[HYPE] A New World of Professional Wrestling

[Darbicus]

((This is another, fantasy mod I'll be working on. The storylines are already developed in my head, it's just a matter of getting started working on it. I have written a brief synopsis for each federation in North America, with the other regions to follow soon.))

 

It is 2000. The world of professional wrestling is in turmoil as the old century gives way to the new, and life is changing for all of the territories. The old alliances are dead or dying. The new world is upon us...

 

 

United States

 

The North American Wrestling Alliance was once the largest governing body of professional wrestling in the world, with territories spanning the entire continent. An antitrust lawsuit brought by the ironically named Outlaw Wrestling Federation led to a closer look at NAWA's control of the wrestling industry, but ultimately it would be friction between the two main players in the alliance that would prove to be its near undoing. Here is the state of affairs in the United States:

 

Pioneer Wrestling Association- Based out of Chicago, the PWA emerged as the largest federation inside the alliance shortly after the early 90s collapse of Northeast Championship Wrestling. This was likely due to having control of the booking over the best talent pool at the time, as great stars throughout the 90s (Sirius Moran, Dalton Campbell, Raizzor, and others) all made their home in the PWA. However tensions between PWA owner Rob Robinson and his fellow promoters in the alliance came to a head in late 1998, as the PWA, backed by investors with telecommunications giant Trans-World Communications, began pushing outside their normal touring circuit and taking the PWA to a national audience on a broader scale. Monday Night Mania premiered in the fall of 1998, and shortly thereafter the PWA left the alliance as one of two main blows to its credibility. Still bolstered with a talented, but aging roster, the PWA has supplemented their talent by raiding the fledging SLAM! Wrestling Association, but success has yet to be determined.

 

Unified Wrestling- "u dub" as it's known to it's legions of fans, Unified Wrestling came about as a result of a 1992 merger between Ben Duke's West Coast Promotions and Charles van Schoelandt's Vegas based Western Association. Duke assumed the main leadership role of the company, and shortly after the PWA left the alliance, positioned himself as its new defacto head behind NAWA champion Jeffrey Drake. UW has arguably as talented a roster as the PWA, but is hampered by several inexperienced grapplers, and ones with mounting drug problems. UW suffered a hit in 1999, when a stock scandal involving a fledgling dot com company sent Ben Duke into hiding, leaving the company without much direction. In a surprise move, van Schoelandt stepped forward and, never one to play ball with alliance politics, joined the exodus out of the North American Wrestling Alliance and launched their own program on Monday night's opposite the PWA. UW has a growing and rabid fanbase, but is still primarily based on the west coast of the united states. With the impending return of Ben Duke, who knows what is to follow.

 

SLAM! Wrestling Association- It's a bit of an ironic twist, given where the SWA started and where it finds itself now. The SWA for many years was the most successful national federation outside of the Alliance. Though it paled in size against the PWA or even UW, the SWA boasted some of the best young grapplers to come along in the North American scene for a number of years, and became a hotbed when renowned competitor, The Notch, decided to ditch UW and become the SWA's new attraction in 1997. However, with its profile raised, a number of defections began in 1998, as the PWA began looking for talent to replace its aging roster. So far the two biggest names, Thunderwolf and Lex Demise, have yet to leave the young federation, but there is a heavy feeling that they may be headed for the PWA soon, despite the once demonized indie becoming the new flagship promotion of the waning alliance.

 

Outlaw Wrestling Federation- The Outlaw Wrestling Federation emerged in Texas in the 1980s, a vanity project of one Elias Strader, due to his continued personality conflicts with Southern Championship Wrestling's main booker Doug Dennis. Backed by a fortune in oil and the Strader wrestling dynasty, of which Elias was the second generation patriarch, the Outlaws successfully sued the Alliance in the early nineties (for an undisclosed settlement amount) for unfair business practices. While Elias Strader has since retired from the business, his children continue to operate the Strader legacy, but the once rebel promotion is a shell of what it once was.

