Road To Glory: The Rebirth of Ultimate Combat Ring

[Neoteros]

 

UCR were the first "big" wrestling company in mainland Europe, an area usually dominated by short-lived independent groups. They were set up by Louis Figo Manico in 1998, but initially struggled to find their own identity as he kept altering their product in an attempt to find a "winning combination", trying everything from pseudo-hardcore to sports entertainment. Manico eventually settled on an old-school style traditional approach, but by that time his tinkering had completely alienated the fans and UCR went out of business in 2007, splintering off into UEW and EWA.

 

 

Louis Figo Manico, "The Pain From Spain", was the owner and star wrestler of UCR. An accomplished worker with a lot of charisma and a great star look, the fans loved him. He proved to be a fine business man on top of that, leading UCR to success over the years - not an easy task in the fluctuating European market - although he was often criticised for the way that he would continually change the style of the company based on what he saw working elsewhere. In 2007, burned out with wrestling, he decided to close UCR and take a lengthy hiatus from the sport - as he has never resurfaced, it is now widely assumed that he is actually done with the business.

 

 

Bianca Maria Brancaleone is an Italian wrestler who works exclusively in Europe. She is a Very Small worker who is classed as using a Technician Flyer style.

 

"Give me the money, girl."

 

"I don't have no money."

 

"Liar. I saw you buy that game over there".

 

"But of course. What I meant was, I don't have no money - for you."

 

"You're gonna regret this, ****."

 

"Come on, have a go at me if you're man enough."

 

I was there to visit some of my old UCR friends, yes. But I had no interest in reviving it, until I saw that scene. There was this kid, this wannabe tough guy, that was trying to rob what looked like a middle school girl. They have a bit of a verbal spar, the girl is cool as ice. And then, it was so fast, I swear, this girl climbs on that punk like a parkour enthusiast climbing a wall, she vaults onto his back, and begins to choke the soul out of him. I had to intervene, robbery is one thing, but murder is another.

 

"You... holy shit, you're... damn, I loved you when I was a kid, where have you been?"

 

"Living a normal life. And who might you be, young lady?"

 

"Bianca Maria Brancaleone. Or Bianca Maria. Or Bianca. ****, just call me B&B."

 

We had a talk, and she told me it wasn't the first time she had been targeted by bullies. Being a walking gay stereotype - her own words, not mine - who also happened to be a descendant of one of Milan's oldest families, the Brancaleone, she had a lot of unpleasant encounters in her life, one of the reasons why she took up medieval fencing and tried at home what shouldn't be tried at home. I told her she could've made it to the EWA, UEW or VWA if she paid her dues and polished up her skills, but...

 

"I don't know, Signor Manico. The EWA, they're trying too hard to be American, in all the bad ways. The UEW, they're the opposite, they might be too serious."

 

"And the VWA?"

 

"They're kind of like your old company, all over the place, you know?"

 

"You've crossed a line young girl, and don't look at me like that!"

 

"You know it's true. How do you go from hardcore to family friendly?"

 

"What would you have done then, my wannabe booker?"

 

"You tried to follow what was popular, back when what was popular changed day by day."

 

"What should I have done, then?"

 

"The kind of wrestling that was popular in Europe before the rise of SWF, but a modern coat of paint. A throwback, but modern."

 

B&B ended up meeting my old friends later on, sure, I wasn't being serious yet, I thought she was just a very bright young girl with some very good ideas and a bit of a temper, but then Costa began to cry when she was going on and on about how would she have booked the UCR back then. Give the kid a chance, he told me, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And I deserve one last run, I'd rather bow out with dignity, in front of the crowd that once saw me in the ring, than disappear like a ghost.

[Blake Trask]

Very good start <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

[Neoteros]

 

"What do you think of this list, Signor Manico?"

 

"Let's see... you did a good job with the tag team division, for sure. A lot of experienced people, and even our last champions, too."

 

 

Bam Bam Johansson & Puffy The Sand Iron Player

 

 

The Portuguese Men-Of-War

 

 

The Fashionistas

 

 

The Foreign Legion

 

 

The Assassins' Guild

 

"The last World Combat champion though, it was Byron."

 

"Do it. That narcissist needs to be taught a lesson, for sure."

 

"I would literally be hiring our #1 concern here, Signor Manico."

 

"He's enough of a narcissist he'd accept, just because he'd be seen."

 

 

Byron

 

 

Carlo Costa

 

 

Evil Spirit

 

 

Ronny de Veuster

 

 

Haiti Voodude

 

"There's a problem here, however."

 

"And that is?"

 

"There are just enough young male wrestlers in Europe to create a small midcard."

 

"No more, no less?"

 

"Precisely, Signor Manico."

 

 

Andriy Boronin

 

 

Aurelian Bradley

 

 

Cain Carlile

 

 

Sharif

 

 

Thorsten Sigurdsson

 

 

Wes Stryker

 

"And the less I say about the women's division, Signor Manico, the better."

 

"How so?"

 

"Not a single person my age, it's depressing."

 

"Rookies can't teach you anything, B&B. Seasoned veterans can."

 

"Nonetheless, I'd probably be better off wrestling Bradley or Stryker, in the long term. Or Sigurdsson. Especially Sigurdsson."

 

"That look in your eyes, young girl. Last time you had it, you almost killed someone."

 

 

Aud Valkyrie

 

 

Bianca Maria Brancaleone

 

 

Geena The Warrior Princess

 

 

Jeri Behr