NYCW: Old School 'Til We Die

[Regis]

It seems that our definitions of 'today' differ, brother.

[1PWfan]

It seems that our definitions of 'today' differ, brother.

 

I'm using the J Silver definition, what're you using?

 

Seriously, though, the show will be up soonish. I'm just working on an update right now, and once that's finished I'll post the next show.

[1PWfan]

NYCW Big Apple Breakdown

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Audience: 928

 

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

 

The Masked Mauler vs. Animal Harker

As with dark matches the world over this served no other purpose than to give Mauler a boost to his momentum, so I really don't care how good it is. As it happens this was terrible: Harker's a nice kid, and livened things up backstage with some stories from his training, but in the ring calling him a disaster would probably be charitable. If I'm going to use him, though, he needs to work with guys like Mauler that can help him work on those dreadful fundamentals. Unfortunately for this match, though, Mauler and Herb don't work well together at all, which is pretty much a disaster as both guys are needed in The Old School (at least until I can get a new manager in, which isn't easy at the moment). In the end Mauler put Harker down with the Iron Claw.

Winner: The Masked Mauler Match Rating: E+

 

 

The Show

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Curtis Jenkins

This was a decent match, especially given that it was basically a blatant squash. Admittedly it was helped along by Stomper's work backstage and some good colour work from yours truly, but in the end Ota's popular enough and talented enough to carry just about anyone to a decent match. As for CJ, he wasn't on his best form tonight, and in any case he's still developing as a worker, but there's talent there and he at least works hard most of the time. For all that, though, he's never getting a win against Ota, and the Super Ninja scored the win here with a well timed Ninja Strike at the 6 minute mark.

Winner: Fumihiro Ota Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

“What a way to kick things off tonight! I'm Rock Downpour, and THIS is NYCW Big Apple Breakdown! We've got a great card for you tonight, with Whistler and Steve Flash taking on Honest Frank and The Old School's Lee Wright, Sammy the Shark defending the Tri-State Regional Title against Cameron Vessey, and in our Main Event Ford Gumble facing off against Black Hat Bailey for the right to challenge for the Empire Title!”

 

“Who decided that a burn-out like Ford Gumble was a good choice for potential number one contender? Tonight Bailey is going to destroy him”

 

“I wouldn't be so sure of that myself Hugh. Don't forget, Ford may not be the physical specimen you'd expect in a champion but he's got more heart and determination that just about anyone you'd care to name. This is not a man who backs down from a fight easily”

 

“And how many times has he been punished for that? Determination and bravery are all well and good until they land you in trouble, and all the fighting spirit in the world won't help when Bailey's got you locked up in the Bailey Breaker. There comes a point where you've got to concede defeat, and Bailey's taken more men to that point than I care to mention. He's got to be the favourite for this one”

 

“But one thing Ford has on his side is sheer versatility- he's a competent technical worker who can also brawl and go to the top rope. That gives him an edge over Bailey, who's really a technical specialist, and if Ford can keep mixing it up it's possible he might be able to outmanoeuvre Bailey and get the advantage”

 

“I suppose it's possible, but I wouldn't look for any upsets tonight. Bailey's too good and too experienced to give Gumble the room to take control of this one tonight”

 

“Well, Hugh, whatever happens tonight we should be in for a great main event!”

 

The reaction to this one was more what I'd been expecting last month- Ford's actually taken off pretty well for us.

Rating: D

 

*

 

Rick Sanders vs. Riley McManus

This was another decent squash match, nothing even remotely special but solid enough for what it was. Rick's always good for a decent match, and whilst Riley wasn't fantastic tonight he's a solid young talent with the potential to go far (well, to turn into the next Rick Sanders, but that's still pretty good). As usual, though, the glue holding this one together was the guys around the ring: we may not have the best wrestlers in the world, but we've got the road agent, announcer and colour guy to really cover for them, and with all three of us on form tonight we were able to lift this to a reasonable time-filler. Sanders got the win, forcing Riley to tap out to the Figure Four Leglock.

Winner Rick Sanders Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

We go backstage to the NYCW interview position, to where Persephone is on hype duty for the tag title match

 

“Tonight, the NYCW Tag Team Titles change hands. This team, Natural Storm, are the best tag team money can buy, and if there's one thing I know all about it's money. Statler, Waldorf, you might think you're good but I promise you, these two men are better: nobody can match Eddie Howard for raw power, and pound-for-pound DC Rayne is one of the finest athletes in America. You might be the Ring Generals, but Natural Storm? They're the money”

 

This wasn't a great promo- for a start, what the h*ll does that last line even mean?- and that was reflected in the crowd's reaction. To be honest Persephone's only serving time until someone better becomes available.

