerse game that I did a diary on for a while (essentially, Christian Faith runs a promotion in Texas called Southern Championship Wrestling). I'm in 2019 now, and I'm still having a blast.</p><p> </p><p> Ross Henry remains my champion/figurehead, and seems to be locked in eternal struggles with 46-year-old machine Buddy Garner (who has only recently showed the first signs of time decline) and Rogue, who we snagged a few years ago. However, this is going to change. Garner and Rogue both feel they've outgrown my promotion, and they'll be leaving within the next six months.</p><p> </p><p> Fortunately, I've got some options waiting in the wings, and there's something for everyone. John McClean has had a few short runs with the top belt, and despite being on the decline, he's very over and can still bring the goods in the right setting. Sonny Wildside has blossomed into our #2 babyface, despite being just 24 years old. He can work with anyone, and I've particularly enjoyed putting him with guys like Jacob Jett, Jormungand, and Jagged for spot-fests. Scythe is also extremely over and has worked some killer matches for us, but he got hurt working a hardcore match in PSW in late-2018 and is on the mend. The timing could not have been worse, as he was in line to go over Christian Faith himself at SCW Season's Greetings (our traditional year-end show)</p><p> </p><p> I've also built up Logan Wolfsbaine, Grave Digger, Bret Heartbreak, Angel of Mercy, and El Hijo Del Zonk, while also signing guys like Petr Novak, Hell's Bouncer, High Flyin Hawaiian, and Stevie Grayson. In addition, I've secured working agreements with North of the Border Pro Wrestling and Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods, which has led to guys like Edd Stone and Greg Gauge (who started with us before signing over there) coming in for short spurts.</p><p> </p><p> At some point, Henry's going to get poached, like several significant workers before him (Lenny Brown just got signed by SWF, and that hurt). When he leaves, I'm probably hosed. However, for the time being, I'm having an absolute blast mixing people I'm building up with cast-offs the big guys don't believe in.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Darkestearth" data-cite="Darkestearth" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45652" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>UPDATE: Only just seen the response by some of you, do you really think acting the way you have is the right way to go about things? If you don't like something in the mod, change it yourself! Don't wait for someone else to create a mod and then bitch about what they have done, you look like ungrateful nobs...</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This, this, this, ALL of this.</p><p> </p><p> Admittedly, I'm biased, because southside is a friend of mine, but I feel it's responsible to point out that, should you want to edit parts of the mod to reflect your own personal tastes, the "editor" button is very easy to access. Choosing to instead sit back and throw stones at someone who's devoting lots of time and energy, for no reward other than the enjoyment of the community, is an incredibly bad look.</p>

Got some Lucha Underground updates for the January mod. - Catrina may have been killed off for good this season and seems to be more focused on some of her acting/modeling ventures. She may even be out of the business entirely. - The following characters were killed off from LU this year, in the season that just ended: Mr. Pectacular, Matanza, Veneno, Jack Evans, Vibora. I may have missed a few others. - Stu Bennett should be under contract as a heel. - Angela Fong (aka Black Lotus) showed up for the S4 finale and may or may not be back under contract (but she killed Matanza, so more than likely, she's there). - A.R. Fox showed up in the S4 finale after missing the tapings due to an injury. - Shane Strickland may be done with LU (he was unmasked in the S4 finale, and rumors are that WWE is interested).

