Big Mark Smark

Some 1992 bits & pieces for @SkyCrasher: Bill Alfonso was with WCW as referee & Giant Gonzalez's minder when the game starts - I guess on Handshake? Fonzie says that he and the Giant got on really well and they went to WWF as a "package deal" so Friendship probably makes game sense. Lastly, Fonzie comes across as Irrepressible in this interview (though note that it does stray into some fairly wild road stories at times). While people do change, it seems likely that Fonzie's positive presence backstage was a hiring consideration in real life so I'd push for some kind of positive personality. I noticed that Kerry Von Erich doesn't have Personal Issues :'( Alex Wright was a figure of some interest when he debuted in Germany. Some people knew him because of his father, but he also got mainstream TV appearances due to being so very young. Probably should start with a bit of Central Europe popularity. Also, his father Steve Wright was a shooter and highly respected for his ability to take a man down, which sounds like a good fit for Bad Ass Reputation. Natalia Markova was recently in the news after being involved in a vigilante episode (her purse was stolen, Bryan Idol ran down and tackled the thief). I'd hoped more would come out about her - but the press were satisfied with "wrestlers, hot, real-life hero". Still, she has Modelling Experience and should speak Fluent "Eastern European". Not sure about her English at debut but it's quite polished now so I wouldn't go below "Passable". Markova should probably start with Europe and Japan as available areas, as she mostly worked Russian promotions with a few dates in Scandinavia & Japan until making it to the states in 2017. Also, I haven't heard about her being injured and her impressive flexibility probably plays into that - maybe a candidate for Rubber Bones?

As promised (if a little late), some notable NWA developments from July: Bryan Idol is working for the company. He's gimmicked as "Mercurio" (a heelish parody of the Italian male model Fabio). Jamie Stanley has returned to the company. You probably have him marked a little low for his on-camera qualities. He seems like an Entertainer in-ring I guess he's a Babyface as he's programmed with Mercurio. He's definitely played Swagger gimmicks in his time with the NWA and he does them well. Hard to imagine him pulling off Occult or Offbeat gimmicks. Silas Mason is in the NWA as a Heel. They bill him as "Thrillbilly Silas" and have Pollo Del Mar/Paul E. Pratt (*) managing him. You've got Silas in your DB but the details are a bit off, so I need to do a bit of a scouting report here. Silas a big old country boy, billed at 6'5" & 260lbs. Eyeball test has him taller and maybe overall bigger than Trevor Murdoch. I'd peg him around the LHW/HW boundary. The physique's not bad. Big arms with a bit of a gut tucked into his tights - feels Bulky rather than Flabby to me. Overall he strikes me as a menacing presence with supporting character star quality. Mic skills are adequate and he's got some shouty big man Charisma. In ring, Silas is quick on his feet for his size and seems to have a lot of available power. Fundamentals look good - he bumps & feeds well and doesn't over-reach his abilities in an unsafe way. Can't tell you about consistency with a small sample. His spot psychology looked good but the matches were with Luke Hawx and Trevor Murdoch so I suspect the overall pacing and structure wasn't up to him. From what he's shown in the NWA, Silas's style is a slow-paced Brawl, though his range of strikes and throws comes across as more methodical than plodding. All up, he looks and performs like a big 80s gatekeeper - not Ray Traylor's level, but not one of the hacks that only Hogan could get an over match out of either. A good hand who can get some heat and shine up a babyface. Debra Miceli is an NWA agent and occasional on-air personality. She has noticeably improved the NWA's women's division since arriving. Match layouts are good and the talent appear to be well-coached. (Marti Belle's the best example: she's cut out some things that made her look bad, tightened up her strikes, and isn't being put in a position to expose her weaknesses.) Not calling for a radical change to Madusa's skills right now but putting her experience in the 80+ zone would make her a better in-game agent and is probably fair given her in-ring career. *: Pollo/Paul has been around wrestling for a few years now and there's enough detail for a DB entry, but I'm not sure how keen you are on adding managers.

