Oregano Jensen Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 <p><em>Some folks spend two months' salary on a wedding ring. In 1989, I spent two months' salary on a wrestling ring. This fact may explain why I'm still not married. It also explains the rest of this story.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I'm not going to lie; the promotion I started was never a big deal. We were called Cincinnati Grappling Co., and we were a bunch of losers -- some weedy kids with impractical dreams, the occasional aging journeyman who probably should have got the hint things weren't working out. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I was a young guy at the time, and I had my own impractical dreams. Not so impractical as to involve wrestling -- I would have had to be either a little less fat, or a lot more fat, to get away with that. I mostly thought of myself as a booker, though I also used to manage under the name of Chuck Pizza. I had this fake Italian accent I used to do, and it always cracked my friends up, so I went out with this fake mustache and a chef's hat, and... yeah. The fans didn't really go for it either. Eventually, it got some sympathy laughs, but I'm not sure I ever did much to help the guys I was managing.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I'm not sure if we ever explained why a pizza guy was managing wrestlers.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Anyway, we lasted 18 months. We were an '80s-style promotion, with maybe a few more high-flyers, and we came along just as the supply of '80s wrestling started to outweigh the demand. We were bought out by George DeColt. He was starting CGC -- the "real" CGC -- at the time, and he decided he didn't want another company out there with the same initials. I'm not sure why he was worried about that; as far as I know, DeColt never had any plans of expanding into Cincinnati, and I'm sure we weren't ever making it to Canada. (We did do a show in Cleveland once. Drew nine people.)</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> Anyway, he gave me $50,000 to shut down the company, and made me sign a contract saying I wouldn't start another wrestling company for five years. I used the money to go back to school in Memphis, where I got a business degree. I hung onto the ring for a couple years, and then sold it off to Sean Anderson -- you know him as Shane Sneer. When he got SCCW off the ground a few years after that, he used the ring for the first few shows, but it was pretty worn down by then. </em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em> I'm pretty sure he threw the ring away when he replaced it. So if you were reading this to hear about that ring, I'm afraid you're out of luck.</em></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistaken Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 nice start, looking forward to seeing where you go from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Lyrium Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Yaaay, an Oregano Jensen dynasty. Hopefully it'll survive longer than the other Oregano Jensen dynasties. Fred Zepplin is still in my all time top ten TEW Dynasty characters for concept and name alone, I demand that he not only returns, but actually does something. Him doing something requires more than three shows (and I don't think PWT even survived it's first show, did it? ). But I'll be reading them however many/few there are. Talking of PWT, I never did work out who/what Olaf Guyovic was, but I loved him anyway purely for the line "at least, he's more genuinely menacing than he is genuinely Russian", and I've suddenly realised that remembering that is rather sad, especially since I never actually replied to the diary while it was active (to be fair, there was a pretty small window in which to do so [/cheapshot]), so I'll shush now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 HAHAHA, awesome start. Great first line. And Great first post overall. Looking forward to more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregano Jensen Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 I... don't actually remember who Olaf Guyovic was either. (I want to say... Danny Rushmore? But would I really have hired Danny Rushmore in Canada?) In any event, you can count on this one lasting longer than the last, if only because I have taken the precaution of writing three shows already. The third show is, I think, the real hurdle to get over. (I'm not sure why that is, and have no assertions to support my claims.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregano Jensen Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Anyway, I dabbled in wrestling, then got a business degree. I ended up working for Rick Prince, who sounds like an arrogant heel, but is actually a mid-level real estate developer in Nashville. He's not a bad guy, if you can keep a lid on his less plausible ambitions. I'd almost say we were friends, except we're not friends, because he's my boss. So anyway, late 2007 -- Rick came into my office with kind of a less-plausible kind of look in his eye... "Reggie," he says, "you were a wrestler once, right?" I must have told him about my career in wrestling a hundred times. "I owned a small wrestling company around 20 years ago. Why?" "I was watching this thing on the news about that wrestling company in Atlanta, USPW... you know anything about