21CW: The Fat of the Land

consortium11 · May 15, 2016

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Click the picture or this link for a video trailer

Table of Contents

Intro and Overview

Jan 2016, Week 1: Match Making and Preview

consortium11 · May 15, 2016

Jeff Nova was many things.

He, as anyone who had ever seen him in the flash could attest, was physically huge, dwarfing almost anyone he ever met. He was heavily muscled, a legacy of his many years as a professional strongman. Even pressed into a suit there was an air of palpable menace around him, the sense that any moment he could reach out and crush the life from a man with his bare hands. But for all the fear he could generate he was charismatic with an easy charm honed by years of celebrity and television hosting jobs. Beyond that though he had the aura of a star. It wasn't just his size or his muscles or his charisma. It wasn't even the fact that he was already a star. It went deeper than that. Jeff Nova struck me as the sort of man who even if he removed himself from the public eye, even if he let his muscles shrink and his charm disappear, would still seem like a star. Rich, charming, famous… Jeff Nova had a lot going for him.

He was also notoriously proud, hotheaded when riled and bad at poker.

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Not a good combination.

Me? I'm nothing like Jeff Nova. When Jeff Nova enters the room, all the lights seem to focus on him. The lights don't focus on me. In fact there always seems to be a conveniently placed shadow wherever I sit, illuminated only by the gentle smouldering of my ever present cigar. Even if you only met Jeff Nova once you would remember every detail of his face, that image sketched into your mind. Five minutes after you met me you'd struggle to remember if I was a man or a woman and 10 minutes later you'd forget even that. Jeff Nova strides the earth like a titan, the ground quaking in his wake, people falling away as he passes. I tread lightly upon the earth and leave barely a footprint, my passage not even a memory and my actions having consequences that none would ever trace back to me. Jeff Nova has a name and a face known world wide. My name and my face will never be known. I like it that way.

I am the Grand Avatar.

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And I am rather good at poker.

Which is why I now own 21st Century Wrestling.

All in on a 6 and 9, off suit. How did you get this far in life Mr Nova?

And how did you miss the pair of aces hidden under my sleeve?

To the outside world nothing had changed. Nothing would change. I do my work from the shadows and there are few shadows when the camera's flash and the dirt sheets prowl. As far as the rest of the world was concerned Jeff Nova was still the owner of 21st Century Wrestling. As far as the boys (and occasional girls) in the locker room were concerned Mr Nova had simply taken on booking duties himself. As far as the producers and moneymen at UK Broadcating who had fueled and funded 21CW's incredible growth over recent years were concerned Jeff Nova was still the man making the decisions. As far as those hacks at that dreadful Total Extreme Wrestling website were concerned Jeff Nova was still the man to credit for the successes and blame for the failures.

But we know better.

This is the wrestling business and in business there is a term for people like me. “Shadow directors”. I like the name. I'm told it's defined, in UK law at least, as “a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of a UK limited company are accustomed to act”. It sums up my role here rather well. I work from the shadows and those in the light follow my directions and instructions. I am the booker who books bookers. I am the owner who owns owners. I am the Grand Avatar and, from this point forward, I am 21st Century Wrestling.

That was a New Year's Eve well spent.

There's a reason I'd targeted 21st Century Wrestling. A reason I'd targeted Jeff Nova. A reason I'd made sure there was a seat at the table for him. A reason I'd slipped the attractive lady of dubious virtue £100 to mention to Mr Nova about the high stakes poker game and a reason I'd slipped the doorman at the exclusive New Year's bash he was attending £200 to let her in. There was a reason I'd made sure the scotch was strong and burned as it went down, a reason the heating had been turned up to the room was unpleasantly humid and sweaty… perfect for luring people into rash moves. A reason I'd studied the last dozen poker games Mr Nova had played and a reason I'd made sure to have two aces up my sleeves.

For a long time the British Wrestling scene was a wasteland, a puny insect compared to the monsters in the new world. Oh, there were promotions and they had loyal fans… Ring of Fire, Men of Steel Combat, even 21CW itself back when that idiot Tyler Baker was turning a large fortune into a small one running it. It was to the America's and Japan that I had gone for that was where opportunity lay. I spent many years there and my actions continue to this day. It was there that I whispered in Allen Packer's ear that Reverie could do with a wrestling program, there that I let Rich Money know what his commercial worth was on the free market, there that I mentioned to BriCo that TCW might be a lucrative proposition, there that I warned Alex DeColt of his many enemies, there that I hinted to Richard Essien that Peter Michaels had outlived his usefulness, there that I spoke to Soul Taker, Magnifico and Snap Dragon about the benefits SOTBPW offered, there that I pushed Nate Johnson and Hotstuff Marie together, there that I told Tetsuzan Kaneko of the riches a western schedule offered.

But the new world is no longer the land of opportunity.

