arwink Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 Still unravelling the mashed-up timelines and deadlines with work, but slowly getting some more gaming time in and catching up on dynasty write-ups. Alas, I did not take adequate notes to remember what I originally intended with that last show and the next one when I booked them, so rebuilding the original intent is tricky. It's also, weirdly, leading to some insights that is likely to keep everyone's least-favorite wrester Devastating Don with the company longer than originally intended. It's (hopefully) fairly clear that I'm writing Phil as an analog of Heyman, so every now and then I run my eye over the roster and compare it to some of the booking decisions I've heard Heyman discuss in shoots and such over the years. And it occurred to me, writing the Harper/Don attack on Shaw, that Don is basically Sandman--a guy who is there to deliver a very specific moment, show after show, who occasionally gets put in matches no-one really wants to see in order to justify keeping him around for the stuff that actually matters. Sandman's main role in ECW is drinking beer, hitting people with a kendo stick, and giving the crowd three minutes of going nuts to Enter Sandman. Don's main role in NYCW is eating junk food, belching in people's faces, and jumping off the top rope to deliver the ringshaker legdrop so folks can enjoy the spectacle of an insanely obese wrestler launching himself like a cruiserweight. Now I just have to find him a themesong that will resonate with the NYCW fans... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 BEHIND THE CURTAIN LIVE PODCAST with JOAN RODRIGUEZ PENNSYLVANIA PARK, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 Joanne Rodriguez had been running one of the top wrestling podcasts in the US ever since she retired from in-ring competition. Since I’d been running one of the others, starting a few years ahead of her, we’d guested on one-another’s shows from time to time and done a few crossover episodes. It also means she takes great pleasure in throwing me the tricky questions. “So, Phil, I know you’ve heard about the recent change in Supremes’ fortunes? What used to be the top wrestling company in the world is now rating about as well as DAVE did in their prime, and there’s rumours there’s cutbacks on the horizon. Care to share any thoughts on how the largest company in the world dropped down to a steady medium-sized fed?” “You’re trying to lure me into saying something controversial,” I countered. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, given that I’m booking one of their competitors.” “Are you suggesting NYCW is a competitor to Eisen’s playground?” “If things are as bad as you say, I’m suggesting they’ll be competition with us before the year is out.” I paused and shared a smile with Joanne. “Although I doubt it will be much competition, given their choices of late. Who looks at a blue chip prospect like Primus Allen and thinks, here’s a man who deserves to be one-half of a pirate-themed tag-team with John Greed?. Hell, who thinks you need to create a pirate wrester when young guys like Hugh De Aske have figured out how to work the character on the indies and have the talent to take their act to a larger show. “There’s nothing wrong with a wrestler going out there with a larger-than-life character, but it strikes me as enormously short-term thinking to do it with a man like Primus. It’s a lower card gimmick and he’s an established talent. It’ll dog him for years to come. If they ever want to put a world title on him, it will be there waiting as a permanent stain—it won’t be the moment a great young prospect finally overcame the odds. It won’t be a chance for fans who recognised him as the next big thing to feel like they were right. It’ll be a moment when everyone sits back and thinks, ‘really, the pirate guy?’ “Now, I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes—nobody can unless they’re there, and wrestling is complicated enough that trying to second-guess a booker’s choices from the outside is foolish—but who is there to get excited about in Supreme right now? Who is going to step up once guys like Remo and Rogue and Angry Gilmore are finally allowed to step aside? What’s the long-term vision of what wrestling could be? “Say what you will about USPW, but when you tune into their show, it makes a statement about who they are and the kind of fighters they present. The same is true of TCW, of places like Philly Pro, and Coastal Zone, and Mid-Atlantic and New York City Wrestling. “For years, the statement the Eisen’s made was ‘we’re the top dog.’ They had the biggest stars, the most charismatic talent, the household names. And they had them because they had the money to pay for it, and it didn’t matter what you did if your name wasn’t Jack Bruce, Vengeance, Rich Money, or Christian Faith. “Well, they’re not the top dog anymore, and they don’t have those names. And they’ve spent so many years showing us how little the other guys matter—and they’re still telling us with Pirate Primus and Buccaneer John Greed—that they don’t have an answer when someone like USPW uses their deep pockets to lay claim to the biggest names in the business. “People keep talking about the fact that Supreme needs to worry about USPW, and they’re right. But that’s just the tip of the spear. Right now, they need to be worried about [everyone[/i] because if they start letting go of their contracts, they’re going to be hard-pressed to get them back “And while they’re not dead in the water—the Supreme brand will be strong enough to carry them to TV deals and pay-per-view for a while yet—they need a vision that’s not we’re number one to carry them into 2021 and beyond. “And if they’re smart, once they find it, they’ll never rest on their laurels again.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 POSTED TO THE NYCW YOUTUBE CHANNEL POST-SHOW FOOTAGE Riley McManus is backstage, Fern Hathway placing icepacks on his ribs and forehead as he recovers from being sent crashing through a table by the Ringshaker Legdrop. They’re interrupted by Curtis Shaw, who looks McManus over with a critical eye. “I ain’t going to pretend I’m a big deal around these parts,” Shaw says. “I don’t got the history you do, and I ain’t got the experience or the respect of the people who pay their money to see us wrestle week after week. But I know how bad it hurts, getting hit by Don’s legdrop, and I know a thing or two about how dangerous things get when the guy who wants your blood has a posse at his back. “I may not be your first choice, brother, but if you ever need someone to watch you back against those assholes…” Shaw offers McManus his hand, but McManus gets to his feet and meets the bigger man’s stare. “Brother, I know you mean well, but I don’t like the way you work,” McManus says. “I watched you against Harper out there—throwing fists, skirting the rules, trying to match his violence with violence. If I shake your hand and say yes, you’re taking your first step down a darker path…and it’s one that could well see you become just as bad as him. “So thank you, for the offer, but for now I’ve got to decline. What I’ve got planned for Andrew Harper after the King of New York isn’t going to look anything like a gang war…it’s going to be clean, by the rules, and utterly surgical.” RATING: 35 BACK ALLEY PROMO Sal DiMeo stands against a brick wall, smoking a heavy cigar. Dressed down in his long leather coat, shiny rings on every finger. “I’m an old school guy. I believe in respect. And I believe that respect is earned, not given. “I offered you respect tonight, Dominic DeGraff. Not respect because you’d earned it, but respect earned by your family and their relationship with mine. I offered you respect as a courtesy, and you threw it in my face…and then you paid the price for that. “There’s always a price, if you don’t respect the Family, and that price can be a grave one. Just ask Freedom Eagle and his little masked friend….” RATING: 34 POST-SHOW PRESS CONFERENCE Ernest Youngman walks over to the backstage podium where the press gatheres to interview wrestlers every show. The roar of the fans is still echoing in the Arena as he takes the mic. “I could be wrong, but I suspect you all know who I am,” he says. “I’m the guy who put Pittsburg Steel on the map without demeaning myself with hardcore wrestling. I’m the guy whose been putting Philly wrestling on the map for the first time in two decades. I’m the guy whose retired hardcore legends and won every title worth winning on the East Coast today. “Every title worth winning, except one. “Make no mistake, I don’t care about the honor and history of this place. I’m not here because New York City Wrestling is the birthplace of stars like Rich Money or Jack Bruce. I don’t give a damn about the legend of Steve Flash or Whistler or Stomper Bradford. I’m here to cash checks and win titles, in that order. “The Hitman is here, the Hitman’s fore hire…and the Hitman is going to walk away with NYCW gold.” RATING: 53 COMING UP AT NYCW EMPIRE STATE Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStroke7 Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 I was looking forward to one of your shows.. great card too! Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Brutus retain...now he needs to go the distance for some match and improve stamina Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William The masked man with the upset win over the departing star LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival it is going to be an awesome match... let's go with the worker you need most to step up and challenge for the title. Danny King will surprise you if put in the right situation Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Italians for the win! Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles That is strange... I like this match a lot and I am curious to know what direction its result is going to take... I say the boys win, but I am intrigued Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don the faces are too popular to lose in my opinion... but I would love to see Don with its hand up at the end of the bout The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Quentin Queen is still "the future of professional wrestling" Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow all good but... Who is Jonah Pilgrim? Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino I see this as the "Let's hope Marino learns at least to run the ropes" match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zergon Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Ozzie might one day be the champ but doubt he´s there quite yet. Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William Thought Williams left already but since he´s still here I guess he puts another guy over before leaving. LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Thinking King is the top guy here. Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Going with actual stable here. Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles If the titles wouldn´t be on the line, I would go with faces here but thinking actual tag team should have the belts instead of random pairing. Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don Thinking that Tubbs has the least going out between these six so I assume he takes the fall here. The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Usually I would go with actual tag team but with Queen seemingly getting a big push and Destroyer having that moonster heel aura, I go with them instead here. Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow Assuming Snow is higher on pecking order at least until I see more from Pilgrim Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino Borne has bit more going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BHK1978 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterRomanini Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1PWfan Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 <p><strong>Brutus Milano</strong> Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship</p><p> <em>Not sure if Ozzie's being set up as the next big contender or anything but I don't see Brutus losing here, even if it's maybe via DQ or something</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Hawkeye Calhoun</strong> Vs. Tennessee William</p><p> <em>I forgot that Tennessee was on his way out last month, not making the same mistake twice</em></p><p> </p><p> LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. <strong>Denny King</strong> – Four Corner Survival</p><p> <em>The LA Stars are tag guys and Doll's already had some singles chances so it's Denny's turn</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff</strong> Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans</p><p> <em>Eagle and Dom are two of my favourites so they get the W here</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Riley McManus & Masked Stranger</strong> Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles</p><p> <em>Ordinarily I'd go with the regular tag team but Riley and Stranger are too over to bet against</em></p><p> </p><p> Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. <strong>Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don</strong></p><p> <em>Much as I hate Don unconditionally you seem to like him and Harper and Richie are decent</em></p><p> </p><p> The Casey Brothers Vs. <strong>Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer</strong></p><p> <em>Destroyer's rubbish but I can see why you'd want to push him</em></p><p> </p><p> Jonah Pilgrim Vs. <strong>Ray Snow</strong></p><p> <em>He's better</em></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Geoff Borne</strong> Vs. Machine Gun Marino</p><p> <em>Marino's not bad but Geoff's easier to build around, and provides some variety in the upper reaches of the card</em></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Brutus Milano Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship I think that Brutus' title reign still has some time to go, so he's winning this. Hawkeye Calhoun Vs. Tennessee William Tennessee's on his way out, so it makes sense for him to put over Calhoun. LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. Denny King – Four Corner Survival Expecting some tag team shenanigans from the Stars in this match, but Denny's probably getting the win for his build. Freedom Eagle, Charlie Corner, & Dominic Degraff Vs. Sal Dimeo & The Italian Americans The faces lost bad in the last show, so they need a strong showing to show that they can stand on even footing with Sal and his crew. Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. The Boys From The Yukon – NYCW Tag-Team Titles Really close call... but I'll guess that the belts are staying in the Yukon. Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don Probably the hardest match on the show to call, but I think that while Richie's getting the most build right now, he doesn't need to win this match. I'm just hoping for more antics from Don, honestly. The Casey Brothers Vs. Quentin Queen & Super Massive Destroyer Quentin to win, probably after hiding behind Destroyer for most of the match. Jonah Pilgrim Vs. Ray Snow I just picked Ray. Geoff Borne Vs. Machine Gun Marino With me picking the rest of his stable to lose, I figure that Marino picking up a win could keep at least a little bit of momentum for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 NYCW Empire State Saturday, Week 2, February 2020 Bradford Arena, Brooklyn – 455 people YOUTUBE LIVESTREAM “What up, Youtube? This is your boy, Charlie Corner, backstage at NYCW Empire State, and I’m here with my boy, Big Dom Degraff—” “Yo.” “And we’re pulling up to the famous Bradford Arena here in NYC where…oh…oh crap.” The camera spins to reveal the DiMeo Family gathered in the car park, a cloud of leather jackets and cigarette smoke with bad intentions on their mind. DeGraff puts the car in park and climbs out, clearly not bothered by the numbers. Corner follows suit, still streaming, “Come on, dudes, we’re not looking for any trouble…” Looking for it or not, trouble comes—Vito and Luca lunge for Charlie Corner as Sal and Marino take the fight to Degraff. The camera is dropped and the lens cracks, but it still picks up the sound and short bursts of action…and the sound of a route as a new player joins the fray and starts taking out DiMeo’s with thrown garbage cans. The DiMeo’s flee and Corner picks up his camera, surveying the damage with dismay. Another face looks over his shoulder—Freedom Eagle. “Don’t worry,” the masked man says. “We’ll make them pay for that too.” RATING: 32 BACKSTAGE PROMO Masked Stranger is backstage with Riley McManus, the two of them dressed in matching black-and-green tights ahead of tonight’s tag-team title match. “I’ve gone through an awful lot to make the name Masked Stranger the a name that means something, and I’m proud of that name because I’m the man that made it. I made it by winning a lot of fights, and getting knocked down in just as many. I made it by earning titles and winning big matches. And I earned it by getting up every time that I got knocked down, coming back for another round when it seemed like all was lost. “Last time we were at Bradford Arena, I made one of the tag-team champions submit. I put the cobra clutch on Whitehorse Whitaker—a man tougher than almost any that I’ve fought and one-half of the best tag-team in the world today—and he didn’t have an answer. “After that show, Larry Vessey came up to me and offered me a shot at the NYCW tag-team champs. And he made it very clear to me it was just the NYCW champs. He apologised for that, because the COTT wouldn’t sanction a title match between their World Champions and a team that was yet to be formed, no matter how much the name Masked Stranger means when you see it on the marquee. “He expected me to be angry about that, but I told him I was excited. Excited to get a shot at gold, excited to test myself against the best tag-team in the world—double champions who aren’t just kind of the hill here I NYCW, but across the Confederation of the Territories. And excited because I don’t mind proving myself in order to earn title shots. If the COTT needed to see more from me before they’d sanction a shot at the World Championship, I’d find myself a partner who can help me win tag-team gold and prove it here, in New York City Wrestling, show after show after show. “And there’s only one man in NYCW who thinks the way I do about such things. One man who understands the traditions of this sport, who fights to earn the big matches that come his way , and one man who looks at the best tag-team in the world—big, hard-hitting men like Mort and Whitaker—and hungers to test himself against them despite spending years as a singles wrestler. “So I went to Riley McManus and asked if he’d be interested being my partner this evening. If he’d like to walk into the grizzly bear’s den and snatch defeat from their slavering jaws.” McManus jumps in to cap things off. “I told him I was looking forward to it.” RATING: 40 BACKSTAGE PROMO Ozzie Goldstein cuts a promo from the interview stage, putting over the fact that he’s been in NYCW for one month and he’s already challenging for the Empire Title. “It’s time for all of you to learn just how stunning I am wearing gold.” RATING: 47 OPENING PROMO The Slick Pimp Daddy, Ernie Turner, stands in the middle of the ring. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are in Bradford Arena, New York, New York, and you are here for New York City Wrestling’s EMPIRE STATE! We’ve got a great show for you tonight, with Brutus Milano—” Turner is cut off by Tennessee William storing out to the ring, guitar over his shoulder like a battle-ax. He stares down the Slick Pimp Daddy and lays claim to the mic, then stares at Turner until the announcer leaves the ring. “I don’t want to hear about Brutus Milano tonight,” he says. “He’s the man walking around with my Empire Championship, and it seems there’s not a goddamned thing I can do to get it off him. This is unacceptable, given the way he cheated to win that title, and I refuse to stay in a promotion that positions a man like Milano over myself. “Which means, the way I see it, NYCW has two choices before them. They can immediately move to secure me a COTT World Heavyweight Championship, giving me the opportunity to claim the one belt that means more than the Empire Championship, or I can turn on my heel and walk out of this company right n—” This time, It’s William who gets interrupted by someone coming through the curtain, and the masked Hawkeye Calhoun makes his way down to the ring. “You can beg for a title shot all you want, but the line to get a shot at the COTT champion starts with me,” he says. “So I guess you’ve got to ask yourself, William—how confident are you that you’re the best in the world? Are you really sure you’re better than little ol’ me?” Tennessee William looks Calhoun over. