TCW - The British Invasion

[Regis]

My name is Richard Fowler, and sometimes, when I get bored, I’ll call up Tommy Cornell and leave death threats on his answering machine. I know I shouldn’t, but he always calls me back and threatens to have me so thoroughly black-listed by the wrestling industry that I’ll go to prison for even watching it on the TV, so that’s okay. And anyway, we are old friends, and he did completely kill my last promotion. Perhaps I ought to explain more clearly. The last promotion I booked was a tiny little concern – we had maybe a dozen people on the roster to start with, and barely more than that in the crowd. Still, we were young, we had ambition, and we were going to take HEW – High Energy Wrestling – to the top, one way or another. We ran our shows, we were gaining a following, and we were a bit different to the other feds out there. We tried to be a bit serious, not so spotty. We were trying, in our foolishness, to be actual wrestlers. It almost worked. Then I found something out: Tommy Cornell was coming back to the UK for a while to visit his parents. Me and Tommy had known each other at school, and had stayed good friends until he moved to America and fell out of touch. And now, with him coming back, I decided to try and renew our acquaintance. So, I called him, and we chatted, and we caught up, and then I made one big mistake: I told him what I did for a living. A few minutes later, he asked if I’d fancy booking him as a special guest star on out next show. Stupidly, I said yes. For one night, HEW was beautiful. Tommy coached us for days beforehand, getting us to script out our matches, working to tighten up those few spots we felt comfortable doing, and setting up the triumphant three-way dance that would headline the show. We went out, and we flew. The crowd were hot. They cheered in the right places. They applauded the matches when we finished. And the final match? They hit the god-damn roof. Tommy Cornell, the biggest wrestler in the English-speaking world, in our ring. And he lost! He didn’t even ask to win, he just set it up so that he could be believably taken out of the match for the finish. In the pub after the game we all bought drinks upon drinks, and cried and hugged, and cheered for Tommy Cornell until we passed out. Then, in the weeks that followed, we realised what a mistake we’d made. We peaked before we ever hit the big time, and now fans were packing out our shows. Chants of “We Want Tommy!” started every night. We made money, and we hired bigger venues, but the moment the new fans saw the quality we could bring to the ring, they booed us out of the arena. We were never going to live up to that one show, and the fans hated it. Slowly they drifted away, until we decided that enough was enough. We split the little money we had left, and called it a day. And so we saw the death of High Energy Wrestling – and it’s all Tommy Cornell’s fault. So imagine my surprise when one day, instead of Tommy’s answering machine message, I actually heard him answer the phone. “Fowler, you bastard! Can you talk?” He calls me that so often that anyone would think I had a double-barrelled name. “No, I lost my tongue in a freak yachting accident. What’s the matter?” “You got a job these days?” I considered the question. I was currently earning a crust doing booking duty for a near-backyard fed calling themselves Bloody Mayhem Wrestling. Like MOSC, only without the polish. “Not that I’m attached to. You need a tea boy or something?” “Yeah, something like that. I’m down a booker.” “No ****?” “Seriously. Joel Bryant just quit. Told me he couldn’t do it any more.” “What, did he have brain surgery or something?” “Very funny. Just said he was burned out. Tried to think of some more ideas of what to do and couldn’t come up with anything he hadn’t done before. I’ve got us sort of in a holding pattern, but I need someone creative, and quickly. So I thought, y’know, I’d wait for you to get bored and threaten to stick something spiky up my rectum.” “Hey, we’ve been through this. I know your rectum is off-limits.” “That’s very reassuring. Now, I know it’s a big deal and yes, you would have to move to America to do the job. I can have my legal people get in touch with you and sort things out, but I just need to know if you’re interested. If not, I’ll find someone else. But I do reckon you could do well with the job.” I considered it for a few moments. It would pay me well. It would be prestigious. It would be a chance to live somewhere new, and it would be a chance to do some serious work in the industry I love. One question, though, had to be asked. “Do you promise not to kill this one?” Tommy laughed. Tommy’s laugh is awesome. It’s a shame he’s so serious on camera. “Cross my heart and hope Richard Eisen dies.” [I]OOC: Hey there, dudes! First diary I've written here, so wish me luck! A few OOC notes about the game and what I intend to do. First and most importantly, I've turned the Hiring Restrictions off. Why? Well, look at the thread title - there are some awesome British workers out there, and I wanted to see what I could do with them without miring myself in the stagnant and small-scale British and European wrestling scene. The explanation will come up in-character in a brief while. I also messed a tiny bit with the TCW product settings, but only to give myself 80% matches rather than 90%. Apparently angles will always be hated at 90%, so I gave myself more of a fighting chance. More to come soon![/I]

[Regis]