One last missing person - and a fun one! Most managers are hard to find this level of detail on so if you can find time it would be nice to add this worker to the DB before update. Pollo Del Mar was born probably 1973 (started college in 1991) as Paul Pratt. While I couldn't find her legit month of birth, the Pollo Del Mar persona began in April 2006. Debut in wrestling could be as late as August 2021 (NWA debut) but there are signs that Pollo was promoting and probably doing ringside work as early as April 2008. She's a good talker with her own unconventional charisma and some acting chops. Star quality for a 2000s debut might be pushing B-List celebrity. I would put her down as a skinny lightweight at that point - hard to judge height in those giant heels and body doesn't matter too much for ringside workers. (If you decide to keep her out of the business until the 2020s... well, it's hard for a girl to keep up her figure as the dreaded five-oh approaches so probably a Middleweight with more of a "guest on Howard Stern" level of Star Quality.) As for attributes, Pollo's a columnist who goes to some pretty fun parties so she should probably have Storyteller and People Person. She plays Comedy and Gimmicky well, but can't play Bad Ass or Legitimate. (Realistic is a matter of opinion!) Obviously Pollo Del Mar is Amazing but I don't think Amazing Babyface or Amazing Heel is quite right

One last note for the update: watching the latest NWA taping block and Kerry Morton's showing significant in-ring improvement. I stand by the summary above for initial skills, but it is out of date for where the guy's at now (he doesn't just flash charisma: he is charismatic and draws the crowd into the match with his selling & fire). Because your DB tends to be bold with assigning Attributes I'd pull for Kerry getting Prodigy.

I think putting out monthly updates for a community project disqualifies you from being lazy - maybe pressed for time? Anyway, thanks for listening and explaining. I'll stop by again in a couple of weeks if I see anything on the NWA shows important enough to make it into the next update.

NWA data is still a bit dusty. Right now their show includes a significant comedy element, so a Silver Age product definition probably gets them wrong. I tend to think that their Core Product is Classic Southern Rasslin and they're currently doing Hokey Southern Rasslin. Fred Rosser, JR Kratos, Matt Cross, Melina, and Slice Boogie haven't worked an NWA show for months and really shouldn't be on the roster. Raven has been absent for a while and isn't listed as a producer any more - but it could be an angle. (Madusa threw him out on camera.) KiLynn King (Face) & Max the Impaler (Heel, I think) have been at the last few shows and should be on the roster at this stage. Jazz is an agent (listed as producer in show credits) and Rodney Mack (Face) is on the roster. (Mack might be managed by Aron Stevens but it's too soon to say.) Madusa is an agent and personality (listed as producer, kayfabe co-commissioner of NWA USA). Smaller things: Allysin Kay is a very boring babyface right now. Austin Idol and James Mitchell are comparable promos these days. Jax Dane is a heel and the NWA National Heavyweight Champion. He won the belt from Mayweather on the 20th of March. Mayweather won it from Mordetzky on the 12 of February. Jay Bradley and Wrecking Ball Legursky work Comedy gimmicks. (They're goofball lackeys.) Kamille hasn't been managing Nick Aldis for a long time. Kerry Morton was born in April 2001, not '96, and he's a Lightweight who could bulk up to Middleweight. (Suspect these issues are linked because if you had a source looking at Kerry back in 2016 and thinking he was 20 rather than 15 then Small would be about right.) Kylie Rae has Personal Issues Mims is a Middleweight. (Similar build to Taz.) Nick Aldis is so figured in to the NWA that you could safely give him Hot momentum and trust that to be about right. Pretty sure he's a Light Heavyweight these days - a lot of people go by billed weight from 2011 that's still on wikipedia but Nick looks to have filled out since then. Pat Kenny is the booker. Taryn Terrell is a heel. She's managing Markova. Velvet Sky is a babyface colour commentator. She's probably the 3rd-best at colour in the promotion (after Austin Idol & Tim Storm), and has negative chemistry with Idol because his aging playboy routine and her, um, "Second Coming of David Crockett" thing clash horribly. You're missing Alex Taylor (28, LW High Flyer) & Jake Dumas (26, LHW Entertainer), but I can't find the month of birth for either guy so they may not be notable enough to include. Danny Dealz (heel manager) is even more obscure - he had a line in a recent promo implying that he's over 30 and doesn't look over 50 but I can't find much more than that. I don't know who Gaagz the Gimp is and don't really want him in my search history.