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll see you in the ring.” RATING: 54 vs. GEOFF BORNE vs. MACHINE GUN MARINO The rapid-fire punches of Machine Gun Marino come up against the straight-out rapid-fire offense of Borne. Marino jumps Borne to start the match off, unleashing combos straight out of the gate, but the veteran Borne weathers the storm and mounts a comeback, picking Marino apart before going to the top rope for the Borne Again. Geoff Borne defeated Machine Gun Marino in 8:52 by pinfall. RATING: 29 vs. JONAH PILGRIM vs. RAY SNOW The rehabilitation of Ray Snow starts here. We asked Sam Keith to recommend us a decent technician who could give Snow eight good minutes, and MAW sent us Jonah Pilgrim—young, pudgy, but technically oriented and good at getting folks over. Pilgrim comes in prepared for Snow’s usual tactics, ready to counter the spinning backfist that serves as Snow’s finisher. Unfortunately, Snow isn’t looking to end this with a high-impact strike—he fakes the backfist, lets Pilgrim duck, and transitions into a tight dragon sleeper that quickly draws the submission win. Ray Snow defeated Jonah Pilgrim in 8:17 by submission. RATING: 29 IN RING PROMO “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Phil Vibert, and I am the advocate for the future of this sport we all love known as professional wrestling. As you can probably guess, I am here to inform you that once again your scheduled match between my client, Quentin Queen, and the inestimable Animal Harker has been delayed because Mister Harker has elected to wrestle overseas instead of meeting his commitment’s here. “The same isn’t true of my client—Quentin Queen is here, ready to wrestle, eager to earn his share of the winner’s purse in any match NYCW would care to put him into. All we need—” This week, he’s interrupted by the Casey Brothers, who roll down to the ring and square up against Queen and—surprisingly—the hulking Super Massive Destroyer. Chuck Casey grabs the microphone out of Vibert’s hands. “Me and Tully, we’ve never been big on talking,” he says. “But if your boys are looking for a fight, we’re more than happy to step up.” Vibert trades a look with Queen, who gives the Casey’s a once over and shrugs his ascent. Vibert nods and turns to the big man. “Take ‘em out.” RATING: 29 vs. w/ THE CASEY BROTHERS vs. QUEEN & DESTROYER w/Phil Vibert Quentin Queen seems content to sit back and let Destroyer unleash, making a big show of lounging against the ring ropes while the big man throws the Casey’s around. That lasts right up until the Casey’s experience turns the table, and a series of rapid tags and double-teams sees them put Destroyer on the foot. Queen tags in…and the entire tenor of the match changes as he proceeds to trap Chuck Casey in the wrong part of town and dismantle the younger wrestler. A motivated Queen proves to be a dangerous thing, focusing all his offense on the head and neck as he soften’s his opponent up for the Q-Ball, and he’s even more dangerous with Destroyer in his corner as an ally. The Caseys put up a good fight, but ultimately fall when Quinn capitalises on the damage he’s done to Chuck and lays him low. Quentin Queen and Super Massive Destroyer defeated The Casey Brothers in 9:42 when Quentin Queen pinned Chuck Casey. RATING: 29 vs. w/ CURTIS SHAW, CROCKET TUBBS, & HAPPY ELWOOD vs. ANDREW HARPER, RICHIE RIGGINS, & DEVASTATING DON w/Cheerleader Nicki This one’s mostly a showcase for Harper’s burgeoning alliance of evil and Shaw’s growing issues with Devastating Don. There’s a dogged focus on trying ot throw the big man around that works against Shaw’s side of the booking sheet—at first, because Don simply tags out rather than facing Shaw, and then, as the match ticks past the ten minute mark, because Don is the fresher man in the match and excels at blocking any attempt to move him. Tubbs and Elwood do their best to make it work with Shaw, but he lacks their veteran instincts and ability to tell the difference between an opening and a lure drawing him into making a mistake. Soon Shaw breaks, throwing closed fists and letting himself be drawn into ill-advised brawls, and it’s up to Tubbs to break things up and keep their team in the game. An angry Shaw goes on a late rampage in the final moments of the match, but it sees him get drawn into an ambush by Devastating Don. Tubbs makes the save, as he’s done so may times before, but Riggins comes in off a blind tag and takes Tubbs down with a Body Bag to pick up the three-count. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins and Devastating Don defeated Curtis Shaw, Crockett Tubbs and Happy Elwood in 20:09 when Richie Riggins pinned Crockett Tubbs. RATING: 29 POST-MATCH ATTACK Curtis Shaw roars and launches himself across the ring, battering Devastating Don as the big man has his hand’s raised. The powerful rookie wraps his hands around Don’s expansive bally, then his shoulder’s strain as he attempts to pick up and throw the super heavyweight. Harper and Riggins go to save their ally, but Tubbs and Elwood are more than happy to bring the fight to them, sparking a furious brawl. Elwood kicks Riggins out of the ring with a dropkick, while Tubbs sends Harper face-first into the canvas with a drop toe hold. Don tries to elbow his way free, but Shaw takes the damage and keeps straining. His shoulders bunch and he screams his frustration, and he ultimately gets Don up in the torture rack position...then falls back into a samoan drop as he overbalances and can't maintain the hold.RATING: 29 BACKSTAGE PROMO The LA Stars are out on the interview stage, recording a promo at intermission. They’re in a four-corner survival match tonight, and the best tag-team in NYCW is going to be facing one-another as opponents for the first time ever. “We didn’t ask for this, but we aren’t backing away from the opportunity. Tonight, the best damn tag-team on the West Coast has got one-another’s backs until we’re the last men standing…and then we’ll find out which of us really is the best.” RATING: 23 LOCKER ROOM PROMO Brutus Milano sits in his locker room, a towel draped over his head. Tonight, he’s got Ozzie Goldstein, and Milano knows how dangerous it is to look past an opponent as talented and well-travelled as Goldstein. He knows that if he goes in there with anything less than 100% focus, he’ll pay the price and runs a real risk of walking out without the Empire Title. “I know this, but right now, all I can think about is you Ernest Youngman. All I can think about is getting you in that ring and delivering some payback. My head is still ringing—when Youngman hits you, you stay hit—but that’s what it means to be champion. Everyone wants to talk your belt, and everyone hits you with the best they’ve got. “Your job is to be better, for as long as you can. Accept the pain and the hardship and the months of preparation, just so you’re ready for anything. “So Goldstein, bring it on tonight. Bring your absolute best, because I assure you, I’ll be bringing mine. RATING: 36 NYCW TAG-TEAM TITLE MATCH vs. RILEY McMANUS & MASKED STRANGER vs. THE BOYS FROM THE YUKON The Boys from the Yukon are double champions right now, but this match has only been sanctioned as a bout for the NYCW Tag-team Titles, with the COTT declining to sanction it for their world belt until McManus and Stranger have a track record as a tag-team. It seems a sound choice at first—The Boys cut the ring in half and work over Masked Stranger with a vengeance, cutting off any attempt to tag. McManus is goaded into making mistakes, often lured into the ring to try and prevent the pinfall only to give the Boys an opportunity to fight dirty while the ref tries to hold Riley back. It’s clear that Stranger and McManus are the superior singles wrestlers in the bout, but their lack of tag-team experience leaves them at a massive disadvantage. At the same time, Masked Stranger plays babyface in peril exceptionally well and simply refuses to stay down. He keeps fighting and scrapping, searching for the hot tag, and when it finally comes after nearly ten minutes of punishment McManus hits the ring like a house on fire. Both of the Boys find themselves thrown around the ring with suplexes—an unusual experience for men their size—and soon McManus and Stranger are finding their rhythm as a team. Double clotheslines take the champions down, then twin dropkicks and a second rope guillotine legdrop. The fans rally as they see McManus and Stranger may actually earn themselves a belt…and then Morty clips Stranger’s knee with a chopblock and leaves the masked man writhing in agony. McManus is quick to become the legal man, putting himself in the two-on-one situation, and we go into another sequence where the Boys control the ring. They batter McManus from pillar to post, looking to put him down, but McManus fights a one man war to buy Stranger time to recover. It’s only when the Boys hit the TIIIIIIIMBEEER! that Stranger gets involved once again, breaking up the pinfall, and we got into a rapid breakdown and exchange of big moves. Amid the chaos, Stranger takes Whittaker over the top rope with a clothesline and an angry Riley McManus hits a Slingshot Suplex on Mort for the three. Riley McManus and Masked Stranger defeated The Boys From The Yukon in 20:19 when Riley McManus pinned Howlin' Mad Mort. Riley McManus and Masked Stranger win the NYCW Tag Team titles. RATING: 42 vs. w/ FREEDOM EAGLE, CHARLIE CORNER, & DOMINIC DeGRAFF & TEAM LIVESTREAM vs. THE DiMEO FAMILY w/Machine Gun Marino The DiMeo’s jump their opponents before the bell, looking for an early advantage, but it doesn’t take long for Eagle to rally his allies and make a fight of it. We keep thigs short and lively after the previous two matches, with the hottest sequences coming as DiMeo squares off against Eagle, when DeGraff slugs Sal in the face, and when Charlie Corner wipes out Vito with a cutter on the ring apron. Alas, that move provides the opening Machine Gun Marnio needs to interfere, and he soon feeds Corner to Big Sal DiMeo for a powerbomb to end things. The DiMeo Family (Sal DiMeo, Luca Sacramoni and Vito Pirelli) defeated Freedom Eagle and Corner & DeGraff in 10:25 when Sal DiMeo pinned Charlie Corner. RATING: 30 FOUR CORNER SURVIVAL vs. vs. vs. LA STAR #1 vs. THE NEW YORK DOLL vs. LA STAR #2 vs. DENNY KING The LA Stars really don’t want to wrestle one another here, but the match opens with Doll and King cycling through tags to ensure the Stars are the two men in the ring to kick things off. Thus, it starts with a measure of respect, the two evenly-matched LA Stars going through an