The Collective

[Texasrangers13]

[Texasrangers13]

Backstory / Company Info

 

In the peak of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace had changed. More and more people across the globe began to work from home and more areas imposed strict restrictions on crowded gatherings. While this presented a very challenging time for many, the performance industry was knocked flat on its face with no immediate sign that recovery was coming. Major motion pictures lost their traditional venue, theaters and were forced to premiere on streaming platforms. The recently bustling independent wrestling scene was virtually shut down overnight, and despite some ability to pull together shows in the Heartland, and in Florida the industry in America was virtually shutout of the ability to run events in the West entirely, grinding a booming market to a halt. While WWE, and AEW and even to a lesser extent Impact, ROH, and MLW were able to restart; the full depth of the industry was slowed. During the same timeframe, the entertainment industry has been constantly seeking to evolve and find new content for an audience that suddenly had more available "eyes-on" time, Actor, and renowned wrestling fan, Stephen Amell, saw this first hand during the middle of the pandemic when he was approached by showrunners for the Starz drama based on wrestling, "Heels", that he had signed on to join in the Summer of 2019. The showrunners for "Heels" called him mid-pandemic and pitched him on a gritty, live-action, wrestling program that would be unlike anything on the air currently but they needed some help getting it off the ground. Fortunately for them, he was all ears.

 

Over the last five or so years there has been a much greater emphasis placed on a cinematic style production to wrestling, first with Lucha Underground and then with the matches produced by the major companies, many felt this was a inflection point in the market and something a new group could lean into. With fans trapped at home they could give a more personal, gritty look to the performers and provide a look at more than just the in-ring action. With film studios seeking content there was ample space to film and produce new content and some of these studios were located in states without lockdown restrictions that would prevent performers from coming and going as necessary to film some pilot episodes and pitch them to television networks. The showrunners already had an in with Lions Gate Entertainment (the parent company of Starz, which will air Heels in 2021) which was better than most trying to enter the industry could say, but nothing was guaranteed; they knew that a four-episode pilot would be the best way to pitch a new show and they had a plan; now they just needed some resources. Amell was in and together with the showrunners they self-funded the four-episode pilot and floated a small line of credit to get the show off the ground.

 

Over the next few months calls were made and locations virtually scouted. Ultimately, the group settled on a film studio in the Utah mountains known as Utah Film Studios. The studio was a three stage studio that offered state tax incentives for new productions, was located only a short drive from an international airport, and was located right near wide open space that would provide an ample/unique background for production. That all seemed like a good start; the studio was receptive to the business and cut the group a deal, having been relatively quiet since their last production wrapped just before the on-set of the pandemic the crew was able to rent Stage 3 of the studio for a weekend of taping, with an agreement to move production there full-time in 2021 if the show was picked up. They bootstrapped a small crew of production and cameramen and started to make calls to talent.

 

The plan for the two shows they'd tape in early November was for one to be titled "Fight Club" and to focus on wrestlers in the middleweight and above category, and one titled "Flight Club" that would focus on the lighter, more apt to fly and risk-taking. The plan for the shows would be a gritty, ring-focused presentation sort of like an underground fight club. With no audience, the focus was to be on both the in-ring action and the story-telling that would be told through cinematic and backstage promos. The ring itself would be lit with a heavy overhead spotlight and the walls of the facility would be grimy, gritty and reminiscent of the temple in Lucha Underground. The "entrance way" would be more of an access point with a mid-sized screen above it to display information for the broadcast but limited "fancy" factors you might see on a different show.

 

The product would focus much more on wins and losses, as well as a fighters pride than typical programs. There would be distinct rankings that actually made sense for both divisions. The top of the table would be the champion (obviously) but the next five would be ranked appropriately at all times; everyone else would constantly be looking for ways to break into the top five. Title challenges would always try to make logical sense, and most matches would shoot to be for a reason, either wins and losses or a rivalry, not just thrown together for the sake of it. Beyond that, there would be no interplay between divisions (Fight or Flight) in one on one contests, but there would be an emphasis on factions and working together. In tag or multi-man bouts competitors can and will come from any division and the results of the match will impact their individual rankings regardless of if it was a tag or multi-man match. While not necessary, it is expected that many workers will align themselves with others and form clubs, factions, units and brotherhoods to help further their own cause and their training (much like you'd see in the UFC). While the focus would be on wins and losses, this was still professional wrestling and this was still story-based entertainment.

 

Gimmicks and "nicknames" (again like UFC) would be a thing, and using some of the cinematic skills of Hollywood there was a plan to give some workers a persona that was perhaps a bit more larger than life then you'd usually see. It wouldn't be a huge factor, but it would give a bit more life to some characters that otherwise might fall through the cracks. The inspiration for this was the success of gimmicks from the 1990's but also the recent resurgence of characters that were a bit "different".

