USPW: Where the '90s Go to Die

[James Casey]

So, first order of priority: Hire Wanda Fish to feud with Powergrrrl...

 

I like the idea that Supreme would have a video game where their workers had super-powers.

 

And as for USPW... well, Sam and Rip are old buddies, and I'm sure Masked Patriot would fit just right into the USPW product, just like he does in MAW.

 

Looking forward to more, of course - and given how much I enjoy your backstage segments, feel free to take your time getting to the shows themselves

[pepper2008]

I have a funny feeling that BBS will be a multiple time champion. Can you play Eric Eisen or Jack Bruce when you play Powergrrrl?

[Scapino1974]

Face to Face

 

My legs bounced under the table, my fingers accompanying the bass line with a staccato rhythm. Every time someone stepped in the restaurant, my gaze leapt to the doors. Sure, Powergrrrl had told me she’d be a blonde in a black dress, but two ladies had already entered who fit that description and they’d ignored me. Maybe it had all been a joke. Maybe she was laughing at me even now...

 

“Scapino?”

 

I froze. It was the voice. I looked up and froze. A blonde in a black dress. But more importantly, I did recognize her. Only she was no stripper.

 

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i207/scapino1974/TEW2005/AliciaStrong.jpg

 

“You’re Alicia Strong!” I sputtered.

 

She smiled. “So I guess you have been watching USPW, huh?” She sat down across from me. “Did you put in your order already?”

 

I nodded, numbness creeping from my neck and into my chest. She ran a hand through her hair and then smiled at me. “You don’t have anything to say?”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

She laughed. “Scouting the Civic Center for future USPW shows. Dad was thinking of trying to expand into the midwest a little and thought this might be a good place to start.”

 

I sputtered for a moment more. “No, I mean here. With me.”

 

She smiled, her eyes softening. “Maybe I just wanted to meet you face to face. Ever think of that?”

 

Heat chased the numbness through my chest and into my legs.

 

“But that’s not the only reason. I’ve really enjoyed talking to you about wrestling over the past couple of months. And what you had to say two days ago–”

 

“I am so sorry about that! I didn’t mean to insult your dad–”

 

“You didn’t. You said he shouldn’t be in the ring and you’re right. I know it, he knows it. It’d take a special match to bring him out of retirement. He’s content to run USPW.”

 

“But what I said about his roster–”

 

“– is entirely true. The workers are...”

 

“... old?”

 

She smirked. “I would have said experienced. But Dad is interested in trying to change that. He thinks the time is ripe to go after the SWF and TCW and really push USPW up the ranks. I think he realizes that we’re a bit sluggish and is looking to go in a new direction. He’s looking for a new head booker and I’d like it to be you.”

 

I nearly choked on my drink. “You what?”

 

She nodded. “Like I said, I’ve enjoyed our conversations over the Stallwart. I think you have some good ideas. And you trained with Rack Rocket, right? That means you could work in the ring as well.”

 

I nodded. “It’s been a while, though.”

 

“We’ll do our best to get you up to speed before you debut. Look, Scapino, I know this is a bit out of the blue, but I really think you’re what we need at USPW.”

 

“I still don’t get this. Why would your dad agree to this? He doesn’t know me. I’m a complete outsider.”

 

“It’s simple,” Alicia said, a predatory gleam in her eyes. “I told him it’s either this, or I walk from my contract with USPW and go to work for Dan Stone up north. He didn’t want that to happen, so the choice is mine. And you’re my choice. What do you say?”

 

For a split second, I thought of that Masked Patriot shirt resting in my dresser back home. What other prompting did I need? Let Brandon have MAW. I reached across the table. “Sounds good to me.”

 

Alicia clasped my hand. “Glad to have you aboard.”

 

That’s when our orders arrived. Much to my surprise, Alicia’s dozen wings were covered with the “Blazin’” barbeque sauce. She shrugged. “What can I say? I like it hot.”

 

I suppressed a smile of my own. This was going to be fun.

[Scapino1974]

First Meetings

 

Dad was happy for me. Mom was skeptical. She thought I should stay in Blue Earth and keep working on paying down my debt. But when I told her how much I was going to be paid, she relented. Granted, things would still be tight, but she realized that I had thought this through.

 

The trip to USPW headquarters was nerve wracking. It’s not that the flight was bad. Far from it. But I was about to meet with Sam Strong, one of the legends of the business.

 

Alicia met me outside the headquarters and walked me inside. It wasn’t much to look at, just an old office building, squat and made of drab bricks. She led me down a dull linoleum hallway and to a compact conference room. Inside was a veritable reunion of old ... er, experienced wrestlers. Sam Strong rose from the head of the table, a broad smile on his face. Micky Starr, at his left, regarded me cautiously. Danny Jillefski sneered as I shook hands with his boss.

 

“Good to see you, kid. Mind if I call you Scapino?” Sam asked, then kept going before I could answer. “I’m sure that Alicia filled you in on the poop, but let’s go over some specifics. If you’re gonna work for me, you’ll need to do the following:

 

“First, I’m bringing you on board to move our brand forward, not backward. I’m willing to give you two years to do your thing. If we’ve fallen past seventh in the world ranking, you’re out. Got it?”

 

“And where are we right now?” I whispered to Alicia.

 

“Seventh,” she whispered back.

 

“Great, so plenty of wiggle room, huh?”

 

She giggled. Jillefski glared at me. Sam cleared his throat.

 

“Anyway. Number two concerns Bruce the Giant. He’s one of the most visible, most popular guys we have right now. As a result, we need to keep him hot. So I don’t want you dumping on him, okay? He needs to keep on top in terms of popularity and momentum, got it?”