Rating: E+

 

*

 

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

In case you were wondering, this is why I hired Natural Storm. Not only are they solid workers individually, they're one of the very finest tag teams on the independent scene right now, and I say it's a damn crime that they're not already holding tag gold in either the SWF or TCW right now, although having said that I don't actually want them to leave because there's virtually nobody else out there who can replace them. As for the match itself, this was only very slightly behind Ota/Gumble from last month, making it one of our finest matches ever, and also marked the first title change of my reign as head booker when Natural Storm nailed Waldorf with A Storm is Coming (Big Boot/STO combo) to score the victory and win the tag team titles.

Winners: Natural Storm Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

We're backstage at the NYCW interview position, where Steve Gumble is on hype duty for his match

 

“Tough match tonight. Bailey's good, might be able to beat me

 

“He won't though”

 

I wasn't sure how this would go over, but the reaction was really pretty good. I put it down to Steve's laconic character- NYCW fans love the strong and silent thing he's got going on.

Rating: C-

 

*

 

Suddenly we cut to another part of the backstage area, where Whistler and Flash are busy brawling with Frank and Wright. The reaction to this was...well, not what I'd hoped for, to be honest.

Rating: E+

 

*

 

Cameron Vessey vs. Sammy the Shark

These two are both solid young midcarders with a bright future ahead of them, which was kind of a mixed bag when it came to this match. On the one hand I knew we were going to get a pretty good match out of this, but on the other hand I didn't really want either of them to lose this one. In the end I had this go to a ten-minute draw to keep both guys looking strong, which seems to have been the right move: neither guy really got much out of this but it was a decent match that at least didn't lose them anything. As for the finish, I went with a Double DQ on the grounds of excessive usage of closed fists (yes, we can do that in NYCW: just pretend the 90's never happened, it's easier that way).

Winner: None Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Back at the Interview Position Herb Stately's on hype duty for the main event

 

“Tonight, The Old School takes on Ford Gumble. And make no mistake, you're not just facing Black Hat Bailey, you're facing the entire Old School. There's a reason we've been on top of NYCW for the last three years- you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. In the end, Ford, there's one thing you gotta remember about NYCW and that's this- Old School Rules”

 

Somewhat surprisingly, this didn't get the reaction Ford's promo earlier did, probably due to Herb's lack of popularity- he's a good manager but not a popular one and that can make a big difference

Rating: D

 

*

 

Whistler & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

This was a good match, with all four guys delivering their usual mix of entertainment value and high-quality wrestling. Admittedly it polarised along fairly simple lines- Steve and Lee delivered the wrestling, Frank and Whistler the entertainment- but as a combo it balanced out really well. In terms of story, Flash played the face in peril until Dazzling Dave Diamond’s appearance at ringside (justified on the grounds that to interfere you have to either enter the ring or interact with the active participant, in this case Frank) distracted Lee long enough for Flash to fight free and hit the hot tag to Whistler, who cleaned house before scoring the win with a thunderous Rebel Yell on Frank.

Winners: Whistler & Steve Flash Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

This was a disappointing match: it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really main- event calibre. The main problem was Ford’s nerves: he’s clearly not comfortable working a main-event slot, and it showed tonight. He was far too tentative and uncomfortable, and only really came to life when Bailey was in charge, which is fine for a battling babyface but doesn’t really help make him a believable challenger. Like I said, though, this wasn’t an actively bad match, and at least Ford made the finish (a snap Savate Kick for the 3-count) look pretty good. I’ll have to look into getting the pressure off him, though, and right now we don’t have a hot-enough feud to usurp the Empire title from the main event slot.

Winner: Ford Gumble Match Rating: D+

 

 

Overall Rating: D+, down on last month but still enough to keep the growth going

[1PWfan]

So, let's see how the predictions break down this time:

 

juggaloninjalee: 3/6

Regis: 4/6

ChrisKid: 4/6

Dragonmack: 4/6

Clp605: also 4/6, since he follow D-Mack's path

BHK1978: 3/6, but I do see your point about CJ- down the line I do see him with tag gold

TheLeviticalLawKid3: 5/6

 

So, Levitical wins (and if you could see your way clear to getting Sneer to sign on with us I'd really appreciate it ), so he gets this month's prize: NYCW's Best of the 90's, featuring the likes of Rich Money, Corporal Doom, Jack Bruce and Jungle Jack, and also the last match of Stomper's career, vs. Chris Storm at Fairytale of New York 1997

[1PWfan]

Buddy Rogers’ New York Minute

 

Well, it’s taken me two months to officially be disappointed with Ford Gumble’s performance for NYCW: his match with Bailey at Big Apple Breakdown was the weakest main event I’ve seen at an NYCW show for quite a while now. Word from backstage, though, is that management is still behind Ford as a main-event player, so maybe they see something I don’t. Now to be fair Ford’s match against Ota at Rush Hour was really good, but c’mon, who’s ever had a bad match against Ota?