If you don't have him already, Ricky Morton's son Kerry is probably worth adding. Kerry Mortonwas born April 2001. Debut is a bit opinion-based. He worked a match in 2016 with Ricky but it was probably a gimmick. Cagematch has him working another tag match in 2020, but July 2021 seems to be when Kerry really started as a pro wrestler. His body type's Average. Kerry lacks definition but doesn't have the gut for Flabby. He looks like a Lightweight who might be able to bulk up to Middleweight. (Shoot height 5'11".) I'd put him down as a Regular wrestler with a good foundation: 3rd gen, a competent amateur wrestler (state champion as a teenager) - and a cheerleader, which, snickering aside, does seem like a good background for a pro wrestler. He's adequate on the mic & flashes charisma but still comes across as a bit obvious when trying to work the crowd. While Kerry's a pure babyface in the NWA, I can see how he'd play a heel so no need for a Disposition slant. I cannot imagine him working a dominant or bad ass gimmick and he probably can't do Mysterious and Offbeat either. (He just doesn't seem like a weirdo.) If you're prepared to gamble on "Plays well" attributes, probably Swagger and Underdog. Lastly, it would probably be fair to add "The Mortons" (Ricky & Kerry) as a tag team with low (~10?) XP to represent familiarity from Kerry's training.

That '92 mod is great, thanks. The only point of difference that I've come across so far is Bill Watts - maybe no surprise considering that he's one of the industry's most controversial figures! And it's a small difference because most of the picture seems right. Even guys like DiBiase who did well under Watts say that he was a bully, not to mention the takes of those who he clashed with. But I'm not sure about "Unapproachable". sounds like a TEW2020 incident in which a Bully "passes on tips" to his Protege. Douglas is pretty firm that he learned a lot from Watts, so the in-game skill increase makes sense too. There are quite a few other guys (e.g. Magnum) who think that the Cowboy was a "mean coach" type rather than a pure tyrant. Cornette's even taking to saying that Watts was straight-up right about the way he ran his promotions, though you never can tell if JC's just doing it for the heat. Anyway, I'm not sure that Watts should have Passes On Knowledge (as veterans without this attribute do take proteges), but Unapproachable will stop the game from generating historical behavior and that doesn't feel like the right result.

Thanks for taking on this hamster wheel of a project for the enjoyment of the community I'm one of the last people watching the NWA and could do a scouting report on their roster if that would help.