 

I nodded. Then there was a knock at the door and Peter Valentine popped his head in.

 

“Sam, we still on for lunch today?”

 

“Sure, sure.” Sam waved Peter back out the door then faced me. “Peter’s next. He’s had some hard knocks in life and I want to do right by him. I want you to keep him hot as well, got it?”

 

I winced. Given the amount of veterans in the USPW locker room, I assumed we would be dealing with some tricky politics. I hadn’t realized how far up the roster it went.

 

“Last things. I don’t need no jailbirds on my roster, so anyone who’s been in trouble with the law is out. And finally, I know that MMA is huge right now. I don’t care. I don’t want none of them in my promotion. Got it?”

 

I nodded. The Valentine goal rankled a bit, but I could live with them all.

 

“So. What’s your initial thoughts?”

 

“Couple of things. First of all, I want to start running some genuine storylines. I know that’s not what you’re doing right now–”

 

Sam Strong shrugged. “Who cares? So we’ll cut back on matches a little. Big deal. What else?”

 

“Second, I want to bring in some more women wrestlers.”

 

“Why would you want to do that?” The question from Danny Jillefski took my surprise, especially the venom in his voice.

 

“Well, right now, we’ve got four: Alicia, Cherry Bomb, Nadia Snow, and Stephanie Wade. That’s a good start, but you’ve got three heels to Alicia’s face. We could use three or four more women just to round out the division and so the matches don’t consist of Alicia fighting rotating opponents.”

 

Alicia smiled demurely as Jillefski grumbled something under his breath. I wasn’t being fully honest. I was worried about the fact that Alicia had creative control in her contract. It made sense: Sam had created the women’s division specifically for his little girl. But I knew that would cause me headaches in the future.

 

“That sounds do-able,” Sam said. “What else?”

 

“I notice we’ve got a few holes in the roster to plug. Do I have permission to start hiring people?”

 

Sam nodded. “Anybody in mind?”

 

“Not specifically, but I’d like to focus on younger wrestlers, under thirty preferably. And I’d also like to focus on high fliers. Get some acrobatic people in.”

 

“Why?” Jillefski again.

 

“Right now the roster is a bit ... experienced.”

 

“You mean they’re old,” Sam said with a laugh.

 

“That’s one way to put it,” I allowed. “So I want to balance things out a bit, get some people in who are younger and can go in the ring longer than ten minutes. So I’m thinking luchadores, spot monkeys, people to really pump up the crowd.”

 

“But we’re a family friendly company!” Jillefski said.

 

“And I’m not going to change that,” I countered. “Right now, though, you’re appealing to the dads by putting in wrestlers that they grew up with. I want to put in some flashy stuff that will appeal to the kids.”

 

Sam nodded and crimson crept up Jillefski’s neck and into his cheeks. I decided to press on.

 

“I’m also going to contact some pay-per-view carriers. It might be time to get USPW a contract to add that revenue stream. And I’d also like to clean up the schedule a bit. Right now, the major shows are scattered all over the calendar with little to no pattern. I want to put the big monthly shows on the last Friday of every month. That way, the fans know when it is and we have a consistent amount of time to build up to them. Plus it’ll give families an entertainment option.”

 

Sam glanced at Jillefski, who looked about ready to explode. But he nodded anyway and started to rise.

 

“There is one more thing,” I said.

 

Strong hesitated for a moment then sat down.

 

“I’ve got an idea for one of our first storylines, but I figured I’d better run it by you first.”

 

With that, I explained what I had in mind. And, just as I expected, Jillefski just about combusted.

 

“Absolutely not! That is ridiculous and completely–”

 

Strong held up a hand, cutting him off, but he didn’t stop looking at me. “Why?”

 

“It’d send a signal to the viewers, let them know we’re going in a new direction. It’s ultimately up to you, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”

 

Strong looked between Jillefski, Alicia, and me, before he sighed and nodded. Jillefski slammed a fist on the desk and then stormed out of the room. Strong grimaced.

 

“Well, I guess that’s that. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get to lunch.”

 

With that, Strong got up and practically fled from the room. I rose as well. A moment later, Micky Starr got up and came around the table. He stepped a bit too close for my comfort.

 

“You Rack’s kid?”

 

“Uh ... no. He trained me though.”

 

Micky nodded. “Said you’re good.” He looked me over for a moment. “We’ll see.”

 

And then he left as well. I watched him go and then turned to Alicia.

 

“What was all that about? Why was Jillefski so hostile?”

 

Alicia sighed. “He was booker before you but Dad and he had a falling out over the way he handled some matches. I think he was hoping that Dad would forget about it and give him his job back. Don’t worry about him. You’ll do fine.”

 

And with that, she left as well. I looked around the room and sighed. What had I gotten myself into?

[Liamo]

A controversial storyline in USPW?! You're crazy!

 

Seriously tho, I don't think I've enjoyed a backstory as much. Strong's character is exactly how I imagined him to be and I think a bitter Jillefski might crop up again sooner or later and make things interesting. Great stuff, as we've come to expect.

[Scapino1974]

USPW American Wrestling

Live on Sports America

Wednesday of Week 1, January 2008

Held at Huntsville Fairgrounds in the South East Territory

4,284 in attendance

 

Danny Jillefski and Shane Sneer welcomed the audience to the show.

 

1) The show kicked off with USPW World Champion James Justice in the ring. He waved to the crowd and said that he was “stoked” to be here. “USPW fans are the best in the world, man. I mean that. And this is an exciting time to be both a fan and a wrestler for USPW. We’re moving in a new direction, and it’s gonna be awesome!”