<p>I got inspired to run a 1987 AWA game in the Golden Age mod after rewatching WWE's AWA documentary. My backstory is that Bruno Sammartino has had a falling-out with Vince Jr., and rather than retire, he's become the managing partner in the AWA (which is financially struggling). I'm six weeks in, and I'm having a blast.</p><p> </p><p> I kept the Hennig/Bockwinkel/Larry Z feud going, but with a twist. The three headlined my first big show, but Larry turned on Curt, allowing Bockwinkel to get the pin. The two then beat Hennig up after the match, but were interrupted by the returning Sammartino. I don't intend to have Bruno work regularly, but this is leading up to a tag match at the April show and a few matches at the May show (Superclash, the big one).</p><p> </p><p> My main philosophy is to mix up-and-coming young guys with established stars that mostly work cheap. In that vein, I've cut a lot of guys on AWA's roster that can't work and signed workers like Ted DiBiase, Scott Hall, Brian Pillman, The Great Muta, Owen Hart, and Sting (on a whim, I let Sherri Martel manage Muta, and it turns out they've got good chemistry, which is awesome). For veterans, I brought in Kevin Von Erich and Michael Hayes, as well as the Road Warriors. We just got to cult, which meant I could start sprinkling in written contracts (plus bring Bob Backlund, who was tailor-made for AWA's style, out of hiatus). Animal signed his, but I'm in a bidding war with Vince for Hawk.</p><p> </p><p> My goal is to get AWA in a position where we're competing for the #2 spot in the country, which would then allow us to soak up a lot of JCP's talent when that promotion crashes in mid-1988. I don't know how long I can keep the creative juices flowing, but for now, I'm having a grand old time re-establishing the AWA.</p>

I downloaded the demo and the most up-to-date patch available and tried twice, once with a pre-made wrapper, another with one I made according to the specs that have worked for almost every GDS game to date. Both times, the game installed fine, but would not open. On the pre-made wrapper, starting the program immediately brought up the "uninstall" page, and the one I made simply would not open. I posted this in the tech support forum, and Adam said to find a Mac thread. None have been made for this game yet, so I figured I'd get the ball rolling. If anyone's found a way to get this to work on a Mac, please post!

<p>How's THIS for random?</p><p> </p><p> <img alt="6zIePZU.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/6zIePZU.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p>

I haven't had a chance to play much, but my COTT game is starting to get REALLY good. Aaron Andrews is in the 90's in popularity and is feuding with Rick Law, who just won the world title but will drop it back to Andrews at the next PPV to blow off their feud. With how young he is, Andrews figures to be the leader of my promotion for a long, long time. Meanwhile, Paul Huntingdon is feuding with Frankie Perez and has formed a stable called The Trust Fund, which also includes tag team champions Roger Cage and Sammy the Shark and Gargantuan. I'm not sure where this will go long-term, but for now, it's a fun upper-midcard heel faction. In addition, I've landed two guys I'm really excited about. I won a bidding war for Edd Stone, who fits my product to a tee and will also come in handy for talent trades with NOTBPW. He can be very effective as either a face or a heel, and I'm really happy to have him. I also bit the bullet and signed Marat Khoklov, even though he doesn't fit my under-40 focus and isn't a spectacular worker. I only inked him to a six-month deal, which should be enough to give the rub to a few people who could use it. Among the top candidates for that rub is Ernest Youngman, who beat Fumihiro Ota in his last match before retiring (still shocked at that, since Ota wasn't even in time decline). Right after that, I started a face turn and put him in a feud with US Champion Nelson Callum, and I'm stoked to see the kind of matches they put on since they're both excellent workers. Youngman is a future star, no doubt, and fans are starting to get behind him (he's in the 50's in popularity after the face turn).