 

To get things off the ground the company agreed to hire Cyrus Fees, an MMA announcer, to provide the Play-By-Play; Justin King, a former NXT official signed on to be the referee, and CW Anderson agreed to be the match producer (road agent) for the pilot. Stephen Amell would provide some on and off screen support and a couple other former WWE/WCW types including a couple hall of famers were reached out to about joining the production. Together this group worked for hours on Zoom calls to try to come up with a roster. Initially they had a list of 100 names. The next step was whittling it down. It was obvious they wouldn't be signing anyone from the WWE or AEW. They also avoided contacting anyone with ROH or Impact. With Court Bauer's MLW and Billy Corgan's NWA seemingly on shaky ground and the WWE releasing a number of wrestlers during the pandemic, plus AEW using their YouTube show Dark to showcase some names, they did see some opportunities to bring in some talent that might be a bit more known, but they also wanted to focus on some names that weren't necessarily known outside of the Southwest and Northwest and that made for a fun project.

 

Ultimately, the initial roster shortlist was whittled down and somewhere between 20-25 performers were contacted for the initial pilots. All told, flights were booked and the first two pilots were scheduled to be shot shortly after the US Election, each show would feature four matches in a pseudo tournament style; to drum up interest the pilots would be available for purchase online and the first episode "Fight Club" would be posted on YouTube. The showrunners and Amell knew these pilots would be money losers, but as they say... that's the cost of doing business.

 

This Is The Collective. Join Us.

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Full-Time Members of The Collective: Fight Club

(Middleweight and up)

 

SCHAFF

Odinson Gods of War

"Grizzly" Kal Jax

Afa Jr The Bloodline

"Big" Sean Studd

"Freak Beast" Nick Comoroto "Da Pope's" Sanctuary

Cezar Bononi

Davey Boy Smith Jr

"The Problem" Sefa Fatu The Bloodline

"Dirty Daddy" Chris Dickinson

JR Kratos Gods of War

Bronson Steiner

"The Future" Lance Anoa'i The Bloodline

 

Full-Time Members of The Collective: Flight Club

(Lightweight and Under)

 

"Entertainment's Hottest Free Agent" nZo Real1 Krew

"The Man with No Country" TK O'Ryan

Artemis Spencer

Sugar Dunkerton

Adrian Alanis Real1 Krew

Liam Gray Real1 Krew

"Classico" Eddie Colon

Steve Pain "Da Pope's" Sanctuary

[Texasrangers13]

First Signing Announcement

 

 

SCHAFF

The Baddest MF’er in the room, SCHAFF has been tearing up the Pacific Northwest since debuting in late 2017, the 26-year Navy Veteran oozes charisma and his background as a powerlifter is bound to come in handy in the fight club. He’s a brawler and has already been linked with a Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer. In-ring his style is fast and furious, with hard brawler and the occasionally tendency to go up top for a Frog Splash. He’s known for his corner to corner Cannonball to set opponents up, and will finish them off with a Sit-Out Powerbomb or Inverted TKO that few will kick out of.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 274

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

New Signing

 

 

Odinson

Though not from Asgard, Odinson looks much like you’d expect the son of Odin to look, physical and fierce with piercing eyes and a chiseled physique. He’s made his name in the southeast as part of the team known as The End, including a late 2019 run in Japan with AJPW. Odinson is a physical brawler who carries his 6’4” 282 frame with the ease of a gymnast. He’s fierce and uses a combination of deadly maneuvers to finish off his opponents, pairing a Pounce with a Lariat and a Backbreaker to weaken his foe before dispatching them with the F-10.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 282

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

New Signing Announcement #3

 

 

Kal Jax

Speaking of beasts, they call him “Grizzly” Kal Jax is a former All-American Wrestler who spent some time in WWE Developmental after being discovered by Gerry Briscoe, before returning to the mountain west where he remade himself into his true mountain man persona. Kal uses his amateur wrestling background to ground and pound his opponents to a pulp. Fighting out of Reno, Nevada, Kal lives in the mountains and carries a bearskin with him to the ring. Rumor has it the pelt is a trophy he took in the mountains of Tahoe, but Kal tends to keep to himself and let his actions do the talking.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 282

Hometown: Somewhere in the Mountains outside of Reno, Nevada

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

Fourth Signing Announcement

 

 

Afa Jr

When you watch the big shows you’ll see Roman Reigns, and the Usos, but before they made their names there was Afa Anoa’i Jr; wrestling as Manu. For the last 12 years Afa has wrestled in relative obscurity in the northeast, banking on the family name and the pedigree to get him bookings. He comes to The Collective with a bone to pick and a mean streak that reminds of his headshrinker brother and uncle and his Wild Samoan father of the same name. Could the Samoan Dynasty be rising in the west?