 

Before this could go on too long, though, a beefy voice shouted, “Timber!” and out lumbered Giant Redwood. Redwood had a mic concealed somewhere in his thick fist and he raised it. The crowd stilled.

 

“Nobody wants a new direction. Nobody gonna get one. You’re not going to hold on to the title either. You and me later tonight!” He followed up his gravelly rant with an incoherent screech.

 

RATING: C

 

2) NICKY CHAMPION © vs. LEX APPEAL for the USPW Television Title

 

So much for starting my first show with a bang. Nicky and Lex did an okay job, I guess, but people must have been stunned by Redwood’s speech. Nicky finally put Lex down with a Hawkeye Hammer.

 

Winner: Nicky Champion in 9:14

RATING: D

 

3) Ominous organ music began playing and Commissioner Doom appeared on screen in a barely lit office. Light shone up from the desk, casting a eery pall over Doom’s face.

 

“What our champion says is true. We are indeed moving in a new direction. But that direction shall not include one of the familiar faces here at USPW. At ‘Stars, Stripes, and Slams,’ we will hold a four-way match between Jumbo Jackson, Jim Force, Giant Redwood, and Nicky Champion. Whoever loses the match by being pinned or submitting will lose their job here at USPW. That is all.”

 

RATING: D

 

4) Peter Valentine was backstage on his cell phone. He told whoever he was talking to that he was a little frustrated that Giant Redwood made it out to the ring first to challenge James Justice for the title. But he went on to say that if things were going to be new around here, he would be a part of it. “After all, who else exemplifies newness but Peter Valentine?”

 

Someone laughed behind him. Peter turned and found himself face to face with Darryl Devine. Darryl laughed again and asked if Peter was serious. Darryl pointed out that Peter was past his prime and was probably close to retiring soon. “If anyone exemplifies being new, it’s me. Not to be immodest, but your time has come and gone. It’s best for guys like you to just get out of the way.”

 

Peter clapped his phone shut and got in Darryl’s face. “You think so, pretty boy? Tell you what. You and me, later tonight. I’ll show you what’s what.”

 

RATING: C-

 

5) CAPTAIN USA vs. JUMBO JACKSON

 

Danny wondered if Jumbo was nervous since he was in the “loser gets fired” match that Commissioner Doom announced earlier. Shane Sneer brushed off the idea, saying that Jumbo was all business and wouldn’t let something like that bother him.

 

And Jumbo held up his end of the match. It was the Captain who was off his game and exhausted by the end of the match. Things ended with a Jumbo Avalanche.

 

WINNER: Jumbo Jackson in 8:52

RATING: D-

 

6) Bruce the Giant ducked under a doorway into the arena, much to the delight of the crowd. But before he could make it too far, he was intercepted by Anger. Anger berated him for being late, saying that such behavior angered Commissioner Doom and what made Doom angry made Anger angry. “And you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

 

Bruce quirked an eyebrow at the somewhat smaller man. “Just imagine how empty what you just said would be without some variation of ‘angry.’ And as for me bein’ late, mate, I don’t answer to you.”

 

Anger got in close and snarled at him. “Maybe tonight you will.”

 

Bruce sighed. “If that’s what you want. See you later.”

 

RATING: C

 

7) CHRIS CAULFIELD vs. T-REX

 

The crowd popped for Chris Caulfield, who tossed his American flag headband into the crowd. And these two managed to put on a pretty good match, especially with Sheik Mustafa in T-Rex’s corner. That pairing works out pretty well. But T-Rex was exhausted by the end and probably more than a little relieved when Chris dropped him with a Danger Drop.

 

WINNER: Chris Caulfield in 6:53

RATING: C

 

8) The cameras cut to the backstage area where Alicia Strong and Nadia Snow were arguing over who would take on Cherry Bomb for her Women’s Championship Title. Things almost came to blows when organ music began playing and Commissioner Doom glided into the frame, the lights shifting to pool around him.

 

“There is only one way to settle this matter. The two of you shall fight at ‘Stars, Stripes, and Slams.’ The winner of said match will go on to face the indomitable Cherry Bomb.”

 

And with that, he was gone, leaving a somewhat confused Alicia and Nadia in his wake.

 

RATING: D+

 

9) BRUCE THE GIANT vs. ANGER

 

I think Bruce’s overness with the crowd really carried this match since Bruce was visibly tiring by the end. Well, that and he really didn’t sell Anger’s offense either. But the crowd loved it when he dropped Anger with a Giant Choke Slam.

 

WINNER: Bruce the Giant in 7:46

RATING: C

 

10) A video played, hyping the Towers of Power as the current USPW tag champs.

 

RATING: E+

 

11) DARRYL DEVINE vs. PETER VALENTINE

 

These two did not work well in the ring together. Lots of missed spots and botched moves. But in the end, Peter managed to power past Darryl’s offense and put him down with a Heart Breaker.

 

WINNER: Peter Valentine in 8:35

RATING: D

 

12) Peter apparently wasn’t done with Darryl yet. He shoved the ref away and started to work him over, holding him by the hair and repeatedly punching him in the face.

 

That’s when Chris Caulfield raced out to the ring and rolled in. Peter didn’t want any of that. He bailed, escaping back up the ramp.

 

RATING: C

 

13) JAMES JUSTICE © vs. GIANT REDWOOD for the USPW World Title

 

Our champ looked great in the ring compared to Giant Redwood, who was simply exhausted by the end of the match. Redwood managed to rally twice and came close to picking up the pin, but James finally put him away with a Liberation Slam.

