NYCW: Old School 'Til We Die

Dragonmack · July 21, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Flash will have a good long run unless his contract comes due or he unexpectedly retires.

FRONTLINE VS. OLD SCHOOL- THE WAR CONTINUES

Freddie Datsun & Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright

While Vessey may be getting a big push, overall talent is better on the Datsun, Gumble side

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. Southern Justice

Storm seem to be the class of your division right now.

Whistler vs. The New York Doll

Spike is, was, and probably always will be, a jobber

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Connie Morris

Nepotism at it's finest

Marv Statler vs. Jared Johnson

Statler is an unknown as a singles performer while Johnson is hailed as a future star

Regis · July 21, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Frank's not got the chops to dethrone Steve, sadly.

FRONTLINE VS. OLD SCHOOL- THE WAR CONTINUES

Freddie Datsun & Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright

Maaaaaaaaybe. Long shot.

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. Southern Justice

The smell of a Natural Storm mark has permeated this thread and is leaking into the ones that are on either side.

Whistler vs. The New York Doll

JOBBER!

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Connie Morris

Although maybe by DQ, as Tammy needs strong enemies to fight.

Marv Statler vs. Jared Johnson

JJ's time may have come.

BHK1978 · July 21, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

The only way I could see Frank winning is if you want to have a little respite from having Flash as champion. That being said it will not happen.

FRONTLINE VS. OLD SCHOOL- THE WAR CONTINUES

Freddie Datsun & Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright

Pretty much what Dragonmack says, this match is less about Ford and Cameron and more about Freddie and Lee. Lee will retire sooner rather than later (in fact I am shocked he has not retired yet), whereas Freddie should be around for a while longer.

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. Southern Justice

Whistler vs. The New York Doll

This is as everyone else has said a squash match.

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Connie Morris

Marv Statler vs. Jared Johnson

QFresh · July 21, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

FRONTLINE VS. OLD SCHOOL- THE WAR CONTINUES

Freddie Datsun & Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. Southern Justice

Whistler vs. The New York Doll

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Connie Morris

Marv Statler vs. Jared Johnson

1PWfan · July 23, 2010

Just the usual 24-hour notice, folks- with the additional proviso that it'll probably go up in the morning due to the aforementioned going-on-holid-ay-for-a-week thing

1PWfan · July 24, 2010

<div style="text-align:center;">NYCW The Battle of Broadway

Saturday, Week 4, October

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Audience: 1,000 (SOLD OUT!)</div>

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

Fumihiro Ota vs. Animal Harker vs. Curtis Jenkins

As might be expected from a match featuring our worst worker and a developing rookie like CJ, this wasn’t that good. What’s really irritating me about Harker, though, isn’t his lack of talent (I just won’t renew his contract), but the fact that he’s keeping JJ way down on the card. CJ, meanwhile, is continuing to develop as a worker, but not as quickly as I liked, and is basically a jobber for now. Given that he’s one of our top stars, Ota took the win, taking down Harker with the Ninja Strike

Winner: Fumihiro Ota Match Rating: D

The Show

Whistler vs. The New York Doll

Whistler’s now winding down his career, but until I can find someone to take his slot up we need him on the card. As for the Doll, he’s risen into the midcard without ever making much of an impact, so I gave him a run out here to see what he can do. Admittedly the fact that the answer was ‘not much’ wasn’t entirely his fault- Whistler being as old as he is- but the only major problem with his game is momentum. I can build that up pretty quickly, but for now he took the loss to Whistler, going down to the Rebel Yell

Winner: Whistler Match Rating: D

*

For the first time tonight we’re back at the NYCW Interview Position, where Honest Frank is on hype duty for the main event

“Tonight, it’s me against Steve Flash for the Empire title. Man, I can remember the days when we were duking it out for the Tri-State title, way back in the dim mists of time. Well, 2007, but when you’re Flashie’s age last month can seem a long time ago, right Flashie?

Tonight though, tonight Flashie should definitely take it easy. I mean, after what I did to your buddy Whistler last month, you better take care that the same thing doesn’t happen to you. I mean, I wouldn’t want to hurt you, or injure you so bad you have to retire. Trust me.