them?" "Oh, I don't know. They're coming on huge these days -- making millions. They're not that good, really; they mostly do a lot of kid stuff. But that stuff sells." I was really not liking the way Rick looked. "So if they're getting rich, and they're not even good..." "Well, you know, there's not good, and then there's not good. They have a lot of big names." "No, seriously. You ran a wrestling company... this was before you got your degree?" "It wasn't that successful... it was a bad time for the industry." "And if this is a good time for the industry... plus, you have to figure a lot of small wrestling promotions don't have a guy running them who knows business." "Listen, listen, Rick. I know where you're going with this. You want to start a wrestling company, and you're going to put me in charge of it. Well, no. First of all, these things aren't cheap -- you'd need at least fifty thousand dollars." "Okay, fifty thousand, I'm listening..." "You don't understand, Rick. I haven't been involved in wrestling since 1991. I don't even really watch the stuff any more. I have no connections." "Well, then we hire a guy with connections." "Yes, if we were going to start a wrestling company here. But we're not starting a wrestling company, we're filling out some expense reports. Why would we start a wrestling company?" "Wrestling is big, Reggie! It's getting bigger! We need to get in on the ground floor! So, do you know anyone from this USPW?" I suppose I should have said no. But... well, I didn't. I said, "I kind of know their announcer, Shane Sneer." "Ah! So your friend also has experience running a wrestling company..." "I don't really know him THAT well. But yeah, he ran SCCW here in Nashville for five years before they folded." "Folded?" This would have been the perfect time to launch into a cautionary tale about the low success rate of new wrestling promotions, the sheer number of fledgling wrestling businesses that never get off the ground. Conversely, it would have been the worst time to chalk up SCCW's failure to a momentary lull in the popularity of wrestling. It would have been an absolutely disastrous time to say something like, "you know, they just got caught in another bad time for the industry. They could've made it if it weren't for that slump in '02." So... yeah. Guess what I said. Next up: More backstory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrdcoresidebrns Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 This seems great so far. The writing is good, and I like the backstory. I'm a big fan of SCCW, and they rarely get a diary attempt. I'm not sure if I have the same enthusiasm level as D-Lyrium, but then this is my first time checking out an Oregano Jensen game, so hopefully I'm in for a treat. And I'll be reading, to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistaken Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 foot in mouth syndrome always leads to much good reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Subscribed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comradebot Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Bring back Blackjack Robbins or I riot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregano Jensen Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 I mean, what can I say? Rick could've dropped the idea right there. It wouldn't be the first time. But sure enough, three weeks later, I walk into the office and who do I see but Sean Anderson. "Hey there, kid. Pizza, right? Chuck Pizza." "My name's Reggie Jensen. What's going on?" "Pleased to meet you, Chuck. I'm Sean Anderson. Think I bought a used ring from you once." "You did. Memphis, 1993. What are you doing in my office?" "Well, I'm here to start up that wrestling company. You're the boss on that project, right?" Was I the boss on that project? "I didn't even know there was a project." "Sure is... your boss Rick Prince hired me to bring back Southern Class. I've written up some notes right here... time to make another go-round, I suppose." "Okay... and me? I'm... the boss?" Mr. Prince appeared in the doorway behind me. "Reggie! Nice to see you! You know Sean... he just got in today. I'll leave you to your work." "Wait... when..." He was gone. "All right, Chuck... mind if I call you Chuck?" "I... what?" "First things first, Chuck -- we ain't gonna be hiring any luchadors." "Luchadors?" "You know, those flippy Mexican guys." "I know what luchadors are. Why would we hire luchadors?" "Beats the hell out of me, Chuck. That's why we're not doing it. NO DAMN LUCHADORS." He flashed me the first page of his notebook. In huge print, covering almost half the page, were the words "NO DAMN LUCHADORS". He had underlined this four times, as if he were worried about forgetting it. "Luchadors" was underlined two additional times. "Next rule. I want guys who are tough -- guys who can take a punch. Flashy style is all well and good, but Southern Class is and was about tough guys. And nobody with a criminal record, you hear? I hired this guy Todd back in '98, kid who called himself the Hype... well, long story short, the legal fees almost sank us before we got off the ground. Never again, I said, never again." "All right... so who DO you want to hire?" "Who don't I want to hire? Course we only have room for 16 or so... want to start auditioning the local kids, but not just yet. I've been putting calls out all week." "Oh. So... you've