<p>I noticed that there are quite a few Unemployed Wrestlers in the DB who aren't really active wrestlers any more and started checking up on them. I've looked at the "a" names so far:</p><p> </p><p> Adam Ohriner - hasn't been working a lot of matches in recent years and hasn't been near the promotions actually simmed in RWC. He should probably be removed because it doesn't look like he's heading on up. If not, he isn't Ripped any more (shift to Muscular) and I suspect that he's lacking in Toughness/Resilience given how infrequently he wrestlers.</p><p> </p><p> Alex Koslov - announced his retirement in early 2015. Should be Out of the Business.</p><p> </p><p> Alex Silva - Cagematch doesn't have a match from him after 2016 but still marks him active. Probably On Hiatus.</p><p> </p><p> Alice (Bodden) - Cagematch doesn't have a match from her after 2015 and lists her as Inactive. Probably not significant enough to keep in the DB.</p><p> </p><p> Alicia (Melinda Padovano) - Hasn't wrestled in some time and doesn't maintain a public profile. Looks like she's Out Of The Business.</p><p> </p><p> Alvin Abitz - as far as I can tell, nothing has come of this guy. Recommend to remove unless someone has more information.</p><p> </p><p> Amazing Red - he's a lot more banged up than the db makes him out to be. Red hasn't worked more than a handful of matches a year in some time. Should be Semi-Active and in significantly worse condition.</p><p> </p><p> Anderson (the SWS guy) - Cagematch doesn't have a match from him after 2016 and marks him as Inactive. Looks suspiciously like he's Out of the Business.</p><p> </p><p> Andy Baker - he's running a branch of the Al Snow Wrestling Academy in Cheshire. Recommend making him Semi-Active and restricting him to the British Isles only.</p><p> </p><p> Andy Leavine - Cagematch doesn't have a match from him after 2014 but still marks him active. Probably should be removed because he was never very high profile.</p><p> </p><p> Andy Wild - definitely active and seems to be working for Insane Championship Wrestling at the moment.</p><p> </p><p> Anna Bogomazova - hasn't wrestled in years and is focusing on her acting career. Definitely Out Of The Business.</p><p> </p><p> Annie Social - hasn't wrestled since 2017 and her social media looks distinctly Out Of the Business.</p><p> </p><p> Anthony Tonnin - I think this guy is in the DB due to some enthusiasm for the Rougeau promotion a couple of years back. Cagematch doesn't list their matches so he might still be working there, but he hasn't wrestled for anyone else since 2011.</p><p> </p><p> Antoine Fresnette - another Rougeau product. Doesn't even have a listing on Cagematch.</p><p> </p><p> April Davids - Cagematch doesn't have a match from her after 2017 and lists her as Active. Perhaps On Hiatus.</p><p> </p><p> Ares - Cagematch lists him as retired since 2015, though he did work an independent match against Disco Inferno a couple of weeks ago (his first since 2015). No more than Semi-Active.</p><p> </p><p> Ariane Andrew - She's been away from wrestling for some time and focusing on acting. Probably Out Of The Business at this stage.</p><p> </p><p> Ariel - Cagematch doesn't have a match from her after 2016 and while they list her as Active, she's started a family and shows no signs of wrestling again. Currently in the DB On Hiatus, should be Retired. (This also avoids awkward discussions about whether her on camera skills are still accurate.)</p><p> </p><p> Ashley Miller - Cagematch doesn't have a match from her after 2014 and marks her as Inactive. Out of the Business or just remove from DB.</p><p> </p><p> Ashley Reed - Cagematch doesn't have a match from him after 2014 and marks him as Inactive. Could just be On Hiatus but I think he's Out of the Business.</p><p> </p><p> Avispa - Has been with CMLL for a while now.</p>