“After all…Would I Lie To You?”

Yes you would, Frank, you evil g*t. Not that it matters, though: the reaction to this was even better than usual

Rating: C-

*

Connie Morris vs. Tamara McFly

This was as good as ever, although Connie was a bit off form tonight. Making up for that, though, was the fact that she and Tammy have pretty good chemistry as opponents, which lifted a couple of the more awkward spots and make them look less rough than they actually were. Connie also improved this by sharpening up her aerial skills, somewhat, although she kept away from the top rope outside of a couple of second-rope knee drops. In the end Tammy once again won this one, after Emma interfered, only to inadvertently hit Connie with a lariat, setting up Tammy to dump Emma out of the ring and pin Connie for the victory.

Winner: Tamara McFly Match Rating: D+

*

It’s time for another 80’s power ballad montage, as Steve is shown working out for the main event in his usual professional athlete type way. Reaction to this was better than the last time we tried this.

Rating: D

*

Once again, we’re back at the Interview Position, this time for Kristen Pearce’s debut.

“Tonight, my boys Natural Storm do what they do best- kick some @ss. Southern Justice? More like Southern Just-isn’t-good-enough. Dazzling, can I ask you one question- were your parents brother or sister or just cousins? And as for Jesse Christian, I know people called Jesse, and they’re all girls. So, you’ll excuse if I laugh in your stupid, pathetic little faces when Natural Storm kick your @ssess back to Buttlick East Texas”

This wasn’t at all bad- certainly the best promo we’ve had out of a non-wrestler yet.

Rating: D+

*

Natural Storm vs. Southern Justice

Man, the tag division just gets better and better. This was a fantastic match, a real highlight of the night, and I put that entirely down to the quality of Natural Storm. Not to knock Southern Justice, though, as both Jesse and Dazzling Dave are both solid workers with a lot of charisma, but Storm are the workhorses of the tag division. Kristen once again made her presence felt here, tripping Dave as he went for the Diamond Mine and allowing DC to tag in Eddie, who took the win with a Giant Kick (Bicycle Kick) to DDD to score the pinfall.

Winner: Natural Storm Match Rating: C

*

Back at the Interview Position Ford and Freddie are on hype duty for their match

“Tonight, me and Ford Gumble are in action, taking on Lee Wright and Cameron Vessey. The elder statesman and the bright young thing of The Old School. Now, neither me nor Ford are the kind to back down from a fight, but there’s no denying that these two guys are amongst the most dangerous men in NYCW. Tonight is gonna be tough, but you know what? We’re the Frontline, daddy, we don’t ever back down”

“Lee, Cameron…we’re gonna kick your @ss tonight”

As always with these two, we got a good segment that really delivered.

Rating: D+

*

Marv Statler vs. Jared Johnson

Jared’s push seems to have collapsed for some reason- he’s had a lot of screen-time, and more wins than the likes of Curtis Jackson or Animal Harker, but is less over than either of them. With that in mind, I put him in this one to help him get a bit more exposure: if we can’t push him so hard we can at least make sure his skills continue to develop. There wasn’t any sign of obvious improvement tonight, but this was a good match anyway, a pure technical encounter that highlighted both men’s technical abilities rather well. Statler got the win here, dropping JJ with his new finisher, the Slingshot Suplex.

Winner: Marv Statler Match Rating: D+

*

Backstage, Steve is coming out of the locker room just as he encounters Fumihiro Ota coming the other way. Before they can lay hands on each other, though, the half dozen or so wrestlers that are around get between them, stopping them from making contact. The reaction to this was hot by the standards of our angles.

Rating: D

*

Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright vs. Ford Gumble & Freddie Datsun

This was a good match, which okay is kind of to be expected with these four but still. It’s going to be difficult to replace Lee when he retires- there aren’t many on his level of popularity, and whilst he may be the wrong side of 50 that’s a lot of experience in the ring. As for the others, Ford’s contractual demands make him a pain in the @ss but he’s useful in the ring and on the mic, and both Freddie and Cameron are leading lights in the company. With all that in mind, I had this one go to a double countout when Ford and Cameron (the legal men at the time) got distracted brawling at ringside.

