Marat Khoklov....

[smurphy1014]

For those of you who have signed him, how are you booking him?

 

In my WLW save he returned from his hiatus, so I decided to chance it and offered him a PPA deal. Shockingly he agreed and now I am using him as an attraction using his popularity in Japan to boost the company. So far I have had him destroy three workers who were getting ready for a match, have a one sided match with my user character (Koji Kojima) and win a wild brawl against a heavyweight I borrowed from GCG on an alliance loan.

[ash1983]

Whatever you do match wise you can't beat a Menace angle with Khoklov.

[marsupial311]

Whatever you do match wise you can't beat a Menace angle with Khoklov.

 

This. I cloned the introduce bodyguard angle so I could run it for six minutes and built up the entertainment skills of a lot of guys while not tanking my show rating.

[Teh_Showtime]

Marat vs Rocky Golden

 

As TCW you'll lose the national battle almost assuredly if you don't sign him, but it also makes sense as a logical distraction for Rocky while you can build Andrews with the title.

 

I went with a Rocky Golden DQ win at Malice to set up a cage match at War to Settle The Score where Andrews won after Marat gave him some help. It shot Aaron up to 88 popularity and Rocky is untouched from losing (have to keep him happy, keep strong AND protect was needed).

 

The plan is last man standing at Total Mayhem where he will of course lose to the ace of the universe. After that, probably beat RDJ and build to a long term program with Mighty Mo.

[leonxx89]

I also brought him in order to win against the SWF (falled to cult but rising to national again next month)

At the moment he went over Josha Taylor and Human Arsenal. I am booking him as the classical unbeatable monster.

To be honest I don't like him a lot: he has low stamina and in terms of performance he's simply not worth of being in the TCW roster.

Butin terms of star quality and menace, he's the bet signing you coul make.

[Woodsmeister]

With any of the top three I always try to sign him

 

He is usually winning against guys with under 75 star quality with ease building up to PPV big money fights and has a mouthpiece heel main event to work alongside getting those A grades

[Sigilistic]

I signed him in my USPW game. For a whole month, I played a series of vignettes to hype him up, with the nickname of the Russian Legend.

 

Vignette one was a bar full of obvious Eastern European men, huddling over their vodka and whispering stories about the Russian Legend.

 

Vignette two was the same scene, a few moments later. The stories get interrupted by the loud sound of some...thing pounding outside. All the men freeze in panic.

 

Vignette three is that same scene, few moments later. There's a bar full of men, all broken and bloody and unmoving. The camera lingers over them for a moment before reaching a pair of boots. A *huge* pair of boots. Suddenly, Marat snags the camera and roars into it before it cuts out.

 

In-ring, he's been portrayed as the uber monster, the one like no other. He debuted with a brutal attack on Enygma, then rocked James Justice in back to back main events before Enygma returned to try his luck with the Russian Legend.

 

Marat never talks. He doesn't need to. His size and menace do all the talking for him. My plan is for him to gradually work his way through the roster, an unstoppable monster, until somebody I plan on pushing gets that first big win.

[Genadi]

He debuted in a menace angle, the next day I sent him to TCW:California my dev fed. Pistol Pete Hall is going to train him for at least a few months.

[Markw]

I didn't think I cared about the Cornellverse much now we've got the Thunderverse, but people talking about signing Marat Khoklov as TCW is genuinely making me feel a little bit angry, it's just not right.

[KnowYourEnemy]

Marat vs Rocky Golden

 

As TCW you'll lose the national battle almost assuredly if you don't sign him, but it also makes sense as a logical distraction for Rocky while you can build Andrews with the title.

 

Unless computer-controlled USPW has a great month (and it's possible) they finish #3 -- and that is all that really matters. Honestly, I'd find it easier to justify a USPW contract for Marat than Total, who don't have a whole lot of cash lying around.

 

I almost always shelf Rocky with an injury and USPW has more than few monsters capable of doing that.

[Frank_Vest]

I brought him in my TCW game and expanded the RDJ/Buffalo feud. I had Goldworthy bring in Peak and then Khoklov into his new stable, I call them the Nihilists. Angels based on entertainment with RDJ and Goldworthy plus Menace for Peak, Buffalo and Khoklov have been money for my undercard and a huge popularity generator. I eventually got the tag belts on Buffalo and Peak and RDJ aligned with the New Wave as support/feud for the tag belts. I'll work on integrating some younger guys in there, but the storyline has been a very solid second most popular behind my main event scene.