 

WINNER: James Justice in 9:49

RATING: C+

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

Darryl wouldn’t talk to me after the show, but I figured he would get over it. I had bit plans for him. This was just the first step.

 

FINAL RATING: C-

[Scapino1974]

The First Speed Bump

 

My cell phone chirped in my pocket. I glanced at the screen and sighed. I flipped it open.

 

“Hi Mr. Strong,” I said.

 

“Hey kid. Well, got some good news and bad news. Good news first. PPV-4-U agreed to sign with us. Six months and they get a 90% cut of the revenue.”

 

I gritted my teeth. I had hoped we could get a little more out of the company, but that would have to do. At least they would give us more coverage than some of the smaller ones.

 

“Ready for the bad news?” Before I could answer, Strong went on. “Both Devine and Caulfield are out. They signed with Eisen.”

 

I groaned. I should have seen this coming. I could hardly believe my good luck when I came to USPW and saw those two on my roster. Especially Devine. He was well on his way to becoming a great worker. A ring general, fantastic on the mic, and a true show stopper. He could have easily been the cornerstone of the promotion. Not anymore.

 

“Still planning on going through with your plans?”

 

I sighed. “This doesn’t change anything. We’ll just have to hope that it will all work out.”

 

Once I hung up, I booted up my computer and hit ProWrestlingHits.com. Time to find some replacements and fast.

[Phantom Stranger]

Ouch.

 

Sad to say, those're two of Richard's standard picks at the opening of 08, but it's still a loss. Here's hoping you can find a quick workaround...

[UFC-KING]

Damn Scap !

 

You are making it harder and harder to vote for DOTM Cornellverse. Great Diary, Keep up the good work

[mr_accipitres]

A random USPW staffer has a suggestion -

 

"Hey there's this guy out there that might be a nice fit - young ... athletic background ... good brawling with some technical skill thrown in ... hmmm ... I think his last name is Smith" Looks through some notes "Yeah, Brandon Smith - works for Chord in MAW as The Masked Patriot. Says here he's from Minnesota. Hey, aren't you from Minnesota? Maybe you know the guy?"

 

Nice diary, I've always pictured Smith being kind of a prick in his day to day life, but making him the focus of your backstory was gold. KUTGW.

[Ping von Erich]

Ouch, yeah USPW games should always start with a non agression pact with Eisen, he takes Devine and Caulfield every single time.

 

You'll find a way around it, no doubt. Enjoying it so far man.

[foolinc]

Ouch, yeah USPW games should always start with a non agression pact with Eisen, he takes Devine and Caulfield every single time.

 

You'll find a way around it, no doubt. Enjoying it so far man.

 

To be honest, I don't see it as that big of a deal. Adds some challenge to the game and while Devine could be your cornerstone (as J Silver has shown), he needs to be pushed carefully in 2008 or he'll get a big head. Caulfield a solid worker, but isn't really needed.

 

Can't wait for more from this diary.

[eayragt]

Ouch, yeah USPW games should always start with a non agression pact with Eisen,

 

Oh no they shouldn't, non-agression pacts make the game boring! Anyway, talking about pacts, is the working agreement still up between you and MAW? Think of the talent trade potential! Anyone coming over would sure have creative control, but I'm sure they'd begrudgingly accept being beaten up by Giant Redwood!

 

Am I mean?

[Scapino1974]

USPW American Wrestling

Live on Sports America

Wednesday of Week 2, January 2008

Held at the Arkansas Colliseum in the Mid South Territory

2,000 in attendance - SOLD OUT!

 

Danny Jillefski and Shane Sneer welcomed the audience to the show.

 

1) ALICIA STRONG vs. STEPHANIE WADE

 

Alicia looked really good in the ring as she fought Stephanie Wade. I was actually hoping they’d be able to stir up the crowd a bit more but I was pretty pleased with the effort. Alicia put Stephanie down with an Angel Driver.

 

WINNER: Alicia Strong in 9:33

RATING: C-

 

2) Tonight, both James Justice and Bruce the Giant arrived at the same time. They discussed how great it was to work for USPW and how they were looking forward to whatever lay ahead.

 

Bruce stopped James at one point and pointed to the title belt draped over his shoulder. “That’s one thing I’d like. You know I respect you, right?”

 

“Of course, man.”

 

“And I think you’re a great champion. But how’s about you and me see who the better wrestler is.”

 

James thought it over and nodded. “I think we can work something out.”

 

Bruce patted James on the shoulder and smiled broadly. “Excellent.”

 

RATING: B

 

3) Chris Caulfield appeared on screen, raging mad over what happened to Darryl Devine last week. He raged about how Peter Valentine had no right to keep beating on Darryl once the match ended. “That’s just being a sore winner,” he said. “And there’s no place for that here. Peter, you need an attitude adjustment and lucky for you, my schedule is free for tonight.”

 

RATING: C+

 

4) THE HILLBILLYS vs. SAVAGE FURY

 

This one just stunk up the place. Tribal Warrior was off his game and Pete the Hillbilly appeared exhausted from just walking down the ramp. Shane Sneer tried to cover by hyping his clients to the moon, going over their backstory and how he discovered them on a remote jungle island. But it was the Hillbillys who picked up the win when Pete hit the Big Splash on Tribal Warrior.

 

WINNERS: The Hillbillys in 8:08

RATING: E

 

5) Al the Hillbilly got the mic and then issued a challenge to the Towers of Power. “See, me and my cousin here reckon that we ought’n to get a crack at them titles of yours. So at ‘Stars, Stripes, and Slams,’ we wanna see you here in this here ring, gotcha?”