My first day on the job. After a month of complicated legalese, sorting out somewhere to live and dealing with the old house back in England, I was finally ready to start in my job as main booker. After being shown around TCW headquarters by Tommy, I was led into a conference room. Archie Judge was there, as was Joel Bryant, my predecessor. Introductions were quick, and we soon fell to the main business of the day: sorting out the roster. Starting at the top, we went over the active roster. [B]Tommy Cornell:[/B] Tommy’s first comment was somewhat unexpected. “So, who are we going to get to take the title off me, then?” I paused for a second. “Tommy, you only won it just now! Don’t be so quick to ditch it.” “I’m the boss. Everyone knows I’m the boss. If I hang onto it for too long people are going to think I’m pushing backstage for it.” Archie rolled his eyes. “You read the dirt sheets too much. If they cheer when they’re supposed to cheer and boo when they’re supposed to boo and they keep showing up and tuning in, the internet can say what it likes.” Joel nodded in agreement. I turned the page in my notebook with what I hoped was an air of finality. “Tommy, you’re the best we’ve got. No jokes, no flattery, you just are. End of story. And I’m not taking the title off you for a good long while yet.” [B]Ricky Dale Johnson:[/B] I looked at the picture, and wondered briefly if this guy and Joel were related. “Joel, talk to me.” “Ricky Dale Johnson, our last champ and current top Face. The crowd’s on fire to see him take the title back. He’s rough, he’s tough, he’s a fighter. No polish. They love that.” “I see. Archie?” “Feller’s maybe got, what, six offensive moves? Does ‘em well, but if he’s not punching someone in the face he’s lost. The boss ties him up in knots every time.” Tommy frowned. “He calls a good match, and the crowd loves him. He’s not got polish, yeah, but it’s spirit they’re looking for in him, not skill.” Archie sniffed. “Maybe. Still, could do with teaching him a thing or two. Can’t tell a wristlock from a wristwatch.” [B]BLZ Bubb:[/B] Once again, I considered the massive man whose photograph sat in front of me. “Jesus, he’s a big guy.” Tommy nodded. “Tell me about it. I don’t know if the whole ‘demon’ act works for you guys, but it scares the living daylights out of me.” “He’ll scare me once he works on his cardio,” Archie butted in. “He’s been carrying all that muscle for long enough, you’d think he’d know how to do it without getting tired.” I turned to Joel. He shrugged. “It’s kind of true. Guy’s a good monster, though, and he’s over as hell. About once a year you can reliably have him challenge someone for no reason at all and have them crap their pants and run.” “With no danger of him catching them, apparently,” I noted. [B]Genghis Rahn:[/B] Another big guy, this time with blood running down his face in the picture. “Let me guess; hardcore?” “Was our Hardcore champ a couple times, while we still had the belt,” Archie confirmed. “Guy knows the secret of making it look good when you hit someone with a weapon.” I was intrigued. “What secret?” Archie grinned widely. “Swing for the hills and sort it out afterwards.” “…Right. And anything else he can do?” “Punch, kick, stomp, get out of breath.” “I see.” I turned to my boss. “Tommy, is there anyone in the Main Event that can match up with you in, y’know, any of the stuff you’re good at?” “While we’re on the subject,” Joel added, “we could probably do to re-brand him a bit – not much, just a little bit. We’ve got him playing at being crazy and out of control, and it’s not working so well. He’s a bit too smart for it, really, always plays it a bit too tactically.” I nodded, made another note, and moved on. [B]Liberty:[/B] Another Main Eventer, another round of snark from Archie, another list of general background from Joel, another brawler, another guy who can’t keep up with Tommy. At least this one was a good talker. Still, as I looked at the guy’s picture, I couldn’t help feeling a certain… something. I turned to Tommy. “Dude.” Tommy’s thoughts matched my own. “Sweet.” “Dude!” “Sweet!” “Dude!” “Sweet!” “Dude!” “Sweet!” Then, just as Archie opened his mouth, we were back to business. Still, I’d already decided: I liked this guy. [B]Troy Tornado:[/B] The last on the list of bona fide main event talents, and I was praying for some better news. I wasn’t to be disappointed. “Wait a second, you mean this guy can actually wrestle?” There was general agreement from the rest of the table. “Flies well enough, knows how to string a good sequence together, good on the stick, actually does his damn exercise regime…” Archie shook his head. “Kid’s going to be good one of these days.” “Don’t listen to him,” Tommy advised me. “He already is good. Better than half the bloody SWF main event, that’s for damn sure.” “Is there any chance we can turn him face?” I enquired. “He looks like a good prospect to feud with you, Tommy.” Joel shook his head. “Not a chance. He only just turned heel about half a year ago, and we had to break up Painful Procedure to do it. That’s a long-term heel run right there.” I made another note, and resolved to consider the matter further. We needed to shake things up in the Main Event scene, that was for sure – and get someone who could actually go up against Tommy convincingly. Still, we had a while to work on that. TBC...