 

Vitals

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 250

Hometown: The Isle of Samoa, but now fighting out of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Late October 2020

 

The Collective Gains Steam Leading Into Pilot Tapings

 

The somewhat mysterious group behind The Collective has announced their first four signings in a series of posts this week. We’ve heard that they will be taping their first pilot episode focused entirely on their “Fight Club” (that is Middleweight and Above) division with four one on one bouts in a tournament style and that the semi-finals and finals will take place during a later pilot taping. It sounds like this isn’t where they will be awarding a title but instead establishing some names and storylines for the premiere in 2021. We’ve heard that they’ve made contact with a number of names from across the industry and picked a pretty select group of eight for this debut, there will also be some promos and backstage work taped involving some of the Flight Club members that will take part in the second show of the week. Thus far we’ve seen four announcements of talent and in those we don’t have any names that jump off the page to casual fans, but hardcore fans will recognize at least some of them. The most recent signing Afa Anoa’i Jr has a familiar last name, and his family legacy proves he’ll be one to watch here. It was over a decade ago when Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase kicked the then-called Manu out of The Legacy and his career has faltered since then. SCHAFF has been deemed one to watch by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and was recently the Champion in the well-respected Pacific Northwest Indy DEFY, losing the title just before the pandemic hit. SCHAFF isn’t that well known outside of the Pacific Northwest but he’ll be one to watch here. Odinson has primarily been seen as a tag team force, teaming with Parrow as The End in EVOLVE, FIP and AJPW but he brings a great look and some real power to the show, stateside he’s most known in the Southeast and many have been surprised that WWE or AEW haven’t at least used him as enhancement talent during the pandemic. Lastly, “Grizzly” Kal Jax has an extensive amateur wrestling background and his modern day mountain man look fits perfectly with the aesthetic that the company is going for.

 

We’ve heard the final four fighters will be announced in the coming days and there are former champions from the the WWE and in Japan among that group; we’ve also heard that there is at least one son of a Hall of Famer to be announced in the coming days and while he isn’t that well known for his in-ring work, this will mark a big return after missing most of the last two years with a major knee injury. Among the non in-ring gossip we’ve heard a number of rumors that the group has contacted and potentially made agreements with a couple former Hall of Famers that will act as promoters/managers and potentially even as color commentators or backstage talent.

 

For the Flight Club group we’ve heard they’ve already had to scramble to replace who they intended to likely be the focal point of that division. AR Fox (known by many as Dante Fox in Lucha Underground) sustained a Broken Neck this week during a show for Combat Zone Wrestling, this injury may end his career, and will at the very least keep him out for the next year plus. Rumor had it the original plan was for Fox to bring a mixture of his Lucha Underground character and his EVOLVE character (the leader of The Skulk) to The Collective to run the high-flying, death-defying Flight Club division, but his injury has forced some rapid rewrites to that script. They’ve now turned their focus to a former WWE star who is bound to ruffle some feathers… we will see if that comes through or not.

 

The last bit of gossip we’ve heard from the company thus far is that they intend to have some “Open Fight Night” type events or matches were guys will debut and fight for a right to Join The Collective.

[BigJ]

Man what a really cool concept and set-up! I'm hooked!

[Texasrangers13]

Fifth Signing Announcement

 

 

 

"Big" Sean Studd“Big” Sean Studd is the son of the late Hall of Famer, John Studd. He stands nearly seven feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds. He came to wrestling later than many sons of stars starting at 25 under the tutelage of Booker T. A major knee injury slowed him down and he missed nearly a year recovering before returning to the ring right before Covid shut him down again. Only 30 years old, “Big” Sean Studd still has the potential for greatness. Unlike most of the other men in this initial batch of fighters, Studd is more of a true pro wrestler, utilizing his size to his advantage rather than his power and strength. His signature Big Boot knocks guys down and sets them up to deliver a huge Pumphandle Powerslam that he delivers it with real force.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 305

Hometown: Burke, Virginia

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

Introducing Sixth

 

 

Nick Comoroto

Known as the “Freak Beast”; Comoroto it has been said has recently been released from mental health facility that he was checked into following his release from WWE developmental and subsequent spiral. Now unchained, both figuratively and literally, Comoroto is ready to run wild on The Collective. Some have called him the "Wrecking Ball" and he has a tendency to do damage to both his opponent and himself as he seeks a way to win the bout. Comoroto will brawl, but he’s more of a neutral style worker who will do whatever it takes to win. His finish is a modified Iron Claw Slam that sees him plant his opponent and then hold the grip on their forehead using his massive hands. In the Fight Club he won’t be the only big man, but he might be the most certifiably insane. The question remains, who signed him out of the facility?!