Winners: None Match Rating: C-

*

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Tonight’s match was a test to see how well Frank could operate at the highest level, and it turns out that’s pretty d@mn well. Frank’s really doing a great job of stepping his game up, mainly by going back to the well and digging up some of that XFW mindset: he’s still the charismatic cheat he’s always been in NYCW, but there’s that hint of underlying viciousness that really cements him as a top heel. Of course, against the Franchise of NYCW that didn’t do him a whole lot of good- there’s a list of people that could take the title off Steve, and I don’t think Christian Faith or Tommy Cornell are going to be joining us any time soon. Steve took the win here, snapping off the Flash Bang to get the pinfall.

Winner: Steve Flash Match Rating: C-

Overall Rating: C-, a good rating reflective of a show we can really be proud of.

BHK1978 · July 24, 2010

I think you made the correct decision in the Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright/Ford Gumble & Freddie Datsun match. I mean really what else could you do? Cameron really should not lose and neither should Ford.

I did not see Marv Statler getting the win but then again I did not realize that JJ was so down in your roster. I had the same problem with Remmy Honeyman in my NYCW game. For some reason he was not building up popularity. Finally I put him in a tag team with Jeremiah Moose and they took off. So maybe JJ just needs a tag partner (But I suck at the game so, I might not be the best person to give advice).

1PWfan · August 1, 2010

I think you made the correct decision in the Cameron Vessey & Lee Wright/Ford Gumble & Freddie Datsun match. I mean really what else could you do? Cameron really should not lose and neither should Ford.

I did not see Marv Statler getting the win but then again I did not realize that JJ was so down in your roster. I had the same problem with Remmy Honeyman in my NYCW game. For some reason he was not building up popularity. Finally I put him in a tag team with Jeremiah Moose and they took off. So maybe JJ just needs a tag partner (But I suck at the game so, I might not be the best person to give advice).

I've actually picked Remmy up myself and been wondering what to do with him, so thanks for that suggestion BHK, i'll look into partners for him.

Just to announce that I'm back folks, and looking to kick this thing back off on Monday.

1PWfan · August 2, 2010

Right, well then. Time to get this thing kicked off again, with some follow up for The Battle of Broadway

Dragonmack: 4/6

Regis: 5/6

BHK1978: 4/6

QFresh: 5/6

So, QFresh and Regis win this week, and as a reward get new 'Natural Storm: Nature's Most Destructive Force', the new DVD featuring the Champion's finest matches from MAW, FCW and NYCW, along with a shoot interview with the team, which may go up here sometime in 2011 if I can be bothered to write it.

1PWfan · August 4, 2010

From the diary of Hugh Dansigny

Off the back of The Battle of Broadway, things were looking as good as ever. Profits came in at about 19 thousand, up from last month and continuing an overall trend upwards. True, we’d dropped a bit from our peak in August, but with contract negotiations having largely weighed against us I figured we didn’t need to worry overmuch. Also, with 183 thousand in the bank, I figured we could afford to invest some of that in some new property for the company. Stomper’s always talking about a dojo, but I figured we could either go for a new venue, maybe 15 or 16 hundred seater to incorporate our new expansion, or we could buy in one of the old championship belts that are knocking around out there, since we could do with something to fill out our contractual situations. Although a venue was pretty good VFM (38,400 for what we projected our needs to be, as opposed to 35 thou for a moderately prestigious title), we need a title belt more than we need a new venue, so I went a bit down-market from my original plan and got hold of the old DaVE Brass Knuckles title for 25 thousand smackeroos. I renamed it the NYCW Brass Knuckles title and dropped the hardcore element from the title- I see it as reflective of the hard-hitting brawlers in our company, and you may ask why I then chose to purchase that title rather than create our own, but honestly? It’s my company’s money and I felt like being stupid with it. It’s not like Stomper’s gonna fire me for it anyway, so who cares?