[Regis]

The rest of the meeting went fairly quickly, by comparison, my notes on each talent or team only being brief. [B]Rocky Golden:[/B] How this guy ever got to be International Champion I’ll never know. I mean, he’s got something about him, and he’s going to be big one day, but come on! He just… hits people. And not even very well! We need to get the title off this guy and get some serious dev work done on him, and soon. [B]Texas Pete:[/B] And another one. Do we have a hiring strategy other than ‘piss off the SWF’? This guy does not deserve the spot he’s got. [B]Wolf Hawkins:[/B] Phew. My fears are assuaged – although he’s been trained by Tommy, so I should have expected something good here. He’s over, he’s talented, he’s got the look of someone that I can work with. I like this guy. Now, what to do with him… [B]Rick Law:[/B] Does the phrase ‘triple short-arm clothesline’ make anyone else wince? It does for me, and it’s this guy that did it. He makes me willing to accept that yes, having such a lot of brawlers around can be okay sometimes. Plus, he looks damn good in that uniform. [B]American Buffalo:[/B] He’s big, he’s angry and he stomps the crap out of people. He’d make a great monster heel for a much smaller fed – however, we’ve already got BLZ Bubb, so I’m not really sure what to do here. Plus, pretty much everyone at his level is a heel, so who we’ll feud him with I’ve no idea. [B]Charlie Thatcher:[/B] He’s big. He’s RDJ’s mate. He’s not very good. Blah. [B]Giant Tana:[/B] I’m told that Giant Tana knows every comedy pinning combination in the book, and most of the other comedy spots besides. He also puts padlocks on things, apparently for the humour value. Hilarious, I’m sure – but I can work with a comedy guy, especially if he’s Face. [B]Ronnie V. Pain:[/B] Not many people would consider ‘plays a mean guitar solo’ to be the best recommendation in the world, but here in TCW we went with it whole-heartedly. And, indeed, it got him over when he was with Painful Procedure. Now, though, he isn’t. So, what am I going to do? [B]Chance Fortune:[/B] He’s such a pretty kid, he really is. I’d almost expect him to be gracing the photo section of a magazine for teenage girls, probably in a wet shirt, standing on a beach somewhere… anyway. He’s got places to go, sure, but he well deserves the belt we’ve got around his waist. [B]Freddie Huggins:[/B] Another decent low-level flier, who looks good in the position we’ve got him in on the roster. We need to pad out the All-Action Division a bit, though – thus far, it’s these two guys and our job fodder. [B]Iceman C.A.:[/B] Speaking of Job Fodder. This guy’s pretty much a wait-and-see prospect – have to put him up against some stronger dudes to see how much he comes along. Until then, he can pad out the All-Action Division. [B]Aaron Andrews:[/B] What I said about the Ice Man? The same again here. He’s got more grounding in his fundamentals, which is reassuring, but he can stay here and learn along with everyone else. [B]The Machines:[/B] Brent Hill and John Anderson. Oh My God. Just… Oh My God. These guys are SO AWESOME! Do you hear that noise? That’s me, marking out like a twelve-year-old. I’d give them a singles push, but I don’t want to lose this team. You can keep the gold, boys. I like you. [B]The Darkness Warriors:[/B] From the sublime to the… meh. These guys could do with a long-term feud to polish their skills up a bit. The Machines’d do the job perfectly, if they weren’t heels as well. Still, they know all their tag spots, they’ve got room to improve and the Endless Night looks frankly vicious. [B]Painful Procedure:[/B] Randall Hopkirk’s a good talker, but really? These guys were riding on Troy Tornado’s coat-tails. If they don’t get good soon, they’ll just end up as job fodder for the better prospects of the division, which would be sad to see. [B]The Tag Team Specialists:[/B] Joel and Robert are both great guys, but they’re getting on, and they’re neither of them as good as they used to be. Still, they’re over enough, and they could well be used to put over younger teams and teach them the basics of how to work well in the ring. They could also probably work well with The Machines, if they weren’t both heel teams. [B]The Young Guns:[/B] Both these guys are best described as Projects. They’re young, and fit, and they’ve got time to improve – but it’s going to take a while yet. Fortunately, they’re faces, and both my best Trainer teams are Heels… [B]The Nation Of Filth:[/B] Tommy flat-out forbade me from firing these useless wastes of space. It’s not my company, and I’m not going to go throwing people out, he said. I’ll work with them until their contract comes up, he said. Work with them how, exactly? Their biggest selling point is that they have green hair. Green hair! Not exactly a thing to build a wrestling promotion around… Still, I’m sure I’ll find something to do with them until I can get rid of ‘em. [I]Next Up: Owner goals, the first show, and some hiring decisions to be made...[/I]