<p>Things are getting REALLY fun in my COTT game. I'm in June of 2016, and I just pulled the trigger on Aaron Andrews taking the title off of Frankie Perez. The two had a series of tremendous matches (upper-80's for a cult promotion is pretty darned good), and the blowoff was a 26-minute dog collar match at the PPV that rocked. Andrews is now in the 80's across the US in popularity, while Perez, who was in the 40's just a few months ago, is now in the 60's and on his way to being a legitimate star.</p><p> </p><p> Andrews will now feud with Rick Law, who beat Bulldozer Brandon Smith in an "I Quit" match at that same PPV. Law isn't a world-class worker, but he's got strong psychology and is almost as over as Andrews is, so he's the next logical choice for a top feud.</p><p> </p><p> I've lost a number of bidding wars, and I've stayed away from some guys who are older than I'd like (my philosophy is to stay away from guys who are 40 or older). I lost out on Koshiro Ino (who USPW drastically overpaid for), Trent Shaffer, D.C. Rayne, and Atom Smasher, among others. However, I did land Paul Huntingdon, who instantly becomes my #2 heel behind Andrews, is a really good worker, and has plenty of career left (he's only 31). I also opted to take on Robbie Wright as a project. He's a tremendous talker and can work a bit, but is limited by ridiculously-low stamina. For now, I've put him in a midcard tag team with Greg Black, who had absolutely nothing else to do, and that should at least give Wright a bit of a rub. On the other side of the revolving door, I let Nicolas Lopez's contract expire, as he's starting to enter time decline. He gave Storm Spillane a rub at the PPV, and that's doubling as his last match.</p><p> </p><p> What the "crazy booker" in me is most excited about, though, is our new, one-hour B-show. I'm using that partially as a way to get my younger guys some experience, but I've also been partially inspired by WWE's "Unreleased" collection to book off-the-wall matches that people would do double-takes at years later.</p><p> </p><p> For example, Petr Novak was let go by SWF and is a free agent. I brought him in on a one-shot deal, and I had him work the main event of the B-show with Fumihiro Ota, who I'm throwing against pretty much everyone as he winds down his career (he's retiring next month despite not even being in any state of time decline). Petr Novak (who's far from a polished worker) and Fumihiro Ota (in the last month of his career) in a company designed around younger guys who can work? It's a head-scratcher, but the match wasn't bad, and the show-ending segment was Law and Perez making a surprise appearance to run Novak off. It was some of the most fun I've had playing this game, and it all centered around a throwaway show that had absolutely no effect on anything else in the game world!</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="HRTVAndrew" data-cite="HRTVAndrew" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41174" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I picked my COTT game back up today (quick summary: Premise is that Rip Chord bought out the COTT companies to create a national promotion, akin to what Jim Crockett did when he attempted to go national), and I'm having a blast with it. It's pretty much all younger guys, with the lone 40-year-old being Nicolas Lopez, who I brought in from OLLIE.<p> </p><p> The first major monthly event featured Frankie Perez beating Nelson Callum to retain the COTT World title. The next week on the TV show, he was assaulted by Gargantuan, who was revealed to be in the employ of Roger Cage. Cage's mediocre stamina is a buzzkill, but the angle should be lots of fun to book even if the matches can't go super long, and if Gargantuan can continue to get over with quick squash matches and looking imposing next to Cage (a la Braun Strowman), that's fantastic. Meanwhile, Callum has latched on with Bulldozer Brandon Smith, who kayfabe-injured Gino Montero at the big show. Montero is on the way back, though, and he's got some help in the form of Roderick Remus, who returned from his concussion as a face. I desperately needed decent babyfaces, and Smith and Montero were revealed to have bad chemistry in 1-on-1 matches, so this was a pretty natural thing for me to do.</p><p> </p><p> I also signed working agreements with PGHW and NOTBPW. My first talent trade brought Erik Strong to the U.S. for a month-long feud with fellow second-generation wrestler Greg Gauge, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they're able to do together. NOTBPW is an interesting partner for me to have given my youth-first philosophy, as many of their top stars are slightly past 40. I could bring them in, I guess, but my focus is on the younger guys, so Strong was a perfect fit.</p><p> </p><p> Eddie Peak is a free agent. I've made a "take it or leave it" offer in dueling with the big guns, and I'll probably get outbid for him. It's not a huge deal if he doesn't sign for us, but if he does, he instantly becomes the biggest star in the company, and it's not particularly close.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Updates on this: Peak didn't sign, and neither did Ross Henry (my other major target), but two other fairly-young guys did. I won bidding wars for both Aaron Andrews and Rick Law, and both were introduced at my most recent PPV. Andrews attacked Frankie Perez after Perez's successful title defense against Roger Cage, while Law won a "winner gets a contract" match I improvised when I saw I could hire Man Mountain Cahill on a one-shot deal. The match wasn't great, but the segment before it got an awesome rating thanks to Cahill's 92 Menace.</p><p> </p><p> Another fun update: Erik Strong opted to use his creative control clause (one I didn't know he had) to block a loss to Greg Gauge at the PPV. As such, I had Gauge put him out of action earlier in the evening before beating a substitute. As far as Mr. Strong is concerned, we won't be booking him much anymore, if at all.</p><p> </p><p> Going forward, Perez will feud with Andrews as the main feud, while Law will initially feud with Bulldozer Brandon Smith, who's on a big winning streak and using a heel bully gimmick that's a natural fit with Law's policeman character. Cage will move into the tag team ranks thanks to my acquisition of Sammy Smoke (on a pretty cheap deal!), which reunites Shark Cage. With Gargantuan in their corner, they'll go after the tag team titles, which are currently held by Jason Thunder and Lightning Lomas.</p><p> </p><p> A few more things from the game world I'm in: Super Ninja is retiring VERY young (41), and despite not really being a target of mine due to his age, I do want to bring him in, in an undercard role, and have some fun with him before he rides off into the sunset. In unhappier news, Tommy Cornell and Luis Montero, Jr., both got divorces.</p><p> </p><p> All told, I'm having a blast with this game, and it's one of the more fun ones I've ever set up. It's a challenge to hold myself to signing only the younger guys unless older, more established stars accept "take it or leave it" deals. As mentioned, I lost out on Peak because of this, and I'm also probably going to lose out on Sammy Bach, whose contract with TCW is up. TCW only offered a PPA deal because they're already bleeding money, and USPW offered him a four-year deal. I offered bigger money and a lighter schedule for two years, and I don't think he's going to take it.</p>