 

RATING: E-

 

6) T-Rex came out to the ring next and issued a challenge to Bruce the Giant to a match at “Stars, Stripes, and Slams.” He said he was sick of seeing Bruce talked about as the “big man of professional wrestling” and wanted to claim that unofficial title for himself.

 

Bruce came out and said that T-Rex was a moron. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry than you, mate. You just wait your turn. I’ll be around to sort you out eventually.”

 

RATING: C- for the challenge; B- for the refusal

 

7) Lex Appeal came out to the ring and called out Darryl Devine, pointing out that Darryl isn’t the only “young guy” in USPW. Darryl came out and answered the challenge.

 

RATING: E+

 

8) DARRYL DEVINE vs. LEX APPEAL

 

And Lex buried Darryl, which resulted in a down crowd. Oh well. Had to be done.

 

WINNER: Lex Appeal in 6:57

RATING: E

 

9) Peter Valentine was in his locker room, psyching himself up for his big match against Chris Caulfield. With a roar, he started for the door and knocked it open, only to smash it into a passing Des Davids. Des got angry but Peter blamed him for what happened, telling Des, “Watch where you’re going, moron!”

 

RATING: C-

 

10) BRUCE THE GIANT vs. MICK MUSCLES

 

Bruce was off his game and exhausted. Mick wasn’t quite as bad. He was only off his game. And to top it all off, there was bad chemistry between them with a lack of selling. In spite of all that, Bruce did his level best to stoke up the crowd and failed. In the end, Sheik Mustafa popped out at ring side, distracting the ref so his client, T-Rex, could roll in and take out Bruce. Mick seemed a bit surprised at this but made the pin anyway.

 

WINNER: Mick Muscles in 8:29

RATING: D

 

11) Jim Force charged out to the ring and danced around, pointing to the crowd and howling. “Commissioner Doom, he thinks he’s so frightening, he thinks he’s got the power, but he’s wrong! He has the power, but I am the Force! The Force that can’t be stopped, the Force that courses through all these fans here. It doesn’t matter who you put in the ring with me! Jimbo Jones, a guy made of wood, or Neddy Contender, I’ll knock ‘em all down! That’s ‘cuz I’m Jim Force and I’m a Force to be reckoned with!”

 

RATING: D+

 

12) JIM FORCE vs. DANNY RUSHMORE

 

These two really clicked in the ring. A pity that no one cared. In the end, Danny managed to get Jim down and pinned after a quick thumb to his eye.

 

WINNER: Danny Rushmore in 6:43

RATING: D-

 

13) Jim didn’t look happy. He was even less happy when Giant Redwood came out and laughed at him.

 

RATING: D

 

14) CHRIS CAULFIELD vs. PETER VALENTINE

 

And we round out just a great night with Peter Valentine seemingly unsure of what he’s doing. But again, it had to be done. He buried Chris completely, making him look like a complete wreck, finally finishing him off with the Heart Breaker.

 

WINNER: Peter Valentine in 9:45

RATING: D+

 

15) And that wasn’t enough. Peter continued Chris’s humiliation by beating him in the middle of the ring before strutting away.

 

RATING: C+

 

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

Not a great second night. Darryl and Chris shook hands with me afterwards, but I could see a bit of resentment in Darryl’s eyes afterward. What did he expect, flowers?

 

FINAL RATING: D+

[Hyde Hill]

Aah a booker too my hart, you leave? You die! Giddy Mao!

[Scapino1974]

USPW American Wrestling

Live on Sports America

Wednesday of Week 3, January 2008

Held at the North Carolina Biker Museum in the Mid Atlantic Territory

2,000 in attendance - SOLD OUT!

 

Danny Jillefski and Shane Sneer welcomed us to the show.

 

1) NICKY CHAMPION © vs. SAVAGE TIGER for the USPW Television Title

 

Danny and Shane did their best to work up the crowd at the premiere of Savage Tiger (known elsewhere as “Tigre Salvage Jr.”). Unfortunately, the crowd in the Biker Museum couldn’t hear their efforts. They mostly sat on their hands or jeered as these two went through their paces. Nicky finally ended things with a Hawkeye Hammer.

 

WINNER: Nicky Champion in 9:17

RATING: D-

 

2) The Towers of Power appeared on screen and boldly accepted the challenge of the Hillbillys. They said that they were more than a match against a team whose family tree didn’t fork.

 

RATING: D

 

3) THE FORCES OF AMERICA vs. THE TOWERS OF POWER © for the USPW Tag Team Championship

 

And this didn’t help the crowd either. Captain USA was exhausted by the end and Mick Muscles looked like a mess. Jim Force did his level best to keep things on track but it was pretty clear that the crowd simply didn’t care. Mick finally ended things when he pinned Cap.

 

WINNERS: The Towers of Power in 7:40

RATING: D-

 

4) Anger stood outside the doors to Commissioner Doom’s office and took a deep breath. He then stepped into the gloom and darkness. Organ music swelled and the highbacked chair behind the desk spun, revealing the USPW’s commissioner, who was lit from underneath.

 

“What is it you wish?” Doom rumbled.

 

Anger shifted on his feet and then bowed quickly. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, boss, but James Justice has been running you down in the locker room. I don’t know about you, but that makes me really angry. So I was hoping you’d give me a chance to beat some respect into him. Maybe even give me a chance to put him in his place by giving me a title shot against him.”

 

Doom steepled his hands in front of his face for a moment. “I shall consider your request.”

 

With that, the chair spun around and Anger quickly got out of the room.

 

RATING: D+

 

5) Giant Redwood stooped before a locker, grumbling and muttering under his breath. He then loosed a savage cry and smashed his forehead into the locker, leaving a big dent. Danny commented, “Well, there goes our damage deposit on the building.”