 

Southern Championship Wrestling- The death of longtime owner and booker Doug Dennis saw SCW almost collapse in on itself (the same fate that befell its northeastern counterpart). Falling back on its old territorial standbys of stars like Jimmy Allen, Black Jack Bowers and Roland Westwood, SCW has remained loyal to the alliance it helped found, even as it faces an uncertain future. It still remains the premiere promotion in the mid-south area, but cash problems may cause it to collapse in on itself.

 

United States Wrestling League- The first challenge to the NAWA monopoly was known as the Eastern Coalition, a group of southern and mid-atlantic promoters who tried to break away from the alliance and form their own counter alliance. Out of this conglomeration came the USWL, who despite their strong financial backing remains aloof in the post-NAWA world. They've chugged along for the last several years, mostly based in the mid-atlantic and southern seaboard, but have yet to find a big star to stake their claim to the wrestling pie.

 

Empire Wrestling Federation- In the heyday of alliance, Northeastern Championship Wrestling was the premier organization in the alliance. Run by the impressive Milner wrestling family and based out of Boston, NECW remained the alliance's golden jewel even after the death of Kendal Milner, who took over the company from his father fifty years earlier. While they did boast one of the best pure grapplers of all time, Jesse "Nitro" Milner, Nitro's penchant for overspending combined with a massive steroid scandal in the late eighties caused the once powerful federation to collapse under its own hubris. Nitro bounced around several members of the alliance (and had a successful run with Regal Japan Wrestling) throughout the nineties, but recently started the Empire Wrestling Federation as an attempt to recreate the glory days of his family's past.

 

Liberty Wrestling Federation- The LWF (or Liberty as it is sometimes simply called) was started by retired wrestler Shawn Twilight sometime after he left the business in the late nineties. It is unclear how much of a player the Seattle based promotion will be in this new wrestling landscape, but they exist as an alternative to the bigger promotions, and have some....rather colorful...characters in their lineup.

 

High Impact Competition- Another smaller federation just emerging onto the scene, HIC is an offshoot of the old W4F promotion started by Mark Somers (AKA The Chamelion). With it's off the wall, pro-kayfabe approach to wrestling, HIC has remained a small promotion, but has engendered a small and growing number of followers known as HIC-ites. While it may be too fanciful to grow much beyond a cult phenomenon, it's online presence is no small thing.

 

Psycho-Net Wrestling Federation- For the deathmatch fans, there's the P-NWF, which emerged as the successor to the semi-respectable UHWA in the late nineties. Run by a shady character named Nic Midnight (also known as Nic the Dick by those who run afoul of his less than honorable business dealings), the P-NWF features a bunch of cast offs and hardcore up and comers who are more concerned with blood and gore than they are with workrate. They have become the home of the so called godfather of hardcore, former NECW mainstay Shiek Kassim Al-Ashaam, who despite his advancing age still occasionally performs in a hardcore brawl.

 

Women's Wrestling Association- Women's wrestling never thrived under the Alliance, as the promoters who founded it in the sixties didn't see a market for it. Therefore, women's wrestling was basically underground from the sixties through the mid seventies. Founded in 1975 by noted women's pioneer Lady Guinevere, the WWA has staved off takeover attempts by the Eastern Coalition and other smaller women's companies that have come and gone. Never directly competing with their male counterparts, the WWA has instead carved out a niche for itself in the world of wrestling.

 

Caribbean Pro Wrestling- One thing hasn't changed since the heyday of the Alliance, and that is the domination of the Dominguez family over the Puerto Rico wrestling scene. Led by legendary promoter Jacinto Dominguez and his four children (the most successful of which, Miguel, actually saw some success in the USWL in the nineties), CPW has maintained a virtual stranglehold in the Caribbean, and has even promoted some cards in emerging markets like Brazil.

 

Canada

 

The Great White North was largely unaffected by the steady decline of the Alliance in North America. Divided between the western promotion of Mack Moran and the Western Canadian Wrestling Federation and the eastern promotion of Henry DuBouist and Canadian Elite Wrestling, Canada hasn't seen much change over the years. That may change though, as UW and the PWA look to expand their promotions further to the north.