<p>I picked my COTT game back up today (quick summary: Premise is that Rip Chord bought out the COTT companies to create a national promotion, akin to what Jim Crockett did when he attempted to go national), and I'm having a blast with it. It's pretty much all younger guys, with the lone 40-year-old being Nicolas Lopez, who I brought in from OLLIE.</p><p> </p><p> The first major monthly event featured Frankie Perez beating Nelson Callum to retain the COTT World title. The next week on the TV show, he was assaulted by Gargantuan, who was revealed to be in the employ of Roger Cage. Cage's mediocre stamina is a buzzkill, but the angle should be lots of fun to book even if the matches can't go super long, and if Gargantuan can continue to get over with quick squash matches and looking imposing next to Cage (a la Braun Strowman), that's fantastic. Meanwhile, Callum has latched on with Bulldozer Brandon Smith, who kayfabe-injured Gino Montero at the big show. Montero is on the way back, though, and he's got some help in the form of Roderick Remus, who returned from his concussion as a face. I desperately needed decent babyfaces, and Smith and Montero were revealed to have bad chemistry in 1-on-1 matches, so this was a pretty natural thing for me to do.</p><p> </p><p> I also signed working agreements with PGHW and NOTBPW. My first talent trade brought Erik Strong to the U.S. for a month-long feud with fellow second-generation wrestler Greg Gauge, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they're able to do together. NOTBPW is an interesting partner for me to have given my youth-first philosophy, as many of their top stars are slightly past 40. I could bring them in, I guess, but my focus is on the younger guys, so Strong was a perfect fit.</p><p> </p><p> Eddie Peak is a free agent. I've made a "take it or leave it" offer in dueling with the big guns, and I'll probably get outbid for him. It's not a huge deal if he doesn't sign for us, but if he does, he instantly becomes the biggest star in the company, and it's not particularly close.</p>

<p>I finally started a new C-Verse game. In this one, my hypothesis is that Rip Chord buys up all of the COTT companies, takes the best workers (plus a few others from other indy companies), and unifies them under the COTT banner. My ground rules: I had to take four from each of the COTT companies, and of each group of four, only two could be locked down with written contracts.</p><p> </p><p> Frankie Perez is my champion, and he's feuding with Nelson Callum. My other main feuds: Greg Black vs. Roger Cage, Masked Cougar vs. Nicolas Lopez, Storm Spillane vs. Ernest Youngman, and The Ring Generals vs. Thunder and Lightning. There'll be some growing pains, for sure, and my self-imposed rule about written contracts has already resulted in Mr. Lucha III getting poached by 21CW, but for now, I'm having a blast.</p><p> </p><p> I also managed to steal Gargantuan from Canada to do a Braun Strowman-ish experiment. My promotion is perf > pop, so it'll be interesting, but his first act in COTT was to squash Mr. Lucha III, who was leaving right after the show. His segment with Rip Chord after got an insane rating, and his popularity should shoot up and make him an asset (even if I have to hide him sometimes!).</p>

<p>This game sometimes...</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i.imgur.com/muVlhrZ.png</span></p>