 

RATING: D

 

6) VELOCIDAD vs. GIANT REDWOOD

 

Another newcomer for the crowd to stare at silently. Velocidad relied on his quickness to keep Redwood off his guard and it worked pretty well. Redwood did manage to bat him out of the air a few times but Redwood tired pretty quickly. He finally managed to take the wind out of Velocidad’s sails and looked ready to get the win, but then Jim Force charged out to the ring. Redwood dropped Velocidad and took a feeble swipe at Jim. Jim ducked it and backed away from the ring. Velocidad recovered long enough to hit Redwood with a Velocidad Tornado and then dropped onto Redwood and held him down.

 

WINNER: Velocidad in 6:49

RATING: E

 

7) Redwood threw the much smaller man off of him and looked ready to tear him apart. He didn’t get the chance, though, as Jim Force attacked him. The two wound up brawling through the ring and then back up the entrance ramp.

 

RATING: D-

 

8) Bruce the Giant appeared on screen and smirked at the camera.

 

“I’ve been at this for a long time. You all know that. A lot of drongos have tried to knock me down, only to have me knock ‘em about instead. And yeah, this T-Rex bloke is bloody tall, but no worries. He’ll be on his back like the rest of ‘em, or I’m not Bruce the Giant.”

 

RATING: B-

 

9) Cherry Bomb appeared next. “Alicia, Nadia, they both want my title. Doesn’t matter to me. Whoever picks up the win will have to face me, and that isn’t going to be any easy task.”

 

RATING: D

 

10) JAIME QUINE vs. CHERRY BOMB © for the USPW Women’s Championship

 

And the crowd didn’t care about the USPW debut of Jaime Quine either. Harsh crowd.

 

WINNER: Cherry Bomb in 7:59

RATING: D-

 

11) Des Davids came out to the ring. He revealed that Peter Valentine had been talking big for the past two weeks, claiming that he was the reason why Darryl Devine and Chris Caulfield had left the USPW. “We all know that’s not true. Chris and Darryl have gone on to big things. Good for them. But I’m sick of Peter strutting around like he’s so great. Peter, someone needs to knock you down. And I’ve got nothing better to do. Get out here.”

 

RATING: C

 

12) DES DAVIDS vs. PETER VALENTINE

 

I’m beginning to wonder if these people bought their tickets simply because they had nowhere else to go tonight. It probably didn’t help that Peter looked lost out there. Des did his best to sell his minimal offense. Peter snapped out of it toward the end and started to set des up for a Heart Breaker when Des slipped out. Before Peter could do anything, Des tripped him up and covered him.

 

WINNER: Des Davids in 7:55

RATING: D-

 

13) Des bailed out of the ring. Peter lunged after him but missed. Des laughed at him as he retreated up the ramp while Peter stomped and fumed.

 

RATING: C+

 

14) Champion James Justice came out to the ring. Much to the surprise of Danny Jillefski and Shane Sneer, he called out T-Rex, saying that he was even willing to put his title on the line to get the match.

 

“What is this about?” Danny wondered.

 

“I think Justice has taken one too many shots to the head!” Shane added. “Of course, with him, it’d be hard to tell.”

 

RATING: B

 

15) JAMES JUSTICE © vs. T-REX for the USPW World Championship

 

James really shone in this match, carrying a quickly tiring T-Rex through. This got the crowd’s attention and they actually got into it. James whipped them up so that they actually cheered as he put T-Rex down with a Liberation Slam.

 

WINNER: James Justice in 9:36

RATING: B-

 

16) T-Rex bounced back quickly and came up swinging. He caught James by surprise and looked ready to destroy him.

 

That’s when Bruce came striding out, his face set and intense.

 

T-Rex took one look at him and bailed out of the ring. He retreated past one of the security barricades and up an aisle.

 

Bruce checked on James and helped him up. He then turned and glowered after T-Rex. In the meantime, the ref gave James his title belt. When Bruce turned again, his eyes caught on the gold. He stared at it for a moment and then turned back to T-Rex, a snarl twitching his lips.

 

RATING: B-

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

I snuck into the crowd afterwards. James Justice saved us.

 

FINAL RATING: C

[Scapino1974]

What the...?

 

I jogged down the hall at USPW headquarters, my mind swimming. I had never imagined that booking for a small company would be so much work, especially since Sam insisted I spend hours in the gym getting back into “fighting shape,” as he put it. And with my first pay-per-view coming up, I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. I had made myself a nuisance in the various departments, getting updates on how many tickets we had sold, what the projected buy-rate would be. So far, everything looked good.

 

But then I got the news. Calls were mounting that people hadn’t been able to order the pay-per-view. The first few I thought were a fluke, a simple misunderstanding. But then there were dozens. Then hundreds.

 

I rounded a corner and found Heather, an intern Sam Strong recruited from a local college. She had bounced from position to position within the company, finally winding up as my secretary/gofer. Her brown hair was a frizzy halo that bounced as she spun, her eyes agog.

 

“Did you find anything out?” I asked.

 

She flinched as if she expected me to hit her. I sighed. She was extremely skittish and quiet. Maybe I shouldn’t have assigned her this task. She was more suited to alphabetizing the tape library and brewing Jim Force’s chai tea.

 

Yeah. Who knew?

 

Anyway, Heather bobbed her head. “I spoke to some guy at the pay-per-view company. He said that they got some sort of order from us saying that we didn’t want to put it on pay-per-view this month.”