A few points on talent: Brian Cage is not Ripped any more. His waist is a lot thicker and he doesn't have as much definition as he used to. Should probably move to the Muscular category and might be a little over-rated on Sex Appeal. (Heading into the "hulking juggernaut" look that most women aren't into.) Pentagon Jr. is maybe a little misrepresented now. He's definitely a charismatic guy and knows how to work a crowd, but he doesn't show the elite level top row skills he's given in the mod. Watching his series of tag matches against LAX, he certainly didn't come across as the best brawler or hardcore worker there and isn't clearly better in the air than Ortiz and Santana. I also have my doubts about his Athleticism and Stamina - Penta is looking a little chubby these days and powdered for large chunks of that Full Metal Mayhem match while Fenix worked with LAX. However, I think Penta's Psychology - even though it doesn't always work for me - is very effective and should probably get a fair improvement and he might deserve an across the board boost to his performance skills. On a completely related point, Angel Ortiz and Santana are probably a bit under-rated. Both are convincing brawlers and know how to get a reaction from their hardcore spots. They've also improved as entertainers (probably thanks to working with Konnan) and have done some solid to good promo work in the last half year. Psycho Clown's stats look a bit... dusty, I guess? I only watch AAA occasionally but this guy is extremely charismatic and his microphone work seems to be effective. Lucha psychology sometimes evades me but I feel like Psycho has been around long enough and gotten high enough up the card in AAA that he should have a significantly better rating here. (I might have more to say on his top row skills later, I haven't really watched his matches with an eye to evaluating this sort of thing.) Still down south, Dr. Wagner Jr. is amazing on the mic. His rasping bass is magnetic and he always gets great reactions from live crowds. It wouldn't be unreasonable to put him down as one of the best talkers around. However, his Athleticism, Flashiness, and Aerial skills probably grade him on years gone by rather than today - Wagner is doing great for a guy his age, but he is a guy his age. I wouldn't knock his Selling though, and it might be a little under-rated as things stand. Speaking of Selling, wow the Rock & Roll Express looked good at the Crockett Cup! But if they're not already on the list for being added, we can live without them. (Ricky is running his "School of Morton" and training guys though.) edit: I also noticed that Ace Austin's stats look to be mostly from a template? Having seen the guy work, he is not very menacing at all and probably should be in the low teens at most. I do like his Parkour-based move set, as it's very Flashy and the strikes look pretty good. The guy is definitely very Athletic and seems to have plenty of Stamina, but he doesn't have much Power (or doesn't use it) - in-ring, he comes across a bit like a discount John Hennigan, though I have yet to see any Technical wrestling from Ace.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="YoungNoble" data-cite="YoungNoble" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="45652" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>For my 3rd post in a row, FWIW, Lucha Bros are not advertised for any future MLW events and Fenix jobbed to Air Wolf a couple weeks ago. Looks like they are done, and strictly AEW in the US.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> That could be jumping the gun. They're supposedly with Impact at least until Slammiversary on July 7. Might be best to make these guys AAA exclusive and loaned out to their US partners unless anything more concrete shows up.</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply. I take the point about the limited tools for representing backstage staff. (Hopefully the next TEW will add "creativity" or some similar stat for the likes of Heyman and Bruce Prichard!)</p><p> </p><p> There seem to be a few somewhat notable workers missing. I can't find Shawn "Hotstuff" Hernandez and he's definitely active in 2006 - and perhaps should have positive chemistry with Homicide? Chris Kanyon also seems to be missing, though it's a much smaller miss as he was down to a handful of matches a year by this point. None of the Hebners are in - Dave could be skipped but Brian and Earl should be included.</p>

<p>This looks very good already. It took a little bit of looking around to understand how the SQ ratings were assigned but by and large I see where you're going with them. Much the same could be said about company popularity. I do share the concern about TNA's vulnerability, but perhaps selective Loyalty would be a better fix? Abyss, at least, seems to be Loyal to that company and AJ Styles probably was as well.</p><p> </p><p> I was a little surprised by Raven's Performance skills. If you listen to the man himself, he describes his style as getting a few moves in and then selling for the rest of the match. That's self-effacing (it's easy to remember Raven's signature offence) but his selling was very effective. So I'm not sure why his Selling is at the same level as Abyss and Nash, neither of whom really got over that way.</p><p> </p><p> Some of the Psychology levels for road agents and future road agents seem out of kilter. Vince McMahon, for instance, is probably not better at laying out matches than Pat Patterson or Gerald Brisco. (Indeed, I'm not sure that McMahon needs a high Psychology skill at all.) Similar remarks could be made about Paul Heyman - he was definitely one of the best at putting shows together and booking his talent, but I'm not sure that implies exceptional ring Psychology. Shane Douglas being ahead of Konnan doesn't feel right when Douglas doesn't go on to much backstage while Konnan definitely does.</p><p> </p><p> Anyway, thanks for all the hard work!</p>

Regarding the post-match angle for Bound For Glory's main event: <a href="https://www.sescoops.com/exclusive-details-on-austin-aries-status-with-impact-loose-cannon-angle/" rel="external nofollow">it was definitely a work.</a>