[Regis]

Another day, another excuse to spend money. At least I’m spending it on new workers, this time, and not on a better TV. Tommy glanced over my shoulder as I poked at my computer, trying to make decisions. “What’re you looking at?” I looked up. “Adam Ryland Recruitment Solutions. They’re one of the biggest sports agent firms in the world, and they represent pretty much every wrestler there is to find. And they just so happen to have,” I continued, clicking merrily away, “an online database of their clients, complete with independent assessments of their potential. Damn useful, so it is.” “What?” Tommy looked over my shoulder. “Is that my name in there? I didn’t sign up with these guys!” I hastily moved on. It would have been too complicated to explain anyway. “The point is, they let you filter their database by certain criteria. Now, I’ve got hold of a few names here that I think would do us just fine…” [B]Steve Flash[/B] was an obvious choice. The man was a veteran par excellence, with a long time to go before Road Agency called his name. He could do well in the All-Action Division, and we could probably get a good storyline out of that; if not, then the Tag Division called. [B]Shooter Sean Deeley[/B] was another good fit for us. Former amateur wrestler, solid fundamentals, and a good backstage rep from all accounts. He’s practically unknown, however, so it’s going to take a while to bump him up to where he deserves to be. Another good fit for the Tag Division, if only to give The Machines someone to play with. Why we ever let go of [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] I’ll never know. There was talk of cutbacks and of savings, but really! The guy’s good! Considering we’ve still got Grunt and Stink on the roster, I can’t help wondering who he must have upset to get kicked out so unceremoniously. Finally, another signing to pad the All-Action Division – CZCW darling, [B]Insane Machine[/B]. I like the mask, I like his style, and I think our fans will too. Not sure about whether to keep him under the hood, though – I shall have to see for later. Tommy looked over the proposals I’d sent out, nodding thoughtfully. “Looks like a good crop you’ve got there, Fowler.” “That’s not all, either.” I picked up a newspaper off the table next to me. “Take a look at this.” Tommy looked at the article I was indicating with trepidation. “Business news? Are you trying to bore me to death before the show?” “Just read it.” Tommy did so, frowning as he went along. “Okay. International trade laws have changed. Greater workforce mobility. Greater flexibility. What’s your point?” I grinned. “Workforce mobility, Tommy. It’s easier to get a job abroad, now. In any industry. Including the sports entertainment business! We can be bringing workers in from Japan, Mexico, England – anywhere we like!” A smile split Tommy’s face. “See, this? This is the kind of thing that gets you bonuses. Nice one, mate.” “Thanks.” Business done, I shut down my computer and turned back to Tommy. “Now, you were saying something before about goals?” “Yeah, I was.” Tommy took a seat, stretching his legs out. “They’re all the rage these days. And hell, if Richard bloody Eisen can start setting arbitrary objectives, I can damn well manage it.” “Fire away, boss.” “First, I want us to be in profit by the end of the year, you understand? We’re a money-making concern, so don’t go squandering all our cash. I want more in the bank in a year than there is now.” I thought about it for a second. “I’ll do my best. Anything else?” “Not much. Run all the recruits past Archie before you bring ‘em in, though. We don’t want any more wristlock-from-a-wristwatch gags, do we? Oh, and no drinkers. We’ve had problems with that before.” “That sounds easy enough. Anything else?” “Actually, yes. Have you started working out what’s going on the show tonight?” “Oh, crap. I knew I forgot something.”

[Marcel Fromage]

Good start - I'm reading! :)

[eayragt]

Nice start, and those signings will flush out the undercard well if they come on board. What was your basics owner goal (as sometimes it doesn't matter too much, sometimes it can be quite annoying)? Good luck building up talented Main Eventers that aren't called "Wolf".

[1PWfan]

I love your writing style, and the diary itself is cool. Plus, you also score points for beiing original by not signing Freddie Datsun or Jake Sawyer. In terms of great Brit workers, I'd reccommend Adam Matravers, Daniel Black Francis and Hat Guy (I forget his name). They're all talented although HG's a bit of project and you've got enough of those on your plate.

[Tigerkinney]

[QUOTE=1PWfan;366203] In terms of great Brit workers, I'd reccommend Adam Matravers, Daniel Black Francis and Hat Guy (I forget his name). They're all talented although HG's a bit of project and you've got enough of those on your plate.[/QUOTE] The 'Hat Guy' would be Phillip Cooper.

[juggaloninjalee]

I love TCW! By far my favorite promotion to play as so I will be paying attention. Tommy Cornell can whoop on Liberty and RDJ for awhile putting on B+ matches until some new guys come up the card into the main event.