opening sequence without getting any advantage. Denny King tries to step in at that point, taking advantage of the fact both men are worn down, and the Stars smoothly transition into tag-team tactics as they take the fight to their two opponents. He’s forced to form a makeshift alliance with Doll to stay in the match, and for a stretch this is less frantic than most Four Corner Survival matches as it cleaves to tag-team tactics. It is, of course, a fragile peace on both teams, but it surprises no-one when Doll is the first man to break. He nails Denny King from behind with an enziguri, going for a cover on the Tr-Strate Champion, and LA Star #2 only just makes the save to keep the match alive. A string of big moves and finishers follow, everyone breaking up everyone else’s pinfall, until Doll ultimately catches Star #2 with the Punk-N-Nasty to claim the three. The New York Doll defeated Denny King, LA Star #2 and LA Star #1 in 15:07 when The New York Doll pinned LA Star #2. RATING: 36 vs. HAWKEYE CALHOUN vs. TENNESSEE WILLIAM Both men have something to prove after our last show, but there’s a stark contrast in the way they attempt to prove it. Calhoun is as white-meat as a white-meat babyface can be, wrestling clean and unleashing big, impressive moves as he tries to pick up the win. William is a classic Southern heel, cheating to win and stalling to break Calhoun’s momentum every time the younger wrestler picks up some momentum. It goes without saying that we’re going to miss William when he goes, but this match is really a demonstration of why. With very little build, he can walk out there with a kid like Calhoun and get the kid over simply by infuriating the fans. William’s genius has always been his complete lack of interest in being a “cool” heel—all the big moves here are Calhoun’s, with the portions where William takes control inevitably coming off something cheap and small. It makes for one hell of a fight, and the fans were incredibly hungry by the time Calhoun scored the pinfall off the back of a Home Run. Hawkeye Calhoun defeated Tennessee William in 24:46 by pinfall. RATING: 38 NYCW EMPIRE TITLE MATCH vs. BRUTUS MILANO vs. OZZIE GOLDSTEIN The powerhouse babyface versus the technically-minded heel is a classic wrestling match-up, and it’s made all the more impressive here because Goldstein is one of those guys who improvises his way through classic sequences the way other people breathe. They lock up and Goldstein is quickly overpowered, so he drops his weight to pull Milano off-balance and uses the impact of knees hitting canvas to break free and transition into a vicious headlock. When Milano eventually shoots him off, Goldstein comes back with a rising knee that’s narrowly avoided, only to bounce of the ropes on the far side and knock Milano down with a shoulder block to the base of the back. The dynamic of the match flows from that—Goldestein can’t overpower the bigger champion, but momentum is a wonderful equalizer—and they iterate that basic structure over and over again. Goldstein gets the lion’s share of the offense, keeping Milano’s title in peril, but the champ’s response is often short bursts of high-impact offense targeting the back, with the occasional bear hug thrown in for good measure. Goldstein works the champ hard and gets several two-counts throughout, but he ultimately can’t overcome the raw heart and power of Milano. He tries to rely on his own heart when Milano finally catches Goldstein in an Italian Backbreaker, but Goldstein doesn’t have the same stomach for pain—he holds out for a few seconds before tapping out. Brutus Milano defeated Ozzie Goldstein in 21:52 by submission. RATING: 40 POST-MATCH CONFRONTATION Milano calls for the microphone after the match, and scans the back of the arena. “Ernest Youngman, I know you’re out there,” he says. “You’ve gone to the press and made a big deal about signing with NYCW, talked a whole lot about your hopes of laying claim to the Empire title and using it as a stepping stone to the World Heavyweight Championship. I know you’re out there, dreaming big dreams, because once upon a time I did the same. “But it’s time to stop dreaming, Youngman. It’s time to come out here and talk, man-to-man, about the future.” Youngman smirks as he lopes down to the ring, showing no fear as he squares off against the massive champion. He points at the championship belt over Milano’s shoulder. “That belongs to me.” “Then you come claim it the way every champion claims his belt,” Milano says. “In the ring, in a one-on-one match-up, laying everything on the line to prove you’re the best there is and the other man can’t match you. You recognise that challenging for a title is an opportunity, not a right, and it’s something that’s earned, not given. “I know your background, Youngman. I know the lawless, reckless territory where you’ve been making your name. I even know how skilled you are in the ring, how dangerous you and how accurate the nickname Hitman really is. “But this isn’t Philly. This is New York City. This is the city that never sleeps, and this is the championship that means more than any other on the East Coast, and if you want the opportunity to challenge me for this belt, you earn it just like anybody else. You wrestle, you pick up wins, you make your case in the only court that matters—this ring.” Youngman locks eyes with Milano, neither man willing to back down. Then Youngman breaks into a smile, takes a step away, and whirls around to unleash a big elbow shot… …only to find Milano has blocked it, holding Youngman at bay with ease given his phenomenal strength. The champ pushes Youngman away, the attack thwarted, and raises his title overhead as an exclamation mark. RATING: 44 SHOW RATING: 41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 THE NEWS FROM BACKSTAGE We asked a lot of our babyfaces to step up this week: Milano, obviously, is the man upon whose shoulders all of NYCW rests now that Tennessee is leaving, while Stranger and Riley were shifted into the tag-team ranks for a stretch with a tricky angle to sell as we separated the COTT and NYCW tag-team belts (and, frankly, to give us a couple of workhorses who can go at the top of the card if Milano doesn’t step up). I complimented all three men for threading a tricky needle this week. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s impending departure seems to have made him pretty free with his opinions—he cornered me after the show to point out that Charlie Corner is money, and suggested strapping a rocket to the kid. We’ve started locking down some of our focal points to written contracts this week—non-exclusive and still by-the-show deals, but a commitment on both sides that will prevent situations like the one with Tennessee. We kicked things off with Goldstein, whose pretty central to a long-term plan we’ve got cooking. A lot of our guys have been hitting the gym pretty hard after our whole-of-company talk about shifting into broadcast. Some of the smaller guys like LA Star #2 and Geoff Borne have started to look a little more toned and defined, but the real impressive changes have been the big man like Whittacker and Mort who shed a whole bunch of their bulk and started moving a little easier. The real surprise, however, was Luca Sacramoni—he’d always been one of the flabbiest guys on the roster, outside of Devastating Don. It seems the idea of being on screen was a huge motivator for him—he’s dropped a lot of the weight and slimmed down to a healthy weight for a guy of his size, and has already started making noise about hitting the gym with his more defined, bodybuilding tag-team partner, Vito Pirelli. Only one winner on the forum prediction contests for this show, although second place was shared with a whole lot of names. Zergon gets the bundle of signed 5x10s donated by Brooklyn’s Finest, The DiMeo Family, and Fern Hathaway from our merch pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 I want Ozzie to be a star for you so bad, but I also remember how he left me in CWI! So I'm conflicted -- but I love seeing you use the non-exclusive written deals. I use them for some people in CWI too. Are you using one or two year deals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TheStroke7" data-cite="TheStroke7" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I was looking forward to one of your shows.. great card too!<p> </p><p> Riley Mcmanus & Masked Stranger Vs. <strong>The Boys From The Yukon</strong> – NYCW Tag-Team Titles</p><p> <em><span style="font-size:8px;">That is strange... I like this match a lot and I am curious to know what direction its result is going to take... I say the boys win, but I am intrigued</span></em></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This was definitely a problem solving match from my perspective, albeit one that's building a long-term angle. The local belts go on the two ring generals, giving us talent who can do the long matches NYCW fans demand at the top of the card and help train up the next generation of tagteams while they develop their own teamwork.</p><p> </p><p> Meanwhile, The Boys get to tour the COTT and build up experience and overness in other Feds, solidifiying their role as our top tag-team. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><strong>Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood</strong> Vs. Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don<p> <span style="font-size:8px;"><em>the faces are too popular to lose in my opinion... but I would love to see Don with its hand up at the end of the bout</em></span></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This would have been sound logic in 2016, but one things that's really interesting in these bouts is the way momentum plays into things. Tubbs and Elwood are definitely the most over names in this bout, but their momentum is struggling because they're largely warm bodies in the midcard.</p><p> </p><p> Meanwhile, Richie Riggins has been quietly gaining momentum in the background, and folks largely put him over without a complaint. The same is true of Calhoun, whose been at White Hot momentum for the last two or three weeks. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Zergon" data-cite="Zergon" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><strong>Brutus Milano</strong> Vs. Ozzie Goldstein – NYCW Empire Championship<p> <em>Ozzie might one day be the champ but doubt he´s there quite yet.