already started hiring?" "Started? Hell, pretty much signed the whole roster." He... had pretty much signed the whole roster. Okay. Got a bunch of the old guys back together... the Outlaws, the Maryland Alliance, Elijah, Assassin Turner, Billy Lebowski, Jack Griffith..." "Jack Griffith? Isn't he... on drugs?" "Was. He's clean now, he's been clean for a while. A man deserves another chance." "...okay, fair enough." Sean seemed weirdly defensive. I was just asking. "As for the new guys, well, I thought I'd bring in the Big Problem from NYCW... guy never caught on for some reason, but I've got some plans for him. Got a big tag team from Iowa, call themselves the Good Ol' Boys... some real hosses, y'know? Always like to have some big hosses on the roster. Couple more brawlers... and this kid Newton from Canada. You know him?" "Can't say that I do. Remember, I've been out of wrestling for a while now." "Oh -- he's something special. Looks like the next Darryl Devine, only a bit more of a brawler. Wants us to pay for his plane ticket, but he's worth it. Kid's the next Angry Gilmore." I didn't actually know who Darryl Devine was either, but I thought I'd leave that bit of information for later. "Really, now? Sounds great." "You okay with announcing?" "I've never actually done that." "You've got time. Oh, one more thing... we need a road agent. You know anyone local?" "I... think Duncan Kendall lives in the suburbs." "Aw, hell, Big Dunc. Love that guy. Classic hoss, a real man's man. Perfect. Well, that's it. Let's move on..." And he started discussing booking ideas. One thought lingered in my head. If Sean had already signed the entire roster, why was he so intent on telling me not to hire any luchadors? Next up: the first show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Poor old Hype. Everyone craps on him now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcel Fromage Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Good start! I'm reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistaken Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 The show must go on....no I mean it, I need that show right now, hey wait don't ignore me, don't walk away....damn lost another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregano Jensen Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 <p>And the show will go on! </p><p> </p><p> ...as soon as I manage to get worker pictures uploaded. Should be tomorrow, definitely Thursday if not. Until then, behold the questionable splendor of...</p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:18px;">SCCW RISES AGAIN</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong> February 25, 2008</strong></p><p><strong> at the Nashville Boxing Gym</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Maryland Alliance (Brady Prince & Buck Graham) vs. The Tennessee Outlaws (Whisky Jack & Blackjack Robbins) -- SCCW Tag Title Semifinal</strong></p><p> </p><p> Two of SCCW's most storied teams collide in the reborn federation's first match in over four years. But only one will win a spot in April's Tag Title Match. Who will it be: the clean-cut heroes from Annapolis, or the ornery duo from the Great Smoky Mountains? SCCW's greatest rivalry is reborn!</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Bill Lewis vs. Diamond Dave</strong></p><p> </p><p> Expect a good old-fashioned fistfight as Lewis, the pint-sized hell-raiser who used to team with his brother Crash, faces off against the long-haired country boy from Amarillo. Dave is also one half of The Last Hard Men, who are scheduled to battle the Good Ol' Boys in March for the other tag title shot. </p><p> </p><p> <strong>"Disco Assassin" Ernie Turner vs. Wayne Davis</strong></p><p> </p><p> Highly touted Canadian rookie Wayne Davis makes his U.S. debut. Reports suggest that Davis has world-class talent, and an ego to match. He'll take on Ernie Turner; the one-time Assassin No. 1 has undergone a change of heart. He now loves the nightlife, and in a stunning reversal, is also pro-boogie. But is he ready to knock Davis down a peg?</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Big Jim Dunbar vs. Steve Peverell</strong> -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> Irresistible force, meet immovable object: Chicago's Steve Peverell is a slick wrestler with some boxing training and a notorious left hook. One has to wonder, though, whether his power is enough to put a dent in Big Jim Dunbar. By far the largest man ever to set foot in the SCCW ring, Dunbar is 7 feet, 440 pounds of raw bone and muscle. Can Peverell's guile win him a spot in next month's title fight, or will Dunbar's size overwhelm the smaller man?</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Elijah Harris vs. Jack Griffith</strong> -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> With two newcomers to SCCW facing off in one bracket, it's guaranteed that the winner of Dunbar-Peverell will face one of the most storied names in Tennessee's wrestling history. "Southern Justice" Jack Griffith is one of the most hated men in the SCCW, famously turning on his partner Jesse Christian, and exploiting every trick in the book en route to a pair of title runs. But Elijah "Soul Man" Harris is no fool; the wily veteran has seen everything in his 25-year career, and hoisted an SCCW belt of his own. Will he get up for a shot at a second? </p><p> </p><p> (All matches listed in alphabetical order. "Big Jim Dunbar" is the former Big Problem; everyone else should be self-explanatory. Bradford Peverell became Steve because we had too many guys whose names started with B, Wayne Davis is less likely to be confused with Diamond Dave, who got his own name tweaked for the benefit of The Last Hard Men, his tag team with Steel Rod, the former Roderick Remus. Bill Lewis is Little Bill Lebowski, but he was <em>always</em> Lewis in SCCW, so that doesn't count.) </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Next up: A new year for Shane Sneer!