There are too many big fish in too small a pond, all snapping at each other, too focused on the enemy before them to realise their own tail has been caught. One will rise and will then be brought low only to rise again each trapped and moved by a wheel that may spin quicker or slower but always spins. Three years ago SWF ruled America, now USPW is in the ascendency. NOTBPW has outlasted CGC, but its stars are dimmed by age and it faces rivals to the south. And of the south, SOTBPW may be ascendant but it is a different matter to conquer Mexico than it is to conquer the whole of the US. And while BHOTG adapts to its new approach, PGHW has become insular and the Modern Japan Movement snaps at their heels with its upstarts.

But Britain? In Britain there is an opportunity.

21CW have conquered the British Isles and are well on the way to doing the same in continental Europe. But there is a world beyond those lands and it a world 21CW are poised to take. No-one will see them coming. No-one will expect them to come. For decades the best of the British wrestlers have left those shores to seek their fortune in the new world. Now? Now that has changed. Now Britain and Europe is ready for a promotion to take on the world. 21CW can live off the fat of the land, rich and fertile, as it expands.

Expands under my direction of course...

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I didn't go into the 21CW office often. And by “often” I actually mean at all. Too many lights you see and that silly smoking ban meaning I can't light a cigar there. And what I ask you is a mysterious man in the shadows without a lit cigar?

Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't have a detailed and intricate knowledge of exactly what was going on there. I wish I could tell you that this was because I had a network of spies and informers who did not even realise they were my spies and informers, constantly feeding me little tidbits of information that I then put together to create a bigger picture. But the world has moved on in the last few decades and the answer, as boring as it is truthful, is that I simply have remote working set up and thus can see every detail from my laptop, wherever in the world I may be. That place currently being the Knightsbridge Suite of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London… I didn't want to be over the top and get the Royal Suite now did I… tucking into a rather lovely wood grilled Dover sole (and I shouldn't leave out the delightful buttered spinach) while idly running over the details of the company I now controlled and the wrestlers who worked for them… I'm always told that the wrestlers are the most important asset a company has (although as I'm normally told that by wrestlers brave or foolish enough to ask for a pay rise it's hardly an unbiased opinion).

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It's a diverse bunch with many I'd met before… nothing will make a man feel old like being reminded that the snotty 18 year old rookie prospect you once advised that having a bloody brawl in a throwaway match back in 1997 is now a 37 year old veteran and regarded as the best all round worker in the world… but all had something to offer. Even if that did just mean losing to the people who actually mattered. Repeatedly.

Talking of people with something to offer, I opened by big book of contacts and favours to bring in some new faces.

The Shooters (Don Henderson and Billy Robinson)/Merle O'Curle : For all the talent 21CW does possess we're relatively light on ring generals. Sure, there's Dark Angel and Tommy Cornell… but I don't want them working the undercard training up my prospects so they know the difference between a body slam and a wrist lock… and know how to perform both without breaking anything. That's where this trio come in. They're not going to main event. They're not even likely to get on TV. Their dreams of holding the 21CW World title will be crushed before they've even lain their head down to rest. But they all know how to put a match together and as such they have a role. And as I'm both not cruel and cost conscious they're on PPA's so they can head off and work some pokey other shows and actually win matches occasionally.

Marbella: What, you think she's a stripper with the oldest “I'm just doing this to pay for my degree” sob story in the world who you saw shaking parts of herself rather inappropriately in that grainy footage of that awful SNP show you watched on Youtube while no-one was looking? Don't be silly my dear boy. I'm the Grand Avatar. She's whatever I want her to be. And what I want her to be is Marbella, the latest It Girl, tabloid and social media star in the UK. She's already getting interviews and photoshoots with those awful women's magazines and I'm told the Daily Mail sidebar of shame will be full of her shortly. Which is perfect as far as I'm concerned.

I sent contracts. They said yes. Of course they did. I arranged things so they would.

The there was the small matter of our existing storylines. There may be many examples of wrestling promoters in the past who changed their storylines every week and the fans accepting it but not me and not these fans. There were feuds already running when Jeff Nova made that ill-advised all-in decision.

A Darker World- Jonathan Faust, 21CW resident evil doer, has been trying to recruit Dark Angel to his cause for months. Rebuffed, he has now changed his tactics and aims to beat allegience into the veteran.

Family First - The Cornell Family shockingly united at the end of Halloween Horror Show, working together to cost Adam Matravers the World title. With the Cornells running rampant, it is up to 21CW stalwarts Matravers and Kevin Jones to try and halt their reign of terror.

Pride Before A Fall - Hot Stuff (Buff Martinez and J-B Cash) cost The Pride (Leigh Burton and Leo Price) their tag team titles in October 2015 when their uncalled for pre-match attack injured Burton and forced Price to defend alone. The Pride are now hungry for revenge.

And keeping those in mind it was time to let Jeff Nova know what the first show of my new regime would be and get the press release ready for it.

consortium11 · May 15, 2016

Tune in this Thursday Night for another exciting episode of 21st Century Wrestling presents “The Best of British Wrestling”. Featuring larger than life characters, dramatic storylines and the most exciting performers in the world of Sports Entertainment, each week this show brings edge-of-your-seat action which will make you gasp in excitement.