 

Vitals

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 275

Hometown: Blackwood Sanatorium

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

Seventh Signing

 

 

Cezar Bononi

Miscast by the WWE, “Bad to the Bone” Cezar Bononi is a trained fighter with good looks and a mean streak that was hardened on the streets of Sao Paulo. He’s frequently been referred to as a V8 due to his size and power output and now the ripped Bononi is looking to put his name on the map for something other than his failures in the WWE and the fact that he was named 2017's NXT One To Watch. He’ll finish off men of all shapes and sizes with his Gutwrench Powerbomb and is none to use his size to create additional torque on the way up, resulting in even more damage than usual.

 

Vitals:

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 265

Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil

Theme:

[Dalton]

Odinson is dope

[Texasrangers13]

Final Signing Announcement for Pilot Episode "Fight Club"

 

 

Davey Boy Smith Jr

Likely the most “well-known” of the first eight men to join The Collective, Davey Boy Smith Jr has made his name in the WWE, overseas in the NJPW, and recently in MLW where he captured the 2019 Opera Cup. The son of the British Bulldog, DBS Jr is a built for the Fight Club. He’s been fighting since he was 14, and he’s more than ready to continue to prove his point. Like his father DBS Jr will deliver a mean Running Powerslam, but the younger Davey Boy is known for his Bulldog Bomb finisher, and like most Hart Family members DBS Jr will occasionally finish off an opponent with the Sharpshooter. He’s the odds of favorite to stand atop the mountain here at The Collective and defeating him in this initial pilot taping will surely make someone stand out.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 265

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Theme:

[Texasrangers13]

Odinson is dope

 

Can't disagree; I've enjoyed his work for awhile. Just has the look that I feel fits this really well. I pushed him pretty heavily in my ROH diary that ran for 2+ years in TEW 16; so he was a natural fit over here.

 

Man what a really cool concept and set-up! I'm hooked!

 

Appreciate it BigJ; was looking to do something a bit different and do some different type story-telling/concepts. Should be fun to try to convey moving forward.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Made our initial eight signings for the premiere pilot episode and there will be four matches on that pilot. The flight club pilot (lightweight and under also has eight guys, but I'm less committed to that group/moving forward with the initial pilot group) but that was taped the day after the Fight Club show. Really happy with how all four pilot episodes (two additional episodes in December) came through and the story is going to begin in January 2021...

 

Updated the eight individual signing announcements with "vitals" and theme songs because I felt they might give these guys personalities.

 

Working on a couple graphics for the initial debut show and also some stories to get to that point with the backstory. Should be a fun little build-up and run through. Appreciate the early views!

[BHK1978]

Nick Comoroto looks like he came out of a time machine from the mid-1970's territory days. Heck, even that backstory would fit back then.

[smw88]

Just to echo others, really great look and concept, will be following.

[The Lloyd]

Big fan of this. Keep it up man!!

[tobin834]

This is some of my favorite introductions to wrestlers, looks great. I have also personally booked maybe 1/4 of these guys lol. So this his facinating to me to see where this goes. Great look and concept so far, I am a reader.

[Texasrangers13]

Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Show Report (First Pilot Episode of The Collective)

 

 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

November Week 2, 2020

Show Report: The Collective: Fight Club (Pilot Episode #1)

 

We’ve got our hands on the first pilot episode of The Collective, dubbed Fight Club, this show featured four matches in a tournament style with the eight announced fighters.

 

The show got off the hot start with Stephen Amell laying out the vision for The Collective, he spoke about what these pilots were meant to show and that the aim of this was to see the feasibility of this concept. He mentioned that the crew worked non-stop for the last two months to get us to this point; he mentioned that Cyrus Fees would be the play-by-play announcer, and for this pilot episode only Amell would be joining him as color guy on a couple matches. He said he was ready to see some new stars born, and that prompted Junior Fatu to march out to the ring with his cousin Afa Jr in tow. Fatu cut a quick promo saying that the Samoan Bloodline is stronger than ever…

 

Match One (Afa Jr vs. "Big" Sean Studd)

The first match of The Collective saw two men with wrestling Hall of Famers as their fathers. Afa Jr and “Big” Sean Studd started this new company with an absolute DUD of a match. The presentation was unique and new, but these two just don’t go in the ring. Studd’s big size was a challenge for Afa Jr, but Afa’s experience was a major advantage and ultimately he hit the Samoan Spike to the throat and downed Studd for the victory.