Moving on, the big news story of this month was Whistler’s pending retirement. He’s officially dialling down his appearances prior to full retirement, and I for once am not looking forward to losing him for good. Sure, he’s not the wrestler he was in his prime, but there’s a lack of wrestlers in his popularity bracket that are a fit for our company. We’ve got the likes of Fox Mask, Insane Machine or Donnie J, but if I wanted a high flier I’d give myself a lobotomy and go work for CZCW. Nope, for us the only options currently available are Pistol Pete Hall, who’s probably only got a few years himself before he goes, Des Davids, who I’m not 100 per cent sold on, and Alex Braun or Grandmaster Phunk, who I’m not looking to bring in for physical reasons (I’ve seen what hardcore wrestling can do to a guy, and it ain’t pretty). I threw an offer out to Pete anyway, and tried my hand at Champagne Lover (he’s not the right style for us really, but why not?) and was hardly surprised when Lover turned us down and Pete proved too expensive for what we wanted. However, I also re-signed Steve Flash to a 12 month deal for 2,000 dollars per appearance, which seemed fair enough when you consider that he’s probably our MVP so far this year.

Oh, one more thing: Atom Smasher’s coming back to New York, baby. That’s right, the Atomic Icon, the Detonation Sensation, the most explosive wrestler in America, is coming back to New York after almost four years away. Apparently he fell out with Richard Eisen over tensions between Eisen and Frehley, one of Atom’s buddies. That’s a little worrying, as Frehley’s now at TCW and has to have the pull to bring in a guy like Smasher, but hey, whilst we’ve got him he can be the new fourth man in The Frontline and Whistler’s effective replacement (though Whistler ain’t gone just yet).

The card for our next show, Brooklyn Broadside, looked a little something like this:

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE
Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE
Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE
Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

QFresh · August 4, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

I think Flash still gets it done.

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

I wanted to call this one a draw, but I have a feeling that Frank will use his dirty ways to get the W.

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

Cause he's Gumble.

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

He'll hold it for a bit anyway.

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Your too fond of Natural Storm to have them both lose.

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

Why not.

Dragonmack · August 4, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

Flash holds this title until he leaves, or you get someone ultra talented that somehow drops off TCW or SWF.

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

With Flash champion, Frank becomes challenger

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

One is still in, for him, his prime

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Rayne is a tag wrestler

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Dean seems to be the slightly more dominant Ring general

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

Bitches beat up pretty girls

BHK1978 · August 4, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

DM is right Flash should be Champion until he either retires or leaves the company.

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

At this point I don't think it is worth your while to give the Grumpy Old Man any kind of title. He has to be calling it a career soon...right?

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

Regis · August 5, 2010

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

Why have anyone else as champ when you cah have Steve Flash as champ?

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

Going out on a limb here.

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

I smell a contractual obligation!

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Silly DC Rayne. You are not a singles wrestler!

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Silly Dean Waldorf. You are not in the Natural Storm!

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

Hugh seems to like Emma, and any ex-NOTBPW girls are in good stead.

1PWfan · August 6, 2010

Just the usual 24 hour reminder, folks- still time to get your predictions in!

Boltinho · August 6, 2010

Just had a read of this. Good stuff sir.

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE BRASS KNUCKLES TITLE

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Dean Waldorf vs. Eddie Howard

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

1PWfan · August 7, 2010

NYCW Brooklyn Broadside

Saturday, Week 4, November

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Audience: 1,000 (SOLD OUT!)

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

The Atlantic Connection vs. Old School Principals

Rick’s plummeted down the card of late, largely due to the lack of attention I’ve been paying to him, so I put him up against our resident jobbers to get him going back up again. This wasn’t a great match, and whilst CJ and Riley do show the occasional bit of promise I’m rapidly cooling off on them as worthwhile prospects. The Principals, meanwhile, are endlessly reliable and experienced, and all the high points in this match came from their double-teams, although Mauler’s fundamentals improved tonight (and how much can they improve, anyway?). In the end Sanders got the victory, locking Riley in the Figure Four Leglock to get the submission victory.