 

Now I’ve gotten e-mails from a few of you asking if it’s true that NYCW have been making a loss the last few months. Apparently the story goes that Ota and Gumble are getting big money contracts that have eaten into the company’s profit margins, which have combined with diminishing merchandise sales to give the company some big losses. Now even accounting for the whole Chinese whispers thing this is all complete B.S: merchandise sales have actually gone up over the last two months, and I’ve been in touch with people inside NYCW who’ve confirmed that neither Ota or Gumble are making exceptional amounts of money for their work. Apparently this rumour got started after the company chose not to release their financial information for January (which they’re not obliged to do anyway, being a privately owner company), due to Dansigny re-negotiating a couple of key contracts and wanting to keep money info under his hat until he had the contract situation locked down.

 

Speaking of new contracts, who’s heard the news about Stomper signing on with the SWF? Yeah, I was surprised too. Granted, Stomper definitely deserves the chance to earn the big bucks, but I don’t think anybody expected a man who’s made his career out of pushing the kind of wrestling Eisen killed to sign on with the Supreme wrestling machine. Apparently NYCW aren’t currently looking for a back-up road agent, which is hardly surprising when you consider that guys like Steve, Bailey and Larry Vessey are all capable of taking things over from Stomper if he can’t make the shows. In any case, Supreme don’t run the Saturday evening slot that NYCW prefer so there’s no schedule clash at the moment. NYCW have made a couple of new signings, though: Maggie May, a young valet who works the indy scene as Buttercup, has been brought in to work with Old School Principals (apparently there’s some sort of chemistry issue between Mauler and Herb), whilst the company’s also brought in a young guy named Jared Johnson to serve as a new heel jobber. I don’t know much about this guy except that he’s the only wrestler from North Carolina not to have come up through Rip Chord’s dojo and that he was trained by Johnny Bloodstone. Given that pedigree I’m guessing he’s someone worth watching, but time will tell if he’s as good as his mentor.

 

Oh, and for those of you who’ve asked me about these rumours of NYCW forming a women’s division: Hugh is apparently very keen on the idea (hardly surprising when you remember who his wife and best friend are), but right now nothing concrete is happening. My thinking is that we’ll start to see some action on that in a couple of months time when Hugh’s more established in his position and they’ve got more money in the bank.

 

UPDATE: Huge news NYCW fans- apparently the company’s put in an offer to Jack DeColt, who recently left CGC down to personal issues between himself and booker Phil Vibert. Of course there’s no chance that he’ll join us, and with TCW looking to add to the roster following their expansion they’ve got to be sniffing round him. But hey, fingers crossed, right?

 

The card for NYCW’s next show, Manhattan Mêlée, is currently looking something like this:

 

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

 

FATHER VS. SON

Larry Vessey vs. Cameron Vessey

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Lee Wright

 

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

 

OOC Note: Not sure when the next show will be up guys- got my last ever exam as an undergrad to work on

[juggaloninjalee]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

He will win with some underhanded tactics.

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

Gumble should be pushed to be your big star I think.

 

FATHER VS. SON

Larry Vessey vs. Cameron Vessey

Nothing better than a fathers beatdown of his own son in the ring. Espescially when he needs a beat down!

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Lee Wright

DQ victory anyone?

 

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

I think they will stay Champions for awhile.

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

It's Steve Flash. Everyone seems to push him!

[Dragonmack]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

There are a lot of better choices for Bailey to drop the strap to than Whistler

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

odd sense of deja vu here, still I think Frank is a little more over

 

FATHER VS. SON

Larry Vessey vs. Cameron Vessey

Can't beat the old man yet

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Lee Wright

Wright usually gives at least a solid year before retirement, and should be kept strong right now

 

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

You mark for these guys (for whatever warped reason)

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

Maybe 2 years AFTER Flash retires, Johnson will have gotten good enough to beat him.

[Regis]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

BHB may be old, but even if he's retiring, Whistler is not the man to give his title to.

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

Ford needs to be built up anf kept more over to do well here.

 

FATHER VS. SON

Larry Vessey vs. Cameron Vessey

Cammy gets put over. After all, Larry is no good to you.

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Lee Wright

Got to have one of the old guys going over, right?

 

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

They've got the belts, and damn it all, they're sticking with them.

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

JJ isn't ready. Not by a long shot.

[BHK1978]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

 

 

 

FATHER VS. SON

Larry Vessey vs. Cameron Vessey

 

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Lee Wright

 

A-A-R-Lee for the victory!

 

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

 

JJ is the future but right now we are dealing with the present.

[1PWfan]

Show's going up sometime either today or tomorrow, folks, so there's still time to get those predictions in (especially given that on my sual form it probably won't actually appear 'til Sunday).

[1PWfan]

OOC Note: what did I tell you?