</strong></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcel Fromage Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 <p>The Maryland Alliance (Brady Prince & Buck Graham) vs. <strong>The Tennessee Outlaws (Whisky Jack & Blackjack Robbins)</strong> -- SCCW Tag Title Semifinal</p><p> <em>I'm going with the Outlaws because once you have done with the 'be nice to old-SCCWers' thing, I can't see Buck Graham lasting. Prince deserves better.</em></p><p> </p><p> Bill Lewis vs. <strong>Diamond Dave</strong></p><p> <em>Tempted to go with Lewis as he's a singles guy whereas Dave is destined for tag ranks, but a win for Dave sets up the 'new' team of him and Steel Rod as genuine contenders there.</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>"Disco Assassin" Ernie Turner </strong>vs. Wayne Davis</p><p> <em>Tough one. Davis is obviously a future star, but may get stolen away depending on what deals you have elsewhere. I'll go with Turner as he'll be more over and it gives the rub to the former roster guy.</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Big Jim Dunbar</strong> vs. Steve Peverell -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> <em>Peverell has talent, but Dunbar is the kind of guy people may well try to push, especially in a place like SCCW. So I'm going with the big man.</em></p><p> </p><p> Elijah Harris vs. <strong>Jack Griffith </strong>-- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> <em>He's your main go-to-guy and needs to be in the final. Harris could retire any day.</em></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Stranger Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 <p>The Maryland Alliance (Brady Prince & Buck Graham) vs. <strong>The Tennessee Outlaws (Whisky Jack & Blackjack Robbins)</strong> -- SCCW Tag Title Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Bill Lewis</strong> vs. Diamond Dave</p><p> </p><p> <strong>"Disco Assassin" Ernie Turner</strong> vs. Wayne Davis</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Big Jim Dunbar</strong> vs. Steve Peverell -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Elijah Harris</strong> vs. Jack Griffith -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrdcoresidebrns Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 <p>The Maryland Alliance (Brady Prince & Buck Graham) vs. <strong>The Tennessee Outlaws (Whisky Jack & Blackjack Robbins)</strong> -- SCCW Tag Title Semifinal</p><p> <em>I'm not sure who the other teams in the tournament are, but I'm betting on at least one surprise, who will probably go on to face the Outlaws.</em></p><p> </p><p> Bill Lewis vs. <strong>Diamond Dave</strong></p><p> <em>Call me crazy, but I've never been a big Bill Lewis fan, despite him being a part of the original SCCW. However, I think Triple D is a perfect fit for the company, and can be a reliable midcarder for years to come.</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>"Disco Assassin" Ernie Turner</strong> vs. Wayne Davis</p><p> <em>I'm sure I'm wrong on this one, but just the fact that Ernie Turner is now "pro-boogie" is enough for me to hope for a long push.</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Big Jim Dunbar</strong> vs. Steve Peverell -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> <em>No idea who this guy is (I'm guessing there's some random/user generated wrestlers in the mix?) but he's apparently huge, so I'll pick him.</em></p><p> </p><p> Elijah Harris vs. <strong>Jack Griffith</strong> -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> <em>Two former SCCW champions, but I've never thought Harris really had the talent to warrant his reign. Griffith for the win.</em></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyde Hill Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 <p>The Maryland Alliance (Brady Prince & Buck Graham) vs. <strong>The Tennessee Outlaws </strong>(Whisky Jack & Blackjack Robbins) -- SCCW Tag Title Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> <em>Just a tad more talented</em></p><p> </p><p> Bill Lewis vs. <strong>Diamond Dave</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>Better and more over wrestler</em></p><p> </p><p> "Disco Assassin" Ernie Turner vs. <strong>Wayne Davis</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>Push him, he will be your future star oh yes!</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Big Jim Dunbar</strong> vs. Steve Peverell -- SCCW Championship Semifinal</p><p> </p><p> <em>Actually the hardest to call as Peverell is a good talent but I have a soft spot for Big Menacing guys hehe (dam been reading too much Comradebot.)</em></p><p> </p><p> Elijah Harris vs. <strong>Jack Griffith</strong></p><p> </p><p> <em>Your main star.</em></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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