 

Promos

Post-Match they showed our first two cinematic promos, this one was vague, showing what appeared to be a deteriorating asylum type facility with a swinging sign that said “Blackwood Sanatorium” … the doors swung open and a big physical man started to walk out of the doors, someone trailed him but was concealed in shadows as the promo cut away say “The Freak Beast” is here… that promo ended and transitioned to a man standing in a snow covered field, likely outside the studio but it makes for a good look, the camera zooms in and shows former Ring of Honor Tag Champion, TK O’Ryan… he's more rugged, and worn than he did in ROH…

 

TK O'Ryan Promo "The Man With No Country Debuts at Flight Club"

 

he looks up and speaks directly to the camera. Saying he was forgotten the second he risked himself for the greater good. He said he was always the one to make the sacrifices. He said he went above and beyond for others and never did enough for himself. He’s the “Horse With No Stable, The Man With No Country”, he says, "Cold winds of change blow,Nowhere to go — Destination? ... I don’t know." but it is clear TK O'Ryan here for himself… You’ll see that at Flight Club. So with that we saw our first promo for Flight Club, the second pilot episode with a currently unnamed roster.

 

Leading into our second match we saw one more promo type video, this one starts at a log cabin in the mountains, the door swings open and the fireplace is on, there is a large Grizzly pelt on the floor, but no one in the cabin… the camera pans back and a graphic says “Grizzly” Kal Jax is next.

 

Match Two: ("Freak Beast" Nick Comoroto vs. "Grizzly" Kal Jax)

That led us into the next match… which was worse than the first. “Grizzly” Kal Jax and “Freak Beast” Nick Comoroto both have a great look and with the proper build-up they will be fine. They fit this promotion and the concept but this match just didn’t do it for us at all… Thankfully that is what these pilots are for, building characters and figure out what works and doesn’t. Comoroto brought the majority of the violence but also damaged himself with some reckless actions. Jax used his amateur wrestling background to wrap up and takedown the Freak Beast and won this bout when he locked Comoroto into an Ankle Lock and forced him to tap out.

 

Promos

The next cinematic promo featured a steampunk look as a blond wearing a long white coat and looking like Elsa from Frozen spoke for her man who stood in the back wearing a steampunk jacket and glasses. She identified herself as Lady Frost and her man as the “Savage Gentleman” Victor Benjamin. She said Benjamin is a former MMA fighter and he’s ready to bring the fight to Flight Club. Good, grunge-type look for these two, will be curious to see if Lady Frost is used in-ring at all as she isn't a bad wrestler herself but we've had no indication of a women's division.

 

"Savage Gentleman" Victor Benjamin and his wife Lady Frost debuted in a promo showing off their unique look

 

And with that we transitioned into our first major surprise of this pilot. We see an old-school microphone hanging from the ceiling of a room in the studio, the exposed concrete looks like a basement or a comedy club…

 

nZo debut promo clip, he'll be main eventing Flight Club

 

“My Name is nZo and I’m a Real1” The former Enzo Amore shows up in a shock, he’s not a great fighter or a flier so he really doesn’t fit the concept, but he can really talk and he showed that in this promo. He said that he was here to prove people wrong and show that he can still go. He reminds the audience that he’s not just a former champion in the “biggest show in the world” but he’s a former College Football player… and a “World-Famous recording artist”… he’ll be on the next pilot joining TK O’Ryan and Victor Benjamin as confirmed names for that one.

 

Up next we see a promo for the “Baddest MF’er in Professional Wrestling” there is a death metal soundtrack and we see SCHAFF in a gym with chains wrapped around his body going through a powerlifting routine. He’s putting up big weight… he screams as his name, SCHAFF shows on the screen.

 

Match Three: (Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs Cezar Bononi)

Our third match moved us in the right direction as Davey Boy Smith Jr and Cezar Bononi; these two men are solid catch-wrestlers and they brought a different level than our first two matches. Davey Boy Smith Jr has to be the favorite to “win” this initial tournament, but Bononi showed out as well and both earned some respect here. Smith won the bout with the Bulldog Bomb.

 

As the match ended… Junior Fatu and Afa Jr stepped back out onto the main stage, he said that Davey Boy Smith Jr was going to be a problem for anyone here in The Collective… But Davey Boy was going to face Afa Jr in the next round but before that… “The Problem” was standing behind him… Davey Boy turned into a Super Kick from a tattooed young Samoan with a very familiar look, albeit younger, that guy went up top and delivered a massive Samoan Splash to Davey Boy… Fatu and Afa Jr made their way to the ring where Junior officially introduced “The Problem” Sefa Fatu to the viewers.