 

“What?” I sighed as Heather shrieked and practically dove under her desk. “That makes no sense! We only have a six month contract with PPV-4-U. Why wouldn’t we want to broadcast it?”

 

“I ... I ...”

 

“I’m not mad at you. Calm down.”

 

She took several deep breaths and started again. But she wouldn’t meet my gaze. “I asked the same question. This guy said he didn’t get it either, but that he was told we wanted to do one last untelevised big show for the fans.”

 

I stared at her. Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “That’s ridiculous!” To her credit, Heather didn’t wince this time. I sighed, running my hand through my hair. “So what can we do?”

 

“According to the man I talked to, not much. They’ve already given our slot to ... well, another form of entertainment.” Based on the way she blushed, I didn’t have to guess. “Anyway, we’re stuck. I’ve started working on getting the store ready to deal with increased DVD orders and I told them to include some free t-shirts with every order, especially if anyone complains.”

 

I nodded. It was the right thing to do, that was for sure. I motioned for Heather to keep working. I just hoped Sam would understand.

[Hyde Hill]

Hehe nice way of dealing with forgetting to set your events to ppv happens all the time.

[LFC_chris]

I forgot to switch my events to PPV before my first one in my new USPW game. The most annoying thing was it got a B- rating, which I was chuffed about, but it was effectively wasted.

[Scapino1974]

USPW American Wrestling

Live on Sports America

(The Go-Home Show for “Stars, Stripes, and Slams!”)

Held at the Grissom Auditorium in the South West Territory

2,000 in attendance - SOLD OUT!

 

Danny Jillefski and Shane Sneer welcomed the audience to the show.

 

1) Nicky Champion came out to the ring, his TV title belt around his waist. He waved to the fans and then got into the ring.

 

“I know some of you have heard the news by now that ‘Stars, Stripes, and Slams’ will not be on Pay-Per-View. I’m just as disappointed as you. I wanted all of you to be able to see what I’d be able to do in that fourway match. But at the same time, I’m not too worried. I know that whoever gets pinned in that match this Friday will be fired. But it won’t be me. I’ll be here for a long time. Count on it.”

 

RATING: D

 

2) NICKY CHAMPION © vs. TRIBAL WARRIOR for the USPW TV Title

 

In spite of Nicky’s stirring words, the crowd largely sat on their hands. I was beginning to wonder why people came to USPW shows if all they did was sit there. At any rate, Shane talked himself hoarse hyping up Warrior, saying that the man was a powerhouse and a monster, sure to pound Nicky into paste. But in the end, Warrior succumbed to a Hawkeye Hammer.

 

WINNER: Nicky Champion in 7:58

RATING: D-

 

3) Nicky reclaimed his title belt and went from corner to corner, waving to the crowd and celebrating. And then Jumbo Jackson appeared in the ring. He went for a big boot, only to have Nicky duck it. When Jumbo came around, Nicky laid him out.

 

RATING: D

 

4) T-Rex appeared on screen with Sheik Mustafa. T-Rex grinned at the camera, a feral smile.

 

“You feel it now, Bruce, don’t you? The hunger. The same hunger I feel every day. The need to fight. It’s growing within you, coursing through your veins. Good. I want that fight. I want you hungry for it. That way–”

 

Before he could finish, a massive hand burst through the dry wall behind Sheik Mustafa, enveloping the manager’s head. With a shriek, Mustafa disappeared through the hole. T-Rex peeked in the hole and then scrambled away as Bruce burst through the wall. The two men disappeared down a hall.

 

RATING: C- for T-Rex’s hype; B- for Bruce’s attack

 

5) The cameras cut back to the ring, where a newcomer headed down the ramp:

 

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i207/scapino1974/TEW2005/AmoDelGato.jpg

 

Danny Jillefski explained he called himself “The Cat Master.”

 

RATING: E

 

6) THE CAT MASTER vs. SAVAGE TIGER

 

This was not well received. A lot of people decided to head out to the bathroom at this point in the show. Those that stayed behind started booing and hissing almost immediately. This one couldn’t get over fast enough for the crowd, so much so that many of them cheered as Savage Tiger hit the Savage Suplex.

 

WINNER: Savage Tiger in 5:34

RATING: F

 

7) The door to Commissioner Doom’s darkened office burst open and Peter Valentine stormed in. He found Doom sipping from a crystal goblet.

 

“Des Davids. I want him this Friday.”

 

“I do believe I can arrange that for you, Mr. Valentine,” Doom whispered. “But I shall require...”

 

Then the door exploded from its hinges and Bruce came in. Peter tried to stop him, but Bruce basically palmed his face and then threw him out the hole. Doom took another drink from his goblet and raised a brow.

 

“Ah, Mr. Giant. Continuing to ruin the building, I see? What can I do for you?”

 

“T-Rex. He’s mine this Friday, right?”

 

“If you wish it.”

 

“I do.”

 

Doom smiled, a feral flash of teeth. “I shall draw up the papers.”

 

RATING: C for Peter’s request; B- for Bruce’s

 

8) ALICIA STRONG & JAIME QUINE vs. NADIA SNOW & STEPHANIE WADE

 

The crowd was still steaming after the last match and they took it out on the ladies. In spite of that, Alicia looked good in the ring, especially as she came in and cleaned house, finally dropping Stephanie with a K.O. Kick.

 

WINNERS: Alicia Strong & Jaime Quine in 7:36

RATING: D-

 

9) DES DAVIDS vs. JAVA

 

Things finally started to look up as I realized that Des and Java really clicked in the ring. Lots of heavy blows were traded by these two and it looked like Des was getting ready to finish things off. But then Peter Valentine charged the ring. He didn’t get in but did trip Des up from outside. It was enough that Java was able to catch Des with a Greetings from the Island.