 

 

NYCW Manhattan Mêlée

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Audience: 995

 

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

 

The Masked Mauler vs. Animal Harker

I’ve renewed my efforts in shaping Harker into something useful. Lee Wright’s taken him under his wing, and the last guy Ol’ Angry B@stard mentored was Raymond Diaz: see where I’m going here? As it happens this match wasn’t very good, but with Maggie taking over from Herb there were less chemistry issues than last time, so whilst it still brought the crowd’s mood down it was merely bad rather than awful. In the end the finish was the same as last time: Mauler got the win with the Iron Claw.

Winner: The Masked Mauler Match Rating: D-

 

 

The Show

 

Steve Flash vs. Jared Johnson

Okay, remember how JJ was originally going to be our new heel jobber? Well plans have changed. This was quite simply awesome, our best match ever, and given that Steve’s already a top guy Jared’s going to get all the rewards for this one. Admittedly it helped that it was basically a squash done right, but hey, if I can’t god-push good workers who work great matches then what’s the point of being the booker-man? Anyway, Flash got the win here, putting Jared on the mat with the Flash Bang for the win

Winner: Steve Flash Match Rating: C+

 

*

 

Back at NYCW Interview Position, Whistler’s on hype duty for the main event

 

“Tonight, ol’ Whistler’s taking on Black Hat Bailey for the Empire title. Now, Bailey, I know you, I’ve fought you so many times I’ve lost count, and I want you to remember one thing: I know ALL you tricks! There’s nothing you can do to me that’ll stop me getting my hands on you! No Retreat! No Surrender! If you want to beat me you’re just gonna have to kill me! HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

 

Whistler’s always value for money on the stick, and tonight was no exception

Rating: D+

 

*

 

We cut to the locker room, where Larry is taping up his wrists, ready for his match

 

“There comes a time in every father’s life when he finds his boy’s gotten out of hand. Started hanging out with a bad crowd, causing trouble when he shouldn’t. Now, most fathers try and sit the kid down, talk to him, try to make him see sense. Me? I’m not much of a talker, and the Vesseys have always understood actions more than words. So I figure I’m just gonna have to beat some sense into Cameron”

 

I advised Larry to play up his menace, and it worked really well here- but then, he’s had years of practice.

Rating: C

 

*

 

Cameron Vessey vs. Larry Vessey

Larry’s nowhere near his prime, but fortunately he and Cameron were able to deliver a solid match here, largely thanks to good crowd heat and some decent work from the younger Vessey. To be fair to Larry, he’s not a bad brawler, he just can’t sell for toffee and is wildly inconsistent, so what he really needs isn’t a talented opponent but a good team at ringside to cover for his weaknesses, which fortunately me and Rock can. At one point I’d considered having Larry win this one to justify a rematch, but given that he’s only an occasional wrestler I realised that’d be just be counter-productive, so Cameron took the win with the Vessey Driver at the six-minute mark.

Winner: Cameron Vessey Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Backstage Whistler is getting ready for his match when Bailey and Frank come out of nowhere to attack him. Fortunately before they can lay the boot in too bad Ford Gumble comes charging in to make the save.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

I’d known this wouldn’t get a great rating- the Connection are okay but they’re not even slightly popular- but the poor reaction still hurt. I think we need to put more work into the tag division at the moment: The Atlantic Connection are good but we need a proper face team to challenge for the titles, plus a heel jobber team (and outside of the Doll we don’t actually have any heel jobbers after JJ’s push gets under way). In any case, tonight’s match suffered more from a lack of heat, with the only pop being for A Storm is Coming at the end.

Winners: Natural Storm Match Rating: D

 

*

 

Once again we’re back at the Interview Position, where Herb’s on hype duty for the main event

 

“It seems like only yesterday that we took the title off Whistler, and yet once again we’re facing him with the Empire title on the line. Whistler, why do you keep coming back? You must know you can’t beat us. There is no way, no way, you will be walking out of here tonight with the Empire Title. It’s just not happening. ‘Cos there’s only one set of rules we recognise, and that’s Old School Rules”

 

This was another low-level promo: I wish I could get more of a pop out of our fans for manager segments, but I don’t think that’s happening ‘til Shane Sneer or The Guru come on board.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

No sooner have Herb and Bailey left than Frank appears at the Interview Position, hyping up his match with Gumble.

 

“Ah, Ford Gumble. You used to be somebody real special didn’t you? The future of cruiserweight wrestling, the big star, the Young Gun that was gonna blow us all away. How the mighty…well, not so mighty have fallen, huh? But don’t worry. Tonight’s gonna be just fine. I promise you, tonight you can get back in the saddle and have a fair fight against a guy who really respects you.

 

“After all…Would I Lie To You?”

 

Frank’s another guy who can always be counted on to deliver good stuff on the mic.