 

He's "The Problem" Sefa Fatu; Junior Fatu's debuting son leveled Davey Boy Smith Jr; and has officially Joined The Collective

 

Promos

We get a promo of two young guys who just seem hyped to be here. They introduce themselves as Adrian Alanis and Liam Gray, they are “The Skulk”… Well at least for now… as they mention that while they’ll be at Flight Club, they are well-known as Hypemen and are more than happy to rep the “highest bidder”… So we have two “hypemen” who will compete on the next pilot… looks like these guys were added to help build a faction/unit of some sort, color me partially intrigued…

 

We know the main event is between the last two guys we haven’t seen yet; but prior to it we see a great cinematic promo for Odinson. He is shown destroying opponent after opponent across the globe, sending some flying off the screen… the last scene is a clear call-out to the film industry as Odinson is in a "gladiator" style combat scene destroying everyone... he hits a pounce that sends someone through a wall and steps out of the scene through the hole he made, stepping over his fallen foes… this guy is strong… point made, point sold… over the top promo… nailed.

 

Main Event: (Odinson vs. SCHAFF)

Main Event time. So on the surface I would have thought Davey Boy Smith Jr was the obvious main eventer here, but they clearly had a plan and it delivered as the match of the night was SCHAFF vs Odinson after all. These two men both have powerlifting backgrounds and both are gifted athletes. This was a slugfest from the get go and it could have gone either way, in the end though, the babyface SCHAFF got the upper-hand and scored a pinfall after hitting the Inverted TKO on Odinson. Big win and I suspect we just saw two future stars of this program go at it for the first, but not last, time.

 

Promo

Now keeping in mind this is a pilot, they may clip or edit things differently, but the copy I was shown didn’t end after the main event, instead Scott and Rick Steiner made a surprise debut, together. They said they’ve never backed down from a fight, but this time, they were drawn in by the concept and by the atmosphere of The Collective… they aren’t here to fight, but rather promote, and in 2021, they’ll be debuting the future face of the entire company…

 

 

Match Recap:

• Afa Jr defeated Sean Studd (DUD, don’t seek this out)
  
• Kal Jax defeated Nick Comoroto (DUD of a match, but two interesting characters, cautious optimism)
  
• Davey Boy Smith Jr defeated Cezar Bononi (moving in the right direct, solid bout, two strong fighters)
  
• SCHAFF defeated Odinson (Solid main event, two future stars, worth watching)
  

 

Overall opinion:

The presentation here was exciting and new, the names were a mix of new and old and a refreshing look at all of them. Cyrus Fees handled the announcing just fine, but I’ll be curious to see who they pair with him long-term. The big surprises here were some of the “debuts” or soon to debut. nZo will be on Flight Club, that’ll be intriguing… can’t tell if they are playing off his character from his run on 205 Live as the best Cruiserweight or going with something totally different. One thing is for sure, give him a microphone and things will be golden. The Steiner Brothers are in The Collective and it is as Promoters. We’ve heard how this group is trying to slant more towards the style of professional fighting/MMA and having a more emphasis on training clubs, factions, etc, well the Steiners are good stewards of that… so too is the group headed up by Junior Fatu as he’ll be in the corner for both his cousin, Afa Jr, and now his son who debuted tonight, “The Problem” Sefa Fatu.

 

Tomorrow they are filming the Flight Club episode and it appears they won’t be promoting the names as heavily from that taping. It looks like they are testing things out, and I’m not sure if that one will be shown or not… Stay tuned. If we can get our hands on it, we will be sure to have a report here.

 

Odds and Ends:

Remember this is just a pilot episode, we've heard through various reports that they'll be shooting two pilots in November and two in December, while they'll be looking to start telling a story, it is also a chance to get a feel for some competitors and looks; we've heard the Showrunners behind the show have taken some calls from potential broadcasters who have expressed interest, but they want to see things fully fleshed out. Overall, I'm impressed by the concept, and early fan interest has been strong. We've reached out to The Collective and they've confirmed these bouts will count towards overall records so that is a step in the right direction. Additionally, we've been told they'll be sending us the the Flight Club pilot they are shooting today, but that they are doing it in a bit of a different style than this one as they are testing things out and want to see how it works rather than putting a true show on.

 

They've also confirmed that the third pilot episode (first in December) will be an "Open Fight Night" a concept they plan to rename/expand upon as they progress; we will see the semi-finals and finals of this initial 8-man tournament but that the fourth match on the card will be an open call for anyone to join "Fight Club" and it is expected to be the spot they'll sign new talent from. We've heard some rumors of guys interested in the promotion, but let's see who will show up.

[Texasrangers13]

Nick Comoroto looks like he came out of a time machine from the mid-1970's territory days. Heck, even that backstory would fit back then.

 

AWESOME; glad that comes through and is a bit of a throwback. I don't want every character to be fully larger than life but I definitely want some and he's one that might fit story-telling better than in ring (for now). The second pilot will give some more glimpses into who is "responsible" for him.