 

Canadian Elite Wrestling- Run by Henry DuBouist Jr. out of Toronto, CEW has been considered the gold standard of Canadian wrestling, even predating the Alliance's formation in sixty-one. The cordial, if somewhat rivalrous, relationship with the Moran Clan in Western Canada remains in place as the new millenium dawns. CEW has seen a downturn in business, however, a side effect of a dwindling economy in their primary touring circuit and a movement away from professional wrestling in the east. They still remain profitable behind their champion (and third generation star) Dazzling David DuBouist.

 

Western Canadian Wrestling Federation- West of the Great Lakes, primarily centered mostly in and around Saskatoon Saskatchewan, lies the Moran family farm. From that quaint little house rose a wrestling dynasty, centered around Canadian legend and hero Mack Moran. As big as any other worldwide star in his day, Moran founded the WCWF in 1976, and quickly become the de facto head of wrestling in the western provinces. In deference to his long standing relationship with the DuBouist family, he has never directly competed with CEW, though his star power could easily see him do so. Of note is Mack's son, Sirius Moran, who has become one of the best all-around grapplers in the game and a legend in the PWA.

 

Frontier Grappling Association- A shoot-fighting style promotion based out of Vancouver British Columbia (but also heavily based in Alaska of all places), FGA is hardly any competition for the big two of Canadian wrestling. However, like HIC in the US, they have garnered a strong online following, particularly Simon Menendez, who many have said is simply gearing up for a run in the UFC.

 

Quebec Championship Wrestling- While the Quebec wrestling scene isn't what it used to be, Quebec Championship Wrestling has stood like a thumb in the eye of CEW for a number of years. Started by the other DuBouist brother, Jean-Paul, they have been nipping at the heels of the big two for a number of years and have been consistent, if static, for the last five, while CEW has seen a downturn in business. Their concern, however, is trying to overcome a language barrier to the rest of Canada, as their shows are primarily based only in Quebec mostly in French (with English dubbing in the maritimes).

 

Northstar Wrestling- The youngest of Canada's five major promotions, Northstar Wrestling came about in 1994 as a more sports-entertainment approach to the traditional grappling and submission based wrestling styles that have dominated the Canadian market over the years. While it hasn't exactly caught on yet, they aren't hemorrhaging money either, and have the backing of a significant Canadian investor, who may try to lure talent away from the big 2 to establish his young company on equal footing.

 

 

Mexico

 

The Mexican wrestling scene, though affiliated with the alliance, was never directly impacted by the goings on. The lucha libre style was centered around three big names: El Tigre Negro, Flama Azul and Santo Guerrero. In turn, the three big names each had a promotion that they run, to varying degrees of success.

 

Guerreros Mundo de la Lucha Libre- GMLL, the company founded by Santo Guerrero, is the most profitable of the three Mexican federations. It is also the most prestigious, in terms of alumni. In addition to Guerrero, the federation as seen Myst, Dragon Warrior Jr and even fellow legend Flama Azul come through its ranks.

 

Asociacion Atletica de Mexico- The Mexican Athletic Association is the oldest of the three Mexican wrestling federation, with roots stretching all the way back to the roots of lucha libre. El Tigre Negro, the latest big name in the company's history, has also become the sports biggest ambassador to the outside world, with successful runs in Regal Japan, Southern Championship Wrestling, and even in the British Wrestling Association. While they have fallen in debt in recent years, they remain a viable company, even with their biggest star now serving as a color commentator for the matches.

 

Grupo de Lucha Libre Estrella- The Star Wrestling Group is the youngest of the three main federations in Mexico, but is also the fastest rising. Founded by Flama Azul in the late eighties (after Azul had conquered both of the other territories and eager to stake his own claim to the wrestling world), Estrella has become somewhat controversial for its mixture of lucha libre showmanship with sports entertainment story telling. One of the most talked about incidents in recent years was when El Capitan de la Muerte attacked and unmasked the legendary Azul on national television, with no one certain if it was a shoot (as El Capitan had been shunned by the other two wrestling groups and was notoriously difficult to work with) or a work to try and revive Flama Azul's career.