[Phantom Stranger]

[QUOTE=1PWfan;366203] In terms of great Brit workers, I'd reccommend Adam Matravers, Daniel Black Francis and Hat Guy (I forget his name). They're all talented although HG's a bit of project and you've got enough of those on your plate.[/QUOTE] Adam and his former partner Petey Barnes both, but I think Regis knows I'll recommend him. But I wouldn't flood the place with Brits until you get some of 'em over.

[1PWfan]

[QUOTE=Phantom Stranger;366269]Adam and his former partner Petey Barnes both, but I think Regis knows I'll recommend him. But I wouldn't flood the place with Brits until you get some of 'em over.[/QUOTE] That's the problem I always have with promotions: I like the promotion style, but actually go for less than half the roster (for instance, I once worked out that of TCW's starting roster, I would keep tornado, Cornell, the tag team specialists, rick law and the machines, and virtually nobody else afer their contracts were up). As for the Nation of Filth, I would reccomend using them as tag jobbers: they're not very talented, but they are over, and you can use them to get other people over.

[Derek B]

I like this so far!! TCW diaries are few and far between because most people (including me) write off their roster and end up making a lot of changes very quickly. But the idea that TCW is about to get an influx of British talent is something I've always wanted to see. Phillip Cooper's hats = merchandise sales = megapush :D

[Regis]

[I]OOC: Thanks for all the support and advice, guys - hope you enjoy the first show![/I] And so begins my first show. I had slight butterflies thinking about it – here’s hoping… American Buffalo and Ice Man CA danced in the dark to start with, and performed beyond what I would have expected for a squash like this! The rookie tried his best to be clever, slipping and sliding about, but he couldn’t evade the Buffalo forever, and The Stampede claimed another victim. Those guys looked like they were having fun out there – and I want to know what Ice Man said to make Buffalo crack up part-way through a Bear Hug sequence. [B]American Buffalo defeats Iceman C.A.[/B] [B]RATING: B-[/B] Next up before the show, Painful Procedure took on The Darkness Warriors. Not as good as the previous effort, but not too shabby. Hopkirk and Shearer mocked the hell out of their eyeliner-wearing opponents, before Jay ate a Randallism and took the three count from the wildly head-banging rock star. On a side note, damn! That’s a weird beard Hopkirk’s got. [B]Painful Procedure defeat The Darkness Warriors[/B] [B]RATING: C-[/B] And now onto the first match of the show, with Chance Fortune and Freddy Huggins continuing their long, long rivalry. Chance won again. I don’t know if Freddy was bored with the same match again, or if he just objected to jerking the curtain, but he looked a bit rushed – didn’t work an armbar enough here, slightly mis-timed a dropkick there, just little things. Could have easily done better. [B]Chance Fortune defeats Freddy Huggins[/B] [B]RATING: C-[/B] Then, the moment the crowd had been waiting for arrived. I’d never heard a Tommy Cornell pop in person before, but it was bloody deafening. Here he was, no opponent in sight, just walking down to the ring in his trunks with the title over his shoulder, and the crowd were going absolutely berserk! Tommy raised his mic, and addressed the assembled fans… “Oi! Shut up and listen, will you? I haven’t got all day!” Yeah, that got them going alright. Cheers turned to boos as the crowd remembered that Tommy’s a heel. “Well, here we are again, eh?” He patted the belt on his shoulder, smugness radiating from every pore. “Tommy’s got his belt back, and all’s right with the world. Y’see, I’ve realised something about this whole business, about me coming out here to wrestle for all of you ungrateful toe-rags night after night. All the time that scumbag Ricky Dale Johnson,” there was a pause for the crowd to finish cheering, “had this belt, I had to keep coming out here and trying to earn a shot, to show I was the best man to take him on. Well, now I’ve got it back, and y’know what? I’ve realised something. This is my bloody company. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone! Night after night, I have to prove to you people that I’m the best, as if what you think about it possibly matters! You boo me, you cheer me, but I’m still the best! I’m the best wrestler in this damn company! I can break anyone, any way I choose! And hey, it’s not like it matters. Whether I’m the best wrestler or not, it’s my company, and it’s my belt, and you know what? It’s going to damn well stay that way! Thankyou, you can applaud now.” Another shower of boos came from the crowd – at least until another set of music hit the arena’s speakers. Ricky Dale Johnson, champion until the very end of last month, strode out onto the entrance ramp. A lot of Tommy’s charisma comes from his rough-and-ready image, but RDJ might well have a chapter all to himself in that particular book. “Now you just hang on one god-damn second, Cornell!” Profanity. Damn. We’re post-watershed, but I’ll have to talk to him about that – we’re not DaVE, after all. “Now, you beat me, and I can accept that. You pinned me clean, one-two-three in the middle of the ring, and you walked out with that belt held high. Yeah, you were good, and yeah, you were lucky, and you know what? I can respect that. I can respect your skills, Tommy Cornell. But do you know what I can’t respect? I can’t respect you coming out here and running down the one thing you and I fought so hard over! We beat the hell out of each other, Tommy! We fought and we bled and we beat the ever-living hell out of each other, and you come out here and say that you don’t have to prove anything? You say that you don’t care about being the best? Then what the hell is that belt, Tommy? To me, that belt was proof that every night I stepped out with it around my waist, I was the best we had to offer. I could take on any man who wanted to challenge me, and as long as I kept winning, you know what? I kept the belt! My passion got me that gold, Tommy, and to hear you running it down? To hear you talk about it like it was a prop, something you can get just for showing up? It makes me angry, Tommy! Now, if you don’t care about that belt, then fine! Act like you own the place, you do! But give the damn thing to someone who’s got some fire for it! Oh, and shut up bitching about your fans, you whining *******.” Tommy’s face darkened as the crowd roared its approval. He raised the microphone to retort. “So that’s how we’re playing, is it? Fine. Have your little rant. Makes no difference to me, one way or the other. Because, y’see, this belt isn’t about being the best, friend. It’s not about how many men you can beat or about who pinned who with what. This belt isn’t about skill, it’s about power! It’s the golden rule, you know? I’ve got the gold – so I rule! And much as you might want to, you will never get this belt off me, because this isn’t your place! It’s mine! I run this company, and I’ll be damned if I’ll hand my belt over to the likes of you!” He paused as the crowd booed its disapproval. “But if you want a match tonight? You’ve got one. BECAUSE NOBODY CALLS ME A WHINING ******* AND WALKS AWAY TO TELL THE TALE!” [B]Title Celebration, Challenge and Acceptance all rated: B+[/B] And I’ve got to get them to stop swearing so much. The network will have a fit. [I]Part Two to come...[/I]