Winner: Old School Principals Match Rating: D

The Show

Ford Gumble vs. Lee Wright

This was a good match, as you would expect from Lee Wright and Ford when he’s not in the main event. The debut match for the new Brass Knuckles title, we used this to put over the basics of the title: the title is fought over by the company’s finest brawlers, emphasising rugged power and physical dominance rather than technical ability. I could’ve given this one to Lee- heaven only knows he deserves some recognition for the work he’s done for us- but Ford’s contract ensured that he won, nailing Lee with the Savate kick at the 10 minute mark.

Winner: Ford Gumble Match Rating: C-

*

Backstage at the NYCW interview position, Whistler’s on hype duty, having apparently taken up the role of Flash’s manager

“Tonight, ol’ Steve Flash takes on The Crown Jewel of The Old School Cameron Vessey, and the Silent Assassin Fumihiro Ota. Well, I got news for you boys: you ain’t got a snowflake’s chance in a hell against this man! Steve Flash is the greatest wrestler in the whole history of New York City Wrestling, and when he gets into that ring tonight he’s gonna take you both on and you leave both lying on the mat wondering what the h*ll just hit you! I got two words for ya both, brother: FLASH! BANG! HOOOOO!!!!!”

This wasn’t fantastic, but given that it’s way better than anything Steve could’ve done on his own I’ll take it.

Rating: D

*

Emma Bitch vs. Katherine Goodlooks

As always with the women’s division this was a decent match, livened up by Emma and Kathy’s charisma and let down by the fact that Emma’s selling is poor and she’s a little too fond of the 420. That being said, she is a good worker for the most part, and against someone like Kathy, who’s got quite a bit of experience and talent of her own, that was always going to make for a good match. In the end, though, this one went to Emma, who nailed Kathy with The Payback for the victory.

Winner: Emma Bitch Match Rating: D+

*

Once again we’re back at the Interview Position, this time for a word from Kristen Pearce ahead of the Tri-State title match

“Jesse Christian. How can anyone take a man like him seriously? For a start, Jesse is a girl’s name. I should know, after all, I had to grow up with the sickening little miss goody two-shoes. And for another thing, he takes nearly a whole decade off from wrestling, comes back and just expects everything to go his way? Well not tonight. Tonight, my boy DC Rayne is going to kick your head in, take your title belt and toss you out of the company on your fat, stupid @ss”

This wasn’t one of Kristen’s greatest promos, but it did the job.

Rating: D-

*

Jesse Christian vs. DC Rayne

Man, we are knocking it out of the ballpark in the ring tonight. This was a great match, pitching Jesse’s power game against DC’s technical ability and firebrand brawling, not to mention Kristen’s presence at ringside. I also threw in a lot of interference to keep our storylines going- Eddie interfered to help DC, bringing out DDD and Dean Waldorf to even the odds (Eddie counts double so it’s not unfair). In the end Dave and Waldorf kept Eddie busy at ringside whilst Jesse locked DC into the Human Torture Rack, winning the match and retaining the title.

Winner: Jesse Christian Match Rating: C-

*

After the match Jesse is celebrating when Sammy the Shark comes out, apparently to congratulate him. As soon as he’s in the ring, though, he nails Jesse with The Ace in the Hole, escaping through the crowd before Dave can get after him.

Rating: E

*

Hawkwind's legendary anthem 'Master of the Universe' announces the arrival of Atom Smasher, ready for his first match. Before Ant-Man emerges, however, Styx’s ‘Blue Collar Man’ brings out Freddie Datsun, mic in hand.

“Before you get things kicked off tonight Smasher, I just wanted to approach you with…well, with an offer. Y’see, it’s been a long time since you went to the big leagues, and a lot’s changed. Some of it’s good, but a lot of it’s bad. You’ve got The Old School running riot on everything in sight, Honest Frank playing everyone off against the middle, and nobody even knows what Ota’s planning. So, me and a couple of the guys got together, we’re making a stand, forming a Frontline. And, well, we want you on board- you’re one of the best there is, and if we’re going to really make a difference we need you”

Atom Smasher pauses, then lifts the mic to respond

“Darkness falls across the land. Word comes of danger from the north. And in the land of New York, hope rises again, as the Atom Smasher joins The Frontline, combining his essence with the souls of great atomic heroes when the moon turns starbright and power walks the land in shoes of glory”

Given that both Freddie and Atom are amongst our best talkers and most popular workers this was always going to do well.