 

United Kingdom

 

If change has been the mantra in the Americas, then stability has been so in the UK over the last few decades. The British Wrestling Association continues to dominate the UK airwaves (and that of western Europe as well) despite the overall marketplace shrinking substantially in the last decade or so. While two or three smaller companies have sprouted up, the biggest threat to the BWA's UK dominance is from outside factors...

 

British Wrestling Association- Beginning in 1955 with stars like Bertram Gillette and "Dandy" Winston Plumtree, the BWA quickly became the premier organization in the UK. But those early successes paled in comparison to the heyday of the 1980s, when Arthur Jones, AKA The Vindicator, came onto the scene. He quickly became a fan favorite, despite being somewhat limited in the ring, particularly amongst the younger crowd. The nineties didn't see Vindicator slow down at all, as he held the British Heavyweight Championship for a grand total of nearly three calendar years from 1990-1995. While he has scaled back his appearances in more recent years, he still generates a large crowd response wherever he goes. The rising interest in Japanese and American promotions, though, threaten the strength of the BWA's monopoly, to some degree, as does the lack of star power beyond Vindicator.

 

Celtic Wrestling League- The Celtic Wrestling League began more as an experiment than as an actual federation, a two week tournament bringing the best wrestlers around the British Isles together to "crown" the best amongst them. The concept proved so successful that, backed by ITV, the CWL became a touring federation that has continued to grow in prestige over the last several years, culminating in a month long tournament to crown a new champion every year. While they aren't a traditional competitor in the truest sense of the word, their prestige and the growing interest in the competition from outside the Isles has led to a few American names actually throwing their hat into the ring on occasion.

 

UK All-Star Grand Prix- Grand-Prix wrestling was the primary competition to the BWA for a number of years, before finally falling into bankruptcy in 1992. After merging with the much smaller UK All-Star Wrestling organization in 1994, the company was repositioned asa smaller alternative to the lavish spectacles of the BWA, touring the carnival circuit and combining wrestling with strongman competitions. They have sense become more of a reflection of what they used to be, and have grown a following especially in Scotland, behind the star power of wrestlers turned musical acts Angus and Phillip MacDermott.

 

British Women's Wrestling Association- Unlike the North America Alliance, which outright banned members from promoting women's matches from 1961 through 1977, the British wrestling scene has always had a strong support for women's wrestling. Several companies have come and gone over the years, but the BWWA (co-run by the Gillette family that helped start the BWA) has always been the most stable, if not always the biggest. As the new millenium turns, they are still plugging along with a cadre of talented young ladies, and it could be argued that the organization is the most successful women's wrestling company in the entire world.

 

Europe

 

The rise of Mixed Martial Arts in the late 90s and the continued domination of the British Wrestling Association in western Europe has seen very little growth of the product on the continent. Two companies currently exist in mainland Europe, and neither one of them is a huge threat to the BWA's growth or dominance, or of the growth of the larger American companies into the area. An exodus of talent to the major federations overseas has also hurt European wrestling, leaving mostly old standbys and small fish to pick up the bones.

 

European Wrestling Union- The Union, as it is also called, is a multi-national conglomeration of several touring circuits brought together out of cooperation and necessity (as the wrestling industry has consolidated) is the largest of the two main european companies, and has seen little change in the last decade. Based out of Berlin, the Union has seen some growth as Eastern Europe has opened itself to new investment opportunities, but it largely remains a regional based promotion with little appeal west of its German headquarters.

 

Elite Wrestling All-Stars- A far younger company, Elite Wrestling All-Stars was formed by Union castoffs Moke Doshkey and Giuseppe Sollozzo as a more Americanized alternative to the usual catch representation of the Union. Whereas the Union has only seen limited growth, Elite Wrestling has seen itself grow from its humble beginnings on the name of its founders, but it still pails in comparison to its American or British counterparts.

 

Japan

 

Japan's wrestling industry has seen more turmoil in the last decade than perhaps any other region. This was due in part to the passing of legendary promoter Renzan, and the subsequent family feud over his wrestling empire. After all was said and done, the once mighty empire of Resuringu no Nihontaiikukyōkai (Japanese Athletic Association of Wrestling) cracked in two and left Rīgaru Nihon resuringu (Regal Japan Wrestling) as the only national company with an international presence. Despite the turmoil, Regal Japan is considered by many to be the premier organization in the world, with respected athletes like Toshiaki Takada and Isao Shinosuke thrilling american audiences through puroseau tape trading.