</em></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> He's not, but he's damned close. We've currently got two Big Stars in Youngman and Milano, two stars in McManus and Calhoun, and Ozzie is on the verge of stepping up as our fifth major name after this bout. He's also the only guy on both the Ring Generals and Show Stoppers list, so he'll be spending some quality time at the top of the card in weeks to come. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="1PWfan" data-cite="1PWfan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Curtis Shaw, Crocket Tubbs, & Happy Elwood Vs. <strong>Andrew Harper, Richie Riggins, & Devastating Don</strong><p> <em>Much as I hate Don unconditionally you seem to like him and Harper and Richie are decent</em></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> It's less a case of liking him and more a case of making use of the tools around. He'd have been jobbed out and dumped in a 2016 game, but right now he's local, cheap, and an interesting experiment in seeing how the momentum system can benefit subpar talent. It's why the Sandman comparison intrigues me--it feels like there's more scope to pull the kind of tricks that Heyman did with him and 911 in the current version of the game. </p><p> </p><p> Weirdly, I've recently realised he's the best talker of the trio as well, which seems counterintuitive on so many levels...</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Aura" data-cite="Aura" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>LA Star #1 Vs. The New York Doll Vs. LA Star #2 Vs. <strong>Denny King</strong> – Four Corner Survival<p> <em>Expecting some tag team shenanigans from the Stars in this match, but Denny's probably getting the win for his build.</em></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The thing that has been clear from this round of predictions--I should probably be doing more with Denny. He's been lost in the shuffle a bit, and I largely forgot what I'd originally had planned for him after winning the belt. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Historian" data-cite="Historian" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="51697" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I want Ozzie to be a star for you so bad, but I also remember how he left me in CWI! So I'm conflicted -- but I love seeing you use the non-exclusive written deals. I use them for some people in CWI too.<p> </p><p> Are you using one or two year deals?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm offering 8 written deals, and the split is about 50/50 on one and two year contracts. Ozzie is a two-year talent--he's too good and too central to the course I'm trying to chart to risk losing him unless I absolutely have to.</p><p> </p><p> A guy like Brutus is a one-year deal--I want him around, but I'm not particularly concerned if he up and leaves after I've built up a stronger talent to occupy his spot on the card. Mostly, the contract is just making sure he doesn't leave before he puts over who he needs to put over <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 23, 2020 Author Share Posted October 23, 2020 AN UNEXPECTED PHONE CALL Phil's Office, Bradford Arena, Brooklyn Monday, Week 3, February 2020 The weirdest thing about working for NYCW is the presence of Sam Keith’s number on my speed dial. For years, we’d worked at different ends of the wrestling spectrum—me the rabble-rousing hardcore booker who represented everything he hated about the way wrestling changed, him the technically-minded icon of Supreme Wrestling, second only to Christian Faith as the man who represented everything DAVE was fighting against. We’d spent years trading barbs in interviews, and I’ve never been entirely sure how much of it was a shoot. And now we exchange phone calls every week or so, talking about the talent trades and COTT titles and the long-term vision of both MAW and NYCW. He’s a guy I talk to when we need an underneath guy, or get second opinions on talents we’re planning to push. He let himself get talked around to the idea of a Boys of the Yukon title reign. It’s never friendly, but we’re professional. Which is why it catches me by surprise when he calls me late on a Friday night and says, “Phil, I need a favour—have you got any interest in working with Noggin beyond next week’s show?” It’s a loaded question from the outset, for all the answer is probably yes. We’d brought in Sean Noggin and his tag-team partner, Sione Tokoeka, on a one-off talent trade to challenge for the COTT titles at Way of the Warrior. They were young and green, but loaded with potential—and Noggin’s byline as “the Last Survivor of the Bootcamp” gave him plenty of cache in addition to the Wolf Pack’s rising status as a tag-team to watch in the COTT. But it’s telling that there’s only one name in Sam’s question. “Maybe,” I said. “What happened?” And so the story comes out: a bad day in the office leaked through into the booking meeting; a young talent eager to push through to the next level pushing back against the office; a low-key tension about the way things are done blossoming into angry words and those words every booker’s heard spoken in anger: “I quit.” “So he’s trouble,” I said. “He’s young and he’s ambitious. You know how it goes.” “Hmm.” “Marv confirmed that he’d finish out his dates with you, but he’s done with MAW for a stretch,” Keith said. “He’ll walk into a couple of jobs on the indies, but he’s got enough promise that I’d like to see him develop somewhere that will teach him the right way to do things. Maybe even bring Sione in for a few dates, let them keep working on their team.” Keith took a deep breathe on the far side of the phone. “And it really was my fault,” he said. “There were other things on my mind, and I put my foot in it. If you’d take him on, I’d consider it a personal favour.” “Words I never expected to hear from you,” I said. “Words I never really expected to say, but the Coastal Zone will swallow him alive and he’s not ready for a tour of Mexico. He’s a good fit for the things you and Sam have been working towards, and I think he’d be an asset.” There are worse things in the world than being owned a favour by a legend, COTT founder, and talent on the level of Sam Keith. And he was right: there were things we could do with Noggin. “I’ll give him a call tomorrow, see if he’s interested in working with us,” I said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 Man, I really blew my predictions for the last show. I get why things happened as they did, though. This Noggin situation adds a pretty interesting wrinkle, though. I wonder where he could fit into NYCW as it stands? If he's as green as described, then he may have to spend a bit of time in the lower card to build up his skills and see how the fans take to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStroke7 Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 This was definitely a problem solving match from my perspective, albeit one that's building a long-term angle. The local belts go on the two ring generals, giving us talent who can do the long matches NYCW fans demand at the top of the card and help train up the next generation of tagteams while they develop their own teamwork. Meanwhile, The Boys get to tour the COTT and build up experience and overness in other Feds, solidifiying their role as our top tag-team. I should have given more importance to the fact that only one off the two titles were on the line... still I am surprised of the title split. I want to see where this improvised unit goes. This would have been sound logic in 2016, but one things that's really interesting in these bouts is the way momentum plays into things. Tubbs and Elwood are definitely the most over names in this bout, but their momentum is struggling because they're largely warm bodies in the midcard. Meanwhile, Richie Riggins has been quietly gaining momentum in the background, and folks largely put him over without a complaint. The same is true of Calhoun, whose been at White Hot momentum for the last two or three weeks. You may be right, maybe it's me giving momentum less importance than it deserves. I am very surprised though that you are still finding a use for Don, I also try to make him stay in my NYCW games, but I was never able to make him gain momentum. All in all keep up the good work, I am really enjoying your diary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 POSTED TO THE NYCW YOUTUBE CHANNEL POST-SHOW LOCKER ROOM PROMO Whitehorse Whittaker and Howling Mad Mort are in the process of trashing their locker room, fresh off the loss of their NYCW Tag-Team Titles. Mort notices the camera, grabs the COTT World Tag-Team titles, and thrusts them towards the camera. “The sweetest words in the English language are winner and still champion,” he says, “but if you can’t get both half of that statement on the night, ‘and still champion’ is the better part to keep. McManus and Stranger got lucky tonight—but luck can’t carry them forever. We’re asking NYCW wrestling for a rematch, so enjoy your gold while you can, boys.”” RATING: 34. BACKSTAGE PROMO Hawkeye Calhoun cuts a promo about the people in NYCW who like to talk a big game, but don’t back it up in the ring. Guys like Tennessee William. Guys like the Tri-State Champion, Denny King, whose been hiding in four corner survival matches instead of defending his belt. On March 1st, NYCW will be the very first wrestling company broadcasting on the newly-launched WrestleWorld network…the first time NYCW stars will be presented to fans around the country. And after pushing the World Champion to the limit and defeating one of NYCW’s biggest stars in Tennessee William, Calhoun has been scheduled to fight for the Tri-State Championship on that show. RATING: 50 POST-MATCH PROMO Goldstein staggers backstage after his world title challenge, breathing hard and sweating heavily. The exchange between Milano and Youngman is just audible in the background as Goldstein commandeers the camera and cuts a breathless promo, swearing that this isn’t over for him. “Tonight, I came within seconds of winning the Empire Title and taking it home. I pushed the champion to his limit and got his measure as a man and a wrestler. “Make no mistake, Milano, this isn’t over. I’m not going to rest until the Empire title is around my waist…” RATING: 48 COMING UP AT NYCW WAY OF THE WARRIOR Riley McManus & Masked Stranger vs. Tennessee William & Denny King –NYCW Tag-Team Titles Happy Elwood vs. Ozzie Goldstein Brutus Milano vs. The New York Doll vs. Curtis Shaw vs. Andrew Harper – Four Corner Survival Brooklyn’s Finest & Team