Rating: D+

 

*

 

Lee Wright vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

This was another solid brawl, livened up by the combination of Dave’s bar-room brawling with Lee’s Japanese-influenced style. Both of these guys have solid futures ahead of them, albeit a very short future in Lee’s case: he’s a key part of the company, but he’s really operating on a month-to-month basis due to his age. As for Dave, he’ll probably never rise much out of the midcard, but I want to keep him as long as possible, and I’m looking into expanding his work into the tag division. Lee took the win here, after Herb distracted the ref long enough for him to nail Dave with a pair of brass knuckles.

Winner: Lee Wright Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Back at the interview position, Ford’s on hype duty for his match

 

“Would Honest Frank lie to me?

 

“Yep, he would. Don’t matter though, I’m still gonna beat him”

 

This display of unusual verbosity from Ford delivered the goods- whilst there are some question marks over his usefulness in the ring he’s one of our most successful talkers.

Rating: C-

 

*

 

Ford Gumble vs. Honest Frank

This wasn’t really a bad match, but it does rather confirm my worries about Gumble’s abilities as a top babyface. Granted, this may have been more about Frank’s weaknesses than Gumble’s, as whilst he’s a good talker nobody could term Frankie a great wrestler, but it still confirms my belief that Ford may not be the best choice of man to feud with Bailey going forward. That said, this was an okay match, and whilst Gumble may not always deliver the goods in the ring he’s cut some of our best promo’s to date so I’m keeping him around. He took the win here, taking Frank down with the Savate Kick for the W.

Winner: Ford Gumble Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Black Hat Bailey vs. Whistler

Note to self: Whistler? Not a great main event player these days. I mean yes, in popularity terms he’s up there, but in actual match placement terms he’s not really at the top of the pile. Mind you, after that last match…but I’m digressing. This match was okay, nothing special, and even quite entertaining for the most part, but in terms of actual work rate nowhere near what we need at the top of the cards. In the end Herb made his presence felt by distracting the ref long enough for Bailey to hit Whistler with his trademark steel chair to the back, setting up the Bailey Breaker for the submission victory.

Winner: Black Hat Bailey Match Rating: D+

 

 

Overall Rating: D+, more than good enough to keep our popularity going up but still not as good as we’re capable of.

[1PWfan]

So, let's see how the predictions broke down, shall we?

 

juggaloninjalee: 4/6

Dragonmack: 4/6

Regis: 6/6

BHK1978: 5/6

 

So, Regis gets the victory with a perfect score, so as a reward he gets the all-new 'Vessey: The Future of The Old School' DVD, featuring the best matches of Cameron Vessey from MAW and NYCW.

[1PWfan]

From the Diary of Hugh Dansigny

 

Coming out of Manhattan Mêlée the news was actually pretty good: not only had we turned a profit for the third straight month, but we were continuing the upward trend in our profit margins: first 14 hundred, then 2544, then nearly 4000 dollars. This was definitely promising: the company’s never really run at a loss, but our profits had a habit of disappearing every few years, leaving us back at the 100 thou mark. The only dark spot on the horizon when it came to profits were that whilst overall they were going up, sponsorship and merchandise money were slightly down on last month. It’s probably down to the industry: whilst the economy’s booming interest in wrestling is on a downward trend, and that’s hitting companies like us a bit. Still, as long as profits kept going up we’d survive, and with ticket sales on the rise things were looking good on that front.

 

As for storylines, I re-jigged things a little bit. Ford wasn’t delivering as a top babyface, and with Cameron have somehow ascended to the main event his proto-feud with Sammy would have to be pulled. Sammy was put into a feud with JJ (after that match with Steve there’s no way in hell he’s staying at the bottom of the card), and I moved Ford into a feud with Cameron. As for the Empire title storyline? I did what I should have done in January, and moved Steve into that slot: when you’re in trouble and need a guarantee of quality for your main event, there’s nobody better than Steve.

 

As for signings, I brought in two new names: although his contract demands hadn’t changed I signed Jesse Christian, since now I have a plan for him, whilst I brought in a kid named Ant-Man to replace Jared as a heel jobber. He’s a decent young talent plus he can actually lift Land Mass off his feet, which is damned impressive and gives us something to work with if we ever try and push him. As for Jesse, he’ll be tagging up with DDD to give us another face team and a chance to evolve Diamond/Lee if we ever need to. Unfortunately our attempt to sign Jack DeColt fell through after he turned us down on grounds of size: fair enough, and signing him had always been the longest of long shots anyway, but it was still a nasty reminder of how far we’ve got to go before we’re a player in the business. Floyd Goldworthy also turned us down, though that really was just pure opportunism after I heard his TCW contract was coming up. Fortunately for us I re-signed Dean Waldorf for 700 per appearance, 200 up on what he had been making but more or less fair enough.