 

Regal Japan Wrestling- Founded in 1964 as a counter to the Alliance backed JAAW, Regal Japan quickly established itself as one of the most respected organizations in the entire world. A detante between JAAW promoter Renzan and Regal Japan's founder (and biggest star) Doshi Tanaru led to Regal Japan actually joining the American alliance for a period of time, resulting in exposure for many of the better grapplers in America in Japan and some Japanese workers gaining exposure in America. Regal Japan has occasionally toured the west coast of America to limited success, but despite their lack of exposure beyond Japanese shores, they're internet reputation only continues to grow as technology reduces the reliance on terrestrial media.

 

Japanese Athletic Association of Wrestling- The oldest promotion in Japan, JAAW still has a loyal following for its aging stars. But the once seemingly unstoppable giant of Japan has seen its prestige and finances suffer mightily following the death of CEO and co-founder Renzan in 1996. His two children, Taoru and Ranma Tsukino, engaged in a bitter family feud over the company, with Taoru eventually winning out (and Ranma leaving Japan for American shores, for now), but the highly publicized court battle left a bitter taste in many fans mouths and turned them over to Regal Japan. Relying primarily on their well-established wrestlers such as Shinobi Tenzan and the third Dragon Warrior, JAAW continues to chug along a distant second to its onetime rival.

 

Pashifikaresuringu araiansu [Pacifica Wrestling Alliance]- Perhaps the youngest company in the world, the Pacific Wrestling Alliance emerged in early 1999 to much fanfare as a touring circuit for the American PWA. While the two companies are independently run from one another, the PWA has sent stars like Dalton Campbell and Raizzor to this fledgling startup to have "dream matches" with other Japanese stars that both companies can profit from. While this relationship has undoubtedly been successful for both companies, it has also created a lack of identity for the young Japanese company, who seeks to continue their meteoric rise in Japanese Wrestling.

 

Chanpionshippurīgufaitingu K 1 [K1 Fighting Championship League]- Much like Canada's Frontier Grappling Association, the K1 League is a hybrid of mixed martial arts matches and wrestling theatrics that is quickly gaining a following world wide. What delivers though is how bloody the affairs become; the K1 league is often contested with few rules or regulations, leading many to call it "Japan's answer to Fight Club".

 

Josei no sekai-tekina resuringu [Women's Worldwide Wrestling]- The premier joshi promotion in Japan, W4 (as it is colloquially known) continues to be a semi-dominant player in the overall Japanese landscape. Unlike its British and American counterparts, W4 has been in direct competition with the men for a number of years, and has surprisingly held its own overall.

 

Australia

 

The Australian wrestling scene is seen by many to be an untapped market, as one federation has dominated the entire scene for well over two decades. While support for the industry is growing across the area, it remains to be seen if anyone will enter in to challenge Victory's near iron grip on the country.

 

Victory Wrestling- For decades wrestling in the land down under has been defined solely by one man, Roger Nelson, also known as the Tasmanian Tiger. Nelson became a super hero like figure to many Australian children in the 1980s, and by the early nineties had purchased the company he worked for. Unlike other worker/promoters, he learned the value of his name being used to push the younger generation, and began taking a backseat to the newer generation of workers (including putting over the young Prince Narcissus, who's bragging over the victory and subsequent humiliation of Nelson led him to becoming the most hated man in Australia according to one poll). While The Tasmanian Tiger remains their most recognizable star, Victory Wrestling still has a cadre of younger talent to push, even if their presence is virtually non-existant outside of the Oceanic area.

[Morti]

This looks like it can be a fun mod!

[Darbicus]

Brief synopsis of the companies in the mod have been posted. If anyone has ideas for workers theyd like to see in the mod, Im open to submissions for them.

[rman129]

Brief synopsis of the companies in the mod have been posted. If anyone has ideas for workers theyd like to see in the mod, Im open to submissions for them.

 

What tf happened to this mod???