Livestream (DeGraff & Corner) vs. The DiMeo Family Chuck Casey vs. Ray Snow LA Stars vs. The Heartrbreakers (Riggins & Don) Animal Harker vs. Sandman Winks The Wolf Pack (MAW) vs. The Boys from the Yukon (NYCW) – COTT World Tag-Team Titles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zergon Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Riley McManus & Masked Stranger vs. Tennessee William & Denny King –NYCW Tag-Team Titles Champs ain´t dropping their belts on first defense Happy Elwood vs. Ozzie Goldstein Thinking Ozzie is higher on the pecking order. Brutus Milano vs. The New York Doll vs. Curtis Shaw vs. Andrew Harper – Four Corner Survival Hard to look past Milano but thinking this could be perfect say to set-up one shot title match so I have Harper going over here. Brooklyn’s Finest & Team Livestream (DeGraff & Corner) vs. The DiMeo Family Thinking they need wins soon if they want to look something else than jobber pair Chuck Casey vs. Ray Snow I would pick singles guy over tag guy here. LA Stars vs. The Heartrbreakers (Riggins & Don) Thinking they have more going on right now. Animal Harker vs. Sandman Winks Harker has that very slow going feud with Queen so likely stays strong here. The Wolf Pack (MAW) vs. The Boys from the Yukon (NYCW) – COTT World Tag-Team Titles Assuming they get longer run than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BHK1978 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Riley McManus & Masked Stranger vs. Tennessee William & Denny King –NYCW Tag-Team Titles Happy Elwood vs. Ozzie Goldstein Brutus Milano vs. The New York Doll vs. Curtis Shaw vs. Andrew Harper – Four Corner Survival Andrew is one of my favorites on the NYCW roster. Brooklyn’s Finest & Team Livestream (DeGraff & Corner) vs. The DiMeo Family Chuck Casey vs. Ray Snow I agree with what Zergon said, I don't see Ray losing to a tag team guy unless you are going to push Chuck as a singles (Which I have done in a personal game after his brother got hurt and it has turned out pretty well thus far.) LA Stars vs. The Heartrbreakers (Riggins & Don) Animal Harker vs. Sandman Winks The Wolf Pack (MAW) vs. The Boys from the Yukon (NYCW) – COTT World Tag-Team Titles Oh man, the Wolf Pack are awesome, but I am going to stick with TBFTY for right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStroke7 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Riley McManus & Masked Stranger vs. Tennessee William & Denny King –NYCW Tag-Team Titles The champs will retain plus William is leaving so he will give back some of his overness Happy Elwood vs. Ozzie Goldstein I see Ozzie as one of the top heels in the future for you so I think he will get the W here Brutus Milano vs. The New York Doll vs. Curtis Shaw vs. Andrew Harper – Four Corner Survival This is a tough call.. I think Milano will lose here and I also think Harper is the best guess for the win, but he has a match against McManus with a title match on the line at King of NY, so maybe this is going to be TNYD night... I do not remember if the Four Corner Survival stipulation is essentially a Fatal 4 way or if it is an elimination match.. if it is an elimination match I am really interested on how you will book Milano's elimination Brooklyn’s Finest & Team Livestream (DeGraff & Corner) vs. The DiMeo Family DiMeao is loosing a lot but i envision another win for Hawkeye here Chuck Casey vs. Ray Snow workrate choice LA Stars vs. The Heartrbreakers (Riggins & Don) LA Starts can use some of Don's overness Animal Harker vs. Sandman Winks Harker will win and challenge Queen The Wolf Pack (MAW) vs. The Boys from the Yukon (NYCW) – COTT World Tag-Team Titles The Boys retain.. this time I will guess them right.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterRomanini Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Riley McManus & Masked Stranger vs. Tennessee William & Denny King –NYCW Tag-Team Titles Happy Elwood vs. Ozzie Goldstein Brutus Milano vs. The New York Doll vs. Curtis Shaw vs. Andrew Harper – Four Corner Survival Brooklyn’s Finest & Team Livestream (DeGraff & Corner) vs. The DiMeo Family Chuck Casey vs. Ray Snow LA Stars vs. The Heartrbreakers (Riggins & Don) Animal Harker vs. Sandman Winks The Wolf Pack (MAW) vs. The Boys from the Yukon (NYCW) – COTT World Tag-Team Titles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share Posted December 5, 2020 NYCW WAY OF THE WARRIOR Saturday, Week 3, February 2020 Bradford Arena, Brooklyn—479 people LIVESTREAM “What up, YouTube! This is your boy, Charlie Corner, and I’m here with my partner in crime, Big Dom Degraff—” The camera spins, showing DeGraff perched on a bench in the locker room, nose buried in a copy of The Art of War. “Yo.” “—and tonight! Oh, tonight, it’s a big night for Team Livestream—” DeGraff looks up. “Wait. What? That’s not our--” “Because tonight, we’re stepping up and joining forces with the masked men from Brooklyn! Tonight, we’re getting some payback—” Corner’s momentum is interrupted by Freedom Eagle and Hawkeye Calhoun, who regard him with curiosity. “Kid, what are you doing?” “I’m…talking to my peeps?” Freedom Eagle looks around the locker room. “There’s no-one here but Dom, and he’s reading.” “My…peeps on the internet? Say yo!” Calhoun peers into the phone, getting so close his face obliterates blocks everything out. “You’re…talking to a phone?” He looks back to Eagle. “He’s talking to a phone!” Eagle shakes his head. “Put it away, kid. Big night tonight—take it from us, the DeMio’s are bad news—and you can’t afford to split your focus. Shut the stream down and let’s talk strategy…” RATING: 29 BACKSTAGE PROMO Geoff Borne sits backstage, a cup of coffee in hand. He stares at the camera. “Tonight, I’ve got Ernest Youngman in his first match with NYCW. A man who calls himself the Hitman, who makes no bones about the fact he’s on the same path I am—going through everyone they put in front of him to earn a shot at the World Title. “Well, Youngman, tonight the man in front of you is Geoff Borne, and I’ve beaten every man I’ve been in the ring with for the last few shows. Right now, I’m a man on a deadline—if I don’t earn a title shot in the next eleven months, I walk away from the sport I love forever. “So I understand your ambition, Youngman. I know what you’re doing out there. But when the chips are down…when the two of us have thrown everything we have at one another and you feel that burning pain that tells you to lie down…when the only thing that keeps you fighting is the hunger to be the best…think about the fact that you’re facing a man who cannot afford to lose. You’re facing a man who will not quit, who will not die, and will not stay down. “You’re facing a man who cannot afford to lose an inch of progress he’s made, and you cannot hold me back.” RATING: 36 BACKSTAGE PROMO Tennessee William paces backstage. “Right now, I’m kinda wondering why I bother with this godforsaken city and this pissant little company. They contract me—Tennessee Williams, the best wrestler in the world today—and proceed to manoeuvre things to ensure I can’t ply my craft the way it should. The Empire title is denied to me…my path to the World Championship is blocked by a cosplayer with a baseball fetish they sprung on me at the last moment…and the Tri-State Championship, well, I’ve been there, done that. “But I’m a generous man—I offered the powers that be one last chance to keep me here. I asked them to give me a shot at the Tag-Team Championship with the partner of my choice, and Larry Vessey and all his Yes-Men agreed because what other choice did they have? They might not want me to be on top, but they don’t want me to walk away and offer my services to their competitors up and down the country. “And it turns out, I knew the perfect man to join forces with me.” Denny King steps into shot, Tri-State Title over his shoulder. He pats the belt affectionately. “Stranger, I think I’ve already proven that what is briefly yours is destined to be mine…and I look forward to taking that belt off you and adding it to my collection.” RATING: 56 COTT WORLD TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP vs. THE WOLF PACK vs. THE BOYS FROM THE YUKON We kick the show off with the rising stars of MAW’s tag-team scene challenging the newly-crowned World Tag-Team Champions, and cut both teams loose to go all-out as they brawl their way around the ring. The Wolf Pack put on a respectable performance, but the newly-slimmed down Boys from the Yukon move faster and hit harder than they ever have before, and their experience tips the balance. Mort pinned Tokoeka with the Tiiiiiiiiiiimber to retain. The Boys From The Yukon defeated The Wolf Pack in 10:17 when Howlin' Mad Mort pinned Sione Tokoeka. RATING: 29 vs. ANIMAL HARKER vs. SANDMAN WINKS Animal Harker is one of the top names in NYCW, and so the commentary team debates whether he’s taken this match against a raw rookie from the Mid-Atlantic in order to make a point. He barrages Winks with hard strikes and kicks, showcasing the skills he’s learned on his tours of Japan, and soon puts the young wrestler away with a Stump Piledriver. Animal Harker defeated Sandman Winks in 6:29 by pinfall. RATING: 27 POST-MATCH CONFRONTATION Harker grabs the microphone and calls out Quentin Queen. Harker points out that he’s listened to Vibert run him down and call his choices into question for months now, but he always overlooks the real reason Harker goes over there—because steel sharpens steel, and pitting himself against the best in Japan night after night teaches him skills he brings back to his hometown of NYC to kick ass and be the best wrestler he can be. But make no mistake, he is going to be here in two weeks when NYCW Evolution is broadcast coast-to-coast on Wrestleworld for the first time, and Harker would be pleased to show Quentin everything he’s learned in Japan when they square off one-on-one. The contract is waiting, Animal is ready to go…all Quentin Queen’s got to do is sign it! The challenge brings out Phil Vibert, Quentin Queen, and Super Massive Destroyer. Phil goes through his usual opening, then commends Harker for having everything planned out—he ducked Quentin Queen when the match could have made Queens’ career, but he’s perfectly willing to accept a bout now that Queen is the guy with buzz about him and the match could make Harker the next big thing in wrestling. It’s a sign that Harker may actually be smarter than Vibert gives him credit for…except a truly smart man wouldn’t let Vibert get close with a weapon of mass destruction