This week on Best of British Wrestling:

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Family Ambitions

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Ever since his shocking arrival at 21st Century Wrestling, “Rough Justice” Tommy Cornell (recently rated No.1 in the world by the influential Power 500 rankings) has been making sure his cousin, “The Business” Edward Cornell remains at the top of the company by whatever means necessary. The Cornell Family stand at the pinnacle of 21st Century Wrestling and they are unwilling to share that spot with anyone.

But former world champions “Mile High” Adam Matravers and “The MVP” Kevin Jones aren't asking nicely!

Matravers is still infuriated that the Cornell's combined to, as he sees it, rob him of his world title and Kevin Jones is pursuing the belt with the same determination and vigour that once made him the most hated man in the company… but now the fans are cheering him on.

However be careful what you ask for.

Because the main event for Best of British Wrestling has been set and it's The Cornell Family vs Matravers and Jones and if facing one Cornell is bad enough now you've got both of them. Can the fan favourite duo overcome the 21CW World Champion and the best wrestler in the world today? And how will a team where both men want the same singles title wrapped around their waist compare to one where their ties are not just ambition but blood?

Tune in to Best of British Wrestling to find out!

Pick Yourself Up and Try Again

21CW Tag Team Title Match

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It's been a rough time for The Pride recently. Not so long ago the team of Leigh Burton and Leo Price were the 21st Century Tag Team champions with Burton considered one of the top prospects in wrestling and Leo Price being hailed as the perfect veteran mentor. But that all when wrong when the dastardly Hot Stuff alliance of Buff Martinez and J-B Cash started to stick their noses in, costing The Pride their tag team titles and generally doing everything they can to antagonize and irritate them.

But The Pride have to forget all that because live on Best of British Wrestling they get their rematch against the current champion, The Red Devils.

The team of Viktor Beskov and Yuri Iliakov are not a pair you want to look past. Hard hitting, skilled, physically gifted and ruthless they've brought a no nonense, high impact style from Russia with them and after several years gorwing before the eyes of the Best of British Wrestling audience they're now coming into their own. They're a real challenge for a team completely focused on them, let alone one that has other things on their mind.

And will Hot Stuff be able to resist the temptation to get involved once again?

Tune in to Best of British Wrestling to find out!

A German We Actually Like?

21CW UK Title Match

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To say German grappler Sebastian Koller has been a hit with the 21CW fans is a bit of an understatement. Ever since he first appeared his combination of rock star personality and highly skilled wrestling has got the crowd right behind him and the cheers when he beat the despised Stevie Stoat for the 21CW UK Title matched anything we'd heard in years.

On Best of British Wrestling he defends that title against another fan favourite, the popular and charismatic Apollo Prince. With so many bouts in wrestling today being between two people who hate each other it's occasionally refreshing to have one between two guys the fans love simply for the joy of competition.

Will “Rock 'N' Roller” Sebastian Koller keep up his momentum or will the afro-sporting, leopard-print tight wearing Apollo Prince take on his mantel as the man the fans love?

Tune in to Best of British Wrestling to find out!

Choices and Consequences

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Speaking of the despicable Stevie Stoat, he's also in booked for a match, facing Harry Wilson. But the storyline here goes beyond those two men. Stoat is a long time ally and occasional partner of Jonathan Faust and Faust has made it his mission in recent months to convince the iconic Dark Angel to join him in his quest to bring down 21CW from the inside… and Harry Wilson just happens to be Dark Angel's brother.

Is it just a coincidence that one of Faust's most devout followers would end up across the ring from Dark Angel's brother? And if it isn't then what plans does the conniving Faust have and will Harry Wilson survive them?

Tune in to Best of British Wrestling to find out!

The Anti-Bully League

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If you're a tag team wrestler in 21CW, you're what one would consider a “prospect” and you weigh less than 240lbs chances are you've had some run ins with the Ivanoff Brothers. Igor and Ivan take a particular sadistic delight in beating up those smaller than them and whether they're holding the 21CW Tag Titles or not they make sure to let everyone know they're the biggest dogs in the yard… and if you've ever seen those viral pictures of Russian dogs you'll know just how big they can be.

But if you're getting picked on then who are you going to call? The Defence Force.

This alliance of DJ Reason and Pit Bull Brown formed after both grew tired of being taken advantage of, exploited and outnumbered by their foes and ever since then they've made it their mission to stand up for the little guy and take on bullies wherever they can be found. And one can find few bigger examples of bullies than the Ivanoffs.

Will the Ivanoffs crumbe when they face two former world champions who have seen it all before? Or will the rampaging Russians walk straight through the Defence Force leaving broken teeth and shattered hopes in their wake?

Tune in to Best of British Wrestling to find out!

Quick Card

The Cornell Family vs Adam Matravers and Kevin Jones

The Red Devils© vs The Pride (Tag Team Title match)

Sebastian Koller© vs Apollo Prince (UK Title match)

Stevie Stoat vs Harry Wilson

The Defence Force vs The Ivanoff Brothers

AceCodey · May 15, 2016

New fav dynasty