[Regis]

[I]...Come very quickly, in fact![/I] Next up, a match without much in the way of story behind it outside of testing out Wolf Hawkins against the Main Event, in this case, Troy Tornado. Still, a success all round, and one that could pull a lot better than it did with a strong storyline behind it. It was Heel versus Heel, which kind of confused the crowd, but to be honest, Hawkins is getting more of a Face pop than anyone else on his level of the card. They pretty much match up skill-wise too, both solid in the air and on the mat. In the end, the day was carried when Troy attempted a Star Maker Moonsault to the outside, only to be evaded when the exhausted Wolf Hawkins simply fell out of the way. One unpleasant meeting with the crowd barrier later, the count of ten had gone up and the match was carried to a draw. [B]Wolf Hawkins and Troy Tornado draw by double count-out[/B] [B]Rated: B-[/B] Next up, the International Title is contested, as Rocky Golden looks to defend against Rick Law. Damn, but I mark for Rick Law. He’s got that ultra-clean babyface look going for him, and coupled with his size, I think this man could go far. Plus, when he eventually has to go Heel, I think that nightstick could be put to good use. This time around, though, he mostly ended up humiliating poor bloody Rocky Golden. I can see why people keep giving him shots at the big time, he really does have an air of stardom about him, but this time he pretty much just sold for Rick while occasionally working out his extremely limited moveset. The crowd were hot to see Rick take the title, but their hopes were dashed when the dastardly champ hit a Rocky Special – the name I’ve given to his nasty-looking forearm to the balls – right in front of the ref. Rick wins by DQ, but hangs onto the gold. DAMN YOU, ROCKY GOLDEN! DAAAAAAAMN YOOOOOOUUUUUU! [B]Rick Law defeats Rocky Golden by DQ. Rocky Golden retains the International Championship.[/B] [B]Rating: C+[/B] The Wrestling Machines make me mark like no other team alive, and in the sub-main event, they shone like the stars they are. Quite seriously, nobody that isn’t called Tommy Cornell has the same grasp of the basic fundamentals of working a match as these guys, and it showed. It helped that they had two teams to work against tonight, competing against the Young Guns and the Tag Team Specialists. We had to get the Guns in there, come on. They’re not too good, but they’re young – it’s in the name – and they’re the only Faces in the entire division! As it happened, though, they got a good workout against the veterans, although alas they ate the Machine Gun (double stun gun, new finisher of The Wrestling Machines) and the pin to give the champs their victory. And damn you, crowd – couldn’t you have been a bit hotter for this one? It was Tag Wrestling at its finest, damn it all! [B]The Wrestling Machines defeat the Young Guns and the Tag Team Specialists[/B] [B]Rating: C[/B] And finally… the Main Event. I could barely sit still in my chair as Tommy and Ricky made their way to the ring. Was this going to work? Was the rematch going to get the crowd going? Was I going to be an unmitigated failure? Was I ever going to stop narrating my own life inside my head? I nearly had a coronary as the match began. RDJ held his hand out for Tommy to shake. Tommy slapped it aside. RDJ tried again. Tommy refused again. Then RDJ leans forward, forcibly grabs Tommy’s hand – then yanks him forward, and headbutts him right in the face! Right in the bloody face, on the bridge of his nose! I nearly screamed when I saw that. Jesus, Ricky, this isn’t DaVE! How many times? This is TCW, bastion of old-school wrestling, and our Faces do not just headbutt people in the middle of the ring! The fans are going to… are going to… Love it. They loved every second of it, the bloodthirsty bastards. No wonder Ricky’s such a good Face by this point – when there’s a heel that they hate as much as Tommy, nothing pops the crowd like seeing him getting the living hell beaten out of him. Johnson carried on in the same vein, slamming punches and kicks into the prone Tommy until the referee had to drag him away to give the champ a chance to get back to his feet. Past that point, though, Ricky was doomed. Tommy’s just twice the wrestler he is, and tied the poor devil up in knots. Holds flowed into holds, throws, slams and takedowns, and by the final thirty-minute mark, even RDJ’s awesome face comeback routine couldn’t save the day. The Guilt Trip was locked on, and once again, RDJ tapped clean in the middle of the ring. [B]Tommy Cornell defeats Ricky Dale Johnson.[/B] [B]Rating: B+[/B] [B]Overall rating: B, with a 13.43 rating from the TV side of things[/B], not helped by the fact that one of the cameramen decided it would be funny to try and get reaction shots of my face all the damn time. I’ll get them to edit that out in the truck next time.