Rating: C-

*

Atom Smasher vs. Ant-Man

Welcome to NYCW, where on a good day squash matches can be highlights of the show. This was a really good squash, largely thanks to these two both having big upsides- Smasher’s got a good combo of talent, charisma and star quality, whilst Ant-Man’s developing a lot of charisma and wrestling ability. Of course the ending was more than slightly predictable: at six minutes in, Smasher nailed Ant-Man with the Mushroom Cloud (Alabama Slam) to get the victory.

Winner: Atom Smasher Match Rating: C

*

Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

Well, that Frank’s next feud locked in. The chemistry here was phenomenal, just off-the-charts fantastic, and that lifted an already good match into the realms of not just top 5 material but top 3, making it up to number two behind that d@mn squash match. As with all matches featuring these two guys (and 90% of our main event, to be honest), this was a straight up brawl, with Frank initially dominating with his trademark dirty tactics, before an attempted chair shot gave Freddie a chance to remind us how hardcore he used to be as he wrestled the chair away and nailed Frank with a massive shot to the ribs (which he can get away with ‘cos he’s a face and good guys are always right), before nailing the Patriot Press for the victory.

Winner: Freddie Datsun Match Rating: C+

*

Steve Flash vs. Cameron Vessey vs. Fumihiro Ota

Thank the lord for that- after something like nine months, we finally have a best match ever that isn’t a throwaway squash match. This was a fantastic match, which okay is hardly surprising when you consider how good these three are but is still a good thing. The mix was simple- Cameron provided the brawling, Ota added some grounded technical work, and Flash knitted it all together into some kind of quality wrestling sweater. In the end Flash took the win, after Vessey got sidetracked brawling with Ford Gumble at ringside (he went for a chair, Ford came out to stop him, you can see what happened from there), allowing Flash to nail Ota with the Flash Bang and get the 1-2-3.

Winner: Steve Flash Match Rating: C+

Overall Rating: C, not just a good rating but also our best show this year.

Regis · August 8, 2010

Sweet show! Welcome aboard, Atom Smasher!

1PWfan · August 9, 2010

Thanks for the praise, Regis. Now, let's see how the predictions went this week, shall we? Oh, and since I realised the last-minute booking adjustment (Atom Smasher/Ant-Man was a last-minute replacement of Howard/Waldorf, after Smasher arrived days before the show), I will give everyone an automatic point for that- nobody would've been stupid enough to bet on Ant-Man winning anyway.

QFresh: 5/6

Dragonmack: 5/6

BHK1978: 5/6

Regis: 6/6

Boltinho: 6/6

So, it's a joint win for Regis, and our newest predictor Boltinho (who's HIW dynasty I'd just like to plug here- it's a very different take on the British scene, and features some very unexpected workers). As a reward, you both to ask one question of any NYCW talent or tag team currently working, to be tacked on to the end of the upcoming New York Minute column

Boltinho · August 9, 2010

Woot!

Loved the show and Atom Smasher is fast becoming a favourite.

PMed you with the question I'd like to ask...

Thanks for the plug for my little homemade project

Regis · August 9, 2010

Question for Cameron Vessey: Many talented wrestlers, both veterans and rookies work in wrestling today, and you might get the chance to test yourself against any of them. But which wrestlers no longer actively performing in the ring would you most like to have wrestled in their prime?

1PWfan · August 11, 2010

Buddy Rogers’ New York Minute

We’re heading into the last show of the year for NYCW, and what a year it’s been. Growing to Regional, saying goodbye to Black Hat Bailey and hello to the likes of Freddie Datsun, Cameron Vessey and Ford Gumble; welcoming back Atom Smasher and seeing Tamara McFly become the first ever NYCW Women’s Champion. But, ultimately, there’s just one question to ask: with December’s show marking the end of Hugh Dansigny’s first year in charge of NYCW, could this year be termed a success?