 

For our next show, Big Time Wrestling, I put together the following card:

 

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

 

NUMBER ONE CONTENDERS MATCH

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

 

Jesse Christian vs. Lee Wright

 

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jared Johnson

[Dragonmack]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

Bailey really needs to drop this title, he is just too limiting with his non existent stamina, but I see him dropping to the contender next month which will be

 

NUMBER ONE CONTENDERS MATCH

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

old Mr Reliable, Steve Flash. Ota is a good choice also, but Flash in NYCW (at least until he is stolen) so giving him the title sets up feuds with Ota and with

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

Frank. Whistler can be valuable as a gatekeeper but Frank has the chops to be in the main event as a consistent challenger and transitional champion.

 

Jesse Christian vs. Lee Wright

This comes down to potential a year from now. Wright will be retired by then, whereas Christian can potentially maintain a role in the upper mid and possibly main event depending on how he is used. This match should be for the long view, not the short gain.

 

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

While I personally have a soft spot for OSP, and they should be kept strong enough to be credible contenders and gatekeepers, Ring Generals should be a solid base in your tag ranks for years to come.

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jared Johnson

Both are development projects, Sammy is farther along.

[BHK1978]

I really liked the Larry Vessey interview!

 

 

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

 

If Ford is not delivering as the top face why give him the gold? Therefore, I think BHB will keep the title.

 

NUMBER ONE CONTENDERS MATCH

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

 

You can never go wrong with a Flash/Bailey feud.

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

 

Jesse Christian vs. Lee Wright

 

I have a soft spot for the grump old bastard.

 

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

 

After losing the gold they need to rebound.

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jared Johnson

[1PWfan]

Show will be going up in the next 24 hours, folks (at least in theory), so there's still time to get in those predictions

[Regis]

FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

BHB's going to hold the title until a more convincing challenger comes along.

 

NUMBER ONE CONTENDERS MATCH

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

Fumi may have good technical skills, but he's still a bit flippy-floppy Cruiserweight-y for Stomper to buy him as champ.

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

Because he'll cheat.

 

Jesse Christian vs. Lee Wright

Strong debut.

 

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

Because they're awesome.

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jared Johnson

let JJ's push commence!

[1PWfan]

NYCW Big Time Wrestling I

Live to DVD from the Ministry

Audience: 962

 

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

 

Animal Harker vs. The New York Doll vs. Ant-Man vs. Riley McManus

This was here solely to give Riley a win and Ant-Man a debut run out, so I didn’t expect much from it. Sure enough it sucked, though Doll and Ant-Man softened the blow with some improvement. There were a couple of decent highlights: Ant-Man got a chance to show his power after lifting Riley and Harker onto his shoulders for a Samoan Drop, and whilst Harker was as awful as ever he did this cool spot where he threw headbutts like they were going out of fashion which looked kinda cool. In the end Riley rolled up Harker for the victory.

Winner: Riley McManus Match Rating: E+

 

 

The Show

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

This was a decent match, but wasn’t any different from the last one in terms of quality or even spots. Whistler hit his trademark shoulder blocks, Frank responded with his usual dirty tricks, and a roistering good time was had by all. A couple of things livened this one up: Whistler showed signs of sharpening up his fundamentals, and the finish, which saw both men fight their way through the crowd for a double count-out, was something a little different for the fans. All in all, not a bad match, although I’d hoped for something a little better.

Winner: None Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

“What a match! Fans, this is NYCW Big Time Wrestling and boy have we got one heck of a main event for you. For the first time ever, Steve Flash and Fumihiro Ota, two of the trailblazers of the cruiserweight style, will come face to face in wrestling ring!”

 

“I gotta admit, Rock, even I’m excited about this one. Steve Flash is without a doubt one of the greatest wrestlers to ever come out of Canada, and when you put that against a man like Ota, with eight major championship runs and five years with the greatest wrestling promotion in the United States, well, that pretty much tells the whole story”

 

“Of course both men have famously crisp technical styles- I think we’re going to see a very technical encounter here, Hugh, with both men really trying to out-wrestling their opponent”

 

“I’m not so sure Rock- yeah, Ota’s going to try and keep things technical, but if Flash is smart he’ll try and turn this into a brawl. He needs to look for an area where he holds dominance over Ota, and the only area where they’re not evenly matched is in a straight fight. If Flash can keep things unsophisticated then he’s guaranteed to win- if not, it’s going to be a lot tougher”

 

“Of course, there’s one other factor to consider, and that’s the number one contendership. Whoever wins this one is next in line to challenge Black Hat Bailey for the Empire title, and you’ve got to think that The Old School is going to be watching this one very carefully.”

 

“Oh yeah- my guess is that they’re going to want Ota to win this one. He’s got the right kind of attitude for the Old School, and they might be looking to forge the kind of ad hoc alliance with him that they’ve got going on with Honest Frank. If Steve wins then they’re in big trouble- nobody’s more opposed to their style than him, except maybe Whistler. But I don’t see them getting directly involved- they’ve got three matches of their own on the card, and my guess is that they’re going to want to focus on them”

 

“So, fans, it looks like we’re in for one heck of a main event!”