 

Just to echo others, really great look and concept, will be following.

 

Appreciate it!

 

Big fan of this. Keep it up man!!

 

Cheers, always means a lot for anyone to support this!

 

This is some of my favorite introductions to wrestlers, looks great. I have also personally booked maybe 1/4 of these guys lol. So this his facinating to me to see where this goes. Great look and concept so far, I am a reader.

 

Appreciate it, I'm also not fully fluent with a lot of these guys, but I spend some time on YouTube just looking up a couple pieces here and there and fill out there backstory. I thought the "signing" graphics needed to stand alone and then thought "Hey, a little bio, maybe some vitals will give them a bit more life"

[Texasrangers13]

"The Problem" Sefa Fatu Signing Announcement

 

 

Sefa Fatu

 

The youngest of Junior Fatu's sons, Sefa was always a problem-child as a kid, well now as a professional wrestler he is "The Problem" and he represents a new age of the Samoan Bloodline. Unlike his brothers (the WWE's Uso's), Sefa is relatively new to pro wrestling with only two years as a professional, but he was born and bred around the sport and his impactful debut was felt by Davey Boy Smith Jr on the first pilot episode. He's young, athletic, and fast-twitch, making him a lethal threat in a division that primarily is based around power. He'll deliver a sharp Superkick and a Samoan Splash to finish off opponents.

 

Vitals

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 235

Hometown: The Isle of Samoa but now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada

Theme:

[kanegan]

I love your intro posts. Really well done.

[BHK1978]

<p>Hell of a first show, very well written.</p><p> </p><p>

The person responsible for Nick Comoroto has to be Father James Mitchell, right?</p><p> </p><p>

I mean who else could play the dark manager role? I guess maybe Raven would fit the bill as well.</p>

[Texasrangers13]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52268" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Hell of a first show, very well written.<p> </p><p> The person responsible for Nick Comoroto has to be Father James Mitchell, right?</p><p> </p><p> I mean who else could play the dark manager role? I guess maybe Raven would fit the bill as well.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Without spoiling it; it's neither of those men, and is a part of a bigger picture I'm still working on. Though I personally love both and try to find a way to use them in all cases. Currently, neither will play a part in this, but I think of some of the Comoroto character as taking on some of the qualities of both Raven and some of Mitchell's monsters (Abyss, Mortis) over time.</p>

[Texasrangers13]

WON: The Collective Second Pilot

 

 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

November Week 2, 2020

Show Report: The Collective: Flight Club (Pilot Episode #2)

 

 

We were just sent the clips from the second pilot, this time “The Collective” opted to send them as more of a highlight tape, it was clear the “Flight Club” component doesn’t stand out as its own brand and I suspect they’ll merge it into the bigger show if this gets off the ground. There were four matches, and while we knew some of the names from the first pilot episode promos there were also three new names (two of whom won).

 

Show Results

• Artemis Spencer defeated Adrian Alanis
  
• Sugar Dunkerton defeated Victor Benjamin
  
• TK O’Ryan defeated Patrick Scott
  
• nZo defeated Liam Gray
  

 

Interestingly enough, all four matches were solid though nothing spectacular, the action was good, though outside of the O’Ryan vs. Scott match it wasn’t particularly high-flying as we expected. I get the feeling the company may ultimately go away from "Flight" as an aspect of the name and look for more of the hard-nosed strikers in the small category, or maybe blend the two and keep the name... We shall see. A little bit about the three workers we hadn't seen a promo for who "debuted" on the show, none of whom have had an official The Collective post made about them, so I'm guessing they haven't formally agreed with any of them beyond these pilots.

 

Artemis Spencer is well-known in the Pacific Northwest and has had some notable feuds, including with SCHAFF in DEFY. He made his Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debut last year and is the kind of niche pop-up name this kind of company can grow with. So seeing him here was both a surprise and a really good thing. He’d been stuck up in British Columbia for most of the pandemic, so it was good to see him. He’s got very dry charisma and a no non-sense attitude that will remind many of Lance Storm. Solid in-ring.

 

Sugar Dunkerton had a semi-productive summer run with AEW as Pineapple Pete, but it was purely for comedy purposes. He's a solid talker and a decent worker. There is a role for him here, but long-term it's likely as more of a nice hand than a prime piece. That said, AEW has turned Orange Cassidy into a star, so let's see if The Collective chooses to push forward with Sugar; or perhaps rebrand him.

 

Patrick Scott, honestly this one came out of nowhere for me. Only 23, he's a good flier with a fairly vanilla look and limited exposure outside of the Carolinas/Georgia. He and TK O'Ryan brought the flight aspect to the show, and it worked pretty well, but Scott needs something more to take that next step. He was trained by Steve Corino, so maybe he'll lean into that side?!