Really, to figure this out, you’ve got to look at Hugh’s reign in three ways: money, growth and creativity. The first item is fairly simply: how much money did the company make, and how did Hugh spend it? However, the second criteria, growth, is a little more complicated than it looks- I’m not necessarily talking about the company’s change in size, but also how Hugh’s expanded and changed the company’s roster over the year. And our last criteria, that of creativity, is looking at the storylines that Hugh’s run over the year and how well they have or haven’t worked.

Money: The most obvious place to start, and ironically the most unreliable as a forms of assessment, this one supports Hugh pretty much all the way. Having started the year with 100,000 dollars in the bank the company have made 73 thousand, 991 dollars profit in the year since. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that this isn’t exactly spectacular for a company with NYCW’s mainstream appeal, even with the economy on it’s increasingly downward spiral, and serves to mask the fact that Hugh’s not always the most cautious with money. His recent purchase of the DaVE Brass Knuckles title has served as an excellent example of that devil-may-care attitude, and it’s worth pointing out that he’s lost something like 15,000 dollars this year. Alright, so maybe that isn’t much, but when you bear in mind that without that loss the company would have doubled it’s starting bank balance that does show something about the problems Hugh occasionally has with money. However, like I said before you can’t judge a company by it’s profit margins alone- with the economic slowdown making it’s presence felt and interest in the business in decline there’s a lot affecting the profits that Hugh can’t have any control over (no matter what he may say). It’s also worth pointing out that, in pure profit terms, the SWF have had a fantastic year, but nobody would suggest that 2010 has been one of their best years creatively.

Growth: To me, this is a better method of assessing Hugh’s success as a booker: you can’t control the economy or the industry as a booker, but you can control the development of the company. In these terms, Hugh’s definitely been successful. Not only has the company risen in size to the point of being a truly regional company, but the roster has a whole has taken on a lot of quality, and jettisoned one or two less-than-useful names. Of the new signings, maybe the most successful have been Freddie Datsun and Cameron Vessey, both of whom have become a major part of the company’s success in recent months. It’s also worth talking about the addition of the women’s division, which is probably the biggest expansion NYCW’s undergone in recent months: it’s been through a few teething troubles (Nina the Psycho Ballerina and Gorgon have both been and gone, due to talent and chemistry issues respectively), but the quality of the matches, and the launching of the Emma Bitch/Tamara McFly storyline, have emphasised just how big a part of the company the division could become. What’s more, unlike some companies (DaVE and PPPW are probably the best examples), Hugh’s managed to keep control of the company’s development, and as yet the roster hasn’t spiralled out of control. That’s not to say it won’t of course, there’s still a month left to go before we say a final goodbye to 2010, but I’d be surprised if he saw any need for new additions.

Creativity: In a company like NYCW, where storylines and characters are such a strong part of what goes on, how a booker manages the storylines and gimmicks is a key part of his job, and in this area Hugh’s work is rather more hit-and-miss than he’d perhaps like. It’s true, the formation of the Frontline has been a success, and most of his main-event feuds have been handled pretty well (even the comparative failure of Ford/Bailey was brought to a logical end and spun off into two rather more successful feuds) but it’s clear that Hugh isn’t always on top form when it comes to the undercard. His tri-state feuds never seem to have quite come together, and whilst some of that is apparently due to contractual issues (the hot-shotting of the title from Sammy to Ford to Frank and then onto Jesse was apparently to satisfy several contract demands) he hasn’t always handled it very well. Sammy the Shark has probably been the worst sufferer of this: he was originally supposed to feud with Cameron Vessey before Vessey’s climb to the main event curtailed that, and his feud with Jared Johnson did neither man much good. However, whilst I wouldn’t call Hugh’s creative run with the company an unqualified success, he’s done no worse than a lot of bookers, and it’s worth bearing in mind that this is the first time he’s headed up a booking team ever- his previous creative work with NOTBPW and USPW was as part of a team- and it’s perhaps reasonable to expect him to take a little time to come to terms with how best to utilise the NYCW undercard.