 

As usual this provoked more of a low-level buzz than a massive pop.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jared Johnson

JJ continues to impress with a fine showing here, and whilst the crowd weren’t behind the finish they liked JJ himself. As for Sammy, he wasn’t too happy about the finish here (he went down to the Carolina Crossface for a shock defeat), but I’d put Stomper under orders to keep him looking strong so he didn’t sandbag this one like he could have. The story was simple enough: Sammy dominated with his combination of brawling and showmanship whilst JJ tried to slow things down with some damn fine technical work, before Jared scored a shock victory with the Carolina Crossface.

Winner: Jared Johnson Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

We cut to a video showing Ota getting ready for the main event. In keeping with his character, it’s all very Ninja-esque: He’s showing drinking tea served up by Kammy Ling (his geisha, or just a valet in a kimono if you’re being technical), meditating and kicking bits of wood in half. As usual, the reaction was muted

Reaction: D+

 

*

 

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

Our tag division can always be counted upon to deliver a solid match, and tonight was no exception. Nobody in this match could be called a great wrestler, but hey, that’s why they’re in the tag division and not getting a massive singles push. Mind you, like hell would I split these guys up anyway: The Ring Generals are pathetic faces but they’re a great team otherwise, and OSP are our most experienced partnership and the heart of The Old School. In the end, though, the W went to the Ring Generals, who nailed Sanders with The Squared Circle Assault before Waldorf got the actual pinfall.

Winners: The Ring Generals Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

We once again cut to a training video, this time showing Steve going through the works. The emphasis this time was Steve as the professional sportsman: lots of gym equipment, running up and down bleachers and stretching out rookies (in this instance Harker and Ant-Man, who might as well try and learn something whilst we’re paying them). Reaction? Much the same as usual

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Lee Wright vs. Jesse Christian

This was a standard midcard match, hampered somewhat by the fact that Lee and Herb really don’t work well together but livened up by Jesse’s star quality. I’m still not convinced that bringing in Jesse was a good idea- I’ll need to change some plans around, and with Ford’s guaranteed title run in the deal as well it’s not going to be easy, but hey, if he can deliver a few good matches whilst he’s here then it’s worth it. In the end, though, Lee got the win here after Herb distracted the ref, allowing for the brass-knuckles-to-the-face trick for the victory.

Winner: Lee Wright Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

No sooner has the match finished than Lee’s joined by Rick Sanders and the Mauler, and together the three of them lay a beatdown on the recumbent Jesse. Fortunately for him, Dazzling Dave Diamond hits the ring with a baseball bat, driving The Old School off. The reaction to this was decidedly quiet, but hey, who cares? It was all to set up next month anyway.

Rating: E

 

*

 

We go backstage to the NYCW Interview Position, where Ford Gumble’s hyping up his match tonight

 

“Me vs. Bailey. Title on the line.

 

“Looks like we got a new champion, right?”

 

This didn’t get the same reaction Ford’s promos have got in the past, as his recent results have hit his momentum a bit. The pop was still pretty good, though, so who’s complaining?

Rating: D+

 

*

 

Ford Gumble vs. Black Hat Bailey

Typically enough, the minute I change my plans to get Gumble out of the main picture his form picks right back up and we get a good match out of him. This was a strong match, not an absolute classic but definitely in our top 10, with Ford’s nerves being counter-balanced by Bailey’s experience and the usual sterling work of me and Rock at the desk and Stomper behind the scenes. It also helped that I brought in some interference in the form of Cameron Vessey, who nailed Ford with the Vessey Driver when the ref’s back was turned, setting up the Bailey Breaker for the victory.

Winner: Black Hat Bailey Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

Steve Flash: the wrestling equivalent of the Postal Service. Neither rain nor snow nor any of that other cr@p will stop this guy delivering one heck of a match, and against a talent like Ota…well, need I say more? This wasn’t quite the equal of Flash/Johnson from last month but made a damn good challenge all the same: to be honest both Ota and Flash are a little over the hill, but they’ve got the experience to cover for that and the psychology to tell a decent story around their limitations. Said story was, as with all the best ones, simple enough: Ota dominated with a combination of flashy offence and mat wrestling, whilst Flash fought back with his trademark forearm shots and his own far-from-inadequate technical work, before finally nailing Ota with a surprise Flash Bang to score the pinfall. I can only imagine how good this would have been if these guys had been in their peak, though it would probably have happened in NOTBPW if they had been.

Winner: Steve Flash Match Rating: C

 

 

Overall Rating: C-, a return to Rush Hour’s form, though this wasn’t quite as good.

[1PWfan]

Let's see how the predictions went this time, hmm?

 

Dragonmack: 3/6

BHK1978: 4/6

Regis: 4/6

 

So, it's a tie between BHK and Regis, which means that this month's prize will be going to both. That prize? The all new NYCW fan-pack, featuring posters for all our shows so far this year, the new 'Old School Rules' T-Shirt and a dvd copy of 'Straight Shooting with Derek 'The Stomper' Bradford', a shoot interview with The Boss himself.