[Frank_Vest]

I didn't think I cared about the Cornellverse much now we've got the Thunderverse, but people talking about signing Marat Khoklov as TCW is genuinely making me feel a little bit angry, it's just not right.

 

If there is room for Killer Shark, Titan, American Buffalo and Giant Tana on TCW's roster, why not Khoklov?

[Markw]

If there is room for Killer Shark, Titan, American Buffalo and Giant Tana on TCW's roster, why not Khoklov?

 

Because he'd debut as the second most popular man on the roster. I really think the TCW main event shouldn't have a place for Khoklov given his dreadful in ring/performance abilities. He's a superb fit for USPW, doesn't really work in TCW at all for me.

[Teh_Showtime]

If Bruce the Giant can main event for BHOTWG, I don't see Marat in TCW as a stretch at all. Especially not when they are #3 in the war and in need of some firepower. People said the same thing about Rocky Golden being the champion.

[Mattyc]

I signed him up straight away upon starting my USPW game. I treat him in much the same manner as Sigilistic described in his post. Total dominance, never talking etc

 

He's my World Champion and the lead heel, appearing on every episode of American Wrestling as part of my main storyline which sees him feuding with Nicky Champion. I've never had him wrestle on the TV show. He's only wrestled twice for me so far (I'm three months into my save)....on my big events. I treat his matches like special events that aren't to be given away often.

 

He won the World Title in his very first match for USPW. This wasn't my original plan but unforeseen circumstances led me there.

 

The very brief version of the tale is that upon his arrival he formed an association with the Cold Warriors. This had to be axed quickly due to the firing of Petr "Doesn't do well with wellness" Novak. After this I stumbled upon a great pairing with Rich Money while I was keeping Rich out of the ring to heal up an injury.

 

Rich was scheduled to be in a Championship 4-Way when he got injured in a match that also involved his rival Chris Caulfield. So I changed up the storyline, taking Rich out of the Championship match and instead having him use his financial resources to get Marat to be his replacement, with the idea that upon a title victory Marat would hand the Championship over to him. (Cue Ted Dibiase/Andre flashbacks)

 

The run up to this match was a good way to mix my Nicky Champion/Marat Khoklov feud with my Rich Money/Chris Caulfield storyline and it also led to Rich Money cutting promos for Marat and managing him during the title match. All of the segments with Rich Money/Marat were rated high and I think pairing Marat up with Rich Money as his mouth piece was a great way to establish him.

 

Marat Khoklov did win the Championship in that first match and Rich Money was very happy with this development on the night, thinking that the gold was soon going to be handed over to him.....but if you think Marat kept to his end of the bargain and handed that Championship over, think again!

 

Rich Money wasn't happy, claiming that he's owed the Championship as part of the deal. He made very reluctant threats towards Marat about taking legal action, but amazingly he keeps having other matters of business come up that he claims are more important than the Marat issue right now. It's added more heat to his feud with Chris Caulfield. Rich Money claims he hates that common trash more than ever now, after all....it was Chris Caulfield who injured him, leading to him having to do the business deal with the Russian Giant that backfired on him. It's all Chris Caulfield's fault..of course...it's nothing to do with the possibility that Rich Money may be scared of confronting Marat Khoklov

 

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Marat Khoklov will go on to be my dominating, American culture hating Champion for some time to come! It'll end when he and Nicky Champion finally face off one on one, which i'm going to hold off on for as long as possible.

[Boltinho]

tempting to sign him in 21CW. But I honestly think he's FAR less useful than Beast Bantom or War Machine. Unless you use him to expand into new areas of course.

[FlightlessGypsy]

I had him beat Kikkawa in a rematch, beat Buddy Garner, lost to Kikkawa in the rubber match and now he's about to put a main event level Helikaon (who's already had a crack at Kikkawa, Kikkawa's creative control refused to do the job so I'm hoping come the rematch Heliakon will have enough pop to convince him) over to launch him into a title rematch with Kikkawa at Night of the Burning Hammer. Haven't got much use for him after that, will probably release him. Heliakon and Kikkawa are in an A* feud so I'm hoping for some crazy results.