So, having broken down the three major elements of what makes a successful booker, I think overall you have to term his first year on the job a good one: the company is definitely stronger at year’s end than it was at the start, without sacrificing the core values of what makes NYCW the company it is. Going forward, though, it’s clear that Hugh needs to get some continuity going in his undercard and keep a tighter grip on the purse-strings as the economy continues to decline. Of course, knowing wrestling the minute I’ve said this the economy will turn around just to make me look stupid, but hey, that’s wrestling.

One final thing before we go: after the success of the fan questions during the Hugh Dansigny interview a couple of months ago, I’ve got a new scheme starting up. Each month, in conjunction with the predictions contest run on our forums, fans will get the chance to ask their favourite NYCW Wrestlers any questions they want, with answers being posted in this thread. So, here’s our first set of responses. Firstly, from Regis:

For Cameron Vessey: Many talented wrestlers, both veterans and rookies work in wrestling today, and you might get the chance to test yourself against any of them. But which wrestlers no longer actively performing in the ring would you most like to have wrestled in their prime?

Cameron: That’s a difficult one. I guess I’d have to say Floyd ‘F-Bomb’ Bowman, who worked for TWL in the 70’s. He was just so charismatic, and we’d have a fantastic, full-on fight, which is the kind of match I most enjoy. Another guy I’d like to wrestle, for different reasons, is Master Kitozon- obviously I’ve had a lot of contact with Japanese wrestling, and Kitozon is someone I’d love to get into the ring with. For one thing, it’d be the hottest crowd I could ever hope to work in front of.

Secondly, from Boltinho, aka The Fearsome Bunsen

For ‘The Detonation Sensation’ Atom Smasher: "What will happen to NYCW in the future?"

Atom Smasher: The coming of Atomic Champions has taken the land of New York Wrestling to the next level of greatness, and as the Great Makers of the Supreme Desert grow fat on the exploitation of the dying souls of former glories then the purifying light of true wrestling will sweep through the desert, returning the spirit of competition to the vaunted halls from whence it came.

***

The card for NYCW Fairytale of New York, the company’s last show of the year, looks like this:

TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE
Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

FRONTLINE VS. THE OLD SCHOOL
Freddie Datsun & Atom Smasher vs. Old School Principals

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES
Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

FOR THE WOMEN’S TITLE
Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

Sammy the Shark vs. Curtis Jenkins

Show due on Saturdays as always folks!

Dragonmack · August 11, 2010

TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

While the Warrior of Darkness is a personal favorite, and well able to carry this title, Flash is your anchor.

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

Vessey seems to have great growth, and Gumble is a stable measuring stick

FRONTLINE VS. THE OLD SCHOOL

Freddie Datsun & Atom Smasher vs. Old School Principals

Two of your biggest stars vs the gatekeepers of the tag team division

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

To me the Ring Generals are just that much better than Natural Storm

FOR THE WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

more money in the face chasing the heel

Sammy the Shark vs. Curtis Jenkins

ajcrible · August 11, 2010

I guess I’d have to say Floyd ‘F-Bomb’ Bowman, who worked for TWL in the 70’s. He was just so charismatic, and we’d have a fantastic, full-on fight, which is the kind of match I most enjoy.

Yeah! Some ****in' love for 'F-Bomb'! He'd whoop Cameron's *** just like he whooped his daddy's back in the day.

BHK1978 · August 11, 2010

TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS FOR THE EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Fumihiro Ota

I always want to do a two out of three falls match but I always end up screwing it up in the in game booking. Oh and Steve should win this.

Ford Gumble vs. Cameron Vessey

FRONTLINE VS. THE OLD SCHOOL

Freddie Datsun & Atom Smasher vs. Old School Principals

FOR THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

FOR THE WOMEN’S TITLE

Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

Sammy the Shark vs. Curtis Jenkins

Jenkins does not seem high on your list of people to push. Whereas Sammy is in the midst of a good push.

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NYCW: Old School 'Til We Die

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