 

Next post should be going up soonish, folks- if not later today, then probably tomorrow.

[BHK1978]

Steve Flash: the wrestling equivalent of the Postal Service. Neither rain nor snow nor any of that other cr@p will stop this guy delivering one heck of a match, and against a talent like Ota…well, need I say more?

 

This was a great line, it had me laughing! Keep up the great work!

[1PWfan]

This was a great line, it had me laughing! Keep up the great work!

 

Thanks very much, and right back at ya- I'm loving your RIPW dynasty, and would encourage all my readers (and I know you're out there you silent masses you) to check it out.

 

Next post is coming at some point over the next twenty-four hours, depending on when my October show gets written up (yes, I have that much time on my hands).

[1PWfan]

Buddy Rogers’ New York Minute

 

Well, things have certainly changed at NYCW. For those of you who’ve yet to get your hands on a copy of Big Time Wrestling (currently available on DVD from the NYCW website- I know, right?), the company’s undergone a massive storyline shift. Ford Gumble’s out of the Empire title picture, Flash is in, and Cameron Vessey’s getting his first major storyline with the company. Throw in Jared Johnson’s push and we’ve got the sea change in New York.

 

My take on this? This is a classic example of the three-month phenomenon. For those of you who’ve never heard of this, the idea goes that it takes any new head booker about three months to get to grips with the company and figure out who the go-to guys on the roster are and how it all fits together. Even Hugh, who’s been with the company since 2007, needed time to figure out stuff like how to incorporate his new signings and where there were gaps on the roster that still needed filling. Now, he’s figured out where the likes of Ford Gumble and Cameron Vessey fit into the company, shored up the tag division and set up the storylines that can take the company through the next six months, if not right to the end of the year (quite possible, given Hugh’s predilection for ultra old-school booking and NYCW’s sedentary roster).

 

Other than that, life at NYCW has been fairly quiet this month: probably the only really newsworthy item is that Black Hat Bailey’s currently out injured with a Minor Concussion. Word is that when Gumble mis-timed his Savate Kick during their match at Big Time Wrestling he accidentally caught Bailey in the temple. My sources inside the company say that Bailey should be back in time for Rumble in the Bronx, their next show, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to rest him for another show to give him time to properly heal. Either way, this is kind of surprising: NYCW isn’t noted as a place where injuries are all that common, and Bailey’s a famously rugged customer so it’s doubly surprising that he’s the one who’s out. Whatever the case, I doubt that this will affect Hugh’s plans for the future: his attitude towards injuries has always been bloody-minded, and to be honest how much can he change anyway? The company’s already about as safe as it can be, anymore so and you risk making things look ridiculous.

 

Oh, and more news on the planned NYCW women’s division: the nominal start date for the division is July 2010, at a new show in place of the old Gang Wars format. No idea what the show’s called, or who will kick the division off (my guess is that the first champ’s name will sound suspiciously like Sahara McCry), but that’s what we’re looking at, folks.

 

The card for Rumble in the Bronx currently looks like this:

 

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Steve Flash

 

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Whistler

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. DC Rayne

 

Southern Justice (Jesse Christian & Dazzling Dave Diamond) vs. Old School Principals

 

Eddie Howard vs. Marv Statler

 

OOC Note: Next show will be up in a few days, folks, so there's plenty of time for predictions or any other form of feedback (even if you hate this dynasty and want me to die feel free to say so)

[BHK1978]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Steve Flash

 

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

 

This is a tough one as I could see both of them getting the victory.

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Whistler

 

As much as I am growing to dislike Fumihiro there is no way old man river is going to get a win over him.

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. DC Rayne

 

Southern Justice (Jesse Christian & Dazzling Dave Diamond) vs. Old School Principals

 

Eddie Howard vs. Marv Statler

[Regis]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Steve Flash

I think that now may be the time.

 

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

He may well cheat.

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Whistler

Ota comes back from his loss to Flash.

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. DC Rayne

No Tag Team player gets a singles title in this company!

 

Southern Justice (Jesse Christian & Dazzling Dave Diamond) vs. Old School Principals

Strong debut.

 

Eddie Howard vs. Marv Statler

Makes up for his partner's loss.

[Dragonmack]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Black Hat Bailey vs. Steve Flash

Time for Bailey to drop the belt.

 

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

Vessey may have beat his old man, but Gumble is too much for the young man right now

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Whistler

Ninja tactics ftw

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. DC Rayne

Neither man screams breakout star, so no reason for Sammy to drop it.

 

Southern Justice (Jesse Christian & Dazzling Dave Diamond) vs. Old School Principals

I like my version better.

 

Eddie Howard vs. Marv Statler

coin flip, going with the more experienced guy