 

The second pilot episode also featured a collection of promos; a couple from the studio and a couple of the cinematic style they are building towards.

 

Promos

1. nZo and the group known as The Skulk had a playful little back and forth. nZo called them Hypemen without a product to sell and said tonight he’d show Liam Gray how to “market the goods”… nZo defeated Liam Gray on the show and this seemed to be a trial to see how these three gelled. Have to think they may be going with nZo and his two “hypemen” Liam Gray and Adrian Alanis moving forward… While we had the Miztourage, I can’t say we’ve seen the “rap-star” / “hypemen” dynamic before, but it is a big one in Hollywood so this might just work… Maybe they’ll be like the tv show Entourage. Or maybe this will turn into some from of the Real World/Road Rules/Wrestle House.

 

2. We saw another montage of Kal Jax’s cabin in the woods, this time it is a training style montage, he’s in the woods, cutting down a large tree. He’s a big strong man, and he really embodies “Mountain Man”. They are going to push this as a rugged mountain man who trains and lives in the woods, coming out only for fights.

 

3. Lady Frost brought out her husband the “Savage Gentleman” Victor Benjamin. This one just didn’t work for me, I’ve seen a bit of them as the tag team “Pretty Proper” and they are a decent team, but Benjamin doesn’t really fit the “Flight” part of the program, especially since tattooed across his chest are the words “All Fight. No Flight”… but that might actually be worth leaning into as they move forward.

 

4. Stephen Amell did a sit-down profile on SCHAFF; it highlighted his work with DEFY and his career. A lot of footage appears to have been licensed from DEFY and they’ve also spliced in some real-life stuff with SCHAFF. SCHAFF is a navy vet from Steel City who moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2017 and started training to be a wrestler, less than three full years later here he is… He’s got star written all over him and The Collective seems to be aware they'll need to make some homegrown stars.

 

5. They showed another version of the Steiners promo from the first pilot; obviously to give the editing team something to work with or a different piece of content. Scott and Rick are going to be promoters here and promise in 2021 to bring something big to The Collective.

 

6. We head back to the Blackwood Sanatorium where it is shown that “Da Pope” Elijah Burke is the one who checked “Freak Beast” Nick Comoroto out of the asylum. Burke stares into the camera and says “everyone deserves a second chance, and I’m doing good for those who can’t save themselves” … so “Da Pope” is back and its a evil-type Pope character, says his saving people from themselves and freeing people from society holding them back. Have to think his faction/group/unit might be a couple more rough backstory types, and that could be an interesting congregation for Pope. Burke also served as the Color Commentator for this show and was solid in that role!

 

7. We also had a call-out backstage promo with Davey Boy Smith Jr talking about the Samoan Dynasty/Bloodline (which is the group of Junior Fatu, Afa Jr, and now "The Problem" Sefa Fatu; they've used both names thus far) ambushing him after his victory, "Big" Sean Studd steps into the frame and says he's got his back. He tells Davey Boy Smith to take care of business next month and as we go into 2021; they'll be ready to show this "Dynasty" what "Tradition" looks like.

 

Overall Opinion:

This show wasn't as good as the Fight Club episode but it added some critical components to the program. I think there is something here with The Collective and this second pilot pushed that forward. We've heard from the company they will be confirming two official signings from this episode later this afternoon and that the next two pilots, to be filmed in December, will keep this separate format of Fight and Flight clubs but that the long-term program will combine the two into one show, while still keeping the delineation of divisions.

 

There were some really unique and good promos here. I am excited to find out who the Steiner's are bringing in, have to assume it's going to be someone with an Amateur Wrestling background, but who knows what Big Poppa Pump and The Dog-Faced Gremlin have in mind.

 

Very intrigued by the usage of the "Da Pope" Elijah Burke; first off, quality commentator, but it looks like they are going to use him as a manager (potentially in-ring also) and not just as a fun-loving character. He's leaning into the "Problem Solver" type gimmick, freeing those who can't help themselves. A dark prophet of sorts. After the initial promo of Comoroto people thought they'd go the Raven or James Mitchell route, but the Burke route is refreshing and intriguing.

 

We've also gathered a little bit of information on what they plan to do for the standings, all these matches will count toward the standings and moving forward all wins and losses will count regardless of the format of the match. Excited to see the future of this company, the new signings and hear more about what we can expect in the final two pilots. We know there will be three more "tournament" matches. As a reminder the semi-finals of the Fight Club will feature: Davey Boy Smith Jr, SCHAFF, Afa Jr, and Kal Jax; Assuming they keep the winners at least for the second pilot, the Flight Club semi-finals will feature: nZo, TK O'Ryan, Sugar Dunkerton and Artemis Spencer.