like the Destroyer. The big man surges across the ring and lays Harker out with a lariat. The big man and Quentin Queen proceed to stomp the hell out of Harker as Vibert shouts encouragement… …until Crockett Tubbs comes charging down to the ring with a steel chair to fend the heels off, clearing house and standing over Harker to protect him. RATING: 36 vs. w/ LA STARS vs. RICHIE RIGGINS & DEVASTATING DON w/Cheerleader Nikki He’s largely been overshadowed by the antics of his partners-in-crime, but the commentary team notes that Richie Riggins has been the guy collecting pinfalls in tag-team and six-man matches ever since Don, Riggins, and Harper joined forces and became a unit. Perhaps he’s found his niche in the tag-team scene, after months of losing big singles matches? There’s a definite argument for that here, as Riggins and Don take the fight to the more experienced team in the LA Stars. Riggins is the workhorse of the team, cutting the ring in half and establishing control, bringing Don in for the high impact punishment. At the same time, when the Stars make a comeback, they invariably target the bigger man as the serious threat…which leaves LA Star #2 open for a Body Bag that nets Riggins another victory. Richie Riggins and Devastating Don defeated The LA Stars in 10:06 when Richie Riggins pinned LA Star #2. RATING: 25 POST-MATCH ATTACK A roar goes up at Curtis Shaw hits the ring, spearing Richie Riggins in half to take him out. Cheerleader Nicki cries out and rushes to her client, but Shaw is already on his feet and taking the fight to Devastating Don. For a moment, the two men trade wild punches in the centre of the ring, but when Don pushes Shaw away, Shaw hits the ropes and comes back with a low dropkick to Don’s bad knee. The superheavyweight staggers, trying to find his centre of balance, and Shaw is on him in an instant. Hands are locked and he launches the big man, bringing Don up and slamming him down with a hard spinebuster. Shaw drops down and gets in Don’s face. “Esse, I got your number now, and you owe me a fight…” RATING: 29 vs. CHUCK CASEY vs. RAY SNOW Snow picked up a win against a young guy on a try-out last week, but this week he’s up against one of our established young guns. Chuck Casey is a solid striker, transitioning into wrestling after training as a boxer until the age of twenty. The kid is still green as grass, despite guidance from his older brother, but he guards well against the more strike-based aspects of Snow’s offense courtesy of his boxing training. But once again, Snow transitions away from his high-impact style and catches his opponent off-guard with a Dragon Sleeper, cinching it tight to pick up the win after a hard-fought battle. Ray Snow defeated Chuck Casey in 11:34 by submission. RATING: 29 vs. BROOLYN’S FINEST & TEAM LIVESTREAM vs. THE DiMEO FAMILY The DiMeo’s kick off the match by jumping their opponents, delivering kicks to the gut and throwing everyone but Freedom Eagle out to ringside. And so the match opens with DiMeo beating on his nemesis Eagle, taking him over to the turnbuckles and choking him with a boo while the rest of the Family are throwing Calhoun, Corner, and Big Dom into the guard rails. Then Eagle makes a comeback, delivering a series of big chops as he fights his way back to a vertical base, only to get cut off by a rake to the eyes and a toe stomp. Sal DeMio looms over the masked man, confident that he’s got the advantage... …and promptly gets blindsided by Dominic DeGraff, who unleashes a series of forearm strikes against the Don of the Family. The rest of the match is chaos, as you might expect, full of double-teams and eight-men brawling in the ring and down at ringside, running hot on a fuel of anger and ambition. Charlie Corner gets into it with Vito Pirelli, their fight spilling into the crowd and out the doors of Bradford Arena, leaving the other three men on their teams to finish things. And then, in heart of all that, Hawkeye Calhoun gets on a roll. The young man has captured the fans hearts recently, and they come alive as he makes the late comeback that marks the end of the match. He unleashes enziguris and dropkicks, lariats using both arm and leg, and ultimately picks up the win after he hits the Home Run on Machine Gun Marino. Brooklyn's Finest & Team Livestream defeated The DiMeo in 10:21 when Hawkeye Calhoun pinned Machine Gun Marino. RATING: 31 POST-MATCH BEATDOWN Freedom Eagle gets in Sal DiMeo’s face after the match, taunting the big man in charge of the Family. DiMeo responds by smashing Eagle in the face with a forearm, sparking a fresh round of violence. Luca Sacramoni drops Calhoun with a chairshot to the back ot the skull, while Machine Gun Marino unleashes a series of rapid-fire punches that batter DeGraff. With the numbers on their side, all three members beat Freedom Eagle into a pulp, feeding him to DiMeo for the Powerslam to end it. RATING: 29 vs. GEOFF BORNE vs. ERNEST YOUNGMAN Borne is giving up size and weight to his opponent, but if that bothers him the young Lightweight doesn’t show it. He settles into his half of the ring and eyes Youngman during the announcements, sizing him up and plotting first moves. When the bell rings, Borne comes in fast—quickly transitioning from opening lock-up to getting thrown into the ropes, streaking back with a low dropkick that puts Youngman on the mat. That starts a concentrated, strategic attack on Youngman as Borne takes advantage of the surprise. Kicks build up to knee lifts, which build to the elegant springboard moonsault that has long been a central feature of Borne’s arsenal. For a few minutes, it actually looks like Borne might take the upset win…and then Youngman catches Borne’s foot as he goes for a step-up enziguri, and breaks his momentum with a slap to the side of the face that seems to catch Borne’s eye. The smaller man staggers and Youngman proceeds to break him down, using a mixture of high-impact offense and dirty tactics to keep Borne on the back foot. Youngman’s arsenal of knee strikes gets a workout, including a grim Muay Thai clinch sequence where he batters Borne’s ribs, but despite the punishment he dishes out he can’t quite put Borne away. True to his word, the veteran cruiserweight refuses to stay down…even when he’s taken so much punishment the fans are almost begging for it. He’s busted open by a knee lift to the nose, tortured with arm and neck submissions, and almost seems out on his feet as the match cross the twenty-minute mark. It’s almost a mercy when Youngman finally connects with The Hit to end things, but you can’t deny Borne’s heart and determination in the face of superior firepower. Ernest Youngman defeated Geoff Borne in 24:43 by pinfall with The Hit. RATING: 52 LOCKER ROOM PROMO Howlin’ Mad Mort and Whittaker cut a promo backstage, celebrating the victory over the Wolf Pack that marks their third successful defence of the COTT Tag-Team Titles and putting over their recent defences in CZCW and MAW. “These belts say we’re the best tag-team in the world, but we ain’t forgot Stranger and McManus have something that belongs to us. Right now, we’re touring the world, defending these belts against all comers…but one day soon, we’re coming to reclaim the NYCW Tag-Team titles. RATING: 30 BACKSTAGE PROMO A sweat-soaked Ernest Youngman is fresh off his bout as he commandeers a camera—if Brutus Milano wants him to build up wins, that’s what the Hitman is going to do. “Just give me the names, Milano. Tell me who needs to get knocked down. Because it doesn’t matter how long you make me wait, or how many names you put in front of me, I won’t be denied my destiny as champion.” RATING: 46 IN-RING PROMO We come out of interval with Doll, Curtis Shaw, and Andrew Harper in the ring, awaiting the start of tonight’s Four Corner Survival…only to be surprised by Brutus Milano’s music as the champ walks out in his tights. Milano puts over the Four Corner Survival match as the hottest thing in wrestling right now, and tonight’s match features the hottest rising star in the company in Curtis Shaw, the meanest bastard in NYCW in Andrew Harper, and a man who took him to the limit in The New York Doll. “Well, tonight, I’m stepping into the ring with all three of you, and taking part in the match that’s got everyone talking. And—unlike Ernest Youngman—all three of you have the wins to be viable contenders for this belt. “And since I’m the champ, and I deserve to be in the biggest match every show, I’m going to ensure this is the biggest and baddest Four Corner Survival thus far…I’m putting the EMPIRE Title on the line. Anyone who can pin me deserves it.” RATING: 47 FOUR CORNER SURVIVAL FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE vs vs. vs. BRUTUS MILANO vs. THE NEW YORK DOLL vs. CURTIS SHAW vs. ANDREW HARPER As you’d expect, this is chaos. Two vicious heels and one ambitious rookie all turn their sights on the Empire Champion, and Brutus Milano stands tall against all comers as he throws them around, slams them into the canvas, or simply squeezes the life out of them with a bear hug. The story of this match largely revolves around who can clear the decks long enough to actually get Milano down and pin him, given that everyone will endeavour to break up a pin. The trouble, of course, is getting the powerhouse champion down—something that only Andrew Harper seems to manage out of the four men in the ring. He successfully gets the champion up for a powerslam, but can’t get the three before New York Doll comes in to break things up. This sparks a series of finishers, with Shaw picking up the last of them, only to get caught by an powerful Backdrop Driver from the champ in order to retain the belt. Brutus Milano defeated The New York Doll, Curtis Shaw and Andrew Harper in 14:44 when Brutus Milano pinned Curtis Shaw. RATING:37 vs. HAPPY ELWOOD vs. OZZIE GOLDSTEIN A rarity in NYCW thus far—a match-up between two light heavyweights, characterized by a speed and high-flying action that’s rarely seen in our ring. Neither of these men were a regular on our cards prior to January, and they were only brought in after long discussion with Larry about the future directions and how to reinforce the narrative he wanted to build around, so this is something of a proof of concept for us. And it’s surprising how well the fans respond to it, after years of heavyweights and slow-paced traditional bouts. We give this plenty of time—cruiserweight bouts in the US have traditionally been short, flippy affairs and that isn’t a long-term perception we want to foster—and