[Historian]

I'm jealous that you all have Marat. I'm a Cult Promotion right now (rose from regional) and Marat won't even talk to me. It makes me so sad. I want Marat so bad. I had him once in TEW when I stole him from SWF and he was money. I tend to book him the same way most have described -- or the way I used to book Bruce the Giant/the Andre push. He wrestled only in main events. Only on big shows. (Occasionally a battle royal) and he never lost until I had a babyface that was big enough of a star that I wanted to cement him as *the* guy for me.

[FlightlessGypsy]

I'm jealous that you all have Marat. I'm a Cult Promotion right now (rose from regional) and Marat won't even talk to me. It makes me so sad. I want Marat so bad. I had him once in TEW when I stole him from SWF and he was money. I tend to book him the same way most have described -- or the way I used to book Bruce the Giant/the Andre push. He wrestled only in main events. Only on big shows. (Occasionally a battle royal) and he never lost until I had a babyface that was big enough of a star that I wanted to cement him as *the* guy for me.

 

Yeah, I've had him in two squash matches leading into the Kikkawa rubber match but apart from that booking him on TV consistently just feels wrong. Gives off those Lesnar vibes, I just wish he was a better worker. Anybody know of any monsters that can put on A-level matches with the right guys in Japan?

[Historian]

Yeah, I've had him in two squash matches leading into the Kikkawa rubber match but apart from that booking him on TV consistently just feels wrong. Gives off those Lesnar vibes, I just wish he was a better worker. Anybody know of any monsters that can put on A-level matches with the right guys in Japan?

 

I don't typically book in Japan, but I would imagine that Findlay Farraday(sp?) who is working over there as Big Bruiser for BCG would be a good potential fit as the monster heel who can get really good matches. I've never booked him against any Japanese talent, but I've steadily had him since he first appeared in a TEW game and gotten a lot of mileage out of him. At 6'6" and 300+lbs I think he'd fit the monster role you're looking for.

[FlightlessGypsy]

I don't typically book in Japan, but I would imagine that Findlay Farraday(sp?) who is working over there as Big Bruiser for BCG would be a good potential fit as the monster heel who can get really good matches. I've never booked him against any Japanese talent, but I've steadily had him since he first appeared in a TEW game and gotten a lot of mileage out of him. At 6'6" and 300+lbs I think he'd fit the monster role you're looking for.

 

Cheers!

[Oregano Jensen]

Yeah, talented big guys are pretty thin on the ground out there. If you're playing the long game, Isoruko Arakaki, Rokuemon Matsushita and Naozane Goto are young guys who could amount to something with the right destiny roll. But you're not going to get much out of them now, even disregarding overness.

 

CGC's Gargantuan is a little worse than Khoklov now, but also much younger. I played long-term games in TEW13 where he became a top in-ring performer, though now he's 30 when the data starts, so even if he has the potential, that would be tougher.

 

And then there's War Machine, who's under a written deal with 21CW. He's only 23, his fundamentals are solid, and he has arguably the best chance of turning into a legit star of all the under-30 big guys. (The trouble there is, he's a star in the UK, and you'd have to spend the money to pry him off 21CW only to build him up from 0 in Japan.)

 

In my experience, the best way to find monster heels is through a development territory. Because so many big guys start out as bad workers, destiny rolls are even more crucial for them than for everyone else. Scoop up a batch of them on short-to-medium deals, dump the ones that don't seem to have room to improve enough, and cultivate the good prospects.

[madjock]

<p>playing as SWF, signed him as soon as I could to 3 month deal.</p><p> </p><p>

unfortunately, even though his push is never lower than Main Event, he didn't notice clause 3.4.6 which clearly states:</p><p> </p><p>

Marat at no time will win a match.</p><p> </p><p>

poor Marat loosing to everyone</p>

[Winter8905]

<p>I really want him for my WLW, I could get a lot out of him as the ultimate contender for Kobe and Angel.. and Kurata along the way.</p><p> </p><p>

He would get over initially by destroying a few of my comedy guys.</p><p> </p><p>

He'd feud with Reaver, in which Marat will win, </p><p> </p><p>

He'd retire one of the legends who I'm phasing out.</p><p> </p><p>

Kurata would take him on where he would put up a spirited fight but ultimately fail. </p><p> </p><p>

Marat would then face Kobe and Angel and be victorious. </p><p> </p><p>

Kurata will solidy himself as a main eventer and get his redemption by handing Marat his first loss.</p><p> </p><p>

Angel and Kobe would get their wins back in separate feuds afterwards.</p>