[Jaded]

Wow - very nice diary! Good to see someone doing something interesting with TCW, and I'll look forward to seeing some of the top British guys come in.

[juggaloninjalee]

I love your style of write up with analyzing the match as it goes on. Same with other segments. It is unique and catchy. Please do this diary for a long time!

[Greg McNeish]

Good stuff. Me likes.

[Spud1305]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Blue"]I like the way this is looking so far.It'll be interesting to see what you do with Wolf Hawkins and Troy Tornado. Keep up the good work.:)[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Regis]

The next day, Tommy was in high good humour as I walked into his office. “Did you get the ratings, Fowler? 13.43, and we pulled off a better show than anyone else! Better than WLW, better than INSPIRE, and definitely better than SWF! They even pulled less people than we did, 5,000, can you believe it?” “We didn’t sell the arena out, Tommy,” I pointed out somewhat lamely – the 150 empty seats were hardly a drain on our finances. “And they’re still the bigger men out of us, don’t forget.” “Feh.” Tommy waved his hand dismissively. “Not for long, not if we keep this up. They can’t grow if they keep booking shows like that. And if we’re talking about size, Fowler, Eisen relies on size. We work with what we’ve always had over them: skill. It’s where we come out on top, every time.” I chose not to mention the fact that large parts of our roster had little skill beyond hitting people in the face or picking them up and dropping them. It seemed counter-productive. “Tommy, I know we’re at war with the SWF. Everyone says so. We make the jokes, we take the piss, we run our damn show opposite them. What I want to know is, are you asking me to take down the Supreme Wrestling Federation? Because I’ve got to know one way or the other.” Tommy sighed, and leaned forward across the table. “Okay. You want the truth? The big secret? Here it is: I don’t much like the way SWF is run. I don’t watch it, and I don’t much want to. I like my wrestling serious, without the cartoons. Now, I want TCW to be number one. I think we’re better, and I think that more people will enjoy what we’ve got to offer. Now, I’m not saying to drive them out of business, because there’s got to be something to keep the kids entertained, but get us to the top, alright? And make sure we stay there.” “Alright, Tommy.” I nodded, rose, and left the room. I had things to do; for one thing, there were a few people back in England that I had to get in touch with… [I]OOC: Okay, so, I've not run the next show yet - I do, however, have it saved just before starting. It's all booked, so we're all in suspense as to how well it will do! I'll also have write-ups of how my negotiations with various different stars went. Until then, have a predictions key! [U]In The Dark:[/U] Painful Procedure vs. The Nation Of Filth Charlie Thatcher vs. Ronnie V Pain vs. Texas Pete [U]In The Main Show:[/U] The Young Guns vs. The Tag Team Specialists Fumihiro Ota vs. Aaron Andrews American Buffalo vs. Ice Man C.A. Rocky Golden vs. Giant Tana for the International Title Wolf Hawkins vs. BLZ Bubb Tommy Cornell vs. Liberty, non-title.[/I]

[Phantom Stranger]

[B]Painful Procedure[/B] vs. The Nation Of Filth Charlie Thatcher vs. Ronnie V Pain vs. [B]Texas Pete[/B] [B] The Young Guns[/B] vs. The Tag Team Specialists Fumihiro Ota vs. [B]Aaron Andrews[/B] American Buffalo vs. [B]Ice Man C.A.[/B] [B] Rocky Golden[/B] vs. Giant Tana for the International Title Wolf Hawkins vs. [B]BLZ Bubb[/B] [B]Tommy Cornell[/B] vs. Liberty, non-title. Most of which is best guess. Good to see Ota back in TCW, though.