the two men make the most of it. Goldstein is in his element as the heel torturing a white meat babyface, while Elwood gets a chance to shed the USPW jobber perception in a big way as he matches Goldstein on the mat and pulls off some innovative counters. A late comeback makes it seem like Elwood might pick up the win here, but he’s ultimately cut off and put down by a Golden Shower. Ozzie Goldstein defeated Happy Elwood in 19:38 by pinfall with a Golden Shower. RATING: 40 POST-MATCH PROMO Goldstein calls for the mic, post-match. “Last week, I took the Empire Champion to the limit despite giving up six inches and a hundred pounds to Brutus Milano. It seems to me the fact he wears the Empire Championship around his waist isn’t a matter of skill or talent, it’s genetics in action. “So make no mistake: pound-for-pound Ozzie Goldstein is the best wrestler in the world. It’s been that way since the first time I stepped into the ring, and it’ll be that way when I finally hang up my boots many years from now. “And when I look back over my career, it’s full of bigger men who have fallen despite their confidence in their size. Some I outwrestled, some I outwitted…and some found themselves in situations where their genetic advantages were neutralized. “Brutus Milano, I’ve got my sights on you, and your size won’t save your title forever. All that strength means nothing if you can’t grab me, and the crushing of those arms won’t do a damn thing if I break your hands and elbow. “The next time we meet, I won’t be content to take you to the limit, Brutus. The next time we meet, I’ll be taking that belt for my own.” RATING: 47 NYCW TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP w/ vs. RILEY McMANUS & MASKED STRANGER w/Fern Hathaway vs. DENNY KING & TENNESSEE WILLIAM The word is out that Tennessee is leaving NYCW, so there’s not a lot of surprises for the fans in this particular bout. There is a surprising amount of blood good wrestling, though, with McManus and Stranger making their case for a long run with the belts. We put the belts on the pair because, frankly, they’re the two hands I trust most to do a half-hour broadway at the top of the card and make the opponents look good. Which means this bout is all about giving them a high-profile match and a win over William, who remains an incredibly over star despite his losses on the way out the door. Tennessee works his ass off to make that mean something. He bumps like crazy for McManus, trades holds and counters with the Masked Stranger, and infuriates everyone with his trash talk, stalling, and long streaks of cheating like a madman. He and King succeed in isolating Stranger, leaving the fans eager for the McManus tag, and the place explodes when Riley finally gets into the match and starts throwing the heels around with suplexes. William nails McManus with a low blow amid the chaos of the breakdown, allowing King to clothesline the champion out of the ring, and Tennessee closes in on the weary Stranger to try and take advantage. He goes to set up for a big powerbomb…and Stranger wriggles free, falls behind Tennessee, and locks in the Cobra Clutch without wasting a moment. He holds it tight as Tennessee struggles, then drops to one knee, and finally blacks out. McManus & Stranger defeated Denny King and Tennessee William in 24:42 when Masked Stranger submitted Tennessee William. RATING: 46 FINAL SHOW RATING: 45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share Posted December 5, 2020 THE NEWS FROM BACKSTAGE We held a round of applause for Tennessee when he came back after the match, and I congratulated Denny, Stranger, and King on a impressive showing despite the limitations of their match. Tennessee went out a class act—he organised (and won) a video-game tournament for the boys. And yet, it feels bizarre that we’re going into the biggest show NYCW has ever run without the star who got us to this point, even if I can respect Tennessee’s concerns. I do, however, lament the lost opportunity given that we discovered he’s got excellent tag-team chemistry with Denny King on his final night with the company. Ernie Turner has taken LA Star #1 under his wing as a protégé. He seems something in the powerhouse of the duo. Ernest Youngman has wasted no time getting aquainted with folks backstage--he's started dating Ferm Hathaway. I chatted to Sean Noggin after the show and offered him a spot with NYCW on a handshake deal now that he’s left MAW. He remained professionally quiet about why he’d left his home promotion, but seemed relieved to have a place to work. I’m still debating whether to do the same with his tag-team partner, Seoni Tokoeka. Of the pair, Noggin is the guy most likely to break out, while Tokoeka is likely to develop into a solid tag-team specialist. On the other hand, Sean’s a lot less valuable to us as a solo act given his inexperience. Perhaps it's time to sit down with Larry and hammer out the details of the training program he's been eyeing off for the last few weeks… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 <p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:Impact;"><strong><span style="font-size:24px;">THE BIRTH OF AN ICON</span></strong></span></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:Impact;"><strong> </strong></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:Impact;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">NYCW OFFICES, BRADFORD ARENA, BROOLYN</span></strong></span></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:Impact;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"> Week 4, February, 2020</span></strong></span></div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The first test of whether someone will make it as a top guy is always the airport test—how much attention would they garner walking through JFK departures on a busy morning? The future top guys will always attract a few eyeballs as they stroll through, even if nobody knows who they are. Sometimes it’s because of their raw charisma or good looks, sometimes it’s because of their size.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Sometimes it’s just a matter of poise and the way they carry themselves, utterly comfortable with the attention and unphased by the furtive looks.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Bobby Knox was one of the latter, once you took the mask off him. At 6’1” and 232 pounds, he didn’t have the size or the muscle to make you think pro-wrestler, but the way he moved did the job of attracting attention.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="w7nLzLS.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/w7nLzLS.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> And, of course, once he slipped the mask on and became Hawkeye Calhoun, he was transformed into something greater than he’d been as simple Bobby. That had probably been the start of the shift--the need to master body language in the ring to make up for the fact the mask obscured his face—but there was every chance we could take the mask off him one day and still rely on him as a top guy.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> I pushed the envelope across the desk. “There’s a two-year contract in there,” I said. “A guaranteed spot every show, with a small pay-rise to go with it. You’re free to take other bookings, but you can’t go full-time with any of the other major players until your hitch is up.”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Knox reached for the paperwork. “I think me and Arlie could be fine with that, sir.”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Arlie—or Arlington Jones—was the other masked man in Brooklyn’s Finest. A solid hand and a good mechanic in the ring, but he wasn’t passing the airport test anytime soon.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “We’re not offering a guaranteed contract to Arlie just yet. We want to focus on you for a stretch.”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Knox froze and let the paperwork go, settling back into his chair. “For real?”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “For real,” I said. “And before you take this away and read it over, I’d like you to understand what I’m hoping will come with your signature. Yes, we’ll be locking you in for two years, and I’m hoping for a few years after that, but I want to position you as the face of NYCW. Not just the top guy, but the absolute ace who carries this place on his shoulders. </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “You’ve got a long and impressive career ahead of you, and I have no doubt you’ll be fielding offers from TCW, Supreme, Canada, and Reverie within twenty-four months, assuming they aren’t calling already. You’re going to have the people throwing money and opportunity at you, and I know we won’t be able to compete with the money they offer once that starts.</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But if you give us two years—two good years booking you as the focal point of NYCW while you bust your ass inside that ring and out—I promise you that the paycheck you earn at the end of it will be far more than if you take one before this contract would be up. Whether it’s us offering you a full-time renewal or one of the big boys paying to steal you away, you’ll know everything you need to walk into any promotion in the world and become one of their headliners. </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “You’ll be the guy who built this place as it grew and developed a national profile, and everyone will know you can do the same in their promotion if given half a chance. </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I can’t put that in a contract—not in a way that means a damn thing—but I want you to understand what comes with that signature. Don’t take it on unless you’re happy to be the man around these parts.”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Knox beamed at me and nodded, unfazed by the prospect. “I assume it’s okay if I get someone to look this over?”</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Hell, Bobby. I’d prefer it, but I’d like an answer before we tape. If we’re going to do this, it’ll start the moment NYCW appears on screen and we’re not going to let up. Your life is going to change, even if it’s not in the ways that will make you money right away.” </div></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div></div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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