 

WINNER: Java in 7:09

RATING: D-

 

10) The Towers of Power appeared on screen and addressed the Hillbillys. “You boys may think you’re headed toward gold, but it’s not gonna happen,” Mick said.

“That’s right,” Danny added. “This Friday, we’re the ones who will be leaving with the title belts, not you.”

 

RATING: D-

 

11) HAPPY ELWOOD vs. T-REX

 

Even with this short of a match, T-Rex was exhausted by the end, which really didn’t help the fact that he was supposed to win. Shane tried to distract people by pointing out how happy he seemed since he got his match against Bruce. In the end, T-Rex managed to hit the Extinction. He then collapsed on top of Happy and the ref called it a pin.

 

WINNER: T-Rex in 6:44

RATING: D-

 

12) Bruce managed to peel himself up from the mat and got the mic. He then smirked at the camera and laughed. “See you on Friday, Bruce. And if you think I destroyed this nobody, wait until I see what I do to you.”

 

RATING: C+

 

13) JAMES JUSTICE © vs. ERIC THE BULL for the USPW World Championship

 

Eric looked dreadful. James came out all right. But it was a good cap to a mediocre show. James put him down with a Liberation Slam.

 

WINNER: James Justice in 8:45

RATING: D+

 

14) Anger was backstage, watching James celebrate his win.

 

RATING: D

 

Danny and Shane ran down the card for those who would be attending “Stars, Stripes, and Slams.”

 

ALICIA STRONG vs. NADIA SNOW to determine the #1 Contender for the USPW Women’s Title (E+)

JIM FORCE vs. NICKY CHAMPION vs. JUMBO JACKSON vs. GIANT REDWOOD in a “Loser is Fired” match (D-)

THE HILLBILLYS vs. THE TOWERS OF POWER © for the USPW Tag Team Championship (D-)

DES DAVIDS vs. PETER VALENTINE (D+)

BRUCE THE GIANT vs. T-REX (B-)

JAMES JUSTICE © vs. ANGER for the USPW World Championship (C)

 

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

Not good. Not good at all.

 

FINAL RATING: D

 

 

Comments, predictions, whatever ... it's all good.

[Phantom Stranger]

 

THE AFTERMATH

 

Not good. Not good at all.

 

FINAL RATING: D

 

 

Comments, predictions, whatever ... it's all good.

 

You could benefit from a few more Menace-based moments on the show, I think. And I'd get Sam involved more - his overness and mic skills make him a powerhouse in building people.

[Ping von Erich]

Only advice I can give.. use Sam Strong.. a lot. Have him wrestle, have him manage talent, have him as an authority figure, the works. He, Valentine, Bruce, Justice.. you're best tools to build overness and momentum. Also, always end with a segment you know will be strong. An overness attack angle, a menace angle, something involving Bruce, Sam Strong, or James Justice.

[1PWfan]

Another piece of advice is to hire based a few guys who are around D+ overness or higher, even if they're past it or not that good. You can use them to build up the overness of the younger guys and provide some more name players to boost ratings. Whistler, Phunk and Braun are good for this.

 

Also, and this goes without saying, where's Steve Flash? Brilliant worker, C- overness, 80's haircut: the man's a great fit for USPW.

[LFC_chris]

My advice would be to use loads of angles - put your match ratio down to about 60%, have plenty of storylines to build heat and momentum. I've got Bruce and Justice up to A* and A pop respectively thanks to sharing angle time with Sam Strong, Caulfield and T-Rex aren't far behind either. Use Bruce in menace angles, and T-Rex and Redwood too. I basically use Strong as an authority figure, but also as a sort of mentor for Justice/Nicky Champion, and have him hype them in angles. I've stuck Shane Sneer with Bruce too which is working well for both men - Bruce is developing some mic skills and Sneer is up to a C pop in 4 months.

[Hyde Hill]

Ok angeldeyette was strugling with ratings for USPW too so the above advice plus this should help.

 

Some USPW basics 1. Increase entertainment to key and modern or realism to low or up risque/comedy. 2. Sara Silver, Mitch Naess. Jez Macarthur and Crippler as backstage crew. 3. Have faces debut vs Bruce and Heels vs Justice or in a menace/entertainment based angle with Bruce and or Justice and or Strong 3 First three months ppv main event = Justice vs Bruce, Second to Main Caulfield vs T-Rex, Start match Valentine vs Gonzalez. 4 Sign anyone with any overness from d- and up and ppl with less overness with entertainment skills or menace. 5. Sign some ppl that can actually wrestle to make your monster heels look good or to transfer overness too. 6. Pray ya dont have to push valentine and dont get the must have this charisma law. 7. lower to 60 percent angles and start with 2 good ones and end with three good ones. the middle of the show is to work the crowd/transfer overness and or momentum and showcase the actually talented workers. 8 set intensity and danger to ten percent. 9 MENACE BASED ANGELS and angles with Sam Strong, higly recomended to write your own.

Hope this helps. I know ya lost caulfield so T-Rex vs Gonzalez/Acid as second to main and Valentine vs Acid/Gonzalez as starter. Plus putting a wrestler with good/decent entertainment skills in the box for all but the first and last 2 matches with decent entertainment skills will see his overness go up very fast. Soon as Datsun is back get him involved in the 3 main feuds too.

 

As far as writing goes use some creative liberty so what if sam strong was in the angle but you dont write him in, so waht if it was menace based and overness while they are talking on the mike. As soon as the overness is up and transfered you can cut back on it and give the "real" segments so to speak.