[Midnightnick]

In The Dark: [B]Painful Procedure[/B] vs. The Nation Of Filth Charlie Thatcher vs. Ronnie V Pain vs. [B]Texas Pete [/B] In The Main Show: The Young Guns vs. [B]The Tag Team Specialists[/B] [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews [B]American Buffalo[/B] vs. Ice Man C.A. [B]Rocky Golden[/B] vs. Giant Tana for the International Title [B]Wolf Hawkins[/B] vs. BLZ Bubb Tommy Cornell vs. [B]Liberty[/B], non-title.

[1PWfan]

[B]Painful Procedure[/B] vs. Nation of Filth [I]You've made it pretty clear that you don't much like Stink and Grunt, and whilst Painful Procedure aren't a great team they're just about the only viable tag contenders at this stage[/I] [B]Charlie Thatcher[/B] vs. Ronnie V Pain vs. Texas Pete [I]None of these guys are much good, but I generally find that Thatcher's the one with the most potential. Plus, he is mates with RDJ[/I] [B]The Young Guns[/B] vs. The Tag Team Specialists [I]Whilst Bryant and Oxford rule, they neither of them have long left (Oxford may in fact be the oldest actual wrestler in the game), whilst The Young Guns are good prospects for the future.[/I] [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews [I]Whilst Ota is the new blood here, he comes in higher on the card than Andrews, and needs a successful intro.[/I] [B]American Buffalo[/B] vs. Iceman C.A [I]Talented upper-midcarder vs. jobber. Not really a contest[/I] [B]Rocky Golden[/B] vs. Giant Tana [I]Whilst it would be a good idea to get the title off Golden soon, and much as I love Tana (as anyone would after readin J. Silver's USPW diary), I doubt Tana will take it here.[/I] Wolf Hawkins vs. [B]BLZ Bubb[/B] [I]Hawkins is a star in the making, and not much making at that. On the other hand, if you turn him face, young clean-cut goodguy against evil demonic monster heel is a great storyline, and Bubb should win to kick it off, leading into a beat-down for the turn[/I] [B]Tommy Cornell[/B] vs. Liberty [I]It may be non-title, but for Cornell to lose a non-storyline match here would, IMO, hurt things overall. Of course, Liberty could always take it by DQ, I guess[/I]

[Regis]

[QUOTE=1PWfan;367869]...much as I love Tana (as anyone would after readin J. Silver's USPW diary), I doubt Tana will take it here.[/QUOTE] You're thinking of Rhino Umaga, actually, or possibly Akima Brave - Giant Tana is a different Samoan entirely.

[1PWfan]

Actually, he brings Tana in to aid Bruce The Giant against said evil samoans.

[Tigerkinney]

In The Dark: [B]Painful Procedure[/B] vs. The Nation Of Filth [I]Both of these teams suck, but no one sucks worse that the Nation of Filth.[/I] Charlie Thatcher vs. Ronnie V Pain vs. [B]Texas Pete[/B] [I]Hoss-Fest !! I really don't care who wins, but I'll go with the one with possibly the most upside.[/I] In The Main Show: The Young Guns vs. [B]The Tag Team Specialists[/B] [I]The Young Guns, whilst not as bad as some of the other teams just have that look of being a jobber duo made up of mediocre cruiserweights.[/I] [B]Fumihiro Ota[/B] vs. Aaron Andrews [I]Nice to see Ota back in TCW and he could be someone to rebuild the All-Action Division around. Andrews has a bright future, but there would be no shame in him losing to the returning Ota.[/I] [B]American Buffalo[/B] vs. Ice Man C.A. [I]Buffalo is one of the better big-men on the TCW roster, whilst Ice Man is he epitome of a resident jobber.[/I] [B]Rocky Golden[/B] vs. Giant Tana for the International Title [I]Not a great fan of Rocky Golden (Generic Hoss #10 on the TCW roster) but I don't see Tana being the one to take the title off him. You need to get the belt off Golden, but I think you'll save the title change for PPV[/I]. [B]Wolf Hawkins[/B] vs. BLZ Bubb [I]Too many of the quality workers in TCW are heel, but Hawkins is the one that is easiest to turn face. Hawkins wins by DQ but BLZ Bubb destroys him afterwards, this will set the start of Hawkins face turn and ignite a feud between Hawkins and the veteran monster heel.[/I] [B]Tommy Cornell[/B] vs. Liberty, non-title [I]It's non title, but I don't see Liberty being a serious title challenger so there's not much benefit to him winning this match.[/I]